A Renewed Ending

Chapters

2: Second Adjustments
16: Assumptions Broken
29: Meeting At The Green Dragon
Prologue: Newcomer
1: First Adjustments
3: First Stars I See Tonight
4: Despair And Hope
5: Meanwhile
6: Stripes of Friendship
7: The Convocation
8: Negotiations
9: A Mostly Normal Day
10: Imperial Mage
11: Many Meetings
12: Holidays
13: Plots Oh, So Nefarious
14: Crystal Envoy
15: New Allies
17: Unexpected Guests
18: A New Year
19: Anticipation
20: Confrontation
21: Sun, Stone, and Love
22: Summons
23: Admissions
24: Tipping The Scales
25: Awaited Meetings
26: Calm Before The Storm
27: Long Awaited Meetings
28: Tribunal
30: A Confrontation

2: Second Adjustments

Author's Note

Since this chapter is similar to one from the Endings and Beginnings story, I decided to release it early.

2: Second Adjustments

Friday, October 15, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

It was just past three in the afternoon that October afternoon when an exhausted Gregory walked into his camper. Beside him, an equally exhausted Gabby barely had the strength to trudge into the camper beside him. Fortunately, it was the weekend and the two had the next two days off. They both walked over to the couch and collapsed onto it, both sighing at the same time. Gregory on the right and Gabby on the left. Gabby leaned against him, taking in a deep breath and exhaling once more.

Gregory couldn’t really blame her for being so tired. Ever since the news came in about the invasion of Canterlot and the complete and total destruction of Ponyville, the post office had been run ragged. It had gotten so bad that after only two days of Gabby being run ragged, Gregory decided not to wait a week and instead go in that next day, Wednesday, and start training to help. Not even Gregory was sure what was happening, and he’d been one of the sorters in the main mail room. He knew that Geoffrey had sent out a few letters to Equestria, more specifically to Princesses Celestia and Luna, but there had yet to be a reply from either of them. There had been more letters sent out to the changeling territory, mostly to one Emperor Jason Wright, with a few to Queen Chrysalis as well, but those had been returned with harshly handwritten notes on the envelopes that just read RETURN TO SENDER.

It had been such a busy two and a half weeks that Gregory had very little time to think about what had happened to Equestria. He asked his boss for extra hours in the hopes that he could earn more money to get a train ticket to Equestria to try and help, only to be told that the train to Equestria was being stopped at the border for any non-pony for an indefinite period.

So, for the next two and a half weeks, he’d focused more on his job, although he’d had to mentally focus harder than he ever had to, mostly because he felt himself going through the five stages of grief. Grief for the ponies he’d hoped to visit, and grief for their loss. Gabby had tried to be supportive of him despite not knowing the cause, and he was truly grateful to her. But he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

The Wednesday that marked the start of his first day, he woke up from his patchy sleep completely angry. He held it in, however, as he wanted to make a good first impression for his new coworkers. That didn’t stop Gabby from noticing his behavioral shift later that day. During their lunch break, she’d pulled him aside and asked what was wrong, but he just told her not to worry about it and that he would be alright. She didn’t seem too happy to hear that, but she accepted it regardless. In a way, she reminded him of Pinkie, and he wondered what she was thinking about all this. If he had to guess, she would be in her darker Pinkamena persona. The others were probably just as distraught at having lost their town and livelihoods to a monster in human form.

His anger stretched into Thursday and lasted until Friday afternoon. Gabby wisely stayed out of his way as he held the anger back while at work, but after work that first week he had gone to the outside of the city to scream into the Abysmal Abyss in an attempt to get all of his anger out of him. It had worked only for a couple hours each time, only for the anger to return in full force. Anger directed at mostly this other human who had destroyed everything he’d hoped to see. The human who had attacked an innocent race for seemingly no reason. He had particularly dark thoughts that first week, thoughts that he had never had before. Murderous thoughts.

It was during those screaming moments on Friday, September 24th, after his shift where he screamed for so long that Gabby had finally had enough and pulled him away from the edge, yelling at him in terror. It was at that moment that his anger vanished, only to be replaced with a heavy feeling of depression as he finally broke down and sobbed hard. Gabby had immediately hugged him close, allowing him to bury his face in her plumage as she ran her talons through his hair gently, trying to soothe him as best she could.

When Saturday came around, he began feeling his anger ebb away, only to be replaced with a strange feeling of worry and fear for the future. He was afraid that if the gryphons found out that Jason was a human like him that he’d be considered an enemy and locked up simply for being the same species. And part of him wondered if he could blame them for reacting that way. After all, how was he any different from Jason? He couldn’t explain why, but he felt like he was blaming himself for something that was clearly not his fault. But as he’d learned throughout his life, emotions aren’t rational.

Unfortunately for him, those feelings only lasted for the weekend before a heavy weight felt like it was pressing down on him. The feeling of being overwhelmed and hopeless struck him with full force in the middle of his second Monday shift. He could barely concentrate on his work and had to constantly pinch himself so he could concentrate on the job. He had to force himself to wash himself and even to eat to keep up his strength despite it making him feel nauseous.

Fortunately for him, nobody seemed to notice his behavior except, of course, for Gabby. She tried a couple times to get him to open up, but he was still not ready to talk to her about it. He would sometimes hide from everyone during his breaks to cry and let the emotions flow away, and it helped for a time. He didn’t even want to leave the house for that week unless it was for work. Gabby was patient with him, but Gregory continued to struggle. He was afraid, too. Afraid that Gabby would think less of him if he told the truth. Or worse yet, be afraid of him.

As Gregory looked down at his friend, he had an epiphany. He’d been the one who wanted to use that mishmash of technological parts he’d found on the Dark Web to create the portal to come to Equestria. He’d been the one who wanted to abandon his life on Earth to come see his favorite ponies and befriends them. Now he needed to be the one to accept things as they were. One of his favorite songs had said it best. “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.”

Gabby, who had been spending time with him in his camper for the past few days and only going home to sleep, looked up at him and her turquoise eyes widened when she saw the expression on his face. “Gregory, your face…it looks better.”

“I…yeah, I’m feeling a little bit better than before,” he admitted as he turned to face her fully. The two were sitting outside the camper, enjoying the cool autumn evening air and sunset to their right. Gabby did the same, sitting on her haunches as she faced him as well. “I’m not back to one hundred percent yet, but I think I’ll be fine eventually.”

“Are you ready to talk about it now?” she asked in a small but hopeful tone. “It’s fine if you’re not, but…”

“No, I think I’m ready to give it a try, at least,” he said, and he meant it. He knew that the Gabby from the show and the Gabby he knew now were similar enough that he could at least trust her. Even if she didn’t want to be his friend anymore-

He reached up and smacked his cheeks, getting rid of the lingering depressing thought. This startled Gabby who moved closer. “What did you do that for?!” she asked in alarm.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said with a self-deprecating smile, “just trying to knock some sense into myself.” He swallowed, then took a deep breath and exhaled before facing her once more. “Okay, I’m ready now.”

“I’m all ears,” Gabby said sincerely.

To even his surprise, the words just came tumbling out of him faster than he could comprehend. He told her that the moment he’d heard the name Jason that he associated it with a human name. He mentioned that he had so desperately wanted to meet the ponies of Ponyville, but when he’d heard about this other human’s invasion, he felt angry, ashamed, afraid, every gamut of negative emotions. The more he talked, the more he felt his emotions rising back to the surface, but in a way that felt more freeing than anything he’d felt in the past two weeks. The words kept on coming out of him, and soon he realized that he was very close to revealing the whole truth to her. The truth about My Little Pony and where he was actually from.

When he clammed up, Gabby looked at him worriedly. “Gregory? What’s wrong?”

He inhaled and blew out from his mouth slowly. If he wanted to really make friends in this world, he had to at least trust someone. Slowly, he pulled out his cell phone. “There’s something I’ve been hiding ever since I got here,” he admitted, “but it’s something that I’ve been too afraid to tell anyone.”

Gabby smiled sincerely at him. “Silly Gregory, we’re friends now,” she said with a tender tone. “You can trust me with your secrets.”

“Even if it means bringing your entire worldview into question?” Gregory asked in an attempt to make sure she understood the gravity of the situation. He was actually considering telling Gabby about what her world really was, or at least, what he thought it had been before finding the instructions for creating a portal on the Deep Web. He half expected nothing to happen when he’d first tested it, of if it did work he thought he might end up in someplace like the Backrooms, but when his first test was not only successful, but had brought back images of a real life Ponyville onto his camera which he’d stuck through on a tripod and set with a timer, he’d been incredibly excited.

He’d spent the next year and a half purchasing things he would want to take with him, downloaded hundreds of books which he put on multiple kindles, put every single episode of the show on his phone and laptop, settled any kind of matters he had, upgraded his car to a tough truck, bought a camper trailer, started buying a few guns and ammo (he wasn’t stupid and knew he needed ways to defend himself) then on the last day he was on Earth, donated all but a hundred dollars to a few different charities. The rest of his money he took with him more as a keepsake than anything else.

“What do you mean?” Gabby asked cautiously.

“I mean, what if I told you something that made you question your very existence?” Gregory asked.

She tilted her head in a remarkably birdlike manner before she chuckled. She reached out and pinched his arm gently. When he flinched as he felt the pain, she said, “I exist, see? You exist, too. I promise, no matter what you show me, I’ll be alright. That’s a Gabby Guarantee.” She gave Gregory a thumbs up and a wide smile.

Gregory couldn’t help it. He chuckled. She was a lot like Pinkie, but at the same time she was her own being. He slowly unlocked his phone. “You’re incredible, Gabby. You were always my favorite gryphon in the show.”

“Show? Favorite gryphon? What do you mean?” Gabby asked, tilting her head again.

Gregory said nothing as he scrolled through his phone until he found the episode he wanted to share. He clicked on it, scrolled to the appropriate scene and unmuted the video. Holding it up behind the couch so they both could watch, he hit play.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders! I can’t believe it’s really really you! Ha ha, hahahaha!”

“This…gryphon…not cranky!”

“How in the bloomin’ apples did you know who we are?”

“Know who you are? KNOW WHO YOU ARE?! Why, I’ve heard about you from everypony in Ponyville! I’m so excited to meet you, I could just EXPLODE! I’m Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby since we’re friends now. Pleased to meetcha!”

When Gregory hit pause and looked back at Gabby, she was staring wide eyed at the miniature screen. There was a look of disbelief in her eyes as she followed said screen which Gregory was pulling away. When he turned the screen off, the spell was broken and Gabby blinked. She looked back at Gregory. “What…did you just show me?” she asked breathlessly. “I never said that…and who are the Cutie Mark Crusaders? But that’s my voice…it has to be!”

When he heard the fear in her voice, he felt a lump in his throat, but he soldiered onwards. “What I’m about to tell you is one hundred percent the absolute truth. Please believe me, please.”

Gabby stared at him for a little while before straightening, taking a deep breath, exhaling, then facing him with a serious expression. “I’m listening,” she said in an incredibly serious tone.

Gregory carefully began to explain where he was from. How back on his actual world there was technology like this that could show images and videos. How there was one show about ponies in Equestria that until recently even he had believed was just a fictional story. How he had discovered a means to travel from his world to this one to meet with the characters he loved as well as simultaneously trying to find a better life in Equestria. How something on his end must have gone wrong and how he’d foolishly not put a camera through during his crossing over to check for dangers and how he’d fallen. “And, well, you know the rest,” he said quietly.

“I…I don’t…I just…fuck…” Gabby was saying.

He was completely blind sighted by her use of the F-Bomb, but he could hardly blame her. He’d done exactly what he’d said would happen. He’d shattered her view of herself and the world. He stood up. “I’m…gonna go for a walk for a bit and give you some space,” he said. “That okay with you?” She silently nodded, so he grabbed his noise cancelling earbuds, his phone and his jacket and walked out into the street, finding a song to listen to.

He walked down the street, looking at the dilapidated and crumbling city around him. The city itself was a marvel of engineering that he doubted humans would have ever created. Despite the city being a complete mess, the gryphons all seemed to be happier than before. Not only that, but he thought back to the past few weeks, realizing that he’d seen a few gryphons cleaning things up around their own houses, although it was more patchwork than anything else.

There was still a lot more that needed to be done, of course, and one of the biggest was their water sources, a lot of which came from wells which were all old and dirty. Not only that, but the plumbing situation was horrendous. The water that did come from the faucets that still worked was always dirty, not to mention that the pipes themselves were made out of lead. Gregory had used one of the water purification bottles that he’d brought to purify some of the cleaner looking well water. When Gabby volunteered to taste it, she’d said that it was identical to his bottled water in taste, so he hadn’t been too worried about water.

Most gryphons who passed him gave him a nod of acknowledgment, and more than a few gave him an actual smile. He knew, of course, what they called him when they thought he wasn’t listening: Bearer of the Idol, Hero of Gryphonstone, and other flowery names. Now that he had begun to accept that things in this world were nothing like how they were in the show, it felt weird to be this accepted by gryphons of all species. Then again, he reasoned that they’d lost a part of themselves when the idol was lost, and it seemed as if they’d found it again when he’d accidentally found it and returned it.

As he walked, he found that more and more gryphons greeted him with a few words. Feeling that it was rude for him to just nod and greet them without hearing what they had to say, he stopped the music, took his earbuds out and put them back in their charging case. With the noise cancelling off, he heard the sounds of gryphons around him talking and laughing with several cleaning the streets of filth and patching up their houses.

Still, even with this shift in the gryphon’s attitude, a large part of him was still worried about what Gabby would do when she was finished processing what he had just told her. He knew it was silly to think that she’d not be his friend again, but emotionally he couldn’t help but fear that.

He was so lost in thought and in taking in all the new sights before him that he nearly ran into a gryphon walking the opposite way on the street towards him. Mere seconds before they collided, he saw the gryphon and moved to the side quickly, but a bit too quickly as he stumbled over a small pile of swept up dry roof thatch. He fell onto his behind onto a small yard in front of a random house.

“Ah, sorry about that,” a familiar male voice said apologetically as the gryphon he’d nearly run into ran over and held out one of his claws towards him to help him up.

Gratefully, he reached out and took it, letting himself be pulled to his feet. “I wasn’t looking,” he said as he brushed the dirt and thatching material off of his behind. “It’s not your fault.” When he looked up at the gryphon, he almost started to gawk.

Standing in front of him, with a mildly concerned look on his face, was Gallus. The light blue gryphon before him looked a bit thin and he could even see patches on his body where no fur was growing, or at least, where they hadn’t been growing before. He thought he saw new growth there, but he couldn’t be sure. Quickly recovering from his shock, Gregory smiled. “I’m alright.”

Gallus nodded. “Well, that’s good then.” His mildly concerned look turned to one of curiosity. “Hey, I’ve seen you around with that female Gabby a lot.”

Gregory held back his true feelings and didn’t break the smile, or tried to. He was sure it fell a bit. “Yeah, she and I spend time together,” he said. “She’s like my personal guide through Gryphonstone.”

“Cool, cool,” Gallus said. Without either of them saying anything, the two began walking down the street side by side, just walking down the slight incline that led towards the main circle of the city. As they did, Gallus spoke up again. “Our city must look like shit to you.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow at that, then shrugged. “Well, it’s definitely seen better days,” he admitted, “but it’s a testament to whoever grew it that it’s still standing after so long.”

“Heh, that’s a polite way of putting it,” Gallus said with a derisive snort. “This place has gone to the dogs, and I don’t mean the diamond dogs.”

Gregory only smiled a bit, then held out a hand. “Name’s Gregory. What’s yours?”

Gallus shook his hand firmly. “Gallus. And I know who you are already. Everygryphon in the city knows your name by now, I’m sure.”

He scratched the back of his neck. It was his turn to be nervous now. “Yeah…still not quite used to that,” he admitted. “Back where I’m from, I was just another human working in some grocery store. Here? Being some celebrity? It’s a bit weird. Still not used to it, yet.”

“I can only imagine,” he said with a smirk. “Must be kinda nice.”

“Eh, I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest,” he said. “Shit just happened, and I went from nearly dying to becoming a city hero.”

“City hero? Hah! You’re a hero across the former Empire!” Gallus said with a chuckle.

“News spreads that fast?” Gregory asked.

Gallus gave him another smirk, then held up one wing. “We can fly, you know?”

“Lucky you,” Gregory shot back with a smirk of his own. “I wish I could fly.”

“It is pretty sweet,” Gallus said.

“And a bit inconvenient for me,” Gregory admitted. “This city is non-flying people impaired, if you get my meaning.”

“Ah, yeah, that must suck balls,” Gallus said with a hint of pity in his voice.

“Eh, I’m adapting for the most part,” Gregory replied.

The two continued on in silence for a bit, Gregory putting his hands in his hoodie pocket while Gallus began hovering beside him, keeping pace. Gregory fell into his thoughts again, but they now seemed clearer than they had been in the past couple of weeks. The brief conversation between him and Gallus seemed to have helped in that regard. He looked back at the young gryphon who was looking at Gregory. This caught him off guard for a bit, but he recovered and asked, “So, what do you do around town? Jobwise, I mean.”

Gallus simply shrugged. “Anything I can do to earn talons, really,” he said.

Gregory had learned from Gabby that the talon was the official currency of the continent, although they did accept bits as payment since they were a bit comparable in value, both being made of nearly the same amount of gold. “An odd-jobs guy, huh?” he said.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Gallus said.

He sounded a bit down about that, so despite his current mood, Gregory decided to give him some encouragement. “Hey, you’re earning money for yourself, and that’s honorable. Take pride in that.” He used the word pride because he knew that word was sacred to the gryphons.

Gallus didn’t reply, instead nodding and smiling a bit. The two wandered the streets after that, Gregory allowing himself to get a bit lost in the hustle and bustle of gryphons going about their afternoon, cleaning, talking, watching little gryphon cubs playing, and generally letting the hopeful faces on the vast majority of gryphons boost his own spirits. He wasn’t sure why he was walking with Gallus, but he appreciated the company.

The two had walked for about half an hour before he came upon a large destroyed building near a large intersection. Old, weather-stained papers were scattered around and there were plenty of books either falling apart or just collecting dust on exposed and rotten bookshelves where books still sat.

Gregory recognized the place instantly since he’d seen it in The Lost Treasure Of Griffonstone. The two were now standing in what remained of the Gryphonstone Library. Only, unlike how it was portrayed in the show, it was larger and dirtier than it had appeared in the episode itself. This place seemed to have been untouched for years, if not decades.

“Yeesh, this place has gone to tartarus in a handbag,” Gallus said as he picked up a book, looking at it with a scowl.

Gregory picked up a book himself, reading the title that was written in the book: Tales of Egrypt Vol 6. He reverently opened it and looked at the ancient handwritten stories briefly. He looked over where Gallus had tossed the book in his claws away. “Whoa there!” He rushed over and picked up the book that Gallus had discarded. Coincidentally, the book was the previous volume of the book in his hand.

“What?” Gallus asked, a look of confusion on his face. “It’s just some old dusty book.”

Oh, if Twilight heard that, she’d be piiiiised, Gregory thought as he looked around the area. He found a discarded shelf that was fairly empty. He gently placed the books on said shelf after dusting it clean. “Not true,” Gregory said as he picked up another book, this one titled Prideland Recipes, and held it up. “Each and every book written has some sort of value within it.”

“Even if the value is that of garbage?” Gallus asked. “All books have inside them are silly stories.”

As Gregory put the book back onto the shelf, he shook his head. “Books are very important for any sort of civilization,” he explained calmly. “They can contain anything, not just silly stories, as you call them.” He turned back and looked at Gallus. “They can contain historical records, recipes lost to time, and even-aha! Here!” He ran over to a book he had spotted and picked it up, brushing the dirt and broken wood off of it. Holding it up, he pointed to the title. “The Life, Times, and Thoughts of Emperor Gultus the Third.”

Gallus looked a bit curious now, but was probably trying hard not to look it. “Okay, so?”

Gregory shook his head. “This is a valuable piece of history,” he said while flipping carefully through said book, starting at the Table of Contents. “It can tell us things about the past that nobody was there for.”

“Again, so what?” Gallus asked.

“Hold on, I’m getting to-aha!” Gregory said again as he found what he was looking for. He quickly but carefully flipped through the book, coming to the chapter in question. He walked over and knelt next to Gallus, showing him the chapter title.

“The Third Gryphon-Dragon War and Gultus’ Thoughts,” Gallus read, which surprised Gregory a bit considering that nearly every sign he’d seen on businesses were pictographs. “I’m…still not following you here.”

“Well, my point is this: those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” Gregory explained.

That seemed to catch Gallus’ attention. He looked at Gregory with a raised eyebrow. “You think we’ll go to war with the dragons again?” he asked.

Gregory almost sighed. He had part of the point, but not all of it. Then again, he reasoned that when the gryphons had been living as they had for what must have been centuries, why bother with stuff like this when things never seemed to change? “I don’t know much about gryphon history to know the answer to that,” he said. “Do you know why the gryphons and dragons went to war?”

Gallus frowned, then shook his head. “Nope.”

“Me neither,” Gregory said, “but this book might be a useful way of learning what happened and why so that it doesn’t happen again.” He stood back up and put it back on the shelf. “Does that make sense?”

“I think so?” Gallus said with uncertainty.

“Well, the point I’m making is this: don’t underestimate the power of a good book,” Gregory said as he picked up another one, brushing it clean. “Like this one.” He pointed to the title, which read The Imperial Mage. “This looks like it could be a fictional story or not,” he continued. “Reading fictional books can provide you with some entertainment. You can imagine the scenes in the book and enjoy the story within.”

“Hmm,” Gallus said, stroking his chin with his claws thoughtfully.

As Gallus sat in thought, Gregory continued his impulsive cleaning up of the scattered books. He picked up old scrolls which talked about old gryphon trade agreements with other nations, books that had recipes for every conceivable occasion, and even some old nursery rhymes for younger gryphons.

Looking around, he eventually saw a large crumbling stone statue sitting in the middle of what once had to have been the main lobby of the library. A circle of bookshelves, some still standing, some sagging from overexposure to weather, and others completely destroyed, surrounded the statue. Gregory walked up to the statue, looking at the covered face of the gryphon on it. He reached up onto his toes and gently removed the book, revealing an aged but still majestic looking gryphon face. Looking at the title of the book, he almost snorted, as the name on it read History of the Emperors of Gryphonstone.

How ironic, he thought as he set it aside gently. He then knelt down and moved the books that covered the feet of the status. As he looked, he saw that the statue itself looked like it had been buried underneath dirt, so he began to dig at it. He was rewarded by seeing that he was correct, and that there was some sort of inscription on the lower half of the statue base that was still covered.

“You find something interesting?” Gallus asked, coming over.

“Maybe. Could you help me dig this up?” he asked.

Gallus shrugged, then began using his claws to dig away at the dirt faster. Gregory tried to use his hands to dig away, but the farther down he got, the harder the soil became. Looking around, he saw a rusty discarded piece of metal which he grabbed and began jamming into the dirt to loosen it. He would then dig away the dirt with his hands before returning to jabbing the ground with the metal piece. Finally, however, the two of them reached the bottom of the pedestal and cleared away the dirt. This revealed a stone plaque with writing on it. The two of us looked at it as we read the following:

EMPEROR GROVER

FIRST OF HIS LINE

UNITER OF ALL GRYPHONKIND

“ALL KNOWLEDGE IS SACRED. I HEREBY DEDICATE THIS LIBRARY TO THE PRESERVATION OF ALL GRYPHON KNOWLEDGE. MAY IT STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND MAY ITS BOOKS BE A LIGHT AND A HELP TO FUTURE GENERATIONS WHEN ALL OTHER LIGHTS GO OUT.”

“Oh wow…” Gallus said. The young gryphon’s eyes were wide with astonishment as he mouthed the words inscribed on the statue. “I’ve never seen this before…I didn’t even know it was here.”

Gregory nodded. “This statue’s probably really old,” he said as he stood and brushed his pants off. “Looks like this library is more important than anyone here realized,” he said.

Gallus used his tail to now gently lift up a nearby thin book, looking at it with a renewed interest. “Hmm…” Without another word, he spread his wings and flew away, book in his claws still.

Instead of being insulted at Gallus not having said goodbye, Gregory felt a bit of satisfaction at having hopefully given the young gryphon a new perspective on books. He put his earbuds back in, started playing an ebook he hadn’t listened to before, then resumed what he was doing, picking up discarded books from the now open aired library, and placing them on shelves so they were at least semi-protected from the elements. He was no librarian, and if the library ever was rebuilt, he wanted them to be salvageable.

He was trying to lift a shelf that had fallen when he heard a voice calling out something from behind him. He paused his ebook and turned back to see who had spoken. With brown furred, brown winged, white plumage, gray feathers around her yellow eyes, and yellow beak and talons, there was no doubt he was looking at the infamous Gilda. Of course, he remembered his brief first meeting with her a couple of weeks prior, but since then he hadn’t seen her around. She was dragging an old rickety cart behind her with the same dry and disgusting scones she had made in the show. “Sorry, I was distracted,” he said apologetically, “what did you say?”

Gilda rolled her eyes, and in her gravely voice, simply said, “You’re gonna hurt yourself lifting that, you know.”

“Yeah, good observation,” he said as he looked back at the fallen shelf again. “Such a shame, though.”

Gilda groaned, rolled her eyes, unhitched herself from her carriage, then spread her wings and flew over to him. “On three,” she said as she reached down to grab the bottom of the shelf. Gregory reacted quickly, reaching down with her. On the count of three, the two lifted the heavy shelf off of the ground, pushing it up into a standing position. Once the shelf was stable, the two let go and Gilda looked back at him. “There. Can’t have the Idol Bearer getting hurt because he tried lifting a shelf that was too heavy for him.”

“Ah…yeah, guess not,” he said. “Thanks, Gilda.”

She turned on him suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him. “How’d you know my name?”

“Gabby told me about you on one of my first days here,” he said honestly. “I’m sure you remember me. I’m the weird human who spaced out and was staring at you.” He mentally kicked himself for his unnecessary words, feeling embarrassed.

“Yeah, I remember,” she said dismissively as she turned back to her scone cart and began setting it up. “Kinda creepy.”

“Yeah…I’m really sorry about that,” he said as he approached the cart to get a closer look at it.

“Eh, I’m over it now, don’t worry,” she said. “I was having a worse day than normal and lashed out. And it wasn’t just to you.”

“Still, it’s a bad habit of mine, and I’m still sorry.”

“You’re good.”

When he reached the cart, he saw that it was made of very old wood, the normal brown having faded to a dark and dull gray. The planks holding it together were uneven and had holes in them. The oven was made of bricks. There was a hollowed-out stone with an oven door made of a somewhat rusted metal archway on the back as well. There was small covered smokestack coming out the top of the small fire oven. Gray smoke came out of it, and he could smell something that made his stomach turn, but he didn’t show it. “Are these the gryphon scones I’ve heard so much about?” he asked, looking at the uneven display shelves on one side of the cart.

She nodded. “Yeah, they’re my specialty,” she explained casually.

“Mind if I try one?” he asked, pulling out his change purse which jingled with talons. He pulled out one and held it up.

“Knock yourself out,” she said, taking the talon from him and handing him one of the gray scones.

Learning his lesson from the episode, he broke off a small piece with a large effort and took a tentative bite. If the smell had been revolting enough, the taste was downright toxic. It was also hard as a rock. He looked at it carefully, then looked back at a somewhat expectant Gilda. “Lemme guess, no refunds, right?”

To his surprise, her eyes lowered sadly and she held out the talons he’d just given her. “Here,” she said gruffly. “Nogryphon wants to buy my scones anyway…”

Surprised by this, Gregory simply pushed her claw back. “No, keep it,” he said, “but maybe I can give you some help? I have a few scone recipes I could share with you. They’re going to waste in my care, anyway.”

“Help with what?” she asked.

“Help with making scones gryphons will want to buy,” he said. “What’s your recipe, anyway?”

“That’s a secret,” she said defensively.

Gregory raised his hands. “Okay, okay, that’s fair,” he said. “Hold on, I’ve got a few other scone recipes you can look at.” He pulled out his phone, opened the kindle app and found one of the cookbook’s he downloaded before arriving. He walked over and held it up for her to see. “See, look at this recipe,” he said. “Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cold unsalted butter, heavy whipping cream, egg and vanilla extract. And then there’s this other one.” Gregory showed her a few other recipes, then turned to her. “What do you think?” He, of course, knew the problem she was having, but he didn’t want to come off as a cooking expert. Especially since he wasn’t one.

“Is baking powder really that important to have?” she asked, sounding more curious than anything else.

“I’m no baking expert,” he said, “but I’m pretty sure it is. If I remember right, I read that it makes the scones fluffy instead of hard. Do you guys have baking powder here?”

“Yeah, but it’s expensive,” she said. “We import it from Equestria, and they hike the prices for it over there for us. One jar of the cheapest stuff is ten talons at least.”

“Jesus, that’s almost a third of a day at my job,” he said incredulously. “Does the recipe you have call for baking powder?”

“Yeah…but I’ve been trying to just improvise,” Gilda admitted. “Nothing’s worked so far.”

“Here,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out fifteen talons which he handed to her. “Go buy some. And keep whatever change you have left over.”

“Wait, are you sure?” she asked, looking surprised at what just happened.

“Think of it as an investment in your enterprise, Gilda,” he said with a knowing smirk. “You can’t sell these here. They’re liable to break someone’s tooth. You need the proper ingredients, That way, you can sell what you do have, then use said profits to buy more ingredients, and in the end make profit altogether. Capitalism at its finest. And if there’s one thing I’m sure you gryphons value highly, it’s the almighty talon.”

“Well, not as much as we used to,” Gilda said, “but…thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “Go ahead. Get those ingredients.”

Gilda didn’t need to be told twice. She hitched herself up to her cart and practically sped away towards the upper marketplace level. When she was out of sight, he turned back to the destroyed library. “Okay,” he said to himself as he walked over to a nearby table, took off his jacket, set it down, and faced the books, “I can’t let this slide. It’ll be a good distraction anyway.” And thus, he resumed to work cleaning up the books, gathering them and setting them either on shelves or in as neat of stacks as he could manage. Some of them, sadly, were damaged beyond repair, the words within faded and the pages sticking together. However, the majority were somehow still more or less in decent condition. The pages were a bit coarse, but if he was careful, he could turn the pages without breaking them.

About half an hour after he started, he heard someone land behind him and wander towards another section of the library. Turning and pausing his book again, he saw that Gallus had come back. The young gryphon was picking up a few books, dusting them off with a dirty yellow rag before placing them down as carefully as he could. His back was turned to the human, who curiously approached. “You came back?” he asked.

Gallus turned quickly when Gregory spoke, then shrugged. “Yeah,” he said in what sounded like a bored tone as he began piling books in his arms and carrying them towards the other stacks.

“Well, thank you,” Gregory said, “but what made you wanna come back and help me? Just curious.”

Gallus sighed. “That book has some good stories in it,” he said, “and I finished it pretty quickly. Besides, you gave me a lot to think about, and I’m bored. Needed something to do before I go back to my place. Exercise might do me some good, anyway.”

Gregory looked closer at the young gryphon. “I see,” he said with a frown. “Well, you shouldn’t overexert yourself. Just do what you can.”

“Hey, what’s going on over here?” an older female gryphon voice asked. She had a light maroon fur coat, the general yellow claws and beak, and white feathers on her plumage and head, albeit with a few light green ones mixed in, the same green as her eyes. She was wearing a simple greenish gray scarf around her neck and had, of all things, golden hoop earrings attached to the sides of her head where Gregory assumed her ears were. As she approached, she looked around the old library, then at Gregory. Her eyes widened. “Are you two…cleaning this up?”

“Yeah,” Gregory said. “It’s about time I did something instead of moping around at home all depressed.”

“Mind if I help?” she asked, looking at a large pile of books.

“Sure, I don’t mind, miss…?” Gregory prompted.

“Greta,” the older gryphon female said with a small smile.

“Nice to meet you, Greta,” Gregory said. “Well, if you want to help, could you start over in that pile? I’m just trying to keep the books from falling apart, and I’m not entirely sure what to do with them after they’re all stacked up and found.”

“Sure, I can do that,” Greta said, and with that she flew off towards another corner of the open-air library.

“Never seen her like that before,” Gallus said, sounding slightly surprised. And Gregory had to agree with her. If this was the same Greta that the cartoon version of Gilda said she’d known in the show, it was indeed a surprise to see her so helpful. Then again, he had to remind himself that things had changed within the gryphons. With a small smile, he put his earbuds away again and went back to work.

The sun was just beginning to set when Gregory called it for the night. In total, about twenty gryphons had joined the impromptu cleaning crew. Most were carefully stacking the books into piles, but some were actually cleaning the statue of Grover. Anyone who saw the unearthed writing seemed to regain some respect for books. The temperature was dropping fast, and Gregory had to put his jacket back on an hour before they stopped. Still, he was impressed by how much progress had been made so far. A few of the gryphons who’d arrived to help had carts with them. They would stack the books in them and would carry them to the Eyrie to keep them safer from the elements than they had been, then would come back and reload. Even Gilda helped by baking some new scones and selling them for cheap to those who were working. And with the baking powder added to the scone recipe, Gregory instantly became a fan and promised a slightly smiling Gilda to purchase any scones he wanted only from her.

As he was thanking the gryphons who had volunteered to help even when they didn’t need to, out of the corner of his eye a familiar arctic blue gryphon flying over to where he was. She had a worried look in her turquoise eyes, which turned to relief when she saw him. He continued thanking the other gryphons, then let them go. As they walked away, Gabby flew up to Gregory, looking slightly at the ground nervously. Gregory tensed up, waiting to hear just what she had to say. Neither of them spoke for a while, unable to really look each other in the eyes.

At last, Gabby spoke. “Gregory…I’m sorry.” He felt a lump rise in his throat, but when she continued, he only grew confused. “I’m sorry for how I reacted back there. I didn’t mean to chase you away from your home.”

“You didn’t chase me away,” Gregory said. “You needed time to think. We both did.”

She slowly looked up at him, some slight tears in her eyes. “I…there’s a part of me that still really doesn’t want to believe what you showed me,” she admitted, “but I know you wouldn’t lie about that.” She held out her claw. “Let’s go back to your home, Gregory. We’ve both had long days, and we should probably have some dinner then go to sleep.”

Gregory yawned and stretched, looking up at the darkening sky. “Not a moment too soon, I shouldn’t wonder,” he said. “Yeah, after the long day I’ve had? Sleep sounds perfect to me.”

“We can talk more about things tomorrow anyway with clearer heads,” Gabby said with a small smile.

Gregory returned said smile as the two began walking back towards the center of the city. “Yeah, that sounds good. I could use a clearer head.”

“Not too clear, now,” Gabby said in a slightly teasing tone as she hit his legs with her tail, “don’t want you spacing out too much now, do we?”

As the two laughed, Gregory felt his spirits lift a bit. He should have known Gabby wouldn’t have done anything to him just because of his revelations. And he felt things would be alright in the end…

16: Assumptions Broken

Friday, December 31, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Gregory didn’t show it as the impromptu meeting group looked over the small menus provided by the inn, but he was not in a good mood. That was a very recent development, especially considering the fact that he had just seen two ponies who shouldn’t be in Gryphonstone. If the show was correct about things, Sweetie Drops, AKA Bon Bon, and Lyra Heartstrings were both in the city. He had spotted them despite their attempts to hide from him with the oldest trick in the book, hiding behind their menus. Not only were the changelings sent to spy on Gryphonia, but now the ponies sent in a former special agent? He didn’t appreciate it, and decided then and there to bring it up to the Convocation fast. He knew this might mean he would have to reveal the truth about MLP to them, but so be it. He was tired of not being able to talk about it to his other friends aside from Gabby.

Still, he pushed that aside in favor of other more pressing issues. More specifically, the Crystal Empress sitting in the same room as him along with her consort. Deciding to go a bit simpler this time, he chose to get some of the house meat and potato stew, the brown bread, and a slab of cheese along with a large mug of their signature dragon-made bliss, which had a flavor that was unique. Silica got herself the same but instead of cheese she got a small bowl of gems. It always fascinated Gregory that dragons here ate gems. It seemed like a waste until he remembered that gems here were much more common.

Shining Armor and Cadance both ordered the same thing, and to his surprise they got tomato soup along with grilled cheese and a salad. They both got water as their preferred drink. After Smolder took our orders and removed our menus from the table before leaving us alone, Cadance spoke up. “Mr. Graystone, thank you for taking time out of your day to speak with me. I apologize if there’s any inconvenience.”

“Truth be told, I did ask for the day off for a personal holiday that I was planning on celebrating with my friends,” Gregory said honestly, “but I’m not upset about that. As a member of the Convocation, the meeting was important and I couldn’t put it off.”

Cadance’s ears flattened. “I’m very sorry about taking your day off away from you.”

“Again, it’s not your fault,” Gregory said. “I’m not upset about that.”

“Then what are you upset about?” Shining asked bluntly. This earned him a smack on the back of the head from his wife.

“Caught on, did you?” Gregory chuckled dryly. “Believe me, it’s nothing you need to worry about. It’s something a bit more personal that I can deal with later. But for now, you wanted to talk with me about humans? Does this have anything to do with Jason Wright and his vengeful attack on Canterlot and the destruction of Ponyville?”

There was silence in the room before Cadance spoke carefully. “Please understand, I want to make sure that my empire is safe from anything he and the changelings might do. He might have only stopped us from coming to assist our former ally, but I need to prepare in case he does something to act against us.”

“Well, there’s a simple question you should ask yourself, then,” Gregory said. “Were you involved in the three years of torture and blatant xenophobic hatred towards him leading up to his suicide attempt?”

Cadance looked a bit sick at the mention of suicide, and Shining rubbed her back to comfort her. Slowly, she shook her head. “Until the attack on Canterlot, I didn’t even know he existed. Nopony in my empire knew.”

“From what I do know about Jason’s attack on Equestria, it was fueled by revenge against those who wronged him,” Gregory explained. “The little I do know indicates that he could have easily put the ponies he considered guilty to death, but eve when he burned Ponyville to the ground, he didn’t want anyone dead.”

“He did run into a burning building to save a foal,” Shining muttered.

That was something that Gregory hadn’t known, but he nodded. “That only enforces my point. I don’t blame you for being worried about Jason and the changelings. I am, too. I’m a citizen of this continent now, and since I’m a part of the newly forming government I have to think about how to protect my fellow citizens from threats, internal or external. But from what I do know about Jason, it seems as if he is protective of the only species who showed him any form of kindness and acceptance. He probably saw them as kindred spirits thanks to how well they would be treated by ponies even if they did come forward with the hopes of integration.”

He felt a claw on his shoulder. Silica squeezed it with a look of worry on her face. “Gregory…” she said in a concerned tone.

Realizing that he’d been ranting, he reigned in his frustrations. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I don’t know what you have planned for Jason and the changelings, but I think all they want right now it so be left alone, so that’s what I suggest you do. Let them come to you if that’s what they want.” He felt like a hypocrite for saying that, especially since the Convocation had been keeping subtle tabs on the changelings who were in the city.

“Princess Celestia did say that Jason wanted to be left alone,” Cadance said.

“Then there you go,” Gregory said. “Also, I don’t want to sound callous, but Jason held back. Especially when compared to what some other people would do, and I don’t just mean humans. Every creature has a dark side to them. If certain other creatures had endured three years of torment, they may have gone the scorched earth route. Does that make sense?”

Cadance and Shining looked pale at this, but the former nodded. “Yes, I guess in hindsight what you said makes sense.”

“How?! Everypony in Ponyville lost their homes!” Shining exclaimed in shock.

“Better their home than their lives,” Gregory said, eyes narrowed at the idiot unicorn. “He clearly didn’t want to go too far. Even Jason had some morals, which is more than I can say for Ponyville.”

Cadance’s ears flattened again. “Shiny, he’s right. Just think about it. Besides, Jason didn’t destroy that castle in town,” she added. “There’s plenty of room in there for everypony in town to live during the winter.”

Shining deflated a bit, but nodded in agreement. “It just seems callous,” he muttered.

“I understand,” she said in a soothing tone, “but it’s better to lose your belongings than your life. If I had to choose between my title as Empress and my family, I’d give up my title. You and Flurry mean more to me than any empire.”

Shining perked up a bit at that, and he nodded. “Me too,” he said.

Cadance put a wing around her husband, then turned to Gregory. “I’m sorry about the questions and if they were rude,” she said, “I just want to be sure my family and the citizens of the empire are kept safe from any potential threat.”

“That is something I can understand perfectly,” Gregory agreed. He had little political knowledge, but that was growing exponentially thanks to his seat on the Convocation. That, and the examples he saw in other fiction, like the Galactic Republic from Star Wars or the United Federation of Planets from Star Trek. “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

Before she could answer, Smolder came in with a gryphon employee behind her. Both of them were hovering while holding platters of food and drink which they set down on the table before distributing. “Here you go,” Smolder said with a grin after setting the last plate down. “Hope you all enjoy!”

“Thanks, Smol,” Gregory said with a grin.

This earned him a growl from the orange dragoness, but said growl turned into a grin. “I’ll get you someday,” she said.

When she was gone, Cadance looked like she’d remembered something. “By the way,” she said, “on another subject altogether, I heard you mention something called an adventurer’s guild to the bartender.”

“He’s actually the co-owner,” Gregory corrected her, then chuckled. “Yes, I did mention that. Garble is a new addition to town, and he likes the idea of an adventurer’s guild in town.”

“Interesting…actually, the Empire has an adventurer’s guild in the city,” Cadance said.

That caught Gregory’s attention and he turned to her. “Seriously?” he asked. “I was under the impression guilds went out of style-oh wait, the Empire is still about a thousand years out of date.”

“Exactly,” Cadance said. “The crown has been hiring adventurers to explore potential new sites for colonies in our old territory.”

When did this world turn into some isekai anime? Gregory thought. “Hmm…I did promise that I’d bring this up to the Convocation. Do you think that you could send a couple of adventurers our way? Maybe even the guild master? I think it’d help to know just how your guild works to see if we could replicate it here.”

“I can ask, or you could make a request of the guild,” Cadance said with an amused smile.

Gregory chuckled. “I’ll bring that up with the others.”

After a few moments of silence, Silica actually decided to speak up. “Hey, may I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Cadance said.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this,” Silica said, “but your empire is old but also temporally displaced. Do you have any information on humans in some archive or library somewhere?”

Cadance paused and put her fork down, the salad on it untouched. “I had some of our scholars begin to scour our city’s library and any archives after Jason’s invasion, but we have so many books and records that it’ll take a while before we find something, if anything.”

“Oh, I see,” Silica said, sounding both disappointed but hopeful.

“Silica here is a dragon who has a fascination with human myths,” Gregory explained. “Frankly, I was surprised that they exist in any sort of myths or legends here.” He gestured to the sword he had hung up on the wall next to the door. “See that sword there? That’s a human artifact.”

“May I have a look at it?” Shining asked.

Gregory nodded. “Please be careful,” he said, “Silica gave that to me as a gift, and I don’t want it to be damaged since that’d be insulting to her.”

Silica looked touched at that and gave Gregory a smile, one which he returned. Shining gently lifted the sword up and partially unsheathed it before hovering it over to him. He pushed his chair back and looked at it curiously. Cadance watched too, a look of curiosity on her own face. Gregory saw part of the magic aura on the blade itself brighten, then it moved up and down the exposed blade. After a while, Shining sheathed the sword. “Huh…that’s curious.”

“What is it?” Gregory asked.

“Well, I can’t be too sure,” Shining said, “mostly because my magical detection spell isn’t as good as my sister’s, but I thought I detected a hint of magic coming from the blade.”

“May I try?” Cadance asked.

“Go ahead,” Gregory said, now intrigued.

Cadance unsheathed the sword fully, holding it up for all to see. Gregory had quickly learned how to take care of the sword from Silica and had done everything in his power to make sure the gift from her was sharp and well oiled so it didn’t rust. He also stored it as best as he could. He watched as Cadance performed the same spell on the sword before carefully sheathing it and hanging it back on the hook where it was before. “You’re right, Shiny,” Cadance said, “there is a spell on that sword. Multiple spells, in fact. But spells that weren’t cast by any unicorn or even alicorn. Hay, not even anycreature I know of that can cast magic.”

“Not a centaur? Or a Saddle Arabian unicorn? Or…what other creatures can cast magic…flying reindeer?” Gregory ran through a list of creatures he knew from the show that could use some form of magic. “Who else am I missing…?”

“I know a bit about distinguishing between the signatures of different races,” Cadance said. “Celestia trained that into me.”

“I wonder if Starlight can do the same thing…?” Gregory muttered to himself. He knew from some conversations with Sunset friend that Cadance and Sunset had interactions back when the latter was Celestia’s student, so he didn’t want to bring Sunset to the attention of Cadance.

“Starlight? Who is that?” Cadance asked.

“Starlight Glimmer’s one of my housemates,” Gregory replied as if not thinking about it. “She’s a unicorn who actually has some impressive skills with magic.”

Cadance nodded. “Then she most likely can perform the spell. It’s called the appraisal spell and it can tell somepony generic details about the object being appraised.”

“I’ll ask her about it later,” Gregory said, making a note to ask not just Starlight, but Sunset and Trixie as well, “but back to the sword. What kind of spells were cast on it?”

“That’s the thing: I don’t know,” Cadance said. “The magic signature belongs to a race that I’ve never encountered. I don’t know which race could have enchanted the sword and as such I can’t tell what kind of enchantments were used.”

“They’re probably spells that have to do with combat,” Shining said, his brow furled as if his mind was churning. “When I was in the Royal Canterlot Guard, I helped to place some basic level enchantments on our weapons. Physical enhancements that kept them from being broken as easily, a spell that kept the weapons from feeling too heavy, spells like that. How many enchantments did you detect?”

“Three,” Cadance said, “but there could be more. My appraisal magic isn’t the best.”

“Well, that’s more than I knew about the sword,” Silica said.

“Where did you find it?” Shining asked.

“I didn’t,” Silica said. “I traded a good portion of my hoard for it from another dragon. He said he got it from another dragon who died soon after. I tried getting answers, but I got nowhere.”

“That’s a shame,” Gregory said. “What about those gauntlets you gave me?”

“Those I found in a small lake way out to the east,” Silica said, “but that’s all I found there. I suspect that they were lost by whoever was using them at the time.”

“Huh…I see. Well, that’s a shame,” Cadance said. “Do you have other human artifacts?”

“A few,” Silica said. “I even bought a human skull one time.”

That caught Gregory’s attention, and he turned to her. “You got a what?!”

“I buried it,” Silica said. Turning back to Gregory, she said, “The individual who I bought it from was using it as some sort of trophy. You might see me as obsessed with studying humans, but that was too far for me. I buried the skull out of respect.”

Gregory relaxed. “Who would use that sort of thing for a trophy?”

“A passing centaur,” Silica replied. “She never gave her name.”

That surprised Gregory a bit. He wondered just what kind of society centaurs had. “Well, thank you for being so respectful,” he said gratefully.

“Could the humans in legends come from your land?” Cadance asked.

Gregory shook his head. “I seriously doubt it. It took certain means for me to get here, and I doubt that any past humans from my lands could have come close to duplicating the process I used to get here.” Which, to him, meant that there were, or perhaps even had been, a group of humans who were native to Gaia at some point in the past. That was unusual, and since the Equestria Girls universe either didn’t exist here or hadn’t been discovered thanks to a lack of portal to the other world, their knowledge of the human race had to come from somewhere else.

One theory he’d had was that Gaia was Earth in the far future, but that was a theory which he’d dismissed immediately because the continents looked nothing like those on Earth. Plus, he’d studied the moon with a telescope he’d brought from Earth and it was nothing like the one he knew. Plus, the two princesses having to raise the sun and moon meant that either this was a geocentric world or the princesses moved the world instead of the celestial objects.

Back in the present, Cadance was saying something. Gregory locked in to hear her say, “So where are the humans now? You say the humans we know about from the past and yours are different. Could that mean they’re two different species with the same name?”

“Not at all,” Silica said. “Did you see the depictions on the sword? They match Gregory’s appearance.”

“And Jason’s, too,” Cadance said.

“Twilight knew what a human was,” Shining said, “so I guess that theory goes out the window.”

“I don’t know what the difference is between humans from my land and the humans who made that sword,” Gregory said, “but at the moment I’m focusing on matters more relevant to the present. Silica’s been studying Gryphonian records, supervised of course, and searching for anything regarding humans, but so far there’s been nothing.”

“That’s completely understandable,” Cadance said. “I will send a message if our scholars find anything about humans, even if it’s just a single mention in an ancient book.”

“Silica and I would both appreciate that,” Gregory said.

“On a lighter note, this food and the bliss is very delicious,” Cadance said with a small smile.

“Definitely better than soldier rations,” Shining added.

“Do you always have to compare things to when you were a guard?” Cadance asked with a hint of annoyance in her tone, but with at twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

“Force of habit, dear,” Shining said apologetically.

“We don’t exactly have what you or Equestria might consider fine dining,” Gregory said, “mostly because we don’t have nobles, and hopefully never will.”

“What kind of nation are you hoping to build?” Cadance asked curiously.

“One where each citizen is equal in the sight of the other,” Gregory said with conviction, “and one which welcomes all races as equals. One where everyone has equal rights, access to the necessities of life, and one where they can pursue their own happiness. Within reason, of course. Crimes will still be punished justly and hopefully fairly.”

Cadance smiled a bit at this and Shining also nodded in approval. “That is a good sentiment, but you do realize this will take a long time,” Cadance said. “And if you plan on accepting all races as equals, it will take longer. How will you accommodate their needs?”

“I chose to be a member of the Convocation with no pressure on me to accept the offer,” Gregory said. “Frankly, I value the opinions of not just my fellow members, but of other races as well. Every race has a different way of thinking and doing things, and if we are going to continue accepting them, then the Convocation will need to grow. I plan on bringing this up with them at some point in the future.” Just then, a devious idea came into his head. He didn’t let it show as he concluded with, “We already have a dragon and a Saddle Arabian pony sitting in as representatives of the Convocation. Empress, who will you be sending to stand in?”

Cadance thought about this for a little while, looking contemplative, then looking back up and smiling. “I can think of several candidates who would be willing to move here to act as representative,” she said, “and they should come to you within the coming days or weeks depending on how long it takes for me to interview them and bring them up to speed.”

“I think the Convocation will accept a representative, and like we did with the Dragon Lands and Saddle Arabia, we could send one of our own to act as a mediary,” Gregory said. “How does that sound?”

Cadance chuckled softly. “They will be welcomed with open hooves and treated with all courtesy,” she promised.

“Same with whoever you send here,” Gregory promised. He made a mental note to see if he could alter the office room in his house to act as a temporary bedroom for whoever Cadance sent.

Cadance took another bite of salad, and Gregory couldn’t help but watch subtly as she chewed. He was again reminded that she was an equine and as such ate in a manner similar to the equines he knew of from Earth. He looked away and took another spoonful of soup, wondering why in the hell he had focused on that aspect of Cadance. Sipping on the bliss, he enjoyed the uniqueness of the dragon crafted beverage. It had a tartness and even a spiciness that gryphon crafted bliss lacked, and it had become one of the staples of the inn’s cuisine. He had promised to help make the beverage at some point in the future and decided to make that one of his New Year’s resolutions.

Silica must have noticed the change in expression on Gregory’s face because she paused and asked, “Are you alright?” in a concerned tone.

“Huh?” He turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m alright. I’m just looking forward to tonight’s festivities.”

“Oh? Is today a gryphon holiday?” Cadance asked.

“No, it’s a human holiday in my country,” Gregory explained. “That, and we’re celebrating one of our housemate’s holidays, Haynukkah.”

“Haynukkah?” Shining asked. “That’s a Saddle Arabian holiday and-wait, is Princess Amira staying in your home?”

“As is Silica and a number of my close friends,” Gregory said. “When a house was built for me, there were so many rooms that I decided to invite my friends to stay with me. It’s too big for one person, and the three Equestrians who are living with me now were all but homeless. Not to mention the three gryphons with me are close friends and my houseoak home is definitely an upgrade from where they were living. Frankly, I enjoy the company.”

Cadance chuckled at that. “Are humans social creatures, then?”

“For the most part, yes,” Gregory said. “Maybe not as much as ponies are, but most of us need and crave social interaction to stay healthy and mentally sound.”

The moment he said it, he knew it was the wrong thing to say because Cadance’s face fell. Shining noticed this and put a hoof around her back. “I-I see,” she said sorrowfully.

“Sorry for bringing the mood down,” he apologized.

“No, it’s alright,” Cadance reassured him while giving him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Part of why I wanted to talk was to get to know more about humans, after all. Good and bad.”

“All races have good and bad traits,” Gregory said gently, “and it’s not wrong to want to know about them. But a person doesn’t represent a race. There’s a quote from a movie I’m a fan of that could be relevant. ‘A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it’. See where I’m going with this?”

Cadance and Shining nodded. “We ponies do have a herd mindset,” Cadance said.

“Humans less so, but we’re still social,” Gregory confirmed. “Mob mentality can be a dangerous thing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cadance replied.

The room was silent for a bit, then to the surprise of Gregory, Shining spoke up. “This…might seem a bit out there as a question, but do you know what Ogres and Oubliettes is?”

Gregory almost choked on the soup in his mouth in surprise at how random the question was. “One of my pony roommates told me about it,” he said truthfully, “and it actually sounds shockingly very similar to a game from my homeland called Dungeons and Dragons. You go on quests, roll for initiative, stuff like that. I actually brought a D&D set with me from my homeland.”

Shining’s eyes brightened at that. “Have you played it yet?”

“I’ve been setting up a campaign for my housemates and myself,” he admitted, “but we haven’t started.”

“I’ve been helping,” Silica said proudly.

“Mind telling us about it?” Cadance asked, clearly happy to have something else to talk about that wasn’t so depressing.

“Why the hell not?” Gregory shrugged. “So, the world I’ve created is called…”

“Bonny, what is that?” Lyra asked after they’d finished their meal in the inn. She was looking at a small but brightly glowing crystal that was sitting on the table in their room, the one Bon Bon had gotten for them.

The room they received was a decent size, having two single creature beds with a small fireplace in between said beds. A single lamp sat on a table on one side of the room with another one hanging from the ceiling. Both lamps were oil lamps and could be dimmed with a small switch. Above their beds were small windows that showed the outside, which showed a heavy snowfall coming down. There was also a smaller side room which had a toilet, sink, and shower.

Bon Bon stepped back and looked at Lyra. “It’s a royal artifact that I was given specifically for this mission,” she said. “It’s a two-way communications crystal. One with a direct link to the princesses.”

Lyra’s eyes went wide as the shock went through her. “That’s…wow…if everypony had something like this, it would revolutionize the kingdom!”

“Shh,” Bon Bon said. “This is an ancient artifact that was discovered centuries ago and can’t be replicated,” she explained.

“Aww, that’s a shame,” she said before stepping back. “Should I be out of the way so you can talk to the princesses?”

Bon Bon paused, looking at the aquamarine unicorn before sighing and shaking her head. “No, better that you reveal yourself to the princesses now. Get ready.”

Lyra wasn’t sure what she was getting ready for. She thought that this crystal was a two way audio artifact. She didn’t expect what happened in the next few minutes. Bon Bon tapped the crystal once and it flashed twice, then went back to normal before flashing twice again. Neither pony spoke until the crystal began glowing brightly. Then, to Lyra’s shock, a magically floating image appeared above the crystal showing the princesses standing there. Bon Bon immediately saluted, prompting Lyra to instead bow. “Special Agent Sweetie Drops reporting in as ordered,” Bon Bon said in an official sounding tone.

“Special Agent, thank you for contacting us so promptly,” Celestia’s voice sounded like she was in the room with them. “And…who is this pony with you?”

Lyra flinched. There was the sound of disapproval in the princess’ tone. Fortunately, Bon Bon spoke up first. “This is Lyra Heartstrings, my best friend. Please don’t be mad at her, your highness. She was worried about me, so she came along-”

“I came on my own, your highness,” Lyra blurted out. “I didn’t want my friend going alone.”

There was silence, then the princess sighed heavily. “I cannot fault you for wanting to support your friend, my subject,” Princess Celestia said, “but you could have put her mission in jeopardy. Normally, you would be arrested for this, but this is strictly an unofficial mission anyway. Now then, raise your heads, both of you. Special Agent, what do you have to report so far?”

As Lyra lifted her head, Bon Bon spoke up. “Your highness, I have confirmed that there is a human living in Gryphonstone. He is now a high ranking member of their reforming government which they’re calling the Convocation. His name is Gregory Graystone.”

Lyra saw the looks of worry on both of the princesses faces. A part of her could understand why. Another human in a high ranking position could spell trouble. “Pray tell, Agent,” Luna began, “what is the current state of Gryphonstone? From what we know, it is in great disarray.”

“Lyra and I both explored the city earlier today,” Bon Bon said, “and the gryphons are in the process of rebuilding the city. Lyra, why don’t you tell the princesses what you found on your walk?”

Lyra nervously stepped forward and cleared her throat. “Your highnesses,” she greeted again, “apparently the human retrieved and then returned an artifact important to the gryphons on his first day here. The Idol of Boreas. The gryphons call him the Idol Bearer.”

Lyra knew she had mentioned something significant when the princesses looked shocked. Princess Luna looked at her sister. “Sister, this is unprecedented, correct?”

Princess Celestia returned her sister’s gaze with a serious one of her own. “Nogryphon has been named the Idol Bearer since before the fall of the Imperium.” She turned back to the two unicorns. “Idol Bearer is a title that is rarely given, or should I say was rarely given in the Gryphonian Imperium’s history. It’s a title that is considered an extreme honor. I don’t know if the current generation knows just how important that honor is. The Idol Bearers of old were linked in a magical way to the Idol of Boreas and were basically protectors of the object.”

“Your highness, I think they might just have some inkling of how serious that title is,” Lyra said. “Even the nongryphons I spoke to had a high opinion of him. He works among the citizens when he can. In fact, he was the first to start the cleanup in a big way when he apparently began to clean up the Gryphonstone Library a couple months ago.”

“Is he the type of leader who mingles with the common folk?” Princess Luna pondered.

“It certainly seems like it,” Princess Celestia said with what sounded like a hint of regret in her voice. She stood up taller. “Special Agent, I want you to keep an eye on the goings on there for another week, and then report back to us. With the reopening of our borders, my sister and I will be planning a visit to Gryphonstone to meet this Convocation in the coming new year. When we do, we want you to deliver a message to the Convocation.”

Bon Bon saluted again and Lyra bowed. “Yes, your highnesses,” the two said simultaneously.

“Is there anything else you wish to report?” Luna asked.

“Yes, actually,” Bon Bon said. “Earlier today, we saw Empress Mi Amore Cadenza and Emperor-Consort Shining Armor having a private meeting with Gregory Graystone and a dragon female.”

The princesses looked shocked by this revelation. “Cadance is there…? Do you know why?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Probably to make alliances or trade deals,” Princess Luna replied. “If I recall correctly, before Sombra rose, Empress Amore was on good terms with the gryphons. Remember the front of Crystalia’s main library? There are two statues of gryphons there.”

“Yes, you’re right. She did have a good relationship with Gryphonia back then,” Celestia said. “Special Agent, do you have any information about this visit?”

“We only just got here this morning, Princess,” Bon Bon said, “but we’ll get more information as best as we can.”

“Excellent,” Princess Luna said, “and can you tell us anything about the influx of pony refugees to the city?”

“Only that a number of unicorns are being hired to help grow houseoaks,” Bon Bon said.

“A houseoak? What is that?” Princess Celestia asked.

“It’s the same type of tree house that was once the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville,” Bon Bon explained.

The two princesses looked at each other, then back at Bon Bon. “Special Agent, please get as much information on these houseoaks as you can,” Princess Celestia said.

“Yes, your highness,” Bon Bon said.

“Is there anything else to report?” Princess Luna asked.

“Not at this time, your highnesses,” Bon Bon said.

“Very well. If anything special comes up, contact us directly,” Princess Celestia said. “Good luck out there.” And with that, the floating image vanished in a flash of light just like it had appeared.

Lyra felt her body instantly relax. It had been a while since she’d seen either princess, and each time it was tense. The only exceptions were when she was a filly in magic school. Back then, she was innocent and didn’t quite know any better. Not only that, but Princess Celestia didn’t care much for being treated like a princess in the classroom. She sat down and looked at Bon Bon. “What are you planning now? How are we going to get the information the princesses want?”

Bon Bon gave Lyra a small glare before sighing in a resigned tone. “There’s a small town in the valley called Gryphonville. Tomorrow, you’ll go there and pretend to be another refugee. Plus, look for the apothecarist.”

“The apothecarist? Why?” Lyra was confused.

“She and her apprentice are the source of the houseoak information,” Bon Bon explained.

“Who is she?” Lyra asked curiously.

“I didn’t get that information,” Bon Bon replied, “but she’s apparently quite knowledgeable about magic and is the source of the houseoak information.”

Lyra nodded, then looked up at the window. “Well, if the snow doesn’t stop, what should I do? I doubt I can make it down there by myself.”

“I have some emergency talons with me you can use to hire somegryphon to fly you down,” Bon Bon said, indicating her bag with a nod of her head. “Let’s just hope this storm doesn’t turn into a nor’wester.”

“Your majesty, it looks like we may have to hunker down at our base of operations for a little while,” General Nictis said as he looked at the stone projection screen in front of him. On it, he saw Emperor Jason and the rest of the Imperial Swarm looking at him.

“Why is that?” the Emperor asked.

“Your majesty, the weather here has gotten worse over the past few hours,” the general said. “The locals told us that this is the first sign of what they call a nor’wester.”

“What on Erda is that?” Chrysalis asked with a scowl.

“From what we’ve been able to gather, it’s a deadly winter storm that can strike hard and fast,” Nictis explained. “It apparently lasts three to five days depending on the severity of the storm.”

“You’re all set on love concentrate, right?” Emperor Jason asked, and Nictis felt a surge of happiness at the question. Jason sounded concerned for them.

However, as a consummate professional, he didn’t let it show, simply nodding. “We have enough for at least a week,” he said, “and the inn we’re staying at has some ambient love we can use to tide us over.”

It was brief, but Nictis saw a look of relief on his Emperor’s face, but it lasted only a moment before his royal neutrality reappeared. “Very well. Keep us posted on anything you might find from the innkeeper or the guests.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Nictis and the other changelings said.

The moment the transmission ended, Eltrya came up beside him. “So, how do you want us to approach this?” she asked.

Nictis put the communication stones away, then turned back to the other gathered changelings. “If we’re going to be stuck inside for a while, we should do as our Emperor says and gather more evidence. There are more than a few inns in this city, so before we get completely snowed in, we should split up.” He pulled out a map of the city that they’d made during the past week. “Now then, here’s where we’ll all be going…”

“You’re saying that this Convocation has apparently made contact with the Crystal Empire now?” Prince Blueblood growled angrily as he listened to the report as it was being given by Dusky Heart. “First the Dragon Lands and Saddle Arabia and now the Crystal Empire? This is getting out of hoof.”

“What do you want us to do, your grace?” Dusky asked. Behind him were Jade Seed and Dark Desire who were sitting at the table just out of sight.

“Figure out just what on Equus that crystal skank and her limp husband want,” the prince said with a scowl. “If Gryphonia continues amassing allies, then Equestria could descend further into our economic depression. We need to find a way to stop it.”

“Pardon me, your grace,” a feminine voice said from just out of sight, “but I may have a suggestion.” Dusky knew that voice, and it was confirmed when the familiar form of Marchioness High Life came into frame.

“What is it, Marchioness?” Blueblood asked.

“Well, what do you think about…” and at that moment she leaned in and whispered something into the prince’s ear.

The prince’s eyes lit up with a devilish glint as he listened, followed closely by a grin that sent shivers down the spines of everypony there. “Marchioness High Life, you’re a genius!” He then turned back to Dusky Heart. “Dusky Heart, you and your group are going to make sure that things over there return to their previous state.”

“How should I do that, your grace?” Dusky asked.

“I am about to show you my brilliance,” the prince replied with his normal cocky grin. “Here is my plan.”

Dusky, Jade, and Dark all listened as the prince outlined the idea. The three exchanged looks of wonder at the idea. It was something that they could easily do, they knew, but the question was could they do it with the current weather? When the prince was finished, Dusky spoke up. “Your grace, the weather here is growing increasingly risky for us to go out in. The locals are saying a massive storm is likely approaching so we may be stuck inside for the next few days.”

“So what? That means every other creature will likely be inside as well,” Blueblood said. “Besides, you can still talk with whoever is in the inn you’re staying at, can’t you? Get a head start on it.” Beside him, the marchioness nodded in silent agreement.

“Understood, your grace,” Dusky said, “we’ll do just that.”

“Excellent. Is there anything else you can report?”

“Nothing else at the moment, your grace,” Dusky replied.

“Good, then you will report back at this same time next week,” Prince Blueblood said, “and if there’s an emergency you know how to contact us.”

“Yes, your grace,” Dusky said as he bowed. When the image vanished in a blink of light, he turned to his cohorts. “Okay, everypony,” he said, “it’s time to plan.”

29: Meeting At The Green Dragon

Saturday, January 15, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

“This is where he lives?” Jason asked, looking up at the large tree-shaped house with eyes that were a bit wide in surprise.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Nictis replied.

Jason crossed his arms, a flare of anger passing through him. His Gryphonstone human counterpart got to live in a tree mansion?! He shook his head and cleared his throat. Looking over at Chrysalis, who was now in her new anthropomorphic form she’d been experimenting with for the past few months, he gestured to the house. “What are you feeling from there?”

Chrysalis snorted, wrapped the thick black cloak around her more tightly, then closed her eyes. “Hmm…well, I can feel…a Saddle Arabian pegasus…and that’s it.”

Jason nodded. If Gregory was home, then Chrysalis wouldn’t be able to feel his emotions. Just like she could barely detect Jason’s. When Discord placed a sliver of his magic inside Jason to keep him from leaving, it had left him slightly open emotionally to a changeling’s ability to detect emotions. But only slightly. “Well, let’s go.”

The meeting earlier, especially after his own semi-private meeting with Nictis, had been relatively straightforward. The gryphons had focused more on the action in the Southern Badlands at first, and just as Jason had predicted, had demanded reparations for said action. Once more, Jason, and to a greater extent Chrysalis, had argued that the land had been sacred to the changelings, but the gryphons had countered that they had abandoned the land and any land in the Badlands was up for grabs. The settlement that they had reached had made Jason wince, but he had agreed to a hefty sum to be paid out to the gryphons affected, all in former Imperium talons which the changelings had in their possession.

The topic had then shifted to topics that were more general, such as one of the main reasons why Jason had come: a non-aggression pact. Not exactly a trade agreement, but a pact that basically promised that kept each side from interfering in possible future military action against the other. That had nearly been a nonstarter, especially since the gryphons now had newly started alliances with at least the Dragon Lands and Saddle Arabia with three more alliances with the snow leopards, the Crystal Empire, and to Jason’s ire, Equestria, although the latter three were nothing more than trade negotiations. The meeting had ended with no resolution, but with a promise to meet again the next day to discuss things with fresh minds.

“Just a Saddle Arabian pegasus?” Jason asked. “I was under the impression he lived with more than one person.”

“He does,” Nictis said.

“Perhaps he and the others are out,” Elytra, the only other changeling there, suggested.

Jason nodded, careful not to look at the four gryphon city watch assigned to escort them around. He didn’t like them around, but if he had been in the Convocation’s place he would have done the same. He walked up to the door then rapped on it, determined to see if the pegasus knew where everyone else was. He wanted a one on one talk with his fellow human.

The pegasus who answered gave Jason pause. Even though he had seen her from the spy reports Nictis had reported and new her name, Princess Amira, she looked fairly familiar to Jason’s eyes, with her light purple coat and straight, dark purple mane and tail. Her cornflower blue eyes focused on him with a serenity that surprised him. “Greetings,” Amira said in what Jason noted was a very Arabian-like accent. “How may I help you?”

“Hello,” Jason greeted her, “could you tell us if Gregory’s home? I wanted to talk with him.”

She shook her head. “He’s not here, and I don’t know where he is,” she replied with a very horselike shake of her head. “He may be out letting loose, as it were.”

“Do you have any idea where?” Jason asked.

The Saddle Arabian princess seemed to hesitate, considering, then replied, “There could be a few places where he would be. I’m not too sure if I’m at liberty to say where.”

Jason nodded. She was cleverly avoiding telling an outright lie, something that the changelings around him would sense. “Okay, I understand. Do you know when he might be back?”

“Not with any certainty, no,” she replied.

“Very well,” he said. “Thank you for your time.”

“Not at all, Emperor Wright,” she replied. “Have a good evening.”

“Same to you,” he replied.

As the group walked away, Nictis leaned over. “Sir, we know some of his haunts,” he whispered so only Jason could hear. “Why not ask us? They know we’ve been here.”

“There’s something to be said for courtesy, old friend,” Jason replied. He then turned to one of the gryphon toms. “Would one of you gentletoms be able to lead us to the restaurant row area around here? We’d like to eat something.”

The toms exchanged serious looks, then spoke quietly among themselves for a minute or so before the leader stepped forward. “Follow me, please,” he said before he headed to the front of the group and headed down the street.

Soon, the group had reached a larger street which was crowded slightly with not only gryphons, but dragons, ponies, and even a few of the snow leopards he’d heard about but never seen, not even in MLP.

As expected, people gave them a wide berth, especially the ponies, a few of which he recognized from Ponyville. He felt the old surge of anger rising, but pressed it down. Now was not the time to make an international incident, after all. Jason looked around with the others, pretending to look for a place to eat, although he knew just where he would be going. It had amused him when Nictis reported that Garble had opened a tavern and inn named The Green Dragon. It had further surprised him to learn that the bully character had a younger sister. That hadn’t been seen in the show when he’d left back in 2014.

When he ‘spotted’ the dragon owned establishment, he pretended to do a double take, then snorted. “Now that looks like a place where we can eat,” he said. “What say the rest of you?”

Nictis looked at the restaurant, then pursed his lips before nodding in agreement. “As you like, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Looks like as good place as any,” Chrysalis said as she looked at her new fingernails with what Jason thought was a bit of practiced disinterest.

“It certainly has to have some meat,” Elytra added, licking her lips hungrily. Changelings could eat meat if they needed to, and Jaso had learned early on during his campaigns that she was an avid lover of all things meat and animal based.

“The Green Dragon it is, then,” he said as they turned and approached.

They were only a few steps away from the doorway, however, when they heard chanting coming from inside. It sounded like the crowd inside was chanting “Song! Song! Song!” over and over again, then a cheer just as they opened the door.

Jason saw that the interior of this tavern wouldn’t have looked out of place in Skyrim, and none of the tavern’s denizens seemed to pay them any mind as a gryphon hen led them to a corner booth that would be able to fit them.

They were just in time to see a human standing from another booth nearby. Jason looked at the table, recognizing two of the creatures there. Gilda and Trixie sat there, the latter’s face looking a bit flushed and a smile plastered on her face. Another pony looked fairly familiar until he noted that her coloration reminded him of Sunset Shimmer, but as a pony. That confused him, of course, since he thought that because of the lack of Star Swirl’ mirror that she wasn’t a canon character.

The others at the table he didn’t know from the show, but he knew of them.

Starlight Glimmer was apparently a powerful magical unicorn who started her own town according to the reports he got. She was powerful enough to take cutie marks away. She had light heliotrope fur and a purple and aquamarine striped mane giving him the uncomfortable feeling of seeing another Twilight Sparkle.

The other gryphon hen who sat there, named Gabriella or Gabby, was smiling and looking at Gregory as he walked up to the stage. She was a deep purple and had long plumage that was tied back in what could very well be a well groomed ponytail, her turquoise eyes glistening.

A younger gryphon tom named Gallus sat there, with brighter blue fur, grayish amber chest fur, and blue eyes. He held a mug and barely looked over eighteen by gryphons standards.

The dragoness who sat there could have been Lyra Heartstrings' dragon counterpart, for all he knew, at least judging by the human-like clothes she wore and her scale coloration. Her name was Silica, and she was apparently Garble’s half sister.

Jason watched as Gregory was slapped on the back as he walked up the stairs and stood in front of the stage. He reached into his pockets and pulled out, of all things, a smartphone, but one that was bigger than any that Jason had ever seen. Are there more than one camera lenses on the damned thing? he thought. Gregory cleared his throat, then looked at the Twilight lookalike. “Starlight, would you mind?” he asked, pointing to the phone.

The unicorn nodded and cast magic which surrounded the phone. The phone glowed slightly afterwards, and Gregory tapped it. He looked out at the crowd, and then noticed Jason. The two humans locked eyes, and he inclined his head towards Jason in apparent greeting before he completed his scan of the room. “Okay, everyone,” he said, “You wanted a fucking song, you’re getting a fucking song!” He looked down at the phone again, then back at the crowd. “For this song, however, I’m gonna need help from a certain great and powerful unicorn. Beatrix Lulamoon, get your flank up here!”

The pale blue unicorn looked startled, then realization passed over her face as she came up. The crowd roared with applause as Trixie leaned in and whispered something to Gregory. Gregory nodded and grinned. She shook her head and nodded. She then turned to the crowd. “The Great and Powerful Trrrixie will grace the crowd with her singing prowess,” she announced with a flourish and bow, which only garners more applause. It was odd for Jason to see her without her cape and hat, but he suspected that even she needed to decompress.

“Now, I just have to say that, before we start, don’t take anything that I sing in this song as something I agree with,” Gregory said. “Trixie here hasn’t had an easy life until now. She’s gone through a lot, and I’m going to be representing those people, or ponies I should say, who were mean to her.”

“Trixie is pretty much over that stage of her life,” Trixie continued. “She is more than happy to perform for foals and chicks and hatchlings right here in her new home. She is singing this as a final fuck you to that life.” That got a laugh out of the crowd, and some even shouted messages of affirmation.

“The song is a rewrite of a rather obscure song from back home so that it can better fit her circumstances,” Gregory went on to say. “Trixie and I did the rewrite.”

“Yes, Trixie did help,” Trixie acknowledged.

“That was a lie,” Chrysalis whispered in Jason’s ear. “I can’t read Gregory, but that Trixie pony lied.”

Is he going to sing what I think he’s going to sing? Jason thought. No, there’s no way.

His thoughts vanished as she grabbed something seemingly from midair and threw it down onto the stage. An explosion of blue smoke erupted from where the object hit, and the two vanished behind a wall of the smoke. After a few seconds, the smoke vanished, revealing Trixie in her typical purple hat and cloak with yellow and blue stars etched onto both. She grinned, then turned to Gregory. “Trixie is ready whenever you are,” she said.

Gregory nodded, then tapped the phone and put it down. Jason wasn’t sure what song could be sung in a duet with Trixie of all ponies, but then his eyes widened as he recognized the tune that suddenly sounded like it came from everywhere.

After a short, barely a second, introductory beat, Trixie stepped forward, the grin turning into a stage smile as she began singing.

“I’m Trixie, welcome to the show!
”Got magic tricks, so here we go!
“We’re gonna have some fun,
“hold onto your hats!”

Gregory then took on a stern glare as he turned and faced Trixie, crossing his arms as if in disapproval, then sang as well.

“We don’t care who you are anymore!
“Just pack your things, go out the door!
“You claim that you’re performing,
“don’t make us laugh!”

Trixie looked out at the crowd, seemingly ignoring Gregory as she sang out, “I have something moooore!”

Gregory waved a dismissive hand and added, “We’ve seen it befoooore!”

Trixie looked around the crowd and winked as she sang, “It’s much more special.”

Gregory rolled his eyes as he sang, “We’d rather be in hell!”

Trixie, looking fed up, whirled onto Gregory and pointed a hoof at him.

“It might be the same act!
“Be patient, you’ll see!
“You can call it fake, but…this…is…
“REAL MAGIIIIIIC! YEAH YEAH!
"REAL MAGIIIIIIC! YEAH YEAH!”

There was a bit of a beat during which Trixie threw down another smoke bomb which hid her and Gregory behind its screen. When the smoke faded, there were several items there, including a small table with a top hat on it, a rope, a bucket with turnips and a birthday hat inside, and even a second bucket with fireworks in it. She began levitating the bucket with turnips in it.

“Look as I make stuff levitate,
“Making a rope act like a snack,
“And of course the famous bunny from a hat.”

“Got magic cards and so much more,
“I’ve even brought the fireworks
“For all of you to watch and enjoy!”

As she sang, she performed the appropriate actions with remarkable speed. Gregory just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Who cares about that?
“It’s all the same thing!
“All the same tricks
we’ve seen befoooore!”

Trixie turned once more towards Gregory, a glare in her eyes as she sang and pointed at him.

“It might be the same act!
“Be patient, you’ll see!
“You can call it fake, but…this…is…
“REAL MAGIIIIIIC! YEAH YEAH!
“REAL MAGIIIIIIC! YEAH YEAH!”

With the instrumental interlude, Trixie went across the stage, performing simple magic tricks such as making the magic cards change, twirling plates on sticks, making a talon coin appear behind Gregory’s ear, then using a voodoo doll of Gregory, sticking a pin in his ass and making him shriek, causing the crowd to erupt into laughter.

As he was hopping around, Gregory turned back to Trixie, only this time his expression was more confused than angry.

“Why do you still want to perform?
“We tried to tell you all along
“that this act is old!
”You have to face that!”

Trixie shook her head, a small but happy smile gracing her face as she sang.

“I heard all what you all have said,
“but I don’t think I should be mad.
“The most important thing
“is to enjoy what you doooo!”

Gregory sang over her last words with, “But it doesn’t make seeeense!”

Now it was Trixie’s turn to wave a dismissive hoof. “It doesn’t change a thing!”

Gregory faced her, making his face look more confused now. “Even if we say it’s bad?”

Trixie shrugged. “I’m still performing.”

Gregory then shrugged himself, then turned to the crowd. “It might be the same act-”

“Be patient, you’ll see!” Trixie interrupted, also facing the crowd and moving closer to Gregory.

The two looked at each other and joined their voices together. “You can call it fake, but…this…is…” and here Trixie stood on her hind legs and moved to stand back to back to Gregory as they finished harmonizing with, “REAL MAGIIIIIIC! OOOOOH! REAL MAGIIIIIC! OOOHOOOHOO! AAAH!”

The two then joined in a little side by side dance, tapping hooves and feet on the stage, only to end with a bow to the crowd as the song ended.

Nobody moved or spoke for a while, the two panting slightly the only sound heard alongside the fire. Then the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Jason didn’t join in, not out of anger, but out of sheer shock. He’d sung a MLP fan song with the actual pony in question! That was…he didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it.

As the crowd clapped and applauded, Gregory stepped off the stage, laughing and accepting slaps on the back from gryphons, dragons, and even a couple ponies. He returned to his seat between Gilda and the other gryphon hen. A gryphon waitress came up to them nervously as the crowd settled down. “Hello, and welcome to The Green Dragon,” she said, maintaining an impressive amount of composure, Jason noted. “Can I get you started off with something to drink? Our in house bliss is recommended.”

”I’ll have a glass of bliss,” Jason said, refocusing on the waitress hen.

“Same here,” Nictis added.

“Can I have mine with some ice if you have it?” Elytra asked.

“Sure,” the hen said before looking nervously but without any hesitation at Chrysalis. “And for you, ma’am?”

“Might as well make that four,” the former changeling queen said.

“Alright, sounds good,” the hen said as she wrote that down. “And would you care to eat with us? Our special tonight is a roast beef and rabbit stew, loaded with potatoes, sliced tomatoes, garlic, diced onions, and chicken broth.”

Jason’s stomach betrayed him and it began to rumble. He nodded slowly. “A bowl of that sounds good.”

“Okay, and just so you know, that comes with a side of freshly baked bread,” the hen said.

“Understood,” Jason said.

The others ordered pretty much the same, and the hen left to put the order in. Chrysalis watched her go, then looked a bit amused. “She was almost pissing herself with fear,” she chuckled.

“Well, you are a scary changeling,” Elytra snarked back at her.

The two female changelings exchanged glares before turning away from each other. Nictis held up his hooves. “Let’s not fight here,” he pleaded.

“We are representing the Changeling Empire here,” Jason stated firmly, “so we should all behave.”

“What was with that singing, though?” Chrysalis asked with an incredulous tone and expression. She surreptitiously pointed a thumb at the table where Gregory and his friends sat. “Isn’t he supposed to be a government leader?”

“It’s called ‘mingling with the masses’, My Lady,” Elytra said with a lopsided grin, “something you could stand to learn about, I think.”

“Enough,” Jason ordered before Chrysalis could retort. He turned to the duchess. “Her tone aside, she’s right. Some leaders will mingle with the common folk as a way to relate to them.”

“I do hope you’re not talking about me right now,” a familiar voice said from nearby. Jason turned and saw Gregory standing there, arms crossed with an amused expression on his face. He raised his hand and, in a passable British accent, said, “Hello, there.”

Jason didn’t react, simply sat there and stared up at Gregory as he took the human in. He finally inclined his head. “Hello, yourself,” he replied.

If Gregory was disappointed that Jason didn’t give another response, he didn’t show it. Instead, he pulled a nearby chair and sat down across from Jason and the others, putting his hands on the table and folding them. “Came here to relax after a long day of negotiations, I take it?” he asked.

“What’s it to you?” Chrysalis asked in a testy tone.

Gregory raised his hands defensively. “Just a question, Duchess,” he said.

“We chose this place randomly as a place to eat,” Jason explained. It wasn’t the full truth, but it would suffice.

“Really?” Gregory’s question indicated the possibility that he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he stood again and nodded. “Well, you chose correctly. Either here or Gobbler’s Groggery are the two best taverns in town.” He turned to the bar where Garble was washing mugs with a towel. “Gar-Gar! The meal at this table is on me!”

“Stop fucking calling me Gar-Gar!” Garble shouted back. “Only Smolder gets to call me that!”

The crowd erupted into laughter as Gregory snorted. “Not unless you want me to tell everyone here about-”

“They already know because of you, so you can’t hold that over my head, smartass!” Garble shot back before flipping him off.

Amidst the roars of amusement from the crowd, Gregory flipped the dragon off right back before he turned back to the three changelings and human emperor. “Enjoy your meal,” he said as he stood and put the chair back where he’d pulled it from. “This is a relaxing place, so my advice is to enjoy it.” He inclined his head politely before he rejoined his companions.

Jason watched him go, trying to get a feeling for this fellow human. He had not once mentioned the Equestria Venture, either during their meeting earlier or just now. But he must have heard about it surely, he mused. He thought for a bit, turning his head away and staring down at the table, exploring its patterns and grooves as he thought. A part of him half expected Gregory to chew him out for that, especially since Gregory was clearly a fan of the show. Still, a lack of any mention of the Equestria Venture was curious in and of itself. He sighed, then looked up at one of the gryphons guarding him. “Would you give Mr. Graystone a message for me?”

The back room of The Green Dragon was surprisingly quiet despite the raucous crowd just outside the doors. A warm fire roared in another fireplace and the lamps cast a warm glow everywhere where the light from the room’s single large window didn’t hit. Jason sat on one end of the table with his entourage sitting on either side of him minus the gryphon guards who stood behind him. Opposite him, Gregory sat, with all of his companions there. That had been the only stipulation Gregory had given upon his response to the message Jason left. “No way am I getting into a room alone with you,” he’d said. Jason had accepted that, and an hour later, and after a surprisingly delicious meal, the two groups had headed to a large back room.

Jason looked at Gregory more closely. Unlike before, he simply wore a pair of thick snow pants and a zipper hoodie had the words I WAS BORN A LONG TIME AGO written in the same script as the Star Wars films. Leaning against his chair was the sword which he had worn during their meeting along with a pistol and holster. On Jason’s side, he had one of the new flintlock rifles leaning against the table as well as a dark curved dagger set on the table. Aside from that, the table was set with a large number of glasses full of either water or bliss.

When everyone was seated, Gregory sat up straighter and leveled his gaze on Jason. “It must be quite important if you want to speak to me in a more private setting,” he said. “What did you wish to talk about, Your Majesty?”

Jason couldn’t detect any sarcasm in his tone, but his last two words still felt like an insult. Not that he could confirm it from Chrysalis or the other two changelings in the room since Gregory was unreadable. “I had a few things to talk to you about,” he said, “but with the presence of the guards behind me, that might be difficult.”

“They won’t be dismissed,” Gregory said. “That would be foolish of me.”

“Then this conversation will be…interesting,” Jason commented. “It had to do with the choice of song.”

“Oh?” Gregory raised a curious eye. “Did you enjoy it?”

“It was certainly a…unique choice, considering who your singing partner was,” Jason replied, glancing at the sky blue unicorn.

“Oy, was that an insult to Trixie?” Trixie asked with a frown.

“Easy, Trixie,” Gregory said, putting a hand over her hoof, “I think he’s referring to MLP.”

And there’s the confirmation, Jason thought. “So they do know about it?” he asked.

”Everyone who lives with me is aware,” Gregory nodded in confirmation. “They have seen proof, too.”

That caught Jason off guard a bit. Did that mean that they’d all watched the show? He kept his expression calm. “That…must have been quite a shock,” he said.

“Eh, we got over it,” Gilda said with a dismissive wave of her claw.

Jason chuckled without amusement. “Is that so?”

“Are you trying to insult us somehow?” Starlight Glimmer asked with a scowl.

Jason shook his head. “Not at all,” he said. “I just wanted to confirm a suspicion, is all. I’m also surprised you told so many.” He jabbed a thumb at Chrysalis, then at Elytra and Nictis. “These three know, but that’s it.”

“I see,” Gregory nodded in acknowledgement. He then leaned forward. “May I ask you something that’s been on my mind since I learned about you?”

Here we go, Jason said, he’s gonna ask about the Equestria Venture. “You may,” he asked.

“What was the date back home when you left?”

That question caught Jason off guard. It wasn’t anything he was really expecting. He thought back. Truth be told, he did remember the exact date, and he decided there was no harm in sharing that. “April 25th, 2014.”

Gregory nodded. “When I left, it was September 23rd, 2027.”

Jason hid his surprise and filed that information away for later review. “Quite interesting,” he said instead. “I’ve been here only five years, and thirteen years have gone by back home?”

“So it would seem,” Gregory acknowledged. “Do you want any news about home?”

Despite himself, Jason had to admit he had some questions. He shrugged. Might as well indulge in his morbid curiosity. “Did Ebola ever become as big as they said?”

“No, but there was a worldwide pandemic called Covid-19 that started in 2020,” Gregory explained.

“What about the Malaysia flight?”

“Went down and they found debris a year later.”

“ISIS?”

“They lost a lot of members but they’re still a threat.”

“Russia and Crimea?”

“Still annexed and Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.”

“Bill Cosby allegations?”

“He went to prison in 2018 and was released in 2021.”

“Who’s the president now?”

“Donald Trump.”

Jason’s eyes went wide. “The guy from The Apprentice?!” he exclaimed.

Gregory nodded. “The same one.”

Jason shook his head incredulously. “Time flies…” he said. There was silence, then finally he couldn’t take it anymore. He turned to Gregory again. “Are you going to say anything about what I did?”

“You mean your invasion of the gryphon colonies in the South Badlands?” Gregory asked calmly. “We’re not in the Convocation, and I’d rather not talk about that now.”

“No, don’t play dumb,” Jason said, some of his control slipping. “What I did in Equestria.”

“Why?”

The question threw Jason for a loop. He leaned forward. “I destroyed the town, the one from MLP. Isn’t that why you came here? To see it and meet them?”

“Do you think I’d be mad about that?” Gregory asked.

“You’re a fan, right?” Jason asked.

“So what?” Gregory asked. “Even if I did admire the Elements of Harmony, why would I feel the need to judge you or be angry about it?” He leaned forward. “The only reason I would think about it would be to see it as an example of changeling aggression and be wary of you and yours in the future. Not to mention that your firearm weaponry-” he gestured to the flintlock rifle, “-represents a clear and present danger to Gryphonia.”

“Not to mention the Dragon Lands,” Silica added.

“My concerns now are for my nation first and foremost,” Gregory said. “If you think I’ll go off on some sort of tirade or have some sort of personal vendetta for burning down a place that I came to see, then think again.” He leaned back. “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about, Your Majesty?”

Jason kept his expression neutral, but he couldn’t help but look at Gregory differently. For one, he doubted that even his treatment by the ponies of Ponyville hadn’t reached here, but Gregory hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Secondly, he felt a growing sense of jealousy. Even if he had appeared in Gryphonstone, Gregory had received a far better welcome than Jason had. It infuriated him, but he kept his composure. “No other questions,” he said. “I’ve slaked my thirst for knowledge of home for the time being.”

Gregory nodded. “Alright,” he conceded, “then let’s-”

The door burst open just then. Both humans acted at once. Jason grabbed the flintlock and aimed it while Gregory drew the pistol. However, the latter relaxed slightly when he saw who it was. “Lyra Heartstrings, what are you doing here?” Gregory asked as he lowered the pistol, but not completely.

The mint green unicorn was panting, but she quickly caught her breath and looked at Gregory. “S-Sir,” the unicorn gasped, “It’s B-Bon Bon! She’s fighting with three unicorns! She says they’re here t-to hurt you or Emperor Wright!”

“Are they, now?” Gregory asked, and Jason saw his fellow human, the same human who had been singing only an hour before and enjoying mingling with the crowd in the tavern, snarl as he held up his pistol and gripped his sword hilt. The look in his eyes was of a predator as he asked, “Where?”

Prologue: Newcomer

Thursday, September 23, 1007 Anno Luna, Gryphonia, One Month After Emperor Jason Wright’s Invasion of Equestria

Gryphonstone was in shambles.

The many buildings that had once been pristine and clean were now covered in all manner of filth. Massive trees that had once been spread throughout the city and were once green with life were either dying or dead; the small houses and huts on each branch threatened to fall to the ground below. Some already had, causing serious injury or even death to a few very unlucky gryphons. The city smelled of rotten sewage, mostly due to the fact that the sewers had not been tended to for far too long. Plumbing was a hit or miss in the city itself, with half of the faucets providing somewhat clean water. Over half the city was sick with previously preventable diseases thanks to this. Nobody could go five feet without hearing the crying of a young gryphon cub, the coughing of a gryphon sick or dying, or an argument between two or more gryphons about food, money or some other matter of life and death. All throughout the city, buildings were falling apart, mothers were barely able to feed their young, and the gryphons within were miserable, although, in a perverted show of pride, they would never show it to outsiders, or even among themselves. And the worst part was that nogryphon wanted or desired to help anyone else because they were so caught up in their own problems that others weren’t of any consequence.

Ever since the Idol of Boreas, now regarded by most of the gryphons as a myth, was stolen and fell into the Abysmal Abyss, Gryphonstone and Gryphonia as a whole had been on a steady decline, but nowhere was it worse than in the nominal capital of the Imperium itself. All of the continent of Gryphonia was undergoing an economic depression, and even the outermost sea cities where fish was plentiful were experiencing less and less traffic from any neighboring nations.

Among the filth and wretchedness surrounding every gryphon, a singular mailgryphon female flew through the skies. She was a rarity among her kind. Friendly, always smiling and eager to try and brighten anygryphon’s day with a kind word or gesture.

Not that it would do any good, of course.

There was just too much underlying despair among them, hidden underneath a thick layer of so-called pride. It had gotten so bad that many gryphons had begun saving up enough money to escape to other smaller towns or to unclaimed portions of Gryphonia to try and find a better place for a house or nest.

Gabriella, or Gabby as she very much preferred to be called, had tried denying it to herself for years, but there was just no denying that Gryphonia was crumbling. The city really had no leadership to speak of, anyway. Everygryphon knew about it but they were too concerned with themselves to do anything about it.

It was Gabby’s weekend, and having had an extra-long week with her boss yelling at her, docking her pay for a few minor mishaps, and being once again ignored and scoffed at for her attempts to brighten the day of anygryphon she saw had taken a heavier toll on her than normal. And the only refuge she could even find in the area was near the edge of the Abysmal Abyss. Nogryphon ever went there because it was too dangerous, but Gabby loved it there. The grass was actually green there, the trees were growing tall and strong, and the strong wind that blew through her wings felt freeing.

It was here where she could let down her feathers and let the smile she kept on her face fade away. Trying to spread gryphony sunshine on her rounds as a mail delivery gryphon all the time was exhausting, even for her. She would come here whenever she had stress to relieve. And she would do so by screaming into the abyss.

“YAAAAH!” she screamed into the windy chasm before her, her voice being carried away by the winds, forever lost to them. She vented her frustrations. “I was just trying to help you, Griselda! Is it so wrong to buy you some food when you can’t afford it, Gary!? And I was only one minute late that day, Gus!! You didn’t have to dock my pay for one hour! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!”

She continued shouting her varying angry thoughts away, and as she did so, her heavy heart lifted. As she’d had a longer list than normal, she was there for about half an hour, repeating the same things over and over again. Finally, when she was finished, she stood on her two hind legs, spreading her wings and letting the harsh gales that constantly blew through the Abyss wash over her like some sort of cleansing bath of air. She definitely felt a lot better than she had before, and she fell onto her back, wings still spread.

She was still smiling when she saw the bright light.

Quickly sitting up, she looked towards the light. Across the abyss, a triangular light shone brightly as it seemed to appear from nowhere. She shielded her eyes with her feathers as she tried to see what was going on. The light was emitting a soft warbling sound like chimes and she saw pinpricks of light surrounding the triangle itself. As the sound increased in volume, a second sound became audible, and a dark object seemed to come in through the light. She was unable to see it clearly, but it had a boxlike shape and the sound it made was unusual, like some sort of roar. It sounded like a mechanical roar.

The object stopped when it came through and she thought she saw a bipedal figure come out of the object itself. As the light began to diminish, she saw that said figure was stumbling towards the edge of the abyss. Fear rose up in her as she cried out a warning, but the winds from the Abyss had incidentally risen so that her words became inaudible. To her horror, the indistinct figure tripped over a rock, then plummeted into the Abyss.

As the triangle of light vanished, Gabby rubbed her eyes and quickly but cautiously walked to the edge of the abyss, looking down. There, clinging for dear life onto a large ledge on the other side of the Abyss, sat an unusual creature. It had the look of a minotaur, only it was wearing clothes that were quickly being slightly torn by the winds. It had a small pack slung over its shoulders which was strapped tightly to it to not let it fall away. The creature didn’t have any claws like any other gryphons did. Instead, she recognized what it had as simple hands which were clinging to the sides of the ledge, which had begun to crumble around the being. As she took in the strange creature before her, she realized it looked more like a monkey or an ape than anything else, albeit smaller and with all the wrong proportions.

But it was the eyes of the ape-thing that stuck out to her. They were bright blue, and wide eyed with complete and utter terror. It was looking around wildly, trying to find a means of escaping the horrible position it found itself in.

She stood up quickly and gave a gryphon cry, which sounded identical to that of a bald eagle. The creature below flinched, looking up until it saw Gabby. Its fear turned to hope as it waved with one of its hands briefly before quickly going back to gripping the ledge. “Help me! Please! I’m begging you!” the creature called out in a desperate male voice.

Gabby quickly looked around for anything that might be used as some kind of makeshift rope. Her heart was racing, and she could hear the ledge slowly giving way to the creature’s weight. Turning back to the strange creature, she called out, “I don’t have any rope! And I can’t fly down there!”

Miraculously, the creature must have heard her cries, because he said, “There’s some in the back of my truck! And hurry! This ledge isn’t gonna last!”

She was a bit confused, but she then saw the creature quickly point up the cliff. Gabby looked over in the general direction and saw a strange contraption just sitting in the middle of the field. It had the look of a carriage, but only made of metal. There were four apparent doors on both sides, one of which still hung open. Behind it, there was a larger carriage, this one looking like some sort of strange small house on wheels.

“Stay still! Don’t move! I’ll be right back!” She spread her wings wide and flew high over the Abyss, landing next to the metal carriage in the front. She rushed inside the still open door and looked around frantically. The front row of seats was clear of anything, but the back row was covered with boxes and bags which she pushed aside as best as she could in the cramped space. She was trying not to let her panic get the better of her, but she knew that the creature only had minutes, if not more. At one point she saw that there was a part of the vehicle that she couldn’t get to until she opened a small window at the back, which she quickly did.

Once she crawled through the small window into the back compartment, she immediately saw a thick and sturdy rope coiled up on top of several heavy looking bags. Grabbing it, she climbed back out and ran over to the edge of the cliff. When she looked down frantically, her face went pale as she saw him now clinging to what remained of the ledge that had fallen away, swinging around in the wind as he held on for dear life. “I’m gonna let down some rope!” Gabby shouted, quickly undoing the twine that held the rope in place.

The creature looked up, the hope that had once been there quickly replaced with despair. “Can’t hold…help…” his voice was softer as he tried to call out, and sounded hoarse.

She worked faster, practically tearing the twine off, then looked around for something to tie the rope to. She noted the connection between the vehicle in front and the carriage in back. Hastily, she tied the rope to the connection, tested the grip of the rope to see if it would hold, which it did, quickly tied the other end of the rope around her midsection and rushed back over to the edge of the cliff. There, she began lowering herself down, gripping the rope with all of her strength as she did her best to move down to where the creature was clinging. Unfortunately, as she did so, some rocks came loose and fell directly towards the creature. “Look out!” Gabby shouted.

Luckily, all that happened was that the rocks glanced off of the being’s shoulders and he temporarily lost his grip on one of his hands, which he quickly pulled back up. His hands were white from tension, save for the deep cuts on his knuckles which were staining the ledge and making it harder for the being to hold on with any semblance of a grip.

Fear overcame Gabby, and the self-preservation part of her began to demand that she abandon this strange being, but she quickly suppressed this urge. She wasn’t just any gryphon. She was Gabby, and she just couldn’t leave anygryphon, or anycreature for that matter, in need when she knew she could help.

Finally, she reached the ledge where the creature was clinging and held out her claw to him. “Give me your hand!” she shouted. “Hurry!”

The being turned, astonishment in his bright blue eyes. He looked back at his hands, then back at Gabby. “If I let go, I’ll fall,” he said wearily.

Gabby frowned, then slowly moved over. Wrapping one of her wings around him, she said, “I’ve got you now. I need you to wrap your arms around me and don’t let go for anything!”

He looked at her fearfully. “I…I can’t…” he whimpered, “I can’t move!”

Gabby tried calming down. She knew that any creature who saw fear could feel that same fear in them. “I promise, by the Idol of Boreas itself, I won’t let you go,” she said, using one of the more ancient pledges of her kind. She tightened her grip around him. “Just hold onto me. Hurry! The wind’s picking up!”

He swallowed hard, then closed his eyes. “God help me…” he said before he slowly opened them again, moving closer to her exposed stomach. In one weakened motion, he wrapped one arm around her stomach, then quickly the other joined in. His grip was tight, but Gabby could feel that it was growing weaker.

Quickly grabbing the rope again, she began hoisting herself back up towards the surface, her throat quivering with exertion as she began to feel the excess weight around her. She pulled up as fast as she could, but not so fast as to knock her new passenger off of her. For extra support, she wrapped her tail around the creature’s midsection just in case.

It was a good thing she did, too, because not ten seconds later, a large gust of wind blew through the gorge. The rope swayed and Gabby felt a sharp pain in her rear as the creature’s grip on her stomach failed. She screamed in pain and looked down. The creature had lost his grip and was now clinging for dear life to her tail. He was swaying harder in the wind and with each swing, it felt like her tail would tear loose and fall into the ravine with its unwilling passenger. She resisted the instinctive urge to reach down and claw at him while at the same time she tried pulling him up by the tail so he could reach her legs at least, but she was unable to move.

“Climb up my tail!” she shouted. “Grab onto my legs! HURRY!”

Thankfully, he must have either heard or understood the franticness in her expression as she saw him try his best to climb up towards her legs, but just as he was about to reach one of the legs, his grip slipped due to the blood on his hands and he slid back down to the tip of the tail. Once more, however, he tried, and this time he managed to grasp the bottom portion of her left leg. With that grip, he managed to take a hold of her other leg with his remaining hands. “Don’t let go!” she shouted as she now began pulling herself up using only the strength of her arms.

There were a few close calls, but in the end, she managed to grasp the grass, hoisting herself up and clambering farther out onto the grass. When she was sure that the entire creature was out of the ravine, she collapsed onto her back, panting heavily. The rush of adrenaline was quickly fading, and she could feel the post adrenaline trembling coming on.

That, and she could hear retching noises coming from behind her.

Weakly she turned, and saw the creature who was holding himself up with two trembling arms, vomiting violently onto the grass. She was too weak to go over and check on him, and could only watch sorrowfully as the being expelled whatever it had eaten last before falling. After an eternity, he collapsed onto his stomach, and eventually she could hear the soft sounds of sobbing coming from him.

Mustering what little strength she had left, Gabby crawled over to the being, placing a comforting wing around him. “Shhh…you’re safe now,” Gabby said gently. Now that she had a clearer view of him, she took in his unusual features without the weight of fear over her mind. The apelike creature was wearing a pair of light blue pants, something over its feet to cover it, and a thick green hoodie, around which still hung the smaller but full looking pack. He had pale skin and a somewhat long head of brown wavy hair. His hands were still bleeding from the cuts, but she hadn’t brought any kind of antiseptic or bandages for him to use.

All she could do was hold the being close to her, trying to warm his freezing body up. He instinctively curled up and continued crying for a little while before finally growing too exhausted to even do that. They stayed like this for a little while until he tried to sit up. Gabby, who by now had recovered more of her strength, sat up with him and helped him into a sitting position. She took his hands in her claws and looked at them carefully. There were three large gashes in the knuckles of his left hand, and two others on his write. His palm was cut open as well and covering his hand in blood. Quickly, she pulled his sleeve up and pressed it against the wound to staunch the flow. “I’m sorry about your shirt,” she said apologetically.

The creature waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve got others,” he said, pointing to the objects nearby. He winced in pain. “Fuck…”

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Gabby asked.

“Just a few bumps and bruises…” the creature said, feeling himself over a bit with his free hand. He then looked up at Gabby with tear-stained eyes. He wiped them, then said, “Listen…thank you for saving me. I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Gabby said. “I just did the right thing.”

“Nevertheless, I still owe you something,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby since we’re friends now,” Gabby said with a weakened smile.

The creature smiled back tiredly. “Gabby, huh?” he said, and there was something in his tone that caught Gabby off guard. Almost like he knew her already. However, it was gone when he said, “I’m Gregory. Gregory Graystone.”

Gabby smiled. “Nice to meet you, Gregory,” she said, holding out her claw.

He took it in his free hand and shook it, although it was still weak. “Nice to meet you too, Gabby.”

After the clawshake was over, Gabby decided now was a time to at least get one of her many millions of questions answered. “Um…what exactly are you?” she asked. “No offense, but I’ve never seen a creature like you before.”

Gregory just laughed a bit. “That’s fair,” he said, “I’m not from around here. I’m a human.”

“Human…human…” Gabby rolled the words around on her tongue, trying to get a feel for it. She’d never heard of a human before, and she doubted that this creature would be lying to her about that. “I’ve never heard of a human before.”

“That makes sense,” Gregory said as he slowly removed his pack and lay on his back, staring up at the sunlit sky above. “Like I said, not from around here.”

She lay beside him, still covering him with her wings. She wanted so badly to ask so much more of him, but she also knew that he was more exhausted than she was. Once they were recovered enough, she would try and take him back into town.

Gregory looked at the rope that was around Gabby’s waist, then back at the truck. He chuckled and nodded. “Good call,” he said, “tying the rope to the trailer hitch.”

“Ah, well, I didn’t have anything else to tie it to,” Gabby said, “and I couldn’t find a grappling hook.”

Gregory chuckled a bit dryly as he slowly stood. “I do have one,” he said, “but it’s in a bag somewhere in the back of my truck.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a large metal bottle. He pulled on the top, which seemed to open up. He put his lips to the part of the lid he’d pulled out and then seemed to suck from it. He rinsed his mouth out, then downed a healthy amount of it before he unscrewed it and passed it over to her. “Water?” he asked.

Gabby accepted the bottle gratefully, lifting the metal bottle to her lips. She hadn’t tasted water so pure in ages since most water in Gryphonstone was slightly murky at the best of times. There was even ice in it. She savored the taste as she swished the liquid in her mouth before swallowing and giving it back to Gregory. “Thank you,” she said.

As the two lay there, recovering their strength, Gabby’s thoughts wandered. She went back to the few minutes in her memory. The bright triangle light was still a bit visible in her mind’s eye, so she decided that she’d ask about it. “Hey…that light triangle I saw before you appeared…was that your doing?”

Gregory looked over at her. He had just sat up and was brushing his clothes off. The pack he once wore was sitting nearby on the grassy plain. His hands were still trembling a bit as he cleaned himself. “Well…yeah,” he admitted as he uncertainly stood on two feet, brushing his backside off.

“Do humans know magic?” she asked as she too slowly stood, shaking the dust off of her before stretching out her front claws, then her back paws.

Gregory didn’t answer right away. He was instead watching her with curiosity and a bit of bemusement. When she gave him a raised eyebrow in confusion, he shook out of it and shook his head. “Ah, no. We don’t know any magic. I used some technology to-well, suffice to say, I can’t do that again,” he said, a somewhat sad smile on his face.

Gabby walked up beside him and looked up at him. “You okay?” she asked in a worried tone.

“Yeah…yeah, I’m alright now,” he said, the sadness going away as he brushed a few blades of long grass off of his clothes before turning to look down at her. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me. I could have died.”

She smiled up at him. “You’re welcome.” Her smile then faded. “What happened? Didn’t you see the cliff?”

Gregory’s smile faded as well. “Well, I did, but I didn’t register that it was there,” he admitted.

“What do you mean?” Gabby asked.

Gregory sighed. “It’s…not something I was expecting to happen.” He then launched into an explanation. Apparently, the moment he’d come through the portal, which was what he called the triangle, he’d suffered a severe reaction of some kind. He was dizzy, unable to focus, and had temporary memory loss. He’d gone into autopilot, which he briefly had to explain to her, in turning off the truck before leaving. It had been the fall that had jarred him back to his full senses, and by that time it was too late. The rest they both knew.

“Are you feeling better now?” she asked again after he finished his explanation.

“Much,” he said.

The moment of a new friendship forming between gryphon and human was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings approaching from Gryphonstone. The two turned and saw two gryphons in city watch armor fast approaching. Gregory reached quickly for his bag and held it close to him. “Am I in trouble?” he asked.

Gabby shook her head, but even she was unsure. The city watch were the only remnants of the once great Gryphonian Imperium, which had been long defunct. The city was enough of a historical sight that being in the watch was actually a viable job. It paid decently enough as well. Gryphons highly respected the watch because it seemed that each member held onto a semblance of the pride that had once been such a major part of their culture during the times of the emperors.

When the two landed, they looked at Gabby and Gregory with suspicious frowns. They looked like they may have been fraternal twins, or at least been part of the same litter. They were both light gray with white feathers and bright yellow plumage. The only difference was their eyes. The male had a dark orange pair while the female had a dark yellow pair. The male stepped forward. “What happened here?” he asked.

The female then sniffed the air. “Did somegryphon vomit?” she asked with a frown, spreading her wings and hovering in the air.

“That’d be me,” Gregory said in a sheepish tone. “Sorry about that.”

The male watchgryphon, who had joined his partner in the air, eyed the human with suspicion. “Who are you, and what are you?” he asked.

Gregory gave the two watchgryphons a friendly smile. “My name’s Gregory Graystone, and I’m a human.”

“Where did you come from?” the male asked again.

“Very far away,” Gregory explained, “so far away that you’d probably never have heard of it.”

“Try us,” the male said.

He shrugged. “I’m from a nation called the United States of America,” he replied.

“A-mare-ica? Is that a pony nation?” the female asked.

Gregory shook his head. “No, it’s a human nation.”

“And what in Gaia are those?” the male asked, pointing to the vehicle that Gregory had called a truck.

“Ah, yeah,” Gregory said as he slowly stood and walked over to the truck. He placed his hand on it as he said, “This is called an automobile,” Gregory explained patiently. “It lets me travel long distances in a much shorter time than if I were to walk. This type of automobile is called a truck. And this,” he added while walking over to the white house on wheels, “is a camper. It’s like a miniature home I can take anywhere.”

The two looked at each other while still hovering in the air. There seemed to be an unspoken exchange between them before the two landed again, although not before looking to make sure they weren’t about to step in vomit. “Listen, Mr. Graystone,” the male watch member said, “you’re not in any trouble yet, but we’d like you and this female here to come with us to answer some questions.”

Gregory nodded. “I understand,” he said. “Could you give me a bit to grab a few things before we go, though?” He pointed back to the truck. “I want to take a few things I don’t want taken.”

“If you’re worried about that, one of us can remain behind to keep watch over these vehicles,” the female said.

“Wait, I hear somegryphon else flying over,” the male said, head cocked.

Sure enough, two other members of the watch approached and landed next to them, wings bristling a bit as they settled down. Gabby saw that these two were two larger males, the taller one speaking up quickly. “What’s going on here? What is this creature and what are these vehicles here?” After listening to the four of them giving the explanation once more, he nodded, then turned to Gregory and Gabby. “My partner and I will watch over your vehicle, while these two-” he gestured to the male and female, “-will escort you and this female to Gryphonstone. Like they said, neither of you are in trouble, but we need to investigate what has happened.”

“I understand,” Gregory said, “and I’m grateful that you’ll watch over my truck and camper. I was just about to grab a few things before I left. I’d also like to move my truck and camper to a safer location. Is that okay?”

“Very well,” the taller male nodded.

Gregory went to the truck and pulled out a larger bag which he slung onto his back. It looked like it was full as it bulged out a bit. He placed it on the ground, then got into the truck, shutting the door. A strange roaring noise was suddenly heard coming from the truck, a sound that resembled a roaring creature. Then, to the astonishment of everygryphon there, the truck actually began to move. It moved forward then turned slowly to the right. About five minutes later, Gregory came out of the vehicle, having moved his truck and trailer further away from the cliffside and onto a flatter surface of grass. When he came back up, he asked, “Is there a bridge that would be safe for my truck and trailer to cross?”

“Not nearby,” the larger male said.

“Damn,” Gregory said. “Well, that’s a problem for later.” He turned and walked back to the vehicle, going to the back and opening a hatch that Gabby didn’t even know was there. He climbed into the back and rummaged through his belongings before he pulled out a large white suitcase with a red symbol on it that looked like a lower case T with equal sides. A plus sign, she believed it was called by ponies. He opened it up, pulled out several items, and began to treat himself. He winced in pain as he poured some liquid onto the bleeding cuts, then he wiped the cuts before covering them in bandages.

When he was ready, he locked the doors of his car, slung his bag over his shoulder, and the four of them left the scene, leaving the two male watch members behind, Gabby fell into step with Gregory as the two first watch members lead them towards the Abyss. Since Gregory couldn’t fly over, Gabby and the two watch members carried him and his largerbag across, landing him gingerly on the pathway towards the former capital of the Imperium.

When they were out of sight of the truck and camper, Gabby heard Gregory fumbling around with the smaller pack, which he had slid around so it was on his chest. Looking up, she saw he was reaching inside. “Gregory? What are you doing?”

He looked down at her. “Well, when I was down there in that canyon, I saw something that really caught my eye. Here, have a look.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a large and very familiar golden object, a spiral wing surrounding a glowing pink sphere both placed on a pedestal. Gregory held it up to the sunlight, letting it see the light of day. It glistened in the sunlight and despite having been lost for centuries, it hadn’t lost its golden sheen.

“The Idol of Boreas…” Gabby gasped in awe.

This caught the attention of the two watch members, who stopped and turned around. Their eyes both widened as they too approached. “Where…did you get that?” the female asked, eyes as wide as saucers.

“It was sitting on the ledge where I landed,” Gregory explained. “In fact, I landed my butt right on top of it.”

The three gryphons slowly approached, gaping in wonder at the long-lost Idol of Boreas. Even Gabby stared in wide eyed astonishment as she approached. All eyes were locked onto the glowing crystal, which swirled from within with what could only be described as mists of pink and purple clouds. The three gryphons all stared at the Idol, unblinking and unmoving for the longest time.

Gabby reached out slowly, mouth agape, and touched it before anyone else could speak. It was warm to the touch, and she felt a swelling of pride the moment she did touch it. Her wings sprang up and she felt a wave of something wash through and over her, banishing all of her exhaustion. For the first time in her entire life, she felt like a true gryphon, like the gryphons of old. At least, that’s what she assumed it was in the moment. It felt amazing, and she stood taller than she had ever done.

The watch members came forward and they too reached out, touching the Idol that was still in Gregory’s hand. Gabby could tell that they, too, felt the same power flow through them the moment they touched it.

Gregory looked at them with confusion as he backed away. “Um…are you okay?”

And with that, the hypnotic spell was broken, but not the results. All three gryphons felt new life within them, a new sense of pride and not the foolish pride that had fallen onto all gryphonkind throughout Gryphonia. Gabby approached him. “Gregory, do you realize what this is?!”

“Um…you said something about an Idol of Boreas?” he asked, seemingly confused. “Is that important?”

“It’s only the most important artifact in the history of our species!” Gabby nearly shrieked with excitement, her wings fluttering behind her.

“We need to get this back to the Eyrie immediately!” the female watch member said.

“Well, if this is a piece of your people’s culture, then here you go,” Gregory said, holding it out for the watch members to take.

To Gabby’s surprise, the other two gryphons actually recoiled from it. “No,” the female said, then he pointed at Gregory. “You’ll have to come with us to the Eyrie, now. Again, you’re not under arrest, but you found the Idol. It’s your duty to place it back where it belonged.”

Gabby remembered the old tales about the Idol now, and one of them did state that if anygryphon were to actually find it, they had a duty to bring it back to the Eyrie, the former imperial palace of the Emperor, and place it back on the pedestal. “He’s not a gryphon, though,” the female said, not with anger, but with confusion.

“Oh yeah…you’re right,” the male said, gaining a thoughtful look in his eyes. “And he technically doesn’t have to give it back to us.”

“You can have it back,” Gregory said, “I don’t have use for it.”

“What about for money?” the female asked. “Couldn’t you sell it?”

“Yeah, if I wanted to be a greedy bastard about it,” he said plainly. “It’s not mine, so it should be taken back to this Eyrie you mentioned, but I don’t know the way.”

“We’ll escort you, sir,” the female said, and Gabby noted the new tone of respect that she had in her tone.

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.” He then paused and looked at the two watch members closer. “I didn’t catch your names.”

“I’m Garson,” the male said, before gesturing to the female, “and this is Gretyl.”

“Garson, Gretyl, nice to meet you,” Gregory said, “and thank you for showing me to the Eyrie.”

The two watchgryphons straightened and put their closed fists on their chests. “It’s an honor to help the Bearer of the Idol,” Garson said.

Gregory looked confused by this, but simply nodded. Turning to Gabby, he said, “Will you come with me?”

She nodded, a wide smile on her face. “I’m not missing this!” she declared.

He chuckled a bit nervously, then turned to Garson and Gretyl. “I’m ready to go.”

As the four of them walked up to Gryphonstone, Gabby looked up at the human. His skin did look a lot healthier than it had, and there was more color in it. He held the Idol in his less injured hand while keeping his other one underneath the pedestal. She inwardly smiled at the reverence he was showing the Idol, but noted that he had a somewhat worried look on his face. “Are you sure you’re okay, there?” she asked.

Gregory looked down at her, smiling. “I’m feeling better, I promise,” he said. “I guess I’m just worried.”

“About what?” she asked.

“About what’s going to happen to me next,” he admitted. He chuckled a bit nervously. “I don’t have any money for a place to stay, and I can’t get to my truck without help. Truthfully, I was hoping that the portal would drop me off somewhere else.”

“Where?” Gabby asked.

“Equestria,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to see it. Especially this one town called Ponyville.”

“Oh…” For reasons she didn’t quite understand, Gabby felt sad. She’d just made a brand-new friend, and she didn’t want him to go. Then again, once he saw what Gryphonstone looked like, she wouldn’t blame him for wanting to leave. “I know somegryphon who’s been to Ponyville before,” she said, “and I’ve been there a few times.”

“Really?” Gregory asked eagerly as he turned to her. She was surprised to see the excitement in his eyes. “What’s it like?”

“It’s pretty quiet,” she said. “Clean, very clean, too. The ponies there are pretty nice to me when they see me, although there was that one time that Gilda went. They were scared of me for a bit afterwards…”

Gregory’s lips curled into a strangely knowing smile which vanished the moment she saw it. “Well, I’ve wanted to meet the Elements of Harmony for a while, now,” he said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about them, and I wanted to say hi to them all.” His smile faded and he sighed sadly. “The only money I have isn’t worth shit here, I’m sure of it.”

“Really? What kind of money?” Goldy asked.

Gregory reached once more into his smaller back, opened it and pulled out a leather bound object, which he opened. He took out a few pieces of green paper and some coins from a smaller leather pouch, holding them up. “These.”

Gabby took and looked at the strange money curiously. There was writing on them and pictures of other strange looking humans on them. She could read the letters, and the coins and paper had an unusual feeling to them. When she gave them back and after he put them away, Gabby said, “I…could give you some talons.” She couldn’t hide the reluctance from her voice.

