Garren felt the wind below his wings as he soar higher into the night sky. The gales couldn't hold him back, he was stronger and faster than he was before. He would stay in the sky his entire life if he could, an impossible dream that was. A small part of his heart still yearned to live a peaceful life. When he looked at Lacoden he saw their past lives on Fallen Star. The happiness, the love, and the peace. His heart has been slowly being devoured by his lust for revenge against the griffons for destroying their life. And against Shadow for siding with them even though he himself once wanted to see the griffons wiped off the face of the planet. His own student, who was almost like a son to him, betrayed him.

Lacoden felt a pain in her sharp strong chest. She felt as if her heart was about to burst. She felt the presence of her other self trying to gain control over her mind. Her other self was stronger than before, Lacoden had trouble suppressing this parasite. Eventually her chest relaxed and the pain stopped. Her long inky purple hair swayed in front of her mouth as she gasped for air. She saw the Changelings glare at her with smirks on their ugly faces and shouted at them. She went below deck and continued on to the brig. Retina called her over and since Lacoden wasn't occupied she thought a conversation with her prisoner would soothe her. Why do you fight? What do you plan on doing after all this fighting? Were the questions Retina asked her. Lacoden answered the second question with, "sleep". The way she answered that made Retina curious. Lacoden was angry, stubborn, and terrifying most of the times Retina had spoken with her. This time she sounded depressed and lonely. Retina asked what she meant by sleep and Lacoden gave a somber answer. Lacoden used her magic to lift a sword from her side and moved it along her throat.

Lacoden sheathed her sword and stared at the cold wet wood below her roughed hooves. She pressed her head against the bars of Retina's cell and let out a sigh. Retina pointed out that Lacoden hasn't answered her first question yet. Lacoden was hesitant and stuttered as she answered her. Lacoden said that she didn't want to kill Dawn, she just wanted to wound her and then leave her for dead, like how Dawn had left her. She also said that fighting is all she knew. That no pony would ever see her again as the little filly she once was.

Retina was satisfied with what she got from Lacoden. Deep down she knew that Lacoden wanted a friend, perhaps like Dawn. Not a mentor like Garren who she couldn't reveal her true feelings to fearing that she would be announced weak. Lacoden laid on the deck and leaned against the cell. The ship gently rocked back and forth. The dark corridors of the ship were only lit by moonlight that seeped through the cracks in the ships. It smelled like rotten fish and rats, it was a familiar odor to Lacoden so it didn't bother her so much. Lacoden listened to the waves run into the ship as if it were a lullaby. She took her white coat and used it as a blanket and levitated a nearby sack of grain as a pillow. Sleep had begun to bury her.

Lacoden woke up to the sound of seagulls cawing. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the deck above and felt rejuvenated. She rose slowly and stretch her legs and straightened her messy hair and cleaned her dirty coat with her magic. She looked behind her and saw that Retina was fast asleep. Her coat was levitated onto her back and she trotted to the top deck. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She ordered the Changelings to scrub the decks like she did routinely. Garren was at the helm staring at the wake of their ship. Lacoden met with Garren.

"Morning," Garren said with content. Lacoden nodded in reply, "Three years without fighting has made us soft, don't you agree?"

"Aye. I've noticed the winds have been pushing west more strongly than usual. They are coming."

"The faster the better, Lacoden." Something in the sky caught Garren's eye. It hit the surface of the ocean. "Hold on." Garren flew over the railing and glided over the water to the object. As he drew closer to it he saw that it was a feather. He cupped it in his hooves and flew back to the ship. He gave the feather to Lacoden, "Not of a bird. Do you know what this is, Lacoden?" Garren's face became stern.

"Griffon." Lacoden answered angrily. She looked up into the sky, "Must be above the clouds."

Garren rushed to the railings in front of the wheel and shouted, "Prepare for battle!" The Changelings dropped their tools and rushed below deck for blades. When they were ready Garren ordered, "Do not let the griffons slash our sails! And they must reach Fallen Star. Kill as many as you can. You are all bred to fight, do not let the griffons put down the name of Changelings any longer!"

Griffons were a proud and cocky race. They put have placed themselves on a pedestal above every race, including a dragons. Something that the Changelings and Garren can agree upon. Even though the Changelings weren't as smart, strong, or fast compared to griffons their loyalty was absolute to their queen.

