In the morning, I called for a briefing. Everypony gathered around a rock. I placed the map on the rock then I spoke up.
“So today we will search these few tiles.” – I pointed to the map. – “We will split up with three teams to cover more area. I lead the main team with Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and Captain Spitfire. Sergeant White Lance lead the second team and Lieutenant Soarin will lead the third team. Every team choose additional two ponies to the team. I spoke with Princess Luna earlier this morning and sent a letter Princess Celestia to inform her from our situation.”
I looked to Princess Luna then back to the group. – “The airship will come in time but in to this forest. We must make a landing zone so we will clear a small forest area. I reported her the 56 ponies who started this mission will not get back home in full number.” – I sigh – “We should be fast, accurate and clean. Understood?”- They nod unison – “Good. Be ready at twenty minutes.”
I went to Sergeant Drawn Impact to ask ponies join the team. He has brown coat and grey mane. I saw it because he wasn’t wearing his helmet. Before the mission started I got a new armor from Princess Celestia which haven’t had the enchantment which change your coat and mane color. The armor itself changed and it wasn’t gold color anymore. It was blue and black.
“I know a few names right now Lieutenant. Corporal Sandy Blaze, Specialist Frost Wing, Private Blazing Charge, Private Defiant Halberd, Private Lucky Shot stand up!” – They stood attention immediately. – “Today you will be fill up the empty places in the search teams. You will get your orders from the Lieutenant.”
I observed them before I spoke up. Two Earth Pony, two Pegasi and one Unicorn. – “Corporal Sandy Blaze and Private Blazing Charge you will report to Lieutenant Soarin. Specialist Frost Wing and Private Lucky Shot will report Sergeant White Lance. Private Defiant Halberd with me. Dismissed.”
----
I trotted back to my squad with the private. He has orange coat and red mane. He is an Earth Pony and taller than me. We approached the squad and Spitfire greeted him first.
“Welcome to the search team number one Private. You survived yesterday but now it’s a new day with new challenges. Are you ready for it?” – she said with a serious tone.
“Yes Ma’am!” – he said with a little bit hesitation
“Can you not try to scare him off?” – I said to Spitfire
“Nah I like to tease the privates”
I snorted – “Private!”
“Sir?”
“If she wants continuously to tease you, just call me. I know a good method to stop it.” – I winked at Spitfire.
“Sometimes I hate you Monsoon. You’ve changed a lot since the academy. I like it.” – she patted my back and moved to help Princess Luna to get ready.
----
“It’s really looks like the Everfree Forest back in Equestria.” – said Twilight.
“Yeah except the Timberwolves.”
“Bruh I already hate that name.” – said Pvt. Defiant
“Heh me either private.” – I said.
“Why so Monsoon?” – asked Luna
“Well they vicious beasts in the middle of the forest and if you don’t be cautious you die in there. Who the fuck thought, we should build a town next to it?”
“Our castle was there.”
“That’s true but who knows why?”
We moved in the forest about two or three hours. I don’t know really because I lost my sense of time. It was dark in the forest but sometimes the sun rays pierce through the foliage.
“We and my sister built there our castle because we wouldn’t want to interfere the ponies life in Equestria and we had to protect the Elements of Harmony.
“It’s reasonable to build a castle in the middle of nowhere.” – said Spitfire.
Luna looked angry a little bit for that but she let it go.
“Anyway, I went there only once but it’s scared the hell out of me.”
“Hah I never thought I meet a guard who afraid from an old castle.” – Spitfire laughed.
“I’m not afraid from the castle itself. I’m afraid who’s living there now”
“Why who’s living there now?”- asked Twilight.
I stopped and turned to them - “Beasts and monsters from Everfree.”
“I didn’t meet any monsters when I was there last time.” – she said.
“Because you were just in the library. And you must to-“
Suddenly we hear screams and cry’s from afar. It lasted for a few minutes until it stopped. We stayed there a few moments.
“What in Equestria was that?” – whispered Spitfire.
“I-I don’t know.” – I was shocked for a moment. – “Let’s find out.”
----
When we reached our destination, the air filled with blood. Pvt. Defiant stepped out to the field which was next to the lake.
