The Griffon Ambassador
Paul gently awoke in a large, soft bed. He rolled over to look at his surroundings, finding himself in the guest room he had been given for the night.
As he came into his waking mind, he pushed off the covers and got out of bed. He slowly and stiffly walked to the end of the bed and just put on his pants, as he still had no shirt to wear.
On his way out, he retrieved his lightsabers from the bedside table, then grabbed his bag from the chair next to the door. He put on his backpack and opened the door to try and find his way back to the dining room for a quick breakfast before he went back to Ponyville with Twilight.
As he stepped out, however, he almost ran into the earth pony guard posted there.
“Oh, excuse me,” Paul started. “Didn't see you there. Sorry I almost knocked you over.”
“You're fine, sir. There is no need for an apology,” he responded. “Now, if you would follow me, I've been instructed to take you to breakfast.”
“Ah, well then, lead the way,” Paul said.
After about a minute of walking, Paul was rather uncomfortable with the silence.
“So what’s your name,” he asked, looking to make friendly conversation.
“Corporal Iron Shield,” the guard answered. “Pleased to meet you.”
“And I, you. Do you have any family?” Paul asked.
“Yes, my parents live in Hoofington with my younger siblings,” he answered.
“Ah, I see. How about a girlfriend?” He asked.
Iron Shield turned and gave him an odd look. “A what?”
“You know, a special lady friend?” Paul tried again.
Iron Shield gained a brief look of realization, hesitating for a moment before he gave a slight glare and answered. “It's complicated.”
Paul chuckled. “Ha, ain't that the truth.”
The guard fell silent, choosing to simply look straight ahead and lead Paul to his destination.
This left Paul with a chance to reflect on his last few days on Earth.
It had started with him bidding farewell to friends and family for a quick weekend trip to San Diego. The next day was spent situating his hotel and then wandering around the convention center to look for merch. And then that fateful day. He was just going to watch the new teaser, but instead--.
“Here you are, sir,” Iron Shield said, breaking him away from his thoughts. Paul looked up and saw the door in front of him, so he gave his thanks to the guard and went inside.
As Paul entered, he saw that both Celestia and Luna were already starting their meals, each seemed to have a stack of pancakes with syrup.
Both turned and looked at him as he entered the room.
“Oh, good morning,” Celestia started. “I trust you slept well?”
“Like a rock,” Paul answered, nodding. “Which is surprising considering that I was asleep for the majority of the last week.”
“Physical healing can be quite taxing in the body,” Luna pointed out.
Paul nodded as he walked across the room to sit in a chair. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
As he sat, he gave the waiter his order of pancakes with syrup.
“So what's on the agenda for today?” He asked, curious as to the tasks of the day ahead.
“Well, I believe that you and Twilight were going to return to Ponyville today, yes?” Celestia asked. “In the meanwhile, my sister and I begin our search for a suitable spell to send you home.”
“That sound good,” Paul replied. “Anything special going on otherwise?”
“There is the matter of the impending visit from Lord Sod of the Griffon Kingdoms,” Luna stated, practically spitting the name.
“I take it that we don't like the griffons?” Paul asked.
“No, the griffons as a whole can be rather pleasant, but Lord Sod is quite an arrogant and condescending jerk, even to myself and my sister at times,” Celestia answered.
“Oh, he's one of those,” Paul said in realization. “You see, where I come from, those are kinds of people that either get decked in the face, or rise to power and take advantage of others. Sadly, it seems that we have a case of the second.”
Paul sat back and thought for a minute, his musings interrupted by his breakfast arriving.
He thanked the waiter and began eating.
“You know,” he started. “Would it be alright with the two of you if I sat in on this meeting?”
<<<==>>>
Paul stood in the throne room, directly behind the twin thrones of the solar and lunar diarchs. He was all the way back against the wall, hidden in the shadows.
He stood there waiting for the griffon ambassador, Lord Sod, brother of King Risan, to arrive.
His wait was not long however, as the doors to the throne room soon opened, a griffon herald announcing the arrival.
“And now entering, his excellency, Brother of the King, Head of the Royal Military, etcetera, Lord Sod the Fearsome.”
As the griffons entered, it was clear which one was Sod. He was the one in the garish robes surrounded by five armed guards. That wasn't including the little procession before or after him, which added up to another twenty guards.
When Paul first caught sight of Sod, his heart leapt straight into his throat. He felt something wrong with the being before him. There was some hidden danger there behind the guise of a snob.
