//------------------------------//
// Chapter XLI 
// Story: Journey to the center of Equestria 
// by Rarity Belle 
//------------------------------//

With a simple sob and a sniff that went through her nostrils did Fluttershy her utmost best not to erupt into tears. After her failed attempt on landing with Rarity in her hands, the doctor felt herself miserable. It had only happened less than two minutes before, but she was completely off the beaten path because of it. She tried so hard not to just burst out into tears in front of them all.

It was perhaps the hand of Rarity that stroked calm over her back that caused her to become a bit more calm. Yet the storm that Rainbow had caused within her head after the words would still be raging on. Speaking of the rainbow haired major, she walked past Twilight with a huff and didn’t even care for the scenery that was given to them all.

Instead she just spread her wings again and wanted to take off for once again. For they still weren’t at the top of the mountain as they thought. Her goggled eyes were looking at the clouds that she could almost touch with her hand. The wings were flapped at a decent speed to drive them away before the revelation felt within her very eyes.

All of the sudden it became apparent to her just why it was called ‘the Lonely Mountain.’ The eyes of Rainbow blinked a couple of times as she didn’t have the slightest of clues anymore. “Impossible, no. That, that can’t be. I have flown… What?!” the mare exclaimed to herself, therefore getting the attention of Twilight.

The soothsayer turned herself around towards the pegasus and calmly walked up to her. “Something the matter, Rainbow? Are we sitting too high for your calculations?” asked Twilight with a little giggle in her voice. Almost as if she found it funny that the pegasus was having a near heart attack. Which in one way was actually the case given the deed done to Fluttershy.

But Rainbow shook her head in denial. They weren’t too high to find the entrance towards the cavern. “We’re too low,” the pegasus said before she turned her gaze over to the unicorn. She then pointed with her hand into the skies. The soothsayer rose one of her eyebrows as she couldn’t follow the other mare one bit.

“Are you saying, what I think you are saying?” Twilight questioned before she looked through the made gap in the clouds. What her eyes then saw was something truly unbelievable. For the thing that they had missed, was rising high above them. “So that’s why the mountain is named like that. Well, you learn something every day, don’t you?”

Silence had fallen over the rest of the mares as Twilight turned herself back around with a defeated face. They thought to have been that close to finishing the leg of their journey. But instead they could be counting on yet another hike up the mountain.

“Applejack, can I talk to you for a moment?” the unicorn asked with a near somber tone to her voice. The admiral was still admiring the scenery moments before the words were caught within her ears. Just the tone alone caused her face to turn into something that was a whole lot less pleasant to be witnessed.

“’Course ya may,” replied Applejack. Her hand were placed behind her back. With her trench coat waving in the wind, she turned back to watch over the valley. Twilight made the decision to stand next to the earth anthrony once again as the news was being shared with her.

And Applejack was not happy about it at all. “So, at least a quarter of the mountain is still hidden within that fog? That’s what ya’re saying?” she repeated in a question to get all of the information right.

Twilight gave only a nod at first before she laid her eyes upon the world below them. All of the trees looked just so small. Almost as if it were all toy models. Perhaps it was better that they didn’t saw any kind of town in the distance or Canterlot. For it may have only increased the feelings of being homesick to some of the mares.

A deep sigh was released by the unicorn before the words flowed out of her mouth. “That is indeed correct yes. We still have to go a quarter up to the mountain before we are at our destination. But what I do not get is why we haven’t been able to see the mountain’s true size. Why didn’t Rainbow of Fluttershy notice those clouds before?”

“A great question, but nature is something one doesn’t play ‘round with much,” said Applejack while she stroked her chin. Many things couldn’t be explained and the mare knew that fact all too well. Certain events just couldn’t have been done by dark or white magic. It was a third kind, the one that only Mother Nature held.

In the meantime had both Rarity and Fluttershy gotten up from their own locations and dropped themselves against the side of the mountain. Their outfits were both dusted and raffled because of the stone and dust on top of the platform. Yet they were still oblivious to the fact they still had to go a quarter way.

