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// Morning Flight 
// Story: The Gryphons of Griffinstone 
// by misskoifishpony 
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Chapter 1: Morning Flight

It was six am and Rainbow Dash was quietly packing things up into her camo colored saddle bag. She was in her bedroom packing up things she'll need for her long trip like her winter hat, scarf, and mountain boots. It was winter in Ponyville, so it was probably going to be twice as cold where she's going. Good thing she was packing soft stuff, or else, she'll be waking up you know who. She took one last look at the sunrise peeking out through her window before silently leaving room.

She made sure to tip toe through her cloud hallway...in order not to wake the giant lump of fur in the living room. However,she'll have to eventually walk through the living room in order to get to the front door.

Don't worry, she told herself, I'll just fly through.

With the heavy saddle bag in her teeth, she cautiously and slowly fluttered through the large cloudy room. As she fluttered through, she couldn't help but sneak a peek at the sleeping griffon on her couch. She smiled and chuckled a little at the sight of Emerl. His body was looked snuggled yet twisted all over that cloud made couch of hers. It may be large and wide for a pony, but for a griffon of his size...it looked like a baby bed. It was the only thing in the house that fit him. He was snoring in a squeaky tone and his long tongue was sticking out his open beak.

It was crazy. Rainbow couldn't believe it's been three weeks since they were first. Three weeks since that crazy battle with that Rubber guy. She was truly thankful to have him in her life. Not only have they become great pals, but Emerl has been there when she needed him the most. He was there to help her through the time when Tank had to go into hibernation a week after she got back from being kidnapped. He even offered to stay with her in her house until Tank wakes up. He knew that this big house in the clouds can get pretty lonely. And she liked having him around.

Yet...despite being so close...she just couldn't tell him where she was going. And why she was leaving in the first place.

At last, she was finally at the door. She put her heavy bag back on her back. But when she turned the door handle, it squeaked. "Shoot!" She shouted in a whispered tone.

Emerl's ears perked towards Rainbow. He slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes. "Rainbow?" he asked in his half sleepy state.

Rainbow turned around gave him a fake smile. She then awkwardly chuckled "Hey, morning M. How's it going?"

"Hasss the ssun just risse?"

"Well...I wouldn't say just rise. More like, 'hey, it's mid-morning! Soooo...go back to sleep!'"

"Where...wherree are you going?"

"Just...getting us some breakfast. That's all!"

Emerl then took a good look at her and pointed out "Then, why are you ttaking your heavier sssaddle ssatchel?"

Rainbow then looked back at her saddle bag. Despite this obvious distraction, she still kept up the happy facade. "Oh? This? I uh...like to take a heavy saddle bag for the morning. It's for...my morning flight! Yeah, that's it! Lifting a heavy weight while flying bulks up the wings."

"I'vvve...never sseen you carry this ssatchel forrr your morning flight beforre."

"Well I...don't always carry it around. I mean...I don't have to bulk them all the time you know."

Emerl raised one of his hairy eyebrows up, showing his suspicions to Rainbow.

When she saw this she awkwardly giggled "Okay, you got me. I was going to surprise you with some Griffin Scones from the Griffinstone city. But you got me! You old stinker you!"

Emerl's eyes widen at the mention of the Griffin capitol. He remembered reading about it in the book Princess Twilight gave him. He remembered enjoying the book and learning about these griffons in this new land. They were so different yet so similar to his kind back in Camelot. It has been so long since he had seen another griffin. He also remembered reading about these delicious pastries called Griffin Scones. He had no idea what scones were, but if other griffins liked them, he was sure that they were quite delicious. However...that still didn't erase his suspicions.

"Whyyy didn'ttt you tell meee that in the firssst place?"

Rainbow began to sweat nervously, "Well duh! It was surprise, that's why I didn't tell ya."

Emerl crawled out of the couch and walked towards Rainbow. "You'rrre lyyying."

"What? No, I'm not."

"Yesss, you are."

Before Rainbow knew it, the giant griffon was in front of her. Pleading her silently with his big yet gentle green eyes, "Pleasssee. Tell meee."

She couldn't say no to those eyes. It was her horrible secret weakness. She groaned then let out a sigh. "Okay, okay. I was going to Griffinstone to...make up for what I did to...some creature I know. Do you...remember that griffin I told you about? You know...the one from Flight Camp."

"Gillldaa?"

"Y-Yeah...Gilda. She came to Ponyville...awhile back...way before I meet you...to visit me. When she did...she was mean to all my friends. She was mean to every pony in Ponyville. She was especially mean to all my friends. At first, I thought she was doing it because she was a jerk. I thought I was blind to her jerkiness. So I...told her to get lost. But then...after I meet you and got to know you...I realized that Gilda wasn't being a jerk just for the sake of being a jerk. She was hurt...somehow and...I need to go to Griffinstone and set things right. But...I gotta to do this on my own, so..."

"That'sss why you couldn'ttt tell mee."

"Well, I knew you would want to come and give me emotional support and blah blah bla."

"You'rrre rrright, I do want come."

Then inched himself closer to Rainbow. Making him tower over her. Rainbow looked up at him with a surprised yet blushing look. Feeling uncomfortable how close they were...and how close his muscular furry chest was to her face. Ever since he nuzzled her cheek in the Canterlot Garden a couple of weeks ago, she's always act this way whenever they got close or intimate. She hated feeling this way, and she didn't know why she felt this way.

"Buttt only becaussse I get lonely without you. I'm terribly ssselfish you know."

His statement made Rainbow blush even more. She hated it when he made her do that, yet...she kinda liked it when he said nice stuff like that. She shakes her head and smirks at her towering friend.

"Alright, you big goof ball." She scratches the top of his head and messes up his fur and feathers. "You can come."

Rainbow Dash dashed for the door while Emerl chuckled in this throat and watched Rainbow with a warm expression on his face. He gracefully followed Rainbow as they exited out of the house.

The pegasus and the griffon walked out to edge of the cloud front yard and took a good look at the beautiful morning sky. Emerl offered to carried Rainbow's bag and she let him.

"Let's do this!" Rainbow exclaimed while expanding her wings wide.

After that, she immediately took to the sky. With a smile on his face, Emerl flew after her.