Deep below the city of Cloudsdale, within the secret chamber of the Core Driver, Starburst stared down one of the four fearsome Wing Commanders of the Griffon Empire, Shadow Wing. Right off the bat this new enemy showed that he was different from his fellow commanders, at least different from Steel Wing. She stared down the dark griffon, watching, and making sure that Rainbow Dash and Spitfire didn’t get caught in their eventual fight.
“I must say, Fear Lantern, you are a dubious one. Such a frightening power, yet wielded in the name of…what, justice, peace perhaps?”
“Not like you know anything about that! After everything you and the others have done!” Star shot back.
Shadow Wing chuckled. His flared dark wings tucked themselves into a resting position at his sides. “Why, I haven’t done anything, yet. My Pretenders, they were supposed to bring this city to Griffonia, but instead, they were defeated by you. A shame, really, Lazarus and Lara were my best. Oh well, guess someone’s getting promoted.”
Starburst looked to the knocked out griffon duo, her mind flashing back to that day when Steel Wing cut down his own soldier. She quickly pointed her ring at the downed griffons and shot a twin beam at them. Their bodies were now sealed within construct capsules with chains, ready for transport.
“Rainbow Dash, Spitfire! Take these two to the Royal Guard, and inform them about what’s happening here!” The two mares looked to each other, unsure if it was wise to leave her to fight alone. “Go! I’ll cover you!”
Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire quickly flew to the capsules. Gingerly they touched the construct chains, making sure that they wouldn’t burn or explode when they made contact. Satisfied that the chains wouldn’t do anything, the two pegasus mares took them into their forelegs and hoisted them up, and flew towards the large hole in the side of the wall that Star made. The mare of fear kept her ring pointed right at Shadow Wing, making sure he didn’t try anything.
“That’s quite unnecessary. I have no need to kill them. I’m more interested in you, actually.”
“Me…? Dare I ask why?”
“Steel Wing told us of your little encounter with him, and I must say, it takes some doing to make a battle hardened warrior like him turn tail and run.”
Starburst smirked behind her faceplate. “That was then, and I’ve done some training since. Don’t expect my skills to be same as a few months ago!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it…”
The room became heavy with tension, both opponents stared each other down. The cold, blue eyes of Shadow Wing bore into the white slits of Starburst’s helmet. Suddenly, Shadow Wing flared his wings and took off into the air. Star followed in hot pursuit. Starburst created a claw construct, reaching out to grab hold of him.
Shadow Wing smirked. His right claw opened, and to it, a sphere of dark energy coalesced within it. He then pointed his claw towards the construct and fired the sphere! The ball of darkness sailed through the air and struck Star’s construct, shattering it like fragile glass.
Starburst stopped in midair, surprised by how the griffon’s attack destroyed her construct. “Ring, what’s going on!? Why did his attack destroy my construct!?”
[Attack was magic based. Constructs are vulnerable to few things, magic is one. However, if a bearer’s spirit is stronger, then constructs won’t shatter as easily.]
Filing that away under: “Things I Need to Watch Out For”.
With that knowledge in mind, Starburst resumed her attack. Her ring shined brightly as the pegasus mare created a myriad of light construct arrows. She then launched them at Shadow Wing, barraging him with a flood of arrows. Shadow Wing’s wings grew large and wrapped around him, creating a protective sphere of darkness that made the arrows bounce harmlessly off his barrier.
What the heck is he!?
Having had enough, Starburst opted for a direct attack. To her hooves, Star created two swords, both crescent scimitars. Her aura flared up, coating her in its protective light. Star then rushed towards the sphere of darkness and slashed with her right sword, pouring her unrelenting spirit into the attack. The blade grinded against the barrier, but, after a couple of seconds, the blade sliced through it. Star then brought the second blade in for a horizontal slash, cutting the orb open.
Shadow Wing’s barrier retracted and the griffon inside flew back, putting distance between them. Star wasn’t going let him get away, closing the gap with great speed. Shadow Wing called forth two more orbs of darkness, in both his claws. He then gripped the orbs hard, transforming them into two black swords.
