//------------------------------// // The Griffin Sharpwing // Story: An Unexpected Friendship // by LordLycaon //------------------------------// He groaned as he rubbed his temples, trying to ease the excruciating migraine that had hit his brain like a sledgehammer would hit an orange. That sleeping spell he'd cast on the owl had taken a lot out of him. He knew his already limited magical abilities would be hindered by the damage to his horn, but he hadn't expected such an intense pain. He would have to wait until he made a full recovery before he attempted any other forms of magic. The changeling let out a sigh as the migraine gradually devolved into just a headache. His head still throbbed, but it was a bit more bearable at this point. 'I need to be more careful,' he thought as he stood from his spot in the corner of the room, careful to keep his injured foreleg off the ground. He was no doctor, but he wasn't dumb enough to think he could just walk off a broken limb. It would only make the injury worse. He decided to take a brief tour around the room that Fluttershy was apparently willing to let him stay in. It was small by the standards he had seen whenever he had to sneak into a pony's household in disguise, but it was certainly roomier than any barracks back at the hive. There was a small dresser in the corner opposite the one he had been sitting in, with a small lamp sitting on top of it, as well as a few decorative knickknacks here and there on the walls. The bed was designed for one occupant, which he actually found quite enjoyable. He normally had to share a bed meant for five with six others. Having his own bed was something that Glaive – and most changelings for that matter – only dreamed about. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. "Um, Mr. Glaive?" called Fluttershy's voice from the other side. "I'm going to go into town to get a few things. I was wondering if you wanted anything." "I'm fine," he replied. "Oh." The mare sounded dejected, probably due to Glaive's tone. "Okay. I'll be back soon." "Whatever." He heard the mare trot away then. After a few moments, he heard a door open and close. He opened the door to his temporary bedroom and peeked out. The pegasus actually had left, it appeared. Perhaps now was good time to get himself acquainted with the rest of the small house. It's not like he had much else to do anyway. As he left the room, he came across a little white rabbit that gave him a distrusting glare. He raised an eyebrow at the tiny creature. "What?" he asked. The rabbit just rolled its eyes at him and hopped away to a couch, where it took a seat near the edge and continued glaring at Glaive. The changeling rolled his own eyes at the little animal's behavior. He was never a big fan of animals. He managed to take a look outside through a window. His jaw dropped when he saw several groupings of wild animals – practically a herd made up of dozens of species – all running around the cottage without a care in the world. He slowly turned his head back to that rabbit, which now bore an amused smirk on its face. Glaive groaned for the umpteenth time today. This was going to be a long recovery. -o- The marketplace was as busy as always, with ponies milling about running errands and buying groceries. Traveling merchants and local storeowners called out to passersby, urging everypony to buy what they had on sale. Fluttershy read through her grocery list multiple times as she picked up the things she needed, ranging from bird seed to medicine and salad ingredients to – once more, she shuddered slightly – meat products. 'I just hope nopony notices,' she thought to herself worriedly. The thought of somepony seeing her with cut meat was horrifying. Just the implications were enough to send her into a near panic. 'Oh, where was Mr. Sharpwing's shop again? I could've sworn it was…' "Good afternoon, Ms. Fluttershy," an older male voice said suddenly, making the mare jump. The speaker, an older-looking griffin, laughed, obviously amused. "Sorry about that. I'd already forgotten how timid you are." "O-oh…" Fluttershy calmed down when she realized who she was talking to. She easily recognized the old scar on his right cheek that was plainly visible, despite the feathers on his head. "Sorry, Mr. Sharpwing. Um… why are you out here? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." "I was just getting a few things," the griffin replied, gesturing to the full bag that was slung around his shoulder. "Nails, a new hammer, some things to sharpen my knives. But enough about that. You seem a bit lost." The young mare blushed in embarrassment. "I-I was just looking for you shop. Oh, I feel foolish not finding it sooner." Sharpwing laughed again. "Don't talk like that. I was just heading back. You can just follow me if you like." Fluttershy nodded gratefully and followed the old griffin. Sharpwing's demeanor had come off as bit of surprise at first. Fluttershy's experience with griffins was limited to one very traumatizing event where Rainbow's former friend Gilda had berated her with next to no provocation. To say that she was intimidated by griffins now would be an understatement. In fact, she hadn't even known that the new store in town, called the Eagle's Nest, was even run by a griffin. She had only gone in out of pure curiosity, and practically lost it when she saw Sharpwing himself. Rather than screaming at her to stop panicking, he let her run the course, calmly waiting for her to stop. He didn't insult her, or tell her to leave. He greeted her with a good-natured smile and attitude and spoke to her like they were already friends. Gradually, she was able to tell that he was vastly different from Gilda. He was