//------------------------------//
// Of War, Of Nurture, and Of Failure.  
// Story: Octavia and the Alicorn's peace. 
// by FoxofRarity 
//------------------------------//


Octavia and the Alicorn's Peace 

By. FoxofRarity 

Chapter. 14

	Disclaimer- My Little Pony Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. And the link is simply a sound effect to go with the story.  



“I guess I’ll be fighting by their side.” Gold Sky helps the Griffons of the 501st Marine Corp evacuate the females and children deeper into the Stronghold of Tyre for outside the Stronghold the Fascist Griffons are slowly but surely breaking through the gates eager to slaughter the Republic citizens seeking refuge from the massive surprise assault which completely caught the Republic off guard. “There are only seven hundred eighty two Republic soldiers here and there are thousands of Fascists troops breaking in. I must take command for the Republic General isn’t here but somewhere mobilizing more troops to stage a counter-attack.”  When the last gate protecting the citizens closes Gold Sky can’t help but ask if there is any escape routes for the citizens to use. But sadly he is told they are all in the heart of the Stronghold meaning there is no other means of escape and the soldiers are doing the best they can to barricade the remaining gate to keep out the Fascists. “Now is the time to take command for if I don’t then Innocent blood will be shed.” 

At the last gate explosions are heard. “We have little time.” Mothers, Wives, Sons, and Daughters all tremble to the loud booming occurring outside their remaining refuge, each one fearing the brave Soldiers of the Republic cannot protect them from the unstoppable onslaught that has already wiped out thousands of Republic troops. Thus many bow their heads to say their last prayers, mothers pass their heirlooms to their children, wives clings to their wedding bands waiting to meet their husbands in the other side, children take shelter under their mother’s wing, and then comes a quiet that cannot be ended when another explosion is heard. 

Gold Sky flies up and hovers in front of the soldiers who in their eyes lost the will to even fight to their last breath. “Soldiers of the Republic! Stop and look to me, for right now as of this moment we are the last of the mighty shield protecting your children, your wives, and your mothers. They are what you hold most dear to your beating hearts which now may be the only thing that has strength to keep you breathing at this very moment. The enemy wish to take what isn’t theirs from you and they will kill you without a blink of an eye. Oh Soldiers of Republic you are the shield that lies between the enemy and the innocent citizens of the Republic!” 

“OORAH!!” The words coming from the pony with wings and a horn slowly inspire the Marines to pick up their shields, swords, spears, bows, and arrows and look to him as their leader to lead them in this coming confrontation when the last gate is destroyed.

Even though he knows full well he isn’t one of them he can see from the fire raging in their eyes that they accept him as one of their own therefore he can use the word our. “From the spilt blood of our brothers are the cores they have passed down to us and with our cores we see that everything is clear. That our children, our wives, mothers, land, freedom, and our very lives will be decided by the blood of our enemies that our swords and spears spill when they come!” 

“OORAH!” The Marines bang their shields in response signifying their will to fight to the very end. 

“Let the blood of our enemies be the only blood that’ll be shed here for all of you have someone to go back to when you remove your armor and I want all of you to return home to your loved ones oh Soldiers of Republic now it is up to all of you TO KILL THEM BEFORE THEY KILL YOU AND ALL THAT YOU HOLD MOST DEAR TO YOUR HEARTS”
“OORAH!!” 
Finally the last gate is destroyed, prompting Gold Sky to command the Marines to pick up their bows. “DOCK, DRAW AND AIM!” Every Marine with their bow in hand aims their arrows at the Fascists coming in through the breach to ensure every arrow finds its mark. “LOOSE!” 
A mighty volley of arrows find their marks upon the enemy shedding their blood all over the ground. 
“DOCK!!” Gold Sky roars. “LOOSE!” 
Arrows kill more Fascist soldiers. “DOCK! LOOSE!!” 
This time only few arrows fly forward. “We’re out of arrows!!” 

Gold Sky snorts out his breath prompting an old proverb said by a long ago Cunning General to be played in his mind.  “Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for them, they will fight hard.” 

The time has finally come.  “Soldiers prepare to engage!” Bows are dropped and spears & swords are drawn. “CHARGE!!” Leading the brave seven hundred eighty two Marines Gold Sky cuts down eleven Fascists even before the Republic troops reach the breach. “HOLD THE LINE! KEEP THEM FROM ENTERING THE BREACH!” 

“OORAH!” 
Alicorn and Marines engage the enemy allowing the great conductor of fate to wave its baton and direct the sound of metal clashing with flesh while in tempo allegro appears to be the best speed for the great orchestral piece of Republic spears stabbing Fascist after Fascist and swords slashing open enemies creating the sweet percussion sounds of intestines falling to the ground. The conductor suddenly bring its baton to a near halt switches the tempo to a steady adagio pace which matches well with the wall of bronze shields holding back the enemy then wave after wave the enemy is killed by the spears of the Republic forces plus bolts of magic help like a brief introduction presented by the power of the (French) horn. Then finally when the conductor of fate brings the baton to a complete halt which is shown by the countless bodies lying outside the breach Gold Sky thanks the Great Spirt for not one of those bodies is a Griffon from the Republic.
“We stopped their attack here and won the battle but I feel this is only the beginning of a Great War…” Gold Sky puts on a forced smile to go along with the cheering celebrating the hard earned victory. “I am in the center of this coming war humph I wish I gave Oliver one last hug before he went with his new mother & father but at least he’s safe.” The stallion shakes the hand of the Griffons who keep telling him this victory wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for him being here and taking command. “In all reality I’m quite looking forward to partake in war in fact I’m craving it.” 

Rainbow Dash’s jaw drops at seeing what a battle is and how much blood can be shed in just a matter of minutes. “How can Griffons kill each other like that?? I mean how!? They’re the same species!” 

“Heh, they are no different than us my dear Rainbow Dash the problem here is the fact one group of Griffons wish to impose their ideologies on the Griffon Republic which will result in the slaughter and castration of all able bodied males, enslavement of the females well the ones of reproductive age, and genocide of all children to wipe out a generation to make room for their generation. So that’s the thing about war, it’s not glorious, it’s not horrible, it’s just a fact of life because where there’s a group with a belief then that group will eventually have the urge to force it onto another group with or without force.” Gold Sky explains. 

Making some sense to her, Rainbow Dash has Gold Sky pause the memory so she can look at the aftermath in order to gain a much more sensible outlook of war. “All those innocent Republic soldiers that died they died to protect the citizens and their families will miss them. But why will they fight to protect other Griffons when they should only be fighting to protect their own.” 

Gold Sky reaches out and places his hoof over Rainbow’s beating heart. “The heart is what makes anyone become a true soldier.” 

“A true soldier?” Rainbow asks with a tilt of her head while her heartbeat becomes deeper given how Gold Sky has hoof over it. “He’s touching my heart.”

Gold Sky resumes playing the memories. “A true soldier will put the lives of not only his family but the lives of other families, the lives of his brothers, his freedom, his land, his honor, and his nation before his own. That is the core of every soldier in the Griffon Republic has and while to you it may be mind boggling soldiers know that one day they may die but at least they have ability to deal with it every day they hold their shields.” Gold Sky softly explains to Rainbow Dash. “Now that was day one and as you saw I fought without armor, after that day I got my armor and my name for I engaged the enemy before the Marines did.” A quick pause. “Can you guess the name they gave me Rainbow Dash.” 

The Pegasus just shrugs her shoulders showing an oddity of which her mouth stays completely shut. 

“They called me the Vanguard then later when I began racking up the kills which I like to say is eight hundred something when in reality I know it’s in the thousands my second name they gave me is the Soldier of no Sorrow. Now let’s us continue shall we unless you don’t want to see any more of what war is Rainbow Dash and I can skip directly to Gilda.” 

Before answering, Rainbow looks up towards the stallion to know why he does not flinch whenever blood is splattered onto his face. “Did you enjoy killing those bad Griffons?”

Gold Sky’s ears twitch about in different directions. “I gain neither pleasure nor disdain when I bring an end to the lives of mortals I’ll leave it at that but perhaps when our relationship becomes stronger I’ll show you why I’m able to kill without feeling a thing.” 

So with that said Rainbow looks forward. “I want to see what war is so I can see how the soldiers of the Republic fight and just know how lucky Equestria is for war has never come here.” 

“Very well.” Gold Sky transports the both of them into a small zeppelin landing craft. 

Year I

With the entire force of the Republic military in full motion, General Sherman concentrates the troop movement in strategic locations where the Fascists will try to utilize to outflank them. “These inlets in the surrounding canyons are not protected at all and due to their numeral superiority we must lure them into the narrow Bao canyon where we know well and they don’t so they will be charging in blind.” Sherman points on a geographical map. 

Gold Sky who meanwhile, eyes another inlet points to it. “General, this path will still remain unprotected and upon my observation of the enemy they will use this path. So I suggest you let me handle them in this western point here at Begger’s point for right there two klicks from the inlet you can post coordinates for artillery strikes which I want to fire upon my command when I signal them. Because here there are many weak rock formations so I can lead them in a wild goose chase after I kill a bunch of them then when I reach the rock formations I will launch a bright bolt of magic to commence the strike.” Gold Sky then moves his hoof farther down the map. “The enemy will persist by chasing me so right here in what looks like a crossroads have archers stationed there along with perhaps two companies of Marines to finish them off.” 

