//------------------------------//
// Confrontation: Pine Talon 
// Story: My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//


January 17, 14:14
Wonderbolt Academy
Infirmary
***


After dropping Raindrops off in Ponyville, Blaze, Kierra, and I went straight to the infirmary.  The medical staff working there all looked rather on-edge.  However, when I approached one of them, she wasn't incredibly startled.  She calmly gave me a salute without jumping in surprise or anything.

"What's the status of our assassin guest?" I asked.

"He's awake," said the nurse. "His room is under tight guard, just as you ordered.  His weapons have also been confiscated."

"Good," I said with a nod. "Is he in any condition to talk?"

"Well, that's debatable," said the nurse sheepishly. "He hasn't said a word since he got here, and his anatomy is so alien that all we could do was patch up any visible wounds.  We've never seen anything like him, ma'am."

"I didn't expect you to," I said. "Well, all we can do right now is hope for the best.  Take me to his room.  One way or another, he has to explain himself."

"Yes, ma'am," said the nurse with a salute.  With that, she led us to the room in question.


***


Just as the nurse said, the room was under heavy surveillance.  Fast Clip and Whiplash were right outside the door, and Pine Talon himself was strapped down to his bed.  As we entered, he looked up to the best of his ability.

"Ah, so my executioner has finally arrived," he said, still sounding like he was bored out of his skull. "Whatever means you plan to use, make it quick.  Neither of us have got all day."

"I take it this is your first time in Equestria," I said, adjusting my shades. "Around here, we don't go out of our way to kill anyone.  We express hospitality to our friends and our foes, and act only in self-defense."

"Is that so?" said Pine Talon. "Tch, I knew this whole thing was a stupid idea."

"What whole thing?" asked Kierra.

"Trying to impose our will on a nation we don't understand," said Pine Talon simply.

"Does that include the Griffon Kingdom?" Kierra snarled.

"Before you jump to any conclusions, I just wish to say that I had nothing to do with that," said Pine Talon. "The blame falls squarely on my brethren, though I use the term rather loosely."

"But you still attacked the Wonderbolts," said Blaze darkly.

"Attacked, not killed," Pine Talon clarified. "Believe me, if I was taking this seriously, the Wonderbolts would've been destroyed long ago."

My anger suddenly gave way to confusion. "You mean, you weren't trying to kill us?"

"Oh, I was trying.  Just not very hard," said Pine Talon with a shrug. "Perhaps I should explain."


***
Testimony: My Actions
***


"Indeed, I was ordered to kill the Wonderbolts," said Pine Talon. "This land, Equestria, has been marked for conquest by our Empress.  However, I do not see eye-to-eye with the Empress.  And yet, I cannot disobey her order.  So, I only put the most minimal amount of effort into trying to kill you all.  Whether you died or not didn't matter as long as it looked like I was doing my job."

I, wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.  Even though he wasn't really trying, several members of my team were still hurt pretty badly.  I shudder to imagine what would've happened if he actually gave a damn.  But that didn't change the fact that he wasn't telling me everything.

"I was under the impression that the Tengu Dynasty fell a long time ago," I said. "When did it come back?"

"Oh, it hasn't.  Yet," said Pine Talon.

"Yet," I parroted.

"Well, we certainly didn't attack you and the griffons for the fun of it," said Pine Talon with a shrug. "The Empress wishes to bring the Tengu Dynasty back."

Kierra gasped in horror. "Wh-who in their right mind would want to do that?!" she exclaimed. "The Tengu Dynasty fell for a reason!"

"Nngh.  Not so loud," Pine Talon growled, squirming in his restraints. "Must you insist on screaming every other sentence?"

Kierra snorted angrily. "Why you—"

"Easy there," I said, raising my wing and shaking my head. "Trust me, I don't like his attitude, either.  But he's not gonna give us any answer if you tear him limb from limb."

Kierra let out a strained sigh and stood down.

"That being said, she has a point," I said, turning back to Pine Talon.

"Oh, I know she does," said Pine Talon. "Indeed, the Tengu Dynasty destroyed itself through power struggle after power struggle.  No one remained leader for long.  It actually got quite monotonous towards the end."

"Tell me, are you the only tengu aware of this fact?" asked Blaze.

"Yes, but that wasn't always the case," said Pine Talon. "I'm actually considered a maverick amongst tengu because I apply my brain to things other than war and conquest.  The only reason I lived while others like me have died is because I don't try to change our society.  I just accept the status quo and do everything half-assed."

I can't say that I'd do the same in his position.  I have a lot of respect for cadets who speak their mind and challenge me as long as they're respectful and have a legitimate grievance.  Just ask Rainbow Dash.

