Author's Note

Woooo! The final chapter of the day, boys and maybe a few girls!

Thanks for hanging in there. Now, on to the bad news.

I will not be posting anything until the middle of January. The reason is I just need a break, and I would love to take time to connect with my partner, as the new job has kind of forced us further apart. That just won't do.

However, I won't be not writing. I'm gonna get things written up and have a more grounded reality for my work.

I want every single one of you to have a wonderful holiday season. Take care of yourselves, hydrate, and go be around the family if ya can.

As always, please leave a comment. Let me know how y'all are feeling.

Thanks for reading. Peace!

The Fool

"Orion, remind me again why we are here?" Scream asked as they stood side by side, looking down from the road onto a rather large village. It wasn’t the size of Ponyville. However, during their arrival, Orion had spotted several clusters of thatched-roof homes surrounded by fields. It seemed the people of Griffonia operated around a system of communal farming. Multiple families banding together to take care of larger plots of land as compared to ponies' more singular method.

As he mulled over how to answer Scream’s question, he stretched, letting the muscles relieve tension, and his joints rewarded him with satisfying popping as they shifted back into place. It had been a long week of overland travel. Much of that time he had spent inside the carriage, pouring over his notes, working out what he planned to do. While they had been in transit, he had been a busy pony and was quickly developing a plan with the information Eberhard was providing him.

He had been surprised to learn, that his friend had already been to Aviary before. An attempt to show her leadership skills and her ability to sort through problems on her own and solved them. It worked…okay-ish.

The improvements this time would be something far and way better. Per the agreement between himself and Lady Hardwind, a shipment would arrive at their destination. It was important that he had everything ready by the time the equipment arrived within the week.

At night, they pulled to a stop and hobbled the animals that were not quite horses. But he kept his notes with himself at all times to check, then agonized over his decisions, and double-checked. It was agony.

Screaming had remained mostly quiet. She had forgiven him, even apologized for her own mistakes, but had otherwise stayed distant. It was clear that while she was ready to resume their friendship, it would be at a much slower pace. Though, in the case of what he had planned for the largest town under her control, she did ask a lot of questions.

Once they had gotten underway, he and Eberhard had explained to her the idea and plan they were going to implement. Orion wasn't too surprised to find out that the King had an idea of what he was up to here. Instead, he was more confused as to why the monarch had not approached him about his plans just before he left. Instead, the King had set his friend to pump him for information. That revelation had confirmed his suspicions of Screaming's steward. The griffon was no mere servant of his friend. Though as to what his role was in government, he still had no idea, nor was the thin griffon talking about it.

The reason behind choosing Aviary of all places was two-fold. It was far away from the Equestrian border, and its position on the Cliffs of Handover was perfect in thwarting all but the most determined of assaults. It was why the once mighty forge town had been placed there originally.

The second reason was the location of natural resources in the surrounding countryside.

The up-to-date maps Baroness Hardwind was in possession of showed more than just the hopeful coal and iron in the area. To the east were what he was hoping were salt fields, which meant a salt mine could be opened. That alone was worth the trip as he remembered that back on earth, before planes, trains and automobiles became a thing, salt, and similar minerals were pricey and difficult to get to.

The only discrepancy was that sometime in the past nine years or so, a tribe of Diamond Dogs had set up a den just north of the settlement. They hadn't approached the town since the last census, but that could have changed. Orion did not like unknowns, this project had gotten far bigger than he wanted it to, and any issues could work against him.

It was slow, but the group of soldiers that had accompanied them had warmed up to him. Which was great. Initially, they were pissed at him over the fact that in his cowardice, he had hurt Screaming. It was only after he had explained what had happened, being cornered inside their own wagon, that they had eased up on him. Some were still upset, but they no longer blamed him as he hadn’t intended to deceive their liege Lady.

The upside of the altercation was he had begun spending mornings being drilled in combat exercises. Mostly hand to hand, as they didn't trust him not to hurt himself with a practice blade.

He was right, pony martial arts was bunk, and he had the bruised ribs to show for it. Unfortunately, his ribs decided to remind him of this by sending pained signals to his brain at the peak of his stretch. He doubled over to grab his sides.

The black pony gave his friend a withering glare from his bent-over position. "Are you going to start complaining? Now?" He asked.

"No, just…Orion, I remember this place. There wasn't much to do." She lamented. He sighed. She was still a teenager, and not really wanting the responsibility of leading people. "And to be honest, they all looked at me like they expected something."

Orion nodded sadly. They did expect something of her. Hope. The same type of hope they had for her parents back when they were alive. Scream, no, Grace Fairheart had a lot riding on her shoulders. The expectation of her uncle, the people she had been placed over, and the legacy of her parents.

He had learned a lot about Lord Egon and Lady Petra Fairheart, they were a power couple more favored than even Sigurd and his wife was now. Considerate, giving, and willing to set the finery aside to actually get in there, and labor with their people. In his not-at-all-professional opinion, they were true leaders.

"Scream, I gotta ask." He mentally cursed himself for constantly falling back on that childhood name. "Do you actually want to honor your parents? To do right by them?"

It was a question of her resolve. So far, the Lady of House Fairheart had been hesitant and listless, unwilling or unable to really commit to anything. Their nighttime deliberations had been spent more on reassuring her that this was the right path and that she was the only person willing to do right by the people she was placed over. Orion didn't like asking that question but felt he needed to prod her.

"I do!" She exclaimed while throwing up her hands. "I do…but…what if I fail? What if I make the wrong choice?"

"You could very well one day make a wrong choice, but right now, you are surrounded by the right people who want to see you succeed." He pointed down at the village, whose occupants had finally taken notice of them. "If you listen, and we make sure it's the right path, you will prove that your heart is in the right place. With that, you will have the assistance of two of the most powerful people in the nation, and they're family to boot."

"But you're gonna leave eventually." She muttered quietly.

"Yeah, I am. I still have my studies to finish and my own life to lead. But!" He gestured at her with his index finger. "You still won't be alone. Your uncle and aunt have a knack for reading folks; learn that, so when you take on projects that might be too much for you to handle, you'll be able to figure out who to put in charge of the assignments you can't do." He grinned. "Besides, I'm only a letter away."

Scream gave a weak smile, and nodded.

Orion sighed again. Perhaps it was unfair of them to ask so much of her. She was just one person, overwhelmed by her family's loss, and had no real allies to help her directly. Baroness Hardwind was taking a large enough gamble as it was selling supplies to him at cost, and his friend had still not learned of the ultimate goal, yet.

He grimaced at his negotiations with Dorathea. No matter how he had pressed the old bird, she would not budge on that. If the nobles were ever to learn her role in this scheme, it would have to be in the loosest terms, or she wouldn't have cooperated no matter how much blackmail he had on the noble.

He had to give her props for her own self-preservation. Or she had realized before he did that, despite her actions, he did not have as much hold on her as he had originally believed.

Shaking his head, he turned toward the present, and toward an approaching group of griffon villagers. They were short people in comparison to himself, and these were even smaller than the nobles he had encountered in the capital.

At their group's head, was a somewhat taller griffon hen. She nearly reached Screaming's height. She was broad-shouldered, with powerful arms that rotated in anticipation of a confrontation.

