"Academy is over, colts!" Snapdragon locked me a one-legged hug/headlock that completely cut off my oxygen. "Next stop, EHL!"
The graduation ceremony was over, and the stars danced high in Princess Luna's night sky. The breeze was warm, pleasant, as it should have been near the end of Spring. I tried to fight out of Snapdragon's chokehold, but it was no use. Snap was burly and made of solid stuff, the perfect build for a runningbuck. While I struggled helplessly, Bronze Cartwheel joked around with our center, Solid Rock, and Gleaming Lance, another wide receiver. We were sitting in the stands of Vanhoover Academy's hoofball field, the dimmed spotlights just bright enough to illuminate our surroundings without blocking out the stars and celestial bodies above us.
"Aw, let 'im go, Snap." Bronze clopped Snapdragon jokingly on the shoulder while my vision began to swim. "You keep 'im locked like that 'fer too long and he'll pass out."
Right before I was about to slash him in desperation, Snapdragon finally released me. I gasped for fresh air. Bronze and Lance snickered while crickets and insects buzzed around us in the bushes lining the field.
"Sorry, Gaius. Guess I forgot how delicate you griffons are," Snap said with a sly smile.
"Yeah, delicate..." I heaved while the world slowly came into full focus again. "Until we claw your eyes out."
Solid Rock nickered around the long strand of hay that was hanging out of his mouth. Even when he was lounging like a tired farmpony, his ridiculous muscles stood out from his slate-gray coat. He was even bigger than Snapdragon.
"It's really over, isn't it? Our last season of Academy Hoofball, done." He said with a hint of empathy in his voice.
Bronze sighed. "Ayep. It really is. But hey, at we made it all the way before it was said and done. Got myself an Academy Badge to keep."
Rock Continued. "Too bad I won't get to do this again."
We all stared at him while he looked back at us innocently.
"What?" He asked.
Snap snorted. "What do you mean you won't get to do this again? You made it into the Draft, just like me and Gaius. We had a party for it and everything! You're practically a guaranteed first-round pick!"
"I meant I won't get to do it here." His voice was suddenly heavy with emotion. "With you guys."
Bronze sighed. "Yeah. Ah'll miss it, too."
Snap sighed heavily. "You should've applied for the Draft, Bronze. You might not have been taken first round since most EHL teams don't need a quarterbuck, but somepony would've had you. What's the point of going to Academy if you're just going to take over for your dad?"
"We've been over this, Snap." Bronze gave him a gentle smile. "Ah've learned how to be a proper business pony. Ah wanna take Dad's business to the next level. Maybe even expand to different cities, make it known everywhere."
I watched Bronze Cartwheel as he talked, the pony I had called my best friend for the past four years of my life. The stark emerald green of his eyes contrasted sharply with the dark gold of his coat and the mahogany of his shaggy mane. He wasn't nearly as big as Snap or Rock. In fact, he wasn't too much bigger than me or Lance. Physically, though, he was just as solid as any EHL player. But unfortunately for him, the EHL preferred taller quarterbucks, as they could see ahead of their offensive line and defensive opponents more easily. Not to mention that the bigger and harder you are to tackle in the pro leagues, the better.
Snap was right, though. If Bronze wanted to be in the EHL, he probably could at least be a backup quarterbuck taken in the late rounds. But he just wanted to take over the family business from his dad, Stud Cartwheel. Cartwheel Cart Repair was already well known and respected throughout Vanhoover, and Bronze had visions on making it even better with the education he got from Canterlot Academy; hoofball was just a bonus. Still, he'd been my quarterbuck for the past four years, and the game just wouldn't be the same without him. I tried not to think of it, because it totally bummed me out whenever I did.
I patted Snap's back reassuringly. "It's alright, buddy. You've still got me and Rock. Not to mention Cross and Angel on the defense." Six graduating players on the team in total had been named eligible for the Draft: four on offense, two on defense. But only me and Solid Rock were considered likely first-round picks. Snapdragon was close, but there were a lot of good runningbucks in the draft this year, and the EHL's current demand for them was a bit questionable.
