//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 – The Mountain that Smokes // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 27 – The Mountain that Smokes On one of the roofs of the castle Gale sat with his forelegs crossed, he had a face of thunder as he looked out to the horizon at the mountain that continues to smoke from a full grown dragon slept within, not to far was Gilda lying down with a hind leg crossed over on the roof with talons behind her head chilling and Sunbeam standing beside her. “How long do you think he will stay like that?” Sunbeam asked without taking her eyes off Gale. Gilda turn her head slightly. “Who knows, Gale an teenager with a mind of a child, this is a temper tantrum.” Gilda now turn to Gale. “Celestia made her move to stop the cub from doing something stupid.” Sunbeam didn't respond since she recalled what lead up to Gale turning into a very grumpy annoyed griffon. After having some lunch Gale walking down the hallway to meet up with Gilda over heard a conversation between Celestia and Shining Armor, he curiously peered around the corner to see them talking. “-Twilight and the others did help your sister princess, but this is a full grown dragon we talking about! One that can breathe fire enough to melt even gold.” Shining Armor with serious concern about the task Celestia had given to his sister and friends. Celestia looked out the window at the smoke coming from the mountain. “It not a rampaging dragon Captain, I believe your sister and her friends can get him to move.” “How do you know it a him?” Shining asked. “Also a sleeping dragon being rudely woken up might be a rampage cause.” Celestia turn to him noticing Gale not so successfully hiding around the corner. “I understand your concerns but I believe they can do it, don't you think Twilight is a capable mare?” Shining Armor rubbed the back of his neck. “Right Princess Celestia, I understand, but as a over protective brother I still don't like it.” Shining Armor looked out the window at the smoke. “Could I at least have guards on hoof encase it goes south?” Gale looked in the direction Shining Armor looked at seeing the smoke, he got very curious about seeing a full grown dragon not paying much attention to how much danger one could be. His imagination could picture what a full grown dragon could be, he had to see it. The young griffon turn around to find Celestia towering over him. “Mum!” He squawked in surprise. Celestia raised her hoof. “Your bag.” gale tensed up looking to his bag and back to her. “Mum?” He tilted his head. “Bag now...” Gale gulped and slowly took it off, he placed it over her hoof. “I will give this back to you at supper time Gale.” “Muuuum....” He whins. Celestia kept it close to her, plush and all in the bag now held out of reach from Gale. “No mum me minster, I saw that look. You were about to try and sneak off to see the dragon for yourself, I might only been your mum for little more than two week but I can what you were up to.” Gale lower his head and rose it to say. “M-” “Not another word, go to Gilda for your griffon lessons.” She point her wing down the hallway. Gale looked anger and annoyed at Celestia, he wasn't going to go anywhere far without his plush and his mum knew it. Sunbeam followed the teenager as he dragged his paws and talons on the carpet down the hallway. “Why are you not teaching him anything about being a griffon?” Sunbeam asked. Gilda chuckled. “I am, this lesson is; you can't get everything your way and just suck it up.” Gilda bouncing her hind leg, just chilling. “If Gale want to continue to sulk so be it, he'll learn one way or the other.” Sunbeam didn't say another word, she left this in Gilda's talons. Time ticked by and all the sudden Amber lands before them on the roof startling all of them. “What the name of Grover!?” Gilda quickly was on her talons and paws staring at her. “How did you get up here?” Amber points behind herself with a thumb jab over the shoulder. “From the tower behind you silly.” The two griffons and guard turn to the taller tower. “Okay, next question; why were you in that tower?” “Watching six ponies climb the mountain to the dragon's cave.” Amber answered walking up to Gale kneeing down to him, he still trying to get over the shock of her sudden arrival. Sunbeam still looking up at the tower noticing Cadance standing in view laughing behind a hoof. “What?” Gilda stared at Amber. “Also Princess Cadance told me it be funny to see you all jump in fright.” Gilda growls. “What?” She took a good look at the tower opening to see Cadance laughing at their expense. “Candy...” Amber still kneeing before Gale shook her head a little. “Now what am I gonna do with you hmm?” Gale grunts with a turn of the head. “Still sulking I