Starburst swung her left sword, making Shadow Wing intercept with his right. The two avian warriors pushed against the other, sparks flying from the clashing of their weapons. They then broke their blade lock, and went into a flurry of slashes. Starburst slashed with both swords, but Shadow Wing flew up above her, dodging her attack. Shadow Wing then descended and brought down his left sword on the pegasus mare. Star quickly backed away, missing the attack by mere inches.
The sound of clashing blades rang within the chamber, with sparks of yellow light and black energy raining from each blow. Starburst went in for a thrust, but Shadow Wing parried the blow and struck back, thrusting his own blade towards her. Star moved to the left, his dark blade catching her shoulder pad, cutting through it and making her wince when it made contact with her flesh beneath the protective uniform.
She rolled away from the attack, but in that same motion, counterattacked. Spinning out and turning herself into a giant saw blade of death. Shadow Wing struck the yellow tornado, but each strike bounced off, her spins occurring too rapidly for him to catch an opening. Starburst then released a wave of yellow energy, pushing Shadow Wing back. The Fear Lantern ended her spin attack, stopping in place with the grace and skill of a dancer, bowing with her swords in hoof.
“Impressive, Fear Lantern, you’re not only powerful, but a capable warrior.”
“I’m more than that, but I’m not the one you should be concerned about,” she said.
Before he could fully comprehend what that meant, Shadow Wing sensed the presence of another. He twirled around and raised his two blades, just in time to catch the glowing, yellow scimitar of a second Starburst! Shadow Wing glanced over his shoulder and saw the original still floating in the same place. He then turned to this new one, which was made of yellow light like her swords.
“A copy illusion, I’m a fan of it myself, however –” Shadow Wing parried the attack and brought his left sword into a thrusting position and pushed forward, stabbing the Fear Lantern construct straight through its chest. “– they don’t last long once disrupted!”
“Maybe normal copies, but mine are special.”
Shadow Wing watched as the construct’s eyes glowed with yellow light, bringing up its swords while still impaled. In a panic, Shadow Wing disengaged with the construct, drawing his sword out just in time dodge a two bladed strike from the copy before it dispersed. When he turned to face the original Fear Lantern, Shadow Wing once again was assaulted by copies, this time two, blocking their attacks with his blades as they pushed him back from their dual impact. The copies quickly broke off their attack and zoomed away. Shadow Wing then watched as more copies were coming at him from nearly every direction.
Shadow Wing quickly wrapped himself in his dark barrier, as the Fear Lantern copies slashed at his shield, one right after the other. Each one did a pass by, slashing then flying away, fifty copies in all slashing, ducking away, and then slashing again. From a distance, it looked like Shadow Wing was being attacked by dozens of yellow shooting stars, attacking him like a swarm of angry hornets.
Starburst was ready to deliver the final blow. She ordered her copies to rally to her, each one entering a fighting stance with their dual blades. With a wave of her right sword, the copies zoomed straight for the barrier, each one glowing with greater intensity than before. The first copy slashed once, leaving a bright yellow gash in the barrier before disappearing, the second did the same, and then the third, fourth, sixth, twentieth, thirty-fifth, forty-second, and lastly the fiftieth! Star was last to strike, flying at top speed right at the barrier. She then brought both blades over her head, combining them into one long and large claymore sword, burning with the yellow light of Fear.
Starburst then let out a loud battle cry as she slashed straight through the barrier, appearing a few feet behind Shadow Wing. The barrier shattered apart and revealed the black griffon, with fifty-one glowing gashes all over his body. Star smirked, a bit of pride swelling within her knowing she had felled one of the four Wing Commanders, and evening the odds for Equestria. That was, until, Star got blasted with a beam dark magic from her right, sending her crash landing into the catwalk. Star groaned in pain, thankful that her protective aura at least dulled the blast, but only by a slight amount. She quickly turned her eyes back to Shadow Wing, his body then turned into wisps of black smoke.
“A copy!?”
“Whew, now that was a close one.” Starburst looked in the direction of the voice and scowled when she saw that Shadow Wing was very much alive. “If I hadn’t created that copy at the last minute, you would’ve ended me.”
“Who says I still can’t,” said Starburst tauntingly.
“Oh, I underestimated you, and I’ll plead guilty to that. But rest assured it will not happen again. Steel Wing didn’t describe just how versatile your power is.” Shadow Wing flew down to the catwalk and landed a few feet away from where Star impacted. “It can create a protective layer of energy, summon weapons made of hardened light energy, and even make full bodied creatures that follow your unsaid commands. And you’ve seemed to have mastered it quite well.”
