//------------------------------// // Welcome to the Order // Story: Fists of Fury or Something // by Shocks //------------------------------// "Rick...Awaken..." The sweet angelic voice broke through the thick cover of layered sheets, where a form wiggled slightly underneath. It seemed to shy away from the voice, mumbling and groaning quietly before becoming silent once more. Unperturbed, the voice's owner edged closer to the sleeping form of her friend, a small mischievous grin on her muzzle. "~Awaken my friend~ our sun has already risen into the sky. We must begin the day immediately!" In response, the form tried to bury itself deeper into the bed, some grumblings of 'Sun tyrant' reaching the alicorn's ears. Her smile only grew at the rather scandalous comment; no pony would dare to voice such a phrase. "Oh, we see now. Thou require...encouragement" With the last word spoken, she slowly inhaled a deep breath, preparing a particular ability of hers. The form under the sheets suddenly began to panic, the blankets almost being thrown off in the rush. The figure finally revealed itself as the lone human, its upper body rising to meet the alicorn almost face to face. His look of horror was matched only by the massive grin of his friend. "Celly don-" "Gaunts!!!" My dream came to an abrupt end, all but slapping me wide awake. I nearly bolded upright in the bed I was in, scanning my surroundings in almost a frenzy. My heart rate increased when I realized I was no longer in Fluttershy's cabin. Then, my groggy mind finally arrived at the present, memories of last night rushing over me. Not to mention the soreness that suddenly hit me, along with a few small pings of pain from my chest. Looking down, I realized my chest was uncovered, revealing my bare if not bruised upper body. More surprisingly, the cuts I had obtained in the fight were covered over in several thick bandages. Absentmindedly, I moved my hand over the wrappings, only to be rewarded with the empty feeling as my gauntlet contacted the material. Glancing over my abdomen, I was a bit pleased to see a rather toned form. Now I didn’t have a six pack or anything, but there was a distinct lack of fat present. No doubt thanks to almost strictly vegetarian diet I had eaten for the year and a half before my imprisonment. Besides my now strangely treated wounds, I took advantage of the situation to study the room I was in. It was...lavish isn’t quite the word, but nor was it quaint. I suppose nice was the only word. The walls appeared to be made of a pale stone, not exactly grey, but neither the white of pure marble. It was semicircle in design, my bed resting at the far wall while various pieces of furniture followed the small curve. The only other features were two other doorways leading to unknown areas, but by the look of things, no doubt one led to a bathroom. In addition, the color scheme of the room caught my eye as well. My bed sheets was a similar to the color of the wine, in addition, gold and red were displayed throughout the room. Though a mostly white interior dominated the space. The lighting was something else as well, no candles, no orbs of light, but actual light bulbs! It even seemed like they were on some sort of dimmer setting.That or they were burning out. I was almost conflicted to stay in the bed, up until I remembered my collapse after the battle. I had been captured. Wincing ever so slightly at my soreness, I slid out of bed. The feeling of carpet hit my feet immediately, my eyes widening in surprise. The pleasant feeling was more then welcome, though it was a bit confusing. Why did they have carpet in this room? Ponies’ coats and their hooves alone could isolate them against cold floors. Yet my room had it, a thin layer mind you, but it was there. My suspicion was now active. For that matter, where was my shoes? My shirt? So help me if they took them... As I stood out of bed, the lights suddenly increased in brightness. Not unpleasant, but enough to light the room nicely. That struck me as odd immediately. My need to find out exactly what was happening picked up, and I made my way toward the only noticeable door to my room. I had just passed the end of the bed post when something caught my eye. There, lying on a gold colored ottoman that rested against the bed was my shoes, shirt, socks, hell, even my goggles. What struck me more was how the shirt appeared freshly cleaned and folded. Not to mention the tears it received last night were non existent. How...? I stored that question along with the others, and went about the process of getting dressed. A couldn’t help but smile at the routine, some things never change. I was just about to finish lacing my right shoe, when the door suddenly opened, allowing three ponies to enter the room. They caught me off guard for more then one reason. How they were clothed was, lightly put, strange. Yet in a way, majestic and...holy in some ways. The three were composed of two mares and one stallion. The lead mare looked like some kind of priest, her thick white robes covering almost her entire body, save for stopping right before her fore hooves. The robe had red and gold running down the front several times. Her coat was a pristine white that was almost an overkill with the robes, though