Last Chapter: The woman suddenly ran forward, her arms spreading out to envelop him in an embrace. “I-I don't believe it. It is you, you're really here! I thought I was -UURK!!”

Her speech was interrupted when a solid hand shot forward and latched onto her throat stopping her in her tracks. Grevin narrowed his eyes as a sneer formed across his lips all while he increased the pressure on his grip squeezing the air from her as he lifted her squirming, trembling form into the air. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack and Chrysalis could only watch in horror as the soft spoken, kind hearted man they knew began to squeeze the life out of this woman for seemingly no reason.

He stared into her eyes as she gripped at his wrist, trying to get him to release her before he lunged forward and slammed her back against a wall holding her there as her feet dangled helplessly six inches off the ground. An animalistic growl escaped his throat as he watched her squirm and a simple phrase escaped his lips sounding nothing like his normal voice, but instead something far darker. “Hello Tabitha....”

Currently:

Chrysalis, like the other mares in the room, could hardly believe what she was witnessing. Before them stood Grevin, seething with anger as he held a struggling woman up by her neck, pressing her back against a wall while she struggled to grip his hands and break his hold. She felt herself shiver when her feelers picked up the emotions he was projecting and took a step back as her jaw dropped open a bit. He was emitting pure hatred and it was strong enough to nearly force her to her knees.

She took a slow, shaky breath and narrowed her gaze on the man as other emotions became more noticeable under the initial wave of hate. Frustration, sadness, confusion…betrayal? She snapped her gaze to the woman noting that whoever it was, was clearly feeling confusion and fear for her life…she didn’t know why she was being attacked. How was that possible? Grevin wouldn’t attack anypony without good reason…would he?

Grevin narrowed his eyes and barred his teeth as a rumbling growl echoed out of his throat. He tightened his grip around the soft flesh in his hand and pressed the woman harder against the brick wall causing her to gurgle and gasp for breath. He stared at her with utter malice, his eyes seeming to smolder as they stared into her watering hazel orbs. She stared back at him, tears rolling down her cheeks as her hands tried to grip his wrist in an attempt to pry him loose. She limply pushed at him as her mouth struggled to speak, the only sound coming from her being faint gurgles. Her feet kicked weakly as she hung against the wall, attempting to find some sort of footing.

Twilight, Fluttershy and Applejack all stood back from the sight, trembling as they watched the man they trust begin to take the life from the newcomer. They had never seen him snap so quickly, even when he had confronted Davick he hesitated to let go, but now…the beast was out of its cage.

Chrysalis saw the woman’s hands begin to slow in their flailing and she knew that if no pony intervened she would die. While she didn’t truly care about whether this woman lived or died, she doubted Grevin would want her blood on his hands once he regained his senses. Not wishing to reveal herself quite yet she turned to Twilight and quickly punched her shoulder forcing her out of her surprised stupor. “Twilight, help her! She’s going to be killed!”

Twilight blinked as she forced herself to focus and glanced at ‘Emerald’ a moment before looking back at Grevin and letting her horn light with magic. Instantly there was a lavender aura surrounding his body that forced his hand open and then lifted him into the air away from the woman. Another aura quickly enveloped the woman, easing her fall to the ground as she clutched her throat and gasped for breath.

“NO!” Grevin struggled and thrashed in the air trying to get back at his prey while Twilight levitated him across the room. Applejack and Fluttershy were immediately at the woman’s side trying to help her sit up and comfort her in her confusion.

Fluttershy quickly brushed the hair away from the woman’s face and leaned in to inspect her neck making certain no lasting harm was done. “Oh my, oh my, oh my, are you alright? I’m sooo sorry about all this. He’s never been that way before.”

1Applejack took off her Stetson and gently waved it in front of the woman to give her some air as she glanced back over her shoulder at Grevin who was still being held by Twilights magic. “Just take a minute sugar-cube. Don’t you worry none, you’re safe now.”

Twilight glared up at Grevin as she watched him struggle to escape from her magical field. She had seen him appear this way before when he fought Davick and to be honest it did scare her. “Grevin, you need to calm down!” she implored, horrified at his behavior

He glared down at the lavender pony, his eyes piercing into hers as his fist clenched and he took heaving deep breaths. “No, you don’t understand! Let me go Twilight…now.” He demanded, his tone deathly calm, as holding back a whirlwind of fury.

She frowned and increased her magic hold on him, forcing him to freeze in place as she lowered him down and met his stare with her own determined gaze. “You listen to me right now…I am not going to let you hurt a random stranger. No pony was in danger and you just snapped! Calm down now and maybe I’ll let you go so you can explain yourself.”

He glared at her a few moments before looking away the look on his face telling her that while he didn’t like it he would comply with her wishes.

Twilight let out a small breath of relief as she set him on the ground a few feet from herself and across the room from the others. “Now I’m going to drop the magical field, but if you make one move to attack her…or us…I’ll teleport you into the wall…am I clear?”

He paused a moment as a look of hurt washed briefly across his eyes before giving a slow nod. “…Very well…”

She nodded and released him taking care to watch his posture as he stood himself back up and crossed his arms partially turning his back to the scene in front of him. Chrysalis stood silently as the other two mares tended to the woman, her heart seeming to feel a small hint of concern for Grevin who had just given off a small flash of sadness and disappointment before it was washed over with worry and frustration.

Applejack and Fluttershy both helped the woman back to her feet before taking a small step back and sitting on their haunches. “Alright sugar-cube, would you mind telling us your name and why in Celestia’s name are you here?”

They all watched as she raised a hand to her throat before taking a small step back and resting against the wall. She slowly looked around the room taking a moment to meet each pony’s gaze then letting it move to the floor. “My name is Tabitha Tveinya but please just call me Tabitha. I…I don’t know how I got here. I was in my guild barracks then the next thing I know I’m in an old abandoned castle. I woke up here in my armor with my sword next to me and nothing else. My pack and all of my survival gear is gone. I’ve been wandering around here for a couple of days exploring these ruins, looking for food and water when I heard voices. I thought that perhaps I might be able to find some help and an explanation as to why I was brought here. I followed your voices up the stairs and…well, here we are.”

Twilight glanced over at Grevin who had slightly turned his head to listen to her speak noting that he was at least being civil enough to let her explain herself. She looked back over at the woman who had raised her head now and seemed to be looking at Grevin with what she would almost describe as longing. “So…you have no idea how you got here?”

