//------------------------------// // Creatures // Story: Home Not Sweet Home // by CitreneSkys //------------------------------// Since winter passed, the the population of griffons has gone down quite a bit. More griffons were lost to the plague this year than every other year, and Gallus felt couldn’t help but a tad bad for the passed griffons. He wouldn’t put himself on to the the scale of say, Gabby, who went out of her way to send ‘Sorry for your lose’ cards to every griffon family, but the seeing more young griffons on the street made his heart sad. Oh well, guess that how the biscuit crumbles. Gallus headed towards the library, someplace he’d been visiting for a few weeks now. Ever since Gabby had taught him how to read, it’s the place he stops be the most often now. The books there offer a comfort that Gallus never knew he needed. Gabby had asked him to pick up a book she had been meaning to read, and Gallus being the generous griffon he was, said told Gabby to ‘suck it.’ “Pfft, okay,” Gabby laughed it off, amusement in her eyes. She flapped her wings, keeping herself afloat in the air. “Well I guess I’ll just pick it up later, but I got a lot of mail to deliver, so I’ll see you later, Gallus!” “See ya!” Gallus waved a talon, before turning around and continued to walk towards his destination. It felt great to walk on a regular stone path again. No snow, no ice, no cold harsh winds make it impossible to see. And it was warm! Everything Gallus could possibly want. When the remains of Griffonstones library came into view, Gallus felt himself speed up his pace, eager to get his claws on another history book. Searching through a cobweb filled shelf, he found something that caught his eyes. The book had a lavender cover, with darker stitching across one side of it. Drawn on the cover was a crude drawing that Gallus barely recognized as a griffon. Confused, Gallous opened up its contents. On the inside looked like lists of rule or instructions, each saying how to act towards a griffon. Gallus frowned. “‘Always have plenty of bits, griffons are sure to help you if you share the wealth’? Who writes this stuff?“ He wondered out loud. The book clearly seemed to be instructed to outsiders, but Gallus didn’t understand why someone would even want to some over to Griffonstone. He tossed it to the side, having lost interest in the booklet. He continued to rummage around in the shelves before picking up a larger, more dusty book found his attention. Picking up the ancient thing with his wing, he turned and looked around him. Normally, he would sit there next to the Statue of King Grover and read for the entire day, but looking around the somewhat crowded streets, he didn’t exactly feel comfortable. Quickly, Gallus weaved himself around the crowd. Why is there so many griffons out today? Gallus wondered, so focused on the sudden activity happening in the small village he ran straight into- “Watch it!” A loud voice exclaimed as the blue griffon stumbled back. He turned to glare at the griffon, only to shrink back when he saw who he had ran into. “Sorry miss,” Gallus apologizes, ducking his head. If he remembered correctly, this was Gilda, sister to Gabby, but she was no where are friendly as the grey griffon. He started to walk away from her when she stopped him. “Uhh.....do you want to try some griffonscones?” Gilda asked, pulling out a small tray of scones decorated with acorns from out of the fire oven. Gallus looked at her funny. “...why?” He asked skeptically. The white feathered griffon sported a nervous grin. “A couple of friends of mine told me to try make friends with other griffons so I guess I’m following what they’re saying. Well that and also they were on a friendship quest that sent them here by some magical map and don’t ask me how that works because I have no clue.” “Friends? What griffon would want to make friends?” Gallus asked. Gilda cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t you buddies with Gabby?” “Well, yeah but....I thought she was the exception! Every other griffon is shallow.” “Well that’s the thing, they aren’t griffons,” Gilda said nonchalantly, but that one sentence captivated Gallus’s interest right away. He’d had never heard of any other species outside of that one time Gabby mentions dragons. Gilda seemed amused when Gallus’s wings started flapping with curiosity, dropping the book he had been holding. “They are ponies.” Gallus made a face. “Isn’t that the insult that other griffons use to call others weak?” “Yes. It also that they are called, ponies.” “Can you tell me what your pony friends are like?” Gallus asked. Usually he tried not to bother the other griffons much, but his curiosity was through the roof on this one. “Pleeeeease?” Gilda rolled her eyes, “Fiiine I guess I could tell you.” Sitting on her haunches, she gestured for the younger one to sit closer. Gallus did as he was told, sitting in relative distance to the older griffon. Gilda stared off into the distance. “When I was younger, Grampa Gruff allowed me to go to the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, it a pegasus thing-“ “What’s a pegasus?” Gallus interrupted, confused by the term. Gilda eyed him. “Seriously?You don’t know the three types of ponies? Have you been living under a rock your whole life?” Gallus shrugged, think about his cardboard box. “More or less.” Gilda sighed, pinching the bridge of her beak. She looked so done with him right now. “Okay fine, I signed up for this. They are three types of ponies; pegasus, who can fly, unicorns, who have horns and do magic, and earth ponies, who do stuff with the dirt or something. Ya got that?” Gallus nodded, not wanting to escalate the other griffons temper. “So as I was saying, I went to the summer flight camp for pegasus when I was younger. I met a lot of ponies there, one of them is my friend Rainbow Dash,” Gilda said, a barely audible fondness in her gravely voice. “She’s cool, and really fast. The other is Pinkie Pie. She’s an earth pony, and really excitable and emotional. She’s also the one who updated the griffonscone recipe by adding ‘baking powder.’” Gallus hummed, taking in the information he’d just learned. Apparently there were other species outside of Griffonstone, apparently Gilda of all griffons is friends with them, and APPARENTLY there was something about magical map. “So what’s this about a map sending them on a friendship quest?” Gilda glared at him. “I thought I told you to not ask.” “I mean, if you were friends with them why did it send them to you?” Gallus questioned. Something wasn’t adding up in his head. Gilda looked away. “....I wasn’t the nicest. And before you comment on that, ponies value love and friendship and blah blah something magical rainbow power, so being one of the not so nice creatures didn’t really sit well with them...” “Hmm...” Gallus hummed to himself again, trying to form his thoughts on the ponies. They seem nice, caring about friends and stuff, but also a magical map? Friendships quest? This is seriously things you can’t make up. “Is there any other creatures other than ponies? I know Gabby mentioned dragons but-“ “Oh yeah, tons other creatures. Can’t remember all of them off the top of my head, but there’s the dragons with their Dragon Lord Torch, changelings, but they’re evil, and there were these ancient creatures called hippogriffs but Grampa Gruff said they went extinct long time ago.” Gallus didn’t really understand much of that, but now he knew that there was more creatures out there. I wonder what dragons or changelings look like, Gallus wondered. The smaller griffon opened his beak, before Gilda silenced him with one talon. “I would love to stay here and chat,” a fine line a sarcasm laced her tongue, “but I gotta pack up the food cart for tonight.” Gilda started to put away everything that was on the cart. “Wait can I still have the scone you offered?” Gallus asked sheepishly, to which Gilda rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever kid.” Grabbing one of the warm scones in his beak, Gallus bounded away, heading for his alleyway.