Piece of Parchment

by Metemponychosis

Harbouring Criminals and Princesses

Discord was present, but it seemed breakfast happened around him like he wasn’t there. Griffons ate their food and drank their drinks. They talked and chirped about their recent victory. Maids served them. Lady Gwendolen talked to the guests, and those cheered and drank their spiced wine.

Gilad never brought it up, but he and Gwendolen fought practically the entire previous day and night. Discord could hear their shouts from his room. And that disturbed Lady Gwendolen greatly. Discord could see in the way she stared at him. Guilty, but above that guilt. As if only Gilad would be more reasonable, they wouldn’t be fighting. Obviously. But she remained the ‘noble lady hostess’, all pleasantness to their guests after Gilad’s aloofness. Making up for his lack of courtesy.

Discord went through the motions and politely accepted any food the griffons offered him. Even the ones he wasn’t fond of. But he didn’t feel like eating the plates or slurping the forks like tagliarini. He merely pretended to listen to Lady Gwendolen talking to their guests while Lord Gilad talked to no one. It was dreadful. Griffons noticed something was wrong, but the guests couldn’t understand it and the maids knew better than to try and help.

It was a shame, really. The Lord of Chaos had plans for the day. Things he wanted to see in the city. Maybe meet some more griffons. Talk to Lord Graham about that problem with the dissidents in his slice of Snow Mountains. Perhaps meet some more of the maids in the mansion and, through them, learn a little more about Lady Gwendolen. Maybe go see Lord Gilad with his soldiers. Mingle around and get a feel of what was in those griffons’ headspace.

The news of Chocolate Velvet’s death and Celestia’s situation spoiled his enjoyment of that place. He needed some space, peace, and quiet to think, and the mansion’s gatehouse was a perfect place for that. In the open air of the mountain, just outside the mansion and looking down on the city of Griffindell. Technically inside the mansion, so Discord didn’t feel under the eyes of some loremaster spying on him.

Then a guardsgriffon came inside, covered in snow and complaining his mug of spiced wine had frozen while he listened to the night’s report. No. Discord didn’t like the gatehouse that much. He didn’t need to go outside and suffer such cold. A large, round window on the loft was more than enough to see outside. The cross-iron frame and the thick, double-layered glass intruded on his view, but the window kept the cold outside. It also put his eyes above the gatehouse, adding the griffons in armor and fur, patrolling the walls like they were too awesome to mind that unholy cold.

With the mansion perched at the top, Discord could see the entire city. From the stone mansions courting the Griffinsky mansion near the summit, to the wooden houses at the base of the mountain. As the terrain sloped down, the ground became fields of grains covered in snow. Glassy greenhouses mingled in between them, and griffons cleaned the snow from their roofs. A military camp snuggled closer to the immense black walls. Watching the griffons shoveling the snow out of the way eased the tension in his neck.

Undisturbed snow covered the valley and the towering mountains past the great black walls. An impenetrable white mist hid anything past a couple of miles beyond the entrance to the Valley of Griffons. Like an ominous barrier keeping mortal eyes from peering into the realm of the Windigos. Moving and twisting whiteness, curtaining the monstrosities trying to find a way through.

Inside the mansion, the day proceeded normally, if slightly chirpier than usual. Discord had discovered a ‘thing’ about griffons. That when they were really happy, thrilled, they would sing. Although not ‘sing’, like in an opera. They just made happy bird noises. And Lady Gwendolen’s spontaneous chirping seemed to have infected the mansion’s maids. At any moment, spontaneous, joyous chirruping arose from the corridors further into the mansion. In any other situation, Discord would be both amused and delighted. But every time Gwendolen cruised through the hall below, piping like a finch, he’d refrain from the urge to go down there and smack some sense into her.

Discord's plan of thinking was not going to come through. His thoughts kept returning to that day he watched Chocolate Velvet trying to down Twilight’s airship. He had poured magic into his sword and then threw it at the vessel. The last Discord had seen of him was magicking an anvil around his neck. Twilight wouldn’t call that ‘very friendly’, but it wasn’t supposed to be the last time Discord would see the alicorn. They were supposed to meet again later, when that whole affair was done, and laugh it up with some cupcakes and a milkshake.

Celestia was probably in a lot of pain. Probably frustrated and angry at the situation, and Discord didn’t even know how much of it she understood. It was chaos, but not the good kind he liked, where everypony would laugh in the end. What about Luna? How was she dealing with that situation? They needed their friends, and Discord wanted to leave and go see them.

Perhaps that was what he ought to do. Celestia had sent him there to understand the northerners. To help her help them. But they didn’t want her help, and he failed on his mission. Meanwhile, he was sending Windigos to deliver foolhardy messages to Twilight and goofing around with the locals. He couldn’t even be sure the Windigos delivered his message to Twilight, much less that they did so in good faith.

He sighed a foggy smudge into the window, just as a griffon approached him. Silent as a predator, gloomy as Pinkie Pie after the confetti was over. But in a serious and actually sad way. He greeted Discord with a fraction of his usual assertiveness, and the draconequus nodded at Gilad’s words. He never turned to look at him, though. Regardless, the griffon sat, and he too looked through the window.

A couple of minutes passed before Lady Gwendolen’s happy warbling obnoxiously barged into their silence. Gilad radiated embarrassment. When she was gone, and closed a door behind her, his wings sagged from his side.

His voice lacked all its usual power. “I have never apologized on anyone’s behalf… But I am sorry. I fear the situation is partially my fault, as I was the one that found her in her tower. Who became infatuated with her and this romantic notion of fixing Griffonia.”

Discord let escape a long sigh and bumped his forehead on the window. The cold threatened to further his headache. “You had good intentions, Gilad. I suppose that is more than I can say for most evil doers that threaten the world.”

“I need to talk to you,” Discord added somberly, turning to face the griffon before Gilad could broach another subject. He stared at the griffon with a heavy heart and Gilad pursed his eyes. Pained like Discord had punched him in the gut.

Discord said nothing for a while. He couldn’t find the right words to tell the noble griffon. Even if he didn’t really need to, as Gilad already knew what Discord meant to tell him. The clicky tip-taps of an approaching griffon interrupted their awkward silence. Discord gave it little regard, imagining it was one of the mansion maids trying to get them to cheer up. The tinkling of coins and calmer-than-usual gait made Discord look. Instead of a cute and young griffon lady wearing the black and white maid uniform, a young tom approached them.

He had a vibrant tan for coat. Sumptuous compared to the usual ‘Griffonstone tan’ Discord was used to. More like bronze, almost with the same metallic sheen the northerner griffons had when their coats presented in the brighter colors. It was a sign of the Astrani line, the Harpy had said. Golden eyes fixated on Discord from the white plumage in his head, and golden accents at his feathers made him look like a gilded, gold and silver statue.

As though unsatisfied with his natural colors and youth, white-yellow coins covered him, blinking under the torchlight. A series of loose collars, a headdress of metallic feathers, wristbands, tail rings, hanging garments covered him. It was like his reason for existing was showing someone’s wealth. His facial lines jumped at Discord with liners in gold and shades of blue for eyeliners. Even though he had the build of an adult, he was a small one.

Discord raised an eyebrow. Celestia had one of those too, but hers was a cork mannequin to hold her jewels. Not a living creature.

The griffon looked up at Discord with a goofy grin and amazed eyes before he noticed his own silliness. Donning a terrible mask of seriousness, he finally spoke. “Geez… I’m sorry. I just never thought I’d meet Lord Discord in person. Like, ever in my life!”

“Hey. Hello. I’m actually more accessible than most creatures would give me credit for. Say, that is… Uh… A lot of gold.”

“It is not gold!” The young griffon raised his voice and pouted like Discord had called his mom bad names. It never ceased to amuse him when they puffed their feathers like an angry parrot. “It is electrum!”

Gilad seemed tired. He smiled anyway and walked to the other griffon. The Lord of the Black Gate stood about twice the small griffon’s height and rested a friendly paw on his back. “I’m glad Gwendolen let you off the tower, Geordi.”

