If there was one thing that I missed about my homeland, it was the fresh air and the free skies where all griffons shared the same skies. Thankfully, there was an abundance of that in the little outpost I lived in some few hundred yalms from Gryffonian mainland. Free from the petty worries and troubles of Gryffinstone once again. Part of me absolutely missed my childhood home back in Ostia, though. Dad would pluck out all of my feathers if he ever found out that the name of my village eluded me. A disgrace for a griffon to forget his origins, he’d bellow. I chuckled at the thought while my eyes patrolled the horizon for any obstacles.
I slowly extended my talons so they’d touch the water, watching it sparkle on myself and in the air. I puffed out my chest feather and let out a long breath, soon taking in the smell of the ocean—a scent I described as relaxing—and sighing delightfully. Despite being able to fly out practically every day, there was a difference between flying at night and during the day. Flying during the evening was an experience anygriff should try, especially on nights when the winds are calm.
However, traveling during the day and hearing the water splash and ripple around your talons is an experience without compare. Especially when you get the chance to see the sun refracting its light in each droplet and watch as a show of rainbows painted itself in front of your eyes.
I extended my wings to their fullest and let the updraft carry me, closing my eyes when the gale brushed alongside my feathers. There really wasn’t any comparison to flying in the sunlight when the winds were strong. And the thought of seeing my precious little Melody again was enough to make me cross the ocean to Equestria in a heartbeat. Heck, I already was doing it. Well, that plus the fact that she had gotten us passes to a convention hosted in Canterlot. A board game convention, to be precise. And after all the times I had to tell her I had no time to waste on things like those, she still sent me a letter telling me I was invited and that she was going to present me to some of her friends.
I couldn’t imagine myself being able to fit in with ponies that had a hobby in board games. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but because I didn’t see the interest in it. However, for my lovely significant other, I could make that sacrifice. A low hum grated the insides of my beak, and I gave a little wiggle of my head as the image of my sugar plum filled my head.
I slowly angled my left wing towards the water, watching as it parted the surface and sent water splashing everywhere, pearling all over my primaries and secondaries before returning to its abode. I brought my talons over to my head, grooming and preening my feathers with the invading water, humming to myself as I made myself look presentable. A griffon unblessed by salt water was no griffon, after all.
A hearty laughter puffed out my feathers and my neck while I looked onward, the edges of the Equestrian continent starting to clear a little bit more. The massive skyscrapers, buildings that put Gryffinstone’s to shame, were slowly forming in the distance as the boats appeared in my field of vision. Even the Equestrian boats were huge in comparison. However, Gryffinstone had airships.
These contraptions—wild machines powered by steam that I would sooner dismantle than board despite my affiliation to science—were massive and impressive. The way they bent the skies to their will was unnatural and yet majestic at the same time. My stay in Gryffinstone allowed me to sightsee their departures and arrivals on a daily basis. There was something worthy of respect about those airships when the screeching of their engines resounded through the city.
My Gryffonian mentality demanded I make an excellent presentation of myself by diving into the waters and letting the scent of the sea seep into my feathers and fur, but Equestrian standards prevailed in Equestria, so a shower sounded like a better idea than presenting myself to friends of my darling Melody. If I got there in advance.
“I swear, this mare could drag me to the ends of this world if she asked politely. Mares really do rule this world,” I huffed to myself, preening my chest feathers with a free talon. I was ever thankful the water’s surface was clear. Otherwise, this would have taken so much longer.
✪
Why was I hesitating? This wasn’t the first time I was knocking on this door. I had done it plenty of times, and I had never been this shy. So why was I acting like this? Was this because I felt like I was just dead weight in comparison to the group Melody hung around while I was stuck in my corner of the world near Gryffonia? Maybe. Or maybe it was just because I never really got out of the observatory and it made me think of myself as socially inadequate for the situation.
Whatever it was, it was annoying. I didn’t want to give these friends of Melody’s any poor first impressions. Especially with the popularity griffons had in Equestria. It would take a fool to not notice the tension and the glares I received from ponies in the street; I did not belong here, apparently. No matter, I wasn’t here for them.
I cleared my throat and ran a claw along my beak, gently running that same claw through my feather-locks. Once I made sure that I was perfectly presentable, I reached out for the door with a talon only to find it already open. In the door’s stead stood a small—at least compared to me—and white changeling mare sporting a bright green mane. I blinked once when I saw the pout on her snout. Had I done something wrong to upset her? Was I late? No, the sun had not yet set, so I was definitely not late to the convention, which was tomorrow anyway. So why was she looking at me with those perked up eyebrows and that frown?
“Is something amiss, sweetheart?” I asked quietly, a light squawk to my voice followed by a tilt of my head.
She flicked her mane and scoffed. Oh no. She was scoffing. That only meant one thing… Oh dear sweet Ashena, save me, please. When my distress was made known to her, those lips pursed themselves in a smile, and I saw the mischievous intent flash in those golden eyes. Doomed. I was doomed.
“You are, sir. If you’d continued playing with your face like that, I would have had no choice but to arrest you for public indecency. I can’t have my favorite fluffball looking handsome in front of the whole neighborhood.”
I felt the blush under my feathers, and I gasped as if struck. By then, Melody's chittering laughter soon followed. For what felt like an eternity, she stood there in the doorway, giggling and wiping the tears that occasionally welled over. Arrest me for trying to look my best? She could try!
I snorted and clicked my beak, puffing and pushing out my feathers as I asserted myself over her doorway. She was not impressed. She rarely was. If anything, she mostly fawned over me and called my attempts at asserting myself adorable at best. “Just so you know, I reserve the right to object this illegitimate claim you are threatening me with. I don’t see a crime in trying to impress the pearl of my hoard.”