General Sherman amazed by his grave overlook of Begger’s point turns to the stallion with some worry. “Can you handle them alone Gold Sky?” 

The stallion smirks. “My numbers speak for themselves General Sherman besides we both know we cannot stretch ourselves thin.” Gold Sky pats the General’s shoulder as a sign of reassurance. “We cannot lose too many Fathers and Sons otherwise who shall raise the next generation of young colts to become strong stallions.” 

Sherman has no clue what colt and stallion mean but he deduces those words mean boy and male. 
Rainbow Dash witnessing how much a tactician Gold Sky is finds that more amazing than seeing him putting his plan into action when the artillery strike caused the weak rock formations to fall upon the perusing Fascist Griffons after he killed a good ole three hundred twenty one all by himself, then narrowly dodging the incoming Republic arrows followed by a loop to lead the two Marine companies to finish off the enemy. “You’re very smart in planning out a battle plan Gold Sky, which you carried out so flawlessly like I do when I plan out aerial tricks.” Suddenly Rainbow sniffles. 
Gold Sky stops the memory to focus on the cyan Pegasus. “What is wrong Rainbow Dash?” 

“You tried to save that one Republic soldier by performing what seemed like hours of CPR but when you couldn’t you just stopped…like you thought this was all useless, trying to save him when you saw in his eyes he was ready to go. H-he was prepared for his death that poor soldier; he even grabbed your hoof like to thank you when you tried saving him…” Rainbow wipes her eyes. “This is what makes a soldier a soldier Gold Sky they serve knowing death can come to them even when a good leader like you tries everything to save them.”

Gold Sky nods but he nods not to Rainbow’s words but nods to this failure for it will lead him to take a new path in this war. “He had five children waiting for him back home, I-I cursed myself for three daughters have no one to treat them like the precious diamonds they are and two sons have no one to guide them to become Alpha Wolves. It was that moment where I decided to fully embrace the second name they gave me by donning a black cape, going in before the troops did and killing as many as I can to provide more soldiers the chance to go back home to their families. Is like you Rainbow Dash, I know you will feel an emptiness inside of you if your father went to war and the only thing that’ll tell you he’s back home is a folded flag.” Now Gold Sky sniffles like Rainbow Dash but unlike her does not wipe his tears instead letting them flow freely is more his style. “When it comes to killing Rainbow Dash, the only thing I regret is not being able to kill the enemy before they killed the Republic troops.”

Year II

“AUGH!!” The blood of a Fascist Griffon melts the snow the instant the oxygen rich fluid hits the ground. In the battle on top the snow covered Antietam Mountains two hundred miles north of the Republic capital both Republic and Fascist forces engage one another in what can be full force on both sides and with the fighting so heavy the spilt blood begins painting the mountain tops red but what makes this battle decisive is if either side gains control of the Antietam Mountains they have control of the much valuable high ground. And both want the high ground resulting in Sherman going against Gold Sky’s wishes and sending in the entire force before the stallion can first thin out the numbers of the enemy. So at the end of the battle Gold Sky holding a wounded soldier burnt up by friendly fire which is a mistaken drop of Hellenese fire on Republic troops resulting in eighty eight dying, one hundred twenty two having forth degree burns all over their bodies, and two only losing their wings. Delivers him to the medical zeppelin. “Don’t worry you’re here on the medical zeppelin soldier. Everything is going to be alright I promise you that.” But the solider seizes Gold Sky and brings him close. 

“Tell my wife and baby I love them! You tell them!! Tell my wife and baby I love them!!!!”  The soldier groans before succumbing to his wounds and dying in front of the stallion.
“Oh Great Spirit…” Gold Sky falls to his knees and starts to weep when all he smells is the death of twenty seven thousand dead Republic soldiers and he ignores the scent of the forty two thousand dead Fascist soldiers. “This was not supposed to happen.” Gold Sky whispers to himself. “All these dead Fathers, Husbands, and Sons should still be alive right now. I can already hear the cries of their families.” *sigh* “Watch over their families oh Great Spirit.”   

A soldier comes to the frowning stallion. “Sir, General Sherman wishes to see you.” 

Gold Sky wipes his eyes dry then pounds the ground. “I am not in your military. I am neither above you nor below you in rank so don’t you ever call me sir ever again. Is that clear soldier.” 

“Yes sir err I mean yes Vanguard.” The soldier escorts him to General Sherman’s tent. 

“Sherman!!” Gold Sky growls. “You dare to ignore my words!” His magic holds the General put and his telepathy keeps the guards still. 

General Sherman afraid to be on the receiving end of the pony’s anger tries to explain himself to the stallion. “Gold Sky there were too many of them for you to handle alone for not even you can’t fight thousands upon thousands of Fascist troops and with our troops following you the morale was high. Now with seeing how saddened with the losses it shows them that even the Soldier of no Sorrow has compassion for all of them.” 
In a show of his rising anger Gold Sky breathes out blue fire from his nostrils amazing every Griffon around him. “I! I! Always go in first Sherman so I can increase the chances of every Republic soldier to go back to their loved ones and if I die so what! If I die which in case you don’t know will make me a martyr for Republic soldiers to measure themselves up to. I don’t want children to grow up with their fathers Sherman. I can’t let that happen to the little Griffon children.” Gold Sky releases Sherman from his magical grip along with ending his telepathic hold on the guards. 

“But you’re not a Griffon like us so how can you feel so compassionate for us especially the children?” Sherman asks.

Gold Sky once again breathes out blue fire from his nostrils. “I may be a pony General Sherman thus let indulge you with a revelation. In my homeland there is no such thing as war. In fact if you want to know what war is in my homeland you have open a book from the fiction section of the library, if you want to see war you go to the theater plus if you want realism ketchup is added. As for me, well guess what I may be the first of my species fighting a war and what’s even funny is that I’m the best fighter here unlike any of you Griffons. And how about we expand upon that Sherman for in your words you basically telling me that I should not have a devotion in this war like the rest of you do. Well I may be a pony Sherman but my devotion in this war is tenfold than yours FOR I AM MORE THAN WILLING TO PUT MY LIFE IN THE HANDS OF FATE SO I CAN SLAUGHTER THE ENEMY TO PROTECT ALL OF YOU. I FIGHT BECAUSE THIS CIVILIZATION THAT EXISTS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PROPERTY REFLECT THE VALUES OF MY HOMELAND THEREFORE I WILL FIGHT TO PROTECT THIS CIVILIZATION. BECAUSE I AM AN HONORABLE STALLION WHO WANTS EVERYBODY TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE WITHOUT HAVING TO FEAR SOMEONE COMING TO TAKE AWAY THEIR LIVES JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE FREE, I AM HERE TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT! SO IF YOU EVER QUESTION MY CONSTITUTION EVER AGAIN THEN YOU WILL PAY EVER SO DEARLY! I MAY BE A PONY BUT YOU GRIFFONS KNOW ALL IS LOST WITHOUT ME.” Gold Sky roars in one breath. 

All that can be heard is every Griffon urinating themselves for in all reality without the pony they will be lost. “Forgive me Gold Sky.” At least Sherman has the integrity to apologize for his words. 

“Apology accepted General Sherman but do not cost the Republic so many troops ever again.” 

Rainbow Dash unable to tell if the crimson mountain tops are a painting or real asks Gold Sky to place her in the memory. “Hmmmm.” Once in the crimson snow Rainbow passes her hoof across the snow to scoop some up. “Oh my Great Spirit…” It’s real. “Jus-jus-just give me overview just skim the memories Gold Sky. I think I’m starting to think much better thoughts for stallions now.” Indeed, now Rainbow Dash appreciates her father much more now. 

Year III

With the high ground taken numerous skirmishes erupted all over the outskirts of the Republic for the Fascists decided to take a cautious route in their fights seeing how the pony with the wings and horn is a weapon they simply cannot contend with. So comes their alliances with other factions that may present a very big threat to the Republic and due to the Fascist forces trying to regain themselves before committing themselves to bigger battles their allies strike. 

At the mighty Fort Rivendell guarding the east for in the east a massive wall of rock acts as a natural barrier thus the Fort is the only thing protecting the almost unwatched eastern entrance from any form of attack but even then the soldiers of the Fort pride themselves as being the strongest  of them all. Nevertheless, being the strongest isn’t enough to prepare them for the surprises the Fascists will launch against them . “DRAGONS! DRAGONS! BATTLE STATIONS EVERYONE! LOAD THE ARTILLERY!” 
Quickly along with dodging the fire from the incoming dragons, Republic soldiers load the 152mm howitzers with armor piercing shells. “Archers loose!” The Archers commence firing on the enemy troops trying to scale up the high walls of the Fort. “Artillery fire!” 

*BOING* The armor piercing rounds bounce off the hides of the dragons. “Don’t load armor piercing load high explosive!” Commands the Artillery master of battery two. 
“Why when not even that won’t penetrate the dragon hides?” 
“The explosions are enough to cause severe internal damage to the dragons! Now load quickly!!” Sadly batteries four and seven are destroyed by the dragons. “Fire!” The many flying dragons now have to evade the shells downgrading the sheer fire they can rain down on the Republic Griffons. 
“Hey do you think these dragons have a leader?” Asks the loader of battery two. 
“How the bloody hell should I know! Dragon two hundred yards, traverse five degrees left FIRE!” The high explode in the center of the dragon’s belly collapsing it entire respiratory and digestive system. “YEAH DRAGON DOWN!!”

