Chapter 50
Chapter 50
I don’t know what happened. Gurfon had always been very friendly and, at times, as affectionate as anyone would be with their own family. He would hug me and laugh and take time to teach me things that a griffin would teach their chicks. Now, though, he seemed to be… distant.
Gurfon wasn’t being rude to me, but he was suddenly unapproachable. The rest of his family wasn’t being any friendlier. Outside of the dining hall, no one seemed to have any time for me. Even the guards insisted I stay within my quarters, only allowing me out long enough to get a book from the library.
The weirdest thing about it all, no one would tell me why. I mean, I know I’m supposed to be imprisoned, but that was really only meant to be for the look of the thing. I mean, if Gilda had started a fight with another griffin instead of foreign nationals, she would have been simply told not to break anything too expensive.
It wasn’t until something unthinkable happened four days into my isolation. The feathers I keep around my neck at all times… changed. The ones given to me by Celestia, Luna and Cadance lost their magic and their exuberance. As they each faded to duller versions of themselves, the one Twilight gave me seemed to explode in tone and power. This raised questions I needed answers to.
“Gurfon! I need to speak to you! Now!” I roared as I pounded on the door to his office, causing it to rattle the hinges. At that moment, I was willing to knock it off the wall, and probably could.
“Christopher, you need to stop breaking my door and return to your quarters!”
“No, something’s wrong with my mom! I need to get back home!”
“Are you talking about that Tirek guy that’s stealing all the magic of Equestria?”
The door I was recently banging on swung open and was filled with an angry King Gurfon. “Filia!”
“What?”
“What!? My home is under attack? And you didn’t tell me!?”
“I… think I should go,” Filia started to back away.
“Stay right there, young lady! Christopher, your mother ordered me to keep you here and not tell you anything about Tirek because she knew you’d want to go and try to help everyone there, but you can’t. If Tirek gets ahold of you and drains your magic, you. Will. Die.”
“So your plan was to leave me locked up and in the dark while Tartarus knows what has happened to my family!?”
“No, it was our plan.”
“…”
“Your mother insisted I keep you secured here where you will be safe. I decided to keep you in the dark and allow you to roam free…ish.”
“And what would stop Tirek from coming here?”
“My country is filled with predators trained as warriors. Anyone would have to be a fool to attack it. Also, the only large source of magic here is you, so as long as Discord doesn’t inform him of you, there’s nothing here for him to be interested in.”
“Discord? Why would he tell Tirek anything?”
“Because he’s turned on Celestia. He’s been helping Tirek drain magic from all over Equestria.”
“And I’m only hearing about this now!? I’m going home!”
“No, you can’t go home!” Gurfon Ordered me. “It’s far too dangerous for you there.”
“It’s too dangerous for anyone there. I have to help. I have to help my family.” I turned and started to run down the hallway.
“Guards, stop him!”
Guards seemed to come out from the walls to get in my way. I knew that they would be no match for me, if I had my ring that is. If I were to rely purely on my strength and skill, I might be able to take five before they simply started to remove pieces of me. Right now though, I didn’t care.
“Move or be moved!” I started to flex my fists as my vision began to fill with red. Once again, I was willing to allow myself to lose control when they didn’t even twitch. Something in my mind begged me to hold back. Something that spoke in a very soft, sweet, and loving voice.
“Take the prince to his chambers and lock him in!” I could hear he pain in Gurfon’s voice, though I don’t know if anyone else did. The guards started to move in. “Just make sure you don’t hurt him.”
“If you try to stop me, I will make you pay,” I growled. They froze, probably out of confusion. I could feel my anger pulling my magic out. I tried to push it back down, but I couldn’t. “Please, I don’t want to do this.”
“Christopher, stop!” Gurfon ordered.
“No! I’m leaving, even if I have to go through your guards to do it!”
“Don’t make me do this, I’m begging you.”
I wasn’t listening anymore. I knew what I wanted, what I needed to do, and if I wasn’t going to get help, I would do it on my own. “I am leaving! NOW!” My Canterlot voice echoed through the halls.
