My Little Pony: Retrieving the Elements

by BlackFeather

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning was busy as the Cantor Lot guard were getting prepared for the visit of General Iron Wing, General of the 3rd Griffon Legion. His records and reputation are matched by very little and he is a master with a sword. He had sent Black Feather ahead faster than his troop to get the message too princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

Around early morning or so just like Black Feather said a party of griffon soldiers were seen heading towards Cantor Lot. Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Flutter Shy were standing waiting for the General to appear. Black Feather went on ahead to welcome the General and to check in that he had delivered the message.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I appreciate your hospitality towards my messenger, and I want to explain my gratitude to the lass that healed his wounds” General Iron Wing said. He was wearing the armor that all his soldiers were wearing and he had a silver wing pin on his chest plate, his insignia that identified him. Iron Wing had silver hair and a curvy silver mustache to match his noble look. All the Griffons had their wings on their backs and like every Pegasi they walked around because flying was exhausting.

“Welcome General Iron Wing to Cantor Lot, I hope you will enjoy your stay” Celestia said.

“Anything will be good after four days of nice hard ground” Iron Wing said. Celestia motioned for him and his soldiers to enter the castle. The General had a party of eight-teen soldiers that included Black Feather. As the Princesses and the General, along with Black Feather and one other guard, Twilight, Rainbow, and Flutter Shy entered the council hall they all sat on each side of the table. They began conversation with the message that Black Feather delivered. After about an hour or so of talking then the matter involving Twilight came up.

“Forgive me for not mentioning this earlier General but I haven’t properly introduced to you Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship” Celestia motioned towards Twilight who stood and said.

“It is an honor to officially meet you General Iron Wing” The General stood in a little shock and said.

“My apologies Princess Twilight I wasn’t informed that there was another Princess of Equestria” Iron Wing said.

“Indeed, that would be my fault General, I had failed to send the information that Twilight was crowned” Celestia said.

“Yes, but then my messenger wouldn’t have known either, Black Feather, Attention” the General turned and Black Feather stood and held his composure.

“SIR”

“You failed to recognize an Equestrian Princess, in your duties and the rules of his majesties messenger Corp you are subjected to commit section 2’s punishment” the General said.

“Yes sir” Black Feather’s talon gauntlet had a blade that was the Griffon messenger’s weapon, he unsheathed it, un-attached the blade and held it to his throat. “Sir I will commit my life on your order sir” Black Feather said.

Princess’s Celestia and Luna were shocked by the outcome of this little discussion. Twilight was still trying to gather her mind back, Rainbow was shocked stiff, and Flutter Shy was about to cry.

“Wait you can’t do this” Twilight said.

“Actually, Princess Twilight I have the authority to command my messenger to take his life if he fails to recognize foreign royalty” General Iron Wing said. He continued. “But since not even the Emperor himself knew about there being a new Princess this is an exception that I can allow, put away your blade Black Feather” Iron Wing said.

“Yes sir, thank you sir” Black Feather looked relieved that he had been excepted by this unusual turn of events.

“My apologies Princess Celestia if my little show was inappropriate, but even in foreign countries I must do my duties” General Iron Wing said.

“Not at all General, but I am grateful that my floor is still blood free”

The negotiations went on a little longer and then they were finished. The General and his guard walked out of the chamber with Celestia and Luna in tow.

“So, we can expect you to help with our research of the ‘Transformation’ Princess” Iron Wing said.

“Yes, I will get my researchers on it as fast as possible” Celestia said. Iron Wing then shook his head.

“Please take your time, his Imperial Majesty isn’t in a hurry” Celestia motioned towards some royal guards and said.

“These men will lead you to your room we have prepared for the night”

“Thank you Princess Celestia, it has been an honor” the General and his men followed the guards away.

“Princess, you didn’t intend to let the General just have Black Feather kill himself did you” Twilight said.

“Twilight, one thing I have learned is that with foreign diplomats I can only postpone such actions while they are behind Equestrian boarders, if the General really wanted to he could have his man executed as soon as they crossed into the Empire” Celestia said. “Such things are to be expected Twilight, remember that, so when will you be going back to ponyville” Celestia asked.

“Tomorrow, I hoped to see some of the city with Flutter Shy and Rainbow Dash before we went back”

The three girls had gone on a little walk tour of Cantor Lot since they had the time to spare, Twilight now being a Princess got some ponies attention but it still went smoothly. They had gone into shops and got lunch then after the whole day decided to head back to their room. The room was of decent size but the girls didn’t care much for that, unlike Rarity they wouldn’t mind if it was a little cramped or cluttered.

