> An Earthly Portal
>  by Nightmare Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1 Beginnings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The smell of cigarettes hit me in the face as I opened the door to my home. I have never liked my dad for smoking but what was the worst part was his anger and resentment of me. I did whatever he wished and even then it always seemed to backfire. He wasn’t home yet from work but as of late it has been hard. The industry has been failing and my dad had been vocal about it to the extent of losing his temper and venting his frustrations across my face and body. My arms still hurt from the belt he used last night. If you wonder where my mom is she passed away several years ago. 

I took off my backpack and held it in my hand. I winced as the bruising on my shoulder and arm had rubbed against the straps. My room was fairly mundane by the best of standards. We were too poor for a computer and I only could do what I enjoyed with a pencil and paper. Did I hate my dad? Yeah a little but what else am I supposed to do?

I have friends at school but they more border on the line of acquaintances than anything. I can’t just show up at their place and expect for them to take me in. I myself got angry sometimes but I refused to do anything about it, I would feel like my father and I didn’t want that. Pulling out my sketch lined paper it had homework on it but I didn’t care for it, instead, I turned it to a fresh page. I began to sketch, first the head, then the equine body…or right I didn’t say I’m a brony, but I have never told anyone this, how might you ask did I find myself drawn to such a thing well I just saw a few episodes, all seemingly cool but I don’t know much about the show itself. I just know there’s a fandom because others talking about it at school were saying how strange it is…so I keep it to myself.

The door of the house opened and my heart skipped a beat as I pressed my hand against the paper and closed it crushing the sketch. The sound of a curse and rage as my father bellowed incoherently as a shoe hit the wall outside my door. I wished I had closed my door so he wouldn’t see me. He passed by the door and glanced in seeing me, his disheveled look and cloudy eyes and the horrid stench of sweat and whiskey permeated the air. He was drunk, and it was early even for him.

“You, why are you back from school?” he said turning toward me and now I could see a brown bag that contained an open mouth of an alcohol bottle.

“School ended at 3:45 dad,” I said sheepishly, I wanted to be anywhere but here. My stomach knotted up as he strode into my room raising his finger.

“You know it’s your fault!” he said with a crazed look in his eyes.

“W-what?” I said frightened as he closed his fist and pain erupted from the left side of my face causing my vision to explode into bits of light and blackness. I looked back up at him which seemed to anger him more.

“If you weren’t here I could have provided myself with everthin I want but now I lost my job!” he bellowed as he punched me again with his other hand with the bottle still in it. The glass shattered cutting his hand and his fury only increased. He grabbed his hand cursing uncontrollably. I tried to get up and escape but he reached out with his bloody hands and grabbed my neck pushing me hard. I crashed into the wall and tripped on my sketchbook. I fell onto my side and scrambled to get up.

“Get back here!” he ordered and he blocked the door with his body.

“You’re going to pay for this boy!” he growled as he charged me. I looked over my shoulder at my window and stood up to open it before my father was on me. His strong arm punched my kidney causing me to cry out and extend myself in pain. He took advantage of this by grabbing my neck and throwing me on my bed. My father beat me almost daily but this time it was different. His rage, sadness, and booze fueled fury caused me to think, this is it.

I awoke to pain, it hurt to breathe, blink, think, everything. The darkness outside my window gave me an idea hours had passed. The TV was blaring so my father had gone on to satisfy his other habit. I tried to sit up but found myself whimpering softly. Is this how I am to live? A small voice in my head said yes but another more angry voice said to get away, anywhere but here. I agreed. I forced myself up with great effort. My small mirror on my dresser greeted me as I passed it. My face was swollen with dried blood all on my shirt and face. I didn’t even recognize my own face the only feature I could see were my green eyes. I turned the knob of my door and slowly closed it without a noise. I picked up my backpack and emptied the contents on my bed. I began to pack my clothes. I changed my shirt to a plane tan brown and picked up a black hoodie that had an AC/DC logo on it. Opening my room door I slung my backpack onto my back and quietly got to the main door and put on my shoes. Grasping the door handle I opened the door which made a loud scraping sound as the plastic rubbed against the linoleum floor. The sound of my father’s recliners kicks stool being brought down sent an adrenaline spike. I ripped open the door and bolted out of the door not even bothering to close it.
I ran for what felt like hours before I was on the outskirts of my town. Looking back at the silhouette of lights that was my town I chose to abandon. Nothing was left for me there. Tightening the straps on my backpack I jogged along the road for a few hours before it began to rain. Flipping my hood up I jogged into the forest to have some shelter from the rain. My father could be looking for me so I chose to go a bit deeper to make sure he wouldn’t find me. Pushing apart a pair of bushes a lone tree stood in a meadow with a large thick canopy looked comfortable enough. Jogging up to the trunk the rain couldn’t get me as I stood underneath the tree. A small sign was staked in front of it and I couldn’t help but read it. “The Wishing Tree: this old oak is guessed to be hundreds if not a thousand years old. Legends state if you whatever you wish will come true if you wish hard enough under its branches.” I shook my head and just found a seat amongst the large roots that formed a natural small shelter. I began to shiver but I clutched my backpack to my chest before I forced my eyes shut.
“If I had a wish it would be to be somewhere else than this cruel world,” I muttered to myself before falling asleep and a thought came to mind Equestira might not be too bad.

The pain now came from my wounds and stiffness. The sun rose quickly in the sky causing me to cover my eyes from the blinding light. I leaned forward and felt my stomach rumble standing up shakily I frowned as the sign that was there yesterday was gone. Had someone come along and just stolen the sign? Shaking my head of that nonsense I reached for my backpack only to find it was gone. Looking down I saw an odd sight. I don’t do drugs, despise the idea of them but I must have been having a major trip. The simple explanation was someone took the sign, my stuff, and injected me with a drug that caused massive hallucinations. My hands…were not hands they were what looked like claws.
“Ahh!” I exclaimed that came out a sheik that sounded like a hawk. Crossing my eyes I saw not my nose but a beak. I tried to stand up on my legs and fell forward onto my claws. Beginning to hyperventilate, my eyes looked everywhere for an answer that was nowhere to be found. Walking on all fours I walked tripped and my wings flared out. Wait wings? Looking over my shoulder I had wings that I naturally put back into place. The rain from yesterday had formed a puddle where I looked at my reflection.

“What the?” I said as my new reflection mimicked me. I looked at myself as I turned my head and examined myself. My bumps and bruises were still apparent but covered up by brown feathers on my chest with white wings accented by black tips, white feathers covering my neck and crown and finally a yellow beak. My hind end looked like a lions and that was even stranger. I tried to think what I had become and the word griffon came to mind. My stomach grumbled again and I placed my claw on my stomach. I’ve never hunted so that was out. I would have to endure like so many other times my father spent all the money on booze, junk food, and cigarettes. I thought maybe I should try and fly but thought better of it considering I have no idea how to. I walked through to the forest and back from there I thought I originally came. The woods were thicker and danker, vegetation such as vines, large tropical leaves, and hanging moss. The road was only supposed to be a short distance from the tree but the longer I walked the more uncertain I became. A twig snapped and I froze in place. I looked around to see the culprit. It wasn’t long before three creatures walked out forming a semi-circle in my path. They looked like wolves skeletons if they were made out of wood. The foliage had hidden them and now they were slowly advancing on me. My instinct kicked in and I stumbled turning and run.
You know when you run it’s not a matter of how do you run, you just do. I figured this out in full panicked mode as I sprinted across the meadow again being chased by wooden wolves yelling for anyone to help me. I broke into the forest on the other side of the meadow and kept running for my life. I looked over my shoulder missing the drop as I tumbled down a steep hill falling and tumbling as I did so the world became a painting of greens and blacks as the foliage around me blurred. I came to a sudden stop as if a tree reached out and caught me. Breathing heavily I tried to calm myself. A searing new found pain caused me to cry out. I investigated my right wing that was bleeding and at a wrong angle. The three wolves were bounding down the slope closing in for the kill, I struggled to stand but my strength left me. I felt fear and dread clutch my chest and I closed my eyes.

“Be gone foul beasts before I turn you into firewood for my potions and brews!” a thickly African accented voice ordered. I opened my eyes to see a Zebra standing between me and what I would acquaint to be death. The wolves snapped at the Zebra but halted and began to 8slowly advance. She removed a sling from her saddlebags that had a strange wooden object with a different number of holes on it. Holding it in her teeth she began to rotate her head in a circular motion making the strangely holed piece of a wood whistle. The sound caused the wolves to whine and yelp scratching at what must have been their ears. Before long they fled and left us be. I looked up at the Zebra astonished but when I tried to move pain reared its ugly head. I slumped to the ground again with a painful cry. The Zebra flicked her head and threaded her muzzle through the rope having the whistle fall on her chest like a necklace.

“Now, keep calm those Timber wolves are gone.” She said assuring me. She muzzled her saddlebags again and produced a jar.

“Drink this now and your pain will be ceased to be for now.” She said as I took it in my claw and popped the cork and aimed it at my mouth getting most of it in. I wiped my beak as I began to feel the effects almost immediately. My eyes began to droop as my head fell to the dirt.

“What…did you.” I slurred to say.

“You are the only griffin who I’ve gotten to see, who is so otherworldly.” She said before I fully blacked out.
> Finding a way forward
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The snap and crack of a log fire woke me but I regretted it as I groaned in pain. My head throbbed as if a marching band was having a parade between my ears.

“Ouch...damn what happened to me,” I asked no one in particular. I remembered running away, sleeping under a tree outside of town getting robbed and hallucinating. It was vivid to be sure but it must have been one. I dragged my talons across my face and stopped at my beak. My mind blanked as it processed this.

“You took quite a tumble and broke your wing, those are both very precious things.” I heard say in a thick African accent I remembered from my hallucination. I moved to stand up but my legs wobbled and I collapsed again.

“Who are you?” I asked as the Zebra walked out from behind a shelf. I got a better look at her now. Her blue eyes caught my attention followed by the zebra stripes that made up her coat, accented with golden earrings and neck ringlets that climbed up her neck.

“I am known by Zecora and who might you be?” She asked approaching me with a tray of what looked like food.

“I'm…” I thought about it for a moment I could tell my name but it just didn't feel right for the current situation so I decided to use an alias, but coming up with one on the fly... I looked around saw a mirror that had my reflection.

“Umm Beak,” I said without thinking. Zecora looked at me funny.

“Feather Beak….” I pushed forward with my completely ‘unoriginal’ name.

“Feather Beak, that is quite a name for someone to claim.” She said putting the tray down. It had fruit I recognized and some I didn't. I tried what I was familiar with and began to eat while I looked around thinking of what happened then a thought occurred to me.

“Did you knock me out?!” I asked with sudden realization. Zecora chuckled and didn't reply so I chalked that up to a yes.

“Where am I?” I asked finally as the silence had become increasingly heavy.

“You are in Everfree Forest, a place you would not consider living unless you were more than a simple florist.” She said as she began to put several flowers and grasses into a mortar & pedestal and began to grind them up. The smell began to become unpleasant before she dumped them into her cauldron.

“Everfree…” I said thinking out loud. I have heard of that name before. But where?

“Ok Everfree Forest, but what country am I in?” I asked probing further for information.

“Why Equestria of course, now help me by picking up that plant labeled Tender Horse.” She said. My mind went blank as I robotically picked up the weed that was labeled Tender Horse and went to give it to her. She gestured to me to grind it up. I struggled to stand but I did it. My body ached and protested against my movement. I sat on my haunches and began to grind the herbs.

“Equestria isn't real, it's...it's a fictional place made up by cartoonists or…” I began to force myself to say but the pit in my stomach that had formed was growing heavier by the second.

“It is most certainly real as the air you breath Feather Beak, this is the reality, you cannot turn the other cheek.” She said as I looked over my shoulder to see she was so close to me that I jumped slightly in surprise nearly dropping the mortar & pedestal. Zecora caught it and placed it back on the counter then finished grinding it before adding it to her bubbling brew.

“I'm sorry I-It's a lot to take in. How did you know I am not from this world?” I asked suddenly curious as to how she would know.

“You were close to the wishing tree, and there are no griffins in the area, so you see.” She said simply leading for me to finish.

“You guessed,” I said flatly with half lidded eyes.

“Yes, I guess that is so.” She said with a smile over her shoulder. I was surprised to think that was all it was.

“What do I do?” I said voicing my loss. Zecora looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you wish to do?” she asked. This gave me pause as I reflected on the question, What did I want? I ran away with no intention of returning. Now that I am here of all places what was next? Lifting my gaze to Zecora she was quietly waiting for my answer.

“I don't know what to do,” I said truly not knowing what's to come next in my new life.

“I am to make a trip to give out my brews if you wish you can come too.” she offered as I tilted my head and then nodded.

“It's a step in a direction I guess,” I said as I stood up shakily. Zecora produced a ladle and began to fill a bottle with her new made brew. Zecora placed the bottle on the counter and then lifted her saddlebags onto her back. I approached her and lifted the brew placing it into her saddlebag. She smiled and nodded her appreciation.

As we left her hut we walked along a barely seen path. Walking on all fours was...surreal to say the least. Sure I sketched ponies and griffins at school only to destroy them before anyone could see them. But being one?

“We are almost there,” Zecora said over her shoulder as I stepped out of the grim treeline of Everfree into a sunny and warm green field that had a path that cut through the grass leading to the town in the distance.

“What place is that?” I asked walking beside her.

“Why that is Ponyville Feather Beak, where many different ponies you will meet,” Zecora said with a smile. I stopped quickly as my eyes widened.

“Wait, Ponyville as in…” I said taking a moment. Well, it was Equestria so yea Ponyville would be apart of it, but actually going there. Zecora hadn’t stopped and I jogged to catch up and soon we were close to the town. I looked around and the sight I could only describe as rustic and warm. Colorful ponies walked around but seemingly gave Zecora and I a wider berth as a few seemed to whispered amongst themselves.

“Is it just me or are they…” I began but Zecora nodded.

“There was a time when all ran to hide anyplace, but it was the courage of young Applebloom who showed their fears were misplaced,” Zecora explained and I could see old fears are hard to undo it seemed.

“Gilda!” I heard yell out as a Rainbow blur slammed into the ground with her hooves kicking up a cloud of dust. As the dust settled Rainbow Dash looked at me and frowned.

“You're not Gilda who are you?” Rainbow demanded. My mind went blank after a moment of taking in the situation. Oh my god… Rainbow Dash is right in front of me.

“This is Feather Beak, he is a friend of mine whose wing is a bit... tweaked,” Zecora said filling in my stupid silence.

“Feather Beak huh?” Rainbow said squinting at me till she looked at my wing and flew to my right side to inspect it.

“Whoa, what did you do? Get into a fight with a hydra?” Rainbow asked as she beat her wings just hovering off the ground.

“N-No I was being chased by wolves in Everfree and I fell down a hill,” I explained as she gave me a look like I was an idiot.

“Was falling down the hill before or after you broke your wing?” She asked. I wish I could just turn invisible, I was a griffin who got his wing hurt for running away instead of flying away how lame was that?

“After,” I mumbled and she leaned in.

“You're gonna need to speak up.” she said.

“After, all right!” I snapped which made her do a somersault backward in the air.

“Jeez! No need to get your feathers in a bunch,” she stated with a frown.

“I don't know how to fly,” I said looking down hoping Zecora would start walking but she simply stood there with a neutral face which just put me in a more sour mood.

“What! Don't you know how to fly? You're a griffin!” she proclaimed before Zecora stepped between me and Rainbow.

“Rainbow please be kind, for he is a special case of mine,” Zecora stated as I simply began to look at the details of the dirt road.

“Whats wrong with him Zecora? Is he like afraid of heights or something?” She asked blatantly which caused the feathers on my back to flair angrily. Before I could spout my anger a striped hoof was placed on my shoulder firmly. I looked up at Zecora who showed no anger or any emotion than a simple smile.

“He is a special case, maybe later you can show him since you are such an ace?” Zecora offered which caused Rainbow’s chest to puff out with an emboldened pride.

“Well, I am the best flier in Equestria. When his wing is all healed I'll teach him a few things.” She said making it sound as if I was given a great privilege. Truth be told I found her to be abrasive and brash but then what I gathered from the few episodes I did see she was that kind of pony. Zecora nodded happily as she began to walk waving goodbye.

“I will hold you to your word, and soon Feather Beak will soar like a bird!” she said with a slight joking jab at me which I did pick up on.

“Don't worry he'll be flying better than any slow bird!” She proclaimed as she rocketed into the clouds.

“Why...why did you have to do that,” I asked lamely.

“There was a griffin that came here one day, a friend of Rainbows I hear say, She was angry a bully who threatened and yelled, you were getting angry and what you would do next I could tell,” she said causing me to think. I was getting so angry that I wanted to punch Rainbow...like how my dad would. I felt a mixture of fury and fear clash inside me. I never wanted to be like my father.

“Thanks for stepping in,” I said as Zecora nodded accordingly.

We made several stops where several ponies who ordered Zecora's concoctions. We then began to approach a large tree that had windows in it. If I recalled it was the library where Twilight the unicorn lived. Zecora approached the door and knocked the sound of banging and crashing could be heard from the door before it opened and smoke bellowed out and a half lidded purple dragon looked up at us. Recognition spread across his face as he looked at Zecora.

“Zecora!” he said happily before looking into the library tree.

“Twilight, It's Zecora.” He announced and a purple unicorn with wings who was having a coughing fit came to the door. I raised my eyebrow in surprise. When did that happen?

“*Cough* Spike! Wait, Ze--*cough cough* Zecora I'm glad your here! I need your help with a potion!” Twilight said urgently. Twilight completely disregarded me and went back inside. Zecora shook her head and looked at me.

“Go around the town, and see what can be found,” she said with a smile and walked inside. Spike looked up at me and shrugged.

“Spike I need you!” Twilight's order came from inside and the door was promptly closed on me. I turned around and looked at the various ponies who went about their business while many gave me stairs and then my stomach rumbled.

“Right...Ponyville...what could go wrong.” I said before the worst possible thing that could happen did. A pink blur stopped in front of me and with eyes as large as saucers and a smile to match.

“A NEW ARRIVAL!” Pinkie exclaimed.
> A walk around town.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked left then right as her blue eyes bared down on me along with a smile that spoke that she had plans for me.

"Hello," I said cautiously.

"Welcome to Ponyville I'm Pinkie Pie!" she announced, as I simply remembered her being if anything an annoying pony. I didn't have anything against her personally but myself being an introvert, someone like Pinky who forced their cheer on you just rubbed me wrong.

"Thank you. I guess." I said weakly.

"You guess?" she said followed by a snicker.

"You can guess that there are 478 ponies in Ponyville. But I don't know how you can guess how you're feeling. It's like you don't really know who you are? Who are you?" she said bouncing up and down rhythmically.

"I-I'm Feather Beak," I said, trying to sound like I wasn't just saying a name I just came up with hours ago. Pinkie simply hopped for a moment more before she stopped suddenly and leaned forward looking at me with one wide blue eye.

"Reaaaaaaallly, Feather Beak? Sounds like you saw your own reflection and came up with your own name after falling out of a portal from another world." She said quickly. I could only lean back and gulp hard. Just as fast as she was scrutinizing me she had pulled back and turned around bounding up and down.

"Well Feather Beak come on and I'll give you The Grand Tour!" She said with a lighthearted giggle. I simply stared after her just trying to piece together how she could know the full truth of who I was and how my lame name was chosen.

"Well come on slow poke." She said looking at me and I grudgingly followed as she began to give me as she put it 'The Grand Tour.'
The first stop was her place of work Sugar cube corner. It's aesthetics being that of a gingerbread house as well as the smell of baked goods wafted from open windows, vents, and doors. The front door was pushed open and we entered the lobby that had several places for ponies to sit down and enjoy baked goods. Pinkie hopped up to the register and stopped as a light blue mare with two toned icing pink mane and tail walked in backward through swinging doors that reminded me of old western saloons.

"Ah Pinkie! Can you help me bring up trays of two cupcakes?" she asked as she balanced several trays of her own to the counters that had tubes of icing ready made.

"Sure thing Mrs. Cupcake!" She said and was gone in a flash of pink and the saloon doors were swinging wildly as she entered the back room and came back with two trays full of steaming hot cupcakes. I simply stood there in awe of her speed, it was well, unnatural. Pinkie after that stood by the register again and held up a hoof to me.

"This here is Feather Beak." she introduced and Mrs. Cake smiled at me as her husband walked in who he remembered was Carrot Cake.

"Welcome to our little bakery." Carrot Cake said as he found a spot beside his wife.

"Yes, It smells great just walking by here," I said while gesturing my claw.

"Well Since it's your first time in Ponyville," she said as she reached into her colorful glass case full of treats and placed a seemingly ordinary cupcake topped with blue icing and sprinkles. I was never really one for sweets, or well I never really got to have them. My dad was very strict when it came to the use of money and well sweets were deemed non-essential. I reached out with my claw and picked it up, as I was about to eat it I realized Pinkie was close to me staring with a wide grin as I was about to take a bite. Looking at her she nodded.

"Come on...eeeeeeeat iiiiiittt..." She egged me on. I gave her a raised eyebrow and I took a bit and I forgot about Pinkie in that moment and looked down at the treat. It was soft, sweet, and the icing wasn't messy the perfect cupcake. It didn't last long till I was licking my claws of any remaining crumbs and icing.

"Good huh?" Pinkie said with a smile that seemed like she knew how much I enjoyed that little piece of heaven.

"Yes, best I've ever had to be honest," I said to Mr. and Mrs. Cake who both smiled.

"Okie Dokie Loki, onward to the next stop!" she said bounding for the door and I looked at the Cakes who smiled and waved at me and I simply gave a parting wave and followed my pink guide. As we walked we passed several characters I recognized, Lyra, Berry Punch, Bon Bon, and many others that in truth didn't have names in the original show.

"Soooo what do you think?" she asked simply for Pinkie anyway.

"It's like I imagined, colorful, welcoming, just an overall nice place really," I said honestly as I followed her over a bridge and we rounded a corner and a place I recognized from some of the episodes I did see.
The Carousel Boutique owned or...was it rented by Rarity. I didn't know really but my thought was interrupted when Pinkie opened the door causing the bell to chime.

"Be right with you in a minute." I heard a posh voice say in an ever so slightly musical voice. Soon after that hooves on stairs could be heard and the white unicorn appeared with several rolls of fabric clutched in her magic over her head.

"Oh Pinkie Pie darling to what do I owe this visit?" She asked as she looked at me and I could tell there was only slight judgement about my race which I thought odd.

"I was giving Feather Beak here a tour of Ponyville and I just had to include one of my best friends!" she said enthusiastically. Rarity smiled at that and approached me and lifted a hoof to which I lifted my claw and gripped her hoof. I felt a sensation like pressure on my claw like I was shaking a hand of another. As quickly as it happened she released my claw. I was only slightly confused wondering if she just used unicorn magic to squeeze my claw.

"So are you from Griffinstone?" She asked me to which I simply gave a smile.

"I am from..." before I could say anything Pinkie cut in.

"He's from another world, Isn't that crazy!" she said with a smile looking between both of us and Rarity was quiet a moment and then simply smiled.

"Oh Pinkie, you are a riot; But I have just received an order and I'm busy making a few dresses. Maybe you can take our guest to the market, Applejack should be set up selling her Apple wears," she said with a smile that seemed forced. Pinkie seemed oblivious but I picked up on it.

"Okie Dokie." She did walking towards the door and it opened up by itself and Pinkie was leaving. When Rarity made a motion for me to lean towards her quickly.

"Pinkie can be a bit of a...eccentric I hope she's not being hard to handle." She said with a look of concern which I didn't expect.

"No, not at all. If anything she's been fairly great as a guide." I said leaning back with a smile.

"Oh that's good to hear." she said returning a genuine smile.

"Come on Feather! I can smell caramel apples!" she exclaimed. I trotted through the door with a wave goodbye to Rarity and caught up with Pinkie. It wasn't long till we arrived at the town square that had several stalls set up. More than you would see in the show. Several stalls had trinkets, honey, candles and modest clothing hoof stitched. I couldn't keep track of Pinkie as she zipped between stalls saying her greetings and shaking hooves. Most were welcome to her Hello's and Howya doin's. I walked looking at the stalls and saw a section of stalls reserved for food. Applejack was standing there selling apples and other apple like goods. Pinkie arrived at Applejack's stall and was bouncing up and down rapidly.

"Heya Applejack this is my new friend Feather Beak." She introduced. Applejack looked at me after she gave a bag of apples to a pony and gave me a long big smile while tipping her cowboy hat back slightly.

"Well welcome to Ponyville Feather Beak." She said holding out a hoof which I gripped and felt that same pressure that I felt from Rarity, must be the way ponies are able to grip and hold thing regardless of not having thumbs of fingers for that matter.

"Nice to meet you," I said as I let go of her hoof and picking up two caramel apples with one hoof Pinkie put some coins on the counter.

"Here Feather Beak." Pinkie said giving me one. I took it and looked at it. I had never had a caramel apple before now and seeing Pinkie take a bite into the candied apple she gave a simple but genuine smile with a hum of pleasure causing me to smile and she gasped causing me to look at her perplexed.

"That's the first time I've seen you smile!" She said with a grin. I guessed she was right, I had been fairly preoccupied with everything was happening around me I hadn't stopped to just relax a minute.

"I guess you're right," I said as I was about to take a bite of the apple.

"Who are you?" a younger voice asked causing me to look around then down and see Applebloom.

"Feather Beak, and you?" I asked.

"Applebloom, Applejack is my sister." She replied.

"Oh is that so, that must mean you know a lot about apples," I said and she gave me a cocked eyebrow.

"I know a thing or two." she said before two more fillies ran up to her.

"Applebloom lets go I have like a few ideas on getting our cutiemarks." The orange pegasus filly said before looking up at me and her eyes widened.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders this is Feather Beak." Pinkie said now chewing on the empty stick where a caramel apple used to be.

"Whoa, a real griffin. I'm Scootaloo, this is Sweetiebelle." Scootaloo said gesturing her hoof too they white unicorn filly.

"Nice to meet you," I said looking between all the fillies.

"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or CMC for short as Pinkie said. Where are you from?" Applebloom asked before Pinkie could blurt out again.

"I'm from Griffinstone," I said and Pinkie looked at me with a curious look but didn't refute me.

"Where is that?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"Not in Equestria," I said with a smile. Scootaloo and the others looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Really? I couldn't have guessed." Applebloom said and then looked at Applejack.

"Can I go?" she requested and Applejack nodded and the three smiled simultaneously.

"Ok, we will see you later. Bye Feather Beak." The three said leaving.

"Bye," I said back waving the caramel apple slightly. I then took a moment to bite into the apple and the sweet of the caramel along with the sweetness of the apple felt like an explosion of flavor. Juice dripped down my beak as I then licked my beak to try and not seem like a slob. Applejack smiled at my expression and gave a small tip with her hat.

"First time eh?" she said.

"Yes, how did?" I began.

"Ah know? Trust me I've been sellin apples for a long time and your face was like that of a fillies first bite into a caramel apple," she said with a smile. I began to quickly devour the apple and I happened to see a stall that was selling clocks and it dawned on me I have been out for a long time.

"Pinkie. Do you mind if we can do this another time I need to get back to Zecora." I said now also chewing on the stick that had the hint of apple on it.

"Sure thing! Bye Applejack." Pinkie said giving Applejack a hug. I gave her a wave and she returned it and Pinkie leads me down a dirt path towards the tree growing over the roofs of the houses. Couldn't really get lost with the large tree as a marker. Not before too long we walked into the open area where the Golden Oak's Library was and she turned towards me and gave me a hug which I didn't expect. I lifted my claw and returned the hug.

"This was fun! We should do it again," she said with a smile.

"Of course," I said with a smile.

"Ah, the second smile!" She said pointing her hoof at me with a huge grin. I laughed at this and I waved her goodbye.
Approaching the library I knocked and began to open the door but it seemed oddly dark. I took three more steps and the room exploded with light exposing several ponies all smiling.

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" they all clamored at once and a sign opened up saying 'Welcome Feather Beak.' I stood there in awe and shock.

"J-just how..." I said quietly.

"I have my ways." Pinkie said and I jumped as she was now beside me and smiling.