“I’m sorry, Chris. Guards, lock him in the dungeon.”
Once again, I felt my magic well up inside me. I didn’t fight it this time. I focused it all into my hand, just like Twilight taught me. I leveled my arm a pointed toward the wall and flexed my wings to prepare for the long flight ahead. Gurfon stepped forward to try to intervene once more.
“Stop. If you use that much magic, it could put you in a coma and there’s not enough magic here to restore what you lost.”
I looked into his eyes and could see the glow of my own on his face. “Move… please.”
Gurfon didn’t move. I could see he wanted to but he stood his ground. I rotated my arm just a few degrees, so he was no longer in the way. Without saying a word or even breaking eye contact with Gurfon, I fired off my magical blast created a small hole in the stonework. I then stepped around the king, barely able to keep my knees from shaking at the loss of energy, and proceeded to widen the hole by hand, or rather, fist. As soon as I could fit through it, I climbed out of the wall and took flight. It took a lot of will power to ignore the mournful roar coming from the cliff side castle.
*****
The next morning found me just inside the borders of Equestria. I was still weakened from the magical blast the day before, but I had been able to gather some more. Frankly, I was lucky I had been able to fly all this way.
I was used to waking up with the sun, but today I thought I was late. As I stirred from my cloud bed, I stared at the horizon, begging for the sun to rise. When it finally did, it was clearly not the work of Celestia. Twilight’s feather being so full of magic was suddenly making a lot more sense.
I spread my wings and leapt from my cloud. I was thankful that Rainbow Dash had taught me to ride the rising hot air over the plains while avoiding valleys with large streams and their cooler, denser air. I could just see Cloudsdale floating off in the distance. Strangely, I couldn’t see any movement around the fluffy city, which was bizarre.
Before long, I was landing on the end of Mane Street. Being inside the city allowed me to confirm that it was indeed empty, even the marketplace before me was devoid of life. It wasn’t until I looked ever the side to the ground below that I found the citizens of the cloud metropolis.
There were dozens of tents and cooking fires and, far more importantly, ponies. I was ready to dive over the edge when I heard a voice coming from an open window. It was the voice of a scared filly calling out for her mommy. It was a request I couldn’t ignore.
I spread my wings and took off. I headed off as quickly as I could in the direction of the voice. Thanks to my superior hearing, it didn’t take long to find my target. A small apartment building a few blocks away from the marketplace. I floated up to the open window to find somepony I didn’t think I would ever see this high off the ground.
“Dinky? Is that you?”
Inside the apartment, was a large wicker basket with the tiny unicorn frantically looking around with tears in her eyes, knowing that stepping out of the basket and onto the cloud floor may very well mean her end. It was heart wrenching seeing her like that. Thankfully, her face lit up when she saw me.
“Chris!” she held her tiny little legs out to me in a universal sign that begged for attention. I climbed in through the window and scooped her up and cradled the precious little pony. “I don’t know where my mommy is. You have to help me look for her.”
“I promise I’ll help you find your mommy,” I told her while enacting legally binding contract of a Pinkie Promise by performing the time honored gestures and repeating the mantra. “Now hold on tight, I going to fly down to the ground. There’s a camp down there filled with ponies, probably the best place to start.”
“Okay, just don’t drop me.” I again performed the Pinkie Promise gestures. Once she was safely nestled against my chest, I climbed back out the window and made my way to the ground.
When I landed in the middle of the camp, I was quickly surrounded by pegasi, many of which were Wonderbolts, still in uniform. The one thing all the different ponies had in common, they all looked weak, drained, one notch above lifeless. They were also all lacking their cutie marks.
“Captain Spitfire, what’s happened in my absence?”
“You don’t know? I had hoped you would have news for us, your highness.”
“Sorry, but I only just got out of the Griffin Kingdom last night. I only know a name.”
