IGNITION POINT

He couldn't explain it.

The griffin's talons rapped against the crystal floor, skidding sideways as he rounded the final corner.

The Princess and the other ponies had just arrived, and all was going to plan. The research facility was the first large-scale effort between Equestria and the griffin territories to sooth tensions. There hadn't been any major incidents, ponies and griffins working side by side to forward both provinces. Well, no incidents until now. It was an accident that shouldn't have happened, but thankfully there was a specialist here to deal with it. One of the lead griffin researchers, Doctor Ironeye, was showing the apparently chemical-resistant Toxic Shield the layout of the labs, and the visiting Princess seemed content talking with her personal aid, a mysterious female griffin.

So if all was going so well, why did it feel like someone was watching them?

Osfrid shook his head, opening the door to his small room. Being the security detail had its perks, like on-site living.

His sharp eyes roved over the room; the bed, small bathroom, drawers, and closets, all made from the same crystalline material. A pile of blankets and pillows were mounded in the center of the room, the alternative to a bed. He felt...safer, sleeping in a cocoon like that. It was a childish thing to do, but Osfrid had long since stopped caring. It made him feel safe.

Safe. That described the absolute antithesis of what he felt right now.

The griffin snapped on a metal-plated belt, adorned with an array of small colored crystals, the material matching his breastplate. Next came two crystal-infused gauntlets.

Such extra gear wouldn't make him too out of place, and besides, he wasn't the center of attention anyhow.

On his way back to the large reception room, Osfrid stopped to check the security monitors, out of habit more than anything else. It appeared to be completely clear. Not so much as a bug was visible on the monitors. Both inner and exterior cameras showed the same thing they had always displayed for the past months.

The screens then snapped to black.

The anxiety that had infiltrated his thoughts an hour ago now hit full force as the griffin tried to reactivate the monitors, but quickly discovered the entire board of electronics was dead. Maybe if he re-plugged the power cable-

'BZZZZZZT!'

With a flash, the monitors lit back up, and for a moment, Osfrid's nerves ebbed. It had just been a system error. With ponies and griffins working on the same system, sometimes there were glitches, language errors, all the usual stuff. All he had to do was wait until the cameras-

Osfrid blinked as an image flashed onto the screen. It was red, color dripping down the monitors against a white background. The sight of the symbol turned the usually peppy griffin's blood to ice. The sight confirmed his fears, and fear threatened to dash his logical thoughts.

Osfrid almost slammed into the wall as he dashed back to his room, claws starting to shake as he retrieved the more unusual pieces to his security attire. These were the extra bits and pieces he had added on himself.

A selection of small blades were snapped onto his belt, a few others on his gauntlets. Then came the rest of the breastplate that covered his haunches and back legs.

Finally came the helmet. Black and complete with a full-beak guard, it had been custom forged a few months ago.

Did every griffin have a full set of battle gear in a closet? No, no they didn't, not since the peace treaty.

But then again, everyone who had met him always said the same thing, eventually.

He was not every other griffin...

The lights flickered, then went out. Emergency lighting kicked in, illuminating the hall with a dull blue glow.

He grabbed a vicious serrated blade and ran down back to the meeting area, a strange vibration starting to shake the halls.

As he screeched to a halt in the large chamber, Osfrid was at least somewhat relieved to see every-pony and griffin safe, but clearly concerned. The princess was talking to Ironeye about something, and the guards seemed on edge.

He was about to shout a warning, when the furthest wall exploded, sending chunks of sparking rock and crystal every which way.

Too much.

The realization of who was involved, and the potential consequences of the next few minutes quickly overloaded the poor griffin's brain, shutting down all questions and complex thinking.

As dark figures burst from the hole in the wall, the griffin's claws automatically began to move on their own, speeding him towards the scientists who sat grouped away from the Princess and her guards.

The dust cleared, and the intruders quickly became visible.

Griffins, a simple bright red mark painted across their face and chest feathers. They were clad in simple armor, most of it looking cobbled together from stone and...wood?

