//------------------------------// // Chapter 41 – A Dusty Lesson // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 41 – A Dusty Lesson Private Sunbeam lead the two griffons to the outskirts of Canterlot City towards a large arena, it from what Gale read up about the arena was used for rodeo events mainly, ponies from all over once a year gathered to compete against other ponies that were the best of the best, Gale wondered why his lessons with Spitfire was being held at such a place. Gilda noticed three ponies wearing blue shirts with matching colour hats moving clouds around. “They are the crew that work for the Wonderbolts, you usually see them around at the Wonderbolt Academy.” Sunbeam told them as they neared the arena. “That a lot of work just for giving Gale some pointers in flying.” Gilda was weary and suspicious of the activity. Gale was in the middle getting the note book out from his bag when Spitfire comes down from a cloud above landing before them, dust with dirt burst out from the impact causing them to cough and wave their wings to fan it away from them. “Good to see you are early, gives us more time to get those lessons in.” Spitfire turn to Gilda. “Gilda is it?” Spitfire dust off some of the dust and dirt from her flight suit pulling the goggles up. “Yeah and your the showpony captain?” Gilda snaked. “That I am.” Spitfire smirks accepting the come back. Gilda didn't have anything to fire back. “Your okay for a pony dweeb.” Gilda smirked back. Spitfire chuckled. “Goes double to you for a griffon.” She turn to Gale. “As for why this is all set up the way it is.” She move her hoof around showing the set up. “One dealing with the flying low to a dusty or sandy ground and two your mum warned to either have safety points set up or no lessons.” “I doubt you would of done this without it anyway.” Gilda replies. Spitfire nods. “Your right I wouldn't.” Spitfire now turn to Sunbeam. “I've got it from here soldier.” Sunbeam shook her head. “I'll be staying, I am his personal guard so you have to deal with me being around.” “Fair enough.” Spitfire wave them to follow. “Before we start the lessons I got masks and goggles to give out, also some things to say about what exactly happening, never a good idea going blind from flight lessons such as these.” Gilda fluffed her wings. “I've had to fly through some dusty places myself, they not something to laugh about.” Spitfire quickly glanced over to Gilda. “Indeed, since Gale here is unofficially a prince at the moment, soon as it official he may end up when his older going to places full of sand and dust.” Gale tilted his head. “Prince Gale, usually when a pony or in your case a griffon that isn't born into it, they have a coronation or a official function that crowns you that title.” Gale tried to understand what Sunbeam meant, to his mind she calling him prince as in title already, so was he a prince or not a prince? Spitfire turn around to Sunbeam. “Your confusing the cub, private.” Spitfire now turn to the confused teenage. “Sorry for not being clearer on what I was saying, Princess Celestia has to do this event that will have those that live in Equestria come and see you get crowned as prince, you are called by the title of Prince because you been officially adopted by Princess Celestia as her son.” “In other words your prince by adoption by your mum but not on a official scale, so you can't do all the boring stuff Princess Celestia does at these meetings and stuff.” Gilda bluntly said to Gale. “Basically till they put that thing on your head you are as normal as we are, part from having a guard that protects you from the worst of the worst.” Gilda hints to Sunbeam. Gale just blinked a few times. “Prince, not prince... Weird...” Gilda chuckled. “Yep it is.” Gilda walk up to Spitfire. “Lessons?” “Sure, this way.” Spitfire walk over to a big white board with red, blue and green board markers on the bottom of the board. “I be showing you some basic steps before we get flying, sit down anywhere and listen.” “Sure whatever.” Gilda sat down. “Just d-” Spitfire blows a whistle loudly. “I said listen! Doesn't mean you can speak!” Gale rubbing the insides of his ears as they rang slightly. “You do that again pony and I put that up your plot!” Gilda growled. Spitfire blow it again. “Quiet!” Gilda got up lowering her front with talons digging into the dirt. “Now I am going to-” Gale quickly grabbed her foreleg with both talons, she turn her head with him shaking it. “Sh-” He squawks shaking his head again. “FINE! But if she does it one more time I will do it!” Gilda quickly glares at Spitfire. “Lose the whistle Spits!” Gale turn to Spitfire with a pleading look. “This-” Gale shook his head. “Okay... Losing the whistle.” Spitfire took it off her neck and threw it to one of the pegasi in uniform. “Keep a eye on my whistle.” “Aye ma'am.” He