Tabitha nodded while slowly crossing her arms over her chest causing the leather armor to squeak ever so slightly. “That’s right.”

Chrysalis was intrigued now, perhaps this woman could provide the means she would need to improve her hive, but she had other questions that she wanted to ask as well. Taking a small step forward she raised her hoof and pointed at Tabitha then to Grevin. “Alright…so how do you know him? You called him by name and acted as though you knew him very well.”

Tabitha lightly bit her bottom lip as she lifted her gaze to look at the silent man across the room. She hugged herself a little tighter before a small, subtle smile crept over her lips. “Grevin…he’s in the Guild with me. I am a superior officer to him but he…I…” She sighed and took a steadying breath “He’s always been a strong individual and a trusted comrade. When I saw him I thought that perhaps he could help me. I was so happy to see him but…I didn’t expect him to attack me.”

Chrysalis frowned as she tilted her head to the side a bit. “You say you know him from the guild…that you were a superior officer but the way you moved toward him suggests something else. You should just come out and say it now, it wouldn’t do you any good to lie to us.”

Tabitha chewed on her bottom lip a moment before gazing over at Grevin with a soft, gentle gaze. “It’s…look it’s more than a bit personal but if you must know I love –“

“Don’t you dare feed them that load of bull!” hissed Grevin, glaring at the now wide eyed woman his eyes narrowed in disgust.

Tabitha blinked in surprise, her jaw dropping slightly as she shook her head. She pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps forward letting her hands slide out to her sides as she moved across the room towards the man. “Grevin? What do you mean? We’ve been dating for months now…what’s wrong with you?”

He turned and moved himself back from her, matching her step for step as he slide his hands to his side, his fists clenched in anger. “What’s wrong with me? After what I was put through, you ask what’s wrong with me? How dare you!” he spat furiously.

Tabitha stepped past Fluttershy and Applejack and continued to move closer to Grevin as she still shook her head, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand! What have I done to you?!”

Grevin stopped his retreat and quickly unsheathed his blade raising it up to point at her, his cold gaze sending shivers down the spines of the ponies in the room. “Don’t come any closer to me. I don’t know why you continue to try and support this farce but I’ve had enough. Take one more step towards me and I’ll slit your throat.” His eyes locked on to her and to most they would appear cold and unforgiving but to those who knew him well it was easy to see that there was pain and sorrow behind the harsh exterior.

Twilight’s horn lit up and a magical aura enveloped Grevin forcing his blade down while she positioned herself between Tabitha and him. She frowned at Grevin a moments before giving a soft sigh. “Grevin…can you please explain yourself? Why do you seem to hate her when she clearly seems to have strong feelings toward you? Why would you raise your blade at her?”

Grevin narrowed his eyes looking down at Twilight before looking away once again. “Considering how much you all know about my past it should be quite clear as to how I know her Twilight…”

Fluttershy gasped and rose to her hooves moving to the side of Tabitha to get a closer look at her face. “You mean that…she…she…”

“She was the one who used me and tried to have me killed, yes…” He let his muscles relax allowing the magical field to pull his arm to his side completely now. “Please release your hold on me Twilight.”

Tabitha blinked and quickly shook her head as her hands rose to her mouth in shock. “…No…no-no-no, I wouldn’t…I’d never…you must be under some sort of spell…I couldn’t…I wouldn’t do that to a comrade let alone to someone who I…I feel for.”

Twilight frowned ignoring the words of the woman while looking back at Grevin quickly shaking her head before looking back at Tabitha. “I’m not letting you go Grevin. You’ll just attack her again. I will not allow that to happen. As for you…Tabitha was it? I can honestly tell you that he isn’t under some sort of spell however, something odd clearly is going on here.”

Grevin tugged at his arms and legs once more with a grunt forcing Twilights attention back on him once again. “Twilight let me go…now. I give you my word as a Spectral Knight I will simply walk away. I will not attack, I will not even say a word, but I refuse to be here with her. I know you’re magic can protect you from any harm she could do so please…let me go.”

Twilight paused at this taking a moment to look at Applejack and Fluttershy who both, after a moment, nodded in agreement. She turned back to face Grevin, her eyes soft and gentle. “Alright…I’ll let you go…please try to stay out of trouble though. I have a feeling that the Princesses will wish to meet with us soon after I write them about this.”

He gave a simple nod saying nothing and a few seconds later the magical aura holding him faded allowing him to stretch his arms out slightly before he took his weapon and sheathed the blade. He slowly let his eyes meet Twilights, Emeralds, Applejacks and finally Fluttershy’s making sure to avoid looking Tabitha in the face. “I’m sorry for my behavior…I didn’t mean to lose control like that. It was behavior unbecoming of a knight…I’ll go now.” His voice was quiet and soft, similar to how it had been when he first arrived and had been so reserved.

Chrysalis watched silently as he made his way around the group to the stairs making certain to avoid getting close to any of them. He took one quick glance over his shoulder before disappearing down the stone stairwell. The emotion coming off of him was no long strong anger but sadness and even a small sense of hurt, none of which sat well with the Changeling Queen. “Twilight…I know I’m new to all of this but I can’t just sit here. I’m going after him…maybe he’ll want to talk.”

Twilight nodded and watched as ‘Emerald’ ran out of the room after their friend, her own heart feeling heavy with concern for the normally gentle soul. She looked over at Tabitha who was also looking at the stairwell, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held her hands to her face. Twilight sighed softly shaking her head. Whatever was going on, it was clear it had to do with Discord…and the fact that it happened on the eve of she and her friends deciding to announce their love for Grevin bothered her greatly.

She pushed down her worries for the moment and decided to try and salvage this situation in at least some form. “Alright…perhaps we should try introducing ourselves once again. “ She raised a hoof to her chest. “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” She pointed to her friends “And this is Fluttershy and Applejack. On behalf of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna welcome to Equestria.”

Tabitha sniffed a bit and wiped the tears from her cheeks before straightening herself up. “Hello Twilight…Applejack, Fluttershy. My name is Tabitha. It’s a pleasure to meet you…now can you tell me what’s going on? How did Grevin and I randomly end up here? Why does he suddenly hate me? …Are you really talking…horses?”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at this and tilted her head to the side slightly as she motioned to a nearby stone she could sit down on. “Ponies actually…and well…I think you may want to sit down for some of this.”

