"Wow!" Cora exclaimed as she and Night Wing walked out of Sugar Cube Corner. "That Gilda was quite the grouch."

"Based on what I've heard," Night began, "Gilda was more of an isolated incident." The two walked down the street side-by-side. "Blazing and Zuro say they've met a few griffons over the years and they all seem to be pretty nice."

"Maybe we should find out for ourselves?" Cora suggested.

"You mean, you wanna go to Griffonstone, huh?" Night asked with a smile.

"Why the jura not?" Cora smiled. Night shot her a glare before Cora raised her claws in defense. "Sorry, I got carried away." Night smiled at her friend.

"Alright, I'll begin making plans for the trip," Night declared, putting a large smile on the griffon's beak.

"Yrlokjd!" Cora chirped. Night giggled as she began trotting off toward the house.

Both Blazing Feathers and Zuro pitched in to offer Night and Cora a place to live while they stayed in Equestria. Blazing had quite a large sum of savings over his years of service to Princess Celestia and Zuro inherited a fortune from his father. However, that is all the information Night or Cora could get out of the two pegasi. Zuro was very cryptic about his origins, and Blazing was sworn to secrecy. Because of their financial freedoms, both Blazing and Zuro had their own houses in Ponyville. Outwardly, both houses looked like any other house in the humble town. However, one of them had a unique decore within.

"I still say we should've stayed at Zuro's house," Cora stated as she and Night walked up to Blazing's house. "His place is xiar!"

"I don't understand how you find all that black and green appealing," Night countered as she approached the door.

"Talking about our best friend, Zuro?" a familiar voice called out. Night and Cora looked up to find Blazing trotting up with a smile. "His house is pretty cool, isn't it?"

"You know it!" Cora chirped as she smiled at Blazing.

"Oh please, Night interjected as Blazing opened the door. "That black and green scheme is just... weird."

"It used to be only his bedroom that was decorated like that," Blazing began as he let the girls in before him. "He said it reminded him of home."

"Is he one of those changelings I've heard about?" Night queried. She noted a faint twitch in Blazing's eye.

"Changelings?" Cora asked.

"A race of equines," Blazing began, "Well, not quite. They have very similar features to equines only, they appear more buglike."

"Sounds cool," Cora smiled.

"Except, they change their appearance," Night interjected. "They can take on any form they choose at will. It makes them ideal spies and criminals."

"A bit harsh," Blazing stated.

"I'm just stating facts," Night countered. "Shapeshifting is a power that can be too easily abused."

"You speak as if you've had experience," Blazing observed. Night opened her mouth to speak before Blazing piped up. "No need to explain. I understand the concern. But, any power can be abused. I've seen it a thousand times. From something as simple as a manager at a store to as high as royalty."

"True, but shapeshifters can be anyone," Night countered as she walked to the spare room. "If there's even the slightest hint of someone being different, that could easily be a sign of an imposter."

"Lighten up, Night," Cora interjected. Night shot Cora a side-eye as she rounded a corner. When Night was out of sight, Blazing stepped closer to Cora.

"Did something happen to her?" he whispered. Cora only looked at him with a furrowed brow before following Night around the corner. "Sorry I asked," Blazing said as he went to the kitchen.

Inside the guest room, Night stared out the window staring at nothing as Cora stepped up behind her friend. "You okay?" Cora asked softly.

"I'm fine," Night answered without hesitation. Cora rubbed her claw on Night's back.

"You know you can-"

"Cora," Night interjected sharply. After a minute of silence, Night looked at Cora. "I appreciate your concern. But, don't push it." Cora only pulled the mare into a hug.

"You know I want nothing more than for you to be happy," Cora said softly. "I don't care how bad things were or will be, I'll always be there for you." Night leaned into her friend's warm embrace. After a minute, Night looked up with a smile.

"Now, I promised you a trip to Griffonstone," Night said, which put a big smile on the griffon's beak. "Then, go pack a lunch for us so we don't have to spend more than we have to." Cora stood tall and saluted.

"Yes ma'am!" Cora stated firmly, earning a giggle from the mare before Cora rushed out.

Cora found Blazing in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. "So, what's the plan?" Blazing asked as Cora started rummaging through the cabinets.

"We're going to Griffonstone!" Cora chirped. Blazing looked at her.

"Are you sure about that?" Blazing asked. "Griffonstone is in pretty bad shape and the griffons there aren't much better." Cora looked at him after gathering some supplies to make a few meals. Blazing blinked. "Oh, right. You haven't been to Griffonstone."

