//------------------------------// // #13. The Braduate // Story: The Bradical Adventures of Twilight Sparkle & Flash Sentry: The Book of StarSwirl // by Chelis //------------------------------// "Uh, Dad?" The young prince asked in concern as the crowd hushed themselves to hear the slicing of the neck that was to come. "Hush, boy! Our first act against the ponies is about to start!" The king angrily whispered. "That's the thing! last time I checked griffons can't use magic!" His son frantically warned. "Yeah? And what's your point?!" The king growled at his son. "So we have established that griffons cannot use magic. So, dear father, why is the executioner using magic!?" The king turned pale and slowly pivoted just in time to react as the executioner's ax sailed at him. He ducked at the last p second, but not before the ax cleaved the king’s favorite crown. "Seize the hot princess!" The prince commanded. The guards flew to Twilight, but before they could reach her, she disappeared in a flash of magic. She reappeared in front of Flash, and with her magic, she freed Flash with his shackles. "Let's go! Now!" Flash was quick on his hooves and in the air with Twilight. The griffons knew their speed was no match for the ponies in the open air, so they threw their spears at them in an attempt to strike them down. Each one missed them and buried themselves into the side of the brick tower. Twilight changed her direction towards the library tower, with Flash flying right behind her. "Where is Spike!?" He asked. "Library! Going to take the fly-thru!" *** With each swing of the armor-clad guard’s ax, the harder Spike screamed. He would dodge out of the way at the last half-second, causing the ax to strike the floor. With Starswirl's book in one claw, he was more concentrated on not being split in half than the safety of the book. Even one sneeze could turn it onto a pile of ash. The second he heard the commotion he took a quick peek at the mayhem, waiting for his chance. He saw Twilight and Flash fly to him and knew it was his chance. He kicked his feet up as hard as he could, narrowly missing the ax several times. "This better work!" Spike groaned in prayer as he leaped out of the window. He felt his stomach fly back, his eyes widen, and his heart race. He was free falling down to the floor with nothing to stop him. It felt like it was going to be certain death. He landed with a firm, but safe, thud, still clutching onto the book. He saw that he landed on something purple, and something flying. "Thank you Twilight!" He hollered as he held onto her mane. "Thank you for the idea for this, Spike. Now we have to get those ponies out!" Twilight commanded as she took Flash's hoof in hers. As the griffons were closing in on the three, Twilight's magic surrounded them and they disappeared, to the bewilderment of every griffon watching. The ponies in the prison tower were watching the drama unfolding below them, cheering for their princess. When she disappeared, it was bittersweet. She had left to get help, but left them behind, to the wrath of the king. They were more than relieved when she reappeared in front of them in a flash of purple. Twilight's first observation gave her an idea: a sled. "Is there any pegasus here that's able to fly?" She panicked. A few raised their hooves and started to stretch their wings, which they had been waiting to use for a while. . "Everyone else pile on to the sled. I'm going to blast a hole and we are going to make a break for Equestria! Take this directly to Celestia when you arrive in Canterlot." Twilight commanded as she levitated the book out of Spike's claw and tucked it into a storage compartment in the sled. “Hey, that book over there on the floor! It looks like starswirl's book! What if we take that with us to make the griffins think we still have it?" Flash observed the dusty book on the ground next to Twilight. "Good idea!" Spike replied as he picked it off the ground. He dusted it off and hopped on Twilight's back once more. The guards had congregated around the humiliated king as the tried to figure out what to do from there. All the king wanted was to get his talons on the princess, no matter how badly his son wanted her for some 'fun'. King Carloman’s wish was answered with an explosion that rocked the side of the prisoner’s tower, and two groups of ponies flying out in different directions. Carloman's eyes were fixed on the smaller group that consisted of the princess, the dragon, and their guard. He would have cared less about his ransom leaving. The princess was worth more than all of those ponies put together and then some. "Damn, I hate to see her go, but I love watching her leave," The prince commented, which drew glares from his father and the horde of armor-clad guards. The prince sighed "Look! The book is secured! There's no way-" "My liege!" The armored guard wailed as he flew down from the library. "They took the book, didn't they?" The king asked. The guard nodded in defeat, the sound of the squeaking joints in the metal reverberating in the crowd. "Don't just sit here with a claw up your ass. Go get them!" King Carloman ordered.