-Edge of the Everfree Forest next to Sweet Apple Acres.-

Grevin grumbled as he stalked through the edges of the forest, ignoring the various bits of brush that caught his clothing and scratched at his skin and face. The aura he was giving off was enough to make even the fiercest of the Everfree creatures give him a wide berth. He couldn’t believe it. Of all the beings in the universe that could appear in Equestria, why her? Why the one that had harmed him so much, and to make things worse, she acts as though she had no idea about their past together.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice the steady sound of hooves running up behind him until he was nearly tackled by Emerald. “Grevin! Grevin wait a moment!”

He turned looking over his shoulder to see Emerald slowing to a trot as she came up to him. She reached out and placed a hoof on his side before leaning forward and taking several long quick breaths. “Jeeze…you…run…fast…when…you…angry.”

He frowned and took a small step back causing her hoof to fall from his side. “You shouldn’t have followed me Emerald.”

She frowned and took a step closer shaking her head her eyes locking onto his. “Are you kidding me? It’s pretty obvious that she was the one who broke your heart, and for you to go stalking off like that…well, it’s not good. It’s clear you need a friend to be there for you and since those other three are keeping tabs on her…well…” She smiled up at him and tilted her head to the side while trying to look as cute as possible.

He said nothing for a moment before letting out a small sigh and turning his head as he began to resume his walk towards the farm, though this time his pace was much calmer. “Ugh…fine. Though I don’t much feel like talking.”

She nodded and moved next to him easily keeping pace this time. “Well perhaps you just need some friendly company then.”

Grevin glanced down at her saying nothing for a few moments before giving a small nod. For a time the two moved through the orchard, the only sound being the leaves and grass crunching with every step they took. After a half hour Grevin cleared his throat causing ‘Emerald’ to look up at him. “…I’m sorry…”

She smirked and shook her head. “You don’t need to be. It’s never easy opening old wounds.”

He sighed and nodded as he slowed to a stop and crossed his arms as he let himself rest back against a tree. “That is true…I just wish this one would have stayed closed. Seeing her again…it…”

She moved closer and let her barrel rub against his side. “It’s painful isn’t it?” Chrysalis knew it was, she could feel it pulsing out from deep within him. She looked up at him and sighed knowing that he had taken his hurt and tried to bury it deep within himself hoping to block it. She had seen countless ponies do this after their loved ones, usually a pony replaced by a changeling, had left them.

For those ponies she felt little remorse but for Grevin…she couldn’t stop herself from feeling for him. She wished to help him but she didn’t exactly know how. From what she had seen several ponies would go out and find alcohol to numb themselves from the pain, or even find a mare…or stallion if they preferred, to take their mind off of it. “Um…Grevin…?”

He looked down at her as he let his hand fall and lightly brush over her mane causing her ears to twitch slightly. “Yes?”

She averted her eyes from his and took a small breath. “In Bastion, how would a person deal with something like this?”

He blinked as he let his hand slide back to his side before clearing his throat. “Well…some would react similarly to how I just did…others might drink themselves into a stupor in an attempt to numb the pain and others still may try to run from it.”

She nodded slowly and turned to face him. “Well…since you already tried to attack her and that didn’t work…what do you think you’ll do now?”

He shrugged his shoulders and looked away letting his gaze move toward the direction of Ponyville. “Well…maybe I’ll go into town…dodging sex crazed mares might give me enough of a distraction from this whole thing.”

Chrysalis blinked a moment before smirking and rolling her eyes, stepping away from him. “You have a stupid sense of humor, so what are you going to do?”

He smirked and glanced back down at her before letting his lips fall into a faint frown. “Well, to be honest with you, I don’t know. I know that I can’t just attack her…but I don’t want anything to do with her…so right now I’ll just have to play it by ear.”

Chrysalis sat down next to him letting a small sigh escape her. “Greivn…I know you told me she tried to have you killed and betrayed you but…would you mind telling it to me in greater detail?”

He looked down at her his eyes narrowing somewhat. “Why?”

She looked away not wishing to look at him at that moment. “I don’t know exactly why…call it curiosity, call it being a snoop…I just would like to know.”

He raised a hand to his chin as he let his head lower while closing his eyes. “….fine…If you really want to hear it…”

She nodded and smiled brightly while he let his hands cross over his chest once more. “Great, don’t worry you can stop anytime you like.”

“Alright…I’ll give you a little history. After I had been turned down to serve in the regular military due to my appearance and lack of character witnesses I went to the mercenary guilds for a job. Seeing how strong I was and how scary I appeared to be, the recruiter saw potential in me and had me in the barracks within two hours of seeing me. I was put through basic training and even given an education and then after passing that they put me into the special assignments training program.”

“Special assignments? What does that mean?”

“I was trained in multiple forms of combat, close quarters, blades ranging from daggers to two handed weapons, pole-arms, all forms of archery and stealth…especially stealth. They showed me how to blend myself into shadow…how to silently kill multiple opponents without a sound. They also showed me how to keep myself under cover and to hide in plain sight. They also taught me to be ruthless and have no mercy for my enemy because they would show me none….I took that one to heart. Basically I was turned from a know nothing recruit into a precise weapon ready to be used at a moment’s notice.”

“So you were basically asked to handle jobs that were considered to be highly dangerous?”

“Yes. Once that training was completed I was put back into the regular barracks in order to keep me from being singled out by anyone…It was supposed to hide who were assassins and who were just regular foot soldiers. Anyway, after a few missions I was sitting in the barracks reading one night and I found myself approached by one of the deadliest and most beautiful women in the guild, Tabitha. She said she had seen me in the field and was impressed with my talents. She said I was bound to go far in the guild and then just before leaving she told me that she looked forward to working with me in the near future. It sounds stupid now, but at the time that simple little conversation alone was enough to get the gears in my head turning.”

Grevin raised his head and looked up at a cloud floating in the sky. “I was taken with her. I had never been approached by a woman before and she send shivers down my spine. Much to my surprise she came to me again a few days later and informed me that I had a mission with her…just the two of us…the way she looked at me at that moment was enough to make me melt. We both were sent to assassinate a noble lord who was taxing the farms on his lands to death. His end came quickly and Tabitha was quick to compliment me on a job well done. She seemed so impressed with how I handled myself that I figured that I could get into her good graces by doing more work like that…so I allowed myself to take on every mission I could get. I turned myself into a ruthless killer…all to impress her.”

Chrysalis frowned hearing the regret in his voice but did nothing to stop him from talking.

