"Well.... I guess that's it then." I sighed as I walked out of the castle. "We're on our own now. I guess he saw it coming, didn't he?"

"Yeah...." Trixie moped. "Except he thought it would be him dying, not going for therapy. Still, the effect is the same."

"Not quite Trix... I mean, I'm glad he's still around, and he's getting help, but, it feels wrong you know?"

"What do you mean?" Etch asked. He was leaving the ship too, so I'm not sure if he'd understand.

"He is terrified of all those he cares about abandoning him. I feel as though we have thrown him away, soon as he outlived his usefulness. Once he became too much of a burden to bear, we 'dumped him off', even though that is not the case, I cannot help but feel as such." Growl said, scratching his chin sagely. We all nodded sadly.

"Well, what now?" Nadene asked. "I mean, he was pretty much the heart of this group. How are we going to do this without him?"

"Exactly how he prepared us to. He knew that this day would come, just not the circumstances around it, be it death or mental illness. He gave us everything he could to make sure we could do this without him. All his knowledge, his insight, even his way of thinking. We CAN do this. It'll be a little harder, but we all put too much into this to see it fail now."

"I guess so." Trixie mumbled. "I suppose I'll be spending a lot of time working on our magic library."

"And I'll work with the Freuds to advance our medicine." Nadene pointed out.

"Und I vill make enhancements to everyzing I can." Geirmund said enthusiastically, then looked around at all of us, who were staring at him awkwardly. "Vat? People come, people go. Ve care for him greatly, und he is sick, not dead. He vill get better, und ven he does, ve vill be vaiting for him. Qvit moping und lets go! Ve have vork to do." And with that, the aged tinkerer trotted off. I'm not sure whether or not he's lying to himself, or he truly believes everything will be fine. I wish I felt the same, even if it was fake confidence.

"Lets go then. The den is advanced enough to have assassins and warships, and enough influence to get other dens to help. If we're going to take them down, we need more than just one ship. I already know Signal is going to be using the remnants of those seven that attacked to fix the town, and provide better defenses such as always keeping the sky above it clear unless they need the rain, and we're short on cash since the Possibility's rent came due. I'll... think of something on the way." Still. I don't know if we'll be able to pull this off without him. I put on a brave face for the crew, but the whole time he was in the hospital after getting ripped apart, he still spent it working on things. Spells, strategies, equipment, anything and everything he needed. It's almost as though he can see what problems something might have in order to work around them. Even in himself. Admitting he has a problem, bowing to Celestia, something he's NEVER done to anyone..... that must have been horrifying for him. All the guilt and shame, and he swallowed it because he knew something was wrong with him.

"They're.... gone." I let out a sigh, and looked to the horizon as I watched the ship leave.

"It's alright Griffin. They aren't leaving you. It's not a goodbye. You'll see them again." Celestia reassured me. I shook my head slightly.

"You don't know that. This is the first time I haven't been there. I guess they handled the assassins and invasion alright with me knocked out, and I know I wouldn't be any use to them if my mind keeps degrading, but that's just it. I feel useless. If I'm not there, how will they deal with problems that arise?..... and I know that's just the paranoia talking. I gave them everything I had to make sure they could do it without me. They'll be fine....."

"Griffin. You shouldn't lie to yourself. That's how a lot of this trouble started. It's alright to be worried. It's alright to be afraid. You just need to trust them. They're grown up you know. A lot more so than you. They can take care of themselves." She looked at me sadly. "I know this is going to take some getting used to. We're here to help you, and you aren't alone." Celestia smiled. I hung my head.

"Yeah... but it's gonna feel that way for a while. I really hope I don't have another breakdown. Where's Knightmare by the way? I'm surprised he isn't right next to you."

"He's off taking care of.... problems." She said the last part sternly, as though I should know what she was talking about.

"Ah, right. The ones that got stolen.... or escaped.... at the Gala. That's fine. I really don't want him to see me like this anyways, an emotional wreck." I shook my head again, and breathed deeply. "Well, it's been two weeks since I had my last drink, should be about another two before I start feeling the symptoms. I may as well get settled in as best as I can. I have the feeling I'm gonna be here for a while."