"Now let's PARTY!" she exclaimed garnering another cheer from the room of ponies.
> Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I couldn't really what really happened in the first few minutes. Several hooves were shaken and many said hello and welcome but I simply nodded and smiled giving them a polite 'thanks' or 'nice to meet you.' Pinkie was going around chatting many ponies up and joking around and Zecora was approaching me and a smile flashed crossed her face. 

"I hope your tour was fun, I finished helping twilight with a simple potion," Zecora said as she poured herself a cup of punch that was on the table beside me. I looked at her not knowing really what to say. 

"I...I don't understand. None of these ponies know me. I've never had a party or been to one." I said as she sipped her cup. 

"Pinkie is a fine party planner, has them ready to go for whomever, it doesn't matter," Zecora said as Spike was stuffing his face with cupcakes and then was scolded by Twilight for gorging himself.

"You mean Pinkie doesn't care for who it is? She just likes to party?" I asked with a frown and Zecora shook her head.

"I have never met a more selfless pony, she cares almost too much about others that if was anyone else it would be most likely phony ." She said and I looked at Pinkie who was laughing at a joke a brown earth-pony was saying. 

"I can see it," I said as I heard another cup being poured and then Zecora gave it to me and I looked down at it, taking a sip, fruit punch but you could tell it was hand squeezed or well...hoof squeezed. Suddenly three drops fell into my drink and I blinked realizing I was tearing up. I sat on hunches and wiped my eyes quickly and I saw a look of concern on Zecora's face as she looked around to see if anyone else saw me tear up. 

"Do you want to go to someplace secluded, one not so open and populated?" she offered, I simply nodded and Zecora walked me to a room keeping herself between myself and the main bulk of the crowd. After we entered the kitchen and she pulled a seat out for me which I thanked her and sat up straight. 

"Whats up is everything ok?" I heard a voice ask and I looked over to see Twilight standing in the doorway. Zecora was looking at me quietly also wanting to know. 

"I-i don't know why I broke down like that. I...I've never been treated so nicely and a party...this is the first party for me I've ever had." I said with a meek smile. 

"You have never had a party? What about Birthdays, Hearths warming, Nightmare Night?" Twilight asked walking fully into the room. 

"I feel like my problems aren't really worth the time of a princess," I said giving a soft hearten chuckle. Twilight looked at her wing that slightly opened and she shook her head. 

"Don't worry about that kind of thing...I don't think I'm a princess really...I don't even know what I'm the princess of, but that's me. Friends are more important than position." she said finding a spot at the table.  

"I came from a...rough background. My mom left when I was young, my dad had to deal with me since then and well he liked to drink." I said leading for them to fill in the blanks. Twilight looked confused but the look on Zecora's face said she knew what he meant. 

"Why would your fathers drinking not let you have a party?" Twilight asked. 

"He would get mad often if I didn't do as he wished. Not to mention he wouldn't have any money used for frivolous purchases that were not for food and what he wanted." I said rotating the cup on its bottom causing the punch to swirl. Twilight was beginning to understand and she placed a hoof on my shoulder and I stopped the cup and looked at her violet eyes that showed concern that I was not use to.  Her eyes looked to my wing and she frowned.

"Did he do that?" she asked suddenly and I had to look at my wing to understand what she was asking. 

"No, I got that from running away from wolves in Everfree," I said and her eyes widened and she looked at Zecora for clarification. 

"I found him being chased by a pack of timber wolves, wing broken and surely doomed if I did not have my whistle he would most likely have been food." she said and Twilight looked back at me. 

"You were running away from your home?" She surmised and I gave her a simple nod. 

"You could have died, didn't anypony tell you that Everfree was dangerous?" she continued before I held up my claw and she quieted. 

"Don't take this the wrong way Twilight but I don't know anything really about Equestria. Think of me being from Griffinstone." I said and she looked like she was going to say something but stopped. 

"Well, what are you going to do now?" She asked me. 

"I have no clue, but I feel very welcomed because of Pinkie and everyone. More than I have back home." I said with a smile. 

"Maybe I can get you a job...how old are you?" She asked and I was 16 but whether I was a different age as a griffin. 

"I'm 16," I said as Twilight gave me a look over once more. 

"Where are you staying right now?" She inquired and I looked at Zecora who nodded. 

"I've only been here one night and I spent it at Zecora's," I said as I heard a loud clamor and saw Pinkie starting a conga line. 

"Well, I'm sure Spike could use some help. I kind of run him ragged and I'm sure he could use the help." She offered. 

"You want me to be a librarian? I don't know what I would be doing." I said surely. Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. 

"Perhaps we should let him speak unless you know better than Feather Beak," Zecora interjected as she drank more of her punch. 

"Oh, of course, how silly of me. What are you good at?" she asked pointedly and that put me on the spot. What am I good at? I can draw but I know it's an amateur drawing at best a 3-year-old at worst. I tended to keep to myself at school but I really did enjoy metal work but I don't know if that could apply here. I rather liked things that were hands on. Also, I did well at archery at summer camps that the school fun raised, those were the only times for a week at a time I would get to do something without my father screaming at me for asking for ten dollars to go.  Of course when I got back... I shuddered a moment trying to force the memory of my father's heavy fists cracking against my head. 

"I like to work with my hands or my claws." I corrected quickly. 

"Like carpentry?" Twilight asked and I simply nodded. 

"Never really knew much about it,  I also like archery. I took first place a couple of times." I said and Twilight smiled and nodded. 

"I think I can introduce you to a local carpenter, privileges of knowing a princess and all." She said with a wink. I gave a small laugh as Zecora nodded approvingly.

The party didn't look like it was dying down anytime soon and a clock said it was 2 am. When these ponies party...they really party. I saw Rarity and Applejack both slip out with sleepy fillies of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo was still there at 2 am but looked alone and eyes fighting sleep so I approached her and she looked up at me. 

"H-hey Feather Beak... sweet party." She said with obvious tiredness in her voice. 

"Where are your parents?" I asked concerned and she simply waved a hoof. 

"Ah, places. It's ok they said I could do whatever I wanted," she said with an almost drunken smile. 

"Where is your house?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and Zecora joined me just then. 

"Hey Zecora...you know you talk funny." she said with a goofy grin, that's when I and Zecora looked at one another with half lidded looks. 

"Ok, you're going home," I stated and lifted a claw up and Pinkie saw me and in a flash, she was standing in front of me.

"Hey Feather Beak you liking the party?" she said full of energy. I didn't know how she maintained such a high level of it but then I pointed at Scootaloo. 

"Do you know where her house is?" I inquired and Pinkie nodded vigorously. 

"It's 879 Greenery way." she said with a smile and I looked at Zecora who shrugged and shook her head. 

"Sorry to say Pinkie, neither know where that is," I stated. 

"Oh of course! Here I am thinking you already know the town like the back of your claw!" she laughed, and the truth of that would be a proper analogy since I don't know the back of my claw. 

"Yeah, do you have directions?" I asked and she waved her hoof. 

"I'll show you the way," Scootaloo said as her eyes blinked slowly. I doubted she could stay away let alone give us directions. 

"Pinkie could you show us the way?" I hoped and Pinkie nodded again. 

"It's too late for a filly to be up," she said wagging her hoof at Scootaloo in a playfully serious manner. I reached down and lifted Scootaloo surprisingly easily onto my back and she nuzzled my back as she smiled, her eyelids closed slowly and she fell asleep. 

"What am I a down pillow?" I asked with a smile and all I got was a small smile back and Pinkie leads the way followed by Zecora and me. 

"Feather Beak is leaving." I heard somepony say so I turned and waved. 

"I'll be around town tomorrow. Thanks again everypony I've never felt more welcomed." I said and they all cheered and began to make marry again. I shook my head and the door closed behind Zecora and the partying resumed. 

"That was a good party," I said even from my limited experience of such events. 

"Glad you enjoyed it. I heard you have never celebrated a birthday or any party for that matter." Pinkie said coolly which was unlike her. 

"Yes, my life up unto this point has been...party less," I said trying to not make a big deal of it. Pinkie stopped and turned to face me. 

"Before I got my cutiemark I'll say it, life was miserable, but a loud bang and then a rainbow in the sky blowing away the clouds and all my dreary feelings...." She said as she smiled as she remembered a fond memory. 

"It was amazing!" she exploded suddenly loudly and confetti burst out of her mane which made me look at her shocked and then back at Scootaloo who was still asleep.

"Sorry, just can't think of a life without parties. If we can't celebrate one another what point is there for living?" she said solemnly and continued to guide us. What she said struck me and it made me think what was I living for than if I didn't celebrate...or was forced not to celebrate. It made a heat in my chest swell up and a stone in my stomach turn as I thought at the fact of so much of my life had been taken from me by my father. A feeling of a hoof on my shoulder and I glared at Zecora then gave pause and my glare dissipated. I don't know how she does it but she knows when I was getting upset. 

"I'm very happy Pinkie for the party you threw for me. I've always kind of wanted a party." I said with a smile. 

"There are plenty of parties planned for you my feathered friend!" She said in her usual bubbly attitude. We rounded a corner and a similar thatched roof of a home came into view and I read the sign saying Greenery way.

"mom--my I got a picture.....Rainbow..." I heard from Scootaloo as she was about to stretch out until she was about to fall off my left side and I was able to catch her with my left wing. If she had fallen on my right side ...she would have been in for a rude awakening. We approached Scootaloos house and the lights on showed sompony was home and the door opened and a frazzled mare stood there. 

"Have you seen Scootaloo?" she asked desperately. 

"Are you Scootaloo's...mom?" I asked she shook her head.

"No I'm her babysitter, Cherry Blossom." she said. 

"I have her here, she was at my welcoming party," I explained, Cherry Blossom hit herself in the head softly. 

"Of course she was... I'll take her up to her room." She said as I turned for her to get Scootaloo. 

"Are Scootaloo's parents coming home soon, Its late well after two," Zecora asked and Cherry Blossom gave a quizzical look and she deciphered Zecora's question. 

"Scootaloo's parents are always busy. Their jobs take them all over the place I'm almost a perma-nanny," she said looking at all three of us. 

"Well.." I began and she smiled again forcefully. 

"It's late and I need to get her to bed so Thanks again..." She left herself open for me to say my name. 

"Feather Beak." I finished for her.

"Feather Beak, yes. Goodnight." She said and closed the door. The three of us exchanged glances. 

"Well, it is late..." I began and looked at Zecora. 

"Would not be wise to travel in Everfree at night, things more ferocious come out for a bite." she said. 

"You don't have a place to crash? I know just the place for you guys." She said as she lead us through the dark and came around the corner and sugar cube corner came into view. 

"Wait you mean?" I began and Pinkie smiled. 

"Your crashin with me tonight," she said approaching the door and pulling out a key from her mane and unlocking it. Zecora and I looked at one another and we both shrugged together and followed Pinkie inside. Pinkie locked the door and she lead us upstairs past two doors and then to I guessed was her room. It held a couch and a bed and a dresser with a large mirror. Pinkie opened a closet and removed blankets and a small single self-inflating mattress. It was like a small camp out. I laid the single inflatable mattress by the couch and took a blanket and one pillow. Zecora found her place on the couch and Pinkie found her bed and before long we were all in our respective sleeping arrangements. My eyelids felt heavy suddenly and I looked at the roof once more before my eyes closed and sleep took me.
> Morning and Introductions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of crying woke me up, I looked around and sat up feeling stiff, sore, and achy. Pinkie was sleeping with blue bedtime eye covers and ear plugs. I looked at Zecora and she was sleeping as well and I pushed my covers off of me and I felt a sharp pain in my right wing causing me to stop and wince. More carefully I got up and looked out of the window and there was a light on the horizon but it was still early. I opened Pinkies door and walked out into the hall and saw Mr. Cake who didn't have any of his usual colors he showed when I last saw him. He saw me and did a double take before realizing who I was. 

"Feather Beak? What?" he began to ask quietly.

"Pinkie let me and Zecora crash for the night," I answered his question. His mouth formed an 'o' as he opened the door across the hall from his room and the crying now sounded like two different crying. 

"Oh buck me..." he said and I found that comical considering it was the pony version of 'Fuck me.' I followed him and looked in the door and saw two babies. One cream colored pegasus with chocolate brown mane and a light orange unicorn with a bright orange mane. The pegasus was sitting in his crib crying an opposite that crib was the other filly. 

"They are both up?" came a sleepy voice and I looked to see Mrs. Cake rolling out of bed and walking towards him and she had the same reaction as her husband did. 

"Pinkie, Put Zecora and him up for the night," Carrot said before she could ask. 

"Oh well I am sorry about this." she said walking into the room picking up the unicorn while Carrot picked up the pegasus. 

"Well this is Pumpkin." she introduced as she walked up to me and presented the filly and I took her. I didn't realize until it was too late that Cupcake was walking down the stairs and little Pumpkin now was my problem. 

"Ummm..." I began and Carrot gave a soft chuckle as he showed up beside me. Both babies had quieted down and were simply looking at me now because I was something new. 

"This is Pound, he's our boy and well she's our little girl." Carrot clarified and started for the stairs. I followed and walked down the stairs and then I felt a pressure against my chest as I looked down Pumpkin was pushing her muzzle against my feathers and gumming my plumage. Drool dripped down my chest in a small amount but I slightly cringed. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs Cupcake was placing a bottle into Pounds face and Carrot held it up for him to feed better. She handed me another bottle. I read it as 6 ounces and I held it over Pumpkin and she took an immediate interest and raised her hooves to it and I felt her pull it to her mouth and as soon as she began to suckle away. The sound of the air getting sucked in through a valve as so she didn't have to stop eating was heard and I looked up at Cupcake who smiled. 

"Well since we all up who wants pancakes." She asked going to the cupboard and removing mix and began to go about making breakfast. I looked down at Pumpkin as her eyes became droopy as she suckled the last of the milk, a few more sucks and the sound of her only sucking air and I removed the bottle and placed it on the table. Pumpkin rolled into my chest and began to fall back asleep. Carrot gave me a cloth and I wiped away the drool. Pound was just as tired and he fell asleep again just after his sister. 

"Why are they different than you?" I asked before realizing that I could be offending them but Carrot answered right away. 

"We have unicorn and pegasus ponies in our family tree. It's not a rare occurrence." He said unfazed, so it might have been just me. It wasn't long and the smell of pancakes was wafting through the bakery/house. I looked up at the clock and it said 5 and I shook my head, normally I wouldn't have been up till 7:30. 

"Mmmm...Morning." Came a sleepy response and I turned to see Pinkie who's mane was flatter and not as much energy as I was used to seeing from her. Zecora appeared not long after seeming just as tired. 

"Pancakes." Cupcake announced and soon a stack of fluffy golden pancakes were placed on the table as Pinkie robotic in her movement grabbed plates and cutlery. Everyone was getting their pancakes and I managed to do the same even with one asleep filly in my harm. I looked around feeling a slight emptiness within myself I didn't understand it until a thought rose to the surface. This is what a caring family looks like, I had never been in the presence of a real family before. I kept my thoughts to myself as I took several bites and soon finished my pancakes. Coffee had also been made and both the Cakes were drinking their second cups when Mrs. Cake looked at me and smiled putting down her coffee and held out her hooves to take Pumpkin. I handed her over gently, she surprisingly did not wake up but instead snuggled into her mother's neck. 

"So what are your plans today Feather Beak?" She asked looking up at me. That reminded me. 

"Oh, yea Twilight said she was going to introduce me to a carpenter," I said and Pinkie, whose bounce in her mane had returned with a cup of coffee. 

"Oh, she must be talking about Sand Paper." Pinkie said with a sip of her coffee. 

"Sand Paper?" I asked slightly confused. 

"Yup yup yup! He's the town carpenter, do you need something built?" Pinkie asked and I shook my head.

"I'm looking for a job and well, that's the only thing I know kinda how to do," I explained before I saw Carrot look up at the clock and he sighed. 

"Pinkie, can you warm the ovens?" he said and Pinkie lifted her up and finished the rest of her coffee and smiled brightly. 

"Okie Dokie Loki!" she said as she stood up and put the cup by the sink and went into the connected room and began to turn on the ovens. Zecora and I looked at one another as Carrot got up with Pound then began to go upstairs to get ready and was soon followed by Cupcake who stopped for a moment. 

"You both can just leave your dishes there. I'll tend to them." She said I refused to do that. Zecora helped me clean the dishes as thanks for the breakfast and we exited the room out through the swinging doors. Pinkie by that time was covered in flour and was kneading dough that had been put into metal bowls and covered overnight. 

"We're going to go Pinkie we will see you later," I said and she looked up with a smear of dough on her cheek and forehead and gave a smile. 

"Okie Dokie, see you later Feather Beak, Zecora." She said as I unlocked the door from the inside and walked out as Zecora closed it behind us.  


We walked and the cool morning was only slightly chilly and the grass had fresh dew on it. The smell was refreshing and the quiet was calming.  The songs of birds broke the silence and slightly echoed between the houses. We were passing a park and it was then that the sun broke free from the horizon and its milky orange, reds, and pinks bled into one another in a cornucopia of color.  I stopped as an overwhelming feeling of...I don't know how to explain it. Happiness, joy, peace? Zecora stopped just after me and looked at the sunrise.

"It's in the moments that are so peaceful, that make the soul that is hurt blissful." she said as I looked at her and I didn't realize it but I had tears in my eyes. 

"Oh what the hell..." I said as I wiped my eyes and Zecora gave a small laugh and patted my shoulder. 

"To be emotional is a great thing, it means you can feel for many who are beings." She said and I chuckled. 

"You seem to stretch for a few of your rhymes." I pointed out and she gave a smile and shrugged. 

"Maybe," she said with a chuckle as we continued towards Twilight's tree. When we arrived at Twilight's I approached the door and knocked on it. 

"One minute!" I heard then a crash sound followed. 

"Oh damn!" I heard then and the door opened suddenly by a disheveled Twilight. 

"Oh Zecora, Feather Beak! You're here early," she said opening the door. The party from last night still had some stragglers that were passed out on the floor and the party decorations were still up. 

"You need help cleaning up?" I asked and she smiled. 

"I wouldn't want to impose....yes I would, Pinkie will come soon but she has her duties to sugar cube corner first," Twilight said stepping back inside and allowing Zecora and me into the library. 

"Well...where do we start?" I said as I looked around. 

The cleanup didn't take too long as I thought it would be, Spike woke up and began to help, same with the ponies that had crashed on Twilight's floor. A dark wine purple mare with assorted fruit as her cutiemark held a garbage bag as I put a bundle of garbage into it. 

"Never got to really meet you. I'm Berry Punch," she said. 

"It's nice to meet you," I replied and she gave a small laugh.

"Are you planning on living in Ponyville?" she asked suddenly and I shrugged.

"Maybe for a little bit. Don't know if I really belong but..." I began and she gave a soft smile. 

"Ponyville is a nice town, friendly pony folk, but can get crazy sometimes with monsters from Everfree sometimes getting too close." she said as I raised my eyebrow.

"How do you like...fight them off?" I asked placing more garbage into the bag.

"We have the guard but their outpost is a little far. Twilight and her friends mainly protect us." She said with a smile. 

"Wow, that's a lot of pressure on them I'm sure," I said as the bag was full and I took it from her and tied it closed. Berry Punch went to her all fours and shrugged.  

"I'm just your average earth pony." she said and Spike rolled his eyes. 

"No you're not..." he said to her and he looked at me. 

"You're talking to the mare who knows more about ciders and spirits than Applejack does. She the towns brewer." He said with a smile and Berry waved her hoof. 

"Oh, that sounds like you're important," I said with a smile. 

"Oh, I wouldn't say that... I just keep the pub stocked with local ciders. The Apples let me buy their fruit in bulk so I can make good batches of cider." she explained as I took a glance around and saw the clean up was done. 

"I need to head home and clean up. Pinkie had me use cherry cider...but I was able to save a bottle for you," she said as she produced a bottle that was in in saddlebags on the ground where I swear she was sleeping on the ground. I took it and nodded but gave a small grimace. Berry Punch raised an eyebrow and looked only slightly offended. 

"Don't take this the wrong way Berry but I refuse to drink," I said looking up at her. She looked like she didn't understand why I would do such a thing. 

"My father was an alcoholic. I don't want to be like him." I said plainly. Berry Punch's eyes gave off a spark of realization. 

"Oh, I'm sorry Feather. I didn't realize." She said but didn't move to take the bottle. 

"But just so you know, You can keep it as a reminder then, Feather...you know you are your own griffin," she said putting a hoof on my chest and walked past me. I looked down at the bottle for a long moment. Drinking was something I avoided, once I stole a beer from my dad when he was asleep. It tasted awful and caused me to vomit which in turn woke my dad who became enraged at my actions of stealing his beer and making a mess. I looked up to see Twilight approaching me and looked at the bottle. 

"Oh, that's a good one." She said as I placed it on the table and shook my head a moment. 

"When can you introduce me to Sand Paper?" I asked and Twilight nodded and looked at Spike she still looked tired. 

"Spike, I'm going to take Feather Beak out to see Sand Paper." she announced and Spike waved his claw absently and Twilight leads me out the door where I placed the garbage bag in a pile beside her door where everypony else did. 

"Feather Beak, for now, I must go, I have several errands I must attend too,"  Zecora said and I nodded. 

"I'll see you later then?" I asked and she nodded walking towards the direction of Everfree. Twilight walked beside me and several ponies said 'good morning' and other greetings to Twilight, which she returned their greetings in kind. The traffic of ponies had picked up significantly as more ponies walked around and were going about the beginnings of their daily routines. 

"You ponies never seems to have a care in the world. Sure there is Everfree but that like the only danger." I said and that garnered a laugh from Twilight to which I responded with a raised eyebrow.

"You should pop by the library and look up creatures of Equestria that are deadly. Ponyville is a nice enough town but it's far from completely safe. There are many times ponies lives are in danger and the guards have to act to subdue or destroy the threat." she said and that sounded very un-pony like. 

"That sounds very unlike you," I said and she gave me a look I couldn't put my finger on.

"We may look like simple ponies and weak at times but we didn't get to be the country we are today by playing nice all the time. We just prefer peace over conflict." She reiterated. I could understand that kind of wanting peace over conflict. Then the smell of sawdust became potent in the air and an open sided shop came into view and several projects that seemed to be finished were on display.  A dark chestnut brown stallion with a deep green mane and tail that had speckles of sawdust all through his hair and fur.

"Sand Paper?" Twilight asked and he stopped cutting and turned around and looked at Twilight and then me his unicorn horn that was glowing golden stopped. 

"Princess? What do I owe the pleasure? The bookshelves work out alright?" he asked. 

"Oh they are perfect, I was wondering if I could ask a favor?" she proposed and his eyes hold squinted slightly. 

"N-kay...what sort of favor?" he said cautiously.

"Feather beak here is in need of a job and he said he's had experience in wood-shop," she said and Sand Paper approached me. As a griffin, I was a head taller than most ponies but under the scrutinizing eye of this stallion, I felt small. 

"What do I get if I take you on fledgling?" he asked me and I simply looked at him. 

"Another set of claws to order around?" I said thinking there is no right answer here.  He sniffed and leaned back and cracked his neck. 

"Let's see what you can do. Since it's the princess askin who am I to refuse?"  he said and I felt like a weight I never knew was lifted off my chest and Twilight smiled at me. I had just gotten my first ever job.
> Wood and Mending
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight waved to and walked away leaving me in the capable hooves of Sand Paper. The gruff looking stallion tipped his head to the innards of his shop. I walked in making sure not to bump into anything.

“So you have some experience in working with wood?” He asked giving me a skeptical eye.

“Yes, when I was in high school I made tables, shelves, bird houses, and a few other things. I was making my own bow till…” I stopped, I was about to say ‘till I ran away’ but I kept that to myself.

“Till what?” Sand Paper asked pushing and I simply shrugged.

“Till I was sent here,” I said dodging the truth. Enough people or ponies know I’m a runaway.

“Well since you know your way around making a birdhouse why not start there I’ll judge your worth with that,” he said turning around as he went to back to work on what he was busy with when Twilight and I first bothered him. I looked around the shop and really didn’t know where to start.

“Can I use anything?” I asked and he stopped and looked at me.

“No course not, you get to use those tools on the bench there and the scrap wood from the pile out back.” He said as if I was a complete moron, not going to lie I felt like one. Sand Paper went back to his work and I took a look at what I was working with. The tools were archaic, used by my father's father, not to mention they had rust and a worn look. I looked up at Sand paper with half lidded eyes. This guy wanted me to fail. Well, I’ll try and prove him wrong I thought as I picked up the tools, placing them on a worktable and made my way to the back where the scraps of wood were. There was more than enough for a good birdhouse but should I make a normal one or go extravagant...I made up my mind that it should look good but functions well too.

Four hours later I had worked on the birdhouse and I was applying my finishing touches. I was sanding the angled roof that looked like a normal bird house only that it was four sided and could house nine bird families. I didn’t paint it because I did not know where the paint was. I had found some chisels and was doing some simple flourishes on the corners.

“Not bad.” came his voice right by me year and I jumped and almost fell out of my seat.

“Jesus… don’t scare me like that.” I said and he simply looked at me confused.

“Celesta boy, you're jumpier than a jackrabbit.” He joked as he looked at the birdhouse I made.

“You got promise, but I can tell you miss cut a few boards and I see you messed up on a few nails.” He scrutinized. I looked at him unsure and he slapped me on the back as a sign of endearment. I gave him a wincing smile and he walked back to his bench. 

"What do you want me to do now?" I asked looking his way. 

"I need several boards cut. Here are the measurements and make sure to use the right saw," he said as he left me to do the job assigned to me. 


Hours passed as I did what Sand Paper asked of me. It was a job that kind of numbed me to the point that I only liked the smell of the sawdust every time the table saw bit into the wood. After cutting another piece he waved to me and I turned off the table saw and looked up at him and removed my eyeglasses and removed one of my earplugs he had given me earlier. 

"Day is done, make sure to be here at 8 tomorrow," he ordered and I simply nodded and put the glasses down and removed the remaining earplug and followed him outside the shop. His horn glowed yellow and metal shutters rolled down to close off the shop to anypony who would just wander into the shop. 

"Your wing looks busted up. Might want to get that looked at properly." He said as he turned a lock. 

"Zecora took care of it," I said turning to walk beside him in the direction of Twilight's tree. 

"Don't get me wrong, Zecora is a good mare. Her brews fix a lot of stuff but bones that need mendin you go to the horsepital." Sand Paper offered and I gave him a raised eyebrow. 

"Horsepital? Don't you mean Hospital?" I said correcting him.

"You heard what I said, Horsepital. Must be a griffin thing. Hospital." He said shaking his head at my supposed nonsense. 

So I'll come to work after I get looked at?" I asked and he shook his head. 

"Just pop by there, it's never really that busy. It's the large white building with the Equestria flag on it." He said indicating to the south and I saw a lone mast that had a flag waving. 

"Ok, I'll go check myself in then," I said and he patted me on the shoulder. 

"See you tomorrow Feather." He said and turned to go towards what looked like a pub. I gave my head a small shake and made my way towards the Hospital. 

The building was two stories tall and unlike most of the buildings around it had a tile roof and a large red cross on the front saying 'Ponyville Regional Horsepital.' I walked to the front doors where two large stallions in uniforms what resembled paramedics were having a smoke and talking as I passed. I pushed the right door in and was greeted by a tan painted lobby and several seats that were all but empty. A white earth-pony mare sat at the desk and I approached her and she didn't pay me any attention till I was right at the counter. 

"Umm..hello?" I said to get her attention and she held up her hoof as she was writing something with her mouth and she looked up at me and her eyes widened slightly as she placed the pen away into the pen holder. 

"How may I help you?" She asked and I looked at my wing and the fact it was splinted and she sat up to look over the counter and saw my wing. 

"Ah, fracture or break?" She asked 

"Break I think," I responded and she pulled up a blank medical sheet and placed it in front of me. 

"Please fill out the paper and a nurse will be out to get you. Mr..." She said.

"Feather Beak." I said and she made a mouth of 'o' and smiled. 

"Would have been at your welcome party but we had an emergency so I couldn't make it hope it was fun Pinkie knows how to make a good party," she said with a smile. I laughed slightly.