see.” Gilda rolled her eyes. “Seriously cub...” Amber reach under his wing with her hand paw using the fingers to tickle the feathers, Gale snorts and try his hardest to not to smile but exploding into laughter in seconds. “Now that what I want to see.” Amber move her paw hand away. “Now are you going to give another frowny face?” Gale still smiling ruffling his wings shook his head. “Nicely done Amber.” “Gilda you could of done it yourself.” Amber turn to her. Gilda shrugged. “Not my thing and you handled it.” Amber rolled her eyes. “You never change Gilda.” She take a few steps and pushing down on her legs to leap over to the tower landing at the open window, waving for them to follow she slips inside. Gilda chuckled. “What a show off, so typical for Gingernut.” Gilda open her wings up taking off to the tower followed by Gale and Sunbeam. Upon entering the tower through the window they found a upper level to the tower room with a rotatable platform and on it a telescope, it peering in the direction of a large circular window that went two thirds way around the tower wall part from small parts of pillar between it. Gilda recalled not seeing a window from the outside like this. “What kind of trick is this? How can a wall on the outside be a window in the inside?” Gale curiously flew up to a pillars right side placing a talon out to touch glass. Cadance standing by the telescope watched Gale flying to one part to another pressing his talons against the glass gentle. “Princess Celestia had this tower specially made for observing the lands facing away from the mountain, this telescope been magical enhanced to see to the horizon.” “Are you telling me-” Gilda begins to say. Gale turn around to it as Cadance walked around it. “I and Amber been observing Twilight and her friends climbing the mountain from this, yes we have.” Gilda slap her talon over her forehead. “Seriously!? You had something like this here and Celestia didn't even think of saying anything about it!?” Gilda put her talons out to the telescope. Amber crossed her arms. “It able to see anything that doesn't obstruct it view...” “Ah I-” Gilda pauses and blinks. “Why the blazes are you sharing this with us now, you dweeb!” “Because from what I know of, this tower been unponyed for a very long time, it was built way way long ago by Princess Celestia. How long? You have to ask her.” Amber answered. Gilda groans shaking her head. “That not it at all!” Gilda standing on her paws flaring her wings out before Amber. “This thing is for your capitals defence, you pretty much told me your first look out is!” “And?” “Gingernut...” Cadance speaks up. “I can see where your going on this Gilda and I thank you for your concern.” Cadance turn to the telescope. “The fact is as Amber points out, there been no pony posting here since I lived in the castle, I spend time here relaxing and looking out to the lands.” “And Celestia?” “Auntie Celestia knows what I did with the Observation Tower, yet again you didn't pay attention to what was being said.” Cadance said calmly to her. “Also I know Amber here from Manehatten, that being said... This place is my sanctuary.” Gilda raise an eye brow. “So you basically turned this into your own sanctuary?” Gilda repeated about the place and not caring much about how Amber knew Cadance. Gale was curious listening to them talk his prior sourness fading by a second. “Pretty much.” Cadance hints to the book shelves, desk and candles. “I even cleaned up this place in my own time.” Gilda rolled here eyes. “Fine whatever...” Gilda walked up to the telescope. “This thing pointing at the mountain?” Amber placed her hand paw on the side of it. “Yep, just take a look Gilda.” Gilda put her right eye to the eye piece taking hold of the knobs on the side of the eye piece to adjust it, to her surprise she saw Rainbow Dash and hers walking alongside the cliff edge of the mountain. “Wow that some range...” Gilda step to the side. “Take a look Gale.” Gale flew over from the glass landing by her to take a look through the eye piece, quickly being startled he looked at the mountain without peering into the eye piece, he looked back into it again a few more times trying to understand how he saw so close with it. “Now you can see what going on over at the mountain without being there, cool right?” Amber put her hand paws on her hips with a smirk. Gale nods and continue to watch Twilight and the others, he noticed Rainbow Dash hit a bush flying by it causing leaves to fall, one land on Fluttershy and she screams out but Applejack put her hoof over her muzzle. Gale gasped seeing that a rock-slide was in progress, he squawk in alarm raising his head from it pointing to the eye piece rapidly, Cadance quickly look into it. “Oh no Twilight! She and her