//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: The Fall of the Colt // Story: Tale of Soarin McLighting // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Tale of Soarin McLighting Chapter 13: The Fall of the Colt Close to the northern edges of the Equestria and the Griffon Borders a battle raged with continuous bombardment of magical beams and flaming catapulted projectiles. The fort shielded by a large magical dome retaliated with their own magical and projectile attacks on the two large armies that attempted to break through the shield. The siege for the Colt of Zealous Fort had been going on for many days. Celestia and the Griffon King Grover, the first true king that united the Griffon race which lead to the war between Equestria and the Griffon Empire for many years, now stand side by side against a common enemy. The fighting though eased on the fourth day, Celestia had managed to get the leader of the Colt of Zealous, Crystal Spark, to come out and talk to talk with her and Grover at the halfway point of the fort and armies. The purple unicorn with Smash the large earth Pony stood before the Princess and King the tension in the air heavily as the silence consumed the scared land from the bombardments. Farm land scorched, homes destroyed and the ponies of the Colt of Zealous now held by the Griffon King. Crystal Spark eyes moving to one to the other, his anger clearly seen. “So... It comes to this.” Princess Celestia spoke in turn drifting to the scared burning lands. “You brought this on yourself Crystal Spark. By attacking the Griffons in the name of pony kind you had to know that we would aid the Griffon Empire to end the threat at the cost of creating a peaceful relation between us and them.” “Surrender and your so called Colt will be spared the death sentence living your lives in hard labour till the end of your days.” King Grover spoke his piece. “You done harm that will never be forgiven, turn one of our heroes into a pony. General Grif...” Smash chuckled. “Oh right Grif the captain? He was just a spy you idiot. We got more then enough information and that pretty idol of yours is all that keep your little kingdom together, the empire wouldn't be anything without it. Only a bunch of greedy self centered griffons.” He point his large hammer back to the fort. “Aye you just got fooled big time. Feather brain.” “Then the truth will be lost.” Grover growled. “Now surrender you can't escape and we will show you all mercy.” Crystal Spark glared at the Griffon. “Tell me this your highness what of the children and those that wasn't involved. They are living under our protection and never directly involved. Are you going to let them go with Celestia.” Princess Celestia gulped hard. “I-I am truly sorry. I...” She turn her head away in shame with tears falling. “When we found your fort, the terms of peace was for all of you to be taken by the Griffon Empire and terms of punishment is theirs to decide.” Smash slams his hammer hard into the ground making them jump with cracks spreading outwards. “Children to work till they pass on!? Slaved to the Griffon Empire as well!? What kind of Princess of Equestria would let the innocent be taken away for peace!? You are a monster!” Smash turn to Crystal Spark. “This is bucking rubbish sir and you know it.” Crystal Spark look into the eyes of the Griffon King. “We rather all die than be slaves to you bird brain!” “So be it, by sunrise we will breach your shield and destroy every last one of you.” The king turn and flies off back to his troops. Princess Celestia turn with watered eyes. “I am so sorry Crystal Spark I had no idea the outcome for the Colt of Zealous would involve all in the fort. I can not help you...” Crystal Spark horn glows with a dark purple colour building up at a single point. “This will be forever reminded of what you done Princess Celestia, the Colt of Zealous if it were to fall was to be the groups directly involved... never the innocents...” It continue to build up as he lower his head. “At least one of us will never be known. But this will!” He fires a beam at the unexpected Celestia striking her in the chest and blasting her away from him. Celestia open her wings to stop from landing hard on the ground, she grunted from the pain of the attack and before her guards could move in both Crystal Spark and Smash had teleported back into the fort. She look down at the mark left just under he chest plate, the attack wasn't meant to do any serious harm but to mark her. “Princess are you ok?” Rainbow Spectre came to her aid with fellow guard ponies. “Y-yes... I was just caught off guard but I don't blame him for how his acting, a leader protecting his fellow ponies from a threat...” Celestia stared at the magical barrier. “What do we do now?” “We attack at sunri-” The horns blow back at the camp of the ponies and griffons. “DRAGONS!” Celestia turn with her eyes shrinking. “He didn't...” “All to battle stations!” King Grover cried out and point his talon out to the dragons. The first a gold large dragon let loose a fireball on the encampments. Some of the camp was hit but most of it protected by the unicorn guards with advance shield spells that able to fend off the first attack. “Griffons Charge!” Rainbow Spectre smirked slightly. “Way to go Spark, you really out done them this time.” She whispered. “Princess we need to aid