Tales of a Griffon.by MoltenXKidChaptersWaking Up?Chapter 1Time to EatWaking Up?"Wake up dweeb!" "Ugh, where am I?" I said slowly opening my eyes. My vision was hit with dull gray rocks. A look around exposed that I was in some type of underground military sleeping quarters. Another look around showed me that all the sleeping cots were empty. The walls looked as if they were hastily carved out. On the them were propaganda posters with a griffon pointing forward with the words “Your empire needs you” across the front. Every sleeping cot was identical to the one next to it. Thin, green, wool covers, a basic white pillow, and lastly a very uncomfortable mattress which was barely supporting me. A foul stench reached my nostrils. The smell of blood, sweat, and sorrow combined into a dense fog of despair. Besides the smell, one can not help but notice the blood that stained each and every bed. Some had more blood smeared upon them while others looked fresher than the rest. "I don't remember signing up for the military." I sighed as my daily habit of rubbing my eyes and scratching my back with my talons commenced. TALONS! Why in the Tartarus do I have talons? I scanned my body for something unusual and found that everything was well...unusual. 'This is pretty confusing' I thought. My torso was completely covered in brown fur and I HAD WINGS! I immediately rushed to the mirror located in the latrine. Soon my gaze escaped me and was met by the eyes of a frightened reflection. Its irises looked to be flaming orange. Along its neck, the fur began to uniformly convert to white eagle feathers with the outer most feathers outlined by scarlet. The ones upon the head of the creature were puffier and outstretch further than the rest casting a shadow upon its face. The scarlet on them spread a little further onto the feather. The creature’s beak was huge, curved, and ended with a point...while talons were also the same color, but didn't end with sharp killing machines. They were instead dull and cracked. Also, there was a patch of scarlet on the right eye. The other side of its face bore no patch. It only contained white feathers. "Well, what a series of unfortunate events. Maybe Count Olaf will adopt next.Anyway...I guess I'm a Griffon. Half eagle and half lion" I stated as calmly as possible trying not to loose the little sanity that remained. "Of course you're a griffon,"came the mysterious voice again, "Are you dumb or something?" I froze in place. I recognized that voice. What’s Gilda doing here? No, wait...What am I doing here? If Gilda is here ,that must mean I'm in Equestria. Equestria mean ponies. Ponies mean friendship. Friendship equals the Elements of Harmony. That means the mane six.( See what I did there..."mane" instead of "main"). So even in my paralyzed state, I managed to see Gilda getting worried that she may have killed me on accident. Then her expression changed into her regular, nonchalant face and she began to walk off. "Where am I? Why did you wake me up?" I hollered grabbing her attention which I most likely did to aggressively. "Listen here dweeb. Stop yelling. You'll get us both in trouble for skipping flying practice. I woke you so you wouldn't get caught by the patrolling guards. Wait a sec... You don't know where we are?" "Flying practice? For what? You already push Dash to her limits when racing, so I'll say you’re already a pretty good flyer. And no I don't know where we are." "LAME! How do you not know where we are? Did you just wake up from a coma or something?" yelled Gilda in a hushed whisper. "It is....just a test...answer to pass" I said with a really bad poker face. "I'm surrounded by idiots! We are in Equestria. More specifically, we are at Griffon Rock. A super secret military training ground." I could see Gilda growing steadily impatient by the second. She had the look in her eyes that screamed she needed to get moving or else something bad would happen. She began to shuffle from one talon to the other getting increasingly anxious. Her eyes began to dart in every direction like she was looking for something. Finally she found what she was looking for- a clock. "That doesn't make since. Why are the griffons training?" I asked. "I'll explain later. If I don't leave right, I'll be in a mess of trouble." "The cool griffin, Gilda, afraid of getting in trouble. I say you are the real dweeb" "UGH!!!! I don't have time for this. Cya around." "Anytime, sweet cheeks.” "UGH! This guy is almost as annoying as Pinkie Pie" Gilda grunted under her breath as she flew away. Now that I was alone, an idea popped into my head. Why not explore this place? So I decided to walk around this underground facility before something else could happen. A couple steps brought me outside the sleeping room into a slim dead end hallway. The walls seemed to have been carved in this mountain making a series of tunnels that lead who knows where. I needed to go up towards Celestia's sun. *** Gilda( Best Griffon) Gilda flew to her usual hiding place- A simple cumulus nimbus cloud. Nobody would be able to find there. Even if they tried to catch her hiding, she could hear the flapping of wings coming for her. That would give her precious time to fly away and hide again. This was the perfect hiding place. After settling down, her mind was at piece. It she played her cards right, she could slip right back into practice unnoticed. Out of nowhere, her mind began to wonder about the new griffon guy. What was his name? 'He seemed a bit confused when I woke him up,' she thought, ' Maybe he truly didn't know where he was.' "Whatever. It doesn't matter. He was and forever will be a lame dweeb." she said in a lone tone. As relaxation began to retake her, her eyes shot opened. "How did he know my name?" she thought considering the possibilities, ‘How did he know about Dash and me?' Quickly she arose to go find the eccentric griffon. She posed for flight position then took off. She didn't get far and landed face first back onto her secret cloud. The problem seemed to have come from her left hind leg. Something had snagged it. One quick glace and the problem was revealed. Sharp talons were tightly wrapped around her leg. Frantically, Gilda tried to escape, but the monstrous grip on her leg only grew more powerful the more she struggled. Without warning, the body that the talons were attached to slowly rose from the cloud revealing a truly frightening sight. "Gilda." "General Warclaw..." "Tsk. Tsk. Young Gilda, why must you miss out on all our practices? They are here to make you better." stated Warclaw while simultaneously using his strength to completely flip Gilda upside down holding her up by her trapped hind leg. General Warclaw was a griffon of great age even though he didn't show it. His muscular body covered in light brown fur which easily showed the old and new wounds he acquired over the years. Punctures from spears, ripped flesh from talons, and in some cases burn marks where the skin didn't quite heal correctly. The most noticeable scar was one that went right across beak. It was small, but it stood out like a huge trophy. Today he decided to wear sunglasses paired with his military green suit coat with a white dress shirt underneath. Decorating his shirt was every medal that he received in various battles. He also had a tobacco pipe in his beak where after every puff he would blow the smoke into Gilda's face. His face beared the same unemotional expression as always, but today Gilda could see some disappointment starting to sink in. "This facility was built for young griffons ,like yourself, can train, so you all can be able to fight. This is to make sure that the griffon kingdom can be brought to its original glory." "Sorry old man, but those days are gone. Ponies are at the top of the ladder now." "HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SAY SUCH A THING?! Griffons were meant to be at the top of the social hierarchy since the beginning of time! Ponies are nothing but prey to us" Raged Warclaw, squeezing Gilda's leg tighter. The sunglasses upon his face drooped lower to show the veins starting to swell. "If they are nothing but prey please explain to me how they came to be the most powerful beings in this land. They can use magic. Their princesses raise and set the sun and the moon. Six of them can harvest the power of friendship and use them as a weapon of mass destruction. Did you not hear about Nightmare Moon or Discord? What can we do that is so amazing that we can suddenly start preparing for w-" Gilda barely managed to finish before she felt sharpened talons sink into her lion flesh. The blood started to ooze out around the general's powerful grip, yet that didn't stop him from tightening his grasps and sinking his knives deeper into her leg. "Remember this...and remember it well. Griffons will rise again. “Stated Warclaw matter- of-factly while carelessly dropping Gilda and wiping blood onto the cloud." As you punishment for missing practice... I'll say 500 flying laps around Griffon Rock. Oh and don't forget to get bandaged up first. That looks like a nasty puncture you got from combat practice...right?" With fear running cold in her veins, Gilda silently agreed to her punishment and the false story that came with it. The general straightened his sunglasses and proceeded to jump off the cloud. He allowed himself to free fall, feeling the joy of the wind in his feathers and fur. In an instant, he opened his wings to gain more altitude. He circled around the cloud he had just come from then deciding to land again. Gilda was terrified. She knew this respected griffon could end her with no problem and not a soul would ever ask why. No matter her dilemma, she made sure to look the general straight in his eyes. Warclaw landed with grace, not intended for his size, only to say a simple sentence. "Remember Gilda...Next time...I won't be so lenient." *** The Cave "So let me review my situation.. I am a griffon. Check. I am in Equestria. Check. More specifically it’s a training camp." I reassured myself. “Now how do I get out?" Wait. The full realization of my current state hit me. I'm in Equestria for Celestia’s shake. PONIES! Think about all the fun I can have. I can party with Pinkie. Fly and race Rainbow Dash. Design dresses and diamond hunt with Rarity. Spike will be so jealous. Maybe take care of the animals with Fluttershy. Why not apple buck with Applejack? Hmm I don't think that is going to be a good idea with my lion hind legs. I'm pretty sure they are not meant for bucking. Last ,but not least, I could study magic with Twilight. Oh wait no horn. Whatever happens, it’ll still be enjoyable. Maybe Twilight might even let me meet the princesses. I'll earn their trust. After they accept me as one of their own, I'll strike! Next I will become the ruler of Equestria after defeating both Celestia and Luna. Muahahaha! My little insane moment faded, and I walked down the hallways eager to find a way to get to the surface. Unfortunately, all the paths looked exactly the same. Every wall was the same gray rocky color and held no signs about where to go. Also, I am pretty sure I walked past this griffon sized crack in the wall several times. I wonder how it got there. Soon, I gave up looking for an exit. In my defeat I pulled out my phone to check the time. "Whoa! I still have my phone! This is amazing!" I'm wondering how it get here. Well, How did I get here? "Halt! Who goes there?!” A griffon guard began to peek around the corner. CRAP! I need to hide somewhere…THE CRACK IN THE WALL! From my location, I could tell he is about the size of Big Mac and came with muscles to match. He looked young to be a guard, but still a menacing scowl etched into his face. Like every other griffon he had a fur coat of some variation of brown. Wait. Something didn't seem right. In some weird Equestrian way bruises somehow showed even if they're under the fur. Even from my hidden location I could see that his face contained small cuts and a black eye. How bad was this griffon training anyway? Moments passed and this guard doesn't move an inch. Not even a muscle twitch. He just constantly stared down the hallway expecting something to happen. Of course this meant I couldn't move. Then out of now where he pulls out his lunch and starts to eat. WTB! How long am I going to have to hide?! FUUUUUU!!! I guess I'll let him enjoy his meal for now. Whatever he is eating it smells delicious. Smells like roasted chicken with garlic seasoning. My mouth (beak) is starting to salivate just at the thought of it. It’s just so juicy, moist, and succulent. Just like mom use to make. Anyway, I'm so glad that I received the sense of o a griffon instead of the inferior human one. Chicken... that's an animal. Roasted...that means cooking. So we griffons eat meat. Well that's going to be awkward if and when I meet ponies. How was it when Gilda and Dash hung out? How did that work? Fluttershy and I might never get along? Never mind. We will cross that bridge when it comes. "Azure! What are you doing?" Looks like another griffon, this time a female. "S-sorry Phoebe, It's just I needed a quiet place to eat my lunch" stuttered the now frightened male griffon. "You know we can't do that." she scolded, but then started to become compassionate, "Look what happened to you just because you asked the director to repeat his sentence." Azure and Phoebe. These two seem interesting. Still better not blow my cover. I can certainly see why they call him Azure. Those eyes reminded you of being outside on a bright, clear, sunny day while holding your sweetheart's hands and never wanting that moment to end. Is it weird if those things come to mind while looking in a male griffon's eyes? Phoebe on the other hand looked to young to be in a place like this. She was no bigger than Twilight (maybe even smaller) learning the delicate arts of combat. That’s almost as bad as Kony. I joke. I joke. In reality, this place is turning out to be a real mad house. "It was my fault. I should have been listening." He responded, defending whatever had happened to him. Could it have been those bruises? "Azure, it will never be you fault. The director clawed your face then proceeded to punch you. All you for asked for is that a sentence be repeated. That does even make bad sense." I guess training here is pretty bad. Pain for questions. What a way to go. "Come one Phoebe, It'll be okay. Let' just leave before we're caught." You could see Azure trying to give his best reassuring smile (trying to also hide a slight blush.), but just like a used condom, No one was buying it. "Okay Azure, Lets go." They finally flew away. I wonder if I can fly. It’s something to test later. After some moments passed I actually felt comfortable leaving my spot. One step. Two steps. Three steps. So far so good. Maybe If I follow Azure, I’ll find away out! The optimism has been doubled! Finally, the sunlight will be mine. What then followed was a slight choking sensation. *** Medical Room "Ms. Gilda, How exactly did you receive these wounds again?" Questioned an elderly female griffon nurse who was patching up Gilda's wound. With her eyes beginning to fill with the fear of her traumatic experience, Gilda looked away from the Nurse's glare. "Like I said. Hand-to-hand combat practice got a little to rough, okay." A small tear began to form in her right eye, but she quickly wiped it away. With great troubles, the elderly nurse barely managed to walk over towards her patient to say a simple loving statement." My dear, if anyone is harming you, do not be afraid to tell me. I may be old, but this bird still has some tricks for revenge." "Listen here old lady. Nothing is wrong with me. Practice just got rough. That’s it! Nothing more! Are you done patching me up? I have things to d-" "I was once a young griffon like you. Thought I was cooler than everyone else. I was on top of the world. I had all the cool friends. Everyone wanted to hang out with me. We would bully other griffons for no reason. Take there lunch money. Pull out feathers. Even tape their wings to their own backs. Good days. After a while, everyone started “maturing”. They stopped acting all tough and bad and found new friends. Soon, I realized that I was alone. No wanted to hang around big ole Redtip. Some said 'She's too immature', while others said 'She thinks she is so better than everyone’. One person even went as far to say 'She'll kill you if you don't do what she says.' I found myself crying into my pillow one night wondering where it all went wrong." Gilda obviously getting bored asked without hesitation," What does this story have to do with anything?" "Didn't your mom tell you not to interrupt your elders? Sigh. I guess my rambling was going on for quite some time. The point is Gilda...Don’t be afraid to change. Sometimes you have to just go with the flow of the river. Do you understand?" "Yeah.Yeah. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to go to some laps. Bye old timer." hurriedly said by Gilda as she rushed out of the medical ward. "Bye dear. And stay off your left hind leg for a while" With her departing words, Gilda took off into flight so she could start in those 500 laps. Lame laps. Her foreleg still stung from Warclaw's iron grip, but the pain would ease away with time. Usually he would just give her a scolding, yet this time he was 20 percent more aggressive. She starting to ponder what could have set him off however what eventually took over her thought process of what the Nurse had stated. "Flow like a river...What a bunch of malarkey" *** The Cave "Look at what I found lurking around my camp" Can you believe this? An elderly, behemoth sized griffon just grabbed me by the throat and slammed me back into my hiding spot. I actually felt some rocks puncture my skin. This griffon guy is mentally insane. I mean, who just slams somebody into a wall by the throat?! No one does. He doesn't look angry nor does he look surprised. More like delighted than anything. This is frightening me. His talons, which are already covered in blood, starts to pierce into my skin. Is this the end? "I know every griffon in this facility and you do not belong. State your business." "Uhhh ummm uhhh" Yours truly couldn’t help, but to stutter in the presence of a venerable and frightening griffon." uhhh ummm I'm here so...” "Don't worry lad I know exactly why you're here," His eyes started changing into a menacing glare. His lips morphed from a delighted to a fiendish one." You're here to join the fight against ponies, so griffons can reclaim what's rightfully ours." "Well actually-" "Don't worry. I have everything planned out" He stated this while pushing harder against my neck. His talons dug deeper until a warm liquid dripped down my neck. . It felt like Applejack, wearing shoes with nails attached at the bottom kept on bucking me in the neck nonstop for two hours. Shut up you perverts. It felt like Darth Vader was force choking me and sticking mini light saber into my neck. It bucking hurts is the gist of it. “Since you missed a lot practice, I say you should do 253 flying laps around Griffon Rock. You also need the exercise. You're kinda pudgy." "Actually sir...I was thinking..cough... that I could go home," I gasp through every breath I could barely manage to get in.” I’m… not… pudgy” His grip around my throat became tighter than anything I have every experienced. I didn't know pain of this Level could exist in Equestria. A barrier between my lungs and musty air has formed and I couldn't do anything about it. "Home...You are home. You’re around your friends and family. Why you all will train, eat, and sleep together. If that's not a family then I don't know what is." He stated. I knew this lack of oxygen is not good for the body. I began to struggle to release myself from his talons with no avail. My body sensed what was happening and began trying to receive as much oxygen as possible though deep breaths. Slowly the world began to fade away. Shapes and colors fused as time began to slow. My breaths became shallow and useless. Convulsions began, but soon subsided as my body ran out of oxygen. Sleepy. I felt sleepy. One final look into this devil’s eyes and anyone could see he felt no remorse for what is doing. With my final breaths released, I leaped into unconsciousness. Consequently, blacking out only earned me a slap to the face. "I see we have a lot of work to do with you. A weak one. Soon you will be strong like the rest." He mumbled He let me go. My body swooped towards the ground like a rag doll. Automatically, my body began to breath in and out worshiping the air it oh so loved. Afterwards, I looked my attacker/savior in the cold, dead eyes. Maybe some kind of joke or something will cheer this guy up. "Do I really have to do the laps?" Unfortunately, I still did since he disregarded my statement, punched me in the face, and commented on my feathers." The feathers on the crown of your head are puffier than the rest. Your name shall be 'Puff'. What do you think Puff?" Afraid of physical brutality, I hastily agreed to his choice of a name for me. Puff is not actually a bad name,on the other hand;I wish I could have named myself. A name like Pain, or Thunderwing, or Lion’s roar. Sigh, Puff will do. Reminds me of the old hair I use to have back when I was a human. Eh doesn't matter now. My main objective is to survive this horrid place and maybe talk some ponies later. Correction. My main objective is to talk to some ponies then survive this horrid place. However, with this Frankenstein griffon in my way I don't thing that either of my goals will be accomplished. Just when I think it is over this monstrosity decides to stand up on his hind legs and kick me repeatedly. Ten time to be exact. Ten steam engines crashing into my abdomen. With each blow, I felt something crack. I'm thinking it was my spirit. "It's to toughen you up," He declares somehow managing to make the kicking seem reasonable. "Now fly along. Your laps are waiting. Oh and before you leave, I personally would like to thank you for so nobly joining our cause." No. I'm not taking this. He is not going to bully me. Miraculously, I stood up even though my body told just to lie down. Deep breaths rose out of as the adrenaline started pumping. My whole being screamed for sweet revenge. Being blooded or battered wasn't going to stop me. Hidden instincts showed themselves. In an instant my body was in and out of the pouncing stance and dashing towards the huge griffon with my fists blazing. Have you ever had that moment where you wish you could reverse time and take a different approach to events in your life? Well I'm having one. This abomination lifts up one talon and used all his strength to thrust his knife into the left side of my forehead. That along with the force of my running assisted his talon in sinking deep into head. Blood shot out covering the feathers around my head and neck in red. Depressingly, he wasn't done. While his finger was inserted into my head, he twisted his it inside of my wound over and over again. A painstakingly awful scream arose in my throat, but when I was about to release it he forcefully wrapped his free hand around my beak. He told me to quiet down or I wouldn't survive. The look in his eyes showed that he was having fun. The sick bastard. Leisurely, he began to extract his talons, however; he stopped, so the tip of his terror tool was still inside. A sick wicked smile formed across his lips. What was this psycho about to do? I'll tell you. With one quick swipe he carved a line into my skin. Blood gushed out my face like a fountain the second he was done with the cut. Instantly my battered body fell onto of the cold stone floor. The vision in my left eye started to fill with red before completely darkening out. From my right eye I could see freshly torn apart flesh and a pool of blood spreading across the floor. It felt really warm. "HAHA! It's glad to know we have a fighter within our ranks. I thought you were just some street trash looking for a place to sleep ,but it seems I was proven wrong." From what I could still barely managed to see was that his faced transferred back into a nonchalant emotion. Oddly enough, he picked me up and hoisted me unto his back. "Let’s get you to a doctor." The last words I remember mumbling were "You...sick...bastard. I'll kill you." Of course I probably didn't mean it at the time. "Save it for training ,lad. And you will have to complete your laps after your doctor’s visit." He suggested. "Oh. I almost forgot. The name is General Warclaw. Have you heard of me?" He never got the answer to that questioned since I had passed out from blood loss. After awhile of lying on his back, his clothes were drenched in my blood. The only sound he tells me that I made was a gurgling noise as if I was choking on my own blood. With this in mind 'General' Warclaw began to fly towards the medical ward. If you were there that day, you could have seen the trail of blood leading from my first skirmish in Equestria all the way to my first hospital visit. "Yes. This one will need some training indeed." Chapter 1So now I’m in a grass field. Ugh. The sun was bright and the sky clear. Birds were chirping. Ugh! Why can’t things ever be straight forward in Equestria?! I rubbed my face with both hands. Something didn’t seem right, though. I felt two different types of textures. One was of a griffon and the other a human. Then out of nowhere, I heard a voice. You should go to sleep. “Why?” I asked the voice. Trust us. Just fall asleep. “Well I’m not tired.” It is not wise to disregard our words “Who are you anyway? Also, where am I?” Those things are unimportant at this moment, but if you must know, you’re the realm between consciousness and sleep. Right now, you need to sleep. “Wait a minute…I know that voice…Luna?” The sudden realization made me a little bit happy about my predicament. Sigh…it is Princess Luna to you. Now do as we say. “I would do that, but I’m having the hardest time understanding what’s going on.” Then we shall make you sleep. “Wait a minute!” /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ Deep down inside a mountain resides a nurse, a general, and an unconscious griffon. “Explain to me…how he got this way.” said the elderly female nurse. A griffon, ranking high in authority, casually wiped blood onto a cloth.” Oh, you know. Young griffon males always challenge older ones for dominance. It’s a natural part of life. All you have to do it put them in their place.” “Okay. Now tell me why you were so aggressive?” Growing noticeably irritated, the general stepped towards the nurse and looked coldly into her eyes. She noticed the lack of compassion and stepped backwards. “Dare you speak back to your superior? Keep your beak closed and you might live a longer.” He noticed that the nurse was beginning to tremble, so he promptly backed away.” If you must know, this one would not quit. A persistent little warrior he will be. Now, wake him so that he can swiftly serve his punishment. As you know, tomorrow is the start of the big week” “As you wish, General Warclaw” /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ I can’t believe “Princess” Luna put me to sleep. Come on! I’m not a little kid…physically. O well. I think I'm in a dream. It was one of those vivid dreams where you could control yourself. A hole in the ceiling allowed a minuscule amount of light to enter. My feet were beginning to feel damp. When I looked down, I was a standing in a shallow pool of water .In each of my hands was a rope. Each one was tied to two mirrors located on my left and right. I looked into the mirror on my left and saw my human form lying in a hospital bed. When I looked into the mirror on my right, I saw that griffon general carrying my griffon body into a nurse’s room. What you are seeing is a rare occurrence. “Rare?” Yes. I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here? “Of course I am!” Okay, but before I explain, you must choose. “Choose what, exactly?” At that moment, the ropes in my hands started to move. I clenched onto both of them and felt my arms stretch. I looked at both mirrors and noticed they were moving backwards into shadows. I tried to pull them both back, but whatever was dragging them away was too strong. I was determined to hold them both. Your soul is split between your home and Equestria. At this moment, you must choose where it goes. Hold onto the rope that you wish your soul to reside. Let go the one you wish to no longer dwell. "You know! This doesn’t make any sense!" My arms were stretched to their limits. I felt my muscles burn against the strain of holding the ropes. Every second that passed, the ropes slipped a little from my grasp. I looked up and saw a door open. Who came out the door was none other than Princess Luna. Her eyes were glowing and she had a scowl on her face. Your question will be answered later. Right now, CHOOSE! How could a person just choose where their soul went? Yes, living in Equestria would be awesome, but I still have my life on Earth. I didn’t know which one to choose, but I knew I had to make a decision fast. “Sorry Luna, but if it’s all the same to you. I’d rather hold onto both.” Then, everything was quiet. I was back in the grass field. I stood up and noticed I had my complete griffon body back. I walked over to a river. The water looked clean, so I took a drink. You humans are really