The Equestrian Monomyth - Book 2 - Complexs of Disharmony

Twilight, all sweated and panting, managed to stand up in her trembling legs. She looked around, with tired eyes. She had lost the account of how many 'games' Discord had played with them. Then, she turned around, to check on the rest of her friends.

Pinkie was sitting on her haunches, all sweated too: "I'm so tired... and so hungry. A cupcake. I could kill for a cupcake..." And her stomach growled.

Fluttershy was all sweated too, but her concern was another: "Oh, my Flash Sentry and I had agreed to have a date today, and I'm late already. What about if he thinks that I've turned him down? He's so softhearted, he could try something against his life. I'm so worried!" She mourned, putting a hoof in her face, closing her eyes and slowly shooking her head.

Rarity was drooped on her side in the floor: "I... can't go on... I'm so tired... the mean guy already won... I can't go on..." She mourned, panting and looking around while talking.

Rainbow Dash was sitting on her haunches, talking to her own forelegs: "Hey, haven't you seen my wings?" She asked with a smile, looking to a hoof and waving it a bit. Then, she looked to the other hoof and waved it too: "No, I think they're gone on a vacation or something." Then, she looked back to the first hoof: "Well, tell them to not to take too long, I can't be a wonderbolt without them!" Then, she looked to the other hoof and waved it too: "Right! That's so funny!" And then, Rainbow Dash started to laugh maniacally: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" and suddenly, her laughter turned into crying tears: "Wahhhhh-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhh-ah-ah-ah-ah..." and Fluttershy quickly hugged her, trying to confort her up as best as she could.

But, from all the ponies, the one that was in the worst shape was Applejack. She was sweating cold, pale and trembling, and she was pushing her left foreleg to the left side of her belly.

"AJ, are you alright?" Twilight asked her, concerned.

"No, Twilight. Ah feel dizzy, and Ah hav' a piercin' pain in the left side of mah belly..." Applejack could barely say, and right after that, she almost fall to a side, but Twilight held her and gently laid her in the floor.

Worried, Twilight said: "Fifth Seal Life-Force Dispelling Spell!" and made her horn reappear even again, as Discord had made it to dissapear again. Then, she checked on Applejack's vitals, finding, horrified, that her liver was inflamated, with a high risk of hepatic failure, and her blood pressure was high up to the clouds! She could have a cardiac arrest any minute! This can not continue any longer!

Applejack looked to Twilight with weary eyes: "How Ah am? Please, Twilight, don't lie to me..."

"AJ... What happened? What was your test?"

"Just climbin' a supposedly neverendin' stair. But Ah thin' tha' ah overforced... Com' on, Twilight, don' change the subject. Tell me how Ah am already."

Twilight looked down, sorrowful: "You're dying, AJ..."

Applejack closed her eyes: "Ah imagined so..."

Discord was standing, with his forearms crossed, thinking in what other test he could put those ponies to pass through. He was so upset! No matter how many twists, how many turns, how many tricks he puts them, they always manage to overcome them with their will intact, with their friendship as strong as it started! Tartarus, that was boiling his blood up! He wasn't having any fun! Twilight always remained steady and focused, Pinkie always was happy and forthcoming, Rarity always was generous and freely giver, Rainbow Dash always was loyal to the death, Applejack always was honest to the bone! ARGH!

Discord smirked: Bah! That doesn't matters, as he had unlimited strenght and those ponies don't, so their will was going to break sooner or later, and he won't stop until doing so!

So, he turned around, ready to give the Mane 6 even another test, finding Twilight right behind him:

"Little pony, what did I told you about that horn, huh? You're breaking my rules!" Discord scolded her with a mischievous smile, raising a finger up.

Twilight sharpened the eyes: "This can't continue, Discord! AJ is dying! Let her go to the hospital, she needs urgent medical assistance!"

"Sorry, but all the ponies have to play, or all the ponies my game will fail." Discord carelessly refused.

"Then heal her! You're powerful enough for that!"

"Sorry, little pony, but I can't heal anything besides myself!"

"What?! You can make our body parts to appear and disappear at will, but you can't heal us?! That doesn't make any sense!" Twilight complained.

"Making sense? What's the fun in making sense?" Mocked Discord.

Twilight trembled. A wave of rage passed through all her body: "Miserable degenerate... I swear that you'll pay for this... I'll make sure that you met a fate worst than death!" She angrily assured him, with her teeth clenched.

Discord chuckled, trying to sound nonchalant, but he felt Twilight's raging outburst, making his scales to shiver.

"And what are you going to do? I have your friend's wings. Remember?" Discord mocked again.

"Don't... push... your bucking... LUCK!" Twilight angrily blurted, shrugging an eye, about losing her temper. "I demand a time out!"

Once back in Ponyville, Twilight hasted in sending a help request to Celestia, asking for advice in defeating Discord, but she received notice of the both alicorn princesses leaving to the battlefront. Equestria was in war hoofing, and she, the strongest mare in the kingdom, was stuck with a bucking heartless clown!

Not even arriving to the border, Celestia galloped to hug me: "Oh, my love! I was so worried about you!"

Luna shrugged an eye and shooked the head: "'My love'?"

I scrunched the mouth: "Yep, she still believes that she have a chance." I despectively assured.

"What?! Do you mean...? Do you mean... that... that... I haven't any chance... at all?!" Celestia asked, with quivering eyes, horrified and saddened, with her forelegs crossed over her chest, hyperventilating.

I quickly gave her a hope, because I knew what was gonna happen next if I told her otherwise: "Unless you win that duel with Twilight, of course!"

Celestia looked to me, hopeful, and lowered her forelegs, and a wide smile appeared on her face: "For... for real?! If I win, you'll be my King?!"

I made a defeated gesture with my arm: "Yes... that's exactly what I said..."

Luna smiled too: "Then, get ready, sister, because I'm challenging you next!"

"For the ancestors' sake, Luna! Three times wasn't fair enough?!" Celestia startled, and looked her sister, shocked.

