//------------------------------// // Day three, mistakes were made. ( It's really day two, but lets not get carried away, darling.) // Story: Road to fame: My new life... As a gryphon. // by lord indisar //------------------------------// It didn’t take me that long to get ready... Actually, that just might be a lie. I ‘simply’ had to wash my fur in the shower upstairs (one of another few things I started to tell Lovely Lights to back the hell off on.) . And my feathers... And my...come to think of it, it’s really awkward when you have multiple types of... I really don’t know what to call it. But hell, I had everything. From the black fur covering the lower half of my body to the jet black tuft at the end of my tail, and to the base of my black wings, from the jet black feathers that came up from my chest overlapping my fur, all the way up to my curved white beak, and down the white talons that started from what I could best describe as my forearm. What the heck do you even call what that’s made out of? Easy enough, right? I looked around, noting the mane shampoo outside of the glass chamber. I made the decision long ago not to soak the feathers from the chest up in soap meant for an entirely different ‘hair’ type. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t end well, probably with my head looking spiky, with feathers jutting out in an absolutely unsightly manner.. Soap would do for me. At least it’s just..... Soap. I was still light on applying it to my feathers, as my experiences with washing feathers were obviously limited from my previous life. I felt like it would never feel any less alien. The feathers on my wings, however, were of a different layout, and half as thick, and the shampoo worked well enough on those. The fact I even had wings that I had to wash still felt strange. Two extra appendages is a lot when you are only used to having four. And don’t get my started on tails. If I was sent here as a pony, it might have been so much easier. Instead of just an extra long piece of hair extending up and over my backend, I had a long, somewhat thin piece of flesh, covered in hair, ending in the most leaky paint brush I’ve ever had the displeasure of using. (Speaking of paint, remind me to never pretend to be a Smeargle whenever I so much as look at a jar of paint. Twenty bucks says, if it dries, it’s going to be harder to get off than on fingers... Oh dear mother of god, contact cement on fur, even, what about that? Yet another experiment on the list of 'do not try ever under any circumstances forever until the end of time not on your life not for a million dollars') And I swear, just looking at it gave me some form of OCD, because I couldn’t stop trying to make the tip taper to a point or some shit like that. And after I finally did that, I’d look at it each time and think to myself ‘that’s just not right..’ and be at it all over again. I’ll likely develop a degree of insanity if I don’t get my paws on some hair gel. Or maybe I’m overreacting. At least my talons and beak sort of felt familiar, but just barely, and mind you, they made up a fraction of my entire body. It felt strange rubbing my talons against each other, and my beak... I was basically washing what replaced my mouth and nose. You tell me how that feels. I clicked my talons a few times, trying to see if I could make a snapping sound, like with fingers, but I had little success. So in reality, it may of taken me all of twenty minutes to be done with the shower, after which I had to brush my teeth. Because apparently gryphons have teeth and beaks, which makes no sense. Of course, I was in a world where I’ve literally been placed in the body of a gryphon less than a seventh of my actual age, and sent to a world where the population is dominated by magic horses. I can’t even say ‘Hey, I’m a pony in a pony world, so at least THAT makes sense, right?’. Nope, I’m still an uncommon occurrence, even in a supposedly fictional setting. Yes, the sensible meter is totally still in the green zone. Considering all things up to recently, maybe it really does make sense. Well, 22 minutes and counting, but I was done cleaning myself up, though my wings were still quite damp, as I wasn’t exactly all too comfortable with drying them thoroughly. There’s a certain abhorrence you attain from the combination of sharp claws and soft towels that just makes you feel a quite bit tender in...certain areas. I could lie down on a towel to dry my belly and crotch, at least, but for wings, there were quite fragile bones that definitly didn’t appreciate that sort of route, and It felt almost as bad as trying to plank while naked. Certain ‘things’ felt squashed, which, thanks to gryphon anatomy, I didn’t actually have to deal with anymore. Most of the time, at least. So when it came time for me to open the door, Lovely Lights was obviously waiting patiently for her turn, and she immediately snatched the towel I was using from off the floor with her magic. " Your wings are still wet. Again.” she noted, levitating the towel towards me. “Well, I told you that these things hurt,” I replied, raising my right talon, half-heartedly attempting yet again to snap a few times. Lovely Lights merely shook her head. “And I told you that you can always ask for help with showering. It’s not like you are an adult yet, you know.” Oh no you didn't, lady. " Well maybe I’m trying as hard as I can to grow up fast? " I argued. I did not enjoy when Lovely Lights decided to play the age card on me. I was probably old enough to be her brother. Or cousin, at the very least. Was already the main reason why I rarely referred to her as ‘mother’. That, and perhaps I was afraid the word would make me homesick. “In any event, I don’t like it when you feel you can do everything yourself. You know, even some