“Oh! You’re the soldier that Lady Geena brought from Frozenlake!” Discord declared. His ears perked up, and he offered the griffon his paw to shake with a smile. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Well, you saved my life!” Geordi grinned like he had won a million Bits and stood on his hindlegs, tinkling, and pealing like a wind chime to shake Discord’s paw. “I’m sure Lord Graham would’ve killed me along with the others if you hadn’t shown up. Thank you. For real.”

Geordi sat back on his haunches, tinkling all over again, and Discord told him to not mention it. But then the Lord of Chaos crossed his arms. “I don’t mean you’re not worth it, but I’m curious that Lady Gwendolen and Lady Geena singled you out among the others.”

“Gwendolen is dismayed at the small number of griffons which remained pure in the Griffonland region.” Gilad said with a shrug. “And the desert griffons are all but gone, but Geordi here is as pure a Haderani as griffons can get today. She has really come to like Geordi.”

When Discord gave Gilad a curious stare, the Lion explained with a gesture of his paw. “What you will find more interesting is that Geordi exchanged himself for the other soldiers.”

“You traded yourself for your comrades in arms?” The amazement raised Discord’s voice from its dullness. Then he frowned and raised a lion-fingered hand. “Please tell me she expects more from you than making cubs…”

“Actually!” Geordi made an indignant frown. “My job is to help repopulate the Haderani line!”

“It is important, and not just ‘making cubs’!” The young griffon made air quotes with his paws. “I’m a symbol! Also, she has treated me better than any other griffon lady in my life!”

Discord raised an eyebrow, but also rubbed his chin. He stared at the angry short griffon glaring up at him. Magic. Pony and griffon magic didn’t seem to like each other quite naturally. Pure griffons, free of the ‘ponyness’ from the hippogriffs, became more powerful. Griffindell’s ancient walls were a testament to what the magic of ancient griffons could do. On the other side, Discord was there to see what the ponies did with their magic. He found neither ponies nor griffons, or hippogriffs, for that matter, lacking.

However, it wasn’t really about magic, was it? The Harpy wanted, above all, control. For things to go back the way they were before she lost control of the world. Maybe those things, magic and control, walked hand in hand in their world. The powerful magic of the ancient griffons and the glory of their race could attest to that. The problem was that Celestia would say that griffons don’t need any of that past glory to be happy. Much less the ‘purity’. Of course, some griffons might disagree. After all, does she have the standing to say such a thing? When ponies are the dominant culture in their world? In no small part because of the fall of the old system put in place by the Harpy.

Discord kept his eyes on the short griffon. His angry glare had turned to curiosity, and Gilad remained silent by their side, letting Discord think. And he kept thinking, because, when it came to what they wanted, Celestia and the Harpy were not that different. While both preached diametrically opposing ways of living, both wanted their ‘children’ to be happy.

“And you’re okay with that?” Discord finally asked Geordi. “Is that enough for you?”

“I used to live in a small town. Whitelake. I was a knitter, and I used to make scarves so beautiful creatures would visit my hometown to buy my work. Then the politicians messed it all up.” Geordi let his eyes aim at Discord’s feet. “Griffonia turned into a time bomb and the economy went to the gutter. Nocreature buys scarves when they’re worrying about their next dinner.”

“Funny… Princess Celestia once praised and bought my scarves. But she never cared enough to do anything about Griffonia. Nobody cared. All those creatures praising my work just vanished. Then the Chancellor shoved our income under his tail and Celestia did nothing about that either. I lost my home. Then I joined the army because it was better than starving and sleeping on the street.”

Discord said nothing. He simply stared at Geordi and lent the short griffon his ear.

“But then they sent me here to Snow Mountains.” Geordi shrugged. “I supposed it helped me in the end. Just another meaningless grunt to the big names. Just a griffon to hold a gun. Now, at least my friends can go home, and here I am wanted and important. Lady Gwendolen cares about me and she will take care of me.”

“Just like that?” Discord urged the griffon on with a frustrated frown. “The entire world out there and you’ll be satisfied, living like Lady Gwendolen’s prized pet?”

“You don’t understand. I get to live in Lord Gilad’s mansion and griffons look at me like I’m made of gold. And… Lady Gwendolen… She… She’s special. Lady Gwendolen cares about me like nobody else ever did! And when they move to Griffonstone, I’ll go with them.”

“And is that all you want?” Geordi was right. That equation didn’t add up inside his head. Discord opened his arms and let his voice raise. “What about going back home? Seeing your family again? Friends? Going back to your job? Following your calling in life? Maybe moving to Equestria heartland?”

“I don’t have any friends, alright? I mean, there are the guys in my unit, but they’re not really friends. They’re like coworkers.” The short griffon took offense with Discord’s words, and his similarly raised tone showed it. “None of them cared about me when I needed their help. Only Lady Gwendolen cared about me. Only she helped me.”

Geordi’s voice turned frantic. Trembly and anxious. “She was the only one there. Not even Princess Luna showed up when I had nightmares about dying in a trench! Only the Harpy! And I’ll do everything in my power to get all the griffons to join just because she’d like that. It’s also the least I can do for all the other idiots stuck in that mess that is Griffonia.”

How would one tell an angry and disenfranchised young creature that Celestia cared about him, too? That she just also had to care about all Equestria, too. That she was doing her best to let griffons keep their sovereignty and help them at the same time. It was a losing proposition for her and impossible to explain for Discord. Especially when the griffons’ own leadership bungled everything so badly. But Celestia remained true to the tenets which made the Federation.

It seemed creatures like she and Discord were cursed with long memories. Celestia had a consciousness which bound her to the old agreements. Meanwhile, the world forgot, moved on, and blamed her for things they didn’t understand. The Harpy understood that. She understood it all too well. And she used it ruthlessly.

“Is that why she gave you all this…” Discord gestured to all the shiny metal covering Geordi. “This glittery gloire?”

“This is how the young griffons dressed in the Haderani parts of the Empire.” Gilad said, waving a gesture toward Geordi. Despite his diplomatic tone, the young griffon in question filled his chest with pride. “Especially the noble-born. Lord Geordi is the young head of a whole new Haderani bloodline. And Gwendolen has requested that he is trained to that standard.”

Maybe Discord was just callous, but it sounded as though they dressed like that because the Harpy liked it. They wanted to make her happy, too. ‘Happiness’ probably wasn’t the right word. Instead, ‘fulfillment’ would fit better. The Harpy believed conflict drives all. It was literally how she made griffons to tick. She wanted them to yearn, maybe even to suffer, and to achieve. To overcome through pain and hardship, and to reap rewards.

Celestia wanted the same thing for all creatures. But she believed the way to achieve ‘fulfillment’ was to provide them with what they needed. That way, undistracted by precisely, pain and hardship, they could reach their full potential. While griffons had to fight out of the mud and up the castle walls, ponies had a platform leveling everypony out of the mud.

Maybe a common ground didn’t exist. Maybe griffons and ponies were made for different ways of life that did not mesh. If they were to coexist peacefully, then they must round the edges, respect the differences, and fit around each other. If Discord had learned anything, it was that Harmony, in all things, lied in balance.

Of course, talking was easy. That implied making Lady Gwendolen accept that some of her children would simply choose the other side. Not only that, but also getting Celestia to accept the Harpy was going to stay. Because if the Windigos were right, and Discord suspected they were, Celestia would not like that. Especially after the recent events.

What a mess. Discord of the past would hop and giggle at all the chaos. But he had learned a few things along the way. And if he learned, couldn’t Lady Gwendolen learn too? Even if for no other reason than securing her survival? Selfish and petty as a reason could be, it was still valid. She could stay with her children. They could stay with her. And then, couldn’t they help Celestia agree on the same terms? So that all could live in peace? Not having existence yanked back to the beginning and condemning them to try again at the cost of a few adjustments. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Maybe Discord was an old fool. But that sounded right inside his head. The problem was going from hatred and discrimination to coexistence and respect. The northerner griffons had a long way to meet the ponies in the middle. Celestia and the Harpy themselves would be a monumental task by any metric. Fortunately, Discord knew a pony used to succeeding in monumental tasks. Two, actually. If only one of them wasn’t part of the problem.

In the end, Discord couldn’t leave Griffindell. If he did, he might never reach the Harpy again. He might take with him Gilad’s last hope of fixing that mess. And Twilight would need all the help to sort that one out. Discord sighed again, looking at the shiny griffon before him. Slumping his shoulders, but breathing easier, with a renewed resolve.

