> Ryuuzan, a Gryphon Silenced
>  by Kimono-Gryphon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1 : When the Moon Burns (edited)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 When Moonlight Burns. 

    

A lone servant pony walked along the halls of Canterlot Palace, pushing a small cart of hot beverages for the staff holding court. It was Winter Lilly’s posted duty as one of the Royal kitchen staff to bring drinks to the evening court sessions for the night princess when requested. 

This was a common occurrence during daylight hours, when Celestia, the alicorn of the sun, sat in the main throne room hearing cases of law be brought forward to rule on. The long hours and oftentimes long winded arguments from lawyers and ponies that usually were in the wrong had resulted in the princess asking to have tea hoof side regularly to deal with the stress. Usually, the problems seemed to stems from a miscommunication or mistake one pony had made with the other, leading to arguments that resulted in stalemates more often than not. And Princess Celestia always tended to be the mediator between the parties, using her vast knowledge of law to come to her decisions. 

However, since the sun had gone down, the second ruler of Equestria had taken to the task of holding the night time sessions of the royal court. Luna, the matriarch of the moon and night sky was now sat upon the throne to tend to the plighs of her subjects. Luna, unlike her sister, also had the added task of overseeing the dreams of the citizens of equestria as well as those that had come to reside within its borders.

Even though Luna was the younger sister to Celestia, her own rule, title, and word were final. Luna’s bright cyan eyes ever so vigilant. Unwavering until her duties were finished and her sister replaced her on the throne when the sun arose in the morning.

‘SNEEEEORRRRK….!!’

The tea servant peeked around the large ornate door of the throne room and towards one of the bat-pony guards with a slight look of puzzled concern at the noise. Silently asking him whether or not to proceed into the royal throne room. 

“Go on inside, It’s perfectly fine to enter as her majesty requested.” The guard, a pony she had knew as Wind Shear, replied with a kind nod. Answering the implied question of Winter Lilly. “It’s just that somepo….”

‘SNEEEEORRRRK….!!’

“Somepony fell asleep during their duties, instead of retiring for the night.” Wind Shear continued his reply, having nearly been drowned out by the loud noise that almost echoed within the throne room.  “And that pony no doubt will be chewed out by her sister in the morning after reading the report.”

Other ponies shifted nervously, as the snoozing pony had forgotten where they were and had fallen asleep at their post during the hours when court was in session. 

Winter Lilly continued wheeling her cart closer toward the throne, where another pony greeted her with a nod. “Thank you so much for bringing the drinks so quickly. Princess Luna cannot deal with the court sessions without her coffee.”

“But what about….?” Winter’s ears flattened as the snore once again made its presence known to every pony in the room. 

Luna’s court stenographer, Quill Feather was a dark ash-greyed coloured unicorn. She wore small rectangular glasses, accenting her razor straight long black hair, tied in a long herringbone braid. She looked toward    Winter Lilly then to the throne where Luna was seated. “I will take care of Princess Luna, I always do.”

Luna’s form was indeed seated at the throne, however, the night princess was slumped on the left side arm of the throne, sleeping rather soundly despite the rather uncomfortable position she had taken. Even her head was turned to the side with her muzzle hanging open slightly. This resulted it every fourth or so breath becoming a snored loud enough that the night guards and staff had coined a new term for whenever Luna had inadvertently fallen asleep during her appointed night sessions of court. 

‘SNEEEEORRRRK….!!’

The Royal Canterlot Snore

Luna had to be given some credit though, she really tried her best. There was one case she had been listening to that seemed to drone on for hours. Luna had been rubbing her face with one foreleg trying to endure the badgering back and forth (no offense to badgers..  ^^) between the attorneys, and wondering if they got paid hourly, by the case, or by the word due to how much utter gabbing the two were engaging in in an attempt to sway her favor their way. 

One of the bat-ponies had gotten the silent signal from Quill Feather that Luna was going to need caffeine soon, preferably hot and in large quantities.  

However, Luna wasn’t without heart. She tended to order enough coffee and tea for the entire staff as well. There would be some breaks in the evening if cases (like tonight) ran deep into the early hours.

Just as Scroll Feather was bringing the still-snoozing Luna from the throne room to a side passage leading to the Night-Princess’ personal chambers, a huge commotion erupted as one of the large stained glass windows inside the throne room exploded into the throne room.

Three night-ponies snapped into action almost simultaneously, grasping their pole-arms in hooves and wings, aiming them at whatever had crashed through the window before whatever it was had even hit the floor and slid to the opposite wall. 

“Get the Princess to safety, we’re under attack !” Another bat-pony yelled as he practically pounced atop what had crashed through the window. Wind Shear drove his front left hoof into the stone floor, pinning a section of thick chain that was being drug by whatever had come barreling through the window. He then leveled his polearm against the side of the intruder, pinning it rather painfully against the wall. 

It was a gryphon.

Another pony guard landed in front of the intruder, and drove their blade between the gryphon’s throat and a thick, worn collar.

The sound of the guards and the exploding glass had sent the rest of the court staff scrambling for the doors in a near panic. The commotion had actually woken the Princess, who was momentarily disoriented as she slowly began to realise that she was not in fact in her bed but was currently floating in a bubble of magic from Quill Feather. “Feather, what is happening?”

“We are under attack my lady, I have to get you away from here… “ Quill Feather had begun to reply, but as she looked back toward the throne room where the gryphon had crashed thru the glass the rest of the sentence died in her throat. She saw the gryphon heaving weakly for air as one of the bat ponies keeping him contained held a blade flat against his windpipe and carotid artery, threatening to remove the intruder's head if it so much as try to look menacingly at any pony. 

The night-pony that pounced onto the back of the gryphon had grasped their right arm and wrenched it so far backward, it looked like he was going to twist it clean off at the elbow and beat the intruder to death with it. “You DARE try to invade US ? This will… TEACH ….” 

“GUARDS, Stand Down,“ Luna yelled as she popped Feather's magical bubble and landed on her hooves with a practiced grace. She was about to begin an attempt to quell the situation, that was until the bat pony holding the gryphon’s arm sneered and twisted the arm further, breaking it below the shoulder.  

The sickening snap followed by the sight of the gryphon flopping helplessly on the stone floor had caused Luna to gape in horror. Her eyes went blindingly white as she sent a wave of power thru the air. "EVERYPONY, BE STILL !!!" Luna's voice echoed loudly enough to be heard through the entirety of the castle grounds. 

Quill Feather had joined Princess Luna's side but respectfully stood behind her and to the side as Luna hurried over to the three guards covering the cornered and injured gryphon. 

"Princess, what are you...  get back..!" The third night-pony-guard held his wing shielding the night princess, but Luna batted it aside and strode forward, her eyes now a blazing with emotion. 

Luna turned toward the guard that had broken the gryphons arm with such a cold look on her face, it caught Quill Feather off-guard. She had angled her face up at the questioning guard and gave a snort. "Do you, Night Hooves, so soon forget exactly WHO’S Night Court you guard ? Do you think we cannot handle this situation without mewling for our hooves to be coddled? So afraid we might cry to Celestia at morrow's arrival."

"Of course not, Princess. But your safety is paramount when under attack." Night Hooves replied as he stepped up from the gryphon's back then stood tall, nodding as he felt the princess was now safe. 
    
"Let us ask a simple question Night hooves... are we under attack?" Luna asked sternly, as she lit her horn and covered the floor with her powerful aura. 

“Of course we are, Princess. Any pony could see the gryphon intruder when they smashed through the window." Night Hooves replied assuredly with a nod to the other guard-ponies beside him. 

Luna canted her head to the side, listening closely to her surroundings. All she could hear was close whisperings of the court staff and other guards standing in the throne room and from the hallway, along with the labored breathing of the downed gryphon. "Allow us to ask again, Are thou certain we are under attack? Because we cannot hear any alarms, nor any commotion from either guards or gryphons. Are thou saying we need to have our hearing checked?"

"I don't know what you saw Princess, because last I checked, you were too busy snoozing your pretty little plot off from your throne, but we were just invaded." Night Hooves snapped, not quite noticing the Princess' sudden change of demeanor from happy she was safe one minute, to then being dressed down like a foal the next. "Our duty is to keep You safe, we did our job. The threat to your life was stopped because yYour loyal guards acted the instant we were attacked."

"And does thou job as Night Guards also encompass torture?" Luna snapped back, almost snarling. "Is that required training to assault, and potentially maim, anypony that happens to enter our throne room in unconventional ways? Because if 'we' remember correctly, when 'we' created the training in hoofed combat, there was a caveat stating that ‘If one's opponent is rendered incapable to battle any longer due to loss of consciousness, weapon injury, cornering or opponent 's surrender, then said opponent shall be removed to nearest encampment, or holding cell without further injury.’ We as ponys do NOT act as barbarians in battle !"

"Quill Feather, please scribe this down."  Luna turned to her assistant, as Quill grasped a quill and parchment in her magics. "We, Luna, Princess of the Moon and Night, do make a decree. That if 'Any' ponies, be they staff of the castle, or guards, be found to have maliciously harmed, maimed, or injured to the point of death, another pony or sentient creature 'after' the orders to Stand Down have been given, the injured party shall be immediately cared for until full recovery, and any and all medical costs shall be addressed 'solely' by the pony found responsible for said injurying to the victim. Furthermore, said ponies shall also pay the injured damages equalling the yearly wage of any pony on staff of the crown. However, if death occurs, the party responsible will be brought up on full charges. End Decree."

"WHAT?!?" NightHooves stood back and gave his wings an infuriating flap. "Well Thank you Princess, you just single-hoovedly sent our training backward to the point of playing PattyCakes with any enemy to get them to surrender if we are ever in combat !" He snorted and pulled off his helmet with his wings and placed it down on the floor at his hooves. "Okay your majesty, you wish to play this game, so be it. Just know that when word of this utter 'joke' of a decree hits the ranks of the Royal Castle Guard, there will be backlash, starting with this, I QUIT. Other ponies will walk out, not just me. Don’t be surprised if almost a third of the entire guard walk off after this!" 

Night Hooves then reared up and brought both front hooves down onto the helmet, crushing it flat. Satisfied with the shocked expressions of everyone around, he then lifted a hind leg and grinned. "Since I just quit your highness, I am free to do this, seeing as I am no longer staffed by the castle." He then kicked his rear hoof into the gryphon's face and then moved his hoof downward and connected three hard kicks to the stomach and abdomen, further injuring the downed gryphon. "You can take your so-called decree and shove it STRAIGHT UP your pretty little PLOT until you taste the INK from the paper !"

Night Hooves laughed as he trotted off down one hallway, after relishing the look of horror and disgust on the Night-Princess' face as he yelled back. "Attention Ponies, Clean-up on Aisle 4."

Just as Luna was about to reply, she felt a weak grasp at her left foreleg just above her hoof. Looking downward, she spotted the gryphon looking up at her. Vomiting from the kicks to the stomach, the gryphon groaned as he pulled himself onto his good elbow, leaning against the pole-arm's blade to his throat. He then patted the marble floor two times with his good hand consisting of 3 taloned fore toes and one backward facing thumb toe, trying to get Luna's attention. When Luna did watch, the gryphon spelled out something on his digits, then drew a line across his throat, where the blade rested. 

Luna had drawn back with a surprised expression as she looked back into the gryphon's eyes as her own eyes returning to their normal luminous cyan. "Little one, we don't know hoof language, but we do know what you mean by your drawing across your neck. We wish you no ill-will. But, we wonder 'why' you came here if not to attack ?"

Just then, a stream of moonlight shown through the now destroyed window, illuminating area around Princess Luna and the gryphon. The gryphon's eyes widened in fright, he desperately signed out another phrase as streams of tears flooded down from the gryphon's face.

"Princess!" Wind Shear jumped forward and landed beside the gryphon, making certain he left his pole-arm on the floor, away from the gryphon. "I know hoof sign language. My sister-in-law is deaf. I think the gryphon is convinced you're going to burn him alive in moonlight !"

"Huh?!?" Luna's voice cracked as she stared at Wind Shear. "We... we cannot do this...  we are not the NightMare !"

Just then, the gryphon coughed up the last contents of whatever was left in his stomach, and spelled out another few words. "Please Forgive me, Mo... mother always say, you do that to any bad gryphons." Wind-Shear replied looking from the gryphon to Princess Luna, translating the claw motions uneasily.

With a sigh, the gryphon pulled his elbow out from under his head and chest, falling downward against the sharpened blade. 

The only thing that Luna registered happening was the blink of horror as a spray of blood sprayed across her face. The entire throne room then exploded in a bright blue flash of moonlight.



**********
> Puzzle Pieces
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beep... beep... beep...

Noises from electronic monitors sounded throughout the halls of Canterlot Castle's Medical's wing, as a nurse carried a clipboard from her various hourly rounds, making sure things were as orderly as possible. 

The past 3 hours were anything but orderly.

Making a slight turn down another hallway, Nurse RedHeart had noted the single guard at the doorway when she flashed her badge showing her clearance to enter a smaller room, where Princess Luna was recovering, but deeply shaken at what happened at the throne room earlier that evening. Redheart had been summoned by the staff from Ponyville Hospital, having gained a reputation for herself in the medical field all way to Canterlot.

"A coffee, Princess?" RedHeart had sat down beside Luna, who was currently staring at the floor, either in a daze or deep in thought, having not noticed the medical pony enter the room.

Redheart had placed the coffee down onto a small side table, and grasped a small blanket and placed it around the Princess's shoulders. As soon as Luna felt the comforting blanket cover her form, her sides started heaving deeply as a panic attack started. Her own eyes were opened wide as she replayed the events from the throne room. All Nurse Redheart could do was place a foreleg over the princess's shoulders as Luna wept openly, and try to reassure Luna everything was going to be ok. 

Luna's appearance was frazzled, frenzied, and frantic when she had arrived suddenly in the emergency ward, carrying a frozen stasis bubble containing herself and a male gryphon who was severely wounded. Another two ponies popped into view maybe a second after Luna arrived.  

"Doctors, we need help !" Wind Shear had called out, catching the attention of 2 doctors and a nurse in the same hallway. An orderly had also appeared from a side hallway, hearing the commotion. 

As Doctors hurried to assist Luna, they couldn't get the Princess away from the downed gryphon. More precisely, the gryphon's throat. After placing the gryphon onto the bed, doctors tried pulling the Princess back, so they could work. But Luna relented, keeping her teeth clamped on the downed gryphon's neck. Blood had streaked thickly against Luna's face and eyes, making her appearance seem almost frightening. 

"You BIT a Gryphon Princess?" A doctor pegasus named Wing Mender had almost yelled as he tried moving Luna aside with his wings. 

"Nuuu.. Whef drrrnhnng tuu CAAVHH hmm !" Luna sideways glared at the Doc, lips drawn back from her teeth. 

"She bit the gryphon's neck to Stop him from bleeding Out !" Wind Shear clarified sharply as he pointed to the artery wound "She clamped the artery shut with her teeth, then she bubbled the gryphon directly here !"

As soon as the realization hit, the staff sprang into action, making certain the gryphon's wound was then stabilized with magic, and not the Princess' teeth. Luna had turned just as a nurse started washing the blood from Luna's face, neck, and hair, just as another nurse started cleaning the mess from the gryphon. 

"Ok Princess, I think we can take over now." One of the orderlies had started leading Luna out of the emergency room as the doctors started working. "If you would kindly wait until we get the patient stabilized, I will let you know how things go." Looking over to Wind Sheer, the orderly gave a nod. "Sir, be sure the Princess knows that was some very quick thinking, and may have saved their life."

Wind Shear then led Luna to a room slightly down the hall, where she could recover. "I will just be outside the doorway your majesty. Do you need anything?"

Luna just shook her head weakly. 

Wind Shear simply nodded and assumed his post.

Before Princess Luna knew it, a coffee mug had appeared beneath her nose, and a voice was strangely attached to it. "Coffee, Princess?" 

Luna had blinked owlishly and replied. "Hmmm, a coffee mug with a princess' title? We wonder if there is an cup of tea that our sister can befriend as well? Strangely, Equestria seems to hand out Princess titles to any that asks these days." Luna had hiccupped as she grasped the offered cup in her magics. "So tell us Princess Mugs-of-Coffee, are thee unnerved in the grasp of a monster, that monster that can burn foals from the moonlight alone?" She had sipped the heated bean flavoured liquid, and made a slight face. "Not a bad taste really, but we are vastly thankfull for 'some' coffee finally this night."

Nurse Redheart was suprised at Luna's response. With a side smile, Redheart replied. "Actually Princess, you can admit it, the coffee tastes like somepony dregged it from the bottom of the bog in Everfree Forest. I'd acutally love to try some of your coffee mixes some night, if possible." 

"What is thou name, kind nurse that brings us coffee? We like thee wit... ? It's fun to laugh with somepony sometimes." Luna had finally looked up at Redheart, her eyes were tear stained, puffy, and red from crying nearly non-stop since her arrival. 

"It's RedHeart, Princess. And I'm happy to meet you finally." Nurse Redheart had bowed her head low. "And a small comment Princess, I love having my coffee breaks during my night shifts at Ponyville Hospital or when im at home late in the evening. I'd even just lounge outside my bedroom window some nights when the moon is high. I find your evenings quietly beautiful."

"Oh you are humouring us, Nurse Redheart, bringer of lowly princess' much needed mugs of coffee." Luna had smiled with a tired giggle. "Tell us, which part of the night sky is your favorite, besides the moon?"

"Oh that's easy, I have a liking for Geminus, the twin ponies." Redheart had nodded as she took a sip of her own coffee. "My mother is a twin to her sister. And if I can speak openly Princess, after you returned and you started raising the moon, I feel the night sky with the constellations are more... ahhm...  complete? Princess Celestia did do a good job, but the patterns I see in the stars seemed rushed. I know it's a small point, but... don't tell Celestia? I don't want to insult you or her work in the very least."

After a few minutes of silence, Redheart brought up another point Luna had said earlier. "Princess, you had called yourself a monster earlier, but in chatting with you, I can safely assume that is not the case. In my treatment of ponies, I had met some mean, nasty, and quite foalish ones. But you Princess, are none of those traits. You bring a sense of honour to the crown as far as I'm concerned."

Luna had kept looking into the mug, the coffee level near the bottom. However it did reflect the face of the deeply troubled mare that held it's cup. "Kindly tell that to the gryphon if he survives. He was so completely frightened, what would possess such as one to seek absolute end to their precious life?"

