The sky above Canterlot was something out of a painting. It was a bright shade of blue, the sun was shining high, and there wasn’t a single cloud, grey or white, to be seen. It was perfect, just like it always was.
Of course, the sky had probably been given extra attention by Pegasi today. They had no doubt been instructed to make sure that everything appeared perfect, down to even the speed of the breeze that was causing the banners atop the spires to gently wave. After all, it wasn’t every day that such an important guest visited the home of Equestria’s royalty.
Yukari supposed there was another reason the skies had been cleared. It made it impossible for her and the rest of her approaching group to hide. No doubt Princesses Celestia and Luna had spotted them by now, along with every guard in the city. In fact, she supposed the Princesses had been aware of their location the moment they had crossed into Equestria.
Yukari didn’t let it bother her though. Their visit had been planned well in advance, so the Royal Sisters knowing about them was nothing to be concerned about. And it wasn’t like they were at war or anything. It was just one ruler visiting another.
Still, Yukari had a job, and she would stick to it. She was one of the five Inner Wing guards chosen to accompany the King on his trip here, and while she wasn’t expecting any trouble, it didn’t hurt to keep her eyes open.
“Yukari, take point,” the Captain said.
“Yes, sir,” Yukari replied. She flapped a little faster and pulled ahead of the other guards and the King, and then began a slow decent toward the white castle-city below. Her eyes took in every detail, from the random citizens wandering about the city, to the four Pegasi that were now flying slowly toward them. She noted that they were dressed in the traditional gold armor that Princess Celestia favored, and seeing as they were flying in formation and at a steady pace, she guessed their intent.
“Our escort is here, sir,” Yukari called over her shoulder. “Standard procedure?”
“Yes,” the Captain replied. “The rest of you, take up defensive positions around the King. No slipups.”
“Do not worry,” the King said absentmindedly, speaking for the first time since they had entered Equestria, but Yukari couldn’t help feeling like she could do her job a lot better if the King would just tell her and the other guards what this meeting was all about. She was part of the Inner Wing, the most trusted unit of soldiers in the entire Griffon Kingdom. They were trusted with secrets that could lead to war or rebellion if the general populace ever found out, and yet that apparently wasn’t enough. The King had spoken only to Captain Talon about his mission, and he hadn’t even told the Captain what the mission was. He had only told him to bring five of his most trusted guards and follow him to Equestria.
And so, with the question still burning in her mind, Yukari continued her decent toward the Pegasi and Canterlot. She knew that the Captain was directly behind her, flanked by Shana and Arie. Behind them was the King, and then flying behind him were Devin and Razor. It was in that formation that she met the Pegasi flying toward them.
To the ponies’ credit, they did not try to interfere with the griffons. In fact, they didn’t even seem to acknowledge them. They simply broke into pairs and flew to either side of the formation. They then matched Yukari’s speed and the whole lot of flying animals headed toward Canterlot.
As Yukari and the others drew closer to the city, her yellow eyes began to notice that ponies on the ground were starting to become aware of them. She saw several faces look up casually and then do a double-take. Others realized what they were seeing right away, and either stopped and stared, grabbed the nearest pony and pointed up, or scurried away.
Most of the ponies scurried away. Griffons were a rare sight in Equestria, and relations weren’t exactly warm and fuzzy. Throw in the fact that Yukari and the others were dressed in armor and were being escorted in by Canterlot guards, and she couldn’t really blame the timid beings for fleeing.
Two of the Pegasi suddenly pulled in front of Yukari and banked left. Yukari followed them without question. If they were leading her and the others into a trap, it was going to take a lot more than just four Pegasi, so the only logical conclusion was that she was being taken to the castle to meet the Princesses. At least, she hoped it was the castle. If the King was taken to anywhere other than Canterlot Castle, the word ‘insulting’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it.
Thankfully, the Pegasi lead them directly to the front steps of Canterlot Castle. The two in front of her pulled off and landed to the left of the stairs, and moments later the other two flew in and landed to the right. The four of them stood at attention so perfectly that they shamed some of the griffons back home.
Yukari landed and looked around quickly, taking in every detail in a heartbeat. No sign of Unicorns hiding in the shadows, no suspicious lack of activity, and no seemly innocent gathering of ponies nearby. No sign of any danger whatsoever, so she flicked her tail twice to signal the all clear. Moments later, she heard the others land with clanking armor and forceful purpose. She casually watched the Pegasi escort to see if any of them flinched. To their credit, they didn’t even divert their eyes from gazing straight ahead. Despite what the majority of griffons thought, Princess Celestia trained her guards well.
“Am I to be kept waiting?” asked the King. Yukari went stiff as the King walked by. He was an imposing griffon, easily towering over her and even bigger than a healthy male. His black armor gleamed in the sun, and the golden trim around its edges sparkled across the white marble stairs.
For a brief moment, Yukari worried that he would dare to ascend those very stairs and there would be a diplomatic incident, but thankfully the King stopped at the base. She let out a silent sigh of relief and continued to stand at attention with the other griffons.
Moments later, the doors to Canterlot Castle opened slowly. Yukari unconsciously sucked in a breath as she waited. She had not seen Princess Celestia or Princess Luna in pony for several years, but even back home they were regarded as beauties. Hopefully they were coming out to greet the King, and not just summoning him inside.
“Greetings, King Dahron,” Princess Celestia said as she appeared at the top of the steps. She bowed deeply.
“Salutations, Your Majesty Dahron,” Princess Luna added as she too bowed.
Yukari would have been taken in by the beauty of the two Princesses like she always was, but she was doing her best not to let the utter shock she was feeling show on her face. No one, not griffon or pony, called the King by his name. Just who did these two—
“Princess Celestia,” the King said and returned the bow. “Princess Luna. I am honored that you have taken the time to have an audience with me.”
This time Yukari couldn’t help it. Her beak fell open slightly. Not only had the King not taken offense to Princess Celestia’s and Princess Luna’s liberal use of his name, but he actually sounded genuinely pleased to speak with them.
