Griffon of Canterlot
Chapter 60.5 – Pieces Part Four
Octicovix after doing a little exploring found a nice place outside the tree like complex of rooms and corridors, she stood outside on a balcony on top of a massive tree branch looking out to the sea of sunflowers below, out beyond it and the large glass dome of criss-crossing support beams of the superstructure was the forest, this lead to a massive mountain range in the distance.
All the sudden her senses felt emitions right on top of her, quickly with buzz of the wings Octicovix turn around to looking up at the massive griffon Sunflower. “How the name of all changelings do you do that!?”
Sunflower lower down to lay, her gaze still bearing down on Octicovix. “I am just that good.” She chuckled. “Also with Nanner and Greystorm going through the mountain pass to town I kinda thought I drop by to see how you are.”
“Note for future reference; biggest griffon ever is so light on her paws even a changeling that can sense emotions can be caught out.” Octicovix smiled back at Sunflower, they get a laugh out of it. “Now you done giving me a scare, I guess you've came up to talk to me about something?”
Sunflower nods slightly looking out to the mountains. “I did bring you this first of all for your headaches and help your cover your magic a little faster.” Sunflower move her paw over to Octicovix and move it away to show a small glass of orange liquid. “Second, I am curious about what you experienced while in Pistol's body at Flaputa.”
Octicovix took the glass with her magic and drunk it. “Urg, this is vile!” She stuck her tongue out. “Not sure how you got that up here with those paws, but I am not even going to try and figure that mystery out since you can sneak around like a ninja.” She chuckled lightly. “As for my experience in Pistol's body...” She hummed a little. “It was a very weird experience... Not one I ever was prepared for, way out of my field of expertise...” She turn around looking back out beyond the dome.
“He survived like Nanner Maple did, even though we believed he was gone till you proved otherwise.” Sunflower raise her forepaw reaching out to under her wing pulling out the tablet. “I heard stories of him and to see the very hyper self in griffon, it gave me a chills dude.” She aim it at Octicovix. “I am like going to record what you say from your experience!”
Octicovix turn around staring at the tablet. “How does a flat glowing tablet record? Is it some sort of stored spell?”
Sunflower gave a bit smile showing her rather large beakish teeth with that warm happy smile before speaking. “Dude this has both tech and magic in this, it has things that so small that would make your head explode trying to even explain the simplest of things with this, trust me when I say this...” She lean over to the left around the tablet. “What we call simple you call a magical miracle that completely impossible to believe.”
Octicovix blinked a few times even trying to process this. “I really hate being three steps behind, I am use to being ahead of the game, now I know how Princess Celestia feels when dealing with Greystorm in their meetings...” She rubbed her head. “If you didn't give me that yucky stuff to deal with my headaches, I would have a major one right now trying to wrap my head around what you mean exactly...”
“Well just go with it and speak to me and I'll handle the recording, got it dude?” She press her thumb down on the screen.
“Fair enough.”
“Good to go! Speak away!” Sunflower starts recording.
Octicovix nods and start to speak to Sunflower. “When it suddenly happened I found myself blinking one second in front of Maple to inside a room, not any room but the room of Pistol lives in from the comics I read and found that I was in Pistol's body...” She pauses thinking about it for a moment with a small shudder. “I felt weird, held together by some weird force, it was when I stumbled and the paw phased through the wall, I jump back in shock seeing what happened.”
“Whoa dude! What your saying sort of match up with what Pistol said about being a ghost!” Sunflower exclaimed.
“That doesn't make sense, I found a strange feeling that if I focused hard I could put the paw on walls and hold things.”
“Hmm... Strange...”
Octicovix rub a hoof over the other foreleg. “It when I decided to find his machine and I did, it was humming a little...” She turn slightly to the mountains in view through the dome. “I phased the head through it to see one of four pieces to a communication artefact to directly contact a changeling queen and it was glowing, showing signs of connecting to the other three pieces.”
“Communication artefact?”
“It four bug like shaped onyx crystals that open up and link together to create a direct visual communication with the queen... That queen being my mother.” She said without looking back at Sunflower.
“Whoa... Dude that deep, how did it get inside Pistol's machine?”
Octicovix turn to Sunflower. “Best guess since I wasn't born yet...” She paused for a second. “Mother and Guto was working together to try and overthrown ponykind, but I if remember a tale my mother told me once... He the griffon that double crossed her and used them to do something horrible that she personally dealt with him, by dealing with him as in draining all his emotions, leaving him a empty emotionless husk of his formal self.”
Sunflower gasped. “That explains why he answered every question without a hint of emotion! I seen the videos for myself! The dude was so creepy to the day he past, all he did was stare, eat, sleep and answer in this weird non-malignant tone!”
“It seem some of the pieces are part of our long past isn't it?” Octicovix said back getting a nod from Sunflower. “Before I returned I quickly found out access my magic some how to find the others on three of the islands floating, that when I saw a rift open up on one of them and saw-”
“Saw what!? Come on don't do that thing that movies do!”