Snap sniffed, his light pink and auburn mane falling around his misting orange eyes. He pulled up a mint-green foreleg to wipe away a loose tear. "It's just unfair. I still say you're loads better than that spoiled Cobalt Steel. I think any team with real sense would pick you over him."
Bronze snorted humorously. "His passing records disagree with ya there, buddy."
"But you beat him in the Championship! He's just the favorite because his big brother's already a star quarterbuck!"
"Who won an Equestria Bowl," Bronze said calmly.
Cobalt Steel was the quarterbuck for Canterlot Prep, the team we had beaten in the Academy Championship. He had definitely looked like an EHL-ready quarterbuck in that game, even if he had lost. But what really gave Cobalt the Draft advantage, however, was his older brother Indigo Steel.
Indigo was the star quarterbuck for the Winnyiapolis Wendigos of the EHL, and he was renowned for winning his team their first ever Equestria Bowl in his rookie season five years ago. The lineage basically guaranteed Cobalt to go to the first team on the Draft board that needed a quarterbuck, even if Bronze had technically beaten him in the championship game. The fact that Cobalt also had the best passing stats of any current Academy quarterbuck also didn't hurt.
Snap sighed defeatedly. "I know, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not ready for this to be over. I'm excited for the EHL, sure, but... I'll really miss Academy."
"I hear you," I said lightly. "But we shouldn't be sad about days gone by. Look at it this way, we still get to play hoofball after we graduate." My voice softened a bit. "You know, it's not impossible that a couple of us won't end up on the same team."
"Yeah," Rock said with light sarcasm. "Just really, really unlikely."
"But not impossible. Like, what if a trade happens?" Snap said adamantly. "Like last year, San Franciscolt traded a first-round pick to Tall Tale. Besides, if I go second round-"
"Okay, okay, it's not impossible, I just wouldn't get your hopes up for it."
"Well..." Lance unfurled his wings and flew a few feet in the air, guaranteeing him our attention. He was one of the few pegasi on the team and, like me, speed was his game rather than size.
He was a good receiver, and he ensured that Bronze didn't always have to pass to me. He enjoyed hoofball as much as any of us, but he always had his eyes set on becoming an officer in the Royal Guard. Like Bronze, when the opportunity came to sign up for the EHL draft, Lance ignored it completely. He was leaving for his first Royal Guard training camp in less than a week.
"I think instead of bumming ourselves out on the glory days of the past..." He hovered down to sit on the guardrail in front of us that separated the stands from the field. "We should focus on glory days ahead. For example, we could take bets on which teams we think you three are actually going to end up in."
"Wasn't that what we were just talking about?" Snap said questioningly.
Lance's brow furrowed. "I meant instead of hoping for landing on the same team, actually try to guess who will realistically take you." He looked over to me. "I, personally, think Gaius has a one-way ticket to Canterlot."
This finally broke through Snapdragon's mood. "Ooh! You could catch for Sterling Spiral! That'd be perfect for you!"
"Yeah," said Rock. "Perfect if you want to take a permanent backseat to Golden Receiver."
Sterling Spiral was the quarterbuck for the Canterlot Royals. He was considered one of the best in the league, and perhaps one of the best of all-time. He had an unprecedented four Equestria Bowl wins, the most recent coming from this season. His star receiver, Golden Receiver, also just happened to be one of the most coveted downfield threats in the league. I was confident in my abilities, sure, but the idea of competing with that was a bit intimidating.
"Honestly, I'll probably take a backseat with just about any team I join. You've got to start from the bottom." I said.
"Well, then where do you want that backseat to be at, Gaius?" Lance asked. "Surely you've got an idea of where you want to go."
I thought for a second, then shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. Anywhere that'll take me, I guess... Except Griffonstone. And probably Saddle Arabia."
"Don't worry, Griffonstone won't touch ya," Bronze retorted. "Griffon or not, they don't want anypony that ain't from their lil' treehollow, not that their pickiness has done 'em any good. Don't even know why they're in the Draft, they won't ever pick players from Equestria. They just give their picks away and defer to local talent."
I nodded understandingly. Bronze was right, of course, but his answer made me think of another worry that was occupying space in my head.
