//------------------------------//
// Chains 
// Story: Ryuuzan, a Gryphon Silenced 
// by Kimono-Gryphon 
//------------------------------//

The gryphon was slowly stirring as the anesthesia was wearing off, laying in their own bed in a private 1 bed recovery room. Canterlot Castle's medical wing only had single rooms available, located on two adjoining hallways with a doctor and nurse station in the middle, joining each hallway together. 

A nurse had come by and took vitals as the gryphon was slowly coming around, and sent for Wing-Mender and Nurse Redheart, she had also sent word via guard to notify the princesses that the gryphon had indeed awoken. 

Just as another nurse was finishing up with writing down the vital signs, she noticed the gryphon's left hand-paw had reached for her hoof, patting it lightly, and non threatening. 

The nurse had looked up and gave a shocked gasp, but quickly recovered her composure as she spoke. "Well I see you are awake, and your vital signs are steady. I will go get the doctors to talk to you."

But the gryphon had looked around, and tried signing something, but had seen the plaster casted right arm down to the hand-paw, so the signing requiring two hands was far more difficult. Placing two fingers against his beak side and closing the thumb to the claw tips, and shook their head side-to-side. 

The nurse did look at the notes in the chart and seen the gryphon wasn't able to speak, but used sign language, and that the guard that assisted Luna was able to translate. "Okay, I know what the doctors meant in the report. Let me get somepony that can translate for us."

The nurse had called the guard in from the hallway, and Wind Shear stood at the foot of the bed, helping translating sign language for the gryphon to provide any info needed. Nurse Redheart, Wing Mender arrived within a minute, and both Princesses had also arrived, but waited in the hallway until the doctor had summoned them inside. 

"You had given us quite the scare, but you seem to be doing ok." Wing Mender had given the gryphon an exam, looking over the surgery for the neck and arm break. "You had survived because Princess Luna had thought fast, helping keep your throat injury from killing you. Your arm was broken badly tho, and some of the muscles were injured from the severe twisting, and that will mean physical therapy until you regain full use of the arm again. But now that you are awake, can you answer a few questions? Your name, where your from, and all that."

Before the gryphon answered, Princess Luna and Celestia also entered the room. But talked calmly, as to not spook him. "Sir Gryphon, please have no fear of us. You are among friends here." Princess Luna had reassured the gryphon, with a soft smile. However, upon seeing Celestia, the gryphon shook visibly, trying to pull the cover over them as far as possible. Luna had walked to the bedside and outstretched her right hoof, stroking one gryphon wing reassuringly. "We give our word, we will do everything we can to help you, but that begins with telling us thee name. Could you help us with that.... please?"

The Gryphon had finally nodded, still shrinking from Celestia. He nodded and then patted his chest, and placed his claw-hand at his beak with the fingers closed, and then brought them outward, opening the digits fully. He then spelled out his name, as he nodded to Wind Shear, as he translated. 

"Ryuuzan" the gryphon had to spell out each letter twice before Wind Shear got them right. 

"How old are you?" Nurse Redheart had brought up the next question. 

"19".

"Where are you from?" Luna asked pleasantly. "The Gryphon Kingdom?"

Ryuuzan shook his head no. "WhiteTail Woods. I've heard of the Gryphon Kingdom, but never been there."

"Do you have a family, other gryphons like siblings or parents?" Wing Mender was also making notes on his clipboard.

Ryuuzan shifted nervously and swallowed hard, then shook his head no. Clearly afraid.

"You were living alone in WhiteTail Woods?" Luna had tipped her head trying to figure out the gryphon's answers. "In the forests?"

"No, I was living (GULP) in a house where I grew from young." Ryuuzan's hand was shaking as he answered. "I do have a mother." Again shaking his head and closing his eyes. 

