Secret of the Rainbow Pegasi

Chapters

Chapter 00: A Moment's Respite
Chapter 01: Arrival
Chapter 02: Palace
Chapter 03: Assault

Chapter 00: A Moment's Respite

It’s hard to say how love works, even from the most logical standpoint. It is an odd emotion, one that developed around care for another. It keeps friends close, and lovers closer, forever.

In theory, of course, provided that nothing bad happened, or that the feeling died away, or that any sort of trouble arose.

For one ancient alicorn, resting in his castle, it was the scariest thing he had ever faced.

Azrael, former bearer of the Seal of Death, was terrified of the feeling. And yet he absolutely enjoyed it. The warm feelings had been virtually nonexistent for years, following his self-imposed exile after he had unintentionally caused the downfall of the alicorn race. The “fluff,” as a certain pink pony put it, was the best part of the feeling. All those things you wanted to do with your loved one, simplified to just cuddling and thinking and reminiscing. Seemingly simple, yes, but in effect, it was so much more complicated.

He had no experience in the dating department, after all. He was old, yes; but never dated, nor courted, nor romanticized another, for fear of hurting them. But now was different. Now, he felt free of his curse. Father Death (though the entity preferred not to be referred to as such) had told him that love was worthwhile, and he was determined to go through with it.

He glanced at a photo nearby, of him and his lover, Luna. Though they had technically started dating for a mere three months, he supposed that the entirety of the War with Sombra counted as their time together. He never expected to have fallen for her; nor her for him. Both scarred, both willing to admit their mistakes, and both suffering from guilt, and both so very much in love with each other.

The darks attract the darks, he thought, smiling. And from them, a light is born.

He rose from his study, the candles all flickering out. Three months had indeed passed since the war. His age was beginning to show, though he supposed it was mostly from stress. His mane was much longer, and was now had a flash of silver in it. It drifted past his shoulder blades. His robe was now a much more crimson color, deep and royal, rich and luscious. Rarity had made it for him some time after the war, and he couldn’t help but admire how well it looked on him.

He walked over to the washroom to clean up, staring at the mirror. Wise eyes met his, filled with life and joy. He had not felt pure happiness before the war; it seemed that the victory had not only brought them all relief, but to him, a sense of belonging. In those eyes, he saw one of the many reasons why he was so happy. He had made friends, friends who, despite everything, neither judged nor scorned him, nor wanted to betray him. And he saw her; Luna, his marefriend, best friend, and lover, the one who had helped him see past his own darkness and rose to that new light.

His heart and his mind were always at an ease when he was around her, something that he had, at first, been slow to realize. He had truly fallen in love with her. And he realized what he wanted to be with her.

Leaving the washroom, he pressed a hoof against his desk, hearing a small click as a compartment pulled out. Inside was a glorious, silver-blue diamond—a Moon Stone, some might call it. He had had it carved into the shape of a crescent, and written in ancient alicorn tongue were the words “Love Forever.” It was the physical manifestation of a promise he intended to make to her later on. He pocketed the diamond, letting out a weary sigh.

He felt a bead of sweat drop from his forehead. This was it; the next—or final, if things went badly—step in their relationship. He was more scared of the potential consequences of the question than he had been of Sombra.

Whether she said yes or no, though, did not matter as much as if she answered. He knew that he would love her forever, no matter what happened. It was simply what love was like for him; a bond, a covenant, between two friends.

That was all the answer he needed to his if. He smiled nervously. This was the next step in their lives; and he wanted to make it special, perhaps as a way to make up for the time lost in the past.

“Hey, Azzy! Are you ready to go?”

Peeking his head out of his room, he saw Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. With them was a picnic basket, as well as a mat to sit on. He smiled at them. “Hello, Pinkie and Fluttershy. I trust you’ve been well?”

Fluttershy nodded, her smile small. “Yes, thank you for asking. How are you?”

He walked over to them, offering to carry one of the belongings. They handed him the basket. “I’m nervous,” he admitted, shaking his head.

“Don’t be, silly!” Pinkie encouraged, clapping him with her hoof. “I mean, Luna will absolutely love your gift!”

“You really think so?”

“Of course! She loves you! Why wouldn’t she say yes?”

He smiled, his spirits rising. “You may be right. But I won’t know until I ask her, will I?”

He took the lead, leading them out of the castle. Pinkie climbed onto the alicorn’s back while Fluttershy prepared to take off.

A small picnic, maybe some wine, and then the million bit question… May the Goddess Faust smile down upon me…

He flapped his enormous wings, rising up a plume of dust behind him, before lifting himself off the ground. Rotating, he flew off into the western horizon. Fluttershy followed after him.

None of them looked back, choosing instead to only look ahead.

***

“Is he happy?”

Death looked at War in slight confusion. “Who?”

“Azrael,” answered the ancient deity, his voice deep. “Is he happy?”

“What do you mean?” Death asked, still unsure of what War was asking.

War waved a dark-red hoof in the air, producing an intangible screen. On it, they could see Azrael flying with Pinkie and Fluttershy. A closer look revealed what was in his pocket.

Seeing his adopted son’s smile, Death answered, “I am certain that he is happy. I have looked into his heart and mind; he means to propose to the Princess of the Night.”

“And you are certain she will say yes?”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”

War grunted, dissipating the projection with a flare of his magic. His bulky armor clanked as he turned to face his fellow entity. “I would imagine that you deeply care for him. Am I correct?”

“Of course.”

“Then it would do you and he well to heed my words.”

Death frowned. War, though not as powerful nor as ancient as Death, was still wise beyond measure, having lived for millenias. If he had something to say, Death could guarantee that it was not something good. “Go on,” he said, waving a hoof.

