The Mare in the Moon looked down solemnly upon the city of Manehattan, helpless to stop the grim fate from unravelling beneath her. Few ponies felt the weight of her gaze more than her former Captain of the Guard, fallen so far from grace.
Armor pulled himself away from the speaker and listened as his words carried throughout the silent buildings of the city. One last mission. He buried his worries and doubts of the mission beneath the mantra. He couldn’t allow himself to be plagued by ghosts of the past now, not with his future at stake.
“Garrison, keep the Sky Bastion circling the city limits once we touch down,” he ordered the stallion next to him. “The remaining crew onboard will act as a lookout if anypony tries to escape Manehattan during the operation; send a flare if you see anything suspicious.”
“By your command, sir,” Garrison nodded, turning the wheel.
Armor could feel the ship shifting beneath him as he descended from the helm, and on the deck, the skeleton crew of squires and knights snapped to attention. Off the port side, a streak of gold shot upwards before sharply arching back down and crashing into the deck before him. Rainbow Dash was panting wildly, crouched low with her legs spread, her eyes pinned on something only she could see.
“That one… was too close.” With a cough from the lieutenant, she quickly recovered herself and gave a crisp salute, though Armor noticed her breathing was still heavy. “Package delivered, sir,” she reported. A defeated roar far below punctuated her report, and her composure nearly broke from it.
“Good work, knight,” Armor said, returning the salute. “Catch your breath and get changed back into uniform. Whirlwind will brief you on the details when you get back. You’ll be supporting Snake Eyes’s flight.”
There was a brief moment of hesitation. If the knight had any objections, she didn’t voice them. “Right away, sir. Try not to have all the fun before I get back.”
As she disappeared deeper into the ship, Armor’s eyes flicked to Whirlwind. He gave her a brisk nod, and the pegasus cleared her throat, gathering the attention of her peers.
“Alright, everypony, we’re all familiar with the situation of Manehattan. It’s one of the most unstable cities in Equestria thanks to the influx of griffon rioters. It’s only thanks to Her Majesty establishing martial law over the city that it hasn’t completely collapsed. Operating in this area is going to be very high-risk. Luckily, the Manehattan Guard has offered their support.
“We do not know if the rebels have already infiltrated the city, or what their true intentions are once they arrive. The Manehattan Guard assesses that their most likely course of action will be to enlist the support of the griffon insurrectionists, bolster their numbers with like-minded individuals who would have our Princess dethroned. For now, any griffon activity should be seen as consequential to our targets’ presence until proven otherwise. With the influx of guards, it is possible that they will be moving to interfere with our operations regardless.”
“Thank you, Whirlwind,” Shining Armor nodded as he stepped forward. All eyes turned to him. “As a reminder, finding the traitors is the primary objective of this operation. Dealing with the griffons is secondary, but if we can solve both problems in one fell swoop this moon, I would feel safe in saying all of Equestria would sleep a little more soundly from it. Until we can determine the whereabouts of the traitors, we will be dividing into three teams to help the Manehattan Guard deal with the griffon presence.
“Snake Eyes, Whirlwind informed me that the city guard has already received reports griffon activity in an apartment complex on Parkview. They’ve already dispatched one of their own to investigate, but I want your team to provide backup if needed.”
Snake Eyes popped a sharp salute, quickly followed by four other thestral knights behind her. Armor thought he saw a twitch in her eye. “Yes, sir. You can count on us.”
The lieutenant nodded and turned his attention to his old friend. “Archer, the Manehattan Guard has narrowed down the griffons’ base of operations to be somewhere in an abandoned industrial district. You and I will investigate. Report to the city guard and prepare to assist a task force through the sewage tunnels. The griffons have been using them to quickly move around the city. Your job will be to prevent them from fleeing once I bring the package to the district and search for them.”
Archer stood a little taller and raised his hoof to salute. “Yes, sir. You have my word; they won’t slip past me.”
Shining Armor scanned the rest of the crew, all squires who had little idea of what was actually going on. They were all still green, promised that they would receive their knighthood upon the success of this operation. The lieutenant hoped they would all get it, but now he needed experienced hooves on the ground. “The rest of you will be supporting Knights Garrison and Whirlwind on the Sky Bastion. The pegasi will serve as runners to each group should any new information come to light. Does everypony understand their roles?”
