//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Familiar Faces // Story: Valor is Magic // by NotSoSubtle //------------------------------// Familiar Faces Twilight’s hooves felt like lead as she followed Vedette across the university’s lawn. Going without sleep was certainly starting to get to her, but the stress of the night had taken an even greater toll. As the two ponies had exited the university together, Twilight had found herself struggling to simply put one hoof in front of the other without tripping. Still her mind wandered, trying to make sense of the evening’s events. So much of what she didn’t understand seemed vitally important. For all her efforts, though, Twilight just couldn’t think clearly. It would have to wait until she was sitting on the chariot to sort it all out with Vedette. A mixed group of royal guard pegasi had congregated on the western edge of the university lawn, near a chariot in Celestia’s royal colors. They were mingling in two groups, the night and day order guards talking quietly amongst those of their own order. Dawn’s rays glinted off their armor, still looking polished after the night’s events. Twilight looked back over her shoulder toward the rising sun with a faint smile, thinking of her mentor. Good, at least Celestia is okay. As Twilight and Vedette approached the chariot, the night guards took flight and dispersed, while the day guards turned and stood at attention. One of the day guards stepped out in front of the others. Vedette came to a stop in front of him, kicking his hooves and offering him a crisp salute. Twilight stood next to him, and tried not tremble from exhaustion and the slight chill in the winter breeze. “At ease,” the guard responded simply. “Major, are you and Miss Sparkle ready for travel?” Vedette smiled and indicated his bulging saddle bags with a nod. “As we’ll ever be, Colonel Daybreak.” The colonel glanced to the row of guards, who took it as a sign to prepare for flight and broke the line. Two worked their way into the chariot harnesses while the others spread out in a loose formation. Daybreak walked the passengers to the chariot while they worked. “I’ve been told the griffins have ceased intercepting flights around the city, but a royal chariot will be a tempting target for glory-hungry scouts. I’m sorry Miss Sparkle, but we’ll be taking you back the long way, just like the trip here.” “Wait,” Twilight said, almost interrupting him as a wave of clarity overtook her exhaustion. “You’re the one, the one who knocked on my door back in Ponyville.” He blinked. “Yes.” Twilight couldn’t help but be amazed. Not only were these pegasi still awake after all this fighting, they were about to fly yet another round trip to Ponyville. She glanced from pegasus to pegasus, looking for the one who had reassured her on the flight in, but his face was missing from the group. “Is Percheron okay? Did the team…” she couldn’t remember the name of the group. “Did they find him?” Daybreak tilted his head to the side a moment, seemingly surprised before a slight happy twinkle came to his eye. He glanced at Vedette. “Just like the princess, this one. Always more worried about every other pony. I’ll have to trust you to make sure she doesn’t let that get her into trouble.” Vedette winked. “They’re so alike I’m already under similar orders. But you have my word, old friend.” It was only for a moment, but Twilight was almost certain she saw the ghost of a smile appear on the colonel’s face, but it was there and gone so fast she couldn’t be certain. He nodded politely to the major before turning back to Twilight. “Yes, Percheron was found by Force Delta and returned to the city. He only suffered what amounts to scrapes and bruises during the engagement on the way in. He’s resting in the field hospital now, and the doctors say he’ll be fit for duty in a few days.” “That’s,” Twilight said, yawning as she and Vedette stepped into the chariot, “that’s good to hear.” She sat down with a tired smile. “Really good.” With the passengers loaded, the colonel waved a hoof to the other guards. They lifted off in unison, and Twilight shifted uneasily in the chariot as it moved under her. Vedette put a hoof on her shoulder to steady her. Daybreak moved to the front of the now airborne formation, and all the pegasi turned in unison as he led them westward. “Soldiers of the guard,” he stated in a loud baritone, “we make for Ponyville.” As they flew higher, the light from the rising sun poured into the back of the chariot, warming Twilight where it touched. It gave her strength against both the cold from the outside and her exhaustion within. Vedette seemed to get the same appreciation from the morning sunshine, and both she and the elder stallion sat together enjoying the new dawn in silence. Twilight yawned as the chariot passed over the garrison and left the city. “Oh, excuse me,” she said, covering her mouth with a hoof and turning to her fellow passenger. “Major, now that we don’t have any distractions, I have,” she yawned again, “a few questions, if you don’t mind.” The major smiled. