Vessel

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Friend That You Need Part 1
Chapter 3 - Never Die
Chapter 4 - The Void Undying
Chapter 2 - The Friend That You Need Part 2

Chapter 1 - The Friend That You Need Part 1

The dragon limped, blood covering his body, wincing at the pain he felt. He had expected many things when he attacked the wolf, when he crushed the canon, but none of them led to this. Only one pony tribe used magic such as the kind he had witnessed: the umbrum. Black of heart, created instead of born, with a strong affinity towards dark arts, and almost purely evil. Everything about modern day Equestria, compared to the Equestria he had attempted to destroy a thousand years ago, told him that they had been wiped out. Yet, that night, after so easily crushing those that the alicorn had placed her faith in, he had found out he was wrong. One still lived, and they were nothing short of a monster.

His pupils couldn’t break contact with his wounded form, gashes and cuts the result of said pony. He knew he was dying, that he wouldn’t make it back to Canterlot, but he would make sure one more pony died before his breathing stopped. That meant pushing through the pain, keeping his feet moving, and doing everything he could to not let the immense blood loss get to him. Dragons weren’t like ponies, as he was built to withstand punishment just like this.

The dragon heard something land behind him, and he dared to stop and look, knowing that with each second his quarry got farther away. A painful breath escaped his lungs as he saw another dragon, a familiar dragon, standing before him. Her scales a beautiful yellow and wings a crimson red. In her hand was a spear, the bottom and top of it’s neck had ornaments hanging from them. He took a step towards her, forgetting about his quarrel with the umbrum and overjoyed to see the figure in front of him. It was impossible not to smile, seeing one of his own, and his sister no less, having come to his aid.

“Topaz, is that truly you? Are my eyes deceiving me?” He asked, reaching a hand out as he slowly limped towards her.

Topaz smiled, the injured dragon before her blinded by joy to see the anger that lies under it. “Yes, Tholak, it is. Aurora bid me come and assist you,” She said, knowing that the very mention of the pegasi’s name, while she was not present, would make him angry. “You are in terrible shape.”

“The mare sent me to die, sister,” Tholak said. “She made no mention of a griffon or an umbrum. She thought that they would kill me before I was able to destroy the canon, but Aurora is a fool,” He gave a wicked smile, raising a clenched fist. “I live, sister, live! I see now that her love for me was only a means to an end, that she means to off me. She cares not for the dragons, but only of her own agenda. Don’t you see this sister?”

“I see that you are convinced of these words you speak, aye,” Topaz answered, reaching out her left hand, the one without a spear. “Come brother, let me embrace you one last time.”

“It shall not be the last sister,” Tholak says, grabbing her hand and pulling her in, using his free hand to grab the spear. His smile turned to a frown as his sister struggled to pull away from his grip. “Not if you understand what I see now, what these wounds have shown me.”

“Brother, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t you lie to me!” He shouted, the pain of doing so leading to a fit of coughs. He leaned in to his sister, his snout on her ear. “Sister, listen to me, what other cause would our enemy have for us once she regained the throne? We were fools to not kill her when she came begging. Do you not see how our men - our sons - look to her now?” Topaz was caught off guard by the question, and though she wished to answer he gave her no chance to. “They trust in a pony more than their own kin. A pony over kin Topaz! She has no need for us, and that’s why she sent you to kill me.”

“How… how did you know?” Topaz asked.

She could not see the smile on her brother's face, one that spoke of the true reason behind his words. He loved his sister, but she was so easily convinced, manipulated, whatever word one wished to use. A kind heart like her was rare in dragons, but Tholak knew that just because someone was kind, doesn’t mean they were always good. No doubt Aurora’s honey words had convinced his sister to her side, and it was not the first. It was Topaz, after all, who had been gullible enough to think the pegasus could be trusted. Her sense of good had been twisted once before, all he had to do was twist it back, like he had done so many times before.

Though it pains me to think of my own kin as such, Topaz is the perfect tool. He thought. All I need to do is say the right words at the right time and I shall live. The right words will give me life, and she will once again believe every word I say.

“Tell me, Topaz, would this not be considered treason? She still considers me among her men, correct?” Tholak asked rhetorically. “She does, doesn’t she, for what other name would she use to rally the troops? Yet think of this sister, if she sent you here to kill me, and I am a commander of her troops, does that not make you a traitor.”

“A… a traitor?” Topaz mimicked the words her brother was telling her, the words poisoning her mind. Yet, she didn’t let go of the spear. “No, that couldn’t be possible. I was sent to get a mare, Luminous. She was among the ponies you were hunting.”

“You mean one of the ponies that were guarding the canon? One of the ponies who did this to me?” Tholak replied, continuing to riddle his sister’s thoughts with his own twisted visions of the events. It wasn’t even that they weren’t all true, and a part of him was now convinced that he was saving his sister from her own death. “Topaz, she sends you to your death, just as she sent you to bring mine. Do you truly think that she would send you for a single mare? A mare that is one of her enemies?”

Tholak didn’t see the look on his sister’s face, but he felt the weight of the spear completely transfer to him. Her arms had gone limp, and she fell into her brother’s bloody arms. She didn’t cry, at least not out loud, but the weak hug she gave him was enough to tell Tholak his words had won. Part of him felt terrible doing this to a fellow dragon, and his own sister no less, but part of him also felt justified. He wrapped his arms around his sister, but his thoughts were not on the dragoness, but of Aurora. Something suddenly seemed strange to him about the mare, the second Queen of Equestria. He thought that she only wished for her kingdom back from the alicorns, but something about this all told him she had ulterior motives. Something no dragon, pony, or otherwise knew about.

“The… the ponies trust me, Tholak,” Topaz said. “I know of a town nearby that might be willing to heal you, if you don’t mind taking healing from them.”

“Such will be required for my plan anyways, dear sister,” Tholak said, his word no longer that of a manipulator, but of a leader and commander of armies. “That mare is a danger to all of dragon kind, both past and present. Thus, we must play the game that she played with us.”

“And what game would that be?” Topaz asked.

Tholak smiled, his answer coming in the form of a quote. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Vaatidj presents

the next story in the Bygone Branch series…

Vessel

One day later

A shot sounded throughout the streets of Klugetown, a crowd of people, none of which ponies, laughing at the unfortunate soul now dead in the streets. Someone would grieve, there was no doubt about that, but all would agree that he got what he deserved. It’s what the shark got for going up against Verko Gibs, who could only give a hearty laugh at the entire situation. There weren’t many rules in Klugetown, but there was one that only the dumbest of individuals break: don’t cheat out the kingpin.

The crowd dispersed as he handed the pistol back to the parrot next to him, ordering a pair of mole rats to clean up the mess. They obeyed, as they rightly should, even if they weren’t one of his henchmen. The idea of ending up like the poor sap they carried off was enough to make them obey, and it wasn’t like there were guards they could turn to. Verko owned the guards, not to mention a sizable portion of the very city he lived in. The reason for owning them was simple: money. The more money he had, the more who were willing to look away, work for him, and the more he would own the Klugetown.

“Put the place back on the market, burn or get rid of anything showing he lived there,” Verko ordered the parrot. The parrot bowed, walking down the street as Verko let out a small laugh, adjusting his glasses. “Hate to lose them, but that only means a smarter individual will come along, one that follows the rules.”

On the side of the street Verko wasn’t facing, three figures watched with varying reactions. The red griffon, Emperor Gabriel Derev of the Griffon Empire, silently offered a prayer to the deceased, though he didn’t truly know if they deserved it. The tall, light pink alicorn, wings hidden under a rather low quality cloak, was horrified at how little the crowd had cared for the sight. Empress Flurry Heart had been made plenty aware during her rule of the nature of this port, seeing how they had offered a trade proposal to her, but this was worse than she originally thought. Yet to her disbelief, the creature next to her, Silvia Holveneart, a so-called “wise wolf”, only reacted with disinterest.

“Are you crazy?” Flurry whispered to the wolf. “He is your contact? He is this friend that you told us about?”

“You’re concerned?” Silvia asked, the gaze she gave the alicorn one that conveyed a false sense of innocence. Flurry Heart gawked at the lack of care her companion showed.

“Of course I’m concerned! How are you not concerned!” Flurry asked, her reply coming in the form of a sigh. “Well?”

“I told you when I explained my goal that we’re doing things my way,” Silvia said “Remember?”

Four days prior, at the Badlands Changeling hive

“Hold on, let me get this straight,” Flurry Heart said. “You mean to tell me that because we have no way of getting help from both the Griffon and Crystal Empires, which both of us are the rulers of mind you,” She pointed between Gabriel and herself, the former enjoying a smoothie. “Your plan is to travel in to a part of the world unknown to literally all of Equestria, recruit a nation of dark magic wielding ponies and vampires from another dimension, and use that to stop this alicorn-hating, hero killing, pegasus,” Silvia nodded. “Does that, I don’t know, seem a little much to you?”

“Flurry Heart, how much do you know about Aurora Oracle, second ruler of Equestria and one of only two in history to take the title of queen?” The wolf asked. The alicorn stayed quiet. “Exactly, none, like most of Equestria. There is a reason that she was wiped from historical records, because the methods she went to, her fighting prowess, and what she did after exile are crimes and actions that many wouldn’t want to remember.”

“Even if it’s for the better of Equestria to know it,” Gabriel replied.

Silvia nodded. “Yes, even if it’s better to know it,” She agreed, followed by shaking the somber thoughts from her head. “Aurora is persuasive, thus how she managed to completely unite an Equestria which was losing a war. Despite the bad blood between the three tribes back then, she managed to gain the favor of all three, something even Princess Platinum couldn’t do. Imagine what a pony like that, with such hatred towards alicorns, would mean for us all if that view leaked into the foals of Equestria and those easily manipulated?”

The room went silent, neither griffon or pony willing to answer the question despite knowing what it meant. Very few knew about the Bygone Barrier, the source of stability of the multiverse, and how the canon’s powered it. They, however, knew full well about its existence, and what would happen if every canon was destroyed. Flurry Heart felt her body tense, a hoof going to her heart - her canon - the only thing that was keeping the universe stable now that Twilight was dead.

“Right, so why do you want us to come with you?” Flurry asked.

“I was getting to that,” Silvia said, turning to Gabriel. “As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not the best to relay this message. My only interest in this is keeping my daughter alive, and making sure she has a world to live in when she wakes up,” She took a deep breath in, and exhaled. “Gabriel, you saved me when I first landed in this Equestria, showing me that something would come that would be my reason to live. Would you be willing to come with me, as the one to tell Rosa of our plans.”

“You do realize that I did more than just tell you not to off yourself, right?” Gabriel reminded the wolf. Though his beak didn’t allow him, Silvia was sure she saw something resembling a smile on his face. “I was the first individual you ever told about the Bygone Barrier, about the time you spent wandering outside of it after your Equestria collapsed. That day, I made a promise that the griffons would stand with you when something threatened our Equestria, and I stand by that promise.”

Silvia couldn’t help but tear up a little, a part of her happy to see that someone was fighting for a reason not as selfish as she was. She had to do everything she could to not cry and let her inner mom thank the griffon. To fight for Equestria, for all that you know and don’t know, and not just for the preservation of a single soul. That was why Gabriel was such a remarkable griffon, and why she envied him so much. Knowing that the silence was starting to get awkward, she turned to Flurry Heart.

“As for why I want you to come along, wouldn’t you agree that we are a little too close to Equestria's borders?” Silvia asked the alicorn. “With Twilight gone, Celestia dead, and Luna having long ago destroyed her canon, you are our only hope, and I’m not holding hope that your mother is alive,” She couldn’t help but feel bad as she mentioned Flurry’s parents, noticing the way she recoiled just at the mention of them. “Sorry, that's too personal.”

“No, I came to terms long ago that, somehow, they aren’t alive anymore,” Flurry Heart lied, doing a poor job to hide her sadness. “If you really think it’s a good idea, then I’ll go with you.”

“Thanks, Empress,” Silvia replied, forcing a cough to try and disperse the heavy nature of the room. “I’ve already spoken to Thorax about sending word to the Hippogriffs, though considering that they have a larger navy than ground force, don’t expect much. Nonetheless, once I convince my friend to lend us an airship, we shall briefly drop his missive off to them, then make our way west,” Silvia started pacing back and forth as she talked. “That said, I'm the leader, since I’m the one here that knows where we are going. That means we do things my way, and my way is what it takes.”

“True, she did warn us,” Gabriel replied, finishing his prayer. “What, is this a bit much for you, your majesty?”

“And what gives you any right to say that, emperor?” Flurry replied, doing her best to stand proud and hold her head up. “I just can’t believe individuals would stoop so low, or that our leader would be willing to aid such a low life.”

“Two things about that. One, Verko runs at least sixty percent of this joint,” Silvia explained matter-of-factually, pointing a paw at the mole rat. “In a town of low lives, you learn to find where you fit in, and that’s either with one group of criminals or another. I just so happened to fall in with him due to my, ahem, profession,” She then placed the same paw on her chest. “Second, a paradox hunter does things their way, no rules. We choose how we go about finding, judging, and delivering the exact fate of a paradox based on the harm they cause to the world and the barrier. There is nothing too low for a murderer.”

“You’re not a murderer, Silvia,” Gabriel told the wolf, but she shook her head.

“Tell that to all the ponies, dragons, griffons,” Silvia’s ears went flat as she talked, looking to the ground. “Foals, newborns… It's our code. To roughly translate the body motions into words, the code is “thy predator stains red so others stay pure”,” She looked to Gabriel. “Different cultures, different universes. Keep that in mind when you’re dealing with Rosa.”

Before Gabriel or Flurry Heart could respond, Silvia walked ahead. They fell in line behind her, Gabriel doing his best to try and figure out some way to convince Silvia she was wrong. He truly didn’t understand, and for the exact reason that Silvia had just told him. She wasn’t of this Equestria, but one where the sun and moon never shone, where Celestia and Luna had long ago died, and ponykind hid behind walls in fear at the creatures who had called it their home. The closest thing he could think of to anything like that in his Equestria was the Everfree forest outside of Ponyville, but that didn’t seem to do justice to what she had described. Layer on that a race of canines with intelligence far higher than that of even Diamond Dogs, with a language based not around words but body motions. It was exactly as she had said “different cultures, different universes”.

