Commission: Hooves and Talons
By Kendell2
Concept and Commission by Alexwarlorn
“Thanks for coming with me on this trip, girls,” Twilight said, the group currently in their cabin on board of a rather large ship sailing across the sea, not quite a cruise ship, but a fancy one. “I'm kind of nervous about going on my first diplomatic mission as a Princess.”
“Shoot Twilight,” Applejack said, giving a friendly smirk. “Ain't no trouble. Besides, there's one of mah cousins workin' on a farm in Panthera. He's savin' up bits and learnin' a few things about farmin'.”
“Is there anywhere somepony in your family isn't working on a farm?” Rainbow Dash asked, rolling her eyes with a goodnatured smirk.
“Well, last Ah checked there weren't none at Antlerctica ,” Applejack recounted with pride. “Though mah Uncle Ice Apple's has plans tah breed cold weather apples and make a farm down there, and Ah think a cousin or two of mine work in Santa Hoove's shop.”
“Oh oh! Is it Snow Apple?!” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Uh, yeah...how'd yah know?”
“Oh, me and a friend of mine named Minty once had to go to the North Pole!” the pink party pony replied cheerfully.
“Uh...okay...” the farmer pony replied, giving a confused blink.
“Well while I was informing my clients I'd be out of town,” Rarity said, the mare looking a little green in the face for some reason. “Sapphire Shores lined me up a job with a band...in Panthera while I'm here! They're very popular in the Griffin lands so this could be a big break!”
“That's great, Rarity...but you don't look very well...” Twilight said, looking concerned.
“Yeah, you sure you're alright, Rarity?” Spike echoed, hopping up on Twilight's back.
“I think I'm not made for ocean travel, darling...” the unicorn replied, trying to maintain her composure, putting a hoof to her stomach. “But don't worry, I'll fine, it will take more than a little sea sickness to keep me down...”
“Okay...” Twilight blinked in confusion.
“Well while you two are doing that, I've got a few friends waiting,” Rainbow replied, giving a smirk. “If ya need me, I'm gonna be at the city park.”
Twilight blinked. “What friends, Rainbow?”
“Remember Giselle and her team at the Equestria Games? I'm meeting up with them and some old friends I met at flying contests,” the Rainbow maned Pegasus. “They're visiting family and wanna meet up for some practice rounds.”
“Made friends with yer rivals, Rainbow?” Applejack asked playfully.
“I'm friends with you, aren't I?” Rainbow asked, the two ponies both sharing a competitive smirk. “Besides, Griffins have this honor code: when you find a good rival, you're supposed to show 'em respect and keep pushing each other to the top. It'd be doing 'em a dishonor to leave 'em hanging.” Her friends noticed Rainbow seemed surprisingly serious.
“I believe Sapphire Shores mentioned something like that with the band I'm going to work with...” Rarity managed to get out, covering her mouth as the ship rocked again.
Twilight chuckled, then produced a stack of note cards. “All races have different kinds of friendship, that's just a fact. Now, speaking of differences between ponies and griffins, I do need to brief you all before we-”
“Oh! I'm visiting a friend too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, popping up next to Rainbow Dash with a grin. “Gustave le Grand invited me to watch a baking competition he's in!”
“That Griffin from the Equestria's National Dessert Competition?” Applejack asked, rubbing her head.
“Yep!...Wow, lots of continuity today...”
“Wait. He's from Panthera?” Rainbow questioned, seeming more confused than the rest of the group by that image.
“Well technically his parents are, he grew up in Prance.”
“Ah! That explains a lot.”
Twilight blinked. “Wait, you've been in contact with Gustave?”
“Of course silly! I'm in contact with EVERYCREATURE we made friends with on our adventures!” Pinkie then got closer that Twilight would have liked. “Evvvvvverrrrrrycreature!”
“Even all of the Breezies?” asked Fluttershy, giving a smile at the thought of the little fairy-like ponies.
“Yep! I have a list!” Pinkie said, pulling out a VERY long list from nowhere that rolled out of the room. “Let's see...Ace, Action Shot, Affero...”
“Pinkie, I need to-” Twilight startled...then the ship rocked sharply and Rarity's face went from just a little green to completely very sickly green.
“Excuse me darlings, I need to use the little filly's room...” the mare managed before dashing out of the room with a hoof over her mouth.
“...'A.K. Yearling...'” Pinkie continued, doing air quotes.
“Girls, I need to-”
Applejack's stomach gave a loud growl. “Boy howdy, Rarity's stomach might be in knots, but mine sure ain't, see yah gals in a bit,” the mare said before heading off to the ship's galley.
“Wait! This is imp-”
“Um...I'll listen, Twilight...” Fluttershy said, too quietly to actually be heard over the various other sounds.
“...Apple Crumbles...” Pinkie Pie continued.
“I'd better go check on Rarity,” the ever dutiful Spike said, heading to make sure his crush would be alright.
The Alicorn of Friendship gave an annoyed sigh and threw her note cards down, which Fluttershy politely picked up and laid on the seat next to her.
“...Apple Fritter...”
“...And Zecora!” Pinkie Pie finally finished as the ship pulled into port and the ship's whistle blew.
Twilight jolted awake. “No, Princess! I'm not sleeping in class!” she yelled, darting around. “Oh...we're here...”
Rainbow Dash yawned. “Finally. Ships are so boring.”
Rarity gave a sigh of relief. “Indeed, I'm sorry for my...most unlady-like behavior...I thought after the river boat ride in Manehatten I wouldn't have to worry about sea sickness...”
“Eh, no prob, we've seen yah with yer mud mask on, just looked like a different shade of green,” Applejack replied.
Rarity gave a narrow glare. “Thank you...” The fashionista then looked to Spike, who was holding some ginger ale for her. “Thank you helping me, Spikey Wikey.”
Spike got that same dreamy 'she's talking to me' look he tended to whenever Rarity spoke to him. “You're welcome, Rarity...”
The group got up and began disembarked the ship. It wasn't a gigantic oceanliner, but Twilight being royalty, had gotten a fairly nice ship from the royal navy. While an airship would have been the usual method of transport, the personal one being built for the Princess of Friendship was still being constructed, and it wouldn't be complete for some time. In part because being Twilight, she'd put a lot more effort into her specifications. Twilight could have borrowed one of the other Princesses' ships or just a random one, but a sea voyage felt like a good idea. They'd enjoyed that short river cruise around Manehatten, so why not go across the ocean?
“Oh! I never got to ask,” Twilight said, looking to Fluttershy. “Do you have anything you want to do while we're in Panthera, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy jumped. “Oh...no...I just would've been lonely without any of you girls, I'd have my animals with me, and I really love them, but...I'm just so used to having one of you there, I don't know what I'd do...”
“And Discord?”
“Oh! He said he was busy clearing out his pocket dimensions...Something started growing in them...”
Twilight put a wing on her back. “Well I'm glad you're here, even if you don't have a reason...”
“Whoa nelly! Look at this place!” Applejack exclaimed, interrupting the two's moment and pointing to the skyline as they stepped off the ship and headed towards the city.
Before them stretched what could best be described as a mix of Manehatten and Cloudsdale with a hint of primal styling. On the ground were skyscrapers, but instead of the colors one would normally expect, such as dark gray and blue, the buildings were more earthy browns or rocky grays, almost like they were cut straight out of mountains. Above the ground city floated several cloud structures, each the size of a few city blocks at the least, some with rainbows, others with places for Griffins to roost. Numerous griffins busied themselves throughout the city.
“Now there's somethin' ya don't see everyday...” Applejack said wide-eyed.
“This is Baltalon, the capital city of Panthera,” Twilight explained proudly. “It's basically their Canterlot.”
“Well it's certainly got interesting esthetics...” Rarity remarked, touching a hoof to her chin. “Goes quite nicely with the Griffins' colors,” she said, watching Griffins walking by and noting the styles. Most, like ponies, walked around nude, what clothing being worn tended to be more rugged and sturdier but with hint of color. She noticed a few had necklaces that appeared to have...fangs? No, why would they be fangs? And even if they were, animals lost them all the time, didn't they?
