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// Chapter Forty: A Father's Contemplation  
// Story: Brushed Away 2: By Hoof and Claw 
// by TheVClaw 
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Even though winter was either coming or already arrived for most of Equestria, a few isolated regions of the nation barely ever got a visit from Cloudsdale’s weather teams due to their climate. Aside from areas like the Everfree Forest, as well as desert regions like Apploosa and Dodge Junction, mountainous parts of Equestria didn’t need the help of Pegasus ponies to keep their hilltops capped with snow most of the year. Instead, the ponies in places North by the Crystal Empire just let the mountain climate run their courses naturally, only intervening if conditions got too intense. Nevertheless, for a small log-built structure out in the pine-wooded forest, the heavy blanket of snow that covered its roof didn’t keep the chimney from pluming out a steady stream of white smoke as it turned into night. 

Instead, the isolated cabin stayed open, its lights shining from inside showed the high number of hoofprints in the snow; indicating the high traffic. Of course, if it wasn’t for the modest sign on the door, revealing the name of the place as “The Pine Needle,” most ponies that came by would’ve assumed that it was just a regular log cabin instead of a bar. Of course, as the hoofprints finally began to disappear from the snowfall slowly reclaiming the ground, a fresh track of paws made their impact on the ground as the Gryphon made his landing.

White powder was caked on his feathers and fur by the time he stopped, noticing the sign on the door. After his claws sank into the snow as well, the Gryphon bent downward before shaking himself off like a wet dog, slinging most of the snow off of him to reveal his dark brown feathers and greying black coat. He also used a claw to wipe off his small bag on his side, even through the sight of it made the Gryphon scowl a bit before he made his way into the bar.

Inside, the Pine Needle carried the same log-cabin appearance it had on the outside - save the large bar positioned to the left - and the numerous empty tables along the rest of the space. When the Gryphon walked in, he only saw two ponies who were near the bar: one who was standing behind it wiping a glass, and the other seated opposite of her. Near the corner of the large room, a jukebox was on to give the nearby space an ominous orange glow; unfortunately, the “Out of Order” sign taped to the front of it allowed only the sounds of the clock ticking to fill the overly void space.

Nevertheless, the massive Gryphon paid no heed to the empty tone this place had, and walked over to the bar to take a seat. “Hello there,” said the bartender happily as she used her magic to float the glass over to the others. Even though it was almost midnight, the yellow unicorn kept a chipper tone as she asked, “Rough travels?”

The Gryphon only responded with a long, heavy sigh, which only emphasized his sullen mood while he sat,  hunched in his barstool. He pulled up his olive-green messenger bag as he tried to find the bits inside. “What’s the strongest thing you have?” he asked in almost a grumble without looking up.

“Oh, well…” The mare’s muzzle skewed a bit, and she tightened the bun holding her blue mane back. Nevertheless, she made a small shrug before answering honestly, “I don’t think we have any Gryphon-based liquor, if that’s what you want.”

Another disappointed exhale escaped the Gryphon’s jagged beak. “Alright then…” He placed a large bag of bits on the bar table in front of her. “Whatever you have’ll be fine.”

“Ummm… okay…” the bartender used her magic to open the bag, and pull out several bits to cover his purchase. As the Gryphon took the bag of remaining bits back, grateful that this pony wasn’t trying to rip him off, the mare’s eyes narrowed a little when she noticed his parcel. “Say, what regiment were you in?”

“Hm?” he looked up at her with a confused expression.

“I noticed your bag,” said the bartender in a more relaxed tone as she pointed a hoof at it. “My Dad is a Guard, so I’ve seen a lot of Military items. That’s a Gryphon Kingdom bag, right?”

He looked down at his bag, slightly surprised that a pony was able to recognize it so easily. “Ummm… yeah, it is.” Shrugging his shoulders a little, the Gryphon looked back up at her to answer her first question and bring out his claw. “I was Brigadier General of the 133rd Regiment. Jonas Clawston is my name.”

“Charmed,” said the bartender happily as she shook his claw. “I’m Galliano.”

While the bartender tended to his drink, Jonas settled in his seat with a slowly regrowing look of depression. Since the mare brought up his bag, it only reminded him of the contents inside of it, which just made him more impatient to try to blur his thoughts in any way he could.

