Journey to Equestria

by Aldrigold

Chapter 1

“You! Blue!”

The blue-coated pegasus opened his eyes, lifting a weary head. A gryphon stood over him, talons by his nose, the gryphon's golden-yellow eyes narrowed. A paper and quill hovered by the gryphon’s shoulder, levitated by a droopy eyed purple unicorn who didn’t meet Blue’s gaze.

"Clear the skies, now!” the gryphon snapped.

Blue blinked slowly. It was much to soon for him to fly again. He had cleared the skies yesterday. No pegasus was permitted to fly two days in a row.

“Are you deaf? I said get to work!” The gryphon glared at Blue, his long talons digging into the ground in annoyance. The unicorn behind him took one step back, her hip bones jutting.

“Yes sir!” Blue responded reflexively. His wings tensed up at the thought of flying, and he hadn’t even left the ground yet. Someone must have made a mistake, but Blue didn’t dare correct the overseer. Best just to go along with it, for both his and the unicorn’s sake. He forced contrition into his voice. “Forgive me sir, I just worked a shift recently and didn’t realize you meant for me to fly again already.”

“Do you see any other blue pegasi around?!” the gryphon asked, taking a step forward to stare into Blue’s eyes, the quill bumping his shoulder. “Don’t make excuses. Get moving!” His beak snapped an inch from Blue's nose, the stench of carrion making Blue's eyes water.

“Yes sir!” Blue tried to feign enthusiasm, but knew he wasn’t convincing.

“And you!” The gryphon wheeled around and with a casual slap of his talons knocked the unicorn to the ground, mud splattering her coat and the paper list and quill fluttering into the gryphon’s claws. “What did I tell you about being careful with the quill?”

Blue winced in sympathy, but he knew he couldn’t stick around or he’d risk the same treatment. With a loping canter and a few beats of his wings, Blue took off towards the sky with just enough haste to appease his masters, each wing beat aggravating muscles still sore from his previous flight. He often wondered if he would become a better flier if he practiced each day, but of course the gryphons wouldn’t allow any pegasus to try.

His grandfather sometimes spoke of pegasi who loved flying, who flew just for the fun of it. But everyone knew Blue's grandfather was crazy. Of all the difficulties of life in Eaglesburg, Blue hated flying the most. Clearing the skies for the gryphons on his shifts left him exhausted every evening on flight days, his wings sore and weak.

Of course, he would never disobey the gryphons. No sane pegasus would. If one did, the gryphons would make sure that pegasus never flew again.

Below him, the purple unicorn struggled to her feet, trudging after her master. Blue sighed and beat his wings, turning away.

He let himself glide on a warm thermal that buoyed him up higher, circling slowly over the city. The harsh stone aeries of the gryphon masters met his eyes, and he swerved out of the way of the spires as he gained altitude. Pegasi were never allowed in the aeries. Only unicorn servants, like that Purple, were permitted.

As he flew higher, the fields stretched out below him, the small tents that pegasi and earth ponies lived in dotting the landscape. To the left the mine entrance lay, its appearance from this height nothing more than a steep dark hole in the ground. A unicorn, his horn a dim glow at this distance, searched for gems by the entrance while a gryphon watched.

The fence surrounded all of it. The unicorns had been forced to build it before Blue was born, a fence of magically melded metal, the wire at the top so sharp at the top it would cut. Blue could fly over it, into the deep forest beyond…but gryphons posted at every juncture would catch him immediately. They watched all day, every day.

Blue turned away. It was time to work.

Puffy clouds dotted the sky in a patchwork of blue and white, and Blue joined a dozen or so other pegasi swerving through the air as they struggled to clear them. A pegasus with a goldenrod coat kicked fruitlessly at a thick stratus, her mane limp and her legs shaking. She swooped away in a dive, giving her shaking legs a chance to rest before she came back up to try again when a Gryphon shrieked a warning. Blue winced at the high pitched eagle's call, a constant sound in Eaglesburg.

Condensation mingled with sweat streamed down Blue’s face as he worked, the keen eyes of the gryphon overseers a constant weight as he destroyed cloud after cloud with strained, precise kicks. His wings and back burned with fatigue as he worked to maintain altitude while performing the task.

Another gryphon, his wingspan dwarfing the rest, swiftly approached one of the overseers from below. A few young pegasi stopped to watch while the smarter ones flew above the clouds to avoid his gaze while they continued to work.

Adrenaline overcame fatigue, and Blue raced to get out of sight, shuddering involuntarily in recognition of the new arrival.

