Pony Und Panzer!

by Diceman

Chapter XVI: Desperate Measures

Tenative

"I said get yer rears on the ground and give me fifty! You with the hipster-goth mane, I want that tank to shine so bright that it's a war crime!"

Other ponies stopped for a brief second to see what was going on, quickly adverting their eyes when the well dressed army pony demanded a gawker to drop and give him fifty pushups for "being a fat , nosey potato".

Elly stuck her head out of the garage door, shaking her head in disappointment before going back to work. "I get that Twilight and her crew got stomped a couple days ago, but why the overly abusive drill sergeant?"

Apple Bloom rolled out from under the tank, her face and coat covered with splotches of grease. "Maybe she was thinking discipline was her problem?"

Scootaloo chimed in, popping out of the top of the turret commanders hatch. "I dunno, pretty sure driving out into the open in a tank the size of a school was more the problem."

"Yeah, I guess that would do it. That and the enemy artillery took a great interest in shooting at her exclusively." Apple Bloom stood up, brushing flakes of wood off her coat. "In other news, the entire front end is pretty banged up. We might even want to think of changing the hull entirely."

"Can we do that?" Scootaloo asked. "Wait, lemme check." Scootaloo ducked back into the tank, making quite a bit of noise and yelling ouch a few times as she banged her head. After a few moments of rummaging about, she poked her head out of the top of the commanders hatch, a thick book between her hooves.

"So, anything in there about changing the hull entirely?" Elly asked as she inspected the crumbling front plate of the tank.

"It says those that make it through the preliminaries can request for a new hull if they trade in the old one and the old hull is either irreparable or beyond the teams budget to fix." Scootaloo ducked inside the tank and looked around the inside before popping back out the top of the commanders hatch. "Didn't Sweetie Belle say that transmission is basically demolished?"

"Yeah, she mentioned it. Then again a lot of teams had that exact issue. Who knew having a transmission made of wooden gears on a multi-ton vehicle would be a bad idea?" Apple Bloom rolled back under the tank followed by a spurt of cursing. "The torsion bar system is shot too."

"That bad huh?" Elly asked.

"We could fix it before the next match, but she won't be at a hundred percent and she will vibrate like a cake mixer to boot." Apple Bloom slid out from under the tank and stood up, shaking her head free of dust and wood chips. "It's a right mess up under there."

Suddenly the front garage door opened and Sweetie Belle walked in, a bag of food in her mouth. However, Luna was not with her, behind her was the drill sergeant from outside, whom was carrying another bag of food as well.

"Hey everyone. I got lunch! Oh, and this nice pony behind me helped me carry it the rest of the way here." Sweetie Belle sat the food down on the floor. "Let me introduce you to R. Lee Army!"

Elly tried to smile, but couldn't get it out of her. It wasn't like the pony in front of her was all that intimidating. He was a solid six inches shorter at he shoulder than she was, quite small for a stallion. He wore a solid green drill instructors hat and a green uniform with his rank displayed over the right side. She could tell that he was quite old, maybe in his late fifties and had beady eyes and a buzz cut underneath his hat. His Cutie mark seemed to be mostly obscured by his military jacket.

R. Lee's beady eyes narrowed on Elly. "Are you the dumpster coon that sent this filly out alone to carry all this food?"

"N-no, she had-" Elly said.

"Speak up! What is your major voice malfunction!" R. Lee Army shouted.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared on, as this tiny pony had Elly scared witless.

"I said Luna was with her. Luna was going to help her carry that stuff here!" Elly said.

"What kinda diamond dog shit-stain lets a filly and a superior officer do the grunt work when she's perfectly capable of doing it herself?" R. Lee Army asked.

Elly walked up to R. Lee Army and got up right in his face. "They both volunteered to go get lunch, short-stack!"

"I may be short, , but I didn't know they stacked shit as high as you!" R. Lee Army retorted. "You're probably one of the local night ladies. You look like you can suck a golf ball through a garden hose!"

"What's a night lady?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"You'll find out when you get older!" Elly and R. lee Army yelled at Sweetie in unison.

"Listen, sir-"

"No, shit-stain. I work for a living, you will refer to me as sarge! Now tell me, what is your name so I can add you to my shit-list?" R. Lee Army demanded, interrupting Elly in the process.

"I am Elly Loo" Elly replied curtly.

"Wait, repeat that?" R. Lee Army asked.

"Elly Loo" Elly repeated herself.

"Oh" R. Lee Army laughed. "Fumbles!"

"Wait" Elly's eyes went wide. "Sargent R?"

"Well, well taint this a treat. Here I was thinking I was talking to a pile of shit and instead I was talking to one that can't catch shit!" R. Lee Army laughed.

"N-nice to see you too, sarge." Elly folded her ears back, a frown forming across her face.

"Fumbles? Why did he call you Fumbles sis?" Scootaloo asked.

"Sis? I didn't know you had a little sister." R. Lee Army walked over to the tank, motioning for Scootaloo to come down.

Scootaloo nodded and pulled herself out from the top of the tank and jumped down next to R. Lee Army. "So, who is this exactly sis?"

Elly sighed, rustling her wings in obvious disgust. "The name I knew him by was Sarge. He was the hoofball coach of Dremdale fillies academy back when I was ten or so."

"He called you fumbles, was that a nickname?" Sweetie Belle asked.

R. Lee Army laughed. "Oh, do I have story for you fillies!"

Elly frowned and put a hoof on R. Lee Army's jacket. "If you would kindly NOT bring that up, it would be much appreciated. It's bad enough that nickname followed me into middle school."

"Oh come on, a little childhood trauma builds character. Can't say the same for your dads checkbook though, he lost a lot betting against me that game." R. Lee smiled. "How is your old man? I haven't seen him since I was redeployed up north."

I guess news doesn't travel very far when you're posted in the middle of nowhere. Elly thought.

Elly lowered her head somberly. "I guess you don't get news papers up north?"

R. Lee Army scratched the back of his head. "No, where I was stationed the last ten or so years was a bit too far off the main supply chain. We got only the very basics and occasionally a book or two."

"Sarge, you may want to take a seat for this..." Elly said somberly.

Elly explained to R. Lee how a house fire a few years ago killed nearly every member of the Loo family, save for herself and Scootaloo. She specifically avoided details about the other problems of being pursued and the self isolation from her sister.

"I...I" R. Lee took his hat off and put it over his chest, bowing his head respectfully. "I had no idea. I just retired a few months ago, this is the first time in years I been back to a major town." R. Lee Army put his hat back on his head. "I apologize for my earlier outbursts and lack of knowledge about your parents."

R. Lee Army looked at Scootaloo and back at Elly. "I can't imagine growing up without parents, At least you two have each other."

"But, they only-" Elly dived forward, putting her hoof in Sweetie Belles mouth, much to her protest.

"Never mind her, would you like to share lunch with us?" Elly asked, smiling meekly to try and cover her nervousness.

"I would fumbles, but those maggots outside hired me to get them in shape and I'll be damned if they aren't scrubbing that tank clean with toothbrushes by the end of the day." R. Lee walked by Elly and toward the door, stopping to look back at the tank. "I suggest you redo that entire hull, from this angle you can see it buckles in the middle a bit."

R. Lee Army opened the door and stepped out, stopping midway. "Oh, and fumbles?"

"Yes..." Elly growled.

"I suggest you do a few laps around the outside of the facility. Wouldn't want ya to be nicknamed combat whale in the next round." R. Lee Army gave a short smile and closed the door behind him.

Elly grit her teeth from side to side. "That insufferable asshole. Just had to get in the last insult didn't he?"

"But, you look nothing like a whale" Sweetie Belle said, gaining herself disapproving stares from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

"Never mind him. I'm starving." Elly picked up the bag from the floor and walked toward a small table in the corner of the garage, setting it down. "Food now. Tanks later."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo moved over to the small table and sat down opposite of Elly. Sweetie Belle opened up her bag and passed two containers over to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, followed by a couple edible starch sporks.

"So we all got the same thing right?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Nope, I told the cakes to surprise us this time. Well, except Elly, she's got the weird stuff." Sweetie Belle said as she pointed to Elly.

