//------------------------------// // Meeting an Old Face // Story: From the Ashes: Ember's Story // by Zoljen //------------------------------// “MISS YEARLING! Those are rare books! NOT STOOLS TO BE USED TO GET AT HIGHER SHELVES!” Ember peered around one of the library shelves in time to see a light gold mare wearing a cloak and sunhat quickly scamper off a pile of books and grin sheepishly to the head librarian. A dark red pegasus next to her, also looking a bit sheepish as the head librarian glares at them. “Oh Leaflet,” Ember mumbled to herself as she shook her head, walking back into the aisle and to where she was. She glanced along the book shelf and grinned when she spotted the book she wanted. She levitated it out and held it in front of her. She grinned as she trotted up to the librarians counter and set the book down. Steady Quill looked at the book, than to Ember. “Going to learn more healing magic?” the aged unicorn asked. “Can never have too much knowledge, I believe that's what Princess Twilight Sparkle lives by,” Ember chuckled. “True, and she’d probably not want you to call her Princess.” Quill slid the book towards Ember. “Enjoy the read. I’m sure it’ll help at the hospital.” Ember nodded and slid the book into her pack, “Thanks again, Quill. See you next week when I return it.” She waved as she turned and trotted out of the library. She trotted out of the library and made her way towards the exit, grinning to each guard as each one nodded back to her. As she walked, she picked up some curiosity from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed a young griffin was watching her, actually it looked more like he was studying her. The griffin had a black and grey striped feline body, and a grey avian that looked eagle. He also wore some form of armor, a very light set of plates over his wings. A light golden shirt with thin bronze plates covered his chest, and showed a few insignias. His blue eyes looked her up and down, and it almost looked like he was trying to remember something. She finally stopped and turned part way to look directly at him, “Can I help you?” “Er, forgive me miss.” His voice was sweet and gentle, despite his tough looking appearance. “It's just, you remind me of somepony I met a long time ago.” “A long time ago?” Ember trailed off. “Who are you?” “Oh!” He grinned and bowed formally. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Lieutenant Quicktail.” He put a closed paw to his chest and thumped it once with a grin. Ember blinked and stared at him wide eyed. “Quicktail?” She looked over the griffin in a bit more detail. “Wow… You’ve, uh, grown up well.” Quicktail tilted his head slightly, looking confused. “Miss Ember?” She nodded, he squeaked and grinned widely. They both closed the distance between each other and embraced in a hug. They remained that way, in the middle of the castle hall with a pair of guards looking at them confused for the better part of a minute. Quicktail let go first and held her at arm's length, grinning as he looked her over. “How has life been treating you, Miss Ember?” “Good. We could talk at my place, but judging from your uniform, you’re here on business.” Ember gestured to his uniform. “Oh, yes.” He straightened up again and grinned proudly. “I am here as an escort. We won't be going back for another few days, however. I am allowed to leave the palace grounds, as long as I let a guard know that is.” He glanced to one of the local guards. “I’ll be sure to let your charge know you’ll be in town. We know where Miss Haze lives, and I assume you’ll be there?” The guard tilted his head towards Ember, who nodded at him. “I’ll make sure he stays out of trouble, Corporal.” Ember gestured for the griffin to follow her. She lead him from the castle, and down towards the lower class area. The griffin does get a few odd looks on the way there, but just shakes most of them off, being a griffin in a pony city after all. Once outside her simple one story house, he tilted his head and looked it over. “You work at the hospital, don't you?” Ember nodded. “Then why do you live here?” “It's all I need?” Ember shrugged as she walked up to it's door. “A roof over my head, walls to hide behind, and a place to stay. It has served me well.” She opened the door and gestured inside. The griffin stepped inside and looked about the quant little place. It looked like one of those studio apartments, A single bed in a corner of the wide living room that also housed a couch facing a fireplace. The griffin continued to look around as he took a few more steps in, his eyes resting upon the wooden statue upon the mantle. “You still have it?” the griffin asked as he walked up to it and sat down, looking it over closely. Ember walked in and closed the door behind her, locking it and turning back to him. “Yup. It was a long journey but it made it in once piece.” Ember moved into a small kitchen and glanced to the griffin. “Tea?” “Sure, beats the sludge of the Sky Wings.” The griffin grinned towards Ember. “I do admit, this is a lovely