Gregory shook his head. “Gabby, as much as I’d love to see Equestria, I’d prefer to earn my way there, not just take advantage of you when we’ve just become friends.”

In response to that, the gem on the idol brightened, then returned to its normal glow. Gabby stared at it with awe once again, then looked back at her new friend. “I don’t know if we can get together some gryphons to help move your truck thing and trailer over to Gryphonstone,” she said, “but I can ask around later.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said, “but let’s get this Idol of Boreas back to where it belongs.”

She nodded, then pointed ahead to the city gates. “We’re here.”

Once the four passed through the Golden Wing Gate that led into Gryphonstone, many gryphons began to take notice of them, especially to what Gregory held in his hands. They all stared at it in wonder, and Gabby saw similar reactions to how she felt the moment she touched it. Soon, the streets that lead to the Eyrie were crowded with gryphons trying to get a glimpse of the idol itself. Gabby hid a smirk when she saw even Gilda, one of the crabbiest of gryphons, staring at the Idol. The crowd grew so thick that Gabby suggested to Gregory that he hold it up so that the gryphons could see. He did just that.

The streets got so crowded after Gregory started holding the Idol up that Garson went to gather more of the city watch, who helped keep the crowds of gryphons at a short distance so as not to crush the human and his entourage. They almost pushed Gabby away, but Gregory interjected for her, insisting that she stay by his side. Gabby heard murmurs among the crowds, calling him the Idol Bearer or just the Bearer, for the most part.

It took them over an hour, but eventually they made it to the dilapidated Eyrie, Gabby never leaving Gregory’s side. He looked nervous as they walked up a flight of wide but winding stairs that led towards the old and abandoned throne room at the top of the Eyrie itself. After a while, the guards, Gregory, Gabby and a large crowd of gryphons were in the room. The latter piled around, forming a circle around the purple tree stump where the idol had once sat.

When the crowd had settled down, all eyes turned to the human. Gabby could tell that even he felt very out of place and fearful, so she stood on her hind legs and put a comforting claw on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” she said reassuringly. “Go ahead.”

“This is all happening way too fast,” he said, but swallowed and straightened his back. Turning to Gabby, he gave her a warm smile. “Thanks, Gabby.” With that, he turned back to the Idol’s stand, walked over to it, and knelt before it. He brushed away the few fungi that were growing out of it, wiping it clean with his sleeve before he placed the Idol down on the trunk. Standing, he took a step back and watched with the rest.

For about ten seconds, nothing happened. The Idol’s pink gem kept on glowing with the inner clouds moving in a spherical motion. Then, there was a bright flash of light from the Idol. It illuminated all the room, and later Gabby would learn that the light shone out of the Eyrie across all of Gryphonia. Anygryphon who saw it or was even bathed in its light felt renewed sense of pride. That day, every gryphon in the continent and even the world stood just a little bit taller, regardless of station or how wealthy or poor they were.

The light lasted for about a minute before it slowly dimmed, leaving the Idol standing where it was, albeit with a bit of wood having grown around the Idol, keeping it in place. Directly next to it, there was a golden crown, a golden sash with a gryphon emblazoned on a pin, and a simple gold ring, gemless and markless.

There was silence in the former throne room, gryphons looking around at gryphons, all wondering what was to be done now that the idol was back and the kingly accoutrements had reappeared after King Guto vanished from Gryphonstone with his family across the Hyperborean Mountains.

Everygryphon had one question on their minds: What now?

1: First Adjustments

Friday, September 24, 1007 A.L. Gryphonstone, Gryphonia

Gregory opened his eyes as he woke to the alarm on his phone. Blearily, he slowly sat up and looked around. The sun was coming in through his now eastern facing window of his trailer. Gregory could only smile as he reached up and turned off the alarm. Pulling the blankets off of him, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and stretched. He’d had a very strange and long day yesterday.

He could remember pretty much everything that happened ever since he’d driven through the portal from Earth to Equestria. The way he’d felt after leaving the truck before nearly tumbling to his death. His finding of the Idol of Boreas. His rescue by the last being he’d expected to see. His returning of the Idol to the Eyrie. The large group of gryphons who had volunteered to carry his truck and trailer to a patch of grassy land near the Eyrie afterwards. Then there was the massive celebration throughout the entire city. Which, to his human ears, sounded like it was still going on.

“When it’s time to party, gryphons party hard,” he sang as he stood and arched his back, hearing some popping as he did so. He went to one of the small cupboards in his trailer and opened it, looking in for something to quickly eat for breakfast. Grabbing a couple slices of bread along with an unopened summer sausage, he put some peanut butter on each slice before slicing up a good portion of sausage. After that, he grabbed a small bottle of water from one of the packs he’d purchased, stepped out of his trailer, then grabbed his camping chair and sat down in the early summer/early autumn morning, eating and drinking his fill. He connected his phone to a speaker and began listening to some light music.

His truck and trailer, now unhitched, were sitting in a large field of grass that sat near the Eyrie. There were several trees surrounding the undeveloped property on which he now lived, and the grass was pretty much dead save for a few weeds here and there. The air was cool, but had the distinctive odor of the city itself. Not a very pleasant smell, but not as bad as he’d anticipated after he’d seen that one episode of the show set in Gryphonstone. A part of it was staked off as it was going to be the site of a new well according to Gabby.

Gregory further recalled the events of the day before as he ate his unusual breakfast in silence. He had spent a few hours the afternoon the day before setting things up, including several powerful solar panels on the roof and ground where they’d receive the most sunlight. To his surprise, they worked better than expected, and he was cautiously optimistic that he would have electrical power for a while.

Gabby was there to help him every step of the way despite not knowing anything about the strange technology he had. Still, she’d been eager to try and help, so he asked her to do some cleaning and dusting inside the trailer despite him already having done that before he opened the portal and stepped through. After he had finished, she’d dragged him to the citywide party that had sprung up thanks to the return of their Idol.

As he was finishing up his breakfast, he heard the flapping of wings from nearby. Looking up, he saw that Gabby was coming down towards him. She looked tired, but still had a happy smile on her face as she landed near him. Looking at the speaker, she pointed at it. “Is that thing playing music?” she asked.

Gregory nodded, then paused said music. “Yeah,” he replied. “I’m just enjoying the morning. How’re you doing?”

Gabby walked over and sat next to Gregory on the ground, then lay down very much like a cat in a loaf position. “Ugh…I am exhausted,” she said. “I’ve never partied so hard in my life.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, sister,” Gregory chuckled as he took a sip of water.

She yawned, stretched in a catlike way, then stood up and looked over at the truck. Looking back at him, she asked, “What’s all in that truck of yours, anyway?”

“Clothes for all weather, plenty of toiletries, my electronics and means to keep them charged, plenty of food that I know is safe for me to eat, and several gifts I was hoping to give to a few individuals I’ve heard about along with a few other things.” Gregory said as he stared at the truck with her. “I wonder if Twilight will be interested in the books I brought on my ebook readers?” he muttered to himself happily. Turning to Gabby, he smiled. He was glad that out of anyone he could have met in Gryphonstone, she’d been the first. “I can’t thank you enough for getting enough gryphons to help move my stuff, Gabby. I was fully prepared to stay out in that field, you know.”

She waved her claws, smiling widely. “Hey, you found and brought back our Idol!” she said happily. “It’s the least I could do!” She then paused, then spoke up again. “Wait, you said food you knew was safe to eat. Was it okay for you to eat food from the party yesterday?” She had a worried look on her face.

Gregory smiled. “Well, I’m an omnivore,” he said, “and we can eat a lot. The foods at the stalls were all hot and prepared well, and they were food products I know I can eat, so I was pretty sure I was safe. The water, though…now that I’m not sure if I could drink some of it without getting sick.” He shuddered. “Some looked clean enough, but I didn’t want to risk catching some disease that I haven’t had before.”

Gabby frowned a bit. “So, what happens when that water you brought with you is gone?” she asked.

He had considered that when he’d packed everything for his trip. “I have a few things with me that can purify water relatively well,” he said, “and I think I saw some faucets that were actually spraying clear-ish water. Then there’s that new well nearby that should have clean enough water I think. Oh, and didn’t I see a lake down below next to a small town?”

“Gryphonville,” Gabby said, “and yes, they do have a nice lake. I’ve gone swimming there in summertime when I have days off. It’s really clear and cold.”

“I’ll have to go down there and test it out to see if I can-wait, you said it was cold?” he asked, interrupting his own thoughts.

“Well, yeah,” Gabby said. “It gets filled up by this ice-cold waterfall.”

“Huh…sounds like it could be snowmelt,” Gregory said, thinking. He looked back at Gabby. “For now, I should be okay with the water and other drinks I have. And you said that it snows here pretty heavily?”

“Yeah?”

“I could collect a lot of that, melt it, and keep it in my discarded water bottles,” he said. “Same with rainwater.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Gabby said.

Gregory gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to the sounds of the gryphons partying it up still. “Hey, on another note, is that normal?” he asked, pointing towards the party sounds.

Gabby, chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah…no it’s not,” she said. “The only real time we’re ever celebrating anything is the Blue Moon Festival during the winter.”

Gregory nodded. He knew about that episode from season eight, of course. He’d actually thought he’d seen Gallus the night before, but the gryphon had disappeared before he could get a closer look. “Your kind must really care deeply about that Idol,” he said as he stood and stretched.

“We might not have said it to outsiders, but we all reeeeally wanted to see the Idol returned to the Eyrie,” Gabby said as she yawned again. “Excuse me.”

“You said you were off today, right?” Gregory asked.

“I doubt anygryphon’s gonna be able to work today, especially after the hangovers,” Gabby giggled.

Gregory nodded in understanding. Their ale was surprisingly good, and it didn’t have the taste of alcohol he expected. In fact, it had a fruity taste with a spice to it like a Pibb Xtra. It was even fizzy, which further surprised him. “Good thing we didn’t drink too much, then,” he chuckled. He had felt the effects after a mug and a half, so he had cut back, not wanting to get too drunk.

“Hey, speaking of food and drinks again,” Gabby said, “what can you eat?”

“Oh, a good deal,” he said, “although I did notice some things last night that I couldn’t eat.”

She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a pencil and paper. “Could I get a list of things you can or can’t eat?”

A few hours later, the human and gryphon duo were finishing up a conversation inside Gregory’s trailer. Gabby explained that she wanted to know as much as she could about his diet so that she could recommend things to him that wouldn’t make him sick or worse, kill him. He explained as much as he could to her, at least about his own dietary requirements. He thankfully had no allergies and wasn’t much of a picky eater. As long as he got a healthy diet of cooked meat, dairy vegetables, fruits and the other basic food groups, he would be okay.

“So, you’re more like us than I thought,” Gabby said as she closed her notebook after the long discussion had finally come to a close. She slipped it back into her.

“Omnivores, you mean?” Gregory asked.

“Yeah, that!” Gabby said.

“Well, aren’t gryphons a mix of eagle and lion?” he asked.

However, the moment he did, he knew it was the wrong thing to say, because Gabby’s smile quickly vanished and she put her talon to his mouth, startling him. “Don’t go around saying that,” she said in a low voice. “If anygryphon heard that, you’d be thrown back into the Abyss.”

He swallowed nervously. “Is it really that bad?” he asked once she removed her talon from his mouth.

Gabby nodded. “It’s a racial slur around here to call anygryphon either eagle or lion,” she explained. “Back before the Idol appeared, gryphons were greedy and vicious. We hoarded our gold and many various gryphon clans fought for control of the land. It was pretty common for the winners to enslave the losers and treat them like chattel.”

This got Gregory’s attention. “My God…”

She nodded. “They were called cruel names, but calling them eagle and lion was the worst. It basically means that if you were an eagle, all you were good for was hard labor. If you were a lion…well…you were just there to pleasure your masters with your lion half. Male or female.”

“That’s fucking disgusting!” Gregory shouted.

Gabby nodded, looking down at the table with a sigh. “Even after the Idol fell, we never forgot that part of our history. It’s just…too horrible to forget.”

Gregory leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. This may have been his camper, but everything outside of it looked as real to him as if it had been reality itself, unlike the show which only really showed flash animation versions of the characters. “I don’t blame you,” he said. “And it’s a good thing that you didn’t forget. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, anyway. Sorry I said something so insensitive.”

Gabby looked at him with a sad smile. Getting up and putting her claw on his shoulder, she said, in a small voice, “It’s alright. You didn’t know. But now you do.”

“I’m gonna have to learn more about your culture if I’m gonna be living here for a while,” he admitted.

“Then I’m your gryphon!” Gabby said, instantly smiling wide again.

He smiled. “Glad to hear it. So…where should we start, anyway?”

Lunch came and went, consisting of a couple cans of soup that Gregory had shared with Gabby after heating it up on the small flattop stove that came with the camper. She’d been a huge fan of it, but had told him that he shouldn’t give out that food so readily since he might need it. At around one that afternoon, the streets had actually cleared enough that Gabby said they could go out after all.

After they left and while Gregory was locking up his truck and his camper, Gabby’s eyes went wide. “I have an idea where you can work!” she said excitedly.

“Oh yeah? Lead on, then,” Gregory said, following her out into the early afternoon.

The sun was just making its way to the west. The weather was cool and reminded Gregory of early fall. He’d found out the day before that, oddly enough, the day of the week and the date were identical to when he’d left Earth, September 16th. He’d been surprised that the names of the calendar months were identical between worlds, although the year, 1007 Anno Luna, was strange to him. It had been 2027 for him when he’d left Earth. Not only that, but the lunar cycle seemed to match perfectly as well. He had no idea where in the timeline he was, although he suspected it was before The Lost Treasure Of Griffonstone since he’d found the Idol of Boreas.

As he followed Gabby down the street, he went over things in his mind. At the very least, he guessed that he’d arrived before Celestia and Luna both retired and Twilight took over rule of Equestria, especially since Gabby referenced the two as ruling the kingdom during their talk about gryphon cultural. Where in the timeline of the show he was, however, was still a mystery. It was definitely after Twilight moved to Ponyville, however.

Despite the party practically ending around him, many gryphons stopped and stared at him, wide eyed with either astonishment or gratitude. He would wave at them before rejoining Gabby, who couldn’t help but smile at the various interactions between Gregory and other gryphons.

At one point, they passed a small cart full of untouched scones. Gregory stopped and stared in wonder at the gryphon female who was just sitting there, a surprisingly grumpy expression on her face. It was surprising to him since the majority of gryphons he’d seen that day were in lighter spirits. Gabby noticed him staring and came up beside him. “Don’t mind Gilda,” she said softly, “She’s always been one sourpuss.”

Gregory looked around. There were other carts near her own, but they were either nearly empty of products or were completely out. Only Gilda’s was empty. The scones he saw were a bit more than brown, with a few sticks in them. When he saw this, he grew confused. Had he come back farther in time than he thought? Had the Cutie Map not yet sent Pinkie and Rainbow Dash to Gryphonstone? If it had, it would have explained why the Idol of Boreas hadn’t fallen deeper into the ravine.

Too late he realized he’d been staring at Gilda, who had noticed him by now and was glaring back at him. “You got a problem?” she asked in the very same voice he’d remembered.

“Oh, my bad,” Gregory said apologetically, “I just spaced out.”

“Well, now you can peace out,” she said, pointing down the street. It might have been his imagination, but her gruff behavior did seem a bit more subdued than he remembered from the episodes featuring her.

“Yeah, will do,” he said, turning back and following Gabby back down the road. Once they were out of earshot, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s a real ray of sunshine.”

“Don’t let her get you down,” Gabby said. “She doesn’t mean it most of the time. I did see her at least buy some of the grog during the celebration last night.”

“That was some really good shit,” he admitted, “and I normally don’t drink much.”

“If there’s anything that’s kept clean in Gryphonstone, our bars are,” Gabby said. “At least, they always are when I deliver mail to the ones on my route. They also have some of the cleanest water available, for a price though.”

“Hmm, I see,” he said thoughtfully. He’d hardly been in this world, Gaia, an entire day and already he was learning so much more about the world than had ever been shown in the show. He had to remind himself that this world was actually a world, not just some cardboard cutout perfect set piece on a screen for little girls. There was alcohol, there had been darker times in the past, and of course, during the celebration the night before, he could have sworn he saw a few gryphons actually getting frisky in an alleyway. An alleyway he quickly fled from so as not to interrupt.

Of course, the more he did think, the more he realized that even in the show, there had been events shown that would be considered dark. The pre-reunification Equestria, King Sombra, Tirek, Chrysalis, even Cozy Glow and Neighsay were grim reminders of the less than perfect side of the world. Still, he couldn’t help but be excited to be on Gaia. He had nothing back on Earth anymore. He’d left behind a less than stellar family, a cheating ex-girlfriend, his former coworkers who shat all over him because of his work ethic, rising gas prices, a climate disaster, insane world leaders going to war over stupid shit and so much more. Had he not gotten incredibly lucky and been left a large sum of money some years before, he would still be on Earth.

“Hey, we’re here,” Gabby said, interrupting his thoughts as they made their way towards a larger thatched roofed building. Gregory paused and looked up. It was two stories, looked old and a bit unstable, had plenty of windows on all sides he read the words Gryphonstone Post Office.

Turning down to Gabby, he smirked. “You sneaky gryphon. This is where you work, isn’t it?”

She chuckled. “Yep! I know we can use mail sorters and delivery mailgryphons like me. We’re always a bit short staffed.”

“Well, I could probably do sorting well enough,” Gregory admitted, “but delivery? I don’t know if you noticed, but I can’t fly.” He pointed to his back, showing his lack of wings. “Humans don’t have wings or magic.”

“Well, let’s go talk to my supervisor!” Gabby said, quickly heading into the building. Gregory chuckled and followed close behind her. He figured this would get interesting really fast.

“So…you’re the stranger who returned our Idol to us,” the post office supervisor, an older gryphon male named Gus said a few minutes later in his office. Gabby and Gregory were both seated in stools at Gus’ desk, which was a repurposed old stump like most other tables were in Gryphonstone. Gus was a dark gray furred gryphon with white feathers and orange eyes. He had a few scars on his right arm which his fur covered decently enough, but not completely. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Wouldn’t you be off celebrating?”

“Well, even humans need to sleep sometimes,” Gregory said. “And we need work, too. Gabby here was kind enough to suggest I apply for a job here.”

“Is that right?” Gus asked, looking at Gabby with a raised eyebrow.

“He’s hoping to get enough talons to go traveling,” Gabby explained.

“Aaah, so you won’t be here long, then,” Gus said, sounding a bit disappointed.

Gregory felt a bit badly now. At his old job back on Earth, he knew the pain of being short staffed and had most of the time worked longer than his scheduled shifts so the store he worked in wouldn’t be behind. “Well, I’ll probably be here a bit longer than you’re thinking,” he said. “I can’t exactly move all of my stuff with me. My vehicle doesn’t have the fuel needed to get to where I’d like to visit. Plus, it’s not a boat. So, if you did hire me, I’ll be here for a pretty long while.”

“Hmm…I see,” Gus said. “And I take it that you can’t provide any references?”

“Not anymore,” he said. “All my references are permanently out of reach. And they were all dicks anyway.”

Gus threw back his head and roared in laughter. “We’re all dicks here, Mr. Graystone,” he said with clear amusement in his tone. “Well, if you’re really serious about working for the post office, you’re in luck. One of our main sorters just quit a week or so ago and moved out of the city. We’ve been running ragged since then. Can you quickly sort out addresses and place them in their proper slots so our mailgryphons can deliver them to the proper houses?”

“I can learn easily enough,” Gregory said. “I can read pretty fast.”

“Eh, I’m desperate enough, I won’t deny it. That’s good enough for me. When can you start?”

“Can I start, say, in…” Gregory thought for a moment. He did want a job, but he was still coming to terms with coming to this world in the place that he had, so he wanted some time to adjust. “…a week?”

“Ah, need time to adjust to living in Gryphonstone?” he asked. When Gregory nodded, Gus smiled. “That sounds good to me. Does the morning shift work for you? It’s six in the morning to two thirty in the afternoon, with a forty five lunch every fifth hour. You’ll be working in the sorting room, looking through mail and placing them in the proper slots. The pay is thirty talons per shift for the first three months, and after that it goes up to forty.”

Gregory had no idea how much a talon was worth when compared to his old world’s currency, but he counted his blessings. The citizens of Gryphonstone had told him that the plot of land where his camper and truck were wasn’t owned by anyone so he could stay there as long as he needed. He knew he had the time to figure out what money was worth in this world. After all, Ponyville wasn’t going anywhere. “Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal, boss,” Gregory said, extending his hand.

Gus nodded, shaking Gregory’s hand with his claw. “Be here bright eyed and bushy tailed in a week,” he said. “I’ll have Griselda teach you the ropes.”

“I look forward to it,” Gregory said. “Thank you, sir.”

“Hey, you saved our Idol,” he said, “it’s the least I could do. See you in a week!”

“I’ll be here,” Gregory said as he stood along with Gabby. “See you then.”

“See you two later,” he said, then he went back to his desk, reading over a small stack of papers.

“My luck is going through the roof,” Gregory said a few minutes later as he and Gabby walked down the still somewhat crowded main thoroughfares towards the city marketplace to go shopping. “I honestly wasn’t expecting things to go this well so soon.”

Gabby smiled widely. “I’m really happy for you,” she said sincerely as she hovered next to him while they took a turn to head up to one of the upper levels of the city itself.

“Helped Gryphonstone without meaning to, partied harder than I ever have, and now I have a job and a plot of land where I can stay until and unless I need to find something more permanent,” he said with a happy smile. “If I keep on smiling, my face is gonna be stuck like this.”

Gabby giggled. “You’ve got a nice smile! I’d hate to see it go away.”

Gregory chuckled. “Well, I can’t smile all the time, but for this moment, I don’t think I can stop.” He began humming a fast paced song, a pep in his step, then began singing, “Yeah I own this beat! You can call me the king or the ruler, felon on base, getting hoarse at the mic! We’re getting twenty percent cooler! We had a great day out! Calling my name like Ferris Bueller! It’s time to wrap this up! We’re getting twenty percent cooler!”

“What song is that?” Gabby asked. “We don’t sing here. It’s illegal.” She pointed to a sign that had a crossed-out image of a singing gryphon with musical notes coming from their mouth.

“Oh, my bad, sorry,” Gregory said. He’d nearly forgotten about that rule. “How come singing isn’t allowed?”

Gabby shrugged. “You’d have to ask Grandpa Gruff about that. He’s the closest thing we have to a ruler here.”

“I’ll go have a talk with him when I can,” Gregory said. Just then a thought occurred to him. “Wait a moment, I heard some gryphons singing last night!”

Gabby paused for a bit, then she nodded in agreement. “You’re right, so did I,” she said with a grin. “Well, we had reason to sing last night!” The two laughed as Gabby took one more turn into a large wide street. He stopped and gaped at what he saw before him. “Here we are! Welcome to Gryphonstone Marketplace!” Gabby said.

Gregory took in the entire street before him. The streets were cobblestone, much like every other street he’d seen so far. On each side of the street were large and small food carts, each selling various types of foodstuffs and even non-food items. He saw large slabs of raw meat surrounded by a few flies, cheese wheels, various fruits, large bowls of what looked like wriggling worms, baskets of eggs, jugs of what he could only assume was wine or some kind of alcoholic beverage, cooking utensils, pots and pans, and more. If it hadn’t been for the unsanitary conditions he saw, he might have been salivating. Then again, he noticed that a lot of the foodstuffs like the cheese were covered in paper to keep the flies off. That, and a few gryphons were waving their wings to shoo the flies as well. “Wow,” was all he could say.

“Isn’t it?!” Gabby said excitedly. “I’ve never seen it so packed before! Come on! Let’s get the good stuff before they’re sold out!” So saying, she rushed forward, flying towards the meat section.

Gregory followed, not wanting to seem rude. He was still a bit iffy about the food, but he reasoned that if he cooked the meat long enough in the cast iron skillet he had, he could kill off any germs that were in it. He didn’t know how gryphons could their meat, but the way Gabby licked her lips after being handed a thick slab of meat told him that they could eat it raw or cooked if the previous night’s party was any indication. To his surprise, however, she didn’t just stop at that slab. Instead, she added a few other portions as well, stuffing one side of her saddlebags with meat before heading to grab a basket of fresh eggs. She would have carried it in her beak had Gregory not taken the basket from her and insisted on carrying it for her. They continued shopping, purchasing enough food to last her a couple of weeks at least. They stocked up on somewhat fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and more.

Gabby surprised him by saying that half of this food would be for him and would be paid for by her. He tried to deny it, saying that he had plenty of food, but she insisted, reminding him of the rule of gryphon gift giving he’d learned earlier, which in short stated that if a gryphon offered another a gift, it was considered rude to not accept. So, Gregory accepted gratefully, albeit feeling a bit guilty. Part of him, though, was curious to see if he could cook anything with the food here and he decided to experiment a bit later with it.

Just as they were finishing up, Gregory heard a commotion coming from down the street towards the main intersection. He had just lifted a large paper bag full of bread from where Gabby had just purchased it when the heads of a lot of the gryphons turned their attention down to the east where the street started. Gregory could hear someone talking loudly and with panic in his voice. Curious, he turned to Gabby. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

Gabby flew a bit higher up to look towards the commotion. When she came back down, her face was grave. “It’s Ambassador Geoffrey. He looks pretty upset.”

“You guys have an ambassador?” Gregory asked, surprised at this piece of news. He’d guessed that, judging from the previous way gryphons had acted that they wouldn’t really bother themselves with outsiders as much or even with politics.

“Yeah,” she said. “We haven’t had one for long. I’ll explain the details later. Right now, I wanna hear what he’s doing back so soon. He was trying to get the changelings to relinquish their hold on some territory the gryphons colonized in the Southern Badlands. And he looks injured.”

Gregory’s eyes went wide. “Damn, let’s go see what’s happening, then,” he said, hoisting the bread bag over his shoulder and running down the street towards the gathering crowd of gryphons.

Once he reached the edge of the crowd, he could see an older gryphon who was clearly a bit heavier set than the average gryphon he’d seen. He was wearing a fez and had dark gray claws, very dark brown eye feathers and plume, orange eyes, yellow beak, a light beige set of fur and a darker beige set of wings. One of his claws was in a cast and he cradled it. As they approached, he started to overhear what he was saying. “…their new emperor is ruthless! He isn’t giving back the lands and he stole from us in the Southern Badlands! He did allow the gryphon colonials to come back here, but they don’t have any place to go!”

“What gives him the right to steal from us!?” a proud voice called out angrily.

Geoffrey sighed and shook his head. “He has an army to back him up! We don’t! Besides, if he’s powerful enough to conquer their old queen and successfully invade and subjugate Equestria, then voluntarily leave, we shouldn’t mess with him! Not until we’ve gotten stronger ourselves!”

“What’s this new emperor like?” another random voice called out from the crowd.

“I don’t know,” Geoffrey admitted, “but my sources say he’s bipedal, wears a mask to hide his face, and is very cruel to ponies. Even more so than their old queen!”

“Did you just say someone invaded Equestria?” Gregory called out.

The ambassador finally took notice of the lone human and froze. “What are you?” he asked, suddenly sounding a bit scared.

“He’s the Idol Bearer!” one of the gryphons called out. “He found the Idol yesterday and brought it back to us!”

Geoffrey stared Gregory me with narrowed eyes, then seemed to relax. “Well…it’s good to see some creatures have some common decency even when you didn’t need to.”

“It was the right thing to do,” Gregory said, “but please, what happened to Equestria?”

The ambassador sighed. “This emperor and his brood completely blindsighted the ponies by invading with his army of changelings and taking over the capital, at least for a week or so,” he said. “I don’t have all the details, but apparently this happened very recently.”

“What do you know?” Gregory asked, a knot forming in his stomach and a lump forming in his throat simultaneously.

“I don’t know much,” Geoffrey repeated. “Only that a few weeks ago, the changelings invaded Canterlot, captured the city, the princesses and their national heroes, the Elements of something or other. Then their leader, somecreature calling themselves Emperor Jason Wright, burned down a small town near Canterlot. I mean completely destroyed every building! But he left after that, just leaving the ponies alone. We’ve got to prepare just in case he comes for us next. Who knows what…”

The voice of the older gryphon faded away as Gregory stumbled back in complete stunned silence. The name struck a chord with Gregory. Not because he knew who it was, but because the name was one that could only belong to a human. Gabby saw this and rushed to his side, calling out to him with concern, then fear on her face as she couldn’t get a reaction out of him.

His thoughts were all a jumble as Gabby pulled him out of the street, heading back down towards his camper. He barely noticed what was happening around him as he tried to process this new information. Jason Wright…Jason Wright…it was a human name, or the closest thing to one he’d heard of even in the show. The gryphon names were human enough, but they all seemed to start with the letter G. Then again, he thought, Steven Magnet was a name in the show, too, but it belonged to a sea serpent, not some bipedal creature. It was definitely not a diamond dog’s name, since theirs were typical dog names.

That left him with one conclusion, one he very much didn’t want to believe. Even now, he continued to deny it and thought harder and harder about other possible alternatives to the ever-increasing inevitable truth.

Suddenly, he was keenly aware of being shaken hard. He came back to his senses only to realize that they were in front of his camper. “Gah! What…how’d we get back here?” he asked in a daze.

“Thank Grover!” Gabby said, looking incredibly relieved to hear Gregory actually talk. “We got back ten minutes ago! I’ve been trying to talk to you ever since you heard about that Jason Wright!” She approached and cupped his cheeks with her claws. “Are you alright? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

Gregory shook his head. “No, that’s alright,” he said. “I think I just need to lie down for a bit.” He took out his keys and unlocked the camper door.

“What happened?” she asked worriedly as they walked into the camper. “Why did you space out like that? Do you know something about what Ambassador Geoffrey was saying?”

“I…I don’t really know,” he admitted as he sat on the edge of the bed, “maybe…it’s just the name.”

“What about the name?” Gabby persisted, sitting down on the wooden couch next to him. “Do you know the name?”

“If you’re asking if I know this Jason Wright, no, I don’t know him,” Gregory said. “But it’s just…” He straightened and turned to his new friend. “You know how gryphons have names that start with G and how ponies have names that describe them, like how Princess Luna moves the moon and her name literally means moon?”

“Yeah…I think I do,” Gabby said, then waited for him to speak.

“Well, here’s the thing,” he began, “Jason Wright, the name, wouldn’t seem out of place back where humans exist,” he said. “It sounds like a human name. And…if what Geoffrey is saying is true, then…something terrible must have happened to the ponies I came to see.”

Gabby looked stunned when she heard that the name Jason Wright might belong to a human, but she quickly put a comforting arm around Gregory’s shoulder. “You don’t look so good,” she said softly. “Yeah, good idea to lie down. I’ll be right here if you need anything, okay?” She gently lay him on his bed, then went over to his couch. “Mind if I lie here?”

Gregory nodded silently, and when Gabby lay down on the small couch, he got under the covers, grabbed his sleeping mask, put it on, and shut out the world. Right now, he didn’t want to see anything. Not even the truth.

The truth that he wasn’t the only human in this world.

3: First Stars I See Tonight

Author's Note

This chapter has one of the first semi-major changes.

3: First Stars I See Tonight

Friday, October 29, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

“Okay,” Gregory said as he reached down with a gloved hand to grab at an old corroded metal pipe that had been recently excavated by a small group of gryphons from underneath a demolished home. “First of all,” he began as he held the pipe up for them to see, “we need to replace these lead pipes with something less dangerous.”

One gryphon, the town’s only overworked plumber named Gary, frowned. He stood on his hind legs and put his claws on his hips, something that he’d apparently picked up from Gregory. “And just what’s wrong with the pipes we have?” he asked stubbornly.

Gregory pulled out the small device he carried around with him and turned on the light. Shining it through the pipe, he asked, “What can you see down there?”

Gary approached and looked into the pipe. His frown turned into a scowl. “Hmm…pipe’s corroded inside…there are flakes of pipe material coming off…and-PHEW!” He covered his nose with his claws. “It smells like shit!” That had been another expression several gryphons had learned from him.

“In most human nations, newer constructions use anything but lead pipes for those reasons,” Gregory said as he tossed the pipe aside without a second thought. “You told me that the pipes in the city are at least a hundred years old now? We’re gonna need to overhaul each and every pipe.”

“You’re asking the impossible,” Gary said defiantly. “I’m just one gryphon!”

“I know, and I’m not expecting you to do it on your own,” Gregory said, “but you need to train others on how to do your job. And we need new types of pipes.”

“What kind??” Gary almost shouted. “We don’t have that plastic material you told us about!”

“Copper pipes,” Gregory explained calmly. “They are corrosion resistant and can last decades.”

“Bearer, that’s going to be a problem,” one of the other gryphons, Gertrude, said with a frown.

“How come?” Gregory asked.

“Gryphonia’s only copper mine has been drained dry for the most part,” she explained. “We don’t have copper we can use, and even if the copper mine was full, it’s too far north near the bugbear territory to us even risk a mining operation. Even if we could get the copper we needed, transporting it back would be a monumental task.”

Gregory frowned and stroked the stubble that had been growing on his face. He had not had the time to shave, as he had been busy lately. “Okay,” he muttered, “so copper’s out-”

“Unless we go to the Dragon Lands,” Gary muttered.

That caught Gregory’s attention. “The Dragon Lands…yeah, they would probably have plenty of copper with all that volcanic activity…”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Gavin, one of the other excavators, said with a shake of his head. “It would be seen as desperate on our part to go asking the dragons to mine in their territory.”

“I’ve got news for you, Gavin,” Gregory said with an unamused smile, “we are desperate. Good plumbing is needed to help prevent disease from spreading as rapidly as it has.”

“We could ask Crystalia,” Gabby, who had been helping excavate the old plumbing in this property, suggested. “I thought I heard that they have their own unique ways of using plumbing.”

Gary frowned. “They use magic of some sort,” he explained, “and magic is weaker here than it is in, say, Equestria or Crystalia. And not to mention that the few bits of plumbing we do have are older than anygryphon here.”

Gregory nodded in understanding. “Well, this isn’t my decision, but I really would recommend a trade agreement with the Dragon Lands,” he said. “Maybe there’s a dragon over there who knows where we can find some copper.”

“What about that council I keep hearing about?” Gertrude pondered.

“That’s just a rumor,” Gavin said dismissively.

“It would be nice if it’s true,” Gabby said.

“Sure it would,” Gavin agreed, “but like I said, it’s a rumor.”

“Let’s get back on topic, everyone,” Gregory said. “My point is, lead pipes are much worse in the long run than copper pipes.”

Gary picked up the discarded lead pipe and made a face. “Okay, yeah, I see your point, but like I said, we don’t have enough copper. What do you want me to do, shut down what little plumbing we have?”

“Hmm…” Gregory stood and thought. He didn’t know much about plumbing aside from the little bit that he’d researched back on Earth before coming to Gaia, as he now knew the planet to be called. He had a fully downloaded copy of Wikipedia that he’d downloaded to a flashdrive back home along with an app on his phone called Kiwix which had all of Wikipedia downloaded to it. He looked up the plumbing section and skimmed through it. He saw mention of brass, but when he looked that up, he saw the same problem.

“Finding anything interesting on that little gadget of yours?” Gertrude asked teasingly.

“Nothing useful,” Gregory admitted as he put his phone away. “I’ll look through the information I have later and see if I can find another way to upgrade the plumbing.” He then stopped and began sniffing the air curiously.

“Gregory? What is it?” Gabby asked, wondering what he was smelling. She tried inhaling as well, but didn’t smell anything new.

“Rain’s coming soon,” he said, “so we should get these pipes out before we start to get wet.”

“How in tartarus do you know we’re gonna get rain soon?” Gertrude asked as they resumed digging out the damaged and corroded lead pipes.

Gregory looked over at the female gryphon and smirked, tapping his nose. “I can smell it.”

Sure enough, half an hour after he’d smelled it coming, rain had begun falling down across the city. It started as a light drizzle, then became a shower. When that happened, the gryphons who had been working on the abandoned neighborhood called it early and dispersed, either to go home or the bars. Most chose the latter, including Gregory, Gabby, Gilda, Gallus, Gertrude, Gavin, and Gary. The latter three had gone to another bar, but had wished the other four a good night.

“Hey, Gregory! I bet I can beat you in an arm-wrestling contest without even using a quarter of my strength!” Gilda shouted.

“Is that right, Gills? Care to put your talons where that beak is??”

“Fifty talons says I beat you in…oh, what’s the phrase I’m looking for? Ah yeah! Ten seconds flat!”

“Oh, it is fucking on!”

Gregory and his companions were all sitting in Gobbler’s Groggery. The Groggery was one of the most popular taverns in Gryphonstone, run by the aforementioned Gobbler, a gray furred, dark green feathered and yellow eyed gryphon female about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Like most taverns and bars in the city itself, this place was bustling with business and one of the cleanest spots in the city. It resembled a typical medieval tavern, with lantern sconces on the walls illuminating the booths where the roaring fire in the main fireplace couldn’t. There were candles

Outside, the shower had become a steady rainfall. After the impromptu library cleanup two weeks before, and having seen that Gregory had started it, the populace had only doubled their efforts to rebuild their homes and clean the streets. Gregory had even seen a few younger gryphons tearing down some of the ridiculous city rule signs, such as the ones depicting the no singing rule. Nobody seemed to care about it anymore, not even the city watch, a handful of whom were actually in the bar currently.

Gabby and Gregory had set aside a few hours each night after their work to help the rebuilding efforts, starting with Gabby’s house, a single person hut. After that, the two moved to help with the restoration or even reconstruction of some abandoned homes for the returning gryphon former colonists from the Southern Badlands. These returning gryphons, now out of work, quickly formed a unit of workers whose sole purpose was to help rebuild and repair the many dilapidated buildings.

“Get your human ass over here and let’s have a duel, then!” a partially drunk and unusually jovial Gilda shouted, holding up her mug fast enough that some of her ale spilled out, splattering on the table and floor around them. “I’m gonna drain you dry!”

“How naughty!” Gregory laughed as he stood fast, sending his chair sprawling onto the floor behind him as he stomped over to the neighboring table where Gilda was drinking with Gallus. When the four had arrived, all the booths had been taken so they’d found two tables, each only able to seat two gryphons, and pushed them together. They’d ordered a round of the best ale along with a platter of fried shrimp and scallops, both freshly imported from the sea.

“Not like that and you know it, fucker!” Gilda sputtered as her cheeks flushed. Either with embarrassment or just from the alcohol flowing through her system, the tipsy Gregory couldn’t tell.

Nor did he care. A challenge had been issued, and he would not let his pride as a human take that. Gallus, who’d been nursing his ale, quickly vacated his seat so that Gregory could sit opposite one of Gryphonstone’s best upcoming scone makers. Gryphonstone’s lone human put his elbow on the table, hand outstretched. “Get that greasy claw over here and let’s do this! I’ll match your bet! Fifty talons says I last against you more than ten seconds.”

“Yeah, right!” Gilda scoffed as she took a long drink from her mug, slamming it on the table where Gabby watched this with some amusement in her eyes. She got prepared, sitting on the chair opposite Gregory and put out her own arm. “You’ll be eating those words!”

“Bring it on!” Gregory roared with a grin as he took Gilda’s claw in his hands. Despite what he’d said earlier, he knew that her claw wasn’t greasy. In fact, it was actually quite smooth and oddly pleasant to hold.

Even though she was drunk and in a competitive mood, Gregory noted that Gilda was still careful not to dig her talons into his hand. A few scabs on his hands had quickly told the gryphons that human skin was a lot softer than a gryphon’s hide, so they’d been trying to be careful around him. But Gregory was tipsy and feeling on top of the world that night. “What, not gonna grip my hand hard enough to win? Your loss, then!”

Gilda’s grip on him tightened instantly and he could feel the painful jab of her talons on his skin. However, he didn’t feel skin being punctured, so he reasoned she was still being careful. “That better for ya?”

“Awww, young love,” Gabby, who was the least drunk out of all of them, still had drunk enough to get loose a bit more, enough to become a tease. “Cute, isn’t it Gallus?”

Gallus rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say,” he said, still trying to maintain his attitude of detached coolness.

Gilda sputtered and glared at Gregory. “You ready for this?”

“Ready for everything you can dish out!” Gregory shouted.

By now, their ranting and raving against each other had gathered a large gryphon crowd, all of whom were watching the two and placing bets on who would win. It fueled Gregory’s pride when he heard most of them betting against him, so he pulled up his shirt and showing off the muscles he’d built up before coming to Equestria. It wasn’t too much when compared to human bodybuilders, but it had been enough for him to keep up. He’d done this and taken a few self-defense classes back on Earth in order to better prepare for the transition to Gaia just in case he found himself somewhere dangerous, like the Everfree Forest.

“Pff, j-just because you have some muscles means nothing!” Gilda sputtered a bit. “Ready whenever you are!”

“Someone give us a countdown!” Gregory said.

Gallus, in a practiced bored tone, began counting down. “Ten, nine…”

“I’m gonna enjoy watching you flip over,” Gilda sneered.

“Eight, seven…”

“Ain’t gonna happen, Gilly,” Gregory replied with a large grin as his grip tightened around her.

“Six, five…”

“I swear, you’re insufferable sometimes!”

“Four, three…”

“Then do something about it, Giggles.”

“Two, one…”

“YAAAH!”

Gilda’s muscles flexed as she put everything she had into the match. Gregory was impressed by the amount of strength she had, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. He leaned to his right and pulled hard against her ironlike vice grip so he would at least last those promised ten seconds. All around the two, the crowd had begun counting as Gregory used all the strength he had just to hold his arm up for at least ten seconds. He’d learned just how strong gryphons could be during his time in Gryphonstone, and it was no joke.

The ten seconds passed by like an eternity, and beads of sweat were forming on Gregory’s brow by the time they eventually did pass. But he had done it. He’d lasted twelve seconds against Gilda, the longest he’d lasted against any gryphon. Still, when those twelve seconds were up, he found himself flung through the air, landing on an empty table and flipping over it. He landed on his front, groaning.

“Gregory!” Gabby’s worried voice shouted as she flew over to his side as a couple other gryphons helped him to his feet, “Are you alright?”

“Whoo! That was the closest I’ve come to flying since coming here!” Gregory said with a laugh as he took a few shaky steps forward. “Thanks guys,” he said, looking at the gryphons who’d helped him up.

“You had me worried!” Gabby shouted, smacking him in the chest with her fist.

“I’m fine, Gabs,” Gregory said reassuringly, stroking her head gently. He turned to a frowning Gilda. “I believe you owe me fifty talons.”

“You got lucky, bitch,” she said with a scowl as she grabbed a bag of talons and tossed them onto the table in front of her.

“That wasn’t luck, that was pure strength!” he laughed as he grabbed the bag, reached in, grabbed a handful of talons and placed them on the counter in front of Gobbler. “Break out the ale! These gryphons are thirsty!”

This got a loud cheer from the gryphons in the tavern as they rushed to the bar to receive their free drink. Gregory returned to his seat and took a seat, grabbing his ale and taking another long drink before placing it back on the table. He was sore all over, and his arm felt like it was on fire, but he was having a really good time.

Gabby rejoined him, a frown on her face. “You do that again and I’ll put worms in your eggs,” she threatened. Ever since she’d learned how Gregory’s stovetop had worked, she would come by and use it to make breakfast using local ingredients. Eggs was one of the staples of their breakfasts together, since they were incredibly delicious with how she made them. She’d given similar threats before, but had never followed through.

Gregory giggled but gave her a salute. “Aye aye, cap’n,” he said, then when she frowned more, he turned a bit more serious. Picking up a shrimp and dipping it in their tartar sauce, he said, “I’ll be careful, Gabs.”

Her expression softened and she smiled a bit. “Good. I don’t like seeing you hurt.” She looked down at the small punctures in his hands where gryphon talons had accidentally punctured him.

He followed her gaze, then chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t either. But it’s all in good fun. After the hard work they’ve been doing all day, they deserve to be a little rough and blow off some steam.”

“They don’t need to do it to you, though,” Gabby said worriedly.

Gregory took another bite of fried shrimp and nodded. “I need to blow off steam too, sometimes,” he said, “and besides, we both had fun. Look!” He pointed over at Gilda who had gotten her somewhat free ale and was drinking it with a scowl. “You’ve never seen a wider smile.”

Gilda glared at him and flipped him off, a gesture she’d learned from him. “Fuck you,” she said with a growl, but without any bite.

He flipped her off right back, laughing. “No, fuck you,” he said.

Gilda’s scowl broke and she finally smirked as she raised her mug. “Here’s to you, you old bastard.”

“Who you calling old?” Gregory asked as he raised his own mug. “Here’s to you though, Grinny. And to the rest of you too!” he said, turning to Gallus and Gabby. “Here’s to three of the quickest friends I’ve ever made in my life!”

“Eh, sure,” Gallus said in a bored tone as he lifted his mug, but Gregory could see a small twinkle in the young gryphon’s eye.

“I’ll drink to that!” Gabby said, raising her mug. And with that, they all took a long swig of their ale.

Gregory put his mug down hard, then leaned back and let forth a long belch, which got him a laugh from the crowd. Feeling suddenly emboldened, he grabbed his nearly empty mug and stood, raising it above him. “And here’s to everyone in this room!” he shouted. “You’ve all been working so hard to rebuild this city, and it’s showing! You’ve all been doing such a fantastic job! Pat yourselves on the back! You’ve earned this! CHEERS!” The crowd went wild as each gryphon raised mugs or glasses to the toast. When they’d all finished drinking, Gregory decided to try one more thing. “Hey, there’s one thing missing from the tavern, barkeep!”

“And wot’s dat, den?” Gobbler asked.

“Drinking songs!” And with that, Gregory stood on his chair and began clapping, a silly grin on his face. “What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor ea-rly in the mornin’?” he began singing. All around him, a few gryphons began tapping the table with their mugs, following along with the beat. Encouraged by this, Gregory continued. “Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

To his surprise, Gabby joined in. She’d heard the song a few times back in camper and had actually liked it. “Shave his belly with a rusty razor! Shave his belly with a rusty razor! Shave his belly with a rusty razor ear-ly in the mornin’!”

Together, the two sang the chorus, standing and bobbing a bit to the beat as more gryphons began hitting their tables with their mugs or clapping. “Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

“Put him in a long boat till his sober! Put him in a long boat till his sober! Put him in a long boat till his sober ear-ly in the mornin’!” Gregory sang as he jumped up onto an empty table and began doing a silly jig as he clapped his hands and stomped his feet to the beat. “Everybody now!”

The tavern full of gryphons began singing the chorus. Some of them might not have been able to hold a tune to save their lives, but nobody cared. “Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

“Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom! Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom! Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom ear-ly in the mornin’!” Gregory sang to the beat that the gryphons were keeping.

The gryphons joined in louder now with the chorus. “Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

Gabby joined him on another nearby table, standing on her haunches and clapping her claws to the beat as the two of them sang, “Put him in the bed with the captain’s daughter! Put him in the bed with the captain’s daughter! Put him in the bed with the captain’s daughter ear-ly in the mornin’!”

“Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

“That's what we do with a drunken sailor! That's what we do with a drunken sailor! That's what we do with a drunken sailor ear-ly in the mornin’!” Gabby and Gregory both sang before pointing to the crowd. “Two more times!” Gregory shouted.

“Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises! Way hay and up she rises ear-ly in the mornin’!”

With that, Gregory jumped off of the table, landing on his feet and stumbling a bit only to be caught by an equally stumbling Gabby. The crowd in the tavern was going nuts, laughing and applauding the impromptu duet between him and Gabby. He sat back down, panting heavily with a large grin on his face. “Whoo! That was fun!” Gallus was staring at him curiously, so he turned to her. “Something on your mind, Gallus?”

“You’re a really strange guy,” he said. “You work hard here, and everygryphon follows your example. You don’t really let things get you down, do you?”

“Hey, even I get sad,” Gregory said as he took a couple scallops and popped them in his mouth. As Gobbler came over and refilled his mug, he continued, “I mean, you know that I learned something that upset me and it took me a while to get over it, but I’m learning to accept it. That, and I can never go back where I come from, so that’s a bit depressing when I think about it.”

Gallus frowned. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Gregory waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’d rather be here in Gryphonstone than back home anyway. Anything’s better than a place where your parents fucking hate your guts and you have a girlfriend who spreads her legs for any guy who shows her the least amount of attention while you work your ass off to provide for the apartment you share. A job that exploits you if you’re good and rewards laziness.”

“Shit, that really sucks,” Gallus said, eyes wide in astonishment.

“Hey, it’s all in the past now!” Gregory said with a wide smile. “I’m in a better place than before! Got three really cool friends! Got a much better job that pays better, at least that’s what I’m assuming since I don’t know how a bit translates to my old currency, but hey! I’m not gonna complain! Money’s money!” He took a swig of his ale again. “Now then, let’s enjoy the night! Hangovers are for pussies!”

[he]

“How the fuck are you still standing?” Gilda asked an hour later as the human and three gryphons walked down the wet streets back towards the residential district. “You had so much!”

Gregory was walking beside Gabby, the latter of whom was pressing herself against him just in case he fell. The rain had stopped and a waxing moon hung in the sky above them. Unlike the one back on Earth, this moon was about three or four times larger in the night sky, but that didn’t stop the stars from shining brightly around it. The constellations were eerily similar to the ones back on Earth, as well. “Heh…I guess I can just hold my liquor,” he boasted.

“Yeah, until you throw up,” Gallus said with a small smirk.

“I actually feel fine, thanks,” Gregory said with a smirk back. “Unlike you, mister Woo The Ladies While Making Yourself Dizzy He Has To Puke Himself! You’re lucky you didn’t throw up on those gryphon ladies!”

Gallus scowled. “Don’t remind me…it was the ale talking, not me.”

“Someone’s got a cruuush,” Gilda snickered in a teasing tone, causing Gallus to blush.

“Oh, shut up, Gilda,” he growled in embarrassment.

“Hey, leave the poor kid alone,” Gregory said with a small smile, putting a hand on Gallus’ head. “Nothing wrong with him trying to find someone to have that special connection with. Besides,” he said, turning to Gallus with a smirk. “Teasing him is my job.”

“Fuck off,” Gallus groaned.

“Hey, could be a chance for you to finally get some action, little dude,” Gregory teased, nudging him with his elbow.

“I’m not a little dude!” Gallus said, face flushed more now.

“Hey, it’s not about the size, it’s how you use it, right ladies?” Gregory asked. That got him the satisfaction of the girls in the group blushing a bit. He couldn’t help himself now. He laughed loudly. “So uptight! Relax, I’m just having fun with y’all!”

Gabby smacked his legs with her backside, glaring up at him with a small smirk slowly forming on her beak. “You’re lucky you’re my friend,” she said.

“Heh, I’ll be quiet now,” he replied.

“Some night, though,” Gilda said, stretching her wings and trying not to fall onto the ground in her tipsy state.

“Hey, everyone’s been working super hard for the past couple of weeks,” Gregory said, “and it’s the weekend, baby! We should be celebrating all we’ve accomplished!”

“Okay, yeah, you’ve got a point,” Gallus said with a somewhat drunken smile. “My body aches in places I didn’t even know had muscles. It felt good to let loose.”

As the group continued, they began walking past a number of now darkened taverns which had closed up. As they approached another alley, they heard the sound of something falling onto the ground from that alley. The group paused and tilted their heads, Gregory putting his hand to his ear to try and get a better sense of what they might have heard. They stood still for a while, listening to the night around them. All he could hear was some dripping water from a few nearby roofs onto the ground, a few crickets chirping and some distant sounds of gryphons talking loudly. They were near a few closed restaurants now, walking passed alleys where they’d placed garbage cans they’d recently made instead of just tossing them into piles as they had before.

After a bit, there was another noise, then they heard what sounded like two voices whispering in the alley, both sounding haggard and angry.

“…ing here,” a voice whispered with frustration in her voice.

“Maybe the next one?” another female voice asked.

“Yeah, maybe,” the first voice said. Then, the group heard the unmistakable sound of hooves clopping softly on the ground.

Instantly, any alcohol induced brain fog lifted as he tensed up, slowly going to his pocket and grabbing a pocket blade he’d brought from Earth. Slowly and quietly, he brought it out and held it just in case. Gabby saw this and looked at him worriedly, but he just gave her a reassuring look.

Gilda, who had taken the lead, came to the edge of the restaurant which led to the alley where the noise was coming from. She peaked around the corner and her wings bristled. She held up a fist, halting them all. Turning to Gregory, she motioned him forward with a quick gesture. He approached, leaving the three concerned gryphons behind. She motioned for him to be silent and only to look.

What he saw stunned him.

There was a strange non-gryphon figure digging around in a dumpster. A pony figure, to be precise. Next to the dumpster was another pony, this one hidden in a hooded cloak. He couldn’t see what exactly the ponies looked like in the dark, but what he could see was that whoever they were, they were gaunt, presumably from lack of food. He watched the ponies carefully. They’d taken no notice of Gilda or Gregory. The pony next to the dumpster walked back and forth with what seemed like an anxious posture. Finally, the first pony came up, “Nothing…damn it…” the first pony whispered.

“Maybe the next alley?” the second voice said.

“Yeah…Celestia-damn it all! I hate this!” the owner of the voice said louder now, no longer whispering. Gregory frowned. He couldn’t be sure, but he felt that there was something unusually familiar about that voice. Something that he’d definitely heard from My Little Pony.

He put his hand on Gilda’s back. “Stay here,” he whispered. She frowned, but took a step back, albeit reluctantly. Gregory walked out, slowly putting his knife away as he approached the pony in the alley. He took a deep breath, then said in a quiet and disarming tone, “Um, excuse me?”

This did little to apparently assuage the ponies, the one who had been in the dumpster jumping up and facing. In the dim light, he saw a horn on her head, meaning she was a unicorn. “We found this first!” she hissed angrily, lowering her horn at him. “Back off!”

“Easy there,” Gregory said, moving away, “I’m not here to try and steal your…dumpster,” he said. “I’m just wondering what you’re both doing in Gryphonstone and if there’s something I can do to help you. You don’t look so good.”

The mare snarled at him, and lit up her horn with an aquamarine glow. “I said this is mine!” she repeated

“Wait,” the second pony said in an even more familiar female voice, removing her hood to reveal another horned pony head. Another unicorn. “You’re not a gryphon.” And with that, the second unicorn lit up her horn.

In the light of the magical glows, Gregory finally caught a glimpse of their features. And he finally realized where he’d heard the voices before. He took a few steps back, hands still raised. “No, I’m not. I’m a human,” he said. “I live here.”

The first mare’s eyes narrowed at him, and in the dim light of her magic she looked like she was gazing at him suspiciously. However, a few moments later her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped to the ground, hitting her head very hard on the stone. The second pony looked at the collapsed mare in fear. “Starlight!” the light blue mare said with fear as she rushed to the collapsed mare’s side.

Starlight Glimmer? AND Trixie?! Gregory put aside his surprise and quickly approached her, pulling out his phone and turning on the light on it for more illumination. He looked at the mares in horror, as both looked even worse in the light. “Holy shit…how long have you two not been eating well?”

The light blue mare gave Gregory a look of fear and mistrust, but those emotions soon changed to desperation. “Please…Trixie is begging you to help help Trixie and her friends,” the mare said pleadingly. “Starlight and Sunset are all that Trixie has.”

Sunset? Wonder who that could be? Gregory thought. I only know one Sunset, and I doubt that she’s here. “We’ll do what we can,” he promised.

“There’s another pony in Gryphonstone?” Gabby’s voice said from behind as she approached as well.

Trixie moved back in fear, but Gregory spoke up. “Don’t be afraid, miss,” he said, “she’s a friend of mine. She’s a good gryphon.” He looked around the area. “Is there another pony with you?”

Trixie looked a bit reluctant to answer, but Gabby further assuaged her fears. “We have a doctor who can help treat you,” she said. “She knows how to help ponies.”

“S-Sunset’s not too far away,” Trixie said.

“Gilda, Gallus, come out,” Gregory said as he stepped aside. Trixie was a bit nervous as the other two gryphons approached, but didn’t move. “Can one of you take this pony to the hospital and ask for…” he turned to Gabby, not sure which doctor she had been referring to.

“Doctor Gabriel,” Gabby explained. “She trained in Equestria on how to treat not just gryphons but ponies and a couple other species.”

“Got it,” Gregory said.

Gallus approached first and carefully lifted Starlight. His eyes widened. “She’s pretty light,” he said with surprise.

Gregory walked over and lifted one of Starlight’s. He frowned at how light she felt. “Fuck…this isn’t good.” He turned to Gallus. “Be very careful when carrying her,” he said, “and don’t fly too high. If you accidentally drop her-”

“I’ve been carrying garbage bags lighter than this for two weeks,” Gallus said with a smirk, “I can do this.”

“Okay, got it,” Gregory nodded. “Go, and good luck.”

As Gallus flew away, Trixie led the rest of the group out of the alley towards a backstreet. She still had her horn illuminated and Gregory’s phone light was still on. When she reached an alley a few buildings back the way we’d come, she stopped, looking at a small mark on the wall. “Down here,” she whispered, leading the group down into the equally as dark and smelly alley towards what looked like a bundle of dirty rags.

When the group reached the bundle, Trixie removed the few small blankets covering what was underneath. Gregory was in even more of a shock than before. he took one look at the flank on the pony he was carrying. The cutie mark there was just like the one he’d expected to be there. As the group fell into silence, one thought was on his mind: Why the fuck was Sunset Shimmer in Gryphonstone?!

4: Despair And Hope

Saturday, October 30, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Unlike hospitals back on Earth or even in Equestria, at least from what Gregory had seen on the show, the Gryphonstone General Hospital was more medieval in nature. It was a long T-shaped building with the front looking like an anime fantasy style guild hall where doctors and certain patients would eat or spend time when the former weren’t working or the latter weren’t in bed recovering. Opposite of the front doors, there was a small hallway that led to two infirmary halls where there were beds lining each side of the walls, most with wooden partitions up to separate patients, although more permanent walls were being planned to hopefully stop the spread of disease from patient to patient. While the left and right doors led to the two infirmary halls, a third led to a large domed room filled with medication and hospital supplies which lined the walls on shelves.

It was in the hospital's main waiting area where Gregory, Gallus, Gilda and Gabby sat playing a game of poker. However, Gregory’s mind wasn’t completely on the game. Instead, it was focused on the three unicorns in one of the infirmary halls.

“You need to relax,” Gallus said. Around them some remnants of a meal they’d eaten earlier sat, one Gregory had begun to slowly introduce to Gryphonstone: hamburgers and cheeseburgers. They were a work in progress, but the ones the hospital made were still pretty decent.

Gregory, who had a perfect straight flush, put his cards down and rubbed his eyes. After the group had brought the three ponies to the hospital and found Dr. Gabriel, the four had waited with some anxiety, most of it being Gregory’s, as she and her staff looked over the three. After about ten or so minutes, she had come out and informed the group that Starlight and Sunset were both extremely malnourished, with the former showing signs of having been beaten a few times and the latter showing signs of a bone in her back leg that had healed improperly, which had forced the doctor to rebreak it so it could heal the right way. She’d had to break out some ketamine for both of them, which was only a few weeks away from expiring, but which would only last a week. Trixie was in better shape than the other two, but she too showed signs of malnourishment and some other trauma that the doctor didn’t feel comfortable sharing, which Gregory accepted. All three were hooked up to IVs and while Sunset and Starlight were both showing some signs of improvement like stronger heart rates and easier breathing, they were still unconscious. Starlight would only come to irregularly but screaming as if in fear of something. Or someone.

“Why are you so worried about those ponies anyway?” Gilda asked.

“What, you mean aside from the obvious signs of starvation and abuse?” he asked harshly. Too harshly than he meant as he saw Gilda’s reaction, which was to twitch angrily. He balled up his hands, which were on the table, into fists. “Shit…I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I didn’t mean-”

“You’re worried,” Gabby, who was sitting next to him, put her claws on his hand gently. He automatically relaxed his fingers as she continued, “I understand, but you do need to relax.”

Gilda eased up as well and nodded. “There’s nothing you can do. The doctors here are the experts, not you. You have some healing magic we don’t know about? Then just relax, okay?” She sounded a bit exasperated now.

Gregory nodded. He knew she was right, of course. He took a couple deep breaths, then picked up his cards again. “I’m still sorry I lashed out,” he said.

“Eh, it’s cool,” Gilda said, waving her free claw dismissively. “Just because I’ve had bad experiences with ponies doesn’t mean this one’s the same, I guess.”

“Bad experiences with ponies? What happened?” he asked, although he knew exactly what Gilda was talking about. “Are they really that bad?”

Gilda got a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Eh, maybe not too bad,” she admitted, “but the one I met there was just so damned annoying. She was always trying to hang out with an…an old pony friend of mine. Although, thinking back, I did do some things that I really shouldn’t have,” she admitted as she got a sorrowful look on her face.

Gregory inwardly smiled. The fact that Gilda could openly admit to her faults spoke volumes to her character. Maybe it was because of what happened with the light that came from the Idol, or maybe it was something else. He wasn’t sure. “Well, have you written to this friend or the other ponies and apologized?”

Gilda winced and a frown came over her face. “No…should I?”

“Well, let me ask, whatever you did to those ponies, do you regret it?” Gregory asked.

Gilda stroked her chin, looking down at her cards. After a few seconds, she said, “Yeah…I think so? I’m still upset at that pink one. I mean, I wasn’t gonna be in town that long and I wanted to spend time with Rainbow Dash. I haven’t seen her in years, damn it, but that pink annoyance kept on butting in.” She was gritting her teeth now, but she took a deep breath and exhaled. “Still…I should have probably been cooler about it.”

“Sounds like you were jealous,” Gregory said. “I mean, if this Rainbow Dash was a friend you hadn’t seen in years, it makes sense you’d wanna spend as much time with her. I don’t know the whole story, but it sounds like there was fault on both sides.”

Gilda sighed. “Yeah…I was pretty bitchy. I’d go visit them and apologize, but with the closed borders I can’t. Gabby, is mail being allowed through?”

Gabby nodded. “Yeah, but we can’t deliver it. We have to give the mail to the Equestria Postal Service instead. Anytime I’ve gone there, the ponies I’ve met have always apologized for the inconvenience and I’m pretty sure they mean it, too.”

“What kind of monster is this Jason Wright anyway?” Gilda asked angrily.

Gabby’s grip on Gregory’s hand only increased as Gregory slightly tensed up. However, he maintained his calm and said, “Well, with the changelings at his command, he could have done a hell of a lot worse, I think. He could have taken influential ponies and replaced them and nobody would be the wiser. I don’t know exactly what happened. All I know is what the ambassador said that day he returned from the Southern Badlands and what rumors I’ve heard from the colonists who’ve returned.” The latter of which wasn’t much, considering that none of them had seen Jason.

“Everygryphon knows what he said,” Gallus said.

“Still, back to answering your question, Gilda,” Gregory said, “You want to know why I’m concerned about the ponies in there? Well, aside from me unable to see anyone like that without being worried, I came from far away because I wanted to meet some ponies. Actually, you mentioned one earlier, Rainbow Dash. I’ve wanted to meet her and the other Elements of Harmony for a while now. I’m big fans of them and wanted to see if I could become friends with them.”

“Whoo, then your timing sucked,” Gilda said.

Gregory smirked and nodded. “No shit. Still, I’ve been lucky since coming here. For the most part, I suppose.”

“Yeah…still can’t believe you walked right over the cliff into the abyss,” Gallus said with a teasing smirk. “Slippery feet?”

Gregory rolled his eyes and flipped him off. “Piss off,” he said playfully.

Gallus repeated the gesture back before looking at his cards. “Eh, I fold,” he said as he placed them down.

“Same here,” Gilda said.

Gregory put five shiny gold talons on the table. “Alright, I call.”

“Hey, has anyone heard about this council that’s being formed?” Gallus asked as Gabby put down five talons of her own.

“I’ve heard rumors that Grandpa Gruff’s and the Ambassador have been searching the city for worthy members,” Gabby said. “Four of a kind,” she said as she put her cards down.

“Straight flush,” Gregory replied as he put his cards down and collected the pot. “I’ve heard that, too,” he added as he pushed his cards towards the stack and Gilda began shuffling them again. “Seriously, it’s only been one month and you gryphons have just started to fix up the city. Now you’re thinking about trying to fix the continent too? You really work fast.”

“These wings aren’t just for show,” Gilda said proudly, spreading them wide for all to see. “We might not have all the fancy stuff that Equestria does, like telephones and telegraph, but we can get messages around just fine.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Gregory smirked. “Kinda wish I had wings, to be honest. I’ve flown on planes a few times in the past, but being able to fly under my own power? That seriously would rock.”

“I can take you flying if you want,” Gabby offered, smiling up warmly at him.

“Maybe another time,” Gregory said. “I’d love to, though.”

Just then the doors to the cafeteria swung open as Doctor Gabriel flew in. She was a dark purple gryphon with the same color eyes, white wings and a dark aquamarine set of claws. She looked around, spotted the group and flew up to them. Gregory was already on alert when he saw the serious expression on the doctor’s face. Before he could ask what was happening or what was wrong, she landed and held up a claw. “Mr. Graystone, you wanted to know how the ponies were doing?”

“Yes,” he said as he stood to face the doctor.

She sighed and gestured for him to follow. Once they were far away from the table and from others to speak alone, she spoke. “I told you what happened to them already, and I’ve kept an eye on them. Mr. Graystone, I’m not so sure that our facility would be able to treat them properly.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Gregory said with a sigh of disappointment. “It’s not your fault,” he quickly added when he saw Dr. Gabriel’s face fall. “We’re working on rebuilding Gryphonstone, and I understand things aren’t good yet.”

“Well, that’s definitely a part of it,” the doctor said, and Gregory heard a bit of shame in her voice. “Another issue is…the other staff don’t especially like having to treat them, not after recent events in Equestria and their government’s reaction to it.”

Gregory scowled at this. Ever since the invasion by Jason Wright, the Equestrian borders had been closed, with nobody being let in. Ponies and non-ponies who were let out of the country had been warned that they wouldn’t be let back in for the time being. The official reason given was a lack of resources to staff the border patrols, but many believed this to be a bullshit excuse. They believed that this was a fear response from the Equestrian monarchy to an invasion of non-ponies into their kingdom. Ponies were set up in camps outside more prominent border entry points until things settled down, according to the official statements given by local officials. A few gryphons who had returned to Gryphonstone had reported this and it had sewn discontent and a deep-seated anger towards ponies regardless. “Understandable,” he nodded.

“If they weren’t so badly injured and couldn’t be moved, I would suggest sending them to Gryphonville local hospital,” Dr. Gabriel said.

“Why’s that?” Gregory hadn’t yet visited the small town. In fact, he hadn’t even yet left the city limits save for the time he and a group of gryphon volunteers had carried his truck and camper to the vacant lot.

“I know the doctor there,” she said. “He and I were both trained in Equestria at the same school and hospital. He’s much better than I am, and the town down there is in a lot better shape than here. I even heard that there are a few ponies and a dragon or two living down there in peace. He even mentioned in a letter he wrote a week ago that their town had just opened an apothecary run by a zebra.”

Gregory stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That sucks that we can’t move them,” he said, “but could we ask this doctor to come up here and look at them?”

“Way ahead of you,” Dr. Gabriel said. “I sent a letter down there this morning. I don’t know if he’ll be able to come, though. He’s one of two doctors down there, and he doesn’t seem to think too highly of the other doctor.”

“Shit,” Gregory said with a frown.

“Shit indeed,” she agreed. “I wish there was more we could do for them.”

“Same here,” he said. “Will they make a full recovery?”

“If I can get the proper treatment for them, they should be alright,” Dr. Gabriel said, “but like I said, our resources are low and many are too old for me to want to use.”

“Expired?”

She nodded. “I learned about that in Equestria, and I’d hate to use older medicine that might have lost its effectiveness.”

“I understand,” Gregory said. “Keep doing what you can for them.”

“That was the plan,” she said with an unamused smile before the two began heading back to the table. When they were in earshot, she paused and snapped her fingers. “I almost forgot! Miss Trixie is asking to talk to you. You wanted to talk to them, right?”

Gregory nodded. “I did, yeah.” He looked at the group. “Sorry, everyone. Play the next round without me.”

“We’re coming too,” Gilda said, standing as she put the cards down on the table.

“I can’t allow that,” Gabriel said. “She’s still a bit shaken up by whatever she went through.”

“Trixie can speak to them all, actually,” a familiar voice said from behind the doctor. Everyone turned and saw the aforementioned pale blue unicorn walking over, holding the metal rack that held the IV drip.

“Miss Moon,” Gabriel said admonishingly, “you shouldn’t be out of bed so soon! You’re still too weak!”

“Trixie made her way here with her new friends,” Trixie replied stubbornly, “so she will be alright.”

“Wel, at least sit down in a comfortable chair,” Gabby said, flying over and gently leading the unicorn mare over to a cushioned seat, then pushing said chair over to the head of the table.

Gregory turned to the doctor. “Will this be okay?” he asked.

Gabriel looked frustrated, but she sighed. “Miss Moon,” she said, looking at Trixie, “I really wish you’d let me know that you wanted to see these folks privately. I could have arranged for it. However, since you’re out here already, I’ll allow it. If you feel any discomfort, though, I strongly urge you to let me know and we’ll get you straight back to your bed.” She walked up to the IV bag, looked at it, then nodded. Looking back at the group, she said, “If you notice her having any difficulties, flag down one of the nursing staff, please.”

When everyone agreed and after Gabriel left, Trixie looked at the group. Finally, her eyes landed on Gregory. “Trixie wishes to thank you and your friends for helping Trixie and her friends last night,” she said with gratitude before looking at the three gryphons at the table. “We all could have died of starvation if you all hadn’t taken us here.”

“Eh, no worries there,” Gilda said with a wave of her claw.

“Are you feeling any better today?” Gabby asked with concern.

Trixie nodded. “The doctor hasn’t given Trixie any food yet, but Trixie isn’t hungry anymore.” She gestured to the IV drip.

“Well, that makes sense,” Gregory said. As Trixie turned to him with confusion, he added, “You haven’t eaten in days, right?”

“Trixie’s last meal was a discarded and nasty scone in a small gryphon town about a week ago,” Trixie explained.

“Your body needs time to adjust back to food, then,” Gregory explained, “so for now, this drip is working to get your body back up to speed. Same goes for your friends.”

Trixie nodded in understanding. “Trixie is grateful for the help,” she repeated, “and hopes to one day repay your kindness.”

It was just then that Gregory noticed a small ring that had been placed around the base of Trixie’s horn. He looked at it curiously, then back at Trixie. “Miss Trixie, did something happen to your horn?” he asked.

Trixie looked up at it, reached up a hoof, then touched the ring. “Oh! This! The doctor told Trixie that she has a magic deficiency, and because…um…Gryphonstone doesn’t have as much magic, Trixie can’t use magic for a while.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that Equestria does seem to have more magic than we do here,” Gabby said, looking over to Gilda. “Don’t you agree?”

Gilda nodded. “Yeah, true.”

“I wonder why that is?” Gallus said.

Gregory did too, but he instead turned back to Trixie. “Miss Trixie, you wanted to talk with us about something, and I get the feeling it’s more than just a thank you.”

Trixie nodded somberly, then to Gregory’s surprise, she dropped her normal third person speaking cadence. “I want to be the first one to apologize,” she said, “for sneaking into this city and looking for food. We were scared.”

“Scared of what?” Gregory asked. Trixie looked embarrassed now, and she looked away, clearly not wanting to say. “Hey, if you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to,” Gregory reassured her.

“Yeah!” Gabby interjected, giving Trixie a wide friendly smile. “We won’t hurt you here, right you guys?” She looked over at Gilda and Gallus.

“Huh?” Gallus said, a bit distracted, but when he looked at Gabby’s glare, he flinched and nodded quickly. “Y-Yeah, what she said.”

“Eh, you said sorry, and that’s pretty chill of you,” Gilda said with a nod.

“Trixie thanks you all,” the pony finally said after a while, retreating back into her third person talk, “but she has to admit, she’s still scared. She’s heard some not-so-nice stories about gryphons. That was part of why Trixie and her friends were scared.”

“Because of those stories you heard about gryphons?” Gabby asked.

“‘Part of why’?” Gilda repeated with a raised eyebrow now. “What’s the other-?”

“Gilda,” Gregory interrupted her with a stern frown, “she doesn’t have to say if she doesn’t want to.”

“Right, yeah,” Gilda said, her feather rustling a bit.

Trixie looked more uncomfortable now, so Gregory decided to change the subject. “Miss Trixie, Dr. Gabriel assures me she’ll do all that she can for all three of you.”

“Trixie is grateful, and she believes the others will be once they wake up,” Trixie replied with a small smile. A smile that faded instantly when she fell into a coughing fit.

Dr. Gabriel, who had been watching from afar, rushed over and landed next to her. “Okay, time for you to go back to bed, Miss Moon,” she admonished.

“Trixie is fine-”

“Miss Trixie, listen to the doctor, please,” Gregory interrupted Trixie’s stubborn statement.

Trixie looked at him, then back at the doctor. She nodded. The two went back through the doors back to the infirmary. When she was gone, Gregory turned back to the group. “Well, I think we should vacate and let the staff do their work.”

As they cleaned up their spot, Gabby came over and hovered next to him, patting his shoulder. “The doctors here are all good,” she said reassuringly. “Those ponies will be fine.”

Gregory nodded, giving Gabby a grateful smile before the group began heading to the door. Before they reached it, however, the door to the infirmary burst open and a voice called out, “Mr. Graystone! Wait!”

Turning, he looked at the now panting Dr. Gabriel. Alarm bells began ringing in his head as he stopped, halfway through putting his coat back on. “Is something wrong, doctor?” he asked as he removed the coat and hung it back up.

Dr. Gabriel came flying up, landing in front of him and catching her breath before she said, “One of the ponies is awake and wants to talk to you. Alone.”

Gregory was standing in front of the door that led to the open aired infirmary. The doctor was next to him, watching him patiently. He took a deep breath, exhaled, then slowly pushed the double swinging doors open. The smell of antiseptic assaulted his nostrils as he entered as well as the large echoing sound of the door opening. The infirmary hall was massive, large enough to create echoes. Near the arched ceiling he saw large windows which let in warm sunlight. The majority of the beds weren’t partitioned off since they were empty, but the one directly to his left wasn’t.

The doctor led Gregory directly to the left of the door. Each bed was separated by white partitions, and three of these beds were occupied. Well, two were and one had been. The bed in the middle was occupied by an awake but groggy looking Sunset Shimmer. Trixie was sitting next to the bed in a very comfortable looking chair similar to the one she’d been in previously.

Unlike how he and his companions had found her before, Sunset now looked cleaner, with her mane having been brushed and tended to with excellent care. Her fur had also been trimmed down to get rid of the knots in them. She was wearing a pale aquamarine hospital gown similar to the ones seen in Earth hospitals, although this one was a bit wrinkled. The leg the doctor had mentioned was in a sling and there were several bandages wrapped around various parts of her body.

Trixie looked up, and her face brightened a bit as she leaned forward and whispered something to Sunset. The latter’s eyes shot open and she locked eyes with Gregory. For a brief moment, there was a look of fear on her face before it switched to confusion, then a look of relief. “So…you found…us lying…in the gutters?” Sunset asked in a gravely and tired sounding voice.

Gregory nodded. “That’s right,” he said as he walked up to a stool that was nearby. “My friends and I found you all. May I sit?” When she slowly nodded, he sat, lowering the stool so that he could look more eye level at Sunset. “How are you feeling?”

“Like tartarus,” she groaned, “but…at least I’m not…hungry.” She gestured to the IV drip.

Gregory nodded with a small smile. “The doctor says with treatment you should be alright,” he assured her.

Sunset frowned a bit at that. “I’m surprised…that gryphons would…treat us.”

Gregory winced at that, assuming that she was referring to the border rules. “I asked that they treat you as best that they could,” he said, “and…to be honest, I’ve become something of a citywide hero.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I don’t like using that influence, but with what’s going on politically in the world, I just don’t feel right leaving wounded people to die when I know I can do something to help.”

Sunset looked a bit surprised by this, but then she gave him a grateful look and a nod. “Well…we appreciate…that.” She began to cough, so Trixie grabbed a glass of water and gave it to Sunset, who drank it eagerly. Clearing her throat, Sunset now spoke a bit more strongly and without the hesitation. “I’m not sure if Trixie here told you our names, but I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

“Gregory Graystone,” he replied, outstretching his hand automatically. Sunset flinched a bit, but then gingerly reached out her hoof. The two shook appendages in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Sunset.”

Sunset then gave a smirk. “You can just call me Sunset,” she said. “My old teacher called me that, and I’m not exactly on good terms with her at the moment.” There was a flicker of emotion that passed over her face, which Gregory couldn’t read, but could guess.

“Well alright then, Sunset,” Gregory said as he released the hand/hoofshake. “I understand you wanted to talk to me about something?”

Sunset nodded with a sudden grave expression on her face before she turned to Trixie. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Trixie looked embarrassed. “Trixie couldn’t,” she said with a sad frown. “He’s been so kind-”

“Yes he has,” Sunset agreed, “but he needs to know what happened.”

Trixie nodded, then slowly got to her feet. Walking past Gregory, she looked at him. “Mr. Gregory, promise Trixie something?”

“What is it?” Gregory asked, not liking the nervous and scared look in Trixie’s eyes.

“Promise Trixie that you won’t kick her and her friends out when Sunset tells you what happened,” she pleaded.

Gregory was completely confused now, but he only nodded. As Trixie left the partition, Sunset gestured for him to come closer. As he did so, she lowered her voice into a whisper. “I know what you are,” she said. When he gave her a sharp glare, she raised her hooves slowly. “I’m not here to accuse you of anything. I just wanted to warn you to stay away from Equestria. It’s not friendly towards your kind.”

Gregory was now more confused than ever. Sunset gave him a small knowing smile. “It’s a long story, and not one you’ll want to hear,” she said.

Gregory felt a pit forming in his stomach, similar to the one he’d felt when he learned about the name of the new changeling emperor. A sense of nausea took over, and he had to down some more water just to keep from losing his lunch. “Is this about Jason Wright?” he asked hesitantly. When Sunset nodded, his fears were confirmed. “So, he was human after all,” he muttered.

“You didn’t know?” Sunset asked, sounding shocked.

“I suspected,” Gregory said, “but I wasn’t too sure until just now.”

Sunset nodded. “I only ever saw him in the Equestria newspapers,” she said, “and you’re the first human I’ve ever met in pony. But there’s more to his story than you might know.”

Gregory steeled himself, got up from the stool, and walked over to the chair where Trixie had been sitting before. He figured he’d need a place to sit where he wouldn’t fall down in shock. “Tell me what you know,” he said.

And she did. And it further shattered Gregory down to the core.

“Gregory? Gregory? Helloooo?”

Gregory jumped a bit as he felt himself being shaken a bit frantically. He looked around, realizing that he was now in the main lobby area of the hospital. Gabby was holding his arms with her claws, a worried expression on her face. Behind her, Gilda, Gallus, and Dr. Gabriel all stood, varying degrees of worry and concern on their own faces.

“Ah, um, sorry,” he said as he looked around, finding an empty table nearby. He walked over and sat down heavily, folding his hands and looking at the floor.

“You okay, dude?” Gallus asked.

Gregory shook his head. “I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he admitted.

“Did that pony say or do something to you?” Gilda asked, and when he looked up, Gregory saw a look of anger passing over Gilda’s face as she faced the door to the infirmary. “If she said anything, I’ll-”

“She didn’t do anything to me,” Gregory quickly said, “so calm down there.”

Gilda’s feathers rustled a bit, then they settled back. Gabby sat next to him. “What did she tell you?” she asked worriedly.

He held up a hand. “Not…not now,” he said. Turning to her, he gave her a small sad smile. “I’ll tell you later when I’m done processing it, I promise.” He looked at Gilda and Gallus. “All of you.”

“Damn, it must have been a really big arrowstorm to get to you,” Gallus said. Arrowstorm was their version of the term bombshell.

“It’s…yeah,” he said, his head still swimming from what he’d learned from Sunset, who’d apparently learned it from a certain zebra mare a week after the changelings had retreated from Canterlot and what remained of Ponyville. “Pretty big bombshell.”

He felt the reassuring arm of his first friend wrap around his back. Looking up, he saw Gabby looking at him with a look of reassurance. “We’ll listen when you’re ready, and not before,” she said.

He reached up and put his hand over the claw that was on his shoulder. “Thanks,” he managed to get out. After a bit of silence, he looked up at Dr. Gabriel. “Doctor, make sure those three mares are well taken care of. Show them every bit of hospitality you and your staff can muster. I don’t want to hear any complaints from them.” There were a few gryphon hospital staff nearby who heard him speaking. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw them flinch a bit, but he ignored them as he slowly stood.

“Of course,” Dr. Gabriel said without so much as a stammer or a flinch. “Do you want to be kept informed of their progress?”

“Please,” he said.

“Very well,” she nodded. “Gabriella is our mailgryphon, so I’ll give her updates to bring to you every day, and if there’s an emergency, I’ll send a courier.”

As the doctor left the room to head back to the infirmary, Gregory slowly stood and took in a deep breath. “I’m ready to head on home,” he said with a bit of a shaky voice.

Gabby let him lean on her for support as the group left the hospital. The sun was brightly shining now, and the sky was clear, just as it had been that morning. The view from the hospital was actually one of the nicer ones as it looked west towards the Celestial Sea, the ocean between Gryphonia and Equestria. The massive forested area on the valley floor was only broken by the tiny area of land cleared for the village of Gryphonville.

As they walked down the street, Gabby looked up and spotted someone. “Garrett?” she said aloud.

A middle-aged gryphon landed in front of them, a scroll in one of his claws. He looked at Gregory, then bowed and held out the scroll to him. “Sorry for interrupting your day, Mr. Graystone,” he said, “but a message just came for you.”

Gregory took it slowly, looking it over curiously. It was a fresh piece of paper, and the seal on it was of a gryphon in profile wearing the same crown that was on the table next to the Idol that nobody could remove. “Thank you,” he said as he broke the official looking seal and unraveled the paper. He read the following:

To Gregory Graystone,

As you may very well be aware from the rumors spreading around Gryphonstone, there is a council being formed which will act out of the Eyrie and work to try and rebuild our great and proud nation. There are a clawful of gryphons already on this council, and we would like to speak to you about something important as soon as possible. If you want, you can bring your companions with you. It is a matter of great importance. We will be in the old throne room where the Idol of Boreas now lies and will be there until sunset.

Penned by,

Convocation Member Gwendolyn

Gregory raised an eyebrow as he slowly rolled up the scroll again. He’d never met a gryphon named Gwendolyn, but she sounded like a more formal type of gryphon than any he’d met before. As he lowered the scroll, he looked back up towards the Eyrie. It stood quite near to the hospital, its towers looming and imposing, but with a hidden majesty that had been lost to time and the elements. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go. His mind wasn’t in the right place at the moment.

He turned back to the group and held up the scroll. “I’ve been asked to go to the Eyrie to meet with a few gryphons. The note said I could bring you all with me if you want to come with me.”

“May I see the note?” Gabby asked. After she and the others read over it, she looked back at him. “You don’t have to go, you know.”

“Yeah,” Gilda agreed, “it’s not like you need to be there right away.” Gallus just nodded in agreement.

Gregory took the scroll back and read it over again. The four stood just outside the hospital property line for a few minutes while he considered his options. He’d just received some rather unnerving news from Sunset, and he knew his mind wasn’t quite in the right place at the moment. However, part of him didn’t want to be rude, and he could probably use a distraction before he went back to thinking about it. He took a few deep breaths, closed his eyes, and momentarily putting his feelings on the information Sunset gave him aside, then opened his eyes. “No, I’ll go,” he said. “If it’s even more of the same type of news that Sunset just told me, I should hear it now.”

He felt a claw squeezing his arm. Looking down, he saw Gabby giving him an ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ type of look. He gave her a weak smile and a nod. She narrowed her eyes a bit, then sighed. “If you’re sure,” she said, “but I’m going with you. If things get too messy in there, I’m taking you out of the situation.”

“Same here,” Gilda said, crossing her arms as she hovered nearby. Gallus, who was sitting nearby watching, nodded again in affirmation, giving Gregory a thumbs up.

Gregory felt his spirits rising. He smiled more genuinely now. “Thanks, everyone,” he said, “I could definitely use the company and support. Come on, let’s go.” He took a step forward. However, he was so drained and nervous from the information that he collapsed to his knees. When the others quickly gathered around him, he looked up nervously at them. “Heh, sorry. Guess I’m still a bit out of it.”

The others looked at each other, then Gabby’s face brightened. “Well, that gives me an excuse to do this!” Gabby said, suddenly moving behind Gregory and wrapping her arms around his midsection.

“Hey, what are you doing-? Whoa!” Gregory found himself being lifted off the ground with surprising ease. “Gabby, what are you-? Hoooolyyyyy shiiiiit!” Gregory exclaimed as Gabby effortlessly shot directly into the sky. “Whoooooaaaa! Careful!” he shouted, grabbing onto her arms and clinging for dear life.

“You’ll be fine!” Gabby giggled as the two flew higher and higher into the air.

Gregory’s fear was quickly replaced with awe. It was a bit cold now since autumn was now in full swing, and what few trees were actually full of leaves were changing colors. He wasn’t sure exactly just how the city had looked before he’d opened that portal to Gaia, but he could see all of Gryphonstone now, laid out before him. There were gryphons flying around near the more ruined sections of the city and others walking around the now cleaner sections, either aiding in the impromptu rebuilding, selling wares, or enjoying the cool autumn day. “Wow…I can’t believe we’re flying,” he said softly, his varied emotions set to the side as he drank in the view before him. This had been his second time flying since coming to Gaia, and it was just as amazing as before.

Gabby laughed. “Just wait until I really let loose!” she said as she tightened her grip on the human and shot up higher, heading east towards the Eyrie.

“Whooooaaaa!” he shouted again as they zoomed up towards the massive towering structure. He felt like he was on a roller coaster, the wind blowing through his hair which had grown out slightly since coming to this world. “Haaahahaha!” he laughed as he spread his arms, letting himself trust Gabby’s strength more and pretending that he was the one actually flying. He was also letting loose some of the nervous energy that he’d felt initially upon being flown. “Woooohoooo!”

He heard Gabby laughing behind him. “Having fun??”

“So much!” he shouted back at her, a wide grin plastered on his face now.

“If you think that’s fun, wait until you feel this!” With that, Gabby reangled herself and began to dive. Gregory felt his stomach rise, and he screamed once more, partially out of fear and partially out of adrenaline induced excitement. When they were about twenty or so feet away from the ground, Gabby spread her wings wide and their descent nearly stopped. He heard her grunting as she held onto him tighter as she flew down towards the ground near the Eyrie’s entrance where the other gryphons were waiting for them.

Gilda was smirking as the two landed. Her smirk only widened as Gregory landed on all fours, holding onto the ground and trembling a bit with the adrenaline rush. “Have fun there, human?”

“Hah…hah…that was…without a doubt…the scariest…funnest…most death-defying experience I’ve ever had!” Gregory said as Gabby helped him to his feet. He was panting hard, but there was a goofy grin on his face. He tried to take a step forward, but stumbled a bit. Gabby was immediately by his side, as was Gilda who flanked him. “Heh, I’m alright,” he said. “Just…give me a minute.” He pulled out his metal bottle and drank a few large gulps before putting it away. “Aaah…that’s the ticket.” He stood up straighter, ran his hand through his hair and straightened his clothes. He felt better now and could actually walk on his own.

“You look a lot better now,” Gallus observed.

Gregory gave him a slight smirk. “You kinda get a bit distracted when being flown so high off the ground that a drop could do some serious damage,” he said as he turned back to the front gates of the Eyrie. “Just give me a few moments to catch my breath and organize my thoughts, and then we can go in.”

Minutes later, they were standing in what had once been the throne room in front of the large table where the idol, crown, sash and gold ring all still sat. There were currently three other gryphons sitting on large chairs around the tree stump table. He recognized two of them as Grandpa Gruff and the ambassador he’d met on his first full day, but the third one was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful gryphone females that he’d met. She had light brown fur, golden feathers in her plumage which fell down her sides like wavy hair, and bright green eyes. Her claws were yellow much like the majority of gryphons he’d seen. Said gryphon stood up and bowed. “Mr. Graystone, everygryphon, thank you for coming. I am Gwendolyn, Head Secretary of the Convocation. I assume you all know Grandpa Gruff and Ambassador Geoffrey?”

Gregory nodded. “Hello, everyone,” he said. “I don’t know if you’ve all met, but let me introduce my friends here.” He stepped aside and indicated the four gryphons beside him. “This is Gabriella, the first gryphon I met and the one who saved me from the Abysmal Abyss. This is Gilda, one of the best scone baking gryphons in the city and one of the best workers in the city. And this is Gallus, an amazing gryphon lad. Hardworking too.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Gwendolyn said. She then stood, walked over to one of the wooden chairs that had been placed around the table, and actually pulled it out. She did the same for the others. “Why don’t you all have a seat and we can talk?”

As the group took their seats, Gabby spoke up. “Listen, everygryphon,” she said, “Gregory just heard some pretty upsetting news earlier, so if this is more bad news, then we’re going to leave-”

“Oh no, it’s nothing of the sort,” Ambassador Geoffrey said with a wave of his claw. “In fact, I’d consider it good news.”

“Still, if you’d rather come back another day,” Gwendolyn said, now with a look of concern on her face, “we’d be more than happy to accommodate.”

Gregory shook his head, feeling a bit of relief now. “Good news is something I’m pretty sure I need right now, so I’ll stay,” he said.

With that said, the three gryphons looked at each other, then the two males looked at Gwendolyn. She nodded and straightened in her chair to face the newcomers. “Like I said in my letter to Mr. Graystone, there have been rumors circulating throughout the city about a council being formed. Those rumors are true, only we’re not being called a council. Our official name is simply the Convocation. It is our mandate to attempt to rebuild what was lost in the time before the Idol was lost to us.” She looked at the table where the Idol still rested, then looked back at the group. “We are still in the process of recruiting promising members in the hopes that we can receive many different perspectives, but as of yet we’ve only gathered the three of us.”

Gregory nodded in understanding. From what he remembered, a convocation was one name for a group of eagles, but he decided not to say anything. “I understand,” he said, “and I think that’s a great idea.” The moment those words escaped his lips, he inwardly berated himself. They obviously wouldn’t call him here for his approval. They didn’t need it. He wasn’t an official citizen anyway. “May I ask why you called me here?” he asked, trying to move past his faux pas.

Grandpa Gruff stood at that moment, coughing hard. Gregory noted that it sounded a lot like a smoker’s cough, but he ignored it as the elder gryphon looked at him. “For the past few weeks, I’ve been keepin’ my eye on you, Gregory Graystone,” he said, pointing to his one good eye, “and do you know what I’ve seen?”

“Um…no idea,” Gregory admitted with a shrug.

“You’ve been inspirin’ everygryphon around you to help make this city proud and great once more,” Gruff said, slamming his fist on the table. “There’s some amazin’ potential in that noggin of yours to do even greater things for all gryphonkind. And not just because you’re the Idol Bearer! And you haven’t asked for anythin’ in return!”

“Well, um, thank you for the high praise,” Gregory said, looking a bit sheepish, “but I was just doing the right thing by returning the Idol. It’s not mine, after all.”

“By gryphon law, it was yours,” Geoffrey said in a less harsh tone than Grandpa Gruff naturally used. “But you gave it up even though you could have sold it and earned a lot of talons.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t mine,” Gregory repeated.

“You’re showin’ true pride, just like a gryphon would,” Grandpa Gruff said before falling into a coughing fit.

“What Grandpa Gruff and Ambassador Geoffrey are trying to say,” Gwendolyn said in her melodious tone of voice as Gruff grabbed a glass of water from the table, “is that you deserve a reward for all your hard work. And we have a couple of rewards for you. First, this.” She pointed at a stack of papers, a singular paper next to it, and a large leather bag. “Go ahead and take it.”

Gregory walked up and picked up the papers first. He looked them over carefully, and his eyes widened. Citizenship. He had been granted complete Gryphonian citizenship. He was stunned, unable to fathom just how this was possible. He looked over the paperwork carefully, noting that the date on the bottom read as the first day he’d arrived. He certainly wasn’t expecting this. Looking up at the three gryphons, he was stunned to see a quill pen being pushed towards him with an ink bottle next to it. “All it needs is your signature,” Gwendolyn said with a genuine smile.

He gently put the paper down, then grabbed the pen. He looked down at the paper, then at the pen, then back at his new friends. Gabby was giving him a thumbs up, Gilda was giving him a look that said ‘Get it over with, fucker’, and Gallus was simply nodding at him. This wasn’t at all the life he’d expected when he first came to this world. It was a bit overwhelming.

“Is something wrong?” Gwendolyn asked, sounding worried. “Did we assume too much? Do you need to leave now?”

Gregory shook his head. “N-No, sorry. I’m just a bit…overwhelmed is all. You’ve all been far too kind and accepting of me,” he said with a wide smile. “Sorry, I know I’m being a bit sappy.”

“Just sign the damn papers, Gregory!” Gilda shouted with a halfcocked smirk on her face.

“Right, yeah…” he said as he dipped the pen into the ink bottle. He’d gotten used to using them ever since coming to Equestria, even getting some practice in back on Earth before coming here. With a flourish, he signed his full name: Gregory Eugene Graystone.

“Excellent,” Gwendolyn said as she took two of the papers with her, each of which now had his same signature on them as if they had been signed by magic. “One of these are for our records and one is a spare in case yours is damaged or lost.” She then pointed to the single piece of paper. “This is the second part of your first reward.”

He reached down and picked it up and was floored even further. It was a deed. A deed to the plot of land where he was currently living. Looking up, the smiling face of the female gryphon locked eyes with me. “That plot of land where you’re living now was once owned by a long-dead imperial noble family,” she explained, “and it’s just been sitting and collecting dust, so to speak, for decades. We, as the Convocation, have the authority now to gift it to whoever we please, and you’ve done enough that you’ve earned it. That includes the fresh well, too.”

“And that’s not all,” the Ambassador said with a grin. “We will be building a house for you there. Well, once we’ve set aside the talons for it,” he admitted with a little nervousness.

“We’ve put together a crack team of gryphons to create plans for it,” Gwendolyn said. “I understand you’re sleeping in something called a camper, correct?”

“Um, yes I am,” he said.

“I’ve seen it from the air, I believe,” she said, “and it looks pretty cramped.”

“It’s not a mansion,” he admitted, “but it’s been working well so far.” In fact, it had been working better than that. He had no idea why, but he had confirmed that his solar panels kept his camper completely powered, even during some of the rainier days that had already come since autumn started. They had even worked during nighttime somehow, as had his portable solar powered power banks. He had a space heater that kept his camper warm during the cold nights, and a heated blanket if that wasn’t enough. Not to mention, he still had plenty of human food and had begun getting used to the gryphon cuisine, which was extremely varied.

“We wanted to give you more space,” Gwendolyn said. “There’s no rush, and if you feel like you don’t want it, you can refuse. You have time to consider. We can’t start construction until spring, anyway.”

He took in a few deep breaths before pulling out his water bottle again to sip from it. It was nearly empty by that point, so Gwendolyn offered some from a glass pitcher. He almost declined, but decided it would be rude to not accept. He downed the rest, then took the pitcher. To his surprise, the water inside was crystal clear. When he looked at it curiously, Grandpa Gruff spoke up. “Yeah, I know our water ain’t that pretty,” he said, “but this water we dug up special from another new well we found. The well on your new land has water like this too.”

Gregory nodded, pouring some and taking a tentative sip. He was surprised that the water tasted fresh, much more so than the bottled water he had. He closed the lid, then secretly rummaged through his bag, slipping a water purification tablet inside the bottle. As he was doing this, he said, “Thank you, and not just for the water. You’ve already been really kind to me so far, and I really do appreciate it.”

“It’s the least we could do for helping us,” Grandpa Gruff said.

Gwendolyn then pointed to the bag on the table. “Don’t forget the final part of your first reward.”

Gregory reached across the table, took it and lifted it, surprised at how heavy it was. However, he was further surprised by the jingle he could hear from inside. He undid the bag and looked inside, only to see a large pile of shiny golden talons. He looked up at them. “How…how much is in here?” he asked.

“One thousand talons, Mr. Graystone,” Geoffrey said.

He was floored. “That’s…wow…” he looked down at the open bag, then back at the gryphons at the table. Slowly, he closed the bag and set it back on the table in front of him. “Are you really sure about this?” he asked. He knew that gryphons didn’t give out rewards easily. Not only that, but he felt guilty for accepting all three of these gifts, but the looks on the faces of every gryphon there told him that it would be okay.

“Very sure,” Gwendolyn said. “You’ve more than earned them.”

Nodding, he slipped the bag of talons inside his backpack along with both pieces of paper. He looked back at them. “I…how can I ever repay you?”

Grandpa Gruff’s smile became a smirk. “Well…there’s one thing you can do, sonny.”

“Grandpa Gruff, please,” Gwendolyn said, “I said I would tell him, not you.” She then looked back at him. “And please understand, there is no pressure on you to answer yes or no today or anytime soon.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the grumpy older gryphon said with a wave of his claw.

Gwendolyn stood, walked around the table, and came to stand right in front of Gregory. “Now, please understand, this offer is something that you can very much refuse.” Gregory heard the shocked gasps from behind him from his friends, but Gwendolyn ignored them as she continued. “Grandpa Gruff isn’t the only gryphon who’s been watching you, sir. I’ve seen how other gryphons follow you. I’ve seen gryphons who were once the laziest and meanest bastards in the city pick up a shovel or hammer and begin working to rebuild. It wasn’t just the Idol’s light that changed them. It was watching how you, an outsider, would just selflessly spend most of your free time helping when you didn’t need to. A lot of gryphons like you, Mr. Graystone. We performed a secret survey around the city, and a lot of gryphons thought you would be the perfect fit for what we’re about to ask of you.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’ve…actually, no, forget I said that,” he said, realizing that him accusing them of bribing him would have been even ruder than refusing. “What is it?”

Gwendolyn gave him a self-deprecating smile. “If you were about to say we were bribing you, I’ll be honest, that was a part of why we gave you those gifts. But it wasn’t the main reason. We here really wanted to give you this. We owe you a debt that we can’t repay, but this is a start. We hope.”

Gregory swallowed. “Well, what do you want me to do?” he asked curiously.

She looked back at the two male gryphons, both of whom nodded at her. She nodded back, turning back to Gregory. “As I said before, we’re still looking for members to be part of the Convocation, and it’s clear that you are well-liked here. The Convocation’s mandate is to attempt to rebuild our land into a nation, not just some mix of city-states across Gryphonia. I’ve heard of your suggestions of improvements that can be applied to construction, and those sorts of suggestions would be invaluable to Gryphonia. Would you consider joining this Convocation as a member and give us a human perspective on things?” When Gregory’s eyes went wide, Gwendolyn quickly added, “You have time to think about it, but a lot of gryphons believe you’re the perfect creature for the job.”

“W…wow…a Convocation member?” Gregory repeated, still unable to process that they’d ask him to take a leadership role in this country even when he wasn’t a gryphon. “Are you sure you want me?”

“The gryphons of Gryphonstone like you,” Geoffrey interjected before Gwendolyn could reply, “and a few of them even see you as more than Convocation member material. I’ve heard that they would love to see you as a Chancellor, some even as Emperor.”

“You’ve changed Gryphonstone forever,” Grandpa Gruff said, “Of course they’d think you’re the best choice!”

“That…that’s a really big decision,” Gregory said.

“Take your time to think about it,” Gwendolyn said, giving him a reassuring look. “There’s really no pressure.”

“Here, take this,” Geoffrey said, holding out a small booklet. “This pamphlet was written by us over the course of a few days. It explains what being a Convocation member would entail and should help with your decision. To be honest, it isn’t as hard of a job as it sounds.”

“Just as an aside, we are seeking other members as we speak,” Gwendolyn said, “so I hope that alleviates the pressure.”

“Yeah, thank you,” Gregory said, taking the booklet with a trembling hand. “I’ve gotta say, today’s been full of surprises…I’m really at a loss for words.”

“We understand,” Gwendolyn said with a sympathetic smile, “and we’ll wait for your decision. And I’m sorry we sprung this on you at a bad time.”

“Thank you,” he repeated, “but I chose to come here. I’m the kind of person who would prefer to hear news as fast as possible regardless of whether it’s good or bad. Was there, well, anything else?”

“For the moment, no,” Gwendolyn said. “Thank you for taking time out of your day to come down here, though. We all hope you have a pleasant day.”

After the others said their own goodbyes, Gregory walked towards the door which led to the main hallways of the Eyrie. As he walked, Gabby and Gilda flanked him. He was in his own little world, his mind reeling from everything that happened in the past hour or so. He looked back at the three who were walking alongside him. “I think I need a nap or to lie down at least,” he said with a shake of his head.

“No shit,” Gallus said.

“I’ll walk you home,” Gabby said worriedly as she gave him a gentle nuzzle, like that of a cat rubbing against someone.

“I’d like that, thank you,” he said.

“You’d better come find us when you wake up and tell us whatever it was that pony told you in the hospital,” Gilda said.

He gave her a weak smile. “I promise.”

“I’ll come find you when he wakes up,” Gabby said.

As Gallus and Gilda flew away, Gregory looked at Gabby. “You’re staying with me?”

“Gregory, something big happened in there,” she said softly, “and I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

He smiled, a grateful tear falling down his cheek as he reached down and ran his hand through her plumage. “Thank you,” he whispered gratefully. He walked home with her, mind still reeling from everything. What was he to do about all of this information? He had no idea, but he was just grateful that he had three friends that cared about him and that he cared about.

The walk back to the camper was quiet. A few gryphons flew past and noticed that Gregory didn’t look well, but Gabby always covered for him, explaining that he was simply tired. When they reached his camper, he quickly changed into something a bit more comfortable while Gabby waited outside, then he let her back in. He then collapsed onto the bed, covering himself with the covers. Gabby crawled underneath with him and pressed herself against him, a slight sound like a purr emanating from her. She even put one wing across his body. This was soothing enough that it settled Gregory’s racing mind and let him drift into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

5: Meanwhile

Author's Note

To my fellow Americans, Happy Treason Day!

5: Meanwhile

Saturday, October 30, 1007 A.L., Equestria

Ponyville was no more.

In the wake of the brief but memorable and terrible rule of one Emperor Jason Wright, each and every building, save for the Castle of Friendship, had been reduced to rubble, leaving the once quaint and proud town a shadow, barely a whisp, of its former self. Not that the Castle of Friendship had escaped unscathed. It had been marred; the cutie mark of its former monarch having been destroyed in Jason’s fury.

Instead, in the place of the once proud town, temporary housing in the form of large tents, one near the sight of each burned house, and a few temporary wooden buildings such as a town hall and schoolhouse, had been erected. Ponyville now looked like a refugee camp, because that’s exactly what it was.

Jason Wright had been thorough in his destruction of the town. Nothing had remained after the devastation save for burned husks, ashes that had once been the belongings of every single pony in town.

However, with help from without, more specifically, from Crystalia and what little Canterlot could spare, all the rubble had been moved after every single part of Ponyville had been meticulously gone through, in the hopes that the changelings missed something. Alas, very little remained.

Reconstruction plans had already been formed, but with wintery weather scheduled to begin at the beginning of December, any construction would have to be delayed. Not even Cloudsdale could delay the regular snowfalls. Until that time came, rush orders for heaters for the tents and extra wood for fire pits had been leaving Ponyville ever since a few flurries fell here and there. When winter eventually did come, the plan was for everypony to relocate to the former Castle of Friendship along with the wooden buildings to those who might not fit in said castle.

It was in the middle of all this, right inside the temporary Town Hall, where Twilight Sparkle sat at a desk looking over the many request forms from the citizens of the decimated town. She had a haggard look on her face as she carefully read over the request from the Cakes once more. They had sent a request for thicker blankets for their foals along with some extra baking supplies in the hopes that they could use their temporary wood oven to bake more bread for the town. However, it seemed to be a losing battle with them. Since Pinkie had taken a temporary leave of absence from Ponyville, the mood of the ponies had only gotten lower and lower.

Especially now that trickles of the truth about Jason’s invasion had begun spreading around the town like wildfire.

Normally, nopony would even think twice about Roseluck’s words, especially since she and her two closest friends Daisy and Lily were known to be overdramatic more often than not. But when a few other citizens who had been taken from Ponyville to Canterlot during the invasion began corroborating her story, there was nothing stopping the rumors to start spreading.

Jason might have been a monster, but he had been a monster of their own creation. Without any hesitation, the strange creature, who they now knew to be called a human, had been shunned, ignored, and even beaten by the very ponies who he had come back and conquered.

This divided up the entire community, as there were many who still demanded that Jason Wright be hunted down and brought to justice. Others, however, argued that if they did such a thing, they would be no better than the so-called Emperor of the changeling hive. Still others, especially those who had seen Jason’s appearance up close and heard the stories about what had happened to him, remained silent either way, the guilt overwhelming them.

And it was this guilt from that group of ponies that turned to anger which was quickly redirected at the town’s local celebrities: the Elements of Harmony. They had been chief in their abuse towards the human in the three years he had lived near the town, if you could call that living. The other groups were also angry at the six mares, but for different reasons. In a sick and twisted way, it was one thing the destroyed town’s residents bonded together: agreeing that the six ponies who were meant to espouse everything good in the world had brought this calamity on them.

Beside Twilight, Mayor Mare looked equally as exhausted, her currently pink mane and tail a complete and utter mess since she had no time to tend to it or dye it as she normally did. She was looking over a few reports on the status of orders from Manehatten in regards to building materials to help reconstruct the town. The words on the pages began to dance around for the mayor, so she grabbed the cup of coffee next to her and drank a large swig of the now cool beverage, hoping against hope it would help keep her awake.

Twilight wasn’t faring any better. She might have been an alicorn, but that didn’t make her invulnerable to overworking herself. Still, she kept at it, mostly since she didn’t want to go back to the castle so she didn’t have to face the angry and mistrustful stares of the citizens which followed her everywhere she went. She could even see and feel them in her dreams, and not even Princess Luna could step in every time.

And rightly so. She had been the one who had started it despite what Discord had done to her, her friends, her old mentor, and…him. Jason Wright.

Jason had gone through literal Tartarus because of her. She allowing herself to be overwhelmed with her prejudices against humans. She should have known better. What she’d learned about humans from the brief mythical descriptions she had read had tainted her views of them. There wasn’t much on them, only that they were monstrous, not in appearance but in behavior. Warlike, omnivorous, and that they ate anything and everything they could. It had been that information that she’d acted on, not knowing until after Jason left that there was much more that she didn’t know. This was thanks in part to her former mentor showing her an ancient book called The Duality Of Man which showed that humans, while not perfect, were much more complex than she could ever hope to understand now.

Twilight shook her head quickly, trying to come back to the here and now. As of late, she’d been thinking more and more about the event of that terrible invasion. How could she have been so blind and stupid? Why was her kneejerk reaction to slam the door in Jason’s face? Of course, some of the other Elements had been quick to point out that Discord was the primary cause of this. However, it hadn’t even taken much of Discord’s nudging to push her towards abject hatred and abuse, and now she, Princess Celestia’s former magical apprentice, was heavily paying for it.

And not just in the piles and piles of paperwork. She’d all but lost all of her best friends.

Applejack had returned to her former home and had begun working on the rebuilding process. When the changelings took over Ponyville, they made Big Mac pull an entire cart full of apples to the temporary refugee camp to help feed the ponies that had been placed there. The townsfolk were decent enough to leave the cores alone, especially on the cores of the one barrel of zapp apples. Twilight had yet to go visit the orchard, but even from her room in her Castle of Friendship, she could sometimes see a small orange dot going to and fro on the farm. Applejack never came into town anymore. Big Mac would be the only member of the Apple family she saw, and even then, he spoke less than usual.

Pinkie Pie had taken what she called a temporary leave of absence from Ponyville. When the date for Pinkie’s party for Jason, which had been set for a month after his departure just to be safe, came and went, and he hadn’t showed up, she’d become more depressed. She was seen less and less around town, but whenever she was, her mane was completely straight, her eyes were drained of whatever smile used to be in them, and her pink fur and mane had dimmed. Finally, she packed up and returned to her family’s rock farm but had said, using her signature promise, to return within at least four or so months, sooner if an emergency arose. In her own words, she needed time to be “…Aloney on her owny.”

Rainbow Dash, true to Jason’s threat, had not flown since that day. In fact, any time that Twilight had seen her, her wings were always by her side, almost tightly so as if they were strapped in some invisible bindings. Medically, there was nothing wrong with her, but Twilight suspected it was some sort of psychological trauma that kept her grounded. Since her house had not been destroyed during the burning of Ponyville, she could still live up there, and since she wasn’t flying, she’d made arrangements with Twilight so she could use a hot air balloon to get to her house. When she wasn’t up there, hiding away from the world, she spent time as an overnight town guard, protecting the town from the various Everfree monsters. However, the Everfree had been strangely silent as of late.

Fluttershy had been spending less and less time with the other five Elements of Harmony. Instead, she’d wandered close to the Everfree, forlorn and mournful. She took some comfort in that her bunny Angel was by her side, as were some her other animal friends, but from what Twilight had seen, the loss of Discord hit her the hardest. Twilight might not have been her old foalsitter, but she took a guess that Fluttershy had deeper feelings for the deceased draconnequus than just friendship. She’d been seen the least, always wandering around her home and talking quietly to her animal friends, what little remained.

Rarity had thrown herself into using her skills as a seamstress to help in the relief effort. The tent she had set up near the site of her own boutique was larger than most since she had promised to use it as a workspace to create warm winter clothes and blankets. Lately her mane didn’t have its normal styled appearance. Instead, it was just tied back in a ponytail. Twilight could tell, any time she caught a glimpse of the seamstress pony, that she was miserable. In fact, Twilight had heard that because of what had happened, and with her name being besmirched, she’d lost her business license, which only seemed to make her more bitter.

Spike had been completely horrified when Twilight had sat him down and, between tears, told the young dragon what had happened with Jason. When she had finished, he asked her if he was going to be treated like that someday, too. He knew nothing about humans, and even he’d said that he would have been open to meeting Jason back then. Since that conversation, the two had hardly said more than a few words to each other, and that was mostly in passing down the halls of the castle. It broke Twilight’s heart to have lost him, too, but deep down she felt that she deserved it.

Her old mentor, Princess Celestia, had not sent any messages to Twilight or anypony in Ponyville ever since that day as she had been dealing with the rebuilding of Canterlot. She’d spared as much help as she could for Ponyville, but her place was in the capital. Twilight didn’t blame her. The look of guilt and shame on Celestia’s face was enough to shatter Twilight’s heart. She had heard about Celestia’s attempt at pardoning Jason, but he had yet to set food on Equestrian soil. Not that she could blame him. It would have probably seemed to him like a useless gesture.

“Princess Twilight? Are you alright?”

Mayor Mare’s concerned voice broke through the young alicorn’s reverie. Twilight looked down at the page in front of her, and saw that a few tears had fallen onto the scroll. She wiped her eyes with her foreleg. “Just Twilight,” she said with a shaky voice, “and I’m fine. Just a bit tired.”

Mayor Mare was one of the few ponies in town who was somewhat tolerant of Twilight. In fact, she treated Twilight with enough of a friendly manner to keep the princess from totally collapsing into a full-on depression. The mayor herself had openly admitted to Twilight that she had been one of Jason’s tormentors, refusing him a job the moment he’d asked all those years ago. The guilt had begun to eat away at the earth pony so that she was starting to get natural gray streaks in her mane and tail. “Twilight, it’s past nine. The sun set hours ago. Go home. Get some sleep. You need it more than me.”

Twilight shook her head. “No…I’m alri…” she trailed off as the words on the page began to morph into a very familiar face. She went pale as Jason’s sneering form took shape, leaning down towards her with clear menace. She stared in mute horror as his gloved hand reached out, ready to grab her throat.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again a few seconds later, the page had returned to normal. She heard somepony breathing heavily, only to realize a moment later that it was her own ragged breathing she heard. She heard somepony calling out her name in fear, and when she looked up, she saw the pink maned mayor looking down at her with a worried expression on her face. “Princess?”

“Don’t…don’t call me Princess,” Twilight said. “I don’t deserve that title…” She’d almost stepped down from her role as a princess of Equestria, but realized that she could use that title until Ponyville was restored. Once that was over, she would officially step down as a princess and just go back to being Twilight. She stood, set the scroll from the Cakes aside, turned down the lantern she’d been using to read, and looked over at the mayor. “I’m heading home for the night. Talk to you later.”

Mayor Mare gave Twilight a sympathetic look, then nodded. “See you tomorrow, Princess-ah, I mean, Miss Sparkle.” And with that, she turned back to her work, pulling her own lantern closer to the pages.

Twilight grabbed her scarf, saddle and her boots, then headed out into the bleak wintery night. The sky was overcast, and a light snow was falling before her. The ground was cold and bare, with puddles of water in several holes. It was also wet, with tracks from dozens of other ponies in the damp streets. Some were fresh, others were at least a couple of hours old or more. There were a few hastily erected gas lanterns on the main thoroughfares, one for every five tents. The streets were, thankfully, empty, and Twilight began slowly walking home.

As she did so, she took in the town before her once again. The tents were all practically identical, making the town look more like an army camp than anything else. The uniqueness that had made Ponyville so charming was completely gone, giving way to sameness wherever she looked. In a way, the current state of Ponyville could have reflected the current state of affairs of Equestria’s mindset. The mindset that had pushed Jason away. Each former building in the town might have been older, but to Twilight, that’s what gave the town its rustic charm. She missed it all, but she also knew that no matter what, there was no going back to the past. If she could, she’d do it in a heartbeat, if only to attempt to undo what she and her fellow Elements had done.

Cold, wet, and deep in thought, she arrived back at the castle. Despite having many rooms inside, most ponies stayed away from the building. Most ponies associated the castle now with nothing but the failure of the six ponies who’d started it all. However, there were still a few holdouts, those who acted like they understood and who explained that it had all been a cruel trick by Discord. Of course, when winter officially fell, the castle would become crowded out of necessity.

One of the few ponies living in the castle, Derpy, was walking through the main foyer towards the bedroom section of the castle. In one of her wings, she held a roll of bread which she was snacking on while there were a couple others tucked under her other wing. When she heard Twilight enter, she turned and smiled politely at her. “Hi, Princess,” she said. Her tone was subdued, but it was definitely kinder than most other voices that she’d heard lately. “Long day? Need something to eat?” From her other wing, she produced another roll of bread, offering it to Twilight.

“It’s just Twilight,” the alicorn said, “and no thank you. I’m too tired to eat.”

“Are you sure? This one’s raisin,” Derpy said, holding up a bread roll with some raisins in it.

“No thanks, Derpy,” Twilight repeated. “I’m just going to bed.”

As Twilight headed down the hall, Derpy called after her, “Don’t let this get you down! We’ll be alright eventually!”

Eventually, huh? Twilight thought as she trudged down the long halls. The words rang through her head as she finally reached her room, crawling into bed. However, sleep was slow in coming despite her exhaustion from the day. She lay on her back, staring up at the canopy above her bed. She heard nothing but the sounds of her own breathing.

And the sound of somepony else in the room with her.

She quickly sat up, completely on alert. Looking around wildly, she saw a dark shadow standing directly at the bottom of her bed. It stood there, tall and menacing, a being shrouded in nothing but the blackest of black.

And she recognized the form. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but all that she got out was a croak that sounded vaguely like, “Ja…son…?”

The shadow didn’t move, just sat there, hanging there. Like a dead body hanging from a tree. Twilight quickly used her magic to light up the room, only to find that what she’d thought had been Jason was in fact an uneven curtain that she now remembered had been ripped during one of her night terrors.

Whimpering, she closed all three sides of her canopy bed curtains, grabbed the blankets with her teeth, and pulled them over her head, curling up and trembling with fear as the adrenaline rush began to subside. As she had for many nights, tears welled up in her eyes. She went to sleep with one thought on her mind: Will things ever really be okay…?

Applejack sat on one of the hills overlooking the desiccated remains of what had once been acres and acres of sweet and delicious apple trees. Now, all she saw were bare hills, barren plains and a few stumps that poked out through the snow. Jason did nothing half-heartedly. He completely destroyed every single plant and blade of grass on the farm. The barn had been destroyed and the farmhouse had been completely obliterated with every piece of family heirlooms and memories within now only ash. Currently, she knew it was too late to plant any of the seeds that the citizens had donated to the farm. The plan was to plant the seeds after the Winter Wrap Up the following spring. However, even earth pony magic couldn't guarantee that a tree from seed would be an apple tree, as it was a fifty-fifty chance, so the Apples were asking for seedlings to be brought in from all around Equestria, and paying a heavy price for it too.