her deep crimson mane helped to blend the colors nicely. Her irises were a surprising pale grey that shone with a youthful gleam. The other two were clearly guards-soldiers-whatever. They had a thick brown material that covered most of their bodies. Even then I was able to make out that one was a maroon unicorn, (I mean the horn, seriously) and the other was a forest green Pegasus. Though, they wore additional golden armor around their barrel, clasping together at the front of their body to form quiet the armor protection. Their helmets were a bit surprising, unlike the roman style that I had come to known, this seemed more modern to military helmets, and they even had thick clear tinted goggles on. The main point they had though was their spears. I say that because it all instances it appeared to be a spear or lance. The long golden rod had a spiked tip at the bottom, before running up the length to reach the head.... Wow is it just me or did that sound dirty? ... Moving on... Now the head is what confused me. Instead of a pointed blade of metal, there was some strange orb in its place made out of a material I couldn’t place. Glass maybe? The orb was glowing a faint teal, occasionally lighting and then darkening. The staff reminded me faintly of the clockwork staff from Ratchet and Clank as golden supports formed around it, though stopping around halfway from the top. Who the hell were these guys? Celly’s elite guard? The guards gave me a wary look as the mare strode forward a little, only a few feet away from my resting form. I looked to her, watching the guards behind her, and waited for the first move. I’m ashamed to say she caught be by surprise again by her statement. "Hello", she said, her voice somewhat refined but seemingly kind. It was such a simple thing, hello. Not, 'oh you’re awake' or 'I have you now' or even 'greetings mister alien guy'. Nope. Just 'hello'. "Hello" I nodded in return. Though I didn’t exactly smile. This caused her smile to widen ever so slightly, not to mention the guards flinch somewhat. I raised an eyebrow as she cleared her throat. "Ah, manners, manners. I should’ve introduced myself; I am Ivory Rose, third seat on the council. And you are?" She motioned a hoof. Ok, were playing this game? Fine by me. "Gaunts. You can call me Gaunts". Something I said clearly registered with her in a bad way, as her cheerful smile suddenly disappeared, leaving a borderline blank expression. "Interesting. Any particular reason you take a dead pony’s name?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Now that was interesting. "Excuse me? I’m not sure what you mean", I said, my own eyebrow rising. She took her eyes off me to eye her right hoof, inspecting it as she spoke. "Oh, well. That. The one known as Gaunts died a very long time ago. Even if he was still alive, he'd be a thousand years old. You certainly don’t look a thousand years old. So. Who are you really?" My eyes narrowed. Something was going on here. Besides the whole waking up in an unknown place. Again. "I’m Gaunts. That’s me. Its my name-" I always felt weird saying that,"- and no one else has taken it. Besides, Celestia and Luna are over 1000 years old and more. They certainly don’t look it". I was surprised not to get a reaction out of them by not adding the princess, but none of them even flinched. The mare giggled at my comment before shaking her head. "True, very true. However, they are alicorns. Their lifespan is millennia. I doubt the same applies to you. So, what’s your excuse?" Oh do I have an answer for you. I leaned forward, placing my hands on my knees. "Would you believe me if I said I was imprisoned in stone?" Her next answer would definitely blow me away. "Yes" She replied calmly. I stood from my seat on the ottoman, and took a few steps to stand directly in front of the mare. The guards in turn reacted by leveling their staffs at me, the top opening like a blooming flower to reveal a small ball of…electricity? The small orb was a miniature ball of raw electricity, tiny arcs rippling along its surface. Very cool… As much as I wanted to examine the new weapons I had priorities here. With my hands stationed at my sides, I eyed the mare. "Who exactly are you?" She gave me a look that screamed now your asking the right questions. Though she decided to lead me on a little more. "I am Ivory Rose. Third seat on the council" "I take it that is supposed to mean something. Sadly, I have absoultoutly no idea what you are talking about. So, who are you? And more importantly, what do you want?" I could tell the irritation I was feeling leak through my voice because all three tensed up slightly, though the guards were far more noticeable. However, this didn’t faze her too badly, as she actually turned away from me, though I was still pinned thanks to the guards. Ivory collected herself for a moment before turning to me. "Perhaps a game may help both of us? In this game, I ask a question. In return for an answer, you get a question. We can pass if we don’t want to answer the question, that way things can stay relatively friendly. What do you say? Interested?" Now that is interesting. Damn tempting too. In the promise of information, I had to give my own. My doubt of this mare’s intention was still strong, yet