Turnabout Storm Parts 32-33 updated · 6:53pm Jun 12th, 2018
The Derpy/Ditzy/Bright Eyes and Lenora chapters have received their editing passes and overhaul. Mostly minor changes, including the usual merciless removal of all usages of 'violet unicorn' and easing off on elipses, but among other things, I finally settled on the spelling of "griffon" instead of "griffin" since what's the show uses, and added some references to both my Firefly stories (which involve griffons) and later seasons of the show, like Twilight knowing Lyra from school.
And as an additional bonus, a brand new graphic was added as well.
“Lenora… what can you tell me about this other pony in the race named ‘Cruise Control’?” she asked.
To her surprise. Lenora’s ears and mood perked up instantly at his mention. “Cruise Control? He’s here?” she said in some surprise, the timbre of her voice almost approaching excitement. “Oh, I’ll gladly talk about him!” She smiled like she was being invited to reminisce about an old friend.
Though Twilight thought Lenora’s reaction was a little odd, she let it go. “Great! What can you tell me about him?” she asked as she took back out her quill, ink and a fresh sheet of scroll paper, holding them at the ready to take notes. She found it nearly impossible to keep it all floating at once in her low-power state, so she laid the ink and parchment on the tiled floor and concentrated her remaining magical energy on the quill.
Lenora gave the arrangement a confused look, but didn’t ask. “I know a lot about the other racers. I’ve competed against just about all of them before. But Cruise—” she paused, her blue eyes going almost misty for a moment “—he has a pretty depressing story.” She shook her head sadly.
“I don’t think ‘depressing’ is the right word,” Twilight corrected. “I think ‘off his rocker’ is what you’re looking for,” she suggested, vividly remembering the young stallion’s constant ranting and raving.
“Oh. That…” Lenora sighed and rolled her blue eyes, sitting back down on her haunches, her head low. “That’s all just a façade. I suppose he thought if he was to become a loser, he might as well act like one,” she shook her head in disappointment.
Twilight was surprised. “Wait… you’re saying that whole self-berating thing is just an act?” she asked the griffon female, wondering if Cruise was faking a dual personality as an escape or an excuse… and either way, from what?
Lenora nodded almost grimly. “Yes. Don’t let that routine of his fool you. He’s actually good—really good! I can personally vouch for that,” she said almost wistfully, her eyes going distant for a moment. “He’s a very gifted flyer who did exceptionally well on the Manehattan racing circuit. Even the Wonderbolts were interested in him once,” she remembered, causing Twilight and Apple Bloom to gape in surprise; Twilight especially having a hard time seeing him as Wonderbolts material given his frequent self-berating outbursts, feigned or no.
“Ya mean he tried out for the ‘Bolts but didn’t make it?” Apple Bloom asked, but Lenora shook her head.
“I mean he didn’t try out for them at all,” she corrected the young filly, a sly smile on her beaked face. “They recruited him, but he turned them down flat because he just wanted to race and didn’t want to be away from—” she cut her own sentence off abruptly, as if catching herself from saying something she shouldn’t.
Twilight caught her hesitation, certain the griffon she was holding something back. “Away from what?” she prompted as she finished writing a note.
“Nothing, sorry.” Lenora shook her head and looked away, an odd smile on her face at which point Twilight’s vision went dark again and a few chains materialized in front of the griffon eagless, guarded by a single red lock.
Twilight looked at it in frustration. Okay, I’ve GOT to find out what these things are! She knew, realizing she increasingly had no choice but to find and talk to Phoenix again, regardless of whether she felt ready to or not.
Photoshop is a wonderful thing. Usual thanks go to Silentwoodfire, AJ_Aficionado, and Denim_Blue. More updated chapters are coming.