As for the dragons what can compel many of them to mingle in the affairs of warring mortals? Well the answer is the fact many of these attacking dragons are teenagers seeking a thrill with a promise of getting some nice gems at the end of the fun as for the leader well that dragon is still approaching and once he arrives at the Fort every Republic soldier will know who the leader is. Thankfully since teenage dragons are still well teenage dragons their size makes it easier for the Republic to fight them somewhat. 
“Get him, get him!!” Six Republic soldiers bring down a teenage dragon. “Ready!?” 
“Ready!” The soldier holding the mouth shut opens it briefly allowing the other soldier to throw in an explosive charge. “Fire in the hole!” 
“Uh oh!” The teenage dragon blows up leaving just a gory mess. 
“Hurry! Get the rest of the smaller dragons to keep them off our artillery batteries!” Republic soldiers engage the teenage dragons which some turn to ash thanks to the fire but at least when some of the Republic soldiers turn to ash some teenage dragons explode in return. 
Meanwhile at the walls of the Fort some of the Fascists soldiers managed to make it over forcing some of the archers to drop their bows and partake in close quarter combat with their MK II knives. 

“Move the battery, c’mon move the battery damn it!!” Using the hand crank traversing system isn’t fast move to point the howitzer at the dragon crawling towards them for the dragon relishing to see the fear in their eyes takes his time approaching battery two.  
The dragon opens his mouth to breathe down fire on the artillery master and his crew but on the dragon’s own accord he doomed himself by taking his time approaching the battery and opening his mouth wide to inhale as much air as possible. 
“Wait!” The Artillery master holds on firing. 
“But his mouth his open!” Yells the gunner.
“I said hold!” The Artillery master takes hold of the trigger sting. “If you want to leave than leave!” The master waiting at what seems like an eternity waits for the dragon to exhale. “Got you!” He fires the howitzer the moment the visible epiglottis opens giving the shell a direct path to the dragon’s lungs. Suddenly a mighty shadow flies over the fort leaving raging fire in its path. “NO!” The artillery master got to jump from the path of the fire while his tail wrapped around the loader pulling him to safety while the rest of the crew burn to their deaths. 
“Damn it that’s the leader of the Dragons!!” Screams the loader as he points to a massive purple Dragon landing in the center of the fort and unleashes more fire on the Republic soldiers. Just then the purple Dragon turns his head to look directly at the Artillery Master. 

“You! You dare to kill my brethren!” The purple Dragon growls while approaching the artillery master. “You fire upon us, you kill us, and you look upon me without a single ounce of fear even though I am death!” 
Defiant the Artillery master reaches for a fresh round to load into the howitzer only to find the cannon melted into a pile of metal. 

The purple dragon snickers in delight while all round him the fighting between the Republic forces and Fascists comes to a halt so they can listen to the mighty dragon speak. “What a pity HA! Your weapons are gone, your soldiers are going to die and this great fortress will fall in a matter of seconds yet you stand before me like you will stay standing even when my fire kills all. So tell me arrogant soldier why do you stay standing before me.”

First the artillery master pushes away the loader just in case the purple dragon decides to rain down its fire. “Because you call yourself death when death himself isn’t here yet.” Hope inside the Artillery master’s compels him to stall the mighty dragon in case his hope pays off. 

The mighty dragon snorts his breath in disgust. “Death isn’t here yet!! I am death! Look around you many of your troops lie in ashes, your weapons are melted, and I am the reason for all that you foolish meat bag! Humph be as it may nothing can pierce my skin so enough talk mortal you may have insulted me with your words but at least you have the iron will to say them before me therefore, you may be the only mortal to receive a sliver of my respect. Now prepare to die.” 

“At least I tried.” The Artillery master tells himself. *ting* His ears picks up sound of a fast approaching whooshing sound. “Thank you, Great Spirit.” 

“Huh?” The mighty Dragon picks up the fast approaching whooshing sound but for him it is too late to react to the incoming powerful twin magical missiles. “AHGH!!” The magical missiles strike the mighty Dragon causing him to fall to the ground. “WHAT!” The dragon get backs up enraged from the sudden attack that brought him down to the ground.

“It’s the Vanguard!” The loader cries out in joy. “He’ll kill the Dragon! He’ll kill the dragon, HE’LL KILL THE DRAGON!!” With that mighty roar of joy all the spirits of the Republic are lifted to turn the still tide of this battle.

Back up on his feet the mighty Dragon scowls to find the being that struck him with these powerful magical missiles until hovering in front of him in bronze armor and a black cape he sees a pony with wings & horn. “Who are you!” 

Just as he’s about to answer the dragon fire rains down on him burning his cape and melting his bronze armor off his body. *gasp*

“NO! IMPOSSIBLE!!” The pony with the wings & horn is completely unscathed despite being rained down by four thousand degrees of heat.
Gold Sky on the other hoof is more concerned with something else. “My cape!! It’s gone!!” Oh that is it. “I am the Vanguard and now you die!” 

Rainbow still amazed by the mighty dragon rather by the Republic soldiers taking down and killing teenage dragons asks Gold Sky how did he mange to kill that mighty dragon. 
“While their skin may be impenetrable it doesn’t mean their bones can’t be broken one by one, which you can only imagine the loud boom of the dragon’s bones breaking. Sounds pretty nice by the way well for me not for you which I know you won’t like one bit.”

“And the fire how come you weren’t burned!?” Rainbow asks.

“I cannot be harmed by fire, air, water, and earth therefore, after I killed that mighty dragon many other dragons came to know the name Vanguard and tremble at the sound of it.” 

Year IV


“Let this little montage of blood soaked wheat fields show you why year four was called the bloody forth. But at least the Republic crippled the Fascist's food supply, poison their water supply, and block off their mines so they cannot harvest anymore coal & iron ore to make their weapons but at least we managed to slow their movement allowing for Republic shock troopers to strike their marching troops giving me their main forces in a silver platter. However, miscalculating the enemy movements General Sherman nearly marched into an enemy trap resulting in ordering the Republic troops to form a fishhook formation to cover their left flank which endured the blunt of the Fascist offense. I well it took me a awhile to wipe away the enemy offense in the hook curve of the formation before I was able to aid the left flank which I forced them to retreat by creating deadly black F-5 tornadoes. Now as you may guess this battle took place in a wheat field while other skirmishes took place in the surrounding fields.” Gold Sky pushes Rainbow to look upon the blood soaked fields littered with bodies then shows her the complete battle in real time. 

“This General Sherman recovered quickly from this attack wait a minute if you were in the north flank fighting there then how are you able to show me every inch of the battle if you weren’t there at the left flank until the end!?” 

“I used my telepathy to read the minds of the surviving soldiers allowing me to piece together everything I’m showing you now. But right here in this moment look at it, look closely at it and tell me what you see.” Gold Sky points at a Republic troop planting a spear head into the heart of an enemy soldier. 
Rainbow Dash squints as if that’ll help her analyze the still moment before her. “The Republic soldier is killing him Gold Sky.” 

Gold Sky quietly scoffs to Rainbow’s inability to look into the littlest detail. “I bet if Rarity saw this then she will notice what I see.”  He tells himself which is one hundred percent correct if an outside source were to think about it. “Look at the eyes of the Republic soldier Rainbow Dash.” 
Upon looking at the eyes Rainbow finally realizes what Gold Sky wants her to see and what she sees is the eyes of the Republic soldier being pink meaning despite killing the enemy he’s still bringing an end to a life and doing so hurts him. “Even in war stallions regret taking lives.” *Sigh* “I now understand Gold Sky.” 

Year V

“The pivotal point of this year is something I cannot show you; really I cannot show for it will be gravely irresponsible on my part as an Immortal to show you what I discovered in that year.” 

Rainbow unhappy about being denied something simply because of the higher standing of the immortal she’s sitting by asks why he cannot show her what he discovered. 

Thus. “If you saw what I saw…look let me tell you the visual definition of insanity. Xenomorphs Rainbow Dash, Xenomorphs. Creatures that gave me the fight of my life but in the end I failed to destroy them instead I gained control over them.”
“Sooooo what happens if you were to show them to me.” Rainbow asks. 

To be blunt and straight to the point. “You’ll become insane Rainbow Dash now before you ask about me, my age gives me a mature mind to process the sight of the Xenomorph as for the Insanity they will give if seen I’ve already been through insanity providing me an immunity to it.” Still Gold Sky will just humor Rainbow Dash by playing the shriek the Xenomorph does when harmed. 

“AAHHH!” The shriek of the Xenomorph is more than enough to persuade the cyan Pegasus to end her curiosity of the creature. “No more please!!” 

“Very well now we go to the last year of the long war.”  Gold Sky lays out. 

VI

In his presentation of the final battle the battle wary soldiers of the Republic write their letters home, pray to the Great Spirit, and sharpen their weapons for in their spirits they sense this is the final step and to make that feeling familiar for Rainbow Dash, Gold Sky stays absolutely silent. Some of the soldiers smile to the prospect of finally going home after six long years of being away from their families and more importantly they can finally hang their shields on the wall and hug their families. But until that moment which is universally shared by all the troops sitting in the many zeppelin landing craft they first need to fight this last battle. 

“I want to go home.” Says one 501st Marine who has a permanent mark streaking across his face which will make it hard to hold his newly hatched son whenever the youngster is crying. 

“Six years of my life wasted in this bloody war but at least I have the rest of my life to live in peace.” A Soldier of the Grand Army chides as he folds a letter and puts it in the mail bucket. 