Yukari felt a quick snap on her back leg as the Captain whipped his tail at her. She slammed her beak shut and returned to attention.
“I would like to speak to the two of you in private,” the King continued. “No guards, no attendants, no secretaries. Just the three of us.”
“But, Your Majesty!” the Captain said. “I must protest. Your safety has been entrusted to us. You cannot leave your entire escort behind. At least allow me to accompany you.”
“I am in no danger here, Captain Talon,” the King said as he began to climb the stairs up to the Princesses. “It is true that things between our nations are strained sometimes, but the Princesses are true and honest.”
“If it would put your Captain’s mind at ease, he may accompany us if they wish,” Princess Celestia said. “He, and any others that wish to, may wait outside the conference room. Will that suffice?”
The King reached the top of the steps and turned to look down at his six escorts. “Will it suffice, Captain?”
“Yes, sir,” the Captain said. “Although, my troops are likely tired from the trip. Your Majesties, I humbly request that they be allowed to explore the city and relax during our time here.”
Princess Celestia smiled a smile so white and calming that Yukari felt her aches from the long flight begin to fade away immediately. “But of course. Please enjoy yourselves.”
“Thank you,” the Captain said. He turned to Yukari, Arie, Shana, Razor, and Devin. “Keep out of trouble. We are here as guests. You have my leave to do as you please until the time that I summon you. Understood?”
“Yes sir!” All five griffons replied at once.
“Sir?” Devin said. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to stay.”
“I gave you leave, Devin. If you want to spend it guarding a door with me, that’s your choice.”
“Are we all decided then?” Princess Luna asked from the top of the stairs. “Very well. King Dahron, if thou would follow us.”
Princess Luna and the King turned and walked through the giant doors. Princess Celestia turned to follow, but she stopped when the Captain and Devin were halfway up the stairs. “Yukari?” she called.
Yukari froze. Her heart pounded in her throat as she forced herself to turn around. She had hoped Princess Celestia wouldn’t remember her. A foolish hope apparently.
“Yes, Princess Celestia?” she asked as she bowed low, both out of respect and to avoid eye contact.
“She is down at the lake. Take care.” With that, Princess Celestia turned and disappeared through the doorway. The Captain looked at Yukari briefly and followed, but Devin stood on the steps and stared at her for a few moments before he too disappeared through the door.
Yukari waited until they were gone before she dared to raise head from the ground. Her beak was trembling and her breath was coming in quick gasps. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire and she was thankful that her head was covered in black feathers to hide her blush.
“What was that about?” Shana asked as she stuck her head in front of Yukari, who was still staring up the stairs where Celestia had been.
Once again, Yukari was thankful for her dark feather coloring. “Um…nothing.”
“Uh-huh,” Shana said with a smirk. She tilted her spotted brown head to the side. “Then why are you blushing?”
“You can tell?!” Yukari shouted, but she instantly realized her mistake and covered her beak with her claw.
“No, but now I know you are.” Shana slipped her foreleg around Yukari’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Spill.”
Yukari pushed Shana off and readjusted her armor in an attempt to stall. “It’s nothing, really. I just…I knew a pony in Equestria a few years ago. She sometimes stays at Canterlot.”
“Well, we’ve got some free time. How about we go see your old friend?”
“Uh, I don’t—”
“Come on. We don’t usually get to come to this place. It can’t hurt to just say hi at least.”
Yukari sighed. Shana had her mind made up, and she wouldn’t change it. The pride in her blood was stubborn, even for a griffon. Plus, she did have a point. Yukari wouldn’t mind seeing her…friend again. She would just need an excuse to come visit. Dropping in unannounced would send the wrong message no doubt.
Yukari thought for a moment. Her eyes fell on Shana’s brown and white feathered neck and an idea sprang into her head.
“Shana, how about a necklace? Made of some of the rarest materials in the land?” Yukari asked.
“Why Yukari, you certainly know how to make a girl smile,” Shana said. She slipped her foreleg around Yukari’s and put her head on Yukari’s shoulder. “How could I say no?”
Yukari rolled her yellow eyes and looked at Arie and Razor. “You two want to come along?”
“No thanks,” Arie said.
“As if,” Razor said. “The sooner we leave this place, the better. But you seem to know your way around here at least. Any place I can get something to eat?”
“There’s a marketplace a few blocks that way,” Yukari replied. She pointed to the West and Razor took to the sky without so much as a nod of thanks. Yukari looked at Arie and raised an eyebrow.
“I know, I know,” the young griffon said with a huff. “Keep him out of trouble.”
“And don’t let him ask for meat,” Yukari called as Arie took to the sky. “It…well, ponies just don’t eat it. Trust me.”
The two griffons disappeared into the sky and Yukari and Shana were left alone on the front steps of Canterlot castle. They stood there for a few moments, Shana still wrapped around Yukari’s foreleg, before Yukari finally turned to her and smiled.
“Lead the way,” Shana said.
Yukari wiggled herself out of Shana’s embrace and stretched her wings. “We are going to have to leave the city, but it won’t be far.” She took to the sky and Shana followed her.
“Exotic,” Shana replied as she flew next to Yukari. “Is it the lake we saw coming in? The one right outside the city?”
“No,” Yukari said. “She…goes to a different lake. She likes it because there aren’t any other ponies around.”
“Very exotic,” Shana whispered. “So…is this some sort of secret meeting between lovers? A forbidden romance? Do you have a thing for ponies, Yukari? Shame on you” Yukari’s eyes widened in alarm at Shana’s words “for not telling me.”
Yukari let out a sigh of relief. “It’s…not like that. Just follow me, and behave yourself.”
“Always.”
