The Ending of the End

By the time of this post, the series finale to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has already been out for quite some time and perhaps you're wondering why I haven't written about it sooner? The Reason is simple; other things have demanded my attention, that includes other series, whose siren-song had a stronger hold on me than that of the horse-show's. Still, better late than never.  Now, for the purpose of this post, I've decided to focus on what I consider to be my favorite and least favorite aspect of this finale, starting with the latter.

Spoiler-warning, in case you, like me, are late to the party and haven't watched these episodes yet.



My least favorite part of the series finale was easily the whole reveal that Grogar was just Discord the entire time. I will say this, I did not see this coming. Its highly possibly that I missed or misread some really obvious foreshadowing, but I did not expect it all, so I guess the writers deserve some credit for managing to surprise me. However, just because something is a surprise does not mean that you have to like it. Say that you are walking down the street and a random stranger comes up to you and kicks you in the shins. That too would be quite a surprise, wouldn't it?

I'm sure that there are people out there who liked this twist and they're entitled to their opinion. Personally though, I would've preferred it if the show had actually given us the real Grogar and had him be the final threat for the heroes to face.

See, throughout this season I honestly thought that Grogar was aware that the other villains were plotting against him and had taken precautions against it. Or, alternatively, that Grogar didn't care about the betrayal, because trying to use his own bell against him would only serve to make him stronger, meaning that Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow had been played into his hands (well, hoofs) all along.

That's not what we got though. Instead of having the real Grogar be one step ahead of his associates, the show gave us a Discord who is so confident that he has the other villains cowed that it comes as a complete surprise to him when they end up stabbing him in the back and stripping him of all his powers. Than again, I suppose I can't be too hard on Discord, its not like this sort of thing has ever happened to him before.
Oh, wait.

Speaking of which, why even send the evil trio after the real bell in the first place? Why not just create a replica of it? Maybe Discord did not expect for them to actually retrieve the bell, much less learn how to use it, but why take that chance?

Look, I get that in order for the real villains to be an actual threat and for the finale to have real stakes, Discord's whole scheme needs to blow up in his face. However, I can't say that this makes me look more favorably on the twist in question.

Enough negativity, let's move on to what I consider the high-light of these final episodes: Namely, the Magic of Friendship Grows, a truly touching song that sums up FiM's central theme and served as a great note to end the series on.

So, now that it has reached its conclusion, what are my thoughts on the show as a whole?
It does not happen often, but I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find a work of entertainment that exceeds my expectations and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is, in my mind, the perfect example of this (at least as far as TV-shows are concerned).

I went into this show with what can best be described as grudging curiosity, figuring that I'd watch the original two-parter to see what all the fuzz was about and although I can't say I was immediately vowed by the series premiere, it did keep my interest and by the end of it, it had awoken in me an interest in seeing more of the world presented by this show and the characters that inhabited it.

So I continued to watch and as I delved deeper into the show, the more I found myself enjoying it. There was even a time when I ranked it among my favorite animated series. In later years, my enthusiasm began to cool down, though never to the point where I completely lost interest in the show, as was the case with some other cartoons from this decade that I used to be into.

Although, Friendship is Magic may not count among my favorite animated shows these days, it is a show that I will always retain a great deal of fondness for and I can certainly see myself returning to my favorite episodes every now and then, just as I sometimes return to favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (to name one example).

For now though, the time has come for me to bid Equestria and its denizens a fond farewell. Last but not least, I would like to offer my gratitude to Lauren Faust and to all the voice-actors, animators, story-boarders, song-writers, etc, who made this show possible over the years. You managed to make me, a grown man, invested in a show that chronicled the daily lives of a group of cute, talking horses and that, in my opinion, is something that deserves  respect.

Thank you.

Final Space Season Two

Recently, the second season of Final Space was made available on Netflix and having watched it, I thought I'd write a few words about it.

I won't go into any great details about the plot for this season, so as not to spoil it for those of you have not yet seen it. I shall just content myself with mentioning that this season revolves around (anti-) hero Gary Goodspeed and his crew of misfits quest to find six dimensional keys needed to free the titan Bolo and open a path to final space, in order to free Gary's love-interest Quin, who was trapped there, following the events of the first season.

