Down the straw-strewn main street of Griffonstone, a young griffon with bright blue pinions sauntered, trying to look like he had somewhere to be. And inwardly, he quietly fumed.
"Hey, Bluebird!" called a loud voice behind him. "I'm talkin' to you!"
Gallus kept on walking, not looking back.
Two other young griffons, with more typical grey and brown plumage, thunked down in front of him. They smirked at him in that particularly annoying, can't-touch-me kind of way.
"Why don't you sing for us, little Bluebird?" sneered the grey one. "Huh? Make us all happy!"
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because singing is forbidden here in town?" Gallus rolled his eyes. "Just give it a rest, guys."
"Why don't you make us?" The larger brown griffon glared at him, and fluffed up to look even more threatening -- in his imagination, that is. To Gallus, he still looked like a fat feather-duster with mange.
"Yeah!" the gray griffon jeered. "Show us how a real griffon behaves, huh?"
"I don't think he can. Doesn't want to muss up those delicate little blue pinfeathers!"
"Actually, they're kind of a dark aquamarine," Gallus said, in a bored tone. "Except for the crest, where it fades to a goldenrod. Of course," he added with a crafty smirk, "that's assuming you could even find those colors in your box of crayons."
The grey griffon scowled. "Ohhh! Gettin' disrespectful are we?"
"No, I'm just standing here. Amazed that carpeting has language skills."
Annoyed, the other griffons set their beaks fiercely and stalked closer.
Gallus sighed, preparing to make a break for the open air. And then a brown-and-white wall of feathers suddenly dropped out of the sky to land right in front of him.
"Hey, jerks!" Gilda snarled. "Back off!"
Startled, the two griffons took a step back. Then they quickly recovered. "Oh, look!" the brown one crowed. "It's the namby-pamby scone-seller!"
"Standing up for her weak little friends again!"
"Oh yeah?" Gilda's eyes narrowed. "Last week's trash just called, and wanted to know when you two were coming home! And I said I'd make sure you got there!" She wound up and delivered a full-throated lion's roar, rattling nearby windows.
Rather than tangle with her, the bullies wisely leapt into the air and flew off.
Gilda nodded with pride, watching them flee. Then she turned to Gallus.
"Hey, loser."
He nodded back. "Gilda."
"You know, you really gotta learn to stand up for yourself."
"What would be the point?" Gallus shrugged. "If I fight 'em, I get hurt, and everyone yells at me for fighting. If I ignore 'em... well, it still hurts, but at least no one yells at me about it."
"You're pathetic!"
"Yep, that's me. Any other words of cheery wisdom?"
"Nope. Not here to chat, anyway. I'm taking this up to the Palace."
Gilda unslung a cloth bundle from her back and unwrapped it. Within, there was a large golden chalice containing a cloudy peach-colored pearl. The rim of the chalice swirled up and around like a gilded flame.
"Gee." Gallus nodded. "I'd be impressed... if I even knew what it was."
Gilda sighed exasperatedly. "Uh, the Idol of Boreas? The one that's been lost for generations? Along with pretty much any pride we griffons ever had?"
"Seriously?" Gallus stared at it. "Grampa Gruff always said that fell down the Abysmal Abyss, along with... who was it, Arimaspi or something?"
"Yeah, it totally did. Only when I went down the Abyss to save Rainbow Dash, I found it'd been stuck on a ledge all this time. I knocked it loose, and it fell the rest of the way down to the bottom."
"So... how'd you ever get it out?"
"Duh! I took the scenic route. Down the mountain to the base of the gorge? And then I walked in. It took a while, hunting through all the broken rock down there, but I finally came across it again." She shrugged, and bundled the idol back up again. "Might not mean anything anymore, but I figured, what the fluff? Better than just leaving it there for scavengers."
"That's... amazingly responsible for you. You feeling okay?"
Gilda frowned at him. Without bothering to reply, she hopped into the air and flew off up the street, heading for the path that led up the massive trunk of the Great Nesting Tree, toward the ruin of the Royal Palace at its height.
For lack of anything better to do, Gallus took wing and headed that way himself. Not flying with Gilda, obviously, because they weren't really friends all that much. But they got along all right generally. And among modern-day griffons, that was practically like being family.
