//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: Tribunal // by Carnifaxy //------------------------------// Time seemed to drag on and on for Rainbow Dash. Day after day of tedium, but it was clear from speaking with the others that this was normal. It boggled her mind to hear that the Wonderbolts spent their usual days like this as well, when not training. Most of the time was spent on patrolling the skies for griffons, looking over the cloud defenses, and making sure waste was disposed of properly. It was drudgery of the likes that Rainbow Dash never thought possible. Even the skirmishes with griffons couldn't outweigh the sheer boredom. She tried to nap during a calm day, restlessness keeping her unable to sleep comfortably and so she shifted about when the bell of the alarm sounded. Rolling over, the pegasus expected just another griffon patrol testing their defenses, only to see a wall of cloud drifting closer to the islands. “Rainbow!” Mist Weaver called out as she landed. “The captain and Down are already getting into position, scouts say that wall has a full fleet of griffon airships heading this way with their queen leading them!” “What?! Gilda's coming already? Didn't intel say she was badly hurt in that fight against that other griffon?” Mist shrugged helplessly. “Well she seemed to recover pretty fast! If she joins the fight you have to too!” Dash looked out to the cloud wall and her wings twitched in trepidation. Gilda watched as the guards finalized the chariot for transport. The straps were secure, the harnesses put on. All that was left was for her to step inside. One of her guards stepped in first, holding the unified Griffdonian flag, rarely flown except in conflicts with foreign powers. With a nod of her head they took off from the deck of the airship and flew towards the Azures and the pegasi defenses. Spitfire, Windgust, and Rainbow were among the pegasi assembled to greet the griffon monarch and her small entourage. A moment of regret flashed in Gilda's face when she saw Dash before she steeled her resolve and drew her royal cloak tighter around her frame. “We can save Equestria from a fight if you abscond from the Azures. Any fight here will be a bloody one, and neither of us would want needless casualties.” Gilda started off. “The minotaurs are currently sailing. While the pegasi are busy with us in the air, the bulls will be taking the islands. I have with me several companies of experienced mercenaries and house guards from various conflicts across Zebrica and Griffdonia.” Spitfire hovered a little forward to speak next. “We are under orders to hold the Azures, and that's what we'll do. The Equestrian military is well trained and disciplined, and we're not afraid of your Cry.” “Wait!” Dash interrupted, getting too close to Gilda for her guard's comfort. The griffon queen waved them off to let Rainbow speak. “What if we settled this in a race?” The thought brought a bit of warmth to Gilda's heart, memories of better days... “This isn't the Junior Speedsters Dash. A race won't cut it.” An errant breeze blew by as the queen closed her eyes and felt the chill flow in under her cloak, raising it and revealing her injuries. Rainbow gasped at the sight of metal attached to Gilda's back. “G, what happ-” “A race won't suffice. But a duel will. A duel of champions, Rainbow Dash!” She threw her cloak into the wind and spread her wings, the metal one making her wince a tad as the fresh connections pulled at her muscles and tendons. “Show me the power of the Rainboom!” It all happened so fast, one moment they were supposed to parley, the next Gilda flung herself at Rainbow, talons extended and a battle cry on her beak. The others had pulled away just in time as the griffon's talons swiped through the air, whistling right above Rainbow's mane as she ducked. “What the hay G?!” “This is the only way Dash!” “What?! Are you nuts?!” Rainbow's rear leg connected with Gilda's arm, causing the next swipe to miss completely. “I didn't want a big battle to break out, I'm sorry!” Dash ducked under an overextended leg and almost gave Gilda a solid punch in the lower back if not for the flashing of the metal wing. “Is that why you're not seriously putting your all into this fight?” “Well it's not like I wanted to see you here, but I'm guessing the princess put you up to it!” With a snort the pegasus threw another punch, her hoof connecting with the griffon's fist. “I could've refused!” “No you couldn't! You don't leave your friends hanging, if they're ponies!” Rainbow's wings flapped rapidly, conjuring up a brief cyclone to push Gilda away. “You were being a total asshole and you know it!” “Because we both were total assholes, it's why we were friends in the first place!” Flying forward, Rainbow went for a corkscrew. Sparks danced across Gilda's wings. At the moment they connected they were both thrown back by an explosion of electricity, the griffon squawking as her wings pumped to try and regain altitude and hissing from pain. “Fucking wing carries a charge too well!” She snarled as she grabbed where the joint was, feeling how tender and hot it was after the jolt. “Okay, no more lightning.” Even flapping caused her to wince, her muscles shaking. As Dash recovered she took quick stock of Gilda's status. On one hoof, beating her now would be pretty easy. On the other, she looked pretty shaken up and hurt and they weren't even fighting that long. Regardless, Gilda set the terms and it was up to Dash to finish it. She flapped her wings, going for a head on strike. Seeing this, Gilda took in a deep breath. Right as that hoof was going to land on her beak, she let out the Cry. Dash tumbled down from the sky, her senses all out of whack from the sudden burst of