Celestia grunted as the sharp metal talons of Mordure clawed across her white sides, leaving streaks of red blood to stain her white coat and shimmer across the sky. Her own hoof then clanged into the side of his helmet, driving the metal tip to jam into his forehead, his own squawk of pain matching her neigh. The two leaders rolling about each other in the sky, trading blows between them that were so strong that any other being would have been crushed by now.
The black furred griffin hissed at her as he dug his metal sheathed beak towards her neck, the sun princess turning just in time to avoid his blow while, bringing her own horn to scrape along the metal chest plate of her foe.
“HA! You will have to do better than that Celestia, where’s your killing instinct?” mocked Mordrue, his eyes glimmering while a sneer melted upon his beak.
Celestia sneered right back bringing her hooves up to grab the griffin and hold him in place. “I never needed a killer instinct to beat you Mordrue,” she growled, leaning forward to bite into the griffin’s neck with her teeth. He screeched in pain as she dug deeper into his flesh, bringing his metal talons to once more slice across her back.
Below them the rest of the battle fared little better. The griffin pincer movement had overwhelmed the equestrians; there were no formations any more, only a mass of writhing hooves, feathers, and talons battling each other in a no holds bar fight to the death. Blood splattering upon the ground and pouring from the sky as forces on the ground and in the air slashed, clashed, and beat at one another.
Rainbow Dash and High-Sky were back to back as several griffons lunged at them with spears and metal talons. The two pegasai easily were able to dodge the blows before trading their own, both moving in sync as they covered each other’s flanks. However, they were the few lucky ones. It was nearly impossible to avoid the swamp of griffons that were engulfing them. The only respite being that the cross-bolts from the tower had stopped.
>(~:~)<
Twilight and the rest of her entourage pushed through the high grass and vegetation of the Ever-free, the sounds of battle ahead looming nearer and nearer as they progressed. The tree line and dark underbrush slowly began to get thinner and less frequent as they moved further south.
Twilight took the lead, Gilda and Buck right behind her followed by several other gryphons and
finally trailing the rear, heavily secured between Applejack and one of Gilda’s gryphons lay Fiver, the griffin spy. Bound by his front talons and led by a long rope he was having trouble making his way through the underbrush, unable to push it away himself.
“Very uncomfortable back here,” he hissed, only getting a firm poke in the side and a glare from Applejack.
“Just shut it big mouth,” muttered Applejack, the yellow mare keeping a close eye on Twilight and the gryphons in front of her.
Twilight ignored the griffon her only focus being on finding her friends and mentor and making sure they were safe. She was getting tired of the underbrush blocking their way and so powered up her horn. With a heavy magical blast she incinerated the underbrush in front of them, allowing the group quicker free movement.
“That’s one way to do it,” muttered Buck giving the purple alicorn a cheeky smirk. Twilight only rolled her eyes before swishing her tail to catch the cocky gryphon in the face.
“Keep moving!” she hissed at him. Turning her head the purple princess was able to catch Gilda across from the both them giving her own smirk as she saw Twilight put the brash young’un in his place.
“Smooth there Twi, really smooth,” she chuckled. Twilight only gave a quick blush at the compliment before the importance of the situation caught up with her.
The group finally made their way through the wood until they reached the outskirts of the courtyard. Behind them Fiver was mouthing off, with Applejack trying to shut him up.
“You’re not going to win you know, no one can beat Mordrue,” spoke Fiver boldly.
“Yah well your Modrue nevah met our Twilight griffon boy,” hissed back Applejack.
“Your Twilight is no different than any other pony, all of you are weak. Mordrue taught us that, you ponies are too pathetic to stop us griffons.” replied the other, giving the golden mare a cocky grin.
“Well we’ll just see ah’bout that won’t we?” answered Applejack. The golden mare was following close behind him, all the while prodding the griffon to hurry up with her fore-hooves.
“What could you ponies possibly do too...”trialed off Fiver, the griffon stopping all of a sudden while Applejack backed right into him.
“Hey what in tar’nation are you...” Applejack herself stopped once she saw what the griffon and the rest of the party were starring at.
The scene before them was one of sure horror. Griffon and Equestrian were locked in heated battle, blood splattering across the dirt and sand as high pitched screams of pain and violence erupted all around them.
Twilight was transfixed on the sight unable to look away. She had seen fighting in her day but never this intense, she had never quite seen fighting at its most ragged and brutal. Watching two beings literally strangle one another and or claw the other’s eyes out was not something she thought she’d ever see in her lifetime.
Gilda and Buck both had horrified expressions across their faces as did most of the group, Fiver staring open mouthed while Applejack looked like she might be sick.