“Yes, sir!”
Shining Armor nodded. “Good. Black Knights, you are dismissed.”
The deck erupted into motion as the squires reported to Whirlwind and Garrison for their jobs. Above the commotion, Snake Eyes gave Archer a snark.
“Wow, sewer duty?” she laughed. “And here I thought I was getting the short stick.”
“Often times the most important duties aren’t the most glamorous,” Archer reminded her. “Do try not to waste too much time on your little errand. I’d hate for you to miss out on round two.”
His old partner waved a hoof. “Please, if it’ll keep me smelling fresh, I think I might try to be extra thorough making sure this isn’t just another little colt crying timberwolf.” Though she played it off well, Archer had known her long enough to recognize that itch behind her sneering eyes. She wanted a rematch just as much as him.
Archer snorted. “I’ll be seeing you soon, then,” he called as he moved to one of the chariots on deck. A squire galloped into the harness as he stepped a hoof into it. “Who knows? Perhaps after this all wraps up, we can finish that game of poker these two interrupted. I’m feeling lucky.”
A playful scoff escaped the thestral as she watched her partner take off into the night. “You are so on,” she chuckled to herself. She turned her attention to the knights waiting behind her. Snake Eyes straightened herself and held her head high. “Flight, by my command!”
The four thestrals straightened to attention, eyes forward and awaiting her next orders. Oh, I could get used to this, she thought smugly to herself with a toothy grin. “Looks like this Manehattan guard needs help on his wild griffon chase,” she barked as she paced before them. Her wings snapped open, and she crouched low, ready to launch herself. “Let’s see if we can catch it and make it squawk. On me!”
She sprung herself off the airship, and one by one, the black knights swiftly followed, diving into the cold night after their prey.
Shining Armor watched as the numbers on deck began to dwindle, the mantra continuing in his mind. A squire waited patiently for him at another carriage, stretching her wings to prepare for the flight. As the package roared beneath them, he noticed her tremble ever so slightly. She was just as enthused as he was to come face to face with it.
His eyes veered off the railing down to the monster below, and it glared back up with hungry, reptilian eyes. “One last mission,” he whispered to himself again. The dark thought squirmed in the back of his mind once more.
Why did it feel like it wouldn’t be so easy?
Solaire raced back across the catwalk of the abandoned factory after his summoner, Gilda and her friends close in tow. He hadn’t even realized she had left his side until he heard the door slam shut far on the other side of the roof. Inside, the griffons were riled up, the air electrified with their panic. Solaire couldn’t blame them.
Dragons were all but extinct in Lordran from a war an Age before Solaire was born, and their supposed sole survivor was locked away in a library that even he had not seen in all his pilgrimage. Nevertheless, even in Astora the tales and legends of their mighty power were whispered in the miracles of Lord Gwyn as a testament to his strength. Solaire had to help Twilight escape this hazardous city. Though he promised he would protect her, and protect her he would, the shadows of doubt stretched long in his mind. Ill he was to admit it, but he knew they were both unprepared to challenge such a beast.
The door to Evening’s room was still ajar, and as he entered, he found his summoner moving frantically in the dark.
“This is bad. This is really, really bad,” she squeaked. On the far side of the room, Solaire could see the papers pinned to the wall carefully remove themselves before floating to Twilight’s open bag. “We need to get out of here, now. Before he finds us.”
“Twilight, please,” Solaire offered in a disarming tone. His soothing words fell on deaf ears, though, and his summoner moved past him, picking up Evening’s last letter before returning to her bags. He knelt down and stopped her with a hand as she tried to pass again. “Twilight,” he said more sternly.
She froze as though a horrible hex had just been lifted from her, but even in the dark, he could see that fear running rampantly behind her eyes. He did so hate to be harsh with her, but he couldn’t stomach to see his friend succumb to this panic.
“A new obstacle this may be,” he admitted slowly. His free hand reached up and pulled away the last of Applejack’s curtains from his shoulders. “And a grave one at that. But now is not the time to lose our nerves, lest the enemy win before the fight begins.” There was a moment of silence. Twilight couldn’t seem to look him in the eyes. A heavy sigh escaped the Warrior. “Twilight, I made this promise to you long ago, and I shall make it again, with all the vigor of that night. I will stand by your side, no matter what, and so long as I am, I swear, I will let no harm fall upon you.”