Perhaps it was better that they didn’t know it yet, for in one of the goggle’s glasses was a massive crack. The eyes of the yellow skinned pegasus looked over it with a set of teary eyes. She couldn’t believe it that after all of those long, dreaded years, she somehow had managed to break them. To her, they weren’t just goggles to fly with. Far from it in fact. For they were actually a family heirloom.

“No, no, no, no, no,” the doctor whispered to herself. She couldn’t believe the events presented to her. Yet Rarity didn’t truly knew how to react to the situation. To her it just seemed to be a crack in the glass. Nothing too special about that, one could be saying.

“Fluttershy, it’s just a crack. Nothing to get all dramatic over,” said Rarity then before she laid a hand on one of the pegasus her shoulders. But that almost caused the mare to erupt out into tears. The fight became visually harder and harder as Rarity slowly began to realize just what she had done.

A gulp was being released by the mare before the head of Fluttershy could suddenly be found lying on her shoulder. The pirate captain had to blink a couple of times in order to see if it was really happening. Once again didn’t she had a clue on what to do. She was rough and tough mare of the seas, she hadn’t had another anthrony laying its head upon her shoulder during her school time.

Yet she could almost physically feel the sadness that was flowing through the pegasus. With a deep exhale was the only action done she could be thinking of. That was to let her arm go over to the other shoulder of the mare. “Tell me, if you want,” she then said in a kind tone, “tell me what’s on your mind.”

Rarity didn’t even knew whether or not it would be working, but anything was better than a near nonstop crying Fluttershy in the moment.

The pegasus wiped her tears away from her eyes. The doctor didn’t wanted to look like a wimp in the eyes of the captain. Even though it was already far too late for that. The goggles were laid down upon one of her legs as the eyes closed themselves off from the world.

“Long, long, long ago, when I was still a filly in Cloudsdale, my mother gave me her goggles because she thought I would be a great flyer, like her. But, I decided to live my life on the ground. Even though, she wasn’t happy with it, she still supported me however she could,” told Fluttershy while she continued to fight the tears.

“When, she eventually passed away, I swore I would keep her goggles forever. As a final honor. And now… Now that honor is broken, s-shattered…” The struggle seemed to have been a literal lost cause for the pegasus. Her tears couldn’t be stopped anymore. Without a single warning did they just began to ran down both of her cheeks.

Rarity had listened to the whole story with perked ears and finally understand a little bit more about the history of the item. She could then understand why Fluttershy seemed to have become just so sad about it. It almost reminded the pirate of her own past. Or at least, bits and pieces of it.

The doctor was pulled a little bit closer towards the captain in order to comfort her. None of the other members were in the need of a crying Fluttershy nor could they actually have been using it. Whether it was out of genuine interest to help her, or just to make her shut up, was still a question asked in the mind of Rarity.

“Just, just cry for the moment and after all of this is done, we’ll be looking for a smith that can set in a new glass if you like,” the mare said in the faint hope it would be relieving some of the stress that had fallen upon the pegasus.

Much to her surprise was there a little nod being made in top of her shoulder. The doctor had agreed upon the proposal. Then it would only have been the question whether or not Rarity would actually live up to it. Though that was a problem of a different day.

They were having a much, much bigger problem to be dealing with at their moment in time. The scale of the mountain had to be conquered was that very problem. But there had to be a safe way that led them to the summit as well. And each of them could point exactly just who would be the one to fly up again.

Twilight had turned around and let her eyes fall on Rarity and Fluttershy for a moment. Only to then just shake her head to get a couple of thoughts out. Her attention then focused itself upon the rainbow haired pegasus. “Are you sure you want to go up there?” Twilight asked after she had walked in a bit closer. “You have that odd look within your eyes. That eager but terrified glare.”

“Who’s terrified?” Rainbow asked to her. The goggles were fixed a bit. “I ain’t afraid of anything up there.” Then came that strange and cocky smile she carried.

