The Scroll of Exalted Ponies

Speaker had barely exited the calibration gate before Heath Rose had shouted something at the towering golden celestial lion that stood guard at the Yu-Shan end of the the calibration game.

“Official department of destiny business – make way and get us a ride!” The sidereal sneered, coming off as very tense.

The massive golden lion politely abided, stepping aside and bowing gracefully before waving down an aerial rickshaw down.

As the vehicle lifted off by the power of the pony-sized dragonfly-looking air elemental in front pulling it, Heath Rose gave the circle a hasty instruction in what would happen next: “We’re going to the celestial censor Smiling Bear, a powerful celestial lightning bear. I will present my case and Sullen Hoof will provide testimony – when asked, not a moment earlier. Cash, you may offer to swear Sullen Hoof into an oath to tell the truth, and yourself as well once the Grandmaster has been brought up for questioning. Once we enter the censor’s office none of you are to allow anyone to touch you, not even me. Other sidereals might try to impersonate me and influence you via mind control charms to bear false witness or recant your statements. I can’t stress this enough: We will be pissing all over one the most powerful sidereal’s last century’s worth of work. The bronze faction will not go quietly when they learn about this. Oh, and do not under any circumstances use charms to influence from the censor or deflect questions. The lion-dogs will eat you if you do that”

“Hopefully the audit will be over before the bronze faction has time to respond” Sunrise noted, but Heath Rose was quick to point out that Anys Sunshine would have to appear before the censor once there was enough evidence to begin an audit proper: “Though, if we’re lucky all of your testimony will already have been given at that point… that should allow you leave”

Approaching the Bureau of Heaven the circle took in the sights. The buildings of the Bureau of Heaven were set in an array of concentric circles, dotted with mosaics of windows and enormous murals that blended together into massive images of the constellations. At the center of all this were the Dwellings of the Stern Maintainers of Divine Order, arrayed around the Hall of Celestial Stability where, among countless other divine functionaries, were the offices of the Celestial Censors – the criminal courts of heaven.

The Hall of Celestial Stability was a huge and awe-inspiring structure combining stern opulence with ascetic taste in large quantities of rare and exotic materials. There were adamant spires, gleaming jade gargoyles and things that not even Speaker could identify – but everyone agreed that the place looked amazing.

Landing on a large balcony with a landing platform, Heath Rose hurried the circle inside. They rushed past gods, spirits and elementals of all shapes and sizes, some appearing like animated piles of leaves, other with bodies of flame and ash, or beautiful arrays of shattered gems shaped like graceful ponies. Some of them didn’t seem to like the group of ponies galloping through their halls, but Heath Rose passed each of them and did… something… making them return to their offices and resume their work silently – with but a touch.

After a few minutes of galloping later Heath Rose suddenly stopped outside a massive door. It was the size of a barn, at least five yards high and even wider. Heath Rose quickly composed herself, and twisted a bracelet on one of her hooves which suddenly caused a very pretty and sharply cut uniform to appear around her, replacing her previous slightly more utilitarian and terrestrial garb. Looking on par with Cash now with regards to attire, with her celestial silks, Heath Rose opened the door and entered, gesturing for the rest of the circle to follow.

Inside the surprisingly enormous office, so which was cavernous to the point that it was difficult to see from one end to the other, sat an equally massive spirit…

“Good heavens… an Ursa Major!” Speaker said in surprise.

Heath Rose shook her head: “Yes, Speaker - this the Celestial Censor Smiling Bear, an Ursa Major”

The enormous being appeared a bit like a bear, but with a pelt of night sky, dotted richly with stars. Its eyes, alive and expressive, were two brightly shining stars of massive size. It was the size of a large mansion, with claws big enough to be hollowed out and turned into large boats. Speaker tried his hardest to recall what the usual roll of Ursa spirits was… it was something about moving the stars across the skies. Of course, the movement of the constellations wasn’t exactly fast, so it probably made sense that spirits with such tasks had other jobs as well.

“So, Heath Rose, it was you who somehow cleared my meeting schedule today?” Smiling Bear inquired, smiling with a maw full of lightning fangs.

