Rocky Road was ecstatic. For the first time in her life she was out and exploring!
Sure it was her home city of Phoenix Roost, but she’d never seen it beyond the walls of the nursery! And sure she had technically run off from her class/clutchmates and Bell Curve and was currently lost, but hey. Adventure!
Hmm… Maybe she could get back before Bell noticed she was gone. If Bell found out Rocky had ditched the field trip to the Jiyya groves she’d be in big trouble. Stupid trees were just super ultra gigantically boring. Even if they were supposed to be important.
Rocky wanted to get out there and see cool stuff! Awesome stuff! Have adventures and discover new stuff! She was going to become an adventurer after all, just like that Daring Doo lady from her favorite books at story time. She snorted, giggling to herself. Hehehe doo.
Then a brilliant idea came to Rocky, born from her need to stay out of trouble. She needed some kind of help getting back to her group before Bell found out she was missing. But she couldn’t just ask any of her grown up siblings cause they’d just ping Bell over the Hive and then she’d be in trouble. That was why she was currently hiding behind a sign after all. There was one person though she could ask for help from that would only be supportive and wouldn’t rat her out. It was time to entreat Her.
<Momma? I’m lost and I can’t find Bell and I don’t want to get in trouble I just wanted to explore a little cause the city’s so cool and I just wanted to see it before we had to go back to the classroom and I know we’re gonna be all grown up and can go around on our own in like ‘no time at all’ but that’s too far away and now I’m hungry.> Truly it was the greatest speech delivered by a nymph ever.
There was only a moment’s pause before Rocky felt the warm focus of her mother on her. <I’m sorry Rocky Road, I didn’t get all of that.> Queen Twilight said with an upbeat soothing voice, <Take a deep breath and tell me again a little slower please.>
Rocky smiled, momma always seemed to just make everything better, even having to repeat stuff. Obediently the little one began the calming exercise they were all taught and started pumping her forehoof as hard as she could while gulping air down. It’s important to note that little Rocky never seemed to grasp the core concepts of the exercise, those being to sit down, make a soothing controlled movement, and slowly taking calming breaths. As such she looked like she was having some kind of mental fit.
<All better! Momma, I may be a tiny itsy bitsy little kinda lost! The field trip was stupid and boring and everyone says you don’t like stupid things so I went exploring. But now I’ll get in trouble, cause Bell told us not to get sepa-rated, which I thought was a kinda knife leg thing for fighting bad guys till she told us that was serrated and that separated meant getting lost. So I called you, cause if I called Bell she’d scold me and I wouldn’t get any ice cream, but you’d just love me!> Rocky beamed with the confidence only child logic could create.
Twilight sighed. Rocky took this as approval. <Ok, first go to the end of the road and turn left.>
<Which one’s left again?> Rocky felt a mental prod to the left. < Thanks momma!> Learning stuff from momma was the best.
The Meatery was a shiny diner. One might think it was because it was new but they’d be wrong. Griffons instinctively liked shiny things, as they can be seen for quite the distance from the air. So it was a traditional design for an establishment attempting to attract customers. The fact it was buried in the expanding industrial district of Phoenix Roost didn’t seem to dissuade the proprietor from liberally expending elbow grease trying to keep it as shiny as possible, despite the crowding skyline. Fortunately the environmental quality control of the city saw to it that little diminished the polished shine.
Gerty huffed in boredom. Phoenix Roost was boring. She thought changelings would be exciting, but they were all boring adults. Sitting outside her dad’s kitchen was boring. Start just three fires and suddenly it’s no longer a place for chicks. Being bored was really boring. The little griffon huffed again and flopped onto her back on a bench, her head tilted back to see the world upside down.
… This position hurt her wings… and it was boring.
“DaaaAAAaaad. There’s nothing to do… I’m bored.” Gerty groaned.
Her father, Korbinian stuck his head out from the diner’s kitchen. “I’m sorry you are bored mah leetal downy fluff.” He said in his old country accent. “Maybe when you start school you will cease to be bored. I assume you already played wit your toys?”
Gerty huffed. Playing with toys? Please. She was a big griffon now. Big griffons did stuff, they got stronger and faster doing stuff. They didn’t sit around with Miss Flopsy having tea parties with their father’s diner dishes and discuss what they read in books… Anymore.
And of course she wasn’t allowed to go explore the city on her own cause she was ‘still too short of feather’. Puh-lease. There were cubs and chicks back home in the ‘old country’ half her age allowed to go roam around. Dad had been so over-protective ever since mom…
Ugh, now she was sad… And she was still bored. Miserable combo.
Ding! Ding! The door’s bell announced the arrival of a new customer.