the Griffon King! Six fully grown dragons are too much for him to handle!” Celestia looking around quickly seeing the next two dragons a pair of red dragons unleash their flames on the camp, the three remaining dragons two green and one purple land before them and let out an massive set of roars as the gold one fly right over and head for the fort. “All ponies at arms! Aid our allies!” She flies right for the dragons unleashing a powerful beam of magic knocking one of the dragons down. Rainbow Spectre look directly into the eyes of the gold dragon as he look back at hers with a nod from her she takes off to help Princess Celestia. “Good luck sir.” She whispered. The battle between ponies, griffons and the dragons was extreme. One swipe from a green dragon sent a few dozen griffons flying into air and landing hard on the ground, many died from the swipe instantly, those that survived the impact of the attack was unable to battle now. The dragon looked right at the griffons that shivered in fear for their lives but it ignored them and continued the onslaught of the two armies. The catapults launch the projectiles right at the dragons knocking one of the red dragons from the sky with an loud thump. The Pegasi trying to keep the other one busy but she unleashed a jet of flames in the path of some, those that was caught in it was never to be seen again, unicorns keeping the others busy zapping them heavily with magical blasts and shield spells followed to protect them. The earth ponies with some of the griffons used rope and chains to try and pin down another one but it was so strong that it just lift them up. Looking directly at them he toss the ponies right into others, the battle was seeing heavy casualties. Celestia with the king battled against the purple dragon, she swiped with her tail at them, they dodged and followed by a sword slicing through her scales. The dragon unleashed a flame at the king but Celestia shields him with her magic and blasts the dragon back in the chest sending the large dragon into the mountainous landscape smashing through it. By the time the purple dragon came to her senses the blade was felt against her head between her eyes. “This blade was made to slice your hide as if it wasn't there, now talk!” “Why are you aiding the Colt of Zealous? You're losing this battle.” Celestia said showing two out of the five dragons that had fallen, they wasn't getting up ever again at the cost of hundreds of lives. The others had already fleeing... Rainbow Spectre arrived quickly, her mane was burnt in many places with her armour all but in pieces with one slash on her right eye, a clear cut from a dragon claw, the blood dripping from the cut wasn't bothering her at the moment. “Princess the gold dragon that flew over the battle left with everypony in the fort! They was airlifted to the north!” Celestia was startled by this and look directly at the dragon who was laughing as three shadows flew over them, they looked up quickly to see three more dragons heading north. “They were a distraction... We was so intent in defending ourselves from the dragons that...” “Hehe yes Princess Celestia, I surrender. Do what you wish to me, but know this. We did this not for gold but for pride, we own a debt with Crystal Spark that now is repaid, the dragons that left with them will aid them in a new life away from you and the Griffons.” The dragon deep female voice ringed in the air as she continued to laugh at the expense of the two leaders. “GAHHHH!!!!” Grover stabs the dragon through the scales between the eyes as deep he could and the laughter came to an instant end. Celestia stared at what the griffon king did. “S-she surrendered...” “Indeed and I sentenced her instantly to death! Her kind killed many ponies and griffons to help those ponies of the Colt of Zealous!” He growled. “I am sending my best to find where they fled to! You better do the same Princess!” King Grover open his wings pulling out the blade flying off to see what had happened to his fellow kind. Celestia looked around at the campsite, it was in ruins. The fort was burning with immense flames with heavy black smoke billowing out into the young night sky. “The Colt of Zealous has over step their bounds. Rainbow Spectre I want you to get word out to the Wonderbolts, they are to aid the king at finding Crystal Spark and his ponies.” Rainbow Spectre saluted. “At once Princess...” She turn to see a small egg. “Princess a dragon egg...” Celestia lift it with her magic. “She was a mother...” Celestia lower her head. “I will take the egg back to Canterlot and have it sealed in an magical lock till the time comes for it to be hatched.” “Princess? Are you sure that wise?” “No but I can not forgive what had happened but I can try to mend what had be done.” Celestia look to the burning fort once more. “Tell the guard to stay and search the fort once the fires burned themselves out. I will head back to Canterlot with the ponies that lost their lives today... We have made peace but at a dreadful cost. I just hope it worth it.” “As do I princess...” Rainbow Spectre watch Celestia leave and sighed heavily. “Crystal you better know what you are doing, you stupid colt...” She open her wings and take off to find some of the remaining guard and then find the Wonderbolts afterwards. The bodies and ash remains of the ponies was collected within