Spike nodded. “I hear dragons come from all around to munch on Tiger's Eyes!”
Fluttershy gasped in horror. “They eat tigers' eyes?!”
“No, Fluttershy, it's a type of gemstone,” Twilight explained with a chuckle.
“Oh...”
“They've also have great amber,” Spike remarked, licking his lips. “I can't wait!”
Suddenly, the group's walk was interrupted by a loud commotion. The group rushed to a nearby area with a round circle engraved in the ground with sand filling it where two Griffins were in the middle of a brawl. One was a primarily golden, large griffin male, the other a much smaller silver female. The big male knocked the female to the ground with a clothesline.
“Oh my!” Fluttershy explained, preparing to rush in to break it up, as was Rarity.
Rainbow Dash well...dashed in front of them. “Wait!”
“But those two are-”
“Just watch!”
The smaller female griffin managed to flip the larger male over her and slam him to the ground, pinning him down...She then got up and politely offered him her claw, pulling him up. “Nice one,” the male said with a chuckle.
“Eh, you let your guard down, I just took advantage. But nice clothesline.”
Rarity and Fluttershy just stared in shock. “But...they were fighting and...” Fluttershy started, looking confused.
“I'm just as confused...” Rarity said, trying to wrap her head around it. “And why in sand? They'll get their feathers dirty!”
“And he's not ashamed he got beat by a girl?” Spike asked, earning glares. “What? It's an improvement over those dragons calling Princess Celestia a 'namby pamby pony Princess'.”
“...Agreed.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Well, nether of 'em had their claws out,” she explained, earning a surprised look from Twilight. The group also now noticed the two had their claws wrapped so they couldn't cut even if they tried. “Wrestling is huge here! So's racing! And basically anything you CAN compete in! Remember that honor code thing I was talking about?”
Looking closely would reveal signs around the sand pit declaring it a public recreation area meant exclusively for this purpose.
“So...those two weren't fighting it was...” Rarity looked for the right word. “Like Cheeril-I mean the Masked Mare and her rivals?”
“Exactly! Well except it's less flashy and they don't have fancy stage names.”
“Yeehaw! Now that's mah kinda fun,” Applejack said with a chuckle.
Rarity sighed. “That must be an Earth Pony thing...my kind of fun is relaxing at home reading a romance novel.”
“Yep! We INVENTED wrestlin'! What's the point of having strength if yah don't use it?”
“You want to give it a try, miss?” asked one of the Griffins, the big male with a competitive smirk.
“Oh you know Ah do, partner!” said Applejack, giving a confident look. “Hold mah hat,” she said, handing it to Rainbow Dash and heading over.
“Please tell me this isn't going to be an entire species of Applejacks and Rainbow Dashs...” Rarity muttered, Fluttershy seeming intimidated as well as their friend was briefed on the rules and got into a wrestling match with the bigger griffin.
“They're just competitive!” Rainbow said, looking more flattered than insulted. “It's an honor thing with them. If you found a griffin fashionista I bet they'd be just as competitive over making dresses too.”
Twilight blinked. “Wow...Rainbow, that's actually pretty mature of you...”
“Hey, some of my best friends are Griffins,” the rainbow maned pegasus said proudly. “Partly because they know how awesome winning is!”
“Got that right...” said Applejack, trotting over panting and sweating, giving a wave to her opponent who returned it. “He put up a good fight, but Ah won. Gonna have a rematch some other time.”
“Glad you've already made a friend, Applejack...Oh! That reminds me!” Twilight said, looking panicked for some reason.
Fluttershy, trying to avoid looking at the rough housing, had turned away. Her eyes fell on a Griffin trotting by with a little snake in a cage. “Oh, how cute...”
Twilight produced her note cards. “I have a few details I need to share with you all about Panthera and the Grif-”
“HOW DARE YOU!”
“-fins...” the lavender Alicorn finished, gulping. She turned to see a griffin looking quite intimidated of a very angry cream colored pegasus staring him down. “Oh I was afraid of this!”
“You should know better than to-”
Twilight teleported between the two and pushed Fluttershy back. “Fluttershy, stop it!”
“But Twilight, he's trying to-”
“Sorry, sir, my friend is new here...” Twilight said, trying to hide look of panic and fear sight of the snake in a cage, even if she forced herself and Fluttershy a few hooves back. “N-No n-need t-to cause an international incident or anything!”
“But Twiligh-”
Before Fluttershy could finish, Twilight teleported them both to her friends and then the entire group to a nearby alley.
“Whatever just happened?” Rarity asked, jumping a bit from the rapid teleport.
Twilight gave a small pant, not exhausted, but clearly not used to teleporting such a large group even as an Alicorn. “Alright, first off, does anypony have anypony else's mane?”
Rainbow gave an unamused look, presently having Pinkie Pie's, while Pinkie simply giggled at the sight of herself with Rainbow's.
Twilight quickly used a spell to return them to their proper place. “Okay...Fluttershy, what got into you?!”
“That Griffin...” the pony looked on the verge of tears. “He...he was going to...that poor snake...he was going to kill it!”
“What?!” yelled everypony but the Alicorn of Friendship and surprisingly the Rainbow Maned pegasus.
“Yikes!” Spike said, looking worried. After all, he was a reptile too.
“Oh my goodness, I see why you're upset! That is terrible!” Rarity said, preparing to do her signature faint...but realizing the alley was too constrained for her fainting couch, and refusing to allow the dirty ground to touch her entire body.
“Girls-”
“Darn tootin'! That's a nasty thin' tah do even if it's a-”
“Girls!”
“We could lose our G-rating!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as if that was a horrifying prospect.
“GIRLS!”
“I know! Maybe I can still save it!” Fluttershy stated, looking determined and ready to rush off and do something.
Before anyone could move, everypony was stopped in their tracks by the sound of thunder. A surprisingly serious looking Rainbow Dash floated above them with a thunder cloud. She flew it up and handed it back to a weather griff. “Thanks.”
She flew back down before they could blink. “Twilight, one of us has to tell 'em, and if it's me I'm NOT going to be sweet about it!”
Twilight blinked, noting how upset Rainbow looked. “Rainbow's right...you see...that Griffin wasn't going to kill that snake...at least not how you're thinking.”
The group blinked, looking at each other. “But...he said he was...” Fluttershy muttered, wiping tears from her eyes.
'Why is it so hard to see Fluttershy cry?' Twilight asked mentally. The Alicorn took a deep breath in, pulling a leg to her chest, then slowly breathing out.
“...This was what I was trying to tell you about,” the Princess of Friend explained. “Griffins...okay, you know how we feed fish to certain animals?”
“Yes...” Fluttershy admitted. “Was he taking the snake to...feed it to something?” she asked, gulping. Fish yes, but a poor little snake?
“No...well, kind of yes...You see, the thing about Griffins is...well...They're-”
“Griffins EAT meat,” Rainbow Dash stated bluntly.
“What?!”
Twilight gave an annoyed sigh. “Rainbow!”
“If you don't want me to do it, stop beating around the bush!” Rainbow spat, she looked to her friends. Twilight got the feeling they'd hit a sore spot somehow.
“...Rainbow's right,” Twilight admitted, looking uncomfortable herself. “We ponies evolved as herbivores. Griffins evolved as carnivores.”
“But isn't eating meat supposed to be...” Rarity started, giving a gulp. “Uncouth?”
“Uncouth? I thought ponies said 'if you meat eat you turn into a cannibal,” Pinkie Pie said without any semblance of tact.
Rainbow growled in fury. “That's just a stupid urban legend!” she stated emphatically. “Like the Pegasus Device! Something grown-ups tell little fillies to make them behave!”
“And how would YOU know?” Pinkie Pie asked suddenly getting in Rainbow's face. Not trying to be mean, just...being Pinkie Pie.