The soothsayer gently shook her head in response. “That’s what you keep telling yourself. These clouds are strange. You haven’t spotted them earlier even though there’s a cloudless sky. So, what is the sorcery behind it and why are you so eager to go up there?” Twilight continued to ask. She did have a massive point. It was cloudless when they scaled up the mountain earlier.

What followed was a deep sigh that was released through the nostrils of Rainbow. Her head lowered itself against her chest as the eyes were turned towards the unicorn. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

“From the rest, maybe. But not to me. Something troubles you, Rainbow. Something dear to you seems to be in danger. Or you have seen this kind of magic before. Or trickery, depending on how you like to call it,” replied Twilight in a faint whisper. None of the others needed to hear the words that would be exchanged between the pair of them.

“I have seen this before, and I pray to the goddesses in silence that it isn’t what I think it is. And if it is what I think it is, I pray even harder that it is an old cast. If it is recent, the whole mountain isn’t safe for us anymore, never had it then been,” whispered Rainbow Dash before she rose her head again. She was visually terrified about just what could be laying on summit of the mountain.

Yet the only manner of actually discovering the facts as they were, was to go and physically be up there. Which was exactly what she had in mind. “Wish me the best of luck, for I’m gonna be needing it.” The unicorn nodded before she placed a hand upon her shoulder. Once again there was a nod given. But that one spoke about she could be doing it. Rainbow gave a short but powerful nod in return, before she would be taking off.


~~~~

                     
Soaring through the skies and the clouds did the worry within the magenta red eyes of the mare only seemed to have increased itself. Closer and closer she had gotten to the top and so rose her troubled mind. She could be expecting anything up there, from the loneliest peak to an entire army. Or worst of all: an actual and legendary, fire-breathing dragon.

Her flintlocks wouldn’t be enough to save her, they would just delay the inevitable for the mare. Perhaps that was why the mare didn’t fly as fast as she would have done in a normal situation. Rainbow almost crawled up towards the top of the mountain. It was unlikely for her to do such a thing yet it still happened. Something had given her the creeps and that was never a good thing.

In the end did the pegasus just close her eyes and made a jump for it. One last and powerful flap with her wings was given before she dropped herself down again. The wings were tucked against her back in mid-flight, which then caused her to fall back to the rocky top.

Her heart was beating deep within her throat as she landed with one hoof, one knee and one fist upon the rocks. A small shockwave was sent through the stones as the mare just remained idle. She was breathing deep towards herself as she thought to have her brains blown out any second.

But it was that silence. That dreaded silence that managed to crawl right up to her. The dreaded silence of nothing happening to her. It was in fact a lot more terrifying than anything she had ever done before. Thoughts raced through her head as the winds howled past her ears.

Anything could happen at any given time. That fact was for sure and scared her. All she needed to do was to listen and obey.

For almost a minute had she held her pose on the ground, while waiting for something to happen to her. Whatever could have been done to her remained unknown, as nothing was in fact happening. Yet there was still something. Something that managed to surge itself through her ears.

The sounds of a flag that was waving in the heavy wings on top of the mountain. Finally did the mare dare to open up her eyes as she rose her body up. Slowly but surely she managed to regain her rightful posture and glanced over the barren summit.

There was literally nothing else to see, almost as if something had cut away the very top of the mountain just to flatten it for something to come. But that wasn’t something that scared her. For many mountains in Equestria were formed that way so it was all natural.

What did scare her though was the fact that the sounds actually belonged to a flag waving within the winds. For her magenta red eyes were aimed directly at a flag with symbols she knew perhaps all too well. “Oh no,” were the only words spoken by her. Spoken in a tone of true worry. Almost as if she had seen an actual ghost.

Careful steps closer were made towards the flag. Rainbow thought that she had to be hallucinating. There was no way that that very flag could have been waving upon the top of the mountain like that. Yet each step she took confirmed the unbelievable. “No… No. No, no, no, no, no, this isn’t happening. This isn’t real, they are not here!” the mare exclaimed to herself as the steps backwards were being made.

