//------------------------------// // Chapter 72 – Hello Griffonstone! // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 72 – Hello Griffonstone! Gilda stepped off the train at the Griffonstone station, she sighed in relief to being home, after what happened in the week from her birthday, the wish reality, regenerating energy to a cubic prison, she needed some sense of normality now, the griffon open her wings taking off to the massive tree in the distance. “Finally get to go home, deal with greedy griffons two face griffons, sound like music to me.” Gilda flew to the city, to land at the arching entrance, she noticed Gabby just on the outskirts, she sitting just in front of it. “Hey Gabriella!” Gabby waved to her. “Gilda! How was your week?” Gilda landed in front of her. “A very very crazy week! I am just glad to be home for once, get to face off with greedy griffons.” Gabby move her head back a little with surprise. “Gilda are you feeling okay? You NEVER say anything like that!” “Ooooh trust me dweeb, after being sent to a wish reality to being in a cubic ecosystem, this I am looking forward to.” Gilda walked by heading into the city. Gabby turn walking alongside her. “I LOVE to hear everything about it!” Gilda chuckled. “I be glad to do so, come on back to my place.” “How Gale anyway?” “After everything that happened, pretty chilled, he even got a sister now.” “SISTER? Like another other than you?” Gabby said with surprise. Gilda nodded. “Yeah, that griffon was lead to believe for almost all her life the world she called home was fake, one with strings pulled, even it was fake, it wasn't to her, it was her reality and now it gone, who knows how Nightingale will be in the next coming weeks, with all the crazy stuff, it was a good distraction for her.” Gilda said as they approached her house, opening the door with the key, Gilda allow Gabby in. “That not the only thing, she-” Gilda closed the door. Peering around the corner of a house wall, Gale watched them enter, he held up the plushy self. “It like Gilda said, it messy, run down, even griffons are meanies too.” He whispered to it. “Maybe we shouldn't come?” “No you shouldn't.” Gale clenched up tight to his plush, slowly turning his head to the white and blackish grey griffon bearing over him. “Gale what made you think of coming to Griffonstone? Even what Gilda said to me about this version of it to the one I use to rule over in Griffina?” Nightingale lower herself to him. “Luckily mum knew what you would do and asked me to follow.” Gale tilt his head. “Mum anger?” “She upset for sure, but mum knew this would happen, so lucky for you.” She poked his beak with her claw. “You got a big sister that managed to sway her from grounding you when we get back, but she will make sure to not let you do this kind of stunt again.” Nightingale look upon the sun setting. “As for learning more about this place, you need bits and the right griffon with the right information.” She showed the bag of bits to Gale, she put the bag away in the saddle bag. Gale suddenly leap back as water land in front of him, he smelt it and realised it wasn't water. “Gross! Gross gross gross! Why you do that!?” Gale look up at the griffon that tossed it, angrily speaking at him. “Whatever cub! You should watch where you are walking! It not my fault!” The griffon growled slamming the wooden shutters shut. Nightingale looked at the mess. “That is very nasty, not much running water or loo felicities... This place really have gone down hill...” Nightingale look towards the castle. “I believe we can camp out at the castle, it look like the place haven't been used in hundreds of years.” Gale nodded. “Okay, no expect it be this bad, it real bad isn't?” “It is...” Nightingale sighed. “Good thing I left my regal gear behind or I wouldn't have seen that, knowing griffons how they see those with money, they would show a different side, for the worth of bits, it one of the things Gilda told me, glad she did.” Nightingale took to the air with Gale following her towards the castle built on the large tree, two large branches either side with homes sitting on, or against them. They walked in through the main entrance, pushing the large doors open, inside where armour should be displayed, banners, stone statues, many were missing, the throne was even gone. “This is place where idol sat on!” Gale pulled out a book from his bag, he open it to show Nightingale. Nightingale look at the picture and at the large stump. “The Idol of Boreas, who would of thought this is where they displayed it hmm?” Gale nodded walking around it. “Gilda told me, it was taken.” “Most likely