The thin, chilly air of 1500 feet and at 6.30 in the morning, six pegasi are seen flying north toward the border of Gryphonstone. This patrol was a routine item and it was was led by a mare, Capt. Silverlining, the others were Lt. Cyclone, Sgt. Tradewinds, Pvt. Neon Blitz, Pvt. Dust Storm, and Corp. Blizzard. The squad after about six hours of flight spotted a forest in which to land to rest; they touched down and Neon Blitz amongst the small talk felt uneasy....it was too quiet. Voicing her concerns Silverlining listened and felt the unrest. The group paired up and searched the area on hoof. Neon was paired with Corp. Blizzard and they found the remains of several fire pits, all still contained some warmth. Further search by the squad found were places where bodies had been laying. They've seen enough to know that a force was moving along the border or into Equestria.
"We patrol on hoof, Sgt. Tradewinds take to the sky and keep to a high altitude....higher than we've been flying and if you can use the clouds for cover. For the fucking love of Celestia don't whistle to yourself! The wind up there will carry your tune to the gryphon aerial patrols." The patrol was simple and after several hours they found no other evidence of their foe.
The squad used a wide tooth search and Neon Blitz felt like they were being watched, gingerly she tread the damp forrest floor, the moss was always facing her as she plodded east. She froze as she looked skyward, she became accutely aware that Tradewinds had flown over her for the past two hours; he flight over her was about fifteen minutes in incremental timing. A twig snapped and she spun to her right and flicked her hoof blade out and almost stabbed Dust Storm in his barrel.
"Don't fucking do that!" She hissed angrily, "Where the hell is Tradewinds?"
"You noticed too? That's why I came over here, is to ask that exact question." The duo were soon joined by Blizzard as she trotted over.
"I feel like we're being hunted as we're hunting!" Was Blizzard's fearful whisper. The three of them stuck close together and found Silverlining glancing skywards.
"Stick close! Something is wrong and I can feel that Tradewinds is either in trouble as met it! He hasn't flown over in a while. Fuck! I knew we should've left after finding those warm fire pits." Neon Blitz was the youngest and though like Tradewinds a private the stallion was a private first class and had more experience than she had.
Silverlining was trying to decide if she should lead her troops to safety on hoof or walk to a clearing and get them airborne. Glancing at her hoof she froze in terror, she had placed her hoof by a trip string. "No pony move! We're fucked!" Dust Storm panicked and shot skyward. As he went up something large slammed him down and blood went everywhere. Hoof blades were drawn and Dust Storm writhed on the spear that impaled and pinned him to the forrest floor. Neon attacked a gryphon who lunged with a sword and missed her barrel by inches. Blizzard swung at her nearest foe and severed his head jaggedly as it hit the ground. Silverlining was doing her best to calculate an exit route while engaging five gryphons at once.
Tradewinds finally appeared and dove into the fray. He had been trying to keep from being detected while in the air and was unable to alert his commrades about the impending ambush. Neon shot skyward to try to get an aerial advantage when she was tackled and slammed to the dirt. Her left wing was broken upon impact and a dagger was thrust into it and into her barrel. A claw began to hammer her face and it had also made impact into her rib cage with enough force that she felt ribs snap. She now choking on her own blood raised her hooves in a gesture of surrender and slid her hoof blade off and slid it away from her. The blows ceased and she saw through a swelling eye and an eye having blood drip into it saw her friends were all wounded and were either being held by two gryphons and had been beaten with a war hammer or being stabbed with short bladed daggers. Fearfully she looked at her captor, he was huge and she felt tiny under his mass. Gently sliding her helmet off and sliding it away she kept her gaze steady into his glaring eyes. Soon the entire host of gryphons appeared and some jeered and mocked her as she lay still and not even struggling. Neon got kicked several times and she coughed out a single request.
Neon saw the gryphon's rank and she made a humble request and placed something she held dear as collateral. "Please Major.....can you release me? I......just need to get the blood out of my throat, as proof that I won't try to run I have my great grandmother's locket, if I run you kill me and do what you wish with the locket." Nodding the gryphon let her up and coughing out blood, Neon removed her armor and let herself be vulnerable and completely defenseless. The other gryphons were amused that an enemy was doing this voluntarily, Dust Storm cursed like Tradewinds and we're screaming profanities at their captors. Blizzard, Neon saw, was a mare who wanted to die as she had received many injuries and was hanging by a rope by her forelegs and her back hooves barely touched the ground and was struggling to breathe. Neon Blitz became fearful and tried her best to stand as the gryphon king was making a landing. Silverlining glared defiantly, but Neon could see the terror in her eyes to spite the glare.
King Tungsten had to the squad's disgust a pegasus in his entourage. "Your highness, I give you Capt. Silverlining as I promised! Now your end of the deal."
