/Holy crumb cake, tenth consecutive chapter! Big thanks to Guest for the review, and I apologize that the last chapter was just a little drabble... But don't worry, everything in it will be important. And this one will be much more interesting, I promise. MuahahahahHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA okay I'm done./

Gilda. I always knew that gryphon was rude, but I never expected something like this outta her. There's nothing I'd like more right now than to smack her a good one, but if I'm going to keep up this crazy charade, I can't.

"Alright, who are these dweebs? Introduce yourselves."

"Hello, your Generalship. I'm Manic Heartbreak and this is my army." Cadence says. "Mantra Flash, Kickflip, Terror Decor, Rough Cut, and Millennium. We are revolutionary soldiers from the Manehatten branch, and we've come only to meet our great new leader."

The gryphon raises a skeptical eyebrow and glides from the throne she sits on, face to beak with Cadence. She studies us all and I study her. A black eyepatch covers her left eye, the ankle of her front left talon is wrapped in a bandage, there's a toothpick clenched tightly between her teeth, and she has a tattered black cloak covering all the rest of her.

"Manehatten branch, huh? Then I'm sure you'll be able to tell me exactly how many rebels have been eradicated in the past month." She says. We all freeze, rigid. "Well? Go on."

"Erm... Okay. Exactly twenty-two rebels." Twilight says uneasily.

"Alright. Agent Polomare! Confirm for me."

An earth pony we met in Manehatten once, Suri Polomare, stands at attention.

"In the past month, thirteen rebel soldiers were eradicated, ma'am!" She says.

Oh, pony feathers. We should've known she'd be able to tell if we were lying. A smug smile stretches across Gilda's face. She reaches up and pulls the cloak's hood off her face, smirking downright sinisterly. Trixie'd better know how to get us outta this! Gilda turns swiftly away from us, leaping back onto her throne. She laughs quietly, volume growing every couple seconds. Everyone around us starts laughing, too, including Trixie.

"If you're going to try sneaking your way in here, at least get an education before you end up looking like losers." Gilda cackles. "Yo, Lightning Dust!"

The teal-colored pegasus glides into the room and lands beside Gilda.

"'Sup?"

"Is she ready? I've got some losers here I'd like her exclusively to take care of."

I'd hope she's not talking about what I think she's talking about, but I already know she is. Lightning Dust nods confidently and leaves the room. Just a second later, Rainbow Dash runs in, skidding across the floor and stopping just barely in front of us.

"Hey, Gilda. What's up?" She says, looking around. "Who are all these ponies?"

"Hey, Dash." Gilda says casually, as if she isn't about to have our best friend kill us. "Some loyalists found their way in. They're planning on crushing the rebellion from the inside. I caught 'em in time, but they're too strong for me to handle. Wanna take care of these dweebs?"

That unbelievable... Aw nevermind. Rainbow turns her attention to us and grits her teeth furiously.

She doesn't recognize us.

"Run." Twilight coughs at Trixie.

"What?" Trixie whispers, shocked.

"Get out of here!" Twilight hisses.

"Don'tcha want to get out of the way, Wicked Trickster? Or should I call you Trixie?" Gilda snarls. "I'll admit, your lame act had me fooled until these ones showed up. Don't forget I've got soldiers posted at every door throughout the entire castle. Everything you said was heard and reported to me."

Trixie backs away in fear and starts running, only to be stopped by Flash Sentry with a knife in her side. She goes rigid and falls to the ground, trembling as a pool of blood surrounds her on the pristine floor.

"TRIXIE!" Twilight screams, running to her.

"Get 'em, Dash." Gilda says, and Rainbow runs at us.

"Rainbow!" I cry.

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash scissorkicks me across the face. I hit the ground and Fluttershy gets hit next. She doesn't move from that, just keeps beating up on the poor girl. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pinkie's eye twitch. She stares at Fluttershy, watching her get battered and beaten. Doing nothing. Her eye twitches again, and she trembles. Violently shakes. Her pupils shrink to teensy dots in the middle of her big blue eyes. Suddenly she moves, very quickly, towards Trixie. She pulls the knife from her skin with her teeth and lunges for Rainbow Dash.

"Leave Fluttershy alone!" She screams, pinning Rainbow down to the ground.

Fluttershy lies shaking on the ground, covered in bruises and coughing up blood. Trixie's doing even worse. I get on my hooves and move to Fluttershy, watching Pinkie. She holds Rainbow down, sinking the blade of the knife into her stomach.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Rarity shouts behind me. "You have her subdued, there is absolutely no need to-" She's cut off by Pinkie whirling around, knife still clenched in her teeth. There's a crazed look in her eyes that shuts up the whole room. "Never mind..."

I help Fluttershy to her hooves and hold her up.

"Please don't hurt her!" She cries.

Unfortunately, it's a little too late for that. Rainbow's already pretty beat-up as it is, but Pinkie's sure going to work. She slashes into Rainbow's skin, blood flying. She ain't going deep enough to kill her, but it sure is bloody.

"F-Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash stammers, kicking Pinkie off her.

"Rainbow Dash, please!" Fluttershy screams. "We're your friends!"

Rainbow cocks her head to the side, staring at us silently.

"What are you doing, Dash?! Get them!" Gilda shouts.

The pegasus hesitates a moment before clenching her teeth and raging towards Rarity. Rarity allows her.

"Fight back, Rarity!" I shout. "What're y'all doin'?!"

"I'm not going to fight my friend." She coughs as Rainbow kicks the ever-living crud out of her. "Now, try to remember us, Rainbow Dash! We have known each other for years! Do not let this tacky gryphon shift your loyalties!"

This time, when Rainbow Dash pauses, Twilight takes the opportunity. She levitates Trixie using her magic.

"We are leaving right now, come on, girls!" She shouts.

She drapes Trixie over her back and Rarity stands up. As the black abyss of teleportations surrounds us again, I hear Gilda shout;

"You let them get away, you idiot!"

And then a short pause. Then one last thing from Rainbow Dash, before we're gone.

"But I knew them."

/Obvious Winter Soldier reference is obvious! I couldn't help it, I love that film too much. Sorry for the shorter chapter, this gives me no excuse for being late. I hope it was more interesting than the last one, though! I just wanted to get this one up before my birthday, and if I'd tried to cram more stuff in I wouldn't have. Don't expect any updates tomorrow or Sunday, because I will be busy, but I'll try to get the next one up faster. I promise./