The Elements of Equestria
Part 12
Molasses had slept fitfully in Valiant’s tent while he and Surf had shared the other. Surf seemed slightly ill at ease being around Valiant, but the royal blue, wingless pegasus had expected as much and didn’t mention anything. At breakfast, the two friends had been expecting the chocolate colored colt to eat according to his size. To their surprise, Molasses took no more food than either of them did. They had broken camp early and started on the road as soon as their practice was complete. Molasses had watched with seeming fascination as the two ponies had run, jumped, spun, and twisted in various acrobatic maneuvers. Valiant and Surf had expected Molasses to slow them down because of his girth, again to their surprise, the slow colt had no difficulty keeping up with the two much more trim ponies.
As soon as the three were traveling again, Valiant began asking Molasses about Haysburg,
“How long has it been since you’ve been to Haysburg, Molasses?”
The colt looked up to the sky and scrunched his face, sticking out his tongue at a comical angle as he tried to articulate his thoughts,
“We go sell the sweet-sauces when the seasons change sir.”
“So it’s been a while then?” Valiant prodded gently.
Molasses didn’t respond, ‘Maybe he doesn’t know what to say.’ Valiant thought, ‘Poor guy. Being around him makes me grateful that I’m not handicapped.’ Following the colt’s lead, the three continued on in silence until the sun was directly overhead. Molasses was the one to instigate their break for lunch. He simply stopped in the middle of the road and sat down on his haunches as if waiting for something.
Valiant and Surf stopped as soon as they saw the younger colt stop,
“What’s up dude? Are you hungry?”
Molasses nodded, still saying nothing. Valiant and Surf walked the few paces back to the chocolate colt and sat down on either side of him. Surf & Turf opened his saddlebags and removed a small sack of dried fruit he had bought in New Yoke, while Valiant headed off into the nearby trees to forage for other things to eat.
“Is there some reason you’ve been so quiet today dude? You seemed happy to talk away last night.” Surf asked.
Molasses chewed on his mouthful of dried fruit in silence, swallowing before he responded,
“Don’t repeat yourself Molasses, it makes you sound silly. It’s better to stay quiet and be thought a foal, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
“Whoa, heavy stuff there dude.” Surf said, surprised with the depth of the colt’s response, “Did your Momma tell you that?”
Molasses nodded as he dug his head back into the bag of fruit, his voice came muffled from the intervening fabric,
“Momma said it was a smart thing to do. I want you to be smart, Molasses.” he said as he pulled his head from the bag, mouth empty, “Don’t let anypony tell you you’re stupid. You’re smart in your own special way.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you bring the chess board with you bro? Do you know how to play?” Surf asked.
Molasses nodded and dug into his saddlebags, assumingly looking for the board and pieces. Surf was amazed that he could reach them at all. His head re-emerged from the pouches holding the chess board in his mouth. Molasses set the board down then laid out all the pieces in their proper order. Surf decided to humor the colt and the two began playing, Surf & Turf was white and Molasses was red.
Valiant re-emerged from the trees just in time to heard his neon colored friend say,
“Checkmate, good game dude.”
Valiant walked over and examined the scene. Surf & Turf was playing against Molasses in chess and the colt had unfortunately lost. Even though he lost, Molasses didn’t seem fazed at all by the outcome, almost as if he were used to it. As the wingless pegasus walked over, the two opponents shook hooves. Valiant sat down and distributed out his find; a pouch full of raspberries, among himself and the other two ponies. They ate then waited for molasses to put the chess board and pieces away then continued on toward Haysburg.
The sun began to cast long shadows on the ground, but they still hadn’t reached Haysburg. The anticipation was wearing on Valiant’s nerves, he was becoming anxious. The smell of swamps told him they were very close. He had spotted several wide watery fields of rice but he still couldn’t make out any buildings from the village. The sun sank behind the tree line and the night began to grow cold. Valiant looked to his right and saw the Razor Wing mountain range that signaled the border between Equestria and Gryphonvale.