"I am Grendal Plumage-" She said harshly, then halted in her steps. "Lady Fairheart? Is that you? We were not expecting to see you till next year in the spring." As she said this, the group, including herself, gave a low bow to his long-time friend.

"True, I had not scheduled a return till that time. But," her uncertain look toward Orion rewarded her with a small nod and a smile, "circumstances have prompted my return much sooner than either of us suspected."

Grendal had, of course, noticed him immediately.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but who is the…pony?" Her beak bent uncomfortably around the word.

"Forget it. I am going to find out just how in the hell their beaks do that if it kills me. It should be impossible!" He had spent long enough amongst them to notice how ridged they were, the fact that bent in the fair approximation of a normal face should not have been possible, and he was beginning to believe that he would only find a way through dissection.

"This is my friend, Orion." She gestured with a smile. "Orion, this is the Burgermeister of Aviary."

He had laughed the first time he had heard of the title of leaders in small towns of Griffonia, and even now, he barely bit back a chuckle as he leaned forward to shake the mayor's hand.

"A pleasure. I am just a tag-a-long. Came up from Equestria to visit Grace here. We used to live under the same roof when we were young." He said as their hands shook.

Griffon's claws are surprisingly soft. Grendel's was not. Hard and callous, this was a hen that worked the field as hard as her constituents.

Being introduced as simply a friend who was following her out as she was about her duties had been Eberhard's idea. During the brief time before departure, he and the steward had worked out the fact that his name shouldn't be attached to the project if at all possible. So Orion's role in this was to act as the clueless friend and let the adults be seen giving the directions.

The mayor went to give him a bow once she heard the word "friend".

"Ah!" He snapped, perhaps too harshly. "Please, don't do that. Despite the company I am fortunate enough to keep, I am in no way a noble. Just an orphan." He smiled gently, to take the sting out of his snap.

"Oh. I apologize." Relief seemed to flood the features of her stern face. She must have been worried that she would have to bow and scrape anytime he popped up.

"Naw, no need." He waved it off as he and the Burgermeister stepped away from one another.

Nodding politely, Grendal Plumage turned to Scream.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but what circumstances have occurred to bring you back to us?" A polite way of saying what the hell they were doing here.

"We have found…records. Records that may secure my hold on my father's lands permanently. However, I do not wish to get anyone's hopes up as of yet. First, I wish to know the state of the old forges."

From what Eberhard had informed him on the journey here, there was a trio of massive forges located on the east side of the town. A stream that broke off from a river passed through them, providing an easy way to get water for quenching. They had chosen the site in case there was an emergency, they would have plenty of water on hand.

The question had gotten Grendel to cock her head in that odd way griffons did.

"My Lady, the state of the forges has remained the same since the last time you were here." She replied with puzzlement.

"A fair point. However, my neglect of what should still be a critical industry has forced me to inquire. I was not focused on that aspect of the town. I apologize for my lack of attention." Screaming said with solemnity.

It was weird to see her speak and act in such a manner. When he did it, it felt forced. But for Grace Fairheart, it seemed as natural as breathing, and the air about her seemed to change. It was like years were suddenly piled onto her shoulders, and she bore it with a surprising dignity.

"You have nothing to apologize for, my Lady. These days we rarely consider the forge unless it's for simple repairs. As it is, we have one still in service. Including the foundry attached to it." The Burgermeister said, gesturing with a hand for the party to follow. "The old barracks have been cleaned and prepped, we did not want a similar incident to last time.” The last time was that every soldier and servant that had come out on her first trip, had been forced to live in tents for a month. “We feel ashamed that it had not been before your arrival this past spring." She lamented.

"Right." Barked the Oberst that had come with them on the assignment. From what Orion had been told, his rank was equivalent to a colonel in the Equestrian armed forces. "All right, you sad sacks of stuffed feathers! Grab your kits and stow your gear. I expect a rotation in front of me in less than an hour. Fail that, and I’ll have your flanks running till dawn in full battle rattle. Do not disappoint me!”

The pony had come to like Oberst Otto Goodwing. Much friendlier than his maid of a niece, Valka. She was, unfortunately, with them too and had been staring daggers at him every morning.

"I am afraid our stay will be longer this time around, Burgermeister Plumage. Is there available lodging for my entourage?" Scream gave a pained expression, as if reluctant to ask at all.

"We do, my Lady. Though I fear they may not be in as good of condition as the barracks. I'm afraid that some of our residents have departed in recent years, and we've not had the time to clean and repair them beyond a few patches." The mayor tapped her beak. "I do believe it will just take some simple cleaning to make them presentable. I do not believe any of the windows were broken during last month's sea squall."

This was perfect. It had been determined by Eberhard that he not be seen doing anything that may connect him to the project itself. In the evening, they would go over what needed to be done the next day. But otherwise, he would just make use of himself with various projects around the town, and be seen being given orders by his friend

"Excuse me." He spoke before Scream, or the town leader could go on. "Grace, since I'm kind of a third wheel, why not let me clean the houses? I got some spells that should make short work of the rooms, and I can do a general scan of the structures to make sure they are sound."

Grendel's face soured. Clearly, she did not like the idea of a pony running loose in her village.

"Mrs. Evergarden ended up making you part of the staff, didn't she?" Scream gave him a smile.

"Well, considering I am practically a permanent resident, I guess she figured why not." He smirked back. "Still, sound like a plan?"

"Hold a moment." His friend turned to the mayor, and she nodded graciously. "I can see your distrust Burgermeister Plumage. Magic is not something even I am comfortable with. However, he is right, and I fear the nature of our conversation will need to be private, not for non-Griffonian ears."

The broad-shouldered hen bowed low. "If you vouch for him, I have no trouble allowing this. As long," she turned to him, "you stay to cleaning and making the homes sound."

"Of course!" Orion replied smoothly. "If I find anything wrong, I'll make a list for you to check over later. Once all whatever you guys plan to do is done. Cool?"

Grendel nodded, it was unsure and hesitant, but she called over a thick-necked drake who gave him a distrustful look.

“Aw, shit, looks like I am going to be watched like a hawk.”

"Take Lady Fairheart's guest to the Hardfeather's old place, and stay with him should he need anything." Meaning; make sure he doesn't do anything she wouldn't approve of.

"Valka?" Scream turned to address the diminutive griffon, who had marched up behind them with all the luggage. She and a handful of other servants had been assigned for the cooking and cleaning of their homes away from home. "Go with Orion. Odds are you will not be able to help, as I am positive he will do whatever he does faster than you can."

"As you say, my Lady." Absolutely no trace of anger, but when Screaming turned away from her, the tabby hen shot him a glare so violent it was a wonder he didn't burst into flames. Why in the hell was she so pissed at him?

"Excellent. Burgermeister Plumage? If you would show me to the forges, we can determine what will need to be done to get all three up to full capacity." With the poise and grace that was her station, Grace Fairheart proceeded down the path, Grendel Plumage in tow, breathlessly asking why they would need more than one forge. “Oh, I would also like to discuss the state of various….”

The griffon drake took one look at his leader, then glared at them, particularly Orion. Grunting, he gestured to follow and marched away.