“Tender words,” Galahad commented solemnly. “Yet they mean little when faced against the wrath of a dragon. Twilight’s fear of the situation is justified, as is our own. There’s no way we can fight a dragon.” He realized the darkness his words carried, yet he could not think of any tender words for himself to dispel it. “We best tread carefully if we want to escape Manehattan now… and quickly.”
Twilight sighed to herself, and with a hoof, she gently tore Solaire’s comforting hand away from her. Truthfully, it wasn’t the dragon that she feared, though her rational side told her it should have. No; it was the voice of the stallion that echoed throughout the city, that chased her down into the abandoned factory, that hung over her now like a ghost. She didn’t tell them. How could they understand? What terrified her the most was hearing the voice of her…
No. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of calling him that, not even in her head. Not after everything he had done to her, how he tore her family apart.
“Hey, don’t tell me you’ve lost your nerves already, Galahad,” Gilda barked. As she scanned across the room, she found most of everyone’s eyes on her. “The plan hasn’t changed,” Gilda continued, pausing for a moment before tilting her head. “Well, not by much anyways. We still need to get out of Manehattan. Just need to do it a little faster than we hoped.
“Gertrude, Galahad.” The two griffons stiffened as their names were called. “Take these two back through the sewers. They’ve worked well for us so far, and there’s no way the dragon will be able to track you through them, much less fit in there.” Gilda began pacing across the small room, running a map of the sewage network through her head. “Go as far south as you can.”
“What? But… Gilda,” Gertrude protested. “They’re south of us now. Why do you want us to go towards them?”
Gilda sighed as she approached Gertrude, raising her talon as a fist and knocking on her friend’s head. “C’mon, Gertrude; think. We’ve dealt with the Manehattan Guard long enough to learn how they operate. They started south, so they’re gonna work their way north. You’ll pass beneath them as they comb the streets looking for these two, and then you’ll be home free!”
“And what of you?” Solaire asked. “These streets will be dangerous now more than ever. Will you truly risk yourself finding our friend by yourself? Perhaps one of us should accompany you.”
“Pssh, risk? Please,” Gilda scoffed, waving a claw. “I know this city better than Griffonstone at this point, and I’m the best fighter the resistance has.”
“Careful; I think your head’s starting to swell there,” Galahad teased with a smile. Gilda was already making her way back to the door.
“Still waiting for somebody to prove me wrong,” she smirked. She turned her attention back to Solaire. “Trust me, it’ll be a lot faster if I go alone. I’ll be in and out and on your tails with your before you even know it.”
As she turned into the door, she found herself running face-first into a wall of feathers and fur.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Grady growled in the doorway.
Gilda took a step back and shook her head, only to grimace at the towering griffon. “Don’t have time for this, Grady,” she grumbled as she attempted to squeeze past him.
He barred her path with a strong claw, and Gilda shot him a glare. “You better make time then,” he shot back. He pushed himself into the room and gave her a stiff shove before closing the door behind him. Galahad and Gertrude managed to catch their friend before the room was plunged into darkness. With a faint puff, Twilight’s candlelight spell sprang to life, and its faint purple glow gingerly pushed back the dark. Grady shot her and Solaire a look and growled, “I have some questions for you two.”
Twilight felt herself shrink before the griffon’s furious gaze. Grady was easily twice her size, and his talons were sharp as knives. Solaire rose to his feet and put himself between them. Light escaped between the fingers of his closed fist. Twilight could hear the faint crackle of electricity.
“Just what kind of questions?” Gilda challenged. Her friends had already shifted from helping her up to holding her back.
“The same questions everyone’s been asking,” Grady spat. “Whose side are they on? Doesn’t it seem just too coincidental that a dragon happens to show up just moments after they come knocking on our front door? Doesn’t it seem strange to anyone else that they’re looking for the last pony you brought here; the same one that disappeared without telling us where she went?”
Galahad growled, with half a mind to let Gilda go. “What are you implying?”
Grady pointed at the Warriors with a talon as sharp as the daggers in his glare. “These two are spies! Their princess sent them here to find and root us out, knowing you three would be too trusting of anyone that speaks about that stupid pony friend of yours!”
