JTHW: Journey To Hearth's Warming

by Lighttone GryphonStar

S5 Episode 40: Warning on Deaf Ears

Many years ago, miles away from the Giant Blue Hourglass, on the other side of the mighty celestial ocean, near the site where the legendary Griffinstone would one day sit, laid the remains of several ships. Some proudly shone the flag of the pegasi, but most wore the banner of the griffins.

Among the crashing remains and the trashing salty water was a single young griffin. His light blue feathers stood pronouncedly against the brown wood of the shredded ship around him. He was pinned under the mainsail, and his left eye was gone, but cared not for his pain. Instead, he continued to reach out to another far older grey griffin wearing a broken fez. A crooked spear with three light blue pegasus feathers tied around it's hilt. It lay beside the older griffin but wasn't his own as the point was directed at him and steeped in his blood.

"Commander!!" the younger griffin shouted out. The mainsail stopped his advance. Yet he fought harder, especially as the blood of the other griffin reached him. "Sir!!" His words meant nothing, as the older griffin was reacting. "Lord Gallus!!" He shouted his loudest.

However, the body didn't move. Though the blood reached the younger griffin, he couldn't deny how cold it felt. His face shook against this hopelessness. Wrenching in place as if in defiance of such a reality. Yet all his fighting did was tear his own wounds, replacing his leader's blood with his own.

Ripping his arm free with enough force that bones cracked aloud. His own agony meant nothing to the sight of his master, no, his father fading away, right in front of him. He scrapped at the blood over and over, struggling at its cold touch. Finally seeing defeat he reached out to the sky and screamed out, "Curse you.... Crucian Gale!!"

"Such is the perfect symbol of a new resolve. A son and father at the edge of Saturn's scythe, roaring out at the name of whom threw them at his feet." an unfamiliar voice shook the griffin to attention.

The young griffin turned his eyes upward to see a pony standing over the very sail, holding him in place. The griffin's anger turned to the pony, grabbing the nearby spear spear that had slain his father.

"Wielding a weapon of your enemy against me. Bound by such rage that you ignore the blood of your own father dripping from it's tip." The pony continued. His words were only replied with action as the griffin threw the spear at the pony. The pony blocked it with magic rather easily, bouncing a distance away into the ocean. The efforts of power revealed the pony to not be a pegasus but a unicorn. Though he was unlike any unicorn, the griffin had ever seen.

The younger griffin, despite missing an eye, and even as the unicorn stepped closer, couldn't believe what his working eye was seeing. The orange unicorn was so thin and weakly in form. And yet he jumped off the sail's large height with ease.

The griffin could hear the bones of the unicorn shake, but he still moved, as if unharmed and unhindered by the reality of his appearance. The orange unicorn leaned down to the blood between the younger griffin and the dead lord. He dragged his heavily armored hand through the blood, much to the griffin's dismay.

"This is the blood of... Lord Gallus..." The unicorn brought the blood to his nose and took a deep scent. "And another, you, sir Grover." The unicorn smiled at the griffin's shocked expression. "Though, with him dead, that would make you... Lord Grover now."

The griffin turned away in shame. Staring back at his wounds and the mainsail, holding him in place. "Soon, I will join my father on the other side."

"No, you won't," the unicorn's voice was filled with the same defiance that the griffin had moments ago. "No, Lord Grover, that won't do at all." He laughed at the griffin's pain. "I am a lord too... Lord Red," he confirmed. "You stand far stronger than me." He presented his full frail form to the griffin. "You still have plenty of fight left in you."

"Enough!!" Grover coughed up blood. "End this mockery!! Let me be taken by Saturn in peace."

"No, no, no." Lord Red stepped closer. "Future shows that the titan of death won't claim you... at least not now."

"What..." Grover's voice softened as the unicorn stood right above him once more. Whereas before, he was in the sky, now this being was right beside him. "Why are you here?"

Lord Red smiled and offered out a hand. "I'm here to offer a deal to King Grover... the future King of Griffinstone..."

******

Back in the modern day, in the south, deep within the island fortress, far from any civilization, Thule closed the portal after the blank body had left. He turned to the infant and noticed the curiousness in his eyes. "Don't worry, that body should last him long enough to reach his proper container." He huffed in annoyance. "If one of our allies hadn't been so impatient then his own resolve wouldn't be so rushed."