Fortunately, many of her relatives had heard about what happened and came down to Ponyville to help restore the barn and the house in record time, which included the power, plumbing, and other necessities. They had even built a large greenhouse where plenty of small apple seedlings would be placed until they could be planted in the springtime. She was glad of that. At least the cows, chickens and other livestock that lived on the farm were going to be safe. A part of her did feel guilty that she had a house to stay in while the rest of the town was still living in tents, though.

She took it all in, soaking in the view before her. On the one hoof, she was relieved that the snow was covering what lay beneath: bare burned soil and stone. On the other hoof, she actually cursed the snow. She wanted to see what the damage was. She wanted to never forget what had happened. She wanted to punish herself for what she did to Jason. Even if Discord had been the architect, she’d always thought she had a stronger will than that. Even when she’d met Spike, she’d never once thought of him as some monster to hit without so much as a second thought. Seeing the snow covering the land felt wrong to her somehow.

The sky above was darkening quickly as the sun behind the clouds reached the horizon. She saw the distant lights that once shone with warmth and invitation. Now, they looked desolate and lonely, too organized to be a proper town. Looking down at the large hole beside her, she remembered the day when she’d carefully uprooted the apple tree that had been there. Bloomberg, the one she’d taken to Appleloosa during the events with the buffalo.

As she remembered that little adventure, she recalled that, even then, she’d never stooped as low as she had with Jason. She’d been stubborn as a mule, sure, but she’d finally seen reason with the help from her friends. Or rather, the ponies who’d used to be her friends.

“Gosh-dern it!” Applejack shouted, stamping her hoof into the ground, “Snap out of it!”

“So, here you are,” a deep voice said from behind her.

Applejack jumped up, completely surprised by the silent approaching stallion behind her. She stared into the level gaze of her older brother, Big Macintosh. “Oh…howdy, Big Mac.”

“Granny says dinner’s almost ready,” he said, turning to face the newly built lit house. “C’mon.”

“In a minute,” she said, turning away from the house and its undeserving warmth to stare out at the darkening landscape. “Ah just need tah think.”

There was silence from behind her. Then, Big Mac slowly walked over and sat next to Applejack. The two sat next to each other, not speaking. The snowfall began again, light and still. Finally, Big Mac said, “You’re still thinkin’ a lot about him, aren’t you?”

Applejack didn’t say anything for a while, but finally nodded. “Ah can’t help it,” she said. “Ah’ve tried tah git him out of mah head, but ah can’t.” She turned to her big brother, remembering the times when she looked up to him, thinking he was perfect. She knew he wasn’t now, but that never stopped her from looking to either him or Granny for advice if she ever needed some.

Big Mac didn’t look at her, his expression placid. Finally, he said, “Forgettin’ somethin’ like that isn’t somethin’ you should do. When you told us what happened, I remembered Zecora.” Applejack’s ears flattened when he mentioned the zebra. They hadn’t seen her since even before the burning of Ponyville. Nopony had even dared venture into the woods, ever since a rumor had spread that there were changelings in there that Jason had left behind. Big Mac continued, “There’s an old sayin’ dad taught me once: ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’ Zecora doesn’t live in Ponyville, so we don’t see her a lot. That lesson you said you learned with her didn’t stick as well as it should have. So don’t forget, little sister. Because if you do, you’re more likely to make the same mistake a third time.”

“But how can ah work when all ah can think about is Jason?” Applejack asked. “Ah can’t just abandon the farm!”

“AJ, have you just taken the time to think about it, or did you just come back home that day and jump right into your work?” Big Mac asked, finally turning to her. She looked away, not able to look him in the eyes. He knew her better than most, because the latter is exactly what she’d done. It was what she’d always done. Having guessed her thoughts, Big Mac sighed. “Take a few days off, sis. Go for some walks, write in a journal, talk to somepony…”

“Nopony will wanna talk tah me,” she said, “They hate me.”

“Then write down your thoughts in a journal,” Big Mac said. “Didn’t you do somethin’ similar with that old Friendship Journal?”

Applejack looked down at the ground in front of her. That had been part of what Jason had burned along with their friendship letters to Princess Celestia. However, she had to admit that he had a good point. “Yer right,” she said, “but ah can’t just shirk mah chores.”

“I’ll pick up the slack,” he replied, “and I’ll explain to Apple Bloom what’s goin’ on. Just take some time, okay? It’s long past time for you to come to terms with it and learn from it.” He stood, looked down at her, and smiled for the first time since coming up the hill. “Come on now. Soup’s on.”

Applejack stood and followed her brother down the hill. Having a few days to myself might help. At least, I hope it does…

Pinkamena Diane Pie lay down in the cold ground near Holder’s Boulder, looking up at the late-night sky. There were a few stars poking out of the clouds, and while normally seeing how amazingly beautiful the stars were would cheer her up, tonight it was only another reminder of her failures. Shivering, she curled up in a ball to conserve warmth, not that it did any good. Winters on her childhood farm home were always bitingly cold and they always started earlier than in Ponyville, but she felt like she deserved it.

Especially since, for so many years, that poor human had lived in nothing but a cave, eating garbage like she had been forcing herself to eat ever since she’d gotten back.

Pinkamena didn’t look at all like the same happy filly who’d discovered her cutie mark by making her family smile for the first time. She had lost a lot of her normal pudge and her mane and tail were straighter than they’d ever been. She’d even begun to lose very small patches of her fur coat, exposing what was underneath. She’d been hiding it for a while by wearing a thick pink jacket, which now lay on the snowy ground by her side. Even if she’d completely avoided Jason Wright thanks to Discord’s influence, she still couldn’t properly come to a reason as to why she had that reaction in her to begin with.

I’m supposed to represent laughter, and I stole somepony-no, somecreature’s-laughter away from them forever, Pinkamena thought, and that thought only sent her deeper into a spiral of depression. Why…? Why did I do that?

Tears began pouring down her cheeks as the thoughts came flooding back to her. She had never once been acknowledged by Jason during his invasion, just like she’d hidden from him whenever her Pinkie Sense went off. But…even if that was Discord’s doing, as he’d said, she should have seen the despair in his eyes. The hurt, pain, suffering and loneliness. She covered her eyes with her hooves. “I’m so sorry…” she whimpered.

The wind started picking up, and she shivered even more. She curled up tighter and shed a few more tears which began to sting her cheeks. Just then, a shadow appeared over Pinkamena’s field of vision. A very familiar one. The shape of her little sister.

Pinkamena sat up and looked over at her. “Marble? What are you doing up so late? Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow?”

“Mmhmm,” she said, then she looked questioningly at Pinkamena. One the pink mare knew well. But what surprised her more was when the normally quiet earth pony spoke up. “Why are you out here, Pinkie?”

Pinkamena sighed, then looked up at the sky. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“How come?” Marble asked.

Pinkamena looked away from her sister. “Jason…”

There was silence between the two sisters for a number of seconds. Pinkamena felt Marble reach out and touch her back gently. “You’re cold. Come back inside near the fire and warm up before going to bed.”

Pinkamena shook her head. “No…I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve a warm bed. Not when he…when he never had one…”

Pinkamena’s family knew the entire story about Jason Wright. She’d not been able to stop herself from blubbering it out. In their own way, each family member had tried their best to reassure the poor broken mare, but mostly in vain. Everypony, that is, except Marble. Marble had always been a mare of very few words.

However, she startled Pinkamena even more by speaking again. “Pinkie…you can’t keep doing this to yourself. You’re gonna get really sick.”

“I deserve worse…” Pinkamena said with finality.

Marble straightened up and looked at Pinkamena with a frown. “Put your jacket on and follow me. Now.”

Marble wasn’t like her sister Limestone. She more than likely couldn’t hadn’t shouted even if she’d tried, but she had said those words with such force that Pinkamena reacted instinctively, reaching down to grab her jacket before stopping herself. She pulled away. “Leave me alone, Marble…”

“Do you want me to get Limestone to drag you back in?” Marble said in a threatening tone, or at least, as threatening a tone as she could muster.

Even so, this sent shivers down Pinkamena’s spine. Slowly, she stood up, grabbed her jacket, and trudged back to the farmhouse. Marble pressed herself against her sister, then said in a softer, kinder tone, “Give it time, big sis. Time erodes all wounds, after all.”

As they walked slowly back towards the house, Pinkamena looked down at the ground. Will it, though? she thought. Will it really…How can I make this right…?

Fluttershy was curled up on her cot inside the large but warm tent that Rarity had made for her. The soft wool of her blanket had been sheered from some of the sheep on the Apple farm before Jason Wright’s invasion. It was one of the very few of her possessions that had survived being burned since she’d left it in Twilight’s castle before her house had been destroyed. Nearby, a small magical heater glowed red, filling the large tent with warmth.

A warmth which did little to soothe Fluttershy’s broken heart.

Not even the very few animals who she’d manage to find out in the Everfree who were sleeping near her or under the blanket with her could do much to mend her shattered emotions. Even her best animal friend Angel Bunny couldn’t help. Just when she’d thought she’d cried her last tear, she’d remember his final words and they began anew despite the fact that it now physically hurt to cry.

She had realized, too late, that she had grown to love Discord in a way she had never loved anypony else before. Or probably even since.

Despite the circumstances behind Discord’s death, she still couldn’t find it in herself to blame the instrument of his death, Jason Wright. He’d been through so much because of her, her friends, Ponyville, and Discord. Even now, she still couldn’t tell whether or not she should be feeling anger at what Discord had done or not. She’d yelled at him, yes, but upon thinking back they’d all forgiven him a bit too easily. Not even her own feelings for the draconequus could hide the fact that he had tortured and mutilated an innocent being for years and had never even bothered to check to see that what he’d done hadn’t done damage.

She remembered the shots fired suddenly, Discord’s final moments alive, and how Jason had reacted. She’d seen the look in the human’s eyes as he’d passed them in the cells when he left Canterlot. There was sorrow there as well as regret, but she’d only caught a glimpse of it and it didn’t register for her until much later.

“Duh…Discord…” she said as the tears ran anew and she curled up underneath her blankets. Angel and the other few animals who were with her snuggled closer, trying their best to warm her, but failing. “I’m…I’m so sorry…I’m sorry Discord…I’m sorry, Jason, I’m so sorry…”

“Thanks for dinner,” Sweetie Belle said to her older sister as she finished her a bowl of vegetable soup for a late dinner. They’d been eating more or less the same thing for about a week ever since they’d run out of other ingredients. Rarity knew that Sweetie Belle was likely getting sick of the soup, but was too polite to say anything about it.

Unlike most other tents, Rarity’s was larger and able to hold more than its fair share of supplies. However, winter was coming, and with that came less food coming in from all over Equestria. As such, their supplies had dwindled, but there was a scheduled supply train coming in the following morning. “Don’t worry, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said reassuringly, brushing one of her stray hairs out of her face. “We’ll be getting some new food very soon. I made sure to special order a few things from Manehatten to eat, too.”

That brightened the young teenage filly’s spirits, and she cleaned her plate with a bit of pep. But while Rarity might have been outwardly smiling, on the inside, she was practically snarling. She hated every bit of this whole situation. She hated the fact that she and her sister were forced to live in nothing but a tent. She hated eating the same bland foods day after day. She hated the looks others in town gave her, accusing and angry. And she hated that they were pretty right in doing so.

But most importantly, she couldn’t decide whether she hated either herself and Jason more for what had happened. Yes, she had been cruel towards the human, and every memory of those past years had come back to haunt her with clear recollection. She might not have had a good memory of things other than fashion, but after Discord’s spell had lifted from her, the massive amount of guilt and self-loathing threatened to overwhelm her.

Still, she thought that the cruelty of all Ponyville directed against him didn’t excuse his retaliation. Maybe that’s just something humans do, she had sometimes thought to herself. Murdering, pillaging, razing villages to the ground…

Our of all the Elements, Rarity’s inner struggle was one of the most difficult to reconcile. She’d done Jason Wright wrong, but in return he had destroyed the lives of many ponies. She’d even overheard rumors of secret pony groups who were said to hate humans in general and Jason in particular.

“Rarity?”

The older mare looked over at Sweetie. “Yes?” she asked.

“Is it okay if I go see Spike?”

Rarity forced herself not to react. That was a major sore spot with her, not because she’d lost Spike’s affections, but because she felt incredibly guilt-ridden over what he had said to her following Jason’s departure and after Twilight had told him about their actions. Spike hadn’t been angry, which had been worse in hindsight. Instead, Spike had been severely disappointed and heartbroken. It was ironic that he’d had the courage to confess his former feelings for her in that time. She felt like she was a foal being scolded by an adult, only he was acting as the aforementioned adult in that situation. She knew that Spike had gotten close to her sister and her two friends in the two months since the attack. Possibly even more than friends, she wasn’t sure. She had seen the four of them going around helping or playing.

“Will you be staying over with him?” Rarity asked. Sweetie was a teenager by pony standards now, and that meant certain changes to her body were coming in quickly. She had seen how Spike and Sweetie had looked at each other in the more recent days, and while she trusted her sister as she’d become more mature, she was still only a child to Rarity who wanted to protect her family.

“Well, probably,” Sweetie replied, and a small blush crept up onto her face. “Me, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo will be going over. Probably Diamond and Silver, too.”

That gave Rarity some sense of relief. Nothing would happen if her friends were there. Not only that, but she knew that the castle had magically induced internal heat which would be beneficial for her health. She knew that the plan was for more ponies to begin migrating to the castle for the winter when it eventually fell. Twilight had continued to offer the many empty rooms for shelter, and while some ponies had accepted, many others hadn’t. At least, they hadn’t yet. As a matter of necessity, though, they would have to when the winter snowstorms came on them in a few weeks. Rarity hoped, at least, that Sweetie would be given permission to stay in the castle. “Sure, you can,” Rarity replied, “but just tell Mom and Dad-”

“I know the drill by now, Rarity,” Sweetie interrupted her.

“Right,” was all she could say, then she straightened. “Have a good time over there.”

Sweetie’s face brightened. “I will, thanks!” With that, the younger pony grabbed a bag and began stuffing it with things she would need, such as toiletries and her favorite blanket. “Love you, Rarity! Bye!” With that, she rushed out of the tent, leaving Rarity alone with her now cold soup.

Rarity sighed, then looked back down at her soup. She used her magic to move the broth around absent mindedly as her mind drifted back to Jason. One man caused so much sadness, Rarity thought as she took another spoonful of her soup. Sweet Celestia…what’s the right answer…?

Rainbow Dash walked around the edges of what had used to be Ponyville, a small lantern held in one of her hooves. Ever since the town had been destroyed, she’d volunteered to be a night watchpony, sleeping during the day and walking around with a few other ponies at night to make sure no bandits took advantage of the situation.

It was also a good excuse for her not to face the accusing faces of the town and those she’d once considered her friends.

Her wings were tightly folded against her sides. Ever since being freed all those months ago, she had not once moved them, save for the occasional preening. But she didn’t deserve to fly again. Not after what she, the so-called Element of Loyalty, had done to a completely innocent creature who had once been a fan of hers. She remembered what Jason Wright had said during their brief tour of Ponyville as it was being destroyed.

“You were my favorite.”

That had broken her completely. She’d always promised herself that she would be loyal to her fans and give them shows and demonstrations of her awesome talents, but upon learning that Jason not only was a fan, but knew about her sonic rainbooms, something inside of her just snapped. She’d betrayed not only him, but herself and her other fans.

Discord’s magic be damned, she thought. I can’t call myself an Element of Loyalty. Or an element of anything! Just a fucking bitch! She kicked some snow up angrily, watching by lantern light as the soft white powder fell softly back to the ground.

“Hey!” a voice called out, “eyes up!”

Rainbow winced. The voice belonged to another member of the watch, one of her least favorite mares in Ponyville. Lightning Dust, a turquoise pegasus with a need for speed that rivaled the old Rainbow Dash’s own. She’d become a member of the watch as well, and Rainbow suspected it was because she wanted an excuse to harass Rainbow. She looked up at the young pegasus. “This isn’t your area,” Rainbow said in an attempt to sound angry, but when Jason had left Ponyville, he’d taken all of the spark out of her attitude, leaving a husk of a mare in its place.

“Your point being, Crash?” Lighting sneered.

In another life, she would have thrown down with the upstart pegasus mare, but Rainbow was a different pony now. She felt older, weaker than she ever had been before. It had never occurred to her that she would eventually lose her bite. She’d always felt indestructible. She’d always been strong and loyal. Now? She was nothing but another body. Rainbow sighed deeply. “Never mind…”

“That’s what I thought, bitch,” Lighting said as Rainbow walked past her, heading towards the end of her beat. The snow had picked up now, but Rainbow didn’t care. She took a look up at the overcast sky, the thick clouds pushed in by other pegasi barely visible in the light of the now dimly lit temporary torches around the tent town. She ignored the other various insults Lighting was throwing at her as beside her, her wings rustled slightly, but eventually snapped back into position.

“You better run, you traitor,” Lightning growled. “Everypony knows it’s not just that monstrous human who’s at fault! It’s yours too! Yours and your friends! Or are they even friends anymore? Not that it matters. Now the world will see you for how you really are. Hypocrites.”

Rainbow continued walking, letting the insults wash over her. Because they weren’t insults.

They were the complete truth.

Spike looked up as he held the two dice in his claw. “Hope you ladies are ready to lose,” he smirked.

The others around him, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, sat around the Free Market board. They had their starting fake metal bits in front of them, fifteen hundred each, and they each had their metal pieces on the board. Sweetie Belle was the carriage, the preferred board piece. Apple Bloom was the wheelbarrow, Scootaloo was the clipper ship, Diamond Tiara was the top hat, Silver Spoon was the thimble, and Spike was the train engine.

“You know this game lasts forever, right?” Diamond said with a smirk as Spike threw the dice onto the board, one nearly hitting the Community Chest card pile.

Spike picked up his piece and moved it nine places onto Coltnecticut Avenue. “Hey, it’ll keep us entertained at least, Dimey,” Spike chuckled as he dished out the hundred and twenty bits needed to buy the property.

“Buying already, huh?” Silver Spoon said with a raised eyebrow. “Bold move, Spike. Not even my dad does that on his first move.”

Spike chuckled a bit, knowing that Silver Spoon’s father was a rich real estate owner. “Well, I can’t sit around and just play it safe like I did last time,” he said as he put the title card down before picking up the dice and giving them to Sweetie Belle. “There you are.”

Sweetie took them, then placed them on her frogs before holding them up to Spike. “You know the drill,” she said with a teasing chuckle.

Rolling his eyes and blushing, Spike blew on them before Sweetie put them in between her hooves and shook them around. “Lookin’ for Donut Joe! Momma’s gonna buy a new set of shoes from the store!” she chanted as she let go and the dice. She landed on Chance and picked up a card. “Hah! Proceed to nearest railroad!” She picked up her piece and advanced it to Hennsylvania Railroad before turning and sticking her tongue out at Spike. “Take that, babe!”

“They’re flirting again,” Scootaloo grumbled as she picked up the dice.

“I think it’s kinda cute,” Apple Bloom said with a wide grin.

Sweetie Belle bought the railroad then Scootaloo rolled her dice. As she moved, Silver Spoon looked at the young couple. “Hey, um…Spike…can I…ask a question? It might get a bit uncomfortable, so you don’t have to answer.”

“Go ahead,” Spike said as Sweetie Belle leaned her head on Spike’s shoulder.

“Well, it’s just…everypony knew about how…you felt about your feelings for…” she trailed off, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

Spike saw where this was going and decided to give her an out. “My former feelings for Rarity? Yeah, I did like her, and I’ve gotten over her. What’s your question?”

Sweetie gave Silver a bit of a glare, causing the gray teen filly to wince, but she still pressed forward. “Well, you and Sweetie got together a month ago, and…gosh, this is hard to ask,” she said, clearly frustrated.

Spike’s eyes widened in realization. “Oooh, you think I’m replacing my crush for Rarity with my love for Sweetie?” When he saw Silver flinch, he knew he’d hit the mark. “No way, that’s not it at all.”

“We’ve actually talked about that,” Sweetie said as she sat up and looked at Silver with a serious expression.

“I came up with all sorts of excuses to explain my crush on Rarity,” Spike said, “but in the end, I was just attracted to her looks. And that’s not what a good relationship entails.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked as she placed her token on Reading Railroad.

“Well, you guys know that I know the Princess of Love, right?” Spike asked. When everyone nodded, he continued. “I’ve been writing to her regularly. She’s one of the few who I trust to not abuse my fire’s abilities. Sweetie and I both wrote her letters asking about what makes a good relationship. One of the things she said was that while physical attraction is important, it’s also important to be friends with your partner and to love them for who they are and not just how they appear.”

“That’s the general gist of it, anyway,” Sweetie said.

“That’s actually really sweet,” Diamond said with a smile before it fell. “I wish my parents were like that. Sometimes I feel like they’re only together because of me.”

Silver rubbed Diamond’s back as Apple Bloom, who held the dice in her hoof, spoke up. “Hey, yer dad’s a good stallion. I’m sure he’s just worried ‘bout you.”

“I know he’s a good stallion,” Diamond said sadly, “but some days I wonder why he married my mom.”

“Arranged marriage?” Scootaloo suggested.

Diamond shook her head as Apple Bloom paid the banker, Silver Spoon, for her new property, Marevin Gardens. “No, dad told me that much when I asked.”

“Hey, we wanted to play this game to have some fun,” Spike interjected, not liking the depressing turn that the conversation was going, “so let’s try and do that?”

Diamond gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“Same here,” Silver said.

“Don’t worry, I can’t fault you for being curious,” Spike said as Diamond took the dice and rolled for her turn. “Hah! You owe me money, Dimey!”

Hours later, with the game not finished, the group were all scattered around the room. Aside from Spike, everypony else was lying in cots with sleeping bags on top. The fireplace in Spike’s room was still well-lit thanks to his flames lasting longer than the average fire, so the fire was still going and would keep going for a few more hours.

Spike was still awake, lying on his side as he looked at Sweetie Belle, who was asleep in the cot that was so close to his bed it might as well be touching. She was so beautiful to him even when sleeping. Her face looked so peaceful.

He took in a deep breath, then closed his eyes. He started trying to fall asleep, until a stray memory came to him. The memory of one Emperor Jason Wright, the human responsible for the destruction of Ponyville.

No, he mused, that’s not entirely accurate. While it was true that he had ordered its destruction, Spike knew that it wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for Twilight and her former friends. He hadn’t even known the human was there when he first arrived in Ponyville five years ago. He’d been in Canterlot visiting Shining Armor who was visiting his own parents. Of course, since Spike didn’t really leave the library and then the castle, he never saw the mobs of ponies who chased the human out of town. Most days he was too exhausted to do anything. He didn’t even know what a human was.

“Spike? You okay?” Sweetie’s melodious and soothing voice asked in a tired tone as he heard her stirring in her cot.

“No,” he admitted as he opened his eyes to face the now sitting up teen filly. He knew better than to lie to his new marefriend. She had a way of knowing when he was lying ever since the two began hanging out with the other CMC members along with Diamond and Silver.

Sweetie frowned and moved closer, putting a hoof around his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Still thinking about what Silver Spoon asked?”

“No, not that,” he said, “I was thinking about Jason Wright.” When he saw Sweetie Belle’s ears lower at the mention of the name, he immediately added, “Sorry, Sweetie…”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, giving him a reassuring smile. “After what you told me, I’m not surprised he’s been on your mind. I can’t imagine anypony doing that to anycreature, especially not my sister,” she said. “But it happened, and now we’re paying for it.”

Spike put an arm around Sweetie Belle, pulling her closer into his bed and burying his face in her soft barrel. Sweetie allowed this, wrapping her forelegs around him comfortingly. “I’m scared,” he admitted with his face still in her barrel. “What if the town does the same to me?”

“That won’t ever happen,” Sweetie Belle said reassuringly, tightening her grip around him. “It shouldn’t have happened to the human, and it sure as tartarus won’t happen to you. If they do turn on you or even throw you out, I’ll come with you.”

Spike moved away from the hug, slowly shaking his head. “What about Rarity? What about your parents?”

“They were part of the problem,” Sweetie said with a slightly bitter tone, before her voice softened again. “Rarity chased him out, and I know for a fact my parents threw garbage at them. They’re thinking of moving to another town.”

Spike felt a lump forming in his throat. “Does that mean you’re going with them?” he asked worriedly. He didn’t want to lose her so soon.

Sweetie shook her head. “No, I’ll still be with Rarity. When everypony moves in for the winter, I’ll be here.”

Spike automatically once more wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same to him. That reassurance was enough for him to at least temporarily forget his fears and troubles as the two sat in a comfortable silence for a while. That’s how they fell asleep, wrapped up under the blankets.

Sunday, October 31, 1007 A.L., Equestria

Celestia was running. Running down a corridor with doors on either side. She was running towards something. Or was it away from something? She couldn’t tell, mostly because not even her magic could light up the dark passage too far back, only wide enough to see the doors on either side. Each door was unique in appearance, with different colors, designs and knobs. But one thing about them was constant. There were pictures of ponies hanging from them. Ponies who were glaring at her, following her with their gazes. And from all of them, she could hear their tormenting words:

“You murderer!”

“You abandoned us!”

“You betrayed us!”

“You left that human in your pets’ worthless hooves!”

“You turned that human into the monster he became!”

“You did this to Equestria!”

“You are unworthy!”

“Traitor!”

“Monster!”

Celestia sobbed as she galloped harder, unable to spread her wings even to stop her ears. The corridor was only narrow enough to give her a couple of feet on either side. The floor was made of carpet, so she couldn’t make enough noise to drown the accusations out. The same accusations she’d heard in her head for three months. The same ones that were in her dreams night after night. The same accusations she couldn’t stop seeing on the faces of her advisors or the other nobles.

She heard something else now, the sound of heavy boots on thick carpet and a raspy breathing. Both very familiar to her. Both belonging to one of her greatest failures since Nightmare Moon. She didn’t need to glance behind her to know that the human Jason Wright was running up close behind her. She could feel his breath somehow on the nape of her neck, could sense his malevolent grin. A grin she had put on his face from her lack of care for any nonponies. Even during Discord’s first release, she hadn’t even thought about how the dragon in her former student’s care. It must have been immensely painful to cough up those scrolls one after the other.

She cursed herself. She always thought she was a caring pony, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how she wouldn’t have checked in too much on Jason even without Discord’s spell. The boot falls only increased in volume. There was the smell of death in the air, of blood. And of tears.

She cried out for help. “Somepony! Anypony! HELP!” She screamed-

-And woke up screaming, clutching her bedding close to her as she had done nearly every night for the past months. Not even her sister’s intervention could stave off the nightmares, at least, what little time Luna had to come to save her sister.

It was just before dawn; the fire in her hearth having since gone out. However, she was still drenched in swear as was her orange comforter. She flung it away from her, taking in deep breaths to try and calm her frazzled nerves. She’d had nightmares nearly identical to the one she’d just had for months. But the dream she’d just had was new. Completely unexpected.

In a flash of dark blue light, a tired but worried Luna appeared in Celestia’s bedroom. She looked at Celestia and her frown deepened. “It happened again, didn’t it?” she asked, coming to the futon where Celestia slept and putting a comforting wing around her.

Celestia lowered her head, nodding as the tears came. “It…he almost got me this time,” Celestia said.

“We apologize, dear sister,” Luna said sincerely. “We were dealing with a larger influx of nightmares than normal.”

Celestia shook her head. “I told you to focus your attention on the common pony before me,” she said, “I’m not angry at you.”

Luna’s ears flattened and she moved closer to her older sister. “You need a better night’s rest if we are to continue rebuilding Equestria,” she said, slipping into a more informal speech than she used with others, “You can’t keep going on like this. You’re going to collapse one day, and then what? Sister, as much as we are loathe to admit it, we cannot do this on our own for long, especially with the nobility on our tails.”

Celestia stiffened, then turned to face her sister, a look of bitter anger on her face. “Our little ponies are more important than me right now!” she shouted. “They make the kingdom, not buildings or borders!” She was nearly in Luna’s face before she realized what she was doing. Slowly, she pulled away and looked down at the blanket in front of her. “Forgive me, Lulu…I didn’t mean it…”

“Cellie, you’re my sister…” Luna said softly, lifting Celestia to face her with her hoof, “I love you deeply, but you need to let somepony help you. You’re falling apart.”

Celestia curled up, pulling her thin sheet closer to her. “I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t,” Luna said stalwartly. “You’re at your limit! Please, you need a break!”

“Not yet,” Celestia said as she slowly removed the sheet covering the rest of her. Slowly, she got up and went to her vanity dresser where she began to put on her royal regalia. As she did so, her eyes wandered and soon she saw something on a nearby table. There, sitting in a thick clear magically sealed jar, sat some inert changeling goop which she had taken from her wings after Jason had released her. She’d placed another jar of it in her throne room, in her private dining room, even in her private privy. She didn’t want to forget what she had wrought.

Luna’s eyes followed her sister’s, and her frown returned. “You should get rid of those,” she said. “They’re nothing but a reminder to you. They could also be causing some of your nightmares. We don’t know what that fluid does.”

“Do not touch them,” Celestia said firmly, “None of them. I need that reminder. I failed miserably, Luna.”

“Don’t say that, it was Discord-”

“Discord be damned!” Celestia shouted angrily, stamping her hoof on the ground, “All that cretin did was ever so slightly enhance the feelings I have about other creatures that are not my ponies! I would have forgotten about him regardless!” She was panting heavily when she was finished with her tirade, looking wildly at a stunned Luna.

The lunar Princess, however, cleared her throat, walked over, and put a comforting wing on Celestia’s withers. “You can’t keep punishing yourself for this,” Luna said. “Yes, you have your faults, but your compassion isn’t one of them. Remember what you told me about the moment when you confronted the Elements of Harmony in jail before Discord’s death? You called them out. That shows that you do care deeply.”

“But only for ponies,” Celestia said. “I’ve done things that I regret not only to Jason, but to other non-ponies as well. Young Spike, for example.”

“What about him?” Luna asked.

So, Celestia told her. She told Luna about how the egg that had been found floating in Horseshoe Bay had been found by her more than thirteen years ago. How she had taken it and used it as a mere means to test students. How she had assigned the young Spike to become Twilight Sparkle’s assistant. Not friend, but lowly assistant. How she had used him as only a messenger once she discovered his ability to send messages with his flames. Then she went on to describe the incident with how Discord was first released, the way that even other ponies had apparently used him from reports she’d received from one of her ex-agents of S.M.I.L.E. who now lived in Ponyville, and other incidents she’d heard about. “My little ponies have been sheltered from other races,” she finished with tears in her eyes, “they are afraid and suspicious of anycreature not their own. They were even afraid of a zebra, and they look so much like a pony that we’re practically kindred.”

Luna took this all in stride, her face stony with no reaction to all she’d just heard. She walked up to Celestia and asked, “Have you apologized to young Spike for this? Or to miss Zecora? Have you offered amnesty to no one other than Jason? What about his changeling army? To me, what the reports say is that they seemed very uncomfortable in burning Ponyville down. Some did it mostly out of fear.”

Celestia’s ears lowered. More guilt was piled up on the preexisting guilt she already felt. “I…I never thought to…oh Maker above…I haven’t learned.”

“Anypony can forgive you for making such an oversight in these trying times,” Luna said softly.

“I shouldn’t have forgotten that!” Celestia said with tears now streaming down her cheeks. Tears of self-loathing. Tears of inner hatred. “I’m no worse than those foal abusers I’ve had to execute in my rule!”

“Then do something about it now!” Luna bellowed, startling Celestia. The lunar diarch had used her Royal Canterlot Voice. Taking a deep breath, Luna softened her tone and continued, “What was it father said? There’s no time like the present to right a wrong?”

Celestia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, and with a slow nod, turned and put on her crown, peytral, golden shoes and her other royal accoutrements. She quickly got them on, brushed her mane and tail, then walked over to the window. She opened it, raised her head, and began raising the sun at its proper time. The sky was partly cloudy this morning, with patches of fog covering the valley floor below, especially around where Ponyville had once lay. It was both a blessing and a curse to not be able to see the land below. A blessing since she could at least pretend for a moment that things were back to normal, and a curse because the fog reminded her of the thick billowing smoke clouds that had surrounded Ponyville when she’d first gotten a glimpse of what Jason had done to it.

When she turned back, she found that Luna was holding out her hoof. Celestia took said hoof in and nodded gratefully at her. “Come with me, Luna,” she said, walking towards the door, holding her head high as a ruler should even if parts of her felt that she didn’t truly deserve to do so, “We’re going to continue helping to rebuild Equestria together.”

“Together, dear sister,” Luna said as she used her magic to open the door. The two stepped out into the hallway, ready to face the day.

6: Stripes of Friendship

Wednesday, November 3, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

The large space of land that Gregory had been granted by the gryphons was a large grassy area surrounded by a small localized forest. The grass was overgrown, but thanks to him walking through it constantly, there were two paths that had been made from the entrance of his camper. One led out towards the nearest street where a gate existed as an ancient mansion used to exist there before it was destroyed in a fire shortly after the fall of the Empire. Another led to the forest.

Gregory’s camper was a decent mid to upper-sized customized one. Upon entering, one was immediately greeted by a kitchenette/dining area with a decent sized fridge/freezer combo just to the left of the door. To the right of the front door’s entrance was a mid-sized pantry stuffed full of food that could last for a long time. There was also a loft with a full-sized bed above it which he was currently using for extra storage.

On the opposite side of the fridge was a four-burner electric tabletop stove and an oven below it. There was a microwave over the stove top. Next to it was a small sink that could be covered by a dish drying rack with a small window above said sink. Some extra counter space could be folded out next to the door. Above the window were cabinets where he had stored food, plenty of sturdy plates and bowls, pots and pans and other things he thought he’d need for a kitchen. He had a drawer full of silverware made to last.

There was a U-shaped dinette styled table next to the fridge that could be unfolded to form a bed. There was a window behind it. Next to the table there was a decent sized sectional couch that had cup holders and could also fold out to become a bed. Opposite of both was a mounted TV which could be positioned to be in front of the booth or the sectional couch depending on the situation. Below the mount’s location there was a recently installed false fireplace/heater. Above the mount, flush to the ceiling, was the AC unit and recessed lighting.

Further down towards the back was a bathroom with a foot flush toilet, small sink, and a standing shower that had a skylight. Beyond that, there was a door that led to the bedroom which had a queen-sized bed with plenty of storage underneath and two small nightstands with drawers built into them on either side of his bed. There was also a closet in the room with a washer/dryer combo installed inside, a smaller closet for clothes and some drawers built into the walls along with a small one-person desk built into the wall on the left side of the bed. There was another smaller wall mounted television across the bed. The room had two large windows which looked out to the left of the bed and opposite the bed below the TV.

The water tanks he’d had customized so that he could manually refill or empty them by simply opening them up instead of using a hose. Not only that, but he’d had sophisticated filters installed in each faucet to help get rid of any sort of microbes or dirt from the water he would inevitably pour into the clean water tank.

Since it was an older model of camper, he had paid to have speakers installed into the walls and ceilings along with a Bluetooth receiver that connected to them. There were even speakers outside the camper. The speakers also connected to the two televisions in the camper.

Outside, there were two storage compartments near the back, one of which currently held a massive number of physical books he’d bought back on Earth while the other was half full of more books and half full of bulk packs of toilet paper and paper towels. Beside the storage area was an electric grill/flattop stove that came out for outdoor cooking. There was an outdoor mini-fridge next to that, a ladder on the side of the bedroom window which led to the roof, and some outdoor plugs. Lastly, there were multiple stabilizer jacks which he had deployed to keep the camper from moving. He anticipated that the tires would inevitably go flat so he had planned not only to place the tires on blocks but to give added stability by using the jacks as additional support.

Gregory had been extremely lucky during his last year on Earth because the only way he had been able to afford such customizations and the large truck capable of pulling the camper was due to one of the few humans back on Earth who he had a good relationship with. An elderly librarian who he had once worked with in his old town back in his old hometown had been kind to him, inviting him to holidays at her home and basically becoming a foster grandmother to him. Sadly, two years before his arrival on Gaia, she had passed away from a sudden heart attack, but in her will she had left him a hefty sum of money along with all of her worldly possessions.

He’d given most of the possessions away to those he felt needed them more to honor her kind memory, but had kept some that he could replace some of his older and worn-down belongings, including a pair of old lamps that he now had on one of the small nightstands in his bedroom and an antique grandfather’s clock which was situated in the corner of the bedroom. Winding it daily reminded him of her and it always brought a smile to his face. When he’d left Earth to come to Gaia, he had given a few of the larger objects away which he hated because they all had sentimental value to him. Still, he had taken pictures of them and had them in an actual photo album along with other photos from Earth he’d had turned into actual photographs.

The money had been used to fund his plans to get to Gaia. He’d purchased a strong truck and the older camper which he had customized. He also used his money to purchase everything he’d be taking to Gaia, such as food, water, toiletries, clothes that were sturdy and would last for a while, and plenty of books since he wouldn’t be able to bring the internet with him. He also bought plenty of external drives to store media and eBook files as backups in case one broke. He even purchased about three state of the art laptops as backups in case his current one broke down along with three phones for the same reason. He believed in coming prepared, and would nearly daily check on these backups to be sure nothing had happened to them.

Currently, however, he hadn’t been doing that checking. Gregory was sitting on the small couch after a long day of work at the post office and doing construction. The heater was going, but the false fire wasn’t because that was more for ambiance than anything else and he technically didn’t need it. He was nursing a glass of water while reading the little pamphlet that he’d been given from the Convocation, which he’d been reading over and over for the past few days, memorizing it as best as he could. It seemed simple enough to understand, but he wanted to make sure he understood every bit that he could.

Outside, the sun was just beginning to set, and while the day had been sunny but cold, thick clouds had been slowly forming in the west, possibly indicating rain. The moon was a waxing crescent moon low in the evening sky, the sliver now larger than before. Unlike Earth’s moon, Erda’s was much larger in appearance than the sun. Even so, Gregory hadn’t heard anything about solar eclipses happening as often as he would have guessed. He’d read a few accounts from ancient gryphon history about eclipses lasting for long periods of time, but only a handful of times. Gregory guessed that if this world was a geocentric one instead of heliocentric like he was used to, it might make sense for Celestia, and later Luna, to avoid solar eclipses so as not to scare the world.

Nearby, Gabby was standing near the stove top, heating up some canned soup for the two of them. She was humming the tune to The Loco-Motion. He put the booklet down and looked over at her. “Nice choice,” he said.

She chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. “Hey, I like music, and you have so much on that phone thing of yours,” she said.

The door to the camper opened just then, and Gilda walked in, holding a basket full of her famous scones. “Sup, bitches?” she greeted as she walked in and placed the scones on the table before sniffing the air as she took off her saddlebags and set them down on the ground near the small kitchenette. “Damn, that smells good.”

“Sup yourself, bitch,” Gregory greeted with a wave before reaching over and taking a scone. “Oooh, still warm,” he said as he took a bite.

Gilda sat on the other side of the couch and lay down, letting loose a sigh. “My last batch,” she said by means of explanation. “Grover’s plumage, I’m exhausted,” she said. “We need more scone bakers. Oh! I brought something else by, too.”

Gabby walked over to the saddlebags and pulled out a paper bag. Opening it, her eyes widened as she pulled out something that looked like a burger to Gregory. His eyes opened wider as well as the familiar smell of the now famous burgers from Grant’s Burgers filled the camper. “You swung by Grant’s?” he asked.

“Yep,” Gilda said as Gabby grabbed some plastic plates from a small cupboard and set the table.

Gregory stood and began to help Gabby when the door to the camper opened again. Gallus walked in, carrying a small sack. “Hey, everyone,” he said as he set the bag on the floor next to Gilda’s saddlebags before leaning down and opening it. “I found some good cupcakes before they were sold out.”

Gregory leaned down and looked in, spotting some actually good-looking cupcakes, something else he’d introduced to Gryphonstone. He took them out and looked at them in the light. “Nice!” he said. “These will be perfect for dessert.” He put them in the fridge before returning to helping Gabby set the table.

Gallus looked a bit proud of himself as he sat down and looked triumphantly at Gilda, the latter of whom simply rolled her eyes before grabbing the remote for the TV. She turned it on and then plugged in the older Roku to said TV before scrolling down to select the folder called Game of Thrones. “Hah! I did it without your help!” she boasted, turning to face Gregory and flipping him off. “In your face, dweeb!”

Gregory simply rolled his eyes and snatched the remote out of her claw. “You also nearly destroyed the remote,” he said, “and I can’t really replace it if you break it.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was careful,” she responded.

“But Gregory, didn’t you say that if you couldn’t use that weird little black box then you would have to use that taptop thing of yours?” Gabby asked. “And where is it?”

“Laptop,” Gregory corrected, “and it’s charging on my bed right now. And also yes, we could watch TV using only my laptop. All I’d have to do is connect it to the TV and we’d be golden. Still, we’re pretty much ready to begin the next episode.” He then began maneuvering to the Season 1 folder.

“Perfect!” Gilda clapped her claws. “I want to see what happens to that dwarf when he reached the Eyrie!”

“I still can’t believe that story has a place called the Eyrie,” Gallus said about ten minutes later as everyone was seated at the table while facing the wall mounted TV. Dinner consisted of a burger each, with a bowl of canned soup and scones for the sides. To drink, they all had some locally sourced beverage which was known as bliss. It was a sweet purple juice made from a grape-like fruit that oddly grew all year round. “Next thing you know, they’ll have a place called Gryphonstone.”

“Close,” Gregory chuckled as opened the folder with the episode he wanted to open, “there’s a stronghold called Dragonstone in the Seven Kingdoms.”

“Wow, that’s so weird,” Gallus said before taking a drink of his bliss. “Aaah, that’s the shit.”

“Hush, the episode’s starting,” Gilda said as Gregory his play on the remote and the episode began.

As the episode played and everyone moved to the sectional couch, Gregory struggled to keep his eyes open. The act of eating helped a bit, but having been working at his job then doing construction throughout the city with Gabby by his side nearly every day was taxing on him. He knew he was in decent shape by human standards, but by gryphon standards he was definitely a lot weaker than most. That didn’t stop him from helping, though. Still, he felt more and more exhausted with every passing day.

Gabby leaned over halfway during the episode and whispered, “Gregory, you look terrible. Are you feeling alright?”

He nodded and yawned for the twentieth time. “Just tired,” he said.

Gabby shook her head with worry. “You need a break,” she whispered back. “You’ve been working nonstop for weeks. Tell you what, I know this great masseuse who can help soothe all your troubles and cares.”

“Without puncturing skin?” Gregory asked curiously.

“Definitely,” Gabby said.

“Hey, what are you two talking about now?” Gilda asked, reaching over and pausing the episode.

Gabby looked at the other two gryphons. “Gregory needs a weekend away from the city to rest,” she repeated more loudly this time.

“Hmm, good idea,” Gallus nodded, looking at Gregory. “You have been looking more and more like shit lately.”

Gregory sat up and turned to face the group. He noted the varied looks of worried expressions in their eyes. He nodded slowly after a few moments. “I suppose I haven’t really had a decent break since coming here,” he admitted. “It would be nice to do something to unwind. But as long as you all come with me.”

The three gryphons looked at each other, then all of them nodded. Turning back to him, Gilda was the first to speak. “Sounds good to me, bitch. You need someone to watch that scrawny back of yours.”

“I wouldn’t mind a break,” Gallus said.

“I’d love to come,” Gabby said happily.

Gregory nodded, then looked at Gabby. “So, where in Gryphonstone are we going anyway, and where?”

“I was thinking this Friday afternoon we could go there and spend a couple days in town,” Gabby explained, “and we’re not going anywhere in Gryphonstone.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Okay…so where are we going?”

“Gryphonville.”

Friday, November 5, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Gryphonville was the closest town to Gryphonstone, nestled smack in the center of the forest directly to the west of Gryphonstone. In fact, if one were to look directly east, the massive city could be seen even from that distance, nestled snugly on top of the mountain. Even the Eyrie could be seen on a nice clear day.

Once Gregory was put down after having been flown there in Gabby’s arms, he took in the surprisingly clean and quaint town in awe. Much like the architecture of Gryphonstone, Gryphonville’s houses looked a lot like birdhouses from Earth, with thatched or even wooden slanted roofs with holes in the top and perches just outside of the holes. There were larger buildings that, to Gregory’s surprise, had their own unique styles and architecture. He even saw many buildings that resembled Golden Oaks Library scattered liberally throughout the city, something Gabby told him was called a houseoak.

As he and the others walked through the town, he saw plenty of gryphons working on rebuilding or demolishing old decrepit buildings that needed to be just rebuilt and not refurbished. There were other gryphons flying through the air as well, carrying food or stacks of wood in their arms. From the air, Gregory had actually seen a good number of farms surrounding the town itself, each of which was bordered by the dense forest surrounding the town.

When the gryphons in town spotted them, they rushed over to greet the newcomers, but especially Gregory, who was practically inundated with friendly greetings and even some gifts of food from the farms nearby. He received a basket of assorted fruit, a freshly killed and plucked turkey, and even a few loaves of what felt and smelled like freshly baked bread and some cheese as well. He almost refused, but remembered just in time the gryphon tradition of accepting gifts.

This was how they arrived at the Gryphonville Spa, each one of them laden with gifts of food from the nearby farms. Gregory was surprised at how blessed this town had become, especially once he’d sampled each of the fruits, the bread and the cheeses and found them to be of exceptional quality. He didn’t doubt that the turkey, too, was of good stock and Gabby promised to cook it the moment they got back.

“By Grover’s plumage, the Bearer himself and his companions! Here at our humble parlor!” a female voice called out from behind a curtained doorway. When the gryphon who owned said voice came in, Gregory noted that she was a dark pink furred gryphon with white feathers, each with a hint of purple on their edges. Her blue eyes were wide with joy as she rushed over to the human and his companions. “I never dreamed a day like this would come! Me or my sisters!” With that, two other gryphons poked their heads through the curtains. One had dark crimson fur and light pink tipped white feathers in her plumage along with red eyes, and the third had dark blue fur, light blue tipped feathers in her plumage and yellow eyes. The three gryphon females all looked identical in appearance aside from their color differences. Almost like they were triplets.

Gregory smiled and waved at them. “Hello there, you three,” he said kindly. “My friends and I came down because we’ve been working nonstop for a while and needed some relaxation.”

“Oh, of course sir!” the first gryphon sister said happily. “I’m Guinevere! These are my sisters Gloria and Gwen! Welcome to 3G Massage Parlor!”

Gregory smiled, holding back a smirk at the name. “Nice to be here. What kind of packages do you offer, if I might ask?”

“Here, have a look!” Guinevere grabbed a small brochure and handed it to the human.

“Hey, just a word of warning,” Gilda said, looking at the sisters, “Gregory here is more sensitive. His skin is weaker, so you be careful if you massage him, okay?”

Guinevere nodded. “Understood, we’ll be careful, right girls?” Here she turned to her sisters, who both gave thumbs up.

Gregory looked over the brochure, which had a layout of the spa itself. The spa was one big warm pool and four hot tubs at the corner. There were massage tables on the outer edges of the pool where the masseuses would go to work. There was also a sauna and an outdoor natural hot spring. All of which sounded incredibly relaxing to him. He showed this and the various packages, ranging from the basic which included a soak in the tub and an hour-long massage to the deluxe package which involved an all-day access to every amenity the spa had to offer. He pointed to the deluxe package. “If I’m gonna relax, I’m going all out. I can pay for everyone here if you want that.”

“Eh, I was planning on doing the same anyway,” Gilda said, grabbing her coin purse from her saddlebag.

“Same here,” Gabby said.

“I can really only afford the basic,” Gallus said with a bit of disappointment.

“I’ll pay for you three,” Gregory said.

“We all will,” Gilda said, giving Gregory a warning glance not to say anything about it.

He held up his hands. “Alright, alright, we’ll all pitch in.” Turning to Guinevere, he said, “We’ll take four for the Deluxe Package, please.”

“I can probably help you, sir,” Gwen said excitedly. She looked like she was the youngest of the sisters and had a higher voice. “I studied massaging bipedal creatures myself.”

“Just as long as you remember that his skin is sensitive,” Gabby said in a protective tone.

“I will,” Gwen replied.

“If you don’t mind, do you have a changing room where I can get into my swimming trunks?” Gregory asked a bit sheepishly. “Humans don’t really like going around naked.”

“I was wondering about that,” Guinevere chuckled. “Yes, we do have a place where you can change. Head through the curtains and take a right. There’s a locker room where you can place your belongings. And it looks like you have plenty from the townsfolk,” she observed, looking at the baskets of food with a knowing grin.

“How much for at least two lockers?” Gregory asked.

“You have six lockers included in the deluxe cost,” Guinevere said. “The ones that are in use are closed, and the others are open, so just close the ones you pick.”

“Understood,” Gregory said, then he looked back at the companions. “Come on, let’s go drop off our stuff.”

After having dropped off their belongings in their six lockers, Gregory had closed the locker room door.Ten minutes later, he came out of the locker room, wearing a dark gray pair of swimming trunks. He stepped into the main pool room where he found Gallus already swimming around in the pool while Gabby and Gilda were in one of the hot tubs. He grinned, made his way over to the pool and looked in. “How deep is this pool?” he asked Guinevere who was nearby.

“Seven feet at the deep end, two feet at the shallow end,” Guinevere said.

“Thanks,” he said, before turning and shouting, “Cannonball!” He jumped into the air, tucked his knees under his arms and fell into the water. He was rewarded by warm water surrounding him the moment he went below, and he instantly relaxed, letting himself float gently to the surface. The moment his head broke through the water, he spread his arms and legs and began treading water. “Wow, this is warmer than any pool I’ve been to back where I’m from,” he said as he began swimming towards the shallow end where Gallus was lazily floating.

“We try and keep our pool temperature warm enough for everygryphon who comes here,” Guinevere said.

When Gregory reached Gallus’ side, he stood and looked down at the relaxing gryphon. “Someone looks comfy,” he said with a chuckle.

“I haven’t had a good relaxing day in a while thanks to all that work,” he said in his normal bored tone, but the smile on his face told Gregory he was anything but bored. “I needed this.”

“We all did,” Gregory said as he fell back, letting himself float in the shallow end of the pool. “And it’s just the beginning of our day, you know? We have the entire weekend to relax. One entire day.”

Six hours later, Gregory felt better than he had in months. The sauna and hot tub had been incredibly relaxing, especially when he went from hot tub to pool to sauna back to the pool. Despite the warnings from his new friends, the massage he’d received had helped him relax in ways he hadn’t realized he needed to relax.

After his massage, he decided to spend some time in the outdoor hot spring, where he discovered that it had begun raining. However, the hot spring was covered with a wooden roof, and the sound of rain falling on said roof and around the foliage surrounding the spring itself helped with the experience. The others had come to join him, each having received their own massage and each looking as relaxed as he felt.

Gabby, who was sitting next to Gregory, inhaled deeply, then exhaled as she leaned against him, something she’d sometimes taken to doing whenever the two would come home and collapse on the couch. Gregory didn’t mind it, since it only happened on the rare occasion where their days were extremely exhausting. “I’ve never felt more relaxed in my life,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to fly back home, now. Or even walk.”

“Hmm…maybe we should do something about that,” Gregory said, looking up past the foliage at the now invisible Gryphonstone.

“Like what?” Gabby asked.

“Well, like a gondola lift,” he said. “A large box where you can sit and relax while you’re pulled up from ground level to Gryphonstone.”

“I’ve seen a few of those in Equestria,” Gilda said, “But we don’t have the magic that they do, so we’d have to do it by claw.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Gregory said. “And I’ve heard that the ambient magic in Gryphonia is a lot less than in Equestria.”

“Speaking of magic,” Gilda said, “does anyone know how those three ponies are doing?”

“I’ve been visiting them for a bit each day,” Gregory said, “and I think Gabby has too, right?” he looked at the aforementioned gryphon questioningly.

She nodded. “They’re doing alright so far, but I think they’re getting a bit antsy, especially that Trixie one.”

Gregory chuckled and nodded in agreement. Two days after he’d visited and spoken with Trixie and Sunset, he’d gone back and saw that Starlight was awake as well. She was a bit nervous to see Gregory, but after he reassured her that what Sunset had told him wouldn’t affect how they would be cared for, she seemed to relax a bit. All three of them would take a couple weeks of recovery, but Dr. Gabriel had assured him that they would completely recover.

Gregory and Gabby had visited with the three about four more times during the week, and mostly just talked about recent events in the world. By now, Gabby knew the truth that Sunset had shared with him, and she had urged him to share it with their other two friends. By now, Gregory considered Gabby, Gilda, and Gallus all friends even if they hadn’t said the words yet. She was also encouraging him to tell them about what she knew about My Little Pony. Gregory, however, had argued that it wasn’t the right time, but he did agree that they should know if they grew closer as friends.

He decided to test the waters a bit as he stretched and splashed some water on his face. “Gilda, Gallus, can we talk about something serious for a bit?” he asked.

Gallus and Gilda, who had both their eyes closed, opened their eyes and looked over at him. “Hey, this is a time to relax,” Gilda said, “so let’s leave serious shit for later.”

“What she said,” Gallus added.

Gabby looked at him, then nodded. “They’re right,” she said. “Let’s not ruin anything by some serious stuff, okay?”

Gregory really wanted to keep going and just get it over with, but the look in Gabby’s eyes told him that she wouldn’t let it go. Slowly, he realized she was right. This was a time to relax, so it would be better to wait. “Yeah, alright,” he conceded, “we can talk about it next week.”

“Good boy,” Gilda said, giving him a grin and then patting him on the head roughly.

Gregory shoved her off playfully, then splashed her with the water. “Fuck off,” he teased with a flip of his middle finger.

“Make me,” she snapped back with a grin.

Things may have escalated, had it not been for the door to the inside opening. Expecting it to be one of the gryphons who owned the place, Gregory turned to see which one. Only to pause in shock as a zebra mare stepped out onto the stone walkway surrounding the hot spring. Her deep azure eyes locked with his and she froze, eyes widened in alarm. There was a tense few seconds between them before she relaxed. Before Gregory or anyone else could say anything, an unsure smile crossed the zebra’s face as she said, “Apologies for my intrusion. I did not mean to cause a commotion.”

Nobody spoke for a bit, unsure what to say. After a few seconds, Gabby spoke up. “Not at all!” she said in her normal friendly tone. “You can join us if you want! Right, everyone?”

Gregory was the second to recover and he smiled. “Sure, there’s plenty of space for you. It’s not like we booked this as a private thing.”

The zebra, who Gregory guessed could only be Zecora judging from her voice, eye color, and gold rings around her neck, stepped in, wrapped a towel around her back section and found a set of steps leading into the hot tub. She slowly lowered herself into it and a look of contentment passed over her face before she lowered herself completely up to her neck right after removing her towel and setting it on the rocks surrounding the hot spring. She opened one eye, then the other, looking at Gregory curiously now. “If it is not too much to query, might I ask what creature you be?”

Gregory relaxed a bit. Seeing the famous zebra so far from Ponyville was another surprise to him, almost as big of a surprise as meeting the three unusual trio of ponies in the hospital, but he’d begun to accept that the history he knew from the show was all kinds of messed up. Sunset had never met a human before him, after all. “I’m a human being,” he said. “I’m from very, very far away. My name’s Gregory Graystone.”

An odd expression passed over the zebra’s face, but it was gone before Gregory could fully understand just what it meant. Her polite smile returned and she bowed to him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, good sir. Zecora is my moniker.”

“Miss Zecora, it’s nice to meet you too,” he said.

“What’s a zebra doing all the way out here?” Gilda asked. “Aren’t your kind all in Zebrica?”

“Hey, rude much?” Gregory admonished her before turning to Zecora apologetically. “Sorry about my friend Gilda, here. She tends to run her mouth.”

“Fuck you too, bitch,” Gilda snarked, flipping him off once more.

Gregory repeated the gesture before being smacked lightly in the chest by Gabby. Zecora watched the exchange with curiosity before she waved a hoof. “There is no need for you to apologize, when I show up anywhere, questions will arise. In truth, I once lived across the sea, but troubles there forced me to flee.”

“Troubles across the sea?” Gallus asked with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“The Everfree Forest was once my home, but with its invasion, once more I’ve had to roam,” Zecora said sadly. However, there was something in the way she said it that made Gregory pause. He knew she lived near Ponyville, so he wondered if the invasion of Canterlot and the destruction of Ponyville had anything to do with it. And perhaps even what Sunset had told her. “Across the Celestial Sea I fled, and to this land my hooftracks led. In Gryphonville now is where I live, and now to this town my aid I give.”

“Giving town aid…are you the town’s new apothecary I heard about?” Gregory asked.

Zecora smiled and nodded. “If aches and pains your body plagues, my shop is near to give you aid.”

“Well, I’m glad you found a way to live in this town,” Gregory said, “although I’m sorry you had to flee your home. As a non-gryphon citizen of Gryphonia, I’d like to welcome you to our humble little country.”

“Ah, what the heck?” Gilda chuckled as she raised a claw in greeting, “Welcome to Gryphonia.”

Zecora’s eyes widened at the admission, but her smile returned, this one warmer and friendlier than before. “Your welcoming words are most appreciated, a warmer greeting I’ve never had.”

“What do you mean?” Gabby asked, looking curious.

In her own rhyming way, Zecora explained how she had arrived in the Everfree and had found a tree she could redesign for her purposes. She explained in vivid detail how she was received by the ponies of Ponyville at first until the incident with the poison joke and the Mane Six. She’d been welcomed into town for the most part, but when she had heard about the destruction of Ponyville along with the way Canterlot’s government was reacting to the crisis, she’d packed up and left. She hadn’t even become a full citizen of Equestria during the years she’d been living there, only ever achieving the status of immigrant. More specifically, she’d left when she’d heard about the border issue. When Gregory heard this, her reasons for leaving made much more sense, but he couldn’t help but suspect that there was something more. However, since he’d technically just met her, he didn’t ask.

Zecora told of how, when she’d disembarked from the ship and made her way into the forest, how she’d eventually stumbled onto Gryphonville. She’d completely expected a similar treatment to how she’d been received in Ponyville, but was completely shocked when not only did the Gryphons actually give her a houseoak in town for her to live, but helped her move in as well. In thanks, she had opened her apothecary, using ingredients she either grew in her garden or found in the nearby forest.

Gregory learned that the forest surrounding Gryphonville, known as Evertide, was a lot like the Everfree. There were special plants and roots that could only be found in the forest. In fact, she actually provided the spa with some elixirs and potions that helped relax the customers. As she told her story, Gregory grew more impressed. He hadn’t left Gryphonstone since he’d arrived, but he had heard that a similar attitude had spread to every gryphon throughout the empire. Slowly, it seemed, but it was spreading To see it and hear about it from a non-gryphon made his heart swell with pride. When she finished, the day had begun to darken and lanterns that were hung from the ceiling were lit. He and the others were listening raptly.

There were a few seconds of silence before Gilda spoke. “Your rhyming aside, it was a nice story.”

“Why do you rhyme, anyway?” Gallus asked.

“An ancient tradition of my order. It keeps our minds away from disorder,” Zecora said.

“Having to rhyme all the time must be excellent mental discipline,” Gregory said, “but aren’t there times when you’re tired of doing it?”

Zecora smiled at him warmly. “It has become second nature to me. It kept me sane while in Everfree.”

“I like it!” Gabby said with a gleeful smile.

“Same here,” Gregory said. “It’s pretty relaxing in its own way.”

Zecora chuckled. “I never waver from this manner of speech, unless the closest of friends are in my reach.”

“How would you define the closest of friends?” Gregory asked.

Immediately, he knew he’d asked the wrong thing. A dark shadow seemed to pass over Zecora’s face. “A true friend is not two-faced or cruel. Harmonious should be their rule.”

Yeah, so she knows something, Gregory thought as outwardly he nodded. “That’s fair,” he said.

“Yeah, I agree with you there,” Gabby said. “Then again, we’re not ponies. We have our own way of doing things.”

“All differences should be celebrated, and never ignored, abused or hated,” Zecora snarled.

Not wanting things to devolve, Gregory decided to change the subject by standing, wading over to the surprising zebra neighbor they now had, and held out his hand to the confused zebra. “I’ve made a lot of friends since coming here,” he said kindly, “all of them are in this hot spring. I know we just met and all, but would you be okay if I called you a friend?”

Zecora slowly looked around at the others in the spring, then back up at Gregory. She had an odd look in her eyes, almost calculating. However, she seemed to make up her mind only after about ten or so seconds and a smile once more graced her lips. She held up her hoof to his hand and touched it. As he wrapped his hand around her hoof, she said, “Harmony works in mysterious ways, for on a new friend my eyes do gaze.”

“I’ll be your friend too!” Gabby said, swimming quickly over to Zecora. “I’ve always wanted to meet a zebra!”

The others came up as well and offered their claws in friendship too. As Zecora accepted the friendship of gryphon and non-gryphon alike, underneath Gregory’s smile lingered a question:

Why did things happen the way they apparently did?

The group spent a few more hours with Zecora, getting to know her while she got to know the group. She heard of Gregory’s dwindling water supply, and offered to give him a steady supply of a potion that, with one drop, would purify any water he had. He gladly accepted that offer and promised to stop by her apothecary the next day.

When it came time to leave, Gregory paid not just for his friends, but for Zecora. She was so incredibly thankful that she insisted on treating them to a dinner at one of the better restaurants in Gryphonville, the Sweet’N’Savory.

The restaurant itself looked like it had been recently renovated, and half of the tables and booths were occupied by gryphons. The interior was well-lit with gas lamps at each table, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, circular windows all around the massive domed room, and a counter with stools in front of it. Behind said counter, there were plenty of bottles full of different alcoholic drinks. There was an older gryphon male standing behind the counter, washing a glass and pouring drinks for some of the now drunker gryphons. Outside, the showers had become a steady rain, and the fireplace was lit, spreading its warmth and light throughout the entire restaurant.

Something that Gregory had found completely surprising was that one of the cooks in the restaurant was an older pony mare. Her name was Blanch Blend, and she was a pale blue unicorn with fiery yellow, orange, and red mane and tale. She had deep blue eyes, what looked like a blue bowl of soup with a spoon in it as a cutie mark, and was taller and slenderer than the other three ponies. She was also a huge flirt.

The other surprise was that another cook there was a donkey jenny named Mulia Mild. She had a light gray coat, black mane and tail, and amber eyes. She was a bit older than Blanch and acted more like a mother, at least from what little he’d seen of her.

The bartender was named Gordon, and he was a stern looking gryphon with blonde plumage, dark green fur, and blue eyes. He also had a rather familiar accent that almost made Gregory chuckle. His attitude was even similar.

“Okay, I have to say,” Gregory said after the group of five finished dinner in a local restaurant called the Sweet ‘N Savory which Zecora had escorted them to after their spa day ended, “that was one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had. And their tomato soup? Damn, it’s amazing!”

“Their meals here have been slowly getting better, and you can’t go wrong with their vegetable soup du jour,” Zecora replied as she lifted a spoonful of said soup to her lips, placing it in her mouth.

“That does look amazing,” Gabby said as she finished the steak that she’d ordered. “What’s in it?”

Gregory, who was sitting on the edge of the table next to Zecora, looked down. “Looks like…carrots, peas, potatoes, cabbage, and…I think those are tomatoes. I’m sure there’s more in there that I’m not seeing, though. It does smell amazing, and I’ll definitely try it another time.”

“Honey, I can make you some for the road before you go,” the soft feminine voice of Blanch said from beside the table. The older mare had somehow snuck up on them without anyone noticing.

Quickly recovering from his shock, Gregory chuckled. “That sounds amazing, thank you. I’ll place an order to go for tomorrow afternoon then.”

“I’ll have some ready for you by then,” Blanch said with a wink before trotting away.

“That pony is weird,” Gilda said as she watched the mare walk away.

“Hey, everyone’s different,” Gregory said, coming to her defense. “I don’t see anything wrong with her.”

“This town is full of various types, and never with any have I had gripes,” Zecora replied. “There are kind ones, and quiet ones, and stubborn ones too.” She then turned to Gregory with a meaningful expression on her face. “This town might be a certain haven for you.”

Gregory nodded thoughtfully at that, stroking his chin as he looked around the restaurant. While yes, everyone but him and Zecora were gryphon patrons, an earlier brief conversation with Blanch had revealed that there was a small population of ponies who had actually been living in Gryphonville for years. There were a couple of donkeys in town too and there was even a dragon group, or a hoard, consisting of a dragon male named Ash and two dragon females named Cinder and Olivine. Ash was, of all things, a sheep herder, with Olivine being an extremely popular seamstress with a small stand in the Gryphonville market and Cinder being a member of the local town watch.

“I can’t wait to go exploring town tomorrow!” Gabby said excitedly.

Gregory chuckled and nodded. “Same. This sounds like an idyllic place to live. Although I’d love to know about those houseoaks. Those sound like the perfect solutions to the housing problems up in Gryphonstone. Sadly, I doubt those will be a good short term solution.”

“Why’s that?” Gallus asked with a mouthful of his own grilled chicken legs, chickens in Gryphonstone being safe to eat since they lacked the intelligence and sentience of Equestrian chickens, as did most animals on the continent.

“Trees take years to grow,” Gregory explained, “and we don’t really have years up there.”

“A houseoak’s growth time can be expedited,” Zecora began, “however, a unicorn’s magic is needed. A unicorn blast is needed to, say, make a houseoak grow in less than a day.”

Gregory’s eyes widened at that. Turning to Zecora, he asked, “How strong does the magic need to be? Can it be two of any unicorn or does the magic need a certain amount of power behind it?”

“A moderate level of power will permit a houseoak to grow with nary a split,” Zecora said.

“What are you thinking about, Gregory?” Gilda asked. “I know that look. That’s your ‘I have an idea’ face.”

“I’m just thinking,” Gregory began, “that the housing crisis might be solved after all.”

7: The Convocation

Saturday, November 13, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Gregory sat at the table in a smaller room that had possibly been used for a theater at one point, looking at the group of now six gryphons sitting at the wooden table before him. They were all staring at him with complete incredulity. “Are you…quite serious about this?” Geoffrey asked, eyes wide in astonishment.

“Dead serious,” Gregory said. “Look, ladies and gentlemen, winter is coming, and from what I’ve heard about how winter gets here, it’s rough. You even have these Nor’wester storms that can bury Gryphonstone in a few feet of snow and ice for weeks. The zebra apothecarist in Gryphonville has given me a brief but comprehensive education on the houseoak, such as when it’s best to plant them, the proper spells to use, and what type of magic a unicorn needs to speed up the growth process. She assures me that the magic needed to grow these houseoaks is not much.”

“But what if the unicorns who are in the hospital don’t want to help us?” Gwendolyn asked. “We can’t just make them. And you mentioned a unicorn pony chef in Gryphonville. We can’t just ask her and expect her to say yes.”

“Of course not,” Gregory agreed. “We simply explain the situation to them and ask if they would be willing to stay with us so that come the spring, which is the best time to plant them, they might be able to help. That give them time to think about it without much pressure. If they say no, we don’t force it and let them do whatever they want. I plan on going down there after this and speaking to them on behalf of the Convocation, then speaking to Zecora the shamaness afterwards. The thing now, though, is we need to come up with a way to make it through the winter.”

“But…using the Eyrie as a sanctuary-” Grandpa Gruff began.

“Historical significance isn’t as important as the survival of those colonists and other homeless citizens,” Gregory interjected, anticipating Gruff’s more conservative views on the matter. “With winter coming, construction will be coming to a halt, so we should refocus our attention on battening down the hatches, as it were. We need to fix up some of the leaks and holes in the Eyrie so that we can make use of as many rooms as we can. The Eyrie has plenty of living space for the winter and it’s sturdily built. There’s also the forest that’s on our doorstep. We can use that wood for the fireplaces and for fresh lumber for protection against the elements. Not to mention that, if needed, we can ask citizens with houses to take in a gryphon or two. It might be cramped, but at least the extra body heat will keep the houses warm.”

“And what if there’s not enough room there?” Geoffrey asked.

“There’s always Gryphonville,” Gregory suggested. “We could send a message there, asking if anyone there would be willing to take in a few extra gryphons for the winter. It’s also more secluded and nestled in a valley, meaning that any storms that come in will hopefully not be as messy as they would be up here.”

“Mr. Graystone,” Gwendolyn spoke up. “I’ve explored the Eyrie, and more than half the rooms are exposed. Even the throne room is drenched now. And with the rains starting, there may not be much time for even the hastiest of jobs being done.”

Gregory nodded. He could hear the rain falling outside the room. The Eyrie throne room, which was where the Convocation held most of their meetings, was drenched due to the rain that had been falling for the past few days. It was ironic that Gregory’s first Convocation meeting coincided with this day, then. It was the first of the autumn rains, Gabby had informed him earlier. The temperatures would continue to drop until snow began falling, usually in early December. “Okay, so that means less than half the rooms are intact, especially rooms like this one.” He gestured to the massive empty room. “We could fit many gryphons in here. Ambassador, how many gryphons were members of that colony in the Badlands?”

“Five hundred and sixty,” Geoffrey said.

“Well, I think if we’re really careful, we can fit maybe a hundred in this room alone.” Gregory pointed to ancient wall sconces where some torches were lit. “I know it’s not ideal, and it’ll be cramped and stuffy, but it’s a lot better than sitting out in the cold while a Nor’wester is blowing in and creating whiteout conditions.”

“Mr. Graystone,” Gwendolyn interjected, “you’re forgetting about the chimneys. They’re all probably clogged with branches and bird nests that might catch fire if we use the fireplaces.”

“Does Gryphonstone have any chimney sweeps?” Gregory asked.

“Not many,” she said.

“Can we afford to hire them to clean out the chimneys before things get serious?”

“I…don’t know,” she admitted, quickly jotting something down on a piece of paper. “I’ll go visit a few later and see.”

“Alright,” Grandpa Gruff said, looking around the room with his good eye. “Aside from the chimney problem, can anygryphon here think of any reason not to use this place as a sanctuary?”

The room went silent, save for the quick writing of the Convocation’s secretary and treasurer. Gregory inwardly scowled a bit in frustration. He knew Gruff was a lot more conservative and wanted to preserve the Eyrie, but Gregory knew that there wasn’t much time to construct enough temporary housing for the influx of colonists. They needed some place to wait out the winter, and the Eyrie was just prime real estate with nobody living in it.

Finally, one of the newer members of the Convocation, a dark mauve furred and light red feathered older female gryphon named Ginna, spoke up. “I think it’s a good idea.”

“Same here,” another new member, a light brownish-gray furred and dark pink feathered female gryphon around Gregory’s age named Georgia, added. She was one of the more outspoken of the returning colonists, and was more of a part timer member of the Convocation according to Gwendolyn. “My family and I were lucky to be selected to be getting one of those finished huts for the winter,” she added, “but there are so many others who won’t be able to get anything before the winter arrives. They need a space to survive the winter.”

The final newest member, an older black furred and gray feathered gryphon male named Gael, nodded. “If they’re all okay with getting a bit cozy, then I say yes. But how will they be fed?”

Gregory paused to think. He had an idea, but wasn’t sure how feasible it was. He decided to make the suggestion anyway. “We could ask some of the more fortunate to donate some food. Again, we could ask and see if Gryphonville would be willing to donate. I was down there this past weekend, and it looks to be a lot better off than our city. They donated so much food to me that my camper is still overflowing with the stuff.”

“One of us could go down to Gryphonville and ask whoever’s in charge if they’d be willing to help,” Ginna suggested.

“I volunteer for that,” Georgia said.

“Let’s not spread out just yet until we have a solid plan,” Geoffrey said.

“Yes, that!” Grandpa Gruff agreed quickly.

“The clock’s ticking, people,” Gregory said, pulling out a windup pocketwatch and pointing at it for emphasis, “so let’s think of something fast.”

“And what about outside of Gryphonstone?” Gael asked suddenly. He picked up a few pieces of parchment. “I read over these reports from the outskirts of the former borders of the Empire before the meeting started. They’ve barely got enough to help feed themselves, and we sit here in our refurbished throne room protected against the rain and wind. Despite what you all might think, Families and entire towns are having a hard time out there.”

“I haven’t forgotten them,” Gregory said.

“The treasury isn’t as full as it was before the fall of the empire,” Gwendolyn said. “Believe me, I’ve checked.”

“Towns in Gryphonia are what you might call a hit and miss,” Geoffrey explained. “I’ve visited many of them, and some are in good shape while others are wrecks. Especially around Tornado Alley.”

“Where’s that?” Gregory asked, intrigued.

Geoffrey pointed to a map on the table that showed the entire continent of Gryphonia, indicating areas of vast flatlands in the center of the continent. “This was where the majority of crops came from during the empire’s reign,” he explained. “There are large rivers for irrigation, lakes that were once full of fish in certain areas, and plenty of fields that were perfect for crops. I say were because I don’t know if they’re still suitable for crops.”

Like the American Midwest, then, Gregory thought. “Is there anything we can do for them before winter comes and makes help a lot more challenging for us?” he asked.

“It’s not a terrible idea to send aid to other towns and villages,” Gwendolyn nodded. “But as you said, Mr. Graystone, our budget is limited. We can’t do much. Not unless we ask for foreign assistance.”

Gregory saw the gryphons at the table grimace at the option. He had learned during his time in Gryphonstone that gryphon pride could have a downside: stubbornness. They hated the idea of accepting help from outside sources. Help from other gryphons was fine, but from a non-gryphon source? They were reluctant to accept it.

Gregory, however, wasn’t a gryphon. He sighed. “I know you don’t like the idea of asking for any kind of aid, but which is more important? Pride? Or helping the suffering and exposed gryphons throughout the continent? I say we ask for aid from another nation. The worst they can say is no. At least we can say we tried, right?”

The room went silent again as the five gryphons pondered his words. To his surprise, it was Grandpa Gruff who spoke out a half minute later. “We can’t ask for help from Equestria…not with the borders shut.”

“I actually wasn’t thinking about the ponies,” Gregory said, turning the world map around and pointing to a land mass below Gryphonia. The one marked Dragon Lands.

“The dragons, huh?” Geoffrey asked. “Last time I was there, they looked like they were living even worse than we were.”

“Not only that, but there’s some bad blood between us and them,” Gwendolyn said.

“And they have resources,” Gregory replied. “Resources that we can desperately use like copper. And if they say no, we can always try something like a donation program.”

“A donation program?” Gwendolyn asked, sounding intrigued.

“Yes,” Gregory replied. “We start a program where we ask more well-off gryphons to donate talons which can be then sent to towns and villages that need it. Each and every talon donated will go to these towns. No secret embezzling.”

“We might have greedy tendencies, but we’re not heartless,” Gael said, sounding offended.

“I’m thinking about stuff that has happened back where I’m from,” Gregory replied. “Some government run or even private donation programs have embezzled funds. A program like this would have to be seriously maintained.”

“Could we try that first before we try finding assistance from outside?” Ginna asked. “I get what you’re saying, Mr. Graystone, I really do, but part of our pride in being a gryphon is being able to say we did something without help from outside.”

“That’s not pride, that’s stubbornness and hubris,” Gregory said, “but while I still think it’s a good idea to do both, we could at least try some kind of donation program for food and such. Still, if we want a better plumbing system in Gryphonstone and in other towns, I’d much rather have copper than lead. Lead can contaminate water over time, and that’s the last thing we need.”

“I can work on the details of a missive to the Dragon Lord,” Gwendolyn, the most organized and detail-oriented gryphon Gregory had met, said as she raised her claw. “I’ll present it at the next meeting.”

“So, are we all agreed to this donation program and to at least consider asking for foreign assistance from the Dragon Lands?” Gregory asked. When he received nods and mutters of affirmation, he nodded. “Okay, so perhaps we should go back and talk about our courses of action regarding sending representatives to Gryphonville.”

Several hours later, Gregory was warming himself up inside a part of the Gryphonstone hospital with a large fireplace sipping on some hot chocolate that he’d snuck into the hospital for all of them. Sitting nearby were three relatively recovered unicorn mares. Starlight had finally woken up a couple days after her initial collapse in that alley and the four of them had all slowly been getting used to each other, especially since they all knew what they collectively called the Truth. To Gregory’s surprise, Trixie had been the most welcoming of Gregory’s frequent visits to the hospital in the beginning, eagerly telling him about her magical show and exaggerated exploits. Sunset and Starlight had taken some more time, not because they feared or hated him because of what he was, but more because they were afraid he would be angry over the Truth, but Gregory had managed to reassure them that they weren’t involved in those events, so he wouldn’t hate them.

“Trixie wishes she still didn’t need to wear this ring on her horn,” Trixie said as she took a sip of her own hot chocolate. “Not being able to use magic is inconvenient.”

“I don’t know, I think it’s a bit refreshing,” Sunset said as she put her mug down. “Earth ponies and pegasi don’t have magic, and they aren’t bothered.”

Trixie shrugged and nodded. “Trixie supposes that you’re right,” she said, “but part of her still misses being able to use her magic.”

“Dr. Gabriel says there’s only a week or two left before we can remove them,” Starlight reminded her with a smile. “Sure, the magic in the air here isn’t as potent as in Equestria, but we can at least use it.”

“So, what have you been up to today?” Sunset asked Gregory, looking at him with a curious expression. “You wouldn’t go out in the rain like this unless there was a good reason.”

Gregory chuckled. “What, I can’t come by and visit-? Oh, forget it. I can’t lie to you. I was out because I finally accepted the invitation of the Convocation to join them.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. The news about the formation of the Convocation wasn’t just a rumor anymore. They had made an announcement about it by passing out fliers and putting up signs about its formation days after offering Gregory the job as a member of its ranks. “Well, congratulations,” Sunset said with a smile.

“Yes, good for you,” Trixie agreed. Starlight simply gave an approving nod.

“Are you here on their behalf today?” Sunset asked.

“That’s part of it,” Gregory admitted a bit sheepishly, “but that can wait until later.”

Starlight shook her head. “Come on, out with it,” she said.

Gregory put his mug down and sighed. “Before I say anything, I want you all to understand that this is a request, nothing more. You can turn the Convocation down, but a decision doesn’t need to be final until next spring.”

“Okay, I’m intrigued now,” Sunset said with a raised eyebrow. “Go on.”

Gregory straightened and faced all three. “Some time ago, I visited the nearby town of Gryphonville,” he began, then launched into his conversation with Zecora about houseoaks and how they could be grown fast with the help of unicorn magic. He explained that these trees could grow much better and stronger with unicorn magic speeding it along, and it would be an amazing solution for the housing crisis not just in Gryphonstone, but for Gryphonia as a whole.

When he finished, the three ponies sat in silence for a bit, all looking thoughtful as they exchanged glances with each other. Starlight spoke up first. “That’s a pretty big ask, you understand.”

“Again, you can refuse,” Gregory explained, “and there’s no pressure to even answer until winter is over. We can’t really do any sort of building since the autumn rains have come, so we’ve discussed using the Eyrie as a temporary shelter for any homeless gryphons for the winter.”

“Trixie has seen that structure, and she wonders if it will hold through another winter,” Trixie said uncertainly.

“We’ve sent out messages to other gryphons in town to help reinforce the structure for the winter at least,” Gregory explained, which was something that Grandpa Gruff had insisted on doing once it was clear that nobody else would be siding with him. “We’re hoping that this place will stand for at least one more year before spring comes around. It’s stood for hundreds of years, and the structure is sound according to the caretakers.”

“I know a spell or two that can reinforce the structure of a building,” Starlight said, “but I don’t know if I’d be able to cast it in the reduced magic field around here.”

Gregory’s eyes widened. He hadn’t even considered that magic could do that, but he realized that he should have at least hypothesized about it. “Would you be willing to at least try it?” he asked automatically.

“I might need help,” she said, turning to Sunset.

Sunset nodded. “We could try, sure,” she said, “but like Starlight said, I don’t know if our magic will be enough.”

“We wouldn’t ask you to do it for free, of course,” Gregory said, moving on with his argument. “The Convocation would pay you if you tried. We know we’re asking a lot of you, so the least we could do is pay you for any service you want to render.”

Sunset snorted. “You sounded like a real politician there,” she teased.

“Ah, shit,” Gregory said, sighing. “That’s the last thing I need.”

“From you, it sounds genuine,” Sunset replied reassuringly.

He offered her a weak smile. “I don’t want to pressure you. There’s a lot that this country needs to do in order to start rebuilding, and we’d hate to put too much on you, especially so soon after-oh God, I really do sound like a politician.” He put his head in his hands. “Damn it…”

The three ponies all fell over laughing at Gregory’s miserable expression, but Trixie was the first to speak. “T-Trixie apologizes, but the-the look on your face…priceless!”

Gregory felt his cheeks get warm, but he couldn’t stay mad at them at all, so soon he joined in the laughter. After everyone calmed down, especially after a nurse came over to make sure they were alright, he spoke again. “One day on the Convocation and already I’m turning into a politician. I’m just a post office grunt.”

“With all those talons you got from them, do you really need the job?” Starlight asked.

Gregory shrugged. “I hate feeling useless, and while those talons are nothing to sneeze at, I don’t want to leave the job just yet. It’s an important job, especially with the continent starting to rebuild. With the autumn and winter coming, I doubt I can do as much with reconstruction and helping Gryphonstone. From what I’ve been told the weather up here is really rough.”

“Does that mean that we may need to stay here?” Trixie asked, looking worried.

“Well, seeing as how you said last time that you didn’t have your Equestrian paper, I’d say so, yes,” he replied apologetically, “at least until winter has passed. I did meet a pony down in Gryphonville who is a chef, though, and from what little I know, that town doesn’t have as big of an issue with weather during the winter. Once the doctor says you’re okay, we could try and find a place down there for you.”

“Thank you for the offer,” Sunset said, “and we’ll definitely think about helping with this houseoak project. We have time, so we’ll talk about it.” She nodded at the other two ponies, who nodded in agreement.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about that’s Convocation related?” Starlight asked.

Gregory shook his head. “Nope.”

“Then Trixie hopes you brought that laptop device of yours,” Trixie said eagerly. “She really wants to know what happens in the next Harry Potter movie of yours.”

Gregory gave her an apologetic smile. “I didn’t bring it with me now,” he said, “but I promise later tonight I’ll bring everything for movie night. After this, I’m going down to Gryphonville.”

“Man, this rain is insane,” Gregory said as he was placed on the wet and slippery cobblestone streets of Gryphonville. He immediately pulled out his umbrella and opened it, wiping water from his supposed waterproof jacket. “Reminds me of home.”

Gabby and Gilda landed next to him, both wearing drenched hooded cloaks. They had both been there to help fly Gregory down to the town to see Zecora. “You had rains like this back where you were from?” Gabby asked.

Gregory nodded as the three quickly made their way to Zecora’s apothecary shop. “Oh yeah. Winters back where I’m from were always wet.” The three made their way to the shop and entered once they saw the OPEN sign hanging from the outer door. “Zecora? You here?” he called out.

The apothecary was set up a lot like a medieval potions shop with a Zebrican theme, which to Gregory’s untrained eye looked African. There were many different bottles of colored potions sitting on shelves in the common area, some books sitting on a shelf behind the main counter, three lit lanterns hanging from the ceiling, several candles lit on said counter, a circular window looking out into the rainy day, a roaring fire in the main fireplace that kept the shop warm, and a young looking unicorn mare standing behind the counter, her light aquamarine eyes wide at the entrance of two gryphons and a human, all drenched. “U-Uh,” the young mare began, “W-Welcome to the shop.”

Gregory looked a bit surprised at the presence of a pony he hadn’t seen before. She looked young, possibly a teenager. She had a light red mane and tail, the former tied up in a rather neat looking ponytail. Her fur was a dark blue and she had a ladybug for a cutie mark. “Hello, young mare,” he greeted as he gave her a polite nod, “Sorry for barging in, but we were looking for the shop owner, Miss Zecora? Is she in?”

“She’s in the back,” the young mare said, appearing to relax ever so slightly. “Would you like me to get her?”

“Could you, please?” Gabby asked with a kind smile of her own.

The mare nodded, then turned and galloped through a side door. After a few moments, she came back followed by Zecora. “Gregory, Gabby, and Gilda too? What can I do for you?”

“I’m sorry to barge in like this,” Gregory said apologetically, “and I’m also sorry for scaring your…apprentice? Employee?”

“This mare is my apprentice, Ladybug Twinkle is her name,” Zecora explained, “she is new in Gryphonville, and to live peacefully is her aim.”

Gregory nodded. “Understood,” he said as he turned to Ladybug. “Sorry for startling you,” he apologized again. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Twinkle.”

The mare gave him a nervous smile, but when Zecora put a hoof on her back, the mare relaxed and her smile softened. “It is raining pretty hard outside,” she said, “so I understand.”

“Thank you.” Gregory then turned to Zecora. “I came to see you about something important. Can we talk alone?”

Zecora raised an eyebrow, but then nodded. “Ladybug, dear, would you fetch us all some tea? I believe they all need some, would you not agree?”

Ladybug nodded, then turned and rushed into another door.

Gregory sat in a chair in another part Zecora’s apothecary shop, sipping on a cup of tea the earth pony had brewed for them. Gabby and Gilda were now waiting in the main room with Ladybug while Gregory spoke privately with the zebra. The rain had slowed a bit since they had arrived in Gryphonville, but Gregory still knew he’d be getting wet again just due to the flight back up through the lower clouds.

Thanks to the rainfall, the new well, and some clean buckets he had on hand, Gregory had been able to start to refill the freshwater tank in his camper. He’d been using the water in his place sparingly. He even had an outhouse near his place which he tended to use most of the time instead of the toilet inside the bathrom. As for cleaning himself, Gryphonstone did have a public bathhouse, which he had used plenty of times, so his small bathroom was more used as a laundry room. With the new source of surprisingly and blessed clean water from the well on his new property, he could clean himself in his bathroom in case the weather prevented him from going to the bathhouse. When the snow started falling, he knew he could use snowmelt to further refill the water tanks.

He was severely tempted to take a nice warm shower when he got back home, but he knew that would be a waste. He didn’t want to use up that much water, so he would have to settle for a damp washrag and a brief rinse before sitting in front of his heater. Now, though, a fire would more than suffice.

Zecora sat down in another chair, herself wrapped in a dark blue bathrobe. The room they were in was decorated in the same artifacts that Gregory remembered from Zecora’s old house in the Everfree. She held a mug of tea in her hooves, facing him with a friendly smile as she asked, “If it is not too much to query, why come down here on a day that’s so dreary?”

“I’m sorry to come by unannounced,” Gregory apologized, “but I wanted to come down here before the winter storms make things harder for me and anyone else to come down. I’m here on behalf of a Gryphonstone organization that hopes to begin restoration of the country. One of our major concerns for the near future going forward is a housing crisis going on now just in Gryphonstone, but throughout the continent.” He gestured to the house around him. “You mentioned that with some unicorn magic, these houseoaks could be grown in only days instead of a year or more. You’re the only one I know of who has that knowledge, and recently my friends and I found a group of three unicorns in Gryphonstone. I’ve asked them to help in this situation, and if they say yes, I was hoping you would be able to share that knowledge with us so we could begin the process of planting these seeds to help.”

Zecora leaned back in her chair, looking pensive as she slowly looked down at her tea before sipping it. “Your request is not a small one, sir. With these unicorns I must confer. If all their strength will serve your needs, I will consider doing these deeds.”

Gregory nodded. “I understand,” he said, “especially given what happened back in Equestria. And in Ponyville.”

Zecora raised an eyebrow. “You know of Jason Wright? Do tell. How have you heard of Ponyville’s death knell?”

“It was actually one of the ponies we saved who told me,” Gregory explained. “She told me everything she knew about Jason Wright, his arrival, his treatment by the ponies of that town, and how he took his revenge. You mentioned that you lived near Ponyville the last time we met. I just put two and two together.”

Zecora looked at him curiously. “And do you trust these ponies three to actually treat you respectably?”

“I do,” Gregory nodded. “I’ve gotten to know them since they arrived, and they are quite friendly. I’ve made sure that the hospital staff there treat them well.”

Zecora slowly nodded, then looked directly at him. Then, to his utter surprise, she dropped her rhyming cadence. Her eyes were filled with anger, but her tone was calm and collected. “I may know more than they do. Five years ago, Jason Wright did arrive in Ponyville and was immediately shunned and hated by the ponies. He was beaten and starved and forced to live in a cave! I’ve seen the cave, and it is no place for anyone to live comfortably. He suffered at the hooves of those ponies who claim to represent harmony the most.”

She took a deep breath, then sipped once more on her tea before continuing. “Two years ago, he attempted to take his own life, only to fail and be found by Chrysalis. She took him in, and he rose in the ranks until he overthrew Chrysalis and declared himself the Emperor of the changeling hive. He launched an assault on Canterlot, captured the Elements of Harmony, and in only a week, revealed the truth to the country and wiped Ponyville off of the map. However, he learned that all of his suffering was because Discord cast a spell on the ponies that made them react using their base instincts instead of their supposed friendship and harmony-based philosophy. He was also influenced so that he never left. It was apparently done because Discord was bored. I don’t know the details of what happened next, but apparently Discord is now dead. After this, Jason pulled back his forces and left the ponies to their own devices.”

Gregory had to put his tea on a nearby table out of fear that he would drop the still hot beverage. He’d heard a shorter version of the story from Sunset, but this was a bit much for him to take in all at once. He straightened up, closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath before exhaling it. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked back at Zecora. “Wow…that is a lot to take in,” he admitted. “I knew some of this, but you just told me a lot more. I can’t imagine being the target of pony xenophobia and hatred for three years and not end up like Jason.” He felt for his fellow human even more than he had when he heard the shortened story from Sunset.

Zecora gave him a sympathetic look. “Apologies for relaying this out of the blue, but I wanted it to be relayed to you.”

Gregory shook his head. “Don’t apologize,” he said, “I’m glad you did. Is that why you want to talk to these unicorns first before even considering the decision?”

She nodded. “I just wish to learn if my trust they can earn.”

He nodded in understanding. “Like I told them earlier, this is simply a request you can refuse if you want. So there really is no pressure.”

“For that too I thank you,” Zecora replied.

Gregory picked up his tea, took a sip, then a thought crossed his mind as he put the cup down. “I’m curious, though. Who told you about these details?”

Zecora took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “My source is a secret, so please do not inquire. To live in peace and quiet is all they desire.”

Gregory nodded. “I understand,” he said, a part of him suspecting that this Ladybug mare may have learned something, but he put the question aside for a later time. “I take it you trust this source?” When she simply nodded, Gregory smiled. “Then I trust you. Again, thank you for telling me this. I hope you don’t mind if I tell some others about this. I’ll keep your name out of it, of course.”

“This information I have given is yours to tell, so long as the source is kept secret as well,” Zecora said. Gregory promised, although he knew that he would be telling Gabby about it sooner or later, and she was definitely smart enough to guess. So, he begged the question. “As long as my name from your lips is not spoken, then I will consider the promise unbroken.”

Zecora watched as Gregory was lifted into the rainy evening by Gabby and Gilda, making sure that they were safely on their way. The small sack hanging off of Gregory’s back held a potion that she’d brewed meant to keep fur clean for longer than normal, although she had to admit to herself that she wasn’t sure how it would work on a human. He’d tried to pay for it, but she’d insisted that it was a gift. He’d gratefully accepted, thanked her for her time, then left the shop to return to Gryphonstone.

As the three flew away, Ladybug walked up beside her, looking up as the human and two gryphons were lost to the mists. The young mare looked up at Zecora, looking worried now. “You didn’t tell him about me, did you?” she asked fearfully.

“Fear not, young one, your secret is secured,” Zecora said as she closed the door. “Of that, you can be most assured.”

Ladybug nodded, as a light blue fire surrounded her form, starting at the ground before rising up around her. Her fur was replaced by dark gray chitin full of holes, her pony eyes replaced by multifaceted lenses, and her wings now a dark blue and covered by slightly lighter blue elytra. Her horn was now curved and she gave Zecora a fearful expression. “Did you tell him?” Zecora only nodded. “What if he finds out about me?”

Zecora looked down at the changeling youth beside her, and gave her a reassuring smile before putting a hoof on her back. “You came to me, scared and alone. You told me how far you had to roam. In this town you are safe and sound; I will not let you be taken and bound.”

The changeling beside her teared up, and gently moved a step closer to the zebra shamaness. “Thank you,” she whispered in a grateful tone.

Zecora gave her a smile, then looked back out at the darkening landscape of Gryphonville. She would protect this poor changeling from any who would dare to harm her. That was a promise she intended to keep.

Tuesday, November 16, 1007 A.L., Badlands

General Nictis, the changeling in charge of the spy network that was continually spreading across the world, walked through the new changeling hive with purpose, a report in his magical grasp from their spy network. All around him, the walls moved and holes opened and shut in random locations. At least, they would be random to anycreature who wasn’t a changeling. The massive fluidic spires of the once abandoned fortress were busily being restored and regrown on the orders of the Emperor himself. The Emperor had placed Duchess Chrysalis in charge of everything regarding the construction. When the Emperor had received that letter from their enemy while they had been positioned in the Duchess’ former castle closer to Equestria, he ordered the best changeling historians, under the supervision of the Emperor’s personal secretary with that annoying nasally voice Histus, to scour all of the records for references to the old fortress of the changeling hoard before it had to be abandoned. It was Histus himself who found the ancient scrolls with the location of the fortress. The emperor then ordered fliers to scout the location. This included Nictis. He was the one who first spotted the old ruins and reported it back to the Emperor.

With the exception of the majority of the Empire’s spy network (which had remained behind in their former headquarters), Emperor Wright and Duchess Chrysalis led the changelings to the old fortress and began to rebuild the ancient structure. The worker drones were still at work around Nictis as he walked towards the throne room. Some were patching up holes in the interior while others were creating defenses on the outside, such as a deep moat and spikes that could be launched into the air at any incoming aerial assaults.

Nictis reached the throne room and walked in, looking up at the throne. Unlike how it had appeared when they’d first got there, now it had been reshaped to better fit the Emperor’s bipedal form. Only the Emperor himself wasn’t sitting in it. Instead, he saw that two guards were standing in front of the meeting room’s location. He walked over and nodded at the two guards who saluted. Nictis nodded at the two. “I have a report for the Emperor. Is he in there?”

Both guards looked nervously at each other before turning back to him. The guard on the left shook his head. “He is indisposed at the moment.”

Nictis sighed. Ever since they had arrived in the old fortress, Emperor Wright had become like a ghost, only ever showing up rarely. He left the majority of the work to Duchess Chrysalis, and many changelings were beginning to spread rumors about his disappearance. Some said he was dangerously sick and their Duchess was covering for him while others said he had absconded. These rumors had spread quickly, and Nictis didn’t have to be living in this fortress to know that things might start to go downhill. “Then I will deliver the report to the Duchess. Open the doors.”

The two guards looked more nervous now. The first one spoke up. “Sir, the Duchess said-”

Nictis was losing patience, so he interrupted. “I don’t care what she said,” he hissed. “This report is important!”

The private winced, then to his credit he straightened, grasping his musket and facing ahead. “Understood, General.” The other straightened as well.

Nictis nodded then walked closer to the portion of the wall which led to the large new meeting room. The wall opened up and he stepped through into the meeting hall. As he walked in, he heard his fellow General Pharynx saying, “…telling you, my Lady Duchess, Zebrica and Farasi are ripe for the taking! We can swoop in and topple their tribal leaders with ease!” Pharynx was in charge of the changeling army and had always possessed a more militaristic mind, unlike his soft-hearted brother Thorax who was on the stealth team.

Cheery, the seductress changeling who had kept the Crystal Empire from interfering in the Equestria Venture, only glowered at Pharynx. Nictis knew that she was actually a skilled enough negotiator that the Emperor had given her special status as head of the foreign affairs department. In fact, there were rumors that she shared the Emperor’s bed, but Nictis was a practical changeling and didn’t accept rumors as fact unless there was cold hard evidence to back it up. “Phary, Phary, Phary,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hoof, “You’re missing the point! We can’t just invade any country we feel like! Besides, Farasi and Zebrica are way too far away!”

“We should really focus on domestic affairs first,” Minister Proboscis, the changeling in charge of the changeling empire’s internal affairs, insisted, putting his hoof down hard on the table. “The love we received from the Equestria Venture will not last forever.”

“Why do you think we’ve rescheduled the feeding schedule, Minister?” Chrysalis, who sat in a larger chair next to the Emperor’s own, asked as she leaned forward and stomped on the table. “We have at least another year or so if we stretch.”

Nictis stepped closer in and the wall behind him closed. This earned him the attention of the Imperial Swarm, the council that had formed shortly after Emperor Wright came to power. They all turned to face him. He straightened and nodded. He was offered a seat on the Swarm once, but he despised politics like this. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I have a report from Gryphonia.”

“It couldn’t wait, General?” Chrysalis asked with narrowed eyes.

“I deemed it worth the attention of the Swarm and the Emperor,” he said. Gryphonia only held a small number of their spies, and those were only on the fringes of the continent. Gryphonia wasn’t a threat, mostly because there was no government authority. At least, not until recently when a member of his stealth team made his way through a small town nearer to Gryphonstone.

Chrysalis sighed. There was little love between the two of them, seeing as how they were on opposite sides of the civil war that had resulted in Emperor Wright’s victory over their former queen. “Very well,” she said with a scowl, “what is this report you so desperately want to give?”

He straightened. “One of our agents passing through a small gryphon town reported seeing a notice that informed the town of the creation of something called the Convocation. It seems to be a council of sorts that is attempting to rebuild their city and perhaps their nation as well.”

There was silence for a bit before the entire chamber erupted into bedlam. Nictis simply watched and waited for things to settle down. Fortunately, after about a minute, Chrysalis slammed her hoof onto the table, catching everyling’s attention. She glared at him. “You do realize that they tried this a few times since they fell, and nothing came of it. What makes this time so damned important?”

Nictis held the insult back as he straightened. “My Lady, this development seems to have come from nowhere. And the timing is suspicious. The gryphon colony in the Southern Badlands suddenly went from protesting to peacefully returning to their homeland without any sort of clue as to why. We all know how stubborn gryphons can be, and the fact that they simply abandoned that colony is unusual.”

“Again, General Nictis,” Chrysalis began, and this time she didn’t do as much to hide her disdain for him, “the gryphons have tried to restore their empire in the past to no success. This is probably a passing phase. This Convocation probably ordered them back. It may work for a time, but it’s not our concern.”

Nictis held back his anger. This was why Chrysalis had lost to the Equestrians and to the Emperor’s Revolution. She was too short sighted not to see the potential dangers. Sure, she could be right, but it wouldn’t cost them much to go send at least one of their agents to Gryphonstone to figure out what was going on. “We only need to send one agent to where this Convocation meets,” he tried again, “and if you’re right-”

“We can’t waste our network on false trails,” Chrysalis interrupted him. This made him bristle inside as he hated it whenever she called it our network. He was particularly protective of the changelings under his command and cared for them deeply, something he’d learned from the Emperor during the Revolution. “We need to keep focus on stronger foes, such as the Equestrians, the crystal ponies, and the dragons, among others.”

Nictis gritted his teeth, but knew what he had to say next. He knew it was the only way to have a chance. He knew it would put him even further out of favor with the Duchess and perhaps many on the Swarm, but he had his convictions, and he knew to follow through. “Then I demand a personal audience with the Emperor to put forth my proposal.”

Chrysalis took in a breath through her teeth. One could cut the tension in the room with a knife. She gave him a glare. “I will…relay your request to the Emperor at the end of this meeting,” she said.

He bowed at that. “I will await the Emperor’s summoning,” he said as he walked backwards out of the meeting hall. When he was out of the chamber, he turned, ignoring the glances of the two privates at the door, and walked away to fetch some water and some love before going to sleep. He knew the meeting would come sooner or later, but he suspected that it would be later. This would be a long stay away from his headquarters, so he would begin the process of settling in.

8: Negotiations

Wednesday, November 24, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

The rain around the area was bitterly cold, as the temperature was only a hair above freezing. Fortunately, in the early morning, it was only a mist and it looked like it would clear up soon, if the view of the clear sky in the east was any indication. Gregory was taking care of some of the buckets of water from the precious night’s downpour, removing the splatter screens he’d put over them and shaking off the little bits of debris on them.

After placing the buckets on a nearby outside wooden picnic table that an anonymous gryphon had given to him, he walked over to where his water tanks were, opened the side panel, opened the clean water tank, and looked inside. As he expected, it was only a little over halfway full. The gray and black ones were a lot fuller than the clean tank and needed to be drained. So, he set to work, pouring the rainwater he’d collected overnight into the clean tank. When he finished, it was up to the recommended level. To his delight, there was water left over.

Next, he grabbed a larger and older bucket that he’d bought in his first week in Gryphonstone. Wrapping his mouth and nose up in an impromptu mask, he began draining the gray and black tanks, carrying their contents over to the forest nearby where he had been digging holes and covering them when they got too full. After that, he put on a pair of gloves and began cleaning out the gray and black tanks with some towels he’d bought in Gryphonstone specifically for that purpose, using a small bucket with some of the leftover clean water to rinse both tanks then to clean the towels as best as he could.

When he was satisfied with his work and after he washed his hands despite having worn gloves, he began filling up discarded water bottles with the remaining clean water, getting about seven and a half bottles full after he filled up his own insulated metal water bottle. He immediately placed the plastic bottles in the shelf where he stored the bottles. Part of him was glad that he’d gotten packs of bottles with sturdier plastic than others.

As he was finishing up, the door to the camper opened. He turned, expecting to see Gabby as she always came by before the two of them started work. Instead, however, he saw Gilda standing there, wearing one of the hooded cloaks he had begun seeing the gryphons beginning to wear as rain began falling. She removed the hood. “Hey,” she said, lifting a bag up and placing it on the counter. “Brought some breakfast.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow at that, but smiled moments later. “Thanks, Gilly, Gilly, Bo-Billy,” he said as he looked into the bag, smiling more as he saw that she’d gotten some of the newly formed breakfast sandwiches that were being cooked. The ones she got consisted a sausage patty and one fried egg between two slices of bread. There were four inside, so he took two out, set the table, and gestured for Gilda to sit.

As she did so, Gabby arrived, carrying a similar bag to Gilda’s. She removed her own hood, looked at the two who were getting ready to sit, and made a pouting face. “Gilda, did you get those from Gerald’s Shack?” she asked.

“Yeah, so what?” Gilda asked. Gabby reached into the bag and pulled out another sausage and egg sandwich. Gilda saw this and smirked. “I thought I saw you there.”

Just then, the door opened again. Gallus walked in, carrying yet another bag. He paused after he removed his hood and looked at the sandwich that Gabby held in her claws and the other two sitting on the table. “Oh, Tartarus,” he grumbled.

Gregory couldn’t help himself now. He burst out laughing at the absurdity of the coincidence. He snorted as he said, “Guys, Th-Thanksgiving is tomorrow!” while simultaneously busting a gut.

Gabby was the first to join in, then Gilda began to chuckle. Finally, Gallus stepped inside, closed the door, a blush and a smile on his own face as he set his own bag down. “Guess great minds think alike, huh?” he asked a bit sheepishly.

That got another round of laughter, along with some clapping from Gregory. As the laughter was dying down, he stood. “Well, le-let’s get to eating these before they go cold,” he said as he stood and went to the fridge. “I have a surprise for you all for a drink.” Reaching into the fridge, he pulled out a pitcher full of opaque orange liquid which he poured into four tall glasses before setting them on the table. “I had enough water after yesterday’s rainstorm that I decided to make some orange juice.”

That got the attention of the three gryphons in the room. One thing he’d learned about recently was that gryphons loved oranges. He wasn’t entirely sure where that love came from, especially since there were no plots of land in Gryphonia that were able to grow them. It was an incredible coincidence, then, that some of the food that he’d brought from Earth were a few cans of frozen orange juice concentrate. This was the first time since his arrival on Gaia when he’d made it. “You’re not shitting us, are you?” Gilda asked as she stared at the orange juice in front of her.

“Not shitting you at all,” Gregory said as he put out eight of the twelve breakfast sandwiches on a larger plate in the center of the table while the remaining four went onto the four plates at each of their spots. “I added water to frozen orange concentrate last night and put it in the fridge.”

Gabby was the first to take a sip. Gregory could almost see the hearts in her eyes as she swallowed the bit in her mouth. She shuddered as she put the glass down. “I…I have no words…” she said, sniffing.

With that, Gilda and Gallus exchanged a look before both of them took a sip of their own. Gregory was satisfied to see their eyes both widen as they gently placed their glasses down. He even thought he saw a glimmer of a tear in Gilda’s right eye. “I’m…right there with you,” she said.

“I haven’t…haven’t had an orange in so fucking long,” Gallus said.

“Well, I was actually talking to Zecora about that the other day,” he said, referring to the previous Saturday when he’d gone down to see her and Ladybug. “She mentioned that there are potions that can help certain plants grow in environments that they were never meant to grow in.”

“You think she’ll share it with us?” Gabby asked, stars in her eyes.

“She says the ingredients are a bit harder to come by than most,” Gregory explained, “but it’s not impossible. In fact, that’s why I took today off from work.”

“I thought you took today off to prepare for that human holiday tomorrow?” Gilda asked.

“That’s part of it,” he said, “but there’s a special Convocation meeting today that’ll be longer than most, and every member has to attend.”

“I did hear rumors about that,” Gallus said. “Some sort of visitors from out of town?”

“Try out of the country,” Gregory replied. “Hell, the continent.” He took a bite of the sandwich and shuddered in pleasure himself. “Mmm…”

“Who’s coming to visit?” Gabby asked.

“I can’t tell anyone yet,” Gregory said, “but it has to do with our first attempts at a trading alliance.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “God, I’m nervous.” He took another big bite of his first sandwich.

Gabby, who normally sat to Gregory’s right, put a claw on his back and rubbed it gently. “You’ll do fine,” she reassured him. “You’ve been kicking ass so far.”

He almost coughed up his sandwich at the unexpected cursing from his first friend. He swallowed some of the orange juice in front of him to stop said coughing. “Goddamn, Gabs, I did not expect to hear that come out of your beak.”

Gabby simply gave him an innocent smile while Gilda and Gallus both stifled laughter of their own. “Whaaaat?” she asked.

Gregory rolled his eyes, then rubbed Gabby’s back. “Never change, you delightful woman,” he said before taking another bite.

A few hours later at the Eyrie, Gregory was glad now that he had saved the two sandwiches he hadn’t eaten for breakfast for a later time. He was sitting at his place in the throne room, which by now was sealed up with temporary wooden planks against the holes in the walls and windows. Fortunately, it seemed as if the weather for that day would be a lovely late autumn sunny day because the sun was shining outside. The fireplaces in the Eyrie, having recently had their chimneys cleaned, were now almost constantly lit. Many homeless gryphons, mostly the displaced colonists, were now living in the intact rooms while other rooms that were still exposed to the elements were being patched up as best as was possible. He could hear the sounds of distant hammering on the other side of the Eyrie. One of those hammers, he knew, belonged to Gallus, who had become quite well known on the impromptu construction team.

He looked around at the other Convocation members. Grandpa Gruff looked about as gruff as his name declared him to be, Ambassador Geoffrey was sitting stoically, claws clasped around the glass of bliss in front of him, Ginna, Gael, and Georgina were all waiting with varying degrees of nervousness, and Gwendolyn, who had taken to sitting next to Gregory at each meeting, was looking over some papers.

Curious, Gregory leaned over to look at what she was reading. She looked up at him, smiled, and leaned over his way to show him the papers she was currently reading over, which were some reports from outlying cities. Silently, she offered him one, and he took it, reading it over carefully and quietly while everyone else waited. Five chairs remained empty at the table while he read the report from a town called Grimfeather, one of the nearer towns to Gryphonstone. This town, a midsized town by the population number he saw, was in better shape than most, and had even started accepting some of the displaced colonists from the abandoned Badlands colony into their town for the winter until new homes could be built for them in the springtime. It was encouraging to see some good among the number of bad reports coming in from Gryphonian towns.

As he was finishing the report, there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked up, and Grandpa called out, “Yes?”

The door opened slightly and a younger gryphon member of the city watch poked his head in. “The first of your guests have arrived.”

“Send them in,” Geoffrey said, standing and brushing his plumage carefully. Everyone else did the same, so Gregory stood and straightened the suit he now wore. Normally, he wouldn’t have done such a thing, but since their visitors were rather important, he wanted to provide a good impression.

The guard nodded, pulled back, and then the doors opened, revealing two tall equine figures. To Gregory’s eyes, they were the size of small horses, but they were definitely taller than the ponies he knew, who came up to about his waist. These ponies came up to about his head. The first one was a dark brown stallion with golden mane and tail and light purple eyes. He wore a gold and blue headpiece and a saddle-like article of fabric on his back with a golden crescent moon and star. The second was light purplish mare with Persian blue mane and tail, a light greenish-blue pair of eyes, and a purple and light blue headpiece with a saddle-like article of clothing over her back with white stylized spirals on the sides. Both of them wore gold and blue fabric around their lower legs respectively. He recognized these ponies right away as being the very same Saddle Arabians who visited Ponyville in Magic Duel. However, one thing that stood out to him was that these versions of them were actually a unicorn and a pegasus. Behind the two Saddle Arabians, he saw a group of Saddle Arabian guards wearing light armor.

The Saddle Arabian unicorn stallion stepped forward and looked around the room at the gryphons, pausing only briefly and letting his calm expression falter only slightly as he looked at Gregory. “Greetings from Saddle Arabia,” he said in a deep but somewhat Arabic accent. “My name is Haakim, and this is my sister.”

“My name is Amira,” the pegasus Saddle Arabian mare said, and to Gregory’s slight surprise, she had a more neutral accent. Her voice was also rather charming and deep, but still plenty feminine. “Our sultan received your invitation and sent us to speak with this Convocation.” She looked at Gregory, and her eyes twinkled as she smiled warmly at him.

“He was quite surprised when he heard that there was a nongryphon on your Convocation,” Haakim added, “and was curious to see what sort of requests you might ask for from us and what you could return in kind.”

Gregory smiled at them both, then walked over to the empty chairs. Ambassador Geoffrey, joined him and as one they pulled out two of the five chairs, one of which was actually directly next to Gregory’s. “Please, have a seat,” Gregory said, “we’re waiting on one more to join us.” This was something he had learned was an old tradition from long ago. Gryphons did have pride, and one thing they prided themselves on was good manners, which they were starting to relearn now. A palace tradition dictated that visitors would have their chairs pulled out for them upon their initial arrival to any sort of meeting, specifically, important meetings. It had explained why Gwendolyn had done it for Gregory and his friends when they gave him their gifts and the offer to join the Convocation.

Haakim took the seat that Geoffrey had pulled out, while Amira walked behind Gregory, giving him a wide smile, then saying, “Thank you, good stallion,” before sitting down in the chair directly next to Gregory’s own. “My, are these chairs made specifically for us?” she asked when she had gotten seated.

“We had them specially made when you replied to us,” Geoffrey replied as he returned to his seat as Gregory did the same.

“The gesture is appreciated,” Haakim said before turning to the four guards. “You’re dismissed,” he added, waving them away.

As the four guards walked away, being led by one of the city watch to the two sets of quarters where they and the ambassadors would be staying, Amira looked around the throne room. A saddened look appeared on her face. “It’s really such a shame that such a magnificent palace has fallen into such ruin,” she said.

Gregory almost said how they were doing temporary repairs for the homeless for the winter, but a warning look from Geoffrey stopped him. Instead, he nodded in agreement. Grandpa Gruff spoke up, clearing his throat before doing so. “Yes, it is a shame, but things are changing.”

“We noticed on our way here,” Haakim said, looking at the glass of purple liquid in front of him curiously. “What drink is this?”

“It’s called bliss,” Geoffrey explained.

“It’s actually really good,” Gregory added.

Spreading one of her wings, Amira used it as an appendage as she picked up the glass, lifting it up like he’d seen Equestrian pegasi do in the show, then took a tentative sip. Her eyes widened in surprise, then she took a deeper sip. “Brother, you should try this,” she exclaimed.

Haakim, looking a bit disapprovingly at her, nodded, then used his light purple magic to do the same. He too looked surprised, but unlike Amira, was more restrained. “This is a delicious drink,” he said, “is it sold in town somewhere? I would very much like to purchase some for our return trip. I hope you take shekels.”

“I’m sure something can be arranged,” Geoffrey replied.

At that moment, there was another knock at the door. When Geoffrey called out for whoever was knocking to enter, the same watch member stuck his head in. “Your last guests are arriving.”

“Show them in,” Geoffrey said.

The gryphon watch member nodded, then the door closed. Haakim looked at Geoffrey and asked, “Do you have any idea who they might have sent?”

“I don’t,” he replied.

The doors opened a few moments later, and to Gregory’s shock, as well as the shock of everyone else, a very familiar light blue scaled dragon with downward pointing white horns and red eyes, stepped in, flanked on either side by two taller and somehow important looking dragons. She held a rather familiar looking scepter in her claws. The other two were taller than the first. One was a tall dark green scaled dragon with curved elbow spikes, yellow eyes and bright green fins and wings. The other was a taller purple scaled dragon with blue eyes, curved horns that resembled ram horns and a similar set of elbow spikes to the other dragon. This dragon also had a pair of bright aquamarine glasses hanging around her neck.

“Hello,” the shorter blue dragon said, and the moment she spoke, Gregory was absolutely certain who this was. “I’m the Dragon Lord. Name’s Ember.”

The green dragon stepped forward and gave a bow. “I’m General Rhyo of the Dragon Grand Army,” the dragon said in a male voice.

“My name is Scoria,” the purple dragon said with a female voice, “I’m a chronicler.”

From behind the group, the sound of someone nervously clearing their throat could be heard. At that, Ember sighed, then turned around to face whoever had done so. “Silica, you snuck onto the airship with us, so you don’t get to come in!”

“Come on, just for a little bit?” a pleading female voice begged. “I just want to meet-”

“You can do that after this,” Ember said, sounding exasperated.

“Just five minutes?” the voice begged again.

“Is there something wrong?” Geoffrey asked, looking just as confused as the rest of the Convocation along with the ambassadors from Saddle Arabia.

Scoria gave the ambassador an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about this, but we had somedragon stow away on our airship in order to meet, well, the human on this Convocation.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow at this. “Me? Why me?” he asked without thinking.

He heard someone gasping, then he saw a bright teal dragoness with a satchel slung over her shoulder flying over the other three, landing right next to Gregory and staring at him with golden eyes, which were wide with awe. “No…way…” she said. Gregory, startled by this sudden development, had jumped out of his chair. Gwendolyn was by his side immediately, one wing out to protect him. A couple of the city watch also flew in, standing in front of Gregory protectively. There were a few tense seconds of silence before this new dragon seemed to notice what had happened. She immediately took a step back, looking quite chastened. “I-I’m really sorry,” she said, giving Gregory a sorrowful glance. “I just…when I heard that there was a human on the Convocation, I knew I had to meet you!”

That caught Gregory off guard. “You…know what I am?” he asked, looking nervous now.

“Of course!” she said, bursting into a smile. “I’ve studied the myths about your species for years, and nodragon believed me when I said that humans were real! Now here you are, living proof that humans exist!” She gestured to him excitedly.

“Please forgive my daughter,” General Rhyo said, walking up and putting a pair of claws on her back and beginning to pull her back. “She’s not a bad dragon, simply…driven.”

Gregory relaxed, but was still intrigued by this dragon. “It’s alright,” he said, “but I would like to speak with her later.”

That seemed to get the dragon named Silica even more excited than before, and she pumped a fist excitedly. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yeeessss!”

Gregory was slightly amused by this as he took his seat again. Somehow, she reminded him of the fandom interpretation of Lyra Heartstrings, especially since she had Lyra’s same color palate. Silica was about the same height as Ember, with the aforementioned bright golden eyes and two dragon horns that were striped with a light teal and white. She was also, unlike any of the other dragons, wearing what looked like animal furs in what he assumed was an imitation of clothing. The clothes, if one could call them that, had the look of a prehistoric collection of furs. Turning back to the other dragons, he said, “Honestly, I had no idea humans were even known about here.”

“We have some obscure myths about them from thousands of years ago,” Amira admitted, “but now that we know that your kind are real, we may have to…reconsider the veracity of these myths.”

“We certainly don’t know anything about humans,” Geoffrey added.

“To be fair,” Ginna replied, “we probably forgot.” She pointed her thumb at a closed door which led to a room where the books from the former Gryphonstone Library were now being kept.

“As much as I would love to learn more about this,” Gregory said, raising a hand, “we’re getting off topic.” Once more, he stood and walked over to the chairs. Geoffrey and Gael both stood and pulled out the chairs for their new guests. “Please, have a seat.”

As the three took their seats, Gregory glanced back at Silica. She had a hopeful expression on her face, almost like she wanted to join in. He had to dash her hopes. “Miss Silica, I’m sure we can find you a room where you can stay for the night,” he said, “but what we have to discuss here is all politics.”

Silica, apparently not one to be denied, straightened. “I didn’t just come here to see you,” she said, suddenly sounding very serious. “I’m not just some human crazy dragon like my half-siblings seem to think I am. I can help. I know a lot about the Dragon Lands. I’ve seen almost every part of it, and even some parts that nodragon has ever gone to, including a few dozen islands with some pretty unique vegetation. I can help with whatever trade agreements you want.”

