My Little Pony: Painted Feathers

Chapter 3: Warrior

The Ani'i are unlike any species in the whole of Equestria. They are wingless or 'earth griffons' as many sources have classified them as. They still live peaceful lives without the need of flight. They use their natural puma agility, and carved out canoes to move about the islands. The ponies have risen tensions among the members of the tribe.

Chief Yanu called a village meeting, "The ponies are dangerous, they have malice in their hearts and minds set with greed, they are different from us, that means they cannot be trusted, if such events come again, then we will take up the club, the knife, and the spear of the Ani'i, we will fight and defend our homes and children from these savages"

"My daughter, if I am to fall in battle, you will lead our people," said the chief to Ri-Ri,

"Yes father," said Ri-Ri, "more of them will come, we must make our stand, even if it is our last,"

"I have raised you the way I would have raised a son, you have made me very proud, Ri-Ri," said Chief Yanu, Ri-Ri bowed to the chief as she was handed one of his spears. The chief turned to his people, "YAKA! ('blood' in the Ani'i language, also the traditional battle-cry)," yelled Chief Yanu, his warriors and warrior women yelled back in pride,

These griffons were fighting for their lives, families, and children. These warriors were fighting against ponies armed with guns, but they did not care. This is their land, and they will not give it up without a fight. For saving Yuni's life, Ri-Ri had her body christened with a tattoo. A bold black zigzag pattern covered her right flank from butt to ankle.

"May your enemies fear your spear," encouraged an elder tending to Ri-Ri's tattoo which represent mountains for strength.

"And your club, Yuni," said Yuni's mother, Yakara, whom gave her the same pattern as Ri-Ri, but hers is on her left flank,

The Village was preparing to send a war party since more ponies had been seen coming ashore. Some of the young women chose to fight while mothers tending to their children or prepared food. Spears were fire-hardened. Bows were checked for tension, and the warriors armed themselves with knives, war clubs, spears, bows and arrows.

War was common among other tribes. Yakara was an experienced warrior, and her body tattoos reflected that. Both her eyes were covered by moon-shaped tattoos going from her forehead to her lower jaw, and her flanks were covered with mix of bold parallel line patterns and bold zigzag patterns. Yakara's weapon of choice is the spear.

The 'taku' or spear is a favorite among the Ani'i as a thrusting and throwing weapon. It is made from a perfectly straight staff of ironwood. The staff is sharpened to the point where the tip bleeds when touched by a finger. The spear is heat-treated and polished into a weapon that can easily punch through armor, "Be strong of heart," said Yakara

"Our hearts are unconquerable," said Yuni, and off they went to the forest ready for battle with Koa and his brother Rakunu.

They were the archers in the war party of four warriors. They kept off the trail since this was the trail to their village, the ponies would use it. Koa had a plan, and signaled it to the other three in the party. Koa signaled for Yuni and Ri-Ri to go to the pond and attack from the water while he and his brother would attack them from the treetops.

Ri-Ri and Yuni dived in, and used their fur color to hide in the grass and reeds. Koa and Rakunu climbed up into the trees. The sound of hooves became louder as a patrol of ten ponies hiked the trail. Ri-Ri and Yuni saw them and slowly went underwater and swam underwater into position ready to pounce on the enemy. Koa saw a shot, and took it.

He made a slow breath, and fired hitting the second-in-command in the temple, "Engage!" said the officer in front,

Rakunu leaped from one tree to the other dodging bullets, and hit the officer in front with an arrow to the stomach. The second-in-command fell face down in the pond, "Unu! Unu-hana! ("Attack! Attack now!")," yelled Koa shooting his bow and killing another pony soldier, and to the surprise of the soldiers, two warriors attacked from the water

Ri-Ri ran her spear into the neck and out the back of the skull of an enemy while Yuni was crushing skulls with her war club. Ri-Ri threw her spear like javelin into the forehead and between the eyes of a soldier. She then pulled out her arm dagger, and held a pony in a head lock before slitting her throat. It was a successful ambush attack.

"Dunu-ka Mahi-nak? ("What about this one?")," asked Yuni, Koa pulled out a machete and hacked off the officer's head,

"Yunu-ke ha Maha-netu ("Let this be a warning to our enemies") said Koa putting the severed head on a sharpened stick. The bodies of the dead were placed in a pile off the trail, and burned. Ri-Ri picked up one of the weapons the soldiers were carrying. It was an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle. She had never seen a weapon quite like it.

"Yughi-he maha-kutu, manu-ke sii mata, ("This is one of the enemy weapons, father will want to see this,")," said Ri-Ri as the four of them headed back to their village unharmed. The Village was safe as well. Yakara was in charge of the defense of the village and welcomed her daughter with open arms, a warm hug, and warm nuzzling beaks.

"I am happy to see you are safe, my daughter," said Yakara to Yuni, "how many ponies were there?"

"Ten, just a war party, many more will come, there are so many ponies, how does the world not suffocate?" asked Yuni, her mother Yakara put a gentle taloned hand on the shoulder of her daughter, and went find food. Chief Yanu welcomed his daughter back as well in the traditional manner. The Equestria-Ani'i War has only just begun