“W-Where’s Celestia?” muttered Twilight shaking, swerving her head around the courtyard looking for the sun princess.
Beside her Buck suddenly placed a talon gently under her chin and lifted her head up to the sky. As she followed his movements she caught sight of the two exploding blurs in the air. The dark green and bright yellow aurora’s shinning and rippling as they collapsed into each other.
Twilight could only gasp as she realized she was out of her depth. When she had fought Tirek she had had the collective power of four alicorn’s under her wing, when they had overcome Discord it had been with all five of her friends and the elements of harmony at her side. Here she only had herself, and if Celestia, a mare of greater experience then her was having trouble overcoming the dark griffon, what chance did she have?
What kind of help did she think she could have provided, when she was neither soldier, nor war mage? As she watched the carnage on the ground and in the air, Twilight suddenly felt for the first time that she could offer absolutely nothing of value to the situation.
Gilda was the first to recover, taking a fighting stance she motioned for the rest of her gryphons to do the same.
“All right what we standing around for? There’s a fight to be had and no gryphon worth their salt ever backs down from a fight!” She turned herself towards the battle field and readied her wings, crouching low.
Buck smiled as he took his own position on the other side of Twilight, the purple princess suddenly noticing what they were about to do.
“Sounds good to me dar’lin,” he chuckled. “Let’s see what we can do to rectify this problem.”
“Wait you two,” snapped Twilight worriedly. “You can’t get involved in that...I mean look at it, you’ll be killed!” Twilight put one of her hooves over both Gilda and Bucks shoulders trying to hold them back. “How do you know the Equestrians won’t attack you thinking you’re with Mordrue? And how do you think your own kind will respond to you attacking them?” she questioned. Gilda and Buck could only give her looks of sympathy, both reaching up and removing her hooves with their talons.
“Twilight, fighting is kind of what gryphons are born to do,” answered Gilda.
“And if we can help your friends and princess, that’s a risk we are willing to take,” followed up Buck.
“I came here superficially to show Equestria that not all gryphons are like Mordure,” continued Gilda flexing her muscles in preparation. She gave her own snort of hot air as she looked outwards toward the ongoing battle. “We gryphons need to show we’re willing to take responsibility for own owns mistakes.”
“Yeah and I got a score to settle with Mordrue and his turn coats,” answered Buck flatly, his eyes narrowing towards the onslaught.
Twilight gave a week sob as she felt the two push her away gently. “This is just so insane, I can’t help Celestia, not like that,” pointing upwards to the two fighting creatures in the sky. “I can’t fight griffon warriors hoof to talon like that,” now she pointed to the throng of fighting Equestrians and Griffons.
“I wanted to help so much but...this is one area I have no experience in or ability to help. All I can do is keep you lot safe,” pleaded the purple alicorn.
Applejack suddenly startled Twilight as she came up to her side without warning. She put a reassuring hoof over her friend and princesses shoulder.
“Let them go Twi, you may be unable tah help in this capacity...but they can, and they know they can,” spoke the golden mare quickly following it up with soft sigh.
Watching as the two gryphons nodded at her friends words, Twilight looked down before slightly nodding herself, giving them her consent. “Just try and be as safe as possible,” she pleaded.
“Don’t fret Twi...those griffons won’t know what hit them,” growled Gilda, beside her Buck had re-positioned himself and nodded in agreement.
“Aye, I think you’re going to find we can handle our own pretty well.”
Both gryphons gave themselves a nod of reassurance before turning to the squad of other gryphons behind them. Twilight could also see they were just as equally prepared as them.
“Let’s burn feathers!” shouted Gilda as the gryphons leapt from the shelter of the tree line and hurtled into the massive throng of battle. Twilight and Applejack now left alone with a still speechless Fiver staring in surprise and horror at the fighting.
“Twi, we may not be able to help fight but is there anything else we can do?” inquired Applejack her sense of duty to help her friends making her feel uncomfortable just standing there.
Twilight thought to herself for a moment before she thought of something they could do. Her previous worried expression suddenly changed into a determined look as she glanced at Fiver then towards the battle.
“Applejack there just might be.”
>(~:~)<
Rainbow and High-Sky were being hard-pressed by a dozen griffons on all sides, their unit had been slowly breaking up and being divided by the mass throng for a while now. Now only the two of them were left, completely surrounded by enemies.
“I think this might be it,” muttered High-Sky, the pegsus commandant bleeding from several wounds and cuts across his brown fur, now splotched with blood.Meanwhile his eyes were still as fierce as ever.