friends are running from an avalanche rocks and loose dirt!” Gilda pushes her out the way not caring about Cadance being a Princess. “Come on dweebs move your hooves!” Amber helped Cadance up. “Are you okay Princess?” “Yes I am.” She dusted herself off. “I just hope Twilight is...” Gilda sighed in relief a moment later. “Geez... Talk about close, they all okay and climbing over the rock-slide to get to the cave.” Gilda spoke out raising her head. “What caused that in the first place?” Gale thinking quickly and raise a talon as a idea come to mind, he put a wing over his face peering behind it slightly. “Shy?” Cadance guested and he nods in reply. “You can't be serious, Fluttershy caused that?” Gale nods to Gilda. “Yeah right...” Gilda crossed her forelegs and seconds later a faint echo of Fluttershy's voice shouting out 'avalanche'. “No way...” Gilda whispered. Sunbeam took a look into the eye piece. “Fluttershy got some lunges on her when she want to use it.” The calm words made them all stare at her as she rose her head looking around. “It true.” Gale rubbed the back of his neck glancing to Gilda. “Don't look at me dweeb, we all heard her echo from all the way here.” “That something I most likely think we never figure out.” Cadance took her turn to look into it. “Look like they arrived at the cave safely, wonder how they going to deal with the dragon.” Gale point to it and Cadance step back to let him look into it, he watched as Twilight came up with a plan, unable to hear what she saying he could only guess. One thing that got him surprised was Fluttershy refusing to go into the cave, they all pushed in a chain to get her to move but she didn't budge a muscle. Twilight goes in and comes out, next Rarity does and followed by a strange outfit by Pinkie Pie going into the cave. Gale curiously tilt his head looking very confused at what they exactly where doing inside the cave where the dragon slept in. “Cub, care to share?” Gale turn and nod letting Gilda look into it. Gilda watched Rainbow Dash speaking with her hooves moving around. “Not good, Dash is upset over something between her friends and just zoomed right into the cave with Purple shouting out something to her.” “And?” “And... Rainbow Dash just been blasted out of the cave knocking four of her friends ov...er...”Gilda gulped loudly. “Oh boy that is one big dragon...” Gale gasps and push his head against Gilda's to share the eye piece as they both try to see what going on, Amber watched with Sunbeam and Cadance. “Who got a camera?” Cadance raise one in her magical grasp. “I do.” She snaps a few photos of them getting a laugh from Amber. Gale was seeing a super sized red dragon with gold chest plates and ear inner fins, both griffons watched as black smoke poured from his massive muzzle over five ponies slamming them into a rock face. They watched intently as Fluttershy suddenly grew anger and flew up onto the top of the snout of the dragon glaring into his eyes that were bigger than a pony. Suddenly he lowers his head with a whimper, smiles started to form of their beaks as they try not to laugh with snorts coming from both griffons. “They finding something amusing.” Amber raise an eye brow. Fluttershy had her forelegs on her flanks with a dominating look upon the much bigger dragon, he suddenly bursts into tears. That was it for the griffons they exploded into laughter falling over on their backs holding their guts. “Now I am curious what got you two laughing?” They paused with Gilda raising a talon and open beak before exploding into fits of laughter again followed by Gale. Amber and Cadance looked at each other with confusion as the two griffons continue to hallow with laughter followed by tears falling from their eyes. “At least his not grumpy anymore.” Sunbeam commented. From a balcony Celestia looked up hearing the laughter from the tallest tower, smiling the princess walked back inside to her room awaiting the report to come from Twilight Sparkle as the smoke was being cleared up by the weather teams. “Now Gale get to see what going on in the world without sneaking out of Canterlot without anypony knowing.” Celestia look to his bag of drawing items to plush toy, by the open door Shining Armor stood. Shining Armor stood to attention. “Did it work?” “Yes; yes it did Captain Armor, thank you for suggesting this.” “Thank you for taking my suggestion.” Celestia nods. “You may go captain.” Shining Armor salutes and leaves closing the door behind him, Celestia turn to the open doors to the balcony. “So much more to learn about being a parent...” She whispered as a scroll appeared before her from Twilight Sparkle. With a smile the princess open it to read the latest friendship report from her formal student on how they handled the dragon.