Fractured Spirit
Chapter 1

The sound of hooves and metal echoed throughout the hallway as two ponies, one a cream pegasus in a shimmering aqua dress with a silver crown, the other a unicorn clad in golden full-body armor walked side by side. The candles flickered along the walls and gave the area a dim yet adequate level of light.

The pegasus, petite, with a slender frame, was just a head shorter than the unicorn looked ahead; determination filled her eyes."I do hope I can convince him to make Eroza his home this time, his restlessness is starting to show," her voice soft as she turned to the pony clad in armor. "Do you think I could sway him this time around, Captain Glare?" The mares emerald eyes focused on the captain.

The captain pulled up the visor on his helmet, his scarlet eyes filled with indifference, peeked out beyond the metal. His mass apparent from the thick layered armor. "To be honest," his voice gruff and deep. "You should just leave him be. That griffon has issues. Not to mention that condition he has."

The mare gazed downward, her left ear twitched. "He said it has happened before, that he can cure it once he finds-"

"Find what, if I may ask?" he cut in. "Do you even know what he's looking for? That griffon only visits just to use the library. He doesn't care about you and I'm sure he doesn't care about Eroza."

The mare immediately shot up, her curly mane bounced, and lips pulled into a frown. "That's not true."

"Tell me something, ever since the king granted him access to the library, did he ever stop by your room to see you when it wasn't about research?" He raised his hoof just as her mouth opened. "Before you say anything, just note that I'm not trying to discredit him. I appreciate that he saved your life and owe him a debt of gratitude. Even to this day, I still can't believe you're still alive," the wistfulness of his tone rang true.

That day where he scrambled through the forest, and cursed at the guards that failed him. Dread flowed through him when he found her dying body in the claws of that griffon. Despite his intent to murder that cloaked stranger, when Honeydew opened her eyes, it felt like the world started spinning once more. That griffon somehow saved her. A slight chill ran up his spine from the memory.

The pair stopped in front of two massive wooden doors at the very edge of the hallway. Two cauldrons lay on each side with a green flame illuminated the corridor. The doors had a golden shield with two pickaxes crossed embedded in the wood. A transparent rainbow aura shined from Glares horn, and grasped the handle as the captain turned to the mare. "But that seems to be the extent of his kindness. Whatever he's searching for has him obsessed and I don't think any words will convince him otherwise. Even if they come from you."

The mare stroked the curls in her aqua mane. "I want him to stay because of that. I've seen his eyes," she paused. "Those eyes of his. Day by day when I find him in here," she gestured to the library, "it's almost as if he's searching for his very spirit and he does it alone. Whatever his obsession is could be dealt with if he'd let somepony help him."

"It's what you wish to do princess, I have no objections to your actions. Your father, however, already has plans to keep him around. He seems to want the same thing you do for some reason." The rainbow glow from Glare's horn intensified as the handle tugged at the massive doors. A gust of warm air swept out as the doors creaked open. The flames in the cauldrons flickered before they settled. There inside the room, barely lit with candles lie a lone figure seated at the center of the room.

"I want him to stay by his own volition, not by my fathers interference," she spat as she stepped into the library and flicked her mane back with a huff.

"I'll be waiting for your return." Captain Glare lowered his head and stepped off to the side. The large double doors creaked before they slammed in place.

Inside, there were long isles of books littered the library. Off to the sides were arched balconies that held walls of books. A dimly lit fireplace at the very end of the room. Chandeliers at every other intersection with a few candles lit as well. At the center were several square tables, each held a unlit candle at their center. All except one. The mare trotted quickly, a smile slowly grew as she approached her welcomed guest.

Its ashen colored tail with a tuft of charcoal fur at the tip, poked out from the brown cloak; the figure closed the book in its honey yellow claws and gently stacked it with the others. A single candle sat at the center of the table cast shadows off the books. Piles of books of varying sizes all neatly stacked and organized on the table, the figure turned to face the mare, its golden eyes glowed within the hood. "Ah, Honeydew, what brings you here?" he softly asked.

The mare raised her head and perked a brow.

