The ragged form of a griffin shakily tugged her way through the streets of Canterlot, head bowed in the thundering rain that poured down from the skies above. Its wings dragged in the muddy streets, but it seemed to pay them no mind. Just its feet, one step after another. Suspicious stares glared down from slitted windows and half-opened doors, and the griffin could easily hear the whispers and muttered threats all around. But again, it ignored all but the route around. As the Canterlot Castle and its gatehouse came into view, the griffin suddenly broke into a run, and the whispers around became a panicked cry.

“What’s that griffin doing?”

“Is she attacking the Castle?”

“Somepony stop her!”

“Saboteur!”

“Assassin!”

Hoofbeats began to thunder through the cobblestone streets as ponies gave chase, shouts and vengeful curses echoing up to the sprinting griffin. None noticed the blood trail it left behind, or its fumbling, single-minded gait. With a crack of lightning, four Wonderbolts slammed to the ground in front of the Canterlot Castle steps, muskets lowered threateningly, saber-like bayonets shimmering with rain. Two dozen Solar Guardponies stepped out from the gatehouse, pikes and muskets lowered as well, bitter eyes glaring daggers at the panting, shaking griffin. The vigilante crowd formed a half-circle behind it, and circling Night Guard cut off any attempt at escape.

Spitfire and Fleetfoot slid through the ranks of Guards and Wonderbolts, eyes hard as diamonds as they looked the griffin over. Something wasn’t right, though. The white feathers that made up the eagle head were stained bright red in places, and one of the female’s golden eyes was swollen nearly shut. Both wings were popped out of joint and heavily ruffled, and Spitfire quickly saw that she had flown HARD, and fast. The pain she must be in had to be intense, but her beak was clacking, trying to speak past the heavy pants choking her throat.

Fleetfoot growled a bit, taking a step forward, “Who are you, and-”

“Pl-please!” The griffiness suddenly managed to sputter out, good eye wide in panic, “I-I have urgent news! Please!”

“Not until we get your name, and why you’re here,” Spitfire returned coldly, drawing her flight-claw slowly over the cobblestones, “Canterlot is under threat, and-”

“My name is Gilda Proudfeather! A-and… and I have urgent news for your Princesses! There’s a trap!”
*******************

“This is your last chance, Heshra.”

Luna was done playing games. The griffin had been silent during the trip from Cloudsdale to the Canterlot Dungeons, and had yet to break to Luna’s interrogation. Her patience was running very, very thin. A silver-clad hoof slowly pressed down on the table in front of the trembling griffin, and Luna’s visage slid in from the shadows, a glow in her eyes accenting the terrible, bared teeth of her rage. Magical symbols and rings burned into the wood with a soft hiss.

“Why does your clan want Rainbow Dash back? Your patriarch is dead. Your claim to her is nothing, and surely they must know that pressing this matter would be futile to them.”

Her eyes. A small glimmer of pain, just before the griffin glanced away. There we are. Luna’s horn glew brightly in the darkness, and Heshra squawked as her beak was forcefully turned back towards Luna.

“TELL ME!”

“I-I-”

“You will tell me, Heshra, right now or Celestia help me…”

Tears began to flow down Heshra’s cheeks, eyes scrunching up.

“H-he doesn’t want Rainbow Dash, just the hatchling!” she wailed, wincing as Luna’s hoof slammed into the table again, a sizable crack racing through the ancient oak wood.

“Who? His son? Daughter? Give me a name, Heshra!”

“N-neither! S-seth Proudfeather is-”

Her eyes suddenly widened, beak opening in a silent, agonized scream, causing Luna to stumble back in surprise. To her enchanted eyes, a powerful gleam of magic was burning in the center of the griffin’s chest, ley lines creasing down her body.

“Makeitstopmakeitstop!” Heshra was screaming, writhing in her seat even as the power built faster.