The two griffons left the city and Yukari found herself lazily drifting around the skies of Canterlot. It was nice to just fly for a change, instead of flying in a strict formation. She looked down at the landscape and smiled as memories swam through her mind. There was the lake just outside of the city where she had tried, and failed miserably, to learn how to swim. She blushed slightly as she remembered her body flailing helplessly in the water. Her heart beat a little faster as she heard the familiar roar of the waterfall that fed the lake, and she recalled how she had heard that no pony had ever been up to the top of the mountain to find out just where the river was coming from.
That had always fascinated Yukari, because ponies controlled everything in Equestria, and yet none of them had ever been up to investigate the river’s source. That sense of mystery had always captured her imagination in a land that was completely devoid of uncertainty. She hovered for a moment as she looked up the mountain.
Someday I’ll go up there. The words echoed in Yukari’s mind. She wondered if she had made them come true yet.
Yukari shook the memory away and turned away from the mountain and out toward the open sky. She flew to the edge of the Canterlot cliff and then dove straight down the mountainside, following the waterfall the spilled from the lake. She relished the sensation of the mist splashing against her feathers and armor. She stretched her talon out and touched the falling water, causing it the splash into her face as well as soak Shana above.
“Hey!” Shana yelled as she wiped the water from her eyes. “Be careful.”
“Race you to the bottom,” Yukari replied. A grin spread across her beak and Shana soon matched it. The race was on.
The two griffons folded their wings in close and dove as fast as they could. Yukari laughed as memories rushed through her mind. It had been over three years since she had raced the waterfall, as she called it. She paid Shana no mind, but instead turned her head to look again at the waterfall. There was something magical about seeing it fall slower than her. Even though she was diving as fast as she could, it made the world seem like time had slowed to a crawl, and once again she found herself mesmerized the rare sight of something utterly free in Equestria.
“Is that her?” Shana called over the howling water and wind. Yukari tore her attention away from the waterfall and looked below. There was the lake at the bottom of the mountain, with the waterfall spilling into it with glorious white fury, and sitting on the shore was a single pony. For a brief moment, Yukari thought it was her, but as her eyes focused she realized it wasn’t.
“No,” she said. “I…don’t know who that pony is actually. I’m surprised anyone else is down here actually.”
“Hm? Maybe your secret lover has found a new toy?”
“Shut up,” Yukari said as she put more speed into her dive and pulled away from Shana. She stared at the strange yellow pony sitting on the shoreline, but then something caught her eye in the water. It was a dark spot, a shadow deep beneath the surface of the water, and if it wasn’t for her eyes, Yukari was positive she would have missed it. But she hadn’t, and as she focused on the spot, she couldn’t help but smile.
There she was.
“Yukari?” Shana called as the water raced up toward the two griffons. “Yukari! Stop!”
Yukari didn’t stop. She heard Shana pull away and then Yukari plunged into the water like a falcon diving for a fish. The impact stung slightly, but she had done it so many times before that she barely noticed it. The speed from her dive caused her to shoot through the water like a fish, and her armor’s weight added to her speed. She wasn’t wearing goggles like she normally did so she was forced to close her eyes, but she knew exactly what to do. She reached her talons out in the water and counted to one, then closed them. She felt the wet fur in her grasp and for a brief moment she felt tension in the muscles, but then they completely relaxed and Yukari knew that she had been remembered.
Yukari pulled up and broke the water, carrying her friend high up into the sky with her. She flew higher and higher and then began a backflip. She let go of the pony as she reached the apex of her flip, sending the Unicorn flying up into the sky.
The Unicorn twisted through the air as if she was a spinning top, droplets whipping off of her body in brilliant display of water and light. Yukari’s heart beat a little faster as she watched and then she completed her flip. She twisted halfway around so she would be facing the Unicorn and then began diving back toward the lake below.
She looked and saw that the Unicorn was diving back toward the water too, her lavender mane whipping behind her head as she fell a foreleg’s length away from Yukari, just like she always did. She turned her head so that her raspberry red eyes met Yukari’s and the griffon’s heart jumped into her throat.
She swallowed the lump as the Unicorn put her hoof out as they fell. Yukari reached out with her talon and clasped the hoof, pulling the Unicorn close to her own body. She felt the hooves close around her back—Damn this armor!—and she in turn wrapped her forelegs around the pony and then folded her wings.
“You still remember,” the pony whispered.
“Of course I do,” Yukari replied. She tilted her wing slightly so that the two of them began a slow spiral toward the lake. As it drew closer, she made the spiral spin faster and she smiled as she felt the hooves hold on tighter. She held on tighter too, slightly digging her talons into the pony’s back, still wishing she wasn’t wearing her armor.
At the last second, Yukari spread her wings and released her grasp on the Unicorn. Air rushed into her wings as the pony fell away from her and the shockwave of air caused the lake water to spray around them.
The pony began to turn so that her back was to the griffon and she put her forelegs up. Moments before she hit the water, Yukari reached out and caught her forelegs again and began to fly toward the shore, carrying the Unicorn just high enough that her hind legs could skim the water if she wanted to.
Yukari flew to the shoreline and slowed once she reached the beach. She released the Unicorn and she dropped softly onto the sand and Yukari landed next to her. She turned to face the pony and smiled. She was about to open her mouth and say hello, but the pony instantly jumped on her and wrapped the griffon up in a hug.
“It’s so good to see you again!” The pony squeezed harder. “What are you doing in Canterlot? Official Inner Wing duties I take it, since you’re dressed up?”
“Nice to see you again, Sea Swirl,” Yukari said as she returned the hug and then the two pulled apart. “And yeah. I’m one of the King’s escorts, but we have some free time at the moment so...” Yukari blinked several times as her mind went blank. Sea Swirl was dripping wet and she was using her magic to wring some of the water out of her iris-shaded tail.
Sea Swirl caught her staring and smiled. “And…what? You came down to watch me swim again?”
Yukari blushed and brought her mind back. “N-No. I-I promised to, uh…get one of your pearl necklaces for my friend here.” Yukari beckoned toward Shana, who was standing a little ways away on the beach.