Ideally speaking, the second season of a show should be an improvement over the one that came before it and I am pleased to say that season 2 of Final Space succeeds in that regard, those aspects of the first season that I liked are still present, whereas the things I cared less about have been either fixed or toned down considerably.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the way Final Space's second season handles its main character. In my original review of the show, I stated that I didn't care much for Gary, so I was pleasantly surprised that I found him to be greatly improved as a character this time around, with Season two succeeding him into making him a protagonist that I found myself rooting for in a way that the first season did not.

I will also say that, while I maintain my opinion that Final Space is at its best during its more serious moments, I found myself liking the comedic moments more this time around. Not every joke lands (the "marking the territory" scene early in the season went on for way longer than it needed) but, generally speaking, I thought they landed more often than in season one.

Season two further expands Final Space's universe adding new characters, most of which I enjoyed.. Of special note among the newcomers, in my opinion, is Cheryl Goodspeed; Gary's estranged mother, who serves as one of this season's primary antagonists. By any standards, Cheryl is a terrible person, not that that prevented me from appreciating her as a character. Her presence in the show also helps giving us more insight into her son and making him into a more sympathetic character.

Any negatives? Well, one could perhaps make the argument that, at times, the overarching story of season two feels less focused than that of season one, although, in my opinion, the interaction between the cast and Gary's character development compensate for it somewhat. In addition, certain plot-developments could perhaps have benefited from being developed more. Oh, and personally, I could have done with more Lord Commander.


That said, I ultimately found Final Space season two is a worthwhile continuation to the adventures of Gary, Mooncake and the others, one that definitely left me looking forward to season 3.

Chapter 46

The Moon had risen over the desert and the city of Guanaca, capital of the desert-kingdom that also bore its name. 

In his bedchamber, King Bashar was pacing back and forth. Despite the late hour, sleep was furthest from the King's mind, his thoughts being occupied by the reports he had received of the invading army that was drawing ever closer.

"Bah!" The Fennec muttered to himself. "I need to take my mind off of things, if only for a little while and I know just the person who will help me with that."

He walked up to the a cord that was hanging near the bed and tugged at it. Shortly thereafter, a servant entered the room, bowing respectfully.

"Tell Layla to come here" Bashar commanded.

Bowing once again, the servant left and soon returned, accompanied by the person he had been told to bring.

The Person called Layla had first come into Bashar service five years ago, two years before he claimed the throne which had previously been occupied by his undeserving person. Layla was not her original name, but one that Bashar had chosen for her, for in Guanaca it was the owner of the slave who decided what their property should be called.

Bashar remembered their first meeting; he had walked in circles around his new gift, inspecting her unclad frame. When he had reached out and touched her breast, he received a gob of spit in her face, followed by a few choice curse words. Bashar had calmly wiped the spit from his cheeks and turning to his guest had thanked him for the thoughtful gift.

Unfortunately for Bashar, it seemed like it would take a long time before he could put his new property to use; Layla showed no inclination towards accepting her proper place as a tool of pleasure for her new master and no disciplinary actions, whether it was beatings or leaving her without food and water for a few days, seemed to have any effect.

Eventually, Bashar's patience began to wear thin and he began seriously contemplate whether he should sell his gift, or simply put her to the sword.

Then one day, she was gone. Somehow, she had managed to escape. Bashar sent his household out to find her. They searched the town, but could not manage to find her and was forced to conclude that she had escaped out in the desert. Two days later a band of travelers knocked on the door to what was then Bashar's residence and told that they had found a woman lying unconscious on one of the dunes.

According to the travelers, they had approached the woman to see if she was still alive and if so, if they could do anything for her (in truth, they were more interested in whatever valuables she may have carried) and, upon doing so, they had noticed a mark on her shoulder.

"One of us recognized the mark as that of your family, Your Excellency", one of the travelers had said with a sycophantic smile. "Thus we decided to restore her to you, her rightful owner. Hmm, perhaps Your Excellency in your generosity would see it fit to give your humble servants some form of reward?"

Bashar had been so elated at having had Layla restored to him  that he had bestowed upon the travelers a purse filled of coins and had even invited them to share his meal. Before that though he had ordered a servant to fetch a doctor.
Layla spent the following week in bed, gradually regaining her strength. The First two days she slipped in and out of consciousness. At one point, the slave-woman Bashar had ordered to attend to her needs until she got better had heard her whisper a single word:

Merees.