“I saw myself, Greystorm, Gilda, Gale, Shining Armor, Sunbeam, Trace and Amber! I wanted to them but a weird sound caught my attention in the lower part of the floating city Flaputa, it when I saw a bluish white aurora storm so far away but it gave me chills...”
“Can you mimic the sound you heard?” Sunflower asked with curiosity. “I know you changelings can mimic u-” She saw her change into a exact side double of herself. “HOLY BLOODY TARTARUS!” Sunflower staring at equal height of herself. “Okay that seriously awesome!”
Octicovix turn back to normal rubbing her head a bit. “Took a bit out of me but worth it!”
“Totally dude! Your freaky awesome! Now can you do that sound?”
“Oh I can and this is what I heard!” Octicovix open her mouth to create them sound. “Vwo-”
At the mountain pass Greystorm felt a droplet land on his head, looking up at the tunnel roof of water dripping from stalactites above large lamps lighting up the cavern tunnel, walls lined with lights too with a rocky path they walk on. “This tunnel pretty huge, what exactly was it used for?”
Maple ahead walking around some smashed stalactites. “Till about 160 years ago it was used for building materials to be transferred to the town that was being built, before paw everyone once lived in the tree.”
“That explains the many doors I saw.” Greystorm flap his wings a few times jumping over a pile to land on his paws. “How do you get stuff to the dome now?”
“Airship, Aerial Swiftclaw is the great-grandson and fourth generation owner of the business, they are also the only ones that trade non-level technology to small pony towns that don't ask questions outside our territory.” Maple explained to Greystorm. “It worked this way for close to 120 years now.”
They were getting close to the end, light from the other side were in view. “So ponies knew of the Finch Griffons for quite some time, huh?”
Maple nods. “They do, it a highly valuable area of fish for us, so it a fair trade and partnership between the two towns.” Maple put a wing over her eyes and Greystorm did too as they exit into a forest path leading slightly up.
“Impressive, I do like a good cod every so often.” Greystorm chuckled as they climbed to have a high point view over looking the town in the distance, Greystorm's beak just dropped at the sight of it.
Maple walk up beside him pushing his beak closed with a paw. “Impressive isn't it?” He nods silently looking at the coastal town, it had the longest pier he ever seen to different size buildings and paved roads similar to Manehatten's roads. “Welcome to Flaputa-on-Sea, the only town of the Finch Griffons.” He also could make out on the far edges of the town farm land and a lake of water shimming with blue light followed by lightning discharges.
Greystorm also took notice of the large tall metal structures near it leading to the town edge with four large cables on one side and another four the other, the strange building fenced off they attached too near the lake. “This a town!? It's massive and what the heck is those things with cables leading away from that lightning lake to the town!?” He stood on his hindpaws with forepaws out to the view before him.
“That is a powerstation, that feeds electrical energy from the lake to the town a few miles away, also funny enough that the name of the lake and it filled with fish called Blue Lightning Coi, their bodies produce high levels of electrical energy which the town uses and in turn feed them the high nutritional pellets.”
Greystorm rub the underside of his beak. “They give the town electricity and in-exchange the griffons give them high nutritional needs to live long and healthy happy lives, correct?”
Maple open her wings up hinting for him to do the same. “It be quicker to fly into town from here, but keep close to me at all times, you can easily get lost on the streets and rather not save your rump from unnecessary reasons since you decided not to listen.”
They take off heading down towards the town over the hill filled with trees, the path below them leading right to town too between them. “Hear you loud and clear Maple, this is your town afterall.” Greystorm replied taking a good look at the town closing in. “So... Where exactly is this Flaputa Archives?”
“Luckily it near the edge of city closest to us, it that large tall white building with the many white pillars and dome marble roof.” Maple point to it, he could see the building giving a whistle in response of the sight of it.
“Now that building is a piece of art, it look like something made with heart and passion.” Greystorm saw a few flags blowing from it, one had a par of finch griffons holding up a island and the other had a red cross through it with blue triangles and white behind it, in the middle was a finch griffon on it hindlegs with forepaws out stretched and beak open in a roaring motion.
Maple lands and Greystorm land by her. “We walk from here.” Maple start to walk and Greystorm follows her into town, he starting to see many different colours to different kinds of finch griffons, they all had one thing in common, paws and no talons, most was about Maple's height with some being a little shorter or taller, he stood out for most of them but they didn't seem to bat a eye at his presence for a strange reason.
Greystorm whispers. “We still a bit away, why are we not flying the rest?”
“This is a no-fly zone because of the cables, they are live wires and one touch your pretty much fried.” She whispered back walking to the end of a path next to the road putting a wing out stopping Greystorm.
