The black sky held no warmth of stars for the stallion struggling to balance on a decaying boulder. Sicky green fluid spread out as far as the eye could see, dissolving everything in its path as the substance lapped at Toxic Shield’s hooves. The pony desperately scrambled back, the amulet around his neck feeling as though it had the weight of an anvil.
‘Why didn’t you save me, Toxic?’ a decaying mare asked, flesh and muscle falling from her skeleton as she reached up from the sludge towards him.
‘What about us?’ a stallion hissed, more rotting ponies and other creatures reaching up towards the terrified individual balanced on a sinking piece of rubble.
“I t-tried! I’m sorry!” Toxic cried, shivering as he struggled to not fall into the fluid. The clicking of a Geiger counter began to grow louder and louder, the corpses laughing even as their flesh continued to melt. The clicking continued to speed up, matching Toxic’s heartbeat in a sinister cacophony of sound as the bodies continued to taunt him.
‘He’s sorry.’
‘As if that makes it better.’
‘He failed us.’
‘You failed.’
‘You let us die!’
“NO!” Toxic yelled, sending a blast of energy towards the creatures. Punching through the decaying skull, the magical strike did nothing but make the rotten pony laugh. As the closest aberrations began to grab onto the sinking debris, a familiar voice punched through the nightmare.
“Wake, Toxic.”
Looking around at his dream surroundings, Toxic shuddered, curling into a ball as Luna’s jaw shivered with emotion, the alicorn changing the scenery to a peaceful forest for a moment.
“Please forgive me for not being able to stop these.”
The shaken stallion looked up at the floating Princess as the dream fragmented towards wakefulness.
“I always have, Luna.”
The relief was palpable on the Princess’s face; despite such an exchange having taken place more than once before.
Waking up fully with a gasp, Toxic’s chest heaved as a cold sweat soaked his fur. A waiting, pre-placed glass of water was downed from a wooden beside table, the pony then rolling over and wrapping his forelimbs tightly around a large, firm pillow. Tears streaked his dark fur as he shivered, the inanimate object held tightly in the pony’s arms only providing so much comfort as the stallion huddled under his blanket alone, the sinister voices fading for now.
“You sound horrible, Toxic,” the voice on the ear-communicator related, Toxic letting out a less than amused huff as he wandered the streets of Tall Tale, having arrived a week prior.
“Nice to hear from you too, Varti. Just the same old same old. Even on the tail end of a vacation I don’t get a break. Celestia extended it to a week after I finished inspecting all of the labs. They have made huge strides though; I’m actually fairly confident in their security,” Toxic said, the eccentric yak on the other end chuckling with a voice deep enough that it could cause an avalanche.
And, if the stallion recalled correctly, it had caused such a thing on one occasion.
“That is good to hear- and if I read your note correctly, you got the constant call issue sorted? Judging by the sizable increase in our funds, I’d assume that’s the case,” the yak mused. “I apologize in advance if I switch to traditional yak-mannerisms of speaking, I just got back from visiting my relatives. So, guard your ears.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, and I did get it all sorted. I’d rather put it all in the past however. How is your daughter by the way? She’s on that travel-the-world camp, isn’t she?”
“Oh, she is loving it. I get a letter every week from Turmi with a page or two of what they did, saw, or even ate,” the yak replied wistfully, Toxic resisting a chuckle. Whenever he could talk about his only adopted daughter, Turmilla, the outgoing and science-savy yak would gladly indulge the listener for some time.
His current record was over two hours.
“I’m glad to hear it, she has grown up quite a bit in the ten years I’ve know you two, huh?”
“Thanks to you, Toxic. A dept I can never fully repay,” the yak replied immediately.
“And I’ve tried to convince you otherwise about that debt to no avail. Everything ship-shape at the complex?”
“Indeed, just running diagnostics. It’s rather empty here, arcane machines and golems aside; when will we go public…director?”
Toxic let out a groan, trotting down the streets to look for any interesting shops.
“You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“I know. I just like reminding you of your dream, and how I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
“How much is my dream and how much is yours?”
The yak chuckled, making Toxic’s ears vibrate with the sound.
“You’ve set me loose, Toxic. Given me a purpose, a lab, and a means to help others like you helped me and my daughter. I have my dream. You, my good pony, still have a few of your own.”
