Equestria Undone

A twig snapped as Zecora put her front hoof down on the ground, she lifted it and looked at the pod she had smashed. She smiled as she beheld the purple liquid coming from it. She had already filled her saddlebags with a dozen other plants. She began to gather the unbroken pods around it in her saddlebags. "A lovely brew I can make if there are enough pods to take," she said in a poetic voice. She filled her bags with over twenty of the alien pods and was lifting one in her mouth when she heard a scream rip its way through the Everfree forest. Zecora dropped the pod and ran in the direction of the scream. She galloped as fast as she could and was turning around a tree when she saw a massive green hydra standing in the center of a ring of large trees.

Three Griffons were trying to get away from it. Zecora watched in horror as one head snapped a griffon out of the air, she watched the severed wing fly into a tree. A griffon with a small bundle in her talons tried running on foot away from the hydra but it swung its tail and smashed the griffons back, she fell to the ground screeching. The last griffon yelled and dove for her, but the hydra saw him move and bit the griffon in half. Zecora nearly puked a little as she saw his hindquarters fall to the ground. The Hydra turned to the last griffon; all four heads hissed with hatred, Zecora couldn't watch anymore. She charged into the ring of trees and with a smooth motion she spun and threw her saddlebags right into the mouth of one of the heads. The hydras other heads roared as purple foam spilled from the mouth of one head. The Hydra ran in the direction of Froggy Bottom Bog, screeching in pain. Zecora watched for only a moment before going to the wounded griffon. "I'm not going to make it, I can feel myself slipping away, " the griffon told Zecora in a weak voice "Please. Take my son and keep him safe, please" Zecora looked to the bundle of cloth in the griffons talons and saw the face of a griffon cub with black feathers on his head, his eyes were blue, and his hind legs had black fur. He had dark blue leopard spots all over his hind legs. He head dark blue and black feathers on his ears that pointed backwards from his head. The spots were also on his tail. His tail was black and was dark blue on the end, his beak and talons were dark blue. Remarkably after a few moments, he went back to sleep. "Please, will you care for him?" Zecora looked into the eyes of the griffon and said, " Worry not for I shall protect him, even if his future seems dim" the Griffon smiled and closed her eyes for the last time. Zecora lifted the bundle in her mouth and began trotting back to her hut when she stopped and looked at the griffon.

A tear ran down her face as Zecora went to the body and set the cub down. She dug a hole and buried the mother and what was left of the others. She picked up the bundle again and started trotting for her hut. She arrived about ten minutes later and opened the door, she trotted inside and set the bundle down on the bed. The griffon rolled over and started sucking on of one his talons. She looked at him with enough sadness to make a dragon weep. " I'm so sorry little one, but life isn't always fun." She thought for a moment and said, " I must go to Ponyville to get things for you, but how to carry you?" She looked around the hut and found the parts she needed to make a carriage for the griffon. After putting it together, she picked up the griffon cub and placed him in the carriage. She put on new saddlebags and pushed the carriage out the door and started walking to Ponyville. She looked at the cub and smiled; he was still sucking his talon. " I will bring you Twilight so I can find you a proper name; it must be a good one without shame" She kept pushing the carriage along the path and an hour later she could see Ponyville.