"Yea I didn't expect that. I had a great time though." I said with a smile. 

"Well Feather Beak Ill make sure you get looked after...wait do you have a social Insurance?" she asked and I frowned.

"Insurance?" I asked bewildered. 

"Oh...well it how you pay for treatment." she instructed and I felt a stone fall in my stomach. 

"I don't have insurance. I recently came to Equestria..." I began to say and she waved her hoof and gave a bright smile. 

"Lucky for folk just as yourself there is a universal health care but you will still be billed. It would cost less if you had insurance." She said assuring me which still didn't make me feel any better. 

"Ok," I said uneasily as I took the paper, a pen, and a clipboard and found a seat across from a light blue pegasus with a dark blue mane. I began to fill out the paper when I heard him speak.

"Celestia, that looks to be a gnarly break. What did you do?" He asked.

"Running from Timberwolves and fell down a hill and was stopped by a tree," I said simply and he blinked before he was about to ask.

"No, I don't know how to fly," I said cutting him off, which only made him look even more confused. 

"No judgment bro, just surprised is all. Why have you never flown before? Like you got your wings clipped by some monster?" he asked and I thought a moment. 

"I was never taught to fly, my father made sure of that," I said and finished my paper and stood up and returned the paper and found my seat again. 

"Ah, bummer parents. Shitty deal, if you want when that break is fixed up ill give you some lessons." he offered. 

"Rainbow Dash already offered but..." I began and he chuckled and shook his head. 

"No disrespect to the Rainbow, but she's not the best teacher. She is an awesome flier...but she's a doer, not a shower if you know what I mean," he said with a smile. 

"Who are you?" I asked and he smiled. 

"I'm Soaren." He said with a smile. 

"Wait...Wonderbolts Soaren?" I said with squinted eyes. 

"The same." he said leaning back. 

"Ok, don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth..." I paused and Soaren gave me a puzzled look. 

"I mean I would love flight lessons from you but why are you here. Are you injured?" I inquired, at that he seems to lose his color slightly and his body language became more shrunken and inwards. 

"My mom is in right now. Pneumonia, she's really ill. I've been given family emergency leave." he said quietly, I had heard of the affliction and he looked up at me. 

"Just need something to take my mind of things you know?" he said with a half hearted smile. 

"I don't think she will be in for that long..." I encouraged and he laughed but it sounded just as hollow as his smile was. 

"Feather Beak?" A nurse that was a light red stallion with a brown mane and tail.

"That's me," I said and he motioned for me to follow him. 

"I'll hold you to those lessons," I said as I Stood up and placed a claw on his shoulder and he looked up at me. 

"I can't wait for you to heal naturally, tell the doc that Soaren will cover for bone magic." He said as he looked up at me. I frowned and didn't really understand. 

"I'm going to pay for your wing." he said plainly, to which I shook my head. 

"No, I don't want to just receive help. I can look after it myself. I just got a job." I said resolutely. Soaren held up his hooves in defeat. 

"Ok," he said and I released his shoulder after a squeeze and followed the nurse. He leads me to an examining room with a machine I recognized as an x-ray machine. I had received enough fractures and breaks to the point I was often told to stop skateboarding. I didn't own a skateboard. I was told to stand on my hind legs and my splint was removed and a bloody bandage was taken off and he began to poke and prod the wound. I was close to punching the stallion till he spoke. 

"So we are going to want to stretch your wing out." He said cautiously as it seemed my look spoke that I wanted to claw him to death. He gave me a lead vest that went around my neck, he then helped me spread my wing out as I bit down on my claw.  He left my wing extended and moved to put the x-ray into position and he stepped behind a shield and a click was heard and he stepped out. 

"Ok. now we wait for results," he said as he helped me put my wing into a more comfortable position. Leading me to an examining room I was left alone. One thing I missed from the human world...my cell phone. After what seemed like an hour a knock on the door and a neon green unicorn stallion with a light blue mane, wearing a doctors coat and stethoscope around his neck walked in greeting me with a smile. 

"Feather Beak, I am Doctor Minty Green." He said taking a seat and levitated a file which he opened and placed up the x-ray film into a back light. 

"Well good thing is, you had a clean break." He began and I looked at the film. 

"Whats the bad thing?" I asked. 

"Nothing, not bad but there are a lot of minor old fractures and old breaks that thankfully have healed correctly." He said pointing to my bodies skeleton and not my wing.

"I only have a break in my wing," I said, and the doctor nodded.

"Yes you do, but that is easily fixed. I've seen the same pattern on your body in some other cases. Hunting monsters, blunt force trauma, and the one I hate to ask but.... have you been the victim of physical abuse." He asked cautiously. I said nothing and just sat there. 

"There is nothing wrong, you are safe here." He began.

"It's none of your business. I'm not there anymore so leave it." I said more hostile than I intended. Minty Green lifted his hoof. 

"It's ok Feather Beak. I'm going to heal your wing up brand new. I won't pry into your affairs just know there are ponies you can talk to about these things." He said calmly and gestured for me to lie down. I laid down face first and a side table folded out for my wing to rest on. The door to the room opened and the same nurse came in with a needle with a solution. Minty Green floated the needle and solution then filled the needle before he looked down at me and gave me a nod. 

"This will numb your wing." He said before he began to feel my back for a muscle. 

"Take a deep breath this will sting." The nurse said as he stood beside me.  

"Never liked needles," I said looking forward hoping not to see the thing, my stomach was in knots as I felt queasy.

"On three, one...two."  I felt the needle go into my back just under my joint of my wing. I electric shock lanced down my wing as I growled. 

"You didn't count three," I said looking at him with a glare. 

"Surprise." He said with a smile I did not appreciate. After two or so minutes I couldn't feel my wing and he poked me with a needle on my wing tip. 

"Feel that?" he asked, I replied with a shake of my head and he nodded. 

"Ok, now we are going to fix this wing." He said as he stretched it out. His horn glowed and my wing was enveloped in his magic and I watched as my wing grossly popped back into place, bone, joint, and flesh knitted back into place. I looked at the doctor who was dripping with sweat and the nurse was wiping Minty's brow as he continued to work. I lay there for thirty minutes.

"Done," he said with a triumphant smile, I looked at my wing completely mended. The nurse took over from there and folded my wing to my barrel and wrapped it with a tourniquet. 

"Well, Feather Beak. Give that about 12-18 hours of rest before trying to put a major strain on it." Minty said as he cracked his neck and heaved a sigh.

"Thank you so much, Doc," I said and he waved his hoof. 

"All in a days work." he said and opened my file and began to write something down. 

"You can go now Feather. But please think about talking to somepony about..you know. You might pop one day. Scars like those don't just go away." Minty said with a sad smile. I just gave him a nod and left the room. Walking away towards the lobby where I came in, the mare was still sitting there and Soren was gone. She looked up to see me and gave a smile. 

"Mr. Feather Beak, everything went well I hope?" she said to which I nodded. 

"How much do will I owe for the procedure," I asked not really wanting to hear the answer. 

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." She said happily, and I frowned. 

"What? I don't have insurance." I said not understanding. 

"A Mr. Soren covered your costs. He said that you will pay him back by being at Golden Oaks Library on Friday." She said as she looked at the note on her desk. 

"Oh damn him... Thanks again nurse." I said but I really couldn't be mad at him. I'll pay him back...I swear it.
> Zecora and Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leaving the hospital, I had memorized most of the way out of Ponyville. Making my way down the street I passed by Twilights home and continued to walk till I was on the outskirts. The open meadow sprawled out and was cut abruptly cut by the edge of Everfree. The trail that leads into Everfree was not to badly hidden. I remembered enough that I was able to confidently find my way before the sun fully set. The welcoming lights of Zecora's cottage glinted through the forest as I walked towards it. Several sounds made me look over my shoulder during my walk but thankfully nothing appeared. Knocking on the door Zecora answered and smiled at me as she stepped aside to let me in. 

"I was beginning to worry, that you would be staying at another's surely." she said as she closed the door behind me. 

"Where would I stay? Pinkies?" I said in jest. Zecora nodded in agreement that staying with Pinkie was not ideal. I sat by the fireplace and saw the fire was getting low. I took a log and placed it on the fire. 

"Zecora, I'm curious." I began and Zecora found her seat opposite me as she quietly listened.

"Where do you come from?" I asked looking at her as she smiled and leaned back slightly. 

"That, Feather Beak is more than just some tale, to tell it in one go you would most likely bale." She said closing her eyes as she seems to reach back in her memories. 

"What about your home town?" I asked a more simple question and she opened her eyes. What I thought was a hint of sorrow in her eyes came and went.  

"Long ago decades is seems, I often visit it in my dreams. My village of Tatoui is something small, Poniville seems large compared to it all," she said with a small laugh. I simply sat there listening and enamored with her way of talking and weaving a story.

"It's a village in a place much like Everfree, lots of foliage and green. Known for our mixes and Brews, we were given much respect and always paid our dews." she said and looked to the fire calmly before looking back at me with a sigh.

"So you're from a small village that's much like a Everfree and well respected by other tribes of the area." I summarized and she nodded before I began to guess. 

"Were you always really good at brewing potions?" I asked leaning forward. Zecora shook her head and looked to the corner where a decorated spear leaned against an ornate African mask and unstrung bow with a quiver of arrows hung from a branch.    

"First I was a warrior of some renown, and many came to challenge but many I beat down." she said with a hint of pride before she fell back into her calm demeanor. 

"Why are you here then?" I asked and I immediately knew it was something that was a sore subject with her.

"That is a tale for other time, but it's late so I think it's your bedtime." She said playfully and I rolled my eyes. 

"Your not my mom," I said jokingly. 

"Your mom I'm not you goof, but you will listen to me while under my roof." she said getting spare blankets and walking to me. 

"Your wing is mended I see, looks like it was done by Minty Greene." she said lifting my wing to inspect it. 

"You know him?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"In a town so small, it a wonder if anypony can not know all," she said releasing my wing and throwing a blanket on me blocking my vision. I pulled it over my head with a laugh and saw her sitting on her bed and a thought struck me. I've never really felt this secure in a home before and that was a sad thought. 

"Hey, Zecora..." I began slowly and she looked up at me as she was removing one of her golden earrings.

"Minty Greene said I should talk about...my past to better get over it...what do you think?" I asked. Zecora placed her earring on the bedstand with a click before looking at me. 

"If you ever feel the need to talk about things that hurt, I am always here for you to blurt." she said with a smile, I nodded and just the thought of someone that was willing to talk to me gave me a feeling of calm. 

"Thanks, Zecora," I said before taking a pillow and putting it down and covering myself with a blanket. I turned towards the fire and felt the heat on my beak and my eyelids felt heavy. The last I saw was the flicking of the fire as it licked the logs and my dreams took me. 


I woke with a start as the fireplace was nothing but ash that was smoldering. I sat up slowly rubbing away the sleep from my eyes and gave a yawn. 

"Zecora?" I said sleepily and looked to her bed to see it empty. I frowned and stood up and looked around concerned. 

"Zecora!" I said louder and received no response and I went to her front door and opened it and jogged out. 

"Zecora!" I called out before I had a wave of the smell of cigarettes and spilled beer struck me like a punch and my eyes widened. 

"No..." I said shaking my head and several branches creaked and snapped.


"Where are you boy!" Came a booming voice and I felt my legs turn to jelly with weights as my father stepped out into the yard in front of Zecoras cottage. He lumbered forward dragging something and he tossed it at me as it registered as Zecora. She looked asleep but my mind raced.

"You can't be here!" I screamed. 

"You think this fucking pony is your new mom? Get fucking real you little shit," he said taking a step forward towards me. My heart pounded in my ears as I looked down at Zecora and my hands were human again. 

"You can never get away from me. I own you." He said cruelly as I fell to my knees and put my head in my hands as my body convulsed involuntarily as I cried out and my eyes became swollen with tears as the world became a blur of colors. I lifted my eye up again and my hands had become claws again. 

"You and your fuckin My little pony! Are you fuckin queer! I'm gonna beat the fag out of you!" he said lifting his arm and I simply saw there tears in my eyes resigned for to take my punishment.

"BEGONE EVIL NIGHTMARE!" A powerful voice pierced the air and I looked to my left and the Princess of the night stood by my side and her horn ablaze. My father looked at Luna and glared before dispersing into the air and I wiped my eyes. 

"Are you alright little fledgling?" she asked looking down on me, as my tears refused to stop.

"Y-yes..." I said and my eyes suddenly felt heavy and I fell to the ground.


I opened my eyes and saw Zecora over me with a look of concern. My eyes began to water again and she pulled me into a hug as I began to weep. 

"Now now Feather Beak, I'm here no need to speak." she said as she began to stroke my feathered back. 

"I-I..." I began but the words died in my throat, choked off by my overwhelming urge to sob. Zecroa calmly looked after me until I was able to gain control of myself and I pulled back still sniffing. 

"Sorry...was a nightmare," I said trying to shrug it off as something simple but failing terribly. It wasn't till then I saw that Zecora had several light cuts on her chest and legs. My eyes widened and I looked at my claws that had light traced of blood on my claws. My heart sank and I recoiled away from her in my own horror. 

"Oh my god...Zecora I." I began to say and she held up a hoof and I fell silent. 

"No need to worry little Feather, I have received worse than this in bad weather." she said with a casual wave of her hoof and stepped towards me and patted me on the shoulder. 

"It's the morning and time to eat, I'll make one of my countries recipes my treat," she said tapping my shoulder and turning around to go to her kitchen and set up what looked like a frying pan. I was slow to follow but I did after a moment and at her sink that was a hand pump, I washed her blood from my claws.The sound of sizzling and soon a nice fragrance filled my nose chasing the smell of cigarettes that had purveyed from my nightmare that seemed so real. After a pregnant silence, Zecora spoke. 

"What did you dream about, unless you don't want me to reach out." she asked and I was silent a moment. 

"My father," I said simply and she nodded almost understandingly. 

"I just want to forget him. He's not in my life anymore." I said frowning and my voice rising along with my blood. Zecora placed a plate in front of me, they looked deep-fried and that's all I could tell. 

"What is this?" I asked unsurely. 

"It is a recipe from Neigiria, black beans deep-fried in herbs and spices, take a bite you might be surprised," she said with a smile. I gingerly picked it up and a searing heat caused me to drop it. 

"Ah, it's hot," I said before seeing her shake her head. 

"Things cooked with flame tend to be hot unless your use to things being not?" she teased, I gave her a smiling glare and blew on the deep fried black beans. It was odd to have beans for breakfast but they weren't horrible. 

"Good," I said and she nodded as she made her own plate and sat down. Breakfast passed silently and before I could say anything.

"Do you have a job to get to? I hope you're not late and you're already through," she said with a smile and my eyes widened and I looked at her clock and it said 7:30. 

"I got to go! I'll be back after work." I said standing up as she stood up too and approached me and gave me a hug out of the blue. 

"I'll be fine Zecora." I assured her and she pulled back tapping my beak gently.

"Feather Beak you are many things, fortunately, Fine is not one of them, unfortunately," she said and I gave her a grumbled look. She lifted my claw and placed several yellow coins in it. 

"20 bits for lunch, you don't have money...call it a hunch," she said giving me a slight push towards the door. I owed her more than anything. I opened the door and looked back as she waved at me and I smiled and closed the door. 

I ran through the forest quickly as my legs could carry me. My right was still in the sling but only slightly ached from the operation and I burst from the treeline to see Ponyville. So sleepy and peaceful looking I slowed my pace as I passed the first house that was on the outskirts. I passed by the golden oaks library and walked made my way to the carpentry shop just to see Sand Paper approaching the doors with a key ring levitating. But he looked a little off and I approached him from behind. 

"Morning Sand Paper," I said and he jumped and turned around. His eye was slightly glazed. One could mistake it for sleepiness but I have seen that gaze before. and the smell on his breath confirmed it.

"Celestia, Boy you are like a ghost," he said with an alcoholic fueled breath that made my beak crinkle in disgust. A small chill passed through me.

"Come on we got work to do." he said as the sliding door opened up with a rattle.
> Skys and Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sand Paper, after opening the shop went to the break room to set on a pot of coffee. It had been eerie to me the way he was still inebriated and I couldn't shake the familiarity he had to my father. I spent most of the day taking his orders and completing menial tasks that required little to no supervision and around lunch he approached me. 

"Fledgling, Fridays are early days so you are off, go find something fun to do make friends or if you want, come get a drink with me," he said with a smile, I gave a meek smile in return. 

"I'm, ok not much of a drinker. It so happens I have plans." I said with a shrug and he chuckled. 

"It's ok. More for me then. I'll see you on Monday." He said closing up shop. I turned away from the shop and made my way towards golden oaks library when I saw a small group of ponies. I frowned as I approached and saw it was Soaren surrounded by groupies. I gave a small laugh as I simply stood by at a distance to observe. It wasn't long till he was able to see me. He gave me a pleading look and I responded with was a simple wave and a smile. He began to say apologies and the like before the ponies dispersed slightly and he made his way towards me. 

"You didn't help me? I was getting mobbed." He said accusingly.

"Do I look like I can save you? Maybe if I could fly, that reminds me I said not to pay for my procedure." I stated with mock anger and a smile. Soaren shrugged and gave a smirk.

"I do what I want. Within reason," he said simply and looked at my wing. 

"So whats first?" I asked as I finally removed the sling that was holding my wing in place. I put some thought of spreading my wings. I felt the oddest sensation, to explain it would be like when you walk you don't think about it really, but if you were to stop in place and think about each movement you realize how effortless it really is. Soaren looked at my wing and examined it with his hoof. 

"Ok so have you like ever had any instruction in how to fly or you just been afraid of heights." He said letting go of my wing as I tucked it away. 

"Never had any instruction before, treat me like I know nothing," I said as he Soaren gave a shrug and shook head. 

"Well, to teach you from scratch." He looked around before he beat his wings for a moment and was airborne looking around before he came back down in a circular pattern before landing in front of me. 

"Impressive," I said mockingly. 

"I needed to find a hill you feather brain," he said before he began to walk. I began to follow him and fell step beside him.

"Hows your mom?" I inquired and he looked over at me. 

"The nurse told me her condition is stable and they will keep her for a few more days. She might have gotten the infection because of living in Cloudsdale. Constant humidity and the like but I don't think she will leave home because it has been in the family for a while." He said sounding more upbeat than he did just the other day so that was good. As he mentioned Cloudsdale I few questions came to mind. 

"How can clouds be made into a city doesn't the wind blow the clouds around?" I asked as Soaren gave me a look I couldn't really place. 

"I know Griffinstone has their own weather manipulators but uncontrolled wind sounds like chaos. Like Everfree for that matter. Flying over Everfree is only for experienced fliers." He explained before continuing. 

"Cloudsdale can be moved but it won't because of the magic that is in place. I don't know the specifics I'm not a weather factory pony." Soaren explained as I listened intently.

"Wow. Magic kinda screws with all kinds of logic." I said more to myself than to him. He looked at me and chuckled. 

"It sounds like you don't know anything about magic." Soaren laughed and realized when I didn't laugh that it was the truth. 

"I really don't know anything about magic," I said confirming. 

"Celestia, you're like a filly." he said surprised and gave a sigh as we rounded the corner and saw a hill with a steep slope. 

"I'll try not to cry much," I said with a half lidded expression. Soaren simply gave a smile and beat his wings and hovered with me as I climbed the hill. 

"Tell me why we need a hill?" I complained. 

"Well, you can glide down the slope and not really be worried about crashing hard." He explained as I reached the top and took a breather as Saoren landed beside me. 

"Ok first things first. Feeling the wind," he instructed and I cocked my head to the left quizzically confused.

"Can you explain?" I asked and he gave a frustrated sigh. 

"Ok, open your wings, close your eyes and just feel the wind under your wings." He explained as he did so to show me. I shrugged and did as he told me too. 

"Feel the wind huh..." I said to myself as I spread open my wings. Closing my eyes I felt a flutter under my wings, the wind slowly began to make my wings move on their own as I felt a draft under my wings and I countered it instinctively trying to keep my wings level. I opened my eyes and blinked. 

"How do you feel?" Soaren asked.

"Surreal," I said simply as the only word to really pop into my head. 

"Good, let's try gliding now." He said and looked down the slope. 

"Already?" I said nervously.

"Yep now. Ok so open your wings and just jump lightly. Keep your wings open, or you will take a lesson in gravity." He said with a smile. 

"I don't think you should smile this much when I could hurt myself," I said looking down the slope that seemed steeper than the climb had been. 

"Open your wings and don't mind my own amusement," he said chuckling. I spread open my wings and looked down the hill and closed them again. 

"I can't..." I said suddenly closing my wings quickly and Soaren landed beside me. 

"Open your wings and I'll do the rest." He assured me, I looked at him confused but opened my wings.

"Ok, don't close your wings." he said before I felt his hooves on my flank as he shoved me forcefully over the edge. 

"What the fuck?!" I cried out but forced my wings to remain open. I closed my eyes instinctively and was sure I was going to crash. 

"Open your eyes." I heard Soaren say next to me and I opened one eye and saw him gliding beside me. 

"Ok look at me, and do what I do," he said and flapped his wings once. I opened both my eyes and flexed my back and my wings responded by scooping air under me. I felt my body rise and the knot that was in my stomach doing backflips was changing to one of happy abandon. I was flying! I beat my wings twice more and gained more altitude. 

"Seems like you're a natural Feather Beak," Soaren said giving out a laugh and he took to the air above me quickly. I watched him do some aerial acrobatics before coming back to my side. 

"This...this is amazing," I said almost breathless. I looked down and saw several ponies going about their daily lives. 

"I know right? I can't think of a life without my wings." Soaren said turning upside down and beating his wings before turning right side up.

"I'm speechless really...Soaren thank you." I said as I began to have a warm feeling well up in my chest as my eyes began to wet.

"Nah, I like helping out. It not everyday you can find a pony or griffin who doesn't know me at a glance, needed to tell you my name for you to recognize me." He said with a small laugh. 

"Really? All you ponies look alike besides the colors and well guys from girls." I said with a smile.

"That's ponyist..." He said with a smirk. 

"Don't you mean racist?" I said to him and he looked at me slightly confused. 

"You have some weird words that you use," he said before he laughed. He climbed up in the air a bit. and looked at me. 

"Where are we going?" I asked and he pointed up at a cloud. 

"There, I don't think you have ever been on a cloud before, now is the best time than ever to get that crossed off your list," he said. I added some stronger beats to my wings and I climbed up after him. Soaren landed on the cloud and I followed after him. The cloud was big enough for five ponies. When my paws and claws landed on the cloud it was soft and had the texture that reminded me of the floating islands that were on a swamp I once visited. You could walk on them but you could easily pass through them if you put enough force. 

"Wow..its...soft," I said and pulled a chunk of it out of the cloud to better look at it. 

"Its the best bed," Soaren said falling over and then rearranged it so he had a pillow.

"Hey Feather Beak!" I heard my name called and suddenly a rainbow mane flashed from underneath me and I blinked. 

"Hey Rainbow." I greeted.

"You said you didn't know how to fly." she accused pointing a hoof to my beak.

"I didn't, Soaren taught me," I said pointing to him and he looked up and gave a wave. Rainbow raised her hoof again and her mouth fell open.

"Soaren! You didn't tell me you were in town!" she said passing me and landing on the cloud. I looked at him and he smirked. I think he kind of liked the attention. Soaren stood and chuckled. 

"Nice to see you Rainbow." He said giving her a hoof bump. 

"How do you two know one another?" I asked and Soaren seems to get a bit red in the face as he kind of seemed reluctant to say but he did anyway. 

"Rainbow here saved me and two other wonderbolts at the fliers competition a year ago. She a fellow wonderbolt also the element of loyalty so ye, she's kind of important." He said and Rainbow waved her hoof but anyone could know she reveled in the praise. 

"Please you were trying to save Rarity who was falling, and being an element is just...being a friend." she said simply. 

"Still cool," I said in truth. 

"Yea...I'm pretty awesome," she said confidently. Sorean looked up at the sun and looked at the both of us. 

"I got to go, need to see somepony." He said and I knew he must have been talking about his mom. He must really not want anyone else to know and worry. I gave him a nod and he raised his hoof to rainbow and gave a bump before moving to me and I bumped his hoof. Heh...brohoof. I thought momentarily and he took off. 

"Rainbow you can teach him how to land right?" Soaren said with a smile. 

"Is that suppose to be a jab at my crash name!" She said shaking her hoof at him as he flew off. I simply laughed and she looked at me and gave a smile.

"What?" I asked and she opened her wings suddenly. 

"Let's race." she said and my eyes widened. 

"You kidding I just learned to fly not a half hour ago," I said shocked. 

"Gotta fall before you can fly!" she said as she tackled me off the cloud and I went into a free fall. The wind whipped past my face causing my eyes to water up. I forced my wings open and my body then had weight again. Rainbow flew past me laughing, I glared at her and slammed my wings down and I took off after her. Rainbow was ahead but I caught up in moments. She looked over at me slight surprise in her eyes then I swear a competitive spark appeared. 

"Keep up," she said and she took off like a car with a nos boost from the fast and furious. I was already struggling at this pace. I chased after her but I couldn't even come close. she banked around and came back to me and flew beside me. 

"You got promise Feather but you are nowhere near as awesome as me." She boasted and she looked down at the large tree that was Twilight's home. 

"Let's land there," she said and banked downward. I ungracefully followed after her. She landed like a well-practiced flier she was. The ground approached so fast I didn't have time to react. I bit the dirt hard and rolled four times finally stopping on my back staring up at the sky breathing heavily as I felt some minor pain. Rainbow appeared over me. 

"Don't be too bummed out. Nopony lands their first flight," she assured.

"Well I'm just surprised I don't have more broken bones," I said rolling onto my paws and standing up then brushing myself off.
> Dogs and Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I flexed my wings and folded them along my sides as Rainbow landed beside me. 

"Landing is an Art," she said with a smile. I gave her a half lidded expression to which she just giggled. 

"Well this will be a work in progress," I said as the door to the golden Oaks library opened and Twilight stepped out.

"I heard a heavy landing." She said as Spike closed the door behind her and trotted to catch up. Spike looked at me and gave a smile and a wave. I did the same. 

"Feather Beak bit the dirt, but he's fine. Doing a whole lot better than when you got your wings." Rainbow said with a laugh and Twilight just glared at her. I join in a laugh and Twilight looked at me with a raised eyebrow. 

"S-sorry. You know...how are you an Alicorn?" I asked and Twilight kind of was quite a moment before she looked at me. 

"I don't really know, the Princess has said I've been given the title of Princess of Friendship but I don't really know what that entails." She honestly said before Twilight looked at Rainbow. 

"There has been a development the Princess's have asked all of the elements and me to come to Canterlot," Twilight said to Rainbow and I simply stood there perplexed and thought. This must be a major plot in the show and I'm here to witness it.

"I'll round up the girls and meet you at the Train station," Rainbow said and flew up into the air and stopped suddenly. Suddenly a scream was heard and I turned my head and saw a large three headed dog bounding right down the main road and my eyes bulged. I beat my wings three times and I was beside Rainbow and looked at Twilight who's horn glowed as she stood her ground. Everypony was running for their homes and any place that would provide shelter.

“Oh, no poor thing.” Came a soft quiet coo of a yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane and tail who floated down and landed in front of the three headed snarling black beast who slammed on its breaks, growled and barked at Fluttershy who smiled and held out her hoof.

“I won't hurt you Mr dog.” She said as I looked at Rainbow who just looked at me.

“That looks like the Greek hound Cerberus,” I commented and Twilight looked up at me with recognition.

“It's not like one of your rabbits Fluttershy,” Rainbow commented.

“He's the guard dog Tartarus.” Twilight said confused. Fluttershy nuzzled Cerberus and the large dog sat obediently and began to wag its tail as all three heads looked at her as they panted. Fluttershy walked to his underbelly and began to scratch him.

“Who's a good boy.” She said affectionately as Cerberus turned over and his hind legs began to twitch involuntarily.

“Why is he here?” I asked as I saw Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack galloping towards us and slowed down as they saw Fluttershy had gotten everything under control.

“What in tarnation is goin on here?” Applejack said with her Southern drawl. Twilight approached Cerberus and rubbed under his middle heads chin garnering an approving groan. I lowered myself and landed harder than I would have liked and Rainbow kept hovering but had lowered herself to be just over everyponies head.

