Glyph

"So, about my earlier question."  She spoke up finally.  "What of it?"

I stalled.  "What was the question again?"

"How come you left home?"  She had suddenly gone all serious.  Weird.  As far as I know, it's a perfectly valid question, there was no need to act suspiciously about it.  I instantly realised that must have been how I acted earlier as I avoided the question at every opportunity.

And here I was, about to do it again.

"Isn't it only fair that I get to ask a question now?"  I asked with a wry grin.

"You just did."  She had a smile on her face now too, no longer so solemn.  Solemn definitely did not suit her.

My smile grew.  "Well I'd better even the score.  How come you were in Cloud Peak?"  I internally winced at the aggressiveness I could have sworn was present in my voice, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I was visiting an old friend."  Ha!  I knew it!

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, well I knew her from Flight School."  Flight School?  Pegasi needed an entire establishment dedicated to their natural ability?

More to the point, a griffin had attended?  Apparently it wasn't all bad for griffins outside the walls of the capital.  But then again, how could anyone do badly in Equestria, of all places?  It's pretty much a haven, so I've heard.

"We were both pretty competitive back then.  Both of us competing to see who was the fastest flier."  She smiled fondly at the memories.  "We ended up growing apart, basically.  I joined the weather patrol and she couldn't get a weather patrol job in Cloudsdale, ponies were bumped up the priority list."  She snorted.  "It's a stupid rule.  She worked much harder than a lot  of the pegasi at flight school.  The position ended up going to a particularly lazy mare who only barely graduated."

Wow.  "That sounds like racism to me."  I chipped in.  She nodded.

"Exactly.  The job should have gone to Elle, not that airhead Wonderbolt wannabe."  She declared bitterly.

I tapped the underside of my beak.  "I think I knew an Elle on the Cloud Peak weather patrol."  Feather Flare looked at me curiously.

"Really?"

"Don't be so surprised.  Cloud Peak may appear big, but it really isn't.  besides, weather patrol is the only thing I've ever had an interest for in terms of employment.  I mean, we're kind of limited when it comes to jobs."  I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be working today.

Oh well.  I always preferred being alive to pushing clouds around, at any rate.

"I can't remember her clan name though.  Sorry."

She shrugged, finishing her salad.  "That's alright.  She seemed like life's been treating her well when I saw her, and we visited the royal palace, so that was fun."

Right.  I imagine it is, provided you aren't in mortal danger.

"I was there last night, actually."  Why was I telling her this?  I didn't need to, she hadn't even asked!

"Really?  How come?"  She cocked her head again.  From what I'd gathered so far, that meant she was interested.

"Yeah.  My brother actually got married there."  Good, that's all you need to say.  Now just divert conversation to something else...

"Wow!"  She was more excited about it than I ever was.  "Congratulations, I guess!"  She paused.  "But how come the wedding was in the palace?  Wasn't there a temple or something available?  Usually, the only time a wedding happens in a royal building is when..."  She trailed off.  I could see the gears turning in her head.

Uh-oh.

She gasped.  "Oh my goodness!"  Her hooves covered her mouth, which was hanging open in shock.  "A royal wedding?!"

I nodded, feeling glum.  The last thing I needed was for someone to tell me how fortunate and blessed I was to be related to royalty.  What was even the big deal?  It's not like it would change my life dramatically.

I realised the wedding had done just that, as it turned out.  My life was completely flipped upside down, and it was all a result of that stupid wedding!

Well, okay, not stupid.  I am still happy for Garth, always will be, he is my brother after all.  The wedding was important to him, and while it was definitely life-changing for him, I'm pretty sure it would benefit him, unlike how the night had ended up for me.

Feather Flare was still gushing over the fact she was sitting with a member of the royal griffin family.

"Okay, hold on there."  I had to put a stop to this ridiculousness.  "First of all, I'm not royalty, just because my brother is now technically a prince doesn't make me a princess."  I almost gagged at the thought.  "Second, as great as it was for him and the rest of my family, probably, I don't exactly share their enthusiasm."

She looked at me quizzically.

"I-I don't mean I'm not happy for them!"  I quickly added.  "I just mean..."  What did I mean?  I couldn't just tell her about the assassin who was now after me after I foiled his attempt to kill the princess.

"I just don't want to be treated any differently," I finished lamely.

She nodded wisely.  "I completely understand what you mean.  I'm perfectly happy with my life now at the moment too, I wouldn't want anypo-  er, anyone to treat me any different if some major event happened in my life."  She paused.  "Well, at least not forever," she finished with a grin.

I laughed and shook my head.  "I'm glad you see where I'm coming from."  Time to change the topic!  "So you said Elle went to flight school with you, were there any other griffins there?"  This intrigued me.  If nothing else, flight school sounded like it might have been fun, despite it's pointlessness.  "Also," I added, wanting to know if it really was just where pegasi learned to fly, "what did you actually learn there?"

She let out a sigh, leaning back.  "Well, there were a whole lot more pegasi there than griffins," she began.  "There were only two or three griffins while I attended, and obviously one of those was Elle."  She stopped.

I looked at her, waiting expectantly.  After a minute passed, I decided she must have forgotten about my other question.

