In Yodelneigh...
Twilight and Sky Strike were led by the two natives of Yodelneigh to their sky-high home atop the Smokey Mountains. While the sights were as breathtaking as ever, neither of the tourists were in any mindset for sightseeing; they wanted to see Aesir. Their guides led them to a building marked as the Yodelneigh Archives.
“Well, here’s the place.” The stallion.
“And….sorry in advance about Aesir. The old coot’s a little….eccentric.” the griffon said.
“Thank you, sirs!” Twilight said. With that, their guides went their separate ways while she and Sky Strike entered the old building. The interior gave Twilight a very nostalgic feeling as it very much reminded her of Golden Oaks before it was destroyed by Tirek. Painful as the memories of her former home being obliterated might have been, the sight of shelves lined with books and even scrolls waiting to be read was always welcome.
Sky Strike couldn’t help but to notice that there were four pegasus foals doing various tasks around the library, such as sweeping the floors, organizing the shelves, dusting, etc… He couldn’t help but to think of Tidal Wave helping him with housework when they were both home. However, he managed to swallow his sorrow for a moment and speak to them. “Hey, there! Is Aesir here?”
The foals looked up at them, as though they had just noticed them come in. “Huh? Oh, yeah. He’s in the bathroom right now. He should be right out.” One of the two colts said.
It was then that one of the fillies noticed that one of their guests was particularly special and gasped. “Princess Twilight!?” She ran up to her with her face beaming. “Is that really you!?”
Twilight smiled as the filly and her three friends approached them. “I sure am! You four look like you’re working really hard for Mr. Aesir.”
“Yeah… We kinda owe it to him.” The other cold said. “So, who’s this guy, your bodyguard?”
“Or your prince-to-be?” the other filly teased.
“No, no, no. I’m just a guard from Cloudsdale.” Sky Strike said. “I came looking for my son, and-”
“What’s all the ruckus over there? Yer not slackin’ off on me now, are ya!?” They heard a voice call from the back, and they all looked over. From behind a bookshelf came an elderly male griffon. “Ye better not be makin’ any mess- huh?” He the noticed Twilight and excitedly walked up to her. “Siegfried’s feathers! Am I as drunk as sailor on salty lantern oil, r’ is the Princess o’ Friendship standin’ in me library!?”
“Probably both….” One of the fillies snarked.
“Ehh! Who asked ya!?” the griffon huffed. He grabbed Twilight’s hoof and hurriedly shook it, reminding the alicorn of when she first met Applejack. “Name’s Aesir, Yer Highness! SO honored to have ya come by!” He let go, leaving the surprised princess shaking her own hoof until Sky Strike stopped it. “Had an itch to learn some griffon history and legends, have ya? Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve got records of everything from the dawn of griffon civilization to the first kings, the formation of the Council of Norn, the legends of the mighty Siegfried, and the last time me wife told me she loved me!! BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!”
Not even a minute into their introduction, and Twilight almost swore she had just met Pinkie’s distant great-uncle. Those guys weren’t kidding when they said he was eccentric, but at least he seemed friendly. “Ehh….Y-Yes! Hehe….Thank you, Aesir.” Twilight stammered before she regained her composure. “Actually, we’re here to ask you about a colt you recently met.”
Aesir tilted his head. “Ehh?”
“It’s my son, Tidal Wave. We were told that you met with a blue pegasus colt yesterday. Was it him?” Sky Strike asked.
“Yer son, eh? Well, sorry there, lad. Never met any ‘Tidal Wave’ b’fore. But yer not wrong that I bumped into a foal like ya mentioned, but his name was Aquabolt.” Aesir said. “Yer not from around here, are ya? What makes ya think yer wee lad’s runnin’ ‘round here?”
Sky Strike sighed as he looked like he was about to cry. “He…..well…..”
Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder. “He ran away from home, sir.” She said.
“Ran away, you say!?” Aesir exclaimed. Twilight explained the whole ordeal with Fire Fight and the many other runaway foals that had recently occurred. She even showed him a newspaper detailing their disappearances. “Oh, knickers…..what a day n’ age…..” he muttered. “I’m so sorry, lad.” He said to Sky Strike.
“Thank you….” Sky Strike muttered. “You’re sure it wasn’t my son?” He showed the elderly avian a picture of Tidal Wave, and Aesir’s eyes bulged out in shock.
“WAIT JUST A SEA DOG’S MINUTES! THIS IS HIM!” Aesir exclaimed.
“WHAT!? YOU’RE POSITIVE!?” Sky Strike exclaimed.
Aesir nodded. “Aye! Positive as the ocean’s breeze brings her salty taste to the land! He musta told me a phony name to hide his identity, clever li’l tyke.”
“Could…..you show us, please?” one of the colts said.
“Oh, sure.” Sky Strike said. He showed the four pegasus foals the picture of Tidal Wave, and sure enough, they recognized him. “Yeah, I remember seeing him with the old griffon.”
Aesir eyed them authoritatively. “Just seein’ him, is it?” he said interrogatively. All four foals bore expressions of guilt, and Aesir relieved his stern face. “These four’ve been li’l trouble faeries ‘round town fer some time now. Any sort o’ raccoon in yer trash bags, rats in yer garden, graffiti on yer walls, all o’ that la-di-doo, probably them.” He explained. “But not too long ago, they came here sayin’ they wanted to turn over a new feather, so they offered to help tidy up me library here.”
“Yeah….. We were especially bad to you….” One of the fillies said.
