Twilight stood waiting at the train station in Canterlot. Her train would be arriving in fifteen minutes, and her bodyguard still hadn't shown up. He was supposed to have been there waiting for her, not the other way around. Twilight thought back to her conversation with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
"Twilight, I'm afraid that you will have to go on the trip alone. The griffons will not allow us to send any military escorts, and they will only open the diplomatic talks after you spend some time there," Celestia told Twilight.
"So, I'm on my own there?" Twilight asked.
"Not necessarily. We can't send any military personnel with you, but we found somepony to accompany you," Luna answered. The two sisters understood that Twilight was uncertain about the whole ordeal they were asking of her.
"Okay, I'll do it." Twilight stood straight and gave a brave smile for the princesses.
Twilight heard the train whistle further off and snapped back into the reality around her. "He's late."
"Or maybe, he was getting some things."
Twilight jumped at the sudden voice. She turned around to see a dark blue pegasus looking at her. He was wearing a satchel and some sort of brown long coat. He had two suitcases by his sides. One was brown and generic; the other was a metallic grey color and had special locks on it. "You're my bodyguard I assume?"
"No, I'm Santa Clause," the pegasus retorted.
"Why were you late?"
"Do you need to know that for this trip to work?" he said in a condescending tone.
"Can you try to be nice?"
"Yes, but I won't." Twilight frowned. This wasn't going to go well. She could also detect a not-faint smell of alcohol.
"Look, we're going to have to at least be able to stand each other. We're going to be spending a lot of time together after all. What's your name?"
"Shadow Glider. And you listen to me. We're not friends and we don't have to be. This isn't a trip to get to know each other. This is a job I'm doing and let's leave it at that." Shadow took out a flask and drank from it.
"What's that?"
"My liquor. Mine." The train came to a stop and its door opened. Shadow was already on his way to the train when Twilight heard the doors open.
Well, this is going to be a long trip. Twilight made her way onto the train and found Shadow sitting in the very rear of the train. She took a seat on the other side of the caboose and placed her suitcase in the alcove above her.
Gartile Theron, the Griffon King's consultant, walked down the long, royal hallways. He had the front half of a vulture and the back half of a sphynx. He had just finished an exhausting day working in the palace. He opened the door to his chambers and was greeted by the sight of another griffon. He couldn't see who; their face, hidden in the shadows. Gartile locked the door and turned back to face the griffon waiting for him. "What do you want?"
"The Princess of Friendship is coming here. You said she wouldn't accept the terms for the trip," the griffon responded in a deep, almost growling, voice.
"I didn't think she would. This changes things."
"Do you want us to kill her?"
"Not outright. We need to ensure something like this never happens again. We need to make it occur in such a way that Equestria will never send another foreign ambassador, we need to make it disgusting to even suggest allowing another here." Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door.
"Mr. Gartile, would you like some new bedsheets?" one of the maids asked. Gartile turned to the door and opened slightly.
"Uh, no. I'm fine. Thank you for offering though," Gartile answered with a false smile.
"Really, are you sure. You never pass up on having warm bedsheets?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm just a little hot right now." Gartile fanned his head with his wing to emphasize his reason.
"Okay then." The maid carried on with her rounds. Gartile closed the door and turned back to the griffon. But they were gone.
Shadow woke Twilight up. "Uh? Are we there yet?" Twilight asked Shadow. The two had spent the entire trip in silence. Twilight tried to start a conversation with Shadow, but he kept saying that she didn't need to know anything about him.
"No, we change trains here," Shadow answered.
"We're not supposed to leave this train." Twilight shot up, now fully awake upon hearing the news.
"Change of plans. Now come on," Shadow said. Twilight followed him as he got off the train, pulling his suitcases by his sides. Nopony else was in sight. The train station was small. Twilight wasn't sure if anypony even lived out this far out. Twilight looked over at a clock on a wall. Fifteen-till-two. Out in the seemingly deserted lands, the world seemed to go on forever. Twilight couldn't see any signs of civilization anywhere other than the train station they were waiting at.
"Where are we?"
"Edge of Equestria's eastern border," Shadow answered. He stopped. "We wait here for another train that will take us to a seaport. From there, we take a ship to the island Griffington is located on. Okay." Shadow looked back at Twilight.
"How long till the train arrives?"
"It should be here at two." That meant they had seven minutes before the train arrived. With Shadow being more talkative, Twilight decided to take advantage and learn a bit about him.
"Why did Princess Celestia and Luna choose you to protect me?"
"Hm. I'm not military, yet I have the skills of somepony in the military, and I've been in Griffington before. I used to live there for a few years in fact."
"Really, what was Griffington like?"
"It was... nice." And by nice, I mean a complete shithole.
"Why did you bring two suitcases?"
"One is stuff like clothing and other household items." Shadow pointed to the brown suitcase. "The other is personal." He pointed to the metallic case. "Meaning, don't open it," Shadow told Twilight. Twilight doubted she could open it even if she wanted to. The case had three different number locks on it. Shadow pulled out his flask and took another swig. "The trains here."
