Sliding down the sides of a ladder to the ground, Iron landed on all fours as he looked up and saw Egyes slipping out of another port on the airship they had just finished with. Fifteen airships, fifteen weapons of war that were created for the express purpose to destroying Seren, and now fifteen toys that Iron had the guilty pleasure of playing with.

“All set on that end?” he called over to his feathered friend.

“Ready to go,” Egyes answered as he pulled the rifle off his side, loading up a fresh clip, “now that that’s done though, let’s try to make this little rescue mission quick…”

“I think for once when it comes to safety, I’m with ya on that one.” Iron chimed in as he looked at his holster devoid of explosives, and they trotted towards one of the corridors that led deeper to the castle.

While the pair may have been in the hanger for at most half an hour, they still hadn’t managed to see a single guard there along the way to meet them. From what Egyes had implied earlier, it seemed that all, or at least a majority of the guards, had left the castle to search for them out right in the city itself. Even now as the two walked through the gryphons’ own fortress, passed down through the generations of their very kings. There wasn’t a guard, butler, or even a maid walking around the castle.

Just a soldier that once called this place home, and a teacher far away from his classroom.

“I think… I read this part in a book before actually,” Iron mentioned in a whisper as they continued to walk about the lonesome hallways, as the curious brow of the gryphon piped up, “Yep… this is where we’re either ambushed, taken captive, tortured and killed… or we run in to our arch nemesis and have some sort of epic showdown.”

“Then again, this isn’t a book,” Egyes pointed out to him, “Though an ambush I can picture rather well…” he said as they approached the doors to the great hall.

Already picturing the massive troves of soldiers that would likely be waiting for them on the other side. Though if they wanted to silence the king, and rescue the mare, the gryphon knew at least one of those objectives would be in there.

Pushing open said doors, the pair creeped past the edges as they looked around and found the largest chamber in the whole fortress… barren. Not a soul in sight, something that Egyes was even starting to worry about. No matter the time of day, from noon to midnight, or even four in the morning. There was always at least one creature here in the hall. It was the meeting place for the king, but also a common area for him to be with his subjects.

The door slammed shut behind the two as they entered, and standing by were two tin soldiers that stood guard ominously over the area. Though as Iron and Egyes both drew their weapons to fire upon them should they charged, they noticed something stranger than the setting they found themselves in.

Neither of the guards had moved.

“This is the legion that Seren has sent upon my door step…” Egyes heard the tell tail voice of his once king call behind them, as the pair turn about to meet him, “… two soldiers, just two of you, yet you managed to cause all this chaos in your mists…”

From above the ground, high in the rafters, Rhorkin left his perch and descended to the center of the room. The king wasn’t one for glam and jewels, even his usual battle armor that he wore was nothing more than a common run of the mill suit that his own soldiers used in combat. Minus the simple crown that was etched on the breast plate, and the one riveted to his helmet. Though what landed before them was something far from what Egyes was ever used to seeing.

Adorned across his suit were the gem stones that Bronze had become known for in Irons’ book. Dotted along the bracers of his claws and even up to his chest piece, every one of them glowed with a fierce sort of energy that just screamed to the unicorn, they were going to be in for a fight. While holstered up and mounted on his back were the two swords the king had carried in to combat on a regular basis, with now the addition of his own side arm mounted on his hip for quick access.

Though even as he raised his head up to meet the pair, the gryphon that stood before him could see in his elders’ eyes the determination that told him this fight had gotten personal. It’s why the castle was empty, why the two guards hadn’t moved… if the intruders were here to kill him and try and rescue the princess, then they would have to go through him first.

“You, hatchling… speak,” The King ordered as he gestured to his counterpart, “who are you?”

Slowly stepping forth, the gryphon still maintained the modesty he always had with his king. Even in this setting. “My name is Egyes, I once served in your army as an Armsmaster but sought a different path.” He took a breath, trying to gauge the others face, “especially after seeing my leadership and country fall from such graces, and seek out war.”