I quickly put my open hands in front of me and twitched them in a 'hold right there' gesture: "Alright, alright. Let's leave all that horseshit for when everything is over with. OK?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Both princesses nodded at the same time, smiling. At least there's something that they're agreeing with.

Suddenly, a scroll appeared near Celestia, and she quickly took it, mourning: "Oh, Holy Heavens! I hope this isn't more bad news!" And opened it to read. Then, she put a hoof in her cheek, concerned: "Oh no! Discord is taking my Elements to the limit!"

I looked down, doubtful. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Discord should be already taken care by now!: "What's happening, Cellie? Who's that Discord?" I asked as if I didn't know.

"Oh, he's an ancient God of Chaos. Four thousands of years ago, he appeared, apparently from nowhere, and started to spread chaos around my kingdom, causing so much suffering to my ponies, that my sister and me had to intervene! We tried to talk with him, but he's a lunatic who can't be reasoned with! Luna and me managed to defeat him, turning him into a statue with the power of the Elements of Harmony, but now he has returned and it looks that the same trick is not going to work twice!"

"He can't be reasoned with? How can you be so sure?" I asked, dumbfounded, as I remembered that he actually could BE REASONED with.

"Because according to what Twilight is reporting me, he's blackmailing her with Rainbow Dash's wings, and, even worse, he has driven Applejack to near death! And I don't know what to advice to her!"

"What?!!" I opened my eyes wide, concerned and enraged: Of course! If this is the 'Adult version of MLP', Discord has to be completely evil, beyond any redemption! My marefriend is in serious danger! All my doubts and guilts were removed from my conciousness, as I understood what was I'm really doing here in Equestria: I had to get rid of that blight, for once and for all!

"Cellie... I have to return to Ponyville. Twilight is in danger." I told Celestia, very serious.

Celestia turned her head, to angrily look at the gryphoon army, which gasped and gave some steps back, scared.

"I know it. And don't worry, my love. Those cowards gryphoons won't try anything without their 'Secret weapon'. And when she arrives, I'll be waiting for her. I'm not going down this time!" She assured, with unbreakable resolution.

I turned to Trixie: "Trix, take care of the firearms. After me, you're the pony that know better those weapons."

"Ha, of course I do! I designed them by myself!" She bragged, smiling and putting a hoof in her chest. But, she quickly rectified: "Using your directions, of course." She added, with an apologetic smile.

I smiled too: "Trix, I can't thank you enough for all this you're doing."

Her face turned to a surprised one, and she blinked several times, dumbfounded. "Huh?"

Then, I turned to Celestia: "Cellie, give her a high rank officer degree, and put her in charge of the gunponies batallion. She knows what she's doing."

Celestia smiled, and lewdy blinked several times: "Of course, but only if you kiss me."

I opened my eyes, dumbfounded: "What?"

Celestia giggled: "Gotcha!"

I smiled too: "Seems that you're learning to be mean, huh?"

Trixie's eyes moved from a side to the another, still shocked: "Somepony please pinch me..."

A little while had passed after I had teleported back to Ponyville, when Luna asked Celestia: "Sister. What are we doing here, sitting like a pair of stupids in front of the gryphoons? An exhibition? Why we don't attack them already? They wouldn't stand a chance."

"Sister, I gave my word that Equestria will never start any conflict. And I'm intending to fulfill my vow."

"With that treacherous gryphoons?! Come on, let's smash them! I'm in more risk to die of boredness than in battle!" Impatiently requested Luna, standing in front of her sister.

Celestia giggled: "Always so impatient, little sister. I bet that's why you never got married."

Luna blushed: "That's... that wasn't the reason!"

"Ah no? And which it was, then?"

Luna hesitated to answer. "I never found the right one..."

"Why not, sister? You're prettier than me."

Luna blushed again, pointing herself with a hoof: "Me? No...! Do you really think that?"

"Of course! Just look at me! I'm an old hag." Celestia pointed herself with a foreleg.

Luna shooked the head, embarrased: "No, sister! I didn't mean that!"

Celestia giggled again: "Gotcha!"

Luna shooked the head, but upset this time: "I can't believe this, you got me again!" and both mares giggled, with a hoof under her muzzles. Then Luna sit on her haunches again, at the side of her sister, with disgusted half-lidded eyes: "The life has been so unfair with us, eh sister?"

"Indeed. And after all we have been through, now we're back to where all started: We fighting for the same stallion."

Luna looked to her sister, sorrowful: "Look, sister, I... I really don't want to do this, but I can't imagine my life without the pleb scum. I just... can't."

Celestia smiled: "Me neither. So, I was thinking..." And she looked around, making sure that nopony was hearing them, and then putting her head closer to Luna's and whispering to her: "That we can make a herd instead."

Luna looked at her, dumbfounded, and then, a smile appeared on her face: "Sister! I was thinking the same thing!" But then, her face turned to a sorrowful one again: "But Twilight wouldn't allow it. That stubborn and selfish filly! She wants him for herself and just for herself!"

Celestia half-lidded her eyes: "Don't worry, little sister. I have a plan." She happily announced in a low tone and winked in complicity.

When I arrived to Ponyville, Twilight appeared from nowhere, happily galloping to me: "My loooooove! I brought you here just minding you!" And she jumped to me, and we kissed and hugged each other tight, tight, tight, and our hearts, as usually, beat as one.

Then, I quickly reached Applejack, and healed her, also telling in loud voice: "Alright, her life isn't at risk anymore, but she still needs to rest from ten to fifteen years."

Applejack raised her head, scared: What in tarnation?!"

Twilight and me laughed: "Fifteen days, AJ!"

"Ahhh... please, don' scare me like tha.'.." She lowered the head and put a hoof in her chest, sighing of relief.

Then, Twilight, Pinkie and me marched to face Discord, as Rainbow Dash's mental condition impeded her to battle. That damned Discord! Just when we needed Dashie the most!

