//------------------------------// // Chapter 61.5 – Pieces Part Five // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 61.5 – Pieces Part Five Walking down one of the many corridors within the tree, Maple and Greystorm's recent return as the night sets in, the dome high beams lit up upon the fields of sunflowers, their trip back was uneventful after discovering what they found in the achieves at Flaputa-on-Sea. “This is where you be sleeping for the night, I will lead you, your wife and the ponies back to the train station that connects to any part of Equestria.” “Just like that? No hiding where this is from us?” Greystorm glance over at her as they walked with a curious expression on his face. “I had my doubts but after what we and Octicovix learned, we can not ignore that there a reason for you being here, why it was your team that playing a big part of a puzzle or a game of chess, something is coming, something big and it all building up on itself.” Maple stop at a door, Greystorm stopping beside her looking at it and back to her. “I will make sure to get a letter out to you when the Mole is completed, if not I send my granddaughter to drop in at Trottingham.” Greystorm imagined a massive griffon landing at townhall. “Yeah... A letter be better.” Maple laughed slapping him on the backside causing him to yelp. “Oh I know cub, I know.” She turn walking away. “That apartment is all yours, after over 140 years it finally occupied again!” She toss from a paw over her head a set of key. “Also supplies was sent up by Sunflower, so it stocked for a meal or two, same with the Doc C's team rooms.” Greystorm caught the keys with his paw looking at it. “Ju-” He look up to see she was gone. “Just like that huh?” He said to no one putting the key into the key hole turning it and pulling the handle down, he push the door open to get a blast of something really delicious being cooked within. “Hello?” He walk through the hallway seeing a door to his right open a jar to show a rather roomy bathroom with a bathtub, toilet and sink in it, with cupboards, mirrors and tower racks, the bathtub having a shield over it, he did take not it was unlike any bathroom he ever seen. Walking by it the place open up to a living room with a large long sofa, in front of it was a table and the other side another of these flat screens, on the table he believed was a device that works it without pressing anything on the flat screen sitting on a stand with it own cupboards under it, beyond that was a curved window view of the Sunflowers up to the wall and dome, he turn to his left to find Octicovix in a open plan kitchen, the smell he smelt was coming from there. Octicovix was in her yellow griffon form with black wings and head feathers, yellow sharp eyes with black beak and talon working her amazing cooking skills at the kitchen. “Hey Grey! Your just in time for dinner, once I figured out how all this stuff worked I got the real hang of making something really amazing with all the ingredients that were stored here.” She swished the pan with sizzling sounds coming from it, she glance over to him. “That twenty years lost new look on you going to take some getting use to.” “I am not even going to try and figure out how Sunflower stocked the kitchen with food...” Greystorm put one paw on a foreleg gave a twist to pull off the paw to show his talon, he does it to the same on the other putting the paw forelegs on the table size he found between the living room and the kitchen. “It sure will be, for you and me including all those that have to get use to a mayor that been deaged by a magical mishap...”He rubbed the back of his head. “I hate feeling this young, it just doesn't sit right.” “Don't worry about it Grey, even you look like that I still love you for who you really are, nothing will ever change that, so just accept it, buck up and take a seat, dinner almost ready.” Greystorm chuckled with a bow. “Yes your high o mighty Princess.” Octicovix glance over her shoulder. “Haha feather brain.” She drop the smile giving him a look that sent a chill through his feathers and fur. “Say that again and your sleeping on the sofa tonight, now sit!.” He knew she was dead serious. “Yes ma'am...” Greystorm sit down on the chair knowing he pushed it a bit too far. “Sorry about that Octicovix...” She smiled once again going back to finishing their meals. “I know you are and you know how much I hate being reminded about that connection I have... Lucky for you I give a warning, anyone else...” “They are doomed.” “Yep!” She turn off the stow and walk over the table on hindpaws carrying two plates, placing them down on the table, at the table were knife and folks with a candle lit in the middle, a bottle of wine with two glasses. “Sunflower said this is the finest finch griffon wine around, they call it Kaboom of all names to call a wine.” She giggled as she sat down and pour a bit into each of their glasses. “Oh you'll like this!” Greystorm watch her pick up something with flat buttons on it, she press on one causing the glass to tint and another to lower the lights in the apartment. “That pretty neat, you got a hang of this tech stuff pretty quickly and not surprised at all.” He raised the glass to her. Octicovix raised her glass. “It all in the changeling.” She