War stared at him with white-and-blue eyes, the spark of wisdom built from suffering igniting behind them. “If you truly care for him, keep him out of this coming conflict.”

Death blinked. “You know I cannot influence the will of other sentients.”

“No, you cannot. But you can omit their involvement initially.”

“He will not be able to remain outside of the battle for long.”

“No; but it would better for him this way.” War placed his hoof on Death’s cloak-clad shoulder. His eyes softened. “Listen to me, my friend. Their happiness is what keeps the evil at bay. Should anything go wrong, and that happiness vanish, the End of Days will arrive in haste.”

Death waved the hoof away, but also stared evenly back at War. “If he wishes to fight, then I must let him. I hold no control over him.”

“The conflict has no need of him at the moment,” stated War, stepping away. “Let him be. Let them have happiness, as temporary as it may be.”

The older entity considered his friend’s words carefully. “If you believe that to be the right decision, then I suppose I shall adhere to it. But we will be needing their help in the future.”

War nodded. “Indeed. No one is safe from the coming battle.”

“I thought you would not care. As War, should you not be instigating this conflict?”

War shook his head. “In the past, I have. But now, I realize that if I were to hasten what is coming, then it will mean the end for them, the living. We entities will live on, yes, but it will be a terrible existence. Without them, the sentient, the living, the non-entities, we would be lost.” He looked back at Death. “And, whether it be a curse or a blessing, I learned that I had grown to care for this Balance. Life and Death; Peace and War. They are two sides of two coins, but all of them are necessary for the other to exist.”

He fell silent, as did Death. In the chamber no sound arose; not even their breaths could be heard.

“So what now?” Death finally asked.

War flashed his magic, bringing up another projection. They saw a candy-esque train traveling to the east. War’s magic flashed again, and the view zoomed in on two ponies: a pegasus and a young alicorn.

“These two,” said War, “will be involved in another conflict. One that, though it will not need Azrael’s involvement, will inevitably reveal more to what is coming.” He looked to Death. “The Elements of Loyalty and Magic will be facing something massive. Something much larger than the War with Sombra. We must keep an eye on them.”

“The secret of the rainbow pegasi will be revealed.”

“Indeed. Which it is vital that these two are kept safe. That knowledge will be useful in the future.”

Death nodded, though his eyes were sad. “I had hoped not to bring up that terrible memory ever again.”

“No secret remains in the shadows for long, Death. You and I both know this. It is necessary for us—and for them—to see these things, and to understand these things, so that they and we may prepare.”

The projection faded, leaving the two in the chamber, their voices falling. Silence echoed all throughout, but their thoughts were as loud as a concert hall.

Dark days were ahead, illuminated by only the faintest prism. They knew this, and they dreaded it.

Author's Note

If you don't know already, I am writing this story at the request and by the assistance of Azrael (not the character). I know my style of writing is quite different from his, but nonetheless, I hope you still end up enjoying what I write.

Chapter 01: Arrival

Throughout the Friendship Express’s years of travel, it held claim to the best sightseeing that one could observe from within its cabins. Though it traveled at breakneck speed, the environments around and far off into the distance never seemed to blur. Paradoxically, they became focused, as if through a lens, and one could see the world for what it was.

Hills that were a rich green were dwarfed by dark-purple mountains, rising up into the sky like pillars holding up the heavens. Fluffy clouds surrounded the peaks, rising up and down freely, orbiting around the tips. Snow fell from the tops, blanketing the lower mountains and gathering at the sides. If one peered close enough, one could see winter trees and timbers, their barks a frigid light-blue, their branches frozen, icicles hanging from the ends.

As the observer’s gaze lowered, the region around grew much greener, contrasting the distant landscape. Red and yellow flowers blew past as the train traveled, followed by their greener and taller brethren. The clouds here seemed not to move, even as fast as the train was going. They followed and trailed the locomotive, like pillowy guards, blocking the glaring sun with their masses. The trees, too, turned, leaving their northern cousins and becoming familiar; brown, green, and filled with leaves and birds. The occasional squirrel could also be seen.

As time went on, the green faded, as did the purple mountains. Now they became a carbon grey, with only the faintest of snow at the top. Dirt and mud ran down the sides; little trees, if any, were present, and those that were were devoid of any leaves. Vegetation all but vanished. The commodities of Equestria had seemingly disappeared.

None of these observations, however, occurred to Rainbow Dash, for her mind was elsewhere. Sitting in her booth, the pegasus stared outside, not quite noticing the change in the landscape. Her cyan hoof rested underneath her chin pensively.

“What are you thinking about?”

She turned, remembering that the Princess of Friendship sat next to her. Rainbow blinked. “Sorry, what, Twilight?”

“You’re thinking,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“How can you tell?”

“You’ve been staring outside and haven’t said anything the whole trip.”

Rainbow let out a slight chuckle. “It’s that obvious, huh?” She looked at her alicorn friend. “It’s nothing, really. Just remembering some stuff.”

“Really? Like what?”

The pegasus shrugged. “Just family stuff, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Twilight, I’m sure. Why do you care?”

Twilight frowned. “Well, for one, you’re crying.”

Rainbow blinked. She reached up, pressing a hoof to her cheek, finding it having grown wet. She wiped her hoof on the seat, chuckling a bit darkly. “Huh. Guess I am.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Twilight. I was just thinking about my dad.”

“Oh. You… you’ve never talked about your parents before.”

Rainbow slowly nodded. “Well, there’s a reason for that. Mom died when I was really young, so I don’t really have any memories of her. Dad became my only parent; he was the one who hyped me up for the Wonderbolts all those years ago. He was really my only family, and I remember he would always push me to do my best in everything.”

She sighed. “That was my life for the longest time. Having Dad support me in everything I did. I liked it. I really did.”