“Verko!” Silvia called out to the rat. He turned his head instantly at the sound of his name, giving a smile that Flurry Heart couldn’t tell was crazy or insane, if there was a difference.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite, and only, hunter and canine pal,” Verko said, his hands going into the sky, that smile never breaking. One hand landed on Silvia’s head, ruffling up her fur and, to Flurry’s awe, enjoying every second of it. “A little bug told me you would be coming this way, and what a perfect time for you to come as well. Who are your friends here?”

Both Flurry and Gabriel stiffened a little as Verko examined them like a noble in a boutique. Flurry had to hold back the urge to gag as he took her hoof in his hands, feeling not only the grime and dirt on it, but also the filth of a man who looked like he’d cheated on his wife several times before. Gabriel managed to keep his cool far more than Flurry did, though he was appalled at how rough he was with the griffon’s wings. He finally stepped over the line when he lifted Flurry’s cloak, letting out a gasp of excitement as the alicorn’s face turned cherry red. He grabbed her neck, pulling her head down to his level and pointing at Flurry in excitement.

“A-a-are you sellin’?” Verko asked, sounding like a dog waiting for somepony to throw a ball.

“How dare you think she would sell the Empress of the Crystal Empire!” Flurry Heart exclaimed. “I assure you that Silvia is nowhere near the level of low that a dirty crimi-”

Silvia smiled. “How much are you offering?”

Flurry Heart’s jaw dropped as she heard those words, Verko falling down laughing at the alicorn’s sheer disbelief. Even Gabriel couldn’t help but giggle a little, but stopped and looked away as Flurry glared at him in discontent. After a few seconds, Verko found the strength to stand again, but barely enough to make it to Silvia before falling on her shoulder wheezing like a hyena. He turned to the wolf, that smile still on his face, and pointed to her.

“That… is the best laugh I’ve had… in months,” He told her, before falling back dramatically. “Oh how I’ve missed having you around my favorite, fluffy, murderous bitch. You bring laughter to this dying rat.”

“Glad to hear I’ve made your day better, but I’m sure our little messenger bug told you we weren’t here for shits and giggles,” Silvia replied. She could audibly hear the sounds coming out of Flurry Heart’s muzzle as she not only heard what Verko had called her, but how she nonchalantly replied with a similar swear. “What? Is my language too improper for you, empwess?”

“N-n-no! I can handle it,” Flurry lied, unwilling to admit that was the first time anyone had actually swore around her. “And don’t you dare talk to me like a filly!”

“Okay, okay, cut the chatter, business time,” Verko said, his voice more serious but still smiling. “So, I hear you are looking for a certain captain and her crew. A crew that, if it is led to be believed, went into the so-called ‘unexplored west’ and came back with a fully charted map of all Equis!” He leaned in and whispered into Silvia’s ear. “Is that correct?”

“You could say so, and whatever price you want you get,” Silvia replied, looking knowingly at Flurry Heart, whose expression was somewhere between a disbelief and awe at the wolf’s audacity.

“Well I would take the pony princess but I want a living space and making a new one is a waste of money. Just as much as it would be wasting your time here by wanting bits instead of service,” He replied, proceeding to walk past Silvia and guide her to his side.

Flurry Heart looked to Gabriel, who only shrugged as he started to follow the rat and wolf. Flurry, with a sigh and highly regretting her life decisions, followed suit, listening to Verko and Silvia converse. By the end of it, she would start wondering how the wolf or her daughter weren’t swearing like sailors back in Silver Shoals.

“So, yeah, that’s the entire mess you saw earlier today. Would send his family flowers but after his sister and brother and other brother I honestly don’t even bother anymore,” Verko finished telling Silvia, getting the wolf mostly up to date with what his life has been like. He had requested for both Flurry Heart and Gabriel to stay out of his home, which they did despite the offense the former took from it. “Anyways, that was that, now it’s this, business goes on in my wacky world. Not saying this Aurora mare wasn’t a pain in my booty but eh, Klugetown is used to her kind. We held together after she marched through. Still, it sounds like she’s the real deal if your information is accurate.”

“Oh, it’s the most accurate source you’ll be able to get, I can guarantee you,” Silvia replied. “I’m sure you see why we are here now.”

“Trade routes ain’t open through Equestria so those two can’t send orders and amass an army for you, so go on a trip around the world,” Verko summed up. “I tell you, the Flurry filly, cute as hell but man is she dumb as hell. Offered her a trade agreement years ago but said no, and this was after her parents disappeared. Figure with her little treaty with the dragons she’d be smart enough to know to play dirty.”

“You’ve met Flurry Heart before?” Silvia asked. “It looked like you two met for the first time back in the market.”

“Never in person, but don’t regret it. Seriously, you’ll have to find some way for her to spend some time with me when this is all set and the world is saved. I may be a crook but I’m a damn gentleman when I see a fine gal,” He told the wolf, striking a pose he thought was charming but only got an eye roll from Silvia. For the first time since they had seen each other, his smile dropped. “Last time that worked on you.”

“I’ve raised my standards,” Silvia said, her fur standing on end when she remembered the time she had to spend the night with him. He wasn’t bad, actually, but it was one of her more regretful actions after first arriving in Equestria. “Anyway, Captain Celano?”

“Out for another day at least, which gives you plenty of time to work your magic, you know? Got a little problem on my hands,” Verko explained. “Tell me, did you hear anyone mention a little menace nicknamed “Clockwork” around town?”

That question was what finally made Silvia click, the excitement falling off her face. He knew exactly what Verko was asking of her: hunting down a paradox. She knew of some that called this town home, most of which she had deemed harmful to Equestria and had to kill, but not all of them. Yet, this paradox, this Clockwork, had made the biggest mistake in the world and it was now going to cost them their lives. She didn’t need to judge, not when Verko no doubt already laid out what he wanted ahead of time.

“I assume that you have information regarding the paradox?” Luminous asked.

“Ah yes, indeed. The biggest of course being that he doesn’t really hide himself that well. Caught the sucker in the middle of a murder first day he landed,” Verko explained. She was happy to see him use the proper term for a freshly arrived paradox as well, but didn’t say anything. “Now, I like being a happy go-getter, but that kid had the nerves to mess with me. Took some of my customers, damaging property, even attempted to take my own life. I’m sure you had seen one of its victims.”

It took Silvia a minute to realize he wasn’t referring to the shark Verko had killed, but rather of his personal “guards”. One was indeed missing, a tortoise if she remembered correctly, and Silvia knew from experience that these were more than just guards to him. Even criminals had friends, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that tortoises, along with the parrot she had seen, were far closer to Verko than most of his underlings. The picture was becoming clearer, but simply knowing what the paradox did to Verko was little help to defeating it.

“Anything you can tell me about the pony? Any hint at what kind of world they came from or what they can do,” Silvia asked.

“That is the interesting part of this predicament,” Verko explained, reaching into a nearby drawer and grabbing a small box. He brought it to Silvia and opened it, showing a bunch of rust colored bolts, screws and such. “Our little troublemaker isn’t flesh and blood you see, and he most certainly isn’t completely together. An automaton, I believe. Doesn’t seem like he is really thinking as much as he is following orders. Like a… last directive, if it’s at all similar to that other paradox you told me about.”

“I’ve seen this style of screw before, though slightly different in shape,” Silvia told the kingpin, a low growl emanating from her throat. As she did, she focused on a gear, one of the larger pieces in here. “In fiction, ponies call it steampunk. Heard of it?” Verko nodded. “Seems like we are dealing with the invention from a steampunk world of some kind. Take a closer look at this screw.”

Verko leaned in as Silvia focused her magic, which was channeled through sound instead of horn, on a particular screw. It wasn’t bronze like the rest, or originally bronze anyway. He made out what looked like straw inside of it, which had seemingly been covered in a bronze coating. Now that he looked inside the box again, he realized that it wasn’t the only oddity. They were all bronze, but each piece he picked out seemed to originally be some other material. One was wood, another stone, he was pretty sure he one was made of bone, but all of them were covered much like an amber, except with bronze instead of risen.

“A friend of mine recently came up with a name for the strange powers that we paradoxes have: anomalies,” Silvia said, resting her voice and allowing the screw to fall back into the box. “This would explain how this paradox, this clockwork pony, is still moving despite apparently falling apart. His anomaly allows him to turn anything into bronze, and likely any shape as well, thus allowing him to fix his own body and keep moving. Something along those lines, at the very least.”

“Now, obviously, if it wasn’t trying to kill me or make me waste my money I wouldn’t bother with him, but he’s a threat to my business,” Verko said, less interested in the specifics on his enemy than Silvia was. “Now, I have a mare, a very good mare in fact, tracking this Clockwork and studying him. She should be able to tell you the rest. So, uh… is that-”

“I accept your task and judgement that this clockwork pony is to be brought to death,” Silvia responded, nodding and smiling. “If that is what you need for us to meet the captain, then I’m more than happy to oblige.”

“I just don’t understand!” Flurry said, pacing as thought after thought raced through her mind. “I’ve never seen Silvia act so… carefree! How could she let a creature so filthy treat her like that,” She turned to Gabriel, who had once again managed to find himself a drink on the way, non-alcoholic sadly. He heard that Klugetown actually had excellent beer. “You heard what he called her, right? That rat called her a bi… b-b-b-”

“Bitch. The word your mouth can’t seem to say is Bitch,” Gabriel said between sips. “You got some sort of filter spell on you that makes you incapable of talking dirty?”

“No, and honestly I don’t see how you are so find just saying a word like that so… normal!” Flurry explained. “I mean your royalty just as much as I am royalty. In case you have forgotten ponies and griffons look to us for, ahem, leadership. I personally find nothing very leaderly in words such as bi… biththhth…,” She sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“And you have never seen the Griffon council on a good day, or bad day, or any day now that I think of it,” Gabriel replied, throwing the now empty beer to the side. “If you feel that way then maybe discussing it while we have an entourage is not exactly the best idea.”

Flurry Heart raised an eyebrow at the statement. Gabriel, in turn, rolled his eyes and motioned to the pony that had been staring at them for the past couple of minutes. They didn’t really stand out that much with the brown coat and similar brown mane and tail in a very simplistic style. She couldn’t help but feel unnerved by them, however, simply for how incredible still they seemed to be. They stood there, unblinking, unmoving, and as far as she could tell not even breathing. She looked to Gabriel, who once again directed her to the pony, and sighed.

“How long has she been staring there?” Flurry asked, getting a shrug in response. With a gulp she turned back to the pony and waved. “Uh, hey, you need something?”

There was no response, no movement. The pony just stood there, staring at them.

“Um… hello?” Flurry Heart called, but again got nothing. She turned to Gabriel. “Am I, uh, doing something wrong here?” She turned back. “Listen, no offense but you’re kinda freaking me out. Can you just, I don’t know, give a wave or something? I don’t bite, I promise.”

There was still no response, and Gabriel sighed. “Alright, let me try.”

Gabriel walked over to the pony, unnerved at how it was so much staring at him as it was staring past him. Even as he stood beak to nose with them they didn’t move, didn’t follow the direction of his head, or react when he proceeded to pat them on the head. He looked back to Flurry Heart, who was just as shocked as he was about what was going on. Part of him wanted to say it was a statue, but considering how real the mane, tail, and fur felt, that couldn’t be right. It was as he was stroking the pony’s back, doing everything he could to get some reaction out of them, that it finally happened.

It started when he accidentally dug his talons into her skin, creating a gash. He jolted back a bit, only to wince and grab just below his neck. Though it had mostly healed thanks to magic and changeling medicine, the wound Tholak had given him hadn’t fully healed. When he recovered he first thought to apologize, only to be stunned at what he saw under the cut he had created. Where there should have been blood was instead an iron shell. He blinked, and looked again. He rubbed his eyes and looked once more, but it was still there. Only one word rang in his mind that could possibly describe something like this.

“Flurry, we got some sort of robot paradox,” He shouted across the street. Inching back towards said paradox, he banged on the metal shell. “And this is a new one, that’s for sure. Did it run out of battery or something?”

His question was answered as the machine finally moved, putting a hoof on his talon’s. He looked to see that the pony was looking at him, and before he was able to ask a question found himself being thrown across the street. Flurry gasped at the action, but didn’t react in time to dodge the griffon now flying at her. The impact sent both of them to the ground, the alicorn using her magic to keep her head from hitting the ground. They sat there for a minute, thinking over everything that had just happened before hearing the sounds of hooves getting farther and farther away. Finally, Flurry let go of her magic, allowing herself to fall to the ground with far less force than she would have otherwise.

“Okay, off you go,” She told Gabriel, shoving him off her chest. Getting into a sitting position, she saw that the pony had disappeared. “That was… strange.”

“You can say that again,” Gabriel replied, rubbing the bottom of his neck. “Sweet Celestia that hurt. Should have agreed to Arcane’s numbing hex.”

The door to a nearby building opened, and Silvia walked out. She blinked as she saw the two sitting in the middle of the street. “Did I… miss something?”

“Oh, hey Silvia,” Gabriel said with what hardly qualified as a wave. “Don’t mind us, just recovering from a run in with a paradox. Seemed to be a machine of some kind.”

Silvia’s eyes went wide at hearing that, and before either the griffon or pony could say any more to her, she bolted down the street. So, with nothing better to do, they decided to just lay there. It looked like it might rain later today based on the clouds. That might be nice, but would also make the stone cold, and then cold by proxi. Gabriel and Flurry Heart sighed simultaneously and looked at each other.

“So…” Flurry said. “Are we gonna chase after her or not?”

They blinked, and turned back to the sky.

“Nah.”

Silvia raced from street to street, only pausing whenever she reached an intersection. Considering what she had been told, how this paradox had killed ponies, she was thankful that it had chosen to spare Gabriel (she highly doubted the machine knew about alicorn canons). The thought that it could have, though, was enough to send her speeding through the streets of Klugetown, bobbing and weaving past people as she did. This hunt however, could be totally worthless if she had been wrong about one thing: the direction it went.

Thinking it over, she had quickly realized that she had no idea what direction the paradox had gone in. She could have asked Gabriel, which would have been the reasonable thing to do, but she stupidly panicked. That alone led her up and down, left and right, and in a circle at least once in the search for something she wasn’t even sure was in front of her. After a time she stopped in the market and found out she was breathing heavily. She looked around for something, anything, that could be her target, but found nothing and put sharks, rats, and otherwise in her vicinity. She sat down and exhaled before slamming the back of her head against a wooden building.

“Damn it!” She cried out. Looking up to the sky, something else came to her head. “I don’t even know what direction I came from, do I? Ugh, should have thought this out better. Hopefully they can find me.”