“Fair point. But progress on all those fronts are slow and steady. As for the organization, we’ll go public in the next year, I think.”
“I await the day eagerly. SCIENCE YAK WILL SMASH ANY COMPETITION!”
Many a pony cast odd looks Toxic’s way as the stallion doubled over in wheezing laughter despite wincing from the roar that emanated from his earpiece.
‘The stallion tossed aside the sword and shield, trotting past the vanquished remains of the rock golems, his goal not but a few paces away.
The mare dashed into his arms, giving him a kiss that made the knight’s head spin. He had come for her; despite the outcry of the villages, the pleading to let her fate be decided by some arcane fanatic…
“W-why?” she asked, resting her head on the armored stallion’s chest.
“What do you mean, why?” the stoic stallion grunted, taking off his helmet to show blue eyes that radiated with love as he graced her lips with a kiss. “Why would I not?”
The mare’s arms held him all the tighter at such words, the Knight allowing a bit of respite as he nuzzled the top of her head, memories flooding his heart and mind at her familiar and comforting scent. “How could I not?”
The reader let out a sniffle, pillow clutched tightly between her forelimbs as the enchanted pages on the book turned once again. For a brief moment, forelimbs circled around her torso as a loving voice whispered in her ear….
Even as the mare pressed her head firmly against his chest, the stallion’s eyes narrowed as a few pieces of the golem began to tremble. He forced himself to take up the previously cast aside sword once again, readying himself for-
*BEEP!*
The gryphoness let out a surprised squawk, the pillow previously clutched in an affectionate embrace now sent rocketing across the room towards the offending alarm with impeccable aim. The enchanted book in front of her paused the turning of the pages, the reader grumbling at having been interrupted.
Splashing some water on her fluffed-up face feathers, Gelliana shook her wings, reluctantly getting ready for the day. Staring at herself in the mirror, the gryphoness frowned on seeing the remnants of her greenhouse-venture spotting her grey flecked face and claws. No matter. Gelliana narrowed her eyes slightly, ears perked up as her fierce reflection looked back at her, every inch a mean-looking gryphon.
The black highlights around her eyes stuck out from the speckles of similar color on her greyish-white cheeks and chest. The camouflaged coloration continued to flow down until it blended with her haunches, the dark brown pattern draping itself over like a cloak that flowed down until the white tuft of fur at the end of her tail.
All that was missing would be some armor, and Gelliana would look quite in place among the royal guard.
That is, until she slooooooowly stuck out her tongue, dissolving into giggles as she smoothed down her feathers.
A few minutes before going to lunch with Marigold, and then meeting Icait.
Eh, I’ll go there early.
A quick check on her shop and greenhouse, and the gryphoness was off down the streets of Tall Tale. The growing city was still small, barely out of ‘town’ status, only a few large stone skyscrapers dotting the city center. But it was home at least for the past five years. Her shop was booming; having just an open time during the afternoon made sure there was plenty of time to tend to the greenhouse and actually concoct the herbal remedies she so specialized in. The growing building was connected directly to her shop, the two-storied building also serving as Gelliana’s house as well.
While there weren’t many gryphons in Tall Tale, that suited the gryphoness just fine. Her past experiences with them hadn’t been exactly pleasant, not with males at least. Not being cut from the usual gruff and permanently-grouchy cloth wasn’t an easy thing.
Ugh, and if I hear any of them call me a ‘toy’ one more time…
She shuddered, banishing such thoughts with ease. Being a ‘runt’ among gryphons was a tricky thing, even with their society slowly starting to catch up.
Thank you, Equestrian parents.
Maybe that’s why I don’t mind ponies much, and think stallions are, well, special-somepony material.
…eventually.
Strangely enough, her best friend Marigold had brought up the matter with an observation.
‘Wouldn’t getting a hug from a guy gryphon like, squish you?’
Which wasn’t too far from the truth. Gelliana barely could see eye to eye with most stallions. Gryphons? She barely came up to their chest, maybe shoulders if they were a female.
Talk about another confidence killer.
And then having ponies being afraid of you…
A lump rose in the gryphoness’s throat at that, her ears lying flat.
