//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Changeling II - War // by Yukito //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash was browsing the market square when the news reached her ears. News of a battle taking place between changelings and griffons over at Sweet Apple Acres. Like anypony else would be, Rainbow Dash was curious, but she was also worried about Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her worries were dispelled when somepony said that no ponies were hurt, but then shot back up again when she heard that the griffons involved in the battle were at the Golden Oaks Library. ‘Twilight’s got some pretty freaky magic skills, but griffons are tough creatures! I don’t know if she’d be able to take on a whole group of them!’ Rainbow Dash thought as she soared through the air, narrowing her eyes as the library came into view. Along with the group of griffons standing outside… One of the griffons, she recognised. “What?” Slowing down and descending to the ground, Rainbow Dash looked on in shock as she saw her old friend from Flight School standing outside the library. The griffon she had been friends with since early childhood. The griffon she had gotten into many scuffles with, and who she had cut many classes with so that they could hang out together. The griffon that she had studied with, played wingball with and more recently, had a huge fight with. “What d’ya mean you can’t track ‘em?! I recruited you guys ‘cause you’re supposed ta be the best!” The griffon she was yelling at shivered and saluted. “W-We’re sorry, Captain Gilda, sir, but they have covered their tracks far too well!” “Damnit!” Gilda held her claw over her face and remained silent for a few seconds. “I thought that Princess was underestimating me. But she’s smarter than she looks.” “Captain, what should our next move be? If we let that youngling get away-” “I know! I’m thinkin’!” Another moment of silence passed, and Gilda curled her claw into a fist and slammed it onto the ground beneath her. “You never were much of a thinker, were you?” Rainbow Dash asked as she approached her old friend, which only made the griffon even madder. “You stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you ponies!” “Nothin’ to do with us, huh? How about the fact that two ponies were just kidnapped by a bunch of changelings? One of which was a filly, to boot!” Gilda huffed. “As I’ve already explained to the Princess, that ‘filly’ was actually a changeling Princess in disguise.” Rainbow’s eyes widened at that, and Gilda continued. “She wasn’t kidnapped, and neither was the mare with her. They both went of their own accord. And now, we have to catch them before it’s too late!” “Captain!” Gilda turned around to face the griffon soldier soaring towards her. As the soldier landed, he saluted and began his report. “No sightings have been reported from nearby outposts.” “They must be going straight back to the Changeling Kingdom them,” Gilda concluded. “But with nothing to track ‘em with, it’ll be a pain to catch up to them! Not to mention they might already be there right now, with how fast changelings can be.” “Maybe not,” Rainbow Dash said as she approached Gilda. The griffon grit her teeth and shot the Pegasus a hard glare, but Rainbow continued nonetheless. “Don’t you remember what we learned in Flight School? ‘A flock is only as fast as its slowest flyer’. And believe me, Trixie is not what I’d call athletic.” Gilda’s rage died down a little bit and she put a claw to her chin. “Hey, you might have somethin’ there… That Unicorn can’t fly, so unless they’re willing to abandon her, there’re only so many paths they can take through the desert. If they’re gonna avoid our eyes along the way, then…” Gilda chuckled under her breath as she figured it out. “Alright. I know where they’ll be now. And furthermore, because we can fly, we can cut ‘em off if we go now.” “Shall I call back our troops, Captain?” one of the soldier’s asked, to which Gilda shook her head. “No time. The four of you should be enough, since all we need is the brat anyway.” “Hold it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, returning Gilda’s anger and making her growl. “You’re goin’ after those changelings, right?” “What of it?” Rainbow put a hoof on Gilda’s shoulder, which the griffon quickly shook off. “I don’t get what’s going on exactly, but there’s no way I’m lettin’ you go on your own! I’m gonna back you up!” Gilda’s rage only increased at Rainbow’s proposal. “And why the hay would I want somepony like you backin’ me up anyway?! You’d probably just change sides and help them get away, anyway!” Rainbow frowned at the accusation and returned the glare that Gilda was sending her way. “Hey, not cool, G! I don’t betray my friends!” “Really? Coulda fooled me, Rainbow Trash!” “What happened last time was just ‘cause you were acting like such a jerk! I wouldn’t break off our entire friendship over one lousy argument between the two of us!” Gilda seemed taken aback by that comment, and was about to question it, before she was interrupted by the soldier standing behind her. “Captain, we are ready to leave on your order!” Gilda gave Rainbow Dash one final, silent stare, before nodding and turning away. “Dash, this isn’t some schoolyard rumble. This is a real battle. So stay out of it, for