“I suppose they didn’t go out under the desert sun and do a lot of work, did they?” Notably, his bad mood may have soured his side of the conversation. It amused Gilad, and Geordi seemed immune to his callous opinion.

The tom raised his beak arrogantly. “There is nothing wrong with it. Young, noblegriffons were supposed to learn how to command soldiers and to study. To become good leaders. To help the Emperor rule the empire. The northerners like armor and fur. The desert griffons liked shiny metals. And I quite like it too!”

The image inside Discord’s head was of some high-ranking griffon salivating over their subordinates. Like they were some ornate pieces of ostentatious furniture. Or a pet. A trophy spouse. Most likely, the Harpy salivating over a cute tom like he is a piece of beef. Baby beef.

“As long as you are happy.” The draconequus resigned with a sigh. “Just wink twice if you need help.”

While Gilad chuckled and patted Geordi’s back, the younger griffon gave Discord a confused glare. Discord hoped Twilight received his message. They’d really need some of that magic of friendship. Preferably backed by a lot of ready-to-cast spells. Just in case.

***

When night fell, unlike Ponyville, Manehattan barely put hooves on the brake. A city that never sleeps fit it as perfectly as it fit Canterlot during Twilight’s younger years. Not that she’d know much about that. Nighttime was ‘study time’, not ‘party time’ for her. At least before she became a princess. Then nighttime became ‘dodge-the-suitors time’ and ‘do-princess-stuff time’. Recently, nighttime also became ‘sneak-around-town-in-a-crumbling-stagecoach time’.

The good news was that Twilight felt much better after the encounter with the frostwing. She felt no more confident about Discord’s message, but at least she didn’t feel like she was going to die. The pervading cold was gone, and the thoughts of doom had left her head to more present-focused thoughts.

The problem was that the present wasn’t much nicer. Somewhere between leaving the others at the hotel and traveling like an outlaw, things started looking frightening. Maybe it was the decrepit stagecoach, with its benches full of holes and smelling funny. The closed windows behind the curtains, perhaps? Twilight was never one to mind practicality over luxury, but the moth holes in the ancient silk finish were a step beyond. Was it Bordeaux or indigo? Maybe she should be thankful the inside was so dark she couldn’t be sure. It smelled like something was growing in there and she rather not see it.

Maybe she only really felt better because the squeaking from their pony-pulled vehicle didn’t let her hear her thoughts. She would feel better if the others had come along, but they needed to stay. Spike and Starlight Glimmer never came back from their meeting. Twilight had decided it would be better for them to stay and wait for the two. If they contacted Naminé’s ponies and returned, that needed taking care of. Inside the coach, Twilight had started second guessing her decision, but it was too late.

Cadance’s presence warmed her some. They sat in a corner of the stagecoach while their griffon companion sat on the opposite bench. In the middle of it, staring blankly at the back wall where its window too was closed and covered by a discolored blue curtain. At least it seemed to be blue.

Twilight had expected Master Gray’s eyes to glow in the dark, like a cat. Then she remembered the cat part of griffons was the rear one. That meant that Grigory’s big soldier friend could see about four times farther than the average pony. With a wider range of colors, too. That meant he could better appreciate how disgraceful that coach’s interior was. Or maybe not, because it was dark, and he couldn’t see any better in the dark than she could.

Although griffon feathers were an often-used ingredient in magical healing potions for blindness.

Twilight closed her eyes in the dark and tried to calm her overactive mind. But instead of calmly stopping at a safe station, her train of thoughts derailed. She could barely see the griffon’s moving chest in the dark and it bothered her. He just stood there, staring at the back wall of their coach. Or at her. How could she know? The dark shrouded him like an invisibility cloak. Or the shadowy foliage of a bush, moving in the wind ever so slightly so she couldn’t see there was something dangerous on the other side. Like a griffon about to jump and tear her to shreds! A couple of bumps on the road stopped her wayward thoughts, and she sighed to herself in the silence.

The squeaks from their carriage’s suspension polluted the silence with a lulling monotony for most of their journey. They kept the princess on edge, but Twilight almost jumped when the griffon broke the constant squeaks. His tone was somber, while Cadance glared, and Twilight’s heart slowed back to normal. “I have something to tell you, but I wanted to be away from the others. And for you to be ready to hear it.”

Another second spent in silence gave Twilight a shiver, almost as worrying as his next words. “I have information about your friend. Rainbow Dash’s griffoness friend, I mean.”

“Gilda?” Twilight perked her ears. All the background noise became insignificant.

“I believe it would be beneficial for everyone if you prepared your friend not to expect a very thrilled meeting.” The griffon spoke slowly. Did he think they were stupid or did the matter actually concern him? Maybe both?

“She is Grigory’s friend now. Like me and the others.” He was silent for a second. “I thought it would be ‘friendly’ to give you a fair warning. If we are all going to Griffindell, that is. Even if Gilda still had any embers of a friendship, she’ll feel very discouraged from being friends with a pony. Such an important pony, no less.”

Twilight simply frowned, and Cadance shifted on her seat next to her. “Twi, what is the deal between Rainbow Dash and this griffon friend of hers?”

Twilight hesitated, but she spent the next couple of minutes recounting Gilda’s relationship with Rainbow Dash. Starting with the possibility that Gilda and Rainbow were a couple for a while before they split apart. Then, during a visit to Ponyville, Pinkie’s Pinkie-ness collided with Gilda’s griffon-ness. A misunderstanding made Gilda think Pinkie was picking on her with her pranks. In the end, it was Dash’s doing, and they ended up fighting because common sense was typically in short supply between Rainbow Dash and that griffon hen.

Then, Gilda supposedly had overcome her problems with Rainbow and Pinkie. One day, Griffonstone called for help. Some random monster had made away with the Idol of Boreas and the griffons did as they were supposed. For once. Maybe it fit the narrative some politician was trying to push.

“That blasphemous piece of guano…” the griffon mumbled but pretended not to notice when their attention shifted to him.

“So, anyway, the idol is in Griffonstone now.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the northerner having issues with everything the southerner griffons did. “I think it is in a museum.”

Both ponies stared at Gray, expecting him to explain his grievance with the poor statuette. If memory served, it was rather pleasant to the eyes. A griffon’s paw for base and a symbolic representation of the wind. All in gold and it even had a nice, fiery gem. When did griffons start not liking gold and gems? Twilight rolled her eyes. With all that nonsense of a repeating universe, maybe things should have happened differently.

But instead of indulging them, Gray remained his introverted self. After the two ponies resigned and the renewed silence became uncomfortable, the coach slowed and then stopped. Its old suspension bar springs squealed despite the softness. When one of the ponies working at their hotel opened the door, Twilight could see they were in a dark alley surrounded by tall brick walls. No windows for anyone to look outside, wondering who was murdering a pig.

“There is a guard by the entrance of the harbor!” The pony barely controlled his hushing voice and his eyes seemed ready to pop out of his skull. “We came as close as we could without being seen!”

“Of course, there is a guard, grassbreath.” Gray walked out first, into the pony and shoving him out of the way with his bulk. “Did you think we’d go inside with the feathering coach?”

The pony, a mid-aged cream and caramel earth pony, was so scared he didn’t even react to being shoved to his haunches. As Twilight and Cadance too disembarked, the latter helped him stand. Gray walked to the corner of the alley, hiding behind the brick wall. It surrounded a warehouse and a stockpile yard of some sort. Watching from behind the griffon, Twilight could see the harbor. Mostly shrouded in darkness, in contrast to the street before it. The sea sloshed somewhere in the dark and its briny tang reached well into their corner.

A six-lane street stretched before the chain-link fence. Nouveau style magical lamplights, lined across the center, made Twilight feel like they might have better cover under Celestia’s sun. Not even a few bushes or trees to help them cross it unseen. And if that wasn’t enough, a thestral walked right beyond the fence, holding a big orthrus by a double leash. One of the two dog heads dutifully sniffed at the ground while the other scanned the dark, deeper into the harbor.