“In the end this is all I know…wha-what can I do when I get back home.” Mutters a 101st Airborne soldier. 

“You can find a wife and move forward, that’s what you can do when you get back home oh soldier of the Republic.” Gold Sky pats the soldier’s shoulder to reassure him. 

However, there is one soldier that since the battle in the Stronghold of Tyre has had one question he’s been meaning to ask him for the longest time but he’s always been afraid to ask the afraid that question for he’s afraid he might offend the Vanguard. But given this is the final battle and he may or may not die, he might as well ask the Vanguard the question. “Vanguard I-I-I been meaning to ask you this question ever since I fought by your side in the Stronghold of Tyre…ummmmm…why do you fight with us if you are not one of our species?”

Gold Sky dons his black cape before answering the soldier’s question. “As an Honorable Stallion I will fight to protect the innocent from those who wish to shed their blood and I’ve grown attached to all of you.” *sigh* “Growing up I had no brothers or sisters, but after some time I got a sister but a dragon took her away from me and all of you, I love as my brothers. Brothers who have children, wives, and parents waiting for them back home and if I can make sure all of you can get back home to them then all I did will pay off.” 

All the Griffons in the landing craft salute Gold Sky for after this they will never, never forget the words of the Honorable pony with wings and a horn. “We’re above the Fascist Capital, Gold Sky.” Sherman reports to the stallion. “Also heeding your…can’t believe I have to say it like this but anyway heeding your command all the landing craft are above the Fascist anti-air batteries range. AH DAMN SCAR!” The General takes a pain killer to stop the pain radiating from the battle scar in the back of his neck. “I’m a General, I don’t take orders I give them.” 

“Remember always respect the better killer and at least the better killer is an honorable one.” Gold Sky says as he makes his way to the landing craft’s underbelly door. 

General Sherman nods in some agreement. “They have heavy anti-air defenses Gold Sky an…thank you.” Sherman says out of nowhere. “Since the beginning of this war, you served with us. Thank you Gold Sky for everything you have done for us. If there is any way I can pay you back please tell me how.” 

Gold Sky gives Sherman a nod of respect. “My Honor does not need payment General Sherman but thank you for your gratification.” Now standing by the underbelly door Gold Sky feels a tingle run down his spine. “Oh Great Spirit if my life is to be taken then let it be taken but please let it only be mine and not those of my brothers. Amen.”  

The stallion jumps out of the landing craft and once breaking through the cloud cover the Fascist anti air batteries open fire on him creating hundreds of tiny black flak clouds around him. “Once I destroy their AA batteries I will signal the others to come.” 

Meanwhile in Rainbow’s mind. “Gold Sky may be the best soldier here but even then he’s still afraid, he truly is a normal pony like all of us and perhaps shares a bunch of traits with Rarity. Heh how cute.” 

FOLLOW ME TO VICTORY!!” Gold Sky shouts as he leads the entire Republic forces to engage the enemy who makes a failed attempt to rally themselves but with many seeing him leading the Republic forces some just get the high tail out of there. 

Inside the spire of the Fascist headquarters Gold Sky drops the Supreme Leader of the Fascist forces. “Go and be with your son for since you told me about your son waiting for you I cannot kill you but know this if you abuse the mercy I just gave you then believe me when I say this. There is no cave that will hide you from me, no mountain to take shelter, and no hole deep enough to bury yourself under. For if you abuse my mercy Mao I will rip you in two and shower in your blood now go to your son and never return to the Republic ever again!” 

“Th-tha-thank you!” General Mao flees to a faraway land. 

Outside the spire the Republic relishes in celebration when the last Fascist troop is stabbed to death by twenty spears and hundreds of arrows while inside the spire Gold Sky walks about looking for anything of value that he may take for his own. 

“This is where I found her.” Gold Sky whispers to Rainbow Dash. 

“Her? Who’s her?” Truth be as it is, Rainbow Dash completely forgot about Gilda when all the images of war flash before her. 

Gold Sky growls at the cyan Pegasus. “You truly can’t be serious by asking me that Rainbow Dash and you truly couldn’t have forgotten why I’m showing you all of this in the first place!” 

Rainbow stays quiet hoping that’ll get her out of the stallion’s anger. 
Gold Sky sighs as he passes a hoof down his face. “Fine let’s continue.” 

In the midst of finding nothing Gold Sky picks up a faint noise coming from deeper inside the spire. “What in the world is that noise coming from?? I must find it!” In his curiosity he gaits to find the source but with every step taken his heart gets warmer making him gallop to the noise. “Why does my heart feel so warm?” Now from a gallop he now sprints like something urgent is hanging in the balance of life & death. “What!?” 

The source of the noise is a freshly hatched Griffon chick crying on the floor while behind the chick are two dead adult Griffons. “It’s a baby…it’s a baby Griffon.” Gold Sky now understanding why his heart is warm goes over to the crying baby and looks upon it with compassion. “You’re just an innocent little baby…” Suddenly an instinct takes over prompting him to tear off his black cape. “Ssh, ssh, ssh it’s okay little one, ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh please stop crying for you are no longer alone. Come I got you.” And wraps the baby up so it will no longer be cold. “Oh you are a girl, a precious little girl.” 

*TING* “GILDA! THAT’S GILDA!!” The obvious finally dawns on the Element of Loyalty. 
“Oh I can so kill you right now.” Gold Sky mutters under his breath. 
“What?” Rainbow asks.
“What?” Caught, Gold Sky repeats the word to confuse Rainbow Dash.

“Did you something?” 
“No I didn’t say anything Rainbow Dash now QUIET!” Relieved to saving himself Gold Sky continues. 

Cradling the baby in his arms Gold Sky plops down on his rump to better sooth her from her cries. “It’s okay, my dearest…my dearest? I-I mean it’s okay dear child you have nothing to be afraid of for the war is over and now you can grow up in peace with a loving…” Gold Sky just can’t quite finish his own sentences, sure he’s caring for this child at this very moment and yeah it’s a Griffon but in his own words and through his own thought patterns that make up the sentences one speaks he calls this baby my dearest. Yes, this out of the blue instinct that took over moments ago is. “Paternal Instinct…” Gold Sky moves the baby until she touches his beating heart. “Oh! You stopped crying, ho, ho you stopped crying my dearest child!” Now his own spoken words tell him the truth his wants to embrace. So Gold Sky lifts up the baby displaying her to the Great Spirit asking through that motion to listen to his words or in his native tongue listen to one word. 
“Cúŋkši.” 
Translation. 
Daughter.
“Wakáŋtaŋḱa i gli šni haŋni níye un iyúղġa níye un yúwaḱa mitawa Cúŋkši, yúwaḱa mitawa Cúŋkši. Oh Wakáŋtaŋḱa.” 

Gold Sky then brings back the Griffon to his beating heart to keep her sound asleep. “You have no mother and father dear child but now you have a Father to love you, guide you, protect you, lead you, and always cherish you no matter what.” Now Gold Sky starts thinking. *Ting* “Gilda, yes, yes, your name shall be Gilda my dearest daughter!” 

Rainbow Dash asks him to pause the memory. “She looks so…Gilda looks so precious as a baby! Ooooh I want to pinch her cheeks, tickle her feet, rub her belly, and just ooh she looks so cute!!” Rainbow dotes while thanks to being in the memory she gets to feel the soft tuft on Gilda’s chest. “I mean ahem…she’s very cute Gold Sky.” 

Pleased by Rainbow’s somewhat adoring attitude towards young Gilda he softly nudges the mare with his shoulder. “As for the dead Griffons behind her, I found out through some papers on the floor that they are her parents and they were fascist sympathizers so I guess when they saw the inevitable end coming they took the easy out while leaving Gilda to die.” 

Back to the memories. “Ah Gold Sky there you are, I’ve been looking all over for you I want you to join us in a celebration toast.” 

B-ut the stallion shakes his head. “I don’t partake General Sherman.” 

“Oh uhhh well, we’re going back home and…I guess you will too.” 

Again the stallion shakes his head. 
Thus Sherman is surprised by this. “You’re going to stay here in the Republic than to go back home and be with your family?”

True, he could go home. Key word is could but that will be selfish on his part given how Gilda is just a newborn baby. “Home is where I make General Sherman or in this case home is where WE make it.”     

Sherman tilts his head when the word WE is emphasized. “We??” 
Gold Sky reveals to Sherman the tightly wrapped sleeping Gilda in his arms. “Yes me and her.” 

Sherman lightly chuckles to the sight of the powerful Vanguard lovingly cradling the baby and how he has her head over his heart. “The Vanguard not only fights by our side he also takes one of our own species as his own child.”

However, Gold Sky feels like clearing something up first when it comes to his love wrapping itself around Gilda. “Species is no concern to me Sherman. For an innocent child does not deserve to grow up without Parents, besides maybe it’s time for me to love and hold something dear to my heart. It’s time for me to go home and be a father to my little Gilda and yes. I’m a Pony, she’s a Griffon but Love is what drives me to take her as my daughter, Sherman.”

Sherman remembering how Gold Sky didn’t want any form of repayment decides to ask the stallion if he wants repayment. “You need a home Gold Sky and I can help you with that along with making sure you have everything you need to take care of your daughter.”

Realizing what he’s being given by General Sherman, Gold Sky bows his head in gratitude then brings in the Griffon for a hug. “Thank you, Sherman.” 