much kinder, far friendlier, and much easier to talk to. Thinking back, she couldn't help but mentally kick herself for being so judgmental. Just because one griffin was a bully didn't mean that all griffins were bullies. Sharpwing was living proof. Sure, he could be a bit blunt at times – even so brutally honest that Applejack would look like a liar by comparison – but he usually joked about whatever he was talking about, and never maliciously. "So, I take it some of those animals you care for are either omnivores or carnivores?" Sharpwing suddenly asked. She hesitated. "Um. Yes. Mostly omnivores, though. I don't keep many predators around. They tend to scare the other animals." "Ah. That makes sense, I suppose." Sharpwing had seemingly ended the conversation, but Fluttershy could just tell that he wasn't entirely convinced. He was astoundingly good at reading ponies. She had once actually seen him get out of being cheated in a sale to the Flim Flam Brothers, who had come back into Ponyville briefly to try out another scam, which failed just as spectacularly. She would have to be very careful when getting food for Glaive from the elder. After several minutes of walking, they finally arrived at the relatively small building that doubled as both Sharpwing's store and his home. It was humble, even compared to the rest of Ponyville, and apparently, that suited Sharpwing just fine. The old griffin opened the door and motioned for Fluttershy to enter first. He flew in after her and immediately headed to the back room, where he did most of his work. Fluttershy waited patiently in the front room, taking the time to examine the little shop. It was becoming a bit more welcoming, she noticed. A few pictures were hanging on the walls, showing images of griffins whom she could only assume were famous among Sharpwing's people. At least, that's how it looked. Soon, Sharpwing returned to the front room, carrying a relatively small crate in his claws, setting the container down in front of her. "There you are," he said with grin. "One crate of cut meat, hunted from the beasts in the Everfree Forest. I hope your animals enjoy it. The ones that can eat it anyway." "I'm sure they will." Fluttershy recoiled visibly at the smell. She would never get used to that scent. She moved to pick the crate up, but Sharpwing stopped her. "I'll tell you what. Business is slow lately, so how about I deliver this to your home for you? No extra charge. I could set up a delivery schedule for you if you like, but after this one, you'll have to pay up a little more." Fluttershy managed a grateful smile, but inside, she was nearly screaming. If Sharpwing made deliveries to her cottage, then the chances of him finding out the real reason she was getting the meat would only increase. He was the type who rarely missed a beat, and griffins had a sense of smell far superior to ponies. If he found Glaive… On the other hoof, it would be far easier to have Sharpwing's stock delivered rather than trek all the way through town and back. And it would probably give her a bit more time to tend to her animals' needs. She would also be able to keep a closer eye on Glaive, both to tend to his still healing injuries and to make sure that nopony accidentally stumbled upon him. "Well… okay," she said with a nod. "But, um… could you just, um, leave the deliveries at my front door? Uh… griffins… startle my animals." "Certainly." He hefted up the crate again and set it on the nearby counter. "Just tell me whenever you're finished with your errands. I'll just be waiting here." Fluttershy nodded and left the store then. When she was out of Sharpwing's view, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. That went well. But with Sharpwing making deliveries to her house from now on, she would have to make sure that Glaive stayed well hidden. That shouldn't be too difficult, though. How hard could it possibly be to hide a changeling? -o- Queen Chrysalis was not happy. After the fiasco that was her coup d'état attempt during that wedding in Canterlot, dozens of her subjects had begun to doubt her. Even her most trusted advisors had suggested that she step down and let someone else take the crown. That only made her angrier. And to top things off, Glaive of all changelings had gone missing. The young warrior-to-be was supposed to return from his hunting trip several days ago. That wasn't good. Glaive was well-known and respected, despite his relative youth. He was also still a strong supporter for her. His disappearance could not have been more ill-timed. "Your Highness," a guard said to her. She turned to him, trying to keep her expression calm and stoic. It wouldn't do to look as furious as she actually was. "The scouting team that you sent out has returned. No trace of Glaive." The queen managed to suppress an angered growl. "Very well. I suppose we'll just have to consider the worst. Send word of this to his comrades." "At once, my Queen." The guard bowed and left the room, leaving Chrysalis on her own once again. Finally, she let out the growl she had bitten back, very nearly screaming in frustration. Things just kept getting worse and worse in her kingdom. Many of her people were starving, there were cries of discontent, for crying out loud, she had even been hearing murmurs of a possible rebellion if she didn't step down from the throne. Sighing, she turned and made to leave her throne room, heading for her bedchamber for privacy. Hopefully, she would think of something that could benefit her subjects as well as herself. For now, however, her kingdom would only continue to slowly but surely perish. 'My people,' she thought to herself as she sulked. 'I have to come up with something. Anything…'