“Because unlike MOST of you, I KNOW Griffins,” Rainbow replied.
“Oh, good reason...” Pinkie said simply, shrinking back a bit at Rainbow's look with a cartoony sound effect.
The rainbow maned Pegasus looked to the others. “And you know what I'm TIRED of? Hearing ponies call them 'nasty' or 'barbarians' or half a dozen stupid things! I had to listen to that back in Flight School and even at the Weather Factory sometimes! How did YOU like having those dragons call us 'namby pamby ponies' Rarity?!”
Pinkie's mane went a little straight at that. Having a friend angry with her was the opposite of a good time.
A look of guilt went across Rarity's face. “...Point taken...But...it's just...”
“It seems so cruel!” Fluttershy said, uncharacteristically angry.
“Look girls, I know that this is hard to understand,” Twilight interjected, giving Rainbow a glare. “But a Griffin means no more harm to what it eats than a bear means to a fish it eats, or I mean to a daisy sandwich,” she explained seriously, but herself looking very mildly unnerved. “They're not like Chrysalis' Changelings or Sirens who prey on other thinking creatures and enjoy doing it.”
“...Chrysalis just thinks she does,” Fluttershy argued, seeming a tad desperate. “Duchess Chrysalis in Good King Sombra's world showed they didn't...”
“Yes, that's true, Fluttershy, but that's different,” Twilight stated. “The Changelings are biologically capable of feeding on ambient love, that's why Duchess Chrysalis was so much more powerful than Queen Chrysalis: she's BELOVED. But Griffins can't survive ONLY on plants like us. It's just not healthy for them.”
“But-”
“...I think I get what Twilight's saying...”
Everypony blinked, looking to the speaker: Spike the dragon.
“What a twist!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
The baby dragon looked a bit upset. “I can eat carrots and some veggies like that, but if I try to eat hay or something else, I get sick. I can eat sweets just fine, but just ask Twilight, last time I tried a daisy sandwich, I got sick for the rest of the day.”
The lavender Alicorn nodded. “Dragons can eat most anything, but they can't digest everything...especially little ones like Spike. They can't live on a herbivore diet.”
“But you don't eat other creatures!” Fluttershy argued desperately.
“Yeah, but I can,” Spike pointed out, opening his mouth to show his sharp teeth. “I just prefer to eat jewels, and can live like that, and Mina and the other dragons in Dragon Town said it's perfectly natural either way, and they're nothing like Garble and his gang of jerks...so am I bad because I could eat meat but can't eat a lot of stuff ponies can?”
No pony knew what to say to that. Rarity hugged him apologetically. “I'm sorry, Spikey Wikey for giving you the idea we'd think that of you...that was a bit insensitive...I'm just...not used to the idea...”
“...But...but you don't...” Fluttershy stuttered.
“...Look girls,” Twilight interrupted, looking seriously. “I'm not anymore comfortable with this than you are. But you need to remember one thing. We're not just here as visitors...you're here with me on diplomatic business. And that means that what all of us do reflects on Equestria...Accusing Griffins of being monsters isn't just mean on our part, it makes Equestria look...well...”
“Speciesist? Or jerkflanks?” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Plotholes?”
Everypony looked at one another. “...Ah hadn't thought of that...” Applejack admitted, putting her hat over her chest. “...That wouldn't be an honest showin' of Equestria...Love and tolerance is our thing...”
“...I don't enjoy this,” Rarity admitted. “...But I've been in enough social situations to know when it's for the best to say nothing.”
“...I just want us to not fight...” Pinkie Pie said, mane straight.
Rainbow Dash sighed at her friends expressions. “...Look girls, I'm sorry...just...”
“Ya put a pin in us,” Applejack said honestly. “We had it comin'...Considerin' Ah have a dog Ah ain't one tah complain about predators needin' their proper diet.” Feeding a dog a completely vegan diet just wasn't healthy. They at least needed some eggs or something in their diet to be in good health, and AJ knew it. “...Ah ain't gonna go grab meh some chicken, Ah don't like the idea of it one bit, but Ah understand why a Griffin might need tah...”
Three other ponies gave a nod in return and hugged Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy looked down, a conflicted look on her face. 'But how were we wrong?...It might have been mean, but...'
Twilight blinked, hearing a clock tower tole and looking over to see the time. “Oh no! I've got to get to the castle, I have a meeting with King Goldran and Queen Ghidrah in ten minutes!”
Pinkie Pie gave an exaggerated gasp. “I Pinkie Promised Gustave I'd meet him as soon as possible after I got here! And it's almost slightly past that! See you girls!” she shouted and took off like a bolt of pink lightning. Then popped back and gave them a good hug before leaving just as fast.
“And I should probably go meet my clients, darling,” Rarity admitted quietly.
“Okay, everypony go where they need to go, and remember! We're here for Equestria! And we're meeting at the Golden Talon hotel on Aviary Street tonight!”
“Alright then, here we are...” Applejack, trotting up to the entrance to a farm labeled 'Feather Farms.' “Hopefully seein' some kin will take mah mind off that whole mess earlier...”
While Applejack didn't want to outright admit it, the idea of eating meat did rub her the wrong way...but Element of Honesty meant admitting when something made sense. If Winona needed some meat in her diet to be healthy, why couldn't Griffins? It just made practical sense. Besides, the griffin she'd wrestled with before didn't seem mean at all. He was nicer than some ponies she knew.
The orange Earth Pony entered the farm, looking over the place. “Golly, this place is big...better ask somepony were cousin Golden Apple is...why does everycreature here have a name that starts with G?”
Her eyes fell on a cow nearby, standing there grazing like any other cow. “Ah! Hey there!”
When the cow didn't respond, she decided to get closer. “Excuse me, Miss, can yah tell meh where Ah can find a guy named Golden Apple?”
“Moo!”
“...Uh...what?”
“Mooo!”
“Ah don't understand what yer sayin', is that some weird way cows speak over here?”
The cow looked up, chewing her cud, just staring at Applejack. The mare blinked, finding something...missing in its eyes compared to Daisy Jo or the other cows back home. “Uh...are yah alright?”
“Cousin?”
The farm pony turned to see a gold colored stallion with a brown mane gallop up to her, his Cutie Mark a golden apple. He wore a red bandana around his neck. “Howdy cousin!” Applejack said, giving the stallion a hug.
“Welcome tah Panthera! Hope yah've had a good time so far!” the stallion said in an excited tone.
Applejack gave a slightly nervous chuckle. “Kinda...Uh cousin, is something wrong with this cow here?”
Golden Apple raised an eyebrow. “What do yah mean?”
“She won't talk tah meh! She just...stares...”
To Applejack's surprise, this was met with a hearty laugh. “What's so funny?”
“Cousin, that cow isn't like the ones back home.”
“Uh...what?” The farmer blinked.
“These cows are...yah know how there's the deer like the ones in Roedina, but then there's those deer that are about as smart as any animal yah find in the woods?”
“Yeah...” Fluttershy had had a nonsapient moose once or twice, the thing freaked her out. And anypony else who'd met a sapient deer for that matter.
“Well these cows are like that...” Golden Apple said, petting the cow's head. “They're animals.”
Applejack's jaw hung slack. “Wait...this...this cow...she's...”
“Yeah. There's sheep and pigs like it too.”
“But...if they ain't smart what are the-” Applejack's face paled, remembering what Twilight said. “Do they...yah know...eat 'em?”
Golden Apple looked sheepish. “Uh...kinda...Cows are used fer milk and sheep fer wool, just like back home, but yeah...they're also used fer meat...”
Applejack shuddered. She couldn't get a very unpleasant image of Daisy Jo out of her head. “S-So...y-yer sure these aren't...yah know...”
“Yah saw it yerself, didn't yah?” Golden Apple asked, the cow showing no signs of sapience at all, just taking a bite of grass. “...Cousin, are you alright?”
The orange mare looked at the nonsapient cow as it just grazed and walked. Not acting one bit like a sapient thing. This wasn't like brainwashin', it was...what it was.