"You have?" Cora countered.

"I have," Blazing inclined his head. "I was excited the first time because I heard how proud and majestic griffons are."

"What was it like?" Cora excitedly asked.

"I think you should find out for yourself," Blazing answered as he took his humble meal out of the kitchen while munching on it. Cora watched him leave and blinked a few times.

"Could griffons really be as bad as Gilda?" Cora asked herself. She looked at the supplies she gathered. "Sure they can't all be that bad, right?"

Cora eventually broke from her trans and began making a few meals for a trip. After everything was bagged individually, she carried her bounty back to the guest room where she lay them on the bed before going to grab their travel bag.

"Okay, I got the food ready," Cora explained as she pulled out the bag.

"And thank you Twilight for this transcript," Night replied as she looked over a sheet of paper in her hoof. "Looks like there's a train headed toward Griffonstone tomorrow morning." Cora smiled at the news.

"Well, I packed enough for a whole day," Cora exclaimed. Night smiled at Cora as she set the sheet down.

The next day, the train came to a halt and the doors slid open. Outside of a few griffons, Night and Cora were the only ones to exit the train. The sight that greeted them took them both by surprise. Everything within the city, if you could call it a city, was in a state of disrepair and crumbling decay. Even the train station was falling apart. All the houses and buildings had chunks missing everywhere. Any place that could be a store was closed down. All the griffons simply brushed past everyone else without a care.

Night and Cora looked around the place with wide eyes. They looked at each other in disbelief.

"Well," Night began, "if there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that first impressions are almost always wrong." Cora inclined her head.

"Yeah," Cora said. "I want to see everything we can here."

With that, Night and Cora began walking through the streets. The interior of the city was in no better condition than the outskirts. Everything was falling apart, even the statues that appeared to be the most important. The griffons within were no better either. Most of the citizens wore a frown or a scowl.

"Excuse me," Cora called out to a griffon, who seemingly took no notice of her approach. Cora narrowed her brows. "Could you tell me how this city got so bad?" The griffon looked up.

"You got any bits?" he replied.

"For what?" Cora countered.

"No bits, no story," the griffon replied as he looked away while resting his cheek on his claw. Cora looked at Night.

"Let's try someone else," Night suggested.

"But," Cora began to protest.

"If all griffons are gonna ask for bits for everything," Night interjected, "and I suspect they will, we won't be able to get much out of them. We can't give bits away for every little thing."

"We can always get more bits later," Cora continued to protest.

"Cora, I know you want to learn what you can about this place," Night countered, "but, we have to play it smart, not fast." Cora pouted at being shut down. "Come on. This place has to have someone willing to talk, or even a library or something."

"Okay," Cora sighed as she hung her head before she looked at the griffon. "Hey, where's the library?" He held out a claw.

"If you wanna know, you gotta cough up the bits," he snarled. Cora growled and took a step forward before Night shoved her down the road.

"Cora!" Night huffed. "We're not gonna get into it here!"

It took a little bit of an effort, but Cora did calm down enough to walk beside her friend. As they walked down the road, they looked left and right to see the same thing at every corner. Closed stores, crumbling buildings, and grumpy griffons. Any time they asked a question, the only response was "you got bits?"

They trekked the streets for what felt like hours before a voice that sounded more friendly than any other they heard all day called out "Excuse me, do you need help?" Night and Cora looked back to find a female griffon with a golden coat and a friendly smile.

"You're offering to help?" Cora asked with a raised brow. "How much you askin'?"

"Cora!" Night huffed.

"Oh no, it's okay," the griffon countered with a soft chuckle. "I understand your concerns. Not all us griffons are as cold-shouldered." She raised a claw to her chest. "I'm Goldie."

"High, Goldie," Night offered with a smile. "I'm Night Wing and this is my friend Cora."

"Nice to meet you," Goldie inclined her head. "I haven't seen you before," she observed as she looked at Cora.

"I'm not from Griffonstone," Cora replied.

"Oh, really?" Goldie replied.

"I found her egg as a filly," Night explained.

"You were lost as an egg?" Goldie queried. "Oh, my stars! That's awful! Griffons may be harsh, but they'd still never abandon their eggs." She scratched her chin. Cora perked up at this before Goldie glanced at Night. "Is something wrong with you, Night? You have no cutie mark." Goldie pointed at Night's flank.

"I'm not from Equestria," Night explained. Night and Cora explained their backstory of where Muneris come from and where Night found Cora's egg. They finished with the reason why they were in Griffonstone.