the next few days all held within magic to preserve the bodies of the fallen. Celestia taking the lead as they began their slow march back to Canterlot, the Wonderbolts working alongside the very best scouts of the Griffon Empire set out north to find the remains of the once Colt of Zealous, they shattered and all but one item lost in the blaze. The guard ponies found in the remains of the fort a piece of orb only half of it they collected it and placed it in a crate to be shipped off back to Canterlot. The land soon was emptied of all bodies of dragons, ponies and griffons, all that was left were the charred remains of the camps and the fort with farm land destroyed. As the years pass the fort was completely removed and replaced with an large obelisk with the land healing and blooming. Red poppies grew at the year of completion of the memorial to those that was lost in the war between Griffons and Ponies, nothing about the Colt of Zealous and the bloody massacre that took place in minutes of the dragons arriving. As the years tick by and the peace continued the truth faded into the shadows and only of the war was known, the memorial holding place where the last battle of the war took place where Celestia took up arms against King Grovers and finally coming to terms that neither side would win. Union Memorial 500 years past and the memorial still stood, Zealous stood at the steps with red petals blowing around from the wind, the landscape hardly changed since the years after the war. The obelisk still standing tall, Flare stood beside her with his claw hands around the tablet held against his chest. “The Truth was never known Flare, this is where my great great grandfather stood his ground against Celestia. When they fled.” “My father was here Zealous, he aided the escape.” Flame turn to the sea of flowers. “Somewhere in the ground is my mother too...” “If what is true the king killed her. But it was a risk she was willing to take for everypony to escape.” “I know...” Dr. Caballeron with Merlin Starlight came down from the Obelisk. “Incredible, we not only teleported a great distance but the events of the Colt of Zealous and the battle with Princess Celestia is something I never saw coming.” “That youngster is what had happened. The truth lost in time. Yes the massacre could have been prevented but things happen that we all can not control.” Merlin responded. “Such as my own grave mistakes, but don't get me wrong the humans are not all bad, only a small number of them are. They lead their troops in the acts we call evil or wrong.” “You have definitely spark my interest.” He smirked. “So what would the next job initial?” Zealous put her hoof to the ear piece. “Teleport us back to the Cliff Library Control.” “Yes ma'am!” Cliffside Library All four disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared back in the study. Dr. Caballeron stumbled a little shaking his head from the dizziness. “I'll never get use to that.” He reach out of the cup of water on the tray drinking the content instantly. “For what the next job is. It rather simple. We going to get the other half of the orb that Celestia stashed away in that very ruins Ahuizotl is held up in.” Zealous walked up to the window looking out to the waterfall. “It time to finish what my great great grandfather started all those years ago but with humans instead.” Flare taking a look at his tablet. “Zealous I got mail from our team that went to negotiation with Ahuizotl.” “What does it say?” “Not good at all...” He read it carefully. “Ahuizotl has charged his demands for the artefact and the pony Mist. He still wish for the payment but has increased it by 19.2% and want you to personally make the transaction.” “Is that all?” “No he wants you to bring the other half with you. He want to see it completed...” Zealous right eye twitches with her horn flaring into magical light. “That two faced Ahuizotl he's not going to keep his end of the bargain! He's going to try and steal it from me and use it for himself!” Merlin Starlight put his hoof on her side. “Calm down Lady Zealous, a magical outburst would not only put your own life at risk but all in this room.” She took a deep breath as the magic dies down. “Hmm... If I was to make a suggestion.” Dr. Caballeron spoke up thinking about it for a moment rubbing his underside of the snout. “Ahuizotl had double cross me more than once shall I say, and he has no knowledge of the orb's effect no?” Zealous slowly look around over to him. “And how much would this cost?” “Nothing, let say this is mortality beneficial for both of us. No?” Flare lower his tablet. “It would be interesting to see how it would effect a creation such as Ahuizotl Zealous. We could even invite a certain adventurer to witness it.” Zealous look between them with a smile of her own now. “Boys do you know you're bad as each other?” She turn to the elderly unicorn. “What's your take on all this?” “Lady Zealous, I believe that it interest me as well. May I attend this meeting?” “It seems the fall of the Colt 500 years ago created something new in this very room, we all agree on one thing, Ahuizotl has to fall.” She raise a glass up with her magic, each of them took their own glasses of water up too. “To the fall of Ahuizotl.” “To the fall of Ahuizotl!” They repeated and clash their glasses together in a toast of their new found plan.