Beside Him Rainbow was equally as exhausted, several nasty gashes along her flanks and shoulders showing her own toll from the fighting. She gave her companion a light shove as she narrowed her eyes on the enclosing griffons.
“The round ain’t over yet, you ready for one last push?” she asked him.
Giving her a sideways glance, the commandant nodded and smirked. “What better way to finish one’s service then to die in battle with such a beautiful and strong mare by your side...let’s do It,” he growled.
The two of them launched themselves at their foes, Rainbow and High giving an extra burst of speed to catch them off guard. Aiming low both pegasai made sure to go for the legs, their extra bursts of speed allowing them to roll right through the griffons, shattering through their legs and sending them tumbling.
Launching themselves upwards they caught the thick and heavy set warriors in the jaws, under their helmets protection, blows strong enough to shatter bone.
Spears and metal talons flashed across them, the metal points slicing and digging through fur and flesh. Eventually both Rainbow and High collapsed to the ground, their wounds too great to withstand. They looked up defiantly at the gaggle of snarling griffons encircling above them.
High-Sky didn’t know why he did it, but he pulled Rainbow closer to him, holding her tight. He could feel her own hooves fasten about him tightly. Both of them preparing themselves and each other for the blows that would end their lives. Rainbow’s only regrets that she couldn’t save Scootlaoo, or say good-bye to her friends. High-Sky’s only regret was that he had never kissed a mare outside of his cousin that one time he was experimenting .
They braced themselves and prepared for the final stroke...only to not feel it land. Confusion was etched on both their faces as they opened their eyes, realizing they had been keeping them closed. The first sight they shared was each other, blinking in confusion before looking up.
Standing there was another group of gryphons, but they weren’t the same ones that had been about to slay the two pegasai. In fact the two leader’s one male, the other female looked quite familiar, almost like she had seen them bef...
“Hey Dash, looks like we got here right on time.” smirked the female.
“G-G-GILDA?” shouted Rainbow letting go of the commandant and rushing over to hug her friend. Gilda gave a shriek as she was pulled into a tight heated embrace.
“Easy there Dash you’re getting blood on me,” she whispered, while quietly hugging her friend back.
“You seem a bit worse for wear there mate,” inquired the other male gryphon peering at the wounded commandant.
High-Sky could only look flabbergasted at the gryphon party before noticing the crumpled mass of the other griffons below them. “Y-You did this?” he inquired.
“Ah yes it was a bit iffy there at the end we didn’t think we’d get here in time once we saw your situation,” followed the other, walking gently around the downed griffons. “Had to put in a bit more speed which of course increased the forceful impact trauma, all in all it worked out quite well hmmm?”
High-Sky could only nod before pulling himself up from the ground. “And you’re on our side then?” he inquired.
“Well that would be quite obvious wouldn’t it?” answered the gryphon cheekily.
“Buck, take it easy, you can see he’s confused...and losing a lot of blood,” muttered Gilda. Rainbow turned her head at that from her friend in order to give the male gryphon a once over.
“Buck, you’re alive?” exclaimed Rainbow happily.
“Alive and kicking, as previously demonstrated,” he chuckled back before delivering a hard belt to the head of a groaning griffon soldier knocking him flat once more.
Gilda pulled Dash from her embrace and set her beside High-Sky. “Dash you wait here we’ll help the others, your wounds are too great to keep fighting.” As the gryphons began to mobilize Gilda gave Dash and the commandant another once over.
“We’ll send a medic back as soon as possible...oh and Rainbow?” watching as the female Pegasus turned to her. Glancing over at High-Sky Gilda smirked. “I very much approve,” she quipped giving both ponies a wink before heading out with the others, leaving two blushing pegasai behind her.
>(~:~)<
Twilight pushed Fiver foreword while she practiced lighting up her horn. “Stop squawking and do as I say!” she snapped hotly.
“This is insane there’s no chance he’ll even here me, let alone bring others to help rescue me,” screeched Fiver.
Twilight gave a huff before Applejack stepped forward and pushed the griffon to the ground.
“Alright you, Twilight wants you to call for help, and if your daddy is here he’ll come running with as many as he can bring.”
“What makes you so sure of that?” mocked Fiver. “How do you know my father won’t just keep on fighting as he’s been instructed to do?”
Applejack only gave him a stern look before she replied calmly, “because he’s your daddy and all fathers in some capacity love their children.”
Fiver looked like he wanted to argue at that but couldn’t and dropped his head, nodding in agreement. “Very well, so what do I have to do, shout as loud as I can?”
