//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: Webs of Friendship // Story: SL-5: Love, Fluff, and Thunder // by RadBunny //------------------------------// Twilight blew out a long, sad whistle as Harmony hung her head. The mare had finished her tale, and to say it was a doozy was an understatement. “I know I’ve messed up. I don’t- how do I fix this?” Harmony whispered. “I could at least show Sassi that I cared by helping Astral heal. I could at least try to show that I was better than what she thought I was. But Arcane?” She shook her head, shoulders slumping as the mane fell in front of Harmony’s face. “Arcane doesn’t need or want anything from me. He doesn’t even want to speak to me again. How do I make up for three months-no, his entire life of having him think I didn’t care? Because he’s right. I didn’t care, not nearly enough.” she paused, looking up at Twilight with a shimmering gaze. “Y-you had trouble learning social rules. So, you know what it’s like. I’m at that stage. I think I’ve learned most of them, but there are so many. Different species, situations, races…I’m still learning. I don’t say that to gain pity, only that I feel you can understand my position. I should have known better. But I was worried. And I ignored that he m-might need a friend. He’s not wrong in hating me. I only paid more attention when he became a danger. Not w-when he needed me. Not when it mattered.” The Princess took a few moments to think, measuring her words carefully. “Well, it’s a doozy of a friendship problem, to say the least,” Twilight admitted. “I don’t think you can fix this right now. The best thing for this is time. Give Arcane some space, and then reach out as he requested. Time will be your friend. Slow and steadily trying to mend things.” Harmony nodded in agreement, shoulders still shaking with emotion. The mare looked up and saw Twilight offering a hug, and the entity immediately accepted with a muffled yell of frustration into the Princess’s fur. “Feel better?” Twilight asked after a few moments, Harmony taking a step back. “Y-yes,” she said with a firm nod. “I think there’s someone else I need to visit as well.” “Oh?” “You…um, don’t know them.” Twilight blinked, staring for a solid few seconds before sighing. “I’m not going to know the specifics, am I?” “Nope. Not yet,” the mare admitted with an apologetic shrug. “Well, I have a meeting with Tanzil in a few hours to talk about things. From what I understand, there are some potential stability issues. Our trade contracts are going to be improved again today, but from the brief message I got after our last meeting, he could use a friendly face. I get the sense he’s not as okay as he says. I don’t know if you’re meeting with him or anyone in relation to him, but it’d be appreciated.” Harmony’s rather guilty face was enough confirmation for Twilight that she was on the right path. “We’ll talk soon?” Twilight reached forward and gave the hesitant, spectral mare a hug. “Yup. Just remember to breathe.” The Guardian did just that, waving before she vanished. Twilight sat down in the throne room and took a long breath of her own. “She reminds me of myself. Was I really that up-tight when I was younger?” The Princess could almost hear her friends laughing at the question, and that alone brought a smile to her face. Tanzil flopped onto the couch, massaging his temples. He had been distracted, to say the least. That was the story of the past two days. The meeting with Twilight had brought all of his anxieties to the fore, the encounter having thrown his entire rhythm out of whack. The worst part was that the Emperor knew he was overthinking it. Despite the casual note sent to Twilight regarding their trade routes, his anxieties refused to be quelled. He hated it. “You are one tense gryphon, Tanzil.” The Emperor took a few deep breaths, turning around with a weak smile. The outline of an ancient Gryphon emperor sat in front of him, clad in the familiar ceremonial armor. His friend was a welcome presence. Tanzil had known Garret Razortalon for nearly his entire life. While many things changed, the spirit-like gryphon hadn’t and could be counted on to offer what advice he could to the once-adolescent who had stumbled upon his artifact-ridden tomb. The ethereal gryphon was an oft-welcome voice of reason amidst politicians and greedy nobles. Tanzil had been young and stupid when they first met. It was still a shock to him that things had gone as well as they