"Its early," Twilight said confusingly.
"Yeah, the trains here are always early. Not much to slow them down. Come on." Twilight had some trouble carrying her suitcase. She may have rested on the first train ride, but she didn't really eat anything on it. Shadow looked back and saw she was exhausted. "Sigh! You're going to take a year to move that, I got it." Shadow grabbed Twilight's suitcase by his wings and pulled all three onto the train. "You need to eat something. You're going to pass out if you don't. And if you pass out, I'll have to carry your unconscious body."
"Alright." Twilight made her way to the food car. Shadow put the suitcases up in the slots above the seats. He pulled out his flask and downed the whole drink. He took another swig, only to discover it was empty.
"Damn, I'm out."
King Galilean laid awake in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Sigh Galilean sat up coughing and wheezing. Galilean reached over for a bottle, unscrewed the top and poured out a pill. He grabbed a glass of water off his nightstand and swallowed the pill. He got out of the bed, lit a candle, and sat down at his personal desk. He put on a pair of glasses and opened a drawer. In it were dozens of rolled up pieces of paper. he pulled out a few of them and placed them on the desk. He grabbed the envelope that was lying on the desk. He unrolled some of the scrolls and read them. Galilean read the scrolls to himself. It was always the same things. The nobles are wanting more privileges, the common griffins are wanting more rights. It was all a big mess. "The needs of the many vs the rights of the few." Sigh He opened the letter and pulled out the contents. Galilean read through the letter. And became more and more interested as he read.
She agreed. Princess Twilight agreed to the diplomatic invitation. Finally, a chance to improve his city's relationship with Equestria. Galilean fumbled out of his chair and opened his wardrobe. He threw on his robe and grabbed the letter and candle. He flung open his door and ran down the hallways. "King Galilean, where are you going?" Galilean winced slightly. He was wishing to not run into that voice. He turned around to see Maseis, one of the maids.
She had the front of a raven and the back of a black panther. Consequently, her body was almost entirely black. Not the black of a pitch-dark cave, but the black of a cool summer night. Of the very few places on her body that weren't black were her eyes, a bright blue.
"I'm on my way to my study." he pointed towards his study to help his point.
"At two in the morning. No, you're not," Maseis told the king. "You know what the doctor said."
"Go to sleep earlier than you have been, and get more rest," Galilean repeated his doctor's words.
"And that means no running off to your study to work in the middle of the night."
"Alright," Galilean said dejectedly. He sulked on back to his chambers. Maseis following him to make sure he didn't try to sneak back to the study. Maseis opened the door to the king's room. Galilean placed his glasses on the nightstand and Maseis helped him into his bed.
"Now, you get that rest you need, whatever you need to work on can wait until morning. Your sleep can't." Maseis closed the door.
Shadow and Twilight got off of the train and looked around. A mix of ponies and griffins populated the area. "This way," Shadow said making his way towards a ticket booth. A griffin ran past Shadow and grabbed his satchel. Shadow immediately spun around and close-lined the griffin using his wing. The griffin fell down, gasping for a breath. A small, cylindrical silver tube with a blue glow rolled out of the satchel. Shadow quickly got back his satchel and placed the tube back inside. The griffin got back up and ran off, holding his own neck.
"What was that about?" Twilight asked Shadow.
"That is an everyday occurrence in Griffington," Shadow answered. "Come on, we're gonna miss the boat. And I rather not have to carry my suitcases while flying over the sea to Griffington." Shadow stopped in front of a ticket administrator. "Two to Griffington."
"That'll be fifty bits," the cashier said in an unenthusiastic voice. Shadow pulled out fifty bits and received the two tickets.
"Here." Shadow handed a ticket to Twilight. The two continued their way to the boat. They boarded the ship and made their ways to a cabin. "Our stuff should be safe in here."
"Okay." Twilight placed her suitcase in a corner. Shadow did the same with the brown suitcase but took the metallic one with him to the bathroom. Twilight heard shadow lock the bathroom door. He didn't come back out for another half an hour. Twilight stood to wait, tapping her hoof, for Shadow to get done with... whatever it was that he was doing in there. She finally heard the door unlock and Shadow stepped out with his suitcase. He placed the personal suitcase under a bed. He looked no different than he did when he went in there. "What did you do in there? You look no different than before."
"I needed to shit."
"Thirty minutes." Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Indigestion from something I ate a few days ago."
"That's not how indigestion works."
"It doesn't fucking matter."
Twilight walked down the starboard of the ship. The waves crashed against the ship's body. She loved the ocean. The cool air blew past her. The salt-scented water tinged her nostrils. Even the serene sight of the ocean was beautiful. It wasn't often that she had the opportunity to go to it. She was always either studying, working, or working on studying. Shadow leaned up against a wall while Twilight looked out, trying to see Griffington.
"You're not going to be able to see Griffington for quite a while," Shadow said.
