The first the ponies of Marescow heard of them was a noise like a hurricane coming down from the north. With no warning but a war cry tearing from the throats of a thousand griffins, they were violently attacked by a previously peaceful people. Their leader was not King Nikolas, as it had been for the past hundred years. Instead they were greeted with the frigid, grizzled face of Nikolas' father, Vladimir.
Under the guidance of Princess Nastya, Marescow was able to stave off slaughter and destruction. Nastya sent out a cry for help to her cousin Celestia, one the princess of the Sun promptly answered, sending Shining Armor and Princess Cadence to the aid of her niece. But she knows that it will only be a matter of time before Vladimir attacks again. Heart aching with apprehension, she calls for Twilight and her friends.
Her heart all but fell through the floor when only three showed up. "Where are the others?"
"They can't come for various reasons," Twilight said a little unhappily.
"You three will have to do then." Celestia straightened her posture. "We must be quick. The griffins have attacked Marescow."
"Marescow?" Rainbow Dash looked as confused as Celestia felt.
"A city far to the north on the edges of Griffin country."
"Why would they attack?"
Celestia shook her head. "I do not know. That's what I want you to find out. Go to Marescow. Join Cadence and Shining Armor in aiding Princess Nastya. Find out why Vladimir is back in power and why he's attacking us."
"Understood! We won't disappoint you!"
"For all of our sakes, I hope you're right."
Meanwhile, in Marescow...
Cadence and the exhausted Princess Nastya watched as Shining Armor paraded Marescow's meager supply of trained soldiers through the knee-deep snow, scouring the frozen wastes for signs of trouble.
"Zeleztia told me zhe vould be zending help zoon. Eet's been almozt a veek now and no zign of anysing."
Cadence did her best to be reassuring even though she herself had begun to lose hope. "Nastya, the station is far from here. They would have to walk. No Pegasus can fly in this wind."
Nastya turned her piercing blue eyes to Cadence. "How I vizh to believe you, sizter."
Before Cadence could respond, a silver bell at the northern gate rang. Nastya leaned over the balcony railing. "Vat is it? Who iz at ze gate, zoldier?"
"Zhining Armor, your majezty, vis anuzzer alicorn and two pegazi."
Cadence poked her head in next to Nastya's. "The others, what colors are they?"
"Ze alicorn eez lavender, and ze pegazi, vun eez a light blue and ze uzzer eez yellow."
"That's that help you wanted. I'll bring them to you."
"Net, sizter. I vill greet zem myzelf." Nastya turned and walked into the keep. Cadence winced as she saw Nastya's mangled left wing, stuck stiffly in a half-folded position, ashen feathers bent at grotesque angles.
Nastya paused. "Stay here. You might be needed." She proceeded as if nothing had happened.
Twilight was struck speechless by Nastya's majesty. A tall, imposing alicorn with an ash-white coat and a rough-cut mane black as night. Her left wing was definitely crippled, and it appeared that she could not use it at all.
She bowed, not taking her ice-blue eyes off of Twilight's. Her horn was long and sharp and seemed almost like a lance. "Prinzess Tvilight, I prezume. I am Prinzess Naztya of ze far nors."
Unsure what to do, Twilight returned the bow. By the slight smile that graced the ashen princess's lips, Twilight knew she had made the right choice. "Nastya. These are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy."
The pegasi bowed in just as uncertain a manner as Twilight had.
Nastya rose. "Come. Cadenze is vaiting for uz on ze balcony." She turned and addressed Shining Armor as she walked away. "Return to your dutiez, soldat."
"As you wish."
Nastya took Twilight and her friends on a brief tour of Marescow on the way to the keep. Towards the end, they began talking about the griffin attacks.
"Vladimir ruled ze griffins for almozt two hundred years. He vas not a tyrant by any means, but he vas a varmonger. He always had ze griffins' best interests at heart. Zey're overpopulated, and zey need more spaze. However, zat does not give zem ze right to attack uzzer zovereign nations."
"Where did he go?"
"Vladimir fell ill near his three hundredth birthday. His son Nikolas took over ze throne. He vas suppozed to abdicate ven his fazer recovered. Inztead, he threw his fazer into ze dungeons and ruled for a hundred years. Rezently, Vladimir ezcaped and murdered is zon, zen azscended to power vith a vengeance. Is army has attacked us thirty times in ze pazt veek."
"I see. How can we help?"
"Tvilight, you can aid Cadenze by taking turns cazting a protectzion zpell over Marezcow. Rainbow Dash?"
"Gwaah! Y-yes?"
"I have heard zat you are a zuperior flier, yez?"
"Oh yeah! I'm the-"
"Can you carry sings vile flying?"
"Huh? Well, yeah, depending on-"
"I need you to join Ironsky at ze airfield you zaw on ze vay here. Zhe vill tell you vat to do."