“I will not just stand idly by and listen to such baseless accusations!” Solaire barked. “Nor do I have time to. We wish to see an end to this accursed night, just as you.”
The Giant towered over the griffon, and Grady tried to make himself taller; an action he was very unaccustomed to doing. “Oh, yeah? Where’s your proof?” Grady huffed. “Or do you expect me to simply take your word for it?”
“You want your proof?!” Gilda snarled. She wrenched her talons free from her friends and marched over to Twilight, who was all but petrified from the fighting. With a talon, she dug into the unicorn’s saddlebags and pulled out Evening’s letter. She quickly covered the distance and pushed it into Grady’s chest. “Here it is! Eve didn’t desert us. She figured out where the artifacts were and went to get them.”
Grady’s eyes strained as he read the letter, and an impatient snort escaped his nostrils. “‘The artifacts’, eh? The same ones she kept blabbering about while you let her stay here?” He shot Gilda a look. “And what makes you think this is even worth it? How do you know these harmony elements will even stop their Princess? They don’t sound that powerful.”
“They are,” Twilight cut in, finally regaining her nerve. She stepped out from behind Solaire and stood by his side. “The Elements of Harmony were used a thousand years ago to imprison Nightmare Moon to begin with. If we can get a hold of them…” Her voice trailed, and her eyes darted to the side. Could they really? As she scoured Evening’s notes, she discovered that the last pony to use them was the true Princess herself. Nowhere did she find a way to use them, though, and the only pony with any experience was banished to the moon.
No. She screwed her eyes shut and shook the thought out of her head. They would find a way, somehow. They had to. The stakes were too high. Determination burned brightly in her eyes as she looked back to the towering griffon. “If we can get a hold of them, then we can banish her again, and this night will finally end.”
“Eve left to find them by herself,” Gilda added, standing on the other side of Solaire. “And I don’t think she realized just how dangerous it was going to be. She may have been too bullheaded to ever ask for it, but we’re gonna find her and help her find them, whether she likes it or not.”
“And what of your brothers and sisters?” Grady sneered. “Where’s your pride as a griffon? Are you really going to leave them all behind for this quest?”
“What pride?!” The room fell quiet to Gilda’s outburst. Even on the other side of the door where all the griffons were previously in a panic, Twilight noticed, there was a dead silence. Gilda looked around the room, between her friends and new companions, Eve’s final notes still pinned on the wall, Grady trying vainly to stand his ground, and the curious griffon eyes peeking through the crack of the door behind him.
“What are we doing here?” she asked. Her voice cracked ever so slightly. It sounded like a plea. “Four years ago, I was proud to be a griffon, when we all came to our senses and decided to do something about this eternal night. A year after that I was proud to be a griffon, when we showed these ponies just what we were made of. Now?” She shook her head and moved away from the Warriors.
“Now we’re hiding in abandoned buildings and running through the sewers like rats. We’re right back where we started— No, we’re worse than where we started! At least in Griffonstone we weren’t in hiding. Now we’re stuck here because of some new sense of pride, twiddling our talons and waiting for some golden opportunity to take down Nightmare Moon and save everyone we’ve lost at the same time.” She motioned to Twilight and Solaire with an open claw.
“And here it is, our golden opportunity,” Gilda said. “You think they sent a dragon after us?” She barked out a bitter laugh. “Ha! We’ve been stuck under the Guard’s hoof for nearly two years now; I hate to admit it more than anyone else. We’re just a nuisance to them at this point. But them?”
Her claw dropped, and as Gilda stared at the Warriors for a second, Twilight thought she caught a hint of admiration in the griffon’s eyes. Behind Grady, the door opened further, and more curious griffons tried to steal a glance at Gilda’s speech.
“Their princess sent a dragon after them,” she continued. “Whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it right, and I want in on it. We missed our chance with Eve, and I’m not going to make that mistake again. I’m done waiting for the fight to start; I’m going to bring it to ‘em, just like we all said we would. So, you tell me, Grady. Are you proud to be a griffon, or are you content with being a rat?”
