"Let's see, blah blah blah, economics, strategy, running the city, self important drivel about why this is all necessary and egomaniacal statements about taking over the world." I continued skimming through Atran's journal, looking for anything of interest. "He actually sound a little like us. He brought a bunch of former slaves together and made a successful community. Difference is his was twisted." I gave a light laugh as I read aloud to myself.

"Hmm? Here's something..."

Entry 684

Impossible. Unthinkable. It can't be. Scouts have reported that out in the badlands to the east, a pair of griffins were beset by an ancient dragon, and managed to slay it. Over eighty feet tall and black scales harder than diamond, and they were able to kill it. One of them investigated the corpse (by climbing inside it, brave fellow) and determined that it died by choking to death on it's own blood. It must have swallowed one of them, and they carved it up from the inside. They're not too far off, so I'm sending a group out to try and locate them, and bring them here. I want to meet them. I'm also sending a team out to scavenge what's left of it.

"That's... us. It's us. I wonder... how long has Atran had his eye on us?"

Entry 689

The griffin pair flew to Equestria, killing a group of dog slavers, and rescuing drunken ponies, while they were at it. My scouts talked with the four who were rescued, and from their account, it appears that these two have a sense of humor. Being able to kill and instead of letting it eat away at you, laugh it off, those are good qualities if you're going to be a soldier. I've recalled my scouts. Since they're in the pony lands now, I'll most likely see them in the paper. The question is, will it be because they're in prison?

As I read through the entries, almost all of them became about us. Our passing through Manehatten, the ruckus Grif caused in Ponyville, our arrest and subsequent breakout in Stalliongrad, our rescue of Prince Blueblood... they were all there. We dropped off the radar a bit while we were in the jungle, with the last entry being the most prominent.

Entry 714

I don't believe it... after all this time. Wanted. The griffin named Griffin has been taking the world by storm, and at his side... The letters became sloppier, written with harsh lines, almost like frantic scribbling. At his side... Gilda Oro. I don't believe it. I can't believe it, but the photo on the wanted poster, those golden eyes. It has to be her. The eyes, the face, the likeness is incredible. After all this time... they lied. Those dogs in the hunting party, they lied, they LIED. For all these years, I've been living in misery at the loss of my family, but she's alive! She escaped! I... I can't help but feel that maybe, all those years of pain... weren't in vain. The loss of my wife wasn't pointless. Our daughter, MY daughter, escaped. She lives, and even without me, she's following in my footsteps, all because of him. That griffin. That wonderful, incredible griffin.

"... I... no... it can't be... he... he..." The journal shook in my claws as I read it, no longer able to just skim, I had to read every word. Almost frantically, I read, my eyes darting across the pages with fervor and intensity, as though my gaze could burn a hole in the page and absorb them directly.

Entry 758

Six. It's all over the papers, in the news, on the streets, it's everywhere. 'Griffin the griffin', with an airship for support, and a single unicorn on his back, (I'm still confused as to why he lets her ride him, but I digress) slew SIX dragons at once. He's.... he's impossible, he's incredible, and he's with my daughter. All the pony cities are talking about it, and Earth Scar is abuzz. I... I could not be happier with the company my daughter keeps.

Entry 762

Could I have been wrong this entire time? Yes, I was wrong, but I'm still not sure what about... I found out that Griffin, captain of the self proclaimed 'Griffin Pirates' has diamond dogs on his crew. They're not his slaves, nor are they spies. They're... they're a legitimate part of his crew. They're sophisticated, and intelligent and... it makes me sick to my stomach to see those mutts acting like they're people, like they actually have souls but... I'm torn. When I hear the news, when I look at the reports, I still can't decide. Was I wrong about him... or, was it ME who was wrong this entire time? So far, all the dogs in Earth Scar are either diggers and miners, servants, or prostitutes. They're not allowed any form of station other than menial labour and service. Is it possible that... he trained them? Or, perhaps... he changed them... Can they truly be something more than stupid hounds?