"Worry?" the infant repeated the only word that mattered to him and raised an eyebrow. "What is worry? Is that like concern?"

"Huh..." Thule stepped closer, ignoring the stretch his latest body was giving off or how it seem to throw the infant back. "You are curious, but have no worry."

"Yes..." The infant looked down. "Father said I'm too curious. He states I should rest more..." He faced his own container. "I'm not finished yet."

Thule raised his eyebrow and looked him over. The infant had eyes, a nose, and a mouth, but much like the experiment that just left, he had to carve them out. In fact, there were multiple scars overlaying each other implying multiple times as if he had to do this every single time he awoke from his tank. This differed greatly from the tanks that the infant's father had supplied to Thule.

The corpse read the number under the tank carefully. "... 001, impossible..." This made no sense. Why was this single project so hard to perfect? These tanks were designed by the grandson of the creator of the changelings and yet, matching such mastery of life seemed impossible. Instead, all that could be made were these blank slates. Easy for Thule's uses, but impossible for living and breathing... new life. He turned his attention back to the infant. "Where is your... father?"

"Possibly hanging out with daddy, or maybe meeting with grandfather!" His voice raised, but there was no sign of emotions. No rage, or happiness, instead just an emphasizing of the facts, or possibly an attempt to fake emotions he lacked altogether.

"Grandfather? The one who didn't forge the changelings... or maybe the one who did?"

"Right, great-grandfather actually, father hates speaking with that changeling creator... the ghost alicorn... I think he's called Aitym now..." The infant sat down, now used to the horrible smell. "Plus... Aitym doesn't need my father or us anymore... Not since you gave him those sirens."

"Unlikely, since those sirens are no longer under his control!" Thule corrected. His words made the infant take a step back, but again it wasn't out of fear, but instead a strange form of caution. "Huh, your knowledge of the outside world is surprisingly small."

"Father doesn't let us out much. In fact, he doesn't like us out at all..." He looked at the ground. "Not until we are finished cooking."

"And yet he leaves the tanks unlocked," Thule laughed. "Authority against freedom, but allowance of those freedoms."

"More daddy's idea than father's."

"Ah! yes, that alicorn would have a problem being forcibly contained." Thule stopped when he sensed something. "Well, that is different." He turned away from the infant and made his way to the elevator. "I just received a signal about something more important that needs my attention."

"Wait?" the infant chased after him, only to be stopped. "You sounded as if you wanted to talk to father?"

"Actually, I was here for something else, but another problem has come about."

"Don't go?!" Again, no concern at all, instead just more emphasis. "Could you send more down here to talk to us?" The infant held his hand out to his siblings in the other tanks. "This place is so silent without father or daddy."

"Hmm," Thule leaned down and placed his hand on the infant's shoulder. "Sure, I'm certain I can arrange a few of my slaves to come down here."

"Slaves... what is that word?!" His question made Thule laugh harder.

"I'll have them bring books too, but only if you don't tell your father we were here."

"Of course!" With that promise, Thule entered the elevator, leaving the infant alone inside the underground base.

******

Falling through the air, Starswirl reached out in vain. The upper beauty, such a mockery sight of the Giant Blue Hourglass's top faded from him as he descended downward to its bottom. He could sense the ground reaching him faster and faster. He smiled in slight regret, sensing no sign of his student, friends or allies below. They were all long gone. None knew the truth and as such none could save him.

The winds passing by were a cooling sensation. Pleasing moment despite the increasing speed. The air wrapped tightly around him as if pushing him further and further downward.

The whistles of the air was delightful music. Such a lovely grace to welcome him to the end. And yet such a solo, effortless, longing, loneliness.

It was truly an agonizing and sobering reminder of just how alone he always felt. A pony of science and magic to the very end, having nopony to have, nopony to care for. His purpose in life was always to bring knowledge, not be saved for such. He was to pass on his work, never see it succeeding with his own eyes.

He knew this the moment he saw Twilight Sparkle and her student, Starlight Glimmer. The two time travelers bounded by a spell he never completed. One, an alicorn, grants her power through one of his own spells. The other, an avid studier of his legends. Seeing them victorious even where he failed was a great sight. He was happy to know them and glad to witness their paths.

It was the real reason he let them on the titan airship. Not for some mystery, though he loved a good one. No, not for some unknown connection they might have with Rex or the alicorns, as epic as the reveal was. Not for their power, might, future, or even their fate. No, what he sought from them was something Rex and Clover could never understand. What he desired was to simply meet... the future of his knowledge.