He kept his eyes trained on the mountains, almost hypnotized by the sight. The Razor Wings ran from South to North along the far side of the Eldritch Basin that the White River flowed both into and out of. Valiant took a good long look at the forever snowcapped mountains, remembering the particular, unique patterns of the peaks that he could recall from the village square of Haysburg. His gaze lingered on the sight for longer than was necessary, but eventually movement caught his eye and he stopped cold. A number of shapes rose up from the mountains, flying fast in their general direction. Valiant squinted his eyes, trying to make out any details.
“What’s up bro? Is something wrong?” Surf asked beside him.
Valiant kept his gaze fixed on the mountains as he responded,
“I thought I saw gryphons up there, but maybe it’s just the light playing tricks on me . . . wait . . . look!” he pointed with his hoof, “There! Flying just above the tallest peak! Do you see them?”
“Be careful with the lion-birds, Molasses. They can be nice, but some only want to pick on you.” the colt mumbled from beside Valiant.
“Are they dangerous dude?” Surf asked.
“Generally, no. I’ve seen a few scuffles between gryphons and ponies though. They have to be careful not to use their claws because they can open you up like an over ripe melon. Normally gryphons don’t bring their chicks anywhere near Haysburg due to the tornadoes, but one family did and there was trouble. The youngest gryphon chick got into a play-fight with a filly and ended up putting her in the hospital. She had to have ninety-odd stitches. The chick’s parents volunteered to pay for the filly’s surgery and then some, but relations were strained for a while after that anyway. When I last left, the relations between ponies and gryphons were fine. Somehow, I don’t think that’s the case now though.” Valiant explained.
Surf & Turf turned to watch Valiant. The royal blue stallion’s lips were moving. Surf guessed he was counting. After a moment, Valiant’s words hit home. Surf’s eyes widened at the hint.
“Huh?” Surf asked, “Why are you counting dude? What’s wrong?”
Valiant swallowed hard and kept counting as he answered,
“Gryphons are nocturnal hunters. They never stay around after dark because they have to eat. They’re omnivores but they do need their meat. Their hunting parties generally consist of three to five adults. They have a lot of trouble with wild creatures attacking their settlements so they’ve learned to fight in groups. They call the fighting groups ‘war-parties’. A war-party generally consists of fifteen to twenty-five adults.” he turned to his two companions, “There are twenty up there.”
“And that group of gryphons is heading right for Haysburg isn’t it?” Surf said, voice cracking.
Valiant broke into an all-out run as he called over his shoulder,
“A group of gryphons on the wing is called a ‘flight of gryphons’ and yes they are. Come on! We have to warn Haysburg!”
Molasses shambled behind Valiant, fairly light on his hooves despite his size. He was lagging behind, but was obviously trying his best to keep up.
Surf & Turf stopped and slipped on his climbing hooks then checked his hang glider and took off after Valiant and Molasses,
“Please tell me this isn’t the start of another Gryphon War.” he panted.
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The three friends galloped as fast as their legs would carry them. Valiant tried manifesting his wings so he could fly, but he was too distracted by the thoughts of what might have been happening to his village, his first home. He pushed himself as hard as he could, summoning every ounce of strength and speed to lend might to his body. He could hear the ring of Haysbrg’s bells as the flight of gryphons came closer. Over the beating of his heart and the pounding of his hooves Valiant could hear the cries of the ponies as they scurried around trying to get to safety.
One voice, a stallion, rose above the others,
“The beasts are attacking again! Guard the orphanage! Hurry, protect the foals!”
The words rang in Valiant’s ears, ‘They’re targeting foals!’,
“Surf, Molasses,” he called behind him, “Get to the orphanage! The gryphons are attacking the orphanage!”
Valiant ran with a speed he never knew he had, ‘Not my village! YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY VILLAGE!’ the blood pumped in his ears as he ran. Valiant heard the cries of the gryphons and the sound of splintering wood followed by the screams and cries of colts and fillies intermingled with the distinctive sounds of hooves striking flesh. His vision narrowed and time seemed to slow. He rounded a bend in the road and took his first step into Haysburg in more than five years.
Valiant saw the outlying homes of the ponies he had grown up with. The road carved a straight path through to the center of the village. Ponies he recognized were running everywhere in a blind panic. He saw the bakery, where Glaze and his daughter Sprinkle lived and worked. He saw the Mayor’s office building where town-meetings were held. He saw the tailor shop, the apothecary, the blacksmith, and all the places he remembered, right where they ought to be. With his memories driving him, Valiant instantly headed toward where he remembered Miss Heartfelt’s orphanage to be.
