Endings And Beginnings

The group of Equestrians approached the gates to Griffonstone, the ponies hearts heavier than before. The news that a neighboring nation had readily accepted non-griffons and was willing to make them citizens had been yet another blow to the gut for them, especially to Celestia.

As the seven ponies and one dragon headed past the gates, the Equestrian princess looked up at the massive city before her, momentarily forgetting her guilt. Griffonstone was much different than Canterlot or even her old home in the Castle of the Two Sisters, and if she was looking right, it might have even been bigger than the entirety of Canterlot.

And even at the entrance, it was bustling with activity.

Celestia watched as griffons flew or rushed through the streets, most carrying what looked like baskets of food, decorations of blue and silver and more. She even saw griffons talking and laughing around stalls of food or just in the middle of the street. Completely the opposite of what she’d heard about what griffons were like.

The buildings themselves looked brand new, for the most part. There were a few that looked old, but those were few and far between for the most part. Even those houses were decorated with blue, silver, red and green garlands and statues of what she could only assume was King Grover. Only the statues were wearing red and white suits and had the same unusual stocking cap on each of them. Hanging from their faces were long white beards, similar to the one they had seen on the one griffon.

As they entered the city, they did receive a few curious looks, but for the most part weren’t harassed or bombarded. And the moment she took a closer look, she saw just why that was.

There weren’t only griffons there, but she spotted a small hoofful of dragons interacting with the griffons. And they looked to be in a good mood as well. And they were interacting with griffons. She wondered just what kind of friendship problem they had been summoned for.

Deciding to bite the proverbial bullet, she approached a group of four griffons and two dragons who were talking and joking among themselves, cleared her throat, and tried to politely interrupt them. “Pardon me, gentlebeings,” she said.

They all turned to face her, confusion on their faces. However, one of the dragons seemed to recognize her. “Hold on, are you Princess Celestia?” he asked.

“I am, and I just have a question for you all,” she replied as the others trudged over to where she was. “Can you direct us to The Green Dragon? We just arrived and are looking for a place to stay for the night.”

“Better hurry, then. That place is pretty famous now,” one of the griffons said. He turned and pointed up the main street which headed up towards the massive palace. “Head up the main road until you reach Twelfth Avenue then take a left. The building you’ll want is a dark green one with wood that looks like dragon scales. There’s a sign hanging in front with the name, but even without it the building really sticks out.”

“Well, Garble really was an odd one,” the first dragon chuckled. “Not in a bad way, looking back, but still an oddball.”

“Hey, his poem jams are amazing!” another griffon said. “Especially the one about the Idol Bearer.”

Celestia was curious about this Idol Bearer they spoke of, as it was the second time she’d heard about them. “Who is this Idol Bearer?” she asked.

“You’ve never heard of the Idol Bearer?” the same griffon said.

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia said.

“He’s the one who saved Griffonia,” the griffon said with a happy smile. “He arrived out of nowhere three months ago or so and found the Idol of Boreas. And do you know what he did? He gave it back to us! He could have taken it with him, but he didn’t! He just took it right back to the Keep!”

“It was lost?” Celestia heard Twilight ask from beside her. Despite the mood, Celestia saw that same curiosity she’d grown used to seeing in her former student.

“During the reign of King Guto, the last cyclops Arimaspi came and stole the Idol,” another griffon said. “Unfortunately, when he tried to get away he stepped onto the only bridge that crosses over the Abysmal Abyss and fell to his death with the Idol. That was hundreds of years ago. But around three months ago, the Bearer appeared and found it.”

“Even while he clung on for his life, or so Gabby says,” the first griffon explained.

“He fell into some kind of abyss and still brought an Idol back?” Applejack asked incredulously.

“Yeah! He’s been an inspiration to us all thanks to him returning the Idol and returning our pride,” the second griffon said.

“Ah, I still say you’re giving the idol too much credit,” the first dragon said. “I still say you had that pride in you all along.”

The second griffon sneered up at the dragon and smacked him upside the head. “Bite me.”

“Nah, that’s my sister’s job,” the dragon said with a knowing grin, causing the griffon to blush.

“How’d you know?” he asked.

“You aren’t exactly subtle when you’re around her,” the dragon said, elbowing him with a playful expression.

“Thank you for your time, gentlebeings,” Celestia said politely.

“Huh? Oh yeah, no problem,” the first griffon said with a polite nod.

As Celestia walked away with Twilight and the others behind her, the alicorn princess heard the dragon and griffon continuing to give each other a hard time, but even if the tone was snide, she could tell it was all in good fun. A kind of friendship that wasn’t as common among her little ponies as the kind she saw most every day. Then again, since both of those races were omnivores, that kind of friendship made sense, but perhaps she too, could learn a friendship lesson from them.

After all, not all two friendships were alike…

Rainbow Dash was doing her best to be hidden from every griffon around her by standing in the middle of the others and ducking her head a bit. She’d never seen so many griffons or dragons in her life, and if her luck lately was any indicator, she was afraid she would run into somegriffon she really didn’t want to see.