Rainbow Dash smiling to seeing Gold Sky being given a home for both him & baby Gilda, now is eager to watch the first night that’s about to happen. “Oh boy, he’s not going to get a lick of sleep.” So Rainbow sees half of what she anticipated. 

Baby Gilda finishing her bottle of formula, reaches up touching Gold Sky’s chin but accidently cuts him with her razor sharp talons. “OW!” Gold Sky snaps. “Oh my you have such sharp talons my dearest sweetheart.” 

However, clearly hearing the snap from Father, Gilda immediately starts crying like there’s no tomorrow so Gold Sky picks her back up and begins rocking her in his arms. “Ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh, oh it’s okay Gilda, I’m not mad that you scratched me because look!” Gold Sky points at the cut. “It’s healed.” Still Gilda continues crying but doesn’t mind reaching up to touch Father’s face. “Hmmmm?” The new Father ponders what he can do to ease Gilda’s cries for rather than to let her tire herself out which is something he doesn’t like but even then if he does not think of something right now then Gilda will cry until she tires herself out. *ting* He remembers a song Mother…Princess Celestia that is, sang to him when he slept under her wing for the first time and that song always sheltered him until sleep can take him over. “If it worked for me then perhaps it will work for Gilda.”  

“Oh you’re going to sing to her Gold Sky!” Rainbow asks. 
“Obviously Yes Rainbow Dash.” Gold Sky responds.

“Ahem.” Gold Sky clears his throat to prepare his voice. “How does it go again?” Before starting he quickly recites the song in his head first. “Somewhere beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me. My lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailing.” 

“Wow…” Rainbow Dash gasps to hear Gold Sky singing to Gilda. “You sound so beautiful Gold Sky.” 
“Somewhere beyond the sea, she’s there watching for me. If I could fly like birds on high then straight to her arms I’d go sailing…”
Gilda still crying when father began to sing now seems to lessen her cries with every verse he bathes her with until finally her cries cease and just focus entirely on the stallion rocking her in his arms. 
*yawn* Little Gilda accommodates herself to have her ear over Father’s beating heart and falls asleep thanks to the calming rhythm. 

Rainbow smiles to see how quickly Gilda fell asleep. 

“Sweet dreams my dear Gilda.” Slowly Gold Sky places the sleeping Gilda in her crib which is at the base of his bed. “Good night Gilda.” 

But then without warning Gilda starts crying like there’s no tomorrow once again. *ting* Gold Sky picks her back up to comfort his daughter. “Hmmmm oh dear baby, baby why do you wake up crying when just moments ago you were asleep so peacefully…” *ting, ting, ting* An idea strikes him in the heart of his galaxy. “My heart…my beating heart is what puts you to sleep my dearest Gilda…you are my heart living outside my body and I now know how to show how much you mean to me oh dear Gilda. I am a pony and you a Griffon but nowhere in the scriptures of literature does it say that you cannot be my daughter. Hmm believe it or not Gilda when I first heard your cries I ran to you not out of choice I ran to you because my heart felt your heart beating.” Gold Sky pauses momentarily to kiss her forehead then let’s her reach up to touch him even though it will result in receiving many cuts from her razor sharp talons but at least his regeneration will take care of his cuts. “I don’t see you for what you are Gilda I see you as my daughter just like you will not see me for what I am you will see me as your father. The Daughter becomes the Father and the Father the Daughter and I, through a vision given to me by the Great Spirit will make you one of my flesh & blood. Where days become an endless breeze, numbers turn into thoughts through your own creation, forever becomes a reality not a word that’s only said to be said as an expression, and where I, a Father will never see his child die before his eyes.”

“NO!!” Rainbow Dash jumps into the air in bewilderment when the last verse is ushered from Gold Sky’s lips. “HOW!! JUST HOW JUS-JUST HOW, HOW, HOW!!”

Gold Sky silences Rainbow Dash for acts speak more than spoken words. 

The Immortal Father softly presses Gilda’s head against his heart causing it to glow brightly then with his magic he levitates Gilda so she can be before him for he will have no mortal daughter sleeping over his heart. “My heart.” He reaches out to touch his baby’s beating heart making it glow brightly like his. “Love is what brought us together. Love is what I have for you. Love is what I give you. Love, my Love shall give you unending life.” From his glowing heart a beam transcending the line of Mortality & Immortality connects to Gilda’s glowing heart erasing that line and amending every strand of DNA inside her. Or in other words her cells have no expiration date like mortal cells. 

*thud* Rainbow falls downs. “You can…you can…you can make anypony Immortal…” 

Gold Sky wipes his eyes to see the moment he made Gilda Immortal. “It’s a yes and a no Rainbow Dash. For you see, I love Gilda so much that nothing can be loved as much as I love her. I am the Immortal Father, Rainbow, and fathers love nothing more than their children. Basically what I did will be simplified by this. If she dies I die, if I die she continues living.”

“WHY!?” 

Gold Sky glides his wing over Rainbow’s back. “A Father should never ever outlive his child. So if I die she continues living because my life means nothing to me if I can’t give it up to protect my child. For a parent will do anything to protect their offspring.” Stopping Rainbow from replying he redirects her to the pinnacle of making Gilda Immortal. 

The beams erasing Gilda’s mortality starts dissolving Gold Sky’s physicality turning him into silver dust but his glowing beating heart remains flesh while the silver dust revolves around Gilda until the glowing heart beats out a magenta colored dust which can be perceived as Gold Sky’s love entering Gilda’s heart finally sealing Gilda’s new Immortality. “It is done.” The silver dust comes together giving the stallion back his physicality. “Come Gilda it's time for you to go back to sleep.” Lying down on his back Gold Sky places Gilda’s head over his beating heart. “From now on this is the only way for you to sleep Gilda and that is to have you sleeping over my heart. Well good thing I got plenty of diapers and wipes for you.” 

Rainbow Dash asks him to pause quickly. “Okay number one that’s cute very cute, I mean look at her get comfy over your heart it perfectly fits the meaning of calling her your heart living outside your body. Now number two, DID YOUR ENTIRE BODY with the exception of your heart TURN INTO SILVER DUST TO MAKE GILDA IMMORTAL!?”

The stallion nods. “Yes. I temporary gave up my physicality to directly put a piece of my spirit’s love into Gilda’s heart now before you ask how I did that. I simply thought of Gilda and how I don’t want to ever lose her to death so when I turned into silver dust which happens when a Chero dies and before you to interrupt me by asking me if I died. I did not die for my heart didn’t turn to silver dust; you see as an Immortal I can walk into the year that ends lives of mortals so I can meet death and order it…” Interrupted by Rainbow Dash. 

“It? Death is a it?” 

Gold Sky just places his wing over Rainbow Dash and brings her close but at the same time he makes her blush though nevertheless, he does not notice. “Many think Death is a stallion others think Death is a mare, I on the other hand or hoof can care less for knowing Death’s Sex is the least of my concern. All I cared about is telling death to stay away from Gilda and fighting it…” Interrupted again. 

“You fought death!” 

While being interrupted will anger others Gold Sky is pretty much used to it. “Yes I fought Death to get it away from Gilda but on the same token make it accept two terms. The first being that death can only come if she’s stabbed in the heart and the second term is to take me if she dies.” 

“Wait I thought you fought death to make it stay away from Gilda?” Rainbow asks while carefully pulling more of Gold Sky’s wing over her. 

“To stay away is to prevent death by natural causes for given the fact she will stop aging the moment she becomes an adult as for being stabbed in heart that too is the only way I can die. So it is fair that I do this otherwise, I risk having her think she is invincible. Leading to her to throw away every honorable value I passed down to her and bring this world to its knees.” 

“Oh.” Rainbow says. “Makes sense I guess…can you just show me the tender moments? I-I-I don’t want to get too emotional here and start crying like a sap.

Gold Sky cannot understand how Rainbow doesn’t want to cry when it’s only them right now at the present moment and he does not have the tendency to tell others about ones emotions. Still it seems Rainbow Dash has a big ego she cradles so dearly to her heart so why not just accommodate her for this moment or better yet just use this to study his friend.  “Well to me every moment I spent with her is a tender moment but I’ll give you what you want Rainbow Dash.” Starting with showing Rainbow what Gilda loves to eat. “She just loves peach and mango mixed together but she just loved watching me mashing them I mean she will almost stand from her high chair just to watch me then when I ask her what she’s doing she’ll just smile and laugh. After enjoying her fruitful breakfast ha! No pun intended, I’ll cook her up a nice piece of stag with egg whites on the side then together we eat…” Interrupted for the obvious reason. 

“You eat MEAT!! What the hell dude!!” 

Okay on being an omnivore Gold Sky finds annoyance in being looked upon as weird. “Say what the hell dude one more time Rainbow Dash and I’ll stuff a chunk of stag in your bloody mouth.” Clearing his throat Gold Sky continues while showing Rainbow little Gilda being cute. “For dinner I’ll give her a feast which after that it’s bath time, story time, and lastly bed time. Hmm, she loves me very much my sweet Gilda, so growing up as I expected she never asked why I look different from the other Griffon fathers she instead will groom me almost every day so I can look good when we go grocery shopping, err you want to show her grooming me Rainbow Dash?” 

Rainbow Dash nods. “You know it Gold Sky!” 

