Matters of the Heart: Immigrant Griffon

"Next stop, Griffon Gorge. Next stop, Griffonstone Station at Griffon Gorge!" The conductor announced to the nearly empty cars as he made his rounds.

For Gallus, it was hitting home that if a half-day-long train ride wasn't going to deter his boyfriend, nothing would. But alas, it was the cheapest method of getting there. The shortest way would have been taking the train east to Manehattan or Fillydelphia and getting passage on a fishing boat across the Celestial Sea, which would take them to the Guto River, just south of Griffonstone Station.

But the Manehattan extension that would take trains up Equestria's northeast coast was still under construction, and wasn't due to be completed for another year, so the cheapest, and longest option for the pair was to take a 10-hour path up to Canterlot, west to Vanhoover, turning through Galloping Gorge and heading up to the Crystal Empire and finally east between the Crystal Mountains and Yaket Range, a quick stop at Rainbow Falls before finally crossing the Bug Bear River and turning south to the current end of the line, Griffonstone Station.

All in all, it was going to be nearly a full day on a train so Sandbar could see the deplorable dump that was Gallus' hometown. He loved the pony, but he was hoping, after this disappointment, he would finally shut up about it.

It wasn't all bad news. After a bit of correspondence through Rainbow Dash, they had arranged dinner and a tour with Gilda, Greta, and Gabby, arguably the nicest griffons that the town had.

When the pair disembarked, they started down the long winding path up the mountain, where they could see the gigantic tree at the top reach up towards the afternoon sky. The trek up the mountain didn't provide much to see, with mostly dirt, rocks, and cliffs on either side of the road. It wasn't until they got to the front gate of Griffonstone proper when the view became stunning.

Unfortunately, the view had very little to do with Griffonstone itself. The high altitude provided vistas of the forests and mountains further east, as well as the Celestial Sea to the west. A small arena had been constructed on the closest peak, Sandbar remembered from Rarity's and Rainbow's Sports of Equestria presentation that griffons had recently taken an interest in boffyball.

And the arena was by far, the most impressive looking structure around. As the path went through the gold and crimson arch, the path gave way to the trunk of the gargantuan tree. Mudbrick and straw-roofed structures were all around the trunk, as well as up the trunk, and in the branches, with a towering castle at the top of the center trunk.

Nearly every building was a dilapidated mess, if it hadn't collapsed entirely, as Sandbar had noticed had happened with the library.

"Well, here we are. Quite something, isn't it?" Gallus announced, the sarcasm practically dripping from his beak.

"Well, I won't lie, it could definitely use some sprucing up. Say, where was Gilda supposed to meet us?" Sandbar asked as they walked past what remained of the library.

"She has a food cart where she sells scones out of. I hope you like griffon scones, because that's probably what we're getting for dinner." Gallus replied.

Sandbar didn't bother asking where Gallus' house was, as he remembered his Hearth's Warming story about how he didn't have a family. As they made their way further up the trunk, he caught glimpses of the castle up top, empty and abandoned. it wasn't the highest point of the tree, but the top of the tower was higher than any other point of Griffonstone.

Meanwhile, Gallus was hoping it wouldn't take Sandbar too long to realize he was wasting his time. Dinner, maybe a quick tour of the castle and... Then what? There was nothing to do here. What in Grover's name was he hoping to accomplish by coming here?

"Hey there, you two. Just in time, the scones are almost done." Came a greeting from further up. Gilda waved them over, as she and Greta tended to the food they were about to serve. They had set up a small table for four.

"I wish I had paid more attention in Twilight's history class when she covered Griffonstone. What happened here, exactly? Something about a golden idol?" Sandbar asked as he and Gallus sat down at the table as Gilda finished preparing the scones.

"Well, let me tell you before Gruff comes over and demands a bag of bits from ya for his version." Gilda said as she brought the tray of scones over and set them in the center of the table.

"It all started, and ended, with the Idol of Boreas. King Grover discovered it, and it instilled the city with a sense of pride. The kingdom prospered. But during the reign of Guto, the fourteenth king, a cyclops by the name of Arimaspi stole the idol. When Guto and his guard gave chase, Arimaspi fell down the Abysmal Abyss, and the idol was lost. Determined to find Griffonstone another uniting treasure, Guto vanished with his remaining guards, and never returned. That was sixty years ago."