"And?"

She shook her head slightly and blinked heavily, as if emerging from a trance.  "...Sorry?"

I resisted the urge to facepalm.  "What did you learn there?"  I repeated.

"Oh yeah..."  She stared at the ceiling.  "You know, I can't even remember.  I guess a lot of it must have been to do with teaching us how to fly, and then there were sports and trick-flying for when we got better and older, but other than that..."  She trailed off again.

Well, that was helpful.  "Trick-flying?" I tried.  "What's that?"

Now it was her turn to be cynical.  "Surely you've heard of the Wonderbolts, right?  The most talented fliers in all of Equestria?"

Oh yeah.  "The name rings a bell."  Performers, as I recalled.

"Yeah, well, they do shows and stuff where they basically dazzle a crowd with aerial acrobatics for a given length of time, depends on the event, and that's their job.  They are pretty famous."  She had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Whoa there, girl," I chuckled.

She snapped out of it.  "Yeah, well, you know..."  She stammered.  I fought back a snicker while she flustered her words.  Finally, she said "I used to want to join them."

Please don't go down this path, oh please not the childhood dreams...

"Ever since I was a little filly..."

Dammit!

"...I always wanted to be one of them, you know?  Just being so brilliant, and admired by everyone, fans chanting and begging for autographs, ponies recognising you wherever you went..."  She sighed dreamily.

Sounded more like a personal hell to me.  Who needs fame, being recognised wherever you are, never a moment to yourself...

Feather Flare was still talking, I realised with a pang of guilt.  "...But I guess I just grew out of it.  I mean, I was never an amazing flier, not like the Wonderbolts at least."  She suddenly looked depressed.

I sighed.  "Look, Flare.  Do you mind if I call you that?"  She shook her head.  "Okay then.  Flare, don't ever sell yourself short.  There's always a lot more potential in yourself than you ever realise."  Like how I had narrowly avoided getting shot in the head.

She was looking at me now.  "What do you mean?"

I took a breath.  "What I mean is, you still have time, right?  I mean, I bet you're a damn good flier, I mean, you raced Elle when you two were in school, right?  She's a pretty fast flier now, and all she's doing is moving clouds.  If you could compete with her, then I bet you're a lot better than you say you are, am I right?"

She looked away.  "I did beat her a few times..."  She looked back at me.  "But it was close!  Besides, I'm out of practise.  Why would the Wonderbolts take me?  I'm no athlete."  She'd gone back to looking dejected.  Luckily she looked away again, which gave me the opportunity to pinch the bridge of my beak.

"Then you need a training partner!"  I declared.  "Someone to keep you motivated, push you above and beyond your limits, help you to be the best you can!"  I was liking this idea.  So was she, by the look on her face.  "And then, when the next Wonderbolts try-out comes along, you can blow them away!"  I finished by making a grand swooping gesture with my arms.

Her brow furrowed.  "But I don't really know anyone who I could ask to help me..."  Her face lit up.  "Would you do it?"

I was more than a little taken aback.  Me?  We'd only known each other for what, an hour?  Maybe two?

Besides, I couldn't afford to stay with her and potentially put her life at risk.

"Erm..."  I faltered.  The assassin was a griffin, I knew that much.  Maybe I could pass on a message to the first guard I saw, tell him to watch out for a large griffin with a scar on his eye...

I doubted that would work.  No, better to lay low and keep moving until he showed himself properly.

"I don't think that's possible.  Sorry."

She looked crestfallen.  "That's a real shame...do you mind if I ask why?"

Great, put me on the spot why don't you.  I scrambled for an excuse that was definitive, but also vague enough she didn't infer anything from it.

"I'm...I, er...I just need to keep moving.  And I doubt I'll be heading to Cloudsdale any time soon.  Sorry again."  I tried to look apologetic.  To my surprise, it came easily, most likely due to the fact I really was sorry.

"That's okay."  Wow, that pitiful excuse for an...excuse...worked?  Today must be my lucky day!  No way that assassin could get me now!

"But, what's really going on?"  The words were like a dagger to my heart.

Bad mental image!  Bad!

"Okay."  I'd have to tell her the truth.  She'd think I was crazy but I had to get it off my chest to someone.

"It's kind of a weird story.  I'll have to tell you all of it.  It's not long, really, but it is...unusual?"  I looked at her.

She nodded for me to continue.  I glanced over to where the chefs had been.  Luckily they had left, as breakfast had stopped being served a while ago.

I took a deep breath.  "Right.  Well, it happened at my brother's wedding."  I ignored the dubious look that now adorned her face.  "I was bored, frankly, so I went exploring-"

"Wait."  She interrupted.  "You were in the royal palace?"  I nodded.  "And you just wandered off?"  I nodded again.

"I was getting to that, actually.  Most of the guards were in the hall anyway, with the party, and I was in my formal clothes, so I figured if I was stopped I could just say I got lost on my way to the bathroom.  But, nobody stopped me.  So I was just wandering about, as you say, when I happened across the princess' royal chamber."  I paused, expecting her to cut in again.