“But?”

“He… well, it’s hard to explain. It was a few days before I moved to Ponyville. I remember coming home, about to announce my plan to leave Cloudsdale. That was when I saw him.”

She shook her head. “He looked scared; really, really frightened. I was confused, and asked him if he was alright. He told me he had to go somewhere, someplace important. I let him go, thinking that I would tell him my plans later.

“That was the last time I ever saw Dad.”

Twilight softly gasped. “What?! You mean your father has been missing for years?!”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I felt pretty awful when I realized he wasn’t coming back. But, I gradually moved on from it. Dad wouldn’t want me feeling bad just because he had gone missing.”

She glanced up at Twilight, trying to muster a grin. “I guess… I guess looking outside, and seeing the world move, just somehow reminded me of his adventurous nature, his love of freedom. I… I miss him.”

Twilight frowned. “You don’t think he might be alive, do you?”

The pegasus shook her head. “If he is, I think he’s beyond saving. Who’s to say that he’s not permanently damaged at this point?”

“That’s rather… cynical of you, Rainbow.” Twilight’s gaze softened. “Though, after the war with Sombra, I guess we could use a bit of cynicism.”

Rainbow said nothing. Twilight made a sour face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”

The pegasus waved a hoof reassuringly. “It’s alright, Twilight. I’m fine now. Really.”

It was a small lie, and Rainbow knew this, but she didn’t want her friend’s sympathy for something that had happened so long ago. She decided to change the topic of conversation. “Hey, can you tell me why we’re going to the Griffon Kingdom? We’re not in trouble or anything, are we?”

“Of course not. Why would we?” Seeing Rainbow shrug, she continued, “We were invited by Gyps Fulvus. You remember him, right?”

“Yeah! That awesome griffon king who helped us out big time!”

Twilight smiled at her friend’s returned enthusiasm. “He wants to give us a personal tour of his kingdom, as a sort of ‘thank-you’ for uniting griffon and pony once more. That, and,” she added, a bit formally, and ruffling her wings, “he wants to talk about continued pony-griffon endeavors.”

Rainbow smirked. “And he asked for the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Loyalty? He’s smart, I’ll give him that. But why just us two?”

“Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were helping Azrael with something. The others have other things to do. If they wanted to come, I don’t think they’d be able to.” Rainbow nodded at the explanation.

“It’s just us two, huh? Guess that old king has some class!”

Twilight smiled at her friend’s boastfulness. “Well, it wouldn’t be too far a far stretch…”

The conversation grew lighter, as their thoughts drifted from Rainbow’s family problems to curious wonderings about what the future held. If there was one thing Rainbow knew about griffons, aside from their stubbornness, it was that they were natural fighters; something that she wholeheartedly supported. She couldn’t wait to thank them for helping Equestria fight back the forces of Sombra, remembering how she had nearly wavered in the face of the Soul Eater and the undead alicorn army.

They passed through a tunnel, and everything went dark for a few seconds. Then, light emanated from the front, and then drifted around the coaches. Somehow, it felt foreign. Looking back outside, Rainbow realized why. Gone were the purple horizons and green pastures. In their place, was a brown land, not dead, but different from the one she was used to. She wouldn’t call it desolate, but it seemed that not a soul was around.

As the train continued whizzing by, she saw that the trees became much harsher looking. Their branches were sharper, like they were fighting some invisible enemy. The mountains shifted from the violet hue to an earthen grey. She could see, at their peaks, snow, somehow darker than before. Those mountains were taller than the ones she had seen in the countryside.

It was like entering a whole new world. She couldn’t help but grin, excited. The thrill of adventure flowed through her, a river of emotion, daringness, and courage, and she reveled in the sensations.

***

Even though she had heard directly from Luna about the kingdom, Rainbow was still impressed by what she saw.

The train stopped a distance from the main area, making Twilight and Rainbow walk up to the kingdom. Along the way, they gazed at unfamiliar, dark buildings that had been “industrialized,” as Twilight put it. Unlike the familiar setting of Equestria, the Griffon Kingdom was much more technologically advanced. In regards to them not wielding any natural magic that might have bridged the technological gap, they were one of the most advanced races on the entire planet. The buildings weren’t just tall; they were massive, made of a little something called concrete—a material much stronger than wood. Heavy as it was, it was able to be melded and molded however the griffons saw fit. The windows were tinted a smoky grey, and they could see the silhouettes of griffons working inside. From huge funnels on the roofs smoke rose.

The walk was short, and soon they had reached their main destination. The grounds between the actual castle and the village below—a marketplace—was littered with griffons clambering to sell their items and trinkets. Rainbow counted several stands selling golden souvenirs; they were strange, and misshapen. She noted as well that, physically, the entirety of the kingdom, even from the train station, dwarfed Canterlot and the Crystal Kingdom to the north.

In Celestia’s returned sun, the place looked even more grand. Getting off of the train, she had to squint in the harsh light. The sun shone brilliantly off of the houses, the smallest of them somehow being tall enough to touch low clouds. She wondered if any of the buildings had the potential of reaching Cloudsdale.

Looking to the left, Rainbow saw several griffons in blacksmith attire, their aprons black and masks down. They were inside some sort of shop, with pipes and ends sticking out of the edges. Steam billowed from these openings as the griffons worked tirelessly; they were creating some sort of advanced sword. She remembered that Twilight had called this method “steampunk welding;” she couldn’t help but feel jealous of just how efficient it was.

To the right was what she guessed to be the residential district. Housing for subjects lay down the paved, cobblestone roads. Lights from tall street lamps, powered by hydroelectricity, kept the streets bright at night. The same power source would provide heating and personal illumination in many of the homes that were scattered down the street. And there were so many homes; so many, that, even if she were to remain on the road, staring down it, Rainbow could not have counted all of them.