chuckled clinging her glass against his. “To solving the greatest puzzle that goes back 4000 years.” “To our every lasting love.” They both take a sip of the wine. Maple stood on the very top of the dome with Sunflower looking out to the surface remains of the very facility that her past now was catching back up, the last time recalling being in that place before the surface side of it was heavily damaged during the conflict with Guto the Betrayer, was the moment that her grandfather Graverton saved her life. “The past and future are colliding aren't they Nanner?” Sunflower broke the silence glancing up at Maple lying on top of her head. “They are Sunflower, in the last 24 hours alone everything that was, is and will be has been shaken up...” Maple sighs. “I never thought in the last 200 years that I would even get to even see Pistol again, now that I have...” Sunflower's eyes shift around to the moon lit forest, creators, ruins and mountains in view. “We have a renewed reason to finally break open the felicity and seek for clues, but how can we trust these guys in one day? Isn't it fast?” Maple chuckled. “Sometimes things that take forever rushes in all at once, my gut tells me deep inside we can trust them to save my beloved Pistol, your grandfather to be.” “Better than that old cranky one in Griffonstone, I never understood what you saw in him Nanner...” “When he was a lot younger and not long after the betrayal of Guto, it took him standing up to that fallen king and he was there for me as I was for him, he struggled against that curse from that damn idol for a very long time...” Maple sighs. “He the last of those that remember the true Griffonstone before it fall into ruins, somewhere deep inside he still fights the curse of greed and that why even you don't understand what I see in him, I still see a heart under all that crank, rude, greedy look in that one eye of his.” Sunflower rolled her eyes. “Sappy and still don't understand... At least dad came out better than him.” “That we both can agree one.” They laughed and spent a good family quailty time together on the roof of the greenhouse dome under Luna's moon light. Morning came and at the train station they step on, a small wooden platform with one pony at the ticket box, Maple wearing talon gloves pays for their tickets and give each of them one. “Doctor Caballeron I give you something to you and your team, something not found anywhere else in Equestria.” She pull out of her bag four Finch Griffon idols each holding a different colour gem, giving one to each of them. “These were made in a village temple before it was torn down for Flaputa, they are close to 500 years old.” Biff, Withers and Rouge were surprised to get one idol each to their boss. “Well I wasn't expecting this, they truly look like something of that era...” Caballeron rose his up with a hoof to get a good look. “Why are you giving us something that important to your cultures past? What if we go ahead and sell them in the next town?” She shrugs. “Than do it, they yours to do what you can like with them, I believe you can keep my home a secret and know that sometimes the price of a heart is worth more than bits, it up to you what you all decide.” Biff gave her a hug. “I will keep it as a reminder of this day.” Withers also hugs her too. “Same here, thank you.” Rouge smiled. “I really like it, no way I am getting rid of I! Not after we had a successful mission without that Daring Do getting in our way.” “Yes, that is something I agree on, Daring Do for once wasn't involved.” Maple slyly smirked. “Tan Pegasus with greyscale rainbow mane wearing the most stupid outfit as if she in a movie?” “Yes!” They said together. “How did you know?” Biff asked. Maple look out far away. “Let's say the odds were stacked against her this time.” Getting a curious glances from each other, not able to ask when the train pulls up and the whistle blows. Daring Do found herself tied up, bound and gagged against a rocky side with the view of a desert town near by, she had woken and struggled to break free of the bindings when a sound of breathing came from above her, looking up to be face to face with Sunflower the nine hooves tall finch griffon. “Now I've taken all your stuff that lead you to my home, I left you here and you will be able to get out of those bindings soon.” She walk right over her and stood at the edge of the cliff side turning to face Daring Do. “If I ever see you in my home again or you speak about it to anyone else, I will personally not drop you off somewhere safe but in a pit of boiling lava while your still out cold.” Daring Do gulped a little staring at the large finch griffon big eyes looking back at hers, she nods a little in response. “I did the same with those four other idiots, they got the same memo, one chance only I give, I am not that kind the second time.” She open her wings. Daring Do close her eyes ready to get blasted by sand from the take off to find nothing, she open her eyes to see no sign of the large snow white griffon, not even a paw print or a feather anywhere to be seen, this gave the adventurer a deep chill and a sigh in relief, this was one adventure she wasn't going to write and rather forget about. Sunflower hovering high and directly above pat her paws against each other