"What if I don't go in the first round at all, because nopony wants a griffon?" I said slowly.
Bronze snorted. "Dang it all, Gaius, we've been over this. Your season was good enough to get you in the EHL whether you're a griffon, a pony, or anything else!" He shifted forward to look at me seriously. "If the radio hosts are callin' ya a first-round pick, you're a first-round pick!"
That wasn't necessarily true, but Bronze did have a point. Thankfully, Solid Rock was able to move the conversation in a different direction.
"Well I think Gaius would be good in Manehattan or Hoofston. Both teams got grade-A quarterbucks, and they need receivers. Plus, I doubt fifteen other teams will pass him up to let Canterlot snag him, griffon or not."
"But didn't Manehattan just trade for Marathon Iron, though?" Snap asked.
"Manehattan traded for Marathon Iron?" I asked, astounded. "When did you hear that? And who did they trade for him?"
"Heard it on the radio this morning. And apparently they traded Hard Stop, their big outside linebacker."
"Hardstop for M.I., straight-up," Bronze said as with an impressed whistle. "Guess ol' Coach Playmaker was serious when he said that he wanted a good receiver base for Hoofrocket. But to trade one of their best defensive players for him? And to Fillydelphia, a rival team?"
"Gutsy move," Rock said as he chewed his hay strand. "But if they want options for 'Rocket that bad, there's still a good chance Manehattan could draft Gaius in the first round. But once again, you'd probably be a backseat to M.I., and that's only if Hoofston doesn't take you first. Still, I think it'd be cool for you to go to Manehattan, catching for the MVP of the league."
Bronze nickered. "Nah, Bowl Badges are what matters in the EHL, and Sterling's got three more than Hoofrocket."
"But Hoofrocket's got 2,000 more passing yards," Rock argued.
"'Cause he's been in the league a year longer!"
"Fillies, relax." Lance chuckled. "I think Gaius would do fine at Canterlot, Manehattan, or Hoofston, but let's switch gears and debate where good ol' Solid Rock'll land."
"San Franciscolt." Snapdragon grinned. "They need offensive lineponies, and Rock is the best one on the board if you ask me! He's gonna be the first pick of the Draft!"
"It'd be nice." Rock chuckled softly. "But I won't get my hopes too high. Most ponies don't expect an offensive linepony to be the first pick. If San Franciscolt don't take me, Bucklyn probably will. I wouldn't mind being a Phoenix."
"Well I want to be a Hydra!" Snapdragon puffed his chest out. "Vanhoover pride!"
"They don't need a runningbuck, Snap." Bronze smiled lightly. "But Winnyiapolis or New Horseleans could take ya. Maybe in the first round, ya never know."
"Winnyiapolis would be cool," Snap pondered. Then he sullied back down. "But it won't be the same as here. I'll miss you guys. And Coach Green Flag."
"Too bad the season's over," Bronze said sincerely. "But at least we made it all the way to the end. And came out with a championship. Can't be mad at that."
I scratched my beak in thought, then broke into a wide grin.
"Maybe it's not over yet!" I flew onto the field in front of the stands. "You know, Bronze, I still want to try my talons at quarterbuck, and we have some hoofballs in the storage room under the stands!"
"Try quarterbuck? But there's only five of us. And we ain't got no gear! We already turned our jerseys, pads, and helmets in!"
"We don't need gear," I retorted. "And there are plenty of us. Snap, you're my offensive line. Lance, you're my receiver. We're playing against Bronze and Rock. Rock's the defensive line, Bronze is the cornerbuck. When we switch, Lance'll play receiver for the other team."
Bronze laughed. "Ya really wanna get 'yer tail kicked that bad? Fine by me."
"Why not?" Rock said with a wicked grin. "Let's do it."
"You're not gonna touch my quarterbuck, Rocky. You'll never make it past me." Snapdragon hopped over the barricade to gallop to my side."
"We'll see, Snap!" Rock said as he galloped to the storage room.
And so that's how we spent the rest of the night, with Rock and Snapdragon colliding again and again while I failed repeatedly to throw a straight ball to Lance. Snap and I got crushed, but we spent a whole hour laughing nonstop until we decided to call it a night.