"If you have so little respect for your leader, why follow her at all?" I asked.

"Because I'm not an idiot," said Pine Talon bluntly. "If I were to disobey a direct order, I'd most certainly be executed for treason.  That's how the tengu do things: Follow whoever is in charge until you can kill him or her and take command yourself."

Is it just me, or does that sound like an incredibly crappy way to run a dynasty?  I highly doubt it's just me.

"So, you were behind all of the attacks," said Blaze.

Pine Talon seemed to raise an eyebrow. "Define 'all,' my dear."

"You launched a thunderbolt from an exploding cloud at Misty Fly, you sent an airship as a decoy to get at Fire Streak, you had Fleetfoot ram Rapidfire at the Wonderbolt Derby, you poisoned Gustav le Grand's Full Spectrum Tarts, and you forced Drake to attack Fleetfoot," I said, running down the list.

"Well, that's three out of five.  Not too bad."

I did a double take. "Three?!"

"The third and the fifth were not my doing," said Pine Talon.

I-I couldn't believe my ears!  Was he serious?!  Was there another assassin out there?!

"Who else is out there?!" I demanded, rushing up to him and pressing my hooves against his chest. "Tell me, now!"

Pine Talon sighed. "There.  Right there.  That is why this whole thing is stupid."

"Answer my question, dock-hole!" I barked. "If there's more than one of you attacking my team, I want them all to pay, not just you!"

"As of right now, I am the only real threat to your team," said Pine Talon in a very matter-of-fact tone. "And that's only because you're allowing me to live."

"But you just said..."

"Sis, maybe you should practice what you preach, yeah?"

Blaze's words really resonated with me.  She was right.  I had to keep a cool head if I wanted to get through this.  I slowly got off of Pine Talon and took a deep breath.

"Sorry.  I'm sorry," I said as I exhaled. "I-I lost control."

"It's okay," said Blaze, nuzzling my cheek with her muzzle. "I know you're worried about us."

Pine Talon scoffed.  At least, I think he did.  It sounded more like he was contemplating something.  After I had calmed down, I turned to him again.

"You said the attacks on Rapidfire and Fleetfoot were not your doing," I said. "Do you know what happened?"

"Yes," said Pine Talon. "The Empress intervened both times."

"Why should we believe you?" asked Kierra. "I know the tengu are capable of harnessing magic."

"Not this kind of magic," said Pine Talon gravely. "Those two attacks did use tengu methods, but only the Empress could've done it."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Because only the Empress has access to the Wind's Mandate."

The Wind's Mandate.  Of course!  Now I get it!

"You may call me crazy for saying this, but I believe you," I said.

"You, believe him?" asked Kierra.

"Stop me if I get something wrong," I said. "The tengu have weapons that utilize wind, but they can't manipulate it themselves.  The only way for a tengu to manipulate wind is with the Wind's Mandate, and whoever wields that has command over the tengu.  In the cases with Rapidfire and Fleetfoot, the wind was manipulated to make others attack the desired targets.  Meaning the one behind those attacks was none other than the wielder of the Wind's Mandate!"

Kierra beamed. "You never cease to astound me, Ms. Spitfire," said she. "But, that still leaves us with a problem.  The Wind's Mandate disappeared, thus causing the Tengu Dynasty to collapse.  Who found it?"

"Oh, the original was destroyed in that particular battle," said Pine Talon.

"Then, why is there a new Empress running around?" asked Blaze.

"It's a bit of a tale," said Pine Talon. "Honestly, no tengu can claim to know all the details.  Heck, some tengu are so confused by this new development that they stubbornly write it off as myth."

"And yet they follow the Empress anyway," I said.

"If it means living for a little bit longer, it doesn't matter if you're a hypocrite," said Pine Talon. "Anyway, I'll tell you what I know, but if you want the true story, you'll have to seek out the Empress yourself."

"Oh, don't worry.  I plan on doing just that," I said.  Yeah, catching one tengu wasn't going to stop all of this.  I needed to nip the problem in the bud.  But first, I needed to know who I was dealing with.


***
Testimony: The Tengu Empress
***


"I disremember when exactly this phenomenon occurred, but it was most certainly after the dynasty's fall," said Pine Talon. "According to legend, the Empress had forged a new Wind's Mandate out of nothing but the wind itself.  She then rounded up the scattered tengu, and proclaimed that the dynasty would rise again.  She went about this by forging new weapons for us, such as the exploding clouds.  We then ventured forth to the Griffon Kingdom and Equestria in order to make her dream a reality."