home. Certainly looks better from the inside.” Ember nodded and started to prepare some tea, “Yes. It has become my home and I’ve made a few friends here.” She grinned at him. “How is your mother doing?” Quicktail sat on the couch and watched her work. “My parents are doing good. Still living in that village you found. Gungnir, er, my father, was forced to retire. He suffered an injury a few years after getting healed by…” Quicktail trailed off for a moment, grinning, “you. And he retired with honours.” He let out a content sigh. “After that, he took time to train me. Help me become a great soldier in the Sky Wings before I was of age. And I only improved when I joined. And we did tell him about you. He wanted me to give you a message, should I ever encounter you again. Thanks.” Ember blushed softly. “You can tell him the same, and he raised a gentlegriff.” Ember floated over a cup of tea to the griffin. “And jasmine tea. It's really all I have. I have a few other flavors, but I figured you may like this.” “Again, anything beats Sky Wing Sludge.” He chuckled as he took a sip of the tea. He chirped and took a longer drink. “Oh yea, this most certainly beats that stuff!” Ember trotted over with her cup in her magical grasp and sat on the floor. “So, you're finally in the Sky Wings, eh?” Quicktail nodded quickly. “Took a bit of effort to get where I am, but I'm happy I did. I got to see the pony who made an impact on my village, again.” Ember raised an eyebrow, the griffin chuckled softly and took another sip of his tea. “You did! A door suddenly getting blasted off its hinges, a unicorn standing on a drake, telling them to chase her, and then becoming a griffin and flying off to lead them away, never to return? Yea, you saved a town.” Ember felt her cheeks redden hard as she grinned sheepishly. “I didn't do that much, honestly. Just protecting you and Light Feather was at the top of my list. I didn't think I had saved a village from drakes.” “But you did, we just never got a chance to repay you. So,” He set the cup down and reached into his chest feathers, pulling out a small necklace that was hidden away. “My mother made this after you left, her best work really.” He held it out, and the little pendant was of a hippogryph. It's detail was small, but exquisite. It showed off the equine hind quarters, even with a small gem upon its flank. It's front half looked like an eagle, part of the griffin form she met Light Feather as, and upon its forehead was a small horn. Ember tipped her head, looking at it, “A hippogryph?” she looked up at him. “Yup, she made a bigger one and keeps it on her mantle above the fireplace. She found a unique way to capture you, without giving up too much of the changeling beneath.” Quicktail let out a sigh. “To think, we had to keep that a secret till that wedding, and even then we kept it.” “Oh yeah, I was in Manehattan at that time. On forced vacation.” She chuckled weakly. “I’ve barely taken any time off while working at Canterlot General.” “Oh, so nopony knows of your other side?” Quicktail tipped his head forward, Ember shook her head in response. “Nope, it hasn't come up at all. So I haven't felt the need to reveal it.” Ember shrugged as she took another gulp of her tea. “Can I see it?” Quicktail asked quietly, making Ember look at him with an eyebrow raised. “It has been a long time since then.” Ember tilted her head slightly, studying the griffin. Was he blushing a little? She grinned softly, nodding and in a flare of her fire, took on her changeling form. She spread her wings out a little, them having grown only slightly since he last saw them. He even saw the pair of scars she had on her chest, which he just now noted she had in her unicorn form too. He started to grin as he studied her, and she picked up on a few stray emotions, ones that she hadn't felt before. She twitched her tail as he continued to look her over, waiting a bit before retaking her unicorn form. He blinked and shook his head. “So, uh…” He glanced around the small house, “I have to ask, is there a Mr. Haze?” Ember let out a soft sigh and shook her head. “Nope. Never really got close to any stallions. What about you?” Quicktail shook his head in response. “But aren't you past that age?” “Yea, funny thing. No females seemed to interest me, and… no males either.” He shrugged and turned away from her. “It's not that I haven't looked, I have. It's just, I couldn't stay focused on them, I guess you could say.” “So that means you’ve never…?” Ember trailed off. “This is getting awkward, I think.” “Yea,” Quicktail nodded and stood up, slowly starting towards the door. “Well, I should get back to the castle.” Ember shook her head. “Stay the night, please? Your charge already knows you're in good hooves, so staying one night won't hurt. And if it does, I can just explain to them that a lone griffin shouldn't wander Canterlot Streets.” She made a gesture towards the couch. “You can sleep there.” Quicktail nodded and sat back down on the couch, as Ember stood up and went for a spare blanket.