“You, Egyes… betray your own kind to fight with him,” Rhorkin pointed to the colt standing next to him, “it is you that have fallen from graces… and became lost along the path.”

“King Rhorkin…” Egyes stepped forth, “By your lead… and with respect, I ask for you to stand down.”

Iron shot his counterpart a glare, trying to read his game, just as the king did the same. “And why would I do that now? There isn’t a large force behind you now, that part comes tomorrow…” he eyed the juvenile, “what reason could you possibly give, that would make me submit?”

“Respect…” the gryphon stated simply at first, “I had served for you, and with you for years. You’ve earned more respect and admiration than I had seen any leader before, and much of it from myself as well,” Egyes took one last step, hoping to reason with his old leader if only to spare his life. It was himself or his king, but if there was a way he could save both of them, then he owed that much to at least try. “Think of reason here, King… please.”

“…Hehe…” Rhorkin chuckled under his breath, “If you had come to me months ago with the same proposition, I might have taken you up on that offer…” he watched as the eyes of the other gryphon widened in hope, “but now I have the means to take it all in one go.”

With that, Rhorkin drew his weapons against them, and readied his stance. Sealing the chance for redemption in Egyes’ eyes, and his own fate in Irons’.

“Valiant effort there Egyes,” Iron said as he trotted up to his side, “But I think this is the showdown I was talking about…”

Rhorkin out stretches a talon whist keeping the sword in his grasp, from the bracer. The ambient glow of the enchantments flowed outwards along his arm to the end, where it manifested as the solid pulse of energy he had sought. Lacing towards the gryphon, Iron brought up a shield around Egyes to spare him, as he withdrew his own blade for the fight. Pushing the emeralds in his legs the colt leapt at the king, meeting him head on with his short blade missing by mere inches, blocked by the duel swords.

Rhorkin had been around for enough years to know an unfair fight when he saw one. Here was one soldier that could use the same arms as his own troops, and had trained with them it would seem. While at his neck now was a colt that seemed to be able to whip an enchantment seemingly out of midair without a second thought. Then again, the king had prepared for a fight as such, thanks to the input from another.

Raising up his own ward, the king nimbly blocked the incoming rounds that Egyes fired off as he fanned the trigger. While fresh clip was thrown in before the other even hit the ground. Out the corner of the gryphons’ eye, he saw the two guards still standing there as solid as statues at the door. All while the king in command, fought before them.

Slashing left and right, Iron couldn’t hope to push back the kings’ strikes with his short blade. Only thanks to the enchantments in his joints, did the colt manage to muster enough strength to hold his own. As the regal figure continued to pummel the colt with the skill of a warrior trained throughout the years.

Having slid back from a particularly hard blow, Irons’ hooves scraped against the ground, as he finally came to a stop several yards from the king. Watching him raise up a claw, Iron met him with his own hoof, catching the ray of energy in mid stride as he sent it. The colt knew that he could recharge his own gems, though just like Freefalls’ suit. Any other creature using magic without being able to do it on their own, would soon fail to keep up the attack as their power weakened.

Sensing the end of his attackers’ strength, Iron watched as the gems along the kings’ suit started to die in light and flash. Just as his spell started to do the same. Breaking off the attack, Rhorkin stood there as he watched the colt rear up for another strike. With just a flick of his hoof, an arch of lighting struck out against the gryphon, skipping across the metal in the suit before it cracked in the air.

An attack that would have fried any normal living creature should they had taken it directly. Though for the king, Rhorkin simply smirked back at the colt with pride. ‘What in Tartarus?’ he asked himself, watching as the gems on the kings’ suit started to glow to their fullest once more.

Delivering a sincere stock to the side of his helmet. Rhorkins’ head rattled left and right as he doubled over from the strike, as instinct kicked in and he distanced himself from the gryphon that delivered the blow. Egyes had hoped that the hit would knock him out, though it seemed the kings’ armor had gotten an upgrade in more ways than just what they saw.

