Griffon of Canterlot

Chapter 68.5 – The River and the Sun

Click and thud with hoof steps echo the hallways of an hospital corridor at the dead of night, RS nervously looking left and right, on edge soon as she was inside the hospital, looking for anything to come out to attack her from the way she was acting, a blue hoof touch her side causing the messy feathered head griffon to squawk in fright clapping her beak shut with a talon.

Doctor Trace clearly could see her distress. “You are very jumpy, you've been like this since entering the hospital.”

RS took a few deep breaths. “No offence sweetie, but hospitals I really hate and bring back a lot of bad memories.”

“That why you haven't visited Princess Celestia in the last two days?” She nods. “Why now?” Trace asked.

Trace curiously listened to RS's lack of reason, it felt that was more to the matter to the unicorn, but he was a doctor and those that wish not to share their personal reasons are free not to. “You do know Princess Celestia haven't woken in the last two days.”

They stop at a open door, looking inside the room were a three griffons, a pony and dragon sleeping, Gale holding his plush close lying on his side, the head resting against Nightingale's side, her wing drape over him as she slept with a blanket over her, sitting on chair Gilda slept with a book open on her lap snoring slightly with a whistle, Twilight sleeping on a bed with Spike next to her.

Trace using his magic close the door a little, not completely but enough to give them some privacy. “They refused to leave the hospital, Gale continued his studies here cancelled his one on one flight training with Spitfire yesterday, Gilda decided to keep close even she won't admit worrying about the cub.”

Gale eyes rapidly shifting behind the closed eye lids till he woke up, quickly sitting up looking around to just see the magical glow of the door, he pulled himself free from the blankets holding his plush walking up to the door, Nightingale yawned feeling his movement and saw the teenage griffon open the door peering out of it.

Gale watched RS and Trace standing at Celestia's door talking to each other, the guards listening but not paying much attention to them, Nightingale walk up to Gale and peer over him to look down too. “RS? What is she doing here at this time of the hour?”

Gale shrugged. “No idea, woke with weird feeling, was having nice dream for change.” Gale muttered in annoyance.

The watched RS walk inside, Trace turn heading back their way, they quickly hid behind the door hearing the hoof steps go by till they fade away, Nightingale rubbed her wrist with the other talon. “I believe we should see what RS is up to.” Gale nods. “Now how do we get in...” She looking around to see the airvent above them. “Oh I know how.”

“Sure let's dub it Mission Impossible little brother.” Nightingale giggled, she flew up to it push it up and across, grabbing the sides she pulled herself in, Gale followed her inside, holding his plush close to him.

Gilda open her eyes to the sound of metal creaking, she looked up to see the two griffon siblings put the vent cover back in place. “What are those two are up?” Gilda whispered getting up from her chair.

They crawled a short distance through the vent to come over the cover directly over Celestia's room, Nightingale remove the cover silently, placing it to the side, she and Gale peer over it looking down as RS step up to the end of Celestia's bed, the princess sleeping with the sound of the machines beeping to her heart.

RS stood looking directly at the resting princess of the sun. “I never asked for this you know?” She start to paste to the left and turn around to go the other way. “I had a life, an wonderful crazy, dangerous wild life, than soon as I said my final goodbyes I find out that I am born into a whole new life.”

Gale and Nightingale glance at each other with utter confusion before they continue to watch and listen, RS sees them in the corner of her eye. “Not too subtle, I heard you two with talon to metal contact, I'll give you two quite the show.” She thought with a slight smirk from the corner of her beak.

“Yet I grew up with a loving family of wonderful griffons that are getting on in age, but still very wonderful parents I love with all my heart, I couldn't help but get back into some of my previous life roots, yet out of all of it I lived in the moment, even when I married that crazy amazing griffon, no traversing time and space, no idiotic world ending event to get mixed up in till now, not only that I find out there events that happened yet to be on top of everything.”

RS pull out of bag a white letter waving it left and right. “But no! I have to be put into the spot light once again! Is it too much to ask for a normal life?” She sighs. “Yet I got lucky when I was little, a accident that should of left me for dead discovered that I had that ability again with twist, I kept my appearance, that is a blessing and rather not risk it again, this time around came close to it with that crazy zebra.”

Nightingale frowns slightly whispering to Gale. “What is she talking about?”

“Regeneration.” Gale whispered back. “She hurt so badly that she go bye bye, she regenerate to be no hurt and no bye bye.”