As she continued walking in the middle of her once closest friends, she observed all the scenery around her. And what she saw only served to drive the knife further home. Griffon young ones playing in the snow and flying around with gleeful smiles on their faces, adult griffons going to and fro through the streets with saddlebags full of what looked like presents or decorations, and even a few dragons dressed in some kind of festive manner only served to remind her about her own carelessness and abject cruelty towards a creature that had razed Ponyville to the ground. If she hadn’t been so…so evil…things would have been completely different. Discord’s magic just turned up ever so slightly her enjoyment and had even turned her own Element against her. Loyalty never excused abuse of anycreature…

As they continued walking, Rainbow Dash noticed that they were coming up to a large intersection where there were more than a few stalls set up. She heard the cries coming from the vendors. Most were griffons, but she saw one or two dragons and a very tall and unusual looking pony dressed in exotic clothes. Rainbow looked over at Rarity, but the fashion mare didn’t even spare the strange pony a glance, her eyes having somewhat glazed over.

“Pots and pans for sale! No finer pot this side of the Hyperborean Mountains! Crafted in our very own Griffonville by the finest metal workers!”

“All the way from Saddle Arabia, exotic foods! Sugar dates, figs, pistachios and nuts! Nothing but the finest for this dual holiday celebration!”

“Give the chick of your dreams the finest pearl necklace and diamond rings! Pretty necklaces and diamond rings are a girl’s best friend!”

“Fresh griffon scones! The Bearer himself approves of them, so why shouldn’t you?!”

Rainbow’s ears flattened immediately and her tail tucked between her legs. She knew that last voice. Despite her desire to hide from Gilda, her curiosity got the better of her and she looked towards the source of the voice. She saw her former griffon friend standing beside a very crowded cart with steaming pastries sitting in a protective glass protection barrier to keep them from cooling too fast. “Special today! Two scones for one bit! Only today, so get them while they’re hot!”

“Rainbow, isn’t that Gilda?” Twilight was suddenly by Rainbow Dash’s side, looking between her and the aforementioned griffon.

“Yeah…that’s her,” Rainbow said guiltily. “Let’s just go, huh?”

“Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in!” Gilda’s voice caused Rainbow to freeze, her wings clamping down at her side as she looked at the ground for a bit before very slowly looking up at Gilda. The griffon was smirking at Rainbow, but that smirk quickly turned into a solemn frown when she saw the expression on Rainbow’s face. “Wait right there, would you? I’ve got something I need to say to you.” With that, Gilda went to the back of her stall and began grabbing scones from it.

Celestia turned and looked at the griffon, then back at Rainbow. “Do you know this griffon, Miss Dash?” she asked coolly.

Unable to look her princess in the eyes, she nodded. It was Twilight who responded. “She came to Ponyville before I became a pri-no, an alicorn…my first year there. Remember when I wrote about…about…well, remember when Rainbow and Pinkie slipped in some invisible ink to the friendship letter I wrote?”

Celestia looked like she was thinking about it, then nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

“Gilda came to town during those few days,” she said. “She was…well…”

“A fucking asshole, to borrow a phrase from the Bearer, and he was right,” Gilda said, having suddenly appeared in front of them. To Rainbow’s surprise, she looked contrite and guilty as she held up a white paper bag towards Rainbow. “Listen, Rainbow, about how I acted at the pink pony’s party, I was a complete jerk. I know that now thanks to the Bearer. I should have been calmer about it.”

Rainbow slowly shook her head. “Don’t…don’t blame yourself,” she croaked out.

In a worried tone, Rainbow heard Gilda ask, “Dash? You really don’t look good. Are you really okay?”

Rainbow finally looked Gilda in the face. To the cyan pegasus’ further surprise, Gilda’s face had morphed into one of concern. This only brought forth a stab of guilt once more as she looked at the bag of what could only be scones, then back at her former friend. “I-I’m fine,” she lied. “Just…long trip here.”

Gilda raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as she held out the bag again. “Here. It isn’t much, but I wanted you to try them. You and your friends here.”

Rainbow slowly reached out and grabbed the bag. Inside, she saw enough scones for everypony in their group. She looked up at Gilda in surprise. “How…how much?” she asked, reaching back to try and pay.

“Don’t do that,” Gilda said with a scowl. “They’re a gift. On the house, today.” With that, she turned to Pinkie and slowly approached the former party mare. “Hey, um…you’re Pinkie, right? The one who’s party I ruined?” Rainbow saw Pinkie flinching away, but she slowly nodded. Gilda backed away, claws raised in a way that suggested to Rainbow she was trying to be as non-aggressive as possible. “Listen, about that day, I’m sorry for that. I really am. Like I just said to Rainbow, I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

Pinkie quickly shook her head. “I shouldn’t have…I took your smile away, too…” she whimpered with a sniffle. “I was a greedy pants meanie too…you just wanted to spend time with your friend…I’m so sorry…”

“Yes, yes I did want to spend time with Rainbow,” Gilda acknowledged, “and even if you were trying to butt in all the time, that’s no excuse for my attitude. Sure, I was angry at being interrupted, but as a friend has taught me since he came here a few months back, it’s better to talk about these problems immediately so they don’t fester. So, I’m sorry for how I acted. And I forgive you, too. Rainbow is fun to hang around, isn’t she?” Pinkie could only nod. Gilda tilted her head in confusion, then Rainbow watched her turn next to Fluttershy. She approached even more slowly to Rainbow’s oldest friend.

