Chapter Eighteen
Tizoc
It was times like this he wished he was as free as Xvital was.
Letting out a sigh as he looked over one of the many balconies of the royal Equestrian family, he saw the breathtaking view and idly wondered if the ponies had teams of highly skilled pegasi craft the clouds or if that was just a lie that they liked to impose onto the world.
Regardless, it was a nice escape but one that his host was soon to take away from him once more.
“Please, my dear friend, I do believe that the sun will still be there,” King Well Banded said with a light chuckle, a fake sound coming from the normally unpleasant stallion.
“And the business you brought me up here for is still bothering you, I see,” he said with his Shorn guards walking in a protective circle around him, with those hanging below the balcony to catch him in case he was somehow pushed off of it rejoining them onto the floor. The earth pony’s smile flicked, showing his usual pensive frown, a light sneer more than normal for him. “My response to your request will remain the same despite all of this… fancery,” he said with his own sneer, sitting at the table. He allowed his food testers to examine the wine and meal provided before him; after the incident with that unnatural force making the stallion across from him launch an unprovoked attack, his guards were taking no chances.
“That crown is not Cuanmitzlan Kingdom property,” the stallion said sharply. “It has significant cultural and religious meaning for my nation and its people, being once used as a magical amplifier by the Mage of Stars and her official icon of power. Excluding her own star cutie mark, of course.”
“As you have pointed out the last time,” Tizoc said, taking a sip of his wine. “But as you yourself are aware, the crown and all its power has been passed onto Xvital, a private citizen of my nation and I have no authority to force her to return it to you.” Which wasn’t exactly true but he wasn’t going to force his Xy to hand it over the ponies. “Besides which, as we were made aware, the crown and the necklaces that are linked with it are merely a physical representation of the power granted to she and her friends by a spirit that is associated with the entire world, not bound to one nation.”
“A spirit which has always been associated with Equestria as we have had the greatest connection to magic over any other nation in the entire world,” Well Banded replied sharply.
“Which leads us to the next point of contention; while I do not know her exact plans, I cannot see Xvital remaining in Equestria in case of some sort of global catastrophe once we are married,” Tizoc said and, seeing how much it infuriated Well Banded, decided to push a little bit further. “Nor is Vix-Lei, so you have no legal reason to see her remain in Equestria at your beck and call either. And I do believe that with the end of the Hatcheries, Wind Breaker has been given the right to end his ties with your nation as well, correct?”
Well Banded, looking furious, managed to nod and say, “And am I to ignore the fact that your nation’s academia is always looking for new teachers for non equine magic teachers? And that you are starting to expand your nation’s aerial navy and the daughter of the harbour master would be a tremendous boon as no one knows that craft better than minotaurs.” He then tapped the table. “And how am I to forget that your nation was considered a safe haven for changelings, and as the Blade family now owns much of the Badlands where their hive once stood, I can see their Queen taking her hive towards your lands for safety from those of my nation that have yet to let go of their prejudice.”
“If that is their wish, I would need to speak with their Queen but I see no reason why it could not occur,” Tizoc hid a grin.
“And if the Hive were to leave, I doubt Turner would remain here and where she went, I do believe the young Blade would follow her as well,” Well Banded said sternly. “And how am I supposed to take that, old friend?”
Tizoc looked contemplative. “I would remind you that our expansions and national policies began long before any of the events leading to Harmony’s return and the purge of the Spirit that sought to control Equestria through you,” he said. “And I would remind you that that Spirit was our enemy, and it has been removed. Equestria and its people were never our foe, and while we have had our difficulties… I have no desire to see it, or any other nation, fall.”
“At the very least, would you consent to having Captain Violet Lulamoon study the artifacts in question?” the King asked. “She is our nation’s foremost expert in magical artifacts.”
“That is something that I do not have authority to give; despite them being stored in my nation’s embassy, they are there for protection, and only their Bearers can consent to letting them be studied,” Tizoc replied. “Should they agree, I would have no objection, but it has to be their decision.”
“And have you put forth any word towards Xvital?” King Well Banded asked. “We are grateful that she has consented to attending classes to learn how to control her newfound powers, though if it were not for this unpleasant circumstances resulting my Captain General to hole herself up in her house, I would have her teaching Xvital on a one on one basis.”
“Are you sure that it is a good usage of her time?” Tizoc asked as he picked up another fork of his seasoned cooked fish.
“It is not so much that it is a good usage of her time as it would be something that Captain General Step would rather enjoy,” King Well Banded replied. “Given recent events, I feel she would be much appreciative of some time to be more at ease, so as not to burn herself out mentally - all our Captains and other Guards have downtime available to them when Equestria is not undergoing a national emergency, so as to help with their mental health.” He tilted his head to the side, holding the salad fork in his hoof. “I do believe that our Captains are scheduled to have one of their special training exercises in a few months and it would be good to have Captain Gaze with them as to further their cooperation with all six Captains out in the open now.”
