Finally having what I had gone to the Crystal Empire for, the time came for Gilda, Seth and I to return to the New Dominion. We no longer had a house in Equestria since Tirek wrecked it, so for the time being we would live in the capitol. The return trip was uneventful. Mostly just a lot of time flying.

"You know Gilda, I've been thinking."

"What else is new?" She replied sarcastically. I shot her a quizzical look. "Sorry."

"Anyways, some day soon, there's going to be a lot of children in the New Dominion. We need to see about setting up schools. The problem with this is that most griffins never went to school themselves. As much as I hate to say it, for the first generation or so, we MAY have to rely on the ponies for teachers. Coming up with a curriculum shouldn't be too hard, but actually getting people to do the teaching, we'd have to rely on outside resources. Doctors too. As it stands, any New Dominion resident who needs medical attention either has to go to a zebra healer or to Equestria. This needs to change. I should suggest it to the council."

"That's right... Given how far we've come so quickly, it's easy to forget that a few years ago, most of us were either living in caves or underground. Barring the few skilled trades we have, and a few modern things, we're sitting at something similar to a medieval level right now." Gilda remarked.

"Maybe we should advertise that we're hiring teacher and doctors? Hmm... first we need to get schools and doctors offices constructed. Unfortunately, we'll still be reliant on Equestria for medical supplies, not including what we get from Zebrica. That begs the issue of currency. Do we use the bit, or do we come up with our own monetary unit? Then what about currency fluctuations? Hmm......"

"Well Griffin, we've got a long way to go till we reach Signal. Plenty of time to think."

When we arrived at Signal however, all those matters got put on the backburner, because there was a matter that required my urgent and undivided attention. Since the New Dominion had been formed, we'd had our first murder.

"Griffin, I'm glad you've arrived. The council has reached an impasse. We don't know what to do." Mayor Bluebeak began. "If you'll follow me to my office, I'll explain the situation. We don't have a prison, so we're holding the prisoner there, under guard. The family of the victim are in the next building over."

When I entered the office, I found myself looking at a griffin in chains.

"This is the culprit?"

"Yes. Rift is his name."

"He murdered another citizen?"

"Yes. A diamond dog named Litwug. His guilt is beyond doubt. There were many witnesses, and he's openly admitted to it."

"Then what's the issue?" I asked.

"The issue is what his punishment should be, given the circumstances."

"I see. May I speak to the prisoner?"

"Of course."

Bluebeak and his council let me into the room, then left. I dismissed the guard. There wasn't much he could do to me, given that he was in chains.

"Tell me, Rift. Do you know who I am?"

"Finally! Now we'll get this cleared up. You're King Griffin. I know you'll make the right choice."

"Which is?" I asked, confused.

"Releasing me of course!" Rift replied.

"Hold on, let me hear your side of the story first, before I make any decisions."

Rift paused for a moment. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"That... that damn mutt. A couple years ago, he was part of a clan. He was a member of a hunting party that captured me, my wife, and my son, Camron. She DIED in that pit. Then you... you came. You and your crew. You rescued me, and my son, but you chose to let them live. And then, for him to come here, to live HERE. As long as I live, I'll never forget his face. Litwug. Every time I think about him, I see red. I see my wife, and I see my son, suffering. I had to kill him, for what he did, you understand right? I know what you did to protect your family. I was just doing the same!"

Rift seemed to be breaking down from stress.

"I see. I'll need to think for a while." I left, and told the guards to go back to watching him. His son was outside the room, crying.

"Are... are you gonna kill my Papa?"

"I... I don't know.... I... really don't know."

Next, I went the the building next door, where Litwug's family was. Three diamond dogs in all. Bluebeak informed me they were his brother, his wife, and his daughter. The wife and child were bawling, while the brother was gritting his teeth and growling.

"You!" The brother snarled as I entered the room. "You're full of dog shit!"

"Oh, and why's that?"

"You're gonna let that bastard go! After what he did, he deserves to get chopped up and put in the gruel, and you're gonna let him off the leash."

"Actually, I haven't made my decision. Instead of insulting me, why don't you tell me your side of it?" Litrug seemed to calm down a bit.

"I'm Litrug, Litwug's brother. That's Nara, his wife, and Lusa, his daughter. she's only four years old. My brother was down at market, minding his own tail, when that winged rat dove out of the sky and ripped him up with his bare claws!"

