Interrupted Bliss
"Sailing sailing, in the skies we sing, who knows, what disaster, the future will bring!" I sang merrily to the sunset on the top deck.
"Grif, you're awfully cheerful...." Gilda noticed as she came up beside me.
"What's not to be happy about? Asshole Aoi is off the ship, I've got the most gorgeous griffin in the world by my side," She blushed a bit at this part, " friends, family, food, drink, and open skies. I've got some new recruits to keep us organized, and we're finally getting back to doing what we're meant to do. Good, old fashioned violence. None of this crappy demon fighting or social events. Just raiding and pillaging. Oh...... and Ember......... I'll figure that out soon enough."
"That's what I like to see." She rubbed up against me, and I moved closer in response. "The confidence to take on the world. Don't ever lose it..." The cool night air of Gem Fido running through my feathers and fur giving me a slight tingle up my spine... or, was it anticipation?
"Yeah, I have the feeling everything will turn out alright. I can start relying on the crew more. They know what they're doing, and I know I can't do everything myself. Still, I'm not really used to relying on others all that much, but I'm gonna have to get used to it...... Ember is a problem though....." I let out a sigh.
"If I said I wasn't worried, I'd be lying. I saw what she did at the gala." Her eyes indeed did betray her worry, looking me over with a bit a fright.
"I know.... way I figure, if we run away, she's only gonna get stronger and angrier, hunt us down, and kill me. If I go to her, she just might be off guard enough for me to whack some sense into her, and if I fail and die there, well..... it'd be the same result, just a little sooner and a different location, and instead of the ship getting ripped up, you'd all still be around to keep going."
"Grif.... don't talk like that...... I don't want to lose you....."
"Gilda, this is important okay. The fact is, I really might not come back after seeing her. If I don't...... I want you to continue doing what we were doing. Take the ship and the crew, go out there, and smash this country to pieces....... In our room, my desk, the locked top drawer, if I don't come back, I want you to open that. It has my journal. That book contains everything I know, my knowledge, philosophies, my thoughts, plans, secrets, everything. If I die, I want you to have it."
"Then why go alone? Why not have us come with?"
"She probably won't be willing to talk, but she REALLY won't be willing if we show up in force. The only chance is a one on one, and if I die, don't fight her. Run. Anyone who comes with me is just asking to die. Heck, I don't even want to go myself, but I don't have much of a choice here. If it comes down to that.... leave while you have the chance. Until then, we don't know when or where we'll run into her, so let's just enjoy ourselves yeah?"
"Yeah...." Her eyes quivered, as though there were tears in them, but she held them back.
"So..... we got some time. We could dance under the stars, have a moonlight meal, just cuddle, talk, what do you want to do?"
"You." Was her reply. I facepalmed.
"Really? What am I, a sex toy?" I said with over dramatic sarcasm.
"Hey, you're like, an 8/10. Can you blame me?"
"What......"
"You know, everyone's got a number, out of ten, for how hot someone is. Looks alone, you're an 8/10."
"Wait a sec....... I'm attractive?"
"Why else do you think you got people to follow you so easily?"
"Charisma, wit, and charm?"
"Well, that helps, but, mainly, you're damn sexy."
"You're kidding......"
"Well, before your feathers came in, you were pretty average, but those red feathers, and all the muscle from working out, and the couple of scars from the fights.... yeah, you're pretty good looking."
"Well, at least I know you and Trixie stuck by me at the beginning for my personality, since the hotness came after. What about the 'other' me?"
"Well, I wasn't sure at first, but those hands are fantastic. Getting grabbed all over, squeezed, held tightly, smooth skin rubbing fur.." She shuddered. "it's contact you just don't get. Ponies have hooves, griffins, dragons, and dogs have claws. I mean, it's not the best during, but the foreplay is beyond anything else."
"Well... you know, I guess we COULD always go mess around a bit.... seapony style?"
"Duh, it's the hottest thing there is, being able to see the face of your partner, and rubbing stomachs together.....It's kinky. You know 'escort services' actually charge 15% more for that?"
"Wait.... ponies have prostitutes?"
"Well, yeah, considering how many mares there are, a bunch of stallions figured it would be a good way to make bits. Of course, geeky guys can go there for mares too."
"You know an awful lot about this....."