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, Miss Sparkle, but first we do have one pressing concern.” The unicorn raised an eyebrow as he undid the buckle on one of his saddlebags. Gingerly, Vedette bit down on a bit of fabric and pulled it free of the bag. Vedette put the bundle in front of her and unrolled it, revealing a wonderfully crafted quilt. “My wife brought this by the university once it was safe to travel the streets. I might not be as spry as these young gentlecolts,” he said while politely indicating the pegasi flying around them, “but I’ve had training to help manage the strain of being up this long. You haven’t, and it’s about time that you to get a few winks of rest. You have to be awake to explain things to your friends when we get to Ponyville, after all.” Twilight shook her head and waived a hoof to politely decline. “Thank you, but I really couldn’t, and there’s so much on my mind anyway I don’t think I,” a third yawn interrupted her train of thought, and she furrowed her brow in frustration. She needed to be awake now. Vedette fluffed the quilt in front of her with a smile. “I understand. Maybe just lie down and rest a bit while you ask your questions. No point in sitting up the entire flight back.” “I guess that’s true.” She stretched and found a comfortable spot on the quilt, blinking sleepily. “Hmmm, that is soft. Is this hoof stitched?” He nodded. Warm and comfortable, Twilight went right back to the business at hoof. “So I took notes on military stuff and I have a lot of questions about vocabulary and theory, but I’d rather know more about Petronel to start with.” Her eyelids started to droop shut, and her speech began to slur as she continued. “He’s a nice enough pony most of the time, but he’s got a shadow over his head in everything he does. And....what was that about in the map room? Did something, happen, between you…” She heard the start of Vedette’s answer, but only understood it as a mumble. Her world faded to a soft, quiet blackness, and the exhausted unicorn rested dreamlessly the whole way back to Ponyville. Her last memory of that long night and morning was the major’s saddened voice as she drifted off to sleep. “So Kaleb, how does it feel to be part of a retinue? Is this exciting or what?” It was nothing of the kind. Kaleb pawed the clouds beneath him, bits of moisture popping up from the well-tended cloud top of the city park. All this waiting had eaten away at his nerves. For the first time he looked down at his gauntlets and wondered if he had done the right thing in accepting them. Khan Cyrus had seen fit to add Kaleb to his personal retinue along with Herger and Orm, as opposed to being another warrior in the legion. Now the trio sat together while the Pride Aquila khans conversed quietly a few dozen yards away. The other khans had also brought their retinues, and they all waited for their leaders to give orders to move or deliver messages. In the meantime, Kaleb had become something of a curiosity. His hunter’s instincts would tell him that one was watching him closely, but then the griffin would turn away when Kaleb attempted to meet their eyes. Others made quiet jibes about his ears, either believing him unable to hear or not caring if he did. It made Kaleb uneasy to be under such observation. Herger’s jokes were not helping matters. “Too much waiting and talking,” replied Kaleb casually. “This time could be better spent sleeping.” A griffin from another retinue scoffed. “Heh. The tshaka needs his beauty sleep.” Herger gave the speaker a menacing glare, but Kaleb explained. “The ponies will counter eventually. They will need time to recover and organize. I do not see how this prepares us for that or for driving them from the city for good. Rest, among other things, would prepare us for the next battle.” Kaleb looked to the sky, griffins circling overhead in the morning sunlight. “Especially if we must fly for Stalliongrad.” He knew in his heart that he could never match these hardened Aquila immortals in distance flight, and was bothered with thoughts of slowing the legion down. “Unacceptable!” Cyrus’s booming voice drew every griffin’s attention. “We can study the city’s utilities after Equestria’s armies are scattered, but before the sun sets the weather factory must be producing. I want results, not excuses.” “We’ll stay in Cloudsdale,” Herger reassured his friend once they were certain the khans were still just talking amongst themselves. “Every other spearhead went according to plan: This is the only place that Cyrus’s plan got plucked. And you know, ‘cause they’ll need our gauntlets to counter the unicorns.” Orm nodded. “I agree that we will stay. At least until our Khan discovers who failed him.” Other griffins heard the talk and chimed in. “Khan Pyrrhus is strong, but his Vandals weren’t prepared to face unicorns. When they started getting grenades thrown back at them, Pyrrhus halted his advance. If he had kept on, there would have only been a clutch full of unicorns to face. Now I hear there’s hundreds.” “Yeah, but Tomalak’s legions were playing it safe all night,” another volunteered. “They treated every weak pony formation like it was a trap. If he had been willing to take advantage of their surprise, we could have taken the city before the unicorns showed up at all!” While the talk of the group spiraled into who to blame, Herger flexed his talons, the metal gauntlet clinking slightly with the movement. For the first time in years Kaleb saw the ghost of a frown on his friend’s face. “It’s a shame we’ll be staying