Twilight gave Applejack a thankful look before lighting up her horn pointing it at his throat. “I think that won’t be necessary, just talk normal and I’ll magnify your voice.” Fiver looked over to her before nodding, noting how the feeling of the magic tickled his throat and uvula.
“Umm uh well uh...help, help me oh please help me, woe is me, I need rescuing,” muttered Fiver his heart not really in it. Twilight only gave him a look of pure non-amusement as she narrowed her eyes.
“You can try a bit harder then that thank you,” she growled.
Fiver only looked at her with exasperation on his beak, “Well sorry but I’m not feeling real threatened at all you know.”
“Oh for the love of...!” growled Applejack as she walked foreword and brought her back hooves crashing upon the griffon’s tail. Fiver seized up and looked like he was about to burst as his eyes watered and his shoulders tensed up.
“DAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYY!” he screamed out-loud, Twilight’s magnification spell making sure his cry was heard all the way back to Canterlot.
Twilight waited until he was only giving dry sobs before ending her spell. Once she had she rushed over to Applejack and gave her friend a questioning look.
“Was that really necessary?” she inquired.
“Got him screaming didn’t,” followed up the golden mare. “But what now?” Applejack’s eyes were looking back and forth wondering what they did now that they might have a gaggle of griffons on their trail.
“We run back to the camp and leave him here for his father,” answered Twilight. “If we’re lucky he’ll divert enough warriors to help even the odds.”
>(~:~)<
At just that moment Tenner had been in the process of smashing the remainder of the equestrian right flank when the loudest cry he had ever heard poured through the sky. Tenner was the oldest of the griffons and had his share of bad hearing but any father could recognize their son’s voice.
“Fiver,” he whispered, looking back towards the edge of the Ever-free where the sound was coming from. “That’s my son!” he cried looking over his squad. He knew his duty was to crush the ponies, and hold the flank, he knew that he could face serious repercussions for failing in his duty, but despite all that he made a decision. It was not that of a soldier or an officer, but of a father...he didn’t even notice the flash across his eyes, the dark brooding stress lines that had once been across his face disappearing.
“Quickly with me, let’s go!” he cried pointing for his followers to join him. The mass of griffons gave a shrug as their commanding officer directed them away from the battle. It went against their personal judgement, but they had been trained to follow orders and so they did.
Two-Bits who had just bashed in the head of an over exhilarated Pegasus watched with surprise as half their right flank just melted away, the Equestrians who had been hard pressed quickly overcoming their own surprise and now pressing down upon him and is group. ‘ What the hell was Tenner doing ?’
Spit Shine who had been monitoring the battle from the tree line as well did not let the collapse of the griffon right flank go unnoticed. His keen eyes easily picked out where the holes in the flanks had been left wide open. His horn igniting he began passing orders to his units to make use of this opportunity.
Above in the Sky Celestia heard the loud cry, as did Mordrue the two of them separating just in time to see half of the griffon fighting force abandon their positions. Mordrue’s eyes grew wide as he let out a high piercing shriek, Celestia only grinned taking the opportunity to separate the two of them.
Focusing her power into her horn Celestia made sure she had room to move, seeing the opening in her enemy’s defense. Mordrue was clearly too focused on what his troops were doing to notice her or block her attack. “What are you doing you idiots?" He shouted down upon them.
"You’re ruining everything!” the griffon was pulling his fur in what the princess could only describe as a hissy fit of rage before her. Celestia then gave a snort of pain and anger catching the griffon’s attention. He turned in time to see her with her full power readied to fire.
“Oh sh...” he began before Celestia let him have the full blast of her magic, sending the griffon screeching backwards in to the battlements of his own tower.
Below Two-Bits had witnessed Mordrue get sent flying back into the Spire. Realizing that their leader was down, half their force was gone, and the Equestrian princess was now free to aid her people, the advantage of the battle had been lost.
“Retreat...retreat...BACK to the spire on the double!” shouted the warrior, the rest of the griffons’ turning tail and fleeing back to the safety and respite of the tower.
The remaining Equestrians could barley give a cheer as the fighting had still been too intense for them. That was until an order came upon them, Spit Shine’s telepathically sent orders echoing in their minds.
“Out flank that last lot of them eh lads wot?”
>(~:~)<
Tenner flew faster than any of his warriors as he passed into the Ever-free and headed towards the origin of the scream. His only focus was on personally finding his son and nothing else, if his warriors wanted to help him that was acceptable too. Entering a small clearing he looked down with wide eyes, his followers catching up to him and fanning out. The clearing they were in was set up with tables, pavilions, tents and stores.