Rhyo’s eyes widened and he looked at her. “You heard us talking?”

Silica looked chastened at this. “Well,” she said a bit sheepishly now, “I heard you say human, father, so I was curious.”

Scoria took in a breath. “Dear, this is a serious meeting we’re about to have.”

“I can be serious, mother,” Silica promised.

Not wanting things to get out of hand, Gregory interjected. “These are, hopefully, the first steps our three nations will take in forming a bond. I personally don’t have an issue if she stays, and if she has flown around the Dragon Lands, perhaps she can be helpful here.”

Everyone else looked around at each other, then many took on a thoughtful expression. Amira was the first to speak. “I don’t mind if she stays,” she said warmly, giving Silica a kindly smile.

“Look, if everyone here doesn’t mind that she stays, that’s fine,” Ember said, “but if things get out of claw and it’s her fault, she needs to leave.” She gave Silica a withering glare.

“I think we can accept that,” Geoffrey said. “Does everyone else agree?”

When the consensus was agreement, Gregory walked over to one of the walls where several other chairs were, picked up the best one, then carried it back to the table, only to see Silica standing between his chair and Gwendolyn’s. Looking at Gwendolyn, she had a bemused expression on her face, then moved her chair aside to make room for another one. He inwardly rolled his eyes, but moved his own chair slightly to the left, then moved the new one between him and Gwendolyn’s. Silica immediately sat and pulled her chair in, her mood vastly improved. After he poured her an extra glass of bliss, he sat down. “Alright, so are we all ready to begin?” he asked. When everyone nodded, he looked over at Geoffrey and nodded.

The ambassador nodded back and picked up a piece of paper in front of him. Putting on a pair of old looking glasses, he looked at the paper. “Well, first of all,” he said as he put it down and faced the delegates, “thank you all for coming. I’m sorry that this is the best place for us to meet at, but when we next meet, we will have a place better fitting for you.”

Haakim waved a hoof. “No need to apologize,” he said, “this place will be more than sufficient for our talks.”

“Definitely better than a lot of caves in the Dragon Lands,” Ember commented before she looked at Geoffrey. “Can we cut to the chase and you tell us what you want from us both and what you will give us in return?”

“What our new Dragon Lord means,” Scoria said in a placating tone, “is that she is rather curious why the gryphons would ask us for a trade negotiation.”

“You mean ‘cause we were enemies once?” Grandpa Gruff asked without a hint of regret.

Rhyo winced a bit at that, but nodded. “There is…some bad blood lingering among some of our older dragons who were told tales of the wars between our kinds.”

Geoffrey spoke up next. “Those wars were waged by our ancestors,” he said, “and we aren’t our ancestors. We are not even an imperium like we were.”

“We’re hoping to build a brand-new relationship between our two peoples,” Gwendolyn added, “one that can begin healing our relationship. Dragons and Gryphons once were the strongest of allies until the Mad Emperor Gamigin attacked your people.”

Gregory remained silent, surprised that Gwendolyn would say that, but judging from Geoffrey’s expression, he wasn’t upset by this. Then again, he wasn’t an ambassador for nothing, and could easily be hiding his emotions. He looked over at the dragons, waiting for their response. Ember’s eyes flashed with determination and she leaned forward, taking on a surprising pose that reminded him of the Gendo pose from Evangelion. Her eyes were narrowed as she asked, “And what, will you offer us, in return for whatever you’re wanting from us?” she asked.

Gael spoke up next, leaning forward as well. “We can offer a number of things,” he said, “and to show we’re serious, we have copies of a list of items we will be willing to trade with both nations. Gwendolyn, if you would?”

Gwendolyn stood, then reached under the table and brought out a large portfolio. She pulled out several leatherbound packets and walked around, passing them to each member of the meeting. Gregory offered to share with Silica, and she gratefully accepted, reading carefully over the offers.

The room was mostly silent as the five representatives looked over the papers. Gregory read the papers over as well, refreshing himself on what they had come up with. For the dragons, they had offered a substantial export of fish from their coastal fisheries, exports of their best wine and alcohol (despite everything, the gryphonian alcohol industry was booming), and future exports of the various yields of crops and livestock from farms in the next ten to fifteen years depending on how fast these proposed farms could be established. There were also gemstone mines in the Hyperborean Mountains to the west of Gryphonville which the Dragon Lands didn’t have that they considered delicacies and precious. With gems developing on Gaia much faster than on Earth, a gem trading agreement was much more mundane here, but not any less lucrative.

As for what they could offer to the Saddle Arabians, they had offered them a large supply of houseoak seeds along with a magical solution to having them grow extremely fast. Gregory had been the one to convince Zecora to share the instructions with him, although it hadn’t been too hard. Zecora believed that the sharing of knowledge like this could help improve the spread of true harmony and friendship throughout the world. They could also provide the Saddle Arabian ponies some of their food and wine exports as well as lumber and, much to Gregory’s surprise, fish.

Something that he had learned from Gwendolyn was that Saddle Arabian ponies, specifically pegasi, could have a pescatarian diet unlike Equestrian pegasi. She’d explained that once, in the past, Saddle Arabia had an inland sea, but in the distant past it had begun to evaporate and created the Deadly Valley, a vast desert in the center of the nation where little life, if any at all, could survive. Apparently, Saddle Arabian pegasi had once lived in a large cloud city similar to Cloudsdale and they adapted to eat fish from the ocean.

Silica gently nudged Gregory, and when he looked over, she was pointing at the list of gems they could offer to the dragons. There was a look of excitement as well as some actual drool coming from her mouth. She didn’t say anything, instead looking questioningly and hopefully at Gregory, who simply nodded. This made the excitement on Silica’s face grow even more as she looked back down at the papers, only this time with renewed interest, focusing on the Saddle Arabian list. This was a ploy by Geoffrey as a means for everyone to see what was offered just in case one side wanted something that the other was being offered.

After about five or so minutes, Haakim spoke up. “Before we discuss these, what are your requests?”

Geoffrey took the lead again. “We are looking to repair and improve some things around here,” he said, “and one metal we’re requesting is copper. I understand that the Dragon Lands possess this in large quantities.”

Ember made a disgusted face. “Bleh, that disgusting ore? That stuff is worthless to dragons.”

“The quantities you’re requesting are quite a lot,” Scoria said quickly, clearly trying to cover for Ember’s careless remark. “Are you planning on making new weapons with this copper?”

“We have no reason to make weapons,” Geoffrey said, “unless it’s to defend our continent.”

“And besides, copper makes for terrible weapons,” Gregory added.

“It will be a part of our rebuilding process,” Geoffrey concluded.

“And if it’s worthless, then this should be an easy transaction, right?” Gael added.

Gregory winced inwardly. He might not know much about politics, but one thing he knew was that one didn’t just reveal weakness in a negotiation, and Gael had just revealed that they were more than eager for the copper. Rhyo and Scoria exchanged a quick glance then the latter spoke. “Still, this is quite a lot of copper you want. We’ll have to consider-”

“For the love of the First!” Silica shouted, slamming her fist down on the table, catching everyone off guard, especially her parents. She then turned directly to Geoffrey. “Ambassador, I have a massive cave full of copper back home. I don’t have any use for it aside for hoard storage! You can have all of it!”

That caught the ambassador and the other members of the Convocation, including Gregory, completely by surprise. Rhyo gave his daughter a harsh look as he spoke. “You don’t have the authority to do that, daughter of mine,” he said, a hint of an edge to it.

Silica shot him a glance as well. “And hiding how much we need food and can take advantage of this nation is something our ancestors would be ashamed of,” she retorted.

Scoria visibly winced. Gregory knew things were getting off to a bad start, so he stood and raised his hands. “Please, let’s not let things escalate so quickly,” he said in as calm a voice as he could muster.

“This isn’t a contest to see who can piss each other off the most,” Grandpa Gruff announced with clear frustration, “this is a damned negotiation. Look, you have something we need, we have something you need,” he added, pointing to the dragons and the Convocation in turn. “Let’s skip the shit and figure this out like grown adults. Enough of the damned politics.”

Gregory sat down in shock at Grandpa Gruff’s straightforwardness. Ember raised both eyebrows at this, then turned back to the others older dragons. “I like this guy,” she said. “He doesn’t beat around the lava.”

Gregory thought he saw Rhyo and Scoria deflate slightly at this, before slowly nodding. “No he doesn’t,” Rhyo agreed, a small smile forming on his lips.

“And what about this that you’re asking for?” Scoria asked, pointing to another item on the list. “A small amount of…” she paused and had to read it over again. “’The red crystals that are scattered everywhere in the Dragon Lands’?” She looked up in confusion. “Do you mean élanite?”

Gael snapped his claws. “That’s what it was called!” he announced. When he saw the confusion on the dragons’ faces, he cleared his throat. “I once had a dragon girlfriend and I’d spend time at her cave. She showed me around her corner of the Dragon Lands, and she told me about how much élanite you have.”

“If I may interject,” Haakim said, raising a hoof, “élanite is useful to those of us who can manipulate magic. Not just to Saddle Arabian unicorns, but to our Equestrian counterparts.”

“I have a ton of that stuff in my cave too,” Silica announced without being prompted. “It’s useless to us and tastes worse than copper.”

Rhyo and Scoria both looked mildly upset, but Ember leaned forward. “How…much fish are we talking?” she asked, directing the question at Geoffrey.

“I’m sure we can come to a reasonable number that satisfies both of us,” Geoffrey said, “but suffice to say that our fisheries are very successful.”

“Good,” Ember said, actually licking her lips.

Geoffrey smiled, then turned to Haakim and Amira. “What about you? Do you have any questions for us?”

“Only this: what exactly are houseoak trees?” Amira asked. “The explanation in here is somewhat brief.”

Geoffrey turned to Gregory, who nodded in understanding then turned to the Saddle Arabians. “I don’t know too much about them myself, but I can tell you this: with the right amount of preparation, and a proper casting of a spell, these trees can grow to become actual homes for a decent number of individuals. If a unicorn casts a certain spell, these trees can grow to become homes fasts than anyone can build anything. With the proper spell, they can grow within even the Deadly Valley, according to my sources.”

Ember shot up and gave Gregory a glare. “Why didn’t you offer this to us?!” she demanded.

Gregory calmly looked over at the Dragon Lord. “To be honest, we weren’t sure if you would have wanted them,” he explained. “Without unicorn magic, they wouldn’t be fully grown matter of years, not weeks or even days. Not only that, but from what I’ve heard about how big dragons can be, many of your older ones won’t fit inside even the biggest houseoak possible.”

“And then there’s the fact that we breathe fire,” Silica added, stating what Gregory had been avoiding.

“We can discuss these houseoaks at another time, Dragon Lord,” Rhyo said.

Ember scowled, but simply nodded and leaned back. Haakim looked between Ember and Gregory before speaking. “I am quite curious as to the nature of these houseoaks,” he said. “Is there one in the city we can visit?”

“In Gryphonstone, no,” Gregory said, “but there’s a town at the bottom of the mountain where almost half the buildings are fully grown houseoaks.”

“Perhaps sometime this week, we can visit one,” Geoffrey offered, “so that both groups can see just what they are like.”

“That would be lovely,” Amira said, looking excited.

“You say that these houseoaks can grow almost anywhere, but they’re still trees,” Haakim said, “so would they not need to be watered? We do have jungles, but the majority of our sultanate is desert.”

Gregory had come prepared for this question. “From what I know from my sources,” he began, “these trees can draw in water not just from rain or from being watered, but also from the air and possibly even from underground aquifers. Unlike most trees, though, they don’t need as much water.”

Haakim and Amira exchanged looks, and there was silence for a while. Finally, Amira spoke. “You ask simply for a decent supply of fruits from our jungle farms in return?” she asked, “specifically oranges?”

Geoffrey maintained his composure as he nodded. “Correct,” he said.

“We will have to consult this with our sultan, but I believe we can come to an agreement on this,” Haakim replied.

“Then let’s get down to it,” Grandpa said in a voice more gruff than normal.

“Agreed,” Haakim said.

“Sure, let’s get this ov-done,” Ember added.

Five hours later, Gregory was standing out on a balcony in the Eyrie overlooking the city. The sun was out and shining down on the land below. In the east, he saw a number of dark clouds, meaning rain was coming. He had already placed water buckets out to catch any rain that fell that day to restock his own supply. In his hand he held his metal water bottle which he sipped at while eating a now cold breakfast sandwich he was using as a lunch.

Five long hours of negotiation, but to Gregory’s surprise, it seemed like they were making progress. There were even some items that had come up that no side had considered trading, including some mushrooms that were apparently good for making a specific medicine in Saddle Arabia.

He took another bite of his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. He was trying to think about other things that might benefit this regrowing nation, and was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear someone coming up beside him until they spoke. “Something on your mind, Mr. Graystone?”

Startled, he looked to see that Amira was looking at him with some concern on her face. He swallowed his food, washed the remaining food down with some water, then looked out at the city. “Just doing some future thinking,” he said.

Amira chuckled softly, then looked out at the city with him. “You do realize you’re not alone in that, right? The entire Convocation cares about Gryphonia, and hope to get things fixed up.”

He nodded with a bemused smile. “Doesn’t make it any easier,” he admitted.

“Tell me about it,” a new voice said from behind the two. Amira and Gregory turned to see Ember leaning against the door, arms crossed as she looked up at the archway. “I swear, if I’d known what a pain in the butt being the Dragon Lord was, I’d have stuck with being a princess. I’d rather be out there doing something that’s useful than having to learn all of this…politicking.” She walked over and leaned on the railing overlooking the city. She sighed, then looked over at Gregory. “You get where I’m coming from, right?”

Gregory nodded, then smiled a bit. “I don’t like it either, but it’s necessary for any civilization.”

“So they tell me,” Ember grumbled. She threw up her claws. “Why is everything so complicated?”

Amira gave the two of them an understanding smile. “As someone who has been in politics for years, I know it’s not all wine and roses. But view it as an opportunity.”

Gregory and Ember faced her, and Ember spoke. “Opportunity to do what? Sit around on my butt and listen to everycreature talk back and forth until they come to the painfully obvious solution?”

“That is an unfortunate side effect of certain political maneuvers, yes,” Amira admitted, “but you are young. Both of you. You have brighter minds and even if you are from far away, Mr. Gregory, you have knowledge from your own people that others might not have. Something that could very well help your Convocation.”

Gregory nodded. He had shared a bit about his world during the meeting without revealing they were separate worlds, simply referring to his home as a vastly distant land. He hadn’t revealed much else, but others had inferred that what knowledge he possessed could be helpful. “Hopefully any knowledge I can use will be useful for the future of this rebuilding continent,” he said.

Amira nodded, then turned to Ember. “Ember, you strike me as a no-nonsense Dragon Lord. Your mother is a lot like that in that regard.”

Ember shot her a glance. “You know Mom?” she asked.

“Blaze? Yes, I do,” Amira said. “I met her when she and your father came to Saddle Arabia a few years ago before the Gauntlet of Fire. You remind me of her.”

Gregory saw Ember smile slightly. “I always admired how she didn’t take shit from anyone, not even Dad.”

Amira laughed. “I saw a glimpse of that when they visited. But back to the subject at hoof.” Her smile became a knowing one. “You have a lot to offer to your kingdom, Dragon Lord, and you have a lot to offer to this continent, Mr. Gregory.”

Gregory felt himself smiling at the compliment, and he exchanged a look with his fellow inexperienced government leader. It began to dawn on him that he was part of the pinnacle of the budding government of this rebuilding land. It filled him with a deep sense of responsibility, awe, and a hell of a lot of fear. What if he screwed up? What if he did something that screwed the pooch.

Ember nudged Gregory. “Hey, I see that look in your eyes, human,” she said. “None of that! Don’t look back. Face forward and spread your wings!” Quickly, she seemed to realize what she’d said, because she quickly added, “Well…you know what I mean.”

“I do,” he chuckled, feeling a bit better about it. “Yeah, those of us with the world on our shoulders need to stick together and work to try and make a better world for those we want to protect.”

Amira looked at him with a warm smile. “Exactly, Mr. Gregory.” She turned to the city, then smiled. “I know you’re there, young dragoness. Come on out and don’t eavesdrop. It’s very rude.”

Silica came out, looking quite sheepish and nervous. Like before, she had a satchel slung across her back. “Ah, I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean-”

Ember scowled at the other dragoness. “Are you really that eager to talk to a human?” she asked. “He’d not a damned toy you can play with!”

Silica looked hurt by those words. “I never even thought that,” she insisted.

“Dragon Lord, it’s alright,” Gregory said, not wanting things to get too out of hand. “I did promise I’d talk to you,” he added, turning to Silica, “but after being in that conference for five hours, I needed a break.”

She gave Gregory an understanding look. “I can understand that,” she said, walking out slowly to the rest of the group. “I just wanted to give you something.”

That got Gregory’s attention. “Really? What is it?” he asked.

She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small box. Looking at it with reverence, she turned to Gregory and held it out. Ember and Amira watched as Gregory took it and lifted the lid to look inside. What he saw confused and shocked him because inside was a pair of metal gauntlet gloves.

He put the box down, then took one of the gauntlets out, examining it curiously. It looked ancient enough, but it also looked clean. Looking back at Silica, he saw that she had an expectant look on her face. Even Ember and Amira looked curiously at the gauntlet and his hands. Shrugging, he carefully slipped the gauntlet over his right hand, making the fingers move for the first time in who knew how long? Silica clapped for joy at this.

Gregory removed the gauntlet after a few more clenches of his fingers and put it back, stood back up, only to see that Silica had something else outstretched to him, a long object held in a leather wrap. “Something else you wanted to give me?” he asked.

She didn’t say a word, simply passing it over to him. He took it, and was immediately startled by how heavy it was. Not only that, but he heard what sounded like a clink of metal on metal. Confused, he undid the strap tying the wrap and let it drop, only to reveal a sword with an elaborate looking sheath.

Ember whirled on Silica. “Why are you giving him a weapon?!” she hissed.

“It’s a weapon made by ancient humans!” Silica insisted.

“Dragon Lord, this is a gift freely given,” Amira added. “Isn’t it a tradition among your people that any gift can be given regardless of species?”

Ember scowled, but nodded. “Yeah…” she grumbled.

Gregory looked at it up and down. The sheath had a number of gems embedded in it and it looked like some parts were gold plated. Upon further inspection he spotted small scenes that had human figures carved into them, interacting with dragons, gryphons, and even ponies. The hilt itself looked like it had been freshly wrapped in leather, and when he looked at Silica, she nodded. “The old leather was too far gone when I found this, so I did my best to wrap it up with new leather.”

He nodded, then grasped the hilt and unsheathed it partway, noting that it looked like it was made of Damascus steel. It looked incredibly sharp, as well. There were ancient writings on the blade itself of a letter system he didn’t recognize. However, it was a flowing, beautiful script. Sheathing the sword, he looked over at Silica. “Thank you very much for this…rather unprecedented but magnificent gift,” he said honestly as he wrapped it back up in the leather bindings. “I appreciate it.”

Silica’s wings actually buzzed as she clapped her claws happily. “Ooooh, I can’t wait to talk later! My brother and sister are gonna be soooo upset that they missed this meeting!”

“You have a brother and sister?” Gregory asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yes! Well, technically they’re my half siblings. They’re in town with some of the guards looking around,” Silica said.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll meet them eventually,” Gregory replied. “What are their names?”

Her answer threw him even further for a loop. “Garble and Smolder.”

9: A Mostly Normal Day

Friday, November 26, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

The day was a surprisingly sunny one, and that was thanks to Amira and some of her pegasi guards moving a number of rainclouds away from Gryphonstone for that day only. The air had the smell of damp from the rains the day before. The day before, Gregory had celebrated the American Thanksgiving holiday with not just his gryphon friends, but with Starlight, Sunset, Trixie, Zecora, and Ladybug. Since his current living situation wasn’t big enough, they’d gathered at Gilda’s place, which was the largest one in Gryphonstone. Gabby and Gallus had helped Zecora and Ladybug come up for the day. They had eaten a lot, talked, and Gregory had even brought a projector, his laptop, and a power source so they could watch a movie. He’d chosen the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. To his delight, everyone loved it and it sparked a discussion of Gaia’s own lost and/or mythical civilizations which went on long into the night until Gregory realized how late it was.

That was why he was yawning the next morning as he looked down at Gwendolyn and said, “I really don’t think we need to do this for me. Surely there’s someone else worthy of something like this?”

“This was decided by the Convocation already,” Gwendolyn replied, then gave him a small smirk as she added, “and don’t’ call me Shirley.”

Gregory almost facepalmed as he looked back at the number of creatures setting things down at the future site of the new houseoak. Around him, Haakim, Amira, Ember, Rhyo, Scoria, Silica, Garble, Smolder, the other members of the Convocation, Gabby, Gilda, Gallus, and a large number of other gryphons watched as Zecora directed a few other gryphons along with Ladybug, Starlight Glimmer (who he noticed had begun styling her mane like her reformed self lately), Sunset Shimmer, and Trixie, to place various objects down in the proper areas. He saw a number of pieces of copper that Silica had brought from her own mine, a large number of rocks and iron from a quarry and iron mine respectfully, a couple pieces of hastily carved lumber from the nearby forest, portions of soda ash, limestone, and sand, something that looked like a pile of sheep wool, and a number of other small materials he couldn’t identify. They were all being placed inside a circle made of élanite around where Gregory’s apparently new houseoak home would be grown.

When he’d asked, Zecora said that all of these materials would be necessary for the house structure. Heating, plumbing, and even a form of magically induced electricity would be included in the houseoak, and each of the materials was needed for the spell. He had plenty of questions, but he had grown to trust Zecora’s judgement, so he sat back in his lawn chair while others around watched from chairs of their own.

Gabby was sitting on the other side of him, watching with bated breath as was everyone else. From behind him, a hoof tapped his shoulder. Looking back, he found himself looking into Amira’s light blue eyes. “Can you explain this to me again?” the tall pegasus asked.

Gregory almost sighed. They had been over this a number of times, but he knew better than to say anything about it. This was a demonstration not only for the gryphons, but for the representatives from Saddle Arabia and the Dragon Lands. “This is how I understand it,” Gregory replied. “Zecora places the houseoak seed in a hole in the ground, then she will pour a certain potion into the hole, covering the seed in the potion. Next, she will place a stone covering over the hole that has some runic carvings on it. Then, either one or more of the unicorns will begin casting a specific spell on not just the seed, but the potion itself and the material around it. The élanite will act as an amplifier for their magic. Once each piece of material has absorbed enough magic, the élanite will take over and continue to build the houseoak until it’s finished in a very short amount of time. With the élanite being involved, not even Zecora knows just how fast it might grow.”

“But why do you need the other materials?” Amira asked.

“Well, for things like glass windows, plumbing, built in appliances in the kitchen, furniture, and insulation,” Gregory repeated what Zecora had said, minus the rhyming scheme. “From what she told me, a permanent transfiguration spell will be applied to the materials. That’s what the stone tablet is for, to direct the magic to do what they want.” He shrugged. “Where I come from, humans have no wings or magic, so I don’t know anything about what real magic is like.”

Amira gave him a soft, genuine smile, and placed a wing on his back. “There’s no need to apologize,” she replied. “Your explanation was simple and easy to understand. I can’t use magic like my brother can, and I have struggled to understand how our magic works.”

“We’re almost ready, everyone!” Sunset announced as she stepped forward to face the gathered crowd.

Gregory and the others faced her as Ladybug now joined Sunset. She looked nervous, but seemed to steel herself before announcing, “W-We’re about to cast the spell that will grow a houseoak. Please keep your eyes and ears open.”

“Trust the awesomeness,” Trixie announced with a flourish as she stepped to the other side of Sunset. “One of Trixie’s best friends will be casting the spell on her own to prove that one pony can do it.” She then gave a nod to Haakim.

Sunset nodded in agreement. “The spell required is actually one that doesn’t require that much magic to begin,” she explained as she pulled out a piece of paper and floated it over to Haakim. “Almost all unicorns can cast a telekinesis spell, and the amount of magic needed takes about the same amount of magic. It is a lot trickier, though, so please be silent while Starlight prepares herself.”

Zecora then came up and stood next to Ladybug as she faced the gathered group of miscellaneous creatures. “The preparations are very much complete. Magic will grow the tree in a heartbeat,” she said.

“Are we far enough away?” Ember asked.

“You’re good, yes,” Sunset replied. She then turned back to Starlight. “Are you ready over there, Starry?”

Starlight scowled at that nickname, but nodded. “Yeah!”

“Then let’s all be quiet, everyone,” Sunset said.

With that, the crowd went silent as Starlight stepped towards the gathering of miscellaneous objects in the élanite circle. She stepped forward now, taking a deep breath and exhaling. Gregory could hear the nervousness in that breath as she lowered her horn towards the ground. “Well…here goes nothing.” She aimed her horn at the stone over the hole and began casting a spell.

This wasn’t the first time Gregory had seen how unicorn magic actually looked. Unlike in the show, there was a small glowing string of magic between the more brightly glowing horn and the target. That was how it looked for any sort of spell it seemed. Of course, there were times when blasts of magic could come from a pony, but he hadn’t seen that sort of thing happening yet. Still, he watched as the glow surrounded the stone.

It rose off of the ground slowly, the sound of magic being cast the only sound aside from some slight winds in the nearby trees. Everyone watched in anticipation as the stone reached about three feet into the air then stopped. Starlight had her eyes closed, her lips moving but no words coming out of them. More beams of magic came out of the stone tablet and struck the élanite ore. When that happened, she stopped casting her own magic and stepped back to stand next to her pony friends to watch.

The sound of magic being cast only increased and the beams of magic grew brighter. The runic lettering on the stone began glowing a bright white, like some sort of glowing liquid was filling it up. A larger beam shot out from the glowing stone down into the hole where the seed was located. At first, nothing else happened. Then, the ground began to rumble and shake slightly. Everyone looked nervous, but Zecora shouted, “Everyone, withhold your fear. This is expected and will soon clear.”

Gregory, who had been gripping the armrests of his chair, relaxed when a familiar claw laid on his own. Looking down, he saw Gabby giving him a reassuring smile. Then, he was surprised when another claw touched his other hand. Looking back, he saw that Gilda had done the same thing. She wasn’t smiling, but she gave him a reassuring nod. Smiling at his two close friends, he looked out at the circle.

The objects that had been placed there, aside from the élanite ore, was now sinking into the ground, which itself was slowly beginning to form into a sinkhole. The dirt seemed to be boiling like one of those sand pools. Everyone watched in quiet anticipation for something to happen. The sound of boiling could be heard for the next few minutes.

Then, something began to stick out of the boiling hole: a small branch. Everyone’s eyes focused on it as it began to move upwards, slowly at first, but then faster as the magic élanite ore brightened with an inner red glow. This, in turn, caused the glow of the magic to increase which increased the speed of the growth of the now apparent tree. When the tip of the tree touched the stone, said stone shattered into dust and began swirling around the tree like some sort of dust devil. Everyone continued observing as the ground began to rise up, eventually pushing the élanite ore away as the trunk of the tree expanded beyond the circle boundaries. The ore lifted up and continued providing magic to the tree’s growth.

Everyone could hear the sound of wood creaking, but what stunned them more was the fact that windows were starting to form along with a large door. Gregory was briefly reminded of the scene from an old 90s movie called Dark City where the aliens were creating the buildings for the city itself. In a way, this looked similar.

When Gregory saw that the tree was growing taller than he’d expected, he said, “Um…Zecora? Is it supposed to be this tall?”

“Fret not, my friend, nothing’s in error,” Zecora said, “there is no need for your terror.”

Gregory nodded, and watched as the tree continued growing. The trunk began expanding wider and more windows appeared. Near the front door, a table with benches appeared, seeming to grow out of the ground. Gregory had seen the plans long before this operation, and had been confused as to why there was a table in the plans, but as he watched, a second tree shot out of the center of the table, spreading boughs of empty branches. That was another thing he’d learned. The spell needed had to take into account the weather conditions, seasons, temperature, and other things before being cast.

The smaller tree stopped growing when the table reached its proper size, and Gregory finally realized that the smaller tree was to be used for shade for the table. There were even metal lanterns hanging from the trunk, which somehow turned on after it stopped growing. Parts of the ground around them were still rumbling, and Gregory could almost sense the roots beneath the ground.

Eventually, the élanite ore moved down, landing on the ground and starting to dim. The tree then began slowing down until the rumbling stopped. With a final groan, the tree shuddered, came to a halt, a metal key appeared in the door’s lock, and the door then slowly and silently opened. Everyone was standing and looking at the massive tree. Gregory had to crane his neck to see the top of the tree. Slowly, he looked over at Zecora. “That…was some seriously awesome shit,” he said without holding back.

To her credit, she actually chuckled. “The surprises have yet to end,” she said as she walked over, grabbed the key, and brought it over to him. Placing it in his hand, she finished, “go in and see your new home, my friend.”

The houseoak’s first floor was massive. The door led into a large living room with several windows. There were several large couches, a coffee table, empty shelves built right into the walls, and several light fixtures that, to Gregory’s complete shock despite knowing otherwise, were plugged into plugs. There were even some empty plug fixtures that Gregory knew he’d have to test just in case the power requirements didn’t match with any of his electronics. He had no problem continuing to use his own power sources for his electronics, but it would be nice to see if things were compatible.

The living room also had a stone fireplace with a lit fire inside. A metal grate protected the living room from sparks. The ceiling was arched without any sort of right angle to it. And it was of course made of wood, wood so smooth that the danger of a splinter was practically nonexistent. It also had a very pleasant lumber smell that Gregory enjoyed.

Through a nearby door, the group found the first bathroom, which to Gregory’s astonishment looked remarkably like a slightly older bathroom from the turn of the 20th century, only cleaner. There was a sink, mirror, a light fixture above the sink, racks for towels, a fabric shower curtain hanging from a wooden pole, a toilet, and a bathtub and shower combination, the two latter looking like they were made of actual porcelain. Directly next to the bathroom was another door, only this one had room with an appliance inside which Zecora later explained was a magical washing machine that didn’t even require water.

In another room was a fully functional kitchen, also looking like it came from the turn of the 20th century. It had a stovetop with four burners and an oven underneath, an actual refrigerator, cabinets for kitchen supplies, a sink, two lamps hanging from the ceiling, a breakfast nook with views of the landscape, another lamp hanging off the wall, and a table in said nook with four wooden chairs. In another room was what looked like a formal dining room with an old styled chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Past that room was a small hallway with two doors on either side. One door led into a room which was pretty bare. It had a couch, desk, a ceiling lamp, a smaller table lamp on the desk, and shelves built into the side of the walls. Gregory noted that this could very well be useful for a study.

Just past that room were the first and second bedrooms of the house, and while both may have been a bit bare, each one having only a large king-sized bed, closet, dresser, shelves built into the walls, a ceiling light and a pair of lamps on nightstands on either side of the bed, both were still lovely rooms. Each bed actually had sheets and a comforter.

The group continued looking around, quickly finding a wide but winding set of stairs that led up to the second floor. There, they found themselves standing in a round area with six doors on the walls and one set of double doors at the opposite end of the staircase. Four led to other bedrooms along with a fifth and sixth between the bedrooms on either side of the double door that were both full sized bathrooms. The bathrooms were of similar designs to the one on the first floor, although they were a bit bigger, having two sinks instead of one and a slightly bigger bathtub. The four bedrooms were pretty much cookie cutter copies of the one on the first floor only with a balcony overlooking the property below.

The double doors led to a master bedroom which had a king-sized bed with actual balcony style bed with simple fabric for the curtains. The bedroom’s ceiling was dome shaped with a large chandelier hanging from it, a number of standing lamps around the room, three floor to ceiling windows with shades, and lamps on either side of the bed on nightstands. There was a sliding glass door that led to a large balcony outside. The bedroom also had a second stone fireplace with a grate system as well.

On the third floor, they discovered three more bedrooms which were once more carbon copies of the others along with another full bathroom that looked similar to the ones on the second floor.

The fourth floor seemed to serve as an attic of sorts with plenty of space, a large round window, a lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a small sink of all things. There was also a small fireplace in one corner as well, so Gregory suspected that this attic could be used as a bedroom or a reading room or something of that nature.

Back on the main floor, Smolder called Gregory over to show that she had discovered a door in the living room that led down to a basement. In a way, it reminded Gregory of how the Golden Oaks basement looked like, only without the science equipment Twilight had. It too, was empty, only having plenty of shelves for storage and cabinets along with yet another larger sink. There were a few lamps on the walls and one hanging from the ceiling along with a few small windows near the ceiling.

When Gregory came out of the basement, the Convocation, the delegates, and his friends were all standing in the living room looking at him with expectant looks on their faces. Looking at each of them, he took a deep breath, and said, “So…that’s what growing a houseoak is like. And I absolutely am floored by how amazing and spacious this place is.” He turned to Zecora and the others who had helped. “Thank you for this. I…I’m speechless, to be honest.”

Zecora walked over to Gregory, stood on her back legs and wrapped her forelegs around him in a surprising hug. “Your kind in this world have suffered enough,” she whispered softly, “I don’t wish your life to be tough.”

He hugged her back and patted her back before they broke the hug. He then turned to the delegates who had helped bring supplies for the houseoak. “Delegates, thank you for bringing supplies for this.”

“You’re very welcome!” Silica said with a warm smile.

“Think of this as an investment in the future of our future alliance,” Haakim said, “but yes, you’re welcome for the materials.” He looked around the room, then back at Zecora. “Miss…Zecora, was it? Can these homes be shaped to some other form? Maybe to match our architecture? And what about size? Can trees like this become bigger than this house?”

Zecora nodded. “While there may be design constraints, I do not think you’ll have complaints.”

Amira giggled. “Thinking of having a new home built, dear brother?”

Haakim chuckled, then shook his head. “No. I’m thinking about rebuilding that orphanage in Ridad.”

Amira’s smile grew softer. “Good idea.” He turned to the Convocation. “My sister and I are very much interested in future discussions of trade negotiations.”

Geoffrey looked at the others, then stepped forward. “I’m glad to hear it, and we’d be more than happy to discuss options with you.”

Ember, looking at the walls, tapped a talon on them, then looked back at Zecora. “These houses are fireproof, right?”

Zecora shook her head. “Believe me, of that, do not have fear. No flame can ever start in here.”

Before anyone could do anything, Ember breathed out some fire onto a nearby wall. Rhyo quickly rushed forward and pulled her away. “Dragon Lord! That was so incredibly rude!” He turned to Gregory and gave an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry!”

“It doesn’t look like her flames even left a mark,” Gregory replied, indicating the spot on the wall where Ember had tried to burn it, “so don’t worry about it.”

Rhyo looked down at Ember, who had a look like a scolded child. She stepped forward and mumbled, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright, but don’t do it again,” Gregory warned, not wanting to look too weak in front of her.

Ember straightened and nodded. “In that case, as Dragon Lord, I too would like to continue our talks. Even if they’re soooo boring.”

That got a chuckle out of many in the room. Geoffrey then walked over to Ember. “We welcome it,” he said to her. He then turned back to the other delegates “Would you all be willing to begin our talks tomorrow?”

“I don’t mind,” Haakim said, “but why not today?”

Geoffrey gestured to Gregory. “I suspect one of our members will be busy, and I think it would be best if every member was present for these talks.”

Amira chuckled. “We’re willing to wait another day,” she said.

“Eh, sure,” Ember said.

Gregory looked around the room. “Well then, thank you all for coming to watch this,” he said to everyone, “it was certainly an experience. If you’ll excuse me, though, I have some moving to do.”

“These taco things are super delicious!” Silica was saying a few hours later after Gregory had fully moved into his new home. She had eagerly volunteered to help him move in, although she’d done just as much questioning about his belongings.

Gregory was sitting in a large and new Gryphonstone restaurant called Taco Town which had opened only two weeks prior. He sat at the largest table in the restaurant with Gabby, Gilda, Gallus, Starlight, Sunset, Trixie, and Silica. Zecora and Ladybug had gone back down to their home after helping with the move. He had decided to treat those who remained to food after they’d helped him move in. The restaurant itself was packed full of gryphons. He lifted his glass of bliss and inclined it towards Silica. “It’s a great meal,” he replied.

“This bean burrito is delicious too,” Trixie said, lifting her burrito up with a smile as she took a bite.

“You’re sleeping away from us tonight,” Starlight warned as she took a bite of her cheesy black bean crunchwrap, something that Gregory had introduced to the restaurant.

Trixie blushed as the others around her laughed at her expense. Sunset patted the embarrassed blue unicorn on her back. “We’re just teasing you, Trix,” she said.

Gregory took a bite of his extra meat and cheese taco. “The hospital is letting you stay there still?” he asked.

“We actually moved into the Eyrie,” Sunset explained as she took a bite of her beans and rice.

“We’re sleeping in that big hall with a bunch of other gryphons,” Starlight added.

Gregory leaned back and stroked his chin. He was thinking of an idea that he’d been mulling over ever since he’d first seen how many bedrooms he had in his new place. There were a complete total of nine bedrooms, eight if he didn’t count whichever room he chose which would likely be the master on the second floor. It went up to nine again if he included using that study as a temporary bedroom. Looking around at the table once more, he saw his six friends still talking among themselves, along with Silica joining in the discussion. Six places…six extra bedrooms…

His new house was plenty big and could definitely accommodate them, he knew. The bigger things he had to consider was the food budget, locations of where they could place their items, and other such things. He mused that if they did move in, their old houses, which were in better shape now than they had been, could be used by other gryphons during the winter and beyond. He already planned on asking Gallus, who was pretty much a couch surfer, to permanently move in. Having Gilda and Gabby move in would be nice, too. He also thought that the three ponies might like their own rooms where they could have some semblance of privacy.

“Gregory? You okay?” Gabby, who was sitting next to him on his right, asked as she gently nudged him.

“Wake up, dipstick,” Gilda added, and as she was sitting to him on his left, gave him a harsher nudge.

“Ah, sorry, was just lost in thought,” Gregory said as he grabbed a tater tot.

“What about?” Gilda asked.

“About asking you six if you wanted to move in with me,” he replied, gesturing to his six friends.

The table went silent. Even Silica had stopped eating and was watching this go down, a curious expression on her face. Sunset spoke up after about a minute. “Um, are you sure about that?” she asked.

“We’re grateful that you’d think of us,” Starlight added, “but wouldn’t we be in your way?”

“Guys,” Gregory said, “that house is massive. I’d love to have people around. Besides,” he added, “Winter is coming.”

“Okay, Gregory Stark,” Gilda teased, but she also had an actual happy smile on her face. “But seriously, the pony’s right. Wouldn’t we be imposing?”

“Not at all,” he replied. “You’re my friends. I want you to live well. Besides, you three,” and here he gestured to his gryphon friends with a teasing smirk, “have been spending more time at my place than at yours. This way, we cut out the middleman.”

“Hah!” Gallus laughed.

“Well…I mean, I’d be down,” Gilda said. “I don’t own much, and having actual running water that works all the time would be nice. Ah, what the tartarus? Count me in.”

Gregory chuckled and nodded in agreement. He was definitely looking forward to a long hot bath later that night. Zecora had assured them that the water would come from their well and from the tree absorbing excess precipitation. There were spigots on the outside of the house that could be connected to water pipes, however, and he anticipated that when the plumbing situation in town was under control, he would be getting plumbing installations. “You’re more than welcome to move in, Gilda.”

Gallus waved a claw at him. “It’d be nice to have an actual bed, so count me in too.”

Gabby was still thinking, and she said, “I mean…I guess that would be fine, but I just want to be sure that-”

“Gabby, he’s giving us a gift,” Gilda interrupted.

“I just want to be sure we won’t be getting in his way,” Gabby replied quickly before looking up at Gregory. “Will we?”

“No, of course not,” Gregory replied.

“Well, then if you’re sure, then…yes.” She looked up at him with a smile. “Now I can give my old home to somegryphon who needs it.”

Gregory nodded and then looked over at the ponies. The three unicorns were talking quietly among themselves. When they were finished, they looked back at him. “If you’re serious about this,” Sunset said, “we have one request: we would like to claim the bedrooms on the third floor for ourselves.”

“I wouldn’t have an issue with that,” he said, “but can I ask why?”

“When we were up there earlier, our magic felt a bit stronger,” Starlight explained. “We think that the higher we are, the more connected with our magic we can become and the faster we can recover from daily use.”

Gregory was a bit surprised by this revelation, but nodded. “Huh…well if that’s the case, then yes. You can have that floor to yourselves.”

“Then we accept,” Sunset said, smiling.

After lunch, the group went to work on moving everyone into Gregory’s new house. This mostly involved moving Gilda’s and Gabby’s belongings into the new place, as Gallus and the three ponies really didn’t have much to begin with. That took until dinner, which they had at the Groggery. Silica had stayed and helped as well, having been extra helpful in carrying larger things as she was probably the strongest of the bunch there.

When they had all moved in, Gabby and Gilda temporarily left to find needing families who could live in their old homes. They were back at their new places only a half hour later, having found some gryphons who were grateful for their generosity. They then all spent some time familiarizing themselves with their new home, with Silica spending time with Gregory asking him about humans and his old home. She’d been helping him with organizing his things when he was setting things up in his new bedroom, of course, but had also been talking with him. In turn, she had answered his questions about dragons. That had been the deal he’d made with her: a question for a question.

Now that he had all the space he could ever want, he fully unpacked the back of his truck with Silica’s help. Soon, the new fridge, which looked like an old fridge, was full of his remaining refrigerated food from Earth along with several bottles of water, a couple cases of sodas and sports drinks. The cabinets all had dishes, pots, and pans from Gabby and Gilda, which both had agreed could be used until more could be bought. Gregory had some of his own, but with the addition of four others who didn’t own anything, he knew he’d have to go out soon to buy some more very soon.

He'd tested his plugs with an HVAC tool he’d brought with him in order to test anything that might be compatible with his tech, and was surprised that the plugs would, in essence, work with his technology, so he set up his flatscreen and his speakers in the living room while placing one of the laptops that he’d brought in the study area. He then tested it by gathering Silica and his new roommates for a celebratory dinner and movie night. That night, in honor of the upcoming human Christmas season, he showed them the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol. Everyone enjoyed it, and the ponies remarked how similar Christmas was to Hearth’s Warming in the discussion of winter holidays after the movie ended.

After Silica went back to the Eyrie where she was staying with her family for the duration of their visit, everyone got ready for their first night in the houseoak. Gregory was standing on the balcony overlooking the property. He was wearing one of his warmer bathrobes, a Star Wars themed one that made him look like a Jedi. He’d just enjoyed a late night soak in his brand new bathtub. It was heavenly and he’d nearly fallen asleep in said tub.

The day had been a fantastic one, full of surprises and a healthy amount of hard work, but he was glad that it had happened. He felt extremely lucky to have been given this large houseoak and friends to share it with. He took another sip of his bliss, then went back into his room. The rain was beginning to pick up, and he even felt a few flakes of snow on his cheeks.

Closing the door behind him, he walked out of his room to put the dishes in the sink to be washed later. One thing the house didn’t have, which was unfortunate, was a dishwasher, but he knew that wouldn’t be a problem. If everyone cleaned their own dishes after use, things would be fine. That made him realize that they would need to discuss household jobs very soon.

When he got to the kitchen, he saw Gilda and Gabby there already. Both were at the sink washing and drying a couple of dishes. Both were wearing their own bathrobes and judging by how their plumage looked, they had taken either a shower or bath earlier. “Oh, hey you two,” he said as he walked over to them. “Shouldn’t you gals be in bed by now?”

Gilda looked over and shrugged. “It takes a bit of getting used to for us gryphons when we move to a new place,” she explained before extending a claw in his direction, looking at the dirty glass.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” he said as the other two began drying their dishes. He began washing his glass while the others finished. A question then came to his mind as he turned to the two gryphons. “Hey, speaking of your old homes, who did you guys give your old places to?”

“I gave mine to a newlywed couple,” Gabby explained.

“I gave mine to a small pride family,” Gilda said.

That caused him to pause and he looked back at them. “Pride family?” he asked. “What’s that?”

“It’s a family or relationship where a male can have multiple spouses or lovers,” Gabby explained. “It’s still practiced, but since the fall of the empire, not as much.”

“Wait, like a harem?” Gregory asked. He knew that in many My Little Pony fanfictions, herds were a thing, but he’d never heard of a pride before. He put the glass down in the sink and looked at them. “I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but isn’t a pride a lion thing? I thought gryphons didn’t like being called lions? A racist thing, right?”

“We don’t,” Gilda said with a scowl, “but we do call having multiple wives a pride, though. Think about it, dumbass. Gryphons pride ourselves on our…what?” She gestured towards him expectantly.

He got the hint immediately and nodded. “Right, got it. Sorry.”

“The name pride can also apply to a gryphon female with multiple husbands or anything in between, but those are much rarer,” Gabby added.

“Hmm, gotcha,” he said. He rinsed out the glass then began drying it with the towel the others had been using. “What are your thoughts on prides?”

Gilda shrugged. “Whatever floats their boats. If I ever found the right gryphons who I felt like I could spend my life with, I wouldn’t mind.”

“I feel the same,” Gabby said. “I’d have to both really love the male and get along very well with the other females.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Gregory said. There was silence for a bit, then he yawned. “Well, I think we should get to sleep.”

Gilda actually scratched the back of her neck and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I think I’m tired enough now,” she said with a yawn of her own. “See you two dweebs in the morning and sleep well.” With that, she went to the stairs and went up to her new room.

“Yeah, same here.” Gabby gave Gregory a smile. “Thank you for letting us live here with you. We all appreciate it.”

He gave her a smile back. “I’m glad to have you here. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She turned and went up the stairs as well.

After putting the glass away, he went up and got into some pajamas before climbing into the very comfortable bed. To the noise of the crackling of the fire, he fell asleep.

10: Imperial Mage

Friday, December 3, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

“We want to leave somedragon behind as a liaison between Gryphonstone and the Dragon Lands,” Rhyo said the moment the last meeting between the Convocation and the delegates from Saddle Arabia and the Dragon Lands began.

“We concur with this,” Haakim added. “Saddle Arabia would like to leave somepony behind to help maintain this new trade agreement in real time.”

Gregory looked around at the delegates. Amira was giving the Convocation a nod alongside her brother, and he could just see the excitement on Silica’s face. He guessed that she wanted that job. The day after the creation of his new house had been a day off for most of Gryphonstone, and that meant that the negotiation meeting didn’t take place. That didn’t mean that Silica hadn’t visited Gregory to learn all that she could about humans. That Sunday had been a very fun one for her. His new housemates even joined in, and the conversation evolved to talk about the various cultures represented in the room.

What he learned about the myths of humans in this world was confusing and scarce, to say the least. Silica promised to bring him some books from her hoard to show him what she’d learned, but what he’d learned was that humans apparently lived on a small continent east of both Gryphonia and the Dragon Lands. They’d apparently been a powerful kingdom or empire, but some great calamity had caused them to go either near extinct or extinct. Silica had traveled to the continent a few time, and while it was devoid of sapient life, there was absolutely no evidence of past habitation. The human artifacts she had, few and far between, came from finding an ancient chest on the eastern shores of the Dragon Lands. That included the gifts she’d given him. Even the carvings on the sword were little proof. They could have been drawings of mythical figures for all anyone knew.

“Who would you like to stay here?” Geoffrey asked, leaning forward and taking on a curious but neutral expression. This brought Gregory back to the present after his brief thoughts back to the previous Sunday.

Haakim looked at Amira. “My sister has expressed interest in staying behind to help,” he said. “Three of her personal guards have volunteered to stay behind as well.”

Gregory exchanged looks with the Convocation, who were doing the same with each other. He realized he should have expected this sort of possibility, and then looked around at some of the members of the Convocation, wondering if any of them should travel to the other nations as representatives. At the very least, he wanted to at least visit and see what Saddle Arabia and the Dragon Lands were both like. He had an inkling as to what the Dragon Lands were like, but Saddle Arabia was a complete mystery to him.

It seemed like a few other members of the Convocation felt similarly to him, because Gael looked over at Geoffrey, who nodded. He then turned to the dragons. “I will travel to the Dragon Lands as a representative of Gryphonia,” he said. “I know the lands there better than most gryphons do, and I can help to smooth things over between our two nations.”

“Well, I hope you’re okay with sleeping in a cave,” Ember said.

“I once had a dragon girlfriend, remember?” he chuckled. “I got used to it very quickly.”

“We will provide you with a place to live and work from,” Scoria promised.

“I will travel to Saddle Arabia,” Ginna announced as well, looking over at Haakim. “I have been there a couple of times myself, and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of it and learning how we might be able to deepen this new treaty between our countries.”

Haakim nodded. “I’m sure the Sultan will be more than happy to provide you with lodging and a place where you can work as well,” he said.

“I do have to wonder, though, how will you all communicate with your fellow Convocation members if the need arises,” Amira asked curiously.

“Leave that to us,” Gwendolyn replied with a smile. “We can come up with something that will work for us.”

The way she said that made Gregory pause a bit. He wasn’t sure what she was referring to, but there was something in her tone that indicated she was hiding something. Still, he hid his suspicions and turned to Amira. “I’m sure that we can find a place for you to stay and work from. You too, Miss Silica,” he added, turning to the young dragoness.

“Can I stay with you??” Silica asked quickly. However, a glare from her mother quickly silenced her. “Ah, um…I’m sorry. That was rude.”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Grandpa Gruff said. “Young’un, you got those two empty bedrooms. Why not let our two new guests stay there?”

Gregory paused to consider. The two bedrooms on the first floor would likely be used as guest rooms anyway, and they were big enough for both the pegasus and the dragoness. “Honestly, I’m not sure about that,” he admitted. “For one, I just got the house a week ago and me and my housemates are just starting to get used to each other. However, I’ll ask what they think.”

“I don’t mind sleeping wherever you put us,” Amira said.

“I’ve seen some caves in the mountains nearby where I could live if I need to,” Silica said with a soft smile. “A few are big enough for some of my hoard.”

“We have several bedrooms here that can work for you two,” Gwendolyn said, “so we can place you in them for the time being.”

Silica shook her head vehemently. “No,” she said. “You need those spaces for homeless gryphons. I’m fine with staying in a cave.”

“We have a campsite on the opposite side of the gorge,” Amira said, “so I can stay there with my guards. We’ve been warm and secure there so far.”

Gregory’s respect for Silica and Amira instantly grew in that moment. He smiled as he said, “Once this meeting is over, I’ll go and speak with my housemates about you two staying in my home. Winters in Gryphonstone are apparently pretty harsh, and this Convocation wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“And for the time being, we insist on the two of you staying in the Eyrie,” Geoffrey said. “We can rearrange if need be.”

“Are you sure about that?” Amira asked. Silica looked equally as concerned.

“We dragons are tougher than we look,” Silica added, pounding her chest. “Trust me, I’ll be more than fine in the caves.”

“Quit bein’ stubborn,” Grandpa Gruff said. “We ain’t about to let you two sleep in anything but the finest we can offer!”

Amira raised her hooves in surrender. “Since you insist, we’ll stay here.”

Silica nodded as well. “Thank you for the hospitality,” she said with a short bow.

Ember sighed at this. “I wasn’t going to have you stay here, Silica, but…you’ve been helpful this past week. So sure, you can stay.”

Silica bowed to Ember, but Gregory could see the excitement on her face. “I will make sure to behave in a manner befitting of a representative of the Dragon Lands,” she said.

“Make sure you do,” Rhyo said sternly.

“I will, father,” she said.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way and settled,” Geoffrey said after a few seconds of silence, “are there any other topics you would like to discuss before we conclude this final meeting?”

The delegates looked at one another, then began whispering to each other. Gregory couldn’t hear what they were saying since his hearing wasn’t quite as good as those of the others, but he doubted any other gryphon could hear them anyway. After a few small discussions, the dragons finished first. Moments later, the Saddle Arabians finished as well. Geoffrey looked at them and said, “Judging from the looks on your faces, you must have something to say.”

“It’s about the changelings for us,” Ember blurted out.

“We have our own concerns regarding the changelings and their new emperor,” Haakim added.

The Convocation, including Gregory, exchanged concerned looks. Gregory had told his housemates that didn’t know about Jason Wright and his treatment by the ponies of Ponyville earlier that week. Sunset, Starlight, and Trixie had all been there too to help explain what little they knew. Gabby already knew, but it still saddened her to know this. Gallus was upset, but did his best not to show it. Gilda had been pissed and had wanted to fly to Ponyville to give Rainbow Dash a piece of her mind and perhaps more, but everyone had calmed her down. She was still pissed, but they managed to convince her not to do anything rash.

He had told the Convocation about the Emperor’s true identity a few days prior before the delegates arrived for that meeting. Grandpa Gruff had been the most upset that he hadn’t told anyone on the Convocation, but none of them were angry enough to kick Gregory off of the Convocation. He did mention there were other things about Jason that he wanted to keep to himself for the time being, but he had promised that in time he would share the truth.

He leaned forward and was about to say something, but Gwendolyn suddenly put a claw over his hand. He looked at her with confusion, and saw her give him a reassuring nod before she turned to the delegates. “Do you fear them because their Emperor is a human like our own Gregory?” she asked.

That caught the attention of the delegates in the room, who all looked at her in shock. It was Silica who spoke up first. “There’s…another human on Gaia?” she asked, sounding shocked.

Gwendolyn nodded, releasing Gregory’ hand. “I have some sources that have informed me that five years ago, a human named Jason Wright appeared in Equestria. He went to live in a small town called Ponyville where he was subsequently tormented, abused and neglected, and this led to him nearly committing suicide. He was quickly found by the then Queen Chrysalis who took him in. He overthrew her, became Emperor of the changelings, and then subsequently led an invasion of Canterlot. He then left after a few days and left the ponies to pick up the pieces.”

Gregory was floored by how much Gwendolyn knew, as was everyone else. He’d only said that Jason had experienced a bad life since coming to Gaia and it had been because of pony actions against him that he had become Emperor to invade Equestria. He hadn’t told any of the specifics. Silica was still in shock, gaping at Gwendolyn. Gregory then felt all eyes on him. He looked back at the delegates and the Convocation. He sighed. “It’s true. The Emperor of the changelings is Jason Wright, a human who’s likely from my old homeland. I didn’t know he was here when I got to Gryphonstone. I’ve never met him before.”

“Mr. Gregory,” Amira said, looking at him curiously now, “in the event that you are at odds with this other human, what will you do?”

Gregory looked at the group of gathered creatures around him. He’d been asking himself that question a few times, and with the help of Gabby acting as a sound board, he already had his answer. “Everyone, Gryphonia is my new home,” he said. “I don’t take my position on the Convocation lightly. If for some reason this Jason does try and invade us, then I will do what I must to protect the citizens of not only this city, but of this continent.”

Amira nodded in approval. “Thank you,” she said.

He nodded back at her, giving her a somewhat relieved smile before he turned to the other delegates. “What exactly are you concerns in regards to the changelings?”

“Their military force for one,” Haakim said. “No nation really has a big military.”

“We do, more or less,” Rhyo countered.

“Don’t forget, the changelings main strength is their ability to blend in with their shapeshifting abilities,” Geoffrey reminded everyone. “Physically, they may not be the strongest, but they have access to magic that can bolster their own abilities if they do fight.”

“So what should we do to counter them?” Haakim asked.

Gregory instantly thought about the strange substance that Zecora had created in the alternate timeline with Starlight Glimmer’s effort to get revenge on Twilight, and wondered if the current version had something similar. “I’ll tell you what we don’t do,” Gael said suddenly, leaning forward. “We don’t take away the freedoms of our kind out of fear.”

“You’re saying we do nothing?” Ginna asked incredulously.

“No, but I am saying we shouldn’t do anything rash,” Gael said.

“Paranoia will only serve to embolden them,” Gwendolyn agreed. “Haakim, Amira, do you know of a way to detect changelings?”

Haakim and Amira both shook their heads. “Unfortunately, no,” Haakim said.

“There has to be a way,” Scoria said.

“If one of us discovers a means by which we can detect changelings, we should share it with each other,” Silica said.

Gregory’s eyes widened and he leaned forward. “What if, and this is just a hypothetical, but what if we invited a fourth nation to join in this little trade agreement of ours?” he asked.

That caught everyone’s attention, and their gazes fell on him. “Which nation are you referring to?” Geoffrey asked patiently.

Gregory took a breath, then exhaled. “The Crystal Empire.”

Several hours later than was expected, the three nations had agreed to tentatively consider inviting the former satellite state of Equestria to come to the negotiating table. Gregory had explained his reasons, mostly the fact that at the wedding of Shining Armor and Empress Cadance, the changelings had infiltrated Canterlot and had nearly taken it over. Not only that, but the love spell cast by the couple could be useful if it could be replicated, as could the shield spell that was used against the changelings before it was shattered.

As the groups were saying their goodbyes, Gregory kept a bit of an eye on Gwendolyn. She was at the table busily organizing her papers. She’d already said her goodbyes to the delegates and had already gotten two of the city watch who were now acting more as guards in the Eyrie to escort Amira and Silica to two bedrooms where they could stay for the time being.

Gregory was listening to a surprising story about how the dragons got airships from none other than Dragon Lord Ember. “…that Storm King bastard didn’t even know what hit him,” Ember boasted with a grin. “He thought we had something he wanted for his world domination, blah, blah, blah, but we didn’t and so he sent those airships to try and enslave us. As if that would work, the idiot!” She laughed at that. “We showed him that you don’t mess with dragons!”

Gregory whistled in appreciation. “Well, now you have access to dirigible technology,” he said, “and I’m kicking myself for not thinking about asking for a look-see at the technology.”

Ember laughed. “I’m sure your brand new human obsessed representative can think of something,” she teased.

“I’m sure she can,” he said. “Still, I’m impressed you were able to defeat someone like this Storm King. Where is he now?”

“Oh, he’s dead,” Ember said nonchalantly. “His flagship exploded with him aboard. His second in command surrendered to us, and she’s in our custody.”

“You’re talking about that pony with the broken horn, Tempest Shadow?” he asked.

“Yep,” Ember said. “We did give her some élanite to help replace her horn. We’re not monsters. She’s not in some dark and damp dungeon rotting away. She’s actually been helping us to understand how the airships work so we can build more.”

“Whoa, that’s really impressive,” he said. “Well, I just want to say thank you for coming and for enduring this week with me,” he added with a grin as he unconsciously extended his hand to her for a handshake.

Before he realized what he’d done, she reached out and grasped his hand with her claw. Her grip was strong, and her scales felt warm. She shook his hand with a smile. “Good to know I’m not the only one who gets bored at these things,” she chuckled. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

“I certainly hope so,” Gregory said, shaking her claw back before the two released. “Have a safe trip back!”

Some time later, the room was empty save for Gregory and Gwendolyn. She was finishing up her paperwork and Gregory was sweeping the floor. Outside, it was raining so the only noise that could be heard in the room was the fireplace crackling and the raindrops on the patched up windows and the roof. As he finished, he looked over at Gwendolyn. “Hey, could I have a word with you?” he asked.

She paused what she was doing, then looked over at him. “I think I know what you want to ask,” she said as she slowly stood to face him. “You’re wondering how I knew about Jason Wright.” When he nodded, she closed her eyes. “I understand. Well, I was going to reveal this at our next Convocation meeting next Monday, but I think I can tell you know. Or better yet, I can show you.”

Gregory nodded again. “Thank you,” he said.

Gwendolyn held up her index talon. “However, before I do that, you must swear, by all you hold secret, whether by the Maker or whatever is the strongest form of promise you can muster, that what I am about to show you will only be known to you and me. Not even your friends can know about this.”

Gregory looked at her curiously. He knew she’d probably make the other swear not to tell anyone, and it was a bit concerning. Still, he knew that his new friends would understand that he couldn’t tell them anything confidential. He raised his hand. “Even though I don’t believe in this Maker of yours, I will swear by her and hold that promise close to my heart.”

Taking a deep breath, he used an ancient bonding promise he’d learned from Gabby a few weeks ago. He raised his middle and index finger and held the others closed while he said, “By the great Maker Eurynome Herself, she who was born from the primordial Chaos, Creator of All under sea and sky and she who hatched the Universe Egg from which earth, sea and sky came from, I do swear this oath: that what will be shown to me by the gryphon Gwendolyn before me shall never escape my lips, shall never be recorded in any tome, and will be kept secret until either the day I die or until I am released from this oath by Gwendolyn.”

Gwendolyn raised both eyebrows in alarm. Gregory knew that this oath, at least according to those who believed in this Maker, was stronger than any other oath in the world, possibly even more than a Pinkie Promise. From what he had heard in tales, if this oath was broken, woe be to them who broke it. Gwendolyn’s alarm only seemed to grow, but she cleared her throat and forced her expression to become more serious. “I never imagined that you’d know the oath,” she said, “or that you’d even invoke it.”

“My friend taught it to me and I’ve memorized it,” Gregory said. “My belief in this Eurynome might be lacking, but I know how highly you regard her, even those of you who don’t believe. I’d be a fool to simply ignore it. I’m a citizen of Gryphonia now.”

Gwendolyn sighed softly, then looked up at him. “I…wow, Mr. Gregory, thank you.”

“Just call me Gregory, please,” he said with a chuckle. “The mister part is a bit odd to hear.”

With a smile, Gwendolyn turned. “Then follow me, Gregory.”

“Right behind you.”

She left the throne room, but not before grabbing an unlit torch from the spare torch sconce near the entrance to the throne room. She lit one and then began heading down the main set of stairs. Gregory had explored a bit of the Eyrie itself, but had never gone this far down into the Eyrie before. The farther down he had gone, the darker and danker it had gotten, and he’d always had a slight fear of the dark, especially after having watched shows like Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. It was one reason why he liked sleeping with an eye mask.

The further they went down, darker it got. Gregory pulled out his phone and turned on the light, helping to further illuminate the stairs. There was a musty smell coming up from the bottom, but it wasn’t completely overpowering. Still, he pulled out a facemask and put it over his nose to block the smell and anything else that might be down there.

They went down level after level until they finally reached the bottom. There was a single solitary door down there. Gwendolyn reached into her saddlebag, pulled out a keyring full of varying keys, stuck one older looking key into the lock and turned it. Gregory could hear a creaking noise from the keyhole, then the sound of a door unlocking echoed through the area around them. Pulling out the key, Gwendolyn grabbed the door handle and pushed it open.

As the hinges creaked open, the light from the torch and Gregory’s phone illuminated a small room. There was only a table inside with an unlit candle standing directly at the center of it along with a fully stocked bookshelf against one wall. There were no windows as the room was below the mountain itself, according to Gwendolyn. Lifting up the keyring again, the gryphon turned and closed the door behind her, locking the door from the inside, then putting the bolt on along with a wooden bar against the door. Then she walked up to the bookshelf. Following close behind, Gregory watched as she reached out with her claw to the second highest shelf and pulled a nondescript gray leather-bound book from its place, then reached in and pressed the back of the bookshelf in. There was a click, then a dull thud from behind the bookshelf. She gave a push and the bookshelf moved inward, revealing a dull red light behind, and a hallway lit by some sconces with glowing red light within.

“What is this place?” Gregory asked.

“Not here,” Gwendolyn said. “Even the walls have ears. I’ll explain later.”

Gregory nodded and followed her down a low hanging hallway after she pulled a lever on the side of the wall which made the bookshelf slowly move back into position. The hallway itself had many different doors on either side, giving it a creepy dungeon look to it. Each door was closed, but he could see some symbols on each door. They looked, strangely enough, like Nordic runes or something like them.

At the end of the corridor, they came to a large wooden door. Lifting the set of keys again, she put a key in the lock and turned it. Unlike the door at the other end of the hall, this one didn’t creak or groan. All Gregory heard was a soft click as the door was unlocked. She pulled the key out again and pushed the door open into darkness. Lifting the torch in her claw, she headed into the room and lowered it towards a large circular stone table with a large set of crystals sitting on the center of said table. The moment the flame touched the crystal, the torch went out, but the same glow began emanating from the crystal. In fact, the ruddy firelike glow was double in brightness.

Gregory turned off the light on his phone and slipped it into his jacket pocket, zipping it up so it didn’t come out. He was standing inside a massive room. It was circular in shape with a domed ceiling. Hanging from the apex of the dome was a large chandelier that resembled an upside-down tree with various crystals acting as leaves.

Around the room were various bits of furniture and other objects. There were bookshelves full of ancient looking books and scrolls, a desk with papers strewn about, a large table with vials of different colored liquids inside, a cauldron, a small section of wall with different sized staffs and swords, and various other instruments that might very well belong to a witch or wizard.

Turning, Gwendolyn walked over to one of the work tables against the wall. Sitting in the middle of it, without anything else on it, was an opaque white sphere sitting on a pedestal that resembled a golden tree. Turning, she beckoned him to follow, which he did. When he was standing next to her, she turned back to the sphere. “This is the Eye of Osiris,” she said. “It was found a thousand years ago it in the ancient ruins of a city in Egrypt called Clawbydos.”

“Egrypt? Isn’t that the ancient fallen kingdom east of here in the Sahayra Desert?” Gregory asked. He had been trying to spend at least thirty or so minutes per day learning more about the geography of Gaia, but especially the continent of Gryphonia. He learned that ancient gryphons once had a powerful kingdom to the east of Gryphonstone called Egrypt in the modern tongue, and Clamet in their old tongue. The kingdom had long since been abandoned and only a handful of ruins remained along the shores of the Baḥr Al-Naīl river, or the Naīl River as it was called. Much like its Earth counterpart the Nile, the Naīl flowed south to north with its origins coming from the same inland ocean where Nova America had once existed.

“That’s the one,” she said. “It was found in a hidden chamber in the Temple of Osiris,” she went on to explain. “There was a stone tablet next to it which told that this was a gem which was used by ancient gryphons and sphinxes who lived together during those times to look into the past. Well, I say both races used it, but in truth only a sphinx was able to utilize the sphere. It was used in times of great need. Listening in on enemies during wartime in order to learn their plans, looking back at heinous crimes, things like that.”

“That’s a powerful artifact,” Gregory said in awe. “And if it was ever lost or got into the wrong hands, it could be used for nefarious purposes.”

“Correct,” Gwendolyn said. “Which is why my family has kept it and other ancient artifacts from Gryphonian history safe down here for the longest time. Only once every five to seven generations is somegryphon from my family born who can wield this ancient magic and utilize the Eye.”

Gregory looked at her with a stunned expression. “Wait…your family…?” he said.

Gwendolyn looked at him fully before she spoke. “I may look like a gryphon, and I am one, but the blood of the ancient sphinxes run through my veins. My ancestors lived in Egrypt ages ago.”

Finally, realization dawned on Gregory as she looked at the orb, then back at her. “And you can use it, can’t you?”

“Somewhat,” she explained. “A well-trained user can use it to pinpoint events rather precisely. I can’t do that yet. I’ve managed to hone in on certain events, and that was how I learned what happened to Jason.”

Curiosity got the better of him. “Can you show me?”

She paused. “It’s…not a pretty sight,” she said. “Are you sure?”

Gregory paused a bit. Did he really want to know what happened? Wouldn’t it be an invasion of privacy. He frowned. If this Jason Wright ended up becoming an enemy of Gryphonia, he needed all the information he could get. He nodded. “Do it,” he said

She nodded and then placed her claw on the sphere. The opaqueness vanished, to be replaced with a dark swirling interior almost identical to the way the idol’s gem constantly moved. In a way, both reminded Gregory of those swirling globes full of liquid that looked like gas giant planets he’d seen in places like Spencer’s. A bright light suddenly shot out of the top of the orb, going through Gwendolyn’s claw and stopping about a foot and a half above the orb. A larger orb formed and a scene began to form.

The scene showed a young and well-dressed human male walking through a small town full of ponies. The human, presumably Jason, was about Gregory’s height, probably in his early thirties, clean shaven, brown eyes, well-trimmed brown hair, had a grin on his face, and even had some pep in his step. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a dark green t-shirt, an unzipped jacket, and had a bag slung over his shoulder. Gregory watched as the human walked up to the front door of a houseoak tree. Jason had a hopeful smile on his face as he knocked. Finally, the door opened and Gregory saw, for the first time, the real Twilight Sparkle. The past version of the human opened his mouth to speak, but the past Twilight held up her hoof. “I've already seen enough of humans,” she said with a frown before slamming the door in Jason’s face, startling the human.

The scene then shifted. Jason was now walking up a well beaten pathway towards what looked to Gregory to be Sweet Apple Acres. His hopeful expression was a bit less hopeful than before and more confused than anything. He passed through the gate and looked around. “Hello? Anyone here?” he called out.

From the barn, a familiar orange earth pony poked her head out. Her eyes widened when she saw Jason. Before the human could say anything, Applejack whinnied and charged at Jason. Jason’s expression became completely confused, but before he could react, Applejack had bucked at his chest, sending him flying. Everyone winced at the sound of broken bones. He slammed into the ground, coughing up blood as he looked at Applejack with an expression of hurt and confusion. “What…why?” he asked through painful gasps.

“Git off mah farm, yah freak of nature!” she shouted, “Git goin’, or ah’ll sic Winona on ya!”

“Please, I just want a job-” Jason started, but Applejack wasn’t hearing of it.

“Ah said git!” She walked towards Jason in a threatening manner.

With a terrified look on his face, Jason fled. Once more the scene shifted. He was cradling his broken rips, coughing up blood and trudging along. Any pony he tried to ask for help gave him a wide berth. Finally, he reached a familiar looking treehouse. He walked up and knocked on the door. “Fluttershy, are you in there? I need help…please…”

“Oh my, you need help? I’m coming,” said the kindly sounding voice of the pegasus. Jason looked relieved to hear that, but the moment that the door opened and Fluttershy got a first look at the human, her eyes went wide and she completely passed out.

Upon seeing their caretaker’s reaction to Jason, the animals in the house behind her all turned and glared at Jason, who backed away slowly. “I didn’t mean to scare her that bad,” he said in a disarming voice, “I just wanted help. Please!”

A familiar small bunny launched himself at Jason, biting at his face with a ferocity Gregory hadn’t known was possible. Jason yelped and dislodged the bunny, running away and heading towards Ponyville. The scene shifted once more. Jason was now heading towards Rarity’s boutique, the ponies in town still giving him a wide berth. Slowly, painfully, he reached the door and walked inside. There wasn’t anypony there, so Jason called out in a hoarse voice as he clutched his chest, “Hello? Is anyone here?”

“Coming, darling!” Rarity’s voice called from a different room. She opened the door, eyes closed and a smile on her face as she said, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifi-” and that was when she stopped. She opened her eyes and took in Jason’s appearance. Her eyes continued to widen in alarm.

Jason, seeming to misinterpret this as a good sign, spoke. “Can you please help me? I need a job.”

“Get out of my boutique,” Rarity growled, ears flattened and her previous friendly attitude gone.

Looking stunned by this, Jason raised his hands. “Please, all I want is a job! You can put me to work where nobody will see me, but I just need some bits to survive!”

“You think I would employ a filthy disgusting monkey like you!?” Rarity shouted as she used her magic to pick up a nearby pair of scissors. She aimed them threateningly at Jason. “I said to get out! I will not have such a boorish, lanky creature in my shop and around my Sweetie Belle!”

“Please, Rarity, I just need some work!” Jason was on his knees pleading now.

“I said to get out!” she shouted, bringing the scissors closer to Jason.

Seeming to realize it was a futile effort, Jason quickly got to his feet and fled the boutique. The scene shifted once again, and this time a tired Jason was looking around Ponyville. Every so often he brought a hand to his lips and was calling out Pinkie’s name. There was a look of pain and despair in his voice. The scene rotated to show said pink pony. She was watching Jason with wide eyed fear. Her tail was twitching, something Gregory recognized as her Pinkie Sense.

Just then, a small cloud began passing over Jason. Gregory saw a brief glimpse of a rainbow tail twitching. A bolt of lightning reached out and struck mere inches away from Jason, who screamed in terror as he was flung off of his feet, landing on his back a few feet away. He looked up and saw Rainbow Dash grinning down at him. “Hah! Gotcha, you freak!”

Jason had a look on his face like he had been betrayed. “Why…?” he asked.

Rainbow’s grin darkened. “Next time, I won’t miss,” she said with glee.

Jason immediately turned and got on his feet as fast as he could. Another bolt of lightning hit the ground, followed by a laugh. A piece of garbage flew after the fleeing Jason as he ran into the Everfree Forest.

“And that was just his first day,” Gwendolyn said as the scene shifted again. Gregory watched in stunned silence as more scenes played out before him. Flash mobs of ponies beating him and throwing stones and garbage at him, Rainbow striking him with lighting at one point, getting bucked in the chest another time by Applejack, being blasted by magic by Lyra Heartstrings of all ponies, him starving and avoiding timberwolves and other Everfree monsters, and then his suicide attempt.

Jason was sitting on the branch of a dying tree at the edge of the Everfree Forest next to Sweet Apple Acres. He was looking at the town past the mangled branches. A look of despair was on his face as he slowly put a noose over his neck. Gregory watched, stunned, as he closed his eyes and began falling off of the tree. However, a rope caught him before he could fall completely. Jason opened his eyes to see Applejack, the other end of the rope in her mouth. She looked at him with shock and confusion as she asked one word. “…Why?”

A look of anger passed over Jason’s face as he looked at her. “Applejack, you want to know why? You've kicked me off your farm, sometimes literally. The ponies in town treat me like a monster, treat me with fear and hatred. I live in a cave, eat out of the trash, bathe in the lake. None of you gave me a chance. So, I'm going to teach you all a lesson.”

Quickly, he slipped the rope off of him, not giving Applejack a chance to speak. He continued to fall, and the rope went taut. His eyes bulged wide as his neck didn’t snap. Instead, he struggled a bit. Applejack quickly broke from her reverie, running over to the tree and bucking at it furiously. This caused the branch on which Jason was hanging to snap, making him fall to the ground, gasping for breath.

Applejack slowly and hesitantly walked over to Jason, a look of trepidation on her face. “Hey, are yah alright?” she asked as she came closer.

Jason’s expression turned to fury as he sat up, removed the rope from his neck and tossed it away. He then launched a fist at Applejack, catching her square in the snout. She stumbled back, blood beginning to flow from her nose as Jason clambered to his feet and ran past her into the Everfree.

Once Applejack recovered, she turned and caught a glimpse of Jason in the woods. “Come back! Wait please!” Applejack shouted as she galloped after Jason. “Ah ain’t mad ‘bout the rope, honest!” she called out as she continued chasing the strange bipedal creature. Broken branches swayed slightly, indicating something had struck them recently. She caught a glimpse of the creature through the trees, only now he was farther away. “Please come back!” she shouted again.

Tripping over a branch, she tumbled over and hit the ground hard, faceplanting into the dirt She groaned as she got up as quickly as she could and continued running after him. “Wait fer me! Ah can git ya some vittles! Would ya like that? Please come baaack!”

She hit another root and fell, hard this time. That seemed to cause her to black out. The scene briefly shifted to show Applejack lying in a soft comfortable bed. Her mane was a mess and her hat was hanging on a nail next to the bed. Fluttershy was sitting on a stool next to the bed, looking with worry at Applejack as the earth pony stirred and opened her eyes. “You’re finally awake,” she said with relief.

Applejack groaned as she sat up, or tried to. “Nnng…what…?”

Fluttershy pushed her down gently. “No, you need to rest,” she said. “You hurt your head pretty bad. I didn’t want to take you to the hospital before I was sure you were alright.”

Applejack reached up and touched her head wincing as she did so. “What happened?” she asked.

“That’s what I was going to ask you,” Fluttershy said. “A few of my animal friends found you unconscious in the Everfree Forest. What in the Maker’s name were you thinking going in there alone?”

“Ah was-” Applejack stopped, then tilted her head. She frowned, as if trying to remember something. “Ah…Ah don’t remember, now,” she said.

“Oh dear, I was afraid of that,” Fluttershy said worriedly. “You did hit your head pretty hard. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Ah was headin’ tah the barn tah get mah rope,” Applejack explained, “then ah saw it was gone. Everythin’ is a bit fuzzy after that. How long was ah out?”

“Only a couple of hours since you got here,” Fluttershy said. “Harry found this near where you collapsed.” She handed Applejack the two ropes. “This was all he could find. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack said as she took the rope and looked at them as if trying to remember. “Well, ah guess if it’s anythin’ important, ah’ll remember.”

The scene shifted again, and for the next few hours, Gregory watched the events of the invasion of Canterlot and the utter destruction of Ponyville. Jason had horrific scars all around him in these recollections. There was a large scar that ran down one of his eyes which was a milky white. He had a terrible scar from a lightning bolt that stretched across his chest. There were also larger scars that matched a hoofprint.

He watched with shock as the enraged Emperor of the changelings confronted a temporarily powerless Discord in the Canterlot dungeons. He watched the struggle for the gun, something that brought fresh worry to Gregory since firearms were as of yet an unheard of technology in this world. He hated to think that he might have to share firearm tech with the gryphons to level the playing field. And then he watched as the gun went off in the struggle, catching Discord square in the chest as he defended Fluttershy, who the gun was being aimed at during the struggle. He watched the anger melt from his face as he walked away after being yelled at by Rarity (that bitch, he thought) and semi-confronted by Celestia. He listened to Jason's terms, then watched him leave the prison cells, leaving a teary eyed Celestia behind, showing that she was reaching out to him, but in the end she lowered her hoof, a look of despair and hopelessness on her face as the cries of the Mane Six from below echoed through the replay.

“I’ve seen enough,” Gregory said tiredly, looking away.

Gwendolyn slowly removed her claw from the orb. The scene above vanished and the orb returned to its normal state. Slowly, she turned back to him. “That’s all I’ve been able to see since I began trying to use it.” She looked up at Gregory with an apologetic look in her eyes. “I’m sorry I had to show you everything there.”

Gregory slowly shook his head. “No, it’s alright…” Looking back at the orb, he walked up and put his hand on it. It was cool and smooth to the touch. “Can I…pick it up?”

“Go ahead,” Gwendolyn said.

He did so, slowly lifting the orb in his hands and looking it over. There wasn’t a single blemish on it from what he could see. Placing it back on its pedestal, he took out his phone, turned on the light and got a better look at it. Even in the bright phone’s light, there was nothing there but the milky white surface.

Finally, he put his phone away, turned back to Gwendolyn, and looked at her carefully. “Who are you, Gwendolyn?” he asked. “And what are you?”

She smiled, then turned and gestured to the room around her. “Me? I am the only remaining Imperial Mage of the Gryphonian Empire.”

11: Many Meetings

Monday, December 6, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

The first snowfall of the season fell only three days after Amira and Silica moved into Gregory’s new home. By that time, there had been a sturdily built garage built next to Gregory’s house for his truck and camper. The walls were made of strong stone brought down from the mountains by Silica and other gryphons and the roof was made of strong wooden planks placed down with straw placed on top of them, much like other houses in Gryphonstone. Like most other first snows of the season, this one was light by Gryphonia standards and only about six inches fell, covering the city and the valley floor with a good covering of snow.

Gregory’s new houseguests had no issues with the two delegates from the other two nations staying there, although a couple of them had to ask Silica to keep her human obsession to a minimum. That had stung the dragoness, but she promised that she wasn’t just there to learn about humans but to do her duty as the Dragon Land’s representative. And in the week and a half that followed, she had.

She and Amira had joined in on many Convocation meetings, and while most had to do with more domestic affairs, the two newcomers brought forth ideas that none of the others seemed to think about. One of them coming from Silica herself who had, on her second day living in Gregory’s place, gone to a nearby mountain cave and discovered a vast underwater lake. She suggested that the gryphons could dig a cave entrance near this lake to provide cleaner water to the city as the lake was being refilled by snowmelt that seemed to be filtered. Digging had commenced immediately, and was scheduled to be finished by the beginning of the next year.

Amira also suggested that certain sections of the city which were currently uninhabited be repurposed. She referred to three separate branches of Gryphonstone which were in utter ruin and had been abandoned. She knew of rejuvenation spells that could heal the branches, but also suggested that they also ask the zebra shamaness Zecora if she knew of some other means to heal the town branches. Gregory himself was flown down to Gryphonville with Silica carrying him this time. The light aquamarine dragon was strong despite her size, and it seemed like she could carry him easier than a gryphon could.

As it turned out, Zecora did have a means of rejuvenating a plant, but she wasn’t entirely sure it would work on the dying Gryphonstone branches. Still, it was worth a shot, she said in her rhyming way.

Long story short, combining the magic of the three unicorns who were using élanite to boost their magic and the potions that Zecora had brewed worked better than anyone had hoped. A large crowd had watched as three branches were surrounded by the misty glow of the magic of the three mares along with a swirling cloud of dark green. In only a half hour, all three branches of the city were restored to their former glory. The buildings still needed to be demolished and rebuilt, but that was a job for the upcoming spring.

As for the two Convocation members who were now currently living and working in two separate countries, the Saddle Arabians had provided both of them with a rare magical item. In short, at each empty seat at the Convocation’s missing members was placed a clay bowl full of water from a certain spring in Saddle Arabia. The spring’s water had a rare magical property in it that could, with the right crystal placed in the water, project magical three-dimensional images from a matching clay bowl of water a far distance away. To Gregory, their images looked like transparent holograms that were seated in the chairs despite being hundreds of miles away.

During the first full week that Amira and Silica became involved in the Convocation’s meetings, they started out by discussing a topic that had been mentioned earlier, the invitation of the Crystal Empire to the negotiating table. During that meeting, it had actually been Geoffrey who had broached the subject.

“I have met with the Empress a few times,” Geoffrey was saying, “and she is not known as the Princess of Love to the Equestrians for nothing. I agree with what Gregory said last week in that it wouldn’t hurt to invite them to join in on the current treaty we are forging.”

Grandpa Gruff scowled at this. “Yer forgettin’ that she was once an Equestrian,” he spat. “What’s to say she won’t do somethin’ against us?”

“You’re forgetting something too,” Gwendolyn said as she turned to Grandpa Gruff. “She and her country cut ties with Equestria after the latter established the ban a few months ago.”

“Saddle Arabia did as well,” Amira said.

“Pretty sure the Dragon Lord did too,” Silica said, “although I don’t know what was being traded between us and them.”

“Very well,” Geoffrey said. “I believe we can put this to a vote. All in favor of sending a missive to the Crystal Empire to invite them here?” He, Gwendolyn, Georgia, Gael, Ginna, and Gregory all raised their arms. Amira and Silica, not being members of the Convocation, had no say in certain affairs, including this one. “All opposed.” Grandpa Gruff didn’t raise his claws. “Any abstaining?” Grandpa raised his claw.

“I see yer points,” Grandpa said by means of explanation, “but I don’t know if I can agree or disagree. We need teh meet with whoever they send.”

“Then it’s settled,” Geoffrey said. As ambassador to other nations, many in the Convocation looked to him as an unofficial leader despite their being no elected Chancellor, a rank that would make them the leader and main representative of the Convocation. It was in the booklet Gregory had read, but nobody had been elected to that position yet. “We will work on a letter to the Crystal Empress at a later time.”

“Meaning me,” Gwendolyn muttered under her breath.

Gregory, who had heard that, turned to her. “Well, you are this Convocation’s secretary and mage,” he said. “You’re the best when it comes to writing letters. I still have the one you sent me the day you invited me to join.”

Gwendolyn shot him a glare, then her features softened. She had revealed her title to the Convocation earlier, which did include the temporary other members Amira and Silica. “Would some of you help me, then? I’m not sure what we should add.”

“We can discuss that at the end of the meeting,” Geoffrey said. “Now then, what is the next topic?”

Thursday, December 9, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Another topic that was brought up in a subsequent meeting a few days later was the status of a few of the newcomers, especially the three ponies who were now living with Gregory along with Zecora and Ladybug. It was Silica who brought it up mostly out of curiosity, but it grew into a discussion.

“I think they should be rewarded fer there actions,” Grandpa Gruff said without a hint of hesitation.

“Agreed,” Geoffrey nodded, “but with what? What could they want that we could give them?”

“Why not give them citizenship, like you gave me?” Gregory suggested.

Gwendolyn’s eyes brightened. “That is a great idea!” she exclaimed.

“Would you like me to go and get them now?” Georgia, who had moved to Gryphonville with her family, asked.

“Well, let’s discuss other things we could give to them as a thank you for all they’ve done,” Gregory said. “It’s possible that they might view citizenship as something of a bribe to keep them here. We don’t want them thinking that.”

Everyone thought a bit about it, and one answer came from Silica. “Hey, um, far be it from me to stick my nose in the business of domestic affairs,” she said, “but what if you did something not just for them personally, but for others like them?”

“What do you mean?” Geoffrey asked.

“Well, the three ponies I live with left because they were misfits in their old nation,” Silica said. “Perhaps Zecora and Ladybug left Equestria for the same reason?”

That made everyone pause and look at each other, each deep in thought on the matter. Gregory leaned back, thinking. That could very well be a good idea, but he foresaw one problem. “I’m not opposed to the idea,” he said, “but we’re currently incapable of accepting many refugees from other nations into our own. We’re barely a nation as it is.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t do it in the future,” Gael said from his magical hologram. “Think of all the good that not only we can do by offering other creatures a better life here, but what these creatures may be able to do in helping build whatever nation we build.”

“A multispecies nation,” Gregory said. “A true multispecies nation. I like that idea a lot.”

“Having that many different species living among gryphons will be risky,” Geoffrey cautioned.

“Of course it will,” Gregory agreed, looking at his fellow Convocation member. “There are many races in this world, and they each have differing beliefs and ways of life. Where I came from, humans were the only race who could speak and reason like the races here. We were separated by nation, language, creed, and belief systems. In my old home nation, we strove to be accepting of all sorts of humans from many different nations. My old nation was called the melting pot because humans of various nations, languages, creeds, and belief systems came to my nation to have a better life. America was known as the land of opportunity. What if we did the same here?” He looked at the others. “When we begin to create a new nation, what if we open our borders not to just gryphons, but to other races as well? It could very well be good for us.”

“And it could be dangerous,” Geoffrey repeated, “but it is worth discussing.”

“Agreed,” Gwendolyn said.

“But back to the topic at claw,” Georgia said, “I still think that we should give those five the gift of citizenship. And perhaps even some talons as a thank you.”

“The ponies might accept that,” Gregory said, “but I feel like Zecora wouldn’t. What if instead we offer her something else? Say…perhaps we give her a piece of land where she can grow some of her herbs and medicinal plants so that she doesn’t have to go into the Evertide as often? And if she needs help with the plot of land, we find and hire a gryphon or two to help her tend to it.”

“That…is a great idea,” Georgia said. “Should I go down and speak with her about it?”

“Bring me along too,” Gregory said, “I’d like to be there to tell her with you.”

Tuesday, December 14, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

All five equines accepted the gifts that were given to them gratefully, although Zecora asked to be granted dual citizenship, keeping her Farasi citizenship while also being granted Gryphonian citizenship. She was also nearly speechless at being given a plot of land where she could grow her own medicinal herbs instead of having to go into the Evertide. As he predicted, she didn’t accept any monetary compensation, but instead asked that it go to the town reconstruction fund, which the Convocation gladly obliged.

Another topic that was less serious that was discussed was the upcoming Blue Moon Festival. When Gregory asked what it celebrated, he learned that it commemorated the day when King Grover first showed the Idol of Boreas to Gryphonstone. The name Blue Moon Festival had come from the fact that on the day the revelation of the new artifact took place there was not only a full moon but the moon had a blue hue to it during a lunar eclipse that same night. Everyone in Gryphonia knew the date: December 25th, Year 1 of the Gryphon Calendar which translated to 257 B.L., or Before Luna. When Gregory did the math later that day, he figured out that the corresponding year on Earth would have been 763 C.E. He’d already figured out that the start of the Equestrian Calendar corresponded to the Earth year 1020 C.E.

The city of Gryphonstone along with the town of Gryphonville were already decked out with their own versions of holiday décor. Most was silver and blue, but Gregory did see other colors mixed in, like green, red and white. He had decked his own living room with Christmas decorations he had brought from Earth, including an artificial Christmas tree he’d brought with him along with decorations.

The Convocation wanted to have a big festival for the big holiday, but as there wasn’t enough time to plan something. Instead, what they planned on doing was having the horns of the city blow for the first time in centuries. Not only that, but they would declare that the holiday would not just be treated as an evening holiday, but as a daylong holiday, meaning businesses could close down. Of course, they didn’t think that any of the taverns would be closing.

During that same meeting, Georgia, who had not shown up at the beginning of the meeting strangely enough, came barging in with some news that shocked the Convocation. A refugee group of twenty-seven ponies, nineteen adults and eight foals, had arrived in Gryphonville because of an economic depression in Equestria. Many of them had lost their jobs and were searching elsewhere for work. Thankfully, Zecora and Ladybug had helped to grow a few houseoaks as homes for gryphon refugees from the Badlands colony in a field next to the town. In anticipation of any further refugees, the two planned on growing a few more houseoaks before the winter storms really began.

This led to a debate on how to deal with the newcomers. Gael suggested again that they could be helpful in restoring Gryphonia, but Gregory immediately added that they not be treated as simple labor but as actual citizens of whatever government they establish. That led the Convocation down a rabbit hole of what kind of government system they should establish, as there was currently not much out there in form of a nation.

This led to a heated between members on the type of nation they wanted. Even Geoffrey couldn’t hold back the arguments. Finally, Gregory stood and threw his fist down onto the table, causing everyone to stop and stare at him.

“Listen to me, everybody,” he began with a stern expression as he stepped out from behind his chair and began walking around the table, looking at each and every member as he did so. “We’re getting so caught up in what kind of nation we want that we’re missing the point!” He paused, then looked at each and every one of them before continuing in a softer but still firm tone. “Whatever our nation becomes in the end, it needs to focus first and foremost on the needs of the people who live here, whether that be gryphon, dragon, pony, or any other race on Gaia. That is our primary objective as the Convocation. We need to think of their wellbeing and safety above all else. Everything else we think of comes straight from that. We need to let their voices be heard as well. If we screw up and do something that goes against what the people want, they will and should rise up in rebellion.”

“Should?” Silica asked with confusion.

Gregory nodded and resumed walking around the table. “My old homeland started out as a number of colonies of a vast empire. To simplify my old homeland’s history, that empire began to treat the colonies as nothing more than free wealth for their homeland. They began mistreating the colonies and taxed them without any representation in the government. That was the start of a war for independence for the colonies. If we want to bring about the creation of a new nation, we must consider what the people want. We also must tread carefully when making any laws in regards to the inherent freedoms of every citizen. If we step on the inalienable rights of citizens, again, they will inevitably rise up and topple us.”

He paused at his chair and gripped the back of it. “Gryphonia, from my understanding, was once a proud empire, full of greatness and might. Depending on what we do here, it might make or break a new nation we form here in these halls. We must tread carefully as we move forward into this new era of Gryphonia. Do we want an Empire with the power in the claws of one individual or do we want to keep that power slightly less centralized, like the Convocation we have currently?”

He felt a surge of pride rising up in him, but wasn’t sure where it came from. “As a nation, we must also learn that with time will come change. Right now, we are a broken civilization, but in the upcoming months and years as we rebuild, there will come new challenges and new changes we must adapt to. Our people are our top priority. They should be well fed, well protected from the elements, be paid fairly for their work, not be too heavily taxed, and most importantly, be heard.”

He turned back to the still broken throne of the last king of the Empire. Pointing up, he said, “That throne there should not represent who we are as a new nation. We must not look down upon the citizens. We must harmonize with them. We must show them that we truly do care. And we must care.” He turned and pointed in the general direction of the city. “When I first arrived, I saw the state of this city. It was and is still currently a mess. Less so now than it was then, but it will take months, perhaps even years, to restore it. Even with the help of the shamaness and the creation of new houseoak trees, our city will not be restored to its former glory for a while. Winter is coming, so we cannot do much work on the city itself. That gives us, as the Convocation, time to create a new system of government for our people.”

“Are you suggesting we use the winter to come up with a new form of government instead of using the old Empire as the basis?” Geoffrey asked.

“I’m saying we come up with a government that will benefit the present-day citizens of this continent,” Gregory added, “if, of course, they want to be a part of it. The continent has no government currently, and if not all the continent wants to fall under our governance, we must respect their autonomy. We do not want to be seen as an invading force, not that we have any standing army anyway. We give other cities and towns out there a fair choice, and even before that we must listen to what they want and attempt to accommodate their needs as best as we can.”

“And where do we draw the line?” Geoffrey asked, leaning forward and giving Gregory a stern gaze. “We must be a strong government if we are going to survive.”

“Agreed,” Gregory nodded. “We can’t be doormats when it comes to governing and caring for our people.” For the first time during his speech, he smiled as he sat back down. “This is my new home, and I’m proud to call it so. I want it to be one where everyone can feel the pride you all feel today!”

He brought his fist down onto the table, and two things happened at once. The gem on the Idol brightened and a bright wave of what everyone could only assume was magic erupted from it. It went through the walls of the former throne room and they later learned that everyone in Gryphonia saw the flash.

The second thing was that the simple gold ring on the table, which, along with the sash and crown, had been unable to be moved by anyone, flew up into the air and headed towards Gregory, who instinctively reached up and caught it, putting it back down in its place without even thinking about it at first. There was silence at first as everyone looked at the ring on the table. Soon, it dawned on Gregory what had just happened.

Geoffrey was the first to move, flying up out of his chair and moving over to the ring, which he reached down for, but just as it had before, the ring didn’t move. Silica tried next, but nothing. Then, everyone looked to Gregory. Unsure of what to do, but feeling somewhat compelled to pick it up, he reached down, and with ease he picked up the ring, examining it. It was nothing special, just a simple gold band. It partly reminded him of how the One Ring looked in the Lord of the Rings movies. It was unblemished and felt like it was well forged. He placed it in the palm of his hand, moving it up and down to feel the weight. It was solid. He reverently placed it back down in its place.

“The Chancellor’s Ring…” Gwendolyn said in an almost reverent tone.

“Chancellor?” Amira asked curiously.

All eyes were on Gwendolyn now. Ever since she had revealed herself as an Imperial Mage, everyone had begun looking at her as much more than just the secretary, but also as a historian as she had studied plenty of old texts. She cleared her throat and began explaining what the Chancellor did in the past. “The Chancellor acted much like a regent would. There was an Imperial Council, and the Chancellor was the head of it. He bore the ring as a symbol of his station. The last Chancellor of the Council was Chancellor Gabriel. He tried to keep the Empire together in the absence of the Emperor and his family when they left, but he sadly failed, and when he did, he took off the ring and put it there, retreating to Egrypt in shame and disgrace.”

There was silence in the room once more. A few moments later, Grandpa Gruff leaned forward. “Welp, guess that means yer our new Chancellor, Mr. Graystone.”

Gergory’s eyes shot open wide and he raised his hands defensively. “Whoa there, hang on just a moment,” he said quickly, “there’s no way I can be a Chancellor.”

“We won’t force that decision on you, Gregory,” Geoffrey quickly said, shooting Grandpa Gruff a look before turning back to him, “but would you at least think about it?”

“You can take as much time as you want,” Gwendolyn said, then gestured to Amira. “You can even speak to others in positions of power and get their advice.”

“I will gladly give advice to you,” Amira agreed, giving Gregory a reassuring smile before putting a gentle wing around him. “We are allies now, and I look forward to the future where our alliance can be strengthened.”

“Hey, maybe I can contact Dragon Lord Ember and you can talk to her,” Silica said. “I think you impressed her when she visited.”

“This is a topic we can discuss a bit more privately at another time,” Geoffrey said, then immediately looked at Amira and Silica. “No offense to you, but this is more of an internal affair.”

“No, that’s understandable,” Amira quickly replied.

“Sure, I’m cool with that,” Silica said.

He looked at the group, then gave a small nod. “For the time being, I’m saying no, mostly because this is sudden. But back to the matter at hand. This winter, we should focus on what sort of nation we want to form. We could send out surveys that ask the people what they want their government to do, and we will read them all as best as we can. We can compare notes on what made other nations successful, either here or back where I’m from. What do you all think?”

Tuesday, December 14, 1007 A.L., Changeling Hive

“The Emperor wants us to WHAT?!” Nictis seethed after he read the orders that had been given to him by a messenger from the main hive. Beside him, his wife and second in command Elytra looked equally as pissed as her husband was. He threw the message down on the ground and stood. “How the fuck will pulling our teams back from the other nations help us?!”

“I understand your frustration, dear,” Elytra said as she walked over and put a wing over his back gently, “but the Emperor has been acting a bit unusually lately. How long did you wait to see him before you came back home?”

Nictis sat down at the small kitchen table and groaned, covering his face with his hooves. “Too long,” he said. “I even tried sneaking into his chambers, but his personal guards caught me and told me that he was receiving no visitors.”

Elytra nodded in understanding. Nictis could feel her own frustrations, and he found it comforting that some of it was for his sake. She walked over to him and nuzzled his cheek gently. “I know, love. I know. But he is our Emperor. We swore loyalty to him years ago.”

He sighed. “Yes, but I…considered him a friend for those years I served beside him during the rebellion. I just want to know why we’re pulling our spy network back to minimum. Especially in Equestria and Gryphonia! Things are happening in those countries that we need to know!”

He felt, rather than heard, her shift form. Turning, he saw that she had a female humanoid form. She put her new hand on his shoulders and began to massage them. Human hands, the changelings had learned, were very efficient and useful in certain areas. Massages were definitely one of them. He felt the tension ease from his shoulders as he, too, shifted into a humanlike form, making it easier for her to massage him. Putting his head in his hands, he felt the love she had for him only escalate. “What do you plan on doing, dear husband?” she asked.

Nictis bit his lower lip and slowly sat back up. “I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “These past months ever since the Emperor retreated, he has retreated himself.” He pushed his chair back and pulled Elytra into his lap, where she immediately pulled his head to her breast, stroking his head gently. “Something’s wrong.”

“Agreed,” Elytra said, leaning down to kiss his head lovingly. “But it’s getting late. You need to get your mind off of this for tonight.”

His breath caught in his throat when he felt his wife give his pointed ear a nibble. He could feel the desire for him radiating off of her. He turned and saw that she had retreated to their bed and had laid on her back, legs spread and arms outstretched. His desire for her came springing forth from him, and he stood. The blood from his head rushed somewhere else, and he bent his knees. He pounced.

Three hours later, the two were back in their original forms, lying next to each other as they held each other close. Lovemaking in other forms had its pleasures, and a humanlike form led to some unique and fun experiences, but lovemaking in the natural form was pure and exquisite. Elytra leaned forward and nuzzled Nictis’ nose with her own. “You feel less stressed,” she said.

He gave her a tender smile, then a kiss. “You know just how to help calm my nerves,” he replied gratefully. “I think I will sleep well tonight.”

“It’s been too long since you and I have shared a bed,” she said. Nictis felt the guilt rising up, and he was about to speak when Elytra reached over and put a hoof over his muzzle. “Don’t apologize, dear husband. It’s our job and duty, and we both knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this assignment.”

“Still, we both deserve a break,” Nictis said. “Maybe…maybe this order from the Emperor is a blessing in disguise for us. Maybe we can spend more time together. Perhaps even try for some nymphs of our own?”

The smile that crossed Elytra’s face lit up the room. “Do you mean it?” she asked, some hope in her voice.

“We’ve put it off for far too long,” Nictis said. “I want to start a family with you.”

She smiled wide and locked lips with him happily. He kissed her back and they both were about to engage in some more lovemaking when there was a knock at the door. Breaking apart, Elytra looked at the door with annoyance. “Who could that be at this time of night?” she asked.

“Let’s just ignore it,” Nictis whispered.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t ignore it because there was a harder knock at the door. “General Nictis, are you there?” a female voice called. “This is urgent.”

Nictis groaned and sat up. “Shit,” he growled as he stood and stretched, “of course we get interrupted.” He walked over and threw the door open, seeing that the changeling in front of him was one of his subordinates. “This had better be important,” he said with a growl.

To her credit, the changeling didn’t flinch. “We just received word that another burst of magic has come from Gryphonia,” she said.

That caught his attention. Back in September, they had recorded a strange magical burst that had been detected. It was like a burst of overwhelming emotions had passed over them. From other reports, gryphons had actually seen a light that other races couldn’t see, but the changelings could feel the emotion behind the blast. “When is it going to arrive-?”

The question was answered when he felt it. A surge of magic just like before washed over him, only this one felt different. It felt so much stronger than before. He stumbled forward, feeling full for the first time in a while. It was almost intoxicating too. He felt his mind go blank for a brief few seconds before he came back to his senses. The love that was taken from Equestria was still being rationed, so noling felt really full, but at least they had some respite from starving. Still, this was a feeling he hadn’t felt even from the first wave of magic. He turned on the changeling. “Do we know where it came from?”

“We only have a few agents in Gryphonia,” she said. “They haven’t managed to locate the source yet.”

“And what about here?” Elytra asked, stepping forward. “Was someling waiting for what just happened?”

The changeling drone nodded. “We had our best waiting, but…” she trailed off.

“Right,” Nictis said, “with the amount we just felt, they may have trouble finding its location.”

“Let’s go, dear husband,” Elytra said, already wearing the cloaks that their division wore. It bore her name and rank on it in hidden letters that only other changelings could see. “We need to investigate this.”

Nictis swiftly put his own cloak on, then looked at the cloak of the changeling before him. “Agent Tibia, go back and find out if they’ve discovered the source.”

“Yes, General,” she said with a salute before she turned and flew away fast, her wings buzzing quietly behind her unlike other changelings.

“What do you think this could mean, dear husband?” Elytra asked as they walked swiftly down the empty and ancient streets of the city where they made their base.

“Perhaps…it could mean some hope for our kind,” Nictis said. “Whatever this source of magic is, we need to find it, and soon. We don’t have a lot of time left before our reserve love runs out.”

Chrysalis was fast asleep in her chambers some time later when she shot up out of bed, eyes wide in alarm. She felt full, fuller than she had in a very long time. Quickly, she jumped out of her bed and walked out, heading towards the bedchambers that belonged to the Emperor himself. Everywhere, she could hear the sounds of confusion as the changelings that were awake felt the sudden amount of emotion filling them up.

She reached the chambers and knocked. “Jason? Are you awake?”

From inside, she heard a voice speaking, but it wasn’t Jason’s. She growled as she recognized the voice as Nictis, that meddling general. Not waiting for an invitation, she burst in and saw a hooded figure standing in front of the communication stones. Projected overhead was the infuriating image of Nictis. “…urge you to please reconsider recalling our agents from Gryphonia,” Nictis was saying. “This new source of magic could very well help the changelings! I think we should send more agents to Gryphonia. Our best trackers couldn’t find the source of that second blast because they were overwhelmed by its power.”

Chrysalis heard Jason clearing his throat. “You make a good point, but the more agents we send, the bigger chance there is of them being caught.”

“Then we send a manageable amount,” Nictis replied quickly. “We need to find this source of magic and bring it here!”

“I will have orders for you in the morning,” Jason replied. “For now, try and determine the source of the magic. The number of changelings I authorize you to send will depend on your results.”

Nictis bowed, putting a hoof to his chest. “It will be done, my Emperor,” he said before the stones darkened and the projection winked out.

Chrysalis stood silently as Jason slowly walked to the window that looked out at the Badlands. The moon was full and shone its silvery light in through the window which looked east. Tentatively, she took a step forward. “Jason?”

He slowly turned, and even though his face was hidden behind a hood, she could feel the anger in those eyes of his directed at her. “You’ve been keeping things from me,” he said slowly. “Nictis was here last month and you kept him from seeing me.” He took a step forward, his footsteps heavy and threatening.

Chrysalis gulped and stepped back. “I-I didn’t want to bother you with things that the Swarm could-”

“Are you trying to rebel against me?” Jason seethed. “Remember, you became my subordinate by right of conquest. I will not have you undermining my authority.” He held up a familiar folder and slammed it onto the table, revealing the report that Nictis had provided for the Emperor the previous month. “Why wasn’t I notified of this Convocation being formed?” he asked.

Chrysalis glared at the report but then turned to Jason. “M-My Emperor, this isn’t the first time that the gryphons have tried to restore their empire by creating a council,” she said. “They’ve done it several times in the past and each time ended in failure because gryphons are greedy, money grubbing-”

“That’s no excuse to not give me a report that the general thought I should personally see,” Jason interrupted her. “I don’t care that you dislike him because he was on my side during our civil war. We are all one empire now. One united hive. There is no us or them in our ranks, there is only us. That’s the same kind of attitude that affected me, and I won’t let it affect anyone here!”

Chrysalis stumbled back, her heart sinking. She hated being yelled at by Jason, because it hurt her heart. Still, she couldn’t help but feel anger towards Nictis. “I…I will try-”

“Do it,” he ordered. “There is no try.” He turned away and looked back out at the Badlands. “I take it you came here about some magical blast that has you full?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“That was what Nictis had to report too,” he said. “Thank you for your diligence.” He used the word like a weapon. “You may go, now.”

She quickly retreated and made her way back to her room. She was angry, but she put her feelings aside. She had to have a one on one talk with Nictis, and it needed to be soon.

12: Holidays

Saturday, December 25, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

“Don’t be so stiff, Mr. Bearer,” a gryphon clothing expert named Garter was saying as he once more adjusted the now official formal clothing that he had presented to the Convocation a few days ago. “I measured you thrice, so I know this will fit comfortably.”

Gregory gave the older gryphon male a nervous smile. Just like the other six members of the Convocation, he wore a finely tailored suit of dark brown with a black tie on the collar and a white cloak with golden fringe and a bright yellow hood. The cloak was fastened with a gold and silver-plated broach in the shape of the foreword facing head of a bald eagle. At his side, strapped to his belt, was the sword that Silica had given to him. It was more for the ceremony than anything else. “I’m not stiff because of the clothes,” he said, “I’m nervous about today’s speech. I’ve never been too good at public speaking.”

“Balderdash,” Geoffrey, who was adjusting his own clothing in front of a nearby mirror, said as he turned to Gregory. “We’re all going to be speaking today, and besides, you’ve given pretty good speeches before!”

“Not in front of entire crowds,” Gregory reminded him.

“You’ll be fine,” Silica said as she adjusted her own new clothing. Unlike the furs she had worn during her first few days here, she now wore clothes crafted by Garter. They weren’t Convocation clothes, of course. Instead, she as now wearing a black dress based off of some images she’d seen in some of Gregory’s clothing books that he’d originally bought for Rarity. Around her neck, she wore a lovely white silk scarf around her neck. She turned to him, smiling warmly as she said, “I’ve heard you practicing over and over again even from downstairs. You’ve got this in the bag.”

“We both did,” Amira replied with a chuckle of her own. She wore what she called formal Saddle Arabian clothes although since it was cold outside, she did wear some warmer garments as well that complimented the clothes she brought from her homeland. Unlike Equestrians, Saddle Arabians did in fact wear some semblance of clothes, all made to keep them cool from the hot sun.

Gregory felt his cheeks redden. “I didn’t think anyone heard me,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Your voice is kind of hard to miss, dweeb,” Gilda said from another area of the room where she and the rest of his houseguests were standing, each wearing clothes of their own. Gilda herself was wearing a dark blue dress with some white fringe and a light blue ribbon around her neck. “Ugh, I hate this. I feel so constricted,” she added, fluffing her wings.

“Gilda, we promised that we’d dress up nicely,” Gabby, who was wearing a dark red dress with dark green fringe and a white and blue ribbon around her neck, spoke up as she ran a claw through her plumage before turning to help Gilda with her own messy plumage. “Now just hold still and let me help make you halfway presentable.”

“Nnng…the moment this speech is over, I’m tearing this off and going to that new Green Dragon place to see what it’s all about,” Gallus, who was wearing a black suit with a tie, said as he dug one talon down into the collar in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. “I feel like I’m choking here. Why are we wearing all of this?”

“To dress nicely is only polite,” Zecora, who was wearing a light teal dress with a white scarf, replied. “To do otherwise would ruin this night.” She turned to help Ladybug with her own dress, a simple aquamarine ensemble.

“I promise,” Gregory said as Garter finished helping him with his suit, “that after this is over, we will all enjoy the rest of the evening. But all I ask is that when you do take off these clothes, treat them well. Garter here worked so long to make them, and I don’t want to see you just tearing them off like the Hulk.” He looked at Gilda with a stern glare.

The gryphon growled, but nodded. “Fine, fine, I won’t damage the clothes, but you owe me big time, mister,” she said, pointing at him.

“Fine, I owe you a slow dance or something,” Gregory teased back.

Gilda’s face went red. “Shut up, doofus,” she said, giving him the gryphon equivalent of a middle finger.

The three unicorns that were living with Gregory walked up to him. All three were wearing dresses that complimented them as well. All were identical in style but not color. Sunset wore a dark red dress with black fringe, Starlight wore a dark purple dress with teal fringe and Trixie wore a light blue dress with silver fringe. Sunset spoke first. “Um, we appreciate being honored today,” she said, and to Gregory’s surprise, she seemed nervous, “but why today? Why Hearth’s Warming?”

“First of all, here it’s known as Blue Moon Festival,” Gregory said, “and that’s partly why we wanted to do it today.”

“You three have done so much for this city already,” Geoffrey said, joining Gregory as he gave the three unicorns a grateful look. “Today is one day where gryphons have historically come together for a good meal and less aggression towards each other than normal. Not only will this be the first year in a while where I can see gryphons actually having more fun than they have in years past, but I think that seeing us honor you will help any other pony refugees to be better accepted.”

Ever since the meeting where Gregory had given that speech and made the Chancellor’s Ring move, more ponies had arrived in Gryphonville. As of the latest count, there were almost a hundred there, and the three ponies along with several other unicorns who had arrived had helped construct new houseoaks in the town to help house not only the new pony arrivals, but to help the gryphon refugees. Sunset, Starlight, and Trixie, however, had done a vast majority of the magic casting. Trixie had almost had magical burnout a week prior because she pushed herself. Afterwards, she had a minor breakdown where she admitted that part of her felt inferior to Sunset and Starlight. The two had reassured her that she was special in her own right. Gregory encouraged her to take a break and perhaps instead perform for the foal and cub immigrants to keep their minds off of being uprooted from their homes.

Trixie was a natural at entertaining them, and even some adults watched and enjoyed her shows. A few times, Starlight and Sunset acted as her assistants, and Trixie became well known throughout Gryphonville and Gryphonstone as a beloved entertainer. Gregory had seen her come home one evening a couple nights ago looking tired, but happy to the point of tears. All she ever wanted was to entertain and make creatures smile, and now she could do that. Starlight and Sunset held their friend as she wept for joy that night, and Gregory had stayed there, running a hand through her white and light blue mane to help comfort her. Even Gabby served her some tea that warmed her body and heart.

Gwendolyn, who was wearing a lovely dark pink ensemble with gold fringe and a golden broach that marked her as an Imperial Mage, spoke up as well. “They’re right, you know? You five deserve so much more than we can offer you.”

Starlight shook her head. “We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and steady work where we can earn bits-sorry, talons,” she said, giving a sheepish smile at her faux pas. “We had nothing when we came here, and now? Now we can be useful and helpful.”

“The six tenets of harmony true are shining brightly in all of you,” Zecora said.

Despite the kind words, the mood in the room darkened slightly. That same week, Gregory, Gwendolyn, Zecora and Sunset had spoken to the Convocation about the truth regarding Jason Wright and his mistreatment at the hooves of Equestrians. To say that the Convocation was angered by this would be an understatement. Amira had even uttered a Saddle Arabian curse word or three at Equestria. Gwendolyn had even displayed the scenes she had shown Gregory once more. Gregory had apologized for not saying anything about it since he knew of it for weeks. The Convocation understood his fears and forgave him.

That information lit a fire in the Convocation. It only seemed to add to Gregory’s earlier speech, and they had begun to work tirelessly on creating a new nation that would be welcoming and fair to all races and not just to gryphons who made up the majority of the continent.

Gregory, having found that working two full time jobs was too much for him, decided to cut back on his hours at the post office. His boss was a bit saddened to see him leave, but he was understanding and had even given him a small raise to help him, as Convocation pay was still low due to them wanting to watch their funding.

Gregory grabbed his overcoat and pulled it gently over his suit, making sure it looked presentable before he put on his gloves. “Almost showtime, everyone,” he said as he turned to the Eyrie. “Let’s give them such a speech that will make the festivities all the sweeter, eh?”

The gathered crowd of gryphons along with a smaller number of ponies who had recently arrived from Equestria stood at the foot of the gates of the Eyrie, looking up at the balcony which had not been used for an age. There were murmurs of curiosity as to what would be said. There were even a few dragons among the crowd, including Smolder and Garble, Silica’s half-siblings who had recently opened a new tavern/inn named Green Dragon Inn.

Gregory was behind the open doors that led to the balcony, which was covered by an impromptu set of curtains. He was once more looking over his speech that he would be giving alongside Geoffrey, Grandpa Gruff, Amira and Silica. The others were in the room with him, seated and waiting for the time when the horns of the Eyrie would be blown for the first time in centuries. Gilda and Gabby were seated on either side of him, the former looking uncomfortable in her dress while Gabby looked more nervous than anything. Gabby, Gilda, and Gallus were being honored by Gregory himself for their own work in helping to restore the city. Gabby was being honored because she started something known as the Salvation Army, a group of gryphons who accepted donated talons and spread them through the continent alongside the Convocation.

Gilda was being honored because not only had she helped to feed the workers around Gryphonstone during its initial reconstruction, but had also begun something of her own. Inspired by Gabby, although she denied it, Gilda had gathered many of the city’s own food carts to pool their resources and form an alliance where they could most effectively sell their wares to workers at a reasonable price.

Gallus was being honored because his hard work and dedication had been recognized by the Convocation, specifically Gregory. Not only that, but he had become something of a guardian of the books from the old Gryphonstone library. When he wasn’t working on construction, he was in the Eyrie, looking through and organizing books in a temporary library location until a new library could be constructed. He had even suggested the creation of a printing press, the outlines to which Gregory had brought with him from Earth.

The young gryphon was actually nearby and speaking quietly to Ladybug. Gregory had noticed that in their interactions, Gallus and Ladybug seemed to get along fairly well. He assumed it was because they were the youngest of the group and they bonded over that. Both of them were eighteen, after all, and everyone else was in their late twenties to early thirties. Gregory was watching them talk as he practiced when suddenly Ladybug froze. She held up a hoof to silence Gallus before she rushed over to the curtains. She peered through them and when she slowly pulled back, Gregory saw a look of pure terror passing over her face. She turned and galloped to Zecora, speaking in a whisper to the older mare.

Zecora’s expression changed from happy to concerned, then to comforting as she spoke to Ladybug reassuringly. The two of them then looked directly at Gregory. He paused his speech practice, slowly folded his paper, and slipped it into his pocked. He approached the two of them, looking them both in the eyes. “What is it?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”

Zecora wasn’t the one that replied. Instead, she looked down at Ladybug, who swallowed nervously and looked up at Gregory. “I…there’s someone out there that I know,” she admitted with a trembling whisper. “I can’t go out there.”

Gregory saw the fear in her eyes, and that was all he needed to see. “Then you don’t need to go out there,” he said reassuringly, putting a hand on her back comfortingly. “You can stay behind.”

She nodded gratefully, then looked back at Zecora, who simply gave her a nod of what looked like encouragement. Ladybug took a deep breath, then looked at Gregory. She had a now determined look in her eyes, but she also had a terrified expression on her face. Clearly, she was trying to build up courage to say something, but was still hesitant. Gregory just waited for her to speak, giving her a gentle smile as she looked around the room. Finally, she took a deep breath and announced in a louder voice than she normally used, “I-I need to tell everybody here something!”

Everyone turned to face Ladybug with looks of shock and confusion. Geoffrey, ever the diplomat, approached first. “Who do you need to tell?” he asked.

“Th-The Convocation and Gregory’s friends,” she said.

Geoffrey nodded, then spoke to the members of the city watch who were in the room along with Garter who was performing some last-minute changes to their clothes. “Leave the room,” he said. Once they complied, he turned back to Ladybug. “What is it you want to tell us, Miss Ladybug?”

Ladybug approached the center of the room, then looked back at Gregory. “Please promise me that you won’t arrest me?” she pleaded.

That sent off alarm bells in his head. “Did you do something against the law?” he asked.

“It’s…more what I am than what I’ve done,” she admitted.

Gregory could hear the tremble in her tone, and he looked over at Geoffrey, Grandpa Gruff, and Gwendolyn, who were the closest Convocation members to him. Georgia was also in the room, and Ginna and Gael, who had arrived from their own temporary homes in the other nations a day before for a holiday break which would last from the 25th to the beginning of the new year. Geoffrey and Gwendolyn nodded, while Grandpa Gruff looked at Ladybug. With a surprisingly soft tone, the elder gryphon said, “Now listen here, young’un,” he said, “we ain’t gonna judge yer species. Yer scared, but we ain’t gonna arrest you.”

Gregory began to suspect something immediately, so he held up a hand and walked up to Ladybug. “Before you tell us,” he said, “can I confirm something with you?” She nodded silently. He then knelt, then leaned in and whispered, “Are you really a changeling?” When she stiffened, he knew he was right. He moved away, then smiled reassuringly at her. “Now I know why you’re afraid. Is there another one out there?”

“F-Five,” she whispered, clearly on the verge of tears.