stubborn. “We tend to do that.” I stated whiling still drinking water We need you to stop it at once “Yeah…as soon as you explain some things, ‘Princess’ Luna.” It’s a lot to explain and we don’t have much time. “I have nothing, but time” Actually, human, you don’t. “Hmmmm?” I’ll tell you one thing. Ponykind is in need of a… “Hero?” No…not a hero…more of an insider. Around this time, I was getting really confused. First, I was talking to the princess of the night. Secondly, I’m a griffon who needs to be an insider to Equestria. Of course, I’ve read fan fictions of this type of stuff happening, but I never imagined it would actually happen in reality. “Why me and not some other person? I’m pretty sure there are a lot who are more qualified for the job than me.” Oh there are. There are a lot who are more qualified than you. We just believe you were our best choice. “You know, all this is beginning to sound like a cheesy, horribly written fan fiction.” Look here, human. I have other matters to attend to, so I’m going to wake you. “Wait a second.” No, I can not do that. We shall be in touch. /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^) (\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ “Wakey Wakey,” A voice spoke so softly that Fluttershy should be jealous, “It’s time to get up.” Seriously, Equestria is bucking confusing. I don’t even know where I am anymore. Am I still dreaming? Naw. This environment feels too real. I couldn’t move my body, but I think I’m lying down on a bed. A really uncomfortable one. “Why is he not waking up?” It’s the voice of that monster and this time he seems irritated. “Oh dear, this is very serious. He must be in a deep coma.” The soft voice grew troubled.”Why did you do this to him?” “I already told you, Nurse Redtip. Just wake him up or do I have to do it myself” The monster’s voice grew agitated. For some odd reason, I felt my body leave the bed. I felt a tight grip underneath my arms. I could barely feel it my paws (hind legs) as they lightly brushed the stone floor. Did the General just lift me up? “Release him now! The patient is in need of serious medical attention!” “Put a feather in it! All this light weight needs is some encouragement. Physical… Encouragement.” My vision maybe disabled, but no amount of darkness can hide the grin that appeared on his face. “I’m up! I’M UP!!!!!” I screamed as I flung my eyes. The room was cramped to say the least and was dominated by a bed, side table, an uncomfortable chair decorated in colors designed to be restful. The floor was rough. It too, had been hastily carved out. It actually had a window that looked off the edge of a cliff, but had no real view. The entrance to the hospital room was a large heavy door engineered to open quietly and not slam. Unfortunately, the bed was somewhat lumpy with padding and sheets that covered the mattress. The sheets were sterile white until someone’s(Moi) blood tainted them. The only light in the room was provided by a small torch. So far, things aren’t as bad as they seem. Well until- BLAME! With my face leading the way, I smacked into the wall. “Oops. I guess I couldn’t stop. Now get up!” Surprisingly, I felt no pain. It did, however; feel like something was broke. With blurry eyesight, unsteady steps, and nauseating sounds, I rose to my feet and looked the general in his face. He wasn’t wearing his regular green shirt, so now it was possible to see the muscles he gained from years of combat. Nurse Redtip, I assume, was collecting medical supplies while mumbling something under her breath. “How ever will I fix that crack?” “Excuse me, nurse. Did you say a crack?” I questioned. “Yes I did.” “Where?” “Your beak…doesn’t worry though. I’ll just wrap it up and within a month or two it’ll be back too normal.” “We don’t have time for that.” The general interrupted, “You! What is your name again?” “My name is Da…Puff. I thought you’d remember. You did give it to me.” His expression grew calm. The first time I had seen it like that. Slowly, he approached me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I believe anyone could see the chills that went around my body in that instant, yet I knew that I had to stay strong. The weirdest thing was when he started feel the injured parts of my face with his claw. “You know. I really did a number on you. But it was only to toughen you up. Pudgy people like you don’t always make it in institutions like this. Yet, when I saw that fury you had against me earlier…I knew I could make you into a good soldier.” “Thank you…and I’m not pudgy.” It was the only way I knew how to respond to his statement. “No problem, lad. Now go do those laps before I give you another beating.” He laughed and then firmly slapped my back. It hurt so bad that I just wanted to lie in the floor and pass out, but I had to stay strong. I began to leave the room, but decided to look in his face once more. He facial expression was calm. He seemed to be sizing me up. “Yes, sir.”I hurriedly yelled before leaving. “Oh, I almost forgot. To get out just take a left and continue straight. Also, the name is Warclaw.” The general stated. “Don’t strain your self too much on those laps, honey. Your body might not be ready for such high level of activity.” The nurse yelled with concerned voice. I gave one last nod before running out of the room. It was weird seeing the General being nice. It was also weird seeing so much blood leading into the room from the opposite direction that I was going. How am I even walking? Seriously, the floor is painted red with my blood. “I don’t understand this place” I sighed. After a long walk, down a dark tunnel, I finally reached the exit. All I could say was “Gawd Dayum, Luna.” It was a dark, calm night as the moon glowed bright and the twinkling stars gave harmony to the black sky. I could have stayed there and explore the Equestrian night sky for days .Well, until a shooting star grabbed my attention. “Wow. You don’t see those often.” I said while admiring the sight. “Actually, I don’t see what the big deal is,” Confessed a familiar voice, “They’re nothing, but space rocks entering the atmosphere.” I wasn’t really expecting someone else to be there, so I kind of froze in my spot. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was look up at the night sky. “Are you alright?” I had to creak out my response. “I’m…alright. I just didn’t expect anyone else.” Slowly, I turned my head to confirm my suspicions. Of course, it was Gilda. Who else did I expect? “Humph…yeah…So what are you doing out here?” “Well, Warclaw sent me to do some flying laps.” Gilda looked me up and down before speaking. “You are kind of fat. They’ll do you some good” I was seriously getting tired of everyone calling me fat. I was going to say something, but Gilda spoke first. She wins this round, but I swear the next person to say something about my weight is going to get it. “So how many laps did you get?” She asked. “I got two-hundred fifty one.” “I got about the same left,” She sighed, “Tell you what. I have some questions for you. So how about you fly with me until they are all answered.” Something didn’t seem right. Gilda…was asking me…ME…to go flying. It just seemed strange. But who would give up the chance to go flying with Gilda. If you said “I would” then you’re just insane. “Sure.” I answered maybe too hastily. Without a second thought, she took off like a rocket. Maybe, Rainbow Dash isn’t the fastest flyer in Equestria. She reached the flying height and started to fly in circles. I think she was waiting for me. Flying can’t be that hard, right? Wings are part of the body; therefore, I can control them, right? I needed to calm down. I proceeded to close my eyes and take deep breaths. Just flap my wings. It should come naturally to a griffon. Well, I am not a natural griffon. Let’s just hope I can learn. “Yo! Dweeb! Why are you just hovering?” said Gilda, interrupting my thoughts, “I have to finish my laps and you have to answer my questions!” Oh sh-! I opened my eyes to see that I was at least twenty feet off the ground. This is amazing. I knew I would get it eventually. I commenced hovering in circles while humming a celebration song. This griffon body is far superior to the human ones. Sadly, my victory was short lived. In my excitement, I stopped flapping and fell. Luckily, I caught myself and flapped hard enough to beat gravity. Gilda looked as if she wanted to laugh, but she just settled for just shaking her head. I had to redeem myself, right? So…I flapped as hard as I could to catch up to her. I reached her in…wait for it…ten sec…naw just kidding. It took me about thirty seconds to reach Gilda. Needless to say, she didn’t look impressed. “Okay…I’m here…huff…That was a flight…” I said breathing quite heavily. “No it wasn’t. You’re just fat.” What hurt wasn’t the fact that she said it. It was the fact that she said it with the most serious tone anyone could ever make. But, like I said earlier, the next person to call me fat is going to get it. Therefore, I did the most mature thing I could think of at the moment…I shoved her. Now, before you get all butt hurt, hear me out. I didn’t push her that hard. It was just a playful shove that friends do. You should be more worried about what she did to me. She recovered from the push and looked me in the eyes. “You did not just do that. Please tell me that you didn’t just do that.” The look in her eyes… It was just raw fury. I tried to explain that it was just a friendly gesture, but… I was not quick enough. “What the- You punched me!!” I yelled. Seriously! Gilda punched me. Not a slap, not a talon swipe, but a punch in the stomach. “Well you did push me!” she resorted “A punch for a push! What sense does that make?” “Well at least you know not to push me.” A sly sneer appeared on her face. I bet she thinks I didn’t see it. “Come on, Dweeb. We got these laps to do.” She literally knocked the wind out of me. I had the hardest time breathing. I sloppily flew behind her. She slowed down a little to let me catch up. After a while, I caught my breath. The pain subsided too. “Alright. My first question, is how did you know my name when I first woke you up?” I wasn’t really expecting that. Fortunately, I had a good answer. “It was on the room roster?” I said hoping see would buy it. She scrunched her face. “Alright.” I sighed with relief. I was kind of sad that I had to lie, but it would have been weird to tell her the truth. ‘I know your name because in my home world I watch a show that was meant for little girls.’ “Alright. My next question is how did you now about the pegasus named Rainbow Dash and my relation with her?” She really caught me off guard with that. I needed an answer quick or else she’d think I was lying. “Well she is one of the Elements of Harmony, so I suppose information of her acquaintances would spread.” She didn’t ask another question. She just nodded and flew off. I didn’t know what to do. So, I decided to go do some laps, but my phone vibrated. I almost forgot I still had it. I pulled it out of my inventory. I had received a text. I thought I didn’t get reception here. It read: All will be explained at a later time. For now, go after Gilda. It was from an unknown number, so I couldn’t place it. Was it from Luna? Maybe, but it said everything will be explained. Not like I hadn’t heard that before. I couldn’t argue with a text like that. So I followed her. “Yo! Gilda, wait up!” I yelled. She turned her head. Her face said stay away, but eyes were somewhat emotional. She started flapping her wings harder. I suppose she wanted to get away. Trust me. I’m not gonna let her go that easily. So I started flapping mine in order to catch up. When Gilda noticed I was trying so hard to catch up she slowed down. “What do you want, dweeb?” she asked “Well, I noticed you looked down, so I came to cheer my friend up.” “We’re not friends.” She looked at me with annoyance. “I don’t see why not,” I put on my best friendly smile. “First, I don’t know your name. Secondly, we don’t know anything about each other.” The second part was only half true. Well, she did have a point. What I saw in the show is probably not the best identifier of Gilda’s personality. We didn’t know anything about each other, so I suppose I’d better share some information. “My name is Puff” I said. I stuck out my hand as if going for a handshake. She looked at my hand for a couple of moments. Then she looked me in the face. She stared me down for the longest. I guess she was checking my sincerity. More moments passed and my arm was getting really tired, but I think she was getting ready to crack. She eventually sighed and put her claws into mine and shook. “My name is Gilda…and what happened to your face?” “Well, Warclaw kind of put me in my place,” I answered. I was pretty happy that she accepted my friendship, but I couldn’t show it. I had to stay cool, “No big deal, though.” “He really kicked your butt. Most people don’t get out of the medical room for days after a beating form him.” I was going to say something, yet I decided to keep quiet. She shrugged her shoulders, and then flew off. Of course I caught up with my “buddy”. We flew in silence. Every so often one of us would flap harder to be in the lead. The constant position changing sped up per lap. This kept going until a full blown race had commenced. “How about a race to celebrate our new found friendship?” I knew I shouldn’t have asked, however; this was too much fun to stop. Gilda nodded, and then pointed towards a tree way off in the distance. It was a single pine tree on top of a tall hill. What was really captivating was that the moon was directly behind it. This made for a perfect finish line. After she saw my confirmation, she took off. Before I realized it, she was about halfway to the tree. There was no chance I would ever catch up to her, much less win. “Come on, Dweeb. It’s not a race if you don’t try!” She had a compelling argument, so I flapped my wings as hard as I could. When she saw that I started, she began flying faster. I hadn’t quite gotten use to this whole flying thing, but I think I was doing pretty well. Everything was beginning to sync. The cooling wind was flowing through my fur. My heart was pumping blood as fast as it could. My breathing was fast and shallow. This was so much fun that my wings were flapping harder and faster. I don’t know how, but it felt like this griffon body was actually mine. Before I knew it, there were less than two pony lengths between Gilda and I. Gilda did a quick glance behind her then looked back in front of her. Within a few seconds, she looked back. Who else did she see besides a handsome griffon smiling back at her? She had an alarmed expression