“I think they’ll find you first,” Silvia turned to see a pony, mane a nice shade of purple and coat a vibrant pink. What really caught her attention, however, was the pirate-esq uniform and double lightning bolt cutie mark the mare had. “It’s been a while, Silvia Holveneart.”

Author's Note

And so, our journey finally begins. After first mentioning this months back, I'm excited to get Vessel out and to the rest of you.

Also, as a fun game, see if you can't catch the musical references for every chapter's title as we go on. Some will be from the fandom, others won't be.

Either way, please give me your feedback and I'll see you all in the next chapter.

Chapter 3 - Never Die

Marechester was, to most on Equestria, nothing more than an insignificant dot on the map of Equestria. Compared to the infamy of Ponyville, the awe of Cloudsdale, the size of Manehattan, and the sparkling jewel that is Canterlot, nothing about it truly shines. It is a quiet town, at least on the outside, where everypony knows each other and the biggest attraction it has is the farm just outside it. Some could say that it was actually quite a lot like Ponyville, just without the weekly monster incidents and ponies like the Elements of Harmony calling it home.

What most would never know is the little town’s claim to fame, one typically associated with it’s more northern parts of Equestria: maple syrup. Summer maple, to be exact, which comes from a special type of maple tree found in this sole area of Equestria. Able to be tapped all year round, these trees are what lead to the towns founding some four centuries ago, growing from a farm to a hamlet, a hamlet to a village. Such was the founding of Marechester, and the founding of Little Amber Farmstead, one of the most well known producers of maple syrup in all of Equestria.

This ended up being the small settlement that Topaz had told Tholak about. She had taken him to the local doctors, with the help of some ponies who noticed them coming in. When asked she merely twisted the truth, telling that her brother had been attacked not by ponies, but by Aurora's army instead. A small part of her still felt shame for turning her back on Aurora, but her brother was right, she knew it. The words just felt… right. She groaned, holding her head in her claws as she thought about how she might have just created her own betrayal to her friend.

She could hear the whispers of the ponies around her, those who hadn’t been as willing to help her. Though she had no idea what they were saying, the looks gave everything away. They didn’t fear her. No, they seemed more disgusted and disgruntled than afraid, and they weren’t trembling. She did manage to catch one word: “pathetic”, no doubt aimed at Topaz’s unwillingness to look at her. Part of her was so sure, so hopeful that everything would be alright, but here she was, sitting in a doctor’s office, not sure if they would kill her brother or save him.

Then again, part of her should have expected this reaction. It was a miracle anyone seemed open to them after what they had done. The word had gotten out about the dragons, and they had done something she didn’t think about. Their current age brothers and sisters, who had been allies of Equestria for years now, were hated because of their actions. Part of her wanted to call the ponies out on it, but she felt it was deserved; it was them, after all, along with Aurora who had made the announcement.

“Queen Twilight, if you hear me out there, somewhere, know I’m sorry,” Topaz murmured. “In our duty to correct what we felt was wronged a thousand years ago, we ruined a peace. Let us only hope we can correct that mistake.”

The door on the far side of the lobby opened, revealing an earth pony mare with light blue fur and black mane. She wore a typical white coat that most doctors did, holding a clipboard under her hoof. This was the mare that had greeted them when they reached town, the first one kind enough to help her brother. Topaz could only be thankful they didn’t recognize the face of the dragon who had taken over their home, but assume that was because Aurora was the one who declared herself ruler.

“Ms. Topaz Jevile Carcot?” She called out to the dragon. Topaz got up and walked over to the mare. “I don’t think I ever introduced myself earlier. Doctor Blue Moon.”

“How is he?” Topaz asked, her claws caressing themselves in a hopeless attempt to lower her stress.

Blue Moon sighed and motioned for the dragoness to follow her out of the lobby. As they left, Blue moon closed the door behind her and looked both directions down the hallway. The mare knew she had risked a lot bringing a dragon in during this time, but she was smarter than most ponies. The public opinion of their scaly, bipedal allies had shifted too fast, and she knew that Lord Ember was not responsible for this. At least, she sincerely hoped not, but the actions of the many are not the actions of all, no matter what society might believe.

“I’ll be honest Ms. Topaz, he’s in extremely rough shape. If he was a griffon, pegasus, changeling, he would have died some time ago,” Blue Moon explained. It did nothing to reassure the dragon, who was holding herself in an attempt to not fall over fainted. “That said, he is stable. It will take time, of course, but your brother shall make a full recovery.”

“I… don’t think I could ever thank you enough,” Topaz replied with a bow. She couldn’t help but chuckle at herself. “Look at me, a mighty dragon bowing to a pony. My brother would kill me if he saw it,” She forced a smile as she looked to Blue Moon. “Could I see him?”

“Of course, that’s part of why I grabbed you after all,” Blue Moon told the dragoness. She once again motioned for Topaz to follow her, leading the dragon down the hallway. “Sorry about the reception. I’m sure you’ve realized it by now but things Equestria aren’t exactly… stable, I guess you could say.”

“You’re referring to the Canterlot invasion, aren’t you?” Topaz asked. “I heard that there was a… a lot of dead during the attack. My condolences to any and all families affected by it.”

“That’s half of it but, I mean, you must have heard what this new Queen did,” Blue Moon said. When Topaz didn’t respond, she continued. “She killed an alicorn. An alicorn! I… I didn’t even know that was possible. The worst part, it seems more ponies are blaming the dragons for it more than Queen Aurora herself.”

Part of Topaz wanted so desperately to defend Aurora, to explain the events that lead to this happening. In the end, she knew that would only end up looking badly on her. Any attempt at defending the pony would end with her fulfilling what those ponies in the lobby believed about her. At the same time, she had no clue why she wanted to defend Aurora. If her brother was correct, she had been sent to her death. No one who did that deserved her support, and yet her brain couldn’t tear itself from the fact that she was the one who abandoned Aurora.

“You okay?” Blue Moon asked. Topaz looked to the mare, then looked away.

“It’s nothing, or at least nothing important,” Topaz replied, waving her hand dismissively. After some time, Blue Moon stopped at a door. “Is this it?”

“Yes. I’ll just let you know, he isn’t awake right now,” Blue Moon explained, smiling despite the dread in her heart. “Either way, I’m sure seeing his sister would cheer him up tremendously.”

Topaz thanked the mare before she opened the door, Blue Moon staying outside to give them time alone. As Topaz closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but sigh in relief at the state her brother was in. Tholak was no longer stained in his own blood, the story for which he had refused to change when he was asked. Where there were wounds were bloody bandages, ones that would no doubt have to be changed in the near future. It was a miracle he survived long enough to see her again, cause dragon or not, he was leaving a river of blood behind him when she found her brother. The blood, in this instance, belongs to him instead of his enemies.

“Is she gone?” Tholak asked, his voice strained but more audible than it had been hours earlier. Topaz shook her head, realizing the only reason he was ‘asleep’ was to get the pony out of the room. “Sister?”

“Yes brother, it’s just the two of us,” Topaz replied, crossing her arms. She took a seat in an armchair having to adjust as it clearly wasn’t built with dragons in mind. “Are you feeling any better? The doctor told me that you live, at the very least.”

“She clearly didn’t tell you about my leg,” Tholak spoke, noticing the look of fear in his eyes. “That damn umbrum, he shattered every bone in my left leg. She can fix it, but the damage to my body has been done,” He groaned, looking away. “Guess even these ponies have a limit to what magic can do.”

“You will be able to fight though, right?” Topaz asked. Her brother grumbled again, and the fear building up inside her grew even more. “Tholak? Is everything alright?”

“You mean other than the fact I’m confined to this bed, body torn apart and barely able to breath without feeling some form of pain?” Tholak asked. Though his voice was harsh, Topaz chose to believe it was simply his arrogance speaking. At the very least, he wasn’t coughing. “Of course, we both see it fit to go against tradition and live. You remember the day, don’t you, when mom disowned us? When she said we weren’t her children-”

“-because we didn’t kill each other to see which was stronger,” Topaz finished, her tail wrapping around her body. Her self-hug got tighter at the reminder of that day. “How could I not? The dragon way: the weak die while the strong live. I… still don’t know if that was the reason to kill her later though.”

“Topaz, we both know that no matter how much we try, we can never kill each other,” Tholak reminded her, smiling at the memories that felt like they were merely a decade ago, when in truth it had been nearly two thousand years since that day. “Yet, in societies like ours, such things as peaceful protests will go nowhere. We are not the ponies; we can’t change ourselves that way. Imagine how many dragons had died because of those like our mother. It is those like her that were the roadblocks to change, and diplomacy isn’t the dragon way.”

“It could be though, right?” Topaz said, standing up. “You said it yourself, change is possible. Is it not wrong to think that we could one day completely strip who we are and start anew?”

“You don’t see what I’m getting at, do you?” Tholak asked. “Topaz, to start anew would be a fool's errand. It is true that tradition needs to be altered, but you can’t destroy who you are. We are dragons, warriors, but you can change that in ways. How we fight, when we fight, and the smaller parts are things necessary,” his fingers curled till it looked like he held something in his hand. “I fight for change, not a renewal. I'm the dragonlord, the one all dragons stride to be, and as such my place is to fight. That is who I am, but it will be the details that make us who we are.”

“If we are warriors, then I must be a failure for disobeying orders,” Topaz replied. Her brother gave no response. “So, how do you plan to do it? Gain the trust of the ponies and our modern brethren, I mean. One is disgusted by us, the other knows who we are.”

“Sister, who among the two of us is more willing to fight than talk?” Tholak asked, his ruby eyes piercing his sister’s soul. “I am not a diplomat, and I’m in no shape to make requests. The ponies shall react better to you than they would to me,” He turned away from her and to the ceiling, closing his eyes. “I’ll deal with the current dragonlord. Now go, work your magic.”

Topaz hated the idea of leaving her brother, but knew it would have to happen sooner or later. Blue Moon said that he would have to stay the night and would tell her when he was capable of leaving. It did little to decrease her worry, but knew that she had to trust the mare. She was a doctor, and without her Tholak wouldn’t heal. Common sense, something dragons didn’t tend to use.

That said, she had no idea how to approach the ponies, or who to approach to begin with. These weren’t soldiers, and as such she doubted they had trained in warfare. What was her reason for them as well? Her reason was her brother and her people, but the ponies? True, Princess Twilight had been slain, but to races like unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies that seemed more of a deterrence than anything. Even then, she knew that someone must have a spark, and all she had to do was find it.

Thus she was led to a little market set up just outside the town. Here ponies from both in and outside of Marechester came to sell goods, though the crowd seemed to be far less than usual. It wasn’t just ponies, griffons also came to sell trade crafts, but the number was few among the already small number of ponies present. Perhaps the trains weren’t running, but certain ponies seemed to clearly be outside the area. If certain accents are to be believed that is.

Her eyes fell to a small cart on the far side of the market, an apple cart at that. Behind it was an old stallion, easily in his late sixties, a warm smile on his face. His coat was a faded red, the underside of his muzzle near completely grey. The same went to the faded blonde mane he had, thin and vanishing, tail fairing no better. For his age he had plenty of muscle, though she doubted it was anywhere near the strength he had at his prime. As she came up to his cart, Topaz expected the smile to fade, but the current opinions of dragons did nothing to affect his smile.

“Hello there Ms,” The stallion said, tipping the hat that adorned his head. “You’re not from around here, are ya?”

“You couldn’t be more right,” Topaz replied, holding out a hand to the earth pony. “Topaz Carcot.”

“Macintosh of Sweet Apple Acres, I’m sure you’ve heard of us from somewhere,” The pony said, taking Topaz’s hand in her hoof. He nearly fell due to the force she used to shake hands with him, laughing at his misfortune as he used the cart to get back on his hooves. “So you want to try one of our famous apples, or perhaps some cider,” His word was stressed as he struggled to pull up a heavy keg, putting some wooden beer mugs down next to it with little effort. “Well?”

“I’m… I’m sorry I can’t,” Topaz replied with a sigh, the smile instantly falling from Macintosh’s face. His ear folded against his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it's just... I used all the bits I was lent on keeping my dying brother alive.”

“I see, my condolences,” Macintosh replied, once again dip his head in murmuring a prayer to Celestia. “Look, I can’t do this for everypony, I also have family that I need to care for and a sister who has problems standing up in the morning but-” He grabbed two apples and handed them to Topaz, a sad smile on his face, eyes watering. “There, for you and your brother.”

Topaz was stunned at the pony, not for giving the apples for free, but that he was willing to do it despite everything said. She looked at the apples he had hooved over to her, conflicted emotions battling each other in her head. Apples didn’t grow back home, and she hadn’t had the opportunity to try one before Aurora sent her off. The thought of eating it was enjoyable, but she saw no joy in actually eating it. Not with what she just heard, not with what this stallion was trying to do.

“I appreciate it but… I mean,” Topaz couldn’t finish, bowing and holding the apples out for Macintosh to take. She didn’t notice the odd stares or whispers being flung at her by others. “I can’t take this, not without paying. It isn’t right.”

Macintosh, at first, was shocked at the action, but after a moment he let out a bellowing laugh. The attention he gained from it was enormous, eyes from all corners of the farmer’s market turning to him in confusion. Topaz, unsure of what to make of it, retracted her hands and held them against her chest. She didn’t know what she had said to make him laugh, this hard, but the smile on his face told her it must be good.

“Oh, Ms. Carcot, sorry but I should have realized what my words had done,” He told Topaz. “I didn’t mean to guilt trip you, the sister thing just came out. Please, consider it charity if you must. I understand exactly what it is you’re going through right now, though in a…” He rubbed the back of his head. “... less life threatening way.”

“You wouldn’t mind me asking what happened, do you?” Topaz asked, looking to see that the crowd had returned to its business.

“It isn’t exactly a secret or anything, considering she’s a hero and all, but you seem new around her, so I don’t mind sharing,” Macintosh replied. The smile faded, but he did his best to keep his spirits up. “About ten years ago, my sister Applejack threw out her back while harvesting. We went to the doctors and everything seemed fine… until she did it again the next day. We don’t know why, but her bones were becoming fragile,” He took a deep breath in, and exhaled. “Our granny had a similar problem, but it was nothing like this. She can barely get up anymore without fear of fracturing something.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that,” Topaz replied. She stayed quiet for a minute, taking in what had been told to her, before responding. “It’s a wonderful thing you're doing, looking out for your own like that.”