“We might have a problem…” Iron said as he reformed with his partner, “my magic won’t work against him.”

“How so?” Egyes asked. Watching the king come to, and he looked for a different means of attack, “It seems his suits stronger, but that doesn’t explain why a spell won’t work.”

“The gems he has absorb incoming magic, to recharge themselves,” he stated, readying his stance once more to face off against the king, “Anything I hit him with, will just make him stronger…”

The two became cut off by the twin blades sliding between them. While the king took them on head to head at the same time. Egyes had little to no problem blocking and striking with his own blade, though every hit he landed only glanced off the hardened suit of the king. While Irons’ own attacks were seemingly all but useless at the same time. Sword play was never his forte, then again swish swish stab isn’t that hard to learn either. But the same suit stood in his way just as it did Egyes.

For now, the two were left to only evade what swings came their way, or block the ones they can’t quite find their way out of. Egyes reached off to his side as Rhorkin held one sword a hairs breath from his opponents’ scalp, pulling up his pistol, at point blank range the shots rang out against the kings’ chest.

Rhorkin for all his confidence and talent, couldn’t have stopped the simple attack. Though as he winced, expecting to feel the burn of a freshly opened wound growing in his chest. The eyes of the king slowly creaked open, and he noticed the same thing that his attackers did. The rounds hadn’t even left a scratch against his suit. Rearing up a paw, the kick landed square in the colts’ chest as he pushed him off, if only to take the gryphon on one on one.

With every swipe he felt against his feathers, Egyes could feel his own stamina draining, as his superior of many years proved his worth on the battlefield. Never had he fought in open combat with the king, though now he found himself going against him in the most unlikely of cases. Loading a fresh clip, the gryphon wielded both blade and gun as he blocked and shot his equal. Forcing a stumble here and there, but never a break.

Iron had felt hits before, but to come from that of a full sized gryphon square in the chest. Even he had to admit, it took the wind out of him more than the diamond dogs had. From where he stood on, he watched his fellow comrade fight against his old king, going shot for shot with him like a college student at a party. Though in this case, the colt knew eventually, the elder would win.

His suit had stopped the rounds that Bronze had brought them. It had taken years to build up the protection of his own armor, a feat that Iron wondered how long it had taken the mare. Yet regardless of that answer, one thing remained clear. The suit had to go, if either of them hoped to walk away from this scuffle in one piece.

Looking to his own armor, Iron focused his horn and the magic in him on what he willed it to do. Draining the gems along his fore hooves, he pulled all the pent up energy he could from them. Only to deposit it in to the ones that would actually do him some good. All Iron hoped was that the joints would be able to take it.

Egyes broke the hold that Rhorkin had caught him in, forcing the king to stumble where he stood. While most of his body was covered head to paw in armor plating of some kind, all of which stopped the incoming rounds, even the chainmail. Looking in to the kings’ eyes, the gryphon realized one thing, his face remained unprotected.

Whipping the blade up in a hope of slashing him against the breast plate. Rhorkin was quick to block the attack as he crossed his swords, just as Egyes had hopped. Once his talons were occupied, the gryphon brought his pistol out from his side once more, and placed the barrel against the beak of his counterpart.

The two of them froze where they stood. Each looking at the other in anticipation of what was to come. “It’s over, King Rhorkin…” Egyes said calmly, slowing his heart beat so his lungs may catch up with them, “stop this madness now… give us Princess Grace.”

“That was never an option… not even in the beginning,” Rhorkin said soulfully, realizing that he may have fallen far from the king he once was. But with what he was capable of now, there was a way to right it all.

“Not even now? As you’re staring down the barrel of gun?”

“You don’t understand child, do you?” Rhorkin started to chuckle eerily, “Even if you were to kill me, right here, right now. That mare has a vendetta against Seren…” the pair of eyes that had tasted the chaos that Bronze could bring, looked ever deeper at his counterparts’ own, “I might fall, yes. However, she won’t stop till everything Grace has built is burned to the ground.”