with a smirk. “Another whoopy adventurer scared off, my job is done!” She flies off back home. At the mayor's office in Trottingham, a light pink unicorn mare with blue mane and tail wearing a suit using her magic write reports down and file them for her boss Mayor Greystorm get a surprise seeing him walk through the doors towards his office. “Mayor Greystorm how wa...was...” She stutters to a stop staring at him. “Sir you... erm... look... erm...” “Younger? Yes I do, magic mishap that can't be reversed, so get use to it Assistant Mayday.” He gave that look she knew all too well working for him. She nods. “Of course sir, I don't mean any disrespect!” Mayday got a few files out to give to him. “Sir there some files to look over and sign if all are acceptable and there a meeting with the head of the schoolboard tomorrow at 11am, do you want me to call it off?” Greystorm raise a eye brow. “Why call off a meeting for looking younger? Just means I be in the job longer.” He took the files from her. “Thank you for keeping everything up to date as always.” She smiled. “I do my best sir!” “You have nothing to worry about.” Greystorm walk into the office closing the doors behind him. Mayday fell back into her chair with a deep sigh. “Oh he so much more scarier looking so handsomely cute.” She clapped her hooves over her mouth with a epp. “No no no don't go there brain his married!” Mayday when back to work. “And he scary too, no way I am losing my job over that, no sirree!” Greystorm peer through a crack in the door with a chuckle before fully closing it. “This is going to be quite interesting.” He put the files down on the desk putting his bag to the side. “One being back to work and two... Solving a 4000 year old puzzle that seem to effect the past and future at the same time, question is why?” He tap the claws on the desk. “One that will take time, but for now back to being the tough hearted fair mayor that everyone loves in Trottingham.” He open the files and get to work. “Your late!” A grumpy stallion Pegasus screams at the white mare Pegasus disguised by Octicovix at the Cloudsdale Stadium. She pretending to breathe heavily. “S-s-sorry sir! I over slept!” “Well make sure it doesn't happen again Octty!” He push a roll of banners into her forehooves. “Now get up there and help the others get the VIP seating arrangement ready, we got less than a hour before the Young Flyers Contest begins and I just learned there is her son attending at his teacher, I want this to be the best first official experience for the young prince!” (Octty) nods. “I-I wo-won't fail! Y-yo-you can count on me and the others.” The boss stallion snorts. “Better be or your sacked.” “I am only a temp sir...” “Still can sack you.” He snaps. “You like me to do that now? Cause I can!” “No no I'm going!” She flies up to the others in a hurry. He shook his head. “Temps are the worst but they good help for less bits.” He took off to see what the other teams are up to. (Octty) fly over to the booth were Celestia and her guard would have only been, but she saw it being expanded slightly by pulling the red curtains back a bit more. “Hey team, where do you like these banners?” Looking into the water seeing everything that just happened before her eyes, the being tap the claw against the water causing it to ripple and show the flat rocky ground below the water. “Interesting development, the ripples of time have begun and what happens next will show in time.” Her glowing bluish white eyes raise from the water to the tree. “The branches of time ever growing, ever changing and yet...” Her eyes focus on a flower on only one of the branches blooming than it friz out to be a bud again, it blooming differently and friz out once more, it repeats over and over again. “Only one path leads to the Day of Chaos, the path that I stand on and clouded from, the other branches of time through out the multitude of universes are a open book in flux though...” She put her talon into the water lifting it out for the water to run off it, curiously watching the flow to droplets turning to a sound of the water flowing into the lake from the underground river. “The river sings...” Standing in the river with the back to the being was RS, tilting her head slightly. “How curious, the river beings you to me.” RS turn around looking directly at her. “Where am I and who or what exactly are you?” “I saw you and you saw me, you were there, there were you...” “Start making sense or you see what these claws can do!” RS raise a talon out the water showing the claws. “Sense... What sense is there when the river sings and bring you here?” She sees RS starting to fade. “Your time has past for now, till we meet.” RS blinked looking at her fading talon. “I am not here am I?” “Yes.” “This isn't your doing?” “Yes.” “Your not going to tell me why, are you?” “Yes...” RS chuckled as she almost faded away. “Guess my own game was bound to be played against me eventually.” RS completely faded away. “Till we meet interesting feathered friend...” The being turn back to the tree. “As one story ends, another begins... But for now this one is on hold... Pieces of the puzzle take time to be filled and when it does all the final pieces will come together on the Day of Chaos...” “When that day comes, even I do not know...”