"Oh, how do you know. You haven't even taken a look out at the ocean," Twilight retorted.
"I don't need to see the ocean to know that you can't see Griffington yet."
"Why don't you come over here and take a look yourself?"
"I'm good right where I am."
"You're missing out." Yeah, I'm missing some things alright. Shadow ruffled his wings a bit. "I think I can see Griffington."
"Really?" Shadow edged closet to the edge and looked out. And sure enough, there was Griffington.
Griffington sat on a small island between the eastern Equestrian coastline and the Griffin borders. Griffington had at one point been a point settlement between the ponies and griffins. But eventually, years of unsteady politics between the two countries lead to an facing out of sorts. Most ponies left the island while the griffins stayed behind. The city of Griffington still holds the cultural impact of ponies in her society. The palace herself is a rarity. A mix of both cultures beautifully complimenting the other and simultaneously contrasting them. In fact, the entire city was like the palace, neither purely of griffin culture nor pony culture. A mix of the two referred to as Hippogrifical. A strange word, yes.
Griffington was protected by a wall lining the coastline of the city and cut across the island to reach the other end of the wall. The wall herself was a vibrant auburn color that shimmered in the sunset and gleamed in the full moon. The palace was placed at the center of the city, one of the highest natural spot of the entire island. The city lived and breathed her own unique world.
The economy was sustained primarily by its seaports. While the relations between ponies and griffins are tense, the two still frequently trade. Griffington serves as a location for refueling and restocking ships making a trip. The city hosts a large selection of antique stores and plays to visit. Three different theatre's grace the city streets. Those plays are vital to the lifeblood of the city. Many times, the theatre's would have free plays simply so the poor could be entertained for at least one night of their otherwise miserable lives. A trait gained from the pony population.
"Well, we should probably get our stuff out of the room," Shadow said.
"Yeah," Twilight agreed. The two made their way to the room.
Once they got into the room, Shadow threw a cloak on top of Twilight. "Wear this. And don't take it off," he told her.
"Why?"
"It is easier for us if you won't be seen until we make it to the palace." Twilight and Shadow got their suitcases and waited for the ship to dock into one of the cities many seaports. Once the ship finally docked in, the two walked down the ship's steps and finally into Griffington. "Welcome to Griffington. An independent griffin city-state. Now, on to the palace." Shadow stepped forward, into a sea of griffins. Shadow deftly ducked in and out, between griffins; easily making his way to the other side of the street. Twilight, however, wasn't so good at it. She kept bumping into others and every time she tried to avoid bumping into one griffin, she would inevitably bump into someone else. Apologizing for every bump.
Shadow put a hoof against his face. Gritting his teeth, he made his way back to Twilight, grabbed her, and lead her through the street. Grumbling to himself. Shadow stopped on the other side of the sea of griffins. In front was an actual street. Carts speed by, pulled by griffins and ponies alike and Twilight thought she saw the rare zebra. "How are we going to get to the palace?"
"We walk."
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Twilight groaned.
Shadow lead Twilight down a neighborhood street. The buildings lined the street and multiple clotheslines ran from one building to another. Countless dress and suits hung down from the lines. Water dripped down making a rhythmic beating echoed throughout the street. A brown griffin leaned up against a wall. He was wearing a vest with broad, vertical lines of purple and white. He wore a faded purple bowler hat. He held a saxophone against his beaked lips and blew into it, producing a soothing melody. At his paws on the ground was the saxophone's case. Shadow dropped a few bits into the case. "I' thank you very much, mister." The griffin gave Shadow a tip of his hat.
A group of foals and young griffins were playing a game of basketball in a makeshift, fenced-in, courtyard alleyway. The ball bounced out of the court and in front of Twilight. "Ma'am, can you get that ball for us?" one of the griffins asked.
Twilight smiled. "Sure." She levitated the ball back into the court.
"Thanks!" the griffin told Twilight. They returned their attention to their game.
Twilight ran up to Shadow. "Shadow, what are the diplomatic talks like?"
"How should I know?" Shadow shrugged. "Wait-" Shadow stopped and turned to Twilight "-why do you ask?"
"I mean, I'm going to be participating in them, right?"
"That's not how they work here in Griffington. Here, the foreign country sends a diplomat to Griffington. The diplomat's job is to get to know the city. Then, after that, report back to the countries leaders. So most likely, you're going to see a lot of Griffington."
"The Princesses didn't tell me that."
"Doubted that they did. Not much trust I have in them."
Twilight stopped in her tracks. "What! You're saying you don't trust either Princess Celestia nor Princess Luna?" Shadow turned back to look at her.
"You obviously heard me and I didn't stutter. Now, we keep walking."
The palace was massive. It stood on the highest point of the island and overlooked the entirety of Griffington. It was an auburn color and walled all around. The roofs were all yellow. The multiple towers pointed above the clouds. The main gate stood almost as tall as the throne room in Canterlot. Griffins all wearing royal armor stood guarding the palace entrance and patrolled along the walls. The guards also had a strange L-shaped metal object strapped to their sides.
