//------------------------------// // 12. Antlers and Beaks // Story: The Tears of Gaia // by Redback Spino //------------------------------// A cloudy grey sky hung above the land as the column of Blightlings dogtrotted over hills and plains. The day was coming to an end and exhaustion was beginning to set in the muscles of the thirty or so troops, but they stubbornly carried on, running as if the whips of their masters were behind them. All except for the three unfortunate ponies who staggered and struggled onwards, yanked along by the heavy iron chains around their necks. Applejack silently trotted at the head of the three, with Rainbow Dash behind her, switching occasionally from running to hovering a foot or so above the ground, then returning back to running to give her wings a rest. But Fluttershy staggered and stumbled forwards at the back, practically being dragged by the Blightling captor who held her chain in its claws. Bruised, battered and scratched all over, Fluttershy whimpered to herself. She began to revisit bygone days when she and her friends would go off on adventures, travelling all around Equestria and the neighbouring lands; helping ponies out, seeing all kinds of amazing sights, and battling the occasional evildoer. The return of Nightmare Moon, confronting the dragon of Smokey Mountain, the conflict in Appleoosa, Discord’s return, the Royal Wedding, travelling to the Changeling Kingdom to save the three fillies… All were times that she and her friends were in very real mortal peril. At any time things could have gone very wrong, and oftentimes it did! But her friends were always there to help her get back on her hooves, and help her to strive forward. But now… now it was just Rainbow and Applejack with her, and neither of them was in any state to comfort her or help her back on her hooves. For the first time since she had first met all her friends, all those years ago when Twilight Sparkle first moved to Ponyville, Fluttershy felt truly alone and vulnerable. And it was terrifying. She gazed desperately around her, as if willing somepony to spring out from behind a rock or out of a hole in the ground and come to their aid. But all she saw was empty plains, dotted with the occasional rocky outcrop or grove of trees. Off in the distance in front of them, she could just see a faint shape on the horizon. Blinking her bleary eyes, they came into focus as what appeared to be a massive forest, somehow growing in the middle of this wasteland. Even as she pondered how such a massive forest could suddenly spring up in the middle of these plains, something darted past her out of the corner of her eye. Looking to the right of the column of Blightlings and pony captives, she saw it again! The silhouette of something, slender and lithe, peeking up from behind a nearby boulder. But in the blink of an eye it was gone, only to peek up from behind another boulder, slightly closer to the trotting column but still too far to make out clearly. Don’t say anything. Don’t even react. Pretend you can’t hear me. Fluttershy started ever so slightly as she suddenly heard the voice speaking inside her head. A quick tug on the chain around her neck got her moving again, but while she was pulled along she still heard the voice in her mind. It was a voice she did not recognise, wispy and gentle, comforting and yet commanding at the same time. Eager to reply, she thought a moment, trying her hardest to communicate to this mysterious voice that she understood I cannot help you and your friends just yet, but I promise that I will. I am Yarrow, of the Aras of Cervidas. What’s your name? Fluttershy, she thought back, hoping that she was only thinking this and not actually saying anything aloud. My name is Fluttershy. That’s a pretty name, the voice replied, making Fluttershy blush slightly. I wish I could help you and your friends sooner, but I’m the only one of my kind out this far. When these monsters venture closer to our territory we can come to your aid in force. Do you know where they are taking you? Fluttershy replied, I’m not sure, but they say they are heading to a place they call Maudhul. They say it’s an outpost or fort of some kind. Well, that’s certainly convenient. I’ve heard of that place, it’s a fairly new outpost right on the border of our land. Do you see that large forest up ahead? Fluttershy craned her neck and looked over the heads of the column. Far in the distance, she could see on the horizon a small black shape, like a small castle or tower. She assumed that it must be Maudhul. But just to the right of the fort was an immense forest of tall trees of every kind. It stretched off into the distance, some trees appearing to be almost a hundred feet tall! That is where I’m from, the voice of Yarrow continued. The forest kingdom of Cervidas, homeland of the Aras, and its capital of Ostaure. For the first time in several days, Fluttershy felt her heart warming. You live in a forest? That’s wonderful! What kind of animals are there? No time for idle chat, I’m afraid, Yarrow replied. I have to get back to my people now, Fluttershy. I won’t be able to speak to you anymore, but I’ll be watching these monsters on their way to the fort. Even if you can’t see me, I’ll be there. But where are