Her words hung in the air like a weight over Grady’s head, suspended by a string so thin he thought his next words might sever it. Never let it be said that Gilda didn’t know how to get under his skin. In fact, he swore she did it consciously. Ever since the griffons’ numbers began to dwindle, they began butting heads against one another. Perhaps it was just fate that the two most outspoken griffons would be the mouthpieces to the collective’s discrepant thoughts. Everyone wanted to fight, but no one wanted to lose any more brothers and sisters. They wanted to prove that they were fierce, but no one wanted to risk standing up. The more Grady thought of the disparity that plagued them, the more he realized the truth.
Gilda was right. Where had their pride gone?
“I’ll never understand you, Gilda,” Grady admitted with a growl. “Always trying to ruffle my feathers. Sometimes it feels like you only draw breath to spite me with your next words. But…” He felt the eyes of their eavesdroppers drilling into his back and turned around to face their hidden audience. A chorus of squawks sounded as they scampered away, and he burst through the door after them.
“But she’s right!” he announced, loud enough to echo through the factory. The few griffons left in their rebellion watched him with wide eyes. “The ponies have tricked themselves into believing that we’re no longer worth their concern, and we let them trick us to think the same. It’s high time we reminded them of who we truly are.
“Tonight, we take our vengeance. Not just for those we have lost since coming here, but for those we left behind at home as well, for those who trusted us to right the ponies’ wrong, for the world that suffers this cruel curse of eternal night.”
“C’mon, Grady, are you crazy?” one of the griffons protested from the rafters. “They have a dragon. What are we supposed to do?”
Grady scoffed as he prowled along the catwalk. “One measly dragon. Sent to capture one of their own and a giant. This is the Princess’s desperation; this is her gamble, that we will continue to behave as the broken cowards she believes us to be. To that, I say no more. To that, I say we prove her wrong.”
A murmur floated through the factory as the griffons nodded to each other and riled one another up. The air was becoming electric.
“One measly dragon,” Grady echoed with a short, harsh laugh. “Against twenty-six griffons, some of the finest their kingdom had to offer? What are we supposed to do, you asked? I say we do the only thing we can!” His words hung in the air for a moment, and he snarled the answer. “Make them wish they brought a second.”
The stone walls of the factory reverberated the whoops and hollers of the griffons, who no longer cared if all of Manehattan heard their battle cries. Over the flurry of wings and talons, Grady called with a swelling voice, “Prepare an ambush! Remind these ponies of the pride of the griffons! Remind them that our kingdom is not one to be trifled with! And above all, make them pay for taking away our brothers and sisters!”
The Warriors of Sunlight and their newest companions filed out of Evening’s room. Gertrude could feel her chest swelling with something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Galahad closed the distance to Grady and placed a claw on his shoulder.
“Thanks,” he nodded with a whisper. “Didn’t think you’d actually do that.”
Grady shot him a cold glare and shrugged his claw off. “Don’t thank me yet,” he said curtly. “I just motivated all these griffons to fly face-first to their doom. Thank me when you make it worth something.” His eyes slid over to Twilight, and she felt her blood chill. “You really think these two are worth it, Gilda?”
She hesitated, caught off guard for only a moment, and gave a stern nod. “No doubt in my mind.”
Grady opened his mouth to speak, but after a second passed, all that escaped was a heavy sigh. He looked to his comrades, all arming themselves to go out with one final, brilliant fight. They must have known, just as him. He gripped the rail before him and shook his head.
“Good. You better prove it then.” His wings flexed on his sides, and his talons anxiously drummed against the railing. “I expect to hear great stories from you three. Make us proud.” He vaulted himself over the railing, his wings lifting him to the swarm of griffons above. As he began shouting direction, Gilda turned to face the group.
“Right, as we were saying. Gertrude, Galahad, get these two out of here. Try going west instead, though. No telling what feather-brained scheme Grady is concocting, or where he plans on taking the fight.” As she spoke, her eyes drifted up. Truthfully, this wasn’t the outcome she expected from their little spat. She was fully ready to brawl against the larger griffon, and she couldn’t help but wonder what she could have said that changed his mind so quickly.
“I’ll find your friend,” she continued, looking to Twilight and Solaire. “Who was it again?”
“Applejack,” Twilight nodded. “She should still be in the same apartments where you found us.”
Gilda huffed with a snarling grin. “Perfect. We’ll meet up with you in no time, and then we can all finally get out of this stain of a city.”
