A Different Perspective

by Goldfur

Chapter 11: Pawns, Kings, and Queens

Path was both dreading and looking forward to this meeting with King Glimfeather. He was going to start a revolution among griffon society at best, or provoke a great deal of enmity at worst. He took a deep breath to compose himself before entering the king’s audience chamber.

Roseclaw gave him a reassuring hug. “Stand your ground and be confident, my love. The king can be a lot more reasonable in the privacy of his audience chamber.”

Path nodded. “You’re right, so we better get started. Don’t want to get things off on the wrong hoof by being late.”

Path knocked on the chamber door and was admitted by the king’s chamberlain. Glimfeather was already seated behind a magnificent oak desk that had been lovingly carved and polished to perfection. It was also an imposing reminder of the power in this kingdom. Path and Roseclaw stopped before it and bowed respectfully.

“Good morning, Your Majesty. Thank you for this audience.”

“Good morning to you too, Lord and Lady Path. I was expecting your request for an audience anyway. It isn’t often that a new House is created, and there is inevitably much to be sorted out. You have our undivided attention for now. I believe you have your proposed House tenets and goals to present to me?”

“Yes, sire, and a few conflicts to resolve.”

“Then perhaps we should have a look at those first,” the king replied equably.

“Right. First of all, as a lord of a Griffonian House and especially as an officer in the Griffonian army, I am expected to give my services to the nation and the Crown. However, as a citizen of Equestria, an envoy of the diarchy, and with a princess of Equestria as one of my House’s founding members, you can see that there can be a considerable conflict of interest.”

“You are correct, although I reassure you that I have no designs against Equestria.”

“I did not wish to imply that you had, Your Majesty, but there are other problems that aren’t so simply resolved. Unless they can be, I might at least have to resign my commission in your army.”

“I would advise strongly against it. You have been here long enough to understand the value of rank and status in our society, and that would be a major blow against your other efforts.”

Path got the impression that the king had already anticipated a number of points that he was going to bring up. “You would be correct, but before I pursue that further, I wish to bring up the most important matter that came to my attention just yesterday. Are you aware that there are ponies being held as slaves here in Griffonia?”

“I am,” the king replied without changing his expression.

Path would have been hugely surprised if the king had not been aware. “And did you realize that Ravenwing kept a large herd of them to maintain his castle’s grounds?”

“I did.”

“So you expected that I would find this out and be outraged by it?”

“Correct. So what are you going to do about it?” Glimfeather asked calmly.

Path was startled by that response. “Me? I’m not the one who allows slavery! I can emancipate my slaves, but they’d still be regarded as property by the majority of griffs. I talked to them again this morning , and most of them don’t even understand the concept of freedom. I can’t even send them back to Equestria because they were born here and consider this country their home. I need to break this mindset and the cycle of slavery from one generation to the next, and I am certainly not stopping with just the slaves on my property! I need your authority to put an end to all slavery once and for all.”

Throughout Path’s rant, the king listened calmly. He then asked, “Tell me, Lord Path, what is your impression of your slaves? Are they well fed? Healthy? Happy?”

“I suppose so. Aside from being respectful to authority, especially me, they seemed more like servants rather than slaves.”

“I can tell you that this was not always so. Back when their ancestors were captured, they were much abused, and several died from their maltreatment. After many years, the survivors and their owners settled into a harsh but sustainable relationship. The troublemakers were eliminated and the strong survived. Eventually those survivors bred, producing foals who never knew anything else but life as a slave. Despite severe punishments and privation, they were slaves and that was how it ever was, and despite being told tales of Equestria by their parents. By the time that I came to power, yet another generation had been born who by now regarded those tales as mere fiction. It came as a surprise to them when I started making laws requiring that slaves be treated with due care and consideration. Whipping and other corporal punishments were banned, and slaves were required to be adequately fed and housed. By now, those pony slaves are much more as your impression of them – servants of the nobles and warriors.”

“But still slaves,” Path pointed out. “They are not paid, don’t have any choice in their careers, and may not leave their employ or the country. If you are so benevolent, why didn’t you just simply free the slaves and send them to Equestria?”

Glimfeather laughed. “If only it was that simple. Let me give you a lesson in being a king, my young stallion – a king that doesn’t listen to his nobles will quickly lose their support, and thus his ability to rule, and a king who doesn’t listen to his warriors will soon be king no more. The possession of slaves had become more than just an act of defiance against Equestria, but also a big status symbol. If I had tried to take their slaves away, that would have affected their status enormously.”

“And status is everything in griffon society,” Path concluded. “So you’ve done as much as you can, and now you’re expecting me to take it further?”

The king grinned broadly. “I knew you would figure that out. You are in a unique position, Lord Path – a noble in both Griffonia and Equestria. You might be able to do what I cannot do alone.”

“That answers one question that has been bothering me – why did you create a new House for me and my friends when all I had won was Ravenwing’s possessions, status, and castes? You knew that my title would probably be ratified by Princess Celestia and Luna, especially with Twilight Sparkle as both witness and member. You have maneuvered me into providing a balance between the Equestrian and Griffonian kingdoms, with my recent popularity giving me the status to actually achieve something.”

“Excellent! So I ask you again – what do you intend to do about it?”

“It’s funny that you should ask, Your Majesty, because I have some proposals that could radically change the relationship of griffons to ponies. But before I present those, I would like to clear up why Princess Celestia never did anything about the slave situation. It seems unlikely that in the nearly eight decades since the end of the war, she has been unaware of them.”

The king shook his head. “She did not at first, and that was her own fault. King Warscream had been quick to offer to repatriate the prisoners of war in exchange for some face-saving concessions. What he did not tell Celestia was that they had far more prisoners than the ponies knew about, many already regarded as being killed in action. Warscream retained a large portion of these ponies who had never been in contact with the other prisoners, and he handed those out to the various nobles and warriors whose support he wished to keep. Those pony slaves were probably what saved Warscream’s crown, else he may have been quickly deposed rather than ruling for another half century. Kings who lose wars don’t often survive their loss. Anyway, Celestia imposed a strict embargo on Griffonia, preventing all trade and communication with our nation. The secret of the slaves was kept for a long time; so long that by the time that Celestia did learn of their existence, it was too late to do anything else but very slow diplomatic approaches. The only alternative would of course have been war, and that would have lost far more lives than they would have saved from slavery.”

“So you and Celestia have been working on this together for decades then?” Path concluded.

“Correct.”

“Why didn’t she warn us about this situation then?”

Glimfeather shrugged. “Neither she nor I are omniscient and can’t foresee every contingency. We had intended that you be gradually introduced to the situation as you became more familiar with our ways, as was your original intention, I believe. Princess Luna’s enthusiastic backing of your project only accelerated our plans. The duel was completely unanticipated though, but I was quick to see how it could be turned to our advantage.”

Path’s respect for the griffon king grew. He was not only intelligent, but also caring. In a society where status and strength were worshipped, he had achieved much, but there was still a lot more to be done. “Okay, if we are to be your tool, then we are going to need a lot of support from you. First of all, we need money. Ravenwing left his estate deep in debt. By selling off some things, dismissing excess staff, and negotiating various deals, I have greatly reduced that debt. However, there is still a considerable amount left, and this would greatly hamstring my efforts.”

“Present Stormwind with the details of those remaining debts, and he will take care of them,” Glimfeather said with a nod towards his chamberlain.

Path understood why the chamberlain was present at the meeting now – some of those needs had already been anticipated also. That gave him greater confidence with his further proposals. “The House of Path will not be merely trading on its status. As such, we propose that this House be warrior-scholars. The art of war will be balanced with the power of knowledge. Our purpose will be defending those who need it. We will not go to fight any war, but we will defend the weak and defenseless, and when we have built up our numbers, we will also be the final line of defense when war comes to us. As such, I wish to retain my commission, but be detached from the regular Griffonian army, with the members of House Path being considered a special defense corps.”

“Interesting, but I can’t have mere lieutenant command such a potentially powerful unit.”

“I suppose not, Your Majesty, but I cannot have an outsider to the House as commanding officer.”

“I suppose I’m just going to have to promote you to colonel then. That is high enough rank for you to command and not suffer undue interference from other officers and nobles. Perhaps one day, if you get sufficient experience, you might even make it to general.”

Path felt a little dizzy at that unexpected promotion. “Aren’t you going to cop some criticism for giving me such a hefty raise in rank?”

The king waved his talons dismissively. “That’s my problem. You will have enough of your own.”

“Ah… right. Well, seeing as you are amenable to the proposal, I hereby request a stipend to establish the school and training facilities.”

“Have you drawn up details of your needs already?”

“We have a list of the essentials plus a lot of other things on our wish list. I would like to point out to Your Majesty that the best tools give the best results though.”

Glimfeather laughed. “Yes, yes they do. We will discuss these details and more after I examine your proposals in depth. Anything more?”

Path was really feeling excited now. The king’s ready acceptance of his ideas steeled his resolve. “I intend to start the school as soon as possible, and while I intend to get griff students, I also want all the slave children to attend it. The ones that graduate will become members of my House and go on to further studies as warrior-scholars also. In fact the school will take in all species. Our long-term goal is to establish a wing of our House in all countries, with Equestria being the first.”

“That’s going to be a very hard sell. What do you have to offer that will appease the nobles?”

“A mutual defense pact.”

“Your House is not powerful enough to offer that as yet.”

“The House, no, but one of its members, yes. Princess Twilight Sparkle has full authority to negotiate such a pact, and she has indicated to me a willingness to do so in the name of bettering relationships between our kingdoms. As Princess of Friendship, she wishes that there will never be war between ponies and griffons again, and that we learn to be friends through mutual respect.”

Glimfeather was quiet for a long moment while he considered this. Eventually he replied, “This could work. You may have reason to promote your cause sooner than you think though.”

“How so, sire?”

“Our eyries to the north and east have been suffering raids from the centaurs recently. They are a clever and dangerous foe that has given us much trouble for decades. I believe one of them almost conquered Equestria a few years back?”

“You mean Tirek? Yes, his talent for stealing magic was nearly our undoing, but fortunately the power of Harmony was even greater.”

“And that is probably what is going to sell your proposal eventually. Princess Sparkle will have to come to my court to make her proposal in person, and be prepared for some stern opposition from the warriors and nobles, but I am more than willing to consider it.”

Path smiled. “Then I think we have the basics covered. Shall we discuss the details now?”

# # #

Twilight found Free just outside of the portal outpost with his easel and painting materials set up about him.

“Hi, Free. How’s your day been so far?”

Free put down his brush and gave Twilight a nuzzle. “Pretty dull so far. After I harassed the portal guards as usual, I thought I’d do another patrol, but there’s nothing around here that has changed from the previous couple of days, so I got bored. I decided that I might as well practice my landscapes. What about you?”

“You’re right in that nothing seems to be happening. I’ve been using my time productively though. I’ve been looking into spells that Path can adapt to earth pony magic, as he requested. It’s something that I have never considered before in my magic studies, and I find it quite fascinating. Makes me wonder if there are other cross-species spell adaptations possible. Could a pegasus do earth pony magic, for example?”