“Fast forward a couple of years and it seemed like she and I were destined to be together. She loved power and it turns out I had a lot of it. We were staying in the same barracks together, and I thought I was in love. I was saving up my earnings for an engagement ring but things began to change after a mission to the barrens. We were scouting a target for another group and we were both separated from one another due to enemy patrols. When we got back together…she seemed different but I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Then about two months later she came to me late one night, throwing my pack at my feet telling me that we had been called out for an urgent mission. She was my superior so I didn’t question her and followed her out of the city. She said nothing as we went and I began to feel nervous when we approached a particularly nasty looking mountain range. I asked her what the mission was about but she just told me that I would be told more once we arrived.”

“We arrived on a ridge after a small but dangerous climb and I was told to watch for a patrol while she scouted ahead. Being the good little soldier I was, I did as I was told and set up to observe. After waiting for a while with nothing occurring I happened to hear pile of rocks crunching nearby and as I turned over to see who was coming I avoided a blade that was aimed for the back of my skull.”

Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed as she felt a pang of anger resonate out from Grevin’s core. “…Grevin…what did you see as you got up?”

Chrysalis scooted herself back as she watched his hands fall to his sides with clenched fists, his knuckles white from the pressure. “I saw Davick holding that blade that almost killed me and behind him was Tabitha…staring at me. I didn’t quite realize what was going on so I motioned for her to attack and as she drew her blade she stepped around Davick and proceeded to bring the blade down on me. I was able to roll to the side but she caught part of my arm on her blade, slowing me down a bit.”

He closed his eyes a moment before opening them once more. “I managed to get to my feet and asked her why she was attacking me…she told me that I needed to die, that I was the key in some sort of plan. As it turns out she had met Davick on that mission from before and he had clearly seduced her…showed her that I was worth killing. Before I could even react they attacked me. It was a hell of a fight and I don’t remember much except getting cuts on my legs, sides and a blade through my shoulder before falling off the ridge and down a steep slope that could have easily killed me. I was lucky though, I managed to escape them. I returned to the guild and while I was welcomed there I just could not get myself back into proper form…so I left. I broke ties with the whole organization.”

“So…what did you do then?”

He sighed and shook his head. “I took the money I had saved up and traveled the land aimlessly. Got drunk a lot and even tried to end my own life. I was then given a chance to do some good in the world and then found myself here…the rest is history.”

Chrysalis nodded and rose to her hooves. “Thank you for telling me your story Grevin. I know it’s difficult to go through such painful memories.”

He lightly shrugged his shoulders and nodded. “I suppose it is better to talk about it from time to time…however, now what do we do?”

Chrysalis smiled warmly up at him. “Well, maybe you should head back to the farm…don’t you live there usually?”

He nodded as he pushed off from the tree he was leaning against. “Yes, I stay in a loft in the barn…I suppose that’s as good a place, let’s go.”

-Everfree Castle Ruins-

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the woman who sat against the pillar with her arms crossed her weapon sitting across the room. “Alright…Tabitha, it’s clear you don’t know how you got here…but tell me exactly how you know our friend Grevin?”

Tabitha frowned at the pink mare, her eyes puffy and red from her tears. “I don’t know what it is to you but if you must know I’m a member of his guild, his superior in the field and…before I came here I was hoping to become his lover.”

Fluttershy frowned and shook her head letting her mane wave in front of her eyes trying to keep herself calm. “His…lover?”

Tabitha nodded looking over at the soft spoken pony. “Yes…you do know what that is right? I know some cultures may not use the same terminology but-“

Twilight rolled her eyes. “We know what it is...we aren’t that much different from you. Grevin has told us a lot about Bastion.”

Tabitha sighed and looked out of one of the broken windows to the forest. “So…if you are his friends…can you tell me why he suddenly hates me?”

Applejack took two steps forward and raised a hoof pointing it at the dark haired woman. “Because you ripped his heart to pieces and tried to kill him! I’m tempted to buck you all the way to Manehatten for what you did to him!”

Tabitha gasped and raised her hands to her mouth. “No…I wouldn’t do that…I couldn’t do that. I care about him…and he did care about me. We’re comrades, hell just the other day I was tempted to invite him into my private quarters for a long night of fun.”

Applejack shook her head her scowl remaining. “Don’t try to lie to me. I deal with all kinds of bullshit in my line of work and I can smell it from a mile away. We’ve seen the damage done by you and we’ve all been trying to help him through it! You’re bad news partner!”

Tabitha rose to her feet letting her hands clench into fists at her sides. “I am not lying! What does it matter to you anyway? I’m sure he is your friend but I’ve known him a lot longer than any of you probably have! “

Applejack smirked as a smug smirk washed across her face. “I know him better than you think sugar. If you really want to know I-“

Twilight quickly stepped forward and placed a firm hoof on her friends shoulder causing her to hesitate in her speech. “Hold it Applejack...Let’s all try to avoid getting worked up…it might be best for all of us.” She looked back over at Tabitha saying nothing for a moment then moving closer. “Tabitha…if I may ask, what was the last memory you have of you and Grevin being together?”

Tabitha said nothing for a few seconds, taking a few slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself before turning around and walking back to the rubble she had been sitting on moments before. “We had just returned from a mission and decided to celebrate by going to get a meal together. We stayed out very late going from bar to bar enjoying each other’s company until the early hours of the morning. When we returned to the barracks he held me close and kissed me…and I him. I…I wanted to do more but he was hesitant…so I told him I would wait. We went our separate ways and I went to sleep while letting my mind wander through little fantasies involving him, some good, others fantastic, then when I woke up…well, I found myself here and the rest we know.”

Twilight tilted her head to the side while giving her a quizzical look. “I see…have you ever heard of Discord Lord of Chaos?”

She shook her head “No…should I have?”

Twilight shook her head and brought her hoof to her chin looking down in thought. Fluttershy stepped closer and placed her hoof on her shoulder. “What’s on your mind Twilight? Do you have any ideas?”

Twilight raised her head and looked at her friend, her eyes showing her concern. “I…I think she was brought here from a time in Grevin’s memory before anything happened…”

Fluttershy gasped and looked over at the woman with wide eyes while Applejack stomped a hoof and shook her head in disbelief. “Twilight…you don’t mean…”

Twilight nodded as she rose to her hooves her eyes locking onto Tabitha. “Yes…I think she is being honest with us. She probably doesn’t know what happened between her and Grevin. She probably doesn’t know how she arrived here either.”

