Galatea sat in a cushioned gold and silver chair as she idly thrummed her claws against a rather small mahogany table in the center of an opulent dinning room. Directly across from her were two much larger chairs and a large set of double doors which lead out of the room and into a large hallway that she and Garen had been escorted through by Equestrian guards.

It was rather odd actually. The ponies had inlaid the walls of the room with gold and silver, and the furniture alone looked like it would be able to buy a mansion on beach front property, but the room had no busts or painting of the pony nobility, which was odd to say the least. She was used to nobles covering every open wall with a self portrait or a statue of themselves.

The Changelings were honestly the worst when it came to that kind of thing. The one time she had been invited along on a diplomatic mission with her mother, literally every wall in the mansion they stayed at had a massive intricately designed mural of Thorax in some grand larger than life pose, light flying out from his holy form. That, and the insignia that the changelings literally put on everything, that being a cyan silhouette of a antlered changeling's head. She had never been to the changeling capital itself, no one really had, but she only imagined how bad it would have been.

Her mother had often joked about the vainness of the other nobles. Sweet Boreas did she already miss her mother's laugh. Galatea lowered her head and shut her eyes, fighting away tears. She had already cried so much in the past few days, she didn't want to do it anymore.

She felt an armored claw rest itself on her shoulder. An attempt from Garen to comfort her it seemed. It honestly just caused her to jump slightly, she was so lost in thought.

"Focus my lady, I think I hear them coming." Garen said in a calm voice. Galatea smiled up at him. At least he was trying to take care of her. She hadn't even heard from her father yet. She would have thought he would have tried to reach her to say something, anything.

"Thank you, Garen. I have had too much on my mind recently." She said to the armored Gryphon with a shake of her head.

"Worry not my lady. You need not explain yourself to me." Garen explained with a comforting grin, although she didn't see it, due to his helmet.

Galatea nodded to the knight before she too heard the clopping of hooves outside the doors. What really wierded out was the fact that she only heard two sets of hooves. The two were coming alone? Sure Alicorns were reportedly insanely powerful, only Pharynx and Discord being able to apparently rival them, but surely no matter how powerful you were you needed guards right?

Galatea shook her head and straightened her back, placing her claws in her lap, as was expected of her.

'Show time.' She thought to herself.

Twilight and Flurry Heart kept heir heads held high regally as they walked through the marble laden floors of the Palace the two shared. Twilight turned to her niece as the two walked. "Hey, quick question, should I teleport to the Crystal Empire real quick and grab your mother? She really likes diplomatic visits, even ones as small as this."

"Oh, please don't. I really don't want to talk to her right now." Flurry Heart sighed deeply.

"Fine, but you have to explain to her why there are two gryphons running around the palace next time she visits." Twilight grinned.

Flurry Heart deeply sighed as she neared the doors to the room containing the two gryphons. "You really like unwinnable situations don't you?"

Twilight giggled as she too walked up to the door. "Only when they happen to you." She jested with a stuck out tongue.

The Purple Alicorn pushed the double doors open with her hooves and slowly walked into the room with a smile, flanked by her niece.

The snow white gryphon sitting across from her rose from her chair and gave a deep bow for the Alicorns.

Twilight heard Flurry Heart sigh deeply, obviously rolling her eyes.

"Please arise, I don't even let my own subjects bow to us." Twilight said comfortingly as she pulled her chair back and sat down.

The small gryphon raised an eyebrow and turned to her body guard who merely shrugged at her. She cleared her throat and sat back down as Flurry took her own seat. The Gryphon straightened her back in a very rigid position as she placed her claws on her lap once more.

"Now then, Galatea, I am so sorry to hear about your mother." Princess Twilight said as she placed two hooves gently on the table. Flurry Heart's horn glowed as she brought a steaming kettle and several tea cups to the table for them. "I am sorry to say I did not know her well, as I mostly spoke with your father during diplomatic visits."

"I would rather not speak about my mother right now. She is unimportant to this meeting." Galatea said almost robotically, which caused her guard to stiffen slightly, and the two pony rulers to shoot each other rather concerned looks. The small gryphon took her cup of tea and shakily rose it to her beak.

"I..." The gryphon cleared her throat. "I am sure my father already explained the situation yes?"

Twilight shook her head and sighed. She should have expected this honestly. Gryphons tended to hide their emotions in political meetings. Their nation was resoundingly cut throat when it came to that sort of thing.

"Of course." Flurry continued as she leaned her upper body against the table, an act which caused Galatea to shoot a confused glance at her guard. "Your family has always been close to Equestria, and we have been put in your debt many times in the past. It is the least we can do to shelter you here in our palace until such a time as you are once again safe. You are being given free reign of the palace and we will put you up in our best guest room."

Galatea's eyes widened. "S-surely you jest! Free reign of the palace?!?" Whatever was wrong with these ponies? Were they truly that trusting?

Garen suddenly stepped forwards and placed a claw on the table. "What is the catch?" The Knight spoke for his lady, with eyes narrowed.

"No catch at all." Twilight said with a genuine smile and cocked head. "We simply want one of our closest allies to feel as at home as possible. Especially after what happened to you."

"This is HIGHLY unorthodox!" Galatea said rising from her chair and placing her claws on the table in front of her.

"Overly uptight and get's offended when we are nice? Are you sure she is not a member of the Unicorn Nobility?" Flurry Heart joked, which earned her a rap on the shoulder from her aunt.

"It may be odd for a Gryphon, what with how much court espionage you subject yourself to, but make no mistake," Twilight said in a comforting voice. "We in Equestria take care of our friends."

Galatea was quiet for a few minutes before she let out a deep exhale. "Very well your Highnesses." She said as she pushed aside her chair and dropped down in a deep bow. "I will make sure this debt is repaid, at least tenfold."

Twilight shook her head endearingly. "Ahh, youth." She mumbled to her self.

"What did we say about the bowing?" Flurry Heart grumbled.

Twilight was very suddenly reminded of something. "Oh, I will have to ask you a favor which Flurry just reminded me of."

"Name it."

"If you find yourself speaking to a member of the Unicorn nobility, please tell them that I didn't give you free reign of our palace? I would desperately like to not spend the next two decades with a constant migraine." Twilight said which Flurry backed up with nod.

"Freaking classist morons." She mumbled.

"It will be done." The noble said with a nod.

"Good. Now then, I will call several servants and get a feast going to formally welcome you to-" Twilight started before she was interrupted as a guard in purple armor burst open the doors and ran into the room.

"My Princess!" The Guard shouted to Twilight. "I bring word from the council of Ocellus! A Dragon was sighted near Succoria!"

The Princesses and the Gryphons stared at the guard in shock.

"That's not good." Flurry Heart exclaimed.

Author's Note

Thanks for all the support I have been getting on this story recently guys. I really love getting comments, even they are critism so feel free to say anything you want in the comments.

Thanks again ya'll!