Silver asked Anubis if he would join her sleepover but he immediately declined and locked himself in his room.

“Argh!!!! Anubis get out here now!!”

“Never!”

“But me and Glacier are having a sleepover in my room and I wanted you to join.”

“No! Go have a girls only sleepover.”

“Fine! We will, you’re not invited anymore!”

“Ok have fun Silver!”

“Huff* I will and you better sleep with one eye open or you’ll wake up with a makeover.”

“Yeah I’m definitely keeping this door and my windows locked, good night Silver.”

“I hope you have a nightmare tonight.”

“Thank you I always do.”

Silver left and stormed her way back to her room, she replayed Anubis’s words and she began to feel bad. “Sigh* so he’s been having nightmares every night, I couldn’t imagine how much that must suck.”

———————————————————————

Meanwhile Celestia was attending a last minute meeting with an archaeologist, dr Dig Site.

“So Dr what is it that’s so important, that it can’t wait until tomorrow?”

“I’m terribly sorry your highness but it’s these paintings we discovered deeper down in the tomb.”

“Sigh* okay fine but please make this quick, as you can see I’m tired.”

“Of course, so these are the copies I had drawn of the inner walls of the tomb.”

Celestia picked up the pieces of parchment and looked at it but what she found confused her. There was multiple depiction of a griffon similar to Anubis but with a crown and the same bone blades he has. Surrounded by similar looking griffons but minus the bony protrusion and they seem to be bowing to the larger one. Celestia didn’t know what to make of this but she wondered if that meant Anubis was a descendant of the one on the paintings.

“Wow very intriguing indeed but do you think that they’re all like this or does only that one have the blades?”

“We believe that only one has them and that’s why the other are worshipping them but the amazing thing is…. We carbon dated some of the items we found, like tools and even bits of armour…. And they’re apparently 10 thousand years old.”

“What? But that can’t be possible, can it? Maybe the results are incorrect?”

“We’ve tried multiple different methods and items but the results are the same.”

“But that means…. this could change our understanding of our worlds history completely, not to mention how the public will handle this finding. Especially when I’m keeping one of these griffons in the castle.”

“Y-you have one here? But I thought that little green griffon was an intruder?”

“That was an intruder but I was already keeping an eye on one of these griffons, but 10 thousand years? That’s just unbelievable Dr.”

“I know but it’s what the results show…. But could I see this griffon please your highness?”

“Sorry but I don’t want to inform him about this just yet, not to mention that he’s probably asleep by now. Well it’s been a very informative meeting we’ve had to night Dr Dig Site but I must be heading to bed now, so have a lovely night and please inform me of anymore findings.”

“Of course princess and good night.”

———————————————————————
Anubis’s POV

I was tinkering with some cogs and gears that Celestia allowed me to have. If she knew what I planned on using them for, she would most certainly take them off me.

I had the porn magazine opened on the table next to my project, I wasn’t fussed over the contents of the magazine but the blueprints I stashed inside. It was a detailed drawing of a trigger group that I sketched but then I was hit with this overpowering urge to eat.

It was a hunger that tore through my body, so sudden that it took me by surprise. I fell to the floor and gasped for air, my lungs burned with every breath I drew.

“Fffuck~”

I had been hungry before but this was so…. So…. Primal, I need meat, but I had eaten a full dinner of fish…. No I need red meat but how?

I looked around and found the window to the balcony, getting a running start I jumped off the side of the castle. Allowing my wings to catch the wind, carrying me deep into the darkness of night with only the moon to guide me.

My mind began to clear and I realised that I had just left the castle’s outer walls, I must have been a few hundred feet above the ground.

Realising that I wasn’t disguised in any way I decided to make my fur as dark as the city below me. I flew to the ground and landed, finding a window to see my reflection I noticed that my pupils were slits surrounded by a crimson iris.

“Wow I didn’t know I could do that? I look scary.”

I was interrupted by the feral growl of my stomach, my body demanded sustenance and I knew what had to be done but I didn’t want to kill an intelligent creature…. So the hunt begins.

I took a moment to listen and smell the city air, after a few long moments of silence I heard a cry for help. That was my cue, taking to the sky I flew in the direction of the scream.

Flying as fast as I could I found a most confusing sight. There was a group of drunken stallions holding knives approaching an odd bug like pony, I’ve never seen anything like it but it was in trouble and I was hungry…. So it’ll work itself out…. Ok I can quickly scare the drunks away.

