Brothers In Blood II

It’s been two weeks since the news of the Gryphon King’s death came out.  Celestia has been flooded with mail from different regions about the news. The horses of Saddle Arabia and the Zebras don’t want any part in anything that might happen after the event. Council meetings have been called multiple times to discuss what might happen. The Minotaur’s have agreed to help Celestia if there’s any chance of a war; if the Gryphon’s decide to call one.

Clayton hasn’t been allowed to leave his room at any circumstance. The trouble he caused two weeks ago has already spiraled out of control. Shining Armor has been chosen to guard and watch Clayton at all times. With the disappearance of Luna, Twilight has become the new princess of the night. At first Twilight didn’t want to take the lead, but understood as her mentor was getting tired of managing everything in the day and barely has time for the night.

Cadence went back to the Crystal Empire to stronghold the kingdom since they are the closest to the Gryphon’s, followed by Chrysalis. The queen of the Changeling’s has already turned her hive into another stronghold. If the Gryphons are to attack, they would have to go through Cadence and Chrysalis.

“Shining,” Clayton knocked on the door in his room. “I understand I messed up but you can’t leave me in here…”

“You killed the damn Gryphon King and pretty much set up a potential war!” Shining called from behind the door, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “I can keep you in here until Celesta calms down and doesn’t kill you like last time.”

“Don’t remind me…” Clayton scoffed as he walked back to his bed. “By the way, I’m out of booze.”

“Good! Now I don’t have to worry about you killing another king!” Shining yelled back.

“But it wasn’t the king!” Clayton yelled. “It was Discord!”

“Discord’s been bucking with your brain since you came to Equestria!” Shining groaned. “Just ignore the bastard until all this horse shit you made finally flushes.” Clayton grumbled and gazed over to the window.

The night was young in Canterlot. The white moon shone down on the sleeping city, street lights illuminating the cobblestone roads. Store lights and signs were being turned off for the night as everyone slept. The only lights on were from the nightclub located close to the center of Canterlot. Guards walked down the streets, patrolling for any criminals or spies.

But what no one noticed was the griffin crouched on top of a roof. The griffin wore an orange and black mask, the colors split in the middle. Two golden eyes glowed in the moonlight. The griffin wore a black jumpsuit. A long bandolier hung across his chest, the front lined with different arrows. A quiver and a bow were strapped to his back, holding many arrows. On his right arm was a miniature crossbow. A large belt was strapped around his waist, multiple grenades and pouches.

The griffin produced a set of binoculars and looked over to the castle, scanning all the guards. He looked down at the piece of paper he got from the person he got the job from and nodded.

“It’s show time.”

CHAPTER X: HUNTED

“So did you hear about the alien killing the king?” two night guards stood at the gates of Canterlot. They gazed up at the night sky and sighed.

“Yes Midnight, we all heard.” One of the guards groaned. “Why do you think we’re here?”

“Yeah I know but still,” Midnight commented, stretching his bat wings. “We should’ve got a break since we’ve been guarding the gates even before the alien went rage mode.”

“Rage mode?”

“Yeah rage mode!” a small arrow shot passed the guard, sticking to the wall behind him. Midnight jumped, getting into battle position followed by the other guard. Their flanks clashed together as they watched each other’s flanks.

“Where’d it come from?” Midnight whispered.

“The roofs.” The other whispered back.

“Actually you’re wrong.” They both looked up just to have the masked griffin fall on top of them. They groaned in pain as the mercenary walked off their bodies, walking to the large golden gates. The griffin froze, looking down at his shadow. Without warning, he swung around and fired a crossbow bolt. The arrow went right through the throat of the guard behind him. Blood sprayed out of the wound as the guard gargled in pain, clenching his throat with his hooves. The mercenary ducked as the other guard swung his spear, the blade barely cutting the top of the merc’s head. The griffin swept his leg on the ground, tripping the guard. He caught the spear and slammed it into the guard’s skull. He paused, and let go of the pole leaving it standing upwards.

“The arrow in lodged in your neck was actually a capsule filled with a flammable liquid.” The Griffin glanced over to the barley-alive guard. He took out a small box of matches and lit a match. “You’re going to wish you died.”