I was not disappointed.  "So hang on, wait, just hold it, let me get this straight."  She was looking severe.  Aren't there supposed to be guards everywhere?  What if you were an assassin or something?  The guards could have just let anyone past if they didn't question you."  She hadn't seemed to have noticed my stunned expression.  What if the guards had just accidentally let the assassin slip past?  What if someone let him through on purpose?  As these worrying thoughts circled my mind, I noticed Feather Flare was still talking.

"...then you just wandered in to the princess' private chamber.  Surely you knew you could have got in massive trouble?"  She was having trouble believing my story.  To be fair, I wouldn't believe it either, if I was her.  Any sane griffin would have just stayed in the hall and waited it out, or simply gone home early.  But of course, I just had to be difficult.  And just look where that had landed me.

"I knew I might have got in trouble, of course, but I was pretty much willing for anything to happen that would liven up the evening."  Maybe that had been my problem.  "So anyway, I pushed open the door to her room and to my utter bewilderment, I found myself looking down the barrel of a loaded gun."  I paused to let that sink in.

"You...wha?"  She gasped.

I nodded.  "Luckily for me, the would-be assassin had poor reactions as he hesitated before pulling the trigger, letting me get out of the way of the shot and then tackle him onto a wall."  I was way more proud of that than I should have been.  "So then the guards heard the shot and they were on their way, but the assassin dropped the gun and escaped out a window.  Then the guards arrived and took me back to the hall, where my brother had a go at me for wandering off, and told me to go home."  I paused for breath.  "I got home safe and was just about to go to sleep when I heard the letterbox.  I went to get it and it was a note from the assassin saying he was coming after me because I foiled his attempt to kill the princess.  That's when I got my stuff and got on this train."  Well, that was certainly a weight off my shoulders.  I looked back at Feather Flare who was just staring incredulously at me.

"That's it."  It was probably unnecessary but the awkward silence needed to be broken.

"...So you're running for your life," she summarised.

"Yep."  That was a very apt way of putting it.  I could have saved a lot of time if I'd just gone with that from the start.

"We have to tell someone!"  She stood up.  "When we get to Canterlot I'm alerting every guard I see.  You need to be put under protection."

"How will that work?  I never got a good look at him, all I know is he had a scar on his eye.  Even then, how long will it be?  I doubt the guard will go along with it for much more than a week."

She huffed.  "We still need to do something,"  she insisted.

"No.  I'm not dragging you into this mess."  I was determined to keep as few people involved as I could.  "Anyway, what time are we arriving at Canterlot?"  I asked, unsubtly trying to change the subject.

Feather Flare looked outside.  "Well, judging by the mountain right there, I'd say we aren't far at all."  I looked outside too.  There was indeed a mountain quite close to us in fact.  It struck me as a drastic change of scenery from the expansive desert I'd seen when I first woke up.  How small could Equestria be?

She looked back at me.  "Well what are you going to do?  You can't just keep running."  She stopped, looking thoughtful.

"What're you planning?"  I asked suspiciously.

She shot me a look.  "I'm not 'planning' anything.  I was just thinking.  If this guy's so intent on killing you, why did he just leave you a note?  He clearly knew where you lived, he could have,"  she shivered.  "killed you while you were sleeping."

I must admit, that had been bothering me, too.  "I guess he likes to be dramatic."

"Well, you've also been on this train all night.  Now unless he got on the train too I don't think it's very likely he'd be able to catch you.  If he was on the train, he could have got you already, again, but to be honest, I don't think he will kill you at all."

Oh?

"Do explain."  I was interested in any theory that involved me staying alive.

She nodded.  "I think he only wanted to scare you.  And if that is what he's after, then mission accomplished.  You left town on a train headed to a different country.  Besides, you said he hesitated before pulling the trigger, I don't think he ever wanted to kill at all."  I was looking at her incredulously.  Why bother with the gun then?!

She seemed to read my mind.  "I think he acted more out of desperation than of any real intent to kill."

I found my voice.  "What would drive anyone to even think of trying to kill the princess?  She's not that bad."

She sighed.  "I dunno.  I'm just speculating."

"Oh.  Okay."

Silence reigned for a good ten minutes.

"Honestly, though..." I began.

"Hm?"  Feather Flare looked at me from my left.  She had chosen to sit after we didn't say anything for the first two minutes or so.

I sighed.  "This is probably a good thing for me.  Obviously I don't mean the whole 'running for my life' issue, but...I think it's the motivation I needed to actually get out of the boring routine my life had fallen in to."  I stood for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, joints popping as I did so.  "I'm glad I'll be getting out and seeing the world for a little while.  If it turns out the whole assassin thing was a dud, I guess I'll go home."  I shot her a smile.  "Maybe I could visit you every once in a while."

She returned the smile.  "I'd like that."

"All passengers, please return to your seats, we will be arriving at Canterlot shortly."  A mechanical voice announced to the entire train.

"Guess we better had, then."  I set off back to our carriage with Feather Flare close behind.

I held the door open for her and we stepped through.  The other two griffins hadn't appeared to have moved throughout the journey.  Even their books seemed to be in the same spots as when we left.

I smirked.  First class, indeed.