By Coffeebean

Gilda and I flew for close to fifty miles before the sun began to rise. She knew that I was watching her, making sure she wouldn’t bolt - although I’m fairly certain that being the bulkier of the two of us, I wouldn’t be able to catch her if she had put in some speed. As we travelled further north, heading past Hoofington, we hit a snow storm; thankfully it was only a light shower, large flakes but relatively slow moving, and didn’t hinder our flight.

We had finally stopped for rest when we saw a train snaking it’s way through the snow-capped mountains heading north, presumably headed towards Stalliongrad, which was another two hundred and fifty miles from where we were. Dropping down, Gilda and I landed comfortably on the roof of what looked like a storage car, without anypony noticing us. She opened the side of the car and dropped inside, rather gracefully grabbing the rail around the edge of the car and dropping herself over the side - I followed, and we found bales of hay in the dark interior cabin. Thankfully, the hay was dry and inviting and was quickly piled up against the doors.

She had undone the rope around one bale, and was spreading it out on the wooden floor of the storage car. As she worked, I noticed she was shivering. Searching around a little more, I found a chest holding a few sheep’s wool blankets - heavy and scratchy, but warm. Draping the largest around myself, I waited for Gilda to lay in the hay before placing the others over her.

Almost immediately she tried to throw them off, obviously trying to play the dominant one of our unlikely partnership. I watched her struggle for a little while, grinning as the already exhausted gryphon put her remaining strength into tiring herself out completely.

As she dropped off to sleep, I slumped back against one of the bales, pressing them further against the only outside access to the rest of the train. Eventually, I got more and more comfortable and drifted off too.

I don’t know if it was the lack of food, or the cold, but that night I dreamt the same damn dream that’s been following me for close to ten years now. Shivering in the hay on the opposite side to Gilda, I was transported back to Canterlot, working with Snapshot protecting Princess Celestia. I still remember the original memory like it happened yesterday.

We had been in the throne room. The Commander of the Guard was briefing Her Majesty on a crop shortage out near Stalliongrad, discussing how we could have food flown in from more affluent agricultural areas such as Ponyville or Ferlyn. Apparently the Wonderbolts were due to be performing in Stalliongrad in a fortnight, so it would have made sense for them to carry the supplies and spare the Royal Air Force for something more important.

My brother Giggles was there too - dressed in the usual garb of a jester, all bells and bright colours. This was before he’d met his wife, and a good few years before his sudden death. We heard the sound of shouting from the doors to the throne room, and an Earth pony in battered copper armour burst in, using all of his might to push both doors open without the assistance of the guards protecting them.

“Your Majesty, Sir Stoneglance Sir, the northern beacons have been lit.” he panted as he entered the throne room, interrupting Celestia. Our commander at the time, Sir Duke’s father, Stoneglance, immediately turned to the fearful pony, the silver-armoured pegasus fixing the stallion with his calm grey stare.

“Guardspony, is this true? Who is coming?” he asked, stood next to the obviously worried princess by her throne.

“Aye Sir, lookouts say they passed the mountains to the north and are heading this way!” the guard screeched, pupils tiny with fear, trembling like a coward.

“Pull yourself together Stallion! WHO is coming?” Stoneglance asked once more, walking over and placing a hoof on the guard’s shoulder.

“Gryphons, sir, thousands of them... and... and a dragon.”

The Princess gasped. She’d obviously thought that we were on better terms with the gryphon clans at the time.

“Commander, if they are on their way here in force, we need to get everypony somewhere safe!” she said, her voice trembling slightly at the thoughts of her people being wiped out.

“Not before you, ma’am. Guardsponies Snapshot and [REDACTED], find and take Miss Sparkle and the brat down to the catacombs beneath the castle. I believe they were last seen in the library.”

“I must insist you stop calling my nephew that, commander.” Celestia said, genuinely hurt.

“My apologies, your highness, but we really must get you moving. Guards, get the foals hidden. You, jester, head to the throne room, you know what to do if they make it inside. City guard, I need you to get me Frequency, from the magical division.”

As the panicking city guard ran towards the tower holding the magical division, my usually jolly brother nodded with a gentle jingle of his belled hat, a look of utter seriousness on his face.

“Yes Sir,” he replied, before turning to me, “Take care, [REDACTED]. If I don’t make it out, tell mum I at least took the f*ckers with me.”

“Same to you, Gigs.” I said, before turning away. I specifically remember not being worried for my brother’s safety at all.

The train rumbled, and I was temporarily roused from my sleep. Gilda hadn’t moved, but I could hear hoofsteps on the roof. Somepony was wondering why they couldn’t get in. They tapped on the sliding door that Gilda and I used to get inside, and tried to open it.

I put my weight against the hay, and managed to jam the door, leaving them about an inch to look through. I could smell the pegasus flapping madly in the wind, his beady little eye against the tiny gap, trying with all his might to look inside. I could even smell the alfalfa and vodka he’d had for his supper.

