Another Team Awesome meeting began on Tuesday night. All Awesomevs were present, along with their usual three outsider friends they allowed to join for such meetings.
"Some of us have had a busy week," Rainbow Dash said. "We're starting off with how our trip went to Griffonstone."
"Did you get it?" Pinkie Pie asked with eager hope and a light swish of her puffy tail. She had been in Griffonstone the first time Rainbow tried for different reasons.
Twilight Sparkle telekinetically lifted the idol of Boreas and placed it on the table.
"That we did," Rainbow Dash proudly declared.
"Any problems?" Applejack asked.
"Not especially," the master mev answered. "Starlight and Sweetie Belle did a great job planning things out, so Fluttershy and I just followed their lead on what to do. Starlight and Fluttershy also received gifts similar to yours."
"Oh really now?" Applejack asked with keen interest that was shared among the others.
"You start Primeva," Rainbow Dash instructed.
Starlight Glimmer showed off the shadow she could release, casting it on the table. "This is how it looked when I first got it, but there's more." She glanced over to Twilight.
The sixth and last fledgling nodded. She repeated the same steps they did two days before. The shadow lifted again.
"Darkness and light," Discord uttered in a fascinated whisper. He perched himself on a tree behind Fluttershy as had been done in the last meeting.
"I can actually now cast the shadow to stand upright instead of only being on a surface. I assume I can do that now because Rexa got her power. They're linked to each other. When we were down in the abyss, after I received darkness, the Staff of Sacanas started glowing. It knew it had to give Twilight the light power still," Starlight explained to everyone.
"I can cast my light over existing shadows that aren't Starlight's. I assume because she is the first fledgling and our vampire nature is linked closely to the night, that is why Primeva's darkness wins out," Twilight added.
"Master's theory is that they were supposed to get these powers at the same time," Sweetie Belle stated aloud for everyone.
"Are any of the others linked that way?" Applejack asked.
"We'll explain more on that soon enough," Rainbow Dash said. "There's a little more about these two."
She hovered over to the shadow. "They are not solid," she began. She put her forehoof in the shadow. "This feels cool to the touch at first, but if I remain…" She paused and narrowed her eyes with suspicion.
Twilight cleared her throat. "You're probably immune to that effect, Master."
Rainbow Dash blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her mane. "Oh. Right."
"I'll do it!" Pinkie Pie volunteered. She hopped over on the table and put her hoof in. "Ummm...it's cool yeah, but it's not changing."
"Oh, maybe we're immune to our powers hurting each other," Starlight announced to the other mevs.
"Well, I suppose that's a good thing," Rarity said thoughtfully.
Pinkie Pie quietly returned to her seat.
All too curious, Discord extended his eagle-clawed arm into the shadow. "Aah!" he eventually shrieked.
"You know, I was about to just tell you," Rainbow informed him with a little smirk.
He smirked back, shaking it off. "Yes. Well, I wished to experience it myself." He set the arm on fire and then blew the flames out with ease. It was charcoal black at first but after a flash of white magic, it was fully healed. "The good news is I can quickly nullify the effect. At least for me."
"But what exactly happened?" Applejack inquired.
"The longer you stay touching the shadow, the colder it gets," Spike told her with experienced authority. "And if you touch the light version, the hotter it gets. It can really hurt if you stay touching one too long. Us outsiders that is."
Applejack glanced at Sweetie Belle. "Are we sure? This young'un's got a mev bond."
Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle met eyes.
Without a word, Sweetie Belle reached out to the shadow. "It's…" she stuck her tongue out deep in thought. Eventually, she pulled away. "It's a lot slower than what Spike and Discord felt, but it does get cooler, the longer I touch it. I do think it would eventually hurt."
She and Spike immediately followed that up by writing their notes on the matter.
"Fascinating," Twilight muttered quietly to herself.
"You said Fluttershy got something too," Rarity reminded her master.
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Segunda, show them." She flew back to her own seat and sat down.
Fluttershy nodded too and blew a gust of wind that carried through and whisked by every pony at the table while including Spike and finishing up where Discord sat perched in his tree.
"Wind," Discord said in a fascinated breath. He bent down and offered his lion paw, which Fluttershy happily tapped with her hoof.
"It's as if every fledgling is supposed to get a power," Rarity remarked. "Only I and Pinkie Pie don't have ours yet. Unless you count Penny."
"We do count Penny," Rainbow told her. "Spike, I trust you brought the scroll you showed some of us on Sunday."
He nodded. "Twilight has more copies ready."
Twilight nodded as well and passed out copies to the Awesomevs who had not yet seen them, along with one for Discord. "You'll notice each of these powers that are received are channeled through the mouth," Twilight happily informed everyone.
Rarity levitated hers and studied it closely. She quietly spoke aloud as she read off the list. "Starlight darkness, Fluttershy wind, Rarity...earth?" She blinked a few times before glancing up to meet eyes with Spike, who nodded at her.
Rarity raised an eyebrow but continued. "Pinkie Pie water, Applejack fire, Twilight light, Rainbow Dash...lightning?" At that last one, she giggled. "Of course it would be lightning. Do you have it already, Master?"