Sea Swirl grinned and batted her eyes, wringing her tail out one last, slow time, and then turned toward Shana and waved. “You’re Yukari’s friend? My name’s Sea Swirl. What’s yours?”
Yukari turned toward her friend and she knew she was in trouble. Shana was practically prancing across the shoreline toward them. The look on her face was like a cat playing with a string. She knew the truth now, and she was going to tease Yukari mercilessly and enjoy every moment of it.
“Why hello, Sea Swirl,” Shana said as she came closer. She turned and grinned toward Yukari and then offered her claw. “I’m Shana. A pleasure to meet you.”
Sea Swirl took the claw and the two shook without hesitation. “You’re in the Inner Wing too then? You’ve been keeping Yukari out of trouble, right?”
The look on Shana’s face changed instantly. Gone was her mirth, replaced instead with confusion. “Um…yeah. Yes, I’m Yukari’s wing mate on most missions.” She looked at Yukari in confusion. “I’m…uh, surprised you’ve heard of it.”
“Are you kidding?” Sea Swirl asked. “It was all Yukari would talk about when we were—” Yukari stiffened and Sea Swirl’s eyes widened ever so slightly “er, when she used to visit.” Yukari relaxed and Sea Swirl flashed a smile at Shana, but Yukari knew it was for her.
“Did she now?” Shana said, the grin once again returning to her face. “Because that’s supposed to be a secret. She basically committed treason by telling you about the organization.”
Sea Swirl blinked several times and her ears fell. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She looked quickly between the two griffons, her eyes pleading whenever they met Yukari’s.
“She’s teasing you, Sea Swirl,” Yukari said with a smile. “It’s no different than the Royal Guard in Canterlot.”
“Whew…you got me there, Shana,” Sea Swirl laughed.
“Yes, well,” Shana looked at Yukari, her yellow eyes sparkling dangerously, “I suppose it’s common for a couple to share their dreams with each other…”
“Shana!”
“What? No, we’re not a couple,” Sea Swirl protested with a nervous laugh.
“Excuse me?” a new voice asked.
Both griffons and the pony turned to see a yellow Earth pony with a purple, wavy mane walking up to them. Yukari recognized her as the pony who had been sitting on the beach when she had been diving toward the water.
“Oh, hey, Symphony,” Sea Swirl said, turning around and flashing a warm smile. Yukari saw the Unicorn’s tail flick once and her ears turn forward slightly. “This is Yukari. And her friend, Shana.”
“Charmed,” Symphony said with a tone and a look that said otherwise. “I was not aware that you date a…griffon.”
“Is that a problem, pony?” Shana asked darkly. Yukari, despite her best intentions, felt happy when Symphony flinched and backed up slightly.
Symphony looked at Sea Swirl and blinked her crystal blue eyes slowly and then hung her head. “No. No, it’s not. I just thought…never mind.”
Yukari saw Sea Swirl’s ears pull back a little and her tail drooped slightly. “Symphony, I—”
“Relax, Symphony,” Yukari said, doing her best to smile. “I’m not here to steal your marefriend. Honestly, Sea Swirl and I are just old friends.”
“She is not my marefriend,” Symphony protested. Yukari noted that the pony was keeping her eyes on Sea Swirl though.
“Uh, yeah, Yukari,” Sea Swirl said as she turned back toward the griffons. “Symphony’s just a friend of mine. Like you. We’re not a couple.”
Now it was Yukari’s turn to grin. “If you say so, Sea Swirl.” She smiled when she saw the pony’s ears twitch once as she shifted her weight onto her left foreleg for a brief moment.
“So about that necklace…?” Shana said after a long moment of silence. She looked up at Yukari with that mischievous look again and the griffon swallowed. What was Shana planning to do now?
“Oh yeah!” Sea Swirl said and the light and happiness returned to her face.
“Yukari promised to show me a really pretty one…” Shana narrowed her eyes slightly and grinned suggestively. “As a present.”
“Oh…” Yukari saw Sea Swirl’s ear twitch once and her eyes darted to the left for a half second. It all happened quickly, but she had known what to look for. A moment later, the Unicorn’s cheer was back. “I assume you want a pearl one, right? Those ones make the best…gifts.”
“Sea Swirl, you don’t—” Yukari started.
“I have one in my pack right now, actually,” Sea Swirl continued quickly. She turned and walked toward her satchel on the beach.
Once she was out of earshot, Yukari rounded on Shana. “Why did you do that?”
Shana shrugged. “What? You said that you two are just friends. She shouldn’t be jealous about you buying me a necklace.”
“I doubt Sea Swirl will accept your money,” Symphony said, her blue eyes still glaring at Yukari every now and then. “She is too nice. Since you’re her friend, she’ll likely just give it to you…”
“Jealous, Miss Glaring Eyes?” Shana teased.
Symphony snorted. “Hmph. O-Of course not!”
“Here you go, Yukari,” Sea Swirl said as she came back. She was levitating a beautiful string of white and cream pearls with her magic, and Yukari couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of them.
“How much?” she managed to stammer.
“Oh, consider it a gift,” Sea Swirl said with a forced smile. “You said you were giving it to Shana, and I couldn’t possibly take your bits for it.”
“Sea Swirl, I can’t—”
“Actually, Sea Swirl,” Shana said. She stepped forward and pulled out her coin purse. “I said nothing about Yukari buying me one. I just said that she promised to show me one. I’ll be buying it, not her.”
Sea Swirl looked back and forth between Yukari and Shana, her mouth falling open a little. “But I thought…”
“What?” Shana raised her claw and pointed a talon over her shoulder at Yukari. “You thought I was dating this feather brain? Please. She couldn’t afford me.” Shana turned her head so that one eye was looking at Sea Swirl and the other was only looking at Yukari, and she winked.
Yukari smiled her thanks.
“So how much?” Shana asked after she returned her gaze to Sea Swirl.