“Do you know what’s going on, Gregory?” Geoffrey asked.

“Yes,” Gregory replied, before looking down at Ladybug. “May I tell them?”

“N-No, I will,” she said, taking another deep breath before standing straighter. “Or rather…I’ll show you.”

Before anyone could say another word, she closed her eyes and whimpered as a ring of blue flames surrounded her, which surprised Gregory. It crawled up her body, revealing the pockmarked form of a young changeling. The young changeling looked around in terror at the startled looks of the creatures in the room. “M-My name’s O-Ocellus,” she whimpered, “a-and I’m a ch-changling.”

Without the other knowing about it, Gregory and Zecora walked up to stand protectively beside her. Gregory was wearing the human sword more as a matter of ceremony than anything, but he put his hand on the hilt just to be safe. Zecora spoke first. “Before you do anything foolhardy, know that she’s abandoned her family.”

Ocellus nodded immediately, and in a voice that Gregory instantly recognized, she spoke. “I didn’t want to be a part of the changeling hive anymore. I’ve seen enough destruction and death and I’m sick of it. I just wanted a place to live in peace. I don’t want to work for the Emperor anymore. He has so much hate in him it makes me and others sick.” She looked around, then got on her knees and bowed her head. “Please don’t send me away! I’ll work hard to help rebuild Gryphonia!”

There was silence for a little bit as everyone looked around at each other. A minute passed. Then, Grandpa Gruff walked forward, slowly and methodically. Gregory saw Ocellus wincing in fear as the elder gryphon knelt and reached out a claw towards Ocellus’ head. Gregory and Zecora both tensed up and Gregory even pulled his new sword out of its sheath a few inches. However, he relaxed when Gruff patted her head. “Now you listen here, young’un,” he said sternly, “you did lie to us, but you did it because you were afraid. After what we’ve heard about the changelings, the fact that yer tellin’ us the truth now says a lot about you. Yer a brave young nymph, and if Zecora here can vouch fer you, then I think we can forgive yer little lie.”

Geoffrey stepped forward, a small smile growing on his face. “Miss Ocellus, Grandpa Gruff is right. You were extremely brave to reveal yourself to us. That you lied to us is, as he said, understandable. I also commend you, Miss Zecora, for keeping this young one safe,” he added, looking at the zebra who simply bowed her head. He turned back to Ocellus. “We know about the treatment that the changeling emperor was subjected to by the ponies, and we know the story of the first invasion of Canterlot. You are more than welcome here. We will reveal your secret only when you are ready.”

She nodded, then shifted back to her Ladybug persona. There were tears in her eyes and Zecora pulled the young changeling to her chest, comforting her. To everyone’s surprise, Gallus stepped forward and walked over to the two. “Lady-I mean, Ocellus?”

She looked back at him. “Y-You don’t want to see me again, do you?” she asked.

“No way!” Gallus shook his head, surprising Ocellus. “Um, I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come by a few times to help me in the library with the books? I found a couple on changelings you might like.”

That got her to relax, and a few of the others laughed. Gregory looked over and saw that the three ponies were a bit anxious about the whole situation, but when they looked at him, he gave them a reassuring look and they relaxed.

Just then, the alarm on Gregory’s phone went off, indicating that there were ten minutes to go before the speeches and award ceremonies began. He turned off the alarm and looked at Ocellus. “You don’t have to go out there,” he said. “We’ll honor you another time and in private.”

She gave Gregory a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said. “I’d like that.”

Gregory smiled back, then turned to Gwendolyn. “A word?”

The crowd waited with curious anticipation as the noon hour drew near. The sky was cloudy with peaks of the wintery blue sky coming through breaks in the clouds. There were dark clouds in the west, but they wouldn’t be upon them for a few hours.

The crowd members were speaking amongst themselves, some of them eating snacks to tide them over before the midday meal. Cubs were playing, and there were even a few pony foals playing with them. Parents watched out of nervous curiosity more than anything, but seeing the two different species’ young interacting without prejudice and just being children brought those that saw them that day a sense of wonder and understanding.

The ancient horns of the Eyrie suddenly blew loudly, catching the attention of everyone. Young infants had their ears covered by their parents while the adults looked up in shock as nogryphon had blown those horns in recent memory. Still, the gryphons had an almost ancestral memory of those horns. Even the nongryphons in the crowd could understand the importance of such an occasion.

This included two groups who weren’t meant to be there, or rather were there for other reasons. The first group were a group of five gryphons, all perched on a nearby wall. Of course, these weren’t gryphons at all, but instead changelings from the hive’s own stealth division. One of them, disguised as a light tan furred gryphon with brown plumage, yellow claws, and blue eyes, was General Nictis himself. He watched the balcony with curiosity. In his claw he held a recording crystal that was projecting what it was seeing back to the Emperor and the Imperial Swarm itself. He and his group had arrived in Gryphonville a few days ago and had come to observe this speech which included an appearance by this mysterious Idol Bearer. They had not had time to ask questions about this Gregory Graystone, but they assumed he was a random gryphon who’d gotten lucky.

Another group were three ponies who sat on the other side of the crowd from the changelings. The first pony was a dark crimson unicorn stallion with a black mane and fiery red eyes, named Dusky Heart. The second pony was a dark yellow unicorn mare with a reddish-white mane and tail and orange eyes named Jade Seed. The third pony was a dark blue unicorn mare with a cloudy gray mane and tail and dark green eyes named Dark Desire. They had been sent secretly by the Canterlot nobility to figure out why some ponies were making their way to Gryphonia when historically it was a backwater wasteland. Other ponies were heading more to Saddle Arabia as historically that nation was an ally of Equestria despite being farther away than Gryphonia.

The two groups, unknown to the other, were both displaying the current state of events to their respective nations or employers. They watched, along with the crowd of creatures who actually belonged there, as the curtains that led to the interior of the Eyrie were pushed open. Nine beings stepped out. There were six gryphons, one Saddle Arabian pegasus, and one dragon.

And one human.

The crowd cheered for the group who stood and looked down at the crowd. The six gryphons and one human all wore similarly colored clothes, dark brown suits, a black tie, and white cloaks with golden fringe and a bright yellow hood. The dragoness and pegasus were wearing formal looking clothes as well.

One gryphon, a portly older one by the looks of it, stepped forward. Behind him, a large magical projection appeared, showing the gryphon to those who were near the back of the crowd. “My name is Ambassador Geoffrey of the Convocation,” he began, his voice magically amplified to be heard by the entire crowd, “and today is the day we gryphons know as the Blue Moon Festival!” Cheers rose from the crowds, mostly by the gryphons. “To other races, it is known by other names. To Equestrians, is it known as Hearth’s Warming. To Saddle Arabia, they observe a holiday called Haynukkah over eight days, starting today. The point being, many races of the world associate today as a day of celebration and reflection. But today, for us in Gryphonstone and throughout our continent, it is a day where we wish to look back on the work during the past few months and honor a select few who have done much to help us restore our once great city to its former glory.”

He stepped to the side and another gryphon stepped forward. This one was considered extremely beautiful by gryphon standards. She held a wooden staff in her claws with a single gem on the top. “My name is Imperial Mage Gwendolyn of the Convocation,” she said, “and I am the bookkeeper, historian, and official mage of the Convocation itself.” She put on a pair of spectacles and pulled out a scroll which she unraveled. “Today, we don’t just honor a few honored beings who have helped in their own special way to restore our city and our continent, but we also honor all within the city and continent who have worked long and hard to rebuild our land after the return of our beloved Idol of Boreas. Today is not just an ancient and revered holiday to us, but it is the beginning of a rebirth of our once proud continent.”

She stepped to the side next, and Grandpa Gruff stepped forward. He cleared his throat, then gestured to the dragon and pegasus. “I’m sure many of you saw these young’uns when we were growing that treehouse for the Idol Bearer here,” he said in his typical gruff tone. “These two are representatives from the Dragon Lands and Saddle Arabia, and we’ve struck an alliance with them.” He paused, then sighed. “Eh, I’m not one for public speaking, so I’ll just say who they are. This dragon is Silica and this pegasus is Amira. Don’t you all be treating them badly, you hear?” This got a round of laughter from the crowd as none of the locals of Gryphonstone ever expected Grandpa Gruff to ever be that official.

He stepped back, and when the human stepped forward, the crowd went wild, cheering for him as he stood there, smiling at the crowd. He raised his hand, and eventually the crowd went silent. When he had everyone’s attention, he spoke. “My name is Gregory Eugene Graystone, member of the Convocation,” he began, “and today I am going to honor those who have given this continent a new beginning. All of you have been welcoming and kind to me, so I now hope to repay that kindness and loyalty to you all by serving on the Convocation to help rebuild this continent into a new nation, one where not just gryphons can live happily, but where all creatures can live, whether that be dragons, ponies, and even changelings.”

This caused murmurs of concern to spread among the crowd, but Gregory caught their attention once more. “I understand that this might become a concern to all of you who worry for the future, but I assure you, this new nation will be more powerful than even the past Imperium. We, as the Convocation, will listen to all concerns and create a new nation where all can live side by side in peace, unity, and even harmony. And to start that, I will call forth the first three who will be receiving the Imperial Medal of Valor. Gabriella, Gilda, and Gallus!”

From behind, three gryphons came walking out, all now fairly well known through the city. They too wore clothing. Gregory looked back and saw Gwendolyn holding three red ribbons with a golden medal hanging from each. He and Gwendolyn then walked behind the gryphons. “Firstly, we of the Convocation bestow this award to Gallus,” he announced, bringing up one of the ribbons and slipping it over the young gryphon, “for not only his outstanding work in helping rebuild old worn down houses and patching holes in the Eyrie for winter, but also for his work in organizing the books from the old Gryphonstone Library, because, as Emperor Grover said when he dedicated the library, ‘All knowledge is sacred.’ In his own words, he hoped that the books of the library would ‘…be a light and help to future generations when all other lights go out.’”

The crowd applauded for him as Gregory lifted the second ribbon and placed it around the tallest of the gryphons’ neck. “To Gilda, we of the Convocation bestow this award to Gilda for her nonstop work in providing those working to restore Gryphonstone with food. Not only that, but she was key in organizing other food vendors to spread throughout the city to make sure our workers were well fed with a large variety of meals.”

The crowd applauded for her as he reached the third gryphon. “Lastly, we of the Convocation bestow this award upon Gabriella, who, on her own initiative, began the Salvation Army to bring further aid to not just Gryphonstone, but to other more impoverished areas of the continent. I ask that those of you who are growing more blessed by this revival think of others during this time of rebirth and rebuilding and donate whatever you can, whether that be talons, food, or even furniture. They will go to homes and families that need them.”

He stepped back, the three gryphons bowed, and the crowd cheered for all three of them as they took a step back. Geoffrey then stepped forward again. When the crowd died down, he spoke up once more. “The Convocation would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of three others who have spared their time and resources to help this continent, and they’re not even gryphons. They will be the very first non-gryphons to receive the Medal of Valor. We would be honoring two others today, but they both wished to remain anonymous, and we will respect that. We are proud and honored to award Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Beatrix Lulamoon for going above and beyond to help us!”

The crowd watched in awe as three unicorn ponies stepped through the curtains. Once more, Gwendolyn gave three medals to the portly gryphon. “Firstly, to Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer, your efforts in the magical growing of the new houseoak residences has been a major aid to not only gryphon refugees, but to our new pony refugees from Equestria. Were it not for you two, these refugees would be living in poor conditions.”

He gave them their medals, and the crowd applauded at this. then he turned to the third pony “Beatrix Lulamoon, the Convocation thanks you not only in your own assistance to help grow houseoaks, but more importantly in making the cubs and foals smile with your entertainment and magic. The smiles I have seen when you perform is something I will treasure, and I’m sure the young ones will treasure as well.”

The crowd applauded as Geoffrey gave the floor back to Gregory. The human raised his hands to quiet the crowd. “I’m sure a good number of you are looking to go to all the taverns and drain them dry anyway, and those families here are just wanting to enjoy the evening sitting around a fire and reading the traditional Blue Moon Festival stories. I’ll try and be quick!” Another cheer from the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, he took on a serious tone and expression as he continued. The entire crowd seemed to now hang on his every word. “When I arrived here in Gryphonstone back in September, this city was falling apart at the seams. I saw so much sorrow, despair and hopelessness. Disease ran rampant through the streets, food shortages left gryphons hungry and everyone thought less about their fellow being and focused more on themselves. Let’s not sugarcoat it. The continent was pretty much on the verge of collapse.”

Murmurs of acknowledgment rippled through the crowd as Gregory looked around. The human’s smile then returned. “But look at Gryphonstone now!” he said, making a grand sweeping gesture with his arms. “Three months later, and we have a city that’s thriving not only with gryphons but dragons and ponies as well. I’m also almost positive I’ve seen a minotaur or two here! There’s still work that needs to be done, sure, but the difference between now and nearly three months ago is like night and day! Food is plentiful now, and neighbor helps neighbor! You should all be very proud of yourselves! To borrow a phrase from some entertainment from my old land, this city, our beloved Gryphonstone, was once the jewel of our nation! A place of pride, bright lights, stunning beauty and melodious music. AND SO IT SHALL BE ONCE MORE!”

With that, he drew a sword at his belt and held it aloft, and as if the world responded to it, a small patch of sunlight poked through the clouds, reflecting off of the blade. The roar from the crowd became almost deafening. When the roar and applause died down, he sheathed the sword and continued. “I won’t lie, the work that’s been done here is only the beginning. Gryphonstone might be nearly rebuilt, but there are other cities around the empire that need aid and support. Cities across the Hyperborean Mountains like Clawsdale, Raven Creek and Shell Falls might have begun rebuilding just like us, but they can only do so much. Which is why the Convocation has begun entering negotiations with our new allies, the dragons and Saddle Arabians!”

He gestured to Amira and Silica, who both stepped forward, both of their wings outstretched as they both bowed to the crowd, who applauded loudly. When the crowd’s applause died down, Gregory continued. “Like Grandpa Gruff said, I ask that you treat these two with respect. They are now our allies. I am well aware that there has historically been enmity between gryphons and dragons specifically, but that was long ago. The Dragon Lord herself visited the Convocation and has, for the time being, given this alliance her blessing. We hope to rekindle an ancient friendship that once existed between the dragons and gryphons. On today of all days, let us all remember that no matter our species, be it gryphon or dragon, pony or changeling, or any other race, that we are all equal. No species is superior to another, and it is the hope of myself and the Convocation that the nation we form in the coming months and even years will be a welcoming place for all species!”

The crowd went wild, cheering and whooping. Those on the balcony stood and waited for the applause to die down. When it did, Gregory concluded his speech. “With all that being said, thank you for showing up for this ceremony. Now go, enjoy the holidays you celebrate, whether that be the Blue Moon Festival or Hearth’s Warming. Happy Holidays to all of you!”

The crowd cheered once more.

The three ponies from Equestria quickly made themselves scarce, but the changelings were dispersed by General Nictis. The five of them spread out as the crowds did, then thirty minutes later they regrouped in an alleyway near the edge of the city. They gathered around a small stone that Nictis placed on the ground. It glowed a light green, then projected an image of the Imperial Swarm, now including Emperor Wright. The changelings on the other side had looks of shock on their faces. The emperor, however, was stoic with this new information. He and the four others bowed before Nictis said, “My emperor, what would you have us do with this new information?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Nictis heard Pharynx then say, “We should send the army in to take that Idol of theirs! It can provide us with all we need!”

“No,” the emperor declared firmly, “we’re not doing that.”

“My emperor,” Chrysalis spoke, “we need to do something about this.”

“Keep an eye on this Gregory Graystone and this Convocation for the time being,” Jason said. “We need to know if this new Gryphonian government is a threat.”

“As you command, my Emperor,” Nictis said. “How long should we be here?”

“Keep sending me and the Swarm reports weekly,” Jason said, “and we will let you know what our next steps will be. But are you sure you want to be out there?”

Nictis paused. He had heard a small hint of worry from Jason, and that made the general actually happy. He nodded, then gave a quick glance to another one of the disguised changelings. Elytra had come along with him for this mission, and he couldn’t be happier about that. “Your Majesty, it is my policy to keep my own stealth skills sharp, and that includes going into the field. I can handle my other duties from here.”

Jason nodded. “Good. Keep me and the Swarm posted.” With that, the screen vanished and they were left alone.

The Convocation, along with Zecora, Ocellus, Amira and Silica, all sat in the meeting hall, watching a live feed that was being provided by Gwendolyn and the Eye of Osiris. Looking into the past was very hard for the Eye, but something live was much easier, if dangerous. They watched as the group of five changelings went to a local tavern and inn on the southwestern side of Gryphonstone. “Broken Bow Inn,” Geoffrey said with a frown. “I’ve seen that place a few times. It’s the perfect place for someone to hide.”

“We have their disguised descriptions?” Georgia asked.

“I have them written down already,” Gwendolyn, who had been furiously writing ever since they’d hastily made their way back here to view the images on the hovering screen, replied as she held up a few pieces of paper.

“Ocellus,” Gregory said, turning to the still disguised changeling, “do you know if they regularly change their disguises when on recon missions like this?”

Ocellus shook her head. “I don’t,” she said apologetically.

“And you can’t track them too well, you said,” Gregory said. She shook her head, ears flattened. “Alright…we should keep an eye on these five.”

“Good call,” Geoffrey said. “We don’t know if they have anything planned that could harm us, and they do have more of a standing military than we do.”

“But you also shouldn’t show your hoof,” Amira cautioned. “Don’t let them know you’re onto them.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to confront them and talk to this other human, this Emperor Jason Wright?” Silica asked curiously.

“We need to-” Gregory caught himself and began to think. He hated the idea of spying on spies and possibly causing some sort of international incident, but at the same time, he knew that the Convocation couldn’t risk the safety of the people of the city on revealing that they knew the changelings were here and knew about him. “We need to play this very carefully,” he continued after a few seconds of pondering. “For today, though, we should proceed like we would have regardless. Go out and have fun, enjoy the day, make things look normal.”

“While you take great care to keep this obscured,” Zecora said, putting a protective hoof around Ocellus, “my protégé’s safety must be assured.” She turned to Gregory with an apologetic frown. “While I hoped to enjoy a meal with you, I must bid you an early adieu.”

“Are you sure?” Gregory asked. He really enjoyed spending time with Zecora, and he’d even hoped to show her a Christmas movie. “I’d hate to have this keep you from enjoying time with us.”

“I am afraid I must insist, although I’m sad that dinner will be missed,” Zecora said. “What if, instead, we meet at New Years? Perhaps at my house we can share some cheers.”

Gregory smiled. “Sure, I like that idea. I’ll still save you some leftovers. Now then,” he stood and looked at the table. “Time to enjoy the day.”

13: Plots Oh, So Nefarious

Tuesday, December 28, 1007 A.L., Equestria

Prince Blueblood watched from his seat in the House of Lords building in the palace while both of his aunts sat and listened to the rambling of one Viscount Cash King as he was describing some inane nonsense about his many businesses suffering from the recession that had struck Equestria. Beside him, his sister Viscountess Cash Cow stood in solidarity with her brother as she joined in to clarify things.

“And furthermore,” Cash King said as he continued with his argument, “This unprecedented exodus of our workforce has caused production in our factories to stall, not to mention the shortage of labor in the various stores through the nation. I’ve had to close three on the outskirts of Equestria because of lack of creatures.”

“Yes,” Cash Cow added. “Profits are dropping fast.”

“What is your request, then?” Auntie Celestia asked. Blueblood noted that she sounded tired.

“Isn’t there anything you can do to stop this insanity?” Cash King asked. “If these creatures keep on leaving, our economy will slip further into recession!” The sound of approval from other business owners in the House of Lords echoed his sentiment.

“You do realize we cannot simply force anypony or anycreature to stay within our borders if they choose to leave,” Auntie Luna replied with a tired scowl of her own.

“But what of the poor creatures who have already left who now wish to return to their jobs?” Cash Cow asked with a false sympathetic tone. Blueblood almost sighed. The Cash siblings were never any good at acting or hiding their true intentions, he knew, and it was showing here.

His aunties weren’t fooled, of course. Auntie Celestia stood taller, looking down at the two with a calm demeanor. Blueblood knew, of course, that she was seething with rage, but the House of Lords had gained a substantial amount of political leverage and their power could not be ignored, even by the crown. “That decision,” Celestia said with a patient tone, “came at great insistence from the House. This body, as I recall, pushed for those contingencies to be put in place. Our kingdom is still in a state of emergency and we can’t undo the damage that has been done thanks to that decision.”

Beside him, he felt Marchioness High Life lean over in her seat as she whispered into Blueblood’s ear, “Those two were the perfect ponies to use.”

High Life was a young unicorn mare of ancient ancestry. Her ancestor, Handy Ford, had built the ancient mansion High Elm near the royal palace itself. She was a tall picturesque unicorn mare with a cream white coat, a bright red curly mane and tail, bright green eyes and a wine glass as a cutie mark. She was one of the richest ponies in Equestria and had been nominated as one of the top five most desirable mares for the past four years. She never failed to use that to her advantage.

Blueblood simply nodded, but on the inside he was smirking. That was the plan. “Before you go home today,” she continued, “the latest reports are on your desk. I’d pay particular attention to the one on top.”

Blueblood nodded again, and the mare moved away to watch the proceedings. He had been keeping an eye on his aunts all while the mare was whispering, and he hadn’t seen them look his way, but they were alicorns. Their senses were quite better than other ponies. He hadn’t seen their ears flicking in his direction, but that didn’t mean much to them.

Cash King was speaking again, mostly about non-important details that were meant to pad out the conversation. He tuned it out for the most part, seeing as he knew what the two fools below were going to say. They would complain about losing money and how their businesses needed help and blah, blah, blah.

At one point in the proceedings, his aunt Celestia quickly glanced up his way. Their eyes locked, and he saw a disappointed look in her eyes. One directed at him. Had this been back when he was a younger colt, that look might have affected him. But not today.

After another few nobles brought forth their own complaints to the crown, his aunts declared the meeting over, but not before making an announcement that shocked almost everypony there. Princess Celestia stood tall with her sister and made a declaration. “The decision to close our borders to foreigners will be reversed starting at the beginning of next year. This decision is non-negotiable.”

Blueblood scowled at this, but he was faking it. He and High Life had anticipated something like this would happen, especially with the economic depression in the kingdom having grown worse without any sort of domestic exports being sold and instead going to waste in warehouses all across Equestria. It made sense for his aunts to do that. Even so, many of the nobleponies erupted in protest. All except the group calling themselves the Delegation of Fifty, a group of nobleponies led by one of the richest nobles and his wife, Count Fancy Pants and Countess Fleur De Lis. Blueblood watched as the count nodded subtly in agreement. Beside the two, the third leader, Countess Noblesse Oblige, looked around at the rest of the house, shaking her head in a disappointed look.

As one of the heads of the house, Prince Blueblood waited until the objections reached a crescendo. He reached for his gavel and brought it down. “Everypony, quiet down!” he announced with a magically enhanced shout. This caught the attention of the nobles and they did as he said. He then turned to his aunts, resisting the urge to call them aunties. “Your Highnesses, the majority of the House of Lords seem to disagree with your decision on this. Can we please give our arguments to dissuade you from this course of action?” He felt himself feeling sick at the language he was using, but he knew he had to use it.

Princess Celestia stood taller. “Nobleponies of the House of Lords, you may speak your disagreements, but know that our decision is final.”

That didn’t stop the nobles from making their arguments. It was all more of the same horseshit excuses. They needed to be wary of the changeling scourge infiltrating again, they should keep it closed to other nations who might want to take advantage of the floundering kingdom, blah, blah, blah. Blueblood knew his Aunt Celestia well enough, and he also was fairly sure Aunt Luna would be in favor of this too. It had been the former who had capitulated to the House’s suggestion first, with the latter reluctantly agreeing.

As he and High Life had anticipated, none of the arguments dissuaded his aunts. Of course, Blueblood noted that the Delegation of Fifty didn’t contest the decision of the princesses, the damned sycophants. Still, he kept his face neutral and didn’t say anything.

When things were beginning to get too heated again, it was High Life who slammed her gavel down. “Enough!” she shouted, then she turned to the princesses. “Your Highnesses, you have heard the arguments against your decree. What say ye?”

“Your arguments have been heard and understood,” Aunt Luna said, “and we sympathize with your worries, and we will do what we can to ease these worries.”

“Still, our decision is final,” Aunt Celestia added with finality in her voice and a fire in her eyes that Blueblood had not seen before. And that caused him to worry a bit. She gave him a look of disappointment again, but he didn’t react to it. Looking over the crowd again, she said, “Know this: in the coming months and years there will be other changes coming, changes that are long overdue for this nation. And with that, we bid you good day.”

The nobleponies watched in stunned silence as both princesses stood from their seats and trotted purposely out of the room. Blueblood caught Princess Luna’s tail flicking at them as she left the room. That was an incredibly insulting movement from any pony, but Blueblood held his tongue until the door slammed behind the princesses. The moment that happened, the House of Lords erupted into chaos. All except the Delegation of Fifty, who watched with infuriating impassiveness. Blueblood and High Life exchanged a look, then the prince raised his gavel, bringing it down hard a few times. “Order!” he demanded several times. It took a couple of minutes but eventually the entire House Building was quiet. Blueblood stood and looked around at the group. With the Delegation here, he had to think about his words carefully, all while still playing the fool. “I know you’re all upset,” he began, “but we need to think about what to do next. Any ideas?”

Cash King, who had taken his seat next to his sister in their assigned seats, was the first to speak up. “If the princesses open the borders again, we’ll be vulnerable!”

“We’re already vulnerable,” one of the members of the Delegation replied, giving Cash King a glare. “Our economy can’t sustain itself for much longer on domestic products. We need to make peace with other nations.”

“The other nations will try and take advantage of us because they’ll see us as weak!” another noble spoke up. “They will double their rates for their exports! Triple even!”

“I didn’t mention trade,” the Delegate noblepony said, “I said peace. The truth about the treatment of the changeling emperor by the ponies of Ponyville has spread far too much to be covered up. Other nations are clamoring for our response to the allegations of abuse and mistreatment of their former citizens.”

The entire House began murmuring as they discussed these words among themselves. High Life looked around and called for order again before saying, “It is no secret that the ponies of Ponyville are greatly guilty in their treatment of the human Jason Wright, and it is also no secret that other kingdoms are looking at us through a looking glass, but we are ponies! We are the Children of Eurynome herself. We will persevere!”

Blueblood inwardly rolled his eyes, but outwardly nodded as the vast majority of the House stated their agreement. He knew full well that High Life didn’t believe in Eurynome, and was only using her name to bolster support. He spoke up as well. “The questions we should be asking is what can we do to make sure things remain stable in this transition period?”

“We don’t expect answers right away,” High Life added, “so today’s meeting is adjourned. Our next meeting will be January 2 after the New Years Festival holiday is over.” She and Blueblood struck their gavels at the same time, dismissing the crowd of ponies. As the two got up, Blueblood felt High Life brush his flank with her tail. He shivered a bit in anticipation, but also knew that was the signal for another type of secret meeting. He replied in kind, brushing her back leg with his own tail before the two went their separate ways.

An hour later, Blueblood was sitting in an underground cavern underneath Canterlot at a round table surrounded by other nobles. The Harmony Council, formed secretly by Princess Platinum ages ago, was in session.

High Life, the leader of the Council, was the first to speak. She stood and lifted a scroll with her magic. “I know many of you will want to talk about the recent events of the House meeting, and we will do that, but there’s been a new and unnerving development over in Gryphonstone. But before we get into that, I’d like to welcome our newest member of the council. Recently elevated Baron Filthy Rich, you are very much welcomed to the Harmony Council.”

The earth pony stood and looked around the council. “It’s truly an honor to be here,” he said to the council, “and I will endeavor to help in any way that I can.” He took his seat and paid attention to High Life.

High Life nodded at him, then winked before she returned her attention to the rest of the council. “His arrival might very well be fortuitous to us, because the news from Gryphonstone is most troubling. The contents of the message inform us that the Gryphonstone natives have begun to rebuild their civilization once again.”

There were groans from the council. None of them were alive for it, but they were all well educated and well aware of the last time that the gryphons attempted to rebuild their former empire. It had worked for a few months before there had been dissent among the gryphons who felt that the government leaders were taking advantage of them. The attempt at rebuilding had ended with the temporary government officials being executed and for the status quo to return to normal. “Why should we care about this?” Jet Set, who had been a long-standing member with his wife Upper Crust, asked with a scowl.

“There are a few reasons why this is different from last time,” High Life explained. This caught the attention of everypony there, and they leaned forward. “The first reason being that the new government has already reached out to two of their neighbors, the Dragon Lands and the Saddle Arabian Sultanate, and have already apparently begun talks with them.”

That caused an uproar. Saddle Arabia had been a long-standing ally of Equestria until recently, so this news was definitely troubling. High Life brought her hoof down on the table again to get the attention of the council. “Please let me finish!” she shouted above the din. After they had quieted down, she cleared her throat. “The ponies who we sent to Gryphonstone don’t know much about the state of the government, but the gryphons there have made much more progress in rebuilding their crumbling city than they have in centuries. Not only that, but their mythical Idol of Boreas was found and returned to them.”

“By who?” a random noble asked.

“That is the second piece of news that we should be concerned with,” Blueblood said. The prince, who had been in the know before the meeting, stood and raised his horn. A crystal rose into the air from beneath the table and floated towards the center. “This is a magical recording that our ponies in the field made of a speech made by several members of the new governing body, who are calling themselves the Convocation.”

The crystal began to glow and a projection appeared on the wall. The council watched as the image showed a balcony overlooking what sounded like a vast crowd. There was a curtain behind a door which was pulled back. A group of creatures walked out. There was a Saddle Arabian pony, a dragon, three Equestrian unicorn mares, one of which Blueblood immediately recognized as being Sunset Shimmer, and a number of gryphons, some of which were wearing robes of some sort.

Plus one human who was wearing the same robes as the few gryphons there.

The council erupted into chaos at the sight of yet another human, so Blueblood paused the recording. High Life shot a blast of magic at the center of the ceiling, causing some rubble to fall down onto the table. “Quiet!” she demanded. “Watch the recording, and then we can discuss what to do next!” She then turned and nodded with a smile towards Blueblood. “My prince, please continue.”

Blueblood nodded, and the recording resumed. A larger gryphon stepped forward and spoke. “My name is Ambassador Geoffrey of the Convocation,” he said, “and today is the day we gryphons know as the Blue Moon Festival!” Cheers rose from the crowds, mostly by the gryphons. “To other races, it is known by other names. To Equestrians, is it known as Hearth’s Warming. To Saddle Arabia, they observe a holiday called Haynukkah over eight days, starting today. The point being, many races of the world associate today as a day of celebration and reflection. But today, for us in Gryphonstone and throughout our continent, it is a day where we wish to look back on the work during the past few months and honor a select few who have done much to help us restore our once great city to its former glory.”

From there, the council watched as awards were given to three gryphons first, then to the three unicorn mares. Then they watched the human, who identified himself as Gregory Eugene Graystone, gave a rousing speech to the crowd of gathered gryphons before the recording ended. The council was now in stunned silence at the new revelation that a second human was in a position of power in a foreign nation. Not that the changelings really had a nation, and not that this Gregory was a sole head of state, but he had influence. That was enough to make the group worry.

The image paused as it was zoomed in onto the human. Unlike Jason, this human had no scars anywhere visible. He had a determined and joyful expression on his face as he had a sword raised in the air. He had sky blue eyes, a brown head of longish hair, and the same type of colored skin as Jason. The reaction of the gryphons to him seemed to be one of respect, especially if he was the being to return the Idol of Boreas to them.

“The report says a bit more about this human,” Blueblood said as he looked around the room before grabbing the scroll and looking at it. “He’s known as the Idol Bearer, which seems to be a name of endearment to the gryphons.”

“Aside from that, the behaviors of gryphons from others across Equestria and across the world have altered somewhat,” High Life added. “They aren’t as greedy, and almost all of the gryphons in Equestria have left, heading to Gryphonia.”

“Could that be why we have reports of ponies leaving for Gryphonia?” one of the council members asked.

“That seems to be more related to our recession,” Blueblood said. “We’ve not heard much from Gryphonia since the borders were closed.”

“The question we need to ask ourselves is what, if anything, we should do about this new development in Gryphonia?” High Life asked.

Baron Filthy Rich hesitantly raised a hoof. “Um, beg pardon if I sound out of turn, but how can Gryphonia or Gryphonstone affect us? We hardly get anything from that land. I know I don’t have any products from them in my stores. Or am I missing something?”

Blueblood chuckled. “A good observation, but a flawed one,” he said. “We had more exports from Gryphonia than you might think. Those products have skyrocketed in price as they’ve become scarcer.”

“The last time I tried to buy some Gryphonian gems, they were astronomically expensive,” the head of the Equestrian Mages said. “Their country may be lacking in magic, but their crystals are more priceless than anypony really knows.”

“There’s other products we import from Gryphonia,” Cash King said, “and for cheaper than they’re worth. If this government manages to get stronger, they could raise export prices.”

“Does that answer your questions, Baron Rich?” Blueblood asked.

Filthy Rich nodded, a look of understanding on his face. “Yes, I get it.”

“So, what are we going to do about this upstart nation?” Upper Crust asked.

“We currently have three ponies keeping an eye on things over there,” High Life said, “and right now they are focusing inward.”

“They won’t be doing anything against Equestria, then?” Filthy Rich asked

“Definitely not,” Blueblood said, “but we’re still going to keep an eye on the Convocation regardless.”

Prince Blueblood lay on the bed in his mansion beside the mare he had just laid with. She was snuggling up onto him, a silly grin on her face. He looked down at High Life, who gave him a smile and a giggle. “You’re cute when your eyebrows furl up like that,” she said, reaching up and poking his forehead with her hoof.

He rolled his eyes and snorted. “Mmhmm,” he muttered, letting his frustration and a bit of jealousy sneak into his voice.

Her smile faded. “What’s wrong, sugar pumpkin?” she asked.

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “I know you’re planning on seeing Jet Set and Upper Crust again tonight,” he said.

High Life moved closer and kissed the nape of his neck. “Sweetie, it’s only business,” she said.

“Business involving you three in bed,” Blueblood said, making himself pout a bit.

High Life gently pulled his head down to face her. She had a serious look on her face. “You know that I only have eyes for you,” she said sincerely, “and I also know you have your own little trysts with your maids.”

The two stared at each other, then both broke out into a similar smile. They chuckled, leaned in towards each other, and kissed deeply. The kiss once more turned into something more that lasted for the rest of the afternoon.

Wednesday, December 29, 1007 A.L., Equestria

High Life was sitting up in her bed, recovering from the…exercise…that she and her partners for that night had just engaged in. Said partners, Jet Set and Upper Crust, were already asleep, the former with a goofy expression on his face and the latter cuddling up, her back lower half nestled straight against his crotch. She looked down at the two, her true feelings on the worthless couple showing as she gave a satisfied grin.

Slowly, she got up and stretched, being sure not to make too much noise that might wake her guests for the night. Walking over to her washroom, she quickly and quietly cleaned herself up, then went downstairs to the kitchen to find herself a glass of water. All of that exercise was thirsty work, and she’d been at it for hours. First with Blueblood, and next with the baron and baroness.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw her secretary sitting at the large breakfast nook, a candelabra lit as he was busily working on something. Her secretary was a pegasus stallion named Inky Blot. He had a dark green coat, a gold mane with a silver streak through it that was always slicked back, one gold and one silver eye and he wore a pair of black round glasses. He also wore a black collar with a red necktie hanging down from the collar and had a dark red fountain pen with ink coming from it as a cutie mark.

Inky looked up and saw High Life enter. He stood quickly and bowed. “My Lady,” he said with the respect she deserved.

High Life chuckled. She had something of a soft spot for Inky, and he was her most trusted servant. “At ease, Inky,” she said, “I just came here for some water, then I’m going back to bed.” She looked over at the papers at the table. “What are you working on now?”

“Looking at some reports from the Network,” Inky replied as he returned to the table.

“That’s nice,” High Life said. “Anything interesting to report?”

“Nothing too unusual,” Inky said. “We still can’t locate the changeling stronghold, there’s nothing too drastic happening in the Crystal Empire except that they’re moving to expand their territory into the Winterlands up north.”

High Life chuckled. “Their Empress has always spoken about that promise, so that’s nothing new. Anything else? Anything from the Gryphonstone agents?”

“Not since that latest report,” Inky said. “I’ll inform you if anything new comes in.”

High Life nodded. “You should get some sleep, Inky,” she said. “I need you bright eyed and bushy tailed.”

Inky looked at the reports, then began organizing them. “Yes, my lady,” he said.

As the pegasus cleaned up, High Life got herself a glass of water, then walked over to the breakfast nook which looked over the valley below in one of the best views in Canterlot. The moon was new, so all she could see were the bright stars above the valley that shone down on the snowy landscape below along with the dim lights that belonged to what had once been Ponyville. At one point, the lights from the backwater town had illuminated the land around it, but now she could barely tell anything was there. The vast valley below Canterlot was undeveloped at the moment at the decree of the Princesses, but she smiled, as she knew that would change in time.

She took a sip of her water, smiling wider. Things would change, she just knew it.

A hooded figure slunk through the streets of Canterlot, keeping their face hidden behind a cowl as they walked towards the royal castle. Their hoofsteps crunched in the snow, leaving hoofprints in the snow. The pony slipped through an alley that led to another street, almost kicking a few spilled empty cans. They made their way down the street again until they reached the front castle gates. They then moved off of the road, heading down an overgrown stone pathway towards the lower section of the castle. The pathway was overgrown and hard to get through, but the pony, an earth pony, knew how to get through it well enough thanks to his instincts.

They eventually reached an ancient but sturdy looking door built into the side of the palace. They reached into their coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. They opened a slot in the top and pushed the envelope through before turning and quickly making themselves scarce.

Inside the door, a chiropteran pony, otherwise known by the derogatory term bat pony, approached and picked up the envelope. The chiropteran slipped into the shadows and made their way through the castle to a large bedroom, where they placed the envelope on a desk before vanishing into the shadows again.

Hours passed, and then the bedroom’s owner came in, yawning as she took a healthy bite of pear then discarding the pit. Princess Luna began to remove her regalia before she saw the dark gray envelope on her desk. She picked it up and opened it, reading the contents of the letter within. Her exhaustion swiftly vanished and she raised her horn quickly. The curved lines in her horn glowed without the sound of magic being cast. In a few seconds, Princess Celestia appeared in a flash of magic. “What is it, sister?” Celestia asked. Luna passed the letter over to her, unable to speak. Celestia read it over, and her own eyes went wide in alarm. “It can’t be…”

“Twas my own thought, sister,” Luna said. “We need proof of this letter, and we need to find who wrote this letter.”

“That’s not as important as confirming the accuracy of this letter,” Celestia said. She took a deep breath. “I may need to reactivate one of the old agents.”

“Which agent are you referring to, sister?” Luna asked.

“Agent Sweetie Drops.”

Luna paused, remembering some of the top secret reports that she’d read about the former agency known as S.M.I.L.E., the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria. That agency had been scrapped by a heavy recommendation by the House of Lords because they argued that the agency was a waste of royal funds. “She’s the one the House pinned the blame on for that bug bear getting loose, correct?”

Celestia sighed. “Yes, and it wasn’t even her fault. But she’s the best agent out there.” She turned to Luna. “If there is indeed a second human on Equus, we need to be sure.”

Snow fell onto Ponyville in light, small flakes, covering the already snow covered ground with another thin layer of white. The tents that had once been spread across the town were all gone as everypony was living in the former Castle of Friendship. Even though the castle was bigger on the inside than the outside thanks to an enchantment from the Tree of Harmony, each room was full with ponies who had to double up.

Lyra Heartstrings was one of those ponies. Her and her best friend Bon Bon were staying in one of the rooms. The light mint colored unicorn was holding her instrument and sitting next to the window, an old gold lyre hoofed down from her family since her great grandfather had commissioned it by one of Canterlot’s lead instrument crafters back in the day. Whenever she’d had a particularly taxing day, she would pull it out and play it. It had been shipped to her from her mother in Canterlot along with a few of her other belongings that she’d left behind in storage when she’d moved to Ponyville. Her mother had sent a note with it explaining its origin and how it was now hers.

She continued playing it, strumming a slow song which filled the room with the melancholy tune. Across from her, lying on her own bed, Bon Bon stared up at the ceiling, simply breathing in and out as the music continued to play. Lyra watched her best friend and roommate as she took in a deep breath, then closed her eyes and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her tightly.

Eventually, Lyra finished the song, one she’d written herself but hadn’t come up with lyrics to, yet. She was planning on writing a song about the destruction of Ponyville, but also of the tragedy that had been Jason Wright’s treatment by nearly everypony in Ponyville. Even she’d taken part in it, her and Bon Bon. They’d shouted at the human when he’d come to town, they’d thrown garbage and rocks at him, and Lyra had even shot a beam of magic at the poor human, catching a portion of his already destroyed clothes on fire while he fled.

And now, she, Bon Bon, and the entire town were paying for their transgressions. She put down her lyre on a nearby folding table and lay on her side, leaning on one of her front hooves, closing her eyes and trying to hold back the tears. Not the tears of loss, but the tears of guilt and shame at her behavior. Bon Bon was facing her, eyes still shut. When the two had heard the story about what had happened from Roseluck, her friends and a few other ponies who had been in Canterlot during Jason Wright’s trial of the Elements of Harmony, something inside them changed. They understood at that moment that they had betrayed everything that they claimed they were.

And it was because of this realization that Lyra had been stewing and thinking about an idea. Something she could do other than mope and feel sorry for herself. However, she’d not had the courage to say anything or even ask her friend for her help until now.

Making her decision, she turned to her friend, “Hey…Bon Bon?”

Bon Bon slowly opened her eyes. “Hmm…?”

“I…well…could I…ask a favor?” Lyra asked nervously.

Bon Bon’s eyes widened in concern as she slowly sat up in her cot. “Lyra? What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to throw up.”

In truth, Lyra did feel more nervous than she had in a while. She was about to probably break a few dozen rules that her best friend had to follow by asking, but she still knew she at least had to try. She swallowed, trying to keep herself from upchucking. “It’s just…it’s about your…previous job.”

Bon Bon’s eyes hardened and she immediately sat up, looking Lyra square in her eyes. “Go on,” she said stonily.

Lyra took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I know you said you were part of some…some secret organization, so that means you’ve had access to restricted books and stuff, right?” Lyra waited for a reply in either the affirmative or negative, but Bon Bon, or rather, Special Agent Sweetie Drops, didn’t reply. Lyra gulped and continued. “I…want to do some research. Some research on humans.”

“Why?” Sweetie Drops asked.

Lyra took a now shaky breath. “W-Well, remember how I said that while I was in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns that I dabbled in non-pony biology?” All Sweetie Drops did was nod, so Lyra continued. “Well…I was hoping…I really wanted to try and find out more about humans. Especially with what happened. All I know about them is what Princess-what Twilight said about them. I mean…if she knew about them, then maybe there’s something about them that’s been kept hidden.” There was silence once more as Sweetie Drops continued glaring at Lyra. The mint colored mare grew even more nervous and she almost squawked, “Come on, Bon Bon! Is it really that bad of a request!? I just want to know about them and-!”

“You’re asking a very big favor, Lyra Heartstrings,” Sweetie Drops said with a serious tone. “If there are any records of humans, they’ve been sealed away in some restricted corner of Canterlot. Do you honestly think that I’d have any access to that information? You forget, I’m not an agent anymore. I don’t have the authority or clearance I once did. I’m just Bon Bon now.”

“But you could talk to Princess Celestia!” Lyra said, now feeling a bit bolder since Sweetie Drops namedropped her alias. She jumped up and walked over to her earth pony friend. “You can ask her about this! Bonny, you know me! I wouldn’t ask this just for some sort of personal gain! Everypony in Ponyville fu-screwed up big time.”

“You can say it, you know,” Sweetie Drops said. “We all fucked up. Every single pony did. Even if half the town is still too foolish to see it even now.”

Lyra’s ears flattened and she nodded. “That’s…that’s one other reason why I wanted to…wanted to look up anything on humans…so we don’t make the same mistakes-”

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Ly-Ly,” Sweetie snarled. “It wasn’t a mistake! It was far worse!”

“I-I…yes, you’re right.” Lyra agreed.

Sweetie Drops sighed, then looked up at the mint-colored unicorn with tired eyes. “I can’t help you, Lyra. I’m sorry…”

“Are you sure?” Lyra asked, trying once more. She wasn’t sure why she was insisting on this.

“Ly-Ly…” and with that, Sweetie Drops was gone, and Bon Bon was finally back. The earth pony mare walked over and put her hoof on Lyra’s cheek. “I can’t help you like that. Please understand…I’m not able to do that for you.”

Lyra slowly deflated, but nodded. “I…I understand,” she said, “and I’m sorry…sorry for asking such an impossible request.”

“It’s okay,” Bon Bon said softly, giving her best friend a warm nuzzle. “You mean well…but this is just something I can’t do. Please understand that.”

“I do,” Lyra said as she nuzzled back before the two broke apart.

“Thank you. Now, I’m gonna head to my shift early,” Bon Bon said as she slowly walked towards the bedroom door. Bon Bon, thanks to her experience in sweets making, was one of the kitchen staff in the castle kitchen, helping to prepare enough food for the many ponies in the castle. “See you tonight, Ly-Ly.”

“See you then, Bon Bon,” Lyra said. “I’m gonna go out for a little walk.”

“Sure,” Bon Bon said, “you don’t work today, right?”

“Not today.”

“Alright. See you tonight.”

Bon Bon turned and was about to open the door when there was a knock. Confused, the two mares looked at the door before Bon Bon slowly opened it. To both of their surprise, a chiropteran stood there, shrouded in a black cloak and holding out a white scroll. “For you,” the chiropteran said simply.

Bon Bon reached out and hesitantly took it. The chiropteran nodded, then seemed to vanish into the shadows. Lyra shivered. “That’s always freaky how they do that,” she said as she walked over to Bon Bon, looking over her shoulder at the still unopened scroll. “Who’s it from?”

Bon Bon looked at the scroll, then back at Lyra. “Stand back,” she said. “It’s private.”

Lyra immediately stepped back, because the voice she heard coming from her friend was not Bon Bon’s more playful voice. Sweetie Drops was back. Lyra waited while Sweetie Drops broke the seal and read the scroll. The earth pony’s expression hardened, then she closed the scroll and placed it on a nearby end table. She turned back to Lyra. “Lyra,” she said, “could you go and let the others in the kitchen know that I won’t be able to come in for a while? It’s a…family emergency.”

Lyra felt her stomach drop, not in fear, but in hurt. She knew that Bon Bon was lying to her. Still, she nodded. “O-Okay,” she said, “sure thing. How long should I say you’ll be gone?”

Sweetie Drops shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said, and even though Lyra knew she was lying, it was hard for the unicorn to tell just by the voice alone.

“I’ll go tell them then,” Lyra said, walking out of the room and heading down the hall. A walk turned into a trot, then into a run. Something big was happening, and she was going to figure out what.

14: Crystal Envoy

Thursday, December 30, 1007 A.L., Equestria

Special Agent Sweetie Drops, former top agent of the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria, was currently disguised as a refugee. Her cover name was one of her old aliases, Candy Wrap, a sweets connoisseur similar to her Bon Bon persona which in itself was closer to her real self. Her normal mane style was straighter and more ragged. She was wearing her old blue glasses instead of her normal contacts and a ragged baseball cap. Her bag, which itself looked old and ragged, was a clever disguise meant to throw ponies off because the contents inside were some of her former gear. Technology that even now wasn’t available to Equestrian civilians.

The coach car she was in was half full of real refugees from other small towns across Equestria, and that included some fillies and colts. Most everypony in that carriage was asleep since it was thirty minutes to midnight. The train would be arriving at the Gryphonstone Station in the early hours of the morning.

Sweetie Drops adjusted herself in her chair, leaning against the window and looking out at the passing landscape. The sky was cloudy above but she could see some patches of the winter night sky through holes in the clouds. She wanted to sleep, but all of her old training was coming back to her. She admitted that she was rusty, but just like riding a bike, the skills never truly left. Closing her eyes, she allowed her body to relax while her mind stayed alert as did her ears. Soon, she was breathing regularly as if she was asleep. She even included a soft snore here or there to make things more convincing.

The door to the car behind them slid open and a pony slowly and quietly began walking through the car itself. Something about the way the pony walked caught Sweetie’s attention because it sounded familiar. She quickly sifted through her memories until she remembered. Swiftly opening her eyes, she sat up and looked at the dark figure of a pony sneaking down towards the next car. “Lyra?” she whispered.

The teal pony paused, then turned. In the dimly lit car lights, Sweetie saw the guilty look on her friend’s face. “Surprise?” she said lamely.

Sweetie wanted to be beyond pissed off at her friend. She wanted to lay into Lyra about how dangerous this was and how she was putting herself in unnecessary risk. However, she put that anger aside. She would deal with it later. Still, she gestured for Lyra to follow her as she stood up and walked to the door that led between cars. “You. Follow me. Now.”

Lyra was instantly behind her, her expression sheepish. Sweetie opened the door that led to the outside, the sound a bit loud. The two were soon standing across from each other. Lyra cast some sort of spell that surrounded them in a bubble that made the sound from outside go quiet. There was silence between the two of them as they stared at each other. Presumably in an attempt to make the situation less tense, she said, “I’m digging the new look.” Sweetie didn’t say anything except to give her a deadpan look. “R-Right.”

“What are you doing here?” Sweetie asked, eyes narrowing.

Lyra stiffened, then her expression became serious. “I knew you were up to something, and I’m not about to let my best friend, the best friend I’ve had since my friends in Canterlot, go in alone. Ah!” She held up a hoof to forestall Sweetie’s words. “Let me finish. I know all what you’re going to say. It’s too dangerous. I’ll get in the way. I have a mission to complete. Blah, blah, blah. I didn’t just come here on a whim, you know? Ever since you told me about being who you are, I’ve put plans in place to do just what I’m doing. You know that pottery class that I’ve been taking ever since that time?”

“Uh…yeah.” Sweetie Drops was a bit confused.

Her confusion disappeared when Lyra’s hoof shot out and stopped right in front of Sweetie’s muzzle. Sweetie reacted by moving her own hoof automatically in an attempt to hit Lyra, but before she could stop her body’s natural reaction, Lyra blocked with her free hoof. The two stared at each other for a while, then Lyra grinned. “You like my pottery?”

Sweetie’s eyes bulged. “That…was…nearly flawless,” she exhaled as she forced her body to relax as she looked at her friend. “How did you get so good?”

“I practice every chance I get,” Lyra said. “It helps that I’m a musician who has more free time than a sweets shop owner like you. I wasn’t going to let you go alone on any sort of thing like this. And even if you never went on another mission, eventually I would have revealed my new class and would have sparred with you. Learning martial arts is really good exercise and stress relief.”

Sweetie allowed herself a smile. Anytime she was super stressed about an order, she would take about five or so minutes in a basement in her shop to unleash her frustrations on an old sparring tool. Or, she had done so before her shop and house were destroyed by Jason Wright. “Tell me about it.”

“I won’t let you go into this alone,” Lyra said. “You’re my friend.”

“Ly-Ly,” Sweetie said, letting her Bon Bon side come out, “this is an official order from the crown. I can’t, in good conscience, let you-”

“From the looks of things, you’re heading to Gryphonstone as a refugee,” Lyra said with confidence. When Sweetie looked at Lyra in confusion, the unicorn continued. “I’ve heard the rumors. I’ve heard that their new government is accepting pony refugees, and now that the borders are being reopened, there’s likely going to be a surge of ponies going there, not to mention all of the nonponies who live in Equestria. This surge could further harm the Equestrian economy and potentially boost the economy of Gryphonia.”

Sweetie was flabbergasted. She never thought Lyra was stupid, but to be so insightful? That was something she had never seen before. She felt guilty for underestimating her friend. “Lyra…when the hay did you get so smart?” she asked, a teasing tone in her voice.

“I didn’t just learn magic at Celestia’s school,” Lyra said with a huff. “If you’re this super secret agent or whatever, you should know what I learned about.”

Sweetie sighed and nodded. “Economics. Consumer Math. Politics. Those classes?”

Lyra’s ears drooped in exasperation. “Those were some booooring classes,” she groaned, “but surprisingly useful for my own work. Besides, you know one of my other interests is in other species. Why do you think I wanted your help to learn more about humans?”

“I thought it was because you felt guilty,” Sweetie asked.

Lyra nodded somberly. “That is the biggest reason,” she admitted. “What I did to Jason Wright was wrong. I attacked without provocation. Even if it was Discord’s influence that strung the bow, I was the one who let go of the arrow. I didn’t know anything about humans, and I let my fears and lack of knowledge get the better of me. I want to make up for that by learning more. Still, I can’t let you go into Gryphonia alone. Not because I think the gryphons are dangerous, but because you need a partner. Someone who can give you another perspective.”

“Ly-Ly, this is a simple reconnaissance mission,” Sweetie said.

“So what?”

That simple question threw Sweetie off guard once more. It was so simple. Sweetie Drops the agent had been alone ever since her former partners, Special Agents Dusky Heart, Jade Seed, and Dark Desire had vanished during a mission where she couldn’t go. Her heart ached to see her old companions again, but she had never taken a partner out of fear of losing such close friends again. Now, her was Lyra Heartstrings, her new best friend, a mare who had been there for her during some of her most trying times, even if it was as Bon Bon. Part of her wanted to reject Lyra’s offer and send her home at the next train stop, and all of her training was screaming at her to just give her money for a train ticket back to Ponyville Station. Her emotions, however, were getting the better of her, and she knew it.

She took a deep breath, and made a decision.

Friday, December 31, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

Dark Desire sat up in bed, looking out at the partly cloudy early morning sky. Next to her lay her latest claim, a young gryphon male with dark purple fur, crimson plumage, and gray claws. His name was Garry, Garrison…something like that. He hadn’t been a bad partner, she mused. Certainly there had been better ones in her experience but he wasn’t one of the worst. For her, it had been the thrill of being with somecreature other than a pony. The thrill was exhilarating. Not to mention how different he felt. And his claws…

She shuddered in pleasure as she reached back to feel at the spot where Gerty or whoever had dug his claws into her, not enough to draw blood, but enough to leave scratches that her fur covered up. She could still feel where he had pulled on her mane. She smirked, her dark green eyes full of mirth. Dusky didn’t particularly care for her method of investigation, calling it uncivilized, but he couldn’t deny its efficacy.

And effective it had been. Her latest target had some very useful intel on this new human. He was apparently known as the Idol Bearer, a title given to him by the citizens of Gryphonstone because he had returned their Idol of Boreas to them which restored their pride or something like that. Gregory Graystone was his name, something they already knew. He lived in the upper levels of the city in a field that the new ruling body, the Convocation, had gifted him. The house was something that Jade Seed had gone to investigate earlier the previous day. Her polaroid photographs were remarkable, showing a massive tree that had windows, doors, and a few balconies. As of the night before, none of them knew how that tree had been grown so fast.

Dark knew, though. Gretin or whoever told her what he had seen during the growing ceremony at Gregory’s new house. Apparently, some zebra mare and a few unicorns had helped to grow the tree in mere minutes instead of the weeks or months it took for houses to be constructed regularly. Not only that, but other houses of these houseoaks were being grown around Gryphonstone and the neighboring village in the valley below, Gryphontown? Gryphon Hamlet? Gryphonville? That last one sounded right.

As for the Convocation, they had apparently made allies with two other nations, or were at least in the process of doing so. Saddle Arabia had been a longstanding ally of Equestria until the Canterlot Invasion and the truth behind it came out. As for the dragons, Dark knew that the dragons and gryphons had been enemies in the ancient past, but they had largely left each other alone for centuries after the collapse of the Gryphonia Imperium. If they were starting to build up some rapport, that could be dangerous for Equestria.

She figured that she had gotten as much information out of her latest conquest, so decided to have some more fun in the early hours of the morning. She brushed her tail against Garfield’s chest, causing the young gryphon to wake. He opened one eye, yawned, then slowly sat up. “You’re an insatiable little pony,” he said with a predatory grin that sent shivers of multiple types down Dark’s body.

She moved closer, pressing her body against his. “What can I say?” she purred, “I like what I like.” She pushed him onto his back, looking down at him as she licked her lips. “You’d better be ready for more.” She cast a silencing spell around the room, then leaned down…

“Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in the days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll drink a cup of kindness yet for the sake of auld lang syne.”

Gregory was singing quietly to himself early on the morning of New Year’s Eve as he continued taking down the Christmas tree he had put up nearly a month ago, dutifully and carefully wrapping the Christmas lights up so that they wouldn’t break or get damaged in storage. He had bought a lot of spares, including LED and incandescent. It wasn’t like he could buy any more, although Starlight had assured him that Equestria did have nearly similar lights. That, however, wasn’t a guarantee.

From the door to the kitchen, he heard a familiar dragon yawn. Turning, he saw Silica walking in, covering her mouth as she smacked her lips. Ever since she had joined the household and learned more about human culture, she had hired Gryphonstone’s best clothier. Instead of the furs she had worn before, now she was wearing pants that had the look of jeans but that were more sweatpants than anything along with t-shirts and hoodies. Since zippers weren’t a thing here, she had to settle for buttons, but she didn’t seem to mind. At the moment, she was wearing what she considered pajamas, a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a floral patterned t-shirt.

Silica looked at what he was doing and a sorrowful expression formed on her face. “You’re taking the tree down already?” she asked. “That’s a shame. I liked how it looked when all the other lights were off.”

“I do too,” he said, “but if we kept it up for too long, it’d lose its magic.”

“I guess,” Silica said as she yawned again. “What were you singing just now.”

“Oh, it’s a song called Auld Lang Syne,” he explained. “It’s a traditional human song that people sing for New Year’s Day.”

“I still can’t believe you celebrate the first day of the year,” Silica said as she walked over to help take the artificial tree down. His tree was pre-lit, but he also added on twinkling lights to add to the atmosphere. “Nobody else on the planet does.”

“It’s just something we do,” Gregory explained as he held one part of the tree down while Silica gently pulled the top off before unplugging the tree top. “It’s why I asked for today off for myself from both my jobs. I’m just as surprised that nobody celebrates it here.”

“I can’t speak for anypony else,” a new voice said from the kitchen door as Amira walked in, her wings fluttering behind her as she came in, “but we’re still celebrating Haynukkah.” She gestured to the menorah on the windowsill. “Almost everypony in Saddle Arabia celebrates it.”

Gregory nodded, still surprised that they had a Hanukkah equivalent in this world. Unlike the Jewish Hanukkah, Haynukkah’s dates were always from December 24th in the evening to January 1st as world calendars all seemed to share the exact same year structure. From what Amira had explained, while the name and the candle aspect of the celebration were eerily similar, the rest of the celebration had a completely different origin and meaning for the Saddle Arabian ponies. According to ancient tradition and with some historical backup, before the inner ocean on the continent dried up to become the Deadly Valley, there had been a massive war between the three Saddle Arabian tribes. The war resulted in the devastation of a large portion of the ocean which inevitably led to the evaporation of the rest.

According to the story, a group of pony soldiers from each side were left stranded in the new desert. Tensions were high, but because the group didn’t have any way to replenish their water supplies thanks to the evaporation of the inland freshwater sea and because they were too far away from any civilization for even a pegasi’s flight to matter, the group got together and tried to come up with a solution that they could use to help them survive. They pooled their resources, including food, water, and oil for lamps along with wood for fires, because the nights grew bitterly cold in the brand new desert.

Sadly, however, they discovered that all they had would only last for a day or so at least, especially the water supply. The closest town, a former coastal town, was too far away for their supplies to last, but the leaders of each group decided to attempt it as one group. So, they began their walk, and soon their water supply began dwindling. They tried rationing it, but the new desert was too hot and they needed to be hydrated. In desperation, they all called out to Eurynome, begging to save them.

As the first day drew to a close, they set up camp, despair in their hearts. But that was when the guards heard flowing water around midnight. They searched and found a freshly formed spring of sorts. A freshwater spring. They quickly filled up their water pouches and the story went that as the last of their pouches were filled, the spring dried up. They felt some reprieve, but there was still some hopelessness among them because the water they had would only last for a few days at best.

That first amount of water lasted them two days. After a third day without water, they called out to Eurynome again, begging for another miracle. That same night, at around midnight once again, the camp heard flowing water. Just like before, a spring had erupted from the ground nearby. The camp refilled their water pouches and even had time to bathe before the spring dried out again.

This happened six more times for a total of eight miraculous springs of freshwater appearing for the soldiers. This gave them enough time to stretch out their supplies in order to reach the former coastal city. The story ended with the group hearing a loud noise from behind. Turning, they saw a massive stream of water flowing out of the ground into an arc across the sky, forming a temporary rainbow. Not only that, but the water showered over the soldiers, cleaning the dirt off of their bodies. They took it as a sign from Eurynome.

Another miracle that occurred was that no pony had died, although there had been times when death almost claimed some. A third miracle was that the leaders of each group of soldiers bonded so closely during that time that they formed a herd with each other despite the wartime conditions.

It was this story of the miracle of eight springs forming to provide the Saddle Arabians with enough water to survive that caused each side to come to the negotiating table. There, the leaders of each side formed the new Sultanate, uniting each of the three tribes of Saddle Arabians and creating a new nation.

Gregory looked at Amira, who was wearing Saddle Arabian sleepwear herself. “What do we need to do to prepare tonight?” he asked. Aside from celebrating the Blue Moon Festival, Hearth’s Warming, and Christmas, the household had also been joining in the celebration of Haynukkah. Gregory had wanted each group in the house to feel welcome and included, and this was one way he had of showing it.

Amira gave him a grateful smile. “Tonight is the second to last night,” she said, “and there’s nothing too special about tonight that we haven’t done before. The traditional water toast, more of that delicious food, and a small gift exchange. And games, of course.”

Gregory smiled. He had, in anticipation, bought eight gifts for each night, as the gift giving ceremony was more like a White Elephant celebration where gifts were passed around while they sang a song together, or listened to Amira sing since they didn’t know traditional Haynukkah songs. Once each song was finished, the gifts in the hands, claws, hooves etc. of whoever had them at the end of each song were theirs. Gregory had received several interesting gifts, such as Saddle Arabian perfume that Amira gave as her present for the first night, a small stone statue of Emperor Grover that Gabby gave the second night, some gryphon scones that Gilda gave the third night, a couple books about gryphon ancient history that Gallus gave the fourth night, a gold bracelet encrusted with intricately carved gems that Silica gave the fifth night, and a deck of magic cards that Trixie gave the sixth night. “I look forward to it,” Gregory said, and that was the truth. Amira had an amazing singing voice, angelic almost, and the songs she sang in her native tongue evoked feelings of not only longing for the past but a hope for the future.

Silica chuckled. “Eight days of presents. I think if dragons heard about this holiday, they’d be all over it,” she said.

Amira gave the dragon a wry smile. “Oh, I’m sure they would,” she said. She then finally noticed what Gregory and Silica were doing. “Oh? Finally taking down that Christmas tree? That’s a shame. I enjoyed looking at it.”

“Everyone did,” Gregory said as he and Silica separated the middle part together, “but the holiday season’s over for now. I already took down the smaller one in my room.”

There was a gasp from the stairs, and everyone turned to see Trixie walking down the stairs. She was wearing a nightgown and nightcap. She stared at the nearly disassembled tree and the massive bag where it was stored. Galloping down, she looked up at Gregory with pleading eyes. “Can’t you wait until later to take down the tree?” she begged. “Trixie liked the colorful display.”

Gregory just chuckled. “I have tomorrow off,” he said, “and I don’t want to spend it putting away Christmas decorations. Besides, tonight isn’t just day seven of Haynukkah, but it’s New Year’s Eve. We stay up to midnight and ring in the new year.”

Trixie looked back forlornly at the tree, then sighed. “Trixie guesses you’re right,” she said, “but she wishes she could see the lights one more time.”

“Tell you what,” Gregory said, “if the border to Equestria opens again, I can try and order some Hearth’s Warming lights for your room.”

She brightened a little. “It’s not the same, but Trixie guesses it’ll do.” She then turned and headed to the kitchen. “What breakfast does everycreature want? Trixie can get started.”

“I’ll come join you,” Amira said, turning to go to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, the tree and all of the decorations were all stored away in the basement and he and Silica had joined Amira and Trixie in the kitchen to make breakfast. Gregory and Silica were preparing all of the meat portions of breakfast, which included sausage and bacon. Trixie and Amira were preparing other things, such as hash browns, scrambled eggs, and toast. One thing that the group agreed on was a breakfast and dinner in the dining room every morning. It was rare for there to be lunch in the house, but nobody seemed to mind.

Trixie looked around the kitchen at one point, then looked back at Gregory. “Did you take down all of those Christmas linens too?” she asked.

“Everything Christmas is cleaned and packed away,” he said. “Mugs, dishes, and linens.”

“It feels a bit like the color left the house,” Trixie said sorrowfully.

“That feeling will pass in time,” Amira said reassuringly. “Especially when spring comes.”

Trixie’s smile returned. “Trixie can’t wait for spring.”

“That’s when the real work begins,” Gregory chuckled.

The door to the kitchen opened and Gabby walked in, yawning. “Mmm…something smells good,” she said as she looked at the large platters full of steaming breakfast. “That looks delicious.”

“Could you take that out to the dining room?” Silica asked.

“Sure,” Gabby said, grabbing the tray of scrambled eggs and taking them through to the dining room.

Gilda and Gallus came in next, Gilda looking like she’d just taken a shower and Gallus looking like he had bedhead. Both muttered a tired ‘Good morning’ to the group of four making breakfast before they shuffled into the dining room. Soon after, Starlight and Sunset came in, both looking fresh and clean and definitely wider awake than their gryphon counterparts. Sunset was the first to speak. “Anything we can do to help?” the fire colored pony asked.

“We’ve got things under control,” Silica said.

“If you want to help, look in the fridge and grab some of that orange juice we got in yesterday,” Gregory said. The first batch of oranges had arrived from Saddle Arabia two days prior and Gregory had bought enough to make a pitcher of the delicious drink. He still had several frozen cans of juice concentrate from Earth, but he hadn’t used it up yet.

Sunset walked over and grabbed the pitcher. Starlight grabbed several glasses from the cabinets and began setting them on a tray. Sunset began pouring glasses for everybody, then Starlight carried them out to the dining room. Everyone in the kitchen chuckled when they heard the three gryphons cheer at the sight of their coveted orange juice.

Ten or so minutes later, the group were all sitting at the table, passing the trays of food back and forth as they filled their plates with food. Outside the nearby window, a windless but heavy snow was falling, covering the ground with more snow. Winter had come to Gryphonstone. The three gryphons at the table had already had all of their orange juice and were now drinking some bliss instead to wash down their breakfast.

The conversations between them were all simple and friendly, mostly about plans for the day. Silica and Amira planned on staying in and relaxing since there was no Convocation meeting. Starlight, Sunset, and Trixie would be going to the Eyrie. Starlight and Sunset would be going through books in the library while Trixie would be spending time with a few pony foals and the many gryphon cubs there. Gilda was taking the day off and would be spending some time with a few of her newer friends, including Gina. Gallus would be going through the city doing small odd jobs like fixing a few door locks or helping to cover broken windows. Gabby had her job, but she suspected it would be a half day. Gregory, having the day off, planned on going out for a few hours to get some fresh air and to explore the city while getting a bite to eat at lunch, then come home and relax for the rest of the day until the others came back.

Breakfast was just ending when the doorbell rang. As one, the conversation stopped and everyone at the table looked at each other with confusion. “Is anybody expecting visitors?” Silica asked after a few seconds. Everybody else shook their head and gave their denials. “I’ll go see who it is,” the dragoness said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, stood, and walked out towards the living room.

“Think there’s some girl scouts selling cookies out there?” Gabby joked. That got a chuckle out of the group. One evening a few days ago, Gregory had told the houseguests about Girl Scouts. It had been a random topic about his home and had been one of several things he’d talked about.

“If they found me here, I’d be amazed,” Gregory chuckled, “and then I’d buy all the thin mints they had on stock. God, I miss those cookies. I really should have searched for and downloaded a recipe before I came here.” He looked at the ponies. “Does Equestria have anything like that?” He asked, although he knew that they did.

“There are the filly guides, or the filly scouts,” Starlight said. “There weren’t any chapters in my old town, but my foalhood town had a chapter there. They’re a kingdom-wide organization. There’s also the colt scouts, but they’re not the same organization.”

“Hmm, I wonder if filly scouts have thin mint cookies,” Gregory wondered.

The conversation was interrupted by Silica coming in quickly. “Gregory, it’s for you. It’s Gwendolyn.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow as he stood. “Did she say why she was here?” he asked as he wiped his mouth and took a sip of his orange juice to wash down his breakfast.

“Just that it was urgent,” Silica said. “She’s in the living room waiting for you.”

Gregory nodded, then grabbed his glass of orange juice and walked into the living room. There, he saw the young gryphon sitting close to the fire and warming herself up. When she heard him come in, she stood and nodded at him. “Gregory.”

“Gwen,” he said, offering her his glass. “Hope you don’t mind that I drank this first.”

She gingerly clasped the glass and looked at the three fourths full glass. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked in awe.

“Fresh squeezed yesterday,” Gregory replied.

She took a tentative sip, then shuddered in pleasure. “Oooh…it’s been so long since I’ve had any…it’s better than I remember.” She looked at him. “Are you sure it’s okay to have this?”

“Go ahead,” Gregory encouraged.

She smiled happily, then drank a big gulp, seeming to savor every drop before she set the glass down on the coffee table. Her smile faded a bit as she looked up at him. “Gregory, I’m sorry to visit on a day off, but we’ve got visitors from the Crystal Empire.”

Gregory’s eyes widened in surprise. “Visitors? We weren’t expecting anybody.”

“They caught us by surprise too,” Gwendolyn replied, “but they said they sent us a reply saying they were coming soon.”

Gregory frowned. “You think their letter got lost in the mail?” he asked.

Gwendolyn shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised. International mail is always a hit or miss. Our mail service has been trying hard since September to improve, but even they-”

“Hey,” Gregory said, becoming defensive, “don’t knock my and Gabby’s work. They’re trying. I still work there, you know.”

“I wasn’t knocking it,” Gwendolyn said. “I know mail delivery in Gryphonia is getting much better, but international letter delivery is still shoddy at best.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Gregory muttered. “We should all invite reps from each nation over here and get some sort of international standard in place.” He waved his hand to dismiss the issue. “Well, who did they send?”

Gwendolyn smirked a bit. “You’re not going to believe this…”

Empress Cadance walked through the snow-covered city of Gryphonstone, looking around the city in awe. Having lived many years in Canterlot, she could safely say that the city she was walking through was bitter than the cliffside capital city of Equestria. Beside her, Shining Armor and several Crystal Guards walked, being flanked by the Gryphonstone city watch. Shining was walking next to a heavily bundled up Flurry Heart. They would have left her at home for this diplomatic visit, but the young alicorn filly had begged to come, and she and Shining had found it hard to say no to her. She was already four and a half years old and already was very vocal. Celestia had told her that natural born alicorns were quick learners.

Of course, she was still a four and a half year old foal, which meant that the stares of confusion and distrust that the group of ponies received went right over Flurry’s head. Cadance walked closer to where Flurry was hovering. “I think it’s time that you come on down now,” she said to her daughter, “it’s starting to get windy.”

“Awww, but I want to fly,” Flurry whined as she obeyed her mother regardless of her complaints.

“If you behave, and if we have time, then maybe you can fly around,” her husband said, “but only if your guards come with you.”

“But they’re no fun,” Flurry stamped on the ground with her hoof. However, that action caused her to slip into the deep snowdrift and faceplant.

Cadance acted immediately, lifting her daughter out of the snow. “You okay, sweetie?” Cadance asked.

Flurry’s light blue eyes began to water, and then she began to cry. Cadance figured it was more out of being cold or shocked than by being hurt, but she did nevertheless check her daughter over and asked where it hurt. Thankfully, Flurry said nothing hurt, but that she was getting colder. One of the Imperial detail came forward with a blanket and offered it to Cadance, who wrapped Flurry up immediately and carried her in the foal sling around her. “You’ll be okay, sweetheart,” she reassured the now sniffling but no longer crying filly.

“By the Maker,” Shining suddenly said.

Cadance immediately covered Flurry’s ears. “Shiny?” she turned to her husband, who was looking off at something. “What is it?”

He raised a hoof and pointed. “There.”

Cadance turned, and she almost said the same thing. They were passing through an intersection and on their left, they were passing by what had to be a restaurant or a tavern perhaps called Green Dragon. There were two dragons walking out, followed by four ponies and two gryphons. The group was laughing and talking in a jovial manner as they turned to their left and walked down the street away from the group of ponies from the Crystal Empire.

Nearby, on the side of the street next to what looked like a café, Cadance saw a group of two ponies and three gryphons sitting all bundled up and sipping on some hot beverages. They were talking animatedly among themselves. Cadance’s alicorn hearing could catch the conversation as they walked past.

“The Bearer becoming the Chancellor? That’s just a rumor,” the first pony, a young stallion, said.

“It’s more than that! I heard from someone that he made the Chancellor’s Ring move and only he can pick it up!” a young female gryphon replied.

“Where’d you hear that from?” the second pony, a mare, asked.

“Gerald,” the same gryphon female replied.

“That gryphon?!” Another older male gryphon laughed and waved a dismissive claw. “He’s always been spreading rumors. In fact, rumor has it he was born saying some nonsense about overhearing his mother cheating on his father, which never happened.”

“Hah!” the third gryphon, another female, laughed. “That guy loves to spread gossip and rumors.”

As the procession from the Empire walked past, one of the gryphons turned to see them, the older male one. His eyes widened in alarm. “What the fuck…?”

Cadance’s ears flattened. She hated that her daughter had to hear such language, but she should have expected it. She held up a wing to pause the procession. Shining turned to her and asked, “Cadance? What’s going on?”

“Remain here,” she ordered the guards before turning and lifting Flurry over to him. “Wait here, please. I’m going to talk to them for a little bit.” Shining didn’t respond except with a nod as the guards opened up a path for her. She strode over to the group, making herself appear as friendly as she could. When she was within earshot, she raised a friendly hoof. “Hello, there,” she said, “do you mind if I ask you five a few questions?”

Everyone at the table was now looking at her with a stunned expression. The gryphon who had sworn was the first to recover. “What would an alicorn princess want with us?”

“She’s not from Equestria anymore,” one of the mares said by means of explanation. “She’s the new Empress of the Crystal Empire.”

The gryphon looked at Cadance with renewed interest. “Huh…you have nothing to do with Equestria, then?”

“Only that I was born and raised there,” Cadance explained, “but I am my own monarch now.”

The group looked at each other, then the male gryphon spoke up. “You said you had questions? Wouldn’t it be better for someone of your station to meet with the Convocation?”

“I have been invited to see them,” she explained, “but I wanted to get opinions from, well, for lack of a better phrase, cityfolk.”

The group chuckled at that. “What’s your question, Empress?” the first female pony asked.

“What is this Convocation like? If you know anything about them, that is?”

Cadance listened as the group told her about the several members of this Convocation. She knew of Ambassador Geoffrey, having met him a few times when he’d visited the Empire before the Canterlot Invasion. The others she didn’t know, but the descriptions that this group gave her helped her form ideas about them. Gwendolyn seemed to be an integral part of the Convocation, helping keep them organized. She didn’t know what an Imperial Mage was, but it sounded like something important.

Members such as Gael, Ginna, and Georgia made sense since they came from different age groups among the Gryphons. She found it wise of the Convocation to include them for differing perspectives. The inclusion of an individual called Grandpa Gruff didn’t make sense at first, but when she asked, Cadance learned that he was something of an elder among the Gryphonstone community.

It was the inclusion of an individual named Gregory Graystone that confused her. They referred to him as the Idol Bearer, and the gryphons told her about how, back in September, he had appeared from a faraway land and found the mythical Idol of Boreas, returning it to them when he easily could have taken it as they said he wasn’t a gryphon. This caught Cadance’s attention and she asked what kind of creature this Gregory Graystone was. The ponies answered before the gryphons did, explaining that he was unique.

Seeing that they didn’t seem to want to divulge the information, she resigned herself to having to be surprised. She was surprised enough when they told her that the Dragon Lord and the Sultan of Saddle Arabia had already agreed to some trade deals with Gryphonstone and alliances were currently being forged between the three nations. As a leader herself, she immediately clutched onto the hope that she could figure out a means to extend an olive branch of friendship and mutual beneficial trade between her Empire and Gryphonia. She did thank them for letting her pick their brains, then she rejoined her convoy. Shining walked up to her, still cradling the now sleeping filly. “Did you learn anything interesting?” he asked as they resumed their walk up to the Eyrie.

“A little bit,” she said. “and what I’ve learned might be big news when it reaches Equestria.”

“Why’s that?” Shining asked, growing concerned.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. Not for us, I hope,” Cadance said with a smirk, “but it’ll certainly be a slap in the face to those nobleponies in Canterlot.”

Shining raised an eyebrow, then smirked too. “Good. Those nobles could use a smack.”

She nodded in agreement, then walked closer and leaned against her husband, not caring if it was proper protocol or not. He was her rock, and it always brought her comfort when she was close to her husband. He may have been the Royal Consort, but even she needed someone to lean against, and not just physically.

The past few months had been hard for her, especially with regards to the truth about Emperor Wright’s treatment at the hooves of her own sister-in-law and her friends for three long years. It was a hard pill to swallow, but in the end she had to accept that her former charge when she was a foalsitter had done those things. Not only that, but she had mistreated young Spike, her and her parents. Shining was only marginally better mostly because he wasn’t at home as much during the time before Twilight moved into Canterlot Castle with Spike.

Shining had been training to be in the Royal Guard and didn’t have much time with Spike. Shining had fallen into a deep depression when he realized his own failures and now wrote regularly to Spike. Thankfully, the young dragon wrote back and it seemed as if their relationship was on the mend. Her husband had even invited Spike to live up with them, but Spike had politely declined.

She was still in her own thoughts when they arrived at the gates to the Eyrie. Two large gryphon guards stood there. One of them, a muscular female, stepped forward. “Halt! State your business.”

Cadance stood and reached into her pack with her magic, retrieving the missive from the Convocation. “I am Empress Cadance of the Crystal Empire,” she announced. “This is my husband, Emperor-Consort Shining Armor, my daughter Princess Flurry Heart and my entourage of guards. We were invited here by the Convocation.” She passed the missive over to the guard.

She took it, opened it, and her eyes widened. She turned back to the Empress. “Apologies. I’ll let the Convocation know you’re here. Please step inside.”

The foyer to the Eyrie was larger than either the one in the Crystal Palace or in Canterlot Castle. It had the look of an ancient hall, but there were a few gryphons either cleaning away centuries of grime or repairing parts of the foyer itself. It had a very organic feel to it, without any kind of straight edges anywhere. The place looked like it was made of wood, but a quick scan showed it was made of some kind of stone that she couldn’t penetrate. It only looked like stone. A large chandelier hung over two sets of stairs that led to a balcony which itself led to large winding staircase. Below the balcony was a long hallway where the group saw a large number of gryphon cubs playing with adult gryphons keeping watch.

“Forgive me for asking,” Cadance asked the second guard who had remained behind, “but why are their cubs in here? Isn’t this a place where the Convocation meets?”

“They are refugees,” the guard said. “The changeling Emperor made them leave their colony in the Badlands so they returned here. They’re staying here until winter ends so that new homes can be built for them and their families.”

Cadance immediately understood. Winters in the north where she lived were full of snowstorms, so she could only imagine what storms were like in this mountain city. “I wonder if we can take some of them in back in the Empire…” she thought aloud.

“We do have some pony refugees from Equestria,” a new voice said from the balcony above. Cadance looked up to see a young gryphon female standing there beside the gryphon ambassador. The ambassador was the same as ever, but the female gryphon was new to her. She had yellow claws, light brown fur, long golden feathers in her plumage and bright green eyes. Both wore a dark brown suit, a black tie, and a white cloak with golden fringe and a bright yellow hood. “Empress Cadance, I presume? My name is Gwendolyn, and I am the Imperial Mage and Secretary of the Convocation. I take it you know ambassador Geoffrey?”

Cadance smiled at them. “A pleasure to see you again, Ambassador, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Gwendolyn.”

“I must say, we weren’t expecting you here today,” the Ambassador said with a wry grin.

Cadance stood taller, smiling up at the gryphon. “I did send a letter about my arrival,” she said.

“We never received anything about that,” Gwendolyn said as she spread her wings and flew down to the ground before them with Geoffrey next to him.

“Our mail service is improving, and even one of our own in the Convocation works part time for them, but international letters do tend to be lost,” Geoffrey said. “When we heard that your envoy had arrived, we set aside a room for you and your group as fast as we could, but please forgive us if it’s not up to your standards.”

“Well, perhaps next time I can send somepony personally to make sure the message isn’t lost,” Cadance said. She could forgive a message being lost especially for a country just beginning to rebuild.

“That would be much appreciated, thank you,” Gwendolyn said.

“And don’t worry about our standards,” Shining said. “As long as we have a place that is warm, dry, and comfortable, we can survive. I’m a former Royal Guard. I’ve slept in some harsh places.”

“The rooms we have set apart for you should more than suit your needs,” Geoffrey said before he turned to Gwendolyn. “I know it’s his day off, but would you fetch Gregory? He will want to be here for this. Ambassadors Amira and Silica as well if they can come.”

Gwendolyn took in a sharp breath. “He won’t like this, but sure.” She spread her wings and flew towards the door, opening it and flying out into the winter day.

Geoffrey turned to Cadance. “Please follow me and I’ll lead you to the Convocation meeting room. I’m afraid you may need to wait for the entire Convocation to meet. One of our own even requested today off to celebrate a personal holiday that his people observe.”

Cadance felt a bit guilty now for arriving at such a time. “If it’s a holiday for one of your own, we can schedule for a meeting another time,” she offered.

“If I know Gregory, he will want to meet as soon as possible,” Geoffrey said. “If he insists on taking today off, we can meet tomorrow.”

“I apologize,” Cadance said, “I should have sent a messenger.”

“With how things are going in Equestria, your messenger may have been stopped at our borders,” Geoffrey said. “There is still a slight mistrust of ponies here, although that is starting to go away for the pony refugees here.”

Cadance nodded in silence as she followed behind Geoffery, who led the convoy up one of the sets of stairs. Flurry Heart was awake by this time and was looking around with awe. She had begun asking tons of questions, but Shining shushed her and said that she could ask later. Geoffrey chuckled at that, turned, and said, “You can let her go play with the gryphon cubs downstairs if you like. It may give some of your guards something to do.”

“A great idea,” Cadance said as she lifted Flurry in her magic and set her down. “Sweetie, Mommy and Daddy need to talk with some important creatures right now. Boring stuff. Would you like to make some gryphon friends?”

Flurry’s eyes went wide with childlike excitement and she nodded. “Yes!” she exclaimed happily.

Cadance smiled happily at this. Foals were always so resilient. Turning to two of her guards, she ordered them to watch over Flurry while she played. The guards took the young princess down the stairs as she flew around, exploring everything. Geoffrey smiled at this as well. “Your daughter is quite an excitable foal,” she observed as they began to walk up the large set of stairs. “I remember when she was just an infant. Those were some interesting times.”

“She’s our little miracle,” Cadance said with a warm tone. In truth, they would have left her at home like they would for other trips of this nature, but she and Shining wanted to use this time as an excuse for a brief family vacation. After this meeting, they were planning on asking about any sort of local sights to see.

“She should be able to make plenty of friends among the cubs,” Shining added.

“Children are our most precious resource,” Geoffrey said.

The group soon reached a level with a set of double doors at the end of a hallway. Geoffrey led them to the door. Turning, he looked at the remaining Crystal Guards. “I’m afraid I must ask that you leave your guards out here while we talk,” he said apologetically.

“Your house, your rules,” Cadance said before the guards could object.

“Stay out here,” Shining ordered.

The guards stiffened and saluted before setting up a watch in their normal formation. Geoffrey then opened the doors and led them into the room where the Convocation met. Immediately, Cadance knew this was an old throne room, but nocreature was sitting in the raised throne. Instead, sitting around a large round table that looked like a tree stump, sat a number of gryphons, some of which looked like they were transparent. Each of them were wearing the same type of outfit that Geoffrey was wearing. Two chairs were quickly brought over by a couple of younger looking gryphons who weren’t wearing the clothes of the Convocation, then they left. Geoffrey pulled out the chairs for the two. “Please sit,” he said, “and we’ll bring you something to eat and drink while we wait for the rest of the Convocation.”

Cadance took note that there were three other chairs opposite hers that looked like they had been made for nongryphons. One had to belong to Gregory Graystone, she surmised, and the others might belong to the two individuals Geoffrey named, Silica and Amira. She surmised they were the ambassadors from the Dragon Lands and Sultanate, although the only Amira she knew was the Princess of Saddle Arabia.

“Allow me to introduce the others while we wait,” Geoffrey said. He went around the table, naming each gryphon. Two of them, the transparent ones, were apparently not physically in Gryphonstone but were in the Dragon Lands and Sultanate, using some Saddle Arabian magic to appear in their seats. Cadance wondered if there was a way to negotiate for this sort of magic for her own empire, or at least she wondered if she could negotiate for its use in future meetings with the Convocations. At least, if there were any future meetings.

The younger pony couple were given some refreshments after introductions were made with a plate of warm bread, cheese, a baked potato with butter, and a mug with a purple drink inside. She looked at the mug, then back at Geoffrey. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked in anticipation.

“I did promise that I would bring you a few barrels before the madness at Canterlot happened, didn’t I?” Geoffrey asked with an actual sheepish look on his face. “Remind me to scrounge up a few aged barrels of bliss for you when you head home.”

“This is bliss?” Shining asked as he lifted the mug and sniffed it. “It smells different from the bliss I remember having in Canterlot.”

“No offense to the ponies there, but Canterlot bliss is not as good as the local offerings,” Geoffrey said.

“I can see that now,” Shining said in appreciation, taking another sip. “I suspect that my wife’s first request will be bliss in exchange for whatever it is you would request from us.”

Cadance lightly smacked her husband with her wing. She loved him dearly, that much was not in question, but she also knew he was not much of a negotiator. Geoffrey laughed at that. “I think you could buy some from local bliss makers without any sort of formal contract,” the older, portly gryphon said. “As long as you pay, they will deliver.”

Cadance relaxed for a bit, until the door behind them opened. She heard a female voice speaking in a Saddle Arabian accent behind her. “You see, Silica? I am more than capable of carrying our gracious host on my back.”

“Hmph!” another female voice said. “It made you look ridiculous.”

“For some reason it felt natural to me,” the Saddle Arabian said.

“Girls, please let’s table this discussion for another time?” a male voice said, “after all, we have a pair of distinguished guests.”

Cadance almost turned around to see who it was, but held herself in place, knowing she’d get a look at whatever creature was coming in a few seconds. And when she saw what kind of creature the male voice, presumably Gregory, belonged to, her composure left her and her jaw dropped.

Gregory Graystone was a human.

15: New Allies

Friday, December 31, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

The door closed behind Gregory, Amira, and Silica, creating its normal booming sound as it did so. Reaching down to his belt, he removed the sword he had strapped to his belt at the last minute. He then walked over to his assigned chair, but then pulled the two on either side of the middle chairs out. Silica and Amira both sat down in their usual places, then it was the human’s turn to sit. He looked at Cadance and Shining. He could see now why Shining Armor fell in love with her. As ponies came, she was definitely quite the attractive catch. Slender, but with some curves that would likely drive any stallion wild, at least if a few discussions with Trixie of all ponies were any indication of how ponies thought of beauty. He hung his sword on the back of his chair as he sat down. He was smiling as he said, “I take it from the shocked looks on your faces that you didn’t expect to see another human aside from Jason Wright again?”

The looks of shock on the royal faces intensified, indicating to him that he was right. It was Cadance who was the first to speak. “Please forgive our shock,” she said, “but it’s just that we didn’t think another human existed.”

That told Gregory that the Crystal Empire wasn’t spying on them like the Changeling Empire was. Or if not, then it said that Cadance was a brilliant actor. Shining, not so much. He recovered a few moments after his wife spoke, letting his emotions show on his sleeve as he narrowed his eyes at Gregory with some suspicion. “If you knew about Jason, why are you here?”

“Whoa there,” Gregory said, raising his hands placatingly, “We’re not here to yell at you about the actions of others.”

“The offer we as a Convocation made to the Crystal Empire is a genuine one,” Ambassador Geoffrey added. “We wish nothing more than to create trade agreements between our governing bodies that will be mutually beneficial.”

Cadance put a wing on her husband’s back. “Shiny, relax.” She then turned back to the rest of the Convocation. “I’m afraid you have us at a disadvantage. We as a nation can likely offer little to you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Princess,” Geoffrey said. “You have something that we could utilize.”

“What is that?” Cadance asked.

“Magic crystals and knowledge of said crystals.” With that, Geoffrey brought out a large piece of élanite and set it on the table.

Cadance’s eyes widened until they were as big as saucers. Sure, Gregory knew that there was a lot of other things that the Crystal Empire could offer, like food, ancient nonrestricted knowledge, and potential trade routes to, say, Yakyakistan to the west of the Empire, but knowledge on crystals was definitely one thing that they could put to good use. Cadance looked over at Geoffrey, then pointed at the élanite. “May I?”

“Of course,” Geoffrey said.

Cadance reached down with her wing and picked it up, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Gregory. Sunset and Starlight had told him one that they found it difficult to lift up any élanite. Not because it was too heavy, but because it was so full of raw magic that it could affect them in ways they couldn’t predict. Trixie could pick one up thanks in part to her magical abilities being slightly less than her friends, but it still had some kind of affect on her. It made her magic more powerful, and she had been using a tiny piece of the crystal to boost her magic so she could entertain the children, something she absolutely found perfect joy in. Sunset and Starlight could pick up élanite with their hooves, of course.

“This is…some of the purest élanite I’ve ever seen,” she said as she held it in her wing, examining it closely. “There’s so much magic here. Where did you get this? I thought that Gryphonia had less magic than either my empire or Equestria.”

“It does,” Gwendolyn said, “but we have struck a deal with the Dragon Lord and with Ambassador Silica here. She has a cave full of this ore.”

Cadance’s jaw almost dropped, but Gregory saw her royal reserve appear once more and she nodded in understanding. “Interesting. I had heard rumors that the Dragon Lands held élanite reserves, but since nopony visited those lands, it couldn’t be confirmed.”

“I can definitely confirm it,” Gael said. “I’ve visited Ambassador Silica’s cave, and it’s full of this mineral. It actually seems to grow.”

“Correct,” Cadance said before anyone else could speak. Looking up at the Convocation, she put the élanite down and began to explain. “Élanite is like other crystals in that it grows fast underground. The thing is, though, from what I’ve been told by my experts, it grows anywhere, not just in certain areas like other gems grow.” She turned to Silica. “Ambassador Silica, was it? Tell me, do you know what gem cores are?”

The dragon’s eyes widened and Gregory saw her begin to salivate. He knew what Cadance was talking about. Gems in this world formed quite differently than on Earth. It took weeks or sometimes months for gems to grow instead of centuries. “Cores are the most delicious delicacy we have,” she said with a shudder. “Sadly, though, we can’t eat an entire core.”

“Correct,” Cadance said. She then turned to Gregory. “In case you didn’t know, a gem core is where a vein of gemstones come from.”

“Silica explained it to me some time ago, but thank you,” Gregory said. “She did say that dragons never ate the entire core and instead would put the remnant back in the ground to regrow fully.”

“Wise precaution,” Cadance said, nodding in approval at Silica. “Ambassador, have you found any élanite cores?”

“Those are pretty common in our lands,” Silica explained. “We don’t eat élanite because to us it has a foul taste. I have a chest full of élanite cores that I got in a trade years ago. It’s just collecting dust in my cave.”

Cadance nodded. “Hmm, I see.” Gregory thought he could see the wheels in her head begin to turn. She then looked around the room. “In good faith, I want to share some information with you all. Élanite can be grown underground, and it can also increase the magic around the world thanks to its latent properties. It exists everywhere in the world, but in varying quantities. If I had to guess, there is less élanite here than in places such as my Empire or in Equestria. Still, the quality of this élanite here is much higher than anywhere else. Ambassador Silica, who gave you these cores? Was it a fellow dragon?”

“Well, yes,” the light aquamarine dragon replied with a confused nod.

“Did they get these cores in the Dragon Lands?” Cadance asked.

“That’s what he said,” Silica said.

“Hmm…if your vein of élanite is any indication, then that could be the norm for how pure the élanite in the Dragon Lands is.”

“All of the élanite I’ve seen looks identical to the stuff Ambassador Silica traded,” Gael explained. “Still, I’m not a big gem expert.”

“If your Dragon Lord will allow it, I can have some experts travel down to the Dragon Lands to assess the gems there, and not just élanite,” Cadance said. “I’ve actually read that in older eras of the empire, we purchased gems from the Dragon Lands in exchange for the unique foods we could grow. Of course, that was long before my time and happened during Empress Amore’s rule.”

So that comic character is canon, Gregory thought as everyone exchanged looks. He decided to speak up. “Food, you say? Could you elaborate on that?”

Cadance nodded. “Our nation has some unique agricultural exports. As it so happens, with the trade embargo we’ve placed on Equestria, we are producing more food than we can consume.” She smiled, and Gregory saw it was the smile of a ruler who was looking for ways to better the lives of her people. “I believe we can strike some sort of trade agreement here, and not just with the Dragon Lands, but with all three nations represented here. With all of the recent turmoil in Equestria, international trade has been disrupted heavily. National mistrust has grown, and not just with Equestria.”

“Very astute observation,” Geoffrey said with a chuckle. “I see you’ve taken those royalty lessons to heart.”

Gregory saw her relax and smile at the gryphon ambassador. “I was taught well, but your lessons stick better than most.” She turned back to the Convocation. “I am more than willing to listen to your proposals.”

“Mr. Graystone, please wait up!”

Cadance, after the meeting had concluded some two hours later, rushed out after the human member of the Convocation. While Geoffrey had taken the lead during a good deal of the discussions, it was clear to her that Gregory was the type to think about things before he spoke, at least in the meeting. Not to mention, him being this Idol Bearer was intriguing.

Gregory paused and turned to face her. From behind, Cadance could hear her entourage following close behind. She might have been a princess, but there were times when she abandoned royal decorum. “Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, Emperor Consort Shining Armor,” he said, putting a hand over his heart and inclining his head politely before bringing it up. “What can I do for you?”

Cadance simply smiled at him as she paused in front of him. Silica and Amira were walking on either side of him. “Please, call me Cadance,” she said, “and I was hoping to speak with you about something.”

“About Jason Wright?” Gregory asked. Cadance paused. In fact, she had wanted to discuss something regarding him with Gregory. The human chuckled softly, as if he had read her mind. “What would you like to talk with me about him? Until I came to this land, I didn’t know he existed.”

“Well, I was hoping to gain some insight into humanity,” Cadance said.

Before Gregory could reply, a familiar filly flew up in front of him. Cadance saw Silica and Amira tense up beside him, but Gregory held up his hand to stop them. He took a step back, but the young filly pressed forward. “You’re a weird looking minotaur,” Flurry Heart said.

Cadance looked past her daughter and saw a look of surprise on Gregory’s face. He looked at her daughter, then smiled. Reaching out, Cadance watched in surprise as he patted Flurry’s head, scratching her behind her ears. “That’s because I’m not a minotaur, your Highness,” he said with some amusement. “I’m a human being.”

“Hyu…hyu…hooman?” Flurry tried to say the word before she began to lose altitude. Gregory wrapped his arms around the young foal, continuing to scratch behind her ears as she closed her eyes in contentment as he cradled her in an almost instinctive manner. “Mmmm…that feels nice, mister hooman,” she said.

“My name is Gregory, your Highness,” Gregory replied with a wide smile of his own as he stroked her mane gently. He rocked her back and forth while continuing to stroke her purple and blue mane. One hand was holding her head securely while his other arm was crossed to hold her body securely. He looked up at the group from the Crystal Empire, who were frozen in shock at what they were seeing. “Your daughter is quite cute, your Majesties,” he said. “You must be very happy to be her parents.”

Cadance recovered first and smiled as she watched her daughter press her head into Gregory’s hand. “I am so sorry about our daughter’s precocious behavior,” she apologized, “she’s still learning proper decorum.”

“No need to apologize,” he said as Silica came up beside him to look at the young foal with a smile of her own. “Children everywhere are the same. Innocent.”

“She is quite the lovely filly,” Amira agreed as she came up and looked at the nearly asleep Flurry. “She reminds me of a cousin of mine back in Saddle Arabia. So curious.”

Cadance felt her husband stepped forward beside her. Looking at him, she saw a look of suspicion on his face as he gently lifted Flurry out of Gregory’s arms. “Come along, Flurry,” he said, “you should take a nap-”

Flurry’s piercing scream shot out of the filly instantly. Gregory put his hands over his ears to block out the sound as everyone else did similarly. Amira put some feathers in her ears, Silica put her claws over her own ears, and the other ponies flattened their ears. Gregory could hear Flurry whining and begging for more head scratches. Cadance swiftly grabbed Flurry and moved her back over to Gregory, quickly realizing why she was crying. Nodding, he gently grasped her and resumed what he had been doing. This immediately calmed Flurry down and she relaxed.

“So…that just happened,” Silica said with a nervous look at the filly. “I’ve never heard anyone scream that loud before. Not even when my half-sister was a young hatchling did she ever scream that loud.”

“Yeah…we can hear her cries across our palace sometimes,” Cadance explained as she watched Gregory continue to scratch Flurry’s mane. “I’ve never seen this side of her, though.”

“Look at that,” Silica said with a wide grin, “she’s already asleep.”

Cadance took a peak, and sure enough the young princess was fast asleep. She’d never seen her daughter this relaxed, but was distracted from those thoughts when Gregory began humming a lullaby for her, and this only seemed to relax her even more. He smiled and began to sing what he was humming.

“Once there was a maiden, so beautiful and kind.
“She was the smallest maiden fair that you could ever find.
“She was sweet, and she was gentle, and she loved the simple way.
“At night, she slept in a walnut shell; she sailed on a flower all day.”

“Tiny Thumbelina, you could fit into my hand.
“I hope you find a happy place in a sunny fairyland.”

“Somewhere there's a tiny prince, he's handsome, good and kind.
“He's just the prince that Thumbelina wants to find.
“He's strong, and he is gentle, and he loves the simple way.
“He and Thumbelina will be happy all their days.”

“Tiny Thumbelina, you could fit into my hand.
“I hope you find a happy place in a sunny fairyland.
“Yes, I hope you find a happy place in a sunny fairyland.”

When he finished, he gently moved her over to Cadance, who took the sleeping princess in her magic. Thankfully, this time she didn’t wake up. Instead, Cadance took her daughter into her magic and nuzzled her gently before kissing her. “Thank you, Mr. Graystone,” she whispered before turning to the nurse who she had assigned to take care of Flurry when either parent couldn’t. The maid, Fauna Spirit, was a crystal pony who had been working in the palace ever since King Sombra’s tyrannical rule. She was aquamarine in color with a dark slim auburn mane and tail. In fact, she was the Head Maid. “Fauna, would you please take Flurry and put her to bed?” Cadance said. “My husband and I have something to do.”

“At your command, my Empress,” Fauna said as she gently took the sleeping filly into the crook of her foreleg before turning away and instantly being flanked by two of the crystal guards who in turn followed two of gryphons who led them away, presumably to their room in this ancient palace.

Cadance watched them go, then turned to Gregory. “Thank you for singing her that lullaby,” she said gratefully. “It takes us a while to get her to sleep.”

Gregory waved a hand. “Please, it was no problem. I’m sure she was just extra tired from the trip here, that’s all.”

Shining looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then a half smile formed on his lips. “I have to say, Mr. Graystone, you’re unlike the other human I’ve heard about.”

Gregory’s smile faded as he faced the Emperor Consort. “If Jason’s reason for coming to this land is anything like mine, then he and I were more similar than you might think. At least, he was probably similar before what happened to him at the hooves of your sister and her friends.”

And just like that, the tension mounted once more. Cadance could feel it rising, and spoke quickly to try and keep things from getting too out of hoof. “Would you like to speak of this over lunch? I can pay for it, of course.”

Gregory looked back at his two companions, who both gave him subtle nods before he turned back. “Sure, that’s perfectly fine. Just FYI, since this is Gryphonstone, almost every restaurant opened will serve meat of some kind, and I am an omnivore. Will that be an issue?”

Cadance shook her head. “Not at all. I’m an Empress, and I’ve hosted delegates from other nation in my Empire who ate meat. I’m no stranger to that.”

“Good, then follow me, please.” With that, Gregory turned, his cloak fluttering slightly. The procession continued down the stairs in silence until they reached the exit.

When they reached the entry gates, Amira spoke. “Gregory, where are you planning on going?”

“Hmm…” he stroked his chin briefly before he smiled. “The Green Dragon. I know they have vegetarian dishes.”

She then lowered herself. “Would you like me to fly you there?”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I am,” she said warmly.

“Lady Amira, what are you planning?” Cadance asked curiously. She did remember Amira saying something earlier about Gregory being carried by Amira to the meeting, but had no idea what that meant or how she’d done it.

Amira turned back to the alicorn, then chuckled. “Watch and see.”

Cadance watched in surprise as Gregory hoisted himself onto Amira’s back, legs hanging down on either side of her midsection. He lowered himself forward, reaching down to grasp her mane while he locked his legs against her midsection. Cadance watched all of this with eyes wide, and she could tell that Shining and the others looked similar. “Okay, I’m ready,” Gregory said. “Now then…giddy-up.”

Amira snorted, spread her large wings and launched herself into the air. “Hey, wait for me!” Silica shouted as she flew up after the two, flying just beside the two.

Without saying a word, Cadance spread her own wings to join them. Behind him, Shining called out, “Hey! Don’t do that!”

“Follow me!” Cadance shouted back before shooting up faster towards the group. Gregory was saying, “…getting the hang of this.”

“I have only seen somecreature riding on the back of a pony once,” Cadance’s commanded above the wind. The other three turned to face her, but her focus was on Amira. “Are you two really okay?”

“No need to worry, Empress,” Amira said, “I’m doing alright. This feels strangely natural to me, if I’m honest.”

That’s what she said earlier, Cadance thought with confusion. I wonder why it feels natural? I wonder…

“Is something on your mind?” Gregory asked as they took a turn towards a busier section of the town.

“Just thinking about something,” Cadance said, waving a hoof to dismiss the issue.

“If you say so,” Gregory said before turning back and looking down at the city.

Cadance looked as well. She hadn’t yet gotten an aerial view of the city. She would have normally, but with the lack of trust between Equestrians and the Crystalians, almost every Equestrian had left the Empire, including some of the Royal Guards on loan from Celestia, so whenever she went anywhere, she had to walk. “Gryphonstone has grown even more beautiful since the last time I was here,” she said, trying to placate the human.

To her surprise, Gregory laughed. “Please, the last time you were here, it was likely a pigsty,” he said with mirth, “but yes, Gryphonstone has grown cleaner and more beautiful in these past several months. Ah, there’s our destination right there.”

Cadance looked at where he was pointing to see the same tavern that they had passed on their way to the Eyrie. She knew it had sounded familiar but couldn’t place it. The group descended and soon landed on the snow-covered road.

Cadance watched as Gregory dismounted from Amira’s back after they landed. He landed expertly on his feet. As Silica and Cadance landed beside them, Shining Armor and the Crystal Guards rushed up. “Candy!” Shining called out as the other guards ran towards them. “You shouldn’t have done that! We could have followed them!”

“I needed to spread my wings, Shiny,” Cadance said as she smiled and hugged her husband.

She felt her husband relax at her hug, and she immediately felt a bit bad about flying away. “Please don’t do it again,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” she promised as she broke the hug then turned to look up at the building they had landed next to. Now that she got a closer look, she saw that the sign actually said Green Dragon Inn but she could also hear the sound of creatures having a good time inside. Unlike other buildings around this street, this one looked like it was made of dragon scales, but upon closer inspection it was revealed that the scales were just carved into the wood of the inn itself.

“Gregory, if I may, I believe I will head home for today,” Amira said. “There are things I want to do for our Haynukkah tonight.”

“Of course,” Gregory said, “I’ll see you later.”

Amira smiled, then bowed politely to Cadance before spreading her wings and flying away. Silica stepped closer to Gregory. “Hope you don’t mind if I stay,” she said.

“It’s alright with me, but what about you, Empress?” Gregory asked, turning to Cadance. “Silica here is what you might call human-obsessed. She’s been studying human myths here for her whole life.”

Silica seemed to take some playful offense to that. “It’s not an obsess-oh, who am I kidding?” She threw up her claws and rolled her eyes in resignation.

Cadance tittered behind a wing before nodding. “I’m alright with her joining,” she said before looking up at the exterior of the tavern. “Mr. Graystone, is this inn dragon themed on the inside as well?”

Gregory chuckled, then walked over and opened the door. “Why don’t you head inside and find out?” he asked.

Cadance, having never gone into a tavern or bar in her life, steeled herself for what she might find inside, then took her first step into a tavern. Instantly, the cold was replaced with the warmth of the fire in a hearth. Looking around, she saw that the place was well lit with candles and said fire along with some oil lamps on the walls. The ruddy glow was rather homey in her opinion.

And the place was packed. Not just with gryphons, but with dragons and even a few ponies. Each and every one of them were interacting with one another, eating, drinking, and talking with one another. She even heard the sound of a lute playing, and she turned to see a dragon sitting near the fire plucking away.

There did seem to be a certain design to the interior, but it wasn’t like a cave which was what Cadance expected. The floor was made of well fitted stones held together with some kind of mortar. The walls and ceiling were made of thick dark wood which explained the wood smell coming from everywhere, which itself was mixed with the smell of the fire and a hint of alcohol. In her mind, it had a cozy feeling to it. She made a note to visit a tavern back in Crystalia to see if there was any difference there.

“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!” a male voice said. Cadance looked over and saw a young crimson red dragon standing behind a bar wiping a mug with a rag. Next to him was a younger yellow dragon female. Both were looking at Gregory with smirks on their faces. “Let me guess, you just got back from the Adventurer’s Guild and are looking to blow your earnings on your latest quest on some ale?”

“Hah!” Gregory strode over and leaned against the bar, looking at the dragon with a grin of his own. “That dungeon was a breeze! Those monster drops were nothing to laugh at, either!”

The younger female dragon chuckled at that. “You two are so weird.”

“We are not!” Gregory and the dragon replied at the same time.

“I rest my case,” the female dragon said as she grabbed a serving tray with several mugs on it. “Garble, I’m taking this out, then I’ll work on adding some more ingredients to the stew.”

“Got it, sis.” Garble then turned to Gregory. “So, did you bring up my idea to the Convocation?”

“I don’t think establishing a real Adventurer’s Guild is high on the list of our priorities at the moment,” Gregory chuckled, “although I’d love to see it. I keep telling you, if you really want that, then you should convince other people to do it. Or start one yourself.”

“I just opened this place, so I can’t do that,” Garble complained, “but did you mention it?”

Gregory sighed, then looked up at Garble. “I didn’t mention it yet, but I can mention it later. There’s a meeting later this week, so I’ll bring it up then.”

Garble grinned. “Good!”

Cadance watched this interaction with extreme interest. There was a level of familiarity there that she hadn’t expected. She approached, smiling up at this Garble. “Hello, there,” she said with a friendly done.

Garble finally noticed them and paused, raising an eyebrow. “Well, this isn’t what I expected today. An alicorn in our establishment.”

“Be nice to her, little bro,” Silica said with a sisterly warning tone, “she’s part of a diplomatic group from the Crystal Empire.”

Garble’s eyes widened at this, then he chuckled. “Well then, welcome to the Green Dragon Inn!” he announced loudly. “Are you here for a room, or for a meal and some alcohol?”

“Ah, a meal, but no alcohol for me, please,” Cadance said.

“Fine with me,” Garble said before turning to the younger dragon who had just returned. “Smolder, show this party to one of the rooms in the back.”

Before the now named Smolder could reply, Cadance heard a few of the patrons calling out Gregory’s name and greeting him. He turned and greeted them all back with a wide smile on his face. Cadance was beginning to see what kind of member of the government he was. He seemed to be the type who wanted to spend his time among the citizens.

“Idol Bearer! You gonna sing for us today?” one of them called out, which caused a group of others to call out for the same thing.

“Hell yeah, you should sing!” Silica said, laughing while she patted Gregory on the back encouragingly.

Gregory raised a hand with an apologetic smile. “I am a bit busy, so-”

“Something short, then!” that same voice called out, much to the agreement of the others around him.

Gregory sighed, then turned to Cadance. “Sorry about this,” he said.

“No worries,” Cadance said as she watched him reach up to remove his cloak, which Silica took from him.

He cleared his throat, then stomped the ground in a beat. A few others began to do the same before he began to sing.

“Oh, you can search far and wide!
“You can drink the whole town dry!
“But you’ll never find a beer so brown (but you’ll never find a beer so brown)
“as the one we drink in our hometown,
“as the one we drink in our hometown!”

“You can drink your fancy ales!
“You can drink ‘em by the flagon!
“But the only brew for the brave and true…
“comes from The Green Dragon!”

The crowd cheered as Gregory took a bow, laughing along with the crowd as he took his cloak back and slung it over his arm before turning back to Smolder. “I believe we’ll take that room your brother promised.”

Smolder nodded, leaped expertly over the bar and said, “Follow me, everyone,” before walking further into the tavern.

As they walked, Cadance turned to the rest of her entourage who remained. “This conversation is going to be private,” she said, “so you’re all to remain outside. Order whatever you want.” To her relief, the guards saluted and acknowledged the order. Shining looked like he wanted to object himself, but caught himself, apparently thinking better of it, and nodded.
As they walked, Cadance saw Gregory briefly pause, but it was very brief. “Is something wrong, Mr. Graystone?” Cadance asked.

“Just heard the wind outside pick up,” he replied. “I wonder if that means a Nor’wester’s coming.”

“I see,” Cadance said as they continued walking.

The room that Smolder led them to was larger than Cadance expected. It had its own fireplace, which Smolder lit with her fire breath. It was a bit cooler in the room, but the fire would warm it up fast. She also lit several oil lamps in the room along with a few candles. The room itself looked like a large private dining area with several large chairs at a wooden table. Some light came in from a window, but since it was cloudy and snowing outside, the light wasn’t much. Smolder turned to the group when she was done. “There’s menus on the table for every type of creature,” she said, “but our menu isn’t that big yet. We’re still expanding. Although that honey bread you mentioned is something we just started, Gregory,” she added, looking at the human with a smirk. “It’s a big hit.”

“Good to know,” he said. “For now, could we get a pitcher of water and bliss while we look everything over?”

“Gotcha covered,” Smolder said as she flew out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Gregory looked at the others in the room after that. “Why don’t we all take a seat and look at the menu? Then, we can talk about things, huh?”

Cadance nodded, taking a seat in the surprisingly cushioned chair before picking up a menu. Today was just turning out to be incredibly interesting.

As Smolder walked out of the back room, she didn’t pay any mind to the two newcomers who sat in a small booth, each looking at their own menus. However, both were only pretending to look at their menu as a pair of arctic blue eyes and a pair of gold eyes watching the dragon go back to the kitchen.

Lyra lowered her menu and leaned against her hoof, looking at it with a false bored expression. “That was close,” she said. “Do you think that human saw us?”

“If he did, we’d only look like two new pony refugees,” Sweetie Drops, who also put her menu down with an equally fake bored and tired look on her face, replied.

“One of those dragons looked and sounded a lot like me,” Lyra muttered. “Is that something you’ll need?”

Sweetie Drops reached over and took a sip of her water. “No, not really,” she said, “but at least now we have confirmation. There's a second human on Equus.”

17: Unexpected Guests

Friday, December 31, 1007 A.L., Gryphonia

When the group left the Green Dragon Inn, Cadance saw that the snowfall had only increased in intensity and a slight wind had begun to blow. The clouds in the west over the ocean which were approaching were darker than the clouds above. She frowned and turned to her husband. “Shiny, I think we should head back to the Eyrie,” she said, “those clouds feel ominous.”

Shining looked in the direction where Cadance was pointing and frowned himself. “Yeah, looks like a nasty storm’s coming. We should get back before we can’t see in front of ourselves.”

Gregory looked as well, then turned and spotted a gryphon flying towards them. “Excuse me,” he said, catching the attention of said gryphon, “but is that a nor’wester coming?”

The gryphon, an older female of the species, paused and nodded. “Storm’s coming up, Bearer. You’d better get home, quick.”

“Well, shit,” he said as the older gryphon headed away. Turning to Cadance, he said, “Looks like you and your family may be staying here for a while unless you really want to risk heading down to the train station in this kind of stormy weather.”

Cadance looked back at the incoming storm, the pegasus part of her feeling the incoming intensity of the storm. Shaking her head, she turned back. “We should head back to the Eyrie as fast as we can while there’s little wind,” she said.

That was when life threw them a curveball. As they headed down the street towards the Eyrie, Cadance heard a very familiar giggle from in front of them. Looking down, she saw a patch of snow moving like there was somepony buried inside it and moving around like they were swimming. Immediately after spotting it, the snow erupted upward and a giggling Flurry Heart burst out. “Mommy! Daddy The snow is so deep!” She opened her mouth and caught a few of the heavy snowflakes in her mouth. “Yummy!”

“Flurry, what are you doing out here?!” Cadance said in alarm as she rushed over to wrap her daughter up in her wings. “You should be napping!”

“I finished my nap and then decided to play hide and seek with the guards,” she said innocently.

At that moment, several crystal guards rushed up, panting heavily as they saw the princess being held by their empress. “Hah…hah…forgive us…your majesty,” the lead guard said, “but she…gave us the slip…” Behind them, Cadance could see Fauna Spirit rushing towards them as well, wrapped in a dark green cloak.

“Did you forget to put the magic ring on her horn?” Shining asked sternly.

The lead guard shook his head. “No, your majesty. She somehow broke it.”

That caught Cadance by surprise. “Broke it?! How?!”

Before anypony could respond, the distant sound of thunder caught their attention. Gregory, who was wrapping Silica in his cloak to keep her warm, spoke up now. “Now’s not the time to argue,” he said as the wind and snowfall suddenly picked up. “Come on, let’s try and get you back to the Eyrie before-” A gust of intense wind blew up the street, nearly causing the unprepared to fall. “Nope, new plan,” Gregory said, “my house is closer!”

Cadance made a snap decision and turned to her guards. “Follow him,” she ordered, indicating the human who now trudged with all possible speed through the snow drifts that were quickly forming in the street.

To her relief, none of them argued, and soon they were heading towards the upper section of the city. The snow only grew heavier and the brief gusts of wind that blew through the streets became more frequent as time passed. Eventually, they came to a gate which Gregory unlocked. When Cadance saw the massive tree house in front of her which reminded her of the Golden Oak Library, she almost paused in shock, but a huge gust of wind forced her to go onward, trudging through the snowdrifts until they reached the large doors.

The moment they stepped into the house, a blast of warmth nearly shocked her and everyone else, but they soon piled in and the door was quickly shut. Gregory, brushing his clothes off, quickly stepped in before them and looked back. “Sit down in front of the fire and get warm,” he said, “and I’ll see about getting you all some hot tea or hot chocolate.”

“With shmallows!” Flurry Heart said.

Gregory chuckled. “We don’t have marshmallows here,” he said, “but I’ll make some hot chocolate for you if your mom approves.”

Cadance looked down at her daughter, who was giving her the traditional pleading puppy dog eyes. The older alicorn mare sighed. “I really shouldn’t be spoiling you after you disobeyed what I told you last time you played hide and seek with the guards,” she said.

“I promise I won’t do it again!” Flurry pleaded.

“You said that last time too,” Cadance said. “Fine, you can have one cup of hot chocolate, but that’s it.”

“Thanks, mommy!” Flurry flew up and hugged her mom tightly before she let go and began exploring the large living room. “Oooh, what’s this stuff?” she asked, approaching a strange looking piece of metal on a nearby table.

“Please don’t touch that,” Gregory said hastily, “it’s a piece of advanced technology from my home that I can’t replace.”

Cadance wrapped Flurry in her magic and pulled her back to the rest of the group who were all around the fire, warming themselves up. “Flurry, you know the rules for visiting another pony’s house,” she said sternly.

“Be polite, don’t touch anything, and if you break something, you pay them back,” Flurry said with a roll of her eyes. “I won’t touch anything, I promise.”

“If you do and you break it, it’s coming out of your allowance,” Shining said.

Flurry groaned. “But Daaaaddyyyyy-”

“Don’t ‘but’ me, young filly,” Shining said sternly. “You’re a princess, and you’re in somecreature’s house as a guest. Act accordingly.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she huffed.

“For now, you should get warmed up,” Cadance said as she pushed the alicorn filly to the front of the fire. “You’re a little wet.”

