Griffon of Canterlot
Chapter 87 – A Bird in Claw and Hoof Part One
Gale curiously walked into the school room of the school house of Ponyville, as he wondered around the front desk to down the isles of student desks, Gilda with Cheerilee walked inside watching him put a talon onto a chair looking at it to the front.
“He never been in a class room?” Cheerilee asked.
Gilda shook her head. “Not at all, I pretty much been his teacher, Princess Celestia give me the stuff I need to help him, it got so much egghead stuff that I feel like one now.”
“From the way he look, the way his curiosity shows, I say you been doing a good job.”
Gilda chuckled lightly. “Yeah, that dweeb think of me like a big sister, I helped him to speak, to write and now learn stuff I didn't even know at first. But it won't stop me being me.” Gilda said with a sly smirk. “You have to teach sixteen students at a time, I got a one on one with help from his mum, the guards and anyone else.”
Cheerilee smiled a little seeing him sit at one of the chairs waving at them happily. “That is true, but we both are doing what we can to help the young to grow.” She turn her attention to the egg he was carrying in a well padded bag. “I am curious, what with the egg he carrying?”
“It a black phoenix egg, usually Celestia's pet would been keeping a eye and keeping it warm, but she at this weird phase in life losing all her feathers, getting sick and soon to burst into flames and rose as a daisy.” Gilda explained to Cheerilee. “Basically, Gale has to look after it for now till that feathery flaming troll is ready to take care of it again.”
Cheerilee glance at her. “You speak so candy about Princess Celestia.”
Gilda shrugged. “After Gale dropped into her life, I ended up as his tutor, and having breakfast most mornings with the princess, it kinda does, it no big deal you dork.”
“Many would be honoured for that chance, you do it so... Causal.”
“Yep.” Gilda chuckled
Cheerilee walked up to the desk. “So Prince Gale, how you like our school?”
Gale looked around. “Erm... Nice... Warm... And urm... What word...” He tap the tip of his beak thinking of the word.
Cheerilee was about to say something but Gilda put her talon on the upper foreleg. “Give in a second...” She nodded and allow Gale to take his time to get the words out.
“Oh! I remember! Learn and noisy!”
“Learn and n-” Cheerilee paused remember how loud her students could be. “Oh definitely Prince Gale, it can be both, you ever thought of going to a school or your happy with the one on one?”
Gale looked to Gilda. “Happy one on one! Gilda help so much, Gilda best!”
Gilda chuckled. “Oh that I am you dork.” She head a soft thud near by the door, she slowly walked to it. “I gather being after four in the afternoon all the students gone home for the day?”
“Yes of course, why?” Cheerilee asked.
Gilda reach out to the handle. “Oh no reason, cause I think we have-” She pull open the door for three fillies to land on top of each other with a thud. “-a group of students that here for after hours lessons.” She chuckled.
Cheerilee shook her head slowly. “Applebloom... Sweetie Belle... Scootaloo... Didn't we just cover a lesson on listening in on private conversations?”
They got up. “Sorry...” They lower their heads.
“Now I gather you three are here because of the young prince?”
Applebloom first to answer. “Yes Miss Cheerilee, ah met a real-” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo quickly clap her muzzle shut.
“What are you three hiding?” Cheerilee frowned.
“We can't say sorry...” Sweetie Belle answered letting go of Applebloom with Scootaloo.
Gilda quickly spoke up. “Cheers, they have a reason not to say, these dweebs met a griffon, let's say she has a really big interesting appearance.” Gilda quickly stepped in. “Other than that I can say things are okay and nothing to worry your pony head over it.”
Cheerilee looked at the fillies and Gilda. “I gather Applejack knows?”
“AJ sure does.” Gilda stated. “So does Dash and Rares.”
“Very well... If they know and kept this on the low, I gather there a reason.” Cheerilee accepted the reason.
Gale looked at the fillies, he got up from the chair walking up to Gilda to stand by her. “Hi, I Gale! Nice meet you!”
Scootaloo laughed a bit. “You sure speak funny!”
Gale shrugged. “Speak learning still, two months learning, Gilda helped lots!”
Gilda ruffled his feathered head. “I sure did dweeb.” She turn her attention to the fillies. “Now, since you three dweebs decided to drop in on us, how about a tour of the town, areas we haven't visited.”
“Do we have to?” Scootaloo whinned, getting a nudge from her friends.
“Welllll.. It either that or some lesson time with Cheers here, take your pick.” Gilda smirked.
Cheerilee smiled too. “I think that a lovely idea and choice, I am sure Applejack, Rarity and Scootaloo's aunts like to hear about why they ended up with a hour long out of class lesson right now.”
They gulped. “Ah say we do the tour!”
“Yes!” The other two agreed.