When Fluttershy saw her approaching, she flinched and backed away a few steps before stopping, a look of realization appearing on her face before she stopped. Rainbow, however, saw that she was trembling. Gilda presumably saw the same thing because she immediately stopped and made herself smaller, lying on her stomach so that Fluttershy was taller than her. “Um…listen…about what I did to you and those ducks? I have absolutely no excuse for that. I’m really sorry about that.”

Rainbow was completely flabbergasted now. It was like she was watching a completely different griffon from the one she’d known back in flight school or even during her first and only visit to Ponyville. Gilda’s expression was truly one of guilt and shame as she looked at the ground.

Even Fluttershy looked surprised at this admission. Despite everything, it was a bit nice to see anything other than heartbreak on Fluttershy’s face. Peaking out from behind her pink mane, Fluttershy mumbled something that escaped Rainbow’s hearing, but Gilda obviously heard it because she shook her head. “No, it’s not okay. What I did was cruel. Cruel and wrong. Don’t pretend it’s okay just to be kind.” An uncertain smile appeared on Fluttershy’s face and she said something else, but Gilda shook her head again. “It’s not okay, Fluttershy,” she repeated. “I’d like to make it up to all of you sometime, if you’ll let me.”

That surprised Rainbow. She wasn’t even aware that Gilda even knew Fluttershy’s name. Then again, she could have learned it at Pinkie Pie’s party back in Ponyville. She decided to speak up. “Um…how?”

“Well, I live with someone who might be okay with you all visiting for dinner sometime,” she said, standing back up and turning to Rainbow Dash. “I’ll ask him tonight, and if he says yes, I’ll come see if you want to visit. Where are you planning on staying?”

“The Green Dragon,” Rainbow said.

“Ah, nice place,” she said. “Their dragon ale can really knock your proverbial socks off! Well, I need to get back to work, but I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow said uncertainly. And with that, Gilda returned to her cart and resumed selling her wares. As the ponies continued on, Rainbow slowly passed out the scones. She then took a bite, and as she tasted it, tears came to her eyes once more.

It was delicious.

Fluttershy was trying to reconcile her own feelings about her encounter with the griffon who had scared her all those years ago in Ponyville. She’d reacted in terror to the griffon, but when she remembered what she’d done to Jason, she forced her body to stop. She hadn’t expected such an apology from Gilda at all, let alone even meeting her. But she had, and now she was conflicted.

She felt increasingly guilty now, after seeing just how friendly most of the griffons she’d seen here had been. It wasn’t quite like the typical pony friendship, but it was still friendship nonetheless. Fluttershy had been around enough carnivorous animals to know just how different a relationship could be between two or more. Still, the fear that she’d lived with her whole life had been amped up ever so slightly by a being she’d once thought of as a friend and even a potential lover.

A being she could only now think of with revulsion now.

She hated Discord. She hated what he had made her do. But most importantly, she hated herself for what she did. She was supposed to be the epitome of kindness, but she was realizing now that the kindness she showed was only to other ponies as well as creatures that only she could understand.

She had been terrified of dragons, and only was ale to talk to Spike because he was a baby dragon. And even then, she’d pretty much treated him like she would any of her critter friends.

She looked behind her at the young dragon, and her face fell. Spike had a look of wonder on his face. She had seen him a couple of times in the camp that had been Ponyville whenever she went into town to get supplies. When she had, he had been with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and a couple of other fillies. They had actually been treating him better than she or her former friends ever had.

And she was positive she’d seen sparks between him and Rarity’s little sister.

She came back to the present when she saw a griffon couple walking alongside a white Samoyed breed dog. She watched curiously as the couple took out what looked like some meat from a saddlebag and offered it to the dog. The canine barked and gobbled up the meat, tail wagging as she (Fluttershy could tell by the fact that this dog was pregnant) looked up at, presumably, her owners.

Something inside Fluttershy stirred. Something she long thought gone. After she’d set up her tent where her tree cottage had once been, she’d only been going through the motions of taking care of her animal friends, the few that had returned. It was feed them, wash them, check them for fleas or anything like that, but it had felt more like a duty than anything.

She turned aside, not sure why her legs were moving towards the couple and their pet, but not really willing to stop, either. The young couple noticed her and paused. The dog, who was still chomping on the meat, looked up at her owners confused before turning and looking at Fluttershy. She watched with some curiosity as the butter colored pegasus approached.

“Um…can we help you, miss?” the female griffon asked as she looked down at Fluttershy with some confusion.

Fluttershy stopped, and in the next few moments, she had a plethora of thoughts. She wasn’t really sure why she was doing what she was doing, for one. She hadn’t acted for Jason, so why was she now acting now? Her own voice said, “Are you aware that your dog is pregnant?”