here, too. I owe a pony in Canterlot. Probably won’t get the chance to pay him back for what he did to Aun.” Kaleb nodded, looking at his own gauntlets, worn by Herger’s late brother. “I understand.” Herger closed his eyes, turning his beak to the cold winter sky. He took a deep breath and let it out again. “Maybe so. By Tengri, I hope not.” He stretched his limbs, after which he seemed to return to his usual, relaxed self. “What is done is done. No use ruffling feathers about it. Right, little brother?” “We are not even the same pride, let alone related.” Kaleb stiffened. “Calling me that is inappropriate.” “Brother-of-my-brother!” He happily gestured toward Cyrus sitting in the council. “You’re practically part of the family now.” Annoyed, Kaleb flicked his ears. “I am a year older than you,” he stated flatly. Herger grinned and circled the tshaka griffin, looking him over as he went. "Yeah, but look at you, bird.” He came alongside Kaleb and crouched low enough that their shoulders were the same height. “You're like, what, half my size?" Several of the griffins chuckled at the comment. Their laughter ruffled Kaleb’s feathers even more than Herger’s jokes, to say nothing of what might happen should the aquila around him decide he was weak. He narrowed his eyes, any enjoyment in his voice being overcome by seriousness of purpose. “Do not call me ‘bird.’” Herger’s smile didn’t diminish in the least. “Sure thing, little brother.” Orm yawned loudly before Kaleb could speak. “Count your blessings, hunter. At least he likes you enough to respect some of your wishes.” “Yeah, little brother,” Herger said with a wink. “You should listen to the bird.” There was more laughter. Kaleb blinked, then sighed in understanding. He raised a talon in mock surrender. “So long as your madness has some limits.” Herger hardly noticed. He, Orm and others were looking past Kaleb, to something happening far behind him. Herger stepped closer and put a friendly claw on Keleb’s shoulder. He dropped his voice down to a whisper, and his jovial grin turned conspiratorial. “Dude, check who’s coming.” Kaleb’s turned in time to see a new group of aquila arrivals come to a gentle landing in the cloud park, lead by Ingrid of the Valkyries. While the prides only actively encouraged their males to join legions, griffin females also had a strong warrior tradition in their culture. Larger prides like Aquila and Heriex often supported a few segregated legions where they could earn renown by defending their kind. Ingrid herself was a bold and calculating leader. Though she moved gracefully with her lean build, she was still taller than several of the largest male griffins in attendance. Ingrid had only taken command of the Valkyries a few months prior to the invasion, but her legion had already proven to be one of the most disciplined in the campaign. As she landed, the khans turned to welcome her as the warriors of the retinues took up a cheer in the Valkyrie’s honor. Herger flicked a talon discreetly, drawing his eyes away from the khans and toward Ingrid’s retinue. His whisper grew excited. “No, over there. Look.” Among Ingrid’s retinue was a griffin Kaleb recognized. Unlike the lean Valkyries around her, she was built strong, with broad wings and strong limbs. She had not yet put aside the practice of applying purple coloring around her eyes and to the tips of her feathers. It was a custom not native to griffin lands. Somehow it still suited her features. She landed well, using her wingtips to bring her flight into a motionless stall just before touching down in near perfect form. In her focus, she failed to notice the cheers until after her landing. Suddenly aware of the attention, a short flash of red flashed to her cheeks and she quickly mused over her head feathers, tending them to perfection. Only then did she join her sister aquila in approaching the cheering male griffins, walking with a strut clearly full of forced confidence. Gilda, cousin of Cyrus and Herger, the griffin who had lived here amongst ponies, had arrived. Kaleb shook his head and sighed. “Why do you keep suggesting this, Herger? You know it is against custom, and more besides.” “You and I, we know who and what we are. She still hasn’t found herself since returning home. Something happened while she was living with the ponies that haunts her, and I would see her be rid of it. You would make her happy.” He smiled again, fanning his feathers. “She might even make you happy, given half the chance.” Kaleb grunted. “Happiness is not everything. It is not even most things.” “Spoken like a true warrior!” He elbowed Orm, who was clearly trying to stay out of this particular conversation. “Help me out, guy.” “Help you?” He didn’t turn. “I agree with the tshaka. Even with your matchmaking you reject the will of pridemothers.” “You birds are no fun,” Herger complained. As they watched, the new arrivals mingled with those who moved out to meet them. Retinues of the same pride were familiar with each other, as these were the griffins most often sent to carry messages between khans; it is wise to know who has authority to deliver a message in the heat of battle. So they greeted one another, as friends and compatriots in this great war against eternal night. Yet it was not all happiness and welcoming for every new arrival. Kaleb had