“Here you go, General,” said Galliano as she neatly floated a large glass of Equestrian-grade whiskey towards Jonas. Despite not wanting to make much small talk, he still gave a small “Thanks” before downing the whiskey like it was water. Before he could put the glass down and signal for another, Galliano levitated up a large glass bottle with her aura. She walked over to the only other pony in the bar, who was still tending to his glass before the jug half-full of milk was placed beside it. “And here you go, Sir. On the house.”

“Huh?” The green stallion, who looked like he was in a temporary daze before Jonas came in, blinked a couple times as he stared at the milk in front of him. He made a small sigh before looking up at her with a weak smile of courtesy. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s seriously fine,” said Galliano as she pointed a hoof to the expiration date on the bottle. “It’s supposed to be sold by today anyway, so unless somepony comes by in the next five minutes for a White Stalliongrad, I legally can’t sell it due to health codes. So, I’d rather have somepony use it than be forced to throw it away.”

The pony turned his head to look over at the clock, which showed that it was indeed less than five minutes until midnight. And since he and the Gryphon were the only patrons in the bar at the moment, he gave a small shrug and turned back to the bar. “Well, I… suppose I shouldn’t turn away the offer.” He looked up at her with a smile on his scraggly muzzle before refilling his glass. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” said Galliano with a smile. As the mare went back to the Gryphon and floated away his empty glass, already making him another, Jonas’s eyes looked over at the pale green pony who was enjoying his drink. Even though his skewed brow wasn’t exactly subtle, it took a moment before the stallion finally noticed. 

“Hm?” Seeing how Jonas was staring at him perplexedly, the pony narrowed his eyes a little before asking flatly, “What? Never seen a pony drink milk before?”

Jonas shrugged before answering in an equally blunt tone, “Well, not in a bar.”

The pony paused before looking back at his glass and the jug beside it, and rubbed the back of his shaggy brown mane in response. “Yeah, I suppose…” While the pony picked up his glass for another drink, intent on finishing off the bottle, Jonas barely noticed the new glass of whisky being floated in front of him. As soon as he finished, the stallion made a brief sigh before putting the glass back down. “But still, I’d rather stay sober, thank you very much.”

Jonas responded with a huff as he picked up his own drink. “Then why are you in a bar?”

“For one, it’s the only place that’s open around here,” said the stallion in a meter-of fact tone. Thinking it over, Jonas seemed to accept the answer solely because he couldn’t argue against it. Even though he was flying pretty much aimlessly for hours, this was one of the few places he saw among these woodlands. The pony refilled his glass once more before adding, “Plus, a bar is one of the few places I feel comfortable.”

A light chuckle escaped Jonas’s beak before raising his glass up to it. “Yeah, I hear that.” After downing the glass like a shot, the Gryphon put it back on the bar and looked back at the stallion. “Let me guess… Your wife got on your ass for drinking too much?”

The stallion made a brief exhale and slowly shook his head. “Well… she probably would have if she was still here....”

Jonas’s smirk dropped so fast, his beak could’ve easily fallen off of his face. Galliano, who was busy getting another drink ready with her back turned to them, could easily be heard sucking air through her teeth before moving a few steps away from them. Blinking a couple of times, Jonas turned his head away from the pony before reopening his beak weakly. “Oh. Ummm… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” said the pony with a reluctant sigh, “it’s been a long time anyway…” Holding his glass of milk in his hoof, the stallion gave off a sound that sounded like a mix between a weak laugh and a breath before adding, “It’s funny sometimes… I spent so many years trying to forget it by drinking, and the only time I legitimately felt better is when my head was fully clear.”

Jonas shrugged, not wanting to say anything else after that last statement he made. After his glass was refilled and placed in front of him, the Gryphon turned back at the pony and put out his claw. “Well, you have my condolences. Names’s Jonas. Jonas Clawston.”

The stallion looked over to the Gryphon’s gesture, and gave a light smile before bringing out his hoof to shake it. “Well, thank you. The name is Copper Fields.”

After shaking his claw, Copper got out of his seat, scooching closer towards the Gryphon so there was only one empty stool between them. Even though Jonas wasn’t much for casual conversation, he figured that it was the least he could do to make up for earlier. “So…” the stallion dragged his glass and milk bottle from his previous seat before asking, “How about you, Jonas? You married?”

Hearing that question, the Gryphon made a heavy sigh as he slumped in his seat. “At the moment…”

Copper looked up at him with a slightly confused expression, not saying anything upfront. However, Jonas took a slower sip of his whiskey, not even seeming to notice the burn that would’ve hit a pony’s tongue, and finished half the glass before continuing. “I… I got in a fight with her a few days ago… I thought that she’d understand, but…”

After that last audible statement, Jonas's beak closed shut before he could finish. While Galliano kept her distance with some small tasks behind the bar, Copper waited a few seconds in silence until he asked, “So, what happened?”