One positive thing had come out of Layla's escape and near-death experience; the desert sun had apparently burned away the obstinate part of her personality, as Bashar had witnessed himself, upon having summoned the fully recovered Layla to his room.

He had ordered to take off her clothing and this time, she had done so without protest. Feeling the blood rush to his cock, he had ordered her to touch it. After a moment's hesitation, she had done so, the sense of victory Bashar had felt in that moment had been almost too much to handle. Still, he had managed it. That night, the King had taken his now conquered slave for the first time. Afterwards, he had fallen asleep, completely satisfied and deaf to the sound of her tears.

Since then, almost no night had passed that Bashar did not summon Layla to his side. She did everything he requested of her and the King rewarded her by giving her a room of her own, closer to his own quarters.

This night, however, the unthinkable happened: Even the caresses of his most prized possession, failed to bring Bashar any pleasure.

"Enough!" He growled, pushing her aside.

Layla looked at him with surprise.

"Is something the matter, my King?" She asked. "Have I done anything to displease you."

Bashar shook his head.

"Its not you, its that army heading here."

"An army, my King? Where from?"

"From Vinoli" Bashar muttered. He walked over to a table where a carafe of wine stood. He drank from the carafe directly, not bothering with the two goblets  next to it.

"My damn cousin has resurfaced." Bashar continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his paw. "He has made a pact with Vinoli..."

The King went silent. Was it only his imagination or had there been a strange gleam in Layla's eyes just then? No, it must have been his imagination playing tricks with him. Either that, or the wine was to blame."

"...To restore him to the throne" he continued, his voice growing more and more agitated. "Can you imagine what will happen to Guanaca if that happens? We will end up becoming a puppet-state to Vinoli and that unnatural woman who rules it, only being allowed to ask 'How High?' when told to jump!"

With this, Bashar slammed his fist into the table with such force that the goblets jumped. Layla watched him with a neutral expression on her face.

Feeling a bit calmer, the King turned to his favorite.

"You may leave, I shall not require your services tonight."

"Would Your Majesty like me to send for somebody else?" Layla asked.

The King shook his head.

"What woman in my harem could possibly succeed where you have failed? Go, I say."

 Layla bowed and left the king's quarters. She did not return to her own room though, but instead  headed to the harem, where her fellow slave-girls were fast asleep. Treading carefully, the female lynx walked up to a large cushion, upon which an antelope was sleeping soundly.

A touch to her shoulder caused the antelope to stir and then open her eyes.

"Risha" the antelope said with a yawn,  when she saw who stood before her. "What are you doing here? Does the King require my presence?"

"No, Miriam", Layla replied, using the antelope's real name, just as she had used hers. This being a sign of trust between the two of them. "Help me to wake the others, I have something important to tell you."

Chapter 45

"What do you think they are talking about?" Miranda asked as she sprinkled a generous amount of cinnamon on her porridge.

"Whatever it is, nothing good will come from it" Nasari replied, blowing on her coffee. "Mark my words."

After the stranger had revealed his identity, the Queen had ordered anyone else to leave the room. Nasari had done so only to willingly, glad of finally being away from Argath's presence and for the chance to finally grab something to eat. Now, she and Miranda were seated at a small corner table in the servants' dining hall, around them were several other members of the palace staff were chatting and filling their bellies.

"You're probably right" Miranda said and swallowed a spoonful of porridge. "Still, I must admit that I'm curious.."

Not too long afterwards, Miranda would found her curiosity satisfied, though the greater details of what was said during the meeting between these two heads of state, would always remain a mystery to her. That is not the case for us, though. Let us therefore leave the buzz of the dining hall and return to the Queen's chambers, where the apparent King of Guanaca was telling his story to his Royal colleague:

His name was Faljan and he was the only son of King Shuluf, who had passed away recently, reuniting with his Queen who had gone before him. Prince Faljan had quickly been crowned, but the Royal insignia had barely been placed into his paws, before a coup broke out, led by his cousin Bashar, or, as King Faljan called him: The most Despicable Scoundrel whose feet ever defiled the ground on which they trod.

Fortunately, for the young king, there were still those who were loyal to him. With their help, he had managed to leave Guanaca.