“I’d say thanks, but I won’t. It’s time to end this!” Starburst raised her right hoof into the air as the yellow ring shined bright. “Fear Shine!”
The power ring released an intense glow of yellow fear energy, bathing the whole area in its power. Shadow Wing stood calmly before the power of the yellow light, gazing upon it quizzically as he waited for Star to do something. After about a minute, the Fear Shine cancelled out.
“What…What’s going on? Ring, why didn’t the Fear Shine show him his worst fear!?”
[Error, subject has no fear, Fear Shine ineffective.]
That’s impossible! Everybody’s afraid of something! Even Steel Wing was afraid of something when he looked into the Fear Shine! What makes him so different?!
Shadow Wing smirked, “What’s wrong Fear Lantern, your weapon not working right?”
Starburst snorted indignation, “Fine, if he has no fear, then I’ll put the fear of Faust in him!”
“Oh, please do.”
Both Shadow Wing and Starburst readied themselves for second round, but before they could get underway, Star’s ring blinked off and on.
[Alert: Incoming friendly forces.]
Shadow Wing’s smirked turned to a frown, were as the reverse happened with Starburst.
“Looks like it’s over Shadow Wing, the Royal Guard is coming, and there’s nothing you can do to escape. I doubt even you can stand up to them and me.”
“You are right; my chances against you are…fifty-fifty, at best. But with them, my chances of victory teeter towards defeat.”
“So, you give up.”
“No, but I will leave you with a parting gift.”
Shadow Wing jumped into the air, he then brought both his claws together, amassing dark energy. The black griffon then fired a ball of darkness right in Starburst’s direction. Star easily dodged the attack.
“You missed.”
“Wasn’t aiming for you.”
Starburst quickly turned around just in time to watch Shadow Wings attack strike the sapphire crystal, shattering it to pieces. The white slits of Star’s helmet widened in shock.
“ARE YOU INSANE!!?”
“Jury’s out.” Shadow Wing ducked towards the main entrance and melded into the dark corridor. “Goodbye Fear Lantern, I hope to confront you again.”
Starburst growled in anger, but there was no time for that. Up above the lightning from the pillar stopped completely. There was also a sudden shift in gravity, the platform getting further away from her hooves. It was then that Star felt a giant rumble resonate everywhere. Shadow Wing had done the unthinkable, he had destroyed the Core Driver’s center, and without the crystal to covert the spectra into usable energy, the entire city of Cloudsdale was now in freefall.
Star quickly used her ring to levitate and keep herself even. She quickly rushed to the shattered pieces of the sapphire, which were now floating in the air thanks to the sudden descent of the city. She then created a sphere of light to keep all the shattered pieces together.
[Alert: Altitude decreasing rapidly. Recommend immediate evacuation.]
“I’m not abandoning every pegasus in Cloudsdale!” Star then looked to the empty space and then to her ring. “I got it!”
Starburst pointed her ring at the empty space. Concentrating, she then fired a beam of yellow light right into it. The beam then took the form of the sapphire crystal, the same dimensions and density as the original. Starburst then shot out multiple tendrils of yellow light, each one pressing a sequence of buttons to reactivate the Core Driver. At last, the familiar humming started to sound once again, and soon the powerful, giant magic-technological engine roared to life once again. Star recalled the tendrils and focused solely on the crystal construct.
[Altitude decreasing rapidly. 30,000 feet, 25,000 feet, 14,000 feet, 9,500 feet…]
The power of the Core Driver immediately flooded into the construct, hitting Starburst’s mind like a runaway train. The power of the Core Driver was much, much more intense than she was planning, and it threatened to shatter her fake crystal. But Star held strong, this needed to work. The fake crystal then shot up a beam of yellow energy right up the second metal pillar, where it was transformed into golden lighting at the very top. There was sudden and powerful rumble that echoed throughout the chamber and further into the floating city. Objects that weren’t bolted down suddenly shot up and just as quickly slammed back down.
[Altitude stabilizing and holding at 5,000 feet.]
“Good…now, what the buck is step two!”
[Insufficient data.]
“That was a rhetorical question!”
[Acknowledged.]
“UGH!”