Tizoc now winced, his tailhand flicking nervously. Everyone had heard the stories about the citywide no-go zone that the Captains of Equestria had to themselves for their exercises. Due to them all being Dum Soluti Flares, the residual magic that was left over was highly dangerous to anyone that was not properly trained to deal with it. “Quite,” he said.
King Well Banded nodded. “If you are concerned for his safety, we have long ensured that our Secret Protector is capable of handling such power, regardless of their own magical ability,” he said. “One of my predecessors, in order to ensure that he had the best of the best for all the Captains of his Guards, made it a policy that the prospective Secret Protector would have to undergo vast and strenuous training in order to prove themselves before they were promoted to the Captaincy, for their own protection should they fall into a highly dangerous situation as much as for proof of their skills. They might not match the current Captains being as they are all some of the most powerful Flares in ages, but Captain Gaze has my fullest confidence to handle his own demon incursion at the very least.”
Tizoc looked relieved. “A wise policy,” he said before narrowing his eyes. “Have there been any issues with the Tartarus Gate that we should be aware of?”
“Not since the incident which led to Captain General Step receiving her promotion,” King Well Banded replied. “But we are always on guard, just to be safe. Even during the recent incident, the Guard force there remained at full strength, and reported no attempted probes from the other side. There was some mild concern over the wave of magic that swept the land recently, but they have confirmed that it did no harm to the Gate that could be detected, and may have in fact strengthened it.” He lifted his glass to his lips and added, “Cerberus has recently had his annual checkup and he is in fine health; though those researchers still wish to study him in more depth.”
“One of the few creatures from over a thousand years ago that is still alive and retained its full magical nature, even in the wake of so many others failing? I can understand their desire,” Tizoc said. “Though I also understand and agree with your constant refusal to allow them to remove the one natural guardian for that Gate to the underworld for studies.”
“Quite.” King Well Banded regarded him for a moment. “We have taken that duty seriously, ever since the incident with Cerberus abandoning his post some time prior to my ancestor assuming the throne,” he said. “One of the few records we have of that time reports that when the Goddess Celestia discovered Cerberus had left his post, she sent an entire troop of guards to investigate the Gate and ensure that none of its prisoners escaped. While there was one escapee they discovered, it was later caught and dealt with when it resurfaced during the Crystal World War.” He sipped his wine for a moment before continuing. “Fortunately, the soldiers intercepted another attempted escapee, the centaur Tirek, during their investigation. Celestia herself personally oversaw his re-binding when she found out about it.” He leaned forward a bit. “More recently, when Gentle Step made her famous rescue mission into Tartarus, she confirmed that he was still within his cage, and that it was very much secure.”
“That is certainly good news,” Tizoc replied. “What was the successful escapee, if I might ask?”
“It was a Bugbear, a non-sapient creature,” Well Banded said. “They were as they sound; a rather large cross between a bear and a bee. It was not the only one of its kind to exist back then, and not even the only one of its kind that had been imprisoned in Tartarus that we know of, but it was the only one that ever managed to escape, so far as we are aware.” He looked contemplative. “According to the records from the War, it resurfaced some years later when it interrupted a battle and attacked both sides freely, though it seemed to have quite a grudge against one of Equestria’s soldiers in particular - apparently she was part of the team that had originally trapped it and sent it to Tartarus in the first place. We were very fortunate that our troops were able to recapture it and return it to its prison after the battle.”
“Indeed.” Tizoc held his wine glass out. “On the subject of non-sapient creatures, how goes the conservation projects for your star beasts, by the way?”
“The return of magic has vastly improved the health of the extant populations,” the King replied. “We are looking to expand our efforts to improve the rate of their population growth, but it will take time. Still, this is one positive side effect of recent events.”
“And the issue with poachers?” Tizoc asked. “We have had some issues with illegal poaching of our endangered animals.”
“We have a special agency dedicated to locating and dealing with such scum,” King Well Banded said, the disgust in his tone rather obvious. “When caught, they are tried and subject to the harshest of punishments allowable under the law. Perhaps we should go over our methods to protect them?”
With a nod of his head, Tizoc saw this would consume a large amount of his time and idly envied Xvital once more.
Standing Wall
Standing Wall looked out of the window of the Cadenza Guard headquarters and let out a tired sigh. The aftermath of the griffon riots could still be seen though she doubted most would have the right set of eyes for it. The city itself was an old mare and had withstood far worse, but this riot had been widespread throughout the entire city in all three sectors and the city was deeply aching from the lack of her Guards to properly defend her.
With a snort, Standing Wall shook her mane and looked over her reports on her desk again. Except for maybe Step due to how insanely powerful she was, no other pony had as keen connections to the earth as she did. She had tried in the past in vain to explain it to others but it was like explaining a Deep painting to a blind person.