you? Fluttershy glanced around deftly, so as not to draw the attention of the Blightlings. I can’t see you anywhere. Look to your right. The two boulders on the right of the column. She checked the Blightlings immediately around her, seeing that they were all looking straight ahead. Fluttershy turned to see the boulders on her right, and could see the mysterious figure slightly clearer for the briefest of moments. At first she thought it was some kind of pony peeking up from behind the boulder. But she had never seen a pony like this creature before. First of all, it had a very different build to any pony she had seen, with a rather bulky body supported by unusually slender limbs, and a thinner head that tapered to a white muzzle, tipped with a small black nose, with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that stared back at her. It also had a rather strange fur pattern visible beneath the green and brown tunic it wore; it seemed to be mostly a deep chestnut brown mottled with white spots on the back and lighter brown fur on its underside. But most unusual were the horns, like two branches of varnished wood, which sprouted from its head. She silently stared at the creature, who simply stared back, smiling gently at Fluttershy. It then raised a cloven hoof to its mouth, as if hushing the pegasus. I’m leaving now. Once you and your friends reach the fort I will return with my friends and we’ll rescue you. Until then just do what these monsters say and keep your head down. And don’t forget Fluttershy, I’m your friend. And with that, the strange creature named Yarrow was gone. Not with some bright flash like a unicorn’s teleport spell, or even the familiar whoosh of a creature hurrying away. It was as if she blinked for the slightest nanosecond and Yarrow was gone. Her thoughts on this most peculiar creature were interrupted however, as there came a twinge of pain in her left forehoof as she stubbed it against a rock. Wobbling for a moment, the chain around her neck yanked her forwards and her legs gave way beneath, and she fell to the ground with a squeak. Behind her, she could hear several Blightlings trying their best to skid to a halt, before tripping over her splayed legs and collapsing in a heap ontop of her. Fluttershy gasped for breath as more and more soldiers piled up around and atop her. “Oof! Gettoff me!” “Hey, somebody’s got their claws up my nose!” “Somebody’s got their nose on my claws!” “What’d you have for dinner Shataz, bricks?! You weigh a tonne!” “Oh shuttup, yer no featherweight yourself!” “What’s going on back here?!!” Before a brawl could break out, however, Maugoth was on the scene, digging his way through the heap of Blightlings and shoving them aside. Finally, he hoisted the last soldier back on his hooves, leaving only Fluttershy, lying almost flattened on the ground. “You!” He crouched low until he was snout-to-snout with the poor pegasus, glaring into her eyes, black smoke billowing from his mouth into her face. “You’re the troublemaker?! I gotta say, that’s rather surprising. I’d expect this out of either one of your troublesome little friends, but they’re both behaving themselves up ahead of you. So what’s your problem then?” Fluttershy almost blurted out about the mysterious conversation she had just had in her head, with this mysterious Yarrow. But she checked herself, and swiftly came up with an excuse. “Um… Well, I was, er… I was looking up at the sky. I, uh…I thought I saw a bird or something flying above us. I… I g-guess I was distracted and I tripped and fell, a-and then… they all started falling over me…” Maugoth looked up at the empty cloudless sky above them, and snorted, “Hmph! Well there’s no birds up there now. If there were, I’d have sent one of my flyers up there to fetch us some dinner!” Laga came to join Maugoth, a thin, whippy branch held in his magical grip. “Normally, I’d have you whipped for interrupting the line and causing a ruckus like this… Consider yourself lucky that we’re on a tight schedule to get to Maudhul as fast as possible. Now get back in line and move it!” Fluttershy squeaked in fright as the Blightling captain raised his voice, and quickly got to her feet, trotting along as the column started moving off again. “Besides,” Maugoth muttered, his black smoke licking at her ear, “we’ll have plenty of time to tenderise you when we get to the fort.” He leered at her one more time before hurrying up to the front of the column. She watched him go with wide, fearful eyes, before turning her gaze back to the fort up ahead, and the massive forest that stood beside it. Pinkie Pie’s keen sense of smell and natural attraction to baked goods did not fail them. In a matter of minutes the four ponies were on the fourth level of Fjaereir, seated at a wooden table outside a small bakery, from inside of which wafted the scents of freshly-baked pastries, spices and all manner of other savoury and sweet delicacies. It was a simple establishment, a stone building with an open front, through which orders were made to the kitchen inside and passed out to waiters clad in white aprons, who served them to the small crowd of griffons outside. Most of the diners were seated at one of the four long trestle tables that stretched out in front of the bakery, though those who could not find room to sit simply stood at the sides, and some even perched along the walls or on the roof of the bakery itself, with the waiters flying up to them with their orders. It had a chaotic air about the place, but the staff maintained order among their patrons well enough, and an air of good cheer reigned over all. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Starswirl were seated at one of these long tables, squeezed inbetween other diners on either side. The four ponies shared a platter of savoury dumplings fresh from the boiling pot, as well as a basket of bread rolls. “Mmm… I must say,” Rarity said, “as heavily as these dumplings sit in ones stomach, I can’t deny that they taste amazing!” “I guess we’re just used to dumplings that are fried instead of boiled,” Twilight replied through a mouthful of dough. “They are good though. And these rolls aren’t bad either.” “Aren’t bad?! They’re the yummiest thing I’ve had in my tummy for a while! I gotta ask them about their recipe before we leave.” A griffon in a white apron stopped as he passed the four ponies, carrying a tray laden with glasses of fruit punch. “So, how are you four enjoying the food?” he asked as he handed a glass to each pony. Twilight took a sip from her drink. “It’s delicious, thanks. After the time we’ve had, a good meal like this is just what we need.” “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are four ponies doing this far out here? You four have the look of Equestria ponies, and we hardly ever get your type around here,” the griffon waiter asked. Twilight replied, “Well, we were out… umm… on a cross-country trip, with some other friends, and we lost them out there somewhere.” “We were hoping to make an appeal to the Royal Court here, for aid in finding our friends,” Starswirl continued. The griffon frowned. “Hmm. Well, I hope for you and your friends’ sakes that someone on the Council can help ya. You don’t wanna get lost out in these parts.” “Actually,” Twilight interrupted. “What exactly are ‘these parts’? We’re… well, kinda lost ourselves.” “Lost as well?” The griffon raised an eyebrow. “Well, in terms of your Equestria, we’re pretty far southwest of there. We’re just south of the San Palomino Desert, which is on Equestria’s border… I think. There’s a lot of empty land out there to get lost in, I’m afraid, and some pretty nasty creatures roaming around.” “Yeah, we know…” Twilight said, the thoughts of her missing friends weighing heavy on her mind and heart. The waiter noticed this sudden change in the unicorn’s expression, and swiftly changed the subject. “Er, listen, I gotta get back to work… But don’t worry. King Gideon’s got contacts all around these parts. If anybird can help you, it’s the Council.” “Thanks,” Twilight replied with an appreciative smile. The griffon nodded and returned to the shop front to pick up another order of food. Rarity swallowed anther mouthful of dumpling and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “Well, it’s at least comforting to know where exactly we are. Though I’ve never been this far from Equestria before!” “Indeed,” Starswirl replied. “I might keep an eye out for someplace in this town that sells maps. My dear Twilight, did not never think to pack a map on this journey?” Twilight nodded. “Sure, but it only covers Equestria and the surrounding lands. We’re way off the map.” “Intrepid explorers, lost in a faraway land!” Pinkie piped up, hoof waving dramatically in the air. “If Rainbow Dash was here, I bet she’d make some reference to Daring Do.” Twilight and Rarity chuckled. “Yeah, I bet she would…” Twilight trailed off. Pinkie reached across the table and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Aww, don’t worry Twilight. Rainbow Dash and Applejack are two of the toughest ponies I know, and I know a lot of tough ponies! I’m sure they’re doing fine.” “But what about Fluttershy? She’s hardly a hardened traveller or athlete like the others,” Rarity responded. “I dunno, she might not look it, but Fluttershy’s a lot tougher than she first appears. Just remember the whole incident with the dragon,” Twilight added. Rarity and Pinkie both nodded as they reminisced on that day. Starswirl watched the grins growing on their faces with some confusion before turning to Twilight. But before she could explain, there came the booming toll of a massive bell, echoing down through the town from a tall tower by the keep. “What’s that all about?” Pinkie asked a griffon who sat beside her. “That would be the signal for sunset,” he replied. “I couldn’t help but overhear that your four hrossa are makin’ an appeal at the Royal Court. You better hurry up to the keep then, it’ll be starting in about five minutes.” Twilight and her friends hastily left a small pile of coins on their empty platter, shouldered their saddlebags and hurried through the streets towards the keep. Just as they reached the top tier of the mountainside, Starswirl shouted out to the two guards who were just beginning to close the massive wooden doors, “Halt! Let us through, we have council with the Royal Court!” The armoured griffons looked up as they heard his voice, and quickly yanked on the doors to slow their closing. The four ponies reached the doors with barely a