Using cultural barriers on Melody was truly an experience of its own. Watching her smug, satisfied smirk being washed off her face was an even better one. I barely resisted the urge to start laughing in front of her as I watched her expression shift. Making a remark was an even harder urge to resist.
In the short amount of time it took me to blink and wiggle my beak triumphantly, she closed the distance between us and grabbed my cheeks with her hooves. She pressed her lips on my beak, and she closed her eyes. I did so as well, leaning into the kiss and wrapping my talons over her back, pulling her closer all the while. My talons flowed like silk on her soft white fur as I tightened my embrace at the base of her neck. I heard her mumble to herself, watching with mirth as her ears wiggled and slowly flattened along her mane. I felt her magic at work on me. She wasn’t too hungry today, it seemed.
Thankfully, after a little while this time, she pulled away from the kiss and licked her lips, her expression mellowing once more. I smiled in return. That seemed like the best logical course of action. She pushed herself in my bubble again to give my beak a peck.
“Celestia knows what you mean by that, but please don’t stop sweet-talking to me,” she hissed in a sultry voice, licking her lips again.
Heat flushed my cheeks, and I flared my wings when she uttered those words, loud and clear to the world to hear too. “No, bad Melody,” I stuttered embarrassingly, pressing a claw on my chest. “You promised that you’d stop doing that voice and those eyes when we were in public.”
My feathers flattened on my chest as I grabbed the mischievous little changeling and dragged her inside, much to her protest. Being taller and bigger, and more than likely stronger, than her certainly had perks. I could easily drag her places, and she would not have much of a say in the matter. Unless she used magic, in which case she became the conductor. She was not protesting too much this time. Once we were safely past the door frame, and I closed the door behind us, I slowly proceeded to release Melody from my hold, to which she replied by puffing out her cheeks and poking out her tongue.
I quirked an eyebrow, and she cracked a grin. She was a confusing one! Then, she chuckled to herself and poked my chest with that holey hoof of hers. I looked down at the invading limb and then lifted my gaze to meet hers. What game was this devious little mare up to now?
“As much as I like you, Ori, you stink. Go on, shower’s first door on your left,” she said playfully, all the while wiggling those adorable ears of hers.
My expression shifted to deadpan, and I stared her down before pressing a claw on her nose—because watching those little white spots in her eyes go cross-eyed was adorable and hilarious—and went on my way, but not before caressing her neck and chin with my tail. I felt chills down my spine when I thought I heard purrs coming out of her. What had I done?
✪
I cracked my eyes opened and was instantly attacked by the light of the sun. I groggily dragged a talon over to my eyes, groaning as I shifted about and unfurled my wings. Well, one wing actually spread out. The other was met by an invading force. I slowly turned my head to the side to catch a glimpse of white fur extending over the blankets that covered my chest. I blinked, feeling my breathing quivering as I followed the blurs of white back to bright golden eyes.
I blinked another time, and the eyes did the same. Was that… Had she… My surroundings cleared out when the reality of my situation fully sank in, and I got my bearings. I immediately sprang out of bed and dragged myself over to the nearest wall.
Once I crawled and clawed my way onto my paws, I stared in disbelief as Melody’s laughter filled the bedroom. She squirmed and flailed her legs over the mattress—a very soft mattress, might I had—while I was left in my corner, shocked and appalled by this mare I called my marefriend. I brought a claw to my chest, my breath still wildly out of control. I looked right and left, trying to find clues as to where Melody might have come into the bedroom, only to remind myself that this was her apartment and that she could do as she pleased.
“Melody, I told you before. You can’t just creep in bed with me like that, especially after you said you could take the couch for tonight.”
After what seemed like long, arduous hours, Melody finally managed to stop herself from laughing to the point of tears and looked at me with a quirked eyebrow. I paused for a moment while I tried to read her, and all I got was a headache in return. There were so many things she could retort with, and I couldn’t understand how I let her rope me like this. She basically ran this relationship. Even the part about sending me that letter just in time so it would arrive a week before the convention, thus giving me no time to give decline the offer, if I had so wished. Not that I spat at any opportunity to see the little tyke.
More insulting was the fact I was her senior by many years. And yet, she found a way to disarm all my means to assert myself. Not that she didn’t love me back. I knew she did. She just really enjoyed teasing me, especially with how prude she knew I was. She was doing it all to embarrass me. That’s how she climbed her way to being a matriarch of this relationship.
My body froze when I saw her rise from her spot, sliding off the bed and inching closer to me. She licked her lips as she tiptrotted her way to me, giving me that suave demeanor of hers and swooping her tail under my beak. With nothing left to myself save my ragged breath and my drooping wings, I craned my head to the side to see her looking back from the doorway, a grin splitting her lips up to her ears.
“I did say I could take the couch. I never said my bed was off-limits. Words are deceiving, sweetie. Careful how you interpret them. By the way, your love tastes fantastic when you dream of me,” she chirped, flicking her ears and disappearing in the hallway with the echo of her hoofsteps resonating loudly in my ears. “Now come on, I need to feed you breakfast so we can be at the convention center when it opens.”
I will never understand this mare. One moment, Melody a teasing ball of whatever she is made of, and the next, she’s too serious for her own sake.
✪
Despite the few times I came to visit Canterlot on vacation days and otherwise leisure time, the streets and the way they were organized made no sense to me. Why didn't they have a skyway for the pegasi? All the griffons back home flew between buildings and the likes with no fear of anything. Maybe that’s just a cultural thing. Not that it mattered much. I once again felt the weight of the glares settle on me from all the bystanders, but I didn’t let it get under my skin. For whatever reason, I felt like I was not welcomed to Canterlot. At least, the ponies in the streets made sure to remind me of that with their glares and their light mumble.
