I recently received word from the Stillwater hospital that Griffin was to be operated on. I inquired as to the reason, at which point I was informed that his human form had taken significant damage from his encounter in Ancientwell. That, and Twilight's own line of questioning from a few days ago still stung in the back of my mind. When I didn't want to answer her questions, she told me Griffin had the same reply, but eventually broke down and told her.

I had already heard the horror stories. How he started calm and calculated, but slowly degraded as time went on. The straw that broke the pony's back being the death of two of his adopted 'family' that he'd become close with. According to all the reports I'd received, that's when it went downhill. He intentionally went about causing as much terror as possible. I'd seen it all before, the way he acted at the Gala, Prince Blueblood's recounting of his own rather bloodthirsty rescue, but this was different. The few who'd been willing to come forward for interview, they were shaking when they told their stories. I'd like to scold him, to tell him that what he did was wrong but I can't. I wasn't there. I know what he did to them, but at this point I have no idea what they did to him. That and given my own past and the fact that this is partially my fault, I have no right to reprimand him.

That's why I finally decided I should go see him.

When I arrived at the hospital I was directed to the recovery room where Griffin was waiting after being operated on. He was still asleep. I slowly entered the room to keep from disturbing him when I found myself face to face with one of the doctors, somepony I knew for her reputation. Dr. Exotic. I hadn't met her face to face by this point but I could tell by her cutie mark and the predatory gleam in her eye that it was her.

"Hello Doctor."

"Princess Celestia. I was wondering when you might arrive."

"You were expecting me?" I asked.

"To be honest I was expecting you sooner." She turned away from me, brought a hoof to the unconscious human's cheek and rubbed it gently. "So fascinating. He was an amazing patient. He requested to remain awake through the whole surgery so he could explain how his different bits and pieces went together properly. According to him the only doctor who knew any human anatomy was 'Geirmund Freud', who is now dead, so he explained his shoulder joint to us while we operated, under the effect of minimal painkillers. As soon as he changed, we had to use magic to keep what little blood he had left inside him. After we finished, we put him to sleep for a bit to keep him from moving." She pet the hair atop his head while she readjusted the feeding and oxygen tubes stuck down his throat. After that, she abruptly stopped and walked back towards me.

"He'll make a full recovery. The main issue is the blood loss. We didn't have any donors. Eventually that'll come back and he'll be good to go." Exotic stated.

"Thank you for the report. If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone with him for a few minutes."

"Of course your majesty." And with that she left the room.

I simply sat there for the longest time, staring at him. He had bandages all over his left shoulder, little red splotches on it where the blood had soaked through. Even though he slept he wore a pained expression on his face.

"Do you blame me?" I asked in a whisper. Of course he didn't answer. "It's never easy, knowing what could have or should have been." Still no reply. "I only wanted to do what's right. I have my responsibility to Equestria." I sighed. "Twilight was right. Nine hundred years ago I ruined the old dominion to protect Equestria. I did it again with you. I could have gone with you. I could have made that choice, taken the risk. You succeeded on your own, but at the time I had no idea what you'd be facing. What we'd be facing if I went with you. What if it had been too much for the both of us? Equestria needs me. I couldn't risk myself." I hung my head in shame. "So I let you go alone. And this is the result. All for trying to clean up the mess I made nine hundred years ago that got out of hoof."

I sat there silent for a time. Pondering to myself if talking to him was pointless, if he could even hear me in that drugged up state.

"I can't be everywhere. I can't do everything. For all my power when I use it it's either not enough to fix it, or it's far too much and makes everything worse. And then there's you. Despite your confusion, and fighting with your own heart, you always seem to know exactly what needs to be done. Even if it doesn't make any sense to us. I won't even try to understand why you did the things you did in Ancientwell. You had your reasons. I'm in no position to forgive or condemn you either, since I'm just as guilty." I closed my eyes shut to fight back the tears.

"You're just... so similar to myself, so long ago. I said it once before. I see in you a younger me. Going down the same path I once did, and now you're paying for it, just like I did. I don't know what to say. Can I even apologize?" All while I asked him these questions, he didn't say a word, just sleeping off the effects of his operation. Seeing him laying there, so broken, I couldn't bear to look at him in that state anymore. That, and asking an unconscious hospital patient for advice is something I'd expect from Discord, so I thought it best to take my leave.

As I left, I did not notice a single eye open, glowing a mechanical blue as it watched me depart.

Author's Notes:

Bit of a shorter chapter, I know, but I've been sick all this past week and wasn't much in the mood for writing, so I knew I had to get SOMETHING published before I wound up in one of those lousy slumps I tend to get if I put it off for too long.