Discord smirked when he saw me: "So... this's your fearsome 'coltfriend', huh?" He mocked of Twilight. "He doesn't look so scary for me. Actually, he looks weaker than a pony, if I may say so." Then, he adquired a twisted stance: "And why you're not a pony, huh? Twily, I didn't know you were into bestiality!" He prattled. "I can turn him into a pony, if you want to... Hey, that sounds like fun!" He happily raised his arms over his head.

And he clacked his fingers, as I knew he'll do, but his spell died in my dispelling body shield.

"Hmmm... this is weird. Do you have magic? Ow! This can become even funnier!" He prattled again. "A magical duel, like the old times! But I have to warn you: I'm a hopeless cheater!"

I smiled. As if I didn't know: "Do you know what's gonna be really fun, Discord? What's gonna happen if you don't hand over Dashie's wings. That's gonna be amusing to death!" I assured, with an evil smirk, my fists in my waist and making my raincoat to float in the wind like I was a superhero.

Discord's smile trembled, as his flippancy started to falter.

"So, shall we begin...?" I started to say, but he popped out from existence. That damned coward! He'll never engage in a direct approach! He'll wait that I end up wounded or disabled to strike! And, worst of all, he still has Dashie's wings! The longer this situation takes, the higher the risk that her mind ends up permanently damaged! DAMN!

Twilight looked to me, worried: "Oh, no! He escaped! Now, how are we gonna recover Dashie's wings?!"

I kneeled to her level and whispered to her: "I can't talk right now. He's near, listening." And saying that, I put my hand behind my ear, pulling out a little Discord, who was wearing diapers.

"You won't harm a baby draconeequs. Would you? That'll be such a crimeeeee!" He spoke with a baby-like voice. Next, he popped out from my hand before I scrunched him like a tin can and danced like he was a painting on the walls of the houses around the town. "Hey, over here! Shoot here!" He tried to trick me. But I knew he was doing that, so I ended up destroying the houses. Nice try.

Hmmm, it looks that he'll come near to hear what we're planning. I can use that as an advantage. And, according to my experience, Pinkie's best resort was her spontaneity. So, I knelt and whispered to her: "Pinkie, I need you to create a distraction, so we can catch him off guard."

"A distraction? I have the perfect one! A party! A DiscordBuckYouAndDieLikeTheBuckingDegenerateYouAreAnd..." Pinkie started to ramble.

"That's enough, Pinkie. I got the point. Move out." I whispered to her.

"... ImGonnaKillYou party!" Pinkie ended blurting the name of her 'party' anyway, with sharpened eyes.

Then, I made a 'come closer' gesture to my marefriend, and we started pretending that we were planning something. And Discord, as I imagined, come closer, dancing nonchalantly on the paint of the house walls.

Pinkie, by her side, apparently from nowhere pulled in her Party Jukebox, and started to dance while singing:

"Discord Discord Discord die, I'm gonna kill you." And, inexplicably, she managed to grab Discord from a wall of a house, pulling him out by biting one of his horns and next strangling him with a neck-lock, making him to pull his tongue out. "Discord Discord Discord die, 'cause you hurt my friend." Discord tried to escape, but Twilight and me quickly stepped near him, aligning with the planet's magnetic poles, and I extended both arms and said: "North-West!" and Twilight extended both forelegs and said: "East-South!" And then, both of us said at the same time: "Four Cardinal Axis Magic Binding Spell!"

Now, he wasn't gonna go anywhere. Pinkie continued with her fearsome song: "Discord Discord Discord die, nopony is saving you, Discord Discord Discord die, 'cause you're a crazy fiend." Discord desperately swung his arms and legs, with red face and the tongue out by the air lack, but Pinkie only tightened her deadly 'hug'. "Discord Discord Discord die, your master plan has failed, Discord Discord Discord die, you're gonna die todaaaaaaaay!"

And just when Discord was giving his last agonic stertors, Pinkie released him, and he fell to the ground, deeply panting for air, almost asphyxiated.

Pinkie shrugged an eye and pointed him with a foreleg: "And now, give back my friend's wings, or you're getting a rerun of my 'party'!"

Discord raised a trembling arm and said with ragged voice: "Alright! Alright. Take." And he pulled out Rainbow Dash wings from his mouth, and gave it to Twilight, who quickly galloped to stick them back on her friend. Then, Discord looked to Pinkie, dumbfounded: "How...? How did you managed to be more chaotic than... the God of Chaos himself...?" He asked, among deep inhales of air and coughings, holding his sore neck with a hand.

Pinkie half-lidded her eyes, with a mischievous smile: "Hmptf! I bested you, 'cause you're a loser. And losers always lose, loser!"

Discord's face saddened, and he bite his lower trembling lip and his eyes started to shed tears, about to cry. If it wouldn't be because he nearly killed Applejack, I would have felt pity for him. So, I put both fists on my waist, as I wanted to kill him, but that'll be a bad example for Pinkie, as she was scaring me too. So, I told him with a stern tone: "Discord, you're hereby banished from Equestria, and if you ever come back, you'll be executed in the spot. No trials, no prison. Death! Understood?! Now, get out from my sight!" I pointed with my finger to somewhere around.

Discord closed the eyes and nodded, and he popped out from existence, for a last time.

With Discord's threat taken care off, we now can focus on the gryphoons and their invasion attempt, and our primary concern: Daybreaker.

As Applejack was still in recovering, we were unable to use the Elements of Harmony, providing that we ever found where Discord hid them, as I searched on Twilight's house and didn't find them. Damn! I made a stupid mistake! I let Discord go and didn't asked him where the jewels were! I thought they'll be at the oak tree, like in the show, but he had hid them somewhere else! Well, no point in complaining now.

Well, not just one mistake, but two of them! There was no way to stick Rainbow Dash's wings back on her! It was like her joints had disappeared! Twilight could try a last resort surgery, but that could leave Dashie permanently disabled! It was too risky!

Damn, it seems that we had to bring Discord back, to make him to undo all his misdeeds. But now... Where bucking was HIM?!!

