Favor From An Old Flame (Closed)

[Stygg Whitefeather]

”Where is that stallion already?”

Stygg sat uncomfortably in a moderate size hotel room located in the center of Trottingham, waiting impatiently for that dutiful stallion from Equestria to show. It had two days since the summons was issued, a simple proposition signed by the de facto ruler of Royal Rocks, Stygg Whitefeather. She was sure he would oblige, even with their history, he must. This conference was more than just them, it was the beginning of the long road to new relations between the ponies and griffons and Stygg needed allies on the other side of the border.

She sat, watching the clock on the far wall. Each tick of its second hand clicked with a mocking drawn out tone. He was late, he was good at keeping her waiting. Assuredly he enjoyed knowing she would be punctual and forced to drown in uncertainly, he was like that and he knew she hated it like nothing else. When they had spent their nights together, he was the same way, always left her waiting and wanting. Well, she thought to herself, if he was so determined to help Equestria then he should not keep her waiting. Equestria needed help, the griffon kingdom needed help, and the only way they were to survive in the end was to renew their corporation and she needed a supporting voice in Canterlot to get this done.

Her protection detail, made up of members of Scythe, her old colleagues, remained at the doors waiting like statues. Like her, they were growing impatient, the time Starling was given was more than enough to get to this border settlement, especially on such urgent matters. Neutral territory, it was the most ideal spot and the least to garner attention without having to resort to the conflict zones and wildernesses. Ponies and griffons moved around the town with hardly a notice to one another. Here it was all about trade, not politics and petty bickering. So that is why this hotel was chosen and why Stygg now sat at the other end of a small round table, impatiently clicking her talons against its wood surface while her other talon was wrapped around a glass of local cider, which she had barely touched. Between glancing to the clock and the few sips of her drink, her mind kept wandering back to her and Starling’s time together, each passing minute making her grow more and more frustrated with this whole meeting. Was it a bad idea? Was the ugly tinge of their relationship still lingering in his heart and he wouldn’t show? Her talon scratched into the glass as she remembered his last words to her before he left – by now she was half ready to throw her glass in his horsy face and call the whole thing off, but her sense of duty kept her collected as she waited – though she wasn’t sure how long she could give him anymore. Time was short, the Council needed action, and if Starling was going to play games with her that she didn’t have time to play back, she would have to go to Equestria without his support. Something she hoped she wouldn’t have to do.

[Red Charge]

And then they came, three knocks on the door. Without waiting for her permission to enter, the door swung open, revealing the armored visage she knew so well. Starling rarely removed his armor, if ever, giving the rare times she got to see him bare much meaning. The warm bright eyes under his visor locked directly into hers as he entered, closing the door behind him.

It has been quite a while since Stygg last saw Starling. The last time was before Starling disappeared into the Everfree Forest for almost two years. With his armor on, she couldn't tell if anything had changed. His gaze was as piercing as ever, but unlike previous time, it did not soften upon meeting hers. The familiar clanking of the armor she had gifted him with reminded her of many occasions of them fighting side by side. He took good care of the armor, it looked brand new.

"Why Scythe? Afraid of the big bad armored stallion?" He asked sardonically, standing not at the edge opposite her, but to her side, as he did back in the days when he served with her under the griffon banner.

"My condolences for your father, though we hardly saw eye to eye, it still saddens me to hear of his passing. Can't say the same for Loci though, glad to see that verminous scum disappear." He sat patiently next to Stygg, eyes still locked.

Now he was waiting for her to respond, the ball was in her court. Though his condolences were sincere, there was something rather triumphant about it. She knew Starling saw her father as a poor leader and predicted he would bring disasters upon the kingdom. Back in the day Stygg wouldn't hear of it, but back in the day she had no idea how deep ran Loci's operation. Starling despised Loci with every fiber of his being. He often offered to discreetly off the annoying bird. Crush him against a wall with his piston shoes, or impale it on his blades. Loci often caught on Starling's mistrust and taunted him, knowing Starling would never risk an incident with him.