The young couple looked at each other, both looking surprised. They then looked down at their pet with incredulity. The dog looked up, tilting her head. The male griffon grinned and reached down to stroke the Samoyed’s head. “Gidget, did you really get pregnant?”

“Are you sure?” the female griffon asked, looking a bit unsure still.

“Has she been gaining more weight lately?” Fluttershy asked. “Maybe been more affectionate? Getting tired easily? Maybe vomiting more?”

She nodded. “She has been acting a bit weird the past few weeks…”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’d say she’s in her fifth or sixth week, but if you have a veterinarian here, maybe you should go get a second opinion,” she said. “Do you go for walks with her often?”

“Every day we walk around the block at least three times,” the male griffon said.

“Well, I know a lot about animals,” Fluttershy said, “and if I’m right about your pet here being pregnant, she shouldn’t be doing as much walking. It’s not healthy for the puppies.”

“Guess we’re gonna be doggy parents, Grace,” the male griffon said with a proud smile as he continued petting Gidget.

“Sure does, Graham, but let’s go to the vet sometime to be sure,” Grace smiled widely. She got into Gidget’s face and nuzzled her. “You’re so full of surprises, Giggy. Yes you are. Yes you are!”

As Gidget licked Grace’s face, Graham looked over at Fluttershy. “We honestly had no idea she was pregnant. I just thought she was being greedy for food and getting heavy. We were thinking about getting her on a diet.”

“Well, your vet can tell you more if she is pregnant,” Fluttershy said. She still found the entire encounter so unusual. She was never this bold. “You don’t want to overexert her.” She looked down at the dog, and that feeling that had stirred in her grew ever so slightly. Even if this dog was different from other dogs back in Equestria since she couldn’t directly talk to her, it felt…nice…to be helping a critter. Even if animals anywhere other than Equestria didn’t seem to speak their own language that only she could understand.

“Well, thank you for telling us about this,” Grace said as Graham picked the happy looking dog up. “We’ll definitely take her to the vet tomorrow. You have a good day now.” And with that, both griffons spread their wings and flew away, heading back the way they’d come.

Fluttershy watched them go, only to realize something was different about her. Something that hadn’t happened to her for months. She reached up and touched her face. It wasn’t a big change, but to her, it was an amazing one.

She was smiling.

Pinkamena could only look around the city and how it was decorated in despair. Everycreature in the city had broad smiles on their beaks or mouths depending on which being she looked at. The decorations were mostly blue and silver, but she saw green, red and other festive colors around, making the entire city look like one massive holiday tree.

She even saw a group of griffons walking past holding small books in their claws and singing. She caught snippets of the song as she passed.

“…the blazing yule before us, fa la la la la, la la, la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la…”

She’d never heard a song like that before, and despite herself, she strained to listen to the words, but among the hustle and bustle of the crowds of griffons and other creatures around her, she couldn’t catch the rest of the song. The tune, however, somehow radiated holiday festiveness. She couldn’t really explain why.

As she chewed on the scone she’d been given, she looked around more, taking in the festive atmosphere and even some decorated trees in windows, she wondered just how griffons could have become so festive.

Just then, her tail began to twitch, much like it had whenever something was about to fall on her. However, she forced herself to ignore it, just as she had whenever it had happened since Discord had revealed he’d tampered with her Pinkie Sense. It had betrayed her, so why should she listen to it anymore? No, she had betrayed herself and what she was meant to represent. She’d once seen her abnormal sense as a blessing to be able to predict things that were going to happen, but now she only found it an unbearable curse.

Above her, a voice called out in alarm, “Look out below!” Something hit her head, causing her to fall onto the meticulously crafted cobblestone road below her. She heard something shattering, like a claypot coming apart. Above her, she heard the worried cries of a female griffon shouting, “I’m so sorry! It slipped out of my claws!”

“Are you alright, Miss Pie?” Princess Celestia asked as she was immediately by the grayish-pink pony’s side, helping her to her feet with her magic, which felt sickeningly warm and comforting. Something Pinkie didn’t want.

“I’m fine,” Pinkamena said as she stood.

A middle aged dark cream colored griffon with white feathers with pink highlights landed nearby, a look of alarm on her face. “I am so sorry!” she said again as she approached and began brushing off Pinkamena with her wings. “Are you okay? I can take you to the hospital if you’re not!”

“I’m fine,” Pinkamena replied softly.

Princess Celestia looked at the griffon female. “I don’t see any cuts, so I don’t think there’s any need to bring any hospitals into this. She’s an earth pony, and they’re a lot tougher than they look.”

“Oh…I see,” the still worried griffon said. “Still, I’m really sorry! Let me make it up to you!” She rushed into the building where she’d come from, which Pinkamena now noticed was some sort of shop. Peering inside, she saw all kinds of flowers and small fir trees. The griffon grabbed a plant that Pinkamena identified as a poinsettia and rushed back out, holding the small pot out to her. “Here. I can get one for everyone here if you want.”

“Oh…thank you,” Pinkamena said, taking the plant automatically and placing it gently into her saddlebag.

