//------------------------------// // Griffins, Capes, and Friendly Gestures // Story: Promising Shadows // by Storm Shine //------------------------------// "What the flock are you supposed to be?" A rather rude griffon asked me as I shopped for more pancake ingredients. If that mare wasn't a Princess, I'd be eaten out of house and home by now with how many pa-"Some kind of hairless monkey?" I raised a brow at her, not giving away how annoyed I was by her interruption of my mental monologue, and gave a slow, sarcastic clap of non-amusement. "Oh ha-ha, like I haven't heard that one before." I replied dryly, "Your wit is truly sharp as the apple you just filched, bird brain." The griffin puffed up then, looking more cute than intimidating with the way its feathers were, "What's that supposed to mean Dweeb?" I rolled my eyes, used to dealing with these kinds of people. "if you can't figure it out, you're not even half as smart as you look." I replied, adding a smirk to give just that right level of provocation. Conflict ending in 3... 2... 1... The Griffin's eye twitched as I waited for her to back down. Unfortunately, I forgot one minor detail... I'm used to dealing with these kinds of People. Humans who generally wouldn't want to make a big scene in public. The ones who would bluff and bluster and walk away. Griffins, on the other hand... "GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR BEATING LIKE A MAN!!!" The enraged hybrid screeched, chasing me. "PUT THOSE CLAWS AWAY AND MAYBE I WILL!" I shouted back, taking a sharp left. Times like these, I wish I had learned more about Parkour from John. I tapped frantically at Shady's ring as I ran, "A LITTLE HELP HERE SHADY!?" A sleepy voice replied, surprisingly clear over all the screeching, "I'm Sorry, Shady's not here right now, please leave a message after the beep... Beep." My eye twitched in annoyance, "YOU CAN'T EVEN BE ANYWHERE ELSE! EVEN IF YOU SOMEHOW HAD A BEEPING ANSWERING MACHINE, YOU WOULDN'T NEED IT!" "Fine, fine.." Shady yawned, materializing next to me as I dashed through an alley. "What's the problem?" "Oh, I don't know, how about a lion-bird lady trying to RIP ME TO SHREDS?!" I yelled out, diving behind a fruit stand as a set of vicious talons raked through the spot I was a second ago. She took a minute to observe the Griffin, a grin forming on her face, "Whatever did you say to get her so mad?" "Okay, I may have insulted her a little, it's not my fault I'm better at taking an insult than she is." I grumped. Shady sighed, "Okay, you know what, I can't be saving you all the time." My eye twitched, "Excuse me!? You sleep more than half the time!" "Irrelevant." "IT'S COMPLETELY RELEVANT!" "Fine, if that's the way you feel then I just won't give you the gift I was thinking about." Shady sniffed disdainfully, turning away from me. I blinked in confusion, "I'm sorry, what?" "Apology accepted." "I wasn't exact-" "Hold on.." Shadofang cut me off, turning to a spot under the stand and appearing to... Stick her entire arm into the shadows in that spot and start moving it around, like she was grasping inside some sort of drawer rather than a lightly swirling pool of shadows. "Let me see, where did I put it..." "Put what?" I asked, flinching as the griffin raked her claws across the stand on a flyby. "Aha!" Shady exclaimed triumphantly, pulling her arm out holding up... A bundle of cloth? "Shady, I don't think a bundle of cloth is going t-" "Tony, this isn't a bundle of cloth, this is a cape. A very powerful semi-sentient cape with many abilities." "oh.." I replied, lost for words. Is my life a video game now? The bundle quivered slightly, moving towards me as though it were a snake, appearing to be making.. sniffing motions of some sort. "Well that's.. kind of cool, actually." I admitted, looking down at it. Suddenly, it launched itself at me! I instinctively flinched back, arms raised and waiting for the impact... That never came. Instead, I was treated to the sound of Shady laughing. "It likes you!" She laughed happily, smiling. "Looks like you're stuck with it now." I blinked, looking down at myself and noticing that the cape had wrapped itself snugly around my shoulders. "Okay, that's pretty awesome. What can this..." I paused. A cape this awesome needs a name... Well, it's semi sentient, and given to me by the Shu-Shu of Darkness... A gift from my friend... "What can Shroud here do?" Okay, so I'm not good at naming things, sue me. I really have to stop talking to myself... The dark Shu-Shu was not amused, "You do realize it's only semi-sentient right? It has enough sentience to choose a bearer, and to connect to them to act as an extension of themselves. Though I suppose it can also follow simple commands..." "Wait, so it's in