"Ah, back to a sore inconvenience, eh?" He shouldered one of his packs while levitating the other two. "I feel like my life has become a sitcom. "Everybody Hates Orion", or some shit." He lamented as the Griffonian entourage followed after the disgruntled villager.

She was wearing a hole in the brand new Saddle Arabian rug that the Princess had gifted her for Hearth's Warming. The exotic scroll work had delighted her at first, but like many things not dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, Twilight just did not have it in her to find enjoyment in the mundane things that interested other ponies for longer than a few weeks.

It was why her clothes had largely stayed the same over the years. The familiar patterns and colors were an unchanging comfort for the filly, and it was hard to accept new things in her life.

Noting the damage she was inflicting upon the floor covering was only momentary as it was.

Her brother had been recalled suddenly, and Shining had given her no reason other than it was an emergency.

Princess Celestia had unfortunately been unavailable to her for reasons that had not been explained. That made her uncomfortable, especially because of the rumors she had heard.

The monarch was in a fury over something and had canceled several meetings in response. No pony had a clue as to what could have caused such a disruption. Twilight didn't know what to do. It was as if some cruel twist of fate, or some angry spirit, had ripped away all that was familiar, that was a source of comfort.

Her parents had also left Canterlot, taking Spike with them. Her mother had a book signing tour and thought it a great idea to take her little brother with her. Her father, of course, went with her too to support her, and likely was looking forward to all the free food that came with those events she was asked to attend.

Not wanting to stay alone in her large family home, she had gone back to her rooms in the castle.

Now, she sat and paced the floor in worry that she might be the reason the Princess wasn't speaking to her.

Her legs hurt from so much activity that went nowhere.

Sitting at her desk, Twilight attempted to sort through her emotions. Logically she was fine. She should be fine. But since the beginning of the school year, she had been on a strange sort of edge. That had only gotten worse.

The question was, what was really bothering her?

Him.

Orion was what was bothering her. They had not spoken since he had tricked her into screaming at the one who had taught her so much. Princess Celestia had claimed it was no bother. She even admitted to it being rather amusing, even if she vented some disgruntlement at her longtime friend's behavior.

Laying her head on the desk, she sighed wistfully. Twilight had yet to forgive him for that.

That pony always seemed to find a way to embarrass her. Not to mention he seemed to know a lot more than her about certain things she had not found anywhere and took full advantage of that fact. But none of that is what bothered her. She liked that he was so smart.

No, what had truly upset her went back further than just this past school year. Back to the night on the castle steps after a disastrous first study session that ended with him getting injured and her still developing feelings being broken.

Orion did not want a herd or a family of his own one day. She couldn't understand why that was. To make matters worse, was he dismissed her feelings as if they were superficial, that they didn’t, or shouldn’t at least, involve him.

Then during her first real Estrus Season, she had made a muck up of everything and attempted to have her way with him. Thank the Tree that he managed to maintain some semblance of sanity because she was too far gone to actually notice. Which left her with the burning question of why it had suddenly affected her so much.

Her mind was brought back to the day of the prank that tore a hole in their rapport with one another. Twilight thumped her head against the desk. No. She had already forgiven him for his prank. It was herself she was having a difficult time forgiving. She had nearly destroyed their friendship because she couldn’t rationalize why he would do that, even after he had explained it to her.

"Our friendship…" She mused in her own head sullenly.

Turning to lay her head back on the table, she spotted Starswirl's Predictions and Prophecies. She had ignored the enigmatic pages hidden in that tome for a couple of years now, primarily at the behest of Princess Celestia. Now seeing it again, she was reminded of the dread she felt reading some of the passages. Nightmare Moon's return being chief among those. Twilight pushed the book away, she didn't want to add uncertain fear on top of her already abysmal disposition.

Drumming her fingers, the purple filly tried to come up with something to do. With the Princess momentarily denied to her, or so she hoped, and her parents and siblings out of the city. Options were very limited.

She could go and see whether or not Moon Dancer and her friends wished to spend time together. The relationship with the four had come a long way from the tentative first meetings and awkwardly quiet study sessions.

She smiled at the thought of seeing them until, of course, Twilight remembered they had gone on a trip together to Manehattan.

Minuette's mom was chaperoning that adventure.

They had offered for her to come along, but her brother was to be home for the summer, and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him before he was sent out again.

"Well, there is that option out the window." The purple filly chuckled ruefully as she realized that she was beginning to sound a lot like Orion.

It looked to Twilight like she was going to have to forgive the black pony sooner than she had planned. Meaning she would have to let go of her own guilt. There was a sour point to the enforced decision, it was out of boredom rather than the right thing, that made her choose today to be the day she patched things up with her friend.

With a sigh, she pushed herself up and out of the chair and away from the desk in one motion.

"I will have to notify the guard where I'm going." She thought as a bit pouch, and a few books floated to her in the purple hue of magic that was her own. Setting her hand on the doorknob, the young mare sighed heavily and opened the door.

"This is very, very strange." Twilight thought to herself as she stepped up to the orphanage door.

When she had informed the servants of her plans, their expressions had turned worried. No. More like wariness. As if they had expected her intentions and were dreading it.

When she had asked for a carriage to Orion's orphanage from the Stable Mistress, she had been asked if she was certain that was her destination. Now, turning back, she saw one carriage puller biting her lower lip; the rest were stoic resignation.

"What is going on?"

Her attention went back to the door, and the pulley bell rope in an alcove carved next to the door. Reaching out, she wrung the bell twice and waited.

Just when her hand reached out to pull the rope again, Mrs. Evergarden answered the door; her mane's normal tight look was a bit frazzled looking.

"Yes- Oh…Lady Sparkle. A-a-a pleasant surprise!" She said while looking, not at all pleased by her arrival, not angry, but scared. "What…brings you to my orphanage today?"

First, the servants, then the guards, and now Mrs. Evergarden. Something was going on, and Twilight was determined to find out what.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Evergarden. I am here to see Orion. If he is not too busy." She forced a cheery smile onto her lips. The way the Matron's worried expression seemed to turn sickly at the mention of her friend's name made her stomach sink.

"Ah…I'm afraid he is not here right at this moment, Lady Sparkle." Mrs. Evergarden spoke hesitantly.

"Is he at the park?"

"No."

"The city library?"

The Matron simply shook her head.

Twilight paused for a moment. Those two locations were his usual haunting locations when not in the gym, or at home in the orphanage. It was far too late in the day for him to be at the gym. He always went promptly at seven every morning, two hours before school began.

The park was Listless's Overlook at the edge of the second plate, which gave a wonderful view of the valley below. Canterlot Library was his fallback, as the Librarians have yet to rescind their ban on his return. And he was in none of those locations.

Something was very wrong today.

"Mrs. Evergarden, where is Orion at right now?"

She had never seen the mare wince, then hang her head in defeat before.

"Come inside." Orion's caretaker finally replied, as she turned and left the door open.

Curious, and more than a little concerned, she followed her inside to one of the adjoining interview rooms down the hall. Her magic shutting the door behind them.

"Your Highness. Lady Sparkle is being very insistent on seeing you this evening." Lucky Write spoke from the door to her study.

