//------------------------------// // Chapter 76 – Shopping for a Griffish Gift // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 76 – Shopping for a Griffish Gift Gabby and Gallus gave Gale the tour around Griffonstone, the encounters with many rude self-centred griffons was one of the common things they ran into, Gale managed to get some information from them for a bit or two, the final stop of their tour was the one of a few shops in Griffonstone, the only one that was open at this time of day. Gabby step up to it with a talon out to it. “This shop sells all kind of things, but some of the stuff might not be in the best of conditions, so if you can't find anything for Princess Celestia, do not worry.” “Most of the time I buy the cheapest stuff and put it back together to sell myself.” Gallus said. “Bits is bits at the end of the day.” Gallus put his talon out at Gale, stopping the young prince to be. “The shopkeeper a grumpy griffon, don't touch or she will make you buy it.” Gale nodded. “Thank you.” Gallus shrugged. “Just being the tour guide you hired me for, the bits I am getting is worth giving you fair warning.” Gallus turn, he and Gabby walked in pushing the swing western style bar doors open. Gale followed them inside, stepping down a few steps onto the shop floor. First thing he noticed it was not that big, a large hook with rope to his left on top of shelves with general items, bags of flour by that with a larger shelf, above held by rope a wooden platform with a chest sitting on it, netting over the griffon sloped by the till, glass display case under her forelegs crossed over each other. To his right there was other shelving and other supplies, some of it look like helmets, climber vests, ropes, books, plates, kettles, and candle lamps. Gale noticed that some of the stuff had spider webs on it, even dust covering some items too. He wasn't sure to blow off the dust or remove the webs, this griffon seem to not even care, Gale's guess all she cared about is the bits from sales and nothing less. Gallus frowned at the state of the place. “Talk about a dump.” He muttered. “I thought the other griffons were kidding that they only come here if they really need too. Now I can see why.” He whispered to himself looking around. Gabby went up to the shopkeeper. “Wouldn't cleaning this place up a bit give a good impression to other griffons?” “Give me some bits and I'll answer.” The shopkeeper answered with a gruffy female voice. Gallus rolled his eyes. “Wow, isn't that a surprise.” The griffon stared at him. “You don't like it, tough, my shop my rules.” She said, Gallus shook his head turning away to look around. “You have five minutes or your out of here, I have no bits to waste with you standing around not buying anything.” Gale frowned at the real shameless attitude this griffon had, she just seem to just care for the money they can part with and nothing less. The shop showed that shamelessness too, Gale walked around the shop taking a good look. “Dusty... Dirty...” Gale said under his breath, the chance to find a gift for his mum wasn't looking good. “Master Gale.” Gale ears twitch, he looked around startled by who he just heard in his mind. “Blue?” The griffon point to a shelf. “If you want something blue, it there.” Gale still puzzled, look around. “Blue, where you?” Gabby tilt her head. “Do you know anygrif called Blue?” “No, unless it a lame nickname for me.” Gallus answered. “I am where I have only excised at, Dream Cavern. Master Gale.” Gale stopped looking around, he whispered. “How you talking to me?” “I do know Master Gale, I only spoke cause I was meditating at the hot springs when I felt something near you in the waking world.” Blue responded. “You felt something? In dream to real? How?” “Yes I did, I do sense it, you are close to it. And how? I do not know.” Blue answered. Gale walked towards the shelf he was nearest, looking at the ropes, vests and hooks. “Am I near it?” “Yes Master Gale, you are very close to it.” Blue confirmed. Gale's eyes slowly scanned around the shelving. “Gale are you okay?” Gabby asked. “Yes good, looking for something.” “Interested in rock climbing?” Gallus frowned. Gale shook his head. “Can't explain, know something here.” Gabby and Gallus looked at each other. “Master Gale it is directly in front of you, I can feel the aura from it.” Blue clued in the location. Gale grabbed the vest, he pulled it out. And that when he saw a figurine, carved out of stone. “Found it!” Gale reached deep to the back of the shelf, grabbing the figurine pulling it out. He was surprised to see it was of his mum as a griffon. “Griffon mum...” Gale noticed how clean it looked compared to the other stuff in the shop. “I buy this!” He turn around to the shopkeeper. Shopkeeper looked at the stone crafted figurine. “I forgot that was even there, sure and the climbing vest is added to the charge too, you touch you buy cub.” Gale nodded. “Yes understand, worth it.” Gale said. “How much?” “Twelve bits for both.” Gale instantly gave the bits to her. “Good now you are done, get out so I can close up for the day.” Gale picked up the vest. “Okay! Thank you!” Gale said happily leaving the shop. Gallus and Gabby followed him out of the shop. “Ooookay... That is one very weird cub, also how did he find that thing? No griffon ever found it... Urg!” She shook her head. “Forget it, I got my bits and time to close up this lame place for another day.” Gale sat by a building and he looked over the figurine of Griffon Celestia. “Blue, is this what you felt?” “Yes Master Gale, it stronger than ever, it feels like the aura I sense in the dream reality.” Gale was surprised by the answer he got. “You say it from dream reality? How that possible? How we talk? I speaking, you