Mission to the Griffon Kingdom

by Rakoon1

Meeting King Guto

Shining Armor get in the castle of Griffonstone, followed by his guards and the griffon guards. Gael was ahead, guiding them through the halls exhibiting painters of griffons which should be important personalities of their culture or former members of the royal family.

Then they arrived to great gates that opened to reveal the throne room. Along the way, there were statues of griffons in stone and, in the background, there was the throne where there the King of Griffons and Griffonstone was sitting: King Guto. He was a griffon with an imposing air with the body with arctic blueish black coat, very dark turquoise wing feathers, dark arctic blueish gray head feathers, strong gold talons and beak and brilliant amber eyes. Around his neck was a yellow scarf with a gold pin with the Griffonstone symbol and, on his head, there was a crown decorated at the base with sapphires.

Behind the throne, there was the image of that which should have been King Grover, who was a griffin with reddish brownish grey coat, dark greyish vermilion wing feathers, light gambogeish gray head feathers, brilliant amber eyes and talons and beak of the same color as King Guto’s. Around his neck was a red scarf.

Next to the throne of the King, on his left side, there was a griffin with a hard and haughty air using the same type of armor that Gael had. He had a very dark grayish blue coat, very dark grey wing and head feathers with very dark grayish blue verges on the head, bright green eyes and grayish blue talons and beak with the last having a black tip.

On the right side of King Guto there was another griffon who was smaller and a little younger than Shining Armor. He didn't seem to have friendly air or even wanting friends. He had very dark gray coat, dark grey head feathers, and mostly black wing feathers, talons and beak and strong red eyes.

Gael approached the throne and said, making a bow:

"Your Majesties, Captain Ulysses."

The three made him a nod and, rising, said:

"Meet Captain Shining Armor of Equestria. Shining Armor, meet my superior, Captain Ulysses."

He gestured to the griffon on the left side of the King Guto.

"Prince Quentin, nephew of our King" Gael presented, pointing to the griffon on the left side of King Gruto. "And His Majesty, King Guto."

Shining advanced and made a bow to the three griffons, saying:

"It's an honor."

Quentin snorted and replied:

"Yeah, yeah."

"Quentin, be more polite to our guests" King Guto scolded.

But Quentin simply looked away. Shining didn't seem to like him just by watching him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Shining Armor" King Guto said. "I heard that Captain White Light retired and that he had found a quite fine substitute."

"However, I never thought you were so... young" Ulysses said, although without sympathy. "And I bet inexperienced."

Shining also didn't seem to be very fond of Ulysses. It wasn't just the way he'd talk to him or the arrogance Quentin was showing. It was something else. Shining’s instinct told him to never trust him.

"Well, Ulysses, age and experience doesn't matter, when compared with potential and talent" King Guto said. "I know Captain White Light. If he chose this young stallion to be his successor in the Royal Guard of Canterlot, I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Thank you for the compliment, your Highness" Shining thanked cordially. "But, forgive my boldness, can we pass to the point that brought me here?"

"Directed to the point" King Guto said. "I like that. Very well, then so be it."

"If you allow me, your Highness, from a warrior to another, it’s better if I tell" Ulysses said.

King Guto thought for a few seconds and then consented with the head.

Ulysses advanced to Shining and told:

"It appears that one of your guards, Captain Shining Armor, tried to steal one of our greatest treasures: the Idol of Boreas."

Shining was shocked when he heard it, as well as the guards who had come with him who spoke among themselves.

"No, it can't be" Shining Armor said. "Surely there must be a mistake."

"There is no mistake" Quentin replied gruffly. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for you, ponies, still remain in our kingdom!"

"Quentin!" King Guto exclaimed, making Quentin turn the face, turning then to Shining Armor. "I apologize for my nephew, Captain. Quentin doesn't know how to control his own emotions."

"But I thought that the guard in question had assaulted a member of the royal family" Shining noted. "At least, that was what was in the report I received."

"Yeah, that bastard hit me!" Quentin exclaimed.

King Guto made a disapproving look to his nephew who silenced again.

"Our Prince Quentin was the one that saw the robbery happening" Ulysses said. "He was able to recover the idol with great bravery. But your guard assaulted him pretty good."

"I still can't believe that one of my guards did this" Shining Armor said. "King Guto, I ask you, let me talk to my guard to know his version."

"And what is there to know?" Ulysses asked. "He tried to steal one of our greatest treasures, a relic that belonged to our first king, King Grover. And he has to pay for his crimes."

"I'm not saying otherwise" Shining Armor replied. "But if there's one thing I've learned from experience, both personal and professional, is that there are always at least two sides of a story. Furthermore, your prisoner belongs to my guard and that means he is my responsibility."

King Guto stayed truly impressed with what Shining said. He could be inexperienced as captain, but he could see that he was not afraid to defend his subordinates, even if that meant jeopardizing the mission that had been entrusted to him. He could see what White Light had seen in him.

Gael was also pretty impressed. he never saw anyone facing Ulysses. Everyone was very afraid of the Captain of the Griffon Guard, even he had slightly fear, although he was his direct subordinate and he was who he trusted as a guard.

"How dare you..." Ulysses started.

"I'm going to allow" King Guto said.

That made everyone turn to the King.

"But, your Highness..." Ulysses started.

"Shining Armor is right" King Guto said. "Let's see what the prisoner has to say in his defense. In addition, he is responsible of the Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot. It is only right that we gave to Shining what he's asking."

Ulysses tried to refute, but he couldn't stop his King when he had already taken his decision.

"As you wish" he replied, turning to Gael. "Take Captain Shining Armor to the prisoner."