Shadow approached the gates and was blocked by the guards.
"No one is allowed inside without permission!" shouted one of the guards.
Maseis hurried down the palace corridors to the king's study. She was stopped by Gartile. "Maseis? Why, what are you running in such a speed for?" Gartile asked the smaller griffin.
"There is someone at the gates that are demanding to speak to the king personally," Maseis answered.
"Are they ponies?"
"I believe so."
The Equestrian Princess. She must not make it past the gates. Galilean that fool he is will allow them into the palace. "They are probably another drunken ship worker that is lost again. I'll deal with them myself. Don't bother the king with such trivial matters -" Gartile placed a claw onto Maseis "- okay?"Maseis nodded her head in false agreement. Gartile excused himself and made his way to the main gates.
Maseis continued on to the king's study. She opened the door and found King Galilean sitting at a table with dozens of books, wiping his glasses. "King Galilean," Maseis called out to the king.
"Yes, Maseis?" Galilean looked up to see Maseis at the door.
"Um, there appears to be someone at the gates who wishes to see you."
"Are they still there?"
"I believe so. Do you wish for some guards to make them leave?"
"No, a king's duty is to his subjects. I'll intervene personally." King Galilean got up, closing the book he had currently been reading, and reached for his cane. He made his way to the corridor and Maseis. Maseis helped him steady and the two headed for the palace gates.
Gartile stepped forward to the gate. He looked over at the two ponies. One was wearing a cloak and sitting. The other, a pegasus, was standing right at the gate and had a snarl on his face.
"You're not the king," the pegasus said.
"No, I am not. I am a member of the King's consul and his personal advisor. Now the King cannot spare a moment of his precious time to deal with trivial inconveniences such as yourself. So I'll ask both of you to leave," Gartile ordered.
"We are here for a diplomatic mission. Now open these fucking gates and fuck off," the pegasus growled.
"Guards. Since these two seem unable to listen to simple orders, get them out of my city."
"Yes sir!" the guards responded. They grabbed the pegasus by his wings and try to forcefully move him, but he wouldn't budge.
"What is going on here?" a voice called out. Upon hearing the voice, the guards stopped and returned to attention. Gartile turned around to see King Galilean.
"My king, I heard that there was a disturbance at the main gate and, not wanting you to deal with something so low, I decided to deal with the problem myself. The guards were just showing these two the way out of the palace grounds."
"Gartile, who is my trusted advisor and I thank you for trying to do something to ease me, but as king, this is my job. You are dismissed. And I believe that some of the council members were looking for you. Wouldn't want to keep them waiting would you?"
"Um... no, my king." Gartile bowed. He made a subtle movement to the guards and returned to the palace.
"Now, I was told that someone wished to see me personally?"
"Yes, King Galilean, that would be me," Twilight told the king. She stepped forward and lowered the hood of the cloak.
"Ah, you must be the Princess of Friendship. It is good to learn that you were able to make the trip to my city. Guards, would you allow the Princess in?" The guards opened the gates and allowed Twilight in. The pegasus started to enter, but the guards blocked him.
"Hey piss-heads, I'm with her," the pegasus said annoyed.
"Is he, Princess Twilight?"
Twilight looked back to the pegasus. "Yes, he's my bodyguard; Shadow Glider." King Galilean nodded to the guards and they allowed Shadow to pass.
"My apologies for the less than hospitable actions my guards took. Both of you, come, follow me. There is much to discuss." Galilean turned back to the palace.
Gartile entered the council room. A dozen other griffins sat at the circular table. The whispers that filled the room hushed when Gartile walked in. The true whispers only began once all the doors and windows were closed. The room was mostly dark. Soundproof walls to prevent the ears of curious interlopers from listening in. Nothing said ever left that room. "We have a problem. The Equestrian Princess is here."
"You said that they would not agree to the terms of the invitation!"
"That's what I believed. It is apparent that the princesses are willing to go further than we thought." Gartile thought for a moment.
"Maybe she won't cause any problems."
"No! She simply being in the city is a danger that we cannot allow!" one griffin demanded.
"But she isn't the biggest problem. Her bodyguard is Shadow Glider." A murmur of surprise, disbelief, and even excitement washed over the council members.
"But he is dead! We have had confirmation of his death for two years now. He died while assassinating...."
"Yes, I remember the events and their outcome," Gartile quickly cut the other off.
"Now, council members, hear my voice. Shadow Glider is the bigger problem. The Princess can be kept in line by our laws and traditions. Shadow Glider, however, is a wild card."
"So what do we do about him?"
"We could send an assassin to end him."
"No. Currently he does not recognize us, if we react in such a way, he will become suspicious."
"So, what you're saying is that we should just watch?"
Gartile took a deep breath. "Yes, we should stay our claws. Wait to see if the princess will cause problems. And I will contact someone who will be able to discreetly deal with Shadow." A murmur of agreement spread throughout the council.