"Oh my!" Goldie exclaimed. "You're lucky to be alive, Cora. Next to bits, or anything gold, griffon eggs are very precious to us. Especially when we don't let greed rule our lives."

"I imagine the golden shells have something to do with it," Cora observed.

"Actually, that's not too far from the truth," Goldie interjected. "Because griffon eggs are gold, there are those who often try to steal them for a quick profit."

"Do griffons try selling them off?" Cora asked.

"Cora, she did say that griffon eggs are precious to them," Night countered. "I highly doubt they'd sell them off."

"Well, there are rare occasions," Goldie piped up. "Rare, but not unheard of. You'd have to find a griffon whose soul interest is bits." Goldie glanced at another griffon passing by before looking at Cora. "The only reason I can think of for you to have been so far from griffons is because you were either stolen or sold." Cora snorted.

"I wasn't expecting to find family here, but I never thought I'd hear something like that," Cora huffed.

"Cora, don't be like that," Night said softly as she rubbed her hoof on Cora's back. "Besides, if something like that didn't happen, I never would've found you."

"Don't misread me, Night," Cora countered. "I'm not upset about that part of it at all. I'm glad you found me back then, but it's still not easy hearing that my parents might've sold me as an egg for a few bits."

"A griffon egg's worth at least a hundred bits!" a griffon carelessly shouted out as he passed. Goldie glared at the passing griffon as Night and Cora scoffed.

"I'm sorry about that," Goldie softly said.

"Never mind that," Cora waved a claw before looking at Night. "I guess we know why everything looks like dzod."

"Cora -" Night began with a glare.

"Oh, spare me the lecture," Cora huffed as she turned away.

"Dzod?" Goldie asked with a raised brow.

"I am not translating that," Night exclaimed sharply.

"Oh," Goldie said as she realized the intent behind the word. "Okay." Cora planted her rump on the ground against a dead tree.

"So, Goldie," Night piped up. "You're definitely not like the other griffons around here. Why are you here? If you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all," Goldie smiled. "I'm here visiting family. I live in Fillydephia. I needed to get away from the negativity, so I left as soon as I was old enough. But, my parents never wanted to leave, so I drop by every so often to visit them. They may be grouchy, but they're good griffons."

"Well, that makes sense," Night observed. "And, I've heard griffons were proud creatures. Was that ever true?"

"Once upon a time," Goldie sighed. "Long ago, there was Kind Grover. He led griffons into an age of pride with the Idol of Boreas. That idol became the source of our pride and majesty. But, then it was stolen from King Guto by a monster called, Arimaspi. Ever since then, we've lost all sense of our pride. Most griffons are cold and greedy anymore."

"I see," Night exclaimed as she looked around. The sound of a train whistle filled the air.

"Well, unless you intend on flying home or staying for a week, I suggest you catch the train," Goldie said. "The train only comes to Griffonstone twice a day and only one day a week."

"That's a very odd schedule," Cora piped up.

"A commune to Griffonstone is in small demand," Goldie replied.

"So, if we don't take the train now, we have to wait a week or fly all the way back to Ponyville?" Night asked.

"If you miss the train, there's a town west of here," Goldie explained. "Thirty minutes as the crow flies."

"Well, then we better scat," Cora said as she stood up. "I've had enough of this place."

"Are you sure, Cora?" Night asked.

"I'm sure," Cora replied as she began walking back toward the station. "Thanks for the info, Goldie. I do hope we meet again someday."

"It was my pleasure," Goldie smiled at Night. "At least you made one friend in Griffonstone."

"And that's always a plus in my book," Night smiled. "Thank you for talking with us."

"Hurry up before you miss the train," Goldie urged. Night turned to follow Cora.

Night and Cora did everything they could to avoid the other griffons as they made their way to the station. As they arrived, the whistle blew again, signaling the train's imminent departure. They quickly boarded the train just in time for the doors to close behind them and the train began moving.

Night and Cora found an empty seat and sat next to each other. Both remained silent for a few minutes before Night looked at Cora. "You okay, Cora?" Night softly asked.

"I'll be fine," Cora answered. "It was hard hearing all that stuff, but I'll be fine." Night pulled Cora into a warm hug.

"I don't know how I'd react to hearing something like that," Night observed as Cora leaned into her embrace. They remained in each other's embrace for a few minutes before Cora lifted her head to smile at Night.

