Emperor Despair

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

The Price of Friendship

The four pony two griffon search party flew through the mountains searching out any signs of life. They had already combed over dozens of the mountains in the range, covering hundreds of square kilometers in only five hours. Scootaloo was grateful that they had the two griffons. They weren't as agile as the pegasi were but their eyes were easily twenty times more keen. The found dozens of caves in the cliff faces, all of which were empty. None of them could be confirmed as changeling caves.

"Hey, Scootaloo?" Gabby asked as she flew up to Scootaloo's four o'clock. "I was wondering say we find the changelings and they turn out to be bad. You know like totally evil. What do we do then?"

"Changelings aren't going to be evil Gabby." Truthfully though she was concerned about that as well. Sure the changelings may not be evil, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't try some form of treachery. What would stop them from attacking. What would convince them to help the Crusaders.

Gilda had been willing to help because of Rainbow Dash, but the griffons she led seemed more interested in fighting to the death. Storm was willing to help because of some yet unknown ties to the books. What would the changelings be willing to help for, would it be something she could promise, and if it wasn't could she bring herself to lie?

"More caves," Trove called out bring Scootaloo back into the now. She followed the griffons pointed talon to a mountain, which at this distance looked like it had been lightly peppered with darker rocks.

"Pound." She looked behind her to her wing pony. He waited eagerly for her to give the code word. "Waffles." He smiled nodded and shoot off for the caves at full speed. If the world hadn't been turned into this hellish mess, Scootaloo had no doubts that Rainbow Dash would have been training him for the Wonderbolts. She would never tell him, lest she give him an ego, but he was the best Pegasus in the crusaders, able to fly faster, farther, and harder than any of them. If things took more than one generation to sort out he was going to be her replacement. Hopefully by then he would be more mature, and not let it go to his head. "Come on let's keep moving," she said as soon as he became a speck.

"I'm just saying what makes you think that the changelings won't just throw us in a dungeon and go back to the mountain disguised as us and turn our friends into an all you can eat buffet?" Gabby continued after only a half an hour.

"Because Gabby, both Comet Dust and Zecora have special magic's that can detect changelings when we get back to the cave both of them will use what they have to make sure that we really are who we say we are," Amethyst answered. "Not to mention, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom will know if it's not Scootaloo, Pumpkin will know if it's not Pound, and Dinky will know if it's not me."

"What if it impersonates me?" she asked. "Who will be able to tell then?"

"If the changeling promises not to be as obnoxious as you I'd gladly take the trade," Trove answered from behind her.

"Yeah well, if the changeling promises it's not evil and that it will be nicer I'd gladly take it and feed it." Gabriella looked back at Trove and stuck out her tongue.

"I agree completely."

"You see Rumble agrees with me."

"I didn't say that honestly I'm kinda hopping we'll come across a whole hive they can have the two of you and we'll take two of them." Rumble smiled. "It's the perfect trade."

"Ha ha ha. That's so funny." Gabby stuck her out her tongue at the grey Pegasus colt. Trove stopped flying.

"What's wrong trove? Can't take what you dish out?"

"Are you blind little griffon?" Gabby's feathers ruffled at the comment to her size, but she followed the older griffon's gaze down to a small pass mostly hidden under two mountain over hangs. "There's a campsite down there. From the looks of it, it's a small group, that doesn't want to be seen."

"I don't see anything, are you sure you're not just having a stroke old one?"

"Do you see the boulder with the two little rocks on it and the rock that looks like a pony at the base?" Trove pointed to the on of the outcroppings covering the small pass. Gabby nodded. "Look right underneath that." Gabby did so.

"Oh wow. I didn't even see that. Good eyes." Trove nodded at the complement, but otherwise went on unfazed. "What should we do Scootaloo? It might be ponies, or zebras, but it could also be changelings."

"We wait for Pound Cake to get back then we go down and investigate. We'll go in slow and cautious. I'll decide soon enough if we go down in the open or if we stick to the shadows, and do it stealthily," she said straining her eyes to see what the two griffons saw to no avail. "You two keep an eye down there and for any movement. We don't want them packing up and moving out because they saw us and got scared." Trove and Gabby nodded at the orders and kept their eyes focused down on that spot.

They waited in that spot unmoving for another thirty minutes before Pound appeared in the sky as a little dot soon he was close enough to see them again and for them to see him plain and clear. He came to a stop a couple of decameters away. "Two, with blue berries and maple syrup, and cold milk to drink," Pound said recalling Scootaloo's usually order of waffles.