Twilight led the way, her nose buried in a history book about the kingdom. Somehow she managed to deftly dodge incoming griffons, even managing a few greetings. They returned confused, but ultimately kind and welcoming responses. Equine and griffon relations were indeed in better condition, especially following the Sombra War.

Most of the griffons present wore some sort of armor-esque cloth, though it was made out of an unknown material. Some had helmets with small slits, outfitted with an array of lighting and weaponry; guards, Rainbow guessed, though they were friendly. She noticed that some had actual steam billowing out their ends. Asking Twilight a quick question, she received the explanation that it was a way to keep the guards cool in the heat.

Dust gathered underneath Dash’s hooves. She felt strangely uncomfortable on this ground than anywhere else. Despite the warm atmosphere, both physically and societally, she felt a nagging sense of dread somewhere in the back of her mind. She grunted to herself, pushing the thoughts away as best she could. The dirt was much less stable and not good for farming, she realized; perhaps that was why she felt odd, because it was foreign soil? Or maybe it was because the dirt wasn’t really dirt, just excess dirt that had not been covered up by the pavement?

The thoughts did little to put her mind at ease, but they at least provided a temporary scapegoat.

Twilight suddenly stopped walking, and looked up. Rainbow nearly bumped into her. She followed Twilight’s gaze. She gasped.

The palace itself, though an ancient building, was most definitely modernized. Unlike a traditional castle, with four specific corners, this was much larger and rounder, and more robust. The palace was much more grandiose in person as well. In fact, she guessed it had only become bigger since Luna’s visit. The dome had a sandy color to it, curving around the top. Griffon gargoyles patrolled the edges, staring at the town below, silent guardians that looked like they could spring to life at any moment. They, too, had been “steampunk-ized.”

“Holy Faust!” she nearly cried.

A nearby griffon chuckled. “Yep, that tends to be the usual response.” He pointed a claw out. “Those gargoyles aren’t just for decoration. Their ruby eyes are able to harness energy and shoot at the pull of a lever.” He grinned. “Pretty impressive, don’t ya think?”

“Impressive? It’s downright awesome!”

Twilight resumed walking, and Rainbow followed her.

The road was still paved with cement bricks, and the buildings to the side seemed to curve around the pathway, like a tunnel of sorts. The prevailing color was that of a gold-brown, ancient and regal. Some griffons wore suits; others, walked around in the nude. Most kept their distance, though they did give a few nods in their direction. A few griffon children even murmured to themselves; they recognized the national heroes easily.

As the palace approached, more details could be seen. Banners, crimson red, hung from the balconies, and on them was the emblazoned form of a fighting griffon. Next to those banners were white and blue ones; on them were depicted various equines fighting alongside their griffon allies.

The pegasus saw something painted on the sides of the columns. As they neared, her mouth broke out into a wide smile.

“No way! That’s so cool!” she exclaimed, pointing a hoof out.

There, on the left and right columns, was a set of murals, depicting the Sombra War in magnificent detail. The Equestria Army and the Griffon Army were beautifully drawn. The latter army wore fierce expressions as they rained down on the undead alicorns, while the former bore grim, determined looks as they charged through the battlefield. It was so accurate that Rainbow was certain that it had to have been drawn at the moment of battle.

She frowned as she saw one missing detail. “Hey! Where are we?”

“We weren’t at the battle, remember?” Twilight responded as Rainbow flew back down.

“Well, yeah, but shouldn’t we have a mural of our own?”

Twilight was about to respond, when another voice did for her. “What, the windows in Canterlot aren’t enough?”

They turned to the source. Rainbow found herself grinning once more. “Gilda!”

The griffon from Rainbow’s childhood nodded, holding a cocky smirk. “In the flesh, dweeb. Took you two long enough to get here.” Twilight blushed in embarrassment while Rainbow gave the griffon a high-hoof.

“Are you here to greet us?” the purple alicorn asked.

Gilda nodded. “Yep, and to show you the way to Gyps.” She puffed out her chest a little bit. “As Captain of the Griffon Guard, it’s my duty to escort all esteemed guests to His Majesty.”

Rainbow laughed. “Wow, you’re really hamming it in, aren’t ya?”

“Hmph. At least I have an actual position in royalty.”

“Gyps? You mean, King Fulvus?” Twilight asked.

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Potato, tomato, egghead.”

“Those aren’t even the same thing—”

“Anyway, Gyps is waiting inside,” she interrupted. “Follow me.”

Turning, she led the way into the palace. After a moment, Rainbow and Twilight followed after her. The palace doors closed shut, leaving behind a still busy marketplace.

Chapter 02: Palace

Inside the hallowed walls of the palace, Rainbow saw even more murals painted across the windows and columns. All of them exemplified and honored the griffon race and its heroes. Tales, centuries old, were depicted in colorful droves, remembering a story that had undoubtedly passed through the mind of many a griffon child from an elder’s mouth.

Yet Gilda and, surprisingly neither Twilight, did not stop to admire the massive drawings. Whatever business they had here had completely taken over her natural snideness, and in Twilight’s case, said business out-prioritized any natural curiosity. Rainbow felt a slight chill wash over her for some reason.

“Palace is big,” she commented. “About just as big as Canterlot’s.”

Gilda nodded. “Yeah. I guess griffons do have it in them when they get their act together.”

The “it” was intentionally left anonymous, and Twilight and Rainbow were left wondering what she meant by that.

All three of them took to the air to traverse the palace much quicker. The bronze-yellow floor swooped below, the cobalt centers and ornate ruby perimeters, becoming nothing more than blurs.