“Umm… Fluttershy?” Free suggested.

Twilight smiled. “You got it. Fluttershy’s abilities are noteworthy in that they aren’t typical of pegasi, but I had never looked at it before as an extension of earth pony magic. After I found out that she has a great grandparent who was an earth pony, it did give a bit more impetus to the idea though.”

“So, what kind of stuff are you looking up for Path?”

“I’m keeping my eye open for anything with potential, but I’m prioritizing fighting magic. I suspect that he may need greater offensive and defensive abilities in the future if he’s going to be a griffon kingdom noble. The thunderhoof is a great surprise weapon, but if you know about it, you know how to avoid it.”

“Yeah, you have a point. What about the… oh, horseapples!”

“What’s wrong, Free?”

Free Agent pointed behind the alicorn. “Another of those whirlwinds is coming this way. Help me pack up my stuff before it gets ruined,” he answered, putting words into action.

“Calm down, Free. There’s no need.”

Her horn glowed and a bubble of magic formed around them. Moments later, the whirlwind engulfed them, but neither wind nor debris penetrated the shield. A minute later it was gone.

Free gave a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Twi. That was quick thinking.”

“I got lessons from my brother on making shields. It’s his special talent, after all, and he’s very adept at making different kinds for different purposes.”

“Like this one,” Free said, standing up and leaning back, only to stop hard against thin air.

“I didn’t realize we were that close to the changeling shield,” Twilight admitted.

“With that there, any enemy changeling can’t sneak up behind me while I’m occupied,” Free explained.

“Smart thinking.”

“Yeah. Pity it doesn’t help with suspicious ponies.”

“What do you mean?”

“Applejack still doesn’t trust me and keeps spying on me.” He turned around and indicated a bush that was not too far away on the other side of the shield. “Right now she’s hiding behind that bush, thinking that she’s concealed from me, but I can taste her suspicion from here.” He waved to the bush. “I hope you didn’t get too bored watching me paint!” he called out.

The orange earth pony emerged from behind the bush and stalked off without comment.

Twilight could not help smiling a little at her friend’s discomfort at being caught out. “Sorry about that. Do you want to go on with your painting now?”

“Did you have anything else in mind, babe?”

“Oh, I dunno. Maybe a mare and her special somepony could take a quiet walk by the riverside for an hour or so.”

Free’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Princess Twilight Sparkle – are you saying that you haven’t got more important things to do with your time?”

Twilight giggled. “Everything is relative, Mister Free Agent. Right now, this is very important to me.”

Free grinned and replied, “Looks like you’re going to have to help me pack up after all.”

# # #

That evening, they listened eagerly to Path and Roseclaw’s report on the day’s negotiations.

“So my suspicions were correct,” Twilight commented. “I had a feeling King Glimfeather had a larger agenda, and we were being manipulated.”

“Mostly me,” Path agreed, “but you’re going to have to play a big part. You are going to have to sell that mutual defense pact to some rather hostile griffs.”

“I think that’s part of the obligation of being a princess,” Twilight replied. “I’ll play my part like you play yours.”

“What about me?” Free asked.

“After your success at the pub, I reckon your forté is going to be relations between the average griff and Equestrians. I think we’re especially going to have to look at Equestrian griffs who emigrated from Griffonia because they were disaffected with society there. They’re going to be even more skeptical than the average pony. However, that’s a bit more long-term, and I’d be happy with whatever you can do to thaw relationships between our countries.”

“That’s what I do best,” Free boasted. “They ain’t seen nothing yet!”

“And Roseclaw’s role in all this?” Twilight asked.

“She’s keeping me on track, guiding me with her local knowledge. Most of all, she’s my pillar of support. Sometimes I think that there’s too much for me to cope with, but she’s always there to lean on.” There was a long moment of suspicious silence, and neither listener had any trouble imagining what was happening just then. Eventually he continued, “I have been so used to having you with me for support, Free, that I was wondering if I could deal with you being away, but Rose has always been by my side to help me. She’s truly the First Lady of this House.”

Rose added, “How could I not support my chosen mate? It just makes me prouder that I have two other members of this House to help make it greater.”

Free said, “I can hardly wait for this herd to get back together. We rock as one!”

# # #

“Hey, Sterling, I hear you like cherry delight?”

The Red Changeling Royal Guard looked at Free suspiciously. “Have you been snooping into my personal details?”

“Nah, I caught you sneaking an extra slice the other night, and I asked around. Seems it’s not the first time either.”

Sterling Shield looked slightly embarrassed. “Umm, yeah, I do like it a lot.”

“Really, sarge?” Bazztuk asked. “Aren’t you always ragging on us about self-discipline?”

Sterling glared at the junior Guard. “Everyone has their little weaknesses. Unlike you though, I exercise off my indulgences. When our shift finishes, I think you’ll be running a few dozen laps of the outpost to run off a few of yours.”

Bazztuk gulped and wisely decided to shut up.

“Besides,” Sterling continued talking to Free, “it reminds me of a good friend that I made a while back. You might call it my happy food.”

Free took out a plate from concealment and showed Sterling the large slice of cherry delight with whipped cream that was upon it. “You can have my piece if you let me have a peek down the hallway.”

Sterling merely looked disgusted. “Really? You think I can be bribed with a piece of pie? Or at all? I’m disappointed with you, Free Agent.”

“Nah, I didn’t really think so. That’s why I’m going to torture you by eating it front of you instead.” Free produced a spoon and started to cut off a piece of the pie.

“Out! Get out of here, you crazy griff-ling!” Sterling yelled, pointing his spear menacingly at the griffon.

Free fled, but his laughter floated back to the irate Guard. Sterling shook his head in disbelief. “Celestia help me – what shenanigans am I going to have to put up with from him tomorrow?”

Bazztuk knew a good time to keep being silent.

Free was enjoying his cherry delight. Stirring up the changeling Guards was becoming the highlight of the mornings. Saving his pie from the previous night’s dessert course had been inspired, and he wondered how he was going to top it. He finished it with a satisfied sigh. Unfortunately the rest of the day was already looking to be dull. Maybe Twilight would want another romantic walk? Probably not until later though. Maybe burn off all the extra energy that he had lately with a long, fast flight? He looked up into the clear skies. “Yeah, let’s see how high I can go over the shield!” He took off with renewed enthusiasm.

# # #

The advantage of having a monarchy is that when the king commands something to be done, it gets started immediately. King Glimfeather had announced the establishment of the House Path College for Warrior-Scholars, and both teachers and students would be required. Interviews for both would begin immediately. Not even Roseclaw had anticipated how rapidly things would progress, and Path was blown away by getting his first prospective instructor almost immediately after the proclamations were made. He was even more surprised when he found out exactly who it was.

“General Warfist Bloodfeather? Please come in and make yourself comfortable while we discuss your application,” said the slightly bemused Path.

The elderly griffon entered Path’s office with no sign of infirmity. While his light brown feathers and orange fur showed fading from his age, his golden eyes were as bright and sharp as a youth’s. However, unlike a young griffon, those eyes also showed a world-weariness of somegriff who had seen many battles in his lifetime.

Path sat behind his desk and considered the paperwork that Roseclaw had given him, and then deliberately set it aside. “I suppose it would be pointless asking what sort of military experience you have, although I am curious about your specialties, if any?”

“Unarmed combat, Lord Path. However, I am also very proficient with spear and arrow. I hope though that my greatest contribution will be my knowledge of tactics.”

“Excellent, but I already guessed that would be the case. The real question is why an old soldier like yourself would want to be a teacher in my college? You have a whole army of warriors at your beck and call.”

“Warriors? Pah! Brawlers at best. Besides, I am retired from the army. They had no place for an old bird like me. Now it’s all puffery and arrogance – a claim for status. The true warrior is a thing that is nearly forgotten.”

“General, I am not seeking to build my own army – I am pursuing a philosophy that includes martial abilities. What makes you think that your ideas about warriors fit with that?”

“You wish to create a caste of warrior-scholars, correct? I have knowledge of battles spanning back to before House Rockfeather rose to power.”

Path blinked and looked to Roseclaw.

She explained, “He means that he is familiar with battles going back a couple of thousand years, which is no mean feat.”

“Ah, I see. And again, how do you see this fitting best with us?”

“If it’s your intention to be true defenders, you must have equal knowledge of how to attack, or else you cannot plan to effectively cover all contingencies. To defend, you must know your enemy and their motivations. To defend, you must be able to fight well. These and much more I can teach to those willing to listen.”

“That’s very appealing, but we come back to my initial question – why would you want to join this House and be a teacher?”

Warfist grinned. “Why do I want to join? It’s not every day that a pony bests a Glimfeather, and becomes an ally of the kingdom, and that impressed me. My House never was noble, and I am the last of them. That’s the thing when you are forged in war – you either become increasingly tempered with each battle, or you eventually break. I want to pass on what I know before I am felled in battle, and this seems to be the best opportunity for me to do so. And if that isn’t enough, then I consider your goals to be worthy. You have chosen to take the path of non-aggression, and that takes more strength than most so-called warriors realize.”

Roseclaw said, “Well I think that you would be a massive boon to our House, but would you be okay with teaching other species – pony, changeling, dragons, or any that seek to join our House?”

“I will be teaching the art of war, and war knows no species, rank, nor gender. Send me students and I will make them into warriors if they are worthy.”

Path stood up and held out his hoof. “Welcome to the House of Path, General.”

Warfist took Path’s hoof in his talons and shook it solemnly. “Thank you, your lordship. Please call me just Warfist though because I am no longer a general. I am a warrior-scholar.”

Path grinned. “That’s the spirit! And you already have your first student.”

“I do? Who would that be?”

“Did you see my duel with Ravenwing?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And you saw my special magic attacks?”

“Again, yes.”

“If you and I faced off in the arena, could I defeat you?”

“You would lose badly, sir.”

“Exactly. Teach me to not lose that badly.”

Warfist grinned. “My pleasure, Lord Path.”

# # #

Path and Roseclaw received a surprising number of applications that day and the next. It seemed that their notoriety from the both the pub and the duel had caught the interest of the population, especially the younger griffs that Path most wanted for the college. He even had a few parents bring along their younger children, hoping to enroll them in the new school. It was obvious that some of them were seeking a better life for their chicks, and Path was certainly empathetic with that, but some of them just as obviously were status-seekers, and were rejected.

Warfist insisted on sitting in on the interviews, and Path and Roseclaw were grateful for his insight. He caught out many in lies, and intimidated those who would not have made good warrior material anyway. A few of the more arrogant decided to challenge Warfist to show off their prowess. Few of those got to join the House.

“Now get out of here before I really get mad!” Warfist told the griffon who was sprawled on the floor.

Path looked at Roseclaw and said, “I didn’t know a griffon could head-butt somebody across the room.”

Roseclaw shrugged. “Neither did I.”

“Send in the next victim!” Warfist yelled outside.