At the very least, her connection to the earth allowed her to raise as far as she had. She was the first earth pony in centuries to become a Captain and she hadn’t worried in decades about some more clever unicorn usurping her position due to them being a unicorn. She flicked an ear and examined the selections of recruits. While it was standard policy to accept anypony that passed the exams, she tended to avoid choosing unicorns as to allow the other tribes a chance to shine. She hadn’t got in any trouble over it as she knew full well that the other Captains tended to do the exact opposite and no one wanted to kick that hornet’s nest open. At any rate, all the divisions valued quality regardless of tribe or parentage.
Speaking of…
“Lieutenant Aura,” she called out as she looked over her finely crafted desk that had countless hearts engraved in it. “Has anypony seen to Sergeant Pants?”
There was a brief moment of quiet before she got an answer. “No ma’am,” she said replied. “I see that Sergeant Boiling Boulder is set to discipline him, pending your decision on if you wish to bring him up on charges or not.”
“Tell him that I have this covered,” Standing said. “I can use a moment outside of this office anyways.”
“Very good ma’am,” Lieutenant Aura said, walking to her doors. Unlike the others, she didn’t feel the need to establish a personal guard detail to protect her office as she didn’t keep dangerous stuff located on site. She had her own secret places to stash them. “Shall I attend to your paperwork while you are out?”
“If you do not mind setting it in proper order for when I return,” Standing said as she picked up her shining ruby helmet and placed it on her head. Without waiting for a proper reply, she used her magic to teleport away, though in truth it was nothing like unicorn teleportation.
She felt the earth swallow her up, the ground parting away and she felt the city around her as she moved herself through the earth to her destination. It was as near impossible to explain as a unicorn’s teleportation was and just as surreal to experience.
Rising out of the earth in the bottom of the holding cells with several of her Guards giving her a sharp salute, she looked around for the ranking officer before marching over to him.
“Sergeant Boulder,” she said, returning the salute he gave her. “How is Pants doing?”
“He is fine, all things considered with what he is being charged with,” Boiling Boulder said stiffly. “He has made no requests and has said nothing beyond reporting in when I had one of my Guards do their check ups.”
“Good,” she said as she walked to the sealed cell, reaching out with her magic to check if the seals were still in place. Without waiting for the Guard to undo the seals, she convinced the magic within the walls to open for her and pulled the door open with her magic.
Stepping into the room, she saw Pants turn to face her with his eyes widening before he calmed himself. “Captain,” he said, snapping a textbook proper salute.
“Pants,” she said, eyeing him carefully and taking note not to use rank. “You are aware that you placed me in a very delicate position in how I am to deal with you.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said, keeping his eyes steady and off her shoulder.
“On one hoof, your actions during the disastrous public meeting between Prince-King Tizoc and King Well Banded went against everything I have worked to instill in my Guards,” she said, narrowing her eyes and forcing him to look at her. “You decided that when six individuals that were on top of the wanted list for treason and regicide you should not only aid one of them to escape capture but incite several of your squad to follow your actions and raise blades against those of the Royal Guards.” She tapped into her magic to make the room shrink to show how utterly furious she was with him and how bad he made her Guards look. “If I were to strip you of your rank and noble status and have your family’s entire wealth and all their properties liquidated with you thrown into the deepest prison, I would still be seen as acting generous.”
He didn’t respond to that, though she feel his nervous hoof steps on the floor.
“On the other hoof,” she said, relaxing the walls of the cell. “Your actions allowed Blade to escape which was instrumental in defeating the spirit which had possessed the King and caused a great deal of trouble for Equestria. If it were not for your actions, that thing would have remained in control, and the goddesses only know what it would have done to Equestria and the rest of the world. One could even argue you should be lauded for saving Equestria and be fully pardoned for all of your actions.” Time to see if Gentle was right about this stallion. “Do you believe you should be pardoned or charged for your crime?”
The stallion again shifted on the floor, eyes defocusing and darting around before he settled himself. “It would be a massive breach of justice if you were to pardon my actions,” he said. “While I do believe that I did the right thing at the time, I still broke the law in doing so, and I will accept whatever punishment you see fit.”
“Good,” she said, nodding her head. “You will be duly charged in time but you followed the proper procedures during a crisis like that; there was a clear breakdown in order during the chaos and you acted on your instincts which were proven to be accurate to the situation overall. It will be a long climb back to where you once were but I have faith that you will rise even higher once you have finished your sentence.”
“T-thank you ma’am,” he said, giving her a revealed look before correcting himself and giving her another salute.