The feelings of terror were placed at the right spots as a deep gulp was being released by her. She began to shake her head from right to left in a violent manner as the hands were placed upon the sides of her head. She needed the time to think about the situation but that simply wasn’t there.

“I have to warn the others, they may not fall into the trap,” said Rainbow to herself. In an instant had she turned back around and wanted to spread her wings. She wanted –if not needed– to return to the group and tell them the mountain was everything but safe for them to enter.

“Not, so, fast, pegasus,” a voice then rolled through the wind. A voice that sounded male, both deep and strong. Rainbow turned herself back around in the direction of where it came from. But on the slab of rock was nothing to be found. So she quickly turned her attention towards the clouds. Only to see two blobs of shadow shoot through them.

“You can come out now, I know exactly who you are,” taunted Rainbow her mysterious speaker. Though she didn’t lie for she knew exactly just who and what the speaker happened to be. But knowing the matter didn’t make it any easier for her. Her eyes were constantly shifting between left and right. Any time it could happen. Any time could they have revealed themselves before her.

What followed then was a loud screech that went through the air. One which was then followed up by another one. Then the two blobs managed to drop themselves down towards the ground. Two shockwaves were sent through the rocks while Rainbow had to cover her eyes for a moment. Two figure had landed before her, that much was certain. When she removed her arm from her face again, the time had come to meet her mysterious visitors.

“I should have known,” growled Rainbow when she was looking towards the two figures. Each of them wore a full set of armor, their hands didn’t have fingers, but full on talons. Their mouths reshaped into an eagle’s beak while the legs had the paws of a lion. “Griffons,” she spoke in anger, “always causing trouble within Equestria’s borders. You think you can outrun me?!”

The two griffons began to chuckle to one another as their eyes were covered with their helmets. “I’d like to see you try. Been a long time since this beak tasted fresh meat,” one of the griffons said to her with a cocky smile.

“Sorry to keep you waiting any longer,” the major replied before she quickly managed to get airborne again. The mare then dropped herself alongside the slopes of the mountain. She had to reach the group of mares before the griffons would even be having gotten their scent.

Yet little did she knew was that the two soldiers had already set in the chase after her. They all three rushed down the side of the mountain at a great speed. Due to the speed did everything seem to slow down and take its sweet, sweet time.

Time itself had managed to slow itself down for the pegasus and the griffons as the made their descend. The pegasus looked up from her graceful falling to see where exactly the beasts happened to be. For her liking they were too close, but the time to reach for her flintlocks and shoot them wasn’t simply there.

The major couldn’t be doing anything else then to guide them away from the company of mares. Even if it was going to be the last thing that she would be doing for the group. A deep sigh was released through her nostrils before the eyes were closed for a mere second. “Let’s do this,” she said to herself. The eyes were opened again and the tricks could begin.

The wings of the pegasus were tucked in and the speed only increased. The platform that held the other mares came dangerously close on her eyes as none of them were looking through the hole that she had made. Most likely it would have been better that they weren’t watching, given the immense speed at which the mare was coming down.

Rainbow had only one shot to tell the group that there were griffons and that they had to prepare themselves. For she was having a plan of her own and had the most knowledge of the creatures. A sick feeling went through her guts as she didn’t felt comfortable with at all about what would be done to them, yet it had to be done. It has to be done, Rainbow, for the sake of the group, she thought to herself and repeated that very line over and over.

Then there was the breaking point. The wings were spread again as she soared over the platform. “Griffons are coming down, prepare your arms!” she yelled in a tone and voice loud and clear enough to be heard by every last one of them. All of the other anthronies turned their attention to the soaring pegasus who then turned back up into the skies and disappeared within the clouds.

Applejack blinked a couple of times as she couldn’t believe it. “Are ya sure, she hadn’t gone crazy, Twilight?” the admiral spoke while she held a hand by both her sword and flintlock. The soothsayer didn’t reply in words. Instead she would have summoned her arcane staff right in her hands. Rarity drew both of her newly bought swords as Fluttershy remained hidden away.