Rainbow thought she saw something next to her moving shadow. Hesitating for a moment, she looked around, finding nothing. She shrugged, thinking nothing of it.

Yet the chill from before persisted; not on her back, but in the palace itself. She failed to notice it consciously, though the hair at the back of her neck stood on end, rigid.

***

Several forms met them at the end of the long hall. Their faces were masked by steel plates, their bodies covered in shining metal. Only a narrow slit revealed eyes that were fierce and suspicious. They carried a set of spears in their talons, and they looked just about ready to launch an attack.

“It’s me,” Gilda said to them, and they visibly relaxed; but they kept their eyes trained upon them. Gilda turned back to Rainbow and Twilight. “Griffon guard. Pretty impressive, aren’t they?” Her tone became prideful. “Picked several of them myself.”

“They seem kinda OP,” Rainbow said. “That’s a lot of armor to be lugging around. Even the Royal Guards aren’t completely covered.”

“I think we make up for that with numbers,” Twilight answered, “not to mention magic.”

Gilda nodded. “Yeah. To keep up with you ponies, we’ve had to up the technological ante.”

“I can see that.”

Gilda turned back to the guards. She raised a talon, giving something close to a flicking motion. The guards shifted their bodies so that they were facing the one on the opposite side. Gilda held up her talon a little longer, before slamming it to the ground. The guards followed suite, banging the ends of their spears thrice upon the ground, the sound echoing throughout the palace.

The door slowly creaked open, like a massive maw. A yellow-and-lapis-blue carpet appeared from within, like the door’s own tongue. The uncanny thought continued further as Rainbow glanced above; she saw what appeared to be stalactites, made of concrete, hanging from above the arch, with banners falling below them. These were the teeths of the door.

She wondered if the design was intentional. It certainly unnerved her, though she tried not to show it.

Gilda walked them in, the sentries and guards watching them with careful, guarded eyes. They saw one lone griffon in front, sitting on a golden throne, covered in glorious robes of amber and ruby. Yet, unlike the sentries that stood by him, his eyes carried not suspicion, but welcome glee. As they approached, he stood, he watched them with careful amusement.

Gilda cleared her throat. “The King Gyps Fulvus!” she announced, loud and clear. She bowed low, and Twilight and Rainbow mimicked the motion. The guards banged their spears on the ground thrice.

The griffon king stepped down from his throne, a content and beaming smile on his face. “Gilda. You know how I feel about formalities when among friends.”

Gilda actually snorted. “Yeah, but you still like the attention, don’t ya?”

Twilight’s eyes bugged out at Gilda’s unprofessional snark. Rainbow, on the other hand, stifled a chuckle.

Gyps merely laughed. “Still got that snark of yours, don’t you?” He eyed the two others, before—to the ponies’ surprise—bending down in his own bow. “Princess Twilight Sparkle and Knight Rainbow Dash.”

“Whoa, what?” Rainbow shot up like a rocket. “Twilight! When did I become a knight?!”

Twilight recovered quickly, and answered, “Well, considering how you are one of the Element Bearers, I guess that position that makes sense?”

“Does it?” Gyps waggled his eyebrows playfully. “Well, as a war hero, she could be promoted to Sentinel.”

“Before we make Dash’s ego explode any more,” Gilda interrupted, “maybe we should get back to why they are here?”

The king nodded. “We should, but—” There was a low rumble. Rainbow and Twilight looked at Gyps in confusion. He blushed, grinning sheepishly. “Maybe we should get something to eat first.”

Gilda rolled her eyes, but before she could say something in retort, her own stomach grumbled.

“Pfft!” Dash had to shove a hoof in her mouth to stop herself from laughing. She nearly spat it out when Gilda shot her a furious glare.

“Yes, we should,” Twilight said quickly, before a fight ensued. “Lead the way, sire.”

***

The royal kitchens had the courtesy to provide a plant-based meal for the herbivores, while providing traditional griffon food for the king and his guard. As Rainbow and Twilight settled in, munching on the leaves and grasses, they exchanged talk with Gilda and Gyps.

“Yeah, being a guard is great and all,” Gilda said between burps, “but it can get pretty boring. Ever since the war, we haven’t had much to fight. I think our guards are beginning to slack off.”

Gyps actually chuckled. “Yes, well, peace is a well-earned condition. We should be glad we have it at all.”

“Peace in our time,” Twilight said as she chewed on her sandwich. She swallowed. “Such a strange concept. I can’t believe it had to be brought about through violent means…”

“Aw, lighten up, Twi! It was worth it in the end!” Rainbow gave her alicorn friend a hearty slap on the back. “We beat up the bad guy, saved the day, Azrael got the girl—”

“Ah, I see that young Luna has found love?” Gyps smiled. “She certainly deserves to have somepony special by her side.”

“I remember Azrael,” Gilda said, and there was a tinge of red in her cheeks. “He’s… not so bad, I guess.”

Dash cackled. “Oooh, is Gilda blushing?”

“Sh-shut it, Dash!” Gilda bristled, flaring her wings. Her blush only grew darker, and Rainbow’s laughter spread to the others.

“By the way,” Twilight said, “I know that this is nice and all, but why exactly did you want us to be here, Gyps?”

“It’s my way of thanking you,” answered the king. “After all, thanks to your efforts, both Equestria and the Griffon Empire have been saved and secured. I was hoping, however, that your friends could have come?”

“They’d like to, but, well, as you know, Azrael is busy with Luna. Fluttershy and Pinkie are with him, helping out. Rarity’s got her business to tend to, what with a new demand for battle-style clothing among many of Ponyville’s residents; while Applejack is working at the farm.”

“And your young dragon charge?”

“Spike’s… well…” Twilight blushed. “He wanted to stay home and keep the house clean.”

