//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: Beautiful Manehattan 
// Story: Agent Con Mane in Mission to the Griffon Kingdom (to be rewritten) 
// by Fairytail 
//------------------------------//

	Beautiful Manehattan. The Big Apple. It was the second largest equine city next to only Canterlot. The home of all things art, fashion and high society. The city became part of the sovereign territory of the New Lunar Republic after Princess Luna’s return. Now the concrete metropolis sat under the ever watchful eyes of an eternal full moon.
Joe sat by the window of his room at the Mane Fair Hotel, levitating a donut in front of him, as he watched the ethereal moonlight ricochet off of the Statue of Harmony. The massive copper statue of a crowned mare holding aloft a golden torch had turned green in contact with the ocean air and bathed the surrounding buildings in an emerald light.
Joe rested in the chair in an exhausted mess. His mane was being so rebellious he was afraid it would secede from the rest of his body and start an independent state of split ends. His eyes were heavy with many lines. His dinner jacket sat unceremoniously on the floor and his shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned. He had yet to replace his bow-tie.
Rose would be done with her shower soon and so Joe figured he ought to get dressed, but he failed to find any further motivation. He glanced over at the desk against the wall. The Griffons Grimoire, with its green leather binding, sat in plain sight. Joe had already contacted Sky Blazer, his friend and contact in the Lunar Intelligence Agency, and made arrangements for Joe and Rose to go to Canterlot by train, guarded by undercover LIA agents. The train would be leaving in a few hours. To Joe it seemed too unceremonious, almost boring. He couldn't help but ponder what would happen to Rose when they reached the castle. He supposed it could be any number of things. Perhaps she would be given a new identity and a normal life to live. Of course there was also the possibility that she would be put under custody and interrogated for crucial information on the Griffons. No, Joe put that thought out of his mind immediately. Either way she would be incarcerated as per the law. He just hoped his request for leniency didn't fall on deaf ears.
Then Joe thought about what he would do. Of course he would return to the donut shop, right? He heard the shower shut off and he couldn’t help but imagine Rose with a soaking wet mane. Perhaps there was a chance that Joe and Rose could continue to stay together. She would need a job, after all, and he could use an extra hoof at the donut shop. Yeah, Joe thought to himself as he bit into his donut, that’d be nice.
Red Velvet probably wouldn't appreciate it though. Joe then realized that he hadn't thought about Red since he left Canterlot. He felt guilty. But that wasn't the only reason why he knew deep down that he and Rose couldn't stay together. DISCORD. This was twice now that Joe had to deal with this shadowy organization, and this time they specifically targeted him. Rose was just an unfortunate pawn in their game of chess, but for what purpose? Why was Joe the one that DISCORD needed to kill? Joe guessed that was why he was so apprehensive about returning home. He was afraid to find the answer to that question. But he knew it was a question he had to answer.
The bathroom door opened and Rose stepped out of a cloud of hot steam. Her mane was still damp and Joe silently relished in it.
“Y’know I think I may move out here from Canterlot.” Joe said while staring out the window, “Then maybe MARE will stop bugging me. What do you think?”
Rose sauntered over to Joe and wrapped her hooves around him. She pressed her moist mane against his cheek. The smell of her shampoo was intoxicating. “I think living here is a wonderful idea. Why don’t we start now?”
Joe leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She melted into his body. “First I need to get you to Equestria.” Joe told her, “You are a defector after all.”
Rose sat in Joe’s lap and looked at him with hurt and concern. “Won’t I ever see you again?”
Joe smiled to reassure her and placed a hoof on her cheek and another on her thigh. “Depends on how long you’re kept in custody. But once you’re pardoned, I’d love to see you at the donut shop.”
Rose leaned in and kissed Joe again. He pulled her in and and tried to press as much of her body against his as he could. Somehow, during their passionate session, they found their way out of the chair and onto the bed. Their bliss was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. The pair regretfully left each others legs and Joe got off the bed to answer the phone. Rose continued to lay on her back and breathed heavily.
“Hello?” Joe spoke into the receiver, “Yes, tell the carriage to wait, thanks. And send up a porter for the luggage.”
There was a knock at the door along with a quivering voice that said, “Room service.”
Joe put a hoof over the phone receiver and called out, “Come on in!”
The door opened and in walked a female Griffon wearing in an old fashioned maid’s uniform. Joe’s back was turned and he didn't see the Griffon enter the room. Rose, meanwhile, returned to the bathroom to brush her mane. The maid took out a rag and polished away at the desk that the Grimoire sat on.