But now both the puppet king and the puppet master were gone, the Griffon Kingdom could finally shape into what Starling thought it was destined to be, and for her, who was once so close to him, it was easy to figure out just from the tone of his voice.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

When Starling entered Stygg kept her composer despite the sudden spike of excitement that had shot through her in the moment her eyes shifted to his entering. She took one sip from her drink and watched, aloof, as he approached and stood beside her. She shifted uncomfortably at his presence beside her, conjuring ancient feelings long since left to dust, and also as he now stood over her as she sat at the table. She cleared her throat and kept her professional composure.

“Notoriously punctual for everyone but me, glad to see you’re still the same as you always were.” She lightly scolded. “Don’t flatter yourself, they’re not here for you, Starling. Some of Loci’s most loyal fingerbirds and assassins are still lurking; we’ve already lost enough Whitefeathers for one year. Trust is in short supply.” She sipped from her glass then set it on the table before her.

As Starling sat, Stygg lightly jumped in her skin, startled by the impact of the heavy armor against the floor. She always hated that armor when they were alone, together. It felt disconnecting – not that she ever told him that. “Thank you for your concern, but he got what he deserved.” Her voice was cold, “Killed by Loci’s own talon with a weapon he let him craft out of his own sheer incompetence. Rather fitting, but that is old news. Not here for condolences – I was hoping I could get a favor from you. For old times sake.”

This was the moment she was dreading, the big question. With the history between them, he was the only would she could ask and yet, that made this all that much more precarious. “Myself and the Admiral council feel that we need to reestablish country relationships, find where our allies stand and other diplomatic matters. And I’ve heard that your Princess Luna has taken a back seat since the Diamond Dog invasion, letting Red Charge run things as he sees fit. I know Red Charge is not exactly a fan of griffons.” She paused for just a breath, “I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this.” She asked, finally giving Starling a proper acknowledging glance straight through his visor to his eyes behind.

[Red Charge]

Starling raised a brow at Stygg, "I used to be enough protection. YOU used to be enough protection, or have you lost your touch?" He asked, challenging, he knew she'd understand what he was implying, the connection between feeling incapable to protect herself and the deterioration into her father. He drew back his visor to take a sip from her cider, something he used to do back in the day. He quickly lowered it however, not enjoying the taste.

When she spoke of her father, he was as still as a statue, but she could tell he agreed with her on that point, King Whitefeather did deserve his grizzly end at the talons of his trusted assistant, who was untrusted by all of the people truly loyal to kingdom. However his head rose up when she asked a favor "for old times sake".

"Not even a card when I got back from the forest, but when you need something from me, you feel free to ask." The armored stallion said sternly, unappreciative of her directness or boldness. "If there was ever a need to re-establish country relations, it is only because the Griffon Kingdom has shun the stable relationship we had in the past. In the two years I've been gone, you've turned from close allies to potential enemies. All under your beak." He said, "Though I know you have a way of letting relations run sour." He stung, when the 5th fleet headed to attack Canterlot under Blackmane, the Armada did nothing but sit and watch and King Whitefeather actually threatened the Princess of "dire consequences" if Equestria were to attack it.
But Equestria did and Equestria won and even more fortunately, the stupid fat king had died before he could even get the news that Tesla has switched to their side, even if temporarily.

"I don't see how he has a reason to be a fan of Griffons, being a survivor of the Prism Wars." Starling said coldly, "Especially not after having many of his friends injured and dead in the Leviathan's attack and still having no official apology issued from the Griffon Kingdom." This time he wasn't just hinting, he was flat out saying that it would be difficult to speak to Red Charge until such an apology was to be issued by the Kingdom.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

“Well you haven’t been here for protection in two years. Besides, it wasn’t my call to have them accompany me. Moving around alone in this current climate was deemed too risky, even for myself. Loci and his people were not known for playing fair and I’m the one that unraveled his little secret empire.” She took back her drink after Starling’s cheeky sip from the glass, like nothing was different between them.

Stygg sat, calmly, letting Starling rant on about them, about her Kingdom, about everything that had happened in recent months. He wasn’t entirely wrong, of course, though his view was skewed by the circumstance he was from the other side of border. The griffons would say it was for other, less black and white reasons. She could argue that Loci had much to do with it, but excuses and blaming others wasn’t what she was here for, even if Starling thought otherwise.