She just got into town when a bouncing Pinkie Pie came up to her. " Hiya Zecora what's in the carr........ Oh...my...gosh!!!! He's adorable! Where did you get him? Are you babysitting? Can I play with him?" She pleaded Zecora caught Pinkie by the shoulders to stop her bouncing as much as to get her attention"Not now my friend, to other matters I must attend. Where is Twilight I must see her before tonight" Pinkies smile faded then instantly returned " Please, he's adorable!!" Zecora looked stern "Pinkie Pie...." Pinkie frowned but relented "Fine, but I'm playing with that cub one day, Twilight is at the library, they just got it rebuilt!" She went to the carriage and whispered to the cub "Bye bye cutie I'll see you at the library in a few minutes!" Pinkie went bouncing away singing "Smile, smile, smile!" Zecora watched her until she went around the corner then hurried through town to the library. She stopped to get the cub a bottle of milk from Mr. and Mrs. Cake before continuing to the library. After a few minutes, the library came into view. She saw Twilight fly out a window and bank towards her. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy trotted from inside the library with expressions of glee. Twilight landed next to her and said quickly "So Pinkie wasn't kidding you do have a griffon cub...... What's wrong Zecora" Zecora had a look of sadness on her face and tears in her eyes. "Twilight we must talk elsewhere, his story is not for all to hear" Twilight nodded as Pinkie and Fluttershy came to the carriage and were adoring the cub. "Come on Zecora, well go to the castle," Twilight said. Zecora pushed the carriage after Twilight as the four of them walked towards Twilight's castle. They arrived a few minutes later. Twilight pushed the door open, and they walked inside, they walked into a room with a large map table. Twilight flapped her wings and Fluttershy asked Zecora "What happened Zecora, why do you have a griffon cub?" Pinkie jumped in "And why can't I play with him?" Zecora shook her head picked up the griffon cub and sat down with him in her forehooves. The others sat down as well. Zecora sighed "I was walking through the forest collecting herbs......" Twenty minutes later Zecora finished telling the story. 'Pinkie's hair had long since deflated, Fluttershy was crying, and Twilight just sat there, unable to respond"What are you going to do Zecora?" Fluttershy asked. Zecora looked at her "I will do as I promised and took care of this cub, it is better that way for all." She looked at Twilight "I have never cared for a cub before, could I borrow some books, I do not wish to do poorly." That seemed to bring Twilight out of her stupor. She got up and pulled several books from the shelves then she put them in Zecora's saddlebags and walked her out while Pinkie and Fluttershy were explaining the situation to Rainbow Dash, who flew into the room near the end of her story, she floated silently, wide-eyed as Pinkie explained. Twilight hugged Zecora and said, "I could write to Celestia if you want" Zecora shook her head. Twilight nodded "Well if you need any help just tell us and we'll be there" "Yeah!"Pinkie agreed "Totally!" Rainbow agreed too, as did Fluttershy with a nod, she was still crying. Zecora nodded and pushed the carriage back through the market; many ponies stopped to see the cub, but Zecora shooed them away. She bought everything she needed from the stalls and went back to her hut in the forest. She arrived and fed the cub and put him in a small bed she built and tucked him in. She then picked up a book Twilight gave her. Bygone Griffons of Greatness. She looked through it and came to a chapter about the seventh griffon king, King Gary. He looked remarkably like the cub she now cared for. She laid down on her bed and said, "Gary, it is a good name." she smiled at the griffon. She put her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. Her ears perked at a sound; then something climbed on her bed. She looked and saw the griffon, he curled up next to her side and went to sleep. Zecora smiled and went to sleep herself.

She awoke the next morning and felt the weight of the small griffon next to her, she yawned and looked down at his face. He was sucking on his talon, Zecora lifted herself off the bed very slowly so she didn't wake him up. She tip-hoofed away from the bed, until she reached the cauldron. She then began putting various ingredients into the large pot and stirred them up inside. She began to hum a tune when a loud shriek made her start. She looked around and saw Gary the griffon rolled up in the blanket and lying on the floor by her bed, he had his head sticking out but only one of his ears. He started crying loudly. She picked him up and thought this is going to be very difficult.

                                           Five Years later

Zecora was stirring a pot full of plants when a small griffon flew in the window and landed on the table, he held a plant in his talons. "Mama, I found the plant we needed!" Zecora smiled "It appears you found the plant to brew, now drop it in the stew" the small griffon flew to the cauldron and dropped the plants into the stew. "Excellent little one, now breakfast has begun" she scooped up some in a bowl and passed it to him. Gary took it in his talons ,then he picked up a spoon and started eating. Zecora also got a bowl and started eating as well. "Mama what are you doing?" Gary asked. Zecora had finished eating and was now balancing on a bamboo poll, her legs were straight up and her forelegs were together in a meditation type way. Zecora looked at him and said "I am practicing my Fallen Caesar style fighting technique, you wouldn't recognize it, it is quite unique" the young griffon watched as she bent her back spectacularly until it was a perfect 90 degree angle. He slurped up the last of his stew and wiped his beak. "Can you teach me to do that, Mama?" He asked. Zecora looked at the griffon with a curious look. She put her hoof to her muzzle thoughtfully. Gary looked to her with his eyes wide and Zecora said with a smile "Alright little one I will teach you Fallen Caesar Style, but be warned, it will be hard and will take a long while" Gary jumped into Zecora's forelegs, which made her dismount off the poll and she hugged him. A knock at the door interrupted their hug and Zecora went to get the door.