If Tenner had been focused on being a soldier he would have noticed that they were right in the heart of the Equestrian camp, enemy territory, far away from any help. But as previously shown he was not thinking as a soldier but as a father, and below him tied up and looking up with wonder was a younger carbon copy of himself.
“Son,” whispered Tenner before he landed immediately beside his boy, his sharp metal talons slicing the ropes binding the younger griffon, who was then embraced tightly by his father. “Are you okay boy? I was so worried.”
“You were?” answered Fiver embracing his dad back watching him nod. “And you abandoned Mordrue for me,” he whimpered. Tenner stared at his son as the fact that he had in fact just abandoned Mordrue for Fiver hitting him full in the face.
“I guess I did, Mordrue may be my leader Fiver, but you’re my son...and that’s more important to me.”
Both griffons hugged one another while the rest of the warriors looked away, the situation a bit to sappy for their liking. One of the griffons finally noticed that they were in the enemy camp.
“Uh captain, shouldn’t we get out of here before the Equestrians come back?” he stated.
“Too late,” came the booming voice of Celestia as the sun princess, red and black from her fight with the griffon leader stood in the center of the camp. Behind her and all around the Griffons the Equestrian army poked their muzzles and elements out of the foliage.
Tenner grimaced as he prepared to order his warriors to fight only for a calm and gentle talon to rest on his shoulder. The older griffon looking down towards the younger one at his side, even as Fiver shook his head.
“Dad I think there’s been enough bloodshed today, I don’t want any more of us to die, especially not you.”
The tears in his son eyes seemed to sooth the elder warrior’s blood-lust as he turned to see the equally exhausted griffon and pony forces staring back at him. All waiting on his word to see if he would continue the insanity... but in his mind there was no point anymore to any of it.
“Stand down...” he finally stated, his warriors turning to look at him with surprise. “Any more fighting will accomplish nothing but more loss of life...we’re done,” motioned the elder gryphon, his followers allowing their exhaustion and wounds to convince them he was right.
A loud clang was heard as the griffons dropped their weapons and surrendered followed quickly by a firm if bedraggled cheer coming from the Equestrians.
>(~:~)<
The aftermath of the battle was a hard one...the wounded were being tended to while the dead had been recovered and were’ being made prepared to be returned home for burial.
Celestia and Spit Shine personally over saw the cleaning and laying out of the bodies, giving their own personal respects to the fallen, while the rest of the forces sorted the surrendered griffons.
Twilight waited patiently in the princess’s personal tent waiting for her former mentor to return. She had just left Applejack with a recovering Rainbow Dash and her new colt friend High-Sky. Aside from some serious cuts and wounds Rainbow was okay. Rest and medicine was all that was needed for her to heal and not get infection. Other’s had not been so lucky.
Gilda, Buck, and her entourage were out back further in the woods, burying their own dead at the moment. They had been a true help in the fighting especially once the right flank of the griffons had folded.
The news that it had been Twilight who had helped not only to draw away the griffon right flank but who brought the son of the commander who had gotten him to then surrender, passed quickly through camp. Everywhere Twilight walked now the Equestrian guard and Calvary gave her revered looks and cheers of thanks. It was a bit too much for her, another reason she was glad she was hidden here in the tent.
When Celestia finally entered her tent Twilight rushed over to her and pressed herself against the princess’s sides, noting the nasty gash marks left over from Mordrue’s metal talons.
“Well done Twilight,” spoke Celestia. “I hear it is you we have to thank for ending the battle.” The sun princess walked past her fellow princess as she moved over to a basin of hot water and gently stepped into it. Twilight helped her to do so noting how Celestia grimaced as the hot water lapped at her wounds.
“Are you okay Celestia?” she asked worriedly.
“I’ll be fine Twilight, I just need to clean these wounds and then i can start healing,” answered the sun monarch. The princess turned her head to gently lay it on the tip of the basin.
“I was foolish Twilight, I thought it would be simple to catch Mordrue, rescue Scootaloo, but I didn’t expect...this. How many were killed today...on both sides?”
Twilight only could shake her head, for she had no idea, her stomach went queasy just thinking about it.
“I’m not the warrior I was once was, I never wished to be one at all,” continued Celestia. “And today ponies died because of it.”
“No Celestia, they died because of Mordrue, they died because he would rather kill then hand over the filly he kidnapped,” firmly stated Twilight.
Celestia looked up at her in question, “You may be right, but it changes nothing. Our losses were too great today, my heart couldn’t bear such losses again, and we are no closer to rescuing Scootaloo.”
“It all comes down to Mordrue, Celestia,” mentioned Twilight. The purple princesses face suddenly becoming a mask of insecurity.
“I-I have a plan I want to run by you for ending that.”