This might be somewhat manageable. Between the guards and the Princess...

Osfrid's last thought died as quickly as it had appeared, more griffins pouring from the wall entrance. There were now easily fifteen of them. Eight moved towards the Princess and her guard, the other group towards Osfrid, and the scientists behind him. His fellow guard, Eadric, was with the princess and her guards, baton ready to shatter bones at a whim.

The entire room lit up as the lunar princess blasted one of the griffins into the stone wall, her eyes glowing a terrifying white.

“THEY ARE SEPRATISTS! DO NOT JUST STAND THERE! FIGHT!”

The sound of the Princess's royal canterlot voice snapped Osfrid back to semi-reality, and a dangerous smile twitched at his beak. He had royal authorization to use deadly force.

Well then....

“Who do we need?”

“Kill the guards, the other griffin too. We only need the princess and the scientists. Take the two unicorns for ransom.”

Osfrid wasn't able to pin down which griffin was speaking, not that he really cared at that point in time. A unicorn was lying prone behind the group, but Osfrid had to concern himself with the still-conscious individuals. The first of the intruders, a bulky individual even by griffin standards, lunged at Osfrid with a serrated knife, aiming for his neck.

There was a blur of motion as Osfrid detached his baton, sending the crystal-tipped device slamming across the opposing griffin's head, the special stones sending pulses of magic across the impact area.

“Get to Luna!” Osfrid growled to the scientists, his tone alien even to his own ears. More enemies were entering, and it was clear that soon they'd be overrun, which wasn't to say they already weren't...

“Do you have a spare weapon?”

Osfrid's eyes widened as another griffin appeared at his side, eyeing the advancing Separatists. He didn't know much about Luna's aid, but rumor had it that she was pretty deadly in a fight.

Without a word, he snapped off a knife from his belt, handing it to the strange female griffin next to him.

“Osfrid.” He spoke out of the corner of his beak.

“Silla.” Her tone was equally as curt, and bearing a definite edge.

Silla...So that was the name of Luna's aid.

The two griffins moved along the wall, Luna's guard mimicking their maneuver. If they could get the scientists to Luna, maybe the Princess could teleport them all out of here....

Naturally, it wasn't that easy.

Another griffin lunged, this time with a small dagger. Osfrid moved, but not fast enough. The blade nicked his chest feathers, the pain shocking his brain. A very strange feeling overcame him as the griffin moved for another strike, time seeming to slow as thoughts skittered across his consciousness.

They were Separatists, the Blindweed Order, to be exact.

Another near-miss, this strike nicking his shoulder. Osfrid's thoughts kicked into overdrive, the reality finally shoving through the utter shock of the situation.

Wait...they want to kill us! Kill me! This is real?!

One thought then reverberated through Osfrid's mind, rage and hate bubbling to the surface.

The Blindweed Order. They owe me more than they can repay. They took everything from me!

This is no dream, no fantasy. They will pay. THEY WILL PAY!

The thoughts couldn't be stopped now. They consumed him, shoving down all logical thought. All Osfrid saw was red.

Silla looked over to the other security guard, who apparently was frozen in shock. The fool hadn't even blocked two of the strikes. She was busy holding off a griffin who threatened to cut off their path to the scientists and the Princess. As Osfrid's opponent lunged, Silla mentally winced, knowing the poor guard was about to be skewered.

Her eyes widened as the griffin glanced around, oblivious to the weapon about to plunge into his chest. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and a shiver ran down Silla's spine. In that instant, something about the griffin changed.

Osfrid's arm snapped up, hooking the other griffin's arm in his own. Without a pause, the guard stepped forward, snapping the offending appendage in two. Snatching the dagger, Osfrid glanced at it, and then to the Blindweed attacker. Without any further hesitation, he plunged the dagger into the assassin’s chest. The stricken griffin's unworldly shriek caused a temporary lull in the fighting, both combatants turning to the source of the noise.