He took the corner that led to the orphanage and stopped in his tracks, eyes widening, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. Earth ponies fought with gryphons that had been brought down in nets in front of the door of the orphanage, while still more gryphons crawled through a massive hole in the roof of the two story building. The orphanage was the only place that was under attack strangely enough. One gryphon emerged from the hole in the roof of the orphanage gripping a sobbing mauve coated filly with a bright blue mane and tail in its claws and launched into the sky, or more accurately, it tried to. The gryphon, for all its strength, was having trouble carrying the filly. The truth of the situation hit Valiant like a ray of light, ‘She’s an Earth pony. She’s too heavy for it to fly correctly!’
The filly, fearful for her life, was putting up a mighty struggle for something so small. She wiggled and bit and screamed and cried and bit some more, determined not to be taken by the much larger gryphon. The gryphon couldn’t seem to gain the altitude it needed and so had to soar between the houses, down the road in the middle of the street heading for the village square. The gryphon was well out of reach for the stouter and heavier Earth ponies to jump and grab, but it was still below the rooftops.
Valiant took off running towards the village square ahead of the gryphon. He spotted a narrow alleyway between two single story buildings and gritted his teeth heading toward it, ‘Goddesses give me strength!’ He leapt up as high as his legs would carry him and planted his hooves against one wall then tensed his muscles and launched off as hard as he could in the opposite direction, twisting in the air as much as his body allowed. His lower stomach hit the wall of the opposite building but his top half made it onto the rooftop. He pulled himself up onto the roof, fore hooves scrabbling on the tiles lining the surface, and broke into another run. Valiant chanced a sideways look and saw the gryphon flying almost even with him. He picked up speed and leapt out over the road, ‘There is always hope!’
Valiant flew through the air, heading straight for the gryphon’s head. He collided with the great predator in the air in a tangle of blunt hooves and wickedly sharp talons. The gryphon screeched and tried to fight off its assailant while still holding onto the filly. Valiant grappled with the gryphon, his fore hooves wrapped around its neck, kicking at its belly. The filly was clutched firmly in its front talons and Valiant curled his body up and around her as best he could, hoping the gryphon wouldn’t decide to let go of her and attack his exposed underbelly. In a matter of seconds Valiant felt the road scrape painfully against his back, shredding off layer upon layer of skin. His added weight was too much for the gryphon to hold aloft.
Valiant grunted, his world going white from the pain, he heard a gravelly voice speak next to his ear,
“Idiot pony! You’ll be killed!”
The gryphon suddenly dipped its right wing and turned over, trying to push Valiant away as the gryphon himself began sliding on his back on the road. Valiant’s world was going dark and his ears roared like a waterfall, he had just enough of his mind left to curl his whole body around the filly. The gryphon tried to maintain his grip, but finally let go. Valiant, still holding the filly, rolled away, his momentum and curled body making him roll like a wheel right into the wall of a nearby building. Valiant felt more that heard a loud thump and his world became blackness.
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Surf & Turf had never seen a battle before, but he knew right away that he never wanted to see another. He and Molasses followed Valiant through Haysburg until they saw him stop. Ponies and gryphons were fighting all around the door to a two story building. The gryphons had consolidated their efforts and were working in teams, some to keep the ponies at bay, while others freed their grounded brethren from their entangling nets.
Surf saw a gryphon carrying a filly, heading toward what seemed to be the center of the village. Valiant took off running in front of the thing. Surf & Turf saw Valiant veer into an alley and emerge on the roof of a building then take a flying leap and tackle the gryphon in mid-air. The fight didn’t last long, the gryphon was obviously weighed down by the extra weight. In a flash of movement, the gryphon turned onto its back and sent Valiant and the filly rolling away before righting itself and launching into the air, flying away over the rooftops. Valiant slammed into a brick building, hitting his head. Surf shrugged out of his glider-pack and started heading toward Valiant, but a terrified scream caught his attention.