"Welcome back Pound fall in." He nodded and did so. "We're going in plainly. I don't want to startle them or surprise them and cause a fight. If they want a fight then we'll be able to oblige them, but it won't be because we accidently spooked them."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's a camp site down there, some where apparently." Pound squinted trying to see what Rumble was talking about to no avail. "We're not sure who or what is down there, but a camp site is hoofs down better than empty caves." Pound nodded to that giving up trying to see the camp site. The two wings went down in the open doing nothing to hide their presence from those that were down on the ground below.

"No magic bolts, spear, or arrows yet that's always a good sign," Gabby said as they got closer to the camp site. Trove's demeanor was getting colder and darker the closer they got to the ground. His eyes never leaving the pony shaped rock.

"No!" Trove shot back up into the sky. "Quickly get back into the skies now!" The was a loud roar from the rocks below he screamed out his warning to the others. A large three headed six eyed creature soon shot out of the covered pass it's large leathery wings pushing it higher into the air after them. The chimera soon caught up to Amethyst whose magically endowed wings were no where near as fast as the really thing. The goat head smiled as the lion opened its maul ready to devour another meal.

Pound Cake fell into a dive smashing the lion head at the last second, he spun away as the serpent tail lunged at him the snake and its venoms missing the young Pegasus by mere centimeters. Amethyst gave up on trying to out fly the chimera teleported to the ground, and began loosing bolt after bolt of magical energy at the monstrous predator, as she tried not to gag on the thick stench of death that covered the ground.

The beast danced around Amethyst bolts as it found a new target. Its leathery wings pushed it closer and closer to Gabriella, the little griffon doing everything she could think of to shake the three headed predator. It was only a meter away when Trove came down on the chimera grabbing it by the horns he pulled the beast away from Gabby, down toward the ground. Scootaloo and Rumble came in from behind it slamming the large bat like wings with all their strength. Trove threw the large beast to the ground. Amethyst teleported back into the sky horn still at the ready. Trove and Scootaloo hovered a couple of decameters from the ground, between the chimera and the others.

There was another roar as the beast launched up at the two of them, claws, fangs and horns, all ready to tear, rip, and beat. Trove and Scootaloo dived down on the beast Rumble and Pound who had been a hectometer and a half higher dived down in unison after them, ready to give a lethal one-two assault.

Trove grappled with the chimera as its claws went for his chest. The lion head brought its teeth to bear, as it to maneuver to get a clear shot at the large griffons throat. Despite his best efforts Trove was little match for the beast, he felt his strength start to slip. In a second he'd be dead and both he and the chimera knew it. Scootaloo came around between it and Trove bashing the lion's head on the crown with as much force as she could muster. The blow drew blood and caused the beast to roar in pain. She wasn't finished before either Pound or Rumble could arrive she leaned in using the lion's head to support her wait; she bucked the goat head shattering one of the horn and causing the chimera to pull away from Trove. The goat bit her leg holding her still for the hundredth of a second needed for the serpent tail to flash out. It released her and fled back down to its lair waiting just under the outcropping, eyes locked on the little winged Pegasus as it waited for the poison to run its course.

Scootaloo hung there in a daze as two little streams of blood slow made their way down her back leg. She felt dizzy her world already starting to spin as the lighter parts of the venom rode her veins to her heart which was pumping over time with all the adrenaline that the fight had caused. Her wings began to beat out of pace. Trove quickly grabbed her from behind his wings easily able to keep the two the them in the air.

"Scootaloo!" Rumble rushed over.

"You two, Hold her up." Trove gently passed Scootaloo to Rumble and Pound. "Gabriella get a tourniquet around her leg." Gabriella nodded and started ruffling around in her satchel. "You teleport back to camp and tell Storm what's happened, unless you can teleport yourself and her back to the mountain." Amethyst shock her head but vanished in a flash. Trove flew between Scootaloo and the ground.

"My chest feels like its going to blow up."

"A chimera's venom is actually two venoms one is lighter, the others heavier. So long as the latter doesn't get to your heart your safe. The lighter one unfortunately is a severe neurotoxin, and I have nothing for that sorry." Gabby applied the tourniquet.

"Storm's on his way and Zecora and Apple Bloom are already working on an antivenom."

Scootaloo clenched her eyes shut as every nerve in her body told her she was on fire. She wanted to cry to scream, to beg for it to stop, but she'd not do any of it while her wing was with her. She would not break with Rumble and Pound around. She had total control over her mind her body however was already covered in sweat though and taking shallow breaths. The ten minutes it took Storm to arrive were the longest minutes of her life. She was grateful that she passed out after four minutes of pain.

"Hey?" Scootaloo came to on Storm's back she looked up and saw Trove standing over her. "That chimera was only interested in a meal and it was about to over power me, so why didn't you just let it?"

"Because friends don't let friends die, and I'd do it again for you." Trove didn't say anything after that he just glared at her. After a couple of seconds she soon fell back into blissful unconsciousness.

Author's Note:

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