Nightingale blinked a few times. “Your seriously saying she can cheat death?” Gale nods and turn back to looking down at RS. “With the way my life been turned into a total mess because of Zerra, I can believe it.” Nightingale shrugged and went back to watching.

“You seem so calm, so relaxed even after losing your horn, as if you knew it was coming and yet...” RS jump up on her hind legs placing the talons on the railing staring right at Celestia. “You never expected to see Nightingale again, the surprise, the rage, the fury and the fear all tipped you over the edge.”

RS toss the letter on top of Celestia's chest. “Now look at you, the once proud princess that rose the sun, the friend that came to me with a job of the life time, yet you knew something about me more than I knew myself, I enjoy not being spoiled sweetie, but you are just as bad as him, his number one rule-”

Gale whispers the exact word. “Doctor lies...” RS says it too a second afterwards.

“Flat box moving pictures, wife of the Doctor say it number one rule, he has to lie, almost always, suddenly remembering more.” Gale answered.

“That the fictional stuff right? Like Blue that jackal diamond dog, you remembered him from that box too.” Gale nodded in response. “So... What if she the wife of this Doctor she speak of?”

“The penny in the air Celestia...” RS pull out a bottle from her bag, walking on her hind legs without opening her wings very naturally. “And the penny drops.” She pull the cork off. “It time for you to tell me some spoilers.” She wave the bottle in front of the muzzle.

Celestia's eyes snap open, she instantly sit up gasping from the sudden rush of a wake up call. “Ni-” She look around till her eyes fell upon RS. “RS?”

“Hello sweetie, had a nice two day nap?” She put the cork back on, put the bottle away and drop back down on her talons, standing on all fours.

Celestia breathing rapid at first, it slows till she felt a few sparks from her shattered horn. “Two days nap?” She noticed the beeping from her left, turning to see the heart monitor. “I'm in a hospital.” Celestia turn to RS. “I thought you would never step in one, no matter what.”

RS walk back to the front of the bed, she turn around to Celestia. “Well, there a first time for something right? Or should I for me at least.”

Celestia look to the white envelope resting on her chest. “Two days upon the sun shattering, the river and the sun will meet upon the cracks of time.”

Celestia nod as she open up the envelope with the other hoof, using her hoof telekinetic magic through them. “It been a while since I had to use hoof magic to pick something up.” She pull the letter out. “I did know this day was coming, but didn't know which day it be though, and you know why?”

“You told me a few days before your wedding, I asked you and your husband to be, you two didn't even have a clue.”

RS recalled it. “Yeah that was correct, I did say I don't recall meeting you a few days before the wedding and just thought I forgot all about it.”

“What happened to Doctor Necktie? I hardly seen that chatty griffon around, saw him once last year.” Celestia said to RS.

“My point is... You told me to have it posted to you in the event of the sun shattering, Shining Armor knew about the letter and must of posted it to you, and also told me to read this.”

RS anger drained slightly, she was played by herself. “It had to be me of all to play me into this, I should of knew of all to anger me, it had to be a future version of me, I really hate myself.”

“Sure, knock yourself out.” RS sat on her rump. “Not like I have a choice in the matter, is it?”

“We all do my dear friend, we all do, also I have long lived pains of my own, do I not?”

RS snort a laugh. “Okay you got me there, you have much cobwebs as I do.” RS took a glance up to see nothing special, the vent closed, but in the corner of her eye she knew it wasn't closed a moment ago. “Like Nightingale?”

Celestia lower her head. “Yes... Out of everything that happened, I never expected to see my daughter and know she was taken from me by Zerra, now two days later, I am woken up and I still have no idea what to do, what to say, what I can do for her... I am out of my depth on this one.”

Nightingale pull the lid back to watch again. “I feel the same way mum...” She whispered with tears forming.

Gale put his wing over her nuzzling her side of the face with his. “I help, we help, malfunctioning family.”

“Yeah that we are.” She nuzzled back. “Even we just became brother and sister only days ago for you, Gale you sure know how to be that amazing little brother.”

Gale grinned. “Good heart, happy family, we help together, we move on together, weird having sister that call mum mum too, but happy Nightingale, learn about you, you learn about me.”