Path had initially thought to stop him from this rather intimidatory call, but he realized that the old griff was doing so deliberately in order to weed out a few of the obviously unsuitable applicants before they could waste his time. Not quite what Path would do, but he deferred to Warfist’s judgement on this.

However, this time a completely unruffled young griffoness entered Path’s office. She was lanky of build, had white feathers with numerous blue spots, bright white feline fur, and a bright blue tail tuft. Oddly, she had a bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver of arrows belted to her waist, as well as a backpack on her feline half.

“Hi, I’m Techbird Sunbeak,” she said, handing over her résumé.

Roseclaw spoke up. “Isn’t the Sunbeak family a non-noble House primarily involved in agriculture?”

“You know your Houses! Yes, that does describe my House, but it doesn’t describe me. I’m horrible with plants and animals. My passions are mathematics, physics, and astronomy.”

“Oh? Say something to wow me,” Path instructed.

“Okay!” She pulled out a scroll from her backpack and got Warfist to hold it up. It amused them that she was so behaviorally blind that she was not intimidated by him. She pointed to an illustration and said, “As a teenager, I figured out the distance to the sun by observing the different angles of a vertical pole at the same time of day at two widely separated points.” At Path’s look of surprise, she added, “My family took a vacation to visit relatives in Smokey Mountain Eyrie in Equestria, and I took advantage of it,” she explained.

“I’m surprised that you even thought to do that,” Path replied.

Techbird smiled. “Yeah, but it was so cool to be able to do it! The hardest part was getting an accurate measurement of the distance between those two points; the maths was easy,” she said enthusiastically.

Path and Roseclaw returned her smile, her enthusiasm being infectious. Warfist retained a neutral expression though, and spoke up next.

“I have the feeling that Lord Path won’t need further proof of your competence in those fields, but that is only half of what it takes to join our House. What skill do you have to offer as a warrior?”

Techbird pointed outside through the open balcony doors. “See that oak tree? See where a branch was removed and left a plate-sized end facing us?”

The tree was pretty far away, but they could see what she was pointing at. “Yes, I do,” Path replied.

The griffoness had unslung her bow as they had looked, and she drew an arrow from the quiver. She nocked it, drew it back, and let it loose all in one smooth action. The arrow hit the target virtually dead center. Lowering her bow, she said, “I have always had a knack for archery.”

“But can you teach it?” Warfist asked.

“I can try, if griffs are willing to learn.”

“You won’t be teaching just griffs, you know?”

“I know! Isn’t that so cool?!”

Finally Warfist smiled. “Yes. Yes it is.”

“Well, I think we can consider your application acceptable,” Path said with barely concealed glee.

“We haven’t even asked why she wants to join our House,” Roseclaw pointed out.

“I can answer that,” Techbird said. “I don’t want to be a farmer, and that angered my family. In fact they threw me out of the house when I told them that I wanted to pursue other goals. I want to broaden my horizons and meet other species. Perhaps they will have a piece of the puzzle.”

“What puzzle?” Path asked.

“The only thing known about the puzzle is that the only attribute of the puzzle is that it’s puzzling,” she replied.

Warfist looked at Path and Roseclaw and grinned. “I like this one – she’s just the right amount of crazy.”

“Welcome to House Path, Techbird,” Path said, slightly bemused once more.

# # #

“So what have you got in store for me today?” Sterling Shield asked in a resigned tone.

Free was silent for a long moment before saying, “Pretty please?”

Sterling was surprised. “That’s it?”

Free shrugged. “I’m dry. Can’t think of anything else that wouldn’t be outright nasty.”

“Then why did you bother coming here this morning?”

Free’s expression hardened. “Because I am genuinely concerned about security, and I can’t help feeling that we’re all overlooking something here. I’m going to keep coming back until I figure it out.”

Sterling nodded. “If you do, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Of course.” Free turned to leave, but paused and looked back. “You gonna come to that dance competition I’ve organized for tonight?”

“And give you a chance to mock my dancing abilities?”

“Naturally,” Free replied with a grin.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Sterling reassured him.

“Great! Seeya!”

Free’s grin faded as he left the building. Once more he was left with practically nothing to do, and he wondered what could fill in the rest of the day. He spotted Twilight walking between the buildings and went over to join her. “Hey, Twi. What are you up to?”

“Just fetching some materials from the stores to make a few more of my talkie-trotties.”

“Need help?”

“Bored again?” Twilight asked.

“Uh-huh. I think that’s Chrysalis’ secret attack – boring us to death.”

Twilight giggled. “Yes, that seems likely.”

“Seriously though, how much longer can we keep this up? Rarity needs to get back to her shop; Applejack is champing at the bit to get back to farming and she’s taking out her frustration on me; Fluttershy is pining for her animals; Rainbow Dash is treating it like a holiday from her responsibilities with the Wonderbolts, but even she’s getting bored with the inaction. We can’t keep the Harmony Bearers here on hold indefinitely.”

“I know what you mean,” Twilight replied glumly. “Even I’ve been wanting to get back to Griffonia to pursue our quest. So much is happening there with Path and his new House and the college he’s establishing… oh, I so want to have a part of that!”

“Me too. I’ve always done just about everything with Path before, and this is slowly killing me.”

Twilight gave him a reassuring hug. “He’ll do okay for a little while longer, and I’m honored that you sacrificed staying with him to be with me.”

Free grinned. “It was a tough choice, but you cuddle better.”

“We hadn’t cuddled before we left Path back in Griffonia.”

“Oh, I dunno. I seem to recall a bed with two ponies and two griffons after a night at the pub….”

Twilight’s wings pomfed out as she recalled that event. “Umm… yeah. Wait – weren’t you still asleep?” She looked at Free’s expression and blushed. “No, obviously not.”

“You know what I’ve been dreaming of, Twi?”

“Tell me.”

“The four of us – one bed – together again and loving it. We’re a herd, Sparkles. We should be together.”

“That’s still a big step for me, Firetail.”

“I said it was a dream, but if you try hard enough, sometimes dreams come true.”

“I know. I didn’t say that I disliked it. I’ve been enjoying the progress so far. For instance, I like being able to do this now.” She then kissed him on the cheek, quite publically.

As he was in griffon form, Free could only give her a nibble-lick in return, but it was enough.

“Go fetch your paints, Free. I feel the need for a portrait done of me working.”

“As you command, my princess!”

# # #

Path had been surprised when Goldenquill had announced the visit of two griffon nobles. He had been so buried in work and the stress of organizing so many things in so short a time that he simply hadn’t had time to have anything to do with the nobility.

“I suppose I had better see them. I can’t put them off indefinitely. Send them in, ’Quill.”

The butler nodded and left, returning moments later.

“Announcing Lord Razorbeak and Lord Blacktalon.”

A white-feathered griffon with tan fur entered, accompanied by a silver-feathered griffon with black-spotted grey fur. Both wore status capes heavily adorned with their rank and accomplishments, and both had jovial expressions that instantly rang false with Path.

“Lord Path – a pleasure to meet you at last.” He held out his right foot and Path reluctantly shook hoof and claw with him, repeating it with his companion.

“What can I do for you, my lords?” Path asked.

“We are here to make you aware of an important event that had been arranged before your acquisition of this estate,” the spokesgriff replied.

“Oh? The king neglected to mention any such event.”

“Mostly because the king wasn’t directly involved, I assure you.”

“Then what is this event?”

“It’s called ‘The Hunt of the Broken Wing’, and it was to be held on Ravenwing’s estate this year. While he obviously cannot lead the hunt anymore, nevertheless it is too late to organize an alternative. As the new lord of this estate, we expect that you would want to grab this opportunity to host the hunt anyway. It’s a very prestigious event, and could boost your status considerably. A young lord with such a new House as yours would not usually get this honor.”

“Exactly what would be my involvement with this hunt?” Path asked suspiciously.

“As it would be on your estate, you have the privilege of leading the hunt.”

“And how could I do that? I cannot fly.”

“Ah! But that isn’t a problem at all. The hunt is called by that name because it is a test of a griff’s ability to hunt despite being incapacitated. It is done entirely on the ground, and I believe running is well within an earth pony’s ability?” Razorbeak said smugly.

“Ponies don’t hunt,” Path countered.

“You only need to lead the hunt, if it bothers you. The other members will happily take the privilege of making the kill.”

“Just what are you hunting?”

“Any medium to large prey. It’s symbolic of a griff being able to sustain his family under adversity, so the bigger, the better.”

Recalling that in the past, ponies were considered fair game, Path asked distrustfully, “Do you hunt pony slaves or any other sapient being?”

Razorbeak smiled reassuringly. “It would only be the wild beasts on your estate.”

Path mulled it over for a while. The concept of being in a hunt at all was repugnant to him, but he was now in a wholly different situation where he needed to constantly compromise to deal with what were normal social conventions for griffons. This was a lot more extreme than he was used to, but it had larger social implications also. As he had been told, status was everything to these griffs, and his fledgling House could ill afford any setbacks right now. “When would this hunt be held?”

“In two days’ time,” Blacktalon replied.

“I will give you my decision tomorrow morning. That should give you plenty of time to advise the members of the hunt.”

“Excellent! We look forward to hearing your decision.”

Both griffons got to their feet.

“Until we meet again, farewell, Lord Path,” Razorbeak said smarmily.

“Until then,” Path replied.

When the nobles were gone, Path called out, “ ’Quill!”

The butler stepped inside Path’s office and said, “You called, sir?”

“Please arrange a meeting with the king at His Majesty’s soonest convenience.”

“Yes, milord.”

# # #

It was perhaps indicative of the king’s own interests that Path was able to secure a prompt appointment, and he and Roseclaw were in the king’s audience chamber little more than an hour later.

“The Hunt of the Broken Wing? Yes, it’s a legitimate event, although more of an indulgence of the nobles rather than a cultural event. However, it’s precisely for that reason that it has much ability to affect your status.”

“Then you’re recommending that I accept it?” Path asked.

“On the face of it, I would. However, it’s also very strange that they would offer it to you. It certainly could be hosted elsewhere, and young lords like you with brand new Houses simply don’t get offered the privilege normally.”

“Yes, they did point out the honor they were giving me.”

“Those nobles never give away such honors lightly. Also, both Razorbeak and Blacktalon were, or perhaps still are, cronies of Ravenwing. It seems suspicious to me that they would be encouraging you to participate.”

Roseclaw said, “The nobles haven’t been very happy with some of the changes that have been happening because of Path. Could it be their attempt to have a little revenge by making him do something that would normally be anathema to him?”

“An excellent point, and not something that I would put past their petty minds. Maybe even suggested by my idiot nephew.” The king sighed.

“Can’t choose your relatives, even when you’re a king, can you?” Path asked.

Glimfeather grimaced. “That’s true of any species. Anyway, even bearing all this in mind, it would still be to your benefit to host the hunt. At this point, you need every bit of status and support from the nobles that you can garner.”

“So, suck it up and deal with it?” Path concluded.

“And watch your back,” Glimfeather added.