“And knowing you, Twi, you’d let him, even if he argued against it.” Rainbow’s jest was light, and while the alicorn initially fumed at the response, she slowly realized that her friend was just joking with her.

The conversation soon drifted just as lunch dwindled. Plates were slowly being cleared of their portions, and their stomachs became full and satisfied. Rainbow burped. “Man! That’s gotta be one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time! Give my compliments to the chef!”

Gyps smiled. “I’m sure that he’ll definitely like to hear that, Rainbow. Now,” he added, getting up from his seat, “why don’t I give you a personal tour of the entire palace?”

***

When Rainbow was but a young foal living up in Cloudsdale, she used to not have as much of an appreciation of the Earth as she did now. Well, arguably, she still didn’t, but back then it was much more cynical in nature, that dislike. Her father, on the other hand, had a much more open mind, and wished to encourage his young daughter to think outside of the clouds she lived on.

Often, they would simply sit on a cloud in the back of their home, and stare out between an open space. The world below them would circle beneath, and Dash would sometimes think it was like a giant shell of a mysterious creature. She would frown and say, “That’s just the dumb ground, Dad.”

Her dad would then say, “It’s more than that, Dashie. It’s the world we live in.”

“We live in clouds! We’re pegasi!”

“Most certainly we are, but have you ever thought that we weren’t always like that?” Then he would begin some strange tale about how their ancestors were of the Earth pony race, and only evolved into pegasi when the situation demanded it. This was all, of course, before the unification of the three equine races, he would explain.

He always had a love for the ancient, even archaic, ways, though he lacked any hard magic himself. Though, she supposed there was one form of magic; his voice. The way it would swirl around her, loving and intelligent all at the same time. No other pony could compare to the way he explained the world to her. He and his prism mane would flail and flow through the heavenly wind, just as strong as the gale from which it rode.

Then he would go off on the various wonders down below. The ponies, while lacking wings, seemed constantly wanting to head to the heavens. In some regions they would build great, tall structures that pierced the sky, always reaching for Celestia’s sun. Others, they would craft marvelous temples, made of glass and gold. But he would also remind her to love the simple things that the ponies below had.

“They have their own families, their own lives, their own stories. We are all connected, Dashie. Not one of us is ever alone.”

His words were sometimes cryptic, and it would take some time before she understood them. Nevertheless, she would nod and say, “I understand,” even when she didn’t. She figured she’d understand eventually; after all, this was her dad. She understood him well enough, didn’t she?

The two would sit on that cloud until the sun came down and the moon came up, and she would find herself still thinking about the world below. She would not feel a wanting to feel soil on her hooves for many years; perhaps it was these conversations that planted the seed of travel in her mind, that spurred her to leave Cloudsdale for the small town of Ponyville.

Her father had done so much to teach her about the world below, she would later realize, whilst in her cloud home, wrapped up in blankets, wanting to feel his familiar warmth.

It would never come.

***

Dash’s face contorted into an upside-down smile, and her eyes danced in the light of unease. The memory of her father flashed in front of her, only to fade away before she could catch it. She figured it was because she was tired from the tour.

The tour had finished long ago. They had spent it exploring throughout the various halls and wings of the palace. Each one had glass ceilings that allowed sunlight access. In every room, there were tons of jewelry and ornaments adorning the sections and nooks and crannies. Where the griffons had gotten so much, she guessed it had to be from previous wars. Maybe against ponies, or the southern aquarians. She had learned as well that there were some dragons who lived near the empire; perhaps that explained where the gold came from.

A guard knocked his spear on the ground, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I will lead you to your chambers,” he said, his voice muffled by the mask. She simply nodded, too tired to respond, and he turned, gesturing for her to follow.

They walked in silence. Her hooves clopped against the velvet carpet, while his armor clanked softly with each movement. Massive columns passed, and like stony sentries they watched them.

Dash found herself suddenly unnerved. She fought the feeling off as best she could.

Eventually they reached a simple wooden door. The guard pulled the latch and allowed her entrance, closing it softly behind her.

Not much could be said about the room that hadn’t already describe the rest of the palace. Much like the larger establishment that it was a part of, it had numerous jewels, ornaments, and rich, deep colors that wrapped around in a brilliant circle of hues. It reminded her very much of a princess’s room; she had to ask if Twilight ever had one of these growing up in Canterlot. Then she remembered that Twilight probably had a similar room at the moment.

In the center was a large, queen-sized bed, complete with a silk blanket and hanging curtains. They matched the covers and the canopy that rested above the mattress with sturdy wooden posts. Just looking at the bed, seeing how comfortable it was, made her feel even more tired.

In a daze, she walked over, ignoring her surroundings. The thought of sleep after such a long travel and after an even longer tour brought her eyes to a close. She fell forward, and somehow her body managed to find reason in itself to wrap her in the blankets. She mumbled something to herself, the meaning lost already, as the darkness crept forward. Her head buried in the pillow; she hunched up, close, and sighed.

Kind of like a cloud, was her last thought, before the light of her conscious state went out.

Chapter 03: Assault

She was drifting. She was on a cloud as it bobbed in a sea of blackness. Looking around, she saw that there was nothing to be seen. No stars, no lights, no life, surrounded her; she was all alone.

There was a flash, for a brief moment, but then it vanished. Vainly she searched for it, her eyes squinting in the darkness. Yet try as she might, nothing could be seen.

She tried to stop the cloud she was on, but realized that she couldn’t even feel it with her hooves. Nor, could she feel her hooves themselves. Nor anything, for that matter. It seemed her entire body had gone numb; yet somehow she was aware of her moving. It was as if she had no control over where she was going.

