Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, sorry I didn't get a chapter out sooner. RL has been again having its dirty way with me.

Also this chapter brings the return of one of my longest running friends and editors here on FiMFic... Thunderblast.

I took note of quite a few more guards out as I limped up to the gate, my cane making a dull thud with each step on the flagstone. The fact there were guards all over the streets of Canterlot and quite a few patrols in the air had not escaped my notice. I looked up as one of Princess Celestia’s Solar Elite snapped a salute to me and I gave him an acknowledging nod.

“Ranger McDonald, my Princess is expecting you,” he addressed, gesturing for me to follow him.

I took up a spot walking next to him and glanced down. “Any news?”

He gave a snort and shook his head. “None, sir,” using his magic the unicorn lit up a door and pushed it open. Leading me down a hall I had not been down before. It dawned on me this was going down, slight under the castle rather than on the ground floor. He again opened a door into a anteroom of some sort, weapons lined the walls along with what I took to be very old paintings of ponies at war?

The two guards at another door across the room turned and the door opened as they called out, “Announcing Lieutenant Shane McDonald of the Rangers First Company.”

As I walked in, I took in the room. It was a oddly oval shape, I would say a good twenty yards long, and not quite that wide. The center dominated by a massive map table with troop markers and what I took to be asset markers like chess pieces all over it.

In the room there must have been twenty ponies of various tribes, some moving things on the map, others working at telegraph machines. Others still moving here and there with bundles of papers. Celestia, and a very sleepy looking Luna stood on a raised platform looking down at the map. Both looked up and gestured for me to join them.

Giving a soft bow when I got to the top of the ramp up I came up along the side of them, as bid to do. “Good morning. I wish it was under better circumstances I was here.”

Celestia huffed, nodding in agreement. “This just came in, Shane. How… bad did it look?”

Both the princess of the night and the princess of the day looked to me, and I reached up and took my hat off. “I... am not sure I should say aloud.”

Soft eyes understood but she gave a nod. “All here are sworn and geased to keep their silence, Shane,” Luna spoke quietly.

I didn’t look at them, I looked down at the map and was silent taking a few breaths. “Dog bites, I am sure of it. I was on a call where a lady lost her life to a dog attack. Celestia, they… they took bites out of her.”

I looked up at the two sisters and saw their ears plastered down, both masks lowered and letting the emotions of the moment show. I finished my statement. “I don’t care who she was, no one deserves to die like that.”

Celestia gave a soft not and lifted a paper up in her glow. “You confirm what was already conjecture, my little human,” pausing a moment as I took the paper. “No matter how much I wish you were wrong in your observation of the scene.”

As I glanced over the first responder report, I replied. “Cort should be interrogating the two guards missing from the mess hall now.”

I missed them look at each other then back at me. “Shane,” Luna spoke, but her tone. It made me look up from the paper and at her. “They are missing still, we suspect they are captives.”

I pondered that a moment then frowned. “Or, working with whoever is behind all this.”

Celestia gave a tiny stomp of her hoof. “Shane, you cannot suggest to think one of our guard, let alone two, would be traitors?”

I in turn looked her dead in the eyes. “Two guards go missing, a riot breaks out between two factions both tied to a common factor, me.”

I turned the paper around and tapped it as they both looked. “The diamond dog that started it, happens to pick the gryphon with the missing eye, the very one Zecora took down with a potion.”

I exhaled, “and what is not in here, the two dead gryphons. Were the father and son part of the SAA attack. The ones who talked, who wanted to save each other.”

Celestia’s lips pursed downward more. “So they were killed during the riot.”

Now I looked back right into her eyes. “They were executed, I found their wings tied back, beaks tied shut, both throats slit with what I would guess to be a claw.”

I turned and pointed at the map where the castle was on it. “This was a inside job, Celestia.” cutting her off before she could retort. “You have rats in your house.”

Both princesses were dead silent, but I could almost hear them yelling I was wrong, in side their heads… and yet knowing I may well be right.

---

The reports came rolling in, about two hours later, during a quick bite to eat and getting myself some coffee. A pegasus came dashing in full tilt, to come to a stop before Celestia. Luna had retired to sleep some, so she could cover the night shift.

I watched the pegasus, her armor was lighter, it didn’t have the enchantments regular solar and lunar guards had. Her mannerism and markings told me she was some kind of advanced scout. Watching Celestia read a scroll, I could not hear what they were talking about as I was nearly across the room from them.

I did watch as I took a sip of coffee, activity start up. Ponies moving faster, running around and transferring information from place to place. The solar goddess looked up to me, and used a hoof to gesture for me to come over.

“Shane, this is Corporal Wind Tracker, she is part of Second Division combat scouts. Corporal, tell Ranger McDonald what you found.”

She turned and looked up at me, then saluted and I shook my head. “No need, Corporal, I am not in your chain of command. Just give me the long and short of it.”

The pegasus fluttered her wings and adjusted her stance before looking back up at me. “We found one of the missing guards sir. Tied up,” now her ears sunk. “Dead.” I frowned some but she continued. “It looked that Private Lance was… executed, sir.”

I looked up at Celestia who spoke for me. “Thank you, that will be all, Corporal. Return to your unit.” She bowed then left before the white alicorn looked to me. “I hate that you may be right, Shane, I hate that your whole conspiracy theory may be right.”

This made me blink and look right at her. “What are you talking about?”