“That’s what I’ll be doing,” Roseclaw stated with a cold finality.

# # #

To alleviate boredom and burn off his restlessness, Free had organized some competitive athletic games for the off-duty troops that morning. He had just finished a flying race with some pegasi and a couple of changelings, and only managed third place. Admittedly trying to beat Rainbow Dash had been a forlorn hope, but being beaten by gloomy old Hailstorm had been annoying. He didn’t understand why, but something was bothering him, affecting his performance. He had just started resting up from his race on a small cloud that had been parked close by for their convenience by a weather pegasus, when he heard Twilight calling his name. Looking over the edge, he spotted her flying in his direction.

“What’s up, Twi?” he called out.

“Free! There’s a call on the talkie-trottie! Hurry down!” the alicorn told him urgently.

Free launched himself off the cloud and power dived to meet her. Path never called at this time, so it had to be something urgent. They nearly crashed through the door of their accommodation in their haste, and the communication device was loudly ringing on the cupboard.

Free snatched up the talkie-trottie and said, “Path! What’s wrong, buddy?”

It was not Path’s voice that answered him though. “It’s Rose, Free. A terrible thing has happened.”

“Where’s Path? Has something happened to him,” Free asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

“He’s in the bedroom, and he’s not hurt – at least not physically. Just listen for a moment.”

As Free and Twilight listened, they could hear the muffled sound of crying which grew louder as Roseclaw apparently carried the device closer. And it was not mere weeping but heart-rending sobs and the occasional wail. Then the sound faded again as Roseclaw withdrew from the source.

“Rose! What’s happened to him? Why is he crying like that? I’ve never known him to cry – ever! He’s always been so tightly self-controlled.”

“It started with ‘The Hunt of the Broken Wing’ that we told you about. The nobles gathered at our estate as planned, and we set off on the hunt….”

# # #

So far things had not been too bad for Path. As a natural runner, he had the advantage over the griffons, and it allowed him to retain the nominal lead. However, several griffons had spread out to try to find and flush out potential prey, so where they had been exactly in relation to him had been unknown. It had taken nearly an hour to find something bigger than a rabbit, though, but eventually they had a small deer on the run. The griffons and he had almost encircled the prey though, and before long, they had it trapped, its every move quickly countered by a grinning griffon. Then one of the nobles pounced and pinned it to the ground.

“Lord Path,” the noble called. “Do you wish the honor of the killing blow?”

Path’s nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought as he beheld the helpless creature before him. “No, that ‘honor’ is all yours.” He turned his head away so he would not have to witness the sight, disgusted with himself for having even participated this much.

“No, please don’t,” a small, trembling voice said.

Path’s head whipped back around to see the deer gazing desperately at his captor with his bright, intelligent eyes. “NO!” he screamed at the noble, lunging at him to try to stop the fatal blow… too late.

“That was a sapient deer!” he yelled at the noble.

“Not a terribly clever one if it strayed onto griffon land,” the noble replied.

Path whirled around to face Razorbeak. “You promised me that you wouldn’t be hunting sapient beings!” he roared at him.

“I said we would be hunting wild beasts. It seemed pretty wild to me,” Razorbeak replied with a smirk.

Path’s fury mounted. “Get out!” he screamed at Razorbeak, and then whirled around to address the rest. “Get out, all of you! Get off my land before I buck you all to Equestria!” Magic began to glow about his hind hooves, and the griffons hastily started scrambling away, knowing exactly what that meant. The noble who had killed the deer tried to take it with him though, and that slowed him down. With a fearful scream, Path spun around to face away from him, and released the thunderhoof. A crash of thunder rocked the forest, and the griffon was buffeted hard by the shockwave. He lost his grip on the carcass and it dropped to the ground. However, he had managed to get far enough out of range to not be knocked out of the sky, and so he painfully flapped away out of reach of the furious earth pony.

Path staggered over to the dead deer and the anger abruptly drained from him. He collapsed to his knees and he laid his head upon the deer’s body. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I should never have agreed to this hunt! I thought I was being manipulated but I still went ahead because I thought it necessary. I didn’t know! I just didn’t know! I’m such an idiot! I’m so sorry!” He burst into incoherent wailing at that point, great sobs wracking his frame.

Roseclaw had witnessed all this helplessly until now. She went over to him and laid a wing over her mate. “It wasn’t your fault, Path. If anygriff should have seen this coming, it should have been me. I should have stopped this before it happened.”

However, Path was beyond listening at this point, lost in a sea of self-recrimination and remorse. The wailing and the tears continued unabated for a very long time.

# # #

“I ended up having to carry Path all the way back to the castle, and he’s now in our bed. I still can’t seem to get through to him though. I can’t console him at all. Free – Twilight – what can I do?”

Free replied, “Just keep trying for however long it takes, Rose. He has to respond eventually.”

Twilight said, “I’m going to order the Skylark to depart immediately to pick you two up. I’ll send a doctor along with the crew. Even if Path responds before the Skylark gets there, I still want you back here. There could be serious psychological harm done if left untreated.”

“Can Skylark swing by here and pick us up before heading to Griffonia, Twi?”

“It could, but it would mean losing far too much time. I’m supposed to give advance notice if I need its services, and last I heard, it had been sent to Fillydelphia on official royal business. It means that they are actually closer to Griffonia right now anyway. Besides, I can’t leave this post as yet.”

Free slashed the bedding in frustration, and Twilight gently put a hoof on his shoulder. “I want you to go too, but it’s best for Path if we get him back here as soon as possible.”

“I know, Twilight, but this has got to be the most frustrating thing to ever happen to me. He’s my brother! He means as much to me as my parents, and you too. I don’t know what I’d do without him!”

“He has so many who love him, Free. We’ll help him, believe me.” She pulled him into a hug to reassure him.

“Rose,” Free said in a pleading voice, “Give him my love.”

“If that will help him, of course I will,” she replied.

# # #

“Are you okay, Free?” Sterling Shield asked.

The griffon had wandered in as usual after breakfast, but instead of approaching the changeling Guards, he just stood there listlessly, barely even bothering to look around. He sighed and said, “Sorry, guys – my heart isn’t in it this morning. Seeya.” He then turned about and left.

“What’s up with him?” Bazztuk asked.

“He got some very bad news yesterday. Rookie, you’re getting to see one of the disadvantages of a changeling getting emotionally bonded to a pony. While the highs are very high, the lows can be painfully low.”

“I thought he was courting Princess Twilight though, and she’s fine, isn’t she?”

Sterling frowned. “You really need to be more observant if you’re going to make a good Royal Guard. It’s not the princess who has caused this. Free’s an unusual changeling, perhaps unique. He was brought up outside the hive as a griffon, and he bonded with his childhood friend, Long Path, an earth pony. He’s in Griffonia at the moment, and from what I’ve heard, he’s had a very nasty incident that has left him incapacitated. Free is suffering because of this.”

Bazztuk grimaced. “If that’s what happens, I don’t know if I ever want to bond with a pony.”

“Junior, you don’t know what you’re talking about, so shut up and mind your post.”

“Yes, sergeant!”

# # #

“Twilight, I want to go to Canterlot to wait for Path.”

“Free – you know he won’t be back for a few days yet. There’s no point in going to Canterlot right now.”

“Yeah, I know, but it would make me feel that much closer to seeing him again.”

Twilight sighed. “Maybe, but you would be there without emotional support, and that would be worse for you, and no help to Path. Besides, I need you here still.”

“Doing what? It’s not as if I’m the only one here who can detect changelings, or a trained fighter like the Royal Guards.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a pain in the plot, free-thinker who sees things a different way from us regular ponies and changelings. You keep telling me that you think there’s something not quite right, and I believe you, so I need you to stay alert and watch for it.”

Free smirked a little. “Pain in the plot?”

“Yes – outrageous and frustrating too.” Then she nuzzled him. “Also endearing, thoughtful, loyal, and fun. Just what I need to keep me from getting to be a boring old bookworm. After all, I can’t be around my friends all the time and still do my work, but a coltfriend? Somepony who I can count on to support me? I think that I might keep him around.”

Free managed a real smile this time. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me yet. Okay, I’ll stay. So what are you going to do now?”

Twilight’s expression took on a more serious tone. “Being cut off from Path just highlights how I can’t be in more than one place at a time, and if I’m going to fulfil my role as Princess of Friendship, not to mention my part as a member of House Path, I’m going to have to look into some contingency plans. I’m going to the city to discuss some things with Cadance and Shining Armor. I wish I could bring you along, but….”

“Yeah, I know – no Alicorn of Awesomeness again.”

Twilight kissed him on the cheek and grinned. “Right. How much awesomeness can one mare take?”

Free actually laughed at that. “Come back as soon as you can, okay?”

“I will, I promise. Bye!” Twilight took off and started flying in the direction of the city before her horn lit up and she teleported away.

# # #

Twilight did not return until mid-afternoon, but she spent the rest of the day in the company of Free.

The word from Roseclaw that evening was not very reassuring. Path had apparently cried incessantly until at last he had slipped into an exhausted sleep. No one could say though whether it would help, or whether it would all start again when he woke. None of them slept well that night.

# # #

Despite his restless sleep, Free woke up with energy to spare. He got out of bed, careful not to disturb Twilight, and headed for the bathroom.

‘Some benefit to sleeping near a source of ambient love,’ he mused as he made his morning ablutions. He sighed. ‘I’d trade it in a heartbeat to be with Path right now though.’

He was considering whether to wait for Twilight to wake up or head off for breakfast when he heard her sleepy voice say, “Morning already? Ugh!”

Free smiled. Twilight hardly needed an alarm clock because she usually woke bright and early, eager to start the day. Normally it was she who had to drag him out of bed. “Hey, Twi, want to go with me to breakfast?”

“Huh? Oh! Just a minute, Free. Let me freshen up first. I won’t be long.”

Free waited patiently for the alicorn, knowing that unlike some mares, when Twilight said she wouldn’t be long, she meant it. Sure enough, she quickly reappeared with her mane tamed back into its normal style and ready to face the new day.

They headed off to breakfast, finding Applejack already there as usual. The farm mare always got up at dawn and complained about how she always had to wait for the rest of the sleepyheads. Twilight and her friends made it a point to start the day together, so poor Applejack usually had to wait around the longest for the last member of the group to arrive. Inevitably that was Rainbow Dash.

“Hi, girls! Morning, Beaky!”

“Morning, Crash,” Free replied.

After flip-flopping for a while, Rainbow had decided that Free was cool, and they had started trading good-natured insults. Rarity still thought him to be uncouth, but otherwise gave him the benefit of the doubt. Applejack remained the sole sticking point, perpetually suspicious of Free’s motives. She was why he preferred to wait for Twilight before going to breakfast.

With breakfast done, they parted company, and Free headed off to the portal building to take out some of his frustrations on the changeling Guards. He had thought of a real zinger to pull, and he was eager to try it out to help keep his mind off other things.