"I was a working girl for a month. Some ponies..... they have a thing for griffins. It was all mares with me though, and for the most part, they just had me 'cuddle' with them. Again, feathers, soft. Just lay with them till they fall asleep, and stay the night. Then they wake up in your arms, pay you, and you're on your way. Sure, some wanted sex, but mostly they just don't want to be alone."
"Same..... being alone sucks. It's nice to feel like someone cares for you, even if it's bought and they don't really." I turned and smiled at her. "Except we don't pay each other."
"Good thing too, because there's no way you could afford this." She swished her tail in my face and giggled. "Well, come on."
"Ahh........" We both sighed in satisfaction. "I guess we can just call it even......"
"Sounds good to me." I smiled.
"We best get going...."
"Yeah....." Neither of us moved. "Or, we could just lay here."
"We could......" She rolled over and put her head on my chest. "I kind of wish things would just stay like this forever you know?"
"Yeah....." We wrapped our arms and wings around each other, then fell asleep.
We woke up to the alarm blaring, making the two of us practically jump out of bed. We quickly dove to our gear and got suited up while using the PA to get the situation.
"Single airship, off ze port bow, it looks damaged. Orders?"
"Approach cautiously, could be a trap, ready the troops, get some scouts out there, and get Tiras on the gun."
"Aye." Cable's voice left in a bit of static, then silence, then the orders being relayed to the rest of the ship. We waited in the room for a few moments for the hustle in the corridors to wind down, then headed to the top deck. The griffins and their riders were there, the rest of the cats at the cannons below, and the ponies were also on deck.
"Alright, here's the deal..... we have no idea what's going on. I'm currently without a rider as Trixie is still in the hospital, so, Starlight Wisp, you're with me. I'll get you to the ship and get you on board. Use your intangibility to get us in and find out what the heck is going on. At the first sign of a trap we'll bail and shoot it down. Everyone else, at the ready, I don't want to get caught off guard."
With everyone on highest alert, I strapped Starlight in and flew to the ship. Of course, she had only flown on griffinback once before, so, she was feeling pretty nervous, and had a death grip on me the entire time, despite being thoroughly secured. Once we arrived at the ship, I clung to the side of the hull to give her a minute, before climbing on board. Looking over it, I'm not even sure how it was still flying. The once pristine bag had some holes in it, a large chunk of the sturdy mahogany outer hull was missing, with small bits of it still smoldering. The rudder was gone, entirely, and only the center turbine was working, the two on the sides were bent and mangled beyond recognition. The top deck was caked in dried blood and burns, the captains wheel was gone, two of the balloon ties, gone. Mooring lines, not there either. The anchor was a puddle of slag, and all that remained of the captains quarters was a single scorched post. There was no steering this thing, and the crew seemed to be dead. My rider started hyperventilating at the scene before us.
"Breathe okay?" I needed her calm and collected. Further inspection showed that the metal grate to the hold had been sealed shut, melted as well. There was no getting in or out. "Turn on your spell so we can get inside. You're not gonna fall, and I can handle a couple dogs if it comes to a fight." Taking a few more minutes to calm herself, minutes in which the crew was on edge as we sailed parallel to the vessel with the leaking airbag, broken rudder, and burn marks along it's hull, she finally was able to cast the spell and let us slip inside. What we saw...... was beyond definition. Diamond dogs, griffins, and ponies of all flavours, many with singed parts, others bleeding, and all tired. The only ones that weren't crying of fear, pain, and hunger were the ones that had succumbed to their wounds. Wisp dropped the spell and stared in awe.
"What in Celestia's name happened?"
"This marking...." I looked at one of the dog's jackets. "It's the same as the ships before. This thing came from Masonry."
"All that's left...." A mare said, very much in shock. "You.... you're Griffin? They... they always said you'd come... the others..... but you never came...... They died, but..... we live?" She said the last bit as a question, as if she wasn't sure of it herself. "Come.... come to take us away?"
"Yeah..... it's alright.... I'm here. I'm going to get you home, with all your friends and family again..."
"No.... no! You won't! You're won't send me to the other side!"
"What? No! I'm bringing you back to Equestria! To see your loved ones again!"
"All my friends..... were inside......" I swallowed hard. This is not turning out good at all. I turned to look at the others, hoping to find one more mentally stable. "What happened?"