always been a loner. He had always preferred the great grassy plains, hunting only for himself and living off the land as many tshaka so loved to do. If not for a chance encounter with Cyrus in the badlands when they were both still young, he might be there even now. What followed was hard to watch, even for one who would have chosen solitude. As the griffins mingled many greetings were exchanged, but soon they broke off into pairs or groups for more familiar conversation. All of the new arrivals were included in such groups, except for one. Gilda was left standing alone. While many praised her openly for providing information valuable to the khans in this campaign, she was still an outsider raised among ponies. Few were willing to make the effort to understand her different manner. Others were suspicious of a griffin that would betray her home city to an enemy, even if that meant a boon to the prides. After attempting to be a part of a few conversations only to be politely excluded, Gilda finally circled and curled up on a bit of rise in the cloud, closing her eyes with a sigh. “I..” Kaleb fumbled, in hushed toned to Herger. He stiffened. “This is foolishness. This is no time for merriment.” He nodded up at a small, nearby cloud. “I am going to rest. Notify me if Cyrus has orders.” Even the unflappable Herger seemed surprised for a moment. “Sure thing, little brother. You okay?” Kaleb didn’t bother with a reply. With a flap of his wings, he was airborne and gone. “Twilight, it’s time to rise.” She felt a hoof prodding at her shoulder and rolled away from it, groaning while she did so. “Five more minutes, Spike.” “We’re almost to Ponyville, Twilight.” The tidbit of information shot through Twilight’s sleepy haze and she bolted up, remembering the previous night’s events. She caught a face full of cold morning air before turning away from the front of the still airborne chariot. The last time her head hurt like this a piano had fallen on it. Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad. She rubbed her head and looked to the Vedette. “How long was I asleep?” “Long enough, I hope. I wanted to give you a chance to wake up before we arrived.” The major winked, his eyes darting to something behind the chariot. “And someone wishes an audience with you.” She turned to see two guards flying in the chariot’s trail, one from each of the orders. Colonel Daybreak she had met. He stood with his hoof out, blocking the night guard mare from coming any closer. He didn’t seem too pleased with her. “I cannot reason with her, Miss Sparkle, but that’s nothing new. She’s neglecting her screening duties just by being here.” “Permit me this, Colonel.” The night guard openly sneered at her day guard counterpart. “The night guard will see open battle again soon. I would have these few moments so that I might have a story for them. They have certainly earned that much.” The night guard met the unicorn’s gaze, a faint plea in her eyes. “Yet if the bearer of Magic wishes that I depart, it shall be so.” Twilight recognized her voice. This was the night guard who had spoken to her after the griffin attack on the flight to Canterlot “It’s fine, really. You’ve all done so much for me already.” Daybreak’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded his silent assent and let the mare pegasus past him. He didn’t return to his place in formation; instead he hung back close enough to hear The night guard mare looked away and muttered something under her breath, Twilight only catching the word ‘pompous’ before she returned her attention to the unicorn. The tall pegasus bowed deeply, even while in flight. “Tales of thy newest deeds precede thee, Twilight Sparkle. It seems that thy previous accomplishments shall only be the beginning of thy legend. Thy cloudwalking spell is reported to have turned the tides in Cloudsdale. I thank thee for giving hope to the citizens of my home through this dark night.” Twilight quivered with unease. This was just too much. She could understand and tolerate a bit of thanks here and there, but she couldn’t hide her discomfort at so much praise. “Really, it’s okay. Please don’t give me the royal treatment. It’s not like I’m a princess or anything.” The night guard stood and laughed deeply. “And most humble as well! I told thee that we shall honor our princess’s debt as our own; thy request is our command. If thou does not wish to be honored as the hero thou art, how shouldest the night guard address thee?” The unicorn smiled happily, even if she still felt a little bit groggy from her nap during the flight. “As a friend, and please just call me Twilight.” Grinning ear to ear, the night guard shook her head with amazement. “It shall be so, Twilight. My subordinates call me Nova Drive, but my friends call me Nova.” Twilight smiled and offered a hoof. “It’s a pleasure, Nova.” Taking it in a simple shake, Nova returned the smile. “’Tis indeed.” Daybreak cleared his throat and flew close enough to take part in the conversation. “Colonel Drive, please return to your screening duties. The presence of both day and night guards over the town is attracting unwanted attention.” Twilight looked down over the railing and saw the senior guard pony was correct. Dozens of mares and stallions in the street were gaping up at the sky chariot, a mix of awe and