"Winged rat?" I gave him a harsh glare.

"Oh, no, not you. That's what my clan call griffins without honor. Sure, we fight like cats and dogs, but at least there's a little bit of respect to it Not much, but a little. Him? He's worse than scum. I'll see him dead. If you don't do it, I'll do it myself!"

"Nara? Lusa?" They stopped crying as I called their names, took one look at me, then began crying again, this time huddled up in what looked like fear. Lusa probably couldn't tell the difference between me and the one who killed her father.

"I see... I'll need some time to think."

"What's there to think about?" Litrug snarled. "He deserves to die and if you give him anything less you're just as bad as he is."

I stayed the night in a hotel on the island, where I confided in Gilda.

"This is a really tough decision. I can see why the counsel couldn't do it either."

"You're telling me. I never was good with politics."

"... geez, I wasn't even taking the politics of it into account! Just on a moral level. Is it okay that he killed another Dominion citizen, because of what happened before either of them were citizens? Should he be allowed his revenge? But then what of the family on the other side? They'll want their revenge on him, and then the cycle goes on and on and on... What's worse, they BOTH have children. Do I let him live for the sake of his child?... No."

"No?"

"I can't Gilda. I can't let him get off scot-free. If I let him go then I'm the worst hypocrite to ever live. Here I go around, preaching peace and unity for the nation, and then I let a murderer live just because of his species. Rrrrg.... Gilda.... make me human." She didn't question this, and obliged.

"Okay, not looking at it from a griffin point of view, looking at it from a neutral point of view. It's not okay that Rift killed Litwug due to their past interaction with each other, because once they became citizens of the New Dominion, they left their old lives behind. This is a country of second chances, and not just for griffins. For diamond dogs and ponies too, and whatever else comes to live here. As king of the New Dominion, I have a duty to protect all of it's citizens, no matter their race. Politically, if I let him go, I'm basically giving griffins free reign to murder diamond dogs free of consequence. If I punish him, I'm upholding the law, but a lot of griffins are going to feel betrayed by this. I have to do it in a way that makes everyone understand the reasons behind it. I know what I have to do. I just REALLY don't like it."

"Try and get some sleep, okay?"

The next morning, I gathered the council in town square, along with most of the populace. Litrug and family were there, and Rift was in the center of town with me. Gilda had Camron by her side.

"Everyone, may I have your attention please. This is a sad day in our history. I will remind you all again, the New Dominion is not the griffin dominion, it is a dominion for all of us. A few days ago, The griffin Rift, murdered the diamond dog Litwug. Under normal circumstances, the punishment for murder, not in self defense, is death. As it stands, however, Litwug was responsible for capturing Rift and his family years ago. His wife died in the mines."

I paused for a moment to let everyone process this.

"However, that occurred before either of them became citizens of this country, before either of them were under my protection. This country is one of second chances. A new life for liberated griffins, and diamond dogs, ponies and dragons and changelings, and whatever else comes to call this place home. Rift killed Litwug because he wanted revenge. Litrug, his brother, demands Rift's blood as payment. And then? When Cameron, Rift's son, grows up, he'll grow up hating Litrug, and Nara, and Lusa, and all diamond dogs, and they'll grow up hating all griffins, and then? We'll all be at each others throats all over again. It'll go on and on until nothing is left."

"As king of the New Dominion, I chose members of the council, leaders of each village, who gather to discuss what should be done in this country. They make laws on my authority. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not destroy that which is not yours. The council is unable to decide whether or not Rift should be punished for killing Litwug, due to what happened previously. However, they have neglected to consider another crime he has committed."

"Rift, the very act of breaking the laws of the New Dominion is, in and of itself, a challenge to my authority. You have, by your actions, challenged me for the crown. I hereby accept your challenge. As king of the New Dominion, I am above the law of the New Dominion, because I make them. Should you defeat me and become king, you will be absolved of this crime, due to no longer being under the law. Guards. Release him. If he tries to escape, shoot him down."

"You can't be serious." Rift stated in shock. "No way. They're Diamond Dogs. How can you choose them over your own species!?!?" He shouted.

