Chapter 3: Hit Me With Your Best Shot
King Bastion sits on his throne reviewing paperwork on a desk in front of him when a battle scarred female griffin storms into the room. “I need a word with you your majesty.” She says the last words as if they are poison on her tongue.
“Retired General Bluttrinker, I'm a little busy at the moment. Why don't you come back when you have an appointment?”
“Your staff has been giving me the run around.” Bluttrinker says. “You never seem to have an appointment.”
“I'm an important griffin.” Bastion claims. “It can't be helped.”
Bluttrinker digs her claws into the desk and and drags her claws across the desk leaving gouges as she does. “I don’t like to play games.”
Bastion sighs as places the paperwork down. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t have you arrested.”
“You don’t have the balls to touch me.” Bluttrinker says. “You’re not half the griffin your father was.”
Bastion places his claws on the desk and pushes himself up. “My father started a war that we had no hope of winning.”
“So when he lost you rolled over and let the ponies castrate you?”
“You go too far!” Bastion yells. “If I didn’t give into their demands they were going to attack us, what would’ve happened then?”
“The ponies would never attack us.” Bluttrinker says. “You fell for their bluff.”
“You can’t prove that.”
“You can’t prove they were going to attack.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to step down, and let somegriffin else take over control.”
“I suppose you mean yourself?”
“Of course.” Bluttrinker says. “I’ll conscript from the entire empire and raise an army large enough to squash those puny ponies.”
“You’ll kill us all.” Bastion says. “You have no idea what those ponies are capable of.”
“The only griffin I’m going to kill is you if you don’t step aside.”
Bastion growls. “That’s it, arrest her!”
The guards don’t move and Bluttrinker laughs. “Problem your majesty?”
“What’s going on here?” Bastion growls as he turns to the guards. “I gave you an order!”
“I made sure your guards were members of my old team, they won’t lay a claw on me.” Bluttrinker says. “Now will you step aside or will I have to kill you?”
“I’ll kill you first!” Bastion yells
“Then die!” Bluttrinker yells as she uses her claws to strike out at Bastion as he turns around.
Bastion sees the claw and dodges backward and down, the claw meant for his neck rakes across the side of his face. He puts his right claw over his bleeding face and screams.
Bluttrinker flares her wings As a flash of purple light marks the arrival of Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash. “Flee!” Bluttrinker yells as she flies through the nearby window followed by the two guards.
“Dash, follow them!” Twilight says. “I’ll see about the King.”
“I’m on it!” Rainbow says as she quickly takes wing and goes through the window after the griffins.
“King Bastion, are you okay?” Twilight asks.
Bastion growls. “I think the Bitch took my eye.”
“Let me see, I know some healing spells.”
“Fine!” Bastion growls as he moves his claw aside, letting Twilight examine the wound.
“I’m not going to lie.” Twilight says as she charges her horn. “It’s pretty bad, I don’t know if I can save your eye or not.”
“Do what you can, Princess.” Bastion says. “But leave the scars.”
Twilight carefully focuses her magic at the gashes sealing them up, leaving only the scars as asked she carefully works on his eye. After a few minutes, Twilight is sweating furiously. “I can’t do anymore.” She says as she collapses onto the floor.
“Princess, are you alright?” Bastion asks.
“I used all my stored magic trying to heal you.” Twilight admits. “I’m going to need food and rest before I can do anymore magic.”
“We'll have to get some appropriate food made for you and your friend.”
“How’s your eye?”
“Not good.” Bastion says. “I have almost no vision in it.”
“You seem remarkably calm for somepony that just lost half of your vision.”
“I know you did what you could. I don’t blame you.” Bastion says. “I have some vision, so there's a chance that one of your unicorn surgeons may be able to do something for me.”
“It's definitely a possibility, I'll have to look into.” Twilight says. “Now, why don't you tell me about who attacked you?”
“Her name is Bluttrinker, she was a general, but she has since retired.”
“Sounds like she should be loyal to you, so why attack you?”
“Many griffins view me as weak for giving into you ponies.” Bastion says. “She wanted me to step down so that she could take over and raise a new army to attack you.”
“Wow, that’s pretty specific.”
Bastion nods. “Bluttrinker attacked me when I refused and tried to kill me, now I will have her head on a platter.”
“How you dispense justice is your business.” Twilight says. “I will not stand in your way.”
“Do you think I could borrow a couple guards until I find out who’s loyal to me?”
Twilight nods. “I’ll have to discuss that with Celestia but I’m sure we can arrange that.”
Bastion nods. “Who is the pony you arrived here with?”
“That’s Rainbow Dash, she’s the captain of my personal guard.”
“Can she catch them?”
Twilight laughs. “Rainbow’s the fastest pegasus in Equestria, I have every confidence of her catching them. Though I’m a little worried about what might happen if they outnumber her.”
“She can hold her own in a fight then?”
“She wouldn’t be the captain of my guard if she couldn’t” Twilight says as a purple light flashes behind her. “Dash?”
Dash takes a couple breathes. “Sorry Twilight, there were too many of them. I had to use the emergency teleportation charm on my armor.”
“That’s what the charm is on there for.” Twilight says. “Certainly sounds like it was an emergency to me.”
“I take it you caught up to them?” Bastion asks.
“I did, but I flew right into a trap, they had more griffins waiting and jumped me.” Dash answers. “I flew away as fast as I could and activated the gem as soon as I could.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe.” Twilight says. “You up to keep an eye on Bastion while I write a letter to Celestia?”
Dash nods. “Not a problem.”
“I’ll be right back.” Twilight says as she walks off.
Dash looks at Bastion a few minutes later. “Seems like you’ve had better days.”
Bastion chuckles slightly. “That’s putting things nicely.”
“Alright.” Twilight says as she walks back into the room. “A team of guards will be here shortly.”
“Thank you.” Bastion says. “Now if you excuse me, I need to write a speech to address my subjects. They need to know to be on the look out for the traitor.”
“I understand.” Twilight says.
“Why don’t one of you head down to the kitchen and get you both some food?” Bastion suggests.
“That’s a good idea.” Twilight says.
==========
Some time later they are fed and rested. The team of 4 royal guards appear in a flash of light. “We’re here to relieve you Princess.” The unicorn guard says.
Twilight nods. “Come on Dash, I can teleport us back to Ponyville.”
Dash nods. “Alright Twilight.” She flies over to Twilight and the two of them vanish in flash of purple light.
The unicorn turns to Bastion. “How can we be of assistance your majesty?”
“Can you protect me while I give a speech?” Bastion asks.
“Should be easy enough.” The guard answers.
“Good, then do it.” Bastion orders and the unicorn uses his magic to create a sheild between Bastion and the crowd.