She felt a sort of...not exactly fear, but unease. Like this thing was Daisy Jo, but wasn't. Like it was close enough to her to look like her, but just different enough to be...unsettling.
“We're not just here as visitors...you're here with me on diplomatic business. And that means that what all of us do reflects on Equestria.”
Applejack gave a nervous, forced smile. “No! A-Ain't nothin' wrong! How about you show me the apple trees?”
“Oh! Yeah, forgot about that. Yah know, Griffins are meat-eaters, but they do like snacking on apples sometimes.”
Applejack was happy her cousin didn't know her well enough to recognize the orange farmer's lying stunk like the south bound end of a north bound skunk.
“Y-Yeah...so Ah've heard...” Applejack replied, slowly looking over to the cow as they walked on, giving a gulp.
Rarity trotted into a large auditorium, or more specifically, to the backstage area. “Alright, Rarity...you may not entirely agree with their diet, but...but if Spikey Wikey isn't so bad and his kind are meat-eaters, then there's no reason to fear...besides, Twilight is counting on you to give a good impression of Equestria. And since when have you not made a good impression?”
The fashionista knocked on the door and took a deep breath, stealing herself. Who opened the door made that a bit difficult.
On the other side of the door stood quite the frightening griffin. Her feline half seemed to borrow heavily from a black panther, being that shade of black. Her bird half on the other hoof was very much that of a raven, though her head feathers seemed to have a red outlining done between them. Her outfit was a form fitting, red tinted leather (Rarity presumed and hoped it was fake), and a necklace with several fangs hanging from it.
“Hi there, you must be Rarity,” the griffin said, giving a toothy grin. Rarity was proud of her composure when how prominent the sharp of teeth the griffin had were caught her eyes. Unlike the other Griffins she had seen, the canines in particular seemed prominent, almost like fangs. “Sapphire told me you were coming...”
Rarity nodded slowly, hoping she wasn't sweating too much. “Yes, I am...You must be Fang...” she said, mentally noting that non-G names seemed to be out of the ordinary as far as Griffins go. She wondered if it was her real name or a stage name, presuming the latter.
Fang nodded. “That's my name,” she then lead the way into a rather Gothic looking dressing room. Lots of blacks and dark blues.
“My...what lovely décor. I do believe one of our Princesses would love it...”
“Thanks. Sapphire said the same thing,” Fang stated, giving a smirk. “Princess Luna, right?”
“That's her.”
Fang sat them down at a table and showed the mare pictures of two other griffins. While both had the same black feline half, one of them had a red avian half and the other a dark gold one. The former had purple for her outfit's tint and accents and the latter blue. “The one in the red is Tooth, the blue is Talon.”
Rarity noted both other Griffins seemed to have the same noticeable sharp teeth. And that Tooth seemed to have sharp teeth of some sort hanging from her necklace and Talon had claws. “They're both very beautiful Griffins.” While Rarity did find them frightening, they were not without style. Their outfits and color pallets matched well enough that they fit the rather Gothic look they seemed to be going for properly. Rarity had dealt in Gothic styling before, and she felt it'd be a much better fit for Princess Luna than that dress she wore to Twilight's coronation.
“Thanks, though we also like to look scary, not just pretty,” Fang said, showing her teeth. The creepiest part was that she wasn't wearing a crazy smile like Discord, Chrysalis, or even Starlight Glimmer. It was just a normal, friendly smile that happened to have razor sharp teeth involved. “It's our thing.”
Rarity gave a small, internal sigh of relief that it was intentional, otherwise a slip up would've not ended well. “I had noticed.”
“So, think you can pull off our style?” Fang asked, leaning back on her chair. “Sapphire said you were one of the best.”
Rarity gave a somewhat proud look. “Of course I can. I do Ponyville's Nightmare Night costumes every year, and if I do say so myself, they're fantastic. So all this commission is doing is combining the fright of one with the beauty of the other.”
“Alright, sounds great,” Fang replied, chuckling. “You've got confidence, I like that. But there is one big thing.”
The Griffin got up and pulled a case out and put it on the table. “You see, these necklaces aren't just scary. It's traditional griffin grab. They mean something.”
“I see...” Rarity said, eyes focused on the fangs on her client's necklace.
“But what REALLY means 'watch out for me,' isn't fangs, claws, or teeth, it's bones,” said the Griffin, opening case to reveal organized bones Rarity wasn't sure she wanted to know what they came from.
The fashionista willed herself not to summon her coach and faint, or wet herself in blind terror. “Bones?”
“Yeah, it's an old griffin hunter tradition.”
“So...it's a trophy?” Rarity questioned, the idea making her have to hide some disgust.
“Nah, nothing like that. Griffins don't believe in trophy killing. It's more invoking aspects of the animal. You wore something's fangs if you wanted to channel its ferocity, you wore its teeth if you wanted to channel its prey drive, but you wore the bones if you wanted to channel its power. Teeth are used to feed, claws to slash, but bones support everything, without the bones, there is no strength,” Fang recited as if it were something she'd heard since birth, picking up one of the bones. “Think you can handle it?”
Rarity was screaming internally, but outside merely looked mildly unnerved. She reminded herself it was an easy way to upset someone to insult their culture. “...I can try.”
“Good, mind coming up with some designs and getting back to me tomorrow?”
“Sure...”
'Rarity, what on Equus have you gotten yourself into!'
Pinkie Pie zipped around a large building where Gustave's baking competition was happening, looking for a certain gray Griffin.
She smelled untold numbers of interesting things...but even the pink party pony felt her stomach sour at some of them, perhaps most of them.
Namely the smell of meat being cooked. The griffins seemed delighted by it...but a pony on the other hand was naturally anything but that. It stirred primal feelings of fear most modern ones did not understand.
Regardless...while Pinkie would normally be taking what free samples bakers provided (some did), every offering she found had...unsavory ingredients that even her iron gut didn't find appealing. In part due to unpleasant memories of a certain work only she knew about, and wished her friends never would, but mostly due to instinct.
“Um, is there meat in that?” she asked one baker.
“Yes.”
“Is there meat in that?” she asked another.
“Yes.”
“Is there meat in that?”
“Of course there is! I'm a griffin!”
And so on and so forth. Some were just confused, some got angry. Some simply didn't care one way or another, but they had all included some form of yucky meat in it.
“Oh...I'm hungry, really hungry...but all this stuff makes me feel icky...but Twilight and Dashie said griffins aren't big meanies for eating meat...What to do...”
“Pinkie Pie! Zere you are!”
“Gustave!”
Few things cheered the Pink Party Pony up like hearing a friend's voice, and Pinkie Pie promptly forgot what she was worrying about to hope over to a gray and white griffin with a very elegant and long mustache. “There you are, I've literally been looking all over for you...All. Over. Even in near the outhouses.”
Gustave gave a chuckle. “My apologies! I ended up with a spot at ze back of ze contest hall, but zat shall not stop Gustave le Grand from claiming first prize in zis confectionery competition!” the Griffin boasted in his typical hammy style, complete with using his wings as if they were capes.
Pinkie gave a wide smile. She needed to introduce him to Trixie, she knew they'd be good friends “Oh! What did you make?!”
Gustave gave a chuckle, producing something, keeping his wing over it for a moment. “Ah! Straight to ze point, are we? Well, for zis baking battle, I have made a melt in your mouth morsel I call...”
The pink ponies mouth watered as he lifted his wing out from in front of a covered platter with his creation on it before her.
“My marvelously miraculous meat pies!” the griffin announced, removing the lid to show a plate filled with the confection, which while Pinkie could tell were as well made as everything else somegriffin who'd co-won the Equestrian National Dessert Competition would make...caused her to deflate somewhat.
“...Oh...they look nice...”
Gustave blinked, looking hurt. “Pinkie? Is something wrong?”