The chosen of secrets shrugged: “Maybe, but I can assure you that it was done for good reason. I am here to petition for an audit into the cause of a highly illegal occurrence”

Smiling Bear shifted in his mountain of an office chair/throne, leaning back and gesturing with a huge paw for the sidereal to continue: “Go on – do tell me of who spilled tea on your dry cleaning”

“I get the impression that not all complaints filed here are equally serious…” Shimmer whispered to the rest of the circle. They all nodded with various degrees of subtlety as Heath Rose began citing various celestial laws and sub-paragraphs.

“…thus, in accordance with the Lotus Proliferation Inhibition act, the fact that a unicorn not only aspires to learn sidereal martial arts, but thinks that his training in such is close to fruition means that there is a sidereal breaking the laws of heaven most egregiously” Heath Rose managed in a single breath, though she did look close to fainting.

The face on Smiling Bear was not one of bemusement upon hearing this. None in the circle was aware of it, but following the usurpation the Sidereals had enacted laws in heaven strictly prohibiting the teaching of Sidereal martial arts to anyone but other Sidereals – punishable on par with the kind of crimes against creation or heaven that caused extinction level events. Of course, none in the circle knew that, though both Cash and Sullen Hoof quickly caught on that this was far more serious than they had previously thought.

The great lightning bear, one of the twelve great star shepherds, leaned forward and down towards Heath Rose: “What unicorn, and what evidence of this do you have?”

Heath Rose quickly waved a hoof at the circle, gesturing for them that the few of them who were to bear witness step forward and introduce themselves as planned.

“I am Sullen Hoof, Chosen of Celestia, Night Caste – I have used my Evidence-Discerning Method and other solar investigation charms to intuit with absolute certainty that this unicorn is receiving training in Sidereal Martial Arts and believes himself to be close to being able to fully realize that ambition” Sully stated in a dour but serious tone, a mannerism learned back in Nexus when meeting with clients who wanted someone poisoned.

The lightning bear was about to speak when Cash stepped forth and boldly announced: “and I am Cash Charmer, Chosen of Celestia, Eclipse Caste. I can confirm my circle-mate’s observations if this unicorn is made available to me for a brief conversation and interrogation, for such are my powers”

“Heath Rose… you have brought Solars to testify for your case? I am impressed… but what bloody unicorn is this about?” Smiling Bear mused, sounding intrigued – it had been over three millennia since Solars had participated in heavenly politics… and this looked to be a grand way to make a return – with Smiling Bear in the middle of it all. This pleased the censor to no end and the giant spirit bear’s body-language showed this clearly, at least to those who were able to read spirit-animal body-language.

“Ragara Bulk Biceps, Grandmaster of the Immaculate Order” Cash Charmer loudly proclaimed.

The quiet chatter among Smiling Bear’s half dozen secretaries, scribe spirits and stand-by messenger spirits all suddenly faded into a much more quiet level of cautious note-taking and passing of scrolls.

From the silence rose a rumbling that grew in strength until was a continuous thunderous booming which suddenly erupted as lightning from Smiling Bear’s mouth as the giant spirit roared: “You would bring the wrath of Ketchup Carjack down on this office!?!”

“No, not me – them” Heath Rose said, pointing to the circle. As was explained on the way to the censor’s office, then a Solar’s complaints about celestial law and crimes related to that carried far more weight than a junior sidereal, especially since a solar’s complaints had to be investigated, no matter what, due to ancient bylaws.

The lightning bear face-pawed, groaning deeply as its mind strained to recall the ancient bylaws of celestial censorship relating to Solar complaints: “Alright – by my decree as the 194th Censor of Heaven I am issuing a summons on the Grandmaster of the immaculate order, Ragara Bulk Biceps, one to be carried out immediately. I officially delegation retrieval assignment to Oversight”

With a wave of his massive paw four of the dozen lion-dogs in the room, the lesser cousins of the celestial lions (They were still golden, but only twice the size of ponies) vanished into thin air as they hurried off to bring the summons to its destination.

“Ok, and while we wait for the Bronze factions to batter my doors in – care to tell me why you had to choose me as the epicenter of this scandal? Ketchup will have my hide for this” the enormous spirit asked, slumping back into his throne and consigning himself to the future reprisals he would no doubt get.