"So, we are all in an agreement then? We will wait and see. This meeting is over." With that, the council members all parted their ways. They each had duties to perform and a city to run. Gartile had a griffin to speak to about Shadow Glider.
King Galilean opened the doors to the throne room. "This is the throne room."
"King Galilean..." Twilight started.
"Oh. Please, call me Galilean. The title of Griffin King is simply that, a title for tradition's sake."
"Galilean, thank you for allowing me to come here to Griffington for the diplomatic talks."
"Well, it should be me thanking you. I didn't entirely believe that Equestria would accept the terms. It would mean a lot for me and my son. Speaking of my son, Maseis-" Galilean turned to Maseis. "-where is Garen?"
"I think he's in the palace courtyard," Maseis answered.
"Well can you go tell him to come here please?" Maseis nodded. She turned and made towards the palace courtyard. "I apologize in advance if my son comes off as rude. He doesn't exactly have the best of manners either. Then again, considering that you're ponies he might..." Maseis walked back into the room, followed by another griffin, no... a hippogriff. "Ah, there Garen is now." Garen stood by his father. Garen looked exactly like his father, except with the red rear of a pony. He whispered something into King Galilean's ears. Galilean nodded in response to whatever his son said. Garen turned to face Twilight and Shadow.
"You must be the Princess of Friendship. It is a pleasure to meet you," Garen said, bowing in respect to Twilight. Twilight blushed. She still was not used to someone bowing to her.
"And you must be Prince Garen," Twilight said to the hippogriff. Garen straightened himself.
"Yes. I am your royal highness." Garen gave a small nod to Twilight. "And who may this be?" Garen nodded over to Shadow.
"This is Shadow Glider. He's my bodyguard."
"It is nice to meet you Mr. Glider." Garen extended his claw out to Shadow. Shadow simply stared. Jumping the focus of his eyes to the claw, Garen, Twilight, and back to the claw again. Twilight nodded to Shadow. Reluctantly, Shadow extended his hoof and shook with Garen.
"Well, I believe we should show the two of you to where you'll be staying-" King Galilean said, but was cut off by his own coughing. He bent down in his coughing fit, struggling to stand upright. The coughs were hoarse and cracked as if his lungs were damaged.
"Father!" Garen spun around to his father. King Galilean recovered slightly from his fit and waved a claw, trying to dismiss the worry. It did little. "Father, you need to take your medicine. Maseis, can you show Princess Twilight and her bodyguard to their rooms? I'll help my father to his room."
"Okay." Maseis let go of King Galilean. "Please, follow me." Maseis showed Twilight and Shadow down a corridor. A red, almost silky, fabric lined the floor.
Rarity would love it here.
"Here are your rooms." Maseis pointed to a door on the right of the hallway and another on the left, completely opposite the first. "Princess Twilight, you will be staying in the right room, while your bodyguard will be staying on the one to the left." Maseis opened the door to Twilight's room and showed them the inside. It was a fairly spacious room with a balcony out viewing the majority of Griffington. An oval rug made the center floor of the room. A bed big enough for almost four ponies laid against a wall. Three other doors decorated the walls alongside paintings of the city and the oceans surrounding it. "This is the bathroom-" Maseis pointed to one of the doors and then to the another of the doors "- and this is the walk-in closet."
"Where does this door lead to?" Shadow asked, looking at the remaining door.
"That leads to another room. The only way to it is through here. Its usually used for if a family stays here. Now onto..."
"I'd prefer if the rooms were side-by-side and conjoined," Shadow inputted. "Easier to keep her safe." Shadow nodded his head to Twilight. "So, I'll just stay in the adjacent room."
"Um, if thats alright with Princess Twilight," Maseis said surprised.
"It's okay. And just Twilight's fine."
"My apologies Prin... Twilight. Sorry."
"Oh, Psh! don't apologize for it." Twilight gave a dismissive wave of her hoof.
"I'm sorry that I offended you Twilight."
"Huh?" Twilight looked confusingly at Maseis. "You didn't offend me."
"But you did this." Maseis copied the dismissive wave Twilight made.
"Oh, that just means it doesn't matter. Like you're waving the notion away."
"I think I understand."
Shadow walked into his room, carrying his suitcases. He set the brown one down and placed the metal one under his bed. He pulled out his flask and took a swig of it.
"Don't think for a second that I don't know who you are."
Shadow looked back. It was Maseis. The usual friendly and caring expression had left her face, leaving in its stead an expression of near tranquil fury. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to," Shadow told her, looking past her to see Twilight excusing herself to the bathroom.
"Quit it with the stupid act. We both know who you are and what you've done. Now the king may have forgotten you, but I haven't. The only reason you're still alive is that you are Princess Twilight. But if you step one paw or claw..."
"Hoof."
"... I don't care. Step one hoof out of place, I will not hesitate to end you. Do you understand me?" Maseis was now nearly in Shadow's face at this point. She stood there, not backing down, staring right into Shadow's eyes. Her eyebrows narrowed and she asked again. "I said, do you understand me?"
