//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Act I - Calm Before the Storm // Story: Fade Away II: To Glory // by JoeBobWhitney //------------------------------// Today was different than any other day. Today marked the beginning of the end. An unstoppable war inched closer hour by hour. As the sun rose and fell, the tension between the ponies grew thicker. They quickly realized that they last war they actually had - was over a thousand years ago. When Celestia first took the throne, she vowed to end all conflict under her rule. So she did. Being of the extremely rare alicorn race, her magic potential was unmatched and merciless. To make sure her little ponies would stay safe, she removed all empires, factions and even militia that threatened her or her own kingdom. Many years later, there was only mere peace and millions of ponies couldn't of been happier. With the oncoming war, her little ponies fear for the worst. And so do the Conduits. For the humans, going back home is a small light bulb that grows more dim as each second flies by. Helping the ponies in this war could take several months, even years at most. What seemed to be first a easy and relatively simple task on paper - has become a difficult and painful one that causes even them to struggle. Last time Cole fought against an army, he nearly died. God - which was a girl ironically - gave him a second/third chance after being impaled by a spear. But I digress. "Cole. You up?" Delsin quipped. He heard a tired groan from the inside. "Maaybe." "C'mon man, you're supposed to help around town and sleeping isn't gonna help anybody." "Go-go-go fuuuuck yerself!" "Cole - are you drunk?" "Noooooo." "You are, aren't you?" "It's probabably the last thing I'll driiiiink that isn't durty waater!" Cole hiccuped. "Yeeeah, I'll let you sober up. I'll be out around town, alright?' "Cooool beans, Delly. Hey, that's-that's - your name is deli. Yer name is DELI!" He then heard Cole just burst out laughing. Delsin just shook his head and sighed. He walked downstairs and headed for Twilight's treebrary. Cole and him were told to meet the Elements of Harmony there, but Cole is heavily intoxicated and of course, is unfit for strenuous work so Delsin would have to take his place. Couldn't be that hard, could it? As he walked around town, he quickly noticed the lack of ponies on the streets. Originally, there would a horde of busy ponies walking around town but nowadays, there was nothing of the sort. In fact, it was so eerily quiet - Delsin could say this place was a ghost town. Most of the houses and stores were boarded up by planks of wood and it looked as if they were quarantined inside their own homes. It was a sad, dark thing to see from such adorable, fluffy and upbeat creatures. To see them cower and run in fear because of bloodthirsty war-beasts? Delsin felt sad for them, he truly did. "Delsin. There ya are." Applejack walked up to the lone Conduit. "AJ, what's up?" "We got a serious problem." "What's that?" "Gryphons." "I'll never talk!" He spat with venom. "You keep saying that but you keep talkin'!" "I'll make sure to kill you first." He growled. "Just go ahead and try, bub. There's no way you could beat me." "Watch me." "Hey! Cut it out!" Applejack commanded as she entered the room, the delinquent Conduit following behind her. "Applejack. You got Delsin, what about Cole?" "Cole's...out of commission. He got drunk." "What?" "Yeah, I'll explain later. Who is this guy, anyway?" "We saw him trying to sneak into Fluttershy's cottage. Luckily Harry was there and he did a number on him." Twilight nodded to the multiple scars, bite marks and bruises over the Gryphon's stone gray and white body. Delsin then noticed pieces of damaged armor to the side hung up on the wall, resembling galvanized steel. Minus the deep claw marks, scratches and dents, the metal was in great condition. On the armor itself were strange, Greek hieroglyphic-like markings on the armor running down the trim and sides. "That his armor?" "Yeah, it got pretty damaged. It's enchanted with something I don't know." "Gryphon magic, duh." The prisoner spoke up. "We do have it, you know." "Tell me about it." Delsin turned towards the Gryphon. "Why, monkey?" "Because you don't have a choice. Even if you don't speak, the Princesses will get something out of you." "You're wasting your time." He chuckled. "I ain't no rat." "Fine. Keep an eye on him, I'll be back alright?" "Okay. Hurry back." Twilight responded. "Cole, you dick, you sober yet?" Delsin asked, knocking on Cole's door. Cole did not respond. Delsin knocked again. "Cole?" Delsin placed an ear against the door, but he did not hear a single thing, not even faint snoring. "Cole!" Delsin stepped back before he kicked the door of it's hinges and charged inside. Delsin looked around, quickly noticing the room was quite empty. As he looked around, he noticed that the one of the windows wide open and some bed sheets were on the ground in a mess. Delsin peered out the window and saw not a single thing. Except a white feather on the window sill. "Mother-" Delsin ran outside and sprinted towards Twilight's house. As he arrived, he heard sounds of fighting from within. He kicked in the door and headed downstairs. As he did, he saw the Gryphon was gone and the ponies were unconscious with multiple claw marks along their body. "-fucker." "Looking for little ol' me?" Delsin heard from behind him, just as he turned around. "You son of a-" Delsin charged at him, but the Gryphon jumped back and flew outside as Delsin followed. "You should've listened, monkey. Your friend will suffer because of your foolishness and so will you." The Gryphon charged Delsin, ramming into him. The two tumbled and rolled, but the Gryphon recovered and scratched Delsin with his claws, leaving three gashes on him. Delsin stood back up, slightly taller than the Gryphon as he took a battle stance. Then, Delsin formed a chain around his arms. Delsin whipped at the Gryphon, so he jumped back but Delsin anticipated it and fired a Cinder Blast. The Gryphon was sent back as Delsin whacked the Gryphon with the chain and fired a Corrosive Sulfur Bomb, which clouded the air in ash and dust. The Gryphon was left coughing and blinded in the cloud of cinder, which then Delsin struck - subduing him down with more smoke. He struggled and fought against the binds but to no avail. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna peel the skin off of your eyes!" "Two things. One, ouch. Two, good luck. Now - where the hell is Cole?" "Like I'll tell you!" "I guess you're gonna stay there until you rot then." "Fine! He's being stored an underground base near Appleloosa. But as soon as they learn I failed, they'll move 'em!" "I guess we better not let them know then, huh?" Delsin punched the Gryphon on the top of his head, rendering him unconscious. "That takes care of that." Delsin then began thinking deeply. Cole was gone, the Elements were injured and there are Gryphons in Equestria. He quickly realized that this war was coming soon and there was very little to do something about it. Delsin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, attempting to form a decent enough plan that wouldn't fail and instantly go to shit but he quickly learned - that was a becoming tougher by the second. "Jesus. If only we weren't dealing with such a high scale force. Wait a minute...that's it!" A sly smile appeared on Delsin's face as he rushed back to Twilight's house, his plan bumbling in his head. He quickly entered the treebrary and first noticed the ponies slowly rising to their hooves. "Guys? You okay?" "Hardly." Twilight muttered. "Man, that was just one Gryphon. He was a lot tougher than Gilda, huh?" Rainbow groaned. "Isn't Gilda the Princess of Gryphonia?" Twilight deadpanned at Rainbow. "Um...yes." "Exactly. Delsin, what happened?" "Well, he got out and I stopped him. But as I left, they nabbed Cole while he couldn't even put a fight. They've got him stored in a base underneath a place called Appleloosa." "That's where mah cousin lives. We gotta git there. Fast." Applejack stated. "Definitely. What's your fastest way of transportation here?" "Train." Rainbow replied. "Teleportation isn't really reliable." "Alright. We'll book a train to Appleloosa - wherever that is - and go get Cole. Once we return, we'll start preparing Sounds good?" Everyone nodded in response. "Good. Start packing guys. We're heading to Appleloosa."