Thankfully, I had more important issues to deal with right now, such as pleasing the happy mare that guided me through the immense sea of ponies with a jump in her gait and a swish of her tail. The way her mane flew in the wind, how those locks swayed freely, reminded me of the reason why I fell in love with her. Maybe it was a changeling thing, but she always looked so beautiful, and yet so simple. That’s what I like most about her: that simplicity of hers. And yet, there were so many layers to her that one could often be led to wonder if that simplicity was just a front.
My daydreaming was brought to an end when I felt my flank bump into some pony’s side. I shot a glance over to the cerulean blue stallion and gave him an apologetic smile while he retorted with a snarl and glare. Had Melody not used her magic to grab my talons forward, I would have likely apologized to the poor pony, but she was having none of that. In all my time dating her, I had never seen her this excited for anything other than teasing me. Houses and fancy architectures flashed me by before I had any time to observe them properly.
Finally, she dragged me over to her side and released her magic. I stumbled forward, letting a sharp, but quiet yelp as I watched the ground come closer while my talons broke my fall and I turned to face Melody with quirked eyebrows. Her eyes were glued to the distance, it seemed.
Well, reading what she was looking at was always the harder part with Melody. Those big, golden changeling eyes, looking like big lenses over her eyes, shrouded the focus of her gaze and only left a tiny white dot that waltzed under those large eyes. And from my perspective, it was actually tough to see where she was looking. For all I knew, she was staring at me with some form of strange changeling peripheral vision.
“Melody, don’t you think it was a bit rude to just dash through those ponies as you did?” I asked, licking my beak and trying to extend my neck forward so I would fall in her line of sight, with my eyebrows still quirked.
She turned her head to face me, and I saw those little white orbs staring right back at me. She tilted her head to the side and offered a shrug, returning her gaze forward. “Happens all the time here. You should see when the fashion ponies launch new lines of clothing.” She released a groan and let her shoulders slump while her gait slowed down, giving me ample time to put myself right beside her. “Going to the store can become a matter of life and death at times. Celestia knows I’m glad I’m not on city patrol anymore.”
It was my time to tilt my head over her obviously exaggerated statement. Not even Gryffinstone got that populated. But then again, we had our skyways back home. However, my confusion was halted when I saw a sign promoting the event hosted at the Canterlot Convention Center all throughout the weekend. Ugh. My stomach tied itself in a knot at the thought of being forced to sit down and play one of those boorishly boring tabletop games. I heard tales of many young griffons spending hours sitting at a table, playing some of those games, and the thought was chilling. How could today’s youths waste their time on things of such trivial importance?
I really hoped Melody was not planning on making me sit down and play one of those games. Ashena, I really hoped she wasn’t.
I felt something sliding over my head and down my neck and followed the unknown presence to discover a little card attached to a strap of sorts. I lifted a talon to take a better look at the object and found my name written on it. I ran a claw over the surface of the plastic card and held it over to Melody. She looked back at me and pointed a hoof forward. I followed direction she pointed to see a large entrance leading into an even greater building.
Pillars suspended a huge ceiling over the entrance, protecting those that went in and out from the sun. My beak dropped when I saw the design of the building. Multiple doors, all made in glass. Ponies pushed their way in and pulled their way out of this enormous building. It only took a nudge from Melody to notice the large sign to the side of that astonishing building.
“Welcome to Canterlot’s Convention Center,” I read out-loud, squinting my eyes as I did.
My beak unhinged and dropped when I associated the sign and the building together. That was the convention center? Nothing in Gryffinstone compared to this imposing presence, but Gryffinstone was also very different from Canterlot. They didn’t have have the steam technology like we did, at least not to the extent we did. But we certainly did not even come close to them regarding architecture. Sure, Gryffinstone, as a griffon, was an outstanding city to visit, but our buildings were still based on old designs. Apparently, the emperor wanted to keep the city as a relic of the past, while progressively adapting the city to the new technological advances.
But Canterlot had such an intricate design. I heard the tale that it was built a few hundred years ago by the pony alliance, but it was beyond my wildest dreams. There weren’t many signs of decay to the buildings. The old and the new, more ancestral, yet modern look to it gave the city and its many streets a style that was hard to describe as anything other than a breath of fresh air.
Okay, maybe Melody’s exaggeration of the Canterlot populace being rabid about its fashion wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Badge, please.”
I perked up from my thoughts, and I glanced at a burly forest green pegasus pony, almost as big as I was. His expression was stoic as he looked at me with indifferent impunity. I had to lift a wing over my eyes to glance at this pony and see his toned muscles showing off in the sun. He blew a few strands of his auburn orange mane away from his eyes.
A badge? What badge was he talking about? I went to look at Melody, but apparently, I found her missing at my side, instead already at the doors, pulling one open before she had the idea to look back and see me looking in my direction. With what I assumed was a roll of her eyes. Weird bug pony eyes, I thought as I rolled mine.
She replied with batting her eyes and smiling, all her fangs on display. The things mares could do and get away with. I returned my attention to the large pony in front of me, and I blinked again. I offered an apologetic smile and lifted up the little card thing that Melody slipped around my neck.
“I’m so sorry for the confusion. My marefriend knows I’m not accustomed to Canterlot and basically left me to my own devices,” I explained gently, ruffling my feathers. “Is this the badge in question?”
The pony in question nodded, and I heaved the most silent sigh I had ever produced, letting my wingtips droop slightly as relief washed over me and I found my shoulders to be unburdened by this stress.
“That it is. Just make sure your name’s always showing, and you’re good to go everywhere in the center. Other than that, have a great convention!”
I nodded and smiled as I moved past him and toward the door, finding Melody hidden behind one of them. Well, it looked like Melody anyway. It was hard to tell with the sun casting its light in my eyes. I pulled open one of the doors left of where Melody’s silhouette was, and I was met with a tail sweeping the underside of my beak. The ensuing blush tainted my feather until I felt they were as purple as my eyes. I glanced down to see Melody looking back at me, her tongue pulled out.
