Griffon of Canterlot
Chapter 72.5 – Finding the Nightingale
As the door opened the first thing they saw was a large purple diamond in the middle of the room, held up by six gold stands attached to a gold brace around it base, as they stepped inside the two griffons noticed there was written noted papers, sketches attached to walls, and tables, also scattered on them were different open, and closed books both on the tables and floor, some of these sheets of notes and sketches also scattered around on the stone floor.
Gale and Nightingale entered the large room, one of the other things that they noticed was the concave mirrors above the diamond, four of them, another two above them, all attached to the ceiling. “No windows, strange glowing crystal.” Nightingale put her talon against it, feeling a strange warmth from the touch. “I wasn't expecting any of this to be in here, I was expecting a empty run down room.”
Gale walked around the purple diamond, he curiously picked up a book. “Zebraian, the language and history of Zebra kind?”
“Sound like a research book.” Nightingale said, she walk up to some sheets of paper, picking up the ones with drawings on it. “A sphere on this one.”
Gale put the book down, he picked up a piece of paper. “This spell.” Gale showed it to Nightingale, the took another seeing one about dimensional travel. “This notes on dimensional travel spell.”
Nightingale came over to Gale, taking it. “This is weird, who ever was here, were researching on spells, zebras and some sort of sphere, what exactly were who ever was in here doing?”
Gale shrugged. “No idea.”
“Let's check out more of this stuff to find out who was in here, and what they were trying to do, okay?”
“Okay.” Gale walked over to another spot of the room, picking up some notes, even some maths on a few pages. “Confusing...” Gale turn to see a pull rope tied up to the wall, he walked up to it. “Nightingale, found rope, should I pull?”
Nightingale not exactly paying attention reading through some of the papers. “Sure Gale, go ahead.”
Gale put his plush down, with his bag, he reached up and untied the rope, with a pull on one side of the pull rope, he turn to see part of the ceiling start to open up. “Ceiling opening!”
Nightingale rose her head. “Huh?” She looked up seeing moon light come through the opening, it hits the reflective mirrors, that in turn hit the other four mirrors till each of the now four parts of moon light shined over the purple diamond. “Well... At least we know what those mirrors were for, the question is, what exactly does moon light have to do with the diamond.”
“We find out?”
“Yep we do.” They turn to the diamond as it start to glow from the four spots of impact, it spreading out over the four points to cover the whole diamond. “It reacting to the moon light, whoever did all this really knew what they were doing.” Nightingale step up to it once again, it glow now lighting up the whole room.
The light shined out of the door, this caught the attention of a pair of blue eyes.
Gale picked up his plush, walking around to Nightingale. “Could it be like viewing crystal thing?”
“Viewing crystal?” Nightingale asked.
“It under throne room, it big shiny crystal hanging above table, it show map of Equestria.” Gale recalled.
Nightingale turned her head. “Why would mum have something like that under the throne room?”
Gale thought about it. “Almost war with Guto, war almost but never happened.” He answered.
“War with the griffons? That would be around 200 years ago, how did things get that bad?” Nightingale learned a little about how divided griffons and ponies were at one point. “Could this be Guto's?”
Gale shrugged. “No idea.”
Nightingale turn back to the crystal. “Let's find out.” Nightingale place the talon on it, the reaction they got was a blow back of energy, papers flew all over the place from it, books open with pages flipping over.
The blinding flash made it hard to see at first what happened, but as it cleared a old see through griffon stood before them. “Hello Grovelia Nightingale Solarclaw, it comes with a heavy heart that you are hearing this, it means all my efforts to free you from that cursed sphere had failed, I stand before you old and with about ten years, or more with this ticker of mine.”
“D-dad...” Nightingale whimpered with a soft gasp. “It Grover... My dad...” She said to Gale, they watch the old griffon limp around the glowing purple diamond.
“I designed this spell to react to moonlight and your touch, it the only way you could be hearing this now, many years after I am most likely gone, time past beyond this old griffon.” He softly said with a raspy voice. “I found out you were trapped in the sphere so early on, I worked on ways to getting you out, in the early years I was close till that blasted zebra Zerra blocked me from contacting you.” He hit the fist against the table top, than clawed it hard.
Nightingale and Gale, they went to the table, pushing some of the papers away to see the claw marks in the wooden table. “Dad...” She placed her talon over the groves.
Grover had moved away walking around, picking up a paper looking at it, the transparent display showed Celestia on it. “I loved Celestia was all my heart, still do.” He softly smiled. “I never told her how close I was to you, or what I was trying to do, I did a lot of research on the Zebras, even visit their lands to discover about that Wish Shaman Zerra...” He growled. “That blasted zebra escaped his prison, he not only took you away from us, but he prevented all my damn efforts to rescue you!”
Nightingale had tears falling, Gale hugged her and put his plush in her talon, he nodded to her to hug it tightly, and she did as they continue to watch Grover walk a full circle, now turn to face the diamond itself.
“This viewing crystal, a unquie diamond I found in the ruins of a old island griffon nation, the first I think, it were I found the Idol of Boreas, how I brought all the griffons together once more, it why I found love with that wonder solar princess, how we brought to the world the most beautiful daughter I only held on her first day to the world, I never got to see you again but I know you are hearing this and that make me proud.”
What made her freeze up is when he turn to her directly, he slowly walked right up to her raising a talon, the magical weaves of energy touching her feathers, she leaned into it feeling as if he touching her.
“Yet I got this very moment, I can't see you but I can feel you my little Nightingale, I am happy that Celestia gave you it, Grovelia is a bit bland.” He smiled with tears falling. “Be the princess of us griffons, help them, be there for all their hopes and dreams, if greed come back, you beat it out of them daughter, as for I.” He let go.