second to spare, nodding a quick thanks as they passed between the doors into the keep. “You’re just in time, pony visitors.” Before them stood none other than Galahad, the young griffon who had greeted them at the keep earlier today. He was still lad in the same velvet coat, but he had discarded the fur cloak, and now wore a simple bronze circlet around his brow. The young griffon smiled at them. “Come on through, the court is about to begin. You’re lucky, today we don’t have many appeals apart from yours.” The four ponies followed Galahad down a short corridor through the keep, until they came to another door before them, as the corridor branched off to the right. “I’m going this way to join the other members of the Council, but you ponies can go in and take a seat now with the others. See you in there!” With one last smile, he headed down the corridor and out of sight, leaving the four ponies standing before the door. Starswirl took an audible deep breath. “Well… I suppose this is it. Shall we?” The three mares nodded, and Starswirl pushed the door open. All four ponies gasped as the Royal Court was revealed to them. Greeting them was an enormous, tall room, packed to the rafters with griffons of all breeds, sizes and colours. It was less like a council room or a court, and more akin to an arena in design. On either side of the entrance there stood rows and rows of large, flat cushions arranged up a ramp, almost like the bleachers at a racetrack or a hoofball game. At the base of these seats, in front of the large space in the centre of the court, there was a red carpet that stretched across the courtroom, dotted with another row of cushions, upon which several griffons were already seated. And at the far end of the space, raised up on another platform, were five stone seats arrange in a row. The seats on either end were simply carved from black granite, and the three seats between them were more ornate, carved instead of white marble. But the middle throne was the most intricately detailed of them all, carved with patterns of swirls and strange runes. As the four ponies sat down on their cushions, Twilight muttered to the griffon beside them, “So, who exactly is on the council?” The griffon pointed to the thrones. “Well, King Gideon presides over the whole thing. Then on his left and right are his aides, Counsellor Galahad and Commander Gellert. Then there’s the notary, Glinda, over on Galahad’s left.” “What about the last seat? Who sits there?” Rarity asked. “I notice that there’s already a crown on that seat.” The four ponies followed her pointing hoof and saw that, indeed, the seat farthest on the King’s right had a small iron circlet resting on its cushion. But before the griffon could reply, there came an “All rise!” from one of the guards, who shouldered his musket and opened a door on the side, through which the council entered, as the four ponies hastily stood up with the rest of the griffons. First came an elderly female griffon, no doubt Glinda, dressed in a simple grey tunic with a silver trim, and an iron circlet around her brow. Then came Gellert, no longer clad in his dark armour but instead in a red and gold dress military dress jacket, not unlike the one Shining Armour wore during the royal wedding. Even without the bulky armour, Gellert was an imposing figure, towering over almost everyone present. Around his head he wore a bronze circlet. Lastly there came Galahad, still dressed in his velvet jacket, but now with a silver circlet around his brow. He gave a quick smile to the four ponies as he sat down on his white marble throne. “All bow for his majesty Gideon, lord and king of Fjaereir!” the griffon shouted, stooping low as a door on the left of the courtroom swung open. Suddenly every creature in the courtroom fell silent and every head was bowed. The ponies quickly followed suit, but not one of the four friends could resist raising their heads ever-so-slightly to get a look as King Gideon entered. The floor shaking with every footfall, in stepped the largest griffon any of the ponies had ever seen. He was several heads taller than any other griffon or pony present, almost as large as a manticore. His hindquarters were those of an enormous lion, the tuft on the end of his tail ragged and untidy, and beginning to grey, much like the rest of his fur. But beneath his greying fur could be seen the shapes of enormous, bulging muscles and sinews, all along his legs and his barrel-chest. His clawed forelimbs were just as enormous and muscular, terminating in hands that looked like they could crush whole skulls in their grip. In one hand he carried a strange sort of mace, terminating in a head that had only a single hooked spike on one side, looking almost like a simple imitation of a bird’s skull. His head was that of an enormous golden eagle, with a vicious hooked beak and yellow eyes. Around his heavy brow was a simple circlet of gold, with a ruby set into the centre. At one time, Gideon must have looked like the most powerful griffon in existence. But Twilight could not help but notice how he limped exhaustedly to his marble throne, how heavily he seated himself down, how vacant and bleary his yellow eyes seemed to be, how distant his stare. The red and golden jacket he wore, with