Without mercy, the mercenary tossed the match at the guard. The blood instantly erupted into flames as it spread on the stallion, engulfing him in flames. His screams of pain could not be heard over the crackle of fire.

The halls of Canterlot were quiet. Guards were patrolling the windows and halls of the large castle. The halls were illuminated by the light from the moon, giving them a soft white look. But no pony noticed the dark figure gazing down from the ceiling. The mercenary dropped from the ceiling and landed gracefully on the floor, trying not to make any sound. He reached behind him and produced a knife, the blade gleaming in the moonlight. The guard didn’t even see it coming as the blade connected to the back of his head, blood oozing from the wound.

The griffin held onto the body and dragged it behind a pillar, trying not to get any blood on the floor. He slowly walked over to a corner and peeked around, his golden eyes scanning the hall. Three guards walked up and down the hall, their faced as stern as stone. The mercenary went back to hiding, pulling a grenade off his belt.

“I can’t believe you dragged me into this.” A familiar voice echoed down the hall. The griffin peeked around to see Shining Armor at the end of the hallway, Clayton in tow.

“I’m just getting a drink Shining, nothing else.” Clayton growled. He nodded at the three guards who said nothing. “Teach your guards to be more lighthearted.”

“I would do the same if I saw someone who started a war.” They continued walking down the hall at the end of the hallway until their voices couldn’t be heard.

The mercenary sighed and tossed the grenade down the hall. The guards looked at the round ball and looked down the hall. The grenade exploded into a spray of small needles. The needles covered the guards and injected some green liquid. Before the guards could react, their muscles started to stiffen, freezing them in place. The mercenary walked down the hall, looking at all the frozen statues of guards.

“The Wax Museum;” He commented. “Love that movie.” The griffin rolled to the corner of the hallway, peeking over. The light in a room was turned on, shining down the hallway. The sound of cups can be barely heard. The griffin sneaked over to the doorway of the room, peaking around.

Clayton stood alone in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water. He placed the glass on the counter and yawned, scratching his chest through his white shirt. Shining Armor watched the man drink his water and sighed, looking down at the wooden counter.

“What’s got you down Shining?” Clayton asked. Shining only sighed in response. He looked over to the window at the end of the dining room, gazing at the moon. “Well other from me fucking up everything…” Shining chuckled.

“I worry about her Clay,” Shining sighed. “I worry about Cadence, Chrysalis, and Twilight. I worry about them all.”  Clayton laid a hand on the captain’s shoulder.

“Shining, Cadence is a strong pony. I know you guys are never seen without each other but she can hold her own on her own.”

“I guess you’re right.” Shining smiled and looked up. “There’s scotch in the cabinet behind you.” Clayton shook his head.

“Sober,” Clayton smiled. “But we’re going to need it if we’re going to be talking about you and Chrysalis.” Shining’s cheeks started to turn red.

“I-I don’t know what you’re-“

“Can it Shiny, I know about you and her.” Clayton opened the cabinet and took the bottle of scotch. Shining Armor floated a glass over to him. “But I don’t know all of it. Start to finish, no leaving anything out.” Clayton filled both glasses with scotch.

“You better get comfy then, Clay.” Shining chuckled. The mercenary shook his head and snuck past the doorway.

The mercenary jogged down the hallway and slowed to a stop as he stood at the entrance to the throne room. The tall golden doors stood tall, freshly repaired after the Nightmare Moon incident. The griffin took out a mirror from one of the pouches on his belt and angled it on the floor. The mirror showed Twilight sitting on the golden throne, her eyes closed as she slept. He angled the mirror to see two guards standing on each side of her, their faces stern.

“I’m going to check on Twily, be right back.” The sound of hooves echoed down the hall as Shining Armor walked out of the kitchen. He walked to the golden doors and pushed them open, not seeing the griffin on the ceiling slowly sneak in.

“Twily!” Shining said loudly. The alicorn jumped in response, rubbing her eyes. She smiled as her brother hugged her in response. “Everything OK here?”

“Yeah, just a bit tired.” Twilight said sheepishly. “Now I see how Princess Celestia feels.”

“Not as easy as you thought huh?”

“Not really.” Twilight smiled.