"Idiot, among my own kind your actions disgusts us.....your reward is......" The sentence didn't end as the pegasus was now being beaten by eight gryphons with clubs. "Your reward is not going home as a disgrace!" Neon Blitz saw claws before her, and her companions beside her. Her commrades stood defiantly, Neon chose to bow, even though it pained her greatly from the broken ribs.
"Your majesty......I trust your flight was pleasant?" Damn her luck she coughed and blood soaked the feet in front of her. "Pardon me your majesty......it was an accident."
"Neon don't bow to the enemy!"
"Lt. Cyclone sir.......I am paying respect as seeing it could get us slightly better treatment or swifter deaths."
"She's right pony, you all would do well to learn from her." The squad glared at Neon Blitz and mouthed out that a court Marshall and firing squad had her name on the list.
"My lord.....permission to make a request?"
"What is it pony?"
"Just a small sip of water to reduce this cough....if I ask too much.....a pardon is what I ask." Water was brought to Neon Shuffle, and the others were chained to a tree and a field medic had been summoned to treat them until further notice, however, Neon was given her medical care in the medic tent while the gryphon who captured her stood guard over her. Neon was cautious and tried to be polite even though her newly spiked fever had spiked and was causing her to have a bitchy moody. It would be several weeks before the six ponies would learn what their rates will be.
It had been a month since their capture and now they stood in their own rooms with all of the comforts one would want. Neon Blitz heard that her friends were comfortable and safe. Silverlining was given a nice large room overlooking the town with a mountain view. Tradewinds and Dust Storm shared a room and Blizzard was with Cyclone....her brother. The service bell was gently tugged by Neon because she was wondering if it actually worked considering that she was a P.O.W and to her surprise a gryphon gently walked in.
"You rang ma'am?"
"I was just seeing if the bell was actually rigged up and functioning. At any rate since you're here, what will be done with us?"
"King Tungsten will be putting the six of you to a test of some sort, or so I hear told and something to see how far you'd keep your oaths before you give him information."
"Not to be rude sir, but um....He might as well go ahead and kill me. I can't in good conscience do so, even if no pony else knows or learns of what I've said....I won't be able to live at peace knowing I turned my fellow Equestrians over."
"My name dear one is Graphite, and I am sure to tell him what you've said! Everyone has a breaking point...... we'll have fun finding yours." Neon nervously paced and was eventually led to the dining hall. Tungsten smirked as all but one of the guest chairs was filled. Neon noted that Dust Storm wasn't present.
"Your friend will be here presently, had to send a gryphon to find him....apparently he got lost."
"Your highness......thank you for treating us so well." Tungsten looked at Neon, and smiled or what a smile had to be for one who had a break.
"You're very welcome, I heard that Graphite told you about my potential test; after dinner I'll discuss business."
The Proposition
"You can have your freedom, rank, title, lands, and wealth if you give me the information I desire. Tell me where your princesses are moving their troops? You can tell me some time tomorrow but I'll give you time as well to think about it." That night Neon Blitz lay in her bed, hoping that she won't break. It was around midnight when she saw Dust Storm talking to a group of soldiers, cleared, he was asking directions to somewhere. Lucky for her, her view consisted of the courtyard, throne room, and the great hall and no lights or movement could be seen.
Three Weeks later
News was heard that King Tungsten's troops had won a major victory and Neon soon met with her friends and discussed the news. Neon knew who the traitor was and she had once had feelings for the bastard. When they broke up for recreational fun she stormed to where Dust Storm slept. "Dust Storm! Tell me the truth, please? Did you the other night tell Tungsten anything?"
"The hell should you care?"
"Our oaths for starts!"
"Look Neon! I served our princesses loyally and not one promotion! Eight years of no promotions! I was the best scout that they had!"
"If I hadn't sworn that I wouldn't raise my blade against a brother-in-arms! I'd kill you myself!"
"Go fuck yourself whore! Better yet suck Tungsten off you little slut!"
"Are you still mad that I wouldn't do 'IT' with you? Fuck you!" In the middle of the heated argument Tungsten and a few of his guards barged in and aimed their bows and fired a barrage of arrows. Neon dropped to the floor and saw Dust Storm become a pin cushion and a single arrow in here dick should've been. She slowly rose to her feet then bowed.
"My Lord, sorry for the disturbance."
"You were in the right, it is obvious he values wealth and rank more than his honor as a sworn soldier. Go and clean yourself up and promise me if any one asks, you will tell them that in heated argument that he tried to kill you and we saved you."
"I....I....I can't lie to them sir, I wish I could but I can't."
"Mmmm......how refreshing, someone who is of a purer heart then I've seen from Equestria." Neon gently shuffled back to her room with Graphite at her heels.