Starburst was in a tight spot now, she couldn’t move or the entire city would drop straight down to the ground. If anything this would buy the pegasi time to abandon the city and fly to safety, but she wasn’t about to give up and let the city of the pegasus tribe come crashing down on to the ground. But with the toll this was taking on Starburst’s mind and body, letting the city drop might be a last resort.
“Ring, what’s our current location!?”
[Scans show that “Cloudsdale” is situated directly over a large metropolis. Searching database for matches………Match found: “Manehattan”.]
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?”
[Negative. Was that a rhetorical question?]
“YES!”
[Apologies.]
Now Starburst was really between a rock and a hard place, if her construct shattered, the city would fall right on top of Manehattan and cause irreparable damage to the city along with killing billions of innocent ponies below. Option two: She continues to hold the construct and continues to hold it until her body tears itself apart.
[ Power levels at 50%.]
Or until her ring ran out of power, either way, this was a bad situation.
[Alert: Two incoming. Scans read as friendlies. Designations: “Valiant Heart” and “Rainbow Dash”.]
Starburst didn’t really have time to check, she needed to concentrate on the task at hand.
Meanwhile, as the power ring stated, Rainbow Dash and Valiant Heart entered the Core Driver chamber. The alicorn Prince and former Wonderbolt both watched in amazement as the Fear Lantern used her power to keep the city afloat. The two of them quickly flew towards her and landed on the platform right next to her.
“Oh crap, I was right! The crystal’s was destroyed!” Rainbow shouted.
“Yeah…trying to keep the city…from destroying another city!”
“How long can you hold it for, maybe we can move the city if we get every pegasus pony in Manehattan and Cloudsdale!?” asked Valiant Heart.
[Factoring in top speed of the average pegasus equine, and relative size of the city. Time required to move “Cloudsdale” to a minimum safe distance is 45 minutes, and 28 seconds.]
Rainbow Dash and Valiant Heart looked hopeful at that bit of news from the strange ring.
“We could do it! It’s possible, just hang on Fear Lantern, we’ll move the city, no problem!” Rainbow declared.
[However, power levels are at 40%. Estimated time before energy drops to zero, 20 minutes.]
The cyan pegasus face hoofed herself, “You could’ve said that sooner!”
“There’s not enough time to evacuate Manehattan, we can save the pegasi from Cloudsdale, but…Dammit! We can’t just not do anything!” Valiant shouted in frustration.
“Shards…! I saved the shards of the sapphire…! Captain, use your magic to fix them!” Star ordered.
Valiant Heart watched as the sphere containing the shards floated before him. She then quickly released it and let Valiant take the shards into his telekinetic grasp. He quickly looked over the shards of the sapphire, noting the damage and pieces. From what he could make out, there might be enough to recreate the sapphire.
“But…I’m not sure I can! My magic’s not really suited for that kind of thing!”
“Captain Valiant Heart!” Starburst shouted. “I trust you! I know you can do it!”
Valiant Heart glanced at the Fear Lantern, and then to Rainbow Dash. He didn’t want to give up on the city, not when there might be a chance to save it. With a stern gaze, Valiant concentrated his magic and the numerous shards of the sapphire started to energize. Soon they floated about, each ranging in size and shape.
“I can help,” said Rainbow. “My Dad told me about the sapphire, I know what it’s supposed to look like. I can guide you through it.”
[Power levels at 39%.]
“You two may want to get a move on with that!”
With Rainbow Dash’s guidance, Valiant Heart went to work piecing the sapphire back together. Time seemed move at a painstakingly slow pace, with each shard that Valiant melded back into place, it felt like five minutes passed by, wasting precious time. Thankfully, the Fear Lantern’s ring kept calling out how low its power was getting, which helped to keep his focus. Every so often, Rainbow Dash would stop Valiant, checking the dimensions and angles of the sapphire, making sure it was being reconstructed back its original form.
The sapphire was almost complete. The delicacy of the operation was taking a toll on Valiant Heart, he often used his magic for precise fighting and other such spells, but this was an entirely different kind of monster. Rainbow Dash wasn’t in any better shape, with every inspection and halting of the reconstruction, she felt as if she was costing them precious seconds that they didn’t have. But she knew this had to be done, if the sapphire wasn’t fixed just right, then it could throw off the entire Core Driver.
