Flyte

"C'mon pops! You fell asleep! There's nothin to it!" Tried Fireblaze as he walked with his father. "I know but I shouldn't have kiddo." Sighed his father ruffling his son's mane just a bit. Crackshot had been taken to the police headquarters in Canterlot for  his 'act of stupidity' as the chief called it.

"Well can we at least stop by Pony Joe's before we go home? I heard they had the best donuts!" Asked an eager Fireblaze. Crackshot looked down at the smaller colt. Fireblaze was his teenage son who had moved with him to ponyville. His son was an earth pony but that hadn't stopped him from using his father's guns. After he had gotten into his dad's cache he had gone wild, using cans and other household items as targets and if Crackshot said so himself he was a pretty damn good shot. "Alright kiddo go nuts on em' my treat." He said to the glee of his son."Heck yeah! I'm gonna eat till donuts come outta mah eyes!" The colt shouted slipping into his Appleosian accent. Crackshot watched his cream colored son sprint off around the corner. "Are you sure it was a good idea to let him eat donuts?" Asked his daughter who upon hearing of her father's case insisted on accompanying him. "It's alright Starlight, it's about time I let the boy have his fun." He said looking into his daughter's golden eyes.

Starlight harvest was his younger daughter who had come along with her father and brother from Appleosa. She was a dark velvety turquoise and looked startlingly almost like her mother with her red and green mane. "Pops! C'mon check it out I found something!" Called Fireblaze from around the corner.

It was about then that the trio heard a resounding BOOM.

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I threw the darkheart out of the window, following it shortly as it descended faster and faster. I smiled as I saw it flail, fear evident in it's eyes. I urged myself to go faster and faster until I was right next to the thing, as I matched it's speed I wrapped my legs around it so we took on a pile driver position. It flailed as it tried desperately to get away.

I felt it's skull give as it smashed into the ground. Now before I go any further I gotta tell you a little something about Canterlot. Since it's the governmental head for the nation of Equestria it is quite a busy place, almost as busy as Manehattan. This in turn means that there are large groups of ponies at any given time of day.

This could also mean dead of night which it was currently.

As we slammed down into the ground hard enough to leave a small crater, I heard screams from the crowd of ponies which were surrounding us. I heard the screams, but I couldn't hear any individual noises.  We had crashed right smack dab in the middle of Canterlot's Grand Bazzar. "Well shit, this couldn't get any better." I said as the dust from our collision began to subside.

"Hahaha! You've seriously underestimated me haven't you?!?" It  called from the debris, suddenly a high-pitch scream pierced the night.

"Alright kiddos stay close to me!" Called Crackshot as the dust cloud engulfed the, instinctively he reared back on two legs and grabbed his modified python from it's holster on his right flank. "Wow that was awesome pops....say...where is Starlight?" Asked Fireblaze as he huddled next to his father.

They heard her scream as the dust cloud finally settled. Crackshot felt his heart grow cold as he beheld a sight not even his worst nightmare could compete against.

Starlight was suspended in the air by her throat, a colt covered in shadows was suspending her without any effort via a hoof.

"Now nopony make a move or else the little lady gets it!" The thing called in a stereotyped Appleosian accent.

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I had a way then, losing it all on my own.

"Ugh what happened?" Asked Celestia waking up from her place on the bed. After Nightshade and Darkheart exited the room, everypony ran to the window to behold the spectacle. "Sister what is happening, where is Nightshade?" Asked the Solar Alicorn as she approached the still form of her sister and the mane 6 which were currently staring out the now broken window. "I...I....take a look for yourself sister." Said the Night Princess stepping aside to show the spectacle bellow.

Celestia beheld a sight she hadn't seen for 300 years. In the city underneath was Nightshade, his head low as he growled at the enemy before him. A shadowy colt almost exactly like him was suspending a little filly in the air with a tendril of darkness. "Oh Faust." Was all she could get out as the group watched the standoff below. Well, the all the group....minus a certain orange filly.

