//------------------------------// // 272. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The air was thick with tension as Blueblood gazed down at his drawing board where he had an idea in the planning stages for a new experimental engine. If he was able to give it shape and form, if the wild idea he had of generating power through this engine could be sustained and applied, it could very well revolutionize not only airships but locomotives, boats, any kind of machinery that relied upon an engine. Then, of course, was the secondary idea, from which he had drawn inspiration from two of the most important mares in his life. His Auntie Celestia and his beloved muse, Rarity. A means of fueling the aforementioned experimental engine, though this idea would better apply to airships and sailboats, but if there was a way for it to apply to trains Blueblood would figure it out. Midnight and his good friend Techorse from Fillydelphia, both of them had spoken with Blueblood in regards to these theories and both had encouraged Blueblood to follow through with them. Every now and then Midnight himself stopped by Blueblood's warehouse and talk shop with him, having offered to fund the project but Blueblood had kindly declined, saying he wanted to make this himself but he would gladly accept Midnight's help in making this dream a reality. Jotting down some more notes, he began to ponder what he would call this brainchild of his... when a familiar sensation on his flanks derailed his train of thought and he mentally swore before glancing down to see his cutie-mark was glowing, just as it had when the map had called upon him and the guys to go help their girls. Sighing, he put his pencil away, placed all the notes and diagrams he'd drawn up into a folder, and safely stowed them into a small vault hidden under his desk. He had no idea where the Map was going to send him nor for how long he'd be gone. Sure, Ponyville was practically the happiest little town in all of Equestria with hardly any crime at all, but given how important this theoretical engine was to Blueblood, it paid to err on the side of caution. The vault didn't look it but it was heavily ensorcelled, charmed to be unbreakable and could not be unlocked magically, it could not be moved from its spot unless a specific somepony was the one moving it, and only the owner could open it via a four-digit code that had to be inputed exactly five seconds after opening the combination lock. Sure it seemed overkill, especially in Ponyville, but Blueblood learned long ago not to underestimate his business rivals. Satisfied his notes were safe, Blueblood departed his workshop, thinking, I wonder who I'll be going with to wherever the map sends us? At the Castle of Friendship, Blueblood had just stepped through the doors to the throne/map room when he heard Twilight declare, "The map is summoning you all to Griffonstone!" "Come again?" Blueblood spoke up and he saw that Twilight, Midnight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were all present, standing around the map, with the images of all cutie-marks present sans Twilight's and Midnight's orbiting above a location on the map. "Hello Blueblood, you're just in time," Midnight welcomed their friend as he came over and got a closer look to see Twilight was right. "It appears the map is calling you, RD, and Pinks to travel together to Griffonstone, the old royal capitol of the Griffon Kingdom." "I don't know if any of you have read 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness'," Twilight interjected as she levitated over a large history book, "but griffons were known to be-" "Rude, insensitive bullies?" interrupted Rainbow as she lounged on her throne, the very picture of 'I don't want to go'. "Now hold on there, Dash," Midnight gave the rainbow pegasus a real stink eye, "just because Gilda acted like a jerk when she came to Ponyville, doesn't mean all griffons are the same way. Remember Sir Godric and Doran back at the Equestria Games? Doran flew a clean race and congratulated Thunderlane on winning, while his father Godric threw away his chance to win the obstacle race to help Lucky finish it after he hurt himself!" "Midnight is right, Rainbow Dash," Blueblood nodded in agreement, "I know plenty of ponies who are just as bad as you say Gilda was, and it's not fair to judge an entire species based on one bad experience." "Well- I- Pinkie, help me out here!" Rainbow looked to the party pony. "Well, Gilda was a bit of a party-pooper, but Bluey and Nighty are right that we shouldn't think all other griffons are like her," Pinkie responded diplomatically while lounging upside on the seat of her throne. "Mister Godric and Doran were pretty cool when we met them during the Equestria Games, and I promised them a party if they ever come to visit Ponyville." "I'll admit Gilda was a little rude," Twilight spoke up as she began to get excited while peering into her book, "but the three of you still get to go to Griffonstone! And according to this book, it has a rich and fascinating history!" While Pinkie peered over Twilight's shoulder to get a look, Midnight and Blueblood shared one that was slightly troubled while Twilight explained, "In ancient times, Griffons were as greedy and ruthless as dragons, hoarding gold, gems, and all other treasures they could get their talons on. They took it further to increase their wealth by kidnapping other creatures from their homelands