"I have spent several years in hiding, trying to rally men to my cause. Unfortunately, it seemed hopeless. Then, just as I was about to resign myself to a life in exile, I began to hear tales that one country had recently begun to expand its territories and had proved quite successful at doing so. That country was Vinoli."

Argath had listened to the King's tale in silence, while the wheels in her head turned. Now, she decided to speak up:

"There is no need for you to tell Us the rest of your story, King Faljan" she said. "You have come here to ask Our help to reclaim your kingdom."

"That is indeed so" the fennec replied, nodding eagerly. "You are very perceptive, O Queen."

"We know the importance of maintaining a friendly relationship with Guanaca. However, We would like to point out that it does not necessarily have to be with you."

King Faljan grew pale, he suddenly felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped significantly.

"Y-Your Majesty" he said. "You can't..."

The Corner of Argath's mouth curved upwards. She stood up in her full length, towering over her guest.

"What should We care who sits on the throne of Guanaca, as long as said person is not a threat to Our ambitions? What do We have to gain from risking the lives of Our soldiers on your behalf?"

Faljan listened to the Queen's words, beads of sweat breaking out on his brow. Visions of him being handed over to his cousin and what would inevitably follow, appeared before him. Then, they vanished, like a flame that had been blown out, as the fennec realized that he had an ace up his sleeve. He had hoped that he would not have to play it, but these were desperate times.

"Your Majesty" he said and now, his voice was firm and calm. "Why settle for mere friendship with a nation when you can have the nation itself?"

Leaving his chair, the exiled King got down on his knees.

"Let our two Kingdoms become one" he said, taking Argath's hands and bringing it to his lips. "United by the bonds of marriage."

It was not the words uttered by the man kneeling before her that caused Argath's heart to skip a beat, but rather what they entailed: All travelers coming from the east had to pass through Guanaca sooner or later, meaning that its treasury was always well-filled.

Once, when she was still only a Princess, the Queen had visited the desert kingdom on a diplomatic mission and seen its wealth with her first-hand. With all those riches at her disposal, what could she not accomplish?
None of Argath's excitement could be read on her face though, which was an impassive mask. Had there been any professional gamblers in the room, they would have nodded appreciatively.

Argath cleared her throat:

"Your proposition is most intriguing" she said, affecting a nonchalant tone. "We...I would be willing to accept it. However" she continued, holding up one hand, just as Faljan was about to speak. "I have
to insist on certain conditions."

The Relief felt by the young King at that moment was written all over his features. Already he saw himself back on his rightful throne, with his enemies cowering before him.

"Whatever your conditions, I agree to them" he said and lowered his head in deference. "Your Majesty.

As Argath thought of the future and all that would soon be hers, a smile of genuine happiness came upon her countenance. She reached out and pulled her impromptu suitor to his feet.

"I think we can dispense with the titles, don't you?" She said in a gracious voice. "After all, there is no need for such formality, between two who shall soon be wife and husband."

Chapter 44

Nasari opened her eyes and looked around the tiny, sparsely furnished room that had been her home for the past five years. Five years, had it really been that long since the old King's death? Five years that she had lived in this palace, this prison; forced to bow to the person that was responsible for the King's death, as well as other tragedies. More importantly, it had been five years since she was separated from her children. By now, Leorin, her little kitten had reached his adolescent years and Risha? Why she was a fully grown woman by now, no doubt turning heads wherever she went.
Closing her eyes, Nasari tried to conjure up an image of her children, not as they had looked when she last saw them, but as she imagined that they looked now.

My darling children, Nasari thought. Will I ever see you again?

As the tears began to roll down her eyes, Nasari longed for someone to comfort her, but who? She was all alone in the room; Miranda having spent yet another night in the dragon's lair. What about Jeraddin? Sadly, while her husband was frequently summoned to the palace, the last time Nasari had been able to spend any time alone with him had been during the feast celebrating the victory over and subjugation of Frigonia. A feast that Nasari, being the wife of the guest of honor, had been allowed to attend.

She could still remember that day vividly: After he had managed to get away from his horde of admirers, she and Jeraddin had wandered through the palace-garden, reminiscing about happier times. Eventually, they had ended up making love, in this very room. An act which had culminated with Nasari whispering something in Jeraddin's ear.

