Chapter 66: To Rescue The Moon

Lieutenant Sirius of Bat Team Alpha crouched just behind the treeline, observing the facility where Luna was being held. They were up on a ridge and the facility was down below them in a slight valley. The part of the building above the ground wasn't large. At least it wouldn't take them long to sweep and clear the above ground level and they'd be able to work their way to the underground levels of the facility quickly, then. How expansive the underground levels were, though, he had no idea.

He had already timed how long it took the roving guards to make one complete patrol around the perimeter, and the rest of the team were already in their designated positions. He almost felt sorry for the poor foals guarding the facility. The bright lights flooding the courtyard were certain to make them night blind as far as being able to see anything more than a few feet beyond the perimeter fence. Those lights also made the guards easy targets for his team's bat unicorn snipers, two of which were stationed at the treeline in front of the gate. Two more were stationed ninety degrees from the first two, on one side of the building that had no door. Not that bat ponies needed light to see their targets anyway. They had extremely good night vision and were able to see the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum. To a bat pony, anything that gave off heat, including living beings, glowed in the dark like a beacon of light. The drawback was that bat ponies couldn't see very well outside on bright days. Furthermore, they had to wear dark glasses when out in bright sunlight to prevent the ultraviolet light from damaging their eyes. Because of this, bat ponies had somewhat of a reputation as vampires, given that they were almost exclusively nocturnal and avoided the sun. (There was no truth to the vampire aspect, though. Bat ponies were vegetarian just like their sun-loving comrades, and they did not drink blood.) For these reasons, Bat Team Alpha operated exclusively at night. Of course, night was the best time for the highly classified, off the books, and officially denied missions that Bat Team Alpha typically engaged in.

He thought about the mission now. Getting into the facility wouldn't be the hard part. They had a secret weapon that would take care of that. The hard part would be finding Luna once they got inside. They had no map of the facility, and no idea what the inner layout looked like. In the worst case scenario, they were going to have to sweep all levels of the entire building looking for her. He hoped, however, that Luna's friend on the inside would let her out of her cell once it became obvious they were being raided. Then, Luna could work her way up and meet them before they'd had to go through the entire facility. Not only would that save time, but it would reduce the risk of casualties. Bat Team Alpha was the best that Equestria had, and a match for any force that could be thrown against them. But close-quarters warfare inside a building you didn't know the layout of was always risky business. Even with Luna's help, they were going to have to sweep and clear every level before they could work their way any further down. Otherwise, they risked getting trapped in a lower level of the facility by an ambush from a higher level.

He turned his attention to the two roving guards now. They were almost at the end of the side of the building. A few seconds later, they turned left, starting their walk behind the building. He saw his Captain raise his forehoof, giving the signal to the two snipers stationed at the treeline by the gate position. Almost as soon as the Captain Vega had given the signal, the two gryphon guards at the gate instantly crumpled and dropped at the exact same time, as if they were houses of cards that had had the supporting cards yanked out from underneath them. Both of them were dead before they had had any chance to raise an alarm. There had been no sound, and no telltale flash of magic from the two snipers, and they had coordinated their attack perfectly, both of them casting their deadly spells at the exact same time. That spell was one of Bat Team Alpha's most lethal secrets. A spell that made no sound, gave off no light, instantly paralyzed all voluntary muscle movement, and stopped the target's heart.

The roving guards continued their patrol around the back of the facility, oblivious to what had happened to their two comrades in front. Then, they turned the corner, walking along the side of the building. A second later, the two of them also collapsed, falling instantly dead as the two snipers on the side of the facility did their deadly work. Again, the attack had been perfectly coordinated, and neither gryphon had had a chance to make a sound. The two snipers on that side of the building quickly, but quietly, sprinted to the back of the building now, taking up new positions. Now the two pairs of snipers had both doors in the building covered.

Captain Vega turned his head, looking behind himself and once again giving a signal with his forehoof. Then, he silently took to the air. Lieutenant Sirius also lifted off the ground, following his Captain along with the other eleven members of his team. They flew low, and were only in the air for a few seconds before they were over the camouflage canopy. Using the razor sharp blade attached to his foreleg armor, Captain Vega cut a hole in the canopy, then pulled it open, motioning for his team to slip through. Sirius waited as the rest of the team quickly flew through the small opening in a line, landing silently on one side of the building near the two dead gryphon guards. They folded their wings, crushing themselves up against the wall of the building as tightly as possible. Then, Sirius himself slipped through the small hole. But instead of landing beside the building with the rest of his team, he flared his wings and landed on top of the roof next to the ventilation shaft, touching down as light and quiet as a feather floating to the ground and landing on a bed of moss.

Carefully, he reached into his saddlebag with his mouth, pulling out a ball of cloth. He set it down on the top of the roof and unwrapped it, holding it down with the edge of his forehoof and revealing eight small blocks of a dark gray putty-like substance. Very carefully, he picked up a block with his forehoof and placed it at one of the weld joints where the screen and grating were attached to the ventilation shaft. He applied a little bit of pressure, carefully working the substance into the grating until it was wrapped around it like a hornet's nest wrapped around a branch on a tree. Indeed, it might have been a hornet's nest based on how cautiously he treated the substance. He repeated the process seven more times, working his way around the grating and applying a square of the substance at each joint.