Osfrid pulled another knife from his belt, his eye meeting another one of the assassin's...

and smiled. The voice that emanated from his beak was dripping with hatred and bloodlust.

“You're next!”

His mind was numb. Blood splattered over his feathers as he slammed his claws onto the face of an attacking griffin. Osfrid's baton twirled in his grasp, shattering the beak of another. Of the three knives he had thrown, one had found its target. The other two had bounced off the skulls of the griffins, his lack of throwing practice showing. Now though, those same knives were picked up off the floor and sent hurtling towards the Blindweed attackers. His baton broke bone and beak, and Osfrid's claws sank into any available purchase he could get on the offenders. He had been cut on his arms, but how many times Osfrid wasn't sure. He didn't even care, for that matter. There was too much hatred in the way.

“Hey! Move it!”

The world resolved back into focus as a guard shoved Osfrid, their two groups finally meeting.

“Any time your majesty...”

Luna glared at her aid, but a faint smile twitched at her lips, their enemies starting to regroup.

“Hold on- GAH!”

The alicorn shook her head, wincing as magical energy sparked from her horn.

“This...is not right. The spell is suppressed!”

“The magical suppression field. They must have activated it.” Osfrid offered his explanation, no emotion in his voice.

“Stay close. This will be...difficult. It will take...time.”

The scientists and guards, griffins and ponies alike, bunched together around Luna, the teleportation spell slowly resolving into an orb that shimmered into existence around them. As the outside world began to fade, Osfrid saw a projectile speed towards them;

More specifically, towards Luna.

It nicked the ear of a guardspony, then sailed towards Luna's exposed chest. There was a blur of movement as someone shoved Osfrid aside-

The teleportation spell then activated, and everything went black.

It was hot.

In temperature, he wasn't sure, but the sensation was something Osfrid could never forget. In the strange misty darkness of semi-consciousness, flames danced in and out of his vision, pain lancing through his body.

Was he asleep?

His senses were assaulted with new stimulus with a loud 'CRACK!', sounds and smells the first things to register, Osfrid's eyes still closed with shock.

First, it was quiet. Only the sound of birds reached his vision.

Second, a very acidic smell, almost like burning.

Third came the overwhelming sensation of...

HOT!

The griffin's eyes snapped open, adrenaline spiking into his system. He scanned the area briefly, hoping for- There! A small pond, but a few feet away!

A high pitched yell then caught his attention, and his slightly-blurry gaze registered another griffin beside him, feathers steaming.

His brain shut down, the overwhelming desire, no, need to be cool drowning out all else. Osfrid promptly grabbed the nearby griffin and hurled himself, and the other individual, into the water.

Hissssssssssssss....

Ahhhhh...

Osfrid wasn't sure how long he soaked in the water, letting the cold permeate his entire body. It felt like someone had lit every feather on fire. Judging from the burnt plumage floating in the water, something akin to that had happened.

Now that he wasn't burning up, figuratively or literally, Osfrid took a better look at his surroundings. It looked like the small pond was in the middle of a clearing, around which large trees loomed. A few birds flew overhead, and a few miles away a small mountain jutted from the forest, which crept up the side of the large rocky outcropping. The air was cool, but laden with the smells of the wilderness.

Which was to say, it was clean. Not like the antiseptic-smelling laboratory.

The laboratory...

Osfrid's eyes widened as the memories came flooding back. What had happened back there? They had been attacked, and he...had...

The griffin clambered out of the water, stumbling a short distance from the lake and vomited, limbs shaking. A cold sweat sprang up underneath his feathers and fur, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly.

He had killed them.

The last of his stomach's contents emptied, the young griffin buckled down on his not-so-secure emotions and walked back over to the lake to check on the other occupant. To his surprise, the other griffin was sitting in the water, watching him with a curious gaze.

“Silla?”

Author's Note

Any and ALL feedback appreciated! I take all criticism seriously, and hope to use it to craft a more enticing and exciting story for everyone!