My stomach rumbled again. I could hear his breath, even against the whistling wind of the open door. He gave up, and closed it and I settled back down under my blanket.

“I never knew you were the jester’s brother, [REDACTED]?” Snapshot asked as we left the room.

“It’s something we were asked to keep quiet. He’s one of us, Snappy... more than one of us. He’s a high grade pyromancer, hidden in plain sight.” I explained, not entirely comfortable with the conversation, because of what my good colleague was to say next.

“But... but isn’t pyromancy illegal? Not to mention insanely dangerous and hard to control?”

“He discovered his gift when we were kids. Sort-of inherited it from grandad.” I replied, trotting briskly towards the library. He’d been kicked out of the all-colts school we attended together after an... accident, involving a particularly harsh gym teacher. The military came for him, and then we never really understood what happened over the next few years until I signed up myself, and found the jingling idiot lounging at the foot of Celestia’s throne.

As we burst into the library, Twilight was found reading to herself, blissfully unaware of the danger that was swooping from the skies at the base of the mountain. From what she was saying, talking about the basics of using magic, she was meant to be tutoring Blueblood. It’s weird, somehow she’d managed to not notice him slip out and had kept on lecturing an invisible study buddy.

“Twilight,” I asked, “Where’s Blueblood? We need to take you into the catacombs, and we need to hurry.”

“I... I don’t know, he was here a few minutes ago, then he went to find something from the Posey Wing, but...”

“He’s in the maid’s quarters.” Snapshot answered, after merely glancing over the desk that the young stallion had been occupying.

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Look at his desk.” the Earth pony said, as if it was obvious, “They study together so that he can copy her work, but this time he didn’t copy down the notes, only the answers - which suggests that he’s working to a time limit and not bothered about being caught cheating. I’d say that he left around five minutes ago too. Judging by the copy of the Klopma Sutra inside that copy of ‘One hundred and one basic incantations’, he has something else in mind for tonight.”

“How can you tell?” I replied, looking at the same workspace, normal for any teenaged stallion.

Snapshot grinned, “He’s been sniffing around her for weeks, her shift finished at seven, and nopony arranges a sleazy rendezvous for exactly seven-thirty-two in the evening. She also stank of his deodorant when she served Her Majesty’s dinner earlier.”

“Right. you take Twilight, I’ll go and find the royal pain in the arse.”

Warmth.

I opened my eyes - it was still dark and the train was still moving. I felt a great deal warmer than I had done earlier, and looked down to find myself with a few more blankets.

Something under them moved. I pulled the top blanket back to find the tomboy-gryphon’s head on my thigh. Sighing, I put the wool back over her, and held her as I drifted back to sleep.

Delivering Blueblood to the catacombs had been far less trouble than expected. The stupid kid was frightened out of his wits, and so took orders pretty well. When he eventually opened the door to the refuge, Snappy revealed that Twilight had talked him into bringing some of the non-military ponies present in the castle with them - thankfully there was still plenty of room for more.

I’d ordered Snapshot to stay with the kids whilst I went to gather more of the castle staff when I heard something. The path to the catacombs ran off from the corridor that was attached to the dungeons, and I could hear somepony, somepony begging for me to release him.

Intrigue made me approach his cell. The door was carved from what looked like solid black marble, to the point where if it hadn’t been for a minute crack under the door, I’d have never heard anything.

“Hello? What are you doing in there?” I asked, knocking on the cool stone. To my knowledge, we hadn’t imprisoned anypony in the castle dungeon in years - usually they were kept in the guardhouse in the city.

“Help... please, let me out... I can fix this.” the voice begged. He’d got something of a weak Shetland twang to his accent, almost like it was being repressed in favour of something more regal.

“Who are you?” I asked again, “Are you one of the guards?”

“...yes, yes, I’m a guard. Now, please, let me out!”

Now, please understand this, my dear reader. I still feel pretty stupid about what happened next.

Against all reason, I opened the door and somepony behind me bucked me in the head. I staggered around for a few seconds and then collapsed, seeing stars. There was a small amount of hushed arguing - I forget exactly what was said, but the stallion behind the door leant down to me. He was brown, with... weird eyes. They were like Celestias, but blue rather than magenta.

“Thank you. I’m sorry that my friend hit you, but I really need to go and sort this mess out, it’s important. I’ll remember your kindness.”

And then he was gone, dashing off as I slipped into unconsciousness.

I woke up again with Gilda at my side. The pegasus from earlier was back, banging at the shuttered door of the carriage. He’d got some friends with him this time, slightly younger and much more excitable, judging by the scent.

I then realised that the train had stopped moving.

“Gilda... wake up. Things are about to get interesting...”

Next Chapter: Part 5 - Capture Estimated time remaining: 8 Minutes