From the moment he stepped inside the office though, Free sensed that something felt wrong. He could not put a claw on it though – everything looked the same, including his intended victims – Sterling and Bazztuk – standing guard. As he approached them though, something odd happened: they regarded him with confused expressions – expressions that he had seen before. For a moment he struggled to recall when, and then his heart started pounding as he remembered. Rather than the zinger he had planned, he simply said, “I’m ready to go through now.”

To his dismay, they stepped aside and let him through. He trotted hastily down the hallway and around the bend before they decided that something was wrong. As expected, two unicorns waited near the end of the passage, but their glassy-eyed stares were disconcerting.

“Open the portal!” Free commanded in his most authoritative voice.

“Open the portal,” they echoed in a toneless drone, and did exactly that. Free dashed through the opening and into the room beyond. There was an ordinary room beyond with an ordinary door to the outside. The room obviously was used to station earth pony Guards – obvious because four of them were unconscious on the floor. Free hoped that they were only unconscious. He dashed out the door and could see the rear of the building for the first time. It was utterly unremarkable except for the fact that he should never been able to realize that fact. He raced around the corner to try to find someone in authority, only to smash into the changeling barrier.

“OW! What the bucking hay?! Should’ve known the bucking thing works both ways. Where’s a soldier when you need one?” He looked around frantically and finally spotted Twilight heading for the store. “Twilight!” he yelled, waving his wings frantically to try to gain her attention. Fortunately she noticed, and changed course to meet him.

“What’s wrong, Free?” she asked, puzzled at the panicked look on his face.

“We’ve got a huge problem, Twi.”

“What problem?”

“This!” Free stood up on his hind legs and leaned against the invisible barrier.

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re on the wrong side of the barrier! How did you do that?”

“The changeling Guards – they’re not ours! I think they’re Blues. The unicorn portal-keepers are bewitched. I asked and they just let me through. Twilight – I think Chrysalis is making her move!”

Just then, another of the frequent whirlwinds roared out of the farmlands and started moving through the outpost. Twilight threw up a shield to protect them both from the wind and dust, so they were quick to see that as it passed, ponies stepped into view from the concealment of the whirling debris. They seemed to be ordinary unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi, all in Equestrian soldier uniforms the same as that of any other soldier based here. There was also a larger than average unicorn mare in officer’s uniform bringing up the rear.

Free pointed at the soldiers. “Twi – I can’t taste any emotional energy coming from them. They’re all changelings! They’re heading inside the portal building!”

Twilight started to head to the back of the building. “We’ve got to close off the portal!”

Free hastened after her, but before they got to the door, changelings started pouring out.

Twilight immediately powered up her horn and started firing magic bolts at them. Free leapt at another with talons extended, slashing viciously, while trying to clamp down on his mounting fear. He grabbed one more, but yet another jumped on his back, seeking to sink his fangs into Free’s neck. This would normally paralyze a pony for the changeling to feed on their love, but Free was a changeling also, and all it did was inflict a painful wound. Free screeched and snapped with his powerful beak. The injured changeling was knocked off, and Free finished off the changeling in his claws. They tried to force their way into the doorway, but more changelings poured out of the portal faster than they could deal with them, pushing them back. Twilight threw up a shield, temporarily blocking their exit, but they immediately started battering away at it, just as they had against Shining Armor’s at Canterlot.

“Go get reinforcements!” Twilight said urgently.

“What if they’ve all been taken out like the others? Twilight, we need your friends to do their thing with you, and I can’t get to the other side of the barrier to find them! You go and fetch them! I’ll hold this lot back as much as I can.”

“Are you crazy?! What can you do against this horde?”

“Whatever it takes to slow them down! Ultimately the drones will burn themselves out if they get past me, even if they cause a lot of damage before that happens, but Chrysalis is back there, and she’s the real danger. I can’t stop her, and neither can you by yourself. Remember what happened to Celestia?”

“She was super-powered on Shining’s love though!”

“And who’s to say she hasn’t stolen some other poor pony’s love to power herself up? Twi – stop arguing and get your friends before it’s too late!” Free exerted his power, and his wings shrank into his body as he absorbed their mass, but his overall form grew larger, and his talons sharper. He could not increase his real mass, but he could improve his reach and potency.

With an anguished cry, Twilight dropped the shield and launched herself into the air, making her best speed.

The changelings had immediately burst out of the building, and a couple started to chase her, only to hit the barrier. Free didn’t notice because he was already wrestling with several others. There was no finesse to his actions – he slashed, bit, stabbed, bucked, and trampled them. As he had told Twilight – whatever it took to slow them down. Unfortunately, they were equally merciless. Adrenalin and the extra energy he’d accumulated lately were all that kept him going as he suffered bites, cuts, and bruising impacts. He was being buried under a wave of changelings. He barely noticed the sonic boom, but moments later, the blue changelings were swept away by a wave of rainbow energy.

Free collapsed to the ground, utterly spent, but from there he could see through the door to observe still more changelings coming through the portal. He tried to point and yell, but he barely could croak out, “Get the portal unicorns.” And then he saw her. Queen Chrysalis stepped through the portal with a vanguard of soldier changelings.

The Harmony Bearers were not caught unawares though, and another rainbow beam came blasting through the door. The soldier changelings threw themselves in its path, blocking it from reaching their queen, and even as they were blasted away, more changelings poured in to replace them. However, it was a losing battle in that confined space, and they were quickly overwhelmed. Chrysalis screamed in fury as she was blasted back through the portal, and the rainbow of Harmony neutralized the portal unicorns’ magic. The portal disappeared and ended the flow of invaders.

“Quickly, girls!” Twilight cried out. “Don’t let Chrysalis get away this time!”

That was the last thing that Free heard before he blacked out.

# # #

‘I hurt too much to be dead,’ was Free’s first thought. He forced open an eye and tried to take in his surroundings. It was an unfamiliar and nondescript room though, which left him none the wiser. He looked at himself, prizing the other eye open to join in the effort. He appeared to be lying on his back, propped up with pillows in bed, with a blanket pulled over him. Not much he could see there, but the cast on his right foreleg was new. He tried to call out for someone.

“Squarg!”

He was instantly embarrassed that such a pitiful and incomprehensible noise had come from his beak. However, it did have the desired effect as a pony stuck her head around the doorway to investigate.

Twilight’s eyes lit up with joy. “You’re awake!” she cried as she bounded into the room. “Thank Celestia! You’re going to be okay!”

Free noticed that her eyes were extra shiny, perhaps from the tears that were welling in them? For him? That was so cool. He could taste her relief and happiness now. Nice to have survived for this moment. Time to say something appropriately heroic.

“Glarble…”

Right. Forgot that. Now he was even more mortified.

“Oh! Let me get you some water.” Twilight’s horn lit up, and a jug on the stand levitated and poured some of its contents into a cup which then floated over to the griffon.

Free tried to reach for it with his left claws, only to have multiple pains assault him all at once. He groaned involuntarily.

“No, don’t try to take it; let me help you.”

Twilight carefully placed the cup to Free’s beak and tilted it. Most of it made it inside, and the soothing liquid sloshed around his dry mouth. He swallowed with a bit of difficulty, but it was a blessed relief to feel it going down. She did it again, and this time it went down more easily. A third time, and he felt so much better.

“Thanks,” he croaked. He wouldn’t be doing much singing soon, but at least he might be able to be understood. “Hurts…”

Twilight put the cup down and said, “Wait a moment – I’ll get the doctor.”

She trotted out of the room, but was soon back with a unicorn in a white coat.

“Ah! I thought you might awaken soon. I couldn’t convince the princess that you weren’t about to drop dead at any moment though. Let’s have a look, shall we?”

The doctor then began prodding and poking, and doing just about everything but alleviating the aches and pains. “You’ve been an interesting case – ostensibly a griffon albeit one without wings and rather more vicious-looking, but actually a changeling. It made treating you quite an interesting prospect, I tell you!”

Free did not give a damn how interesting the doctor had found his patient. The unicorn might get very interested in treating himself if he kept this up much longer!

“Doc –pain!” he growled.

“What? Oh, yes, just a moment.” His horn lit up and a pill bottle floated out of a pocket and towards Twilight. “Give him two of these with water; no more. He seems to be recovering nicely, but I’ll come back and check him again later.”

“Don’t hurry back,” Free murmured fervently.

Twilight administered the pills and then sat down beside the bed. “Aside from the pain, how are you feeling?”

“Surprised to be alive. What happened?”

“You scared me badly, Free. I thought for sure that I had left you for dead. I could hardly believe my eyes when I returned and saw you still fighting the Blues. I’m sorry it took so long – I had to call Rainbow Dash back with her talkie-trottie.”

“Yeah, I thought I heard her sonic rainboom.”

“She made good time, but it still took a few minutes to round up everypony. You were unbelievable, lasting that long. How did you manage that?”

“You and everypony else were counting on me – I had to, didn’t I?”

“Oh, Free, that was incredibly heroic of you, but you should still have been overwhelmed. There’s something very strange about you that we’re going to have to figure out.”

“It doesn’t involve more poking and prodding, does it?” he pleaded.

Twilight laughed. “No, I shouldn’t think so.”

“Good – it can wait anyway. What happened after you shut off the portal?”

“We tried to chase down Chrysalis, but it was sheer chaos in the outpost by that time. Real soldiers were fighting with fake soldiers and undisguised changelings were causing confusion, allowing Chrysalis to escape. It took a few more Harmony beams to clear up that mess. It highlighted a problem that that weapon has – it’s great for single targets, but unwieldy for crowds. Maybe there’s a better way to wield it, but it doesn’t exactly come with an instruction manual.”

“Heh! If there was one, I’m sure you would have read it a dozen times by now.”

“Of course! One can’t be too prepared! Anyway, we then had to deal with the aftermath, and helping the injured was our first priority. I got back to you as soon as I could. Oh, Free, you looked dead! You were covered in gashes and bite marks, you had lost a lot of blood, and your right leg was broken. I used healing spells to stop the bleeding and set the bone, but you were way too weak despite my best efforts. So we brought you here. Notice the ambiance?”

The pills were starting to kick in, and with the ebbing of pain, Free noticed something that he normally would have tasted immediately – love was in the air!”

“Are we closer to the city now? There’s plenty of love energy around here.”

“Yes! We set up a makeshift hospital at a site that we judged would boost your energy intake to help you heal without overdoing things. Actually you aren’t the only changeling patient here. Our Red Changeling Guards fought well, but some of them got badly hurt also. None as bad as you were though.”

“Do you know what happened to Sterling Shield and Bazztuk? They must have been neutralized and replaced early somehow.”

Twilight’s head bowed. “We found their bodies concealed in the fields.”

That jarred Free badly. While he had done his best to heckle the changeling Guards, he had been impressed with their dedication, and had thought of them as friends. “How…?”

“Captain Diamondhard has been putting the pieces together as best she can. For starters, most of those whirlwinds, if not all, were generated by the Blue Changelings. By doing it frequently but randomly placing them, they got us used to putting up with them as just a regular natural nuisance. However, they were apparently biding their time for an opportune moment. They must have figured out who to grab to gain access to the portal.”