“At ease, cadet,” she said, noticing the wince at the drop of rank that he tried to hide. “You were already at risk of being demoted for sleeping at your gatehouse, Pants, so this was not unexpected.” His ears splayed outwards with his cheeks reddening at that reminder. “You are also lucky you did not try to weasel out of your punishment. If you were foolish enough to say you deserved to be pardoned, I would have personally seen that you were locked up in the Under and the key melted down by the Dragon Lord.”
He saluted again. “I understand, ma’am,” he said.
“Good.” She looked at him contemplatively. “For now, report to the barracks,” she said. “If you take one step out of line, you will be back in here until your day in court. If you attempt to leave Canterlot except under the direct orders and supervision of a superior officer, you’ll be back in here so fast it’ll be like the Captain General herself teleported you between steps. Am I understood?”
“Crystal clear, ma’am,” he answered.
“Good. Now, go,” she said, stepping to the side.
“One question ma’am,” he said, staring at her. “Those that acted under my orders; what is to become of them?”
“They were following orders; bad orders but orders nonetheless,” she said. “They have been disciplined, broken up and sent to different squads across the Cadenza Guards.”
“Good,” he said with a noticeable sigh of relief, sagging before he caught himself. “I will not let you down ma’am.”
“See that you don’t,” she replied. “Now, dismissed.”
Regal threw her another salute before leaving, and she took a moment to compose herself before leaving the cell. As she passed by him, she saw her Sergeant giving her a salute of her own, and returned it before focusing again and teleporting back to her office. She saw that Aura had put her desk into order and on top of the papers was Gentle’s own recommendation for Regal Pants.
With a smile, she saw that Gentle was right on the money and she could see him rising far in the Cadenza Guard, perhaps even to Major, just below lieutenant.
Wind Breaker
“So how do you think he’s doing?” Vix-Lei asked him, with the griffon raising his head. “‘Cause I haven’t heard any cursing yet and this is Night we’re talking about.”
“I have no idea but now I’m worried,” Wind Breaker said, tapping his talons together. With Night’s wing acting up, he had done the smart thing and headed for the nearest hospital, and Wind and Vix-Lei were now in the waiting room while Night had his wing examined. It was a testament to how wealthy he was that he had paid to get the best doctor to actually check up on him and that the doctor in question was trained how to diagnose ponies.
“Can’t be the only thing bothering you, Windy,” Vix-Lei said, elbowing him. “I may not look like it, but I handled seven little brothers so I can tell when a guy is brewing over something.”
“Am I that obvious?” he sighed. “All of this is so… so much?” he vented, confused. “I mean, yeah, I did help stop those old vultures from messing up those kids like I was but Gordon told me that this is just the tip of the iceberg of the entire mess.”
“And now that you have all these free griffons coming here it’s going to make that even more of a mess, right?” Vix-Lei asked.
“Not only that, I have to hope that they kept records that far back and can help track me to my parents; why they even have records is beyond me.”
“I think that legally, they have to keep records of their past residents,” Vix-Lei replied. “For governmental bonus or somethin’. With every griff that they had on record, they get more money to stash away and I doubt that they could hide behind privacy of their clients anymore.”
Wind Breaker tilted his head at her and blinked. “Who are you and what have you done with Vix-Lei?”
“Come on Windy, I ain’t just a pretty face ya know,” Vix-Lei said teasingly. “Remember, I grew up with parents who figured I’d be inheriting the family business some day, and they taught me more than a few things about it when I wasn’t being accidentally obnoxious.”
“Right,” he clicked his beak before his eyes drifted back to the door where Night was and about to say something when the door opened up with the doctor that had been treating Night waved them in. Walking inside, they could see Night was sitting on the medical bed and fuming angrily. His wing had some sort of brace on it with Night glaring at it and than at them.
“You’re his friends right?” the doctor said without waiting for them to really say anything. “Your friend here was lucky for a while but his luck ran out. Whoever took care of his wing last time didn’t do a good enough job or let him go too soon.”
“They weren’t, for the last time, too interested in making sure I was perfectly fine, only that I could move on my own.”
“Then for the last time, you were an idiot for using them,” he waved a talon and pointedly ignoring the murderous look in Night’s face. “In any case, your wing had fractures in it and while you had made some progress in healing it, all that flying around put more and more stress on it. You’re lucky you still have that wing, kid, which is why I want you two to make sure he doesn’t so much as flap those wings of his until he can get it checked out again.”
“Which is just a wonderful suggestion in a town where flying is the main way of traveling,” Night Blade grouched. He glared. “I swear, if I ever run into either of those two who caused these injuries in the first place again, I will take their own hooves and shove them down their throats!”
“As long as you don’t fly while you doing it, I don’t care,” the doctor said. “Now, you two,” he pointed at Vix-Lei and Wind Breaker. “Make sure he wears that as much as possible and don’t listen to his whining.”
“I did not whine!” Night shouted back at him.