Thus in front of Rainbow, Gilda is busy as a bee passing her rough little tongue over his head to smooth out his hair, then licks his cheeks the same way a felidae will do to clean its loved ones, after Gilda finishes licking Gold Sky’s clean she begins to preen his wings, and ends by pulling him down to plant many kisses on his cheek. “Then I’ll groom her but my tongue isn’t made for grooming like hers so you can imagine how hard it was for me but nevertheless, she enjoyed it so if she’s happy I’m happy.” 

“I think he’ll get mad if I call Gilda a little kitty.” Rainbow tells herself. “Hmmmm, I wonder, show me something that tells me of how much a father you were to her. Good father that is which from the beginning I can tell you were.” Well Rainbow wants to deny herself the inevitable which led to Gilda to be what she is now. 

“Very well Rainbow Dash.” The memories flash forward to Gold Sky covering a starving Gilda with his wing for right they are in the Great Famine that has bestowed the Republic and food is scarce but food to feed his Gilda is even much scarce despite him always giving her his ration every day. 

“You gave her your food Gold Sky?” 

“Yes. I never ate any of my rations and when she tried to make me eat my ration I’ll use my telepathy to make her see that I’m eating but in reality I’m just chewing on air. But the time finally came when food ran out…I being a Father couldn’t bear to hear Gilda cry as she starved so I was left to carry out my last resort.” To keep Rainbow from asking what is his last resort he takes her to memory where he’s sharping his knife and keeping an ear out for Gilda. After his knife is sharpened he pauses as if what he’s going to do is going to be painful and it will but if it means putting Gilda out of her starving misery then by all means he will do it. “Here goes nothing.” Gold Sky buries the knife into his flank and cuts out a huge chunk of flesh then waits until his regeneration brings back the flesh he carved out then once healed he craves out more of his flesh. “That’s more than enough to keep Gilda well fed. So good thing I saved the ration paper in order to make her believe this is a ration she’s eating and not my flesh.”  The father after saying his thoughts to himself wraps his flesh up in the ration paper then waits a few minutes until he has the right moment to present Gilda with her ration. 

Rainbow looks over her shoulder to stare at Gold Sky’s flank expecting to see a scar. “How can you feed her pieces of your own flesh Gold Sky!?” And without permission she slaps his flank thinking it’ll sting him. 

“Hey, hey you can only see not touch! Now do you think I’ll let my daughter starve  when I have the ability to use my body as a means to feed her until the Great Famine comes to end? Because Gilda has been through heart break for at the dawn of the famine she lost her first and dearest friend whom she loved as a brother so seeing her saddened once more is my breaking point.”

Rainbow kind of squirms to see the little Griffon eat Gold Sky’s flesh with glee while on Gold Sky’s face she can see him lightly smile to be able to provide Gilda with food to eat. “She’s eating you Gold Sky!” 

The stallion simply shrugs. “Well at least I taste good and she will never know that it’s I she’s eating but like I said I’ll do anything to end her starvation. Besides if you were my daughter I’ll the same thing except I’ll transform my flesh into potatoes or apples.” 

Oh dear being called daughter by Gold Sky definitely requires a visit with Rarity. 
Gold Sky fast forwards to Gilda’s teenage years where he walks out of a dojo with many slash marks across his body but slowly they heal up and before speaking he wipes his sparkling blood from his mouth then spits out the rest. “Gilda, come.” Both of them fly up into the sky to get away from the Griffons Gold Sky has put in their place by making them flightless for the rest of their lives. “Now you can ask me what you want to ask me Gilda.” 

Well as always Gilda will always call Gold Sky daddy but when seriousness comes she’ll switch to Father. “Father why did they want to hurt me?” With tears in her eyes Gilda tries to comprehend why her so called new friends wanted to hurt her by attempting to beat her up in the dojo. Luckily or by instinct she called out to Father who appeared in a flash of white light the moment her word left her mouth and protected her by taking on not only the seven teenagers but also taking on their parents who are masters in a deadly Kung Fu they call the Lion’s Roar but even then Gold Sky has no equal in combat and likes err LOVES it when the odds are stacked against him though as an Honorable stallion he lets them live despite the fact they had the intention to harm his Daughter which is an automatic death sentence. But the Father already had his fill of blood in the six year war and he will not shed blood before his daughter when he can break bones instead. 

Before all things Gold Sky softly nuzzles Gilda’s head using affection to open her mind to his words. “You have always been different from the other Griffons as I am as well.”

“What do you mean different Father!? We are Griffons like them!” 

Gold Sky points to her heart. “It isn’t appearance that makes you different from them it is how you grew up is what makes you different from them. In the years of your growth you found solace with me Gilda, and then you found friendship leading to more happiness for you to embrace but when friendship came to its end all you had left is me which satisfied you nonetheless. But now with your growing maturity you wish to seek friendship once more because the hole left behind in your childhood never healed so you tried to seek friendship once more to find closure. “ 

Gilda nods to Father’s words. “I-I just thought these Griffons will like me.”

“I know sweetheart but they never had the intent to ever become friends with you just the intent to hurt you in order to fuel their superiority complex. Of course Gilda, I have trained you to be a remarkable fighter like me so tell me how is it you were overpowered by these teenagers?” At the same time Gold Sky will like to know why Gilda didn’t fight back. 

The Griffon nervously rubbing her arm breaks eye contact and proceeds to answer Father. “They took me by surprise Father…I got taken over by their embrace which blinded me from seeing the knife they wanted to stab me in the back with. But Father their parents are masters of that Lion’s Roar Kung Fu fighting style and they trained for decades so how were you able to beat them!?” Nevertheless, even when saddened Gilda is still impressed by Father’s fighting capability. 

*Long sigh.* “Gilda I have no equal in combat at all so no matter how masterful they are in their martial art they will fall. Look Gilda you may never find any friends among Griffons and being an Honorable Griffon along with having conviction you will always be target to those who lack such values. I know you want friendship but some things just cannot be obtained yes that’s the cruel reality but you must persevere through it. For in life we will face difficulty but that difficulty is what makes you stronger and in time you will be stronger than me Gilda.” The stallion takes his daughter into his arms to embrace her. “You will find Friendship Gilda I promise you that and it shall always have a lasting impact upon you.” Thus to seal his words the stallion kisses his daughter’s head. 

Gilda receiving her Father’s wise words takes them to her heart where she gains the understanding that he is right for this difficulty she is made stronger and her honor is strengthened as well which will help her stay above the dishonorable weak, keeping her from trailing into dismaying paths. “If I never find friendship will you stay by my side…daddy?” 

Gold Sky leans back to make eye contact with Gilda’s golden eyes. “I will always be with you Gilda for you are my flesh & blood and do you remember that question you asked me twenty eight years ago in the meadows when you were just a precious little Griffon.” 

“Uhmmmmm?” Thinking back at that moment Gilda tries to remember the question the exact way she said it before. “Yes! I asked you if I will ever meet a pony with a rainbow colored mane like the one in the story that saved the pony with a generous heart.” 

Gold Sky softly chuckles then brings her close again and kisses her forehead. “Chances are starting to look high that will happen one day.” 

*GASP!* Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe this and for good reason. “Fate! Fate had us become friends! But something happened, I mean the Gilda I’m seeing right now is so loving, honorable, humble, and friendly. I only saw this side her in Junior Speedsters camp when Father’s day came around.”  

“I’m getting to that part Rainbow Dash but first I feel real certain you will like to see her take her first flight.” *Boing* “Before I continue forgetting, ahem the moment I took Gilda into my arms was the moment I got my Cutie Mark which is a golden heart inside a turquoise diamond which I guess symbolizes my Chero blood.”

“Or something to do with Rarity since it’s a diamond.” Rainbow Dash mutters through her lips then goes back to the prospect of seeing Gilda flying. “You know I will more than love seeing her fly! Because she flies like a pro and when she does her special moves she amazes me with her precise grace and agility!” 

All thanks to Gold Sky of course. “The thing about Griffons is their methods of teaching their young how to fly. The first and perhaps the most common used method is simply pushing the young Griffon off a high cloud and let their instinct take over. But I can’t help but frown upon that method when it doesn’t fully prepare the young Griffon to fly but instead forces them to fly out of fear so I taking the second and lesser used method taught Gilda to fly by first preparing her physically, mentally, and yes Lovingly. So I began by making her do wings exercise to build up muscle for long distance flying takes a lot of muscle along with stamina of course after every exercise my dear Gilda will drag herself to bed and fall asleep though it will be my bed she’ll fall asleep on which the only thing I can do is accommodate her by putting my beating heart near her ears. Again I’ll train her with more exercises like hovering for as long as she can above the ground, then hovering ten yards above the ground with me being under her just in case she falls, lastly she’ll hover above the clouds while I will be close to keep fear away but then & again helping her a bit just provides her with more encouragement to do better. I mean you should have seen her sheer determination to please me, wait you can.” Gold Sky shows Rainbow Dash the great determination radiating from Gilda’s face.  

“Whoa I never have seen Gilda like that! I guess she only flew because of you.” Rainbow comes up on the fly to make herself sound serious before the Immortal Stallion. 

“Heh, I fool myself by thinking that Rainbow Dash she wanted to learn how to fly because she wants the pleasure of taking to the air and asking me to join her so we can learn from one another because while I taught her to fly she taught me how to use my war maneuvers and turn them into tricks. Whenever she stalled I’ll be there to pull up her nose re-stabilizing her, whenever the wind pushes her around I will command the wind to stop, and whenever, she reaches out to me I will extend my hoof so she can hold on to it.” Gold Sky stops to look upon Rainbow Dash. “At least she got to meet a pony with a rainbow colored mane…any who before I show you what went wrong, let me show you this great memory Rainbow Dash.” 