“Then you are unaware of his power?” I nodded. “Tirek, with the help of Discord was able to steal our magic, that includes our flight too. Thankfully, those left in the city were able to glide down to the field here, where we were able to set up camp. Many wanted to go and fight, but we are all too weak.”
“I understand. You’ve done what you could, Captain. I will make sure Mother knows.”
“Thank you, my prince,” she bowed deeply. “Please, be careful out there.”
“I will,” I started to walk away but remembered my adorable, scared little cargo. “By the way, I’m looking for one Miss Derpy Hooves. Have you seen her?”
“Yes sir. She’s just over that way, towards the middle of the camp.” Spitfire pointed out the direction with a hoof.
I nodded to her and began my search for a certain missing mother. Luckily, it was a short search. I soon heard the desperate cries of a mother for her missing child. I had heard cries like that before, and in many nightmares since.
I found Derpy frantically jumping flapping her wings, crying heavy tears. Other pegasi could only watch her desperate attempts. I only barely managed to hold onto Dinky long enough to set the squirming filly on the ground. Dinky bolted to her mother’s side where she was scooped up and covered in kisses.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was so scared I’d never see my little Muffin again,” Derpy said as she hugged me tight, squeezing Dinky between us.
“You’re very welcome, Derpy, but there’s no need to thank me. Anypony here would have done the same if they could have. Why was she up there anyway if she couldn’t walk on clouds?”
Derpy looked like I had just called her the worst mother in Equestria. Nothing could be further from the truth. I knew Derpy loved her daughter more than life itself and would never knowingly put her in any sort of danger.
“Tirek had stolen the magic of ponies from every town in outer Equestria and was making his way toward Canterlot. Since Ponyville isn’t far from there, and Tirek doesn’t have wings, I thought Dinky would be safe in Cloudsdale. Then, when he was getting close, we decided our best bet was to go on the offensive.”
“You didn’t know he could take your flight?”
“Not until it was too late. The ponies who were still up there were able to make their way down, but nopony knew Dinky was up there until it was too late to get her out. Thank Celestia you came along.”
I snickered, “I’ll do that. First I gotta find her though.”
“Before you go, I have some muffins here if you’re hungry. It’s the least I could do to thank you for saving my Dinky.”
“Derpy, I’d have to be a fool to pass up an offer like that.” Though I was smiling, it was only a mask I was putting on to help keep everypony else at least a little calmer.
*****
The flight seemed to take days, though in reality, it was about an hour and a half. Ninety minutes in the air and now I had my feet firmly on the ancient cobblestone streets of Canterlot again. The once great city was now a ghost town.
Well, almost. There were still a few citizens making their way from one building to the next, ducking into shadows as they went. For the first time since I arrived, I knew it wasn’t me they were hiding from.
“Christopher! Christopher! In here, lad!” I heard in a stage whisper. Fancy Pants was beckoning for me to join him in the alley.
I looked around to make sure I wasn’t being watched, though I already knew that the only creatures that would be watching would also be too scared to do anything against me. Finding no one around, I ducked into the alleyway. Once inside the shadows, Fancy Pants led me to a dumpster. He tapped rhythmically on the side and it slid to the side. Behind it was an earth pony guard and a series of steps.
“*Gasp* Your highness! Thank Celestia you’re okay.”
“Shh… keep your voice down,” Fancy chastised, “if Tirek knows there is alicorn magic here, he will drain the life out of the prince without a second thought. Now please, close the entrance behind us.”
The guard nodded with a bit of a blush over his absentmindedness. I patted him on the withers as I walked past. When we reached the bottom, Fancy tapped another rhythm on seemingly normal brick wall. It too slid back and to the side. As soon as it was clear, I was tackled by a beautiful, light-pink unicorn mare. The hug was welcome, but on the verge of being painful.
“Christopher! Thank goodness.”
“Hello, Fleur,” I returned the hug. “It’s very good to see you. Where are we, by the way?”