He reached into his saddlebag again, pulling out a bundle of what looked like thin rope. He held the end of the rope up to one of the joints where he had applied the putty-like substance, letting a little of it unravel, then using the blade attached to his foreleg armor to cut it. Next, he cut seven more pieces, carefully making sure they were all the exact same length as the first piece. When he had eight pieces, he embedded one end of each rope into the putty-like substance at each joint. Finally, he carefully measured out another length of rope, cut it, and used one end to join the loose ends of the eight pieces together. The other end of the rope, he let dangle.

After he'd finished, he carefully examined his work, then reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a flint with his mouth. He held his forehoof up to the loose end of the rope, and struck the flint against the armor. Sparks flew from the flint, and the rope caught fire, sparks flying from it, reflections of them flickering off the metal on the ventilation shaft as the sparks and flame traveled up the rope.

He quickly spread his wings, flying off the top of the building with the flint still in his mouth, landing next to the rest of his team at the side of the building, then putting the flint back in his saddle bag and closing the flap. His heart pounded faster now as he waited on their second secret weapon to do its work.

A few seconds later, a loud BOOM reverberated off the trees, accompanied by a bright, white-hot flash of light. Immediately, the entire team erupted into action, spreading their wings and flying to the top of the building. Captain Vega kicked the now shattered grate covering the ventilation shaft out of the way, then scrambled inside. Sirius followed along with the rest of his team and they began to made their way through the shaft towards the interior of the facility.

“Up you fools, we're under attack!” came the loud, but muffled voice of a gryphon, sounding as if it was coming from the end of a cave. It was followed by confused shouting and the dampened race of gryphon claws clacking against concrete as they raced up the stairs. The sounds became louder as the disorganized gryphons raced underneath them, then started to fade again. A cold gush of air rushed through the ventilation shaft, suggesting the gryphons had opened the door to the outside of the facility. The plan had worked as intended, then. The gryphons were making a mad rush outside, thinking their attackers were still outside of the building. Sirius knew it would be a fatal mistake for them. That was confirmed a few seconds later as the confused shouting was replaced by panicked and frightened yells. The unicorn snipers were picking off the gryphons who had rushed outside now, using their silent and invisible lethal spells. The panicked gryphons would have no idea why their comrades were suddenly dropping dead next to them, but they wouldn't have more than a few seconds to think about it before they were next.

Shafts of light pierced the tunnel they were crawling through as they approached the end of the ventilation shaft. Captain Vega turned and kicked the vent covering with his rear hooves. The light metal gave way instantly, bending and snapping at the edges, as the vent covering swung outward, hanging down by a single corner now. Captain Vega looked through the vent scanning for enemies quickly, then dropped through to the floor. Sirius and the rest of the team followed quickly, dropping behind him and scanning for gryphons. There were none in the immediate area, all of the nearby ones apparently having rushed for the door when the explosion had ripped open the grate on the roof. The room they were in was a featureless, stone square, dimly lit by four torches near each corner. Their flickering light was barely enough to reach the middle of the room. The only exit from the room was a corridor in the left wall.

Immediately, they turned towards the corridor, following it and, making their way deeper into the facility, moving carefully and quietly to make sure they would hear any approaching gryphons before the gryphons heard them. The team members on the left kept their heads slightly turned to the left, and the ones on the other side did the same to the right. That was all they needed to do to keep watch directly behind them, their equine eyes having nearly a three hundred and sixty degree field of view.

The hallway turned right in front of them, a single torch on the wall at the end lighting the way. The sound of running claws echoed off the corridor walls. Sirius swiveled his keen ears in that direction and determined six gryphons were rushing down the hall. His team stopped and waited. Adrenaline pulsed through him and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Clack, clack, clack, went the claws, growing louder and inching closer. A few seconds later, the first three gryphons emerged from the hall. The next several events happened so quickly, it was difficult to tell what order they had happened in. One of the bat ponies in front of Sirius flicked his forehoof, and a throwing knife whistled through the air. Then, one of the gryphons squawked loudly, throwing up his talons to grasp at his head, Blood dribbled from it where the thrown knife had embedded itself directly between his eyes. He took a few staggering steps, then fell. The remaining three gryphons scrambled out of the hallway, and all five of the remaining gryphons let out an ear splitting screech before rushing towards them. None of the gryphons were wearing armor, Sirius noted. They had obviously been caught by total surprise. More knives sailed through the air, and two more gryphons staggered as the knives dug into their flesh. They fell a few seconds later. That left three still rushing towards them. There was no time to throw any more knives.