A knock on the doorway had announced the Doctor's arrival, carrying some notes, and a sizable box on his back. Wing Mender had pulled back the cloth mask from his muzzle as he entered the room. "Princess Luna, Doctor Redheart, the gryphon has survived despite their heart stopping twice on the table. The neck artery had been repaired magically and you Princess, your quick thinking had indeed saved their life. The right arm was quite a bad break though, and may require further treatment and therapy for full use again."

"Doctor Redheart, I thought you were a nurse?" Luna looked to her companion questioningly, where Redheart did nod accordingly. "I actually am certified as a Doctor, but I prefer the title of Nurse. It seems a lot of ponies get lofty thinking of themselves after getting their Doctorate in medicine. No offense Doctor Wing Mender of course."

Wing Mender had then slid the box off his back and placed it down onto the floor. Inside it were the length of chain and the collar that was fitted to the neck and wrists of the gryphon. "However, two things are now in question, we don't know 'who' the gryphon is, but we may know where the gryphon is from, and it's not from the Gryphon Empire. However they resided here in Equestria. These chain receivers on the wrists and the neck are from the EMMRS Institute. Equestrian Mental and Medical Research and Science Institute." 

Princess Luna looked up, and nodded slowly. "Oh thank you for saving their life. Please be sure to share the information of the EMMRS to me or my court scribe Quill Feather. Also, make a full list of the medical costs to myself, as there is a party that will be held responsible for the gryphon's injuries. We will pay for the medical care, so you need not worry about the cost. Just be certain the gryphon recovers as well as they can."

"No need to doubt that, your majesty." Wing Mender had given the charts to Nurse Redheart. "He will be in the best of care. Just allow him to rest for the next day after the anesthesia wears off. Should be 24-48 hours before he wakes."

**********
> Letter from a Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quill Feather was seated in Luna's quarters, which was opened as the night princess had poured over paperwork from the events in the court room last evening. Luna had a small desk on one side of her chambers, separated from her bedroom of course. The desk was a custom carved one, with veins of wood interlaced with glass that filled in the gaps from the wood, and the wood was smoothed to perfection. Luna had received the desk from one of the Gryphon Empire ambassadors that Luna had befriended thru Celestia during diplomatic meetings. 

Paperwork was strewn about, in makeshift piles of varied importance that needed anything from a signature, to multi requests for piles of documents relating to legal cases she had presided over. Luna's bespectacled eyes were scanning over the mounds of forms that seemed to had grown in size from when she started work in the afternoon.

Luna had returned from the medical wing just before sunrise and had one or two ponies from Celestia's day court staff to help Quill Feather in getting the needed info and reports as Luna had finally slept, being physically and emotionally drained. However, Luna did send Celestia a note of what happened on a scroll just before going to sleep, magically sent to the Sun Princess (that was visiting a neighboring city for two days for a diplomatic meeting or something that day, Luna wasn't sure of the reasons. Tho it might be to refresh her secret tea and cake recipes.) to notify her of what happened and not to worry, as things were pretty much cared for. 

That didn't stop Celestia from suddenly popping into Luna's chambers as soon as she read the note. "LUNA... ! Are you ok sister?" 

This had prompted a glare from the Moon's Princess, and a hastily thrown pillow that smacked squarely into Celestia's face. "We see 'Tia have not read the note in entirety, especially when we mentioned we needed some sleep. There is already a report on your desk giving an explanation. Have some patience and we will fill you in when we wake after lunch." Luna had another pillow in hoof, aimed for her sister's face if Celestia somehow needed another clue that sleep deprived princesses are grumpy princesses. 

Thankfully Celestia did have the sense to let her sister sleep, and bid Luna a good rest. 

Later on that afternoon, Luna did awaken well past noon, having slept more than she realized. She had trodden to Celestia's chambers to see if she indeed read her brief report about what happened. However, what Luna did see beside the pile of paperwork, was a copy of the Canterlot/Equestrian Press newspaper with the headline 'Gryphon invades Canterlot Castle' with some pony that had taken a badly focused picture of the blown out window of the castle, with a story that was equally unfocused, avoiding what really happened with hearsay and fluff, mainly as bait to sell papers no doubt. 

"Great, now we have the press spreading this garbage? We simply can't 'wait' for the response from the Gryphon Empire about... this... " That's when Luna noticed the letter with the seal of the Gryphon Empire emblazoned on the front. Fortunately the embassy letter was penned by her longtime friend Sahmek, the gryphon ambassador that was stationed in nearby Baltimare. Sahmek was the one that gifted Luna her wood and glass desk she was so fond of. So, maybe, feathers won't be too ruffled, copying a gryphon term Sahmet had used before in conversations with Luna. 

Luna facehoofed mumbling, "Can the troubles just hold off until we get some coffee?"

Right then, Quill Feather had appeared at the doorway, with her paperwork and to Luna's relief, a cart full of coffee and hot food for the night princess. "Good Afternoon, Princess. I had seen you slowly walking here from your chambers and figured you were going to need some help with things. I had managed to flag down a food cart headed to the dining hall, and steered them here first."

Just before Luna had a chance to reply, her stomach had grumbled loudly enough to announce it was going to be fed first, no excuses. Don't Pass Go, or Collect $200 bits. 

"Not only does the press and Gryphon Empire has plotted against us, but now thine own stomach join in chaos? If we hadst not known better, we may think Discord is behind this. But he is with thee Pony of Kindness currently and mayhaps she is helping the Draconeqquis turn." Luna had looked at her own belly as it protested the lack of food, shaking her head slowly.

After Luna and Quill Feather started lunch, Celestia did enter after the day court had taken a break. Celestia had also carried her tea inside her aura, as the others were discussing the previous night's events. "Luna, is it ok to enter, or are you going to assail me with more pillows?" Celestia replied, slightly teasing her younger sister. 

"It's safe to enter now sister, after sleep and our appetite having being sated." Luna had spoken up after drinking a good portion of her coffee. "Join us, and partake in some donuts from a local eatery that seems famous in Canterlot."

"Thank you, and that's Donut Joe's." Celestia had started nosing in the box for a particular donut. She then squeaked excitedly and pulled out a donut that made Celestia grin. It was a white angel cake donut with a lightly salted caramel glaze. Aptly named 'Celestia's Sunrise,' it had become popular with the day princess and she had sent a letter of appreciation to Donut Joe's, from herself and Luna who had become fond of the moon pies. Quill Feather had liked the Key-Lime herself, and was happily munching as paperwork was getting caught up. "Did you read the letter from your Gryphon ambassador Sahmek yet?"

"We were waiting for your arrival, so we may see what was written."  Luna was finishing her own moon pie and was sipping her coffee. Using her magics, Luna had levitated the scroll letter addressed to herself from Sahmek. The quill penmanship was remarkably neat, seemly written with magic, but Sahmek didn't use magic obviously.

[Dearest Night Princess, 

I hope you are well these days, as things have been somewhat dour here in Baltimare, from all the rains we have been having. 

However matters seem to have been stirred up there in Canterlot, as I had seen in your newspaper that was awaiting my viewing this morning. The story does seem somewhat farfetched, especially coming from a gryphon mind you. I do see some general discrepancies with the story related facts, and I will attempt to remedy them from a gryphon's point of view, if you would indulge my knowledge of gryphon ethics. 

Single Gryphon attacking:  This is never how gryphon society invades another citizenry. We do attempt to dialog our differences peaceably using five meetings of opposing sides, the higher numbered meeting, the more stringent the requirements for success. In any meetings between the Gryphon and Equestrian Princesses, the numbers may have reached a 2 (two) since I had been alive. The highest in history the meetings may have been strained was a 4 (four) during the famines of 1187 C.R. (Celestia's Reign) about 140 years ago. 

No reason for attack: No hostilities or bad blood between our ruling factions. Things are at peace, why stir a still pot?

The story did mention the gryphon was unarmed and had chains. This does bring up 2 (two) matters of concern I might have to notify the royal family on. 

1.  The gryphon was a criminal that was housed in the Gryphon Empire, then escaped to Equestria. Possible but however unlikely. Our criminals are usually housed in deeper caves with guards and full staff, and the primary feathers had been removed to quell flight. We do have doctors on staff that do cleanly remove and store the feathers in sealed containers until sentence served, then the primaries are surgically re-implanted a month before release, so the criminals are then released into populace, but takes about a month to get reacquainted with flight again. 

2. The gryphon was an Equestrian resident. This would made matters my concern as we do offer gryphons citizenship through my office specifically. I will check my records, but off the top of my brain, there should be about 47 emigrated gryphons living in Equestria. Any gryphons that were jailed I would know of it, and a simple records search will reveal if the gryphon was ever incarcerated. I will need a few days to complete the background check on my end here, and I will let you know what I find.

Again, Princess Luna, it has always had been a pleasure corresponding with you, and I hope to meet with you again sometime at some level. I do miss our long distance chess matches, let me try to even the score sometimes. 

Warmest Regards,
Sahmek Irenizz

Gryphon Ambassador, Baltimare. ]


"Well that letter was pleasant enough, and it seems my little sister is quite the chess master herself." Celestia teased lightly, smiling to her little sister, poking her tongue out playfully. "I did not know you played chess. How long have you been playing Sahmek?"

"We say, fourteen months, since we have bested everypony on staff here." Luna had sipped the last of her coffee without looking up. 

Right then, a knock was at the door to the office, where a guard opened the door, with a nurse standing, holding some paperwork in her wing. Looking up, the nurse stated, "Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia, the Gryphon has awakened early, and seems to wish to know what's going on."

**********
> Chains
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gryphon was slowly stirring as the anesthesia was wearing off, laying in their own bed in a private 1 bed recovery room. Canterlot Castle's medical wing only had single rooms available, located on two adjoining hallways with a doctor and nurse station in the middle, joining each hallway together. 

A nurse had come by and took vitals as the gryphon was slowly coming around, and sent for Wing-Mender and Nurse Redheart, she had also sent word via guard to notify the princesses that the gryphon had indeed awoken. 

Just as another nurse was finishing up with writing down the vital signs, she noticed the gryphon's left hand-paw had reached for her hoof, patting it lightly, and non threatening. 

The nurse had looked up and gave a shocked gasp, but quickly recovered her composure as she spoke. "Well I see you are awake, and your vital signs are steady. I will go get the doctors to talk to you."

But the gryphon had looked around, and tried signing something, but had seen the plaster casted right arm down to the hand-paw, so the signing requiring two hands was far more difficult. Placing two fingers against his beak side and closing the thumb to the claw tips, and shook their head side-to-side. 

The nurse did look at the notes in the chart and seen the gryphon wasn't able to speak, but used sign language, and that the guard that assisted Luna was able to translate. "Okay, I know what the doctors meant in the report. Let me get somepony that can translate for us."

The nurse had called the guard in from the hallway, and Wind Shear stood at the foot of the bed, helping translating sign language for the gryphon to provide any info needed. Nurse Redheart, Wing Mender arrived within a minute, and both Princesses had also arrived, but waited in the hallway until the doctor had summoned them inside. 

"You had given us quite the scare, but you seem to be doing ok." Wing Mender had given the gryphon an exam, looking over the surgery for the neck and arm break. "You had survived because Princess Luna had thought fast, helping keep your throat injury from killing you. Your arm was broken badly tho, and some of the muscles were injured from the severe twisting, and that will mean physical therapy until you regain full use of the arm again. But now that you are awake, can you answer a few questions? Your name, where your from, and all that."

Before the gryphon answered, Princess Luna and Celestia also entered the room. But talked calmly, as to not spook him. "Sir Gryphon, please have no fear of us. You are among friends here." Princess Luna had reassured the gryphon, with a soft smile. However, upon seeing Celestia, the gryphon shook visibly, trying to pull the cover over them as far as possible. Luna had walked to the bedside and outstretched her right hoof, stroking one gryphon wing reassuringly. "We give our word, we will do everything we can to help you, but that begins with telling us thee name. Could you help us with that.... please?"

The Gryphon had finally nodded, still shrinking from Celestia. He nodded and then patted his chest, and placed his claw-hand at his beak with the fingers closed, and then brought them outward, opening the digits fully. He then spelled out his name, as he nodded to Wind Shear, as he translated. 

"Ryuuzan" the gryphon had to spell out each letter twice before Wind Shear got them right. 

"How old are you?" Nurse Redheart had brought up the next question. 

"19".

"Where are you from?" Luna asked pleasantly. "The Gryphon Kingdom?"

Ryuuzan shook his head no. "WhiteTail Woods. I've heard of the Gryphon Kingdom, but never been there."

"Do you have a family, other gryphons like siblings or parents?" Wing Mender was also making notes on his clipboard.

Ryuuzan shifted nervously and swallowed hard, then shook his head no. Clearly afraid.

"You were living alone in WhiteTail Woods?" Luna had tipped her head trying to figure out the gryphon's answers. "In the forests?"

"No, I was living (GULP) in a house where I grew from young." Ryuuzan's hand was shaking as he answered. "I do have a mother." Again shaking his head and closing his eyes. 

Luna was getting more concerned, she wanted Ryuuzan to trust her, but she was hoping for answers. "Ok Ryuuzan, We are not trying to scare you. We apologise. We are just as confused as you are." She walked a few steps close to Ryuuzan's head side, and continued speaking softly and reassuringly. "All we know what happened last night was you came through our picture window wearing chains on your neck and left wrist. You weren't attacking us as far as I know. But as unpleasant as it seems, we want to know what's going on. Did you escape from somewhere? Are there more gryphons coming after you, or anyone from the Equestrian Mental Medical Research center?"

"I have never heard of that place, and I don't know any other gryphons." Ryuuzan looked shocked and looked at his wrists, reaching and didn't find his familiar collar and restraints. He then shied away when his clawd fingers touched the wrapping from his throat surgery. "I've always had those chains with me from my home. I flew here from my home in WhiteTail Woods after I broke free last night. They were going to kill me when they returned this morning." 

This brought looks between everyone.

Ryuuzan's eyes were opening wider in fear. "My mother is a pony, a pegasus. Her and another pony were going to kill me this morning. That's why I escaped." He then was looking between the doorway and the window. "I...  i'm not safe here. They told me months ago they are always watching me."

As everyone was discussing the notes, another nurse had come in, and replaced an emptied IV Bottle with a fresh one, per the rules of nurses on station. She had smiled brightly as she worked effortlessly, using her magic to be certain the connections to the bag were safe. Her eyes were also glowing a soft pink as she was whistling a small nursery rhyme to herself after greeting the rulers with a smile and a quick bow. 

When Ryuuzan heard the nurse whistling a tune he remembered, he gave a short CLACK of his beak everytime the nurse started the short tune again. This happened two more times with the end of the tune she hummed. And each time Ryuuzan clicked his beak shut, the nurse smiled and resumed the work she was doing. As soon as she was finished replacing the IV bag she made notes on the chart when the bag was replaced. After bowing to the princesses again, she glided out of the room as quietly as she entered

"Mother had other ponies visit the house on some nights, meetings or something. She had checked my room, but I was faking I was asleep." Ryuuzan had brought his knees to his chest, when he wrapped his left arm around them. "I tried escaping months ago, but I was caught and I was beaten senseless. They are planning something big, between two groups and you Princess, or against the crown. Mother said there was no more use for me, and they decided to eliminate me this morning, and to prepare. So, after everyone left, I waited for an hour and then pulled, chewed, clawed and ripped at the leather binding securing my chain to an eyelet in the floor until it tore open."

Everyone then quieted down after Wind Shear had told everyone "Hey, this is important. Quiet down!"

"I then flew out a back window, and just aimed for the castle. It's just that I used all my strength to escape, I felt l had no strength left." Ryuuzan continued signing, but he was getting tired as his eyes started to droop. "I then flew as high as I could and locked my wings so I could glide. And then steered for the castle, and closed my eyes hoping the winds would keep me up long enough for a patrol to spot me or something. I.. didn't expect to fall through your window...  your majesties. I think I actually fell asleep mid-glide just from sheer exhaustion. Next thing I remember was you, princess asking what was happening. That's ... all I remember."

"Ryuuzan, you flew here in one shot from WhiteTail Woods? That's well over 50 miles away!"  

The gryphon had nodded, as he laid his legs back down, and flopped his head back on the pillow. Oddly enough, he was still clicking his beak with the tune that the nurse had hummed as she worked minutes ago. 

Thinking Ryuuzan needed sleep, Luna decided to call it a night, agreeing when Nurse Redheart when she said the gryphon needed more rest. Leaning close to the gryphon's beak, she gave him a small peck on the cheek and whispered to him. "Be strong little one, we will protect you." She placed her hoof onto Ryuuzan's arm but then drew back quickly.

Ryuuzan's fingers were clenched into a fist and his eyes were starting to glaze. 

"REDHEART!" Luna shouted. "Ryuuzan's Not BREATHING....!"   

Redheart had slid to a halt at the nurse's station supply room to get a breathing cart and surgical tools after she heard Luna call out to her. Racing back to the room, she met Wing Mender at bedside as he started working on getting the gryphon breathing again. 

Celestia had hurried outside as Luna watched as the doctor worked to get a breathing tube into the gryphon's throat, she was lighting her magics onto the gryphon's body, trying to see if there were any way to help, and then she spotted the haze of a pinked-reddish magic spell that looped around the gryphon's trachea. 

"I can't get the tube down!" Wing Mender had tossed the tube end to the floor, and reached for a scalpel, readying to do a tracheotomy. As soon as the scalpel hit the fur on the throat, Ryuuzan gasped as the air infilled his lungs. "Wait, what happened?"

"Doctor, there was a magic spell affixed to Ryuu's windpipe. As soon as your scalpel hit the neck, it dissolved on it's own." Luna had replied as she watched the gryphon take in gulps of air, relieved he was ok. She then yelled to Wind Sheer. "Sheer, go after the Nurse, and place the castle on lockdown, no one enters or leaves until we find that nurse !"

Celestia had come back in the room, and gave Luna a questioning look as Wind Sheer had taken off out of sight out a window to co-ordinate the guards at the exits to the castle. "A lockdown Luna?"

"Not now 'Tia, we have some pony try to come in here to our castle, and try to kill an innocent who came asking for help." Luna had almost growled, with her wings opening fully. "We will tear this castle, and Canterlot apart to find out what's going on !"

"Luna, we don't even know 'what's' going on yet." Celestia reasoned with the younger sibling. "Over reacting won't get problems solved faster."