After the impromptu game, we all gathered in a huddle to psych ourselves up for the Draft next month. Eventually, the huddle turned into a group hug as we reminisced about our best moments playing academy hoofball. Snapdragon started crying so hard I thought Solid Rock might have to carry him home. After some sad goodbyes, we all parted ways and left. We knew we would all see each other again before the Draft, with the possible exception of Gleaming Lance, but it would just be different. We weren't teammates anymore, just friends. But I had some of the best memories of my life with these friends, and I would always treasure them. I just held my head high on the flight home, knowing that no matter how hard goodbyes were, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted the EHL. At least two of my friends would be there with me, even if on different teams, and that's all I had the right to ask.
<*****>-------<*****>
It was only a few minutes before I landed in front of my home. It was a quaint cottage surrounded by farmland on the outskirts of Vanhoover, far from the city district. I walked slowly up to the rugged wood door surrounded by thick wooden fence post, a soft glow emanating from inside. I knew exactly what to expect when I opened it.
The living room of the house was quaint and open with a lit fireplace burning low. The floor was fine wooden boards with a woven hay carpet on top, and two armed chairs complementing a mint green couch. My father sat on said couch reading a hoofball magazine with the radio turned low. Sports broadcasts were over for the day, so Sapphire Shores music was softly droning out instead. All of that, I expected. My dad never went to bed until I came home, whether it be from school, practice, or hanging out with my friends like tonight.
What I didn't expect was my mother sitting beside him in the rocking chair from the kitchen, knitting a blanket with her hooves. My mother always went to bed at the same time every night, like clockwork. She never waited for me, unless... uh-oh.
Dad creased the edge of his magazine and looked up at me past his reading glasses.
"Welcome home Gaius." he said as he reached over to turn off the radio.
Mom put down her knitting needles and adjusted the half-finished blanket on her body. "Oh, welcome home, honey. How was your night?"
I tried to control the sudden panic gripping me. "It was good. How are you guys?"
Dad cleared his throat. "Er, listen, son. We need to talk to you."
"Yes, honey," Mom agreed. "There's something we need to tell you." She looked over at Dad nervously.
What could possibly be so important that they'd stay up this late to tell me? I sat down in one of the armchairs while my mind raced faster than I could sprint on a hoofball field. Dad started to fiddle with his hooves in his lap. That was a bad sign. Whatever was coming, it was going to be awkward. There were only two other situations where a conversation between us started like this. The first was when I first asked them about my parents. You know, my actual parents. The second was when... you know what? I don't want to talk about the second time.
"Gaius," My dad started. "Now that you've graduated academy, I now consider you a fully-grown stallion.. or griffon. You... you know what I mean."
"Okay...Thanks." This was starting off a lot like the... second time. I didn't like it.
"Now that you've graduated, your mother and I have something to give to you." His voice was full of caution and empathy, and it confused me. They were... giving me a present? But why did he sound so worried?
Mom got up and walked off to the kitchen. A few seconds later she returned holding a wrapped gift, but it was obvious that neither her nor dad wrapped it. My mom took pride in buying only the best wrapping paper around Heart's Warming, much to Dad's disdain. And Dad? He always wrapped one present for Mom, by covering it with several layers of wrapping paper and an entire roll of tape, no box included.
The present they were giving me came with a box, but the present itself was weirdly crude. It was wrapped in rough, heavy-duty paper and tied with a bow made of long strands of hay, cracked and dry with age. As I stared at it, I put two and two together.
"Is... is that from..."
"Yes." Dad folded his hooves in his lap. "It's from your biological parents."
Mom set it down warily on the low table in front of me, then quickly retreated back to her rocking chair. I carefully took it in my talons. There were a couple of faded words roughly scrawled into the paper with ink. 'To: Gaius'. I looked up at the ponies that I had called my parents for my entire life.
"Why did you hide this for so long?" I wasn't angry, just confused. Dad sighed.
"We got it from the orphanage the day we adopted you. It came with a note, said that your folks didn't want you to have it until you 'became a true griffon' or something along those lines. So we decided we'd wait until you graduated or until you were ready to move out to give it to you. We... figured that was what they wanted."