The entrance was there, though. A checkpoint. A watch-house with a pony inside, peering out the window to the street and guarding a closed gate. So simple and yet so hard. It would be near impossible to make it inside because they would have unicorns ‘listening’ for magic, too. Next to Twilight, their griffon companion mumbled his assessment of the situation and she grumbled. Nothing was ever easy on that stupid quest of theirs. While the griffon was still thinking, Twilight fixated on the fact that the street alone could handle all the hoof traffic in Ponyville.

“That dog could kill a pony!” The mid-aged pony whined and kept waving his hooves nervously. Tinkling his iron chain bracelet. “And the guards! They probably have batons and and… There is a thestral! And magic stun batons! And they could even have guns!”

“Of course.” Gray groused like an angry chicken, shoving the pony away. “This isn’t Griffonstone where every security guard is a step away from a Draugr with insomnia.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. Speaking of undead creatures, their transportation was so decrepit they could use it for an out of season Nightmare Night disguise. Thestrals liked Nightmare Night. But Twilight kept her sarcasm to herself. Meanwhile, the pony stared up at the griffon with his ears hanging and an apprehensive quiver on his lips.

“What are we supposed to do?” He whined again.

“We will do nothing, grassbreath.” The griffon poked his chest with a talon. “I and the princesses will infiltrate the harbor and come back here once we’re done. You and your friend will wait inside the coach, pretending not to exist.”

That seemed to have calmed the nervous pony, but Cadance didn’t seem convinced. She stole a glance at the harbor’s entrance and then turned to the griffon as he walked to the back of the coach. “I still don’t know how we’re going to enter.”

“Ah… We could fly over the fence?” She offered.

“Flying is often a bad idea.” The griffon told her. “We’ll bribe the guard.”

Gray retrieved a pouch from the chest behind the coach and jingled it at Twilight and Cadance. “With some luck, a few Bits and a pleading stare from the princesses ought to work.”

The pouch with ‘a few’ Bits looked like it held a considerable sum, judging by the size. Twilight didn’t know how much money security ponies made per hour, but the pouch probably held enough to be tempting. She just couldn’t get out of her head how much of a bad idea that struck her as. But she admitted that her own morals didn’t necessarily apply to everypony. Cadance examined the leather pouch too and poked it with a tentative hoof.

She frowned at the griffon, agreeing with Twilight. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“We really should have planned this better.” Twilight sighed, drooping her head and her ears.

“We should have. Too late now. We’re dancing to their tune.” The griffon tossed the pouch to Cadance, who grabbed it in her magical telekinesis in a display of quick reflexes. Then he pointed at the sentry house. “Lean on those princess vibes of yours.”

While the griffon leaned against the corner and held Cadance with a paw on her chest, Cadance gave him an offended stare. The griffon either didn’t notice or ignored her. Then Cadance turned to Twilight and shared her worried frown. How were they going to convince the pony to let them pass? The local militia was probably hunting them. Twilight didn’t know, and Cadance said she had no idea. They had no other ideas either. So, they were going to try and bribe the pony in the gatehouse.

Once the griffon told them to be quiet, they obeyed. They waited until the thestral and the orthrus turned the other way on their patrol. Waited for Gray to signal them. Which he did once the pony in the watch-house distracted himself with something inside. Once he urged them on, they awkwardly sprinted across the six lanes and central island. They had, at least the composure not to flare their wings like panicked chicken. Even though Twilight felt like one, crossing a freeway.

Twilight counted at least two-hundred heartbeats in the time it took them to cross the street. Two-hundred opportunities for anything that could go bad in a heartbeat to happen. Cadance seemed so much calmer after stashing the coins under her wing, Twilight envied her.

Reaching their destination, Twilight stepped cautiously on the stone bricks. She grimaced at the obnoxiously loud clops their hooves made against the stone. Wincing, they turned to Gray. The griffon still hid at his corner, judging them like a Royal Guard sergeant during their fitness and readiness training at Canterlot. He pointed at the gate. Angrily. Twice.

Tentatively approaching it, Twilight walked first, and Cadance followed almost on top of her. At the tip of her hooves, Cadance stared at her and then magicked the gate open. The pony inside complained of the absurdly loud rattling and screeching, and exiting his shelter, he walked into them by the door.

“What the fudge?” He said and gawked at them, wide-eyed.

Twilight had never been to a watch-house, or the entrance to a massive port like Manehattan’s. And it turned out that the Canterlot Archives were not as protected as she had thought way back when. But after all the magical security and surveillance she had found at Queen Chrysalis’ nursery, she expected more. If nothing else, at least a couple of floating magical images showing important places within the port.

Disappointingly, the watch-house was a cubicle with a sitting pillow. All they found in there was the single, caramel earth pony, with his quite obese self bursting out of his cyan uniform jacket. Why he wore it buttoned up, Twilight ignored, and his expression matched her own, with a mix of amusement and surprise. But Twilight didn’t have a whistle hanging from her neck like he did. After an instant of intense, bated staring, he earth-pony-hoof-grabbed said whistle, ready to take it to his mouth.

“Wait!” she wailed at him, both as loud as she dared, and as softly as she could. “Just let us explain!”

He let go of his whistle and smirked at the princess. Twilight supposed that a ‘humor me’ smile really was not among the worst outcomes. Thus, she kept her voice low, while still transmitting the proper urgency. “We are on a quest to save the world!”

He glared at her like she had just called him stupid. “For real?”

“Well, I do it quite often…” she retorted with a similar glower. “More often than I would like, actually.”

“Yes, that is actually true, isn’t it?” The pony rubbed his hoof under his chin. Then he raised his hoof. “But the local militia is looking for you and also for Princess Celestia. Things are weird, and I don’t want to lose my job!”

Before he reached his whistle, Cadance magicked the coin pouch from under her wing and held it inside her telekinetic magic. She jiggled it at the guardspony while wearing the worst excuse for a smile Twilight had ever seen. Unfazed, perhaps angrier, the guard took the whistle to his mouth, but Cadance whacked him upside the head with the coins before he could blow.

The two alicorn princesses stared at the unconscious pony on the ground next to the pouch of coins. Twilight conceded that they were terrible at infiltrating places. Also, that the pouch was particularly resistant to bursting. Turning back to the outside, Gray was nowhere to be seen. Cadance called for ‘Master Gray’ while Twilight looked around, both with a similar lack of results.

While Twilight frowned into the dark interior of the harbor, the big and dark-gray griffon jumped down from the watch-house’s ceiling. He landed with the softest of taps on the stone, and all the nervous anxiety the ponies had been accumulating was released with a scared ‘eep’.

“What were you doing?” Cadance asked, trying not to yell.

“Dealing with the thestral and the orthrus. It wouldn’t do if they came up here and found the guard like this, would it?”

“You used us for a distraction!” Twilight gasped and yelled at him. Secrecy, and that dumb griffon, be damned!

“I never once doubted you, princess.” He responded drily. Gentlemanly waving his paw across his chest, and with an irreproachable professional expression. “Shall we go? The meeting is shady enough without your highnesses being late. Not to mention security is bound to check this entrance eventually.”

As they walked through the drab streets inside the port, Twilight completely lost her bearings. Too many dark alleys and twisting turns. Where were they supposed to meet, anyway? It was not like Twilight would know where to go even if she could see where she was going.

Cadance seemed unfazed by that. She simply followed the griffon, much as Twilight, without a complaint, but she would be damned if her sister-in-law wasn’t, somehow, having fun. Regardless of Twilight’s grievances, time passed, and they walked and walked around and around. The griffon seemed to not really know where he was going, either. Far from the water, the harbor was a maze of buildings of different sizes and shapes in the dark. The presence of dark-seeing thestrals patrolling the place didn’t help ease Twilight’s anxiety.

Maybe there was some kind of code. Some hermeneutical knowledge that criminals and covert agents shared, and that Twilight wasn’t privy to. Herself being a princess and not a criminal, even when the lines had blurred as of late. She wanted to mention their situation to Cadance, but the other princess seemed busy searching for something. Maybe she knew what Gray was looking for after all. Pulling her ears back and suppressing an urge to complain, Twilight just followed the two. She kept her eyes open and her head moving, but it felt futile.

Whenever they came across some better illuminated corner, they’d sneak around in the dark, go around the other side. Coming across a thestral accompanied by an orthrus, the griffon put a wall between them and made sure the alicorns remained quiet. Cadance seemed annoyed at being treated like a foal, but Twilight didn’t mind. She was busy wondering what the point of the huge two-headed dogs was if all they did was parade about with the ponies who could actually see in the dark. Fluttershy might know the answer.

