//------------------------------//
// Another One?! 
// Story: Equestrian Eeveelution. 
// by Symphonicdysonince 
//------------------------------//

Zann and I sat by the garden doors, waiting for the competition to die down. Thankfully, Pinkie had managed to sneak us some of the baked goods, but never more than a small sampler. I sighed as I licked the last of a berry danish from my fur.

"Hey, I just had a thought." I mused to Zann. "Do you think that griffons cook with eggs?"

"Well, Gustave made the eclairs, so I would assume so."

I shook my head. "But don't griffons lay eggs?"

"So?" Zann gave me his full attention.

"Wouldn't that make baking a potentially risky profession in the griffon homeland?" I nudged Zann's metal leg. "Especially if the bird's married."

"You lost me."

"They might cook their own kid?" I deadpanned. "Assuming that their eggs are of similar size to an average chicken’s."

"Oh. OH!" Zann leaned away from me. "Leo, c'mon! You were just moaning over the fact you had to leave your own eggs behind in Ponyville!" He shook his head, a morbid grin slowly growing across his muzzle. "Heh. 'Honey, I cooked the kids!'"

"Gives a whole new meaning to getting baked, huh?"

Zann snorted. "You remember those old P.S.A's? Y'know." He dropped his voice an octave and adopted his best serious face. "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs."

"Yeah, college was an awkward time for me."

Not now, Brain. I chuckled. "Can I get my brain over easy?"

Zann attempted his best Gustave impression. "I can only do scrambled. Will ziz be h'a problam?"

"Seriously, though." I squeaked out. "A creature that lays eggs must feel all sorts of squicked out cooking with them."

"It might be telling that Gustave is the only griffon we see cooking in the show, what with him being a guy and all. Or, at least, proof of him doing so." Zann's good leg twitched and his ear started swiveling around. "But, anyways, that doesn’t matter right now." He twisted to face further into the room. "So… Ya said you had something to share?"

"Oh, I have a lot to tell you, but first," Luke smiled down at us, "come with me.  I have something you gotta see." He began to lead us further into the castle. I had to give him credit, he already seemed to know his way around. "So, how have things been in Crazyville?"

We started shooting the shit as Luke led us around, each of us focusing on what we figured was important. Whenever I would start feeling down on my eggs, Zann would change the subject to something else.

I will admit, I may have gotten carried away with my retelling about the Running of the Leaves and how Abes stole my win.

My mood took a near permanent downturn when we passed on the news about Peewee leaving, however. Zann flowed the conversation towards the baking competition and the train ride in. We finally stopped in front of a room as I admitted to Luke about Eros and I coming to our understanding.

"That's good. I wouldn't mind meeting her." Luke nodded, placing a paw on the door handle. "She might help me with a theory of mine." He pushed the door open and ushered us inside.

It was one of the better off guest suites. Judging by the smells, one Luke and Ember had been... using. Heavily. The curtains and windows had been opened by the maids in what I assume to be an attempt to air the suite out.

"Wait here." Luke said as he disappeared into the master bedroom.

I smiled, and looked around the room. "Ten bits says that he's grabbing a toy."

"I'll take it." Zann started to vibrate in place.

"You okay?" I asked, concern growing on my face.

"Yup!" Zann flicked his tail at the bedroom door. "I'll be taking my bits when we get back home."

I turned to see Luke returning with a bundle of blankets. Oh? Did he get himself clothes? Why? Wouldn't it feel uncomfortable against his fur? I leaned closer to it, noting the hauntingly familiar smell it was giving off. "What is that?"

Luke sat down in front of us, carefully cradling the bundle down onto his lap. Gently he moved a corner of a blanket and revealed a smooth shell.

"Is that..." I breathed.

"Well, I guess it was bound to happen."

"I'm going to be a father!" Luke nodded.

And then my maternal instincts kicked in. I kept an ear on the conversation as I began inspecting the egg. I wasn't properly aware of the cooing noises I was making.

"“Have you or Ember thought of names yet?" Zann asked. "And are you hoping for a boy or a girl?”

 "We don't even know what species it is." Luke laughed. His mirth quickly faded. "To be honest, I'm kinda scared. Ember isn't a pokemon. Do you guys know the kind of complications hybrids have on Earth? That's if it even hatches at all."