a longer trim and more ornately decorated than Gellert’s, seemed faded and shabby. He seemed to lean heavily on his mace like a walking stick, resting his chin upon it as he sat forward on his throne. Even with his imposing build, Twilight could not help but think that he looked kind of pathetic. “This Royal Court is called to order, you may be seated,” boomed Gellert’s voice. The assembled griffons all sat down, and the ponies followed suit, and the council began. The other griffons presented their appeals and cases to the four griffons, who would then each give their opinion on the matter, except for Gideon who remained silent. The three griffons would then give a vote of ‘Jatit’ or ‘Neitit’ on the matter, and move onto the next. Most of the appeals were of a very simple nature; one griffon was asking for permission to build an extension on his house to house his growing family (A unanimous ‘Jatit’). The next was a land dispute between two small families, with the accuser claiming that the other family had extended his vegetable garden onto his property without asking permission (‘Jatit’ in favour of the accuser). The third appeal was for aid in searching for a pair of young griffons who had gotten lost in the mountains (Another unanimous ‘Jatit’, though Gellert took some convincing that he had enough troops to spare). “Well, this is promising,” Starswirl muttered to Twilight out the corner of his mouth. “They’ve said ‘aye’ to every appeal so far. That last appeal about the search party is especially encouraging.” “Yeah, I see what you mean. Here’s hoping, I guess,” Twilight replied. Galahad turned to face them, beckoning them forward. “The last petition of the evening. The Royal Court calls forward the four pony visitors from Equestria!” The mention of ponies sent a ripple of mutterings throughout the court, as all eyes turned to the four ponies. Twilight hesitated, but with a quick nudge, Starswirl stood up beside her. She smiled at him, and beckoned for Rarity and Pinkie to stand as well. Together, the three mares and one stallion took their place in the centre of the court, looking up to the four griffons seated before them. “Order please,” said Galahad, and the courtroom fell silent once more. “Ponies of Equestria, please state your names and the manner of your appeal, please.” Twilight nodded and nervously cleared her throat. “Ahem…Erm, my name is Twilight Sparkle, sirs. And these are my two friends, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. We are ponies from the town of Ponyville… though I was originally from Canterlot, that’s the capital of Equestria, but I moved to Ponyville…“ She trailed off under the unflinching glare of the four griffons. “Erm… anyway, and this is Starswirl the Bearded, who is…um…” Twilight trailed off again, glancing desperately at her friends. They had never come up with any sort of cover-story for Starswirl! What do I say, she thought to herself. What can I say? That he’s the greatest wizard in history, brought back from the dead?! “I am her tutor, sirs.” Starswirl interjected swiftly. “Since she moved out of Canterlot, I’ve been her magical tutor in Ponyville.” He gave a stealthy wink in Twilight’s direction, and the young unicorn nodded. “Anyway sirs, we have been travelling around Equestria, my friends and I. But we also had three others with us, our friends.” “And why were you travelling together?” Glinda asked. “I-it was purely academic,” Starswirl quickly replied. “Part of Twilight Sparkle’s magical training.” “Like a field trip!” Pinkie Pie added. Gellert glared at Pinkie. “Hmm… Well, I can understand why you three unicorns would be on this, ahem, ‘field trip’. But what about the others? Are they unicorns as well?” “No, sir,” Twilight replied nervously. “Pinkie Pie and one other, Applejack, are earth-ponies, and the other two, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are pegasi.” “Then why would they come as well?” Gellert asked, an eyebrow raised. Rarity responded, “Well, if you saw an excuse to go on a trip all around Equestria with a group of your friends, would you not take it?” There was a general murmur of agreement from the griffons in the stands, as well as from the council members. “That does sound nice, I can’t deny,” Galahad said. “Nice country up in Equestria, that’s true,” added Glinda. “Hold on!” Gellert stood up. “If you and your companions were travelling around Equestria, then how did you end up so far south of its borders?” Galahad stood as well. “Now hold on, everybird. How about we save these questions for after these ponies finish their account?” Gellert hesitated, but begrudgingly sat down. Galahad did the same. “Continue, please.” Twilight nodded. “Thank you. Anyway, the seven of us were travelling together, when we were… attacked by these creatures…” “What sort of creatures? Some sort of beast, or-“ “Gellert.” “Hmmph… Continue,” Gellert muttered. “These creatures, they were… well, they were like us, like ponies or griffons, but… different.” Twilight attempted to describe the Blightling creatures that had tormented them. There was another murmur throughout the courtroom, this time more nervous and uncertain. “So they looked like us… what else?” Galahad asked. Twilight gulped. “Well… they had faded fur, or