“I’m sure your brother would have done the same thing if you had… what was it that happened to him?” Macintosh asked. Topaz rolled her eyes.

“Got himself into a fight with a dark magic expert. Wouldn’t be the first time he had almost gotten himself killed,” Topaz replied. Noticing the shock on the older stallion's face, she “clarified”. “He was trying to recover a high value asset of the dragon lords. Let’s just say he underestimated the entourage that the asset had on her.”

Macintosh wrinkled his nose and furrowed his brow, spotting a clear lie in front of him. A half lie, at the very least, he could tell that some part of what Topaz had said was true. What part of that was true, however, he had no idea. All Apples had a knack for finding truth and lie, but he wasn’t Applejack. She could tell clearly as day when somepony wasn’t telling the truth, but he could only feel that he was being lied to. He sighed, deciding that he was too old to get involved in whatever this young dragon was wrapped up in.

“Well, I hope he realized his lesson,” Macintosh responded, smiling to hide his curiosity.

“Knowing him, it’s gonna take more than a near death experience to teach him to not underestimate ponies,” Topaz said giggling. “It was a pleasure getting to know you, though, Macintosh. My regards to your sister.”

“Same to your brother, Ms. Carcot,” Macintosh replied, waving as the dragon departed from his stand. “If you ever want to visit, you’re always welcome in Ponyville.”

“Perhaps I will,” Topaz replied, not loud enough for the stallion to hear, but she felt like he knew what she was saying anyways. “Perhaps I will, you friendly old stallion.”

Topaz looked at the apple in her hands with a strange smile on her face, one she wasn’t exactly sure should belong there. Part of her still felt like she was taking advantage of the stallion in some way, no matter how silly it sounded. She didn’t have the bits to pay, yet she had gotten it anyways, and felt horrible in doing so. Nonetheless, she had taken them, and that thought made her unsure of what to do. Sooner or later she would have to pay him back, maybe help on this farm of his.

A shiver went through her body, and she looked off into the distance. She couldn’t see it, but she could tell that Canterlot was in that direction. An invisible stare pierced her scales, and she forced herself to look away. She took a bite of one of the apples, thinking it would calm her down, but it did nothing. The sour taste did nothing to save her from the feeling that, somehow, in some way, Aurora was watching her.

Aurora looked out at the city of Canterlot, a smile hiding the fear and confusion in her gut. It was hard to think that two weeks have already passed since she had taken the city back – since she took Equestria back. She breathed in the fresh air, and exhaled, doing everything in her power to keep that anxiety down. There was nothing to be afraid of after all, with Tholak’s army happily under her command and the ponies seeming to go about their normal lives, she had nothing to fear. She was happy, she had succeeded, and therefore everything should be fine...

...And yet, she felt further from safety in Canterlot Castle than she had ever been when she had ruled at Equestria’s founding. There was a sense of unease in the air after killing the alicorn, Twilight Sparkle as she called herself, rumors were circulating around about her. Among them was her wish to wipe out unicorns and earth ponies, and a most fitting name for what she had done: “The Conqueror’s Vessel”. Didn’t have the same ring that “Alicorn Slayer” had to it, but she assumed it was more accurate for this era. Either way, she would one day have to prove that her wishes were meant for all ponies, not just her kin.

“Your majesty?” Raven called the pegasus. Aurora looked to the mare, whose eyes refused to meet her.

“Speak Raven, I have no quarrel with you, even if you were her advisor,” Aurora commanded.

“O-of course,” Raven bowed as she spoke, refusing to rise out of fear of what Aurora would do. If she had learned one thing about the new queen, her mood was uncomfortably… unpredictable. “We have just received word from the Griffon Empire calling for a meeting between Equestria and its neighbors. I know you wanted to speak with them.”

“Yes, and they are likely to question my motives if I know better,” She muttered to herself. She backed away from her window, Raven surprised at how calm the queen was being. “The Griffon Empire calling it though? That’s interesting. I had believed that they’re leader was missing,” She turned to Raven and raised her voice. “Ms. Inkwell, who is calling this meeting?”

“That’s the interesting part. She calls herself the “standing leader”, but Emperor Derev never made anyone of that position known to us,” Raven replied, standing from her bow and being met with a rather disappointed looking Aurora. She sighed. “Ezillia Borghiben. The griffon who wrote this is named Ezillia Borghiben.”

“Interesting name, especially for a griffon,” Aurora said, feeling as if the name was somewhat familiar. She shrugged and turned around, trotting to the door. “Nevermind. Tell this Ezillia that, while I appreciate the offer to meet her, I am currently busy with legislation changes and must attend to my country’s stability before I can meet with anyone.”

“With all due respect your highness, I feel like it would be a good idea to establish relations with other countries,” Raven replied. “Given, Twilight already had them, but I’m sure many would not question you as much if you did.”

Aurora stopped as she heard this.

“Question? Why would they question me? I’m as mortal as they are” She asked herself. Knowing that she had to answer the earth ponies’ question at some pony, she sighed and turned around. “Ms. Inkwell, I want you to look out over the balcony and tell you what you see.”

Raven didn’t know what her majesty’s goal was, but followed it anyways. Turning and walking to the balcony, she peered her head over the edge and down below. She saw what anypony else would have seen: the city of Canterlot. Closer to the castle was the founders district, typically home to the nobles and wealthier establishments, with the market district directly south of it, and commons district to the east of that. All of it was to be expected, and it only made Raven confused as to what her majesty truly meant.

“So?” Aurora called, walking up next to the earth pony with a smile. “What do you see?”

“I… see Canterlot, capital of Equestria,” She answered, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Aurora. “Filled with the smiles and worries of ponies.”

“Exactly,” Aurora said, clapping. Raven couldn’t tell if it was sarcastic or not. “Ponies, those who founded Equestria. Pegasi who conquered from the sky, earth ponies who nurtured the land, and unicorns who sought knowledge above all. It was these three tribes that founded Equestria, not the griffons, not the dragons, and certainly not alicorns,” Aurora held a hoof out to the city below. “It is important for us to nurture them before all else, and I’m not satisfied enough with the current state of the nation to hold meetings with foriegn diplomats.”

Raven chose to ignore the tone used when Aurora talked about alicorns and moved to the problems core. “Equestria is not just ponies these days, Queen Aurora. Hippogriffs, griffons, yaks, dragons, and the Changelings, who we didn’t know existed until some two to three decades ago. Would you see it fit to give them comfort that-”

“Are these dragon’s citizen’s of ours, or Lord Embers?” Aurora asked, her smile growing. “Are the griffons ours or Ezillias? Our the Changelings… actually, they are foreign visitors, we had that debate the day I took over,” Raven rolled her eyes. “Point is, ponies and Equestria first, every creature else second. Understand?”

Raven sighed. “Of course, your majesty.”

As Raven left the room, Aurora let the tension slip from her soldiers. “Topaz, please tell me you’re okay.”

“How does it taste?” Topaz asked her brother, having handed her the second apple Macintosh had given her. “I mean, I thought it was a little tart and I know you aren’t a big fan of emeralds so… it didn’t cost me anything if you’re worried.”

“Relax, sister, I know you mean well,” Tholak said, giving her the first smile she had seen from him in a day or two. “It’s not my thing, really, but it’s definitely better than emeralds ever tasted. This pony though, this Macintosh, he sounds familiar to me for some reason.”

Topaz let her brother think over things for a moment, taking another bite of her own apple. The feeling of being watched had faded as soon as it had come, but it did nothing to quell the worry that Aurora was looking out for her. Whether that was to make sure she lived or died, she thought best not to know. She sighed, feeling like she had to keep telling herself that what she did was right, no matter how much her brain told her it was wrong.

“Yes, that’s right, the elements of harmony,” Tholak said after a few minutes. An idea came to his head. “You said that he invited you to visit at anypoint, didn’t he?”

“Of course, but I want you to be out of here before leaving,” Topaz replied. “I… I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone. I know I’ve done it before but you’re hurt and–”

“Topaz, listen to me,” Tholak requested. “The longer Aurora is on that throne, the more powerful she is. That means more ponies here accept her, the military accepts her, and our attempt at starting anything will be put down quicker than we know. That isn’t even counting whatever she has planned for our soldiers,” Tholak looked away. “Besides, these ponies might be just who we need.”

Topaz cocked her head. “What makes you so sure?”

Tholak smiled in reply. “This Applejack, the sister the stallion mentioned, is the element of honesty. No doubts about it.”

“You really sure about this, Ms. Topaz,” Macintosh said as they waited at the train station, Topaz fidgeting with her fingers. “I know you said your brother was injured.”

“Trust me, I did everything I could to try and tell him no, but he has a silver tongue like no dragon I know,” Topaz told the stallion. “Thanks for allowing me to come anyways. I’m sure that you must be pretty busy.”

“Eh, normal farm stuff, plus my son is abroad at his college’s campus at Mount Aris right now,” Macintosh replied. “Besides, it may be nice to have an extra pair of hooves, or hands in your case, around for a few days.”

Topaz couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know much about farm work, but I will help as much as I can. You’re married though, that’s wonderful! I can't meet your wife.”

Macintosh’s smile dropped, and he looked away. He had told himself he had gotten over that day she passed away, but it never stopped hurting. How long he had known the day had been coming, the shortened life span of Sugar Belle, brought on by a disease apparently related to her cutie mark having once been removed. Topaz didn’t know any of that, but the mournful look was enough to tell her what was going through his mind. She looked off to the east in shame.

“I’m sorry, that was insensitive,” Topaz replied.

“I know you didn’t mean it, don’t worry,” Macintosh said, wiping his eyes clear of tears. “Doesn’t make it hurt any less though. Still, I’m sure my sister will be happy to have company. We don’t get too much this day.”

A strange sound caught Topaz’s ear, one that she hadn’t heard before. She looked down the tracks, jaw instantly going slack at the giant metal cage that she saw hurling down towards her. She stepped away from the platform’s edge, looking onward in terror at the machine. Her time didn’t have these, or anything like it for a matter of fact. It was okay, it had to be okay, considering ponies used them everyday. Yet, as it stopped, and the doors to the train cars opened, she couldn’t stop the feeling of discomfort it gave her.

Macintosh looked at her with worry. “You coming along?”

Topaz looked to the stallion, and took a deep breath in. As she exhaled she answered. “Yes, just my first time being on one of these things.”

“Don’t worry,” Macintosh told her as they made their way on board. “It’s not as scary as it looks.”

Chapter 4 - The Void Undying

The rise, fall, and return of the Griffon Empire is something documented quite well in Equestrian history. The empire had, much like Equestria, at first been nothing but the joining of Griffon tribalists, hoping that joining together in a society would help against the harsh winters ahead. The extra talons proved helpful as two tribes, the Remolquois and Val’tan, came across an area of the mountains rich with a mineral only told of in folk legends: gold. Said to be the mineral of the gods, the two tribes moved to this area and became one, creating a village that would later become Griffonstone.

Through time, a treasure was created through this substance, meant for the chieftain of the Val’tan: the Idol of Boreas. Upon gifting it to the chieftain, the two tribes truly turned to one, and a chain effect occurred. In time, more tribes joined together, each one drawn by the marvel of the Idol, and in time the Val’tan chieftain became the leader of all. It is at this time that the griffon tribes end, and the start of the Griffon Empire is said to begin.

Many believe that the Idol of Boreas is the only reason for the empire’s collapse, but another existed: the death of the royal bloodline. Due to his tribes possession of the Idol, the Val’tan, distinct in their red feathers, were seen as royalty and nobility. The chieftain became the first king, though his name is unknown to history, and as such his family became the royal family. However, after the disappearance of the Idol, all traces of the family line vanishes from history, though new evidence leads to believe that all of the royal blood were killed in an attack.

Not all of it, however, as three decades before present day, the royal bloodline was rediscovered. For the first time in centuries, a hatchling bore the red feathers of the Val’tan, and the griffons of Griffonstone saw hope once more. Though his existence only became known to Equestria and the world after Twilight’s rise to the throne, the griffons set to work rebuilding their society. This hatchling, for the hope he was given, obtained the first known name of an emperor of the old empire: Gabriel.

Four days before the meeting was called, Griffonstone

There was a time when Gallus would have his jaw dropped at the idea of his hometown, Griffonstone, ever looking this beautiful. Yet, that is exactly what he saw, looking down on the city he called home from the palace walls. There were times he regretted leaving Twilight’s sides, but he had to be here for this, to protect this. It was his duty as a griffon, and he didn’t want to squander the opportunity to help create a griffon empire that was truly beautiful.

Once again the gold trade ran not from Equestria, but to Equestria, and it paved the way from turning the dusty old town into something to be proud of. No longer were houses flimsy and on the verge of collapse, no longer did the roads fall apart, and no longer did griffons wealthy and poor grumble at “what used to be”. Through all of that, the Red Arm, Emperor Gabriel’s personal guard, supervised was constructed of the most talent of soldiers. Gallus, thanks to his record in Equestria, easily became one such member of this guard, and a celebrated member of it in his own right.

Yet that didn’t stop the restlessness that haunted the Red Arms in those days since Canterlot’s fall. Not once had they seen his grace, and rumors began to circulate that he had perished in the battle. Those rumors stopped as soon as they had begun, but not because Gabriel had returned to them, but because of a griffon who had made herself known in the past two weeks. A dangerous griffon, one who the Red Arm knew all too well meant to overthrow the Emperor.

“Sir Gallus,” A member of the palace guard called to him as he saw a trio of griffons approach the palace gate. “It her, Ezillia. She’s at the gates wishing to speak with you.”

“No need to tell me, I already see her,” Gallus replied, looking down in concern at the trio. The center one looked up to him, a smug expression on her face. She knew she was winning the people’s hearts, and just how much he hated it. “Gather the Arms. If she wants a greeting, she’ll get all of us.”

With a salute, the guard rushed off. Gallus sighed as he followed the wall to one of the palace towers. This hadn’t been the first time she approached the palace, but even more so it wasn’t the first time she approached him. There was clearly something about him that intrigued her, and he hated it. This griffon, this Ezillia, was already creepy enough if the rumors about her were true, but he doubted. No matter how much magic there was in the world, Twilight, who he would always see as his professor more than as a queen, there was one thing he had been made absolutely clear about.

Nothing, alicorn or otherwise, could actually talk to the dead.