I sadly walked to my marefriend, who was sitting on a chair, sorrowful, loinside to me, in front of a table filled with X-ray pictures and medical books. I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed: "Love... I... I screwed the things up again... Sorry."

Twilight sighed, without turning around: "Yep. I knew you'll do it again, sooner or later."

I looked down, leaving my arms to hang, defeated: "Then... this is it. You're bucking me out, aren't you?"

Twilight hopped down from the chair and slowly walked to me, with tearful eyes, and when she was about a meter from me, she stood up on her hinder legs and extended her forelegs to me: "Hug me..."

I carried her and hugged her: "Love, sorry for being so idiot... I..."

"Shhhh, shhhh, shhhh." Twilight hushed me. "I know it. I know that you're an idiot, but you're my idiot." Then, she backed her head to face me, and smiled: "Don't worry, love. We'll figure it out, together, like we always do."

I smiled too, relieved, as I realized that there was nothing in this world that could break the bond we had...

Rarity walked to Fluttershy, and asked her: "Flutters, I'm so worried, please tell me how our friends are doing!"

Fluttershy sighed: "So so. AJ is recovering, but very slowly, and her physical condition is very delicate, but her prognosis is favorable, as well as her mood. Dashie's mental health, in the other hoof, have me very worried. I've had to double my shifts to keep a constant eye on her. It looks that now it's up to us to take care of her."

"Ow. Then Gus, Twilight and Pinkie already left to the battle front, isn't?"

"That's right. Luckily, Celestia allowed my coltfriend to stay on duty here, or I'd be worried sick." Fluttershy turned her head to watch the clock. "By the way, I think it's time to check on Dashie again. Come on, let's cheer her up together." She smiled.

"Head on!" Smiled Rarity too. While they were walking, she asked: "Flutters, and why Storm Chaser hasn't come to visit her? He wasn't her coltfriend?"

"Exactly. He was. They had a couple of dates, but it didn't work."

"Ow! That's too bad! Do you happen to know why?"

"Nope, and she doesn't wants to talk about it. Maybe you could get something from her, with your 'gossiping powers'."

And both mares giggled.

"Sure!" Confirmed Rarity. "And on what bed is Dashie?"

"Ow, she's right..." Started to say Fluttershy, but when she looked to Dashie's bed, it was empty. "Oh, no!" She exclaimed, horrified. "She slipped away! Come on, Rares, help me find her, quick!"

Rainbow Dash was sitting on her haunches in the borders of Ponyville's training field: "Now I'll never be a Wonderbolt. I know it." She mourned. "But I can't just give up. Wait, I know: I'll get married and have a foal or a filly, and I'll train the little brat to be the greatest Wonderbolt of all times!" She exclaimed with a smile, raising both forelegs to the sky, trying to cheer herself up. Then, she put her legs back on the floor and looked down, sorrowful: "Who I'm lying to? Who's gonna love me now? Nopony loved me when I had wings, so nopony is gonna love me wingless... My life is ruineeeeeed!" She mourned again.

She was disabled lifetime. Her dreams were shattered. Her only hope of having a family gone. She has nothing to live for.

Then, she looked in front of her: There it was, the Glock 9 mm. It was gonna be quick and painless. Of course, if she could figure out how to fire it with her hooves, as she learnt to do it with the wings, body part that she haven't anymore...

"Dashieeee!" Fluttershy's meek scream was heard: "Dashie, there you are, you crazy pony! Why are you worring me like this, escaping from the hospital like a naughty filly?! Come on, come back to your bed, or we're going to be in trouble!" She scolded Rainbow Dash.

"That's right, Dashie! It's not fair that you make your friends to gallop all the town long in such a rush! My tail tangled with something and now I have to spend two hours brushing it again!" Rarity complained.

Rainbow Dash sighed, weary, when suddenly, a shadow passed near her, making her coat to bristle. She looked to the sky, startled, and her eyes opened wide: "G-g-g-gilda! What are you doing here, you bucking bitch?!" She angrily blurted.

The above mentioned gryphoon looked at her, dumbfounded: "I... can't... believe this! You really lost your wings!" Then, she looked to a side, annoyed. "This definitively will ruin the fun."

"That's right, Gilda!" Confirmed Rainbow Dash. "You arrived too late! Someone else tore my wings off, ate them, and made me watch! So, what now?! What're you gonna do, huh?! You can't make my life more wretched of what it is already!"

Gilda looked to Fluttershy and Rarity, and smirked: "I beg to differ..."

Rainbow Dash's expression changed from anger to fear, and she turned her head to her friends: Even still having her wings, Fluttershy wouldn't ever be able to escape from Gilda's speed, and Rarity, even still having her horn, was as pretty much defenseless as Fluttershy. It was up to her to protect them!

Rarity lit her horn, bluffing: "Stand back, filthy gryphoon, I've made great progress in my combat skills! I'm warning you!"

Gilda evily chuckled: "Sure. If you had done so, you'd had taken me down by now!" Then, she direfully opened her foreclaws: "Make your last prays, puny pony!"

Fluttershy and Rarity hugged each other: "Ahhhhhh! We're going to dieeee!" They yelled, closing the eyes, scared to death.

Dashie extended a foreleg to a side, trying to cast a lightning sword, but her depressed state had severely dampened her magic abilities, and just harmless sparks came from her hoof! It looks like that she has to rely on martial arts skills!

So, she darted to stop Gilda in the air, just before she could reach her helpless friends, hitting the gryphoon using her own body as a projectile!

Gilda and Dashie rolled around the field, the first trying to cut and scratch the later, while Dashie were doing her best to avoid a mortal wound! Finally, she managed to shake off Gilda from her, giving her a hoof jab in the gryphoon's beak that almost broke it. Gilda took the air, rubbing her beak, smirking: "Oh, not bad, not bad. I was worried that you wouldn't give me a proper fight. This can be fun, after all!"

And she flown against Dashie again, claws opened to kill! Dashie managed to backroll and to dodge Gilda's attack, throwing her away to the ait, but, as the gryphoon could fly, that was nearly useless. Dashie gave some steps back: She can't go in a direct attack. She has to think some steps ahead!

