A New Start

A New Start

Story 4

Chapter 1: A Change for the Better

By: FluttersIsAwesome

I looked at the map. Luvenhëgen was prety far from Ponyville, about a six-hour flight. I also looked at the flute Nova had thrown at me so I could play that song in his note.

╓ ╝ ╬ ╤ ╓ ╝ ╬ ╤

I somewhat knew the notes, so I took it upon myself to try my hand at playing it.* It sounded decent, but I was never really good with woodwind instruments anyway. I put the flute back in the pouch I had brought with me and looked forward. The route the map showed took me over a Raishi settlement, so I landed and approached the gates.

The Raishi got along with all races. They were a tribe of supernatural wolves that were one of the most feared and respected races in Equestria. The two sentries at the gates were typical: huge fangs, sharp claws, dark fur, and red eyes. Despite their ferocious appearance, they were quite nice and greeted me warmly.

"Ohayoo gozaimasu." The sentry on the left bowed to me.

His friend did the same. "Uerukamu"

I looked at them blankly. I didn't understand what they were saying, but I hoped they would be able to recognize my own native tongue. "Vielen Dank"

They both looked at each other, and the one on the right spoke. "Heh. Forgive us, friend. We thought you would be familiar with our language given the fact that you are a griffin. Welcome to our settlement. You may stay as long as you like and may partake of all our luxuries."

I smiled. They really were a friendly bunch. Sadly, I was in a hurry. "I appreciate it, but I'm in a hurry. I'm heading to Luvenhëgen and-"

The one on the left grabbed me. "Aha! Great, the king received word that a griffin traveling to Luvenhëgen would be arriving. Please, come with me."

I drew back a bit. Nova never told me that there was a Raishi waiting on me too. I hesitated to give me time to think. A name popped into my head and I looked at the sentry inquisitively. "Is your king's name Soul Ragnarok?"

He nodded. "Please, come with me. Hopefully he's at home."

His stress of the word hopefully made me uneasy, but I went with him anyway. As we walked through the settlement, I saw various shops lining the streets. Each of them had a wooden sign hanging over it to tell what the shop did, and each place was busy. There was a constant clashing of metal from the smithies, the pleasing aroma of sweets from the various bakeries permeated the air, and there were gorgeous displays of different flowers from botany stores. We stopped in front of a large building that looked more like a town hall than a house.

The sentry turned to me. "Please wait here."

I nodded and sat down as he went in. The cobblestone wasn't the most comfortable thing for my butt nor my claws and paws, but I figured he wouldn't be too long.

"Psssssst, hey."

I looked above me and saw a peculiar sight: a Raishi in a tree. His fur was black with red designs and he had a large lion-esque mane the same shade of red.

"I've been waiting on you. Follow me, but keep quiet."

I nodded, assuming this was Soul. He jumped down from the tree and landed without a sound. He turned to me and nodded, walking past his house and motioning for me to follow.

I did so, and he led me down a winding forest path to a large cliff overlooking Luvenhëgen.

"There it is, friend. The city you've been looking for." He motioned to my map. "That map does show the entire way from Ponyville to Luvenhëgen, but it was meant to take you here for a shortcut." He turned to me and smiled. "Any friend of Nova's is a friend of ours." He held out his paw to me. "Soul Ragnarok, king of the Raishi."

I shook his paw slowly. This guy was more random than Pinkie Pie. "Nice to meet you... name's Gilda." I barely knew this guy, but I kinda liked him. He seemed easygoing and nice enough. "You're alright."

He stared at me for a minute and began to laugh. "Were you expecting a bunch of monsters? We may be scary looking, but we are friendly fighters." He grinned, but to me it looked more frightening than friendly. "I visit Luvenhëgen from time to time. Look for me when you make it there, alright?"

I nodded. I guess he could tell I was in a hurry, because he put his paw on my back and pushed me off the cliff.

"I believe in you! Fly away!"

That pissed me off. He didn't know that I was a weak flier, but I assumed it was common sense not to push others off of cliffs. "HAHA, VERY FUNNY!" Luckily I was able to break my fall and gain enough altitude to stay airborne. I shook my head in disbelief. "That was not a joke. I could've died!" I was still peeved a little bit, but I had to thank him for showing me this shortcut. Judging from the map, I had cut out about an hour and a half of flying out just by walking through that settlement.

I landed down in front of Luvenhëgen's western gate, but when I approached, I was blocked by a wing. I looked to my right and saw the armored guard sitting in a box by the gate.

"Halt! All visitors must submit to a search. Hand over that bag, sir."

Ugh, just like fucking Farrington. I was reminded of the mail clerk that continually called me sir until I exposed myself to her one day. I giggled inwardly and handed him my bag.

He opened it and searched through its contents, handing it back to me. "You're all set. I read your note too. You'll find the captain if you go down this straight road and take the second right. You'll come to a large building. Walk around to the back and you should hear shouting. That will be the captain." He took out a pen and a clipboard. "Now, may I ask your name?"

I had no last name, so I just stuck with my first, hoping it would be enough. "Gilda."

He wrote it down and looked back at me. "Oh... I apologize ma'am. I'm a new recruit, see. I've never actually seen a griffin before now."

I sighed. "At least you figured it out. I had to show off certain 'areas' to get the message through to the last pony that thought I was male."

He let out a hardy laugh. "Very nice! I like your attitude, Gilda." He smiled and waved his hoof out through the window, and the two sentries in the tower above him raised the gate.

I walked through the arch eagerly. I couldn't wait to start my new life in Luvenhëgen if everybody were like that guard. I did as he said and walked down the road, and surprisingly nobody stared at me. I followed the road until the second right. I had to curl my toes, though; the hard stone was murder on my claws. The gauntlets I had worn back in Farrington spoiled me, and now I was paying for it. It wasn't too long before I reach a monster of a tower, and like the guard said, I could hear shouting. I began the walk around the tower and, much to my comfort, the back area was all grass. I looked in front of me and saw a tall, dark-brown colt in helmetless golden armor barking out words at a group of what I assumed were rookies.

"And from that day forward, any large gathering of animals has been called a zoo!" He stared at his audience. "Unless it's a farm!"

One of the guys raised his hoof. "Uh, Captain, what does that have to do with our first day of training?"

He laughed. "Absolutely nothing! I just never liked being bland and dry. Since you guys are stuck with me, I can at least try and make things less boring, right?"

The recruits turned to each other, nodding and muttering until the captain called them to attention again.

"Alright guys, DISMISSED!"

They all saluted him and left. As he turned to watch them he spotted me and motioned for me to come over.

I did and he held a hoof out to me. "Captain Edge of Luvenhëgen City Guard. How can I help you?"

I shook his hoof kindly, and then took out the flute that Nova gave me. Edge at once gave me his full attention.

"Play."

I nodded and played the song Nova wrote down.

╓ ╝ ╬ ╤ ╓ ╝ ╬ ╤

The captain, after hearing me play, took out an ocarina and finished the song.

╓ ╝ ╬ ╤ ╓ ╓ ╬ ╝ ╤ ╤

"This is a sort of 'password' Nova Dash and I agreed to use. Only those within our quote unquote 'inner circle' know it, so I assume you're Gilda?"

I nodded.

He smiled at me. "Pleasure to meet ya, Gilda. Welcome to Luvenhëgen."

*It's Zelda's Lullaby from Ocarina of Time