your own good. ‘Kay?” Rainbow Dash watched as Gilda took off with the four soldiers following her. As she did, Twilight Sparkle stepped in from the sidelines and placed a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” she asked, concern showing on her face. “How can I be?” Rainbow responded bitterly. “My best friend since childhood thinks our last fight meant the end between us, and now she’s goin’ off and doing something dangerous, and telling me to stay out of it?” “I know it must be hard, Rainbow. It’s hard for me, too, knowing that Trixie and Aura are caught up in all of this. And I bet the Crusaders are worried, too. But we can’t do anything right now.” “… Says who?” Rainbow asked, her wings shooting out of her sides. “Hey, I’m fast enough to keep up with that birdbrain! I’m gonna go help her, whether she likes it or not!” “Rainbow, wait-” Before Twilight could finish, Rainbow Dash launched off of the ground and into the air, leaving a rainbow trail behind her as she travelled after the griffon soldiers. “RAINBOW! COME BACK!” “Have you caught your breath?” Elizabeth asked as she took the waterskin from Trixie’s hooves. Trixie nodded in response, though her breathing was still fairly heavy. “We’re almost there. It’s just a little farther now.” “If you hadn’t brought her along, we’d be there by now,” Shark said in a spiteful tone, earning a glare from the tired mare. “She has saved and protected Aura,” Elizabeth told him. “She has earned our thanks, and we are repaying that debt by now protecting her from the Griffon Empire.” “Why are they after Trixie anyway?” Trixie asked as she pushed herself to her hooves. “What could they possibly gain from that?” “Well, Aura’s co-operation, for one,” Elizabeth said. “But truthfully, they only targeted you after you attacked their Captain back then. If you hadn’t have done that, then they wouldn’t be able to touch you, due to your Equestrian citizenship. Now, though, they can legally apprehend you for attacking one of their soldiers, and Equestria, as an allied nation, is obligated to assist them with that.” Aura let out a whimper and looked down at the ground. “S-Sorry, Trixie… I didn’t mean to get you caught up in something so dangerous… again.” Trixie flinched as she saw the sad youngling pawing at the ground beneath her hooves, her head low and her lower lip quivering. ‘Darn it. That’s just not fair.’ With a huff, Trixie shook her head and approached the youngling. “What’s done is done,” she said, using a hoof to raise Aura’s head. “Besides, it’s not as if Trixie is unable to defend herself. Or have you forgotten how Great and Powerful Trixie is?” Aura smiled and nodded her head. “Of course. How could I ever forget?” she said with a giggle. “… But now you’ve got to come all the way to our kingdom.” Aura turned her attention to her older sister. “Is it even going to be safe for her?” “Not to worry!” Elizabeth answered before turning to Trixie. “The kingdom has been made aware of who you are, and what you have done for us. At the very least, those loyal to Princess Aura regard you with high status. And our mother has decreed that you shall undercome no harm during your stay.” “So are we gonna keep movin’ now or what?” Shark asked, starting to grow impatient. “Yes, I think that we should,” Elizabeth agreed. “Mystic’s party should have reached the kingdom by now, so they’re probably waiting for us to return.” “Are you okay, Trixie?” Aura asked as she gave the showmare a concerned look. “Yes. Trixie is well-rested now.” With that, the four of them began moving once more. “Trixie is curious, though. Why exactly did the Griffon Empire decide to declare war on your kind?” “Ah. It’s no big surprise, really,” Elizabeth said, her answer only making the mare even more curious. “The griffons have always resented us, ever since a particular event went down in history, long ago.” “And that event is what, exactly?” “Have you ever heard of a griffon named Augustus?” To that, Trixie shook her head. “He was the first Emperor of the Griffon Empire, and also the one who formed a peace treaty with Equestria. Before then, much like us changelings, griffons were perceived as vicious monsters that nopony could trust. He changed that, though. He united griffons from all over the globe, both strong and weak, and founded what later became known as the Griffon Empire. “The changelings already feared the Princesses of Equestria at that point, so they didn’t want yet another powerful threat to their existence such as Augustus. And so, they assassinated him.” “… Just like that?” Trixie asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Just like that,” Elizabeth confirmed. “It’s how things worked back then. And due to lack of evidence, the griffons were never able to prove that we were behind it. Though it was obvious to anyone with even half a brain. Even though they could never attack us, due to our being Equestrian citizens at that point in time, they made their hatred towards us very clear.” “Okay, that explains why they never attacked back then. But why not after? They had a thousand years to attack, but never did?” “Oh, they did alright. But the changelings are a tough and adaptable race.” Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and smiled at Trixie with a proud look on her face. “After staving off enough griffon attacks, they began to think twice before coming after us again. And up until now, we’ve been able to scare them away with our rapid growth and our cunning.” “So what changed?” Trixie asked. “What changed,” a voice began, one that belonged to none of the others, “Is that RE’s rebellion has given us a huge opening to take advantage of!” “In the sky!” Aura shouted, looking up into the air where a griffon soldier swooped down towards the group. The griffon extended her claws and rocketed towards shark. “Watch out!” “Now! Get her!” Gilda shouted as her claw collided with Shark’s metal one. Aura gasped and turned around quickly, seeing two griffon soldiers flying towards her with swords at the ready. Aura fired her magic at the two, but they swiftly moved out of the way to avoid being hit. A blur of purple appeared before the youngling, and the next thing she heard was the sound of two heavy things crashing onto the ground, followed by grunts and groans from what sounded like two male griffons. “Ganging up on one little child? How terribly brutish!” Trixie shouted as she glared at the two griffon soldiers now rising tow their feet. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will happily accept your challenge!” “Damn brat!” one of the soldier shouted as he charged forward, raising his sword up into the air. Trixie fired a blast of magic that was much faster than Aura’s, and was able to wind the griffon before he could even see it coming. As he fell back once more, Trixie used her magic to grab the sword that he had released. “Hand over the Princess!” the second soldier shouted, swooping in towards Trixie at a higher speed than his comrade. Trixie watched her opponent closely, and raised her sword at just the right time to parry his attack, and give herself an opening to counter. However, as she raised her sword into the air, she took note of the armour the griffon was wearing. ‘N-Not good! I can’t knock him out using the hilt like this! I could try to cut him, but… I’m not a swordspony. Can I hurt him without killing him? If I hold back a little bit… but what if that’s not enou-’ “What are you doing?!” Trixie snapped out of her thoughts and lowered her sword down. Unfortunately, her brief moment of hesitation was enough for the griffon soldier to regain his position and thrust his sword into Trixie’s shoulder, halting her attack mid-swing. “Move!” A blast of green magic forced the griffon to back away, and Elizabeth ran quickly to place herself in front of Trixie, her sword raised up high in her magical aura. “Trixie!” Aura cried as she ran to the showmare’s side. With the griffon’s sword removed from her shoulder, the open wound was bleeding at a fast rate. “Trixie, hang on! I’m going to heal you!” Elizabeth backed up closer towards her sister and the Unicorn mare behind her. “You idiot!” she shouted, though she didn’t take her eyes off of the four griffon soldiers advancing towards them. “What are you doing, hesitating like that?! If you’re don’t know how to use a sword, don’t pick on up in the first place!” Trixie, shaking like a leaf as she held a hoof over her wound, slowly looked up at the changeling standing before her. “B-But I-” “Just stay down and let Aura take care of that wound! I can handle these four on my own!” As Elizabeth charged forward into battle, Trixie’s head lowered until she was facing the ground. Her eyes narrowed, and her lower lip trembled as she tightened her hold over her wound. “Trixie just… wanted to protect Aura…” Aura’s magic enveloped Trixie’s wound, and the youngling used her hooves to move Trixie’s own hoof out of the way. “Trixie, please be still. I’m not an expert, but I should be able to close your wound up long enough to reach the Changeling Kingdom.” Trixie looked over at Aura, whose eyes were closed and whose brows were furrowed as her horn shone a very bright green colour. She was clearly focussing hard in order to treat Trixie’s wound, and was probably straining herself, too. Meanwhile, Trixie could also see that Elizabeth and Shark were themselves engaged in fierce battles against the griffon ambush squad. ‘How… How can I be so useless, in a situation like this? I just wanted to protect Aura. So why is it that the only thing I can do is sit around here and let the others protect me.’ Aura flinched as she felt something sharp mix in with her magic, and opened her eyes to see what it was. As she looked at Trixie’s wound closely, she could see faint strands of black and purple swimming around in her green magical aura. ‘Trixie? Is this… your magic?’ “Give it up!” Shark shouted as he delivered a kick to Gilda’s face, forcing her to take a long leap backwards to regain her composure. “You’re a Captain? What a joke! If this is all we have to worry about from you guys, this war’ll be a cinch!” “Shut up!” Gilda roared as she removed her claw from her face. ‘Damnit! Why the hell is this guy so strong?! I can’t lose Aura now. If I can grab her, I can end this war immediately!’ Gilda noticed the changeling soaring towards her through the air, and took a step back to form a defensive stance. ‘He’s so powerful! Will I make it?!’ “GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU CREEP!” Shark’s attack stopped, and both he and Gilda turned to look at the source the voice they had just heard. “You gotta be kidding!” Gilda shouted. “What’s she doing here?” Trixie asked as she watched a rainbow trail pass over above herself. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and focussed her attention on the changeling that was attacking her friend. “You lay one hoof on her and I’ll make you sorry you ever came here!” she shouted as she swooped down on the changeling, who quickly jumped back to avoid her attack. “The hell?” Shark asked as he watched the pony loop around and come back for a second attack. “DON’T!” Gilda shouted, but her warning fell on deaf ears. “What are you doing, flyin’ around and making so much noise?” Shark asked as he raised one of his clawed hooves. “Like a pesky little fly, just waiting to be swatted out of the sky!” As Rainbow Dash closed in on her target, Shark stepped aside swiftly and raised his claw, drawing it along the Pegasus’ side. Rainbow froze up as she felt the sharp blades cut into her skin, and her wings stopped flapping as she felt a sharp pain along her side. “DASH!” Gilda shouted as she watched the Pegasus fall and roll along the ground, landing on her back and panting heavily. “Hey!” Shark shouted as he faced the downed pony, an excited grin on his face. “Since she attacked first, I can kill her, right?” Elizabeth unleashed a shockwave of magic to knock her opponents back, and turned to face Shark. “… I guess, given the circumstances, that it would be acceptable now.” “Don’t you dare!” Trixie shouted, trying to move, but the pain in her shoulder being too much for her. “She’s already down, just leave her be!” ‘Even if she is annoying, and loud, and a no-good heckler, she doesn’t deserve to die!’ “Why should I?” Shark asked as he slowly approached the Pegasus. “I’ve been dyin’ ta kill somepony ever since I got assigned to that damn town. Now, I actually have a chance. No way am I passin’ that up.” Shark raised his clawed hoof into the air… “Ceasefire!” Shark stopped and turned to face Princess Aura, who was glaring back at him with a firm look on her face. “I, Princess Aura of the Changeling Kingdom, order you: you shall not bring any more harm to that pony!” Shark grit his teeth at the youngling giving him orders, and hesitated for a moment. “That’s too bad, Shark,” Elizabeth said. “If it’s an order from a Princess, then you have to obey… Unless you’d rather be detained and court-martialled upon our return to the Changeling Kingdom?” With an aggravated groan, Shark lowed his hoof back to the ground, bringing forth a sigh of relief and a smile from Aura. However, he instantaneously raised it again as she saw some movement in the corner of his eye. As he turned back to where the Pegasus lay, he saw Captain Gilda now standing in that spot, picking the pony up and placing her onto her back. “Everyone, we’re falling back!” she shouted to her soldiers, who gave her confused looks in response. “But Captain, if we don’t capture the Princess now-” “FORGET THE PRINCESS!” Gilda roared before looking over her shoulder and at the Pegasus on her back. “This takes priority! Retreat now, and that is an order!” The startled soldiers quickly regained themselves and saluted. After Gilda flew over them, the four soldiers took off and followed after her, leaving the three changelings and one pony behind. “We should go after them,” Shark said. “We kill a Captain now, and it’ll be easier for us in the long run.” “We shall press on,” Elizabeth said, earning a glare from Shark. “Our priority is bringing my sister Aura, and Miss Trixie Lulamoon to the Changeling Kingdom. Especially now that Trixie is injured.” Aura turned to her sister with a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry. I tried to patch up her wound, using a mix of pony and changeling magic, but I’m still not skilled enough in either field.” “A mix of magic?” Elizabeth asked, giving her sister a proud smile when she received a nod in response to the question. “Well well, you certainly are a Princess, that’s for sure.” Her smile faded as she looked over at Trixie. “Don’t worry, Aura. We’ll get her treated up by the finest doctor we have once we get home.” “Well, guess we’re not catching them now,” Shark grumbled underneath his breath. He then turned to Trixie and gave her a sharp glare. “And you, stupid pony, need to just stay out of way in any future battles we have. This is war, and if you aren’t ready to kill your enemy, then you’re just a burden.” Trixie opened her mouth to argue, but Shark had already turned away by that point. ‘… I just wanted to help without killing anyone. How could I have been so useless?’ “Here, I’ll carry you the rest of the way,” Elizabeth said as she grabbed Trixie’s foreleg, draping the mare’s good side over her shoulder. She received no words of protest, and the four swiftly resumed their journey through the desert. Aura would occasionally glance over at Trixie to make sure that she was okay. But each time she did, she noticed that the usually loud and boisterous showmare was being quiet, and seemed to simply be staring off into space with a sad look on her face. Aura tried to say something, but she couldn’t think of what to say in this situation. So she simply remained silent, moving over to nuzzle against Trixie’s legs as the four moved into the forest surrounding the Changeling Kingdom in complete silence.