The trio kept scurrying their way around the buildings. Peeking their way around corners and sneaking past big two-headed dogs. Until eventually Twilight spotted a coffee-colored earth pony waving at them. He stood at the back door of a warehouse they were about to skim past. After their griffon escort ensured they wouldn’t be spotted darting across the road, they rushed to the pony.

“What took you so long?” The pony with two toasted coffee beans for cutie mark growled at Twilight who arrived first. He kept his voice low, but also transmitted his annoyance.

“I’m sorry.” Cadance stood next to Twilight and shared her glower. “It would have been helpful to know where exactly we were supposed to meet you.”

“What are you talking about?” The pony’s nose scrunched with his frown. “Everypony knows it’s always warehouse 3-B this day of the week. Sheesh! Come on inside, already! The boss is getting antsy!”

The pony turned to enter, and Gray approached the alicorns. Under Twilight’s accusing glare, he shrugged. “Of course, I knew. I was trying to throw off the patrols. The dogs can catch your scent if you’re not careful.”

Walking past the two princesses and their smug ‘of course you did’ grins, Gray followed the pony through the door. Cadance followed immediately, and Twilight right after. Just in case, she closed the door. Their earth pony guide weaved around stacks of crates and Twilight caught up to them soon enough not to get lost. The salty smells of the sea changed to mold and stale water and aggravated Twilight. Her hooves felt awful on the concrete, and the crate labyrinth seemed to close around her in the dark. She kept close to Cadance.

Soon, they reached the heart of the warehouse. Someone pushed the crates out of the way and opened a large enough space Twilight’s airship could fit without her masts. Steel rafters held magical lighting fixtures and the support structure of the roof. The former were all dark. Artificial light from the external fixtures entered through the thin and elongated windows near the top of the brick walls. But it was enough to see once in the open.

The whole setup bothered Twilight. The criminal environment didn’t come easy to her, and she wondered why Cadance seemed so comfortable in that place. Remaining close to the other alicorn and the griffon, Twilight was happy to find her airship’s friendly resident unicorn and one of her pegasus crewponies. Both spared her a curt greeting nod before they turned their attention to the others again.

The unicorn squinted, caramel eyes shifting from one side to the other. His pegasus crewmate held a threatening frown. Across the space, in front of more stacked crates, five other ponies held similar attitudes. One griffon sat on the floor, looking bored. Black like charcoal and with white plumes on his birdy half. He remained bored, while waving a paw and cawing a greeting to Gray.

No other greetings after Gray responded followed. The large griffon sat on the floor next to Twilight, Cadance and the crewponies. A combination of the three tribes composed the other ponies in the warehouse. From grouchy pegasi to smug unicorns, and an earth pony meanly munching on a straw stalk. It was like merely munching on a stalk of straw. But meanly. The secret, Twilight concluded, was the unfriendly stare and deliberate jaw movements.

Another unicorn pony was probably the boss because he wore a fancy garment. A white faux-leather jacket adjusted to Rarity standards of primness. A large gray unicorn with a graying-out black mane that Twilight had to admit gave him a strapping look. Especially with the prudish bad pony attire.

Guns seemed to be everywhere, too. Pistols and a pair of revolvers with the unicorns across the room from Twilight. The black griffon had one of the latter, and Twilight wouldn’t bet on Gray not having one. Worryingly enough, her airship’s unicorn had no firearm, and neither did the pegasus.

The most important item in sight, however, was a briefcase. Because, of course, it had to be a briefcase. Spotless caramel leather with a proper mouth-hold handle. Securely sitting under the hunky unicorn’s hoof while he stared at Twilight and Cadance like they owed him something.

Twilight mumbled to herself and grinned as best as she could while she noticed her hooves trembling. She coughed a couple of inane syllables before Gray grabbed her snout and kept it shut.

“Here are the princesses.” The griffon growled.

“Aye. And I got the control board for your fancy airship right ’ere.” The bulky unicorn tapped his hoof on the briefcase. “And I see the princesses. What I don’t see is the money.”

Twilight’s eyes went from one to the other and the more she thought about it, the less she liked the situation. The black griffon next to the unicorn sighed, squinted his eyes and joined his paws patiently. Like a patient friend explaining things to their dumb friends. Twilight sympathized.

“I told you, Brash. I told you. It is coming from Thunderpeak. Via teleporter. You can’t get it through without some fees and then the ‘other kind’ of fees. That takes some time, but your money is gonna be here tomorrow. Don’t be an ass.”

“Yah, yah. For sure is. But, ah… The pony I represent was thinking, you see. And the princesses are here. In the flesh. You know?”

The black griffon hushed him. Put a finger before his beak and changed his friendly tone to a threatening mutter. “Don’t do this, Brash. Don’t smear my reputation with my good friend, Gray. We have mutual friends you don’t want to mess with, remember? Mister Cuppa Joe does not want to mess with Lady Gwendolen, now does he?”

“What is going on?” Twilight asked, looking to one side and the other. Cadance said nothing, but Twilight could feel her tenseness.

“Aw, no. No. It’s nuthing much, really. The boss just thinks that since the princesses are here, they could spend a couple of minutes.” The unicorn said around his yellow smile. “Ah, in reality, no more than a few seconds, you see. We gots’ome documents that could really, really benefit from their… Ah, particular hornmanship...”

“Do you want us to sign documents for you?!” Cadance gasped and Twilight rolled her eyes on the poorly disguised grin. “Are you trying to get us to cover for some crime?”

“Now, now…” The large unicorn made a suave smile and waved his hoof with calming gestures. “It’s nuthing extreme. Just a few… Eh, let’s call them ‘grants’. The royal kind. That is well within your power to grace us with.”

Another unicorn walked up to the princesses, careful not to anger the big griffon next to them and holding another briefcase. A black one. As he opened it, Twilight and Cadance craned their necks to peek inside. Next to a feather pen and an inkwell was a small pile of paper. Twilight took the first. It was the high-quality parchment used for official documents and communication. She frowned and quickly scanned the document before raising her eyes with the annoyed frown of a lifetime.

“Tax exemption? Really?!”

“What?” the unicorn cried and defended himself with a flustered toss of his hooves. “The boss already pays for all sorts of benefits to our employ… Ah… Supporters. Vouchers for this and vouchers for that for all our collaborators! Come on, princess! Do you royals want progress or not? Factories and machinery. They don’t come cheap. Especially with the big Ol’ Mare pulling us down. Holding us back. A few privileges here ’n there are gonna trickle down to the hardworking ponies, you know.”

It was probably for the better that Twilight didn’t have the time to lecture him on tax laws or civics. Cadance yanked the paper from her telekinetic magic and grumbled that she’d do it. Simultaneously, she took the inked feather from the well and the first paper. Before Cadance could write anything, a hoof rapped on the concrete and a pony with the large unicorn raised his hoof above his head. Others nodded their agreement next to him.

“We also want to know the truth about the Crystal Empire popping out of nowhere.”

“Now, listen here…” Cadance started, but barking dogs and the trill of a whistle interrupted her. Still with her mouth hanging open and her hoof accusingly pointing at the offending earth pony, she looked one way and the other, as did all the others.

A sharp bang startled Twilight and made her squeak and flare her wings. Whistles and barking broke the ephemeral silence that followed. More shots rang, just a few buildings away. Hooves striking the stone and angry shouting created a cacophony outside their walls.

“They set us up, boss!” The ponies across the room backpedaled. Panic set in, and unicorns waved their telekinetically held weapons around.

Cadance let the paper drop to the floor and the unicorn next to her let the briefcase go too. She bunched up with Twilight and her crewponies. Ponies and griffons started flinging accusations and swearwords around. Twilight made a note that griffons tended to be harsher and more creative.

The flowing energies of spells being cast roused Twilight’s magical senses, and she felt it before it happened. The brick wall behind the large unicorn and his friends collapsed. But it didn’t crumble like its foundations had given up. A magical force ripped the bricks apart, tearing their cohesion with the mortar that held them together.

