A/N: Ace Combat and My Little Pony belongs to Namco/Bandai and Hasbro respectively

Prologue

The Northern Gate hides many secrets the griffins' fascist rule may have crumbled but it's legacy will never end.

6 miles east from Sudentor, Neue Gryphus

April 21st, 2125hrs

Black clouds covered the night sky, indicating an approaching storm on the area. A lone griffin flies through the dark skies, his black feathers and fur blends him into his surroundings. His eyes squinted as he saw the glimmering lights on the horizon, in about ten to fifteen minutes he should be able to reach Sudentor, the capital city of Neue Gryphus.

Black Star can only sigh in relief. He's been in the air for twelve hours, not counting how many times he stopped for nourishment and rest. He's been avoiding any contacts from the Griffin Kingdom ever since the Equestrian War ended just ten months ago. His former comrade Zeakros is now on the throne and possibly wants his head for what he and Red Cyclone had done to the previous king.

Every time he stopped in a small town or a village, he always find a wanted poster with his face drawn on it. The poster mentioned that he's a Class-A War Criminal, wanted for crimes such as: treason, griffocide, and ponycide.

The latter still brought up some ugly memories from his past.

"Mommy… Daddy… What happened to you?! Please wake up! Say something!"

The figure stood in silence as the filly tried to wake her parents in vain.

"What... What are you... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM!?"

Her big teary eyes glared at the large figure standing before her. The figure turned around and gave the filly an ominous glare, causing the filly to froze in horror.

"…your parents were planning to stage a mutiny against the Griffin Kingdom. As its sworn soldier, I had to make sure such thing would not occur. They have been put to rest forever."

He watched as the filly's expression turned from sadness to unfathomable rage.

"I will... I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!... I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

Black Star flinched as the memory played back in his mind. He shoved it aside and keep focusing on his destination ahead, completely unaware about what's waiting for him there.

Sudentor, Neue Gryphus

April 21st, 2130hrs

Sudentor, the southern industrial city of the Griffin Kingdom and capital city of the Neue Gryphus state. The Griffin Kingdom claimed the industrial city for economic purposes after the previous Reich of Neue Gryphus falls. While the Equestrians have an advanced knowledge for magic, the griffins have their industrial and architectural might on their side but still resort to small spells or enchanted amulets.

With their understanding on advanced technology, Neue Gryphus along with the Griffin Kingdom helped both their own country and Equestria develop radio communicators, radars and satellites. Because of this, both races now had little trouble communicating with each other from vast distances, although both races made an oath to never use these technological marvels for war, that hasn't stopped the former General of the Griffin Kingdom from exploiting these technological gems to ignite the coals of war.

And he's not alone.

On a darkened building on a industrial complex, just outside the downtown district, a griffin had found himself in one hell of a predicament. The griffin looks more like a falcon than an eagle with blue feathers sprouting all over the front side of the body and his lower feline body resembles a panther.

In front of him is a buff-looking unicorn with a darkened coat and a buzz cut mane. The unicorn's cutie mark is concealed to hide his identity.

"For the last time! I didn't know about the damn thing!" the griffin shouted, slamming his magically cuffed talons on the table.

"Stop playing around you bird-headed freak," His interrogator snaps. "You're the only one who know about it so cut the nonsense and tell the truth."

"Scher dich!" the griffin spat angrily, his interrogator's horn glowed and the griffin found his head being smashed directly into the table. The interrogator got up and walked behind the incapacitated griffin.

"I'm getting tired of your nonsense," he growled. "You better tell us the where's the location or I'll—"

"Rohling." A voice cuts him. The interrogator turned around and saw a mint unicorn standing behind him along with a few guards. The unicorn's cutie mark is hidden behind his lab coat, the guards themselves hid their faces and cutie marks, the first one is a pegasus while the second is an earth pony.

"No progress I see," the unicorn scoffed. "I'm terribly disappointed Rohling."

"Forgive me Kriegstreiber," he spoke. "He's not cooperating. I tried truth spells, physiological torture, everything! It's like his mind has been sealed shut."

"Then find his breaking point!" the unicorn, Kriegstreiber snaps. "Everypony and every griffin has a breaking point."

He eyed the griffin, Riddle for a moment then turned his attention back to Rohling and spoke, "Find that breaking point and you better find it fast, you know our client doesn't want to be kept waiting."