It reminded her of the “ethereal realm,” as Twilight had put it, from three months prior. Back when she and the other Element Bearers had journeyed to Life’s domain in order to reach the Element avatars. But where then the setting was much calmer, this one caused nothing short of unease as her skin—or what she perceived as her skin, she could not truly tell—crawled.

Fwoom

She “blinked,” thinking she had heard something. To the best of her ability, she rotated about the cloud, trying to discern the source.

Fwoooom

There was another flash, this time much brighter and longer. She felt a warm flush fill her face; she realized that the flash was emitting heat. Covering her face with a “wing,” she tried to use the other appendage to flap the flame away. The flame flash did seem to die down, but the glow remained as strong as ever.

Suddenly she could see clearly. Metal walls stood all around her. The glow blindly reflected off of them, burning her retinas even through her wings. Now she could see more of herself; her familiar, cyan coat never looked so relieving before.

She wasn’t on a cloud anymore; instead, she was on a conveyor belt. The coils rolled uncomfortably against her. She realized she couldn’t move her body, and could do little else but slide down the line. She couldn’t even cry out.

The line continued down a straight path, before curving and heading downward to some unknown chamber, taking Dash with it. It stopped once she entered the chamber, and the flame from earlier faded into grey light. She glanced around, feeling panic rise in her throat. Where was she?

Something rolled up next to her. She realized it was a cart, and on it was a tray with various knives and syringes. Constraints suddenly latched onto her hooves, keeping her pinned. She made to yell in protest, but found that her muzzle was clamped shut by some sort of device.

From the shadows, she saw a strange creature step forward. He wore a white lab-coat and a strange mask that covered the entirety of his face. In slow, methodical steps, he advanced towards her. As he got closer, she could see splotches of red all over the side of his coat. Her eyes widened in fear. Oh no, oh no…

He laughed deeply, and said something that she couldn’t understand. Soon he was right next to her. She could now clearly see that he was a griffon, based on his talons as his front legs, which were also covered in the red splotches. Behind him were his wings, but they were shriveled and old, reminding her of Death’s own pair. In fact, the feathers were already molting and falling to the ground; but he paid them no heed.

She struggled to move. Her gasps and shortness of breath only made him laugh madly, and he reached out, pressing a talon against her neck. She gulped, ceasing her sporadic behavior. He clenched tightly, choking her; sputtering, she tried to flail at him, even though the constraints made that impossible to do.

He released her just when she thought she would cave in. She gulped down massive amounts of air.

“Good,” he rumbled, finally speaking something intelligible. “Breathe. Enjoy the air while you can, regnbue pony.” He caressed her cheek sickly, then her mane; she nearly vomited in disgust.

The room began to shake, as something seemed to stomp towards her. But she saw nothing but the griffon, who retracted his appendage and rested it on the cart, pulling out the various objects. He was grinning, a crazy glint in his eye. Turning back to her, he wielded a sharp bonesaw.

Complete panic set in as he neared. She struggled even harder, desperately trying to break free. He placed the teeth of the saw on her wing, then, slowly, dreadfully slowly, he began to cut.

The pain was indescribable, and she was certain she would die then and there. But something cut through the pain. It was a voice, strong, familiar, yet warped and genderless.

Wake, it said. Wake. Wake. Wake!

The blackness, coupled with the pain, made her want to do just the opposite. But then she saw another flash, harsher than the first one. It blinded everything in sight, and she felt her body float up and away from the torment, into the light, fading back into the subconscious.

***

Rainbow awoke in a sweat. Panting, her wings spread in a defensive manner, she shot up from her bed and sat up straight. “Oh… just a dream…” She swiftly shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

The moon’s faint light passed through the stained glass window, giving the room a bit of illumination. Some faint outline stood just in front of her door; she assumed it was a guard. Did I yell in my sleep? I hope not; that would be so embarrasing!

She remained still, watching to see if the guard would leave. When he made no movement, she endeavored to say, “Uh, I’m fine. You can go now.”

Something like a ding echoed from his mouth, and his eyes flashed a deep red. She realized that he had no pupils.

The “guard” advanced towards her, its eyes glowing red. Energy began to pulsate from the sockets. She didn’t need to be a super genius to realize what happened next.

“Yow!” Rainbow shouted as twin, optic beams shot towards her. She pumped her wings hard, pushing back the covers and flying up into the air, just barely avoiding the deadly bolts. “Hey! What gives?!”

The “guard” only snapped its head to her, and shot off another beam. She flew to the side, the beam crashing into the wall, causing rubble and stone to fry and burn. That laser’s hot!

She jumped from the wall onto the canopy. She had to jump off and return to being airborne just as the strange creature shot another bolt. The bed combusted, nearly burning her wingtips.

Crashing and rolling through the air, unable to properly orient herself for a return attack, Rainbow dodged and weaved like a darting, flying ninja. The lasers missed her each time, though the “guard” seemed unperturbed.

The focus of its beams shifted, and she realized that it was no longer trying to hit her. “Ha! You suck at this, don’t ya?” she taunted.

The “guard” let out a menacing growl that sounded like nails being scratched across a chalkboard. The sound disoriented her, and she clenched her head with a low groan. The creature kept the sound up, and began to slowly walk towards her.

“Oh, no you don’t!” she managed to yell. With a flick her tail, she knocked a nearby vase into the robot, toppling it. It ceased its cry as it tumbled, legs flailing. Seeing her chance, Rainbow shot forward, aiming for the head.

It managed to recover just quick enough—very quickly, much to her surprise—to toss its head to the side. She managed to nick it just under its chin, and with a sickening crunch, something was torn off. Rainbow crashed into the wall by accident, falling to her haunches, as that “something” landed next to her. In a daze, she picked it up and looked at it.