“Sir you should see this!” – he shouted
I run out to the forest then I gaped. Gryphon bodies laid in the field. There were a lot of them. Somepony or something slaughtered them. I went to one of the body and I observed it a little closer. I heard a pony vomited up at the back. Probably Twilight was. I saw a clean cut on the gryphon neck and four other cuts. Two in each wing and two in the hind legs. It was clearly not a beast and they hadn’t got any chance. I looked back to Spitfire and she clearly has the same thought as me.
“Is that the Gryphon patrol what you saw yesterday?” – Defiant asked.
Spitfire gulped then she said – “Yes”
“They were fucking executed.”
I stood up from the body and moved to Princess Luna and Twilight. Twilight was in shock and Luna tried to comfort her.
“We need to head back to the cave and call the airship immediately.” – I said to Luna
“Y-yes, yes we must go back.”
Spitfire stared the field. – “Who could do this? Who are such violent ponies to cut down gryphons like this way?”
I grabbed her shoulder. – “I don’t know but we must go away from this. Let’s go!” - I looked to the sky and charged my horn. I sent flares to signal the other teams to return to the cave.
----
When we reached the cave entrance something bugged me so we hide the bushes and wait for the other squads.
“I don’t see the patrols out there.” – said Defiant.
“The other teams not came back either.” – I said while watching the cave entrance. – “Okay here’s the plan. I will go inside and I put Spitfire in charge. I hope the other squads come back because I will need a rescue. If they won’t come and I won’t be back at 30 minutes, just get the hell out of here and wait for the airship. Understood?”
“Why sir?” – asked Defiant
“Because I have the responsibility for our ponies and I want to know what happened them but I need to protect the Princess too. I need you and Spitfire to protect the Princess while I figure out what happened. I’m counting on you Defiant.”
“Sir yes sir!”
“Affirmative Lieutenant and good luck.” – said Spitfire.
Princess Luna just looked down and one of her wing was on Twilight. She just sobbed but she suddenly spoke up. – “I….I hope you will get back here and…and nothing happened in there.”
I moved front of her and I took of my name tag. – “I have to come back to this so don’t lose it.” – I smiled at her than she took it. She smiled back.
“Good luck Monsoon.” – she said it quietly.
“Thank you.” – Princess Luna nodded and I started to trot the cave.
I drew out my sword and readied. The cave entrance was enormous so anyone can easy have spotted me from inside. I walked through but I didn’t see any pony in the cave. All the equipment was untouched. The swords and spears were on the ground. I didn’t see any signs of fights but that didn’t mean anything.
Something flew in the dark front of me. I stopped and light up my horn. A mare stands front of me with dark grey coat and blue mane. She has a black armor and draconic wings and …. I think I found what we looked for.
I wanted to speak with her but she drew out her sword and charged me. I ducked to the left side. She tried to stab me there but I blocked her attacks. She flew up and strike me above my head. I rolled but she cut my left side. Luckily, she didn’t pierce through the armor.
She was fast and I didn’t manage any attack to her. I just blocked and she strike always from above. I needed to do something because I would lose the battle. If I can charge up my horn for make a shield or a blast magic I can knock her out.
A second wave of attack come from her. She swung her sword to my left side. I blocked then I pushed her sword back. Fortunately, that was enough to make a shield around me and I blocked her attack again. The blue shield surprised her but she didn’t give up so she continuously attacked the shield.
She tired herself but I kept up the shield. I saw my chance to attack back so I dropped my shield and I tried to hit her left side. She blocked but I swung to the right side and that hit her. I didn’t pierce through her armor but I knocked her down to the floor. I held my sword to her neck.
Suddenly another sword was in my neck. – “I don’t suggest doing that.” – the voice said behind my back.
I dropped my sword and turned to the voice. It was a black coated thestral stallion with blue mane. The mare got up from the floor and stands next to the stallion.
“Who are you?” – demanded the stallion.
“My name is Monsoon Shine and I’m a lieutenant in the Equestrian Royal Guard and who are you?” – I said
“You said your name so it’s fair to say mine. My name is Shadow Fang and leader of the Lunar Company. Equestria is far away so why are you here?”
“I’m looking for the Lunar Ponies and I think I found them.”- The stallion wanted to ask something but suddenly another thestral came in the cave
“Sir we found and captured another squad.” – Well fuck.
“Move” – said the mare to me. We moved out to front of the cave. I saw White Lance and Soarin and the others tied up. The unicorns in the team has a magical silencer in the horns.