The crushing noise was the same. Ponies ducked, and griffons and Cadance leaped into the air. Twilight coughed with all the dust in the air. When she saw her unicorn again, the pegasus had shot the well-dressed unicorn and he had yanked the briefcase away. He immediately bolted between the crates. Vanished, followed by the pegasus, amid the chaos of shouting and coughing fits.

“Wow… I wonder if that is going to create problems for me in a week or so.” Twilight grumbled with a frown.

Cadance yelled at Twilight for her to run just as her horn unleashed pink light upon the room and a pile of crates avalanched into the dust. Twilight didn’t wait a second, jumping to her hooves, turning around, and backpedaling from crashing crates just to see them floating out of the dust.

Magic flowed just as the crates went flying in all directions. One exploded against the black griffon and sent a shower of metallic tubes bouncing and clanging everywhere. Another crate almost hit Gray, and the third hit Cadance squarely. It didn’t break apart because she stopped it with her telekinetic magic. The wood cracked, and the tubes inside rattled and clashed while the weight brought Cadance down to the concrete floor anyway. Twilight cried for her, jumping her way, and a quick inspection showed Cadance had no injuries. She was furious, however. The pink alicorn tossed the crate away with her magic and jumped to her hooves, grimacing hard.

A shade walked through the dust with a confident gait. For a horrifying second, Twilight thought she saw Princess Celestia. The unicorn which came out was a dull gray in the dark, with a proper long and elegant horn, but without the princess’ mighty alicorn wings. Instead, she wore what to Twilight was an ostentatious magical armor. A cuirass of green metal, shimmering with magic and inlaid with golden arabesques. Greaves of the same materials on all four legs made the dust swirl as she walked and tossed her purple mane.

Her most distinctive characteristic, however, was her left eye. A silver frame held a purple, glass-like crystal where the eye should be. Her magical aura flooded the warehouse with the warmth of powerful magic, not too unlike Princess Celestia’s own. But Twilight had her shock replaced by curiosity at the magical device grafted where her eye should be.

“As I live and breathe… You truly look like Matriarch Grimoire.” The elegant and haughty mare declared. She stared down at Twilight with a frown most reminiscing of Rarity and her sophisticated superiority. Cadance gasped at her words but didn’t have time to say anything.

“That is not important.” The mare glared at Cadance and her defiant fighting pose. Outside, shots kept ringing in the dark and angry shouting seemed to come from everywhere. Inside the warehouse, ponies scampered every which way in between the crates. Someone dragged the well-dressed unicorn to safety as the mare spoke again. “What matters is that you are both coming with me under Her Radiance’s orders.”

What happened to the griffon she had smashed the crate against, or where Gray had gone to? Twilight banished such worries before stepping away from Cadance, keeping her eyes on the large mare. Her wings opened and her eyes squinted into a frown. The unicorn shifted her hooves, disturbing the settling dust and assuming a fighting position. Cadance too flared her wings, but hoofed at the floor and flared her nostrils with a snort.

A magical beam shot from Cadance’s horn, but the unicorn skipped to the side with practiced ease. Her own horn filled up with purple magic and, in a display of strength and skill, she telekinetically tossed Cadance to the side. Unable to break away and surprised, Cadance yelped and crashed against a pile of crates. More wood and metal tubes flew and made a racket.

Focused on her own magic, Twilight heard a dry bang through the noise. The large mare reeled and screamed while magical protections flashed on her armor. Raging, she reared again and her horn burst with magical energy. Luminous projectiles showered purple light on the concrete. They spread in all directions before training on the griffon from every direction.

Twilight wasted not even a second, casting her own spell against the large unicorn mare. It didn’t look like her usual Gifting Pony’s Gift-Wrap, or Cherry Pop’s Bubblegum restraining spells would work. Her opponent wore heavily enchanted armor. Nothing too mundane would work. The formula for a sleep spell rushed past Twilight’s thoughts while her hooves took her out of the distracted mare’s line of sight.

Even if she could not entirely render the mare unconscious, her spell might disorient her long enough for a second plan to bloom. Maybe a hasty escape? But as the magical energies snapped into reality, they rendered no discernible effect on their target. Instead, the mare turned her attention to Twilight. A trained combat spellcaster, her horn had already charged with magic just as soon as her eyes landed on Twilight.

In the next instant, before Twilight could even prepare a counter spell, the mare’s horn unleashed purple light. Any immediate effects went unnoticed before the concrete cracked beneath her hooves. She screamed and jumped back, but the thorny vines reached and wrapped around her legs. Then Twilight immediately regretted trying to pull when barbs, sharp as a griffon’s talon, dug into her skin and held her. She screamed again and her eyes bulged at the red oozing from beneath the vines. They constricted her legs and dug even deeper, discouraging any further movement. She resigned to searching for a better plan.

Of course, if she ever cast such a spell on anyone, there would be a book and a half worth of legal actions. What was that spell, though? She couldn’t remember seeing it in any books. Even books on combat spellcasting. More important than that, the large mare turned her attention from Twilight.

It was both a blessing and an infuriating insult, but it allowed Twilight a moment to understand how to deal with the magical vines. If only the pain would let her think straight. Every fleeting twitch caused that cursed thing to bite deeper. She decided not to fight it, in fear it might damage tendons or rupture blood vessels. A shame Twilight had barely even glimpsed the spell as it was being cast.

A barrage of dark-gray metal tubes, each a fourth of a hoof in diameter, whistled through the air. They crashed with the noise of an exploding pipe organ, undoing itself against the armored mare. Cadance flew overhead and the black griffon, Gray’s friend, flew at the unicorn, swinging one of the metal tubes like a baseball bat.

Twilight expected the griffon to hit the large mare squarely on the side of her head, but she reacted too fast for him. The mare reared again and deflected the pipe with her armored shin and a resounding clang. Then she kicked the griffon with the other leg. Her agility and grace, even with her massive size, brought back memories of Princess Celestia in their training sessions. But the sheer power of her kick and the sickening crack resonated inside Twilight’s head. She watched in shock the griffon fly on his back at least a hoof from the floor.

It happened so fast Twilight barely understood she had watched someone die. Only when one of the pipes flew in purple telekinetic magic and aimed down at the griffon’s head… Twilight turned away and closed her eyes so tight they hurt. Her stomach still churned at the noise. Cadance shrieked and more pipes clanged to the concrete.

“Are you mad?!” the pink princess cried but received no answer.

Only when Twilight heard the bang of a firearm, she looked again. Cadance was nowhere to be seen while Gray hovered above the crates. The griffon shot a black revolver at the monstrous mare. Once, twice, thrice, and even a fourth time in rapid succession. Like before, the bullets did no more harm than pinging her magical defenses and causing white flashes skimming her head. She didn’t even flinch this time. The fifth shot went to the steel beams above.

The griffon screamed with his paw enveloped in purple light. He cried again when she flung his body against a stack of crates. He squirmed and his renewed cry of pain twisted Twilight’s gut. The revolver slowly turned in his paw, aiming at his jaw. At the same time, the vines held Twilight tighter, like they could read her thoughts.

“You forget your place, filthy hairball.” The mare’s voice dripped with loathing as she walked slowly, eyes fixated on the large gray griffon. What was that mare? Ponies didn’t act like that!

The vines tightened further around Twilight’s legs and the smell of blood made her horror all the worse. Her horn lit with magic and caused the vines to convulse like a furious, thorny boa until she cast her spell. It sent a firestorm of pain up her legs, but Twilight unleashed an actual flash of searing flames upon the magical plant. Undone to cinders in a second, the vines released her bloodied legs. Rearing in the same second, rather than casting a spell on the mare, Twilight cast it on the floor. A relatively harmless pranking spell called Slick’s Slippery Puddle.

The large mare’s focus broke with her hooves slipping on the yellow oil. The revolver still shot, but the bullet just barely missed Gray’s head. By the time their opponent recovered her balance, Cadance came out of nowhere. She lunged from a leaping start, with a metallic tube charged with so much magical energy it turned to a spear, bright hot out of a forge.

All the magic Cadance’s improvised weapon contained exploded on impact. Arcs of magical energy connected to the steel beams above and filled the air with caustic ozone. Spots of concrete and steel turned to crystal and Cadance reeled. The unleashed magical energy tossed Cadance and forced her to sit next to Twilight, mostly unharmed but shocked out of her wits. The large mare too sat on her haunches but screamed, holding her face with her hooves.