“It’s never easy baby doll.” A voice chuckled. Shining Armor lurched his head back as an arrow passed his face. The arrow penetrated one of the guards in the head, the limp body falling to the floor. The other guard went to reach when a loud bang echoed in the room. Shining Armor and Twilight yelled in pain as light filled the room, blinding them both. The mercenary bolted out of the room, a small pouch strapped to his belt.

Clayton ran out of the room only to collide with the mercenary. The griffin pushed Clayton back and jumped on his shoulders. He jumped off Clayton’s shoulders and ran, not looking back. Clayton growled and ran after him, followed by a recovering Shining. The mercenary jumped over a guard and slammed a knife in the other, the blade slicing through the guard’s skull. He spun around and slit the throat of the second guard, watching him bleed. He looked back to see Clayton and Shining chasing him and continued to run.

“You ok Shiny?” Clayton asked as they jogged.

“He died in Goatham. “Shining responded. “How is he back?”

“You know this guy?” Clayton yelled. They watched as the griffin spun around, two throwing stars in between his claws.

The mercenary threw the stars at Clayton before crashing through the window, spreading his wings. Clayton held his arm up and blocked the stars from hitting his face, the blades sticking themselves into his arm. Shining shot a blue bolt of magic at the griffin’s wings. The bolt collided with the griffin’s wings, causing the mercenary to fall from the sky and to the city below. Shining breathed heavily and walked over to Clayton.

“You ok?” he coughed.

“I have two ninja blades in my arm.” Clayton hissed. “I’m ECSTATIC!” Shining sighed and used his magic to pull out the stars, causing Clayton to yell in pain.

“I used a paralyze spell on his wings but he can still move.” Shining said, ripping one of the curtains and using it as a bandage. “We don’t have much time. I’m not making him escape again.”

“Who is this guy?” Clayton asked as he bandaged his arm.

“Dread Wing.”

Clayton and Shining Armor walked down the streets of Canterlot, a small band of guards following them behind. Clayton’s arm was still bleeding, the red curtain being a darker red. No one took mind to him as Shining directed guards to scan down streets. He looked around the quiet streets of Canterlot for anything suspicious when suddenly; an arrow flew over Clayton’s head, impaling itself into a house. The mercenary waved at the two from the roofs and ran, Clayton and Shining following him from the streets.

“Shining; Teleport!” Clayton yelled. Shining nodded and looked at the mercenary, concentrating on his position. His horn started to faintly glow as he channeled the spell.

Dread Wing looked over to Shining and smiled. He jumped off a roof and to another, pulling out a mirror. The light from the moon reflected off the glass and into Shining’s eyes, blinding the unicorn right when he teleported Clayton. Clayton disappeared and reappeared 20 ft. above the mercenary. With a loud scream, Clayton crashed through the roof and into the room below, awakening the residence of the house.

With a groan, Clayton looked up to see Dread Wing looking down at him from the hole in the ceiling. With a wink, the mercenary jumped to the next roof and continued to run. Clayton groaned and got up, dusting off pieces of wood and dust. He ignored the scared residence and ran to the balcony. With a grunt, Clayton jumped off the balcony and to the ledge of the roof, pulling himself up.

“GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!” Clayton yelled, ignoring the lights of houses springing on.

Clayton ran after the mercenary on the rooftop, his eyes filled with hate. This was the second time he’s fallen through a rooftop in Equestria, and if this guy thinks it’s funny, he deserves to die. The griffin jumped and backflip in the air, kicking Clayton in the face and stunning him. With a growl, Clayton swung a fist at the griffin, only for it to get blocked. The griffin kicked the man in the knee and punched upwards into Clayton’s jaw.

“The griffin king sends his regards!” the mercenary grunted as he kicked Clayton off the rooftop. Clayton fell down into a small display of Rosses and other flowers. He groaned in pain as he looked up at the mercenary on the rooftop. He watched where he was going and grunted as he got up.

“Are you ok?” Shining shouted as he caught up.

“Train station!” Clayton yelled. “Stop the train!” the two started to jog to the train station, the old train stationed at the train station. Its horn blared as it began to move.