The two remaining mares paused and looked over Tabitha who had a confused look on her face before sitting down and lowering their heads while attempting to grasp what has happened. Tabitha shook her head and rose up to her feet her frustration growing. “Ok, so you finally figured out that I’m telling the truth, great, now what happens? Why does the man I love hate me? What am I supposed to do now? Where will I go? I need to speak to Grevin, I need get him to realize that I’ve done nothing to hurt him.”

Fluttershy quickly rose to her hooves and moved over to Tabitha raising a hoof to her arm. “Oh, don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. Maybe we should go back to the farm and then we can write the princesses…they’ll know what to do.”

Twilight nodded as her horn began to glow and a magical aura enveloped the sword that lay across the room levitating it so it rested next to her. “That is probably the best thing to do…but I’m keeping this sword…at least until I trust you completely.”

Tabitha sighed but nodded while giving a small curtsy while a look of disdain flashed over her features. “Very well…please lead the way.”

-Sweet Apple Acres-

Grevin and Chrysalis made their way through the open area of the Apple’s homestead heading toward the barn making certain to keep an eye open for any stray mare that might be around lurking around. He led her past some of the farm equipment and up a small set of stairs to the simple loft that he called home.

Chrysalis couldn’t help but let a small smile come to her face as she followed him up the steps and into the small loft room. She felt pretty a small bit of warmth inside her chest as she realized that she hadn’t forced herself in this place like she had so many others before. Inside she found a small table with some candles on it, a pile of hay which she guessed served as his bed and in corner, a small pile of folded clothes. “So, this is where you live huh?”

He nodded as he moved further into the space giving her room to move around. “Yes, I apologize for the mess. I don’t get visitors here often.”

Chrysalis smirked “Ah, so I’m the first mare you’ve brought home huh? Hasn’t Applejack made any late night visits? “She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him as he rolled his eyes and did his best to keep his cheeks from turning red.

Grevin cleared his throat as he moved to the loft’s hay bailing door and pushed it open letting the warm afternoon air wash into the room. “Uh…no. We only recently became an item.”

Chrysalis nodded and sat herself down in the center of the room taking some time to look around. “You know…it’s pretty Spartan in here. You need a mares touch badly….you don’t even have a proper bed.”

He looked over his shoulder, casually shrugging. “I’ve never been one to complain about what I’ve been given. Applejack and her family were kind enough to give me this space to live and the hay to sleep on; I don’t want to be ungrateful.”

Chrysalis nodded in understanding but still pressed her point. “Yes, but wouldn’t she, as your friend - heck, as your mare friend, want you to have as much comfort as possible?”

He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t think you understand. When I first came here they barely knew me. As a result they only gave me what they could. They didn’t see a need to go beyond that and I don’t blame them. Yes they know me now, but I’m not going to ask for something I don’t need for survival. “

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at his tone and tilted her head a bit. “Grevin…speaking of knowing you, do…do Applejack and her friends trust you?”

He quickly turned to face her his curiosity showing in his eyes a moment before giving a quick and curt nod. “Yes, I’m… certain they do, fairly certain anyway. They don’t treat me with disdain or hate. They talk to me openly and don’t become frightened of me when I have my weapons.”

Chrysalis frowned sensing that he wasn’t being totally honest. “…Only fairly certain?” she pressed

He frowned, crossing his arms, staring down at her. “What do you mean?”

She sighed and looked away before taking a slow breath to gather her senses. “Today…when Tabitha appeared, they looked at you differently, didn’t they?”

He said nothing for a few moments before lowering his head and while letting a small sigh escape him. “…Yes…yes I suppose they did. When I saw Tabitha I saw red and lost control…If that didn’t frighten them, I’d be very surprised.”

Chrysalis nodded as she moved closer and placed a hoof on his arm. “The way you changed…it was scary. I know you understand their position and why they might look at you differently but it doesn’t help you feel any better about it does it?”

He nodded once again turning his head to look into her eyes. “No, it doesn’t. I should have had better control of myself. Now I’m sure they see me as a monster ready to snap at any moment.”

She shook her head while frowning up at him, her eyes narrowing. “No, I’m quite certain they don’t see you as that Grevin. I think it may have frightened them a bit but I’m sure that they know that you are still you.”

“Perhaps but they will never look at me the same again, how could I blame them.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes as a small scowl washed over her face. “Grevin…when I asked you about how your friends might react to a Changeling, what did you tell me?”

He blinked and raised his head while taking a moment to think. “Well, I’m sure I said that if each side gave the other a chance then they could most likely come to a form of peace and perhaps harmony.”

She nodded while taking a few steps back from him while still staring up into his eyes. “That’s right. Now I have another question for you, why do you think that about a race that is considered to be the worst enemies of Equestria and not yourself?”

He said nothing for a few moments and simply looked at her, as she searched his face for some sort of emotion. After a few silent seconds he let out a small breath and shook his head. “…Because I always assume the worst for myself…I see your point Emerald.”

She smiled and lightly poked his hip. “Good, you’re not allowed to doubt yourself or your friends like that.”

Their conversation was cut short when the familiar voice of Applejack yelling from the edge of orchard drew their attention outside. “Hello!? Grevin, Emerald? Are you around here?”

The two both made their way downstairs and out of the barn but as they emerged from the barn and their friends came into view, Grevin slowed to a standstill, scowling at the sight of Tabitha. He looked at Applejack then to Tabitha who stood behind Twilight. “…What is she doing here?”

Tabitha looked away while Twilight stepped forward and raised a hoof in an attempt to focus the group’s attention on her. “It’s alright Grevin. Tabitha isn’t here to cause harm…at least we think that’s the case.”

He shook his head and took a single step forward while letting his fist clench. “You don’t believe her do you? It’s clearly a lie! She needs to be locked up! She’s a threat!”

Applejack shook her head a moments before clearing her throat. “Sugar-cube, we know about your past with her…but she doesn’t seem to remember any of that. It seems that the last she can remember was going on some sort of date with you…”

He shook his head and slowly moved to his left before turning to pace to the right. “No, I don’t believe it, now why is she still here with you three? Don’t tell me she is going to be staying in Ponyville…”

Fluttershy flapped her wings gently as she rose up and moved closer to the pacing man her wide eyes meeting his, pleading for him to calm down. “Well…she…she doesn’t have any place to go…she has no one…just like you did when you first arrived.”

Grevin frowned and raised a finger to point at the still quiet woman who remained behind Twilight. “So where is she going to stay then? Who is taking her in?”