Twilight tried to exploit the advantage against the murderous mare, but her horn refused to channel magic. Everything happened too fast, and she never understood what exactly happened, but Gray landed next to her. With an awkward limp and a paw held to his chest, staring frantically at her.

“Let’s go! Your ponies made away with the control board. We’ve done what we came here to do!”

Cadance gasped. “Your paw! Mister Gray…”

“I’ll live! Move!” He roared.

The large mare howled with fury. She glared at the three with an anger Twilight didn’t think a pony would be capable of. If that monster even was a pony. The glass-like crystal had disappeared. Left broken, the silver frame covering her eye revealed a magical-mechanical contraption too hard to make out in the dark and blood.

Her horn flared with purple light, and her good eye filled with malice and wrath. “You little lupa!”

Charging at them, she covered the distance so fast she might as well have teleported. All her momentum transferred into a spell. A simple spell, easily fueled with a raw emotion as anger. Her horn unleashed a magical wave and filled the air with pure energy. The only thing Twilight saw was the purple flash. On the edge of her thoughts, she noted Cadance joined her defense, but it was more like a knee-jerk reaction than a proper counter spell. All the magical force resonated in her bones when their shield buckled, and the attack hit them like a train.

Twilight came to her senses with her back to the concrete beneath her and her eyes to the rafters above. Hopefully, the stupid control board was worth all the pain she was in right now. In the next second, she heard Cadance screaming and remembered there was a murderous monster-mare inside the warehouse with them.

Her muscles hurt and her bones even more. Her horn was sore at the magical straining and casting magic was harder than it should’ve been. But Twilight jerked into movement and, with practiced ease, teleported herself upright into a fighting stance. Her horn shone again, and the formulae of half a dozen defensive spells streamed past her thoughts.

Not ten hooves away, Cadance dodged a magical projectile by hopping into the air. Their griffon friend Twilight found lying against a depression in the warehouse’s metallic door. A flash drew her eyes back to the two fighting mares.

Cadance let fly a series of magical bolts, but they avoided the large mare. They flowed around her armor to make a series of potholes on the concrete. Twilight discarded her plan of hitting their enemy with similar straightforward magical attacks. No point in wasting time trying to counter her wards. Twilight didn’t understand them. Too complex to unravel, too powerful to overcome. If only Twilight’s magical focus or her Element of Magic hadn’t stayed on the doomed airship… She frowned and waited for a better opportunity and her eyes followed the two mares.

Even with her grievous wound, the mare didn’t slow down. Cadance dove into what Twilight considered a risky move, kicking at the armored mare. Larger than Cadance, the other mare followed her reeling dodge with a quick one-two pair of jabs at Cadance. Painful as those seemed, Twilight didn’t allow her empathy to cloud her judgment. Only when the larger mare ignited her horn again, Twilight put all her might into a spell.

The magical light around Twilight’s horn went out with the satisfying pop of a successful spell. Lightning arced among the rafters and down at the unicorn’s shining horn. The resulting blast sent both her and Cadance crying from each other. The alicorn rolled on the concrete floor and whimpered, struggling to stand.

The other mare grunted and glared at Twilight. Bloody magical device instead of left eye and charred horn. Faster than the eye could see, telekinetic magic tried grabbing Twilight, but her own countered it. Defense, riposte. A few spells flashed through Twilight’s thoughts, but she deemed them foalish pranks. Nothing like the combat spells that mare was prepared to defend against.

Time ran out. Her opponent was about to attack.

Instead, the mare shifted her weight on her hooves and relaxed her fighting stance into a leisure stroll. The broken gizmo on her face kept drawing Twilight’s eyes, but neither of their scowls ever relaxed. How could she just stand all the pain that thing must cause her?

“Celestia spoke highly of you, but I find your combat spellcasting skills sorely lacking in depth. Especially for one of your pedigree.”

“Says the mare who allowed an elemental invocation to misfire her spell.” The princess allowed herself a cocky grin before she began sidestepping, not letting the mare come too close. “Besides, I’m not used to going around murdering creatures! You’ll pay for that!”

“I admit the magical hibernation has dulled my mind a touch.” The mare shifted her steps, circling around with Twilight.

What was she talking about? That was neither the time nor the place to wonder. A fire had started somewhere and spread through the crates. Smoke started spreading among the rafters. A dry heat suddenly surrounded Twilight, but she worried more about the noises outside. Gunshots and noisy, destructive spells came from all directions.

Cadance still laid on the floor, with her messy mane, struggling to keep awake. The bloodied nose worried Twilight almost as much as the fact she hadn’t stood yet. When Cadence cried and her eyes widened, Twilight didn't even have time to chastise herself properly. She barely had time to project a magical shield around herself.

Hooves thundered on the concrete and an ethereal blade of magical force glanced off the magical bubble around Twilight. Her shield popped like Twilight had used a filly’s toy to fight, but it also redirected the jabbing blade to the side.

She yelped; magical feedback threatened to split her horn open. The huge mare pressed on. Already next to her, Twilight barely had time to avoid the shoe of a spear-like weapon of solid magical energy. The thing kept spinning on the mare’s magical grasp and hit Twilight on the side of her head at a second strike. The warehouse and the terrifying mare vanished in the darkness. When her eyes cleared, the mare reared above her, and the butt of her weapon arced down at Twilight.

In a panic, Twilight cast a spell. She was herself not sure what it was. Screaming, she mimicked her enemy’s spell and a bar of purple magical energy materialized in the weapon’s path. Magical sparks flew and her protection undid itself in a blast of freed magical energies. But it also redirected her opponent’s weapon.

“Twilight!” Starlight Glimmer’s scared cry came to her just before the mare threw herself on top of her with a magical shield of her own. Coming for another strike, the magical weapon made the shield collapse, but also glanced off again to clang like metal on concrete.

Their enemy let out a frustrated growl and threw Starlight aside with a well-placed kick to her side. It bought Twilight enough time to reorganize her thoughts, and she was ready to dispel the magical weapon as soon as the mare brought it to bear again. But it never happened. A unicorn jumped in front of her. The only thing Twilight was sure of was that she wore a green cape.

“Welcome to the memory lane express!” Her cheery voice declared with a Rainbow Dash’s worth of mischief before her horn flashed like a photographer’s lamp.

The large mare shrieked and reeled back. Her mouth hung open while she pursed her eyes. She shook her head but couldn’t seem to come out of her daze. What even was that? Twilight accepted the rescue without questions, though.

“Let’s not tarry, your highness.” A male unicorn, wearing a ridiculous tattered top hat, said while he helped her stand on her hooves. Another pony, with the messiest mane ever, helped Starlight Glimmer. “Apologies for the hastiness, but we’re not fighting ponies and I would rather not be here when the big girl there comes to her senses!”

Others helped Cadance and griffon Gray, and Twilight’s helper didn’t need to tell her again. Who were those ponies, Twilight had no ideal. Stumbling through the pain, she let him support her in their hurried dash out of the warehouse. The smoke had increased to alarming volumes, and she didn’t like the idea of leaving with creatures in there. But she didn’t want to fight that mare again, and they had what they had come for. Hopefully, with her and Cadance gone, that mare would leave, and the city’s emergency services would help anycreature still in there.

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[Mystic Sunrise]

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So should we expect a resolution in about 900+ chapters?

[Metemponychosis]

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Yes. Definitively, within that.

Although I think that under 3 or 4 is more realistic.

[new55]

That was a good chapter.

[Metemponychosis]

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Thank you. It was plenty of fun to write.

[WatchMeShadow]

Some new time traveler into the mix? Perhaps one of Celestia's best battle mages in history, in a time chamber spell of some kind, equipped and let loose?

[Metemponychosis]

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I was going to say she's not a time traveller, but she might as well be given she's been asleep for the past x thousand years.

She appears for the first time in The Gray Dames, chapter "An Old Mare's Tale" and she is a very arrogant scout.

[Jinnchin]

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Ha! Good to see people still remember Rick Astley!

[Jinnchin]

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Definitely look forward to this!