a small voice spoke in my head. Give her a shot. We don’t have much to lose. After a small mental debate, I finally relented. Letting out a deep sigh I hadn’t realized Id been holding, my shoulders relaxing as well, I agreed to the mare’s request. "Alright" I nodded my head. "I’m game". As if on queue, the staffs the guards were holding closed back around their little balls of lightning, and they pulled away from me almost instantly. The mares smile grew as I relented. The guards soon took positions on either side of the only door, while the mare sat on her haunches a few feet in front of me. "So, shall we begin?" She asked. I nodded. "Very well, the guest has the first move" Alright. I’ll open up. "Where am I?" "Safe" She replied. I raised an eyebrow at that, but before I could ask, she blasted me with a question of her own. "What was the first thing you invented?" What? "What?" "The first thing you invented. What was it?" she asked, this time leaning in slightly. My eyes narrowed. Something was definitely up here. "A chess game. Or just chess in general" I stated slowly. The mare just nodded and motioned to me with a hoof. "What am I safe from?" I got to ask. "That depends on what you’ve been fighting. If it’s the princesses, then yes. You are safe". What the hell? "At the battle of the grasslands, you fought side by side with Princess Celestia to break the local griffon force in two. Is that correct?" I crossed my arms at the boldness of the question. That was a particularly… interesting memory. Though, her statement is far from correct. "No. Its not" I somehow couldn’t find it to look her in the eye, and turned away to stare at the wall. "First, we were facing down the griffon army, not some detachment. Second, it wasn’t Cell-Celestia and I that broke the griffon line. She was too far back inside the main army; it was Luna and I that split the army. Backed by our troops of course" "I see. Now then..." I mentally groaned. How many questions did she have? Sitting quietly on a balcony overlooking the city of Canterlot, the rulers of Equestria sat on opposite sides of a small stone table, with a small tea set laid out before them. However, the solar diarch was not in a good mood. Normally, Princess Celestia had an air of kindness and love around her that was almost unbreakable. Even when she would listen to nobles for hours on end who demanded this or that from the ruler, she would nod and smile, but would kindly argue her opinion if necessary. Now, as she gazed at the indigo alicorn across from her, she couldn’t find it in her to wear the mask she had crafted over the years. Instead, a small frown was present on her muzzle as the two shared a small battle of wills. "No" She stated again, her look unwavering. Her sister's brow furrowed even deeper as her lips twitched slightly. No doubt attempting to avoid forming into a snarl. Although her gaze was focused on Luna's eyes, she was also well aware of the significant small cuts and bruises that marred her once pristine coat. "Why sister. We ask why" Luna spoke, her voice cold as steel. Though, Celestia couldn’t help but wonder if there was a small pleading undertone to her sister’s speech. Clearing her throat, she addressed her sister’s question. "I’m afraid the reason is a bit simple sister. You attacked him Luna. He didn’t hurt our ponies. Frankly, some might even say we deserve anything he-" Her explanation was suddenly interrupted by the slamming of hooves on stone, mixed with he sound of rattling china. "So we are simply to lie down and let him do with us as he wishes?! Nay sister! We will not-" A raised golden hoof silenced her sister for the moment, the lunar princess eyeing the appendage and its owner in mild irritation. Returning her hoof to its stationary place, the solar princess turned to her lone guard before alerting her guard that she and her sister would need a moment alone. Saluting, the guard disappeared into the hallway, leaving them alone on the balcony. "Luna" Celestia began, giving her sister a stern gaze only a scolding sibling could give. "I have thought about this ever since he broke free. Do not think for a second I have forgotten his capabilities or more importantly... his knowledge". The alicorn deflated ever so slightly at the last part, but nevertheless continued. "We gain nothing by attacking him Luna. Nothing. Even worse, we could already make a more dangerous enemy out of him then he already is. Possibly even push him into turning against Equestria" "All the more reason to stop him sister!" Luna suddenly interrupted. Celestia felt her anger rise somewhat, but forced it down as quickly as it began. Letting out a long sigh, she closed her eyes. In that small moment, several memories raced through her head. Some good, some bad, some painful. Opening her eyes again, she returned her attention to her sister, her resolve strengthened. Not again. Never again. “Luna. Please. I'm trying to keep calm about this, but you’re trying my patience. I suppose trying to argue my point further will yield nothing, so I'm going to be blunt about this. Why are you so adamant about his capture? If he was as much as a threat as you make him out to be he wouldn't be free at all. So tell me. What are your reasons?" She asked, looking