"Right," he said as he pulled down his hood. The upper left half of his head was covered in bandages. The rest of his face down to his chest was covered in charcoal fluff with a dark yellow beak. Large feathers, white with charcoal tips fanned outward from the top of his head but were flattened down due to the wrappings. He shuffled his wings through the small holes in his garment till they stuck out and snapped back to his sides. An almost imperceptibly small smile graced his features, and his tail briefly swayed across the floor. "You gotta have your way huh?"

"Only if you stop trying to be a mystery." She giggled but slowly frowned as her eyes drifted to those bandages. "Does it hurt?" she whispered.

"Oh this?" he gently brushed a claw along the bandages. "Not at all. Actually," he ripped off the bandages and dropped them in his lap. "Much better." He rotated his neck, and sighed at the resounding 'cracks'. The griffon turned away and picked up a new book from one of the smaller piles.

"I feel like i'm at a dead end at this point in my research," he said with a sigh. All the books piled on the table in front of him taunted him. A slight groan escaped his beak as he opened the new book. "I'll have to venture out into Equestria. I think I'll find the rest of my answers out there, I'm sure of it."

The mare slowly plopped down next to Gold, his wing being touched by hers. She glanced at him a few times, her eyes darted between him and the books. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

The fireplace cackled in the back, and gave a nice ambiance to the room. Warmth washed over the pair as they sat in relative silence, with the occasional sound of a page being flipped.

Honeydew inched closer until their sides were firmly pressed against one another. Gold flinched at the contact but otherwise continued to read. Honeydew eyes lowered and her tail 'accidentally' slid on top of his. With nothing else stopping her, she nestled into his side. A triumphant smile edged on her face. "Gold, the rest of Equestria is having trouble right now. You should stay here a little longer until the princesses resolve those matters. It's safe here," she declared.

"Yet I feel like if I wait any longer, I won't be able to find my answers sooner," he said. "Whatever they have going on outside of Eroza can't be that bad."

"Maybe not," her smile fell, "but I still don't think you should leave just yet. You have yet to check our forbidden tomes beneath the-"

"Don't wanna know," he cut in sharply. "Captain Glare told me that is forbidden knowledge and whatever is in that place you were going to mention could also be a security risk to the kingdom. I really don't want to cause you any other problems."

"It's really no problem at all Gold!" She smiled up at him, her eyes shined in the candlelight. "Father would understand. I mean, I know he would understand. You saved my life so I'm sure he wouldn't mind you going into-"

"Unless he or the guards or whoever runs that place gives me the go ahead, I don't want to know anything about whatever you are talking about," his voice soft yet firm.

She leaned back stared at Gold with wide eyes, her lower lip quivered. "Please Gold, can you stay here in Eroza and let our clerics help you with your research?"

"No." He flipped a page and started to frown.

"Why? Ever since you started doing this research you've been having these episodes. Our clerics are sure to cure you if you give them a chance. You said if you find your answers you'll be able to cure yourself, but the way I see it, its been causing you nothing but pain," she explained.

He chuckled weakly. "My research is not hurting me Honeydew, something else is. Besides, while what I have is rather new, it seems to intensify when-" He went wide eyed briefly before he shook his head. "It's not the research, trust me on this."

"Then what is it?" she asked.

He paused with a page held in his claw. "I can't tell you, not yet."

"Why? You spend all your time in the library. If you aren't here, you are in the forest doing Celestia knows what." She took her hoof and gently kneaded his claw that rested on the book. "Whatever you are searching for is consuming you. Whatever this cure is doesn't seem to help you in my eyes."

Honeydew leaned in closer to him, her muzzle inches away from his beak. "You push us all away for this research. I understand you want to do this alone. But I," she paused. "I just want to know why. Why you won't let me help you? Why won't you let me or anyone else in? Why do you keep the world out?"

Gold gazed into her eyes and for a moment, silence wedged between them. He turned away, but glanced at her hoof. "I promise you, this research is vital to me. Its not like I want to keep everyone out. I do it for a reason you know. Last time I said some crazy things because I was-," he gestured with his claw, "-kinda delirious. I can't tell anyone because it could backfire against me," he chuckled. "I'd just end up hurting you because of it."

"Rubbish!" Her hooves snapped to his cheeks and yanked his head to her. She stared right into his eyes, the golden glow reflected off her own eyes. "You'd never hurt me and I doubt anything that you are inside would change my opinion on you."