"Hey, he's got your problems, too!" I twitched.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to rain on the good feels." Luke continued. "I'm just... so excited and terrified at the same time. I never thought it was possible to feel both those feelings so strong."

“Heh.” I morosely chuckled, my ears and tail falling with my mood. “Preaching to the choir, there. If you think this is bad now, you should wait a few moons.”

“Leo…” Zann placed a paw onto my shoulder.

I ignored him. “Then you’ll be worrying about every little thing. And- And scrutinizing everything you do, wondering if this is what you’ve been fucking up on. After a while, you start worrying if-!”

Zann cut me off with his paw. “She’s been like this for a while now." He told Luke. "I actually brought her up here to distract her from her eggs.”

"Oh... sorry. I didn't even really mean to vent like that... anyway..." I looked up as Luke started around to see him wrapping his egg back up. "We figured out how to give Smolder magic. So, we're probably going back to Ponyville with you guys. I got everyone gifts, too."

"Oh, hey!" I started to pay more attention. "A distraction!"

Luke smirked down at me. "No, you can't have it now, nor will I give you any hints."

"Anything else interesting happen?" Zann asked.

"Well..." Luke chewed the inside of his cheek. "I found out I have metal bones."

"Called it!" Zann snickered.

Luke ignored his outburst. "And Abes has been teaching me how to use psychic abilities. I made a couple new friends, including Blueblood. He's actually not a bad guy, just socially awkward. I was actually talking to him when you guys got here. He left when he saw Rarity. Oh, and one important thing." He stood up and went back into the room. He kept us waiting until he returned sans egg. "Celestia knows we aren't from this world, but doesn't know we weren't always what we are."

"Well, that's going to end well..."

Shut up you, you're no-aaahh... My thoughts were interrupted by Luke reaching down and scratching behind my ears. I relaxed into Luke's fingers.

"She promised not to tell Twilight and the others so long as you tell them when you're able." I heard Luke say through the mild fog his fingers clouded my mind with.

“Oh, good. Great.” Zann sighed. “Anything else you want us to know?”

C'm'here you... I rolled over and flopped onto my back, taking Luke's paw along with me.

“Leo, stop it." Zann ordered. "You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“Yer just jealous.” I slurred.

"Zann, you might have to leave the room." Luke chuckled.

I don' mind if'n he joins in.

 I heard Zann approach Luke's other side. “Nu-huh. You owe me some ear scritches.”

"I mean, I don't mind if you want to join in, but Leo might."

“It’s good…” I groaned out.

“No, Leo.” Zann chuckled. “We were going to see the town, remember? Got any recommendations?” I assume that he addressed that part to Luke.

"Yeah, there's this great place we found." Luke answered "It's like Mediterranean food, but pony. They do meat dishes, too. There's also a couple shops that specialize in casual clothing like hats, scarfs, shirts, and whatever. You guys might like to personalize your look."

I already gots 'nough wif mah collar...

“We’ll look into those,” Zann agreed, “but I meant places we could check out without having to have a chaperone around. Ponies’ll just assume we’re strays, and we don’t want to be hassled while we try to relax.”

"Ah, yeah, that might be hard." Luke said, slightly pausing in his rubbing. "Outside the palace, there really isn't anywhere that isn't a possibility. Hell, there were a couple times I had ponies asking where my owner was. Though, in my case it just ended up being funny after they found out I could communicate. Can either of you write Equestrian?"

I tried to move his paw around to keep him scratching. “Nope."

Zann just shook his head. “We could always wait until Abes shows up. Then he could give us a tour.” A sly smirk stole across his muzzle. “Unless Luna decides to monopolize him tonight.”

"Considering how thoroughly her scent covers him," Luke laughed, "I'm sure they spend plenty of time together. But he still found time to help me out.

"How about this. I'll have a friend write you two a couple of notes. One explaining you're intelligent beings that can't speak the language, and another for anything you think you might need. Also, we can inform the guards and they'll spread word of who you are. We could also talk to Moondancer, see if she might have a magical solution."

“Eh.” Zann shrugged. “You can bring it up, but she won’t be able to do anything with us until she gets back to Ponyville.”

I completely zoned out at that point and almost fell asleep under Luke’s massaging fingers.