Ephialtes snorted awake and took in his surroundings quickly. He looked down and found Hestaria still wrapped in his forelegs. She was snoring lightly as he gave her a quick and tight squeeze. She gasped and looked up to Ephialtes with a glare.

"I was having a nice dream you ass." She said with a smile.

"I'd hope I was in it." Ephialtes said with the same cocky smile.

"Actually, it was the Commander."

"Oh was it now?"

"Yeah, he looked good in a dress."

"Another word about it and you can stay here with the griffons." Nexus said exiting the library with bags under his eyes.

A white griffon followed standing with royal distinction. He must have been the leader. He'd met him the night before but he wasn't sure if he was until he'd seen him standing.

"So what's the word Captain?" Hestaria asked stretching.

"The word is that I was right, we're going across the east ocean to follow the trail the changelings left. Sergeant Clap?" Nexus groaned.

Ephialtes followed Nexus' gaze and saw Thunder Clap with his head on Silver Bit's back. Nexus walked over and Ephialtes cringed at what he knew Nexus was about to do; it'd happened to him enough. The Commander's horn glowed light blue as a static charge filled the air.

"WAKE UP!" Nexus shouted as a bolt of lightning left his horn and hit Thunder Clap right on his flank.

Thunder's head shot up instantly, followed by a yelp of pain and surprise. Silver Bit and White Knight shot up from the crack of the lightning and Silver glared at Thunder like she knew what he'd done.

"Sergeant?" Nexus asked again.

"Yes Commander?"

"You bring a flare?"

"Yes, Sir."

Nexus looked back to the snow griffon and he nodded. "I cleared the storm for you just after you went to sleep. You are free to leave." The snow griffon said in perfect Equestrian.

"Thank you. Lieutenant?"

"Sir?" Ephialtes replied.

"Go out with him. I don't know what's walking around out there. But seeing as the maps around here aren’t detailed, it'd assume it's that way for a reason."

"Yes, Sir."

Ephialtes let go of Hestaria and stood up with Thunder. Nexus stepped aside and let them pass.

"Hey, what were you doing with Silver over there? Ya'll were the last to pass out last night." Ephialtes asked hoping to get some kind of gossip out of it.

"Nothing. It's just how I fell asleep. Can you just drop it?" Thunder asked a little embarrassed.

"Alright then." Ephilates opened the door with his horn and stepped aside. "After you lover boy."

"Shut it!"

"You popped that flare yet?" Nexus called to them as he woke up White Knight.

"Working on it sir." Ephialtes called back.

"Get it done or you'll become the flare." Nexus shouted back at them.

"Y-Yes, sir." Thunder replied drawing his MK. II rifle.

He pushed the lever forward on the repeating rifle and reached back into his saddle bags. Ephilates hated rifles. They were so uncivilized; then again neither was stabbing a pony in the eye with a stalagmite isn't very civilized, but it's more so than a rifle. Ephialtes hated using it, more so having a sergeant teach him how to use it. Ephialtes watched the tree line and sky as Thunder pulled a bright red cartridge out of his saddle bags. He loaded it into the back and rammed the lever forward. He pointed it straight up and with a thunderous blast, and a screaming red orb flew further up into the atmosphere.

Ephialtes was pleasantly surprised to find that the storm was completely cleared. The sun was warm against his coat. He was use to having hiss stripes to soak up a lot of the heat, but with Nexus needing to keep him hidden as best he can, it was better he stay like this instead of trying to find a way around it. The words the snow griffon (Arctic Wind was it?) chilled his core as Thunder ejected the spent cartridge.

"Beyond the East Ocean's water, will Honor have its greatest falter. Darkness and fear will he endure, but he can be retrieved by Valor. Though the choice to help his own kind will leave him blind, Hope will guide him to the path he must find."

What was that suppose to mean? He can be retrieved by Fate. That doesn't make any sense. Nexus' file showed him as the Element of Honor, so that meant he was going to do something in Saddle Arabia that will turn him, but being retrieved by Fate didn't make any sense. Same for the, Hope will guide Fate thing. He'd read every personnel file in the Guard and none had anything about Fate or Hope. He'd snuck some books from the Captain one night and he found out about his search for the Elements of Freedom. Honor, Valor, Hope, Strength, Perseverance and Courage.