Surf turned his head and watched as another gryphon took to the air holding another filly in its claws, it looked much more weighed down; the filly was older and the gryphon was smaller. Surf narrowed his eyes and made his decision. The lithe and limber neon colored Earth pony turned and galloped along the road heading the same direction as the gryphon, waiting for it to get over his head. He looked over his shoulder and saw the gryphon coming up on him fast. With a twist of his body and a mighty leap, Surf turned toward the gryphon and raised his fore hooves, extending his climbing hooks in the motion. His judgment proved to be accurate. The blunt hooks slid over the gryphon’s wings where they attached to its torso and it came tumbling down, grounded by the combined weight of two Earth ponies. Surf & Turf, like Valiant, scraped his back against the road, but had the presence of mind to kick the gryphon’s talons where the limbs attacked to its body.
The gryphon screeched in shock and pain and released its grip, the filly spilling down onto Surf’s stomach with a startled cry. The combined weight of the two ponies combined with the friction from that pressure on the street below brought the gryphon to a halt in mid-air and it slammed face-first onto the road. Surf felt the wind knocked out of him and his fore legs shuddered as the gryphon escaped from the hooks and took off.
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Molasses watched as the two big colts did things that made his tummy twist. They did some running and some jumping and some tumbling, it all looked very dangerous. The loud noises and the panicked confusion scared the simple-minded colt. The sound of yelling caught his ear, breaking through his haze, and Molasses turned toward Miss Heartfelt’s orphanage, ‘I bet Momma would want me to see if Miss Heartfelt needs help with the foals. Remember to always be gentle with foals, you’re bigger than they are, you don’t want to hurt them.’
Molasses trotted up to the battle on the ground and pushed bodily past the Earth ponies, who were too busy to notice the upper levels of the orphanage had been breached. Molasses pushed open the front door, ‘Miss Heartfelt always said Momma and me were like family and I don’t knock on the door at home.’ Molasses recognized the figure of Miss Heartfelt immediately. The older Earth pony mare was trying to go up the stairs to her orphans, but a gryphon blocked her way, swiping its claws and clacking its beak menacingly, ‘That’s not nice. Miss Heartfelt always says to hug the foals when they’re scared. They sound scared so she needs to go hug them, but she can’t get to them.’ Molasses thought.
He pushed past the panicked, agonized, and tearful orphanage patroness and confronted the gryphon,
“You’re being naughty.” he said simply.
The gryphon was so taken aback by the huge colt’s boldness that it literally stopped and blinked in confusion. It lowered its talons and stopped clacking its beak, in awe of the sheer audacity of the immense pony. Molasses, in his forever simple mind, took it as a sign of submission. He reached up and took the gryphon by the scruff of the neck with his mouth and hauled it outside. Miss Heartfelt was so shocked by the sudden development she just stood in place watching in disbelief as the scene unfolded before her.
The gryphon screeched and struggled wildly as the huge pudgy colt dragged it outside and set it down,
“You’re in a time out for . . . “ Molasses stopped to think, ‘How long do you go into time out?’
The gryphon didn’t wait for the slow colt to finish. It took off, and hovered for a moment. The creature threw back its head and let out a long loud screech. The other gryphons on the ground fighting the ponies, ceased their struggle and took to the air as well.
Molasses thought it was especially naughty that the lion-bird didn’t stay in time out, but certainly did enjoy the hug Miss Heartfelt gave him, even if he didn’t know why she was crying.
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Within minutes, Haysburg was free of the presence of the gryphons. Surf & Turf groaned as the filly continued clinging to his stomach, sobbing pitifully.
“Do you mind, little dudette?” he croaked, trying to crack a smile, “I’m, like, totally trying to pull off the while ‘injured hero’ thing here.” Surf’s words were joking, but his tone spoke volumes, ‘Well on the plus side, it doesn’t hurt as much as it probably should. I guess I just got, like, super lucky and landed on soft dirt or something.’
“Get up off him, missy. You’re going to crush your rescuer.” a gruff voice said.
The filly was gently pulled off Surf, giving him a view of the new pony. He was an Earth pony stallion, his coat was the color of red clay and his mane and tail were a dusty shade of grey. His cutie-mark was of what looked like a trio of wheat sprigs bound together at the centers but pointing in three different directions, one left, one right, and one straight up. He had a rugged look to him and seemed well-built, like a farmer.