“Gallus!” Gallus looked down the corridor and saw Grena and Farence, two of his fellow Red Arms, waiting for him into the courtyard. “We were told that your little admirer is here for another visit.”

“For the last time Grena, there is no history between us,” Gallus replied, talon holding his head. “Besides, after last time she showed up, I don’t think any of us want to deal with her,” He looked down to the gate before looking back to Grena and Farence. “Any more of her “followers” show up and those walls come down.”

“We were indeed lucky last time, weren’t we Farence?” Grena asked with a playful nudge. The mute griffon responded with a nod. “That said Gallus, even if they do get through those walls, we have more than enough forces to detain a few civilians.”

Comfortable with the response, Gallus motioned for his fellow guards to follow him. He looked up to the high walls of the palace, built into the exterior of the mountain. Those walls caused the sun to only hit the palace at dawn, so Equestria had lent a few unicorns to create a substitute inside. At the far end of the alcove was the actual palace itself, flags of a red griffon, a Van’tal, hanging from the two balconies on the top floor. It was a unique design, especially for modern architecture, but it was what the emperor had pictured.

“We are griffons, are we not? Did we not once line boats full of gold and a vault of shining yellow?” He had said, only in his early twenties at that time. “Didn’t that shine come from the mountains? Well, in that case, I say that if any place is to be my home, it should be inside the mountain itself.”

Lo and behold, it happened, and it stood to show that the griffons would not crumble again. That was something that Gallus had to make sure of now. Ezillia, whoever she was, wanted this throne “only temporarily”, which was as much a load of bull as could possibly be. The throne wasn’t something a griffon “temporarily” took, especially when said griffon lead a cult. Gallus kept a hand on his sword as he neared the gate, nodding for the guard to open it. With a salute, the guard started to turn the crank next to him, the door slowly opening.

In no time at all, Gallus saw himself looking through the ever growing gap in the gate at the griffon staring back. Ezillia, her similarly blue feathers betraying the ugly green primaries on the end. The cloak she wore was too short to hide her face, and even less so the smile that adorn it. The griffons behind her, in contrast, had cloaks that hide their entire body, giving off a vibe that Gallus could only describe as reminding him of the Grim Reaper. The only thing he saw was their beaks.

“I see you’ve decided to come down from your perch to say hello to me, Gallus,” Ezillia said with a smile. “Thank you for answering my request despite our… previous encounters. I see you’ve also brought along some friends, is that correct?”

“Cut the politeness, Ezillia. I know why you’re here,” Gallus replied, not sharing the smile that he had received. “You and your little following has been causing great trouble for your fellow griffons, especially for us here in the armed forces. Even if you did not, we would not just give the throne to you.”

“Oh stop being so unreasonable, dear Gallus,” She stuck her beak right across from his head. “After all, you can’t kill me. We went over this before. Not to mention I can assure you that my boys have been very well behaved since our last encounter.”

“Oh really? Then perhaps you would like to explain the two kidnappings that your men were responsible for,” Grena replied, the sweet tone from earlier being replaced by one more harsh. “Or the fact that, somehow, you still see it right to desecrate the royal burial grounds and refuse to leave.”

Ezillia raised an eyebrow in confusion. Genuine confusion, Gallus thought to his surprise, despite the fact it seemed impossible. Ezillia turned and looked to her two followers, looking at their faces for any show of concern. The Red Arms looked at each other, confused as to how she planned to do such a thing when their faces were so hidden. Farence winced as he caught Ezillia slap one of her followers. The sound causing Gallus and Grena to look back as the cult leader grabbed the followers cape.

“What did I tell you about such unlawful activity? We don’t make griffons follow us by force. Our goal is to help the Empire, not become terrorists,” Ezillia explained to the griffon. She looked to her other follower. “Take him back, make sure he receives the correct punishment for this, alright?”

With a salute, the second follower turned the first and led him down the steps from the palace gate, no words said. Ezillia turned back to the griffoness who had explained the crimes, expecting surprise or comfort in what she had done. Instead, she was met with the cold stare of a soldier who cared not for what she had done. She sighed, knowing that approval was never that easy, and that the Red Arms disapproved of her most of anyone. Nevertheless, she kept on struggling, hoping to fulfill the dead’s wish for their to be someone on the throne in his absence.

“I shall ask once again, not because I expect a change in answer, but because of the gravity of the situation,” Ezillia explains, looking away from Grena and turning her attention to Gallus. “As I’ve previously mentioned, the spirits of the royal line have assured me that our emperor, Gabriel Derev, is still alive. However, he will not be back for at least a month or two, and therefore someone else must occupy the throne in his stead.”

“And as we told you last time, we are doing well enough on our own,” Gallus replied, leaning forward to make sure he was all Ezillia could see. “Besides, as someone who graduated from a school taught by the element of magic, I’m gonna call you out on the same bullshit I have each time before,” He poked her chest as he continued, not noticing he could feel his talon against her feathers. “No one can talk to the dead. Now get out of here and stop asking such dumb questions.”

The smile finally fell from Ezillia’s face, but Gallus was left without much triumph in that fact. It wasn’t replaced with a frown, but emotionless stare. He recognized the gaze from somewhere, but he wasn’t exactly sure. Wherever he recognized it from, it was unnerving to see it, like he was piercing his own soul. That stare only stayed for a few seconds, though, before Ezillia smiled once again and turned to leave. Leaving the discomfort of the stare behind him, he turned to his fellow Red Arms and walked back through the gate.

“One little griffon, ever so silly. One day he’ll figure out stopping me is futile,” Ezillia told the open air as she soared above Griffonstone. “Oh king of old, is it truly so worthless as to continue to try? His grace would not think highly to return with griffoness killing griffon.”

“Your soul knows the truth Ezillia,” The wind replied, or perhaps it was her mind. “I have seen what happened before when that throne was left empty, and I know how quickly the rumors of death will spread. They may believe you now, but not forever,” Ezillia looked down at the city below her, one that she thought she would never see so alive in her life. “Someone must sit on that throne.”

“And it shall be done, king of old, but I wish for more… harmonic answer,” Ezillia asks, receiving no response. She sighed. “Can I do it with… minimal casualties, at least?”

“If you think it can be done, young Ezillia, then by all means do,” The voice told her. “Yet know that if blood must be drawn, then it shall.”

The presence of the voice dissipated, leaving Ezillia by herself as she neared her destination. Grena hadn’t been joking about her holing up in the old royal catacombs just outside of Griffonstone, but desecration was not the right word. Noting the guards at the entrance, Ezillia couldn’t help but chuckle at their naivety as she flew past them. Keeping her eyes on the mountain side, she saw a small opening on the edge. It was impossible to walk to, but easily accessible to anyone with wings.

Landing at the opening of the cave, she looked to make sure no one had noticed her. Even after doing this for three weeks, she still had no idea how some random griffin hadn’t just wandered in here, but she wouldn’t complain. Happy to see she was alone, she made her way further in, the darkness surrounding her as she did. Ezillia didn’t need light to know where she was heading, as the tunnel was thankfully a straight path.

The further she went, the more her steps seemed to echo against the walls of the cave. At times, she swore she could hear her heartbeat as she watched the tunnel’s walls. Those walls, the farther she headed in, were too dark for her to see for the longest time, until she made out the light of a torch down the hall. The walls were no longer that of a natural cave, but that of the catacombs that had remained untouched in the mountain for centuries. As she reached the light, her heartbeat was drowned out by another sound: song.

As the sound of the song hit her ears, she felt a smile come to her face. She stopped and closed her eyes, taking in the song that seemed to come from all around her. Some of the voices weren’t from living souls, she knew that much. She wished that she could show Gallus just how wrong he was about her, but that meant nothing. The haunting voices of the dead mixed with the beautiful choir of the living was joyous to her. If only all other living souls had the chance to hear the dead singing, they would see that death wasn’t truly the end of life.

“The mistress of the dead returns!” A spirit said, seeming to belong to a young child. She couldn’t see it, but she knew from the voice alone exactly who it was. “Dear Ezillia, why must you leave us down here so often?”

“Even the mistress of the dead must journey among the living, and my duty to the first king is not something that allows me to be idle,” Ezillia replied as she started walking once again. “You, of all the dead, should know this Princess Ela.”

“Even so, it is nice to have someone to talk to other than my fellow spirits,” Said Ela, who Ezillia could feel brush against the back of her neck.“After a time hearing these old prunes talk about the “good old days” really starts to bore you. Still can’t believe I thought my ancestors were cool at some point.”

The griffoness couldn’t help but giggle at the spirit’s pain, though she knew well what it must feel like. Ela wasn’t wrong about how grumpy some of the other dead could be, which is why she tuned out most of them. The last of the griffon princesses was an exception to that, and a soul that Ezillia could help be felt sorry for. Killed when she was only ten during the collapse of the first Griffon Empire, it was a wonder that she had managed to stay as sane as she did after dying.

That wasn’t a joke either. The past two months had proven to be more than a suitable lesson in the afterlife. From somehow ending up in another Equestria, to suddenly having the power to talk to the dead, and as if that wasn’t crazy enough she was now an object of worship for her own cult. It was crazy, absolutely crazy, but considering she knew no way back to her world for the moment, she played the part this world had forced her. If that meant practically taking over the apparently revived kingdom her brethren called home, who was she to say no?

“I thought I heard the mistress’ voice,” A deep voice bellowed from down the catacombs, belonging to a clocked griffon. He kneeled as Ezillia approached him, smiling. “It is great to see you return unharmed, though I heard that your efforts have once again been met with… misfortune.”

“Yes, but what is one to expect when dealing with those more unwilling to accept facts,” Ezillia said as she came up next to the clocked griffin. He fell in behind her, able to feel the slight breeze of a spirit around him. “Hope you don’t mind but, as his highness refuses to speak his words, Ela will be doing it today.”

“Of course. Shall I gather everyone?” The cloaked griffin said, receiving a nod.

As he left, Ezillia looked onwards to the halls ahead, seeming to stretch endlessly into the mountain. Yet, as the choire grew louder, the griffiness, and the spirit she knew was following her, could here something more. The bustle of a crowd, the chatter of individuals, the laughs of friends or drunks. As she took a sharp turn left, the royal catacombs fell away to something different. A world the likes of which no one in Griffonstone knew about: Wisper, the town under the catacombs.

She still remembered the day where she found herself waking up in this town for the first time, this musty and damp environment filling her nostrils. Her fellow griffins had been confused about her stories, or more accurately her history. A timeline where the so called elements of harmony had never existed, where this “Equestria” had never been made. She remembered how, in her confusion, she had managed to talk to Ela for the first time and then… Ezillia shivered as she reminded herself why she never went back to that first day.

Taking a leap and gliding down to the open area below her, she watched as every griffin stopped their conversation and turned to her. The only exception to this were the few kids she could here, but others had shushed them not too long after. As if she was the emperor himself, kneeled before her, not so much as a ruler but out of respect for a folk legend turned real. The mistress of the dead, who would finally find a way to tear the void between the realms of the living and dead, creating immortality for all. She doubted that she had that power, but that had not stopped her from being worshiped like a god or savior.

“So, I’m speaking to these weirdos, huh?” Ela asked, a small tug on Ezillia’s neck feathers giving the spirit’s current position away. “Are you sure you want to do that again? You did mention how unnerving it was not having control of-”

“I’m positive, and you are the one to best send the message,” Ezillia replied. “You know as well as I do that the folks here trust us, and the throne must be occupied. We will need their help,” she paused. “You will need their help.”

Her reply didn’t come right away, but a sigh was all she needed to know Ela had been won over. Reluctantly, but won over nonetheless, and as capable of a leader as Ezillia was, she was no warrior. She had no need to know how to use a sword, but a princess from a time when the bloodline was all but dying would. It was, of course, all she believed would keep her family blood alive. That very thought reminded her of why Gabriel was so important, and why he had to be king.

He was the only one who could fool the creature who called him friend.

After much walking, she came to an altar, griffons dressed in the robes that had followed her to the palace standing in a circle, facing outwards. Ezillia walked into the center of their circle, the crowd following her stopping outside of it as she turned to face them. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and prepared for what would probably be the first real action she had taken as their “leader”. Even if, in the end, she would not be the one to actually give it.

“Griffons of Wisper, though I did not call you to gather, you wish for me to speak and I shall give you just that,” She told them. “For two months now, you have harbored me, and though I have done nothing to earn it you have given me the respect and love of family. For that, I thank you, but we all know it will be for naught if one thing is to come true.”

She took another breath, feeling the invisible touch of Ela on her, hugging her neck. She had to speak the truth, and she had to give it to them with no words sugarcoated.

“Your cousins above ground continue to refuse my offers of help,” Ezillia told them. Those words earn gasps and mumbles. “Though he refuses to tell me his reason, we all know that this new empire will fall if someone doesn’t take it. For the longest time, I had wished nothing more than to do it peacefully,” She closed her eyes as she felt Ela’s grip become tighter… no, it was something else. “And I am not the one to tell you what must be done.”

The crowd watched as Ezillia’s eyes rolled back, mouthing hanging open for a second as she became nothing more than a temporary passenger in her body. The stillness of her body didn’t last long however, as her form burst into blue flames. One griffon in the crowd thought of calling for help, before remembering that this had happened before. Those suspicions were confirmed as the flames dissipated, and a different griffon stood before them.

Her body was still very much that of Ezillia in shape, but much about it had changed. She was shorter, younger even if only by a few years. Ezillia’s feathers no longer held the same colors as before, her body instead pure red, and as her eyes rolled back the crowd saw they had changed too. Without even needing to know what had happened, or who was now in front of them, they all bowed. Ela De Historis Golde Boreas, the last true member of the royal family, now stood before them.

“Please, you have no need to kneel,” Ela replied. “Though I am royalty, I have no throne.”

At her command, the griffons stood. She extended Ezillia’s wings, allowing herself to enjoy this moment. She was, in some ways, once again living, even if the body wasn’t truly her own. She took the moment to enjoy the feeling of touch, of smell, of everything around her. It had been centuries since she’s ever felt this close to truly being alive again. She took a step towards the crowd, carrying Ezillia’s body with pride. Ela hoped that, during the coming commotion, her host would be able to sleep well, knowing full well what she was doing by giving the dead princess such control.