"They are more combat ready than before, Garren. Let them take the first wave." Lacoden said. Garren nodded in agreement, "Changelings, I want a quarter of you to fly up into the clouds and bring some griffons down. Make them want to come down and fight us! We are greater in numbers. Overwhelm them." Lacoden had the same order relayed to three other nearby ships. A flare was shot into the air as the signal to attack and in an instant Changelings ascended. There was an eerie silence after the first wave of Changelings had flown into the sky. They all watched the sky but couldn't see pass the thick layers of clouds.

Anxiety was building up in the rest of the Changelings. Garren and Lacoden remained calm. They saw a few shadows appear. They were bodies. Bodies of griffons and Changelings splashed into the ocean and splattered on the decks of the ships. Raining down after them were blades and swords. "Cover!" Lacoden shouted. They found shelter under the decks and the cannons.

Lacoden cast a spell to protect her from incoming objects, she walked out from under the wheel and found a griffon gargling blood. She equipped her sword and cut his head off. Her blade was as fine as ever. She felt no resistance cutting through its thick layer of feathers and bone. She held her sword in front of her and a dark grin carved her face. She ordered another wave of Changelings into the sky.

Garren readied himself and shot up into the sky after them. As he was flying higher and higher bodies and weapons came raining down. With his quick reflexes and agility he was able to evade them with ease. What Garren saw above the clouds was incredible. A battle like nothing he has ever seen. The cries from the Changelings and shrieks from the griffons filled the air. Their blood rained down upon the ships an apocalypse had begun. He rushed into battle like a filly at a candy store. His adrenaline and excitement was in control of his mind.

A pair of griffons charged to Garren and he charged back. Seconds before the lances of the griffons could reach Garren, Garren cut to their left and stabbed one of the griffons in his ribs then pushed him into the other. He pulled his sword back and reached over to the other warrior and sliced his wings. They fell cawing for help. Garren noticed that the griffons were regrouping a ways back. The Changelings regrouped behind Garren.

"They plan on attacking you all at once, Garren." A Changelings panted.

"That they are. Leave them all to me." Garren flew a few yards in front of his Changelings and took in a deep breath. He swiped his sword in the air to get rid of the blood that had smeared it.

He exhaled and uttered his incantation, "Zaz." The clouds began to to swirl around Garren and a howl poured their way into the ears of all around. A black aura had turned the once snow clouds into a shroud of black. His sword had been risen to his face. He started to glide slowly to the griffon army. Commander Talon had ordered her archers and magicians to fire at Garren. They shot missiles and spells they were knocked away by Garren's aura. Her army was not going to let him kill them without a fight. They charged.

Garren sliced at their thick necks as quick as a praying mantis reaching for its prey. His hearing became selective. He heard nothing but the sound of flesh tearing from bone. Screams and the clashing of metal was inaudible to him. His sword felt like a feather; he swung and stabbed with a swiftness that made him feel like a waterfall. A constant battery of strength that didn't stop for anything even for the most stubborn of rocks.

The pools of blood didn't fall to the ocean during this time. It stayed afloat like it were a cloud. Not like the bodies, armor, and weapons that fell. Commander Talon was on the brink of surrender before Garren stood before her. A few guards froze in their place, Gizzard among them. They trembled with a unearthly amount of fear. Their bodies rattled their armor. Garren placed a hoof on the chest of one of her guards and brought him in front of her.

Garren's white coat shaded as he absorbed the life force of that griffon. He felt rejuvenated. He had absorbed a fraction of the guards life force. Garren finished him off with a slow stab to his chest, twisting his blade and then retracting it. Commander Talon and two of her guards were spared. Unfortunately Gizzard was not. Gizzard aged before their eyes from a sturdy and tough warrior to frail and ghastly. His throat too weak to even cry for help and his claws to heavy for him to lift. Garren kept his physical appearance but his bones became more solid and his organs felt newer. Garren released Gizzard from his grip and dropped him alive. Gizzard's body slapped the ocean with a loud report, his body floated among the other thousands of dead griffons.

Commander Talon and her guards relieved themselves of their weapons and armor then, flew away in shallow defeat. They have never felt so much shame in all their lives. Garren and the Chnagelings descended and as Garren's aura faded away the blood above followed them down. Trickling down their necks and hitting their sails, turning the water into a dark crimson. Lacoden bowed in respect to Garren, he replied with a bow.

About fifteen minutes later the dead silence of victory was interrupted by the hundreds of sea creatures and seabirds that filled their stomachs. Commander Talon's two remaining warriors,out of the two-thousand she had brought, were deep in silence. Her eyes overflows with tears of shame and defeat. Her wings weigh her down. A needle continually stabs her heart.

Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Much less dialogue than usual :)