"Griffonstone's misfortune really can't be all because of some golden relic though, right?" Sandbar asked, taking his first bite of scone.

"Pinkie Pie said almost the exact same thing. Some say the Idol was enchanted, that it could unite a divided race. But unite it how? I'd guess it united us through prosperity and greed. That's more of a curse than anything. When it disappeared, what did we have to be proud of? Not that it's that far away, though. Nogriffon knows how far down the Abysmal Abyss goes, but the idol is down there at the bottom somewhere."

"So if griffons are so greedy, why did Griffonstone send the Grover's crown to Twilight's school?" Sandbar asked.

"I actually made that call. I convinced Grampa Gruff that Princess Twilight could preserve a precious piece of Griffon history much better than we could, what with it being kept under watch in a crumbling castle."

"Well, I don't believe I've properly introduced you," Gallus said to Sandbar before turning to their hosts. "This is Sandbar, my boyfriend, from Twilight's school. He wanted to come and see Griffonstone. Why? I'm honestly still trying to figure that out."

"Pleased to meet you, Sandbar." Gilda began. "I'm honestly a bit puzzled too. Unless ponies are becoming fans of boffyball, we don't have a whole lot of allure when it comes to tourism."

"I just wanted to see where he came from, where he lives." Sandbar replied. "These scones are absolutely delicious, by the way."

"Well..." Gallus paused, as he waved a claw to the surrounding city. "Feel free to take it in in all its splendor."

Sandbar was a bit disappointed that Gallus seemed to be barely putting in a minimal effort to be cordial. Come to think of it, he really hadn't seen him like this since the opening day at Twilight's school.

"So what's this then, a field trip? I don't remember any field trip scheduled." Came a new voice. The table's occupants looked to see Grampa Gruff had come out of his house and was walking towards the table.

"No, just a trip abroad. This is Sandbar, my boyfriend. He wanted to see Griffonstone." Gallus told his legal guardian.

No one at the table missed Gruff's look of surprise turn into a look of disgust.

"I thought it was a school of friendship, not boyfriendship." He grumbled.

"It is, it just... Went further than that. Got stronger."

"Hmph." Gruff said as he turned to head the other way.

"Um, sir, if I've offended you, I apologize." Sandbar said with all the politeness he could muster.

"Hardly. Just apparent that another griffon isn't good enough for Gallus."

Sandbar noticed Gallus visibly tense.

"Excuse me," came Gilda's voice, sounding none too pleased at the senior griffon's demeanor. "Your racial disposition aside, it is hardly your choice who Gallus chooses to love, nor is this how Griffonstone's ambassador should act in front of an Equestrian visitor."

Gilda's words did little to calm Gallus or change Gruff's position as he continued back towards his house, "Pony lover" being audibly mumbled from his beak.

Both Gilda and Gallus were seething.

"I'm sorry, Gilda," Gallus began, finishing off his scone and getting up from the table. "I hate to eat and run, but I'm not going to waste any more of my time here."

He turned to Sandbar.

"Whatever you wanted to accomplish by coming here, have at it. Do whatever you want. Feel free to tour the castle, though it'll probably take most of the bits you came with. When you're done, I'll be at the station waiting on the next train back."

With that, he sprinted off towards the gates without another word.

By the time Sandbar snapped out of it, he noticed Gilda waving him off to go after him, and he likewise galloped out of the gates.

By the time he was there, he barely spotted Gallus going down the hill.

"Gallus, wait!" He called, racing to catch up to the griffon. He noticed Gallus slow his gait and waited for him to catch up, but his ruffled feathers and posture betrayed how angry he still was.

"I'm so sorry, Gallus, I didn't realize-"

"Why did it take you until now, Sandbar?" Gallus interrupted, voice shaking, tears of frustration and fury filling his eyes as he turned to the stallion. "Why didn't you believe me when I tried to tell you, tried to warn you, time and time again that most griffons are self-absorbed, money-obsessed, racist assholes?!? Because you're a pony! You're all optimism and zen and friendship! You think it's so easy to see and assume the best in everycreature because you grew up in a beautiful country that hasn't been destroyed by greed and shortsightedness!"

When Sandbar was too stunned to offer any kind of verbal reply to the griffon's screaming outburst, Gallus just shook his head angrily before spreading his wings and leaping into the sky, quickly disappearing into the darkening dusk.