//------------------------------//
// 2300 17/09/1017 
// Story: The Red Vengeance 
// by KaiserVanBeackmarck 
//------------------------------//

Now inside, I remembered the layout perfectly. The east part of the keep was where the temple stood, outside the wall on an outcrop of rock. I yelled and charged, the knights behind. Halfway there, we passed a faction of unconcios ponies, a bottle of alcohol open between them. I ignored and focused on the task at hand. We passed the Statues of Kings, starting with Grover I and ending with Grover VI. All were beheaded, the heads lying in a mound next to the row, the mere sight making my blood boil. We rounded the corner at last, and arrived. As my dreams had shown, the heads of the River Union and the guards, were all lined up, facing Heavenly Snow and the Throne. I then realised the whole plan was screwed up. Ebonwing had expected that he would face the Kaiserplatz and make a presentation, but this was a griffon city, and no griffon would salute a pony as Kaiser. There was no way I could approach the pillars to blast it down without him noticing. Suddenly, he roared and pointed at me, ragged and beat, alongside Wilhelm and our ragged squad of elites. We were screwed, but I may as well try and incite my fury one last time. Clipping my last belt of ammo in, I let rip on the soldiers as they moved towards me as one, and the River Union’s leaders all ran, dragging the entangled Grovers with them. They began to prepare rifles to shoot, a folly that gave me more time to blaze them. Wilhelm had disappeared to Boreas knows where, and the other griffons were already firing alongside me. Now they had readied themselves, they began to return fire. Bullets cut bloody marks across me, each one blossoming in pain. I gritted my teeth and continued to shred the fools, making a simple mistake. When handling a minigunner, SPLIT UP. They were all together firing at me, making almost every lead shard a deadly blow. Blood spurted everywhere, and now they were beginning to doubt my power against theirs. 

I smiled and roared, “CRY AND RUN, FOOLS, THE RED VENGEANCE IS HERE!” The name Red Vengeance was something I had only heard once, from a terrified mage, and I felt like for my gore soaked visage, it was a good name. “GAHAHA! DIE, YOU THIEVES!” The schadenfreule was rolling over me, the pain nullified by my hatred of these bastards. Now they were running, my bullets hunting them and felling them. Heavenly Snow was screaming, his voice blocked by my blood rushing in my ears. Now they had all run for cover, only the leaders remaining. Everypony except Heavenly Snow had run now, and he was trembling in rage. 

“Y… you killed my guards and stopped my coronation…” 

He focused his magic and hefted a fancy single edged blade. “so YOU DIE!” He raised it with magic and charged me, Nimbusian pegasi landing besides him with rifles. I readied my gun and fired the remaining shots at the guards, who all dodged. Finally, a real fight was beginning. They fired their own guns with deadly precision, more of my already drained blood leaking out, but here I felt something. A powerful something held me, and I felt empowered by my fury. I used that to charge, the bullets still cutting through my bloody torso and legs, splattering more blood around me. I leaped, drawing my sword and slashing through the neck of the elite in front of me. Turning, I rammed it into the heart of the pony in front of me, kicking him at another fool, both flying off the outcrop to the Kaiserplatz below. I spun and raised my sword straight to counter Heavenly snow’s sword, his sliding down to my crossguard. Withdrawing, I lashed out to force him back. He slid under and rammed his longblade into my chest. I felt it ram through my chest, but not fatally. In fury, I grabbed my charges and threw them everywhere, all around the Temple. From within the base of the pouch, I hefted the detonator, and everypony gasped in my suicidal plan. I smiled evilly and slammed the detonater. Heavenly Snow leaped away as the bombs all glowed as one, before rupturing across the plaza. I felt the fire burn through my skin and bone, my flesh and blood disintergrating in the blast. In a furious arc, I flew, crashing down in a rooftop a short distance away. 

No medigriff could get to me to save me here. My comrades had fallen, Ebonwing and Mikusian had died trying to save me, but Heavenly Snow still lived. Our entire plan had failed. 

And now Boreas was coming to bring me to the lands beyond. “Beackmark.” His powerful voice boomed in my mind. “Come.” And everything turned to 

black

as 

I 

ascended.