“In recent times, such things as aggression have been frowned upon,” Ela stated. “Equestria, for the great country it is, refuses to let reality touch its shores anymore. Until recently, however, with the return of someone who, while forgotten by those above, we know all too well,” The sour looks among the crowd told her she was right. “They now call her Queen of Equestria, but many years ago, she was the alicorn slayer. She was the one who took the immortal city of Eline Vain, which lies across the mountain, and laid a species to near extinction. In doing so, she killed us with no remorse, and called her massacre of us “conquest”. I was not alive during her rule, but I know the name well, and it boiled my blood as it no doubt does all of you.”

She took a deep breath, and spoke it.

“That name is Aurora Oracle.”

The crowd erupted into anger at the mere mention of the pony who now ruled Equestria. Ela looked out at them, many shouting about what she had done to their ancestors. Others took the time to say what they would do to her when they met. A few, however, gave the reaction she had expected: fear. They screamed, covering their ears as if it would stop her name, Aurora’s name, from reaching them. After some time of letting them vent their hatred, she had finally seen it wouldn’t end, a chant sounding out among a majority of the griffons present.

“Down with Equestria!” They chanted, preaching it as if the words itself would do it for them.

“Quiet!” She shouted, and the crowd went silent instantly. With the floor once again hers, she spoke. “It is clear you all know the severity of this pony, no, this monster being alive. She will kill us like she had time before, and as long as our cousins up above refuse to so much as try and approach her, that will always be the case. Yet, they won’t, and as such, I say that we go up there and make them do it,” She narrowed her eyes, the crowd watching as the ground around her ignite. “And show them the wails of the dead!”

As the hours passed, the sun set on the Griffon Empire, no one none the wiser as to the events about to play out, and many starting to turn in for the night. On the palace walls, a guard rested his talons and looked out over the city. He smiled, looking at one house in particular barely visible in the distance. He couldn’t see much but the roof, but he recognized home when he saw it. If he wasn’t taking night duty, that was where he would be, kissing his daughter good night.

“You know, you don’t have to keep taking this post if all you're gonna do is daydream,” Another guard next to him said. “I’m sure the general would understand.”

“Maybe, but who would want to stay up this late?” He asked the guard. “In case you forget, most of us griffons aren’t exactly night folks. We’d be one guard short.”

“Yeah, and like we really need as many of us up here as we do. Don’t know what Sir Gallus is so worried about,” The guard replied, rolling his eyes. “Last I checked the only real enemy we have is that Ezillia lady, but I doubt she’d actually attack the palace.”

“What Sir Gallus thinks doesn’t really matter. We’re to guard the wall and that is what we are going to do,” He told his fellow griffon. He looked back out to the streets, noticing a sudden brightness lighting up the lower parts of the city. “Huh, that’s unusual.”

“Eh, probably just a party going on,” The griffon next to him said.

The other guards on the wall suddenly found themselves forced away from the wall’s edge by a sudden wind. Holding on as if his life depended on it, he gripped the parapet in front of him with both talons. The gust sent a chill through him, and for a moment he nearly let go as he swore he felt something pass through him. Then, as soon as it had appeared, it stopped, and he felt a wave of relief at the knowledge it was nothing. Letting go of the parapet, he turned back to the guard who had been next to him, who was readjusting his helmet as he got back up.

“You okay mate?”

“Yeah, a little wind isn’t gonna kill me,” The guard replied, walking back next to him though. “Still, something about that didn’t exactly feel normal. Never felt the wind pick up like that up here.”

“Yeah, same,” He replied. “I would call it a coincidence but I’m not entirely sure.”

His words got a chuckle out of his comrade. “Good one, mate, but it most is probably just… the… oh shit.”

Noticing his fellow guard staring out to the city, beak hanging, he followed his gaze to see what had happened. His eyes widened as he saw the city, completely engulfed in flames, but somehow not burning. Yet, as he stared out at it, he heard the cries of civilians in the distance, along with another sound. It took another moment for him to realize what it was: steel.

“What… what the hell is this?!” Another guard cried out from the other side of the wall.

“No, this can’t be real,” He shouted, but his eyes betrayed him as Griffonstone continued to burn. “There is no way a fire can burn that quickly! None of this is possible.”

“But it is.” A voice, no, a choir boomed from seemingly nowhere. “It did before, and it will again, for no matter how much we wish to stop it, one day all will repeat.”

“Who's there?” The guard shouted, raising a spear to the air. “Show yourself! What the hell have you done to Griffonstone.”

“What you see is our past, and your future,” The choir boomed, and for a second the guards swore they saw what seemed to be a griffon made of flames appear before them. “We have seen all that history has had to offer, and we have warned you of what it will bring,” The griffon appeared again, the only for a moment longer before once again disappearing. It wasn’t a physical being, that was clear, but it was most definitely there. “We are the collective of the dead. Separate we are invisible to the eye or ear, but together we are as physical as all.”

The wall, despite being nothing but stone, suddenly erupts in ethereal flame. The mere sight of it sent most of the guards screaming, those who stayed quickly following as the fire proved itself to be as painful as normal one. Those near the center were the unlucky ones, as though they didn’t burn to their death, they felt the ethereal fire spread up their bodies. One, in their panic and fear, crawled over the parapet and fell over the side of the wall. The spirits didn’t care to save him, instead using the fire they made and making a body for themselves, leaving those how had been touched by the fire withering in pain.

As the fire moved off of the wall, an ethereal griffon was created in its place. It’s body made of flames, eyes glowing yellow, and easily the size of the wall itself. It turned and looked to the collection of griffon soldiers staring at it in a mixture of fear and awe, blade and spear pointed in it’s direction. With a single step a flaming talon hit the courtyard, shaking the ground as it did. The next talon followed suit, and it too shook the ground, followed in turn by it’s paws.

“We are Gospel. We are a Vessel. We are the dead who you have ignored,” It said, the choir of souls forming his voice seemed to wail in discord. “We waited our turn as the mistress of death pleaded, but she grows as weary as us of this shirad. If you won’t place someone on the throne,” Gospel raised its head to the cave ceiling. “Then the dead will pave the way for her!”

With those words, the ethereal griffon exploded into a torrent of fire, engulfing the palace courtyard as it did. The heat and pain hit the soldiers in seconds, cries of pain following as it did. What plants laid in the courtyard burned away instantly, leaving nothing but scorched soil behind. Finally, the gate that stood upon the wall, mighty and tall, melted as the Gospel’s fire touched it. This time, Gospel didn’t withdraw the flames completely, only taking enough to form a body and turning to face where the gate once had been. There stood Princess Ela, still in Ezillia’s body, wearing the very armor that had been dressed on her body when she died.

“It is done, your grace,” Gospel said, removing the fire from the area the Ela had deemed to walk. “The mistress of death shall have a crown when you are done with her body, and you two shall rule till the new king returns,” As she made her way to the Vessel’s side, she stopped, looking at the soldiers yelling in pain at the everburning fire that engulfed them. “Shall we withdraw our fire from the city?”

“Yes, we have made them suffer enough,” Ela replied, hearing the palace doors open.

Gallus and the other Red Arms stood at the entrance of the palace, looking out in fear at what stood in front of them. Their men, trained for anything that could possibly come, now wailed as a neverending inferno engulfed the back half of the courtyard. His eyes looked on to what was no doubt the cause of this. Gospel and Ela watched as his fear turned to rage, and he stepped out of the doorway.

“I would be careful if I were you,” She told Gallus. “Unless you wish to feel the pain your men feel.”

Gallus abided by her warning, only going as far as the very bottom of the steps, where safe ground ended and the flames began. He looked to the griffon who spoke to him, finding her both familiar and unrecognizable. What struck him as worrisome, however, was the color of her feathers. Red, just like Gabriel, and just like any member of the old royal family. There was no mistaking what she was, but that only made things more worrisome.

“Who are you?” He yelled to Ella, the echo of the cave carrying his voice over the wails of the griffons burning before him. “No, I don’t care. Royalty or not, I demand that you release these men from… whatever this is.”

“What you see before you are the fire’s of restlessness, born and ignited by the dead,” Ela told him, ignoring his order. “This is the power of the Vessel, the combined mind of the dead created when they entwine together. Though the souls who create these Vessels lose independence, they come to create a new being,” She took a step forward. “Sir Gallus I assume? Ezillia says much about you.”

“So you are with her,” Gallus muttered to himself before shouting again. “I don’t care what is the cause of this! Release my men, or I will see that a blade finds its way right between your eyes.”

“You would dare threaten her grace, Ela Boreas of the Griffon Imperial family!” Gospel wailed. “Watch your tongue, commoner, and stay your blade if you value your-”

“Gospel, I shall deal with this,” Ela told the Vessel, looking back to it for only a moment.

“Ela… Boreas?” Gallus repeated the name Gospel had spoken. “No, that can’t be right. Empress Ela has been dead for centuries! That can’t possibly be you.”

“You are indeed correct that I died, but through Ezillia’s body I walk once again with the living,” Ela explained. “A medium as uniquely gifted as her has her own way of channeling spirits for the living. As such, I walk not as part of Gospel, but as her other half, talking whenever is required.”

She looked to Gospel, the Vessel seeming to get what she wanted and nodding in return. With a stomp of it’s hoof it withdrew some of the fire that covered the inner half of the courtyard, freeing but a few of the soldiers that had been caught in the inferno. None of them moved though, too weak from struggling to move their bodies. Gallus had taken a step back at first, believing Ela meant to target him. Instead, the fire returned to Gospel, causing him to grow to easily twice the size of the griffon that stood next to it.

“To me, Sir Gallus,” Ela said. “We shall talk, and we alone.”

Gallus looked back to the doorway, giving a reassuring smile to the other Red Arms, and then turned towards Ela. He stepped cautiously, keeping his eyes on the flames around him in case Gospel tried anything. Despite his belief that this was all a trap, he made it to the other side. Ela smiled, motioning him to her side as Gospel stepped away. She dropped a wing over him as if he was a child, and looked to the Vessel.

“Ezillia has told you that one must have the throne, but she has not told you why,” Ela told the griffon. “Though, she also didn’t have the means to tell it. If you will, Gospel.”

With a nod, Gospel leaped into the air and dived in front of Ela and Gallus, spilling into flames. Gallus closed his eyes, though he never felt any pain. Slowly opening his eyes, Gallus was awestruck to find himself standing in the middle of what seemed to be a field made of flames. It wasn’t real, of course, as he could still partially see the palace door through the walls of flame, as well as the fact he and Ela stood in a small circle untouched by the flames. Normally, such a thing would have left Gallus in awe, but there was no awe in what laid in the field.

Instead of grass or rocky earth were bodies, griffon bodies to be exact. All of them armored, all of them dead. Some had spears sticking out of their backs, some had no heads, but none of them lived. Gallus reached a talon out, only being held back as Ela grabbed it. He turned to her, and she shook her head, a small motion reminding him it wasn’t real… yet. Letting go of his talon, she let him scan the field of bodies, taking everything in.

“What… What is this?” He asked Ela.

“Our fate, years ago, when Equestria was still in its infancy,” Ela explained before pointing off in the distance. “Back when she ruled.”

Gallus followed her to see a pegasus standing on top of the body. The flame didn’t give her any identity, but her stance did. In a hoof, she held the head of a griffon, and in the other she held a spear. She tossed both aside and looked to Gallus. Her eyes were pure yellow, holding no pupil or iris, making her seem more a demon than a normal pegasus. Her body suddenly turned into a fireball and hurled towards Gallus, exploding inches from his face.

“Aurora Oracle, alicorn slayer, and second queen of Equestria,” Ela said. “Long ago there stood the city of Eline Vain, pass the mountains that we griffons called home. Eline Vain was a city of alicorns, immortal equines, and they had judged her as unfit to rule. So, to save herself the trouble of dealing with them on her own soil, she marched to Eline Vain and did the one thing thought impossible: killed an alicorn. However, as she passed through our home, she decided that she wasn’t just satisfied with just killing alicorns, so she hunted us. Griffon kind nearly went extinct, only surviving by abandoning these mountains, and paving the way for Eline Vain, and brought us this.”

Gallus looked to the sky, and found himself frozen in terror as a pony, no, an alicorn appeared. Unlike the other figures, it towered over him, easily as tall as the palace itself. With a stomp of it’s hoof, the field of bodies turned into walls of fire. The alicorn disappeared, as did the wall of fire, and where the bodies did lie piles of south.

“The first Vessel, Ancestra, formed from the souls of those Aurora had destroyed, and prompted silence by the Will of the Wind,” Ela explained, her sentence ending with the field of fire disappearing, and Gospel once again taking the form of a griffon.

“The Will of the Wind?” Gallus asked.

“Only two things can destroy Vessels: another vessel, or the Will of the Wind,” Ela told the griffon next to her as she stared upwards. “A soul who should by all means should be broken beyond repair, and yet despite that still lives. It is said that through the pain they have felt, they are freer than anyone,” She turned to Gallus. “Princess Celestia was one such soul, for though nearly all of her kind had been killed, she still stood and lived. Thus, she destroyed Ancestra.”

Gallus didn’t know what to make of everything being told to him, other than the fact he didn’t believe it. He had gone to school in Equestria, learned it’s history, and never once did such an event ever cross his pages. Believing Ela to manipulate him, he readied himself to draw his blade, and in doing so put an end to both Ezillia and the spirit that now possessed her. Ela, however, was none the wiser.

“Gallus, Aurora Oracle somehow lives again, and if she is allowed to rule Equestria she will bring death upon not just us, but every race in Equestria if she isn’t stopped,” Ela told him. “Vessels are not things that should walk this land, and if we are to keep another one from forming she must be stopped. With Celestia having vanished, it is unknown if another Will of the Wind even lives and the destruction another being like Ancestra will cause is nothing short of annihilation. Do you understand why someone must take the throne and stand against her? Do you understand why Ezillia pleaded with you now?”

Gallus was silent for a second, watching as each second of silence slowly drained hope from Ela’s face.

“Yes, I understand,” Gallus finally said, watching as hope suddenly filled Ela’s eyes again as he drew his sword. “A deranged spirit such as you must not be allowed to touch the thro-”

That was as far as Gallus got before his life ended, a spike of fire shooting from the ground and impaling him through the underside of his jaw. The sword he had drawn fill to the floor harmlessly. Gospel heard a cry come from the door of the palace, seeing that the other Red Arms had drawn their blades and now rushed towards them as well. He ended their lives just as swiftly, each one the same as Gallus. All but one Red Arm now stood dead, being the mute Farence, who instead had found it smart to throw her sword to the ground.

The smile of joy that Gallus had brought to Ela faded, instead being replaced by one of discontent.