"Hey now, Zahali salad, fries and a tofu burger isn't really that strange" Elly picked up the burger and bit into it, spraying her fries with Ketchup.

"Nice aim sis. Got your food this time instead of Apple Blooms face" Scootaloo smiled as she gave a sideways glance at Apple Bloom.

"Ketchup does not taste good goin down the nose, I'll tell you what." Apple Bloom opened up her container and found a pile of onion rings and a pair of vegetarian tacos.

"I wonder what I got?" Sweetie Belle opened her container and looked inside. "Hmm a side of garlic bread and spaghetti."

Scootaloo eagerly opened her container to find something a bit unorthodox and unexpected; a small salmon filet with a side of salad. "Ehhh..." Scootaloo stared at her food for a moment, not entirely sure if she waned to try a full course of salmon or not.

Elly put her burger down and leaned over to take a look at what was bothering Scootaloo "Well, you were probably gonna have to try a full meal of it eventually. Honestly, ponies eat too much sugar and bread as it is, a little meat in the diet couldn't hurt."

"So, Sweetie; where did Luna head off too?" Elly asked.

"A couple guards dropped by and told her of some kind of emergency situation on the edge of town. Something about a pony walking around aimlessly with parcel in it's mouth." Sweetie Belle stuck her spork into her spaghetti and twirled it around, getting a large clump of it on the end.

"Could be another pony that got sick. Heard there's been a few sporadic folks getting sick after than pan-pan...panhandle hit?" Apple Bloom said.

"Pandemic is the word you're looking for Apple Bloom. Also, yeah, could be. Though thankfully there have been no reported deaths from the first wave. Whole lot of therapy though for those down for an extended period though." Elly pondered for a moment "I hope they get the help they need. Dunno why I'm worried though, the Equestrian medical association handled that pandemic about as well as anypony could have expected."

The door cracked open and R. Lee Army stuck his head in. "Are you girls expecting mail by chance? There was some kind of really confused earth pony in a mail-mares uniform. Said he had a package to drop off to Elly Loo, but couldn't find the right garage."

Elly, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle all exchanged confused looks with one another. "No, we weren't expecting any direct mail; all of ours gets filtered through the military for ...reasons."

"Well, you got mail. Looks fishy though, no return address on it." R. Lee Army removed a small letter from his jacket pocket with his mouth and trotted over to the table, setting it down gently.

"Should we open it?" Scootaloo asked.

"No, Luna would have our hides if we went astray of the protections she put in place. We wait for a inspector to take a look at it." Elly recommended.

"It's just a piece of mail the size of a postcard, why are you so afraid of it? Did that big city life turn you into some kinda pansy or sumthin?" R. Lee Army said, barely keeping his voice at room level.

This isn't good...if I tell him pony-nappers and assassins are after us...

"Well, you see Mr. Army, there are some pretty bad folks after us and-"

"Scootaloo!" Elly growled, cutting Scootaloo off.

R. Lee Army's eyes narrowed on Elly, giving her a stare that could cut through steel. "Either you start explaining whats been going on or I'll make sure you are doing push-ups till dusk." R. Lee Army leaned in close to Elly, eliciting an uncomfortable jump back from the mare. "Spill the beans, maggot!"

"Y-Yes Sarge!" Elly said.

***Elsewhere***

"So he's just been standing there for the past hour, walking a few feet left and right before stopping dead?" Luna asked one of the well built ponies in a swimsuit.

"Yes your highness, we spotted him early in the morning during our rowing practice. We observed him just standing about. We thought at first he was watching us, but after a couple laps we noticed he was just...spacing out." The Pony in the swimsuit shook his head. "We noticed the parcel he was carrying around the third lap and stopped to investigate."

"And that's when you realized he could be under some kind of mind control, as per your orders? Seems a little bit shortsighted not to investigate it immediately" Luna accused.

"N-not to make excuses, but we have had a few false alarms in the last week. Mostly Berry Punch being wasted or Derpy being herself. However it is no excuse for our dereliction of duty and we are humbly sorry for our lack of action on the matter." The entire swim team bowed in unison in an attempt to show their sincerity.

I guess it can't be helped, we can't go after every spare phantom or drunkard that wanders into town. Luna thought to herself.

"Have you sent for a bomb squad?" Luna asked.

"We did, but it had to be sent to Canterlot , we don't have any in our ranks that are experts at defusing explosives" one of the ponies replied hastily.

"There is one, but he's colorblind and we can't afford such a mistake" another added.

Luna shook her head. Of all times for Celestia to half ass the quality of dispatches here. Then again, most of the exceptional troops are at the northern expanse... "I guess it can't be helped then. I will deal with the possible bomb myself. I want a hundred yard shrapnel barrier around the carrier; I do not want any civilian casualties or property damage."

The various ponies gathered around Luna all saluted in response and moved out in a circle to carry out her orders. Luna then created a barrier around the front of her body and then slowly walked toward the confused pony. He seemed like he was barely a teenager, he had a short cut blond mane, a green unkempt coat and a face covered in fur-freckles. He seemed to have a paintbrush dipping into a can of paint for a cutie mark and blue eyes, though from what she could tell both irises were shrunken. As she approached she noticed the young colt shudder, as if he was afraid of her.

"S-stay back griffon, I-I know kung-fu!" The colt dropped the box.

Luna quickly put a barrier up around the colt mere seconds before the box hit he ground and covered her ears; fully expecting an explosion. The colt seemed a bit more confused than before as he was punching the barrier while shouting about how hes going to kick some griffon behind. It was then that she noticed a gold fleck just behind the colts ear.

Is that what I think it is?

Luna reached out with her magic, her horn glowing a dark blue and plucked the gold object from the colts ear, quickly bringing it to herself for inspection.

"Huh? W-where am I?" The colt said, looking around himself like he was lost. "P-Princess Luna!" The colt immediately bowed his head and laid low the the ground, his entire body shaking in fear.

Really wish ponies would stop doing that, I'm not that intimidating Luna thought.

"You will slowly move away from that parcel on the ground and behind the shield the guards are putting up around us" Luna said calmly.

"Y-yes, your majesty, w-with upmost haste!" The colt stood up and bolted at top speed toward the edge of the shield, one of the guards opening a hole in it to allow him passage.

I said slowly...Luna held up the small gold square and examined it. It was much like the ones from the captured griffons still being held for questioning. It was small, no larger than a bit, but much flatter than a bit would be. It also seemed to have intricate lines up and down the middle of it which from her limited explanation from the court scientist was a form of circuitry; though one much more advanced than anything Equestria currently used.

As she inspected the device, she noted that there seemed to be a very small scorch mark in the middle. Upon closer inspection she noticed what appeared to be a very barbecued tick clinging to the surface of the device.

From what we gathered these devices can give out anywhere from very simple commands to moderately complex ones. Seems this one got borked by a parasite...

Luna levitated the device over to the nearest guard. "I want this taken to Celestia as soon as possible. She must know that the situation has escalated."

The guard walked through the barrier and grabbed the device, quickly putting it in his saddlebag. "With light speed, your majesty!" The guard took to the skies, heading off to Canterlot as fast as his wings would take him.

"As for this parcel..." Luna checked to see that the shield was still up and then put a bubble around herself. "Well, if it's a bomb then I should be fine." Luna used her magic to removed the binding on the box and opened it. The box was almost entirely empty, containing only a single slip of paper and a single light orange feather.

Luna lifted the slip of paper and began to read it aloud. "Attention remaining Loo family, the feather contained is from Vespa Loo herself. If you ever want to see your mother ever again then bring a handful of Scootaloo's feathers to the road leading to Hoofington just outside of town around five in the afternoon. You will be given a picture of Vespa to certify her safety in return."

T-this doesn't make any sense, the majority of the Loo family is dead...aren't they?

***Back at the garage***

"So, you neglected to tell me about this the first time around, why exactly?" R. Lee Army asked, tapping his hoof impatiently as he stared eye to eye with Elly.

"B-because it's not your business and I don't want any pony involved that doesn't need to be, S-sarge!" Elly responded, though her tone was clearly staggered in fear.