"You are sure?" He had asked, surprise in his voice. "Last time I wanted to try it, you refused."

"That was ten years ago, dear" Nasari had replied. "This time, I am willing."

She positioned herself on all four, tail raised.

"Just promise me that you'll be gentle."

"Of course" Jeraddin assured her. "When have I ever not been?"

Despite Jeraddin going in as gently as he could, the pain, at first had been almost unbearable. Nasari recalled how her claws had dug into the pillow and a sound, the off-spring of a scream and a moan had erupted from her throat as her husband took her the way one man takes another.

Gradually, however, the pain had subsided and was replaced with feelings of pleasure, as was always the case when she felt her beloved lynx inside her.
Afterwards, the two of them had cuddled and Nasari had fallen asleep with her head resting on her husband's broad chest.

Nasari's reminiscing awoke deep-seated desires in her.She reached down between her legs with her right paw, while its sister massaged her breast. She was on the verge of climax, when there was a knock on the door and a female voice cried out from the other side:

"Nasari, the Queen just woke up. She wants you to bring her her breakfast."

It was with great reluctance that Nasari got out of bed.

*****

The Sound of singing combined with splashing water reached Nasari's ears as she entered the Royal apartments. Apparently, the Queen was in her bath, was Miranda with her? Shaking of that unpleasant thought, Nasari put the silver-tray with the Queen's breakfast down on a nearby table. As an act of rebellion, she spat into a jug containing cream. A small act to be sure, but nonetheless it brought Nasari some satisfaction.

Enjoy your breakfast, Your Majesty, she thought with a bitter smile on her face.

"Good morning" a voice chirped behind her.

Nasari, who had not been prepared, almost jumped out of her skin.

"Damn it Miranda!" She swore, her heart pounding. "You really gave me a start. Don't go sneak up on people like that!"

"Sorry" Miranda apologized. "So, did you sleep well?"

"Well enough, I suppose" Nasari replied, her shoulders moving up towards her whiskers. "You?"

"What little sleep I got" Miranda yawned. "Tonight, Her Nibs was quite insa..."

"Spare me" Nasari interrupted brusquely. "I really don't want to know."

"Someone's being a real grumpy cat this morning" Miranda remarked teasingly poking Nasari's cheek with her index finger. "Cheer up, maybe this evening, the Queen will chose someone else to share her bed and then, I'll be all yours."

"She hasn't for the past five evenings" Nasari sulked, crossing her arms and glaring at the bathroom door.

"Well, you should know the Queen's ways by now: Every once in a while, she only wants to eat one particular type of food. Don't worry, it won't be long before she starts craving some variety in her diet."

"I suppose..."

"Besides" Miranda continued, wrapping her arms around Nasari's waist. "Being with the Queen is just one of my duties. Being with you is a pleasure."

Nasari could feel her cheeks heat up. She reached down and caressed Miranda's butt. The Two of them were just about to kiss, when they heard the sound of the Queen getting out of the bath.

Quick as lightning, the raccoon and the cat pulled away from each other and stood with their paws crossed demurely over their knees and their eyes aimed at the carpet.
The Door to the bathroom opened and Vinoli's monarch appeared, wearing a dark-blue bathrobe.

A chorus of "Good Morning Your Majesty" greeted Argath as she made her way across the floor. The Queen did not return the greeting in words, but gave a small nod to show that she acknowledged it. She then sat down by the table, the chair groaning slightly under her weight.

Shifting slightly in her seat, Argath motioned to Nasari that she could uncover the plates lined up on the table. Nasari did and as the aroma from the dishes filled her nostrils, she became acutely aware that she had not had breakfast yet and would not have until the Queen had finished hers. Not that Nasari would even consider begging Argath for a morsel. No, she'd rather go hungry.

Her tongue sweeping across her lips, the Queen began to dig into her breakfast, washing it down with mugs of hot tea, which Miranda stood by ready to refill at a moment's notice. Having finished the final dumpling, Argath was just about to pour cream over a plate of strawberries when there was a knock on the door.
The Queen put the jug down and stared at the door in surprise. Then, she nodded to Nasari to open it.

"What is it, Chamberlain?" She asked, addressing the figure bowing to her in the doorway. "You know that We do not appreciate being disturbed during Our meals."