“How did they figure that out? It’s not as if we weren’t on the lookout for spies.”

“Well, before Queen Chrysalis went power-crazy, her Harvesters were known for their skills at solving problems and uncovering secrets. If any changelings could figure that out, they would be the ones. I suppose we’ll never know exactly how, but the point is moot. They knew that Sterling and Bazztuk were the first line of defense, and they also knew who the portal-keeper unicorns were. They only needed an opportunity to get all four at once. Under cover of a whirlwind, they presumably intercepted the four as they were going on their shift. They killed the Guards and replaced them, and Chrysalis bewitched the unicorns to respond to changeling commands.”

“That’s why the Guards looked confused when I came in. The Blue Changelings did exactly the same when they confronted me in the invasion of Canterlot. For some reason, they can’t figure me out. It bought me enough time to slip past them.”

“We really need to get to the bottom of that mystery,” Twilight said fervently. “Anyway, the stage was set to move in more changelings under cover of another whirlwind. They would have had a huge number inside the shield as well as Chrysalis herself if it hadn’t been for you. You always said that something was bothering you about the security of the set-up.”

“Yeah. Pity I didn’t figure it out before the horseapples hit the fan. Everypony was so focused on trying to prevent unauthorized changelings from sneaking through or hiding among the troops, that they completely forgot that the portal was not as vulnerable as they were. Sure, it took a sneaky trick with the whirlwinds, but they still caught us completely unawares. We were prize idiots.”

“Be grateful that Chrysalis made a huge mistake of her own.”

“What was that?”

“The portal – it’s just an opening made in the barrier, nothing more. It could be made anywhere, but we put up the building to control the access to the portal-keepers and to have an office to process the changelings with legitimate access. Chrysalis must have believed that the portal was a physical thing that was part of the building. If she had realized otherwise, she need have only taken the two bewitched portal-keepers, and opened one anywhere she felt like and we would have been none the wiser.”

“The non-changelings should have been kept behind the barrier, and not just the portal-keepers. Why are all the buildings outside anyway?”

“Simple, really. Because all of the changeling Guards were required to be outside of the barrier, none of them were allowed inside, and their barracks were therefore also outside. The stores and mess hall needed to be readily accessed by changelings too, so they were outside also. Why put the very few other buildings somewhere else?”

“And with that simple, lazy philosophy, we almost lost the battle.” Free sighed wearily. “How many died because of that mistake, Twi?”

“Too many. One whole contingent had apparently been wiped out and replaced. Another oversight – no one would report an imposter among them if they were all imposters. Now I have to tell Frothy Brew that his friend died for our stupid mistake.”

“Frothy Brew? Isn’t that the café owner in Canterlot? What’s the link there?”

“Sterling was the first changeling friend that Frothy made. He brought his whole squad there eventually, and the café became well known for being changeling-friendly. But it was Sterling who started it all, and I know that Frothy is going to take it hard.”

“I’m going to miss the big lug too. Couldn’t dance to save his life, but he could take a joke and gave as good as he got.”

They were both quietly sad for a long moment before Free asked, “Did they figure out how the Blues made those whirlwinds?”

“”Yes, unfortunately.”

“Why is that unfortunate?”

“Because apparently they kidnapped a couple of weather pegasi a long time ago and Chrysalis has had them under mind-control so long that we don’t know if they’ll ever recover their senses.”

“So you found them then?”

“It wasn’t hard because they were simply abandoned. Now that we know that ruse, they can’t use it again, so the pegasi weren’t any use any more. We found them just standing in a field, staring at nothing, waiting for orders. We’ve identified them as Twister and Cyclone. Twister’s family has been notified, but we haven’t been able to identify Cyclone’s as yet. I’m not even sure if we’re doing the kindest thing anyway. They might be mental vegetables now.” Twilight hung her head sadly and sighed.

Free reached out with his better leg and lifted her chin. “Hey, you thought I’d be killed, and yet here I am alive. They could beat the odds too, Twi. Don’t give up hope for them yet.”

Twilight smiled gratefully at the encouragement.

Free let his aching limb relax back onto the bed. “What happens now, hon?”

“Nothing for you. Diamondhard has already totally revised security. All changeling Guards are now inside the barrier, and she has a team of workers relocating all the buildings. Any unicorns empowered to open a portal are now strictly forbidden to be beyond the barrier, and the border patrollers are required to stay within the shield also, instead of wherever it’s most convenient. Those kind of things. The girls left on the train to Ponyville after they finished helping clean up. Their job is done now.”

“What about us?”

“You get to stay here and heal for a while longer. Uh-uh!” she said as Free started to object. “No excuses. I promise that we’ll also leave in time to get to Canterlot before Path arrives. Meanwhile, right here is the best place for you to be.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You don’t want your very special somepony to worry about you, do you?”

“Blackmailer!” he replied with a smile. “Convince me a little more.”

Twilight smiled and gave him another longer kiss.

“I’ll be good,” Free promised. “Any news about Path though?”

“Skylark has picked up Path and Roseclaw, and they’re on their way back. I wish I could tell you more good news, but apparently he’s pretty much catatonic at the moment. I hope that the airship doesn’t get delayed because every hour counts right now.”

“I can help him, Twi; I know I can! I just need to be with him!”

“Calm down, Free – I believe you. In fact, I’m kind of counting on it. Path’s mood has been swinging rather strongly since you parted with him, and I suspect that you’ve been a moderating influence on him.”

“Because I’m a changeling?”

“Most likely, although the fact that you’ve been lifelong friends can’t be ignored either. We’ll find out soon enough when they get to Canterlot.”

Free nodded thoughtfully. For once, he wished that he knew more about changelings. It was strange that he knew far more about being a griffon than his own natural species. What else about himself had touched their lives?

Twilight got to her hooves. “If you don’t really need me for now, I have to go. I’ve been neglecting other duties while I’ve been concerned about you.”

Free gave her a gentle smile. “I’ll always need you, Sparkles. However, I think I’ll take your advice right now and get a bit more rest.”

“Good. My day will be a lot better now that I know that you’re really on the mend. I’ll be back in a few hours.” She started to leave, but then paused and looked back. “Oh! I almost forgot – I have a message to pass on.”

“Oh? Who from?”

“Applejack. She told me to tell you, ‘Well done, sugarcube’.” Twilight added a wink and then left.

Free grinned. Acceptance from Applejack was a major milestone. Maybe he could even convince Rarity that he wasn’t quite as uncouth as she reckoned? Then he chuckled.

“Nah! Who am I kidding?”

# # #

Free Agent actually managed to keep his word and be good… or at least as good as he ever was. It had taken a lot of battle injuries to keep him down, admittedly, but that did not stop him from talking. Anypony who made the mistake of stopping to see him got regaled with the tale of how he had saved the day. Okay, maybe with a little help from the Harmony Bearers, but where would they have been without him?

By the end of the day, half the ponies thought he was an amazing hero, while the other half thought he was an equally amazing liar. Free didn’t care – he was just bored and was doing it for the entertainment value. They could stick medals on the soldiers, but he was just glad that he was going to be able to hug and kiss Twilight again. He smiled at the thought. Yes, a much better reward.

By the time Twilight returned though, he had tired himself out and was falling asleep. Apparently all the love energy he was taking in was being used by his body to heal himself; staying awake was not needed. Twilight stayed by him for a long while however – a little extra affection could only help, right?

The next day consisted of mostly boredom, but at least he was allowed outside to sit in the warm sun and soak up the love ambiance. He was healing fast, far faster than a pony would, but so were the other changelings. By mid-afternoon, he felt good enough to shift back to his normal griffon form without it causing too many aches. He flexed his wings in relief and considered taking a flight, but a stern look from one of the nurses quelled that idea. It was a huge relief when Twilight arrived a couple of hours later.

“Good heavens! You look amazing, Free! I can’t believe how fast you’re healing.”

“Yeah – apparently the constant supply of love energy is very close to a miracle cure for changelings, and there’s already some excited talk about setting up a permanent hospital for the treatment of changeling patients.”

“Umm, I’m not so sure if that’s a good idea,” Twilight said doubtfully.

“I said that too. I found myself in the rare position of being the voice of moderation and I had to cite my own previous experiences. Their patients would risk losing self-control or burning themselves out.”

“I think I’ll have a word with the medical staff before we leave. I think it would be wise to move the changelings who have already healed sufficiently back to the portal outpost.”

“What about me, Twi?”

“Normally I’d defer to the doctor in charge because of the extent of your injuries, but if we’re going to get you back to Canterlot to get there before Path arrives, we’re going to have to take the overnight train. I’ve arranged for it to make a special stop for us so we don’t have to transport you to the outpost first. Until then, you soak up as much love energy as you can to heal. Can I trust you to let the staff know if you think you’re getting too much?”

“I know the signs now. If I start getting hyper, I’ll fly away from the city before I lose my self-control. That’ll burn off some energy and get me into a less energy-dense area.”

“That’s perfect. I have to go back to the city now. I only stopped by to give you an update and check on your progress. I’ll meet you at the train stop tonight. Here’s your ticket with your compartment allocation and the scheduled departure.” She gave them to him and followed up with a hug. “Looking forward to spending the trip with you, dear.”

Free enjoyed the hug so much that he barely noticed the aches and twinges it caused.

The hours spent waiting for the time to depart were more like torture though. He asked about the cast on his leg, and the doctor informed him that it was magic-infused to help bring it up to full strength again, because Twilight’s healing spell had knitted the bones already. At the rate his body was healing, he could probably have it taken off very soon, but the doctor preferred that it be left on for now. He recommended that Free have a Canterlot doctor check it out again when he got there.

With still an hour before the train was due, Free checked himself out of the facility. Many of the more lightly wounded had already been shipped out, and only the more badly injured were still being treated. According to the doctors, he should still be among them, but for some reason, despite the seriousness of his wounds, he was healing even faster – yet another part of the mystery that was Free Agent.

Free looked around for a little while to kill time until the train arrived. It seemed that they had set up the temporary facility in a small outlying village. It had the convenience of access to supplies without being too close to the city, but its station was little more than a platform and obviously not a regular stop for the train to Canterlot. If it wasn’t for dealing with all the startled crystal ponies, Free would have very quickly gotten bored.

The sun had set, and only a couple of lamps lit up the small platform as Free waited by himself. Right on schedule though, the train pulled up to the station. He had no trouble figuring out which carriage to get into because Twilight was leaning out the window and waving. As soon as he boarded, the engine’s whistle blew and the train resumed its journey. Free found the compartment and soon was hugging Twilight again.

Twilight gave Free a kiss and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“What for? Affection or food?” Free replied with a grin.

Twilight matched his expression. “Both! I’ve ordered a nice big meal for the two of us. Affection is the seasoning,” she added slyly.

“Sparkles – I think I’m starving then!”

They only made one more stop at the portal outpost to allow Free to pass through the shield. At the same time, his possessions were loaded onto the train, and he found his lute and took it back to their compartment.