R. Lee Army shook his head and turned around, pacing back and fourth. "All the Loo's, all of them just as stubborn as the grass is green. You know how many friends your family has? Your dad was friends with almost every major manufacturer in the country. You mom delivered supplies on an airship during a blizzard when no one else would." R. Lee Army shook his head in disappointment. "I guess it's to be expected though, Loo's are too damn proud to accept help when they need it."

"Like you have ever helped me. All I remember from you is the constantly putting me down and making junior high for me a pain in the flank with that stupid nickname of yours!" Elly growled. "Even when you were invited to family picnics you would show up calling me fumbles and making me do laps and other non-sense."

"I still don't get why he calls you fumbles..." Sweetie Belle asked.

R. Lee Army sighed. "It's a pretty short story youngin. You see, me and Elly' dad, ol Cid go back a long time. He was an engineer in the Army for a few years to get a few certifications that civilians couldn't get normally. He married Vespa after he got out of the military , but kept in contact with me here and there over the years. When Elly here was about seven years old she developed the same flaws her mother had as a filly; a severe lack of depth perception."

Elly growled, obviously displeased with R. Lee Army telling the story.

"It was actually really common in the Loo family from what Vespa told me. I suggested to Cid to enroll her in little league hoofball; it would give her good amount of exercise to correct that depth perception problem. I offered to help out with her training a little bit on the side. Would show up every so often with an exercise regiment and nearly show up to every one of her games to-"

"To insult me in front of everypony and make a mockery of my problem!" Elly growled.

"That's not the intent. Yes I gave you a nickname that some would call insulting, but I was also there to cheer you on and push you to be better!" R. Lee Army steeped forward pointing. "And to teach you that the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows, that life will keep throwing you hardball's and you can either catch 'em or let them continue to hit you in the face."

"Mr. Army, I think you being a little r-"

"Please don't interrupt me youngin." R. Lee Army said curtly, cutting Scootaloo off mid-sentence.

R. Lee Army turned his attention back to Elly. "Tell me, after your second year of little league hoofball, what was your catching average?"

"About half?" Elly said, though she seemed unsure of it.

"It was actually almost seventy percent by my memory and by the third year you were one of the top ten shortstops in the entire league." R. Lee Army said. "I mean, you batting average was still pretty terrible to be honest, but at least you weren't pitcher levels of bad in that regard."

"You didn't do any of that. I practiced hard so ...ponies would.." Elly sat down and stared at the floor. "Stop making fun of me."

R. Lee Army nodded his head. "It's called tough love. Sometimes you make progress through adversity. I'm also the one that gave your mom the practice regiment to get you back on track." R. Lee Army put his hoof on Elly shoulder. "You're not alone in this world Elly, even though I come off as harsh, I only ever have your best interests at heart. I may be kind of a- am an asshole, but I'm an asshole that cares."

Elly sat there, not sure whether to be angry that he argument was demolished or happy that she was helped without her even knowing it.

*Riiiiirrrrpppp*

Elly turned her head quickly just to see Apple Bloom opening up the letter. "Apple Bloom, are you insane!? That could have been a bomb, cursed or worse!"

"S-sorry. I kinda can't resist opening up mail when we get it at home. It's kinda a bad habit." Apple Bloom pulled out a small letter and behind it a single orange feather fell out of the envelope. "Whats one of Scootaloo's feathers doin in here?"

"That's not one of my feathers. It's a bit too large" Scootaloo said, pointing to her own dainty feathers on her wings.

Elly moved over to the table and picked the feather up, her nose instinctively contorted for a brief second. "A-am I smelling things?" Elly ran the feather under her nose, inhaling with great gusto. "T-this can't be!"

"W-whats wrong? Why is she smelling the feather like it's a baked good?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"No, I think I recognize that too, mind if I take a sniff?" Scootaloo asked.

"That must be one magical feather to get you two all over it like that" R. Lee Army commented. "Wait a second... it couldn't be..."

Elly lowered the feather down to Scootaloo to let her get a good whiff on the odor from it.

"T-there's no way!" Scootaloo yelled.

"Will you two tell us whats going on already? This is weirdin us out a bit" Apple Bloom said, staring at Elly and Scootaloo with a combination of disdain and confusion.

"It smells like, no it IS moms feather." Elly inspected the shaft of the feather all the way down to the base, she noted that the end had a small amount of blood on the end, like it was plucked out too fast. "I...I don't get it though. She died in that fire, the coroner found dozens of burned out bodies and even identified all of them."

"I remember the ceiling falling on mom, I don't think there was any chance she got out" Scootaloo added. "But that odor...it's her, it's really her.

"I'm a bit lost here. How do you know what your mom smells like?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"It's a bit complicated, but I can explain. You see, all children imprint on their mothers by smell to some degree, but for Pegasus ponies it's a might bit stronger. The mother usually puts her wings over her children when they are sleeping and they remember the odor from her body. It also helps the foal find it's mother if it gets lost." R. Lee Army sighed. "The strong sense of smell fades as they get older, but they never forget what mom smells like."

"That's...kinda gross maybe?" Sweetie Belle said.

"I think it makes sense. I think Cheerilee went over something like it in class last semester" Apple Bloom added.

"I don't remember that part" Sweetie Belle replied, scratching her head.

"That's because you got sent to the nurses office for eating glue..." Apple Bloom said.

"Oh, Right. I did get detention for that, didn't I?" Sweetie Belle blushed in embarrassment. "Also to be fair, it was some tasty glue..."

Elly stared at the feather for a moment, her mind racing with how such a fresh feather could still be around. Either their enemies were baiting them into a trap by making a fake one or this was the real deal and there was a massive coverup the night of the fire. "Mind if I see the letter Apple Bloom?"

"Sure, it's yer mail anyhow." Apple Bloom handed over the folded letter to Elly, whom quickly unfolded it and began to read aloud.

"Attention remaining Loo sisters, the feather contained is from Vespa Loo herself. If you ever want to see your mother ever again then bring a handful of Scootaloo's feathers to the road leading to the dragon wastes just outside of town around five in the afternoon. You will be given a picture of Vespa to certify her safety in return." Elly was struck by a sudden sinking feeling; dropping the letter as if she just seen a ghost.

"T-this can't be real, is has to be some kind of trick or trap to get to us." Tears began to run down Elly's cheeks as she lowered her head, deep in thought.

Scootaloo nuzzled up against Elly." I know how you feel, I-I'm just as shocked as you are. I know it's probably a trap though...but...that lure, that possibility...I want it to be real..."

Elly patted Scootaloo's mane as she leaned on her. "I know, it's just there's no possible way this isn't a trap of some kind."

"I'm gonna head out, I need to report this to a guard or Princess Luna. If they have hostages then she has to know about this." R. Lee Army headed for the door when he felt his back leg being grabbed by something. He turned his head and saw Scootaloo, holding his back leg and staring up at him."

"I know you only have our best interests at heart, but if you tell her...they...they might just..."

"Kill her?" R. Lee Army said, cutting off Scootaloo's pleading. "I know that and I'm damn sure Luna will know that as soon as I tell her. Listen, Scootaloo..." R. Lee Army bent down to removed the filly from his back leg, patting her on the head. "I know this is rough, for both of you." R. Lee looked up at Elly for a brief moment. "But, both of you are what we refer to in the army as emotionally compromised. These griffons are professionals, they know how to take advantage of pony psychology. They put you in a no win situation and expect both of you to act recklessly."

R. Lee Army stood up. "I know it may be hard for you to to accept, but you may have to live with the possibility that either A, your mom is long dead and this is a trap or B, your mother is alive, and will be used as a heavy bargaining chip...or worse."

"I-I don't think I could stand to bury her again..." Elly Loo said somberly.

R. Lee turned around and headed for the door, stopping just short of exiting the garage. "I know this may seem harsh, but you mother would rather die than see either of you hurt. Any parent would gladly give their lives to protect their offspring; it may hurt but it might be best to just let the past die."

R. Lee Army walked out of the garage and shut the door, only the muffled sounds of him cursing out Twilight to "stop being such a fucking useless bookworm, scrub that turret till I can see my face in it!" could be heard.