by the creature with one eye.” Gale turn to Nightingale. “In the reality I believed was real, still do in my heart.” She place her talon on the chest. “One stormy day around 200 years ago a creature, he name was Arimaspi, a giant goat-like cyclops from a faraway lands, never knew why he came to steal it, only know he didn't get far to escape.” Nightingale took Gale to a hole in the wall, they look through it to a gorge. “Why he go to gorge?” “It was a land-bridge, destroyed by lightning, it goes over what called the Abysmal Abyss, chance had it, while his attempt to flee lightning hit, he was sent to his doom deep into it.” A few coughs caught their attention. “You know the tale.” The old griffon coughed again, he was wearing a red fez on his head, with one eye grey with a scar through it. “Who are you two wipper snappers? Why are you in here?” Nightingale step up to him, pulling out a bag of bits. “Stay here for shelter for a few nights, getting to see what Griffonstone turned into.” She put five gold bits into his talon. “I believe we have agreement?” He bit into one of the bits with his beak. “We good.” He put the bits in his fez, putting it back on his head. “Now that griffon I know, I seen a few papers on him, your that cub that Princess Celestia adopted, finally choose to see Griffonstone huh?” Gale standing close to Nightingale, he nodded. “Yes, curious and knew bad place is, but want see anyway.” “You got guts, prince.” He point the stick at Gale. “Lucky for you, the only other that I know of that read the papers is Gabby, that annoying too friendly for her own good griffon.” He grumbled. “Now you, something about you strike me as odd.” He took a good look with his good eye. “Your feathers are shifting in colour, large amount of magic must be cursing through your feathers.” Nightingale watched him circle them. “What of it?” The old griffon look up and down. “You have a striking resemblance to our first king, in fact it look like you have part of Princess Celestia's look on you too.” He smiled. “Oh it couldn't be.” He coughed. “So legends are true! You are the lost Princess of Griffonstone! The daughter of Grover and Celestia!” Nightingale was taken back by the fact he knew. “Okay, I have to admit and dare to ask... How?” “Give me another ten bits, not only your secret is safe with me, but I gladly tell you how.” Nightingale pulled out another ten bits giving them to him. “You try to swindle me for me, I will make sure that goat not the only thing to go in that gorge, are we clear?” The griffon took the bits and put them in his fez. “Fine, to make it official so I do keep my beak shut, we pinky promise.” He raised the talon up, brought up the pinky claw to Nightingale. “You know of the binding promise of a griffish pinky promise, correct?” Nightingale put her pinky claw around his. “I do, and I know what happens when you break this magical binding promise.” “Good.” They shook. “Now the promise sealed in magic, I can't tell a soul about you.” “The question is why?” “Because sometimes it not always about those delicious gold coins, it about knowing what others don't.” He chuckled. “Now here how I know, I was there at the fall of King Guto, the lose of the idol, the night the storm took that foul beast to the abyss to never be seen again, he the one that gave me this.” The griffon point to his eye. “As for you, I dug up Grover's old journey from in here, before it was taken by some griffon that would of sold it to some idiotic pony for a few coin.” Nightingale again surprised. “You kept my dad's journey?” He smirked. “So what he said about Celestia being a griffon is true, as I promised no to say anything about you, I have to keep my word on that little nugget too, not that you get the journey, it would cost you a million bits before I let that go, enjoy your stay.” He turn and leave the castle grounds chuckling as he left. “Nightingale, is it weird, that I believe odd old griffon?” “No Gale it isn't, cause I also believe him.” Nightingale said to Gale. “The question is...” She walk up the steps with Gale following behind her. “Why did he promise to keep my identity a secret? He could of black mail me forever with it, instead he opt for ten bits and a promise, what does he gain from this?” Gale looked around the corridors as they walked. “I do not know, confused...” Nightingale step up to a door, with a talon hovering over it. “This was my room, well in the other reality, we will set up a tent and stay here, okay?” Gale nodded. “Okay!” Nightingale felt a warmth of magic come off the door as her talon came in contact with it, she opened it and what they saw was-