The master mev shook her head. "Yours and mine are theories, but if you ask me, they are very good theories. I doubt I would receive such a power before you do."
"Earth?" Rarity considered, rubbing a thoughtful forelimb under her chin. "Your magical mev gut wouldn't happen to know how that would work?"
"I'm sensing...it would start off like wind and solidify into rock after you project it out. I think you might be able to mold it based on the image you want because you're an artist.
"I can't tell you if we're talking plain looking rocks or pretty gem rocks.
"I can make it work that way on Nightmare Night but not every night. That's something you'd have to find out for yourself.
"Penny aside, all of these powers were offered, and Penny herself agreed to my own offer before we took her in," Rainbow Dash explained. "It will be your decision to accept of course."
"Are you certain I'd receive an offer? Most of these powers required some effort from the Awesomev to be received. I've certainly done some work but no offers yet," Rarity reminded her.
"We'll get to what I think is going to happen with that soon enough, but I want to finish talking about Griffonstone first," Rainbow Dash said.
"Very well, Master. I can wait a little longer," Rarity agreed.
Rainbow Dash addressed everyone else in the room. "Before we got the idol, I spoke to Gilda and revealed myself as a master mev. I requested three things, namely griffon magic for the reserve, permission to try and take the idol of Boreas for myself, and any information about the idol's magic.
"We walked away with two out of three of those requests fulfilled. As you all can see, we got the idol. We did not get live griffon magic. Gilda noted that we could have whatever we might find in the idol itself."
"Is there anything in it?" Pinkie Pike asked. She stretched her neck a little to study the object from her place at the table
"Yes. In fact, you could say there are multiple things in it," Rainbow Dash answered. "Rhezenda, read off what Grampa Gruff told us. Rexa, pass the idol to me, so I can demonstrate."
Twilight magically lifted and sent the idol to the master mev.
Sweetie Belle read what she wrote from Grampa Gruff, and Rainbow gestured as similarly to him as she could manage and remember. "'Strength to stand with pride in all that is dark. The pride itself, a heart of pride that inspired griffons for generations and still does in memory to this day. Strength to fly and withstand powerful gales.'"
The other Awesomevs sat quietly and thoughtfully.
Discord stroked his beard in much the same manner.
"That sounds promising, don't it?" Applejack asked hesitantly. "The part about for generations and still does to this day. That's the permanence, ain't it?"
"Do we need the 'strength to fly' part?" Rarity asked. "That sounds like griffon flight magic. Even if you don't need it for Scootaloo, that's the part we could put in the reserve."
"But does it matter that the idol is not an actual griffon? The magic returns to a living creature within a week. This is a relic," Fluttershy said.
The two usual magic experts, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, nodded at each other.
"The two of us," Starlight said, gesturing to herself and Twilight, "reached the same line of thinking as you three. We don't know the answer to all of these ideas, but we think that's the right direction."
"I could enlighten you all," Discord offered from his perch. "With Master's permission of course. I could make it alive enough to speak with us for a short while."
Rainbow Dash examined the idol. She caught sight of a twinkle at the wing tip, another at the lower claw tip, and the sphere within glowed red like it did when the object confirmed itself as offering wind.
She nodded in approval. "Go for it."
Discord snapped his claws.
"Hello?" the idol asked in a young-sounding voice that carried a male resonance and amiable nature. The glow lit up as the words came out, so it looked like the sphere blinked as it spoke."Can you all hear me?"
"We can," Rainbow Dash answered.
"Oh good," he said. "The master herself has answered. Good evening to you Master. As you know, I am the idol of Boreas. You can call me 'Grant' to make this easy for everyone. That sounds like a griffon name, and there are things you wish me to grant you."
"A fitting name, I agree," Rainbow replied. "Shall I make my requests formally?"
"Yes, that would be most appropriate," Grant agreed.
"We would like to know if there are parts of you we could have and give to a good friend of mine to help her with a flight disability. My fledglings with us believe you have permanence that can help sustain the magic we wish to add onto her wings for one such part," Rainbow explained.
"Ah yes, that's a good idea," Grant confirmed. The mevs who thought of it, mainly Starlight and Twilight, quietly smiled and blushed. "Yes, yes. I am linked to griffon memory, so even if you take a part, their memories will sustain me. Just as Wind asked about if my magic can return, yes. So long as the griffons sustain themselves with my memory, that magic will return within the week after you take it."
Sweetie Belle and Spike both busily scribbled Grant's response.
"What else do you seek? You think you need more for her flight?" Grant wondered.
"Yes," Rainbow Dash said. "we will be mainly using flight magic from another source, but we think combining the permanence with griffon flight magic, just a tiny bit, will help with the overall goal of the permanence. I want to give my friend flight, but also, the griffons have declined my offer to host their magic in my reserve."
"Right, right," Grant said thoughtfully.
"So, I want a significant griffon life sized part of flight magic from you, if that's possible. We'll keep it in the reserve for at least a month before combining a small part of it with your permanence and the other pieces we seek for this cure," Rainbow explained. "Does that work the same way as the permanence for returning to you?"