It had been a very long day of catch-up meetings and planning for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration in the small town of Bales on the east coast. She was hoping to use her influence to grow the tiny coastal town into a sizable port city that would be better able to handle more ships in the future; as of now, they could barely support a row boat.

Ultimately, Celestia wanted a new staging location for expeditions to the south. It would be cheaper to fund journeys to the Dark Lands and Zegypt that way.

The lone monarch of ponies felt herself wanting to wince. She supposed it was only a matter of time before Twilight found out about her friend's unauthorized departure. It could only be that for the filly that was nearly a mare was often hesitant to intrude until she gave the right to do so.

"I suppose it would take a colt to make the foal more courageous." Celestia mused, almost sarcastically.

"Very well, Mrs. Write. Send her in." It was her own fault regardless, she had avoided Twilight for the very possibility of Orion Falls coming up in conversation, not wanting to upset her protégé about his reckless departure.

"As you wish, your Highness." Lucky Write bowed low and ducked out the door.

It was not long before her student had replaced her, walking to the center of the immaculate study and bowing. A much more reserved bow than others may give her.

Celestia took a moment to truly look over her faithful student. The little filly in her mind had blossomed into a fine mare; despite the utilitarian mane and tail cut the young mare uniformly employed, she was beautiful. Though she hid much of her beauty behind a book. She held back a snort of amusement. It seemed to become standard for her to choose what amounted to librarian clothes rather than the more flamboyant style of dress of her peers.

"Twilight, I apologize for not speaking with you sooner. I suspect I know the reason for your visit." The monarch of ponies said smoothly, rising from her desk and leaving scattered files filled with red ink behind.

"Why do you let him get away with it, Princess?"

The meek question halted her in her tracks. It was a loaded inquiry that needed clarification.

"I will need you to be more specific, my student."

"Why does Orion get to do as he pleases while only getting a slap on the wrist? Princess," she gazed up at her, eyes very hard, "he continuously flaunts rules placed by you and others. He endangers himself with his own actions. He-" She stopped short, her voice increasing in pitch as she had gone on.

Taking several deep breaths, and twisting her skirt in her hands, Twilight went on.

"Orion knows that he should have asked for permission to depart on his vacation. He knows this, and yet not only did he not, but he also hid his departure for as long as ponily possible. You sent my brother after him to bring him home." The Princess was not caught off guard that her student had figured out where her brother had gone. "My question is, will all he receive is a slap on the wrist?"

Celestia blinked. That was as much astonishment as she was going to allow in front of her protégé.

Twilight Sparkle was taking a surprisingly hardline stance on Orion's infractions.

The white mare thought for a minute as she held her student's eye.

"It is true, I have been far more lackadaisical when it comes to enforcing certain rules on the colt." She mused to herself. "The incident in my school, I feel, was handled correctly, but perhaps assigning him to a mere therapist should not have been the only action I could have taken when he returned from Ponyville. But by Tree, I am not sure what I actually can do." In her pursuit of making him a more respectable member of society, the white monarch had discovered just how difficult he could be when he wanted to do something. Or not do something.

She sighed.

"Twilight, your friend, is a rather unusual case. Normal punishments do not work against him when he acts out. For whatever reason, it does not bother him in the slightest to be yelled at, deprived of certain accommodations, or set to difficult tasks." She had recalled to mind the many disciplinary reports Mrs. Evergarden had written on his behavior and reaction to corrective instruction. "His flippancy for title and position is also a sore point."

The young mare nodded sadly, she too had noticed her friend's complete lack of respect for those of higher rank.

"He…he just doesn't like bullies…."

"I am well aware, and even agree that it is terrible to take advantage of one's position over others. That does not excuse his conduct. Now he is loose in Griffonia, and I can only imagine what incident he will cause there." Celestia sighed heavily, already wondering what he could have done in the short amount of time that he had been there.

Her diplomats will likely end up working overtime in trying to appease Sigurd and his wife. No need for another Oskar Bloodbeak.

"Princess? Who is Screaming Rush?" Celestia arched an eyebrow, and Twilight blushed. "I mean, Orion has mentioned her a few times, but I don't know who she is; I have never met her."

"Screaming Rush is an old foalhood friend of Orion's when he first arrived in Mrs. Evergarden's orphanage, and you have met her." Sitting down in a comfy seat by one of the large tower windows, she gestured for her student to join her. "However, that is not her true name, which by now I am sure Orion has discovered for himself at this point."

She had never thought that Sigurd would discover where his long-lost niece had gone. The thought of telling him when she had first discovered the young griffon within her very city had occurred to her but ultimately decided to let fate decide what would happen to the chick.

In truth, she felt it better if the young hen had never rediscovered her old life. The way the country was devolving, it was only a matter of time before even worse hardships would befall the royal family and their people. Though new reports from the north were slowly changing her mind on that.

"Who is she?" Came Twilight's thinly veiled inquiry.

The reddening of the face and ears came in a variety of ways with a variety of meanings. For her student, her face burned with jealousy.

Celestia wanted to sigh once more, then laugh. Her attempts to get her protégé to look elsewhere for romance had not really gone as well as she had hoped.

Trotting out different stallions of status and power, both political and familial bloodline had been an effort in futility.

Just getting the filly to attend the balls and banquets had been like pulling cragadile teeth.

"Screaming's true name is Lady Grace Fairheart. Currently, she is the twelfth in line for the throne of Griffonia despite not having an official title. As I understand it, there is a dispute of whom should have her deceased parents' land." She paused for effect as Twilight fairly gaped at her. "Should she reattain her family's lands, her position would rise to Duchess, and she would move to fourth in line."

"She's royalty?!" The mare before her fairly shrieked.

"Yes. Though I do not believe Orion was ever informed of that fact." She giggled. "It must have come as quite a shock to him."

"It is for me…" Twilight thought for a moment. "Okay, she's a friend." The friend portion of that obvious conclusion was laced with suspicion. "I have another question." Her look pleaded to be allowed to ask.

"Go ahead, Twilight, ask."

"Why now?" She blushed. "I am sorry; what I mean is, why did he suddenly choose to go to Griffonia? To see his friend."

That was a difficult question to answer. Celestia could not reveal the fact that she knew for the past few years, Grace Fairheart had been sending increasingly pleading notices for him to visit her.

The colt had always rejected.

It wasn't as if she was monitoring Orion himself, but any missives that came in or out of Griffonia were heavily monitored by her agents in the mail offices.

The moment Grace had returned to her country of birth, the hen had gotten her own detail of spies to monitor her. Though they were often regulated to view only her letters in and out of the country.

It was a vexing thing to know how blind she truly was in the northern nation. Their ability to learn of her agents amongst their people so quickly was an annoying issue that thwarted her attempts to keep an eye on them almost the moment they stepped across the border. Not for the first time, she wished for things of the old world.

"I do not truly know." She lied, and felt no pang of guilt like she once would have centuries ago. "According to Mrs. Evergarden, they exchanged quite a few letters over the years. I suspect that in one of those, maybe their most recent exchange, they had made plans for him to simply hop on a train and head north. I imagine she is paying for his stay."

Twilight fidgeted, but remained quiet as she thought about the situation.

Celestia would have liked to have engaged her student in discussing his punishment, but two reasons stopped her.