sound. It felt like being on the receiving end of a Rainboom, which in that moment she supposed was the point. As her vision cleared she could see Gilda circling above, but not making any moves otherwise. In the distance, the cloud wall was dissipating, revealing several griffon air transports that were making their way to surround the Equestrian forces. She worked her wings in righting herself and zipped up back toward Gilda. The air began to resist against her, the cone started to form. Gilda watched with wide eyes as the rainbow began to form in front of her old friend. Her wings pulled in and she dropped from the sky as Rainbow shot up, a hundred feet between them as Rainbow's Rainboom went off. As the ring of light expanded, Gilda let out another Cry. For the first time in living history did anyone see what happened when both of the Roc's gifts to mortals finally clashed. As the sounds from the Rainboom and the Cry clashed the air warped momentarily before silence reigned. Gilda glided carefully, her eyes up on Dash while the pegasus watched in amazement of what happened. “She... she stopped my Rainboom, just like that!” A moment passed as their eyes locked, griffon keeping as steady as she can, pegasus hovering. At first she thought Gilda was holding back because of their friendship, as broken as it was, but seeing the griffon queen's shaky flying, the swelling of her wingjoint... “Gilda! I'm not going to fight you, you're in no shape for it!” “If you don't fight me Dash, you yield! And if you yield you lose!” Rainbow felt her hackles raise. “I'm not going to fight a cripple, G!” Gilda's eyes flashed with hate and she immediately angled for an ascent, rising as fast as Rainbow remembered. The pegasus' eyes widened as she quickly ducked away from the slashes only to cry out as she felt stinging pain across her gaskin along with the warm trickles of blood. Her other hoof kicked out, cracking across Gilda's beak and they both spun away from one another. “Y-you cut me!” Dash shouted in disbelief only to briefly duck away again as the griffon came in for another. “I can still fly, I can still fight!” Gilda roared out, using her speed and the angle to go for another swipe across. More bleeding lines appeared along Dash's body, the pegasus wincing in pain. Just as Gilda passed she grabbed onto the griffon's tail with her teeth and gave a harsh yank, causing the queen to yelp and kick out, only to hit air as Dash flapped back and then forward right after, striking her front left hoof square at the metal wing's joining to Gilda's back. Her beak gaped in shock and pain as the muscles screamed and stiffened, causing Gilda to begin to spiral down towards the glistening waters below. Mind racing, she flapped her right wing to try and fix her angles but it was no use. With a deep breath electricity sparked across her wings once more, less than she had used before. The slight spark shot into the joint for her prosthetic and with a yelp the muscles twitched and spasmed before they relaxed and she regained control of her descent. Looking up for a moment, she saw the telltale sign of the rainbow cone as Dash barreled through the air directly at her. She had only just regained wing control and with being below Rainbow, suddenly dropping altitude wouldn't help at all. In that brief moment her pains ceased, her mind cleared. There was nothing left to do but breathe. The Sonic Rainboom collided directly with Gilda, and in that very moment, that one millisecond, all the world stopped as she Cried. Around the two former friends it seemed as if reality warped, light and sound ceasing and inverting. Never before had either of them experienced such a strange moment. Blinded and deafened the pair tumbled about in midair, neither ascending nor descending as ancient winds rippled across and blew them about. Another cry rang out, so similar, and yet so different. Deeper, divine. Everyone's gaze was drawn up to the clear blue skies as a dark figure flew. So small it was that at first it seemed to be a gull, but the wing shape was all wrong. It was only then they realized it was so high up as to look small, but it's cry was as crisp and clear as Gilda's had been. The Roc had come. Gilda watched, mesmerized, even as she fell from the sky after the world had righted itself. Rainbow Dash was only distracted for the moment before she noticed the griffon falling and flew off to catch her. As the pegasus drew closer she heard Gilda let out a yelp of pain as the metallic prosthetic ripped free from her back and the pegasus was unable to dodge. Rainbow's vision went black. When she awoke her mind felt abuzz from sedation. She could hear words and felt her back being poked and prodded at but little else. Her beak moved and her tongue flopped out. Attempts to get up were denied with her being strapped down onto the medical table. “The queen's awake! We pumped her up with enough drugs to knock out a manticore!” “She's a tough hen, that's for sure.” As they talked she tried to focus on their voices. She could recognize the one as the machinist who had implanted her wing in the first place. He sounded rather angry, but his words were muddled by the narcotics flowing through her blood. “Bloody stupid is what she is! Months, it takes months for the prosthetic to be integrated well enough to stand up to the rigors of combat! If we put a new one in that will just get ripped out in a few weeks! The damage could be irreparable unless we get some damn zebra potions or a unicorn healer!” One of the medics looked to the machinist. “One of the mercenary companies hails from Zebrica. They're bound to have something to assist. We'll discuss it with them in time, for now we need to get the new wing attached. That is