Sirius reared up, bracing himself on his hind legs as one of the remaining three gryphons collided with him, talons meeting forehooves. Vaguely, he was a ware of the sounds of battle. Of talons scraping against armor, beaks clacking, and hooves colliding with flesh as other members of his team engaged gryphons. Sirius and his gryphon shoved against each other, the gryphon snapping his maw and trying to get his beak at Sirius' throat, Sirius pushing back and trying to keep that beak out of range. That beak was sharp as any knife, and could kill just as easily. He pushed off with one of his hind legs, causing the gryphon to give just an inch. Then, he wrenched one of his forelegs free from the gryphon's grasp. Quickly, he pushed forward, slashing his foreleg from left to right under the gryphon's snapping maw. Warm blood squirted onto his muzzle and chest armor like water from a fountain as the blade on his foreleg armor opened up the gryphon's throat. The gryphon released him now, staggering backwards, and grasping his throat with both talons, his eyes wide with shock. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, but only gurgling sounds and blood came out. A few seconds later, he began to stagger, then stumbled to his knees, collapsing face down shortly after.

Sirius looked around and noticed that the other members of his team had felled the other two gryphons. Two of the team members quickly moved forward now, turning and bracing against the wall near the hallway. They leaned out, turning their heads to look down it, then both waved a forehoof, giving the sign that the corridor was clear. Sirius moved quickly, following them down the hallway along with the rest of the team. It was quiet now, and he wondered if all of the gryphons were dead, or if some had finally figured out what was going on and were lying in ambush for them somewhere. Adrenaline continued to surge through his veins, and his heart pumped furiously. He raised a forehoof, carefully wiping the warm, sticky gryphon blood from around his eyes. He'd been on raids like this before and was one of the most experienced members of Bat Team Alpha. But never before had he been on a raid where the stakes were so high. Where failure to accomplish the mission objective could mean the doom of not only Equestria, but potentially the universe itself.

o.O.o

Luna sat on her haunches in her cell, her hind legs folder underneath her, and her forelegs rigidly straight on the floor in front of her. She remained perfectly quiet and unmoving, staring at the three gryphon guards sitting outside of her cell. Every once in a while, she'd flick her tail lightly, but that was the only motion she made. She took deep, slow breaths, waiting for the rescue to start. One of the gryphons glanced at her, but then turned his head away, unable to keep eye contact with her for long. He looked at one of the other guards, shuddered and spoke quietly.

“I hate it when she does that. It's creepy I tell ya. She's like some predator staring down her trapped prey, just waiting for the right moment to pounce.”

Luna pretended not to pay attention to their conversation, but inwardly, she was chuckling to herself. Occasionally, during her detention here, she'd amuse herself by playing these psychological games with the guards. They never failed to have the intended effect. Although some of the guards were a lot better at maintaining their outward composure than others.

“In case you haven't noticed, she's the one trapped behind bars,” the other guard responded. “She won't be pouncin' on no one. If it creeps you out so much, then don' look at her.”

“Then she's meditating or something. Gettin' ready to cast some damn spell on us.”

“If she could cast spells, don' ya think she'd a-dun it by now?”

“She's bidin' her time. Waitin' for the right moment, I tell ya. That's what she's a-doing. Waitin'.”

“Ya worry too much, Jet Stream. That's yer problem. If she could cast spells she'd a gotten away a long time ago. She can't cast. Not with the magic inhibitor on her horn and the cold iron in the bars and walls.”

“Maybe a normal unicorn couldn't cast. But she ain't no unicorn.”

The other gryphon just shook his head. “Again, if she's unnerving you that much, just don' look at 'er.”

Despite the guard's cool composure and reassuring answers, Luna could smell his nervousness. He wasn't entirely convinced his own statements were true.

Unfortunately, however, they were true. Luna had tried every day, several times a day to use just a little bit of magic. She'd searched and searched for some kind of weakness in the inhibitor ring and cold iron. But so far, she had found nothing. It was true. She couldn't cast in here.

Without moving her eyes, she turned her attention to the third gryphon outside her cell. He was her friend, Albinus. The one who was going to help her. During her conversations with him, she'd learned that he was the most junior guard here. At nineteen, he was also the youngest, having barely finished basic training before being sent here. At first, she'd been baffled that they had sent someone with virtually no experience to guard her, given how valuable of a prisoner she was. But Albinus had explained to her that assignments in the Gryphon Army were typically given based on seniority, and that not many soldiers with seniority wanted this assignment. They were all too afraid of her and what she might be capable of.

Suddenly a dull, deep BOOM echoed throughout the dungeon hall. All three of the guards gave a startled jump, getting to their feet quickly. A gust of air from the ventilation shaft ruffled her fur, and a tinge of sulfur smell hit her nostrils.

“You stay here, Albinus! Guard her!” the senior guard shouted before he and the one he had called Jet Stream darted towards the door. The senior guard fumbled for his keys, finally finding the right one and throwing the door open. The two of them ran out, dashing up the stairs, not even bothering to close the door behind them.

Albinus had stayed behind as ordered, but he looked nervous now, occasionally shifting his weight from one hind paw to the other. For a little while, he did nothing, except stare towards the door in the direction his comrades had run. A sinking feeling began to weigh heavily on her as she started to wonder if he was having second thoughts and was going to back out of his promise to help her.

The muffled sounds of battle reached her ears through the ventilation shaft. Her team was inside now, she knew. She heard the clash of talons slamming against armor, followed by a loud squawk of pain from a gryphon. The battle noises seemed to rouse Albinus out of his indecisiveness. He turned around, fumbling with his key ring, finding the right key, and sticking it into the lock. He hesitated for only a brief moment before turning it. There was a sliding, scraping sound as the bolt slid back, and then he swung the door open.