Luna’s horn glew, and a magical circle formed in the air…
*******************

Spitfire had just turned to take flight when the entire left wing of the Canterlot Dungeons exploded with a wave of red light and the faintest echo of a scream. The concussion knocked her back to the ground, and the gathered crowd screamed in terror, many of them quickly turning to gallop back into the city. The captain of the Wonderbolts could only stare in horror, the sound of sobbing reaching her splayed ears. Turning, she was surprised to see Gilda, prone on the ground, beak grinding audibly.

“I-I was too late…”

( Normally, I’d end the chapter there… but I won’t be that mean to you guys. )

Rainbow Dash cried out in shock as a violent boom and red flash shook her from a dreamless sleep, lifting her head blearily to stare out the window. Only smoke met her gaze. No… no, no… somepony had attacked the Castle? Was it…

“Oh Celestia, please no,” Rainbow Dash whispered softly, eyes wide in horror.

It was because of her. Somepony was mad that she was back, that she had escaped, and now they were going to take it out on the Princesses? A slam startled the pegasus, and she instinctively began to flail her hooves and wings, sobbing out denials. Everything was happening again! Slamming doors, griffins grabbing her, gravelly voices screaming at her to… to… calm down?

“It’s okay, Rainbow, it’s me! It’s Fleetfoot!”

Slowly, terrified of a trick, Rainbow opened the eyes she had initially closed in terror. It was Fleetfoot, her uniform smudged and dirty, and her eyes red from tears, but it was definitely her. With a lunge, Rainbow tightly wrapped her forelegs around Fleetfoot’s neck, sobbing with utter relief into her shoulder. She knew she had to look a mess, but everything had happened so fast…

Fleetfoot seemed to take it all in stride, scooting a bit to carefully lift Rainbow Dash onto her back, wincing at the jabs of Rainbow’s stiff hindleg casts.

“W-what’s going on?” she mumbled into Fleetfoot’s fur, unwilling to let go in any sense, “W-what happened?”

“Some kind of bomb,” Fleetfoot managed softly, scrambling out of the room and galloping quickly for the Castle docks, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna want us going to Ponyville right now while they secure the city for anymore bombs.”

Them and all the other patients, it seemed. A massive flying frigate, one of the magical wooden ships built by the new Lunar Aeronautics Initiative and its unicorn backers, was settled at the docks, while dozens of uniformed Solar Guardponies and Wonderbolts ferried and ushered injured foals and ponies onto it. The name of the ship, the North Star, was emblazoned onto the side, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but admire it, and relax slightly. With a forty cannon complement and the best fliers in Equestria onboard, it was likely the safest place in the city. With a soft grunt, Fleetfoot landed onto the crowded deck, carefully shoving her way into one of the bunkrooms and hurrying to claim one for the both of them.

Laying in the bunk, with her muzzle pressed firmly into Fleetfoot’s cherry-scented mane, Rainbow Dash relaxed again, closing her eyes. Two forelegs encircled her barrel, one hooves gingerly petting her side. This close together, the pegasi’s magical fields were enveloping, but neither minded for the moment. They could only hold one another, finding comfort where they could as the frightened and injured gathered in the safeness.

*****************

Runic lightning snarled among the dirt as a tarnished hoof slammed onto it. Gleaming eyes glared up at the smoking hole of her home, and a fanged muzzle spread into a snarl. Luna’s armor was dented and smoking, her magical shield having barely saved her life, and those of the two Night Guard with her, though both batponies would be in the hospital for months, recuperating from their injuries. The blast had been a powerful geas, one familiar only to Luna, who had discovered it among the old runes long ago. A dishonorable, forbidden kind of magic. And somepony had given it to the griffins. Her hoof slowly ground into the ashen dirt, and some of it flash-froze into glass.
Luna Aethiras Celene, Warmistress of the Equestrian Empire and Head of the Night Guard, the Royal Rangers, and the New Equestrian Air Navy… was angry.