“That’s generous of you,” the Princess said, “but it’s alright. It was just an accident.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all!” the griffon said with a smile. “I love growing plants. Comes with my name, after all. I’m Gardenia, by the way.” She bowed before running back in and grabbing enough poinsettia’s for the other Equestrians. As she handed them out to the stunned ponies and dragon, she continued, “I’ve only seen a clawful of ponies in the city, but I’ve actually heard a lot more are living in Griffonville down near the Evertide Forest. Did you all move here?”

“N-No, we’re just visiting,” Twilight said.

“Really? Well, welcome to Griffonstone!” Gardenia said with a friendly smile. “Where are you heading?”

“The Green Dragon,” Princess Celestia replied.

“Nice! You’ll love it there. The owners might be a pair of dragon siblings, but they serve herbivores too. I’ve had their salads, and they’re really good. And I’m not a salad type of griffon!” she said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Anyway, I shouldn’t keep you. That inn and tavern might be new, but it’s also getting crowded from what I’ve been hearing. Have a good stay here, and I’m really sorry once again!”

“Thank you for the gifts,” the Princess said as she moved the plant into her saddlebag, “and we will.”

“Not a problem! It’s the Blue Moon Festival, after all! Or, as the Bearer calls it, Christmas! Have a good day!” With that, Gardenia spread her wings and headed back inside, humming an unfamiliar tune to herself.

Pinkamena watched her go, ears flattened as she was the last to turn away from the store. The griffon had a similar color scheme to Roseluck, the pony who had been questioned by Jason at the farce of a trial. And the first pony to leave Ponyville behind along with a hoofful of others who’d abandoned the town. Most of the ponies that had left had been the ones captured and taken to Canterlot for said trial.

Feeling unworthy of even such a nice gift, Pinkamena turned away, trudging along the road behind everypony else. Her head might have still been hurting, but she welcomed the pain.

After all, it was what she deserved…

Rarity Belle had been completely shocked when she had heard that there were ponies living in Griffonstone proper and Griffonia in general. Even more shocked that there were non-griffons that were going to becoming citizens of this griffon dominated land. She didn’t know anything about griffons since her only had met the one that Rainbow Dash had once been friends with, and even then, the difference between what she had seen then and what she’d seen now was like night and day.

What she was seeing around her right now and what she’d just experienced with the griffon named Gardenia was so far away from her preconceived notions of griffons and even dragons that she found herself questioning what she knew even more. She might have been upset and bitter at having lost her boutiques in Canterlot and Manehattan, but there was always one part of her mind that wouldn’t shut off: her need to create clothes.

Yes, she had been using her talents in an attempt to create the necessities for the oncoming winter in Ponyville, such as warm clothes and blankets, but she still had the deep down need to create. It was a welcome distraction from her own self-hatred, even if it was a temporary one.

It was also a welcome respite from her nightmares.

She would always see the struggle in the Canterlot Dungeons in her mind, the way that musket was aimed directly at Twilight, the flash of Discord passing in front of her, the deafening blast, his last words, and her anger accusatory tone directed at Jason. She remembered the words she’d spoken to the human as he’d left.

“Are you happy now, Jason!? Do you finally feel better about all these years!? Or do you need to burn down another village!?”

There had been a dispassionate look in his eyes, no expression but hopelessness. Despite that, her feelings towards Jason were still conflicted. She might not have been as close with Discord as Fluttershy had been, but despite his monstrous acts, his death had hurt. As noble as his actions had been in saving Twilight, she still couldn’t resolve the inner conflicts she was experiencing. Discord had amped up her haughty prim and proper behavior so that she lashed out at the human during his time in the Everfree Forest, but it had been because of him that Discord was dead. But Discord had also done so many cruel things that she wasn’t sure if whether or not he’d deserved what he got.

She’d lost so much in the past three months. Her friendships with the other Elements of Harmony, and perhaps even Sweetie Belle, who, while still living with her, didn’t really look up to her as much as she had. And Rarity felt that she deserved that.

Something caught her eyes at that moment, and despite her thoughts, she wandered towards a store front, looking up at the blank griffon figures wearing some incredibly crafted clothes. All of which were festive in some way. But that wasn’t all she saw. She saw dragon figures wearing clothes, and even a couple of ponyquins.

“Miss Belle? Are you alright?”

Rarity looked up. The magenta eyes of Princess Celestia looked down at her with some confusion. She took a deep breath. “Yes, Your Highness, I’m sorry,” she said, forcing herself to turn away from the shop display. “I was just distracted.”

“Hmm, I see,” the Princess said, following her eyes and looking into the shop. She turned and looked around. Seeing somecreature, she called out, “Excuse me, sir? Could you tell us about this shop?”

The telltale sound of a griffon walking stopped. “I see you’ve found the shop of one of Griffonstone’s best clothing designers,” a deep griffon male voice said from behind them.

Turning, everypony else stared at an older, well-dressed griffon. He had white fur with dark blue highlights, grayish-blue fur and yellow eyes, claws and beak. He was wearing a black and blue striped suit and had on a black fedora. He looked up at the storefront sign, which read Elegant Emporium then back at them. “Who works here?” Celestia asked curiously.