“Well why are you searching the Lunar Ponies, Lieutenant? You’re a lieutenant, right?” – asked Shadow Fang.
“Yes, I am a lieutenant and I search you because I got this task from Princess Luna herself.”
He stared me for a moment then started to laugh. – “You don’t think I believe that. So, I ask again why are you here and search for us?”
“That’s the truth. Princess Luna returned and she called the Lunar Ponies back to Equestria but you didn’t answer her so we came here to search you.”
“Hah the Mare of the Moon called us.” – he said to the other thestrals. – “She never cared to us and she left us a thousand a years ago. We forced out from Equestria because we are different. The ponies feared from us and you know why? We were the blood sucking pony and bat mix and they hate us. We left Equestria and found this place. We lived here peacefully then the gryphons came to us. The gryphons demanded that we server their empire but we refused it. We have been war at gryphons for 35 years. We don’t care if the Lunar Princess returned. Everything what happened with us because from her mistake.” – he sighed – “We moved on and now living our life without the Lunar Princess and without Equestrians. Where are the others?”
They had some good points in that why they didn’t come back to Equestria but I didn’t know they were forced out. – “Did you just said the thestrals forced out from Equestria?”
“Yes, I did but you didn’t answer my question. Where are the others?”
“You know very well I can’t say that.”
“Don’t be such a full Lieutenant or what did you say what was your name?”
“I think he named himself Monsoon Shine sir.” – the mare said.
“Thanks, Dark Song. So, Monsoon Shine I will be honest with you. I don’t want to hurt anypony in here but you force me to it if you won’t say where are the others.” – He held his sword to White Lance.
“Why are you doing this? We aren’t gryphons and we didn’t hurt anypony.”
“I’m sorry I asked the wrong question. Where is she?”
“Who?”
“Don’t see me such a dumb pony. She came with you so where is Luna?”
I stayed silence. He started to move around the captives and stopped a yellow coated mare. – “Say your name pony.”
She looked to me than I nodded. – “Corporal Sandy Blade.”
“Well nice to meet you Corporal” – then he stabbed her with his sword. She cried out then fell to the ground. – “And goodnight Corporal.”
“YOU BASTARD!” – White Lance shouted.
He moved front of him. – “Blame Monsoon Shine there. He can’t answer a simply question and as you can see I hate when somepony don’t answer me.”
“You really are a monster. You said we are look you different but with this I know why we forced you out from Equestria. You won’t know get any information from me to where is Princess Luna” – I said. I looked my team and they all nodded. We know our faith from here. We won’t get home and we die in here. We have our oath and we won’t break it.
“Shadow Fang release them!” – a deep voice came from the forest.
He turned to the voice – “Why are you here Moonlight? This isn’t your problem and it isn’t your business.”
“No this is our business. We won't kill ponies if we don't have any reason for it.”
“But they came with Luna and hiding it.”
“Yes, I heard it so release them. That’s not a reason to kill these ponies.” – I looked to the voice. He has a blue coat and dark grey mane.
“I won’t release them.”
“You will release them. Just look around you.” – Shadow Fang did it and I did too. They were disarmed from the other thestrals. – “I think we surround you.”
“You won, I release them but you won’t get away this.” – I stood up and moved to Sandy Blade. She’s bleeding hardly.
“Frost Wing come over here!” – I shouted. He run to me and he started to work on her.
“I lost my equipment I can’t do anything for her.” – he said and suddenly a thestral appeared next to us. He held the medical equipments to Frost Wing. He grabbed it and he stopped the bleeding.
I moved to the thestral who helped us. – “Who are you?”
“My name is Moonlight and I lead the Lunar Ponies. I’m sorry for his behave but I can’t do anything for it. We will help your friend with anything to stabilize her.”
“And why are you helping us?”
“Because you came here with the Princess of the Moon. We knew she would return her chosen ponies.”
“You know my answer to this.”
“Indeed, that’s why we want to earn your trust.” – I looked around for a moment and I saw most of the disarmed thestrals vanished except one. The mare which I fought in the cave stood next to Moonlight. She whispered to him something. – “My daughter said you fought with her in the cave and she is sorry for it. We will invite you and your company in our town to rest there and refresh yourself.”
Again, we have lack of choices. – “I must accept it. Thanks.” – We gathered up and start to move with the thestrals. I hope Luna and the others won’t follow us and I don’t regret my decision.