“If I remember rightly, it was you who left me for that dammed mission we thought you’d never return from. And then to see you return after two years? What did you expect… I have to move on. Clearly you had already done the same the moment you agreed to go to the Necropolis – you weren’t even the same when you stumbled out of that forest, practically a ghost of the stallion I had known.” She was scorned, clear by her words, she wanted to say more but bit her beak else they could argue back and forth all night on that event in their lives. “But that is neither here nor there; Yes, the griffon kingdom has made mistakes, the loyalty of the Admirals split, Loci played hands here and there to destabilize both our countries – for what end we don’t even know yet, but I’m not here to make excuses for the old regime. What’s done is done and now I’m left with picking up the pieces of everything that had been torn down between our two peoples. If an apology is what they want, then they can have it in person when I meet in Canterlot for a summit. I’ll humble myself in front of your Princesses if I must but all the kindest words and promises I can make won’t amount to this glass of cider if I cannot get support from within. That’s why I asked you here, if not for me then for both our peoples. We cannot possible survive if we can’t cooperate going forth. The Cult, Changelings, Diamond Dogs… they’re clearly just the beginning of something far worse.” She let out a heavy sigh, “Loci even wrote on it extensively and despite his madness, I’m inclined to agree with him on that.”

She shifted her wings in an uncomfortable stretch, this humbling business was not something she was use to. “I don’t want to see this turn into a kangaroo court of accusations and anger, I need a pony on my side if anything is to get better.”

[Red Charge]

"I can give you all of the support in the world, and for Red Charge it won't matter a thing. Ponies died because of Griffon negligence. If what I hear is true, Loci had ponies experimented on and... harvested. You think any one over there can forget something like that, you think I can? What we had apart, this is not something that can pass in a heartbeat. You can't just say 'I'm Sorry.' and it'll be over." Starling said angrily, "I want the kingdoms to reconcile just as much as you do. You know more than anyone how much I love the Griffon Kingdom, it's just as much my home as Equestria is, I've always said that. But you need to take responsibility, you need to make compromises. Equestria will want answers. So do I."

"I left for that mission a long time ago because I had to do what was right. Sacrifices had to be made in order for Equestria to continue to exist. I would have loved nothing more than a soft embrace to come back to at the end. You really don't think it was easy on me, do you? But sometimes, you need to choose. But I still want to help you. But even if I was on good terms with Red Charge, and I'm not, he caught me fooling around with his daughter, I couldn't do anything without the Griffon Kingdom taking responsibility and providing answers."

His eyes remained locked on hers, he wasn't objecting to the idea of helping her. But he needed something, anything to go with. Ponies harvested for experiments of weaponry by Loci and the network that ran so deep... The Leviathan and everything. Who knows what they would find tomorrow? Loci had paid in front of a court, but the Kingdom that sponsored his actions remained in debt. A debt Equestria will want to see paid in full before they can even begin to trust again.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

Stygg was taken aback by Starling’s reveal, she hadn’t expected him to know about the experiments. Loci’s attempt at incorporating griffon technology with pony magic was a nasty blemish against them and she frankly had no excuse or apology that could make up for that. All she could say was that she just didn’t know, no one did except those involved.

“And I’ll give all the answers I can; you don’t think we’re not as appalled as Equestria about this? Pony harvesting, its beyond barbaric and we were completely oblivious to it. Who could even have imagined something like that was going on under our beaks? It was unfathomable.” Her voice was frustrated speaking on this. She, after all had been the one to discover that macabre detail in the first place. If she had known earlier, she would have stopped it. It would have been all the evidence she needed to take down Loci before the whole revolt even began. “I know there is really nothing we can say to right that wrong, I just hope that returning the remains will at least bring some ounce of closure to that grim chapter.”

There he goes again, bringing what happened two years ago up once more. “And what about us, Starling?” Her voice was cold and blunt. “There were other ponies who could have gone, why you? That was always your fault, always the first to sign up for the most dangerous Dang thing you could without consideration for anyone else close to you. It was always country first – its one thing I always loved about you but so help me it drove me insane at times. You wouldn’t even let me come with you, screw the orders, instead you’d rather just go off and die alone. I hated you for leaving me like that and I was in no mood to forgive you when you returned.” She shook her head, taking a few calming breathes that ended with a exasperated chuckle. “Always the same old Starling, sticking yourself into places you shouldn’t be.”