Honeydew cradled him into her chest, her forelegs wrapped around him, and her head rested upon his. "That's what I want to know. The real you underneath that cloak, underneath those feathers, those talons. I want to see your heart, Gold. I don't want to see you suffer like this."

For a moment, Gold's beak moved but no words escaped. He closed his eyes and remained still. The soft thumps of her heartbeat, the warmth of her body, and the tender embrace made him smile. "I'll continue to suffer if I don't find my answers Honey Dew. That's why I don't want to get close to anyone, to you. But I possibly wouldn't mind being here if my circumstances wasn't so," he hummed, "unusual."

"Regardless of the circumstances Gold, I'm here for you." Her hooves slowly trailed the length of his back. "I would do anything to make you happy."

"All I did was save your life Honeydew. I mean, sure we got to know each other for some time but I don't think I did anything to warrant this kind of affection from you, did I?" he questioned, as he leaned back to glance at her. "I don't know why you took such an interest in me. I'm not even a pony. You should really focus on other things that a princess should do. I'm not worth it."

"In my eyes Gold," she said, as she stroked the long feathers on his head. "You are worth everything. I found somepony, no, someone who taught me lessons of the heart. Who saved my life and wanted nothing in return. I want the warmth that burned within you since that fateful day and I won't stop until it blooms forth, with all of your quirks included." She giggled and gently rubbed her nose against his cheek.

Gold perked a brow, as grinned. A soft gentle voice spoke in his mind, its familiarity warmed his heart. "You sound like my gir-"

Gold seized, his eyes clenched shut. He let out a strained whimper as he dropped the book as his claws leap to his head.

"Gold!" Honeydew grasped at his claws and screamed as she pulled. "No," she whimpered. "Not again!"

Golds wings flared out, and flapped uncontrollably. His body trembled as he tried in vain to control himself. "I can't," he said, his voice hushed and strained.

Honeydew had tears stream down her face as she held on as long as she could. Honeydew crashed against the table when she lost her grip and fell; books and paper scattered along the floor. Gold fell to his side and convulsed, as tears fell from his eyes. Visions of his past flashed through his mind as they bled into one another. Flashes of light, tall figures, voices, all jumbled into a chaotic cocktail in his head. The pain grew, like a white hot iron ball expanding at its core.

He let his talon drag across his skull as they sliced through the feathers and flesh. Blood oozed out from the wounds as he continued to tear into his head.

"What's going on!?" Captain Glare burst through the doors, his horn illuminated the entire library.

"It's Gold, It's happening again!" She scrambled to her hooves to face Gold, and stopped in her tracks when she did.

There on the floor, laying on his side is Gold. He cleaved at his head, his face contorted in pain. Large patches of flesh protruded outward of his skull. Large bloody lacerations in violent trails lead down from the top of his head. Blood pooled in his beak and around his head, and bits of flesh and feathers scattered around the neck of his cloak.

"Dammit!" In a burst of rainbow light, Glare stood above Gold. He encased the Golds claws with the rainbow light and yanked. Golds claws trembled but barely ceased their attack. "Is this what the clerics meant? What kind of strength does he have!? I can't pull his claws away!"

The Captain dug his hooves into the marble floor as he cracked the material, grinding his teeth as he pulled. Honeydew looked on as tears flowed down her face. Her hooves trembled at the sight. There was Gold, her savior, her friend clawing at his own head like a monster possessed him.

"Honeydew, get the clerics and bring them here now! You don't want him to die do you!?" Glare used his hooves and magic to pry the Golds claws away.

Honeydew stood frozen in place.

"Honeydew, hurry!" he bellowed, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Y-yes, i'll be back!" She stumbled as she dashed out the library.

Glare continued to wrestle with Gold, then immediately collapsed on the Gold when his claws suddenly gave out. He rose to his hooves, and quickly observed the Gold.

Gold's claws tucked protectively under his chest, covered in strips of feather covered flesh and blood. The top of is head lies a gaping flesh wound as blood oozed out, and a bit exposed skull. Tears streamed down freely along his face, mixed with the blood in his feathers.

Glare gagged at the sight. His eye twitched as he reached his hoof around Golds neck to lift him up. He stared down in to the eyes of the Griffon, a low growl rumbled in his throat. "You are a blight to our princess, you know that right?" he hissed.

"Was she crying?" the Gold choked out.