Sunrise raised a hoof, Smiling Bear nodding at her to give him the floor to speak. She drew down her hood and stepped forward: “All of us in this circle exalted within the last year. None of us could stand to match the Grandmaster, and he’s currently part of a wyld hunt close to a country in the hundred kingdoms that we have invested considerable time and energy on saving from disease, rebuilding and leading to glory. Even if we had founds means to attack and kill the Grandmaster we would likely only have called down greater wrath from the realm. This is the only way we can minimize casualties”

“So humble. It has been a long time since a Solar spoke so softly in these halls” Smiling Bear noted, satisfied with the explanation. He didn’t even need to remind the solars that there were wards and devices built into his office that detected lies… though sufficient essence could counter such detection, but the circle hadn’t been told that either.

Tea and biscuits were summoned to the censor’s office as the wait continued. Smiling Bear’s tea cup was large enough to require two water elementals to fill it, and a fire elemental to heat it – and yet only a tiny amount of celestial tea leaves were needed to make tea. Sullen Hoof obviously pocketed a portion of the stuff for later use.

During the tea-induced chit-chat, while Smiling Bear was regaling the circle about his collection of frozen lightning from the elemental pole of air and the sculptures he liked to make of them, Heath Rose suddenly got up, explaining that she had just gotten a message that she had to follow up on: “Now, when I come back I want you Cash to ask me ‘So, golden or bronze memories?’. I will answer gold memories, but I will say it to Shimmer and only her. If I fail to do that then it’s either not me or I’m being mind-controlled – and for goodness sake don’t reveal what the imposter did wrong, or she’ll likely use avoidance kata to jump back in time and get it right on the second go”

“Is this kind of stuff common up here?” Sunrise wondered, all the while nodding that she had understood the instruction.

The sidereal sighed heavely, running a hoof through her mane and twisting her bracer that made her clothes switch her to terrestrial getup: “Not for normal low level inquiries, but if we get Sunshine audited for this it’ll be the greatest scandal since the destruction of Ondar Shambal. Sunshine will be lucky if her next five incarnations is allowed anything more savory than scrubbing Resplendent Buttflow’s porcelain thrones”

Sunrise seemed to recognize that name… but she couldn’t quite place it. Heath Rose left, and Smiling Bear asked if anyone wanted more tea.
About half an hour later Heath Rose returned, looking supremely confident and quite pleased: “Alright, is the Grandmaster here yet?”

The whole circle shook their heads, and Cash casually asked: “So, did you find your gold or bronze memories?”

Heath Rose gave Cash a tired but happy smile then turned to the secretarial spirits behind their desks: “Golden – now, if the Grandmaster isn’t here, has the retrieval team sent any messages back about their progress?”

The secretarial spirits, well aware of what was likely about to happen, shook their heads and took cover behind their desks.

Seeing the spirits take cover informed whoever or whatever the Heath Rose lookalike was that the game was up. Cash calmly approached her: “So… who are you, and where is the real Heath Rose?”

From Speaker’s point of view the mare before them took a single step back and started activating charms – but the really good ones that would likely have done the revealed imposter any good sputtered and failed, for Speaker had activated his chaos-repelling pattern, denying any attempts to distort reality within four yards of him.

The sudden look of shock that briefly sped over the imposter’s face was replaced by malice and martial intent just as quickly: “You will never take me alive!”

Rearing up and assuming a strange kata, the Heath Rose imposter suddenly refracted into the ambient essence that permeated the area… basically disappearing. To Speaker it was quite confusing, for it appeared as if Heath Rose was everywhere when viewing the office via essence sight, though his normal sight told him she was not in any of those places.

It was then that the sidereal reappeared behind Sullen Hoof, but just as Sully flipped around and struck at the sidereal his hoof simply melded into the Heath Rose imposter…. And the rest of the sidereal simply stepped forward ‘into’ Sullen Hoof.

The whole circle stood in silence for a brief moment, unsure of what they had just seen. Then Sullen Hoof gasped loudly and nearly collapsed. Speaker and Sunrise rushed over to Sully, while Cash and Shimmer both held their distance… which turned out to be a good thing, as Sullen Hoof suddenly caught Sunrise with a powerful buck, sending the young mare tumbling over with painful gasps, before Sully turned on Speaker.

