//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Tales of Equestria: Griffon Wings // by Noratcat //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash tirelessly zipped around her home. The refrigerator opened up, and the clattering of dishes rang out as the pegasus went to work. This was to be the finest thing she had ever done as a mother. As she surveyed what she had taken out, all that was needed was a little preparation. “Okay, Rainbow old girl, it’s time for super awesome mom time!” She had what she needed, and it was time to get to work. *** Nothing worked. No, matter how much he stomped through town, he just couldn’t shake these angry thoughts. His talons scraped against the ground, making audible scratching noises. Frankly, he didn’t care if it ruined his nails, he was no stranger to getting them dirty or trimmed, and honestly, it would perfectly reflect his mood. In fact, he honestly felt like punching the ground, so he took his claw, balled it up, and pounded the ground as much as he could. He did it again, and again, and continued to do so until it looked as if he were hammering a nail. As he came to a halt, he breathed in and out several times, and that’s when he noticed several ponies staring at him. They all looked at him with peculiar expressions, and it only spurred the anger in Gale to swell up inside him. “WHAT!?” Gale snarled. The other ponies present quickly hurried along, some nonchalantly whistling as they did so. “Lame,” Gale scoffed as he continued to scowl his way through town. As he continued to walk, the more he found himself lost in a sea of misery. Every attempt he made to drown it out of his mind, only made it resurface all the more potently. All he wanted was for it to end, was that so much to ask? Yet, the world was denying him even that. It made him want to scream out, to unleash the primal rage and fury that lay within him. Generations of ancestral griffon blood flow through him. It bubbled and boiled like a stewing pot. The lid was barely on, and its contents began to spill over, sizzling the stovetop as it as the heat reacted with the water. “All right, just move it slowly!” Gale snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the gruff voice call out in the distance. The young griffon gazed up and noticed something quite unusual. Several ponies, mostly pegasi, were unloading several boxes from a wagon, and they were leading them into a nearby house. “Careful with those, they’re fragile,” the presumed owner of the house called. But what Gale noticed was what kind of creature the owner was. Standing in front of the house, which now had a Sold sign in front of it, was a walking cat. At least, that’s what entered Gale’s mind at first, but he had been taught about the different races of the world, namely of old adventures had by the Guardians of Friendship. This creature was an Abyssian. He had heard stories of one Abyssian, Capper, was his name, but he had never seen one in person. The Abyssian in question was a black and white feline, his fur in a tuxedo pattern, and standing next to him was a female calico. If Gale had to guess, they were probably married. This surprised the young griffon, for Ponyville as its name implied, was primarily housed by ponies. Though since Princess Twilight had been crowned the ruler of Equestria, several different races had been inching into Equestria. Gale supposed he shouldn’t be too surprised, as he was a griffon, and he was living in Ponyville. Yet, Gale’s curiosity was aroused, and he had to know more. Using his feline instincts, Gale slowly crept up to the front door, taking care to make sure he wasn’t seen. The Abyssians were busy dealing with the movers, so Gale presumed he was safe. He took care not to have his claws make too much noise, and the boxes provided good cover. As he sneaked around, he kept his wings tucked in, taking particular note not to let himself get surprised. He was careful, crafty, and most of all, disciplined. “Hello?” Gale let out a sudden squawk of panic as a tiny voice greeted him from behind. His wings fanned out and his talons spread as he leaped into the air and fell back quickly. Quickly, he scampered, making the loudest scratching noise he had ever made. Eyes darting around, they fell upon a black and white splotch of fur. He had expected to see another Abyssian, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, he was staring at a waking dog. Once more, Gale recalled the stories he had been told, and his mind locked upon the truth: a Diamond Dog. The Diamond Dog in question looked very much like a border collie, dressed in a brown vest and a green collar. “Dodger honey, who’s this?” The female Abyssian asked. Soon, she and her husband looked over Gale. Panic gripping his chest, Gale quickly hurried away, claws scratching all the more, leaving behind a confused canine, along with a befuddled pair of felines. *** Rainbow Dash breathed a happy sigh of relief as she oversaw the spread before her. It had truly been a labor of love, painstakingly crafted with affection. “Gale’s going to love this!” Rainbow Dash prided herself. And right on cue, the door opened up with the telltale creak, and a familiar face flew on through. “Gale!” Rainbow Dash zipped over towards the young griffon, her face full of excitement, “How are you doing son? Everything okay?” Gale simply gazed wide-eyed at the pegasus and replied, “Yeah...I guess.” Before Gale could utter another word, Rainbow Dash grabbed hold of him and set him before the table. Now it was showtime. “Well just to show much it means for my little man to be well-nourished, I made a little spread for you kiddo!” Gale adjusted from the sheer rush of being dragged all the way to the kitchen table, “Spread?” “Yep, we got blueberry yogurt, Choco-Rock cereal, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, a glass of juice, and the cherry on top,” Rainbow Dash proceeded to mimic a trumpet with her voice, “The coveted, spectacular, all-time favorite food, a macaroni and potato sandwich on rye!” Rainbow Dash had just made all of Gale’s favorite dishes. It was a goldmine for someone looking for a carbo load. Young Gale understood the concept of carbo-loading. After a workout, you had to load up, for the tank had been drained. In the past, Gale would have leaped at the chance to devour these goodies, and Rainbow Dash knew this would be it, the one thing to reel her little boy back to her. Gale opened his beak, obviously to exclaim how grateful he was, how the wonder of a mother he had, but most of all, how much he loved. “I actually already ate.” The smile that had gradually grown upon Rainbow Dash’s face, fell instantly, leaving nothing but a frown. “Oh,” was Rainbow Dash’s simple response. “And actually...I was thinking of just laying down in my room,” reluctance dripped from Gale’s voice. Rainbow Dash looked away for the briefest of moments, “Okay...I’ll just...put this in the fridge, and you can have it later okay?” “Sure,” Gale walked away towards his room, his back turned and wings tucked in. “I love you, son!” Rainbow Dash called, her voice drawn into a pleading. Gale stopped, but he didn’t look back, “Yeah...love you...too,” and Gale went to his room, shutting the door behind him. Letting out a defeated sigh, Rainbow Dash grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. Not even her favorite childhood snack could cheer her up. But, there was always tomorrow.