dread in their faces. The awe wasn’t unexpected, but she had never seen fear in their eyes on her return trips from Canterlot. One mare rushed her fillies back to their home, after a quick glance up at the chariot and another toward the east, the mother and her fillies disappeared inside. Out of reflex Twilight looked east to see what had gotten the mare’s attention. A pillar of smoke rose from the heart of the Canterlot. It arced slightly with the wind current, rising up until it passed through the snow clouds moving south from Cloudsdale. For miles around the city the clouds had been turned soot black, not unlike the smog the sleeping dragon had made. Even at this distance the city’s towers could be seen stained with ash and soot, muting the natural beauty of Canterlot’s white and purple architecture. Twilight felt her jaw drop a little and Nova Drive sighed, also having seen the ponies in the streets and Canterlot from afar. “Agreed. Twilight, it has been a singular honor to converse with thee who helped restore my princess.” Vedette smiled at Nova. “Don’t be so glum, colonel. When this is all over, I’m sure Twilight would be happy to introduce herself to all Luna’s guards.” The unicorn smiled and nodded in agreement. Nova tilted her head. “Hast thou not heard the news?” He frowned. “What news?” A dark smile spread over the pegasus mare’s face, and Twilight thought she saw a faint bloodlust flash in her features. “The night guard is being transferred, major. Our princess wishes to take the field at Cloudsdale, and we go with her.” Twilight looked to the pegasus, not understanding her reaction. “I know things look bad, but there’s no reason to lose hope. We could still see each other again.” Nova lifted her chin in a chilling laugh. “No, you misunderstand. I am excited. Finally, we will show our princess that we are worthy! If I do not see thee again, know that my life was spent repaying my debt to her. Be well, Twilight Sparkle! May the night grant us both good hunting.” Still grinning, she lifted a hoof to touch a gem on her armor. Her outline blurred slightly from the activation of a stored spell, and she darted away as quick as a Wonderbolt. A few seconds later and she was gone from sight, the spell hiding her at distance even in the sunlit sky. Twilight blinked. Twice. “Well. Um. That was different.” Vedette wore a sad frown, but Daybreak rolled his eyes with distain. “Crazed zealots, the whole lot of them. No sense of duty. I would avoid them if I were you.” He returned to the head of the formation while Twilight pondered the words of both colonels in silent confusion. She didn’t get long. The chariot slowed, and she heard a familiar voice calling up from the ground. “Twilight? Twilight!” The unicorn looked over the rail to see Spike standing outside the Golden Oaks library. Staring back up at her, the baby dragon mouthed a silent ‘wow’ at the large escort. The front door of the library opened, and out came the five ponies who were Twilight’s closest friends. Not surprisingly, Rainbow Dash was first out the door and too impatient to wait for the chariot to land. In a multicolored streak she flew up beside the chariot and hit Twilight with a barrage of questions. “Twilight, what’s going on? What took you so long? Canterlot is smoking like a volcano, and nopony knows what happened!” It took her that long to notice Vedette in the chariot with her. She glared at him with suspicion. “And who’s this pony? Did you capture a spy?” “Rainbow! That is no way to speak about a gentlecolt in uniform.” Rarity turned her chin up in disgust at Dash’s barrage of questions. As the chariot landed her eyes fluttered over the insignia of Vedette’s uniform. “Give Twilight a chance to introduce us to the major.” Twilight raised an eyebrow, surprised that Rarity could interpret the symbols worn by the Equestrian military. Still, fashion was her obsession, so it made sense she had studied something of military garb. “Everypony, this is Major Vedette. He’s a new friend of mine from Canterlot, and he’s come to help all of us with this situation.” She started to introduce them, but he raised a hoof. “Please, allow me.” With a formal smile, he addressed each of them one at a time, happily identifying them by name and sharing a tidbit he knew about them. Rainbow, who had saved the Wonderbolts a few years back. Rarity, the rising fashion star whose name was just starting to be mentioned in Canterlot circles. Pinkie Pie, who worked at Sugar Cube Corner, where some of Celestia’s favorite cake was made. Fluttershy, the pony who had stared down a dragon outside of it's own cave, and convinced him to move on. “Oooooh, he’s good,” Pinkie said with one squinting eye. “I can never guess anypony’s names on the first try.” “And of course, Applejack.” He offered a hoof to the mare. She took it, but Twilight was surprised to see it was empty of the warmth the country mare usually showed toward new faces. “It’s an honor to meet a member of the Apple family.” Vedette’s smile grew less formal as he looked down at the baby dragon. “And you, little one. You must be Spike.” “Well, well, I guess somepony has heard of me.” He crossed his arms, soaking up even the little bit of attention. “Yeah, the name’s Spike, but don’t let my size fool you. I’m a dragon after all.” Pinkie and Rarity giggled