at her sister as she took a sip of her tea. In response, Luna's left eye twitched ever so slightly and she stared at her sister as if she just said her moon was made of cheese. However, this look of confusion soon twisted into rage, evident by the mare slamming her hoofs down on the table. "Reasons?!? So his attack on us means nothing?! Nay the fact we have been injured thrice? And what of our guard?! Even now he recovers in the infirmary! Doth this mean nothing!?" The moon alicorn almost bellowed in her royal canterlot voice. Celestia felt her mane blow back ever so slightly, and noted with some distaste her tea had left her cup. Not to mention the tea pot and various other items that were on the table. As Luna breathed heavily, Her sister clamly returned the tea cup to the table and motioned her sister to sit. Against her anger, Luna returned to her seat. "I take it that is just the beginning?" The sun alicorn raised an eyebrow. The scoff that came from her counterpart was evident blatantly. Her cyan eyes drilled into Celestia's magenta, which absorbed the anger in calm waves. "We grow tired of thy calm sister. How can thy sit on thy flank and let him do as he pleases? Doth thou wish for another coup to take place?!" A pang of guilt surged through Celestia at that moment, as the event that inevitably destroyed the relationship between her and Gaunts. It had happened shortly after the peace conference between the Griffons and Equestria. Or rather during it. While she and Luna had met with the Griffon representatives in neutral territory in the Crystal Empire, he had been left behind to guard the home front. It was a mistake that would haunt her for some time. She couldn’t deny it would later play in Luna's own banishment. The repeated crushing blows had been one of the worst years of her life. If only I had taken him with us... "Tia?" Luna's voice brought Celestia out of her thoughts, noticing her sister's concerned expression. Looking away from her sister, Celestia gazed out toward the beautiful city that was Canterlot and her eye even caught a few large noble houses nestled away from the cityscape. It had been these types of ponies that had caused Gaunts to act. "Sister, I know you haven’t been able to think much on this issue, but let me tell you. I had 1000 years and more to think on this matter and I came to some conclusions”, she turned back to her sister, a determined look on her face. "It was not a coup. He made no move to overthrow or usurp our power. He moved only against the unicorn nobility and even then, he only locked them up. Besides a few bruises, most were completely unharmed. Not to mention he also declared the earth pony serfs free of any and all bondage. Do you think he was really looking to take the throne? Think about it Lulu, while we ruled together, the nobility was technically the only other power in Equestria at the time. With the nobility gone, we would’ve held most if not all the power in Equestria. He wasn’t taking power for himself, that much is clear. Now let me ask you this, did he really think he could hold that power for long? The answer is simple. No. Despite the loyalty the northern march had to him, his overall troops were nothing compared to ours. Even if he tried to forcefully resist, he would have failed. "And of the traitors?" Luna interrupted, silently processing this information. "I wouldn’t call them traitors Luna. I will admit they did side with him and led the captures of the nobility, but in the end they too were seeking to make Equestria better, admittedly in a way neither of us had considered...nor desired" When Luna raised an eyebrow at this, she elaborated. "We were complacent Luna. I was complacent. I was willing to allow things to go on because they worked. Admittedly, they may have not worked well enough. He wanted to change that" Celestia sighed shaking her head slightly. 'In the end however, we saw this as nothing but a traitorous act, just something else to shatter the kingdom we built. In our anger, my anger, we doomed him to never again to be our ally. Only to be an outcast and a bitter enemy" Celestia looked at her sister, a blank face present. "Something I’ve been trying to prevent escalating" Luna nodded calmly, her expression also somewhat blank. Suddenly, Luna let out a loud yawn. No doubt in part to her sleeping during the day. She was missing crucial hours of sleep. Standing, she turned away from her sister. "Forgive us Tia. We art quite exhausted. We will need to raise our moon soon, so we wish to rest until such time" She spoke. The solar alicorn nodded at her counterpart. "Alright Luna, get some sleep”. As Luna began to walk away, her voice reached Celestia's ears. "Do not believe we art finished with thou. We shall discuss this later" A small smile appeared on her muzzle. "Of course, sister" Luna's star maned tail disappeared behind the stone pillar, leaving the alicorn alone at the table. With no distractions, she suddenly realized how tired she felt, the conversation more draining then she had thought. As she looked at the table, a ghost of a memory played in her head. The small chuckling from across the table caught the princess of the day's attention, she looking on curiously as the biped stared bemusedly at his