"Thank you for being there for me," Cora offered with a single tear sliding down her cheek.

"And I always will be," Night replied as she made a rag appear to wipe away the tear.

The train made several stops along the way, making the trip feel longer than it was. Earth Ponies, pegasi, and unicorns boarded and departed the train at every stop. All the while, neither Night nor Cora said a word. Finally, the train arrived at Ponyville, where Night and Cora departed. They were warmly greeted by the ponies as they left the station. "Welcome back," or "I hope you had a nice trip," or even "You guys back so soon?"

"Hey guys," Zuro called out. Night and Cora looked up at him. "I heard you two took a trip to Griffonstone. Was it nice?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Cora huffed as she passed him.

"That bad, huh?" Zuro asked Night.

"It was, erm, hard," Night explained.

"Say no more," Zuro said as he raised a hoof. "I've heard enough about Griffonstone to know how much of a ditch they're in." He looked at Cora who kept watching anything else going on around them. "Hey, I'm sure things'll get better before too long." That got Cora to glance at him. "No guarantees, but nothing's truly set in stone. I've heard countless stories of nations starting one way before doing a full one-eighty within a single generation. Who knows? Griffonstone could become the best place to live in all of Equestria someday."

"After what I just witnessed, I find that hard to believe," Cora retorted.

"Cora, you know Muneris history isn't the prettiest," Night interjected. "There is evidence to suggest Muneris were actually quite cruel almost a millennia ago."

"Really?" Zuro asked.

"Some historians believe it had something to do with a surge of dark magical energy at the time," Night continued. "Come to think of it, that is roughly around the time Nightmare Moon appeared."

"Interesting," Zuro observed as he scratched his chin. "Maybe Muneris ponies have some kind of absorbing ability? It could explain that dark age of your history."

"I have heard of some Muneris with direct absorbing abilities," Night explained. "But, I'm not sure about it being something really common or passive."

"I never thought griffons could be a bunch of greedy grumps, Night," Cora piped up. "Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it's not real." Cora turned to face them. "Like that Sinerum who tried to fuse with a Muneris to gain power."

"Now, that is a pony tale," Night rolled her eyes as Zuro perked up.

"Sinerum?" Zuro queried.

"A scary story of an equine similar to Muneris," Night began, "only these guys are more like what you'd call earth ponies. They have no horns, wings, or cutie marks."

"Do they have the gems on their foreheads too?" Zuro asked.

"Hold on," Cora piped up, "If you already knew about Muneris, why don't you know about the Sinerum?"

"Because they're not real, Cora," Night interjected. "It's just a story.

"Now, wait a minute," Zuro stepped forward. "Why wouldn't they exist? Are you saying that there can't possibly be others like you that don't have wings?" Night rolled her eyes.

"Of course they do," a familiar female voice caught their attention. They all looked up to see Twilight trotting up with a saddlebag full of books. "Muneris are magical pegasi. There's more information about them than the others because their home is closest to Equestria."

"You mean, you actually know about other races like the Muneris?" Cora asked. Twilight pulled out a book about world history.

"This book has information on all the known races of the world, both factual and myth," Twilight beamed as she gleefully explained. "Did you know there are more than just three kinds of equines?!"

"Well, duh," Cora rolled her eyes. "Night's standing right here, ya know?"

"I mean outside of earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and Muneris," Twilight countered. "Far away, atop Mount Aris, once stood the great kingdom, Hippogriffia! Home of the Hippogriffs! A race of creatures that are half pony and half eagle!"

"Sounds fasc-" Cora sarcastically began before she stopped herself. "Actually, that sounds kinda cool!" Night smiled at the new-found spark in Cora's face.

"Oh, I'd be happy to share everything I know with you!" Twilight beamed at Cora.

"Sounds like you're in for a long night, Night," Zuro chuckled as Cora followed Twilight with a bounce in her step.

"As long as it helps get her mind off Griffonstone, I'm all for it," Night observed as she followed Twilight and Cora.

~~)oOo(~~

Back in Griffonstone, just finished dinner with her parents. Goldie lounged in her seat rubbing her belly. The food in Griffonstone was not nearly as good as the meals she enjoyed in Fillydelphia, but she did not have the heart to reject her mother's cooking.

"That was good," Goldie fibbed. "As always, mom."

"Glad you liked it, Goldie," Goldie's mother sarcastically replied as she tossed a dirty plate into the broken-down sink. Goldie watched her mother with a false smile. The old griffon's sarcastic response made her wonder if she knew Goldie did not care for her cooking, but she never pressed the issue.