That prize was now snuffed away as his sight went back. The pressure of gravity gripped tighter than the air, slowly crushing him. He dare not fight it... no point at all. The future was here... He was here...

******

Emptiness echoed through the Pegasus Isles as all warnings fell on deaf ears. No matter who they told nopony would listen. Even after showing the footage, the pegasi would turn away from Starlight and Clovis and ignore their pleas against the advancing evils.

Common citizens would go back to their daily lives, unhindered and unfazed. Children would show shock only to laugh moments later thinking it was some sort of trick. The elderly would scowl at their efforts as if their mere presence was the only source of chaos in their existence. And worst still were the soldiers; abruptly leaving with no regard for the truth.

"Why won't they listen?" Starlight fell back. "We could be attacked at any moment."

"Key phrasing, any moment is not now..." Clovis grumbled. "Pegasi are a notoriously lazy species."

"Don't get racist on me!" Starlight barked back.

"I'm not, its simply fact. Every species has their vices. Earth Ponies are strong yet stubborn. Unicorns like us, are powerful yet arrogant. Pegasi are full of so much valor and desire for battle, but are also too lazy to seek battle or accept its arrival."

"Sounds too bold to come from your mind?" Starlight questioned his words.

"Indeed, those were mine," a voice interrupted them. The two turned around to see nothing at all, but the source was clearly in this direction.

"That voice..." Starlight narrowed her eyes. "Lord Red." She was in utter confusion since there was no sign of magic at all. And yet, she could sense a strange feeling, almost like a vibration with each word, akin to strings on a violin.

"Yes," the voice apologized, "I am sorry not to be there in person. I'm currently busy heading to meet with the leader of the pegasi."

"Like a mayor of something?" Starlight questioned.

"No," Clovis corrected her. "While it might not look like it, Pegasus Isle is a military state."

"Exactly," Lord Red affirmed. "The current military leader is Commander Hurricane. I did try to find her earlier, but it seems something was blocking my signal."

"I find it odd that something could block you," Clovis posed.

"Agreed. Which means I'm on edge..." Lord Red's voice lowered. "On that note, you two are attempting to warn them of something."

"Yes, an attack," Starlight cleared her throat. "Starswirl warned us on invasion coming this way, directly from below us."

"Interesting. Send me the message."

Starlight raised an eyebrow. "How? You aren't here--"

The unicorn was stopped by Lord Red's laughter. "Little mare, I am everywhere." With that strange wording, the very air in front of them cracked loudly, before slowly opening up... no it was as if reality itself was opening up.

"A corruption spell..." Clovis barely whispered aloud.

"Starlight, as an omni pony, you are the only one besides myself who can reach through. Thus ensure the message has safe travel."

The unicorn mare was silent at first. Everything in her told her to turn away from this crack, to never let it see her, let alone touch her. Her body trembled in place and her hands frozen. Clovis scolded her fear but it matter not for his words never reached her.

Lord Red's hand reached through the... portal. It gestured to her with such inviting kindness. Starlight's body moved on its own, pulling away from him much to her confusion. She was truly perplexed by this moment. She had distrusted him before, but as time went on, she wanted to trust him... so why now did the mistrust return? Why was she fearing him now?

Pushing through her instincts she reach out and placed the message in his hand. The unicorn mare pulled back just as quickly out of pain, yet there wasn't a mark on her and the agony lasted only an instant. However, the pain wasn't what scared her the most; it was the strange familiarity it had. "What is this power?"

"It is a corruption spell?!" Clovis questioned her wording. "Haven't you seen one before? Legend said you will encounter its form alike many times before the great battle."

"Indeed," Lord Red affirmed. "I used the spell in front of you once before, when the Night Brothers attacked."

Starlight instantly remembered but found it stranger since she couldn't even fully recall that memory until now. Stranger still, it wasn't her first time at all. "No... when I first felt this... it was shortly after..." She stopped. The memory of her first encounter was in her head... and just as quickly, it was gone. "Wait... what was I talking about?" She took a step back and went back to her normal self, confusing Clovis even more.

"I see..." Lord Red's voice became softer. "You are quite the intrigue, Starlight Glimmer." He laughed more softly. "I look forward to studying you more... until then, I will deliver your message."