[ Power levels at 19%.]
“How’s it coming,” asked Star.
“Almost there, just one more piece!” Rainbow shouted.
Valiant carefully maneuvered the final piece of the sapphire into the empty space of the crystal. The alicorn Prince the used his magic to fuse all the pieces together, the cracks and fissures started disappear as the crystal started to regain its original flawlessness. With one final flash of his light-blue magic, the sapphire was once again whole. Valiant Heart let out a long sigh, feeling a great weight lifted from his mind, literally. Rainbow Dash inspected the finished product, looking at it from every possible angle.
“What do you think is it the same?” asked Valiant.
“It looks alright, but…we won’t know for sure until set it in,” said Rainbow Dash with trepidation.
“So, we only get one shot…”
“All we need is one shot, it’s now or never!” Starburst shouted.
With nod from Rainbow, Valiant levitated the crystal towards the open space of the Core Driver center.
“We need to switch them out quickly and seamlessly, or the Core Driver could…well…let’s just say that there might not be a Cloudsdale or Manehattan if we mess this up. No pressure though!”
Yeah right no pressure, thought Star and Valiant.
Valiant kept the real sapphire close to the construct. Both he and Star glanced to each other, their eyes locking for a second as if conveying some unspoken plan. They then looked directly at their objective; the air was filled with tension, the fate of billions resting on the hooves of the Royal Guard Captain and the Fear Lantern.
[ Power levels at 15%.]
“NOW!!!”
Starburst released the construct, at the same time, Valiant Heart thrust the sapphire into the empty slot just as the construct vanished. The energy from the Core Driver flowed through the sapphire and shot up into the upper pillar. The golden lightning of from Star’s crystal construct transitioned to a pristine blue. All three pegasi held their breath, fearing that any sudden movement or stray breath would somehow set off a chain reaction that would make all their efforts for not.
“Ring,” Star whispered, “status report on the Core Driver.”
Star pointed her ring towards the machinery, letting it fire a thin beam up and down the console and center power source.
[Readings show no abnormalities in “Core Driver”. Systems are fully functional.]
Rainbow Dash, Valiant Heart, and Starburst let out a long held sigh, relief flooding them after having averted a deadly crisis. Rainbow fell on her back, exhausted after almost losing her home and life. Valiant chuckled a little, happy to see that this whole situation was brought to an end and that Cloudsdale would forever remain in the skies. Starburst, well, she was happy, but she still felt edgy. Shadow Wing had gotten away, and what’s worse, his mysterious powers kept him from being detected by her ring.
Shadow Wing…This isn’t over.
“Hey, thanks.” Star turned to her left and saw Valiant smiling at her. “You saved Cloudsdale and Manehattan, and every pony in both cities.”
Star shook her head, “No, it wasn’t just me. You and Rainbow Dash remade the sapphire…I just…I was just buying time.”
Valiant Heart walked closer to her, “Alright, but taking out the griffons, saving all those hostages, that was all you. So, again, thanks.”
Starburst was very glad that she was wearing her helmet right now, her faceplate helped to keep her blush hidden from the praise her cousin was unknowingly giving his own family member.
[Power levels at 12%.]
Oh crap, if I run out of power here then –!
“Well, um, I think you guys can take care of the rest.”
“Wait, you’re leaving!?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, gotta go, bye!”
Starburst then phased through the floor and disappeared from sight, leaving Rainbow Dash and Valiant Heart behind to wonder who the
Fear Lantern was.
Thirty Minutes Later…
“Burn like my power – Fear Lantern’s light.”
[Power levels at 100%.]
Starburst had flown a good distance just using her wings, trying to conserve as much energy as possible. She stopped by some remote area and summoned her power battery for a quick recharge. Once that was done, Star re-donned her Fear Lantern uniform and flew back to Ponyville in secret.
Now under the speed of the ring’s power, Star was able to fly much quicker back to her home away from home. She scanned the town to see if there was anything she might need to do before reassuming her identity as Starburst. Satisfied that all was quiet, Star made her way to Golden Oaks Library and phased through the roof and landed right on her bed. The Fear Lantern uniform quickly dispersed, and the ring concentrated its EM Distortion around itself, hiding it from sight as per Star’s orders.