Getting ready for bed the three girls just talked before getting some shut eye. “So, what was your first thought when Black Feather put his blade against his neck” Rainbow asked.

“Rainbow I don’t really want to remember that, I didn’t even know what was going on” Twilight said.

“I was going to start crying, I can’t believe that he was about to do that just because he didn’t know Twilight was a Princess” Flutter Shy said.

“Well whatever than, let’s just get some sleep” Twilight said as she blew out the candle and laid back in bed to sleep.

The next morning Twilight was awoken by Rainbow Dash when she started to wake her up wildly. “Twilight, wake up”

“What is it Rainbow Dash”

“Come on get up we got to go see the Princess’s” Twilight sat up in bed and yawned. She looked out the window and saw that the sun was barley up yet.

“Rainbow it’s so early what could possibly have need for us to-“ Twilight got interrupted by Rainbow Dash

“The Elements of Harmony were stolen” Twilight looked up and hoped out of bed to change while Rainbow woke up Flutter Shy.

The three of them entered the throne room where Celestia and Luna were talking to a few guards about what had happened. As the girls approached they over heard a bit of the conversation. “And you’re sure he left that early” Celestia said to a guard.

“Yes, your Highness, we saw him and his party leave the city one hour ago,”

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Flutter Shy all came to a halt in front of Celestia and Luna. “Twilight, I guess you heard what has happened” Celestia asked.

“Yes Princess, do you know who might have done it” Twilight asked.

“No, we suspected General Iron Wing but he left so we can’t ask him about the situation directly”

“then what do we do” Twilight asked hoping her teacher had an answer.

Just before Celestia could the throne room doors burst open and three guards were dragging a person in chains. “Your majesty we found this one near the Elements room, he was unconscious and cut on the side” the head guard said as he and his men reached the group of ponies in the room. The person the guard referred to was shockingly Black Feather. Twilight and her friends gasped and Celestia and Luna looked saddened and enraged.

“Where are the Elements of Harmony Black Feather” Celestia asked in a raged voice.

“I don’t know, one of the Generals guard was revealing me of guard duty and tried to kill me” The royal guard dragged him forward making him fall to his knees.

“Why would one of your own soldiers try to kill you” Luna asked this time.

“I don’t know but I didn’t steal your Element things” Black Feather said. Black Feather looked half scarred and half angry himself.

“Two of my guards are dead your majesty, and one is wounded, his blade had blood on it when we found him” The captain said.

“That was because I stabbed the Griffon who attacked me”

"Likely story Griffon” the captain said.

“I’m not a Griffon, I’m an Eagle” Black Feather shouted. The guards looked confused as did Twilight and her friends, but the Princess’s didn’t.

“I thought you looked a little different than the rest of the guards, you don’t even have wings on your back, but that still doesn’t excuse you” Luna said.

While the arguing had increased, Twilight remembered that the General had eight-teen guards including Black Feather himself. She decided to interject on this conversation. “Black Feather, how many guards attacked you” Twilight said. Every pony and Eagle went silent and Black Feather answered.

“Just one, he tried to kill me but we wounded each other”

“Guard, how many guards did Iron Wing have when he left” Twilight asked the guard that saw the General leave.

“I think it was Six-teen”

“Than my theory is this. Black Feather is an Eagle and we who have studied foreign countries would know of the Eagle Nations subjecting to the Griffon Empires rule, the Eagles rebelled a year or so ago but were quelled. Iron Wing had and Eagle messenger in his guard so he sent him ahead to not just have Princess Celestia prepare for his arrival, but so he could have also told his plan to all the other soldiers he had who probably hated Eagles as well. While every pony was sleeping, Black Feather was on guard duty for Iron Wing, another comes to take his place and tried to kill him. He fails and receives a wound from Black Feathers talon gauntlet while Black Feather receives a slash on his side. Other Griffons killed the guards at the Elements Hall and stole the Elements of Harmony, and when they did they knocked Black Feather out and they planted him at the scene of the crime so he would take the brunt of the force knowing that we would question him instead of sending some pony to call the General back here. By the time, we figured it out Iron Wing will be over the Boarder and we would be too late” Twilight finished.

Every pony and Black Feather stared in silence. Celestia broke it when she said. “That theory makes perfect sense if Black Feather is telling the truth”

“But we don’t know that” The captain said.

“No but some pony does. Twilight, how long fast can your remaining friends get here in”