Firstly, the filly was not far enough in her education to judicate what was a proper penalization for his flagrant disregard for laws about unattended minors.

Second, she was far too close to Orion to deem it appropriate. One day, Twilight would likely be forced to judge over a close friend, but not this soon.

"Twilight, I can honestly say, that Orion Falls shall not get the slap on the wrist a young foal might normally get. I plan-"

"Excuse me, your Highness." Came Lucky Write's intrusive voice. "I do apologize, but you requested I inform you when the ambassador of Prance would arrive."

Celestia tsked in frustration. The mare was entirely too early, having set the meeting over a late dinner meeting, but it was difficult to even for her to pin down the fool for an official meeting as it was, and she could not miss this chance. She wondered if Prance's elusive Queen had picked Mademoiselle Flight Heart specifically for her ability to avoid responsibility.

"I am sorry, my student, sadly, I must go. This is a very important meeting, one I cannot truly miss." She rose, and Twilight rose with her. "Rest assured, I will deal with Orion Falls appropriately when your brother returns with him in tow."

Her student bowed again.

"Thank you for speaking to me about this, Princess."

"Of course. Attend your studies well." Celestia said, touching her cheek tenderly and sweeping out the door, her mind already moving to the meeting ahead.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FUCKING ROCK MADE OF?!" Orion roared as he threw the pickaxe aside he had been using for the better part of an hour. The iron ends bent at odd angles from the force of his blows against the stubborn Mineral Lord.

The rock, boulder he soon learned, was a big damn thing, stuck in the middle of the planned potato field they were intending to plant the future french fries into.

Around him were four others, all local griffons from the town of Aviary. All of them were still breathing heavily from their own attempts to remove the hell-born stone from the ground.

"Maybe…maybe…we could…just pick another location." Said Arthur, a young scrawny drake who seemed to suffer from constant bedhead, heavily wheezed. He had gone after it with a sledgehammer till the head snapped off, nearly taking his own off.

"Perhaps we should try and dig it out?" Said Tim, a giant of a griffon with the simplest of names.

"Fuck that!" Spat Arden. The portly birdcat was the fattest griffon Orion had seen to date, which seemed impossible. Maybe there was something to the whole glandular thing he had heard so many uses as an excuse back home. Also, he was the laziest. Somehow, without lifting a hammer, he had become the second most offended person over the overly large mineral. "I say we…um…" The colt had also noted the drake was not the brightest of the group.

Argust just grunted. He didn't say much, but was the oldest of everyone there. He had obviously been set to watch the four of them.

It was approaching the end of June. They had to get those vegetables planted soon if there was ever going to be anything of use coming out of them before winter hit.

Aviary was fortunate to have the luck of being close to the ocean. Warm water and air currents kept the region thawed for far longer than many other locations in Griffonia, so their growing season happened to last longer than it normally would have.

Since Screaming and Orion's arrival a little over a week ago, the town had been abuzz with activity. From what the stallion to be had gathered, the villagers, while plenty, didn't have much to do before they showed up that fateful afternoon. All waiting for the meager harvest they produced every year.

Now, in an outskirt little collection of farm huts, he and the four griffons with him had been tasked with clearing the fields for the planting of various crops.

Well, he had tasked himself.

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants, it was not Lady Fairheart that was calling the shots, but the black pony himself.

At night, when all had bunked down for the evening, Orion and Screaming would get together in the attic of her temporary home in the village. His own sleeping quarters were within the fifteen feet margin for his teleportation. A lucky break otherwise, he would have had to cast Feather Fall and make a running jump across the spaces of buildings.

He had caught hell with her briefly when he had first popped into her bedroom that first night, she had been very much naked. The hen was also initially pissed that he had never once bounced them back to the castle during their trip out on the town. Then he explained his limitations, which had shut her up. Still, the first day after, he sported a black eye that took a healing spell nearly all day to make go away. That was embarrassing.

“Though, wow, what a body.”

Most nights, Eberhard was in attendance. Offering advice, and making sure the pony was being thorough in explaining what he wanted to be done. After the second night, he had a complete list made in duplicate for the two, going over the final points before they too, went to sleep.

While he labored in the fields, the Steward, along with a pair of specialists in siege warfare that had come with them, directed the construction of a wall around the village. With heavy fortifications being built around the three forges specifically.

The project was easily noticed, and a lot of questions arose that Orion had not liked, but there was no way of getting around it.

Lady Fairheart had taken to organizing the forges themselves. Once decrepit hulks of timber and stone now looked something akin to the metal shops on the third plate. Orion had to sneak out at night and go over every inch of the smithies without light, so as not to alert any nosy featherheads as to what was really going on.

In a week's time, they would be ready to attempt the first forging of steel ingots. Something only he and Eberhard actually knew of. Grace would be in the dark till the day of. He wanted to be sure it would work before getting her hopes up.

Choosing to be in the fields had not been his first choice. But it had been his decision.

Everything that was actually important had to be done by those two, and he needed to be far the hell away while they were about it. So helping clear fields and explaining how best to work the land had been his job.

Now he stood there, glaring hatefully at the stubborn Rock of Ages.

They had tried everything. Sledgehammers, pickaxes, even dropping another rock on top of it. Though that had been Arden's contribution, and it was more of a toss that winded the pigeon.

"Arden's right. Fuck that. I want this rock to die!" He intoned with absolute malice. “Die. Die! DIE!”

"Then what the Tartarus do you suggest?" Retorted Arthur. "Ask it to kill itself for you?"

"No." Orion smiled. "I'm gonna blow it the fuck up."

"We don't have explosive crystals, Orion," Tim said soothingly. He seemed to be the nicest griffon the colt had ever met. He was implying the crystals that were sometimes bought from Equestria for mining projects. Those were not cheap and never brought anywhere near the backwater town.

"We don't need no fucking stones of boom." His smile turned into a malicious grin. "Why don't y'all get to cover." He suggested politely.

Orion had been gone an awfully long time. Grace had grown increasingly worried about him as the days wore on. His plans were going remarkably well, even if some of the ideas confused the locals and herself.

The idea of rerouting some of the river water into the town to act as an irrigation system, complete with shutoff canals and shale slabs preventing early erosion, had been clever.

Some of those water streams had even been directed toward the forges for production. Rather than have them close by, they were now directly there to be used in cooling molds and the like off quickly.

But other than directing what they should do, Orion had stayed as far away from town as possible. Grace understood his reasoning, and Eberhard had said it was a prudent move. But she was still worried.

Diamond Dogs had been spotted in the area since their arrival. Greedy and savage, they were known to incorporate slaves in their tunnels. Pony slaves specifically.

What if they capture him?

With that thought burning in her mind, she made her way to the current collection of farm huts outside the town just a little bit quicker than she initially intended. The one he was hard at work at. Or so she hoped. She had a basket of bread and cheese with her to give to him, and the likely hungry work crew that was with him.

A resounding boom cracked through the air like a thunderclap, the shockwave of air pressure staggering her, nearly toppling her over as several bushes and trees whipped violently toward the sea.

"What in all that flies was that?!" Her mind screamed as she steadied herself and took off at a dead run, leaving the dropped basket behind.

