Gawren had been in this ridiculous line forever! He was beginning to question whether the blue line was the right one. Maybe the red one… or maybe the slighter darker blue one? Why were there two blues?!
He shifted back and forth on his front claws, wings twitching. He wasn’t nervous! Why would he be? ...Sure, it’d been his first time on a boat (err, ‘ship’, the captain had been pretty insistent about that). But that had been great. He wasn’t seasick even once. That’d show Gwenda when he got back home!
First time attending a convention? Yes. ...But that was okay! And this was a good one to attend, after all, especially if you weren’t the most social. Ponies were all about love and tolerance. It was something he really liked about her… them!
Them… well this whole convention was about them, wasn’t it? Plenty of griffons thought that was silly. ‘Why do they celebrate themselves? Dumb ponies...’ ...As if griffons didn’t. Besides, PonyCon wasn’t about some silly self promotion. Sure, the best ponies were the stars of the ‘Con (heh, abbreviating like a pro), and that included the princesses (Luna was best, of course). But it was about Friendship, and everyone… and everypony getting together and having fun. Even especially if you weren’t a pony. For a few days, you left dumb ole Griffonstone behind (err… or wherever), and didn’t worry about how many bits everyone had. You just had fun, sang silly songs, played games, and made friends. ...And maybe bought a few fun souvenirs with those bits. Why have them and not spend them, right? Gawren had plenty now, and he wasn’t going to just hoard them. Gawren was no dragon… In fact, if anyone was a dragon, it was-
“Next, please.”
Gawren blinked and the feathers on his neck ruffled as he looked at the smiling mare at the booth in front of him. Where had the line…? Oh! “Ah! I’m next, hah, finally!”
“Yes there’s been quite a turn out today! After the Friendship Journal publications last year, we’ve seen real jumps in attendance. So! Do you have your prepaid confirmation letter?”
“Right here,” Gawren said, fishing it out of his saddlebag. He wouldn’t normally think of it like that, but this was PonyCon! It could be a backpack again later. Getting into the spirit, Gawren held the letter delicately in his beak rather than using a claw.
The ticketmare smiled. “Yep, that’s the one. So, let’s see…” She looked down into a large box by her chair, the aura of her telekinesis shuffling through various things within that Gawren couldn’t see. “Aha!” She said, and out floated, “Your name badge and lapel, ‘Ala Alba’.”
He grinned, lowering his head, “Can you help me with it?”
She smiled, floating the badge over his head to rest gently against his breast. The magic felt tingly and... a bit minty? ...It was hard to describe how magic felt.
“Thanks!” he said.
“You’re welcome! And here’s a booklet with the panel schedule, map, and guest list! And you paid for the sponsor ticket, which includes the Wonderbolts live event; Ponypalooza ticket, and an autograph voucher!”
“Awesome, thanks again!”
“You’re welcome. Anything else you need?”
“Nope, better get out of the way before somepony runs me over.”
“Enjoy PonyCon!”
“Sure will!”
Or so he’d said. And… he was pretty sure he would. No, he definitely would. But as he pretended to read through the booklet while walking away, he could feel himself dropping. Not literally, of course, but...
It was like falling… like he’d rolled off of a cloud he’d been napping on, and plummeted a few feet before his wings opened up. It was instinctive; he didn’t even need to be fully awake. And yet, those few feet of freefall left an unforgettable feeling in the pit of his stomach. You’re falling… and no one can catch you.
He looked around in the convention center’s main, sort of ‘in-between’ area. Several hallways led off towards the panel rooms, and one towards the market stalls. There were… so many people here!
And ‘people’ was the proper term, because it was way more than just ponies. There were dragons, hippogriffs, yakks, and changelings ...and even other griffons! Hah, take that, Gwenda! He tried to hold onto that sense of victory, but the falling feeling wouldn’t go away.
‘We can finally meet! I’ll wear the same bar piercing and glasses from the picture. In the Mane ~heheh~ Lobby (oh right, that was the name), outside the Laughter Auditorium. I’ll wait before the first panel for you there! We can watch Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash in a skit with the other Wonderbolts! It’ll be so awesome!’
