The Griffin And The Snowstorm

Long before the birth of Princess Celestia, the Griffins had an empire that rivial the one that her birth would give rise too. It was our land promised to us at the base of the mountians that later became our only home today. Griffins were some of the best jewelrs; treasurers and merchants in the world and we lived in our land with our customs and our society. Then across the great sea where we had our first city of Griffinstone, the Equestrians sailed onto our shores in long ships that cut across the waters as troops with spears and long shields marched through our streets and right up to the front of our good King Gilbert at that time with a demand.

The general of the Equestrian army came saying he offered a diplomatic "olive branch' to the Griffins to have our lands united under the banner of their own growing kingdom. At first we adopted the culture of the Equestrians fairly well untill the true colors of the old kingdom began to show. it started simple enough with things like cerfews and "ordinance rules" like clearing streets for advancing gaurds and tipping your hats to officals. Soon they began moving in on taking more from us, our history and our heritage all but forgotten as The Equstrian royaly family became the only authority to honor and the only one to be held worthy of praise. Statues got replaced; books rewritten...or banned every trace of our old lives wiped away...or so it seemed. Deep in the caves just outside the city, there was a great griffin named Gideon. Gideon lead the young and old to the secret caves deep away from prying eyes to educate them on our ways, our culture, and history.

From the traditions of how to raise hatchlings to the history of our people. Many called him foolish for doing so. Saying he'd be punished; brought before the general or even queen Faustus herself who if she was angry enough with him she'd have him turned to stone and put in the royal gardens. Gideon refused to be afraid, he carried out his teachings to the griffins even with all the danger doing so would bring. When he was found out by the gaurd, they took all his things and had him jailed for a month. When he was released, he assembled an army of those who followed him and drove Equestria back to their land.

when all was said and done, the city was in shambles, and the lighthouse which was meant to burn for all time had gone out. The griffins were bitter much like we were time and time again. gideon had the lighthouse cleaned up as best as it could be and even though the beacon was unlikley to ever burn again he had it lit. The others thought it would last a day at best but the fire lasted week, and its said that in the time it burned the treasure of Griffinstone was found and placed in the lighthouse before we decided to move to the new Griffinstone high above the clouds so none would ever dare try and tell us how to live.

"And so every year Griffins light a lantern and keep it lit every night for a wek before the pony holiday Hearths warming, Just to further spite them...at least that was the idea before. We gather as Gideon did and for that time we put aside our love of riches to share one thing. The idea that someday we'll have the fortune and glory of our olden days...and I'm missing that holiday being stuck on a stranded train with you Krelborn...So yeah I'm bitter, bitter as hell." Gilda said finishing her story. Louis looked at her with a glint of a sympathy in his eyes. He gently placed a hand on the side of her white eagle down and gave it a few strokes.

"I'm missing spending time with my family too, back home more and more folks lose sight of what really matters in life. Friendships drift apart day by day, year by year. Family members who used to spendevery weekend or some time together only see each other on that one day a year because it's more like something they're "Supposed" to do. Not a reason to reminisce and really cheirsh each other in ways family only can." Nothing ever stays the same and time can be so cruel, nobody understood that better than Louis. He got up and placed a hand on his chin, he paced the floor a bit before making his way to the doors of the train car. Gilda watched him as he came back carring the green train lantern, the kind the conductor would use when the signal was all clear for the train to go at full speed,

"OH..how cute, you think that can substitute for..." she said nothing as Louis lit a match to ignite the oil and the lantern gave off a soft glow. He placed it in the window and sat down on the couch looking at her without anything else to say besides...

"gonna get cold tonight, almost out of heating power." Gilda didn't need to hear more. She got beside him on the couch and placed a wing over him. The softness of genuine eagle feathers warm enough to keep the coming cold at bay...for the night.