Sea Swirl’s smile was back in full force and her head was titled slightly to the right, just enough that her mane was hanging lopsidedly. “Well, since you’re a friend of Yukari’s…how about fifty bits?”
“For something that nice?” Shana said, her voice genuinely shocked. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t possibly give you that little.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was actually collecting more when you two showed up.” Sea Swirl looked over at Symphony and smiled a smile that Yukari sorely missed. “And Symphony and I are going to the ocean this weekend to get more from the sea. That’s where I find the really white ones. Right, Symphony?”
Yukari couldn’t help but feel a little jealous when Symphony’s blue eyes lit up a bit. “Yes.”
“I can’t give you any less than sixty-five for that necklace, Sea Swirl,” Shana said as she counted out the different size coins she needed to make the correct amount. “And I still feel it’s worth three times that.”
“More than that,” Symphony said as she walked up and looked at the pearl necklace. “Much more.”
Shana made a sour face as she pulled out the last few coins. “Not helping, Miss Glaring Eyes.”
Sea Swirl levitated the pearl necklace over Shana’s head and onto her neck, then levitated the coins into her satchel. She smiled again and Yukari couldn’t help but notice that she had slid closer to Symphony, whether she had meant to or not.
“So how long are you going to be in Canterlot?” the Unicorn asked. “Any chance you two could come over for dinner? Symphony is going to cook.”
Yukari saw the yellow pony stiffen slightly. She smiled. Part of her wanted to spend the evening catching up with the Unicorn, but she couldn’t do that to Symphony. Besides, there was no telling when the King would need them to return. “I’m sorry, Sea Swirl, but I don’t think we’ll be staying that long. In fact, we should probably start heading back to Canterlot now.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Sea Swirl’s ears fell a little, but they perked back up almost instantly. “Well, next time then.”
“Sure,” Yukari replied. “It was nice meeting you, Symphony.”
“Take care, Miss Glaring Eyes,” Shana said as she took to the sky. Symphony glared up at her and scowled. “Thank you for the gift, Sea Swirl.”
“Take care, Sea Swirl,” Yukari said as she too left the ground. “I’ll write you when I get back home. Maybe we can set up some time for me to come visit.”
“Sounds great!”
Yukari slowly drifted up to join Shana, who was already well into the sky, but she stopped when she looked down at Symphony. The Earth pony was looking at Sea Swirl with a painful look that Yukari was all too familiar with, but the Unicorn was still looking skyward and waving.
“She hasn’t changed a bit,” Yukari said as she rolled her eyes and flew back toward the ground. She landed in front of the two ponies and smiled.
“Um…something wrong?” Sea Swirl asked.
“Symphony,” Yukari said, turning her black head toward the Earth pony. “Sea Swirl likes to be choked when you kiss her. Remember that.”
“What?!” The Earth pony shouted, her face going bright red even through her yellow fur. “I would never!”
“You should,” Yukari said as she turned toward Sea Swirl with an evil grin. “It leads to some very…intense experiences.”
“Yukari!” Sea Swirl shouted. “I do not! Symphony, she’s lying!”
“Oh really?” Yukari replied. She slowly moved her lion tail up into the air in front of Sea Swirl and waved it back and forth like a snake. “I seem to remember wrapping my tail around your throat and other things several times…”
“S-S-Shut up!” Sea Swirl said. Her face was redder than Symphony’s and she dove toward the griffon, but Yukari leapt into the air and laughed.
“Remember, Symphony,” she called as she took to the sky. “Choking. And I mean really choke her.”
“YUKARI!” Sea Swirl shouted as the griffon flew up to join her companion waiting halfway up the waterfall.
“What was that about?” Shana asked as Yukari drew close enough to hear her.
“Just giving Symphony some pointers on Sea Swirl’s more…hidden tastes.”
“Sea Swirl doesn’t seem too happy about that,” Shana said.
“Not now, but Symphony just needs to follow it and then I’m sure Sea Swirl will be thanking me. Profoundly.” She looked back down and smiled. The two ponies were standing face to face, their cheeks still bright red, trying to talk but neither of them knowing quite was to say.
“You two were close, weren’t you?” Shana asked. Yukari looked back up at her companion. Shana was admiring the pearl necklace she had around her neck, but she was also deliberately staring at Yukari with one piercing yellow eye.
“Yeah,” Yukari said. “Very close.”
“More than just friends.” It wasn’t a question, Yukari noticed. She sighed.
“Yes,” she said. “Much more than friends.”
“So what happened?” Shana asked, now completely ignoring her new necklace and looking at Yukari as they flew up toward Canterlot.
Yukari sighed again as painful memories came into her mind. “We’re just…too different.”
“Don’t you give me that!” Shana said. “You’d never let that stupid taboo about dating a pony stop you, no matter what the griffons back home said. Too different? I saw you, Yukari. I watched you plunge into that water despite not knowing how to swim. I watched your little aerial dance. I watched the way you talked to her, and how she talked to you. You’re more in synch with her than you are with any other griffon you’ve ever flown with. And that includes me. So don’t tell me you two are too different.”
“It’s not that type of different,” Yukari said.
“Then you better explain it, or I’m going back down there to get it out of her.”
“Fine.” Yukari scanned the sky, but naturally there wasn’t a single cloud present for the two of them to stop and talk on. The Pegasi had made sure of that, and that was part of the problem that had forced her and Sea Swirl to go their separate ways.
“Follow me.” Yukari lead the rest of the way up the Canterlot cliffside and the two griffons banked toward the city. Yukari spied a tall spire and flew toward it, coming to rest on top of its roof. It wasn’t as comfortable as a cloud, but it still offered a breathtaking view of most of Equestria.
“What are you doing?” Shana asked as she settled in next to Yukari on the rooftop. “If you think sightseeing is going to get you out of this, you’re—”
“What do you see?”
Shana looked around. “Canterlot,” she said.
“Beyond that?”
“That lake,” Shana replied as she pointed to the lake that was just outside of the city.