"A thousand apologies, Your Majesty" said the chamberlain while wiping his brow with a lace handkerchief. "There's a foreigner here who demands a private audience."

"Tell them to make an appointment with Our secretary like everybody else" Argath replied. She waved her hand dismissively while turning her attention back to the strawberries.

In that moment a voice cried out for her to wait and to the surprise of everyone, another person pushed past the Chamberlain.

Three pair of eyes stared in astonishment at the stranger before them: He was wearing a dusty brown cloak with a hood which partially concealed his features. Argath was the first to regain her senses:

Guards!" She called out.

Immediately, as though they had been summoned by a magic, two rhinoceros guards appeared and seized the stranger by his shoulders.

"Take this wretch who has disturbed Us outside and whip the fur of his back", the Queen commanded.

"Your Majesty, wait!" The Stranger implored. "I know that I committed grievous offence, intruding upon you like this. However, there are matters I must discuss with you and every second counts."

The Stranger's words succeeded in arousing Argath's curiosity. She ordered the guards to stand down.

"Very well" she said. "Tell us your story, but first; remove that hood so we may see your face clearly."

The Stranger pulled down his hood, revealing himself to be a fennec, with youthful and quite handsome features.

"Your Majesty" he said. "I know my appearance at the moment makes what I am about to tell you next seem fantastic, but I am as a matter of fact a colleague of yours. You see before you the King of Guanaca."

Chapter 43

Three years had gone by since the death of King Sharan and the ascendance of his daughter to the Vinolian throne. A lot of things had changed in how the country was run and by now, it had been abundantly clear to the people of Vinoli that the new boss was not, in fact, the same as the old boss:

Following their decisive victory against their old rival Frigonia, the nation as a whole was riding high on a wave of what was either patriotism, or jingoism, depending on who you asked. Naturally, the recently crowned Queen was not slow at taking advantage of this.
Soon, posters began to appear all over the capital and later in every village and hamlet in the Kingdom. They were skillfully drawn posters of propaganda, depicting a tall, broad-shouldered figure wearing a shining armor with a golden V emblazoned on it and wielding a sword gainst a horde of grotesque, evil-looking creatures, some of which could be recognized by their clothing as being representative of certain other nations. Towering above all this was the Queen herself, gazing sternly at the horde,while placing a motherly hand on the figure's shoulder.

Other posters with similar motives followed suit, but the new propaganda machine did not stop there. Soon, every piece of art made in the kingdom, every poem, play and song that was written and performed, seemed to share the same goal: To prove Vinoli's superiority over all other nations and praise the benevolence and wisdom of its sovereign.
It must be said that this campaign worked extremely well: Many of the citizens of Vinoli had always held the opinion that theirs was a chosen nation, destined to rule the World and enthusiastically threw themselves behind the new regime's policies.

Not everyone was in agreement though; there were those who still honored the words of the old King, words by which their nation had lived for centuries. Namely, that every country had the right to self-government and that while their kingdom would stand against oppression where ever it could be found, it should never seek to impose its will on any sovereign nation.

Those who held on to this belief, were referred to as Sharanists and they clashed frequently with their rivals, referred to as either the Royalists or Argathanians. It should be mentioned that both sides called themselves the True Vinolians.

This rivalry came to an abrupt and violent end one day, on the second year of the new Queen's reign. It came in the form of a bomb, which exploded in an apartment block, killing over a hundred people and wounding another sixty.

This catastrophe shook the people of Vinoli to their core: Never had something like this occurred in their country. True, last year the oldest parts of the capital had mysteriously burned down, but that had been ruled an accident. This was different though; there could be no talk of accidents in this case: Whoever had put the bomb in the building had done so deliberately.

The Queen put Lorenzo in charge of the investigation and gave him carte blanche to use whatever means necessary in order to bring the perpetrators to justice. It did not take long for the fox to find an important lead; it turned out that among the people living in the building was a schnauzer named Merken. This Merken was an outspoken Royalist and he could often be seen in the taverns, or the square, denouncing the Sharanists with passionate and venomous speeches, that fanned the flames of hatred and had lead to increased violence between the two groups.

Using the means at his disposal, Lorenzo set about rounding up the most vocal Sharanists and had them brought to the city jail for interrogation. No-one knows what happened during the interrogation, but after two days, one of the suspects broke and confessed that he and two others had made the bomb, but that they had never intended to cause such a blood bath.