adult pegasi have trouble with maintaining their wings.” She started, beginning to gently towel me off. " Just ask White Thunder. Way I hear it, she goes to a spa and salon once a month. And she’s a Wonderbolt, I reckon she’d had at least a bit of training on proper wing care.” She told me, just as she finished drying off my right wing, and the towel shifted to my left. “Well I’m not a Pegasus, now am I? And besides, once a month? She obviously knows how to dry her own wings, so why can’t you try and let me do it？” I complained, though I started to see she was right. Ponies can’t do everything on their own. Well, at least most of the fan fiction I read back on earth claimed non-unicorns have a very hard time washing their backs... But god damn, this was basically the real deal. Lovely Lights frowned, and spoke again. “And I certainly dont like when you talk back to me like that. And I can also see that you are trying, but I can also see that you are failing at it.” She informed me, as she finally finished drying my wings. I’m going to need to find some aloe for these burns. “Sometimes, you just need help. Just don’t forget that, okay?” She ended with a smile, before disappearing into the bathroom. • • • I told Lovely Lights I wanted to fly to school with White Thunder and Sunny Skies. Perhaps my boldest move since coming here. She took it well, at least, and escorted me the ways over to their home, though Lovely Lights didn't want to knock. Instead, she sat me down near a shrub just out of the way of the door and looked at me sternly. “You’ll wait here until they come out, and you won’t move from this spot, unless it’s back home. Or you’re really grounded.” She instructed me. Oh goodie, prison. Though that’s not what I was really thinking at the moment. “Isn’t this a little dangerous?” I asked. I was really questioning the idea of somepony who’d leave a child unattended. “I am happy that you are worried.” Lovely Lights replied, relaxing her expression. " Buckston is a good town, however, and it’s been many, many years since anything serious has happened. I’m also pretty sure you’re close enough to have everypony come rushing out if you so much as speak a little loudly. Other than that, I truly mean it. Don’t leave this spot.” Right, this was Equestria of all places. It’s probably not as perfect as in the show, but its probably not bad in the slightest. And Lovely Lights was right, I’ll be sure to scream loudly if some stranger so much as looks at me funny... Right after I see how much genital mutilation these talons can do to the idiot who does that exact same thing. Sadism is ~~~fun~~~. “... Anninnicus? Did you hear me? Do you understand?” Lovely Lights lights questioned, snapping me back to reality. “I’m not leaving until you do.” “Oh. Yes, I yell if I see somepony acting strange, and don’t move from here.” I summarized from earlier. Lovely Lights nodded, and then turned to leave, glancing back a few times, and I laid back against the house, and started humming tunes. And then it hit me that I’d never be able to listen to YouTube again. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. FUCK. I tried to remember the lyrics and tunes of a few of my favorite songs, and started to sing quietly, just to make sure I remembered the ones I liked. “Covered, in dirt and mud, aching and spitting blood, cursing, you stir to rise and groan...” I started, just singing the first few lines of every single song they came to my head. “I am one sword out of many, I am one face out of three... No, no way I’m forgetting that... Holy fuck I’ll never be able to listen, though...” “It is not too late, it’s our home, so don’t say that it’s fate...” I kept rattling off a few songs, to their full lyrics. Not like any pony around me would understand me, however.. I did of course have the sense to go back to Equestrian before I forgot what language I supposed to be speaking. Then I had an idea. “I wonder how wrong it would be if I put some of these songs into Equestrian and wrote em off as my creation... " I wondered. Oh it would be wrong all right, but definitely would be a sure way to remember them. Remind me to get a dictionary so I can translate these songs... A while later, I hear the door fly open, and I legitimately was scared for a moment there. Sure enough, White Thunder and Sunny Skies were flying out the door. Jesus, they must of been flying all morning to be that quiet. Or they had thick walls. Actually, with those two, maybe both. And I was about to miss them. “Wait!” I shouted, just loud enough for them to hear. Sunny Skies was the first to turn around. " Oh, mother, it’s Chirp!” She exclaimed, landing just as fast as she’d taken off. " Hey, Chirp, what’s you here for? Lovely not takin’ ya?” She asked, looking up to White Thunder, who looked around, before shaking her head. “No, I asked her if I could fly with you to school. And it’s Anninnicus Ravenfury now. I mean, not officially. But it is.” I proudly stated. “Anninnicus, huh? Well, Anninnicus, let’s just see if you can keep up, then.” She challenged, before dashing back into the sky,waving her beckoning at me with her hoof to follow. Of course Sunny Skies would get the name perfectly on the first try. She was all too much like that, I suppose. I spread my own wings and took to the sky after her, steadily getting up to their position, maybe a story or so above the houses. “So... maybe I really don’t know the exact way to get to the school from here...” I told the two of them. I wasn’t exactly paying attention on the way to the school. Namely, I was busy wondering if ponies were as racist and xenophobic as they were in the Chess Game of the Gods-verse. Because that was obviously a goooood representation of Equestria. The staring was more or less likely due to the fact they’d