The three mares all glanced at one another, each shifting on their hooves slightly before Fluttershy raised her hoof once again. “Well…um…she could stay with me I guess. I don’t have much room but I was willing to let you stay with me when you first arrived and I wouldn’t mind helping her.”

He shook his head once again and slashed his hand in front of his chest a small growl escaping him. “No, no way. Your cabin is far to isolated. If she were to attack you, no one would know to come help you unless some random pony just happened to stop in and hear the struggle.”

Fluttershy shrank back as her ears pinned against her head, a small whimper escaping her. Applejack narrowed her eyes and quickly moved forward putting herself between her timid friend and Grevin. “Look, if it bothers you so much then she can stay here with us. She could take the spare room in the farm house. Would that be acceptable in your eyes?”

Grevin blinked a moment and took a small step back, the tone of Applejacks voice forcing him to realize just how hostile he had come off. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger. “…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to come off as angry or hostile, I’m just worried. It’s my job to protect you…if I were to leave you close to harm…if anything were to happen to any of you, I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

Applejack opened her mouth to speak when Tabitha loudly cleared her throat forcing the group to focus their attention on her. “If I may…I think I’m mature enough to have a say in where I wish to stay. Please don’t speak about me as though I’m not here.”

Twilight blushed a bit and nodded as she turned herself around to better look at the woman. “Sorry about that Tabitha…where do you think would you feel most comfortable?”

Tabitha said nothing for a moment as she took a few steps forward and let her eyes move from pony to pony before finally resting them on Grevin as a soft smile came to her lips and a look of hope appeared in her eyes. “Would it be alright if I stayed with you Grevin? I know you don’t exactly trust me but I think if you would just listen to me, we can figure out what happened and maybe even find some common ground and perhaps even find a way to reconnect.”

The four ponies all took a step back in shock, their eyes going wide and their jaws dropping while Grevin took two steps back away from Tabitha and growled shaking his head. “No. No way, I will not be in the same room with her.”

Tabitha’s smile only faltered slightly before she turned and faced Twilight and her friends. “Well then I’ll simply have to stay with one of you at your homes, that’s ok right?”

Twilight nodded a moment only to see Grevin surge forward brushing past Emerald and placing himself between his friends and his former love interest. “No, not going to happen either…I don’t trust you enough to leave you alone with any of my friends.”

She sighed and spread her arms out from her sides slightly. “Well, then what do you intend for me to do? I will need to stay somewhere and if you won’t let me stay with anyone I’m familiar with then you expect me to stay out in the cold? That doesn’t sound like you Grevin.”

He said nothing as Twilight pushed herself around him and sighed shaking her head while resting a hoof on her forehead. “Grevin, until we know she is a danger we should give her the benefit of the doubt, just like we did with you.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the lavender mare a small sigh escaping him. “Twilight, you don’t know what she is capable of, I do.”

She shook her head and looked up at the woman then to him. “That may be, but for the time being she isn’t acting like a threat. So you either need to let her stay with one of us or she’ll have to stay with you in the barn…if Applejack is alright with that.” She turned and looked over at the farm pony who had a small frown on her lips.

Applejack didn’t like the idea of this past ‘love’ interest being in the same room as hers but she didn’t like the idea of being alone with her either. She sighed and lowered her head “Ah don’t exactly like it but I can’t just let somepony have no place to stay. If she has to sleep in the barn, then I’m fine with that,” She glanced up at Tabitha with narrowed eyes. “But you’re not staying with Grevin. He’ll stay in the farm house with me and the family.”

This made the group take pause as all eyes fell to the confident farmer. Both Fluttershy and Twilight glanced at one another before looking back at Applejack who gave them a small wink. Grevin took a small step back from her and crossed his arms while still scowling at Tabitha.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes internally as she sensed the true nature as to why Applejack wanted him there but said nothing when she sensed a sort of contentment from Tabitha. She turned to look at the young woman while tilting her head to the side slightly. “…Does that bother you Tabitha?”

The beautiful woman simply smiled and shook her head letting her hair brush across her face slightly. “No. While I did wish to stay as close to Grevin as possible, I understand everyone’s position. I just hope that in time, everyone…” She looked over at Grevin and gave him a small smile. “Everyone, will come to trust me.”

Grevin snorted and shook his head, stepping away from the group to head back to the barn. “I doubt it…” He glanced over his shoulder at Applejack and the others as he opened the door and stepped inside. “I’ll gather my belongings.”

Chrysalis watched as Tabitha watched the man walk past her, paying close attention to the hurt look in her eyes. Even if she wasn’t a changeling, she would have been able to easily see that she wanted to go after him, to wrap her arms around him and hold herself close to him in an effort to find something familiar.

She glanced over at Applejack, Fluttershy and Twilight, all of whom had a look of understanding on their faces before moving closer to the woman and lightly resting a hoof on her arm. “Don’t worry, he’ll explain his position in time…perhaps you two may still be able to be friends after this all settles down.”

Tabitha glanced down at the green pony and nodded as a small smile came over her face. “I do hope you’re right but at the same time I don’t want that. I want him to take me back…I want him to be mine again.”

The silence that followed her statement, along with the dropped jaws of the mares around her were of little surprise to Tabitha. She glanced around, looking at the four mares her smile still on her lips. “…You think I’d let a misunderstanding get in the way of matters of the heart? He’s a powerful man who managed to capture my attention; I’m not going to let him go that easily.”

Twilight was the first to recover and slowly stepped forward while clearing her throat a moment before speaking. “Well…um, Tabitha, it’s not that we don’t hope for the best for both of you but what if he doesn’t want that? What if he…found somepony in Equestria?”

Tabitha looked down at her narrowing her eyes as a small frown came to her lips. “What do you mean somepony?”

Twilight shifted on her feet a moment hesitating to answer when ‘Emerald’ stepped forward and forced the groups attention on her. “What I think Twilight is saying is that in Equestria, cross species relationships aren’t looked down upon. Ponies can be with Griffons, Minotaur’s and all manners of other creatures. Grevin has managed to become somewhat popular in his time here and in a land that has a higher population of mares, well, it’s only a matter of time until somepony decides to make a move and ask him out.”

Tabitha turned and stared at the green mare for a few moments saying nothing, the look on her face shifting from surprised to unsettlingly neutral as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Well, he is clearly free to do as he chooses, but I’m not going to give up easily.”