"What do you think!?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Moments later a group of ponies stormed in the library. Among them, four are unicorns that wore white robes with gold wreaths atop their heads. Two are guards with silver chest armor, gauntlets, and full faced helmets. The last was Princess Honeydew.

"Gold!" She immediately lunged forward only to be held by one of the clerics.

"Princess please, let us take it from here," the cleric said in a motherly tone. "He will be taken care of, I assure you."

"Dear Celestia," one of the clerics said as she knelt down and lowered her horn over gold's head. "This is even worse than last time." The other three clerics joined her and a collective flow of white energy erupted from their horns. The wind that gently breezed through the library erupted into a gale as their horns shined from the spell.

"Full power everypony, magic doesn't work on him too well," the lead cleric shouted.

A twister of wind built up as books and papers spiraled around the clerics. Glare stood in place and watched while the two guards held onto Honeydew. Golds body along with the clerics slowly rose in the air, engulfed by light. In a brilliant flash, they were gone. All that was left was a patch of blood, feathers, and small pieces of flesh.

Glare trotted over to the remaining ponies. "You two check up on that griffon. Do not let him leave, I'll escort the princess," he said casually as he flicked bits of skin off his hoof.

"Sir," the two guards saluted and trotted out the library.

"I should go with them." Honeydew turned to run, only to be stopped in place by a rainbow aura surrounding her.

"You aren't going anywhere, dear Princess." Glare strolled up to her as she growled, her legs frozen. "Not to him at least."

"Release me at once!" she hissed. "I need to see him."

"No you don't!" he shouted.

Honeydew winced from the volume, her ears splayed back tight against her head.

"I've had about enough of this!" Glare circled around Honeydew, his head low with his teeth bared. "I don't care if he saved your life now. Right now he's causing you too much emotional turmoil and that isn't healthy for you."

"This is the third time this happened and its three times to many." A thick tome encased in a rainbow aura floated up to Honeydew muzzle. "Do you see this?" He wiggled the tome in front of her, nearly twice the size of her head. "What does the title of the book say?"

Honeydew glanced at it, then turned away. "It doesn't matter what it says-"

"What. Does. It. Say?!" he all but screamed.

She stared at the book, a frown grew on her lips. "'One Hundred Wacky Theories on Magical Anomalies And Other Mystical Abstracts,'" she groaned. "What does that have to do with anything?

He paused and turned to Honeydew, he yanked his helmet off to reveal his deep aqua coat with multiple scars lined across his lips. With the helmet tucked under his foreleg and sneered at her. "Everything! A griffon comes out of nowhere, somehow heals you with either magic or some other method he won't tell us. Mind you, if it 'is' magic griffons shouldn't have it. He won't tell us and you don't know what happened."

He sat in place, and scratched his head with his free hoof, the edge in his voice rose as he spoke. "Not to mention that his life saving act is also the time we lost track of you in that forest. Then you and the king start to fawn over this 'savior,'" he spat, "and treat him like he's part of the family!"

Glare grinds his teeth, murder in his eyes as he stares at Honeydew. "You princess cater to him far too much. Cooking him meals, allowing him to stay in the castle, access to our royal libraries, unsupervised access to our vault! I'm glad I was down there at the time, who knows what he could have discovered."

"I can forgive him spilling his own blood upon the grounds, I can forgive him for putting his life on the line for you, and I can certainly forgive his unusual behavior." He leans in close to Honeydew, his ragged breaths tickled her nose. "But I could never forgive him hurting you in any way shape or form or potentially being a threat to the safety of our country."

A small napkin materialized in front of the princess and gently patted around her eyes. Honeydew tried to move but Glare's magical hold was solid. "The Princess of Eroza should not cry for some sick weird griffon."

She gasped, and shot him a scathing glare. "He can be cured! I will find a way to help him as he helped me."

"Surely," he said with a straight face. "The way you are talking is dangerously suspicious to love Princess. Are you in love with that griffon?"

The moment that rainbow aura faded Honeydew turned away with her head hung low and galloped out the library. Glare stood there, and thought about what transpired. Between the mess on the floor, the smell of blood that drifted in the room, and the distraught princess; he needed to resolve this soon. "I need to get that griffon out of Eroza soon. Luckily he wants the same thing," Glare thought.