“What was that?” Joe continued to talk on the phone, “Oh no, nothing the hotel maid just came in. And also get me Canterlot Castle. Thank you.”
Joe hung up the phone and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the Griffon maid. The maid looked at Joe with discerning eyes.
“Sorry, ma’am.” Joe said, “You startled me. Didn't expect the maid to be a Griffon. Nothing against you personally, just can’t be too careful nowadays.”
The maid grumbled and returned to her work. “Of course. You ponies and your prejudices.”
Joe realized how intolerant his words sounded and was about to apologize again when the phone rang once again.
“Yes?” Joe answered, “Con Mane here. Shining Armor, please?”
Rose returned from the bathroom with the brush in her mouth. “Joe we will miss the train and we will--” and dropped it at the sight of the Griffon maid. She gasped in fear. The Griffon gave her a stern eye and pressed a talon to her beak. Joe continued to talk on the phone with his back against the Griffon.
“Yeah, tell the Princess that we’ll be in Canterlot by morning.” He turned and noticed that the Griffon maid had already started carrying their luggage towards the door, including the Grimoire. “Wait hold on. Hold on, ma’am!  Leave the book, please. I’ll carry it down myself. I’m sorry, as I was saying it should be pretty routine from here on--”
Joe stopped mid-sentence, as there was now a sharp point pressed against his throat. The Griffon had taken out a clawed gauntlet and strapped it around on of her claws.
“Drop the phone, Con Mane,” spoke the sinister whisper, “or I’ll tear your throat out.”
“Griselda…” Over the phone, Shining Armor called out to see if Joe was still there, and Joe hung up the receiver. He stood as still as he could, despite the fact that he could feel Griselda’s sticky breath on his neck.
“Roseluck, the door!” Griselda ordered.
Rose looked around in a panicked state. “Joe, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I didn't know--”
“Roseluck!” Griselda barked.
Rose squeaked in terror and galloped over to the door and opened it wide.
“Take the Grimoire.” Griselda ordered.
Rose hesitated at first and looked at Joe intently. He didn't budge. He just kept looking straight forward with a scary serious look on his face.
“Yes, my master.” Rose eventually said solemnly as she closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame. “I obey…” Rose lifted up the Grimoire and carried it out of the hotel room, shutting the door behind her.
“Now then, Agent Mane,” Griselda giggled softly, “I have the pleasure of killing you myself!” Griselda rubbed her feathery face against Joe’s neck passionately. He could even feel what must have been her warm tongue lick him slightly.
Fueled by rage and disgust, Joe violently bucked Griselda square in the chest. She flew back into the wooden desk and knocked over the lamp which shattered on the floor. Griselda flared her wings, curled her talons and let out a furious screech/roar. She rushed forward, ferociously slashing her deadly claw with unrefined swipes. Joe duked and dodged around the attacks, but Griselda was getting more desperate with every failed attempt. She leaped at him again and Joe rolled across the bed forcing Griselda to slice at it. A flurry of pillow feathers rained from the ceiling. She screeched again and levitating in midair with her wings. The pillow feathers swirled in a vortex around the room.
Joe couldn't see her through the tornado of white feathers, but he could hear the heavy beating of her wings. Joe followed the sound and when he believed that she was close enough, Joe levitated the box of donuts on his nightstand and sent them flying. Griselda sliced at the box in defense and her feathers and fur were covered in sticky jelly and glaze. She landed on the floor in shock and her pupils flared in anger. A single donut had been skewered by her claw gauntlet and before Joe’s eyes the donut changed. The donut mutated into a green, ring shaped, gemstone. Griselda slammed the stone into the floor and it shattered into tiny pieces. Joe leaned back in surprise.
“One scratch is all it takes.” Griselda sneered with glee. The feathers all rested on the floor but flared up again when Griselda launched at Joe once more. Joe charged his horn and levitated the hotel desk in front of him. Griselda collided with the desk and they both slammed into Joe. Joe was slammed into the wall and he covered his body with the levitated desk. Griselda, on the other side of the desk, slashed and clawed her way at the wood. She screamed in frustration as she slowly whittled down the defense to get to Joe’s soft flesh.
“You think hiding behind a table is going to protect you?” she laughed maniacally, “You’re the one pinned against the wall. Now stay still like a good little statue!”
Griselda kept swinging away. The desk was being reduced to splinters and Joe was trying desperately to keep as much of it between him and Griselda as he could. Joe closed his eyes and tried to think of some way out. Suddenly the hotel door burst open.