“You disappoint me Gallus,” She said. “I had hoped that you would understand, but it seems that Equestria has not changed in all these years. It still hides the truth from it’s people, and now that very thing has poisoned our minds,” She turned away from his body. “I had planned on letting you keep your position, you know, but you’ve thrown everything away. Now, the only ones who will be able to hear you, are Ezillia and I.”

With that, Ela walked through the courtyard, making her way to the palace and not minding any of the dead she came across. That was the day Ezillia Borghiben, mistress of death, and a paradox, took the Griffon Empire as her own.

Author's Note

So... it's been a while, hasn't it?

I thought about going back to this for some time, and with me having recently completed a personal project of mine, I decided that now was the time to do that. While, yes, I'm not as interested or motivated to write fanfiction as I once was, this is a story that I've been wanting to get back to. Will it be extremely popular? Probably not, but whatever. I write for fun, not fame.

Not that fame is really a thing for fanfiction, save for a few special exceptions.

Chapter 2 - The Friend That You Need Part 2

“Firefly!” The wolf shouted, shooting up quicker than the pony could react and hugging her, accidentally activating the medallion that was around her neck in the process. She quickly noticed the blue glow emanating from around her chest, and tapped it, causing the light to fade. “Hehe, sorry. It’s been a while since I was down here and I wasn’t sure if you had been fired out of the sky yet or anything. It’s wonderful to see you Firefly.”

“Great to see you too, Silvia,” Firefly said, proceeding to hug the wolf back. Silvia felt a smile creep onto her face, momentarily forgetting her worries and letting the touch of an old friend comforted her. “I’ll be honest, when word reached about Canterlot and Aurora, I knew you would head there and I wasn’t sure if I would see you again.”

“It would take more than that to take me down,” Silvia replied. Her smile dropped for a second. “Though I definitely don’t blame you for thinking that way, with how careless I got,” She shook her head and turned back to the pegasus in front of her. “I guess we felt kinda similar though. Truth be told I thought you joining a pirate’s crew would end up with you dead in a few weeks.”

“Just because the average lifespan of a pirate is a few weeks doesn’t mean you can’t have outliers,” Firefly reminded Silvia, nudging her friend playfully. “Besides, this is Captain Celano we’re talking about, the longest reigning sky pirate alive! I’m only dead if she is.”

“Wait, last I heard you were the second longest reigning sky pirates alive,” Silvia said. “Does that mean that he, you know, finally-”

“Kicked the bucket?” Firefly asked, getting a nod. Firefly giggled a little. “Yep, and with his death all of us treasure is now ripe for the taking. Hope you don’t mind but we might be making a stop to collect our “reward” during the trip, if you know what I mean,” Silvia rolled her eyes as Firefly bumped her with her elbow. “Anyways, I’m pretty sure this isn’t what I’m here to find you for.”

“Let me guess, you are the mare Verko has had tracking Clockwork?” Silvia asked, getting a nod in response. “In that case, let me just gather my companions, wherever they are, and I’ll be right back.”

Firefly nodded and waved as Silvia darted down the street, the smile never leaving the wolf’s face. She wish she got to ask about Luminous, but that could wait for later. No words were needing to know where the wolf wanted to hold the meeting, knowing that Firefly would want a drink just as much as she did. There were thousands of differences between Equestria and Ponyland, that was for sure, but if there was one thing she was more than glad about, it was the drinks. Of all the new and exciting things that had come with being a paradox, that was easily one of the greatest. So great, in fact, that it was half the reason she never asked Silvia to send her home.

“So, how long have we been here now?” Gabriel asked the alicorn next to her, the two still laying in the middle of the street. His answer came not from the pony, but from the sky, as he felt two drops of water hit his head. “Nevermind, I figured it out.”

“If you want in exact, it’s around five in the afternoon. That would also mean that this port we are heading to is… south of us,” Flurry Heart replied. She looked over to the griffon, who was staring at her with wide eyes. “What? That’s what the sun says.”

“You can tell what time it is based on the position of the sun?!” Gabriel asked.

“Look, when you're a bored princess with supposedly dead parents, eternally plotting against the pony you believe is responsible, you have a lot of time on your hooves,” Flurry Heart explained, wildly gesturing as she did so. “I spent that time figuring how the sun relates to time which, may I tell you, is a very difficult thing to explain and would rather not go into it,” She looked back to the sun. Not directly, of course, but close enough where directly could be used to describe it. “How is it still moving now that Celestia is dead… now that she is dead.”

“Funny story about that actually, according to Twilight one day it just started moving on it’s own,” Gabriel answered, giving Flurry Heart her turn to be surprised at something. “Anytime Silvia wasn’t over to stop or judge a paradox it seemed I was on another visit to Canterlot. Long story short one day we I decided to watch her lower the sun and well… it didn’t work. Now that I think about it, maybe it has something to do with Celestia’s canon allow her that amount of control over it?”

“No, that was her talent, that couldn’t be it unless…” A thought came to Flurry’s mind, one that she didn’t want to answer but knew she had to in the end. “Could it be possible that her talent was connected to her status as an alicorn and that destroy the canon changed… her… oh.”

Both griffon and pony laid there in silence, thinking about the revelation that had just crossed their minds. That said, Gabriel’s mind quickly changed thoughts as he had a long held suspicion confirmed for him in those moments: Flurry’s motives. Past motives, he should say, considering that with Twilight dead she couldn’t carry out her revenge anymore.He was unsure of whether he should be thankful about that or worried for himself, considering he was a close friend of Twilights. At the moment, he would give her the benefit of the doubt, but knew that even if he wanted to kill her in some justifiable act of self defense, he couldn’t.

Less like he couldn’t and more like he shouldn’t, considering Flurry was the only thing that kept the world stable. If he killed her, if somepony else killed her, then it wasn’t just bad for those around her, but for everypony, whether they knew it or not. Most ponies, griffons, changeling, and so on probably wouldn’t even know that they were about to die or feel it when reality collapsed. He didn’t dare think about what it could feel like, or if he for some reason he would still be able to think at all by that point. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the only pony, no, wolf that knew the answer to them could never tell him. After all, how could one explain non-existence?

At that moment, Silvia popped around the corner to see they hadn’t moved at all from earlier. She sighed. “Should have known neither of you would move at all.”

“Just so you know, Silvia, you went in the wrong direction,” Gabriel told the wolf, he had a look of extreme disappointment. “The pony had gone to the right, not the left. You should know by now that everything is to the right.”

“Yeah yeah, I don’t care,” Silvia replied walking over and forcing the alicorn and griffon to stand up. “Come on, we got more important things to be doing then setting on our asses, and that goes especially for you empress,” She gave Flurry Heart a strong glare, one which was returned by the alicorn sticking her tongue out at the wolf. “We have somepony we have to talk.”

“So you got passage booked for the unexplored west?” Gabriel asked, getting a head shake in response. He sighed. “So I guess that means we’re running an errand of some kind for Verko.”

“Don’t worry about that too much. He just wants me to do my job,” Silvia told the griffon, starting to walk off. “We’re meeting a friend of mine at a pub called Shipmates Rest near the port. Oh, and they got some good ale there for you Gabriel,” Gabriel put on the griffon version of a smile at that news. “Also, I’m sure we can find something for you, Flurry.”

“I’ll let you know that just because I don’t curse doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good wine or brew,” Flurry remarked, doing her best to hold onto some semblance of pride. “You got to know a thing or to if you are to get along with some of the nobility. I’m sure that Gabriel can attest to that,” Gabriel nodded reluctantly. “You don’t give me enough credit Silvia.”

“Well you haven’t done anything to earn so of course not,” Silvia shot back, getting a pout in response. Gabriel did his best to hold back a chuckle at Flurry’s expression. “Come on, let’s get moving.”

For the first time since she arrived in Klugetown, Flurry Heart didn’t feel like she was gonna gag at someplace they were visiting. For all that the city had been, being a filthpit (it wasn’t a word, but Flurry saw it as a fitting description) of criminals and beggars, Shipmates Rest was not too bad compared to everything else. Sure, it wasn’t anything beautiful to look at, but she could tell that the floors were lost and individuals running it cared for their establishment. It meant that they weren’t afraid to kick someone out if they were on the verge of fighting or too drunk to control themselves. So, in other words, what had been stated to her as a “pub” was more like a bar than anything else.

That bar met Flurry with another surprise, as she saw Silvia bounce over to a pink and teal pegasus and wrap her in a hug. It wasn’t surprising in the same way the wolf swearing had been, but more so for somepony who claimed to only care about her daughter surviving, she could have sworn this was her if she never met Luminous. The fact it wasn’t her daughter led to questions, but considering the line of work the wolf found herself in, she didn’t need to guess what the pony was.

“Firefly, I would like to introduce to you Emperor Gabriel Derev of the Griffon Empire and Empress Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire,” Silvia said, the biggest smile on her face. “Gabriel, Flurry Heart, I would like you two to meet one of my oldest friends and one of my first contracts as a paradox hunter on this Equestria, Firefly Phoenix.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms. Phoenix,” Gabriel said with a bow, earning a giggle from the mare. “Is there something funny about what I said?”

“Neither in Ponyland or here have I been called “Ms.”,” Firefly explained. “Honestly, I would prefer to just be called Firefly in the future. Besides, shouldn't I be calling you two Emperor and Empress?”

“If it didn’t make us sound like a married couple,” Flurry Heart said, not realizing exactly what it was she had implied. She and Gabriel looked at each other, before facing away gagging and coughing. “Oh Celestia no, please no, I don’t want to think of that.”

“I swear if I ever, and I mean ever have to marry a griffon with your attitude I’ll…” Gabriel went back into a coughing fit. “I actually don’t know what I would do, because I can’t imagine marrying anyone like you. It’s so… so-”

“Horrifying,” They said at the same time. The griffon and alicorn then noticed that Silvia and Firefly were laughing at them. It was Flurry who spoke up in. “This is a very serious matter.”

“Oh, I’m sure it is, love doves,” Silvia replied, having to hold in the urge to laugh as Flurry Heart keeled over in disgust. “You’re right though, we have work to do. You have seats ready Firefly?”

“Yep, and drink. Booth near the back,” Firefly said, motioning the group to follow her. They sat down, Gabriel taking notice of the fact she had already gotten drinks for Silvia and herself. “I would have gotten you two something but I didn’t want to get it wrong.”

“Completely understandable,” Gabriel said. He shouted to the barkeeper what he wanted before turning back to the mare in front of him. “So, Firefly, I take it you aren’t exactly from Equestria, are you?” Firefly nodded. “Then, if you don’t mind me asking, what is your home like?”

“Well, if you know I’m not from Equestria I’m sure you're aware of Silvia’s, ahem, work,” Firefly replied, getting a nod from both the emperor and empress. “Thought so, it isn’t exactly something she keeps hidden from the public, regardless if I think she should or not,” She shook her head. “Anyways, I’m a paradox as I’m sure you are aware, for a place called Ponyland. It’s a very nice place, though just like Equestria it isn’t always perfect. Like, we also had an incident with Grogar, though I heard your encounter with him wasn’t actually with him, if you know what I mean.”

“A draconequus with too much time on there hands and trying to “test” my aunt?” Flurry Heart asked, shaking her head. “Yeah, that was a thing that happened, and right before her coronation as well. I was only two at the time I think, can’t remember specifically,” A thought came to her head as she said that. “Hey, Silvia, this might be private but how old are you?”

“Physically? When I got here I was how I looked at twenty three years old. That was twenty five years ago, so I’m forty-eight now,” Silvia said, ignoring the shock on the alicorn’s face. It seemed impossible that somepony that old could look as young as she did. “Technically, if we count how old I was when I died back in my Equestria? Seventy-four.”

“Seventy what?!” Flurry Heart said, standing up and leaning over the table. The sound of the pub going quiet, caught her attention, noticing all the eyes that were all on the alicorn now. She sat back down, feeling uncomfortable at the whispers she was hearing as conversations picked back up around her. “Silvia, I’m sorry to doubt you but that is not the body of somepony, or somewolf, that is physically forty-eight.”

“Wise wolves can live twice as long as ponies can, don’t be surprised,” Silvia replied, once again ignoring the fact the alicorn’s jaw was hanging open. “Anyways, we have business to get to. Firefly?”

“Right, I assume Verko has already told you who and what we are dealing with?” Firefly asked, getting a nod from her friend. “Right, I’ll just go over some of the stuff again for these two,” She turned to Gabriel and Flurry Heart. “We’re dealing with a paradox, a rather strange one as well. Showed about two weeks ago, killed one of Verko’s men, and has been on a murder spree ever since. The paradox in question has been referred to as Clockwork, which was given to them because they’re… not exactly self thinking.”

“In other words, this Clockwork is a machine working off some sort of directive,” Silvia continued. “It doesn’t talk, it doesn’t think, it just kills. Anything that goes near it is certain death, you two got lucky,” Flurry Heart swallowed and Gabriel nodded in understanding. “If we are going to destroy this thing we are going to need to get me close to it. Flurry, how powerful is your telekinesis?”

“Your asking a magical prodigy whose magical power was on par with her aunt at age fourteen how good she can levitate things?” Flurry Heart asked with a smug smile on her face. When Silvia scowled at her, that smile dissipated and she sighed. “I can left forty spears at once, plus ten sets of armor, and that’s holding back…” She looked away. “If I didn’t hold back with my magic, I could hurt everypony around me.”

“That will more than do,” Silvia replied. “Gabriel, Firefly, you two better get used to spotting together. Firefly is part of Celano’s crew, and as the two with no magic and wings, anything that involves scouting is going to be your duties,” Gabriel nodded and looked to Firefly. “I don’t think you two will have much problem though.”

“As long as the emperor can pull his weight,” Firefly replied, smiling.

“Ditto,” Gabriel said, holding a talon out. The two shook before looking to Silvia, who motioned them for them to leave. They did so, Firefly grabbing her drink as she did. “Speaking of which, since I know Silvia here can read memories, what exactly can you do.”

“Something that won’t be very useful around a bunch of wooden buildings,” Firefly explained. “The last name Phoenix is literal, or at least it was when I came to Equestria. I can set myself on fire and, while it doesn’t me, everything around me is typically less fortunate.”

“Yikes, but that’s still pretty sweet,” Gabriel responded, winking and giving the mare a thumbs up. “Have you, uh, ever thought about going back?”