feathers… and I think several had scales as well… and some of them wore tattered cloaks of some kind… and their eyes were completely black, except for their irises, which were-“ “Yellow?” Twilight was taken aback at Gellert’s interruption. “Y-yes, that’s exactly it. Apparently they call themselves the Blight, and they kidnapped three of my friends!” The murmurs in the courtroom swelled to a panicked chattering. At the mention of the Blight, a change seemed to come over King Gideon as well. He raised his heavy head and, or the first time, actually seemed to look at the ponies before him. Was it a trick of the light, or was that a tear in his eye? Twilight looked to her friends, worried that she may have said the wrong thing. “Order! We shall have order!” Gellert boomed, and the room slowly fell silent again. Galahad stood up. “We’ve had encounters with these monsters before. They appeared in our lands a couple of years ago. They roam unchallenged and are indiscriminate in whom they attack. We still don’t know their ultimate motives, but they seem to be determined to spread their plague to as many innocent creatures as they can.” “And they have our friends!” Pinkie cried. “We need your help to find them and get them back!” “As much as I would like to say yes, ponies, I am not sure we can…” Galahad replied. “But why not?” “Well, because… how can I put this delicately…” The young griffon scratched his chin as he searched for the right words. “Because if your friends have been taken by the Blight, they are probably either dead, or they are already one of them.” The four ponies’ eyes grew wide with shock, and the breath caught in their throats. Galahad threw a dirty look in Gellert’s direction. “Well…yes, I would have phrased a little less brutally, but that is the truth. We have heard no account of a griffon being captured by the Blight, who was not either killed on sight or turned into a Blightling themself.” “Can they do that? Turn you into… one of them?” Rarity asked, half not even wanting to hear the answer. Galahad nodded. “We have seen it happen to many of our own people. They strip their victim’s mind bare and empty, filling it instead with their evil plague. It poisons their mind and warps their body, until there is barely anything left of their previous selves. No memories, no allegiance to anything but the Blight, and no desires except to spread the Blight further.” Twilight felt the blood draining from her face as she heard more and more. So the Blight can convert their prisoners and make them into Blightlings as well? What's to say that they've not already done just that to Rainbow, Applejack and Fluttershy?! A tiny glint of light inside her saddlebag caught her attention. Rifling through the bag a bit, she found that the source was the clasp on a small lacquered box. The box that contained the Tears. The Tears, of course! Suddenly it hit her; if turning a creature to the Blight erases their mind and their memory, then it would erase any memory they had of why they were travelling at all. My friends would completely forget the Tears existed! “Sirs!” Twilight shouted over the hubbub that had broken out in the courtroom. “Please, listen!” “Order! Order, I say!” Gellert roared over the cacophony, to no avail. Finally, fed up, he puffed out his chest, opened his beak and let out a long, deafening screech. In an instant, the entire courtroom was silent again. Every griffon and pony was immediately cowed. “Phew… thank you, Gellert,” Galahad finally said. “Now, Twilight, do you have anything more to say before we put it to vote?” Twilight looked anxiously to the others, who all looked expectantly back. “If you have anything more to add, I suggest we do so. We need all the help we can get,” Starswirl muttered. Twilight nodded, and turned back to the council members. “Yes… yes, I do have something more to say. I know that my three friends have been kidnapped by the Blight. However, I have reason to believe that they are still fine, and have neither been killed or turned into Blight themselves.” “Oh?” Galahad’s eyes widened. “And what would this reason be?” Twilight gulped. No turning back now. “Because… because we have something with us. It’s something that the Blight want for themselves…” “And what would this be?” Gellert asked, his curiosity piqued. Twilight paused, just as she held the box in her magical grip. She found herself hesitant to reveal the Tears to these griffons. Just how much can we trust them? What would they think of something like the Tears? Would they want it for themselves? She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and looked up to see Starswirl, Pinkie and Rarity, all looking at her, with encouragement in their eyes. “I think it’s time we told them the truth,” Rarity said. Twilight smiled at them, and nodded. Horn aglow, she lifted the lacquered box out of her bag and sent it hovering towards the four griffons seated before her. Undoing the clasp, she pulled the lid back and revealed to them the tiny emerald within. “This is the Tears of Gaia. It contains the concentrated magic of six of the most powerful beings in existance. It is one of the most powerful magical reservoirs in all of Equestria and maybe even beyond Equestria. And the Blight want it for their own.”