tea. "Gaunts? Is thou well?" She asked, her head tilted. This caused him to look up from the teacup carefully held in his grasp, a dopey expression on his face. "I’m fine, it’s just well..." He waved his free hand in the air, unsure of how to answer. This only caused the ruler more curiously. "Tell us, we art alone" She prodded. This only caused him to fidget slightly, seeming to fight a small mental battle. However, he quickly made up his mind. "It’s just, I’m having tea. With a pretty pony princess. Sounds like something out of little girl’s tea party or some terribly cheesy story" He finished, smiling awkwardly. The look of confusion did not leave the rulers face, though she acknowledged the statement with a nod. A small awkward silence descended over the two as they quietly sipped their tea, before a small realization struck the ruler. "Gaunts?" She started a small smile on her face, “Did thou refer to us as ‘pretty’ His resulting inhalation of his tea followed by a coughing fit caused a giggle to erupt from her muzzle. Celestia now stared at the vacant seat, feeling more alone then she had felt since her sister's return. She sighed heavily. Where had we gone wrong? Ivory Rose stood quietly in the hallway, staring down the two doors that loomed before her. Just beyond said doors lay the councils meeting room and obviously, where she was supposed to be at the moment. She had been standing here for a few minutes now, her mind a flurry with various thoughts about the specific matter at hand. Just moments ago her conversation ended with Gaunts and she had even managed to convince him to remain in his room for the time being. Now, her report was crucial and she scrutinized every moment in her mind as she stood before the large doors. Looking toward the doors, she was well aware of the intricate metal design that was woven across the large wooden doors. Depicted on its smooth grey surface were three ponies, each representing the three tribes. Each was clad in a similar armor piece of olden times, though there were unique differences that differentiated the three. All the ponies were rearing on their hind legs while wielding various weapons. In the center, stood a unicorn, raising a long sword toward the ceiling. Flanking him on each side was a pegasi with an armor attached lance along with an earth pony holding a war hammer in one of his hooves. Each weapon formed together near the very top of the door. She smiled at the idea that it seemed acutely similar to that of a dungeon passage rather then a simple meeting room. "Long day ma’am?" one of the centurion guards that flanked the door asked, his eyes moving to her form though his head remained still. She nodded toward him, letting out a breath through her nose. "That would definitely be a good way to describe my day yes" She admitted. The guard nodded before returning his attention to the wall across from him. "Whenever your ready ma’am, the council is already inside. They are waiting on you". The mare sighed, noting with some distaste that her time was up. She needed to give her report. She popped her neck a few times, before nodding toward the guard. "Alright, open them". The guard saluted and together with his comrade pushed the large doors open. Ivory did not waste time as they moved, walking calmly through the widening gap as the doors moved apart. Before the doors were halfway open, she was already inside. As the guards closed the door behind her, she was left in the large room. Circular in design, the room was brightly lit with many, many lamps that dotted the wall. Various pictures and tapestries were the also erected along the walls, each depicting a different scene of something or other. The main furniture piece in the room would have been the large marble table that dominated the space, encompassing a large portion of the room itself.And sitting at the table was none other then the rest of the council, each wearing nearly exact robes to her own. Spread out along the tables berth, each hooded figure sat quietly in a rather ornate but not too lavish chair. Of course their was one seat vacant, and she quietly made her way toward it. Sitting down, she just had time to pull her hood over her head before the one of the others spoke. "I think now is the time to begin this council meeting" the gruff voice of a stallion spoke up from the designated head of the table. All hooded faces turned to her and she cleared her throat in anticipation. "So Ivory, what have you gathered?" the same pony spoke as he shifted in his seat. "It’s...a bit hard to say" she started. "Well, don’t keep us waiting my dear. Tell us, is our guest who we think he is?" another more refined stallion's voice spoke from the seat to her right, motioning with a white foreleg. It was obvious from the protrusion near the top of his hood that this stallion was a unicorn and she knew full well of his identity. She sighed, before her face became rather serious, looking toward the leading stallion of the meeting. "In all honesty, I would have to confirm that he is in fact the one know as Gaunts. There are far too many coincidences, as well as the fact that my attempts to mislead him only ended in failure. He was able to recount events that only the original one could have known. Not to