“Go,” he said. “'I'll cover you from behind.”

And for the first time in she wasn't sure how long, Luna stepped out of her cell, quickly making her way to the still open dungeon hall door. They had already agreed she would go first and he would follow. That would make sure her rescue team didn't accidentally kill him before they realized he was her friend. She had just started up the stairs when a loud female voice stopped her in her tracks.

“You treacherous vulture!” the voice shouted.

She turned her head, seeing the female Commander of the guard unit, accompanied by a male subordinate officer, already rushing towards Albinus, The Commander raised a talon and slashed towards his throat, but he blocked it with his own talon, deflecting the blow away from him.

“Go!” he shouted at Luna as both guards attacked him now, trying to ram through him and get to her in the stairwell.

“But there's no way you can take on two of them by yourself!” she shouted back at him, wincing as he parried another blow. But that blow had staggered him badly, nearly sending him to his knees. It was clear he was already losing the fight.

“You can't help! You can't cast in here! What happens to me doesn't matter! All that matters is that you get to your rescue team! Now go!” he shouted, taking a slash across his chest from the Commander that instantly started to dribble blood. Luna winced at the sight, but the cut wasn't deep. Still, she knew he wouldn't survive long.

He'd already explained the layout of the dungeon to her, and she knew how to work her way towards the surface. She took one step up the stairs, then stopped and turned around, narrowing her eyes. I may not be able to cast in here, but my horn is useful for something other than just casting spells, she said to herself. Then, she lowered her head and charged at a full gallop, her horn pointing in front of her like a silver lance. A second later, she slammed into the side of the Commander. Horn met flesh, and flesh yielded. She pushed off hard with her hind legs, driving herself forward, her horn slipping in between two ribs and burying itself deeper, until her forehead hit the gryphon's side, the entire length of her horn now embedded deeply inside the Commander's flesh. The gryphon let out a screech that was part agony and part surprise. She jerked herself away, pulling her skewered body off of Luna's horn. As soon as she did, frothy pink blood started to flow out of the wound. The same blood also ran down Luna's horn, dripping down her forehead and into her eyes. She shook her head slightly, clearing her vision, and then watched the startled Commander. The Commander took an enraged step forward towards her, swinging her talon, but she was moving much more slowly, and Luna easily sprang backward, avoiding the swipe. Then, the gryphon opened her mouth, as if to say something, but instead of voice, there was only a rasping cough and spraying blood from her mouth. And with that, Luna knew her aim had been true. Her horn had penetrated at least one, and probably both lungs. It was a mortal wound that would kill quickly.

The gryphon's eyes glazed over and she coughed again as her lungs continued to fill with blood. She was drowning, Luna knew. Then, the gryphon took one more step towards her, swinging her talon wildly, in a last attempt at revenge. The swing never had a chance of hitting. She collapsed, falling in a heap, her eyes motionless.

Luna turned her attention to Albinus now. He was still locked in combat with the other guard. But with the loss of his Commander, the guard seemed to be having a much more difficult time. He shoved his head forward, trying to go for one of Albinus' eyes with his razor-sharp beak. Luna knew it was a fatal mistake. Her judgment proved true as Albinus went low, getting his beak around the other gryphon's now unprotected throat. Albinus clamped down, then yanked backwards, tearing open a large hole in the front of his opponent's neck. The gash was so wide, and the blood loss so rapid, that the other gryphon barely had time to look surprised before he collapsed.

Luna looked at Albinus now, and he looked back at her. Both were breathing a little heavily from the fight. But she was uninjured, and as far as she could tell, other than the minor cut across his chest, he was uninjured as well. Neither of them said anything at they turned and started up the stairs again, Luna leading, and Albinus following close behind her.

o.O.o

Sirius and his team finished clearing the first level of the facility, which was also the only level that was above ground. They came to a door now, and ten members of the team pressed themselves to the wall, five on one side, and five on the other. The remaining team member tested the door, finding it locked. He turned around and bucked with his hind legs, kicking the door and blowing it off its hinges with a loud clattering and clanging noise. Then, the ten members pressed to the wall quickly moved in front of the door to cover him, throwing knives at the ready. There was nothing to throw them at, though. The staircase leading down into the darkness behind the door was empty. Sirius listened for any sound, but heard nothing. Then, at a silent signal from Captain Vega, the team funneled down the stairs. They hadn't gone far before they reached a wide landing with doors leading off to both the left and right.

“Split,” Captain Vega ordered. Four members of the team stood in front of the right door, and four in front of the left door. The three remaining members stayed in the hallway to make sure no gryphons would be able to come up the stairs and get above them. There was no room to hug the wall here, so they had no choice but to remain exposed. Captain Vega tested the door to the left, and found it was unlocked. He opened it carefully, then motioned for the other members to follow him in. Sirius entered first, followed by the rest of the team that had taken the left door. The room they were in turned out to be a kitchen. A large counter stood in the center of the room between them and the wall on the other side of the room, which also had a door in it. Although there were several torches lining the walls, only one of them was lit, casting heavy shadows and shrouding some parts of the kitchen in blackness. Thin clouds of smoke hovered above the other torches, giving away the fact that they had just been extinguished before the team had entered. Captain Vega pointed at the counter with his forehoof, giving a circling motion, and his team split, two of them circling around the counter to the left, and the other two to the right.