"Over REACTING ?!?" Luna had yelled, leaning her face up to her sister. "Don't even try to start that with us! We would wager our crown that thou wouldst stop the sun if anypony tried to hurt thee most favored friend and Pupil. We Tia, don't 'have' any friends!"

There was an uncomfortable silence as the Moon princess squared her shoulders against the Sun princess. "A Promise ! We gave that gryphon a promise to help them recover and to stay safe. But some ponies have a twisted plan to kill that gryphon in that bed that's under our care. Answer to us 'Tia, wouldst thee help one of 'our little ponies' if one was being attacked and attempted murder by a gryphon ?"

"Luna, don't be silly, we would no doubt help the pony, but... " Celestia backpedaled. 

"But WHAT dear sister, Do tell us that a pony's life is more valuable than a gryphon's ?" Luna's eyes turned a deep menacing blue as she seethed. "We noticed thee not had anything to say to the gryphon. Pray tell, is it 'beneath' you to even acknowledge him in presence when thee are away from the throne? Away from the regals, the dignitaries and diplomats leeching for approval?"

"....."

"We have this demand of thee Celestia." Luna nearly spoke her words with venemous bite. "When the gryphon's attackers are found and on trial, we want the sentences to be 'just as harsh' for the ponies as it would be for gryphons. Promise us dear sister, thee will be fair and just for that poor gryphon in that bed as you wouldst for Twilight Sparkle if she were there with a breathing tube down her throat, after some pony tried killing them in front of your NOSE ! If you do not promise, you are not fit to wear that crown !" 

"Of course Luna, I promise... I swear it !" Celestia had replied almost a minute after the shock wore off, almost wide-eyed at her sister's demeanor. Celestia's breath hitched in her throat as her eyes burned and started watering. 

Luna then walked past her sister, before disappearing to the castle grounds. "Before you go to slumber, you need to go to that gryphon and apologize for thou biased thoughts and feelings. ALL Life is sacred Celestia. Only then, will we openly talk with you again. You hadst some deep thinking to do tonight, dear sister. Some little ponies are not as innocent as thee hoped. Adieu."

And with that, Luna was gone.

Celestia turned back and looked into the room where the gryphon was laying in bed, but looking up at her with their sad green eyes. Celestia's head drooped, as she looked down.

"Forgive me."

**********
> Whitetail Woods
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

*(Please allow me a small note, carried from a comment from the last chapter... )

Thank you so Much for enjoying my story so far, as I really put my heart into writing it well.

A small note: I had some health ailments that had rendered me partially deaf, (Tinnitus, vertigo, and hearing loss) and I also had a passing fascination with sign language, so I decided to try to incorporate a character that was either fully deaf, or mute that could hear fine. Altho I know some may question how ponies could aptly sign with hooves without digits, maybe roll the hooves on edge to represent which digit to be understood perhaps?

I did try to do a search for characters that either understood hoof language, or was deaf themselves, but I didn't find any using the search.

Any questions you have, I'll be happy to answer, except spoilers of course.... ^~^.

Cheers, 
Gryphon <><

(And now on with the story...  )

**********


The next day, Luna's assistant Quill Feather was following up on paperwork that needed to be finalized for the gryphon's care. She had sent word to Princess Twilight that morning requesting the services of one of the Elements of Harmony, and StarLight Glimmer to track some loose ends, since Twilight-Sparkle was overseeing her new magic school and her own princess duties.

Quill Feather looked up from her desk as a knock sounded from the door. "Please come in."

The door opened and Rainbow Dash had arrived with Starlight Glimmer. They both looked around the office and smiled approvingly. "Now this is a nice office." Starlight had piped up as she smiled, greeting Quill Feather. 

Feather smiled, nodding in reply. "I'm Quill Feather, and I'm honored to meet the personal protege` of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Miss Starlight Glimmer, and the Element of Loyalty, Miss Rainbow Dash." Feather rose and greeted the two ladies with a polite bow. Feather had sipped from a small cup of coffee, glancing toward Starlight as Rainbow hovered over Starlight's right shoulder. "Just one of the perks of being Princess Luna's court assistant. Thank you for coming ladies. My apologies for sending the note to Princess Twilight so early this morning, but time is of the essence." 

Feather slid a folder to Starlight which she opened with her magic. Inside it was a photograph of a nurse that was working the previous night. "This is Meadow Mist, she was working the previous night in the medical wing when there was an attempted murder on a patient, and was apprehended as she tried exiting out a side window before ditching her nurse uniform outside of the castle."

"Pardon me ma'am, but isn't this for the Guards to investigate?" Rainbow had asked, flapping her wings keeping herself hovering in place. "Why call us?"

"As I said Miss Dash, time is of the essence. You 'are' the fastest Wonderbolt I take it?" Quill had slid a piece of paper with an address on it to the cyan pegasus. "How fast can you make it to WhiteTail Woods? The nurse provided an address of residence where she resided. We have reasons to believe the nurse here is involved in something sinister, and Princess Luna is ready to have armed guards to storm the home. We have to be certain it's a valid address with a matching description from the patient in Luna's care."

"That's a good distance away, If I push it, I can be back in an hour, hour and a half tops." Rainbow had looked up, hoof at her chin figuring out the distance. "If a team of your guards can keep up with me, i'd say we can be there in an hour. And if there is somepony there already, then the guards can mop up the pieces if they try anything by fighting back or resisting arrest."

"We hope things don't escalate that quickly, but I see your point." Feather had pressed a small buzzer, and two of Celestia's guards and one of Luna's Night sentinels had entered the room. "Guardians, please join the Element of Loyalty here and fly as fast as you can to the address in WhiteTail Woods that is provided. Take a team of up to ten guards with you consisting of the fastest flyers available, as time is not on our side. There are reasons to believe there are ponies plotting at the very least, attempted murder of a guest here under Luna's care. Your orders are to remove the ponies from that residence and bring them here for interrogation. If there is any struggle, use whatever force necessary to bring them in."

"Ma'am, Yes Ma'am !" All three guards saluted and joined Rainbow Dash as she flapped toward the hallway.

"I'll meet with you later Glimmer when we get back. Hope you guys can keep up with me." Rainbow Dash smiled as she bid farewell to Glimmer and Quill, chatting and smiling to the guards following her down the hall. "Cmon, I'll show you some flight tricks for you to see on the way."

"How would you like my help Miss Feather?" Starlight had asked after Feather had shut the door to the office again. 

"Miss Glimmer, you may accompany me to visit a medical office here in Canterlot to get some facts straightened out about Luna's patient's story. They said they were never resided at Equestrian Mental and Medical Research and Science Institute, EMMRS." Feather had slid Glimmer an I.D. badge and a folder of paperwork. "Luna's patient is a Gryphon, and arrived here at the castle the evening before last, and had drug a chain with him, meaning he was either a captive at EMMRS previously, or an escapee. We do not know which. It's just the bracers on the gryphon's wrists and neck had the EMMRS tag on them."

"Wait, that's the same gryphon that the newspaper was talking about? The story is all over Canterlot and Ponyville." Starlight placed the badge cord around her neck saying she was under Canterlot's Royal Court authority as she was with Feather. "Rainbow Dash and I seen the damaged picture window when the carriage arrived here at the castle."

Quill Feather had joined Starlight, and they walked out of the office. "Before heading to the EMMRS building, care for a coffee at Donut Joe's?"

*****

(EMMRS Research facility)

"We understand your reservations Director, but we are here under authority of Princess Luna to investigate a crime where this facility is linked, and the possibility of a patient that has escaped under your care." Feather and Starlight were standing in the office of the facility's director. "I thought you might be the least bit concerned about these things."

"Miss Feather and Miss Glimmer," The pony behind the desk was an older male black earth pony with a short cropped grey mane. Dressed in a longer lab coat, he had a polished but authoritative aura about him. "This facility has the record of 'zero' escapes by patients out of 17 attempts since I had become director here 22 years ago. We do take pride in one of the safest environments for patients and employees alike."!

"Sir, we aren't here for the sales pitch or the PR spin you are using." Feather had blinked at being felt like she was being stonewalled. She then turned to Starlight, nodding and smiling to her. "Starlight, do go and get the director's secretary, and two assistants under him, and bring them back here please."

Starlight Glimmer had gone out of the office, then returned two minutes later with the director's secretary, and two assistant directors in tow as Quill Feather had requested, then she and the director faced off in a mental chess game.

"Under the orders of Princess Luna,  we request any and all files showing 'anything' consisting of gryphons, or bracers used here in confinement." Quill Feather addressed the secretary and the two assistant directors that entered with Starlight-Glimmer. "I will offer any assistance you need in retrieving those files, but they are paramount to our investigation, and your help will be most appreciated."

But the director ordered the others 'not' to move out of that office or comply with the two unicorns in front of him.

Quill then turned back to the director, and narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. "You wish to tangle and play hardball with me? I have Princess Luna's very own directives here and I 'will' get these answers. Or do you wish to address the Princess herself this evening and explain why the sudden refusal to help in an investigation?"

"All we need is for you and your assistants to confirm some names, and verify some photographs we have." Quill Feather had opened her file folder, showing photographs of the gryphon, and the chains and bracers with the EMMRS logo imprinted on the tags. "If you continue to refuse to answer, I can notify one of the royal guardian's under 'my' jurisdiction, and find these answers 'myself' while I take apart your precious perfect little complex here, and is fully locked down and gone over with a fine toothed comb. If then 'any' inconsistencies found, I will be happy to forward to the crown financial wing for reconsideration of your yearly operations budget, and access fines so high, you sir will need to work a side job at HayBurgers to survive."

The director sat and refused to budge. "I do have patient's privacy laws saying such records are privileged information between doctor and client. It's not that I don't want to show those files, I cannot open them because they are confidential, and only the patients or their closest families themselves can authorize the opening if the patient is not mentally able to do so. My hooves are tied."

"Very well director, thank you for your valued time." Quill Feather nodded and turned to leave. "Let's go Starlight. We have other places to go and other ponies to meet." As soon as she and Starlight had exited the doors, she magicked a signal to a squad of guardian ponies that accompanied her, but stood outside enjoying the afternoon sun. "Please place EMMRS and all files on lockdown, for impeding the investigation of the crown under directive from Princess Luna. Keep the employed here that care for the patients going as usual, but files and documents are now under lock-down until further review."

Starlight Glimmer looked to Quill Feather and whistled favorably. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, Quill Feather."

"Again dear Starlight, I am under no obligation to be forcibly stonewalled and ignored by 'any' pony or some committee, trying to undermine my authority in the course of an investigation." Quill Feather had replied, headed back to her office, feeling like she was back at square one, but with some suspicions. "I'm acting as quickly as possible to find answers for that gryphon that almost died in front of me. Answers are out there Miss Glimmer, and I 'will' find them, no matter who it points to."

*****

Once back at the castle, Quill and Starlight had stopped by the holding cells where the nurse pony had sat, having been lengthy questioned about the gryphon the night before. "Well Miss Morning Mist, how does it feel being under scrutiny for attempted murder?"

"Murder? I have no idea what you mean." Morning Mist had replied smugly. "All I did was change an IV bag and whistle a little nursery rhyme. Why is it illegal to whistle 'Ring Around the Rosey? It's my own foal's favorite song."

"Well it's awful coincidental that just after you left a patient's room having changed an IV Bottle, they stopped breathing." Feather had read her notes on the arrest of Meadow Mist. "We are also arresting other ponies that are staying at your residence, the same address verified by the victim you nearly killed." 

(At that same time, in WhiteTail Woods)

Rainbow Dash arrived at the house, hovering just out of sight among the treetops as she waited for the rest of the heavily armed guards to arrive. She had scouted ahead of the guards and verified the house was there and ponies were spotted inside. 

"Miss Dash" The lead guard pony had landed, with the team of guards second checking their equipment and arrest warrants for all ponies at the listed address. "I'm Granite Pie, we will be storming the home at the front and rear doors. Could you watch above the home in case any pegasus try to escape thru a side window?"

"I'm on it Chief!" Rainbow had saluted the lead guardian pony, but grinned. "You're related to Pinkie Pie who works at SugarCube Corner, and my best friend?"

"She's my granddaughter and she's quite the pony." Granite Pie had smiled, his face lighting up as he waved Rainbow close to whisper in her ear. "Hey, wanna know something funny about Miss Pinkie?"

Rainbow had grinned, leaning close to the older Pie. "Ooooo, do Tell !"

Granite Pie had rolled his hoof and pointed to his rear legs. "Miss Pinkie is severely ticklish at the backs of her knees. Tell her Grandpa Granite told you that when you see her." He smiled big as he joined his fellows at the front door. 

After a silent count between both groups of guards, they stormed into the house in a flash. 

Inside the home was three ponies, two pegasai and one unicorn. The pegasai was in the kitchen and one  female had bolted toward the back of the home and leaped thru the window, when the guards forced the doors open. The other pegasai dropped to the floor in shock as he was pounced upon by one of the night sentinels. Granite Pie and a fellow guard had flown upstairs into an office where a male dark green unicorn was seated behind a desk, rifling thru some paperwork. 

Rainbow Dash, true to her word seized upon the female escaping pegasus when she cleared the yard. "Got you, now stay down, or we are gonna make this hard on you, and fun for me!" Rainbow had tackled the mare, and tumbled onto the ground, and locked the mare's wings down under herself.

All the mare did was turn her head and started whistling a light tune and smiling.

Upon entering the office doorway, the unicorn had blasted the lead guard with a stream of magic, knocking him onto the floor, as Granite had used the blade end of his pole-arm to force the unicorn against the wall. "You're under arrest and coming with us, along with the others downstairs." He then helped his fellow guard from the floor grabbing the folders of paperwork and ushered him and the prisoner out the door and down the steps. then to meet everyone back at the edge of the yard outside. 

The unicorn didn't resist but replied. "We are glad you are here guardian. Care to hear a tune as we walk out the door?"

"A tune? What are you blathering about?" Granite had shoved the unicorn male towards the doorway, carrying the folders of paperwork tucked under his armor.

"Oh just a favorite tune everyone here at the house enjoys when we have guests."  The arrested unicorn lit his horn in a pink-reddish hue and started whistling the same tune that the other captured pegasus had sung, using his magic to turn a small steel eyelet that was attached at the floor at one side of the room. With a metallic creak, the eyelet turned and then clicked.

The house suddenly blew apart in a magic fueled explosion, the blast throwing Rainbow Dash and the female pegasus against the neighboring trees bordering the home they just invaded. 



(Canterlot Castle, Dungeons)

"Victim? The Gryphon?" Meadow Mist smugly replied as she laughed out loud. "Don't be absurd. The Gryphon isn't the victim, he is the one that orchestrated the entire plan. He was the one that also wired up the home for explosives when your guardians arrived there. Oh that's right, you didn't hear that small detail before? Well, it seems either your precious guardians arrested the others there and left, or they were blown clear to Tartarus. Ohhh Well, Sucks to be them."

Quill Feather then shown her teeth angrily and leaned her face to Meadow Mist, then pulled Meadow upward by her mane, and held her there. "YOU, I don't care if you say that gryphon is or isn't the victim here. But if anything happened to Rainbow or any of the guardians at that house, I will PERSONALLY make it my mission to petition Princess Celestia herself 'repeatedly' for the death penalty just to see your neck stretch!"

"Well good luck there, as no pony had been sentenced to death in 138 years." Meadow Mist replied after yelping from having her mane nearly ripped out. "I do wish to retain a lawyer, by the way before any further questions. Until then, good luck on getting 'any' more information. Unless you want to offer any immunity to me, then I will tell you what I know, but only 'after' my attorney is sitting beside me."

Quill Feather was already almost out the door fuming, with Starlight following close behind.

**********
> Accusations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

*****

Princess Luna had awoken in mid-afternoon like clockwork. And as she had tiredly greeted the guards at her doorway, she noticed they were notably bothered.

Thinking it was just the stress of each day, she had made her way to Quill's office.

Upon entering, she had spotted Quill Feather just standing at her window, looking out to the grounds of Canterlot Castle. 

"Good afternoon dear Feather." Luna had poured herself a larger mug of coffee and magicked some donuts to herself, and to her assistant. But Quill had only sat the donuts down to the side of the desk where her reports were haphazardly assembled. 

"I somehow doubt today warrants being labeled as 'good', your Highness. 'Disastrous' seems more apt to fit." Quill Feather had swished her tail back and forth in agitation, as she shook her head. "As you know, I'm investigating facts for Ryuuzan's situation. And all I have gotten as far as answers are all quite damning against him. I'm still getting reports in from WhiteTail Woods, it's pretty grim."

Luna had grabbed the top most set of pages and rifled through them. The pages were the contents of what Meadow Mist had told the guards, and to Quill with Starlight Glimmer. "An attorney had already agreed to represent Miss Mist ?" Luna's face soured as she further read the report. The attorney was specifically chosen and well known in some Canterlot circles as being nearly ruthless in each case he defended. But that wasn't what had Luna troubled. It was a brash unicorn F. Hay Baley, otherwise known as "Legal Eagle' that had some close connections with extremist groups voicing concerns against the crown's dealings with the Gryphon Empire in the past. 

"Miss Mist's legal council has had a conference with newspapers already, calling for the gryphon to be held on charges, and the release of his client, among other challenges." Quill Feather had lifted the local evening paper that shown pictures of a home destroyed in flames with the headline 'Gryphon being held in investigation of home explosion, 5 Dead.' "At this rate, the populace here in Canterlot, and neighboring cities are going to be against Ryuuzan. Miss Mist wants immunity in exchange for details of the group she is involved with, she is playing the 'victim' pony perfectly, and Ryuuzan is targeted as the planner of this entire mess." 

Quill Feather had joined the Princess at last, and chewed half-hearted at a donut. "But bigger concerns here are the guards. They all know what happened at WhiteTail woods, and some have 'strongly' viewed their displeasure at Ryuuzan even being here. I also believe there is a leak to the newspaper from one of the guards here. The one ex-guardian, Night Hooves had appeared with F. Hay Baley calling for the gryphon to be handed over to the Gryphon Kingdom. But before I had the opportunity to apprehend Night Hooves, he had slipped away."

The next set of paged reports was from Ponyville Hospital that was treating the surviving guards and the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, who suffered a concussion, broken rear legs and wing fractures. "We don't have a report from any of the guards that witnessed exactly what happened yet, but I need to see it soon. I may need your help Princess, as I need the other Elements to meet as soon as possible in Ponyville. I was just about to depart there by carriage, but again, some of the guards are refusing to help, as they are holding me, the Gryphon, and you Princess, albeit indirectly responsible for the loss of life at WhiteTail woods."