“You did and I’ve had to deal with far scarier griffons than you, kid, so this tough act doesn’t phase me,” the doctor scoffed.
“Uh, Night isn’t really the type to act,” Vix-Lei said a bit hesitantly. “If he looks cranky, it’s because he is cranky. After us three and our other friends traveled together for as long and far as we did, I know what he’s like.”
“Then he needs to relax; if this is a typical state for him, then he is in the right way for an early heart attack,” the doctor replied. “Constant stress like that can kill you, you know.”
Night looked grouchy again, and Wind Breaker decided to speak up. “We’ll do what we can,” he said. “But my friend here’s had a stressful life, especially the last few months, so I can’t blame him for being in such a foul mood most of the time.” He glanced at Night. “I think we’d better hope I get some answers soon, so we can get you back to Page. She always helps you, just from being there.”
“Wind, no,” Night said sharply but it was without his usual bite. “We are here for you and we’ll stay as long as it takes. We’re not even thinking about going home early because of me.” He let out a sigh and ran a hoof down the back of his head. “Though maybe I should get an electrocardiogram or something - whatever the proper term is, while I’m here. Just to be on the safe side.”
“If that’s what it takes to make sure you’re healthy, I’m willing to wait for you,” Wind told him.
“Though we are going to tell Page about this, ‘cause I doubt you’ll do so and I’d rather face you than her,” Vix-Lei said with Night wincing.
“She is going to kill me,” Night muttered. He turned to the doctor. “How long would it take to set one up?”
“The term you’re probably looking for is echocardiogram, and we have the equipment right here,” the doctor replied. “Normally I’d require them to be scheduled in advance, but given the circumstances, I think we can arrange one for today.”
“That’s great,” Vix-Lei said, slapping Night on the back. Night gave her a look with Vix-Lei shrugging. “Still more scared of Page than you.”
The doctor raised an eyebrow at this and looked as if he were going to say something, but Wind cut him off. “Let’s just say that Tartarus hath no fury like a mare who’s ticked at her coltfriend for getting hurt when he could have avoided it,” he said. “Or ticked at others for letting him hurt himself.”
“Ah, girlfriends,” the doctor clicked his beak before looking at Night. “Should go without saying but no more sex until we know how bad your stress is.”
“I have not been with her that way, and I don’t intend to be until after we’re married,” Night said harshly. Then he looked embarrassed.
“Smart thinking,” the doctor said. “I’ve seen too many younger folk get involved in that sort of thing before they were ready, and they didn’t much care for the consequences.” He rose from his spot. “I’ll go see about that echocardiogram now,” he added as he left the room.
“Huh,” Vix-Lei said blinking. “So you guys are having a pure white attire wedding, eh?”
Night gave her a dirty look. “Yes, if you must know.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Wind said. “Hay, I intend mine to be the same way, if it ever happens.” Wind then tilted his head towards Vix-Lei who simply crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.
“A girl never kisses and tells,” she said. “But I do remember this ‘taur back home I went to school with, and her tailor almost freaked out when she said she wasn’t wearing white for her wedding a few years ago. Started panicking about if they were behind on the local fashions… then my old classmate pointed out it wouldn’t be appropriate because she had a young calf, and was marrying the father when they finally found one another again after about five years.”
She then kicked the ground. “Regardless, if I wear anything but white on my day, my mom will pretty much kill me on the spot for being such a disgrace and degenerate and embarrassing her and being a tart and all of that stupid noise and stuff…” Vix-Lei trailed off, look very awkwardly at them and staring at the ground. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I know better than to get involved with sometaur outside of marriage.”
“I guess it’s the same for your brothers?” Wind ventured.
“Oh Τάρταρος όχι,” Vix-Lei snorted angrily. “Guys are pretty much expected to sleep around. Something about it being a sign of masculinity. But Τάρταρος forbid a girl even look at a guy the wrong way…” She looked rather disgruntled. “Not that I ever found anytaur I was interested in - never had a serious boyfriend in my life. Makes me wish we could have stayed over on the other side for a while longer, would have been nice to spend more time with Bulky there.”
Night Blade chuckled. “You two did get along rather well, didn’t you?” he said. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind visiting again myself, if only because it was a lot calmer than back home. If we could ever find where they took that mirror…”
“Maybe one of these days,” Wind said. “Once we’ve got everything else straightened out.” He suddenly considered. “Actually, that reminds me… I think Memorizing Gaze and the Captain General might know something about Sunset. A while after that whole battle in the Gem Room was over, Rex told me about how they showed up to try and get in there while the rest of us were caught up in that battle, and that Gaze started to say something about her before he got cut off. I think the rest of you guys were busy with something else when he told me,” he added.
“Another thing to discuss with them when we get back to Canterlot then,” Night replied. “Come to think of it, I need to check on Regal too. I haven’t seen him since he helped me escape the Royal Guards during that fight.”