and selling them into slavery, building up a powerful empire that lasted almost a hundred years of unjust slaving and corruption." "But..." Midnight stepped in, taking the book from Twilight to her irked confusion as she looked at his smug face, "a very brave, handsome, and unjustly kidnapped young unicorn mage was also taken into slavery. With the help of a hippogriff by the name of Fusion they staged an uprising on an island where a despicable griffon lord conducted his slavery business. Alas, Fusion sacrificed himself to save his unicorn friend, and the unicorn helped all the other slaves free themselves so they could take the news and evidence of this depraved practice to Princess Celestia. "With the help of several leaders from other nations, Princess Celestia cowed the lords of the Griffon Empire into abolishing their slave trade and liberated thousands of slaves! Fusion was honored for his sacrifice and his cutie-mark was made the national symbol of Freedom, representing it as the right of all sentient creatures that no creature had the right to take away." "Yes, we all know that story, honey!" Twilight took the book back while giving Midnight playful stink eye as he chuckled while she carried on, "The griffons were humbled by the treaty they were all but forced to sign in order to avoid war with so many nations, and became paranoid of losing their treasures. All of that changed when a griffon warrior by the name of Grover discovered the mysterious golden Idol of Boreas! Legends say the Idol of Boreas was made from the dust of golden sunsets, blown across the mountains by the north winds. The Idol found by Grover filled the hearts of griffons with pride and so for finding it they named Grover their king, and he worked to restore honor and dignity to griffons everywhere by making Griffonstone the most majestic kingdom of all the griffons' land!" "And why" - Rainbow ruined the moment by forcing the book shut - "do you care so much about griffons anyway?" "It was actually Gilda's visit that made me curious," Twilight admitted, levitating the book, "so I picked up 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' and I've been hooked ever since!" "Yeah..." Midnight took the book from Twilight, to her confusion, as he said, "and how old is this book, Twilight?" "What do you mean?" Twilight asked, not understanding. "When Godric and some of his Sky Knights mentored me when I was younger," Midnight opened the book towards a later chapter, "they taught me some griffon history as well. Including the fact that the griffons of Griffonstone are a disgrace to their race as a whole nowadays." "What?! That can't be true," Twilight took the book back, "This book explains that although griffons were once enemies to all free creatures, the Idol and King Grover helped remake the griffons' society as great and noble as any kingdom!" "Yes, it was a great and noble kingdom, Twilight," Blueblood spoke up, "over a hundred years ago. Can I see something?" Blueblood took the book without waiting for Twilight to answer and flipped to the last chapter, "As I suspected, there is nothing in here about Griffonstone after the reign of King Guto." "King Guto? Who was that?" Pinkie asked, popping up in front of Blueblood like a filly jumping onto her papa's lap, only she was a mare and Blueblood unceremoniously shoved her off his lap. "King Guto was the last monarch to rule Griffonstone and the Griffon Kingdom altogether over a hundred years ago," Blueblood showed that particular chapter. "But it ends there, with nothing else written afterwards. Don't you find that strange?" "Well..." Twilight took the book back, recalling that particular fact, for it was strange indeed. The book covered the reign of King Grover and all the other griffon monarchs after him, all the way down to King Guto. Guto's reign was described to be peaceful and prosperous, but that was it, and nothing else was mentioned further. It was almost as if history in the making just came to a stop. "I... suppose that's rather odd, but I still don't understand why you and Midnight say that Griffonstone isn't so grand as is described in 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness'." "Because we've been to Griffonstone, Twily," Midnight answered, "and it's a dump!" "To be precise, a tragic waste of potential and culture," Blueblood nodded. "All the griffons there are bitter, rude, and won't do anything unless they're paid for it," Midnight explained, "even for an answer to a question!" "In all honesty, it's no wonder Gilda would be the bully as you explained if she'd grown up there of all places," Blueblood added before he considered what he'd just said, "Come to think of it, if any place needed a touch of friendship, it would be Griffonstone." "But I- I don't understand!" Twilight peered through the book, seeing a history with its ups and downs, triumphs and failures, and now her fiancé and one of her foalhood friends was bursting her bubble like this?! "How could something that turned out to be amazing be less than so in real life?!" "Well, in any case," Midnight lit up his horn and the map's illusory holographic image vanished, "I'm sure the three of you will be able to handle whatever it is in Griffonstone that needs your help." "And I guess we'll stay here and do... royal things," Twilight slumped into her throne as she regarded 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' in a less flattering