salutes putting it around his neck for safety. Spitfire turn her attention back to them. “Now recruits it time to listen to what I got to say and see what I show you in this white board.” She tap it with her wing, taking the red board marker with one wing taking the lid off with the other. Sunbeam lean over to Gale. “Nicely handled sir.” She whispered, Gale nods with a smile. Spitfire starts to draw the details down as she speaks. “First when we do our first lap the dust from the arena will be kicked up by us flying low, the second time around we be flying into it with visibility dropping by as much as 30 to 40 percent, third lap is when the challenge comes in, the clouds be moved in the way, not only you need to use the right speed but able to turn at a moments notice.” Spitfire displayed it on the board as lines and stick ponies. Gale listen and watched intently. “I heard from mail ponies going to Southern Equestria that they have to deal with shifting sands, always have to fly low before of Rocs in the area.” Sunbeam recalled. “Correct Private, those beast of a birds are nothing to laugh at, they are not only massive but fast too, perfect way to escape them is through the dust and sand you kick up with your wings.” Spitfire confirmed. “It one of the basic training programs for the Pegasi guard here in Canterlot.” Gale turn to Sunbeam with wonder. “Yes I went through it, not pleasant.” Spitfire walk over to a case, she opened it up to reveal a pair of griffon beak shape masks and two sets of goggles. “These I had specially made for you two.” Spitfire toss a set at Gilda. She caught the mask and goggles, looking at both. “I am not doing this!” “Why not? You been in this kind of stuff like both of us have been, it only fair you get dirty too.” Spitfire said flatly to Gilda as she give Gale his set. “Or you rather not get your pretty feathers and feline coat messy?” Gilda glares at her. “Oh you are asking for it! No dweeb calls me chicken!” She put the mask on and goggles. “Let me show how a pro handle this!” Spitfire whispers to Gale. “Watch and learn as Gilda flies.” She speaks up afterwards. “Do as many laps as you can, let see how long you can go before you crash.” Gilda walk over to the arena. “I'll show you how many I can do show pony!” “Then show us.” Spitfire nod to the ponies as they put their masks and goggles on too, they getting ready to move the clouds into position. “Ready!” Gilda open her wings up. “Set!” She shift the front of her body downwards digging the talons into the loose dirt. “Go!” Gilda with a burst of speed kick up dirt and dust, she flies around the first lap. Gale watched as Gilda enter the dust, he could just see her as the dust thickens with the second passing, the pegasi push the clouds into the dust cloud as the third lap begins. “I say six laps.” Sunbeam said. Spitfire watching as Gilda appear and disappear in the bigger thicker cloud of orange brown dust. “I say the next one, you Prince Gale?” Gale showed all eight of his claws. “Eight huh?” She turn and watch with them as more clouds pushed into it creating a more difficulty course by each lap. “Well that got me beat.” Each lap they could see was becoming near impossible till they lost count and Gilda burst through it landing before them, she shook off a fair amount of dust from the fur and wings, pulling the goggles up and mask down. “Eight and a half laps dweebs! Now what you think?” Gale trying not to laugh seeing only her eyes and around the beak area was dust free, it gave her a funny appearance for the teenager. “Nicely down, good to see a griffon know how to fly threw a thick wall of dust and dirt.” Spitfire pats her on the back with a hoof knocking dust off. Gilda didn't mind the pat. “What can I say? I'm awesome dweebs!” Gilda said with pride. “That you are, now get under that cloud over there and my team get you all cleaned up.” Spitfire point a wing over to the two pegasi on top a set of dark clouds, Gilda take off the goggles and mask tossing them to the side as she walk to the clouds. “Now Gale before you dive in, how about taking off your bandanna and the leg bands first.” Gale nods removing them and putting into his back, he put the bag to the side. The pegasi flew around the dust cloud pulling it in, the dust cloud turn into a ball of dust and with a push it falls apart back on the ground, two more using brushes brushed it out to the ground was flat again. Spitfire saw the way Gale just stared at the way the dust in the air was dealt with, she chuckled picking up a mask for herself, Spitfire put it on. “It flyer magic, don't question it cub.” “It a skill you learn as you train in the guard or in elite flyer groups like the Wonderbolts, they even able to create black clouds with lightning trails.” Sunbeam explained. “Wonderbolts learn a trick with their magic to pull that stunt off, it