“And I need to remember to start wearing shirts again,” Vix-Lei sighed. “Especially if Mom’s there before we get back, and she probably will be.”
Wind nodded. “You know, I’m not sure if I’m interested in meeting your mom, or terrified of how she’ll react to me and my habits.”
“She’ll probably take one look at you two and decide you need a proper meal to fill you out and refusal is not an option,” Vix-Lei told him with a shrug.
“Scared it is,” Wind replied. Then he winced as Vix-Lei tweaked his ear. “Ow!”
“Smart decision, just don’t say things like that around her,” she said.
“I appreciate the warning.” Wind Breaker rubbed his ear. “That really hurts.”
“I have seven younger brothers, I have to keep them in line somehow as I’m not allowed to hit them. Or at least not get caught,” Vix-Lei grumbled. “Believe me, I could do worse.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Wind Breaker replied, looking at Night who flicked a tufted ear and was staring at the door. He was about to ask his friend what he was doing when the door opened up and the doctor walked back in.
“Good news, we can get started right away,” he said. “Walk this way, please.”
As Night Blade got off the table and Wind Breaker followed him, he glanced back to see that Vix-Lei had her head at the same angle as the doctor. “Um… why are you looking like that?”
“He said to walk this way,” Vix-Lei said. “I can’t go on all fours, so I’m doing as close to it as I can.”
All three males groaned as they realized what she meant, but kept going. When they reached the other room, Night Blade lay on his back on the table in there, while Wind and Vix-Lei settled off to the other side to watch.
“This may take a while,” the doctor warned. “Average scan time is twenty-five minutes to half an hour for the entire thing.”
“If it’ll help our friend, it’s worth the wait,” Vix-Lei said firmly, and Wind Breaker nodded, about to add his own comment when a nurse peered into the room.
“Excuse me, the chief is asking for a Wind Breaker?” she then peered at her clipboard. “Is this some sort of joke?”
“Only on me,” Wind Breaker said with a sigh. “I grew up in an Equestrian Hatchery, they gave me a pony-style name and I’ve heard every single crack about it possible.”
“Well, he wants to see you now,” she said. “If you’ll follow me.”
Wind followed after her, hearing the doctor’s comment as he left - “All right. Mr. Blade, brace yourself, because this is going to be a little cold.” Then the door closed behind them as the two headed for the front, the nurse shaking her head.
“Please tell me not all Hatchery griffons had such… poorly thought-out names,” she said as they went.
“Not all of us,” Wind replied. “One of my old group was Diamond Back, and I know a griffon named Hush Tone. Don’t know if she was ever in the system or not though.”
“Well, they may not be griffonish names, but at least they’re more sensible,” the nurse said. “Ah, Chief Gordon - here he is,” she added as they entered the waiting room.
“Mm. Good to see you again son,” Gordon replied as Wind Breaker walked up to him. “Thank you Gloria,” he said to the nurse. “I’ll take it from here.”
When the nurse had left, Gordon looked at Wind Breaker, a serious expression on his face. “Thanks to you, we’ve confirmed that there was quite a mess going on at that place,” he said. “We’re going to be months straightening out everything we found… but those two old hens and a number of others are going to be spending the rest of their lives in jail at the very least.” He sighed. “Though the bigger issue is all of the other ones we’ve got to catch now. I’ve put out the word to raid every orphanage in the country but there are going to be those who get away with what they did and there’ll be those who will continue on what they have done even after all of this is over with. Crime doesn’t end so easily, though I wish it did.”
“I can understand that, sir,” Wind replied. “But you’ve already brought a few to justice, and that’s a few more that won’t get away with it. And for some of us, that’ll make all the difference.”
Chief Gordon smiled at him. “That’s something, at least,” he said. “Now, on to business. We did find your information. Or something close to it.”
“W-what do you mean?” Wind Breaker asked.
“There was only one drop off during the time you would have been brought there and there was some notes written about the griffoness that lets us hope that she is your mom,” Gordon pulled out a piece of paper. “Those old hens noted that the griffonness had the same kind of eyes you have.” Wind Breaker raised a talon to his face. “And she said it was a family trait that they were always the same side for them.”
“That; that has to be her then,” Wind said. “And… you say she willingly gave her child up?”
“Considering that she was an unmarried daughter of the governor of a city a few clicks up north, it would have reflected very poorly on her family to have a kid out of the blue,” Gordon said with a shrug. “That’s if she is your mom; don’t want to get your hopes up. But I did reach out to her and she is willing to meet with you.”
“That’s great, how do I get there?” Wind Breaker asked excitedly.
“It’s a few days flight due north until you reach the place, though it will probably take you longer as your minotaur friend doesn’t have wings and the road isn’t that well maintained.”