It’s not my fault I have claws and a beak. I don’t want to look scary…
Is it too much to just want a h-
“Wow, Gelly, you look down,” a familiar voice called out, a hovering yellow Pegasus wincing. “Chocolate day! On me of course! I just finished cloud kicking this morning.”
“Hey Marigold, sorry, just a weird mental tangent,” Gelliana mumbled as the Pegasus literally dragged her towards a familiar eatery.
“POWDERED TOAST! WE NEED A CHOCOLATE SHAKE EMERGENCY INFUSION!” Marigold bellowed, a comical gasp sounding from the bright blue stallion behind the counter as his two regular customers entered.
“That bad? Do I need to break out the cherries?” he looked over and saw Gelly, and then nodded solemnly. “Oh dear, cherries and whipped cream it is!”
A smile quickly returned to the gryphoness’s face, for how could it not?
“I love you guys.”
“HURRY, POWDERED! WE MUST KEEP THE SMILE ALIVE!”
“I’M WORKING AS FAST AS I CAN!”
Half-finished with her chocolate shake, Gelliana couldn’t help but smile as Marigold regaled her with her most recent shopping experience. Or rather, what she discovered passed for fashion nowadays. While their interests differed on quite a few things, it was always nice to learn about such things from her best friend who could put it into amusing and interesting terms.
However, the pegasus’s words trailed off as Marigold suddenly stared, Gelliana looking from side to side uncomfortably under the focus of her friend’s gaze.
“…what?” she asked.
“How?” Marigold asked, then smacked her face on the table with a frustrated groan. “HOW do you do it, Gelly?”
“W-what?” she asked, genuinely confused as the Pegasus gestured towards her.
“I have spent hours learning how to do makeup in just the right style that I love. And then you walk out of your greenhouse like this!”
The gryphoness’s ears flattened, a familiar coldness starting to ice across her chest. She didn’t think she had looked that unpresentable.
“I…”
“It’s incredible. How is this cruel twist of fate possible?! What is your secret?! Tell meeeeeeeee!”
What?
Marigold gestured towards the gryphoness’s ears and claws, glaring in a good-natured but extremely jealous fashion.
“Those blue highlights are gorgeous, Gelly! And the perfect matching color on your claws? Oh, it softens those predatory highlights around your eyes-UGH!”
By now Gelliana was in a fit of giggles, her exasperated best friend angrily sipping at her own milkshake.
“I was just checking on some berry hybrids in my greenhouse, and I guess some of the color accidentally stained my feathers….’
“Accidentally. Stained,” Marigold grumbled, eyes drifting out of the stone workshop to watch the ponies trotting this way and that around the city center. “Huh, no way,” she mumbled.
“What?”
“Your eyes are better than mine, obviously. That blue unicorn across the street, the one with the black mane, has a green stripe, I think? Is he wearing an odd necklace?”
Gelliana focused, easily able to pick out the individual with her increased vision.
Perks of being a gryphon. Some have better eyes, some have better ears, and in Gelliana’s case, some have both.
Lucky me.
“Yeah? Some sort of silver chain with a gem set in the middle. It’s pulsing when he talks, why?” Gelliana asked, ears focusing on her friend as Marigold frowned. She could hear the mare’s heartbeat speed up slightly, a hit-and-miss ability some gryphons had. The generations-old combination of owl and eagle ancestry did have its perks for Gelliana at least.
She’s nervous?
“I heard about that guy from one of my mare friends in the guard. Rough Blade has a few stories about him too.”
“Your coltfriend says the same thing? Huh, all these guard contacts, your father’s side of the family?”
“Pretty much. I guess I’m a sucker for a stallion in armor. But I met Whistle when she was in boot camp. She was helping with the weather for a training exercise and we’ve been pen-pals on and off. She confirmed what Rough said when he got stationed in Canterlot for a time,” Marigold relayed, shaking her head as she looked at the unicorn trotting away. “I don’t know what he is doing here.”
Gelliana’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. There were very few times her best friend had seemed actively antagonistic towards somepony, let alone one she had never personally met.
“What’s up with him? I’ve not seen you this flustered in a while,” Gelliana asked cautiously, still hearing Marigold’s heartbeat speed up, but now flattened back to normal.
“The guards call him ‘Iceberg,’” Marigold explained, finishing her shake and pushing it aside. “Kind of a double meaning. That necklace speaks for him or something; not much emotion in his voice apparently. As for the name, the way I heard it described was of how there’s quite a bit of depth to an ice mountain but nopony wants to venture into such a cold place.”