Quill Feather had also floated a small note to Princess Luna as her voice shook, her lip quivered. "Princess, I had led a team of 10 guardians, and the Element of Loyalty into a trap, where three guards, and two other ponies lost their lives. I feel solely responsible, and I am scared. One of the guards whispered to me after I passed by, that I'd better be careful and watch my back, as one of the ponies killed at WhiteTail Woods was his brother-in-law." Princess Luna had unfolded the note, asking that she wished to tend her resignation when the case was finished. 

"Before we accept this note Feather, please know thou are one of our most prized advisors and if we may count, a dear friend as well." Luna had placed the note into her desk, and locked the drawer magically. "We do not hold you responsible, dear Feather tho we understand thy grief. Do not blame oneself when other ponies plan such destruction. However, the issue of ponies making threats against thee, We do take strong issue with, and we will make the needed accomodations to keep thee safe."

*****

Within the next hour, Princess Luna, Quill Feather, and Wind Shear had arrived at the Castle of Friendship, after sending a note to Princess Twilight about their needing to ask for help. Once inside the castle, all three ponies were joined by Spike who led them into the tree-throne map room. 

Once inside, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy was already at their seats when Princess Luna arrived with Quill Feather and Wind-Shear. Starlight was filling in Twilight about some of the happenings in the case, and the more Twilight listened, the more she frowned. 

"It's an honour seeing you again, Princess Sparkle, along with Miss Fluttershy, Miss Glimmer, and dear Spike. We have some things to discuss with thee, and we need expertise of the friends here as well." Luna had walked to one side of the map table and highlighted WhiteTail Woods with her aura from her horn. "We need advice to some bothersome questions we have, concerning a gryphon, and what happened at WhiteTail Woods earlier this morning."

"Starlight was filling me in on what happened." Twilight had replied with a long face, nearly disbelieving what had happened. "We were all going to Ponyville Hospital to see Rainbow Dash when I got your message, so I figured we all would go together. Rarity said she would be meeting us there after getting hold of Pinkie Pie and AppleJack."

"I'm sure Rainbow Dash would love to see some friendly faces." Fluttershy added softly as she spoke up. 

"Before we depart, Princess Sparkle, we would need you to bring a couple of reference books about explosives, as we want to comb over that scene at WhiteTail woods, if possible." Quill Feather had brought out a note, as a reminder to herself. 

"Spike, can you get the books from aisle two of the central library. Shelf 37 and 38." Twilight had reached for her saddlebags with her aura from a wall hook, along with quills, ink, and parchment to make notes. "Two military guides about explosives, and one book explaining demolitions and magic, used by Unicorn developers for buildings and homes. Should be green for the military guides, and the Magics one should be a blue hardback."

"Ok, I'll be right back, give me a few minutes." Spike headed out on his way to get the needed books.

And as soon as Spike returned, every pony was then teleported to Ponyville Hospital, where they assembled in the waiting room to check in and visit Rainbow Dash. 

Dash was awake, and resting in a solo room when everyone arrived. Her legs were wrapped in heavy gauze and splinted, while her wings were splint closed, as some bones in her wings were broken and needed resetting. Doctors had used Unicorn healing magics to reset the broken bones to the point of being perfectly still, but any tissue damage at the break was still 'very' painful, as soft tissue usually took a few weeks to fully heal. And that meant Rainbow was grounded for the first two weeks, and she had reacted accordingly.

"Hey Twilight, Glimmer, Spike, Flutters, oh Miss Quill Feather and Princess Luna, you're here too?" Dash had looked up when she heard the door open. She was battered and bruised, but she was alive.

"We all had come here when we found out what happened at WhiteTail Woods." Quill-Feather spoke up after everyone gave Dash hugs. "But some questions remain unanswered, as we couldn't interview any guards that were there as they have not fully recovered and awoken yet. Could you fill us in on what happened?"

Just as Rainbow had started recalling the events, Rarity arrived with Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack in tow. 

"Yeah, the Lead Guardian had asked me to chase down any pony that tried getting away, and I did grab one. She was a pegasus, mid 30's slight tan coat with medium black mane." Dash greeted the others as they filed into the room. "Didn't see her cutie mark tho, think it was some kind of bird head, and she was actin' strange. She started whistling a weird song then the house blew. Even that looked weird, I never seen a pink explosion before."

"Oooo a pink explosion? Sounds like my confetti cannon." Pinkie Pie had bounced up to Rainbow Dash and gave her a massive cupcake with a sign in it saying 'I'm happy you didn't get blown up.' "But I have to have that registered in Ponyville, as it isn't covered under 'used military equipment' insurance." 

"Pink? Ok, that's definitely unorthodox. Usually for demolitions per building codes, section 43: smaller detonations require unicorns and teams to use a safety green tint whenever leveling buildings and giving a timed countdown before blastings." Twilight had started making notes onto some parchment, but then everyone was staring at her with their muzzles hanging open. "What? As Princess I needed to be current with building codes for Canterlot and Ponyville. It was something I had to brush up on. Some light reading never hurt before bed."

"You are 'such' an Egghead.!!" Dash threw her arms up. "Light reading?, I'd hate to see if you had gotten bored, or you had trouble finding an answer like in Calculus or Latin or something." 

"Calculus section of the library is upstairs section 3, shelf 4, and 9 books, directly across the aisle from the Latin section." Twilight kept writing without looking up. Just as Quill Feather was motioned outside by the attending doctor with more reports about the other guardians.

"How about Latin? I'd bet that's even hard for you to figure out." Rainbow crossed her arms in front of her bandaged chest, nodding to Starlight and Apple-Jack. 

"Non possum credere me, et ut vocant, egghead?" Twilight side whispered to Luna, but enough for Rainbow to hear. "Latin's my second language. I love reading Mevreaus."

"Prench" Rarity offered.

"Je ne peux pas croire que tu continues à m'appeler 'egghead'?"

"Ok... Try.. Prussian.. "Apple Jack spoke up. Grinning.

"Я не могу поверить, что ты продолжаешь называть меня «яйцо»?." Twilight had to pause a moment before answering. "YA ne mogu poverit', chto ty prodolzhayesh' nazyvat' menya «yaytso»?"

"Neighponese"


"私はあなたが「インテリ」私を呼んでおく信じることができません?。Watashi wa anata ga `interi' watashiwoyonde oku shinjirukoto ga dekimasen?."

"What in Tartarus are you 'even' saying?" Rainbow Dash hung her head. "Why do I even try. It's no good trying to fool you Twilight."

"Why do you keep calling me 'egghead'? Translated four ways." Twilight pointed her quill at Rainbow, then tipped her head sideways as she seen Rainbow calling for the nurse, pressing for the buzzer. 

"I'm calling to have you committed and for me to be put out of my misery, EGGHEAD." Rainbow had rubbed her face tiredly with a hoof. "Wait, what happened to the other guards, or the pony I tackled? One of them was Granite Pie."

"Oooo Uncle Granite?" Pinkie bounced to Rainbow's side, eyes huge as she grinned. Rainbow quickly moved her hoof behind Pinkie's knee and tickled, causing the pink mare to roll on the floor, kicking her legs and laughing.

"Umm, Miss Pie about Granite Pie." Quill Feather pulled up his name on her reports. "I'm deeply sorry, but he is downstairs in intensive care. From what I know, he was partially buried by a side wall after the home exploded. The doctors are working on him now."

Pinkie stopped laughing when she heard this, and her hair flattened out to bone straight. "I...  I need to go to be with him." She then galloped out of the room with Wind Shear following behind. "I'll be back Rainbow, us Pie's need to stick together."

"About the mare you tackled, she managed to get away, but the surviving guardian's have identified her as 'Swan Song', a noted pegasus that has ties with a group calling themselves 'Ponies for Purity.' They are one of the loudest anti-species-ist groups trying to create incidents to undermine 'any' talks with the Gryphon Empire." Quill Feather had scanned her notes pulling up a full description, and photo. "This mare is bad news and is deadly dangerous. If she is in the group with Ryuuzan, then he and us are under terrible danger for more attempts at his life. Their group numbers in the hundreds." 

After the information was given, Princess Luna suggested that Quill Feather take residence at the castle, and the gryphon was going to be moved to a maximum security room under 24 hour guard and rotating shifts.

About 20 minutes later, Pinkie Pie arrived back in the room, out of breath. Her eyes red from tears, and a deep scowl on her face. "Princess Luna, Quill Feather, Granite Pie didn't make it. The doctors did have some items he held on to when he arrived here. He said it was important." She reached into her hair and pulled out a small section of wood with an eyebolt attached to it, and two folders of paperwork saved from the explosion. "The ponies that did this, aren't going to get any smiles from Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie ! I Pinkie Promise !"

Pinkie Pie stood back from every pony else, and spoke so slowly, it was almost creepy.

"Cross my hoof over my heart, and I hope to flap my wings and fly.
Open my eyes nice and wide, Stick a sweet cupcake in my eye.
For if any pony lie and break this promise that they bind. 
They shall get to kiss their flank goodbye for upsetting Pinkie Pie.
Any pony can run and any can hide, try as they will try as they might,
Because their knees will knock and they will shiver and cry,
When shall a visitor come to meet them day or in the night,
Then face to face they will meet their fate, from Pinkamena Diane PIE."

*****
> Important Note
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Important update for the readers here...

An editor : https://www.fimfiction.net/user/187973/Drache+Schatten

has agreed to start editing my story here. So before more chapters come out, the previous 1-7 chapters will be edited lightly to moderately to correct some basic mistakes. Might need a reread to get up to speed.. I'll let ya all know.^~^

Please give me a few days, maybe a week to get back to schedule... and give the new editor some thanks and some large amounts of coffee. 

Cheers,
Gryphon <><
> The Noose Tightens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Pinkie Pie gave her solemn promise, she sat down in the corner and whimpered as Fluttershy drooped a wing across her shoulders. Every pony in the room took the time to hug Pinkie Pie separately but lightly, before returning to the case at hand. 

Twilight took hold of the wood with the eyelet and wrapped her aura around it, examining it closely, as Quill Feather took notes on what Twilight said. "Ok, hardened pine, standard 2" aluminum bolt, clockwise thread. On the underside, there’s a small hole with a steel pin pointing out approximately one inch from the bottom of the bolt. Regarding the bottom of the bolt, I don't recognize the substance covering it. I can make out it's a gel component, but I don't know what it is. The gelatin component’s soaked into the wooden piece in a spot about six inches wide." Keeping her aura locked around the wood to preserve it, she wrapped it tightly into a plastic bag and sealed it. Placing it into her saddle bag. "If you want a chemical composition on the gel, I am going to need to run some tests on it. I could have the answers by tomorrow or the morning after that."

Quill Feather had also gone over the two folders of the paperwork inside, listing places, dates, and different ponies that were in the group. Names weren't listed, but just a description of the pony and their cutie marks. However, some of entries had N/A listed for their cutie mark. "I'm going to have to pour thru these descriptions. We should be able to detain these ponies, but who the others are, I have no idea."

"Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, I can have three undercover ponies do the arrests, all I need is the ok." Wind Shear offered. "All I need is a copy of the names and descriptions, and we can swoop down and bring them in." 

"Please do, the sooner we get these dangerous ponies out from society, the better." Luna had agreed. "Unfortunately we do not have the names of any of these ponies, but I’m sure you will be more than capable of succeeding with what information we do have. I also want you to arrange with the on-duty guardians to start revolving shifts. Three guards each, until we find out if there are any guards that are members of this group."

*****

Princess Luna had another letter waiting for her when she, Celestia, and Quill Feather returned to her office. This time it was from the ruling family of the Gryphon Empire, no doubt from the sitting queen herself, as she was the one that did most of the dealings with other dignitaries and staff. Luna remembered that all of the dealings Celestia, herself and the staff had with the gryphon queen tended to go over rather smoothly. After formalities were exchanged, everyone was very pleasant and polite with each other. Celestia had mentioned that the talks took place every few years, or when a new ruler was crowned through the family. The last crowning was of the current queen after the king at the time retiring due to old age, with the queen taking sole rule eleven years ago. 

Opening the letter, Luna began to read the exquisitely neatly written letter out loud so the others could know what had been written.

[Dearest Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

I have received word from our Baltimare emissary Sahmek about the situation regarding a rogue gryphon in your capital of Canterlot. I have also read the somewhat fanciful newspaper stories that have landed into my lap discussing what has happened.

Firstly, my heart goes out to those guardians that lost their lives in the line of duty seeking to capture the ones you feel are responsible for the attempted assassination of the gryphon you are currently caring for. Send our condolences please to all their families from myself.

There are a few concerns that Sahmek had brought to my attention, and I hope any answers he has given for your questions have been satisfactory. If the rogue gryphon had a paw in the planning of any deaths to your guardians, I would ask that any ruling you make would consider penalties equal to if a pony had done such things here in our kingdom. 

As you might not know, we handle our criminals somewhat the same, but with some small differences that Sahmek had outlined in his letter to you. Mainly, the wings being clipped until the sentence has finished.

However, any gryphons found to have committed murder, have their wings severely clipped, this consists of the primary feathers being removed for good. Two support bones are also removed so as to prevent the wings from being able to support the weight of the body. They have use of their wings to flap, but they would be unable to fly. They are then exiled from our lands. The exiled are only expected to live for one, maybe two winters, eventually succumbing to the elements. 

That is the way our capital punishment is dealt out in the gryphon kingdom. However, since the gryphon is in your lands, and the offence enacted within your borders, I will accept whatever punishment you decree. I simply wish to emphasise that if true, his actions caused the loss of life of your subjects. I just ask that you use your best judgement. As I would use the same if our roles were reversed.

I would love to visit Canterlot again perhaps when this all blows over.

If there is anything further needed, please send a message and I 'will' make certain things are done. You have my word.

With warmest regards. 

Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu
Gryphon Empire ]



*****



The next few days were hectic, as Quill Feather poured over the paperwork files from Granite Pie, and from EMMRS. Comparing names, cutie marks and stories. With the help of Starlight Glimmer, they had a good idea of who was in charge of the group, and who the members were. Quill Feather had moved her sleeping quarters into her office, adding a bed for herself, only going out of her office when accompanied by Princess Luna and Wind Shear to keep herself safe. There were always two guards outside her door. 

The newspaper had another headline. "Gryphon under Lock and Key for Deaths of Six Ponies in WhiteTail Woods Massacre." with a rehashed story about all the events. There was an additional blurb from the defense attorney saying that all the ponies that are outraged about the gryphon's actions should sing or whistle 'Ring around the Rosie' loud enough for the gryphon to hear. The defense attorney also called for a hearing in front of both princesses in three days time, with full newspaper coverage to try to oust the gryphon from the lands. 

Ryuuzan had been moved to maximum security solitary confinement, not for the danger he posed, but to keep him safe. Guards were shifted around every two hours, per Luna's orders. However, during random times, Ryuuzan would hear different guards start whistling 'Ring around the Rosie', scaring him immensely. Food was brought to him through the door... but other times the tray was upturned and food was spilt all over the ground in front of the door. Luna would visit him occasionally with Wind Shear who translated what had happened with the food and the whistling. The more the guards sang, the more Ryuuzan recoiled into himself, eventually reaching the point where Ryuuzan was reduced to covering his ears and rocking in the corner until long after it had stopped. 

After a series of meetings between the princesses, the hearing was agreed to be held in three days. 

Pinkie Pie had become incredibly difficult to find around the castle, but when she was seen it tended to be at the memorial for Granite Pie. Princess Celestia had buried him will 'full' military honors and had received the title of “Hero to the Crown” for his service. Pinkie had worked in the bakery up to the day of the memorial. It was obvious to everypony just how bad the loss of her grandfather was for her. Her mane had lost all of it's poofyness, becoming straightened, she had even dyed it black, leaving only a small pink strip. She hadn't uttered a single word since being in the recovery room with Rainbow Dash. No parties were planned, but everypony understood that it was for Pinkie Pie's benefit. After such a significant loss the party pony needed some time to grieve. After the memorial, Pinkie had not been seen in town at all. She simply disappeared. 

Individual ponies were found and arrested from the listings that Quill Feather and Starlight Glimmer found while pouring through the two folders of paperwork found by Granite Pie. It seemed that the lists were attendance rolls for private meetings and applications for new members in Canterlot, neighboring towns like Ponyville, and the larger cities surrounding the capital. The ponies that were arrested each had parroted the same request, to be represented by F. Hay Baily during questioning. 

The day before the trial started, an assembly of ponies were waiting at the landing area where three teams of armed escorted ponies provided the security detail for guests of the Canterlot Crown. When the carriages landed, Princesses Celestia and Luna had met the ruling Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu, of the Gryphon Empire. She had decided to visit Canterlot to attend the trial / hearing for herself and her dignitaries.

Night time in Canterlot consisted of guards doubling patrols, and raids were focused on the addresses of alleged members of the terrorist group, but no additional ponies were found, or even the identities of the 'others' or the members marked N/A on the cutie mark identifiers. 

Hooded individuals kept to the shadows in the towns, moving and keeping track of all guard movements. But as soon as guards came close to identifying them, they disappeared, usually in a flash of unicorn magic. Witnesses only saw hoods and maybe a horn, even the occasional image of a sharp beak, before disappearing out of sight. 

The morning of the trial, all the newspapers from the neighboring towns were in Canterlot, covering the 'Trial of the Century.' as it was titled in the news. The trial would be held in the main hall of Canterlot Castle, since the throne room wouldn't hold all the attendees. 

As Quill Feather was getting her paperwork started, she heard her guards open her door as Starlight Glimmer ran into the office out of breath. "Miss Glimmer, good morning, but what is the big hurry? You're not late at all."

Starlight Glimmer had shook her head, her eyes wide and her voice was up in octave. "No, it's not that! I found Pinkie Pie. Look at this!" She slammed the newspaper down, with a picture of the defense attorney; grandstanding for a comment at the steps of Canterlot Castle, with Morning Mist at his side. But at the back of the group, was the unmistakable face of the newly black straight-haired Pinkamena Diane Pie off to one side. "She's sided with the Defense! This is disastrous!"

"Elements of Disharmony, Pinkamena Diane Pie joins Defense team at Trial of the Century. Team Bailey will now have the Element of the Last Laugh."

All Quill Feather could do is sit right on the floor in utter shock.