“Now look out there,” Yukari said as she gestured to everything with a wave of her claw. “What do you see?”
“Equestria?” Shana replied.
“Perfection is what I see. Perfect green fields, lovely vistas, and a beautiful blue sky. It looks like it is straight out of a painting. And do you know why it looks like this?”
“Because…” Shana stopped. She clearly wasn’t grasping the point that Yukari was trying to make. She sighed and shook her head.
“Ponies,” Yukari said. “Ponies make Equestria this way. They like to think that they can control everything, and that Equestria was made for them, but they’re wrong. Equestria is just another land, and it would survive just fine without the ponies.”
“What do you mean?” Shana asked. “You said it yourself. They run everything here.”
“Except it wasn’t always theirs,” Yukari said. “Remember your history lesson when you first joined the Inner Wing? Remember who originally owned Equestria?”
Shana’s eyes lit up with understanding. “We did. It was griffon territory. But…we didn’t really live here. It was just a land on our borders.”
“And it was a paradise.” Yukari chuckled and scratched the back of her neck. “I’ve always wondered why we didn’t colonize this place, but that’s beside the point. The point is, it was perfectly fine long before the ponies got here. The plants grew, the animals flourished, the rains fell, and the seasons changed. All without a single pony to do any of it. They tend to forget that.”
Shana blinked several times and quietly stared out over the land. It wasn’t that Yukari hated the beautiful view. She actually found the picture-perfect scenery a refreshing change from the wild, untamed, and sometimes dangerous lands back home. But she knew it wasn’t real. It wasn’t natural. It was like looking at a wax bowl of fruit. Sure it looked pretty, but it would never satisfy a hungry griffon. A real apple from a real tree was what was needed for that.
And then there was the arrogance that came with the attitude that ponies had. Most of them didn’t mean anything by it and probably didn’t even realize it. Arrogance probably wasn’t even the right word in most cases. They were just…stubborn in their belief of superiority over the land. The rest of the world survived just find without ponies, but whenever that was pointed out, ponies tended to shove it away and not acknowledge it. Some ponies, especially in Canterlot, even went so far as to call other places uncivilized and other races savages. That was what had really ruffled Yukari’s feathers.
“So that’s why you left Sea Swirl,” Shana said after a long moment of silence. “Different world views.”
“First of all, I didn’t leave her,” Yukari said, with a bit more anger than she meant to. “We both agreed that it wasn’t going to work and we part willingly. And second, no, that’s not why. Sea Swirl is a bit of a free spirit among ponies. She actually agreed with me on a few points. I think it’s because she’s seen life under water and she knows that it still thrives without a pony’s help. She is one of the few ponies that understands.”
“So what happened?”
“If anything, I happened,” Yukari hung her head. “All my studying of ancient history to join the Inner Wing opened my eyes to everything I just told you. Which, by the way, you could have learned yourself if hadn’t fallen asleep during class so much.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry…” Shana blushed and scratched the back of her neck.
“I told myself it wouldn’t bother me, but it did. I saw how they think they’re the center of the world, and it slowly ate at me. Sea Swirl saw it too, saw what it was doing to me. She understood how I felt, but it was slowly driving us apart. When we’d talk, it would always turn into discussions, and then turn into heated discussions, and sometimes even arguments. When we’d go out in public, she would steer me away from other ponies, not out of a sense of embarrassment, but in order to avoid me starting a fight. The love was still there, but it was straining under the tension. Soon even little things started to get to me. Stupid things, like how an Earth pony had just freshly harvested food and a Unicorn praised her for it because she could never do something like that. That shouldn’t have mattered to me, but it did. I was becoming bitter about everything. I…I was the one who brought up the split.”
“Oh,” Shana said quietly. She slid closer and slipped her wing over Yukari’s shoulder. “That must have been hard.”
“I thought she’d hate me for doing it, but she understood.” Yukari hung her head and felt a tear fall from her eye. “I told her I still loved her, and that I was so sorry, but I didn’t want her to hate me. She told me she could never do that, but that she understood what I meant. And…she agreed. She didn’t want to see me fall apart.”
“I’m sorry, Yukari,” Shana said. “I never knew you went through that.”
“Yeah…” Yukari said as she used her talon to wipe her eyes. “But our final night together? Whew…the things that Unicorn could do with magic. And the things she can endure. I couldn’t walk straight for a full day afterward.”
“Okay, I didn’t need to hear that,” Shana said, pulling away with a laugh. “Should we go back down and warn Miss Glaring Eyes what she’s got herself into?”
“Nah, I don’t think they’re that far yet.” Yukari grinned despite herself. “But trust me, Symphony is going to find out about it.”
The two griffons chuckled as they sat on the roof, but their pleasant rest was broken a few moments later by a loud screech. Yukari and Shana locked eyes for a half second, nodded, and then dove off of the rooftop. They tore through the air above Canterlot, dodging both Pegasi and buildings and ignoring the shouts and looks they received.
As they drew closer to where the sound had come from, they began to hear raised voices as well. Yukari closed her eyes and focused for a moment. None of them sounded like ponies of authority, so the Royal Guard hadn’t arrived yet. Good. That meant that she and Shana might still be able to salvage the situation without causing a rather embarrassing situation for the King.
Because Yukari and Shana had recognized that loud screech all too well. It was the call of a griffon challenging someone, or probably somepony. It was a common enough sound back home, but in Equestria it usually meant trouble. And seeing as the screech sounded like it belonged to Razor, it was a safe bet to assume trouble was indeed brewing.
The two griffons rounded a building and Yukari’s training kicked it. She took the scene in instantly. Razor was standing in front of a Unicorn, his brown wings spread wide in a threatening gesture. His head was lowered slightly and one of his talons was digging deeply into the ground, a sign that he was trying to keep himself in check.