“Sir, this is an emergency bunker,” a unicorn guard who looked about ready to crumble under the weight of his own armor informed me, “your mother and Prince Shining Armor ordered their construction after the incident during the wedding. There are only a half dozen that are in operation right now. Unfortunately, we were unable to evacuate the citizens before Tirek was able to take our magic.”
I knelt down before him, “you’ve done well. Mother will be proud.” That brought a small smile to his face. “Do you know what happened to the rest of my family?”
“Prince Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood were still in the castle, last I’ve heard. Princess Twilight’s parents made it to a different bunker and are safe. Princess Twilight herself has gone back to Ponyville. As for the other princesses, nopony seems to know what happened to them, but we believe they are still alive.”
I let out a very quiet sigh of relief. “Is it possible to get ponies out of the city?”
“Yes, but only a hooffull at a time. Any more than about eight would risk the lives of not only them, but everypony left behind.”
“So no then. How about supplies?”
“Sir?”
“On my way here, I passed Cloudsdale. The entire populace is living in a camp in the field under the city. They seem to be doing okay for now, but I know I don’t have to tell you that that can’t last forever.”
“I’ll see what I can arrange, my prince.”
“Excellent. For now though, I think you need to get some rest.”
“I will, sir, but my shift won’t be over for about another hour.”
“You’re a better pony than I.”
“Only according to my DNA,” the guard said with a smirk.
I was going to retort, but I was interrupted by something far more important. Fluttershy’s feather had lost its radiance.
And that was when I felt truly helpless.
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I feel like this is one of those songs were it keeps building up and up so well and you're just waiting for the beat to drop. It's going to be epic and I can't wait.
So, I'm not sure who is more stupid: Gurfon, for trusting Filia in Chris' presence when she's obviously too immature to keep a secret when ordered to, failing to keep regard to someone's life, or Filia herself, for directly endangering a royal because she couldn't keep her fat mouth shut, knowing full well what she was doing.
I really don't see how she's not going to get executed for her stupidity/possible manslaughter.
He's going to be so pissed at Discord for betraying them. And Chris needs a new power, how about the ability to drain the mana levels of a creature? Not like what tirek does though. Just draining it as if they cast a spell, it will regenerate but they'll be weakened for a bit.
Dammit Chris...
I am happy that you tried to find a way for him to be in Equestria, and probably even help with the fight, but this way i am a little bit angry with Celestia, and Gurfon.
Maybe if Celestia should decide to yell at him, because he placed himself in danger, he could maybe give her a weak slap across the face, and talk some sense into her. I don´t want it because i want to see him hitting Celestia, but he could tell her, that she could not force him, not to help her.
Do you understand what kind of MotherChild moment i try to describe? I hope i got it right. I mean of course she would be stubborn, but she would need to understand, that she can´t force him away from her, force him to keep himself safe, while his folk isn´t safe.
I nearly wanted to say it was a short chapter, but it was probably because i had read a nearly 10.000 chapter story today
Good job, even if i didn´t liked every direction in which the story went, at this point it worked pretty good i think.
hum ok if Chris loses his power to Tirek he is dead so how does he fight back at a monster like that???
So the gryphons just...watched Chris leave? That seems a bit outta character for the doting uncle.
more please? ;.;
Chris is probably gonna go berserk when Twilight's feather loses it's radiance. I think the craziness will happen between then and when the box gets opened. I wonder if Chris will die again or maybe the box lets him go Super Saiyan.
Chris is kind of an idiot, isn't he?
Even with the understandable motivation of wanting to help mom, he knows that Tirek drains magic.
He knows that Tirek gets stronger with every bit of magic drained.
Is more powerful than his mom and aunt combined.
Is more experienced in the use of magic than he is.
And is currently being helped by Discord.
And him going to fight Tirek will do nothing but MAKE TIREK STRONGER!
If Chris does anything beyond being saved from his stupidity by Twilight
then this powerfic would've gone too far imo.