my head?" "In a manner if speaking." Shadofang shrugged, "Anyways, the cape grants you the ability to teleport, it is also nigh-indestructable and can act as a set of limbs as well as an infinite storage space, I'll let you figure out the rest for yourself." "Woah.." I breathed out. Let it be noted, I'm not proud of how slack-jawed shocked I was to get a cape like this, but I was definitely happy. "SHIT!" I yelled in shock, feeling a sharp pain as three long slashes were suddenly drawn across the side of my head. "Stop hiding behind that stand and fight!" The Griffin, which I had somehow (don't ask me how) forgotten about, screeched at me after turning back around from her latest diving run. "Can't we talk about this?" I asked, slowly standing from behind the stand, my new cloak (Cape, whatever you want to call it.) not restricting my movements all, despite the length, almost feeling as though it was moving WITH me. "We both said some things, you chased me down and cut me, so can we just call it even?" The Griffin scoffed, "Not until I beat you unconscious for calling me a bird brain!" She got ready to dive again, and I fell into a ready stance. Or, at least, as ready as I could get for a Griffin to dive at me. "GILDA~!?" A somewhat familiar voice called out searchingly. "Hey Gilda, where'd you go!?" I really can't place it, but it made the Griffin stop and sort of grumble a bit. "You got lucky Dweeb." She spat at me, flying off towards the voice. Well, that worked out I guess. "Guess you didn't need help after all, huh?" Shadofang piped up suddenly, making me jump slightly. "Still, that cape looks pretty good on you." She winked with a smirk. I gave a small smile in return, "Thanks Shady... Even if I didn't need it in the end, and even if I was pretty rude to you there, you still tried to help me.. You're a good friend." I said, shocking her a bit. "And that's why... I've decided to try and get you out of the ring. "R-really?" She asked, shocked. "You'd do that, for me?" I scratched the back of my neck a bit nervously as I answered, "Well.. Yeah. You've been a good friend, besides the whole 'convert to evil' thing, and you even dropped that after a while. I still remember the way Rubilax was released, and it gave me an idea on how to release you." "Are you sure?" She asked teasingly, though sounding a bit nervous. "I wouldn't be around to protect you from the big bad griffins anymore~.." I laughed slightly, "Well I supposed Shroud here will just have to fill that role then." I replied, indicating the cape. "But first... We need an area where there aren't any ponies... Like that castle, back in the Everfree. We need to go... There?" I trailed off uncertainly, as I noticed that our surroundings had drastically changed. "Shady.. Did you have to teleport us here while I was in mid-sentence?" I asked, exasperation lacing my tone. She shook her head, "Hey, don't look at me! That was all you." She rolled her eyes a bit, "I did mention that the cape is semi-sentient and capable of granting you the ability to teleport, remember? It's basically like an extension of your will now that it's accepted you. Well, mostly like that." Shady then flicked me in the head, "So, about the whole 'Releasing me' thing?" I rubbed the spot where she flicked, "Hey, I'm injured here!" The Demoness rolled her eyes "Oh grow up Tony, it's just a scratch or three. I can always smack you next time instead though." I raised my hands in mock surrender, "Okay, okay, sheesh." Stepping into the castle, I carefully removed Shadofang from my hand and gently placed the ring on the ground before stepping back a bit. "Are you ready?" I asked. "Just do it already!" Shadofang replied impatiently, "I've been waiting for this longer than you've been alive, I'm sure." "Wait, I just remembered something.." I realized. "What?" Shady snapped. "I'm pretty sure I need a sword for this to work." I replied sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck lightly. "Ugh.." She facepalmed, "There's one in 'Shroud' as you so affectionately call it." "Oh, how do I-" I cut myself off, as apparently just thinking about it was enough. A small portion of the deceptively large cloak moved in front of me, similar to a snake in some regards, a hilt pushing out towards me from the luminescent underside. "That's just... too cool." I couldn't stop myself from saying, as I drew the sword from within my cape in what had to be the most literal sense ever. Anyways, I took a moment to admire the blade, the obvious craftsmanship that must have gone into making it, as the slight purple aura it appeared to have. "I'm glad you're so easily entertained." Shady commented, acting annoyed, though I could tell she was at least a bit amused herself. "Okay, Here goes..."