The party pony gave a sigh. “I'm sorry! They look wonderful! You're a really, really, really, really, really great baker! And if it were anything else I would've asked you to try one on the spot, even if I probably shouldn't.”
“Yes, I was excepting zat and made extra...”
“It's just...they're meat pies!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Gustave put a claw to to his chin. “Meat pies? What would zat be...” The griffin's eyes widened as if something suddenly occurred to him. “Oh...” he rubbed the back of his head. “Zis is awkward...”
Pinkie covered her mouth. “Oops...I wasn't supposed to say that out loud...”
“No, zis my fault...I should have known better...” Gustave admitted with a sigh.
“Gusty! Don't say that! It's not your fault I think meat smells bad! And it makes me sick to my tummy! And I'm a pony...oops!” Pinkie mane deflated. “...Sorry, I did it again...”
“No no, Pinkie! Why do you think I made my exceptionally exquisite éclairs for the National Competition?!” he announced, seeming to insist on saying the name in a dramatic way. “Instead of this treat?”
“...Because they're delicious?”
“Yes, but zat is not the only reason, my friend!” Gustave sat down. “You see...While I grew up in Prance, my parents raised me as any griffin would be, and like any griffin, most of the recipes they taught me were griffin dishes...When I hit ze scene in Prance as a baker, I had to adapt. Ponies look very differently on such things zan Griffins, and I had to accept zat...I suppose with you cast iron stomach, I forgot you might be ze same.”
“Well, my tummy isn't picky...except with baked bads...or intentionally horrible equal muffins a meanie pants made the baker make...so you were kinda going through the aesop me and my friends are going through right now?”
The griffin blinked in clear confusion. “...I suppose...My first competition was a disaster! I had to learn my audience before I could go anywhere! And to do zat, I had to accept that my audience had different tastes zan myself, and no amount of forcing could change that! If you ask me, Gustave le Grand succeeded in spades!”
“Yeah, you're amazing!...So..you're not mad I don't like meat?”
“...Do you zink my meat pies will win?”
“Oh! Of course!”
“Zen I hold no grudge...”
Gustave blinked as Pinkie Pie hugged him. “Thanks Gusty.”
“...You are welcome...but Pinkie Pie?”
“Yes?”
“Griffins do not hold hugs in public this long.”
“Oh...” Pinkie jumped back. “Sorry...”
“Zis fine...so...how have zings been?”
“Oh! Great! Oh! Except for when we got kidnapped by Starlight Glimmer and I had to eat an entire plate of the worst muffins I've ever tasted!” Pinkie said as if she were saying she'd been tortured.
Gustave looked horrified, though less so than Pinkie Pie. If there was one thing a professional baker took seriously, it was baked goods. “Zat is horrible!”
“I know! She was crazy and they tasted worse than cardboard!”
Fluttershy whimpered, setting at a table in the square, afraid to actually look anywhere. “...How...how can this be right?” she asked, tears running down her face.
She saw a restaurant where a Griffin was eating a chicken through the window. In her mind's eye she saw one of HER little chickens on that plate. She turned away as soon as she could. “This isn't fair...” she sobbed.
The mare walked over to one of the griffins. “Um...excuse me...but...could you maybe...not eat meat?”
“Could you not be a softy?” the griffin rudely asked, walking a way with his meal.
She tried again and again, some politely telling her no, some rude, some angry...but no griff paid her heed.
“No griffin is listening to me...why?” Fluttershy asked, showing signs of frustration. “Why...why would anypony want to kill cute little animals? It's...it's just so cruel...” she whimpered, sniffling.
The pony noticed a Griffin (a different one than before) walking with a snake in a carrier and got an idea. “...Maybe I could...”
She quietly crept over behind the griffin, ducking into alleys or hiding behind trash cans...and gently opened the top and allowed the snake to crawl out without anyone noticing.
“There you go little one...” she whispered, kissing it on the head. “You're safe now...”
“Welcome to our palace, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” announced a very large Griffin wearing regal golden armor. His feline half was undoubtedly that of a lion, while his avian aspect was that of a hawk. His armor had a large fire ruby in the center of his chest and black accents. His helmet had a pronounced dragon motif, though like the rest of his armor was golden.
Twilight nodded. “And the same to you, King Goldran. Princess Celestia has told me much about you.”
“And her of you. She speaks quite highly of you, she who battled the great demon Lord Tirek! I do wish I could have witnessed that battle!” the king said, showing a sincere pride.
Twilight blushed. “Well, to be fair, me fighting him alone was a tie, it wasn't until I worked with my friends that we defeated him.”
The Griffin King chuckled. “You are too humble, Princess. We Griffins value the strength of the Pride as a whole! If yours defeated Tirek, that does not diminishing the honor you've earned!”
Twilight gave a blink. “Wow...that's...thank you...Oh! And speaking of groups, this is my assistant Spike.”
Spike had spent the conversation staring at the fire ruby in the king's armor, his mouth watering, but shook his head to clear it. “Oh! Hi!”
“Oh yes, the dragon who helped vanquish the evil King Sombra!” the king exclaimed. “Princess Cadence spoke of you! It is a shame that King Sombra's corpse could not be found from which to take what you earned!”
Spike stared in shock. “Uh...that's...great...uh...”
Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. “Um...what Spike means is...he's not really into that.”
Goldran looked confused. “But is he not a dragon?”
“Uh, I'm not a normal Dragon...” Spike admitted, suddenly feeling rather disturbed.
“So you did not wish to claim his armor as your own?”
“...You meant his armo-”
The lavender Alicorn covered Spike's mouth. “What Spike means is...we thought Griffins took claws or fangs from their kills...”
“Oh no, not from other sapients,” the king explained, looking a little insulted. “Especially one as unworthy of respect as that monster! No, it is griffin custom to claim something of practical use from a slain enemy, such as the armor or weapons. We take nothing we cannot use.”
“Hmm...I do think I would look snazzy in that armor...” Spike remarked. “Uh...sorry about that...”
The King shrugged. “I can respect the misconception, when I first met Princess Celestia I believed ponies would never fight no matter what and were nice, but weak, but I learned this was not the case quite quickly. Particularly when Princess Celestia challenged me to wrestling and kicked my tail. I have never made that mistake again. Though I did win one match.”
“...That is quite wise of you, King Goldran,” Twilight said, giving a smile. “...I think it's a lesson a lot of ponies should learn about others.”
“I am a King, it'd be a disservice to my people to be anything else, and a dishonor to myself, would it not?” Goldran asked. “Now come, we have diplomatic issues to discuss! Will you be staying for the dinner afterward?”
Twilight gave a nervous smile. “I'd...love to...but will there be...meat there?”
“Naturally, it is a griffin meal. But we have enough ponies on staff our cooks know how to cook for one and can prepare whatever you like.”
“...Sorry...I don't think I'd be comfortable. Meat cooking tends to make me queasy, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it...I must politely decline.”
“Ah tell yah, it was just plain spooky!” Applejack exclaimed, shuddering despite her attempts not to look as scared, the seven of them sitting on a balcony in Twilight's deluxe room. All six technically had one, being they were considered honored guests. “Those cows just staring, not thinkin'! And the idea of raisin' somethin' just tah eat it...”
“While I do admit that is dreadful, I have to incorporate bones into my work for Fang and her band!” Rarity exclaimed in horror, finally fainting on her couch. “Bones!”
“Those poor animals...” Fluttershy sobbed, sitting off to herself.
Rainbow Dash sighed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “At least you two aren't going nuts...” she said, looking to the lavender Alicorn and pink pony.
Twilight nodded. “I thought our talk earlier had smoothed everything out.”
The three ponies all blinked, looking to Pinkie Pie in particular. “Wait...Pinkie Pie isn't freaking out?” Applejack asked.
Pinkie shook her head. “Nope!”
“...Are yah a Changeling?”
“Would a Changeling do this?!” she asked, producing her Party Cannon and firing off a shot, covering the Earth Pony in confetti.
“...Yer Pinkie alright...” Applejack replied, shaking herself off.