non-negotiable.” Rainbow Dash watched as storm clouds rolled in, the ever present form of the Roc still circling so high in the sky, higher than any pegasus dared go. Her head was bandaged, dried blood clinging to her mane. The air of the mobile base was thick with tension, the griffons swooped in on occasion for a brief scuffle, but even with them surrounding the pegasi there was no serious attempt at an attack. Until then, Dash had several visitors, each one impressed by her duel with Gilda but she had remained quiet, even when the Wonderbolts came to check in on her. Windgust sat down next to her bed and ruffled his mane. “That was a hell of a fight you put up Dash. And that wing the queen had, didn't know griffons got so far along in artificial limbs like that. Knocked you out too. Mist had managed to pull you to safety before you hit the water. That Ermengilda wasn't so lucky.” Rainbow remained staring at the ceiling. “The griffons pulled her out of the drink. She's still there on the lead airship, as far as we know. There is something I wanted to know.” Silence. “When she was falling, were you trying to save her?” Her head turned and she looked to Windgust for a moment before she fixed her vision back to the ceiling. “Yeah.” He gave a slight nod before he stood up to walk out. “I'll give you some peace and keep the others out of your mane while you rest up.” It was a few more days before the pegasi began to perform evacuation maneuvers. The storm was going strong, and no one desired to try and stop it. When lightning flashed across the skies everyone could see the silhouette of the Roc hovering just above the dark thunderheads. Flying airships in such storms was for the foolish or the insane, but the griffons didn't break cloud cover or set the ships to sea to ride out the storm. Gilda watched from the bow as rain fell in fat drops, her vision barely obscured as she made out the rainbow colors of Dash as the pegasi carefully retreated from the Azures, using the storm as cover to fly low over the roiling waves of the ocean. For one moment she tried to open her wings, only to wince as both were bound tightly to let them heal. She looked in irritation at the prosthetic on her back and let out a huff through her nares. Her guard leaned a little over the railing only to jump back as lightning shot right in front of him with a squawk. Gilda's trilling laugh was drowned by the harsh patter of water against the deck. He harrumphed at his queen and stood back at attention with a frown. As her laughter died down she looked back to where the ponies had been, and they were gone. “I wish I could have congratulated Dash on a fine performance. She was no Nikola, but she has guts.” “Will you make an order that none may injure Miss Dash too severely, your highness?” She waved him off in a dismissive manner. “I don't think she'll fight unless it's me. Dash is brave and loyal, but how far can that be pushed? The Azures are ours, King Phaitos will be arriving in a week with the rest of his fleet, and the Roc has come to bless our war. I thinks things are looking up for us.” Gilda's dreams were dominated by terrible storms. Cyclones ripped through the landscape, lighting smashed the sturdy stones of castles, rain and hail pelted massive lines of faceless griffons. Above her, perched upon a mountain so impossibly high, was the Roc. He spread his wings, plumage glittering as a bolt of lightning struck him. Tilting his head back he let out a massive cry and the storm ceased in an instant, clouds breaking and a rainbow scattering across. “Ermengilda.” She blinked in surprise and noticed that the Roc was staring right at her. “Oh sweet child of the skies. You disappoint me. The Sonic Rainboom and my Cry were my final gifts unto the world, to the pegasi and the griffons. It was that which I allowed to seal me away to perpetual slumber. And then they clashed, and my seal broken. Why, little songbird, why have my children turned to use my gifts as weapons?” Her beak gaped open in shock and she struggled to think. “Because the Cry is useful for combat? Without it I wouldn't have won against Nikola and secured my position as queen of the griffons!” “It is no mere blunt tool to be swung about to bash your foes. If I had the means, I would strip the gift from you! It is well and truly wasted upon the likes of you, Ermengilda.” She flared her wings out in irritation and flapped, only to stumble and fall forward. Looking back, she saw she only had one wing. Scrambling back up she paced, looking at the Roc. He looked back with disinterest. “If you truly wish to show me what you're worth, then reach me. Without the metallic attachment of your engineers, nor without those flying ships of yours. I shall await you in the waking world, songbird.” Before she could speak he let out a cry, a bolt of lightning coming from the cloudless sky of her dream and crashed into her. Gilda jolted awake and stumbled out of bed to the window of her cabin. The storm had yet to abate, and the Roc had finally dipped down below the clouds to circle around the Azures. She went out onto the deck as the rain kept pouring down and she gripped the railing. Both of her wings were still firmly secured to keep her from using them too much and it was stifling. With a grunt she sliced the bindings to free her wings and it was then she noticed the Roc had turned in his flight and was looking right at her. She froze up, her heart hammered against her chest in a bid to escape. When she finally regained control of her limbs she staggered back from the railing and could hear the cry of disappointment from the massive, ancient bird. Shuddering as the rain soaked through her feathers and fur she stumbled back to her room and slumped to the floor.