My head was still spinning. I stared at the gift in my talons. I had always assumed my parents had just dumped me in that adoption center, left me with nothing. I didn't think of them very often. As far as I was always concerned, my real parents were sitting in the living room across from me. But this... I didn't know how to feel about this.
"Go ahead, Gaius. Open it." My mom said softly.
I gulped, then carefully tore it open. Pulling the paper and hay bow off revealed a black box. I took the lid off to reveal a letter that looked like it was written on the same kind of paper that had been used for the wrapping. With shaking talons, I opened it up and began to read quietly to myself:
Dear Gaius,
We won't tell you our names, we feel it is better that way. If your adoptive parents comply with our wishes, you will not read this letter until you are a true griffon, or until your parents deem you are ready. We know you will probably want answers, especially regarding why we decided to give you away. But first, allow us to explain your name. Your mother chose the name Gaius because she liked the sound, how it rolls off the beak. But your last name, Strongtalon, has a meaning. It is derived from an old griffon king, who was orphaned at a young age and lived his life in poverty. However, he became a skilled warrior and fearsome ruler of Griffonstone due to his skill, valor, and determination. One day, you too will achieve greatness in your own way, just like the fearsome king who was raised by turmoil and hardships.
Your mother was married to a Griffon noble, but she had an affair. An affair with a lowly shopkeeper in the streets of our crumbling kingdom. From this affair, she conceived. Her husband thankfully showed mercy to her, choosing not to divorce her and dishonor her name, even after she refused to name the griffon she had liaised with. He refused, however, to take responsibility for the child, so the parents mutually decided to put said child up for adoption. To save him from a life of harsh judgement and hardships in Griffonstone, he was taken to Equestria to be raised by ponies. This, Gaius, is the story of your conception.
Understand the decision to give you away did not come easily, we did so for your protection. We long to see what will become of you, but it is better if we do not meet. Despite the circumstances of your birth, I have faith that your adoptive parents will raise you to be a fine griffon; a beacon of pride and power in the foreign lands of Equestria. When you doubt your own strength, when you feel powerless, remember your namesake, remember the powerful griffon king. For you have plenty of potential to be a greater griffon than either of your parents.
In this gift, you will find an heirloom from your father's family. Given to him from his father, and now to you. We are truly sorry that this is all we can give you. We desire greatly to meet you, but it would be beneficial to all if this never happens. We can only ask that if your hatred of us burns bright, use that fire to make yourself stronger. Never succumb to the darkness of weakness and fear.
Sincerely, your parents: two shameful griffons.
I clutched the letter in a death grip, emotions burning through me like geysers of flame. I read it again. And again. Mom and Dad sat quietly while I it, never saying a word. Finally, I took a deep breath and set it on the table. The urge to pick it up and read it again was overpowering, but I instead returned my attention to the box.
Something had been hiding underneath the letter, covered by a thin piece of crude fabric. I pulled it off to reveal a stark purple amethyst, perfectly smooth and set in dark, solid wood with a length of thin rope so it could be worn around the neck. I took it in my talon and examined it. It was pretty, but something about it felt... wrong. Dead wrong. My mind raced back to the letter my parents had left me. Never succumb to the darkness of weakness and fear? What did they mean by 'true griffon'? They wouldn't even tell me their names! I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.
Dad cleared his throat. "Son, are you okay?"
I set the necklace on the table, then grabbed the letter and walked over to him. I handed it to him for him to read, then sat down on the floor in front of him like a little foal. He hesitated, but then began to read to himself. Upon finishing it, he sighed and set it down on the end table by the couch.
"So they wouldn't even tell ya who they were. I'm so sorry, son. You deserve better than that."
I was fighting back tears. I suppose I had always had an underlying curiosity about my real parents. Who wouldn't? But ever since first asking about them years ago, I had always been content with my adoptive ones. Why did this have to happen now, while I was aiming for success and grandeur, all for playing the game I loved? Maybe deep down, I had thought I was special. Unique in some way. But now reality came crashing down like a tidal wave.
"I was born... from an affair... I'm... I'm a m-mistake..."