Dinner time came and went. They gave me a steak that was actually ground up vegetables, covered in sauces for flavor. Not really the same, but it still tasted alright. I ate that in my room, which was a castle visitor's suite, and when I was done, I laid stomach down on the bed, facing the door instead of away from it, so my head was at the foot of the bed and my feet were under the pillows. I had my armor and broken shards of Hades stored in the castle vault. Not the black vault, just a safety deposit box, and I put my amulet on the bedside table. That's when I had a rather important visitor.

"May I enter?" Came a refined voice from the other side of the door.

"Yeah." I replied without asking who it was. I'd really just like someone to talk to at this point. Enter Prince Blueblood. Maybe I was a little too desperate for some company, but I can't exactly kick him out.

"Hey."

"Hay?" He questioned, which made me want to facepalm.

"Um... never mind."

"I just wanted to wish you well. It was long ago, but you did a great thing for me. It saddens me to see you in this state." He did look genuinely sad. He has a bad reputation in the brony community, but thats literally from one bad night.

"Yeah, I guess. But, it's either this, or I go completely bonkers and do something..... bad."

"Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help." And with that, he left, and I was alone for the rest of the evening. When night fell, I went out on the porch after disconnecting my wing. (Gear had made a slight modification on the way from Signal, so I could take the majority of it off without removing the bit that connected to my nerves. He also said something about robotic eyes for my human body, but they'd take time since he wasn't a fan of optics.) I decided it would be better to not have the temptation to fly away, since I was feeling that a lot right now. I sat there in the late October air and watched the sun set, feeling a little chill as a slight breeze ran through my feathers.

'Probably gonna molt soon. Not looking forward to that again. Did it last year around the same time.' I was drawn out of my reverie by Princess Luna landing on the railing. Of course she'd visit me. In fact, I'm fairly certain in three day's time, all of Equestria will know and I'll have ponies beating down my door. I just dealt with Puppy Love. I'm not looking forward to any more journalists.

"Griffin. You should return to your chambers. The air is rather chill." She said, a look of concern adorning her face.

"Yeah, just, in a minute." She walked up to the side and sat next to me.

"What are you doing out here anyways?"

"Thinking. I always am. About everything."

"Griffin. Listen. I want you to know, I'm proud of you for doing this. A long time ago, I let myself fall into darkness, and tried to bring the world with me, all because I was too stubborn and embarrassed to get the help I needed. I nearly destroyed the world. You were walking the same path, yet swallowed your pride and sought help. Things may seem bleak now, but they WILL get better." She put her wing on my back. No, she was NOT putting the moves on me with the classic 'Stretch and put your arm on her shoulders' move. It was a genuinely caring gesture.

"Auntie Woona? Gwiffy needs a hug." She smiled when she remembered how I taunted her when I was covered in cake, yet this time, the feeling was genuine. She wrapped her hooves around my neck and gave me a comforting embrace before taking off into the night sky, and I went back to bed.

Subject: Griffin North

Griffin stated he was sad to see his crew go. He spent most of the day in solitude, in his room, but did not object to visitors. He spent some time on the balcony, after removing his mechanical wing which he states is so he can 'sleep more comfortably' and also that he wouldn't be tempted to try and follow the ship. He asked Princess Luna for a hug in a childish tone, calling her 'Auntie Woona' which is a joke between them. She obliged his request. It is highly unusual for Princess Luna to show such direct involvement in her subject's lives. It may be due to her own dark past as 'Nightmare Moon', that she feels a connection to Griffin who walked a similar path, though this is purely speculation. His behavior and personality were completely normal. He was sad to see his friends go, was mildly antisocial, which is understandable considering he is around ponies he doesn't know, and when in the company of those he is familiar with, made light humor. It's fairly clear how this issue went on for so long. There are many times that he is completely sane, with outbursts of instability at regular intervals.

Doctor's Note:

Griffin stated he sought help because he was worried if things kept going the way they were, he might do something 'bad'. Given the records of the things he already has done, many of which are outright horrific, I am rather afraid of what his definition of 'bad' might be.

Mind Mender