Devious little changeling!
“Took you long enough,” she said in a slow and mirthful hiss, flicking her tail against my chest. Silly bug pony, that tail couldn’t even approach the majesty of my feathers even if it wanted to.
I let out a heavy sigh and grabbed her back with one of my talons, careful to mind her fragile wings, and watched as her proud little smirk morphed into a frown, and she flailed her legs once she felt she wasn’t standing on the ground anymore. To say I was a pretty big griffon wasn’t an understatement. Sure, that pony was big, but he was but an exception to the masses around us both. All those ponies felt small and fragile, so much so that I often wondered what would happen if I took off in the streets of Canterlot.
Hypotheses aside, I pursed my beak in a smile, and I let her go, gently, right next to me while she tried to glare me down with those beautiful eyes of her. Nice try, Melody. But there’s nothing she could do to me in public. I had the upper claw over her. And I basked in this feeling of superiority, erasing any and all thoughts of possible payback she could inflict me later.
“Just to jolt your memory, you may be the wittier one in this relationship, but you’re the smallest. You’re an itty bitty bug pony,” I chimed before I ruffled Melody’s mane and further split my smile into a grin. My only regret is these moments of superiority was the fact that I did not possess ears to wiggle.
I saw her bare her fangs, and I stifled a chuckle to see her in such a state of vulnerability. Apparently, for all her teasing, she was not accustomed to karma. My attention slowly returned to the massive halls where ponies moved to and fro. It was a sight to behold; ponies of all colors and hues walked down white marble floors and walls. That the lights hadn’t blinded me yet was a mystery still, but not one I questioned much. Well, the only light currently refracting off the surrounding surfaces was the sun, and even it wasn’t all that bothersome. Yet.
“Okay, so when’s this event of yours?” I asked, craning my head back to her to see Melody igniting her horn and fetching a watch from her saddlebags.
She flipped it open, and I noticed the sigil of the royal guard on the casing. The gold trinket was rather lovely to look at. I wish I had something like that to watch the time, but then, where to put it? I hadn’t packed a saddlebag or anything much for that purpose. I usually trusted Melody enough to provide the necessary survival tools for my stay when she invited me over.
She closed the watch’s lid and sent her to watch flying back into her saddlebags. She looked around a bit, not uttering a single word. A thousand curses, emotionless eyes. It was hard to know how she looked at things when her eyes were just two golden orbs. Granted, they were incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing orbs, but my point was still valid. Finally, she stopped what I assumed was her scrying the entrance and walked past me, not even bothering to give me any kind of signal.
Confused, I followed her until she stopped in front of a big map. Clearly, that was what she was looking for. A map. Well, that didn’t tell me much. Potentially made me more lost too. Did she know where she was going in the first place? I was starting to doubt her experience. What I wasn’t prepared for was feeling Melody tensing next to me, going as far as to push herself against my shoulder. I looked down at her and arched an eyebrow while she tried to make herself as small as she could.
I looked about to see what might have caused the sudden discomfort and found nothing at first. After all, I was new to this convention thing. I didn’t know what was normal or not in these kinds of things. I did, however, spot a cream-colored pony heading my way and who seemed to be looking… my way?
There had to be a mistake. Nobody knew anything about me in Canterlot. I was a stranger in a foreign land. Next to her was a tall—and impressively larger than most around—stallion with an alabaster white coat and blue mane and tail. His pale-ish purple eyes looked about, but every now and again, I saw them glance at me, and I had the pleasure of watching his gaze harden every time they wandered in my direction. Had I done something I shouldn’t have done?
“Melody, is that you?” I heard the mare with the cream coat call from the distance. There was a slight hint of mirth and excitement in her tone, all the while I felt Melody push herself on me even further.
Finally, I saw the mare pop next to us, a smile painted on her lips. She wiggled her ears and looked at Melody before her eyes trailed upwards until they met mine. Well, at a glance, she was already taller than Melody, not that the mischievous changeling was hard to beat. Itty bitty bug ponies were such a rare commodity, after all.
She looked back down to Melody and then to me, frowning a little once her gaze was set back on me. “Melody, have you been hitting on random passersby again? I’ve already told you before that it’s poor etiquette. I am so sorry, sir, for whatever she might have done to you.”
I blinked and stared at this mare. Hitting on random passersby? Melody was a shameless tease, yes. But a shameless flirt? I seriously doubted this claim. Which begged the question of how the two knew each other. I softly pushed Melody aside and was met with barely any resistance from her end. I made a mental note to bring this up again when we were back at her place. More ammunition to my leverage box. Said box would be delighted to hold more content.
“Actually, ma’am, I’m with her,” I spoke softly, ruffling my wings just a little. I remained in silence while I watched the mare look back and forth between Melody and me, her eyes widening once she digested what I said. And then I saw those eyes sparkle brightly as if a glitter bomb had burst within them. Why was she doing that? What had I done, for that matter?
“You’re… with her? Like… with her as a friend? I doubt you’re dating her since I remember her saying she was already going out with somep—” I looked down to notice the blush on Melody’s cheeks, and it seemed the mare had noticed too. Her smile grew wide, and she wiggled her ears again. “Oh my gosh, is this really your Frank? He’s so tall!”
I stared back at the mare, cocking my head back and lifting an eyebrow. Ponies were weird. I understood that relationships were nice things to talk about and sometimes boast about, but this mare was blowing this entire thing out of proportions. I saw the cream-colored mare blink back at me, grabbing one of my talons with her hooves.
“Excuse me my poor manners. It’s very nice to meet you, sir. My name is Crystal Wishes. I’m a friend of your special somepony,” she chirped, shaking my talon. There was no harm in it, so I humored the mare. “And this is my husband, Silent Knight.”
Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight? Well, this Silent Knight stallion certainly lived up to his name. He wasn’t very talkative, or at the very least didn’t look very talkative. That, plus he often stared my way when he did, although the rest of him remained neutral. To my surprise, I caught a flash of green flare from the corner of my eye, and I glanced in Melody’s direction, and I found her eyes to possess pupils. For that matter, this Crystal Wishes mare also seemed to notice, and I saw her eyes glower at Melody, puffing her cheeks and pinning her ears back.
Melody flinched from the reaction. She actually flinched, of all things. This dauntless mare I called my marefriend was afraid of such an inoffensive mare. I had to admit, I was a bit jealous. Even my glaring at her was not enough to make Melody flinch. Granted, in my case, she just laughed because she had gotten a reaction out of me, or she was looking for excuses to do so.
“Melody, you and I both agreed to it. I got over my fear of changelings, and I certainly don’t need you to babysit me over that matter! Your eyes and fangs no longer scare me. Maybe they feel alien to me, but I’m over it for the most part. So please, don’t waste your magic over me.”
I heard a long sigh come from Melody and once more I saw the familiar flash of green. Her changeling eyes returned, and her fangs sprouted back from her mouth. She slowly left the comfort of my side, which she had been practically hugging at this point, and stood tall, as tall as her height allowed anyway. I felt her hoof press on my shoulder before she stepped forward to the couple.
She hung her head, sighing briefly before lifting her head back. She looked straight at the mare called Crystal Wishes. I took a few steps and closed the distance between these ponies, as well as freeing up the map that we had been hogging ever since. I darted my eyes to the side and found a few ponies staring in my direction. Well, our direction.
“Hello, Crystal,” Melody whispered, her ears pinned to her scalp. “It’s good to see you again. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you until the Ogres and Oubliettes’ new edition showcase. But I guess this is as good a time for introductions as any other. Crystal, Silent, meet Orion Skydancer, Gryffonian astronomer. Orion, meet Crystal Wishes, author extraordinaire, and Major Silent Knight, one of my commanding officers.”
I gave a nod of my head, and I extended a claw to Silent Knight. He offered a hoof in return, and I saw his eyes scanning me over again. His eyes gazed into mine soon after, and I looked him over, inspecting his coat and his mane. I gaped when I made the connection, and I realized what he was confused about: we had the same colors in pretty much the same pattern. I seemed to have found my pony counterpart if such a thing even existed.
I dipped my head a bit afterward, much to Melody’s protest as I caught that stifled gasp that shot out of her. I swelled my feathers and lifted my head to meet the amused smirk belonging to one Crystal Wishes. The reason of her amusement? My favorite changeling’s fluster, no doubt.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Wishes. I look forward to reading the things you’ve authored. Wondrous things, all of them, I assume.” I extended a talon and gently brought her hoof towards me. I dipped my head, barely this time, again and gave the mare’s hoof a gentle nip of my beak, eliciting another gasp from Melody, a giggle from Crystal, and what I could only imagine was some form of discomfort from Silent Knight. I did not blame him. I would be like that too if I saw him act like that with Melody.
“And well met, Major Knight,” I continued, switching my attention to the stallion and nodding briefly at him. Truth be told, I had been trying to think of a way to address him most formally, and only finally opted to do so at the last moment.
“Please,” the stallion retorted, a slight smile brushing his lips, with a flick of his hoof, “Silent is fine. And, uh… nice feathers,” he added, blinking and then frowning soon after, offering a nod some few moments afterward.
Well, that just about made things even simpler than I had thought. I had somehow managed to acquaint myself, thanks to Melody, with two ponies. Now, it was all a matter of deciding with Melody on the plan for the day, which I was sure she had not thought of in her excitement.
Wait, were these the friends Melody wanted me to meet? Well, if they were, I couldn’t fault Melody for wanting to befriend us.They seemed like very simple and humble ponies. And they were also quite welcoming.
Why, if I didn’t know any better, I would have suspected Melody of trying to give me reasons to stay in Canterlot with her.
Well, she was likely guilty of that among other things, I’m sure.
“So,” Crystal began, drawing me out of my thoughts, “are you an avid tabletop gamer?”
An avid gamer? Far from the thought. The dedication that the ponies that attended this event had for tabletop games was notable, but it didn’t sway me. I still stood by my argument that tabletop games were drab, confusing and not entertaining at all.
I shook my head, much to Crystal”s confusion since she had surely expected me to be as avid in tabletops as Melody was, or at least what I had gathered from her, and gave a shrug in a follow-up response.
“Actually, the only reason I’m here is because of Melody,” I said in a matter-of-factly manner, clicking my beak after.
I saw Crystal’s eyes explode in glitters and shimmers again and I made a note to never make an allusion to Melody in such a manner. I heard Melody's chittering laughter next to me, and I glanced her way to see that she had a hoof pressed on her lips. Of course, she was laughing. That was what she did most when we were together. Often at me because of her teasing.
Ashena, what had I done?
In an attempt to control the damage already done, I explained to Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight the circumstances of my coming to Canterlot. All the while, Melody was laughing when I emphasized on the fact that Melody sent her letter far too late for my reply to get back to her, leaving me with little choice over the matter.
I explained to them that I was not really into tabletop games, much to their surprise. Thankfully, neither of them took offense to that. I did tell them that I was curious to see why Melody was so interested in them, which prompted Silent in telling me that there was an event in the afternoon where groups could get together and play for an hour or so. Which prompted Melody to reply by saying that we would be there.
Before long, we went our own way after exchanging brief farewells. It made me a bit sad. Despite the few minutes that I spent with Crystal and Silent, I had found them very nice ponies to hang around. I would no doubt endeavor to try and spent more time with them when next I came to Canterlot, if they would have me. For now, I was looking forward to this Ogres and Oubliettes showcase, or whatever it was that Melody had called it.