“Here, wrap her up in this,” Gregory said before holding out a blanket he’d retrieved from the back of a couch in the living room.

“Ah, thank you,” Cadance said as she grabbed it with her magic and wrapped her daughter up in it.

“I’ll be right back with some tea and hot chocolate,” he said as he headed through another door, Silica following close behind him.

When they were alone, Fauna Spirit approached Cadance. “Your majesty, I’m so sorry that the princess escaped from me,” she apologized profusely. “She apparently really wanted to see the ‘nice singing human’ as she put it.”

“I wanted to hear another song,” Flurry whined as she struggled to escape from the blanket.

Cadance, however, held her in place. “Sit still until you’re all warm and dry,” she said sternly.

“Aww…” Flurry stuck out her lower lip in her signature pout.

Shining shook his head and smirked. “She gets that from you,” he whispered to his wife before giving her a quick but affectionate lick on her cheek.

“Sh-Shiny, not here,” she replied with a blush.

Shining chuckled and stepped back, the smirk still on his face. There was silence as everypony there warmed themselves by the fire. That was, until the sound of three pairs clopping hoofsteps was heard from the stairs behind them. Curious, Cadance turned around to see who was coming down, only to freeze in alarm when she saw who stood on the steps. Three ponies stood on the stairs, both looking with concern at the third pony. A pony Cadance recognized immediately. Slowly, so as not to hurt Flurry, she floated her daughter over to her husband then slowly stood up. “Sunset Shimmer…?” she said in a whisper.

Sunset, meanwhile, wasn’t staring at Cadance with shock, but with a hint of anger in her features. Anger which slowly vanished when the light blue unicorn put a hoof over Sunset’s withers. “Sunset…take deep breaths, okay?” she said reassuringly before turning to face Cadance. “You’re Empress Cadenza, correct?”

“Um, yes,” Cadance said, a bit confused.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am the Great and Powerful Trrrixie!” she exclaimed with a flourish, her cape shoved back dramatically as it made a fluttering noise.

Nopony moved for a bit, not until Flurry clapped. “Great and Powerful! Great and Powerful!” the alicorn filly repeated with a giggle.

Trixie bowed, then indicated the third unicorn, a purple one with a darker purple mane with an aquamarine stripe. “This is Trixie’s other friend Starlight Glimmer. We’re staying with Gregory.”

“That’s correct,” Gregory said from the door to the room he disappeared to as he walked in, clearly having heard the conversation. “Beatrix Lulamoon, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer, may I introduce Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, Emperor-Consort Shining Armor, and Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, I’m very well aware of who she is,” Sunset said, giving Cadance a wary look.

“Oh?” Gregory looked at Sunset with a curious expression. “I take it you knew her when you were Celestia’s student?”

Cadance looked at Gregory with astonishment. “You knew who she was?”

“She’s been living with me for a while,” Gregory replied as if it was no big deal, “and she’s one of my friends. She’s told me a bit about her history, but I didn’t realize she knew you, Empress.” He turned to Sunset. “Hey, if there’s some bad blood between you two, I’d like to know, seeing as though everyone here will probably be staying here.” He gestured towards the window. “We’re having a nor’wester outside.”

“I saw,” Sunset said as she looked out of the window. “As for me and Cadenza? There’s a rather…colored history there, but there’s no problem with her staying. It’s not like there’s a choice in the matter. Pardon me. I just came down here for something light to snack on. Oh, and Gregory? Are we still celebrating New Year’s Eve?”

“Yep,” Gregory replied. “I just hope everyone else can get back here safety. It’s getting worse out there.”

New Year’s Eve? That was something Cadance had never heard of. Sure, this was the last day of the year, but the way she said it made it sound like it was some kind of holiday. Turning to Gregory, she asked, “What is this New Year’s she’s talking about?”

“It’s a human holiday where everyone stays up until midnight to welcome in the new year,” Gregory explained as Sunset hurriedly rushed past him towards the kitchen, followed closely by Trixie. Starlight Glimmer, however, stayed behind and stood beside Gregory. “We’re a mixed household,” he continued to explain, “and as such, we’re all attempting to celebrate holidays of each culture at least once.”

“Earlier, you said you were celebrating Haynukkah,” Shining said, “but you’re also celebrating this New Year’s Eve holiday?”

“Hey, with the weather like it is, it gives us an excuse to have a good time,” Silica said with a chuckle.

Cadance couldn’t help but giggle. “I can agree with that. Also, Mr. Graystone, you just said you would be willing to host us for the evening. Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t feel right if I sent out a royal family in that storm back to the Eyrie, especially your daughter.” He turned and gave Flurry Heart a warm smile.

Said filly leaped into the air and flew up to hover in front of Gregory. “Do that thing with your claws again!” she said with a giggle as she pointed at her mane.

The unicorn named Starlight looked up with a grin. “Did you ensnare another pony with the power of your head scratches?” she asked teasingly.

Gregory held up both hands, one underneath Flurry to support her and another to run his hand through Flurry’s mane. The alicorn filly smiled wider and stopped flapping her wings, causing Gregory to catch her smoothly and continue giving her head scratches. “One of humanity’s redeeming qualities,” he said with what Cadance saw was a self-deprecating grin, “we give amazing head scritchies.”

“And belly rubs,” Starlight said, although there was a small blush on her face when she said so.

Cadance stepped forward to watch Gregory give her daughter these ‘scritchies’ as he chuckled. “Who knew having hands could be such a boon?” he said as he continued to run his hand through Flurry’s mane. Looking back at Cadance, he smiled again. “Your daughter is a lively one.”

“She’s a bundle of joy and energy,” Cadance agreed as she smiled back then observed his hand carefully. “I wonder if I can replicate what you’re doing with magic?”

“Believe me, your Majesty, you wouldn’t be the first to try,” Starlight Glimmer said with a small chuckle. “Sunset, Trixie and I have tried to figure out how to replicate it, but I think we’d need a magic rich environment to do that.”

“I did know that Gryphonia is lower in magic than Equestria and the Empire,” Cadance mused.

From behind Cadance, Fauna Spirit came forward, looking a bit worriedly at the princess. “Sir, are you sure you are comfortable holding a filly?” she asked.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve held a foal, or a gryphon cub for that matter,” he said. “I’ve held a human infant before, too, and the principle is similar.”

“When have you held a pony foal?” Shining asked.

Gregory chuckled a bit. “At one of Trixie’s most recent shows, there were a few pony foals watching. Some newcomers. One of them was a filly newborn and she was crying because she was startled by something, so I asked her aunt if I could hold her. Thankfully the filly calmed down and fell asleep soon after.”

“Trixie still feels bad about that,” the aforementioned mare said as she came out with a bowl of some sort of crackers in her magic. She looked a bit downcast at that. “She doesn’t like seeing foals or cubs crying.”

“Hey, Cozy Glow’s aunt was completely understanding,” Gregory said with a reassuring smile. “Perhaps later, and if her parents allow it, you can show Flurry Heart some of your tamer tricks?”

Trixie brightened at this. “Trixie would love that!” she exclaimed happily.

“Cozy Glow?” Cadance asked. “Is she a refugee from Equestria?”

Gregory nodded. “She’s a newborn filly I saw a little while ago. Her aunt brought her here to escape from the economic depression over there,” he said. “They’re staying in the Eyrie for the winter until springtime comes around and we can construct more housing.”

“I haven’t heard much news from Equestria as of late, so I had no idea,” Cadance said. She wondered if she should begin establishing places for Equestrian refugees to live in.

“Well, with how their borders have been closed recently, that makes sense,” Silica said as she reached down to extend a single talon towards Flurry, who grabbed it with her hooves playfully.

“Please be careful,” Fauna said to the dragon with a worried look.

“Don’t worry, I’m well aware,” Silica said.

“Hot beverages for everyone,” a voice said from the kitchen door. Everyone turned to see Amira walking through with a large platter of teacups and mugs of hot chocolate. There was even a small foal-sized one with marshmallows inside.

Flurry leaped up, sniffing the air. Gregory paused what he was doing and smiled when the filly leaped out of his arms and towards the small mug. “You said you didn’t have marshmallows!”

“These aren’t marshmallows,” Amira said. “They’re a similar product from Saddle Arabia. We call them fluffel. Try one.” She held out a small white squishy cube. “Oh, but with your parents’ permission, obviously.” Amira turned and inclined her head towards Cadance and Shining.

“May I try one?” Cadance asked, genuinely curious about what these fluffel tasted like.

“Of course,” Amira said, giving her another of the small cubes.

Cadance put it in her mouth, and was instantly hit with sweetness. It was like white fluffy honey with a hint of sugar in it. She nodded in approval. “What is this? It’s incredibly delicious! I’m tasting honey!”

“Fluffel is made with mostly honey,” Amira explained as she helped pass out the tea and hot chocolate to the pony guards, “and its recipe is a closely guarded secret for the moment.”

“Can I have that hot chocolate with the honey mallows?” Flurry asked eagerly.

“Just the one cup,” Cadance reminded her daughter, “and make sure it’s not hot.” As her daughter turned to grab the mug, the empress turned to Amira. “How much would it cost if I wanted to order some more from the manufacturer?”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Amira said.

At that moment, the door was flung open. Three gryphons came bursting in, one quickly shutting the door behind them. “Sweet Tartarus, it’s getting bad out there!” a gruff sounding female voice said as the group began to discard their hats and scarves.

“Glad to see you three made it back in one piece,” Gregory said as he walked up to them. “Gilda, please keep your language to yourself for now. We have guests, and one of them is a filly.”

Cadance saw the three gryphons, two females and a male, looking at the ponies in the living room gathered around the fireplace. One of them, a light gray female with blue eyes, smiled and raised her claws. “Hello there! My name’s Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby! This is Gilda, one of the best scone makers in the city, and this is Gallus, a jack of all trades!”

“Hello there, Miss Gabby,” Cadance said, a bit taken aback by the gryphon’s excitement which reminded her a bit of Pinkie Pie, but at the same time her type of excitement was different from Pinkie’s. It felt more mature. “And hello to you as well, Miss Gilda and Mr. Gallus.”

“Miss Gilda?” The aforementioned gryphon female snorted as she brushed some snow from her plumage. “You’re not what I expected from an Empress.”

That caught Cadance’s attention. “You know who I am?” she asked.

“We’ve heard about a pink alicorn pony ruling over the Crystal Empire,” Gallus said.

“Whoa! Your wings are bigger than mommy’s!” Flurry exclaimed as she flew over to Gilda, poking at the wings with a foallike eagerness.

“Flurry Heart!” Cadance pulled the filly away in alarm and held her there with magic. “I’m sorry for my daughter’s precocious nature.”

Gilda waved a dismissive claw. “Eh, don’t worry about it. It’s all good.”

“What brings you all here?” Gabby asked.

“Well, we got caught in the storm, and we couldn’t risk leaving in this storm,” Cadance said sheepishly.

“Pardon me, your majesty,” one of the guards said, coming up behind her, “but request permission for all but two of us to leave and head back to the Eyrie and report on the situation.”

Cadance turned back to the guard with a raised eyebrow. “Will you be safe?” she asked with concern.

“We’re used to harsh winter weather, your majesty,” he said. “We don’t want the other guards there to worry. We’ll be safe.”

“Well, if you’re sure you’ll be safe, then go,” Cadance said. She looked over at Gregory, who was talking with an animated Gabby.

That was when she felt it. She was no changeling, but being the princess of love and with her cutie mark allowing her to read emotions better than most. And she was certainly reading something on the faces of Gabby and Gilda. There was something in their faces, but the thing was that she didn’t quite know gryphon body language or facial expressions. She was an expert on pony body language, but other creatures were more of a mystery to her.

All but two of the guards began preparing for the trip back. When Gregory saw this, he paused his conversation with Gabby. “Hey, what’s going on? Are you leaving in that storm?” He had directed the conversation to Cadance.

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, the guards are going back to the Eyrie to report on what’s happened. They’ll be fine.”

“I guess that makes sense,” he said. “Just be safe out there, okay?” he said to the guards.

“Don’t worry, sir,” the lead guard said, “we’ll be alright.”

A few minutes later, all but two guards, a mare and stallion, had left. The wind was blowing fiercely now and snow was piling up outside with flashes of lightning and rumbling of thunder passing by overhead. Gregory’s pony guests were still sitting by the fire as they finished warming up. Gregory decided to go and prepare some sort of dinner for everyone. He, Gabby, and Gilda were in the kitchen cooking while Gregory was listening to Gabby talk about her day. Gallus had gone upstairs to shower, and the three ponies had also left. Silica and Amira were in the living room talking with the remaining delegates while Flurry was resting near the fire.

“That much in a day?” Gregory was saying as he stirred the pot that was full of veggie broth. He was planning on making a healthy but delicious vegetable stew for everyone. The oven was preheating so he could head up some of the bread as well. “That’s a lot of donations. You may need to quit the post office to focus more on your work.”

“I’d hate to do that,” Gabby replied as she sliced up potatoes. “They don’t have much help.”

“You could cut back on your hours there like I did,” Gregory suggested.

“Maybe…but I like both jobs. Still, the Salvation Army could use more help, too.”

“You’ll get more, I know it,” Gregory said, reaching down and putting a hand on Gabby’s head, smiling warmly down at her as he ran his hand through it. Gabby closed her eyes and relaxed, making a small purring noise. He then turned to Gilda. “How was your day? Did you find a location yet?”

Gilda, who was fixing up some of her new cream puff products, looked up. “I found three possible places for my new store,” she said, “but none of them can be refurbished until spring.” She looked up as the sound of thunder rolled overhead. “Damn it, with this storm, I won’t be able to do any sort of work at the stall.”

“I’m still surprised you were able to bring it home in this weather,” Gregory said. After they got home, he had opened the garage door and pulled the cart in with Gilda’s help, placing it right next to his truck and camper.

“I’m not losing my only source of income,” she insisted with a frown. “And there was no way I was going to leave it out there to be torn apart.”

“That nor’wester looks like it’s gonna be a nasty one,” Gabby observed. “It might last a week.”

“I hope we have enough food to last until then,” Gregory said worriedly. He didn’t like the idea of dipping into his earth food reserve, but he would if it meant that his houseguests wouldn’t starve.

“No worries there,” Gabby said, “I went shopping for the house yesterday and bought a bunch of food. I thought I could smell a nor’wester coming, so I bought heavy.”

“That explains why the pantry was so full when I got back from my house shopping yesterday,” Gilda said. “I had to store some of the food in the basement. Hang on, I thought yesterday was my day for shopping if we needed it?”

Gregory watched as Gilda stood and went to a piece of paper nailed to the wall. With so many people living in the house, they had come up with a chore chart where each day of the week everyone was responsible for doing something. Shopping was something that was done when needed, not every day, but checking food supplies was a part of the daily chores. To make sure everyone did something of everything, the chore chart for one day had one person doing a few chores, then the next day their chores would be switched. This only applied to houseguests, but Amira and Silica still insisted on helping when they could. Many hands, or hooves/claws in this case made light work.

Gilda’s jaw dropped. “Aww damn, it was your day yesterday…” she said, deflating slightly.

“Hey, it won’t go to waste,” Gregory said, walking up and putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “We have unexpected guests, and from what Sunset’s told me, alicorns tend to have big appetites.”

Gilda snorted at that. “I’d love to see that pink pony stuffing her face,” she said with a laugh. “Well, I gotta finish these cream puffs.” She went back to the table and resumed her work.

“You know,” Gabby said as Gregory returned to begin adding ingredients to the pot, “if the Tunnels were real, then we wouldn’t need to worry about stocking up for nor’westers.”

Gregory chuckled at that. The Tunnels were a local legend in Gryphonstone. Apparently, long ago, there was a vast tunnel system that was used by imperial Gryphonstone residents during storms, but the entrances were invisible when closed. Said entrances had been lost according to the story hundreds of years before the fall of the Imperium. They were also useful as potential escape routes in case the city was attacked. When he had asked Gwendolyn about it, she said that she had no information about anything like that. “I’d love to see what the Tunnels look like if they’re real,” he said.

“That would be a fun adventure,” Gabby giggled.

There was silence for a bit, then Gilda spoke up. “Gregory, are you sure having these foreign ponies around is a good idea? I get that we can’t send them back in the storm, especially that filly, but where could they sleep?”

“There’s the office room, and the guards did say they would be completely fine sleeping in the living room,” Gregory said. “If they want more privacy, we could let them stay in the camper.”

“I suppose…” Gilda said with a shrug.

“I know it’s going to be a bit crowded in here with all the guests,” Gregory said, “but we can handle it. We’ll be fine.”

Gilda smiled slightly and gave a thumbs up. “Sure thing.”

Flurry was stuffed. She hadn’t eaten that much in a while. The food that the singing human made with the gryphons was super duper yummy! And the delicious cream puff things that gryphon made were sooo yummy! Of course, her mommy told her she couldn’t have too much or she’d not be able to sleep, which was so not fair! Mommy and Daddy always got to stay up later. So, she begged and begged to stay up late when she heard that everypony else was going to stay up. Finally, to her delight, her mommy and daddy said she could stay up.

She was sitting and watching the human who was messing with the metal thing she touched earlier, the one her mother scolded her about. Everypony else was sitting down, the nice gryphon telling the others about this ‘movie’ that they were about to watch. The nice singing human said that it was like a play but much better. The movie or whatever was called Beauty and the Beast.

A bit bored, the filly flew over to the nearby window to look outside and watch the storm. She’d never seen so much snow in her life. She wanted to go outside and play, but she remembered promising her mommy that she wouldn’t during this storm unless she was with somepony.

As she pressed her face against the window, she saw something. There was a small kitten lying with its eyes closed on the snowy windowsill. With an excited smile, she turned back to the others. “Mommy! There’s a kitten on the window here!”

Her mommy stood up, a look of worry on her face which confused Flurry. Her mommy loved kittens. Wouldn’t she want to play with the kitty like Flurry wanted to?

The singing human acted faster. He ran out of the house, then she saw him pick the sleeping kitty off of the windowsill before bringing it in. “Someone get a warm blanket and some extra wood from downstairs!” he shouted as he brought the kitten to the fire.

“Is…is the kitten okay?” Mommy asked.

The human put the cat to his ear. Everypony was silent. After a bit, he brought the kitten to the fire. “There’s a heartbeat, but its faint,” he said.

“Here’s a blanket!” the happy gryphon said, tossing it to the singing human.

He caught it and quickly wrapped the kitten up. Her mommy began using magic on the kitten while the nice human wiped it with the blanket. “The poor thing’s probably dehydrated,” the human said.

“Where’s the mother?” Mommy said.

“They could be nearby,” the nice gryphon said. “Cats are rare, here.”

“Come on,” Daddy said to the two crystal ponies who stayed behind, “let’s go looking for the mother!” With that, the three rushed out of the door.

“I’ll come look with you,” the human said as he stood and ran after them.

Flurry walked up to where Mommy and the nice gryphon were still with the kitten. Flurry now had a vague sense that something was wrong. “Mommy? Is the kitten okay?” she asked, tugging at her mommy.

Mommy gave her a smile that made all of Flurry’s worries go away. “Yes, sweetie,” she said. “The kitten’s just cold and needs to be warmed up. It spent too long outside.”

“Oh, okay,” Flurry said, sitting down and watching Mommy and the nice gryphon continue warming up and wiping the kitten.

Nopony spoke for a while until the singing human came back inside. He set down his coat. Inside was a larger cat with two other kitties. All of them were sleeping as well. The grumpy gryphon, who had been putting more wood on the fire, saw this. “Shii-oot,” she said. “I’ll get some more warm blankets.” She flew out of the room fast.

Daddy and the other two guards came back in after the cat and her kitties were all snuggly and warm next to the fire. “We found where the mother must have been living before now,” Daddy said as he came up and surrounded the mommy cat and a kitten with his magic while Fauna Spirit, the nice human, the happy gryphon, and the grumpy gryphon were wiping them down. “I think we found them all.”

“When are the kitties gonna wake up?” Flurry asked, wanting to hopefully play with them.

“They’re very tired, sweetie,” Mommy said.

“That’s right,” Daddy said, “so we should let them rest.”

“You can watch the movie now if you want,” Gregory said. “We’ll make sure these kitties get the rest they need.”

“I can take care of them,” Fauna Spirit said. “Unless you want me to watch over Flurry Heart, your majesty?”

Flurry watched as everypony in the room looked at each other. Finally, Mommy turned to Fauna. “Are you sure?”

“I can keep them warm and clean them,” Fauna said before turning to the nice human. “Mr. Graystone, do you have food that the mother can eat and milk I can heat up?”

“There’s some tuna and milk in the fridge,” the human said.

“Okay, then yes, your majesty, I’m sure,” Fauna said

Mommy smiled. “Alright, we’ll leave them in your care.”

Several minutes later, Flurry was sitting in the nice human’s warm lap with a blanket over her as she watched this movie that the human promised would be fun to watch. Still, part of her hoped that the kitties would be awake tomorrow so she could play with them. Still, Mommy said they’d be okay, so she trusted those words and paid full attention to the movie.

The storm raged on outside, but for the inhabitants of Gryphonstone, that didn’t matter. Everyone was inside, either in their homes, the various inns in town, or in the Eyrie. Everyone was warm and cozy, enjoying good food, a warm hearth, and a reviving city spirit.

All but one.

Two animals, a squirrel and a small kitten sat on a windowsill that was almost covered with snow. With intelligence that belied its species, the squirrel brushed away the snow. The kitten sat there, mewing pitifully and shivering. The squirrel glared at the kitten, gesturing for it to leave, but the kitten refused.

Then, the squirrel did something no squirrel should be able to do. It spoke. “Go away, cat!” a male voice hissed.

The kitten ignored the squirrel and clawed at the window, pressing against it to try and absorb as much warmth from the inside as it could. The squirrel was about to push the kitten off when a voice in his ear said, “Leave the cat alone.”

The squirrel stiffened, saluting. “Y-Yes, my Emperor,” he said.

“What can you see?” another voice, a female voice, said.

The squirrel looked inside, his eyes starting to glow slightly. “It seems like Gregory is hosting the Empress of the Crystal Empire and her family,” he said.

“How’d they get there, ~nyoro?” another female voice said. The squirrel tensed up in irritation. The owner of that voice, Cheery the changeling, had grown even more annoying since he’d last met her. Especially since she recently started adding that strange word to the end of some of her sentences.

“Seems like they couldn’t get back to the Eyrie before the storm broke,” the squirrel said.

The kitten on the windowsill pawed at the window, then let forth a louder meow before suddenly collapsing onto the windowsill. The squirrel looked inside, and jumped back when he saw a face at the window. The face of the filly.

“Mommy! There’s a kitten on the window here!” a muffled filly’s voice shouted.

The squirrel, who was now on the ground, dove into the snow and watched as the front door opened. He watched the human rush out, holding his hand up to shield him from the wind and snow as he trudged through the snow fast towards the windowsill. “Oh no,” the human said in a horrified tone as he picked the kitten up and rushed back inside. The squirrel heard muffled shouts from inside.

“Get back up there and see what’s going on,” Emperor Jason ordered.

“Yes, your majesty,” the squirrel said as he jumped up to the window and peered inside. A group was gathered around the kitten which was now wrapped up in a thick blanket. Empress Cadenza was wrapping it in a magical aura. The kitten was in the human’s arms as he wiped it down.

“The poor thing’s probably dehydrated,” the human said.

“Where’s the mother?” the Princess of Food wondered.

“They could be nearby,” the gryphon named Gabriella said. “Cats are rare, here.”

“Come on,” the pony named Shining Armor said to the two crystal pony guards, “let’s go looking for the mother!” With that, the three rushed out of the door.

“I’ll come look with you,” the human said as he grabbed a thick looking coat and rushed out after them.

The squirrel sat there and watched with its enhanced vision. He saw everything as blue save for the outlines of the four creatures outside, which gave off red. His infrared vision also saw a faint hint of red near where the human was searching.

“I hope he finds those poor cats,” Cheery said.

“Over here!” the human shouted into the storm as he stopped where the dull red blur was. He watched as the human removed his coat and began scooping the cats into the coat. The other three ponies converged on him and helped gently move the others. “I’ll take these ones inside,” the human said.

“We’ll keep searching just in case we missed anything else,” Shining Armor said.

The human rushed back, the cat and what looked like two other kittens wrapped up in his coat. The squirrel watched as the human put the cats and kittens down, then rushed outside to search again. However, the squirrel couldn’t see anything else that was giving off heat. “My Emperor, should I remain here or turn into a kitten?” he asked.

“Fall back for now,” the emperor said, “and depending on conditions there in the morning, you can go back. Just don’t push yourself, any of you. That’s an order.”

“Yes, your majesty,” the squirrel said as he jumped off of the windowsill and scampered away, heading to the gate where he was surrounded by a dim green flame that slowly formed around his body, changing him into a gryphon who began moving through the streets. Like any changeling, he blended into the background, making his way slowly but steadily through the streets. All he wanted to do now was sit by a fire and warm up, but he had a report to make.

18: A New Year

Saturday, January 1, 1008 A.L., Equestria

“It would seem as if the Empress of the Crystal Empire has made an appearance in Gryphonstone,” Blueblood said to the rest of the Harmony Council. “Our contacts there are unfortunately unable to tell us more than that because a massive storm has struck the city and will last for a few days at least.”

“We can only assume that the storm forced the Empress to remain for longer than she intended,” High Life added, displaying a recorded magical projection of Empress Cadenza and her entourage, including her husband and daughter, as they walked through the city of Gryphonstone. “This recording was taken upon the Crystal Empire Envoy’s initial appearance in the city.”

The rest of the Harmony Council watched this with looks of revulsion as they saw the disgusting state of Gryphonstone. Blueblood, however, could see things that the others could not. The city, once a cesspool, was quickly rebuilding, and the citizens were a lot happier than they apparently had been before. The gryphon sycophants he had conditioned had given him reports on the past conditions of the city. That was, before they disappeared a couple of months ago without so much as a trace. Whatever was happening over in Gryphonstone was definitely worth some concern if it could break his conditioning.

The newest member of the Council, Filthy Rich, was swirling the expensive wine he had brought for everypony. It was tradition that new members would provide refreshments for the Council for the trial period. Blueblood had to admit that Filthy had good taste, although he knew of better vintages. “What on Equus is she thinking?” Filthy sneered as he took a sip of the wine. Turning to Blueblood, he asked, “Your grace, wasn’t the Empress once a pegasus?”

Blueblood bristled slightly, but he felt High Life graze his rump with her hoof. He turned to her, and she was giving him a reassuring glance. He nodded and turned back to Filthy. “She was, yes. Just a commoner at one point, but my aunt decided to take her in after she became an alicorn.” He scowled. “And now, she is the ruler of an empire.”

“Be at ease, my prince,” High Life cooed. “Your time will come, I can assure you of that.”

“She’s right, your grace,” another member of the council, an older noblemare named Zesty Gourmand, added. “Everything is going well so far.”

“Better than we could have anticipated, to be honest,” High Life said with a chuckle. “It would seem as if the Royal Sisters have discovered that a second human is a member of this Convocation.”

That caused everyone to erupt in chaos, most saying that this was a disaster despite High Life’s words. Blueblood knew that the others here were fools, but he didn’t think they were this foolish. He exchanged a look with High Life, who simply shrugged and waited until the shouting reached a crescendo. He raised his hoof and brought it down hard on the table. This caused everypony there to stop immediately, looking at him with wide eyes. “Listen to Councilmare High Life,” he said, “because there’s more.”

“Thank you, your grace,” High Life said with a bow before turning back to the council. “Listen to me, everypony. It would seem as if the princesses may be planning a royal visit to Gryphonstone. Both of them will be going in person. Nothing is confirmed because they’re keeping things close to the chest, but if they do engage in negotiations with Gryphonstone, we're going to need to act.”

“Act how?” one of the nobles asked.

“I don’t know yet,” High Life lied smoothly. In truth, Blueblood and High Life did have a plan, but with the inclusion of a new member, they needed to know if they could trust him implicitly before revealing everything. “For now, we should watch and wait.”

“Have our spies found out anything else?” another noble asked.

“Only a few things about the new alliance that Gryphonstone has with other nations,” Blueblood said. “Gryphonia may have less magic than the rest of the world, but they have some interesting items that they can offer to the other nations. And in return, they are receiving benefits from the other nations in this new alliance.”

“We need to stop it!” Upper Crust snarled angrily. “They could very well become a new power in the world and destabilize everything we’ve worked for.”

You mean that others beside you have worked for, Blueblood thought with an inner smirk. “We can’t act rashly, Councilmare Crust,” he said, “we need to figure out just what is happening over there, and with that storm blanketing the entire mountain with snow our operatives can’t do anything.”

“You said that the princesses are planning a trip to Gryphonstone?” Jet Set asked.

“Correct,” High Life said.

“For what purpose?”

Blueblood sighed. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “Princess Celestia in particular wants to get on the human’s good side and on Gryphonstone’s good side as a result. He is a member of their government, just like Jason Wright is now the Changeling Emperor. In short, she plans to bribe this new human.”

The response was one of disappointment from most of the Council. Many shook their heads and he heard murmurs of disagreement pass through them. “That will make us look weak,” Filthy Rich said, leaning forward with a frown. “What is her highness thinking?”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” another noble said. “We’ll be seen as weak!”

“Please calm yourselves, councilponies,” High Life’s soothing and somewhat seductive voice said as she raised a hoof. “This can work in our favor, if we play our cards right.”

“How is selling out our nation to a race of backwater catbirds a good thing?!” the same noble shrieked.

Blueblood finally paid attention to the unimportant noble. Cash King, of course it was him. That fool. He was about to berate him but High Life held up a hoof. “There are plans in place we can use.”

“What plans?” Cash Cow asked, trying to calm her brother down.

“Ones we can’t share at the moment, but we will in time,” Blueblood said, “and trust us, this can only benefit everypony here.” He kept himself vague because he still didn’t trust Filthy Rich. Information security needed to be maintained.

The Council grumbled, but they had grown used to Blueblood and High Life keeping secrets from them. Filthy Rich, on the other hoof, was new, so it was inevitable that he spoke up. “Benefit us how?”

“Oh, my dear Richy,” High Life crooned, “you’re new here, so you can be forgiven, but this council is meant to maintain the balance in Equestria. We work to benefit all ponies.” Another lie, but a honeyed lie that could be told if they were ever found out, which hadn’t happened ever. “You and your family were left homeless after that monster razed Ponyville to the ground. This plan will ensure that nothing like this will happen again. Our nation will be secure and stronger than before when this plan is complete. Trust us.”

That seemed to satisfy the new member and he leaned back, closing his muzzle like a good new noble. Blueblood turned to the Council again. “Changing topics to something a bit closer to home, opening the borders again has changed little with our trade with other nations…”

“Are you sure that you are not packing too much, sister?” Luna asked as she watched a couple servants packing another chest full of various treasures from Celestia’s personal treasury. “Surely, you are bringing enough to bankrupt the nation.”

“Oh, those aren’t for the nation,” Celestia said as she watched the three chests full of old gold coins, jewelry, and various pieces of food. “Those are for the human. Those are for the nation.” She pointed to a larger number of chests that Luna had somehow missed sitting in another corner.

Luna turned and her eyes bulged. She counted twenty chests, but since there were servants moving them out of the room already and the indents on the carpet, it was clear there had been more there. Turning to her sister, she asked, “Hast thou taken leave of thy senses!? Thou wouldst empty thy coffers for a foreign nation?!” Whenever she grew frustrated, she would fall back into her former speech patterns.

“I know what I’m doing, Lulu,” Celestia said as several more servants came in and hoisted the chests away. “Trust me, I do.”

Luna took a few deep breaths, a technique she had learned from young Twilight Sparkle to help calm her down. Part of her wished she had used that technique before becoming Nightmare Moon, but that was in the past. She walked over and opened one of the chests, seeing ancient coins inside. Coins that were not bits. “Are these…gryphon talons?” she asked, turning to Celestia as she held up a coin in her magic.

“Almost all the talons I could find are in these chests,” Celestia said. “I almost forgot I had them until our contact told us the news about the new human.”

Luna almost facehoofed. “At least tell me you are keeping some in reserve just in case.”

“Of course I am,” Celestia said, sounding a bit annoyed now. “I’m no fool.”

Luna didn’t reply to that. Instead, she looked at the closed door next to the now open door to Celestia’s personal treasury. It was similar in size and shape to Celestia’s own, with a simple emblazoned cutie mark on it, her cutie mark. “Then perhaps I should prepare some gifts as well. It is tradition, after all.” She turned to a shadowy corner of the room and nodded. Several chiropteran ponies came out of the shadows and approached as Luna unlocked her treasury with her magic. “Gather five empty chests and bring them hither at once,” she ordered her Lunar Guards, who nodded and slipped away.

A few minutes later, Luna was searching through her treasury, her own personal secretary Folio Leaf helping her to find several key artifacts and some of her own collection of Gryphonian talons. As Folio and her own personal guards searched through her treasury, Luna decided to have a conversation with her sister that felt was necessary. “Sister,” she said softly, approaching and standing next to Celestia as they watched their servants pack their gifts, “the nobility has begun showing more and more of their discontent with our recent decision to reopen the borders. Are you sure that now is the right time to leave and present ourselves to this new Convocation in hopes of some alliance?”

Celestia sighed. “Right now? No, it’s not ideal, but it’s necessary. Lulu, we are in a severe economic depression. The borders being opened has done little to ease that financial burden, and that is our fault. We have become known through the world as a nation of supremacists. All ponies here are equal, but that’s just it. All. Ponies. With very few exceptions, nonponies in Equestria are treated as lower than lower class. They work for less than is optimal, or they did before the invasion. Seems they’ve had enough.”

“Then make a law that grants them rights and citizenship identical to ponies,” Luna said, not seeing what the issue was. This was the land of peace and harmony, so why was it that nonponies couldn’t enjoy it?

“Believe me, when we get back from Gryphonstone, I intend to make a slew of changes,” Celestia said with a scowl. “One of them being to limit the power that the House of Lords has over the Crown.”

“That…could be a double edged sword,” Luna said. “We do not wish to become a dictatorship.”

“We won’t,” Celestia said stalwartly. “Things will become much different in the months and years to come.”

“How so?” Luna asked. “We cannot become an autocracy, either.”

“The kingdom will still be ruled by us,” Celestia said, “but the influence of the House will be changed. The current nobility are incompetent and greedy fools who think not about others, but themselves. They are a stain on this kingdom and must be cleansed.”

“I do not like where this is going,” Luna said nervously.

Celestia waved a hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring you up to speed on the train ride to Gryphonstone. I don’t intend on getting rid of the House. I remember a time when nobility earned their titles instead of having it passed down through families. Sure, some new nobles are created every so often, but only due to their monetary and business status. Nobles became less noble over the centuries, and I blinded myself to it.” She closed her eyes and sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. “Star Swirl…I wish you were here to guide us…”

Luna smiled sadly at her sister. “Cellie, he’s gone. They’re all gone. If we could get them back, I would be the first one to help, but he helped us to become the rulers of Equestria. We cannot let his teachings go to waste.”

“I know,” Celestia said somberly as she turned and looked at the one remaining chest. “I know…”

Sunday, January 2, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Gregory slowly woke to the sound of high force winds coming from the windows along with the sounds of branches striking the window occasionally. Opening one eye, then the next, he looked up at the high ceiling of his canopy bed. The curtains were drawn, but the crack let in a bit of early morning blue light.

He slowly sat up, the blankets falling off of him as he pulled one curtain away to peer at his bedroom’s personal fireplace. The fire had long since gone out, but the large basket was still there along with the mother cat and her three kittens. She was curled up and the kittens were nursing eagerly.

As he listened to what sounded like quite a storm blowing against the house, he looked at the cat. It was a miracle that anyone had found them in the storm two nights ago. All of them were pure white with bright blue eyes. There were two female kittens and one male kitten. He was tempted to name them after the cats from The Aristocats movie, but put that decision off. Slowly, he stood and approached. The mother cat instantly looked up, eyes narrowed. He paused and slowly got onto all fours, approaching on his hands and knees so as not to seem dangerous. The mother cat watched him passively while he slowly blinked his eyes. After a little while, the mother cat blinked back before moving to bathe one of her kittens.

When he reached the basket, he moved past it, grabbing some kindling, a few logs, and the matchbox. In a few minutes, a new fire was beginning. All the while, the kittens were mewing slightly while their mother groomed them. He sat next to them, watching patiently while the storm outside raged on.

He yawned, having not gotten much sleep the night before because he was worried about the cat and her kittens. What he was surprised about was how the gryphons seemed to treat the cats with reverence. When he asked Gabby about it, she explained that it went back to Ancient Egrypt. Gryphons held a special place for cats, considering them to be a good luck charm in the modern day. They were worshipped in Egrypt as messengers of their ancient gods. Pure white cats? Those were signs of extra good luck.

Fauna Spirit, Flurry Heart’s nurse, took care of the cats by keeping them warm until they recovered, which was surprisingly quickly. Cadance cast minor healing spells on them, but cautioned that they would still need to rest before anything happened. They did watch the Beauty and the Beast movie before Amira led them in the traditional celebration Haynukkah. After that, Gregory was about to prepare a place for the family, but Silica offered up her bedroom for the time being. She was okay with sleeping on the couch bed in the living room or even on the floor. After much convincing, Gregory reluctantly agreed.

The first day of the new year came and went, and since the storm didn’t go away, the entire household was forced to stay inside. There was a bit of tension in the air, especially in regards to Cadance and Sunset who avoided each other all day, but mostly everyone relaxed. Flurry was allowed to watch a couple of movies, they all played a couple of board games that Gregory had brought from Earth, and they talked about random topics. Nothing of consequence.

He stood and looked down at the mother, who was now just ignoring him like any preoccupied mother. She looked up sharply a few seconds later, however, looking at the door. There was a knock at the door moments later, and Gabby called out, “Gregory, are you up? We’re just about to start making breakfast for everyone.”

“I just got up,” he said as he walked over and opened the door. Gabby was standing there with a plate of warmed up tuna and a bowl of water in her claws. “For the mom cat?”

She nodded and looked past him. “Is she doing okay?” she asked.

“She was nursing her kittens when I woke up, so I think she’s going to be just fine,” he said as he took the plate and walked back to the cat.

Gabby flew in and approached the cat, who watched the gryphon with a cautious gaze. However, she began sniffing the air when the plate was placed down near the basket. The kittens were done nursing and were now just crawling around, mewing. The mother got up, sniffed the warm tuna before beginning to eat heartily. Gabby then headed to the bathroom where they had set up a makeshift litter box, which considered of a basket of dirt. “Oh, thank the Maker,” she said, “looks like she’d digesting her food properly.”

“That’s good,” Gregory said. He walked over to the fireplace and put on another log before putting the gate up to keep the kittens from accidentally wandering into it. “Well, I’m going to get changed and ready for the day,” he said.

“I’ll go and start making breakfast,” she said as she flew out of the room, closing it and leaving Gregory alone.

After freshening up for the day with washing up, brushing his teeth and changing into some very warm around the house clothes (there was no way he was going out barring an emergency) he went downstairs and after starting a fire in the main living room’s fireplace he joined Gabby and Gilda, both of whom were making a warm breakfast for everyone there. “Morning, you two,” he said as he sniffed the air. “French toast, huh? Nice choice.”

“Prench toast,” a familiar voice corrected him. Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw the fridge door close. Sunset Shimmer stood there, a carton of eggs in her magic as she brought it to the counter.

“Right,” he said with a smile as he reached out towards the eggs. “I’ll get started on some scrambled eggs.”

“Actually, could you let me?” Sunset asked. “I want to…make a special type of scrambled eggs.”

That caught Gregory’s attention. “Oh? What kind?”

“They’re…an apology kind of scrambled eggs,” she admitted, looking down at the floor with a guilty expression on her face.

Sensing that there was something deeper going on, he took the eggs out of Sunset’s magical grip, set them on the counter, then gestured for Sunset to follow. She did without a word, and soon they were standing next to the big window in the living room. The fire in the fireplace was roaring now and heat permeated the room. Sunset was avoiding looking at him, and the two stood in silence for a bit. Eventually, Gregory said, “Does this have anything to do with the Empress being here?”

She flinched a bit when he mentioned Cadance, but slowly she nodded. “I…when I was Celestia’s student, she lived there after she ascended. I…I hated her because of what she represented. She made ascending to alicornhood look so easy. And she…she’s younger than I am. I treated her like she was garbage…”

The poor mare looked like she was trembling, so he walked over, knelt, and wrapped her up in a hug. If there was one thing he’d learned from living with four pony mares, it was that they loved giving and receiving hugs. Each one of them hugged differently. Trixie’s hugs were always tight, but not overbearing, especially when she’d first hugged him too tightly and had almost choked him. Starlight’s were always warm, and Sunset’s were more reserved, but still enjoyable. Amira didn’t hug as much, but when she did, she did it with not just her forehooves but her wings as well. Hers were all encompassing.

This time, Sunset’s hug back felt like one of desperation. He held her as tightly as he could, which he knew wouldn’t harm her because ponies were physically stronger than humans. “This is really eating you up, isn’t it?” he asked.

“I don’t know how to face her,” Sunset admitted with a tremble in her voice. “She never deserved anything I did to her. She never stopped smiling. I was a monster to her.”

“I forgave you long ago, Sunset,” a new voice said from the kitchen door.

Sunset flinched, burying her face into Gregory’s chest. This felt out of character for her, but he didn’t want to get into the way of any sort of reconciliation, so he gently pulled Sunset off of him, looking down into her cyan eyes. “I think you should talk with her,” he said as he turned her to face Cadance before he began moving away. However, she wrapped her tail around his waist, stopping him. Looking down, he frowned a bit. “Sunset, I-”

“Please don’t go,” she said with an even voice, but even he could sense the plea behind her words.

He nodded, standing next to Sunset. “Sure.”

That made Sunset relax her grip on Gregory’s wrist. She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then seemed to steel herself before looking up at Cadance. Her expression now was one of determination. “Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, I just-”

“Please, call me Cadance,” the alicorn said with a kind smile.

That seemed to throw Sunset off for a moment, but she steeled herself again and nodded. “Okay, Cadance then. I know this is too many years in the making, but the way I treated you back when we both lived in Canterlot was inexcusable. I was a horrible pony back then, and you did not deserve anything that I did to you. I’m truly very sorry.”

Cadance gave her a soft smile. “Sunset, like I said, I forgave you long ago. That hasn’t changed. Celestia told me about how things ended with you, and you might like to know she regrets how things went between you.”

Sunset looked down, taking a couple other deep breaths. Gregory walked over and put a reassuring hand on her back, rubbing it gently. “I see,” she said with a shaky tone before she stood back up straight. “Thank you for your forgiveness. I really do appreciate it.”

Cadance smiled wider, then approached, wings extended. “May I?” she asked.

Sunset broke at that, and tears began forming in her eyes as she leaned into the taller pony for a hug. Cadance, despite being younger, comforted the teary eyed unicorn mare. She looked up at Gregory and nodded. “I can take it from here,” she whispered softly.

Gregory nodded back, ran a reassuring hand through Sunset’s mane, and headed back into the kitchen. When he came back, he saw that Flurry Heart was sitting on top of Gabby’s head while she was making some Prench toast. Shining Armor was there, standing out of the way but keeping an eye on his daughter while he drank a glass of bliss. When he saw Gregory come in, he raised a hoof in greeting. “Mr. Graystone, good morning,” he said.

“Good morning to you too, Emperor Armor,” Gregory replied. “Hope you slept okay.”

He smiled. “The bed that Silica lent to us is really comfortable,” he said. “Put Flurry right to sleep.”

“I’m sorry we don’t have anything more for your family and your two guards,” he apologized as he began cracking eggs into a mixing bowl.

“The cots you gave to the guards are more than enough for them,” Shining said. “Royal Guards undergo rigorous training to be able to sleep anywhere. I tried one cot, and it’s plenty comfortable, especially with the blankets you loaned to us.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said. “Speaking of, are the guards still asleep?”

Shining nodded. “I told them to get some rest. Walking through the storm yesterday to report back to the others took a lot out of them.”

Gregory nodded. He couldn’t imagine just how badly things had been for the guards who had insisted on going back to the Eyrie to report to their comrades on the state of affairs at the house. They had been gone for nearly the whole day and had practically collapsed into their cots in the office upon returning home. “Let them know they can use the downstairs bath or my personal one if they want to warm up,” he said. “Same for you and your family.”

“Thank you, I will,” Shining said.

“Gregory, do we have any of that powdered sugar left?” Gilda asked.

“It’ll be on the third shelf up from the floor in the pantry if so,” he replied. “It’s in a copper container.”

“Got it,” the gryphon said as she walked into the pantry.

“Hey, Mr. Graystone!” Flurry said as she flew over and landed on his shoulders, wrapping her forelegs around his forehead. “Whatcha doooin’?”

“I’m making some delicious scrambled eggs for breakfast,” he replied as he began shaking some salt into the scrambled egg mixture.

“Can I have sunny side up eggs instead?” the precocious tyke asked.

“Flurry, you’re a guest in this stallion’s home,” Shining said, “so be polite.”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Flurry said, sounding chastened.

“No, it’s no problem,” Gregory said as he picked up two eggs and set them aside. “I’ll make two sunny side up eggs for you.”

“Really? Yay!” Her wings flapped behind her excitedly.

“Mr. Graystone, there’s no need for that,” Shining said.

“Call me Gregory, please,” he said, “and I don’t mind. It won’t take too long to make.” He looked up at Flurry. “Do you want to help make your eggs?” Flurry’s eyes bulged at that and she nodded eagerly. Gregory smiled, grabbed a stool and set it next to the counter. “Okay, so let’s begin by putting the pan on the stove, okay?”

Several minutes, and a few cracked eggs later (she had to crack more than two so the yolk didn’t break) Gregory was helping the young alicorn filly make her own breakfast. Gilda had taken over with the scrambled eggs and was also making some bacon in the oven for the meat eaters. Cadance and Sunset had come back into the kitchen, talking with smiles on their faces. Shining joined in, although he mostly listened to the stories that the two of them were telling each other. By this time, others were getting up. Silica, having gotten up earlier, had showered and was wearing a pair of thick black sweatpants, a pink t-shirt and a dark blue hoodie. It always made Gregory smile to see the human obsessed dragon wearing clothes based off of his style, which he considered to be comfy.

Starlight and Trixie came down after a while, talking with Gallus about something. Amira came in a few minutes later, yawning slightly as she sat at the dining room table with the other three. Everyone else joined them later, breakfast already having been finished. There were pieces of Prench toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, and a pitcher of bliss, a pitcher of water, and some tea to drink.

“I have to say,” the mare guard, whose name was Rose Quartz, began, “those cots are rather well made. Where did you get them, Mr. Graystone?”

Gregory saw Shining give him a look that basically said ‘I told you so.’ He chuckled. “There’s a small shop in town run by a gryphon named Goldy,” he said. “It’s sort of like a camping/disaster prep store. I bought them from her. She and her employees make most of their products themselves.”

“Can somepony show us there they are when this storm is over?” the male guard, named Lapis Lazuli, asked.

“Sure, someone can show you,” Gregory said.

“Mr. Graystone,” Cadance said, “is it really true that this houseoak was built in a matter of minutes instead of months?”

“That’s correct,” he said.

“I still find that hard to believe,” Shining said.

“It’s the truth,” Gregory replied.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Shining quickly amended, “but it’s just…this is something that could be life changing. Creatures who have lost their house can just design a new one and move in by the end of the day.”

“From what I saw when this house and others were built, it’s not that simple,” Gregory said as he pulled out his phone. “I took a video of Gryphonville’s local apothecarist and her apprentice growing these houses before the weather became bad enough that construction wasn’t viable. It takes some time to get all of the materials needed. It’s a complicated process. Honestly, it took a full day for Miss Zecora and Miss Ladybug to get everything ready for my house. It took about half a day to gather everything for the houses they made for some of the homeless people in the city. The more complicated the way you want the houseoak, the more materials you need and the more specific houseoak plan.” He took a breath. “Honestly, I’m not the person you should talk to about this. It’s her.” He held up the phone and hit play.

Everyone watched as, on the screen, Zecora and Ladybug stood in front of an empty street. Behind them, Trixie, Starlight and Sunset stood in front of what looked like a circle of various objects. Zecora nodded, and all four raised their horns, pouring magic into the piles in front of them. The ground began to rumble, then sink in. Eventually, four nearly identical houseoak trees grew from the ground. The camera turned and focused on a few other unicorn ponies on the other side of the street who were stumbling back from the houses they had helped newly build. A couple of them were approached by what looked like their families, helping the unicorns up before moving towards the others, proud smiles on their faces.

Gregory paused the video and put the phone away. “Building these houses requires magic to work. Otherwise, it takes a much longer time for the tree to grow naturally. Fortunately, these trees can grow at a remarkably fast rate without magic, but with magic it only takes a day for the growth. Zecora is the only one I know of who knows the intricacies of the spell.”

“Zecora…why do I know that name…?” Cadance asked.

“She once lived in Ponyville before Jason Wright’s invasion,” Gregory explained.

Cadance’s eyes widened in recognition. “Twilight told me about her…”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle knew her, eh?” Gregory said. “Guess that makes sense. She lives in Ponyville, from what Zecora told me.”

The air was tense in the room at the mention of the now destroyed Ponyville. That was, until Flurry Heart, a bit oblivious to the mood, burped loudly. Shining and Cadance looked at her, horrified. The filly wiped her mouth with her hoof before looking up at her stunned parents. “Um…excuse me?”

Gregory laughed at that and smiled. “Good girl,” he said. “It’s always polite to say that.”

Flurry beamed with a childlike pride, and the tension eased considerably.

It was late afternoon when things took a turn for the unexpected. Everyone was watching another movie from Gregory’s homeland, this one called Sleeping Beauty. Cadance had loved each and every movie that she had watched. It was an entertainment she could get used to, and the stories were entertaining for her daughter. That was the most important thing to her.

They were at a scene which depicted the villain Maleficent, who reminded Cadance of Chrysalis in a way, when there was a hasty knock at the door. “Wonder who that could be?” Gabby asked.

“I can go check if you wish,” Rose said, standing.

“No, it’s my house,” Gregory said, “I can go get it.” He stood and rushed to the front door. Whoever had come to visit him was likely freezing cold, Cadance reasoned, and would want to get out of the storm as fast as possible. She watched as Gregory unlocked the door and flung it open. Snowflakes began flying in at an incredible rate. A hooded gryphon stood there, but despite that she recognized the gryphon. “Get inside, hurry!” Gregory said as he gestured for the gryphon to enter.

The gryphon did so, and Gregory closed the door quickly, locking it back up and taking the cloak off of said gryphon, revealing Gwendolyn from the Convocation who immediately rushed over to the fire and sat in front of it, rubbing her claws together to help warm her up. Cadance grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shivering form. “Th-th-thank y-you,” she shivered.

“Of course,” Cadance said.

“I’ll get her some tea!” Gabby said as she rushed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a mug of steaming tea, which she held out to her fellow gryphon. “Here,” she said.

After Gwendolyn accepted it, Gregory put another log on the fire before turning to the gryphon. “What are you doing here?” he asked worriedly. “Nobody goes out in a storm like this.”

“S-Sorry, but it’s an e-emergency,” she said. “W-We had some un-unexpected v-v-visitors.”

“Who would visit us in this weather?” he asked incredulously.

“They’re in Gryphonville right now,” she explained. “Th-the storm’s not s-so bad down there. We j-just received word.”

“Who is down there?” Gregory asked.

The next four words made Cadance freeze in alarm. Because what came out of Gwendolyn’s mouth were the words “Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

19: Anticipation

Sunday, January 2, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Instead of going to Gryphonville, Gregory instead decided that he would head out into the storm to the Eyrie. He’d have to walk since he couldn’t be teleported by magic. Starlight and Shining Armor would combine their magic to make their way down to Gryphonville. None of the horned ponies in his house could teleport in the lower magical environment, so it was decided that Gabby and Gilda would fly both ponies down while the two ponies used a shield to protect them against the storm. They would then see if they could borrow some élanite from Zecora to boost their magic for a teleportation. If that didn’t work, they would fly back up with Shining using his shield magic to protect them from the fierce winds and heavy snow and ice. Cadance was staying behind to watch over Flurry Heart, and Trixie would stay as well to keep the young filly entertained. and everyone else was staying to keep warm and watch over the house. The cats were apparently in good hooves as Fauna Spirit said she would look after them.

Gregory walked with Sunset, Amira, Silica, and Gwendolyn up the road towards the Eyrie. Sunset was creating a mobile shield around the group as they walked up the thick snowdrifts. It was weaker than she would have liked, meaning that Gregory had to wear plenty of protective snow gear. Amira was carrying Gregory on her back and Silica held Sunset in her arms. All around them, they saw nothing but white with hints of homes nearly buried in the snow.

“It’s a good thing that Zecora helped fix that Gryphonstone branch,” Silica said as they made a turn that led them up the path to the Eyrie. Despite the weakness of Sunset’s shield, they could all still hear each other.

“It could have fallen,” Gregory agreed before reaching down to rub Amira’s neck.

Amira looked back at Gregory and chuckled. “Something on your mind, Gregory?” she asked.

“Eh, just remembering a time when I rode on the back of a horse back home,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “A horse, huh? Don’t those still exist in Gryphonia somewhere?”

“They’re wild,” Gwendolyn explained, “but they do exist, specifically in the Himaleyo’s.”

“Wow, I wish I’d known that,” Gregory said. “How many are there?”

“I don’t know, to be honest,” Gwendolyn said. “Why?”

“Back where I’m from, they were used by humans as beasts of burden or as means of pulling carriages or even as transportation for a single human,” Gregory explained. “Actually, humans would ride on horses like how Amira is generously letting me ride on her back. Many still do. It’s not as common anymore as our technology advanced, but some still do it.”

“I wonder if humans here did the same,” Silica wondered. “I mean, wherever the human homeland was may have had horses.”

“Perhaps that is why this feels natural to me?” Amira pondered. “Saddle Arabians and Equestrians have a slightly different ancestor in the genealogical record, according to our own studies.”

“I did wonder why the images of Saddle Arabian clothes seem to have a saddle,” Gregory said, “and why that’s an actual word here.”

Amira seemed to be lost in contemplation, but it lasted for only a few moments. “When I speak with my brother next, I will ask him to look into this. It’s quite intriguing.”

“Thanks,” Gregory said, “I’m sure Silica and I will love to hear anything about human history here.”

Silica chuckled, Amira smirked, and Gregory smiled. Sunset, who had been listening, asked without turning, “Do any of you have any theories as to what could have happened to humanity? I read a bit about them back in Canterlot, but it was all just vague mentions of them. They’re thought to be myths by those who do study pony mythology. Or they were myths.”

“We aren’t myths,” Gregory chuckled. “My old home nation had a population of around three hundred and forty million when I left.”

That made everyone’s jaw drop. “Three hundred and forty…million?” Sunset gaped at that.

“Gregory…the entire known world has a population of…maybe three hundred and eighty million…”

Gregory immediately knew he had screwed up. He had told only Gabby about being from Earth. “Well, cat’s out of the bag on that,” he said with a heavy sigh.

“Cat’s out of what bag?” Silica asked.

“I’ll tell you all when we get to the Eyrie,” Gregory promised. “It’s something I’ve kept hidden about my place of origin. Something I really didn’t want to talk about, but since I screwed up and let something slip, there’s no point in hiding it.”

There was silence as the group continued heading forward. Nobody spoke until they reached the gates of the Eyrie. The moment they entered, they felt the warmth of the interior wash over them. “I’m glad this place is warm for the winter,” Gregory said as he dismounted from Amira and began to take off his thick winter gear so he could change into his official Convocation robes.

As he went to change in another room, Geoffrey came walking up. He had his own robes with him as the two went into the room to change together. “Ah, Gregory. I take it you’ve heard about our unusual guests?” he asked as he began putting his clothes on. “I’m sorry you had to be dragged here through the storm.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Gregory said as he peeled off several unneeded layers of his own clothes, “Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow and all that.”

“That’s the motto for the mail service,” Geoffrey chuckled with his deep jovial tone he had whenever he was amused. “I just saw the princesses arriving. They seem to have brought a large number of chests with them.”

Gregory frowned. “Chests? Huh…I wonder what could be inside…?”

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait,” Geoffrey said. “Still, I don’t particularly care for them bringing that many. It’s pretty suspicious.”

“You think it’s some sort of bribe instead of a gift?” Gregory asked.

“I’ve known Princess Celestia for decades,” Geoffrey said as he put his cloak on, “and she is a very wily one. She has over a thousand years of political maneuvering experience.” He put a claw over his chest. “Even before you appeared, I prided myself on being good in the diplomatic field, but the princess has always had a known history of being many steps ahead of everyone.”

“Well, being immortal will have that effect on someone,” Gregory agreed as he straightened his clothes up in the mirror before reaching for his own cloak. “Still, a bribe? That’s a bold if perhaps a foolish move on her part.”

“Correct,” Geoffrey said. “Her nation is in an economic crisis. Giving us chests of gold, if that’s what’s in them, would be an act of a desperate leader. We are growing economically and we are also gaining new citizens who are fleeing Equestria.”

Gregory, who had just finished putting his cloak on, leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, looking down at the portly but experienced gryphon diplomat. A frown creased his brow. “What do you think she wants?” he asked.

“It’s possible she has sent somepony to investigate us,” he said, “and she probably knows about our dealings with other nations. She might think she’s being kind in giving us money or gifts or whatever is in those chests, but Equestria has depended on exports from other countries for years now. Ever since that incident with Emperor Wright and the changelings, not only has Equestria shut its borders until recently, but other countries have promised to cease trade.”

“At least, three that we know of,” Gregory nodded, already knowing this to be the case. He knew she had sent Sweetie Drops because he’d seen her and Lyra in the Green Dragon Inn a few days prior.

“Actually, we know of six who have promised to cut off trade with Equestria,” Geoffrey said as he opened the door to leave the room.

Gregory followed behind. “Is that including Saddle Arabia, the Crystal Empire, and the Dragon Lands?” he asked as the two walked down the hall to the throne room.

“Correct,” Geoffrey said. “Some of our couriers have brought news from the Qilin Shogunate, Zebrica, Farasi, and the Himaleyo Leap have all decided to refuse trade for the time being. So, the kirin, zebras, and snow leopards are also going to refuse to trade. And we did receive a message from the Matriarch of the Leap asking for trade and aid.”

Gregory thought about it. The snow leopards, like Allura from G5, were a race of winged snow leopards who lived far east in the Himaleyo Mountains. They could be thought of as distant cousins of gryphons, given their very similar appearance and characteristics. “Gabby told me a little bit about them,” he said truthfully. “They have a special magic, some kind of beast taming? They call it Purrsuasion?”

“Correct,” Geoffrey said, “and they can also create ice. The myth behind them is that they learned that particular magic from a windigo they used Purrsuasion on centuries ago.”

“Damn, they can tame a windigo?” Gregory asked with a surprised look. “Those wispy equines who bring deadly ice and snow when they detect hatred?”

“The snow leopards are a powerful set of clans,” Geoffrey said by means of explanation as they began walking up the stairs towards the throne room. “They are also a relatively peaceful race who were once a vassal state of the Imperium. The Emperor left them be and only asked for aid if asked. We traded with them during the Imperium as well since there were plenty of fruits they could grow in the Himaleyos that we couldn’t grow in the valleys. After the Imperium fell, they sort of retreated, building a massive ice wall around their territory using their magic.”

“A wall?” That made no sense, Gregory reasoned. How could a wall stop gryphons or other flying beings, like dragons.

“It was a symbolic gesture,” Geoffrey said. “Some of the more powerful snow leopards out there can use their Purrsuasion on gryphons, ponies, dragons, and the like. They may be peaceful, but they can be dangerous if provoked.”

A shiver went down Gregory’s spine as he remembered the Secrets of Starlight special. That kind of power was terrifying. “I can only imagine,” he said.

Geoffrey must have sensed Gregory’s nervousness, because he flew up and patted Gregory on the shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said, “they are peaceful, but reclusive. As long as nogryphon or nocreature bothers them, they won’t attempt retaliation of any kind. Still, getting a message from their Matriarch and their Leap is unusual.”

“Times are unusual,” Gregory said as they reached another level, only to spot Sunset standing at the next flight of stairs, looking up with a nervous look in her eyes. “Sunset? What are you doing here?”

She turned and gave a nervous smile to the two. “Hey,” she said. “Sorry, I just…I know Celestia and Luna are up there already. I don’t know if I’m quite ready to face Celestia yet. I’m not sure if I’m that brave.”

“Nobody would ever ask that of you,” Geoffrey said. He was aware, as were the rest of the Convocation, about the circumstances behind the three ponies in Gregory’s house being outside of Equestria. “If you want, you can head to the kitchens and get something warm to eat or drink. This meeting may go long.”

“You don’t have to face her if you don’t want to,” Gregory reassured her. “You also could have stayed home and not braved the storm. You knew she was here, and you came anyway because you wanted to help me. You’ve survived, and you’ve changed from how you said you used to be. You’ve also been braver than most ponies in your position.”

Sunset looked up the stairs, then back at Gregory. Her lovely light greenish-blue eyes were uncertain for a bit, then she nodded. “Thank you,” she said, then she approached Gregory, stood on her hind legs, and hugged him. “I needed to hear that.” She released him, then turned to Geoffrey and nodded at him gratefully. “Thank you for your hospitality and your kind words, as well.”

Geoffrey chuckled. “You’re a valued member of our community, and a friend to my friend here,” he said, gesturing to Gregory, “so there’s no need to thank me. Now then, run along. I believe the cooks here have a stew going that they keep cooking throughout the day that ponies can eat.”

Sunset smiled slightly, then headed downstairs. Gregory looked over at Geoffrey. Friends? They were friends? He thought about it for a few moments as the two resumed their climb up to the Convocation. No, they were friends. He decided that at some point, when the storm ended, he would treat Geoffrey to a nice meal. As they walked, Gregory spoke up again. “Have we sent a reply back to the Leap yet?”

“Not yet, seeing as not all of the Convocation is present to read it,” Geoffrey said, “but now that you are here, perhaps we can discuss that after our meeting with the Equestrian envoy.”

“A Convocation member’s work is never done,” Gregory sighed.

A few moments later, they arrived at the doors to the throne room. They were both closed, and two of the city watch stood guard. Geoffrey stepped forward and asked, “Have the Equestrian princesses arrived?”

“They’re inside with the rest of the Convocation, Ambassador,” one of the watch replied, “along with a lot of chests.”

Geoffrey gave Gregory a glance, and the two exchanged a look. Gregory stood up taller and once more straightened his tie. Geoffrey flew up and adjusted it again for him. Gregory did the same for him before Geoffrey landed. Gregory turned to the watchguards and was about to say something when he stopped.

In an instant, several thoughts flashed through his mind. The previous conversation he’d had with Geoffrey about the possible bribery from Equestria, and the confirmation he had just gotten about chests in the room were enough for an idea to start forming. Gregory had been raised in what his neglectful parents called a ‘Christian’ home, but he knew they were anything but that. They only really cared about appearances. They never beat him or yelled at him, of course, but their lack of care for him was enough to scar him. Still, despite that, he would fall asleep listening to old CDs of a man reading the Bible every night for years. The man’s voice was soothing, and the stories he learned were fascinating.

One in particular involved Joseph and his brothers during the famine in Mesopotamia. This was what he was thinking about when he looked at one of the guards. “How many chests were there?”

“I counted thirty,” the same guard said.

“I could have sworn it was thirty-one,” the other said.

“That one hardly could count as a chest,” the first guard said, holding out his claws apart. “That chest was about that big.” The guard held his claws apart no bigger than the size of a shoe box.

“Thirty large chests and one very small one, then…” Gregory said.

“Something on your mind, Gregory?” Geoffrey asked.

“Hello, you two,” Gwendolyn’s voice said.

He turned to see Gwendolyn walking up to them, with Grandpa Gruff beside them, the latter muttering to himself in frustration. Geoffrey raised a claw. “Gwendolyn, nice to see you again. Gruff, I didn’t think you’d make it,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Not even a nor’wester seems to deter business, huh?” Gruff said in his normal, well, gruff manner. He scowled as he looked at the doors to the throne room. “Are they here already?”

“They are,” Gregory said.

“Fine, then let’s get this over with,” Gruff said. “My granddaughter is going to try and visit me later tonight, and I want to be home to fix dinner before she arrives.”

“Not yet,” Gregory said, eager to explain his plan to Geoffrey, “I’ve got to talk to Geoffrey about something.”

Gwendolyn must have noticed something because she approached with a worried look on her face. “Hey, is everything alright?” she asked.

“I just got told about the large…gifts…that the Equestrians brought,” Gregory said, “and I was about to talk to Geoffrey about how we’re going to deal with the envoy.”

Gwendolyn looked a bit confused, then turned to Geoffrey. “Gifts? I didn’t hear anything about this.”

“You left before the envoy arrived,” Geoffrey explained. He then went on to explain just what the Equestrian princesses had brought. “We don’t know what’s in them,” he finished, “but it’s likely money, gems, maybe more.”

Gruff scoffed “They must think we’re still the greedy assholes we were before Gregory returned the Idol.”

“Maybe,” Gwendolyn replied, “but we can’t make those assumptions.” She then looked up between her fellow Convocation members. “What should we do? How should we approach this?”

“Come with me for a bit,” Gregory said and gestured for the three to head into a small room near the throne room with him. It had once served as the Emperor’s personal dining area when mealtimes came around. It was also the Emperor’s office when he needed to look over documents. He closed the door and looked at the two gryphons. “Tell me, do either of you know the idea of a Good Cop, Bad Cop routine?” The blank expressions told him what he needed to know. “Okay, so here’s what it means…”

Several minutes later, the human and three gryphons came out of the room. Gregory turned to the guards. “Gentletoms, please open the door.”

The two nodded, grabbing one side of the door each, and pushed.

When Celestia had arrived in Gryphonia on the Friendship Express with Luna and their combined entorage, it had been snowing heavily. The snow had began about an hour after the train had crossed over into Gryphonia. It was light at first, but it soon became heavier. Wind had even picked up and she had seen the snow plow on the front of the train kicking up drifts of snow that had piled onto the tracks several times. The trees were heavily laden with thick piles of snow. She had never seen so much snow in one place before, but then again she had to remember that Gryphonia didn’t have weather teams. Their weather was not controlled. Storms were a complete rarity in Equestria thanks to that fact. Still, seeing snow that would go up to her knees was a rare sight.

When they had gotten to Gryphonstone Station, Celestia was stunned to learn that the station had been renamed as Guto River Station. Not only that, but the train line had actually been extended. Their next stop was a town called Gryphonville which lay at the foot of Gryphonstone’s mountain. Once they had reached that town, Celestia had noticed that the snowfall had turned into a snowstorm. Visibility was very low, and she doubted that they could travel up the mountain which was completely hidden from view.

Somehow, however, their arrival had been discovered, and a group had met her while she, her sister, and her entourage were getting something to eat in a nearby restaurant. To her complete surprise, one of the creatures who came to meet her was Shining Armor. There were two other ponies she didn’t know, but they all had promised to teleport them all up to Gryphonstone, more specifically the Eyrie.

Celestia had tried to speak to Shining Armor, but he was cold towards her. Polite, but professional. He did explain that he was doing this as a favor to the human who had let him, his wife, and their daughter stay at their house since they got caught in the storm, which was apparently called a nor’wester.

They had then traveled to a local apothecary’s shop, which was run by a very familiar zebra mare. She was less than pleased to see Celestia, but when Starlight explained that they were hoping to borrow some élanite, Zecora acquiesced. The moment Celestia saw the red gemstone, she felt the magic inside her grow. She asked that she be allowed to keep it until they left Gryphonstone because of the amount of magic there being less than the rest of the world. Zecora seemed reluctant, but eventually agreed.

Celestia and Luna had lent magic to Starlight Glimmer and Shining Armor, who both teleported the entourage and their chests to the Eyrie. She was immediately impressed by its ancient magnificence and the renovations it had apparently gone over in recent months. What she hadn’t expected was the large number of gryphons who were around. From what she knew of the Eyrie, there had not been anygryphon living there for centuries. Still, Gabby and Gilda explained that they had been making temporary repairs so that the Eyrie could be used as a shelter for homeless gryphons who had returned from their former Badlands colony after being kicked out by the changelings.

The group had been escorted to the old throne room, where the two had been tended to while the other Convocation members were gathered for an emergency meeting. While they waited, Celestia looked out of the window. The nor’wester here was deadlier than any storm she had seen in many, many years. She could only see white out of the window and the wind howled outside. The massive fireplace in the throne room was lit with a roaring blaze which warmed the room and there were what looked like oil lamps around the walls.

As Celestia walked around the room while waiting for the Convocation members to arrive, Luna sat and watched, sipping on a cup of steaming tea. “Quite the storm, is it not?” she asked as she put the cup down and watched her sister.

“The young gryphon named Gabby says these storms happen multiple times a year,” Celestia said, “mostly in the winter months. It’s a regular occurrence. It’s also a wonder that the Eyrie hasn’t come down. It’s older than Canterlot.”

“The Imperium did make sure to build things to last,” a female voice said from the door.

Celestia and Luna turned at once to see a gryphon female standing there. She looked to be somewhat older than the two gryphon females who had accompanied the group back to Gryphonstone. She had light brownish-gray fur and dark pink feathers in her plumage. She was wearing a suit of dark brown with a black tie hanging from the collar. She also wore a white cloak with golden fringe and a bright yellow hood. The broach was a gold and silver-plated foreword facing head of a bald eagle. In both of her claws she held bowls of some strange glowing liquid which she set at two spots at the table.

“They do indeed,” Luna said.

The gryphon bowed her head slightly. “My name is Georgia, one of the members of the Convocation,” she said by means of introduction. “Allow me to introduce you to two other members.” She walked over to the bowls and pulled out a small pearl which she dropped into the bowls. Mist rose from each of the bowls and moved back to the two chairs in front of where they had been placed.

Two nearly solid figures emerged from the mist. One was a dark mauve furred and light red feathered older female gryphon and the second was an older black furred and gray feathered gryphon male. Both wore identical clothes as Georgia did. The two looked around, then their eyes locked onto Celestia and Luna at almost the same time. “Well, this is an unexpected surprise,” the male said with a raised eyebrow.

“Princesses, let me introduce you to Ginna and Gael,” Georgia said, gesturing to the female and male respectively. “They are currently out of the country at the moment but can still attend this meeting.”

“Nice to meet you two,” Ginna said with a wave.

“A pleasure to meet you two as well,” Celestia said, hiding her surprise. She had never seen a method of long distance communication like this before. Equestria had its own methods, and she knew the changelings had their own, but she didn’t think that the gryphons had something like it, too. Having instant communication magic like this was incredibly difficult because it consumed a good deal of magic on both ends. “If I may ask, where are the two of you?” she asked.

“I’m in Saddle Arabia right now,” Ginna replied.

“And I’m in the Dragon Lands,” Gael added.

“A fascinating magic you have created here,” Luna said, leaning in closer to focus on the bowls. There was mist still rising from the bowls, so she didn’t get too close. “Are these Saddle Arabian bowls?”

“They are,” Georgia said with a smile, but there was something predatory behind those eyes that Celestia almost cringed at, “and they are on loan from the Sultan’s daughter. Please don’t touch them.”

Luna moved back. “Apologies, we were just curious,” she said.

The predatory look was gone, now. “Everyone is,” she said as she took a seat. “So, while we’re waiting for the others to arrive, I understand that you were in Gryphonville earlier?”

“Yes, we were,” Celestia said.

“I lived there for a year several years ago,” Gael said, “and it’s by far one of my favorite towns. Quiet and relaxed. Before the Idol of Boreas was returned to us, it was friendly by old gryphon standards. Now? It’s growing exponentially into the friendliest town in Gryphonia. One of the most prosperous, too.”

“Did you see much of it?” Georgia asked.

“Only a hoofful of buildings,” Celestia admitted.

“If you have time, you should stop by the Sweet’N’Savory,” Ginna said. “They have some excellent cuisine.”

“Actually, we did,” Luna said. “I procured a delectable grilled cheese sandwich with steaming tomato soup. And the bliss they have there is much better than what we have in Canterlot.”

“Their hot chocolate and cupcakes were rather good, as well,” Celestia said. She thought back to seeing one of the employees there, one Blanch Blend, a pony cook who had prepared the hot chocolate fresh for them and had baked the cupcakes earlier in the day. Despite the snowy weather, the place had been busy with jovial gryphons and ponies along with a couple of dragons who were engaged in a game of darts in the corner. A dragon version of darts, she had noted, which involved the dragons heating up the points of the darts with their fire and throwing them at a fireproof dartboard with paper in the bullseye.

“I actually prefer some of their new dishes that Gregory has been introducing to them,” Georgia said. “Their cheeseburgers are a smash hit.”

Hearing the name of the human being mentioned caught the attention of Celestia, and judging by how one of Luna’s ears flicked, it had caught her attention as well. “Is that restaurant a staple of the local community down there?” Celestia asked.

“It’s one of the best restaurants in Gryphonville,” Georgia said.

“I prefer their root beer floats, myself,” Gael said.

“That’s because you have the sweet beak of a cub,” Ginna replied with a frown.

“Hey! I’m perfectly fine with that, thank you very much,” Gael retorted.

Celestia watched the two ghostly gryphons arguing while Georgia watched with a smirk. This was different. All she knew about gryphons was that they were greedy and wanted only to make a quick bit, or talon in their case. But something about the gryphons she had met since arriving a few hours ago was different. Her eyes wandered to the artifact on the table. In fact, there were four articles on the table. A gold ring, a sash, a crown, and a strange looking object on a stand. It was a golden statuette forming a wing and a base shaped like a griffon talon with a rose colored orb in the center. A glow emanated from the interior of the sphere and it looked as if a cloudy liquid resided inside it. There were ancient looking runes on the wing itself, runes she couldn’t read, and she was well versed in many ancient languages.

When Celestia leaned closer to examine the object, that’s when the other three gryphons must have taken notice. “Enjoying the Idol of Boreas, are we?” Ginna asked.

Celestia looked up in confusion. “The Idol of Boreas?” she asked. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

“Our most revered icon and artifact,” Georgia said. “The legend goes that King Grover found it at the founding of the Imperium long ago. It was apparently made from the dust of golden sunsets that was blown across the mountains by the north winds. It is a powerful magical artifact, but only the Bearer can utilize its power.”

“I heard that the Idol was made by some long gone race of mythical beings before being lost to time and then found by King Grover,” Gael said.

“I’ve heard that one, too,” Ginna said.

“I don’t know which one is true,” Georgia said, “but its effects have certainly been felt in the past few months.”

“Could you tell us more about it?” Luna asked, looking curiously at the Idol itself. “I can sense a magic emanating from it that is foreign to me.”

Georgia’s smile faded and she faced the princesses. “With all due respect to you,” she began, “as a representative of the Convocation and thus the people of this continent, I ask that you not touch the Idol with your magic. It is important to us gryphons.”

Luna backed away, looking a bit shocked by the sudden change of attitude in the middle aged gryphon. “My apologies,” she said, “I was merely curious. I can sense the magic without needing to cast any of my own.”

That caused the gryphon to relax a bit. “As long as you are aware of how much we revere it,” she said.

“Regardless,” Celestia said, “it is a fascinating and, actually quite beautiful idol.”

Georgia’s smile returned. “Yes it is,” she said, “We are all happy that it’s come back to us in our time of need. Our pride has returned, and much more it would seem.”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the stereotype that we are all a bunch of greedy bastards who would sell our parents out for a bit,” Gael said, “and while that is an exaggeration, we did focus on wealth both before and after the first time.”

“Hey, I heard that Gwendolyn was reading some things about the Imperium and several descriptions of how some gryphons felt at the time,” Ginna said, “and she says that this pride is different.”

“You’re correct,” a new female voice said. Celestia turned to see a younger and quite beautiful gryphon female with light brown fur, golden feathers in her plumage which fell down her sides, yellow claws, and bright green eyes. Standing in the doorway. Next to her was an older gryphon male. He had a dark black eye, the other blind from what looked like some kind of scar that ran down his left eye, reminding Celestia of Jason immediately. His fur was a slightly purplish gray, what little remained of his plumage was a darker gray, and he wore a dark red fez on his head.

Both were dressed in the same garb as the other members, plus an additional pin on the left side of the female’s clothes. It was a gold depiction of the Idol of Boreas, with the rose colored portion that represented the orb glowing slightly with the same magic, albeit with less intensity. She closed the door behind her and inclined her head towards Celestia and Luna. “Hello, princesses. My name is Gwendolyn. I’m the Convocation’s treasurer, secretary, and mage. This is Grandpa Gruff, our Convocation’s historian. Nice to meet you.”

The last status that Gwendolyn used to describe herself caught Celestia by surprise. She knew that the Imperium had something called the Imperial Mages, but those were rare. Gryphons who had sphinx or in rarer cases snow leopard blood running through their veins could use magical artifacts or create magical items with enough training. She had assumed that when the Imperium fell that they had all gone extinct, but apparently not. “Miss Gwendolyn, Mr. Gruff, a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

The mage ran a claw through her longer feathers that looked more like hair than anything else. “Sorry if I look a bit frazzled,” she said, “but I just arrived with another Convocation member after informing him about your unexpected arrival. The storm out there is extremely difficult to get through.”

“You can catch yer death of cold out there!” Gruff said as he plopped down into another chair, glaring up at the ceiling. “By Grover’s plumage, at least it’s warm in here.”

Celestia immediately felt guilty at her poor timing. “If you wish to postpone this meeting, we would be more than glad to find an inn for the night,” she said.

Gwendolyn shook her head fervently. “Nonsense,” she said as she took a seat in one of the chairs, “We’re almost all here now. The last two members are making some last minute preparations, but they should come in soon.”

The instant after she said this, the doors swung open, revealing two figures. The first was an older heavyset gryphon male. He was wearing a fez himself, and had dark gray claws, very dark brown eye feathers and plume, orange eyes, yellow beak, a light beige set of fur and a darker beige pair of wings. Celestia recognized Ambassador Geoffrey right away. And standing next to him, much taller than any gryphon when they stood on all fours, was Equus’ second human.

20: Confrontation

Sunday, January 2, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Celestia looked over the second human she had ever seen before. He was, unlike Jason, healthier looking. His hair, a wavy brown, fell loosely around his head and his sapphire eyes glanced around the room, finally locking onto her. He, too, wore the same style of clothes as the other gryphons, only made to match his body style. She wasn’t sure, but she felt like he was younger than Jason. The expression on his face was a serious one.

However, it was the Gryphonian ambassador who spoke first. “Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Greetings. It is agreeable to see you again.”

Celestia slipped flawlessly into her negotiation persona. “Ambassador Geoffrey, it’s been far too long.”

“Indeed it has,” Geoffrey replied without a hint of venom. Still, Celestia didn’t doubt that there was a hidden anger within him with regards to the closing of the borders. “May I introduce Gregory Graystone, one of the members of our Convocation.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Graystone,” Luna said first.

“Yes, a great pleasure,” Celestia said.

The human looked at both of them with a placid expression before he inclined his head at them both politely. “Greetings, your highnesses,” he said in a soft, even tone.

“I would say ‘I trust your trip here was uneventful’,” Geoffrey said after a few tense seconds, “but as you can see, we have our first nor’wester of the season raging outside.”

First? How many of these storms have they had? Celestia inwardly frowned. “It was definitely eventful, and I am sorry for our unannounced arrival.”

“It’s not an issue,” Geoffrey said, “after all, we’ve weathered these storms for centuries, so we can deal. Well, why don’t we get seated and begin this session?”

“Hey, are the other representatives not coming?” Ginna asked as Geoffrey and Gregory made their way to their seats.

“They’re technically not full fledged members of the Convocation,” Gwendolyn said, “and we didn’t want to force them to come out in this storm.”

Geoffrey grabbed the pitcher of bliss and poured himself one before passing it along to Gregory, who silently poured himself one before placing it down. “Well then,” Geoffrey said, “I know how much you two prefer to start on negotiations right away, so what is it that the Convocation can do for you?”

“Well, as you may or may not have already heard,” Celestia began, “we have reopened our borders.”

“Ah, yes, I heard about that the moment I arrived in Gryphonstone,” Gregory said as he quietly sipped on his bliss. “A shame, too. I was actually hoping to visit.”

“In hindsight, that was a foolish mistake,” Celestia admitted. “We reacted out of fear of another potential attack by the changelings. I assume you know about that?”

“We did hear about the changeling invasion of Canterlot and their destruction of Ponyville,” Geoffrey replied, sounding genuinely pained. “Such a tragedy. Still, at least nopony was killed. That is still correct, isn’t it?”

“Thank the Maker for that miracle,” Luna said.

“At any rate, the borders are now reopened, so if any of you wish to visit, you are more than welcome,” Celestia said, giving Gregory a small inviting smile.

“I will consider it,” he said with a polite nod.

“Now then,” Geoffrey said, “onto the matters at claw. You are not the first to come seeking an alliance with us. How may we help?”

Celestia cleared her throat. “We have heard tell of a certain…I don’t know whether the word would be plant, or construct, that you have in your continent. I believe it’s called a houseoak?”

“That is a quite popular export of ours,” Gwendolyn said with a smile. “Are you seeking only that from us?”

“No, we actually wanted certain produce that you can grow in your fields only,” Celestia added. “I have a list of the products I am aware of that can be better grown here than anywhere in Equestria.” She pulled out a scroll and placed it down on the table before using her magic to duplicate it for everycreature there.

Everyone took their scroll, broke the seals, and opened it to read it through. Celestia also made copies for herself and Luna, so the two of them opened their scrolls as well. Celestia just wanted to go over everything one more time as a refresher. Not only did the scroll explain what they were hoping to gain, but Celestia had placed what they could offer in exchange. She knew of the gryphon taste for oranges and orange juice, and Equestria’s southern farmlands had plenty to spare. There were other foodstuffs they could offer as well, along with access to certain precious minerals and ores that could be useful in their rebuilding process. Not only that, but she also was planned to offer assistance in the form of ponypower and experienced construction workers to aid in their reconstruction efforts.

Aside from houseoak seedlings and the products, Celestia and Luna had both brainstormed on what else they could hopefully ask for from Gryphonia. Once upon a time, Gryphonia had a species of insect known as giant bees. Their honey was a true delicacy for ponies, but from her information the gryphons couldn’t stand the stuff. They were common in the northeastern portion of Gryphonia.

That was not all, however. Celestia and Luna knew of creatures known as slimes. They were amorphous blobs that could devour anything they ate. They were not very smart, from what Celestia remembered, but they were rather docile and could be trained. Celestia remembered one slime she had known during a visit to the Imperium. It had been a dark gray slime which was a friendly soul. All slimes were able to create, or rather excrete, a very fertile soil or very pure water.

“Hold up, you’re asking for slimes?” Gregory asked in what sounded like surprise.

“Yes, yes we are,” Celestia said.

He turned to Gwendolyn. “Are slimes those transparent blobs that can eat anything and dissolve them into nothing?”

“I…have read stories about those sorts of creatures who supposedly lived in caves to the north of the continent,” Gwendolyn said, “but I always dismissed them as myths.”

“They are no myth,” Luna explained. “My sister and I have seen them.”

“Why would you want them?” Geoffrey asked. “I have never even heard of such a creature.”

That confused Celestia, but not wanting to create mistrust between her and the Convocation, she explained. “They’re amorphous blobs that can devour anything they eat, dissolving it into nothing. They produce fertile soil and pure water.”

That caught the attention of everyone there. Gregory turned to the rest. “If these slimes still exist, they could help us with our foul water problems,” he said with a hint of excitement.

“Do you think they still exist?” Gael asked.

“Gwendolyn, could you research this further?” Geoffrey asked. “This kind of creature would be a Makersend if they do exist.”

“I’ll need my unofficial assistant to help, but I don’t think that should be a problem,” Gwendolyn replied.

Gregory chuckled. “Gallus seems to have taken a liking to being your number one assistant,” he said.

His choice of words caught Celestia’s attention, but she chose to ignore it. Instead, she said, “From what little I know, they are an asexual species, as well. In their mating period, they devour a lot and then split into younglings.”

“If they’re still around, you’re only asking for…ten,” Geoffrey said as he looked over his copy of the scroll. “Will that be enough?”

“There is plenty that these slimes can eat near Canterlot,” Luna explained. “Ruins, for example.”

“Are you talking about Ponyville?” Gregory asked somberly.

Celestia nodded. “There is plenty of burned debris that would be perfect for ten slimes, and they would become a hundred or more during their mating season. I was unaware that they had become lost to time, so if you are unable to find any, then we can make do.”

“I see,” Geoffrey said. “I am aware, though, of the giant bees you mentioned here. Their honey is quite the delicacy, but we don’t have the Imperial Beekeepers anymore. Only they were able to tame the giant bees and gather their honey. It’s a rare treat for anyone to find a wild hive and harvest the honey from it. I’ve only ever gotten a single taste.”

“I can look for any information on them when I have the time,” Gwendolyn said.

“Thank you in advance,” Gregory said with a warm smile towards the gryphon hen.

“In any case,” Geoffrey said, “the other things you’re requesting from us, like the houseoak, may be a bit harder to export now. The amount of seeds we have is not enough to handle exporting to four nations.”

“The source of our information about houseoaks will probably want to remain anonymous,” Gwendolyn said. “Their information is more than we have on them now, but when this nor’wester is over, I’ll go talk to them.”

Celestia nodded, noting how Gwendolyn had been been careful not to reveal the sex of their source. “That’s understandable,” she conceded.

“As for what else you’re asking…blissberries, sweetgrass hay, and all the rest, we won’t be able to export many of those until the harvest next year,” Geoffrey said, “or perhaps even the year after that. Our farming infrastructure will be undergoing a major restructuring. Also, if we find the slimes you mentioned, we may need them first for their water and soil production abilities. Sweetgrass hay might be an exception because there’s plenty of that we have in the midwestern plains.”

“With that in mind, it may be some time before we can produce enough of what you’re asking for to trade,” Gregory added.

“We understand that,” Celestia said.

“As for what you’re offering…” Geoffrey began as he looked at the list again, “there seems to be little issue, except maybe for ponypower.”

“That would put you in a position of power over us,” Ginna said with a small frown.

“That was not the intention,” Celestia said.

“Maybe not, but it certainly feels like it,” Gregory said with a frown of his own.

Celestia nodded. “I am sorry for how our offer appears insulting,” she said, “we never meant for that to be the case. If you don’t want the help, perhaps we could provide some instructions on some of our construction methods that might help anything you build last?”

The Convocation exchanged a few glances, then after a few moments, Geoffrey said, “Are you sure about that?”

“Our nation has six basic principles, and one of them is generosity,” Celestia said. “I am well aware that in recent times those principles have been called into question.”

“Hmm, I see,” Geoffrey said somberly.

“And you wish to show the world how magnanimous you are by offering this to us,” Gregory said in a slightly accusing tone. “A publicity stunt, is it?”

Celestia immediately shook her head. “Not at all!”

“Hmm…and how can I trust that?” Gregory asked.

“Now, now, Gregory, take it easy there,” Geoffrey said in a reassuring tone. Gwendolyn, who was sitting next to Gregory, also put a claw on his arm, squeezing gently.

Gregory slowly closed his mouth and nodded. “Alright,” he said.

“Even if it is a publicity stunt, you can’t deny that what they’re offering us can be helpful in restoring our continent,” Geoffrey said, seeming to chide their human member.

Gregory gave a small smile and nodded. “Yes, of course. Sorry.” He inclined his head quickly to Celestia.

“No need to apologize,” she said, waving her hoof dismissively. “My sister and I are well aware of how this looks, but I can assure you we have no negative intentions towards your rebuilding nation.”

“I believe I know you well enough to vouch for how true that is,” Geoffrey said. “Rest assured, everyone, the princess here does seem to want to help.”

“Back to the topic at claw,” Gwendolyn said quickly. “You aren’t the only ones who have reached out to trade with us. We have agreements with three other nations, and another one aside from you has reached out to us for future negotiations.”

“We may need more time to consider this, especially with winter here,” Geoffrey concluded. “We can’t do much with the weather being as harsh as it normally is.”

“Gryphonia does have harsh winters even in our southern regions,” Gael explained. “Makes it hard to do any kind of farming.”

Celestia had to remind herself that the gryphons had no means of controlling their weather. They could stand on clouds, of course, but moving them required more magic than that. “We understand that,” Celestia said, “and we are willing to wait. Some of what we’re offering isn’t yet available, either. The oranges, for example, have already been harvested and sold in local markets across the kingdom.”

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but don’t you have lakes full of fish?” Gregory asked suddenly. “I’m sure you’re aware that gryphons eat plenty of fish.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I was aware, but I was also under the impression that your fisheries are one of the areas where you’re doing well.”

“Saltwater fisheries,” Gregory corrected. “I’ve been told that many of the freshwater lakes here are nearly depleted of fish.”

“Are you asking for us to transport fish to these lakes to repopulate them?” Luna asked.

“It’s not an unreasonable request,” Celestia said. “I think we can agree to that. Freshwater fish are plentiful where we are, but we should still leave some for the carnivorous animals in our kingdom.”

“That’s completely understandable,” Geoffrey said.

There was silence for a bit, a tense silence. Then, Geoffrey spoke again. “In regards to another matter, may I ask what those chests are for?” the ambassador asked, gesturing to the many chests in the corner of the room.

“Ah, they are gifts for you and the Convocation,” Celestia said without hesitation. “We have a tradition where we bring gifts whenever we open new negotiations with other nations.”

“Ah, well, would you mind if we all take a look at them?” Geoffrey asked, “and also, why are the five chests there separate from the rest of them?”

“Those five are directly for…Lord Graystone,” Celestia said, keeping a subtle eye on Gregory to see his reaction.

His eyes darkened as he slowly stood. “Mr. Graystone will do,” he said evenly. “None of this ‘Lord’ stuff, if you please.”

“Oh, of course, Mr. Graystone,” Celestia said.

Nodding, he turned and walked over to the five chests. Each had a key in the locks, and he unlocked them and opened them. Those other gryphons who were present walked over and began unlocking the other chests while those who weren’t simply watched, actually moving the chairs as if they were in the same room. Celestia watched curiously as the gryphons examined the chests full of talons, ancient gems, and even a few gryphon weapons.

“What is this?” Gregory’s voice asked, this time with some slight enmity in his tone. Celestia turned and saw him holding up a handful of coins in his hand. He brought it back to the table and poured them onto the table. The jingle of coins echoed through the ancient throne room. “What is the meaning of this?” He locked eyes with Celestia, sapphire eyes narrowed at her.

Something in his stare seemed to resonate with her, as if it was an instinctive fear that ran through her. She forced herself not to react to it as she replied, “Like I said, these are gifts.”

“Gifts…” he repeated as he picked up one of the talons. He then reached into a pocket and pulled out a small coin purse, setting it down and opening it. He pulled out another coin and looked at them carefully, as if comparing them. “Geoffrey, what are you seeing over there?” he asked without looking away from the coins in his hands.

“More talons than I have ever seen before,” Geoffrey replied.

Gregory’s eyes narrowed as he put his own talon back into the coin purse. Then, he simply tossed the new one onto the table. “How long have you had these talons in your possession?” he asked.

“They were payments we got in previous trade agreements with the former Imperium,” Celestia replied.

“That long, huh?” Gregory mused as he began picking the talons back up. “So why return them as a gift now? Why not earlier when Gryphonia was suffering through its own economic downturn? Why not let this money go to better use to help restore this continent?”

Celestia knew she had to choose her next words very carefully. “I did actually discuss this with my counselors back then,” she admitted, “but we were worried that a sudden influx of wealth would only make the situation worse. We wanted to help and even sent over diplomats to try and help, but they were turned away.”

“That part is true, Gregory,” Geoffrey said as he returned to his seat. “It was a chaotic time during the end of the Imperium. The last king had fled with his family and taken money from the treasury with him. Pony diplomats did come, but from what I was told and from what Gwendolyn and your friend Gallus have reported from their studies, those diplomats were not looked favorably on because of their superior attitudes towards us and lack of trying to attempt to understand our ways. They failed to adapt their approach to helping. Otherwise, I think the gryphons of that time would have gladly accepted help despite the loss of our pride.”

Celestia frowned. This wasn’t what she had heard. “I was told by the representatives I sent that you immediately turned them away.”

“It would seem this is a classic case of ‘he said, she said’,” Gregory said as he returned and sat down at his chair. “However, you had plenty of opportunities after that to help. I can’t help but think this is some sort of bribe.”

Celestia felt her heart sinking at this. Luna had been correct. She thought she’d been trying to do a good thing, but she had miscalculated. “I never meant for it to seem like a bribe,” she said.

“Really?” Gregory leaned forward. “How do we know that? Also, how do we know you haven’t sent some sort of spy here to look us over?”

“Easy there, Gregory,” Geoffrey said with a disarming smile, “you’re scaring our honored guests.”

Gregory leaned back. “Ah, I guess I am letting my emotions get the better of me again. Sorry, Geoffrey. And to you as well, your highnesses.” He inclined his head to her.

“There is no need for apologies,” Luna said. “We know this looks bad on our part, but we can assure you once more there are no hostile intentions here.”

“My sister is correct,” Celestia said, keeping her face placid while her mind raced. Surely, none of them could know about Special Agent Sweetie Drops and her unanticipated partner, right? “These gifts are yours regardless of what you decide here. You could reject any partnership or agreement with us and those would all be yours.”

“Ah, and the personal gifts to me have nothing to do with trying to make up for your failures with the only other human in this world, correct?” Gregory asked with a bit of a bite to his words.

That caught Celestia off guard. “You know about Jason Wright?” she asked softly.

“Enough to know that if I had blindly gone to Ponyville like I wanted, I would have experienced the same as he did,” Gregory said with a dark frown. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Gregory…” Geoffrey said warningly.

“No, it’s alright,” Celestia said, quickly recovering herself, “it’s a fair question, and one deserving of an answer. I admit, when I heard the rumors that there was another human on Equus, I took notice. When I heard the rumors that there was one in Gryphonstone, I wanted to know more.”

Gregory nodded slowly, then turned to Gwendolyn. “Is it ready?” he asked.

Gwendolyn nodded, then reached into a bag and pulled out a small gold circlet with red gems encrusted all around it which she placed on her head. The gryphon closed her eyes and Celestia watched the hen muttering something softly. A soft swirl of magic appeared in an empty area of the room, only growing in size. Suddenly, two figures appeared to hover in the room above the magic, then they materialized fully before falling to the ground in an undignified heap. Well, one of them did. The bright teal unicorn named Lyra Heartstrings was lying on her side, groaning from the sudden fall. However, Special Agent Sweetie Drops had made use of her training and swiftly turned to land on her feet.

Before anyone could make another move, Celestia saw a glint of silver, and to her shock Gregory was now leveling something directly at Sweetie Drops. She knew what that had to be: a firearm. The same type of weapon that the changelings now had in their possession. Only this one looked much sleeker and smaller than what she had seen. There was a clicking noise as Gregory pulled back on something, not taking his eyes off of the agent. “Now then,” Gregory said, eyes narrowed at the two ponies who had somehow been teleported into the room, “Special Agent Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings of Ponyville, what brings you here? Spying on us for something, are we?”

Celestia rose in alarm. “Mr. Graystone, please don’t hurt them!” she pleaded, all pretense gone from her. She had no idea how they had been discovered so quickly, but she didn’t want any unnecessary bloodshed. She quickly rushed forward and stood between the two ponies and Gregory. “They were only following my orders, so please don’t harm them!” she pleaded.

Gregory didn’t move for a bit, then he lowered the gun in his hand. “Well, Geoffrey, everyone, what should we do with them?” he asked.

“Oh no, this was your idea,” Geoffrey said with a chuckle. “You make the decisions here.”

Gregory grinned, then put the weapon away in a holster by his side. “Gwendolyn, tell the city watchtoms outside to bring these two guests to a private room and provide a suitable meal for them,” he said. “And then, maybe we can get some more truth out of our honored guests here.” He looked at Celestia, the smirk still on his face. “Shall we continue?”

Celestia stood there, stunned. Had he planned this somehow? She slowly and wordlessly walked back and sat down. Sweetie Drops and Lyra were silently escorted to the door by Gwendolyn and handed off to the guards outside, then she returned to her seat. Geoffrey’s smile was gone, replaced with a frown of his own. “I am surprised and disappointed by your highnesses,” he said in a somber tone. “To think that you would send spies here.”

She felt rather chastened by the sudden turn of events. “I truly apologize,” she said.

“Don’t apologize, explain yourselves,” Gregory said, leaning forward. “If you really wanted to know about us, you could have skipped all of the subterfuge and approach us. Or were you afraid because you learned that I am a human. One in a position of power like Jason Wright?”

Celestia flinched, but she lowered her head moments later. “I admit, I was…concerned,” she said. “I didn’t know if you had heard about what happened to Emperor Wright, and I wasn’t sure if you would try and take some action on his behalf.”

“Then you’re an even bigger fool than I took you for,” Gregory said. “You immediately judged me, just like Ponyville did to Jason. Only now, you aren’t under Discord’s influence, are you?”

“Please do not be too hard on my sister,” Luna interceded. “She has been under an increasingly alarming amount of strain and stress as of late.”

Gregory glared over at Luna, then exhaled slowly. “Under your current circumstances, I can understand your caution,” he said as he leaned back, “but why not send someone ahead to talk to us? Why all the secrecy? Why the lies? Isn’t honesty one of your six principles?” To Celestia, he didn’t sound angry, more curious than anything. Perhaps even a little hurt.

Celestia took a breath and exhaled slowly. “Concerned wasn’t the right word. Worried is closer to it. Like I said, I feared you might act against us.”

“Act with what?” Gregory asked. “We don’t have a standing army, our continent is rebuilding now, and there’s not much we can do against you. Unless you were talking about economically.”

“That was my fear, yes,” Celestia said, shame laced in her voice. “As a princess of Equestria, my duty is to protect those under my reign. I make no excuse for my actions, though. You are correct that I should have come to you without pretense.”

Gregory stared at her for a while, then sighed and relaxed back in his chair. “So it wasn’t Gryphonia you were scared of, it was me personally,” he said. “Still, you have something wrong. I’m not in charge of the Convocation. I’m only a member of a larger group.” He stood. “I move to end this meeting early so we can all go back and cool our heads. We should all come back when the storm is over and look at things with a fresh perspective. And by all, I mean the representatives from the other nations as well.”

“I second this,” Geoffrey said, standing and nodding.

Celestia watched as the other members stood and agreed with Gregory’s motion. She and Luna both stood and nodded. “Thank you for seeing us, and once more, I’m sorry about the deception. I hope that this won’t tarnish any future relations between Equestria and Gryphonia.”

Gregory turned to her, walked over, and offered her a hand. “As long as you are open with us in the future, I see no problems.”

“None of us do,” Geoffrey said.

Celestia looked at the extended hand, then back up at Gregory. She reached up her hoof, placing it in his hand. He clasped her hoof and shook it.

For the first time in a while, she held hope in her heart.

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Equestria

Blueblood looked over the latest report from their agents in Gryphonstone. Whatever storm had been raging in the city had broken the day before. Beside him, High Life leaned against him, reading along with him. “So,” he said, “my aunts made their move. They met with this Convocation.”

High Life took the report from him, reading it over more carefully. “This is just what we need,” she said with a smirk. “We’ve gathered all of the other evidence. Now it’s time…”

Blueblood sat up in his bed and nodded. “High, gather the House of Lords and a copy of the lawbook. It’s time.”

Count Fancy Pants sat in his traditional seat with his wife Countess Fleur De Lis along with the mare he was courting to become the second wife in his herd, Countess Noblesse Oblige, both sitting on either side of him. Noblesse was a unicorn from the Prance vassal state. She was a dark blue unicorn with silvery white mane and tail. She had lovely reddish pink eyes and her cutie mark was a solid gold circle with a blue flower inside it. Next to her was another noble who shared many of their beliefs.

Baroness Scarlet Pimpernel was a light pink unicorn mare with bright pink curly mane and tail with light blue eyes and her namesake as her cutie mark. She was born, to Fancy’s knowledge, in the small territory of Britmane, a small landlocked vassal state of Equestria located to the northwest of Prance. She was ten years younger than Fancy, Fleur, and Noblesse, but she was definitely a strong-willed mare, raised right by her predessesor, the Baron Primrose. “What are we doing here?” she asked in her Britmanish accent.

“I wish I knew,” Noblesse said in her Prench accent before turning to Fancy. “What do you think, mon ami?”

Fancy shook his head. “It’s an emergency, was what the messenger told me when they came.” Fancy, Fleur, Noblesse, and Scarlet were all at Fancy’s mansion when the message had come in for an emergency House meeting. The messenger had seemed to be in a hurry, so they had all quickly prepared. However, they had been in the chambers for over half an hour and the heads of the House had yet to arrive.

He knew why, though. This was a power play that Prince Blueblood and High Life did often. Although half an hour was a bit longer than normal.

“Could this have anything to do with the princesses visit to Gryphonstone?” Fleur asked softly.

“Hmm…it was a simple diplomatic visit that they decided to perform in person,” Fancy said. “I’m not sure why this meeting would be about-”

The door opened just then, and the prince and marchioness stepped in. This caught the attention of everypony there, and the other nobleponies went silent as the two walked up to their positions. When they both took their seats, they looked over the room. Their expressions were grave, which put Fancy on alert. Finally, Blueblood exhaled. “Fillies and gentlecolts of the House of Lords,” he began, “Marchioness High Life and I come before you today with some upsetting news regarding our exalted princesses.”

This made Fancy’s blood freeze. He focused his ears forward, as did his three companions. High Life’s face was just as grave. “We cannot be certain about things as they stand now, but the princesses actions as of late have been concerning. Nopony here, I’m sure, would ever think that their actions as princesses of our great nation are anything less than exemplary, but in recent months, their actions have been somewhat erratic.”

“That alone is understandable,” Blueblood said. “Ever since the invasion of Canterlot and the destruction of Ponyville by the changeling emperor, it would stand to reason that they would be under a large amount of stress. However, that is not all that we have found.”

High Life spoke next. “As everypony here is aware, the princesses have gone to Gryphonstone personally to speak to a new government body that has been established there. What most of you, if not all, don’t know is that they were spotted carrying a large amount of chests to the train with them when they left.”

Fancy’s eyes widened, and his wasn’t the only one. Many others looked around in shock at this revelation. Blueblood continued. “This has been corroborated by a large number of witnesses including the servants who helped to pack up these chests. These witnesses revealed that they were packed full of a large number of talons and other objects from the princesses personal vaults. Now, the talons are not something we can use due to international money laws, as you know, but the other objects that were packed were worth tens of thousands of bits, if not more.”

High Life held up a piece of paper. “Under the authority of our prince here, an audit was performed, and we found that the castle treasury is nearly depleted after all of the aid we have given to try and stop our current economic depression. However, their personal vaults have more than enough to put a stop to this crisis. And what do they do days after opening the borders? They leave to foreign lands.”

“It’s no secret that foreign imports are important,” Blueblood said, “but this move shows that they may be growing less fit to rule this kingdom.” He shook his head with a convincing sadness, but continued. “I know most of us have lost money due to this crisis and we have spent much to attempt to alleviate the suffering to others caused by the depression.”

This felt incredibly flimsy to Fancy, but he continued listening. High Life held up something else, this time it was a file stuffed with papers. “This isn’t all that we have discovered,” she continued. “In this folder, we have documented evidence of other instances in the past few years where the princesses actions have been questionable at the very least. Here, we have copies for you.”

She raised her horn and it glowed. With a flash, folders appeared in front of everypony. Fancy quickly opened it, reading over a few of the reports quickly. The changeling invasion during Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor’s wedding, only trusting a young and clearly unstable Twilight Sparkle to stop Nightmare Moon, sending her and her friends to the Crystal Empire when it returned, the initial meeting with Jason Wright, and many other incidents. Fancy was stunned by the amount of incidents involved. While most involved Princess Celestia, there were a few involving her sister in recent days, such as the one time when she purposely infected herself with a tantabus. That stunned Fancy, because in many cases, the tantabus could kill its host.

He decided to speak up. “Your grace,” he said, holding the folder up, “I notice that you haven’t gathered enough evidence against Princess Luna.”

“That is indeed correct,” Blueblood said with a solemn nod. “However, I have here a medical report after she self-infected herself with a tantabus. The magical scans showed that her time banished had a negative effect on her psyche. Her body also aged in mere months. When she was banished, she was only a few hundred years old, but now? Her body is biologically as old as it would have been if she hadn’t been banished. Princess Luna is only several years younger than her sister.”

“What are you saying?” a noblepony from across the room asked.

“I'm saying,” Blueblood said, “that it’s potentially time for the princesses to step down.”

21: Sun, Stone, and Love

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Celestia and Luna, along with two of the Royal Guards, Special Agent Sweetie Drops, and Lyra Heartstrings, all approached the large houseoak which was covered in a thick blanket of snow. The boughs of the tree shaped dwelling were barely sagging, unlike other trees in the area. The sky was bright despite the clouds in the sky and there had only been a few flurries. The Nor’wester had broken a day before, leaving only small snow showers. During their stay, Celestia and Luna had been moved to the Eyrie with their entourage. They had been treated well enough by the gryphons tasked with seeing to their needs and both had been given special access to balconies on the eastern and western wings so they could raise the sun and moon despite them not being visible. The only members of the Convocation they really spoke two were Gwendolyn and the silent Grandpa Gruff, and really, only the former was the more talkative.

She was friendly enough, however, and gave some kind small talk to them whenever they met her. She was a busy gryphon, however, as apparently she was the only gryphon mage in Gryphonia. Celestia knew about Imperial Mages, and during the height of the Imperium’s rule, there had been more than one in the Eyrie, but to only have one left must have been a burden fr the young hen. Both had offered to send some aides to help with her job, ones experienced in magic, but Gwendolyn politely declined, explaining that she had consulted with a few unicorns who were living with Gregory about the differences between gryphon magic and pony magic. She found them to be incompatible and as such had to study all she could on her own.

Coming back to the present, Celestia reached up her hoof and knocked on the front door. Luna stood next to her. “Sister, this is quite the magnificent house,” she said as she looked at the massive houseoak.

“It looks like it could be three or four stories,” Celestia agreed, “and there could be a basement, too.”

“It’s too big for just one human,” Lyra observed.

“He doesn’t live alone, from what I heard,” Sweetie Drops added.

The door lock clicked, and it opened, revealing Gregory standing in the doorway. He wore a thick bathrobe over some pajamas. “Good morning,” he said with a small yawn, one which the kitten perched on his shoulder mimicked, “what can I do for you today, your highnesses, and-” he stopped when he saw Sweetie Drops and Lyra. He frowned, then turned back to face Celestia. “What is this?” There was a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Celestia could smell breakfast wafting from the inside along with the warmth of a roaring fire. “We were hoping to talk with you in private, if that’s okay?” Celestia asked. “And we were hoping to be more transparent with you as well as offer an apology.”

Gregory looked at the four mares, then past them at the two guards escorting the mares. He pursed his lips, then stepped aside. “Come on in,” he said. As they did so, he gestured to the couchs. “Wait here for a moment, please.”

All four mares sat down on the couches while the guards remained on either side, alert and vigilant. Gregory retreated through another door where Celestia could hear the sounds of dishes moving and distant voices. Lyra was the first to speak. “This is a nice big open living room,” she observed. “Are those outlets in the wall?”

“Be careful, Lyra,” Sweetie Drops said, “don’t touch anything.”

“I’m not that stupid, Bonny,” Lyra said as she looked around the room.

“You’re not wrong, Miss Heartstrings,” Celestia said. “This is a very nice living room.”

Moments later, Gregory came walking out, then gestured to the princesses and the other two mares. “Follow me, please,” he said as he made his way to the staircase.

Celestia nodded, ordered the guards to remain behind, and then she, Luna, Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings followed Gregory up the stairs to the second floor where he led them into a large circular opening with several doors on the walls. He headed to the only set of double doors, opening them, and walking through. Celestia looked around, realizing that this place had to be Gregory’s bedroom. A fire roared in the fireplace up here, and she saw a large basket with blankets in it sitting next to the fireplace. A mother cat and a few other kittens were lying there, the kittens nursing. He led the mares to a rectangular table near the corner of the room. “Please, have a seat,” he said. “Have you eaten today?”

“We did have some breakfast,” Luna said.

“I can bring you some plates of our breakfast,” Gregory offered.

“There’s no need for that,” Celestia said, waving her hoof quickly. “We’ve caused you enough trouble as it is.”

However, a moment later, Celestia’s stomach rumbled. This didn’t just catch the attention of the others in the room, but the mother cat as well, who looked up lazily and looked at the alicorn with curiosity before she leaned down and began grooming one of her kittens. Gregory chuckled and stood. “Please wait right here, and I’ll be right back.”

The moment the door to Gregory’s room closed, Celestia slowly stood and looked around the room. Luna did as well, while Lyra went to the basket to interact with the mother cat, who simply sniffed her curiously and with some suspicion before going back to tending to her kittens. Sweetie Drops, ever the special agent, looked around the room with a careful eye.

Celestia noted that it was a large bedroom, to say the least. The walls were decorated with several posters that were tacked to the wall, but one stood out to her. It was a large blanket with a map of a world on it. The yellow blanket showed a landscape with mountain ranges, lakes, forests, rivers, and location on it. The land seemed to be a place called Middle-Earth according to the label at the bottom lefthand corner of the blanket map.

“What map is that?” Lyra asked, coming to stand next to Celestia. “What’s Middle-Earth? I’ve never heard of it. Bonny?”

Sweetie Drops joined them and looked carefully at the map. “‘Lost Realm of Arnor’? ‘Mirkwood’? ‘The Shire’? ‘Mordor’? Those names don’t mean anything to me.”

“Could this be the continent from which Gregory hails?” Luna asked, joining the others soon after.

“Perhaps,” Celestia said as she spotted a smaller poster with a map on it as well, this one labeled Beleriand and Middle Earth. Unlike the blanket map, this one showed that the western part was expanded, showing more of the continent. “I wonder why this is different?” she muttered.

“Because Beleriand was sunk during the War of Wrath,” Gregory said from the door. Celestia and Luna turned to see Gregory holding a platter with three plates of food and three glasses of purple bliss. There was a small pouring jar on it as well. “Men, Elves, and the Valar fought against the forces of Morgoth, the Dark Lord, ending his rule and ending the First Age. The war sunk Beleriand beneath the waves because of how deadly it was.”

“Sweet Celestia,” Lyra muttered in horror, eyes wide. Even Sweetie Drops looked shaken by this.

“For a great war to sink a continent…” Luna said in horror, “it must have been a monstrous battle indeed.”

“I have only ever heard of one continent sinking beneath the waves,” Celestia said, “and that was the lost microcontinent of Atlantis, but that has never been substantiated.”

“Well, that’s fiction for you,” Gregory said as he placed the platter down at the table, “nothing but epic battles and heroes of legend. Just like Middle-Earth.”

Celestia looked at the maps, then back at Gregory when what he had said finally registered. “Fiction?”

“Oh, wait…did you think…that I came from Middle-Earth?” Gregory asked in amusement as he set the table for the two. “No, I come from there.” He pointed to a map hanging above the front of his bed.

Celestia and the others approached the map, seeing that it was a blanket map similar to the one she had seen, only this one was in more color. The oceans were blue, the land was colored naturally, and there were many labels written all over the map, labels of what she assumed were major cities, countries, etc. “Earth…” she muttered softly.

“There’s a more comprehensive atlas over there,” Gregory said, and when Celestia turned, she saw that he was gesturing to a bookshelf which had several books on it. “The massive blue book.”

“May I look at it?” Celestia asked.

“If you want your meal to get cold, sure,” he said with some amusement still in his voice.

Celestia’s curiosity was burning, but her stomach once more betrayed her, so she retreated and sat back down, Luna sitting moments later. She saw that he had put a couple of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and some rather well cooked hay bacon on her plate. Luna had a duplicate setup on hers. Gregory had pancakes and eggs as well, but he also had pork sausage and bacon on it. “Thank you for the meal,” Celestia said.

“Sorry if the pancakes aren’t as good as yours are, your highness,” Gregory said as he picked up the jar and poured out some red syrup onto the pancakes. He set the jar down.

Celestia’s eyebrows shot up. “You know about how I make pancakes?” she asked.

“I do,” he said, and kept it at that as he picked up his knife and fork, cutting neatly into his pancakes. “So, you two must have something important to talk with me about if you’re coming down here to speak with me personally this early in the morning, especially before our next meeting later today.”

Celestia froze, then exchanged a slow look with Luna. During the entire nor’wester, the sisters had long talks with each other. Luna had forced Celestia to admit that her recent actions had been erratic. Her lack of rest from all of the turmoil in the capital and across Equestria had started taking a toll on the ancient monarch, and this rash decision to journey in person to Gryphonstone was the straw that broke the ponies back for Luna. After the near disaster that had been their first meeting with the Convocation, Luna had torn her sister a new one, saying that she was taking on too much and it was affecting her actions. After that dressing down, Luna had all but forced Celestia to go to sleep, guarding her dreams for the next few days. Through their own instant communications with Canterlot, she learned that not much had changed, but Luna insisted that she would deal with the majority of things here.

With Gwendolyn’s permission, Celestia had been given limited access to the temporary library in the Eyrie, reading through some books for entertainment purposes. Books of literature and poetry were what she focused on, and it had a calming effect on her mind. She had never read gryphon works before, and it was something new to her. All of the works were something she devoured, and with that, her mind became much calmer. A distraction was just what she needed.

Which was one reason, one of the main ones, at least, as to why she was here. “I came to apologize to you personally,” Celestia explained.

That seemed to catch the human’s attention, and he put down the fork that had been halfway up to his mouth. “Apologize? For what?”

“For sending somepony to spy on you,” she said, looking over at a confused looking Sweetie Drops. “It was a foolish thing to do, especially if I wanted to establish trade agreements with you and your continent. I admit that my fear got the better of me when I learned of what you were, and you were right when you said that I jumped to conclusions.”

“I would like to apologize as well,” Luna said. “I should have stepped up and made more of an effort to stop my sister from her rash actions.”

Gregory looked at the two princesses carefully, his sapphire eyes searching through their own. Finally, he sighed and sat back, picking up a hoofkerchief and dabbing at his mouth. “Like I said before, I can understand why you would be so wary of a human after all that happened,” he began, “but surely you should have realized that one person doesn’t represent an entire species. If that were true, should I judge ponies based off of what Ponyville did to Jason? Should I assume that all ponies are speciesist xenophobes who only preach harmony for thee and not for me?”

“That’s not true!” Lyra blurted out before Celestia could reply.

“Is that so, Miss Heartstrings?” Gregory asked. “Then let me ask you about Miss Zecora. What did Ponyville do to her before Twilight Sparkle came? And what about what happened after Jason destroyed Ponyville?”

Lyra and Sweetie Drops shrank back at that. Celestia, however, was curious by the last part of what she said. “You know Zecora?” she asked.

Gregory nodded. “She lives down in Gryphonville as its apothecary,” he explained. “She’s also one of my friends, now.”

“You said that something happened after Ponyville’s destruction,” Luna said warily. “What did happen?”

“She had yet more negative interactions with ponies and nearly left for dead,” Gregory said with narrowed eyes full of anger before he took a deep breath to calm himself.

Celestia was horrified by what she had just heard, and judging by the expressions on Luna’s and Lyra’s faces, they felt the same. Sweetie Drop’s face was calmer and more controlled, but Celestia could tell she was just as shocked. “Somepony attacked her…?” she asked.

“Three ponies, from what she told me,” Gregory said.

“How awful…” Lyra said.

“I may know who those ponies were,” Sweetie said with a frown.

“Give me the names later, Agent,” Celestia said darkly.

“Getting back on topic,” Gregory said, “I don’t judge all ponykind based off of that. I have three ponies living permanently with me now, and there are some more staying with me because they couldn’t leave due to the storm. All of them have been quite friendly to me, and the three living permanently are outcasts in Equestria. Every race has its good and bad people, right?”

“You are correct, and I should have remembered that,” Celestia said. “Still, I am truly sorry for spying on you.”

Gregory brought his forkful of pancake to his mouth, took a bite, then chewed thoughtfully on it. When he swallowed, and after he washed it down with some bliss, he continued. “Let me ask, have you extended this same sort apology to Jason Wright?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “We have not been spying on him, so how-?”

“That’s not what I meant, Princess,” Gregory interrupted. “I mean an apology for your part in his abuse and suffering?”

Celestia’s thoughts went back to the letter that she had sent out in an effort to try and speak to Jason. She closed her eyes and thought about the wording. Her eyes shot open as she realized that she had not offered any words of apology. Not overtly, but that was not the point. She had only said that she had ‘…acknowledged this’ before calling him out on his own actions. “Maker above…I didn’t,” she whispered.

Gregory slowly nodded. “I see,” was all he said.

“I did…I did send a letter to him, but…” her voice trailed off.

“A letter?” Gregory cocked his head curiously. “What did the letter say? As a human myself, maybe I could give you some insight into how Jason might respond. I can’t promise it will be accurate, though.”