Clayton and Shining approached to the scene to see two guard bodies lying limp on the floor, a small puddle of blood forming around them. Before they could say anything, an arrow shot out from one of the train cars and impaled itself in Clayton’s shoulder, causing him to roar in pain. He looked to where the arrow came from to see the mercenary winking at them. The train started to speed up as it left the station, leaving the two at the empty room.

“Buck! Clayton! You ok!?” Shining tried to pull the arrow out only for Clayton to push him away.

“It’s fine!” Clayton yelled. “Where is-“

“He got away.” Shining groaned. “Dam it he got away.”

“Not he, Shining.” Clayton said through gritted teeth. “She.”

The funeral in Gryphonia was quiet. Everyone wore black as rain pattered on umbrellas. It’s been two days since the robbery in Canterlot and the Gryphons were just burying their old king. The casket lay in the small hole in the ground, its gold trim reflecting off the light from the lightning.  The king’s son stood next to the hole, his head held low as others stood behind him, tears in their eyes.

“Oh how much I’ll miss that tyrant” Discord watched from a top a crypt, his paw holding a glass of wine. No one saw him, but he saw them. The god sipped his glass, drinking the glass instead of the wine. “But it was fun making CC all mad at me.” He smiled as a griffin in black flew close the crypt, its mask half orange and half black.

“It’s about time you arrived,” the mercenary took off his mask to reveal his identity. “Gilda.”

“There were some difficulties.” Gilda coughed, taking off the voice changer around her neck. “I got what you want. Now where is she?”

“Gilda Relax!” Discord smiled, turning his attention to the griffin. “My prize first. Then I will release your sister.”

“I don’t have time for your games Discord!” Gilda growled.

“Then I’ll just kill your sister.” Discord thought for a moment. “I always wondered what grilled griffin tasted like.”

“Fine.” Gilda sighed. She grabbed the pouch on her belt and gave it to Discord. He looked at it for a second, grabbing it with his magic and letting it hover. When his opened the bag, a large grin formed on his face.

“You’re dumber than I thought.” Discord whispered. With a snap, the crypt opened. A small griffin ran outside into the arms of Gilda, tears running down the little griffins face. Gilda couldn’t hold her tears as she hugged her sister. “Now if you excuse me, I have work to be done.” Gilda ignored Discord as he slithered his way to the king’s son.

The son couldn’t react as Discord possessed the griffin. Griffins looked at him weird as he shook, until he stopped. Before the priest could say anything, the griffin king walked to the podium. He looked at the crowd, his eyes being yellow with a mixture of blue and red irises. He cleared his throat, wiping away a fake tear in his eyes.

“My father was the best known king in Gryphonia.” The prince spoke, his voice a bit raspy. “He continued the mantle of the family until his demise two weeks ago by Celestia. But we will not stand for this! Celestia has killed two of our kings in total! She wants us to die, to not have any leaders. But I will not stand having my dad’s death not be avenged! From this day forth, I will be the new leader of the Gryphons!

The ponies have betrayed us; betrayed our trust, our lives. They do not pity our lives as they think they are more important than us! They think they were the first known life, the first peaceful race. WE were peaceful, only defending ourselves from the Minotaur’s as the ponies didn’t even know of our existence! And when they do, they try to reason with us; try to make us join them. I know this is past but it is relevant as it was Celestia who killed my grandfather AND my father. We were better off without them as they think they can control us. But we control ourselves! We are independent! We don’t need aid from those weak, insufficient ponies; we don’t need them to control us. We make a stand!”

The rain started to fall harder, the lightning piercing the heavens. The crowd started to increase, guards and residence cheering for their new king. Gilda looked confused at all of them, not realizing they were hypnotized.

“Today, we will mark this upon our calendars! The day the Ponies and the Griffins waged war! Today, we fight back and take back what was ours! We will destroy all that appose! All the traitors of the Gryphon cause that plead the safety of these ponies will die! All that help them will die! We will become the master. No; the ONLY RACE ON EQUESTRIA!”

The prince glanced over to Gilda and smiled, his eyes glowing in the night. Gilda shook her head and started to run, pulling her sister with her. Discord smiled and nodded to two guards who started chasing her.

“Let un ending chaos ensure.” Discord grinned.