As he passed by the herald, he harshly smacked the poor griffon on the back of the head.
“Fool, next time announce the full list of titles.”
Make that the guise of a snob and a jerk.
As he continued, his guards made way for him to approach the thrones.
He stopped at the foot of the stairs and merely dipped his head in acknowledgement, rather than bowing in respect.
“Lord Sod, it is a pleasure to meet with you again,” Celestia said, hiding her true feelings behind a magnificent poker face.
“And for myself as well,” he replied. His attempt to hide his spite did not quite go as well, and Paul caught it immediately. A brief silence followed.
Luna broke this silence by beckoning to the griffon. “Come, let us be seated to discuss the matters before us.”
As she spoke, a large table with many chairs was floated out into the main expanse of the hall by the unicorn guards stationed around the room.
“Of course,” Sod responded.
The Princesses sat together at one head of the table, with the griffon ambassador sitting at the other end.
Paul remained in the shadows, as the guards remained at their posts along the walls. However, this didn't stop him from gripping his lightsabers tightly in anxiety.
He stood in wait, cautious of the griffons. Right now, the representatives of these two nations were discussing some trade policy and whether or not to keep it in place.
“Good, now that we have come to a conclusion on the trade laws, allow me to present the next order of business,” Lord Sod began, pulling out a glowing blue gem.
“It seems that this gem has made its way into my collection, and while it is beautiful indeed, I decided that I simply must give it to you as a gift. A token of the everlasting peace between our nations, if you will.”
Sod held the gem out in his claw for the Princesses, and Paul felt a terrible feeling of dread wash over him.
He was about to cry out in warning when Celestia’s magic encompassed the gem, bringing it close for inspection. However, it quickly crumbled into dust.
Before anyone could react to this curious event, a tremendous peal of thunder sounded, made doubly impactful by the bolt of white lightning that crashed through the roof of the hall and struck where the remains of the gem were sitting.
While Paul was rubbing his eyes to clear the effects of the flashbang-like lightning strike, he could hear the guards trying to engage the griffons.
“Hit the griffons with stuns!” One called.
“My magic isn't working!” Another yelled. His call was met with similar ones.
“Use hoof-to-claw combat!” A final voice rang out.
The rest was lost in the cacophony that ensued.
As Paul finally regained his bearings, he looked out into the hall and saw two large griffons attacking Celestia and Luna, attempting to kill them. Thankfully though, they still kept their heads well enough to avoid any real imminent danger from their attackers.
Paul grabbed his lightsabers from his belt, one in each hand, and activated them as he stepped out from the shadows.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Paul yelled at the top of his lungs, causing the whole room to comically stop in whatever position they were in and look at him. He tried to look menacing, but that yell had really put a lot of strain on his throat and he began coughing.
When he was done, he looked back up. “Now, as I was saying, Sod, did you really think that you could just waltz in here and kill the Princesses?”
Unabashed, Sod approached Paul confidently while everyone else in the room remained frozen. “And just what are you, creature?”
One thought instantly came to Paul’s mind and he couldn't resist.
“Me?” He asked exaggeratedly, gesturing to himself. “Well, I’m what most people would probably call a hero.”
“Oh, and how are you going to save the Princesses with a pair of light-sticks and a bunch of useless guards, when we've disabled all forms of magic in this room?!”
“Pretty easily, since I don't, you know, use magic,” he replied as he used the Force to lift the ambassador through the air and grab him.
He turned to the other griffons, holding their leader captive.
“Observe,” he said simply. He saw a piece of the roof on the ground and threw it up into the air with the Force, then made a clean swipe at it with his free blade as it fell, splitting the rock down the center.
They all stared wide-eyed at the feat.
“Now that I have your attention, you will surrender, or Lord Sod will die. It is quite that simple.”
Some immediately moved away from any ponies that they were standing near and dropped their weapons, while others seemed more reluctant.
“You might want to motivate them to move, or I might have to motivate you with my blade," Paul said.
“Do as he says!” The captive griffon squeaked out. “Just do it!”
The ones who had hesitated now moved, the ones who had moved first now moved with fervor.
“Now get against the wall there,” Paul ordered them, gesturing towards one of the walls with his free blade. “And then put your claws behind your heads so we can see them.”
The griffons did as they were told and lined up against the wall.
“Now, I will give you this one mercy. Half of you that are lined up against the wall will get to be escorted home by the Equestrian guard. The other half will be treated to a luxury stay in the five star Canterlot dungeons.”