"Yes," Shadow responded through gritted teeth. His current line of thought was to kick her griffin flank from here to the Crystal Empire and back again.
"Good." Maseis walked away. Leaving Shadow burning with rage. No, I can't just attack them outright. It'll completely fuck this up, and consequently my chances of finally getting away. So what if she knew who he was; if she knew, then she also knew not to mess with him. Shadow heard the door opened and saw Twilight exiting the bathroom. Come on Shadow. Just a little while and this will all finally be over. No more jobs.
King Galilean tilted his head back and dropped his pills into his mouth. Gulp. Galilean looked back over to his son. "Garen, you don't have to worry about me so much."
"Yes, I do. You're my father, and you're sick," Garen said.
"And as your father, it is my job to watch out for, worry over, and keep you safe. Not the other way around." Galilean chuckled. He placed a claw on his son's shoulder. Garen looked into his father's old, weary eyes. "Just promise me that you'll stay yourself, even when you become king. And, please, make these peace talks work."
"Okay, just promise me that you'll be there for me."
King Galilean thought for a moment. "I'll always be there for you." Content, Garen left his father to his own devices. He walked down the corridor and made his way to the Princesses room. He stood in the doorway and knocked on the open door. Shadow poked his head out of the side and saw Garen.
"Oh, uh. Shadow Glider, right?"
"Yes, what do you want?" Shadow took a swig from his flask.
"I was wondering if Princess Twilight would like a more extensive tour of the palace?" Shadow looked behind himself to Twilight. Shadow nodded his head towards Garen.
"Sure, I would enjoy that." Twilight responded. She got up out of the chair she was sitting in.
"Well, this way Princess." Garen waved a claw out to the corridor.
"Just Twilight is fine."
Twilight followed Garen down the corridor.
Shadow was left in the room, content to be alone for a while. Now, are they still here? Shadow closed the door and walked out on to the balcony. Spreading his wings, Shadow took flight. He flew right over the palace walls and over the roofs of Griffington. He shot upward into the clouds, obscuring his movements. Shadow flew out to the southern coast of Griffington. The smell of saltwater and seafood filled his nostrils. The squawks of seagulls and the splashes of fish filled his ears. The view of the ocean and the boats pulling in and out of the ports filled his eyes. Dipping closer to the ground, Shadow landed on the sandy shore. Out in the bay a ship, with a crab painted on it, was sailing. A crab ship. Problem was, the crabs were on the other side of the bay. Gotcha. I'll need to keep an eye open for them especially.
Shadow took back to the sky and into the clouds. He took back to the palace, unaware that the ponies and griffins on the boat also saw him. Shadow was going to need another hoof or claw for help in protecting Princess Twilight. He flew back over the palace walls. Below him was a group of griffins training. Specifically, palace guards in training. Each one was moving in a rhythmic flow of attacking and defending. And another group moving in a wave of motion, each member attacking a motionless training dummy. In the second group, all were moving in tandem. Well, almost all. Something was different. He wasn't sure what, but he saw out of the corner of his eyes. Hovering above the courtyard, Shadow relaxed his eyes. Not searching for a single movement, instead looking at the whole of the exercise.
There! One of the trainees was making an extra move on the set. A left swipe had been called out, the trainee followed it up with a downward strike, too fast for any normal creature to counter after the swipe. None of the others were performing the downward strike. Shadow wasn't the only one to notice the extra move, but the only one to notice what it was. An older griffin called out for them to stop. Most dropped instantly, while others maintained a position of readiness as if the wooden dummies they had been practicing on would come to life and attack at any moment. The older griffin, most likely the instructor, walked over to the trainee that had been making the extra move. Curious, Shadow dropped to the ground and moved closer to the instructor. The helmet of the instructors' armor had a single red line running down the middle. The griffin rank mark denoting a general.
"What exactly were you doing?!" the general practically bellowed at the trainee. Shadow could now see the trainee was a girl.
"I was performing the move set number seven, sir!" the girl responded while standing attention.
"Then why were you not following the set!"
"Excuse me, General Gale?"
"Do it again!" the instructor, Gale, ordered. The girl turned to face the dummy and performed the set. This time without the extra strike. "Again!" She did the set again and again. She was calling out each move with the appropriate action.
"Left swipe."
"Downward strike!" Shadow called out. And almost by instinct, the trainee swung her sword down atop the dummy after the left swipe. The general turned around to face the voice, completely missing the impressive execution of the extra move.
"Who are you!" the general nearly spit in Shadow's face. "Who gave you permission to interrupt this training exercise?"
"My name is Shadow and I was just testing something. I will just be leaving..." Shadow saw what he came to see and turned to take off. The general had other plans.
"You interrupted my training exercise. You're not going anywhere."
"Oh, and why is that?" Shadow pulled out his flask and took a swig.