-RS
Gawren knew those words by heart. He’d read them a hundred times in the last week. But he wasn’t…! ...He sighed. I’m nervous.
There was no way around it. They’d been penpals for over ten years now, ever since a school project (and Gawren was really grateful his teacher had seen beyond Griffonstone’s borders, unlike most of his friends and neighbors…), and after the first couple letters they’d become such close friends. ...Well, as close as you could be, living across the world from each other. Still, hundreds of letters later… that was pretty close, he thought. He hoped.
Her name was Rain Song, and she was an earth pony living right there in Baltimare. And two years ago, he’d gotten his favorite letter from her:
Wren! (She liked calling him that, since it was cute, and all griffons had a ‘G’ anyway, right? ...Rain was a silly pony.)
I finally got my Cutie Mark! It’s a guitar shaped like a raindrop! You were right! I love it! I love you! I’ll send a picture! (As a sidenote, Gawren would like it made clear that griffons do not consider it normal to photograph your own flank for others to stare at. Then again, griffons don’t have pictures on theirs. He would also like to note that while he kept the picture, just to be polite of course, he did not look at it in a disrespectful manner. ...Just so that’s clear.)
Our band was already doing great, but now I feel more confident than ever! Bright and Stormy Night got a huge applause at Homecoming, and we’ve got a gig for a big open house after graduation! It’s a paying gig, Wren!!! So awesome! Ring Star is going to try to get us a spot in Ponypalooza at PonyCon in a few months, but I can’t even imagine landing that. But if so… do you think you maybe could make it? It’d be really great to meet you in person, if so. If not, I totally understand. But IF so… we’ll party so hard you’ll want to move to Equestria! (He already did.)
Your PPBMFF,
Rain
They had played at PonyCon that year, and unfortunately Gawren hadn’t been there to see it. Not that he hadn’t wanted to, he just couldn’t afford the trip… not even close. But that was okay! It gave him a goal to shoot for the next year, because Raindrop Reverb got an immediate invite back for that next year. ...And that year was this year.
He’d made it. Actually, he’d made money to spare after deciding that this would be his goal. He wasn’t sure he’d quite found his place in the world like Rain had (darned cheating Cutie Marks…), but he could definitely run a shop, and fix almost anything. Actually… heh… wouldn’t some of his neighbors be shocked to know that a lot of his salesmareship came from an understanding of ponies, and friendship. And it had all started with Rain.
So of course he was nervous! It’d be silly not to be! And Gawren was not a silly griffon.
...Though, as it turned out, he was an early bird, so he decided to go see the market stalls. To slow the fall a bit… If you can’t fly, fall with style.
‘That’s just called gliding, dweeb.’
...Shaddup, Gwenda.
The market wasn’t completely set up yet, but a few booths already had early shoppers like himself. He strolled through, grabbing a coffee from a Starbook’s kiosk and taking in what was mostly fanart: posters, statuettes, mugs, and framed pictures all depicting famous Equestrians old and new. He wasn’t too sure about the stuffed dolls (plushies… right? That was the term? It was cute enough to be a pony word, so it was probably right), and wouldn’t having a plushie of a real pony be a bit odd? You sure you wouldn’t buy a Rain Song plushie? You reeeal sure?
But that thought didn’t detract from the atmosphere. Nopony was all ‘no window shopping!’ or ‘bits up front!’ or the like. ...Okay, not many griffons were that rude… but they weren’t this happy, either. He made his way towards the far end, planning to circle around to see everything, taking note of prices (and wondering how those would change as the ‘Con progressed) and doing quick math to budget himself.
And then he froze as he saw his first mandatory purchase. A grin curved around the edges of his beak as he eyed a Raindrop Reverb poster… with Rain Song front and center. She looked great: wet from stage rain and yelling into a mic, guitar in her hooves. “How much for that one?” And the young stallion in the booth (complete with eyeshadow, piercings, and a friendly smile) quoted him a reasonable price. Of course, they weren’t too well known yet… but Gawren knew that would change. Besides, it was her band; naturally he was buying it regardless.