Surf took the stallion’s offered hoof and hoisted himself up, immediately regretting it. His back felt like it had been dipped into molten lava. Surf arched his back screaming in pain as tears sprung to his eyes. He fell back onto his spine, where the massive injury was, and contorted in blinding agony as the nerve endings fired up sending an overwhelming signal to the pain receptors in his brain. Surf & Turf had received his fair share of injuries in his career of extreme sports, but this one left them all in the dust.
“Miller, turn him onto his stomach, quickly!” a mare’s voice called from Haysburg’s clinic, which was fortunately close by.
“Alright, nurse Trauma, alright.” Mill Treader, or ‘Miller’ as most ponies called him grumbled over Surf’s screaming, “Your mother sure did give you an appropriate name now didn’t she.” he said rolling the writhing neon Earth pony onto his stomach, “You caused her plenty of trauma on the way out and you haven’t stopped sin . . . “ Mill Treader stopped short as he finally saw Surf’s back, “Trauma, get over here! Bring your sister, Triage! This guy’s dealing with some serious hurt!”
The two nurses came running out. They were two of the few unicorns who lived in Haysburg proper. They were twins, but not identical. Trauma was bright green with her mane and tail a drab brown with white highlights. Her sister Triage was dark yellow; her mane and tail were fluorescent orange. Trauma’s cutie-mark was of a pony in traction lying on a hospital bed, while Triage’ cutie-mark was of a pair of tossed away splints and bandages.
“Oh no!” Trauma said, “I’ll levitate him inside! Triage, ask around and see if anypony else needs help!”
Trauma levitated the wailing, writhing neon colored Earth pony into the clinic while her sister searched around,
“Miller,” she addressed, “Did you see anypony else who got injured?”
Mill Treader nodded,
“Yeah, I did. Saw this one crazy pony jump from a rooftop and tackle one of the gryphons then bring it down. Darn stupidest thing I ever saw. Brave, no doubt, but royally stupid.” Mill Treader looked around and spotted Valiant laying limply against the wall of the Arcane Repository, “There he is!”
Both ponies galloped up to Valiant’s still form,
“What the . . . He’s still hanging on to a filly!” Mill Treader tried to pry the filly from Valiant’s hooves, “Boy! This guy’s as strong as an ox!” the burly Earth pony pulled with all of his, not inconsiderable, strength and finally freed the filly from Valiant’s grip, “Come here missy.” he said holding the sobbing filly, “Your safe now.” turning back to Triage, Mill Treader asked, “How is he? Is he going to survive?”
Triage shook her head,
“I need to get him patched up as soon as possible. With the Vagabond’s potion, he should pull through.” Triage laughed mirthlessly, remembering the sad story of the pony who had been an acquaintance of both herself and Mill Treader, and her sister.
Triage levitated Valiant up into the air as gently as she could. Mill Treader spotted something and held out his hoof, halting the nurse. Triage stopped and looked at the Earth pony like he was crazy. Mill Treader lifted a shaking hoof and pointed to Valiant’s, now exposed, flank, eyes the size of saucers, jaw hanging open.
Triage turned her head trying to spot what could have affected Miller so; her eyes gravitated to it immediately, she starred in absolute disbelief,
“Impossible.” she whispered.
“May Celestia have mercy on us all.” Mill Treader said, “He’s come back.” shifting his eyes, the red clay colored pony looked to Valiant’s back, “What happened to his wings?”
Triage shook her head, clearing her thoughts,
“It doesn’t matter who he is. He’s not going to last long if we don’t help him.”
“You do realize what might happen when everypony finds out.” Miller said, “Look everypony knew him, but he’s cursed, an outcast, a Va . . .” the Earth pony’s mouth snapped shut with a glowing aura around it.
“I don’t care.” Triage hissed, “He’s injured and he got his injuries saving a filly. Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anypony. Do you hear me, Miller? Not. One. Word. We can find out the truth later, after he’s recovered, but for now, my job is to ensure he does so. Do I make myself clear?”
Mill Treader nodded silently. Triage turned and let go of the Earth pony’s muzzle, levitating Valiant toward the clinic at a trot.
Miller shook his head, still trying to sooth the filly,
“I sure hope your heart’s not bigger than your head, Triage, or you’re going to have a riot on your hooves.”