plastered on her griffon face. In an instant, it changed into a determined one and she bolted away. Afterwards, she put on brakes and I soared a past her. The tree was within my grasps. Only a few more flaps separated me from victory. Unfortunately, just like every other event in Equestria, I couldn’t win. “Not today, Puff!” Gilda howled. I felt a tug on my back side. I peeked behind me only to see that Gilda had grabbed hold onto my tail. She made a diabolical smirk, waved, and then jerked my tail backwards. You’d think my tail would get dislocated or something, but NOOOOO. I somehow sailed backwards. When I recovered, I was nearly at the starting place. I saw Gilda lay at the bottom of the tree. I wasn’t a sore loser, so I went to congratulate her. “Congrats, cheater,” I laid down on the opposite side of tree. My back was against the tree,I had crossed my legs, and put my talons behind my head. “I didn’t know this was a dirty race.” She chuckled and said, “I didn’t know this was a clean race,” She looked around the tree and asked a question. “How are you sitting like that?” I looked down at myself. I didn’t see anything particularly wrong. “I always sit-“ My growling stomach interrupted me. It had been a couple of hours since I had eaten. Gilda got up and walked over to my side of the tree. She stuck her talons out, offering me a hand. “Come on, dude. It has been a while since I had something to eat too. Hopefully the mess hall is still open.” “Alright, Dweeb.” Time to Eat“So what do you guys have to eat in this place?” I asked. Gilda and I were headed towards the mess hall.I needed sustenance. After the race we just finished, I was really hungry…and irritated. Why? Well if you remember, Gilda cheated and pulled me away my victory right out of my grasp. I’ll get her one day. That, I promise. “Well, we have slop or some type of mystery meat. I hope you’re hungry!” she replied. “Sounds delicious!” I said sarcastically, “And who cooks these enticing meals.” “I don’t know him, but he says he is a world renowned chef.” We pushed open the doors and entered a cafeteria. It was completely dark. No signs of life could be found except for a lit lantern behind the serving station. We began to walk towards the counter, but were deterred by a somewhat familiar voice. “Go away! The mess hall is closed. I don’t even know why you would want to eat this disgusting excuse for food.” I just turned around to leave, but Gilda insisted we go confront the chef. I shook my head no. She wouldn’t accept that for an answer. She grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me to the counter. There, she knocked, repeatedly. A griffon talon reached over the counter and shut off the lantern. “I said we’re closed. Go away!” The voice repeated. “Not until you give us some food!” Gilda proclaimed. “No! You go away or I’ll make you go away!” “Bring it on, chef. I’m not afraid!” The feud was escalating rapidly. I should have done something to stop it, yet I was too busy trying to figure out whose voice that belonged to. It was on the tip of my tongue. I just needed to think harder. “Nor am I afraid of you, little girl!” A talon rose onto the counter. In its grasp was a particularly sharp butcher’s knife. Gilda instantly saw the knife. She smiled and grabbed the closes glass bottle, smashed it on a table, and then stood up on her hind legs. “You just want to make my day, don’t you, chef?!” I closed my eyes to think. The name wouldn't come to me. Then, in the heat of their moment, the it came to me! Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the chef had climbed over the counter. Gilda and the chef were already were already taken swings at each other. The chef swung down the butcher’s knife; He was aiming for Gilda’s side. She easily dodged the attack, then lunged forward trying to stab the chef with her broken bottle. I’m guessing griffons are always eager to get in a fight. Nevertheless, I should probably stop this battle before someone gets hurt. “Guys...stop… STAHP!” I bellowed as I ran in between the two fighters. Their weapons were mere centimeters away from my torso, “Gilda…meet Gustave le Grand. Gustave…this is Gilda. And I’m Puff.” Gilda shrugged her shoulders. She dropped her weapon which shattered, and then she flew into the kitchen. There was a loud commotion as she looked for something to eat. Gustave, on the other hand, grabbed my face. He looked me in the eyes with an uncertain expression plastered on his face. “You mean to tell me that there is someone in the dreadful place that actually knows who I am?!” He asked. He was overwhelmed with different emotions that he almost cried. I didn’t really know what was going to happen next…well until he hugged me. “Yeah…” I returned the hug. “How did you end up in this place?” “Le General ordered me to cook here. I refused, though. Then, out of nowhere, he sent soldiers to come abduct me from a cooking competition! I was just about to win first place.” I didn’t really know how to respond to his story. Luckily, Gilda saved the day by commanding Gustave to cook something. He immediately responded by throwing the knife at Gilda. It barely missed her head, but it managed to cut off some feathers. “What’s the big Idea?! You coulda killed me!” raged Gilda. “Pshh. Could of? Gustave never misses. I simply chose to miss. I didn’t want your blood all over my clean kitchen.” Gustave said nonchalantly, “and even if I wanted to cook for you, all I have is fake chicken. “ “Yuck!” Gilda said intrigued by the meat, “…fake stuff.” “We haven’t received a shipment of real chicken in a while.” Gustave responded heading towards the kitchen, “So I’ve had to make use of the fake chicken.” “It’ll never be as good as the real stuff.” “So griffons do eat meat” I whispered to myself. Perhaps, too loud. Gilda just stared at me questionably. Gustave ignored my comment and poked the package with his talon. Continuous stabs by his sharp talon ripped the protective covering. His talon carved into the fake meat causing “blood” to cover his talon. All three of us took a deep breath, and then gagged. “So what do we do with it?” Gilda inquired. “…We cook it!” Gustave answered, “I can’t let hungry soldiers starve.” He picked up the packaged, completely took out the meat, put it in a pan, and started to gather seasonings. He turned on the oven, then shooed us out the kitchen. “What are you making?” I asked whiling looking over my shoulder. “Wait. I’ll tell you when I’m finished.” He responded Some time passed and everyone remained silent. It was an awkward silence. but then my phone vibrated. I checked to see that I had received a text. I walked out the kitchen into a secluded area, so I could read it. It read: I see you are doing well. Be patient and wait. Save this contact information into your device, so that you may reach me at any future time. ~ Princess Celestia Finally, something was happening. I’ll be patient. I just don’t want anything bad to happen before it starts. I started heading back to the kitchen. I saved Celestia’s contact information which was really weird. It wasn’t number digits, but some strange symbols. I saved her symbols under the name “Celestia”, but when I finished typing it, the word “Princess” appeared before her name. I just shrugged and saved. “Puff, are you ready?” Gilda asked “For?” “For Placements…” She looked in my eyes ,and knew I didn’t know what she was talking about, “The tests we take to see what assignments we get for this stupid war…” I honestly didn’t know what was happening anymore. I just stood there with this cheesy ,unknowing look on my beak. Gilda started to rub her eyes and took deep breaths. Maybe, I was agitating her. “Do you even know what’s happening tomorrow?” “Nope…” “Is this really your first day here…” Gilda went on to explain the situation to me. Apparently, there will be a series of tests (hunting, hand-to-hand combat, weapons, etc) which we will be judged and then put into different parts of the military. These griffons are getting serious about this war stuff…ugh. Diving in my thoughts, I jumped onto a counter, and sat with my back straight. It was normal to me, but weird to Gilda. “Seriously, how do you sit like that?” Gilda asked. “Like what?” “Like that!” I looked down at myself and realized that I was basically being the griffon version of Lyra. I immediately jumped from the counter. I walked over to the other side of the room, and tried to ignore the question. I know it wasn’t natural for a griffon, but that’s how I usually sat as a human. It was basically a habit. I ignored the question for some time, yet I could feel her eyes look at my back. “The food is done! “guffawed Gustave. Thank Celestia he said that.. “Okay! Let’s eat!” I rushed passed Gilda, “Erm…so what do you call them?!” What Gustave cooked looked nothing more than baked chicken. I honestly thought it would be something more…eh…culinary. . Even if they weren’t real, it smelled intoxicating. I couldn’t help but drool a bit. Gustave left and returned with bread and cheese. My first meal in Equestria…will be some backed chicken. Oh well, right? Could be worse…or better. Gustave handed Gilda and I two pieces. We picked them up and bit into them. The flavor was…decent. What? Were you expecting me to say they were amazing or teeming with flavor? Well, no. I could definitely taste that it was fake, but food was food. I kept eating. By looks of it, Gustave and Gilda didn’t mind the taste. We finished eating, and even helped clean the kitchen. Much easier with claws. With all the food devoured and kitchen cleaned, we sat in the comfort of each others presence. It was still very awkward, but at least I met some people I can trust. I could have stayed there, but of course luck wasn’t on my side. “I heard something in the mess hall.” We all heard a voice say and footsteps grow louder. “I heard it, too.” Replied somebody. All three of looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The footsteps came closer. I was frozen still and useless, Gilda kept her unworried expression, and Gustave, probably the most useful of the group, ran to a window and opened it. “Hurry and exit from here. There’s a path behind the place that leads to the dormitories. Stay on it, and you’ll be safe.” We wasted no time. Both Gilda and I flew through the window. She ,more expertly than I. I turned back, and patted Gustave on his shoulder, “Thankyou. For the food and the escape route…but maybe you should stick to pastries.” He simply smiled before harshly shoving me out the window. After I recovered, Both Gilda and I ran for our dormitories. Flying would probably raise alarm. Or rather we couldn’t from our wings since they hurting from flying.. We arrived safely to our rooms, and, luckily, the doors weren’t lock. Stealthily, as much as I could, we snuck into our room. The same one as before. Fortunately, for me, my bed wasn’t taken by any of the other griffons that now filled the room, but my pillow was missing. It was hard anyway. Not much of a loss. I climbed into the not-so-welcoming bed, and Gilda climbed into the next to mine. Next thing I knew, I felt something soft hit my face. “Take my pillow, dweeb,” she whispered, “It’s too soft for me. Besides, you’ll need something to comfort you tonight before your beak gets smashed in.” “Thanks for the confidence boost.” I put the pillow under my head and closed my eyes, “Goodnight.” My words were met with a slight grumble, and a snore. I was the last pers-…griffon awake. Probably a sign I should sleep too. I got comfortable in bed and slept. One final thought before I drifted off to bed…the pillow was too soft. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I awoke in the same room as before,where I met Luna. So, I suppose I was in a dream. This time, I didn’t have ropes around my arms. I was just there. Deciding on the best route, I waited for Luna. It didn’t take he long to appear, but she did look annoyed. “Long night?” I asked. “You couldn’t fathom it,” She answered as she landed, “Now; I have to deal with you. “ “My friends say I’m good company.” The princess only sighed as she conjured a chalk board. Yes, a chalk board. I haven’t seen one of those in ages. Hastily, I ran to the board and laid in front of it. Luna was too preoccupied with drawing to notice. When she finished and saw me, she could only rub the side of her head. “We can’t believe we’re using you as a scout. Anyway, there will be only four tests tomorrow: Hunting, fighting, weapons, and teamwork.” “Okay…” “Chances are, you’ll fail all of them, and will be sent away.” “Wow…thanks for the ego boost…” It seemed like no one believed in me. Was I really that much of an underdog. “Look at the odds. These griffons have been training for months, and then there is you. I would wager you can't throw a decent punch.” “You know, you’re not helping the situation...” She pointed to the black board, and smiled. “That’s why we’re going to cheat.” I honestly didn’t expect Luna to say those words. I believed Celestia would cheat before Luna, but hey…I’m new here. Before my eyes, the blackboard changed and started to show thick woods filled with woodland creatures all running with endless energy. Right then, I knew I wouldn't catch any of them without help. “For the hunting segment, you’ll be put in a remote forest. Your job will be to catch something as quickly as you can. Time is the factor, not what you catch, but don’t catch something stupid like a mouse. Since, you’re pretty useless as a griffon, and as anything else, we placed a bush with berries that puts anything to sleep within seconds.” The chalk board then showed the position of the bush in the forest.” “So a green bush with blue berries.” I said. “So you can learn. Don’t be stupid and eat them yourself, okay? Catch at least three creatures to win. Now, the weapons. That’s tricky. Im pretty you never touched one in your life.” “No…” “Of course…There will be cross bows, bow & arrows, swords, daggers, and pole arms. All you will do is show how well you can use the weapon against a dummy, but since you never touched one of these before, they'll be enchanted. All you have to do is move along with them. Make it believable. You’ll learn how to use them for real, later. ” “Okay, but...” “No, you will not be perfect. You’ll get passing score, but not perfect. We don’t want them to think you’re a progeny, right? The other two tests you’re on your own. Fighting and teamwork come natural. Good luck.” “But…” I didn’t get finish my statement before she put me back to sleep. Damn it, Luna and her blasted sleep spell. When, I see that blasted unicorn, I’ll get revenge. I’ll thank her for one thing, though. I had the best night of sleep of my life. I had to thank her. It prepared me for the next day of tests.
