A Renewed Ending

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.”