“Ouch, that sounds rather harsh,” the gryphoness remarked, Marigold then dropping her voice to a whisper.
“I’ve heard stories from both Whisper and Rough. This guy is called into the nastiest hazards but shows no emotion. Apparently, it’s downright creepy, carrying out bodies of foals and adults, living and dead alike without a single tear or trace of unease. What kind of pony, or creature does that!? And a biohazard cutie mark? The signal for ‘danger, don’t touch me?’ And his name being literally Toxic Shield? Urg….” Marigold shuddered.
Gelliana didn’t say anything, brow furrowed as she shook her head.
“I don’t know, but I’ve never heard you judge somepony off just stories or appearance, not even getting to know them, Marigold.”
The mare frowned, shaking her head.
“I guess in some cases I’d rather just avoid the trouble if the stories are even half true, y’know?”
Ears flattening, Gelliana stood up and placed a few bits on the table to pay for her shake, looking to her friend with a genuinely hurt expression on her face.
“In some cases? I guess I got lucky then when you gave me a chance at friendship,” she whispered, Marigold’s eyes widening in horrified shock as her words finally took hold.
“Oh, Gelly, I didn’t….”
“I’ll catch you later, Marigold,” the gryphoness muttered, shaking her head and meandering out of the shop. There weren’t many buttons that could be an instant peeve for the gryphoness, but that sort of superficial judgement, obviously, was one of them.
Of all the ponies, Marigold, you should know how much that sort of thing bothers me. It’s why you were my first friend here, nocreature else would even bother to…
She wandered the streets, the gryphoness trying her hardest to push Marigold’s words aside. It was just an oversight and not intended towards her of course, but how could Gelliana not feel a bit hurt by such a view from her best friend? Marigold knew how hurtful such words could be, such quiet murmurings that eventually getting back around to the creature in question.
Such words and judgements that had been a part of Gelliana’s life since birth.
And it’s taken years to just be comfortable being me. It doesn’t mean I don’t get peeved about such things, especially when I’ve told her again and again it’s a sore spot.
She sighed, knowing full well she’d check on her friend later. A slight smile finally flickered at her beak at that thought as she walked.
I’d rather not have Marigold attack a gallon of ice cream again. We both have overreacted from time to time.
…my best friend.
Those words added strength to Gelliana’s smile. It had taken many years indeed, but the gryphoness now had quite a few things her past self may not have even comprehended.
Loving who I am.
Best friends.
A job I love.
…we’ll work on the stallion. Gryphon…GUY part.
Maybe someday.
Ok, soon. Ideally.
Maybe.
…I hope.
Icait pranced in place with nerves, the four Legionnaires stationed off to the side clearly finding her behavior a bit amusing as they waited in the empty herbalist shop. Starlight was off acclimating Onyx, but the Windigo could still sense an observation spell in the shop, along with the ever-present mental ‘pressure’ of a magical locking enchantment.
Smart mare.
Deep breaths.
Do I need to breath?
I have lungs, I think?
Breathing helps.
Just meeting a gryphon. Maybe she’ll like me?
…maybe?
I-
“Icait, is it?” a friendly voice called out, the Windigo letting out a yelp as she whipped around. Seeing a surprised gryphoness looking at her, the Windigo nodded, holding out a shaking hoof.
“Y-yes. Nice to m-meet you,” she stammered, the astral creature only staring in surprise as the gryphoness smiled, shaking her hoof with her talons.
Hey, her claws are shaking too!
“A bit nervous? My name is Gelliana by the way,” the gryphoness remarked, Icait blushing at least as best she could with a nod.
“Y-yeah, a bit. Ok, a lot. It has been a crazy few days,” she admitted.
“Well, same here. I’m usually a wreck on meeting new creatures, but I guess knowing you’re nervous too makes me a bit less nervous, sort of? Rambling, sorry…”
It started off as a soft *snrk* but before Icait could help it a full-blown nervous giggle left her muzzle, Gelliana not able to resist a bit of laughter of her own. She glared good-naturedly over to one of the four armored ponies, waving a set of claws at the amused stallion.
“We’re both shy, nervous wrecks; give us a break!” she remarked, then holding out her talons to Icait.