"W-we aren't just going to sit back and do nothing, are we?" Scootaloo asked.

Elly sighed. "I don't know Scootaloo, I just don't know."

***Ponyville hidden barracks, three hours later***

Luna paced back and fourth, staring at both letters on the table while her chief staff and R. Lee Army watched on nervously. She would occasionally stop, blurt out an idea and then quickly shut herself down in afterthought.

"So...we figured out some of their initial motives. The theory is they wanted to emotionally strike both of the Loo sisters in a possible attempt to capture them, while at the same time announcing to the world that they have a possible hostage or even multiple of them." Luna stared at the letters, still unsure as to how any of the Loo family could be alive, let alone Vespa herself.

She stared at a report on the wall, the coroners report from the night the majority of the Loo family perished. The same few issues kept popping up in her head. Why the identification was done by a griffon kingdoms national in a different town, why was it done within a couple hours when there were near fifty corpses to examine and lastly why there was no coroners assistant to cross reference or confirm his findings.

Luna turned to R. Lee Army "How much longer till those graves are dug up?"

R. Lee Army bowed his head. "The medics had some concerns about it, and setting up for the extraction is taking longer than normal."

Luna nodded. "I understand the caution around such delicate operations. The possibility of an unearthed corpse resulting in some form of undead ghost-form; especially with how she died, is fairly high." Luna sighed. "It's disgusting to give out such an order, every fiber of my being hated to give it. The fact remains though, we must know if the body in that casket is the real thing."

"I know the feeling your majesty; Vespa and Cid were close family friends. I don't envy the position you're in right now princess. If this gets out, either that they are hostages or that you dug up corpses without asking the living kin..."

"I am very well aware of the damage that could be done" Luna Said as she cut off R. Lee Army. "The senate would go ballistic if they found out the Loo family was being held hostage. War would most likely be completely unavoidable at that point, given their political and industrial importance to many of the sitting senators. Not to mention that the paparazzi would have a field day if they found out I was ordering the excavation of corpses; let alone well known ones like the Loo's."

"I'm guessing you want to keep this operation under-wraps from Celestia as well?" R. Lee asked.

"Without a doubt. I don't expect her to get angry with me, it's more for her protection than anything else. I'm sort of the dark horse sister, I can take a hit to my reputation; she isn't in such a privileged position to do so herself." Luna turned to one of the guards as he opened his mouth, staring right at him. "And yes, I am completely aware of the pun I just made due to my coat color, there is no need to point it out."

Luna pondered the other questions once more. Trying to figure out the past without evidence was getting her nowhere fast, so focusing on why Vespa's captors would need Scootaloo's feathers was bothering her the most. If they had a suitable mage they could make a voodoo doll of some kind in order to hurt, control or use her as a unknowing spy. However, such magic was easy to detect and even easier to block.

Could they have found Ragnarok and there was some kind of security that required her feathers in particular? It could be a possibility, even Celestia did not know exactly where the Loo's buried Ragnarok; something that bothered her greatly. Honestly, who buries a weapon and then leaves its protection up to a civilian? Then again, Celestia probably had her doubts about the legitimacy of some of her senate and possibly worried about Nightmare Moon getting her hooves on such a weapon, back when it was a controlling part of her body.

The last idea was that getting Scootaloo's feathers would be a way of somehow tricking Vespa into working with them, maybe reveal the location of Ragnarok while using Scootaloo's feathers as a kind of fake hostage.

"Hmm, do you think they would try and lie that they had captured Scootaloo and use her as leverage against Vespa?" Luna asked.

"Sounds plausible, I mean, if it were my own child being used as a prisoner against me, I would do pretty much anything I could to ensure their safety. but..." The Guard Chief cleared his throat. "I think I would like to see a physical body and not just a few feathers that they could have picked up anywhere."

"That does seem logical. From what I have read Vespa is a incredibly smart pony. Though I do not know if her sense would override her natural protective nature toward her offspring." Luna looked at R. Lee Army "You said you knew Vespa personally, would you be able to clue me in on how she would react?"

R. Lee Army scratched his head. "Vespa was and probably still is one of the more level headed ponies I have ever known. She does however have an incredibly protective streak in her when it comes to her children. I once hear she fought off a full grown grizzly bear in Stalingrad because it got a little to close to Elly when she was just a few years old."

Luna sighed. "As expected of any mother, and the griffons know this and will have no qualms exploiting it." Luna rubbed her temple on her right side. "I really wish this was like old wars; it was conducted honorably back then. It was settled in the old way, in multiple one versus one combat; first one to die, loses."

"Ma'am?" R. Lee Army said, noticing Luna was mumbling a bit to herself.

"Sorry, I got side tracked. This string of events has stressed me out considerably. So many small details that-" Luna's eyes went wide. "That's it! Small!"

Guards in the room looked back and fourth at one another, clearly confused as to what Luna was getting at.

Luna picked up the small gold square with the dead tick still attached with her magic and held it up at eye level. "See, small. I have an idea what will get us at least a pair of eyes on the inside, maybe even give away their location."

Luna rushed to the door and opened it, running outside with a trail of confused royal guards following her. She stopped in the middle of the street, ponies staring at her as she darted her head back and forth; looking for her quarry.

"Mrow?!"

Luna heard it and out the corner of her eyes she noticed a fat tabby cat pawing at a window to get in. Luna walked up to the cat and lifted it up with her magic, much to the confusion and dismay of the locals.

"Mommy, what I Luna doing to that cat?" A filly asked, tugging on her mothers tail.

"Maybe a public service? Maybe shes trying to find that poor cat a home?" The mother replied.

Luna levitated a small nearby rock and used her magic on it to transmogrify it into a small comb with multiple small scoop like slits in-between the bristles. She brought the cat closer to her, though it seemed to be less enthusiastic about being held in the air against its will. Luna began to brush the cats fur vigorously, inspecting the comb every few strokes.

"Dear...we need to go. I think Luna has snapped again, we might want to not be around when Twilight and her friends get here to calm her down" the mother with the small filly said, shielding her child's eyes as they walked away briskly.

"Y-your highness, I think you best stop brushing that cat, there are lots of eyes on you" R. Lee Army said, pointing to the multiple Ponyville residents that stopped in shock and confusion to watch Luna brush a cat."

"Eureka!" Luna set the cat down on the ground where it hissed at her and walked away swishing its tail indignantly. She held up the comb to her face and used her magic to pick the single solidarity flea on the comb up into the air, where she surrounded it in a small bubble.

Luna examined the small creature, but her concentration was quickly shattered by all the stares from the small crowd that had formed around her.

"Why does the Princess of the night have to be so...strange?" One pony mumbled.

"Don't let her hear you say that! Do you want to spend the next few years banished on the moon!?" Another pony whispered.

"Yeah, did you hear what she did to the engineering district in Canterlot? Shes a loose cannon, I swear." Another pony said.

"Hey!" One of the rowboat ponies elbowed R. Lee Army. "Most of us are not in uniform, you look official tell the crowd that *whisper*whisper* and *whisper*."

"Now, now don't everyone get all upset. Princess Luna here was just capturing a few specimens for testing. Reports came in that the pandemic that came through this town recently could be transmitted by fleas. She's just doing her duty to confirm if that is true or not." R. Lee Army stepped out, yelling at the crowd that have gathered.

"Oh, that makes sense!" One pony said.

"Oh, shes more hooves on than Celestia, I like that" another added.

The crowd began to clap as Luna stood there, still unsure as to exactly handle the situation. "Y-yes, just a bit of field work." Luna smiled, though it was more forced than she would have liked.

R. Lee Army walked in front of Luna, waving his forelegs back and forth. "Please disperse. Luna needs room and concentration to get more specimens for testing!"

The crowd began to slowly disperse and after a few more minutes of waving his hooves to break up the crowd he turned to Luna. "Now that the gawkers are all gone, may I ask you why you're holding a single flea prisoner up there?"

Luna nodded. "I had an idea. Mind control this little fella and put a few vision and tracking spells on him. I disguise myself as Scootaloo to make the exchange and hide this little fella in the feathers."