Just want It say I think Fólkvangr does a great job of walking the line between portaying Gilda and her new "family" as sympathetic and compelling, while still making it clear that yes, this is in fact a CULT with some seriously scary worldviews! Bonus points for including a lot of the characteristics and tactics used by real world cults, as well as their tendency to target people who are down on their luck and/or are emotionally vulnerable, as opposed to stupid (seriously, the myth that only stupid people fall for cults needs to die in a fire!)

Anyway just got done reading Singularity. That was one heck of a roller coaster! More importantly though I think I finally have some idea as to why Cadence has been so listless during this story, beyond not being able to fulfill her Imperative. From what I can gather her issue seems to stem from the fact that in this modern era largely bereft of "gods" just isn't a good fit for her particular Imperative of forming loving connections to as many beings as possible, hence the reason why she has become so resentful of Celestia and Luna, the ones that are largely responsible for this system in the first place. If this is the case then I am genuinely worried about how they could accommodate for her without tearing the old system apart. Again serious props for making me worry and care for what was, unfortunately, the 2nd most boring princess in FIM! (No offense to Flurryheart in the No. 1 spot, a baby can only do so much!)

[Jinnchin]

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Ah okay, guess not every coincidence can be a part of the grand conspiracy!

[Jinnchin]

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Sorry for the late response, couldn't really read through this till after getting off work.

This, this right here. This is the sort of thing that's missing in so much modern media!

With how corporate and profit driven story telling has become and how every big budget film is seemingly being written by committee according to what their charts and statistics say will pull in the biggest profit margins, writers tend to forget what story telling is often all about. Entertainment yes, but also to serve the important purpose of helping people make sense of the world and their place within it, and how it isn't always fair. To that end it's fitting you bring up a story from the Greek Pantheon since in many cases the Greek gods were personification of nature itself. And like i said earlier, I don't mean the sappy tree hugger version of nature. I mean the unfettered and raw type of nature that couldn't care less whether we live or die!

Anyone in the path of an oncoming hurricane would probably love it if that darn thing would just chill out and head back into the ocean, but hurricanes don't care about our lives or morals, they exist according to their own set of rules and will act accordingly. Likewise the classical Greek heroes would probably love it if the gods would just chill out and let them live their lives in peace, but that just isn't in their nature. The gods hold their strings, and the hero has no choice but to abide and accept that as much as they'd like to live in a (Greek) comedy, sometimes they are stuck living in a (Greek) tragedy!

Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that I think your comment here helped me understand why I find The Harpy (and increasingly Celestia) to be both so compelling and also so frustrating. They (presumably) represent two similar yet diametrically opposed forces that are above and beyond the mortal morals of the protagonists like Georgia, Gilda, Twilight and Cadence (not 100% sure if those last two are "mortal" but I digress!) Whether they like it or not our protagonists are simply along for the ride. The only question is do they have what it takes to prevent the inevitable conflict from destroying the wold and resulting in another Black Sun!? Either way I am very much invested to see where this story goes!

Also wow, I just posted a multi-paragraph response to a philosophical argument involving a world full of pastel colored equines. God I love this fandom!

[Jinnchin]

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Oh snap, really pulling out the big guns now. That's three layers of puns rolled into one!

[Jinnchin]

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Not gonna lie. I had to go back to the previous chapter to realize just how much the Windigos changed Discord's message!

[Jinnchin]

First and fore mostly, am I bothering you with all these long comments? If I'm getting on your nerves with this sort of thing please let me know and I'll stop!

Have to say my opinion of Gilad continues to to grow the more we see him. Ironically I think he really would make for a good king of the griffons. An actual king, not just a figurehead for The Harpy. At the very least, it sounds like he's having second thoughts about the Harpy's plans!

There's a lot to be said about Geordi's situation here, and I get the impression he is being used to shed some light on the truth about how this idyllic Northern griffon kingdom truly works. Time and again we've been told by The Harpy and her chosen that in order to get ahead in Northerner culture (basically the Harpy's culture) one must be able to prove their worth. They cannot rely on sweet words or family connections to get ahead, they actually need to excel to get ahead, or they will perish. Essentially a harsh but fair meritocracy. Except, is it really?

All I can think about are those Griffonstonian street thugs (presumably mostly Saddani) that were promised a new and fulfilling life in the north. But were basically thrown straight into the jaws of the local militia defenses as cannon fodder. Gwendolin even outright stated the thugs that survived would face an uphill battle to find any sort of recognition. Contrast that to Geordi, who seems like a decent enough guy sure. But was granted a massive, MASSIVE advantage over anything those thugs might have received, simply due to his pedigree. That, and we know for a fact that one of the biggest contributors to the collapse of Grigor's empire was the desperate state Grover's holdings were in. So desperate that they were willing to switch sides. That does not sound like an idyllic meritocracy, not even for the more well off griffons!

At any rate, it looks like Celestia is done playing nice with Twilight. That was a Spellhorn wasn't it? Makes me wonder what other ancient and terrible relics she as at her disposal... and whether we might soon see her go full Daybreaker!

[Metemponychosis]

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Not at all. I like comments. Feedback, critics, anything.
I can't talk much about Gilad and the Harpy without giving spoilers, but his position changed. He first was ready to use the Harpy to advance his move on the throne. That backfired phenomenally. The thing is that the Harpy doesn't want a figurehead. She wants a ruler to rule over her children while she minds their 'spiritual' needs. Discord notes on how Gwendolen likes to mind the matters of the mansion like the day to day workings and leaves him to do his job as the governor/king. Gilad would like to be the king because he believes that something needs to change, but he's not willing to go as far as letting the Harpy destroy herself, or griffons for that matter, in her war against Celestia.

Also, the north is a meritocracy. You teach yourself skills and provide services to others (from making toys to ruling over griffons) and then you earn your place, for better or worse. But she believes that she herself fills one such role. She is their god and what she says goes because she knows best. And her chosen are entitled to privileges, like any boss or leader is entitled to benefits. The situation of the griffons back at the capital is that Gwendolen is offering them a chance to earning their position in the Stormy Eyrie. If only they prove they are on the right side. Those griffons were criminals, the had nothing to lose and that makes them valuable in a way to her. It is up to them to play the game or not.

The thing is that if Godwin was incompetent, even with all his upbringing, he'd fall by the wayside. The same for Gilda and anyone else. So, it is fair in the sense that if you fulfil the expectations put on you, then you will be rewarded accordingly. But it is unfair that, like any meritocracy, some get a headstart and that is part of what makes their caste system. You have rulers, nobles, commoners, and pariahs. At the same time, there is mobility. There are griffons like Garnet that expected to be treated like royalty just because she took a side. Look at Gertha and her brother that fit in a niche and are thriving. They are both Saddani, but Gertha even got invited into the big meeting of the 'special griffons'. Through their service to Gilda, they are reaching above their status. Grinolf is another good example: in the end he made it, the harpy was even willing to accept him in the Court because Grigory saw his value.

The northerner meritocracy is not good or bad, it just is and circumstances make it bad or good. Now compare it to the ponies. Some people would thrive with the griffons and go insane with the ponies. Gilda, for example. Flying Snake doesn't like it and would rather not side with the Harpy. Others are the opposite. Look at Geordi. He was just going to die in the war, but he was lucky enough to end up in a situation where he can live a life with luxury, if he will submit himself to the Harpy's whims. Discord thinks he is selling his dignity, and Geordi agrees. He just doesn't care. He's happy being a pampered courtier. Another example are those thugs you mentioned.

Goes back to the Harpy and her position that griffons thrive in hardship. She's not trying to make a fair system in the sense that all have the same chances. That is the pony way. Personally, I think it is far better, but one can make arguments for the Harpy's side. And that is what it is all about: points of view. Making choices. Choosing sides.

Celestia is still being patient. Farseer comes from The Gray Dames.
By the way, did you see the blog post about the alternate universe?

[Jinnchin]

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Okay good, that's the sort of nuanced approach I was hoping this story would take. One person's utopia is another person's hell after all. Now if only these two ideologies could exist side by side without killing each other!

Just got caught up with PoP yesterday, so I plan on starting The Gray Dames next. That said as long as it doesn't have any major spoilers I'll try to get around to reading that blog post too!

[Metemponychosis]

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Well, you're already invested in the AU, so I don't think the blog is entirely needed, but I will keep it updated with all the stories inside the AU.