Griffon the Heave-ho

by CrowMagnon

Part 2 - Twilight's Morning

For Lt. Sparkle, the day started wonderfully. Though it was late morning, the grass and flowers outside were still glistening with Spring dew. The town was peaceful and quiet with half of the working population out working in the fields, while the other half were getting their shops or market stalls ready for the mid-day rush. And for Twilight, herself? She had elected to step out of the Ranger's station and spend some time at the Bean There Done That while taking care of the best part of her job.

"I've never seen a pony grinning so widely over paperwork," Pinkamena mused as she set a mug of thick black coffee and an egg-and-spinach muffin down beside the stacks of parchment spread out in front of the unicorn.

Without a trace of sarcasm, Twilight earnestly replied, "What's not to love? The forms tell you exactly what you need to fill them out properly. I know precisely what's expected, so I can just take my time to get it done right." She picked up the muffin in her magic and devoured half of it in a single bite. "I even get to spend time having good snacks with one of my best friends while I double-check my work. And if I have time... triple-check!"

Twilight let out a happy squeak as she looked to Pinkamena with a blissful smile on her face. Pinkamena nodded and replied, "Well, I imagine it's nice to not have to make any stressful life-or-death decisions for a while."

Right on cue, a trio of terrified screams pierced the morning calm. Both Pinkamena and Twilight immediately turned to look out the large bay window in the front of the shop to see Rose, Lily and Daisy fleeing and wailing at the top of their lungs.

Without moving from their spots, Pinkamena and Twilight slowly looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, saying that," Pinkamena apologized.

"It's probably nothing serious," Twilight replied hopefully. "I mean... those three wanted the Rangers to deal with a ladybug infestation the other day. As long as nopony else is panicking..."

As she trailed off on that line of thought, the front door of the coffee house suddenly flew open. In the entryway, Caramel--one of her subordinates--struggled to catch his breath as he looked around, his eyes panning the interior of the building until he locked onto Twilight. "Lieutenant! Market square! Griffon! Sunburn! Fighting!"

Twilight stared back at him for about two seconds before she picked up her coffee and took a quick, deep swig of it as she stood up. Putting the mug back down on the table, she told Pinkamena, "Put it on my tab," and vanished in a flash of teleportation.

After a few minutes and a quick side-trip to the Ranger's station, a fully-armored Lt. Sparkle materialized near Ponyville's outdoor market. Most of the ponies had either already fled the area, or were hiding behind their stalls while looking up toward the sky. Twilight herself heard a furious roar and looked up to see Sunburn, a burnt-orange, blond-maned pegasus under her command, attempting to buck an armored griffon as the two of them repeatedly flew at one another.

At the first mention of griffons, Twilight's mind had gone to Gertrude and her followers, who had taken up temporary residence in a refugee camp at the base of Mt. Canterhorn. A single glance was all that Twilight needed to deduce that this one was not among their number. The majority of Snowheart griffons were civilians, not soldiers. The few who were wore armor of enchanted ice, crafted around themselves by their own magic.

Instead of the pale, icy white of the Snowheart clan's warriors, the griffon that was currently trading blows with Sunburn wore metal armor of a deep grey, which sparked at the pegasus every time Sunburn landed a blow against it. It was thundersteel, an alloy which hadn't been invented until centuries after the Snowheart clan's self-imposed hibernation.

That, as well as the Imperial crest emblazoned on the chestpiece, told Twilight that it wasn't one of the refugees.

"Corporal! Stand down! That's an order," she shouted up to the sky. Unfortunately, either she wasn't heard over the noise of both of them screaming battle cries at each other, or Sunburn was ignoring her. In order to get the attention of the two aerial combatants, Twilight focused her magic and waited for them to break apart and wheel around to come at each other again before shooting her flare spell between the two.

As the searingly bright, but otherwise harmless flash of magic went off between them, both Sunburn and the griffon veered away and started rubbing their eyes. Twilight took advantage of the momentary end to the fight to call out again, "I am Lt. Twilight Sparkle! By the authority invested in me by the charter between Luna's Rangers and the town of Ponyville, I'm ordering both of you to stand down!"

The griffon growled as she opened her eyes, blinking them until the spots faded from them enough for her to glare down at the armored unicorn. "What are you, the cops? This lame-o started it! I was just asking for directions!"

Sunburn ground her teeth together as she pointed a hoof at the griffon. "Don't believe her, boss! She was terrorizing everypony in the square! I was just doing my job!"

"If one of those weak-kneed ponies had just grown enough of a spine to answer a simple question, I wouldn't have had to get in their faces," the griffon retorted as the two of them slowly lowered themselves back to the ground.

"I'll show you who's got weak knees," Sunburn snapped, angrily digging at the ground with her foreleg. She looked ready to lunge at the griffon again until a purple barrier of magic materialized between them.

"That's enough, Corporal," Twilight told her. "I've got this. Go home and cool off," she ordered, pointing Sunburn toward the Best Pony Boutique.

Sunburn looked like she was going to argue the point, but the look in Twilight's eye made her think twice about it. "Yes ma'am," she replied through clenched teeth before flapping her way toward the balcony window of the apartment she shared with the BPB's proprietress..

Once she made sure that Sunburn went inside, Twilight turned her full attention to the armored griffon. "Alright... now I'd just like to know your name, and what business you have in Ponyville."

The griffon sat back on her haunches and crossed her forelegs across her chest. "Tough. I don't have to answer jack to you. I know my rights! I didn't lay a talon on any of you namby-pamby ponies until that dweeb started shoving me around. After that, it was self-defense!"

Twilight let out a sigh, seeing the griffon metaphorically dig in her heels. "Look, if you tell me your name and what you're doing here, maybe I can help you get it over with so you can be on your way. I know things run a little differently here than in the Empire, but in Equestria--"

"Pfft. Spare me. I know all about how things work here," the griffon interrupted, rolling her head back as she let out a weary groan. "Just tell me where to find this pony I've got unfinished business with, and I'll get out of your stupid faces! Her name's--"

"Gilda?"

"No, that's my name! I'm looking for..." The griffon trailed off and lowered her head again to see a light blue mare with an unmistakable mane approaching. "Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash grinned wistfully as she waved her good wing. "Hey, Gilda. I figured it had to be you who was kicking up a storm. But I didn't expect to see you in a uniform."

Twilight glanced between her friend and the griffon, Gilda, who seemed dumbstruck as she stared at the pegasus. "Rainbow, you know each other?"

Rainbow Dash nodded as she walked up to Twilight. "Twi, this is Gilda. Back in flight camp, she was my best buddy. Y'know, before everything went cruddy."

Gilda dropped back down onto all fours, her talons digging into the dirt road as she muttered, "Rainbow Dash..." Her stunned expression gave way to a low growl before she sprang toward the pegasus, talons outstretched. "I am going to KILL you!"