Jonas sighed again, but begrudgingly reopened his beak to try and explain. “Well… my wife and I came to Equestria to visit our son. But… things didn’t turn out so well…”

“Why?” asked Copper before beginning to down his fresh glass.

Jonas grimaced with obvious distaste, still looking bitter about how things turned out. “He…” The Gryphon gritted his teeth while holding his glass, which looked like it could’ve shattered if he tightened his grip in any way. “He’s only been in this country for a year, and… now he tells us that he’s getting… married…”

With that last word, Jonas shuddered like he just said a particularly nasty term. One of Copper’s brows raised after finishing his glass, obviously not seeing why the Gryphon was so upset. “Well, umm… congratulations.”

Jonas made a low growl before glaring at him. “Don’t give me that…”

Despite the angered look the Gryphon was giving him, which was even making the bartender nervous when she looked back at them, Copper merely shrugged as he poured his final glass. “Well, is your son happy? I mean, if anything, that should be all that matters, right?”

“Ugh!” Jonas rolled his eyes as he made a dissatisfied groan and finished his own drink. “Yeah, maybe to you ponies, but Gryphons have to think about more than that! Like…” The Gryphon looked down at his empty glass as he continued to rant with increasing anger, “Does he even know what he’s doing?! After how far Gryphons have come, he has to go and throw all tradition and decency down the shitter like that?!”

Jonas brought one of his claws up to rest his head on, while his elbow pressed against the bar table. “And worst of all,” muttered the Gryphon angrily while ignoring the pony staring over at him, “he… he managed to brainwash everyone against me! My sons, my wife… shit, even Royalty looked down at me when I tried to stand my ground!”

Another heavy groan escaped Jonas’s beak, and a pregnant bout of silence lasted for a moment before Copper spoke up. “So… what’s the issue, exactly?” Even though the stallion seemed a bit tired from the bags under his eyes, he still kept a look of interest on the Gryphon while he listened. “I mean… do you not like who he’s with?”

With the way that Jonas growled, it was clear that Copper got his answer without a word needing to be said. The Gryphon loudly slammed the glass on the bar counter, before bringing his other claw up to his face to rest on. “I swear,” he slowly muttered while his glass was floated away, “of all the things he could’ve done… After all the times I try to teach him right from wrong… he goes completely against what I tried to tell him! He should’ve known better! Men are supposed to be with women, and Gryphons are supposed to be with Gryphons! Is it really that damn complicated?!”

While Galliano gave the Gryphon a peculiar stare while making another drink, both of Copper’s brows raised in growing realization. “So… who is it?” When Jonas looked back at him, Copper cleared his throat before making his question clearer. “I mean… who’s your son with?”

With the way Jonas’s face scrunched in, both Copper and Galliano would’ve assumed that the Gryphon just sucked in a rotten lemon. Gritting his teeth in reigniting angst, Jonas slouched in his stool as he looked down at the empty counter bitterly. “A… a stallion…”

Jonas didn’t see how Copper’s eyes widened slightly. Instead, an angered groan was the Gryphon’s only other response before growling under his breath, “He’s marrying a bucking stallion! Like… like a common pervert!”

Since his head was lowered, Jonas didn’t hear Galliano subtly pouring his drink from his cleaned glass back into the bottle. Meanwhile, Copper slowly turned his head away to look back at his own drink, and blinked a couple times in silence. “So… he’s marrying a stallion…” Looking unsure about how to feel, the stallion’s eyes peered back at Jonas before deciding to ask the obvious, “And… your son is a Gryphon?”

Jonas lifted his head up to turn and give the pony a flat glare. “No, he’s a dragon.” He then huffed before looking away again. “Yes, he’s a Gryphon! What of it?”

While Galliano made herself scarce, Copper bit on the inside of his cheek for a brief moment. “Ummm…” His eyes tried to focus on his now empty bottle of milk, but his lingering thoughts got the best of him as he spoke over to Jonas. “So… you happen to catch the name of the stallion he’s with?”

“What? Why…” Despite looking befuddled by Copper’s question, Jonas just made a small huff before keeping his head away from him. “Buck if I care… I think it was some painter or whatever… Ca-Cantor? Cabinet?”

“Canvas?”