"So a spy then, not a bad idea. Pretty sure mind control spells are incredibly illegal though" R. Lee Army said, as he rubbed his chin.

"I'm well aware of the exact wording. Illegal for use on sentient creatures, fleas are about as sentient as any other insect." Luna examined the insect in the small bubble, it seemed to have given up trying to escape and merely settled on the bottom of the bubble to clean itself. "Even if that wasn't the case, the stakes are far too high to no screw the rules."

Luna moved the bubble beside her and stared in the direction of the garage. "We need to get move quickly, the meeting time is nearly upon us!"

***Back at the garage***

Scootaloo sat down, spinning a small stubby screw driver on her hoof. She stared at the edge reflecting the light from the room, trying to take her mind off the days events.

"Phillips head screw driver Scoots" Elly said, waving her hoof from up under the tank.

Scootaloo continued to stare at the screwdriver spinning around on her hoof. Try as she might, she just couldn't seem to focus on anything other than the fact that her mother might still be alive; that even if she was the only one there was a slightest possibility of a real complete family.

"Scoots?" Elly said, rolling out from underneath the tank. "Scootaloo?" Elly waved in her hoof in from of Scootaloo to get her attention. "Equestria calling Scootaloo, over!"

'S-sorry, did you need a wrench?" Scootaloo said as she picked up a socket wrench.

Elly sighed, shaking her head. "No, I need that thing you're fiddling with."

"Sorry. I'm just too lost in thought to really pay attention" Scootaloo responded somberly.

"Yeah, I can understand that." Apple Bloom popped up from the side of the tank, carrying a road wheel that she quickly tossed aside. "I lost both of mah parents before I even got a chance to get to know em personally. I think I would be as restless as you are if there was a even a hint that they were still around."

"I wish we could do something, hell the thought ran through my head a dozen time while I was under the tank. I'm not willing to risk leaving you all alone again or you getting taken away from us." Elly grabbed the screwdriver from Scootaloo and pulled herself back under the tank. "I'm not a mind reader, but I'm pretty sure mom would tell us off if we planned to rescue her by endangering ourselves."

Scootaloo stood up and stretched her wings out. "I need some fresh air."

Elly slid out from under the tank. "In that case, Sweetie Belle, could you go with her to make sure she doesn't try anything reckless?"

"What about being reckless now?" A voice from the other side of the garage said.

Scootaloo, Elly and the others ears shot up as the door to the garage opened up.

"Oh, it's just you Luna..." Elly said as she slid up under the tank once again. "Your lunch is on the table, though it's probably really cold by now."

Luna walked into the garage, R. Lee Army close behind her.

"What do you think you're doing maggot? When the princess enters a room you're first reaction should be to bow!" R. Lee Army yelled.

"Blow it out your ass, ya old codger. Luna is a team mate, in here all ponies are equal." Elly slid out from under the tank, tossing a bit of tread she had disconnected to the side.

"It's fine Mr. Army. We all speak frankly in here, well, maybe not as frankly as cursing out loud in front of impressionable fillies." Luna gave Elly a quick accusatory glance, which Elly responded to by turning away bashfully.

"So Luna, have you figured out what we are supposed to do about the whole exchange thing?" Scootaloo asked.

"There will be no we in this event. I will be disguising myself as you to deliver some of your feathers. Speaking of which, would you be so kind to remove a few?" Luna stared at Scootaloo and then at the clock on the back wall of the garage. "Quickly if you would, we only have twenty or so minutes till the meeting."

Scootaloo nodded and unfurled her minute wings. She stared at them for a moment, trying to figure out what feathers she could live without; though in the back of her mind she knew it really didn't matter. Not being able to fly sort of made being picky a pointless endeavor. She finally settled on a few feathers close to her body; ones that were a bit out of place with the rest of them. She began to quickly preen them and before long there was a pile of a dozen or so of her own diminutive feathers on the floor.

"Is that enough or should I preen the other wing?" Scootaloo asked.

"That will be quite enough thank you." Luna's horn glowed and the feathers levitated up to eye level. She then turned to R. Lee Army "I request that you stay here and make sure these fillies-" Luna turned her head to set her gaze solely on Elly and then Scootaloo. "Do not try anything that would get them in trouble."

"Not a problem, your highness. I may be retired, but I'll be damned if I let these civvies slip by me!" R. Lee Army saluted.

Luna smiled and headed out the door, stopping midway out of it. "I will post a couple extra guards around the garage, just in case." Luna stepped out the doorway and shut the door behind her.

Elly shook her head and went back to work under the tank. After about seven minutes of unbolting she could no longer stand the dead silence and pushed herself from out under the tank. "So, you gonna explain what she's planning on doing aside from getting a picture?"

R. Lee Army rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not supposed to tell anypony, but if it will keep you two from doing anything reckless, I'll tell ya..."

***

"So, how do I look?" Luna asked on of her guards as she turned in place, trying to get a better feel for her now much smaller body.

"You look like the real thing your highness. Although I think Scootaloo's wings are a tad bit smaller than the ones you put on" the guard added.

Luna stared at her orange fairly average sized wings for a moment. "You're right, I scaled the transmogrification to have matching scale body parts. I keep forgetting Scootaloo is far from a normal pegasus." Luna closed her eyes and her wings began to shrink in size. "There, better?"

"That's about right, may be off by a inch or so. Nothing all that noticeable though" The guard added.

"Good." Luna stared at at the clock on the wall, only ten minutes till the exchange was to occur. "The mind controlled bug is holding on firmly in-between the feathers, yes?"

"Yes ma'am" The guard replied promptly. "Inside of this envelop as well."

Luna grabbed the envelope in her mouth and ran towards the door. "Wish me luck!" Luna yelled behind her as she made her way through the barracks and out the door.

***

"Personally, it's not much of a plan. There's a whole lot that can go wrong, but it was the best we could come up with on such short notice. Aside from capturing the delivery, but that would possibly endanger Vespa if it turned out to be t-" R. Lee Army stopped mid sentence, his ears popping up.

"I-is something-"

"Shush it for a second!" R. Lee Army growled, quickly silencing Scootaloo. "Something is very off. The guard outside, his faint whistling has stopped."

*Tink*Tink* Clink*

R. Lee Army ducked low to the floor, motioning Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Elly to him. "Now I'm sure you heard that!" R. Lee whispered. "Is there any place in this garage that can act as a safe room?"

Elly took a quick glance around the room. "Aside from the inside of the tank, there is the ammo storage room. It has pretty thick blast door."

"The tanks not a good idea, we already removed some of the hatches for recycling and the front of it is banged up enough to be a weak-point" Sweetie Belle added, nodding at Apple Bloom.

"We can't drive it out either, the transmission is disassembled and even if it was there are quite a few entirely stripped gears" Scootaloo said.

"Listen, if that's what I think it is up there, they will be coming through the ceiling at any second. I want all of you girls to get in that ammo room and stay there. Don't open the door for anyone, pony or otherwise." R. Lee Army heard a few more sets of claws scrape against he roof.

"What about you?" Elly asked.

"I'm staying out here to fight them, buy you as much time as I can to make sure they don't get into that room." R. Lee motioned the group to move to the ammo room. However, Elly wasn't budging.

"I can't do that, I can fight too!" Elly argued, puffing her chest out to make herself look bigger than she actually was.

"Were you born retarded or did you train to get that way!? These are quite possibly professional killers up there! A civilian doesn't have a chance against them!" R. Lee Army pointed at the door to the ammo room where the fillies were standing, all of them motioning Elly to come to them.

Elly stood up, staring at R. Lee Army. "I'm not running anymore." Elly turned to Scootaloo. "Close the door sis, we will be fine."

"Elly!, No, don't do this! I don't want to-"

Just as Scootaloo yelled several cloaked figured crashed through the ceiling and another three or so broke through the front door. Elly, realizing that Scootaloo was reluctant to close the blast door quickly ran over to the door, jump kicking it shut before rolling back over to R. Lee's side.

"You are one stubborn mare, Elly Loo." R. Lee Army said. "Just like your mother."