had. “Tense?” Tanzil asked. “It’s that obvious?” “You’ve been spacey ever since your date. I thought things went well, but I assume your vulnerable moment has been eating at you?” Tanzil sighed; ears flat against his skull. “To say the least. It’s been spinning around in my head. I might be overthinking it. But I know she might also be overthinking it. Overall, it was quite a bit more awkward than I intended things to be.” “Oh? How so?” Tanzil raised an eyebrow, the other spectral gryphon shrugging. “What? I can’t be everywhere at once. I’m not like that Equestrian Guardian. I’m just here to help you as best I can. All I knew was that you had a meeting with the Princess, and then you had what appeared to be a small anxiety attack after needing her comfort. That hardly sounds inappropriate. Besides, don’t many creatures take their date to bed on the first date?” Snorting at Garret’s words, Tanzil couldn’t help but chuckle at the gryphon’s indignant remark. “Fair enough. I just I worry I came off as insecure or weak. I can’t…” Tanzil’s throat closed, the gryphon taking in a few deep breaths as he slumped over. “I…” A headache pounded at his temples, Tanzil’s mind abruptly running in a million directions. The walls abruptly closed in, pressure clamping down on the gryphon’s skull as his breathing came in short, panicked gasps. A slightly cold touch gripped the Emperor’s shoulder. “Breathe, Tanzil.” Tanzil looked down at his claws, the digits shaking slightly as he gasped, the darkness in his vision starting to flee. Garret waved a talon, a small bottle of medication floating over before Tanzil waved it off. “I’m already at the max dose. Any more and it’ll be a tranquilizer.” Frowning, Garret furrowed his brow as Tanzil sat upright, struggling to take deep breaths. “I should have conquered all of this. I shouldn’t be this frayed. I’ve lived long enough to put it all to rest,” the younger Gryphon growled. “Well, that’s a rather useless way of approaching it,” the spectral Gryphon huffed. “You act like you can ignore who you are. What you are, I might add.” “I feel like an imposter!” Tanzil retorted. “I’ve had to learn all of this on my own! How to dance with politicians in their games, finances, armies, everything was on me- is on me! Without your help, I’d be just another orphan on the streets!” A staff materialized in Garret’s claws, the gryphon sending it slamming to the carpeted floor with a rather loud THUD. “I will hear you say no such things,” Garret growled. “I don’t know what transpired between you and the Princess, but you are not thinking clearly.” “No, I am. That’s the problem! It’s just me in my own thoughts. I’ve got you to counter them, and who else? Who else in my life who can be a listening ear? The silence is deafening,” Tanzil said. “Ponies appreciate vulnerability and honesty. Gryphons see it as a sign of weakness. How am I to rally my people when I am crumbling, and the only creature who can appreciate that happens to be one whom historically, our people perceive as weak?!” The Gryphon’s voice then cracked. “Who else can I talk to about this? Is there anyone?” Garret lett out a sad sigh, his shoulders lowering in slight sadness. “Ah. I see,” he rumbled. “The isolation. It’s maddening, isn’t it? Time is not the same for me. It is easy for me to forget, but I tried to warn you.” “Yes, you did. But it’s been getting worse,” Tanzil whispered. “Ever since the coup attempt. I can feel eyes in the back of my head. I envy Twilight; she can at least make friends. I’m stuck wondering if my newest acquaintance is trying to bleed money from the royal coffers. Even the council is distant; I can’t remember the last time we went out to have a friendly dinner with the gryphons I thought were my friends. Twilight is the closest…” his voice trailed off. “She showed you a glimpse, didn’t she?” Tanzil looked over at the ghostly figure. “A glimpse?” The ancient emperor sat down next to Tanzil, resting a clawed hand on his shoulder. The touch was partially tangible, the older Gryphon smiling sadly. “A glimpse at what it could be like to rule with someone, rather than over,” he said calmly. “You know, Tanzil, I’ve always envied ponies. That’s one of my oldest secrets,” Garret said. “I had many mates during my life and many more fleeting lovers. And yet only a few captured my heart for a time. That same fleeting mindset bled into friends, family, and subjects. All of my relationships were corrupted by greed and gold. I