“Stop!” cried out a voice. Joe looked and saw Rose galloping towards them. Rose leaped into the air and wrapped her hooves around Griselda. Griselda turned her attention to the pony that was attempting to tackle her to the ground. Joe took the opportunity and punched Griselda square in the beak. Griselda and Rose both collapsed to the floor in a heap. Rose stood to her hooves first.
“Rose!” Joe called out.
“I’m fine!” She answered proudly. “But she’s not.”
Griselda sat on her lion haunches and stared terrified at the bleeding scratch on her chest. The tip of the claw gauntlet was stained with her blood.
“No…” Griselda said in disbelief, “No, it can’t…”
Petrifying crystal grew from the scratch on her chest. Before long, her whole body was being engulfed in pale green crystal. She screamed out in terrified agony. She instinctively tried to fly but her body was too heavy to carry. Then her wings solidified. She stretched a claw out towards Rose in a plea of mercy but Rose shut her eyes and covered her ears from the horrific scene. Griselda’s claws petrified so all that was left was her face.
“Curse you, Con Mane.” she cried, “Curse you and all your pony kind. You and Roseluck and Rook and ‘Magic’! Curse him most of all! May you all rot in Tar--”
Her beak crystallized. Griselda was nothing more than a giant gemstone statue, her extremities contorted in every direction and her face deformed in rage.
“What a horrible Griffon.” said a disturbed Rose. “I guess we should deliver the statue to the Royal Guard?”
“Nah.” Joe said coldly, “I have a better idea.”
Joe approached Griselda’s statue and bucked it hard in the face. The entire statue shattered on impact and the shards littered the hotel room floor.

The train roared down the tracks towards Canterlot. The trip would take several days and both Joe and Rose decided that they would spend the entire trip in their cabin along with all their meals. This was going to be a train ride to enjoy. A massive plate of donuts, muffins and other baked goods were spread out before them, compliments of the conductor who Joe found was a charming young colt with a chocolate coat and bit symbol Cutie Mark. The centerpiece of the spread was the dessert: an extra large bar of chocolate big enough for several ponies to share.
Joe bit into an eclair while Rose leaned against his body. “This time we’ll do this the proper way, right Mrs. Cake?” Joe chuckled.
Rose suddenly bolted up straight. “That reminds me.” Rose fiddled around with her tail and removed something. She then placed it in Joe’s hoof. “Here. You can have this back. In case you need it.”
Joe stared at the tail ring that sat in his hoof. He stared straight into the heart shaped sapphire that was the focal point of the jewelry. It was still warm from Rose wearing it. A part of his conscience screamed at him to give it back to Rose. To tell her that she deserved to keep it. But instead Joe sighed and put the ring in his coat pocket. “Yeah… Thanks… Now then. Where were we before we got interrupted, eh?”
Joe leaned in and kissed Rose passionately. Just as Joe grabbed her firm flanks in his hooves, the door to their cabin opened and an elderly pony in a gaudy tourist’s tee shirt holding an old fashioned video camera stood in the frame, rolling his film.
“Hey!” Rose yelled at him. The tourist panicked and ran off, laughing at himself. “Can you believe the nerve of some ponies? Who does that?”
“Oh for goodness' sakes not again.” Joe sighed. Joe reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a small roll of film that he nearly forgot about.
“What’s that film?” Rose asked.
Joe stretched out the film and held it towards the light to examine it. He couldn't help but laugh. “He was right you know…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ll tell you later.” Joe levitated the roll of film in front of him and charged his horn red. The film burst into flames and petered into smoke and ash. Rose made sure that the door was securely locked this time and rejoined Joe on the couch. They kissed and melted into each other’s legs. And they stayed that way the entire way back to Canterlot.





Agent Con Mane will return in....
Nightfeather













‘Magic’ sat alone in his office, scouring at the recent turn of events. A Parasprite danced on his shoulder and tried to gain his attention but he was far too gone in his own thoughts. His phone rang and he answered it with a deadly venom in his voice.
“Yes? I told you not to call me!... What’s that?... I see. How fortunate… Do not be concerned with ‘Laughter’. She’s been rogue ever since… What’s that?... You've found it!?... So the E.U.P. Guard has it then. This may end up being easier than we thought… Yes, we’ll have to hang low for a while. We’ve caused too much noise with the Griffons already… Yes, it’s apparent that Equestria already has their hooves on the Grimoire. The Storm Cloud is already starting to recede. Soon the Griffons will have lost the majority of their territory, just as I anticipated… Yes, of course this fits into my plan. I always have a contingency… Very well. Keep spying on the Princess. I’ll let you know when it is time to act… Goodbye, ‘Loyalty’.”