✪
“I still can’t believe—” Melody chittered, barely managing to catch her breath in between bursts of laughter, swaying from one side to another as a drunkard would. I hung my head as I walked next to her, letting out a loud sigh. I looked over my shoulder to see Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight following close by with broad smiles spreading their lips. The only comfort I had was that they had not openly made fun of me or laughed as much as Melody had. “that your character died in just about an hour.”
“In his defense,” Silent chimed in, “I did throw some unfair things at you all that Orion wasn’t prepared for. But that was also his fault for not preparing adequately.”
“It is worth noting that this was my first time ever playing something like Ogres and Oubliettes. I do look forward to playing it again, though. And maybe be the dungeon master next time,” I said, wrapping a talon around Melody’s muzzle and clicking my beak. Teasing and tiny bug pony was no match for my claws. I returned my gaze to Silent some moments later and offered him a nod. He did the same. I puffed my feathers outward and clicked my beak another time.
For a first session, I thought I handled myself just fine. Except for the trap I triggered in the first fifteen minutes. Followed by my alerting of a keep around the end of the session. Other than that, I thought it was perfect. Of course, Melody has seen fit to make her dissenting opinion known to us once the session ended.
“I think that all things considered, Orion pulled his weight very well for a beginner. Besides, we all have things we’re good at. Tabletops don’t come naturally to him, so I think it’s fair if we give him a chance, Melody.”
It felt great to finally be in the majority. If only I weren't also plagued by the feeling that I had somehow imposed myself on the couple and made them play a session that wasn’t up to their usual standards. I shook my head briefly and made a mental note that they would deny such claim. Both of them were so hospitable and kind. It felt like I was a part of their group when they explained the basics of the game to me.
Well, Silent did. Crystal was mostly gossiping with Melody when that happened, although she was ready when Silent was done giving me the necessary instructions to at least fend for myself.
If anything, they had gone above and beyond my expectations. They had accommodated me far more than I would have thought, and for that, I was truly grateful. Not only had meeting them made my day a little brighter, and given me some things, and ponies, to look forward to the next time I was in Canterlot. Of course, that all depended on if they wanted to see me at that point.
Part of me wanted to believe that I was not going to be a bother to them, but another part of me thought the opposite. Both plausible situations, I argued. I suppose it all depended on the situation. Ergo, I would have to see when the time came.
It was a nice feeling either way. Maybe I could come settle down in Canterlot at some point. After I was done with my current bit of research anyway. Apparently, finding a star cluster in a small and generally vacant constellation was not something that often occurred every day, so the observatory’s team was currently investigating on that, myself included, to explain the reason behind that. Or at least be the first to actually break the topic, as other observatories had likely noticed as well. But for now, I could always help myself to a weekend with my silly marefriend.
A hoof came flying into my vision, and I stopped in my tracks. I blinked and looked about, finding three ponies beside me, all with varying levels of confusion, worry, and amusement on their faces. Melody’s was obviously painted with amusement.
“Equestria to Orion, don’t get lost, either here or in your thoughts,” Melody said, her expression darkening. I would have expected her to do something like licking her lips and swishing her tail while batting her eyelashes, but I received none of that. It was fairly disorienting. “Some folks don’t really like griffons around these parts, and I can’t say I blame them.”
I furrowed my brow when she said that, trying to figure out what she meant by that. I knew that Equestria and Gryffonia had never really seen eye to eye in these past few decades for a plethora of reasons, but none of them would have justified the tone she used. Oh… she meant the war. The cruel war that took place in the northern and southern provinces of Gryffonia. The one that Equestria had played a part in, and who had paid a hefty price for aiding the northern griffons.
Now I understood why the tone shifted that way. I had been lucky enough to be attending university when the whole thing blew out of proportion and claimed the lives of so many ponies and griffons. No, bringing the topic back was obviously a bad idea. I clawed at the floor and looked about to see that Crystal and Silent’s expressions had also darkened, with their eyes glued to Melody.
“Anyway... we need to go pick up little Coral,” Crystal said softly as if crushed by the weight of the topic. Her eyes flared to life again some few moments afterward. She nudged Silent, and he nodded, bumping her just a little bit. “Having you along was really fun, Orion. It was nice to have someone be worst than me at these games.” I frowned, and she burst into a little fit of giggles, bumping her petite flank on mine. “I kid, but it was nice having you around. You’re certainly a good sport about these things.”
I offered a nod and smiled. Melody did the same, and we exchanged our farewells. To be honest, I was a bit sad that the day had to end so early for them, considering I had read somewhere that events were scheduled all the way through late night today. That came as a surprise to me. I certainly hoped that some ponies went home to get some well-deserved rest.
Once they were on their way and we were left in the large hallway, I took a long look at our surroundings to find that the once busy arteries of the convention center were barren of the mass of ponies that were present in the morning. Given the time, a lot of them might have gone back home or gone out to grab a bite. Speaking of dinner, I heard my stomach growl, and I paused in my musings, mostly because of the hoof that prodded my side. I looked down to see Melody smiling at me.
“Wanna keep going for a bit longer, or do you prefer heading back to grab something to eat? Either sounds good to me.”
I stared her down for a moment, quirking an eyebrow before she furrowed hers. Well, at least I didn’t have to subtly hint that I was not expecting this kind of question from her. I gave a shrug at her attempt to stare me down, and I returned my attention to the hallway in front of me. I twitched my wings and partly unfurled them and then gestured to the doorway that led outside. I swished my tail as I took a heavy step toward the outside world. I heard Melody’s nimble hooves behind me and shot a glance her way to find her looking at me with her tongue stuck out. Silly little bug pony.