“I think this may be a reason the princesses summoned us.” Twilight guessed before she looked at all of us.

“Well, I guess we should go see what the Princesses then wouldn't you agree?” Rarity stated.

“Oh...um what about getting Cerberus home?” Fluttershy said concerned. Twilight looked at me, I looked behind myself and then back at her.

“What?” I questioned before she shrugged.

“Are you busy?” She asked and I already knew I had just been roped into this.

“Define busy,” I said before she gave me a laugh.

“I did help you get a job. You wouldn't mind would you, taking him home?” She asked me and I could only frown.

“I have no idea how to get there,” I said pointedly to which she placed a hoof behind Spike and pushed him forward.

“I have several maps and the best navigator.” she said with a chuckle and Spike looked at her and crossed his arms.

“I sometimes feel like I'm just an accessory,” Spike said and Rarity approached him and placed a hoof under his chin.

“Oh, darling you're the only pony or dragon we can count on.” She said with a smile and I could see Spike's eyes glaze over as he smiled goofily and nodded.

“Anything for you Rarity.” He said and I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Ok, say we take him there. But what exactly is Tartarus?” I asked and Twilight looked at me seriously.

“The most heavily guarded prison in Equestria for all manner of prisoners,” Twilight said cautiously.

“So I'm going to a maximum security prison,” I said with a note of sarcasm.

“It's more of a place where all the enemies of the Princesses that can threaten their rule or had plans to destroy all of Equestria in one place.” Pinkie said cheerily.

“Right,” I said before all the girl began to go towards the train station. Fluttershy walked in front of Cerberus and patted his head.

“Ok Cerberus, I got to go but….um Spike and,” she said and looked at me. This was the first time I had actually met her.

“Feather Beak,” I said evenly and she gulped then looked back at Cerberus.

“Feather Beak will take you back to Tartarus. I promise I will come visit sometime.” She said with a smile and turned around walking past Spike. I walked over and stood beside him and we both watched as all of the girls turned the corner and we're out of sight. Spike and I looked at one another before looked at Cerberus who sniffed.


Spike walked/waddled to the library and both Cerberus and I followed him and stopped in front of the door. It was after five minutes I wondered what he was doing.

"What are you doing?" I ask finally and he appeared with a backpack and a map in his claw. 

"Getting ready to go. As so you should," he said. 

"It's not that far is it?" I asked and he opened the map. If we flew there it's not too far but we're not flying were walking because unless you can lift both me and Cerberus I don't think we're flying. I pointed my thumb at the large hound. 

"Him, hell no. You maybe." I said and Spike smiled.

"Maybe on the way back then," Spike said with a toothy grin. 

"Do I need anything?" I asked and he looked at me with a frown before answering. 

"Can you fight?" He asked and I looked right bat at him. 

"Can you?" I asked sarcastically. 

"No, but I have a reason to go I can read the map." he said confidently and I glared at him. 

"I know how to use a bow, but I don't exactly have one right now," I said and Spike raised his eyebrows. before walking back into the library and not long after walked out with a bow and quiver stocked with arrows. 

"Here," he said and gave them to me. I lifted them up and looked at them as I saw markings of runes on the quiver. I could feel a warmth to the cloth and stitchings. 

"You just so happen to have a bow with some arrows just laying around," I asked surprised. 

"Yeah, Twilight often tries to put into practice much of what she reads. This served two reasons. To try and do archery to which she failed miserably and drawing magical runes. The one there. " He pointed with his claw that looked like a crescent moon with several lines all along the curve. 

"Will make sure your arrows won't fall out if you lean forward or in the air flying around," he explained and I blinked before I strapped the quiver on and synched it to my body. The arrows jutted just slightly over my left shoulder and I looked at the bow that seemed to be a normal bow guess everything can't be magicked up.

"Thanks, Spike," I said and he looked at me unsure. 

"I hope you're as good with that thing as you claim to be." He said before he began to walk towards the outskirts of Ponyville. The local ponies were all coming out of their homes out of curiosity and as I walked past the last house I looked back at the town as several ponies were all looking at Spike and I who were accompanied by a large dog. 

"So what do you think we are going to find at Tartarus?" I asked Spike who looked over at me with a quizzical look. 

"I don't know. I've only ever been to a few places in Equestria." He said walking alongside Cerberus. I still felt wary of the large canine and kept my distance only a ponylength from Spike.

"What about you? You said you were from Griffinstone?' Spike asked me which caught me off guard. 

"Yeah, I did say that, didn't I," I said before I tried to think what it would look like.

"Never really been there. I said it more as a reference really." I lied and Spike nodded and Cerberus's closest head looked at me and glared. I guess it doesn't like lies I guess.

"That's cool," Spike said nonchalantly. 

"So Twilight hatched you?" I said trying to start a conversation. Spike looked at me and I think I said something weird because of the face he made.

"I never said I was hatched by Twilight." He said.

"I guessed," I said simply.

"Ok well, I was hatched by Twilight. Ever since then I've been her number one assistant," he said with pride. I smirked before a dark question crossed my mind and I wondered if I should ask. Spike saw me look and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He asked suddenly and I looked at him and waved my claw.

"It's nothing," I said and he gave me a look.

"No, tell me." He pressed.

"Have you ever wondered...why you were hatched by ponies and not your own mom? Like what happened to you while you were in your egg." I questioned and Spike paused and looked forward unsure what to think before he looked forward. 

"I didn't think much about it but I guess I kinda do wonder," Spike said more to himself than replying to me. 

"Forget I said anything," I said knowing that there was no way for me to take back what sort of thoughts might have been triggered by my query. 

"I guess I kind of wonder. Twilight is my sister without a doubt but where I came from is important right?" He asked looking at me and I didn't know how to really answer. 

"If I could forget my past I would," I said bitterly and Spike shook his head causing his green spines to sway slightly. 

"Nah, you're molded by your past right? If you don't remember where you come from you can't move forward." He said and I looked at him. 

"Are you sure you're a baby dragon?" I said with a smile. 

"Unfortunate side effects of living with a bookworm and having nothing to do but read and categorize lists all day." He said dryly. 

"That sounds like a hell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy," I said with a chuckle and Spike gave a toothy grin. 

"Have you ever had a yearning for meat?" I asked innocently and Spike gave me an uncomfortable look. 

"I'm a vegetarian by dragon standards. just thinking about eating another creature..." He made a gagging gesture and I felt awkward. 

"I could go for bacon..." I said almost dreamily and Spike looked at me. 

"What is bacon? Is it like a griffin food?" he asked unsurely. I looked around and smiled weakly. 

"You don't want to know," I said and that just made him more curious. 

"Come on tell me." he said and I gulped. 

"You know how dragons usually aren't vegetarians," I said and Spike began to understand.

"You have eaten other animals?" he said with wide eyes and stopped.

"You don't eat Dragons do you.." He said taking a step back with a real look of fear in his eyes. 

"Dude...I've never hunted a day in my life. It's..complicated ok and No I wouldn't eat you..." I said shaking my head and he looked to visibly relax. 

"Besides your too small." I joked as I punched him in the arm softly and he gave a meek laugh. 

"That is kind of scary. But tell me what is bacon?" Spike voiced and I shrugged. 

"To tell you the truth bacon comes from pigs," I said finally and he looked back at me. 

"That's just gross." He said before I smiled.

"I don't eat it raw," I replied and he looked visibly sickened. 

"Ok, you're like sick in the head." He said as we continued along the route to Tartarus.
> Spike and Company
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The journey was slow going and already Spike was making comments on how much his feet hurt. 

"We're not even half way..." Spike groaned which caused me to chuckle. 

"Maybe you can catch a ride with Cerberus?" I offered and all three heads of the beast looked at me with an intelligent glare. 

"Ok maybe not," I revised and kept walking. Spike's foot hit a divot in the road which threw him off balance and he tumbled to the ground face first. I blinked and grabbed his large backpack and helped him up. 

"Ah, ouch." he said as he grabbed onto his ankle. 

"You hurt?" I asked and he nodded before taking off his backpack.

"I can't walk on this." He said as he self-evaluated his ankle. I looked at Cerberus who had stopped and just looked at us with mild concern.

"Do you mind taking spikes pack I'll carry Spike?" I asked not really knowing if my words would get through to the canine. The two heads on the side looked to the middle who nodded and the left head picked it up and nimbly tossed it onto its back in a fashion I didn't think he could do. Spike looked at me unsure. 

"Are you sure? I," he began and I shook my head. 

"I don't think Twilight would like it if I just left you to get better or whatever. Come on." I said and Spike didn't have to be told twice and he limped to my side and jumped up straddling my back. He wasn't that heavy at all really. It was another thing I had begun to recently notice I was stronger than I used to be. I was never a jock but what I could do now I felt I could accomplish much I couldn't when I was human not including the flying bit.

"I'm not too heavy?" he asked and I shook my head. 

"If Twilight can carry you effortlessly." I mocked and started forward again. 

"You really think highly of yourself." He said and I looked over my shoulder at him. His expression looked down his shout at me un-approvingly which made a flare of anger burst forth and I quickly squashed it. 

"Nah, just saying I can do anything physical she can do," I said pointedly and Spike nodded. 

"Ah huh. right." He said sarcastically. 

"You can walk you know." I gave a rebuttal and he was quiet. 

"I thought so," I said with a smirk and Spike crossed his arms in defiance.

"Sorry if I seem... disgruntled," Spike said suddenly and I looked back at him. His face was slightly sullen. 

"Whats up?" I asked and he looked up at me before he began. 

"I feel like I'm just an assistant..an afterthought." He said honestly. I chuckled and he didn't appreciate my recreation to his confession. 

"Don't worry Spike I'm not laughing at you I just understand...kinda. Don't you pride yourself being her number one assistant?" I asked. 

"I'm her only assistant...well I was till Owlicious came," Spike said slightly bitter. 

"Well, you have done more right? You're not only known for just following behind Twilight and the girls." I asked as I looked forward and kept walking.

"Well, I did help save the crystal empire from an evil unbrum-unicorn called Sombra." He said and his nostrils flared with green flame in pride. 

"Umbrum?" I asked confused. 

"Oh, its a Shadow pony. Born from shadow and is harmed by the magic of the crystal heart that holds all the love and happiness of the crystal kingdom." Spike explained and I gave a small laugh.

"Right love, friendship equaling magic right?" I said skeptically. Spike put his heels into my side making me look back at him and glare before I realized he was glaring at me. 

"Trust in friendship Feather Beak. I've seen it defeat all matter of creatures. How else do you think ponies have survived this long surrounded by evil creatures." he said and I raise my eyebrows. 

"Guess you're right. Ponies aren't really very threatening looking. Though they do a lot regardless of not having thumbs." I said wiggling my thumb and Spike laughed suddenly. 

"I never really thought about it but yeah that is odd, I kind of just accepted its normal," Spike said with a grin. Looking along the dirt road the forest was on our left side. 

"Where are we?" I asked and Spike looked up at the backpack on Cerberus. 

"Can you get the map?" He asked and I shrugged before giving a jump and I felt Spikes claws dig into my back as I flapped my wings. 

"Fuck dude don't do that!" I shrieked sounding like a hawk and Spike released me. 

"S-sorry just kind of reacted," he said and I beat my wings till I was hovering over Cerberus who's right head looked at me with mild interest and then looked forward lazily as he continued to walk. I plucked the map from Spikes backpack and banked to land on the ground then trotted to catch up to Cerberus.  I handed the map to Spike and he opened it. 

"That's White tail woods." He said and turned the map around then pointed at where Ponyville and then a blotch of light green that was something like an inch from where Ponyville was on the map. 

"Ok, where is Tartarus?" I asked and Spike's claw went from whitetail woods all along the train tracks over a gorge, cut through a town, moved through the mountain range, snaked along a cliff, across a desert, then lastly across the ocean to an island that had purple clouds and lightning bolts with a foreboding looking building. I looked at Spike dumbstruck. 

"See right there." He said simply. 

"Oh, just a days walk... How the hell did Cerberus just show up in Ponyville?" I said sarcastically.  Spike chuckled and shook his head. 

"It's more like a week and I have nooo idea." He said and we both looked at Cerberus and all three heads looked at us and all gave a smug smile with the notion like 'you will never know'. 

"I'm going to be fired," I said looking forward and hanging my head in defeat.

"Twilight will tell Sand Paper she sent you on an errand not like he can go against royalty," Spike assured me and I simply nodded hoping that was true. Not even a week and I could have lost my first real job. 

"How are we going to cross the desert let alone the ocean," I asked and Spike rolled up the map and tucked it under the quiver on my back.

"We are going to walk to Dodge City and take a train from there to the Coastal city that is on the map there and from there we will take a ship to Tartarus." He explained and I frowned. 

"Why didn't we take the train from Ponyville?" I asked. 

"Ponyville doesn't have large flat decks to carry large cargo. So we have to walk to Dodge city to catch a train that can move Cerberus along." Spike said as he stretched out and laid back making himself comfortable.

"Oh well, that shouldn't be too bad," I said sarcastically as we approached a bridge that covered a flowing river. Cerberus stopped suddenly and looked up the river, his ears perked up alerted towards upriver. Spike sat up suddenly and I moved to Cerberus's side. 

"What what do you think Cerberus would stop for?" I asked reaching for my bow. 

"Nothing good," Spike said confidently. Around the corner, a splashing figure was struggling to keep their head above water. My eyes widened as Spike and I looked at one another. We needed to save that person and Spike hopped down with the help of my wing and I beat my wings and flew above Cerberus to get a better look. 

"There is a rope in my backpack!" Spike said and I quickly unbuckled my quiver and then reached into Spikes' bag then pulled out the rope and began to unwind it and tie it around my middle giving it a stiff tug to make sure it was secure. I now was glad for all those knot lessons at summer camp. The struggling figure went under and all I saw was a wing and I began to panic. 

"I don't see them!" I said as Spike moved to the side of the railing and looked out. Suddenly they burst from the water one last struggle and I slammed my wings to propel me forward as I threw an end of the rope at Spike who looked at it surprised. I plunged into the water, the shock of the cold made my mind go blank for a moment as the rush of water crashed around my head I reached out blindly with my claw and touched something and gripped them pulling them to me. Suddenly I felt a slam into my chest as the rope went tight. I hugged the drowning person as if they were the only thing that mattered in life. I tried to open my wings and suddenly my head broke the surface of the water and I gulped in air. We started to move as I looked down and saw that the person was another griffin. I looked over and saw Spike pulling but really only dangling from a tight rope that Cerberus had in his maw and was not on the upper side of the bridge and was pulling us to shore. As we made it to shore I turned the Griffin over and put my ear to their beak and heard no breathing. I had a rudimentary understanding of CPR on a human so a griffin couldn't be much of a difference right? I placed my claw over their nose and pressed my beak to theirs and breathed into their mouth. I saw their chest rise slightly and I pressed my claws together and began compressions. 

"Come on!" I yelled and continued to give another breath followed by another set of compressions. Spike stood by mortified as he favored his good leg. 

"Feather..." He began as I pressed my beak against theirs and breathed again and then an eruption of water burst out like a geyser and they rolled onto their side coughing and gasping. A wave of relief washed over me and Spike as they opened their eyes. Their eyes were golden in color and their body was a light chocolate brown from under their white feather head and neck. Slight pink rings circled both eyes as they looked up at me. 

"I'm...alive?" she said. A girl griffin?

"Yes, you are. Are you ok?" I asked as I slumped on my rump breathing heavily.

"I'll live," she said just slumping on the ground and Spike approached her. I looked up at the three headed bulldog and smiled.

"Thanks, buddy," I said and Cerberus gave me a three headed smile then bent down and began to lick me.

"God..eh shit...OK, OK.I get it!" I said gently pushing the pup away and I held out my claw and shivered as slobber now covered the right half of my body. I untied myself and walked into the river and flopped over and cleaned myself. When I had finished I approached the small group. 

"Why were you in the river?" Spike asked and she shrugged. 

"I was doing acrobatics and lost control and crashed into the water." She said and instantly I didn't believe her and neither did Cerberus for that matter who growled at her and she looked visibly frightened. 

"Ok, I was sent on a mission from Griffinstone to see if the rumor was true that Cerberus was not at his post and well... seems like rumors are true." She said as she looked at him and then me. 

"Oh, you're from Griffinstone? Feather Beak is from Griffinstone too," Spike said and She looked at me slightly confused. 

"You're from Griffinstone?" She asked and I shrugged with a slight nod and she glared at me. 

"Bullshit. Whats your name?" she said standing.

"Feather Beak. Who are you?" I shot back feeling a knot form in my stomach as she found her legs and stood proudly. 

"The names Gilda." she said and I smiled meekly.

"Nice to meet you. You never said why you were in the river though." I said and waddled out of the water and past her she visibly ruffled her feathers and she became defensive. 

"I was being chased by Twittermites," she said quietly and I giggled. Twittermites? Gilda frowned and turned on me and got in my face. 

"It's not funny! I got zapped and I fell into the river and I almost drowned!" She said angrily. I had lost all of my giggles with her screaming in my face and I lifted a claw. 

"I saved you," I said and Cerberus ruffed gently. 

"With Cerberus and Spikes help," I added quickly and Cerberus closed all his eyes and nodded feeling proud of himself. 

"When you got ashore I gave you CPR and then you." I began to explain and she stopped me. 

"What is CPR?" she asked looking confused. 

"I gave you well...beak to beak resuscitation then pressed on your abdomen and.." she looked like she realized something and he glared at me. 

"You kissed me!" She said outraged, I looked at Spike who shrugged. 

"Well, it not kissing its," I said looking up to her to see her clawed fist before I blacked out.
> Dodge City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My eyes were still closed as I felt the throbbing pain I was so used to when I was punched. I am still surprised I don't have severe head trauma. When I opened my eyes I saw Spike standing over me. 

"You ok?" He asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"No, did anyone catch the number of that bitch..." I mumbled as I sat up holding my cheek and Spike looked over at Gilda who was defensibly crossing her arms. 

"Well, you did kiss her." Spike offered and I glared at him. 

"Remind me not to save you from drowning again," I said to Gilda and she glared back at me. 

"I was fine you dweeb." She shot back as I got to my feet and looked at Spike who limped slightly. 

"Get on Spike we need to keep moving I want to be on a train by sundown," I said as I walked up to my bow and quiver that had been thrown off of me when I went to dive for Gilda. I strapped the quiver to my back and then helped Spike into a sitting position between my wings. Gilda looked at me like I was an idiot.  

"No self-respecting griffin would have anyone ride them," she said with a slight sneer. I walked past her and gave her a deadpanned look and raised my one claw up and flipped her the bird then continued to walk. Gilda didn't understand what I had just done but took it as an insult. 

"What does that mean?" she said as she began to follow us and I looked over my shoulder as Cerberus walked along. 

"It means to have a nice day," I said sarcastically.

"Right, and I'm Sapphire Shores," Gilda replied sarcastically. 

"Is there a reason you are following us if you have what you came for. Cerberus is here and we are taking him back." I said pointedly. Gilda continued to follow as she gave me a glare.

"I would be bad if I just found Cerberus and returned saying I found him and didn't make sure he got back to Tartarus. " She said hotly. I Stopped and looked at her.

"You are not joining us if your idea of a thank you is a punch to the face," I said sternly. She just looked at me and looked away.

"Thanks...." she said but it was a mumble and forced under her breath. 

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you," I said leaning towards her and she growled. 

"I said...thank you!" she barked angrily at me. I leaned back. 

"I don't believe you but I don't think I'm going to get actual thanks till you calm down and realized I did what I had too," I said and continued to walk. Spike sat there awkwardly just uncomfortable being stuck in the situation.Cerberus really didn't seem to care and continued to walk onwards and I was quick to follow. 

"I'm not ungrateful," Gilda mumbled and followed after us and I pretend not to hear her. It was enough that he aggravated me but now she was going to join us. We moved in relative silence and we came to another bridge that spanned a chasm That I Hazarded to look over the railings and shivered. Sure I can fly now doesn't mean I am comfortable with really far up heights. When I looked up and Cerberus was not there, I looked behind me and all three Cerberus's heads looked at the bridge scared, I looked ahead and sighed.

"Don't tell me. You're afraid of heights." I asked him and he looked and me and whimpered. I smacked my face with my claw in frustration. 

"Great..." Gilda gave a voice of my annoyance. 

"Come on Cerberus just one paw in front of another." I coaxed and he whimpered slightly as he began to walk slowly. 

"You would think a big bad guard of Tartarus would be scared of heights," Spike said with a chuckle and Cerberus glared at the young Drake. 

"Don't worry Cerberus I get it," I said comfortingly. It was slow going and at the half way point the bridge groaned and I looked at Cerberus who froze in place. 

"Now is not the time to freeze. " Gilda said with a deadpan look. 

"Spike, hold on ok I'm taking off," I warned Spike and he nodded, his arms circled my neck. I beat my wings giving myself lift then I was airborne. It still felt so surreal to be able to give the middle finger to gravity but I needed to focus on getting this oversized mythical beast to cross the bridge. 

"Come on Cerberus you can do it." I encouraged and the three heads looked up at me all their ears flat against their heads. 

"I know just focus on me and we can make it," I said as I began to fly backward and he took a step forward following me. I saw one of his heads look to the side.

"No no eyes on me big guy," I ordered and he looked back at me. What felt like forever finally ended when his paws touched solid ground and Cerberus looked around and suddenly became hyper like a puppy and began to run into the grass feild alongside the road. I landed beside Gilda who had been quiet for the most part from her eye rolls and scoffs which I ignored the entire time. 

"Yay, now we can get going faster than a snail." She chided and I gave her a glance. 

"What?" she said with a frown and I simply walked after Cerberus keeping my opinions to myself. 

"Seriously what?" she asked as she followed after me and Spike. 

"I think you were rather inconsiderate." Spike said and Gilda looked at the young drake. 

"What he was slow." She said pointedly. 

"And you're a bitch," I said and she puffed up angrily. 

"You want me to clock you again Feather Beak." she said hotly. 

"Well, you didn't help." Spike pointed out to Gilda.  

"Why would I need to He didn't ask for help," Gilda said and I looked over my shoulder. 

"Giving out a helping claw without having to ask shows you care," Spike said as he turned around to face her and leaned back to lie down.

"Am I really that comfortable?" I asked Spike and he simply chuckled. 

"More so than Twilight." He responded and Gilda glowered. 

"Feather Beak. Where are you from again. If you had ever been to Griffinstone you would know griffin's look out for only one thing. Themselves." She said matter of factly. Spike looked up at her and frowned. 

"How is that any way to live. Being selfish, not thinking of others." Spike asked with a look of disapproval.

"I'm a good Griffen, I went to camps with ponies and I was friends with Rainbow Dash, But now she's got other friends." She said and I thought I could hear a hint of sadness in her voice but it came and went like a breeze. 

"Gilda..." I began and she looked at me with a hard glare. 

" I'm sorry...for calling you a bitch. " I said honestly and she didn't say anything and so I slowed down till I was beside her. She then looked forward and refused to look at me. I looked forward as well and pondered on what to say. 

"I know I can be one...but ah forget it." She said in a huff. 

"You know I thought I was an angry person but I guess it's genetic," I said with a light chuckle. 

"We are warriors and come from a history of fighting both others and ourselves." She said suddenly. 

"Guess I can be envious of how easily ponies see the world and make friends," I said suddenly without thinking and both Spike and Gilda looked at me.

"What?" I asked suddenly defensive. 

"You have friends Feather. Twilight, Zecora, and all of ponyville." Spike said. 

"They don't know me...Zecora knows best what I'm really like. I don't look it but I get mad easily." I confessed and Spike looked slightly confused. 

"It's true I don't really know you but you seem like a cool dude to me," Spike said looking up to the sky as he laid on my back.

"I think all Griffin's have anger issues," Gilda said bitterly. 

"You speaking from personal experience or just because you live in Griffinstone?" I said with a hint of humor and she looked at me with a smirk. 

"Ha ha." She said evenly as I looked forward and Cerberus had begun to lose his puppy like zeal and was trotting up to us. You could tell he had grass stains on his black coat that was barely visible. 

"You are like a big puppy," I said to him and the three headed bulldog sniffed and began to walk ahead of us. 


We had continued for another hour following the road that slowly began to bend to the right alongside the train tracks, to my surprise we ran into nopony else. First thing I saw over the trees was a spire of what looked like a church and we finally saw an arch in the distance that looked like an entrench into the city. I rocked my back and heard a mumble from Spike as he had passed out. 

"We're here Spike," I said and Spike sat up, rubbing his eyes and turned around to see. 

"Yup that's Dodge City the stop before the mountains," He said and already a group began to gather at the arch and they looked like the local law enforcement. 

"Uh oh," Gilda said and gave voice to my thoughts exactly. 

"We should go ahead and explain whats going on," Spike offered and I whole heartedly agreed. I jogged up to Cerberus's side and looked up at him. 

"Cerberus mind waiting here so we can tell the ponies not to freak out and think you're here to cause trouble?" I asked. The three headed bulldog canted his head and stopped. 

"Thanks, buddy," I said and I opened my wings and Spike hugged my neck and I left the ground and flew to the ever growing crowd. Several ponies were creating a ring to keep the local civilian ponies back as a  chestnut brown stallion with a broad rimmed cowboy hat approached me as I glided down and landed a little harder than I wanted to. 

"You need to work on your landings dude," Spike said and I glared at him but said nothing as the Stallion gave me a look over. 

"Not often we see a griffin here," he said with a thick accent that reminded me of people from the south. 

"Well here I am, and that big dog is Cerberus," I said side stepping and gesturing to the guardian of Tartarus. 

"Oh, that be a monster alright." He said tipping his hat back exposing his sandy colored mane. 

"He's not a monster he's the guardian of Tartarus," Spike added.

"Oh, I know, but he's still a monster. Why do you want to come here to Dodge City and not take him back to Tartarus?" He asked and I shook my head for a moment. 

"That's what we are doing but we need a flatbed on a train to get him back to Tartarus," I said and a light seems to come on behind his eyes. 

"Ah see your conundrum but I can't just have a three headed monster just roamin the city, might cause a panic ya see." He said and my mind flashed back to ponyville and all the ponies running around like chickens with their heads cut off. He had a point.

"What do you recommend?" I asked and He put his hoof under his chin and rubbed it in thought. 

"Ah suppose you can go round and wait for the Train to come. It will be here in a day. I'll talk to the boy down at the track to put on a flat bed for ya and you can set out in the morn. But you will need to keep him out of Dodge till then I'm sorry t'say." He said with a look of regret. I felt a flare of anger at not being able to just come into the city but I swallowed it like a bitter pill and nodded. 

"What is the time the train will arrive?" Spike asked.

"Round 10 in'a mornin," he said and I nodded and turned to leave.

"Thanks for everything," Spike said and I opened my wings sharply then took off the ground as Spike was just barely able to grab hold in time. I landed hard again in front of Cerberus. 

"We can't enter the city," I said heated ly and Gilda frowned. 

"Why not sure he's a big dog but what the hay!" Gilda said outraged. 

"He would cause a panic," Spike explained. 

"we have to wait till tomorrow around 10 for the train comes. The sheriff or head to the local law enforcement will make sure we have a flatbed cart for Cerberus so we can travel. I adjusted the quiver straps that were across my chest. 

"We have to make camp outside the city for tonight," I said and Gilda gave me a deadpan look. 

"You can camp I'm finding a motel for the night," Gilda said walking past Spike and me. I just looked at her as she walked towards the city and I looked at Spike and he looked back at me with a shrug. I glared at the back of her head. 

"Man I think she's just stubborn," I mumbled Spike chuckled. 

"So, you don't have much to go on for relationship prospects then." He teased and looked over my shoulder.

"Meaning?" I cocked my eyebrow.

"I don't see many griffin's so she might be your only option." He joked I raised my left wing and punched him in the head with it. 

"Ouch.." Spike said and I looked at him. 

"I would rather eat dirt," I commented and Spike rubbed his head with a chuckle.
> Waiting on a Train
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I walked off the road for a moment and looked for a spot to make camp. I knew we needed fire and a place to sleep and well we had been thoroughly abandoned by Gilda. The area around us was dry and reminded me of a desert but i could still see trees. It was like the borders of a desert. I stopped as I happened to see an old fire pit. I didn't know how long it had been since it was last used but it would serve our purpose. 

