Three days had passed since the heroes departed Canterlot on their trek to the Gryphon Kingdom. Since they were human (Katie being a look-alike of sorts), they were very unassuming to the normal pony. They had passed wet, dark caves and into an open plain, the only passage into their destination by land. No monsters had attacked them, thankfully. So they spent the day going over skills, weaponry and supplies whilst trying not to argue.

Katie, sadly, loved to argue. Though the word 'rape' or any mention thereof often did more than shut her up.

"Um..." Natalie stuttered, raising a hand to poke the fox.

"Yeah? Yer lookin' at me, so what do you want?" Katie asked, confused. She didn't even bother to turn around--it was as if she literally had eyes in the back of her head, for crying out loud!!

"Whenever...we say...a certain word, you suddenly fall silent. Why is that?" Natalie asked.

Katie's hand clenched into a fist and her hair suddenly covered her face. She started heaving at the very thought. "Too many bad men showed up at my door without my consent. I think you know what happened next."

Natalie felt bad now. She'd experienced the issue with the Beholder, but compared to this young kitsune, it had nothing on her. "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you."

"It's..quite alright. I just have to retain my anger. Just being reminded makes me want to travel back in time and kill those bastards. There's a reason they call me a Berserker," Said the fox-girl, heaving as she tried to calm herself.

"SHIT!" Lance shrieked, which caused Katie to look up and then around.

Beholders every-motherfucking-where.

EVERYWHERE.

"Yeah, I see your point." Katie hissed as an aura of blood surrounded her. Her right eye became a golden beacon as her wings extended to the length of Celestia's.

"TIME TO BRING THE PAIN, MOTHERFUCKERS!" Snarled the fox-girl as her head became more canine as though a full moon were out. She then howled like a savage beast before ripping many Beholders to shreds in one swift movement before landing elegantly on all fours.

"She's in Overdrive ALREADY?!" Anna squealed as she tried keeping the tenta-pervs away from her. They were sliced by flames from the depths of Hell fired by yours truly.

"Keep away from me!" Matt said as he was already hoisted in the air.

Only to fall on his head as the Beholder trying to harm him was wiped from existence.

Another piercing howl sounded as Lance was spared from having his boxers removed as the Beholders fighting over him were tossed aside like mere twigs. All the while he landed on his backside and struggled to get dressed.

NoLegs saw two Beholders get rammed into each other like wrecking balls. He meowed.

Natalie screamed in the distance as Matt started chasing a whole group of the Beholders.

Katie was but a second too late--Natalie was kidnapped and dragged off to who-knows-where. She fell on her knees and her right eye went to normal as she started heaving.

"DAMMIT! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!" She hissed, one hand on the ground and the other being pounded into it. She started crying and sniffling as her own rage now mocked her. Her bloody aura ceased as she was on the verge of screaming.

"We were all distracted. It wasn't just you." Lance said sourly, clenching his fist and flat-out refusing to cry.

The fox-girl got up and rubbed her eyes on her arm.

"You're right. The ones I killed were fucking scapegoats." She sniffled, her voice still bitter with guilt. "Where'd they go?"

"They took her to where we're already going." Matt answered, trying to hide his own rage.

"So, follow the trail, get the element and Natalie and run the fuck back out?" Anna asked.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Katie answered bluntly. "We must get going. Lance, prepare the Valkyrie because foot-travel is getting us nowhere!"

Lance took out a walkie-talkie and held it next to his head. "Bring the Valkyrie here on the double. Do not fire any of its guns or nukes even when it arrives in my current location. We're storming the Gryphon Kingdom. I repeat, bring the Valkyrie here on the double."

"Yes, sir!" Replied a voice on the other end.

And then the monster-tank unceremoniously dropped behind the party as a dust cloud made them cough.

"Quickest arrival I ever seen." Katie admitted as she coughed and damn near hacked up a hairball.

"I invented inter-dimensional travel. What do you think?" Lance coughed.

Once her coughing fit ended, Katie cleared her throat and spoke. "I travel through time sleepwalking!"

"You shitting me?" Matt asked, clearly unamused.

"Nope." Replied fox-woman as she was the first to climb in the tank. "Do I have to carry your lazy asses in here?"

"Let's get moving, we don't want another beholder child." Anna said as she started climbing the tank herself.

"Point taken." Matt said as he put NoLegs on his shoulder and followed suit.

"When'd she become commander?!" Lancealot complained as he started climbing.

Time skip. AGAIN!

Lance was in the chair controlling the Valkyrie, typing random words and seemingly-meaningless numbers into a command prompt.

"Operation: Storm the Castle..." Lance said as he hit one last button, "...is now in session, bitches!"

With that, the wheels of the Valkyrie whirred to life as with the speed of Rainbow Dash the behemoth tank rushed toward the Gryphon Kingdom.

"We're coming, Natalie...and we're gonna get you out!" Everyone else said in unison.