With Gift ready instantly, Speaker was able to ward off the first flurry of punches and bucks easily – and at this point it struck Speaker as odd that the ‘possessed’ Sullen Hoof wasn’t using any of his martial charms to help him fight...

Using the precision of the spider, combined with the furious pounce of the tiger, Shimmmer flung a great mass of her silvery essence web to ensnare Sullen Hoof.

This worked wonderfully as Sully was unable to get out of the large area covered in webbing – and Shimmer controlled it enough to ensure that none of it touched Speaker. It occurred to Speaker once again that Sully would normally have been able to easily dodge the attack, but he still wasn’t using any charms. Maybe the possession didn’t allow for charm-use?

With Sully thrashing about helplessly in a cocoon of essence string, Heath Rose appeared moments later next to Sullen Hoof – but this time the circle was ready for her.

Shimmer lunged with her strings, but such was Heath Rose’s twisting gestures and fluid hoofwork that the elder Lunar somehow missed – and a moment later the sidereal had caught each and every strand of essence webbing that Shimmer had flung at her, sending them right back to Shimmer who found herself tied up completely.

Cash had a go next, firing his claw-shoe at Heath Rose – but the sidereal just caught the chain the caw was connected too, yanking Cash forward into striking range of her strangely elongated, almost blade-like hooves.

There was a pained cry as Cash was skewered straight through the chest – but that cry quickly turned it a pained laugh as Cash weakly swatted Heath Rose across the face with a shaky hoof before he went limp…

Heath Rose instantly dropped to the ground, golden snakes of fire shooting out of her eyes and mouth while Cash fell to the ground.

Shimmer, having gotten a single leg free, quickly snared Heath Rose with her essence string, wrapping her in a cocoon, while Speaker rushed to Cash’s side and yanked away at Cash’s heavenly silk garb to get to his wound.

“Hey…” Cash coughed bloodily: “…if I don’t make it, tell my next incarnation to wear better armor more often”

“Don’t say that” Speaker implored as he poured essence into Cash’s sucking chest wound as quickly as he could. The sound of bits of rib and sternum snapping back into place wasn’t pleasant – but it indicated that things were getting better. Cash certainly seemed more relaxed with the anesthetic charm active on him.

That very moment the doors to the office opened and in strode two ponies… one an impossibly well dressed mare with a stripped yellow, orange and magenta mane styled up into an elaborate hair-bun who was sporting a very displeased look, the other a massive hulking muscle-miracle of a stallion in light-blue immaculate order robes who appeared quite serene and at ease.

It was Anys Sunshine, the right-hoof mare of Ketchup Carjack and Ragara Bulk Biceps, the Grandmaster of the Immaculate Order.

“I was ordered to deliver this unicorn to this office post haste, who will sign for him?” Anys Sunshine asked coldly, her voice barely hiding her outrage.

Smiling Bear looked at Heath Rose, who’s firey golden snakes had faded and given way to faint plumes of ashen steam coming from her eyes and mouth, and frowned: “In a moment – it appears that we just suffered some kind of attack”

“Really? Should I return this unicorn to Creation and reschedule this hearing?” Sunshine asked calmly, again with that same cold tone.

Speaker quickly examined Heath Rose and quickly concluded that she was surprising physically ok. Looking up Smiling Bear, Speaker nodded that it was ok to continue.

“That will apparently not be necessary vizier – also, if you wouldn’t mind staying a bit. This audit is after all to establish whether allegations to your person are true” the great stellar spirit said, sounding no small amount of pleased.

The proceeding returned to some semblance of normalcy over the next few minutes, as Heath Rose was freed and healed up by Speaker, while Anys Sunshine and the unicorn Grandmaster both remained silent, waiting for things to get started again. Indeed, it seemed very strange to Speaker that Heath Rose refused to even talk about what had just happened… for it was painfully clear that someone had used some kind of magical mind control on the sidereal. Was Sunshine involved? If only he had had time to examine the essence patterns going around in Heath Rose’s mind before Cash had purged her mind… and since when did he know that technique? Had Red taught him before she died? So many questions… so few answers. This annoyed Speaker greatly.

Feeling good again – mainly due to Speaker’s anesthetic charm - Cash addressed Smiling Bear just as the audit was about to continue: “Honored censor, if it pleases you I would suggest we proceed with what I suggested earlier, now that all involved parties are present”

“And what would that be?” Anys Sunshine asked, her exquisite heavenly dress robes making even Cash look plain and uninteresting by comparison.

