Equestria: A Flux Tale

by Star Sage

Wing Guard

“Ah, if it isn't my favorite customer, and his little mare friend,” said the griffon cook as your party came in view of his diner. The others, being ponies, quickly say their usual greetings to the guy, mostly pleasantries, before they proceed towards the cafe across the street, Octavia giving you a peck on the cheek that makes you blush before she follows them.

“Ah, young love. I remember when my mate and I had that spark,” he comments to you.

“Does that mean you don't have the spark of love anymore?” you ask with a smirk, and the griffon just shakes his head while laughing.

“Of course not. Young love turns into old love the instant that ball and chain go around your ankle, my boy. I'd suggest enjoying the freedom of bachelorhood while you can, cause once it's gone, you never feel quite the same,” he tells you, clinking the plate with your usual meal down in front of you.

Silence reigns over the diner for the next couple of minutes as you enjoy your food, wishing that he knew a few other things that looked edible and weren't made with mice in the dishes, but at least you could enjoy the burgers and imagine they were made with the same stuff back home. Just as you're about halfway done though, a voice rings out over the diner, and several shapes land with decidedly heavy thuds just in front of the order window.

“Okay you dweebs, I want to keep this nice and civil. We're here at the sufferance of these loser ponies, and I won't have any of my troops embarrass the nest back home. You got me?” said a familiar female voice coming from the largest figure.

“Yes, ma'am, Commander ma'am!” came the sharp reply from her troops, who all stood straight as their quadruped bodies would allow. That let you get a good look at them, and you had to admit, looking at the Wing Guard, they made quite the impressive sight.

They were griffon's, obviously, and were almost twice the size of any of the ponies you'd met. They looked buff too, with muscles that looked like they could bench press whole houses, while the armor they wore was very thick. The claws on their eagle like forepaws looked wicked sharp, and the Commander had some things on her's that were obviously metal additions, probably capable of leaving marks in stone or something.

“Ah, Commander Gilda. The barrack's quartermaster told me you might bring your troops to my humble establishment,” said the diner's owner, while hoping over the counter and walking towards the griffons.

“Of course I would. Never did miss the chance to get a meal that's not those terrible rations they give us,” she told him, turning from where she'd been facing her troops, and removing her helmet. The instant it was off though, her eyes fell on you, and you quickly turned in your seat, trying, and probably failing, to act like you hadn't been staring at her and her Wing Guard.

“Ah, such compliments. It's been over a year since I've been back to the homeland though. Tell me, how are things in the old peaks?” he asked, and you heard the rattle of various bits of metal as the griffons approached the counter, soon taking several seats next to yours, surrounding you.

“Nothing but the usual boredom. Not even those lizards in the valleys are stirring up any trouble these last few months. Something spooked them good, something about the ponies getting a new super weapon or some such,” she told him, and you kept your head down, your eyes focused on your meal, even though you knew that she had to be staring at you.

“Ah, that bit of news. Yes, I'd figured it would have spread far and wide by now. That super weapon would be my best customer. Come on, say hello to my fellow griffons. I think you're going to be seeing a lot more of them if you keep eating here,” he said, and you, trying to smile friendly, turn towards Gilda, only to get startled and fall backwards as her face is literally right next to yours, making you fall back off the seat and land with a very musical thud on the ground.

“Heh, a bit jumpy for a super weapon, aren't we?” said one of the troops, but Gilda, her face cold as ice, shot towards the speaker, and the troops, who'd been chuckling, shut up and turned to the griffon behind the counter, who started to take orders. Gilda, meanwhile, stood up from her seat and walked over to where you'd fallen, offering you her foreclaw and helping you get up.

“So, you're the one that we've been hearing about,” she says in an inquisitive tone, walking around you and looking you up and down.

“I don't know what you've been hearing. I've just been here in Canterlot, enjoying the company of the Princesses and some friends,” you say, trying not to sound as nervous as you felt, being judged like that.

“Hmm, that we'd heard about too, though way it's told outside these prissy lands, you're a prisoner here, no freedom to go and do what you want, no life beyond what the ponies let you have. Isn't that stifling?” she asks, as she rounds in front of you, and then sits back on her bottom, so her head was a few inches higher than yours.

“Not even close to true. I've got freedom to do whatever I want. I'm just...I'm not all that strong, compared to the people here. Celestia and Luna set me up with Shining Armor to teach me to fight, and they see to my needs, but if I really wanted them to send me home, or anywhere else, I'm positive they'd try everything they could to do it,” you respond, swallowing heard as she brings her face right in front of yours. Then she nearly startles you back onto your butt as her cold face suddenly breaks out in a smile, and she chuckles at you.