“That would be Garter,” the griffon said. “Well, technically, he owns the store, but since he operates out of the main shop in Griffonville, he’s hired a pony manager of all things to run this branch. I don’t know her name since I’ve never seen her, but I’ve heard that she runs this place like a…what’s the phrase her employees use? A well-oiled machine. I hear that for the speech being given today, the Bearer himself got Garter to design his clothes. I’m looking forward to seeing that.”

“A speech? Where is this taking place?” Princess Celestia asked.

“In front of the Griffonstone Keep,” the griffon said. “It’ll be taking place in a couple of hours. Almost everycreature is going to be there, and those who aren’t will be shown a magical projection of the speech thanks to the pony he saved.”

Rarity was immediately reminded of Jason’s own broadcast showing the trial. She could only see Roseluck’s words on repeat as she spat at Twilight: “How could you? How could you? How could you?”

“This Bearer saved a pony?” Celestia asked curiously. “What happened?”

“You’ll have to ask someone else about that, I’m afraid,” the griffon said, and to his credit, he did sound apologetic. “I don’t know the details myself.”

“I see. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us,” the Princess said.

“Not at all,” the griffon said. “Have a pleasant…you call this season Hearth’s Warming, right?” When Princess Celestia nodded, the griffon smiled. “Have a pleasant Hearth’s Warming, then.”

Rarity’s ears flattened at this news. She just nodded in understanding as she turned away from the clothing emporium. As she rejoined the others and they headed down the street, all she could think of was how her dreams could have been more realized…if it hadn’t been for what had happened back in Ponyville all those years ago. And if it hadn’t been for Discord…

Twilight Sparkle was the most attentive to the scenes around her, taking in everything she could. Despite everything, there was always that small part of her that was eager to learn and explore something new. And so far, Griffonstone had not failed to disappoint.

Their few encounters with griffons aside, she was learning much about them. But her biggest question was about this Bearer she kept on hearing about. What kind of griffon could have so much influence on everygriffon here? And what about their king? Who was the king here? From what she could surmise, it seemed like this Bearer was more or less a ruler or figure of significance here. She did wonder what he was like.

As the ponies came to an intersection, she suddenly stopped, gaping at one of the corner sections. Everypo-no, everyone (she needed to ween herself off of that phrase)-paused as well and stared in recognition at the odd building that was standing-no, growing-out of the ground.

Because she was staring at a tree that looked to be the spitting image of Golden Oaks Library.

Before she realized what was happening, she was galloping over to it, with Spike running up close behind her. The other ponies were behind Spike, all of them with the exception of Princess Celestia looking as stunned as Twilight felt. Right above the wooden door, which seemed to perfectly match the style of the door to Golden Oaks aside from the fact that it was bright purple with dark purple and aquamarine stripes painted on, there was a simple sign that read Griffonstone Public Library (Temporary Name). She used her magic to push the door open and skidded to a stop.

The inside…was so similar to her old home and the old library itself that it was almost like Tirek hadn’t destroyed it with his magic. It had a nearly identical smell, had books on every shelf, and was occupied by a surprised griffon who was seated at a small desk in one corner of the room. The griffon was a dark purple furred female with white and purple tipped feathers, bright purple claws, beak and green eyes. “My goodness,” she said in quiet astonishment, and Twilight noted that she sounded very young, “that was a rather raucous entrance.”

Twilight felt embarrassed and her ears lowered. “Sorry,” she whispered as she quietly walked inside, looking around. In that moment, in those few moments rather, she was just a simple unicorn back in Golden Oaks, reading and taking care of the library while Spike did chores around the-

And that thought brought her back to the present just as quickly as she’d been brought back to the past. As much as she missed her old home and wished that she could be living there in simpler times, the thought of Spike having to take care of all the chores without even the slightest bit of help brought back her guilt-ridden mood. She looked back at the door. The same type of door she’d slammed in Jason’s face when all he’d wanted at the time was a friend, or at the very least, some compassion. A compassion she’d never once given him.

“May I…help you all?” the young librarian said hesitantly.

Jolting back to the present once again, Twilight looked at the young griffon, who she now saw was wearing one of those very same red and white stocking caps and was also wearing blue rimmed glasses. “Oh, I was just…looking around,” Twilight said. “This library is almost identical to my old home back in Equestria.”

“Oh? I didn’t know the Houseoak trees grew over there,” the griffon said, sounding curious as well.

“What are those?” Twilight asked.

“They’re trees that can be grown with certain potions so that they can be lived in,” the griffon explained in a matter of fact tone. “They only grow naturally in the Evertide Forest below us, but if you can get to them and use a specific potion on them, they can grow to a full size in a matter of minutes. We’d actually forgotten about how to grow them until a shamaness moved into the Evertide Forest a couple months back and helped grow this tree to the Bearer’s specifications for the librarian to work in.”

“Wait, you’re not the librarian?” Spike asked.