5878258
But the ponies never went for the kill being the pacifists that they are. Chris will probably rip him apart if he lets his instincts lose. Yes, Tirek drains magic but he can only drain it from those that are weaker then him. We don't know anything about Chris's full potentional as of yet.
5878062 I'll think of something
5878072 Alicorn human trained by griffons vs. His uncle king of griffons.
seems a bit unfair right?
5878507 I beg you not to make a Deus Ex Machina. Please don't.
Also:
img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140315211439/pokemon/images/archive/b/b7/20150101100555!151Mew_OS_anime_6.png
5878507
I trust that there is a plan.
5878062 Just like how you fight against a murderer. You risk your life.
5878621
and protecting friends makes on that much stronger.
Oh man, if he feels hopeless when Fluttershy's feather got dull, then what will happen when Twilight's does the same?
Also I can't help picturing that while they're in the bunker they come up with some big plan, and then right when they take action, BOOM box opens.
5878258 Yes but think of this. If Tirek could just drain magic from anyone why in the episode did he need Twilight to give up her magic willingly? It's because with all four of the princesses magic in her she was stronger than Tirek, so he needed her to give up before he could take it. In all fairness Tirek was weak, it was only with his ability to steal magic was he powerful.
Really hope he gets there only after the fight ends. I really don't wanna see him die a second time, and that's going to be nigh guaranteed if he goes against Tirek, since literally every human with magic I've seen duke it out with Tirek gets killed.
5878571 What? Griffins hate Pokemon.
5878609 I'm thinking there may be, but I could be wrong
5879101 I think you may be right. He needed to overpower his victim, and he couldn't do that with Twilight.
Oh…Tirek did it, he just poke the dragon to one to many times, he made Chris mad…here comes…the other guy , cue team song!
5879101
It's like videogame farming.
Attack the enemies you can overpower and you become even stronger. But come across the boss and you may not be tough enough to beat it.
5879134
Then you should read "I Am Not Spartacus".
It's a really long read, but near the later chapters the main character faces off against Tirek. He gets his ass handed to him in the start, but by the end of it he's got Tirek leaving of his own accord.
(I'd say spoilers, but by the time Tirek is even introduced it's made very clear that Tirek is just a minor obstacle to be overcome in the main character's predicament at that point in the story.)
Chris just did the dumbest thing possible. Sure if Tirek is defeated without killing Chris and if Chris does manage to help (most likely just helping with the citizens and not Tirek himself) he still has a massive problem. Though it was a technicality Chris escaped imprisonment from a foreign nation, resisted arrest, and caused property damage to the palace of the Griffin Empire. Probably going to strain relations with Gurfon, but the problem is that Chris was acting with morals given by Grufon. Though it also goes against instilled morals about knowing when to act. Chris needed to know that if all of them fell he would have been extremely important and thus needed to stay out of the way, especially against a foe that could kill him with ease. He really really needs to learn to control his Alicorn Instincts. Just remembered something, didn't Chris already drain ponies earlier on accident?
5881859 I don't think he drained any pony. Though it's hard to remember 50 chapters.
5879101
5878458
Tirek and Twi fought to a standstill when Twilight had the full power of four alicorns.
If, still practicing his spellwork Chris, has more magic than 4 alicorns, one of which who is magic, then well...
thisevilempire.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/fonziejumpsshark3sl.gif
Now him helping Twilight could be cool, except for the fact that he is still learning magic and couldn't shield himself from the DBZ beamspam going on.
If Chris goes to the fight he is an idiot.
If Chris goes to the fight and isn't a hindrance, he is poorly written.
If Chris goes to the fight and saves the day then he has leaped over the aquatic predator.
Not damning the story, just stating my opinion.
I can't see how him going there could be anything but a disaster, but I'll trust the author and wait for the next chapter with the rest of you.
I'm tracking this story for a reason afterall .
5882191
No wait thinking on it didn't really. Just ended like pulling a bit more magic while someone was putting it in him. Kinda like how someone who is thirsty will keep ducking at a straw while someone is pulling it away so that they don't drink too much after coming out of being passed out in a hospital if that makes sense.