*****
> The Laying of Rules
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot Castle was the shimmering jewel of Equestria, standing tall as the building was carved from the very mountain that provided it's foundation that lasted hundreds of years. Never a thought of it falling due to multiple layers of magics interwoven through the granite, marble, and iron ore that provided strength and stability many multiple times over any threat of damage or failure from attack or natural disaster. 

The Great Hall in Canterlot Castle was literal backbone of the castle after entering through the main doors. It was designed to run literally the width of the castle on the first floor. Huge pillars were formed from the mountain itself, bordering each corner of the hall, each pillar measuring 50 feet tall and 10 feet wide just in the corners of the great hall, polished till smooth as glass but hard as granite again due to the unicorn magic interwoven into the mountain itself. Each pillar then continued the rise upward to become the backbone of each spine for the main towers of the castle. 

There were 2 large stairways that met at one side of the Great Hall that met and merged into one center set of stairs, that led down ten steps to the main floor. The second floor had private seating rooms that were guarded for dignitaries to view certain events, and this trial was to be the biggest so far.

Celestia herself had a podium brought in, to be placed at the stairs center point, so that all the ponies, guests and gryphons would see her without any trouble. Another luxurious chair was also used so the princess would be able to relax as she listened to the case. And of course, plenty of tea and coffee would be available as well.

As soon as the hall was formerly opened, ponies, the press, gryphon dignitaries, along with the prosecution and defense teams were brought in as well. The ponies that were accused were kept in holding rooms and cells to keep them from formulating cohesive stories between each other. 

"Everypony, and guests rise. The Matriarch of the Sun, the Honorable Princess Celestia, Co-ruler with Princess Luna of Equestria, residing." Wind-Shear shouted loudly, and instructed as Princess Celestia entered the hall amidst flash bulbs, and everyone rising out of respect for Celestia. She was dressed in a simple black robe along with her crown and jewelry. As soon as she sat down, she addressed the entire gathering. 

"Welcome my fellow ponies, and to our distinguished guest, Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu, and her delagates from the Gryphon Empire. We are all honored you could join us." Celestia motioned to one side of the hall, and upward to a private seating area, where the Queen sat with her staff and own guardians. 

"This is a trial that I will preside over, and weigh the evidences with the rules of law that has helped shape our country with freedom that we and other kingdoms benefit from. However, there are certain rules to be followed by everyone here. Firstly and most importantly, I will not tolerate 'any' loud arguments from both legal sides, no matter how much the other side feels they are objectionable. I have quite a low tolerance for either loud noise, or worthless banter, speeches, grand-standing for the press, or lawyer-speak. If either legal team, or the others here in attendance in front of me manages to give me a headache, I will personally have them escorted to the cells to peel potatoes 16 hours a day for one month straight. No arguments. If any pony thinks I am joking, the names of the past four ponies that had been detained just for that are available from my clerk's office. And I believe one pony was one of your associates F. Hay-Baily, am I correct?"

The defense attorney gulped and nodded yes. This got a few chuckles from those attending.

"If any pony or guest has 'any' onset of a medical issue, We have a full medical staff on stand-by just in case." Celestia pointed out, continuing the rules. "This is a trial, not a stage to try to outsmart me in law in front of the press or otherwise for fame or notoriety. I have been around for a 'very' long time, just don't ask 'how' long I have studied and practiced law as Princess."

Again a round of laughter from the attendance, this was somewhat louder, which Celestia smiled and accepted gracefully. 

"To the press, I will ban any photographs taken in my court when the trial starts this morning, again because of my low tolerance for headaches by flashbulbs. Any pictures taken when I introduced Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu up to now are allowed (if she agrees with her consent.)" Celestia looked up to the Queen and nodded once, and the Queen responded with a welcoming nod of approval herself. "Along with any of my speech here before the trial starts. However, pictures 'are' allowed in the hallway, and on the castle grounds. Failure to follow the rules and the same punishment will apply, followed by confiscation of your camera."

Celestia then looked over her left shoulder and introduced a pony, who strode forward and sat beside herself. "I have invited one of the Elements of Harmony, Miss Apple Jack of the Apple clan, to sit beside me here as she represents the Element of Honesty. I have instructed her that she will remain impartial, however her element and power will be activated, and she will let me know of the truthfulness of the ponies both testifying and the attorneys during their questioning. She will know 'immediately' who is being honest, or lying, and she will let me know only 'if' I need to ask. Is that correct Miss Apple Jack?"

"Yes, y'er majesty." Apple Jack nodded, but had asked to keep her hat on, as it helped her concentrate. "I'll do whut I can f'er ya."

She continued, pointing the gavel in her aura. "This trial will be be split into prosecution's presentation, followed  by defense's rebuttal. When the defense rests their case, then there will be final arguments by both sides. I will not have 'surprise' evidence or witnesses suddenly popping up unless we immediately meet here at the bench so I can decide on it's effect for the case, otherwise I will declare a mistrial, and end the case."

"Final note before we begin: As testimony is carried out with evidence shown, additional ponies may be charged with both prosecution and defense teams agreement. New charges may be added, removed or the original charges be modified or dropped against the defending ponies according to evidence and testimony issued. Do we all understand the rules listed here?"

Both the prosecution, and defense nodded, along with a good part of the press and the other ponies in attendance

"This case will be specific because the punishment will be capital punishment for the guilty, if charged beyond reasonable doubt, by testimony and physical evidence." Celestia had raised her hoof presenting the reasonings for the death penalty. "I would like to clarify exactly what the death penalty punishment is, and why it is done the way it has been designed almost 1200 years ago, when society adopted laws to live by."

"Life was particularly rough for citizens of the three pony groups in those times, and crime was unhindered. But when society had begun to embrace equal laws for the three tribes of ponies equally, there had to a set of punishments equalling the severity of crimes against the populace. We (Myself and Luna along with ponies that advised us in law) agreed the harshest punishment to be final, swift and complete. The punishment was decided to be turning to rough stone, followed by crushing by magics."

"We ponies and other races have statues modeled after brave heroes or those of excelling leadership, or those that are gifted in other notable ways. However, ponies that are given the death penalty are not turned into statues to stand somewhere and be somehow revelled in the deeds that forced their fate and guilt. We don't want society to hold ponies that so heinously took lives of their victims to any kind of status equalling a statue for notoriety therefore influencing others to take up the same acts. Hence the reason for crushing of the rough stone afterwards. No name plaque, burial, or remembrance of any of the guilty needed."

Both the prosecution, and defense nodded, along with a good part of the press and the other ponies in attendance. Celestia then banged the gavel on the carved stone block at the top of her podium. She opened her folders on the podium and read aloud. "Case number 4177, Crown of Equestria vs. Ponies of Purity, and members. Will the following ponies behind the defense attorney table please stand to be identified by the court? Clear Mind, Morning Mist, Night Hooves, and Swan Song."

Four ponies to the rear of the defense table stood, wearing expressions of modest defiance. "Defense council  you are representing the ponies, Clear Mind, Morning Mist, Night Hooves, and Swan Song, who are listed as the highest four members of the group 'Ponies for Purity.' These four ponies are charged with Murder of First Degree, Attempted Murder, and Conspiracy Against the Crown. How do you plead ?"

"Not Guilty your Highness." F. Hay Baily stood and declared for the court. 

"And your plea is noted. You four may sit down." Celestia nodded as she wrote the reply with a quill tip dipped in ink to the lead page of documents on her podium. "Let us begin,  Prosecution, please state your case." Celestia nodded to the Prosecution.

"Yes your majesty. I am Quill Feather, lead investigator and prosecution for this case. I have been instructed by Princess Luna to help in the case we have here before us, concerning a Gryphon, named Ryuuzan. He had arrived at the castle eleven nights ago, and set forth circumstances that needed an criminal investigation which ended up costing the lives of six Ponies. Four Royal Guardians, and two ponies that were detained at WhiteTail Woods which we will get into detail." Quill-Feather stood and started her opening argument, as the defense took notes on how to best respond. "As we know, ponies had 'not' been sentenced to death in 138 years, however the defense along with their witnesses claim Ryuuzan the Gryphon was the mastermind behind the planning of the explosion at the home of WhiteTail Woods, while Ryuuzan (with the prosecution) has evidence it was ponies in charge of the group that planned the massacre themselves. For these reasons with evidence we present, that all the ponies that had a role in wiring up that home for explosives, be found guilty of murder and be dealt the harshest sentence available, death by execution. This concludes the Prosecution's opening statement." Quill-Feather knew she had to hit hard with her opening statement, to put the defense on it's heels so to speak, and to let the court know she was not fooling around.  

Ponies murmured throughout the hall as their surprise was evident upon hearing the prosecution pursuing the death penalty. Celestia didn't bat an eye at the reaction, but she did look concerned that this case would end in death for someone. Pony or Gryphon, and it was her decision alone. 

"Does the defense have an opening statement?" Celestia asked to her right where F. Hay-Baily then stood.

"Only a short reply for the prosecution and to the attendees here." F. Hay-Baily stood and addressed the prosecution, and to the court in general. "I represent a group of ponies that wish you to cut talks with the Gryphon Kingdom, as we will show the actions of not only one gryphon, but an underlying ideology that gryphons in general have not had pony ideals in mind when they have dealt with yourself your highness in the past. Our group had been contacted by the gryphon that is charged with the deaths of the 6 ponies in the WhiteTail Woods Massacre, of a far larger plan that would involve action from the Gryphon Empire themselves. We have ponies here from our group that had met and heard plans to throw both the Equestrian and the Gryphon Kingdom into potential violence between rulers."

"You do realise you do have the very ruler of the Gryphon Empire here, you could bring your grievances with her in her own court. I could allow you and your group to return with her if she decides it would interest her or not completely waste her time." Celestia looked from F. Hay-Baily to the Queen, who gave a slightly sour look to the defense attorney.

"I well take it under advisement after your ruling at case end, Your Highness." Queen Esmeraldes crossed her forearms in front of her robed chest, but waving for Celestia to continue with a slight grin. "I might have to borrow some leg irons first, with your blessings of course."

"I'll demand first-class travel of course." F. Hay-Baily responded with a confident grin. A few small giggles from those assembled, but a slight awkward feeling was felt when the defense finished his opening statement. Finding himself strangely comfortable under the dual scrutiny of both rulers, he would count that as a victory for himself. 

"Quill Feather, I do have a question before you bring forth your evidence." Celestia took a studying look at the prosecutor's table, but the gryphon was strangely not in attendance. "But where is your client? I think it is odd that he would start a trial with his life in the balance, but not show up to your court date. I think both your client, and the defense has the right to confront each other on level ground and defend oneself from possible capital punishment."

"We, the defense team was also wondering about the gryphon's whereabouts. Typical flying sand rat." F. Hay Baily had also spoken with an undertone of snark to Quill Feather. "Already your highness, the prosecution is keeping their main witness in hiding, where we cannot expose the real truth. And you said you do not like tricks. I have the right to have the gryphon in here so we can question them, in full view of the entire court and your distinguished guest. If we are unable to question the gryphon, we cannot have any way of proving the gryphon's guilt And on that point alone we cannot pursue our own case, so we must have an immediate verdict of 'guilty' your highness against the gryphon when you close this case now."

"Your Highness, my client is under protective custody. However things have been increasingly difficult as Ryuuzan the Gryphon, has become more and more unable to answer my questions, as he has been openly and repeatedly threatened by the royal guardians that guard his cell." Quill Feather had rose from her seat, albeit nervously, and adjusting her glasses. "We discovered the threats and harassment has been leveled against Ryuuzan by way of royal guardians under suspicion of being members of this 'Ponies for Purity' movement, have been engaging in mentally abusing Ryuuzan thru the doorway of his current room of residence. The abuse is a song called 'Ring-Around-the-Rosie.' Which upon hearing it, triggers 'extreme panic' when it is heard by Ryuuzan. Because his mother Swan Song had abused him mentally every night since he was a newborn, and using this very song to completely terrify him and break him down mentally to the point of being unable to communicate any more. To communicate with him up to now, we have required the services of Wind Shear to translate for us, as Ryuuzan is mute. He can hear fine, but has been unable to talk due to a punishment that was dealt out by Swan Song. She had severed his vocal chords as a punishment for asking a wrong question while his mother was drunk one night, grieving other losses in her life. He was 4 years old when she cold-heartedly cut his vocal chords with a scalpel that was stolen from her employer where she worked as a nurse."

Apple Jack leaned in and whispered to Celestia's ear. After a few seconds of consideration, she tapped her gavel softly to quiet the ponies that had loudly gasped in the audience. 

"Quill Feather, I must side with the defense on this, as they do have the right to cross examine any witnesses they please. However, due to the extreme stress that Ryuuzan is under from any mistreatment by the Royal Guardians, I will allow him one chance at being cross-examined by the defense." Celestia clarified, however looking 'very' sternly at the defense table. "However, I will keep you F. Hay Baily on a 'very' short leash. If I find any of the questions or actions harmful to the gryphon when he is on the stand will bode very badly on your shoulders. I will string you up by your male bits with the very same leash. And before you argue for more leniency, i am aware of that stunt you published in the paper about ponies singing or whistling that song to the gryphon. I am half tempted to throw your plot out of my court right now and you will have 'no' case to fight, just consider yourself lucky you have that."

"Very well Princess, if the court would allow us a small break, we will bring Ryuuzan." Quill Feather bowed and then asked Princess Luna and Starlight Glimmer to retrieve the gryphon.

Within fifteen minutes, the doors to the court were opened and both Princess Luna and Starlight Glimmer had returned with Ryuuzan. However, there was a considerable racket, as Luna and Starlight were fighting a whirlwind of emotion at the end of heavy chrome chains. Ponies recoiled in shock as they witnessed the scene unfolding in front of them. Even the Queen had her paw in front of her face in shock.

The gryphon screeched and semi-flapped his wings in protest, snapping his beak shut in irritation. His neck and wrist were bound with the same style bracers he wore when he first crashed thru the throne room window. His right arm was in a cast, and bound in a thick sling/brace to keep it steady. Eyes were wide and wild, looking as if he were ready to escape away from the eyes of the strangers and the one he thought was one of the rulers, but not the princess that was one of his friends. 

"Your highness, I object due to the prosecution is exaggerating in bringing in the lead witness like this, possibly trying to gain favor, or pity from the court !" F. Hay Baily had risen from his seat in protest. "This is a childish ruse, and a show of incredibly bad theatrics. I'd nominate Princess Luna for an award for worst actress as she seems to be really struggling with the prisoner's chains, despite her ability to raise the moon, or so as children's nursery rhymes say. Ohh, the moon is so heavvvyyy Celestia, please show me how to raise it again?"

"Thou mockest US ?! Thou ungrateful fool, let us cast thee to the moon so thou can see our raising of the moon first-hoof." Princess Luna glared at the defense attorney with hatred in her eyes. "Although with thee oversized girth and plot, we mayest need mine dear sister, besides ourselves and Star-Scroll the Bearded to lift thy fat ass and moon together as it wouldst surely wobble in orbit now. Dare mock us again and see how fast thee can run in terror carrying those rolls of fat on thee bones."

Ryuuzan had seen the defense attorney and lunged at him, but didn't quite have enough chain to maul him, since Luna had managed to hold the chain tightly in her aura. "Thou shouldst be thankful we did have enough compassion to not let Ryuuzan rend thee limb from limb. Surely Ryuuzan must be rather upset at yourself for something thou said in the past, yes? Or mayhaps Ryuu recognized you from the home in WhiteTail Woods? We just can't wait till Ryuu gets to testify, as we are just so eager to see thou squirm !"

"Keep that foul beast away from me !" F. HayBaily floundered backwards, catching himself against his seat, trying to keep away from the enraged gryphon. "Barbarians, All of them!"

Celestia tapped her gavel a few times and spoke up rubbing her temples in exasperation. "Luna, please let Ryuuzan know that we won't allow any violence against defense council please, even tho I personally would love to see it myself. I just don't want to go through the trouble of having house cleaning staff cleaning up what would be left of Mr. Baily into a bucket." She then turned to F. Hay Baily and had a slightly confused tone in her voice. "Although we could ask you to recuse yourself off the case if you are involved somehow, but the court may wonder who would wish to defend 'you' during this trial."

"No your highness, I am easily the most qualified to defend this case, and my personal feelings about gryphons I feel just makes it more of a challenge." F. Hay-Baily reaffirmed himself, straightening up his tie and setting his jaw defiantly.

Quill-Feather then stood up. "Ryuuzan wishes to testify first, and he gave me his word he wouldn't harm the defense council, despite his knowledge against the 'Ponies-of-Purity' movement. He isn't the 'foul beast or barbarian' as defense council claims. During testings (besides the repairs to his neck and broken arm) from different doctors, I have test results saying Ryuuzan is quite intelligent with a 142 iq." She practically glowed with pride as she stroked the head of the gryphon sitting at her right hoof.

"Very well, Prosecution. Please call your first witness to the stand." Celestia motioned to Quill Feather and nodded.

*****
> Do you hear me ?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quill Feather patted Ryuuzan's shoulder with her hoof as she  led him to the witness booth to testify, sitting on Celestia's left, but facing the Prosecution and Defense areas. He was then sworn in by Wind Shear before Wind Shear assumed his place at the side of the gryphon to translate. 

"Objection your Highness, we aren't questioning Wind Shear. How do I know Wind Shear is translating 'exactly' the gryphon's responses, and siding with the Prosecution's office?" F. Hay Baily had rose up, voicing his disapproval of Wind Shear. "We would prefer some pony of independent ties between either parties here."

"Your Highness, Wind Shear does not work for the Prosecution, he is employed by the crown. And besides, he is also a prosecution witness, as he is also witness to material happenings in this case. His oath as a royal guardian binds him to tell the truth, according to the requirements of being a royal guardian. Besides, he has a relative that is deaf, and has learned to translate accordingly." Quill Feather stood and replied with assurance the objection would be over ruled. "And the defense, I am sure, would love getting a pony from their little group to slant the answers for the court, as the prosecution wouldn't have the time to vet or question the ponies motives in a timely fashion to satisfy both parties and yourself your highness."