But the pirate noticed exactly where the pegasus was and drew one of her own flintlocks as well. With a whistle she managed to get the doctor’s attention and threw the weapon into her direction. Fluttershy managed to get a hand on the weapon and did the actions that were needed to prepare it. If it would have been needed, she could fire the weapon.

The admiral was having answers enough as she drew both her sword and flintlock out. There would be a battle waged sooner or later. They had all heard the tales of the griffon’s and how they would be fighting their enemies. Not to mention that on the sides of the slopes, they would be having the advantage simply because of flight.

Finally they came, soaring out of the skies and crashing into the rocks of the platform. The two of them simply rose up from their little impact craters and brought out their swords. Their eyes hidden beneath the helmets made the scene only more troublesome for the mares that would be battling them.

“This doesn’t have to end in a bloodbath, anthronies. You know we have some honor left within us. Lay down your arms, and we will let you live,” one of the two soldiers spoke towards them with his deep and low toned voice.

“Like that is ever going to happen. You are beasts that hunger for war and flesh. If we would submit, we would only be an easy meal!” Twilight yelled out at them. Her horn charged itself up.

“So shameful, but so truthful as well. But, I like it when my meat puts up a fight,” the other griffon replied with a chuckle to his voice. The both of them didn’t even have normal blades, instead they carried cleaver looking blades. The both of them were still soaked in the dried up blood from the enemies they had slain with it.

“Looks like meat's back on the menu,” the first griffon spoke just before he jumped into the air again and began to hover over the battlefield.

“Oh believe me, you might find out we aren’t that easily caught as the fish of the sea. You want dinner, work for it,” countered Rarity with a low toned voice. The pirate readied herself for the events to come. The blades sliced through the air as she assumed a battle ready pose. Twilight had been charging up a couple of spells as Applejack simply had aimed her flintlock to one of them.

Fluttershy was too terrified to do anything. She remained as silent as she could in the faint hope that she wouldn’t have been discovered. She could only hope that it would actually remain that way. “So it be, prepare to die, you pieces of filth,” the second griffon spoke before he charged over to the group with his powerful lion legs.

Before any of the anthronies knew what was actually going on, the fight between the three of them versus the two griffons had erupted. The blades of the mares clashed against the cleavers of the beasts while Twilight fired spell after spell to attack and defend.

Ice, fire and wind all did their turn past their ears and into the direction of the beasts. Yet those very same beasts had been evading the charges like they were nothing. The one that charged over land had set its sight on Rarity against whom he crashed and forced her to the ground. The blades of the mare were ripped out of her hands and fell down her sides.

The unicorn couldn’t do much else anymore then to charge up her own horn and speak out a shield that would be protecting herself from the cleaver. A cleaver which literally hit the shield a second after it had been send up. But one of the griffon’s hands had still managed to get a hold of her shoulder.

The talons on that very hand had drilled themselves into her flesh as she reached out for her sword. She wanted to make the pain go away in the only manner that she knew. Returning it, in double.

Applejack had fired a shot at the flying griffon while she kept an eye on Rarity. Twilight wanted to help her but the flying beasts had set in. He wanted make a literal dive bomb on the group. The staff of the unicorn was charged and a massive burst of magic would have been released into the air. Lightning that originated from the orb were sent all over the place, including the griffon.

The longer the mare continued to charge the beast, the more she began to realize it had almost no effect on it. “Shoot, Applejack, shoot!” Twilight shouted before she discharged the staff and dropped herself off to the side.

Behind her stood the admiral with her flintlock already aimed at the beast and a smirk going across her lips. “It’s a long way down, partner,” she said before the shot was being fired. The barrel smoked and in the distance did something drop down.

The griffon had been hit right in the chest and had come crashing down towards the ground. Seconds later it fell upon the platform while the admiral blew the smoke away from the barrel of her weapon. She then rushed over to finish the job with her sword.