Eventually they landed at the doorway of the palace, and then they walked inside, into the bare and dilapidated throne room. Unwrapping the Idol, Gilda walked up to the stump-like pedestal. Cautiously, she brushed aside the growth of moss and mushrooms on its surface, then set the Idol in place on top of it.
The two of them glanced around.
Nothing had changed.
"Was... something weird supposed to happen?" Gallus asked. "Like glowing lights and a griffon chorus, and King Guto springing back to life?"
Gilda glared at him, and then at the Idol. "Useless junk! Probably not even worth the gold it's made out of. I'll take it to Grampa Gruff. It'll make his day seeing it back again." She shrugged. "Then he'll probably hock it for the bits."
"Pity." Gallus shook his head. "I always did like that story about King Grover uniting the griffons. Even if nothing like that could happen today, it's kinda nice thinking it once could."
He turned to head back out the door. And then came to a halt, staring through it. "Uhhh, Gilda?"
"Yeah, dweeb?"
"C'mere a sec."
She joined him, and they both stared at the huge lavender ship with the star on its prow, descending from the clouds.
"So tell me..." Gallus asked, "does that count as something weird?"
"Yeah..." she agreed. "Yeah, I think it might."
Gilda swiftly wrapped up the Idol and slung it on her back again, and then the two of them took off and flew down the trunk of the Tree, heading for Grampa Gruff's house.
By the time they got there, the aged, fez-wearing griffon was standing in front of it, and surrounded by a small crowd of other elderly griffons, all muttering and grumbling amongst themselves.
Facing them were two ponies Gilda knew well: Rainbow Dash and her bookish friend Twilight Sparkle. A discreet distance away a tall maroon pony in battle-armor stood waiting for them, bracketed by a pair of scarlet-furred soldiers and a white-maned hedgehog.
"Hey, Gilda!" Rainbow waved her over. "Great to see ya again!"
"Rainbow." Gilda nodded, glancing around reservedly as she approached.
"This is Princess Twilight!" Rainbow went on excitedly, speaking to the crowd in general. "She's got a really cool idea for a... mmf!"
Twilight had quickly stoppered Rainbow's mouth with a hoof. "... an international School of Friendship," she continued, "open to all species. It'll help us all learn to get along with each other, while respecting each other's differences. I'm hoping that the griffons would be willing to enroll a student in the initial class, to represent your people and your culture."
"How much does it cost?" groused a white-crested elder.
"Tuition will be free for the initial class," Twilight said. "Since we'll be finding our hooves as much as the students, this first year. But I know it will be a great success... with your help!"
Grampa Gruff snorted. "What does a pony school know about teaching young griffons? Instilling values, teaching them their past, giving them pride in themselves? Helping them be productive citizens... not slouching wastrels -- like Gallus over there!"
"Gee..." Gallus muttered, rolling his eyes, "thanks for that vote of confidence."
"None o' your lip, sonny! Be thankful somegriff around here gives a squawk about your future!"
"Friendship can help with all those things," Twilight replied soothingly. "It gives you the confidence to speak with others, to build relationships, and in so doing, learn more about both your culture and others."
"And the ponies know all about friendship!" Gabby the mail-griffon sprang into the air on the other side of the crowd. "They helped me to find the one thing I'm best at: helping others!" She swiveled in midair, proudly displaying the cutie-mark badges clipped to her mailbags. "Huh? Huh?"
Rainbow nodded. "And Pinkie Pie and I were able to help Gilda here..."
"Help her with what?" Grampa Gruff snarled. "Meddling with my secret family scone recipe, handed down from my own grandpere? Teaching her to be weak and kind, instead of helping her find the strength and pride any young griffon should have?"
"Hey!" Gilda scowled. "At least I don't lurk around the house all day, cadging bits for odd jobs and old stories!"
"Whaaat!" Grampa Gruff drew himself up proudly, and glared back. "You take that back! And just what have you been wasting your time on? I haven't clapped eyes on ya all morning!"
"Well, for your information..." Gilda said, unslinging the bundle from her back, "I've been wasting my time... finding this!"
She unwrapped the bundle and held the Idol aloft.
"Woah!" Rainbow yelled. "The Idol of Boreas? Way to go, Gilda!"
The effect on the crowd was startling. As one, the elder griffons stared in awe and reverence. Grampa Gruff's own eyes went wide. "The Idol?" He gaped. "Where? How? Wait a minute!" Turning, he dashed into his house. Loud rummaging and crashing sounds could be heard from within. And then he returned, carrying a yellowed and dusty scroll in one claw.