Scootaloo walked over to the now coughing griffon leaned against the wall. "I've seen you before....in my dreams." She said, for some reason she was strangely at ease around the large scar ridden thing. It looked gave her a wry smile, promptly coughing due to the sheer effort.

"Yeah well...I am your guardian spirit.....well was your guardian spirit." Said Ralus, coughing up more blood. "I think that thing did a number on me." He said, poking places that had bone bits clearly piercing through flesh but not piercing through skin.

Scootaloo looked on, feeling strangely apathetic. "Wait why is a griffon my guardian angel?" She asked more confused than shocked or saddened. He gave her a questioning glance. "Well a griffon was your mother." He responded in a flat tone.

"And you're able to die?" She asked tipping her head to the side. "Well when I jumped out of your brain I could die...which I am currently doing." He replied trying to make light of the situation.

"If your my guardian spirit....where have you been all my life?" She asked still confused. He chuckled a bit before raising a shaky leg and tapping Scootaloo's forehead. "I was that little voice in the back of your head." He replied.

In that short contact time he had done two things. Not only had he tried to prove a point, he also flooded the little filly's head with memories and knowledge. He had poured all the knowledge of the conjoined council of griffon/dragons and what they did. After a moment the little filly stumbled back a bit as her brain struggled to accommodate all the new knowledge.

"So....you were looking out for me my entire life?" She asked after another minute or two of silence. Ralus nodded. "Yessire, I've been looking out for you, watching your back and all that junk." He finished waving a dismissive claw. As soon as he finished the gesture he coughed, spasms rocked his body.

"Listen good little filly, I'm about to pass on but before I do, I'm gonna need to teach you how to defend yourself." He said motioning for her to come closer, the little filly was still a bit cautious but by now largely saddened.

"You know...your mother Gilda? She was my great great great great granddaughter." Said the griffon as he coughed again, his voice growing weaker and weaker.

"Such a wise little filly...I only wish I could stick around to see you grow." He said giving her a sad smile. "Before I go, I'm going to give you a little present. Happy birthday Scootaloo." Said the griffon as he tapped her forehead again.

His voice grew distant as the memories took over. Memories of training, of fighting, maneuvers and weapons knowledge all flooded into her head.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked through pained gasps as the memories surged through her head like headaches. "In case you need to protect yourself...I won't always be there." His faint voice called.

Memories of magic, elemental and supernatural. "I was a really lousy guardian...I

"Ahh Gilda...she was always my favorite......Scootaloo I'm sorry she walked out on you like that...I tried convincing her to stay but she was so scared." Continued the Griffon, his voice taking a sad tone. Scootaloo had lost her fear of the giant bird and now promptly made her way over to the dying griffon, giving it a hug she smiled at his surprised expression. "Hey don't look so down, I already forgave her anyway." She said trying to put the creature at ease.

It smiled as it patted her head. "Atta girl, be good ya here?" It asked, she could already see the light fading from it's eyes. Giving it another hug she leaned in close and whispered "I promise." It just smiled and exhaled for the last time.

The memories were still flowing at this point, finishing moves and such. The little filly's brain couldn't handle it...so it just shut down.

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The standoff continued with Starlight still in the air. "Now if you don't want to lose your little girl I suggest you put that thing away." It said motioning to the sharpshooter who begrudgingly put the gun back in it's holster. "As for you....I dunno just take your own life." It said waving a dismissive hoof in the air as it eyed Nightshade. "Faust damn you." He growled back.

It was then the three heard a griffon's war cry in the night air.

"Where am I?" Asked Scootaloo, she sat up as the seagulls started crying. "What? Why? Am I on a beach?" She asked as she looked around. "Wow! I really am on a beach!" Cried the filly as she ran towards the ocean. "Aye lass, I'm afraid you are." Said a familiar voice filled with sadness. Scootaloo turned around to find the same griffon behind her, his eyes betrayed his sadness.

She felt a dull throb in the back of her head, wincing and instinctively while putting a hoof to her head. "Ow, what did you do to me anyway?" She asked giving the griffon a peeved glare. "I gave you all my knowledge, everything I ever knew on fighting....on self defense." He paused a little feeling uncomfortable under the filly's stare.