As he contemplated, a unicorn stallion wearing an all black suit with a mop and bucket strolled in. "Good evening Captain Glare. I heard there was a bit of a commotion down," he paused, "here." The stallion all but stared at the massive amount of books scattered on the floor. "I'm going to need half the crew for this. Dewey is not going to like this." The lantern hovering above his head floated ahead as he looked around.

"You need to get the most important part before you do that," Glare said as he walked out the library.

"Which is?" The unicorn walked ahead then suddenly stopped, the lantern nearly fell to the ground. "Oh my word!"

"Yeah, that." The double doors to the library closed behind him as he walked along the corridor.

A single thought permeated through Glare's mind as the shifting metal echoed throughout the hallway. A wide smirk graced his lips as he fastened his helmet back on.

The sky flashed as the lone griffon in a cloak trots with its head low, occasionally to stop and look back. He came to a full stop when another flash of lightning illuminated the darkness. He crouched low to the ground, diving into the dense undergrowth. He remained still and waited. Pulling back his hood, he pressed his head against the damp earth. With one eye closed, he listened.

It wasn't like he expected anyone to find him in the forest at this hour, but needed to be absolutely certain. His ashen feathers stained with mud as he rose, and stared through the bush with his golden yellow eyes. The darkness stretched before him as the sound of rain and thunder greeted his ears. He gazed through the dark at every leaf, tree, and bush for irregularities.

In a single leap, he hopped back on his path and looked to the ground where he traveled. A combination of talon and paw-prints left a trail, the indents began to fill with rain. Patches that would soon be washed away. "Just a little while longer," he whispered.

The griffon continued through the forest for hours. He huffed as he shifted the cloak on his back. "I should probably take a little break," he said as he repeatedly tugged at his cloak.

All around him are large thick trees wrapped with arched vines. Even on the ground are vines that snake into the underbrush. Despite how dark it is as he searched, he noticed there were no caves, rocks, or any indication of a pit or ditch.

When he stood up, he noticed an abnormally large tree with a spiraling trunk and low hanging branches. As he approached he noticed a large hollow right at the base. He cantered towards it, and avoided any stray vines until he made it inside.

He placed his mocha-colored saddlebags to his side and rested, his arms crossed and his wings hung loose in his cloak. With his head raised and hood down, he looked out to the forest. A deep breath left his beak.

For the moment, this was paradise.

He reached into his one of his saddlebags and took out a small brass tube. It had intricate streaks of silver wrapped around it from one end to the other. There were numerous scratches near the opening as if it was dragged on stone, and discolored near the center. He opened it and pulled out the scroll inside. He pulled it open and revealed the map of Eroza with some parts to the west, or at least what he could make out. Most of the map was heavily smudged and worn, with a large tear to the right side. Most of it didn't matter though, only a few parts was needed.

"Why is this relaxing?" he mumbled, and listened to the downpour of rain. "I probably should have left earlier." The griffon huddled inside the tree's hollow. He examined the map a few times, and squinted at patches that got soaked. A barely audible grunt left his beak as he rotated it as much as he could to better understand his surroundings. A frown crept up on his beak, he sighed and tucked the slightly torn map back in his saddlebags.

He pulled his pack closer to his side, unzipped it, and retrieved a binder with a black quill attached. Its green cover almost completely black from the lack of light. The small words 'Golden Eye's Journal' was etched in a silver that reflected upon his face. The moment he cracked it open the letters on the pages glowed. It illuminated the hollow with a dim blue light.

Before he flipped through the pages, he wiped his claws upon his chest. With the map at hand, he examined key notes he took during his stay in Eroza. There were several locations he needed to visit on his quest for answers. On one page rested a diagram of Equestria with various notes on marked locations.

His primary concern was Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Out of what he studied, he knew one or both locations would have the magical knowledge he needed to go home.

Home.

That single word fueled his spirit. His claws trembled as that single word rolled through his mind. Voices began to flow into his head, numerous, familiar and distant.

I never met a guy that treats me like you do. I feel like I can relax with you around.

I'll pay for our train tickets, don't worry about it.

Thanks little bro, you're the best!

Boy, you look just like your father.

The same white hot pain started to sizzle within his head. Gold jerked his head back and forth, his heart pounded in his ears. He placed the journal to the side and gripped the earth below him and forced himself to remain motionless.