“At the dead of night
Hour at one
The Griffon and Pony meet
Upon the path time

All shall come to light
Light shall come to dark
Past and future shall be told
Spoilers are free to go off the rails

Glacier Melodyclaw
Celestia Solarclaw
The Gales of Solarclaw
Time has come.

Ding, ding... ding?”

Soon as Celestia finish saying the last word, the sound of the grandfather clock against the wall to their right goes off with a pony and three griffon figures ringing a bell each before retreating back into the grandfather clock little doors under the clock face.

Celestia turn to RS. “I don't recall hospitals having grandfather clocks in the rooms.”

“It most likely was placed here for this exact purpose.” RS said walking up to it, she open it casing to see only the cogs and wheels turning with the weight swinging back and forwards. “Yep just a big show off.” RS close it up and return to stand before Celestia once more. “Go on and ask.”

RS chuckled. “The irony to be named after a river of slow moving ice by your parents, as for the Melodyclaw, it the griffon family name, like Solarclaw.” RS speaks up directly at the vent. “Isn't that right Gale and Nightingale?”

They were surprised and climb out of the vent since they were discovered. “How did you know?” Nightingale asked as she grab the sides and rolled herself out to land on her hindpaws.

Gale does the same. “Sound of claws and metal, good griffish hearing and eye sight, it all comes with the package sweetie.” RS said with a wink. “Also I knew you two were there all this time, even before your mum got her smelling salts wake up call.”

Gale on the other claw drop down on all fours walking up to RS, he stood looking up at her slightly, she look back down at him as the smile from the teen grew. “You last life name River Song, given name Melody Pond!”

RS stared at him with completely surprise. “Yes... How the blazes did you know that? Did my husband tell you?”

“No never see him, know you fiction, know you flat box with moving pictures, show!” Gale answered.

RS took in what he said and caught on. “Oooooh I see, well isn't that something, I thought that I wouldn't be that surprised, but here I am surprised!” She smiled back at him. “You watched me as a TV show didn't you?”

Gale thought about the word she said. “Maybe? Moving pictures with sound, called that?”

“Cool! When you say stuff, suddenly I remember! Still not remember much, only pieces still.” Gale said. “Like name Glacier! It pretty name! Can call you it?”

“Sure go ahead, what can I for the prince that saved our rumps from Zerra?” She lean down to him.

Gale turn to Celestia as the tense stare off between her and Nightingale continued. “Can you use regenerative stuff to make mum horn better?”

The moment the question was asked, the tense situation had both daughter and mother turn to them with surprise.

RS now accepting to be called Glacier by Gale rubbed the underside of her beak. “Hmm... Now that a good question to ask Prince Gale, one that I can't take lightly.”

Celestia couldn't help but smile at Gale. “Very well Gale.” She turn to Glacier. “Glacier can you really do that?” Glacier nod. “How is that even possible?”

Glacier slyly smirked. “Sweetie, doing the impossible is something I am good at doing.” She turn to Gale. “I gather you got a second chance at life too?”

“Sure thing sweetie and since we both had another chance at life from the look of things, I am going to be fair and honest with my answer, no lies, no beating around the bush, just straight to the point.”

“Good to hear youngster.” She turn to face Celestia. “My friend, the answer I give can go either way.”

Celestia smiled. “I know, it won't effect our friendship, it is up to you how to use the gift you have, I won't have a grudge if you refuse to restore my horn, even though I find it mostly unlikely and impossible.”

“That is good to hear my friend, it good to know whatever I choose we still be friends and still have a working relationship.”

Glacier chuckled lightly. “That is going to get some getting use to, from not being called RS any more, bur we all move on don't we?”

Celestia glance to Nightingale. “You are correct, we do have to move on and forwards, I am willing to try if you are, Nightingale.”

“Nope it doesn't.” Nightingale relaxed a little, both smiling a little, Gale clapping his talons together happily, seeing their first true interaction a bit bumpy at first, but was going somewhere at least.

“I have my answer Celestia, the answer to help restore your horn or not, and my answer will be-”

Time to vote and it a big one specially what may happen next, this could change the direction of the story by a huge margin, the vote is a simple yes or no to the question to be asked, you will have till Wednesday 9am GMT to make your vote and also comment your personal view on this very critical point of the story.

I could of just go with what I wanted but with it being a new year and allow the stories path to go where the vote has taken it at times, this which lead it to this very moment.

Griffon of Canterlot

by Electuroo

Chapter 68.5 – The River and the Sun