Firefly nodded. “Yeah, sometimes, but at the end of the day I don’t think I’m needed there. Besides, Ponyland, even with it’s problems, was nowhere near as interesting as Equestria. I mean, I’m part of a pirate crew! A. Pirate. Crew! What could be cooler than that?”

“I Would say waking up safe on the ground but I think my entire race would denounce me,” Gabriel replied, the two sharing a good joke as they walked out of the pub. Firefly took to the air first, followed by Gabriel.

After the pegasus and griffon left, the table grew eerily quiet. Flurry Heart ordered a drink, Silvia finished hers, but neither spoke a word. The alicorn could see something was on the wolf’s mine, but was unsure if she was rightly able to ask something that could possibly be private. She was, if the wolf was to be believed, nearly twice as old as the mare after all, even if not physically. To a pony, seventy-four was just entering the elderly stage of your life, though that only counted for all tribes not called alicorns. That alone was reason enough for Flurry to not bother asking, but if Silvia’s sigh was anything to go be, that question on her tongue was rather obvious.

“Go on, speak,” Silvia said, though Flurry Heart only looked away. “Look, if the age thing is making you concerned, seventy-four is basically thirty-seven to a pony. We’re a lot closer in our lives than our ages lead on,” When she still didn’t get anything, she put a paw on the alicorn’s drink. “I drink the rest of it on you if you don’t say anythi-”

“I’m more concerned about what's going on in your mind,” Flurry Heart finally said, though Silvia couldn’t tell if it was thanks to the drink or something else. “Something’s troubling you, isn’t it Silvia?”

“Well…” Silvia looked away as she contemplated answering or not. With a glance back to the alicorn, she sighed. “Yes, something has been going through my mind. I’ve been doing all I can to hold it back but… perhaps you would understand,” Flurry Heart cocked her head. “Flurry, am I a good mother to Luminous?”

That caught the alicorn by surprise. Surprise that was only doubled when she saw Silvia look… vulnerable, she thought, for the first time in her life. To those that knew her, the idea of Silvia showing any form of weakness seemed impossible. She was a paradox hunter, trained by a pack of others like her to kill without remorse. They did whatever it took, Silvia had made that much clear to her, and they didn’t care how low they needed to stoop. Yet, as that thought came to mind she remembered something from that fateful night. The night Twilight had been doomed to die, and the former princess and Flurry’s aunt, Celestia, was killed protecting the one mare Silvia care for more than anything.

“Don’t tell Luminous about the barrier,” She had said.“or I’ll find some way to permanently scar your body till there isn’t a shed of pink to see”

That strange pegasus, Luminous Oracle, coat as black as the night and mane and tail as bright as the sun. A pony who, for all Silvia knows, could possibly be in an eternal coma, fated to never again wake up because Twilight died. A pony who was another Twilight from the same Equestria as Silvia, though with a different name, life, tribe, and childhood. Most importantly, however, it was the pony that Silvia had taken in as her daughter so many years ago. Of course she would doubt herself now, seeing her own child, blood or not, dying in front of her eyes. At the same time, Flurry didn’t know what to say in response.

“Go on, you know better than me,” Silvia said. “I know I’m out here, fighting for her, putting my life on the line so she doesn’t have to but… my work might have nearly killed her. Maybe it did kill her and she will never wake up,” The wolf hung her head. “I feel like I’m a terrible mother.”

“You were still there for her,” Flurry replied. The wolf looked up in time to see the alicorn’s head drop. “I envy her, having an actual mother that cared for her all of these years. Though I guess that doesn’t really make me the best pony to ask does it?” She forced herself to laugh. “You’ll just have to ask her when she wakes up. It’s that simple.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Silvia replied.

“She will, I know it,” Flurry said, though she wasn’t even sure of her own words. As Silvia said, it was entirely possible that Luminous would never wake up, but there was still hope. “Ask your daughter. She would know better than somepony like me.”

Silvia sighed, and the vulnerability she had shown dissipated. That was replaced with the all too familiar and stoic look Flurry remembered from her one interaction with the wolf in the Crystal Empire. When her drink was finished, the wolf motioned for her to get up, which she did without hesitation. It was surprising how easily Silvia was able to mask the pain on her face, but Flurry knew it was probably just another skill of her job.

“You don’t seem too worried about the paradox, considering it’s a killer,” Flurry asked.

“It’s a machine, one that doesn’t think at that,” Silvia replied. “The greatest enemy for a hunter are emotions. It’s harder to kill something that can feel fear and terror than something made to destroy and harm,” Silvia gestured with her head towards the door. “We better get going before we are unable to find those two.”

Gabriel followed Firefly rooftop to rooftop, watching the pegasus as she scanned the streets below. Each time she came up empty she would open her wings and glide across the street just in case. She was a daredevil, the griffon had figured that out the moment she started using the water wheels as vantage points, standing on the very end of some of the highest buildings in the city. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the few times he had met Rainbow Dash, the element of Honesty and a retired member of the Wonderbolt.

“Aha!” Firefly said, pointing down into a nearby alley.

Gabriel followed her hoof, and found exactly what she was looking at. Standing as still as a tree was the same mechanical pony from earlier, Clockwork no doubt. It didn’t look up to them, didn’t move, though at this point he should have expected that. There were questions on how it deactivated itself, or why it hadn’t killed him, but he knew he would get in answer. Clockwork didn’t think after all, whatever directive it had was known by it and only it.

“Now what?” Gabriel asked.

“Now-” Firefly replied, holding her hoof out. It ignited into flames, and Gabriel could help but squeal in surprise. She wound her arm like she was about to throw a ball, and then sent a fireball into the air. “-we send the signal.”

It hadn’t taken Silvia too long to notice the fireball her friend had used to signal their location. As it fell through the air, she saw said pegasus take the fireball head on to keep it from hitting any of the buildings below. It did take a moment to reassure the alicorn behind her that Firefly would be fine, but once she did they were off to where the pegasus and griffon had signaled them to. As they approach the alley, Gabriel and Firefly glided down to join them.

“The paradox is in there?” Silvia asked, getting a nod in response. The wolf looked to the alicorn. “Prepare yourself. Even if it doesn’t attack right away, it will fight back,” She looked away and walked past Gabriel and Firefly. “They… always do.”

Firefly stepped to the side, giving Flurry Heart a look. That look, she knew, meant “keep her safe”, and Flurry knew she had to. Silvia believed her parents dead, but that wolf might be the key to finding out if they were or not. So many years without closure, and with Twilight dead she had no idea who she could pin the blame on. Her aunt was the only pony she thought possible to do such a thing, given that her father was Twilight’s brother and-

She shook her head; this wasn’t the time to be thinking of such things. She gave Firefly a smile as she walked past the pegasus to Silvia's side. The two stood in quiet for a time as they walked through the narrow alley, the only sound being the clops of Flurry’s hooves. Silvia made a mental note to not bring either the empress or Firefly on anything involving stealth. That said, part of her doubt that this would in any way require stealth. As the alley widened at its center, Silvia took note of the stationary bronze colored pony staring at the wall, never blinking.

“That’s… the same pony from earlier,” Flurry Heart said. She walked up to it, but didn’t touch it, remembering what had happened to her and Gabriel earlier. “It’s kinda creepy how real the fur looks.”

“Don’t touch it,” Silvia warned her. “Something tells me that it’s waiting to catch us off guard.”

“Make sense, that did seem to be what happened with Gabriel earlier,” Flurry Heart replied, taking a few steps back. “You think it won’t react to magic though?”

“Maybe, but we don’t really have a choice,” Silvia told the alicorn. “This isn’t my first time dealing with a mechanical paradox before, and they aren’t as simple as their flesh and blood counterparts. I got a spell to send a paradox back home, but unlike us a machine’s body is simply a shell,” She pointed to Clockworks chest. “I need you to break it up enough to get me to its core. Know that it will try to resist once it knows what is happening.”

“R-right,” Flurry Heart replied, taking a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself. “Let’s get this done with?”

With a nod from the wolf, Flurry Heart lit her horn. Her magic felt the body of the pony in front of her, or at the very least tried. She could feel it in her magic’s grasp, but she couldn’t sense a hold on it. Something was keeping her from pressing on the body, a sort of force emanating from the machine’s chest. It was resisting her as best as it can, as if it knew the fate that awaited it if she succeeded to pull it apart. Flurry gritted her teeth, and looked to Silvia.

“It’s soul is in it’s chest, or at least that’s what I’m guessing it is, but it has some sort of magic trying to push me back,” Flurry Heart explained to the wolf. “I’ll be able to overwhelm it, just gotta put a little more force into the spell. Just be aware that if it doesn’t feel me now, it most definitely will one I amplify it.”

“Do it, I’ll be prepared,” Silvia replied, standing between the alicorn and pony.

Flurry nodded in reply, and once again lit her horn, though the wolf could now visibly see the glow Clockworks body. In that second, after her spell finally managed to wrap itself on the, Silvia saw the body jolt. Flurry stopped in hesitation, but continued on when she saw nothing else happen. She felt for a separation, a screw, a gear, anything that could allow her to pry the chest open for Silvia. After minutes of anticipation and wait, she found it and pulled, only for the machine to come to life.

As if it was merely waiting for her to do so, Clockwork launched at Flurry Heart, only to be blocked by Silvia as the wolf forced it to the ground. A hum vibrated from her throat, and a forcefield appeared under her paws, keeping Clockwork in place. That did nothing to stop it from pushing against her magic, and Silvia now realized what the alicorn had meant about it pushing her magic back. It was known that certain alloys and materials had a resistance to magic, obsidian being one most familiar to Equestria. Bronze, she was remembering, was another such material.

Not only did Clockwork seem to be pushing the forcefield apart, but Silvia could see something strange happening to the walls. Small sections of them stretched out into points, the tip seeming thin enough and pointy enough to pierce skin. She looked behind her, almost losing focus on the barrier as she did, her humming being strained. One such needle was aimed at Flurry Heart’s chest, slowly pushing further and further outwards, and closer and closer to the alicorn’s body. If it was anywhere else it had been aiming she wouldn’t be worried, but the angle, the location, it meant one thing to her.

This thing, this Clockwork, had been programmed with knowledge of the canon. It knew how to kill an alicorn, and that made it too dangerous to send back.

“Flurry, more pressure!” Silvia shouted to the alicorn, though she was unaware of the feedback sound currently playing in Flurry Heart’s ears.

It was normal to hear that when dealing with magical resistance, but with how loud it was, and how much it was grating the alicorn’s ears, it was almost unbearable. She had no choice but to close her eyes under the painful ringing in her ears, having to use her own magic to feel the piece she had latched onto. With a push, she felt a piece of Clockwork’s chest push outwards slightly. With part of her magic focused on pulling that open, she used the rest to search inside the opening she had already made, pulling out what bits and parts she could in an attempt to reach the center.

Silvia looked back to Clockwork to find that the pony had more than push through her forcefield, and was tackled to the ground. It once more leaped for the alicorn, but Silvia got her muzzle around it’s leg before it got too far. She bit down and threw Clockwork back in front of her, the action seeming to loosen his exterior a large amount. Silvia, seeing the opening that Flurry had made and was using to empty the mechanical pony’s insides, reached with her paws towards it. That momentum was stopped by Clockwork putting it’s hooves on her chest and neck. It kicked her stomach, but Silvia fought through the pain.

Suddenly, a talon came into her view, and she felt the hoof on her fall away. Silvia dared to look, seeing that Gabriel was by her side, and dared to look behind her. Behind Flurry she could barely make out the form Firefly, but the orange glow told her that the needle aiming at the alicorn’s back was more than dealt with. Turning back to Gabriel, they nodded and watched as the opening in Clockwork’s chest opened enough for them to see into it. She could see a glow illuminating its insides, seeming to be centered right where the heart would be; Clockwork’s core. The glow got brighter and brighter as Flurry’s magic continued to remove the gears, bolts, and other things blocking it. Finally, after another minute of waiting, she saw a clear shot.

“Gab, now!”

Gabriel shot a talon into Clockwork’s chest and pulled out the core, which was hooked to the pony with various wires. With his free talon he effortlessly sliced through the wires, and Clockwork’s body once more went limp. The griffon threw the core to Silvia who caught it in her mouth. With a single bite, her teeth crushed the core and the light died. A burst of energy went through the bodies of everyone in the alley, the spikes that had formed from Clockwork’s ability, or anomaly as Flurry called it, retracting as the walls returned to normal. With a heavy breath outwards, Flurry Heart collapsed to the floor.

“Ugh, my head,” She groaned. Firefly helped her up, a look of concern on her face. “Did… did I do it?”

“Yes, we did it,” Silvia replied, sitting down and leaning against Gabriel. She felt more exhausted than she should, her throat dry.

An hour or two later, back at Verko’s place

“And once again, my furry friend, you have whisked away my troubles!” Verko said, shaking Silvia’s paw. “As promised, I will inform Captain Celano of your intentions as soon as she lands in port. Sorry to say however, that I don’t have a place for you to stay in the meantime.”

“Don’t worry too much about that,” Silvia replied. “I’m sure your contact would be more than willing to give us a room for the night.”

“Ah, of course. You two definitely have an interesting history,” Verko replied as he reached for a nearby cabinet. He pulled out a glass bottle of some unmarked alcoholic substance, probably rum if Silvia knew anything. “Want some?”

“No thanks, promised Firefly we’d all celebrate together,” The wolf said, moving towards the door. She bowed to the mole rat. “It was a pleasure seeing you again Verko, stay safe.”

“Ha, now we know that won’t happen, don’t we?” Verko asked the wolf, breaking into a laughing fit.

Silvia rolled her eyes as she opened the door and left the house, seeing her companions, her crew as it was, talking. Talking, she quickly realized, wasn’t really the word to describe this situation, and more like the harassment of a certain empress’ dignity. Silvia couldn’t help but smile, this little adventure telling her that she had more than chosen the right individuals for the job. They looked to her as the door closed, each smiling though Flurry slightly more peeved than the rest.

“Everything’s ready?” Firefly asked.

Silvia nodded. “Yep. You all ready to relax? It’s gonna be are last opportunity to before journeying to the League.”

“I think anyone would be ready to chill after stopping a serial killer robot,” Gabriel joked, turning to the alicorn and pegasus beside him.

They nodded, and made their way down the street, Firefly taking the lead and Silvia taking the rear. The wolf looked one last time to the north, the smile fell from her face as she thought of her comatose daughter. She shook her head. As Flurry said, she will wake; a mother should never outlive her daughter.