After Merryweather berated me for my language, the session ended, and while everyone else went back to their respective rooms, be it the barracks for the guards, guest rooms for non military, and me to my own room, after spending a half hour trying to find the right way to go in that blasted maze, I eventually reached it. They started us off slow today with the work outs, since they wanted to 'ease us' into the the exercise regime. If this is what ponies go through to be guards, I'll never mock a guard again. I don't have to worry about that, since that can't possibly be the standard training regiment. If it was, the military would be able to kick boulders across mountain ranges and do various other, ridiculous feats. Now that I think about it, maybe that's how Shining Armor got his position as captain so young. He was the only one to successfully complete the damn thing.

"Note to self. Do not upset Shining Armor. Apologize for wedding."

"So, how was your first day?" The classic grouping of Mind Mender, Food Pyramid, and Princess Celestia standing at my door way, the the other two remaining silent to allow the princess to speak.

"Not bad, considering."

"Considering what?"

"At breakfast, they had us eat, only to do sit ups till we vomit. I didn't eat anything since it was bland and tasteless to any non pony. I inhaled lunch afterwards cuz I was starved, then listened to ponies talk about their lives, and I feel like I connected really well with Silver Shield. Also, Miss Merryweather told me to die." Payback's a bitch and so are you, go back to torturing foals in magic kindergarten you hag. "Chrysalis was really pleasant and caring and everything though, so it made it alright."

"Boot camp was 'alright'?" Mind Mender raised an eyebrow.

"You forget I've been through worse. So yeah, it was alright."

"Well... I'll have to have a talk with Miss Merryweather." Celestia said concerned. "So, you're not at all angry that I just put you into the Equestrian military?"

"Nope. I don't really like my squad but, hey, what the heck. Oh, and the constant protection spell thing? The one you said was paranoid and would never be needed in normal society? It saved me from being sneezed on. More accurately, I lit myself on fire to get rid of the giant projectile booger, and the spell stopped me from burning to death."

"Was that really necessary?" Mind Mender queried.

"The thing was as big as my eye, slimy, stuck to me and I would have puked if I hadn't already. Remember, I'm the one that comes up with creative solutions to difficult problems."

"...... ew." Three three of them looked disgusted just by the description.

"Anyways, I figured there would be a problem with the nutrition, so, we're moving you to a different room for a more permanent residence. Rather than a guest room, this'd be more of a small, open concept apartment, with a kitchen, living area and such. You'll be in charge of your own food, since you know how to cook, though groceries will be brought in, paid for by your contributions to our department of science and magic. Admittedly, we haven't had much use for the beam rifle, having unicorns and all, though we've outfitted some of our ships with the larger version you have on your own." Celestia explained.

"So basically, I'm going to be living here, and my 'rent' will be coming up with things for you?.... You must REALLY want what's in my noggin."

"Yes."

"That's it? Just, 'yes'?"

"Think about it. You discovered an entirely lost branch of magic, which we can only access using YOUR knowledge of a dead language from your home. I'm certain others of your kind have the knowledge, but we've yet to find any, and of them, they may not be willing to come forward. and since you DID promise you'd give the details to Twilight Sparkle, who would undoubtedly send me a report, I'd learn of it eventually."

"Fine. I'll write some stuff down for the department tomorrow. It'll be up to them to come up with uses, I'll just provide base meanings."

"Very well. Now, let's get you moved into your new home."

"Uh... I don't have anything here? All MY stuff is in a safety deposit box." I looked at her blankly.

"Oh, right. Well, follow me please." Celestia said as she turned and walked out the door. I followed her, leaving Mind Mender and Food Pyramid behind.

"You know, no matter how much I'm in here, I always seem to get lost in this castle. Do you have a map or something? Or do you just... change the walls around to fit your mood?" I asked, making idle conversation.

"Now there's an idea..." She pondered. "You really do come up with the oddest ones. Useful ones. Just plain strange is Discord's department."

'I have waaaay too much in common with that snake.'

"Like what? Sparing the obvious of course."

".... you're reading my mind again. You know how much I hate that."

"But it's so easy. Even with your little mental protection spell. I just go right around it."

'Celestia slept with Discord. She likes it freaky. I know you took a peek when you turned me pink.'

"Stop that!"

"Then get out of my head."

Then the princess of the sun looked at me and pouted. "Spoil sport." She let out a sigh. "You can't blame a gal for looking though." She smirked. That was obviously meant as trolling. "Drat, you caught me. It's odd though. Around my subjects, I can't have fun like this."

"I guess that's why you fell in love with Discord. He can be fun, and he doesn't respect anything or anyone. Of course, that lack of respect and carefree attitude lead to trouble when you needed him to be serious. And look where that got him." I remarked, looking out the window of the hallway at the garden statue below.