Gilda got ready for another attack, and Dashie waited until she was close enough, and when her foe was, she gave a back flip, supporting herself by just a forehoof, hitting the gryphoon in the beak again! However, the hit wasn't strong enough to knock her down, and Gilda counterattacked, giving a long cut on one of Dashie's hinderlegs. Dashie rolled away from the attacker, thinking for herself: 'That the healing spell works, for Celestia's sake, that it works.' Then, she neared a foreleg to her bleeding wound. Then, she felt Gilda's flutters, coming closer to her. Dashie knew it. There's nothing that she could do. Even if she was able to cast the spell, she wouldn't have enough time to heal herself. All was over.

Dashie closed her eyes. Somehow, her heart was at ease. She was going down in a battle, not in a pitiful suicide. And she did all what she could for saving her friends. So there was no regrets. But the killing blow wasn't coming. Dashie opened her eyes, dumbfounded, only to find Gilda twitching in the grass, with both foreclaws in her ears and looking like she was withstanding the worst of pains.

Surprised, Dashie looked to her side, looking to Fluttershy, who was with her muzzle opened, making a gesture like she was screaming, but no sound was coming from her lips. However, Gilda looked like she was hearing a deafening rumbling. Even her ears started to bleed.

"Ahhhhggg!" Finally could scream Gilda, drooping to the floor, panting, as Fluttershy's lungs ran out of air. Then, Gilda opened a pair of bloody stained crazy eyes: "I'm going to kill you, puny pony!!" She screamed, crawling direfully to Fluttershy, who looked extremely exhausted by whatever she had just done.

Dashie looked around, desperate: There was something that she could do! And then, her eyes spotted the glock 9 mm. For that moment, Gilda had managed to reach Fluttershy, who was crawiling too, trying to escape. Rarity tried her best to stop her, levitating some stones and throwing them to the gryphoon, but with no success:

Dashie said to Rarity: "Rares, the gun! Use the gun!" She kicked the pistol to the unicorn. Rarity took it and tossed it against Gilda too. "Nooo!" Dashie exclaimed, waving a hoof. "Point the avian and pull the trigger! Point the avian and pull the trigger!"

Rarity levitated the pistol again: "What trigger?! What trigger?!" She asked, desperate, as she was watching how Gilda pulled Fluttershy's tail, and dragged the pegasi at the reach of her claws, while slowly raising one of them to kill.

"The one on the ring!!" Screamed Dashie, horrified. Fluttershy could be dead any second.

Suddenly, two shots were heard, and Rarity gasped and dropped the gun, scared, with both forelegs in her muzzle.

Gilda stopped short, with her claw still over Fluttershy. Then, she looked herself, and put the claw in the two bleeding holes that she now had in a side of her body, among her ribs. Dumbfounded, she looked Rarity, and then, she drooped to the floor.

"Oh, for Celestia's sake! Did I killed her?! Did I killed her?!" Asked Rarity, horrified by her own doing.

Dashie made a limping trotting to the motionless gryphoon, who looked to her with a resigned expression: "Well done... puny pony. You... got me. Go ahead... finish it off." She panted.

Dashie sharpened her eyes: "Yeah? And become a horseshit like you? Think again!"

The gryphoon commander raised a foreclaw, indicating his battalion to stop, and then pointed down, and the battalion landed in a woods nearby, waiting for a pegasi scout to pass by. There, the commander turned to his troops: "Good, it seems that they didn't spotted us. Alright, let's rest here and make sure there's no gryphoon missing."

The gryphoons looked around: "I think there are... wait. Where's Gilda?"

"What? She's not here with us? Could she had quit files?"

"No way!" Replied the commander. "She's a proud and loyal member of the Scorpion Squad, our honorable SS Battalion! She'll never quit files, for the Tartarus sake!"

Another of the gryphoons pointed: "Wait! I think that I recall her rambling about how she was going to have her revenge, even if that was the last thing she'll ever do!"

The commander looked down, rubbing his beak with a claw: "A revenge? Of course! She must be wanting to settle a score with some puny pony there at the town! I saw they arguing in the hospital! Come on, we have to fly back! The Scorpion Squad never leaves a soldier behind! Move!"

Rarity ended suturing Rainbow Dash last open wound, and Fluttershy applied her magic, and the wound instantly cicatrized. Then, she bandaged it until the wound ended perfectly protected from the environment. Then, Fluttershy closed the eyes and happily said: "And, that's it. Dashie, how do you feel?"

But Rainbow Dash didn't ansewered, deep in her thoughts. Worried, Fluttershy gently pushed her with a foreleg: "Dashie, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Finally reacted Rainbow Dash. "Oh, yes. Did you two finished already?"

"That's right... Dashie... are you sure you're alright? You didn't wanted to use any anesthesia to treat your wounds."

"Yes, Flutters, I'm alright. I just didn't wanted anything that could daze my mind. Gilda's reappearance here keeps bothering me, and I wanted to meditate about the matter."

"But, Dashie. All that treatment should had been a Tartarus of painful!" Commented Rarity "I think I must have had puntured you at least a million times!"

Rainbow Dash giggled: "Come on, Rares! What you were doing in my coat? An embroidering?"

Rarity frowned: "That's not funny, Dashie! You have us very worried!"

And Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Hmhmm!"

Dashie made a nonchalant gesture with her foreleg: "You have no need to worry. As a part of my training, I learned that if I put my mind in deep thoughts, I can stop feeling pain."

"Huh?! What?!" Rarity and Fluttershy opened her eyes and muzzle wide and looked each other, incredulous.

"Alright." Continued Rainbow Dash, hopping down from the bed. "I guess I should go and..."

"What?!" Fluttershy protested. "Oh no no no, miss Dash, the last time you 'go out' we all got nearly killed! So, you're staying here in bed until you get recovered and fine!"