5881378 yup, I so agree on that one.
5878023
I really don't get where you're coming from. There is literally no way Chris can fight Tirek without getting killed, and all of the ponies he finds have things as well handled as they conceivably can. I completely understand why he's doing what he is, but it's easily the worst decision he could possibly make.
This is mah favorite story EVER.
5882263 Twilight fought Tirek to a stand still on her own. what happens when he is fought to a standstill and another alicorn decides his face would look better inside out? I'm not saying he could solo Tirek, that part i agree with, but he could be the Cavalry that Twilight needs. also how well do you think he will react if Tirek tries to pull his surrender because I have your friends bullshit. Alicorn instincts aint shit compared to human malice when you fuck with someone we care about.
5883306
I don't see how much help he can be besides trying to punch the guy out, and I doubt he can hit as hard as Twi did when she knocked him under the dirt, otherwise Gilda's head would've already been mush by the time Flutters got to him.
He wasn't necessarily holding back then.
Maybe giving up some magic to tip the scales in Twi's favor.
But in an actual fight?
Nah, nothing has nodded to him being superior in any way as a human or hybrid.
But again, just my personal opinions, worth only as much as any opinion.
5883015 Of course there is no way that he can win this alone, i don´t expect him to win, but why should every Human just look or run away? It happens often enough, Chrysalis is attacking Canterlot, and the Human is just sittin there, in his room protecting just two pther ponies.
All of the Humans i know, try to avoide the Villain, but wih the friendship thing, there would still be a reason, why they are maybe possible to win, or help the Villain, that means if they are not Twilight.
5883306 I think i agree with you there.
5883416 I don´t say that you are wrong, but as far as i know, you can say that he wasn´t maybe using his full strange too. Like she said, i don´t think that he can defeat Tirek, because he is probably the strongest Villain till now, but i think the author can think of a reason, how he could be a help for Twilight.
I mean even if there is a Human in a story, that is probably imune to Magic, or as strong as Twilight for whatever reason, they would still ry to avoide the fight with one Villain. My next argument isn´t probably very convincing, but in other series there are Villains you can beat with skill, not just Power. I don´t think this reason works for this version of Tirek, but i don´t see why he could not be an important help.
5883416 thats just it he doesnt have to hit as hard a Twilight does. He just has to distract Tirek so Twilight can get him with an unseen attack from an unexpected angle. Force is only useful in overwhelming amounts or if applied properly. We've seen in the show that Twi doesnt have the overwhelming half of that and she didnt have much time to think of a plan of attack. Lets face it Sparklebutt is not the best at thinking on her hooves. However, if Chris can give her a brief respite to make up a plan she would probably break the magic vampire centaur since Tirek seems to rely on 'shoot-it-with-a-really-big-laser' or 'smash-it-into-the-ground' as his only attacks
5883562
You pose a good general argument, and the decision is certainly in character, but I still think that it's a bad decision because not be only would Tirek be able to defeat him easily (barring hitherto unknown reasons otherwise), and in a way that would leave him permenantly dead. Thus, he cannot help with fighting Tirek.
Furthermore, he only serves to consume resources for those who Tirek leaves in his wake. It makes sense that he wants to help, but there is, quite literally, nothing he can do to help.
5878850 He will continue to feel sad, but very soon I expect that will turn to rage.
As to Gurfon? Not very effective or intelligent handling of the situation. You could have done a lot better, to be honest.
Put simply, while they had good intentions, Celestia and Gurfon, and to a lesser extent Gurfon's family, will need to get his trust back the hard way.
5884098 You're as bad as my sister when she watches a movie that I've seen before. You are determined to ruin the story for yourself.
5888109 ok sorry I'll just delete that comment.
5888109 but is it going to happen or no?
5890022 I'm sorry you don't like it,
but I do, 
so I'm going to keep writing it.
Shame there was no feels in the dungeon
5882263
6112495
For anyone who didn’t get the joke