thought speak, confusing...” “I do not know, best to ask is Mistress Luna, I will keep meditating, so I be a word away.” “Okay I will, see you tonight?” “I be waiting.” Gabby and Gallus approached Gale. “What was that all about? First; it look like you were talking to nothing, than you suddenly took off the climbing vest from the shelf, pull out a weird griffon statue that giving off crazy weird energy.” Gallus point to it. “And all but least you bought it without batting a eye lid, so what the deal?” Gale tried to think of a way to tell him. “Erm... Blue... Is erm... Dream Guardian when sleep, he excised in Dream Cavern with a wolf called Alpha.” Gale tried to explain. “Maybe this work.” He reached up to Gallus grabbing his talon. “Hey what are you doing!?” “Blue.” “Yes Master Gale?” Gallus looked around hearing it in his head. “Wh-who said that!?” “Blue! That him, he jackal diamond dog, he my dream guardian, happy it worked! Contact with you. You can hear!” Gallus stared at Gale. “Your saying that Blue guy is talking to me in a dream?” Gale nodded. “Okay... Soooo... Blue?” “Yes?” Gallus shivered. “How the heck am I hearing you in my head?” “Telegraphically speaking to you via my mind, it the only way I can talk.” “How are you talking to me right now?” “I do not know, it only recently happened, I am trying to figure it out as well, what Master Gale knows I know.” Blue answered. Gallus pulled himself free. “That was seriously creepy Gale...” He now focused on the stone figurine. “That thing you found, could it be Grover's?” Gale gasped and flew off to the castle, he quickly returned grabbing all his stuff and zoom off. “Gallus did you really hear this Blue?” “Yeah... Wish I didn't.” Gallus responded. “We should follow, I know where his going to.” Gabby nodded, they took off after Gale. Gilda and Nightingale searched around the lower levels of Griffonstone, night had fallen onto the city, not much light lit the streets, good for griffon kind they didn't need much of it at night. “Damn it cub, where are you?” Gilda's golden yellow eyes scan the streets for him, Gabby and Gallus. “Come on dweebs, show yourselves!” Nightingale on the other talon had no luck on looking for them, she choose to take another route and land at Grandpa Gruff's home. Nightingale walked up to it and knock at the door, she heard sounds of things getting knocked over, the scrambling of getting up rushing to the door. “Wh-what is it!? It late at night!” Was his first words upon opening the door a jar. “Sorry for waking you, have you seen Ga-” “His in the castle! So is Gallus and Gabby! NOW BUZZ OFF!” He slammed the door shut hard in her face. Nightingale blinked a few times. “Ooooookay... He didn't even take any bits...” She held some in her talons, the black and white griffon took off to find Gilda, she found her in no time. Gilda was still looking around in the sky, she saw Nightingale flying right for her. “You better have found them! “I did! Well Gruff did, he told me without charging me for the information wh-” “Blah blah blah! Get to the important stuff dweeb!” Nightingale point to the castle. “They in there, if I to guess where, I say they in dad's secret room.” Gilda was already flying super fast to the castle, Nightingale quickly took off after her. By the time she got into the castle and to the room, Gilda was already standing outside it, before Nightingale could say something Gilda grabbed her beak, putting a claw to her own. “Shhh, look.” Nightingale peer into the room, she saw all three of them asleep at a table, all their heads resting on the forelegs. “Isn't that cute.” Nightingale whispered, they walk inside. Gilda looked around the room. “What is all this junk?” She picked up a paper from the floor. “This is some of that weird rune glyph magic.” She whispered raising it up. “I know, my dad was looking at everything possible to get me out of that sphere, he failed on all fronts.” Nightingale said to Gilda quietly. “But why were they in here? What are they loo-” She saw the stone figurine. “Mum?” She picked it up from the table, she felt a strange energy coming off it. “What kind of stone is this?” Gilda saw it. “How did Gale get hold of something like that?” Gilda took it from Nightingale. “That doesn't even feel like stone, it feels like something coming off it through my scales.” She put it back down, shaking the talon. “Any clues?” Nightingale shook her head. “No.” She looked over at the table. “Maybe they were looking into it.” Gilda took a sheet of paper. “I am looking into finding a way to make contact with my daughter through the veil of dreams, I found out that the Zebras have some expertise in this field and going to them to investigate these findings, I hope that maybe through the veil I can make contact with my little Nightingale again, it already been nine years...” Gilda didn't finish reading it. “Wow that some king... No wonder we all respect him still.” Nightingale nodded. “My dad was...” She put her talon out to Gilda. “Can I?” Gilda gave it to her. “Thank you.” She sat down by the wall reading it to herself. Gilda looked around at the three griffons. “Now how do we get them into something more comfortable to sleep in?” “Sleeping bags upstairs.” Nightingale answered. “Right, be right back.” Gilda leaves to get the sleeping bags. Nightingale press the paper to her feathered fur chest. “Oh dad... Every time I get to know something more about you in this world, the more I want to know if you are alive, if you even alive after all these years, I will find you, even it just your remains.” Nightingale whispered to herself as tears fell once more. Grandpa Gruff breathed relief with a talon on the door, he was glad to get rid of Nightingale. “Gruffy was that really necessary?”