Suddenly, a female gryphon jumped up from behind the counter and ran away from them, darting towards the door in the opposite side of the room.

“After her!” Captain Vega shouted, and the team started galloping towards her. One of the members, Nimbus, sprang off the floor, clearing the counter with room to spare. He slammed into the gryphon, bringing her down. Immediately, she twisted onto her side, trying to roll out from under him, but he dropped his haunches, quickly sitting on her and pinning her to the floor, placing one of his armored forehooves on the side of her head, holding it down on the floor. Sirius and the rest of the team quickly surrounded the pinned gryphon and she stopped struggling immediately.

“I surrender! Please! I'm not a soldier! I'm just a cook!” she cried out staring up at the bat pony that held her down, eyes wide with fear.

“A cook, you say?” Captain Vega asked. Sirius quickly noted she was wearing no armor and appeared to be carrying no weapons. But that didn't necessarily mean anything. The guards that had attacked them had been caught by surprise and hadn't been wearing armor either.

“Yes, Sir,” she said, attempting to turn her head to look at Captain Vega.

“Be still!” the bat pony sitting on her ordered, pushing his forehoof down a bit more firmly on her head, preventing her from making any movement. Instead, she just moved her eyes, turning them to look at the Captain instead.

“A cook, Sir,” she continued. “My parents didn't want me, and turned me over to the state when I was born. They forced me to join the army when I turned fifteen, but after finding out I had no soldiering aptitude, they made me a cook. It's considered dishonorable for a gryphon to show no soldiering aptitude, Sir.”

That was certainly more information than they'd needed, asked for, or even wanted.

“Search her,” Captain Vega said with a nod to Sirius.

He nodded, then approached the pinned gryphon. He carefully ran a forehoof through the plumage of her neck and chest, looking for any hidden blades or other weapons. He nodded to Nimbus, who took his forehoof off her head, but otherwise, continued to keep her firmly pinned to the floor.

“Lift your head,” Sirius ordered. The gryphon quickly obeyed, lifting her head and allowing Sirius to reach underneath her. He did so, again, carefully running his forehoof through the plumage on the side of her neck that was facing towards the floor. Then, he nodded to Nimbus again and took a few steps backwards.

“Head down,” Nimbus ordered. Again, she obeyed quickly, and he placed his forehoof lightly back on the side of her head to keep it pinned.

“She's clean, Sir,” Sirius announced. Captain Vega nodded, then returned his attention to the pinned gryphon.

“You know the layout of this facility?”

“Yes Sir,” she responded, attempting to nod her head, but a quick response from Nimbus stopped her from moving again. “Well, most of it anyway. They don't let me go into the dungeon itself. I go to the dungeon entrance, but the guards take the food from there and bring it to the prisoner. I don't even know who they are holding down there. But I assumed it must be a pony 'cause Albinus often asks me to make vegetarian dishes. In fact, he –”

“How many guards are stationed here?” Vega asked, interrupting the gryphon before she wandered any further into detailed descriptions. She was very talkative, and very forthcoming with information, Sirius thought, even volunteering far more information than was needed or asked for. But if what she said was true, and she was only a cook, she probably had no training at all in resisting interrogation, and she was probably very frightened right now. Bat ponies did have a fearsome reputation after all. Especially when you included the false rumors about blood drinking. She probably assumed that the more she talked, and the more information she volunteered without being asked for it, the more favor she would earn with her captors, and the more likely they would be to show her mercy.

“Eighteen, Sir,” she answered timidly.

The snipers had killed four outside of the building, and the team had killed six on the first level. One of the gryphons was Luna's friend. That left seven who were still unaccounted for, and who were still a potential threat. Several gryphons had rushed outside, though, when they realized they were under attack, and Sirius knew from the frightened and confused sounds he'd heard earlier that the snipers had picked off most, if not all of them. He suspected that when they left the building, they'd find most, if not all of the remaining seven lying dead outside. Still as long as any guards remained unaccounted for, they had to be careful. They could take seven guards if they had to, and by themselves, the seven guards wouldn't be able to trap them in a lower level of the building. But they could potentially do something more sinister, such as set a higher level on fire and trap them in the lower level that way. That meant they still had to carefully sweep each level before moving any deeper into the facility.

“Will you lead us through the facility and down as far as you know the way?” Captain Vega asked the pinned gryphon.

“Lead you through the facility? Yes, Sir. I can do that,” she answered timidly. Captain Vega looked at Sirius again.

“You believe her story?”

“About being a cook and not a soldier? Yes, Sir. I believe she's telling the truth. And the sweeps will definitely go much faster with a guide who knows the layout.” The fact that she was so talkative and timid strongly suggested she was not a soldier in the Gryphon Army. Furthermore, when he'd searched her, he'd noted she didn't have the muscle tone or definition that he'd expect to find on a soldier. In fact, she had almost no muscle development at all. It was likely she did very little, if any, intense physical training.