“But how? No offense darling but...you tend to be the first one of us to jump to conclusions,” Rarity said, trying to be tactful. She recalled Pinkie taking their fear of Zecora to the point of writing a song about her, and then there was Nightmare Night...
“OH! Because Gustave told me he used to be a silly...chicky when he started baking for ponies!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “Just like I was being!”
“...Okay...” Applejack said. “Ah think if Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are bein' the level headed ones outta all of us, somethin' is seriously wrong...No offense.”
“None taken!” Pinkie chimed in.
“It is...rather disheartening, darling,” Rarity admitted, looking ashamed. “Normally we're the ones who need to keep you two grounded...”
“Yeah, that's why Ah know what Rainbow's tail tastes like,” Applejack said.
“Well I think I'm being perfectly level headed,” Fluttershy muttered, thinking about all the poor animals the griffins munched on everywhere every day.
“You want know why we're not freaking out?” Rainbow Dash asked sharply. “Because we actually got to know a griffin!” she exclaimed. “I've known griffins since I was a filly, and Pinkie Pie sees Gustave as a friend not as a bucking monster!”
“...Griffins not bein' treated right really is a sore spot for you, ain't it?” Applejack asked, blinking.
“No, bullies are a sore spot for me, and a lot of my griffin friends put up with a lot of horseapples because of these stupid stereotypes,” Rainbow Dash snapped back. “Foals can be cruel...”
“...Ah can understand that, darling. Ah don't take kindly tah snooty ponies lookin' down on mah kin fer the same reason...”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Rainbow Dash is right. The reason I'm not freaking out is because King Goldran treated me with respect and I actually asked for an explanation instead of walking away with a bad assumption. He was like Gustave once and misunderstood us ponies...but if he can learn about us, shouldn't we do the same for Griffins?”
“...Ah guess we have been doing a bit of what happened with Zecora all over again...” Applejack admitted.
“...So should we all start killing animals and eating meat?” Fluttershy asked, looking angry.
“No!” Twilight yelled. “Fluttershy, I turned down dinner with King Goldran because I was uncomfortable with it! He was disappointed, but he understood why!”
Fluttershy looked bitter. “I...I think I need to go lay down...”
“And I think I need to do some design work...a good night's sleep might be best for us all...” Rarity replied, looking a bit upset with herself. She hoped Fluttershy would calm down soon, this wasn't good for her.
Applejack gave a shudder as they walked past the sheep. Those same blank, staring eyes as the cow had been. It made her sweat. It made her blood run cold. These...things that looked like Daisy Jo and the other animals back at the farm...but weren't. These were animals...and that unnerved her. Even more so that some were being raised for food and the images that brought with it.
“Here's where we sheer the sheep. Yah, Ah know, hirin' sheep like back home would be easier. But while they know their cousins ain't 'em, it still kinda freaks 'em out tah be near these kinda animals,” Golden Apple explained, getting some feed for the animals.
Applejack blinked. “Freaks 'em out?”
“Yeah. Well, just imagine seein' a pony that is like that.”
The orange farm pony shuddered at the thought. A PONY that with the mind of an animal. It sent a shiver down her spine.
Then...conversation she'd had the night before with the others returned to her mind. If Applejack hated one thing, it was being afraid. And if learning might help not be...
“...Cuz...did it freak yah out when yah first saw 'em?”
Golden Apple gave a laugh. “Oh yah bet! Even had some nightmares bout it! Ah mean goin' from cows and sheep that talk tah these kind the griffins raise that ain't no smarter than chicken? Weird as all get out. Ah think somegriff called it 'uncanny valley'.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Uncanny what?”
“Said it's how they're close enough we know they're sheep, cows, pigs, and such, but different enough that it freaks us out big time,” Golden Apple explained. “Griffins feel that way 'bout big cats.”
“...Honestly, that's how A'm feelin'...” Applejack finally admitted, looking down. “Just...Twilight says Ah'm representing Equestria here. Ah guess...Ah know it sounds weird, but if Ah made a scene it'd make us look bad...”
The cousins stood there for a few moments, Golden Apple thinking.
“...Yah know what helped meh actually?”
Applejack blinked. “What?”
The stallion lead her over to a barn and opened the upper half of the door Inside, a silver and white female Griffin was tending to the animals. Her avian half seemed to be based off a swan while her feline half seemed to be that of a white tiger. “That's Galaluna. She's the boss here...”
Galaluna spent the entire time they watched tending to the animals by whistling a calm, friendly melody. She petted them. She even calmed down the one or two that got upset. She brushed them. She checked them over.
“...The griffins on this farm? Yeah, they raise these animals tah eat...but they still treat 'em a lot like we treat our Apple Trees back home. They love 'em, they tend to 'em...” Golden explained. “See what Ah mean?”
Applejack watched the kind griffin in shock and surprise. “But...if they're raisin' 'em tah eat...why treat 'em that way? We eat the apples, not the tree...”
“She can explain it better than Ah can, but the way she put it...Griffins don't see animals like walkin' bags of meat. They consider an animal dyin' for 'em as it making a sacrifice for 'em tah live.”
Applejack blinked, raising an eyebrow. “Sacrifice?”
“Yeah...yah know how we treat an apple tree that fell over and we reuse the woof?”
“Darn tootin'...the farm house is built from the stuff and Ah never stop thankin'...those...trees...” Applejack gasped as realization hit her. “...So...the way a griffin sees it...animals aren't meant tah die, they die for 'em?”
“Exactly...And that's why it don't bug meh no more...Ah just stop lookin' at these kinda animals as my friends back home without their brains, and start lookin' at 'em like apple trees that move...Does that make sense?”
From most, that would sound odd. But from an Apple, it meant something much much more profound. “...Yeah...Ah think it does. Thanks cousin...Ah was bein' a silly pony...”
“Anytime, what's family for? Now come on, how bout you meet Galaluna face to face?”
Rarity set down in the dressing room with Fang across from her. “Alright, darling, I have some designs sketched out. But there is one little thing I need to talk to you about...”
The Griffin raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, what?”
Rariity took a deep breath. Unlike Applejack, Rarity knew how to craft her words properly. You absolutely had to be a master of words to make it in high society.
She took out the papers with her drawings on them, and laid them out. “I'm a pony, I know jewels symbolism, I know color symbolism, but I do not know Griffin symbolism...in fact, I do admit it can be somewhat intimidating...As such, I feel I need a better understanding of what using...animal materials in designs mean to a Griffin. Can you please give me a more in depth explanation?” Rarity asked carefully, keeping a level tone.
To her surprise, Fang started laughing elatedly. “Now I see why Sapphire recommended you!”
Rarity blinked. “Pardon?”
Fang chuckled. “You're the first pony designer who's ever actually asked. Every other one either backs out or just tries to make me look like a skeleton. It looks scary to a pony, but just looks silly to a griffin. I want something that's scary for both.”
Rarity stared in shock. Then gave a small smile. “Thank you, darling...But to be honest, it was a friend's idea...So, can you please explain?”
The Griffin nodded. “Yeah, hang on a second...”
She reached into her beak and pulled out a pair of fake, sharp teeth. Her natural teeth beneath were still sharp, but not nearly as terrifying or prominent. “Those things chafe if I talk for awhile and I've got a concert later tonight.”
Rarity stared at the fangs. “They're fake?”
“Yeah, in case you can't tell, our band's thing is scaring the droppings out of people and looking nice doing it, and our teeth aren't that noticeable without 'em. Part of the reason I want the bones is because it's something scary in some way to everycreature if you do it right. Now...” Fang got a drink of water. “First thing first, Griffins don't waste a single piece of an animal if we can help it.”
Rarity blinked. “Really? Why?”
“Respect. The animal is giving its life so we can eat, so it's considered ungrateful to waste any part of it. Anygriff who kills animals for the sake of killing is considered an ungrateful psycho. Like...if you gave your life's savings to somepony and they went and blew it all gambling. Does that make sense?”
