It had taken us a good two hours to get the room ready. Twilight had provided what was some kind of pantry or storage area. Spacey enough for what we needed, about 20-by-20. It had no vents, no windows, just a door. She had created a crystal table that was part of the floor, and three chairs that were attached as the table was. Two on one side; one sized for a pony and the other for me. On the opposite side was a bench that could fit another pony, or anything really.

My rifle and the old Walker were put into a storage container, the very one they had been carried in before, made so the guards could carry them without the anti-magic properties of the weapons harming them. I took my old duster off and had laid it over the container. Cort had done the same, his badge hanging on a chain around his neck.

The others, including the princesses and Cross, were in a room near this one. Some kind of spell was going to let them observe and hear as if there were a camera in the room. The line had been drawn, and it was agreed that, if my own anger reached a tipping point, Crossed Swords would swiftly step in and take over the interrogation.

I was pissed, but tempered by the fact I was about to face the friends of someone I took the life of. That still weighed on my heart heavily. Yes, he was scum, yes, he ordered them to kill Apple Bloom, but he was still a living creature all the same, and I still killed him. It isn’t something that should be taken lightly, and it was not something one wants to resort to.

I knew they had moved the older of the gryphons into the room a few minutes before. Cortland glanced up at me from where we stood outside the door. “So, we going in?”

I chuckled a bit and shook my head. “Nope, not yet. Let him stew, he is in a room with no windows, artificial light, hard stone table and chairs. He has no way to measure time flow right now.”

The unicorn lifted his eyebrow. “That sounds kind of like torture to me, Shane.”

My lips pursed into a frown. “Nothing of the sort, just disorientating him. Now, when we go in, follow my lead, okay?”

Cortland gave a nod and glanced down the hall where eight guards stood, making sure the two in the cells did not talk or communicate in any way. I was thankful someone...somepony, thought to keep them apart from the get go. It would make my job easier.

As we waited, Golden strolled up with a perplexed look on her countenance. She held out in her mouth a thick folder that I took. “Why did you need a folder full of old letters and junk, Shane?”

I gave a bit of a smile. “To better sell the lie I am going to push,” earning a frown from both, but they went no further to say anything as I turned. “Let's do this, Cort,” shoving the door open.
Inside sat the older gryphon, his wing bandaged to his side. He had chains binding his claws that looped under the bench and locked to a set on his rear legs. That made sure he could not get up or move around. He snarled as I closed the door behind me.

“It is about time! I have sat here for what feels like hours. I demand to talk to our ambassadorial lawyer. You can’t hold us, we are not citizens of this country, monster. You murdered Glavesliger in cold—”

I brought the heavy folder down into the table with a bang, a loud bang. Even Cort jumped when I did, but I was too busy glaring into the old males eyes to see what my partner was doing now.
“You get nothing, scum, you are a citizen of no country.” I patted the folder.

“Your kin have abandoned you, and this pile of paperwork lets me do anything I want,” I crouched down, gazing into his cores with fury. “Perhaps I will tell Cort here to take a walk, and you and I can have a nice, long talk,” my hand slammed down on the folder once more.

He jumped, and behind me I heard Cortland snort and then say, “Ease up a bit, Shane, perhaps he wants to talk?” His attention then focused to the gryphon. “You look like a smart birdy, smart enough to understand just how deep in the dung you are, right?”

I wanted to smile. Cort had picked up on things fast. He was playing the nice guy to my bad guy. I couldn’t smile however, that would kill the game. Rather I tapped the folder on the table. “Oh. bullshit, Sergeant.” I saw both him and the gryphon wince at my words. “We have his whole file, him and his little gang. Kidnapping, extortion, murder, child rape.”

Suddenly the gryphon blurted out. “I have never laid my claws on a hatchling that way!”

I spun and glared at his eyes. “But having one of your buddies kill a foal, that is okay, right?” as I slammed my hand once more down into the thick folder of papers. I did not break eye contact with him at all, and he broke first.

The gryphon’s eyes turned away and he replied in a much quieter volume. “I told Glade this was a bad idea, that this was not the way. He was a total idiot, then he compounded that by threatening that filly!” He then looked straight at me. “Absolve my son of the crimes in that folder and I will take the full brunt of them.”

Ah, his weakness, he had shown his tell and I had it now. I glanced back at Cort and gestured. “Go get me a coffee would you?”

He glared back, and then nickered and turned, walking out with a slam of the door. Nice touch, buddy, nice touch.

Turning my head back, I looked at the captive once more. “No, you are going to swing from the gallows and your son is going to go first.”