“Okay…I guess.” Already Rainbow Dash feels cold about seeing what went wrong. 

High above the clouds Gold Sky flies up while on his back little Gilda hangs on in order to save time. “Gilda are you sure you’re sure about wanting to do this?” He asks with a shade of extreme worry in his voice. 

Gilda looks down at the thick yet rather comfy clouds down below. “I’m more than sure daddy, besides you’ll be here with me.” To ensure her father, Gilda passes her hand over his neck. 

“Alright Gilda I’ll take your word for it now give me a kiss for good luck sweetheart.” Gold Sky points to his right cheek. 

“MUAH!!” Gilda kisses his right cheek. “Other cheek! MUAH!!” And kisses his left cheek for more luck. 

However, just one more thing from Gold Sky. “Gilda remember. Yaw, Pitch, Power, and Roll. Remember your basic flight teachings.  Now go!” Gold Sky is still a bit nervous about letting Gilda convince him to fly high above the clouds but as long as he’s here nearby then he’ll let her fly high. 
Gilda nods to Father’s last bit of help. “Got it daddy! Here we go.” Thus the young Griffon jumps off of father’s back to fly above the clouds. “Here I go!!” The youngster flaps her wings taking flight through her own willful accord so in feeling her senses telling her she flying above the clouds she begins to laugh with joy. “Daddy, I’m doing it! I’m doing it daddy! Look at me, I’m flying above the clouds HAHAHAHAHA look at me daddy!!” Gilda joyfully cries out to her watching father. 

Gold Sky flying close to his dearest, dearest daughter reflects her joy through his smile radiating on her. “I see you flying wonderfully my dear Gilda and you don’t know how glad I am to see you flying this high when for others it will take them years to reach this altitude. Now let’s fly together Gilda.”   

The Griffon squealing in delight to fly with father nods. “C’mon daddy!” Leading the way for her father to follow Gilda tilts downward in a left angle to glide the tip of her wing on the clouds below her then father follows suite by doing the same thing. At looking at the clouds rush up his wing he looks back to Gilda who still is smiling her great big smile to be leading father across a great plain of clouds. “Oh some easterly winds! Time to do some tricks.” 

“Just don’t get carried away Gilda or you might stall.” Gold Sky reminds her. 

“Got it!” Gilda lifting up the feathers in her right wing and lowering the feathers of her left wing performs a roll then straighten her wing angles to get back in normal flight angle. “Father saw my amazing trick and I know he’s impressed so time to step it up and take advantage of the winds coming up so perhaps I can use yaw to my advantage to perform some top spins.” Top spins means to spin like a top. “WOO HOO!” 

“Just don’t get dizzy.” Truth be told if his dear Gilda get nauseated and vomits her lunch and the vomit happens to land on him well let’s just say he’s been through worse when an infant Gilda will be sleeping over his heart then relives herself in both number 1 and number 2. Thus potty training was of grave importance when the time came to teach her. “Yes don’t get dizzy.” 

“Time for a barrel roll!” Gilda lines up her wing feathers and pulls her arms to her side to reduce the possibility of drag to ruin her trick. But suddenly from out of nowhere a swift gale of wind blows her out of Gold Sky’s field of vision and spins her into a terrible engagement of stalling severely. 

“NO GILDA!!” Gold Sky banks down to save Gilda. “TÁTE!” His command is heeded by the wind but it is too late for a strong westerly gale takes hold of Gilda before the word in his native tongue is ushered. “I’m coming!” 

“AHHHH WHOA, WHOA AHHHHHHHHH!” Gilda screams while being spun around by the wind. “DADDY, DADDY!” She calls out in fear because she realizes the more she spins the faster her descent to the ground becomes and the more fear that grips Father preventing him from having a clear mind to use his teleportation. “Daddy can’t go poof to reach me!” By poof its Gilda’s way of saying teleportation. 

“There’s too much wind resistance and if I use the wind to provide me with a boost I risk creating a vortex that might be strong enough to not only trap Gilda but tear her apart as well!” Gold Sky now sees the only way he can help Gilda is to remind her why she’s doing this in the first place so he connects to her mind with his telepathy. “Gilda clear your mind, feel don’t think. Feel why you’re doing this.” 

Gilda hearing her loving father’s words tells herself to get a grip. “I must get back control to fly back up to daddy!” The young Griffon begins sensing the variations of the wind bellowing her around allowing her mind to piece together a rhythm where the repeat for the sudden aero tune is the wind taking a pause before going back to the beginning to carry her down to the earth. “I’m doing this for daddy, for daddy, for daddy, and I will impress daddy!!” For in the end of all of this Gilda is doing her high flying to receive Father’s admiration and his admiration is so amazing for it is like being loved by Love itself or actually it is being loved by Love itself.  “Got to time it precisely or I will fail Father.” With the determination of a King Cobra, Gilda awaits for the repeat in the aero tune to seize her opportunity to save herself. “Almost, almost…almost…” Now to make matters worse for the Immortal Father thick clouds sweep in engulfing Gilda and taking her out of his sight. 

“NOOOOOOOO!” Gold Sky whimpers as tears form in his eyes. “Please Great Spirit! PLEASE GREAT SPIRIT PROTECT GILDA OR TAKE ME INSTEAD! BUT PLEASE PROTECT MY GILDA OH GREAT SPIRIT PLEASE!” The stallion begs even when he folds his wings the manner a Peregrine Falcon does when it dives down allowing him to crash through the thick cloud cover but still no precious Gilda in sight. “My telepathy tells me she’s close yet I can’t see her!!!” 

“Almost…almost…NOW!” Gilda shoots out her wings when the pause comes and when the strong wind comes it stabilizes her along with carrying her back up to the high skies. “Haha I did it!” 

“Huh!” Gold Sky sees Gilda zoom past him with a smile on her face. “Oh thank you Great Spirit!” The once terrified father resets his course to follow his dear daughter. 

“WOO HOO!” Despite her sudden run-in with mayhem brushed with a harsh degree of malice Gilda throws out her fear to take in the joy of taking control of this mayhem and turning it around to her advantage. “Snap roll time then a yo-yo!” Filled unmeasured joy Gilda performs her tricks in the blue sky while down below her loving father breaks through the cloud cover to bear full witness of her incredible talent. 

Short of breath while feeling he weighs tons thanks to the unmeasurable terror that moments ago seized complete control of him like the insectoid embryo of the Xenomorph plops down on nearby cloud to get a hold of himself. “I never been so afraid in my life before…even more afraid than the slaughter I did to the Zebra Rouge clan.” He says to himself while his eyes follow Gilda flying about in the sky. “I shouldn’t have allowed Gilda convince me to let her do this but I want her to become a better flyer…I almost lost her…but I didn’t, I need to get over it and join in the joy of her moment.” The stallion takes a deep breath to completely mark his own spoken words. 

“Daddy!” Gilda shouts to him as she comes to sit by him and brag about her amazing tricks. “Did you see everything I did!!” 

Gold Sky passes his hoof over her head before speaking. “You amaze me in every possible way Gilda and you truly fly like a well-seasoned Griffon.” 

Hearing this Gilda beams a wide ear to ear grin to her father. “Thank you, daddy!” 
Now to the heartfelt moment. “But Gilda I almost lost you in the midst of your sheer determination to proof how far you have come…” Gold Sky sniffles but nevertheless suppresses the emotion. “Look Gilda I don’t mean to take away the joy from your well-deserved moment I don’t mean too I just want you to know that when you started to stall and the wind began carrying you away from me. I never felt so afraid in my entire life and I begged the Great Spirit to take me instead but luckily you pulled through like the resourceful Griffon you are.” Gold Sky covers Gilda with his wing. 

“Y-you were af-afraid daddy?” Gilda asks for this is the first time she’s ever heard Father tell her he was scared. For Gilda believe it or not, never thought Father can ever be scared for he is the bravest thing she knows but then again there is always a first time for her to learn something new thus to hear father tell he was scared shows her he’s the bravest and most honest father she can ever have. 

Gold Sky nods. “Yes. Any who, don’t let my let my words take away the joy from your moment Gilda my lovely dearest Gilda so do you want to celebrate with ice cream, a pizza, a nice juicy hamburger, or perhaps that new food called oriental. Whichever you want Gilda is whatever you shall get.” 

Gilda being offered rewards for her accomplishment understands that her father’s expression of his fear was only to remind her of his Love for her now with her choices set before her she can only pick one that’ll satisfy her but does she have to pick one when deep down it looks like father has presented her with these choices so she can pick two. “Can we get pizza and ice cream daddy?” It’s only natural for Gilda to take advantage and pick two. 
Gold Sky lovingly laughs at Gilda picking two which is something he expected. “Very well that sounds swell sweetheart now get on my back so you enjoy your hard earned rewards.” 

Thus Gilda hops onto his back and automatically hugs his neck while her cheek rubs against his mane. “I’m ready daddy!” 

So upon getting back up to all fours Gold Sky flaps his wings but yet he hesitates to jump off and dive down through the clouds. “Gilda, last one down is a rotten egg.” He lightly bucks her off his back to get her flapping her wings. “NOW!” He jumps off the cloud leaving Gilda to eat his condensation trail. “HAHA c’mon sweetheart!” 