Jonas looked over at Copper for a split-second, surprised that he knew it so easily. “Ummm… yeah.” Of course, upon thinking about it, the Gryphon realized that the pony was fairly famous for that Celestia painting, so maybe this stallion heard of him from somewhere. “That was it,” he said as he looked away again.

Copper blinked a couple more times in silence, his eyes widening with each passing second. As his breathing began to turn more rapid, a smile crept up at the corners of the stallion’s pale green muzzle. Unable to keep himself stable while beside the Gryphon, Copper clenched his eyes shut before resting against his hoof, struggling to keep his involuntary giggling to turn into full blown laughter.

Meanwhile, Jonas’s unwavering scowl turned stronger as his eyes slowly went back towards him. From the way his glare intensified, it was clear that he wanted to seriously hurt the stallion from the way he was struggling not to laugh. Of course, after everything else that occurred, the last thing that the Gryphon needed was another assault to further ruin his week. So, he instead just looked away while grumbling under his breath, “Yeah, laugh it up!”

The stallion quickly threw his green hooves up to shake them, motioning that he was trying to stop giggling as best as he could. “Sorry, I’m sorry,” muttered Copper between a couple small chortles before covering his muzzle. “I didn’t mean to laugh, I just…” 

After a brief sigh which sounded like a small “Woooo,” the pony was able to subside his laughter enough to finish his explanation. “It’s… it’s just kinda funny how the universe works sometimes…”

The brown Gryphon just gave the stallion a befuddled look from his seat. Nevertheless, Copper took a few deep breaths before he could speak coherently, “But still… I suppose I can see why you’re upset.”

Jonas gritted his teeth and looked back down at the bar. He muttered in a more grave tone, “That’s not even half of it...” 

While the green pony still looked slightly amused, his smile was able to disappear enough when he listened to the Gryphon continue.

“Those… those KIDS!” Jonas was gripping at the feathers on his head with a claw, looking like he was about to pull a clump out from his building rage. “They ALL took his side! My eldest sons acted like I was being the unreasonable one, and… and…” His head sunk down even lower, and a deep red hue could be seen emanating from his brown feathers; even the bartender could feel the heat rising from the Gryphon’s building rage, despite being at the other end of the bar. “And my youngest son… SPAT in my damn face!!”

By now, Galliano was in the back room, hoping that the near-murderous Gryphon wasn’t going to ask for another drink. Meanwhile, Copper was surprisingly more nonchalant, sitting in his seat as he brought up his glass of milk. “I see…”

Jonas made a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temple in a meager attempt to calm himself down. “And then… there’s my wife…”

After taking a sip, the stallion put his glass back down, still keeping his eyes away from Jonas. “What happened?”

The Gryphon stayed silent for a long moment, looking like was contemplating whether or not to say anything about it to this pony he just met. Nevertheless, Jonas made another exhale as he opened his beak. “Well… I ended up yelling at her. And… that may have been part of why my other sons left…” He blinked a couple of times as he stared down at the hardwood surface of the bar, a new look of regret appearing on his face. “I will admit that doing that was a mistake… I never did that to her before, and she didn’t deserve it…”

“So… what did she do?”

When Jonas looked back at Copper, he saw that the stallion was looking back at him with a curious and slightly worried glance. Of course, with the way the Gryphon’s beak skewed downward, it was clear that the answer he planned to give wasn’t good.

“She…” Jonas’s head turned away from Copper as he spoke, feeling glad that the bartender was nowhere to be seen. “She hit me. And I don’t blame her for that, but…” The Gryphon’s expression turned more saddened with each passing word, clearly making his tone of voice softer as well. “Apparently, she… went and talked with that pony my son is marrying… And he got to her as well…”

Before coming to this bar, the last thing that Jonas wanted to do was even think of what was inside his parcel. But now, the Gryphon’s claw was slowly going inside of it as he continued in an increasingly depressed tone. “When I finally got to speak to her again, the first thing I did was apologize to her for yelling, but that wasn’t what she wanted! She kept telling me to talk to my son, and I refused! Why should I apologize when he’s the one who wants to wreck basic tradition?! I tried to make her see, but she wouldn’t budge! And… that was when she gave me this…”

He pulled out the item from his bag and slammed it on the bar. Leaning his head in, Copper didn’t need to see the inside of the Manilla folder to know what kind of paperwork was inside of it. Meanwhile, Jonas’s beak was pointed downward in shame, a bitter scowl plastered on it as he spoke in a defeated sigh.