"Dragon.... young... black." One of the dogs added.
"Did she have wings?"
"No. Rage. Insanity. Slaughtered. Speaks to self." Another put in.
"...... Let's get these guys on board, get em cleaned up, some food, and medical attention....."
"Yeah."
We motioned for the ship to pull up close and lowered the gang plank. We moved all the ragged survivors on board and had them brought down to the medical bay for treatment, then shot down the shattered husk of a ship because frankly, we were tired of looking at it, and burning the bodies on board was better than letting them rot as the thing drifted into Equestrian airspace.
"Well.... looks like we found Ember, and she ain't happy."
"That's an understatement. Are you sure you still want to do this?" Gilda asked me.
"Not at all, but, I don't see any other options at this point. Remember, if things go south..." I was interrupted by Gilda throwing her arms around me and burying her face in my neck.
"First sign of trouble, get out of there. That way, we're still alive to think of something. Be smart alright? We can't do this without you...."
"That's the thing...... you can. This entire time, I've been putting the whole load on myself, but the truth is, you're ready. If I die, you could do it..... All I am is an idea guy, a dreamer, and all my dreams are in a book in the top drawer of my bedside table. You're smart, Trixie is smart, and you've hung out with me enough that you know how I think. And don't worry, as soon as I think I can't handle myself, I'm gonna bail."
"It's a shame my intangibility doesn't work against magic, and a single lick of dragonfire would put an end to it...." The unicorn stated as she came up beside me as well. "It's only been a couple weeks, and I originally came here as a spy, but I've learned so much. Just, come back okay?"
"Expect the worst, then plan to have the best outcome. Besides, I'm too stubborn and far too sexy to die. I'll be just fine, this is all just in case I'm not."
Standing on the deck, near the bow, I looked out on the horizon, and where the stone pillars of Masonry were the last time we visited now stood a volcano, boiling lava not spraying violently, but rather oozing down the sides and wrecking the valley below, the broken hulls of airships slowly being turned to ash as the molten rock swallowed them. If it was a natural disaster, it would have been horrifying, but apparently this was caused BY Ember going on a rampage. Looking at what I was about to throw myself into, I felt like I was being dangled above a bunch of hungry lions. This was quite possibly the first time since I arrived in Equestria that I had been well and truly terrified.
"Leeeroy..... Jenkiiinnnnnnsssss. Wryyy? Charge?" I could think of no words of courage that could possibly steel myself for what I was about to do. "Ah fuck it." And then I set off for the boiling hell below.
'Just because I'm prepared to die doesn't mean I want to. Whoever sent me here, please bail me out, I don't want to die yet.'
Where are you Ember? Hmm...
Amazing. I can't wait for the fight. And I guess if Griffin does die (of course he won't) the others could very well do what he dreams of doing. Maybe not as well, but they sure as hell will try.
Does this mean you have to wait for Ember's story to catch up?
shit's bout to get real
Oh boy, Ember has reappeared. Also, I find it strange that you are having a crossover like this when ember's own story isn't even past chapter ten.
Duh duh duh
1196605>>1196589 Yeah, I know, she's being poky. But we've already okay'd it, I'm not waiting, I'll just keep up with my regular pace.
Hell fucking YES! you are amazing
Woah dude Griffion's goona face off with Ember
Jeez. First you drown us in adorable fluff, then SLAUGHTER.
A little jarring. Bipolar, even.
fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/019/7/2/hes_fucked_by_seven_gate-d37lsnk.jpg
1196633
Still, I don't see how she will ever catch up with you guys. Unless she goes and skips a whole year, she'll forever be trailing way behind.
Griffin better live because Gunhaver wants a piece of him too.
This video would have been the perfect ending to this chaper.
1196593 WWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
Yakko: MWAH!!! GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!!!
Me: uh, Yakko? The correct saying would be everypony...
Yakko:But most of his crew, and everyone reading this, are not ponies...
Me: ... Point... Stop using logic, it doesn't suit you...
When he saw the ship, I was like OMFG is that The Scourge?
But it wasn't and I was sad. Can't wait for the face off!
1196670 unless shes been writing this whole time and is going to do one super update... like huge...
1196812
If she had been writing all this time, she would have uploaded it. No, she just hasn't been writing which is a shame because her story has such potential and seeing as we know where it's going, I really want her to finish.