Captain Vega returned his attention to the gryphon, giving her a very stern look that broached no argument.

“No escape attempts, got it?”

“Yes, Sir, I won't try to get away,” she responded.

“And if you give me your word of honor that you won't try to attack any of my team, I won't muzzle you.”

“I have no honor, Sir,” she said with a strong note of sadness in her voice. “But I promise you I won't try to attack any of your team members.”

“Very well,” Captain Vega responded, apparently accepting her promise as good enough. Then, he turned his attention to Nimbus and nodded. “Let her up.”

Nimbus stood up and stepped off of his captive, then offered a forehoof to help her stand back up. She hesitated for a moment, but then graciously accepted it, pulling herself back to her paws with his help.

“Where does that door go?” Captain Vega asked, nodding towards the door that she had attempted to escape through.

“To a stairway, Sir. It leads to the back service entrance. It's only used to deliver food to the kitchen.”

“Did any guards go out it?”

“No, Sir. I heard them shouting and rushing passed, but none of them came in here. They must have all gone out the main entrance.

“Clear it,” Captain Vega said, nodding to two of his team members. They went forward, testing the door and then hugging the wall on either side while they opened it. Two other team members stood with throwing knives at the ready. However, the gryphon had been true to her word. There was nothing behind the door. Just a short stairwell that lead up to another door.

“That door at the top go directly outside?” Captain Vega asked his captive.

“Yes, Sir,” she answered.

There was no reason to sweep beyond the door, then. The snipers would take care of any gryphons that were outside of it. However, the door was worth keeping in mind as it would likely be the quickest way out of the building once they'd located Luna.

“What's your name?” Captain Vega asked her.

“When I was young, they called me Parthenope, Sir. Because the headmaster liked my singing voice.” She looked down at the floor as she continued. “But the army changed my name to Dorcia, and that's what everyone calls me now.”

“Well, you're lucky we captured you, Parthenope. If you'd made it up the stairs, my snipers would have killed you as soon as you stepped outside.”

The gryphon shivered slightly at the realization of just how close she'd come to dying. But then gave a brief but noticeable smile. Sirius was certain the smile was because Captain Vega had addressed her by the name she'd used as a child instead of the one everyone called her now. Dorcia was a gryphon word that meant gazelle. A prey animal. An animal that runs away when threatened. He was sure the army had given her that name to humiliate her after she'd shown no aptitude for being a soldier.

Captain Vega turned and lead his team and captive out into the stairwell again. There, they found the other half of the team waiting for them.

“Any action?” he asked them.

“No Sir, Everything beyond the door was clean,” one of the team members responded.

“Alright, let's continue down, then.”

The team continued working their way down the staircase. Parthenope proved to be a good guide. She'd warm them about upcoming doors before they were close enough to see them, told them what was behind the doors, and made sure they knew which corridors were leading them closer to the lower levels of the facility.

But the gryphon also continued her habit of volunteering way more information than was needed. As they approached the door that lead to the facility commander's quarters, she begin to tell them that in addition to being the cook for the entire building, she was also the Commander's personal maid. She had changed the Commander's sheets this morning, the team learned. She'd also brought the Commander tea. White tea, with a touch of lemon zest added to it. The current Commander had a peculiar habit of taking her tea in a stone ale tankard rather than a tea cup. Parthenope was so talkative that Sirius began to wonder if she were intentionally trying to draw attention to them. Or if she were trying to keep them distracted so that they wouldn't be able to hear any approaching enemies. But he decided it was more likely, she was just one of those types who chattered when they were nervous, and expounded on every detail they could think of out of fear that they would omit something important that they didn't realize was important.

“Be quiet,” Captain Vega finally said in a stern voice, turning his gaze to her. “Tell us when we are coming to rooms or junctions, and answer direct questions. But say nothing else. Give us only the details we actually need.”

“Yes, Sir,” she responded in a slightly dejected tone of voice. Sirius felt sorry for her, suspecting she was probably all to used to being chastised by military officers.

The team continued their methodical sweep of the building, working their way downward much faster now with the help of their guide. So far, they had encountered no additional resistance, and Sirius strongly began to suspect that all of the hostile gryphons were already dead. But they still couldn't rule out the possibility of am ambush lying in wait for them somewhere up ahead.

With Parthenope's direction, they turned another corner, walking down another dimly lit hallway. All of he hallways in the building were so poorly lit that Sirius suspected not all of the lighting had been installed, and that the facility had been pressed into service before it was ready. Parthenope had told them there would be a door at the end of this hallway, and that behind that door would be the final stairway leading down to the dungeon entrance. The door would almost certainly be locked, and was heavy and reinforced, she said, so bucking down the door was out. Sirius, being the entry expert on the team, hoped he could pick the lock. But if that failed, he would have to use some of the blasting-putty to blow the door. He definitely hoped it wouldn't come to that. The blast would be heard throughout the entire facility and would lead any remaining gryphons from any part of the building directly to them.

So far, they could not see the door, and the sparsely lighted hallway seemed to go on forever, disappearing into darkness like some bottomless-pit hole in the ground.

Suddenly, Parthenope stopped dead in her tracks, causing the rest of the team to stop as well.