Star groaned in exhaustion as she allowed herself to sink into the soft, comfortable bed. It may’ve been the middle of the afternoon, but right now she didn’t care, she was tired and sleepy after everything she did. Star then rolled over to her right side and snuggled into the pillow. There was something…off about her bed. It wasn’t that it wasn’t comfy – Faust no it wasn’t that – it just felt like there was something that was preventing her from fully enjoying her well-deserved relaxation. Star lazily opened her eyes to see what might be causing this feeling; she then blanched at what she saw. Resting right beside her, and giving the teenage mare an impish grin, was Sunny Skies.
“Hey honey, you just get back from work?”
“WAH HA AH!!!”
Starburst quickly jumped out of the bed and perched at the top of a nearby bookshelf with her wings flared and face blushing red. She then pointed an accusatory hoof at the mare, her ring hoof to be exact.
“SUNNY!?”
The golden yellow pegasus raised her right hoof to her forehead. “Who else did you think would be waiting up for you, night after night, day after –!”
“SUNNY I WILL SERIOULSY VAPORIZE YOU RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON’T TELL ME WHAT YOU’RE DOING IN MY BED!!!”
Sunny released a dejected sigh, “Star, you really need to learn how to lighten up.” The golden-yellow mare maneuvered herself so that she was sitting at the edge of the bed. “I’ve been living in here since last night, making sure that nopony came around, needed to give the place that ‘lived in’ feeling.”
Starburst flew off the bookshelf and settled back onto the floor. “So you’ve been keeping my friends from coming inside to check on me? How exactly have you been doing that?”
Sunny cleared her throat a bit and smiled mischievously at her charge, “\~~~/Well, they’re not going to come in if I ask them not to\~~~/,” Sunny spoke in Starburst’s voice.
The orange pegasus’ jaw slacked at what she heard. “You…You can mimic my voice!?”
“\~~~/It’s a skill I like to keep to myself,” she continued in Star’s voice, “I don’t like to advertise it. A mare’s gotta have few tricks in saddle bags, am I right?\~~~/” Sunny then cleared her throat again as her expression became serious. “So, what happened, what’s the situation on Cloudsdale, the radio news station hasn’t given an update yet.”
Starburst sat on her haunches and smiled happily. “I’m sure you’ll be briefed on it, and I know for a fact the news is going to be reporting all about this. But long story short, Cloudsdale is alright, and the city is free from griffon control.”
A look of relief was plain on Sunny’s face, but then it became somewhat somber as she asked her next question. “And my Mom is she…alright?”
Star nodded, “Your mom and Rainbow Dash are alive, a little banged up from fighting some griffons, but nothing bad.”
Sunny flopped back first onto the bed, feeling even more relieved by the news of her mother being alive. She must’ve been worried just as much as Prism about what happened to them. Glad I could save them.
“Now…” Sunny’s head popped up. Star then disabled the cloaking field around the ring and shot a beam of yellow light that wrapped around Sunny’s barrel and plopped her on her haunches onto the floor. “If you don’t mind, last night, this morning, and this afternoon have been hectic, and I need to sleep.”
The pegasus mare happily rose to her hooves and nodded in understanding to Starburst. “Sleep well, Star.” Sunny made her way to the stairs, but stopped for a moment to glance over her shoulder. “And thank you.”
Now that that had been settled, Starburst slipped under the blankets of her bed and completely passed out from exhaustion. Cloudsdale was safe, the griffon threat was thwarted, for now, and Prism and Sunny’s moms were alive and coming home to them. Despite the fact that Shadow Wing got away, it was mission accomplished, and time for a good long rest.
That is, she would have, if the front door to the library hadn’t suddenly burst open and Star’s ears weren’t assaulted by the voice of one of her more hyperactive friends.
“STAR, THE RADIO JUST GOT A REPORT! CLOUDSDALE IS SAFE! WE’RE HAVING A ‘YAY CLOUDSDALE IS SAVED PARTY’ AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER!” Candy announced.
Starburst opened her now bloodshot eyes and glared in the general direction of the downstairs front door. Candy, I love you, but I’m seriously considering showing you a certain comic from that store after this!
Griffon Empire Capital: Griffonia, 5 Hours Later…
“What a blunder!” Carmen announced.