Over the next hill, she beheld a crater the size of three of her uncle's royal carriages sitting in the middle of what had been, by all reports, a decent field.

"Hurrrkkk ugh…" Coughed a familiar voice. "I think I sent it a little too hard there…"

"No shit! What gave you that idea, hornhead!?" Shouted another.

"Can it fuckbuck! I killed the Boulder, which is more than what your fat ass has done all goddamn day!"

"Gentledrakes, please?" Came in a soft but heavy tone. "Let us check ourselves, make sure-"

Grace rounded a low hill and found Orion and his team hunched down. His horn was glowing that strange black and dark gold flame.

Above them, was a pile of debris simply hovering in the air.

"Just what in the Four Winds is going on here?!" She tried to keep her voice level; she really did. But the black colt's broad grin told her he was really eating it up. Whatever it was that he had done.

"Uhhhhh…." His apparent enjoyment fled away the moment she came around the low hillside.

"Apologies, my Lady." Spoke up a fat drake; the tufts of his feathers were unusually oily and seemed to weigh heavily down the sides of his head. "Mr. Falls here grew tired of our slow progress in preparing the field for planting. So he chose to employ more extreme measures.”

Orion gaped at him.

"The hell?" The pony cocked his head. "Where did the "M'lady" persona come from? What's with the greasy…airship salesman shtick?"

"Mr. Falls, we are in the presence of nobility. We can not just-"

"Dude, no. Don't play that card with me. You were cussing up a fucking storm-"

"Will you shut the fuck-"

"Why don't you jump on a frozen-"

"ENOUGH!"

It took a moment for her even to realize that the shout of rage had come from herself. She did know her anger over the useless bickering had increased exponentially in the very short time she was there.

His callous disregard for his own safety, or the safety of those around him, coupled with her worry over him, only fueled Grace’s emotions to new heights.

Her outrage had the intended effect of silencing the assembled workers.

"Orion." She inhaled deeply, intending to calm herself before continuing on. It didn't work. "Just what in the fuck, are you doing?!" She hissed.

The work crew, save for the focus of her vexation, gaped at her. Orion Falls dug a finger in his ear rather calmly. The little appendage came out with a clod of dirt clinging to it.

"How the hell did that get on there?" He stared at it, bewildered.

"Orion!"

He flicked the dirt away.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a wad." He waved his hands in the air to placate her. "You see, we came across this rock while preppin' the East Fields here…"

"Couldn't you have just…picked another field?!"

Orion's explanation of the destruction of the landscape had not mollified her. In fact, she was seething.

"What? And let the Rock win? I think not." He sniffed. "That stone insulted my mother and pissed on my father. I had to seek my vengeance. Besides, they agreed with me that it had to die."

He gestured toward the griffons who had taken more than a few steps away, griffons who were doing everything in their power to ignore what was going on before them.

"Do not take my silence for agreement, Mr. Falls." The heavy voice of one of the drakes said in a dry tone.

"Dude…the hell Argust you fuckin' talk?!" Orion turned and gaped at the stout griffon.

Grace physically grabbed her friend and turned him from their unwanted audience. It was with extreme effort on her part, that the claw tips didn't just rip into his workgriffon's clothing.

His eyes were very wide.

"Orion." She was too annoyed to note the deadness in her voice, why was he suddenly acting like such a fool? "You chose to somehow detonate a boulder rather than simply select another field." Her grip tightened, and he winced. "Are you an idiot?"

His attitude had been cute. Had they remained in Griffonstone, it likely would have remained enduring in that setting. However, her patience with his willful foolishness was at an end.

Grace had no clue how such a brilliant pony could act so recklessly, at the same time conducting himself in a manner befitting higher society. In the remote location, which was all his own plan, he was putting his life, and those with him, in danger again and again.

With the irrigation system, he had chosen to help dig the canal out himself with another work crew. Somehow, they had all nearly died when the river broke through the thin earthen bulwark to wash over them.

He had laughed, laughed! And walked off, saying it was a good lesson on pressure and force. She had no idea what he had meant.

During their trip to Aviary, Orion had also taken it upon himself to go hunting with the forward scouts. That had resulted in the lot of them being chased by a Roc.

How he had found a Roc, no one could figure out, nor was the black pony willing to devulge the knowledge.

Had it not been for the sheer number of spears, swords, and bows presented in a combined front, the giant flying beast would have torn them to shreds.

Now this fiasco.

Orion's horn glowed, and her grip was forced to release itself. Because he had pried the claws from his shoulders by sheer force of magic. She was unimpressed.

"I am not an idiot." He growled.

"Then why do you keep putting yourself in situations like this?!" She responded, heatedly.

"Since when have I ever been in a situation of blowing up rocks?"

"Orion, do not be deliberately obtuse." She sighed. "Every time you go out, you run the risk of getting seriously injured."

Her friend sighed heavily.

"I'll…explain…later. Right now, I gotta check this field and get it ready for planting." He gestured over his shoulder at the smoking ruins of once good cropland.

"Um, Mr. Falls." Came the voice of the large griffon whose name still escaped her. "I don't think this is going to work."

Orion scrambled up the hill, leaving Grace to watch him go despondently.

"What do ya mean it ain't…holy shit. That's a big hole." He said breathlessly once he got to the top. “You know what? Fuck the hole, will plant over there.” He pointed toward the west end of the farm.

Grace Fairheart wiped a tear from her eye and headed back to the village. She didn't feel much like being around people anymore.

Orion watched his friend retreat back toward Aviary through his enchantment, ignoring Arden's attempt to scream in his face.

"Maybe I'm taking the act too far?"

Another measure of his plan, though he had been the only one to really know about it, was to act as dumb as possible. To get any witnesses that watched him in action to declare him an utter moron. It was a delicate balance, he had to be just smart enough to do something, while also reaping the consequences of his actions. The river crashing in on them had been a very close run thing. He had nearly been swept off the cliff and into the sea.

The thought hadn't occurred to him until the day after their arrival. He had tripped on an upturned root that he hadn't been paying attention to and fell face-first into a mud puddle.

At first, he berated himself for once more ignoring his radar enchantment, then he saw all the griffons laughing, and the odd idea had struck him.

What if he played the role of the village idiot? No one suspects a fool to have a hand in anything sophisticated.

Thus began his, up till now, brief history as a complete jackass.

But now, watching Grace walk away with her head hung low, he regretted keeping her out of the loop, even if it meant her reactions were more genuine because of it.

"I think it's time I explain what I am up to…tonight." He thought as he turned his attention to Arden, and picked the birdcat up by his shirt to send him tumbling down the hill. "Yeah, best not to risk hurting her anymore."

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Orion spat angrily.

"I do apologize, Mr. Falls. However, Lady Fairheart was quite stern in her refusal to attend tonight's meeting." Eberhard said smoothly.

The pair were stuck sitting on the floor because of the too-low ceiling of the attic.

"It's because I blew up the East Field today, isn't it?"

"I am afraid so. I do hear it was quite the spectacular event." Grace's Steward continued to surprise him.

"Yeah, it was. Honestly, I didn't even mean to do that much, but I may have screwed with the law of thermodynamics a bit too hard there." He muttered.