Rikarr, the head enforcer, had entered the work area. The largest, strongest gryphon of all of them, who took great pleasure in the power his position gave him.

Rikarr flew towards the pegasi, his mottled brown wings spread wide, and he buffeted the air with powerful flaps as he landed on a cloud, creating a rush of air that could knock a weak flyer to the ground.

“You all look tired,” Rikarr said flatly, standing tall on the cloud and looking directly at Blue. Blue’s stomach dropped. He had been so preoccupied with backing away that he’d forgotten about his work. He kicked frantically at the nearest cloud, then rushed to the next, heart pounding.

“Mandatory break for all pegasi!” Rikarr commanded. “Go to the center square to rest. Stay as long as you like, but no longer than fifteen minutes. I still expect the skies to be cleared by noon.” Rikarr flew ahead to the village square, leaving several confused pegasi in his wake.

“Stay as long as you want?” a young Red said to no one in particular. “Why would anyone stay less than the full fifteen minutes?”

“No talking!” one of the gryphon overseers snapped. The Red’s eyes widened, and she hurriedly ducked her head and headed down to the ground.

Blue grabbed a small cloud and set it above a crowd of ponies circled around the perimeter of the center square. Above his head the central aerie loomed, a monstrous stone tower that housed Rikarr and his hunting squadron. At the base of the tower, four armored gryphons surrounded an orange-maned yellow unicorn, a rope staking the unlucky pony to the ground.

As soon as Blue lowered himself onto the cloud, the unicorn's frightened, roving gaze met his. This was no droopy-eyed unicorn slave who had abandoned all hope.

But rescue was impossible. Dozens of gryphons circled overhead.

It was too much for Blue, and he turned to look away from the unicorn only to see several others in the crowd do the same.

His heart began to pound, and not from fatigue. In the seventeen years he’d been alive, Blue had never seen a demonstration like this. He hoped the gryphons would not make them watch to the end.

Rikarr dove to the center of the circle, landing with his back to the unicorn. “We give you food,” he said to an attentive audience. “We give you shelter.” Blue looked to the small tents and hovels that made up the pony’s homes. “Most of all, we give you protection from predators and other dangers of the outside world. All we ask in return is that you work the mines and fields,” his gaze swiveled to the earth ponies, “serve us,” now he looked to the few unicorns who were present, “and keep the weather under control.” He looked straight at Blue as he spoke, and Blue swallowed hard.

Even from his perch on the cloud, Blue saw the unicorn trembling as he stared at the ground. Nearby, another green unicorn and a younger, green unicorn filly with a red mane stood, their eyes riveted to Rikarr.

“You all have magical gifts that can help us,” Rikarr continued. “But you are weak, and need our protection to survive. Our arrangement benefits us both, which is why I feel shocked, even betrayed, on those rare occasions when a pony like this Yellow chooses to turn his power against us. When this happens, we have no choice but to remove that pony’s gifts so that we may continue serving the remaining ponies without being hindered by the dissenter.

“Yellow refused to detect gold during his shift in the mine. When asked to return to work, he magically assaulted the gryphons who oversaw his shift. Since he cannot control his abilities, we are forced ensure that he will never again use them to harm our community.”

Blue’s stomach turned. He suspected what was coming. His mother had spoken of it once, as a warning. Earth ponies who disobeyed were chained. Pegasi’s wings were broken. And unicorns…they suffered the worst punishment, for they never recovered from a dehorning.

He had never seen one before, and hoped it wasn’t true.

Rikarr raised his talons, the tips long and razor-edged with shining metal extensions. They had been forged by the unicorns, one of whom he was now about to mutilate and punish.

An earth pony with a brown coat and mane stamped the ground once, rushing in front of the tiny red-maned unicorn filly Blue had noticed earlier. Blue met the earth pony's eyes—Brown, who often brought his grandfather extra food. Blue almost wished someone would block his view, because he couldn’t look away.

The sun glinted off the metal-tipped talons.

Then it grew dark, the metal going dull. A blinding light shone from the green-coated unicorn who stood next to the filly, and the green unicorn’s voice boomed. “Leave my husband alone!”

Two gryphons leapt for the unicorn with piercing eagle shrieks, their claws rending her sides. But it was too late.

A clap of thunder boomed overhead, the hairs on Blue’s coat standing on end like they did when he flew after a storm. Lightning rained from the sky, like a thousand pegasi had kicked clouds at once, cracking the ground and scorching the earth. Rikarr shrieked, the bolts closest to him drawn to the metal talon extensions, and fell onto the ground.