“… Then we’ll just have to stop her too,” Egyes eased his final breath, while he forgave himself, and the king where they stood… as he pulled the trigger.

Click…

The sound echoed in the empty chamber for all those to hear amongst themselves, as it resonated in Egyes’ ear drums like a punch to the face. Rhorkin silently thanked his lucky stars, as he slapped the pistol from the juniors’ grasp with the brunt of one blade. Sliding one foot around the other, the king managed to bring the side of the other sword cracking in to the wing that Egyes held close to his side during the fight, shattering something fierce. Just as the edge was brought down on to a bracer holding the final weapon against him.

While the gryphons’ own armor may have been able to stop a blade, it never lessened the impact like the kings’ seemed to. Dropping his weapons from the shock against his talons. Egyes crumpled down to a single claw, as he felt his wing go limp along the ground from where he laid. The gryphon looked up at the slowly approaching king, and only took a step back as he watched him inch ever closer. With nothing but murder on his mind.

Though in that narrow vision, it left a colt with an opening.

Wrapping his hooves around the waist of the king. Iron pushed all he had in to his legs, as he picked up the seemingly weightless leader over top his own head. The power surging through the emeralds in his joints lit up like a second sun, shining brighter and brighter with every passing second. Till the colt reached his peak, and hurtled Rhorkin across the room like a rag doll.

Stoically holding himself up, Iron looked down at his fallen comrade from where he resided on the ground. “What? No snappy comeback, no remark, not even a chuckle?” Egyes asked, already trying to patch himself up with a crude sling wrapped around the limb to his side.

Iron simply huffed back at him, catching his own breath, “I’ll think of one soon… though let’s deal with him first.”

The colt didn’t even wait for his friend to try and get back in the fight, and instead charged head long against the king on his own. Rhorkin had just dusted himself off after the toss, when he saw the colt heading straight for him. Smirking away at the arrogance of the actions, the gryphon readied up a talon and sent bolt after bolt of lightning arching through the air against the pony.

Though the colt never even flinched, he simply slid left and right to dodge them as they came. His only focus was to close the gap between the two of them. Once that time had come, Rhorkin heaved his blades up and over his head, dropping them down on the colt. At first what would seem like a clean strike, and a kill at that.

Proved to just be a miss.

The blades had struck in to the ground where the colt once was, and in a flash Iron was behind the king. To go hoof to claw with an armored target was suicide in the simplest sense, and while Irons’ sanity may have been called in to question several times before in the past. The colt surely was an odd one at times, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.

Driving a hoof square in to the gryphons’ back. The enriched punch from the energy flowing through it dented the metal that it struck, dispelling any sort of strengthening technique that may have been done, and turned Irons’ own hooves in to forging hammers.

Rhorkin had felt that hit through his entire suit, vibrating all his bones and shaking him down to the core. As he twisted around to try and strike, he was only met with open air, and what seemed to be a smiling stallion that disappeared in a flash of light. Just to reappear to his side, and deliver another earth shaking blow to his ribs.

Bones cracked under the pressure from the hit.

And the king for the first time in a long time, took a knee, and bowed before another.

Fighting to get up, he clapped his talons together and surged all the energy he could muster to them. With a kick, the king sent himself in to a tail spin, letting the energy of the enchantment spread across the room as he mowed down anything that got in its way. Chairs against the wall were left cut cleanly in half from the ray of pure energy, the stones that made the structure became stained with a permanent char in them. Even his own thrown that was kept there, was set ablaze from the outburst of power.

Though from tired eyes, the fruits of his labor laid barren.

As he looked up, the colt was already atop him, falling from the sky.

Iron landed with a sturdy hoof to the chest, just as Rhorkin had done to him moments ago. Though with the force of the hit, the king found himself planted to the ground against the stature of the armored colt. Without a moment to spare, the colt laid in to his enemy.