Wind Breaker nodded. “And Night can’t fly until his wing’s completely healed, by doctor’s orders.” He considered. “We do have his family skimmer and its pilot - is there a dock we can fly to up there?”
“‘Fraid not,” Gordon shook his head before reaching into his bag and pulling out a stick of gum. “Ya want some?”
“No thanks,” Wind said, shaking his head.
“Eh; it’s fine. I only chew gum as a way to stop smoking.” Gordon said with a shrug.
“Does it work?” Wind Breaker asked.
“Been clean for almost two years now,” Gordon said. “I still feel the cravings, but having something else to replace the nicotine helps. And this way I’m not poisoning my lungs.”
“Maybe I’ll have some gum after all,” Wind said hesitantly, feeling a incredible urge to open one of his bottles right now. “Might help with my problems.”
“Couldn’t hurt,” the larger griffon replied, tossing him a piece.
“Thanks,” Wind Breaker replied as he popped it in his beak and began to chew. Already he felt some of the itch fade but it was still there. “This…. Is actually working.”
“It’s a step, but I feel you’ll need a bit more help considering how young you started drinking,” Gordon said, his eyes flicking around before he placed a pamphlet onto the table between them. “Here’s a support group for alcoholics.”
“I appreciate it,” Wind said as he took the pamphlet. “I swear, I’ve been making an effort to kick the habit… and I understand that the first step to all of it is to be honest with myself and admit I have a problem. I’ve done that.”
“Well, if you’re going to be staying here I’ll be keeping an eye on you and if you need somegriff to talk to and that group doesn’t work, I’ll lend an ear.”
“I definitely appreciate the offer, but… I’ve got a lot of things to do back in Canterlot,” Wind replied. “It’s where my closest friends are, and where most of them are going to be staying. I can’t just leave them for good, especially after all we’ve been through together.” Wind then stopped and blinked. “Though Xvital will probably want to move back to Tenochtitlan when she is married… and Vix-Lei isn’t an Equestrian, so she’ll probably be commuting between there and Ledra eventually, but Rex, Night and Page are definitely staying.”
“And if this pans out, you will have an actual home and family here,” Gordon said. “From what I heard, most Hatchery griffons lived from inn to inn with few ever having rented a place, let alone owned one. And even if she isn’t your mom, I have heard on the grapevine that our government is going to help settle all the freed griffons and nationalize them. One as famous as you wouldn’t have any problems becoming a citizen and getting all sorts of nice perks.”
“That’s incredibly tempting,” Wind admitted more to himself than Gordon. “Almost all that I ever wanted. But this all depends on how things turn out,” he said with a sigh, rubbing his face before he started to chew the gum heavily. “Either way, I’ll be going back at least part of the time if I do stay here.”
“Fair enough; can’t just up and abandon all your friends just like that,” Gordon replied. “Sounds like you’ve got a good bunch there.”
Wind nodded. “We’re a mixed bunch, that’s for sure… never thought I’d have ended up getting along with Night, considering how he and I first met, but after all was said and done, I wouldn’t trade him or any of the others for the world.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a family there already,” Gordon said before snorting with Wind doing the same. “Sorry, I know, corny as hell.”
“Yeah it was pretty bad,” Wind chuckled. “Definitely true though.” He considered. “But seeing as Night, Page and Vix-Lei have all been pretty successful reconnecting with their families so far, I hope I am too.”
“Your other friends have no luck?” Gordon asked.
“Rex isn’t sure if he has any blood family in Canterlot, just a few friends he’s met again recently, and Xvital hasn’t tried to find hers again yet,” Wind said. “But she’s planning on it, and she’s got her fiance with her already, so she’s happy.”
“All the best for them then,” he said, raising a wing. “May they be swarmed with the blessing of countless kids.”
Wind snorted in amusement at that, imagining Xvital being swarmed by little versions of her and Tizoc. “I know they’re certainly thinking about it,” he said. “What about you, you got any?”
“One boy and one girl,” Gordon replied. “My son’s on the force up north; my girl’s head librarian in this town. They’re both good kids.”
“That's good,” Wind said. “I wonder if Page would have liked to meet her; she was a foundling of the Great Library of Canterlot… or was it the Grand Library?” He shook his head. “Either way, she probably would.”
If Gordon had a response, it was cut off by the arrival of the nurse. “Sir, your friend is done.”
“That’s good,” Wind told her. “How is he doing?”
“That’s…” she shook her head. “You need to come, now.”
Wind raised an eyebrow at this, then turned to Chief Gordon. “Thank you for everything, sir.”
“You’re welcome, son.”
Wind Breaker gave him another friendly smile, then turned and hurried to the examination room where Vix-Lei was standing over a stunned looking Night with the doctor looking at the results with a disbelieving look on his face.
“Is it that bad?” Wind asked.