The prophecy said that Hope would guide Valor to save Honor. Were they suppose to find Hope and Fate in Saddle Arabia, or here, or on the ship already? This was making his head hurt. He stuck his head into the snow for a moment to try and still the head ach before following Thunder Clap in.

"They're on their way Captain." Ephilates called to Nexus.

"Good. Grab what we need and prepare to move out." Nexus replied.

"Mind if I grab a few books from your library?" Ephilates asked.

"No." Nexus said.

"Take what catches your eye Ephialtes." Arctic corrected. "You are just as welcome to my collection as he Nexus."

"I'm fine. G-Go grab a couple Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir." Ephialtes said seeing that someone could push Nexus around.

Ephialtes walked past the small group as Thunder took a place next to Silver Bit. Yeah, he has a thing for her. As he goes in, he hears everyone else leave but two voices remain.

"You awoke in quite a fuss this morning." Arctic said. "You must have been scared."

"I don’t get scared. I don’t know fear." Nexus replied.

"Fear is within us all. We cannot avoid it."

"Well I do. You saw what I've been through; fear is not in my vocabulary."

"Fear isn't always a bad thing."

"It can drive us to do things. Yeah, I heard if from Silver Bit before."

"It can protect you as well as drive you."

"Fear is a hindrance."

"To be afraid is to be normal."

"I'm much more than normal. If that's not enough for Sombra to handle then I'll die fighting. Lieutenant!"

"Sir?" Ephialtes replied grabbing the closest book.

"We're leaving. The airship 'll be here any second now."

"Yes, Sir."

Ephiales shoved the book into his saddlebags, thanked Arctic Wind and trotted after The Commander as he made his way to the door. Nexus opened the door and the drone of the airship's engines filled the caves they were in as it drew closer. Nexus spread his mechanical wings and took off towards the EFS Lifeline. Ephialtes watched Nexus turn into a do in the sky as he leaned on the door frame.

The vast, snowy expanse in front of them was beautiful. The mountain ranges to the east and west glistened in the golden glow of the rising sun. Ephialtes noticed Hestaria looking at world like Faust painted it and she was trying to find its meaning.

"Hey." He said walking up behind her.

"Hi. Can you believe it?"

"Believe what?"

"That this is actually happening. We're out here hunting down entities of darkness and hatred, all the while under the nose of the Princess'."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Oh please, you don't think Celestia would approve of this or let Luna approve it for that matter do you?"

"Valid point. But why is that so hard to believe?"

"I'm not the best fighter in Equestria, neither are you, no pony here is. So why bring us and not the best and brightest of the Guard?"

Ephialtes ponders that thought for a moment. Nexus was the best fighter in the guard in comparison to him and there were others much stronger than Ephialtes was. Hestaria was a great fighter but out classed due to her size and weapon choice. The rest of them were just as much a mystery as he was.

"I guess it's because he trusts us."

"Why would he trust us? Just because we're his friends?"

"Do you see him talk to anypony outside of Luna, Storm and us? He doesn't have anypony else to trust."

"I guess that makes sense. Our ride's almost here."

"Yeah." Ephialtes said opening his Iron Icarus pack. "You carry Silver, I'll get Thunder."

"And Vince?"

"Knightly can handle it. So long as he doesn't bitch and complain about it like he does everything else."

Both of them shared a light laugh before grabbing Thunder Clap and Silver Bit. White Knight took Vince seeing as he wasn't a part of the plot. Ephialtes didn't understand why Nexus said to wait when he clearly flew up to the ship. Nexus needed to start sending his messages more clearly. Because if they weren't suppose to get everypony up there, then what were they suppose to do? Wait on the airship to gain speed and get there? Airships were fast after enough time, but in what seemed like a short distance, they would take around forty-five minutes to get there. Forty-five minutes they didn't have to waste from what Ephialtes heard last night.