✪
I hummed to myself as I licked my plate clean of all the wonderful sauce that had accompanied the fish that Melody had cooked for us. She had said that this was her promise mother’s recipe. Whether that was true or not did not matter; that recipe was simply delicious. I could eat that for the rest of my life and never complain ever again. I set the plate down and sighed happily, a puff of steam escaping my beak. I leaned back in my chair and looked back at Melody to see her leaned on the table, her plate already empty and set aside. She looked at me with those half-lidded eyes of hers, and I blinked, feeling a flush of heat rise under my feathers.
I darted my eyes left and right, trying to find a distraction from Melody’s mesmerizing eyes. My attempts at doing so failed when my gaze sank in hers. Thankfully, I was saved by the questions that still swirled in my head. I dipped my head forward a moment and took a deep breath and muttered, “So, I’m kinda curious about this whole thing. Why is there a board game convention in Canterlot?”
I watched the confusion dance in Melody’s eyes while she tried to understand what I had said. She flicked her ears, tilting her head to look at me with a quizzical expression.
“I barely heard anything you said at all. Speak up, fluffball!” Melody retorted, her smile spread up to her wiggling ears.
Of course, the teasing had to start again. What was a day with Melody without the teasing? To be fair, I had potentially earned that one after the back, and forth we pulled on each other at the convention. Changelings were tricky sorts when it came to challenges and getting even with whoever issued it. Melody was a perfect personification of that principle, and she wasn’t even a pure-blooded changeling.
I grunted and ground my beak, rolling my eyes as I saw her smile still wanting to grow further along her cheeks. “Why do you ponies even have a convention for things like board games, of all things?” I repeated, this time with the venom of irritation clear in my voice, trying to sound as assertive as possible.
“Oh, that,” she quickly replied, wiggling her ears another time, giving a flick of her hoof before settling back in her leaning position over the table. “The story behind this is that Luna really enjoyed her game nights when she co-ruled with Celestia, and she decided to organize a convention of such things to share her love for games and to give the ponies something to lift the burden of the war from their shoulders.”
I hadn’t been expecting something like that. While the war was going on, the princess was still busying herself with a way to make the lives of her ponies that much easier? If only the Gryffonian emperor had tried to do the same thing while the war was going on. He didn’t even say a word when Equestria brought a dragon into the fray and made the invading forces surrender.
Truly, these ponies were blessed by benevolent rulers. Much more so than back home. But then again, Gryffinstone barely involved itself in the business and dealings of the provinces, so there was that to consider.
“That’s very kind of her. That sort of gesture is not often seen back home.”
She stared back at me, her playful expression fading away. Her smile faltered, too. I noticed her tongue gently licking at her lower lip while her ears lowered and pinned to her scalp. She was feeling the emotions around her again. “Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to wake up sad memories.”
I shook my head and waved my talon nonchalantly. She didn’t need to worry about that. While it was true that I was jealous of Equestria’s peace, I also liked Gryffonia to an extent. I missed Ostia far more than I missed Gryffinstone, and that was because of the simple way of life it promoted. Equestria, however, was a breath of fresh air in many ways. Ponies were friendly and approachable, although Canterlot ponies had shown themselves to be eccentric.
Happy thoughts aside, I blinked and centered my gaze on her again. She didn’t mean anything bad by it. Besides, it was true that Gryffonia wasn’t known for its gestures of kindness. Gryffinstone being the least likely to allow them. Our beloved emperor was not one for giving away kindness. In comparison, Equestria’s princesses were far more benevolent and caring for their ponies. Or anyone that lived under their care, no matter the species.
“Don’t worry about it. That Gryffonia is a harsh environment isn’t so much a bad memory as it is a fact. You don’t have to feel bad for my sake,” I said softly, pushing myself from my seat and moving along the table, swaying my tail.
She frowned. Oh, it was so glorious to see her so confused. I did not mean to confuse her ability to taste and feel emotions, but now that she was confused, I felt that the time was ripe to put my plan into action. For all of her teasing and her playfulness, Melody would not be able to predict this one. I moved past her, gently brushing my tail against the fur on her neck and chin. She tensed. Oh-oh, she was flustered too. Or maybe just taken aback by my attitude and behavior.
I heard a faint sigh come from the changeling as I moved away, going through the door frame. I hoped that she had not found this surprise I was planning. Back when we visited her parents in the Crystal Empire, I also met with one changeling queen named Glaesi. I learned that she was a professional jeweler. And so I came back to Equestria at one point and went to see this Glaesi and bought something from her. A little gift for Melody.
“Orion,” I heard my beloved call from the kitchen, “what are you doing over there?”
There was a hint of curiosity and mirth in that voice, but I also heard the slow articulation of each word she uttered. I couldn’t sense emotions as she did, but I knew when somepony or somegriff was wary. Well, she wouldn’t get anything out of me. Not yet. I moved over to Melody’s room, where I often slept when I came over, however infrequent those visits were.
I carried myself into the room with a bounce in my step, the clacking of my talons on the floorboards a symphony to my ears. I let out a low hum, careful to not be too loud as to not alert Melody to my own giddiness. Now, where had I put it again?
“Just looking for something. I’ll be back in just a few more moments, and then I’ll be all yours again,” I cooed, stroking my feathers with a claw. I had to look good if I was going to surprise Melody.
I rubbed a claw on my beak and frowned when I tried the drawer of the nightstand and found nothing. Then proceeded to mentally scold myself. Too obvious a place for Melody to look and pillage things from there. Okay, Orion, where would you have put a little gift for your mare? Certainly not in the nightstand. Why did my brain decide it was a good idea to momentarily hide a gift? Closet? No, too obvious. Wardrobe? No. Bad idea to put it there. Melody used it too often.