Anger flared up all across his face and he snarled back at me. “You can not hang us, Equestria has no death penalty! We are citizens of—”

I cut him off in a cold tone, raising my voice above his. “I am a Canterlot Ranger, I have the freedom to do as I please, and as of two hours ago,” picking up the folder and making a show of arranging the papers in it so he could not see them, “You, and your four friends were disavowed by the Griffon Empire.” At that, I offered him a smile that was far from cordial.

I saw him blink, then his beak opened and closed a few times, his voice cracked. “Y… you lie… monster!” but he was unsure I could see it. I had him.

“Do I? Perhaps I will have Council Member Gladblade come in here and explain this to you?” I patted the folder once again. The act of it, made to make him think it was full of information, that I, and by extension Equestria, knew everything.

He was quiet for a long time, staring down and no longer able to look me in the eyes. The door opened and Cortland stepped in, using his magic he set a cup of coffee in front of me and closed the door, sitting down himself.

“What can I offer to save my son?”

I glanced at Cortland then back to the gryphon. “Who ordered the attack, and why? What was the goal?”

---

Eight hours, eight long hours of getting all three to talk, of going over details time and time again. Everything had been recorded… well, of course it had the purple egghead had made sure of that.

Right now I sat laying back in a large chair in the library, my eyes closed but not asleep. I heard the door open and a throat clear.

“All that, and we have nothing. No reason, no lead on who gave the orders. All we know is the money came in the form of bits—Equestrian bits. Worthless information.”

The hooves shifted and moved in, I heard the door shut quietly. A large presence came over near me and I heard it lay down close. Opening one eye, I looked over at the white alicorn princess who was looking right back. “Luna will walk their dreams tonight, we will make sure they told the truth.”

I looked back to the ceiling. “I don’t hold much hope. I don’t think they lied.”

She was quiet then spoke in the same hushed tone. This was her putting aside being a princess and her talking to me as a person, pony… god damn it, Twilight!

“Shane, while I do not agree with some of your methods, they were true. They did not violate their rights as living creatures. You have my respect for that.”

I turned my head and looked at her again. “Prin—Celestia, as a song from my world goes.” I turned and sat up so I was able to look her in the eyes, clearing my throat. “Grandpappy told my pappy, back in my day, son. A man had to answer for the wicked that he done. Take all the rope in Texas find a tall oak tree, round up all them bad boys hang them high in the street, for all the people to see.”

I held up my hand to stop her from retorting. “I know there is no capital punishment here in Equestria, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be, Princess. It also means they had no clue who or what I was, or that my threat was hollow.”

She was quiet for a time then rose to her full height. “And your feelings on the one you… made answer for his wickedness?”

I exhaled and shook my head. “I am not celebrating over it, Celestia. I have been laying here trying to figure out how to ask god, Shawna, and Applejack to forgive me. If you want to know the truth of it.” I rose to my feet as I spoke.

She again set her hoof up on my arm lightly and leaned in, so I had no choice but to look her in the eyes. “Shane, I am ordering you, as one of my Canterlot Rangers, to talk to somepony.” She threw me a look before I could start to argue. “I mean it, Shane, taking a life, no matter why or how, is no easy thing to live with. I have seen it with my soldiers, with my sister, even myself, and now I see it in you."

She Continued “I am unfamiliar with your god, Shane, but from what I have read in your words, and seen in your actions, I am sure he forgives you.” Her ears laid back some. “The rest, I have no answer for. That is for you and you alone to address and find balance with.”

I picked up my hat and slid it on “Do you forgive me, Celestia? I swore before you I would bring no harm to your ponies, to anyone of this world.”

She smiled just a tiny simper. “Shane, you did swear that, but you also said, save for defending yourself. Something you did and were forced to have to do. I can not fault you for that, nor can I fault you if a day comes you must do such again, to protect yourself, or an innocent life.”

I gave her a bit of a nod. “That means something to me, thank you.”

She paused and then turned to walk out with me. Looking over at me with the door still closed and her princess mask still off.

“Shane, speak with Crossed Swords. I have a hunch that you will find he understands things better than most will. He is your friend, yes?”

I found myself with a soft smile. “He is, and I will take your advice. Now if you will pardon me I should—” a yawn cut my words off, “—get over to the hospital and check in.”

She frowned at me. “Go sleep first, how long has it been since you have received a full eight hours of sleep?”

“I can’t, Celestia, not until I know Applejack is going to be all right,” was my response, not bothering to look at her as I walked out the door of the library and into the hall.