Blocking wasn’t even a concept in the gryphons’ mind, the punches from the armored hooves delivered too much a kick in the teeth. What claw he had raised in an attempt to save his skin, merely cracked under the force of the swing, and crumpled to his side. In seconds, the once tall king, was reduced to a foot soldier that had just gotten their first taste of combat.

Though as a final insult, Iron latched his hooves to either side of the kings’ torso, and ripped away as hard as his suit would allow. Rivets popped out, leather tore from its fixtures, and the king found himself sliding across the ground from where he once laid. To a new resting place, now bare chested, against two capable attackers.

Across from him, he watched Egyes get back up to the colts’ side as they faced him down. Wings tied neatly to his torso for support as he would fight. The stallion still wielding the armor plate that served him so well, unceremoniously tossed to the side on a whim with a clank. Getting to his feet, Rhorkin slumped down on his flank, tired and exhausted from the scuffle. The energy that he had in him earlier now gone, after realizing that he could be beaten.

The back plate fell off from its place, having nothing to anchor it from the other side. It too joined its partner on the ground. Leaving the king further exposed, and open to his demise. The grip on his blades faltered, as they dropped to his sides. Looking up, the pair said nothing, and waited for him to collect himself.

“It’s over now, isn’t it?” he asked.

Iron beat Egyes to the punch, as he held up a hoof, “It would seem that way, King Rhorkin…”

“I’m going to die… aren’t I?”

“If not by us…” Egyes said quietly, as he saw the king still left with no redemption after the fight he put up, “then by those that come tomorrow…”

“Face it Rhorkin… you lost,” Iron added in, kicking the armor plate over to the king so he could see his failure in the reflection of himself.

Though out of the shadows, in the silence, only one thing was heard.

A voice.

A chuckle.

Of a mare left with more to say.

“He may have failed,” Bronze said, stepping out from one of the decorative curtains as a vail. Calmly the mare walked up to the kings’ side, and steadied herself against the two that opposed her. “But it won’t be either of you, or anyone of Serens’ minions to end him…”

Iron huffed out from under his nose at the mare, acting like a bull ready to charge head long in to a red cloth. While Egyes steadily grasped his sword, and checked to ensure his pistol was loaded this time around. Though Rhorkin from where he sat, could only smile at the mare that had come to his own rescue.

“Grand timing there, Miss Bronze,” he tipped his head to her.

Together the two picked up a blade of his own for the pair of them, as they readied themselves for the fight. Bronze looked to the colt that she had seen several times already in her business, while Iron looked at the mare that had started to become a thorn in his side as much as he had hers. All the while, both gryphons faced off against one another. A king to a deserter of his own army, and a gryphon that resided under a different crown.

Rhorkin flared his wings out, ready to charge against his counterpart. Though just then, something stopped him in his tracks, a small burn at first. Quickly started to grow into an inferno the more he felt it twist and turn inside him. Though as he looked down, all he could see was a blade sticking in to his chest…

And a mare on the handle, with a wicked grin stretched across her face.

Rhorkins’ body went limp from where he stood, collapsing to the ground as his eyes met those that he looked in to with so much passion earlier. Now breathing nothing but hatred for him. Bronze stepped up to his form, with the least of concern should she stand in the ever growing pool of blood at her feet.

“But…w-w-wh-hy?” he asked, choking on his own tongue.

“War… is an infection that spreads past those that fight, Rhorkin…” she spat on him in both words, and actions. All the while the two present remained still trying to figure out what happened.

“Though… w-what did I-I-I do-o-o?” he reached out a claw, grasping on to her own talon and hoping she would at least do the same in his last moments.

Though the jerk of hers away from him, silenced any thought of the matter, “You continued a fight… many years ago, and never thought to wonder who it would hurt,” Bronze answered, never bothering to brush the tear from her eye that started to fall. Having long accepted that this moment would come, after so many years of planning. As she grasped the blade with a talon of her own, “This… is for my father.”