The fashionista gave it thought. “So...the bones are used for clothing because throwing them away would be throwing away part of what the animal gave to you?”
“Exactly! So anything we can't eat, we use for some other purpose. Like knife handles, fishing poles, clothing, the like. It ain't about saying 'look what I killed,' it's about saying 'this animal gave its life for mine and I'm giving it my respect.' You dig?”
Rarity nodded, thinking it over carefully. “That...actually makes a large amount of sense when you explain it that way...And you said earlier that bones in your culture represent the strength and power of the animal?”
Fang nodded. “Exactly.”
“...So I'm thinking perhaps using the bones for accents on the arms or gloves would be the best way to represent that idea. Or in the hindquarters near the read legs. And perhaps change the gem stones I'm using. Bloodstone, Amethyst, and Lapis Lazuli all symbolize strength, and if positioned properly will enhance the look of the outfit while matching your choices of colors.”
“Bloodstone? Has a nice ring to it. I think everything is going to go just fine.”
“Yes...I think so as well...Oh! Also, may I ask you one thing that I've been wondering?”
“Name it.”
“How exactly do you know Sapphire Shores?”
“We met her at a Battle of the Bands once, and were the only ones there that could keep up with the other. We actually both tried till me and her passed out.”
'Hmm...now I see what Rainbow Dash meant about Griffin competition...'
Fluttershy hadn't left her room the entire day. She couldn't stand the thought of going anywhere near the restaurants and...and all those griffins doing...She'd freed some poor little creatures yesterday...but her friends kept saying how she had no right. She didn't know what she should do. This lasted until naturally, she'd gotten hungry as one tended to and tried to order room service...and saw that half the menu was meant for griffins. She threw the menu in the trash. “This...this just isn't right! I can't...”
The cream colored pegasus went outside to look for a restaurant meant for ponies...but kept seeing again and again the same. Griffins everywhere killing innocent little animals and eating them. Fluttershy was good at staying out of others' way, but here...she just couldn't here! She was surrounded by it here! She felt like that night at the Gala when those animals had ignored her so, but much much worse.
“...They were wrong about those cute Vampire Fruit Bats...” Fluttershy said to herself, looking at a nearby restaurant where live snakes were being kept in a heating tank to be chose from. Snakes were a favorite food of most Griffins, and thus were a popular delicacy. She saw a griffin munch down on a sandwich made from one of them and her face contorted in anger.
“...I can't just sit by, I have to do something...”
“Your majesty,” Twilight said, sitting across a table from King Goldran and his wife Queen Ghidrah, a lean griffin with a lion for her feline half and a golden eagle for her avian.
Spike set nearby munching on a very large bowl of yellow, brown, and orange striped gemstones like they were candy.
“Yes, Princess?”
“I believe part of the reason why I'm here is to help promote tourism and co-existence between our countries,” said Twilight. “I have an idea that might help with that if you don't mind hearing...”
“Certainly, what do you have in mind?”
“So it turns out they treat their animals more like we treat apple trees and less like Chrysalis and her lot treat ponies,” Applejack admitted, sitting with her friends back at the hotel. “They're not just walking food to 'em...but its still creepy...”
“Fang loved my designs so much that she gave me tickets to a concert of theirs, for all of us,” Rarity explained proudly and holding a bunch of red and black tickets in her telekinesis. “...And I also discovered that bones mean a much different thing to a Griffin than a pony...not that I'm going to make them a regular part of my designs...but it doesn't feel as uncouth now that I know why I'm doing it.”
Pinkie smiled widely. “Gustave won! And he said since his meat pies weren't my thing, he's making some of his exceptionally exquisite éclairs for us as a big thank you for coming all this way to support him!”
“Good, we never got tah try any before!” Applejack said, licking her lips. “Or any of that big super cake yah made.”
“Hey! I was hungry! I hadn't eaten all night watching the Mmmm!” Pinkie defended.
“And missed breakfast because of us...” Rainbow Dash admitted, rubbing her head. They'd been banned from Sugar Cube Corner for awhile and had to work off their debt to the Cakes for that stunt. “Well anyway, I still beat Giselle and the others in our race, naturally, but it was still close. Glad to see they didn't get rusty since the Equestria Games!”
“And I had a very progressive meeting with King Goldran,” Twilight said. “I think you'll all like the ideas we came up with.”
“Ugh...” Spike moaned, laying on his back with cartoony bloated belly. “And I ate too many Tiger's Eyes...way too many...”
That earned a laugh from everycreature who wasn't Spike.
“I'm just glad you all finally realized that Griffins are just different,” Rainbow Dash said, relaxing on her chair. “Didn't I tell ya? They're pretty cool when you actually know what's up with 'em...Hey...has anyone seen Fluttershy?”
The group blinked, looking around in confusion. “...That's a good question, I thought the poor dear said she'd be staying in the room all day...” Rarity said, suddenly looking fearful. “This is a big city, if she's lost it'd take forever to find her...”
Suddenly, Spike belched up a letter.
“Yay narrative convenience!” Pinkie shouted.
Twilight opened it up and read it...then gasped in shock. “Uh oh...”
“...Uh oh?” Rarity asked. “Why uh oh?”
“You're not going to believe this...but Fluttershy's been arrested!”
Everypony stared at her in blind shock. “Wow...didn't see that coming...” Spike said at last.
Prisons in Panthera were quite spartan, with only the bare necessities. However, one thing did stand out about it. The jail cells were all gigantic bird cages hanging high in the air.
“So...uh...how do we actually talk to her?” asked Rarity, looking over the structure. “Most of us can't fly...”
As if on cue, one of the Griffin guards flipped a switch and one of the cages was lowered down on a wench to the ground.
“Oh...”
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash yelled, flying over to the door. She didn't look very happy.
“Girls!” Fluttershy yelled, flying down from the giant hanging swing in the cage she'd been sitting on. “Oh thank goodness you're here!” she called, clearly expecting a hug...however, none came.
“Fluttershy, what were you thinking?!” was Rainbow's response instead.
“I was just doing the right thing...” Fluttershy replied, looking hurt. “All those poor animals...I couldn't just sit by and do nothing...” she said, the shy pegasus looking like she'd cry.
Twilight gave a disappointed look. “But robbery?! From THREE stores?”
“I wanted to do more but they stopped me, I saved so many animals...”
Fluttershy looked at her friends disapproving faces and whimpered. “...I...I was saving animals, is something wrong with that?!”
“For one, it's illegal,” Applejack pointed out. “And two, it's about as crazy as when Rainbow Dash tried tah stop winter from comin'!”
Fluttershy shrank, but then rose back up, looking determined, angry. And anger that didn't belong on Fluttershy's face and made her friends all take a step back. “How? I don't see anypony complaining when I rescue animals back home.”
“That's different!” Applejack replied.
Pinkie Pie merely stayed back, mane straight...This wasn't something she knew well how to handle.
“How?! They were being cruel to animals, I saved them, how is that wrong?!”
Rarity took a step forwards. “Fluttershy, darling...I understand that the concept is alien, it was to us as well...but we've all realized things...I realized that Griffins don't see animals as 'just animals'...they see them as beings who give their lives for them so they may live, and are treated with the same respect.”
“And Ah learned they treat their animals like the Apples treat their trees,” Applejack continued. “They aren't cruel, Fluttershy...they might have tah eat, but they still treat those animals all humane like.”
“...Starlight treated Our Town nice on the surface,” Fluttershy spat back, a disturbing type of anger becoming more and more clear on her face. “Isn't that what this is like? Only instead of being the only one who falls for the bait, I'm the only one that doesn't this time?!”
The group all stared in plain and simple shock. Starlight's kidnapping of them had been painful. Horrible. Terrifying. It was decidedly an experience none of them wanted to have ever again...being accused of that, by their friend...wasn't fun...
“...Yer right...” said Applejack. “This is like Our Town and Starlight.”
“Applejack?!” asked everypony.
“I'm glad you agree-”
“Except this time...you're Starlight.”