"We will camp here." I said and began to help Spike down and he tested his ankle. 

"How is the ankle." I asked. 

"Alot better I should be able to keep on walking after we hitch a ride on the train." Spike said. 

"Lets set up camp where is your backpack?" I asked. 

"It was on Cerberus remember." Spike said and my stomach knotted.

"Do you mean when Cerberus went all..puppy rolling in the grass..." I began and Spikes face looked just as I felt. 

"Which would mean we left our supplies somewhere back at the bridge 4 hours walk back..." Spike said hollowly. 

"Oh for fucks sake!"  I exclaimed and picked up a nearby stick and began to hit the ground repeatedly in fury. Cerberus looked at us with a cocked heads not knowing why Spike's head hung in defeat and I beat the shit out of the ground in frustration. After several more minutes of beating the ground and cursing so much a sailor would be proud I stood there breathing heavily. 

"What do we do now?" Spike asked and I looked up at him. 

"Who else do we know. Do you know anypony in Dodge City?" I inquired. 

"Gilda." Spike offered and I rolled my eyes. 

"Get a fire going I'll inform her about our situation." I said opening my wings and thrusting them downwards and I took to the sky flying towards Dodge City. 

I glided over the city that reminded me of a old time western town but bigger. The train tracks cut through the middle of the town like an iron snake. I banked towards the main road that lead from the gate.  I beat my wings twice to keep my altitude and looked down. It was about 4 in the afternoon so it was almost closing time for most shops, I needed to find Gilda. I slowly descended till I flapped my wings and landed gently which I felt was an improvement. Several ponies looked at me curiously but didn't say much. I looked around for any inn's or motels. I saw three in my line of sight and so I approached the first place called the Barn stall motel that was painted on a board that hung over a large balcony. I walked up 3 steps and opened a door that led into a lobby that was occupied by a old earth pony stallion. 

"What can I do ye fur?" He said looking up at me. 

"You don't happen to have seen another griffin like me around have you?" I inquired the old stallion seemed to give a moment to think before shaking his head. 

"Can't say I have son." He said before standing up out of his seat. 

"I did happen to see one walk down the  street here. The griffin went to Sour Grapes place." He said as he pointed to the inn that was past the second motel i was going to visit next. 

"Lost your marefriend have yea." He said with a gummy smile.

"She is not my girlfriend." I said with a deadpanned look.

"Thanks for the info though gramps." I said as I left the lobby and went down the steps and made my way to the Juniper bow inn. I opened the door and walked into the lobby of the Juniper Inn only to be greeted by a colorful purple unicorn mare who had grapes as her cutiemark. 

"Can I get you a room?" She asked immediately and the tone in hr voice seemed like she was bitter about something. 

"A old stallion told me a griffin came to you for a room." I inquired. 

"Ah yes...that one." She said with a glower. 

"Is she here or not?" I asked more sourly then i wished. Her upper lip curled in a sneer. 

"Shes here, but why should I tell you where she is." She said sharply as I felt a fire rise in my chest and it would be so easy to just force any information i would need from her. I blinked a moment, as I realized that was not the best way to go, my fathers way...not mine.

"I'm sorry, I've had a...crap day. I didn't meant to take it out on you I just need to see Gilda. I need her help." I said apologizing. 

"What do you need me for?" Gilda voice said as I looked over to see her coming down some stairs. 

"Can you help us get some stuff?" I asked as the pony I only could guess was Sour Grape went on with her business she was doing before I had walked in. 

"Define stuff?" Gilda asked with a suspicious look.

"Spike forgot  that he had left the backpack on Cerberus as he ran off and rolled around in the grass as soon as we had crossed the bridge." I explained and Gilda put her claw over her beak as she tried to hold back a laugh. 

"Its not funny, we literally don't have anything but my arrows and bow."  I said with an outward sigh. 

"Ok so you want me to what...buy you new kit?" She asked almost looking confused.

"Maybe just some food and a sleeping bag for Spike." I said and she rolled her eyes and walked past me. 

"Lets go. Shops will close soon." Gilda said as she walked past me and out of the door. She opened her wings and took to the sky and I was quick to follow her example. We were not in the air more then a minute before she banked down and landed in a square and I could already tell ponies were beginning to pack up for the day when Gilda approached a stall that was still mostly still up. A donkey wit a light gray mane and a unusual sunny disposition smiled at us. 

"What can I do ya for?" He asked. 

"I would like to  get 12 apples, 10 carrots, lettuce, 3 Peppers, a bulk of celery, and ." Gilda asked and looked at me.

"What does spike eat?" She asked and I simply shrugged . 

"Guess like a pony and gems as a treat." I guessed.

"Like I'm going to buy him precious stones..." Gilda said as she rolled her eyes as the donkey put all of he contents into a brown bag and thanked us for our patronage. Gilda tossed the bag at me i reflexively caught it.

"Lets get you some gear so i can go take a shower." Gilda said sounding impatient.  We walked to the right came to a building with a sign that jutted out labeled Campfires camp accessories. We both walked into the store and were greeted by a brown coated and deep green maned stallion with a campfire as a cutiemark. 

"Welcome to Campfires Camp accessories Names Campfire, what do you need?" He asked with a smile from behind his counter. 

"A pack and some pots and pans and some canned food." Gilda asked and I tapped her shoulder and she looked at me.

"What?" she inquired. 

"Can I get some spices?" I asked and she rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. 

"Fine." she said and I looked at Campfire who pointed with his hoof to the third Aisle and I quickly found what i was looking for, Salt & Pepper (premixed), and Tofu rub Spice. I Picked up the Tofu Rub Spice and opened the top and it smelled exactly like Montreal steak spice. Now my thoughts drifted back to a nice and juicy steak, my mouth watered. 

"eak..."

"Feather Beak!" Gilda's voice broke my thought and I looked at her and both she and Campfire were looking at me perplexed. 

"You done?" She asked Impatiently.

"Ah yea here." I said as I walked up and placed the spices on the counter and Gilda paid for them. We walked out of the store and I stopped and began to place everything in the pack before looking up at Gilda who only watched me put away everything. 

"Gilda you saved us." I said with a smile and she simply rolled her eyes.

"I owed you for pulling me from the river. Now were square." She said pointing her claw at me. 

"Sure were square, when will you be at the train station? The train arrives at 10 so be there before hand." I said and nodded. 

"I'll be there. You guys don't be late." She said as she opened her wings and took to the air. 

"Hope you have a good night." I said and she gave me a grin. 

"Better then sleeping on the ground."  she said with a smile and a joking tone. I smiled as she flew out of sight in the direction we arrived from and I guessed it was time to get back to Spike.  I lifted from the ground and flew up carrying the pack in my front claws. I saw the fire Spike had started, I flew down and landed with my hind legs first and softly l put the pack down. Spike and Cerberus looked up at me.

"She helped?" Spike asked surprised. 

"Yup, but now she doesn't owe us for pulling her from the river." I said with a smile and Spike chuckled. 

"Good enough what did she get us?" Spike asked. 

"Apples, Carrots, celery, lettuce, peppers. and some canned beans and other canned foods."  I said lifting a can of peaches that I then put back. I unhooked a pan and placed it by the fire for it to begin heating up. 

"What are you cooking?" He asked as he lifted a stick and poked the fire causing sparks to flare up and dance skyward. 

"I guess ill make grilled veggies with spices..." I said as I got the carrots and celery out and began to look around for a knife. 

"What are you looking for?" Spike asked. 

"A knife to cut the veggies of course." I explained and Spike chuckled.

"Here give them to me." He said and so I did. Spike took all the veggies and tossed them up in the air and a flick of his wrists exposed claws and he diced the vegetables in the air and he lifted the pan and caught them. I blinked in surprise. 

"Wow...that's impressive." I said impressed. Spike chuckled and gave me a toothy dragon smile. 

"I'm the cook for Twilight, trust me without me there she would have fallen down in exhaustion and probably died long ago." He joked and placed the pan back on the fire. I opened the pepper and began to sprinkle it onto the veggies and began to stir them often as I found myself watching the flames lick the sides of the pan. 

"After this I'm going to sleep I am tired from just the walk never mind the swim." I said as the smell began to waft up from the pan. 

"Ok." Spike said as I pulled out two plates. I scraped half of the pan onto one and the rest onto the other. I put the pan down in the dirt and handed a fork to Spike. We ate in relative silence as Cerberus had already fallen asleep. Spike finished his plate quickly  putting the plate beside the pan and walked over to Cerberus to find a spot using his large paw as a pillow. Cerberus's left head cracked an eye and then sleepily closed it when Spike did so. I was left with my thoughts as I looked at the fire and placed another log from the pile that Spike had collected. The flames were hypnotic like I was watching a TV but it was stuck on one channel. I laid down after removing my quiver and bow then placing my claws behind my head and looked up at the sky. I suddenly felt queasy from the large sky that spanned in my entire field of vision. My eyes suddenly felt heavy and I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes and saw that the fire was out and Cerberus and Spike were nowhere to be found. It was dark, like the dawn before the sun rose. I stood up on all fours and looked around. This had to be a dream. It looked odd and eerie as I heard the clatter of a glass bottle on the ground. I turned towards the noise and my father stood there hunched over with a cigarette in his hand half done and his unshaven face looking rough and his eyes bearing down at me with a seething hate. I felt my throat go dry as he stood upright and began to approach with muscles looking taught with rage. 

"You shall not be welcome here foul abomination." A soothing voice decreed as I looked to my right and Princess Luna walked passed me as her horn glowed. Suddenly my father transformed into a shadowy creature with glowing yellow eyes and it hissed at her. It fled and disappeared into the forest.    

"Are you ok young griffin?" she asked and I simply looked up at her in awe. 

"Ah..y-yes." Its fucking Luna...the princess of the fucking night. Not to be a bit fan-girlish but she was is is my favorite princess.

"Y-your Princess Luna..." I said numbly. 

"Yes...we are." She said with a slightly confused frown.

"Why are you in my dream?" I asked. 

"Because you have had a nightmare. I wont allow dark dreams to dwell in my realm." She explained. 

"Do you...see everyone's dreams?" I asked and she simply smiled. 

"We are glad we go here in time." Luna said with a smile and then the world around us began to dissipate and blur. 

"It's time to wake young griffin." She said and before I could say anything more my eyes opened up to see the smoke rising from the nearly dead fire. I rolled over and rubbed my eyes to see that Spike and Cerberus were still asleep and I picked up some more wood placing it onto the fires embers. They slowly heated the wood and flames ignited. 

"Morning." I heard and I looked over my shoulder and Gilda approached our little camp.

"Morning." I said stretching my wings and arms. 

"Are we going to get breakfast?" She asked. I looked at her slightly confused. 

"You came out to us to take us out for breakfast?" I asked surprised. Gilda frowned. 

"I didn't have to I can just go." She began and turned to leave. 

"No! Its ok I was only surprised. Spike is still asleep so lets wait till he wakes up." I offered and Gilda sighed and sat down looking at the fire.
> On the Tracks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike rolled over and squeezed his eyes tighter shut before opening them groggily.

"What time is it?" He asked and sat upright rubbing his eyes as two of Cerberus's head began to wake up and yawn exposing their toothy bulldog maws. 

"Seven." Gilda said before standing up on all fours.

"Can we get food now I'm starving." Gilda continued and looked at me and I simply shrugged. At the mention of food Spike perked up and stood. 

"I could eat." he said and I chuckled as I turned my attention to Cerberus. 

"You good to get your own food?" I asked and the large beast gave me a sly grin from the far left head which I took as a yes. Spike stood up and wandered toward me and I stood up. Gilda opened her wings and took to the air as Spike helped himself onto my back without asking. It only slightly annoyed me but I didn't say anything and followed after Gilda. We approached the city and Gilda flew towards an open square where there seemed to be more movement of ponies then I had seen flying over the streets of Dodge City. She landed gracefully and I landed beside her...well enough that Spike hit me in the back of the head with his own head. 

"Ow... You really need to work on your landings." He criticized, I gave him a glare. 

"Maybe lose some weight?" I shot back at him. He looked at his belly and crossed his arms. 

"It's Baby fat." He defended as he lifted his leg and slid off my back. 

"How old are you anyway Spike?" I asked as Gilda smiled at our conversation. 

"I'm 17." He said pointedly and I raised my eyebrow. 

"Wow." Was all I said and he narrowed his eyes at me. I quickly looked forward as Gilda led us into a small cafe that looked like it was an out of the way cafe not often visited by tourists.

"You come here often?" I asked and Gilda sat in a booth by the window and both Spike and I joined her sitting across from her. 

"Yea, I always volunteer to leave Griffinstone to do missions," she said as she took the menu from a blue coated, dark pink maned mare waitress. Spike handed me one as he had been given two from the mare. The menu wasn't anything to write home about but I saw there were non-vegetarian options. I looked up at Gilda. 

"Yep, that's why come here, Respect to ponies and their way of eating but I crave what normal griffons eat," she said answering my unspoken question. I looked around and saw an anthropomorphic cat. I looked perplexed I didn't think my little pony universe had cat folk. It was eating what looked like fish. 

"Do cats appear often in towns?" I asked Spike as looked up from his menu and then at the cat. 

"They don't often come up north of the mountains," Spike said putting his menu down as the waitress approached. I looked at my menu again. 

"What'll you have to drink?" she asked with an accent I couldn't quite pin down. 

"Water," I said and the other two nodded and asked for the same. 

" I want my usual, bacon and eggs with toast," Gilda said and Spike looked at her slightly disgusted. 

"I'll have a salad with roasted carrot sandwich," Spike said giving the menu back and I looked at Gilda who simply rolled her eyes. 

"I'll have what she's having," I said and extended my menu to Spike as he took it and the menus were picked up by the mare and she walked away with our orders and not long after our drinks came. Our food was brought and as the plate was placed before me my mouth watered and as the first bite out of that meat I closed my eyes and savored it. I really had missed normal food. I scarfed it down so fast that both Spike and Gilda looked at me perplexed. I looked at both of them. 

"I was hungry," I said with crumbs falling off my beak. Spike looked back to his plate and finished eating as did Gilda. Gilda stood up and placed a fist full of bits on the table. 

"How much was it?" I asked. 

"It's enough." She said and I took that as its expensive.

"Thanks for breakfast," I said and she nodded as the bell tolled outside. 

"We need to get to the Train. It's going to leave at 10 so we have an hour to get back to camp and pack up." Gilda said and I nodded in agreement as I felt Spike hop up onto my back and I looked back at him as he flashed me a thumbs up. 

"Ready." He said and I rolled my eyes slightly. I know he needs a ride but would it kill him to ask before jumping up on me like a horse? I thought to myself before opening my wings and leaving the ground. 

We cleaned up camp quickly as Cerberus came bounding out of the woods and stopped in front of us and all three heads had some gore left from his own breakfast. Now that I know him somewhat it was only slightly less terrifying. 

Our group moved outside the city and then followed the tracks and the Sheriff of Dodge City along with several of his deputies stood by two large boxcars that connected to the end of the candy-colored train. 

"Sheriff." I greeted and he tipped his cowboy hat to me in greeting. 

"Enjoy yer time here?" He said with a joking smile. 

"Truly 5-star experience," I said with a raised eyebrow. 

"Good t'here. As you coulda guessed these are for you and the pup." He said and I looked at Cerberus who seemed to scoff slightly at being called a 'pup'. Cerberus approached the railcar and the doors opened as two unicorns magic opened the laches and he climbed in. The doors began to close and Cerberus let out a deep threatening growl accompanied by three sets of toothy fangs.

"I don't think he likes enclosed spaces...maybe just keep the doors open." Spike offered as the unicorn deputies looked at one another uneasily but stopped. Cerberus quieted as they backed off and all three of us approached the second car and opened it to see a couple seats were placed inside it to add some measure of comfort. 

"I know it's not first class but beats sittin on the floor." The Sheriff said and I hopped up and took Spikes claw and helped him up into the car. 

"Much appreciated,"  I said as Gilda found a seat. 

"Keep the door open?" He asked and I nodded. 

"Nice to have a window," I said and he gave me a nod. 

"Safe travels." He said and the engine's horn sounded accompanied by the sound of the shackles that linked the train cars together gave a clang and the train began to move slowly. Spike put his bag down and stood beside me and waved goodbye. 

"Thanks again!" he said and Spike walked to another seat across from Gilda. I laid down and my two front claws hung just off of the ledge as I felt the wind beginning to rush past me. I looked over and all three heads of Cerberus hanging out of the train car, mouths open and panting with blissful expressions of pure happiness. I chuckled to myself before looking back at Spike who was looking at his map. 

"How much longer you think," I asked. 

"We just left so maybe 7 hours." He said rolling the map again and putting it back into the new backpack. 

"How did you get a new map?" I asked and he smiled. 

"Wrote Twilight and she sent one to me. She said to thank you for all that you have done." He said with a chuckle. 

"She knows what happened?" I asked with a frown. 

"Well, yea I'm keeping her up to date with all of whats happening on our mission,"  Spike said. 

"I don't know how I feel about that," Gilda said with half-lidded eyes. 

"Did she freak out about when we saved Gilda?" I asked and he simply held up three papers with writing on front and back of all of them with a mute expression. 

"I'll take that as a yes," I said with a chuckle.
> The Pass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mountains began to approach rapidly and soon they climbed up high that it was hard to look up to see the snow capped peaks. I focused on looking after the bow and arrows that had been given to me. 

"Do you know how to use that?" Gilda asked after a few moments and I glanced up at her and then looked back to the bow and released its tension and laid it on the floor. 

"I have some practice." I said although I knew that I would need more practice if I wanted to be able to use it and fly at the same time.

"Thankfully we haven't had need to really use it." Spike said as he watched as the trees and landscape passed by. I nodded in agreement and felt tired even though we had only woken up several hours earlier. 

"I'm going to take a nap." I then said and got comfortable listening to the constant rhythm of the train cars on the tracks. 



I awoke to a shudder and the screeching of metal on metal as the train slowed down dramatically. I blinked away my sleep and looked around. Spike was leaning out of the train car rook to get a look at was happening and Gilda was nowhere to be seen. I stood up and stretched my wings and collected my bow as I slung my quiver over my back and buckled it to my chest. 

"Whats going on?" I asked and Spike didn't look back at me. 

"Cant say, but something  has stopped the train. Gilda is investigating." He informed me and just as I was stringing my bow Gilda landed by the car panting heavily. 

"Bandits." she said through clenched teeth. 

"Pony bandits?" I said incredulously, thinking it almost comical. Spike and Gilda looked at me with no humor at all expressed on their faces. 

"Not Pony bandits.... Spider ones." Gilda said unhappily. This took me aback, I didn't so much as fear spiders as some people I knew but they were still unpleasant. 

"There are unicorns and pegasi on this train so why try anything. Surely they cant stand against magic?" I said and She shook her head.

"Spiders webbing can have magic negating properties." Spike said as he moved out of the way and Gilda hopped up into the  train car and Spike closed the door behind her. 

"Well what do we do?" I asked concerned.

"Not much we can do really we don't know how many there are and well they most likely are after jewels and bits so not really  much a threat."  Gilda stated and I looked aghast.  

"So we just sit here while the other passengers get robbed?" I asked incredulously. Gilda was about to say something and was cut off by a scream and we flew to the door and looked to see what the commotion was about. My blood run cold as seven large spindly legs spider-folk were unloading wrapped bundles from the passenger cars. The scream had come from a blue coated unicorn mare whose horn was wrapped in spider-silk who was seen trying to run away and one of the spiders had seen her trying to escape. 

"Where do you think your goin?" one of the male spiders asked with a thick accent that I could place as almost sounding a mix between British and Australian. 

"let me go!" she managed to choke out and he shook his head as he fixed her with four eyes that were transfixed on her.

"Nah cant do that miss, you'all make good slaves see." He said with a smile that revealed sharp carnivorous teeth. The mare didn't see that one of the other Spiders had circled around her and then pounced tackling her into the ground as she screamed. The spider-ling sunk his fangs into her neck and she soon went limp. Spike let out a wimpier and I quickly placed my claws over his muzzle and held a claw to my beak symbolizing silence. The talkative spider looked at the train car they we were in and looked at the spider that hat just subdued the mare. 

"Check out the last two cars will ya." he ordered and I pulled away looking at the other door and knew it would be to loud to open and get out. The corner was dark but my white feathers would make me stand out then I looked at the floor I removed my quiver quickly and placed it in the corner and laid on the floor and spread my wings then began to gather dust and dirt to dirty my wings in filth and stood up now a matted brown with dark specks of rock and the like embedded in my feathers. Taking dust and whatever I could find and rubbing it on my neck and face. Gilda and Spike looked at me confused and wanted to ask what I was doing and I pointed to the corner. They both went to the corner quickly and I approached them. I turned to face the door and made Gilda crouch and I stepped over her and had spike stand in front of her face and I spread my wings in front of us to cover all three of us as best I could. I mouthed 'don't move' as the door to the car slid open with a grind and the Spider bandit stuck his head in and looked at us and for a moment my heart stopped. 'had he seen us? were we about to be caught and cocooned like the rest?' My mind raced as he looked to the other side and shrugged then removed his head. 

"Nothin ere but hay n chairs Vin." the Spider said. The spider that was seemingly running the show or Vin, scoffed. 

"Check the other one." Vin ordered. I put my wings back and side stepped so Gilda could stand. Sudden low growls and the scream of a frightened spider followed by a wet sounding crunch and the car began to shake as Cerberus began to thrash and tear at the intruders body. I managed to look out of the window to see Vin's expression of fear and surprise. It took a few moments and soon he found his voice again. 

"Lets pack up and move out, we got what we came for." he ordered and then the group of six spiders since one was now dog chow began to move out and shoulder four to six cocoons per spider. As far as I could tell a total of thirty ponies had just been captured. Spike was shaking and at first I thought it was fear but I soon realized it was fury. Gilda was the first to break the silence. 

"Slavers....but who would by slaves?" Gilda asked to no one in particular.

"Who cares! We have to save them!" Spike demanded and began to move towards the door. I grabbed him and he turned on me with eyes full of hate and I flinched away. I recognized those eyes, my father had those eyes. Spike seem to notice my reaction and he seemed to calm if only slightly. 

"We need to help them." He said again and I nodded wordlessly.

"As we are now we cannot win." I said surely but Spike would not take any other answer. 

"We have Cerberus." Spike said simply.

"Yes and they have numbers and venom." I countered. 

"Cerberus wont lose." he said again and Gilda broke in at that moment. 

"Spike we are obviously going after them but we need a plan and we need to inform the local authority." Gilda said calmly. 

"How do we do that!" He bust out in anger. Both Gilda and myself looked at him with a raised eyebrow and it only took a few moments before he realized.

"Right.... My fire sends messages directly to the Princesses..." He said as he face-palmed himself. Quickly Spike got out paper and ink then began to scribe a message to the princess. Gilda then looked at me.

"How did you think to hide in plane site by dirtying yourself?" She asked and I smiled meekly.

"I'm use to hiding from someone wanting to find you." I said weakly, thinking of uncounted times I hid from my Father when he was looking for me just to beat the crap out of me. Just then the train jerked forward and we steadied ourselves.

"Who is driving the train." I asked coolly as Spike stood up and rolled up the paper and breathed a jet of green flame burning the paper away into a smoke that left the barred window.  I picked up the quiver and slung it over my back and fastened it into place as I opened the door. The train hadn't yet picked up speed then I jumped out of the door and beat my wings and sped for the front of the train. I pulled out and arrow and knocked it to the string as I dove towards the engine and steeled myself to go toe to toe with a spider. To my surprise it was not a spider but a grey coated short cropped blue mane earth pony who whirled on me as soon as I touched down on the deck and it eyes widened as I drew the bow back.

"Stop...the....train." I ordered trying to act as imposing as I could and it seemed to work. The stallion quickly pulled the lever that caused the train to squeal to a halt. It was not long after that, Spike and Gilda soon arrived seeing the Stallion who only paled further. 

"How did you?" He began and Gilda's eyes narrowed and in a flash the stallion was up against the wall of the engine with Gilda's claws around his neck strangling him as she seem to vent all of her rage on the stallion. It took me a moment to realize what had just happened, the stallions eyes began to bulge as his mouth gave out wordless peas. I stowed my arrow quickly and quickly came up behind Gilda and slipped my arms under hers and pulled her back. 

"Release him Gilda we need information!" I said hoping she would see reason. After a moment she released the stallion who dropped to the floor coughing and sucking in air as he tried to stand but with a solid kick from Gilda into the Stallions face dissuaded him from doing so. At this I got angry and pushed her back into the wall and she glared at me and I glared back. 

"Take a walk." I growled and she shoved my arm away and jumped from the engine taking flight. Spike had simply watched but not seemed troubled by Gilda's actions like I was. I turned to the Stallion and he looked up at me with a quickly swelling left eye.

"Start from the beginning." I ordered.


After a hour long interrogation I stood up and looked down on the pony...no ponies were creatures of worth, this....thing had sold himself to the slavers and would bring train loads of unsuspecting ponies to the slavers for two hundred and fifty bits per head, five hundred for unicorns specifically. He did not know why they wanted them or who bought them but the Spiders paid handsomely and he was willing to go along saying that no-pony came onto the train and only ferried goods so no-pony would be suspect. I pointed out that ponies going to visit family would easily be missed and he explained that only ponies that were known to be traveling alone or as a group would be targeted, and that the ticket keeper was the one who in charge of the selection, got every-pony who were proper targets onto one train. This was his third train and the amount of missing ponies were over a hundred. Gilda had come back halfway through the interrogation, her feathers were ruffled and as she heard more I swear I could feel the rage boiling in her like a bomb-fire. Spike had remained silent and only had a paper with ink taking all the information down. After he was finished I looked down on this...this creature and contemplated ending his existence right here right now. A dark part of me wanted to extend my claws, squeeze his throat and slowly tear it out just to see him look up at me in terror and helplessness as I took the only thing he valued...his life. But I refrained, that was something I didn't want to hang on my contentious. I looked for a rope and found one. I hog tied him and secured him to a rung over center that connected the cars. When the soldiers find him he wont be able to hide there. Spike approached me as he rolled the papers and burned them away to Princess Celestia. Gilda came up beside me and looked at me.

"I'm sorry. " I said and she looked forward away from me.

"Its, ok I tend to get...heated." She said calmly. 

"Spike, Get Cerberus... Were going hunting for slavers." I said coldly.
> Hunting those who hunt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike quickly gathered the packs and let Cerberus out of the train car. Cerberus looked annoyed but then grateful for the stretch. I could see left over gore from the Spider that had taken a peek at him and shuddered slightly thinking just how scary our traveling canine really was. Spike climbed up Cerberus surprisingly and both Gilda and I took to the sky to search from above. I had an arrow knocked on the bowstring as I beat my wings and Gilda flew behind me as I scanned the trees. I could see Cerberus's large black body moving between the trees as he followed the sent I no doubt he had picked up. Three noses were better then one but even one head in this situation would be good right now was more then likely overkill. we flew for several hours and the sun began to fall behind the mountain causing it to be darker then it would have been if we were in less mountainous regions. Shadows began to become deeper and it became almost impossible to see Cerberus. I looked back at Gilda and gestured for us to descend and link up with Spike and Cerberus. She nodded and we both lowered to the forest floor. Upon landing the smell of the forest was foreign to me but I looked up to see Cerberus emerge from the brush a little more louder then I would have liked. 

"Why did you come down?" Spike asked from atop Cerberus. 

"Its getting too dark and I cant keep track of you from the sky." I said as Gilda landed beside me.

"We wont be able to sneak up on them if Cerberus keeps trundling through the bush." She said before I could say anything.

"I think we should wait." I stated and Spike looked at me as if he had tasted something disgusting. 

"They don't think they are being pursued so they will most likely will set up camp which means a fire." I explained quickly. Spike nodded as he slipped from Cerberus's back and walked to me. 

"Should we make a fire?" He asked and I quickly shook my head.

"They could find us, I wouldn't want to chance it." I said cautiously. 