"Flutters, Gilda returned to the town and nopony noticed, until she was practically over our heads!" Dashie replied. Didn't you see how she left that poor pony who she caught to interrogate? What about if there are more of them...?!" Rainbow Dash stopped short speaking and looked down, worried: "Oh no..."

Rarity and Fluttershy looked at her, concerned: "Dashie, what's... what's happening?"

Rainbow Dash raised her head, concerned: "Gilda was part of a huge battalion! If she escaped, her battalion could very likely to have too! And they could come here, looking for her!"

"Oh no!" Rarity and Fluttershy gasped, with a hoof in her muzzle, terrified. "We must send a message to Celestia, so she send troops to protect us at once!" Rarity suggested.

Dashie galloped first, while Fluttershy was still yelling her: "But, Dashie, for Celestia's sake! What did I just told you?!"

"Then, nothing?! No reply at all?!" Was asking Rainbow Dash to Spike.

The purple dragon shrugged his shoulders. "You have been all this time here with me. I have nothing to hide."

Flash Sentry opened his eyes wide, concerned: "Oh no, that only could mean one thing..."

"What is it, my love?" Asked Fluttershy.

"They're already engaged in battle! They can't send anypony here! We're on our own!" Answered the stallion Royal Guard.

All the rest of the ponies in Twilight's house gasped of terror.

"Oh no! Of all the worst things that could happen... this is... the... worst... possible... THING!" Dramatized Rarity, with a foreleg in her head. Then, she extended her forelegs to hug Fluttershy, but the yellow pegasi had already hugged her coltfriend. Rarity turned around and hugged Rainbow Dash instead, but the cyan pony quickly complained:

"No, Rares, let it go! My wounds are gonna open!"

Rarity released her, and, looking around, desperate to hug something, she finally spotted Spike. Rarity deeply blushed and sweated cold, and her eyes moved left-right-left-right, until she made her mind and hugged Spike anyway. The little dragon hugged her as well, smiling, with half-lidded eyes, bedazzled.

Rainbow Dash sharpened the eyes, and walked to a shelf where she knew that her master kept his not so small arsenal. She counted the weapons: 7 pistols, 2 revolvers, 3 shotguns, 2 assault rifles, 2 ZMG submachine guns and one sniper rifle. 17 weapons, and counting her glock, 18. And plenty of cartridges and ammo mags.

Rinbow Dash turned to the others, and ordered them with firm voice: "Listen, everypony! We're not gonna let those filthy gryphoons to slaughter everypony here! Rarity, give the alarm and go around the town, gather all the unicorns you can and bring them in front of the oak! Flash, Flutters, do the same with pegasis! Tell the earth ponies to evacuate with the foals and fillies! Move!"

Once almost half of the town was gathered around the oak library, Rainbow Dash announced there: "Listen to me, citizens of Ponyville! Is very likely that we'll get attacked any minute by a gryphoon battalion!" A general scared gasp could be heard. "Celestia has engaged battle in the border, so she can't send us spare troops!" Another general scared gasp could be heard. "So, we have to defend the town on our own! Unicorns, get this weapons!" She ordered, and Spike and Rarity distributed the weapons until they ran out of them.

The unicorns levitated the guns, dumbfounded: They never have seen before such a weapon, a lot less to use it.

"Pegasis, your work is to lure the gryphoons near the gunners, so they can take them down! Don't engage them directly! They'll cut your wings with their claws and that'll be it!" Rainbow Dash explained.

"But how do we use this?!" Asked somepony, raising a shotgun.

"Rarity, show them." Rainbow Dash asked to the white unicorn, who, gulping, took the shotgun with her magic, loaded it, pointed it against a nearby barrel and, covering her eyes, shot it, filling the wood barrel with several holes, from where water started to pour.

The ponies backed off and gasped, scared by the shot's noise.

"Almost correct, Rares, but the eye closing part!" Indicated Rainbow Dash. "Alright, Rares, you can go now. I'll manage from here."

"What're you saying, Dashie? I'm going to make some shots too! After I saw what that uncout and unmannered gryphoon did to that innocent mare, just to make her talk, I have no other choice but filling them of holes!" Said Rarity, with a rarely seen anger on her voice.

After a quick firearm fast-pace, Rainbow Dash was surprised by Applejack, Big Mac, and some other earth ponies, armed with working tools as a weapons:

"AJ! What are you doing here?!" Asked Rainbow Dash, concerned.

"Wha' do you thin', sugarcube? Helpin' , o' course!" Happily replied the cowboy pony.

"No, AJ! You're still recovering from your wounds! Evacuate, now!"

"An' so wha'? Ya'r recoverin' from yars, taa!" AJ replied.

"AJ, earth ponies are no match for gryphoons! Neither of you'll stand a chance!" Rainbow Dash still insisted.

"Look who's talkin'! Ya'r an earth pony taa, if ya haven' noticed!" AJ replied, upset.

"Yes. But can you do this?" Asked Rainbow Dash, extending a foreleg to a side, and casting a lightning sword.

The other earth ponies remained silent.

"I thought so. Evacuate now. I don't want any dead pony in my conscience." Sternly said Rainbow Dash, dispelling the sword, and turning around to check that everything was ready.

"Then, tha's it?! Ya'r leavin' me behind?!" Asked AJ with sobbing voice, about to cry.

Rainbow Dash sighed: "AJ... please understand... is for your own safety..."

"Mah own safety?! Mah own safety, Dashie?! Since when we'r came to this, huh, puttin' me aside because mah... mah condition?!" Screamed AJ, with sobbing voice again. "Ah can fight! Everypony here can fight! Let us fight! Let us help!"

"I can't, AJ! That'll only increase the casualty number! And I'm trying to keep this battle the less physical as possible!"

"An' who elected ya leader, Dashie?!" Replied Applejack, upset. "Ya just started givin' orders and shakin' everypony like ya owned this town!"

"Because I'm an experienced fighter, AJ, and you aren't! Want me to be honest with you, huh?! You're not capable of fighting anymore! Happy now?!" Blurted Rainbow Dash.