For several minutes he remained still, and took deep breaths to calm down. His eyes, however, remained open, focused straight ahead. "Why does this happen? What the hell is this world doing to me!?"

His claws slowly curled into fists as he growled under his breath. A primal fury boiled within his chest with as his body trembled. "I need to figure this out before I lose my mind." The wave of heat cooled down as he reasoned with himself. He opened up his journal again and flipped back to where he left off.

To the west of Eroza is Griffonstone. As far as he knows, Griffonstone is the only location that would be relatively safe from prying eyes so long as he lays low.

At the center is Canterlot and to the north is the Crystal empire. Both of these locations are vital due to their royal libraries. He hummed, as he stroked the underside of his beak, with his eyes trained on those two locations.

That leads to the next location, Ponyville to the south. There's a library in Ponyville that may have useful books he could examine. He also considered temporarily living there if his plan to stay in Griffonstone falls through.

A flash lit the hollow followed by a crash of thunder. Gold flinched, and quickly glanced to the forest. His chest pounded in his ears. The feathers on his wings quivered briefly, as he let out a sigh and continued to look over his diagram.

With a nod, he flipped to a blank page he scribbled a quick checklist. As the text glowed within, he stared at the last word he wrote. A single tiny droplet of water fell on the page before he closed it. He tucked his tools in the saddlebags, pulled it to his side, and held it tight.

With the cloak settled over himself and the saddlebags, he stared at the forest ahead. Outlines of various trees, bushes, and vines littered his vision. The sound of heavy rainfall surrounded him, the rustling leaves, and the occasional rumble of thunder.

Another sigh escaped the griffon as he stared out into the forest. His wings tucked in neatly at his sides with eyes half-lidded as he stared. Occasionally he would turn his head to a particular sound, expecting to hear something unusual. However, all he heard was the sound of rainfall and thunder.

His mind drifted back to those memories, memories of his life back on earth. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on individual thoughts. He knew what he was, where he came from, but he couldn't see it; like there was a fog thick layer of fog surrounding those memories.

When I just casually think back to my life at home, my mind just...I don't understand. It happened once out in the forest but it wasn't that bad. With Honeydew, that memory came so vividly and then it just exploded in my mind. Now that I think about it, I think I traumatized Honeydew.

A low whimper escaped his beak as he rested his head against the ground.

Nobody should see something like that. Nobody. Pony or not, I can't let this happen again until I find a solution.

Gold stood up and slipped his saddlebags back on. With a determined look in his eyes he stretched his limbs, pulled his hood back on and ventured out into the dreary forest night.

Gold continued at a quick pace, passing several dirt roads as he snaked through the forest. He kept his pace brisk as he wanted to get as far as possible within the weather. If he was lucky, he could reach the border between this kingdom and Equestria.

Aside from that, he's heard some pretty terrifying things from Eroza. From what he gathered, there are creatures in Equestria that have been harming innocent ponies. They are disguised as ponies but their true forms are something else.

Those forms, however, were not elaborated on. What those news articles did mention is to be wary of ponies with eyes that glow in darkness, and can strike fear in the heart at a single glance; the fear of death.

The rain started to slack up a bit as he approached the forest's edge. In the distance, he saw several orange lights glow along a massive grey wall of stone. The Eroza border. A small but faint smile graced his beak as he stayed low and approached through the tall grass beyond the forest. When he reached near the edge of the grass, he took a better look at his surroundings.

The smile he held immediately fell. The plains ahead that lead to the eastern most gate had guards march along the roads in fours. Unicorn guards at that. Many Pegasi guards flew overhead in formation, their metallic light blue armor shined through the dark sky. If that wasn't a problem, a dozen guards are posted at each gate that lead beyond the border.

The only good thing about this is the gate is currently open with many of the guards concentrated at those points. He noticed a few ponies enter and exit the gates. However, none of them had carts or anything he could use to escape with. A low growl escaped his throat as he glanced around for anything to use.

"I could do that thing with my magic," he whispered. Even after almost two years he still couldn't believe those words would escape his mouth. Magic, something he thought was nothing but fiction is now something he can actually use. Why he can even understand and use magic to a degree is another question for later.

He turned upwards to the border, a faint reflective shimmer could be seen. "A barrier, I forgot about that." He turned back to the gate. "It doesn't look like the gate has a barrier around it, but there's too many guards."