So we waited for two hours, Cerberus we stopped from going out to hunt and he simply fell asleep. Soon after the two hours I looked at Spike who was asleep and I walked over giving him a punt waking him. 

"Its time." I said as Spike stood up and Gilda looked at me she hadn't slept but quietly patrolled the area around us. 

"You stay here and blow some flame at half hour intervals till we get back. Gilda...lets go." I said as I checked my bow and then beat my wings taking to the sky Gilda following me closely.  The night sky was so dark that Luna's moon cast deep shadows that could only be described as inky black pools that like seem to not gain access too.  Which made the camp of four fires stick out like a ray of light in a pitch black room. Gilda looked to me and nodded as we both descended to get a better look at the set up.  As I could see most of the spiders had spun hammocks for themselves and several of the cocoons had been placed on the north side of the camp.  We did several passes over the camp before Gilda gestured to me to follow her to the ground outside the camp. I landed behind her realizing that I have been getting better at landing and Gilda looked at me and quietly approached me.

"They have two sentries. One by the cocoons and another by the farthest left fire." Gilda reported and I nodded in agreement. 

"How do we do this you think?" I asked. Gilda frowned in consideration before she looked up at me.

"We need to kill the two sentries." She said simply and I felt a sudden uneasiness. I knew it was going to happen but now I had to face it, Killing something. Gilda noticed my hesitation and she put her claw under my beak making me look at her. 

"Have you ever killed before?" She asked rhetorically as i pushed her claw away. 

"No, never." I said and she looked unhappy. 

"Why do you carry that bow then? For show?" she said harshly.

"No, I know how to use it..." I said with the heat of anger welling up in my chest and Gilda punched my chest suddenly taking me by surprise. 

"If we do this don't get me killed or worse....captured." she said before opening her wings and taking to the sky. I stood there for a moment thinking about what she said and then steeled myself before taking to the sky to follow her. 

Finding Spike by the burst of green flame we glided down to the small outcrop. 

"Did you find them?" Spike inquired and I nodded.

"They are 2 miles ahead camped out with two sentries." I stated and Cerberus lifted one head to give us a look. Spike nodded and with trepidation looked at us. 

"How are we going to capture them?" He asked and Gilda looked at him as if he was kidding. 

"Were not taking prisoners." She said flatly and Spike looked at her uncomfortably as I remained silent. 

"We wont be able to win if we don't get Cerberus into the fight at the beginning. Both Feather and me will take out the two sentries." Gilda said as Spike looked at me. 

"Have you...you know done this kind of thing before?" He asked at which point I slowly shook my head. Spike blew out some air and looked at us. 

"Maybe we should wait for the reinforcements." He offered as Gilda scoffed.

"No way. We can get the drop on them, let go." She said and took to the sky suddenly and the look of shock on my face was apparent as Spike looked at me then ran to Cerberus. 

"Come on boy!" Spike said curtly as he climbed onto the back of Cerberus as he grumbled to life standing up and all three heads looked at me. I took several wing-beats as a hovered off the ground.

"Keep him safe." I ordered and the hound just watched me rise up to the sky where Gilda waited for me. 

"I'll take the one by the cocoons you take the one by the fire." She said simply and took the lead. I  hovered there only a moment before following her. Gilda flew down towards the outskirts of the camp and I lost site of her and I found my target walking to one of the fires. I hovered there and knocked an arrow as my claws shook from my nerves. Adrenalin began to pump through me as the world seem to become sharper and my heart hammered in my ears as I waited for Gilda to deal with the cocoon sentry. 

A third spider appeared from the treeline and walked towards the fire that the fire sentry was at and my blood ran cold.  I draw my bowstring as my mind raced, how do I deal with two of them I'm not fast enough to fire my bow like legolas from lord of the rings.  I could only think of one thing, and then I saw the Spider by the cocoons suddenly turn around and I dove from the sky and as I exhaled a breath and loosed the arrow that sped towards the fire sentry who was now looking to the cocoon sentry puzzled as the arrow crushed its head. I didn't think as I angled myself at the other spider by the fire, let go of my bow and extended my claws and like a winged meteor i crashed into the spider slaver with unrestrained force. 

The Spider let out a yelp in surprise as I ripped my right talon from the spiders throat spraying blood across the ground. I looked up at the cocoon sentry and I was hit by webbing making me cry out in surprise as the camp came to life.

"What in Tartarus's name!" An outraged voice bellowed as several spiders left their hammocks trying to take stock of the situation. Gilda cried out and the sound of a scuffle could be heard out of my line of sight. I tried to move my claw only to find my right arm was pinned to my body. My left claw was able to move but before I could do anything Vin's spidery visage came into view.

"Well how about that...a couple of griffins in my neck o tha woods.... color me shocked." he said with a sour expression. Two other spiders I saw dragging Gilda who was kicking and cursing and was placed beside me then kicked hard causing her to cry out in pain and go still. I didn't know if she had been knocked out or she just didn't want to be struck again.

"Now...you lot must have been on the train or you would hav not been out here. Now I am down three boys and look at this..." Vin stated and looked at the both of us as he reached down with a sharp leg and suddenly a sharp stab into my leg made me scream out which came out like it was the mix between a squawk and the cry of a hawk. My world swam as I could feel him twist his sharp appendage in my wound. 

"You have to pay for my losses." He said coldly and the ground shook as the four spiders looked at one another. I winced and chuckled as Vin looked at me glaring.

"woof woof." I said calmly and Vin's eyes widened as Cerberus burst into the clearing with Spike riding atop him. They looked to Cerberus I wrenched my left claw free and pulled the spider web from my face and chest. I grabbed Vin's appendage that was still in my leg as he turned on me and growled angrily.

"I'm going to kill you!" He exclaimed and for a moment I froze as the memory of my father flooded my mind then a rage overtook me as I lashed out at the spider boss biting his arm with my beak and viciously clawing at him in a fit of rage and desperation. I didn't see what Cerberus was doing but Vin punched me in the head knocking me away from his arm and putting space between us. We began to circle one another and I could see that Cerberus had dealt with only one of the spiders and was dealing with two but they were nimble and giving the hound a tough time. 

"I am going to bleed you slowly even if it kills me." he promised and I almost reeled. This....creature was unnerving and it took everything I had to show that i was not shacking because of fear and only hoped he thought it was adrenaline. I limped every time I put my weight on my right hind leg and that was an opportunity he took to lunge at me and I pushed off the ground and beat my wings as he reached for me. I then tipped my wings forward with a thrust of air and talons extended lunged at him screaming a hawk like battle cry and slammed into him. He seemed to be ready as he used my momentum against me and guided me over his head and slammed me onto the ground and another sharp spider leg stabbed into my shoulder.

"Ah fuck!" I screamed out in a curse as he smiled at me wickedly. A hawk cry ripped from Gilda's throat as she collided with Vin and bit down onto his neck causing him to clutch at her with his arms releasing me from being pinned. I grunted as I rolled over pushing to my claws. Vin was focused on Gilda's assault and I screamed as I launched myself at him knocking him back as I closed my talons around his throat and began to squeeze. Vin clutched at his throat and raked my arms as he struggled to remove me from choking the life out of him.  Gilda jumped away so she wouldn't get pinned under the spider as Vin fell onto his back, his spidery legs kicked frantically as I felt my rage burst forth as Vin's eyes bulged and for a moment everything was silent. There was just me and him and suddenly I was looking down on a human child....that child was....me. I recoiled in horror releasing Vin and stumbled back as Vin coughed and struggled to regain himself. I was shuddering  visibly and Cerberus stepped forward all three heads growling at Vin as he placed a overly large paw on the body of the spider boss pinning him in place. 

"Don't kill him!" Gilda ordered and Cerberus stopped. Gilda then quickly approached me and placed a comforting talon on my shoulder as I looked up at her as my eyes watered and my voice caught in my throat. 

"You might as well kill me now...no pony, or griffin will get me to talk." Vin said with a dark smile. Suddenly the sound of whistling was heard and soon the clearing was invaded by dark shadows with bat wings clad in dark purple and blue armor. 

"Check the perimeter." One ordered as he then approached us and I could see in the firelight a dark look on the soldiers face. 

"Luna's elite..." Gilda said amazed. I was still a trembling mess but it was not long after that my wounds began to go numb. 'That's not right...' I thought before I blacked out.
> Recovery and Farewell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When my consciousness drifted back my brain felt like it was on fire. I clenched my jaw reflexively and felt a cold cloth get placed on my forehead, water ran down my feathers and wet my pillow. My eyes cracked open and I instantly shut them again because the light stung my eyes and I sharply inhaled.

"Feather Beak.... can you hear me?" A feminine voice asked and I tried to nod my head but only was able to give a slight nod. 

"How is he?" I heard Spike's voice inquire.

"He's been heavily poisoned we are just getting him back from the brink. He will make a recovery." Said another voice masculine voice. I tried to open my eyes again but again the sharp pain made it impossible. I gave up and let darkness retake me. 

I looked around and found myself at the campsite  the spider folk I had killed lay at my feet. Looking at my claws they were dripping with dark red blood, then movement caught my eye as the two Spiders I had just murdered jerked coming back to life and turned their white orbed eyes on me then began to approach me in a determination that reminded me of the walking dead. I stepped back and then their eyes furrowed in a glare and their maws opened in a scream as they lunged at me and sunk their teeth into my throat cutting off my scream.

I jolted upright with a scream as a slashed out in front of me defending myself. The room swam as my head felt like it was lanced by a fire poker. 

"Ahhh.." I groaned as I opened my eyes and to my surprise the light didn't hurt nearly as bad. 

"Feather Beak?" Came a soft voice to my right and I looked to see Gilda who had her right arm in a sling. 

"Gilda? What happened?" I asked as she retook her seat next to me. 

"We were able to save the ponies, Vin is in custody and being interrogated by Luna's batpony guard." She explained as I listened calmly.

"How did you get free from the net?" I asked remembering that she had helped me by jumping onto Vin's back.

"Spike. He jumped off of Cerberus and burned through the web. I saw you were in trouble." She said as I looked at her.

"Ok but how did you get caught?" I asked, at this question she seem to deflate. 

"I didn't account for the spiders placing alarms with nearly invisible threads. I tripped them and my surprise was caught." she said dejected. 

"Its ok...it all worked out somehow." I offered comfortingly Gilda didn't seem to take it but remained silent. I looked at my shoulder which was stiff as well as my leg that was bandaged and sore. A soft knock on the door as it opened and Spike walked in trailed by the Batpony officer that was barking orders when they had arrived on the scene.

"Feather Beak." The batpony asked calmly more stating a fact . I nodded to him and he continued. 

"I am Lt. Stride. On behalf of the Equestrian government we like to give our thanks for taking it upon yourselves to help save the lives of our citizens." He said formally then he visibly relaxed and looked at all three of us. 

"On a side note you three went above and beyond the call taking on so many. As I understand your already on a mission from Princess Twilight to deliver Cerberus back to Tartarus." He said calmly and I simply nodded, Gilda looked at him uncomfortable. 

"What did you learn from Vin?" Gilda asked and he gave her a look that conveyed he didn't truly trust her. 

"We have not gained much that we don't already know from the information Spike sent us. Besides, anything you know will be relayed back to Griffinstone am I right?" he asked matter of factly. Gilda was quiet a moment they held up her chin defiantly. 

"The elders need to know about what's happening. The Princesses do not keep the griffins in the loop regarding land shattering events." She said pointedly and Stride canted his head to the left.

"I am not in charge of correspondence with other countries but I would appreciate it if you stop involving yourself with Feather Beak and Spike for the time it takes to complete this quest. You are another countries spy and we would rather not allow another country to know about the insides of Tartarus." He said as Spike and I looked at Stride.

"She has helped us, as well as helped save those train passengers." Spike interjected and Lt Stride assumed his more militaristic posture.

"Princess Luna and I are grateful and she will be compensated for her outstanding efforts to helping keep Equestria safe, But....It still stands that she is not permitted to enter Tartarus. The fact Feather Beak is allowed to go being what he is has already been called into question and that fact also makes him ineligible to go to Tartarus." He said and I blinked and frowned was this...racism? 

"Excuse me?" I said coldly and Stride did not miss my cold tone.

"Although Princess Twilight asked you to take Cerberus to Tartarus her order has been superseded by the authorisation of Princess Luna." He stated as I ripped off my blanket and stood even though my leg almost made me collapse. Stride visibly tensed as I stood a head taller and my look was that of distain. Strife did not say anymore but only waited.

"Can I say goodbye to him? I at least ask that." I said and after a moment he nodded slightly. I walked past him with my limp and Gilda followed after me with her own limp. 

"How are you feeling?" she asked suddenly and I gave her a side long glance but then looked forward. 

"Like shit." I said simply and she looked at me puzzled.

"You could say that again, but that's not what I meant." she said with a smirk and I looked at her with a wry smile. 

"What do you mean then?" I asked as she looked at me seriously.

"You recoiled from Vin when you almost ended him. What happened?" She inquired to me and I simply looked forward and said nothing. We arrived outside the hospital taking in the smell of sea air and the bustle of the city. To the left of the entrance guarded by three Lunar guards was Cerberus who looked at us as we walked outside.

"We will talk later." Gilda promised and I decided to ignore her I didn't have to talk to her about...that. 

Cerberus stood up and approached us. Some new scars were on his three heads as well as his legs and chest. 

"You ok?" I asked and the three dogs looked at one another and gave a throaty gruff which I took that it was not too bad.

"Are you ok going back to Tartarus now?" I asked and the hound took up a more stoic look and all three heads nodded. Spike approached him and patted his leg in greeting.

"You were the best three headed dog I've ever known." Spike said with glassy eyes as Lt. Stride stepped up behind me and spoke.

"There is a reason were stopping you three here." He said into my ear and so I didn't move but only to nod.

"There has been an escapee." He said gravely and at this I turned to look at him.

"Who?" I asked quietly and he shook his head.

"Even I am not privy to that information." He said with only a hint of annoyance. 

"So essentially don't take this personally?" I asked looking up as Spike and Gilda giving Cerberus a good rub under the chins of the multi headed dog.

"If you would, we have some carriages to take you back to ponyville." He said and I thought for a moment. 

"What about the other kidnapped ponies." I inquired and he looked at me quizzically.

"Foulnapped?" I corrected myself and he seem to accept it.

"We have others looking into that, you don't need to look into that." He said simply. 

"In other words you have nothing." I pointed out and his ear twitched but he said nothing which confirmed my observation. I approached Cerberus and was licked which cause me to smile. 

"You are amazing Cerberus. Take care of yourself." I said as all three heads looked at me with their bull dog faces with a hint of sadness broaching their features then they nodded and I turned around to limp back towards the hospital where the nurse was giving me an un-approving look for getting out of my bed.

"Mr Beak I would have thought that getting out of bed in your condition would be ill advised." A chestnut brown earth pony stallion said as I looked at him, a name tag labeled him as Dr. Withers. 

"Had to say my goodbyes. I feel i will be in here for a while and he needs to get moving." I said factually and he simply gave me a raised eyebrow.

"Well that may be the case you are not going to be here overnight." He said with a cock of his head and at his I stopped and looked at him. 

"I thought I was in bad shape." I said and he nodded. 

"A few fractures, multiple lacerations, several smaller cuts and multiple bruising. Yes you were banged up pretty good but what has delayed your operation was the poison. Bones are more difficult to fix if broken or Celestia forbid, shattered. We have a talented unicorn on staff here that will speed up your natural healing. Since Spike spoke for you, your medical expenses will be paid for by the crown." He said with a smirk. I then realized that I still needed to get my medical information submitted and that it was not covered by the government my luck with people picking up my medical bills will run out sooner rather then later.

We made it back to my room and after a hour of waiting a dark grey coated unicorn mare with a black mane tied back into a pony tail held a clipboard in her green ethereal magic. She looked up at me the surveyed my body with a critical eye and lowered her clipboard. 

"Feather Beak, I am Dr. Mending. I am here to patch you up." She said with a disarming smile. I gave her a simple nod and waited for her to do cast a spell or cover me in magic. 

"I would like you to count back from 10, alright?" she said in a singsong voice. I again nodded and looked at Gilda. 

"Ten,nine,eight"I began then I never did get to one.

I awoke feeling like every bone and muscle in my body was aching. It felt like I had run a ten kilometer marathon without stretching or warming up. My mouth was dry and my head pounded with a rhythm of my heart that throbbed behind my eyes. 

"Ah....fuuuuuck" I moaned.

"You did great." Dr. Mending said with a chipper voice as I cracked my eyelid open and saw Gilda looking at the pony in slight horror. 

"What?" I began to ask but she cut me off. 

"The nurse will be with you shortly have a pleasant day." she said before picking up her clipboard and leaving in quick succession. I looked to Gilda who simply looked at the door and then after a moment noticed me looking at her.

"What happened?" I asked hoarsely as she found her seat again as she gave an involuntary shiver. 

"Cant stand unicorns." She muttered under her breath. 

"What happened?" I asked more forcefully as the nurse walked in and smiled at me as she got a jug of water and poured me a glass. 

"Your cleared to leave when you feel up to it." She said And Spike walked in not long after and saw Gilda's expression and gave her a knowing smile.

"Hey Gilda." Spike said with a mischievous smile as she looked at him. 

"She can do you next if you want." He offered as her face seem to pale if she could do such a thing and shook her head quickly saying. 

"N-no ill be fine it was a clean break I-It will heal in a week or so." she forced out. My look of irritation spoke volumes as Spike looked to me ignoring my annoyed look. 

"We got Vin to speak." He said his joking tone melting into a grim monotone one , this got my attention and with that the nurse left the room closing the door 

"What did you learn." I inquired.

" Only a name. A donkey by the name Bray." Spike said coldly.
> Skyward towards Trouble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sat up as Spike mentioned the name Bray. Gilda seemed to shake her head of the scene she witnessed when Feather Beak was operated on. I quaffed the cup of water that the nurse had poured and finished a second. A feeling of refreshment and clarity came with it as I put the glass down as Spike continued.     

"We don't have much on this mule but he always talked to the group while robed in a crimson cloak with a skull embroidered on the hood." Spike said with a shake of his head. I flexed my claws as I removed my blanket and stood on the ground. The world spun slightly but I steadied myself by holding the beds rails. Spike moved to support me but I waved him off.

"So what do we do?" I asked and Spike looked at me confused. 

"Nothing, our job is done here and the guard can handle it from her on out." Spike said evenly as if it was obvious. 

"Nothing?" I asked with a frown and looked at him then to Gilda who simply shrugged. 

"We are going back to Ponyville. The last letter from Twilight was...clear on that regard." He said with a grimace. I looked to Gilda hoping that she was going to disagree with the action to just pack up and leave. 

"Listen...Feather I am happy you saved me but I have responsibilities back at Griffinstone." She said reservedly. Anger flared up in my chest but I stamped it down as I looked forward. 

"I guess were needed back in Ponyville." I said simply and walked out of the door to leave the hospital. 

The city began to get smaller behind the group as we had joined the contingent of Luna's guard. Vin was bound and gagged in a barred chariot a lot worse for wear. It looked like that the interrogation was rough and brutal. Lt. Stride came to my side and flew beside me and was quiet for a moment before speaking. 

"I think you are angry." He stated simply and I flashed him a glare. 

"You think?" I said angrily and truth be told I don't know why I was angry I was just....bubbling with a constant source of fury that had no reason to be there. What that source was I had no idea. Spike and Gilda had both given me a wide birth since the hospital room.

"Why are you angry?" he asked pointedly and I looked forward and shifted my bow so it was more comfortable. 

"I...don't know." I relented which Lt. Stride gave a fanged smile which caused me to scour in anger. 

"You think were leaving the other ponies to their fates by not going after this Bray?" He offered.

"Yes! We should be out looking for him and saving the others!" I chastised him and several of the other guards looked back at me with concern and Stride gave a wave of his hoof to show he had it under control.

"I understand your anger. Look at it from my perspective, we have little information and Vin has been tight lipped. It was only after ten hours of interrogation did we get a name and description. We need mind mages." He said simply.

"Mind mages?" I asked feeling my anger deflate some. 

"Unicorns adept in...extracting knowledge that others would have hidden from us." He said with some trepidation. 

"You make it sound like its painful." I noticed and he simply said nothing at my observation.

"Its not pleasant." He admitted and my mind retrieved memories of Han solo being tortured for information in the Empire Strikes Back, particularly when all you hear is him screaming, at this, I involuntarily shivered.

"Sounds...." I couldn't think of a word to explain my uncomfortably feeling.

"Well, what do you think this Bray would want with train loads of ponies?" I continued past the dark ramifications of tearing into one mind for secrets. Stride gave a moment of thought.

"Truthfully I don't know but it seems something of cult. Who that cult worships and their goals are a complete mystery." He said simply. 

"Your very laid back for a guard." I said simply and he chuckled at that. 

"I have to be nice to civilians." he said jokingly. Before i knew it my anger and rage had subsided and I simply was just tired. I looked forward and the sun was just about to go down when I saw four shadows against the skyline. 

"Are those regular pegasus?" I asked and Stride looked ahead where i indicated. 

"Jumpwing, Surefire, Go ahead and clear the sky's of civilians." Stride ordered and the two leading bat-ponies both gave a crisp 'Sir!' before speeding toward the four pegasus. Gilda banked toward me on my other side with Spike on her back. 

"Whats up?" she asked and I looked at her. 

"There are some pegasus up ahead and they are clearing the sky's." I said before Stride was able to. 

"Oh that makes sense." Spike offered before we all lulled into an awkward silence. 

"I'm sorry." I said after a minute. Gilda scoffed and I looked up at her surprised. 

"You just needed some space all griffins have a temper, hell look at me." she said with a smile I couldn't help but give a small laugh as Spike laughed out-loud.

"I get why you were frustrated Feather, I was too when they told me what I told you. But realistically we don't have any leads." he said factually and I could only agree with both him and Strides points, no need for me to walk around with this anger and rage in me. 

"SIR!" Came a loud exclamation from the new lead bat-ponies. Stride's face hardened instantly. 

"What is it?" He demanded flying forward. 

"Jumpwing and Surefire are completing combat Arial maneuvers." He notified and I turned my gaze to the pegasus group. It simply looked like they were chasing one another. 

"It looks like they are just flying." I said simply as I looked at Gilda who's features were hard as she looked at the far off group.

"Gilda?" Spike asked.

"They are under attack." She said calmly. Stride stopped suddenly holding up his hoof as the group stopped to a hover. I was slow on the uptake and slower to come to a hover as Stride began to give orders.

"Kite, Violet, Marko, Cloudy, Duskray, and Hightop. Stay with the prisoner and civilians. Rest of you Crackling Raze formation!" He ordered and the rest of the group seemed to fan out and change elevation. It was for lack of a better word organized chaos. I un-slung my bow and removed and arrow.

"Please stay here." A light brown bat-pony mare said as she placed an armored hoof on my shoulder. I remember Stride calling her Kite. 

"But." I began and she shook her head cutting me off. 

"We have trained for this and I think you have never fought another in arial combat. It's different then ground combat." She said calmly. 

"What can we do?" I asked looking after Strides group as they sped to help their comrades.

"Be patient." she said with a disarming fanged smile and I simply nodded keeping my bow ready but remaining beside Kite, Spike, and Gilda  who looked worried.

"What is it Gilda?" I asked and she cast a glance at me and then looked back at the attackers. 

"Why four?" She asked simply.

"What do you mean?" I questioned unsure the reason why the number of attackers was important. 

"We have 15 of Luna's guard. If you wanted to attack them why so few?" she asked again and my stomach fell after a long minute as it dawned on me. 'they wanted to divide us' I said almost a whisper and I looked down towards the forest scanning for anything, Hoping I was just paranoid. I looked at them with wide eyed fear. 

"What is it?" Spike said with concern as I felt a rush of air pass right by my head from the ground and suddenly the trees below us burst with life as seven crimson robbed pegasus charging us.

"Break up!" Kite screamed in surprise and the Guards banked away. Cloudy who was hooked up to Vin's Prisoner chariot banked hard as four beams of magic whizzed past her. 

"Unicorns!" Gilda called out as she just dodged another bolt of magic from the ground. 

"Fall back towards the city!" Kite ordered as she hit her forehooves together and a set of long bladed talons slammed into place as she turned herself lashing out with the blade slicing the left wing off at the joint. 

"That four hours away!" Gilda interjected. 

"You got a better idea!" she screamed back as adrenaline broke through in her voice.

"Gilda!" I called out in alarm as hooded pegasus sped towards her and in a fluid motion drew my bow string back and released the arrow that sailed straight. It found purchase in the darkness of the hood with a sickening thud causing the pegasus to stop flying entirely and plummet towards the ground. Spike clung to Gilda's back holding on for dear life giving out a shrill cry as Gilda banked hard to follow after Cloudy and the prisoner chariot. 

"Feather!" I heard and whipped my head around jut to see a crimson robbed pegasus slam into my side clutching me in a deadly hug. My lungs seized and I felt like I was a rock plummeting towards the earth. With my bow clutched in my claw I punched the pegasus in the side of the head and the flying creature was unfazed by my bludgeoning attack. I extended my right hand and sunk my claws into the ponies neck feeling little resistance and I tore it free ripping the hood back in the process. 

The world froze for a split moment as I looked upon the face of a decaying corpse whos milky white eyes stared at me emotionless. 

"What the fuck!" I screamed out as I looked up to see Violet, a black coated dark pink maned streak of a Bat pony dive after me and sinking her battle talons into the back wings of the zombie pegasus. Its grip loosened as she pulled back severing the wings, I twisted feeling a flare of pain in my ribs as I hovered for a moment and moved to join the rest of the group. Violet looked at me with a look of concern. She had seen the zombie as well. 

"Lets move." She ordered and I did not argue and followed after her. We stayed closer to the treetops and soon we were out of the range of the unicorns, but with a glance back we were being pursued by several hooded flyers.

"Sound-off!" Kite ordered. Several of the group stated their names. We were down Marko, Hightop, and Duskray. Violet visibly clenched her teeth as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Kite!" I yelled and she looked back at me.

"They are Zombies!" I yelled out and she faltered in flight. 

"Are you sure!" she asked unbelieving. 

"Hes right I saw it." Violet confirmed as she wiped her eyes and hardened herself. I heard Kite curse loudly as she looked out ahead and then banked to her left and we followed her. 

The mountains rose up high as spindly fingers and atop on of them was a massive skull with a singular hole for what would have been a massive eye. Kite aimed for the base of that mountain and we followed after her hoping that she was not taking us to a place that we would most likely die. I thought my little pony was suppose to be all sunshine and rainbows....what I am getting is far from that experience. My ribs felt like they had been cracked my wings hurt from the constant movement. I spared a glance back and saw our pursuers were closer now. I guess that was a con being alive, you had finite stamina. 

"Where are....we...going?" I said through gasps.

"Fort....Skull." Violet said just as exhausted. We rounded a cliff and a small sturdy fortification at the base of the cliff. What was a fort doing way out here, was my first question but I really didn't care. We approached the walls but they seemed fairly empty which caused me to be concerned. Seven pegasus burst from the fort rocketing toward them. Suddenly a voice boomed from the fort.

"Unknown ponies you are nearing a military complex please turn around and go back the way you came or we will be forced to persuade you to go on your way." the feminine voice said in a stoic and solid tone. The Pegasus from the fort were close enough and Kite yelled out. 

"Protocol: Broken wing designation Luna is the moon!" she called out as the lead pegasus slowed looking confused.

"Situation to much for Luna's elite?" he said in a mocking tone witch irked me.

"Being pursued by undead." she said ignoring the barb and the pegasus's demeanor changed. 

"Bound. Relay this to Commander Granite." He said to a light blue coated stallion who turned to sped back to the fort and he looked at us with a look of sympathy. 

"We got you." He said as He looked towards the sky that had several undead closing he smiled, as our group passed him and I looked behind me to see six pegasus hovering looking at 16 robed undead approaching them.

"Wing blades!" He ordered and suddenly the six pegasi flexed their wings and just under their wings were sheaths that they, with practiced grace, equipped blades onto their wings that glittered in the dusk.

"For Celestia and Equestria banish these creatures back to Tartarus!" he ordered and they attacked.
> Fort Skull
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We touched down in the inner training yard as we took a breather we had been flying hard for little over an hour. Gilda was on the ground heaving hard since she had to carry Spike as well as deal with her broken arm. I trotted up to her as Spike had jumped off of her as soon as they touched down. 