Elly smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

The dust and debris from the room began to settle and Elly and R. Lee found themselves surrounded by six very large griffons in cloaks. They all wore what looked like dark blue or jet black cloaks, each one with baggy or tight fitting black clothing that covered them all over. Each worse a mask that was custom fit to each of their faces and if it wasn't for one of them having a wardrobe malfunction; you couldn't even tell they were griffons.

"You see that Elly?" R. Lee said as he took a defensive posture, his back against Elly's. "Right on the cinch holding the cloaks around their necks."

Elly stared at the edge of the cloak, following it's edge to the cinch. In deep cobalt blue was a grim reaper holding a scythe with the letters 'FTB' stamped in below.

"What is that?!" Elly asked.

"Allow me to answer that for you, young mare." The shortest of the griffons stepped forward, pulling the cloak from his head and removing his mask. "We are Fade to Black and I am Karl Nobiling. We have orders to take you back to our glorious leader, unharmed if we can help it."

"Fade to black is Queen Walarah's personal assassination squad." R. Lee said, noticing Elly's blank stare out the corner of his eye. "I heard only those with a hundred or more stealth kills are taken into their fold. They are the worst kind of murderous scum."

"I see our prestigious reputation follows us, even here so deep in enemy territory. If that is the case then I have a proposition; If you-" Karl stopped and stared over at the blast door "and your adorable sibling come with us without a fight, then no one else gets hurt."

"And if we refuse?" Elly asked.

"Then we kill all the spares, fillies included and take you by force. Oh, and we will make sure it HURTS the entire time. Some of my associates have a bit of a sadist streak in them. Take the griffon to the right over me, he has a nasty habit of flaying his prey alive." Karl stepped back, motioning the two griffons by his side to step forward.

"So, it's your choice; come quietly or their deaths will be on your conscience. What will it be?" Karl said, smiling smugly.

"Could you perhaps give us a moment to weigh our options?" Elly asked.

"I don't see why not, but make it quick. I am an impatient griffon" Karl responded.

R. Lee Army turned in place and leaned toward Elly, both with their heads keeping watch over one another's shoulders, but being within whispering distance.

"So what do you think our chances are?" Elly asked.

"If it was maybe two or three we might have a chance. Six top end trained killers is effectively suicide though. I'm not willing to surrender you to them though. I couldn't live with myself if I let one of my best friends children be taken while I was still alive to do something about it." R. Lee stared directly at the largest griffon, trying to discern if he had any obvious weaknesses. "Those cloaks obscure their movements and equipment as well."

Elly nodded. "They are not allowed to kill me right? I may have an idea to get us out of this mess..."

***

This is ridiculous! Luna thought to herself as she stared at the sky. Why would sister set the sun this early in the afternoon, in summer no less!? She stared up at the sky as the last bits of twilight left it, giving way only to darkness and a quickly ascending moon. No, that's not sister moving the moon. The grip is far weaker than her own and nowhere near as fluid. Luna stood there, at the road leading to the dragon wastes, wondering if she should turn back into herself and put the sun rightfully back in its place. No, it's mere minutes before the exchange. There's a good chance I'm being watched as well.

Luna scanned the road, trying to make out any approaching shadows. I lack night vision in this form as well. I'm beginning to wish Scootaloo was a Bat-pony instead of just a pegasus. Suddenly a group of griffons appeared no more than a few hundred yards from her, though it was difficult to make out exactly how many there were. One of the griffons stepped forward, lighting up a lamp that he was holding and set it on the dirt road.

"The rules are as follows. You will set the feathers on the ground and we will take them. Once we have confirmed the package is the real deal we will leave the photo of Vespa in an envelope and leave. Any attempt to follow us will result in pain for poor Vespa or execution of a multitude of other slaves we have acquired." The griffon scanned the road. "We are also well aware that you are not Scootaloo."

"I-I am too!" Luna said, though she was not exactly sure her retort was remotely convincing.

"You stand there and expect me to believe that they sent out a filly we have been trying to capture all alone to trade with dangerous and possibly murderous assailants? Do you think me born yesterday?" The griffon sighed. "It matters not to me who you are, so long as the trade goes smoothly."

One of the griffons leaned over and whispered at the other, the one previously speaking nodding in confirmation.

"Actually, on second thought. We would like to see your true form. I would like to know whom we are dealing with." The griffon set a small envelope on the ground in front of him. "We will then make the exchange."

This isn't good. If I show who I really am then there is a real chance they will be tipped that something is off... Luna thought of what would be both compelling and logical to transform into. Yes, Celestia's protege! Luna closed her eyes and imagined herself as Twilight Sparkle. He body lifted into the air slightly and a bright white light enveloped her. She could feel her skin and coat rustle as is expanded and changed color, taking on a light indigo hue. She felt the stubby wings fade into nothing and the short, sporty mane being replaced with the well kept sleek mane of a full grown mare. Lastly a horn sprouted from her head, though it felt sort of odd having a much smaller horn than usual.

As she floated down to the ground, she noticed one of the other griffons lean in and whisper to the lead one.

"So, Twilight Sparkle was it? That makes sense; for Celestia to use her lap dog for all the work." The griffon motioned Luna forward a few feet then pointed at the package she was holding and then to the ground.

Luna nodded in confirmation, but there seemed to be ...less griffons than from before at least it seemed so; she still didn't have her natural night vision to mark certain that was the case. She leaned down and dropped the package on the ground and backed away several yards.

The griffon approached the package, leaned over and opened it with his beak. He stared into the box , looked up at Luna and nodded in affirmation. He picked up the box with his claw and stuffed it into his robes. "Bring the picture...and the magic detection device."

Blast it all...did I use all Alicorn level spells for that or only some? Luna thought.

One of the other griffons approached, himself pulling out a small blue coin from his robes. Another one next to him picked the envelope off the ground and followed him.

A few tense moments went by as the congregation of griffons talked to one another.

"The coin shows no foul play. There is no unicorn magic anywhere on these feathers;there is a faint amount of pegasus magic, but that's to be expected." One of the griffons said as he pocketed the blue coin.

"I see. As for the E list, we will leave that to FTB. We will leave the photo as agreed upon" the leader said, setting the envelope on the ground.

"And if FTB fails?" One of the other griffons asked.

"It's only one target, but I understand your concern. She is very talented from what I have read in reports." The leader turned to Luna, spreading his wings. "As agreed, the photo is in the envelope on the ground."

What is an E list, what is FTB? Luna wondered.

The griffons took to the skies before Luna could prod them for any more information. The leader stopped mid-air and stared at Luna. "Oh and Miss Sparkle, do try and die with some dignity if you would?"

Luna could just barely make out shadows swiftly moving around her. She had a sudden sense of foreboding dread and jumped to the left, just as a dagger whiffed past her neck, cutting off a bit of mane. Before the dagger could even hit the ground , she felt the heat of another body dead behind her. She ducked just in time to feel the gust of air across the back of her head move her mane to one side and spot the faintest gleam of metal out of the corner of her eye.

Luna reflexively planted her front legs on the ground and kicked out with her back legs, barely grazing her assailant's front claw. She then felt the earth below her tremble ever so slightly, quickly jumping up just as another shadowy figure ran below her.

I need my night vision, fighting like this is going to get me killed!

Realizing that she had not the time or distance to transform back into an Alicorn, Luna focused her mind on the spells that would give a unicorn the greater edge in her current situation.

Major Spell sequencer!

Luna's horn glowed light purple. Greater Stone Skin, Greater Iron hide, Greater Martial Reflex!

Just then a dagger grazed her side, sending sparks into the attacker and illuminating him briefly, which Luna capitalized on by grabbing him by he claw and judo tossing him as hard as her current body would allow.

The griffon landed just barely ten or so feet away, quickly righting himself and charging right at Luna.

I need to get some distance to get back into my true form. Twilight's body may be powerful for a unicorn, but it's far too limiting with odds stacked this high against me. Luna barely completed her thought just as another assailant took a swing at her head with a hatchet, missing her horn by barely a few inches.

Luna stomped on the griffons leg and pointed her horn at his face. Flames erupted from her horn, setting the griffon on fire. He tried to pull away, but Luna kept her weight on the griffons leg, making sure that the spell completed it's full casting.