“She… told me that I can either talk to my son, or sign those papers...” After pulling the folder back to himself, the Gryphon sighed painfully as he looked at it, not wanting to look inside to see its contents. “I just… I wouldn’t have thought that this would be the reason I would lose my marriage…”

Making a sympathetic nod of his head, Copper let the Gryphon sink in his shame while holding the divorce papers in his claw. “I’m really sorry,” said the stallion in a light, but still sincere tone.

“Th-thanks,” said the Gryphon softly without turning his head. After talking another glance down at the folder, he made an angered huff and shoved the paperwork back into his parcel. “Ugh! I can’t even look at it!”

After putting his paperwork and bag aside, there was nothing else for the Gryphon to do but sulk in his stool, not even realizing that his drink was long gone. While Jonas sat in silence, Copper waited a long moment as he finished half of his glass of milk. When he looked back at the Gryphon, he put caution to the wind as he asked in curiosity, “So… what are you gonna do?”

Jonas’s disheartened expression quickly shifted to an aggravated glare as he looked back at the stallion. “What?”

“What are going to do?” repeated Copper as he kept his eyes on him. “I mean, she gave you a choice, right?”

“What, and go back like a coward?!” Jonas made another huff as he turned away from Copper, seeming to look at every spot in the bar except the pony as he began to ramble to himself. “I need to keep my dignity intact, dammit! Just because I yelled at my wife doesn’t mean that I have to go back with my tail between my legs and give up everything I believe in! I’M not the one who messed things up! It was that damn pony! The bucking colt-cuddler!”

Copper’s muzzle wrinkled from that last statement, but Jonas didn’t see it at all as he continued.

“Just because someone says they’re ‘happy’ doesn’t mean that they can act however the buck they want, and just expect everyone else to blindly accept it! Am I supposed to support my son if he says he like being a murderer?! Or if wanted to be a cannibal?!”

Jonas looked back at Copper with an expectant stare, looking like he was wanting the pony to agree with him. However, the stallion just gave a befuddled glance back at him before replying, “So, you think your son marrying a stallion is the same as being a serial killer?”

Jonas’s eyes shot open for a brief moment, but quickly turned to a more bloodthirsty glare as he pointed a talon to Copper’s face. “Don’t you twist my damn words!” He then pulled away as he kept shouting in the empty space with his claws out for emphasis of his words. “I’m just trying to make a point! Gryphons should practice some level of morality! Of decency! If I go back now, all I’ll do is prove to them that I’m a coward they can walk over! And I am NOT a damn coward!!!”

The heavy silence that followed should have been enough to make the toughest stallion stay wordless in front of the Gryphon. Of course, Copper just waited until Jonas’s deep breathing subsided before asking bluntly, “So, how long have you been flying from your family while justifying that claim?”

The slow turn of Jonas’s head almost made him look like an owl, but the murderous glare he gave to Copper could’ve made his glass of milk curdle in an instant. “What?”

“I’m just saying,” continued the stallion with a lazy shrug while holding his glass, ignoring Jonas’s stare on him, “for someone who talks about standing his ground, you’ve sure been up in the air for a while to avoid speaking to your wife or kids.”

Jonas’s entire form raised higher while on the stool, looming down at the stallion like a falcon eyeing an upcoming kill. Of course, with the way Copper continued to drink his milk, it seemed like he was treating the Gryphon’s stare down at him like he was being eyed by a curious kitten. When he finally looked up to see the burning fury in the Gryphon’s eyes, the only response that came from Copper was a very casual “What?”

Jonas made a bloodthirsty snarl, his head leaning down closer to Copper’s. “I am already in a bad mood… Do you really want to get on thinner ice?”

The stallion only blinked once in response, his neutral expression unwavering. After a second of silence, Copper’s eyes narrowed up at the Gryphon as his tone grew more stern. “Listen, General, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with a Gryphon who wanted to hurt me, and he did a lot more to me than you have right now. So unless you plan to actually put a talon on me, which wouldn’t be a good idea since there’s a unicorn nearby, I suggest that you stop acting like you’re going to intimidate me.”

Jonas’s claws clenched tightly, undoubtedly imagining this stallion’s throat in his clutches. With the way Copper was looking up at him with no sign of fear or hesitation, the Gryphon felt like he was talking to that damn pony Troy was marrying again. In fact, the intense stare from this stallion’s eyes was unusually similar to that guy.