"Neon was it?" A gentle nod affirmed the name. "How long do you think it would take for the others to falter?"
"Well, Cyclone and Blizzard have been at odds since middle school so Cyclone would be first to fall. He may even pay a guard to kill off his own sister or something. Blizzard likes to have extra spending bits so she'd easily succumb to the wealth notion and may sell us out. And my commanding officer, Silverlining won't break unless you do something or treat her like how her father had before he left her and her mother. Please Graphite, on your honor don't use the information I absemindedly gave you? As a soldier to a soldier?"
"You have my word." Graphite swore as he left Neon to herself.
1 Month Later
Tradewinds stood with a gryphon general and was selling Blizzard out. Beside Tradewinds was Cyclone, he was wanting to get a little extra gold, so he took advantage of the knowledge that the gryphons had eyed his sister. Once again news came that the princesses had fallen under another defeat, and that Blizzard had been forced to sleep in the barracks of the common soldier. Silverlining and Neon stormed to the room that Tradewinds and Cyclone we're presently sharing.
"The hell is wrong with you! You sold out fellow Equestrians and your sister out! You dumb fuck!" Silverlining hissed angrily as she decked Cyclone. Silverlining then proceeded to tackled Tradewinds and smash his face in. Neon didn't have time to react as she saw Cyclone hoof a letter opener and try to stab his captain. The guards appeared and using their halberds ended Cyclone and Tradewinds and continued to butcher them until their screams were no more. Silverlining herself was on a breaking point. She had made the error of exposing what her fear was.
4 months and 1 week later
Neon was galloping down to the dungeon, Silverlining was down there and she had to get her out somehow. When she got there, Silverlining was hanging from the ceiling and her hooves chained above her head. Soldiers were beating her senseless, Neon felt sick as she watched helplessly from behind a wall of vertical bars. Behind said bars, she saw Blizzard out of her reach and being hurt. She begged Tungsten to end it and let her take their place. To Neon's horror she heard Blizzard give directions on how to take out a guard post on the border of Gryphonstone. The events that followed were as at other times, news of crushing defeat of the Equestria Army and then she witnessed Blizzard die. "Capt. Silverlining ma'am, stay strong and don't bend.....or break. You gave your oath!"
"You poor filly, I already have, by morning our whole battalion will be dead via the means of poison. Your home town, that small city fort will be in ruins..."
"My home town! That city has a population of a hundred thousand ponies!!" Neon sank to the dungeon floor and bawled. Her tears of anger and loss soaked her cheeks. The guards from at the top of the of the dungeon stairs came to her when they heard her crying.
She counted the months to be close to seven months of captivity and absolute comfort and her commrades fell to the bait of wealth and title in enemy territory. That night she didn't eat or sleep in her bed. A maid had checked on her, the whom Neon sent a note to Tungsten to do his worst to her and see what her breaking point would be.
Neon Blitz endured great pain and suffering, for some reason King Tungsten had ordered for her abuse yet. She lay hungry, cold, and I'll on a dungeon cell floor. A guard came in and began to flog her with a rod of cedar roughly half an inch in diameter and hurled insult of the most degrading sort. Neon Blitz heard that her city had been utterly wiped out by poison or by the sword.
It had been about two years now, and she hadn't broken. "Well, well, well my little pony, you hadn't broken yet; not really surprised. Tell me Neon, doesn't living in a mansion on a hilltop with servants, a soft bed, good food, and rank along with gear wealth not appeal to you? Think about it, no more pain and suffering."
"My lord, I gave my oath! My family would be ashamed of I broke."
"Your family is dead! I had my son bury them himself! Your princesses don't care about! If they did they'd saved you by now!" Tungsten pierced her barrel with a talon and spat on her.
"I do give a fuck! You are holding back! I said do your worst!"
"It pains me that you are going through this just to see how far you'd go before breaking! Neon Blitz, I am holding back because your integrity and honor excelled every other pony prisoner we've had. We almost killed you a few months ago and that risk I don't want to take."
Neon began to sob, nothing in her would break her loyalty. "Just kill me then, I got no home to go to or family to see again." Neon heard orders were being given them she passed out as the cedar rod slammed into her head after it cracked a rib and slammed her face. When she awoke she was in a soft bed and Graphite stood by her bed watching her.
"We almost lost you again. At this very moment our surrender to your princesses is being discussed and we are using you as a bargaining chip. We're banking on your loyalty and if you'd be willing to lay on your word of honor that we did nothing to hurt you save what you told us to do; and that the records of our methods of breaking you are true then will your princesses be willing to not make us tributaries."
"You have my word" once Neon signed the records of her torture were true then the peace talks became more promising and Neon couldn't forget how she lost everything because her captain being a traitor.