“Awesome then. I knew that ambassador had to be trying to play a fast one on me,” she tells you, getting down on all fours and returning to her seat.

“What ambassador?” you ask, as you join her, returning to your meal, and popping a fry into your mouth.

“Some blow hard at the embassy. He's the reason my squad got assigned here, instead of doing something important. Says he needs the protection of some real guards to keep him safe. He thinks the ponies are coming to get him cause he offered their new toy a way out. Idiot,” she said in a derisive tone, as the cook starts to lay down stuff in front of them. It's not all burgers either, like what you normally get. It's meat, to be sure, but some of it looks almost raw, as the griffon's dig in beak first, all save Gilda, who's plate holds a few fries, which she idly starts to toy with.

“Guessing he's some old bird with a gray beard, and wears some funky looking crest on his chest all the time,” you tell her, remembering the ambassador who'd tried to get you to relocate to his kingdom back when you'd first gotten to Canterlot.

“That's the one. Idiot's got some cousin or something who's a Viscount back at home. That means the hard working griffons of the Wing Guard get pushed out here to these prissy lands where we're just window dressing,” she says, sweeping a claw behind her to indicate the whole street, before tucking into her fries again. You join her, quickly downing the rest of your meal and rising from your seat.

“Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Commander Gilda. Hope to see you and your troops here later,” you tell her, quickly starting away from your seat. Of course, just as you get to the edge of the cafe, you hear a voice you'd kind of hoped to avoid.

“Hey, human, you ready to head back to the palace yet?” asked Dash as she and your guards came closer. At the sound of said voice, you could almost hear Gilda's frame creak to a halt, like a robot losing power, with her claw holding a fry right outside her beak.

“Hmm, now there's a voice I haven't heard in a mule's age,” comes her sarcastic tone, and you wince a bit, as Dash, who'd been casually floating in the air, bolts upright, and then pushes past you, landing with a clatter of hooves behind you, staring at Gilda.

“And there's a voice I figured I wouldn't hear again,” said Dash, her tone a bit confrontational. Gilda, looking serious for a moment, bursts out laughing, before popping the fry into her mouth, and then settling down on the ground in front of her.

“So, this is what you got yourself into without me. You always did say you wanted to be a show pony,” commented the griffon as she sauntered over, the rest of the guards looking towards Dash, who huffed a bit, and advanced herself, the pair circling each other.

“We're not show ponies. We're the Wonderbolts, protectors of Equestria, and you'd better believe we could take you and your whole team with one wing tied behind my back,” she boasted, looking over the armored griffons, who turned to their own leader. Gilda, still smiling, just shook her head in exasperation.

“Still a bit huffy about last time I see. Well, I suppose I did make a bit of a crow out of myself,” said Gilda, her voice obviously trying to sound pleasant.

“Yeah, yeah you did. You yelled at my friends, made a mess of a party for you, and then stormed off without saying a word, never returned a single of my letters, and now you show up in Canterlot without even a word of warning,” accuses the pegasus, as she flutters upward, circling the griffon, who chuckles, and scratches the back of her head with her claw.

“Aw, you sent letters? That's so sweet. Sorry to say, Wing Guard Trainees aren't allowed mail. Figures you'd send something and I wouldn't get it. Dang, well, I guess I'm sorry about that too...well, less so than what I did last time. That I'm really sorry about, you know?” said the griffon.

The scene froze, as Rainbow, her wings suddenly stopping, fell to the ground with a hard clack of hooves against stone. The Wing Guard members at the counter, smiling now, turn back to their meals, obviously thinking they wouldn't be seeing any action out of this, while the rest of your guards just stare silently at Dash, probably wondering how this griffon made her speechless. Doubtless, Spitfire was already considering hiring the griffon to do this during training.

“What did you say?” asked Dash finally.

“I said I'm sorry. I made a lot of mistakes, and I really, really regret it. I went home after that, cried myself to sleep, and then signed up for the Guard for something to do with my life. I mean, look at me, I'm commanding troops now,” answered Gilda, flapping her wing at her troops, who ignore the whole scene as they continue to tear at their food.

“Can you believe it? I just, I just had to do something, you know? I wanted to do something to make you proud of me, to show you that I'm not just some blowhard who screws everything up. Then we had some border wars with those lizards in the valleys, and I guess I kind of forgot to come see you again,” she told Dash, chuckling and nervously scratching at the ground in front of her.

“So, I'm sorry, okay? Can you forgive this old crow?” she asked at last, and Dash, for a few seconds, just stood there, looking at her old friend with her mouth agape, before suddenly bouncing forward and giving the griffon a hug.