Allons-y
That might have helped.
Leeeroy..... Jenkiiinnnnnnsssss
...hold onto your butts...
1196737 Oh, hello there Yakko. It's good to finally meet you, and may I say that I am a big fan of your and your sibling's work. Is it true that it was you guys who trained Pinkie in the Ways of the Broken Fourth Wall, and of Randomness, etc.?
Great chapter. I'm really looking forward to the next one too.
My god, Ember stomped all of Masonry by her self. Grif is gonna have a helluva fight ahead of himself. He should have brought a phoenix down. Coulda taken it from Philomena...what if magic's legit then a phoenix feather bringing a dead person back to life is totally feasible.
1196580 Look behind you...
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action. - Soft you now!
The fair Gilda! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
Ember's about to appear! EMBER AND GRIF ARE ABOUT TO MEET! I am so excited! Not scared, though, due to Doomed By Canon... or rather, Saved By Canon.
Too bad the spoiler spoiled what will happen...
1197245
Cool story bro.
... No, seriously, that was cool
1197429 I thank you good sir.
you need a good distraction, LOOK ITS YOUR DAD!!
oke we have two choses now
1 stab her in the back but risking the fact thats she has black scales
2 run even harder than before
Shit is abot to go down.
Also the hell does Whiskers have to do with The Darkness?
yes its a little late. Bite me
these chapters are way to short i know a book that hit 300k in one chapter
i can't help but wonder: who's 10/10 on Gilda's scale?
Well, all I can say that this was interesting. XD
Now, on to TRY to conquer my writer's block!!
1197234 Yeah, like I'm gonna fall for that one. Not.
askin for divine intervention huh? i thought that was cheating... or something. ah who cares, everybody cheats sometime.
wingless Griffin will be sad Griffin.....
You know what I come to realize is that everyone likes to have sex in their stories and now I just give up. I agree that sex is a way of caring but too MUCH sex can be overly excessive. I mean it is not descriptive sex like ascend but still sex doesn't sit well with me. It was a good thing i did not read this at 1 in the morning or I would have been haunted by the descriptive words used by gilda to describe...*Shutters* Also the prostitutes thing...really. Gilda being one...no shock there once you mention it. The burned down ship...Why do I get the feeling that the ship wasn't ember's fault and was caused by another dragon. I don't know but my mind is screaming NOT EMBER. Anyway i can see an epic fight filled with the usual life of a pirate. Blood, sex, and booze...well the last part is an iffy since Griffin keeps losing it. Anyway Yuki Harima out!
1196633 Okay, that's nice to know.
There was going to be a crossover with "broken peace" right? Was it this chapter?
1198441 pirate?...
The brave don't fear the grave.
There is a theory I have that could help 'calm' or help Griffin kill Ember.
1198476 Wingless? What is this nonsense you speak?
Into hell he doth descend,
To face his foe to the bloody end.
One driven by freedom, the other by pain
But two pieces in the gods sick game
Griffin's blade and dragon's scorn,
I'll be watching with buttery popcorn
oh noes
O the stunning tale of Griffin North,
To kill a dragon he sets forth,
The Blue One plots, the Changeling lies,
And somewhere cold, a human dies.
A father's scale, a child's wail,
Come, gather round and hear my tale.
Another world he doth descend,
To bring about the canines end,
Though just a pawn in the great Game,
All will learn to fear his name,
O the stunning tale of Griffin North,
To kill a dragon he sets forth,
The Blue One plots, the Changeling lies,
And somewhere cold, a human dies.
Alone he's not, into the fight,
As other heroes brought to light,
A Dancing Flame, A Voice Like Water,
A Winged Wolf, known for slaughter,
The Lunar Legend, The Knightmare,
The Wild Card with crimson hair.
The Spoken Word, The Silent One,
The frisky Twins, The Hired Gun,
Men and women of other worlds,
Before our eyes, the farce unfurls.
The Sleeping God, whose fire's caught,
Hope their struggles aren't for naught.
For chapter 83, Alondro re-works some dialogue from an old South Park episode about Barbara Streissand.
"Well I knew Ember was a bit of a bitch."
"She's not just a bitch, she's a psychopathic, multi-personality OP bitch!"
"Aw hell."
Fire Temple, lol
1245228 nice poem.