"What about the undead? Can't they just climb upward?" Starlight questioned.

"Through the cloud bed, no. There is powerful magic that prevents the pegasi and batponies from interacting. As such, any coming directly from the Batpony Canyons would either take an outsider's path or the elevators." Clovis clarified.

"If they've already reached past Starswirl, then that won't take much time. Either way, hold out as long as possible. I might have an ally to send to you very soon." With that, he ended the connection, much to their dismay, as a loud cracking followed from all directions.

"What ally?" Clovis screamed in vain at his master's vanishing presence.

Starlight's face went pale, and she took a step back. Another cracking sound brought her to attention. Turning her sight to the westernmost front as the crashing repeated even louder. Cold sweat poured over the unicorn's mare's face as she sensed the worst. It was too late, as much as she didn't want it to be. "The undead... are here."

******

Not far from where they were, Lord Red grumbled in annoyance. He closed another portal and dropped the message into an image of a hospital room. Afterward, he turned his attention to far more important matters. His true location was a darkened and old laboratory at the very top of the Giant Blue Hourglass.

Private Pansy laid on a table under him. She was strapped down tightly, but showed no fear toward him. Instead, her only concern was outside as the shaking got worse.

Lord Red placed his frail hand upon her cheek to calm away her sweat. "Do not fear. The fear with me. I am beyond such things."

"Outside... another war is beginning to burn?" she questioned.

"Yes, which is why we must hurry." He lowered down what could be best described as a claw.

"What is this place?" She struggled but not out of fear for herself, but the others outside.

"This place belonged to someone I knew so dearly. He won't mind me using these." Lord Red waved his hand over the current machinery above Private Pansy as well as the rest in the room.

As the claw glowed brightly above her, Private Pansy gave one final plea, "Please tell me? What are you going to do?"

Lord Red placed one hand on her shoulder and calmed his breath. "I told you before, I am going to give you the strength you need to stand with your soldiers." He could see her fear wasn't gone, so he assured her. "I've done this to many creatures, including griffins." He lowered his head to her height and whispered into her ear. "All I wish to do is give you the power to stand by your beloved Gale Hurricane..."

The pegasus mare slowly nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'm ready." Private Pansy firmed herself in place.

He pulled and frowned, leaving her so confused. He straightened his face as if he was having a hard time saying it so he was blunt. "I'm so sorry... this is going to hurt."

With that last word, the glow shot out and enveloped her whole body, filling her with so much pain. Her screams echoed throughout the room. Her volume only being matched by the shattering outside as cracks rose from below, reaching even their height.

Her roars of agony were only stopped as the claw abruptly stabbed downward. It replaced her bellows with crunching and tearing as her body jolted violently and blood poured down the table. Lord Red turned away and let the machine continue. It twisted and pulled back several times before stabbing back in just as brutally. More blade arms dropped and worked alongside the main claw.

Out of his sleeves flowed the single hair of Starlight Glimmer. He brought it over to another machine. This one had three screens with images already on them. The first was of Rex, followed by a shadowy figure in the second, and below them in the third was Twilight Sparkle. "Huh, still unfinished, even after all this time. Understanding the strange bloodline of Twilight Sparkle will have to wait."

He typed on the keyboard and the images faded, only for the bottom to be replaced by Starlight Glimmer. He placed the hair into a tube standing at the left of the machine. The hair was sucked inside and a spinning sound echoed out. The new upper images appeared rather fast, "Oh, much faster than Twilight's scans. This means Starlight's family is already in the system." As the two images came into focus, his frown slowly turned back into a smile, a villainous smile. "Now that is very interesting. The ones who gave Starlight Glimmer her light and dark magic are..."

******

Author's Note:

Well, this was an insane chapter. Yes, we did get more mentions of this extra group from that mysterious island. Don't worry, we get to revealing them soon enough. Remember, they were always part of the plan, but I didn't originally plan for them to show up so early. Either way, I'm glad to get to this part.

Though some of you might already know who the child is, and yes its exactly who you think it is. He's so cute when he so small. A character from one of my best one-shots, no longer on the site due to my attempts to remake it into an original piece for my original universe.

Plus, the Griffins, finally we get more details on them. Remember that crooked spear as it will be the important piece this season. I'm sorry it took so long to get to the backstories of this arc. Soon enough we will get some pegasi and a few other species.