"The Person who gave us the instructions for how to build the bomb assured us that it would only take out Merken and whoever was with him at the time", one of them said.

"Oh? And who gave you these instructions?" Lorenzo asked, staring at them with his one eye.

All three replied that they did not know; the person in question had approached them wearing a hood that concealed their face and gloves, so it was impossible for them to tell what species they belonged to.
The trial went by quickly. Despite the best efforts of their attorney, the three terrorists were sentenced
to be executed in the town square the next day. On the day of the execution, the square was packed with people and as the wagon with the condemned men passed by, the crowd pelted them with insults, stones and rotten fruit.
Pale and covered in dirt and bruises, the three men were led up the scaffold and were made to kneel.

"Any last words?" The Executioner asked, his voice came muffled through his black hood.

The Three looked out at the crowd and shook their heads; what could they possibly say? That they were sorry? That they had not meant for so many to die? Somehow, it seemed unlikely that the crowd would care.
The Signal was given, the executioner raised his ax and brought it down again. He repeated this action two more times and then, it was over.

****

Two nights after the execution, a lone figure could be seen entering the harbor. The Figure, a marten, glanced around furtively, then reached into his coat-pocket and took out a small flask.
He then proceeded to uncork the flask and pour its contents down his throat.
"Aren't you going to offer me any?" A high-pitched voice asked.

Immediately, the marten turned around and found himself face to face with a female rat, dressed in black and wearing her hair in a bun. Her name was Rachel and she was one of the three leaders of the most powerful criminal gang in the city, if not the whole country.

"I upheld my end of our deal" said the marten, tossing the empty flask aside. "Time for you to uphold yours."

"I see that the liquor has made you bold", Rachel said. She smiled,  her front-teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Reaching down her modest cleavage, she took out a rolled-up parchment.

"Here you go" she said, tossing the parchment at the ground, in front of the marten's feet . "Your debts are now cancelled. Oh, and here's a bonus for your hard work:"

As the marten bent down to pick up the parchment, a pouch landed near it.

"Enough money for you to start a new life; the person I've been representing wanted you to have it"

"What about a ship?" The Marten asked, letting the pouch disappear into his coat pocket. "Did you find a ship that can get me out of here?"

"Indeed and its captained by someone for whom discretion is a byword. Ah, here he is now:"

Once again, the marten turned around and this time, found himself looking up at a tiger, sporting a captain's uniform.

"Well met, young fellow" the tiger said jovially. "My name is Captain Cerewan. The Lady here has explained everything, my ship is at your disposal.."

"Very well, Captain" said the marten. "Let us go, I am anxious to get aboard your ship immediately."

"Of course, the passenger's word is law. This way."

Well, Rachel thought, as she watched the two men leave. That's that, time to meet up with Lorenzo and tell him that everything has been taken care of.

With that, the female crime lord turned around and walked away, disappearing into the night.

A few days after, the citizens of Vinoli woke up to find that a new law had been declared in their country. From now on, any criticism of the Vinolian Government, or its Sovereign, no matter what form it was expressed in, would be considered an act of treason and dealt with accordingly.

Farewell Honey

Today me and my family bid farewell to our beloved dog, Honey. She had been weak for a few days, suffering from diarrhea and being unable to keep her food down and so, my father, eventually made the tough decision to have her put to sleep. Honey was a briard, introduced into the family by my mother, eleven years ago. She was a wonderful dog, full of personality. She loved food and would eat pretty much any snack that was offered to her. Her culinary tastes were not limited to stuff that you'd expect a dog to like. No, she would eat lettuce and tomato, just as readily as she would eat meat. Every day I came home from a work, she would greet me at the door and I would bend down and shake her paw, while she licked my face, until I told her enough.

As a guard-dog, Honey was not very good. Not because she didn't guard the house; she did and she took that job very seriously, but because she really only guarded it when it did not need to be guarded. At one point, someone actually broke into our garden at night and Honey, being fast asleep, did not wake up at all.

She was a very likable animal, charming everyone who came into contact with her, even people who normally don't like dogs and this house will be empty without her.

Farewell, Honey, for eleven years, you were a source of happiness (and, occasionally, frustrations; I can't deny that) for our family. You were truly man's best friend and you will be missed.