I continued reading Atran's entries, and with each day, he became even more fanatical. He became obsessed with Griffin and me. He constantly stated how proud he was of me for doing what I was doing, and... his opinion of Griffin only grew with each entry. Declaring war on slavery brought a tear to his eye, quite easy to see by the clear stains on the page. The only other thing that arose was his own guilt. He began to feel badly about what he had done to the dogs. After all, the whole time, they were just as much slaves as he was. In the end however, he still couldn't get over his hate, and he still blamed them for what happened, just... a little less.

I continued following us through his journal. The events of the gala, Grif's injuries at the hands of Ember made Atran furious. Then, at one point, it just became creepy.

He is beyond comprehension. Griffin declared that he is from another realm entirely, and that he was brought here by 'an indistinct old man' I'm assuming 'man' is the species, which matches lore from children's stories and myth. He has proven himself to be one of these beings, having allowed a photographer to take his picture when in that form. He also states that he was brought by a higher power.

It all makes sense. Having the strength to topple dragons, the endurance to withstand the wrath of one who turned an ancient mountain into a pit of fire, the determination to crush slavery... and the... kindness to forgive them, those blasted dogs, to FORGIVE them and give them a chance to redeem themselves. The wisdom to uncover the long lost ancient magics. There is only one work to describe him. Divine. I say this not in any metaphorical sense, but literal seriousness. He is an angel, sent by a god long forgotten in favor of the pony princesses, to bring change. To lift up those who have been trodden on. I've compiled a list of ponies who have been dealing in the slave trade. I'm going to send assassins after them. But I'm saving the high profile targets for him. I want to watch him smite them, to set their estates ablaze, and turn their ill gotten gains to ash. He is going to make an example of them.

My daughter... she is with him. He stated at a gathering of refugees that until she releases him, he belongs to her. I am certain that they are together. To think, right now, my daughter could be carrying the child of an angel! If I am certain of anything, it is that Griffin of the North Sky is to be the king of the new world, the one he will make. It seems I was wrong about the dogs. He has found a group of them that are civilized and sophisticated and defy everything that I have come to know, and hate, about them. He is directing the survivors of clans he conquers to Marble Pillars, while a wolf he calls friend, the Blue Stranger, as his name translates from Neighponese, establishes his own clan. Aoi Myoujin is also one of these beings sent from above. They will burn this world and make it anew from the ashes. It is my hope, perhaps a foolish one, that there will be a place for me in this new world.

I am not alone in this sentiment. Many in the city feel this way as well. We feel it in our hearts, and we know it must be true.

".... he's fucking crazy.... he is BONKERS. No wonder they were all wacko at Earth Scar! They're like a cult, and I'm the high priestess!"

Entry ....

It has been a long time since I've written, and longer still since I kept track of the number of entries. My daughter... I saw her today. She came to my office, asking for the names of the ponies who deal in slave trade. My soldiers have already found and killed a number of them within our borders. Only five remain on my list, those that live in Equestria. They know I'm after them, and they think they're safe. Just as the foolish princesses were unable to protect their precious ponies from the hunting hounds, they will be unable to save these criminals from 'his' divine wrath.

I couldn't tell her. I couldn't admit to being her father. After all that she's done, to help ALL the races of this world, and with her knowing what I've done, I couldn't let her know who I was. She didn't seem to recognize me, what with my scars and lack of wings, and, perhaps, my face that no longer holds the warm smile it did when she was a child. I remembered her though. Those eyes, so full of wonder, the joy of just being alive, and... she's pregnant. I want to tell her. I want to tell her so badly, I want to say 'I love you' and 'I'm proud of you' and 'I'm so glad with what you've done'. My heart aches, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring her shame like that. I'm an embarrassment as a father.

I couldn't just give the information away, so I offered a trade. One of those laser rifles that the ponies have. They don't have any use for them other than on ships, as they have unicorn magic, but for us, they'd be useful, which makes it a fair trade for the knowledge. She didn't know that I already have several of them. She turned the deal down, rightly she should. I wouldn't sell me weapons either, but I saw the look in her eye. She's going to come back and take them. I've ordered 3/4 of the guards off duty, to have paid vacation, and moved the majority out of my office to defend the city in the absence of the regular guard, and I also ordered maintenance on the artillery, so they'll be offline for a day or so.