---

There had been no big deal made this time when I walked into the hospital. I gave nurse Redheart a nod, pondering to myself did she ever go home? Walking down the hall I nodded to the two guards at the hall entrance, and again to the two at her door.

Stepping inside, I found Big Macintosh in a wheelchair, supporting his broken hind leg, next to his sister's bed. He peered up and gave a single nod and a meek smile.

“Ah figured you would be along when ya could,” as I walked up next to him and looked down at the orange mare. “She ain’t got worse, but ain’t got better yet.”

I looked over at him, beginning to speak, “Mac… I am sorry I was not there, I—” only to be cut off by a loud snort and him getting his face right in mine.

“Now, y’all quit that. Ya ain’t a god and ya couldn’t have predicted this. You dun right, you brung back ma’ little sister and ya brung them sidewinders in. Ah am mighty proud to call ya a friend.”

I looked at the usually quiet stallion then turned back to look at AJ. The two of us just stayed like that a good stretch of time, before I yawned. He nudged me. “Go get sum sleep.”

I shook my head. “I will stay here, Mac, you go rest. I won’t let her be alone,” making eye contact with him, seeing him read my intentions. He nodded again and a slight equine snort.

“Ma sister could do a hell of a lot worse,” was the last thing he said before he turned and wheeled himself out, leaving me to blink and watch him go. What did every last one of them know but me?

I tugged the big padded chair they had brought in for me, over to her side. Sitting down I took my hat off and sat it next to AJ’s hat on the window sill. I found myself watching her, just thinking about everything the last few days had brought to me, once more reflecting on my feelings for the mare lying before me, and my own struggles with them.

At some point I lay my head down next to her leg, and I suppose I fell asleep.

---

I woke to a slight noise and something covering my back. I shivered, it was slightly cold, and I looked up to see Rarity had her horn lit up. She was dragging a soft blanket over me, so I sat up some but tugged the blanket around myself.

“I am sorry I woke you, Shane darling, I was just stopping in and looking in on dear Applejack.”

I gave her a gentle nod. “What time is it?”

She returned a genuine smile. “Eight am darling. You seem to have slept the night here,” a telling smile too, a twinkle to her eye that spoke of her approval. Ever the romantic, ain’t you, Rarity?

“I... I just didn’t want her to be alone,” I admitted to the white marshmallow of a pony.

She gave a nod back to me “Loyal, Honest, Generous, Kind, now if we can just work on your humor and the aberrant language you use. You will be the very model of what Equestria stands for.” but I could tell she was teasing a bit too.

I shook my head, looking back at the orange mare, still in a deep slumber. I didn’t speak, but I did turn some when I felt something on my arm. I found Rarity leaning over and lightly pressing herself against it. I had noted many ponies did this, stallion and mare, colt and filly. It seemed to be a sort of warm gesture, like when humans touch each others arms or shoulder.

“Shane, darling, far be it from me to poke my nose where I should not but… you don’t need to be observant to tell what you feel for her, and what she feels for you.”

I chuckled. “Eh tu Rarity?”

She tilted her head and sat, turning so she could look up at me. “Shane, many a mare dreams of finding a stallion like you. Kind, driven, strong in all the right ways and weak in all the other best ways.” she paused “what do you fear in telling her how you feel?”

I exhaled some and shook my head. “I... don’t know Rarity, I just, there is so much in the way. I am still clinging to my past and I know it. I still have what I was brought up to think and view. The stupid of it all is, none of it matters here.”

The white unicorn gave a soft toss of her mane. “And do you think Applejack cares?”

I shook my head. “Not one bit, not about any of that. The hangup is all me, I am the one with a problem. She is- Lord help me Rares, she is everything. Smart, strong, beautiful, kind… everything Shawna was. That is the rub, isn’t it? How do I love her and not betray Shawna?”

“Do you love her, darling?”

I was quiet for a bit, and then gave a nod of my head. “I do, Rarity, I really do. As hard as it has been for me to process all of it. The fight with myself, my upbringing, my issues... I do. I love her.”

Something touched my arm, and because I was looking at Rarity I noted her eyes go wide as can be. My head snapped around and I found green eyes looking back at me and an ebony hoof placed on my hand. I froze, her eyes locked me in place and I couldn’t even draw in a breath. I could see the pain in her eyes, and yet there was a sparkle, a drive stronger than I had ever seen there.

Her voice cracked and croaked out in a half whisper. “Ah love ya, too.”

I jumped in surprise. “Get a nurse. Now!”

There wasn’t much of a need to shout, as Rarity was already on the move out the door with her magic flinging it open.