Smiling Bear leaned down towards Sunshine: “Simple. This Eclipse caste Solar suggested that we reapply an old auditing option available in cases that involve the chosen of Celestia: Everyone gets magically sworn to tell only the truth regarding the case at hand”

The look of absolute terror on Anys Sunshine’s face wasn’t just palpable, it was painfully obvious for all to see. Indeed, Heath Rose had told the circle while enroute to the censor that most audits weren’t determined by how grave the transgressions of the god or sidereal being audited were – they were usually determined by whether the one audited could lie his way out of it or not, no matter the charges.

“Careful Cash, you might end up being requested to do this fairly often…” Shimmer joked while Sunrise looked about as she saw the end of her career hastily approaching.

Smiling Bear gestured for Cash to go ahead, and Cash stepped up in front of the heavenly censor’s desk… which was the size of a large mansion… and addressed everyone: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in regards to this investigation of whether the Sidereal Anys Sunshine had taught martial arts to one Ragara Bulk Biceps illegally, until this audit is declared over by the presiding Censor?”

Cash himself was first to remark that he himself consented this promise of truthfulness. Sunrise was a quick second, followed by the rest of the circle. Anys Sunshine looked like she was about to explode, then the Grandmaster nodded in such a way that it sounded like rough stone grinding against stone – his high degree of pure elemental dragonblood making his earth-aspected body look like a perfectly chiseled white marble body dressed in ornate immaculate robes.

“Lady Sunshine, if you do not consent to this I will take it as an admission of guilt and go to summary judgment and sentencing” Smiling Bear calmly stated, though his voice clearly bore malicious intent in it as a vicious undertone.

It occurred to Speaker that this Censor seemed oddly biased against the Sidereal he was auditing, so he quietly asked Shimmer if she had any idea what was up with that. Shimmer replied: “Didn’t you pay attention first time we were here? We were told that of gods still carry a grudge against the sids for the usurpation – mainly because it meant that a lot of them actually had to work for a living again when you were gone. May Blossom told me…”

Speaker tried to recall Heath Rose’s flat-mate while Anys Sunrise finally and very begrudgingly agreed to the proposed oath.

With that said Cash sanctified the oath, causing bands of shining golden glyphs of Old Realm script to fly around each participating pony before fading into nothingness – becoming another indestructible scroll in the Palace of Oathes Eternal.

“Heath Rose, your requested witness is here, you can begin your questioning if there are no other matters that need handling” Smiling Bear stated.

Anys Sunshine, furious to the point that her cream coat had taken a slightly reddish hue, suddenly shouted – before Heath Rose could get a word in edgewise: “Objection! If this proceeding has already been underway without my presence I demand the right to cross examine prior witnesses and review all evidence presented so far!”

Heath Rose nodded and made no attempt to call the Grandmaster up for questioning, allowing one of Smiling Bear’s scribes to read everything said and done so far. It was clear that Anys Sunshine had – somehow – been taken by surprise by all this, but as she heard Cash and Sullen Hoof’s testimonies it was clear to those who know what to look for that she was hastily putting a defense together.

“I call Sullen Hoof to the witness stand” Anys Synshine loudly declared the second the scribe spirit finished talking.

Sullen Hoof walked up to a chair behind a desk designated for witnesses. It hadn’t been used previously, but it was obvious that with the Sidereal being audited present things were getting a lot less casual and far more serious.

“Please restate your testimony from earlier” Anys Sunshine said, her disdain for the solar before her dripping off her every word like venom from a snake’s fang.

Sullen Hoof retold his little story, Anys Sunshine not appearing overly worried: “So, you claim to have come to your conclusions by listening to a unicorn turning down a lunar’s offer to teach him martial arts?”

“That’s what I said”

“Prior to exalting, did you earn a living as a murderer for hire?” Anys Sunshine quickly asked as a seemingly unrelated followup.

At first Sullen Hoof seemed confused at the question, but then answered: “I worked as a cook and assassin specializing in poison- if that’s wh-“
“Yes that’s fine”Anys Sunshine interrupted: “So you’re a hired killer. Have you been paid to come here and commit character assassination on my person?”