Luna was getting more concerned, she wanted Ryuuzan to trust her, but she was hoping for answers. "Ok Ryuuzan, We are not trying to scare you. We apologise. We are just as confused as you are." She walked a few steps close to Ryuuzan's head side, and continued speaking softly and reassuringly. "All we know what happened last night was you came through our picture window wearing chains on your neck and left wrist. You weren't attacking us as far as I know. But as unpleasant as it seems, we want to know what's going on. Did you escape from somewhere? Are there more gryphons coming after you, or anyone from the Equestrian Mental Medical Research center?"

"I have never heard of that place, and I don't know any other gryphons." Ryuuzan looked shocked and looked at his wrists, reaching and didn't find his familiar collar and restraints. He then shied away when his clawd fingers touched the wrapping from his throat surgery. "I've always had those chains with me from my home. I flew here from my home in WhiteTail Woods after I broke free last night. They were going to kill me when they returned this morning." 

This brought looks between everyone.

Ryuuzan's eyes were opening wider in fear. "My mother is a pony, a pegasus. Her and another pony were going to kill me this morning. That's why I escaped." He then was looking between the doorway and the window. "I...  i'm not safe here. They told me months ago they are always watching me."

As everyone was discussing the notes, another nurse had come in, and replaced an emptied IV Bottle with a fresh one, per the rules of nurses on station. She had smiled brightly as she worked effortlessly, using her magic to be certain the connections to the bag were safe. Her eyes were also glowing a soft pink as she was whistling a small nursery rhyme to herself after greeting the rulers with a smile and a quick bow. 

When Ryuuzan heard the nurse whistling a tune he remembered, he gave a short CLACK of his beak everytime the nurse started the short tune again. This happened two more times with the end of the tune she hummed. And each time Ryuuzan clicked his beak shut, the nurse smiled and resumed the work she was doing. As soon as she was finished replacing the IV bag she made notes on the chart when the bag was replaced. After bowing to the princesses again, she glided out of the room as quietly as she entered

"Mother had other ponies visit the house on some nights, meetings or something. She had checked my room, but I was faking I was asleep." Ryuuzan had brought his knees to his chest, when he wrapped his left arm around them. "I tried escaping months ago, but I was caught and I was beaten senseless. They are planning something big, between two groups and you Princess, or against the crown. Mother said there was no more use for me, and they decided to eliminate me this morning, and to prepare. So, after everyone left, I waited for an hour and then pulled, chewed, clawed and ripped at the leather binding securing my chain to an eyelet in the floor until it tore open."

Everyone then quieted down after Wind Shear had told everyone "Hey, this is important. Quiet down!"

"I then flew out a back window, and just aimed for the castle. It's just that I used all my strength to escape, I felt l had no strength left." Ryuuzan continued signing, but he was getting tired as his eyes started to droop. "I then flew as high as I could and locked my wings so I could glide. And then steered for the castle, and closed my eyes hoping the winds would keep me up long enough for a patrol to spot me or something. I.. didn't expect to fall through your window...  your majesties. I think I actually fell asleep mid-glide just from sheer exhaustion. Next thing I remember was you, princess asking what was happening. That's ... all I remember."

"Ryuuzan, you flew here in one shot from WhiteTail Woods? That's well over 50 miles away!"  

The gryphon had nodded, as he laid his legs back down, and flopped his head back on the pillow. Oddly enough, he was still clicking his beak with the tune that the nurse had hummed as she worked minutes ago. 

Thinking Ryuuzan needed sleep, Luna decided to call it a night, agreeing when Nurse Redheart when she said the gryphon needed more rest. Leaning close to the gryphon's beak, she gave him a small peck on the cheek and whispered to him. "Be strong little one, we will protect you." She placed her hoof onto Ryuuzan's arm but then drew back quickly.

Ryuuzan's fingers were clenched into a fist and his eyes were starting to glaze. 

"REDHEART!" Luna shouted. "Ryuuzan's Not BREATHING....!"   