Gilda walked by them with Gale. “Smart choice, we be outside with Sunbeam who I am going to roast.” They leave.
Seconds later the fillies and Cheerilee cringed. “SUNBEAM YOU MORON! YOUR SUPPOSE TO BE A GUARD AND YOU LET THREE FILLIES BY?!”
“Ma-ma'am they just fillies I-”
“Your lucky I am in a good mood or I would throw you into the nearest fountain in Ponyville! Be a the guard you suppose to be for Gale you dweeb!”
“O-of course ma'am...”
“Are you dweebs coming or not!?” She shouted at their direction, Gale wondered why Gilda was upset over three ponies around his age being let by, did a guard have to keep him safe from the young too?
“Better go.” Cheerilee said and they quickly rushed out the door. “Wow that one heck of a teacher Prince Gale has, no wonder the rumours about her standing up to Neighsay now feel like fact than rumour...”
Shining Armor's ears folded against the helmet upon hearing Gilda from all the way at the school house. “Sweet Celestia she ticked...” He turn to a few guards also looking a bit nervous. “You two go and keep a eye on Prince Gale, help Private Sunbeam before Gilda really goes into one.”
They saluted. “Yes captain!” The two Pegasus guards took off heading towards the school house.
Shining turn to Sugar Cube Corner. “Better see if Twily not having her usual freak outs.” He muttered walking towards it to see Rainbow Dash trying to get the guards to react. “Good luck on that.” He whispered with a soft chuckle.
“Wow you two are really good! Getting bored now!” She took off back into Sugar Cube Corner.
Fluttershy soon approached. “Hello Fluttershy.”
She turn around to Shining. “Oh my, hello Captain, sorry that I am late, you see I was tending to some animals.”
He smiled gesturing to the guards to let her through. “It fine ma'am, this is not a formal but a get to know you friendly event, go in and enjoy yourself with your friends.”
She smiled back. “Thank you!” Fluttershy walked into the shop without incident, Shining walked in after her.
The captain watched Twilight and Fluttershy walk into the event room of the shop talking to each other, he saw Applejack unsure what to eat first, Rarity telling ponies to keep their distance from her dress, Pinkie being Pinkie, and Celestia being the troll he now can not be unseen. “It seem everything looking good in here.” He took a look at Philomena coughing, less applying to look at. “Now I know why Princess Celestia asked me to get a guard to tell her about tending a meeting with the mayor...”
On that moment a guard came up to her, whispered and soon she left with Shining Armor following just behind her. “I just heard about Gilda's outburst, the guard also told me it was three young fillies that go by the group name Cutie Mark Crusaders that were allow to ear wig as it were.”
“That would explain why Gilda was annoyed.” Shining Armor coming up with a conclusion. “What shall I do?”
Celestia walked outside with the guard and Shining. “Let her off with a verbal warning this time, since these are the fillies most likely met Sunflower this weekend past.”
Shining nodded. “Very well Princess, I will do so when we return to the castle, what of Philomena?”
“Oh she be fine, that young lady want to have a bit of fun and it seem she picked her target too.” Celestia hints to the open cage at the window side.
Shining Armor shook his head a little. “Since Gilda pointed out clear as day how much you are Philomena are, I can never unseen you as a troll princess.”
“Well that ruin the fun in doing it to you, but doesn't mean I can't to others.” Celestia winked with a little laugh. “I heard they have a Haybugar joint here, care to join me for a snack?”
“Didn't you just have-”
Celestia stopped and so did they, she turn around giving him that look that gave him a chill down his spine to the tail tip. “I said... Care to join me for a snack? Do you like me to repeat myself again?”
Shining Armor shook his head. “No not at all Princess!”
“Good, now tell some guards to post up some pictures of Philomena, and tell them to look around for her but don't try too hard.” Celestia smirked.
Shining saluted. “At once.” He turn to one of the guards. “Tell two guards what the Princess just said okay?”
“At once sir!” He saluted and run off.
“Now Captain, where did your sister Twilight say where the Hayburger was again?”
Mayor Mare sat quietly in a corner of the the Hayburger restaurant enjoying a good hayburger and hayfries, getting away from her duties for a time of being the mayor of Ponyville. “Is that the prince?” She heard a mare said, looking up from her Hayburger to see Gale walk inside.
With the young prince was the Crusaders, a guard and Gilda walking up to the counter. “Why is Princess Celestia's adopted son here?” A stallion asked.
“Maybe he here on a royal duty.” Another pony suggested.
Two more guards she noticed stood guard outside, Mayor Mare knew about Gilda from records arrived at her desk about the griffon's current status. “H-how may I help you today?” The mare at the till asked nerviously.
Gale looked at the big menu board behind and above it. “Have that one please.” He point to the hayburger with ketchup meal deal with hayfries and drink.