"Objection is overruled. Defense, Wind Shear does work for the crown and answers to myself directly if the need ever arose. Besides, The Element of Honesty here can plainly see Wind Shear translating honestly, and would let me know if the answers were genuine." Celestia nodded, but did point out Wind Shear's qualifications. "However, the court does have an independent translator available. Miss Quill Feather, you can compare the named translator to her lists of all the members of the Ponies for Purity group, and if the pony has any ties directly or indirectly through family members or friends they can answer here in front of me, verified again by the Element of Honesty. It would take only maybe a few minutes? But if they do have any ties to the group they will immediately be disqualified. Then we can have Wind Shear continue to translate 'only' what Ryuuzan answers."

Within a few minutes, the court interpreter was brought in, and questioned after their name was cleared by the prosecution.

"Name and occupation please for the court?" Celestia asked the pony as she stood in front of the prosecution's bench. "Do not worry my little pony, it's just we may require your services if that is ok. Could you answer your questions standing beside Wind Sheer using sign language?" She turned to Wind Shear, "As a test, can you sign her replies out so we all can see the answers and if you match."

"I will try my best your highness, though, I may be a bit slower in my replies in sign language compared to the pony here that specialises in it." Wind Sheer noted as he stepped beside the petite pony, that appeared to still be attending college.

"My name is Winter Lily your majesty, I am an evening server for the kitchens, and I volunteer my time during days when needed as a sign language interpreter." The female nodded and answered, swearing to being honest. 

"Miss Lilly, what is your experience with sign language?" Quill Feather had smiled reassuringly to the petite earth pony dressed in a simple drawstring bow-tie and collar.

"My father, Evergreen Breeze was completely deaf since his birth. When I went to school I learned all I could about sign language to help my mother assist with my dad whenever he went out into Canterlot. It was a bit rough as I was so young, but my dad had been looked down upon as being strange or weird as he was the only deaf pony in town. As soon as I was able, I offered the court here help with dealing with those of us that are deaf and other ponies that can hear well." Winter Lily had pulled out a letter copy of her certification from her training, showing it to Celestia.

"You said 'those of us who are deaf'...  " F. Hay Baily questioned as he wrote down notes. "Are you deaf as well?"

Winter Lilly blushed but nodded. "I am, I taught myself to read lips before I lost my hearing completely a few years ago. I have a degenerative ear condition."

"Wait, you were there in the throne room before Ryuuzan arrived." Quill Feather was confused. "I thought you could hear the snoring when you brought the coffee and tea cart."

"Snoring?" Celestia had questioned, looking over to Luna questioningly. 

"Later sister, We went over this already." Luna had face-desked, rubbing her hoof over her ears.

"Actually I guessed it was some noise in the throne room, because every few seconds ponies folded their ears, looking nervously around. So I reacted accordingly." Winter Lilly replied as she and Wind Shear both signed her response. 

"Ok, it's agreed that Wind Shear and Winter Lilly are answering the same, so to be fair, Wind Sheaer, you can be moved to the prosecution table since you are a material witness, and besides, I'm sure Miss Lilly would love the bonus pay she will be receiving throughout the trial." Celestia nodded and showed Winter Lilly to her seat. "Ok, I think we can finally start."

*****

Quill Feather started the questioning of Ryuuzan, as Winter Lilly spoke each response so every pony could hear clearly. 

"State your name, and current residences please." Quill Feather started the questioning, keeping the basic ones first.

"Ryuuzan" The gryphon replied, spelling out his name for Lilly to respond clearly. 

"Current and former address?"

"Currently staying in protective custody here at Canterlot Castle, old residence was 147 Hearthstone Lake, WhiteTail Woods, Equestria."

"Let the court be known Ryuuzan has correctly identified his previous residence of WhiteTail Woods, the same house that is at the center of our investigation." Quill Feather had rolled out a poster board with a map of Equestria, with the surrounding cities, and Canterlot in the middle of the map. "Can you show us where on the map where you lived?" 

Ryuuzan got up with Celestia's approval, and pointed exactly where he lived. 

"Objection your highness, it seems the gryphon may had been coached previously by the prosecution to point where locations are on the map." F. Hay Baily had rose up, with a slight grin. "Let us ask the witness to identify other areas."

Ryuuzan nodded to the defense. 

"Point to these locations" the defense attorney read from a list. "Sweet Apple Acres, Fillydelphia, Appaloosa, Las Pegasus, Vanhoover, Baltimare, Everfree Forest, and Cloudsdale." 

With every location Ryuuzan pointed out quickly, there was some in the crowd that laughed. As Ryuuzan got all the locations correct and in order, the laughter became more focused at the embarrassed defense attorney for being shown up.

"Ok gryphon, thank you for the 3rd grade foal geography lesson." F. Hay Baily grumped as he sat down as Ryuuzan triumphantly held his beak up, walking past the defense table, back to the witness stand. "No further questions your highness."

"Please tell the court the events that happened eleven nights ago please." Quill Feather had smiled, winning a small battle in her mind against the defense. 

"I was in my bedroom, located upstairs at the home address I provided for the court. I overheard ponies downstairs discussing plans about the crown, other members joining the group, and proposals to try to violently stall any talks with the Gryphon Empire, as there was going to be a summit within a few weeks. They were thinking of even escalating up to the point of possible assassination attempts using ponies or other creatures in disguise, ranging from guards to food staff and servers here working at the Castle here." Ryuuzan signed, starting to explain. 

"Objection your highness, any conversations the gryphon overheard is hearsay, and inadmissible as direct evidence." F. Hay Baily rose his hoof from his seat, probably knowing he was going to object every reply in some fashion.

"Sustained, Prosecution please have Ryuuzan just recount events he witnessed directly, leaving out any 3rd party conversations unless he was spoken to directly." Celestia clarified, nodding to the defense.

Quill Feather nodded, simply motioning her hoof for Ryuuzan to continue.

"My mother came upstairs to retrieve my dinner plates and utensils, singing to herself. I had played asleep, but she came over to me and whispered in my ear, hoping I enjoyed my last meal, as she was going to move out of WhiteTail Woods. She found a new friend that was opening his home to her alone, and she, with her group, were going to tie up loose ends, and I was to meet my maker at sunrise." Ryuuzan glared at one of the ponies sitting behind the defense table, and pointed a sharp talon at one female in particular.

"Who are you pointing to?" Quill Feather asked, making notes. "Let the court know Ryuuzan has identified one defendant."

"My dear 'mother.' Swan Song." The gryphon replied coldly. "As long as I remember, she always told me she was going to leave me behind when a new friend entered the picture, after she seduced them into her life. I decided to escape an hour after every pony left the house. I managed to rip the leather attachment from my chain that connected it to the floor after struggling with it. I then flew out the window, and aimed for Canterlot Castle."

"Ryuuzan, why were you chained in the first place?" Quill Feather had pointed to her left wrist and to her neck, pointing out the chain and neck collar he wore.

"Oh, I tried escaping before about 8 months ago, but one of the visiting ponies in the group tackled me as I jumped from the upstairs back window. I was beaten senseless for 2 hours after that, and then consequently chained to an eyebolt in the floor with a length of chain 25 feet long, enough for me to use the house bathroom and shower." Ryuuzan clarified, then continued. "I think mother had stolen the chain, bracers, and collar from her employer E.M.M.R.S. years ago, but kept it in my bedroom closet as a reminder to me how cruel she is."

"Were you abused, or beaten at any other times?"

Ryuuzan clearly shook as he remembered, then pointed to his throat where he parted some fur and feathers of his neck ruff to reveal a sizable scar. "One time, I was 4 years old, and mother was drunk and incensed. I asked why she was crying, and all she did was scream at me, telling me it was my fault. I told her I could sing some whistlings I had make up, hearing some cardinals in the trees beside the house, thinking they would make her feel better." Ryuuzan gulped clearly and his eyes watered. "Before I finished my first note, mother tackled me, and drove me to the floor. Hery eyes were wide open and wild as she screamed for me to stop. She pulled me up to the desk she had in her room and pinned my head to the side of it before cutting my vocal chords with a scalpel she had from EMMRS. She shrieked at me, nearly laughing in fury that she finally made it quiet in her house."

"She said what was your fault?"

"That I had killed her daughter, my twin sister, in utero before I was born." Ryuuzan had taken a breath as he wiped his eyes with a tissue.

"Was she a gryphon as well?" Quill Feather had looked through medical records to verify Swan Song's pregnancy. "It would seem almost impossible for different species to produce an offspring, but she succeeded."

"No, she was a pegasus pony." Ryuuzan answered plainly, looking down as he openly wept. "Her fur pattern matched mine perfectly, wings and everything. Mother said she looked perfect when she and I were born, but ...   my sister didn’t cry when she was born. Turns out she was stillborn, but then I emerged a minute later, and for some reason, I survived." 

The entire hall was stunned silent.

Quill Feather looked up, clearly shaken upon hearing the news. "I do have test results from one Dr. Wing Mender. According to his write up for you, from tests and blood analysis,. Ryuuzan, you are 50% gryphon and 50% pony. This was concluded based o  blood samples and traits of each in your physiology. It's just the gryphon traits are more physically apparent, while your blood type is more closely linked to ponies." Quill Feather read from Dr. Wing Mender's notes.

"Mother went into labor at EMMRS where she worked at as head nurse, and the lead doctor was Dr. Clear Mind. He had the records sealed after I was born." Ryuuzan did manage to sign with some difficulty. 

"Objection your highness, Speculation without evidence."

"Your Highness, may I ask a favor of you specifically?" Ryuuzan turned and asked Celestia directly, as he motioned Quill Feather over with a specialized key to open the bracers at his neck and wrist. 

"Oh?" Celestia was slightly taken aback by the gryphon's question, but she answered amicably. "Yes, you may, as long as it doesn't interfere with your testimony."

"Actually, it will bring some things to light, as it were." Ryuuzan had pointed to a small flap in the collar that was held tight by a lock on one end of the pull. "I want you to remove some things I have inside there. Originally this pouch in the collar was used to hold identification papers of whomever was unlucky enough to be issued these bracers and collar. Obviously my arm is broken so I cannot use the pull to open the pouch."

"And since there's vital information in here, you should be able to retrieve it, maybe with the defense attorney here too so he won't have a coronary thinking it's a conspiracy against him. Here comes his objection in 3, 2, 1...." Quill Feather started replying as she removed Ryuuzan's wrist and neck bracers. 

"Objection, your highness. Let..." F. Hay Baily started, but was cut off, amidst laughter from the filled hall. Even the gryphon queen gave some chuckles.

"Just get your plot up here." Celestia waited for the defense to arrive, then pulled open the enclosure and lifted the contents of it with her aura for everyone to see. Wrapped in blue cellophane were 9 pages folded together, along with a lightly rusted scalpel.

"One thing mother had done about a year ago in the midst of a destructive drunken binge / rant was to acquire something she could use to blackmail the EMMRS with. She lifted these from Clear Mind's safe, and hid them inside her desk, taped to the underside of one drawer." Ryuuzan pointed out some pages, showing his and his sister's birth records, as well as a list of 18 coded patient entries at EMMRS. "When I escaped that night, I grabbed the pages from the folder, making myself an insurance policy. If I were killed, I hoped some pony would find these documents and turn them over here to you, your majesty."

Ryuu had returned to the witness seat, and continued. "I left the home and I flew as high as I could manage, I then locked my wings and aimed for the castle. I think I fell asleep, because the next thing I remember was Lu... sorry, Princess Luna, asking me what was going on. Then I woke in the hospital."

On one side of the hall, Pinkamena Diane Pie had arrived at the hearing, with a somewhat large box on her back. She had walked up to the prosecution desk and placing the box down at the prosecutor's table, sounding like shells were in the box. Then taking a seat in the general assembly

Snickering started from behind the defense bench, but had grown louder as Ryuuzan described his arrival at the castle.. It then became full blown laughter, causing Celestia to bang her gavel.

"F. Hay Baily, please control your client Swan Song, or the next witness will be herself." Celestia warned.

"You are such a utter FOOL Ryuuzan!" Swan Song seethed, standing up and walking to the open area between the defense desk and Celestia's podium. "You should have stuck to the plan, and the home. Then everything that the group received through the crown would have been yours. You should have just kept that beak shut! Now, you are stealing from me all over again, just like you stole the life from your twin Sister !"

The sting was almost palpable, the tension so thick you could only cut it with a chainsaw.

"I..   ahhghhh.. (HUFF) didnn..  azkkk..  toh... beeh   BORNNNH" Ryuuzan screeched hoarsely, holding his clawed hand to his throat. The effort to talk had clearly stung since a secondary operation was performed to repair the damage to his throat, and artificial vocal cords created magically were implanted.

The hall was deathly quiet.

"Shut up, you damned mare !" F. Hay Baily angrily huffed, trying to regain control of his client. But Swan Song was too far gone, almost giddy to a point.

"And why should I be quiet?" Swan Song seethed, pounding her hoof into the defense's table. "Ryuuzan just gave Celestia a list showing Nineteen of those gryphons listed were exiled from The Gryphon Empire for Murder that were here in Equestria. Eighteen of those Gryphon murderers were housed at EMMRS!"

"How do I know this? I was the head nurse that attended to every last gryphon under Clear Mind's research." Swan Songs voice lowered to a snarl. "And then, I returned home to raise that gryphon I gave birth to. It all fit so well. However, there is one small final detail to this little lovingly concocted plan that has been left out. There were 18 gryphons at EMMRS, but there were 19 exiles, what happened to the last one, anypony care to guess ?"

The entire hall was deathly quiet. 

"There was one more gryphon involved, and they are even here at our fun little trial." Swan Song pointed her hoof just to the left and behind the Gryphon Queen, to another gryphon, as others gasped in surprise. "Isn't that right, Banished gryphon BN-438-02? Before you answer, tell us your real name and titles, or I WILL."

"I am... exile number 19." Sahmek stood, hanging his head low and addressed the court. "Sahmek Irenizz Nazzhu, Gryphon Ambassador at Baltimare. Older brother to now Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu."

*****
> Houses of Cards and Glass (Edited and Rewritten)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia banged her gavel as the entire hall reacted to Sahmek's statement in shock. "Order in my court! Everypony, calm down or I will clear the hall and declare a mistrial! Wind Shear, gather Swan Song along with both Councils and meet me in my chambers. Now!"

Wind Shear stood and saluted, then gathered Swan Song and escorted both attorneys to a private side room, away from the hall. 

The hall itself was suddenly abuzz with quiet chatter, with some ponies looking up to where the gryphon's were seated. The gryphons, for their part, seemed to be just as shocked and confused about Sahmek's acknowledgment as everyone else. All the Baltimare emissary could do was stare blankly toward his lap in silence.

As soon as Celestia entered her chambers, she began rubbing her hoof against her temple, trying to quell a headache before it ruined her mood further. She paced in place as she gathered some tea in her cup and took a soothing sip just as a knock on her door announced Wind Shear's arrival. 

As soon as all four ponies faced Celestia, the Princess's eyes turned a menacing magenta as she stared down Swan Song as she stood beside F. Hay Baily. "Swan Song, you are dangerously close to causing not only a mistrial, ending in your group's guilt, but also an international incident between the Gryphon royalty and Equestria. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's only the truth, Princess." Swan Song Song smugly responded, nearly grinning from ear to ear. "I'm certain you would want all 'your little ponies' to be honest."

"Honesty is one thing, but cold-hearted statement designed to hurt another pony is quite different." Celestia snapped back. "I will not tolerate any snide remarks from you here, or in the great hall. One more outburst like that in my presence and I will haul your plot off to the dungeons underneath this castle for contempt!"

"Oooo is the widdle pony pwinncess getting angggwyyy?" SwanSong chirped, her voice as soft as sawblades, dripping with venom. "Afwaid I might hurt your feeewwings?"

"For Faust's sake, shut your trap you damned mare!" F. Hay Baily frowned. "Be warned, I will not bail you out of the dungeon if you keep making trouble for yourself."

"Fine, it will keep me away from those incompetent morons you are currently defending. You aren't even smart enough to know when you aren't even in control of your defense argument." SwanSong leveled her eyes at the defense attorney, swishing her tail as she tossed her head, dismissing him. "Instead of trying to defend me, you should try to protect yourself first."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, 'protect yourself'? " Celestia looked from Swan Song to F. Hay Baily, growing more irritated by the minute. "Tell me you aren't involved."

Swan Song just grinned like a cat that got the mouse cornered. "Oh I'm not going to hold your hooves Princess as you try to figure this out yourself. But in the future F. Hay Baily, you really need to find an assistant to hoof write your questions for you. With as much bits you make every month in fees, i'm certain you can afford it. Well with all the consulting fees from the EMMRS meetings you had with a certain Somepony every two weeks. Check 'all' the paperwork Princess, F Hay Baily's hoof writing is 'everywhere'."

Swan Song then sat herself down, smiling. "Ok, your Highness, I will be a good little mare for your little trial. You can even check with that dear element bearer you have sitting beside you. She will verify everything I say is true." Swan Song even fluttered her eyes, better than Rarity ever could. 

***

Back in the great hall, Celestia tapped her gavel once more, the ponies gathered in the hall quieting down to hear the trial continue.

"Prosecution, we will continue with Ryuuzan's testimony, unless you are finished with your questioning him." Celestia passed her gaze to F. Hay Baily. "Remember what I said earlier, short leash."

F Hay Baily stood and set his jaw, arranging his notes and paperwork. "Ok Ryuuzan, you stated earlier that you had gotten that paperwork from Swan Song's desk and hid it inside your collar correct?"

Ryuuzan had nodded an affirmation, but eyeing the defense attorney cautiously.

"Meaning you had stolen those documents, you knew those documents belonged to Swan Song. You would expect us to even believe your half cooked, hair brained concoction of a story. You want us to believe you, trust you when you stole evidence that clearly did not belong to you. Now instead of a star witness, you are reduced to nothing more than a common thief, correct?

Ryuuzan had started signing, then thought for a moment as he dropped his brow. "I was in fear for my life, as I stated earlier. I had to bring some kind of evidence with me, showing what my mother had stolen from Dr. Clear Mind first. So if you wish to point hooves at thieves, look at your client, my mother, first."

"You say you were harassed by the guardians here, under guard here at Canterlot Castle. Prosecution said it is from members of the Ponies for Purity group?" F Hay Baily smugly appealed to the court, walking away from Ryuuzan. "Tell us here in the court if you can identify anypony by deed, or voice that has harassed you while you were in WhiteTail Woods, or here in Canterlot Castle. I want you to point any pony here."