Arie was standing to the side, her eyes pleading as she looked at her companion. She had one of her claws on his chest, trying to hold him back, but if Razor charged, she wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Then there was the Unicorn, his head tilted up slightly so that Razor had to look up to make eye contact. He had a long blond mane and a silky smooth tail of the same color. He looked to be big, even by a stallion’s standard, and he wore a blue bowtie and suit top on his stuck-out chest. Most Unicorns thought they were something in Canterlot, but whoever this pony was, he clearly believed that myth with all his heart.
Part of Yukari wanted to hang back and watch Razor tear the Unicorn down to size, but she knew that would result in even more of a headache than she was already dealing with. Besides, something was telling her that maybe this pony had the actual status to back up his arrogance.
“Keep the crowd back,” Yukari yelled as she dove toward the two griffons and the Unicorn. Shana didn’t respond, but instead banked to the left to pull away from Yukari’s dive.
Razor’s front claw pulled out of the ground.
Arie jumped forward and put both claws on Razor’s chest.
Yukari put on more speed.
Razor shoved Arie aside and stood up on his hind legs.
The Unicorn’s blue eyes went wide and he backed away a step.
Razor bent his legs to pounce.
Yukari closed her right claw into a fist and slammed it into Razor’s face just before he left the ground. The griffon’s white head snapped to the side and he crashed onto the stone street, dazed. He snarled and moved to get up, but Yukari was on him in an instant, her left claw around his throat and her right pulled back to deliver another blow.
“What do you think you’re doing, soldier?” she yelled, puffing up her grey feathers in a show of authority, but it wasn’t needed. Razor was already beaten. His rage had vanished and he was avoiding eye contract. Yukari shook him once and said, “I asked you a question!”
“Nothing,” Razor said quietly, although his eyes quickly darted back over to the stallion.
“Nothing?” the Unicorn said in a huffy voice. “Please. That savage tried to—”
“You,” Yukari said as she looked over her shoulder at the pompous stallion. “Be silent.”
“How dare you speak to me that way, beast,” The Unicorn said, his posture back to the grand posing that he had had moments before. “Do you know who I am? I am Prince Bl—”
“I won’t tell you again,” Yukari said darkly. To the Unicorn’s credit, he stopped talking, but his air of superiority didn’t diminish.
“Now do you see why I wanted to rip his throat out?” Razor asked quietly enough. Yukari silently agreed, but she couldn’t show it. By now a small crowd had gathered around them, and Razor’s behavior had already done enough damage to the griffons’ reputation.
Yukari took her talons off of Razor’s neck and stepped back. The griffon stood and ruffled his feathers once, then waited. “Explain,” Yukari stated.
“Arie and I were walking around the city, looking for something to eat,” Razor stated, his eyes focused straight ahead. “We were talking about what to get when I…said something in jest.”
Yukari turned to Arie, who instantly snapped to attention as well. Shana was standing behind her and had to struggle to keep from bursting into laughter. Arie was the newest member of the Inner Wing, and as such, she tended to go a little overboard on her saluting and other things.
“Is that true?” Yukari asked, trying not to smile as the recruit tried extra hard to remain perfectly still.
“Yes ma’am!” Arie practically shouted. “We were looking for something that was more suitable to our tastes. Most places around here only see very expensive versions of hay, or very small portions of fruit. Razor made an…off-color joke.”
“What was the joke?” Yukari asked as she turned back to Razor.
“I said we could always just eat a pony,” Razor whispered, but it still wasn’t quiet enough not to be overheard. Several ponies gasped while others scowled and grumbled in disgust. Yukari wanted to punch the griffon again, but she restrained herself. “And then I said he looked big enough to feed both of us.”
“You savage!” the white Unicorn said as he flipped his mane in contempt. “My Aunt would never allow such a thing. The nerve of the very idea!”
“Forgive me, sir,” Razor snarled. “I didn’t realize ponies lacked a sense of humor.”
“Our sense of humor has evolved well beyond such…lowbrow savage jokes as that,” the Unicorn retorted.
“Call me savage one more time, pretty boy, and I’ll—!”
“And you’ll what?” Yukari demanded, stepping forward again and forcing Razor to back down. “Prove him right? Tear him limb from limb like he was just some sort of prey? You realize that counts as murder, right? You would bring shame not only on yourself, but the King during his visit, and us? We’ve come a long way since those times, and I won’t have your foolish pride ruin all of that.”
“Hmph!” the Unicorn said. “You savages are lucky my Aunt choose to raise the sun over you quaint little kingdom. Why she bothers with the likes of your kind is beyond me.”
“And as for you!” Yukari spun around so fast that she accidently slapped Razor in the face with her tail. There it was. That stupid, superior, we’re-better-than-all-the-rest-of-you attitude that had driven Yukari nearly mad when she had been with Sea Swirl. She stomped right up the Unicorn and he back-peddled as fast as he could until he pressed up against the crowd of onlookers. “You might want to learn some respect. Despite what your tiny mind thinks—”
“How dare you speak to me like that!”
“—we are on equal grounds with Equestria. Princess Celestia recognizes our kingdom with full authority, and we are the King’s escort. Insulting us in on par with insulting the King. And as you so kindly observed, we’re not like you ponies. So if you were to disappear, well…let’s just say that pony used to be considered a delicacy in ancient times.” Yukari leaned in so close that she could see the individual hairs on the stallion’s face and smell the sweat coming off of him. “I hear Unicorn horn ground up makes for an excellent seasoning.”
The Unicorn opened his mouth, but all that came out was a small whimper. Yukari grunted and turned her back on him, making sure her tail snapped against his face as she did. As she and the others made ready to leave, she saw two ponies clad in yellow armor making their way to the front of the crowd.
“Is there a problem here?” one of the guards asked. The other simply looked at the griffons and then at the terrified Unicorn behind Yukari, and then rolled his eyes. Yukari found that…odd.
“No, sir,” she said. “Just having a conversation about different tastes.”