“Of course I forgive you. That's what friends do, you old bird brain. I sent like a dozen letters saying that, but when you never wrote back, I figured you just didn't want to see me again. Guess I should have tried to go in person, but, well, life kept happening,” explained the pegasus, as she and the griffon embraced. The Wing Guard, and your own guards looked away from the display of affection. Well, expect Soarin, who was obviously considering something private, that got him a smack in the ribs from Spitfire, who forcibly turned him around.

“Come by the embassy some time, and we'll catch up. For now, I think I've got to get my hatchlings back to the barracks. We've got a bit of cleaning to do tonight. Cause I want those bunks spotless, you got me soldiers!?” shouted the griffon commander, and instantly all her troops hopped off their seats, falling straight into ranks and saluting.

“We get you Commander!” they replied as one, and then took off into the sky, arcing over the city, towards the embassy district.

“Ah, such nice children. I suppose I should follow, but you come on by any time Dash, I have some stories to tell, and I know you've got some yourself. Until then, later dudes,” said Gilda, before flying off after her troops. Idly, you watched her wings flap, and realized that while she was slower than the bolts, that armor probably made her something like ten times heavier. That was probably way useful in a fight.

“So, that was surprising Dash. You never said you had griffon friends,” said Soarin as the rest of the guards came up.

“Well, I didn't. At least, I didn't think I still did. Maybe I can get one back later. For now, we've got our own duties to attend to, right Captain?” she said, turning towards Spitfire and saluting.

“Heh, right. We need to get this human back to the palace for his fitting for the party tomorrow,” she said, and you look at her.

“Party tomorrow? What party? Fancy Pants'?” you ask.

“Right, seems he was a bit late getting you the invite this time. Their shindigs tomorrow, as Octavia found out. So she's already headed off to practice, and said that Miss Rarity will be waiting at the palace for you,” explained Spitfire, and you notice at that moment that Octavia is indeed missing, a fact that dampens your mood a little. The announcement of the party being tomorrow dampens it a lot more though, and you sigh, as you and your guards start towards the palace, with Rainbow sometimes glancing over her shoulder towards the embassy district, likely planning on going there tonight.

(Okay, as has been brought to my attention, I could probably use an editor for this thing. I try to do it myself, but, well, you're always your own worst editor/critic. So anyone interested? Contact me here via pm, or at my email. Iceelfshala(at)gmail(dot)com also thinking about dividing this story up into smaller chunks, considering it's already longer than LotR Tell me what you guys think about that. Probably divide it at the Discord fight, and then have the second book start at 'Training' unless someone else has a better idea.)

Comments

[killer007]

It doesnt bother me that it is so long but people will read a shorter story/divided story faster (I think)

[Spirit Shift]

Well, expect Soarin, who was obviously considering something private, that got him a smack in the ribs from Spitfire, who forcibly turned him around.

ok 1 its Except and 2 this line friggin killed me with its lulz!! i would volunteer but i dont have enough time on my hands (well maybe but id have to think about it)

[the Joyless1]

I prefer it this way tbh

[rikusorasephiroth]

I don't mind how you write it, just as long as you don't overshoot 100 chapters, because then it makes re-reading difficult.

[Star Sage]

2915806

Heh, well, that's 5 votes for keeping it, 1 for change, and 1 for doing both.

2915929

Well.....it probably will, to be quite honest. Though you never know, it's moving at a pretty good clip now.

[Moon_Fire]

I'd say leave it like this, makes reading the next chapter easier if you don't have to switch to a new fic.

Also, just now read this, the last chapter(for now).
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[Star Sage]

2920148

Heh, probably not. Though it is an interesting idea.

[Star Sage]

2954645

Because having that strength, and being able to use it, are two different things. Trixie has potential to be as strong as what Twilight was in season 1. She doesn't use that potential, as she's more about money and fame, at least in this fanfic. After all, she's the daughter of a magical teacher and a showmare, and half sister to a nutty professor.

[LightRay]

2913348 this is long?! no offence to you Star. but these chapters arnt that long i would count 5k+ words per chapter a semi large/large amount then again this is coming from a guy whos reading Dairies of a madman...

so wait most chapters are what 3-4k words a chapter? thats not alot for me at least, half hour and done maybe less?

[dzv13]

3102512
prstst this aint long stuff i read a chapter every 10 mins

[booman980]

3102512 go on fanfiction.net and read the avatar fic No one gets left behind 447 chapters with 986,304 words. Plus you will laugh alot.