"He... LET us take them?... He..."

"My my Gilda, back so soon?" I said in a sleezy tone. I can't change my image now and let her on to who I am.

"I've changed my mind, I want the intel." Good girl. Now, what do you have planned?

"What made you change your mind? I thought the intel wasn't any good?" I put on a show of being suspicious. She pulled one of the low caliber rifles from the backpack on the unicorn next to her.

"My strategist pointed out a... crucial flaw, in my reasoning. Even if these are fakes, I can't take the chance that they are real and have just lost my best lead. I suppose you'll be wanting a test fire?" I nodded. I can't turn it down, after all, a crime lord would want to see what he's buying. She tested it on a chest plate I conveniently ordered one of my guards to remove.

"Lumen. That's the activation keyword." She cranked the handle and fired, burning a hole in the armor. "There are a number of different caliber rifles. This is the smallest one, designed for light armor and unarmored targets, as well as flammable ones. One of these can sink an airship if it's made primarily of wood and cloth, simply by setting it on fire."

Alright... right about... now.

BOOM

My office was rocked by a series of explosions while my daughter quickly and expertly made short work of the guards. It's a shame they died, but that's just four more to the list of deaths I'm responsible for. I'm going to Tartarus when I die anyways. The unicorn jumped on my back and pressed a dagger against my skull. I shifted a bit, but made no struggle. She'll probably force me to open the safe now. I heard a banging on the door, the few guards I had posted were trying to get in and safe me.

"Wisp! We don't have time for this! You need to grab the intel! Just kill the bastard!" And there it is. I suppose I should have expected this. After all, they declared war on slavery, and while it may not be griffins, I'm just as much a part of the problem as they are at this point. This is the end. I opened my eyes to get one last look at my daughter, on her own barricading a door to prevent the guards from entering, and as the knife point was jammed into my brain, I smiled.

I looked down to see my corpse laying below me as the unicorn dug into my safe and took the files. I looked up to see a skeletal pony, wearing a black cloak and carrying a scythe. He tapped the ground with his hoof impatiently.

"I love you Gilda." For a moment, she seemed overcome by confusion, distracted from her task of holding the barricade. She shook her head to rid herself of the sensation before her unicorn friend touched her. They both turned ghostly and walked right through the guards who burst through the door.

"Go... fly..." I walked over to the reaper and smiled at him. "Welp. I haven't got all day. Let's get on with it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to hell for what I did, but it doesn't really matter anymore. My daughter is alive, and she's strong. That's all I can really ask for." He held out a skeletal wing, laid it across my back, and then, I was gone.

I slowly left my room, closing the journal and putting it in my desk, next to the picture of my parents. Remembering the crime lord, his face kept shifting to that of my loving father in my mind. I walked up onto the deck, where I saw Nadene and Trixie.

"Well? What else have you discovered about Atran?" Trixie asked innocently.

"His journal... told me what happened to my parents. They're both dead."

"Gilda... I'm so sorry." Nadene ran her hand through my fur, petting me. "Are you gonna be okay?"

I turned at her and smiled. "You know what, yeah. I think I am. Mr Steelhorn! Set a course for Ponyville! I'm gonna get Griffin, and then I'm gettin off this boat!"

Author's Notes:

So. There it is. The end of this arc. There's more to come, oh, just you wait. By the way, Atran well, he wasn't as crazy as Gilda thought he was. Well, as compared to the people Grif will come across in the NEXT arc, he's rather mild. Also, for those of you wondering what sets Griffin off, no, the babbi doesn't get hurt or anything. He's a bouncing bundle of fluffy, feathery joy and everything will go RIGHT for him. Because the world loves cute things. Also, if you think THIS was emotional, just wait till Grif meets his son. Oh, that'll be right up there with Fry's dog on the 'Feels Meter'.