Celestia nodded as she closed her eyes. She cast a spell which broadcast an image into the air. An image of the letter she herself had hoofwritten for Jason. “Here,” she said softly.

Gregory leaned in and looked at the floating depiction of Celestia’s memory. “Emperor Wright, I hope this message finds you well. In fact, I hope this message finds you at all. You have made yourself a hard man to find; I can only hope this eventually falls into hooves that will understand its significance and prove able to carry it to its final destination…” Gregory went silent as he read the letter carefully. When he finally finished, he leaned back, stroking his chin.

“What are your thoughts, Mr. Graystone?” Luna asked. “We are willing to listen.”

Gregory pursed his lips and let out a long breath. “I’m not an expert on many things, but I do know that there is a concept called the Five Languages of Apology. None of them are present in this letter, from what I can see.”

“Five Languages of Apology?” Celestia asked. “I haven’t heard of such a concept. Could you explain?”

“Of course,” he said as he sipped on his bliss before continuing. “Everybody has a way of apologizing truly, and it can boil down to five basic types.” He held up his fist and began counting them out. “Number one is expressing regret, something like ‘I feel awful for doing such and such, and I’m sorry.’ Number two is accepting responsibility, something like ‘I’m sorry for such and such. It was wrong and I have no excuse for it.’ There’s nothing worse than saying ‘I’m sorry, but…’ because in that case, anything before the word BUT is complete horseshit. Number three is genuinely repenting, something like ‘I’m truly sorry for such and such. Next time I’ll do this and thus instead so that it won’t happen again.’ Number four is making restitution, something like ‘I’m sorry for such and such. To make up for it, I’ll do this and thus.’ Number five is requesting forgiveness, something like ‘I’m sorry for such and such, and I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if it’ll take some time for you to do so.’”

He paused, then looked at Celestia carefully. “If there’s any kind of apology in there, it sounds like you went for the ‘I’m sorry but-’ type. You only acknowledged what happened, then a couple of paragraphs later offer him what could very well be a bribe as well. A well-intentioned gift, I’ve no doubt, but this would definitely be insulting to me if I received it. Especially to someone who has dedicated the past two years to revenge only to discover that the real monster was Discord.” He spat out the name with a venom that mirrored Jason’s own, but he calmed down. “A simple ‘I’m sorry’ goes a long way, Princess.”

Celestia felt her heart dropping. She thought she had done the best she could, but this human, undoubtedly younger than her, saw something that she hadn’t. Her ears lowered and she let out a deep breath. “You’re definitely right,” she said. “I did fail Jason and I’ve failed so many more, like young Spike. But that ends today.” A swelling of determination arose in her, and rose her head up high. “Things will change.”

Gregory nodded, and a small smile formed on his lips again as he said, “That’s good. But don’t just tell me this. Tell your people. Change begins with a single step, after all.”

“You speak wisely, Mr. Graystone,” Luna agreed, “and there will be changes. Of that, you can be most certain.”

“I certainly hope so,” Gregory said, “but as my grandma used to say, ‘Actions speak louder than words’. I’ll be looking forward to these actions you take. But for the time being, why don’t we enjoy the breakfast that’s been prepared? Today is going to be a long day, after all.”

Cadance hadn’t seen Celestia in months. It had been quite a surprise when Gregory explained that she and Luna would be attending the new meeting with the other representatives from the other nations. Seeing her sitting at the table with the Convocation and the Representatives was certainly eye opening. From what Gregory had described a few days ago, Celestia had seemed to be under a great deal of stress and acting erratically. However, seeing her now, Cadance couldn’t see any sort of erratic behavior. She sat calmly, listening as the others around the table spoke in turn about future potential alliances.

The meeting had broken up a few minutes ago for lunch and so everyone could gather their thoughts. Cadance stood and left to meet with her husband and daughter. Looking back, she hid a smile as she saw Gregory talking closely with the other Convocation members as they brought out their lunches.

As she had left the room, Celestia and Luna had approached her. “Cadance, may we speak with you?” Celestia asked with a cautious tone.

Cadance looked at the mare who she had once seen as a second mother. There was a hopeful expression on her face. Luna, on the other hoof, was more reserved. Cadance nodded. “I’m just about to go see my husband and daughter for lunch. Flurry might like seeing you.”

Celestia’s relief was clear. “I would like to see the young cutie as well,” she said with a small smile.

“Follow me, then,” Cadance said politely, turning away and leading them down the stairs towards their personal quarters.

As they headed down the stairs, Luna asked, “How are you and your family doing lately?”

“Quite well, actually,” Cadance said as she reached the next floor where their quarters were located. “She’s a smart filly, already able to speak very well.”

“Natural born alicorns are very smart,” Luna said. “At least, from what I remember of Skyros.”

“You’re correct, sister,” Celestia added. “Alicorn foals are naturally rather intelligent and powerful. She will likely grow up to be a fine mare.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” Luna replied.

Cadence closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Yes, yes she will,” she said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Celestia must have caught on because there was a hint of apology in her voice. “I didn’t mean to leave you out of the conversation,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

Cadance nodded and turned down a smaller hallway which led to a number of doors on either side. The one at the end was where they were heading. When she opened the door and stepped in, she once more drank in the large bedroom that they had been generously given. The room was ancient and had been hastily cleaned upon their arrival. The bed was a bit simple, but it was large enough for the three of them and was quite warm and comfortable. The room was a half circled room with a domed ceiling, large vertical domed windows on the wall overlooking the city below. There was a large fireplace on one side of the bed and a private washroom on the other. It was clear to Cadance that this had once been a more elaborate bedroom, but it had been centuries since that time. For now, Cadance didn’t care. It was warm, the bedding was soft and comfortable, the blankets were warm, and it was well sealed from the outside snow flurries and showers.

When she entered, she saw Shining sitting on the table across from Flurry. The two were actually playing chess. Flurry’s face was wrinkled up in concentration as she used her magic to move her rook into check to Shining’s king. She smiled at the sight. Flurry loved chess, and when they had left Gregory’s house to move here for the next couple of days until negotiations were done, Gwendolyn had found an ancient chess set that Flurry could play. “So,” Cadance said, “how often have you lost, babe?”

Shining didn’t look up as he moved his wizard sideways to capture the rook. “We’re about even,” he admitted.

“Dad’s bringing his A-game today!” Flurry said excitedly as she moved her knight to threaten the queen.

“No more mister nice colt today,” Shining said with a grin as he moved his queen away. “You need more of a challenge, daughter of mine.”

“Then perhaps I could play the winner,” Celestia spoke up.

Flurry’s ears twitched and she turned, eyes wide. “Great Auntie!” she said with a broad smile as she launched herself from the chair to hug Celestia. The chair went sprawling down onto the ground with a clatter.

“Hello there, dear,” Celestia said as Luna walked past to look at the chess board. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great!” she said happily. “What are you doing here, though?”

“Same thing as your parents,” Celestia said. “We came to see the gryphon Convocation.”

“You came to see the nice human, too?” Flurry asked.

Cadance saw the hesitation in Celestia’s expression, but then her smile widened. “He is a nice human, isn’t he?”

“And he loves to sing, too! And then his cartoons are so fun!”

As Flurry spilled to Celestia about their few days at Gregory’s house, Luna peered over the chess board carefully. “The young princess will have you in checkmate in ten moves, young Emperor,” she said.

Shining observed the board more carefully, then his eyes widened. He sighed and tipped his king over. “I guess Flurry gets to play you, princess,” he said to Celestia as he stood. “Honey, I’ll go grab us some food. Should I bring some for the two of you as well, princesses?”

Luna nodded. “I shall accompany you to procure sustenance for my sister and myself.”

As Shining and Luna left the room, Celestia extricated herself from Flurry’s grasp, sitting her down in the chair across from her at the table and began to reset the board. Flurry clapped her hooves excitedly. Cadance pulled up a chair of her own and sat between the two, curious to see how this game would go. “Okay, Flurry,” Celestia said, “do you want to be white or black?”

“Black!” Flurry said, much to Celestia’s apparent confusion. “I like a challenge!”

Celestia grinned and flipped the board around. “Alright, then. I’ll bring you a challenge.” She picked up one of her pawns, and the game began.

As the game went on, Cadance slipped into an ancient tongue that she and Celestia knew, one that had no official name, but which was a very beautiful and flowy language. “So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked.

Celestia, eyes locked onto the board, replied, “I was wanting to catch up, and to try and make personal amends with you.”

“Amends? What for?”

Celestia’s expression didn’t waver as she replied, “I have been thinking since a very illuminating conversation this morning about apologies I need to make. Not just to the human, but to others. When I placed you in charge of the former vassal state of the Empire, I admit I never once thought about your desires. I want to apologize for that. I should have taken what you wanted into consideration.”

Cadance looked at her carefully, then sighed. “At first, I think I did hold some resentment towards you, but ever since we cut ties with your kingdom, I have released that resentment. You taught me about ruling, and I have used it to begin expanding the territory into what once was Imperial lands.”

“Still, I apologize for putting you into that position, especially in the beginning when Sombra returned,” Celestia said.

“Mommy? Great Auntie? What language are you speaking?” Flurry asked curiously.

Cadance chuckled. “We don’t know the language, but it’s one your Great Aunt taught me.”

“It sounds beautiful,” Flurry said.

“It’s a very beautiful language,” Celestia agreed.

At that moment, Shining and Luna returned, bearing food. There was a small iron pot of steaming vegetable stew, a loaf of freshly baked bread, and a jug of bliss. “Lunch is here,” Shining said as he put the pot down, hanging it over the fire to keep the stew warm.

“Not for my sister, it would seem,” Luna said, “she is fully invested in the game, now.”

Cadance turned to see that Luna was right. Celestia was an avid chess player, and whenever she played the chess champions every year, she would take on this gaze. Only then, though, so to see her with this expression while playing with her daughter was certainly unusual. “She won’t be coming out of that trance for a while,” Cadance observed before turning to Flurry. Her eyes widened when she saw a look of intense concentration on Flurry’s face that practically mirrored Celestia’s. “Let’s leave them to finish the game.”

Dusky Heart moved slowly through the snowdrifts around the city. If he could, he would have melted the snow around him with a heat spell, but as he was incognito, he needed to pretend that his magic had been reduced. He reached under his hooded cloak, finding the precious élanite artifact beneath it that boosted his magic through touch. The past several days had been torture for him as he had to stay at the inn with his companions. They worked together well, there was no doubt of that, but they also drove each other crazy in closed quarters. He needed the walk away from the sadist and the slut.

He passed by a yet another intersection, but a delicious smell wafted into his nose. Turning around and sniffing the air, he spotted a strange new building called the Green Dragon Inn. He wasn’t sure what he was smelling, but he could smell something savory, so he decided to head in for a quick bite.

The inside was crowded with gryphons, dragons, and even a few ponies. He walked up to the counter to the smaller orange dragon washing a cup. The dragon looked up as he approached. “Hello, welcome to the Green Dragon Inn,” the dragon, female, said in a welcoming tone. “Is this your first time here?”

“Yeah,” he said with a false smile on his face. “I smelled something good here.”

“That would be our signature stew,” the dragoness said. “We have a pot of the stuff for our herbivore and omnivore guests. Want me to fetch you a bowl?”

“Yes, along with some bread, a slice of cheese, and bliss,” Dusky said.

“You got it, pal,” the dragoness said as she put the cup down on the counter behind her and headed back to the kitchen.

As he sat there waiting, he closed his eyes and let his finely honed listening skills take over as he listened to the conversations around him.

“…water barely held out, but we did boil some snow…”

“…adventurer’s guild idea that Garble was talking about being taken seriously…”

“…did the Convocation know we were here…”

“…he’s a cute dragon, and that’s not something I thought I’d say…”

Back up, he thought as he reconcentrated on one conversation. He refocused on the one mentioning the Convocation.

“Seriously, how did he know? That human is smart.” A female voice.

The next voice, however, made Dusky freeze in alarm. “I don’t know,” the familiar face of his old comrade Sweetie Drops reached his ears, “but it’s best not to talk about that in the open.”

“It just bothers me,” the second unfamiliar voice said.

“We can talk about it later, okay?” Sweetie Drops said. “Anyway, aren’t you finished with that soup yet?”

“Hey, I’m savoring.”

“We’re leaving soon, so hurry up.”

“Huh…?…Oh, yeah. Sorry. I can eat this up in our room.”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

The conversation stopped as he heard the two ponies standing from wherever they were sitting and walk past him. He waited until they were gone before he opened his eyes to see the orange dragon coming back with a platter of what he’d ordered. He put down the appropriate amount of talons on the counter, then began to eat. It was delicious.

An hour later, he arrived back at the inn where they had been staying. Jade Seed was sitting at the desk writing something when Dusky came in. Dark Desire was in bed dozing with a half drunk bottle of local wine on the bedside table. Jade looked up, a confused expression on her face. “Is there something wrong, sir?” she asked as Dusky began bringing out the long range communication device. “We aren’t expected to check in today.”

“Things have changed,” he said as he established a link on his side.

The hovering image of one of Blueblood’s most trusted servants appeared. “Greetings, sir,” the unicorn stallion said in a Britmane accent. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to speak with his grace at once,” he said

“His grace is in an emergency meeting with the House of Lords,” the butler said.

Dusky sighed. “Alright, leave him a message for me.”

“And what is the message, sir?” the butler asked.

Dusky took a deep breath. “Special Agent Sweetie Drops is in town.”

22: Summons

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Equestria

It was a bleary-eyed Twilight Sparkle who walked into hers and Mayor Mare’s temporary office inside the former Castle of Friendship. Ever since the entire town had moved into the only permanent structure with the ability to keep everypony warm, her duties as the administrator had only increased, and it showed on her face and in how she walked. If it wasn’t all of the duties keeping her down, the looks of resentment and anger she received from many ponies who blamed her and her former friends for their current situation beat her down even more. At the very least, Mayor Mare made an attempt to be polite, although whether that was due to guilt of her own or with some type of sympathy for them being in similar predicaments Twilight couldn’t really say.

“Good morning, Miss Twilight,” Mayor Mare greeted her politely. “Good news. We just got in some fresh coffee, and-”

Twilight rushed over to the coffee machine before the earth pony mare could finish, grabbing her mug and pouring herself a healthy portion of the life-giving liquid that she had grown quite fond of in the months since Ponyville’s destruction. In the past, Twilight wouldn’t have had any to drink because she despised the taste, but she had grown more and more reliant on the black liquid gold. She had grown quite cranky during the inevitable times when coffee reserves ran low.

After using a magic spell to gently lower the temperature to a tolerable level so she wouldn’t burn her tongue yet again, she carefully sipped on the Maker-blessed beverage, sighing in relief as she felt its effects immediately. “Aaah…that’s the stuff,” she muttered to herself before she recovered and placed two cubes of sugar along with a small portion of vanilla cream into her mug. She walked over to her desk and set the mug down on its proper coaster, letting the coffee warm her and wake her up. “So…how busy are we looking today?” she asked her companion.

“Not as busy as yesterday,” Mayor Mare said. “If we’re lucky, we may actually get out of here without any OT.”

Twilight snorted without mirth as she took another sip of the coffee before turning her attention to the matters at hoof on her desk. “Alright, well, it’s time to get started. First things first…”

Twilight allowed herself to get lost in the mundanity of the daily paperwork required to help run the former town. The rebuilding would begin in the spring right after Winter Wrap-Up, after all. Twilight had a slight inkling of an idea as to how much work it took Princess Celestia to run a nation, but after several months of helping to run Ponyville, Twilight had a new appreciation for all of the work the princess must endure. She also realized now why Celestia enjoyed coffee.

Getting lost in her work also helped mask the pain and guilt that plagued her still. She was holding together by a mere thread, still seeing Jason Wright in dark shadows and even in her dreams. Still, she was a powerful alicorn princess, at least for now. She could mentally handle it.

Several hours later she stopped her work to take her scheduled forty five minute lunch break. She walked down the hallway with the mayor by her side. For years, the castle had been empty, full of bedrooms that were not being used. Now, though, as winter was now in full swing, the bedrooms were now being used by the citizens who hadn’t yet up and moved away. She felt the eyes on her as she walked down to the commissary, but forced herself not to let the many gazes of hopelessness, anger, and derision get to her. Mayor Mare must have sensed this, because she moved closer. “Please don’t let them get to you,” she whispered, “they are simply reacting to a bad situation.”

“A situation that I caused five years ago,” Twilight replied.

Mayor Mare’s ears flattened at that. She was one of the ponies who Discord had afflicted, having turned Jason away rather cruelly from what she had told Twilight with shame a few months ago. “Yes,” Mayor Mare agreed, “it started with you, but it continued with us. We blindly followed not just you, but our own negative instincts. Discord’s influenced be damned.” She spoke those words loud enough that everypony nearby could hear. Their anger turned hotter, but they also looked away, or most of them did.

“I may not have been the worst, but I was the first,” Twilight argued, “and that makes what I did the worst actions anypony in town could have ever taken.”

She paused when she heard a familiar voice from around a bend. Pausing, she looked down and saw Spike walking down the hall next to Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. She noted how the younger dragon looked at Sweetie Belle, a hint of affection in his eyes, one which Sweetie Belle returned. As if that wasn’t enough, he leaned in close and gave the now teenaged unicorn a kiss on the cheek, causing the young songstress to blush and earning the two teasing from the other fillies.

His smile faded when he turned back and saw Twilight. He simply nodded at her, and the other four fillies went silent as well, avoiding eye contact with Twilight as well. Twilight simply stood aside and lowered her head, too ashamed to look at the dragon. He had grow quite well since Dragon Lord Ember had assigned a dragon dietician to him to help him grow. As it turned out, a pony diet only stunted his growth, and while he could safely eat anything ponies could eat, they needed meat. Just like Jason did.

Ever since she had begun personally ordering supplies of meat through a black market from the Dragon Lands, Spike had begun to grow and had even molted, gaining him his wings. He was fast losing his baby fat which it seemed as if he wouldn’t lose for years, and was, at least in her opinion, a handsome young dragon teen. Clearly Sweetie Belle thought so if the two had begun dating.

Once Spike and his friends were gone, she turned and headed back down the corridor, not wanting anyone to see the tears in her eyes.

Twilight found herself sitting in a corner of the commissary several minutes later, two hayburgers and a plate of steaming hay fries on her plate while she drank some water, freshly melted and purified snow-melt from outside. Only Mayor Mare sat near her, eating a simple salad and an apple. Twilight ate her meal quietly, a part of her silently cursing her alicorn metabolism. She needed more food than she had when she was a unicorn. She missed those days. She missed just being a unicorn without all of this extra responsibility. Sure, she had wanted some responsibility, but she had never wanted to be a princess. That was something that was forced upon her without her permission, she now realized.

She also realized that even as a unicorn, she couldn’t have handled as much responsibility without using Spike and that hurt her even more. She relied too heavily on a mere baby dragon when he should have been just enjoying his youth. Of course, Twilight could only guess just how the ponies of town would react to Spike being out and about more.

No, she thought. That’s not a good enough excuse. We as a species need to learn how to treat other creatures better. We have lived in our own solitude for far too long. We need to change.

“Daily mail,” A new voice interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, Twilight looked into the unfocused eyes of Derpy Hooves who still worked with the postal service, only now their office was located in a room that had apparently been set up specifically for that purpose when the castle was grown. She placed the letters down, giving Twilight a friendly smile. As far as Twilight could tell, Derpy had not actively acted against Jason Wright. She had not even acted against him by proxy. Derpy didn’t even seem to know who Jason was even after Discord’s spell on the wall-eyed mare was lifted.

“Thanks, Derpy,” Twilight said softly as she reached out to pick up the mail.

Derpy flashed her a wider smile. “You’re welcome,” she replied before moving over to stand next to the alicorn and patting her on her back gently. “Everything will be alright,” she said with a reassuring tone.

Twilight felt grateful for Derpy’s kind words, even if she felt like she didn’t deserve to hear them. As Derpy walked away with some more mail to deliver, Twilight absent-mindedly looked over the letters. There were only two she’d gotten today, and one was from her parents. She read it and smiled at the reassuring words they relayed to her. She remembered that the monthly meeting with them would be coming soon. She would have to let them know just when they could expect her.

The second letter, however, was an official message from Canterlot. Frowning, she took it and opened it. Her eyes widened as she read the message inside.

To Princess Twilight Sparkle,

This letter has been written to you after much intense deliberation in the House of Lords. Your presence is requested in Canterlot immediately. It is the decision of the vast majority of the house that Princess Celestia Solaris and Princess Luna Nightingale have become increasingly unfit to rule the kingdom. As such, we will be engaging in the ancient tradition of Abducatio et Ascendio. As a monarch of the kingdom and third in line for the throne, you are hereby summoned to Canterlot to meet with the House of Lords.

Signed,

Prince Blueblood and Marchioness High Life of the House of Lords

Twilight’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as she read the letter. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. A coup by the nobles?! What could be their reasoning behind this?! Celestia has ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, and while Luna had been gone for a millennia, she had been around for hundreds of years before her banishment. What could have possibly led them to this decision?!

She stood quickly, her appetite gone. Mayor Mare looked up at the alicorn with alarm. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“I need to leave immediately,” Twilight said. “Something urgent has come up in Canterlot, and I need to be there.”

“O-Of course,” Mayor Mare said, stunned.

Twilight nodded apologetically at her, then spread her wings and flew out of the room, much to the surprise of the others in the room. No matter what, she would get to the bottom of this.

Octavia Melody was sitting in her and Vinyl’s room in the former Castle of Friendship, a cello in her hooves. She closed her eyes, visualizing her old home in her minds eye. It had been a small cottage split down the middle to accommodate both her and Vinyl Scratch’s tastes. Sadly, though, despite being on the edge of the town, the only thing remaining was the brown cobblestone pathway that led up to the house.

She opened her eyes, then continued to play her cello, trying to compose something to take her mind off of everything that had happened in the past few months, but all she could compose in her current state of mind was a melancholic melody. As she continued playing, her lips opened and she began to sing:

“From worlds unknown, a stranger appeared,
“a smile across his heart.
“But in Ponyville fair, he was shunned and feared,
“And his warm smile did depart.”

“In Everfree cruel was he forced to abide.
“Abandoned by harmony’s race.
“The years went past, and his gentleness died,
“and hatred he did chase.”

“One day in the fields of once fertile trees,
“the stranger did try to die,
“but fate stepped in, and from there he did flee,
“vengeance clear in his eyes.”

“Two years had passed, and once more he did meet
“all those who’d abandoned his calls.
“With all his revenge and destruction complete,
“the stranger left Canterlot’s halls.”

“Oh where, oh where, has that stranger now gone?
“Absconded to lands unsung?
“Will he return, or will he prolong
“his hatred against those now shunned?”

Octavia took a deep breath and exhaled shakily as she slowly put her cello in its stand. Ahead of her, out of the window, she could see snow falling again as was forecasted. What had once been thatched rooftops and a quaint idyllic township was now a sprawling wasteland full of nothing as the tents had been struck so that everypony could live in the castle to survive the winter. It might have been mistaken for uninhabited territory on the edge of the Everfree.

“That was a nice song,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

Octavia turned and saw her roommate standing in the doorway, a small smile on her face. She held some cheap looking tea set in her magic and she set it down on at a nearby table. Octavia smiled a bit as she stood to join her friend. “I’ve been writing it for a while…” she said as she took one of the cups in her hooves and sipped at the steaming beverage, one of the few luxuries still available. It wasn’t brewed in the way she was used to, but she wasn’t about to complain. Especially when Jason had nothing for three years.

“I’ve been writing one, too,” Vinyl admitted solemnly as she lifted the plain white cup to her lips. “Although I don’t have as good a singing voice as you.”

“Thank you.” Octavia smiled a bit. The two of them, along with Bon Bon and Lyra, had gotten together once or twice a week as friends for years, but for the past three months, they had not met up like this. Lyra and Bon Bon had left suddenly, from what Octavia heard, but she missed their company.

Octavia had been helping to teach the young foals so as to supplement Cheerilee’s own overworked schedule. Vinyl had been going through the country doing gigs and earning money which she would mostly donate to the Ponyville Restoration Fund, keeping enough for food and supplies for herself. It was rare nowadays for her to be in Ponyville. Octavia had heard that Bon Bon was volunteering in the castle kitchens, and Lyra was doing various odd jobs around the castle to help. Still, even Octavia could sense the varying moods in the castle. The town itself seemed to be divided on what to think about Jason. She knew a few ponies who were still in denial despite the evidence that they were responsible for what had happened to Jason.

“Good tea,” Octavia said as she put it down.

“I got it from Britmane when I was last there,” Vinyl said.

“You came back in today?” Octavia asked.

“Just about an hour ago,” Vinyl said as she walked over to the door and used her magic to lift up several large bags. “I brought snacks, too. Lots of Britmane stuff you’re sure to like!”

Octavia smiled ruefully. Despite having been born in Britmane, she had little memory of that place from her foalhood since her parents had moved to Ponyville when she was only five. She watched as Vinyl placed several bags full of sweets and pastries onto Octavia’s desk. “Thank you, dear,” she said.

“How’ve things been here?” Vinyl asked as she collapsed onto her bed.

“Not too bad, I guess,” Octavia said. “Same old, same old.”

“Cool, cool,” Vinyl, who had actually never met Jason Wright since every time he’d come into town she’d been either out of town or not in the same part of town, looked at the three other ponies. She frowned and removed her shades, revealing her reddish purple eyes. In her deeper but feminine voice, she said, “That was quite the song you were writing. You’re still really torn up about it, huh?”

Octavia looked at Vinyl sharply. “Of course I bloody well am,” she hissed. Then, her ears flattened and she looked away. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Vinyl got out of bed, walked over, and sat on the couch next to Octavia. “Tavi, it’s been three months already.” She moved closer and put her foreleg around Octavia, pulling her close. “Come on…you’ve got to stop doing this to yourself…”

Octavia winced at the use of foul language, but she didn’t say anything. She had tried to move past it, but it felt just wrong to do so. She, too, had actively participated in the abuse of the human by throwing stones and refuse at him whenever she saw him coming into town from the Everfree. And that had resulted in him taking his revenge by destroying everything and anything she had ever owned.

“How can we forget this!?” she asked suddenly, looking up and glaring at the DJ.

“Whoa, I never said anything about forgetting this, so chill there, Tavi,” Vinyl said, holding her hooves up in a placating manner. “I just said move past this. Nopony should forget what happened and what we did.”

“Vinyl, you never participated in Jason’s cruel treatment,” Octavia said with some confusion. “Why are you saying ‘we’?”

Vinyl reached over and put a hoof on Octavia’s foreleg. “Because you’re my friend, Tavi,” she said. “Because I think that if I’d seen him I’d probably have done the same.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” Octavia said. “You’re one of the sweetest ponies I know. You’re always smiling, and you might not talk much to others, but you say more with your mannerisms than your words.”

“Tavi, even I have my prejudices,” Vinyl said as she took a sip of tea, which she’d added milk to. “I’ve had my head in my music for a long time. I never took off my headset. I’d have probably ignored him. I’m not as nice as you think.”

“Don’t say that,” Octavia said, looking at her best friend with a frown. “You’re a really nice pony.”

She sighed. “Thanks for saying so, but you’re wrong. But back to the topic at hoof.” She gestured out of the window towards the destroyed town. “We should address the elephant in the room. And not just with the two of us. I mean the entire town.”

Octavia looked at Vinyl with an arched eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Vinyl looked out of the window, eyes narrowed. “What I mean is that we need a town meeting and everypony needs to attend. And I mean everypony.” She turned back to Octavia, who shuddered. Her normally reddish purple eyes seemed now to be a dark blood red. “It’s long past time the town faced our sins.”

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Celestia sat once more in the Convocation’s meeting chamber, once the throne room of the Gryphonian Imperium. Luna was speaking now, making more offers to the Convocation. There were certain things that even Equestria could offer, and she was letting her sister take the lead on this because she wanted to think long and hard about all that she had talked about earlier with Gregory and Cadance. Not to mention the most intriguing game of chess she had played with Flurry, although that was more of a curiosity than the former.

The languages of apology, she mused as she kept enough attention on the proceedings in front of her to interject if she needed. After her chess game, she had spoken to Cadance about her conversation with Gregory. She had agreed wholeheartedly with what he had said about these languages, explaining that there were languages of love as well. Celestia had known this, of course, but it was a nice refresher. The meal they had shared did have some tension with it, but it was also a good way to begin repairing their relationship that was broken due to the invasion and the resulting revelation of Jason’s abuse. I wonder what my language of apology is? Gregory said that what I offered Jason was a bribe, and he is probably right. Still, I can’t be sure how best to apologize to him. He was so angry last time, but he also looked so tired.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a slight vibration that came from the satchel she had slung over the chair she was granted. It didn’t seem to be heard by anyone, but Luna’s ears twitched, indicating that she had, indeed, heard it. Celestia waited until Luna was finished speaking before she held up a hoof. “Would you please excuse me? I need to tend to something a bit private.”

“Washroom’s out the door and directly to your right,” Grandpa Gruff said, pointing back with his thumb.

Celestia kept her reaction in check. It was still embarrassing when she had to leave her throne room to ‘powder her nose’, but she nodded, stood, and left the room, subtly casting a teleportation spell which brought the vibrating object with her. She entered the private lavatory and locked the door before casting a spell over the room to keep anycreature from spying on her. She took out the object, a small clear crystal ball, and poured her magic into it. Soon, an image appeared inside the crystal. A hooded stallion stood on the other side, wearing a mask over his muzzle. “What is it?” she asked curiously. “Is this an emergency?”

“I would say so, your highness,” the distorted voice replied on the other end. “There has been an incident that requires your immediate attention. The nobles have made a move to force you and Princess Luna from the throne.”

Celestia’s heart stopped at that. She froze, unable to comprehend just what her informant had told her. “On what basis have they made this move?” she asked after she had recovered herself.

“According to what they brought forth to the House of Lords, you have grown mentally unfit to rule, and they have brought up some convincingly damning evidence against you and Luna,” he said.

“What kind of evidence?” Celestia asked.

“Your actions in regards to the recent crisis, for one,” the pony said. “Not to mention many incidents where you didn’t act and instead let six inexperienced young mares deal with various dangers. They mentioned the first Canterlot changeling invasion, Tirek, the sleeping dragon, and many other instances, including recent events, such as you taking many chests full of bits to Gryphonstone.”

“They performed an audit?!” Celestia was alarmed by this.

“The evidence brought against Luna was equally as damning,” the pony said. “They brought in medical testimony from a few doctors saying how her psyche has been affected not just by her thousand year banishment, but by her infecting herself with a tanatabus. They say this shows suicidal tendencies. Your highness, they have more evidence than this.”

Celestia nearly fell onto her rear in shock. She could hardly believe that this was happening. Of course, the more she thought about it, the more it began making sense. The nobles had become too influential. Especially with Marchioness High Life being a high ranking member of the House. She was a clever mare, no doubt about that, and came from a very famous and influential family in Canterlot. She could trace her family roots back to Unicornia before the unification of the tribes. Her nephew was also in on it, too, of that she had no doubt. Then, a thought occurred to her. “What about Twilight Sparkle? She is still a princess of Equestria? Have they brought anything against her?”

“Not as far as I know, but the House has invoked some ancient law or tradition called Abducatio et Ascendio and have summoned her to court. Does that ring a bell for you?”

Celestia’s blood ran cold. Abducatio et Ascendio was an ancient tradition that was leftover, once more, from Unicornia. It meant Abdication and Ascension. It was added into the laws of Equestria as a concession to the unicorn faction when the law for the nation were being made. They had no idea, of course, that two alicorn sisters would take up the mantle of monarchs for the kingdom. It was a legal gathering that the House of Lords could enact if sufficient reason was brought forward for a ruling monarch to be deposed and a new one put into power. “Abducatio et Ascendio…yes, I’ve heard of it.”

“They will be holding it the moment Princess Twilight, Princess Luna, and yourself all appear in the House of Lords,” the pony said.

“I see,” Celestia said somberly.

“Princess, what should we do?” the pony asked.

“This is clearly something long in the works,” Celestia said. “Sit tight. My sister and I will be coming home as soon as possible.”

“As you wish, your highness.” With that, the pony’s form vanished.

Celestia put the crystal down on the counter next to the sink. She looked into the mirror, examining herself. Despite the rest forced on her by the nor’wester, she looked exhausted. The events of the past few months since the invasion had taken a toll on her. She already had been chastised for taking too much on herself, but with recent events, she realized the massive mistake she had made in coming to Gryphonstone before dealing with internal affairs. She acted on impulse, something she hadn’t done in a long time.

She splashed some water on her face, dried it off with a towel, then headed back into the Convocation Hall. Geoffrey was speaking now. “Our supply of Atlantean Trees is not something we can readily get to,” he was saying. “Those trees are mostly in snow leopard territory, and the only two trees we have available are located in the Eyrie’s garden.”

Celestia saw Luna about to speak when she interrupted. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to my sister in private.”

A couple looks of concern and confusion passed over the group. “Is everything okay?” Cadance asked.

“We have to cut our negotiations short, I’m afraid,” Celestia said apologetically. “We have urgent matters that have come up back in Equestria.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Geoffrey said with sincerity. “Is there anything we can do?”

“No, but thank you for the offer,” Celestia said gratefully.

“Have a safe trip back,” Gregory said, and many in the room echoed that sentiment.

Before she left, however, she turned and faced the Convocation again. “This may be too much to ask, but would you be open to have the two ponies I sent her earlier stay in our room?”

The Convocation exchanged looks of confusion. “For what purpose?” Gwendolyn asked curiously.

“I’ve noted that the one called Lyra has been speaking often with Miss Silica here,” Celestia said, gesturing to the dragon with the same color scheme as Lyra.

Silica chuckled softly. “She is picking my brain about humans,” she explained, “and her friend has also shown some interest as well. Not as much as Miss Heartstrings, but still.”

Celestia nodded. “Miss Heartstrings seems like she would make a good ambassador, to be honest,” she said. “And Miss Drops is capable of protecting her. Until I return, I would like them to explore this city and learn about it. If that’s alright with you.”

Silica looked at Gregory, who steepled his fingers and looked contemplative. “Hmm…well, I guess that would be okay. What do the rest of you think?”

“To be clear, are they acting as ambassadors?” Geoffrey asked.

Celestia shook her head. “I simply want them to learn about gryphon society and help bridge the gap between our cultures. Perhaps Miss Drops can even help you with security, and Miss Heartstrings is a member in the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra, so perhaps she could entertain or teach music?”

The Convocation exchanged looks again, then Geoffrey turned to Celestia. “Tell them that they’re welcome to stay if they want,” he said.

“Thank you,” Celestia said. “I’ll let them know before I leave. Come on, Luna.”

The moment that the two left the room, Luna turned to her sister with an alarmed expression on her face. “Sister, what has transpired to necessitate the bed for us to depart?”

“Abducatio et Ascendio,” Celestia said as they began walking briskly down the stairs.

Luna paused, eyes wide in alarm. “Somepony wants to depose us?” Her voice trembled, but not in fear. Instead, she was full of rage. Celestia didn’t need to be a changeling to feel the anger radiating from her sister.

“The House of Lords has apparently brought evidence against us to show how unfit we are,” Celestia said. On their way back to their room, Celestia explained just what she had been told by the informant they had.

Luna’s expression changed to one of shock. “Those medical records were sealed,” she said in a whispered tone. “You told me that they couldn’t be seen.”

“Unfortunately, in the case of Abducatio et Ascendio, they can be accessed,” Celestia said ruefully. “Especially if it can be used to prove unworthiness for the throne.”

“Balderdash!” Luna shouted angrily. “You have kept Equestria alive for a thousand years! You have ruled well!”

“Some might say I’ve kept it on life support,” Celestia said somberly. “They may be right about that. Luna, our nation has many different issues that we-that I-have failed to address. I had always planned on retiring and leaving the throne to Twilight, or earlier I would have left it to Sunset had she not left…”

“You told me that,” Luna said, “and I vehemently disagreed.”

“Luna, I’m getting exhausted from everything,” Celestia said as they reached their room. “I’m not as young as I once was anymore. Don’t I deserve a break of my own?”

“I was not denying that fact,” Luna said, “but I was disagreeing with the fact that you wanted Twilight to rule. She is a fine mare, but she was never the right one for the job. From what you’ve told me about Sunset Shimmer, she would have been the far more superior ruler.”

Celestia pursed her lips. “Perhaps you’re right, but now we’ll never know.”

“Is that so?” a voice said from behind them.

Celestia turned sharply, heart in her throat. The guards stationed at the door were in a defensive posture, but the three mares who stood there didn’t make any moves. The one who caught Celestia’s attention stepped forward, her bright aquamarine eyes looked at Celestia calmly, her fiery mane brushed just as Celestia remembered it. She took a step forward. “S-Sunset Shimmer…but…but how…?”

Luna spoke next. “Guards, stand down. She is my sister’s former student.”

The guards nodded and stood at attention. Sunset Shimmer looked at Luna, nodded gratefully, then looked back at Celestia. “I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you,” she said.

Tears formed in Celestia’s eyes. “Oh, Sunset…where have you been all these years?”

“Wandering around the world,” Sunset said. “I eventually met up with two other ponies and became friends with them. Then Gregory saved us from nearly starving to death and we’ve been living in his house ever since.”

“You…you were there when we visited?” Celestia asked in a hoarse whisper.

Sunset nodded, and Celestia could see a hint of what looked like shame forming on her face. “I was too afraid to come see you before now,” she admitted, “but now I see it’s too late.”

Celestia shook her head fervently. “It may be too late to talk right now, but when I take care of the emergency back in Equestria, I will come back and we can talk then.”

Sunset took a deep breath. “I missed you…” she said, and one of the other mares, a bright azure mare, walked up and put a hoof on the back of Sunset. “Thanks, Trixie,” she whispered.

“I missed you too,” Celestia said, sniffing. “I…I’m really sorry for how things ended up between us all those years ago.”

Sunset nodded softly. “I was out of line back then.”

“Maybe so,” Celestia agreed, “but I was too harsh on you. I let my anger-” She stopped. The conversation with Gregory about the languages of apology came back to her instantly. She shook her head. “No, I don’t have an excuse for kicking you out. I wish I had the time to catch up with you, but an important issue has come up in Equestria that requires my immediate attention. I will come back and make things right between us, I promise.”

A ghost of a smile formed on Sunset’s face, and the other friend, who reminded Celestia of Twilight slightly based off of her lighter purple fur, gave Sunset a friendly rump bump. “I look forward to it,” Sunset said.

“Before I go, could you introduce me to these two?” Celestia asked, looking at the two other mares curiously.

“This is Beatrix Lulamoon, or the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Sunset said as she gestured to the bright azure mare, “and this is Starlight Glimmer,” she finished, gesturing to the light purple mare.

Celestia looked at them both. The names sounded familiar and she quickly remembered. “I’ve heard of you two,” she said before she inclined her head. “My little ponies, you two have been wronged by your fellow ponies. I know how you were kicked out of Ponyville, Miss Lulamoon, and I know how you were assaulted, Miss Glimmer. I assure you two that I will make sure things are made right.”

“My father gave me my cart,” Trixie said somberly, “and I haven’t seen him in so long.”

“What’s your father’s name, Miss Lulamoon?” Celestia asked.

“Jack Pot,” Trixie said. “He looks a lot like me. Last I heard, he lived in Las Pegasus.”

“I will have somepony tell her where you are and ask him to visit you,” Celestia said.

“Thank you,” Trixie said with a bow.

Starlight was silent, head lowered. “I’m too ashamed to see my old townsfolk again,” she muttered.

“What about your family? Or old friends?” Luna asked. “Surely there is somepony in Equestria who misses you?”

“The only other friend in Equestria I know is somepony I can’t face,” Starlight said, “and as for my family…I only have my dad, and I have a…complicated history with him.”

“Starlight, my brother is not the kind to hold grudges,” Sunset said with an empathetic tone. “Reach out to him. I’m sure he misses you.”

Starlight swallowed hard. “I’ll…think about it.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, Sunset?” Celestia asked.

“Just come back here when you can so we can talk,” Sunset said.

“I promise I will,” Celestia said. She walked up and opened one hoof. “May I?”

Sunset smiled slightly and walked up to hug her. Celestia hugged back. “Thank you for seeing me,” Sunset said. “I’ll see you later.”

Celestia smiled and nodded. “See you soon.” At least, I hope so, she thought as she and Luna returned to their room to pack up.

23: Admissions

Author's Note

I think I'll be taking a week off for this and my other Endingverse story. I've been writing practically nonstop for weeks and I have a third project I'm working on, so a week off might be what the doctor ordered.

23: Admissions

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Equestria

“What do ya reckon this meetin’ is about, Big Mac?” Applejack asked as she and the rest of her family approached the former Castle of Friendship, now known simply as the Shelter. She hadn’t stepped into the castle ever since Twilight had revealed to Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Princess Luna about how they had failed to uphold their established tenets and had abused a human for three years. It had mostly been her avoiding Twilight, but being summoned to the old castle had come completely out of the blue. If Twilight had been the one to call this meeting, she would likely have declined, but the message had come from Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody of all ponies. The note, however, was written on stationary belonging to Mayor Mare, so it had her implicit approval.

“Dunno,” Big Mac replied with a shrug of his own.

“Well, whatever it is,” Applejack said, “it’d better be quick. Ah’ve got plenty tah do back home.”

“Eenope,” Big Mac said. “I did all yer chores for you.”

Applejack looked at her brother in shock. “Ya did?” she asked incredulously.

“Woke up early,” he said. “Had a nightmare.”

Applejack immediately understood. She had been suffering from nightmares as well, and while Big Mac may not have done as much to Jason as Applejack did, but even he had been a part in the abuse. It had hurt him deeply, as he had prided himself on being a calm and thoughtful pony, but even he had to face his demons, it seemed. “Ah’ll make it up to ya tomorrow,” she promised.

“No need. It was good exercise,” he replied. “Thanks fer offerin’, though.”

Applejack nodded as they all stepped into the massive foyer of the castle. She looked around, taking in the familiar scenery, but with the unfamiliar sight of a crowd of ponies walking down the hallway opposite them towards the massive auditorium which the note said would be the meeting place. No matter how many times she came in here, Applejack still couldn’t comprehend just how this place was bigger on the inside. It was like that alien time traveling pony comic Apple Bloom had begun talking about, Doctor Whooves or something like that.

And speaking of her, Apple Bloom, who was walking behind Applejack and Big Mac, suddenly rushed forward. “Spike!” she shouted excitedly.

Applejack winced but looked up to see the young dragon walking down the hall. He looked taller than she remembered him, and he now had a pair of wings. He turned and caught the teenaged filly as she tackled him in a hug worthy of a bear. “A.B., good to see you!” he exclaimed as he spun around, absorbing the earth pony’s tackle.

“How’ve ya been?” she asked happily as Spike put her down.

“I’ve been alright,” he said.

“How’s tutoring goin’ with Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom asked as Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith walked up to the two.

Spike blushed a bit. “She takes her role very seriously,” he said with a smile that Applejack noted he’d once reserved for Rarity.

“She dressin’ up fer you?” Apple Bloom asked in a teasing manner, bumping him playfully with her rump.

Spike’s blush grew deeper. “N-No comment,” he stammered. He then looked past the filly and saw the other three members of the Apple family. His smile faded. “Oh. Hello.” His tone was a bit strained, but with an attempt to be polite.

“Howdy, young’un,” Granny said, stepping forward. “How’ve ya been doin’?”

Spike relaxed a bit. “I’m doing alright,” he said with a bit more genuine politeness. “What about you? Apple Bloom says you’re all preparing apple seedlings for after Winter Wrap-up.”

“Darn tootin’,” Granny said with a small smile. “We even have plenty of zap apple seeds.”

The young dragon smiled slightly. “Zap apple jam is definitely one of my favorite things to come out of your farm.” Applejack didn’t fail to notice the small glance he gave to her. One of disapproval and resentment. The message there was clear enough, even for a country bumpkin like her.

“So, any idea what this meeting’s all about?” Apple Bloom asked as she fell into step beside him behind the crowd of ponies heading to the auditorium.

“Not a clue,” Spike said, “but Twilight won’t be here for it.”

That caught Applejack by surprise and she had to speak up. “Where is she?”

“Up in Canterlot,” Spike replied without turning around. “She flew off in a hurry, at least that’s what Mayor Mare said when I asked.”

“Ah see,” Applejack said.

“Hey, did you get the latest Doctor Whooves comic yet??” Apple Bloom eagerlyasked a few seconds later to fill the awkward silence. “I wanna know if those weeping angels get defeated or not!”

“It’s supposed to be delivered day after tomorrow,” Spike said.

“I can’t wait!”

Applejack chuckled internally. It was nice to see Spike and her sister forming such a close friendship. However, she was distracted when from behind her, she heard somepony galloping up. Turning, she saw Fluttershy rushing up towards them, Angel perched on her back. When she saw Applejack, she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in surprise. “A-Applejack…?”

“Howdy, Fluttershy,” the earth pony greeted her with a smile.

“I didn’t know you’d be coming,” the butter colored pegasus said. “I thought…that…”

“The message said it was urgent, and that everypony needed ta be here,” Applejack said.

“Right,” Fluttershy said.

“Fluttershy? Applejack?” another familiar voice asked. The two turned and saw Rainbow Dash and Rarity walking up towards them. Rainbow, to Applejack’s eye, looked exhausted, which when she thought about it, it made sense. Rainbow was a night guardspony who patrolled the halls. It was early for her. Rarity, on the other hoof, had a haggard appearance, and her normally coiffed mane was filled with split ends. Her mane was tied back in a ponytail and was damp, probably a hastened attempt to hide it. And Applejack could smell the distinct scent of alcohol. Not on her breath, but on the jacket she was wearing.

“Rainbow. Rarity.” Applejack nodded at them in polite greetings.

“How…how are you all doing?” Fluttershy asked as the four began walking down the hallway.

“Eh, hanging in there,” Rainbow said, then she winced when she saw Applejack giving her a glare. “Sorry. Poor choice of words. I’m doing okay, I guess.” She yawned. “It’s way too early…”

“Rainbow, it’s just past six in the afternoon,” Rarity said, and Applejack was startled by the voice she heard. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse and heavy with sadness.

Rainbow turned to look at Rarity with a bit of a scowl. “I work nights, you idiot,” she snapped. “My ‘day’ starts when I get up at eight in the evening and ends at six in the morning.”

“Whoa now, no need tah start anythin’ now,” Applejack said.

Rainbow gave Rarity a glare, one which the purple maned unicorn gave right back before they continued walking down the hallway. There was an uncomfortable silence before Fluttershy spoke. “Has…anypony heard from Pinkie, yet?”

“Afraid not,” Rarity said.

“Nada,” Rainbow said.

“Ah got a small letter from her a few days ago,” Applejack said. “She said she’s doin’ fine and she may be droppin’ by fer Winter Wrap-Up.”

“Well…that’s good,” Fluttershy said with a small nod.

The group continued walking down the hallway, falling once more into silence. After all, what could they really say? Their friendships had been broken…right?

“Vinyl, are you sure we should be doing this now?” Mayor Mare asked in a whisper as the DJ pony began setting up her equipment on the stage. Beside her, Octavia was watching the blue maned unicorn work her magic like it was second nature to her. In front of them, Octavia could hear the murmured voices of all of Ponyville’s residents as they filed into the auditorium. Almost all of the seats were occupied as far as she could see.

“I know what I’m doing,” Vinyl said. At the moment, her shades were on her forehead being held in place by her horn. She had a fiercely determined look on her face as she placed a large speaker in the center of the stage. “I’m sick and tired of the obstinance of the ponies in town.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Obstinance, Vinyl? When did you become so articulate?” she asked in a teasing tone.

The unicorn DJ rolled her eyes and smirked. “We’re roommates, Tavi. I pick up a lot from you. More than you know.”

“Bitchin,” Octavia replied with a grin and a wink.

Vinyl chuckled. “Touché,” she said as she finally plugged the last cord in. “And that’s the last of them.” She stood in front of the microphone and performed a few tests. “Check, check, one two three, one two three.” She adjusted a few dials on a mixer panel until she was satisfied. “Okay, we’re good to go when everypony gets here.”

Mayor Mare and Octavia stepped forward and nodded, the latter looking out at the back doors. To her surprise, she saw four of the six former Elements walking in silently, finding spots in the very back and sitting down. A minute later, when nopony else had arrived, Octavia looked over at her roommate and best friend. “I think we’re ready.”

“Good.” She turned to Mayor Mare. “Mind if I go first?”

“This meeting was your idea,” Mayor Mare said, “so go for it.”

Vinyl turned back to face crowd, a stern expression forming swiftly on her face. Octavia saw her eyes flashing with a dangerous blood red glow before returning to their purple hue. She looked around the crowd as she approached the mic. “Good afternoon, Ponyville,” she began, and Octavia was surprised again by how articulate the mare was in that moment. “Thank you all for coming o such short notice. My name is Vinyl Scratch. You may know me as DJ Pon-3. I’m a resident of Ponyville and once lived in a house with my best friend here, Octavia Melody.” Vinyl gestured to Octavia, who raised her hoof in greeting. Vinyl smiled, then turned back to the crowd. “I just called this impromptu meeting to say basically one thing: it’s time we all grew up.”

Shocked silence filled the room as the many pairs of eyes stared up at the two. Finally, somepony spoke up. “What’s this all about?!”

“About the attitudes of ponies in town regarding one Jason Wright,” Octavia said, stepping forward and facing the crowd.

At the mention of his name, the silence became deafening, only for the room to erupt into shouts of anger from a disturbingly large portion of ponies. A minority were looking down in guilt, but weren’t saying anything else. Vinyl, her eyes flashing a blood red once more, used her magic to adjust her equipment. A piercing screech rang through the auditorium, and everypony held their ears and winced as feedback ran through the massive room. When the room was silent again, Vinyl stepped back to the microphone. “We really need to get our act together here. We can’t really claim to stand for harmony if we can easily chase out somecreature for just being different, can we?”

Nopony else might have noticed it, but Octavia could see Vinyl’s legs trembling a little bit. She might have been a DJ, but Vinyl didn’t particularly like using her voice if she could help it. She preferred to express herself by her music. Octavia gained a whole new respect for Vinyl at that moment.

Vinyl took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and straightened herself. “Citizens of Ponyville!” she shouted into the mic, causing the crowd to flinch in alarm at the loud noise. “You all know me. I don’t do a whole lot of talking. But I asked you here because I have a few things to say that a lot of you really have got to hear. First, I’ve heard a lot of you talking about what happened to the town and throwing shade at the Princess of Friendship and her friends and especially Jason Wright! Their part in what happened is none of our business! But OUR part is!”

“What are you talking about?” a familiar voice shouted out. Octavia scanned the crowd only to see the former owner of Sugarcube Corner, Carrot Cake, looking up at Vinyl.

Vinyl shook her head. “That right there!” she pointed at him with her hoof, “that’s what I mean! We keep on blaming everypony else! Their guilt isn’t our business! Do I really need to remind you what happened during those three years, Mr. Cake?? I’ve heard stories about what you did to Jason that would piss anybody off!” The crowd shrank back from her language. Mr. Cake looked around, his bottom lip trembling. Vinyl turned to the crowd again. “Who was it that would hurl abuse and garbage at Jason whenever he came into town to try and get help or food or raid our garbages just for a morsel we could have easily given him?! Do I really need to remind everypony what happened!? Do we really have memory loss!? We’re equally as responsible for this! We destroyed our town just as much as Jason and the changelings did! We let petty judgements rule our actions! Who here remembers Zecora? Didn’t we learn from this? Did you know that she left the Everfree after some ponies attacked her and beat her nearly to death not once, not twice, but three times?!”

The crowd all gasped at that. Octavia still couldn’t believe that anypony could be so cruel. Then again, she had to remind herself of all the times she’d been equally cruel to Jason Wright. She and Vinyl had heard about the attack on Zecora after the zebra mare had left the Everfree. “Is that why her house is empty now?” a random pony asked.

“Who’d stick around after that?!” Vinyl shouted. Octavia felt concern for her friend. She hadn’t seen Vinyl this angry in years, and it frightened her. “Would you?!” She stepped back, took a deep breath, exhaled, and continued in a calmer tone. “Lots of ponies here are looking for somepony to blame, and I can’t blame you. It’s easier to hate outwards than inwards for many ponies.”

“Are you saying what that Jason freak did was right?!” a very familiar mare’s voice shouted from the crowd. Octavia groaned inwardly. Spoiled Rich, one of the cruelest ponies in town, stepped forward. She pointed up at Vinyl and grit her teeth. “Freak defending freak! We all know you have a soft spot for them! Especially since your ancestor was a bigger freak!”

Vinyl looked at Spoiled with narrowed eyes. “Choose your next words very, very carefully,” she said darkly.

“Why, because you won’t like what I have to say?” Spoiled said with a victorious grin.

“Because you might not know of what you speak,” Vinyl replied.

Spoiled grinned wider and turned to the crowd. Pointing up at the unicorn, she shouted, “She’s got vampire blood in her!”

Octavia frowned. Vinyl had shared this with her once a few years ago. Apparently, about eight hundred years ago she had a distant ancestor of hers named Countess Scarlet Fury. She governed over a portion of land near Foal Mountain. She was known throughout her own domain as a harsh ruler, raising taxes and using the profits to make her castle, now supposedly a haunted a ruin, a castle of opulence and riches while the common ponies suffered. One of the darker rumors was that she had made a pact with some demons to gain eternal life, but only if a sacrifice was made. During the latter ten years of her reign twenty young mares would vanish in the middle of the night every six months and eventually rumors spread that the countess was taking them as her sacrifices.

In the end, the common peasants revolted and stormed the castle, dragging the countess out and in an act of brutal revenge beheaded her. It was discovered that she had a number of foals hidden away, all looking similar to her. Many of the common ponies, still high off of revenge, almost executed the young foals but at that moment Princess Celestia and her royal guards arrived. They rescued the young foals and took them away, giving them to loving families. Vinyl was one of her descendants. As the years passed, Scarlet became known as a vampire.

Vinyl glared down at Spoiled Rich. “Yes, my ancestor was known as a vampire pony,” she said, “but if you’re judging anypony by their past and their blood, why stop there? Why don’t we judge Princess Luna for her past actions? Or perhaps you want to blame Princess Celestia for her neglect against her sister! Or perhaps we should look at your past, too? Wasn’t your great grandfather responsible for one of the worst mistreatment of cows on his milk farm, huh?! Didn’t he treat them like less than slaves and do unspeakable things to the cows? Things I’ll gladly share with everypony else here!”

Spoiled clamped her mouth shut, face red with barely repressed rage as Vinyl faced the crowd. “We are all responsible for the destruction of our town! We turned our backs on harmony! We let our fears and xenophobic behavior dictate our behavior towards Jason! Like I said before, it’s time we grew up!”

Octavia then felt something flashing over her. Quickly, she turned to the crowd and a large majority of them looked unsure of themselves now. One after another, their eyes seemed to flash with something that the cello playing mare couldn’t really explain. She’d seen it a couple of times, the first time during the broadcasted trial when the same type of eye flash had appeared in Roseluck’s eyes, and subsequently a few other times afterwards in town during arguments she’d been unfortunate enough to witness. She’d seen it most notably in Cheerilee when the teacher had a breakdown two months back and she’d finally come to realize that she had not been the pony she’d hoped to be. Feeling emboldened, Octavia stood and walked over to the microphone. Vinyl saw her approaching and stepped aside. The gray mare took the mic in her hoof and took a deep breath. “She’d right,” Octavia said. “I, for one, am growing tired of all of the arguments sprouting up. It’s time we actually did something about it.”

“What can we do?” a younger teenage filly asked. Octavia looked down and saw that it was Diamond Tiara looking up with a pleading expression.

Beside her, Filthy Rich also looked contrite. He had been particularly cruel when it came to the abuse thrown against Jason. He’d used his money to hire bodyguards to protect his home during a period when Jason had been more commonly spotted earlier on. Said bodyguards had done a great deal of bodily harm to Jason during those early days. Now, the guilt on his face was telling. “My daughter raises a good point. What do we do?”

“Learn from this tragedy,” Octavia said. “We can’t keep on wallowing in self pity. Yes, we lost our homes and our belongings, but we’re lucky that’s ALL we lost! We can rebuild the town, but we should also rebuild ourselves. We may have once been against each other before the founding of Equestria, but all we’ve learned to do instead is fear and hate anything other than ponykind.”

“Who here remembers Cranky Doodle?” Vinyl asked. Everyone nodded and raised their hooves at that. “His wife almost died because of our treatment of other races here. Thankfully, an anonymous pony donated the funds necessary for her to buy her medication to help. Still, she and Cranky left after Ponyville was destroyed. The two lived on the edge of town near the Everfree. It’s still there if you want to see how ruined it is.” Vinyl took a breath before continuing. “If we want to change, that change has to come from within. I’m surprised the windigos haven’t come here yet after what happened.” She reached up and touched her chest. “Equestria shouldn’t just be a haven for ponies, but for all creatures. Let’s rebuild our town and ourselves along with it!”

The crowd all began cheering and applauding. For the first time in three months, Octavia felt like things would get better for the ponies in town. She looked at her roommate proudly, only to once again catch her eyes appearing to be dark blood red for a brief moment before returning to their natural hue. Despite everything, the earth pony mare wondered if there was indeed any truth to the rumors of Vinyl’s ancestor really being a vampire.

It doesn’t really matter if they are or not, Octavia thought. No matter what, Vinyl’s my best friend. That won’t ever change.

She was so caught up in the moment that she missed the four former Element bearers leaving the room quietly.

Fluttershy watched as three of her former friends walked silently down the halls of the former Castle of Friendship, no words being exchanged. She could feel the immense tension in the air, especially when Applejack asked them to follow her out of the auditorium. She wondered just where she was taking the other three, but when Applejack turned down a familiar corridor towards a set of double doors, she stopped in her tracks. “What…what are we doing here?” she stammered out.

Applejack paused, turning to look at Fluttershy with a serious expression on her face. “We need ta talk. It’s been months since we have, and this is as any.” She turned back, grabbed the handle with her hoof, and opened the door.

The room was dark, and Fluttershy was immediately hit with the smell of dust. When Applejack reached over to flip the switch, the lights came on, and the source of the smell became evident. The entire room was covered in a layer of dust, not too thick, but it was still evident. The root chandelier also came to life, showing all of the memories that they had gathered for Twilight to help her feel at home here. Seeing it made the reentry into this room hurt even more.

What was even worse was that the cutie map was gone, having vanished a day after they left the castle that last time according to Twilight during a conversation the past month during the Harvest Festival. She remembered that talk and the Harvest Festival feast, a vain attempt by Twilight to cheer everypony up that fourth Thursday of November. Twilight had looked so exhausted, bags under her eyes and a nearly vacant look on her face. Fluttershy had done her best to cheer her friend up, but nothing had helped.

Everypony took their seats, leaving three others empty. Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike weren’t there. Fluttershy looked at their seats, feeling a pang of guilt when she looked at Spike’s smaller chair. It wouldn’t fit him at the moment since he had grown a lot since she’d last seen him. She, along with the others, looked at Applejack. There was silence until Rainbow Dash spoke up. “So…we’re all here. What is it?”

Applejack looked at everypony, then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Ah asked ya ta come here fer a couple reasons,” she said. “One: ah just wanted ta see mah friends again. At least, as many as ah could see.” She glanced over at Pinkie’s throne forlornly. “Ah’m glad tah here she’s doin’ alright, at least.” She then turned to look at Twilight’s throne. “Ah wonder why she had ta go ta Canterlot…but this couldn’t wait.” She turned to the other three. “DJ Pon-3 is right, ya know. We can’t just go mopin’ around anymore. We all screwed up somethin’ fierce.”

“And just how do you intend to fix the issue?” Rarity asked with a frown, which to Rarity looked more like a scowl. “Go and find Jason and beg for his forgiveness?! He destroyed our town!”

“Ah ain’t gonna say he didn’t do wrong,” Applejack said, “and yes, he did burn down our town, but he did save that young foal who ran into a burnin’ buildin’.”

“And that makes what he did better?!” Rarity shouted angrily.

“He went out of his way to make sure nopony was hurt,” Applejack said with a frown. “We can’t say the same about him, can we?”

Rarity deflated at the accusation and sat back in her throne. She reached into her purse and pulled out a flask, of all things. “No…” she grudgingly admitted as she took a swig.

“Rarity…are you drinking…?” Fluttershy asked with concern.

“It helps,” Rarity said as she closed the flask and put it back in her purse.

“What are you suggesting we do, Applejack?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We can’t go apologize for what we did because we don’t know where he is.”

“And do you think he’d accept our apologies?” Rarity asked bitterly.

“Maybe not,” Applejack said, “and yer right, Rainbow, we can’t find him. But we can become better ponies because of it. Mah ma always had a sayin’: ‘Life is a lifelong lesson wrapped up in a pretty little bow’. Ah didn’t quite understand it at first. Still kinda don’t. Ma explained that ya never stop learnin’ in life. Well, we’ve learned a lesson, haven’t we?”

“Yeah…I’ll say,” Rainbow said as she looked down at the ground in shame.

“But how do we become better ponies?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, I want to be better, but what can we do?”

“What we’re doin’ now is a good start,” Applejack said. “We’re talkin’, aren’t we?”

“A lot of good talking will do us,” Rarity muttered under her breath.

Applejack ignored it and continued. “Ah think a good place we can start is with any non-ponies in town. Especially with Spike.”

Everypony looked at Spike’s miniature throne briefly before Fluttershy spoke. “I’ve seen him spending time with some fillies. They seem to like him, especially Sweetie Belle.”

“Scootaloo likes him, too,” Rainbow said. “Hay, the two have even become flying buddies since he got his wings.”

“That’s sweet,” Fluttershy said with a genuine smile.

“Spikey probably hates us,” Rarity said before taking out her flask again.

Applejack stared at her with a sudden fire in her eyes. While Rarity was taking a swig of her alcohol, the orange earth pony stood, walked over, then snatched the flask away and began pouring the bottle directly onto the mane of aa now stunned Rarity. “What the hay is yer problem, Rarity!?” Applejack asked, glaring at the unicorn after the alcohol had drenched her completely. “Y’all have been nothin’ but negative ever since we were let out of Canterlot dungeons! Ah’ve got a feelin’ ya ain’t sorry fer nothin’!” She dropped the flask and crushed it with her earth pony strength.

Rarity stared at the now flattened piece of metal with a stunned expression, jaw dropped. She then turned to Applejack, a look of pure fury forming on her face. “Why…you…little…RAAH!” She fired a blast of magic directly at Applejack.

Applejack dove out of the way, but the magic hit the wall, dissipating the moment it touched the wall. The earth pony stared in horror at Rarity. “Ya tried tah kill me…” she said, eyes wide.

Rarity, seeming to come down from her anger, looked just as horrified. “Applejack…I…I didn’t mean-”

“TAKE THIS!” Applejack galloped towards her, hoof raised as if to strike her former friend.

Rainbow moved faster, however. She flew towards Applejack and tackled her, trying to hold her down. Rarity had jumped up from her throne, watching the earth pony and pegasus struggling. Fluttershy had gotten up too, frozen in fear. Frozen in the same kind of fear that had kept her from helping Jason, she realized. Taking a deep breath, she shouted, “WHAT THE TARTARUS IS WRONG WITH YOU PONIES?!”

Everypony paused, putting their hooves to their ears at Fluttershy’s exclamation. Rarity was the first to speak. “Fluttershy…what-?”

“YOU DON’T GET TO TALK!” Fluttershy interrupted her, glaring at the purple maned unicorn, who was now trembling. “You just tried to hurt another pony! NOW WE KNOW WHO THE REAL MONSTER IS!”

“I-I didn’t mean to,” Rarity said, backing up. “It was just…just an accident, and-”

“Oh, is that what it was when you casually tossed Jason out of your shop when he could have used a little bit of your SO-CALLED GENEROSITY!?” Fluttershy railed at Rarity, causing the unicorn to flinch in terror.

“Hey, um, Flutters, calm down, huh?” Rainbow said in a placating tone. “Nopony got hurt.”

“Is that your excuse when you SHOT LIGHTNING AT JASON! Yeah, nopony got hurt! NoPONY!” Fluttershy was letting months of building anger, resentment, frustration, and self-loathing out all at once. She flew up to her friend, pressing her muzzle against Rainbow’s. “Keep on telling yourself that! You’re only LOYAL TO YOUR IMAGE!”

Rainbow held her head down in sadness and shame as Applejack stood. When Fluttershy whirled on her, to her credit, the earth pony stood straight and tall. “Give it tah me,” Applejack said. “Ah’m a grown mare. Ah can take it.”

“Where the tartarus do I even begin?!” Fluttershy screeched. “YOU BROKE THE RIBCAGE OF AN INNOCENT CREATURE AND HAD WINONA ATTACK HIM! HE COULD HAVE DIED FROM HIS WOUNDS BEING INFECTED!”

Applejack, unlike the others, didn’t back down. Instead, she nodded in understanding. “Ah know that. Ah’ve been givin’ her obedience lessons-”

“YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT’S ENOUGH?!” Fluttershy bellowed. She glared at the now wide eyed Applejack. “We messed up big time!” she continued. “I just ignored an innocent creature because I was afraid! Who here remembers Zecora? WE’VE LEARNED NOTHING!”

She was panting when she finished her rant. Despite everything, and even though she was now sweating thanks to the extra exertion, she felt better. Her head was a lot clearer now. There was silence for a full minute. Then, somepony began to silently cry. Fluttershy looked around, only to notice that Rarity was the one crying. And unlike her normal overdramatic waterworks, these tears felt more genuine. She was curled up, tears streaming down her face. Then, Rainbow joined in. Applejack pulled her Stetson over her face, but Fluttershy could hear a third pony crying. She looked around, only to realize that it was her that was sobbing. She stumbled back to her throne, sitting down as she lowered her head and covered her head with her wings. She had cried plenty since August, but this felt different. This cry felt more freeing.

Ten minutes later, she lifted her wings and looked around. Applejack was sitting in her throne again, head still covered with her Stetson, but Fluttershy could see her trembling and heard her sniffing. Rainbow was sitting on the floor, also crying, and Rarity was lying on her back in an undignified sprawl, looking up at the ceiling as tears ran down her face. She was muttering something, and it took Fluttershy a few seconds to realize she was saying “I’m sorry” over and over again.

She cleared her throat and the other three looked at her. “I won’t apologize for what I just said,” Fluttershy said, “but I do think it’s a good idea we start to make ourselves better ponies. We should start with Spike. Especially you, Rarity.” She gave the marshmallow colored pony a glare of disapproval.

Rarity slowly stood, running a hoof through her disheveled mane. She took it out of a ponytail, and it fell down her side, completely straight. “You’re…you’re right…” she sniffed, taking out a hoofkerchief from her purse and blowing her nose. She then looked at a dusty mirror next to the door. “Maker above, I’m a mess.”

“Not important right now,” Fluttershy said. “Come on, let’s find Spike.”

Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack all stood and nodded, then they headed out.

“Hail to the king, baby!” Spike exclaimed, standing up from the game of Sinister Fallen, a zombie apocalypse board game where the goal was to get to the safehouse, a cabin in the woods, before anyone else and before you got bitten ten times by the evil Fallen, zombie ponies who had been cursed by the evil unnamed Sinister Necromancer. If someone was bitten ten times, their goal was to bite others by either landing on the same spot as the others or passing the uninfected. Once either all of the uninfected reached the cabin or once everypony was infected, the game ended.

“No fair,” Scootaloo said as she picked up the dice and shook them in her hoof. “You had Ash Wells. He always wins!”

“Not true,” Sweetie Belle said as Scootaloo rolled her dice. “Sweetie won last round, and she played Ruby.”

“Yeah, but she’s the author of the Oculus Malus grimoire,” Diamond Tiara said as Scootaloo moved her piece forward. “She gets just as much protection as Ash does.”

“Damn it, I landed on a bite!” Scootaloo groaned as she picked up a small plastic piece that she stuck onto her game piece before giving the dice to Silver Spoon. “One more, and I become a Fallen!”

“Scootaloo! Such language!” Sweetie said in a passable imitation of Rarity’s accent.

“Oh please, it’s not like anypony cares here,” Scootaloo said. She then grinned and continued. “Shit! Fuck! Cocksucker! Bitch!”

“My word,” Diamond Tiara said, looking at the orange pegasus in mock horror. “If my mother heard such language, she’d hit me with a switch for spending time with ‘…such filth.’”

Everyone laughed at that, then Silver rolled her dice. “Okay, three,” she said as she moved her piece forward. “Phew, a blank spot. Apple Bloom, your turn.”

Apple Bloom picked up the dice and began shaking it in her hooves. “So…that was a pretty interesting meeting earlier.”

“Definitely,” Silver Spoon said. “I didn’t think DJ Pon-3 of all ponies would call a meeting like this. And did you see those gray clouds in the room?”

“Those weren’t gray clouds,” Spike said as he leaned against the side of his bed while he watched the game. “That was Discord’s spell being lifted off of a bunch of ponies.”

Everypony looked at him in shock. “You mean…the spell wasn’t lifted off of some of them?” Diamond asked.

“Guess not,” Spike said with a noncommittal shrug.

“That…that’s insane,” Scootaloo said. “Who knew some ponies weren’t facing their sins.” Her eyes widened in realization. “Does that mean that we-?”

“Twilight tested me, and I wasn’t affected,” Spike said. “Discord may have been an irresponsible monster, but I don’t think even he would have affected foals. At least, I don’t think so.”

“I didn’t hear anythin’ crackin’ when I heard about Jason,” Apple Bloom said. “I never even met ‘im.”

“Same here,” Diamond said.

Everypony else confirmed that none of them had even met Jason. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sweetie frowned then looked at the door, then back at Spike. “Did you invite somepony else and not tell us?”

“Nope,” Spike said with just as much confusion as he stood. “I’ll go see who it is.” He walked over and opened the door. His face hardened when he saw who it was. “Oh. It’s you.”

Four of the six former Elements of Harmony stood in his doorway. They all looked terrible, like they’d been crying. Not that Spike cared. They had all treated him terribly. Not as badly as Jason, of course, but bad enough. He remembered when Applejack had called him up to her farm only to use him like a lighter. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had used him for their Iron Pony competition like he was nothing. They had mocked him for not being tough like a dragon, mocked him during their trip to Appleloosa, calling him Spike the Magic Dragon or something like that. And then there was Rarity. He had pined after her for years, only for her to take advantage of that love by using him as a pincushion, manual labor, and more. What was the worst thing of all, however, was being constantly left out. Sure, he was a baby dragon back then, but he thought of them as friends. He realized now that they didn’t think the same of him.

He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, giving them stern, disapproving looks. “What do you want?” he asked as he stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind him, not wanting anypony inside to hear this.

They looked hurt by his angry tone, but it was Applejack who spoke first. “Listen, sugarcube, we just-”

“Stop right there,” Spike said, showing his teeth in a menacing manner, which caught the four ponies off guard. “You do not have the right to call me sugarcube, darling, or any sort of pet name right now. That’s reserved for friends, and you never thought of me as a friend.”

“Th-That’s not true, Spikey-”

“ESPECIALLY THAT NAME!” Spike shouted angrily, causing Rarity to flatten her ears in alarm. “I am Spike the Dragon! Teenage dragon, now!” He spread his wings for emphasis.

Applejack put a hoof on Rarity’s back and pulled her away. “Rares, ah’ll handle this.” She turned back to Spike and nodded. “Yer right. We’ve treated you awfully since ya came tah our town. We’ve neglected yah, treated yah like less than anycreature should be treated, and more. For mahself, ah wanted tah come and start by sayin’ that ah’m deeply sorry fer that. Ah wanna make it up tah ya somehow.”

Fluttershy came up next. “Spike,” she began softly, but with tears in her eyes, “I’m so very sorry for neglecting you. I was not a good friend to you even though I called you a friend. If there’s any way I can make it up to you, please let me know.”

Rainbow came up next, looking uncomfortable but regretful as well. “Spike, I know I’ve been a real heel to you in the past, and I should have done this a while ago, but I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done.” She then did something that surprised Spike. She leaned forward and lifted her chin. “I want you to hit me. I deserve-”

Before the others could even speak, Spike socked a fist into Rainbow’s face, sending her flying towards the other wall. She slammed into the wall with a large thud. Spike stood up and adjusted himself, cracking his knuckles and neck. “Boy, did that feel good,” he said in a satisfied tone before he turned to Rarity. “You have something to say?”

Rarity approached, a look of guilt and a hint of fear in her face. However, she slowly stood up taller. “I have acted horribly against you, Spikey-pardon, Spike. I have taken advantage of you, treated you less like a friend and more like a servant. I even…took that gem that you treasured by manipulating your feelings for me. Feelings that…that I knew about…” Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. “I don’t deserve to even speak to you, I know that now, but I wanted to apologize for all that I’ve done to you. You never deserved it and I wish I could take it all back. I also understand if you never forgive me or speak to me again.”

Spike looked at the four ponies. Rainbow was being helped up by Fluttershy and was already beginning to spout a black eye. Applejack stood by, a tense look in her eyes, and Rarity had a contrite look on her own face. He took a breath and sighed. “I can’t forgive any of you right now. You haven’t earned it. You can say you’re sorry all you want, but if you want to earn any forgiveness, show it. And I don’t mean bribery, Rarity Belle.” He gave her a knowing glare which she flinched away from.

“We understand, Spike,” Applejack said with a nod. “We’ll make sure tah make things up for ya. Ah know how we as the Apple family can make things up. You and yer friends can have sleepovers at our house whenever yah want. Ah’m sure Granny won’t mind.”

He considered. It would be nice to have sleepovers somewhere other than his room, not that he minded having them there, of course. “I’ll consider it,” he said. He looked at the others. “Was that all you came to see me for?”

“You’ve grown,” Rarity said softly, almost proudly.

“That tends to happen to dragons when we molt and actually have access to meat,” Spike said.

“I see,” Rarity said.

“We’ll leave ya tah have fun with yer friends,” Applejack said with a small smile and nod.

Spike watched them go, then turned to head back into his room. He paused as he had his claw on his door handle. Despite everything, he still missed them. He wasn’t sure why, but he did. Straightening, he opened his door and headed back inside.

Twilight, exhausted from her frantic flight to Canterlot, landed heavily at the edge of the city closest to Ponyville. She took in great gulps of air as she recovered. She had flown faster than she’d ever flown before. Nowhere near as fast as Rainbow Dash, of course, but it had been fast enough to break the sound barrier. She grabbed the water bottle slung over her shoulder and downed a few precious gulps of liquid, a precaution she’d taken since she knew she’d be this thirsty when she arrived.

When her thirst was quenched, she looked up towards the northwest. The magnificent Canterlot Castle, with its marble stones, golden and purple turrets, and flowing flags, stood strong, having been repaired from the damage it had incurred from the invasion. The rest of the city was still being rebuilt, but for the most part every part of the city had been restored. There were a few places where the buildings needed to be touched up, but it was still back to as normal as things could be, what with the winter snows.

She straightened, shook snow off of her jacket and her fur coat, and spread her tired wings again, only for them to fall to the side. She was exhausted, and she had to get to the castle as fast as she could. She had not gotten enough exercise in the months since Jason’s invasion of Canterlot and destruction of Ponyville, and it was showing here. She should have kept up with some sort of exercise, but by the time her day as an administrator was over, most days she was too exhausted to do anything but collapse into bed.

Even now, all she wanted to do was lie down onto one of the snow covered benches, but she had to push herself forward…she needed to…go…

“Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

The voice made her perk up. She realized that she was about to hit a lamppost. She backed away then turned back. She saw two Royal Guards standing in the road, eyes wide with astonishment. She hated being called by that title, but at the moment, she was here in her capacity as an Equestrian princess. “Please escort me to the castle,” she said.

“At once, your highness,” one of the guards said as they fell into step on either side of her.

Twilight walked with them, then looked up at the castle. Whatever the outcome of this summons, she knew, or rather feared, that Equestria wouldn’t be the same again.

24: Tipping The Scales

Friday, January 7, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Gregory sat in the living room chair, stroking the kittens who sat on the blanket which covered his lap. The mother cat lay next to the fire, resting after a long day of mothering her progeny. Outside, the light was dimming, and a light snow shower was falling. He sat with Cadance, who had come to visit for a bit to discuss the sudden departure of the Equestrian princesses, and Sunset, who had joined to give her own account of what she knew about Equestrian government practices, although she had gotten a bit distracted with the mother cat who was lying next to the fireplace.

“How the hell has the Equestrian government survived so long without a real House of Commons?” Gregory asked incredulously as he looked at Sunset.

The aforementioned pony was lying next to the mother cat, stroking her fur with a brush. “They have something that’s a bit like a House of Commons, but it’s called the House of Knights. Traditionally, knights are supposed to come from the common pony, but the House of Lords has systematically taken power from the House of Knights, giving them preferential treatment due to their status as Knights of the Kingdom. You remember when you told me about the corruption of that fictional Galactic Republic Senate from Star Wars? The Knights are just like that. The don’t really care too much about their constituents despite what they say.”

“They’ve been bought off by the House of Lords,” Cadance, who was the only other pony in the room, nodded somberly. Everyone else was getting ready for dinner. “There are some in the House of Lords who have tried to push for change, but they’ve failed for the most part.”

“I’m seriously surprised that Equestria has lasted this long,” Gregory said with a frown. “Do the princesses know about this?”

“Celestia knows, and to her credit she has tried to fix things,” Cadance said.

“A good lot of good that’s done,” Sunset said with an exaggerated eye roll as the mother cat stood and arched her back lazily before rubbing against Sunset before meowing for her kittens.

The kittens in Gregory’s lap sat up, mewing and trying to get off to go to their mother. Gregory set them all down then leaned back, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “Speaking of Celestia’s decisions, I’m beginning to wonder if it was a good idea letting those two ponies stay behind. After what they did to Jason Wright, how can we trust them not to do anything…unwise, shall we say?”

“You mean stupid,” Sunset said with a smirk.

“I know about Special Agent Sweetie Drops,” Cadance said. “She’s a competent agent.”

“Competent agents don’t lay out abuse on someone just because they stand on two legs and aren’t a pony,” Gregory replied.

Cadance’s ears drooped and she nodded slowly. “You have a fair point,” she said.

“The Convocation has ordered that she and her companion, Miss Heartstrings, are to be escorted around by members of the city watch at all times,” Gregory said.

“A sensible precaution,” Cadance agreed.

“I’d have just sent them home,” Sunset said. “She’s a Special Agent, Gregory. She could be spying.”

Gregory nodded. “She could be, but we won’t be letting her into our inner chambers for sensitive discussions. They are not representatives of Equestria as far as I’m concerned.” He stood and stretched. “Anyway, I’m going to go out for a walk.” He turned to look out of the window. “There’s still some light and an hour or so before dinner, and after everything that’s happened today, I’d like to clear my head. Snow walks are especially relaxing.”

Cadance chuckled and nodded in agreement. “I live somewhere where it snows a lot during the winter, and I can’t help but agree,” she said as she, too, stood. “I’ll head back to the Eyrie. Thank you once again for letting us stay here during the Nor’wester.”

“You’re welcome,” Gregory said, “and say hello to your husband and daughter for me.”

“I will.” With that, Cadance put her winter cloak on, then stepped outside where the two Crystal Guards standing outside of the doors began escorting her back to the Eyrie.

Once she was gone, Gregory walked over to the hanger next to the door and began to get dressed. Sunset, who was now watching over the mother cat and her kittens, looked up at Gregory with amusement. “Going out for a walk, huh?”

Gregory nodded as he put on a thick overcoat, buttoning it over his thick fleece hoodie. “I need it,” he confirmed.

“If you’re going anywhere near the local craft store, do you think you could check to see if they have any of their locally sourced honey jam?” Sunset asked. “It goes so well on toast.”

“If I do go past, I’ll have a look see,” he said as he grabbed his coin purse and opened it to see how much money he had in it. Nodding, he slipped it into his coat’s inner pocket as he put a ski mask and a snow cap before putting a pair of goggles around his neck just in case the wind picked up. “Tell everyone that I’ll be gone for a while, please?”

“Sure thing,” Sunset said as she returned her attention to the cat family, the kittens already nursing.

Gregory’s walk through the darkening city streets showed that, despite the thick snowdrifts that had been piled up on the sides of the streets by the locals, life was still going strong. The evening market was lively and full of gryphons, with a few ponies and dragons around shopping and spending time with neighbors. The snowfall had tapered off slightly, but it was still coming down. The gas lanterns that had not been lit in hundreds of years due to apathy and lack of oil, shone brightly after having been refurbished and an oil source being found.

He was greeted warmly by the gryphons and the dragons as he walked past, while the ponies who saw him waved and gave him nervous nods of greeting. He greeted as many of them as he could, making sure he smiled despite his mouth being covered by the ski mask. Many of the ponies, when they saw this, relaxed. As he approached his true destination, the Eyrie, the massive fortress loomed high overhead, the lights from within illuminating its location quite well. The cobblestone walkway up to the Eyrie’s massive doors had been cleaned of the snowfall from the nor’wester, but the new snowfall since then had covered the stone walkway with another layer of snow. He saw a younger gryphon tom with a broom sweeping the walkway with a thick broom, and the two exchanged polite greetings.

When he entered the Eyrie, its warmth made him immediately begin to sweat. Removing his ski mask and taking off his overcoat and hanging it on a nearby hanger rack after putting his leather gloves in its pockets, he turned and nearly jumped when he saw that Gwendolyn had snuck up on him. “Gah! Jesus Christ, Gwendolyn…you startled me.”

The lovely young gryphon hen giggled. “Our beloved Idol Bearer, scared of a hen like me,” she teased.

Gregory rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. “Startled, not scared,” he corrected.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself at night,” Gwendolyn said with a smile before it faded slightly. “I got your message,” she said, holding out a small piece of paper that he had slipped to her before the final meeting of the day had ended earlier. “I don’t know if I can do what you’re asking. Please remember, I’m only a single Mage. I don’t know of anygryphon else who has my skill set.”

“Well, why don’t we go someplace more private and talk about it?” Gregory suggested, pointing to the stairwell.

Gwendolyn nodded, then turned and began flying towards the stairwell. Gregory walked after her, making sure to not show any urgency. He had said he’d be gone for an hour and didn’t want anyone worrying about him and going out to search for him like the last time he’d gone for a long walk about a month ago. The two headed downstairs, making their way silently to Gwendolyn’s Mage Cave as the Convocation had begun to call it.

Once they were in the cave, Gwendolyn made her way to the bookshelf and began pulling a few books from the shelves. “Using the Eye to look at the past and present one thing, and even that is limited by certain conditions,” she explained as she began putting the books on the table, “but using them to send and receive messages or even objects? I’ve never heard of such a thing before.”

“It’d be even worse if we could use it to alter past events by sending and receiving messages from the past,” Gregory said as he opened the first book she had set down and opened it, only to realize right away that he couldn’t read it. “Damn.”

Gwendolyn paused what she was doing and looked over. Understanding dawned on her. “Here, why don’t you try this?” she suggested, moving over to one of the tables where the magical artifacts sat. She picked up a pair of old style spectacles and handed them over to Gregory.

“Are you sure these will work with me?” Gregory asked as he looked at the spectacles carefully. The frames were made with gold and he saw ancient writing on the frames themselves. The lenses were pristine and if Gregory didn’t know any better he could have guessed that there was nothing there. “Humans have no wings or magic, you know?”

Gwendolyn stopped her own search to look up at him. “They project anything they can see onto the lense into the modern language,” she explained. “You can read our modern language, so it should be alright.”

A bit wary despite her reassurances, Gregory slipped the spectacles over his eyes and picked up the book he had opened earlier. Much to his surprise, she was correct. The words on the page were overlaid with English lettering, much like Google Translate, but much smoother. “It’s working,” he said.

“Good,” Gwendolyn said. “That’s a book I haven’t yet translated.” She, too, had a pair of magical translation spectacles on as she read over her own book.

“You need a secretary or an assistant,” Gregory observed as he flipped carefully through the book, looking for anything on the Eye of Osiris.

”What are you talking about?” Gwendolyn asked in a teasing tone as she looked up at the human. “I have you now, don’t I?”

Gregory gave her a glare then flipped her off. She laughed and flipped him off right back before the two chuckled and looked back down at their respective books. The next forty minutes they sat there, looking through ancient books for any information about the Eye and its myriad of functions.

However, it was Gregory who discovered something. He was reading about the Eye’s history, hoping to find reference to any of its abilities, when he stumbled over something. “What the fuck…?”

“Did you find something?” Gwendolyn rose from her feet and rushed over to Gregory’s side at once, leaning over him.

“I don’t know yet,” Gregory said, “but look at this.” He raised his hand and looked over his spectacles to point at the paragraph he had just read on the page before pushing the spectacles back up.

Gwendolyn followed his finger and began reading, her beak moving up and down as she read silently. Her eyes widened. “How…did I miss that?” she muttered.

Gregory turned back to look at her, and she looked at him. Both had the same question on their minds: What was the Eye of Isis?

Saturday, January 8, 1008 A.L., Equestria

Twilight had not slept well despite having slept in one of the most comfortable beds in Canterlot Castle. She had been going over every possibility in her mind as to what the nobles were up to. She had never liked Blueblood, obviously, but even she hadn’t thought he would go this far.

The previous night, she had been brought to Blueblood’s office, where she found that not only was he there, but so was Marchioness High Life. Twilight didn’t know too much about her, only having heard some rather unsavory rumors about her dealings in the background of the House of Lords. Being one of the House Speakers, however, Twilight had to show the proper respect due to that title despite everything. She thought back to that meeting…

“Prince Blueblood, Marchioness High Life,” she’d greeted them politely enough.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Blueblood said back with brevity, “thank you for coming so quickly. Under the circumstances, I know the contents of the letter we wrote to you much have been shocking, seeing as you have, or had I should say, a close relationship with my Aunt Celestia.”

“It certainly did, your Grace,” she said, giving him the proper address as befitting his station. “May I ask what brought it on? It seems rather sudden.”

Blueblood’s expression became grave. “Not sudden enough, I’m afraid,” he said. “You have not been in Canterlot ever since the second changeling invasion. Marchioness High Life and I have. We’ve observed how my aunt has been slowly deteriorating.”

Twilight’s ears perked up at this and she latched onto it. “Deteriorating?” she repeated. “How so?”

“I’m sure you’re aware of our current economic crisis,” Marchioness High Life spoke now, her voice just as somber as Blueblood’s own.

“Yes, yes I have,” Twilight said, slowly turning her attention to the young unicorn mare. “Is this about that?”

“Only in part,” Blueblood replied. “In my mind, along with the minds of many of the other nobles, this is only one sign throughout the years that Princess Celestia has begun to slip.” Blueblood looked saddened by this, although Twilight was only half sure it was genuine. “I love my aunt despite our…differences of opinion,” he added, “but I can’t bear to see her slowly sinking into making mistake after mistake. She ruled over Equestria for a thousand years with peace and harmony, but with the late developments and discoveries of how certain citizens have been treated under her rule, including your old friend Jason Wright-” and here Twilight saw a brief hint of a smirk forming on High Life’s lips before it was gone, “-then I’m afraid that she may be no longer fit to rule.”

“And there is more,” High Life said before Twilight could reply. “We’ve gathered many other incidents in which Princess Celestia has slipped. She has more magical abilities than most, correct? She can raise the sun and moon on her own, and did so for a thousand years during Princess Luna’s banishment, but she couldn’t defeat Queen Chrysalis during the first invasion.”

“Chrysalis was using the power of all the love she had soaked up from Shining and from other ponies,” Twilight protested.

“Your point is well made,” Blueblood agreed, “and if that were the only incident, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. However, many of her decisions in the past seven years have left much to be desired. Specifically in regards to you and the other Elements.”

Twilight felt her blood run cold at that. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“During your first year in Ponyville, didn’t Princess Celestia order you and your friends to go up a mountain to deal with a dragon who had just begun hibernating?” Blueblood asked, picking up a piece of paper and looking it over. “According to this report, the dragon’s smoke would have caused temperatures to drop in the local area considerably, making areas around the mountain uninhabitable for a couple of hundred years at the very least.”

“Well, yes,” Twilight agreed, “but we managed to deal with the dragon and convince him to leave.”

“All well and good,” High Life said, looking over Blueblood at the paper briefly before looking back at Twilight, “but the fact that she trusted six inexperienced mares to deal with a dragon, a species that none of you had any extensive knowledge of, shows the beginning of a worrying track record when it comes to the dealing of crises in our kingdom.”

“She could easily have sent a group of Royal Guards and a few experienced negotiators,” Blueblood said, “but instead, she sent you and your friends.”

“Now hold on a minute,” Twilight said, raising a hoof, “I had knowledge of dragons.”

“Raising a dragon slave is not the same as knowing about their culture,” High Life said with a scowl.

Twilight’s heart hurt at the accusation, not that she could really refute it. “Well, no it doesn’t, but I knew more than most,” she replied lamely.

“We have skilled negotiators in the castle who could easily have spoken to the dragon,” Blueblood said. “As it was, the outcome there nearly caused an international incident.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in alarm. “It did?” she asked.

“A week after you six managed to get the dragon away from the mountain, a small group arrived in Canterlot and demanded an explanation,” Blueblood said. “High Life and I were in attendance as the representative from the Dragon Lord demanded an explanation as to why one of their own had been attacked by a blue pegasus pony, nearly had his belongings stolen by a unicorn pony, and then finally yelled at by a yellow pegasus. Princess Celestia had to apologize and pay restitution to the dragon who had been attacked without provocation.”

“Without provocation?” Twilight asked incredulously.

“According to your own report,” High Life said, “you went in first and tried to reason with the dragon, correct?” Twilight nodded. “Noble of you, but unfortunately it failed. Then Rarity Belle went in and tried using her charm to convince the dragon to leave. She might have succeeded had she not attempted to steal the dragon’s belongings. Pinkamena Diane Pie then attempted to use her own party charm to convince him to leave, but that didn’t work either. Then Rainbow Dash attacked him without provocation. And in the end, Fluttershy shouted at him, berating him for only defending himself.”

“What other choice did we have?” Twilight asked, her own mind reeling from everything she was being told.

“This incident is not all on you,” Blueblood said in a reassuring tone that made Twilight shudder, “but you should not have been the first choice to go. We don’t know much about dragons, but we do know that they can be dangerous if provoked. And there are other examples of my aunt’s heavy reliance on you and your friends.” He held up a folder full of papers. “The incident with the return of the Crystal Empire comes to mind quite well.”

“The princess sent you six only instead of a group of Royal Guards despite knowing that an ancient evil had returned,” High Life said. “While it did end well, it could very well have easily ended in disaster.”

“And then there’s Discord’s attempted reform,” Blueblood said with a hint of anger in his eyes. “That didn’t work out so well as you believed, did it? Not only did he betray us with the return of Tirek, but he is responsible, at least indirectly, for the second invasion of Canterlot and the destruction of Ponyville because of his abominable treatment of Jason Wright.”

“Now wait a moment,” Twilight interjected, “that was all us. All Discord did was give us a very small push. We might not have treated Jason any better without it.”

“Oh, that may be so,” High Life said, “but even if that was the case, he had a hoof in it, and didn’t even think to learn anything about his species. Does that sound familiar to you, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

The not so subtle jab at her failing to learn anything about dragons when she was tasked with raising Spike hurt more than she expected it to. Before she could even say anything else, Blueblood added, “the most recent of her decision to abscond to Gryphonstone is worrying as well.”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. “She left for Gryphonstone? Why?”

“From our sources, we’ve learned that another human has shown up in the city,” Blueblood said, “and he has somehow gained a good reputation among the gryphons and is a member of the new government that is being set up there.”

Twilight froze. Another human on Equus? “But…why would Princess Celestia go there?”

“It’s highly possible that she and Princess Luna, who went as well, are attempting to curry favor with the new government,” High Life said. “They were seen bringing many chests to the train station upon their departure.”

“Besides,” Blueblood added, “we have it on good authority that this new government body, the Convocation, have begun negotiations with a few of their neighboring nations, like Saddle Arabia and the Dragon Lands. Not to mention that the city has begun to rebuild itself.”

“Rebuild?” Twilight was confused now.

“Before this second human appeared, Gryphonstone was practically falling apart,” High Life explained. “Nogryphon was inclined to fix everything up. However, since they reclaimed an ancient relic, the gryphons have begun to repair their former capital city.”

Twilight felt some suspicion creeping into her, now. How in the world did they know all of this? She put that aside and sat back in her chair. “I see,” she said. “Still, so far all you’ve done is talk about Princess Celestia. Are you seriously considering taking action against her younger sister, too?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Blueblood said somberly. “She is still one thousand years out of date, and not only that, but she has shown that she may not mentally be ready to return.” He picked up a report from his desk and read it over. “This is a medical report we subpoenaed from the castle physicians after the tantabus incident. Luna once showed…suicidal tendencies, partly from guilt and possibly from her thousands of years of being conscious while she was in the moon. We’re rather surprised that she has maintained any composure this long despite that.”

“Princess Luna is still learning, though,” Twilight said in her defense.

“An excellent point,” High Life conceded, “but it has been six and a half years since her return.”

“Were you aware, Princess Twilight,” Blueblood began, “that my aunt Celestia was planning on retiring from her rule at some point in the near future?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in astonishment and surprise. “N-No, I didn’t,” she stammered out.

“Why do you think she maneuvered events to make you a princess without even speaking with you about it?” High Life asked.

Twilight’s brain worked quickly to reach the inevitable conclusion. “I…was her replacement…?”

“Correct,” Blueblood said. “She tried once with a pony named Sunset Shimmer, but she failed and was cast out of the castle and has since disappeared.”

“Your highness,” High Life said with what sounded like kindness, “would you have chosen to be a princess if you had a choice? From what I know of you, you would have been content being the princess’ personal student.”

Twilight’s ears drooped and she looked down. She thought back to the time after she and Princess Celestia had appeared in the ascended realm. Being made a princess was a high honor, she knew that, but had she really wanted it? She thought back to every decision she had made as a princess and not just as a pony. Had she even been ready to ascend to alicornhood? Celestia had clearly thought so, but what about Twilight? What about her? “Why have you summoned me here, then?” she asked instead.

The answer had caught her completely off guard. She had never once heard of such a thing, but when Blueblood had shown her the appropriate law, Twilight had begun to feel hopeless. She had two choices, and at the moment, neither one appealed to her. She had excused herself after that rather abruptly, heading to her room and collapsing into her bed.

Back in the present, that had been all that she’d thought about during her hectic sleep all night. She would have been perfectly content to just remain a unicorn. She wouldn’t have had all of the extra pressure on her to be a good princess. She wouldn’t have made mistakes that nearly cost Equestria everything. And she wouldn’t have been a princess that had turned Jason away. She wasn’t sure if that would have made a difference. In fact, it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. Still, her status as princess had made her dismissal of Jason a bit more official in the eyes of other ponies.

She sat up in bed slowly, getting out and moving to the mirror in her room. She looked absolutely terrible, but she also had to get ready for a day in the House of Knights, then the House of Nobles. Just as she was about to go to shower, there was a hasty knock at the door. “Twilight, are you in there?” a familiar voice asked worriedly

Twilight’s exhaustion somewhat vanished as she recognized the voice. She turned and walked over to open the door. Sure enough, Princess Celestia, who looked like she hadn’t slept much at all, stood at the door. Behind her, Princess Luna, who looked a bit more rested, stood as well. “Princess Celestia…I was told you were in Gryphonstone,” she muttered.

Princess Celestia frowned, but nodded. “I was,” she said. “I just got back a half hour ago on the midnight train. I was told you were summoned here as well.”

Twilight nodded. “I was,” she said.

“May we enter?” Princess Luna asked.

Twilight slowly nodded, then opened the door. The two monarchs stepped in, and their personal guardsponies took up posts on either side of the door. When the door was closed, Princess Celestia looked back at Twilight. “Twilight, I’m afraid we don’t have too much time before the first meeting in the House of Knights,” she said. “Have you learned anything?”

“More than I would have liked to,” Twilight said somberly.

Princess Luna looked at her with concern. “Young Twilight, what has transpired?” she asked.

Twilight sighed, then recalled everything she had learned about the charges that would be brought against the two princesses. With her alicorn memory, she repeated nearly word for word the conversation she’d had with Prince Blueblood and Marchioness High Life. When she reached the choice she had been presented with, looks of horror formed on the diarch’s faces. “I was always aware that young Blueblood was conniving, but this is beyond anything I could have dreamed.”

Celestia was looking out of the window, a fire in her eyes that Twilight had never seen before. Her mane and tail were moving faster than normal and the room was warming considerably. She took a deep breath and exhaled, however, and the temperature returned to normal. “Two choices that, if things don’t go well for us, could lead to Equestria’s inevitable demise.”

Twilight sat down on a nearby couch and looked down, the tears that hadn’t come since hearing the news finally coming. Her choices were impossible to make. Either she step down as a princess of Equestria, something she couldn’t afford to do until she was sure Ponyville was back on track, or she had to…marry Prince Blueblood and produce an heir with him.

Author's Note

I'm going to try and go back and forth between my Endingverse stories and two other non-Endingverse stories each week, so this week will be the Endingverse stories and next will be two of my other stories. Variety being the spice of life and all. If that doesn't work, I'll go back to this and my other story once a week until they're done. I even have another Endingverse stories in production, but I won't do anything with that one for a while.

25: Awaited Meetings

Friday, January 14, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

It was strange for Gregory to see the shimmering magical hologram, as he called it, of Empress Cadance sitting in the chair she had sat in recently. It wasn’t strange because it was a magical hologram, because he had already gotten used to those being used by the members of the Convocation who had spent time in their respective nations and who were scheduled to make their way home by the end of the week due to their replacements being on their way, replacements that the Convocation had carefully vetted.

No, what was strange about it was that Cadance was currently en route back to her empire on a train, and the way her body moved showed that. Everyone else was sitting as still as could be expected, but if one were to look at Cadance, it would appear as if she was fidgeting, when in fact she was just being jostled around slightly by the motion of the train she sat in. “So,” she was saying, “I know of a great negotiator from my empire. He might be a bit old fashioned since he is from a time a thousand years gone, but from what I’ve seen of his own actions in recent months, he’s perfect for the job. His name is Garnet Rill. He once served Princess Amore on her diplomacy team before King Sombra imprisoned him.”

“When he arrives, we will welcome him as your representative,” Geoffrey said with a nod. “We’ll also set him up with the same communication that we have with you so you two can talk privately.”

“Thank you, ambassador,” Cadance said with a grateful smile. “Is there anything else you want of me?”

“Just that we ask you to prepare a place for our incoming ambassador,” Geoffrey replied. “He or she should be coming in another month or so.”

“Still interviewing potential candidates?” Cadance asked in a surprisingly teasing tone. “I can’t blame you for that,” she added quickly with a sincere smile. “There’s no need to rush these things. I’m just glad we could come to initial terms of goodwill.”

“As are we,” Geoffrey replied, and everyone else at the table, Gregory included, nodded in agreement. “Have a safe trip back to your homeland, your majesty.”

“Thank you,” Cadance said. “And thank you for letting us stay for so long.”

“You’re very welcome, your majesty,” Geoffrey replied.

“Bye bye, nice human! Bye bye, nice gryphons!” Flurry Heart said suddenly, coming into view and waving with a wide smile. “Come visit!”

Everyone at the table, minus Grandpa Gruff, smiled and waved at the excitable filly. Still, even Grandpa Gruff wasn’t immune to the innocence of a child. His frown lessened considerably and he gave a rather polite nod towards the filly. “Goodbye, your highness,” Geoffrey said warmly, “and if we can, we will come visit.”

“Really?? Yay!” Flurry’s wings actually buzzed behind her, reminding Gregory briefly of Scootaloo.

“You are more than welcome to visit, yes,” Cadance added. “Just let us know when you would like to, and I will adjust your schedule.”

“Don’t worry,” Gwendolyn said with a chuckle, “we’ll give you plenty of notice.”

“That would be much appreciated,” Cadance said with a dry chuckle before her eyes twinkled in merriment as her daughter continued furiously waving with a wide smile. “And with that, I can see my husband coming back with lunch for us. We’ll talk again soon. Goodbye.”

After everyone had said their goodbyes and the connection was severed, everyone at the table turned to each other. “So,” Geoffrey said, turning to Gwendolyn, “what else is on the agenda for today?”

“Well, a meeting with the snow leopard envoy who arrived last night, for one,” Gwendolyn explained.

“They were certainly bringing a lot of stuff with them,” Gael said. “Could it be another bribe?”

“If that’s the case, they can fuck right off back where they came from,” Grandpa Gruff said.

“Now now, old timer,” Geoffrey chided him, “a bribe or not, you can’t deny that we need the money.” He gestured to the large crates that Celestia and Luna had brought them. “Those crates over there were likely intended as bribes, but we can use them to help revitalize the nation.”

“Besides,” Gwendolyn said, “the snow leopards may have a resource we need. Those slimes that the Equestrian princesses mentioned are apparently found mostly in snow leopard territory now according to what I found. If they do exist, we could utilize them in farming and creating cleaner water for our cities and through the continent.”

“I’m just surprised that they came here at all,” Ginna said. “I’ve heard they became pretty secretive since the fall of the Imperium.”

“Well, they came here in good faith,” Geoffrey said, “so we should meet them next. Gwendolyn, is there anything else on the agenda?”

Gwendolyn looked down at her papers and a frown creased her face. “We’ve had some of the city watchtoms and watchhens keeping an eye on the changeling infiltrators,” she said, “and their actions have been remarkably identical each day. All of them should be back in their inn by the end of the day.” She looked at the Convocation with a stern expression. “Our plans regarding them remain unchanged, I take it? If not, everything is set up for tonight.”

“Good,” Grandpa Gruff said with a snarl. “It’s long past time that those bastards paid for kicking our colony out.”

“Just remember, we are not to treat them poorly,” Geoffrey cautioned. “Make sure the jailers know this. The changelings have weapons we haven’t had the time to replicate. Their firearms are some of the most dangerous weapons in the world at the moment, and we have no standing military as of now.”

Gregory frowned along with the rest. He did have some articles regarding the creation of firearms, something he had added as somewhat of an afterthought. He didn’t like the idea of an arms race, but he knew he likely had no choice. Other nations may very well begin developing their own weapons. Equestria already had cannons, if Pinkie’s own party cannon was any indication. He cleared his throat. “I have schematics for firearms we can replicate from my homeworld,” he said, “along with various recipes for different types of shot. I can provide them to the appropriate weapons experts at some point.”

Soon after the first meeting with Celestia and Luna, he had informed the Convocation about his actual origins from another world. He had bent the truth even then, telling them that he had heard stories of this world and wanted to come live there as life for him in his world was unenjoyable. Which was the truth. The Convocation had listened carefully and were understanding, although Grandpa Gruff was a bit…well…gruff about it. Still, they had accepted it regardless.

He felt Gwendolyn’s claw on his hand in a reassuring gesture. Geoffrey nodded gravely. “That would be greatly appreciated,” he said before he turned back to the Convocation’s beautiful secretary. “What else do we have on the docket today?”

“Aside from lunch?“ Gwendolyn asked, a twinkle of amusement creeping into her eyes.

That led to a chuckle passing through the room. “Yes, aside from that,” Geoffrey said.

“Nothing that I can think of,” she said.

“Then let’s send for the snow leopard convoy,” Geoffrey said.

Ten minutes later, the doors to the Convocation Chamber opened, revealing the snow leopard envoy. Gregory saw five of them there, led by a pale blue snow leopard with piercing icy blue eyes, snow white hair and tail, and a stern expression on her face. The others looked like aids or servants as they were carrying crates on their backs. The snow leopard female inclined her head stiffly but with some politeness. “Greetings,” she said in a silky smooth voice, one that had an unusual accent to it, as if she wasn’t used to speaking the common language. “I am Zira Snowveil, High Adjutant to Matriarch Nymria Shiverfall of the Leap.”

Everyone at the table stood and greeted her with a polite incline of their heads as well, placing their claws and hands on their chests in polite greeting. “Welcome to the Convocation, High Adjutant,” Geoffrey said. “I am Ambassador Geoffrey. Allow me to introduce the others members here.”

Gregory kept a careful eye on Zira, unsure if she would be using her Purrsuasion magic here or not, but while he was suspicious, he decided to try and give her the benefit of the doubt. When her gaze fell on Gregory, she seemed to stiffen in shock, but she held her tongue until the end of the introduction. “Forgive me for asking,” she said, although Gregory felt like she wasn’t really asking to be forgiven, “but what manner of creature are you?”

“I am a human being, High Adjutant,” Gregory said. “I’m simply one member of the Convocation.”

“I see,” Zira said with a thoughtful frown. After a few seconds, she shook herself and turned to Geoffrey, who was quickly becoming the unofficial Speaker of the Convocation. “Ambassador, my aides are tired from carrying these chests here. May I impose upon you to allow them to seek refreshment and rest?”

“Our city is open for all, as are the Eyrie’s kitchens,” Geoffrey said. “Please, feel free to indulge. There are also rooms available here for your use as well as theirs.” He then pointed to an empty wall. “They may unload their chests there if they wish.”

With a nod, Zira turned to the aids. “Place them there then find some food for yourselves.” She brought out a sack from her saddlebag and gave it to one of the aides. “Here are some talons.”

The four aides unloaded their burdens, then three of them left. However, one stayed behind. He was a slender and younger looking snow leopard tom with dark aquamarine fur that was spotted with cloud shaped grayish blue spots, mauve hair and tail, and ruby red eyes. He walked over and stood behind Zira. When the High Adjutant saw this, she frowned. “You should get yourself some food too, Thalion,” she said.

“I am your personal aide, my Lady,” he said, his own accent less prominent than Zira’s own. “It wouldn’t be right to leave your side now.”

Zira let out a sigh, then turned to the Convocation. “This is my personal aide, Thalion Glacierheart,” she said, gesturing to the younger snow leopard, “and a very loyal tom. Would you permit him to stay here?”

“I don’t see why not,” Gael said.

“Can he keep a secret?” Geoffrey asked.

“Of course he can,” Zira said, sounding a bit offended.

“Then he can stay,” Geoffrey said as he stood and walked up to the chair set aside for the envoy’s representative. He pulled it out. “Please have a seat, High Adjutant.”

Gregory also stood and walked over to the wall where spare chairs were set. He grabbed one, brought it back to the table, and placed it next to Zira’s, then looked at Thalion. “Mr. Glacierheart, please sit as well,” he encouraged.

Thalion looked a bit shocked by this and hesitated. When Zira cleared her throat a bit irritably, Thalion nodded silently in gratitude and took a seat, pulling out some paper, a quill pen and ink, and began preparing to write. When Gregory sat back down, Geoffrey spoke. “High Adjutant, I have to admit that when we received a message from the Leap, we were surprised. We were under the impression that the snow leopards beyond the wall wanted nothing to do with us.”

Zira chuckled sardonically. “Many of us still don’t,” she said sharply, “but the Matriarch sent me because she is aware that this new Convocation of yours is more likely to succeed than past attempts at reforming a government.”

“So, what is it the Matriarch wishes of us?” Georgia asked.

“I have here an ancient document that was signed between the former Imperium and the Leap back before the fall of the former,” Zira said as she pulled out an ancient weathered looking scroll, which she passed to Geoffrey. “The terms in there are simple enough, and while I have been granted leave by my Matriarch to negotiate on certain areas, most of what she hopes is that the majority of what is in this old agreement remain intact.”

“Is that the Treaty of Griswold Keep?” Gwendolyn asked.

“It is,” Zira replied. “You know it?”

“We have a copy of it in our records,” Gwendolyn replied as she stood and walked over to a cabinet and opened it, looking through it carefully before pulling out a large scroll of similar size to the one that had been brought by Zira. “May I look over your copy?” Gwendolyn asked, putting on a pair of glasses.

Zira gave the scroll over to Gwendolyn, who opened both in her claws and looked between the two. Her eyes flicked between each document, her beak moving slightly as she read. The group waited in silence for a minute before Gwendolyn put Zira’s copy down, then returned to her seat. “They are identical,” she said.

“For those of us who don’t know what the terms are,” Georgia said, “what terms are non negotiable?”

Zira chuckled. “We were once part of the Imperium,” she said, “and if you create a new government, the Matriarch is not willing to rejoining, but she is open to trade.”

“What can the Leap offer?” Geoffrey asked.

“Something that may become useful to you in the future, for one,” Zira said as she turned to Thalion. “Fetch one.”

“Yes, my lady,” the tom said as he stood and flew over to one of the crates. He undid the latch and opened it, then reached inside. He pulled out a smaller wooden box and carried it over to the table, setting it down as near the center as he could.

“Open it,” Zira instructed him.

With a nod, the tom reached out and undid the latch on the side. When he opened it, a dark grayish blue translucent amorphous blob quickly moved out, quickly sitting on the table. Everyone stared at it in shock.

Gregory’s eyebrows shot up. He remembered how Celestia had casually mentioned slimes in their first meeting, the typical isekai monster seen in anime and manga, but he never expected to see anything close to one in this world. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Is that…a slime?” Gwendolyn asked instead.

Zira looked a bit surprised, but hid it quickly. “You remember them?” she asked.

“We were only recently reminded of their existence by another envoy,” Geoffrey said as the slime seemed to sway around.

“They are quite useful creatures,” Zira said with a smirk. “They keep our streets clean, keep our fields fertile, and keep our water pure. They are harmless enough.”

Gregory watched as Zira brought out what looked like a chicken bone from her saddlebag and tossed it directly onto the slime. The bone sank in and the slime began moving up and down. It actually made a trilling sound as the bone began to dissolve. When it finished, the slime made another trilling noise and began moving slowly around, exploring its new surroundings, but not before leaving behind a small pile of what looked like fertile soil.

“They will eat and dissolve nearly anything, as long as it’s not alive,” Zira said as the other members of the Convocation, Gregory included, picked up some of the soil and looked at it carefully. “They can also become family pets if treated well.”

As the slime reached Gregory, it stopped and seemed to turn to face him. It trilled and a part of it reached out to touch Gregory’s outstretched finger. The slime felt just like he expected it to feel like. It bounced back when he pressed lightly against it. It then moved closer, trilling a bit. He couldn’t help but smile. The trilling noise was cute. He looked up at Zira. “What else can you tell us about slimes?”

“They can be trained pretty well,” Zira said, “and they tend to only roam in certain areas they consider their territory. They can reproduce asexually if fed a certain amount of material. There are more slimes in a couple of those crates along with a book on their care. But that’s not all the Matriarch sent.”

That caught everyone’s attention, and Zira nodded at Thalion, who returned to the chests and brought out a jar which reminded him of the clay jars of honey from Winny the Poo. “This is the honey of the giant bee,” she said.

The gryphons at the table winced at that, but Gregory looked intrigued. He knew that giant bee honey was something no gryphon liked, but if Princess Celestia wanted it, he wondered what it could taste like. “If you are aware of our old history,” Gwendolyn said, “then surely you know that gryphons hate the stuff.”

“The Matriarch is well aware of that,” Zira acknowledged, “but she is also aware that you have gained nongryphon citizens recently.”

“May I try some?” Gregory asked.

“Please do,” Zira said, pushing the jar towards him.

Gregory opened the jar, then stuck a finger inside. The typical feel of honey surrounded said finger as he pulled it out and looked at the dark amber colored substance. He took a taste, and his eyes widened. He was a fan of honey, especially on toast or in tea, but this honey tasted ten times better than anything he had tasted. Gryphons did enjoy honey from the normal bee variety, so he was confused why the honey here would be any different. “This is phenomenal!” he exclaimed.

“This honey was harvested by our finest beekeepers this past summer,” Zira said, “and they are very proud of their work.”

“Please let them know that their work wasn’t in vain,” Gregory said with a wide smile.

Zira seemed a bit taken aback by this, but nodded. “I will,” she acknowledged. “Do you believe that your nonpony residents will enjoy this?”

“I have a dragon and some ponies living at my house who I can ask,” Gregory said. “I’ll let you know when I have their answers.”

“Excellent,” Zira said. “We also have several fruits and meats that we can trade with you. There are examples in the crates as well.”

Several minutes later, the Convocation had tasted some snowberries, frost oranges, and had even seen cuts of some the best marbled beef Gregory had seen in this world. It might have put real Japanese Wagyu beef to shame if cooked properly. There was enough for everyone at the Convocation to have one. Gregory was given the largest side so that the omnivores at his house could taste them as well.

“Your gifts are very generous,” Geoffrey said, “but I can’t help but wonder what you and your Matriarch want in return for trade of these items?”

“Ah, yes,” Zira said as she turned to Thalion and nodded. He pulled out a piece of parchment paper from a bag on the ground and gave it to Zira, who opened it and put on a pair of reading spectacles. “Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat before she began. “There are a list of fruits and vegetables here that can be grown only in valleys that we wish to trade for,” she began, “along with meat from animals that can only survive at lower elevations. We also wish for bread, milk, and eggs. But more importantly, we wish for houseoak seeds.”

Houseoaks again, Gregory thought dryly. That seemed to be their biggest demand, not that he could blame anyone for wanting them. Not only were they able to be made into perfectly livable houses, but they also could be grown almost everywhere and could pump oxygen into the atmosphere. If these existed on Earth, pollution might go down, he thought.

“Hold on,” Gwendolyn, “it was my understanding that houseoaks existed in the Leap already. I’ve read reports of gryphons who visited the Leap and they saw houseoaks there.”

“That was many hundreds of years ago,” Zira explained. “Those houseoaks were sadly killed by a disease. Only one still remains, the Great Hall where the Matriarch and her prowl live.”

That caught Gregory’s attention and he felt his stomach clenching. “A disease that kills houseoaks?” he asked, tension in his voice.

Zira waved a paw dismissively. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, “we cured the Rot centuries ago, but not before all of our houseoaks were decimated. The Great Hall still remains, but it can’t produce seeds anymore.”

“That is unfortunate,” Geoffrey said, “but I believe I speak for all here when I say we can accommodate you there, although not right away.”

“According to our sources, this year is the boom cycle for all houseoaks in Gryohonia,” Gwendolyn said.

“That is good news,” Zira said. “One more thing she is asking for is for hay.”

That caught everyone’s attention. “Hay?” Geoffrey asked.

“What in tarnation do yeh need hay fer?” Grandpa Gruff asked incredulously.

Zira looked a bit surprised, then realization dawned on her. “You must have forgotten about that, too.” She shook her head in obvious disappointment. “We breed horses up in the Leap.”

For a while, nobody spoke. Then, Ginna opened her mouth. “Horses? You mean those creatures that look like lankier and taller versions of ponies?”

Zira laughed, sounding quite amused. “That’s correct,” she said, looking at the magical projection of the gryphon hen. “We use them as beasts of burden in our fields, helping to pull tills and to pull carriages and convoys across our territory.”

“Would you be open to trading some well trained horses with us?” Geoffrey asked.

“Or at the very least, helping to tame some of the wild ones?” Gregory added.

Zira pursed her lips and looked thoughtful. “I must admit, neither my Matriarch or I considered horses as being up for trade,” she said, “but I can speak with her about it.” She nodded at Thalion. “Make a special note of that.”

“Yes, my lady.” Thalion said.

“Well, why don’t we start talking about specifics, then?” Geoffrey offered.

“Sounds good,” Zira said, “but before we do, I would like to sample some of that delicious bliss I’ve heard so much about.”

General Nictis sat with his wife in their shared room at the inn. The sun had already set despite it being so early, and every changeling in their group had returned to their rooms. Elytra was sitting at the desk while Nictis was pacing the room, reading over what he had already written to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Their day of exploring the former Imperial capital of Gryphonia had been mostly uneventful. The citizens were either continuing to rebuild what they could, were at the market buying and selling, and generally enjoying the day.

The day had been mostly uneventful, though, Nictis reflected. One of his subordinates had discovered something quite interesting. He knew about the rumors about a set of hidden tunnels underneath Gryphonstone that had once been used during storms or nor’westers to keep the city business going. Over time, though, gryphons had relegated these underground passages as legends or even myths. However, his subordinate, a younger budding agent named Cerci, had found what looked like several sets of doors in an old and abandoned building on the very bottom levels of the city, a part of the city that had not yet seen much construction and which was mostly abandoned. The doors were locked and no amount of magic or force could seem to open them. Still, when looked at from the outside, it was obvious that the doors led down because these doors were set on the outside facing walls.

The building that Cerci had found them in looked like an abandoned warehouse of sorts, judging by the rotten crates and dust inside said crates that might once have been foodstuffs. If these underground tunnels were real, it would give their group a great advantage. The only other thing of note he could report was that the convoy from the Crystal Empire had left earlier that morning, something that he felt would interest his Emperor.

Elytra looked over at him and shook her head. “You’re too tense,” she chided her husband lovingly.

He looked over at her and gave a sheepish chirp as he sighed. “I guess so,” he said, “but things have been quiet around here. Sure, more ponies and dragons move here and to Gryphonville every day, but there’s nothing new about that.”

“I might have seen a couple of crystal ponies as well,” Elytra explained, “but that could be my mistake. Even so, I’m including it.”