She exhaled and looked back down at the map, but spoke in a very subdued tone. “Private Gleaming Lance, the Lance family is a protectorate of house Trident.”

I chewed on that then asked, “and the other missing guard?”

She would not look over at me. “His cousin.”

I fucking hate coincidences, and I think like Twilight learned, Celestia was coming to hate them, too.

---

It was just after sundown when I retired to the room I was given. The very same room I had used many times before. I found myself out on the balcony looking out at the city, and off in the distance, Ponyville. I fancied I could see the farm house from here, I wondered what Jackie was doing.

Oh, Shawna, I loved you so much but, I love Jackie now. I hope you don’t hate me for that. You really would have liked her, she is so much like you in so many ways. Better than I am in all the ways you were.

A noise brought my out of my thoughts as somepony landed next to me. Turning my head I looked at Celestia who stared back at me. I kind of felt bad for she looked tired and worn down.
“I hope that I am not bothering you, Shane.”

I shook my head. “No, of course not,” I paused then looked at her. “You alright?” I saw her eyes warm at the concern in my tone.

She shook her head, too. “Do you know how many times in the last thousand plus years I have had to deal with,” she took turn to pause and glanced out at the city, “as you so eloquently put it, rats in our house.”

I let her continue, sounded like she needed it. Once more somewhere in the back of my head I was kind of gobsmacked a veritable goddess was showing me such trust and friendship as to drop the walls she showed others.

“There was a new development after you left. They searched the guard quarters, drugs were found,” her frown grew. “I know you wrote of drug problems and laws in your world. We are fortunate that there are only a few such things. However the worst of them, is a drug called Rutt.”

I saw her shudder, I turned and looked at her. Daring I reached out and put my hand on her neck lightly and she smiled, giving my arm a friendly nuzzle. “Dare I ask what Rutt is, and what it does?”

She again shook her head. “It has only come up in the last century or so, nothing about it is natural. Oh, sure, we have what you call… uh, weed? I think that is what you wrote. It is harmless to our kind, like drinking tea, relaxing. Of course there are cocoa leaves, chewed by many of the Burros in Mexicolt. Rutt, however…”

Celestia stared at me neutrally. “As best we understand it, it hyper activates the gland all ponies have, that produces our magic. This in turn causes euphoria, hyper sexuality, aggressive behavior.”

I found myself frowning more and more.

“It is highly addictive, and in chronic users, deadly to quit. There is no detox for long term users, they in effect, die of magic starvation because their thermagic gland can no longer produce it.”

I gave a little groan and looked out at the city with her. “And this was found in the missing guards’ personal effects? How much?”

The alicorn of the sun looked over to me again. “Quite a bit, packaged for sale, a value somewhere around a thousand bits worth.” Looking away at her city once more. “The guards are all being tested now, but I have my doubts it was sold to any of them. It’s effects on day to day performance would have been noted quite quickly.”

I rolled all this new information over in my head as we both stood there, quiet. Perhaps five minutes passed before she asked “You have come such a long way in such a short time Shane. While I wish with all my heart I could have sent you home, I will not lie, I am glad you are here, and glad you have started the healing process.”

I glanced over to her and gave a nod and turned again to looking out at the view. “I got a long way to go still, but, for what it is worth, Celestia, thank you, for giving me a home, and for giving me a chance.”

She touched me with her wing as we quietly just stood and pondered life. I guess, I am quite lucky to have a friend like her.

---

I made it back to Ponyville the next day, I brought as many of the reports with me, so Cort and Lightning could catch up on what was going on. I headed back to the farm, as it was just after five, hoping perhaps to catch dinner with the family…

I paused in my thought, family, did I already think of them like that? Just over a year now, and the Apples had stuck by my side from the start. They had not turned me out when I faltered, and I had ended up in love with one of them. I guess, yes, they were family even if AJ and I were not married.

I did smile, I had a plan there, but not yet, still felt too soon. I had gathered by pony ways they moved fast, but that wasn’t my thing. Still I had a plan, that is all that matters right now.

Jackie was just opening the windows to let our room air out for the night when I got home. She had saved me some dinner, so I ate while she and I talked. I did not give her details, she didn’t need that in her head.

“Oh, I plum forgot ta’ tell ya. Rarity asked me ta’ help judge some fancy dress thing she is having next weekend. Ah will not be around most of Saturday or Sunday.”

I smiled, we were currently sitting on the sofa, both reading, and kind of half cuddling. She was using me as something to lean back on, and I had one arm around her. I smirked some. “Fashion show? You, as a judge? Really?”

She slugged my leg very lightly with a hoof. “None of your sass, ah ain’t a total rube, ah know I can do this just fine.”

Giving a soft chuckle and hugged her to me a bit tighter. “As long as you have fun love,” kissing the back of her head.

The orange mare put her book down and turned, rolling in my arms so she was sitting up, her forelegs around my neck as she looked into my eyes. “Ah ever tell you about the time ah tamed this here wild monkey creature and done made him mine?”

I set my copy of the paper down and looked back into her eyes with a smile. “Nope, doesn’t sound familiar at all, perhaps you need to tell me it.”

She got a sparkle in her eyes and leaned in, just before her lips touched mine she whispered. “How about ah show you how ah did it?”

I found myself once more melting into a kiss with a beautiful orange pony, screw what people in my world would have thought of me for it.