The howls of the dragon echoed through Manehattan. Though she couldn’t see the beast, her eyes were pinned on the airship that she assumed accompanied it. In the Mare in the Moon’s light, it shone like a silver dagger, eagerly waiting for a hoof to help it cleave its way into the city. Applejack’s thoughts couldn’t help but drift to her friends.
She took her eyes off of them for barely a minute, and they had disappeared with nary a trace, save for the wide-brimmed hat Twilight had borrowed, left so unceremoniously in the hallway. What had happened to them? Did somepony see them? Did they run away? Did they even know where to hide in this hostile city? Her eyes scanned across the streets, hoping by some miracle she would find the two just wandering around out there, so she could grab them and quickly pull them inside in spite of her family’s objections.
Applejack supposed she could find some solace in that strange message that echoed throughout the town from the airship. The Guard didn’t know where they were; perhaps they weren’t caught after all, just on the run. A small comfort, but with the distant roars of the dragon, it did little to help her nerves.
“Applejack, please get away from that window!”
The salesmare blinked, her mind derailed with her aunt’s plea. She turned back to the dining area to find her aunt and uncle sitting at the table. Clementine looked to her with desperate eyes.
“Please, AJ, just come sit down with us. Your aunt worked so hard making this meal perfect,” Orange begged, using the old nickname she had told them to call her when she was just a filly. At the time, they had thought it quaint, a roughneck butchering of her own name. But now, there was nothing but endearment behind it.
She sighed, the weight of an anchor never quite leaving her chest as she left her perch at the window and took her seat. She tried not to focus on Clementine’s small but trembling smile. Her aunt had wiped away the ruined mascara from her face, but it appeared that new stream had cut a thin trail down the side of her face recently. A small plate sat before each of them with a small helping of miniature apple crisps. A dollop of vanilla ice cream slowly melted on top of them, an old sight Applejack remembered fondly.
“Do you remember your first meal when you came here, darling?” Clementine sniffed. A faint laugh broke through her forced smile, and she continued before Applejack had a chance to respond. “Oh, you looked so miserable when the waiter brought you your food, and when we came back from the restaurant, I found you holed away in your room looking out the window.”
Applejack blushed, looking down at her plate and prodding her meal with her spoon. “I… I didn’t mean to offend,” she admitted sheepishly.
“You were homesick, dear. There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Orange offered with a warm smile.
“We just wanted to make sure your transition to city life went smoothly. Perhaps we went too far starting there.” Clementine gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Although it gave me the idea to find this recipe. Admittedly, it was my first time cooking with apples. Oh, I was so frightened it would turn out so horribly.”
“And it was amazing, Auntie,” Applejack smiled. “Never before had I ever seen apples prepared that way, not even back at the farm. And its taste was absolutely delightful.”
The room felt warm with fond memories in spite of the chilling night outside, so much so that Applejack feared her ice cream would quickly melt into a puddle if she didn’t eat fast enough. It was more than pleasant seeing their faces again after all these years, hearing their voices, sharing their laughs. She thought of what Solaire had said, and if she closed her eyes, in spite of all that had changed, in spite of the creeping darkness that loomed over the city, she truly felt as though she was home.
“I do hate to pry,” Orange started after finishing a bite from his meal. Applejack felt his eyes look through her dress, though she knew he meant nothing ill by it. In fact, she already knew what he was about to ask. “I don’t suppose during your time in Baltimare, you managed to find…”
And with one unfinished question, Applejack felt her mood begin to sour, just ever so slightly.
“I… No, I haven’t,” she admitted, picking at what was left of her food. “It was difficult to find… opportunities, shall we say. My focuses were almost strictly business.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Clementine chimed in, resting a caring hoof over Applejack’s. She shot her husband a glance. “There are still plenty of ponies her age who haven’t found theirs yet.”
“O-Of course,” Orange stammered. “I didn’t mean to imply. Why, one of my closest friends hadn’t found his until just recently. I was simply curious if you had any news about it.”
“Should I, you two are the very first to know,” Applejack assured him, quickly cutting in. “But enough about me and my personal life; what of you, Uncle? Has business been going well?”
Orange coughed into his napkin and nodded his head. “Yes; well, for the most part. With the shelter in place, I sent the workers home for their safety. The plants haven’t received any light the last moon. They’ll survive, without a doubt, but it will take time to reverse the damage this causes.”