Kriegstreiber motioned his guards to get out in which they complied, he turned around but as he's about leave, he turned to Rohling and spoke grimly, "And believe me. She really doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Rohling's pupils shrank in horror.

"Y..yes sir! I'll do my best sir." Rohling squeaked while saluting his superior. With that, Kriegstreiber left the unicorn back with the griffin in the room. Rohling went back to his seat and stared at the bruised Riddle, the griffin just looked down on the floor.

"Now where were we?"

"I need water." Riddle interrupted.

"What?"

"I need water," Riddle repeated. "I'm thirsty."

Rohling eyed Riddle for a moment and sighed in annoyance. He got up from his seat and trotted outside to get some water. A few minutes later, he returned with the glass of water.

"There's your water," he spoke with an irritated tone. "Now drink up, we have work to do."

Riddle just stared at the glass of water, not moving an inch.

"Come on, drink it already!" Rohling snapped.

Once again, silence is his only answer. The unicorn began to lose his patience.

"Oh for the love of…" His horn glowed and the glass levitated but before he can bring it to Riddle's beak, the griffin brought up his cuffed talons and hit the glass. The glass was thrown at Rohling's face, spilling water into his eyes.

Riddle hopped up onto the table and tackled the dazed unicorn into the ground. Before Rohling could recover, Riddle kicked the unicorn's head with all his might. His head was thrown back and hit the wall behind him, knocking him out.

Riddle turned and headed straight for the door. He didn't bother attempting to fly. The ponies had put some sort of spell on them, disabling his flight. He exited the room and made his way through the hall, the hall splits into two directions; one was leads to the testing lab while the other leads to his freedom. But as he walked to the exit, he heard hoofsteps coming from the other end.

Guards.

He retreated back to the second hall and waits for the guards to pass. Once they pass him he rushed to the exit, just in time when the guards finally found the unconscious Rohling.

"Was zur Hölle…!" One of the guards yelled in surprise, another guard quickly activated his communicator,

"This is Braun Four to Braun One. Hüttensänger has escaped. I repeat, Hüttensänger has escaped. Requesting immediate facility lockdown."

"Roger Braun Four, facility lockdown will commence in three minutes." A voice was heard from his comm. "I will send some reinforcements to recapture Hüttensänger, over and out."

Riddle groaned in annoyance, his talons are cuffed and his wings are useless, there is no way he could get out this facility under these conditions. He has to break the magic-enforced cuffs if he wanted to escape. He finally reached the exit in time but more hoofsteps came from his left, he went back into the hall and waited for the guards to pass, but he decides to catch one of the guards in hopes of getting his cuffs off.

When the last guard pony galloped passed the hall, Riddle jumped on him and closed his snout, keeping him from alerting the others. The guard tried to use his magic but his concentration is always interrupted by the blue griffin's painful peck. Riddle dragged him into a storage room where he smashed the guard's comm to pieces before speaking to him.

"Alright kiddo, I need you to break these cuffs."

The guard pony keep glaring daggers at him. Riddle just sighed impatiently.

"Look it's either you help me get out or I'll kill you in the most unpleasant way as possible."

The guard widen his eyes in fear.

"Y..You're bluffing!" he stammered.

Riddle just glared at the terrified pony, that's enough for him to know that the griffin in front of him wasn't playing around.

Without any second wasted, the guard's horn glowed and the cuffs are opened. Riddle stretched his talons for a bit before talking to the guardspony again.

"Listen, I need more info." He pointed at his wings. "Your boss Rohling had put some kind of spell on my wings and because of that I can't move them. Care to deactivate it?"

"I…I..don't kno—" the unicorn trailed off before Riddle cuts him mid sentence, his patience slowly drained away. He grabbed the pony's neck and spoke,

"Cut the nonsense foal and tell the truth." He growled.

"Okay okay!" the unicorn yelled. Riddle immediately released his grip from the pony's neck.

"R..Rohling said, the spell should wear off in about two hours."

Riddle seems satisfied with the pony's answer, he's been in this facility for a while so the spell should wear off any time now. He quickly brought his fist into the unicorn's face and punched him, knocking him out.

"Thank you." He said before heading to the door. More guards passed by but didn't notice him hiding behind the storage door, he sneaked through the hall and found himself on the exit again, now all he need to do climb that fence.