From the sideline, along with the rest of the circle, Cash smiled and shook his head while Sullen Hoof denied the allegation: “Really? Trying to discredit the witness? I excepted more”

Anys Sunshine kept up trying to dredge up dirt on Sullen Hoof – but ultimately she seemed to give up and instead called Cash up.

“Hold on – He hasn’t given any testimony… yet… why not let me talk to Bulk Biceps first?” Heath Rose suggested ever so kindly. Smiling Bear granted her the floor.

The Immaculate Grandmaster was called up to the witness stand where he sat down. To Speaker it was quite strange: The leader of the Immaculate Order didn’t seem to care that he was in a room with several anathema…

Heath Rose began her questioning: “Bulk Biceps, before I begin let me remind you that you are under a sanctified oath to tell the truth and that the solar who sanctified it will instantly become aware if you break that oath, plus the heavens will punish you if you break the oath”

The massive unicorn remained stonefaced, but nodded ever so slightly anyway.

“Very well. Tell us, do you know the Sidereal Anys Sunshine?” The young chosen of secrets began.

Bulk Biceps again nodded a tiny bit: “She brought me here - brought me from Creation to Yu-Shan to testify”

“Right, and is this the first time she had brought you here?”Heath Rose continued.

The earth-aspected unicorn remained silent.

“I said is this the first time she has brought you to Yu-Shan?” the sidereal repeated.

Frowning, Bulk Biceps shook his head ever so slightly: “She has repeatedly brought me to Yu-Shan to meditate with the dragons and to advice me on guiding the Immaculate Order.I understand that it is among her responsibilities to ‘manage’ the Immaculate Order”
“And nothing else?” Heath Rose inquired.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Bulk Biceps furrowed his brows: “We have also enjoyed tea on occasion”

“What about martial arts training?” Heath Rose finally asked – no longer amused by Bulk Biceps dancing around the topic.
“Celestial Monkey Style, Jade Mountain Style, Mantis Style and Violent Bier Style”

A deathly silence fell over the entire office. Even the scribe and clerical spirits stopped dead in their tracks. There were several seconds of silence.

Speaker was mid-lean and about to ask Cash what had just happened when Cash quickly whispered: "It seems that the Grandmaster has been receiving training in more than one forbidden martial art..."

"You mean Violet Bier of Sorrows style?" Heath Rose asked. One would have been able to hear a pin drop onto the polished basalt floor.

The Grandmaster being no fool instantly caught on to the fact that he had unwittingly done something stupid, and so hesitated. Smiling Bear, no longer merely curious to see if there was basis for the allegations against Anys Sunshine, did not want to wait and thus rumbled: "Answer the question unicorn"

"Know your place spirit. I answer to the dragons, not to lesser spirits" Ragara Myrrun retorted, not even bothering to look in the censors general direction.

A bright flash of lightning briefly flooded the vast office in blinding light and deafening thunder. Sullen Hoof and Shimmer both cried out in pain as the charms enhancing their senses yielded painful levels of stimuli. When it was possible to see again Smiling Bear was no more... or rather, the form of the Ursa Major spirit was no more, for Smiling Bear was not a spirit. He was an elemental, a high ranking elemental... a lesser elemental dragon.

Having reveal his true form - which was now crammed into a comparatively tiny looking office, for the form of a lesser elemental dragon of air was that of a several mile long flying serpent with jewel scales, great long whiskers, horns and a mane of stars and lightning. Smiling Bear gazed intently at Ragara Myrrun and said, with a voice that made everything in the room shake: "Answer then"

The massive unicorn, despite all his monkly calm and with over a century of zen meditations within him, looked very much shocked by the revelation: "I... yes, that style"

"Excellent - now, what about instructions in any martial arts styles of the classification sidereal martial arts?" Heath Rose continued, not missing a beat.

Standing opposite the circle, Anys Sunshine was looking panicky as Heath Rose began to pry into the Grandmaster's training for sidereal martial arts... though the Grandmaster vehemently denied to have actually been taught any yet, and to Speaker that sounded true enough... that didn’t mean that Heath Rose was convinced: "Do you know what a student and an elder sutra is, in the context of sidereal martial arts?"