“No, it’s the exact opposite,” Vix-Lei said, rubbing Night’s back.
“What.” Wind Breaker stared at them.
Rubbing a hoof against his face, Night nodded in his direction. “It seems that while my wing still had problems after that… wave, despite what I thought at the time, my heart is in perfect shape.”
“That’s incredible,” Wind said, walking over to pat Night on the back before pausing. “Wait, if your heart is fine when it should be all messed up from how much of a tightass you were, do you think it fixed my liver?” Night initially gave him an annoyed look before his eyes widened.
“Why would your liver need to be fixed?” the doctor asked before turning to Night. “I assume you will be paying for any medical exams your friends has, correct?”
“Absolutely, doctor Gregory,” Night told him. “It’s the least I could do.”
“In which case, I feel I should warn you that unlike your friend’s case, liver function tests require blood samples from the patient,” Doctor Gregory replied as he turned to Wind. “When was the last time you ate anything?”
“Does this count?” Wind asked, with his gum sticking out the edge of his beak.
The doctor sighed. “In which case, you’ll have to wait at least eight hours after finishing that or anything else before I can take samples,” he said. “I recommend fasting overnight and coming in first thing tomorrow morning, and even then it’ll take a few days before we have the confirmed results. Your friend’s test went faster than I expected, but blood tests always take a few days.”
“Will do, sir,” Wind said. “And I understand.”
“But I need to ask, why do you think your liver would be at risk,” the doctor asked. “Especially at your age.”
Wind sighed. “Because I’ve been an alcoholic since I had my first drink forced on me when I was nine, sir. I’ve been trying to stop for a few weeks, but it’s not easy.”
“You’re lying,” the doctor said. “No authority figure would allow that to happen.”
“When they’re Hatchery officials in Equestria, they do,” Wind told him and hefted his pack onto the table with a noticeable clink. The griffon walked over to it and stared in complete shock at his collection.
“This is some sort of joke, right?” he asked, barely keeping his voice contained at the sight. “What kind of…” He uttered something so harsh that every set of ears in the room flattened at it. “Would do that to a kid?”
“The kind who were tired of him getting into fights because he couldn’t stop from telling the truth.” Wind gave him a tired look. “This is the only way I could restrain myself, and I hate it.”
“Damn Equestrians,” he snarled out of his beak before looking at Night. “Um…”
“No offense taken,” Night replied. “After everything that’s come out, a lot of us are offended by what the system did too.”
“At least some of you have some shame,” Doctor Gregory grumbled. “Now if you could do something about it…”
“That’s why we’re here,” Wind told him. “The Hatcheries were all shut down yesterday, and we flew out here overnight - in a skimmer from his family that he is just starting to get on good terms with,” he added with a gesture to Night who was squirming now under this attention. “So I could try and find my family.”
“I see what you mean about telling the truth all the time,” the doctor said. “And… with those places shutting down, there should be less hurt cubs out there. Might as well as start helping one as more will be coming soon, I expect.”
“Yeah, I can only imagine a lot of griffons will want to be here where they belong, though I guess some will be held up due to the riots…”
“Riots?” the doctor asked curiously.
“They were partying in the streets over being free, and some of them got a little rowdy,” Vix-Lei spoke up. “It was still happening all over Canterlot when we left.”
“Thankfully Night got me out of there before it got too crazy,” Wind said with Night muttering under his breath and starting to blush of all things. “I don’t mind admitting that I was getting more than a little nervous out there in the open after everything we saw happening.”
“Well as long as you didn’t do anything illegal, I don’t truly care,” the doctor said. “Remember, no eating until morning.”
“Yes sir,” Wind said, bobbing his head.
“And get rid… that, if you really are an alcoholic,” he waved a talon at his bottles and Wind could feel his heart squeeze tightly. He was about to chew on the gum when he felt Vix-Lei’s hand on his shoulder.
“Doc,” she said softly. “He isn’t ready for that yet.”
“Ah, my mistake,” the doctor’s eyes softened and reached out to clasp Wind’s arm. “I do hope you find your parents, kid.”
“Thanks,” Wind replied. “Me too.”
Clear Back
Clear Back stared with wide eyes, though they were not exactly that wide as the light from the sun was still too bright and painful. After nearly blinding himself after he had left, Clear Back had learned to use the shades the rest of colony had given him.
“The Crystal Empire,” he whispered to himself. “Exactly as Princess Celestia’s record described it to be.” Though that wasn’t true either; much of its walls were pockmarked and ponies in a style of armor that wasn’t part of the records were manning it. Regardless he had an important task and he needed to find someone that could get him in touch with whomever was in charge of Canterlot or Celestia’s Order so he could tell them that the prison for him was failing and failing fast.
With that, Clear squared his shoulders and joined the mob of ponies walking into the city.