Fluttershy stared in complete and utter disbelief. Tears filled her eyes. “Applejack...how could you...” Her other friends looked just as shocked.
“...Starlight...she didn't see ponies, she saw Cutie Marks. Double Diamond even told her that to her face and she refused to see that...Now all yah see is meateaters, not griffins.”
“No...t-that's not true...I...” Fluttershy said...then an horrible anger filled her face. “That's not true!”
Fluttershy's face reminded her friends of that night at the Gala. It was that kind of rage.
“I see ANIMALS BEING KILLED!”
Rainbow Dash glared, but let Applejack keep talking.
Applejack kept her head. “Name one Griffin by name you've met since we came here.”
“Well...there's...no...there's...” Fluttershy stammered.
“...Galaluna and Goldar, that was the guy Ah wrestled with earlier.”
“...King Goldran and Queen Ghidrah,” Twilight followed.
“Same here,” said Spike.
“Fang, Tooth, and Talon,” Rarity continued.
“All the cooks at Gustave's bake off...” Pinkie Pie said, surprisingly serious for once. “I...I don't feel like making that brick joke right now...” That startled Fluttershy more than anything else. “One of them was named Garnet though.”
“Gideon, another racer I met,” Rainbow Dash finished. “Your turn.”
“Well...there was...there...that griffin that was going to eat that POOR INNOCENT SNAKE!” Fluttershy spat in rage. She looked more like an animal than some of the ones she cared for.
“...No name?” Rainbow asked. “Can you even remember what he looked like?”
Fluttershy covered her ears. “Just...just stop! I...I'm not the bad guy! Please!”
“You got to know Discord when he broke the world, why is it so hard to get to know a bunch of griffins when you don't like their diet?”
Fluttershy's face contorted in utter rage. “SHUT UP!”
In that moment, Rarity produced a hoof mirror from her saddle bags and showed Fluttershy her own face. What she saw made her blood run cold, a look of horror replacing the one she saw.
She saw the image of a furious, light purple unicorn's face superimposed over her own. There was no illusion magic from Rarity.
“...I'm sorry Fluttershy...but darling, I knew you wouldn't like to see yourself like this...I take no pleasure in being right...”
The cream colored pony sunk to her hunches and began to sob. “I...I am being like her...I didn't mean to...I...I just...”
“Fluttershy...” Rainbow Dash said, putting a hoof through the bars and onto her shoulder. “...Do you remember what you feed that bear of yours?”
“Fish...”
“And is your bear bad for eating them?”
“...No...But...he's...”
“Sugar,” Applejack said. “If yah say 'just an animal'...ain't that underminin' your whole point? Even the Griffins don't say that.”
Fluttershy's words died in her throat. “...But...but...”
“...Fluttershy...” Twilight said, frowning. “...Remember when we went to Aquastria and met King Leo and his Sea Ponies?”
“Yes...”
“...They see fish like we see other animals, remember?”
Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, tears dripping down around them. “...I know...”
“...It's called cultural dissonance...we don't like it, you're not wrong to see it as horrible, anymore than the Sea Ponies would us feeding fish to animals...but Griffins respect animals just as much as us...just they're predators, just like your bear, they don't eat meat to be cruel, they eat it because its what their body needs to survive...Would you like for the sea ponies to come and make your bear starve to death?”
“...I...No!...I'm sorry...I...I'm so sorry...I've been a bad pony...” Fluttershy began to sob heavily.
Twilight motioned to the guard, who let them in and group hug ensued, letting the pegasus cry her eyes out in her friends' forelegs.
“...T-Thank you for snapping me out of it...I...”
Rainbow gave a small smile. “Hey, you helped me when I went nuts with Tank.”
“And yah all helped meh when Ah lost it after that Rodeo,” Applejack said.
“And me when I was beating myself up after that horrendous fashion show,” Rarity continued.
“And Dashie when I thought that you'd all abandoned me and started talking to my imaginary friends but you were really throwing me a super duper party!” Pinkie Pie chimed in.
“Or all of you when I went crazy not having a friendship lesson...” Twilight finished...or so she thought.
“And Rarity for me when...you know, I was Spikezilla,” Spike admitted, looking guilty.
Fluttershy's tears started to stop. “Y-Yes...That's right...”
“Friends keep friends from goin' over the edge...Like yah try tah do for Discord...” Applejack reassured.
The cream pegasus nodded. “...I wonder if the reason Starlight turned out so awful was because she never had a real friend to do that for her...”
“...It's possible...But...I think we have a few friends you need to talk to,” Rarity suggested. “...They should be able to help here...”
“...Once we politely ask them to apply our diplomatic immunity to this situation...” Twilight pointed out.
Sometimes, going to another culture? It can be one Tartarus of a ride! A lotta things might not make sense, they might even scare yah...
Fluttershy pet one of Galaluna's cows on the head kindly as the Griffin explained the facts of Griffin farming and views on animals.
Even the way they dress or the things they believe can be frightening. You might think their intentions are worse than they really are, darling...
Fluttershy whimpered, looking up at Fang, her band mates present...until they took off their fake fangs and gave genuine smiles, beginning to explain Griffin symbolism and respect towards the animal that gave its life for them.
And their food might seem really yucky! I mean REALLY yucky!
Gustave le Grand presented the group with a batch of his exceptionally exquisite éclairs, and explained to Fluttershy his own experiences.
But the important thing is to see creatures, not things. And never assume the worst in somepony. Just because evil exists in the world doesn't mean its healthy to LOOK for it everywhere.
Fluttershy bowed to King Goldran, giving a sincere apology for what she did, tears in her eyes.
He gave a nod, and, while giving a fitting fine, forgave her and explained his own past wrong beliefs.
And sometimes, when ya really get to know them, creatures from another culture can be wicked, and awesome, and cool!
Giselle and her team gave Fluttershy a pat on the back, praising her performance at the Equestria Games and asking for a triple rematch with her, Rainbow, and Bulk Biceps someday...but also reminded her of how hurtful some of the things she said could be when told about it.
And sometimes...you might need to admit that even though you don't like something and never want to do it yourself...even if it makes you cringe just thinking about it...it doesn't do that to them...something awful to you, might be justified to them...and there's not always a big dumb meanie making them just THINK that's the case, or monsters hurting others...just different cultures with different beliefs...
Fluttershy apologized to the three shop owners she robbed...to her horror realizing one of them hadn't been a restaurant, but a pet shop.
Today, we all learned that just because another culture is different...that doesn't mean that it's bad. It doesn't mean that it's cruel. It just means that it's different, and the sooner we realize that...the sooner we can become friends.
Fluttershy shut the Friendship Journal and handed it back to Spike, who used his magic fire to return it back home. The group all set in the audience for the concert that Rarity had gotten them tickets for.
“...Well...I spent all my money from when I was Photo Finish's model on the fines...” Fluttershy admitted guiltily.
“I'm so sorry darling,” Rarity consoled.
“No, it's okay...I still have my normal income...and besides, how can I ask Discord to make up for some of his naughty stuff and not ever do it myself when I mess up?”
“I can sympathize with that,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Spitfire had me doing dishes and cleaning toilets at Wonderbolts Academy for awhile after the whole Weather Factory thing...”
Fluttershy nodded. “...Thanks for forgiving me...”
The kind pegasus received a group hug. “We've forgivin' each other for worse, sugarcube...you're sorry, yah made it right...what else is there?”
After the group parted, Twilight looked to them. “There's one other good thing to come from all this...me and King Goldran agreed it'd be best for everypony visiting to have a visitor's center at port to explain everything, that way this kind of thing doesn't happen again...and one in Equestria as well. That way, coming or going, ponies or griffins will have a better chance of being friends.”
“Ah think we can all say thank Princess Celestia fer that,” Applejack remarked, the others all nodding as well.
As the music began to roll, they all turned towards the stage and watched the band move out. Not feeling like fish out of water...but ponies visiting a friends' house.