Waking Up?"Wake up dweeb!" "Ugh, where am I?" I said slowly opening my eyes. My vision was hit with dull gray rocks. A look around exposed that I was in some type of underground military sleeping quarters. Another look around showed me that all the sleeping cots were empty. The walls looked as if they were hastily carved out. On the them were propaganda posters with a griffon pointing forward with the words “Your empire needs you” across the front. Every sleeping cot was identical to the one next to it. Thin, green, wool covers, a basic white pillow, and lastly a very uncomfortable mattress which was barely supporting me. A foul stench reached my nostrils. The smell of blood, sweat, and sorrow combined into a dense fog of despair. Besides the smell, one can not help but notice the blood that stained each and every bed. Some had more blood smeared upon them while others looked fresher than the rest. "I don't remember signing up for the military." I sighed as my daily habit of rubbing my eyes and scratching my back with my talons commenced. TALONS! Why in the Tartarus do I have talons? I scanned my body for something unusual and found that everything was well...unusual. 'This is pretty confusing' I thought. My torso was completely covered in brown fur and I HAD WINGS! I immediately rushed to the mirror located in the latrine. Soon my gaze escaped me and was met by the eyes of a frightened reflection. Its irises looked to be flaming orange. Along its neck, the fur began to uniformly convert to white eagle feathers with the outer most feathers outlined by scarlet. The ones upon the head of the creature were puffier and outstretch further than the rest casting a shadow upon its face. The scarlet on them spread a little further onto the feather. The creature’s beak was huge, curved, and ended with a point...while talons were also the same color, but didn't end with sharp killing machines. They were instead dull and cracked. Also, there was a patch of scarlet on the right eye. The other side of its face bore no patch. It only contained white feathers. "Well, what a series of unfortunate events. Maybe Count Olaf will adopt next.Anyway...I guess I'm a Griffon. Half eagle and half lion" I stated as calmly as possible trying not to loose the little sanity that remained. "Of course you're a griffon,"came the mysterious voice again, "Are you dumb or something?" I froze in place. I recognized that voice. What’s Gilda doing here? No, wait...What am I doing here? If Gilda is here ,that must mean I'm in Equestria. Equestria mean ponies. Ponies mean friendship. Friendship equals the Elements of Harmony. That means the mane six.( See what I did there..."mane" instead of "main"). So even in my paralyzed state, I managed to see Gilda getting worried that she may have killed me on accident. Then her expression changed into her regular, nonchalant face and she began to walk off. "Where am I? Why did you wake me up?" I hollered grabbing her attention which I most likely did to aggressively. "Listen here dweeb. Stop yelling. You'll get us both in trouble for skipping flying practice. I woke you so you wouldn't get caught by the patrolling guards. Wait a sec... You don't know where we are?" "Flying practice? For what? You already push Dash to her limits when racing, so I'll say you’re already a pretty good flyer. And no I don't know where we are." "LAME! How do you not know where we are? Did you just wake up from a coma or something?" yelled Gilda in a hushed whisper. "It is....just a test...answer to pass" I said with a really bad poker face. "I'm surrounded by idiots! We are in Equestria. More specifically, we are at Griffon Rock. A super secret military training ground." I could see Gilda growing steadily impatient by the second. She had the look in her eyes that screamed she needed to get moving or else something bad would happen. She began to shuffle from one talon to the other getting increasingly anxious. Her eyes began to dart in every direction like she was looking for something. Finally she found what she was looking for- a clock. "That doesn't make since. Why are the griffons training?" I asked. "I'll explain later. If I don't leave right, I'll be in a mess of trouble." "The cool griffin, Gilda, afraid of getting in trouble. I say you are the real dweeb" "UGH!!!! I don't have time for this. Cya around." "Anytime, sweet cheeks.” "UGH! This guy is almost as annoying as Pinkie Pie" Gilda grunted under her breath as she flew away. Now that I was alone, an idea popped into my head. Why not explore this place? So I decided to walk around this underground facility before something else could happen. A couple steps brought me outside the sleeping room into a slim dead end hallway. The walls seemed to have been carved in this mountain making a series of tunnels that lead who knows where. I needed to go up towards Celestia's sun. *** Gilda( Best Griffon) Gilda flew to her usual hiding place- A simple cumulus nimbus cloud. Nobody would be able to find there. Even if they tried to catch her hiding, she could hear the flapping of wings coming for her. That would give her precious time to fly away and hide again. This was the perfect hiding place. After settling down, her mind was at piece. It she played her cards right, she could slip right back into practice unnoticed. Out of nowhere, her mind began to wonder about the new griffon guy. What was his name? 'He seemed a bit confused when I woke him up,' she thought, ' Maybe he truly didn't know where he was.' "Whatever. It doesn't matter. He was and forever will be a lame dweeb." she said in a lone tone. As relaxation began to retake her, her eyes shot opened. "How did he know my name?" she thought considering the possibilities, ‘How did he know about Dash and me?' Quickly she arose to go find the eccentric griffon. She posed for flight position then took off. She didn't get far and landed face first back onto her secret cloud. The problem seemed to have come from her left hind leg. Something had snagged it. One quick glace and the problem was revealed. Sharp talons were tightly wrapped around her leg. Frantically, Gilda tried to escape, but the monstrous grip on her leg only grew more powerful the more she struggled. Without warning, the body that the talons were attached to slowly rose from the cloud revealing a truly frightening sight. "Gilda." "General Warclaw..." "Tsk. Tsk. Young Gilda, why must you miss out on all our practices? They are here to make you better." stated Warclaw while simultaneously using his strength to completely flip Gilda upside down holding her up by her trapped hind leg. General Warclaw was a griffon of great age even though he didn't show it. His muscular body covered in light brown fur which easily showed the old and new wounds he acquired over the years. Punctures from spears, ripped flesh from talons, and in some cases burn marks where the skin didn't quite heal correctly. The most noticeable scar was one that went right across beak. It was small, but it stood out like a huge trophy. Today he decided to wear sunglasses paired with his military green suit coat with a white dress shirt underneath. Decorating his shirt was every medal that he received in various battles. He also had a tobacco pipe in his beak where after every puff he would blow the smoke into Gilda's face. His face beared the same unemotional expression as always, but today Gilda could see some disappointment starting to sink in. "This facility was built for young griffons ,like yourself, can train, so you all can be able to fight. This is to make sure that the griffon kingdom can be brought to its original glory." "Sorry old man, but those days are gone. Ponies are at the top of the ladder now." "HOW DARE YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SAY SUCH A THING?! Griffons were meant to be at the top of the social hierarchy since the beginning of time! Ponies are nothing but prey to us" Raged Warclaw, squeezing Gilda's leg tighter. The sunglasses upon his face drooped lower to show the veins starting to swell. "If they are nothing but prey please explain to me how they came to be the most powerful beings in this land. They can use magic. Their princesses raise and set the sun and the moon. Six of them can harvest the power of friendship and use them as a weapon of mass destruction. Did you not hear about Nightmare Moon or Discord? What can we do that is so amazing that we can suddenly start preparing for w-" Gilda barely managed to finish before she felt sharpened talons sink into her lion flesh. The blood started to ooze out around the general's powerful grip, yet that didn't stop him from tightening his grasps and sinking his knives deeper into her leg. "Remember this...and remember it well. Griffons will rise again. “Stated Warclaw matter- of-factly while carelessly dropping Gilda and wiping blood onto the cloud." As you punishment for missing practice... I'll say 500 flying laps around Griffon Rock. Oh and don't forget to get bandaged up first. That looks like a nasty puncture you got from combat practice...right?" With fear running cold in her veins, Gilda silently agreed to her punishment and the false story that came with it. The general straightened his sunglasses and proceeded to jump off the cloud. He allowed himself to free fall, feeling the joy of the wind in his feathers and fur. In an instant, he opened his wings to gain more altitude. He circled around the cloud he had just come from then deciding to land again. Gilda was terrified. She knew this respected griffon could end her with no problem and not a soul would ever ask why. No matter her dilemma, she made sure to look the general straight in his eyes. Warclaw landed with grace, not intended for his size, only to say a simple sentence. "Remember Gilda...Next time...I won't be so lenient." *** The Cave "So let me review my situation.. I am a griffon. Check. I am in Equestria. Check. More specifically it’s a training camp." I reassured myself. “Now how do I get out?" Wait. The full realization of my current state hit me. I'm in Equestria for Celestia’s shake. PONIES! Think about all the fun I can have. I can party with Pinkie. Fly and race Rainbow Dash. Design dresses and diamond hunt with Rarity. Spike will be so jealous. Maybe take care of the animals with Fluttershy. Why not apple buck with Applejack? Hmm I don't think that is going to be a good idea with my lion hind legs. I'm pretty sure they are not meant for bucking. Last ,but not least, I could study magic with Twilight. Oh wait no horn. Whatever happens, it’ll still be enjoyable. Maybe Twilight might even let me meet the princesses. I'll earn their trust. After they accept me as one of their own, I'll strike! Next I will become the ruler of Equestria after defeating both Celestia and Luna. Muahahaha! My little insane moment faded, and I walked down the hallways eager to find a way to get to the surface. Unfortunately, all the paths looked exactly the same. Every wall was the same gray rocky color and held no signs about where to go. Also, I am pretty sure I walked past this griffon sized crack in the wall several times. I wonder how it got there. Soon, I gave up looking for an exit. In my defeat I pulled out my phone to check the time. "Whoa! I still have my phone! This is amazing!" I'm wondering how it get here. Well, How did I get here? "Halt! Who goes there?!” A griffon guard began to peek around the corner. CRAP! I need to hide somewhere…THE CRACK IN THE WALL! From my location, I could tell he is about the size of Big Mac and came with muscles to match. He looked young to be a guard, but still a menacing scowl etched into his face. Like every other griffon he had a fur coat of some variation of brown. Wait. Something didn't seem right. In some weird Equestrian way bruises somehow showed even if they're under the fur. Even from my hidden location I could see that his face contained small cuts and a black eye. How bad was this griffon training anyway? Moments passed and this guard doesn't move an inch. Not even a muscle twitch. He just constantly stared down the hallway expecting something to happen. Of course this meant I couldn't move. Then out of now where he pulls out his lunch and starts to eat. WTB! How long am I going to have to hide?! FUUUUUU!!! I guess I'll let him enjoy his meal for now. Whatever he is eating it smells delicious. Smells like roasted chicken with garlic seasoning. My mouth (beak) is starting to salivate just at the thought of it. It’s just so juicy, moist, and succulent. Just like mom use to make. Anyway, I'm so glad that I received the sense of o a griffon instead of the inferior human one. Chicken... that's an animal. Roasted...that means cooking. So we griffons eat meat. Well that's going to be awkward if and when I meet ponies. How was it when Gilda and Dash hung out? How did that work? Fluttershy and I might never get along? Never mind. We will cross that bridge when it comes. "Azure! What are you doing?" Looks like another griffon, this time a female. "S-sorry Phoebe, It's just I needed a quiet place to eat my lunch" stuttered the now frightened male griffon. "You know we can't do that." she scolded, but then started to become compassionate, "Look what happened to you just because you asked the director to repeat his sentence." Azure and Phoebe. These two seem interesting. Still better not blow my cover. I can certainly see why they call him Azure. Those eyes reminded you of being outside on a bright, clear, sunny day while holding your sweetheart's hands and never wanting that moment to end. Is it weird if those things come to mind while looking in a male griffon's eyes? Phoebe on the other hand looked to young to be in a place like this. She was no bigger than Twilight (maybe even smaller) learning the delicate arts of combat. That’s almost as bad as Kony. I joke. I joke. In reality, this place is turning out to be a real mad house. "It was my fault. I should have been listening." He responded, defending whatever had happened to him. Could it have been those bruises? "Azure, it will never be you fault. The director clawed your face then proceeded to punch you. All you for asked for is that a sentence be repeated. That does even make bad sense." I guess training here is pretty bad. Pain for questions. What a way to go. "Come one Phoebe, It'll be okay. Let' just leave before we're caught." You could see Azure trying to give his best reassuring smile (trying to also hide a slight blush.), but just like a used condom, No one was buying it. "Okay Azure, Lets go." They finally flew away. I wonder if I can fly. It’s something to test later. After some moments passed I actually felt comfortable leaving my spot. One step. Two steps. Three steps. So far so good. Maybe If I follow Azure, I’ll find away out! The optimism has been doubled! Finally, the sunlight will be mine. What then followed was a slight choking sensation. *** Medical Room "Ms. Gilda, How exactly did you receive these wounds again?" Questioned an elderly female griffon nurse who was patching up Gilda's wound. With her eyes beginning to fill with the fear of her traumatic experience, Gilda looked away from the Nurse's glare. "Like I said. Hand-to-hand combat practice got a little to rough, okay." A small tear began to form in her right eye, but she quickly wiped it away. With great troubles, the elderly nurse barely managed to walk over towards her patient to say a simple loving statement." My dear, if anyone is harming you, do not be afraid to tell me. I may be old, but this bird still has some tricks for revenge." "Listen here old lady. Nothing is wrong with me. Practice just got rough. That’s it! Nothing more! Are you done patching me up? I have things to d-" "I was once a young griffon like you. Thought I was cooler than everyone else. I was on top of the world. I had all the cool friends. Everyone wanted to hang out with me. We would bully other griffons for no reason. Take there lunch money. Pull out feathers. Even tape their wings to their own backs. Good days. After a while, everyone started “maturing”. They stopped acting all tough and bad and found new friends. Soon, I realized that I was alone. No wanted to hang around big ole Redtip. Some said 'She's too immature', while others said 'She thinks she is so better than everyone’. One person even went as far to say 'She'll kill you if you don't do what she says.' I found myself crying into my pillow one night wondering where it all went wrong." Gilda obviously getting bored asked without hesitation," What does this story have to do with anything?" "Didn't your mom tell you not to interrupt your elders? Sigh. I guess my rambling was going on for quite some time. The point is Gilda...Don’t be afraid to change. Sometimes you have to just go with the flow of the river. Do you understand?" "Yeah.Yeah. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to go to some laps. Bye old timer." hurriedly said by Gilda as she rushed out of the medical ward. "Bye dear. And stay off your left hind leg for a while" With her departing words, Gilda took off into flight so she could start in those 500 laps. Lame laps. Her foreleg still stung from Warclaw's iron grip, but the pain would ease away with time. Usually he would just give her a scolding, yet this time he was 20 percent more aggressive. She starting to ponder what could have set him off however what eventually took over her thought process of what the Nurse had stated. "Flow like a river...What a bunch of malarkey" *** The Cave "Look at what I found lurking around my camp" Can you believe this? An elderly, behemoth sized griffon just grabbed me by the throat and slammed me back into my hiding spot. I actually felt some rocks puncture my skin. This griffon guy is mentally insane. I mean, who just slams somebody into a wall by the throat?! No one does. He doesn't look angry nor does he look surprised. More like delighted than anything. This is frightening me. His talons, which are already covered in blood, starts to pierce into my skin. Is this the end? "I know every griffon in this facility and you do not belong. State your business." "Uhhh ummm uhhh" Yours truly couldn’t help, but to stutter in the presence of a venerable and frightening griffon." uhhh ummm I'm here so...” "Don't worry lad I know exactly why you're here," His eyes started changing into a menacing glare. His lips morphed from a delighted to a fiendish one." You're here to join the fight against ponies, so griffons can reclaim what's rightfully ours." "Well actually-" "Don't worry. I have everything planned out" He stated this while pushing harder against my neck. His talons dug deeper until a warm liquid dripped down my neck. . It felt like Applejack, wearing shoes with nails attached at the bottom kept on bucking me in the neck nonstop for two hours. Shut up you perverts. It felt like Darth Vader was force choking me and sticking mini light saber into my neck. It bucking hurts is the gist of it. “Since you missed a lot practice, I say you should do 253 flying laps around Griffon Rock. You also need the exercise. You're kinda pudgy." "Actually sir...I was thinking..cough... that I could go home," I gasp through every breath I could barely manage to get in.” I’m… not… pudgy” His grip around my throat became tighter than anything I have every experienced. I didn't know pain of this Level could exist in Equestria. A barrier between my lungs and musty air has formed and I couldn't do anything about it. "Home...You are home. You’re around your friends and family. Why you all will train, eat, and sleep together. If that's not a family then I don't know what is." He stated. I knew this lack of oxygen is not good for the body. I began to struggle to release myself from his talons with no avail. My body sensed what was happening and began trying to receive as much oxygen as possible though deep breaths. Slowly the world began to fade away. Shapes and colors fused as time began to slow. My breaths became shallow and useless. Convulsions began, but soon subsided as my body ran out of oxygen. Sleepy. I felt sleepy. One final look into this devil’s eyes and anyone could see he felt no remorse for what is doing. With my final breaths released, I leaped into unconsciousness. Consequently, blacking out only earned me a slap to the face. "I see we have a lot of work to do with you. A weak one. Soon you will be strong like the rest." He mumbled He let me go. My body swooped towards the ground like a rag doll. Automatically, my body began to breath in and out worshiping the air it oh so loved. Afterwards, I looked my attacker/savior in the cold, dead eyes. Maybe some kind of joke or something will cheer this guy up. "Do I really have to do the laps?" Unfortunately, I still did since he disregarded my statement, punched me in the face, and commented on my feathers." The feathers on the crown of your head are puffier than the rest. Your name shall be 'Puff'. What do you think Puff?" Afraid of physical brutality, I hastily agreed to his choice of a name for me. Puff is not actually a bad name,on the other hand;I wish I could have named myself. A name like Pain, or Thunderwing, or Lion’s roar. Sigh, Puff will do. Reminds me of the old hair I use to have back when I was a human. Eh doesn't matter now. My main objective is to survive this horrid place and maybe talk some ponies later. Correction. My main objective is to talk to some ponies then survive this horrid place. However, with this Frankenstein griffon in my way I don't thing that either of my goals will be accomplished. Just when I think it is over this monstrosity decides to stand up on his hind legs and kick me repeatedly. Ten time to be exact. Ten steam engines crashing into my abdomen. With each blow, I felt something crack. I'm thinking it was my spirit. "It's to toughen you up," He declares somehow managing to make the kicking seem reasonable. "Now fly along. Your laps are waiting. Oh and before you leave, I personally would like to thank you for so nobly joining our cause." No. I'm not taking this. He is not going to bully me. Miraculously, I stood up even though my body told just to lie down. Deep breaths rose out of as the adrenaline started pumping. My whole being screamed for sweet revenge. Being blooded or battered wasn't going to stop me. Hidden instincts showed themselves. In an instant my body was in and out of the pouncing stance and dashing towards the huge griffon with my fists blazing. Have you ever had that moment where you wish you could reverse time and take a different approach to events in your life? Well I'm having one. This abomination lifts up one talon and used all his strength to thrust his knife into the left side of my forehead. That along with the force of my running assisted his talon in sinking deep into head. Blood shot out covering the feathers around my head and neck in red. Depressingly, he wasn't done. While his finger was inserted into my head, he twisted his it inside of my wound over and over again. A painstakingly awful scream arose in my throat, but when I was about to release it he forcefully wrapped his free hand around my beak. He told me to quiet down or I wouldn't survive. The look in his eyes showed that he was having fun. The sick bastard. Leisurely, he began to extract his talons, however; he stopped, so the tip of his terror tool was still inside. A sick wicked smile formed across his lips. What was this psycho about to do? I'll tell you. With one quick swipe he carved a line into my skin. Blood gushed out my face like a fountain the second he was done with the cut. Instantly my battered body fell onto of the cold stone floor. The vision in my left eye started to fill with red before completely darkening out. From my right eye I could see freshly torn apart flesh and a pool of blood spreading across the floor. It felt really warm. "HAHA! It's glad to know we have a fighter within our ranks. I thought you were just some street trash looking for a place to sleep ,but it seems I was proven wrong." From what I could still barely managed to see was that his faced transferred back into a nonchalant emotion. Oddly enough, he picked me up and hoisted me unto his back. "Let’s get you to a doctor." The last words I remember mumbling were "You...sick...bastard. I'll kill you." Of course I probably didn't mean it at the time. "Save it for training ,lad. And you will have to complete your laps after your doctor’s visit." He suggested. "Oh. I almost forgot. The name is General Warclaw. Have you heard of me?" He never got the answer to that questioned since I had passed out from blood loss. After awhile of lying on his back, his clothes were drenched in my blood. The only sound he tells me that I made was a gurgling noise as if I was choking on my own blood. With this in mind 'General' Warclaw began to fly towards the medical ward. If you were there that day, you could have seen the trail of blood leading from my first skirmish in Equestria all the way to my first hospital visit. "Yes. This one will need some training indeed."
Chapter 1So now I’m in a grass field. Ugh. The sun was bright and the sky clear. Birds were chirping. Ugh! Why can’t things ever be straight forward in Equestria?! I rubbed my face with both hands. Something didn’t seem right, though. I felt two different types of textures. One was of a griffon and the other a human. Then out of nowhere, I heard a voice. You should go to sleep. “Why?” I asked the voice. Trust us. Just fall asleep. “Well I’m not tired.” It is not wise to disregard our words “Who are you anyway? Also, where am I?” Those things are unimportant at this moment, but if you must know, you’re the realm between consciousness and sleep. Right now, you need to sleep. “Wait a minute…I know that voice…Luna?” The sudden realization made me a little bit happy about my predicament. Sigh…it is Princess Luna to you. Now do as we say. “I would do that, but I’m having the hardest time understanding what’s going on.” Then we shall make you sleep. “Wait a minute!” /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ Deep down inside a mountain resides a nurse, a general, and an unconscious griffon. “Explain to me…how he got this way.” said the elderly female nurse. A griffon, ranking high in authority, casually wiped blood onto a cloth.” Oh, you know. Young griffon males always challenge older ones for dominance. It’s a natural part of life. All you have to do it put them in their place.” “Okay. Now tell me why you were so aggressive?” Growing noticeably irritated, the general stepped towards the nurse and looked coldly into her eyes. She noticed the lack of compassion and stepped backwards. “Dare you speak back to your superior? Keep your beak closed and you might live a longer.” He noticed that the nurse was beginning to tremble, so he promptly backed away.” If you must know, this one would not quit. A persistent little warrior he will be. Now, wake him so that he can swiftly serve his punishment. As you know, tomorrow is the start of the big week” “As you wish, General Warclaw” /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ I can’t believe “Princess” Luna put me to sleep. Come on! I’m not a little kid…physically. O well. I think I'm in a dream. It was one of those vivid dreams where you could control yourself. A hole in the ceiling allowed a minuscule amount of light to enter. My feet were beginning to feel damp. When I looked down, I was a standing in a shallow pool of water .In each of my hands was a rope. Each one was tied to two mirrors located on my left and right. I looked into the mirror on my left and saw my human form lying in a hospital bed. When I looked into the mirror on my right, I saw that griffon general carrying my griffon body into a nurse’s room. What you are seeing is a rare occurrence. “Rare?” Yes. I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here? “Of course I am!” Okay, but before I explain, you must choose. “Choose what, exactly?” At that moment, the ropes in my hands started to move. I clenched onto both of them and felt my arms stretch. I looked at both mirrors and noticed they were moving backwards into shadows. I tried to pull them both back, but whatever was dragging them away was too strong. I was determined to hold them both. Your soul is split between your home and Equestria. At this moment, you must choose where it goes. Hold onto the rope that you wish your soul to reside. Let go the one you wish to no longer dwell. "You know! This doesn’t make any sense!" My arms were stretched to their limits. I felt my muscles burn against the strain of holding the ropes. Every second that passed, the ropes slipped a little from my grasp. I looked up and saw a door open. Who came out the door was none other than Princess Luna. Her eyes were glowing and she had a scowl on her face. Your question will be answered later. Right now, CHOOSE! How could a person just choose where their soul went? Yes, living in Equestria would be awesome, but I still have my life on Earth. I didn’t know which one to choose, but I knew I had to make a decision fast. “Sorry Luna, but if it’s all the same to you. I’d rather hold onto both.” Then, everything was quiet. I was back in the grass field. I stood up and noticed I had my complete griffon body back. I walked over to a river. The water looked clean, so I took a drink. You humans are really stubborn. “We