Free played for Twilight for a couple of hours before they decided to call it a night. Free was happy to leave the Crystal Kingdom behind, but something was still nagging him.

“Twi, you remember how I said that before that we were overlooking something?”

“Yes, and you were right.”

“Why do I have the feeling that we still are?”

“Paranoia?”

“I’m not really the paranoid type.”

“Well, if there really is something else that we’re overlooking, I hope that you figure it out sooner than last time. Until then, you’ve earned the right to relax. Now stop worrying and come to bed. Your special somepony wants snuggles.”

Free gladly complied. He hardly noticed that his intake of love energy had barely declined since they left the Crystal Kingdom.

# # #

While Twilight reported to Celestia to discuss recent events in person, Free sought out Princess Luna. Normally the lunar diarch would be in bed by now in order to be refreshed for her night court after raising the moon at sunset. However, as sponsor of Long Path’s project, and virtually a fifth member of the team, she had stayed up in order to be present when Path arrived.

Free reported on the attempted invasion from his viewpoint. The princesses would compare notes later and decide on any further courses of action. For now though, both Luna and Free waited impatiently, fretting on the condition of their comrade. Twilight joined them with good news.

“Captain Fairweather reports that Skylark will arrive in half an hour.”

“Those communicators that you devised are most cunning, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna commented. “I would have a few of my own that I may put to good use.”

“I would be very happy to provide them for you, Luna. In fact I have a few made already. I had a lot of time on my hooves while we were waiting for Chrysalis to make her move.”

They moved out onto the balcony to await the airship. All three had the distance vision that flying creatures enjoyed, so it was a very close thing that Luna spotted it first. Twilight saw it as soon as Luna pointed it out.

“I’m not waiting for them to land. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Twilight then teleported away.

“I suspect that Twilight Sparkle will return with your companion most promptly. We shall await them inside.” Luna trotted back inside and noticed that her assistant was still present. “Scribe, you may be dismissed if you wish. This is long past your normal hour.”

Scribe replied, “By you leave, Your Highness, I would prefer to stay. My duty is to attend you while you wake, and admittedly I have some self-interest in this matter also.”

“Very well, you may stay.”

Just then, Twilight arrived in a flash of magic, bringing along with her both Path and Roseclaw. The earth pony was held in the griffoness’ arms, otherwise he would have slumped to the floor.

Free leaped over to join them and pulled Path into a hug. “Path! Talk to me, buddy! Are you okay?”

Roseclaw said worriedly, “Path hasn’t said a word for the past two days, and he’s been unresponsive all of today so far. Free, I think we’re losing him.”

“NO! I refuse to accept that! Path! Listen to me! You’ve got to get a grip on yourself. I’ve been waiting for you, brother, and so has Twilight. Rose is worried that she’s going to lose her mate. You have a family here, waiting for you to come back to them.” Tears started pouring from Free’s eyes. “You can’t leave us. You’re the strength of this herd – what would we do without you?”

Free hugged the earth pony harder, nuzzling and crooning to him. “I love you, Long Path. Don’t leave me, please.”

Suddenly, a soft green glow started to grow about the pair. Path’s eyes abruptly opened, and Scribe stumbled backwards as he was assaulted by a flood of negative emotions. Then his eyes widened in stunned surprise as that flood was just as quickly stemmed, and he realized what was happening.

“Free Agent is absorbing all of Long Path’s negative emotions,” he reported in awe.

Twilight looked at Scribe curiously. “How do you know? Are you a changeling?”

Luna spoke up. “Scribe is not only my personal assistant, but also my go-between to Queen Dianthia. He is supposed to conceal that fact though,” she added with a frown.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I was just shocked by the impossibility of what I’m seeing.”

“Why?” Twilight asked. “I already know that you can absorb negative emotions if you choose. A friend of mine was treated that way a while back.”

“Yes, but where are Free Agent’s fangs? He needs to connect with Long Path’s chi to do what he’s doing so fast.”

“Free is a changeling?” asked Roseclaw, startled by the revelation.

“He’s a very unusual changeling,” Twilight confirmed. “He’s been a griffon for most of his life though, so what you see…”

She was interrupted by a croaky voice. “Free? Oh, Free, I’ve done something so horrible,” Path lamented.

“Take it easy, Path. It wasn’t your fault. We all get fooled by people with wicked intentions occasionally.”

“But someone lost their life because I was so foolish. I hunted them, Free! I hunted them and caused them to lose their life. I could have said no, and they would still be alive.”

“No, you have to stop blaming yourself. From what I have heard, they would do this hunt anyway, and if that particular deer had not died, then possibly another would have instead. They only used the hunt to hurt you. Are you going to let them get away with that?”

Path burst into tears, and Free crooned his love for him, all the while pulling out a torrent of grief, hate, and self-loathing. The others could only watch helplessly, but with growing hope.

Eventually Path stopped crying, and weakly tried to scrub the tears from his eyes. “Thanks, Free. I’ve missed you, brother. Please don’t go away again.”

“I won’t, as long as you promise to not leave us.”

“I promise.”

“Good,” Free said in relief, and then keeled over unconscious as the aura flickered and died.

“What’s wrong now?” Twilight asked with alarm in her voice.

Scribe said, “Free Agent needs positive energy to counteract all the negative that he’s absorbed. If he doesn’t get it quickly, he may die.”

Twilight quickly picked up the unconscious griffon and hugged him. “Don’t you dare die, Firetail! You’re the passion that I’ve needed in my life, and I won’t let it go now that I’ve found it.”

Path reached out with a hoof to lay it on Free’s chest. “You took the worst of my feelings, but don’t forget to take the best too.”

Roseclaw looked at Scribe. “Can I help him at all?”

“Do you care for Free? Does he mean anything to you, especially now that you know he’s a changeling?”

“He’s my mate’s brother, and he’s one of my House. Yes, I care about him.”

“Then show him your affection – every bit helps right now.”

“Then I would offer mine also,” Luna said, turning the four into a group hug.

After a very long moment, Free’s eyes flickered open again. “Ooh, I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he said with a weak grin.

“Not yet, you silly griff,” Twilight said gruffly to hide her relief, realizing belatedly that it was a pointless exercise with a changeling. “Are you feeling alright now?”

“Weak as a kitten, but nothing a good dose of loving won’t cure.”

“Between this and your injuries, you’ve taken quite a battering lately. Are you sure there’s nothing that you’re hiding from me?”

“Well, I have to admit that I have a bad case of blue balls.”

Path laughed as Twilight blushed. “Yep, he’s going to be okay, Twilight.”

“It’s good to hear you laugh again, my love,” Roseclaw said, cuddling her mate.

“It’s like an enormous weight has been lifted from me, Rose. I can recall the incident now without collapsing emotionally. It’s a bitter lesson to learn, but I will cope now with your help. One thing that I’ve learned is that I can’t stand alone. I need you and Free and Twilight, and I even need you, Princess Luna. I’ve tried to take on too much at once, but I know that I can count on you all.”

“Well, you’re going to take it easy for a while,” Twilight ordered. “You too, Free. A vacation is officially ordered for the pair of you.”

“Yes, Princess,” they chorused, and they grinned at each other.

“I will order rooms and servants for your needs,” Luna added.

Scribe said, “I will do that immediately, Your Highness. However, after I have done so, I would like your permission to report to Queen Dianthia. She should be apprised of the latest developments.”

“Very well. Arrange for your replacement to attend me at tonight’s court.”

Scribe bowed low and then departed.

“Forgive me, but I must leave you also. I need some sleep before I must raise the moon tonight.”

“Of course, Luna,” Twilight responded. “We’ll all be fine right here for now.”

“Yes,” Path said with a joyful smile. “House and herd reunited. I love you all.”

# # #

Free made himself comfortable on a sofa in their room. It was positioned in front of the balcony window, and was presently bathed in warm sunshine. When he was settled, Twilight got up to join him and laid her head on his back between his wings. She sighed happily.

“It’s good to be able to relax and forget about your cares for a little while.”

“It’s better to be able to share it with someone you love,” Free replied. Twilight’s silence spoke volumes to Free. “You don’t have to be afraid to admit it, Twi. I can taste it, you know.”

“It’s scary, Free. I need to admit it to myself first.”

“Why? Don’t you love your friends?”

“It’s a different kind of love, and you know it.”

“In the end, does it matter?”

“It matters because it can change my entire life. Making friends for the first time changed me forever.”

“And look how that turned out.”

“The consequences of this could be more drastic, Free. We’re hardly a typical couple.”

“Don’t let that put you off, Twi. You’re a mare first, not an alicorn, not a princess, not a Harmony Bearer. You owe it to yourself to put your needs and desires up there along with your responsibilities. They aren’t incompatible goals, I assure you.”

“You do seem to make a career of proving that,” Twilight admitted.

“Everypony needs passion. Everypony deserves love. I want to give you both, Twilight.”

Twilight contemplated that for a long while before she asked, “So – blue balls?”

Free grinned. “I haven’t banged anyone, pony or otherwise, since you became my very special somepony.”

“I never asked that of you, y’know?”

“I know. It’s not as if I’ve lost interest in it, but the focus of my attention has shifted.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“Yes.”

“Did you think that I might never feel that way about you?”

“Yes. Remember what you said about this being scary? It works both ways.”

Twilight was quiet for another lengthy period before she lifted her head and kissed him. “I love you, Firetail.”

“And I love you, Sparkles.”

Free’s weakness and injuries did little to dim the passion with which they made love for the first time. Her love was true, and it bolstered him until they were both sated. They then spent the next half hour just cuddling, enjoying being together.

Eventually Twilight asked, “You want to hear something really scary?”

“What’s that?”

“Let’s talk about marriage.”

# # # # # # # # # #

Author's Note:

Phew! This went a bit longer than I anticipated, but at last some threads are coming together. Of course there are a few more yet to be revealed, but I think that our intrepid herd has earned a bit of vacation. Join us again for a more lighthearted chapter next time.

Comments

[aduck]

As a former middle school chess enthusiast I am going to stop you right now on your title before I read the chapter. It should be one of these: Pawn to E3. Pawn to E3 threatening Knight on D2. Pawn takes Knight E3. Not Pawn to Knight 3. It just isn't correct.

Now to read the chapter.

[Dostoron]

Wow, just... wow, i had a Feeling something was up with those whirlwinds but it all came together so scarily efficient, and the hunt oh Boy the hunt... if someone ever tells you to hurry up, laugh at them. These are ALWAYS worth the wait ten times over.

[Goldfur]

5931212 I knew it was wrong, but I forgot to go back and change my placeholder chapter title. Changed it now.

[BronyofMeddlers]

That last line crack me up.

[Celestial Petrichor]

Not Sterling!

[Traveling Soul]

I so love your original characters.
You are freaking genius!!!!!

[Majk]

Awwwwh man, after reading all your stories Sterlings death is a real downer. Old Chryssie needs to keel over and Free needs to take over her hive like he was supposed to.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Poor Sterling. I want to see how Frothy takes it.