A distant roar rattled the apartment and chased away their comfortable dream. Applejack involuntarily stood up from her chair, her attention snapping back to the window.
“Applejack, please, sit back down,” Orange begged tiredly. “We’re all stressed enough as it is with that beast, but it isn’t coming for us.” He took another spoonful of his meal and began to chew. “Hopefully this will all be over with soon.”
She shot her uncle a look as she slowly returned to her seat. “It isn’t us I worry for.”
Clementine sighed heavily at her niece’s display. “Oh, Applejack… Always so compassionate and trustworthy. You really must be careful. One of these moons, somepony is going to take advantage of that.”
“If they haven’t already, that is,” her uncle remarked on the side.
“Why, the nerve!” Applejack protested in bewilderment. “Uncle Orange, you don’t know anything about them. How could you be so quick to judge?”
“Darling, they’re rebels,” Clementine cut in. ”What more could we possibly need to know about them?” Though she knew her tone wasn’t condescending, Applejack couldn’t take it as anything else.
Applejack scoffed. “How about the truth?” she challenged. “You both only know what you’ve been told by the Guard and the Princess, only lies. Wouldn’t you like to know the truth for a change?”
A harsh knocking rang out from the door, and Applejack felt her heart leap. Who else would be knocking at such an hour?
“In fact, why don’t you learn the truth directly from the source?” she offered in a prideful tone as she cantered to the door. Her aunt and uncle started to object, raising from her seats and following after her, but they were too late; Applejack threw open the door without a second of hesitation. “What a relief it is to have you back, Twilight. You two had me so worried when you—”
Her words caught in her throat with her tongue. The single stallion standing on the other side of the door was definitely neither of her missing friends. She felt her heart drop far beneath her hooves as she stared wide-eyes at the armored guard.
“I— I— Um—” Words were failing her as she tried to stammer through an introduction. Jester looked just as pleased to see her again, too.
“I was worried when we got that report,” Jester said solemnly. His brow furrowed to complement the small frown that was forming as he studied the mare. “I remembered these apartments almost immediately. What rotten luck you must have to be so close to the scene of the crime just as soon as you returned home.”
“J-Jester, darling! How… How nice of you to visit!” Her mind couldn’t keep pace with the whirlwind of events thrashing around her. She turned back into the room and gave her aunt and uncle a forced smile. “Why, Auntie Clementine, Uncle Orange, this is Jester. We bumped into each other while I was on my way here. Oh, why don’t you come in? We had just made lunch. I’m sure you must be hungry after—”
“Why don’t we save each other the formalities,” Jester offered, causing Applejack to squeak. He wrapped a strong hoof around her leg and glanced up to her aunt and uncle. “Sir, ma’am, it breaks my heart to interrupt your little reunion, but the Guard has a few extra questions for your niece here.”
“Hold on a moment,” Orange protested. He took a step forward, only to stall as the Guard threw him a glare.
“Why are you doing this?” Clementine pleaded, trying her best to feign ignorance for her niece’s sake. “What has my darling Applejack done to deserve such treatment?”
Jester sighed heavily; although he never loosened his vice around Applejack’s fetlock. “We just have a few questions we’d like to ask her,” he said in a disarming tone. “I’m worried your niece has gotten involved with a certain couple of rebels.”
“Nonsense,” Orange spat. Surely, there had to be some way to convince this intruder to their home to leave. “A mare of her status would never stoop so low. What proof do you have?”
“A stallion saw three griffons, a unicorn, and a large, strange creature just outside your door earlier this moon. It’s just too coincidental that it happened to be around the same time dearest Applejack here came home.” Jester gave Applejack a more forceful tug and pulled her out into the hallway with him. “If she truly is innocent, she’ll be back on her merry way. Until then, the Guard has questions for her.”
“And the Guard can wait!”
A large figure dropped down on top of them, and Jester’s world was plunged into darkness as a burlap sack fell over his head. The Orange family watched in horror as a griffon rose behind him on its hind legs and twisted back with something in her claws. There was an audible crack, and Applejack flinched as the bat in the griffon’s grip collided with the dazed guard’s head.
Jester crumpled to the floor in a heap. Applejack stood too mortified to run as the griffon looked over him to admire its handiwork. A razor-like talon peeled the bottom of the sack up, and Applejack found herself almost relieved to see his eyes spinning in his sockets; although there was a rather large lump on the side of his head.