The griffon screamed and writhed in pain as he tried to get away, finally managing to unpin his front leg from under Luna just as the spell completed. He quickly rolled around in the grass, patting himself down in order to put out the flames.

Luna ducked once more as another pair of griffons tried to tackle her, one managing to sink his front claw into Luna's skin; drawing blood as he flew by.

Mortal body means mortal problems! Luna winced in pain as she took a quick glance where the pain was coming from. She almost wish she hadn't. Just below her cutie mark was a large open wound with some of the skin flapping in the wind. She could feel the copious amounts of blood run down her leg and see the exposed muscle contract as she staggered backwards.

The griffon she had previously thought she had cooked charged at her with renewed vigor, his body only just showing a few small burned areas.

This isn't good, Twilight's attack magic is pitiful. What was she good at again!? Luna dodged yet another swipe from another griffon, this time the knife just barely nipping the fur just above her jugular.

Luna quickly put up a barrier that deflected the next couple of attackers, bouncing them back several yards. Well at least she's almost as good as her brother in that department. But- The realization hit her as to what Twilight was exceptional at and with a flash she teleported herself several hundred feet into the sky.

I need to make this quick, the momentum from this high up will not be cancelled by another teleport...

The griffons on the ground began to look around, trying to find out where Luna had gone off to. One of them finally got the idea to look up, only to see the silhouette of a unicorn juxtaposed against the light of the full moon.

"She can't dodge, get her!" One shouted to the others.

Luna felt her shoulders and back broader, her neck and horn extend and her legs stretch. She could feel the burn of her wings as they sprouted from her back. She could feel her tidy mane go back to the smooth flowing near weightlessness that she was used to and watched as her light purple coat changed to deep night blue on her forelegs. Her sight went completely black for a brief moment, only to be replaced with her natural night vision; illuminating her attackers as clear as day. However, her backside still had a nasty sting to it. She quickly looked back and noticed that while the would was healing automatically; it was far from it's usual speed.

Those blades must have powerful enchantments on them. I will have to look into that once I deal with them. Luna stared at the sky below her; seven attackers were all coming for her all at once, with one a mere hundred or so feet away from her. Luna clamped her hooves on her forelegs together and then slowly spread them apart, creating a glowing crescent half moon. She then moved her left leg down horizontally, creating a shaft of light that connected to the crescent.

Luna then moved her right foreleg to the middle of the shaft just as the glowing subsided. One of griffons was within slashing range, closing in on her-

"Why don't you be a good unicorn and die, Twilight!" He shouted as he slashed with his dagger.

*Ding*

The dagger collided with the top part of a ornate combat scythe. The shaft was black, but put off deep flowing flames made of pure shadow. The blade itself had a deep purple armor plate over the top part of the blade while the blade itself was semi-transparent with hundreds of stars glowing on its surface, illuminating both Luna and her attacker.

The griffon opened his mouth , but no words came out as his eyes widened in shock.

Luna leaned forward, allowing the light from her weapon to illuminate her face better. "I am not Twilight..." Luna spun in mid-air, slamming the griffon in the chest and sending him crashing into the dirt a mere second later, leaving a sizable crater in the dirt.

"I am the night!" Luna roared.

***Back at the garage***

*Pant pant* Elly staggered to her feet once more as a stream of blood poured from a cut just above her left eye, keeping her blind on one side. Behind her laid R. Lee Army, his body completely hunched over in a fetal position; a bloodied dagger mere inches from his body.

"Sarge?" Elly said, keeping her eyes on the five cloaked griffons in front of her. "Sarge, how bad is it!?" Elly yelled.

R. Lee stood up, just a small gash across his shoulder was bleeding lightly. "Managed to dodge the worst of it, but that kick winded me pretty badly."

R. Lee scanned the room, trying to take in what the next best moves might be. "You have any bright ideas?"

Elly could feel the hint of desperation in R. Lee's voice, after all these griffons wanted her alive and him being dead wouldn't bother them in the slightest. Sadly though, she hadn't a clue as to what to do; they had been fighting them for only a few minutes and both of them were already winded. R. Lee, while still being a tough old coot was able to dodge them and land a few solid hits back. However, his counter attacks lacked any real stopping power; either these griffons were incredibly bulky under that clothing or R. Lee's age was catching up to him.

"Not at the moment." She absolutely hated hearing that come from her own mouth, but the fact of the matter was she was clean out of ideas. She was having the opposite problem sarge had with the two she was dealing with; their attacks didn't hit all that hard, but they were significantly faster than her. She had managed to clip one and get a feel of just how light and flimsy their bodies were. She knew that if she landed a clean heavy hit that they would be down for the count.

The idea suddenly crossed her mind. If the ones fighting Sarge were slower and bulkier than him and the ones she was fighting were fast and nimble, then they should switch whom they were dealing with. The problem was as her back pressed up against Sarge, she could feel just how exhausted he was. His breathing was all over the place and she wasn't doing much better herself. She knew he would never admit it, but he was well past his limit.

"S-sarge. I have a plan. You make a run for it and I do what I can to hold them off..." Elly knew they were done for and every fiber of her being hated to admit defeat. Had it been a fair fight they might have held out, but with their reserves all but depleted, there was no way she could see to win.

"Are you stupid?" Sarge growled. "I couldn't look myself in a mirror if I let my best friends little girl come to harm. I would rather die first!"

"Hang in there sis, we can come up with a plan!" Scootaloo yelled from a crack under the door.

"You hear that Karl, a bunch of fillies think they can make a difference!" The singular griffon at the door laughed out loud. "Now just open the door kiddies, I only want the Loo brat."

Scootaloo puffed her cheeks indignantly. "Not on your life buster!" Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, both sitting at the back of them room, completely at a loss for words.

"We have to help them, there's got to be something we can do!" Scootaloo yelled. "If we don't they will kill sarge and then both of you!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stared at one another briefly, then both at Scootaloo.

"I wish we could help, but I don't know how to fight close up like that" Apple Bloom said.

"I could hurt them with what little magic I do know, but the second they get close to me..." Sweetie Belle scratched the back of her head. "I know it hurts to hear this, but hiding in here is the safest option."

"My sister could die out there!" Scootaloo growled. "S-shes the only family I got left..." Scootaloo began to tear up. She reached over to a sheet and pulled it off to dry her tears, revealing the end of a barrel.

"Wait, is this-"

"Yeah, I stored it in here once it was obvious that we couldn't get it to fit the turret. It's the experimental ninety millimeter gun." Apple Bloom said.

*Gasp* Sweetie Belle gasped, catching Scootaloo's and Apple Bloom's attention. "Come here, we need to get close so he doesn't hear us!"

"Hear what? What are you little runts planning in there?!" The griffon at the door yelled.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle huddled in the back corner of the room.

"So, you know how the guards put magical protections on us to stop anything made with any amount of sugar from hurting us right?" Sweetie bell asked.

"Yeah, I saw a big shell hit Fluttershy right in the side and just lose all it's momentum and fall flat. It didn't even so much as knock a feather out of place" Apple Bloom added.

"Exactly and the shell velocity from this gun is-"

"A hair over mach two last I checked. Wait...are you-" Scootaloo said, interrupting Sweetie Belle.

"I am. I load a shell into this gun, then you open the door just as I put up a barrier and then you shoot that griffon" Sweetie Belle said.

"Wait, how much would that hurt them? I mean, these shells are only about eight or so pounds. We use them for firing range tests. Doesn't seem like it would do a lot..." Apple Bloom said as she stared at the pile of shells around the room.

"Are you insane!? A shell that size and at that speed would hit with nearly two million joules of energy!" Scootaloo said, nearly shouting it, but catching herself from doing so.

"That's a lot?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"That's far more then just hurting them, that's enough to splatter them all over the walls like jam!" Scootaloo stared at the bottom of the door, watching the shadow of the griffons feet moved back and fourth as he tried to pick the lock to the door.