"I'm not going to get anywhere like this," he mumbled. "I should probably use the river gate option like Glare said, but I really don't want to take a swim." He let out a silent sigh as he gazed downward.

He retreated further into the grass and took out his map. With a very small amount of magic he lit his claw underneath the map. With a quick glance he saw the river cut straight under both barriers and out through some kind of tunnel. As he looked over the map, his thoughts drifted over to Honeydew.

I wonder if this is goodbye? She'll understand I hope. I should get her a gift down the line.

A slight rustle made the griffon flatten to the ground. Two unicorn guards entered the grass and searched through patches with their hooves. They each had low beams of light emitted from their horns that resembled flashlights in the dark.

"I'm sure I you felt that," one guard said, his voice young and perky. His armor lightly rattled as he shifted some grass around his hooves.

"I feel a lot of things. I feel like going home. I also feel hungry and wet," he glanced over to his partner, a frown formed as he continued. "I feel like going back to my post, but since you asked me so nicely, I felt like I should follow up and see what you felt."

"You don't need to be crude about it," the guard retorted.

"I was on my way home and the king sent out an order to bring some griffon back to the castle. If you ask me, the king is being unreasonable." The guard stepped out of the grass and turned off his light. "I mean, I get that he wants to have someone protect the princess and yes, he did save her with whatever he did. But he's not obligated to stay here."

"Heh, you kidding? You know how the king is. Once he finds something great, he wants to keep it to himself." He scrunched his face up, and squinted straight ahead to an odd patch of grass. He felt some faint trace of magic, or at least he hoped it was magic. "His wife, yes. Large mass of land that rivals the Crystal Empire, you bet. A griffon that can save a magically diseased princess to keep her alive and managed to cure her; you can bet that griffon isn't going anywhere."

A bright flash illuminated the sky followed by a massive gust of wind. The grass flattened against the earth, and the guards erected barriers from the sheer force of the wind. A distant cackle of thunder echoed throughout area as the guards lowered their shields.

"Jeez, that was a loud one!" said the younger guard as he rubbed his eyes with a hoof.

"I've heard worse," the older guard said, as his eyes opened up, "though I think I felt it." He glanced to the grass, small specks of light rose outward as the grass reached its full height again. "Do you see that?"

"See what?" the younger guard stood next to his partner. He glanced around. "I don't see anything."

"The specks of light," he trailed off. The light trail had vanished, but lead out from the grass towards the border. "They came out from the the grass."

"I don't see anything. Maybe it was the lightning," the younger guard suggested. "Doesn't look like anything's here though. We should probably head back."

"Yeah." The pair of guards strolled to a nearby group and continued their patrol.

Nearby, Gold latched onto the barrier, and dangled a few feet over the river. "So much pain," he growled, his eyes shut tight. His hood slid off as he glared up at the small crater in the wall just above him. Bits and pieces of stone fell, with remnants of light that flickered on the wall.

He held on with one claw and grunted from the shift in weight. With his free claw he brushed his forehead; a small bit of blood smeared against his claw. He closed his eyes, and wiped off the blood on his cloak. He opened his eyes and followed rivers path to an opening under the right gate. "That must be it."

Gold leaped off the wall and dove straight into the river. He gasped when he resurfaced and swam along the current. He glanced around, unsure whether the guards heard him or not, but that thought left him when he collided face-first against something hard. "Gah!" Ahead is a large gate with a simple design. It had black, metal, vertical bars that crossed across a larger circular opening; enough for Gold to swim in. Two bars right in the center, however, were covered in a transparent rainbow colored film.

Not wanting to remain mashed up on the gate any longer than he needed too, he grasped the bars with his claws and began to pull. The bars easily snapped and dissolved in the water. Gold ducked inside and swam along the tunnel with the current.

As he swam, he finally emerged from the tunnel. A large smile graced his beak as he floated along the river; the high walls of dirt and trees greeted him. He turned back and watched as the walls of the Erozain border started to fade in the night. The various torches evenly lined across the stone structure, even with the darkness and rain, it looked imposing but reminded him of his journey. With a salute, and a nod, he turned back with his eyes to the darkened sky.

"Time for the real work to begin."

Author's Note

Minor edits. 04/05/2019