Stygg adverted her eyes from Starling, returning to the glass. She downed its contents in one gulp. “You want answers, Red and the rest of the ponies want answers then they’ll get their answers. Loci kept meticulous notes, everything since the beginning is in there. I’m willing to offer them as a gesture of good faith. Every seedy, back-handed, corrupt page of it is there. All we would require is that any information not pertaining or involving Equestria be redacted before we turn them over. You should know that we found pony names in those books, Equestria was becoming just as poisoned as we were.”

[Red Charge]

Starling remained neutral as he talked, "I was the only one who could go, only me. No one else could. I went and I did what had to be done. Had I stayed, I am sure together we could have brought Loci down much sooner, too. I wish I could have stayed. But the fact is I could not." He sighed.

"If you want us to be close allies, give us the whole thing. We did not use to hold secrets from one another, we must not keep any if we are to return to what we were. In Dreadwing's time, nothing was secret, we were not split nations but one unified power. If you want a show of good faith, this is what needs be done. Give us the whole thing, hide nothing more. Trust in us as you would have us trust in you. As for the pony names, you can give them to me personally, I'll take care of them personally."

"In addition, whatever technology Loci has gained, we want a share of it. Give us that, prove to us that you are truly intent on an alliance forged by trust and friendship, prove to us that we have nothing to fear from you, you will have nothing to fear from us."

Then he drew closer, again pulling back his visor as his snout was nearly touching her beak. "And tell me, in all honesty, that you've stopped feeling, that the skip I felt walking through this door was not felt by you. Tell me that."

[Stygg Whitefeather]

“There’s always alternatives.” Stygg scolded, “I know you had to do it, still doesn’t make it any better for me. That feeling of abandonment, the knowledge that your lover into the gallows of Everfree Forest. That wasn’t just another battle or war, that was suicide and I’ll never be able to accept that you were the only one who could have gone.”

Starling haggling was uncomfortable for Stygg, she wanted to reestablish those bonds but there were just something that she felt shouldn’t be revealed, but he drove a hard bargain. “I’ll need to speak with the Admirals. A few still have concerns about how it paints them, but I’ll do my best to see that Equestria is given full access – under the condition that it is kept a state secret. No one but the Princesses and your top officials can be made aware of anything they contain. Can that be guaranteed?”

Stygg shook her head, agreeing. “Already ahead of you on that, but note that we destroyed any weapon that had used a pony part. That being said, I am prepared to offer a technology exchange, though I am unsure how much of use it would be for ponies. Loci’s weapons require fingers to use and the ability to walk upright for more than a few steps, but I’m sure your kind can make do as you always have done.”

Stygg almost melted when Starling leaned in close and lifted his visor – he was such a jerk, to ask that question. Well, he wasn’t going to get the satisfaction of seeing her waver, not one bit. “Yes, Starling. Seeing you again, its… nice. But all that, us, was a long time ago. I’m glad for the time that we shared, it certainly made me a stronger griffon for it and I’ll remember it forever fondly. Had you stayed, I know things would be different now, but they aren’t. That’s life and I’ve accepted it. Whatever feelings I may still have do not matter now, we both have moved on.”

[Red Charge]

Starling smiled, "Good. You need someone who can be there for you, make you smile all the time so you can finally get rid of this scowl." He said, holding her chin gently in his hoof. But then he dropped back his visor.

"I... I know." He said hesitantly. "I know..." He said mysteriously again, starting to pace around the room. It took him several moments but finally he stopped, right behind Stygg, "I know what happened in the Prism Wars, the full story." He whispered in her ear. "I want to tell you..."

So he did, it took a while, but he relayed everything he saw in the memories and everything Iron Shoes told him to her. He knew he could trust her and he knew she would understand, like he did, the implications. At the end he looked at her glumly, the information was a big burden and they both knew better than to say anything to anyone else, but at least it wasn't his burden alone now. No wonder the Iron Shoes went mad.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

Stygg glared back at Starling inquisitively, what nonsense was he spouting? But there, that look in his eyes, this wasn’t a game. He was dead serious, the weight there, the heavy burden, it was… unsettling to stare into. His pacing, each tap of his hooves, like a metronome clicking away the seconds with each pass across the room. He drilled into the wood floors, a steady river of his steps ebbing against the wood grain till she thought he would dig his way to the floor below. Why did he want to tell her this though? Why now?