can’t recall a single individual that loved me without any reservations. Nor can I say there are any I returned the feeling in kind.” His ears flattened, the gryphon sighing. “Of all of my regrets, that is probably the biggest. Ponies can make connections so much easier than we can. That has always been true. For all of Equestria’s faults, they have so many more advantages over us.” “You never told me any of that.” The spectral gryphon let out a huff at that. “You never went on more than a date or two. My advice in social matters is rather archaic, to say the least. But my point is this. If you’re now feeling the isolation of our society, of ruling, that means something happened to show you a better way. Isolation such as yours can’t exist in a vacuum. The status quo has changed in your life. All that I would ask of you is to try and guide our people to having a similar epiphany.” “I’ve tried, Garret, I’ve tried t-” “Tanzil, be quiet.” There were no other creatures who could tell the Emperor of the Gryphon Empire to shut his beak and be listened to immediately, aside from Garret. Tanzil had learned long ago to listen. When your mentor was a few thousand years old, it usually was for the best. “When you found me, I admit I didn’t see you as any different than the dozens of others who had supposed good intentions with my hidden wealth,” Garret said softly. “But I was wrong. You have proven time and time again you were the right creature for this burden. Shared blood had nothing to do with it. But maybe fate was well-intentioned for our people. You’re the only one who can get our people to see a better way. I’m still here because I trust you with that. You have stumbled, and fallen at times. But you have always gotten up. You must do that again.” “Garret, I’m tired,” Tanzil admitted, his voice cracking. “I can only rise on my own strength so many times. A simple hug nearly broke me. I can’t remember the last time I was comfortable with someone being that close. With the coup attempt, and this new threat on the horizon, the entire kingdom looks to me for security. The council is acting out of line more often than not. I don’t even feel safe in my own castle!” “Then go to her.” Those simple words made Tanzil stare, Garret grinning. “What? You care about this mare. So, tell her so. Our people deserve better than an empty shell for an Emperor. They deserve someone with a rich and fulfilling life. If Twilight makes you happy, then I’m not the one you should be confiding in.” “What could she see in someone like me?” It was rare that Garret was surprised by Tanzil, considering how well he knew the gryphon. Yet that simple statement uttered in barely a whisper, held a weight greater than any mountain. The younger Emperor couldn’t even lift his gaze, and Garret felt pity pull at his heart. “When you tell her the truth, she will understand,” Garret said finally. “You’ve admired her for some time. Don’t attempt to hide it from her.” “How could I not?” Tanzil choked, a set of claws reaching up to grab his chest as if it would help him breathe easier. “I wasn’t meant for this! I didn’t understand. You and Twilight are the two constants. Everyone else will just…” His voice trailed off, Garren casually lifting the gryphon up and plopping him on the bed in the corner of the room. “I cannot relieve you of this burden, Tanzil. But I can tell you this,” Garret said as the Emperor curled up in a nest of pillows. “If I could tell our people, and you, one thing that would improve life in the Gryphon Empire, it’d be this. Be more honest, with yourself, your friends, and those you care deeply about. Don’t hide with insults and deflection. We have much to learn from ponies, and they from us. Perhaps you can show both sides just that.” Tanzil nodded, Garret turning off the lights with another wave of his claws. “Thank you, Garret.” The older gryphon’s throat closed up, the former Emperor nodding once before vanishing. Tanzil was left in the dark, somehow a more comforting scene than the previously well-lit room. He had enough of a mind to levitate over a pen and paper, setting it on the bedside table. He’d write a letter when he woke up. Garret looked out across the Gryphon Empire with a sad sigh. Perched on top of the royal castle, the spectral gryphon remained unseen by even the closest observers. A pulse of energy drew his attention. With a wave of his claws, Garret manipulated the existing defenses around this portion of the castle to a