When the Moon saved the stars

by kittypetro

Custom complications

Chapter 8
Custom complications

“So I got a question” Gilda said as they all walked towards the train the next day. “How do you plan for us to get to the griffin kingdom?”

Derpy looked up curious. “What do you mean? I thought we had train tickets there.”

“We have tickets to the border” Luna said. “But the griffins don’t like too many ponies getting into their country.”

“Why not” Big Mac asked curiously.

“An old feud” Gilda said shrugging.

“Feud is putting it mildly” Luna said with a huff. “It was more like downright warfare. The basics of it was that one of the elected griffins was power hungry and decided that he wanted more land from Equestria. He even went so far as to try and take it after Celestia and I told him no. The moment he tried Celestia intervened herself and gave the griffon president an offer.

A one on one race. His best flyer against our best flyer. If he won he could have some land, if not he stayed put. The president agreed and made arrangements to make the course that needed to be flown, all at the same time making sure to put up traps and friends at the lane to make the game as unfair to a pegasi that was possible.”

Spitfire and Soarin grinned. Every wonderbolt knew this story, and it was always fun hearing it.

“So what happened?” Trixie asked. Luna grinned but didn’t speak as the train arrived and let them all onboard. Once inside a coupe she took of her enchantment, looking like Luna once more before she turned to them all.

“As I said the president of the griffons had tried to fix the game by placing various traps along the route that no pegasi could have any chance dodging. So he grinned at the start line, bringing out his champion. Celestia smiled and stood aside revealing her own champion… me.”

Spitfire and Soarin could no longer hold it in, but started to laugh, imagining the look on the griffin leader’s face.

“Simply put the griffins who wanted to cheat now had two options. Throw rocks at royalty and risk war, or let me fly past them. Very few made any traps fall, and those who did I easily let aside. In the end I won and Celestia politely pointed out that the next time griffons entered Equestria she’d like to know who they were. The griffons replied back with gusto that they would not allow any pony to enter their kingdom as long as this travesty of a race was known. The griffon Kingdom and Equestria has been at odds with each other ever since.”

Gilda snorted. “That’s putting it mildly. My parents almost disowned me for wanting to go at a flight school here. I got a passport sure enough, but you need to earn your way inn.”

“And how do we do that?” Soarin asked.

“You guys won’t have a problem” Gilda said. “Anypony who can do fancy aerial tricks are looked on with favor. The one’s I worry about are the ones here who do not fly.”

“We four then” Trixie said, looking at Vinyl, Big Mac and Zecora.

“I can charm the toll griffons with my flute” Vinyl said.

“Can we do that?” Big Mac asked worried.

“We could” Luna said, thinking it over. “It wouldn’t be very nice but we could do it.”

“I love this flute” Vinyl said with a grin. “If Pinkie Pie let’s me keep this later on I will never have to pay for another thing again.”

“Hey the artifacts of harmony are not a tool to be used for trifling matters of running away from paychecks” Luna said harshly.

Vinyl pouted. “You are no fun.”

Gilda looked out of the window. “Hey guys… we’re getting near.”

Everypony looked out, seeing the Crystal Mountains fall out before them to reveal the sea, with griffons patrolling the perimeter way out in the bay.

“Wow… these guys really don’t like visitors” Trixie said, lifting an eyebrow.

“Understatement of the year” Soarin said sighing.

“Well let’s do this” Luna said once again changing her appearance to hide her identity.

Stepping out on the train station in the small town called Neighranda.

“Right, the griffin kingdom is overseas that way” Luna said. “Boat fare isn’t going to be a problem, but we need passports for all of us or else they won’t let us onto the boat.”

“And if we try to fly?” Derpy asked.

“What do you think they are for?” Gilda asked, pointing out to the griffons flying over the sea, barely visible with the sun at their backs.

“Right” Luna said with an unsure sigh.

Vinyl Scratch you are up. Vinyl nodded and walked up to a gate where two griffons looked at her with poorly hidden distrust.

Vinyl simply smiled at them and lifted the flute to her mouth. It took no more than a minute before the two was grinning and laughing. Trixie suddenly got a plan.

“Stay here” she whispered, leaning up to the place where Vinyl was entertaining the two guards and quickly levitated a few papers away from the booth behind them. Walking back to everypony else she conjured out a quill and started writing.

Luna scowled at her. “Are you falsifying passports?”

“Do we need to get to the griffin kingdom or not?”

“Vinyl is…”

“Vinyl is playing a song for the border patrol… sure they’d probably let us on the boat, but what about the moment we get in trouble in the griffin kingdom and is discovered without passports?”

Trixie turned to Gilda. “So how bad is it for a pony to be in your kingdom without a passport?”

“On a scale from one to ten… I’d say a twenty.”

“Well there you go” Trixie said, handing out the papers as she finished them.

“Now all we need is a stamp, come on I got an idea.”

Trixie walked up to Vinyl who stopped playing. “There you are Vinyl; you rushed off without your papers.”

Vinyl lifted an eyebrow. “Papers?”

“Your passport silly, so we can get into the griffon kingdom.”

Trixie dragged Vinyl in closer. “Play along.”

“However” Trixie continued, raising her voice a notch. “We were so worried about you that we rushed away before we could get our stamps.”

“Oh hey no problem we can get that for you,” one of the griffons said with a smile.

“Yeah for that entertainment a few stamps is no big deal.”

The griffon took all eight papers and stamped them, not even bothering to look at the names on the passports.

“Come through guys, have fun in the griffin kingdom.”

Gilda got out her own passport as she walked past the guards, proving that she wasn’t a pony in disguise and then they were on a boat.