Of course, with every second that passed in eerie silence, Jonas’s rage began to subside as he reluctantly thought it over. Even if he did punch this pony hard enough to fly him over to the wall, all it would give himself was a knock-out spell of some kind (or whatever combat skills the bartender most likely knew from her background), and at least a night or two in some cell not fit for Gryphons. And since it was clear that Copper wasn’t going to even flinch at him, Jonas let off a low, growling sigh before pulling back to settle in his own stool.

“I’m not running away,” growled Jonas in a nasty tone as he looked over at him. “I’m just giving my wife some space.”

“Is that what you think she wants from you?” asked Copper bluntly. “Space?”

A loud slam broke the bar’s silent void as the Gryphon’s claw pounded at the bar. “Listen, you little--”

“No, you listen!” interrupted the pony as he kept a cold stare on him. The Gryphon paused for a brief second in surprise, which was enough time to make Copper continue. “You have the chance to keep your wife and kids from leaving you, and all you’re going to do is sit in a bar and sulk about it?!” Looking fed up with him, Copper turned back to his glass as he shook his head in distaste. “Even I didn’t give up that quickly.”

“HEY!” shouted Jonas in instant anger. “I did NOT give up!” He then pointed a talon at Copper and added, “And what the BUCK gives you the right to talk like that to me?!”

“Because I made the same mistake that you’re making.”

Blinking a couple times in confusion, Jonas’s talon slowly came back down while looking at him perplexedly. Copper didn’t look back, and instead looked at his glass of milk, which was right at the middle of empty and full.

“I used to be like you,” began the pony in a more saddened tone. “I thought I knew exactly what was the best for my son. And… and after his Mother passed…” His voice temporarily froze for a moment, only to come out softer when he finally regained the ability to speak. “... I really thought that I knew what was best for him… even though I was too busy drinking to think clearly about myself…

“I had it all planned out: he would find a nice mare to settle down with, get married… Heck, maybe he could have a foal or two, just so he could be a parent like I was…” 

Jonas nodded in silence, understanding the stallion’s thought process fairly well.

“And at the end,” continued Copper while holding his drink,”it didn’t even occur to me that anything else could work out for him. I always imagined the life I wanted for him, and I… couldn’t even imagine it going that differently without it seeming… wrong… And that was where I screwed up...”

A strong grimace could be seen growing on the pony’s face, which prompted the Gryphon to stay silent for a brief moment before asking, “So… what happened?”

Copper only made a weak sigh that came out as a barely audible whinny though his lips. His head sunk lower in his seat. “Well, I… found out that he didn’t like mares.”

Jonas’s brows raised for a second, and he looked away from him with a small nod. “Ah.”

“But… that wasn’t the bad part…” The stallion rested his head against one of his green hooves propped against the bar, only staring at his drink with a more regretful scowl. “Do you know what it feels like to know your child won’t grow up the way you expected them to? To have all your plans and ideas get turned over on its head like… that?”

“More than a few times,” answered the Gryphon in a more honest tone.

“Well… when that happened to me, I… didn’t act that differently from you. I thought that he was making a mistake, and… that he was just trying to make his life harder for himself. I didn’t know what to do, so I drank… and drank…”

He couldn’t take much more, and his head sunk into his hoof to cover his eyes. “When… when I finally came to…” The pony’s voice came out shakily as he struggled not to choke up. “I was… covered in blood…”

Jonas pulled back, his eyes widening while he looked back at the stallion. Before the Gryphon could say anything, Copper put up a hoof to clarify. “I didn’t kill him,” he said as quickly as he could through his disheveled state. “... Thank Celestia for that, but… I still hurt him badly enough that he never wants to talk to me again…”

Jonas blinked a couple times, keeping his beak clenched shut as he slowly turned his head away. “Well, uhhh… I wish I knew what to say…”

“Of course you do,” said the pony bitterly when his eyes turned towards him. “If you knew what to say, you wouldn’t be here, would you?”

Jonas made a quick glare back at Copper. “Don’t you try to compare me with YOU! I didn’t hit my kid!”

Copper’s eyes only narrowed on him as he replied bluntly, “Did you want to?”

Even though his beak didn’t open, his lack of an immediate response was enough of a reason for Copper to huff and turn away. The Gryphon merely growled to himself as he looked back down at his claws, which were clenched tightly in anger. Of course, at the sight of his talons fisted inward, he immediately relaxed them, not wanting to remind himself of what almost occurred at that bakery.