Three of the four Wing Commanders were standing in the hallway that led directly to the Emperor’s thrown room. All of them had just gotten the report of Cloudsdale’s liberation and the failure of Nox’s plan.
“He has no excuse! My siege of Stalliongrad may’ve been our initial attack, but his operation has been planned out for three years!” Chalyvas growled.
Beast Wing was pacing back and forth, also looking as miffed as Chalyvas. “I’m starting to wonder if it was a good idea to bring him into our ranks! Too damn young to be the head of our Pretenders Division, and one of us!”
“Now, now, Silva…” All three Wing Commanders turned in the direction of the voice. A sphere of darkness appeared in the middle of the hallway, and from it emerged Shadow Wing. “Are you insinuating that Carmen is not young? I don’t think you want to open that can of worms.”
Beast Wing, Silva, glanced in Carmen’s direction, her brow raised in a curious fashion. “Ahem, that’s not the point!”
“Although it may become a point later on,” Carmen warned, “But from what we here, the ‘Golden Star’ made another appearance.”
“Yes, she did,” Nox then looked directly at Chalyvas as he smirked, “and she’s gotten a lot stronger since you last battled her.”
Chalyvas flared his metallic wings in indignation, “I won’t go easy on the ‘Golden Star’ the next time we meet on the battlefield!”
“That’s if you survive another round, and then I will get my shot.”
Chalyvas rushed towards Nox and stared him directly in the eye. Nox didn’t even flinch under the veteran soldier’s withering gaze. Both griffons held their ground, the air growing heavy and electrified by their overwhelming strength and power.
“Alright you two, this isn’t a measuring contest. The Emperor wants to see us.”
Chalyvas and Nox broke their eye contact and walked towards the throne room along with Silva and Carmen. The four Wing Commanders stopped at the large double doors and allowed the guards to open the intimidating sets of doors for them. Inside, the throne room was vast, easily twice the size of Canterlot Castle’s, even after its renovation to seat the six rulers. Along the way, tapestries were hung along the walls, each one depicting a different Emperor from Griffonia’s history, with scenes from their finest moments surrounding them.
At the end of the room sat their ruler, Emperor Stratus. Behind him was a giant stained glass window, with the sun’s rays shining through it, creating an almost celestial ambiance to his presence, and emphasizing his importance to the Griffon Empire. The four Wing Commanders stopped ten feet from the steps that led up to the throne and bowed before Stratus.
“Hail, lord and master, Emperor Stratus,” spoke the Wing Commanders.
The regal griffon looked upon his Wing Commanders, his gaze steely and even as he locked onto Nox. “I heard of the recent failed acquisition of the pegasus city. An operation that, as I understand it, has been planned out for three years now…” Stratus rose from his throne and walked down the steps towards the group of four. He then stopped directly in front of Nox. “Rise, Nox.”
The black griffon did as commanded and faced the Emperor. “Sir.”
“You do know how important it is that we conquer the Equestrians, don’t you?”
“Yes sir,” answered Nox.
“Do all of you!?”
“YES SIR!” The others shouted.
“Now they know of the extent to which we have prepared, and they will be more cautious. However, the appearance of this ‘Golden Star’ is becoming a nuisance. A thorn in my paw that I want removed. Can any of you do this for me?!” Stratus roared.
Out of the four, only one rose to meet the challenge, either out of pride or sheer stupidity was up for debate. “Sir, I, Chalyvas the Steel Wing, will answer your call. I will end the life of the Golden Star, and bring you the head of this pony, along with whatever power or weapon they possess!”
Stratus turned to Chalyvas and nodded approvingly, “Very well, I shall reserve a special mantle for just that. Now rise, all of you.” Carmen and Silva did as commanded and stood at attention as Nox and Chalyvas did. “After this, we can no doubt assume that the Equestrian High rulers might enter the battle, unlikely, but very possible. Therefore, I believe it is time we brought in our…‘assets’ into the fray. Chalyvas, I will leave this matter to you. We stand on the precipice of greatness, to do that which no nation or creature has done for many millennia, the Empire will crush the Equestrians, and a new age shall dawn, the Age of the Griffon!”
The four Wing Commanders struck their chests with their fists twice and uttered, “For the glory and the honor, to the end of and back, we shall reign supreme! Hail the Griffon Empire! Hail Griffonia!”