"Do you know how we griffins settle disputes, pony?"
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Well, you better start praying. You'll need it." The general unsheathed his sword and shield.
Great, just what I need to deal with. A griffin with a power complex. Shadow turned to face the general.
"This pony thinks he can waltz into here and do what he wants. Someone needs to kick him into submission." Gale held a gleeful look on his face.
"Well, which griffin is going to do that? It has to be one that can take me, and I don't see anyone who looks like they can." Shadow turned to walk off. Gale narrowed his eyes and bolted forward. Shadow smirked and ducked. Gale's sword flew right over Shadow. Shadow swung around to face Gale. Another swipe came at him, this time from the right. Shadow parried the strike with his wing and twisted the blade out of Gale's claws. Shadow swung around to face his assailant. Gale rushed forward with his shield. Shadow braced himself extended his wings for protection. Gale was stopped in mid-charge. Shadow jumped over Gale and landed behind him. Shadow kept his wings extended outward. Gale grabbed his sword and swung wildly at Shadow. Shadow either dodged them or used his wings to block or parry every strike.
Gale backed up and extended his sword and shield, readying himself for a charge. Shadow flapped his wings once and prepared to counter, then Shadow noticed something behind Gale. Shadow folded his wings in and relaxed. Shadow raised a forehoof and bent it towards himself. Gale took the bait and shot forward.
"Gale!" a voice called out and in an instant, Gale stopped. Literally, any closer and the sword would've been inside Shadow's throat. Gale's eyes were filled with surprise, confusion, and finally what can best be described as Oh, crap! Behind Gale were Garen and Twilight. "What is this?" Garen asked.
"Prince Garen, he interrupted my..." Gale started.
"Hold that bullshit in your mouth. I came here to test something and ask a question after he called for the trainees to stop. And he attacked first." Shadow took a swig from his flask, smirking at Gale's predicament.
"Gale?" Garen turned to face Gale once more. Gale thought of the events that led up to the fight for a moment. He had struck first and the look on his face was priceless. Shadow was tempted to do this entire job for free just for being able to see that face.
"I did strike first, I am sorry my prince," Gale bowed in self-shame.
Shadow looked back to the trainee, noting her look. Her front half was that of a kestrel and her back half was that of a lynx. Shadow looked back to Garen. Gale faced his trainees again and called out. "Continue!" The trainees returned to the set.
Gartile walked down an empty street of the city. Rain droplets dripped constantly and formed numerous puddles on the cobblestone street. The wind waved a wooden sign back and forth on its post. Gartile opened the door and stepped inside. A bar filled with quite a few patrons. A single griffin in a purple and white striped vest was playing the saxophone on the stage and its pleasant jazz filled the entire room. Gartile nodded to one of the bartenders and made his way to a door at the edge of the room, guarded by a big, burly earth pony. The pony opened the door for Gartile and closed it behind him. A musky smell filled Gartile's nostrils. A staircase leading further down into a secluded basement was the only path.
Faint, hushed chatter came from below and grew louder the closer he got. The stairs stopped and opened into a spacious room. It was dark and held a vile stench. One griffin, clad in a dark cloak, approached Gartile. "Ah, Gartile. My favorite client. How may my associates and I be of service to you on this fine day?" the griffin asked in an eloquent tongue.
"Hilpto, I have use of your best tracker's services," Gartile answered Hilpto.
"What is the job. I need to know what the mission is if I am to assign the best of my many associates to help you?"
"I need someone who can track a certain pony for me unseen."
"Ah, I believe that Mrs. Kyre would be best suited for such a mission."
"And what's the upfront cost for her?"
"Mrs. Kyre, has a... special kind of upfront cost. It'd be best for her to explain it to you. Come, I will take you to her." Hilpto turned and weaved through the mass of bodies. Hilpto pulled out a key and opened a door. "Right inside," Hilpto moved to allow Gartile inside. This room was even darker than the first room. There was only a table in the center of the small room, with two seats, one on each side. Gartile couldn't make out the exact look of Kyre, but he could just barely see her outline in the dark. The door was closed shut behind him.
"So, you wish to seek my employment?" a voice, presumably Kyre's voice, asked. Gartile took the empty seat.
"Yes. Hilpto told me that you had a special, kind of upfront cost?"
"First, I need to know what it is that you want me to do. So, what is the job?"
"I need you to ghost a certain pony and report to me for an unknown amount of time."
"Well, the upfront cost is to the establishment, at the standard fee. Then, after it is done, the rest of the price will be determined based on how long the job will take; again, to the establishment." Gartile frowned slightly. An upfront cost was normally to the establishment, but the rest of the full price would always go to the individual that was employed. Why would Kyre demand that both costs go the establishment? Gartile shook his head.
"And you're certain you can ghost them without them taking notice?" Kyre leaned forward on the table. Now Gartile could see her sorta clearly. She had light blue eyes, a horn that looked like a dorsal fin, and her tail was one designed for swimming in the ocean's deep waters. She was a changeling.