"What is that, might I ask?"

"Basically, I supercooled the rock, then I introduced a tremendous amount of heat into its core. The resulting sudden heat expansion caused the boulder to explode violently." He chuckled. "Especially once I compressed a lot of air inside the little hole I bore into it."

"That sounds…dangerous," Eberhard said with a fixed frown.

"Yeah, yeah, it is."

"Pardon, but why do you keep putting yourself at risk? I find myself agreeing with her Ladyship in this regard." The stuffy servant said.

"Because if folks are only seeing an idiot, then no one will realize that apparent idiot is the reason for all the sudden improvements. I am already well known to the populace; best their memories of me are being a jackass." The steward's eyes widened, then he smiled thoughtfully as Orion continued. "I want to keep my name away from what is going to happen here as much as possible. It would be moronic if folks blabbed about a very focus-driven pony being amongst the cadre of griffons."

"So you wish to avoid suspicion should this venture succeed. And I suppose you told none of us any of this so that we could have real reactions to your acts of questionable intelligence."

"Exactly." Orion nodded enthusiastically. "However, I think I played the game a little too well." He hung his head, though if he were to admit it, destroying the boulder was only partly an act. That fucking thing annoyed the hell out of him.

"I shall inform her, Ladyship of what you were trying to accomplish." He paused. "I do have one question. Was the Roc a part of that plan as well?"

He groaned, loudly.

"I'm never gonna live that shit down, am I?!"

"He digs good!" Came a male, stilted and gruff, muffled voice from the crater in a ruined field.

"No! He only boom. But boom good." Said a tall black silhouette standing at the edge. "Break all rock?" The tone of voice indicated she was female, however, she sounded much the same as her companion.

The pair had grown curious as to what the pony and griffons had been up to and chose to follow the group from one patchy ground to another from their original post in the black trees.

The bizarre nature in which all four removed a layer of grasses and stones to expose the earth beneath had them shaking their heads in bewilderment and amusement.

It was hilarious to the pair because either one of them could have done the job by themselves in half the time.

However, what truly caught them by surprise was what the black pony did today.

After a great amount of shouting with one another, the pony decided to send all of them behind a small hill, staying alone above the rock with his horn glowing in an odd black-gold pattern resembling flames.

He did something to the boulder, and then in a burst of speed neither had ever seen before, he dove behind the same hill the others were huddling themselves behind.

The resounding boom was still echoing in their ears even after night had fallen.

Now, Hubert crawled with ease out of the massive hole left behind by the pony.

"Hubert, think this good!" He declared while gesturing back at the crater. "With pony, we make better tunnels."

Molly snorted. It could be possible, since their arrival in the northern reaches of the bird peoples, it had been tough going.

Much of their pack was what was left of the civil war that had ripped apart Bark, a Diamond Dog warren of tunnels far to the south. Unfortunately, they had lost that fight and had run all the way here to avoid death during the chaos.

Those they had brought with them were either too young or too old. There was only a core group that was strong enough to make new tunnels and homes for their castaway peoples.

They had been in Griffonia for years now, but the work was still slow. Part of the issue was amongst those that had made the journey, only a few had the knowledge to plan out the network of paths and rooms they could use. Also, there were none amongst them that knew what to look for in rock and stone that would indicate gems might be nearby.

Molly shook her head. "No. All pony do is kill us with big boom." She growled. "Should tell Balo anyway. Might have plan?"

Balo was the only Dog amongst them that knew anything about, well, anything involving gem searches, really. Despite his more blunt face appearance and large stature compared to others, he was smart.

Not as smart as their leader, but he was another Dog all on his own. Still, they survived because of Barney’s leadership.

Not bad for a runt.

"Balo think much, not dig more." Grunted her suddenly sour companion. Hubert didn't think much of their work crew boss, but he also wasn't the brightest member of their Pack.

It was, unfortunately, an increasing sentiment amongst those reaching adulthood.

"Come, good not let birdies and pone see us." She gestured back toward the bushes. There was a tunnel just beyond it, cleverly hidden by a rock only one of them could find. "Balo need know. Make plan."

That only got a rather vicious growl from the shadow-sheltered Dog.

"Best watch Hubert. He dumb. Too dumb." Molly mentally reminded herself as she followed him down into the tunnel.

"Well?" Shining asked as he uncovered his eyes after Spitfire had come in like a falling rock. He was certain that her "coming in hot" landings were mere attempts to spite him.

And lately, they were working.

"Nothing and nothing…no. No, that's not true. There are areas in the forest where there seems to have been a battle waged there. But no sign of who might have won." The second lieutenant dusted her greaves off with a thoughtful frown, then shook her head and fixed him with a glare. "But I've seen nothing of our target."

Shining Armor sighed heavily.

So far, they had journeyed through three towns, two of which were just getting started in the ruins of old.

Those new villages were filled with an unusual amount of pep and energy. The griffons smiling and laughing. While the Rovers spread out to ask for information on Orion Falls, and Spitfire did whatever she was doing when not under thumb, he spoke with their leaders.

Three years ago, when he had been in the middle of a search and rescue mission. The first lieutenant, and the force he had been assigned to, had stumbled across a new Griffonian village getting started under the King's initiative.

The people had not been happy. Many going through the motions, and not much at that.

Now, these meager years later, he found himself once again in new towns, and the scenario is now entirely different.

Griffon foals, or fledglings as they call them, were running about, shouting with glee. Even the ones who had to help their parents seemed somehow happier.

The adults, while very businesslike in his interactions with them, had purposeful intent, unlike what he had seen back then.

The villages were different as well.

Before, trees were left alone unless to build furniture and homes inside the great boughs. Now, whole clearings had been made, with crops slowly beginning to sprout from the planted ground.

Griffons had never done that before.

Another new addition was the granaries being built onto the great trunks of the forest, as well as strange holes dug at the roots.

It did not take him long to learn why. While the particular path the knowledge had taken couldn't be pinned down, it was clear the "black pony" so many had mentioned could only be Orion. That had been a surprise. For the life of him, Shining was not sure why the colt was doing it. Or what it was he was attempting to accomplish. Though he had his theory.

Kindness. For all of the pony's aggression and aloof nature, it was his surprising compassion for others that seemed to speak out in his actions.

It was evident in their first true meeting that day at the orphanage, despite Shining Armor’s misgivings at first. It was evident in the way he attempted to save a colt so many years ago, and then bar the path to those who would ruin what he had done.

He had not known about that till Twilight had mentioned it, and his search had gotten the full account from none other than Princess Celestia herself when he had made his inquiries after he had met with Orion.

He was just a good pony if a little more crass than any he had met before. That was it. And in Griffonia, Orion Falls seemed Tartarus bent on doing all he could to save a dying culture.

If he would have been asked a year ago what one pony could do, Shining would have said not much.

But by the Tree, he would have been so wrong.

The sour part of all this was, nopony had ever seen the colt. Oh, there were rumors, of course. But no solid evidence or trail he and his band of soldiers could follow.

And that was the reason for Spitfire's increased agitation over the past week. They both knew they had been sent on a merry little chase of shadows and rumor.

He had even known the King had been lying to him as well. However, he suspected there was a reason he and his small force were directed this way.