He’d carefully rolled it up, lamenting that it didn’t quite fit in his saddlebag but confident he could get at least one autograph for it. He sighed contentedly. He felt oddly better.
It wasn’t the poster, per se. It was remembering why he was here, and who he was here to support. He didn’t have any silly expectations. Rain Song was… a very dear friend. And while the idea of getting out of Griffonstone was quite normal for a griffon his age, even feasible for him, he wasn’t here for some fairy tale dream meeting with the girl of his… err… dreams. That was just silly pony stuff, after all.
But isn’t that what you’re at PonyCon for?
Quiet, inner voice that sounds like Gwenda.
Big sis knows best, little bro.
Shaddup.
Okay yes… it was what he was here for, and it was great. But not that silly pony stuff. He would totally support her band, and they’d have a great time, but not too much time. She’d be busy with all her other friends, and he didn’t want to take away from that. He didn’t expect too much. They could have dinner together once, he hoped, and maybe hang before the concert. And at least the first panel together, in another half hour. But anything beyond that was just head in the clouds stuff. Besides, he-
“WREN!!!”
With an undignified squawk, he shot straight up as though a timberwolf had tried to nom his tail, dropping his empty coffee cup. He spun in midair (luckily the market stalls were in a high ceilinged part of the center), and looked to the source of the… Oh…
He folded his wings, coming straight back down to land stiffly, facing her. He swallowed heavily. She was… gorgeous. Soft, powder blue fur contrasted her straight, pitch black mane and tail. As usual (or rather, like every picture she’d sent), they looked as though she’d been standing in the rain just long enough to be kissed by it (what a dumb choice of words). Her right ear had a bar piercing through it, giving her a little touch of rebellion, again contrasted by the nerdy, thick framed glasses. Perched delicately on her muzzle, they only enhanced the deep blue of her eyes. He breathed a sigh as his heart settled from hummingbird to… some slower bird.
She was beyond his expectations by miles. The pictures she’d sent hadn’t done her justice in the slightest. She was… He took another deep breath, and sighed slowly. He smiled, and shook his head at himself. She was his best friend, and he’d been looking forward to this for years. He was a full grown griffon, not some fuzzy downed hatchling, but more than that he was a friend she’d wanted to meet, too. Confidence. “Hi, Rain Song.” He held out a claw to shake her hoof.
Her smile curved into a grin as her eyes welled up, and she promptly hugged him as the world went blurry. Ah… those were his tears, too. Got it. “You’re taller than I thought!” she said, her voice throbbing with pent emotion. “Oh gosh you look great! How was the trip over?”
He returned the hug, avoiding the guitar slung across her back, and feeling her own heart racing against his. She was warm, and hugged firmly as though she didn’t want to let go. He knew the feeling. It had been worth the wait. He laughed, nuzzling her as she did the same. “Terrible,” he said in a mock mournful tone. “Seasick the whole way. I may have to stay in Baltimare awhile before I’m ready to sail again.”
She pulled away a little, still keeping her hooves on his shoulders. He held her as well. She giggled (okay she’s not allowed to do that, it’s unfair), seeing the obvious deception. “Aww, poor thing! Well, we’ll just have to make sure you’re feeling better before the concert tonight.”
“Sounds great. ...Where do we start?”
She pretended to ponder this, one ear flicking down as she tapped a hoof to her tilted chin. “How about a panel involving Wonderbolts, Rainboom mechanics, and party cannons?”
He chuckled. “Sounds... relaxing.”
“Well then let’s go over early, and get good seats…” she looked down at his Con badge and her smile became a grin again, “White Wing.”
“Lead the way…” He followed suit, examining her badge in exchange. “...Mic Drop.”
She turned, walking close to him, and whispered, “I think I’m gonna prefer ‘Wren and Rain’ most of the time.”
“Heh… me too,” he replied, putting a wing around her after she’d nudged him a second time with her shoulder. “But right now… I’m really enjoying all this silly pony stuff.”
She nodded sagely. “Cons are magic.”