“Mmm something smells super tasty!” A small voice squeaked.
Both Korbinian and Gerty looked to the door and saw the smallest changeling they’d seen yet. Her tiny wings buzzed excitedly as she practically drooled. Then her face exploded into excitement and wonder. “Griffons! Wow, so cool! You’re the first griffons I’ve ever really seen! Um, can I have something to eat? I don’t have any bits but my mommy does!”
Korbinian studied the little nymph for a bit. It was his first time seeing an adolescent changeling as well. He had to admit, she was pretty cute. No where near as precious as his Little Feather of course, but still cute. His eyes flashed in recognition of this new opportunity.
“Of course leetal one, I can make you a snack, but you will have to share with mah girl Gerty.”
This seemed to excite the little nymph all the more. She zipped straight toward the smaller griffon and planted herself in the bench opposite her. “Hi Gerty! I’m Rocky Road! Is that your dad? His food smells really really good!”
“Uh, yeah.” Was all the little griffoness could reply with, her brain still trying to get out of the lurch Rocky’s presence had thrown it into. Also from the blood rushing from her head as she sat up again.
“I really like your feathers, is it okay if try to copy them?”
This registered in Gerty’s mind a bit better. The nymph, Rocky, had complimented her style and asked to adopt it herself. This put Gerty in the more dominant position, having had the original style! Or at least that’s what her mom taught her.
“Sure, just be sure to tell everypony I had the look first.”
Rocky nodded grinning, then her head exploded in flames.
This was quite shocking to little Gerty, but then Rocky’s head extinguished, her mane replaced with feathers. Rocky grinned again, no wait it was the same grin. As Gerty’s heart rode the adrenaline high of panic brought on by her companion bursting into flames, she finally remembered she was sitting next to a changeling. She could be forgiven for her reaction, the changelings of Phoenix Roost seemed to almost never use their illusory powers. At least Gerty had never seen them do it in the week she’d been here.
“How’s it look on me?” Rocky asked eagerly.
Gerty couldn't stop her giggle. She brought herself to a snorting stop. Ponies could be awful sensitive about their looks, maybe changelings were too? The mild surge of panic from the thought that she may have ruined her first potential friendship was squashed upon seeing Rocky’s beaming smile.
“Hehehe *snort!* he! Guess I don't wear it as good as you do huh?”
Gerty smiled and started laughing too.
Korbinian brought a plate of Grifish delights from in the kitchen only to stop at the sight of his daughter and the nymph. He hadn't seen Gerty smile and laugh like that in… far too long.
The two got on wonderfully as they ate and chatted, both excited to hear from the other what was said. Gerty’s tales of her previous travels that brought herself and her dad to Phoenix Roost. Rocky, her stories of her siblings and their antics. They would have chatted forever surely, except…
<Rocky dear, I'm glad you've made a friend, but remember you still have to get back to Bell Curve.> Twilight gently reminded her little one.
Rocky suddenly gasped in the middle of her story of the time Lavender got her head stuck in a jar. <That’s right! Thanks Momma, you’re the best ever!> “I gotta get back before Bell notices I'm gone and I get in trouble! Sorry Gerty I gotta go!” She leapt from her seat, took two steps then turned back and shoved as much food into her mouth as would fit.
Gerty was caught off guard by this. She only just made her first friend in forever! Who knew when they'd ever get to see each other again? She made up her mind, her prey, uh friend wasn't going to escape her!
“Then I'll go too! You're on a mission right? To sneak back without being noticed? Then you're going to need help. I got skills, I can watch your back.” Gerty said buffing her claws on her puffed chest feathers trying to look as ‘aloof’ as she could. Yep, no doubt. She sounded awesome saying that.
“Mmm unfk mmnmn gffg!” Rocky said.
“Uh, I'm gonna take that as an OK.” Gerty said feeling her coolness evaporate slightly in mild confusion at her friend. “Dad! I'm gonna help Rocky with her, uh, mission! Yep! She got a mission from the Queen herself and she said I gotta come too… So uh, can I please?” She said turning to her father and cranking her eyes to maximum cute.
“Hoho very well mah girl, go along and play with your friend, just be home in time for dinner. It’s salmon night!” Korbinian chuckled. Success. he thought smirking at the grill. His thoughts drifted to his most significant culinary adventure. There is no relationship that can't be started with my cooking, eh Branwen? Thinking of his wife he put all the more effort into his cooking.
Just in time too, as a rush of drones came in to check the place their baby sister/cousin found. And wouldn't stop link chatting about.
And so the pair of new friends took off down the street following Twilights instructions. Off to test their wits and cunning against the deadliest of foes known to nymphkind. A big sister/teacher.