The griffon let out a low whistle and cackled. “Good thing you weren’t a unicorn,” she snickered resting her bat across her shoulder. “The stunt woulda been a lot harder to pull off otherwise. I’d say sorry for the headache, but, well…” She leaned low again and whispered in the guard’s ear. “You guys have been a much worse pain in ours. Sweet dreams, sucker.”
She pulled the sack back down over his eyes and hesitated as she looked up, her eyes darting between the three remaining ponies. She unshouldered her weapon and motioned it to each of them. “So… which one of you’s supposed to be Applejack again?”
Clementine fainted. Orange barely had enough time to catch her. “Oh heavens, why does this have to happen tonight of all moons?” he begged aloud.
The griffon gave both of them an unamused stare and turned to the mare next to her. “Please tell me it’s not one of them.”
“I… I don’t…” Applejack blinked, trying to find the mind she lost in all the commotion. She retreated back a step. “Wh-Who are you? What do you want with me?”
“Hey, hey, relax. I’m a… friend,” the griffon assured her, though it sounded like she wasn’t used to saying the word. Her eyes darted to the bat still in her claw, and she dropped it with a roll of her eyes. “Look, Twilight and Solaire sent me,” she tried again. “They need your help.”
“Twilight?” The mare hesitated. While the news shed a new light on the griffon, it also unearthed newer questions. “But how did they—? No, I suppose that’s unimportant. Why do they need my help again for?”
“We know where Evening Twinkle is,” the griffon said simply. “But we don’t know how to get there. They said you were the expert.”
“But… But I can’t just…” Applejack looked back into her aunt and uncle’s apartment. Orange was fanning Clementine, trying his best to wake her. “I just came back home. How could I leave so soon?”
The griffon huffed, and Applejack could tell she was quickly growing impatient. “Yeah, they weren’t too happy with the idea of roping you back into this mess again, too, but either you’re helping us find her or we’re wandering around all of Equestria looking for her until the Guard finally catches us.” She drummed her talons against the carpeted hallway. “Look, the choice is yours, as much as I don’t like to say it, but I don’t think Twilight and Solaire would be happy if I dragged you to them against your will. So, are you in or are you out?”
Applejack’s eyes drifted down to Jester, still lying unconscious on the floor. She hated to admit it, but it appeared as though her welcome was already overstayed. Manehattan wasn’t safe to call home anymore, not in this state. She did so hate to leave her family behind again though. Her uncle’s desperate eyes connected to hers through the doorway, and Applejack felt a pang of guilt deep inside.
“Well… we had best not keep my friends waiting,” she said softly. She turned her head to the griffon. “Shall we?”
With a stern nod, the griffon broke into a gallop down the hallway. Applejack started after her until her uncle called out.
“Applejack, wait!” She hesitated, something in her chest anchoring to the doorway. She could feel her uncle’s eyes, but she didn’t dare turn to face him, lest the composure she was just barely holding together finally broke. “Please, don’t do this,” he pleaded. “Not again. We were so worried for you the last time you left. It’s too dangerous out there. Just please stay here, if not just for a little bit longer. We… we can talk to the Guard together, get this entire mess sorted out.”
“I… I’m sorry, Uncle Orange, but…” Applejack choked, the words catching in her throat like a lump. “I cannot keep living like this, living in a lie, pretending all is well. I will return, though; I promise.” She bit down on her trembling lip, hoping to hold herself together just a little bit longer. She stole a glance inside the apartment and found her aunt and uncle, and the world began to blur with water around them as something wet burned a trail down her cheek.
“In the morning,” she continued with a hopeful smile and teary eyes. “When the sun finally shines again, and its light chases away the darkness of this dreadful nightmare we live in. I will return, and we will be the family we were always meant to be; I swear it.”
She broke into a gallop after the griffon before her own mind could convince her to stay. Over her pounding hoofsteps, Orange tried to call her back, and the weight in her chest grew heavier and heavier. She would return. She promised it, and she was the most trustworthy and dependable of ponies. But until that moon— No, until that day, she had a duty to fulfill for her friends.
Applejack wiped away her tears before entering the stairwell where the griffon waited for her, and down they descended into the chaos in Manehattan.