Redheart had slid to a halt at the nurse's station supply room to get a breathing cart and surgical tools after she heard Luna call out to her. Racing back to the room, she met Wing Mender at bedside as he started working on getting the gryphon breathing again. 

Celestia had hurried outside as Luna watched as the doctor worked to get a breathing tube into the gryphon's throat, she was lighting her magics onto the gryphon's body, trying to see if there were any way to help, and then she spotted the haze of a pinked-reddish magic spell that looped around the gryphon's trachea. 

"I can't get the tube down!" Wing Mender had tossed the tube end to the floor, and reached for a scalpel, readying to do a tracheotomy. As soon as the scalpel hit the fur on the throat, Ryuuzan gasped as the air infilled his lungs. "Wait, what happened?"

"Doctor, there was a magic spell affixed to Ryuu's windpipe. As soon as your scalpel hit the neck, it dissolved on it's own." Luna had replied as she watched the gryphon take in gulps of air, relieved he was ok. She then yelled to Wind Sheer. "Sheer, go after the Nurse, and place the castle on lockdown, no one enters or leaves until we find that nurse !"

Celestia had come back in the room, and gave Luna a questioning look as Wind Sheer had taken off out of sight out a window to co-ordinate the guards at the exits to the castle. "A lockdown Luna?"

"Not now 'Tia, we have some pony try to come in here to our castle, and try to kill an innocent who came asking for help." Luna had almost growled, with her wings opening fully. "We will tear this castle, and Canterlot apart to find out what's going on !"

"Luna, we don't even know 'what's' going on yet." Celestia reasoned with the younger sibling. "Over reacting won't get problems solved faster."

"Over REACTING ?!?" Luna had yelled, leaning her face up to her sister. "Don't even try to start that with us! We would wager our crown that thou wouldst stop the sun if anypony tried to hurt thee most favored friend and Pupil. We Tia, don't 'have' any friends!"

There was an uncomfortable silence as the Moon princess squared her shoulders against the Sun princess. "A Promise ! We gave that gryphon a promise to help them recover and to stay safe. But some ponies have a twisted plan to kill that gryphon in that bed that's under our care. Answer to us 'Tia, wouldst thee help one of 'our little ponies' if one was being attacked and attempted murder by a gryphon ?"

"Luna, don't be silly, we would no doubt help the pony, but... " Celestia backpedaled. 

"But WHAT dear sister, Do tell us that a pony's life is more valuable than a gryphon's ?" Luna's eyes turned a deep menacing blue as she seethed. "We noticed thee not had anything to say to the gryphon. Pray tell, is it 'beneath' you to even acknowledge him in presence when thee are away from the throne? Away from the regals, the dignitaries and diplomats leeching for approval?"

"....."

"We have this demand of thee Celestia." Luna nearly spoke her words with venemous bite. "When the gryphon's attackers are found and on trial, we want the sentences to be 'just as harsh' for the ponies as it would be for gryphons. Promise us dear sister, thee will be fair and just for that poor gryphon in that bed as you wouldst for Twilight Sparkle if she were there with a breathing tube down her throat, after some pony tried killing them in front of your NOSE ! If you do not promise, you are not fit to wear that crown !" 

"Of course Luna, I promise... I swear it !" Celestia had replied almost a minute after the shock wore off, almost wide-eyed at her sister's demeanor. Celestia's breath hitched in her throat as her eyes burned and started watering. 

Luna then walked past her sister, before disappearing to the castle grounds. "Before you go to slumber, you need to go to that gryphon and apologize for thou biased thoughts and feelings. ALL Life is sacred Celestia. Only then, will we openly talk with you again. You hadst some deep thinking to do tonight, dear sister. Some little ponies are not as innocent as thee hoped. Adieu."

And with that, Luna was gone.

Celestia turned back and looked into the room where the gryphon was laying in bed, but looking up at her with their sad green eyes. Celestia's head drooped, as she looked down.

"Forgive me."

**********