"Well, here we are. Your new quarters. Complete with kitchen and refrigerator. Get settled in. Oh, and Winter's Chill will be by later, said you promised to show him something."

Dear Gilda,

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been really busy, and had a lot on my mind. I'm really happy that you and the crew were able to take that den on your own. You came up with a plan, made backups, made it work, all without me, and I'm proud. I'm also scared. With this success, it means you don't need me anymore, which, is good because it means you don't need my help, but it's bad because, well, you don't need me. As crazy as it sounds, I'm afraid that if you don't need me, you won't want to be around me anymore.

I moved into a new room today, a bit bigger, with it's own kitchen and stuff. I miss Maria's cooking, and Surprise's bubbly attitude and Nadene's antics. I miss Trixie's magic practice, Steelhorn's wisened ways, Geirmund's crazy uncle attitude, Shimmer's optimism and... above all, I miss you.

I'm going to start giving Celestia some of my discoveries. It'll improve the country, as well as pay for the help I'm getting.

See you soon...

Griffin.

Ps: Therapy sucks. It taught me that I'm an emo, and I hate it when Ember is right.

"Alright, so, Ment means mind... in Harry Potter the 'cruciatus' curse was for pain, cruciatus, cruelty, cru cru... cru? Mind reader..... prophet is close enough. Mente cru propheta. Yeah... I'll give it a shot. Try and read my mind now. I dare you."

"I miss you too." After Shimmer belched up the letter, (something she was embarrassed about) I finally got a reply, and found out how the knucklehead was doing. "He's afraid?" I let out a sigh. "That's it, isn't it? The reason he's afraid of being left behind. Because, that's what he'd do in this position. He's doesn't want to be in the way or dead weight, because he'd throw himself out. The worst thing is that I've thought about it. If he didn't get better, he'd have to stay, and we wouldn't take him with us. He gave me all his insights and thoughts. He's afraid of me leaving him behind, because if he had a choice, he'd abandon himself."

"Hey Gilda. Thinking out loud again?" Nadene asked as she walked up beside me and put a paw on my back.

"Just, about Griffin, you know?"

"That guy is WAY to hard on himself. Didn't know how to lighten up. Probably why he got all stressed out. You know... between the past two dens we cracked, we could probably take the new ship down to give him a visit while the Possibility runs a trade route between dens for a bit." The cat suggested.

Looking up at the steel hulled, dual quad rotor, (four rotors in an X formation for thrust, with a second set of four higher up on the small hull for added stability, speed, maneuvering, and in case one of the engines got shot, we could just switch it off and turn on a different one) enclosed balloonless, with a single artillery piece running the length of the ship designed to fire custom explosive or armor piercing rounds, and numerous gun ports along the side for small arms fire, the ship was the epiphany of speed. It's top speed, with all eight engines running full bore, was a whopping 80 knots, or 140 km/h, in any direction. By switching which rotors were running, it could turn on a dime or hover in any direction, allowing it to line up it's massive gun with ease. The damn thing could fly upside down and sideways if the pilot had a mind to. It was painted black to match the night sky, with a single yellow stripe along either side.

"Wanna know the best thing about this ship?" Shimmer asked. "It shatters the equestrian speed limit for equestrian non military. They put that law in place so no civilian could outrun a military ship. Since we're not in the Equestrian military, we'll probably get pulled over, and then we can say hello to all the nice guards." She smirked innocently. She wasn't naive though, she knew that it was illegal, she just didn't care.

"... you sure know a lot about this..." I said as though asking a question.

"Of course I do, I'm going to be flying it." She smiled back.

"Uh, wha?"

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time, sucking my claw? Steelhorn has been teaching me the forge and how to fly airships. He says I'm good enough to pilot."

"And I will be the captain." Growl added, joining our conversation. "You said yourself that my strategic expertise made me fit for the job, and since the ones most familiar with the ship are the diamond dogs who built it, Marble Pillars is supplying the crew. Not to be racist or anything, but they just feel more comfortable having another hound in charge."

"No, it's fine. It's a better plan than having some of us learn how to use it, because then a number of soldiers we have would have to be placed as shipboard crew and retrained."

"Good." As the vessel spun up it's turbines and lifted into the sky, painted on it's side was our emblem, the black blade, rising to meet any challenge, lifted by the wings of hope, and flanked on either side by a pillar of white. As I stood next to the ship, I pulled out a bottle of wine, and took a swig from it before chucking it at the ship's hull. "For your great speed, maneuverability, and offensive strength, I christen thee to match thy likeness! 'Hornet'!" The bottle shattered, and I crossed the gang plank.

'I'm as cheesy as Griffin now, and I still don't know what goes on in his head half the time.'