Gilda looked at it. “I'll have the same as the cub wants, what drink you like Gale?”
“Cola!” Gale responded.
“Same here.” Gilda chuckled, she glance back at Sunbeam. “Hey Sunny what ya like?”
Sunbeam looked at the menu and back at the Gilda. “I'm on duty Griffoness Gilda...”
Gilda smirked. “Your on break, now what do you want?”
“Y-”
“Care for me to repeat that dweeb?”
Sunbeam shook her head. “No ma'am... I'll have the same please...”
Gilda turn back to the mare at the till. “That cool with you pony?”
“Ye-yes... That be twelve bits please.”
Gilda gave the bits. “We be sitting at that table.”
The mare put the bits into the till. “O-of course, Three order sixes with cola coming up in a few minutes...”
“Chill, we here for lunch.”
“What about us?” Scootaloo asked.
Gilda rolled her eyes. “Since you dweebs gave us a somewhat tour, sure.” She turn to the mare. “Another three meals.”
Applebloom smiled warmly. “Thank ya kindly Gilda!”
“Don't get use to it, next time your paying for ya own meals dweebs.”
“Of course we will!” Sweetie Belle agreed
Gale sat down with the others. “You kinda Gilda, happy!”
“Yeah yeah yeah.” Gilda dismissively waved a talon. “If it was three months ago I wouldn't have done this, your kindness in contagion.”
Gale grinned. “Yes is!”
Sweetie Belle curiously asked as they waited for their food. “Erm... Miss Gilda, is Prince Gale going to go to school?”
Gilda didn't take a second to answer that question. “I am pretty much his one on one teacher, that dweebish pony of the EEA gave me some sort of temp teacher status cause I am doing good job, he got nothing to stop me from teaching Gale, and that's that.”
“Wow that must be cool! Never have to worry about lessons!” Scootaloo thought he was lucky.
Gilda chuckled. “Scoots he has lessons, it just one on one, no other students, just me and him, also the every so often flying lessons he get with Spits.”
“Spits?” Scootaloo wondered who this pony was.
“Some hot head mare that great at flying and got a soft spot for Gale, she lead pony of some fancy flight team.” Gilda said in a dismissive tone. “We were suppose to be at some lame party at Sugar Cube Corner, but Gale wanted to know about the school house that was here.”
Applebloom was surprised. “Ya gave up a party to know about our school?”
Gale nodded. “Mum happy that I did, Gilda and Sunbeam here with me, happy learn about school, how many learned by one teacher, but no replacement to Gilda!” Gale said happily. “How visit with Sunflower go?”
They looked at each other than back at Gale. “Yer know her?”
Gilda put her talon out to Gale. “Drawing.”
“Okay!” He pulled the drawing out from the bag.
Gilda turned it around to show them. “Proof enough dorks?”
Scootaloo took it with her hooves. “Oh wow, did you draw this Gale?”
Gale held up a pencil with a big smile. “Yes, drawing fun!”
Sweetie Belle took it from Scootaloo. “It a shame she couldn't stay... That movie we watched was fun but also sad...”
“Ah know, those two energy attacks hittin' Ash like that, glad those tears saved him.” Applebloom added, she took the drawing to look at it. “It sure look like her.”
“The action was awesome, but the sappy crying part even got me crying, how did those griffons create something sappy that could be awesome?” Scootaloo said.
Gilda stared at the fillies. “What are you blabbering about?”
“Oh we watched a movie that Sunflower brought with her, it was the last thing we did with her before she went home the next morning.” Sweetie Belle said to Gilda. “It was some cartoon movie, well liked by the Finch Griffons.”
Gilda rubbed the underside of the beak. “Techno babbly stuff those griffs have, it did help when we were in a bind, so can't complain.” She shrugged. “Now where that grub?” Gilda looked around.
“I am sure they will have it up shortly Gilda, sometimes you just need to be a bit more patient.”
“Whatever Celestia.” Gilda didn't look behind her as a shadow cast over her by Celestia.
Every pony gasped than there was silence, the Crusaders muzzles dropped.
Celestia giggled. “Room for two more?”
“The more the merrier, dweeb.” Gilda bend her head up looking up at Celestia, she looking back down at Gilda.
“Why thank you.” Celestia sat down at the vaccinate spot, every single eyes were on Celestia, even Mayor Mare's. She never expected to see Princess Celestia in the Hayburger ever!
The Crusaders still staring at who was sitting at their table, none expected to meet Princess Celestia or even HAVE her sit at their table, the young prince was one thing, but none or even anypony in the restaurant.
Celestia turn to the mare behind the till as Shining Armor sat down with them without saying a word, he and Sunbeam looked at each other realising they were out played by their superiors. “Excuse me cashier, may I and Captain Armor have the Triple Deluxe combo with strawberry twist shake each?”