That, didn't tell me a lot about who this Empress was.  And a lot of the story was heavily shrouded in mystery and fanciful exaggerations.  But I couldn't press him on what he didn't know.  Still, I could press him on what he did know.

"Have you ever seen the Empress yourself?" I inquired.

"Oh, no one sees the Empress," said Pine Talon. "At least, no one who's still alive.  The Empress has forbidden us to approach her, lest we be torn apart by the very wind she wields."

Well, gee.  That doesn't sound suspicious at all, now does it?  This Empress wasn't just manipulating griffons and ponies with her magic; she was also playing the tengu for a bunch of saps.  But why would she want to keep her identity a secret?  And what was she trying to accomplish by doing this?

"How does the Empress order you if you're not allowed to approach her?" I asked.

"She hides herself in the clouds, and speaks from above," said Pine Talon. "She also has the wind supply us with her weapons."

"Mmm," I said with a nod. "And, I take it you're not a big fan of her."

Pine Talon snorted. "The Tengu Dynasty should not rise again," he said darkly. "A culture where everyone tries to kill each other to gain power is not a culture; it's a bloodbath.  As I have previously stated, I'm probably the only tengu alive who knows that.  The Empress is mad, my dear.  Madder than any Tengu Emperor before her.  If you want to stop the tengu, you have to stop her."

"On that, we can agree," I said. "Equestria is a nation of peace, and we'll do everything we can to protect it."

"And, that is why you won't kill me?"

"The thought never even crossed my mind."

Pine Talon gave a dry chuckle. "You wouldn't last a day as a tengu."

"And you wouldn't last a day as a pony," I retorted.

"Actually, that's where you're mistaken," said Pine Talon. "It may take some getting used to, but I can picture myself willingly embracing your culture when my brethren would not.  Perhaps I am jaded in my old age, but I find constantly fearing that your neighbor is plotting to end you while you plot to end him is, rather dull.  Living with creatures who show compassion rather than contempt is a nice change of pace."

Wow.  The way he said that, he kinda made me feel like a heel.  All this time, I thought that the assassin was nothing but scum who wanted nothing more than to hurt me and my team.  But, I was wrong.  Beneath the cynicism and the cold-hearted culture he came from, he was actually a decent fellow.  Just goes to show you that you can't really judge a book by its cover.

"It's a shame we had to meet like this," I said. "We, could've been friends."

"Perhaps.  Or perhaps not.  I understand either way," said Pine Talon solemnly. "I'd still recommend maintaining your guard if you plan to keep me alive.  Instinct can sometimes override rational cognition."

"Noted," I said. "Thank you, Pine Talon."

"You're welcome.  Please, tell me your name before you go."

"It's Spitfire."

"Your name fits your voice, young Spitfire.  It can hear the blazing inferno of determination and the gentle hearth of concern with every phrase you utter.  I shall never forget your name, nor your voice."

I sighed.  I-I can't hate this guy anymore.  He hurt my team, but he did so out of self-preservation, not malevolence.  I, actually felt sorry for him.

"Once this is all over, I'll turn you over to Princess Celestia," I said. "You must stand trial for your crimes."

"I accept this," said Pine Talon. "May the wind sing your good graces, young Spitfire."

"Right.  Thank you," I said, mainly because I couldn't think of anything else to say.  With that, I left him with Blaze and Kierra at my heels.

"You okay, Sis?" Blaze asked.

I nodded and gave Blaze a soft smile. "I'll be alright," I said. "I, just wasn't expecting that."

"Yeah, I hear you," said Blaze, breathing a sigh of her own. "I guess the real enemy here is that Empress bitch, whoever she is."

"I'll be sure to give Ambassador Honor Bound my full report," said Kierra. "If the Empress finds out that Pine Talon has been captured, there's no telling what she'll do."

"We'll just need to keep our eyes and ears open," I said. "But one thing's for certain."

"What's that?"

"Whether the Empress finds out about Pine Talon or not, I guarantee you that she'll attack at the Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet," I said. "Be sure to include that in your report.  I'll let my team know, too."

"Understood." said Kierra.

"Um, back up a sec, Sis," said Blaze. "Why are you so sure about this?"

"Look at the facts, Blaze," I said. "The Ghastly Gorge Gauntlet represents unity and cooperation between ponies and griffons.  If this Empress wants the Tengu Dynasty to rise again, then she has to destroy those concepts.  And what's more, she's not expecting us to see it coming."

I paused to breath a great sigh. "Well, we're gonna prove her wrong.  She might've been getting the drop on us thus far, but this time, the horseshoe's gonna be on the other hoof..."