Jumping from the top of the roof I was hiding on and landed with a loud crash, the drunks wobbly turned around and their eyes widened as I let out a disembodied growl.

They dropped their knives and took off running, one of them even pissed himself but the fascinating bug pony froze from fear.

“Hey are you ok?”

“Please don’t eat me, changelings don’t taste good I promise!”

“I’m hungry but not that hungry.” So it’s a he judging by the tone and build.

“Y-you’re not going to e-eat me?”

“No why would you think that? Mhmm don’t answer that. So why were those ponies trying to hurt you?”

“Because I t-tricked them into believing I was their missing friend.”

“Wha? that’s fucked up.”

“I know but I didn’t have a choice, I-I deserted the hive and now I’ve lost connection to my hive for good.”

“So you have no where to go and how did you trick them, I know they were drunk but…. That doesn’t explain it.”

A green flame engulfed him and he changed into a spitting image of myself, so he can just copy what creatures look like. That has so many uses.

“Wow fascinating, so you can copy anycreature you see?”

“Y-yes but we have to do it to live, we eat emotions.”

“Wha? But how? Can you also eat conventional foods or not?”

“Unfortunately we can’t but that’s why we’re forced to disguise ourselves as ponies loved ones and collect love to feed the hive and ourselves.”

“Fascinating but right now I need to find food, do you know of any places where I could find wild animals to hunt?”

“Um yeah there’s a forest full of dangerous predators just down south…. I think it’s called the Everfree forest but it’s super dangerous.”

“Thanks that’s perfect, oh and I’d recommend not disguising yourself as me. You see I’m a one of a kind, so you’ll bring unwanted attention to yourself if you do although we could say that you’re the same breed as me.”

“It doesn’t really matter, I don’t plan on staying here anyway…. Um maybe I could come with you?”

“I’m heading to that forest.”

“I’ve got nothing to lose so might as well try to repay you for saving me.”

“I like how you think, jump on my back.”

“Um sure…. Hey I never got your name.”

“It’s Anubis…. And yours?”

“Um my hive mates call me Exo but they’re not my hive mates anymore.”

“Okay then give yourself a new name.”

“Um like what?”

“What ever you want it to be.”

“Ummmm okay but it might take some time.”

“Well you’ve got the whole flight to think of one, so let’s get to thinking.”

———————————————————————

Meanwhile back in the castle, Celestia was walking down to her room when she walked past Anubis’s room. She paused and decided to check on him, she knew that he stayed up late most nights so he was bound to be up.

Knock* Knock*

“Anubis are you awake, I would like a word if you don’t mind?”

She got no response, originally Celestia believed that he was asleep but when she looked at the bottom of the door she thought otherwise.

“His lights on but he didn’t respond…. Maybe he’s passed out on the floor!”

She tried the doorknob but it was locked, so without hesitation she spun around and bucked the door off its hinges. A few nearby guards were alerted and rushed over to the location of the echoing crash.

Celestia rushed in and found Anubis was nowhere to be seen, she immediately checked the bathroom but he was not there either. She searched every inch of his room and came to two terrifying conclusions, either he snuck out or he was foalnapped from the castle.

She was so scared that she completely ignored the magazine left open on the table with a pile of cogs.

Immediately she began dishing out orders so fast that the guards presented struggled to follow but they got the important details and hastily went to alert the entire guard.

Silver and Glacier could hear the commotion and went to investigate the sudden noise.

———————————————————————

Anubis’s POV

“So Exo, you came up with a new name for yourself?!”

“I’ve got an idea!”

“Good because we’ve arrived at the forest! Tell me after we land!”

“Okay!”

I slowed my descent and gently landed in front of the Everfree forest.

“So what you going to call yourself?”

“From this day forth I’m going to be called…. Jernick!

“Not bad, not bad Jernick, mhmmm yeah that’s a good name but more importantly. Tonight’s a beautiful night for a hunt, in my opinion.”

“Um thank you Anubis but what are you going to hunt?” Then Jernick’s stomach growled furiously. “Oh um s-sorry for that.”

“Don’t apologise you’re hungry, so when was the last time you ate?”

“Um I have had fed on any love in a few months and unfortunately that has resulted in these unpleasant holes in my legs.” He waved one of them around and i got a better look at them.