“I see,” the guard said. “Well, I have been told to fetch you all. The meeting has been concluded and your King has requested that all of you return to the castle.”
“You’re…you’re just going to let them go?” the Unicorn stammered and Yukari had to fight the urge to spin around and snarl at him. She had made sure she had struck the right balance between civilized and ruthlessness, and she didn’t want to tip the crowd of onlookers over the edge.
“Yes, Prince,” the guard said with a slight bow. Yukari blinked in surprise. The stallion hadn’t been lying. He actually was important. “And your Aunt would like a word with you as well. If you’ll come with us.”
Yukari grinned as the Unicorn hung his head and followed the two golden-armored ponies. “Shana. Arie. Razor,” she said as she took to the sky. “We’re leaving.” The other three griffons followed her into the sky and they left the crowd of ponies standing in the street.
When the griffons were safely away from the crowd, Razor flew up next to Yukari. After a moment, he spoke. “Sorry about that, Yukari. I shouldn’t have lost my temper so easily.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Yukari retorted shortly. Then she grinned. “Besides, I doubt he would have tasted good. Too rich.”
Razor chuckled. “Royal blood would probably taste terrible, wouldn’t it?” He pulled back and flew next to Arie, and then it was Shana’s turn to talk.
“So…that’s what you meant,” she said.
“Yes, although it’s not usually that bad.” Yukari shook her head. “Someone needs to smack that pony with a stick a few times. Most of them are at least polite in normal conversation, with only the occasional slip or weird look. But him? Ugh.”
Shana cocked her head to the side as she thought, and then, with a completely straight face, she asked, “Does Unicorn horn really make a good seasoning?”
Yukari laughed. “I have no idea.”
The four griffons landed in perfect formation outside of Canterlot castle. They stood there for only a few moments, looking at the same guards who had been there when they had all left, before the doors swung open. The Captain and Devin walked out first, doing a quick sweep of the area before they descended the stairs to join the others. Then the King and the two Princesses walked out.
“Thank you for speaking with us,” Princess Celestia said.
“We still think your decision is…unwise,” Princess Luna said and her sister shot her a look. “However, we will respect it. And we thank thee too, for informing us of these events.”
“Not at all, Princess,” the King said with a slight bow. “Your candor is a refreshing change to the politics back home. And if it were only up to me, perhaps things would be different. But I fear that at the moment, you shall simply have to trust me.”
“And we do, Dahron,” Princess Celestia said with a charming smile. “Just…please remember that we are always here should you need our help. Would you like an escort to our border?”
The King looked down the steps and smiled for a moment when he saw his guards waiting for him. “Thank you, but I will be fine. I see my own guard has already returned. Do take care, Your Majesties.”
“You as well,” Princess Celestia said as the King descended the steps.
“Safe travels,” Princess Luna added, and then the two sisters disappeared back into the castle.
“I trust you all enjoyed your time here?” the King asked as he reached Yukari and the others. They all nodded once. “Shana, that is a lovely necklace. Was some stallion smitten by your looks?”
“More than just a few, Your Majesty,” Shana replied with an exaggerated bow.
Yukari was dying to know what the meeting had been about, but she knew better than to ask. From what she could tell, it didn’t seem like things had gone poorly.
“Shall we be on our way, Your Majesty?” the Captain asked.
“Yes, I suppose.” The King took to the air and the other griffons quickly followed. “Oh, Yukari. I must commend you on dealing with the situation in the market.”
Yukari stiffened for a moment. How had news of that incident reached him so quickly? “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“And Razor?” the King added. “You will fly with me on the way home. While you did not cross any line, I think perhaps you and I should speak.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Razor said as he pulled back a little to fly next to the King. Yukari knew he wasn’t in any real trouble, but he was probably going to get at least a long-winded lecture about his behavior.
As the seven griffons left the skies above Canterlot, Yukari couldn’t help but look down at the lake at the bottom of the mountain. Her eagle eyes scanned the shoreline and water, but she saw no sign of Sea Swirl or Symphony. She let out a small sigh.
“Do you ever regret it?” Shana asked, snapping her out of her trance.
“Sometimes,” she replied. “There are a few nights where I think about her even now, and wonder what it could have been like.” Yukari shook her head. “But it would never have worked. Even if all that other stuff hadn’t come between us, there’s still the distance. My dream is to be in the Inner Wing. As such, I can’t be running across the kingdom every few weeks and halfway into Equestria. I’m needed here. And while Sea Swirl does like to travel, asking her to make that trip over and over would be too much.”
Shana blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but the King beat her to it. “And what if that did not matter?” he asked. “What if you had permission, my very own in fact, to visit her whenever you wished? What if the distance was nothing?”
Yukari almost snapped that she would never think of betraying the King, but when she opened her mouth, the words didn’t come out. After several seconds of flying in silence with her comrades all pretending not to be waiting for her answer, she shook her head. “I…I don’t know, Your Majesty. Maybe.” She braced herself for the berating she was going to receive, but instead all she heard was a good-hearted laugh.
“I knew you were a good choice for the Inner Wing, Yukari,” the King said. “Too many of our kind are still stuck in mindsets from over a thousand years ago. We need more like you, I think.”
Yukari blushed, and this time she was certain that it was showing even through her dark feathers. A compliment from the King was a rare prize indeed. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Author's Note
This was different. This contest actually got announced while I was away on vacation. I would have completely missed it if a follow-up announcement hadn't been made saying that more artists had volunteered for prizes.
A few notes:
For those of you who are curious, Sea Swirl and Symphony are currently starring in another story called 'Shattered.'
Why did Equestria originally belong to the griffons? Remember that the ponies didn't always live in Equestria. The Hearth's Warming Eve episode says that they found it, and as we saw, it was doing just fine without their help.
EDIT: Ha, oops! I just checked the rules again. You're not allowed to have ANY pony p.o.v in the story, which means I had to cut those last few paragraphs with Luna and Celestia. Hope that doesn't get me disqualified!