The battle sites they had found, which were becoming fresher and fresher with every sighting, had an almost zigzag but directed course deeper west. A few locations even had washed-out funeral pyres. The flags of Griffonia Armed Forces were planted solidly about them.

It was clear they were chasing an army, and that, Shining believed, was the point of the misdirection. King Sigurd Bloodbeak had sent him chasing after his son. In every village they had passed, word of the Prince's passing was on every tongue.

The griffon noble was in hot pursuit of a shockingly well-organized bandit group that had begun somewhere up north. Near the Icewall region of the nation.

That chase had led west and south since then, and by all accounts, was not too far ahead.

It was clear to the first lieutenant that Sigurd wanted him to lend assistance to his son.

His first thought, once they had confirmation of the truth, was to turn around and march right back to Griffonstone and demand their compliance. One Spitfire was pushing hard for. The Rovers seemed to think it all a grand joke and didn't care either way what their leaders decided.

What stopped him from agreeing, was the knowledge that their demands would get them nowhere. They couldn't force the old bird to speak the truth, and they would likely get more of the same from the townsgriffons of the city. Calling in the reserve would also embarrass the Princess as well, not to mention only adding six more to their number. Despite his earlier threat, Griffiona had done remarkably in keeping Equestrian activity minimal within their borders.

But Shining saw an opportunity.

If they were to find, and assist the King's heir in his chosen task, the griffon ruler would have little choice but to give them a boon. In truth, it was their only real chance of finding the light-blasted colt considering anypony in real authority seemed bent against them.

His second in command disagreed entirely, and had the mare been able to get the others to side with her, would have likely taken command from him.

"And just how do you expect the King to react when you demand from him Orion's real location, Spitfire?" He had found himself challenging her after they left the second town. It had been when she had been forcing her hand to take over.

"Because the full might of Equestria stands behind us!" She declared confidentially, her delicate-looking hands perched on her hips.

"Over one colt?" Earnest Hearts had asked skeptically. "I'm sorry, LT, but that's crazy."

"I agree. Tell me something, second lieutenant." Shining said with as much patience as he could. "Why did the Princess only send us, instead of a more substantial force for this op?

"That's easy, she did not want our activities to be seen as such a big deal. Just a casual search." The arrogant pegasus said quickly.

"That is true, and it's part of the reason. But look between the lines." He mentally thanked Cadance for all the late-night lessons on looking for what is not obvious. "Princess Celestia can not actually impose a force larger than us. It's in the treaties, and no, this is not a true emergency, so we cannot call up additional forces to add us."

"Those treaties limit the number to ten. Why only us four?" Came Pestle's response.

The only stallion in the group allowed himself a small smile.

"Because she wants this to be seen as a simple wayward colt rescue attempt. If we were to have marched into the country with a full complement of soldiers in standard," he meant the usual wear for Equestrian military members in the field, "odds are certain the griffons will balk. And with them, other nations will likely raise cries of alarm too."

Spitfire no longer looked so confident. "Okay, but why? Why should we go through all this?"

"This…was likely never covered in any classes you might have taken growing up. Buck me, I didn't even learn of it until…well, never mind that. Let's just say that to the rest of the world, Equestria was not often the paragon of peace and harmony it is today. In order to safeguard ourselves, our ancestors had to do some not-so-nice things." He sighed and kicked a stone away with a hoof. "Citizens of those countries might have forgotten, but not the rulers. The Princess doesn't want a major political headache that would happen should we push too far."

"So she sent us, an inexperienced team, into Griffonia in order to capture one colt." Storming Wing said. She was an odd one, unlike her more brash counterpart, the pegasus had been oddly subdued for one of her race. Had been the entire trip.

"Exactly. We are no threat, nothing of consequence. As far as Sigurd is concerned, we could just be here to evaluate their economic situation." Not that he believed that for a second.

"Shit." Swore Hearts. "So we got to find this little groundhog on our own? Man, this field is too big to be checking every hole."

"I agree with that sentiment as well. Thus, I have a solution." That caught all three mare's attention.

"Really? What?" Pestle was eager to get moving.

"First, have any of you noticed that we seem to be in pursuit of a small force?"

"I have. Don't tell me our path through this bucking forest is because of them?" Spitfire's question was not spoken in as heated a voice as before.

"Yes. I kept wondering if Sigurd was misdirecting us, and why that might be. That's when I started hearing rumors of Prince Gerhard Bloodbeak passing through the area from the north. Apparently, he has been in a chase with a force of surprisingly crafty bandits. They've been in these woods for some time now." He had to restrain himself, Shining was getting all too eager.

"Other than knowing where to avoid, why are we concerned? Let the griffons deal with their own problems." His second had not quite given up the battle.

"Well, the way I figure it, is if we render assistance to this Prince, his father will have no choice but to give us what we want." He smiled smugly.

"You mean to earn a boon King Bloodbeak cannot refuse…" Storming said breathlessly.

"Exactly. Better, all we have to do is render aid, not actually help with the capture of bandit leaders. That means scouting, healing, and bolstering the lines, so they do not break in an attack." There was also the chance that he could simply trap the griffon Prince's enemies in a dome, but these mares would likely object to him putting himself in harm's way.

Despite his position as overall commander, they had taken it upon themselves to keep him under watch at all times. Which was good, but the motivations were all wrong, in Shining's opinion. It wasn't for command security, but because he was a stallion.

"So that's your plan…" Spitfire mused. "And as you pointed out, our options are limited in what we can and cannot do." She sighed. "Fine. I formally apologize and will await punishment for my insubordination at the nearest Equestrian Force's outpost."

He waved her off.

"That won't be necessary. While you were very close to outright mutiny, I understand your frustration. In truth, this plan of mine didn't come to fruition until after we left Split Tree." It was the last visited village they had just passed through. "Though I had pieces of it already worked through. You didn't know, and I was not as forthcoming as I should be with you all in the field. For that, I apologize."

Of course, that was not the end of it. The second lieutenant, upset that she had been wrong, had taken a passive-aggressive approach to the things she did, such as now when she landed with the force of a boulder. Though he found it strange, she had not mentioned his courtship with Cadance. Otherwise, the mares would have been talking his ear off. His sister’s former babysitter often stayed well out of the limelight. For most civilians, she was a fanciful rumor.

For such a light race of pony, she certainly could strike with the best of them. Still, Spitfire remained focused on only signs of Orion, even knowing that was futile, yet thanks to intensive training, she had also noted the movements of the forces ahead.

"How recent?" He asked.

"Likely only a few days out, from what I can tell." She replied sourly.

"Good. Okay. OKAY!" He said with enthusiasm. That caused the others to take a step back in alarm. "Alright, you bored as shit, Dogs." A derogatory term for the three-pony team of soldiers. "From here on out, we are on high alert. This close to the last skirmish might mean trailing bandits. Let's not get caught with our pants down."

Something he would admit only to himself, and perhaps his father on nights when they had gotten a little too deep into the liquor cabinet, was that he relished the opportunity to hit something. And from the accounting tales of those brigand forces hurting and even killing the towns and villages they passed through, he was eager to dole out a very specific kind of punishment and remind the world how dangerous a pony can be when riled.