“What is it?” Captain Vega whispered.

“I heard something, Sir. From behind the door. We are close to it now, but it's too dark to see in here,” she responded just as quietly.

Vega made a motion with his forehoof and his team pushed themselves up against the walls on either side of the hallway as tightly as they could. Sirius grabbed Parthenope's foreleg with his forehoof and pulled her up against the wall next to him. He could feel her trembling, and began to worry she was about to panic. Please don't bolt and try to run, he thought to himself. They definitely didn't need to attract that kind of attention to themselves. Three members of the team readied throwing knives, while Sirius and the remaining members prepared to spring into hoof-to-talon combat.

A key turned in the lock with a grinding sound, a clang echoed off the walls as the deadbolt disengaged, and the faint squeak of hinges told them the door was opening.

Then, out of the darkness, glowing white like some specter in the night, Sirius could see the infrared form of Princess Luna herself, trailed by the gryphon that must be her friend. Involuntarily, he smiled, but then it changed to a frown as he noticed the glowing streaks flowing down Luna's head and chest, and the glowing spots covering the gryphon's form. Even though there was no color in the infrared spectrum, It was obvious what those streaks and spots were: Blood.

Vega gave the sign for his team to move forward, and at the same time, Luna and her companion approached them. Sirius was tempted to run to his Princess. To cry out in joy. No doubt, Luna and every other member of the team felt the same. But all of them, including Luna, were much too well trained to let that emotion get the better of them. Not when there were still potential enemies around.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Parthenope hesitate, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

“They're ours,” he said to her, remembering that gryphons, like ponies who weren't bat ponies, couldn't see the infrared spectrum like he could.

That seemed to reassure her, and she moved forward with them. Gradually, as they approached each other and moved into the light, the ghostly glowing form materialized into the dark blue form of Princess Luna. Sirius could see now that Luna's entire horn was covered in blood. Parthenope stopped again, her beak almost dropping to the floor, saying nothing. But her gaze was transfixed on Luna.

“Are either of you hurt, Your Majesty?” was the first thing Captain Vega asked when they had reached each other.

“No, Captain. Both of us are fine.”

“You encountered resistance, then?”

“Yes. Two, including the Commander. But neither one of them will be causing us any trouble.”

Captain Vega nodded, and Parthenope finally found her voice.

“The … the Princess of Equestria herself? The Night Princess? That's who it was? All this time I've been cooking for one of Equestria's Princesses?”

“You can gawk all you want later, Parthenope,” Captain Vega said, turning his attention to the gryphon. “But first, lead us out of here. Take the fastest and most direct route, since we've cleared all the levels above and know there's no one up there who can ambush us. When you get to the door that leads outside, though, make sure you let some of us go first. My snipers will shoot you if they see you come out and don't realize you are with us.”

“Yes, Sir,” Parthenope responded, coming out her state of shock and turning, leading the way back up the stairs. Two members of the team walked in front of her just in case they might have missed something earlier. But Sirius was confident their sweep would have found anyone who was still hiding in the upper levels. And the snipers would have insured that anyone who had run outside would not be going back in the building again.

It took only a fraction of the time for them to get back up as it had taken for them to work there way down, Parthenope occasionally giving directions to the guards in front of her if they missed the fact that she had started to turn down a different corridor. In a short time, they approached the entrance to the kitchen. Parthenope, lead them through it, and around the corner. The bat ponies in front of her opened the door that lead to the short flight of stairs leading up to the last door. After making sure the stairwell was still clear, they moved out of the way and let her go in front.

At the top of the stairs, she took a keyring that was hanging on a nail, flipped through a few keys, and unlocked the door. Then she moved out of the way and let the two bat ponies step in front of her again. They pushed open the door, swinging it outward. The bright lights from the courtyard flooded through the opening, bathing the stairwell in yellowish-white light. An icy blast of wind shot down at them. But to Sirius, the freezing wind had never felt so good. They were at the surface, about to leave the building, and they had accomplished their mission. They had rescued their Princess.

The two bat ponies in front Parthenope stepped through first, followed by Captain Vega. He raised his forehoof, giving the all clear signal to the snipers on that side of the building. The snipers, in turn, passed the signal on to their counterparts on the other rise opposite from them. Captain Vega them motioned for the rest of his team to step outside of the building. And one by one, they all stepped out into the open air.

Sirius watched as Luna stretched her wings, breathing deeply and smelling the outside air for what was almost certainly the first time since she'd been captured. He thought he saw her smile briefly, but then she frowned and looked down.

“I had no idea it had gotten so bad out here,” she said, seemingly to herself.

Captain Vega lead his team, their rescued Princess, and the two gryphons around to the front of the facility. There, as expected, by the front door which hung open, they found the bodies of the remaining five gryphons they hadn't been able to account for. In the confusion of the attack, they had run outside, where they had quickly been taken out by the bat unicorn snipers on the hill.

Parthenope winced and shivered, and Sirius thought she might sick up at the sight of so much death around her. As a cook, she had probably never been in a battle situation before. Fortunately, before she got sick, Vega spoke, drawing her attention away from the bodies.

“Come on. Let's get out of here,” was all he said.