With a quick twist, the blade dug and tore in to any and all soft tissue that the king had left. Silencing him without a word, and leaving him there to rot in his own castle. At the claws of one he had just started to trust.

“Well…” Egyes tried to find the words, after the silence had crept on them for what seemed like hours. Though nothing came to his mind, that wasn’t the same of his counterpart.

“So wait, are you on our side?” Iron pipped up and asked, “Because if so then this is one hell of a plot twist here.”

“No I am not on your side, you idiot!” Bronze shouted at him. Silencing the colt before her, “I am, my own team in this little game… I came to Chief Reinhart and King Rhorkin, with a gift they couldn’t refuse,” Bronze started to chuckle. Stepping away from the motionless body, as she started to walk circles around the two, “if only to give me the means of doing one thing, and they played in to it b-e-a-utifly.”

“Sly… Sociopathic… and cunning to all hell,” Iron listed off out loud, “Wanta grab a drink sometime?” he mocked, blowing her a kiss to top it off.

“Oh hush now you twat…” Bronze dismissed the colt with a wave of her talon, as she turned her attention to the window outside. The city still on full alert and searching for these two she had before her, while it worked away to put the final part of her plan in motion, “I got the chief and the king to eat out of my claws… Reinhart I had to please with just weapons of war to trust me, Diamond Dogs are simple creatures like that,” the mare passed a glance over to the King lying there.

“Though Rhorkin… he was a smart one. Then again the quickest way to a males’ heart, is giving them something they want,” she winked at the pair, already telling them everything they needed to know… and probably a little more than they bargained for.

“So what? Your goal was to kill them in the end?” Egyes asked, clutching his sword as he dug his nails in to the handle at the rage coursing through him. He respected his king, and thought he would have had a chance to turn him back around and see the error of his ways.

Though he didn’t account for the wicked mare, playing in to the basic urges of a male.

“More or less, I would have gotten to that mutt Reinhart first… but you beat me to the punch,” she turned her attention to the outside once more, all but ignoring the two and their presence in the room with her, “though I needed them still for something… something I couldn’t do with my own power.”

“And what might that be?” Iron asked, already having an uneasy feeling building in his gut.

Bronze smirked, as she turned to them both, “to help wipe the slate clean…”

She waited for only a moment as the two looked back and forth to one another. Neither of them knew what the mare had meant by that, though whatever it turned out to be. It couldn’t bid well for the mare still in her clutches, or even Seren at that.

“You I know…” she pointed to Egyes, “I’ve seen you around, and I know you used to serve under Rhorkin… I don’t care about you,” Bronze brushed him off without even a second thought. Instantly turning her attention to Iron, “but you, Iron Knight… you’ve I’ve seen several times now in various places, always causing such trouble. You’re obviously skilled at what you do,” she motioned to his whole suit, taking in the craftsmanship once more, “but what are you exactly? Princess Graces’ personal guard trying to get her back? Armsmaster bent for war? Lone talented mercenary that the princess sought out for your skill?... tell me, I’m curious.” The mare started to purr, as she anticipated what the colts’ responses could possibly be.

Iron stopped for a moment to think, there were many things he could tell her as a smartass remark, or even just say to piss the mare off like he so much enjoyed doing. Though as he looked down to the built in watch on his bracer, a simple smile found him, as he realized the best answer. After a few minor calculations in his head involving time…

Was the truth.

“Na… you give me too much credit,” he started to chuckle, “…I’m a teacher.”

Somewhere in the castle, far off in the hanger bays, the time that the two had spent… just became worthwhile.

The whole fortress shook from the detonation, even to the point that all three of those in the hall almost lost their footing, as they watched some of the dust up in the rafters that had been there for years. Get kicked up from its place and fall through the air. Once she had gained her footing, Bronze immediately looked out the window to see what had happened.