mention the fact that his statue is no longer in the palace gardens" She took another breath before continuing. "So, based on what I have learned...yes. I do believe we are dealing with the actual Gaunts. There is no denying it" As her last words were spoken; murmuring quickly erupted between the members. "A living relic..." unicorn mare across from her whispered. "Incredible" the only word spoken from another stallion. "He was actual stone...I didn’t believe the texts...” a mare spoke next to her. The murmuring continued for a moment, before the lead stallion slowly raised a hoof, signaling quiet. Lowering it, he turned toward Ivory. "And? What do you think?" Ivory shook her head. "Based on my interactions with him, I don’t think he is a threat" The same mare from before spoke up quickly on her left. “You’re going to need to be a bit more specific Rose. We are dealing with a creature that could battle both alicorns that many ponies think are gods”, the other mare eyed her through her hood, her fiery orange main peeking out from underneath her hood. Ivory sighed; this was going to be a bit of a stretch. "I am well aware of his abilities. The founders didn’t exactly skip over that part and believe me, I would know. There was a reason I was picked for this. Anyway, if I can explain, he doesn’t seem overall hostile or aggressive. He seems to defiently have a suspicious attitude though, but that comes with the territory I guess. I admit, I think he understands just how strong he is, but isn’t too interested in resorting to violence to get what he wants. He actually has a rather calm disposition if I may say so" "A calm disposition? You are referring to a creature that was able to obliterate-not destroy-but obliterate scores of griffon soldiers by himself. And you want me to believe he has a calm disposition?" the other mare shook her head. "Let’s not be so quick to judge him based on his ability alone. You have to remember that this was during a war. He has little to no aggressive tendencies besides that "Ivory stated. The mare scoffed, a piece of fiery orange mane flowing out of her hood. "That was documented Rose. For all we know, he could have been going around smashing things apart in his spare time”. The same unicorn stallion quickly interjected. "Now now, I don’t think that is a fair assumption my dear. We do have documents of his demonstrations for the founders, as well as actual battle detail. However, this is only a small part of what is written about him. We have more then enough information that he was above a simple warmonger. Why, we are dealing with the very same Gaunts that toppled the unicorn nobility and freed the earth pony serfs as well. A completely bloodless move I might add" At this, several of the members nodded their heads, of course including the two earth pony stallions in the room. "I get that Fancy. I do." The mare agreed ."What I’m saying though, is we are placing a lot of trust on a creature that is a rival to an alicorn. Not to mention the ponies were putting at risk by helping him. We're just lucky our members in Ponyville weren’t discovered. We need to make sure we are not making a mistake here. For example, what if he wants out? Wants something we can’t provide? It took near our entire batch of Zipple berry gas to knock both him and Princess Luna out. One spritz is enough to knock out a full grown stallion! How exactly do we plan on dealing with him if it comes down to a fight?" The mare’s words rang true throughout the seated members, each contemplating her words. Even Ivory had to admit that he was powerful and a fight would definitely be brutal against him. How sure was she that he wouldn’t attack anypony? Was she willing to trust a creature if it got somepony killed? "I think" the unicorn mare across the table began, “We need to stop looking at what he could be and what he actually is". When no one interrupted her, the unicorn continued. “This is a creature that to our knowledge is the only one of its kind. He is alone in this world already, yet he fought for a nation that was not his own. Creatures that were not his own kind. His efforts and his inventions no doubt saved countless ponies during the war. It is even entirely possible that he affected all our bloodlines by keeping the ponies he fought for safe and alive. He demonstrated loyalty to Equestria. He showed kindness to those around him. His honesty with his knowledge led to advancements yet unseen in that era. And all of this for a race that wasn’t his own. We know what he could be, yes. But we should not let that define our decision. He deserves a chance. One I am willing to give". The silence that was left from the mares speech did not last long as a small clapping of hooves was heard. The unicorn stallion was quietly clapping his front hooves together in applause. Soon, the earth ponies followed, as well as Ivory. Even the peguaus mare joined in. The stallion at the head of the table cleared his voice. "I believe now is the time to reach a decision. All in favor of allowing Gaunts to remain here for the time being?" Six hooves rose into the air, though some rose faster then others. "All opposed?" There was no remaining hooves. A small smile appeared on the lead stallion’s muzzle. "The motion carries."