never seen me before. “You mean to tell me you don’t recognize that big red building way over to the left? It’s kind of hard to miss with the big bell.” She asked, pointing towards a red building in the distance. And it certainly looked like a school house. Maybe I should try looking around before talking. " Well I've only gone once, and I wasn't really taking note..." I admitted. "Well any case, here's a chance now. How's a race sound?" Sunny Skies offered, to which I frowned. I absolutely did not compare to her in the slightest, even when she proclaimed to be 'going easy' on me. Her definition of easy was a slow-going speed of very fast, divided by fast. Sunny Skies definitely saw my reaction, however. " Ah c'mon, You get some practice, you'll get faster, right?" She argued, but I wasn't hearing any of her side. "Still sucks to lose every time. " I bitterly stated. "Well I hope you two are done, now," I heard White Thunder call, casually drifting away from us, on her back. "Because school's goin' to start without you two if ya stay there." She said, gesturing back towards the school behind her. "Coming mother!" Sunny Skies called back, before flying after White Thunder. Holy balls, how long was I outside singing? I was pretty sure it was at least an hour and a half until school started at the time I arrived at their home. Was school really about to start? I suppose that was my cue to get moving, so I sped ahead to catch up to them, and the three of us flew at a steady pace towards the school. We flew by a few other pegasi ponies, probably off to work, and I could very well see many earth ponies and unicorns on the ground. I tried to see if I recognized any of them from my class, but there were none of them I could pinpoint for sure. After a while I simply gave up and tried to enjoy the flight. It was all of 15 minutes to get to the school, give or take, without any buildings blocking the way. The first thing I noticed was Sour Dough. Oh goodie. "Well I suppose I'll see the two of you after school, unless Lovely comes and takes you, Ch-er... Anninnicus. I've got Cloud-busting work to do. And no fighting. Either of you. " White Thunder told us, before heading off. And the moment the two of us had landed, Sour Dough decided to step forward. "So the bird decided he couldn't come back without his filly in shining armor escorting him?" I heard Sourdough begin to tease, before Sunny Skies started to step in. This kid didn't learn from last time, did he? Regardless, I was done letting Sunny Skies fight my battles, even after one time. "Sunny, wait. " I told her, before looking around. Sunshine Leaf, our teacher, wasn't here yet. And there weren't too many students this early. Just a few parents, and maybe three other children around. "Perfect." I muttered under my breath, before narrowing my eyes, stepping forward towards Sour Dough. " First, it's Anninnicus, now. Anninnicus Ravenfury. You will address me as such." I demanded, though Sour Dough didn't seem fazed. I stepped closer, and began to speak low enough for him to barely hear. "Second. I want you to remember who's above who on the food chain. If it weren't for the fact you could talk, I'd see no difference 'tween you, or the next rabbit that crosses my way. I want you to remember that every time you so much as look at me the wrong way." I advised him. Maybe it was a little much. But fuck it, this ass needed to stop. What better way than intimidation? Intimidation is a wonderful thing, is it not? That last statement seemed to do the trick, as Sour Dough went wide eyed with shock and began to back away. "I-I..I...I'm t-telling! I'm telling Miss Sunshine Leaf what you said!" he claimed, trying (and failing) to hold a straight face. "Go ahead. Then I'll already be in trouble. I won't get into any when I make my move." I told him, still boring my gaze into him. On the other hand, if he didn't take my bluff, I was beyond dead. Pretty sure threatening to eat somepony was way up there with the 'prison for life or worse' list of crimes. Also pretty sure the 'I'm just a kid' excuse won't work in that scenario. With that I stepped away, back to where Sunny Skies had landed, leaving Sour literally back against the wall. It was clear that no pony had heard what I'd told Sour Dough. If they weren't required for me to stand, I would of been crossing my talons, dreadfully hoping he wouldn't say anything. Perhaps I took things a little too far. "What did you do to him?" Sunny Skies inquired, her eyes showing concern, as if accusing me of hurting him. To which I raised one of my talons. "I swear, I didn't do anything to him. Though I might have said... things. Maybe a few threats..." I admitted, looking back to the green earth pony, who still stared at me, frozen in fear, with the most grim expression on his face. You'd think I was a titan from Shengeki No Kyojin. And while nopony had heard our conversation, they were definitely starting to notice the way he looked. "And what did you SAY to him?" Sunny Skies asked, her expression now one of disbelief. "Anninnicus, you don't just threaten anypony who teases you, find another way to deal with it!" She scolded me, though I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Didn't seem to be your opinion on that matter yesterday." I stated, trying to remind her of what happened the day before. "Yes, and I got in trouble for that, and all I did was knock him over a little hard. Mother tells me if an incident like that happens again, I'll be grounded for the year. " she informed, making me start to feel a little guilty. Definitely took things too far, considering these were children I was dealing with. "Well, I suppose I should go and apologize." I openly decided, before turning around to face him yet again. But there was no key Sour Dough