light. "Well then, c'mon, Bluey and Dashie!" Pinkie hopped along, Blueblood following as he levitated an irritated Rainbow Dash in tow, "We're goin' to Griffonstone!" The three friends took the Friendship Express and it was a long train ride, and it was for that reason Blueblood decided to take some of his notes for his engine project with him, so he could brainstorm along the way. He'd encouraged Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to bring something along to keep them occupied for the trip to help the time slip by a little faster. Rainbow Dash was re-reading one of her Daring Do books although the the mission and where it was taking them prevented her from fully enjoying Daring Do make a fool of Ahuizotl. Pinkie Pie waved over the snack trolley and asked, "What'cha got there, Blueblood?" "Oh, it's just notes I'm working on for a project, Pinkie Pie," Blueblood answered, checking something he'd scribbled earlier, "something very important to me and my work in the airship industry." "Ooh! Can I see?" Pinkie peered over his shoulder, only for Blueblood to shut his notebook in response, casuing her mane curl to droop just a little as she pouted. "Up-bup-bup! Sorry, Pinkie, but this project is much too important to me to allow to become common knowledge, even amongst my friends," Blueblood said firmly while stowing the notebook into his saddlebag, "and in any case, we should discuss our first course of action once we arrive." "I suppose we gotta have some kind of game plan..." Rainbow Dash put her own book away and sat up, and once he was satisfied both mares were paying attention, Blueblood began. "So, as Midnight and I previously mentioned, Griffonstone is a pale shadow of the splendor it once was. There's no king or queen ruling the kingdom really, just local lords or barons of specific lineages or mayors of their towns and communities. From what I understand, the only real law enforcement is the Knighthood of the Sky, led by Sir Godric, and his brothers in arms are spread thin in their attempts to keep the peace and enforce the law over their whole country. Otherwise, the griffon nobles employ personal guards or mercenaries to enforce their own laws and even taxes in their communities! "Some places, like Sir Godric's home, Mount Eyrie, are much better than how things are in Griffonstone. Yet compared to cities and towns like we have in Equestria? I honestly pity the griffon race as a whole." "Sheesh, the griffon kingdom's that bad? Not just Griffonstone?" Rainbow Dash was surprised and maybe a little sympathetic. If Gilda had grown up in a kingdom like this, it would make sense she wasn't as nice as Rainbow Dash remembered. But she huffed and thought, That still doesn't excuse her for the way she treated my friends... "And Midnight wasn't kidding before," Blueblood continued, "the griffons of Griffonstone are notoriously miserly. They'll charge payment for absolutely anything if they can spot an opportunity to get money. Since we're from Equestria, they'll ask for Bits,. Don't pay them anything unless it's absolutely necessary, but if you can, haggle for a lower price. Because the more you pay the more they'll demand, especially if other griffons notice you seem to have plentiful money." "I didn't know griffons use Bits," Pinkie pointed out, "don't they have their own money?" "They do, brass, silver, or gold coins engraved with a symbol of a bird's talons called Raptras, but they can go to a local bank and easily exchange any bits they obtain for their own currency," Blueblood answered before double-taking at the hefty bag of bits Pinkie Pie had just spent to buy a buffet of snacks from the trolley. Seeing how disapproving Blueblood and Rainbow Dash looked at her splurging to pig out, Pinkie gulped before sheepishly asking, "Can I borrow some bits?" Finally, the friends' train arrived at the decrepit Griffon Gorge train station and after making sure they were prepared they embarked on hoof towards Griffonstone. The Griffon Gorge station was the only real stop along the tracks after entering the Griffon Kingdom, as almost all griffon cities and villages were located in mountain ranges too treacherous for railroads. Specifically, Griffonstone lied past the northern Hyperborean Mountain range, and it took the three of them the next few hours making their way up the mountain trail to their destination. Blueblood led the way as he had the most experience in diplomacy and they expected he would likely be their spokepony on this mission. Finally, after an exhausting trek, they stepped through the Griffon Gate that marked the capitol's outskirts, Pinkie Pie saying, "Aw, Twilight should'a come along! That way she'd see for herself that...!" Hers and Rainbow's jaws dropped while Blueblood sighed with pity at the disgrace before them. Griffonstone was built upon a vast ancient tree located on a mountain summit, with huts and homes built upon the branches and some around the base of the tree. The palace (for lack of a kinder term) was located near the top of the tree, nestled upon the main trunk while secured safely around large boughs and branches, but it, like so many other buildings and houses in Griffonstone, was rundown, dismal, and in serious need of repairs. Griffons flapped and moped about here and there, shunning each other, looking bitter, miserable, yet some held their beaks up as if they were the most important creatures in the neighborhood. "A total dump!"