“Want to start again? Nice to meet you, I’m Gelliana. I hear you’re going to help me around the shop and greenhouse for a bit?” she asked, Icait nodding and now smiling as she shook the outstretched claws.
“Nice to meet you Gelliana, and yes, I think that’s the plan. I hope. I mean, I’m kind of new to this whole ‘life’ thing,” Icait admitted.
“Well, can you tell me a bit about…well, yourself? I kind of only know the basics. Not every day you get to meet a Windigo. Er, sort of Windigo?” Gelliana asked, Icait clearly becoming more and more at ease.
“Um, well, I haven’t really been me that long. I really like learning about stuff. Apartments? Electricity? It’s all so cool!” Icait gushed, trotting over to gesture at some various gardening implements.
“Like, this tiny spiked shovel? I have no idea what it is for, but I want to know! I guess that’s why I hung out at the library in that outpost. Uh, I’m getting off track, huh?” she muttered, walking back over to Gelliana and sitting down.
“I haven’t really had to tell anyone about myself. You’re one of the first creature’s I’ve met formally, and talked to. I mean, I was part of the Windigo group that tried to destroy Equestria….” Her ears flattened at that, light teal eyes drifting to the worn wooden floor.
“And I never liked it, if you’ll believe me. I always just was a scout, I never wanted to hurt anycreature. It just felt wrong, even though I still needed negative emotions to survive. I told Cele-erm, Princess Celestia and Luna everything I could in the interviews before I came here. They wanted to make double sure I wasn’t lying. And I’m not, I don’t really know what to feel. I was born with a desire to cause and feed off hate…”
“What about now?” Gelliana asked, interrupting the Windigo’s nervous rambling, causing Icait’s head to snap up in surprise. Her tone wasn’t condescending, only curious.
“Now, I don’t know. I can eat stuff, drink, but I’m not wanting to stir up negative emotions like before. It’s hard to explain, because I can still feel general emotions from others, especially negative ones,” Icait continued, gesturing to the guards.
“Like those four. They really, really don’t like me, and I don’t blame them. Well, except the last one, he finds me kind of funny, but still in the ‘don’t-like’ area.”
The Legionnaires blinked, then shrugged in acceptance of the generalization.
“That’s why I don’t know what to think about you, Gelliana,” Icait admitted, “You don’t hate me. I can’t sense really any dislike, just, caution. And I don’t know how to react to that. Ponies, creatures, they should hate me for what I did.”
The mare jumped slightly as Gelliana placed a set of talons on her shoulders, the Windigo staring in surprise at the gryphoness.
“I’ve learned to never judge another creature off what you first see, or what you think they did,” Gelliana said. “And so far, all I know that happened is that you were a scout for a bad group of creatures and regret it, and you want to be better. Does that sound about right?”
Icait nodded, the gryphoness then gesturing around the shop.
“Well, there you go. Obviously, I am a bit cautious, but I most certainly don’t hate you! You seem really fun, actually. And I was told you’re going to be volunteering at the library?”
“Y-yes, after I get settled helping you that is.”
The gryphoness nodded, beckoning to the Windigo mare.
“Then let me show you around! The shop is just for showcasing gardening products and the various tonics, antidotes, and other herbal concoctions I create.”
“You made all of these?!” Icait gasped, looking over and examining the shelves lined with vials of varying color.
“Yup! And I grow it all out back. Want to go see how I do it? You’ll be helping me with each step.”
“YES!” Icait yelled, floating into the air briefly before settling on the floor. “I mean…yes, I’d really like that.”
Gelliana could barely speak through her own giggles, waving the Windigo onwards.
“Well, let’s start at the greenhouse.”
Through the shop and down a hallway that branched upwards towards a staircase (and Gelliana’s bedroom,) the pair made their way to a large, house-sized growing area, four guards in tow.
“So, here’s where I grow well, just about everything,” Gelliana explained, gesturing to the dozens of planter boxes, pots, hydroponic beds, and towering vines visible under the glass roof. “I have to outsource some material because of the quantity needed, but for the most part I can grow it all here.”
Turning her head, Gelliana only smiled on seeing Icait’s eyes wide in wonder, the Windigo seeming to be a bit overloaded.