Stygg dismissed her guard, shooing them away with a flick of talon before Starling begun reciting his tale of the Prism Wars. As he went on, it was difficult to swallow – how did he even know this, was it even true? It told like a horrible affront to every accepted history. Parts of it made her beak go slack, others angered and frustrated her. By the time Starling was done, she felt like her stomach had just gone a round in a ring, getting boxed into corner. She was silent for a moment, absorbing everything she had just heard.

She turned to Starling, utter shock coursing through every pinion, “How… do you know this?” It was all she could think to ask, maybe knowing that would help her absorb everything else and put it all into the realm of reality.

[Red Charge]

Starling shook his head, indicating he could not say. "I don't think Princess Luna knows... I have no idea about Celestia... I thought you should know... but you can't tell anyone or do anything about this. You have to promise me this doesn't leave the room." Starling said, deadly quiet and deadly serious. Telling her was obviously a sign of great trust, but the question was what was she going to do with this? Starling had friends everywhere in the Griffon Kingdom and in Equestria, if she did tell anyone, he'd definitely know. Going out publicly with it could cause tension with Equestria... but the information he had just revealed was huge.

"I need you to promise me." He repeated, "That nothing of what I said will be revealed to anyone at all. It's too big to get out, not like this."

[Stygg Whitefeather]

Stygg nodded in agreement, not that such revelations would be believed. She hardly believed it herself, had it not been from Starling, she would have dismissed it to the insane ramblings of a pony not right in the head. Like a street preacher spouting mad-confused words to a pulpit of pigeons, it was pure insanity.

"Who would I tell, much less who would believe me? I-I don't much believe it myself..." She sulked, placing her head in the talons as she ran them over he eyes. "I promise, I swear to my ancestors, but why tell me? Why burden me with this knowledge? Was this something you learned in your absence?" She knew he wouldn't tell, but she had to try and justify it to herself. "When are you planning to reveal this? It could change everything - do you have evidence? What you told me, its an affront to everything we have known. By some bloody god, it's insane. If it went public, if you went public, they'd say you snapped. They'd commit you-" Then she chuckled, "Like anyone can hold you, right?" She let out a melancholy sigh, "About Equestria-"Changing the subject, "I have your support? The diplomatic team leave in a few days. I assured the Council we'd have your support."

[Red Charge]

"I'm still baffled that you called me all this way after so long just to have my support in the Canterlot court." Starling said, now a little heated. "Is that all I am now? A tool to be called and used whenever the need arises? Am I no longer the same pony I used to be? From hero to pawn?" He lashed out, annoyed as well by her question regarding what he had told her.

"Here I am, doing the right thing by telling you, Queen of the Griffon Kingdom something that I think YOU of all people should know, especially since it involves your family, and you brush the subject aside brush ME aside and just ask for my support. What more that you 'assured the council' that you will get it. What more assumptions have you made at my expense?"

[Stygg Whitefeather]

"And what more do you want? How many times have we been over this now, a dozen, more?" Stygg scolded, voice troubled with exacerbation from Starling's scolding. He was right, of course, she had to think of him as a business partner, a political ally. Their time as lovers was over, what more could he want. He left, she left.

"You're not a tool, Starling, you're the greatest pony I've ever known. I'm fortunate I can even call upon you as I have. And this is a request, in light of everything that has happened on both sides of our border." She explained, keeping as calm as possible with a level voice. "I need allies, I am a loss where to turn too. The Council has their reservations about another Whitefeather overseeing the Kingdom, Loci's henchmen are all around with their knives out and they'd each give a wing to see me six feet underground." She explained. "And what do you want me to say about that knowledge? 'Oh thanks for scrambling up everything I've ever known.' What's worse is I cannot even do anything about it, all I can do is let it fester like a tumor. Another terrible revelation piled on my already full plate." She sighed, perhaps this was a bad idea. "And the Council were reluctant to have me come here in the first place - telling them it was assured was the only way they agreed to doing this - to see you again." She bit her talon, entirely uncomfortable to admitting that perhaps, even despite her originally stoic demeanor, she actually wanted to see him again - platonically of course.