The sword of the admiral was raised into the air and then lowered again at an incredible speed. She thought to have ended the life of the griffon, to be done with one of them. But fate had other plans in mind. Just before there would have been any sort of hit, the sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard.

Within her eyes saw the admiral that the impossible had happened. Somehow had the griffon managed to turn himself back around and he had deflected the incoming slash. Despite being wounded, he still carried the flame of battle inside of him. “Impossible,” the admiral whispered.

“No, brute force!” the griffon soldier replied to her. Moments later she got a kick in her belly with a lion paw. The admiral was then sent flying through the air before she crashed against the platform once again. The dust that was send up caused nopony to be able to see what was going on.

Though inside of it laid the mare with her blade at one end and her flintlock at the other. “Oh… That, hurts,” she said to herself in a moan as she hollowed out her back. “Pain, pain, pain! Pretty sure, that’s mah spine!”

In the meantime had Rarity managed to get a hold of one of her blades. The mare just swung it up towards the leg of the griffon. Moments later did the grip on her bleeding shoulder become only more painful, before it finally let go.

The beast then removed itself from her body and the unicorn quickly got back up before she discharged her very own shield. Her eyes glanced up into the air and noticed how the attacker was bleeding from his hip. “I told you, you have to work for your dinner,” she said to them with a nasty frown. With one swift motion she drew another one of her flintlocks and fired right at the griffon.

Who on his own turn was hit in the other leg and began to scream out in pure agony. The beast dropped itself down from the skies and just crashed into the ground. It all seemed over, the attack seemed to have been done.

Yet Twilight wasn’t so sure of that little fact. Anything could still be happening. “Where there’s one, there’s usually a lot more,” mumbled the soothsayer. Her eyes looked up into the skies, watching them for any more trouble. Though they were peeling to see any form of Rainbow Dash or any other being outside of a griffon that could come for them.

The matter about Rainbow was something they all had on their minds, but made the possible wise decision to not speak a word about. In the corner of her eye she then saw how Rarity wanted to end one of the griffons. “Don’t!” she yelled in a demanding tone. Then she zapped the blade out of her hand.

“W-What?!” Rarity questioned before she switched between her still bouncing blade and the smoking staff of Twilight. “D-Did I miss a memo?”

“Leave them alive, both. I need to have a word with them,” said Twilight before she walked over to one of the beasts, “Tell me, everything.”

Instead of an actual answer did the bleeding griffon just released a chuckle through his throat. Not a single word was shared with Twilight as long as she was looking at him. Only when she turned herself around would the howling sound of help be released. The mare then quickly turned herself around again and wanted to zap the beast as the words were finally said. “You made, a great mistake.”

“Hmpf, wouldn’t be the first one,” replied Twilight in a cold tone. The desire to end his life became really tempting. “And definitely not the last.” But fate had once again favored their enemies. For out of the sky they came. A near dozen of the beasts all dropped down upon the stone platform.

The only difference was that they carried a full set of armor, making them practically invincible. The eyes of Twilight looked from left to right before she just dropped her staff to the ground. “It’s no use girls. Yield, or we shall perish.”

“Look who has gotten smart,” the wounded griffon spoke before another chuckle was released. All of the other mares then just dropped their weapons like that as well. They all wanted to live another day and not die horribly at the talons of the griffon. Though that seemed to be a quicker death than boiling in the lava that flowed underneath Equestria.

“We yield, but we wish to speak with your commander. Now,” growled Twilight clear towards the group of griffons with a dead serious glance in her eyes. Even though she looked serious, the griffons couldn’t help it but to laugh. They laughed and laughed as if somepony had given them a strong drink.

But then were they all pushed aside. Out of the crowd stepped a griffon covered in armor with special markings. It did a couple of steps forward before standing stationary again. Twilight looked at the markings and realized it was the blood of anthronies that was smeared over it. It almost looked as if their dying hands made one last gesture for mercy. A mercy that was never shown. Where have we gotten ourselves in this time? Twilight thought to herself. She –just like the rest of them– awaited the words of the griffon to come.