Nightingale reach out to have the talon pass through him. “D-dad...”
“I am going to Canterlot for one last time, tell Celestia I am going to the Arctic Circle, one last adventure of this old griffon, one last chance to maybe see you again my little Nightingale, I am going to make it very hard for her to follow me, if she tries, and I know Celestia will, she won't be able to find me and most likely never told you or anyone of it.”
He turn one last time looking directly at Nightingale. “Don't blame your mother, I did this and locked all this away from her, if anything I am the stubborn old griffon that refused her help, not after she almost killed herself to save you, that creation of the sphere was that cursed Zerra's plan, if you ever encounter that damn zebra, throw that creature in the Abysmal Abyss, let him root in the depths of that gorge for all entity!”
Nightingale's tears continue to fall. “If I can, I will dad... For you and mum... He deserve no mercy...”
The old griffon put his talon on the crystal, it glowing brightly, his eyes widen. “Nightingale! Oh I see you!” His eyes spark with new energy and life.
“Dad!” She sobbed.
“I do not know who with you, but the way he hugging you, I say little brother? Maybe? If that so, be that big sister.” He chuckled softly with joy of tears. “I am going to Canterlot, I won't share this with your mother, I will if this work, see you whenever I see you now, this isn't goodbye for now but till next time.” He let go of the diamond.
They watched him fade and the diamond dims, it till pulsing with magical energy from the moonlight hitting it. “H-he saw us?” Gale managed to say.
“I don't care how... I am just happy he did!” She turn, lift Gale up giving him a big hug. “This is a wonderful gift and surprise! Thank you for coming here Gale! I wouldn't have found it if it wasn't for you sneaking off to Griffonstone.” She span him around with cheer in her voice. “You are amazing little brother!”
Gale laughed. “Amazing, awesome and adorable!” He squawked.
Nightingale placed him down poking his beak with the claw tip, and giving back his plush. “That you are Gale, your a Tripe AAA griffon!” She giggled.
A sound of stone falling catches their attention, they turn to the door way, curiously peeking out of it they found a little blue jay preening itself on part of a damaged wall, it stopped staring at both of them. “Cute birdy.” Gale raise his talon up to it. “Hi little bird.” He said softly to it.
The bird fluttered it wings, then with a few flaps flew from the wall to perch itself on the claw Gale had out, it tweets to him, he whistle a little back, it flutters it wings tilting it head a few times. “Look like the little guy like you Gale.” Nightingale whispered, giving it a little stroke on the head.
“Go to family little bird.” He raise his talon up, the bird chirps and flies off down the corridor. “We look through stuff?”
Nightingale walk back in, pulling on the rope to close the ceiling up, cutting the moonlight off. “Not tonight, we had enough surprises for now, the room not been disturbed since we came, one more night won't hurt, it not going anywhere.” She picked up his bag, walking out closing the door behind her.
“Where we go?”
“To another room that is empty, we will set up camp there.” Gale nodded, he followed Nightingale.
Gallus pinned to the wall around the corner breathed relief as he heard the door closed, and the two griffons walking away from the room, he peer around the corner to see them gone. “Good timing on that bird, I woul of been spotted otherwise.” He whispered.
The blue griffon walked up the corridor, he turn to the- “Where the door?” He put his talon on the wall, feeling it, than stood up on his hind legs placing the other talon on it. “That impossible, the door was right here! Where is the stupid door!”
Gallus padded his talons against the wall in hope of finding the door, even clawing at it, no results came as only claw marks and stone wall was all he got. “I know it was right here, where did it-” He turn to see a single piece of paper on the ground, dropping back down on all fours, he walked up to it and picked it up.
Turning the paper around to find a sketch with measurements of two griffons holding a cub and holding up a sphere. “This look like some sort of statue, did King Grover draw this?” He saw Grover on it, the other he guessed must have been Princess Celestia as a griffon, the cub being held by them must be Grovelia, the griffon with the cub Gale.
“So... It was there and now it isn't...” He turn to the wall. “No wonder no griffon knew it was there, to all of us it was a plan old wall, it must be some weird magic cast over it, only Groveler and that cub saw it cause they related to King Grover.” Gallus concluded, rolling up the paper, putting it under his wing. “Now to find where they went.” He slowly and quietly walked.
For about ten to twenty minutes he peered around corners, moving from one level to the other, looking for Gale and Grovelia, till he saw flame light coming out of a room, he quietly moved towards it, peering quickly around the corner to see Gale sitting in front of the fire on top of a sleeping bag, next to him on another was Grovelia.
“Nightingale?” Gale spoke without looking over to her direction.
“Yes Gale?”
“Can we go see Gilda tomorrow?”
“She most likely be surprised and annoyed at you coming here, you know that right?” Gale nodded. “Yet you want to go see her anyway?” He nodded again. “Very well little brother, we go see your honorary sister.”
Gale shook his head. “She like big sister, like you big sister, I have two big sisters!”
Nightingale put her wing around him, pulling the cub close to her. “That we are, you little cheeky cub.” He laughed as she rubbed her talon over his feathered head. “Finish your hot chocolate and we get some shut eye okay?”
“Okay Nightingale.” Gale said, he looking at the night sky in front of them past the dancing flames. “It a pretty night sky.”
“It sure is, we got front row seats to it too.”
Gallus listened for a bit more, he sat on his hunches holding his tail with both talons, the young teenage cub sighed softly. “Wish I had that kinda thing, but I don't, so no need to mope about it.” Gallus let go of his tail, the blue griffon walked away from the door.
After a short decline he leaves the castle, flapping his wings to head back to his home, glancing back he could see the camp fire at the castle, it soon dims and goes out. “Tomorrow I'll confront them on this.” He held up the rolled up drawing in his talon staring at it for a second before he continue his flight home.