"Who cares?" Goldie's father scoffed as he turned a page of the newspaper he held in his claws. "Everyone knows the food here sucks." a loud gong filled the air, followed by a clear "Ow!" from the old male. "Except for yours, dear," he groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. She nodded with a "humph" as she walked away with the pan in her claw.

Goldie fought the urge to laugh as she watched her grumpy parents with a smile. She stretched out as she stood up. "Well, I better get going," Goldie said.

"Is it that time already?" the mother carelessly queried. "It's not like we don't want you to stay here longer."

"Or, you could just stay in Equestria," the father groaned. "It's obvious you like it better over there."

Goldie walked up and embraced her father tightly. "I may love it in Equestria, but you're my parents. I could never just ignore you." Both of the older griffons smiled at their daughter when they thought no one was looking. They would never admit it, but they loved it when Goldie came to visit them every month.

"You could at least bring us some grand-griffons next time you come over," her mother groaned as she shook the smile off her face. "Maybe they'll stick around longer."

"Maybe someday, Mom," Goldie replied as she went to hug her mother too. "I'll be back again soon," Goldie declared as she turned to the door, which was hanging by a single hinge.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" Goldie called out as she left the crumbling house. Goldie had no intention of staying in Griffonstone for a whole week. Whenever she came to visit her family, she always made plans to take the train to town and spend a bit of time with her parents before flying off to the closest town with more available trains.

Goldie kicked off the ground and flew into the air. The cool air blew passed her feathers as she flew towards the sunset. She few for several long minutes before she could see the next town in the distance. She began to descend towards the town before something caught her attention.

"Help!"

Goldie stopped mid-flight to look around the immediate area. Soon enough, she spotted a white earth pony stallion with black hair waving his forehooves in the air. She dove down and landed in front of him with a thud.

"What's wrong?!" Goldie asked as she glanced left and right. "Are you okay?" She blinked when she noticed a red gem sparkle through his mane as he grinned at her.

"I am now," he said with a menacing voice as he grabbed her head in his forehooves and pulled her in. His gem glowed bright red as it came into contact with her forehead. Goldie's eyes shot open wide as she tried to scream out, only no sound escaped her beak.

The gem was as cold as ice to the touch. She tried to resist, but her efforts were in vain. With every passing second, her strength faded. Her claws trembled and weakened before falling to the ground as her whole body slowly followed suit. Soon enough, her body fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It was only a few seconds but, to her, it felt like an eternity.

Goldie lay on the ground panting in sheer exhaustion as she watched the earth pony stand tall. He took in a deep breath through his nose before letting out a heavy sigh through his smiling lips. "Finally!" he declared. "The speed of a griffon is mine!"

"Wha-" Goldie huffed. "What did you do to me?" She could barely get the words out. The stallion glanced at her with a snarl.

"Oh yeah," he sighed. "I already forgot you were here." He brushed some dust off his shoulder with a hoof before cracking a half-smile at her. "Don't worry. You'll live." He turned his back to her. "You might even recover half your strength by the time the sun rises tomorrow. That is if the animals don't get you first!" Goldie noticed the stallion had no cutie mark on his flank just before a flash of green flames engulfed his body. In a second, a white griffon stood in his place. "The shapeshifting power of a changeling with the speed of a griffon! Soon, it'll all be mine!" He stretched his open wide as he crouched to the ground. "Not even all the alicorns in Equestria!" He kicked off the ground to take flight, kicking chunks of dirt out of the ground after him.

Goldie lay there for several long minutes with no strength. Finally, she felt her limbs twitch. She took in a breath and used everything she could to push herself off the ground. It felt like she was fighting against the tallest mountain in the world. She managed to get onto her feet and started walking. Her legs trembled with every step. Her heart pounded in her chest. Despite the fear coursing through her body, she could feel her strength slowly return with every step. If only she could fly, but her wings refused to move from her sides. They could not even stay folded against her body. They just dragged along the dirt at her sides.

Goldie would have to try to fly later. Right now, she had one mission that was more important than anything else in the world. She had to get to town before sunset.

Author's Note

Sorry for the lack of Gilda or Gaby in this chapter. I figured this time frame was fresh after the incident with Gilda in Ponyville, so she'd be out and about, blowing off steam. As for Gaby, I wanted to avoid changing events that made her want to go to Ponyville in the first place. This may be an Alt. Universe, but I still want to keep as close to canon events as possible.