Gilda now full of joy jumps off the cloud as well. “Hey no fair you had a head start!” Laughing as she does, Gilda speeds past her father already leaving the rotten egg in her trail of condensation.  

Rainbow looks back up to the stallion reeling back from how fatherly Gold Sky can make any moment so fatherly and when experiencing fear he is able to get over it after some words. “Gold Sky, you and Gilda are so…beautiful together. I mean by saying beautiful together I see it as the perfect definition of the Father and Daughter relationship. You taught her well…” Suddenly Rainbow loses her strength from a massive influx of emotions overwhelming her mind. “What went wrong!!? TELL ME!! TELLLLLLL MEEEE! WHAT WENT WRONG GOLD SKY!!! I CAN’T SEE HOW GILDA WILL ACT SO PRIDEFUL WHEN A HONORABLE STALLION LIKE YOU IS HER FATHER!! TELL ME HOW MY FRIEND CHANGED!!” Rainbow begs with the full power of her lungs. 

 *TIRAH* 
A chilling cacophony takes them to utter blackness. 

“I can’t show you Rainbow Dash but I can show you the innocent blood I spilt and how it drove me away from Gilda by triggering the Razor with these screams.” With a wave of his left arm, hundreds upon hundreds of innocent voices cry out for mercy and the invisible walls began dripping with the innocent blood he himself shed. “Listen to the innocent blood I have shed Rainbow Dash, listen to the voices I’ve heard every day I was raising Gilda. Day & night, hearing this terror whenever, wherever, and at any time of the day asleep, awake, eating, bathing, playing, teaching, and loving I hear the screams of the Innocent Blood I have shed.” 

The screams begin frightening Rainbow Dash but yet she wants to dive into the sin that separated him from Gilda. “Th-the-they sound so young…you said Innocent Blood always gets avenged and it avenged itself not by taking your life in payment but from taking you away from Gilda whom you hold most dear by trying to trigger this Razor inside of you. What is the Razor??” 

With another wave of his left arm Gold Sky takes Rainbow the galaxy of his mind then with a wave of his right arm a dark shadow hovers a distance from the galaxy. “That Rainbow Dash is the Razor; it exists to protect the ones I love by taking over to get rid of the hesitations called emotions and make me turn into a killer that cannot be stopped by anything.” The Razor comes closer so Rainbow Dash can get a better look at it and by referring as it that was it is. A shadow that takes control. 

The dark shadow hovers before the cyan Pegasus showing her it has eyes look exactly look like the eyes Nightmare Moon has but unlike Gold Sky the Razor has a large hole where the heart will normally thus while those two daunting features are well daunting the most perplexing is how it’s how glyph-like patterns glow on the wings & horn. “This is what spelt the Innocent Blood not you. You wouldn’t do such a thing…I just know simply be seeing how you raised Gilda. Question is why did you spill Innocent Blood.” 

“For her.” The dark shadow disappears revealing a adult Griffon. “Her name was Ruby and I loved as if she was my sister. I met her during my two hundred year journey and she joined me for she always wanted to go on an adventure while I was feeling lonely so why not have a travel companion which as years passed we grew very close together. So when we arrived at the United Zebra Clans things…*sigh* the Chieftain held Ruby’s life at the beckon of his word and the only way to save her was to shed Innocent Blood. While before you ask yes I have telepathy but I was just too scared to lose my sister, I-I was just so scared of losing her. Thus the Razor took over and the Innocent Blood was spelt.” 

Rainbow whimpers when the stallion goes silent after frowning. “So…if the Razor’s sole purpose is to protect the ones you love then how did see Gilda as a threat which drove you away from her.”

Gold Sky brings an end to his telepathy taking them back to sun lit reality they’re in. “Because the screams came only when I’m around Gilda and the Razor cannot deal with an Insane host once again…” Getting up on all fours the stallion walks forward but still continues telling Rainbow Dash what she needs to hear. “Before the dawn of the last day I’ll spend with her I spent all night looking at my dearest Gilda and watch her breathe while she slept under my wing. I silently cried for I knew when dawn comes that marks the end which had to come for her protection from the Razor. Because I just couldn’t fight off the Razor any longer it almost took over once and nearly harmed Gilda. So when dawn came I wasted no time to give my daughter the best day of her life starting with grooming her then when I was about to cook her the best breakfast I can provide I remembered that the Gypsies came and set up a grand fair for everyone to enjoy so I made up my mind and take her to her to the grand fair so we can enjoy our last day together. OOH!” The stallion collapses onto the ground. 

*GASP* “Gold Sky!” Rainbow Dash sprints to help him up. “Are you alright?” 

“She laughed so much, she smiled nonstop, and grabbed my hoof so many times when she saw something she liked.” Gold Sky stays on the ground without having the littlest thought of getting back up to gain back some dignity. “She has never been so happy before but she had to be happy on the last day she’ll be with me so you can imagine the pain I felt when she told this was the best day of her life before falling asleep under my wing. There as she slept peacefully I committed my greatest sin. ” 

Rainbow tries to help him up but he simply refuses to get up. “Dang you’re kind of heavy, any way so you did something before leaving?” 

The stallion slowly nods. “When she fell into deep sleep, I kissed her forehead for the last time before using my telepathy to suppress every, every, every memory she has of me from her beginning to her end by my act, I buried the memories in the deepest crevice of her mind where not even she can find them no matter how much she searches. Therefore, I brought an end to the loving, honorable, and gentle Gilda that you never met and I allowed pride, mortal emotions, and fear develop inside of her changing my dearest Gilda into a Griffon that lost a friend like you. I failed her…I failed my flesh & blood because I spilt Innocent Blood and could not fight the Razor. So after suppressing her memories I took her to a Griffon that will take in Gilda and treat her as her daughter…I wanted to kiss my daughter ‘s cheek but I couldn’t I-I-I-I just passed my hoof through her hair then walked away as a hard rain came upon me on that night.” Gold Sky begins to weep. “I wish I can show you more but the pain is too great…I lost my heart Rainbow Dash. Humph, I lost my parents and I lost my daughter therefore as a stallion I am no longer a son & a father, I can only be a husband now though how can a mortal love an Immortal like me…” 

“I…” Rainbow stops herself from anything when she first needs to seek Rarity’s counsel in regards of exploring her feelings for him. “I understand Gold Sky…I care about you now please don’t cry for at least you much rather be nothing to Gilda so she can live then to be something to her and watch her die before your eyes by your taken over will.” 

Still weeping but comforted nonetheless Gold Sky looks into Rainbow’s eyes. “Thank you for understanding Rainbow Dash.” He moves up and kisses her forehead for he is still kind of in the old fashion way of expressing his gratitude. 

Meanwhile inside Rainbow’s head. “He kissed me! He just kissed me!! Well not kiss me kiss me but he kissed me! Oh wait…” Realization rains on Rainbow’s jovial moment. “He kissed me the same way he kisses Gilda…damn it!!” Still Rainbow wraps her arms around to continue the sad stallion. 


“Don’t worry I’m here for you and we can be more than friends Gold Sky…”
“Even mortals can have dreams that transform into Immortality.”  
Whispers the cyan Pegasus. 

However, despite being wise Gold Sky cannot see the true meaning of Rainbow’s words but Rainbow isn’t always one to let her words have more than one meaning. 

***

Outside of Ponyvile a cloaked Unicorn tosses up runes craved from the bones of Chero his predecessors have killed ions ago. “Here!” The runes reveal to him that here in Equestria are the last two Chero he needs to hunt down and kill in order to add their left ears to his necklace of trophies.  “Here are the last two Chero!! Hmmmm?” He tosses the runes once more into the air in order to gain more information about them. “What!!? One of them is a half-breed while the other one is pure blooded oh frak! Eh still at least the half-breed has Chero blood inside of…” Another toss to know the half-breed’s gender. “Him and the other one is also a he as well so that means the last full blooded Chero will be the kill I shall cherish the most. Hahahahaha!” The cloaked Unicorn cackles in joy to finally bring extinction to the race that his father, his father’s father, and his father’s father, father hunted down for thousands of years. “Us hunters were once plentiful but once those Chero scattered our numbers began to dwindle just like them but I the last of US hunters the Philistines will finish the Chero once & for all! Now to go after the full blooded Chero before I go after the half-breed now to find that full blooded Chero!” The Philistine tosses his runes into the air. “What!” The runes tell him something he did not expect. “Go after the half-breed first but he’s a half-breed! He’s worth half the worth of the full blooded Chero!” 

However, the reason why the runes are telling him these things is the work of the Great Spirit’s hand. So again the runes are tossed into the air to reveal why the half-breed is worth more than the last full blooded Chero. “IMMORTAL! The half-breed is immortal how the hell is that even possible! I-I-I killed the sons in front of their parents thanks to the runes which helped me find them but yet I couldn’t find this immortal half-breed…hmm perhaps he being a half-breed may be the main contributing factor to why the runes didn’t tell me about him at first until now.” The Philistine makes up his mind. “I’ll take out the half-breed first because I always wanted to kill an Immortal especially one with Chero blood.” He carefully passes his hoof over his necklace that holds the left ears of all the Chero Native Equestrians he has killed which number two hundred fourteen. 

“The half-breed is mine!” 
And through the Hand of the Great Spirit, the hunter will be facing one who has no Equal in Combat. 

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My dearest reader as always I thank you for your infinite patience and I can't be more honored than to have readers like all of you. Thank you.