"Wha--wha'?" Asked AJ, dumbfounded, letting her rake to fall. "Wha' do ya mean...?"

"I saw your medical report! You received permanent damage the last time you were wounded! You're disabled!"

AJ lowered her head, with tearful eyes: "An' when ya were thinkin' in tell me thiiiiiis?!" She screamed, crying, and turned around and slowly and limping trotted away. Rainbow Dash looked to Big Mac: "Go after her, Big Mac. Don't let her do any madness." Then, she looked to the rest of the earth ponies: "Folks, sorry for speaking like that, but AJ is not really in fighting condition, that's why I had to be so hard with her."

"And us? Can we be useful, somehow?" Asked somepony.

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment: "Actually, yes, you can."

When everything had been settled down, yet another issue was presented to Dashie, in the form of Snips and Snails:

"We want to help too."

"Yeah, we're both unicorns, you know? We can use those fire I-don't-know-what things too!"

Dashie shrugged her eyes, wondering how she could get rid of them. Then, she looked to a side, spotting a large garbage dumpster, and she came out with an idea. So, faking a smile, she put herself between the two, and leaving her forelegs to rest over the stallions necks, she told them, nonchalantly.

"Guys, I have to tell you that I've always had you in great steem."

"Really?!" Happily asked Snips and Snails. "We didn't know that we were so dear for an Element Bearer! We're so honored!"

"That's right!" Confirmed Rainbow Dash. "And that's why I'm gonna trust you a top secret about gryphoons." She whispered to their ears. "You can't tell anypony, or you'll lose the esteem I had on you. Understood?"

Snips and Snaps nodded and closed their respective heads, to hear better.

"The gryphoons like to dive in garbage, it's a mania, like mandatory to them. So, when they arrive, surely their leader will jump to a garbage dumpster, like that one over there. So, you'll hide inside, and when he enters, you'll jump over him and capture him, the battle will be over and you'll be heroes! Imagine!"

Snips and Snails smiled, imagining already how'll be to be heroes. Oh, yes!

"So, move out, hide already and make me proud!" Dashie ordered them, and the two stupids stallions happily galloped to the dumpster, jumped inside and closed the cover.

Dashie smirked: "Good, that'll keep them safe."

Suddenly, a pegasi scout came flying: "They're coming! They're coming already!" She warned.

"Alright! Everypony to your positions! Don't let them reach the foals!" Ordered Rainbow Dash, galloping to the front of her improvised army.

"They're coming!" Said Flash Sentry. "Wish me luck, my love!"

"No! Please don't go, I beg you! I'll die if anything happens to you!" Pleaded Fluttershy, with sobbing voice.

"My love, I have to go! It's my duty as a Royal Guard!"

"No, that's not your duty! Your duty is to stay here, to take care of Spike! Not to go out there to get killed!" Fluttershy insisted.

"But, love! That you're asking me is treason!" Replied Flash Sentry.

"It's not treason! Did Celestia ordered you to fight?!"

"No." Said Flash Sentry, doubtful.

"Shining Armor?"

"...no." Said Flash Sentry, even more doubtful.

"Storm Chaser, anypony?"

Flash Sentry lowered his head, sorrowful: "But they're going to think that I'm a coward!"

"I don't care! I do prefer a living coward rather than a dead brave!" Pleaded Fluttershy, crying, hugging her coltfriend. "Please stay here with me! I need youuuuuu!"

Rainbow Dash looked to Rarity: "Rares, that's enough. You can evacuate now. You've done more than enough."

Rarity smiled, getting ready the sniper rifle: "Yeah, sure. Who's going to save your flank then, you crazy pony?"

Rainbow Dash smiled too.

"Look, they're waiting for us!" Said a gryphoon, pointing the small pony army.

"I don't see any Royal Guard. They're just civilians." Commented the commander.

"Are they surrendering? Because that'll ruin the fun." Complained another gryphoon.

The gryphoon commander smirked when he saw some of them armed with working tools: "Hey, wings. Remember that hunting raids on the yak's lands?!"

"YEEEEEEEESSS!!" Happily raised their foreclaws the gryphoons, and they launched over the ponies!

But, when they approached enough, they were received by a bullet rain!

"But what's this?!" The gryphoons backed off, when they started to have the first casualties. Surprised by the strange attack and the noise of the shots, they tried to escape from the mayhem by flying higher. The fallen gryphoons that were still alive were quickly beaten down by the nearest earth ponies!

Then, a group of pegasi flown up to the gryphoons height, armed with working tools, like rakes, shovels and so. The gryphoons darted after them, but the pegasi only dived down, making the gryphoons to inadvertently come closer to the gunners again, and another barrage took down another large number of avians!

"Commander, we're getting too many casualties! What are that weapons?! We've never seen them before!" Complained a gryphoon.

"We should withdraw! We've lost half of our forces, and we haven't even took down a single pony!" Said another.

"And sink our proud squad in the mud of eternal opprobium?! Never! Death will be better! Wings, attack to kiiiiill!" Ordered the commander.

And with a screeching shriek, the remaining avians dived over the ponies, ignoring the heavy casualties they were receiving. This time it became close-combat. Dashie cast her two lightning swords, and, for her record, she was the one who took down the largest number of enemies. And Rarity wasn't wrong. In the heat of the battle, the gryphoon commander, even wounded, managed to attack Dashie for the back, but Rarity took him down before he could strike, with a surgical precision headshot. And the battle was over.

Flash Sentry sadly observed how the other ponies fought, while he was forced to get stuck with his marefriend, and when the battle was over, he was so ashamed, that he screamed, crying: "I feel so baaaaaad! I feel like garbageeeee!" And he galloped to the dumpster and jumped inside.

"We got him! Catch him!" Happily said Snips.

"He's ours! We're heroes!" Happily said Snails.

And the dumpster started to dance on the most stupid struggle that can be imagined...

When Flash Sentry recovered conciousness, he was surrounded by his marefriend, Rarity and Dashie, who were looking at him with an open wide smile. Flash looked around, dumbfounded: "What... what happened?" Then, he sat in his haunches. "Ohhh, my head... I think something hit me..."