"I do" The grandmaster begrudgingly said as he sighed heavily, after a brief glance up at the lesser elemental dragon glaring at him.

Smiling greatly as she trotted around the table the Grandmaster was sitting at, Heath Rose waved her head from side to side as she pondered what to say next: "Really? And how did you learn of these concepts?"

The Grandmaster briefly glanced at Anys Sunshine who turned away from him. It was a simple but deeply symbolic act: A sifu turning her face from her student. It was at this moment that the Grandmaster knew that he had all but lost in his hope to ever be taught Sidereal martial arts... unless... maybe?

"I will tell all I know in exchange for continued tutelage, be it under Anys Sunshine for whom I have been a student for over a century, or under another Sidereal sifu. My only dream is to cultivate the blossom of the perfected lotus within me. I beg of this court not to deny me this humble quest for martial enlightenment" The Grandmaster pleaded, looking up at the harsh gaze of Smiling Bear.

Anys Sunshine couldn't take this betrayal: "You, you fool! How dare you speak such lies against me!?"

"That's funny, I didn't sense any lies when he spoke" Speaker remarked quietly to Cash, having finished tending to Shimmer and Sullen Hoof's bleeding ears and strained eyes.

Smiling Bear let out a thunderous roar: "Be silent Anys Sunshine. You will get the opportunity to cross examine the witness should you wish so - for now hold your tongue or be held in contempt!"

Nobody needed Sully and Cash's charms of social observation to see what Anys Sunshine's furious scowl back at the elemental dragon was one of "I could take you down if I wanted to"

"I can't guarantee you such a thing. By the laws of Yu-Shan it is illegal for Sidereals to teach our martial arts to anyone but other Sidereals. You might be curious to know that it was your sifu's boss who instituted those policies a few thousand years ago though" Heath Rose noted, trying to play to Myrrun's now destroyed loyalties to his evidently former sifu.

Ragara Myrrun gave Anys Sunshine a most horrified look, and then said the last thing anyone expected to hear: "That's not what he said when she introduced me to him sixty years ago"

A split second later things started happening very quickly: Heath Rose appeared to have a stroke, to which Speaker scrambled to help her up. Anys Sunshine simply looked lost for words - even Smiling Bear's draconic form withered back into the form an Ursa Major at this shocking revelation: “Uhm… I think this calls for a recess – we’ll reconvene in an hour in the Grand Auditer Courtroom”

Heath Rose quickly fended Speaker off as she called for a messenger spirit to call for Ayesha Ura, noting to Speaker that this was not an implication she was prepared to handle. Anys Sunshine similarly dispatched several other messenger spirits with hushed whispers that not even Sullen Hoof could make out.

"Ok, I think it's time for all of you to leave - you've given ample testimony and I thank you all. I'll have a messenger spirit inform you when the audit is over. Yes Cash, that means you don’t have to. In the mean time take an aerial rickshaw to my estate, you'll be safe there until I return" Heath Rose said to the circle.

Sunrise wanted to protest, but Cash pointed out that if heads of celestial bureacracy were about to be involved as well as possibly indicted then it would likely no longer be safe for the circle to be present, especially not if they start asking questions about the Palace of Oathes Eternal, which they would no doubt since this recess would give Anys Sunshine and Ketchup Carjack ample time to compare notes.

With a small purse full of golden coins that didn't really feel heavy enough to be properly golden given to them by Heath Rose, the circle left the office of Smiling Bear with permission. At the same platform they arrived at Cash got one of the celestial lions guarding the door into the building to hail a rickshaw which spirited the circle away post haste.

"I would love to know what's going on back there right now..." Cash mused as he reclined in the absolutely luxuries seats inside the rickshaw.
Shimmer smiled as she sat otherwise motionless with closed eyes: "Oh that's easy. They've moved venue to a proper courtroom. Now it's Smiling Bear and two other lesser dragon censors acting as judges. Another Sidereal has also arrived, and judging from how Heath Rose is trembling I think its this Ketchup Carjack, Anys Sunshine's boss - the head Bronze faction Sidereal"

"...and you know this, how?" Sunrise inquired curiously.

Shimmer smirked: "Old lunar hunting charm. I'm sensing everything she's sensing. Hearing, sight, the works. She doesn't seem to mind"