"The Prophecy of Arawaki!" he intoned proudly.
Rainbow stared. "Who?"
Gallus sighed wearily. "King Guto's advisor and soothsayer." He looked around. "Hey, just because I'm bored all the time doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. I've heard this one a thousand times. It's one of Grampa Gruff's favorites." He smirked. "He charges extra for it."
"This one's on the house!" called Grampa Gruff, prompting a gasp from the crowd. "It predicts the return of the Idol... and states that the griffon who returns the Idol to its rightful place, on the plinth in the Royal Palace, shall show the way for griffons to achieve their pride once more!"
"Yeah, well..." Gilda waved a disparaging claw. "Been there, done that already. Nothing happened, seriously!"
But the elder griffons were removing their hats and bowing their heads.
Gilda looked around nervously. "Uh, hey... what's going on?"
"You youngsters might not care anymore," Grampa Gruff said. "But when you get to be our age, you find yourself wishing for something better... and worrying you won't live long enough to see it! And, young Gallus, the reason I've told this story a thousand times," he growled, "is 'cause older griffons will pay good bits to hear it! It speaks to something we all thought was lost forever. But... I see it wasn't lost after all. It just ended up someplace we never expected to find it..."
He looked around at the other elders. "Much as it pains me to say it... maybe this 'friendship' thing Gilda learned from these ponies is the answer Arawaki was talking about all those years ago!"
There was some muttering and grumbling amongst the elder griffons, but the general consensus appeared to be begrudging agreement.
"So, uh... what does this mean?" Gilda stared worriedly from the Idol in her claw to the crowd around her.
Rainbow bounced into the air excitedly. "It means Gilda should totally come be a student at Twilight's school! How 'bout it, Gilda? You in? It'll be just like junior speedster flight camp all over again!"
"Out of the question!" Grampa Gruff thundered, before Gilda could even draw breath. "I don't think any of us here are prepared to start making drastic changes in griffon society. But..." He glanced around uncertainly at the other griffons. "I think we've all dreamed in our heart of hearts it might one day happen. And if now's the time to start making those kind of changes, somegriff's's got to set the example for us. And it looks like you're elected, young Gilda!"
"Now hang on a minute!" Gilda objected. "Baking better scones is one thing. Being a role-model for friendship? Me? Anyone else think that's a really bad idea?"
Twilight smiled reassuringly. "You can do it, Gilda. I know you can! All you have to do is be yourself, the way griffons ought to be. That's all Arawaki was saying: show the other griffons the way, by just doing what you do already!"
"Well..." Gilda looked uneasy, then shrugged. "I suppose. After all, I did find this Idol thing. And I returned it to the palace because, hey, I wanted to see what would happen as much as anyone else did. So... okay, yeah. I guess I might as well give the rest of it a shot." She snorted. "For whatever that's worth!"
"Good for you, Gilda!" Twilight smiled, then looked around at the crowd of elders. "So... about the School. Could we ask you to enroll a student to represent the Griffon Kingdom? It would be another way," she hinted, "for the griffons to learn more about friendship!"
"Well," Grampa Gruff mused, "if friendship is the new way of doing things, we should have someone representing us at this School thing of yours."
"Oh, oh! I know!" Gabby chirped. "Gallus should go! He'd be a great Friendship student! He's really bright, even though he doesn't like to show it. It'll be super easy for him!"
Gallus raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh, right," he said. "Griffon... Friendship School... how hard could that be?"
For a moment, he was going to refuse. But then he looked up at Twilight's ship, hanging in the sky overhead. And around at the ramshackle houses of Griffonstone. At the litter-strewn alleys he skulked through during the day, filled with bullies who tormented him because he didn't fight back. And he thought about his life in general, where it seemed to be going lately. Like... nowhere, really.
"Okay... yeah," he said. "I'll go." At the surprised looks from those around him, he shrugged. "Hey, it beats hanging around this place."
"You sure about this, dweeb?" Gilda muttered to him. "Gonna miss saving your butt around here every other day."
"Yeah, I'm sure." he replied. "And, hey, it's not like I'm leaving forever."
He leaned closer to whisper to her. "Bet you two bits they kick me out the first week!"
Gilda nodded. "You're on, loser!"