Sirius looked up, seeing the hole they had cut in the canopy when they'd come in. It was much larger now, the biting wind having torn the canvas further. Then they all spread their wings, flew into the air, and made the short flight through the hole in the canopy to the top of the ridge, where they landed again and joined with their snipers. There, one of the snipers approached Luna, touching his own horn to the magic inhibiting ring wrapped around hers. There was a brief flash of light, a cracking noise, and the ring splintered and shattered, falling from her horn in a pile of dust. Luna nodded her head in thanks, and then shook it back and forth several times, her mane flipping left, then right, as if she were ridding herself of some confining mask that she had been wearing for a long time.

From there, they walked a short ways through the forest until they arrived at the clearing where the transport chariots were waiting for them, along with Spike and the rest of the bat pony support team who had stayed with the chariots. When they saw that the team had their Princess with them, they raised their forehooves in victory, and spike raised his forearm. The team returned the victory salute, as they stopped in the clearing. Then, the entire team lined up in formation with Captain Vega and, with the exception of the two gryphons, they all bowed to Luna. As they did so, Vega addressed her.

“Now that we are safely away from that building, allow me and my team to be the first to welcome you home, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Captain. And thank you, to all of you,” Luna responded, bowing her head in thanks and then motioning them to rise. “Not once while I was held captive, did I despair. For I never had any doubt that my Night Guard would come through. And once again, you have all proven that you are Equestria's finest.”

None of them said anything in response. It was not the time or place. There would be plenty of time for celebration once they were back in Canterlot.

Luna turned her attention to Captain Vega now.

“What of your prisoner, Captain?” she asked, shifting her attention to Parthenope, who bowed her head timidly at Luna's gaze.

“Her name is Parthenope. I had intended on letting her go once we were safely back outside,” he responded. “Although, given what I've learned of her since then, I wonder if she might be happier if we take her with us.”

Immediately, Parthenope lifted her head, turning her attention to Captain Vega, an excited and hopeful gleam in her eyes.

“Oh, could I, Sir? Me come to Canterlot?” she responded in an excited, but also pleading, almost begging tone. But then, the hopeful gleam left her eyes and they went downcast. “But I'm quite certain I'm not strong enough and don't have the endurance to make the flight across the Sea of Tears,” she said sadly, as if all hope had just been dashed out of her.

“You will ride with me,” Luna said.

“May I really? Oh, thank you, Your Majesty!” the gryphon responded, her eyes full of excitement again, and her voice as giddy as a filly waiting for a Wonderbolts show to start.

“I would let you have my entire chariot to yourself, actually. Given how long I've been confined to that cell, I'd love to stretch my wings and fly back to Canterlot myself. But I suspect Captain Vega will not allow it.”

“I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. At least not until we've crossed over the Sea of Tears and are safely back over Equestria,” Captain Vega responded, shaking his head slightly.

Luna nodded once in understanding, then turned her attention to Albinus.

“I assume you are okay flying outside with my team?” she asked.

“I won't be going with you, Princess,” he responded, shaking his head slightly.

“What? But you can't stay here,” Luna responded in surprise, her eyes wide.

“I can't leave my wife here. I have to go back to Gryphon City and get her. Then we'll fly to Equestria together.”

Luna nodded her head in understanding, then turned to her rescue team.

“Nimbus, Ganymede, go with him,” she commanded.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they both responded, taking a step forward, but Albinus shook his head.

“I'll be safer going alone. Less likely to be noticed.”

“But you'll be killed if they catch you. They'll execute you for abandoning your post,” Luna protested. “Are you sure you don't wish to have an escort? Bat Team Alpha members are experts at covert operations.”

“I deeply thank you for your offer of assistance, Princess. But this is a risk I have to take on my own.”

Luna nodded once more in acceptance, then stepped forward, raising her forehooves and pulling Albinus into a hug. For a moment, the gryphon looked surprised, but then he wrapped his own forelegs around her as well.

“Thank you, for everything, Albinus. And make sure to send notice when you and your wife arrive in Equestria. I look forward to meeting her and having the two of you to the castle for dinner.”

“I will, Princess. I promise,” he responded. Then, the two of them released each other, and Albinus took a few steps backward and turned around. He spread his wings, taking to the air. He flapped them a few times, gaining altitude until he was above the treeline. Then, he turned towards Gryphon City, and quickly disappeared into the night.

“Let's get out of here,” Captain Vega said, drawing Luna's attention away from the sky. She nodded once, then motioned for Parthenope to follow her. The two of them walked towards her chariot, and one of the bat ponies opened the door for them, saluting as they approached. She motioned for her gryphon guest to step in first, and Parthenope timidly did so. Then, Luna stepped in after her, and the bat pony outside closed the door and secured it. The small stove inside the chariot was already lit, and the air was warm and inviting. Luna watched out the window as the rest of Captain Vega's team quickly fell into order.

Then, the chariot began to move, bumping along the rough ground for a few seconds before pitching up and taking to the sky. The ride became smooth as they cleared the tree tops. They turned west, and Luna began her journey back to her old life. And Parthenope, seated next to her, began her journey to her new life: a life where she would never be called Dorcia again.