"So why did you do it? Your right here aren't you?" She asked, he just shook his head. "Scootaloo, I'm here to say my last goodbye to you. Right now both you and I are in purgatory, the line of Life and Death." He said using a claw to draw a line in the sand.

"You are on the side of life. I made sure of that." He said pointing at her and puffing out his chest. "Okay so what about you? What why are you on the death side? Aren't you already dead since your a guardian angel?" She asked he let out an agitated sigh.

"There are some things in this world that can kill an angel. That thing within Nightshade was one of them." He paused again before giving the filly an intense stare. "Listen Scootaloo, that thing is doesn't have an official name, that boy calls it a darkheart. It is an all consuming monster that will eat you. Be wary young one."

Scootaloo understood immediately as an image of a 'darkheart' flashed in her mind's eye. "Why did you put these memories  in my head? And why did you ask me about my mother?" She asked him. He sighed a deep sigh.

"Scootaloo......you...you can't even begin to imagine how sorry I am. I shirked my duties as a guardian. Yes I was that little voice in your head but every time I spoke I hurt you." He spoke in a broken tone. He hadn't felt this sad since his wife died at the hands of a zebra assassin.

"It's okay! I forgive you!" She pipped up, a smile on her face. That did it for Ralus, the griffon began crying.

"How, how can you forgive me?" He asked through his tears.

"I can because I can! It's no point holding a grudge over things in the past. I've already forgiven everypony who has ever wronged me in the past. Like I always say it's better to look to the future for better than wallow in the past for worse." Her tone had gone into warm as she talked. The giant griffon began chuckling as he cried.

"You've never said that." He said, his laughter growing as his tears subsided. "And anyway why did you give me all this knowledge on fighting? It's not like i'm not gonna use it." The filly grumbled, Ralus let out a nervous two note laughter.

"Heh, I wasn't really thinking." He said, this prompted a facehoof from Scootaloo. "Well might as well try and use it." She said.

Scootaloo readied herself, digging her hooves in the ground. "Umm....what are you doing?" Asked Ralus. "I'm gonna try a flying leap kick!" She said as he lunged forward and tried aligning herself in mid air to the memory of a pony doing the same thing. She failed miserably as she couldn't contort herself in mid air, she ended up catching a foot in the sand and falling face first.

"Haha! You need to practice that first! I only gave you the memory!" Chuckled Ralus as he gave Scootaloo a helping claw. "Well I can't" she said suddenly remembering. "I have a friend that needs help and I gotta help him!" She said suddenly remembering Nightshade. "No need to fret little one. We have all the time in the world here. This place is ageless, a thousand years here could equal a second in real time." He said putting her at ease.

"Well...what are we waiting for?" She asked again grinning. He smirked back. "Alright but now is not the time." His face suddenly took a note of gravity. Scootaloo your friend is in trouble. He said as he pressed a claw to her forehead.

He granted her access to the raging white water torrent that was the flow. He showed her how the darkheart had resided within Nightshade, had twisted his heart and corrupted him.

Scootaloo could feel intense rage bubbling from the depths of her being as Ralus let go. "Help him Scootaloo

His voice disappeared as she snapped back to conscious. She saw, everything. Everything the Darkheart did to him, all those years of pain it fed on. She let out a griffon's war cry as she ran and leaped out of the window, intent on tackling the dark thing.

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"Go cry me a river....actually go cry me a river and drown in it!" Said the darkheart, by now the filly wrapped in shadows had passed out. "Let mah daughter go ya here?!?" Shouted the stallion as he held his python steady.

Suddenly a shriek pierced the night as a familiar orange form leapt out of the broken window of the royal tower.

About three things happened in that instant; 1. Scootaloo successfully bombarded the Darkheart. 2. It let go of the filly and split into three shadowy figures as it tried to dodge the filly. 3. Nightshade took to Flyte yet again, this time not for fun but for battle.