"Are you sure it's that much? I mean...I-I'm not sure I want to kill anyone" Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo turned her attention back to her friends. "They teach this stuff at beginners flight school, pegasus can handle high velocity landings due to the natural magic in our bodies. It's all beginner level stuff; to help young pegasus avoid injury and know their limits. Griffons have some of the same flight magic ,but trust me; even low balling what this gun can do will still splatter him across the room."

Sweetie Belle looked to Apple Bloom.

"I...I don't want to be a murderer" Sweetie Belle said somberly.

Scootaloo watched at the first lock on the door turned, leaving only one more before the griffon outside had access to them. "We may not have to. Listen, we load the shell into the breach and open the door. We threaten them with it while Sweetie keeps a barrier up just around the end of the barrel."

"What if they call our bluff?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Then we shoot the tank as a warning shot; if they don't back down...then...then-"

"We shoot one of them." Apple bloom interrupted, her ears folding back at the mere thought of doing such a horrible act.

"So the plan is, Apple Bloom, you load the gun and fire it, Sweetie I want you entirely focused on keeping a barrier up as long as you can. And I'll aim and stabilize from the front." Scootaloo nodded in confirmation and both her friends nodded back slowly, though with some reluctance.

Meanwhile, Elly and R. Lee dodged another round of attacks, though this time the griffons had gotten the better of them. Elly took a quick jab to her lower ribs as she finally managed to land a solid hit on one of the griffons, however; the pain from the impact was unbearable as she collapsed on the floor; clutching her lower ribs. Thankfully the griffon that hit her was knocked out cold.

"Well, that's one down at least..." Elly said, gritting her teeth as she stared at the heap of black laying on the floor a few yards from her. "How are you holding up sarge?"

"Not too hot. I think I have a liver rupture going on. Hurts like hell just to stand up." R. Lee said as he panted heavily in between each word.

Elly could tell he was doing his best to keep his composure; but he body was riddled with tremors and he kept weaving from left to right; barely keeping himself upright.

"Griffons!" Scootaloo yelled from the door. "I have a offer for you!"

The griffons turned their attention toward the sealed blast door, the leader of the group stepping forward. "I'm listening, but do make it quick; I am not a fan of stalling games."

"I will open the door and surrender to you on the condition that you leave immediately and guarantee the well being of my friends" Scootaloo yelled.

"Sir, there no need to bargain with them. I only have maybe one more tumbler on this lick to pick and we have them." The griffon at the blast door pointed to the lock, moving to the side to show that a indeed he had already gotten through the others.

The leader ran a claw under his chin. "Open the door and I swear I will not kill any of your friends. Well being is not so much on the table for all the trouble you caused, but I'm sure you all can live with a few broken bones right?"

Apple Bloom whispered to Sweetie Belle "What is this guy, a sadist?"

"I don't think they are part of a death metal band, Apple Bloom. Judging by how they dress they seem way more into goth and possibly R&B" Sweetie Belle said as she rolled her eyes.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom stared at one another briefly before both shaking their heads in disapproval, though not saying a word to Sweetie as to why.

"What? I just don't think griffons are into Italian death metal is all" Sweetie Belle growled.

"Just have that shield up when I open this blast door, okay?" Scootaloo whispered.

Sweetie Belle nodded and began to form the shield on the end of the cannon, being sure to leave the muzzle unobstructed.

"Okay, I'm opening he blast door, stand back!" Scootaloo pulled the lever to release the lock on the door and mere seconds after it opened a griffon swooped in, bouncing off of Sweetie Belle's barrier.

"What is this trite non-se...oh, oh no. The griffon bounced off the shield, landing dead in front of the cannon, his chest dead center in the cannons sights.

"I will give you two options,...L-leave here, or we redecorate the garage with his innards!" Scootaloo demanded.

The griffons stared at one another, then at Scootaloo. They all laughed together.

"That is hilarious, she thinks to kill you-"

*THOOOM*

The unmistakable sound of a cannon being fired rattled the entire garage, smoke filling the air as the shell collided with the griffon. Scootaloo fell down, her ears ringing and throbbing, Apple Bloom staggered back, barely keeping the cannon level and Sweetie Belle had small holes and cracks forming on her barrier.

"She fired, the little nutcase actually fired it!" She could just barely make out the griffons yelling.

"Full retreat, the guards will be here any second!" She heard one of the griffons yelling. "Abort mission!" The smoke slowly began to clear revealing the damage she... they had wrought.

Elly was on her back, staring in shock at the tank, which was now pained a crimson red and riddled with feathers. Bits of bone, beak and innards lay strewn about the garage. The griffon that was standing mere feet from her was now little more than a stain painted across the room.

Elly stared at the stain, then to Scootaloo. She looked at her own body, now covered in blood and entrails. She stood up and ran towards Scootaloo yelling something she could just barely make out.

"Are you all right!?" She screamed.

Scootaloo blinked, the world got fuzzy and her legs like mush. She could feel a warm sensation from her ears running down her face. The world went black and she fell to the floor.

"Scootaloo? Scootaloo!"

"That makes six" Luna growled as her scythe tore through the neck of another griffon, lopping of his head in a single swing; the head rolling to a stop in front of the last assailant. "So far I have killed four outright and disabled two others beyond the point of escape. As I see it you have two options, surrender or perish." Luna swung her scythe to the side, clearing off the entrails and blood from the blade.

"I...Y-you" The last griffon stuttered. "H-how, how are you this powerful? You are nowhere near rated to fight this many of us!"

Luna let out a cold, bellowing laugh. "Maybe when I'm not angry, but when I get warmed up, I can take dozens of unicorns on my own. A filthy non-magic user such as yourself have no prayer against me." Luna stepped forward, her scythe now within swinging distance of the griffons neck. "Death or imprisonment, your choice."

The griffon fell to the ground, begging and pleading for his life.

"Good, now stand up and drop your weapo-"

Before Luna could cast a binding spell, the griffon leapt forward, a hidden dagger aimed right for her throat. Right before the blade hit her flesh she blocked it with the flat of her scythe. "Oh, I am going to make it hurt for you~"

Luna grabbed the griffon with her magic , a dark black flame started to dance on the tip of her horn. "Black shadow flame magic is probably one of the worst ways to die. It burns away at your flesh slowly, stripping you of any emotion other than your ability to feel pain. It keeps you magically alive as it burns you away until only ashes remain."

"Lu- Nightmare moon!?"

Luna heard a shout from behind her, but didn't bother to turn around. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight gasped for air, she had clearly run up here with great haste. "Scootaloo...attacked, garage in shambles, many hurt. Blood...everywhere." Twilight gasped for air. "C-could you turn off the evil mode for a bit? The magic pressure from you is...making it hard to breathe."

"Fine." Luna stared into the griffons eyes, he shook violently for a few seconds, then fell to the ground unconscious. She then closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel the weight of shadows on her body slowly move away. The slight ringing in her ears had faded and she now felt calmer, more collected.

Luna opened her eyes and almost wanted to vomit on the spot. "D-did I do all this?" two corpses lay crushed to death into little more than pulp in a tree. Another was disemboweled and had his innards tied around his neck. Another had had his head chopped clean off. Two more were strewn about the field, barely clinging to life and the one behind her was shaking violently.

"Do you not see-...Oh, right. You don't have night vision." Luna said calmly.

"See what?" Twilight cast a light spell around her, but an expression of immediate regret spread across her face. "Holy Celestia! D-did you do this?" Twilight asked, though she obviously knew the answer.

"I...don't really take too kindly to those that try and kill me it seems." Luna said.

"I think I'm going to be sick" Twilight covered her mouth, doing her best to avert her gaze from the corpses around her.

"So...what did you want to tell me? I didn't quite catch what you said the first time." Luna said.

Twilight did her best to keep her disgust in check turned to Luna. "There was an attack down by the garages , They tried to take Scootaloo and Elly!

Luna's eyes went wide with shock as she took to the sky, leaving Twilight with the injured and dying. She made line straight for the garage as fast as her wings could carry her.

No, please be okay! I can't live with myself if anything happened to them...

***

Comments

[Diceman]

This latest chapter is dedicated to a certain army man that passed away recently-ish. May you continue to call private Pile terrible things , you will be greatly missed. Also, side note, this was 89% done forever ago, I am just SHIT at time tables.