“And what of me?” Sod asked carefully.
Paul looked down at him. “You? Oh, no there's no choice for you. You're getting the five star treatment.”
“But I'm- What? No, you can't-”
Paul looked up at the Princesses while Sod continued to stumble over his words. “Princesses, could you gather the guards necessary to escort them home and give me a few to help me take the rest to the dungeons?”
“Of course, Paul,” Celestia replied shakily. “We will need a few moments though.”
“Take all the time you need, Princesses, I will remain here with these guards to watch the prisoners.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Sod spoke a few words that sent chills down the spines of everyone that heard him.
“My Lord, Darth Diathor, will not be pleased.”
“What did you say?!” Paul asked as he turned the griffon around and stepped back, keeping his lightsabers pointed at the ‘ambassador.’
“Darth Diathor will not be pleased that you have foiled his plot,” Sod responded angrily.
“Tell me about this Darth Diathor,” Paul ordered, his voice went slightly erratic.
“I will not compromise my Lord,” Sod responded.
‘Alright, I guess that this is as good a time as any to try this,’ Paul thought as he put away his right hand blade.
He stuck his hand out and did a sweeping motion over Sod as he spoke. “You will tell me everything you know about Darth Diathor.”
Sod just stared back at him. “I will not. I already said that I will not tell you anything, foolish creature.”
Paul didn't seem too miffed though. “Well, it was a long shot anyway. Now come back here.”
Paul lifted Sod into the air again and grabbed him, leading him over to where his guards where.
He placed Sod against the wall with his guards, then stepped back to think for a minute.
<<<==>>>
While Paul was thinking, Luna approached him.
“Paul, what significance does the name ‘Darth Diathor’ hold to you?” She asked.
“He's a Sith. Remember how I said that the Jedi and the Sith were opposite sides of the Force, always battling with each other? Well, as I told you, Jedi represent the light side and Sith represent the dark side.”
“We remember,” Luna answered as Celestia walked up as well.
“Well, you know how I said that I became the Jedi from my fan fiction story? Well, the main antagonist was a Sith by the name of Darth Diathor. So imagine my surprise and fear when I find his name being thrown around here.”
He looked at Sod pointedly before continuing.
“I don't know know how he's here, or if it's another person like me, but if it's actually him, then we should be very cautious. He's a magnificent strategist, and likes to play his games through smoke and mirrors, using people as puppets, always hiding his true agenda. It's what made him a great villain. But we have one plus side, I created him, so I know how he thinks.
“Then again, if it's just another person like me, then all of that goes out the window, and the best way out that could think of would be to try and convince him to find a way home with me. That's the only nonviolent way I can think of ending this. Any other end would be all out war.”
Paul looked to the prisoners, then the Princesses.
“Let's hope it doesn't come to that.”
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I like it^^
And thanks for crank this chapter out for us
But I think Paul was a bit too confidence as he used the Force. He just used his powers only once and even that was an accident. I actually hope to see him freaking out about what he just did, in the next chapter.
6752816
Thanks, for the comment, I really appreciate it.
Now, as to Paul's use of the Force, he was basically running on adrenaline for most of that encounter, and since all Force users are 'naturally atuned' to using it, the subconscious instinct took over and acted.
I basically see it as a thing that if you focus, you will get it; if you aren't thinking about it, you will get it. But, if you overthink it, nothing will happen.
I hope my explanation makes sense. Thanks for reading.
P.S. What do you think of the Sith reveal? Does the fact that it's an OC turn you more towards or away from the story?
6753565 Hm... I can life with the adrenaline explanation.
I like the idea that a Sith is manipulating the Griffons. And him to be an OC is not really important to me, as long as you give him some personality.
I actually worked on a Story in my head where I would end up as a Sith in your Equestria. Or rather, the Griffin-Kingdom^^
Will there be moments when another displaced is needed to whup ass? Cause mine still haven't found a way home and love a good beating.
6762157
There will definitely be a chance for a cross over with your story if you so desire, just not quite yet. PM me and we can work out the details of what you want to do.
6776702
Well, at this point in the story, Paul still thought that he was in dream, and reasoned it away like that. Also, it doesn't really get brought up after that, but don't worry, it will in coming chapters. Twilight will realize her mistake soon enough.
Shouldn’t he be suspicious that Sod (hilarious name!) mentioned that guy at all? Awfully strange timing.