I had never really wondered why I was put up for adoption. I guess the main theory in my head was that my parents couldn't afford me. Griffonstone was a notoriously poor kingdom, after all. There was still disbelief that they could afford an EHL team. But no. I was the product of a rich griffon noble rebelling against her husband. Then she and her accomplice shipped me to Equestria to avoid the consequences. Tears started to well up in my eyes, until they finally began to spill over.
"Hey!" My dad barked, startling both me and my mom. "You listen to me, Gaius! You are not a mistake! Do you hear me? I can prove it! You're not a mistake because your ma and I chose you at that orphanage! We saw a baby griffon that desperately needed a family, and we adopted your feathery hide! And you have been the best part of me and Oat Cake's lives!"
I could probably count on one talon the number of times Dad's actually yelled at me. His speech had started with raw anger in his voice, but now he seemed on the brink of tears.
"So don't you let a letter from the two griffons who gave you up make you think any less of yourself! You're an amazing kid, who's done nothing but succeed and made your real parents proud. You graduated Academy! You won a championship! You're going into the EHL for Celestia's sake! You... you..." Tears began to flow as he finally ran out of steam.
"Don't..." he sniffed. "Don't let them make you feel like that, Gaius. They don't know you, son."
I just sat there, staring up at my dad from the floor while he cried. Mom reached over and grabbed my talon with her hoof, a gentle smile on her face and tears brimming in her eyes.
"Well, I'm grateful for what your parents did. If they hadn't sent you here, we never would've met you." She took her other hoof and placed it under my chin. "Listen to me, Gaius. You're not a mistake. You're a wonderful young griffon who will accomplish great things, and already has. You're our son."
My tears were flowing again, but for a different reason now. I looked at my dad, a bulky, tan-colored stallion with a thick mustache and a receding light brown mane specked with gray. And my mother, a beautiful, gracefully aging light gray mare with a swirling, oatmeal-colored mane. Their cutie marks, a proud stalk of wheat and a freshly baked oat cake respectively, showed their trade: farmers, bakers, dealing in grains. But to me, they were more than that. They were the amazing ponies who adopted and raised a griffon, whose species was known for selfishness and greed, as their own son.
My father was ecstatic for me when I told him I wanted to play hoofball for the EHL instead of taking over the farm, and did everything he could to help me. He sent me to training camps, practiced with me every day in the fields by the house, and even got me into Vanhoover Academy, where I met all of my friends. And my mom was there whenever I needed to talk, whenever I needed anything. She had been my rock in the toughest times of my life, including now. I realized in that moment just how much I loved the two ponies sitting in front of me. I wrapped both of them in a hug.
"Thank you, Mom. Dad." I sobbed. "Thank you guys so much."
<*****>-------<*****>
It was a long time before we finally stopped crying and went to bed. Once I was up in my room, I put the letter and the necklace in the drawer of my writing desk. I still wasn't sure how I felt about either of them. My biological parents wouldn't tell me who they where, wouldn't meet me, but wanted me to have a family heirloom. Did they view me as a mistake? Did they regret having me? Surely they did, having me almost got my blood mother divorced. The thought was like a dark cloud, hovering around me, threatening suffocation.
But the relief came from knowing I had real parents who loved me. They were proud of me, and were thankful for that shameful affair in Griffonstone twenty years ago. As long as that held true, it didn't matter what two random griffons hundreds of miles away thought of me.
I was going to be a receiver in the EHL. Even if I wasn't selected in the first round of the Draft, somepony would take me eventually. My future held the promise of greatness, fame, and fortune as long as I delivered. I would be a great griffon, but not because of my last name. It would be because of the amazing ponies that raised me, and how they pushed me to be the best I could be. I would make it for them.
I stared at myself in the tall mirror mounted on the wall. Shaggy black plumage, laced with bright orange feathers. Piercing violet eyes. Light black beak and talons. Dark brown body and back legs. Stark black wings. Lean muscles that wrapped around my chest, neck, back, and limbs; evidence of countless hours spent on the field and in weight rooms. During the process of reading that letter, I found myself wondering something for the first time. Who was I, really? In that moment, I was lost. But now, I realized that I knew the answer to that question all along.