“Is that a beak?”

She turned, and nearly yelped in utter shock. The “guard’s” entire lower beak had broken off. Wires poked out from the orifice, teeth gnashing aimlessly. She saw that there was no tongue flopping around. She then realized that the skin had also been torn off, revealing a metal skull underneath.

With a snap of its neck, it stared at her with dead orbs. She barely had time to completely register its horrid appearance when it launched its entire body at her. Crying out, she was immediately pinned to the ground. Rainbow struggled, but the griffon robot kept her hooves down. It opened its beak, revealing a sharp blade embedded in its throat.

Slowly, with the precision of a laser cannon, it descended. The blade inched closer and closer to her face. With each passing second, her panic grew, and her struggles grew more rampant.

She thought a silent prayer for help, expecting none.

Whirr…

Both of them paused as they heard the whirring. The robot glanced at the door, confusion etched on its stony features. It cocked its head. “Doooorrrr?” it droned out in a mechanical monotone.

With a loud crack, the wooden frame burst open, throwing the griffon robot aside, revealing Gilda and Twilight. The former was still in her armor, and in her talons was a staff that glowed with energy. Twilight’s horn was glowing, and a ball of energy was starting to grow from the tip.

“Rainbow!” Twilight called as the pegasus jumped away from the robot. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, thanks to you two,” she responded. She started when she heard the steel beast get back up. “No time for talk. We gotta destroy this thing!”

“I like the plan, Dash,” Gilda said, as she gripped the staff harder. “You wanna stay back and rest, or—”

Rainbow snorted. “Oh, please! I’ve fought deadlier things than stupid robot!”

“Less talking, more defeating, please!” Twilight yelled. Using her magic, she managed to shove the others and herself out of the way of an incoming blast of energy. The three then flapped their wings and zoomed ahead, aiming to knock the robot off of its feet.

Twilight aimed for the chest with her magic, while Gilda swung the scepter at the head. Both hit their targets direct on, just as Dash tackled the creature to the ground with a growl. It let out an ear-shredding screech that threw the pegasus off. But her allies were undeterred. Gilda flew back and began firing gold-bronze blasts of energy. The bolts seemed to arc around the room, bouncing and ricocheting, before landing themselves in the back of the robot. Twilight charged her horn, then let loose a lightning spell, zapping its circuitry. Now paralyzed from its waist down, it collapsed to its knees.

Yet it did not yet give up. The optics were still as deadly as ever, and their continuous shots forced the trio to keep dodging. The room and outside hall were quickly scorched by the red beams, the walls and floor becoming scorched earth and ground that reminded Dash of a battlefield. A faint apparition—more like a memory—of the Soul Eater appeared in her mind, before disappearing. The ghostly sight was enough to kick her body into overdrive; her fight-or-flight response rocketed, and her adrenaline spiked.

Rainbow ducked low and grabbed a shard of glass from one of the vases that had been shattered. She looped around, then flew low to avoid another beam. With another mid-air roll, she dodged another; then, for her final attack, she flew straight into the griffon robot’s face.

“Take this!” she cried, as she plunged the shard into its left optic. Wiring exploded, as did the eye itself, and the creature threw Dash off, clutching its eye, screaming all the while.

“Now, guys! Do it!” Dash exclaimed as she flew back to the others. Gilda and Twilight nodded. They charged their respective weapons to their max level, and—just as the griffon robot stopped screaming and focused on them—fired at once. The purple and gold-bronze beams collided, then combined into a ravenous bolt of energy, shooting straight for the robot’s neck.

It didn’t stand a chance. Cleanly, the bolt sliced through and severed the head from the rest of the body. Both parts collapsed into a pile of broken machinery, leaking oil and unknown fluids.

The head’s remaining eye blinked red at them, whirring and gyrating. It seemed to be calculating something.

Then, in a grave, one-toned voice, it spoke: “UNIT COMPROMISED. INITIATE EMERGENCY MEASURES.”

“Emergency measures? Aw, shut it, you clanking bucket of bolts.” Rainbow made to stomp towards it, perhaps to smash its head in, but Gilda pulled her back.

“Get down, you two!” she shouted, just as the robot exploded. Nuts, bolts, and screws went flying. They careened against the walls and bounced off of the scorched bed. In one final, fiery blaze, the robot fully combusted into ash.

Dash’s voice was lost in the explosion, but she did feel a piece of shrapnel pierce her left leg. She barely registered the pain, as Gilda was already scooping her up and yelling something; probably trying to get the guards. Twilight pulled up a shield spell, as the various components continued to rocket at them.

She saw Dash’s pained look, then her gaze fell to the leg. Taking the chance, she dropped the shield. “This is gonna hurt, Rainbow,” she whispered to her friend. The pegasus nodded, and closed her eyes.

The pain was strong, but it was also swift; in another second, Twilight applied a healing spell. Already Dash’s leg was feeling better.

“There you are!” Looking up, Dash saw Gilda yelling at the guards. “Where the hell were you?! I trained you better than this!”

“Patrolling the western corridor, ma’am. We received word of a disturbance there.”

“I didn’t give you an order, though!”

“It was an anonymous tip.” The guard whinnied. “Nevertheless, it appears we were too late to aid you. The threat has been dealt with, ma’am?”

Gilda nodded. “Yes. But we’re not done here.”

“We’re not?” Rainbow asked.

“No. Gyps needs to hear this.” She clenched her jaw tightly. “What was that… thing?” she murmured.

“You’ve never seen that before?” Dash’s question fell on deaf ears. After ordering several of the guards to wait, Gilda began to fly away, Dash in her talons, and Twilight followed similarly.

Author's Note

I'm not dead. Just been busy. Hope you enjoy the double update.