a neat harmless trick” Gale put the goggles on and the mask, he listened to them and now ready to go. “I'll be by your side cub, don't do anything to crazy, keep it slow enough to kick up the dust, do not go all crazy even with the safety team around things can easily go wrong.” Spitfire gave him a dead serious look through the goggles. Gale nods, Spitfire takes off and he follows, Gilda watch as they start to fly around with dust and dirt slowly being kicked up by their wing flaps with increasing speed. “She going to be surprised by how fast the cub learns.” Sunbeam glanced at Gilda to see she was puffy, trying not to laugh at the sight of Gilda. “That lo-” “Speak or laugh how I look right now, you do not want to know what I'll do.” Gilda growled. “Noted...” Sunbeam turn back to watching Gale with Spitfire flying through thicker clouds of dust with clouds being pushed into it, he dodging them and avoiding cashing into the ground or the clouds. Spitfire glance back quickly. “Gale, follow me best you can, I am going to speed up.” Gale nods quickly as Spitfire started to speed up, he follows her movements as the thickness of the dust cloud increased, soon he couldn't see where she went through the thick pockets he flew through. The dust brushing against his fur and feathers was getting to him too, it felt like tiny pins hitting him, he lost focus for a moment to squawk in alarm as he slam right into a cloud, with a bounce off it he land on the ground in the middle of the dust cloud shaking off the impact. Gale took off seeing Spitfire, she was waiting for him. “Don't worry about messing up, it all about learning, now it going to get crazy and your senses will be blinded.” Gale gave a nod understanding her. Spitfire flies and Gale followed, he almost impacted another cloud as Spitfire increased her speed, for unknown amount of time that past he kept trying to keep up with her, many times crashing into the clouds. Gale land on the ground after losing her in the whirling dust, on the ground he took a look around for her. As he tried to get his bearings Spitfire lands to the left of him. “Now here the next lesson, what do you while stuck in a dust storm? It miles high and across, when you entered you knew where you were going, but now after crashing the direction you were going are not so clear.” Spitfire gives him a scenario to play out. Gale looking around not able to make which direction was which. “Confused...” “Yep it is.” Spitfire put a wing over his back. “To get out of this mess all you need to do is find Gilda outside it, that will point you the way home, most but not all have a good sense of direction, either way let see how good yours are.” Spitfire moved her wing off him and flew out of view through the dust. Gale closed his eyes with his ears twitching, moving his head ever so slightly as the wind picks up a little, caused by the Wonderbolt team as they gust it up a bit from the outside by Spitfire's instructions. “Focus... Not... Confused... Focus...” Gale mutters to himself through the mask. WHOOOSH! Gale opened his eyes after a few seconds past to see he stood before two ponies and a griffon covered heavily in dust, slowly he looked around noticing the whole rodeo arena was too, trees near by orange brown particles on their branches to leaves. He had zero idea what just happened, what caused it, was it him and if so how did he do that? The arena stands, uniformed Wonderbolt officers, whiteboard, walls all covered by a blast wave pattern of orange brown dust. “What just happened?” Spitfire blinked. “I think Gale had a pure magic surge...” Sunbeam also blinked. “A teen at his age having a surge?” “Well he a teen in body but in mind, not so much...” Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Could of let me in on that little detail about this pure magic thing.” Sunbeam slowly looked over to Spitfire. “I didn't think this could happen.” Gilda chuckled. “Pretty epic if you ask me.” “We not!” They said in union. Gilda noticed Luna on approach. “Like to play that, well time to play my talon.” Gilda whispered to herself with another small laugh, getting odd looks from the two Pegasus ponies. Princess Luna soon lands with two of her personal bat pony guards, looking around at the dust covered landscape. “What in the name of all creation happened here?” Gilda pat both Spitfire and Sunbeam on their backs. “Good luck explaining this one girls, I am going to take a shower and taking Gale with me.” Gilda flies up and waves Gale to follow, he took the hint and quickly took off after her. “Did she...” Sunbeam begins “Yes...” Spitfire muttered a finish to her question before she could finish it. Luna seeing her nephew and Gilda had flew the coop, she nod to one of her guards to follow and they did, left behind two ponies in position to explain. “Well? Any of you two like to start?”