"Uhm, all right." Rainbow Dash flew off, looking puzzled.
Nastya turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy."
"Eep! Y-yes, Princess Nastya?"
"Zeleztia told me zat you vere good vith medizines. Eez zis true?"
"W-well, yes-"
"Otlichno. Head to the relief corps building and assist Winterleaf."
"A-all right..." Fluttershy slowly walked to the building.
Meanwhile, out in the Arctic...
Shining Armor led a small contingent of his troops on a gruelling trudge through the knee-deep snow. They'd been walking for hours without seeing anything. Suddenly, one of the soldiers-or soldats, as they called themselves-spotted something on the horizon.
"Kapitan! I can see zomesing!"
"What is it, soldat?"
The soldier squinted. "I am not zhure. I sink eet eez...a vymp-a flag."
"Is it moving towards us?"
"Da, kapitan."
"All right. Hold position. Be ready to fight."
The soldiers settled into a fighting half-crouch and waited. The banner slowly came closer. No one spoke until the soldier from before spoke up again.
"The flag says 'peregovory'. They wish to parley."
Shining Armor didn't take his eyes off the approaching figures. "Sunil. Ekaterina. Igor. Come with me. Volkov, you're in charge of getting back to Marescow and warning the princesses if we get double-crossed."
"Da, kapitan."
Shining Armor and the ones he had named walked towards the approaching griffins. The two parties stopped within spitting distance of each other.
"Welcome, unicorns of the fair Nastya's city. I am Vladimir, king of the griffins. These are my most trusted generals, Lastrakov and Vorkuta."
"I am Shining Armor of Princess Celestia's royal guard. I was sent to lead Nastya's soldats in war. These are three of my personal guards, Sunil, Ekaterina, and Igor."
"My pleasure." Vladimir cast a glance at the overarching dogfight. Shining Armor quickly took stock of the griffin king.
Vladimir was clearly very old, even for a griffin. The feathers adorning his haughty frame were graying at the edges, and the ones on his chest were stark white. He wore a jeweled silver helm that doubled as a crown. As old as he was, he had his fair share of battle scars, most of which were on his back, neck and chest. One wing was bent slightly, in a similar fashion to Nastya's, however he could evidently still use his.
"A futile fight." Vladimir levelled his gaze at Shining Armor. "I wish to end it."
As Nastya had requested, Rainbow Dash had gone to the airfield. Ironsky was a young pegasus, younger than her, even. What surprised her the most was that Ironsky was completely blind, and yet her soldiers followed her commands to the letter. There was no doubt within her ranks.
Ironsky had a beautiful mane, long and sleek and the color of cornsilk, and a coat the color of an overcast sky.
Rainbow Dash coughed, not sure how to address her.
Ironsky turned her head slightly. "I don't recognize your voice. What's your name?"
"I, ah...Rainbow Dash."
"You're a pegasus."
"I never-"
"You didn't have to. I heard you rustle your wings."
Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded. Ironsky turned to face her completely. Her eyes were not cloudy white, like normal blind eyes. They were a gorgeous shade of dark blue.
"You're blind."
"Yes."
"You don't look like it."
"I try."
"Funny. So what's the real reason?"
Ironsky tapped the side of her head. "I was born blind. My eyes never connected to my brain properly." She stared at Rainbow Dash. "But I know you're not here for my life story. Did Princess Nastya send you to help fight?"
"No, she-"
"Thought so. Come over here." Ironsky turned back around. Rainbow watched as she walked. Her movements were very careful and exaggerated; it seemed that though she could listen well, she had trouble walking. She heard a light buzzing in her ears. It took a moment before she realized that Ironsky was humming. Her ears turned back and forth, listening for something.
"Sonar," Rainbow whispered, unbidden by her mind.
"Yes," Ironsky said without turning around. Her hoof bumped a crate full of cloth satchels. "Ah! Here!" She took one in her teeth and proffered it to Rainbow Dash. She took it.
"Put it on."
"Okay..." She did.
"Now take some of these." Ironsky pointed to a crate full of jars.
"What are those?"
" Zazhigatel'nyye zhele-incendiary jelly. It's a gel that ignites on contact with air. We use it to fight the fact that the griffins have to get close to attack us."
"So you want me to drop these on them?"
"If you would." Ironsky turned to face her completely. "Your goal is to get them out of the sky, not to kill. Now go, and join your kin in battle."
Rainbow Dash saluted. "Yes, captain." She filled her bag with jars and launched off.
Meanwhile, in the relief corps building...
Fluttershy watched Winterleaf to gauge what she was doing wrong. Winterleaf's cry for help had been "Tell me why my medicine isn't working."
Winterleaf was a young pegasus, but perhaps still older than Fluttershy. Like many of the ponies of Marescow, she was disfigured. Hers manifested in the shorn-off, ragged stump where her left wing had previously been. She was pure white with a reddish-gold mane and ice blue eyes, but not as cold as Nastya's.