"That's right! You fought bravely against the gryphoons, and you were knocked down!" Happily lied Dashie, with a well faked smile.

"Truly? Did I...? But that's not what I recall. What I recall is..." Started to reply Flash Sentry.

"Forget of what do you think you're recalling! Brain contusion drives to confused memories, so you'll probably start to think ill and so on! I'm correct?" Said Fluttershy, with a tenderness that could soften the hardest of hearts.

"Huh? Brain contusion? But how...?" Still doubted the pegasi stallion.

"Believe me, my love. It's a health professional who's talking." Assured Fluttershy, pointing herself with a hoof, with all the confidence of the world.

All the ponies gathered around Rainbow Dash: "Wow, Dashie, you're awesome! Yo managed to defeat those nasty gryphoons, without any casualties! Five hurras for Dashieeee!"

And the ponies gave her kudos: "Hip hip hurrahhhhh!"

Major Mare herself awarded her, and proclaimed her Ponyville's heroine!

Dashie was so proud, that she thought that she'll go floating any moment. Who needs wings? She can be awesome anyway! Even without legs...! Well, maybe that was a bit excessive...

Scootaloo appeared among the crowd, happily cheering too: "Amazing, Dashie! You organized the town's defence in minutes! You're so smart! I want to be your little sister!"

Rainbow Dash looked down, as it was dawning to her: "I'm... an egghead!"

Once all the mess was taken care off, it was time to check on Applejack. Dashie felt very bad for treating her like she did, but she hadn't time for a long convincing session: She needed to took her off danger fast, not right. So, she, along with Rarity and Fluttershy, payed a visit to Sweet Apple Acres.

"She doesn't want to talk to you." Was Big Mac's riled answer to their request, and then, he closed the door on their faces.

"Oh boy, This looks bad. Maybe I should let her fight..." Rainbow Dash complained.

"She's too weak, Dashie." Fluttershy replied. "You were worried for her, and that's what matters."

"That's right! So, don't worry, Dashie. If Fluttershy forgave me for trying to take her coltfriend from her, I'm sure that AJ..." Started to say Rarity.

"You tried to WHAT?!" Fluttershy bristled like a hen whose chicken are about to be taken, very angry.

"No no no no, Flutters, I mean... that time... when..." Tried to explain Rarity, scared.

"That's enough, both of you!" Ordered Rainbow Dash. "Come on, let's go home. I'm tired..." Then, she looked to Rarity: "Rares, could I... sleep in your house until... I could find something else?"

"Oh, sure! You can stay all the time you need! You can use Sweetie Belle's room. She's staying with our parents these days." Rarity happily agreed.

Chrysalis walked to Thorax's room, finding him very happy and in a very good mood.

"Hello, auntie!" He happily hugged her.

"Hello, Thorax! How's my favorite nephew-in-law doing?!" She happily asked too.

"Well, since I'm your only nephew-in-law, I think that's a bit unfair!" Thorax laughed. "Your true nephews should be more favorite than me!"

"Awwww, always so modest!" Chrysalis giggled, slowly waving a foreleg. "But tell me, it looks that Cadance's visit did you a lot of good!"

"Indeed, auntie! She's so great! She's so cool! She's funny, and beautiful, and she always have something to say... Oh, auntie, I think I'm in love with her!"

"She truly is... what?!" Chrysalis shooked the head, dumbfounded.

"And you know what she told me? I bet you'll never guess! I bet you'll never guess!" Happily said Thorax, doing small jumps of excitement.

"No..." Said Chrysalis with concern, but she could imagine what could it be.

"She said that she was wrong with her feelings, and that she wants to know me better, so... we're having a date! Can you imagine?! Can you?!"

"Nope... I bet I'll never could..." Said Chrysalis with disdain, but Thorax was so happy that he didn't noticed.

"So, auntie. Any advice that you can give to me? How I should behave? How I should approach her? I mean, she's a pony! And not any pony, but a princess pony! Oh, I'm so worried! What about if I don't do it right?! Do you think that she could get upset with me, and doesn't want to talk to me anymore? Oh, auntie! I don't know what I'm going to do without her! I think I could die!" Thorax mourned, with a foreleg in his forehead, concerned.

Chrysalis eyes were quivering, and her half opened muzzle remained silent.

"Auntie? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, Thorax. You'll do it right. I have to go." Quickly said Chrysalis and left Thorax's room as fast as she could.

Back to her room, she dropped to her nest: "I can't believe this. I can't believe this! She's here just a day, and she already wants to take my Thorax away from me! How dares she?! Whimsical filly, she changes her mind like a changeling changes it's shape! And I can't kill her, I need her to fed my hive...! But... but... if she takes my Thorax away from me... I... I..." Chrysalis sank her head in the nest and trembled, feeling like her heart almost stopped beating. "I have to come out with something before it's too late!" She managed to say after she recovered from the emotional jolt.

Cadance was tiding her new room, when Chrysalis appeared with a green flash, startling her:

"Woah! Oh, Chrys! You scared me! You know, back in Canterlot, the ponies knocked the door before they..." Started to explain Cadance.

"Undo it." Chrysalis interrupted her.

"What?!" Cadance backed off, dumbfounded.

"Whatever you did to Thorax. Undo it."

Cadance blinked two times, without understanding: "What? Why? He's so happy now! And I think I've found my true..."

"You've found nothing!" Chrysalis direfully interrupted her again. "Thorax is mine, and only mine! He's destined to be my King, and you're not going to take him from me!"

Cadance looked the changeling queen, with quivering eyes and shocked expression.

"And we're leaving tomorrow to bring your 'Shirring Almol' whatever he calls, here! And you're going to marry him and let my Thorax away from your hooves! Understood?!"

Cadance gulped and nodded, scared.

"Fine! And if you know what's best for you, you'll respect your vows from now on!" Angrily said Chrysalis, before disappearing again with a green flash.