"How are you Gilda?" I asked and all I got was a weak smile, I placed a comforting claw on her shoulder. 

"You are a beast Gilda." I commented with a smile. I then turned my attention to the walls and with a slight squeeze I flew to the ramparts and landed by a older looking unicorn mare whose light pink coat seemed contrary to her black mane that was beginning to have wisps of white and grey in it showing that she was getting on in years. 

"You can go on." She offered and I shook my head. 

"Lt. Stride and seven others were behind us. I hope to see them." I said and she grimaced. 

"Undead are a rare sight indeed but these numbers." she said shaking her head leaving the meaning all to clear. 

"I have faith they will make it." I said more for myself then anypony else. We were quiet after that and my eyes focused on the fighting that was getting closer to the fortress. Out of the six pegasus that had just been there two were no longer in the sky. 

"Do you have any swords?" I asked suddenly and the unicorn looked at me with an appraising eye.

"We do but you just got here, are you not tired?" she asked.

"I am but I can still help." I said seeing another pegasus fall as two zombies bared down on him.

"Bring it back." she said simply as she levitated her own sword from her sheath. I griped the hilt and felt the weight in my claw as soon as she stopped using her magic. I beat my wings twice and was hovering in the air and before I was able to take off three dark figures sped past me, Kite, Violet, and Cloudy sped toward the battle. I blinked and quickly flew to catch up to them. As soon as I caught up to them I locked onto a Zombie chasing  the leader of the pegasi unit who was dealing with three of the ghouls. I flew higher and then dived toward my target and upon getting there I used my wings to put myself into a spin and made it look like i was swinging my sword like a baseball bat and decapitating the zombie. The congealed blood and gore flung in a line as I looked to the next enemy and suddenly two zombies charged me with gnashing teeth and a deep guttural urge to kill, destroy, and generally crush anything flooded my mind filling my vision with a hazy red. A scream ripped from my throat that came out as a rage filled cry of a hawk as I rushed them head on. I swung my sword down in a cleave that bit into the brain of the first zombie, that ripped the sword from my grip as its momentum carried past me. I then threw my claws forwad and crashed into the other zombie as i felt a crunch of bone and then a flare of pain erupted as the zombie bit down on my shoulder. I uppercut the undead causing its head to snap back as we fell from the sky. 

I flared my wings and turned us as I tore at exposed flesh and punched the undead violently. The ground rose up to meet us and with a pushed I separated us as the zombie crumpled lifeless on the ground. I surveyed the air and saw that the zombies that had seemed to be winning just a few minutes before were now struggling. I looked at the ground again and saw a pegasus moving and turned over his wing bent at an odd angle. I also saw the zombies body I had dispatched with the sword feeling my initial rage and uncontrollable fury simmer down and be replaced by simple adrenaline. I flew over to the sword and removed it with a sickening sucking sound and I approached the pegasus and landed.

"You ok?" I asked and he looked up at me with a wry grin.

"Peachy." he said sarcastically as he coughed up blood. 

"Funny." I said as I bent down and offered my claw to him, he took it and found himself to his hooves. his back right leg didn't support his weight and sucked in a painful wince.

"Lookout!" a feminine voice called out and I looked up to see a zombie barreling down on us and my stomach did a flip as I realized I couldn't get out of the way quick enough. A dark gray streak collided with the robbed zombie with hooved talons and they struck the ground in a spray of dirt pine needles and sticks. I ran over to see if i could help but I saw the hooded zombie on top of his savior and after a moment the body moved, I raised my sword to finish it, but that wasn't needed as the body slumped to the side revealing a bloodied but alive Stride.  

"Stride!" I said feeling a weight lift off of my shoulders that I hadn't known was there. 

"Your not supposed to be fighting." He said with a smile as he got to his hooves. I looked up and saw that several of the bat-ponies join the fray as they turned the tide against the undead. The wounded pegasus hobbled over to us and gave Stride a nod. 

"Sir." he said respectfully. 

"You did good, are you able to get back to the fort with assistance?" Stride asked and the pony grimaced but grudgingly nodded. Stride looked at me and a look of worry flashed across his features. 

"You take him back to the fort and get that wound on your shoulder looked at." He ordered me and I thought about objecting but his look made it clear this was up for debate. I turned to the pegasus and got him to get on my back as I grunted under the added weight as I flew towards the fort. Soon I heard the flap of wings and Kite was beside me with a large gash on her chest to her shoulder. 

"What happened?" I asked concerned.

"Bones are sharp on the wingtips of those Zombies." She said as she winced.  We flew over the walls and into the training yard where medical personnel run to us as I  helped the pegasus off of my back and onto a stretcher. I sat down as a unicorn mare began to examine my wounds. Gilda jogged up to me with Spike in toe. 

"Why did you go out?" she asked

"I felt like I could help." I said numbly as I saw Gilda's look of anger. 

"What about if you were killed?!" she said harshly and I stood up angrily.

"So what If I was!" I retorted and everypony looked at us uneasily.

"Think before you act you idiot!" she said as her face changed to one who was breaking as her eyes became wet with tears. All the anger I felt in that moment evaporated and I took half a step back. 'Why was she crying?' I asked myself as she turned away and strode off in a huff. Spike stood there a moment and turned to me. 

"We were worried when we looked back to see you gone and when they said you went back...Gilda freaked out. She was to exhausted to go after you so we had to wait. Just....you...your our friend Feather, we care about your well being." He said with a weak smile and Spike jogged after Gilda. 

"How are you?" the Unicorn whose sword I had borrowed asked.

"I don't know." I stated solemnly as the sword levitated up and into her sheath. 

"If its any consequence, you fought like a winged demon. Every time I see griffin magic it gives me pause." She said with a chuckle. I frowned and looked at her confused.

"Magic?" I asked perplexed and the Unicorn smiled.

"My name is Commander Granite and well magic from a unicorn is different from a pegasus and the same applies to you griffins." She said 

"I was just...angry." I said simply as she looked me up and down as I pulled back in pain as bandages were applied to my wound.

"A Berzerker?" she asked concerned but was cut off by the arrival of the other pegasus and bat-ponies. Stride landed as his talons clacked against the ground and he looked at Commander Granite and she looked at him and a look of detest flashed across her face. 

"Stride..." She said contemptuously. 

"Granite." he replied evenly and I looked between the both of them and asked the stupid question. 

"Do you....know each other." I asked tenuously and Stride was the first to answer. 

"That...Feather is a complicated question." he said and Granite scoffed at that. 

"Get your head out of your ass Stride what brought you to my fort." she asked in a harsh angered tone.

"We were ambushed by undead." He said simply and she wirled on him jabbing her hoof into his chest. 

"Celestia's sweet Phoenix Stride. Why were you being ambushed by undead!" she questioned angrily. At this Stride remained quiet and Granite's ears flattened against her head in irritation.

"The prisoner if i had to guess." I offered and Granite wheeled on me as Stride sighed. 

"What's so special about this prisoner?" she asked.

"This is not the place to discuss this...shall we go to your office." Stride intersected to stop me from giving out information not everyone was meant to know. Granite eyed him and nodded then looked to me. 

"You come too." she ordered and I stood up to follow. 


I was told to get Gilda and Spike because we were key witnesses to all of the events proceeding everything. We all filed into Commander Granite's office and She found her seat behind a stone desk that was engraved with runes that I could tell glowed faintly with power. 

"From the beginning." she asked and looked at Stride who took a moment to gather himself and then moved into the explanation.

"We received Intel of a serious matter regarding missing ponies from a letter delivered directly to Princess Celestia. Because of the night was descending, Princess Luna dispatched a contingent of the night guard and we moved along the tracks till we found a lone train stopped on the tracks. We found the conductor who was bound. We left two to guard him and fanned out till we found the camp of the slavers who were in combat against two griffins, Cerberus, and Spike the dragon." he explained as Granite listened intently as her eyes widened at the mention of Cerberus.

"Your telling me that you three took on a group of slavers alongside Cerberus the watchdog of Tartarus." She asked suspiciously as Spike smiled. 

"He showed up in Ponyville and we were tasked to get him back." Spike explained. 

"You and the two griffins?" she asked. 

"No just Feather Beak and myself. Gilda we met along the way." Spike explained and Granite nodded looking between Gilda and myself.

"Ok so whats next in this epic story?" Granite asked suddenly and I spoke up. 

"We were able to capture one of the slavers, the one we were transporting to Canterlot for further questioning. All we got was that the pony that was a donkey named.....what was it?" I asked Stride and he paused before he spoke. 

"Bray." he said simply and it was Granite's turn to have a look of speculation. 

"The cult of Grogar...." she said almost to herself. 

"Grogar?" I asked unsure and then Stride cursed.

"That is only speculation."  Stride said and this earned Granite's scoff. 

"Tell me if this is not the work of Grogar the Necromancer." Granite's statement rang out with conviction and that left the room with a quiet silence. 

"So why can't it be Grogar?" I asked Stride who again took a moment to answer. 

"Hes locked away in Tartarus." He said halfheartedly.

"The same place that Cerberus was guarding?" I asked sarcastically and Stride was quiet a moment.

"Do you think hes the one who escaped?" I asked out loud and Stride facehoofed. 

"Somepony escaped!" Granite exclaimed standing.

"Who!" she demanded.

"I don't know that information." Stride said quickly and Spike looked like for a moment he was about to barf and then he belched green flame and a letter floated down as he caught it. 

"Who?' I began to ask as Spike opened the letter and began to read over it and his face contorted in confusion he looked up at us.

"Who is Tirek?" Spike asked noone in particular but the looks on both Stride and Granite's face both paled. 

"We are so bucked." Granite whispered.
> Returning Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room was silent for a moment as Spike asked his question. Commander Granite and Lieutenant Stride both looked at Spike.

"Tell me that was not from Princess Celestia." Granite hoped.

"No." Spike began and Granites face seem to relax only slightly before Spike finished. 

"Princess Twilight sent me this telling of an Escapee named Tirek and that I am to get home as soon as possible." He finished. Granite Stood up shakily before walking to a file cabinet, opening it and removing a bottle of what I assumed to be alcohol and levitating several glasses. The Liquid inside the bottle made my eyebrows raise. It was like a liquid rainbow trapped in a bottle, and as it sloshed around it constantly changed colors but always remained several colors of the rainbow. She placed it on the desk and uncorked it and offered it to Stride who took it gratefully. I looked at the bottle and as she placed it down I read the label as 'Apple's Finest Zap Apple Whisky'. From my limited knowledge of my little pony when I watched it as a show Zap Apples had a long process to be a jam, I could only imagine the process of making Zap Apple whisky. 

"How did you get that?" Stride asked picking up the glass smelling it before taking a sip and giving an uncharacteristic sharp toothed smile.

"It was a promotion gift from Celestia. It was in her stores." She explained as she poured herself a glass. Granite looked at the rest of us offering a drink I politely declined as Gilda nodded and received a glass. 

"Who is Tirek?" I asked as everyone beside myself and Spike had a glass in hoof or claw.

"An old enemy of Equestria." Granite began.

"He is a centaur who devours magic to make himself stronger." She continued as she saw my look of confusion. 

"So this centaur is out and able to devour magic, what makes him so dangerous?" Spike asked and even I could deduce the problem with a centaur that devores magic. 

"Everything we ponies do is influenced by magic. Our very talents and manipulation of the world around us." Stride explained. 

"I know that unicorns use it all the time." I chimed in but Granite shook her head. 

"The three races all have magic. Pegasus ponies can manipulate weather by literally touching the clouds, Earth ponies can cause the earth itself to become more bountiful with harvest as well as some can destroy stones with their bare hooves, Unicorns are most blessed with versatility but without the help of the other races we wouldn't be able to created the best in food production." Granite explained.

"Wow I didn't realize." I said surprised. 

"Tirek takes away that magic from all making them just....powerless." Spike surmised as he realized.

"How long has he been locked up?" I inquired.

"Well over a thousand years." Granite said and my eyes widened at that. 

"Wha-how?!" I asked incredulously. 

"He was locked away by Luna and Celestia in a battle that left them drained but able to confine him within the Island of Tartarus. As I heard it he was lured there by both princesses magic and they were able to subdue him with chains made by humans." Stride said as he took another sip of his drink. I looked at Stride again. 

"Humans?" I asked surprised. 

"Yea a bipedal race that were very powerful in their own right but...nopony knows what happened to them." Stride summarized. I looked down at my claws confused but didn't say anything more. 

"I would like to ask that you give us a platoon to escort us to Canterlot." Stride asked as he finished the Zap Apple Whisky. Granite looked at him a moment. 

"I feel like I need to go with you I need to be appraised of the situation of Tirek. No doubt there is a hunt for him right now." Granit said. Spike chose then to speak up. 

"Twilight also mentioned that they have entrusted Discord to find and subdue Tirek." he informed. Granite spate to her left and stood. 

"Truly the Princesses are swinging for the fences. Trusting Discord will only cause Equestria to fall." Granite said coldly. 

"Well let us rest for a night and be on our way in the morning." Stride offered and Granite nodded her head. 

"Ill get the platoon ready and lead it myself leaving my second in charge here. Dismissed." She said and Gilda slammed back the rest of the whisky in her glass as she placed it down. 


As we filed out of the office I approached Gilda she looked at me with a blank look. 

"How is your arm?" I asked sheepishly.

"It will heal." she said curtly.

"Listen I-I'm sorry I wasn't thinking about." I began and she sat on her heels and lifted her claw to silence me and I sat as well. She took in a breath and released it slowly. 

"that right...you didn't think. I...care about....your well being....you dweeb." She said and if I didn't see it for myself I would think that it was being used as a term of endearment.

"Have you apologised?" Spike asked from behind me and I looked at him.

"Yea." I said and Gilda punched me in the arm.

"Ow, why did you do that?" I asked rubbing the place she punched. 

"Because your a featherbrained idiot." she said and finished with a smirk. 


The night was simple we were given cots to sleep on as the wounded were tended to. Seven had perished in the skirmish that day both bat-ponies and pegasi were mourned. I found Kite along with Violet who was sobbing into Kites shoulder. I felt a presence beside me and saw Cloudy. 

"Duskray was Violets husband." Cloudy said solemnly as a touch of emotion crept into his voice.

"I heard that they were trying for a foal..." He said once more as he lowered his head and removed his helm. 

"I...I don't know what..." I began and he placed a hoof on my shoulder. 

"I am glad you helped how you did. If not for you who knows who else we might have lost today." He said and I finally looked at him and saw a large jagged scar leading from his left ear down the side of his face to his jaw. His eyes shifted to mine. His cat like golden iris's looked into my hawk ones.

"The days ahead will be hard...be sure to keep that strength of heart." He said as he placed his helmet back on and turned away to walk down the hall. I watched him walk away and I looked one last time at Kite and Violet before going my own way to find my cot and try and sleep. 


The morning came faster then I would have wanted and soon we were ready and now had around forty more escort ponies with Granite leading the way. We took off from Fort Skull in the early morning and were unmolested for the entire trip to the sky of Ponyville as Stride and Granite bayed us farewell saying that they will give there reports about our contribution. Gilda, Spike and I broke through the clouds and saw the town of Ponyville below us and I felt a sense of relief. It had only been a week but the week had been jammed packed with adventure and action that was almost to much for him. The group circled down and landed in front of the Golden Oaks library. Spike hopped down from Gilda's back running to the door throwing it opened and a sound of happy reunion could be heard. Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity all filtered out of the library and seemed to lose some steam of happiness at the sight of Gilda.

"Gilda?" Pinkie said with a unpinkie like glare. Gilda didn't say anything but looked away giving a click of her tongue. I looked between them and I could see that Twilight and Rarity both also didn't give warm welcomes. I stepped forward. 

"You should thank her." I stated and they looked at me. 

"You know what she did to Fluttershy?" Pinkie shot back.

"No, nor do I care. She saved Spikes life multiple times as well as mine. So if you don't like her were going to have a problem." I said and this caused them all to look at her again. Twilight was the first to speak.

"Gilda...I know we have had a rocky start....but thank you for helping Spike and Feather Beak." She said with an uncomfortable smile. 

"Yea...no problem." she said as she sat on her heels. I placed a claw on her shoulder showing I had her back. She looked at me over her shoulder and her features softened. Pinkie approached us and stopped. 

"You know what this calls for?" she began and my face deadpanned. 

"A party?" I guessed and she jumped up into the air making confetti explode from god knows where. 

"A PARTY!" she summarized ecstatically.
> Back home party.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The party was thrown in the golden oak again and it occurred to me how ironic a party was being held in a library. I had a non-alcoholic beverage in my claw and I looked at the cup as I swirled it around lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, it seems like you harbour much doubt." came a calm and concerned voice. I looked up and into the blue eyes of Zecora who then gave me a smile that conveyed happiness to see him. 

"Zecora...I missed you." I said as I took her into a hug. She smelled like dried herbs and moss just like her home did. 

"Its only been a week, did you finish the quest you did seek?'" she asked and I nodded slightly.

"We did but many more things cropped up on our way to deliver Cerberus back to his home." I confided. 

"Come and have a seat, ill give an ear to listen while you speak." Zecora said as  she guided me to a table that had many used paper plates with empty cups. I pulled a seat out for her and sat down beside her and began to regale her with all that had happened. I left out the gory bits and the parts about who escaped and the cultist only saying they ran into undead. After all of it my cup was empty and I sat back as Zecora had simply listened and asked some questions during the story but now after it all Zecora sat there quiet as her eyes seemed distant in thought.

"If there is any one thing to say, I am more then happy you made it back with no heavy price paid." Zecora began and leaned in towards me and placed a motherly hoof on my chest.

"You have endured much I can tell, but never could I have known what your heart now quells." She said with a sad smile. I felt a shudder through my body as my vision began to swim with tears. I had been holding back my fear, horror, and outright flood of emotions I had endured up to that point. It came at me in waves as I placed my head into Zecora's neck and began to sob uncontrollably into her neck feeling the hot tears against my cheeks. Zecora patted the back of my head as I wept and she said nothing but only held me like I wished my mother could have done.

"You ok?" Came a light voice from my side and I looked down and saw Spike who looked up at me concerned. I instantly lifted myself from Zecora and began to vigorously wipe away my tears.

"I-I'm fine man..." I said quickly and Spike held out his claw and I hesitated before taking it and with the strength I didn't know he had pulled me to the ground to hug him. It felt awkward as hell but it was nice. 

"You saved us too you know." Spike said and I shook my head. 

"It was a team effort." Gilda said from across the table I hadn't realized she had sat down. Spike released me and I found my seat again as Spike grabbed another chair from an adjacent table. 

"Yea...it was a team effort." I agreed as Zecora looked at Gilda and Spike. 

"I am glad that you all survived this trial, from what Feather has said it would make many ponies pale." She surmised, and Gilda looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

"That's just how she speaks." Spike interjected and Gilda simply shrugged her shoulders showing she didn't care either way. 

"What's been going on here?" I asked Zecora and she settled herself into a more comfortable seating position before speaking.  

"Rumors abound of ponies magic have been taken, I feel it to be a time of danger and foreboding I reckon." She said with a frown. 

"Are you in danger?" I asked instantly and she smiled softly. 

"Zebra's are no different then an earth pony Feather, I know not what come but Ill weather." She offered in confidence.

"I don't know if you can weather what comes, what comes is a villain known for being unstoppable." Spike offered as I looked at him. 

"What have you learned." I asked Spike as Gilda leaned in to listen. 

"You-know-who...has escaped and we sent Discord after him but there has been no updated repots from Discord. Princess's fear the worst and well...Twilight is at her wits end." Spike said with a look of concern. I took a moment to look around the party and saw that indeed Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Pinkie was making the rounds as well as Rarity who stood with Applejack. 

"Where is she?" I asked looking back to Spike. 

"The princess's summoned her just before the party. It sounded urgent." Spike said 

"Do you think they have a plan to stop Tir.....you-know-who?" Gilda asked and Spike simply shrugged. 

"This villen you speak of must be one of old, to make the princesses worry so." Zecora pointed out as she was the only one who didn't know of whom they spoke. I looked at Spike with a plead and he frowned for a moment then sighed and nodded. I then leaned over to Zecora's ear and whispered his name into her ear. Zecora was motionless as her eyes opened slightly. 

"Do you know that name?" Gilda asked and I guessed she did. 

"He is the fallen elder brother of Scorpan...." Zecora said quietly.

"Who is Scorpan?" I asked and it was Zecora's time to share what she knew. 

"A time long past there were two brothers, both were hungry for power and cared not for others. They found the pony folk who harboured much magic, and surely the outcome would be most tragic. Alas the younger brother befriended the pony folk, he pleaded his brother to stop and spare pony's the yolk. The eldest refused his brothers request, and so Scorpan sided with the ponies to have the elder arrest." Zecora explained to the group. 

"Wait. Your saying Scorpan helped the ponies to stop Tir...you-know-who?" Gilda asked. 

"If he still lives do you think Scorpan is still alive as well?" I inquired and Zecora shrugged with a shake of her head. 

"After stopping his brothers rampage, he walked away from the pony folk and never been seen to this age." Zecora said with a sad expression. 

"So if we don't have his brother how do we defeat him now?" I asked and an unsettling silence descended on the table. 

"What about the humans who helped by giving the chain?" Spike asked Zecora who looked at him perplexed. 

"Humans have not been seen in many a year, but I will say that if we ever meet them now you will know fear." Zecora said solemnly. At this I looked at her confused. 

"What happened to the humans?" I inquired, hoping to receive an answer. 

"Nopony knows the truth save two...I think you would know who..." Zecora stated and it took a few moments to piece it together. 

"Celestia and Luna." I said just loud enough for the four of them to hear. 

"You must know something." Gilda pointed out seeing that humans seemed to be important to me. Zecora throught a moment before looking at Gilda.

"They are the blankest of canvases, able to learn all and so they upset the balances. Both capable of great love or great evil, it seemed that the princess's saw them never being completely civil. It is said that they were cast away, never to be seen again so they say." Zecora explained before Pinkie arrived at the table with a wide smile.

"What's going on over here! It seems so serious." She said making a mock serious expression. 

"I've brought Drinks!" she said suddenly and gave out four cups filled with a liquid. I lifted it to my beak to take a smell. 

"Don't worry Feather no alcohol just how you like it!" she said with a chuckle as she cleaned the table of disguarded cups and plates. 

"Do you need help?" I asked about to stand. 

"No silly! This is your party I got this." she said with a infectious grin which caused me to involuntarily smile. Like a breeze she was there and then gone. Pinkie seemed to realize that I don't respond well to over the top energy all the time so it looked like the turned it down if only a little for my sake.

"what do you think the Princesses will do?" I asked to no one in particular. Spike shrugged and Gilda just sat back and sniffed the contents of the cup cautiously.

"If there is hot sauce in this I'm going to kill her." Gilda mumbled before taking a drink.

"Hot sauce?" I inquired but she just glared at the cup as if it was an enemy before taking another drink.

"Well there is nothing we can do really Twilight will be back sometime tomorrow." Spike said before her face scrunched up before giving a fiery green belch which produced a letter. Spike caught it with practiced ease and opened it. As he read it I looked at Zecora. 

"When do you want to head home?" I asked and she shrugged. 

"Anytime is a good time, excuse me I need to talk to Lemon Lime." She said as a lime green earthpony mare was waving Zecora to her. 

"Ah...ok just...let me know ok?" I said and she nodded as she lifted her cup and went to the mare. 

"That was well timed." Gilda noticed. 

"You realized that too huh?" I said as Gilda chuckled drinking again. 

"It seems Twilight will be back and I am to enact a lockdown..." Spike said not looking up from the letter.

"Is it about the T thing or about Vin?" Gilda asked spike who only then looked up at us. 

"The T thing." he offered.

"Why a lockdown?" I asked and Spike only shook his head. 

"I have to talk to the girls. It seems we need to stop the party. I think you will need to go home sooner rather then later." Spike offered and I nodded in understanding as I stood up. Spike hopped down from his seat and went to inform Rarity and the others. 

"You have a place to stay?" I asked Gilda who nodded. 

"Rainbow Dash and I go way back... we talked and she said I can stay on her couch." She said and I smiled. 

"Ill see you later then?" I asked and she gave me a genuine smile. 

"Sure you dweeb." she said before turning and hesitating for a moment and then turned towards me in a quick motion placed her beak against my cheek. I was baffled by the movement as she pulled away without another word and was out of the door. Zecora walked up beside me and smiled. 

"Did she just...." I asked bewildered. 

"Kiss your cheek? To think you were so meek." Zecora said with a small chuckle. I placed my claw to my face and the area around where she kissed me felt warm. 

"I hard the party is winding down, shall we go and leave the town?" Zecora said walking towards the door and I followed after her.  

The night air was crisp as we walked towards Everfree forest. My mind a muddle of thoughts and emotion, was it right to have a relationship knowing what I use to be? Do I like Gilda in that way? I shook my head visibly and a soft chuckle from Zecora made me look at her.

"Don't worry to much, it could have been the fruit punch." She said finishing with a smile. 

"M-maybe your right." I said not as confident as I thought I would be. We walked in silence as we weaved our way through the forest and came upon her tree hut in the forest. Zecora took the lead and opened the door. I walked to the fireplace and put my claw close to the base of what was once a fire. Over the past week I had learned that you could light a fire with just the remaining coals if it was warm enough. Within a minute or two I had a roaring fire back and it cast light in the room. I looked to see that there were now a second bed. 

"Did you get this for me?" I asked surprised. 

"I cant have your sleep on the ground, having you sleep only on the ground wouldn't be sound."  Zecora said from her kitchen area. I plopped onto the bed and felt is was comfortable enough and let the bed take my full weight and it creaked and I froze for a moment hoping it wouldn't break. 

"I didn't see Sand Paper at the party you think I still have a job?" I asked. 

"Sand Paper has been asking about you, it seems his hooves are full and needs you too." She said as she walked into the room balancing two cups on a small tray and I sat up taking one as she moved to sit on my bed and I scooted over to give her room. 

"Well at least I still have my carpeting job." I said with a chuckle and then took a smell of the tea that she had brewed. 

"Never really had tea in my old life." I began as I looked at it and took a sip. It was bland at first, then a spicy kick provided flavor. 

"Cloves?" I guessed and she smiled and nodded. 

"I know not of your previous life, but of what I have gleaned it was full of strife." She said after taking a sip from her own cup. 

"I...My mother passed when I was young. My father didn't fair well and became angry...all the time." I said as I involuntarily tightened the grip on my cup as a knot in my stomach I didn't realize was there tightened. A soft hoof was placed on my shoulder witch caused me to take in a ragged breath before calming slightly. 

"I don't want to talk about him...he was just a bad man. But ever since coming here you have been more like a parent to me then he ever was. I just want to say....thank you Zecora." I said looking up at her and her eyes looked into mine with a look that I could only describe as motherly.

"I know not about who you say you were, but know that I know you now and I like this Feather beak." She said in the rare occasion she did not rhyme. I put my cup down and hugged her. After finishing our cups we climbs into our separate beds and let the darkness take us. 

My eyes cracked open and saw it was still dark which confused me because I always slept till daybreak. I sat up feeling uneasy as I removed the blanket and went to the door and opened it looking to the sky. The stars were still out and I frowned. Was I in a dream? I opened my wings and took to the sky to take in my surroundings. Suddenly the moon shot down and the sun rushed to the sky and then darted across it as the two celestial orbs seemed to do a frantic dance before the sun finally stayed in the sky. 

"What the...fuck?" I breathed. 

"What has the sky in a tizzy, Its making me dizzy." Zecora's voice came from the ground. 

"Your seeing this too? I'm not dreaming right?" I asked and she shook her head. 

"As far as I can tell, we are not under sleeps spell." She said and I looked at the horizon and felt a sense of foreboding.
> Titanic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came to the ground and looked at Zecora concerned as she mirrored my worry. 

"We will eat some breakfast, then figure out what is at the nexus." Zecora planned and I nodded as I followed after into the hut. Breakfast was a quick affair od porridge and cinnamon. I went to the door and looked back at her Zecora.

"Ill meet you in town, Ill try and figure out what's going down." I said and she gave me a smile as I realized myself that I rhymed. 