Fluttershy watched intently, looking for a mistake. Then she found it.
"O-oh!"
Winterleaf stopped. "What is it? What did I do wrong?
"You used the wrong herb there. Let me show you." Fluttershy went to the counter and began picking herbs to use in the salve.
"Apple leaves?"
"They have a juice in them. It removes dead tissue and makes new tissue grow in."
"There's no way they do that all by themselves."
"You're right. They don't." She reached for another plant. "That's why we need this, too."
"Orange bloom! Now I remember! The Kelamine in the leaves..."
"Reacts with the Cetatate in the flowers..."
"To form Renacyne! All we need..."
"Is a carrying agent..."
"Like a gel or cream!" Winterleaf smiled brightly. "We're going to get along very well, miss...um...oh dear...I don't know your name!"
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! F-Fluttershy. I'm Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy. Got it."
Back at the castle...
Twilight stood on the balcony, head held high, horn glowing violet, perpetuating the blue dome surrounding Marescow. Cadence, who had recently finished a shift holding up the shield, was resting in the throne room, snacking on some bread.
Nastya and the recently-returned Shining Armor were also standing in the throne room. Nastya rubbed her chin thoughtfully with her lame hoof. "A parley, you zay? Has Vladimir vithdrawn his troops?"
"He has, your majesty. He is willing to parley immediately if you so desire."
Nastya thought for a long time. Finally, she nodded. "Very vell. I vill not prolong did var needlezzly if ze aggrezzor vishes to end it. Zend Ironsky and...ze blue vone, Rainbow Dash. Tell zem to tell Vladimir zat I accept."
Shining Armor bowed. "As you wish."
"Ugh, do I have to wear this?" Rainbow Dash flicked the bell on the collar Ironsky had put on her.
"Well, yes. I can't see where I'm going, so having you in front of me wearing that will allow me to hear where you're flying and follow you."
"Let's just do this. Which way to Asgorod, or whatever?"
Ironsky pointed to the northeast. "That way."
"All right. Taking off." Rainbow Dash launched off the ground, with Ironsky close behind.
Nastya stood on the balcony, watching the skies for Vladimir and his entourage. Eventually, a lone figure came into view. Nastya made her horn glow bright with light, and the figure angled towards her.
The figure circled down to land. As expected, it was Vladimir, alone and seemingly unprotected. Nastya, on the other hand, had elected to allow Shining Armor, Cadence, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Ironsky, and Winterleaf to attend the conference.
Nastya eyed him. "Coming alone into enemy territory? You are quite sure of yourself."
"I may be alone, but no griffin is ever unprotected."
Nastya and Vladimir entered the throne room. Nastya began to ask a question, but Vladimir stopped her.
"I know what you're going to ask. You want to know why we attacked."
"Of courze."
"We wished to draw the attention of your lord in hopes of drawing him out so as to negotiate with him directly over this land. We see that that will not happen, so we instead will negotiate with you."
"A bold maneuver, using force in hopes of drawing out ze being of power."
"Indeed. So here is our request. Will you hear it?"
"I've no cause not to."
"Then here it is. We wish for you to return this city, what you call Marescow, to us, and return to your firmer home at the White Rock."
Several of the assembled appeared indignant, but Nastya remained calm. "Zat is much to ask of us, King Vladimir. If ve did do zis, many vould die on ze trip sous."
"The griffins would travel with you and help you avoid danger."
"Indeed? And vat of supplies? Ze reason ve left Sanctuary iz because ve could not feed ourzelves."
"We would be willing to trade food with you in exchange for, perhaps, something you have that we don't."
"Zuch as?"
"Water, perhaps, or wood."
"I zee. And if I zay no?"
"Either way, I will cease hostilities. I will go directly to your lord in Canterlot and negotiate with him instead, and pray he is more reasonable."
"Hmmm." Nastya thought for a while. "I vish only for vone sing."
"And that is?"
"Return ze Script Of Ze Song-Princess."
Vladimir bowed his head. "I was certain you would ask for it." Vladimir reached into his satchel and withdrew a long, thin tube, the kind they kept scrolls in at the library. "I ask that you recall that my treacherous son stole this from you, not I."
"Granted." Nastya picked up the scroll with magic and tucked it under her wing. "I vill agree to your terms, Vladimir. However, in ze event of any treachery, I vill not hesitate to defend my people."
"As I would." Vladimir extended his taloned hand.
Nastya met it with her lame hoof. "We are agreed."
"...And that's what happened," Twilight finished.
Celestia turned. "I see. I'm glad that so little blood was shed to reach this settlement. It'll be nice having Nastya closer to home, too." Celestia touched her horn to Twilight's. "I am glad you were able to help Nastya. Thank you."
Twilight smiled. "My pleasure, Princess."
END.