Suddenly a bright light illuminated him from above followed by a loud voice,

"There he is!"

Riddle cursed under his breath and ran for the fence but when he tried to climb it, he is shocked by the electricity running through the fence. He looked around and saw the guards closing in. Without any second thoughts Riddle bolted into the hall he just came from with the guards hot in pursuit.

"Braun Units prepare the stunning spells," The lead guard ordered. "We need this griffin alive. Lethal force is not authorized."

"Roger Braun One."

Riddle groaned since he had to find another way out, it would be impossible for him to climb that electrified fence and searching for the fence's main power switch to get rid of it is out of his options. He tried stretching his wings, to his surprise; his wings managed to fully extend but he can't flap it to fly.

Suddenly an idea popped up into his head, it sounded crazy to his brain's logic but it's worth a shot, all he need to do is find an entrance to the roof.

The guards kept firing their stunning spells but Riddle managed to avoid every one of it, the pursuit continues through the hall and into the stairs, the guards below tried to shoot the spells to no avail.

"He's heading for the roof!" one of them shouted.

"Stop him there! Don't let him fly away!" his leader ordered.

Riddle's exhaustion began to show when he reached the top floor, his energy drained completely as he struggled to the edge of the roof. City lights twinkled like fireflies in the horizon, regaining his strength; Riddle stretched his wings again but it still didn't flap. The door burst open and the guards came pouring out, he's completely surrounded.

"Stay where you are!" the lead guard yelled. Riddle ignored him and glanced down to the ground. The frown on his face grows deeper.

"Don't move! Or we will shoot!" the lead guard yelled again. Riddle slowly grabbed the edge of the roof and before the guards could react, Riddle threw himself off the roof.

A collective gasps was heard as the lead guard rushed to the edge of the roof. But Riddle's supposed mutilated corpse wasn't on the ground instead he saw the griffin gliding across the fence before stumbling into the ground on the other side of the fence.

"Oh no." The guard squeaked.

"Kriegstreiber isn't going to like this."

Riddle landed hard on the ground, his blue feathers were covered in dirt. He groaned as he picked himself up and noticed the patches of dirt on his feathers.

Damn it, I just preened this!

Riddle dusted himself before heading out to the wilderness. The city of Sudentor lies on the horizon and it's going to take a long walk if his wings don't work normally. Once again he stretched his wings but still he can't flap properly,

How long does that stunning spell last anyway?!

Screw it, I'll just walk back to the city.

He heard the sounds of wings flapping through the blaring alarms, he turned around and saw the pegasi guards taking off from the base; carrying ropes to subdue him. Riddle makes a break for it, his exhausted body screamed at him, begging him to stop and rest but he didn't care, resting and getting captured again wasn't an option for him.

The guards keeps getting closer to his position, desperately he tried to flap his wings again but it won't respond, he gritted his beak and tried again, once again to no avail. He turned around and saw the guards inched closer to him, he growled and tried to flap his wings again; forcing his Celestia damned muscles on his wings to work.

Then he felt it. The familiar feeling of his wings flapping through the clouds high in the air. The feeling of being released from the earth.

The feeling of freedom.

The guards didn't had time to react when Riddle flew into the air and headed straight for the city, they tried to keep up but the griffin was too fast for them. Soon the griffin vanished under the blanket of darkness of the night; forcing the pegasi guards to stop their pursuit.

"This is Blau One to Braun One." The lead pegasi guard spoke to his comm. "Hüttensänger has escaped, I repeat, Hüttensänger has escaped."

"This is Braun One, not to worry Blau. Kriegstreiber has sent Endlich 4 to intercept Hüttensänger."

The lead pegasi guard widen his eyes, obviously surprised by his boss' orders. He shrugged it off and answered,

"Roger that Braun One. Returning to base."

The leader called his team back to the base in which they obliged. After all of his team went back, the leader glanced back at the direction where Riddle was last sighted.

Oh you're in for it now Riddle.

Notes/Rough Translations:

The story takes place in Strangereal-MLP G4 Universe, meaning some Strangereal events like Ulysses will be referenced in the story and also; Neue Gryphus is post-war Belka

Scher dich = Go to hell
Was zur Hölle = What the hell
Hüttensänger = Blue bird
Kriegstreiber = Warmonger