The spell ended as quickly as it had begun. The unicorn’s bloody flanks heaved, the glow fading from her horn. There was no sound, and no one moved, pony or gryphon.

For a moment, Blue wanted to flee, the forest beyond the fence beckoning. This was it. This was his chance. No one was watching.

Then Rikarr stirred, his yellow eyes opening. He slowly got to his feet, the metal, now a useless charred lump, falling off of his talons. Still long. Still sharp.

“Kill her,” he commanded. Then with a swipe of his talons he ripped the horn from the yellow unicorn’s forehead. The Yellow hit the ground, his eyes suddenly distant.

Blue’s heart beat so hard he heard it in his head. He noticed Brown speak to the droopy eyed purple unicorn, then herd the small filly away from the scene as the gryphons approached.

Blue turned his back on the village square and flew toward Brown.

***

Lightning had scorched the grass where Blue landed, and it crunched under his hooves. His flanks heaved, the image of the gryphons rending the unicorn fresh in his mind. All she had done was defend her husband. All she had done…

“Blue.” Brown’s voice brought him back to reality. Brown nuzzled the small green filly, the little one’s orange mane bright against Brown’s dull coat. “Those were her parents,” Brown said.

Blue’s stomach twisted. The filly’s eyes were wide, unseeing. In shock.

Blue looked around. Nopony else was within hearing range of their small group, most of the pegasi already back to clearing clouds. There were a few other earth ponies nearby, the rest either in the fields or in the mines, and the unicorns…they were being railed at by Rikarr. Blue winced when he heard a dull smack.

No gryphons noticed their group for now. They would when he or Brown would have to be sent back to work. They always split up ponies who spoke together, who called each other anything other than their gryphon-given names, “Blue” or “Brown.” After their coats.

Rage bloomed in his chest, surprising him. Fear he knew, annoyance he was familiar with. But this hot rage that now boiled in his chest when he looked at the helpless unicorn filly, heard Rikarr’s words as he told the unicorns once again how lucky they were…His wings trembled.

Then he noticed the fence. In one spot, the lightning had melted the metal to slag, the cutting wires fallen to the ground. Beyond it lay a thick forest.

Any pegasus who flew over the fence got caught by the gryphons. They could fly faster and see farther, than a pony ever could. But through the fence, in the forest…

“Blue.” Brown’s voice brought him back once more. The earth pony stared at him, the small filly leaning against her legs. “What do we do with her?”

“What do you mean?”

“Her mother was powerful. That means she might be. The gryphons…”

Blue’s eyes widened. He understood. The filly trembled.

Blue was very glad he wasn’t a unicorn.

“Blue!” A gryphon’s voice, no doubt calling him back to work.

Blue wanted to tell Brown to run. The fence was broken, and in the forest they would have the best chance.

But no. Not now. Not ever. It would only be a matter of time. No one escaped the gryphons.

There was nowhere for ponies to go.

***

Blue sat in his family’s tent, the space barely big enough for the three of them, and nowhere near big enough for the addition of his grandfather, who always ate with them. Three ratty blankets lay on the muddy ground in the corner, marking where Blue and his mother and father slept. Cold air crept through the ripped cloth tarp. No matter how often the gryphons ordered them to work, the pegasi couldn’t change the temperature.

“That unicorn did a number on things,” Blue's mother said. Her wings were shriveled and useless, always folded tightly to her back. Years of flying and work had ruined them, she always said. Blue didn’t believe her. “The fencing is broken.”

Blue stared at the moldy carrots that were his meal. He wanted to speak, to ask why the gryphons had killed the unicorn instead of dehorning her, but he couldn’t. Not after seeing it.

Besides, there was no reason. It was just fact. Gryphons ruled. A broken fence didn’t change that.

“I like fencing,” his grandfather spoke. “Tastes good.”

Blue ignored his grandfather, as he often did. The small green filly wouldn’t leave his mind. He wondered where she was now, if Brown was taking care of her…and how long the gryphons would wait before dehorning her. Or killing her, the way they had killed her mother.

“I wish we could leave,” Blue spoke. A carrot fell from his father’s mouth.

“Don’t speak like that!” he said. “You saw what happened to that unicorn. You know what they do to anyone who tries to escape.” His eyes flicked to Blue’s mother.

“Munch munch munch,” his grandfather added. “Snapping bone. Like fencing. Fencing tastes good, you know. Wood is chewy.” Blue’s stomach churned.