“Not the main one,” she explained. “I work as the librarian when she’s not on duty. She’s out today since she’ll be one of the first non-griffons to become a citizen of the Empire. And speaking of, I’m about to close the library early so I can go to the festival grounds. Did you want to look over the books?”

Twilight shook her head. “Maybe another time,” she said. “We’re on our way to The Green Dragon to try and find a place to stay while we’re here.”

“Well, better hurry then,” the griffon assistant librarian said with a knowing smile. “That place might be full by the time you get there. Have a good day and happy holidays!”

“You too,” Spike said with a kindly smile as he, Twilight and the other ponies who had been exploring the main floor walked out of the library, closing the purple and aquamarine stiped door behind her. As they continued up the street towards the inn, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder just how a tree from Griffonia had made its way to Ponyville.

It was something that kept her mind occupied, at least…

Spike was feeling fairly overwhelmed by everything he’d seen happening that day. At least, the time they’d all spent in Griffonstone. Princess Celestia had offered a few times to let him ride on her back, but he’d politely declined, wanting to walk on his own and look around without having to grab onto the Princess’ back for support.

Everything about the afternoon had been one weird mini-adventure after another. From meeting Gilda again to walking around in the spitting image of Golden Oaks, things had been especially strange.

However, the moment he’d been waiting for had finally arrived. They’d reached the street they’d been told about by the group of griffons and dragons. The green building definitely stood out from the rest of Griffonstone’s architecture, and there was even a wooden statue of a sitting dragon in front of the inn’s main double doors. A dragon with emerald gems for eyes and diamonds for teeth.

This was the first example of gems Spike had seen in the entire city. In old Ponyville, before its destruction, gems had been seen a lot. But in Griffonstone he hadn’t seen any. He was more than curious to see what kind of dragons actually owned a shop. All he’d known about dragons was when he’d gone on that quest a few years back. He hadn’t gone back since then.

Princess Celestia, who was leading them, used her magic to open the front doors, stepping in through the doors without even needing to bow her head. The other ponies walked through, and Spike was the last one to enter.

“Oh, you can search far and wide! You can drink the whole town dry! But you’ll never find a beer so brown, but you’ll never find a beer so brown as the one we drink in our hometown, as the one we drink in our hometown!” a crowd of griffons and a couple dragons were singing as they entered. “You can drink your fancy ales! You can drink ‘em by the flagon! But the only brew for the brave and true…comes from The Green Dragon!” With that, Spike noted that the denizens of the tavern (he knew what a tavern was from some of his comics and from seeing some in Canterlot when he lived there with Twilight) all laughed and drank merrily as the song concluded. Most were too engrossed in their food and drink to notice the unusual sight of ponies entering the tavern.

Spike had never been in a tavern before, so he had no idea what to really expect. He’d seen a couple of still images in his comics, but those were only close up shots. Now that he was in one, he could only take in the sights and certainly the smells.

The Equestrians made their way up to the front bar where a young orange dragon with light purple fins and bright yellow eyes was washing some wooden mugs. She had two upper facing horns and had a pair of dragon wings. Spike found himself looking back at his own wingless back, wondering if and when he’d ever get wings. “Pardon me,” the Princess asked, “but are you the owner of this establishment?”

The orange dragon looked up at the Princess with a raised eyebrow. “Co-owner with my brother,” she said as she put down the mug on the counter. “You ponies looking for rooms?”

“We are,” the Princess said. “Do you have enough for seven ponies and one hatchling dragon?”

The older dragon looked around, then locked eyes with Spike. She frowned a bit, then looked at a clipboard hanging from the wall. She picked it up and looked closer, muttering a bit to herself. Finally, she said “All we have left that’s pony sized is a room with six beds. There’s not much else here that could suit you. As for a baby dragon…hold on, lemme see if my brother’s fixed something in that other room that would work.” She inhaled, then turned to a door and shouted. “HEY! GARBLE! GET YOUR BONY ASS OUT HERE!”

Spike’s blood ran cold. He hoped he’d misheard what this younger dragon’s brother was called. But his hopes were dashed when the dragon he’d met during his only visit to the Dragon Lands opened the door. Only, this time he was wearing a black apron and was sweating. “You don’t have to shout, Smolder, I’m right there.” It was then that he noticed the ponies in the room and he paused. “Oh? What’s going on? We have pony guests?”

“And a dragon hatchling,” Garble’s younger sister, apparently named Smolder, said.

Garble looked around, saw Spike, and his eyes widened. “Wait…I know you!” he said, pointing at him.

Spike swallowed nervously. “Um…hi?”

Garble flew over the counter and landed in front of Spike, looming over him. The other ponies were watching stunned. All except Twilight who rushed over and stood between Garble and Spike. She clearly remembered Garble from their last encounter. “Don’t you touch him,” she practically snarled.

The noise in the tavern had ceased, and everycreature there was watching this confrontation with interest. However, Garble held out his claw. “Don’t worry, everyone! I’m not gonna start anything.” With that, the conversations resumed. Garble turned back to Twilight, and there was something unusual in his eyes. A calm look, one that he hadn’t seen in the older teen dragon before. “Look, I’m not gonna do anything to Spike. I just want to talk to him, honest.”