tend to do that.” I stated whiling still drinking water We need you to stop it at once “Yeah…as soon as you explain some things, ‘Princess’ Luna.” It’s a lot to explain and we don’t have much time. “I have nothing, but time” Actually, human, you don’t. “Hmmmm?” I’ll tell you one thing. Ponykind is in need of a… “Hero?” No…not a hero…more of an insider. Around this time, I was getting really confused. First, I was talking to the princess of the night. Secondly, I’m a griffon who needs to be an insider to Equestria. Of course, I’ve read fan fictions of this type of stuff happening, but I never imagined it would actually happen in reality. “Why me and not some other person? I’m pretty sure there are a lot who are more qualified for the job than me.” Oh there are. There are a lot who are more qualified than you. We just believe you were our best choice. “You know, all this is beginning to sound like a cheesy, horribly written fan fiction.” Look here, human. I have other matters to attend to, so I’m going to wake you. “Wait a second.” No, I can not do that. We shall be in touch. /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^) (\ /)(^3^)(\ /)(^3^)(\ “Wakey Wakey,” A voice spoke so softly that Fluttershy should be jealous, “It’s time to get up.” Seriously, Equestria is bucking confusing. I don’t even know where I am anymore. Am I still dreaming? Naw. This environment feels too real. I couldn’t move my body, but I think I’m lying down on a bed. A really uncomfortable one. “Why is he not waking up?” It’s the voice of that monster and this time he seems irritated. “Oh dear, this is very serious. He must be in a deep coma.” The soft voice grew troubled.”Why did you do this to him?” “I already told you, Nurse Redtip. Just wake him up or do I have to do it myself” The monster’s voice grew agitated. For some odd reason, I felt my body leave the bed. I felt a tight grip underneath my arms. I could barely feel it my paws (hind legs) as they lightly brushed the stone floor. Did the General just lift me up? “Release him now! The patient is in need of serious medical attention!” “Put a feather in it! All this light weight needs is some encouragement. Physical… Encouragement.” My vision maybe disabled, but no amount of darkness can hide the grin that appeared on his face. “I’m up! I’M UP!!!!!” I screamed as I flung my eyes. The room was cramped to say the least and was dominated by a bed, side table, an uncomfortable chair decorated in colors designed to be restful. The floor was rough. It too, had been hastily carved out. It actually had a window that looked off the edge of a cliff, but had no real view. The entrance to the hospital room was a large heavy door engineered to open quietly and not slam. Unfortunately, the bed was somewhat lumpy with padding and sheets that covered the mattress. The sheets were sterile white until someone’s(Moi) blood tainted them. The only light in the room was provided by a small torch. So far, things aren’t as bad as they seem. Well until- BLAME! With my face leading the way, I smacked into the wall. “Oops. I guess I couldn’t stop. Now get up!” Surprisingly, I felt no pain. It did, however; feel like something was broke. With blurry eyesight, unsteady steps, and nauseating sounds, I rose to my feet and looked the general in his face. He wasn’t wearing his regular green shirt, so now it was possible to see the muscles he gained from years of combat. Nurse Redtip, I assume, was collecting medical supplies while mumbling something under her breath. “How ever will I fix that crack?” “Excuse me, nurse. Did you say a crack?” I questioned. “Yes I did.” “Where?” “Your beak…doesn’t worry though. I’ll just wrap it up and within a month or two it’ll be back too normal.” “We don’t have time for that.” The general interrupted, “You! What is your name again?” “My name is Da…Puff. I thought you’d remember. You did give it to me.” His expression grew calm. The first time I had seen it like that. Slowly, he approached me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I believe anyone could see the chills that went around my body in that instant, yet I knew that I had to stay strong. The weirdest thing was when he started feel the injured parts of my face with his claw. “You know. I really did a number on you. But it was only to toughen you up. Pudgy people like you don’t always make it in institutions like this. Yet, when I saw that fury you had against me earlier…I knew I could make you into a good soldier.” “Thank you…and I’m not pudgy.” It was the only way I knew how to respond to his statement. “No problem, lad. Now go do those laps before I give you another beating.” He laughed and then firmly slapped my back. It hurt so bad that I just wanted to lie in the floor and pass out, but I had to stay strong. I began to leave the room, but decided to look in his face once more. He facial expression was calm. He seemed to be sizing me up. “Yes, sir.”I hurriedly yelled before leaving. “Oh, I almost forgot. To get out just take a left and continue straight. Also, the name is Warclaw.” The general stated. “Don’t strain your self too much on those laps, honey. Your body might not be ready for such high level of activity.” The nurse yelled with concerned voice. I gave one last nod before running out of the room. It was weird seeing the General being nice. It was also weird seeing so much blood leading into the room from the opposite direction that I was going. How am I even walking? Seriously, the floor is painted red with my blood. “I don’t understand this place” I sighed. After a long walk, down a dark tunnel, I finally reached the exit. All I could say was “Gawd Dayum, Luna.” It was a dark, calm night as the moon glowed bright and the twinkling stars gave harmony to the black sky. I could have stayed there and explore the Equestrian night sky for days .Well, until a shooting star grabbed my attention. “Wow. You don’t see those often.” I said while admiring the sight. “Actually, I don’t see what the big deal is,” Confessed a familiar voice, “They’re nothing, but space rocks entering the atmosphere.” I wasn’t really expecting someone else to be there, so I kind of froze in my spot. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was look up at the night sky. “Are you alright?” I had to creak out my response. “I’m…alright. I just didn’t expect anyone else.” Slowly, I turned my head to confirm my suspicions. Of course, it was Gilda. Who else did I expect? “Humph…yeah…So what are you doing out here?” “Well, Warclaw sent me to do some flying laps.” Gilda looked me up and down before speaking. “You are kind of fat. They’ll do you some good” I was seriously getting tired of everyone calling me fat. I was going to say something, but Gilda spoke first. She wins this round, but I swear the next person to say something about my weight is going to get it. “So how many laps did you get?” She asked. “I got two-hundred fifty one.” “I got about the same left,” She sighed, “Tell you what. I have some questions for you. So how about you fly with me until they are all answered.” Something didn’t seem right. Gilda…was asking me…ME…to go flying. It just seemed strange. But who would give up the chance to go flying with Gilda. If you said “I would” then you’re just insane. “Sure.” I answered maybe too hastily. Without a second thought, she took off like a rocket. Maybe, Rainbow Dash isn’t the fastest flyer in Equestria. She reached the flying height and started to fly in circles. I think she was waiting for me. Flying can’t be that hard, right? Wings are part of the body; therefore, I can control them, right? I needed to calm down. I proceeded to close my eyes and take deep breaths. Just flap my wings. It should come naturally to a griffon. Well, I am not a natural griffon. Let’s just hope I can learn. “Yo! Dweeb! Why are you just hovering?” said Gilda, interrupting my thoughts, “I have to finish my laps and you have to answer my questions!” Oh sh-! I opened my eyes to see that I was at least twenty feet off the ground. This is amazing. I knew I would get it eventually. I commenced hovering in circles while humming a celebration song. This griffon body is far superior to the human ones. Sadly, my victory was short lived. In my excitement, I stopped flapping and fell. Luckily, I caught myself and flapped hard enough to beat gravity. Gilda looked as if she wanted to laugh, but she just settled for just shaking her head. I had to redeem myself, right? So…I flapped as hard as I could to catch up to her. I reached her in…wait for it…ten sec…naw just kidding. It took me about thirty seconds to reach Gilda. Needless to say, she didn’t look impressed. “Okay…I’m here…huff…That was a flight…” I said breathing quite heavily. “No it wasn’t. You’re just fat.” What hurt wasn’t the fact that she said it. It was the fact that she said it with the most serious tone anyone could ever make. But, like I said earlier, the next person to call me fat is going to get it. Therefore, I did the most mature thing I could think of at the moment…I shoved her. Now, before you get all butt hurt, hear me out. I didn’t push her that hard. It was just a playful shove that friends do. You should be more worried about what she did to me. She recovered from the push and looked me in the eyes. “You did not just do that. Please tell me that you didn’t just do that.” The look in her eyes… It was just raw fury. I tried to explain that it was just a friendly gesture, but… I was not quick enough. “What the- You punched me!!” I yelled. Seriously! Gilda punched me. Not a slap, not a talon swipe, but a punch in the stomach. “Well you did push me!” she resorted “A punch for a push! What sense does that make?” “Well at least you know not to push me.” A sly sneer appeared on her face. I bet she thinks I didn’t see it. “Come on, Dweeb. We got these laps to do.” She literally knocked the wind out of me. I had the hardest time breathing. I sloppily flew behind her. She slowed down a little to let me catch up. After a while, I caught my breath. The pain subsided too. “Alright. My first question, is how did you know my name when I first woke you up?” I wasn’t really expecting that. Fortunately, I had a good answer. “It was on the room roster?” I said hoping see would buy it. She scrunched her face. “Alright.” I sighed with relief. I was kind of sad that I had to lie, but it would have been weird to tell her the truth. ‘I know your name because in my home world I watch a show that was meant for little girls.’ “Alright. My next question is how did you now about the pegasus named Rainbow Dash and my relation with her?” She really caught me off guard with that. I needed an answer quick or else she’d think I was lying. “Well she is one of the Elements of Harmony, so I suppose information of her acquaintances would spread.” She didn’t ask another question. She just nodded and flew off. I didn’t know what to do. So, I decided to go do some laps, but my phone vibrated. I almost forgot I still had it. I pulled it out of my inventory. I had received a text. I thought I didn’t get reception here. It read: All will be explained at a later time. For now, go after Gilda. It was from an unknown number, so I couldn’t place it. Was it from Luna? Maybe, but it said everything will be explained. Not like I hadn’t heard that before. I couldn’t argue with a text like that. So I followed her. “Yo! Gilda, wait up!” I yelled. She turned her head. Her face said stay away, but eyes were somewhat emotional. She started flapping her wings harder. I suppose she wanted to get away. Trust me. I’m not gonna let her go that easily. So I started flapping mine in order to catch up. When Gilda noticed I was trying so hard to catch up she slowed down. “What do you want, dweeb?” she asked “Well, I noticed you looked down, so I came to cheer my friend up.” “We’re not friends.” She looked at me with annoyance. “I don’t see why not,” I put on my best friendly smile. “First, I don’t know your name. Secondly, we don’t know anything about each other.” The second part was only half true. Well, she did have a point. What I saw in the show is probably not the best identifier of Gilda’s personality. We didn’t know anything about each other, so I suppose I’d better share some information. “My name is Puff” I said. I stuck out my hand as if going for a handshake. She looked at my hand for a couple of moments. Then she looked me in the face. She stared me down for the longest. I guess she was checking my sincerity. More moments passed and my arm was getting really tired, but I think she was getting ready to crack. She eventually sighed and put her claws into mine and shook. “My name is Gilda…and what happened to your face?” “Well, Warclaw kind of put me in my place,” I answered. I was pretty happy that she accepted my friendship, but I couldn’t show it. I had to stay cool, “No big deal, though.” “He really kicked your butt. Most people don’t get out of the medical room for days after a beating form him.” I was going to say something, yet I decided to keep quiet. She shrugged her shoulders, and then flew off. Of course I caught up with my “buddy”. We flew in silence. Every so often one of us would flap harder to be in the lead. The constant position changing sped up per lap. This kept going until a full blown race had commenced. “How about a race to celebrate our new found friendship?” I knew I shouldn’t have asked, however; this was too much fun to stop. Gilda nodded, and then pointed towards a tree way off in the distance. It was a single pine tree on top of a tall hill. What was really captivating was that the moon was directly behind it. This made for a perfect finish line. After she saw my confirmation, she took off. Before I realized it, she was about halfway to the tree. There was no chance I would ever catch up to her, much less win. “Come on, Dweeb. It’s not a race if you don’t try!” She had a compelling argument, so I flapped my wings as hard as I could. When she saw that I started, she began flying faster. I hadn’t quite gotten use to this whole flying thing, but I think I was doing pretty well. Everything was beginning to sync. The cooling wind was flowing through my fur. My heart was pumping blood as fast as it could. My breathing was fast and shallow. This was so much fun that my wings were flapping harder and faster. I don’t know how, but it felt like this griffon body was actually mine. Before I knew it, there were less than two pony lengths between Gilda and I. Gilda did a quick glance behind her then looked back in front of her. Within a few seconds, she looked back. Who else did she see besides a handsome griffon smiling back at her? She had an alarmed expression plastered on her griffon face. In an instant, it changed into a determined one and she bolted away. Afterwards, she put on brakes and I soared a past her. The tree was within my grasps. Only a few more flaps separated me from victory. Unfortunately, just like every other event in Equestria, I couldn’t win. “Not today, Puff!” Gilda howled. I felt a tug on my back side. I peeked behind me only to see that Gilda had grabbed hold onto my tail. She made a diabolical smirk, waved, and then jerked my tail backwards. You’d think my tail would get dislocated or something, but NOOOOO. I somehow sailed backwards. When I recovered, I was nearly at the starting place. I saw Gilda lay at the bottom of the tree. I wasn’t a sore loser, so I went to congratulate her. “Congrats, cheater,” I laid down on the opposite side of tree. My back was against the tree,I had crossed my legs, and put my talons behind my head. “I didn’t know this was a dirty race.” She chuckled and said, “I didn’t know this was a clean race,” She looked around the tree and asked a question. “How are you sitting like that?” I looked down at myself. I didn’t see anything particularly wrong. “I always sit-“ My growling stomach interrupted me. It had been a couple of hours since I had eaten. Gilda got up and walked over to my side of the tree. She stuck her talons out, offering me a hand. “Come on, dude. It has been a while since I had something to eat too. Hopefully the mess hall is still open.” “Alright, Dweeb.”