Ryuuzan had thought for a moment, then spelled out his answer. "No, I cannot identify anypony by sight, but in hearing any voice I can." He then pointed directly to the defense attorney himself. "You were the one that told ponies to whistle, or sing 'Ring around the Rosie' in the newspaper. And you were also in Whitetail Woods, with my mother. You both had entered the kitchen just before I was chained upstairs that night. You were both chatting about Swan Song liking your son, Dr. Clear Mind, and I replied in sign language, I was surprised you even had a son. I remember you asking my mother what I said, from the glare she gave. She told you what I signed, and you laughed replying "At least he isn't a mute freak of nature like you are."

"Council, Approach the bench." Celestia stood at her bench, then leaned down. As soon as Quill Feather and F. Hay Baily were side by side. Celestia pointed her gavel at the defense attorney and did her best to keep her voice low. "F. Hay Baily, I am stopping your cross examination of Ryuuzan right here as he just identified you not only from telling my guardians to harrass him by members of your group. But he also just testified that Dr. Clear Mind is your Son. You leave me no choice but force you to recluse yourself as Defense Attorney for this case!"

"Princess, you can't do this. There is no other attorney that has the experience that I do." F Hay Baily gruffed angrily, refusing the Princess' order. 

"Then you leave me little choice." Celestia replied as she stood up and looked to another one of her guardians. "Guardian Fleet Wings, place F. Hay Baily under arrest for contempt of court. He is defying a direct order from myself to recluse himself from this case he has been shown a direct involvement with the case as Dr. Clear Mind is his son. He is now formally relieved of all duty from court, escort him to the dungeons." 

As Fleet Wings clicked cuffs onto F. Hay Baily's ankles. Celestia also directed Quill Feather to request another defense attorney from the castle legal defense department. 

Within a few minutes, another pony entered the hall, dressed in a tie and collar, and took the defense attorney position. "Pardon my lateness Princess, and to Quill Feather, I was on my way here to watch the proceedings, when I was notified by guardian at the office of your requesting my services.  However, I was delayed as my husband was ill this morning. My name is Equal Scales, representing Canterlot Castle's public defense office. Is all the defense paperwork on the table here in order? I will do my best to continue the case for the defense." 

"All the paperwork, Quill Feather does have, matches yours, but there are additional papers here in my possession I can allow you to review, from Ryuuzan the Gryphon at my bench. You are free to have a copy, as I copied them magically for you before you arrived." Celestia pointed out to the new attorney, her voice back to being firm but neutral, handing her copies of Ryuuzan's forms from his collar. "The previous attorney F. Hay Baily was held in contempt, because he was found out to be involved in this case directly, as his son, Dr. Clear Mind is charged with murder as being in charge of a group calling themselves Ponies for Purity."

Quill Feather stood up and asked, looking at her list of witnesses. "Princess, didn't you ask for Swan Song to testify earlier? We the prosecution would like to question her further about what she said earlier this morning."

Celestia nodded, as Equal Scales nodded as well, not having any problem with it. 

"Prosecution calls Swan Song. Please come forward." Quill Feather read off her notes, and readied the questions as Swan Song was sworn in. 

"You do recall Swan Song, Your agreement in chambers, should I take precaution and have you noted as a hostile witness? Or will you keep your word that you will behave?" 

"I promise I will keep my word." Swan Song replied as she stared at both the prosecution and defense tables. "Bring the questions.”

Quill Feather adjusted her glasses as she read off her hastily written notes, and started the questioning of the mare at the testimony seat. “Ok, from the top, please state your name and residency for the court.”

The pegasus mare closed her eyes for almost 10 seconds, and then let out a calming breath, opening her eyes as she gathered her thoughts for her portion of the case. Seemingly making peace with herself.

“Swan Song, residing at Canterlot Castle, Jail cell 27, Equestria. Former address was 147 Hearthstone Lake, WhiteTail Woods, Equestria.” The pegasus mare answered plainly, using the same tone as if she was reading from a dinner menu. 

“Age and former occupation?” Quill Feather had allowed the silence from Swan Song. 

“39, although it is not polite to ask for women’s age.” Swan Song did flash a small smile, but continued nonetheless. “But I was employed as Registered / Charge Nurse at Equestria Magical Mental Research Services building, located just outside of North Canterlot, Equestria.” 

“What was your job duties at EMMRS?” Quill Feather responded with a further question, and writing down replies. 

“I was charged in the care of patients that stayed at the facility. Making reports, individual care for any emergencies.” Swan Song had looked to the defense table as her new attorney had watched, making their own notes. “My duties had changed after 2 years there, as EMMRS had received their first gryphon patient there, and then two more after that following year.” 

“Who ordered the changes to your schedule and duties?” Quill Feather seen Apple Jack lean close and mutter something into Princess Celestia's ear, and nodding. 

Swan Song responded plainly, looking toward her boss. “Dr. Clear Mind, he had known I had given birth to a gryphon, from a previous relation I had.”  

At this point, Celestia tapped her gavel and instructed both Prosecution and Defense councils on a point that Swan Song mentioned previously. “Please note, I must instruct you Swan Song, and both councils I ‘Must’ keep the identity of the gryphon private during Swan Song's testimony. , as to not create an incident between the Gryphon Nation and Equestrian crown. However, if Queen Esmeraldes will allow it later, please let me know in private to discuss the matter further after Swan Song’s testimony. This is already a touchy subject. Do we all understand this?” Princess Celestia looked for an affirmation from both attorneys and tapped her gavel again. “Ok, please proceed.”

“Thank you, your honor.” Quill Feather had nodded, after having a concern she had when Swan Song testified previously. “Since we have Ryuuzan's testimony and the matching paperwork from Dr. Clear Mind, I will not need to ask the same questions about any family structure. However, I will ask mainly about the connection between Dr. Clear Mind, the care of the gryphons at EMMRS. Understood?”

Swan Song simply nodded. “Fine by me.”

“Please tell the court of how many gryphons ended up under your and Dr. Clear Mind's care.”

“Eighteen Gryphons total. Including the first three I told of earlier.” Swan Song looked to the defense table, and locked her eyes on Dr. Clear Mind.

“And how much time was spent working with each gryphon?” 

“About one month, as per orders from Dr. Clear Mind's plans.” Swan Song told, as she looked to her attorney who waved to her to continue. “After a month, the gryphon was eliminated, and disposed of, per cremation. And the same time was given one month each. Arrival, stayed in care for a month, then elimination and cremation.”

“Objection your honor. How does Swan Song know when each gryphon arrived at EMMRS? Isn't that under patient administration?” Equal Scales had stood up. 

“Actually I can answer that directly, as Dr. Clear Mind told me three days before each gryphon arrived. To ready the room for each to arrive, and make sure I had the prescription ready for the end of each month. The medicine mix was from my own mix, which was lethal and stopped the heart after being injected into the neck artery as they slept.” Swan Song smiled as she seen Dr. Clear Mind start to squirm. Swan Song then pointed to the box Pinkamina Diane Pie had brought in and placed at the Prosecution table. “After the patient was eliminated and cremated, all was left was the beaks of the deceased gryphons. And since they were all exiles from the Gryphon Nation, there was no family to notify of the remains.”

“Dr. Clear Mind was the fabricator of the plan of eliminating the gryphon patients?” Quill Feather had asked, making a face as the notion of gryphons being put to death didn't seem to bother the mare currently on the witness stand. 

Swan Song shook her head. “Actually, Dr. Clear Mind had help from myself and his father just after the first gryphon was eliminated. F Hay Baily had drawn up the entire plan to be reimbursed for the gryphons through the Crown, calling it The Equestrian / Gryphon Reacclimation Project.’ F Hay Baily had met with Dr. Clear Mind before the second and third gryphon was admitted to EMMRS.”

Quill Feather asked a follow-up question. “How much was the amount reimbursed to EMMRS and Dr. Clear Mind for each gryphon?”

“From what I remember from that meeting, $250,000 bits for each gryphon.” Swan Song chirped when she rubbed her hooves together. “All those bits, split between each Dr. Clear Mind and his father F. Hay Baily. ! remember seeing the check when F. Hay Baily bragged about it, and set up a separate account to earn interest for each payment.”

Celestia again grasped her gavel and banged it on her podium. “Council, please see me in my chambers, we will be taking a lunch break and meeting. We will reconvene in two hours back here in the Hall”

…..

Once outside her chambers, Princess Celestia led the two attorneys to the prison cells under the castle, meeting up with F. Hay Baily as he sat in his bunk inside his cell. 

"Your highness, you aren't about to listen to the ravings of a mad mare?" F. Hay Baily tried reassuring the sun princess.

"I only listen to the evidence that I have been shown, but it sure seemed Swan Song had plenty to say about you." Celestia narrowed her eyes at the gruff stallion. "Consider yourself now under charges of crimes against the crown. Guard, place F. Hay Baily under arrest. Your license to practice law has now been permanently revoked as of noon today !"

Celestia pointed her left hoof right at F. Hay Baily's face and did not blink. "Quill Feather, please start on F. Hay Baily's financial assets from his law firm officially locked down and under forfeiture to the crown's financial and legal department. Your personal wages, life savings, and any assets from your firm will also be frozen, gone through with a team of hoof selected accountants who specialize in this sort of job, You are Finished !"

"Your highness, you can't be serious !" F. Hay Baily stammered, his expression appearing close to his having a stroke. "I have six ponies that work there, and my family I am responsible for. This will devastate my family along with six of their own."

"Maybe you and your son-in-law should have thought of that before murdering the 18 gryphons that perished a EMMRS." Celestia shot back with enough venom in her voice to kill a manticore. "Eighteen gryphons 'perished' at your son-in-law's facility. I'd even bet my hooves that you didn't even give them or their lives a second though when you cashed in those 250,000 bits EACH ! I am so tempted to have you grovel for forgiveness from the Gryphon Queen, who is on her way here right now."

Celestia's eyes glowed a menacing deep red-violet as she voiced, stamping her hoof into the floor. "Under Crimes Code: Loss of Life statute chapter 4. [When one pony has been convicted of planning or executing the death of another pony or citizen residing or visiting inside Equestrian Territories, the convicted shall lose all rights to any wages, property, wealth of land, and monetary savings and be paid to the victim if they survive, or surviving family members of the victim upon conviction of the perpetrator and or associates also charged.] And not only that, since your firm was so versed in the 'Legal' use of the Letter and Law of the Crown', your firm shall also be closed and the net worth shall be examined, and those monies shall be accessed in fines back to both the Crowns of myself and the Gryphon Rulership if she agrees. Basically, I take attempted murder and murder or loss of life 'VERY' seriously in my lands and territories I rule over F. Hay Baily ! You SHOULD have known better !"

The sun goddess advanced toward the defense attorney with a voice of absolute authority. "You plotted and planned a scheme that defrauded my crown of bits paid to EMMRS. Bits that will cost you everything. I hope it was all worth it.”

*****
> Dashed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Princess Celestia had grilled F. Hay Baily in his cell, she returned to her chambers to await as she sent another royal guardian on an errand. 

A knock sounded from her door as the Royal Guardian arrived with Queen Esmeraldes, her brother Sahmek, and one of their guardians. Once inside, she offered tea and coffee to everyone as they made themselves comfortable. 

"Greetings Queen Esmeraldes, my apologies for dragging you down here, but I need some help from you, as this case has no doubt left a horrible situation between our kingdoms." Celestia had greeted the Queen, altho there was concern written all over her face. "I want to reassure you, that I had no knowledge of these plans my ponies had concocted, involving the exiled gryphons from your kingdom”

"Princess, I am but a guest here in Equestria. And while I have been here seeing your interaction with your 'little ponies' have left an impression of nothing less than two sisterly leaders that are beloved by their subjects." The Queen responded, a voice sounding far wiser than the physical body had shown as a female in her late 20s should have sounded. "You have nothing to worry from me and my opinions about this case. But why have you asked us here?"

"I need to know why your brother was exiled." Celestia looked thru her notes she took, looking up toward Sahmek. "Apparently Swan Song knows a good deal about you, and I wish to have your story here before me here where it's safe between us and you in private, instead of Swan Song airing it all for all the attendees to hear first hoof."

Sahmek had dipped his head as he recollected. "Your Magesty, When I was younger, I actually was in line for rulership of the Gryphon kingdom, the Nazzhu clan. And on an outing here to Equestria with our father King Aktinnius, we had met ponies here when we visited your castle, and yourself 20 years ago. I was only 19 back then when I met Swan Song at a tour of your castle and medical wing where she was a nurse. We had agreed to attend a formal meal here as my father had joined you for talks between our kingdoms."

"I do remember that day, were you not there as well Esmeraldes?" Celestia remarked.

"I was only a youngling at that time, and was far too young to join in anything formal as of yet." Esmeraldes had warmly replied, placing a wing overtop her brother's shoulders. 

"We had arrived at the dinner and part way through the meal I remember I had some dizziness and all I remember was Swan Song helping me to my room." Sahmek had clearly become uncomfortable. "Next thing I knew, I had woken up in the dungeons here a few levels down here inside the castle. The guards had broken the door to my quarters and arrested me for attacking Swan Song intimately. She had run out of my room and had told the guards I had raped her. But your highness, I was in no such mindset of having to do anything like that as I had gotten ill from the drink I had earlier and had gone to sleep. Besides I already had a lady-in-waiting for me when I came to power." 

"When you and father were told what happened, he 'immediately' shut down the diplomatic talks and demanded we all return home to the Gryphon Kingdom." Sahmek's eyes were downcast and he barely talked above a whisper. "The newspapers were blasting the story every day for three weeks, nonstop. We even had pony reporters from Baltimare, Manehatten and other cities, my father threw out the ponies, after getting disgusted at the entire thing." 

"I then decided to step down and hand the coming rulership to my younger sister, to save the scandal from tearing apart our subjects and making a mockery of my father's ruling authority." Sahmek had wiped his eyes as he started crying. "My mate was devastated when she found the story in the papers. You see your highness, we gryphons mate for life, and we were already deep in plans for a wedding in two years time when this happened. She ended up... (gulp)...   i'm sorry...   she had torn the primary feathers out of her wings and thrown herself off GryphonClaw Falls. Her body was found two days later amidst the rocks at the base of the falls."

"After that, I came to my father and asked to be banished from the kingdom, in a hope to keep our ruling family together without me in the picture. Stories were told to the press that I had also thrown myself to my demise just like my mate, and I was banished in secret. The subjects believed the story and didn't question anything else." Sahmek had pulled some of the fur and feathers aside, showing the colours were changed magically to alter his appearance. "My colouring was changed with the help of a Zebra dignitary I had known, and I had found my way to Baltimare where I met the standing Gryphon Ambassador there. He was to retire soon, and he agreed to have me train for the job there where my main duty was to track the gryphon citizens when they moved to Equestria. And 19 years later, here we are today."

"When did the Ponies for Purity group reach out to you, about the exiles at EMMRS?" Celestia took down the notes as Sahmek spoke. 

"I think this was about five years after I stepped down and started working in Baltimare, just after the previous gryphon had retired about six months previously. I actually didn't have any contact with them, but one of my former workers had met them a few times and was given the paperwork to those gryphon arrivals at EMMRS. One day, Swan Song had joined another pony to deliver the quarterly paperwork with the new arrivals at EMMRS. When I seen her, it was instantaneous. She knew 'exactly' who I was, despite my change in appearance." He had actually grinned at that part of his story. "She was surprised I was there in Baltimare, and not ruling the Gryphon lands. All she could do was screech something about marrying me and her plans of being the first pony queen to rule beside myself as king and how I was so stupid in giving up 'everything'. She didn't know or even cared that I lost a life-mate due to her scheming, she was that self absorbed. She said she would be holding the entire Gryphon Empire under her hoof in due time. The ensuing argument was so violent the Baltimare royal police were summoned to remove them out of the city before being arrested. And that was the last I had seen or heard of her until this case was in the papers."

"Ok, thank you Sahmek sir, I think I have all the answers I need. Altho I would need the Queen's and your approval to help rectify this situation and bring this case to a close." Celestia had taken a sip of her tea, deep in thought. "What I propose..."

An hour later,  Princess and Queen Esmeraldes along with Sahmek and the gryphon guardians had returned amidst the ponies gathered in the great hall, and all the eyes were on Celestia's face as she gave a statement, tapping her gavel to bring every ponies attention. 

"I had conferred with Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu and her brother in my chambers and have reached a decision in the case of The Crown of Equestria vs Ponies of Purity." Celestia had lightly banged her gavel, bringing the chatter to a stop. Her expression was somber as she was silent for almost 30 seconds. "The matter about Sahmek being an exile, has been fully forgiven from both myself and Queen Esmeraldes. The situations that happened in his life turned out to be without any legal or personal fault of his own. And on those facts from his experiences with Swan Song, has removed any and all guilt from my and Queen Esmeraldes's eyes, which has garnered a full pardon, and reinstatement of all citizenship rights as full citizen of Equestria."

"The Four defendants in this case, Night Hooves, Morning Mist, Dr. Clear Mind and Swan Song will be fully charged and held equally in the deaths of 6 ponies and additionally 18 gryphons, and the attempted murder of Ryuuzan, Swan Song's son." Celestia's face grew more serious, making sure her words were carefully chosen and exact. "The Four ponies charged will have a fifth name brought up on charges equalling the four. Mr. F Hay Baily is also listed and charged as an accessory to plottings and murder of the 18 gryphons and the additional charges of defrauding the Equestrian Crown with the help of his son-in-law, Dr. Clear Mind."

The audience gasped as they realised the ponies were going to get the harshest sentence. But Celestia held up a hoof and continued. "I have thought long and hard over how long capital punishment has been in the legal system for over 1,000 years, even tho there were only 9 instances where a pony or citizen of Equestria has maliciously taken the life of another, without consideration for the circumstances afterward. Life is given only one time to each of us, and it is such a gift that opens the lives of ponies to fulfill destinies and create friendships that build bonds for generations between each other. However, still some ponies are driven by anger, greed, revenge, or any other factor, to intently erase the very life from another pony. When ponies are charged and found guilty, the guilty must be dealt with as severely as possible the sentence that equates the crime. When a society is lax in keeping the value of life so sacred, then it is easier to dismiss, and later somehow justify the absolute taking of life from another. All Life is sacred and is a gift and blessing granted to each of us. The value and gift of life is so high, and so is the price that society must pay, to keep life itself sacred. Nine ponies paid the ultimate price when they denied ponies the only gift each of us are granted. And now, 5 more ponies will share in that same ultimate fate that awaits them, in five days time."

Celestia had let her words sink in with a somber tone that left the court speechless.