[Emtu]

Twilight smiled and gave him another longer kiss.”

unnecessary quote at the end there

[soulwinds]

Sterling... He was my second favorite changeling too...

Kudos to you, Goldfur, for thinking up an actually believable plan for Chrysalis. I had noticed the many references to the sandstorms in the previous chapters but I never expected you to tie them into the story like that. I am curious about the elements withdrawing though. Chrysalis is still alive, right? Her army has retreated for the time being but she is still a threat. That said, why would they choose to recall the elements of harmony now that they know the crystal heart is a target?

[Archivist Nightwatch]

1 of 2 things is with path.. he is either 1 half or 3/4 changeling or 2 he is some type of queen/king changeling.

Also i have this wierd feeling he is quiet capable of actually breeding with ponies...

[Backlash91]

W-wow goldfur! I'm smiling from ear to ear.

this chapter had every aspect of a good story all wrapped up with a perfect ending. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me feel.

thanks ^^ you made my day far better than I thought it'd be.

[m1ntf4n]

Holy shit this chapter was cheesy

[Cloverleaf]

Somehow I get the feeling their lack of complete knowledge on changeling biology is gonna bring a very strange scenario to a head in the very near future. A strange scenario involving Twilight and heading to the bathroom a bit more frequently in the coming weeks.

[fractalman]

Admittedly trying beat Rainbow Dash

trying to

Until then, you soak up as much love energy that

energy as

[Scolipede]

I am still very curious about what Free was forgetting.

[Seether00]

If Twi keeps banging him then Free could live forever.

My best guess is that because he has no hive, the changlings were confused. Or he's a hiveless queen and he doesn't know that.

Also, the Deerfolk are going to be all sorts of pissed off.

[Ocean Mist]

Nooooo! Sterling!

[AppleTank]

Y'all need some Necromancy.

[eL VeeJay]

Another good chapter!

Although I've been having some interesting thoughts... Free "being his own hive" and all...I'm wondering if he was a queen (or possibly male consort) nymph, being transported to either create a new hive or be consort to an existing queen. I mean, they have to exchange genes between the hives somehow, and that could be it.
If so - I'm wondering if he's actually fertile...and if he is, then he and Twi might be in for a big surprise...

[Odd_Sarge]

Every chapter you write brings a whole new truckload of feels.
This chapter was definitely worth the wait.

[Jay_The_Obscure]

Wait, “We found their bodies concealed in the fields.”? This fimverse is based off "A Novel Tale" right? In "A Novel Tale" Changelings didn't leave behind bodies. Their shape changing magic fire consumed them when they died. Is this fimverse different on that score or is it just an oops? You could change it to their armor was found. I imagine it would have their names on it.

[Goldfur]

5935302 I suppose that I could do that, but frankly I don't wish to. While I said that it was based on A Novel Tale's world, I also said that I would not be slavishly following everything because I disagreed on a few points. I like to think that much of what I've written is an homage to what was first created there, but I'm my own person with my own views and ideas. I'm quite sure that many more things that I will be writing about will conflict with that story.

[EquesTRON]

5932911

Also, the Deerfolk are going to be all sorts of pissed off.

I suspect King Glimfeather isn't going to be especially pleased either, when he finds out what happened (if he hasn't already). He might not be able to openly censure or punish Razorbeak and Blacktalon for it, but there's probably a few strings he can pull behind the scenes to make their lives "interesting"...

[Theta52775]

So now that nearly the entire changeling devision was wiped out and Sterling was killed does that mean the changeling that Frothy Brew's daughter was dating was killed?

[RainCrasher]

Sterling Shield and Bazztuk noooo! I liked them. And I remember Sterling Shield from the other story... And I feel bad that the hunt was used to hurt Long Path so badly. A good chapter though all in all and a good climax to the story. Cant wait for next chapter.

[Goldfur]

5936353 Well, not an entire division of changelings, but they took quite a hit. No, Red Archer (Peach's mate) was not among them.

[Goldfur]

5935490 While the king said that he had to listen to the nobles to keep their support, it's also very true that you don't piss off the king. In a society that holds status above all, they could soon find themselves slipping down the social ladder.

[tsaukpaetra]

Finally got caught up, we think (or perhaps I missed a story). It's certainly been fun so far, even with all the craziness.
Just a little clarification on the situation in the Crystal Empire, the anti-changeling shield doesn't (yet) extend underground, does it?
Keep going! ;)

[Theta52775]

5936540 well I'm glad that Red Archer is still alive, but I'm sad that Sterling is dead.

[Goldfur]

5936993 The shield is a sphere, unaffected by such things as rock, so there's no tunnelling under it.

[EquesTRON]

5936556
Oh, definitely, angering the local sovereign is a bad idea all around. (Though presumably, those two don't know that Glimfeather and Long Path have a shared agenda, so they may have assumed that even if it did come to the the king's attention, he'd consider it a "minor" dispute not worth involving himself in.) I was just thinking in terms of whether or not Glimfeather could openly smack them down for it, politically speaking.

"But, your Majesty, everygriff knows that's the way the Hunt has always been conducted. Is it our fault if Lord Path agreed to host the event without understanding what was involved in it? We had assumed that his betrothed, at least, was advising him in such matters..."

Yes, it would be a fairly thin technicality, but it still might sway a few of those nobles already known to be disaffected by Long Path's sudden elevation in status and popularity, to the point where Glimfeather might have to expend more political capital to make any open censures stick than he'd be willing to commit just yet. But I'm sure that crafty old bird has other, more subtle ways of dealing with arrogant nobles who raise his ire...

(And speaking of crafty old birds, Warfist might not be inclined to take this insult to his new Lord and House lying down, either.)

[tsaukpaetra]

5937153 good, just wanted to cover that hole just in case! ;p

[djthomp]

Well, Warfist and Techbird are fun. Too bad any potential progress the House has made in changing gryphon society has probably gone straight into the tank with his reaction to the events of the hunt. Turning into a sobbing, comatose wreck that had to taken back to Equestria can't possibly have helped any of their overall goals.

Yeah, I had a feeling several chapters ago when then "no changelings inside the shield" rule was laid down that it was a setup for a crisis like this to prove Free right about the shield rule. At least Diamondhard wasn't directly singled out as being the responsible for this whole mess, but it definitely felt like that was the subtext.

Free’s weakness and injuries did little to dim the passion with which they made love for the first time. Her love was true, and it bolstered him until they were both sated. They then spent the next half hour just cuddling, enjoying being together.

“Let’s talk about marriage.”

My dislike for Free has not slackened. Marriage already, brought up by Twilight after a few months of knowing him at most and a single night together? Really? I didn't think he could be more of a Mary Sue, but that takes the cake. I'm halfway suspicious that he's an intentional parody of a bad character.

[Salen]

I don't care what others think; I enjoyed this chapter.

Then again, I just want to read an entertaining story, and this succeeded.

[CinnamonSwirltheBreaded]

Presumably the thing they're forgetting is that Chrysalis isn't an idiot and probably interrogated the unicorns or other members of the military that she had replaced, and the 'attack' was really just a feint.

[Father Figure]

We found their bodies concealed in the fields.

My heart sank...

[Rammy]

“The only thing known about the puzzle is that the only attribute of the puzzle is that it’s puzzling,” she replied.

Well I'm puzzled.

[pahnazd]

Long chapter was long.

So many painful situations in this chapter... But I really questioned the security being on the outer perimeter where it could be easily tampered with. As proven in this chapter.
Too late they realized that it was a bad idea, and it cost them.
Well, at least now they have far better security. Not impenetrable, but much harder to get through.
I wonder what Free's bad feeling was about now? Let's hope they didn't neglect proper guard check for any infiltrators. That would be quite awkward.

At least towards the end it was shaping up to be better.
And way to drop a bomb shell, Twi

[BronyofMeddlers]

Hope path will be okay, also I can imagine the pure fear or joy on Free face when Twi said that.

[jaroslav]

Like Path wouldn't know almost all big animals and lots of small are sentient in Equestria. And evidently all big herbivores are sentient on this planet.

[Heavy Weapons Guy]

I would be willing to see a side story to this one for the mature scenes, If thats done id rate this 11 out of 10 and you would earn yourself a follower.

[Goldfur]

5980980 A side-story is planned, but it won't be done until after the main story.

[Dipti]

BWAWAWAW let talk about marriage!!!! oh thats a great ending.

[akumamattata]

6022976 only to be one upped by 'im pregnant'

[Stormcaller]

Sterling is dead...

[RECoyote]

You miss one thing here. Roseclaw and Long Path going to see Her Parents.
The Formal meeting of the rest of Rose's family and discussion about their mating.

[Kevin Lee]

“It’s called ‘The Hunt of the Broken Wing’, and it was to be held on Ravenwing’s estate this year. While he obviously cannot lead the hunt anymore, nevertheless it is too late to organize an alternative. As the new lord of this estate, we expect that you would want to grab this opportunity to host the hunt anyway. It’s a very prestigious event, and could boost your status considerably. A young lord with such a new House as yours would not usually get this honor.”
“Exactly what would be my involvement with this hunt?” Path asked suspiciously.
“As it would be on your estate, you have the privilege of leading the hunt.”

Red Flag #1

“And how could I do that? I cannot fly.”
“Ah! But that isn’t a problem at all. The hunt is called by that name because it is a test of a griff’s ability to hunt despite being incapacitated. It is done entirely on the ground, and I believe running is well within an earth pony’s ability?” Razorbeak said smugly.
“Ponies don’t hunt,” Path countered.
“You only need to lead the hunt, if it bothers you. The other members will happily take the privilege of making the kill.”

Red Flag #2

“Just what are you hunting?”
“Any medium to large prey. It’s symbolic of a griff being able to sustain his family under adversity, so the bigger, the better.”

Red Flag #3

Recalling that in the past, ponies were considered fair game, Path asked distrustfully, “Do you hunt pony slaves or any other sapient being?”
Razorbeak smiled reassuringly. “It would only be the wild beasts on your estate.”

Annnnd...Red Flage #4

--1: On his own estate, "leading the hunt"
--2: Again "leading the hunt, for which the OTHERS make the kill"
--3: Medium-to-Large Prey
--4: "Not a slave or sapient being"

Despite taking great care to ensure he's not the intended prey, he's still got suckered into that. Medium-to-large prey (pony), leading the hunt (as prey) on his own estate (perfect place to commit murder) who's NOT a slave (since he's the estate owner) or sapient being (psychopathic killers never consider their victims to be sapient, therefore any such killings are "always justified"). Especially ironic, for it to be called "Hunt of the Broken Wing" since Path was the one who broke the bastard's wings.

edit-->okay, not as bad as I was expecting.

OTOH, so does this mean Archer is dead, too?

[nicklaich]

And that's where i take my leave.
Politics and awesomeness are boring.

[Boulder]

Eventually Path stopped crying, and weakly tried to scrub the tears from his eyes. “Thanks, Free. I’ve missed you, brother. Please don’t go away again.”

“I won’t, as long as you promise not leave us.”

"I won't as long as you promise to not leave us."