Chrysalis stared up at the woman for a few moments, just staring into her eyes while she did her best to sense her emotions. It was clear she wasn’t happy about her current situation. She felt betrayed, frustrated, worried and isolated. Yet at the same time she was still confident and filled with determination. She was going to put up a hell of a fight. “I believe you, I just hope that everything can come to a peaceful resolution.”

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side her ears raised with curiosity. “Why wouldn’t it resolve peacefully Emerald?”

A loud cough pulled the groups attention over to the barn where Grevin was making his way over with a large pack slung over his right shoulder and some of his bulkier pieces of armor held in the firm grip of his left hand. “Because Tabitha can be quite cold and calculating when she wants to be, especially when she sets her mind to something. I’ve seen her do quite a bit of harm in the past which is why I don’t want her anywhere near any of you for a good while.”

Tabitha frowned and shook her head taking a small step forward while spreading her arms out in a defensive motion. “I am not a threat! I give you my word that I’ll stay in the barn and on this farm! I’ll even let that purple unicorn keep my weapon! Is that enough to get you to at least see that I’m not a threat?”

Grevin brushed past her and moved over to where Applejack stood setting his pack down next to the farm mare before turning and glaring at the beautiful woman. “No. I know what you’re capable of and I’m not going to let my guard down around you. Now why don’t you go on up to that loft in the barn and get some rest. We have to let the princesses know that you’re here.”

Tabitha looked away while letting a soft sigh escape her before turning and making her way toward the barn. “…Fine, I’ll go get some sleep. “ She raised a hand over her head and gave a half hearted wave. “It was nice to meet you all, I hope to see you again soon.”

Once the door to the barn shut behind her, the four mares all turned to face Grevin, some of which held a small frown on their lips. Twilight trotted over to Grevin and placed a soft hoof on his side while looking up into his eyes. “Are you alright Grevin? I know that this probably has been a very taxing day.”

He reached down and gently grasped her hoof in his hand giving it a small squeeze before stepping back from her while giving a small nod. “Yes…I’m alright but…well…I’m sorry.”

Applejack frowned and sat herself down while tilting her hat up so she could better see him. “Sorry? What are you saying sorry for sugar-cube? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

His eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at her in a moment of stunned silence before slowly shaking his head. “You’re joking right? You watched me turn from my usual self into a cold blooded individual who was ready to choke the life out of another living being. I snapped and lost control of myself…”

Fluttershy quickly flapped her wings and rose up to his eye level her face heavy with concern. “Grevin, you didn’t do any lasting damage, and we aren’t afraid of you…if we were I wouldn’t be this close to you.”

He glanced up into her soft cyan eyes a moment before shaking his head and giving a small grunt of disapproval. “It doesn’t change the fact that I let myself turn into some sort of animal. I’m not going to be looked at by any of you in the same way as I used to be and I accept that, but please know that I’m sorry for not keeping a better hold on my emotions and I’ll try to keep myself in check from now on.”

Fluttershy frowned as she lowered her head and let herself float back down to the ground a soft mumble escaping her stating something about her being very good with animals but before Grevin could ask her about it Twilight pushed past her and quickly jumped up placing her front hooves on his chest forcing him to look her in the eyes.

“Grevin, we know you have a history with this woman and we understand that you feel bad for letting your emotions out but please don’t let this consume you with guilt or worry. We still care a great deal about you and nothing will change that.”

He raised a hand with his index finger pointed upwards, “Yes but-“

She firmly thumped his chest with her hoof and leaned in close stopping him before he could come close to forming a sentence. “No. No if’s, ands or buts. It’s done and over with. You’re still a Spectral Knight of Equestria and you’re duty bound to follow our orders…so I’m ordering you to forget it happened and move on.”

He frowned and began to open his mouth to speak only to have Applejack suddenly push her head into his side forcing him to stumble backwards towards the farm house. “Alright, that’s enough. We still got work to do so quick your yackin’ and get movin. We still need to write the princesses.”

Fluttershy and Chrysalis both laughed as they followed behind the two while Grevin tried to regain his balance while being pushed around by his new housemate. Twilight smirked and quickly put a magical aura around all the belongings he left behind and quickly put them with Tabitha’s sword before trotting up behind them.

Meanwhile, a pair of brown eyes silently watched the group through a crack in the barn door as they made their way into the farm house, a small frown pursing over her supple lips. Tabitha let out a small growl as she dug her fingers into the wooden door she was leaning against as she watched those ponies interact with her former love.

Pulling back from the doorway she made her way up the stairs to the loft and began to take in her new home, noting that there was a familiar smell about the room that seemed comforting to her. It was Grevin, or at least what remained of his scent. She made her way over to the small table that rested against the far wall of the room and sat down at it letting her hands slide over its smooth surface.

She knew she had only a few options available to her at this point. She knew for certain that she wanted Grevin back in her life. He had been a supportive and kind hearted man when they were on dates and a brutal, vicious killing machine on the battlefield…she liked that and she didn’t want to let it go.

She also could clearly see that these ‘friends’ of his were clearly quite interested in him. They saw him as something more than a simple friend…he was a potential mate. She knew that if those mares were given the chance, they would be all over him like Dwarves at a keg party. She couldn’t allow that, not if she was going to get him back.

She still had no idea as to what happened to drive him away but whatever it was, she was confident that she could make him see that she, herself, had nothing to do with it. Hopefully then they could begin to build their relationship over again…and as they did she was going to have to do her best to drive a wedge between those mares and him. Needless to say, the next few months were going to be interesting.

-Meanwhile, at the farm house-

Applejack led the group into the living room turning to make room for the rest of the group as the front door shut behind them. Grevin set down his pack near Granny Smiths rocking chair and took a moment to look around before facing the mares once more. “So…I’m staying here now huh?”

Applejack smiled and nodded while adjusting her hat and sitting down on her haunches. “Yep you’re pretty much part of the family anyway, it only make sense to have you stay here.”

He crossed his arms and looked around once more before looking down once again. “So…where will I be staying? Is there a cellar I can settle into? Maybe an attic?”

Applejack smirked and leaned forward shaking her head “Nope, you get to have the guest room.”

He blinked a moment before quirking an eyebrow “Will Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith be ok with all of this?”

She smiled and nodded. “Of course they will, don’t you worry none.”

Twilight closed her eyes as her horn began to shine and seconds later there was a flash of light and floating in front of her was a quill, a scroll and a vial of ink. “Alright, I think it’s time we write to the Princesses and tell them about our new guest.”

“Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

I am writing to inform you about an amazing yet possibly dangerous incident that happened in the castle ruins in the Everfree Forest. I’ll begin with the good news first. Grevin was able to identify a symbol he discovered upon his initial arrival to Equestria. As it turns out, it was a close resemblance too, if not an exact copy of a symbol he would often see in the ruins of his ancestors in Bastion. After inspecting the symbol, he channeled a large portion of magical energy into it and what happened after was amazing. The wall seemed to absorb that energy and it uncovered a new symbol that he did not recognize on a nearby pillar. We suspect that these symbols may act like some sort of lock, personally I think these locks are designed for a specific individual to open them but I have no proof of that quite yet. We will send more updates as we proceed with our research.

Now onto the more urgent matter at hand. After we discovered the second symbol in the castle ruins, we encountered another individual that had been brought to Equestria through Discords Magic. A woman named Tabitha. She, like Davick, seems to be pulled from the memories of Grevins mind. While she is a warrior, she doesn’t behave like Davick did when we encountered him.”

*Ahem*

Twilight blinked and looked up from her writing to see Grevin staring at her with a serious look that sent a clear message to her. She frowned and shook her head, “No Grevin. I’m not going to tell them that.”

“Twilight…you have a duty too. If you don’t I’ll find another way to tell them about it. They need to know.”

She sighed and shook her head as she went back to writing, a look of defeat on her face.

“It should be stated that Grevin has a bit of a history with this woman and it is quite complicated. He insists on telling you that when he first saw her, he intended to do her great harm and had to be restrained for a few minutes until he could calm himself. After that initial outburst, Grevin was quite adamant about making it known that he doesn’t trust her and that we should all be wary of her. For the time being she is staying on the Apple Farm under Applejack’s and Grevin’s supervision.

I feel that it may be best to have her be interviewed by one or both of you and then it can be decided as to how we proceed with her future plans in Equestria. We all hope to hear back from you soon.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight smiled and quickly rolled up the scroll before sending it off with a burst of magic. “There, hopefully we’ll hear back from them very soon.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly, quite glad to have things finally beginning to settle down when a familiar tingling sensation began to make itself known between her hind legs. She froze as her cheeks began to burn a soft crimson when she realized that during the events of the entire day she and her friends had not only forgotten about their intentions for the quite man standing next to them, but they had somehow managed to ignore the intense frustrations of their heat, which in her case, was coming back with a vengeance.

She knew what she wanted to do and quickly smiled while she flapped her wings drawing her up above her friends so she could look Grevin in the eyes more effectively. “Now that, that is all finished, don’t you think it’s time to help Grevin get settled in his new room? I’m sure there are plenty of things that need to be unpacked and sorted before he goes to sleep tonight.”

Applejack who was sitting right next to her timid friend easily caught the scent of Fluttershy’s arousal and quickly came to her own realization causing her to smirk at the subtle and soft tone of her friends voice, easily catching her hint. She quickly nodded as she rose to her hooves and lightly brushed against Grevin’s him as she moved past him heading for the stairs. “Fluttershy is right you know. We should get you…settled.”

Twilight blinked a moment at the sudden change in her friends behavior before catching onto their tone of voice and within seconds her cheeks turned slightly red. She turned to face ‘Emerald’ and smiled a bit before glancing over her shoulder at the three who were making their way up the stairs. “Um…well, Emerald, it’s been nice to meet you but it is getting late…so…”

Chrysalis could only stare at Twilight in surprise, the intentions of the three mares laid out quite clear. She felt her own cheeks turn red when she realized that not only were they hoping to express their love to him…one or two of them were hoping to outright ravage the unsuspecting man. “Um…uh, well…don’t you think I should help him get settled?”

Twilight blinked before a strand of her mane seemed to pop oddly out of place while a nervous chuckle escaped her. “Oh, no that’s quite alright. After all, it will get pretty crowded in that little room you know.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes before turning away and nodding. “Alright…I’ll be seeing you around then.”

Twilight nodded with a bright smile. “Absolutely. Have a good night.”

Chrysalis shook her head as she made her way to the front door. She knew that Grevin had already had one hell of a day and now he was in for yet another surprise. Part of her was curious to see how he would react but she had no interest in seeing Twilight Sparkle or Applejack throw themselves at somepony while trying to deal with their heat.

She made her way out the front door of the farm house and passed in front of the barn, her eyes lingering on it a moment before she quickened her pace heading back to Ponyville. She wasn’t sure what to make of the newest visitor. She seemed somewhat innocent but her true intentions could still be hidden…it was clear though that she saw Grevin as a target…a goal to obtain and that didn’t sit very well with her….even if she had intended that for him as well.

Perhaps she would need to change her focus and alter her plans into something more fluid for the time being. There were many uncertain factors but one thing was certain, things were going to get a lot more interesting in the next few weeks and part of her was quite curious to see where things go.

Author's Notes:

Authors Notes:

Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that I’m not dead and the reason it has taken me so long to get this chapter out is due to several items. The largest of those was that I basically hit a massive block of writers block and had to force my way through sections of the chapter…which I’m certain will be quite evident in the writing…sad to say not all chapters can be gems. On top of that life had thrown several curves my way…my job security was pulled into question for a time as was a co-workers, my wife and I found out we’re expecting again, yay!, and them our little miracle child had ended up in the hospital a few times. All in all, life is so freaking busy.

Now that I’ve introduced you to Tabitha, I hope she can grow as a character and maybe add more depth to Grevin…and if not, well at least she’s another foil for the heroines of the chapter. It’s clear that Grevin has no love for this person…but she doesn’t exactly feel the same way. Do you think she can be redeemed or is she going to end up getting skewered through the heart by our hero? Let me know what you think.

As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my work. I know there are a lot of stories out there and by picking mine you’ve given me a chance to keep your interest. I don’t have an exact time frame as to when the next chapter will come out, but I promise it shouldn’t be as long as this one. I think now that I’ve established the new character I can let things flow a heck of a lot faster…provided life gives me the fifteen minutes here and there that I need so I can write.

I also want to give a big thank you to my editor who patiently examines this story and offers not only grammatical help but assists in keeping the story smooth. Without his assistance I know I would be posting some pretty poor work. Thanks bud.

Thanks again to everyone and feel free to leave comments…in fact I encourage it. Brony on. /)*(\ -Grev