neutral status. He knew who this was, after all. “Harmony. How have you been?” the former Emperor asked, the mare sitting down at his side. She didn’t respond at first. That alone was a warning sign. Usually, the mare said hello at the very least. “I’ve really messed up, Garret. I’ve hurt someone, badly. And I don’t want that to happen again,” she finally said. “So, I’m here just to check in on things.” “Well, we’re certainly on good terms. I always enjoy speaking with you. Are you here for advice or a sympathetic ear?” “Simply a friendly hello. I want to check in with one of the few bridges I haven’t seemed to damage. You’re the Guardian of this kingdom, after all. And if I act anywhere here, I want to clear it with you.” The gryphon let out a disproving huff, waving a set of talons at her. “Stop calling me that. I’m not a Guardian or Fate or whatever. It’s not my duty, nor do I have even a fraction of your power,” he hung his head with a sigh. “I’m just an Emperor who was far too greedy and selfish during his life. It was only after my mortal body turned to dust that I realized my mistakes. I wasn’t even that good of a gryphon during my time, and that’s saying something,” he admitted, taking off the ethereal crown and looking at it. “I’m not worthy to be some sort of Guardian. I was a lousy creature, a shameful Emperor, and it took death to make me realize what I did wrong. I just provide guidance, as much as I can. Sometimes I wonder why he even listens to me. He’s far more worthy of that title than I.” “Because you’re his friend. And I think you’ve been doing very well, at least I think so,” Harmony chimed in. “Well, I appreciate it. I just wish I had cared this much about someone when I was mortal. Maybe that’d have changed things.” Garret glanced over to Harmony, the gryphon bowing his head. “But what did you have in mind within the Empire?” “I want to help.” Harmony’s immediate response made Garret chuckle. “Oh? Well, you’re welcome to. Just don’t make Tanzil’s life any more difficult. The poor guy is reaching his limit. He seems to think his first date went horribly. He mentioned seeing you.” The mare winced. “I wasn’t prepared to see him again. I was rather blunt the last time we spoke when I warned him upon taking the throne. He was…curt” “Yes, you were. Promising to intervene if the Empire had hostile intentions towards Equestria tends to do that. He certainly hasn’t forgotten it,” Garret chuckled. “If you want to soften things, give it a bit of time, and talk to him first. I certainly think it’d be a good idea, for however little that’s worth. Just wait. He’s troubled.” Harmony’s eyes narrowed at that. “Troubled?” “He’s a very emotional creature,” the elderly Gryphon sighed. “Far more than our people are used to, or normally are. We can have big hearts, but that’s often corrupted by gold and greed. Tanzil is far more like you ponies. He wasn’t trained to rule. He feels like he’s living a lie.” “Is he not?” A hum of energy made Harmony back up, the mare waving a hoof franticly as energy crackled around Garret’s talons, the Emperor glaring at the pony. “I d-didn’t mean it like that!” she said in a mild panic. “But just- you know! The situation is rather difficult! He isn’t being truthful, but I know it’s not that simple. I’m sorry.” Garret took a deep breath, the magical energy subsiding. He probably couldn’t have given Harmony more than a nasty scratch, but the former Emperor had made his point. “He doesn’t need or deserve your condemnation. Tanzil needs your help. Our help,” Garret whispered. “I don’t know how Twilight is doing, but I hope he can talk to her. My experience is limited. Perhaps she can comfort him where I cannot. He’s hurting, and he needs a sincere, close friend. I just am not the creature for that. I can only point him towards creatures who can actually help with this.” A gentle touch drew his attention, Harmony then withdrew her hoof with a nod. “I think they’ll be ok,” she said firmly. “Like many creatures, they just need to talk.” That made the Gryphon chuckle. Sometimes Harmony could be so simple, yet so correct. “Well said.” After a few more moments, the mare piped up again, standing and stretching. “Thank you, Garret. I always enjoy speaking with you.” Harmony’s soft, genuine tone made the former Emperor pause, the gryphon bowing his head respectfully. Apparently, there was a lot more going on in the Guardian’s head than he realized. “Of course. Take care, Harmony.” “You too.”