"Yes, captain" Gael said, turning to Shining. "Please, follow me."

And Shining and his guards followed Gael out of the throne room. While they walked, Gael said to Shining:

"It takes courage to face Captain Ulysses" Gael said. "He usually can intimidate anyone."

"Well, I have to protect my soldiers" Shining said. "That's what a real captain does. At least, that's what I learned."

Gael smiled and said:

"You surprise me, Shining Armor. I'm telling the truth."

And that's when they crossed path with a female griffon. She had a moderate vermillion coat, moderate red wing feathers, light greenish gray head feathers with pale, light grayish emerald green tinges with soft yellow talons and beak and moderate cerulean eyes. She wore a pink scarf that, just like King Guto’s, had a gold pin in the form of a crescent moon. When approaching her, Gael made a bow, saying:

"Your Highness."

The griffon made a nod and Gael stood up, then saying:

"Shining Armor, this is Princess Greta, niece of King Guto and his successor."

Shining Armor and his guards made a slight bow and Shining Armor said:

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Shining Armor and I am Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot."

"I see" Greta said. "I assume you're here because of the incident."

"Incident which I deeply regret that happened" Shining said. "I sincerely hope that we can resolve this without too much damage to the relationship between our species."

"I also hope that" Greta said, turning to Gael. "Gael, can I ask you how are you?"

"Well, I'm... well, Princess" Gael said, a bit uncomfortably. "Thank you very much for asking."

Watching that moment, Shining noticed that there seemed to be something between them. He could feel a certain spark between the two, the same type that he and Cadance had. But that moment was interrupted by a voice that said:

"Is there something wrong?"

And Ulysses landed there on the edge.

"Greta, your uncle is waiting for you" he said. "I came to take you personally."

"Of course, Ulysses, whatever you say" said Greta, starting to move in the direction of the throne room.

As soon as she was at a safe distance, Ulysses addressed Gael coldly:

"Just do your job instead of bothering the princess."

"Yes, sir" Gael replied.

And, with this, Ulysses has moved away to follow Greta to the throne room.

"You must have a lot of patience to put up with him" Shining said to Gael.

"But what can I do?" Gael asked. "He is my captain. Well, we better keep going."

And so, Gael led them to the dungeons. There, they found the other guards that had been sent.

"Captain!" they exclaimed, saluting him.

"At ease" Shining said. "Rest assured, I will resolve this situation."

They nodded and then Gael motioned the griffon guard of the dungeon who opened one of the cells. When the door opened, Shining came in and met with the guard who had been arrested.

"Captain, please, you have to believe me" the guard said. "I didn't do anything."

"I'm here to hear your side of the story" Shining said. "Please, tell me what happened."

"I don't know" the guard said. "I was doing my job as I always do and suddenly... I blacked out."

"What do you mean you blacked out?" Shining asked.

"I don't know, the next thing I knew, I was being arrested by griffon guards for trying to steal their Idol and have assaulted Prince Quentin" the guard said. "I mean, that prince is unbearable, but I would never hurt someone of the royalty like that, nor would steal anything."

Shining put his hoof on his shoulder and said to him:

"Don't worry about it. We're going to solve this. I don't promise to drop your charges, but I can try to get you sent back to Equestria."

"Thank you, captain" the guard thanked.

Shining got out of his cell and asked the guards to stay there and then approached Gael and asked him:

"Do you think King Guto will let my guard return to Equestria?"

"Honestly, I don't know” Gael replied. "The King can be merciful, but the crimes your guard is charged are serious enough. Furthermore, I do not believe that Captain Ulysses will approve, especially with the prince on his side."

As Gael had predicted, Shining’s request was not very well received.

"No way!" Ulysses exclaimed. "The crime that pony did is under our legislation."

'' I understand, but I promise you he will be punished properly" Shining said. "But his family is in Equestria. I'm not saying that we should forget what happened. I'm saying that we can do justice without being cruel."

"If you ask me, I think he's just trying to get away with his little friend" Quentin said. "Have you forgotten what he did to me?"

"Please, don't be such a hatchling, Quentin" Greta said to him, turning then to King Guto. "I think it's not worth dragging this subject like this, uncle. He's a pony, not a griffon. Let him be punished by his own kind."

"I'm sorry, Princess Greta, but I don't think that's..." Ulysses started.

"I agree... with Greta" King Guto answered. "Captain Shining Armor, if you do what you are promising, so your guard can go back to Equestria."

That decision did not please anything Ulysses and Quentin, but they couldn't do anything when the king had taken his decision.

With this, the accused guard go back to Canterlot with the other guards, including the ones Shining brought, sending through them a letter to Celestia, saying he would stay a little longer to try appease the indignation of the griffons, to turn peace there was still existed between them stronger and secretly trying to figure out what had really happened.

It started to get dark and, at the bottom of the canyon at the edge of the mountain where Griffonstone was located, a griffon hidden by a coat landed. In that transition between day and night, there was a huge contrast between light and shadows. Between the shadows, a huge figure appeared and a brilliant eye appeared.

"How are things?" the figure asked.

"They're not going according to plan" the griffon said. "Celestia sent the captain of her guard and he managed to undo the plan."

"What?!" the figure asked. "That's impossible! How could you let something like this happening? "

"I had no other choice" the griffon said. "The King is stupid and naive."

"I hope you will fix this mess" the figure said. "You promised me the Idol of Boreas and, if you want my help to turn griffons against ponies, you must ensure that the idol fall in my possession."

"Don't worry" the griffon said. "Everything will be as you want. You will have the Idol of Boreas and I will have the war we both want. That will be certain."