Time to Eat“So what do you guys have to eat in this place?” I asked. Gilda and I were headed towards the mess hall.I needed sustenance. After the race we just finished, I was really hungry…and irritated. Why? Well if you remember, Gilda cheated and pulled me away my victory right out of my grasp. I’ll get her one day. That, I promise. “Well, we have slop or some type of mystery meat. I hope you’re hungry!” she replied. “Sounds delicious!” I said sarcastically, “And who cooks these enticing meals.” “I don’t know him, but he says he is a world renowned chef.” We pushed open the doors and entered a cafeteria. It was completely dark. No signs of life could be found except for a lit lantern behind the serving station. We began to walk towards the counter, but were deterred by a somewhat familiar voice. “Go away! The mess hall is closed. I don’t even know why you would want to eat this disgusting excuse for food.” I just turned around to leave, but Gilda insisted we go confront the chef. I shook my head no. She wouldn’t accept that for an answer. She grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me to the counter. There, she knocked, repeatedly. A griffon talon reached over the counter and shut off the lantern. “I said we’re closed. Go away!” The voice repeated. “Not until you give us some food!” Gilda proclaimed. “No! You go away or I’ll make you go away!” “Bring it on, chef. I’m not afraid!” The feud was escalating rapidly. I should have done something to stop it, yet I was too busy trying to figure out whose voice that belonged to. It was on the tip of my tongue. I just needed to think harder. “Nor am I afraid of you, little girl!” A talon rose onto the counter. In its grasp was a particularly sharp butcher’s knife. Gilda instantly saw the knife. She smiled and grabbed the closes glass bottle, smashed it on a table, and then stood up on her hind legs. “You just want to make my day, don’t you, chef?!” I closed my eyes to think. The name wouldn't come to me. Then, in the heat of their moment, the it came to me! Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the chef had climbed over the counter. Gilda and the chef were already were already taken swings at each other. The chef swung down the butcher’s knife; He was aiming for Gilda’s side. She easily dodged the attack, then lunged forward trying to stab the chef with her broken bottle. I’m guessing griffons are always eager to get in a fight. Nevertheless, I should probably stop this battle before someone gets hurt. “Guys...stop… STAHP!” I bellowed as I ran in between the two fighters. Their weapons were mere centimeters away from my torso, “Gilda…meet Gustave le Grand. Gustave…this is Gilda. And I’m Puff.” Gilda shrugged her shoulders. She dropped her weapon which shattered, and then she flew into the kitchen. There was a loud commotion as she looked for something to eat. Gustave, on the other hand, grabbed my face. He looked me in the eyes with an uncertain expression plastered on his face. “You mean to tell me that there is someone in the dreadful place that actually knows who I am?!” He asked. He was overwhelmed with different emotions that he almost cried. I didn’t really know what was going to happen next…well until he hugged me. “Yeah…” I returned the hug. “How did you end up in this place?” “Le General ordered me to cook here. I refused, though. Then, out of nowhere, he sent soldiers to come abduct me from a cooking competition! I was just about to win first place.” I didn’t really know how to respond to his story. Luckily, Gilda saved the day by commanding Gustave to cook something. He immediately responded by throwing the knife at Gilda. It barely missed her head, but it managed to cut off some feathers. “What’s the big Idea?! You coulda killed me!” raged Gilda. “Pshh. Could of? Gustave never misses. I simply chose to miss. I didn’t want your blood all over my clean kitchen.” Gustave said nonchalantly, “and even if I wanted to cook for you, all I have is fake chicken. “ “Yuck!” Gilda said intrigued by the meat, “…fake stuff.” “We haven’t received a shipment of real chicken in a while.” Gustave responded heading towards the kitchen, “So I’ve had to make use of the fake chicken.” “It’ll never be as good as the real stuff.” “So griffons do eat meat” I whispered to myself. Perhaps, too loud. Gilda just stared at me questionably. Gustave ignored my comment and poked the package with his talon. Continuous stabs by his sharp talon ripped the protective covering. His talon carved into the fake meat causing “blood” to cover his talon. All three of us took a deep breath, and then gagged. “So what do we do with it?” Gilda inquired. “…We cook it!” Gustave answered, “I can’t let hungry soldiers starve.” He picked up the packaged, completely took out the meat, put it in a pan, and started to gather seasonings. He turned on the oven, then shooed us out the kitchen. “What are you making?” I asked whiling looking over my shoulder. “Wait. I’ll tell you when I’m finished.” He responded Some time passed and everyone remained silent. It was an awkward silence. but then my phone vibrated. I checked to see that I had received a text. I walked out the kitchen into a secluded area, so I could read it. It read: I see you are doing well. Be patient and wait. Save this contact information into your device, so that you may reach me at any future time. ~ Princess Celestia Finally, something was happening. I’ll be patient. I just don’t want anything bad to happen before it starts. I started heading back to the kitchen. I saved Celestia’s contact information which was really weird. It wasn’t number digits, but some strange symbols. I saved her symbols under the name “Celestia”, but when I finished typing it, the word “Princess” appeared before her name. I just shrugged and saved. “Puff, are you ready?” Gilda asked “For?” “For Placements…” She looked in my eyes ,and knew I didn’t know what she was talking about, “The tests we take to see what assignments we get for this stupid war…” I honestly didn’t know what was happening anymore. I just stood there with this cheesy ,unknowing look on my beak. Gilda started to rub her eyes and took deep breaths. Maybe, I was agitating her. “Do you even know what’s happening tomorrow?” “Nope…” “Is this really your first day here…” Gilda went on to explain the situation to me. Apparently, there will be a series of tests (hunting, hand-to-hand combat, weapons, etc) which we will be judged and then put into different parts of the military. These griffons are getting serious about this war stuff…ugh. Diving in my thoughts, I jumped onto a counter, and sat with my back straight. It was normal to me, but weird to Gilda. “Seriously, how do you sit like that?” Gilda asked. “Like what?” “Like that!” I looked down at myself and realized that I was basically being the griffon version of Lyra. I immediately jumped from the counter. I walked over to the other side of the room, and tried to ignore the question. I know it wasn’t natural for a griffon, but that’s how I usually sat as a human. It was basically a habit. I ignored the question for some time, yet I could feel her eyes look at my back. “The food is done! “guffawed Gustave. Thank Celestia he said that.. “Okay! Let’s eat!” I rushed passed Gilda, “Erm…so what do you call them?!” What Gustave cooked looked nothing more than baked chicken. I honestly thought it would be something more…eh…culinary. . Even if they weren’t real, it smelled intoxicating. I couldn’t help but drool a bit. Gustave left and returned with bread and cheese. My first meal in Equestria…will be some backed chicken. Oh well, right? Could be worse…or better. Gustave handed Gilda and I two pieces. We picked them up and bit into them. The flavor was…decent. What? Were you expecting me to say they were amazing or teeming with flavor? Well, no. I could definitely taste that it was fake, but food was food. I kept eating. By looks of it, Gustave and Gilda didn’t mind the taste. We finished eating, and even helped clean the kitchen. Much easier with claws. With all the food devoured and kitchen cleaned, we sat in the comfort of each others presence. It was still very awkward, but at least I met some people I can trust. I could have stayed there, but of course luck wasn’t on my side. “I heard something in the mess hall.” We all heard a voice say and footsteps grow louder. “I heard it, too.” Replied somebody. All three of looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The footsteps came closer. I was frozen still and useless, Gilda kept her unworried expression, and Gustave, probably the most useful of the group, ran to a window and opened it. “Hurry and exit from here. There’s a path behind the place that leads to the dormitories. Stay on it, and you’ll be safe.” We wasted no time. Both Gilda and I flew through the window. She ,more expertly than I. I turned back, and patted Gustave on his shoulder, “Thankyou. For the food and the escape route…but maybe you should stick to pastries.” He simply smiled before harshly shoving me out the window. After I recovered, Both Gilda and I ran for our dormitories. Flying would probably raise alarm. Or rather we couldn’t from our wings since they hurting from flying.. We arrived safely to our rooms, and, luckily, the doors weren’t lock. Stealthily, as much as I could, we snuck into our room. The same one as before. Fortunately, for me, my bed wasn’t taken by any of the other griffons that now filled the room, but my pillow was missing. It was hard anyway. Not much of a loss. I climbed into the not-so-welcoming bed, and Gilda climbed into the next to mine. Next thing I knew, I felt something soft hit my face. “Take my pillow, dweeb,” she whispered, “It’s too soft for me. Besides, you’ll need something to comfort you tonight before your beak gets smashed in.” “Thanks for the confidence boost.” I put the pillow under my head and closed my eyes, “Goodnight.” My words were met with a slight grumble, and a snore. I was the last pers-…griffon awake. Probably a sign I should sleep too. I got comfortable in bed and slept. One final thought before I drifted off to bed…the pillow was too soft. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I awoke in the same room as before,where I met Luna. So, I suppose I was in a dream. This time, I didn’t have ropes around my arms. I was just there. Deciding on the best route, I waited for Luna. It didn’t take he long to appear, but she did look annoyed. “Long night?” I asked. “You couldn’t fathom it,” She answered as she landed, “Now; I have to deal with you. “ “My friends say I’m good company.” The princess only sighed as she conjured a chalk board. Yes, a chalk board. I haven’t seen one of those in ages. Hastily, I ran to the board and laid in front of it. Luna was too preoccupied with drawing to notice. When she finished and saw me, she could only rub the side of her head. “We can’t believe we’re using you as a scout. Anyway, there will be only four tests tomorrow: Hunting, fighting, weapons, and teamwork.” “Okay…” “Chances are, you’ll fail all of them, and will be sent away.” “Wow…thanks for the ego boost…” It seemed like no one believed in me. Was I really that much of an underdog. “Look at the odds. These griffons have been training for months, and then there is you. I would wager you can't throw a decent punch.” “You know, you’re not helping the situation...” She pointed to the black board, and smiled. “That’s why we’re going to cheat.” I honestly didn’t expect Luna to say those words. I believed Celestia would cheat before Luna, but hey…I’m new here. Before my eyes, the blackboard changed and started to show thick woods filled with woodland creatures all running with endless energy. Right then, I knew I wouldn't catch any of them without help. “For the hunting segment, you’ll be put in a remote forest. Your job will be to catch something as quickly as you can. Time is the factor, not what you catch, but don’t catch something stupid like a mouse. Since, you’re pretty useless as a griffon, and as anything else, we placed a bush with berries that puts anything to sleep within seconds.” The chalk board then showed the position of the bush in the forest.” “So a green bush with blue berries.” I said. “So you can learn. Don’t be stupid and eat them yourself, okay? Catch at least three creatures to win. Now, the weapons. That’s tricky. Im pretty you never touched one in your life.” “No…” “Of course…There will be cross bows, bow & arrows, swords, daggers, and pole arms. All you will do is show how well you can use the weapon against a dummy, but since you never touched one of these before, they'll be enchanted. All you have to do is move along with them. Make it believable. You’ll learn how to use them for real, later. ” “Okay, but...” “No, you will not be perfect. You’ll get passing score, but not perfect. We don’t want them to think you’re a progeny, right? The other two tests you’re on your own. Fighting and teamwork come natural. Good luck.” “But…” I didn’t get finish my statement before she put me back to sleep. Damn it, Luna and her blasted sleep spell. When, I see that blasted unicorn, I’ll get revenge. I’ll thank her for one thing, though. I had the best night of sleep of my life. I had to thank her. It prepared me for the next day of tests.