Smolder came up beside her brother, landing beside him. Looking at Spike, she gave him a half cocked smile, but one that was genuine if he was reading her face right. “Don’t worry about him. I straightened him out. Well, me and that Bearer guy.”

Garble shuddered. “Man, that guy can be scary when he needs to be.”

Smolder laughed and pat her brother on the back. “No shit.”

“But about our last encounter,” Garble continued, “I’m sorry for what I did and said to you, Spike. And to the two ponies you were with, too.”

Spike could hardly believe what he was hearing. First Gilda, and now Garble? What kind of griffon was this Bearer? Garble really looked apologetic, and Spike found himself saying, “It’s…alright, really,” almost automatically.

“Well, let me at least make it up to you,” he said as he looked at Smolder, who still had the clipboard in her claw. She gave it to him and he looked it over. “Hmm…are you and the ponies here all together?”

“Y-Yes, we are,” Spike admitted.

“Hmm…” he muttered, then turning to Smolder, he said, “Room 204’s already finished, right? It’ll fit everyone here comfortably.”

Smolder’s eyes widened. “Really? Our most expensive room?”

“Not today, sis,” he said. “It’ll only be the cost of a single room.” He looked down at Spike. “A way to make up for me being a bully to you and your pony friends.”

If Spike could widen his eyes any further, he would have. This was not how he imagined any meeting with Garble going after his first meeting with him. Princess Celestia walked up now and faced the dragon siblings. “Are you absolutely sure about this? I can pay full price for the room if it’s your most expensive.”

“Not at all, miss,” he said, shaking his head. “Just enough for a single room will be perfect. It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, you’re being extremely generous,” Princess Celestia said as she brought out a bag of bits. “How much?”

“Ten bits.”

After being paid, Garble looked across the room, then spotted a griffon placing a large platter of mugs down on a corner table. “Galilea! When you’re done over there, could you take these seven ponies and young dragon to room 204?”

“Sure thing, boss!” the griffon female said with a wave as she quickly put the mugs down and came over with the empty tray.

“I’ll take that,” Garble said, taking the tray out of the griffon’s claw. “Thanks again, Galilea.”

“No problem, boss.”

“I’ve gotta get back to the kitchen for now,” Garble said, “but I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you, Mr. Garble and Miss Smolder,” the Princess said.

The siblings chuckled. “Don’t be on ceremony with us,” Smolder said. “We’re just two dragons trying to make a living.”

As Galilea led the ponies and dragon to their room. Spike found himself actually wanting to see this Bearer. If a griffon could have such an effect on even Garble, he was a being worth meeting.

“Are you sure we should be going to this speech?” Twilight was asking Princess Celestia as they headed up towards the keep about half an hour later.

The room they’d been given was definitely one that Celestia hadn’t expected from a place like that. It was carpeted and had ten beds, each large enough for even her. There were two large windows looking out at Griffonstone Keep as well as a fireplace directly between them. There was a private lavatory built for anycreature as well as a shower. Not quite like the modern ones in Equestria, but they did provide hot and cold water as well as a large metal tub for soaking and a sink for any other necessary things. Each bed was perfectly soft but was also sturdy enough to support even her weight. They each had soft sheets and thick comforters for warmth.

“Yes, Twilight,” Celestia said as they headed up the streets towards the massive towering keep. Now that they no longer were carrying as much of their belongings, walking was easier, even for Celestia. “I was told by Galilea that this Bearer is one of the members of some kind of council. If that’s the case, we should see him and ask if there might be a friendship problem we could find and solve.”

“I guess so,” Twilight said.

“Did whoever you asked say anything more about this Bearer?” Rarity asked.

Celestia couldn’t be sure, but the Bearer of the Element of Generosity sounded a bit bitter. “Only that he’s apparently the best thing that has happened to Griffonstone,” Celestia replied. “Now we should hurry. The speech starts in five minutes.”

It took them six minutes to get there, and when they did they found a crowd of griffons, dragons, and even some Saddle Arabian and Equestrian ponies scattered in the crowd facing a raised platform where a portly griffon was speaking. Celestia recognized him as the Griffonian ambassador. She’d spoken with him on the few times he’d visited Canterlot. She wasn’t sure if he was the Bearer or not, but her question was quickly answered when the ambassador said, “…know you all didn’t come here to see me. Who comes to Griffonstone to see a griffon?” This joke was greeted by scattered laughter from nearly everycreature there. “Anyway, without further ado, I present to you the Bearer of the Idol of Boreas, the Chancellor of Griffonia himself, Gregory Graystone!”

With that, he stood aside and began to clap his claws. Griffons and dragons began clapping, and the ponies began stomping the ground. Behind the podium where the griffon ambassador had stood was a red curtain which rippled.

And opened with a flourish as a human stepped out. “Good evening, Griffonstone!” he shouted as he waved to the crowd. The crowd went crazy with applause, drowning everything else out.

And Celestia’s jaw dropped in complete and utter astonishment. She wasn’t the only one. The other ponies beside her were silent.

All except for Twilight. “The Bearer…is a HUMAN!?”