I clicked my beak angrily, taking a seat on the bed and thinking about the possible spots where I could have hidden it. Wait… the bed. Yes. That was the perfect place. I sprang from the mattress and spun around, planting my claws around said bed and lifting the soft, yet surprisingly heavy piece of furniture. I looked about left and right and found a small violet box on the floor at the base of the foundation. I smiled and reached out a talon to grab the box, pulling it back and then slowly, and carefully, deposited the mattress back onto its foundation. Mission accomplished.
“Gonna keep me waiting much longer, hotshot?” I heard Melody’s voice behind me.
My fur and feathers both stood on end, bristled and tense. I froze in place and slowly turned my head back. I clutched the box in my talon as I turned around, catching her eyes following my talon. I held back a hiss and let a few curses spill inside of my head. She wasn’t to find out until I told her about it and gave her the surprise of her life. I dropped the little box and nudged it back with my talon, trying to hide it behind my foot, desperately hoping Melody wouldn’t inquire further about it.
“Oh, uhm… I told you I was going to be back soon, didn’t I?” I replied, my voice cracking with stutters, beads of sweat starting to roll from my brow as I grew more nervous. “What are you doing here?”
She quirked her eyebrows, and she split her smile up to her ears, flashing her fangs in the process. She leaned on the door frame, and she crossed one leg over the other, eyeing me up and down. By all that is sacred, dear Ashena, she couldn’t find out this early. She couldn’t find out. I had to surprise her. But how could I when she felt so close to the truth? She only had to ask one question to have my plans fall to shambles.
I could not allow that to happen. I would not let it happen. Melody gently tapped the floor with a hoof and settled her gaze into mine. “Nothing. I just thought you were taking a bit too long. Looking for something, I take it?” I tensed and froze in place as her words stung my mind and glued my talons to the floor. “That’s funny. I don’t recall you arriving with anything yesterday.”
I let out a loud sigh as my eyes widened and my breath quickened. She had definitely noticed. Using all of my strength and willpower, I moved my talons together and hid the little purple box behind them, but I knew it was already too late. I saw Melody’s eyes looking into mine, glistening with mirth. Her usual mood, if anything, but it was sharper than her usual demeanor.
I gulped loudly and prayed she wouldn’t ask about the box. She could do anything but ask about the box. Which puzzled me. Why hadn’t she poked me about it? She was a changeling so she could have easily read my emotions. So why was she acting this way around me? Maybe she already knew, and she was just waiting for me to approach her? If so, then she was likely tired of waiting and was now trying to corner me into blurting it out.
I shuffled my hind legs a bit and flicked my tail once again. I lifted a talon to come ruffle my neck feathers. I averted her eyes for a moment, looking down at the floor and closing my eyes. I took a deep breath, lifting my head back. I exhaled slowly, opening my eyes again while I dropped my talon back to the ground while trying to wash my face of my previous nervousness. The time for surprises had passed. Melody was too close to finding out. I would just have to be direct about it. I grasped at the box and clutched it tight in my left talon.
“What are you hiding over there?” She asked, bouncing from her spot and putting herself right in front of me. I looked down at her with a hardened expression. “What’s that look for? Why so serious all of a sudden? What are you planning exactly?”
Good. She’d taken the bait, hook, and line. I pushed myself on my hinds, feeling my tail trail along the floor. I looked down at Melody again to see that cute, confused face of hers. I loved it when she failed to grasp what was going on completely. I might not have been a changeling, but it was a delicious feeling. I wobbled a few times before I settled in a steady position, towering over my marefriend, holding the violet box loosely in my talon now, which I saw had grasped Melody’s attention already.
“Orion?” she asked with her brow still furrowed and with a slight tilt of her head.
I dropped to a knee, and that was then that I saw her eyes widen. Well, as much as I could tell from those lens-like eyes of hers. I held the box toward her and offered a broad smile. I sank my purple eyes in her golden eyes. I heard a quiet gasp come out of her mouth as a hoof shot to her lips. Her horn shined momentarily, and her eyes shifted to normal eyes, minus the vertical pupils that were seen in bat ponies. Her irises had shrunk so much, and I could see the glittering in those eyes. She knew now, and it couldn’t have been at a better time. Not only had she not known about my scheme, or if she did, she was playing along, but she was taken aback.
“Melody…” I murmured, putting my other talon on the box’s lid and gently tugging on it, but not yet ready to open it. “In the past year that I’ve gotten to know you, I learned to love a kind, loving, and playful mare that cares deeply for those around her. You’re a loyal, friendly confidant, and I find it harder by the day to be far away from you. I’m not good at speeches, and even worse at romantic talks, but Melody Swiftsong, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
I let out a heavy sigh once those words were uttered and opened the box, revealing the bright golden ring adorned with a shining emerald that rested in between soft layers of velvet, safely tucked from the dangers of the outside world. Melody fell to her flanks when the words hit her and remained there, unblinking. Her hooves covered her mouth, and her eyes seemed unfocused. I saw tears starting to well in those beautiful eyes of hers. For a moment, I thought I had done something wrong, but I gasped and let out a loud squawk when she threw herself at my neck, barely leaving me any time to close the box so that nothing happened to the ring.
I smiled and nuzzled her cheek. She looked back at me with the widest smile yet, tears streaming down the fur of her cheeks. She pulled back from her embrace, and she pressed her lips against my beak. I initially froze, but quickly warmed to the sudden gesture, pressing her against me. She broke the quick kiss and wiggled her ears. Her cheeks were a bright pink by now, and her eyes reflected the love that filled her.
“Celestia, you are so cheesy, Orion,” she blurted out with a playful giggle, still lodged atop of my belly. “ But, yes, I would.”
I smiled. That was a perfect thing. I leaned forward and kissed her lips. She had said yes. All was good in the world. I would leave tomorrow’s troubles to future me.