“So Trixie my dear, have you done this before?” Luna asked, looking at the unicorn who smiled guiltily.

“Once or twice I suppose. You have no idea how hard it is to get a permit to perform in a town square these days, and I need to live.”

“Don’t be too hard on her” Gilda said grinning. “She has a point, we needed entry for everypony and this way we won’t be in trouble the moment we come over a griffon who don’t like your face.”

“Very well” Luna said with a sigh. “So do you know where we’re going?”

“I recognized the mountain” Gilda said with a nod. “But it’s hard getting there without wings.”

“Worry about us you need not do, we will watch your back enjoying the view.”

Gilda smiled at Zecora. “Yeah well thanks… I suppose.”

Gilda laid a claw over the necklace around her chest, turning to Luna.

“Hey princess… Dash will be ok right?”

Luna nodded. “Of course, as long as we keep going strong.”

Gilda nodded but looked thoughtful. “Hey you are supposed to be the warden or something of the stars right… can you talk to them?”

“Yes” Luna said. “But they can’t really answer with words… mostly if they like me visiting I get this warm feeling, like they are happy I am there.”

Gilda looked up at the sky. “Could you tell Dash I’m sorry I called her and her friends lame? I was being stupid I know that but… when I saw Rainbow around the other ponies I was afraid she wouldn’t have time for me so I tried to make her leave them… it was wrong I know but in the end… I’m just very sorry about it.”

Luna smiled. “I’ll let her know.”

“At the same time can you tell Sparkle that I defeated an Ursa Minor for her and she’d better bucking appreciate it” Trixie declared.

Suddenly everypony wanted to send a message to their friends and Luna held up a hoof.

“Hey hey calm down, not everypony at once… now I have something that might help out, everypony with a message gather round.”

Luna blinked as even Soarin and Spitfire gathered.

“We’d like to ease your sister’s pain a little” Spitfire said simply.

Luna nodded. “All right, this is what you need to do. Close your eyes and focus on what it is you want to say and leave the rest to me.”

Everypony closed their eyes and Luna closed her eyes, reaching out to the constellations that were still in the air, invisible in the sunshine.

“Hello everypony” Luna said, gathering the thoughts of her sister and the holders. “I am sorry for the wait, we are getting further on the rescue plan… but somepony wanted to talk with you.”

And Luna reached out to the minds of the other 8 on the boat, letting their message flow out.

“I’m sorry I was a jerk Dash, I’ll try to make it up to you.”

“The great and powerful Trixie defeated an Ursa Minor for you Sparkle, you are very much welcome”

“Hold out sis, we’re coming for you.”

“I know the pain is hard Fluttershy, but I am coming, so please don’t cry.”

“Hey Pinkie I got this awesome flute from this hilarious Diamond dog, I can’t wait till you come back so I can tell you all about it.”

“Hi Rarity, I’m so sorry you are stuck right now, I’m out on an amazing adventure, you just relax, we’ll get you down from there in a jiffy, we promised Sweetie Belle.”

“We are at your sister’s side your majesty. We give you our word as wonderbolts that as long as we’re around your sister shall not come to harm.”

The warm feeling coming as an answer made everypony smile, and a few sniffle.

“We need to go” Luna said. “It’s not safe to send our minds somewhere Starvoid can see them… take care sister, and please hold on.”

A final flicker of warmth followed, before Luna let the connection fall. Everypony blinked, and Gilda turned claiming she had gotten something in her eyes.

“Yeah” Vinyl said grinning. “It’s called tears.”

“Shut it” Gilda grunted, wiping at her eyes.

“That truly was an amazing experience” Soarin said.

“Eeyup” Big Mac said smiling, laying his own hoof over the apple center in his necklace.

Zecora looked straight ahead. “Land ho I see, let’s go and get artifact three.”

…

Starvoid frowned. Odd… She thought she had felt something touch the prison… but surely Luna wouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything rash would she? Starvoid was about to check that everything was ok when the doors opened, and the pegasus she had sent on a mission a few days ago came in, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else than there.

And behind him, walking with the grace only someone royal could pull off, came the changeling queen Chrysalis. The changeling grinned.

“So… you are the new queen then?”

“I am… you must be Chrysalis.”

“I am… I got your letter.”

“I figured as much.” Starvoid looked at the Pegasus. “You can go.”

He did, running away, leaving the two alone. “I have a proposition for you” Starvoid said smiling. “I am having some trouble with rebels. They meet in secret and whenever they think somepony is after them they shut up… Also there are some ponies I am trying to find, but it doesn’t seem like there is anypony who knows who they are or where they are from… if a changeling in the right disguise asks a question, I have a feeling I will get a tad longer in my search.”

Chrysalis looked at her. “That’s all well and good… but what do we get out of the deal?”

Starvoid smiled. “I got about thirty rebels locked up in my dungeon, all of them acting on the love of their former rulers… you and your people are welcome to eat until there is nothing left of them… on one side you and your people get food, on the other side I show Equestria what happens to traitors… so what do you say?”

Chrysalis smiled. “When do we start?”

Author's Note:

Give it up Luna,with Trixie, Vinyl and Gilda around this way of getting what you need is what you get... besides they are trying to save the world here, cut them some slack

And enter the changelings, I love these guys... guys why are you looking at me like that? *changelings licks mouths and move closer* Uh Oh...

Comments

[Echo Night]

sees the authors note then looks to the author while licking her lips

[kittypetro]

3764528 NO, NO, BAD CHANGELING, DOWN!

[Aeterna]

No dont hurt them!!!!!!!!!!! I hate it when ponies are hurt needlessly it makes me