"Go on Feather, no need to treat me like a tether." Zecora said as she began to finish up the dishes. I left the door and closed it behind myself as I took to the sky and began to fly towards Ponyville when out of nowhere a lance of purple lightning streaked in the sky above and I stopped to hover above the foliage. 

"What the hell?" I asked myself before going up towards the clouds to investigate. When I broke through the clouds I almost slammed into a purple alicorn. 

"Whoa" I called out as she passed me heading deeper into the forest. 

"Twilight?" I asked bewildered and began to follow her. 

"Hey! Twilight! Do you know what's going on?" I asked and she didn't answer and headed towards the dilapidated castle and landed on the ground. I beat my wings and landed just after her. 

"Twilight?" I asked suspiciously. 

"F-feather beak?" She asked looking back at me confused. 

"You really mush have somet-" I began to say as her horn overloaded in a myriad of powers and a bolt of pure energy crackled from her horn as she gave a look of strained control.

"Control....I just need to get control." She chided herself. 

"You...seem more powerful?" I hazarded a guess and she looked at me.

"You cant be near me I cant control the power yet so its dangerous to be near me." She said backing away.

"I can see that but how are you...how did you get so much power?" I asked and she looked at the ground as her eyes flattened against her head. 

"Its the only way that Tirek wont get the power of the princesses." She stated simple and after a few moments it clicked. My eyes widened and I sucked in a sharp breath. 

"Holy fuck.... They gave you all of their magical power to keep it from Tirek... So this morning." I began to ask and she looked up at me with a sheepish smile. 

"Its harder then it looks...controlling the rise and descent of both the moon and sun." She said mildly. I sat back on my heels placing a claw on my face. 

"I didn't know what the Princesses would have done but never had I thought they would put all the eggs in one basket." I said and Twilight also sat down. 

"I didn't want this. I'm more of a danger to the ponies around me. I need to bear this burden and keep the power from Tirek." She said straitening her back. I let my claw fall and began to think. 

"Can you beat him as you are now? You have to be the most powerful being in the world right now." I guessed and she looked at me and shrugged. 

"I suppose so but I cant say for sure I would need to run some tests." She said before she frowned realizing what she was saying and I gave a small chuckle. 

"Ok I get it, backs to the wall and Tirek knows about the three princesses but how does he not know about you...don't you have like a mural or a statue somewhere since rising to become a princess." I asked and she thought a moment then her eyes widened. 

"There's a stain glass mural in the castle." She said suddenly. 

"Where Tirek is heading I'm guessing." I said as my face deadpanned. 

"Oh horse punky." Twilight said. 

"Wasn't Discord tasked with stopping him what happened there?" I asked standing up.

"He betrayed us and is helping Tirek. That's how he's gathered up so much magic so far." Twilight said also standing. 

"How's he have so much magic?" I asked and she looked downcast. 

"He's stolen all the power from regular ponies from all the major cities and some minor ones. He has the power of millions of ponies from across Equestria." She said as her horn began to flare up as it fizzled and popped with barely contained magical energy.  

The ground shook and I looked around unsure how to deal with an earthquake. I lifted off the ground with my wings in a beat and watched as the ground trembled underneath me, Twilight followed my example and hovered next to me. 

"TWILIGHT!" A large masculine voice cracked through the air causing my blood to turn to ice in my veins. I rose up above the treetops alongside twilight and was treated to a spectacle that was both breathtaking and horrifying. A large centaur that towered over the village with red colored skin two massive horns atop his massive head. His beard was grey and eyes as black as night with golden orbs searching the village with a hunger that was bottomless.

"I KNOW YOUR HERE PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" he boomed and I looked to her as she gulped. 

"I don't envy you." I said with a weak grin. Twilight looked at me a face several shades lighter then she was just moments ago. 

"I don't think..." She began and I punched her shoulder causing her to look at me. 

"If there is any magical flying pony that can defeat an overgrown bad guy its you. Remember, Friendship is the real magic or something right?" I said knowing that I sounded as corny as a corn festival. 

"Ill help hide the townsfolk. just get him away distract him, you know teleport." I added and then against every fibre in my being I flew towards the town with a giant of an enemy that would easily kill me. 


Twilight was suddenly beside me and gave me a weak smile before banking off towards Tirek and I flew towards the town hall. 

The town hall square was empty stalls were half torn down and merchandise was strewn about haphazardly. I quickly approached the door and tried to open it but it didn't budge. I then knocked hard.

"It me Feather Beak!" I said and after a moment the sound of furniture was being moved. the door opened and I saw the looks of several dozen  ponies hiding in the hall. I waked into the main hall where everypony was huddled together. 

"Feather!" a small voice I recognized causing me to look around and saw Applebloom with Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle. 

"Girls...where are your sisters." I asked and know the Scootaloo was not Rainbow's sisters but the just as may have been.

"They went out to confront the bad guy." Sweetiebelle said as he eyes were wet with tears. I knelt down and brushed her face gently. 

"Have faith in them. Rarity and Applejack are strong. Rainbow is well Rainbow. So don't need to worry, stick with me and you will see them soon." I said with more confidence then I felt. I looked around and saw Mayor Mare and I made my way to her as the fillies followed after me. 

"Is there a place you can get the townsfolk out of here. They can be...crushed in one hoof stomp." I said quietly in her ear over the constant roar. Mayor Mare was giving a blanket to a stallion as she listened and she shook her head. 

"I have no place to take them that's better defended then the city hall." she said before looking at me. 

"What do you mean crush us he's large yes but only four ponies at most tall." She asked slightly confused as I mirrored her emotion. 

"When I last saw him he was the size of two houses stacked on top of one another." I said seriously and her eyes widened as the ground trembled again causing the lights to shudder and dust to fall from ledges and crossbeams.  

"I didn't think its smart to stay here. We should get out of town and go towards the forests." I urged and she looked at me now and I got a good look at her. Her eyes were more haggard as her usually more colorful coat and mane were dull almost muted. 

"What happened?" I asked bewildered. 

"He took our magic..." She said crestfallen. I felt my chest seize and looked at the fillies who were still as colorful as the day I met them. So they had been spared, probably thanks to the girls going to confront Tirek. I placed a claw to comfort her but it did no good. Suddenly the ground began to constantly rumble and then a deafening explosion brought everypony to the ground and I looked around in horror. 

"What the hell." I asked looking for the girls franticly and found them beside me now beginning to press into my body and I draped my wing over them protectively. The door was banged on as it was opened Big Mac came into the room looking about franticly. I raised my claw in the air and he saw me easily because of what I was. 

"Big Mac over here!" I called out and Applebloom's eyes opened and she stood up and cried out to him as Big Mac scooped her up into a tight hug. He trotted over to me and looked at Mayor Mare.

"We cant stay here." He said in a strong baritone voice. I stood up and nodded as I looked back a Mayor Mare who fought back the fear evident in her eyes. 

"Mah farm is far enough out of town an we can hide most ponies there." He said and I nodded in agreement, it was better then the woods of course less chance of beasts attacking but really that didn't matter when Tirek was out there rampaging. Mayor Mare stood up and found a desk and stood up high. 

"Everypony we are going to go for the Apple farm we can find shelter and safety there!" She said with confidence that I knew she had none of. 

"Big Macintosh will lead the way follow behind him." She ordered and without another word Big Mac went to the doors and placed Applebloom on his back as he looked out of the door. He waited for a moment after the rumbling slowed and he pushed open the door and lightly jogged out into the square using the houses as cover. I looked down at the fillies and lifted them both up and placed them on my back as I waited for the room to begin to empty. Mayor Mare hopped down from the desk and looked at me with a meek smile as she began to help the elderly. 

"When are we going Feather?" Scootaloo asked and I looked at her. 

"Were going to take up the rear so nopony gets left behind." I said as they both looked at me and both their faces set into looks of determination. 

"You ready?" I asked and they both nodded but I could feel them tense up against my back as I was the last to leave the hall. It was slow going but then magic in the air began to rise up and crackle. Rocks began to float off the ground and I hesitated a moment and above us a line of pure magic incinerated the tops of the houses we were using for cover. Several of the ponies froze in fear and I myself had felt the heat and crackle of electricity causing me to stop as well.

"Come one..." I whispered before clearing my throat and forcing out an order.

"Keep moving! We will be safe outside of town!" I said over the rumble and crashing it took a few physical shoves to get the ponies moving but they picked up their paces once moving again. The small convoy made it outside of town with further incident and soon the apple farm was in sight and ponies began to move with more enthusiasm towards the farm. Big Mac passed through the steel decretive arch and the mob of ponies followed after them Big Mac approached me and looked down the road. 

"That's the last of them." I confirmed his unspoken question. I looked back at the two fillies who had remained quiet the entire time. I helped them down and turned to them. 

"I'm going back. There may be ponies still afraid and scared in their own homes and don't know where to go. Also that monster is far from done. Even worse, there might be ponies hurt." I said as I looked up to Big Mac and he nodded.

"You have things handled here?" I asked as Mayor Mare and Ceerilee who I knew from the show of my little pony approached. Cheerilee had several fillies and colts under her care.

"Yup." Big Mac said confidently and I looked back to the two fillies 

"Stay here with Cheerilee alright." I ordered the two of them as Scootaloo looked like she was going to object and I shook my head.

"This is a job for adults." I said as I stepped back and opened my wings to take to the sky and felt a hug on my back leg that caused me to look down. Scootaloo hugged me and looked up at me. 

"Come back safe." She ordered then released me. 

"Crusaders honor." I said after a moment and then with a beat of my wings I rocketed back towards Ponyville.
> Rapid Response
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind whipped past me as I quickly came back up toward Ponyville. Large swaths of land surrounding the town was carved like a spoon through ice cream. Several of the houses were on fire and where the Golden Oaks Library once was, now a smoking ruin only  remained. I hovered there for a moment and looked over the town to the right of me and saw a titanic battle. Twilight was a small dot fighting a giant of a centaur. She landed infront of him and Tirek glared at her as her horn lightened and a beam encased Tirek pushing him back with I could only imagine tremendous force. 

"Holy shit." I whispered to myself as I took in the display of outright power. If I had to give a reference, the gigantic displays of power in the Dragon Ball series would match up almost perfectly. I pulled my gaze away and focused on the buildings that had been destroyed in the magic blasts and began to go from home to home calling out.

"Is anyone there!" I called out as I burst through a door and a support beam crashed to the floor causing me to shield my face and that when I heard it. 

"Mommy!" A small voice cried out and I jumped over the flaming beam and farther into the home. I lowered myself as best I could to lower my chance to breath in the smoke. I came to a door by the stairs and tried the door handle and instantly recoiled as the handle was hot to the touch. Must be that the room on the other side was engulfed. I strained to hear another voice. 

"Call out again! I'm here to help!" I called again as I coughed. 

"O-over here!" the small voice called out and I locked onto the origin as I rounded the corner and Under the staircase was a small colt and an unconscious mare. I couldn't make out who they were but I almost crawled to them. The colt looked at me with bot hope and fear as I gave him a reassuring smile. 

"Don't worry Ill get you guys out." I promised as I muscled the unconscious mare onto my back. 

"What's your name?" I asked and the colt looked around at the fires before looking at me. 

"Sm-Smokey Maze." he said shakily. 

"Smokey, were going to crawl along the floor and go towards the door ok?" I said and he nodded as I began to crawl. The smoke had gotten thicker and a solid layer was burning the top of my head as it broke the barrier. I stopped and looked left and right. I didn't recognize where we where, Smokey noticed my hesitation.

"You need to go straight and then left.... we can make it out there." He said through a hoarse rasp. I looked back at him and he looked no better then I must have. I didn't have any choice so I listened to the directions of the colt. Sure enough there was the door and the beam was fully engulfed in flames. I grabbed the colt and hold him under my arm.

"Take a breath." I said and he did so as I sucked in a breath as I leapt through the door over the fiery fallen beam. As soon as I made it out of the doorway the heat plummeted and the air seemed like pure bliss as I took in the gulps of air as I coughed. I had landed and the unconscious mare on my back was still slumped on my back. I noticed a bruise on her soot covered face as I laid her down. Smokey coughed beside me but looked no worse for wear and I turned my attention to the unconscious mare. I had taken first aid, It was a course they taught in school as well as something I needed constantly to deal with burns and cuts I received from my fathers wrath.

"Give me some space Smokey." I said as I laid the mare on her back as I began to go through the ABC's of rapid survey, Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Her airway was unobstructed, but she was not breathing. I didn't even hesitate as I plugged the mares nose and lifted her chin so I could open her airway as I pressed my beak to her mouth and blew into her lungs and began chest compressions. I began to think of the song 'Stayin Alive's' chorus as I pressed down on her chest. After thirty compressions I repeated the breathing and began again. Smokey's eyes were teary as he began to sob. I began to give a third breath and suddenly as if brought back from the dead she began to cough and hack as her lungs began to take in their own air. I turned her onto her side as her body shuddered and she continued to cough. 

"Mommy!" Smokey exclaimed as he ran to her side as I fell onto my rump breathing heavily and looked at my own injuries. I had multiple burns along my claws and arms. My feathers were singed and I could get a better look at the pair now. Both were earth ponies and Smokey was a navy blue coat under all that black soot, as his mother was a light green made dingy by the ash. She laid on her back now looking up at the sky as she smiled weakly at Smokey. I stood up as I looked down at them. 

"If you can make it. The apple farm is where everypony is gathering." I offered as she looked up at me and gave a nod. 

"Where are you going?" Smokey asked surprised. 

"There will be more ponies that need help." I said as placed a claw on his head.

"Keep you mother safe." I ordered and he seem to straighten and gave a nod.

"I will. What's your name?" he promised as he asked. I began to jog to the next house. 

"Feather Beak." I said over my shoulder and began to go through the houses again. 


Luckily the houses I searched all seemed to be empty. The fight between Twilight and Tirek had escalated and I looked up to see Tirek throw Twilight into a far mountain. I could only give prayers to her success. I found a few more homes that were not on fire and held ponies hiding. I gave them directions to go to the Apple farm, some agreed readily and some resisted. The ones who resisted I gave them an ultimatum stay there and get killed by magical forces that could kill an army in the blink of a eye or go to the safety of the farm. I did not receive much backtalk with my logic. I had made it though several houses when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"There you are! Playing hero again?" I turned around and saw Gilda landing on the ground. her once slung arm was now freed.

"How is your arm?" I asked and she flexed her claw. 

"Just sore but able to help." she said before approaching me. 

"What are you thinking coming here..." she asked with a note of concern. 

"They need help. Twilight is well..." I left it opened ended as Gilda already knew.

"I cant believe that she's going toe to toe with that monster." she said looking at the two battle outside the town. 

"You, me both. Come on, we can search more homes with the two of us." I said and she rolled her eyes. 

"Ill take the ones on the right you take the ones on the left." She instructed and I gave a nod before proceeding towards the next couple of buildings. I rounded the corner and saw the hospital where lots of ponies were gathering with wounded and hurt ponies.

"Gilda!" I called out to her and she stopped looking at the hospital. I opened my wings and began to flap but then topped to my side and crashed into the ground. I winced in pain and got myself to my feet. 

"What?" I asked perplexed as Gilda wheeled and hovered over me. 

"Your feathers are to damaged to fly..." She said woefully as she landed again. 

"I guess we can only get there on foot." I said as I began to jog towards the hospital. When we reached the back end of the crowd the sound of frantic voices and panicked eyes looked at the doors of the hospital where Nurses and Security guards were both holding back the tide as well as helping minor wounded. I was able to push my way though and saw a Guard holding a bullhorn, I waved him down and he looked at me confused. 

"We cant let anypony in, were at capacity." He said in a strained voice. It seemed he had been saying this for a while now. 

"We don't need help were saying capable ponies are to go to the Apple farm." I said and he gave a look for a moment and lifted levitated the bullhorn to his mouth. 

"Everypony calm down! There is shelter being provided by the Apple family at Apple farm...Please move there if you are looking for shelter!" He boomed. Many of the ponies looked uncertain. 

"Gilda can you lead them?" I asked and she crinkled her beak in annoyance but didn't protest. 

"Fine...but you owe me." she said 

"Ok I'll take you out or something." I stated as she looked at me and her eyes softened. 

"Ill hold you to that." She said as she jumped up and hovered. 

"All of you looking for shelter I'm you guide, lets go you panicked bunch!" She said as she began to fly in the direction around the town. A large chunk of the group followed after Gilda and only the one who had family members being treated and those who were injured and looking for treatment were left. The guards began to let the nurses and doctors into the smaller crowd to do triage. I now could see a similar stripped pony helping the nurses and doctors triage the ponies and I jogged over to her. Zecora was tired that much I could tell. Her saddlebag was stuffed with poultices and potions for healing and soothing. She saw me and her eyes seemed to light up. 

"You are safe." she said with an exasperated sigh of relief. 

"I am." I confirmed but then she gave me a more critical look over. 

"You look like you fought a fire, always being hurt must be your desire." she said as she pulled out a green paste and began to apply it to my burns. Instantly I began to feel a cooling sensation I didn't realize I wanted till it was applied to me.

The tremors had been constant with the large magical battle that was happening. But suddenly everything went still as I looked to the direction of Tirek. He was breathing heavily and a look of irritation was smeared across his face as he finally threw his hands up in the air and gave a roar before he turned to where I guessed Twilight was.

"If you don't give me your magic you will never see your friends again!" Tirek said as several orbs I couldn't quite make out hovered above him. After a moment I hear him laugh out loud as he lowered the orbs save one. 

"Discord? but he betrayed you...alright fine." He said after a moment of consideration and the last orb floated down out of sight. My heart sank, that only meant one thing. Tirek opened his mouth and I could see him engorge himself on all of the magic that had inhabited Twilight.

"Well were screwed...." I said watching Tirek grow in size till his horns cut through the clouds above. Tirek flexed his hands and his arms bulged with new found strength. He threw his head back in an evil laugh as he lifted his arms to the sky in victory. After his manic laughter he turned his focus on the small town of Ponyville and with a smirk began to walk towards it. My blood had run cold Ponies around me began to fully lose themselves in mind numbing fear. This is it...were going to die and nothing can stop him. 

Suddenly a new source drew my attention. A ball of white pulsating light caused Tirek to stop and looked back at it. His eyes widened. 

"Impossible...I took all of your magic!" He exclaimed both in anger and in fear. A band of red arched from the sphere and slammed into Tirek causing him to shriek in pain. An orange band then arched following after the red and then a yellow followed by a green in quick succession. Blue, indigo and violet then completed the rainbow as all the beams then seem to snap into focus as they bared down on Tirek. Tirek tried to use his magic but it all seemed useless and before his body began to show cracks. 

"He's losing..." I said in wonder as he finally let out a cry of terror and he seem to shatter in a plethora of light which exploded into the atmosphere. some flecks of light descend upon the ponies around him and they began to get their color back.

"Their magic is returning...." I said wistfully as then the sphere descended. beyond the point I couldn't see it anymore. After another minute as we all began to look at one another make sure what we saw was not a dream. Another streak of light flew to the outskirts of town and buried itself into the ground. 

"What..the?' I began and the ground began to shake. Crystal spires exploded from the impact point and within moments a crystal tree house castle that absorbed and reflected the light now stood in its place. My mouth fell open as my eye became the eyes of dinner plates. 

"God mode much?" I asked out loud.
> Clean up and Construction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood there slack jawed looking at the newest edition to the town of Ponyville. By the time I pulled my eyes away from the crystal castle and surveyed the devastation Ponyville was going to be a in need of support and aid. Zecora stood beside me as she gave a sharp inhale as  she also surveyed the broken buildings and burning rubble. 

"The destruction that he has wrote, will need some elbow grease so says the famous quote." Zecora said with a smile as she looked at me. 

"That's an understatement." I agreed as I turned towards the hospital again and found the security guards helping ponies onto cots that were now being laid out in rows, and when the cots ran out blankets were placed on the ground. Zecora turned to go back to assist the nurses and doctors. 

"I'm going back out to look for other people that were hurt." I stated as I looked around and saw several families who were looking over wounded loved ones. I approached the guard who had the bullhorn. 

"Can I barrow that?" I asked and he looked at me quizzically. 

"Names Riot he said as he gave me the bull horn." he introduced. 

"Feather Beak." I said before looking at the gathered families who were looking slightly happy at gaining their magic back but worried about their loved ones.

"Anypony who is willing to help look for other ponies who may not have been able to escape the devastation. I need volunteers to help look for other ponies in need in the town." I said and several of the stallions and mares who were looking after their mother, sister, brother or friends began to approach me after talking quietly to them and soon I had a good group standing before me. 

"What do you need us to do?" A lead mare asked who looked at me expectantly. I lowered the bullhorn and gave it back to Riot. 

"We need to put out the fires." I began and several pegasi stepped forward. 

"We can get some clouds to rain heavily on the fires." A black Pegasus with a light teal mane said.

"Names Thunderlane." He said and I gave a nod. 

"Work from the left side of the city to the right." I said and he nodded and soon the pegasi were in the sky. 

"What about us?" The mare asked brining my attention back to her. Her light red coat and dark red mane with a rose cutiemark. 

"Rosebud." she introduced suddenly and I nodded. 

"Rosebud, take five other ponies and began to go house to house calling out for survivors." I ordered and she nodded picking five others before heading towards the town. I broke the rest into three more groups and I lead the last group into the town to look for survivors. 


The day was long and the groups found survivors in houses damaged or trapped. Unfortunately, we also found casualties as well. The only pro about it was how little they were. In a town of I guessed of maybe a thousand ponies there was a total count of a small number were dead, and around four hundred wounded. Wounds ranged from cuts and bruises to severed burns and mangled limbs crushed under falling debris. Twilight and the mane six after investigating the castle quickly the six of them began to help how they could. After searching the entire town and being told the numbers and that the damage to the city was not as bad as one would think. Rosebud approached me and smiled weakly. 

"We finally checked the outer houses, all we need to do now is clean up and reconstruction." She said expectantly. 

"You think I should be in charge of that?" I asked as I slumped with my back to the hospital tent. The tents were quick to go up after the major battle and at least the wounded were covered. 

"Feather Beak?" I heard my name called and looked behind Rosebud to see Twilight with Spike beside her flashing me a toothy grin. I stood back up and placed a claw on Rosebud's shoulder. 

"Get some rest and water you did great." I said as she watched me for a moment.

"You too." She said before I stopped infront of Twilight and Spike. 

"So what is that about?" I asked hooking my thumb at the castle. Twilight looked sheepish for a moment. 

"I don't rightly know. But I am here to help, and I've heard that you have been leading the rescue and recovery efforts." She said regaining herself. I scratched my head uncomfortable with the fact people were talking. 

"I just did what I could." I said simply as Twilight gave me a thorough look over. 

"You have multiple burns, cuts and bruises. If I looked at you from a distance you would look like a mummy." She said and I looked down at myself. I didn't look that bad, sure my chest and arms were bandaged with Zecora's cooling green paste and thankfully my face was spared of any damage. 

"What is the situation?" She then asked seeming to become more serious.

"You want to know what we have done?" I asked and she nodded to I began to walk towards the town and began my report of sorts. 

"The local pegasi lead by Thunderlane used the clouds to put out fires but some of the fires are proving a bit too much for mere rain clouds but they are doing their best. Rosebud, Soot Foot, Green Lime, Straight Sight, and myself lead teams into the town to look for survivors. We found something like over twenty five survivors trapped in houses as for the dead..." I said with a pause and Twilights throat seem to gulp as I paused. 

"Seventeen." I said and Twilights eyes became glassy as Spike placed a comforting claw on Twilight's foreleg.

"Rosebud has just informed me that the damage to the town is less extensive than what one would think from a disaster such as this." I said giving her a reassuring smile. 

"Seventeen dead." She said again quietly but not quiet enough for me not to hear. 

"You better not think something stupid like 'if I did something sooner maybe they would be alive.' kind of thing" I stated and she looked at me suddenly and I knew then that's exactly what she was thinking. I lifted a bandaged arm and hooked her neck pulling her into me as I put her into a headlock and she began to struggle.

"Let me go Feather!" She began before I chuckled.

"They are going to need your brain Twilight. Don't spend a moment thinking you failed. If you do Ill do put you in a head lock like this and then give you a nuggy." I threatened playfully and she stopped. 

"Whats a nuggy?" She asked and I balanced myself on my back hind legs and closed my other claw and began to rub her head rigorously and then she began to cry out and struggle even more before I let her go quickly. Twilight looked at me with daggers in her eyes. I lifted my claws up in submission. 

"You get me though right?" I asked and suddenly her eyes softened and she rubbed her head and fixed her mane. 

"I get it." She relented. 

"Awesome, cause I'm handing over all support and aid to you 'princess' We are going to need someone with mad organizational skills to concentrate the efforts of everypony to rebuild Ponyville. Are you up to the task?" I asked and she smiled. 

"Spike take a note." She said and like magic Spike had a scroll and quill in claw.


The next week was a blur of activity. I took up my job as a carpenter with Sand Paper who was swamped with work and thank whatever gods that the carpentry shop was spared from the attack. Gilda asked if she could help and I agreed to the grumbling of Sand Paper but who needed the extra hands to deal with the work load. The second day Celestia and Luna arrived with aid of food and medical supplies for the waiting homeless. Those who still had standing homes took in as many as they could. After everything many still came to me asking what they could do. I don't know why, Twilight was leading the recovery effort after I passed the torch. Houses went up quickly as Apple family from near and far came to help with the effort and they made short work of building houses.  Applejack was in charge of construction and worked closely with me ordering specific lengths of wood. Rarity worked tirelessly creating blankets and tents for those who didn't have a shelter. Fluttershy I met for the first real time as she helped Zecora and the nurses tend to the wounded which dwindled in number daily. Pinkie was in charge of handing out food and keeping the fillies and colts happy and entertained while most of the adults worked on reconstruction. Rainbow helped out with construction but mainly helped Twilight with getting messages to and from work-sites giving an up to date picture of the overall efforts of the rebuilding. On the last day my burns were nearly healed as my feathers were beginning to mend as Applejack approached me. I stopped debarking a log and gave her my attention. 

"Feather, How goes it?" She asked and I waved my claw. 

"I think if I strip anymore trees that I will be cursed by the spirits of the woods." I said casually as she gave a chuckle. 

"The last house is almost finished." She announced and I gave a smile. 

"No way really? That's quick." I stated and she gave me a smile. 

"Never underestimate ponies working together." She said with a smile. Gilda then approached me from behind and placed two finished boards on stack meant for the builders to pick up. 

"So I don't need to keep sanding these boards?" She said ruefully and I smiled and she gave me a look at my chest and then my face that looked almost...predatory. 

"No get back to sandin!" Sand Paper called out from the back and Gilda growled lowly but I grabbed her wrist and she stopped as she looked at me and I stole a kiss to her cheek. She looked at me and flushed red as she punched me lightly and I smiled. I looked back at Applejack who gave me a smug smile. 

"Looks like ya found a keeper." She said with a smile.

"Well I didn't expect to find someone I can like but the last week working together so closely I cant deny my feelings anymore...shes still stubborn about it though." I said with a wry smile as I picked up the de-barker.

"Would ya stop workin for a tick? Come with me would ya?" She said and looked to the back of the shop. 

"Sand you cumin?" She called and a curse followed by a bang was heard and he walked out with a bundle cloth in a saddlebag. 

"Gilda stop sandin were takin a break!" He called out and Gilda appeared looking frustrated. I put down the de-barker and walked beside Gilda who was grumbling about the old coot not knowing what he wants. Applejack walked ahead of us and I was only a little concerned at what they whatever Applejack wanted to show me and it seemed my boss was in on it. Well I didn't have to wait long till we rounded a corner and a large crowd erupted into cheers in front of a two story home that had a balcony on the second floor and a pleasant looking rustic look. I stood stricken and confused. Twilight and Spike walked forward and she gave a smile as the crowd settled down some. 

"Feather Beak, you have done so much for everypony and because of this we want to give back. Welcome home." She said stepping aside and gesturing to the newly build house. My mouth opened, I was speechless. 

"I...I" I began but I fumbled for the words and Pinkie was suddenly beside me.

"I think its time fore a House warming party!" she proclaimed as the crowd cheered.