while Vedette rubbed the baby dragon’s head with a hoof. “No Spike, I would never dream of underestimating you.” Rainbow still wasn’t convinced. “How do you know so much about us, mister? Those are exactly the kinds of things a spy would know.” “Rainbow, if you knew a thing about culture you would know he’s an intelligence officer. It’s his job to know things about,” Rarity paused to smile and toss her mane, “important ponies.” “Intelligence, huh?” Applejack stared unhappily at the stallion. “Well if you’re done butterin’ all of us up, maybe you can tell us what the trouble is in Canterlot. Ponies have been looking up at the city all mornin’, but no one seems to know a thing about it.” Applejacks’s tone and reminder of why they were all here ended the collective cheer and brought sad frowns to most of the mares’ faces. Even Vedette’s smile faded to a sliver. “No, I have to leave that in Twilight’s capable hooves. I have orders to speak to Mayor Mare immediately. Do you think you can handle things here for a few hours?” Twilight’s friends all looked to at her expectantly, and she raised a sheepish hoof. “I think so. Do you need help finding the town hall?” “Thank you, but I already know the way.” “Really? Well, if you’re sure. Spike, please take his bags inside and put them in the guestroom. Major Vedette will be staying with us while he’s in town.” He gave her a questioning look, but Twilight put her hoof down. “I insist. It’s the least I could do.” He raised a hoof in gentlecoltly mock surrender. “Only because you insist.” “Aww, why do I have to do it?” Twilight stared daggers at Spike until he relented, taking the bags from the major. “Fine, whatever. You probably want me to set the room up for him too.” “You are my number one assistant, after all.” Spike groaned and headed inside with the bags. Vedette said some quick goodbyes, promised to be back to the library as quick as he could, and headed off to meet the mayor. The other ponies huddled around Twilight with a mixture of questions and gratitude that she was back safe. “I’m just surprised that you’re all already here.” She glanced around. “How did you know to meet here?” “Spike showed us a letter he got from Princess Celestia telling him to get everypony together at the library. It didn’t say why.” Fluttershy turned to partially hide her face behind her mane. “I hope it’s not anything too,” she gulped, “…dangerous.” At Fluttershy’s words a ripple of unease passed between the friends, but none so strongly as Twilight. “Girls, let go inside and sit down. We need to talk.” Finally away from the politics and judging eyes of the dozen or so aquila down below, Kaleb finally smiled, soaking in the solitude like a warm bath. He had found a fine drifting cloud for a nap. It had the more natural, rugged shape he was used to, not like the flat clouds that the city had been built from. He quickly found a spot, circled a few times, and stretched out on the cloud for a relaxing nap. It lasted about five minutes. “Hey, is anyone up here?” came the sound of a familiar female griffin’s voice. Kaleb opened an eye to see Gilda’s head pop up over the edge of the cloud. She smiled when she saw him, flapping her wings once for enough energy to land a few paces away from him. “Heeey, Kaleb! What are you doing up here?” “Very little.” He sighed. “Herger told you I was up here, didn’t he?” “What? No. I mean, I saw you fly off and asked him what was up.” She paused, confused. “He called you his ‘little brother’ or something. Aren’t you older than him?” Kaleb groaned. “Yes.” “Anyway, I was, ah,” she fixed her head feathers, even though they were fine to begin with. “I was hoping we could chat. You know, get to know each other. I mean, you’re an important griffin now, working so close to Cyrus. We’ll probably be seeing more of each other.” She blinked, suddenly hearing those last words the way they sounded. “No, uh, I mean working together. ‘Cause you know, ‘seeing each other’ means something totally different, and doing that between prides is not cool and against tradition. And stuff.” She grinned awkwardly. Were it not for the war and Kaleb’s feelings on the subject, it might have been funny. Herger could have casual relationships, but that was not the griffin way, and Kaleb took the griffin way very seriously. He had hoped Gilda would finally tire and find a respectable aquila griffin to be her mate, but it seemed it would not be so. It was time to say something to her, even if he didn’t know what. Kaleb took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He had put this off long enough. Still with that silly smile, she tried again. “So, what’s been going on with you?” He didn’t move. “Ragnar spoke prophesy over me today.” “What, when?” “Just before sunrise.” “Oh, okay.” Gilda seemed happy of the simple fact that the conversation had moved out the awkward phase, and she took a seat. “What about?” “A few things, but most were typical seer nonsense, except for one.” Gilda waited patiently while Kaleb took a few deep breaths. “He said I would survive this war and live to old age.” “Whoa.” Gilda grinned. “That’s pretty sweet, right?” “I have never been more scared in my life.” He shut his eyes. “To know fate is a dangerous thing, Gilda. I’ve seen how the prophesy my father spoke over Cyrus has tortured him these years. Peace among the prides was hard enough, but searching for this ‘great darkness’ he was supposed to slay nearly drove him mad, until we all saw the day with no morning. Even now…” Gilda simply nodded. “Ragnar told me I would die in a nest, a ‘victim of mere time.’ I…don’t know why I even mention this.” He took a deep breath. “I am not a fool, Gilda. I know you have noticed me during the festivals, and you have kept your distance out of respect for our ways. I appreciate that more than you can ever know. This is difficult for me, but the time has come to say things.” Her eyes went wide, hanging on his every word. The stillness would have been distracting, if Kaleb hadn’t suspected her heart had skipped a few beats at his words, just as his own. “I cannot court you now.” She blinked. “What?” He turned away, suddenly feeling very self conscious. It was a new feeling for Kaleb: He hated it. “The griffin nation is not yet ready for inter-pride relationships. It is not done.” As the shock of his words dissolved, Gilda’s features began to flare with anger. “Pshh. Don’t you mean the Pridemothers?” “No, I mean our kind. I already live in the wilds. Discommendation would change very little for me.” He glanced about uneasily. “Marriage is an institution for propagation, and if the pridemothers had not made it so, our kind would have never prospered as we have.” Griffins were divided along more than tribal lines; the prides were incapable of cross breeding. During the chaotic days of griffin pre-history, wars and inter marriage had kept their population stagnant. “You know what?” She stood, every part of the motion as angry as the look in her eyes. “You sound just like a pony I used to know. Such a flip flopper.” “Things are changing.” He looked to the sunrise. “Herger and others like him will see to that, but it will take time. After Canterlot falls they will change faster. Soon after this war such a thing could be possible, but not now. Not yet.” “I don’t believe this. I thought you were cool, a griffin living by his wings and talons. I even respected you.” She blinked a few times, and looked away. “Screw this cloud, I’m leaving.” Kaleb nodded, his ears sagging sadly. “I understand. Good hunting, Gilda.” “Whatever, dweeb.” Crouching, she spread her wings and prepared to take off. But she didn’t. For a few ticks, she stood motionless on the edge of the cloud, perched for flight but lost in thought. “Wait a minute. This is about Cyrus.” Kaleb furrowed his brow. “What of him?” “He’s already risked a lot bringing you into the immortals. If you were to start a courtship with an Aquila griffin now, and the pridemothers even just spoke out against it, it would hurt Cyrus’s position and he’d lose favor.” She met his gaze. “It could ruin him.” He looked away. “I’m sure he’d manage the situation. This war is his destiny.” “Yeah, but you’re not gonna make it any harder on him, are you?” She sat, her face expression turning soft. For all her harsh exterior, Gilda wore her sympathy well. “My cousin is an old friend, huh?” “He saved my life.” She tilted her head. “Really? I heard it was the other way around.” He nodded once, still looking away. “Yes.” “Oh.” It took a second for Gilda to process that. Then her eyes brightened. “Oh, that kind of friendship.” Kaleb said nothing. Gilda said nothing. Griffins are not like ponies. Ponies speak their hearts with abandon. They discuss every trivial little thing, because to a pony the shared words are important for their own sake. As these things are said, equines get a sense of one another. In the cloud of words and sound they come to know more about everypony. It works well for the herd, and thus it is good that it should be so. Griffins do not use words. They do not speak their hearts easily or often. It is not culture or tradition; it is what they are. When griffins speak, they state facts about the world, the past, and what they will do. The burden of understanding is on the listener. As a result, they do not learn about each other through what is said. They learn through what is left unsaid. In that minute of silence, the two griffins came to understand each other better. “I,” Gilda started, but then thought better of what she was going to say. She tried again, scraping little circles in the cloud with a talon. “I can respect that. It still makes me mad, but I can respect it. I guess I should leave you alone, now.” She spread her wings, turning to leave once again. “Thanks for being up front about things, at least.” “Gilda, wait.” Kaleb stood and reached out to her with a talon. “My concerns are about announcing a courtship.” She looked back over her shoulder at the tshaka griffin with a raised eyebrow, clearly not understanding. “Before you arrived, I was preparing to rest. We cannot be seen as being too friendly right now, but,” he paused, taking a nervous breath, “I would still appreciate your company.” “I…” Gilda blinked a few times, then nodded happily. “Yeah. I’d like that.” The two of them picked out opposite sides of the small cloud, circled a few times, and laid down for a morning nap. The sun cut through the cold winter air and warmed their feathers. Soon both were yawning and moments away from sleep. “Thank you for understanding. It is a rare quality.” Kaleb smiled, looking out toward the sun. “Did you learn that from your time with ponies?” Gilda said nothing. Once everypony was in the library, Twilight’s explanation of the night’s events had gone better than she had first expected. Spike was upstairs still preparing the guest room which was for the best. Even though It was the worst news Twilight had ever given to anypony, her friends had all trusted her to explain everything as best as she could without interrupting her. That is, until she got to the part about Cloudsdale. “Let me go, let go!” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, struggling against the orange earth pony holding her tail. Even Applejack’s strength wasn’t enough to hold back the pegasus this time. Rarity’s blue magic was wrapped around her legs as well, the two of them struggling to keep Rainbow from reaching the door. Applejack tried to say something, but with Rainbow’s mane in her mouth it came out as a frustrated mumble. “Rainbow, we need to talk about this!” Twilight pleaded, standing with her front hooves on the library’s table. “You can’t just go rushing off to Cloudsdale alone. We need a plan. At least let me finish!” Rainbow shook her head, still trying to make headway to the door. “You said yourself they need every pegasus they can get. This isn’t just anywhere we’re talking about, it’s Cloudsdale.” With a giant heave she got a hoof on the doorknob. “It’s my home!” Twilight hung her head. Rainbow’s words hurt, but she held her tongue. She knew all too well what her friend was feeling and didn’t want to upset anypony more than she already had. She sat down, resting her chin on the edge of the table. Another pony had no such compunctions. “Rainbow Dash, stop this foalish display at once!” demanded Rarity with a stomp of her hoof. “We all saw the smoke rising from Canterlot this morning; who knows how it looks up close. Even after seeing that, Twilight came back to Ponyville to be here at once. This display is entirely disrespectful to what she has already had to do just to be here to tell you about Cloudsdale. You should be ashamed of yourself!” Everypony but Twilight gaped at Rarity’s forceful tone, but as the understanding of what she was doing occurred to Rainbow the fight drained out of her. She floated down the floor, coming to rest on her belly. “I’m sorry Twilight, everypony.” Dash’s eyes were clenched shut, fighting back tears. “But this is something I need to do. I have to go help them. I just have to!” Twilight forced a smile. “The princess has given us a very important job to do. If we’re going to represent the elements of friendship in a way that would bring hope to Equestria, we need to work together. But Celestia also made it clear to me that even though this is a military situation; we aren’t part of the military. That means no pony can give us orders about how we represent the elements. For two years now you have all been my closest friends. I don’t care what the military ponies expect of me. I’m not going to start giving orders to any pony, no matter how bad things get!” Her eyes settled on Rainbow and her tone saddened. “This is so big, I don’t know how we can all stay together through all of this, but Nightmare Moon and Discord both tried to separate us. Our friendships are what have gotten us through every disaster so far, so I really don’t any of us should travel alone. Please, please Rainbow, don’t go flying off to Cloudsdale by yourself, at least not right away.” Rainbow was slow to answer, but she finally nodded her head. “Fine.” Twilight sighed. That should be enough time for her to figure something out. With Rainbow’s primary concern addressed for now, she opened her mouth to ask what the others might have to say. When she looked around the words got stuck in her throat. All the fluff had gone out of Pinkie Pie’s hair. She sat motionless with her straight mane, looking out at Twilight with big, sad eyes. Worst of all was Fluttershy. She crouched low to the floor, trembling silently behind her long mane. Twilight hadn’t been the only one to notice them, though. “Maybe it’d be best if we all spend some time alone, get our heads on straight,” Applejack suggested with a frown. “Twilight looks plumb tuckered out, and I gotta get back to the farm to tell Granny and Big Mac to expect the cavalry.” “That sounds like an excellent idea.” Rarity glanced over to Rainbow Dash, still on the same spot on the floor. She softened her tone. “I know there are plenty of things we can do to get ready right here in Ponyville. Come on ponies, Twilight’s been busy all night. She’ll want some time to rest before we make a decision, no doubt.” Rarity and Applejack slowly and gently ushered the three other ponies out of the library. Applejack seemed to have a lot on her mind and didn’t meet Twilight’s gaze as she stepped outside, but Rarity did. She winked reassuringly just before shutting the door gently behind her. Seeing the shock and pain in her friends’ eyes at her terrible news had slowly frayed away the last of Twilight’s will. Now that she was home and alone in the downstairs of the library, Twilight’s emotions finally caught up with her. She leaned forward against the table in front of the great Troan statue. It stared down at her, seemingly disappointed in her for not being as prepared as ponies of the past. With only the judgmental statue as company, Twilight wept.