“Mhmmmm I might be able to help, I could change your anatomy and make it so you can eat conventional food instead of emotion?”

“Um that sounds good but is it safe?”

“Definitely might be painful but it’s totally safe.”

“Okay if you’re sure but what if I can’t change afterwards?”

“Mhmmmm good point, describe what you want to look like and I’ll try and mimic it and then you change into it.”

“Wha? You can change your form.”

“Yep this isn’t my true form.” I reverted back into my standard fur pattern and colours. “This is what I really look like.”

“Woah and you didn’t need a green flame to change!”

“Yep, so tell me how big and what colours you want to be.”

“Um okay so I would like to be a bit bigger then I am right now because I’m short, even by changeling standards and if you don’t mind I’d like to have a similar pattern to you…. As for the coat colour? I’d like to be a sandy colour with black markings and a gray under belly…. Please.”

“Mhmmmm okay give me a second to do so….”

I began to change my entire body to the specs that Jernick had requested and it only took me five tries to get a result that he was pleased with.

“Okay now change into it and I’ll modify your base anatomy to consume regular food.”

In a brilliant flash of green fire I was now face to face with a 1 to 1 copy of the form I had created, so I reverted back to my regular form.

“Okay Jernick are you ready?”

“Um sure but you’re a hundred percent right about this being safe?”

“Oh of course but it will hurt, don’t worry tho because it’ll be so worth it.”

“Okay then let’s do this!”

With a curt nod I reached out and placed both of my claws onto him and began to change his digestive system completely, I also took the liberty to give him the same genetics as me which sped up the process immensity. He let out a cry of pain before falling unconscious from the shock to his system, so I continued whilst holding him in my claws.

The process was complete but I thought maybe it would be a good decision to give him the same muscle groups and bone blades I have. So i swiftly went to work and once they were done forming I used my claws to gently cut open some exits for his newly acquired blades.

Once I was done, i climbed up a tree and laid him down in it before taking note of this tree and finally beginning my hunt…. For two now.

The forest was dead silent, the only noise was my breath in the crisp night air. I had my target in sight, it was a large boar that was oblivious to my cold gaze.

It was up wind from me as I inched closer, the anticipation and excitement I felt was incredible. Then it happened, I lunged for the unaware beast giving away my position.

It ran and I gave chase, I felt so alive, adrenaline flowing through my veins as I sprinted after the boar. It was surprisingly quick but I was quicker, the only think saving it was its ability to duck and dive under exposed tree roots and shrubbery.

It was rapidly getting away but I wasn’t about to give up, picking up my pace the forest became a blur as I bolted towards my pray. I was right on its tail and about to extend my mantis like blade into its spine but as i struck my fucking bone blade hit a tree and was ripped out of my foreleg. The pain was unimaginable but I quickly healed on the go and my second strike hit its mark.

Squeal!!!*

Slice* stab*

Drip* Drip* Drip*

“Exhale* wow that was a rush, hehehehahahaha!”

And with that it was over, I had plugged my bone blade into the back of the neck. Severing the spine, instantly killing the boar.

“Now to carry you back and help Jernick adjust to his new diet…. And body.”

After a pain staking 20 minutes I made it back to the tree I left Jernick at, when I arrived I found him stumbling about like a new born. It was almost funny if it wasn’t kinda sad to watch.

“Hey Jernick! You okay, seems like you’re having some trouble.”

“Um ha ha ha ah…. help please.” The bony blades sticking out and making walking a challenging task for him.

“Okay I’ll help you with the blades.”

“T-thanks.”

I igniting my claws with my deep crimson aura and started to target the newly made muscle group that controlled the blades. Once they were fully retracted, standing became easier for my new project.

“There, is that better Jernick?”

“Yeah t-thank you Anubis, so I um can’t change my form anymore and I’m still hungry.”

“Well that’s to be expected and as for food, I’ve got us a boar to eat.”

“Oh um mmmm boar I can’t wait.” I could tell that he was uncomfortable with the concept of eating meat.

“Don’t worry I’ll cook it properly, so don’t be nervous because your new taste buds will approve of the flavour.”

“I don’t know about that.”

I started by skinning the boar and I sent Jernick off to collect sticks for a fire. When he came back I had already removed all the skin from the beast, I instructed him to make a pile of sticks with the smallest ones on the bottom.