"The EMMRS research facility will remain open however, and be absorbed into an extension of the Castle and Canterlot General Hospital, so the other innocent patients will still receive care from specialists that are hoof picked to take over."

She then looked to Sahmek and nodded. "Sahmek Irenazz Nazzhu, I had asked Queen Esmeraldes Nazzhu, to accept a full apology from myself firstly, that all misdeeds that my ponies had brought on to your lives, the guilty parties will be brought to face their due rewards in five days time. That time will give the guilty time to make final preparations with their families. And for that, I hope you accept my apology here today."

She then turned to Ryuuzan, who stood up formally with Quill Feather. "Ryuuzan, you came forward, risking your very life, to warn the Crown of the Ponies for Purity group. Ponies that had horribly abused you in ways that terrify me, to such a point no one deserved. You came to my sister and myself for help, to help show what had happened to fellow gryphon citizens that were at EMMRS and ended up exposing those that were guilty. For your enduring the tortures that my ponies had inflicted not only physically, but mentally and psychologically, you are hereby gifted with 4.75 million bits as an award, Then tripled from that from EMMRS and F Hay Baily's law firm as punitive damages. But you have 2 provisions, that Quill Feather draw up the paperwork as a fund, secured through the Crown, and allow you to join your father, Sahmek Irenazz Nazzhu as assistant Gryphon Ambassador between your Aunt, Queen Esmeraldes, and the Equestrian Crown."

"My.. son... " Sahmek jumped from his seat close to his sister, and flapped his large wings, hovering before the prosecution table, then landed in front of the younger gryphon. "Ryuuzan, ...   I had no idea .... you even existed. Swan Song never told me about you, even when she visited me in Baltimare 15 years ago." He outstretched his arms, then hugged Ryuuzan as deeply as he could. "Could you let me become the parent and father that you should have had all these years. That is if you would welcome me, my sister Queen Esmeraldes, and the Gryphon People into your life."

All Ryuuzan could do is nod his head 'yes' as he hugged his father tightly, managing to mumble a word barely audible only to Sahmek's ears. " F...Father."

"That brings forth the ruling, clear and final, with judgements to the innocent and the guilty charged. Case number 4177, Crown of Equestria vs. Ponies of Purity, and members. Court is Dismissed." Celestia had banged her gavel to the wide eyed expressions of Ryuuzan and Sahmek, with Quill Feather nodding in affirmation.

*****
> Darkened Skies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assorted ponies had gathered at Twilight's Friendship castle after the court case had ended, just to relax and chat about the case. They were gathered in a section of the Cutie Map room adorned with pillows and cushions for ponies to sit and relax. Queen Esmeraldes was joined by Sahmek and Ryuuzan, who were understandably sitting side by side. Celestia, Luna, Quill Feather, and Wind Shear were relaxing on the cushions with some drinks with the main seven also happily joining them. 

"Congratulations Sahmek, Ryuuzan, and Quill Feather on an expertly argued case." Princess Luna smiled as she sipped a mug of coffee. "We had faith you were going to do well."

"It was hard getting all the paperwork, but it would have been useless without the additional paperwork Ryuuzan provided." Quill Feather smiled, scritching the back of Ryuuzan's neck appreciatively. "Without it, the case could have crumbled down to a 'He said this, versus she saying that.' argument, which would have been nearly impossible to win. Believe me, I've tried too many of those cases, and they hardly ever ended well." 

Quill then turned to Luna and leaned toward her ear. "About my resignation letter, with your permission, I think I would like to amend my resignation into 'Semi-Retirement' seeing as I will be assisting Ryuuzan and Sahmek. I do have a considerable amount saved for retirement already. But, if you ever need me to help you Princess, just ask."

A cupcake just plopped down in front of Ryuuzan and on the top was a sign saying 'Happy winning case and becoming the richest gryphon in Equestria'. Looking toward the pinked foreleg of Pinkie-Pie, he saw that her hair had returned to its usual shade of pink, and some curls had returned, but not as nearly as curly as it usually was. "Thahhnk yuu Miss Pinkihhh." Ryuuzan smiled as he tried talking more to the relaxing ponies, even though he still used hoof language out of habit as he talked. "Cahhn I...   azzzkh you for pah....pahrty? That is... if yuu are ok with it."

Pinkie Pie’s hair suddenly poofed up with the sound of her party cannon firing up. After her personal time off from parties, the idea of throwing one was just too tantalising. Her face lit up as she smiled huge and bounced all around the room. "Yay I get to throw Ryuuzan a party to rival all the gryphon parties I’ve ever thrown!" She landed beside the father and son and nearly crushed them together in a patented pony-hug. And after a few seconds, all the other ponies (including Luna, Celestia, and Spike) joined in on the biggest group hug that hadn't been witnessed in Equestria for decades. "It's gonna be bigger than the one I threw for Grumpy Gilda." She even began rubbing shoulders with Queen Esmeraldes, pulling off her crown and placing it on her poofed mane with a small tip off center. "Please please come join us for the party too your Gryphon Highness, well I know it wouldn't be lowness, as I’d have to always stoop down to say Hi, and that wouldn't be fun, and everypony would be grumpy faced as I talked to their knees." Pinkie spoke at a blistering rate, as she was regaining the attitude she had suppressed for the trial duration. 

Queen Esmeraldes's eyebrows shot up, and then she started laughing at the party pony's silliness going full tilt. "Actually I do know Gilda, through some circles. Do you mind if I invite her along? I think she would like to see you again Miss Rainbow Dash, did I get your name correct my dear?" She whispered the last part toward Rainbow as she slow circled above everyone, adding a twist here or a flip there in the air like she always did. "The last I heard, Gilda is an assistant hoof-ball coach and trainer. I will send a message immediately. Can you send a message magically Princess Celestia?" 

Princess Twilight had come forward, already writing on a parchment with a quill and ink. "Already on it, Queen Esmeraldes. I'll set the party time for tomorrow afternoon, if that is ok, Pinkie? And I can have Spike here send the message via Dragon-fire. The other party should have a small green cloud of smoke appear before them before the letter will arrive and land right on their head."

After the letter was finished being written, it was give to Spike. The small dragon engulfed the message in his magically imbued flames and everyone present watched as the smoke that had been produced began moving of its own accord above their heads before popping out of view. With the message sent, the group returned to conversing amongst themselves and generally becoming better acquainted.

***********

Five days later, the skies above Canterlot were overcast with thick, heavy clouds, causing a general gloomy atmosphere to develop. The morning air was dense with humidity and ozone as the wind whipped against anything that . The weather teams had been ordered to not cause any rain, but to keep the clouds low and dark to maintain a stern mood when the five guilty ponies received their just rewards for their acts.

Thousands of ponies and other peaceful species were intermixed from not only Canterlot, but from cities like Las Pegasus and Vanhoover, to as far away as Zebraca, Prance, and Prussia. It was mostly reporters that had arrived from the other countries that were here to cover such a rare but somber event. The reporters had gathered on a hillside adjacent to castle proper for an optimal view of the event. Queen Esmeraldes was there and was joined by her brother Sahmek and his new son Ryuuzan. Two more dignitaries from Las Pegasus joined the queen in their own section. 

A separate area slightly between two sections of the gathered populace was where the reporter and press ponies were positioned. They were told 'explicitly' that they would permitted to photograph the location, however, all cameras were ordered to be lowered and placed in a holding station with the lenses covered so as to not record any pictures of the condemned ponies, per rules set by both princesses. 

Both princesses arrived from one of the tower windows, wings spread, but locked into a glide, landing at the front of the crowds. Light hoof stomping echoed throughout the ponies and heads were lowered to show respect for the royal sisters. 

As soon as the crowd had settled down, Celestia held up a wing and cast a small spell on herself to make her voice clearly audible to those attending the grim event on the castle grounds. All of the castle staff had also gathered amidst the general population to also witness the event. 

"Citizens of Equestria and Canterlot, surrounding cities and nations abroad, including guests Queen Esmeraldes and her royal staff of the Gryphon Empire, myself and Princess Luna bid you greetings. We are here to witness an event that has not darkened these peaceful lands in 138 years."  Celestia nodded to Luna who magically donned her regalia. To the careful observer, they might have noticed the the dark blue glow the regalia now possessed, showing that the items had recently been imbued with magic. "This is the day we carry out the punishment for five citizens of Equestria that took the law into their own hooves, deciding through planning, fueled by deception and greed, develop an event that correlated in the deaths of four royal guardians as well as two members of their own group. One of the other members under the same plan had decided to also end the lives of 18 gryphons that had been exiled from their lands convicted under their own charges and laws." Celestia finished her portion of her speech and nodded to her younger sister who continued the speech.

"For this reason, all five ponies have been charged, not only with murdering six ponies, but an additional eighteen gryphons." Luna had charged up her Royal Canterlot voice and as she spoke her green eyes shone with ethereal power. The crowd had begin shouting in surprise at hearing that the gryphon victims had been added onto the original six ponies, then, surprisingly, hoof stomps were heard as those gathered agreed with the decision out of respect. "ALL life on our world is sacred, not just ponies or gryphons, and the punishment should be of the harshest of magnitude. Even though the gryphon exiles were sentenced, the five ponies had no rights to exterminate those gryphons with their twisted plans of greed, making bits off the misery of others. That is why we, with Princess Celestia in agreement with Queen Esmeraldes, have formed a treaty further cementing our peaceful relations between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom, despite the group of ponies wishing the opposite for our citizens."

Celestia walked over to her sister and draped one of her huge wings across her sisters shoulders and illuminated her own magics. Both princess spoke in perfect unison as the two sisters called for the five ponies to walk forth from the castle entrance towards the base of the clearing where a section of ground had been cordoned off. The ponies in question walked out from the castle with a group of five guards flanking them. "These are the five ponies that have been sentenced. Let their names, along with the group they represent, never be spoken again or referenced in any light. No reporters or photographs of the guilty ponies are allowed from this point forward. This rule is most strict, and for any pony or citizen that does not heed this rule, the punishment will be most harsh as there is no reason for the guilty be further remembered. They had their time with their families in memoriam, in private, apart from the public. Let the history books only remember the tragedy and the ultimate price these ponies paid, to hopefully lead others 'not' to choose their same destructive path."

A single snare drum was rapped by a guardian unicorn, announcing the arrival of the five ponies that were sentenced to capital punishment. Each one wore the face of some measure of defiance, except for F Hay Baily who continued to mumble about his innocence, that he was a decorated and pillar of Canterlot society, and that the penalty didn't suit someone of his stature.

As soon as the five reached the cordoned off area, they stood facing the princesses.

Celestia spoke to the five, nodding to each in turn. "You five have been issued the sentence of Death: being turned to stone and then crushed by magics, in accordance with Capital Crimes and Punishment, Statute Ten: Murder of ponies and gryphons in pursuit of greed by deception. Have you five have anything final to say before sentence is carried out? Besides asking for mercy, as you gave none to your victims." 

"Only thing I, or rather we, have to say is you get rid of us Princess. There are others that will take up our cause. They will keep our memories alive, until Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom are in ruins!" Night Hooves strode forward and pointed his hoof to different areas of the crowd. "Our group mates are here in the crowd, nearly one hundred standing, and nearly 1200 more in Baltimare and Las Pegasus. Give the princesses a kind hello from us brothers and sisters!"

As soon as Night Hooves finished pointing to different points to the crowd, various ponies that had grasped something in their teeth bit down on something encased in thin glass vials. Almost immediately, their bodies became encased in a blue green sparking haze. Swan Song was among these ponies, biting down on her own vial before triumphantly striding forward, encasing herself in a deep green lightning filled haze. "Death to the pony ruling sisters and to the Gryphon ruling family!"

"Sister, they booby trapped themselves, get that stone spell finished!" Luna unfurled her wings and tried using her magics to hunt for the ponies in the crowd. "We will trap the conspirators!"

"I'm trying Luna, the spell is not instantaneous!" Celestia backpedaled as she powered her own aura to shield her sister, herself, while also trying to extend it to help aim any blast away from the gathered ponies.

But then Sahmek leapt up from his seat and dove for the stage, flapping his huge wings to accelerate himself toward the cordoned off area in front of Princess Celestia and Luna. Grabbing one of the guard's sharpened pole arms and aiming for Swan Song as she continued charging her spell bomb, screeching as loud as he could to disorient the ponies trying to assassinate the princesses and everyone else. 

Small gas charged pockets of lightning were erupting from all over the crowd as other ponies had erupted in blue flames, causing the surrounding ponies to scatter, screaming in complete panic. 

"What are you DOING Sahmek?" Swan Song back peddled a step when she spotted Sahmek reach for the polearm.

"I might not get to all the ponies in the group, but I know I can kill YOU at least and save the Princesses!" Sahmek screeched as he swung the polecam in a tight spin and brought the blade down onto the mare's head with a gut wrenching sound of bone and flesh being broken and torn.

The polearm hissed at it split Swan Song's skull, nearly cleaving it in half. 

All Swan Song could do was smile slightly as her body went down in a complete heap, as the explosive spell released from the wire and glass vial inside her muzzle and exploded, knocking Sahmek backward into the two princesses, knocking them off their hooves. 

A deep menacing female laugh started emitting from the downed mare, her eyes glowing a mix of deep purple, and a sickly green, as the princesses got back onto their hooves. "You think you finished us? I'm the PuppetMaster of Neighpon, the new Timberwolf Clan sends their regards!"  Swan Song reached up and pulled out the polearm from mid skull, the crystalline energized spell disappeared revealing a pony golem mixed with thick tree branches, vines, and a wooden head. With a final huge howl imitating a timber wolf, Swan Song's golem finally fell and passed away. 

As soon as Swan Song's form fell, the ponies that had attempted to kill the ponies and gryphons gathered here had indeed began turning to stone,  as the spell did take some time to form. As Celestia had said earlier, the ponies were not turned to statues, but roughly shaped concrete and stone blobs. As soon as Celestia's spell was finished, Luna started her crushing spell to grind each pony to dust. Hard sounds of stones being demolished echoed throughout the area. The entire group of ponies that had gathered here turned their backs to the five condemned ponies, not wishing to witness their  last moments alive.

The sounds of crushing stone slowly diminished as the stones were reduced to nothing more than powder. Celestia slowly walked toward the cordoned off area where the ponies had been reduced to foot high piles of granite and silica. The sun princess held her eyes shut as she used her hooves to silt through the powders for any larger pieces that hadn't been crushed. If she had found any pieces she would stomp her hoof down onto them, the magics in her hooves and shoes were enough to pulverise the stone to granules and dust.

After she was satisfied that there was nothing left, she walked back to stand beside her sister, her eyes still tightly shut. 

The only sound left besides the whipping winds was Celestia, who had her head lowered, and was crying softly. She had blinked the tears from her eyes and turned, seeing the condemned ponies were truly gone. She powered up her magics one final time and announced to the crowds before her. "Consummatum est, It is finished. Ponies, gryphons, citizens and most importantly friends, please take the rest of your day to be with family or friends and learn from what happened here. Never make the same choices these five ponies made in your lives. Lest you too will be reduced to stone and crumbled under hoof."

Luna looked over to her sister as she extinguished the magics flowing through her horn. "Sister, art thou ok?"

"No, Luna. It will take me awhile to recover." Celestia continued to hang her head, and slowly walked up the hill toward the castle. "I know the ponies were guilty, I just hated to be the one extinguishing their lives."

"Sister, do remember the twenty-four victims these five had extinguished by their own hooves. At least they can now be at rest. You still have a conscience, and a deep concern for all life. We love you for that," Luna replied, following the path her elder sister took. She then motioned for the guards to bring the gryphon guests inside the castle, doing her best to keep a respectful distance behind Celestia, giving her some privacy with her thoughts.

**********

Epilogue:

Deep inside a weaving lattice of small catacombs and linked caves deep inside the Everfree, a lone pony had waited for a sentry to arrive to report on the happenings at Canterlot castle. As soon as a timberwolf arrived he growl grumbled to Swan Song, then faced inside the chamber and bowed low. 

"Report..."

"Everything went according to plan, except the timber golem I was magic controlling failed to detonate on stage like we had hoped. However, about twenty ponies were injured when the timber golems ignited their crystal stun bombs in the crowds. Before you get angry at the princesses not being blown to pieces, it was agreed that this was only a test run, to see how the crystals worked with the timber golems. I can assuredly say the test was as good as we had hoped." Swan Song bowed low. "The Golem puppet I had created worked flawlessly through the trial, no one ever suspected it was but a puppet, even though it was over 10 miles away. The magic link I established worked without fault until someone interfered from the Gryphon Empire and cut the link inside the head of the golem. I was lucky I cut the magicked remote link before it was cut, otherwise the feedback to me would have been most lethal."

"You are expecting me to throw you a parade when your doll failed to kill the royal sisters ?" A set of long curved fangs appeared under deep green eyes as it spoke. "The only thing keeping you alive is your ability to create and control your doll from afar off." 

"And you think creating autonomous timber golems are easy ?" Swan Song shot back, her voice low. "Golem making and control from such a large distance away is damn near impossible. I only learned how to control the golems from my mother who was a unicorn training me, with a magics enhanced gem implanted inside my head, just like the base of a unicorn horn. And don't be too quick to forget I can translate Timberwolf for you. And who 'exactly' let you into the clan in the first place !"

"I offer you my talents I am expert with to give you viable plans to invade Canterlot someday. You didn't even 'have' anything like your previous home before you arrived here four weeks ago. You should be a bit more thankful Chrissy !" Swan Song continued with a sneer. 

"The name is CHRYSALIS !" The former changeling queen seethed as she strode forward angrily, coming into view stopping in front of Swan Song. "I suppose you want your reward ?"

"Yes Empress Chrysalis." Swan Song had dipped her head low and waited. "It was the amount we agreed to, correct? On completion of the golem test wh..."

Crysalis had lunged at Swan Song, unhinging her fangs and had sunk them deep into Swan Song's neck, venomiting the mare as she stood on her feet.

The resulting screams echoed deep into the woods where the timber wolves kept their lair. 

"In due time Celestia and Luna, When my timberwolf army is fully created with Swan Song's magics in creating golems that rival changling's abilities in stealth and disguise, I will Trample down your city, your castle and your little Ponies until they are bones Under My Hooves." Crysalis licked the venom from her fangs menacingly as she looked down at the pony at her feet. "I will enjoy grinding your skulls to PASTE, Celestia and Luna, count on IT.. !!"

*****