"Excuse me?" I motioned to my human form. "Do I fuckin look like a griffin to you?" He was taken aback by that. "You have NO IDEA what you've done, have you? You don't understand at all! Diamond dogs HATE griffins. At least, they used to. And then you know what happened? I came along. I became your king, and became the biggest bastard this world has ever seen. I kill, I steal, I do all those horrible, terrible things so that you don't have to. So now, most diamond dogs don't have griffinS anymore. They just hate Griffin. Me. I was hoping that griffins could just forgive the past and it would be over, but I guess that wasn't going to happen."

"I.... I..." Rift had tears sneaking into the corners of his eyes.

"So now, I have to take their hate too."

"You can't judge me! I've done exactly what you've done! Yeah, I killed him, so what? You've killed way more!"

"I CAN judge you. If I were innocent, some kind of hero, or martyr, I couldn't. But I'm not. I'm a sinner too.. I hate you for what you've done, only because I hate myself for what I've done so much more. I'm the king, not because I'm a a warrior, or because I'm intelligent, but because I can have all this guilt and self loathing and still live with it. Now then, if you're ready, we're going to have a duel. I suggest you fight for your life, because if you lose, I WILL kill you."

"The fight will begin in ten seconds." Bluebeak announced before exiting the town square. The guards unshackled Rift, then left as well.

"Heh... fine. If I'm gonna die anyway, might as well take a chance on living."

"Three, two, one." Bluebeak counted down. "Begin!"

Rift charged at me. Claws forward, beak open, ready to take a bite out of me. I gathered power in my palm, then, when he was two feet away from me, released it. My arm snapped back as the shot went off like a cannon, straight into his face, throwing him through the window of the mayors office. I reached out with my 'magic hand' and grabbed hold of Rift's limp form, dragging him out of the building as I slowly crushed him to death. He wheezed and struggled for breath, like a mouse being constricted by a snake, when I suddenly felt a pair of paws pounding on my leg.

"Stop stop stop! No more... no more... no more..." Littla Lusa, the daughter, was pawing at me, desperately trying to get my attention, trying to make me stop.

I slowly put Rift down, and took not that he was still breathing, though was now unconscious.

"Why are you making me stop, little one? This is the one who killed your father."

"Look!" She directed me to look towards Gilda, where Cameron was shrieking and crying as he watched his father die. "No more.. Please."

"Then, you are sparing him?"

"Yes, please just no more."

"You won't regret this later?"

She shook her little head no so quickly I was sure she'd get dizzy from it.

"Everyone. Lusa, has decided that Rift should be spared. Litrug, will you accept this?" His mouth hung wide as he tried to contemplate what was happening. He slowly nodded.

"Very well. Rift, as king of the New Dominion, I declare your punishment has been served." I don't think he heard me. Never the less, it was important to announce it to the crowd.

"Get him some medical attention." The guards dragged him away on a stretcher to the nearest healer as Lusa hugged my leg. "No more... just, no more..."

"Everyone, from this point forward, if you have any grudges that you can't overcome, you are to challenge the person to a duel. You'll fight fairly in the arena, which will be constructed. If you kill someone in the arena, that's fine, because they agreed to the fight. If you get challenged and don't want to die, then just decline. The person can mock you and call you a coward all they want. If being called a coward is too big of a price to pay for peace, if your pride demands you answer, then accept the arena challenge. If anyone kills someone outside the arena, the punishment is public execution, NO EXCEPTIONS. If you flee I will personally hunt you down, drag you back here and kill you myself. Understood?"

"Great. Show over, get out of here."

"Oh thank whatever god pays attention."

"You can say that again." Gilda replied.

"Lusa really gave me an easy way out."

"Mmm hmm. Grif.... that part you said before, about taking everyone's hate on yourself, don't be so sure about that."

"Why do you say that Gilda?"

"Well, if a diamond dog can learn to forgive a griffin, who's to say they won't eventually forgive you as well?"

"Heh... now there's a nice thought, isn't it? Heh.. haha... I think I'll keep that one in my pocket." I snickered. Gilda giggled as well. Seth just sat there with that dopey smile on his face, the one he gets when he knows way more than he should and is keeping it a secret. He's a strange kid. Then again, what do you expect? He's my son.

Author's Notes:

I toyed around with the idea of having Griffin kill Rift, then get all solemn and depressed about it, and have Gilda comfort him afterwards. But then I thought to myself, "This story has been WAAAY too depressing lately, and because it's been such a downer, it's actually been putting me in a bad mood, which made me not want to write at all.

DAMNIT PAVLOV.

In other words, I had to do something semi happy and wholesome for once.