“Besides, there’s nowhere to go. You know that,” his mother added. Her eyes drooped, just like the unicorn from this morning, and Blue looked back to his moldy meal.

“I know, I know. I just…” the image of the gryphons attacking the unicorn mare, and Rikarr’s talons crushing and ripping the horn…claws through bone. He shuddered, his wings tight against his back.

That filly was doomed.

“I need some air,” he said. His mother nodded.

“Be careful,” she said. She never called him Blue, always looking into his eyes as she spoke. Blue knew how much she hated the names the gryphons gave them, but everyone knew what would happen if you used a different name in front of the gryphons. Best to avoid the habit at all.

She was always cautious. It must be what happened to ponies, Blue thought, after they tried and failed to escape.

He left the dinner table, heading outside. He liked the night air, the bright stars overhead. Save for the guard, most gryphons slept at night, and it was the only time Blue ever felt free.

It was an illusion, of course. Ponies could never be free. Not with the gryphons everywhere. Attempt escape and he’d never fly again, chained to the ground with broken wings. Worse than an earth pony, as he would be a constant example.

Like his mother.

He tossed his head, his dark blue mane flopping over his neck. He looked up at the moon, at the stars. At least they were free.

Hoofbeats on grass met his ears, and his grandfather trotted up beside him. “Flying at night is great fun, my boy,” he said. “The Shadowbolts are great flyers, always at night.”

Blue snorted. More nonsense. Most of what his grandfather spoke was nonsense, these days.

“Don’t snort at the royal guard of the Princess Luna!” the old pony scolded. “Or was it Celestia…no, there were two princesses.”

“Princesses of what?” Blue asked, half listening. There were no princesses here, that was for sure. The gryphons had no need for royalty. It was just whoever was strongest and toughest. Like Rikarr.

“Why, the princesses of ponies, of course!”

Blue wanted to dismiss it, like he usually dismissed all of his grandfather’s ramblings, but something made him listen. Maybe it was the gloom after the horrible day. “Princesses of ponies?”

“Of course!” His grandfather pranced in a circle. “Luna and Celestia! Rulers of the free ponies!”

“Quiet!” Blue nudged his grandfather. Saying something like “Free ponies” was a great way to get in a lot of trouble. Using weird names like “Luna” and “Celestia” was bad enough.

“You don’t want to hear about the princesses?” His grandfather drooped.

Blue sighed. “Yes, tell me about them. Maybe it’ll be a good story.”

His grandfather tilted his head, looking up at the moon. “Follow me then, and I’ll tell you! I'll tell you all about it!” He cantered in a circle, then headed toward his tent—a hovel, really, less than half the size of the small tarp that gave Blue and his parents shelter.

Blue sighed. He might as well.

“A land where ponies are unique snowflakes!” His grandfather babbled happily as he trotted into his home. “Not like here where they make everyone call us both Blue even though your coat’s more of a dusk blue and mine looks like poison joke. They even sport cutie marks to show the world why they’re special!”

Blue followed his grandfather inside the old pony's home. It smelled old and musty, and Blue’s eyes watered as he stifled a sneeze. He hadn’t spent much time here since his grandfather’s mind had started going.

A rock flew past Blue’s head, and he blinked. His grandfather dug through what looked like trash—all of the items he collected when he was bored, Blue guessed. Considering he was too old to fly shifts, there must be a lot of them. Blue rolled his eyes as a few more stones clattered to the floor next to him.

Then his grandfather tossed his head, something unfurling onto the floor in front of him. Blue’s eyes widened, his gaze riveted to the banner. Two ponies, one light and one dark, with wings and horns. There were no such banners in Eaglesburg. If the gryphons found it...

“It’s no story,” his grandfather said, and suddenly his gaze changed, the light brightening in his eyes. “It’s real. A real kingdom, where ponies rule—the land of Equestria.”

Comments

[sierra_seven_]

Hmm. *looks at clock* Time to read? Buck it, I have a few minutes.

Me gusta! Well worth reading Liked and fav'd, good sir!

[TwinkiePinkie]

This is awesome! Great writing and I really like the premise, too. Continue soon plz?

But I do have to say... you chose the names Blue and Brown? Seriously?

[Aldrigold]

Thanks so much for the comments, guys! I went through the first chapter and made a few edits-you are right about the names. I hope I made it clearer why they are named the way they are.

I hope to have the next chapter posted within the week! Thanks again for the comments and faves!

[Dark Shade 75]

Oh man, the rage is growing within me...
I guess that's a good thing?

[AptoEntropy]

This is almost painful to read but the rage wants me to go farther