“That was what I thought,” said the stallion firmly, although he still shook his head with a heavy sigh of his own. “Of course, you don’t even realize how lucky you really are. I didn’t get the chance that you have right now. You’re able to go back, and keep the family you have if you really wanted to. All I had was my son, and... one of the last things he said was that I was dead to him…”

Despite still being pissed off, Jonas’s expression softened a bit when he looked back at the pony. Meanwhile, Copper picked up his glass of milk, moving it around a little to see the liquid inside swirl. “I never thought that I would experience anything worse than losing my wife, but… how I acted towards my son was the lowest thing I’ve ever done…”

The Gryphon had nothing to say, and only nodded weakly in silence. After taking a small sip of his milk, the stallion paused for a moment as he put his glass back down. “Let me ask you something… What do you think a parent is supposed to do?”

Jonas blinked with a look of bafflement on his face, but shrugged before answering, “Well… if I learned anything from my own Father… it would be to guide your children to a life that’s best for them.”

Copper turned his head towards Jonas with a curious glance. “How so?”

“I dunno. Like…” Even though he wasn’t sure what kind of answer would be best to shut this stallion up about it, Jonas took a breath before continuing. “When I was younger, my Father was one of the toughest, unmoving bastards I ever knew. I used to hate him when I was young, but I’ve come to realize that he always knew what was best for me. If it wasn’t for him, I never would’ve joined the Forces like he did, and push myself to get a high ranking and make something of myself.”

His talons tapped at the bar table a couple times, emphasizing how much Jonas was thinking about what to say. “Honestly, I… still think of him as one of the smartest Gryphons I ever knew… He understood that you have to be firm if you want someone to grow up right, and… you shouldn’t try to have them go for something less. If you love someone, you… you can’t have them settle for less than they deserve.”

While the Gryphon kept his head away, Copper nodded silently to his answer. “So… you think that your son marrying a stallion is going for something less?”

“Of course I do!” He looked back at him with a scowl on his beak. “What would YOU call it?!”

Copper shrugged, and looked back down at the bar with his hooves crossed as he sighed. “Well… I’d say that what your son was doing was brave.”

“Brave?! How would you call wanting to be with another male brave!?!”

“Well, he stood up to you, didn’t he?”

Jonas opened his beak as he raised a talon to retort. However, despite his maw being open for several seconds, no words were able to come out of the Gryphon. Grateful that Copper wasn’t looking at him during that, he slowly closed his beak and put his claw back down while looking away from him.

“And also,” continued the pony, seemingly unfazed by Jonas’s failed attempt to defend himself, “It shows that he didn’t have to adhere to what others wanted him to be.”

The Gryphon gave a deadpan stare, looking at him like he just suggested something as ludicrous as two plus two equaling seven. “What?”

“Let me explain…” Copper took another sip of his milk, making the Gryphon wait for him to put the glass back down to give his explanation. “I used to have that same state of mind about being a parent. That… that having a child meant raising him to go down the path you want him to go, but…

“I learned that having that mindset doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t matter if you made the child, they’re still their own beings. They have different ideas, different dreams, different goals and outlooks on life… Even if they end up like you, they’re never going to be like an exact clone of yourself. In the end, what you have to ask isn’t if your child will be like you, but… if your child will be happy with what they choose for themselves…”

If it wasn’t for the fact that he was sitting on a barstool, Jonas would’ve been able to lean back to think about the pony’s answer. But still, it was clear that Copper’s explanation was reeling through his head as he sat with his forelegs crossed on the bar as well. For almost a minute straight, neither of the two were able to say a word; of course, the only reason that Copper stayed silent was because he could see that the Gryphon was in deep thought when he made a small glance at him for a second.

The stallion grew a small smile on his muzzle as he looked back down at his hooves. “I never would’ve thought in a million years that my son would’ve ended up as successful as he is now. He’s independent, running his own successful business, and fully living up to his special talent. Heck, he… he even got the attention of Royalty from doing what he does... “ A light chuckle escaped his lips before he added, “He… he’s also in a relationship I never would’ve expected, but he seems happier than ever would’ve been with a mare… It… It never even crossed my mind that he could do so much, but… I couldn’t be prouder of him as a Father…”

When he looked over at Jonas’s stoic state, Copper almost wasn’t sure how much his words may have sunken in. But still, he gave an irritated huff when he added, “And after everything I tried to do to get him back, he rejected me because of what I did to him. I don’t blame him, but... “ He sighed painfully as he looked away for a moment, his face slowly growing angrier with each passing word. “I would’ve given anything to keep my son in my life… And to be fair, I almost did… I loved him with all my heart, and I still do. But unlike you, I was willing to try and prove that.”