He was started when a non-pulled carriage goes by with a finch griffon sitting at the front of it holding a wheel, the back was a box on wheels. “What in the name of all things Grover was that!?”
Maple chuckled and see the road was clear for them to cross over. “That Greystorm is a lorry, they are self-driven in the cab as you saw that finch griffon, as for how it works it would most likely melt your brain trying to understand it.”
“I feel insulted being called dumb but...” He look around. “Even what I seen and you said so far, I only got a small understanding of it, I rather question it at another time when I am not so alien to this world...” He said quietly feeling so out of place in the town. “I am nervous, scared, confused and excited... It rather conflicting...”
Maple laughed. “Oh you'll be fine, we almost there.” She point to the building in the distance. “Also thanks for coming.”
Greystorm nods slightly seeing some griffons talking to each other, laughter and the young playing a ball game of some kind on the field, he even saw a uniformed one that remind him of police in Manehatten. “I am glad I did, it amazing...” He felt the ball hit his foreleg, picking the ball up with the forepaw the young female griffon stop in front of him looking up. “I believe this is yours.”
The light red finch griffon took it with her forepaws. “Wow you got cool clothes Mister.” He nods and hint to her friends. “Oh of course! Thank you mister!” She run on her hind legs over to her friends dropping it in front to kick it with a hindpaw over to them.
“Awww ain't that sweet?” Maple grinned.
“Indeed it is.” Greystorm smiled.
Maple wave for him to follow again. “Come on Grey.” He follows her to the front of the building, a long wide stair case with two large marble finich griffons sat on their hind quarters holding a marble shaped flap each with the other forepaw on the ground in front, behind was the pillars spaced out with a large arch and the big wooden doors inside it. “Welcome to Flaputa Isles Archives.”
Greystorm noticed the carvings of different finch griffons high above all the way to the left and right, bending around the corners of the wall. “This isn't only a archive is it?” She nods as they walk up the steps past a few finch griffons heading down. “It a memorial as well to all those lives lost that day too, correct?”
“Yes it is, each carving you see above just below the roof is almost every finch griffon that were on the island on that fateful day, it hard for me to come here.” She sighs deeply. “But I must for Revolver's sake.” Greystorm nods as he follow her to the top and up to the door, she pushes open a smaller one on the larger ones to enter, Greystorm enters right behind her.
Upon entering he could see behind a big round reception desk was towering rows of boxes, books and rolled up scrolls as far as the eyes could see, they bend around a big open area of seats and tables that went up and down a few levels.
Maple walk up to the desk picking up a card. “Gone to lunch, please enjoy your time at the archives, Scribble.” She put the card down. “It seems the old griff Scribble is on his lunch break at the moment.”
“So we wait?”
“Nope, we allowed in.” She walk by the round desk. “The one thing no finch griffon would do is steal from here, it would mean life sentence in jail.” Maple explained.
Greystorm followed her. “That a bit harsh isn't it?”
“Harsh is the best way of keeping what is here safe and sound.” Maple said flapping her wings to look at the shelves. “Let's see... R... R... Here we go Revolver!” She pull out a box. “This is where all his personal journals are kept, take this one it has all his drawings in it.”
Greystorm fly up and take the second box, they fly down to the desk placing them on it. “So theses are the only paper copies?”
Maple nods. “Indeed, they stored also on the computer but something about a touch of paper just feel more real.” Maple open the box pulling out a box noticing a light brown feather in it. “Someone been through this.”
“I found some sort note and this blank ID wallet.” Greystorm pull out of the other box.
Maple take the note and open it. “Hello Maple and Greystorm-” She pauses and Greystorm's ear's twitch upon his name spoken, he now looking over her shoulder to read it too. “You most likely found a feather and my papers with this note, I took a mental copy of everything in these contents and as you read this the comics I made are going far and wide, I was here six weeks ago and Scribble I had a photo taken for me from him, it be in the drawings box six pages in, you be seeing me for my first time when we meet, Doctor.”
Greystorm look inside to pull a photo out with the paw. “It a light brown griffon with really dark brown furry feather crazy hairstyle on top and wearing a green necktie.” He gave the photo to her.
“So his the one the created the Pistol Misadventures comics?”
“He admitting it.” Greystorm said rubbing the back of his neck. “So... How did he know we be here six weeks after he been through this? And how did he create comic books that been out for a year before he look through this box?”
Maple gave him a serious look. “That a very good question to give to Doctor Necktie when we find him, that griffon found a damn bloody loop hole and I am going to straggle him with that damn necktie!” Maple growled with anger behind her voice.
Greystorm rubbed his back of his neck. “I am so glad I never wear ties anymore...” He mumbled.
“Right...” Maple pull out some of Revolver's journals. “Let's see if Pistol's dad can clue us in on this mysterious griffon shall we?”
Greystorm took out the drawings. “So we looking for this Doctor Necktie?”
“Yes... He's made this personal...”