“Someling said that they saw some zebras and an abyssinian or two walking around,” Nictis said. “this place may be turning into a real melting pot.”

Elytra chuckled. “It does seem to be that way, doesn’t it?” she said.

“I think we should have our members split up after the next report,” Nictis said. “You and I stay here, but the others should go through Gryphonia and see how other towns are faring. I’m going to bring it up with the Emperor and the Swarm when we check in next.”

Elytra stood up from her seat, walked over to Nictis, and began nuzzling him affectionately. She leaned in and whispered, “I know we have a job to do, but you’re growing too tense, and not in the right place.” That last part was said with a seductive lilt before her forked tongue reached out and licked his neck.

He shuddered, his magical grip on his papers slipping as they fell to the floor. “E-Elly,” he said as she began pushing him towards their bed, “now’s not the…oh mmm…”

“Hush, my dear,” she said as she looked at him with lidded eyes full of warmth and affection. “We’ve been working too much lately. It’s long past time we took the time to…relax, shall we say?” She moved closer. “What say you?”

“Now isn’t the time to try for a nymph,” he retorted.

Elytra shook her head. “I know that, but we need this,” she said. “I don’t intend on conceiving tonight. I just want my husband with me.”

His heart began fluttering at her tone. It had been a while since the two of them had been intimate. He nodded, picked up the papers that had fallen, and set them on the desk. “A night with you does sound nice,” he finally admitted.

“Good colt,” she purred as she moved closer. “Now then, why don’t we get started, shall we?”

No sooner had she said that, however, than some sort of magical energy was felt in the room around them. Both froze briefly, then looked around the room in confusion as the air around them. “What in Tartarus is that?” Nictis asked as he jumped to his feet.

As the magic began swirling around them faster and faster, Elytra’s eyes widened. “It’s teleportation magic!” she exclaimed. “Quick! We need to-”

But it was too late. There was a bright flash, a wash of magic, and the two found themselves suspended in midair only to fall onto a hard stone floor. They weren’t alone, however. As Nictis got up, he could hear a few other groans from the room they had been forcibly teleported to. He was instantly on his feet, looking around. When he saw the bars across from him, he snorted. Did whoever teleported them here think that they could-?

A brief electric shock when through his body, and judging from the reactions of everyone else, the same thing had happened to them as well. Shaking it off, Nictis straightened and turned into a small animal. Or he tried to. When he tried, nothing happened. Confused, he tried again. Nothing. A third and fourth time revealed no results. He stopped when he began getting a headache. As the headache began to dissipate, he began thinking fast, forcing himself not to panic. Someone had forcibly teleported him and his entire group to this cell and they were somehow blocking his ability to shapeshift. He looked over at Elytra, who was at the bars, examining them. He joined her and looked at the bars as well. Nothing about them seemed too extraordinary.

“I wouldn’t try to escape if I were you,” a male voice said from nearby. Nictis looked up sharply, as did Eltya and the other changelings. The source of the voice was standing in a shadowy part of the hallway, their face obscured. “I also wouldn’t try changing forms,” the voice, which was sounding more and more familiar to Nictis, said.

“Who are you?” Elytra demanded to know.

The being stepped forward into the light of a torch sconce, and Nictis’ eyes widened in shock. Gregory Graystone stood there, one hand on an object on his belt, the other hanging loosely by his side. Nictis recognized the object he held as some sort of firearm. “Surely you know who I am, or should I say who we are,” he said, gesturing behind him.

A small group of gryphons stepped out from the shadows as well. Nictis recognized them as Gwendolyn, Grandpa Gruff, Georgia, and Ambassador Geoffrey, the last of whom he had met in the latter’s attempt to negotiate a peace settlement in regards to a gryphon colony in the Badlands. Geoffrey wore a scowl on his face as he stepped forward. “General Nictis,” he said angrily, “how nice to see you again.”

Nictis’ anger grew at this. What in the Maker’s name was going on?! How had they been discovered?! “Ambassador,” he replied as calmly as he could. “So, you captured us. What is it you want? You going to torture us?”

“Not at all,” Gregory replied. “What good would that accomplish? You’ll be treated well as long as you cooperate with us.”

“And why should we help you?” Nictis spat. “You abducted us!”

“And you’ve been spying on us ever since the Blue Moon Festival,” Gwendolyn said with a frown of her own.

“We could go back and forth all day, I’m sure,” Geoffrey said, “but regardless of your cooperation, we have no intention of mistreating you while you’re in our care. Our pride and code of ethics wouldn’t allow it.”

That made Nictis pause and take a mental step back. He knew more now about gryphon pride and their vaunted code of ethics. He forced himself to calm down before he looked at Geoffrey with a calmer expression. “What are your demands?” he asked.

“Quite simple, really,” Geoffrey said as Gwendolyn produced the communication stones that had only recently been in the inn with them. “Contact your Emperor. I believe there are words we need to have with him.”

Friday, January 14, 1008 A.L., Badlands

Jason sat in his throne, listening once more to the Imperial Swarm members discussing recent events. Currently, they were discussing events in Equestria, something that normally didn’t concern Jason since he wanted nothing more to do with that nation. However, recent developments had forced him to pay attention, because no matter how things went, it was likely to have some kind of effect on the changelings and their growing Empire in the Badlands.

“Come on, you can’t be serious,” Cheery was saying. “I know General Nictis isn’t here, but we can’t just pull out all our changelings up there. We can’t afford not to know what’s going on. If the nobles win this, they may very well come after us!”

“And I understand where you’re coming from, Miss Cheery, but here’s the thing,” Minister Proboscis countered, “we need more hooves here to help build our growing empire. The Badlands is small compared to Equestria, yes, but there are fewer changelings than ponies. We need all hooves on deck.”

“And what nation will remain when a new pony government tries to take revenge on us?” Cheery argued. “We need information just as much as we need to build up our territory.”

“I’m not saying we pull everyling back,” the minister argued, “but we need to pull a larger amount back.”

“The fact of the matter is that you both have good points,” their treasurer, Embioptera, said. “Coming from a monetary standpoint, though, we can’t do both. We barely have enough for what we’re doing now as it is. And it’s not like any other nation will do business with us.”

“Isn’t that what we want, though?” Pharynx asked. Jason inwardly frowned. Pharynx was more of a meathead and a stallion of action than anything else. He was smart when it came to battle tactics, but other than that he wasn’t too smart in other areas. Nictis was smarter, but he preferred to be involved in more clandestine operations.

Thinking about his trusted companion made him start tuning out. He wondered just how he was doing in Gryphonstone. There was another day until the next report. It had surprised him to learn that Celestia and Luna had reached out to this new Convocation. He inwardly scoffed at the thought. Sun Bitch’s just trying to get into this Gregory Graystone’s good graces, he thought, especially when he saw images of the many different crates that had been transported with the Equestrian envoy. Bribes, no doubt, he thought again.

He was brought out of his reverie when the communication stones began to glow. That’s odd, Jason thought. There’s no scheduled check in from anywhere tonight. He sat up, heart beginning to race. This very well could be some sort of emergency update from any of their operatives across the land.

“Who could be calling at this hour?” Chrysalis, who was in her humanoid form as she sat next to Jason, glared at the stones. “Answer whoever is calling.”

The changeling nearest to the stones touched one of them. The magical screen was instantly projected in front of the entire Swarm. Only to reveal not a changeling operative, but a man. A very familiar looking man. Standing on one side of him was Ambassador Geoffrey, while the gryphon hen named Gwendolyn, the secretary of the Convocation, stood on the other side of the man.

Jason stood up immediately, mouth dry as a hint of fear and worry crept into him. Worry and fear that he hid behind a mask of anger. “Gregory Graystone,” he muttered.

“Hello, Emperor Wright,” the man on the other side greeted him with an air of serenity that infuriated the changeling emperor more. “I knew we would eventually have to meet at some point,” he continued, “but I had hoped to not need to do so under these circumstances.” The screen turned to show a dungeon cell with several changeling figures inside, one being a very familiar general.

Jason’s hands clenched in anger as he glared at the second human in the entire world. “If you harm them, I swear to God-”

“No harm will come to them, I can assure you of that,” Gregory said. “We of the Convocation aren’t in the habit of torturing any prisoners. They will be taken well care of and even moved to some more proper accommodations, provided they can follow a few rules.”

“What sort of rules?” Jason asked, trying to maintain his composure. It wouldn’t be befitting of him to lose it as an Emperor.

Geoffrey stepped in now. “They are to be escorted around by members of the city guard at all times,” the ambassador said, “and they are to be in their natural state. No trying to disguise themselves. They will also have to wear special magic dampening rings that will force them to remain in their current forms.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt them,” Gwendolyn said in a reassuring tone. “it will just keep them from transforming.”

“These are nonnegotiable terms, I’m afraid,” Gregory said. “Other than those, however, they will be treated well, given better accommodations than these dungeons cells behind us. They are our guests.”

Jason took in a deep breath, letting it hang in the air before he exhaled and turned to face the changelings behind the group of three. “General, cooperate with them,” he said. “That’s a command from your Emperor.”

Nictis didn’t look too happy with this, but nodded. “As you command, your majesty,” he said.

Jason nodded, then turned back to the three members of the Convocation on the screen. “What do you want?” he demanded to know.

“A meeting,” Gregory said. “A meeting right here in Gryphonstone. You and Chrysalis and any others you deem worthy of attending. There are things that we need to discuss.”

26: Calm Before The Storm

Friday, January 14, 1008 A.L., Equestria

Many things could be said about Celestia Solaris’ character, especially as of late. Could it be said that she had been complacent? Perhaps in some areas, yes. What about a bit too compromising? In some ways, sure. Forgetful? In the case of one Jason Wright, yes. Political strategist? She had to be in her position. Ignorant of problems? Until recently, yes. But she would never let it be said of her that she was tolerant of high treason.

That was what she was facing currently as she sat in her private office, Raven Inkwell giving her all of the paperwork that the House of Lords and the House of Knights had drawn up, along with references to their supposed proof of her and Luna’s inability to rule Equestria anymore. Twilight, who sat at a temporary desk in the same room, was looking over a few papers of her own, specifically as to the two options she had apparently been given by Celestia’s adopted nephew and that…skank…Marchioness High Life. Celestia ground her teeth in barely repressed anger at the sudden turn of events. Especially since the laws that those two and the majority of the House of Lords had quoted could very well be twisted in their favor.

And the worst part of it? Some of what they had shown as evidence could very well be legitimate proof of her and Luna’s inability to rule.

She inwardly sighed as she looked over a graph that somepony on the House of Lords staff had made, showing an increase of events under her rule that had left citizens in danger across Equestria. Next to it, she saw a medical report that part of her thought she should have sealed away. A report on her sister Luna and her mental state. She knew about the Tantabus incident and how it had almost caused a crisis in the real world. This was their main proof of Luna’s inability to rule, and the report detailed the…concerns…of both Houses in self-destructive behavior on the lunar princess’ part. They also emphasized that Luna had only gotten a token amount of aid from a licensed professional therapist.

“Good job, Blueblood,” she muttered to herself darkly, the room around them becoming warmer as she spoke, “your timing was impeccable.” And, she reflected, her own actions when she had heard about Gregory Graystone’s existence was not an action in her favor. She’d acted rashly, something she’d not done in many years. Of course, one defense she had against the charges was that all of the money she had taken to them was in talons instead of bits, but the fact of the matter was that even if they learned of that, it looked bad for her and Luna regardless. She could be accused of attempting to bribe another government even if that government was a brand new one.

She had not traveled around Equestria in the months since Jason’s invasion of Canterlot and his destruction of Ponyville, but one whiff of a second human and she immediately left. Silently, she cursed her impetuous actions. Actions she knew now were fueled by some part fear and some part a pitiful attempt to make up for her past mistake with Jason. What in the Maker’s holy name was she thinking??

She let out a long sigh as she looked back at the paperwork. She was trying to determine if she had the ability to squash this action without any sort of legal ramifications against her. The fact of the matter was that the House of Lords had a considerable amount of power, power which they had siphoned for themselves over the centuries very slowly. The members of that house also held considerable power and influence which she couldn’t ignore. How could she fix this problem without making things ten times worse?

“P-Princess Celestia?” Twilight’s hesitant tone brought Celestia out of her increasingly spiraling thought process.

“Yes??” Celestia squeaked, causing Twilight to flinch. Realizing that she was still on edge and that the room was growing increasingly warm, she took a deep breath and exhaled, forcing her emotions to calm. “Yes?” she asked in a calmer tone.

“Is there really a second human on Equus?” Twilight asked.

Celestia inwardly winced. Her former student’s tone was one of shame and regret, but there was also curiosity there. Celestia had heard from some reports that Twilight had requested information on humans from the Canterlot Library and the Restricted Section several months ago, but those requests had quickly tapered off as winter rolled around and she had to focus on other things, such as the usage of the Castle of Friendship as a refuge for all of Ponyville. In that moment, Celestia realized that she could have easily requested that Twilight herself go to Gryphonstone as a representative of the Equestrian throne. Tartarus, she could have sent anypony else!

So why hadn’t she? She had to admit that she hadn’t because she wanted to get out of Canterlot and away from all the politics there and hopefully gain an ally in Gryphonia, whatever that fledgling nation turned into. They were fast becoming allies of other nations, including the Crystal Empire. Just the thought of that kingdom brought a fresh wave of guilt and anger down on her. One of the examples of her failing judgement had been the nearly disastrous incident where she had sent Twilight and her friends to the Empire. In the moment, she had done so to test her student, but that was now being called a near failure because Sombra’s disembodied spirit had nearly taken over the Empire. She should have sent more than six inexperienced ponies and a baby dragon, the report had stated.

Returning to the present, Celestia turned back to Twilight, who was still looking expectantly at the older monarch for a response to her question. “His name is Gregory Graystone,” she said, “and he’s a member of the newly growing Gryphonian government.”

Twilight’s ears flattened. “Is he a king?” she asked.

Celestia shook her head. “He’s a member of something called the Convocation,” the ancient alicorn replied. “One of a number of others who are working to revitalize the former Imperium from what I gathered. Equal to the other members.”

Twilight nodded in understanding. “Okay,” she said before returning back to her papers. Celestia did the same, and for a few tense moments there was silence. Then Twilight spoke up again. “What’s he like?”

Celestia paused, thinking back to her interactions with Gregory. Her first interactions in the Convocation Chambers, formerly the Gryphonstone Throne Chamber, had been less than ideal, she realized. He and the Convocation had somehow known about her special agent and when he had forcibly teleported them to the meeting chambers he had not hesitated to point an advanced looking form of firearm at them. She couldn’t fault him completely for that. She had been the one to send Sweetie Drops to observe-

No, she thought with an inner shake of her head, I sent her there to spy. How they had known about her wasn’t the most important thing at the moment. What was important was that she had rushed to judgement too often regarding Gregory Graystone.

She shook herself, realizing that Twilight was still waiting for an answer. She cleared her throat. “My first impression of him is that he’s definitely loyal to the gryphons and to the Convocation where he serves,” she said. “He’s no slouch mentally, either, but with Geoffrey there, I think he has potential to grow into the role.”

She was satisfied to see that Twilight was listening as Celestia briefly recounted the events of that first meeting. She winced when she learned that Gregory apparently had access to firearms, a weapon that Canterlot experts were trying to replicate, although so far all they had done was manage to create something that they were calling a matchlock musket. It was heavy, needed a fuse to be lit, and still inaccurate and in the experimental stages, but the experts had claimed that in only several short years they would have working models.

“Do you think the Convocation will actually let those two act as Equestrian ambassadors?” Twilight asked after Celestia was finished.

“I don’t know,” Celestia admitted, “but once these meetings with the Houses of State are concluded, I intend to send a formal envoy to handle all negotiations.” She looked at her former student. “I had hoped that you might want to go as well. You’re still a princess.”

Twilight looked at her wings and her ears flattened. “I was thinking about stepping down at some point,” she said somberly. “I don’t deserve these wings. I don’t deserve the title. Still, I want to get Ponyville on its way to being rebuilt before that. I can still do some good with this title…”

Celestia was a bit shocked to hear this, but after a few moments more of thought, she wasn’t surprised. There had been nights where she herself had contemplated stepping down, but she had always shaken herself out of it. She had a job to do, and her little ponies relied on her to make things right.

No, not just my little ponies, she thought, my subjects. Now that a veil had been lifted, and not the one Discord placed on her, the weaknesses of her own kingdom were now becoming clearly visible. Nonpony treatment by ponies across the kingdom was coming to light rather quickly, and most of it was not good. Poor wages, being paid under the table, poor housing for many in larger cities, ostracisation for a large number of them, and apparently violence, from what she had recently learned about Zecora’s treatment. At least she and Luna knew who was responsible, and she had sent a group of Royal Guards to apprehend the three for questioning.

Not only that, but there may have been some rotten apples in government positions, she had learned. Ponies who had been born outside of Equestria who wanted to become citizens had an easier time becoming one than nonpony immigrants. The number of pony immigrants who became citizens was higher than nonponies who managed everything, and in the case of the latter it could take years for the system to process them. That system needed a new overhaul, she knew, and it was high on her list of priorities.

She shook herself, realizing that she had zoned out once more. She yawned, realizing that she hadn’t slept much since coming back. It had been six days since Celestia and Luna had returned to Canterlot, which happened on the same day that Twilight had heard about the House of Lord’s (read, Blueblood’s and High Life’s) proposal. Upon learning of their arrival, the House of Lords had been ‘generous’ enough to provide them with time to make their case. An entire week no less. How generous of them, Celestia thought ruefully. However, if she had learned anything over the years, it was that the enemy also made plans. “Twilight, you should go get some sleep,” she said, stifling another yawn. “We have until tomorrow afternoon before our first meetings with the Houses begin.”

Twilight stifled a yawn of her own, shaking herself as well as she looked down at the paperwork. “I can still work for another…” she yawned again, this time unable to hide it, “…another few hours.”

Celestia shook her head. Twilight might be younger than her and still full of youthful energy, but even alicorns had limits. “We need your wits fully about you,” Celestia insisted, “so get to bed.”

Twilight let out a small sigh, then nodded. She cleaned up her own desk, organized everything, then slowly stood. As she was about to open the door, it opened slowly and Princess Luna stepped in. Looking down at Twilight, she paused. “You’re still up this late?” she asked before looking at Celestia. “Both of you?”

“I’m heading to bed now,” Twilight said softly, once more yawning and rubbing her eyes.

“As you should be,” Luna said before giving her sister a stern gaze. “Both of you.”

Celestia wanted to argue. She had survived on less sleep before, but in hindsight she had less of a success rate in court the next day than when she got a good night’s sleep, something that had eluded her for the most part for decades if not centuries. And at this crucial time, she couldn’t afford to lose sleep. “I am about done here,” she replied, “and then I was going to become very acquainted with the Sandcolt.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Luna scolded her, “you’re going to bed, or should I grab father’s belt?”

Despite the situation, Celestia chuckled. “Your point is taken,” she said as she stood, organizing her own desk with her magic, “even if your proposed methods are unproductive. Going to bed with a stinging rear is hardly conducive to a restful sleep.”

“Then it is a good thing that father only ever threatened us with it,” Luna said sardonically, but with an amused twinkle in her eyes.

“True,” Celestia replied. Neither of them had seen the belt, but they had heard about it. Their father had obviously exaggerated that it was nine feet long, eight feet wide and was enchanted to hurt more. The belt probably never even existed. Their father may have been stern, but they knew he loved them. “I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow?”

Luna chuckled. “And see me in all my nighttime worst? You know it.” She walked over and gave Celestia an affectionate nuzzle. “Sleep well.”

“I will,” Celestia replied, nuzzling her sister back. “The Maker be with you.”

“And also with you,” Luna replied in the ancient chorus of the Holy Eurynomian Church. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” And with that, the two parted, one to the sweet embrace of slumber and the other to their personal desk and office to look over the many documents the House of Lords had provided.

Saturday, January 15, 1008 A.L., Equestria

Spike pulled the white scarf that Sweetie Belle had made for him for Hearth’s Warming snugly around his neck before adjusting the dark green wool sweater she had also made for him. Even if Sweetie Belle didn’t have as much skill as Rarity when it came to clothes, she must have inherited a bit of skill from her lineage because she managed to make a sweater that, while a bit big for him, was warm and even enchanted to be waterproof. His wings flapped behind him as he hovered above the snowdrifts where he, his fillyfriend, and his other friends were playing.

“Gotcha!” a familiar colt’s voice said before a snowball flew out from behind a pile of snow towards him.

Reacting quickly, he opened his mouth and green flames shot out towards the ball, turning it from a mass of snow to steam. He threw his own snowball in the direction that he had seen the first come from before diving into another pile of snow. He was satisfied to hear the impact of the snowball on fur and a grunt from the same colt. Spike laughed. “Gotcha, Rumble!”

“No fair,” the pegasus colt said, “you can’t use fire! That’s cheating.”

“Then you can’t use your wings to throw,” Spike retorted. He had noticed that when pegasi used their wings like he used his arms, they could throw harder than if they used their hooves.

“That’s different,” Rumble huffed as he came out from the snowdrift where he had been hiding with one hoof up. “I’m hit!” he shouted. He then turned and grinned at Spike. “Good luck finding your princess.”

“She’s in another castle!” another colt’s voice, this one Button Mash, called out from a greater distance.

Spike growled, but he made it obvious that it was a playful one. “Your princess is being guarded by our finest warriors, Rumble,” he boasted.

Rumble’s face went crimson. Spike knew that Rumble had a massive crush on Wind Sprint, a pegasus filly who looked very similar to Twilight Sparkle in coloration and mane and tail style. He was fairly sure that she had a crush on him as well. The two were both athletic and had some similar interests, but with different goals for the future. Rumble wanted to be a Wonderbolt like his brother, and Wind Sprint wanted to be active in several sports at once, including Buckball. “Sh-Shut up, Spike,” Rumble muttered as he went to the time out area where a couple of other foals were sitting.

Spike snorted and spread his wings again, flying back to their fortress, where Wind Sprint was pacing in the circle where she was ‘imprisoned.’ Two ‘guards’ stood on either side of the ‘cell’. She looked up and frowned. “I want to be out there, not in here,” she muttered.

“We drew straws for who gets to play the damsel in distress, and you lost,” Spike said.

“I’m a warrior princess,” she insisted. “How about next time, we have the colts be the princes in distress, huh?”

“I’m sure Rumble would loooove to be saved by you,” Spike chuckled.

He was rewarded with a blush from the young filly. “Sh-Shut up, Spike,” she muttered.

He laughed at her unwilling echoing of Rumble’s words. He then turned as he heard what sounded like a war cry from the enemy lines. He turned, grabbing a couple of snowballs as a mass of foals came charging over the hill, hurling their snowballs. Spike would have blown some fire, but he didn’t want to hurt anypony. Instead, he shouted, “Invaders!” and hurled snowball after snowball at the charging army.

Sadly, though, while he did manage to hit a few, they overwhelmed the two guards and Spike, forcing the three to either ‘die’ or surrender. With that, the game was over, and everypony was gathered around, discussing the battle and what they should do next.

“How about some hot chocolate first?” an older female voice asked from behind them. Everypony turned and saw a familiar pony, one they hadn’t seen in months. Pinkie Pie, with a now slightly wavy mane and tail, held a large metal tray full of steaming mugs in her teeth, enough for everypony there.

“Pinkie!” the group exclaimed as they rushed over to grab a mug. Spike kept back waiting for everypony else to grab one.

Soon, there were two left and the foals were all talking to the older mare at once, asking her where she’d been and what she was doing back. However, Spike saw her giving him sad looks every so often before giving a smile to the foals.

After about ten minutes, the foals were sitting in the snow and sipping on their mugs. Pinkie came over to Spike then, offering him one of the mugs on the platter. “Extra hot and extra chocolate with marshmallow fluff just the way you like it,” she said.

He nodded as he took it. “Thanks,” he said as he took the mug and sipped it. The familiar favor of his favorite way to drink hot chocolate touched his tongue and he shuddered in pleasure, reaching up to loosen his scarf.

“So…um…how are you doing?” Pinkie asked with a hint of nervousness.

Spike turned to face her, and he noted for the first time that her fur had regained some of its pink color, but it wasn’t quite the same. He shrugged. “I’ve been okay.”

“What have you been doing lately?” Pinkie asked.

“Nothing too big,” he said. “Earning money by part time work in the kitchen, playing with friends my own age, actually getting an education in school with Miss Cheerilee’s class, having limited dates with Sweetie Belle, stuff like that.”

Pinkie gave him a small but genuine smile. “You and Sweetie Belle? Congratulations. She’s a good filly.”

“Good? She’s the best filly.” Spike smiled as he pictured his fillyfriend in his mind’s eye.

Pinkie nodded, then her smile faded. “How…How are things with you and…and Twilight?”

He stiffened a bit, but forced himself to relax. “I don’t really talk to her much these days,” he said, “but I have seen her often enough.”

“Is she doing alright?” Pinkie asked.

“She looks tired every time I see her,” he said.

Pinkie’s ears flattened slightly. “I see,” she said softly. “Where is she?”

Spike turned and pointed up to the snow covered Canterlot. “Up there,” he said.

Pinkie frowned in confusion. “Why is she up there?”

Spike sighed and turned back. “No idea. That’s what her note said when it was found this morning, though.”

“I see,” Pinkie said before she turned back to Spike. “What about the others?”

“I don’t know, and truthfully I don’t particularly care,” Spike said, his eyes narrowing at the pink mare.

Pinkie looked down, pawing at the ground with her hoof. “Spike…you probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m so sorry for everything.”

“Sorry for what?” he asked, trying hard not to get angry again. Seeing Pinkie brought back hard memories, mostly because out of all the ponies, he figured that she’d be the one who would actually care. Instead, after his first disastrous birthday in Ponyville, he’d never had a birthday party in the town again. Sure, he’d had a private dinner with Twilight every year since, but no party. Not even Pinkie had made one, and that, he later learned, was something that Twilight had asked Pinkie not to do because she was afraid, or in her own words ‘concerned’, that Spike would grow big from greediness again.

“Everything,” Pinkie said. “I shouldn’t have listened to Twilight about parties for you. I shouldn’t have excluded you from our friend group. Just…all of it.”

Spike had been growing sick and tired of hearing all of these apologies from ponies, but for some reason, this one was one he could stomach without staying upset. Sure, he was mad at her, or at least he had been, but he had done a lot of maturing since his molt some time back, and he had realized that out of the others, Pinkie was one of the least guilty out of everypony in the Elements. Sure, she had still wronged not only him, but Jason Wright as well, but she hadn’t been deliberately cruel. It was just her. Without realizing it, he downed the rest of his hot chocolate, tossed the mug into the snow, walked over to her, spreading his wings, and wrapped his arms around the pink pony. He heard her gasping and dropping her own mug, then she began to softly cry as she wrapped her forelegs around him tightly. “I forgive you,” he whispered into her ear.

He held her as she cried for the next few minutes. She wasn’t bawling like she normally would. This crying session felt a lot more genuine, not overexaggerated. Not that he doubted that she was overexaggerating when she cried before, but still. After she started calming down, the two broke the hug. “I’ll make it up to you,” Pinkie said. “I may not be the same party pony that I was before, but…” and here, she reached into her flatter mane and pulled out a sapphire encrusted cupcake before passing it to him, “…I can start to make up for it.”

Spike couldn’t help it. He laughed. Pinkie giggled sweetly as well as Spike said, “Well, this is a…decent start.” He popped the cupcake into his mouth and began chewing, enjoying the sweet taste of the sapphires and the raspberry flavoring of the blue cupcake. He swallowed, then belched in satisfaction, patting his stomach. “Aaah…that was good.”

“You have a bit of frosting on your lips,” Pinkie observed, now snickering.

“That would be mine, now,” a new and younger voice said before a white and pink teenage filly came up, pressing her lips against Spike’s.

Spike froze, eyes wide in surprise at his fillyfriend’s sudden appearance. He quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her, kissing back with the eagerness of a teenager in love. He even forgot that Pinkie was there before he heard a camera click and Pinkie saying, “Awww, that’s so sweet.”

The two lovebirds broke apart, cheeks red in embarrassment as Pinkie’s camera, one of the brand-new instant cameras, spat out the image. “You seriously took a picture of us kissing?” Sweetie asked as the aforementioned earth pony mare held the image in her hooves and shook it back and forth to dry it.

“Hey, you kids need these memories,” Pinkie argued back as she offered them the still developing image.

Spike took it and looked at it. The image was still blank, but from what he knew, it would eventually become clear. He looked down at his fillyfriend, who was still blushing but now had a warm smile on her face. He put a wing around her and pulled her closer. “Heck yeah, we do,” he said before turning back to Pinkie. “Where are you off to next?”

“Well…” and with that, her smile faded partially, “I wanted to…to try and visit the others.”

Spike nodded. “Everypony except the Apples are at the castle,” he said, indicating the purple tree-shaped castle at the edge of town. “I was just going to go back there for a nice warm bath and then some other indoor games with my friends.”

Pinkie nodded, then looked hopefully at Spike and Sweetie Belle. “May I join you?”

Spike looked down at Sweetie Belle, who just shrugged and nodded. He turned back to her. “Sure. Let’s go.”

Author's Note

I was working on the trial chapter but couldn’t finish it in time. I didn’t think what I had was any good so I’ll work more on it later. It may turn out to be my weakest chapter. Writing alone can suck sometimes haha.

27: Long Awaited Meetings

Saturday, January 15, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

Gregory stood on a balcony overlooking the city below him, looking down at the procession of changelings as they entered the city at the front gates. He was wearing his Convocation clothes along with an addition: a pair of golden satin gloves with white fur fringe. His hands were on the railing that surrounded the balcony. He stood straight as he scanned the procession, looking for the first human on Gaia.

No, he thought, the first one on Gaia in a long time. He and Silica had talked about the history of humans on Gaia at length, or at least what little she knew about them. She had even spoken a few words of the old humanity’s language to him. It was a flowing musical sounding language, something that had a certain magic of its own, he felt. It was almost like Quenya or Sindarin, but with no connection to either. Human was a word in that ancient language, that much was known, but it sounded more like ‘Hyuu-myain’.

He also knew the name of the former lands where the old human race lived: Melior. In fact, they knew more about that continent than old humanity. According to Silica, it was a large continent far to the east of any known continents. A tall mountain apparently rose in the center of the continent, and from its large snowmelt runoff came large rivers, lakes, and streams which in turn fed lakes and ponds. The mountain was likely volcanic since it erupted regularly and made the areas around the mountain, which could be seen from every part of the continent, extremely fertile. At least, that was Silica’s theory, at any rate.

There was another much smaller mountain to the north of the continent, and that was a much older mountain and extinct. One fact about humanity that was known by Silica was that humanity had not only created its capital city around the mountain itself but had carved out the mountain itself, using some natural caves, which Gregory assumed were ancient lava tubes, to create the massive royal castle of Hyl Shalain, which according to Silica likely meant High Mount or High Mountain.

Silica didn’t know much else about the continent, much less why humanity was now long gone on this world. A part of Gregory wondered if, similar to the Telmarines of the Narnia franchise, whether or not the humans of Gaia were from Earth originally, slipping through some sort of crack between universes. Then again, perhaps they were native humans to this world, Gregory thought. Maybe one day I can go exploring there with Silica and all the rest of my friends on one of those dragon airships, he thought.

“Out here for a breath of fresh air, I see,” a familiar female voice said from behind him.

Gregory turned to see Zira Snowveil leaning against one of the frames the now open doorway that led to the interior of the massive Eyrie. He gave her a small smile and a nod. “More or less,” he said, and he wasn’t completely lying. He had come out to get some fresh air just as much as he came out here to spot Jason.

The High Adjutant pushed off and came to join him. She stood on her hind legs and put her forepaws on the railing overlooking the city. She observed the ancient city below. “It amazes me how much the lowest level of this city looks like a bird’s nest,” she said.

Gregory nodded. That had been one of his first observations when he’d first looked at Gryphonstone from the highest vantage point he could find without needing to be flown by Gabby, Gilda, Silica, or Amira. The branches of that level had grown much more thickly than other levels, creating the illusion of a large nest. “It’s definitely something I haven’t seen back where I’m from,” he admitted. “At least, not on such a large scale.”

Zira looked down, then seemed to spot something. Her eyes narrowed and she looked back at him. She looked back and forth a few times before she leaned in. “You’re not just up here to observe the city, are you?” she asked.

“You saw him, eh?” Gregory asked, trying to look in the same direction, but with the naked eye, he still couldn’t see anything. Clearly, snow leopard’s eyes were better than humans just like gryphon eyes.

“I saw somecreature that resembled you,” she said. “A human, was it?”

Gregory nodded. “Jason Wright, the changeling emperor,” he said.

Zira’s fur bristled and he heard a low rumbling in her throat. A catlike snarl, he noted. “The changelings…they have caused our kind trouble in the past,” she hissed. “Why have you not killed the ones I see in the street?”

“They’re an envoy sent here to try and make some sort of peace,” Gregory explained. “Yes, they wronged our country, and we want them to pay as much as the next person, but we can’t call ourselves civilized if we don’t try to make some sort of peace with them.”

Zira looked at Gregory carefully, then sighed. “As you like, Master Gregory,” she said, “but here’s some advice: never show them weakness. Never back down from any terms you dictate with them. You give them a step and they’ll take a journey.”

Give an inch and they’ll take a mile, huh? Gregory thought ruefully. “I will do as you recommend,” he said.

She smiled, showing her fangs. “Good.” She slowly moved back onto all fours and turned away, but not before turning back one last time. “May the Maker be with you.”

“And also with you,” Gregory replied. It was a reflex, but he felt it appropriate. He didn’t want to knock on the religions of this world, if there were any. There was clearly some sort of higher power they all believed in.

Soon, he was alone again, and he turned and continued looking down at the main road. A few minutes later, he finally spotted Jason. Unlike Gregory, Jason was wearing mostly black, although since it was winter and Gryphonstone was bitingly cold, he could have been wearing something other than black under the thick wool cloak he wore around his person. He wore a face covering over his mouth and nose so that only his eyes were visible.

Beside him, Gregory recognized the lean and wiry figure that had to be Chrysalis, but the only part of her he recognized was her face, her unique horn, and the crown she wore upon her head. The rest of her was anthropomorphic for some reason and she wore dark green robes. Unlike Jason, she didn’t hide her face, instead presenting it with an air of pride and dignity. There were several other changelings in tow, and the convoy was guarded by several of the city watch.

Gregory saw Jason’s eyes turn upward towards the Eyrie, and their eyes met. A wind picked up, blowing Jason’s and Gregory’s own cloak in the wind, Jason’s in front of him, Gregory’s behind. Jason stopped where he was, as did his envoy, and stared up at Gregory. From the distance, Gregory couldn’t tell what sort of expression Jason was giving him, but he kept his own face neutral, never wavering. This felt like some sort of contest of wills, and Gregory wasn’t going to lose, especially since he was a representative of the Convocation and of all of Gryphonia.

After what felt like a good ten minutes, but which was likely only a half minute at best, Chrysalis gently but firmly nudged Jason with her elbow. The procession continued. Gregory, noting that they would be at the gates in a few more minutes, turned away with a bit of a flourish, his cloak catching in the air as he headed back inside.

The walk to the Convocation Hall was quiet, despite the fact that he had been assigned two temporary guards in the form of two gryphon city watchtoms. They walked on either side of him, stern faced, well armed, and all business. He appreciated the help and had almost protested at what he had initially thought was a waste of good manpower, but he caught himself. As a member of the highest part of the government, every member of the Convocation would eventually need some form of protection. And that protection would be especially needed today since the envoy was from a nation proving to be hostile to Gryphonstone.

Gregory made himself a promise never to bring up the way Jason was tormented in Ponyville or his invasion of Canterlot and the destruction of Ponyville. None of that was relevant to the discussions that the Convocation would be having with the changeling representatives and their emperor. Their treatment of the gryphon colonists, on the other hand, plus their attempted espionage, was the Convocation’s business. Still, nobody wanted a war, and Gregory knew that the changelings had a great advantage over them with the introduction of firearms into the world. Even if their new tentative allies sided against them in potential conflicts, he wasn’t sure if those would be enough.

As he approached the doors to the Convocation while coming down the stairs where the balcony had been, he saw Gwendolyn and her own personal guard walking from the stairs going up to the Convocation Hall. Unlike the normal robes that he had become accustomed to seeing in official meetings, this time there was an addition to her clothes. Ceremonial armor was placed on her, mostly a breastplate and a ceremonial sword. Gregory didn’t have any armor, so he had simply worn his gauntlets and the sword at his side, along with one of his pistols. He wasn’t sure if this was a good way of opening a hopefully peaceful dialogue with the changelings, but a part of him agreed that their open hostility towards the gryphons needed to be addressed in rather subtle ways.

She spotted him, and her smile was enough to make him relax slightly. She was definitely one of the more beautiful gryphons he had seen. He gave her a smile, hoping not to let his apprehension show, but she was also one of the most perceptive gryphons he knew, possibly second after Gabby. She looked up at him with concern. “You okay?” she asked.

Gregory’s smile faded and he sighed. “Gwen, I was never a leader of a government back home,” he said. “So far, I’ve gotten lucky with how things have been handled.”

“You’ve been giving good ideas to us,” Gwendolyn reassured him, “and thinking of things we wouldn’t have thought of.”

“I’ve just been using my best common sense,” Gregory argued back with a dry smile, “but thank you. Still, this is going to be our biggest test so far.”

“Everything will be alright, young Gregory,” the voice of Geoffrey said from behind Gwendolyn. The two turned and saw the portly older gryphon tom walking up the stairs with his own personal guard. He, too, wore what was quickly becoming known as the battle armor of the Convocation. “We won’t be making the first move, but we won’t be showing any weakness towards them, either.” He walked up and pulled open one of the doors, holding it for them. “Shall we enter?”

Several minutes later, Gregory was seated at his place, Gwendolyn by his side as always. There were two guards at every door in the room plus some others standing against the walls. Everyone else was in their places, plus one unexpected guest. The slime that the snow leopards had shown them was sitting on the table between Gregory and Gwendolyn’s seats, trilling very softly as if it was breathing steadily. It was almost as if it was sleeping. Gregory found himself absent-mindedly petting the amorphous blob, which it seemed to enjoy quite a lot.

The mood in the room was tense as the members all waited for the changeling envoy to appear, which it soon did. The two guards outside opened the door, and in walked Jason Wright, Queen-or Duchess-Chrysalis, and a third changeling, this one a normal looking one, minus the fact that this one was actually crimson with strawberry red eyes that actually had irises and pupils unlike the other changelings. Unlike Jason and Chrysalis, she had a saucy smile on her face and practically oozed sexuality. Gregory kept his face stony, but even he, who had slowly begun to see the attractiveness of other sapient creatures, couldn’t help but be attracted to her.

Still, he and the others stood as the three entered. Behind them, there were a couple of changeling armored guards, each bearing what looked like flintlock rifles, carrying a large black chest. Gregory’s hand rested on the pommel of his own sword, the same one that Silica had given him, and looked across at the three representatives. Jason, who had since removed his facemask, was the first he looked at. The older man had salt and pepper colored hair which was a bit shorter than Gregory’s own. He was clean shaven, had dark brown eyes, or at least the good one was still brown. There was a lightning scar across the other eye which itself was pale from lightning induced blindness. He had a completely serious look in his eyes as he entered.

Chrysalis walked in with a surprisingly demure expression, but she still exuded the air of royalty. She walked with finesse and grace, which surprised Gregory as she was still in her human-like form, or her anthro form. Her green eyes scanned the room, inspecting everything around her before looking at everyone else.

The third changeling, however, was focused more so on the Convocation members as well. Her unusual color, her curved horn, and the fact that she was slightly taller than the other two changeling guards, not to mention the fact that her eyes were more like Chrysalis’ than the multifaceted insect-like eyes of the changeling guards, immediately caught Gregory’s attention. And she, apparently, had locked onto him after observing everyone else at the table. Her cool demeanor faltered slightly, showing almost a hint of surprise before it settled back into its former sensual state. If Gregory had to guess, this was due to the fact that, at least according to Ocellus, his emotional state was a complete mystery to her, and likely that meant one that was a mystery to other changelings as well, an advantage he intended to make full use of here.

There was silence as the three stopped a few steps from the table. The tension was mounting palpably. The tension was broken when Geoffrey stood taller and spoke. “Greetings, Your Majesty,” he said in a polite tone and a polite incline of his head towards Jason. He then turned and inclined his head to Chrysalis. “Your Grace.” Lastly he looked at the third unknown changeling and inclined his head. “My lady.”

“‘My lady’?” the third changeling asked in an amused and very feminine voice, “I like you, my guy.”

Jason didn’t speak for a bit, looking at the members of the Convocation one by one, eyes lingering for a bit longer on Gregory, or so the latter thought, before he turned back to Geoffrey. “Hello, Ambassador,” he said. “Thank you for having us and for the escort.”

“It wouldn’t do to have a foreign dignitary, much less a foreign sovereign, be harmed in our city,” Geoffrey said as he walked over towards the five empty chairs that had been placed at the table for the changeling envoy. He pulled out the largest chair, one that had been specially made for Jason, and looked up at the man. “Please, be seated.”

“Thank you,” Jason said, and despite his stoic demeanor, Gregory thought that he saw a flicker of surprise passing over Jason’s face before it vanished and he sat.

As he was doing so, Grandpa Gruff and Gregory each walked from behind their sports, each heading to one chair on either side of the one in which Jason had just seated himself. Grandpa had been lucky, or unlucky enough depending on how one looked at it, to be pulling out the seat where Chrysalis was seated. Gregory had pulled out the seat for the third and still unnamed one. She looked up at him, her strawberry red eyes locking onto him as she slowly walked up and sat down in her seat. She seemed to deliberately be lifting her black tail up as she did so, wiggling her posterior as she adjusted herself. “Thank you, handsome,” she whispered as he pushed her chair in.

“You’re welcome,” Gregory said, and up close he could almost smell the hormones radiating off of this unusual changeling.

Once the newcomers were seated, the Convocation sat, with Gregory being the last to his seat. Nobody spoke for a few moments until Grandpa Gruff looked at the two changeling guards carrying the black chest. He sniffed, cleared his throat, then spoke. “What on Gaia are those two carryin’, huh?”

Surprisingly, it was Chrysalis who spoke. When she did, Gregory heard the same voice from the show saying, “My Emperor thought that bringing a gift would be a sign of good faith.”

“Well, thank you very much,” Geoffrey said before he looked behind him at an empty part of the wall. “Why don’t you two gentlecolts put it down there, then somegryphon can lead you to your quarters in the Eyrie where you can rest and refresh yourselves?”

The guards hesitated, but a small wave of assent from Jason sent them over to the wall where they put their load before heading out of the room. When the door was closed behind them, the silence that filled the room was deafening. It didn’t matter that the sound of a light breeze against the windows could be heard, because to Gregory that was simply nonexistent.

Finally, Jason spoke. “My people,” he said, “where are they?”

“They are safe,” Geoffrey said. “We have them situated in several rooms in the upper levels of the Eyrie, ones which are warm with plenty of soft beds.”

“I want to see them after this,” Jason said.

“Of course,” Geoffrey said before turning back to the box. “May I ask what it is you have brought for us?”

Jason exchanged a look with Chrysalis and the other changeling, who both nodded at him. The as of yet unnamed changeling lifted her horn, which glowed a pink that Valentine’s Day could rival. The top slowly opened up like it was some sort of blood valve. An inadvertent shiver ran through Gregory’s body but he kept it hidden. However, he couldn’t keep the surprise and confusion out of his own body language when he saw what was inside. Sitting in the changeling styled chest, neatly stacked, were brown corked bottles of some glowing liquid.

Gregory obviously was the only one who was not in the know, because the rest of the Convocation stood up straighter, eyes wide in shock. Gael was the first to speak. “Is that…what I think it is?” he asked.

“One hundred bottles of nectar,” Jason said, “crafted by the best of the best in the hive.”

Gregory didn’t know why, but the thought of Slurm from Futurama came into his mind. Despite that one intrusive thought, he was the first to stand and walk over to the now open chest, which upon closer inspection actually looked like chitin, although he didn’t think even changelings would use their own to create such a chest. He picked up the nearest bottle and examined it. There was some well made brown twine wrapped around the bottle’s body and a smaller portion wrapped around the neck. The cork didn’t look any different than any others he had seen. He brought it back to the table and examined it cautiously. He was a bit hesitant to open it judging from the reactions of the other gryphons around him.

The third changeling must have noticed his hesitation because she smiled. “If you’re worried about some magical form of addictive property we might have snuck into the nectar, don’t worry. It’s addictive on its own without any magical-ow!” She looked over at Chrysalis, who had reached over with her hand and smacked the changeling on the back of her head with her hand. She rubbed her head with her hoof before her grin slowly returned. “Harder next time,” she cooed.

“That’s enough, Cheery,” Jason said with a frown.

That’s an unusual name for a changeling, Gregory thought. Then again, she seems to be an unusual changeling, he mused. He looked at the bottle in front of him. While he, as a human, might be able to hide his emotions from a changeling, he was still more prone to magic than even the least magically inclined races on Gaia. He looked at Gwendolyn, who was still staring in utter shock at the bottle. “We should have these bottles tested, just in case,” he whispered.

That seemed to snap her out of it, and she looked up at him and nodded. “Of course,” she whispered back.

”She’s right, you know,” Jason said, gesturing to the now named Cheery, “you might not believe us, but we wouldn’t be as stupid to actually drug or sabotage something we brought as a gift.” He leaned forward, folding his hands steadily. “As you know, changelings need love to sustain them, but that doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of eating or drinking. This is nectar, one of the things that changelings enjoy as a snack. Think of it as their version of soda.” He shot Gregory a knowing glance.

Gregory looked at the bottle with renewed interest. A part of him wanted to trust that a fellow human wouldn’t want to do him any harm. However, the newly politicized portion of his brain was screaming caution. They were on opposite sides of the table and at the moment they weren’t allies. Closer to enemies, as a point of fact. He put the bottle down, and Gwendolyn snatched it up, looking more closely at it with a discerning look. “Changeling soda,” he mused. “What does it taste like?”

“The taste differs between anyone who drinks it,” Cheery explained. “For me, it tastes like a mix of strawberry and cherry. The best versions of those flavors, actually.”

“It is a very hot commodity here, Gregory,” Geoffrey explained. “Any we can get our claws on comes secondclaw, but it always is sold out at a very high price.”

“It has rejuvenating properties for us as well,” Georgia added. “One sip can keep a grown tom going for an entire day.”

“So it’s a soda and an HP recovery potion?” Gregory asked incredulously.

Jason gave a wry smile. “Call it what you will,” he said, “but when I led the rebellion against the hive, nectar kept me and those on my side going.”

“I see,” Gregory said with a slow nod.

“Well, thank you for the gift, your Majesty,” Geoffrey said. “It will be put to good use. Now then, why don’t we all introduce ourselves? Guests first?”

Jason sat up straighter. “I am Emperor Jason Wright of the Badlands Hive,” he said. He gestured to Chrysalis. “This is Duchess Chrysalis, my regent, and this,” he gestured to the one named Cheery, “is Cheery, my foreign diplomatic relations officer. I suppose she could be considered our foreign ambassador.”

“Nice to meetcha all,” Cheery said in a, well, cheery tone as she waved at the Convocation.

Geoffrey was the one to make the introductions to the envoy from the Badlands Hive. When he finished, he cleared his throat and took a sip of the bliss that had been provided to everyone at the table. “Well, I believe we all have more official business to discuss?”

“Before we do that, I have a request,” Jason said.

Everyone’s head turned to the scarred human’s. “What sort of request?” Geoffrey asked.

“I’d like to see the changelings you have in your…care,” the changeling emperor said.

Gregory noted the pause in Jason’s tone. It was clearly deliberate on his part. Gregory couldn’t exactly blame him for wanting to see the changelings, the leader of whom had been identified as a General Nictis. Another was apparently his wife Elytra. Gregory exchanged looks with the rest of the Convocation, who were all doing the same with each other. In his time in Gryphonstone, he had quickly gotten to be able to somewhat read the expressions on nonhuman faces. There was almost a silent agreement, one which Gregory also joined in. Geoffrey looked back at Jason. “We can do that,” he said before he turned to one of the city watch who were standing in the room behind them. “Have our changeling guests brought here at once.”

The guard saluted, fist placed over chest, before he flew out of the room and into the hall. The sound of the door shutting echoed through the former throne room. Nobody spoke for a bit, but eventually Geoffrey spoke again. “As I said, our guests are being taken well care of. They have been rationing what love they have between them.”

“We’ve offered to have them take a bit of love from volunteers, but they declined the offer,” Gwendolyn added.

“They’re lucky we offered them that at all after the stunt you all pulled with our colony,” Grandpa Gruff muttered.

“Peace, Gruff,” Gwendolyn chided him gently.

Gregory couldn’t exactly blame Grandpa Gruff for his anger and resentment. Apparently, the colony that had been established had done so in the southern portion of the Badlands at approximately the same time that Luna had returned. The Badlands, from what he understood, was not owned by any one nation. A no man’s land, as it were. A group of gryphons, tired of the decay of Gryphonia, had set out to settle in what was just known as the Southern Badlands near a portion where there was a large lake and fertile land that nobody had claimed. They had set up a colony there and called the land Gaul’s Refuge after the first gryphon to set foot on the land. They had lived there, sustaining themselves very well on their farms and from the bountiful hunting (the animals in many parts of the Badlands were considered safe to eat for meat eating species) and many had even started families before the changelings had begun to lay claim to the land, claiming that it had once belonged to them. The gryphons there had stubbornly hung on to their claims until shortly after the second invasion of Canterlot. The changelings had made it quite clear that they would not back down, and after several skirmishes between both sides, Geoffrey had approached the changelings in an attempt to settle things peacefully. Instead, the changelings had demanded that the gryphon colonists leave. Since nobody in the colony was really a warrior, they had been given no choice but to pack everything and leave.

Gregory had seen some of the refugees, some of whom were children, had never known Gryphonia. There was confusion in those eyes and sadness. It had angered him that it happened. He didn’t care about Jason’s invasion of Canterlot or his destruction of Ponyville, at least not in his position as a member of the Convocation. All he was concerned about in these chambers were those displaced citizens who had lost their homes and livelihoods. He didn’t let his anger show as he leaned forward. “Grandpa Gruff’s words aside,” he said, keeping his voice calm and collected as he spoke despite the righteous fury boiling up inside him, “you did force many gryphons to leave their new homes in Gaul’s Refuge. Gryphons who were never a threat to you and who were too far away to even concern the hive, if our maps are accurate.”

Jason kept his own gaze steady, but it was Chrysalis who spoke. “That land they settled once belonged to the changelings, and we have a blood claim to it,” she said with a scowl.

“If I may ask, what proof do you have of this?” Geoffrey asked.

Chrysalis was about to reply when Jason held up a hand to silence her. “Calm down, Duchess,” he said.

“A-Apologies, Your Majesty,” she stammered, something that caught Gregory’s attention right away. He saw the look of deferment on Chrysalis’ face, and although her chitin was pure black, he thought he saw a hint of very dark green creep onto her cheeks.

He filed that information away for later as he watched Jason look over at Cheery. “Take out the papers, please.”

“Right away, your Emperorness,” she said with a salute as she reached into a bag she had slung over the chair, bringing out a leather pouch. She opened it and dumped out several scrolls. “Let’s see…” she muttered quietly as she searched for whatever she had been told to get. “Aha! Here!” She lifted it up with her magic and floated it over to Jason.

Jason took it in his hands and opened it. “This is the Treaty of Buzz,” he said. “It was created eight hundred years ago by several hives of changelings to establish a settlement in the same area where the gryphon colony was established. It lasted for three hundred years before it was destroyed, we suspect, by ponies.” Here, Gregory saw a flash of anger pass over all three of the representatives, even the seemingly perpetually smiling Cheery. “Noling went back there and it was only due to Chrysalis’ mother Metamorpha that those changelings were able to survive, settling in the hive that would become the one I rule today.”

“It’s our homeland,” Chrysalis insisted, “and it may help us.”

“So you uprooted families and communities because, what, you were feeling nostalgic?” Gael said with a frown. “That’s a perfectly great reason,” he added with a sardonic roll of his eyes.

“It was my understanding,” Gwendolyn added in a much calmer tone, “that any place in the Badlands cannot be claimed permanently by any species. A no-creature’s land and an all-creature’s land.”

“That place is sacred to us,” Chrysalis said.

“Perhaps we could have negotiated a compromise,” Geoffrey said. “There was plenty of fertile land that the colonists hadn’t yet settled.”

“That would never have worked,” Cheery said in a slightly somber tone.

“Why not?” Gregory asked with a raised eyebrow. “From what you just told us, a group of changelings from multiple hives settled there. How is this any different from that situation, aside from the fact that there are two different species that would be living side by side?”

That actually seemed to give the envoy pause. Although that could have been because the doors had burst open a mere second after Gregory’s words, showing Nictis, Elytra, and the other changeling spies being escorted in by a number of the city watch. Everyone turned, and the moment Jason laid eyes on Nictis, he stood and walked over to the changeling with a swiftness that surprised Gregory. Jason stopped a couple of steps away from the changeling general. “General,” he greeted.

“Your Majesty,” Nictis said with a salute that was remarkably similar to the city watch’s own, hoof to chest and extending it outwards.

“How are you doing?” Jason asked. “Have you been treated well?”

“They treated us very well, Your Majesty,” the general said. “We’ve been given comfortable beds, access to our rations, and they even offered us supplements of love if we wanted it.”

“I heard you refused,” Jason said, “is that true?”

Nictis nodded, a small frown forming on his face. “I didn’t exactly feel like it was right, Your Majesty.”

That seemed to catch the changeling emperor off guard. “Why is that?” he asked.

“After what General Pharynx did during the…forced relocation of the gryphon colony, I was hoping to show them that not all changelings are as cruel as him and his soldiers,” Nictis said.

Gregory didn’t move, but he looked at Nictis with a somewhat new respect. Not much, but some. He had noted that there was a certain gleam in his and Elytra’s wings. A sparkle, as it were. Nothing that reminded him of how Thorax’s wings had appeared in that two parter episode, but it was noticeable when compared to the other changelings he had observed. The only other changeling he had noticed with that sort of appearance was Ocellus, at least during his last visit to Gryphonville. He looked around the table, and he saw Geoffrey giving Nictis a look of what he thought was respect. Grandpa Gruff had a look of begrudging respect on his face as well. Some of the other gryphons, however, didn’t look convinced.

Jason slowly nodded, then turned back to the table. “I would like to speak to them individually before we resume our talks,” he said.

“Not alone,” Gregory said before anyone else could say anything.

A small half smile formed on Jason’s face. “You don’t trust a fellow human in this world of ours?” he asked.

“It’s a purely cautionary measure, I assure you,” Geoffrey said in a placating tone.

Jason made a small chuckling noise, then nodded. “Very well. We will be back shortly.” And with that, he, Chrysalis, the other changelings, and several of the city watch, all stepped out.

The only changeling that stayed behind was Cheery. She looked around the table. “So,” she said, “anyone know a good joke to pass the time?”

The moment that the door closed in the smaller room adjacent to the Convocation Hall, Jason looked down at Nictis, his wife, and his team. He let a small sigh of relief come from his lips as he knelt to look at his oldest ally face to face. “General,” he said, “tell me the truth. Have they been treating you well like you said?”

Nictis looked straight at Jason, then blinked, a few seemingly rapid blinks, but seemingly was what they needed to be. It wasn’t exactly Morse Code, but it was something that he, Nictis, and Elytra knew, and them only. Jason paid more attention to that as Nictis replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.” The blinking read, No mistreatment.

Jason nodded. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “Is there anything else you’d like to report before I head back in there?”

Nictis shook his head, blinking again. “No, Your Majesty,” he replied, but the blinking told another story. Zebra in town below. Apothecarist.

Jason let nothing show, but that could only mean that Zecora had finally left the Everfree. Still, why had that been something he wanted to tell his Emperor. Turning to Elytra, he asked, “What about you? Anything?”

The female changeling shook her head, blinking as well. “No, Your Majesty,” she said, blinking the message Possible rival ‘ling with zebra.

Jason nodded, but inwardly he frowned. The Badlands Hive was the only hive on Equestria, but there were other hives throughout the world on other continents. They were much smaller than the Badland Hive, but they were out there. “We brought some fresh food supplies for you,” he said as he stood back up and straightened his robes, “and if we can, we’ll negotiate a safe exit for you from this country.” It was his turn to blink back. Situation in Equestria. Possible coup.

Nictis kept his composure, but Jason had known Nictis for long enough to know when he was surprised. His face took on a relieved expression, which Jason felt wasn’t a complete cover. “Thank you, Your Majesty. My team and I appreciate the gesture.”

“Why don’t you go back to where they placed you and get some more rest?” Jason suggested before turning to the guards. “Can someone arrange for some fresh supplies to be brought to these changelings from our own caravan?”

The guard frowned, but slowly nodded. “After they’ve been thoroughly searched,” he said.

Jason was a bit frustrated by this. They had been searched thoroughly at the gates already. Still, he probably would have done the same if he was in their place. “Sure, that’s fine,” he said as he looked at Chrysalis. “Do you have anything to ask them?”

The anthro changeling shook her head. “No,” she said, “you asked the questions that needed to be asked.”

Jason snorted. Despite being demoted to Duchess, Chrysalis had the air of royalty to her still. She had experience, too, and he relied heavily on her for that experience. Just as he suspected that Gregory relied heavily on the experience of the gryphons in that room. He nodded, then turned back to the guards. “I’m ready to go back in there, now.”

Jade Seed could hardly believe what she had just seen. This was worse than she could have ever realized. She walked down the street, trying not to show her worry. If she had been running, it would have just caught the attention of everycreature around her.

She made her way into the inn. The gryphon behind the counter greeted her warmly. “Hey!” he said with a wave, “you’re back earlier than normal. Need some bliss or hot chocolate?”

Jade plastered on a well-practiced smile. “No, I just came by to grab something I forgot,” she lied.

“Aww, are you sure?” the gryphon asked. “The hot chocolate is fresh.”

Jade frowned inwardly. While she hated sweets, she somehow had a soft spot for chocolate. Sighing, she gave him a small smile, this one a little bit more genuine. “A small mug, then,” she conceded.

The gryphon’s eyes brightened and he grabbed a wooden mug, filling it with the surprisingly rich and delicious chocolate that the inn served. He placed it on the counter. “Here you go, freshly made!” he said proudly.

Jade chuckled, picked it up with her magic, and sipped it. The warmth coursed through her, making her shiver in delight, something she hid well. She turned and inclined her head to the gryphon behind the bar. “Thank you.”

She grabbed a few talons out of her pouch with her hoof and began placing them on the counter, but the gryphon raised his claw. “For you, it’s on the house.” He gave her a warm smile, then turned to deal with a pair of customers who had just come up to the counter.

She took the talons back, placed them where she’d gotten them, and strode upstairs. She walked past her room and knocked on Dusky Heart’s door. “You awake in there?” she asked, using her casual voice.

She heard some shuffling and rustling from inside, then the door opened. A bleary eyed Dusky peered out of the crack in the door. “What is it?” he asked in a tired, slurred tone.

“Got a neat new scoop,” she said.

There was a brief flicker in Dusky’s eyes. He sighed and opened the door. “Come on in,” he said with a yawn.

“Thanks.” She stepped in and set her mug down on a nearby table.

Dusky closed the door, then turned back, his formerly tired eyes replaced with those of an alert agent. His acting skills had been impeccable. He cast a silencing spell around the room, then asked, “What did you find?”

“Not a what. A who.” Jade’s demeanor stiffened as she began to relay what she had seen. “I was keeping an eye on our former colleague and her friend when a new procession began making its way towards the Eyrie.”

Dusky’s eyes narrowed. “Another one? Snow leopard’s came through only recently. Who came through this time?”

Jade took a deep breath. “Sir…it was a changeling envoy. And he was leading them.”

Dusky’s eyes widened and there was silence for a bit. Then, he rushed over to the bag he had brought with him. He dug through it, then paused when he touched something. He breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled his hoof out of the bag before looking over at Jade. “Go back to keeping an eye on our old friend,” he said. “I need to report this.”

Jade nodded, then turned as she heard Dusky setting up the communications crystals on the tables. As she grabbed her mug of hot chocolate and downed its contents while she headed back to her room to grab something to maintain her cover story, her expression darkened. If Jason Wright was here, it was very likely that Operation Isis would be enacted, after all. That is, if Sweetie Drops hadn’t already reported Jason Wright’s arrival back to the princesses…

28: Tribunal

Author's Note

This feels like my weakest chapter. Politics isn't my strongest knowledge base. Sorry in advance.

28: Tribunal

Saturday, January 15, 1008 A.L., Equestria

Twilight had only ever been in the Tribunal Hall once, and that was when she was being shown around Canterlot Castle by Princess Celestia only a few days after she hatched Spike. Unlike the House of Lords assembly hall or the House of Knights assembly hall, this one was a bit more austere, with two levels of seating, each set against the circular walls of the hall. The lower level was where all members of the House of Knights sat and the upper level was where this in the House of Nobles sat. Three seats on the upper level were reserved for the speakers of each house, which in this case included Prince Blueblood, Marchioness High Life, and Sir Iron Skull, the speaker of the House of Knights.

The room was circular, with a domed ceiling, a large chandelier hanging from the apex of said dome, and wall sconces which at one time held torches but which had been replaced with bright light bulbs. In the center of the room was a platform which was used for the defendant or accused to stand in. It was capable of floating around slightly and could move through the use of a lever. It was where Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were currently standing as they awaited the Tribunal to begin.

Twilight knew Blueblood and High life, but the third pony was one she didn’t know. Sir Iron Skull was a burly gray furred unicorn with an eyepatch and a scar that went down the same eye. His one good eye, a bright gold one, made Twilight inadvertently stand up straighter and taller due to its piercing gaze. His hair, which had once been a deep black, was now salt and pepper gray but still well maintained.

Unlike the nobility, who wore fine clothes and jewelry to accentuate their wealth and status, the only articles of clothing any of the House of Knights wore were metal peytrals with their knightdom’s sigils carved onto the center. Iron Skull’s own sigil and his coat of arms were the same: the relief of a roaring golden lion. It had been the sigil of his family, all of whom had become knights, for centuries. Many of the Royal Guard knights in the past had come from his family tree.

A clock on the wall read 9:59, meaning that things were going to begin in about one minute. Twilight knew that it might not start at exactly ten, mostly because a few seats remained empty, especially one which belonged to her father. Night Light had become a member of the House of Knights at around the same time that Shining Armor had become captain of the Royal Guard. He was the newest member of the House of Knights, and as such didn’t have nearly the same pull that other members did. Neither did he have his own knightdom. Of course, being the father of two new royals didn’t hinder his standing in the House. Now, though? Now that Twilight had been exposed for what she had done? She couldn’t be sure he would be here at all.

Those fears were put to rest as her father came in, wearing the peytral and sigil of his house, which just so happened to be a relief of his cutie mark since he was the patriarch of a new line. He took his seat, then looked somberly at Twilight. His eyes were sunken, as if he had stayed up all night. There was a deep seated sadness in his eyes, too. Twilight promised herself that, once these proceedings were over, she would pay her parents a long overdue visit. She had kept telling herself that she’d had no time to visit, and she’d also been too ashamed to face them, especially in the face of the favoritism she now realized her parents had shown to her and Shining when they had rejected Spike, who could have been like a second son to them.

The sound of the bells striking the hour came from outside, and the two guards moved to close the door. If anypony arrived late, they would need to sneak in. The doors closed with finality. Twilight looked around and saw that there were only three seats empty. Blueblood grabbed a gavel with his magic and brought it down. “Order, everypony! Order!” he called out. As the room quickly died down and some of the ponies adjusted in their seats, Blueblood continued, turning and giving a nod of greeting to the three princesses. The others in the room, however, bowed. “Your Highnesses,” he began, “thank you for coming.”

“Of course,” Princess Celestia said, taking the lead. “I hope that this meeting will help us to come to some sort of understanding.”

And so it begins, Twilight thought sardonically. She’d always hated this sort of political game of catch. False politeness was one of her pet peeves, although now she really couldn’t judge anyone about that sort of thing, considering her own spewing of hatred.

As everyone else raised their heads, Blueblood looked over at Iron Skull and nodded. The burly stallion straightened and nodded before he spoke. “Now then,” Iron Skull said as he lifted a stack of papers sitting in front of him, “Abdicatio et Ascendio has been invoked by the House of Lords. They have brought a list of reasons as to why Princesses Celestia and Luna should abdicate the throne. Some other reasons have been brought against Princess Twilight Sparkle as well.”

That revelation hardly surprised Twilight. She knew she wasn’t fit for the throne after what she’d done. Plus, she and the other two alicorns had read over the papers provided to them. Celestia, however, still stood tall. “Let us drop the pretense, Sir Skull, and the rest of you as well,” she said. “You may call them reasons, but they are charges.”

The older knight stiffened a bit, and his demeanor nearly faltered, but only nearly. He nodded, then placed the papers in front of him, putting a monocle over his good eye. “You have been given the list of the charges against you, correct?”

“We have,” Celestia said.

“Have you prepared any statements of defense?” High Life asked.

“We have,” Celestia repeated, “so which one of us would you prefer to hear first?”

“From you, Your Highness,” High Life said.

“Very good,” Celestia said as she stood taller, then turned the floating pod around to face the others. “Just to reiterate, the charges against me are as follows: negligence in my duties to my subjects, failing judgment in my choice of how to handle the crises that have plagued our kingdom in recent years and in choosing to rely on inexperienced ponies to solve problems instead of relegating them to the proper channels, complacency, the practice of nepotism, and failure to uphold the tenets of harmony, especially when it comes to the wellbeing of the creatures who live in this country who are unable to become citizens due to their race. Am I correct in this?”

Sweet Celestia, those are some trumped up charges! Twilight thought bitterly to herself. She’d seen them, of course, but it still felt like a slap to the face when she heard them being directed at her former mentor. Blueblood was the first to respond. “That is correct, your highness.”

“First of all,” Celestia began, “I want to start with the accusation of complacency. The kingdom has lasted for a thousand years under my rule alone. I have done all that I can to make sure that this kingdom is kept safe and secure from threat.”

“But if that was the case,” Iron Skull retorted, “then surely you would have attempted to do something about the racial inequality in this nation. Even you could be seen as guilty of this. Your school is only for gifted unicorns, correct?”

Maker above, he has a surprisingly good point, Twilight thought. Celestia, however, responded quickly. “I have done my best to ensure that the tenets of harmony are upheld in this nation, but if I were to enforce my own personal beliefs onto ponies, then I could become a dictator. We were given free will by the Maker Herself, and we have the freedom to do good and to do evil. And even so, in the past whenever I have tried to get certain new laws put into place, I have received backlash from both Houses. Only about half of the laws I had hoped to put into place to make Equestria a better place were ever passed.”

There were murmurs among the hall and even a couple of nods. Blueblood, however, wasn’t likely to give up so easily, Twilight surmised, and she was right. “Many of those laws you mentioned would have caused civil unrest at the time you attempted to have them ratified. Equestria was different during each of those times. The laws will likely be implemented much more easily now, but back when they were first proposed to the Courts, events would have likely gone differently.”

“Maybe so,” Celestia conceded, “but what you just described would have been temporary.”

“Perhaps,” Blueblood said, “but there’s no way to be sure that there wouldn’t have been casualties.”

“We have historical records from that time,” High Life added, “showing that the eras where you attempted to bring the laws into existence were a far more volatile time. Most, if not all, took place mere years and even a decade or so after Equestria’s founding. Even back then, there was tension between the three races, especially with the pegasi and their chiropteran cousins. Asking the citizens at the time to accept the laws you wanted would have likely gone poorly.”

“Still, those laws would have made Equestria a far better country than it is today,” Celestia said. “Which is why they are even now being put into place.”

“So noted,” Blueblood said, picking up a pen and writing something down.

“Your point is well taken,” Iron Skull said.

“Better late than never, is it?” High Life asked somberly.

Celestia sighed, but simply nodded. “Is there anything else here, because it seems as if we’re at an impasse.”

“We can return to this if we need to,” Blueblood said. “What charge would you like to address next?”

“I believe the one about my supposed negligence would be appropriate,” Celestia said.

“Very well,” Blueblood said as he and the other two shuffled through their papers. “There are examples here of negligence on your part, and it would appear most are of negligence to nonponies. One of them in particular stands out to us, and that is the rather poor upbringing of one Spike the Dragon.”

Twilight flinched, and she saw her father visibly wince as well, but it was brief. Celestia nodded. “I have read the examples.”

“Then it should come as no surprise that you placed an infant dragon in the care of not just young filly, but in the hooves of ponies who have been shown to neglect him and relegate him to the side,” High Life said.

“Why did you put Spike into the care of the Sparkle family?” Iron Skull asked.

“The dragon Spike was an egg I found centuries ago,” Celestia explained. “At the time, I had thought the poor dragon inside to be dead since the other eggs in the nest were smashed and the nest appeared long abandoned. I tried to hatch the egg myself, but nothing happened. I decided to make attempting to hatch the egg a test to see how foals dealt with failure. When Spike was hatched, I decided that it would be a good idea to have the Sparkle family raise him because I believed that being in a loving home would be a benefit for him.”

“And are you sure this wasn’t some sort of test?” a knight asked sternly.

“You do seem to have a talent of providing tests for those directly under your wing,” a noble observed.

“I would never use a foal of any species as some sort of test,” Celestia replied sharply.

“And yet, that is what you did with Spike’s egg,” High Life observed.

“I didn’t know at the time that dragon eggs can last for centuries,” Celestia said.

“But did you even attempt to reach out to the Dragon Lands?” another knight asked.

“We have not been on good terms with the dragons for centuries,” Celestia said. “It’s possible they may have seen me having an egg as some international incident.”

“But you could have asked,” Iron Skull insisted. “Would the Dragon Lord have sent dragons to invade because of a simple question?”

“I didn’t want to risk Spike’s safety,” Celestia said. “The Dragon Lord may have demanded that the egg be returned to a parent that didn’t want him.”

“He was born in our lands,” Iron Skull said, “and that makes him by default an Equestrian citizen by birth. That is the law. One of the laws that you managed to pass in the early days of our kingdom. Not many nonponies are born in our borders, but the law is the law. Not only that, but he was made a ward of the family of your personal student. A family who, by all accounts, never really treated him as family but more as a pet.”

The more Twilight heard, the more her heart sank. Being constantly reminded of her mistreatment of Spike made her hurt all the more and made her want to try and make things right with him. Celestia continued. “I admit that how I’ve handled things wasn’t ideal, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

“What has been done for the young dragon to compensate him for his mistreatment?” Blueblood interjected. “He is a hero in the Crystal Empire, and that nation’s citizens have been clamoring for us to either send him to live with them or to have him recompensed.”

“He has been granted emancipation from his former adopted family,” Celestia said, “and once Ponyville is rebuilt, he will be granted a house of his own and a large monetary compensatory sum from the crown’s own pockets. As of now, he is receiving a stipend.”

“Will that be enough to undo the psychological damage done?” High Life asked cooly.

Luna actually stepped in now. “I will be ensuring that his dreams and psyche are well tended to,” she said.

“How, when your own psyche is as damaged as these reports say they are?” a noble asked.

“Peace, good sir,” Blueblood said before looking at Luna. “And so noted.” He looked back over at Celestia. “The other examples here, do you dispute them as well?”

“I did what I could,” Celestia said. “It wasn’t enough, I know, but I have to once more point out that the law about foreign creatures able to be naturalized and become citizens of this kingdom and subjects of the crown was one I attempted to have passed but each time I tried, it failed. And that was mostly in part due to the House of Lords blatant interference.”

Twilight was satisfied to see a small frown appearing on High Life’s face, but it vanished immediately. Blueblood nodded gravely. “The last time you attempted to have this law passed was about…sixty years ago,” he said as he looked over a paper. “That error will end very soon.”

“Would you like to move on to the next accusations?” High Life asked. “Perhaps the one about relying on inexperienced ponies to handle dangerous affairs, such as the sleeping dragon incident, the return of the Crystal Empire, Discord’s attempted reformation, Tirek’s escape and return, and even Nightmare Moon?”

Iron Skull then looked at Celestia. “Many of these incidents seem to be ones that could easily have been dealt with by more experienced ponies, and yet all of the incidents I just shared were dealt with by six inexperienced and very young mares.”

Luna flinched at the mention of Nightmare Moon, but Celestia stood taller and stepped slightly closer to her sister as she replied, “With the first part that you mentioned, like I mentioned earlier, sending soldiers or guards would have likely caused increasing tensions with the Dragon Lands. We had no way of knowing who was sleeping in that cave. I chose to send Twilight and the rest of the Elements because I hoped that by sending them, tensions could be eased.”

“And yet the report says here that the dragon was physically assaulted by your group and that somepony even attempted manipulation to steal his hoard,” Sir Iron Skull said.

Twilight kept her face still, but inside she was freaking out. How had they discovered that? Nopony else was there. Were there? Celestia looked a bit surprised by this. “I wasn’t made aware of those actions,” she said, and this time she shot Twilight a disapproving glance. Twilight knew that glance. It was her ‘We’ll talk about this later’ face. “Still, even with that, the dragon did leave.”

“But in that case, do the ends really justify the means?” High Life asked. “You could easily have sent a negotiator there instead. A professional one.”

“My reasons for that are the same as for me not sending the Royal Guard,” she said.

There were murmurs from the crowd and the three ponies in the judge seats looked at each other, then turned back to her. “Very well, let’s move on to another example. Why don’t we discuss how you sent six young mares barely out of their filly teen years to go against a returning alicorn of enormous power who could stop the day and who would have us live in eternal night? Not only that, but you allowed the young Spike to go down there, too.”

“Nightmare Moon’s purification needed the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia defended herself, “and those six were the ones I knew at the time would be able to embody those elements.”

“I know a certain human who would disagree,” a knight mumbled.

Celestia turned to the knight. “Those who become the bearers of the Elements aren’t perfect,” she admitted, “but they are meant to show that we should all strive to be better.” She then turned back to the three judges. “The Nightmare that had claimed my sister could only be helped by the Elements. I had to make an effort to get my sister back.”

“So you put your own desires over the good of the realm?” Blueblood asked. “Is the realm worth one alicorn?”

“I needed my sister by my side not just because she’s my only family, but because before she was corrupted, she and I balanced each other out. I would temper some of her more impulsive choices and she would help me come to a more determined decision in certain matters. We fit together like the ancient Hockaxia idea of yin and yang.” Celestia looked stalwartly at the ponies around her, her gaze sweeping across them all. “I needed her by my side to help make Equestria better. And the same goes for Discord’s first release. Only the Elements could deal with him.”

“Hmm, so noted,” Blueblood said, followed by the scratching of quill on paper.

“And yet you willingly released him to, what, gain his power for our kingdom alone?” High Life asked.

“There can be no harmony without chaos,” Celestia said, “and while I admit it was a gamble, I believed that having Discord by our side as an ally and friend instead of an enemy would be much better for us in the long run.”

“Tell that to Jason Wright and the families who were killed when Tirek escaped and joined with Discord,” a noble said darkly.

“Not to mention that everypony around him treated him poorly,” another noble said, “including five of the six Elements of Harmony. Is it any wonder he betrayed Equestria? His actions were spurred on by the same reasons that Jason acted against us.”

Twilight saw Celestia’s ears twitch, threatening to move downward, but centuries of composure had apparently been well worth it. “He did have a true friend,” she said.

“Take it from me,” Iron Skull said, “sometimes, one friend is not enough when you deal with prejudice and suspicion.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “Yes, that is true,” she said.

“And what about the Crystal Empire’s return?” Iron Skull pressed. “Surely, you could have sent more than eight ponies and a dragon who was used as a pack mule. You could have sent the Guard, or any of us. Things could have gone quite wrong.” He leaned forward. “Did you really feel the need to test your student here with something that could have resulted not just in her and her former friend’s deaths, but in the enslavement of all of Equestria?” He held up another piece of paper, this one looking like a piece of paper from the Empire. “I have a written report here that explains just how powerful and cruel Sombra was to his subjects. He kept them under his control through a magical brainwashing helmet and even had some fight to the death for his own amusement. He would do unspeakable things to mares, as well, and his magic was beyond nearly all unicorns.”

“I sent Twilight and her friends because I needed somepony who was good with research,” Celestia explained. “With the Crystal Empire back, we needed to find a way to stop him.”

“Then why do I have a sworn affidavit here that one of the servants heard you and Princess Luna talking about this trip as a test to see if Princess Twilight was ready?” High Life asked.

Twilight felt a bit of heat emanating from Celestia, but she didn’t raise her voice. “Probably because it was true,” she said. “I did send her there as a test to see if she was ready.”

“Ready for what?” Blueblood pressed.

Celestia didn’t flinch when she replied with, “Ready to become a princess.”

“And why did you feel the need for another princess?” High Life asked. “Surely with your sister back and with Princess Cadenza, Equestria had no need for a fourth ruler in that regard?”

Celestia inhaled deeply. “I am immortal,” she began, “and as such I have learned quite well how to plan for the future years, sometimes centuries, in advance. I have seen the ebb and flow of the years around me, and starting last century, things began changing faster than they ever have. I wanted to find somepony who could help rule not in my stead, but alongside me, somepony who would have lived with the common folk and understood them.”

“So you’re saying that you’ve become somewhat…out of touch…with the common folk, or more specifically the common pony?” Iron Skull asked severely.

“Unfortunately, I have not,” Celestia admitted somberly. “I had hoped to have Twilight or whoever I chose, help me rule while I could take time to mingle with the common folk to see things from their perspective.”

“And you had no plans to retire?” High Life asked.

Celestia sighed. “There was a time when I had hoped to retire, yes,” she admitted, “but a short time ago I realized that Equestria did need a new guiding hoof, but one that was tempered by an older hoof with experience. Passing the crown to Twilight or anypony I had chosen would have been a mistake.”

“Would the timing of this change of heart coincide with this past late summer?” Blueblood asked.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Celestia replied, “but no. I decided this right after the past Summer Sun Celebration, long before I knew of what happened to Emperor Jason Wright.”

“So noted,” Blueblood acknowledged. “Now then, there’s one more prominent example we should discuss, and that is how you and your sister, alongside Princess Cadenza, handled Tirek’s return some years back. And this actually would involve Princess Twilight, too.”

“Why did you feel it necessary to give your magic to Princess Twilight, who you’ve just acknowledged, if not directly, is inexperienced?” High Life asked.

“Surely somepony more experienced like you, or better yet Princess Luna, could have taken that magic and taken on Tirek,” Iron Skull said. “I have dueled a few times with Her Highness, and despite being out of touch for a thousand years, she is an impeccable warrior.”

“Was this yet another test of yours?” High Life pressed.

“That is a small part of it,” Celestia admitted, “but I also chose to give her all of the magic because she was still fairly new with it. Her body was still adjusting to her new magic and her wings, and if any other alicorn had taken that magic all in, they would have suffered more severe consequences afterwards.”

“If that was the case, then why didn’t all four of you fight?” Iron Skull asked. “Tirek is ancient and has experience with magic, but Princess Twilight was still young.”

“At the time, there was not enough time to come up with a comprehensive plan,” Celestia replied.

“So you took another gamble with an inexperienced mare,” Blueblood said.

“She is the Element of the Magic of Friendship,” Celestia retorted, “and as such she has an extra layer of protection.”

“You just said that it was her youth and her being an alicorn for a short time that made her immune to any negative side effects,” Iron Skull pointed out.

“It was both.” Celestia replied.

“So noted,” Blueblood replied.

“Still, wouldn’t it have been better for the four of you to deal with him at once?” Iron Skull asked again. “Princess Twilight was still inexperienced with her magic and definitely more so when it came to combat. The amount of magic you had individually may have been weaker, but with more experience surely you could have accomplished the same thing.”

“The risk was too great,” Celestia said. “Tirek may very well have killed one or more of us had we gone against him. We may have defeated him, but it would likely have cost lives.”

“So noted,” Blueblood said.

Twilight held her tongue. She was becoming irritated by Blueblood’s constant repetition of those two words, but she wasn’t up yet, so she couldn’t do much. “Let’s move on to the next prominent charge,” High Life said, “that being the charge of nepotism. You have seen the examples in the charges, but one that is the most recent would have to be your appointment of Shining Armor to the captain of the Royal Guard some years ago.”

“I appointed him on his merits and not because of who he was related to,” Celestia said firmly.

“And yet, this report here suggests that there were three other candidates at the time of his appointment,” Iron Skull stated. “Three more experienced officers who had been with the guard for many years.”

“Four,” Blueblood amended, “including yourself, Sir Skull.”

Iron Skull waved his hoof. “I was too old then, so don’t include me there,” he replied, “but despite that, my point still stands.”

“While I acknowledge that the three other ponies you mentioned would have also made good fits for the Guard, I chose Emperor-Consort Shining Armor because he made a great fit,” Celestia replied.

“And what set him apart from the others?” High Life asked coolly.

“He has a master skill in defensive magic, for one,” Celestia said, “and while many might have seen his youth as an obstacle, I saw it as a boon for the guards. I have noticed a slight decline in the guard’s performances in the past few decades. Not that I’m blaming anypony in particular, but Shining Armor came to the interview for the position highly recommended not just for the reason I mentioned, but because he had fresh ideas for how to improve things for the Royal Guard. Something that, I’m sad to say, would not have occurred to the other candidates.”

“In short, you wanted to make the Royal Guard better through the use of novel and untested ideas?” Iron Skull asked.

“That’s a rather blunt way of putting it, but in essence yes,” Celestia said. “He had some ideas that would improve morale and discipline among the Guard.”

“So noted,” Blueblood said. “The last charge you touched on earlier, but I would like to reiterate it again for everypony to hear. The charge of failing to uphold the tenets of harmony to the best of your ability. As we have recently experienced, an entire town was instrumental in creating one of the worst crises in this nation’s most recent history.”

“We were lucky that nopony died,” Iron Skull said, and Twilight could hear a tremor of anger in his tone.

“Still, an entire town was wiped from the map, Sir Skull,” High Life reminded him, “and everypony there lost access to their homes and livelihood because of what happened.”

“To be fair, Discord had a major role in that,” Blueblood reminded her.

“But it wasn’t him who tormented Jason Wright, was it?” High Life countered. “He didn’t shoot lightning at him. He didn’t buck his chest and shatter his ribcage. He didn’t toss garbage at the human and call him a monster and freak, forcing him to live for three years in the deadliest forest in Equestria.”

Celestia actually seemed to let herself look pained. “I said earlier that I tried to uphold the tenets, but I will be the first to admit that I’m not perfect. I won’t deny those claims. I should have been more mindful. There is no excuse for that.”

The room went silent, almost as if nopony was expecting those words to escape from her lips. “So…noted,” Blueblood said.

“Now that those charges are out of the way,” High Life said, “the next set of charges should be discussed. Princess Luna?”

Luna stepped forward, standing tall and proud while Celetia stepped back, eyes on her sister. “We are here,” she said, “and the charges against us are mental instability, our own complacency and failing to uphold the tenets of harmony as well.”

“Somepony actually had the audacity to add another charge of inexperience at one point,” Blueblood said dryly, “but that was not your fault. Now then, the biggest charge against you is mental instability.”

“If you refer to the tantabus incident a few years ago, then we must confess that we did infect ourselves with one,” Luna admitted, “but we must also say that it was one isolated incident.”

“An isolated incident that you forced upon yourself for years,” High Life said. “I know a bit about tantabi, and I know they are extremely destructive to even the most stoic of mindsets.”

“And in your case, as you are an alicorn, that tantabus could have easily entered the real world with powers beyond anything we’ve faced before,” Iron Skull added.

“If my studies are correct, it would have drained your life force and eventually killed you if it hadn’t been stopped,” Blueblood concluded.

Luna’s ears twitched and moved down, but she nodded. “We hadn’t anticipated that the tantabus would emigrate from our mind to those of other ponies,” she said. “We simply wished to punish ourselves since we felt like we hadn’t been punished enough by others.”

“So in short, you are telling us that you are suicidal,” High Life stated.

“Not at all!” Luna said firmly. “We never wished to die!”

“If I remember right as well, the record for how long a tantabus curse lasted inside a pony was three months before the curse claimed said pony’s life,” Blueblood said. “How long was that tantabus inside you?”

Luna’s ears flopped to their side. “Four years,” she admitted.

A gasp of shock ran through the Tribunal Hall and there were murmurs of alarm that rose through the crowd. Blueblood picked up his gavel and brought it down. “Order, please, order,” he called out sharply. When everypony died down, he returned his gaze to Luna. “Were you made aware of special ponies called therapists or counselors who could have talked to you? They weren’t around here a thousand years ago, but they are now.”

Luna frowned, but nodded. “We were made aware, but we didn’t wish to burden our subjects with our problems,” she said.

“Oh, Luna,” Twilight heard Celestia whisper with a hurt tone. Twilight doubted anypony else could have heard that, but with her enhanced alicorn hearing, she was able to hear it.

“Very well,” Blueblood said. “Why don’t we move on since I can see this makes you uncomfortable. The next charge on the list is complacency.”

Luna shuffled and then straightened once more. “You mentioned that one of the charges that wasn’t included was that we had inexperience. We should remind the members of both houses here that we had a period of adjustment with which we had to deal.”

“Are you saying that this was your sister’s fault?” High Life asked.

Luna shook her head. “Not at all,” she said, “but as you said earlier, we were gone for a thousand years. We have been back for less than a decade.”

“A thousand years is a long time for change to happen,” Iron Skull said with an understanding nod. “I imagine it would take time. It would be like learning a whole new language, which in my experience, does take years.”

“Even so,” High Life said, “surely even you could have seen that the tenets of harmony were being violated.”

“Isn’t that our next charge?” Luna asked.

“The two are easily related,” High Life said in a tone that Twilight equated to a mother talking to a foal.

Luna sniffed and replied, “We admit that in our first few months, we sequestered in our private chambers. We felt out of place and out of time. When we did come back out, many ponies, including many here, still saw us as Nightmare Moon. I learned dreamwalking magic as a means to try and connect with our ponies, but that didn’t work for a while. When we weren’t doing that, we sequestered in the castle library, reading over the many history and law books. Would you call that complacent?”

“So noted,” Blueblood said, “and I feel like, since the other charge would fall under that same category, what you just said can apply there.”

“Even after a thousand years, the tenets of harmony have not changed,” Luna said, “so we will face those charges head on. We admit we have lapsed in many ways and it shames us that we have done so. We wish to be a better pony in the future and make our great kingdom even greater. Right now, other nations are looking at us under a magnifying glass and they see us as a nation of hypocrites. We wish to make our kingdom better for all.”

Nopony spoke for a while as they digested this. Apparently, nopony had expected this sort of reaction from Luna. Even High Life seemed shocked. Blueblood, though, simply nodded. “So noted,” he said. He then turned to Twilight, and the small smile that formed on his lips not only didn’t reach his eyes, but it sent a shiver of disgust down the young alicorn’s back. It was gone after a moment, however, and his face once more became serious. “And lastly, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her father straighten up. Twilight shot him one glance, and to her shame she saw a look of fear and worry on his face. She looked back to the three unicorns at the judge’s bench before stepping forward. “The charges against me, I believe, are mental instability, failure to uphold the tenets of harmony, lack of good judgment, foal endangerment, and cruelty.”

“That is correct, Your Highness,” Iron Skull nodded.

“Shall we start with the first one?” High Life asked.

“Very well,” Twilight said.

Blueblood held up a few papers. “These are reports not only from your teachers, but from a few witnesses in Ponyville about some of your abnormal behavioral episodes. Why don’t we start with the time where you cast the Want It, Need It spell on an entire town?”

“You caused a full-blown riot which caused several ponies to be injured, a few severely,” Iron Skull said in a severe tone. “It was by pure luck nopony was trampled to death.”

This makes no sense, Twilight thought. If Blueblood wants me to marry him, why bring up these charges? Unless he plans to have them dropped if I do marry him. She pushed down the thought with a second shudder as she nodded. “I was under the impression that I was supposed to send a friendship problem every week like clockwork,” she explained. “I hadn’t found one all week, and I was afraid that Princess Celestia would send me back to magic kindergarten if I didn’t send her a friendship report. So, I figured that if I couldn’t find a friendship problem, I should make one.”

“What gave you the impression that Her Highness wanted one of these so-called friendship reports weekly?” High Life asked. “Did she explicitly say that?”

Twilight shook her head. “Well, no, she didn’t,” she replied.

“So why didn’t you reach out and ask about it?” Iron Skull asked. “Seems to me that would have been the logical next step.”

Because that would have made sense and at the time I was a bit too far gone, Twilight mused sadly. “At that moment, I was not thinking that clearly,” she admitted. “I’m just glad Spike was thinking clearly.”

“Ah yes, young Spike,” High Life said with what Twilight suspected was false empathy. “We will get to him later, but back to the topic at hoof. This hasn’t been the only time you have experienced an episode like this.”

“At the royal wedding several years ago, you did seem to start acting unusually,” Blueblood admitted.

“I was right, though,” Twilight explained as calmly as she could.

“Yes, yes you were,” Iron Skull replied, “but the way you went about trying to expose Chrysalis was problematic.”

“You were acting a bit irrational, as I recall,” Blueblood said.

Twilight’s jaw clenched, but she couldn’t really deny it. She had been acting like a crazy pony. “I admit, I went a bit overboard,” she said with a nod.

“And there are reports about how you seem to idolize Princess Celestia to a fault,” High Life said. “That is a dangerous mindset to have. It borders on fanaticism, and I’m sure you know about how old pony religions led to fanaticism. Fanaticism which led to pony sacrifices to the old gods.”

Twilight nodded. Equestria had no official religion, and any old religion had basically died out whether by ancient holy wars or just lack of followers, but Twilight had read about many different types of religions and the fanatics who practiced some of the more violent ones. Sure, there were fanatics who practiced peace, but in many cases those were just as bad as they were so peaceful that they allowed abuses without lifting a hoof. “I know,” she whispered.

“Have you tried seeking help for these bouts?” Blueblood asked with a sincere tone, but Twilight knew there was no sincerity there.

“I haven’t had the time,” she said. “I have been too busy dealing with the fallout from…the invasion.” She couldn’t bring herself to say the name. “Besides, Ponyville has nopony like that there.”

Blueblood nodded. “So noted,” he said.

“Has the ascension to alicornhood been easy for you?” Iron Skull asked, “or the ascension to royalty? Surely the added pressure didn’t do you any favors.”

Twilight knew a question like this was coming. She inhaled deeply, heart racing. “Truth be told, I never wanted to be a princess,” she finally admitted. “I never wanted to be anything more than Princess Celestia’s student. I just wanted to live the happy life I was granted with my friends.” A tear shed but she wiped it away. “I was planning on eventually stepping down as a princess after I helped Ponyville get back on its hooves.”

She heard gasps from around the room, but it was the sharp but soft intake of breath from Celestia that broke her heart. High Life spoke up next. “Would you like to take a little break?” she suggested.

Twilight felt her jaw clench at the sickeningly sweet tone that escaped the marchioness’ lips, and she shook her head. “I can go on for a while.”

Or can you, you utter failure? a familiar voice said in her head.

She brushed it off, tensing up as she knew what the voice’s appearance would lead to, and she would not give anypony the satisfaction of seeing the results. She looked back at the three judges and made her decision then, and in Jason Wright’s own words, fuck Blueblood. “If you are going to list examples of the rest of my charges, I think I can save you the trouble. I am guilty of all of them. I failed to uphold the tenets of harmony when it came not just to Jason Wright, but with Spike as well. That leads me into foal endangerment and cruelty. I treated Spike as less than family and always called him only an assistant, qualifiers be damned.” Everypony went slack jawed at her language, including her own father although his face was grimmer than most. “I never attempted to include Spike in any family activities when I was younger.” Her father hung his own head in shame as well as Twilight continued. “I have not had very good judgement in my life, and I have been cruel, as we’ve seen in how I allowed Jason Wright to starve and eke out a Tartarus of an existence in the Everfree. So let me make this easier for all of you. Effective immediately I am stepping down as a princess of Equestria. I renounce any claim I have to the throne and will go back to being a common pony.”

There were murmurs around the group of nobles and knights, but a gravely and hoarse voice, one she had heard so often in her dreams, broke through all of that. Do you think this will absolve you of your crimes, Twilight Sparkle? Do you think I will let you get off that easily?

Behind the three judges, a human shaped shadowy figure appeared, hooded and cloaked, and covered in a familiar face mask that hid the horrific scars beneath. The one good eye that he had glared at her with hatred, blazing with a fiery red color. Not now, not now, Twilight begged.

However, the apparition, one that she knew was in her head, merely laughed in that same chilling way he had done. You will never be rid of me, Twilight Sparkle, he said, because I will always be here to remind you of your utter failings as a princess, as a decent person, and as a life form.

Please leave me alone! she shouted in her head, becoming more and more unaware that she was speaking aloud now. Shouts of alarm rose, but her focus was on the ever growing figure which seemed to begin to encompass her. Her heart rate increased and she stumbled back. I’m trying to be a better pony!

It’s too late for that, the apparition of Jason Wright said as he soared overhead, his glowing red eye narrowing on her. You will never be free. You'll always be known as the pony who created the Changeling Emperor with your act of rejection and cruelty.

Stop, please! I can’t take this anymore! She was on her knees, pleading and looking up at the apparition which only she could see. I can’t!

You have no choice, the voice of the human she had allowed to be cast out replied cruelly.

She was about to reply again but a comforting warmth surrounded her and another voice, this one Luna’s, whispered into her ear, “Sleep, now.” And Twilight fell into blissful oblivion.

30: A Confrontation

Saturday, January 15, 1008 A.L., Gryphonia

“Are you sure you’re okay coming with me, Bonny?” Lyra asked the earth pony mare.

Sweetie Drops sighed. “For the hundredth time, yes,” she replied. Ever since Jason had arrived in Gryphonstone, Lyra had been on edge. Not out of fear, but out of guilt at her own actions. It made sense, she thought, because Sweetie Drops had been feeling the same way, only she had a better handle on her emotions than her best friend did. She watched as Lyra paced the room they’d been assigned after the princesses left. It was a rather nice room in the Eyrie with two comfortable and warm beds, a private bathroom, storage for their stuff, a fireplace, a couch, and a table with two chairs, each the perfect size for them. The window looked out over the city and with the sun lower in the horizon, it caught more sunshine as the window faced south.

“You want to talk with him, too?” Lyra asked hopefully.

“Well, sure, I’d like to talk with him, too,” she replied, “but it might not go the way you hope.”

Lyra paused and looked at Sweetie. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Ly-Ly, think about it,” Sweetie replied. “If you were treated the way he was for three years, would you want to talk to the creatures responsible?”

Lyra winced, but then shook her head. “I guess not,” she said, “but I think I’d appreciate the effort.”

“That’s the thing: you would,” Sweetie said. “I’m not going to discourage you from trying, but just remember that if he doesn’t want to see us, we need to respect that. Seeing us is likely only going to open old wounds for him.”

Lyra looked heartbroken at this, but then seemed to steel herself. “It’s driving me crazy, though!” she shouted. “Ever since Pinkie left after he didn’t show up for the party, it’s driven me more and more insane! I need to at least say I tried-”

“To make yourself feel better, right?” Sweetie said. Lyra froze, and Sweetie knew she’d hit the nail on the head. “We can’t just go and apologize because we want to feel better about ourselves. We need to really mean it.”

“You think I don’t?!” Lyra slammed her hoof onto the table, her eyes wide. “Bonny, I shot MAGIC at him! A defenseless and magicless creature! No magic! Do you know what the hypothetical reaction would be if a magicless creature got hit by magic??”

“Severe burns and lacerations,” Sweetie replied instantly, “not to mention potentially scrambling the brain and nervous system of whatever creature was struck.”

Lyra looked a bit surprised. “How do you-?”

“I was one of the few earth ponies in my former agency,” she said, “and as such I needed to know how to defend against magic.” She thought back to those classes she’d taken with some fondness, but then shook it aside. “My point,” she continued, “is that a real and true apology has to be genuine. No excuses, no explanations.”

Lyra considered that, but then nodded. “I see your point,” she said, “and I intend on doing that.”

Seeing that her friend was serious, Sweetie could only sigh and nod. “Let’s find our guard detail and see if they can lead us to where Jason is,” she said.

As it turned out, Jason had left the Eyrie nearly half an hour ago. The guards said that the changeling envoy had pretty much all left. That had doused Lyra’s spirits quite thoroughly, but Sweetie had comforted her. “Come on,” she said as they retreated back into their room, “why don’t we go and grab something to eat that’s not Eyrie food?” Not that there was anything wrong with the food they’d been provided, but some variety was nice.

Lyra looked up with sober eyes. “Where?”

“The Green Dragon,” Sweetie said. When she and Lyra had been keeping tabs on Gregory, she’d noted his fondness for the establishment, and after tasting some of the pony safe wares, she had grown fond of it, too.

Lyra smiled a bit, perking up. “That sounds nice,” she said.

With that settled, Sweetie told the guards their change of plans, and they escorted them down the stairs and out into the cold Gryphonstone afternoon. The sky was clear and the air was cold. It had taken them a few days to get used to the altitude and even longer for Lyra to get used to the lower magic in the air, but once they had, life had been easier for them.

Lyra and Sweetie had gone through the city through their time there and had met with a few ponies they’d known from Ponyville. Most of the Ponyville transplants had started living in the smaller town of Gryphonville on the valley floor. Time Turner had not only begun crafting pocketwatches again, but had started a herd with Derpy Hooves and Roseluck as well as welcoming Dinky, Derpy’s younger sister, into their household. A young pegasus filly named Cozy Glow and her mother, a pegasus mare named Snow Glow, had moved after escaping the abusive unicorn stallion who Snow had married after Cozy’s biological father had passed. The three flower mares were starting to make names for themselves in Gryphonville despite it being the middle of winter.

Sweetie had seen many of the ponies actually making changes to their lives, and she wondered if she and Lyra could start over here. She knew that the Convocation accepted dual citizenship and living in the cozy looking town was tempting, but she feared she was likely unable to escape her former life.

“I hope they have that salad with Parmesan,” Lyra said, her words bringing Sweetie out of her reverie.

Sweetie Drops chuckled and nodded. “I’m sure they will,” she replied. “Their supply chain doesn’t seem to be cut off yet despite the snowy weather.”

Lyra smiled back, then wrapped her scarf around her once more, shivering. “This place is colder than Ponyville,” she said.

“Well, we are higher up,” Sweetie reminded her close friend. “That tends to happen.”

“I know, but even Gryphonville is colder,” Lyra said.

“Ly, the gryphons don’t control the weather like we do,” Sweetie reminded her friend again.

“Yeah, true,” Lyra said, falling into thought. They walked in silence, still flanked by their guard detail before she spoke again. “What would happen if we stopped controlling our weather?”

Sweetie looked at her friend with confusion. “Then the weather would get out of control,” she explained. Everypony knew that.

“That doesn’t stop other nations from surviving,” Lyra replied. “Before the Gryphonian Imperium fell, they didn’t control their weather, right?”

Sweetie had to concede the fact. “I suppose,” she said.

“I actually meant what might happen to the weather outside of Equestria,” Lyra clarified.

Sweetie paused. “Why would it change if we stopped controlling our weather?” she asked, confused.

“Think about it,” Lyra said. “The weather here happens on its own, so that means it can happen elsewhere, too. What if when we control our weather, we’re affecting the natural world, and not in a good way?”

That did give Sweetie pause, but only briefly. “Ly, there are weather experts that tell us that our control of our internal weather has very little effect on the rest of the world,” she said.

“Have they stopped controlling our weather to test that?” Lyra asked.

“That would be dangerous,” Sweetie said.

“Why?”

Lyra’s simple innocent tone caught Sweetie off guard. “Well, because…” she trailed off as she tried to think of a reason. She wasn’t a weather expert by any means, but she trusted the experts. “Because the experts say it would be.”

“Why?” Lyra asked again.

“You’d have to ask them,” Sweetie said, beginning to get exasperated. Lyra sometimes would get hyperfixated on a topic and would research it for days, sometimes weeks. She was a traveling musician, so she had the extra time for that. The best way to get it out of Lyra’s system was to get her talking about it until she got distracted. “What are you thinking?”

Lyra’s response chilled Sweetie. “What if we’re affecting the world more than we realize by controlling the weather?”

The thought passed through Sweetie’s mind like an arrow. She wasn’t sure if it made sense or not, but clearly it made sense to Lyra. Or at least it made sense for her to question it. Especially after ponies had begun to question everything about themselves. Truth be told, Lyra wasn’t wrong to question the weather thing. She had trusted the weather experts, the pegasi, but perhaps there was more to weather than-

She stopped suddenly as they reached The Green Dragon. Lyra and the guards continued for a few steps before they paused and looked at her. “Bonny? What’s wrong?” Lyra’s face was full of concern.

Sweetie took a few steps forward, standing between the door and Lyra protectively. She was no unicorn, but she had finely honed skills. Skills that might have atrophied slightly since her forced retirement from S.M.I.L.E., but ones she’d continued to try and keep active since her retirement. And she felt something. Presences she hadn’t felt since-

The front doors to the tavern and inn opened, and out walked the last three ponies she’d expected to see here. Dusky Heart, Jade Seed, and Dark Desire.

Dusky Heart’s day had started out rather well despite once more waking up in the filth that passed for an inn earlier that morning. Even the cheapest inn in Equestria was better than this, but he had been trained rigorously for the sort of harsh conditions that plagued other less prosperous nations. He’d woken after a surprisingly good sleep well rested and ready to continue his observation.

Then, several hours later, something happened that had made his day go from decent to worrisome at the very least. He had arrived, completely unannounced. Him. The apostate changeling Emperor himself. Jason Wright. Even worse, he’d come to speak to this new Convocation. Clearly, he knew about this second human who was also in an unforgivable position of power.

Once he’d reported this to his employers, they had given him the go ahead to enact the Isis Protocol. That had certainly made his day and he relayed the instructions to the other two with a sense of satisfaction. After this, he and the others could finally go home with a reward bigger than anything they’d ever gotten as former agents of S.M.I.L.E., and he planned on finally retiring and living the good life somewhere. He didn’t know what Jade or Dark had planned, but he suspected they’d get out of the merc game.

Their plan to get close to one or both of the humans, preferably the latter, had hit a snag when they were unable to figure out a way into the Eyrie. That wasn’t the end of the world, though, and they waited patiently until both humans had left. Of course, their orders had been to leave as very few witnesses to their impending disappearance as possible. The three kept close tabs on them, and when both made their way to a small tavern, they watched from inside as the two humans, along with several others, made their way back into a private room.

They decided to strike at that point, but the moment they had stepped out into the street to go behind the Green Dragon to find the back window, they’d run into another snag. There, standing in the snow covered streets, was an earth pony that they hoped not to run into. An earth pony with several gryphon guards and a teal unicorn mare next to her.

Dusky’s glare would have been fierce enough to melt the snow. Sweetie Drops, despite the initial surprise on her face, narrowed her eyes at him and the other two. “Dusky Heart,” she said with a glare. “I should have known you were here. I detected your foul stench when I came into town.”

“Sweetie Drops,” Dusky snarled back. She was clearly trying to get a rise out of him with that statement. He wouldn’t let it work any more than it already had.

When Jade Seed stepped forward, Sweetie Drops’ eyes focused on her. “Ah, there’s the loyal dog,” the earth pony sneered. “That eager to suck on some Dusky stallionhood, are you?”

Jade went red with fury. Dark Desire stepped forward next, a seductive grin on her face. “Charming, to the last,” she said to Sweetie Drops before turning and looking at the teal unicorn, licking her lips. “And who’s that tasty morsel there?”

Sweetie’s demeanor became icy as she stepped between the unicorns. “That is none of your Celestia-damned business, whore,” she said.

Dark put a hoof to her chest in mock pain. “Ah, you wound me, old friend,” she said. “Did our night in the Everfree mean nothing to you? The rawness of nature, nothing but the delicious wild air around us…” She licked her lips and bit her lower lip.

The teal unicorn looked at Sweetie Drops with horror, but the earth pony regained her composure. “You and I both know nothing happened during that mission,” Sweetie Drops said.

“But you wanted it to,” Dark Desire said. “Oh, how you wanted it to, I could tell. You’re the only one I couldn’t get. Just makes me want you even more.” Her tongue slid across her upper lip.

The gryphon guards, who had been watching this, began to approach, their weapons at the ready. “Now now,” the lead gryphon, an older tom, said in an attempt to be disarming, “let’s not escalate. Why don’t you all find a private spot to talk about whatever’s going on, or just agree to go your separate ways?”

“Enough of this,” Dusky said, noticing a crowd forming around them. He turned to his companions. There was a silent look between all three of them, something he knew Sweetie wouldn’t miss, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that. He turned back to Sweetie. “I don’t care what you’re here for,” he continued, “but we’re just trying to get through.”

Sweetie Drop’s eyes narrowed at him. “Get through to where?” she asked with a frown.

“Back to our inn,” he lied.

“What for?” she asked.

Sweetie Drops wasn’t so easily fooled, Dusky knew. Still, having her out of the way would be better than fighting her. There was a reason she was one of the few earth ponies who made it through the academy. “To rest,” he explained.

“After spying on who?” Sweetie Drops asked. Then her eyes widened in realization as the teal unicorn whispered something into her ear. “Jason Wright…”

The magic blast erupted from Dusk’s horn before she could complete the sentence. Sweetie Drops, however, was prepared. She shoved the teal unicorn aside with a swift kick then leapt into the air, barely avoiding the strike. She’d barely landed before Jade shot her own deadly blast at Sweetie. She rolled to the side, once more barely avoiding the blast before she reached into her mane. Dusky knew that move and he hissed in anger. “Don’t let her-!” he began, but it was too late.

Sweetie Drops slammed something to the snowy ground. Smoke erupted from the spot, obscuring the area almost instantly. Dusky swore and didn’t move, swiveling his ears around as he listened for the crunch of hooves and paws on snow. The gryphon guards around them were shouting in confusion, unable to see in the sudden fog. What he heard next, however, was a distorted voice. “You’re here for him, aren’t you?”

“So what if we are?” Jade Seed asked with venom in her tone.

“You think that’ll make things easier?” the echoing voice of the earth pony asked.

“And why, pray tell, are you defending the human who destroyed your town and caused so much harm to our kingdom?” Jade Seed asked as she shot another magical blast into the smoke. “You should be thanking us! He destroyed your miserable little town!”

“Who hired you?” Sweetie Drops asked instead.

“Now why would we tell you that?” Dark Desire retorted.

“Come come, now,” Sweetie taunted them. “It’s not like I have a real chance against you. It’s three on one.”

That angered Dusky more, but he held his temper in check as the smoke began to clear. He thought he saw a dim figure in the clearing smoke. Gotcha, he snarled as he shot a blast at the vaguely pony shaped creature.

It exploded upon impact. A taunting laugh echoed around them before it solidified from one direction. He heard Dark’s cry of pain before the sickening snap of what sounded like bone. Dark was tossed into the snow in front of Dusky, holding her back leg in pain.

“Tsk tsk,” the echoing voice of the former agent taunted him further. “You destroyed a beautiful snowgryphon. Some poor gryphon hatchling probably worked on that for hours.”

A shadow moved in the clearing haze and he blasted at it. There was another flash, and the smoke doubled in strength, but this time a nasty stench was added to it. A stink bomb, he realized as he put a shield up to defend against the stench. He started hearing the confused and alarmed voices of the gryphons who’d been around. He inwardly swore. Those damned cats needed to go! “Jade! Now! Wide dispersion!”

“Yes, sir!” Jade called from nearby. A few seconds later, he heard somepony casting magic. The smoke was pierced by light and was blasted away, revealing not only the location of Sweetie Drops, but of Jade and Dark. Jade held a cube shaped crystal with a spherical indent on one side with her magic. It was pulsing with ever increasing light as she fed magic into it.

Sweetie Drops looked at it briefly before her eyes widened in horror. She quickly turned to Dusky. “How did you get that?!” she asked, the distortion of her voice gone with the smoke.

“It won’t matter soon,” Dusky grinned. “We’ll have completed our mission!”

The light continued to increase in intensity. Time seemed to slow as the inevitable began to arrive. Sweetie’s desperate lunge at Jade moved so slowly for Dusky that he could see the way her cotton candy mane and tail moved, the individual hairs moving in a strange dance. A harmonic dance, he thought serenely as he accepted his fate-

A sharp blast erupted from nearby, and Jade screamed as she went down, her front leg suddenly gushing blood onto the snow, staining it red. The growing crystal fell to the ground, dimming quickly until it became nothing but a cube shaped clear crystal, almost like ice.

“Damn, I was aiming for the bitch’s horn,” a voice said with a hint of disappointment in it. Dusky turned quickly only to find a smoking barrel of what was clearly one of those new guns directed straight at his face. A gun held by none other than a stone faced Gregory Graystone.

Behind him, the changeling emperor held a larger gun in both his hands while a couple of changelings flanked him, their own guns ready. “Now then,” Gregory said, pulling back on something on his gun and causing it to make a clicking sound, “who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing in my home city?”

Dusky was frozen in shock as she stared at the still smoking gun barrel. He knew the damage these could do. They were much more dangerous than anything on Gaia if they could kill the Lord (or God depending on if one belonged to the Brotherhood of Discord) of Chaos. They were a much better version of a crossbow or arbalest. He heard the groans of pain from Dark and the wails and screams from Jade.

He took a step back. “Demon…” he said breathlessly.

Gregory shook his head. “Nah,” he said, “my skin’s not red and I don’t have the horns, wings and pitchfork. Now then, answer my question.”

Dusky regained control and clamped up. “Not on your life,” he snapped.

“His name’s Dusky Heart,” Sweetie Drops said, moving to stand beside the teal colored unicorn. “The one you shot is Jade Seed and the other is Dark Desire.”

Gregory shook his head. “Villain names are so unoriginal,” he said as he looked beyond Dusky. “Put horn restraints on all of them,” he ordered to someone behind the unicorn stallion.

Someone forcefully grabbed him and before Dusky could react, something was slipped over his horn. The reduced magic that he’d felt since arriving in this Harmony forsaken city vanished entirely. He heard Gregory speak again. “Take those two to the Eyrie’s healers. I won’t let it be said about the Convocation that we’re cruel. Take the stallion to the dungeons, however. Keep them all separated and find where their inn was located.”

“What about this, sir?” a gruff voice asked. Dusky turned and, to his dismay, saw an older gryphon tom holding the artifact.

“Bring it to Gwendolyn,” Gregory said as he holstered his weapon. “Let’s see if she can figure out what it might be.”

“It’s the Eye of Isis,” Dusky heard Sweetie Drops explain.

Dusky saw a hint of recognition appear in the human’s eyes. “I see,” he said. He then turned to Dusky, walking up towards him. “Who sent you?” he asked when he was a safe distance away but closer than he’d been before.

Dusky, despite being restrained and unable to use magic, still had enough strength that he spat right in the human’s face. “Go to Tartarus!”

The human didn’t react. He just stood up straighter, wiped the spittle from his face, then turned to the guards. “Take them away and make sure they’re under heavy guard,” he said. “If she knows who they are, they’re more dangerous than they look,” he added, gesturing to Sweetie Drops. “But make sure that you don’t mistreat them. Treat the wounded ponies, too. And search them for anything that they might use to kill themselves with.”

Dusky felt surprise rising up inside him as he was hastily dragged away. Not at the human ordering his companions to be treated, but because of a stray thought that passed through his mind.

He knows who Sweetie Drops is!

Gregory watched the three ponies taken away in restraints, then finally holstered his weapon. He turned to Jason, who was stone faced as he had watched everything go down. He sighed. “That was…exciting,” he muttered.

“Are you okay?” Gabby asked, coming immediately to his side and pressing her body against this in a very catlike gesture of affection and worry. Surprisingly, Gilda did the same thing.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I said. “I’m not hurt.”

“Trixie has to admit that she didn’t expect you to be so brutal,” Trixie said from nearby, looking a bit warily at him now. Gregory couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt by that, and it must have shown because Sunset lightly smacked Trixie on the backside of the head. “N-Not that Trixie is judging!” the unicorn magician hastily added, looking properly chastened.

“We seriously need to work on your empathy,” Sunset sighed.

Trixie looked down, ears flattened. “Trixie is sorry,” she said.

Gregory smiled slightly. “I didn’t want to kill them, just make them unable to fight back,” he said. “Anyway, now that the exciting part is over,” he added before turning to Jason, “There is a lot more we need to talk about, and not just as fellow humans from the same place.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about the Southern Badlands incident,” he stated.

“We do need to go over it more in depth,” Gregory said.

The two exchanged brief glances before Jason sighed heavily. “If I wanted to talk more about this, I’d do it when we were in the Convocation, not in a bar,” he replied.

“…You do have a point,” Gregory conceded. “Not to mention that we won’t be letting you and your companions here communicate using blinking Morse Code.” Jason didn’t react, and neither did Duchess Chrysalis or Nictis, but Eltrya’s lip twitched. Gregory crossed his arms. “Don’t think that we’re stupid,” he added sharply.

“Those gryphon guards…” Eltrya muttered, which earned her a sharp hit in the side by means of her husband’s rump.

“What were you talking about?” Gregory asked sternly.

Jason stared at him for a few seconds before he exhaled. “Good catch,” he said. “There are certain events in Equestria that have caught my attention. And to be honest, they might affect your own negotiations with them in the future depending on how they go.”

“What events?” Gregory asked.

Jason’s lips actually quirked up slightly. “It seems the nobles are trying to stage some sort of coup.”

“What have you found?”

Gwendolyn looked up from her workstation as Gregory came waltzing through the door to her private Imperial Mage workroom. Normally, she would have been slightly annoyed if someone came down, but since it was Gregory, she could forgive him. Especially when she noted the fact that he was distracted by something.

Gwendolyn, not wanting to pry, looked back at the two gems in front of her. “This is the Eye of Isis,” she explained. “Look here.” She pointed to a book she had open.

Gregory came up next to her and peered down at the book carefully. He grabbed the spare magic spectacles and put them on, reading the ancient text in the book carefully. The depiction on the page showed the same cube shaped object that was now sitting on the worktable. He looked back at her. “That’s all you’ve found so far?” he asked in an angry and almost accusatory tone

Gwendolyn nodded. She knew he was a bit testy at the moment, especially after having captured three Equestrian spies who had actively tried to harm him. “I haven’t looked through everything yet,” she admitted, “but that’s all I’ve found.”

Gregory nodded firmly and took the book, walked over to a chair and sat. Gwendolyn glanced over at him multiple times for the next half hour as the human read over the pages over and over. After that half hour had passed, he walked over and put the book back down. “Gwen,” he said, his tone a bit calmer and more subdued.

“Yes?” she asked.

“I’m sorry for lashing out earlier,” he said in a now apologetic tone. “You didn’t deserve that tone.”

Gwendolyn reached up and put her claw around his shoulder, making sure to be gentler than she would be with a gryphon due to his skin being a bit more sensitive. “I’m not upset,” she said soothingly. “I know you’re angry about what happened earlier.” She had actually watched the past events using the Eye of Osiris.

“That’s still not an excuse,” he said.

“It’s really alright,” she repeated reassuringly.

He gave her a weak smile, then stood, taking a deep breath. “I’m going to get out of your hair,” he said.

“There’s no need for that,” Gwendolyn said. “I actually like the company. You’re the only other one who knows where this place is, and it’s nice having somebody here with me.”

He looked at her questioningly for a bit, but then smiled. “As much as I’d like to,” he said, “I have three prisoners to interrogate and I have a pony princess to call.”

“Before you go,” she said, “would you help me with something?”

“What is it?” he asked.

She pointed to the two gems. “I’m going to try using the Eye of Osiris while it’s on top of the Eye of Isis,” she explained.

He took a sharp breath through his teeth. “Isn’t that risky?” he asked.

“I’m not going to touch the Eye of Isis,” she said. “Besides, that book said that if I only use the Eye of Osiris, things won’t be that different.”

He looked a bit hesitant, then shrugged. “I’m leaving the door open in case things explode,” he cautioned as he began opening the door.

“Good precaution,” she nodded.

When things were ready, she placed the Eye of Osiris on the Eye of Isis and focused on activating the former. Like normal, the crystal sphere began to glow. “Let’s see if we can see what that princess is up to,” Gwendolyn said.

“Um, that’s a bit-” Gregory began, but it was too late. The magical projection shot up and they saw what looked like a royal bedroom. Inside, they saw a messy bed, a roaring fireplace, and a tall pale pink alicorn mare with wavy mane and tail sitting at a desk, head in her hooves.

“Okay,” Gregory muttered, “she looks like shit.”

Gwendolyn was about to agree when they both froze. Celestia had quickly begun looking around the room. “Who’s there?” she asked.

“Did she just hear us?” Gregory asked.

Celestia’s head turned towards them, and Gwendolyn paused. Because the princess’ eyes had focused directly on them. “Gregory? Gwendolyn? What are you doing? How are you doing that?”

That’s when Gwendolyn noticed that the Eye of Isis had begun glowing as well.