Even with everything else that Copper said, that last statement was enough to set the Gryphon off. With his golden eyes burning, he faced the stallion with his beak snarling. “Don’t you dare think I’m going to tolerate that!”

“Then let me ask you something else...” The pony put his glass back down before looking at Jonas sternly. “Do you love your family?”

The Gryphon was almost flabbergasted at the fact that Copper actually asked him that question. “What?!”

“Answer the question,” said Copper more firmly. “Do. You. Love. Your--”

“YES!” Jonas threw his claws up as he interrupted him, not extinguishing his own anger by any means with that answer. “Yes, I love my family! They’re the most important thing in my life!”

“Then why the buck are you still here?!”

Despite Jonas being more than a couple feet taller than him, the stallion kept a furious glare up at him as his tone became more dedicated. “Seriously, why are you willing to let your family leave you if you care about them?! You want your children to live a life that’s best for them, but you’re willing to leave them without a parent the instant they do something you didn’t expect?! GROW THE BUCK UP!!”

Ignoring whatever reaction Jonas would’ve given him after that rant, the stallion finished the rest of his milk in one go, downing it like one of his drinks he vowed to never have again. After slamming his empty glass back on the bar, the stallion panted heavily for a moment before making his tone more somber. “I… I would’ve sold my soul to Discord for the chance that you have right now. My son was the only family I had, and I lost him because I acted like the ignorant bastard you’re being right now. And unless you want to end up in the same spot I’m in, you’ll grow enough brain cells to realize how much you need your family in your life.”

Jonas, who was just staring at him wide-eyed, could only blink a couple times in shock. While he didn’t see the stallion as being threatening in any way, it was still a drastic enough change for the Gryphon to be momentarily unable to make a response. After pushing his empty glass of milk to the edge of the bar, Copper slowly turned his head to give Jonas a bitter glare.

“You talk about being a man, but you should know by now that part of being a man means admitting to being wrong when it happens. And if you’re not able to do that, then you don’t deserve the chance you’re given.”

With that, Copper leaned into his own seat in the bar, resting his head on the wooden surface as he kept his muzzle firmly shut. Not needing to say anything else, the pony only kept his sights forward in the empty bar while letting the silence linger between them. 

For almost five minutes, not a word was spoken between either of them. And since he had his head turned away, Copper had no idea what the Gryphon was doing. Of course, with only the sounds of Jonas’s heavy breathing coming from the side, the stallion was hopeful that he was at least trying to think things over.

By the time the clock came to 12:15, Copper’s ears twitched upward when he heard the sound of the stool next to him being pulled back. Not turning his head, the pony only heard the sound of several more bits being placed on the bar before the Gryphon walked out in silence. As soon as the door closed behind Jonas, leaving Copper alone in the bar once more, the bartender finally came out of the back room with a worried glance. “Ummm… is everything alright?”

The green stallion lifted his head and nodded while she collected her tip. “Yeah, I hope so…” He looked over at the door of the bar for a moment, biting his lip in contemplation. “If he’s smart enough.”

“Well…” Looking at the number of bits left by the Gryphon, Galliano smiled as she turned to the stallion. “It’s supposed to be last call around this time, so you want anything? I think this tip’ll cover it.”

Thinking it over, Copper grew a smile of his own and looked up to her. “Well, I… wouldn’t mind a cranberry juice if you have one.” 

“You got it,” said the bartender cheerfully as she pulled his empty glass of milk away from the bar, and had a wine-glass full of cranberry juice floated over to him. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” When he picked up the glass, the pony chuckled a bit as his smile grew. “Well, this is convenient. I was wanting to make a celebration anyway.”

“For what?” asked Galliano with a curious brow. “For not getting mopped on the floor by that guy?”

“N-no,” said Copper with a shake of his head. “I… I wanted to celebrate my son.”

“Oh, really?” She leaned in against the bar with a smirk on her muzzle. “Who’s your son?”

With a proud smile on his face, he looked up at her while holding his glass. “My son, Canvas. I just found out he’s getting married.”

Galliano’s eyes widened in an instant, her head immediately crooking back towards the door that Jonas just left. Meanwhile, Copper took a congratulatory sip of his juice before adding, “Good for him…

“Good for him.”