Once he done that, I started by taking two random rocks and ignited my claws with the green aura and began to change the rocks into flint and iron.

Striking them together they made a bright spark but the sticks didn’t catch on fire, so I tried again and again and again until they finally did.

“Woah!! That amazing, how did you do it?”

“Flint and iron, when you strike these two together they make sparks that can create embers and those embers can become fire.”

“Wow! Can I touch it?”

“No! Don’t touch it.”

I grabbed some large rocks and placed them over the fire, making a stove of sorts.

Then I began to cut up the boar and place the fatty meat on the primitive stove, instantly sizzling on contact with the stone. A beautiful aroma filled the air and I could see Jernick salivating.

After a agonising 10 minutes of making him wait I could finally see bliss fill his features once he bit into a large cut of medium rare boar.

“Mhmmmm! Oh by the under hive, this is good!”

“See I told you so and to think that you doubted me.”

“Mhmmm yeah sorry, I’m never doubting you again Anubis.”

“Anyway I’ll think that it’s my turn to taste some wild boar.”

———————————————————————

Back at Canterlot castle, princess Celestia was pacing around her room on the brink of tears. Anubis was nowhere to be found, he wasn’t in the castle or city and she had came to the conclusion that he was foalnapped. Silverfeather and Captain Graceful were trying to calm the emotional Alicorn down by saying that he might of just went for a night time flight or something.

This didn’t help especially when Celestia began to think about the murderer that was still loose, she choked on her own breath at the possibility.

No creature knew how to calm her down and all they could do is watch silently, Graceful decided to be more active and help in the search but Silver wasn’t going to leave Celestia alone to cry.

Glacier had been posted outside of the room whilst all of the guards had been ordered to find Anubis by the pure white Alicorn herself.

———————————————————————

It had been a few hours since Anubis and Jernick had cleaned all of the meat from the boar, it was nothing but a pile of bones and Anubis realised that he had to get back soon.

“Hey Jernick let’s make you a tree house because I’ve got to get back to Canterlot soon.”

“Um well if you want I can just make myself one, I’m pretty good at building…. You know so you can go.”

“Thanks but I think I’ll help you and make sure you’ve got a safe place.”

“Um t-thanks Anubis.”

“Don’t mention it, so let’s get started.”

After we had made a surprisingly good looking tree house for Jernick, we agreed that I would try to visit him at least three times a week and with that I took my leave. I said my goodbyes and took off for Canterlot before anycreature noticed my absence.

The flight was uneventful until I got to the capital, a group of guards recognised me and ordered that i be escorted to the castle immediately. This didn’t look good for me but i was sure that I could explain myself to Celestia.

Flying over the city I noticed that the entirety of the royal guard was searching every single place in Canterlot and as we flew over, those who saw us alerted the others and started on their way back to the castle. It had only just dawned upon me on the severity of the situation that I coursed.

Upon landing I was met with an extremely tired and angry Captain.

“Hahah hi Graceful how are you doing, i um went for a little flight outside of Canterlot.” He didn’t seem amused by my answer.

“Sigh* I’m not even mad at this point just follow me Anubis…. Her highness needs to see you.”

I followed him in silence but his choice of words concerned me a bit, Celestia needs to see me but she’s never needed to see me before. She’s wanted to see me but never needed to, fuck was I followed, did a guard see what I had gotten up to and reported me? No I would have known if I was followed, so that not it…. Then why? Either way I was about to find out.

When we arrived at Celestia’s bedroom door I saw Glacier alone standing guard, walking up to her I could tell she was pissed at me.

“Hey Glacier what’s up.”

SMACK!*

“You stupid griff! Where were you, you had everycreature worried sick about you and you have the audacity to just appear and say what’s up!?”

“Wow shit I-I didn’t know that everycreature was looking for me, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the one you should be apologising for sir, Silverfeather and princess Celestia are in there…. She hasn’t gotten a single ounce of sleep because she had thought that you were foalnapped, so go fix that because she needs you right now.”

“Oh y-yes I’ll go now.” As I went to push the doors open I took a second to try and reflect on what I did wrong, it didn’t make sense but I could see it from Celestia’s perspective and…. yeah I was in the wrong here, fuck me.

Author's Note

What has our smart but painfully stupid griff gone and done and more importantly, how is he going to explain himself and make it up the Celestia?