The second the door opened the cannon went off. Confetti, streamers and candy flew everywhere, a cake the size of three ponies rolled through the door followed by a bouncing Pinkie Pie who began to sing "Happy, happy birthday from all of us to you!!!" Pinkie continued to sing while Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash trotted in carrying presents. Zecora turned to Gary with a smile and said "Happy birthday young one, this day shall be very fun" Gary smiled as the music started playing.

Princess Celestia was walking back and forth across the throne room. Prince Shining Armor was standing in front of a stained glass window with Discord on it. The mischievous sprirt was sitting in a hammock and tapping his one hoof on the head of a pony in the stained glass window he was in. "Come out of there Discord, the princess wants to talk to you when your not in a hammock and made of glass" Shining Armor told the mirror. The glass depiction of Discord sighed "Ugh, can't you let me enjoy my nap?" "No Discord come out now!" Shining Armor said forcibly. Discord snapped his fingers and he appeared next to Celestia. When not in the window he was much taller than Celestia. With a deep bow he said "What do you require of me dear Princess Celestia? As you know I'm always ready to help friends" Shining Armor made a sound of disbelief. Discord scowled and snapped his fingers. A thick piece of duct tape appeared on Shining Armor's muzzle. "Ugh" he mumbled through the tape and he started rolling around on the floor to get the tape off his face. Celestia looked at Discord with disapproval. A huge grin was on his face "Oh come on that's funny, look at him!Hahahaha!" Celestia laughed a little but pointed a hoof at the prince and said "Discord.."Discord's grin faded and he snapped his fingers and the tape went away. "Thanks Princess" Shining Armor said. Discord looked to Celestia "Well, what is it you need Princess?" Celestia turned away and said "Discord an old enemy of mine has escaped from Tarterus, this one is not like Tirek, she is not powerful in magic or very strong but she is a threat beyond any we've faced. Her name is Syllabus and she holds the power to release a monster beyond my ability to defeat. She is the only one who can release the dragon Collosus" Discord's face immediately went serious "You mean the Collosus who once tried to destroy Equestria and the lands beyond with the darkest magics conceivable?" Celestia nodded. Discord was rubbing his chin in deep thought for almost a minute before asking "Is he in Tarterus as well?" Celestia shook her head "No. He is imprisoned the same way you were. Luna and I used the Elements of Harmony to turn him to stone but his case was different. In order for the imprisonment to work for long periods a magical key had to be made to lock him in the stone. The key was made from his magical staff. The six power cores were removed from the staff. The staff itself is here in the royal treasury, but the power cores are hidden across Equestria and only Syllabus knows where they are. Discord you must stop her from finding them and from getting the staff" Discord nodded "But why does she know where they are?" Celestia looked angrily at the wall. "Because I was foolish enough to trust her with the secrets. After I banished Nightmare Moon to the moon, I needed another pony to monitor the cores at night. She was my trusted adviser and ...my friend" she had tears in her eyes as she spoke"I thought I could trust her with my life but one night she broke into the treasury and stole the staff. She had five of the cores by the time I stopped her. You have to find her and throw her back into Tarterus. She has a dark green coat,light blue mane with a short tail,finally she has a star for a cutie mark" Discord was about to respond when Shining Armor interrupted "Princess you can't trust him after what happened with Tirek! He betrayed us, I don't trust him with catching a stray dog much less Syllabus. Let me go instead." Discord scowled "How dare you! I would never betray you and you know it! Tirek tricked me, I won't make that mistake again" Shining Armor looked skeptical but Celestia continued as if she didn't hear either of them. "Go now Discord, you must stop her" Discord bowed and with a snap of his fingers disappeared. Shining Armor said "Princess......." Celestia silenced him with a look and said "I trust Discord and that is final!" He looked argumentative but remained silent. Celestia walked to the largest window that overlooked the glorious city of Canterlot. I will not allow my city and my kingdom fall. It was too close last time, you must hurry Discord! She thought as she watched her subjects move about the city, unaware of any danger. She looked over the glorious city for a few minutes longer then she returned to her throne and sat down. Luna came into the room and hugged her sister "Its alright sister. Everything will be fine" Celestia looked to her thankfully "Thank you Luna but I worry still, do you think Discord can stop her? She may not be strong but she is very smart, she might outsmart him" Luna sighed "I'm sure Discord can handle her don't worry" the two went back to the window and overlooked the city once more. Celestia sat in deep thought hoping her worry was for naught.