"Certain. So, who's the lucky pony?"
"Princess Twilight Sparkle and her bodyguard. Her bodyguard is named Shadow Glider, and he is quite an obstacle. Trust me, I know him."
Gartile exited the inn and turned towards the seaports. The sound of bells rang in the near distance and as he got closer to the seaports, the number of seafaring ponies and griffins he could see grew. He needed to talk to Don DelClare.
Masies stared at Shadow with a rage that she was hardly containing. Very slowly, clearly holding back the anger, she spoke. "I told you to stay out of trouble, or I would end you. And the first thing you go and do is start a fight. I'm getting the impression that you want me to kill you."
"I didn't start the fight, he did. In fact, I was trying to prevent the fight from occurring in the first place," Shadow said defensively. Masies opened her mouth to speak again but was cut off by Shadow. "And just as you know who I am, I know who you are. Yes, King Galilean and Prince Garen wouldn't care about who you are and your background, but I doubt the rest of the city consul would be equally considering.
"And I have a job to do here, I can't do it on my own. I need help from someone here. So here's my ultimatum, you don't tell them and I won't tell them and you will help me. Okay?"
"Okay, okay," Masies agreed to Shadow's ultimatum. "But know this: I've got my eyes on you," Masies said in a low tone.
Kyre made her way through the underground sewer system. They were big enough for a griffin to easily fit in, so she had no trouble traversing the tunnels. The use of the sewer system was purely strategic; she could get to anyplace in Griffington this way, be completely undetected, and unimpeded. The only downside was the smell; the entire system reeked! But she had a job to do, she was going to go through hell and high water to get it done. Or, in this case, hell and smelly water. So, the Equestrian Princess of Friendship is here, in Griffington. Why? Neither Griffington nor Equestria has anything to gain from diplomatic talks. It doesn't make a lick of sense.
Kyre stopped walking and looked upward. She was underneath the palace courtyard. Turning invisible, she climbed up and out of the pony-hole. Taking in a sweeping look of the courtyard, she saw a group of trainees practicing a set of moves. But they suddenly stopped. Curious, Kyre moved closer to get a better look. There was a pegasus and a griffin arguing; the griffin was pretty damn agitated.
Then they started a fight. "Typical," Kyre muttered to herself.
Kyre turned to get back to searching for Princess Twilight when she heard someone shout out. "Gale!" Once again, her curiosity perked and she returned her attention to the commotion. A hippogriff was chastising the griffin now, a purple pony was standing behind all of them.
"There you are, Princess Twilight Sparkle," she thought to herself. Now that she'd found Twilight, all Kyre had to do was follow her and remain undetected.
Prince Garen led Princess Twilight down the palace corridors. "You know, not many ponies come to the palace. It a pleasant sight to see someone other than another griffin."
"This palace is enormous! The architecture is amazing, it's unlike any that I've seen before," Twilight said in amazement.
"Do you know about the history of the castle?" Garen looked back to Twilight.
"No, I haven't."
"Well, the palace isn't a palace. It's a castle and an old one at that. It was built long ago, back before the city of Griffington was founded. Back then, it was a castle to a small fief, this island, and the king ruled over by himself. It was placed upon the highest point of the island so that the king would be able to keep his eyes over his land and, more importantly, his people.
"It wasn't till a few hundred years ago that the founding of a city occurred here. The city was a joint project between Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom. The island served as a middle ground, where the two nations would send diplomats to engage in diplomatic talks and such. The agreement was that the two nations would maintain peace as long as the city stood. Ponies would be allowed to live here and the griffins would name the city and design its government.
"Unfortunately, as the years passed, the resentment and mistrust between griffin and ponies grew. Many gangs formed simply to assault the other species, businesses would refuse to serve or even employ the other species. All of that culminated in the exodus of most of the pony population from Griffington. While yes, some ponies did stay, the unfortunate truth is that they still received the bitter treatments.
"Well, after the pony emigration the palace was refurbished and fixed. It had suffered from centuries of neglect. My great great grandfather was placed in the position of Griffin King and the title and job has been handed down the generations."
"Well, I'm hoping that we can change that. Griffington and Equestria can be friends once again," Twilight declared with the air of a born leader about her.
"Hm." Garen smiled. He hadn't seen anyone with such enthusiasm for such an action as these peace talks other than his mother. Slowly, Garen's smile faded away as he thought of his mother. Her voice of silk and gentle touch resurfaced in his memories.
"Garen, are you okay?" Twilight gave a worried look.
Garen shook his head and the memories sunk back down. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm fine."
The two found themselves out in the courtyard at this point. A group of trainees was huddled around two others. "What is going on down there?" Garen jumped into the sky and flew closer to the entire commotion. Twilight followed him. The two dropped to the ground and now had a sight of what was happening. Shadow was fighting standing in a battle ready stance against an armored griffin. Shadow looked at them, grinned, and stopped. Gale shot forward at Shadow. "Gale!"
