//------------------------------// // Invite // Story: Home Not Sweet Home // by CitreneSkys //------------------------------// Flying in to the sky, Gallus stretched his wing out. It felt good to fly again, feeling the wind on his face as he soared over the houses. It was also great that there were no longer any air traffic to clog up the sky, so Gallus flew peacefully. His wings beats barely made sounds, only giving the occasional breeze as he passed by. He clutched a small book in his talons, being taken from the library once again. He found a short novel that had drawn pictures in it, and Gallus wanted to bring it back to his branch so he could read it again. Didn’t go as planned. As he was busy studying the cover, he failed to realized that he was about the run into a other griffons. Blue and grey feather collided in the air, and Gallus almost fell out of the air, only catching himself a few feet of the ground. “Hey! Watch were you’re-“ Gallus paused, squinting at the griffon above him. It was hard to see with the position of the sun, but the griffon looked oddly familiar. “Oh hey Gallus,” the griffon spoke, and the younger griffon put the pieces together. “Gabby...?” “Yeah! It’s me,” she floated down to his level, the same grin that she always wore. Gallus rubbed the side of his head. “How is ya doing?” “I’m fine,” Gallus assured, holding the novel to his chest. “Where were you this week? I didn’t see you at all.” “I went to Ponyville!” She said excitedly, her talons shaking with excitement. Gallus cocked an eyebrow. She squealed, “I know what your thinking, why would I go to Ponyville, well let me tell you, I saw Gilda pony friends spread care and compassion and Gilda was trying to do the same, and you know me, I had to figure out why, and well that’s just how ponies are and then I saw their cutie marks light up-those are the pictures on their flanks- and I had to go to equators so when Gilda finally gave me a letter to send, I sped off for pony lands-“ “Gabby,” Gallus said exasperatedly, pushing his small talons to her beak. “Please. Slow. Down.” “Right, right,” she said clearing her voice. Gallus eyes wandered passed Gabby, hover just above the edge of the cliff. He spotted this branch, lowering himself on the thick bark. He beckoned Gabby to do the same. He almost regretted it, as the branch bent with Gabby’s added weight. He wobbled, digging his talons into the bark of the branch. When it stopped tilting, looking up at the grey griffon. “Okay,” he sighed, placing the graphic novel down onto the base of the branch. “What were you going on about?” “Hm?” Gabby stopped playing with the branch's leaves. “Oh right! So ponies are creatures that share friendship and care everywhere they go, and I saw two of their cutie marks light up, so I went to Ponyville to get my own cutie mark!” Gallus stared blankly at Gabby, unsure how to react to that. “I see it didn’t work...?” “It did!” Gabby exclaimed in excitement, pulling off her satchel, pointing at the shiny pins on each side. The younger griffon poked at the glass-like badges. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders, these three fillies, helped me figure out my purpose, and they made me a Crusader! Their destiny is to help others, and so is mine! Can you believe it?” Gallus has to think about that. A lot of what Gabby said didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, but the sheer enthusiasm from her was off the chart. “...I can believe the destiny part of it?” He offered, his tone unsure of itself. Gabby just kept a smile, her sweet disposition radiating into there surroundings. “So is that why you were going for a week?” Gabby looked at him blankly. “What do you mean? I’ve been in Griffonstone the entire week!” Gallus cocked an eyebrow at the grey griffon. “Well, you certainly weren’t around in this part of town. What where are you doing?” The older griffon stared blankly at him, her eyes seemed unfocused as she thought. Then she gave a sheepish grin. “Well....” The white-headed griffon clamped her talons over her hidden ears as Gabby screeched in the kitchen. “Gabriella!” Gilda cried, wincing at the sound emitting from her younger sister. Gavin was laying on her old hammock, a pillow squashed over his head. Poor fledging was trying to sleep. It’s a good thing Grandpa Gruff was out today. “GABBY PLEASE STOP!” She managed to get the attention of younger griffon. Gabby turned her grey-green eyes towards Gilda, letting a sheepish smile form on her face. “Sorry,” she tapped her claws together, her eyes drifting to one side. “I’m just so excited! Can you believe it?! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader! They said my purpose was to help others and that’s what intend on doing right now-“ She gasped, looking at the time. The old clock, for some ungodly reason, still worked, it’s hands showing it was past noon. “Oh gosh, it’s later than I thought. I should get going and help all griffons in need!” Gabby left the house as abruptly as she came in. Gilda let out a sigh, removing her talons from her head. Gavin pried the pillow off, his feathers seemed ruffled. “Is she gone now?” Gallus face-taloned, though he wasn’t all that surprised. Given how hyperactive the grey griffon had the tendency to be, this was the perfect explanation. “Let me guess, you were everywhere and nowhere at the same time?” “Heh, yeah,” Gabby scratched her neck feathers. Arching her back, she stretched her neck and arms out, yawning. “Wow, it’s getting late.” Gallus looked up towards the sky. Sure enough, the sky had turned from its daytime blue into a pale orange, the sun dipped lower onto the horizon. The warm air already seemed to cooler, and he welcomed the night breeze with open wings. “Say...what have you been eating for the few weeks?” Gabby asked curiously, tipping her head to one side. Gallus simply shoved his talon through the branch’s leaves, pulling out a paper bag that Gabby had given him. The older griffon grimaced. “That probably stale by now...” “Eh,” the blue griffon shrugged it off, placing it back into his stash. “I’ll take what I can get.” Gabby frowned, her head tilting slightly to the right. Her feathers ruffled a bit, talons digging in deeper into the bark. “Y’know...it’s Gilda turns to cook today, and usually she makes a lot more than necessary...” Gallus did not like where this was going. “What if I invited you over for dinner?” Gabby's tail swished underneath her as she made the proposition. Gallus made an uncomfortable look, remembering the last time he had seen her family. The family of four was three grumps and one overly energetic feather ball. Not really something he wanted to deal with today. But...it’s food, Gallus thought logical to himself. He’s been rationing things every day for three weeks now, barley keeping his hunger down. Surely food can’t hurt. Right? Gilda stirred the stew in the pot, her talons indifferent to the steam that emitted off the steel pot. Lifting the spoon, she carefully tasted it. Too bad her tongue isn’t fireproof. She violently winced away from the ladle, covering her beak with her talons. “Ow, hawt!” She waves her talons, trying to cool down her burning tongue as best as she could. “I still don’t get why you make so much,” Gavin perches next to her, so small that he fit into the breadbasket. His feathers were tattered and dirty, reminding Gilda that she’d needed dunk him in the water soon. “Ah mak mor juss in cass,” Gilda said with her tongue sticking out. The fledgling rolled his eyes at his big sister. “Why? It’s not like we ever get guests or anything.” As if the world was listening and wanted to taunt him, familiar grey feathers burst into the room. “I’m baaaaaaack!” Gabby sang, which lead to loud crashing on the floor above them. Grandpa Gruff, with all his falling out feathers and glory, came tumbling down the stairs, wheezing black feathers out. Gabby winced. “Whits with all the ruckus?!” the elderly griffon screeched, making everyone’s ears ring. Gabby shook her head, shaking off the vibrations in her head. “I brought company,” the grey griffon moved out of the doorway, revealing a certain blue griffon behind her. Gallus waved shyly at all the other griffons in the room, his blue eyes trailing nervously to the ground. Beside Gilda, Gavin sighed, pinching the bridge of his beak. “I spoke too soon.”