“Bullies, huh? Well, you better be glad that Aesir was willing to be merciful.” Sky Strike said sternly, causing the foals to quiver a little.
“Now, now, Sky Strike.” Twilight said. She faced the foals with a calm expression. “That’s so good of you four. I’m sure everypony….and griffon in Yodelneigh will appreciate your new honesty. What made you decide to change?”
The foals lightened up after hearing Twilight console them. “It was when we ran into this guy’s son again, and…..well……okay, I won’t pull any punches. We jumped him and started giving him a hard time.” One of the colts said.
“Because of course you did!! I bet it was his wings, huh!? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT-”
“Sky Strike!” Twilight said.
“Easy, lad.” Aesir said. He then looked at the former bullies. “Keep ‘er goin’.”
“W-Well….he suddenly used that…jewel he was wearing to make a bunch of water from the lake blast out and blow us into the cliff wall.” One of the filly explained.
“I think we almost drowned.” The filly commented.
Sky Strike cocked his eyebrow in confusion. “Uh…..he doesn’t wear any jewelry.”
The foals looked back at him in surprise. “Huh? But….he did! He wore that….weird blue necklace that glowed when he made that water tornado.” One of the colts said.
“You saw it too, right, Aesir?” the other colt asked.
Aesir nodded. “Aye! He had it on when he visited me library.” He said. “Wonder why I never asked him ‘bout it….”
“But….you didn’t know?” one of the fillies asked Sky Strike.
Sky Strike shook his head. “No! I’ve never seen him where anything like that! And he’s certainly never been able to control water before. I mean, he can swim in it, sure, but he’s not a unicorn.” He said. His expression suddenly turned frustrated again. “Are you four just lying so you can look like you were as much as victims as he was? Huh!?”
“N-No! It’s the truth! Ask our parents! We were drenched!” the other filly plead.
“Sky Strike, calm down.” Twilight said. “I know you’ve dealt with your son being bullied before, but now’s not the time.”
Sky Strike sighed. “Yeah….sorry….”
Twilight then faced the foals. “What happened then?”
“He looked about as shocked as we were, and then he just jumped into the lake and swam away.” One of the colts explained.
“I guess that power was new to him.” One of the fillies theorized. She then looked at Sky Strike. “How’d he get wings like that anyway? I mean…..if I can ask.”
“W-Well….” Sky Strike was stammering for words. “His mom……..Look, I don’t know, alright! It just sort of….happened. I don’t how, but it did.”
Twilight gently patted him on the shoulder before turning to Aesir. “Now then, what was he doing with you, Aesir?”
“Well, he came ‘round sayin’ that he was doin’ a school report about griffons n’ ponies livin’ together, so I brought the lad here n’ give him an earful o’ legends about the mighty Siegfried.” Aesir explained.
“Oh! I think I’ve read about him! He’s the one that ultimately defeated the Arimapsi, right?” Twilight said.
“Aye, lass! The world told Siegfried to sit still, BUT HE GOT OFF HIS FEATHERY ARSE N’ WHACKED THE WORLD RIGHT OVER THE HEAD WITH HIS MAMA’S SKILLET!! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!” Aesir coughed and sputtered profusely from his laughing fit, but quickly regained his composure. “Whoo! Sorry, there.” He said. “Anyway, it looks like Tidal Wave played this ol’ sea dog like a fair maiden’s fiddle.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt you.” Twilight said.
Aesir shook he head and smiled. “Not at all, lass. If ya find him, tell him he’s welcome to pay his ol’ buddy, Aesir a visit. No hard feelin’s."
“Did he say he was going anywhere?” Sky Strike asked.
“Well, I said he could find a griffonlet named Valkyrie at Gallopin’ Gorge. She’s a descendent o’ Siegfried, so I figured he could get strike a gold mine o’ material fer his fake research project and directed him to her.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Aesir. Sorry this caused you some trouble.”
“Oh, don’t be, lass. If anything, those foals r’ the ones that r’ troubled.” Aesir said. “The second ya stop showin’ someone love is the second they stop lovin’, and if they’re away from love fer too long….”
“You end up like us…” one of the fillies finished.
“Yeah. Our families never really got to or sometimes even didn’t want to spend time with us, so…” the other filly started.
“All that stupid stuff we did was purely for attention. I guess we got pretty desperate, huh?” One of the colts said.
The other colt nodded. “We liked to pick on Aesir, because everypony likes him, us too. He’s the life of the whole town even if he’s an old griffon who can’t fly.”
“Hey now!” Aesir said. He leaned in towards them. “That’s just the angels tellin’ me they’re not quite ready for me yet. Heheheheheheeeee!!!”
Sky Strike laughed. “Let’s hope that’s not for a while!”
Aesir caught his breath and cleared his throat. “Alright, then. I better not keep ya any longer. Best o’ luck out there.” He turned to Sky Strike. “And son, the best thing you can do right now is have faith in yer lad. All wasting yer time worryin’ is gonna do is waste time findin' n' gettin’ him back safe.”
Sky Strike nodded. “Right. Thanks for being so nice to him, Aesir.”
“Sure thing, lad.” He said.
Twilight turned to the foals. “And you four remember that even if you ever feel alone, it’s easy to see that you have each other.”
The foals looked at each other for a moment, and then smiled before sharing a group hug. “Yeah, you’re right.” One of the fillies said.
With that, Twilight and Sky Strike bid the reformed bullies and the kooky old avian farewell. As Celestia’s sun began its decent into evening, Sky Strike’s tension began to alleviate as he was more confident about finding his son.