And to her surprised, and horror, she watched some of her dream literally go up in smoke. Fire and mortar skipped across the sky and to the outlying buildings of the city. The explosion that started in what she could have only guess as the main hangers, quickly found its way over top of some of the wall. As many of the burning debris already started to set fire to some of those factories that resided close to the fortress for protection.

The flames would eventually die out granted, but not before it took out a hefty sum of the forces in the city to combat them. She may have brought the technology, but you still need soldiers alive who can operate it after all.

Turning her head slowly to meet the colt, all she saw was the smug grin she had come to know him for, plastered all over his face.

“A teacher with way too much time on his hooves…” Iron finished off his last line.

Though to his surprise, the mare soon started to share the same expression as she stared down the two, “you think that’s the only card I have?” her horn started to glow an emerald hugh as a spell powered up, “I still have a few up my sleeves…” releasing the enchantment, the pair had expected to be hit with some sort of spell.

Though as they checked themselves, they found nothing had changed around them. “Don’t think it worked there, Bronze,” Egyes narrowed his eyes on her.

“Oh… it did,” the mare quickly flared out her wings as she took to the sky.

While the grand hall was, as its name suggested, grand. It wasn’t the best to fly in, and soon enough like a crow trapped in a house. Bronze made her way to one of the stained glass windows that adorned the wall, breaking through the pane like paper, and left the two standing there motionless for a moment.

With the realization that this mare had something else in store for them. That moment quickly passed, and the duo beat feet towards the staircase in the back. Not even waiting to find out if the two guards at the door had come too, and decided to pursue them or not. Egyes lead the way to one of the ramparts nearby, breaking through the door frame with a heavy shoulder. His wing may be down for the count, but his mass never faltered. Standing out amongst the burning embers of the buildings around them, they hoped to at least get some sort of glimpse to where the mare went.

“Give us that nice long speech, and then ditch us…” Iron huffed out, as the two ran in full strut across the wall, “and now she’s making us run for this!”

“We already took out what she built to attack Seren with tomorrow!” Egyes shouted over the sounds of the inferno that grew with every second outside the walls, “where would she hope to go?” Though a low sounding groan from overhead answered that question for the two, as they looked up to find something they had missed in their walk around the castle.

“Ahh… I’ll give ya three guesses,” Iron said as his jaw nearly dropped to the brick beneath his hooves.

A sixteenth airship, creeped its way across the night sky before them. Far bigger than the others that they saw the DDR using, or even the ones in the hanger bay. Its massive structure dwarfed those that remained burning below, as the hull that hung underneath only gave a glacier look as to what must be going on inside of the massive contraption.

Iron looked across the frame, noticing that this was the only one that had a name given to it instead of a number. “Aurora…” he mouthed, having no idea the meaning behind the word. Though right now, he could care less, as he almost admired the mares’ flag ship, “She’s up there… she’s gotta be,” he looked back to his companion with heavy concern in his eyes, “Both of ‘em.”

“I won’t do ya any good,” Egyes winced after having the pain in his wing catch up to him finally, “Wings sprained from the fight with Rhorkin… I wouldn’t be able to catch up to it,” he said watching the ship already starting to put a distance between them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teleport-”

“Not after what you were doing in the fight as well,” the gryphon cut him off where he stood. Watching and seeing which way the ship had been heading, “you used too much strength against the king, you wouldn’t be able to get us both there, and hope to fight her as well…” Egyes watched the colts’ head lower nearly to the ground, as he quickly realized the gryphon was right, “Now go… before they’re too far.”

Nodding in acceptance, Iron pulled the energy out of his joints and focused it back to where he needed. Staring off at the zeppelin, he pictured his destination, before he concerned himself over his friend once more. “And what of you?” he asked, as the spell started to reach its final form, slowly engulfing him in its shroud, “How will you get back?”

Egyes started to chuckle, “Don’t worry about me,” he said, taking a page from the colts’ own book, “…I’ll make it up as I go.”

With that last thought, the light pulled Iron in to the abyss, and one step closer to stopping all the madness this mare had done.