"It does, it does, but I would suggest you be sure to take each part at least one month between each other," Grant said. "I do have enough as well. Take the griffon flight magic first, then the permanence as close to the time you prepare your cure with all the other components, so long as that one whole month has passed."
The two assistants continued taking their notes on his instructions.
"To take the flight, a mev eats from your wing tip?" Rainbow asked.
"You are correct Master. And for the permanence, aim for the base of my sphere where the two griffons touched me to feel my magic," Grant explained. "Concentrate on the part you want when you do. It will help know when to stop."
"After we finish speaking, may one of my fledglings take that flight magic this evening then?" Rainbow asked.
"Certainly, certainly," Grant said with approval.
"You're more friendly than the other griffons we've met," Rarity noted, "and you sound younger than I would expect. Not that I'm complaining. It's rather dashing if I do say so myself."
"I simply sound how I want to sound. I may be old, but that doesn't mean I have to project it in this temporary voice. As for being friendly...ha! Well, most griffons have not been around as long as I have and completely friendless amidst winds or darkness in an abyss," Grant replied. "I do prefer to be admired and appreciated as an idol, and it's rather nice that I can actually be seen this night by you fine ponies."
"Is it your wish to return to Griffonstone once our business with you is completely done?" Rainbow asked. "It's the least we can do as our thanks."
"To be honest, I'm quite alright in your company, Master," Grant said. "Griffonstone has no king anymore and no place for me. I feel appreciated already. I am certain that if you find a better place for me, it will be done. I can sense I will find interesting company among other objects touched by your mev magic. Your chaos friend up somewhere can liven me up again if we must talk. Would that be alright good sir?"
"I'm happy to help out my friends, yes," Discord answered sincerely, "though the master herself has some of my magic. I can even teach her later tonight if you wish to be our test subject."
"Ah! That's certainly an idea I don't mind," Grant said. "Objects like me don't get this chance often after all."
With a mild concern, Rainbow checked, "You'll be able to speak even with some of the griffon flight magic taken?"
"Yes, Master. I am a strong and proud idol. I can't fly myself after all, even if it is something that I can store for griffons and now ponies too. Are you enjoying my gift, Fledgling of Wind?" Grant asked.
"Oh yes, very much so," Fluttershy answered with a sweet voice. "Thank you, Grant. You are indeed much appreciated by this little pony."
"Since I am linked with her, Master, she should be the one to eat the magic. I am certain you only waited to try before understanding my own essence better after all," Grant stated.
"You know it," Rainbow playfully admitted. "It shall be done then. My questions are answered. Do you have any further business with us Sir Grant?"
"Haha, a fine title you have chosen Master. I like it. Perhaps you can tell me something. I sense a griffon presence in this pony place, some distance beyond the walls. A young one," Grant said.
"You probably sense Gallus," Rainbow Dash explained. "He is one of our students at the School of Friendship. It is not far from this castle."
"Very well then. My further business is to request that you at some point show me to Gallus, and I may occasionally be in his presence to be appreciated or at least sensed. The griffons are 'over' me you might say. Or did one of them say it? Well, my point remains. My home shall still be with you until we both decide otherwise," Grant announced.
"I will see to it," Rainbow Dash agreed.
"Very well then. My part in this discussion is done as well," Grant said.
"Thanks for everything you have told us Sir Grant," Rainbow told him.
"My pleasure Master," the idol replied.
"Lord of Chaos, if you would." Rainbow Dash gestured at the object with a hoof.
Discord nodded and snapped his talons.
Grant went quiet.
Rainbow picked up the idol of Boreas and placed it in front of Fluttershy. "Now is as good a time as any while everything he told us is still fresh in our minds. Remember to concentrate on the wing tip and specifically griffon flight magic. We want nothing more for the reserve."
Fluttershy nodded without a word and opened her mouth, sensing her vampire fangs take shape.
Discord lowered himself to hover over the middle of the table and watch his friend.
A white stream of magic lifted from the wing and worked its way into Fluttershy's mouth. Soon after, a breeze whisked past them both, and she who was given wind from the idol of Boreas understood that was her cue to stop.
"It is done," Fluttershy announced.
"Rhezenda, go ahead and put Grant in your saddlebag," Rainbow commanded as she used her wings to fly up from her seat.
She smiled pleasantly as she faced her second fledgling.
Fluttershy happily smiled back.
Discord stayed where he was but covered his eyes with his paw while helplessly taking a peak to see Rainbow Dash closing in to take her bite for the magic.
At that, the other Awesomevs smiled and applauded.
"Well done Master and Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically. "AND THANK YOU GRANT!" she shouted to make sure the idol who wanted to be appreciated knew he was, in fact, appreciated.
"Oh it does feel good to make further progress for our dear Scootaloo," Rarity said.
"The main things left are the flower from Yakyakistan and changeling magic," Starlight reminded everyone.
"Right," Rainbow agreed, "but before I visit those places, I'm heading to the Dragonlands next."