“S-so much green, so much life,” she whispered, “I’ve never seen something like this before.”
“Really?” Gelliana asked.
Icait nodded, sitting down and simply looking around in amazement.
“My kind is from the Frozen North, and Onyx and I were hiding out in a glacier, abandoned mine shafts and stuff. I didn’t realize how bleak it was until now. I didn’t get a chance to see much outside of towns or cities for information gathering before that, only distant views of trees. I don’t remember anything from before I was given a brain, per say.”
“There’s lots of areas that are this green for miles and miles. Jungles, forests- maybe once we get you acclimated, I can take you on one of my foraging journeys to see more.”
Of the many things Gelliana was expecting, clearly causing Icait to sniffle and wipe her eyes wasn’t one of them. The Windigo managed a grateful smile as she nodded.
“I’d like that a lot.’
“May I ask why my duties are so simple, Miss Glimmer?” Onyx rumbled as the two sat on one of the large, ancient guard towers that surrounded Tall Tale.
“Because you are having issues acclimating. Icait has embraced it all rather well. You, on the other hoof, clearly have some reservations. I would rather have you be bored than overloaded and discovering hidden issues. And enough with the ‘Miss’ stuff, I’ve told you that a dozen times,” Starlight Glimmer stated bluntly, the shadowy pony nodding.
“I appreciate the candor…Miss Glimmer.”
“Now you’re just enjoying it.”
“Perhaps,” he admitted, taking a breath and sighing, grey eyes narrowed in the sun. “I understand your logic, but I would like something to fill my time.”
Starlight grinned, levitating a massive pile of books into view, along with some checklists.
“These are the basic training manuals for town guards. In addition to that, they’ve agreed to give you a few introductory tasks.”
Nodding in approval, Onyx levitated a book over, his magic sparking with black sunbursts every now and again in the dark purple aura.
“This will suffice,” he mused, then looked over to Starlight. “May I ask why you thought the town guard was appropriate?”
Starlight waved a hoof, shaking her head.
“Wasn’t my idea. I believe it was Princess’s Luna’s,” she admitted, a sly grin dawning on her features. “Something about having a protective instinct…”
Onyx let out a huff, grey eyes narrowing as he turned away. He seemed to relent after a few moments of frowning, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
“How is Icait doing, if I may ask?” the Shadow finally questioned, steady tone now softening.
“Extremely well. She and Gelliana hit it off fantastically; you were correct in saying that Windigo is an innocent bottle of curious energy. She apparently was dumbfounded on seeing a greenhouse. I am curious as to why you seem more knowledgeable of the world though.”
Not responding immediately, Onyx seemed to be forming his thoughts before speaking.
“I was not cooped up with the Windigo group,” he finally said. “I was left to roam free, and did so for some time. I have a unique memory. There is simply what I know, and what I don’t. None of this...as you call it, ‘forgetting,’ you pony’s experience. I can read a book in an impossible amount of time compared to you, and remember all of it perfectly,” he explained, gesturing to one of the items. “But the meaning of the words may not register until later. I have read a few library’s worth of books; that would be the short answer.”
“Fascinating. I’m sure Twilight would be jealous…” Starlight murmured.
“Perhaps. But she would also likely be driven mad. To have most of your knowledge locked behind context is unnerving. For example, when ‘sleeper cells’ were mentioned, I was not aware fully of what it meant until context was provided. It is a difficult thing to explain.”
“Well, thank you for trying. I do have to get going- and obviously you will be under surveillance. Your duties are to track various movements of wildlife on the city outskirts and also learn more about an intricate part of pony life. That’s what these books are for.” Starlight pushed a larger stack his way, Onyx raising an eyebrow.
“What would that be?”
Starlight activated a portal, a sincere smile flickering onto her face.
“Something I didn’t understand for a long time, and that lack of knowledge nearly destroyed me and a lot of innocent creatures. All creatures, as a matter of fact.”
With that curt message, Onyx was left ‘alone,’ even though he could feel many watching eyes on him and the magical locks still in place. He pulled the largest of the books forward, a wry smile twitching at his usually stern features.
“Hmm. You would know, wouldn’t you, Starlight? And now I fully understand why they wanted you to aid me.”
‘Lessons in Friendship, Volume One, By Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Chapters 4-6 Written by Starlight Glimmer.’