//------------------------------// // The next morning. // Story: House of the Awokens // by grammar404 //------------------------------// Rey felt heavy, her eyelids were barely open. She could feel someone gently, but frantically, slapping her cheeks. It was a light slap, one could call it a tap by the use of someone's palm. She must be laying on the floor as she could see the ceiling and its blinding light in front of her. She heard a few sobs and felt a few cold drops of water on her face. She moved her gaze a bit and saw a woman, her pale skin filled her with joy that reminisced the feeling of playing with snow in the early days of winter. The woman's auburn hair made her remember looking up from her book and seeing the leaves fall, in autumn, from their trees, plastering the sidewalks where people merrily walked. And that cool guy who brought newspapers, rang his bell as he drove with his bicycle pass the falling leaves. "Please, please!" The woman cried. "Please, don't end up like my brother. Don't disappear, Rey. Not you too." The woman letted out more sobs, holding Rey close to her. Rey could see the grief in her green eyes as they sparkled with tears falling down her cheeks. Why is she crying? Rey felt her hand lifted itself up, trying to hold the woman's cheek, but failed halfway. Her hand fell onto the russet carpet, the cool air felt like its engulfing her; getting cooler by the second. She couldn't hold her eyes open. It feels like sleep was every inviting and inevitable. The woman jerked, sobbing more loudly than before. "No, no! No! Please, Rey, please!" She cried. Rey tried to, just to relinquish the woman's distress, but couldn't. As she felt her consciousness fading into sleep, she heard a deep chuckle coming from a man as she inhaled her last cold breath. It was early in the morning in GriffonStone. The light from the raising sun had only covered the city, the top of the Hyperborean mountain, while the lower parts were shadowed by the ground structures around them. Griffons were going around their way, either going into other cities through train or opening shops, Griffons are moving around in hopes of acquiring bits. Grumpa Gruff sat on his red coach in the living room, browsing the daily newspaper of Equis Time. A morning cup of coffee sat on a little table beside him. He took it with one talon and took a nice sip as his half opened eyes read the through the paper. 'Princess Celestia of Equestria has been reunited with her banished sister after a millenia!' it says. Gilda got out of the kitchen and placed the plates upon the table. She let out a yawn, the events of last night still left her quite exhausted. Grumpa Gruff spared a glance at her direction but then shrugged, her granddaughter had been in various kinds of jobs. Turning a page on the newspaper, Little Squick came from her room, rubbing her eyes as she lazily walked towards the kitchen. Grumpa Gruff raised an eyebrow. Was his wee Squick out last night? Her sister would have probably been furious but both seem to be quite tired. He's mind was filled with a few questions. Little Squick sat on her chair, pushing it forward the table, as Gilda poured some food on her sister's plate. The older Griffoness went back to the kitchen to attend her Grampa's meal, sizzling on a hot stove. The Griffon cub's thoughts wandered back to the creature they took from the wreck last night, who now rested in one of Grumpa Gruff's old guest rooms. There was something weird about it, it affected her like when she set her eyes upon the lost Idol of Boreas; her sister had to choose from a conflict of emotions, but her? When her eyes caught the creature's, she felt loyalty swelling inside her, just like the Idol did for her pride. So it was easy for her so choose. Little Squick continued to eat her breakfast: rabbit meat, beans... oh look! Green peas. It was some time later that Gilda called Grumpa Gruff for his breakfast. Little Squick just happened to finish up that moment and was ready to go to school. She was by the door when Gilda approached her. "Listen, kid," said Gilda, in a stern voice. "don't tell anygrif about what we have in the guest room, alright? Not a word about last night's event too. Don't go against me this time." "I– I won't, " replied Little Squick, her head downcast. "I–I'm sorry, sis, about disregarding your orders. I didn't mean to disrespect, I just really, really love the night." Gilda groaned. "Come here." She gestured with a talon. Little Squick moved forward and hugged her sister tightly. Her head half buried in Gilda's feathers. The older Griffoness patted the cub's head, brushing her crest from time to time. "I love you, sis." "Eechk." Gilda grumbled with faux disgust. "Too sappy." They both giggled. "You best be going now. Don't go wandering about, go straight to school, a'right?" Little Squick nodded. "Right." She twisted the doorknob and pulled the door in. She waved goodbye to her sister and flew to class. Seeing her sister off, Gilda went back to the kitchen to clean the dishes. Grumpa Gruff sat on his chair, a half eaten meal of medium rare pig meat and beans lay on his plate. His face buried behind the newspaper that he had been reading from the coach. His coffee, which was turning less hotter by the minute, was half empty, positioned to the right of his plate. "So," said Grumpa Gruff. "How long did the lecture last this time?" Gilda sighed. "It was the shortest." Grumpa Gruff lowered his paper a bit to look at his eldest granddaughter. He raised an eyebrow. "How come? Your lecture always grow longer than the last." "She went to the Abysmal Abyss." "What!" The old Griffon exclaimed. Standing up and pushing his paper against the table. "I lost it, I was succumbed by disdain and went into a tantrum." She replied, placing a cleaned plate back into the cabinet. "You didn't hit her, did you?" Grumpa Gruff said in a low voice. "What?" Gilda stopped her dish washing and turned to look at her grandfather. "Of course not!" "Then what happened." "She bolted out and I followed her." She continued to clean the dishes. Grumpa Gruff could feel something was being kept from him. He could also feel something odd in his house, like something was out of place. He pondered about what her granddaughter said about last night, both seemed exhausted so something must have happened. "That's not all is it?" He asked with suspicion. Gilda caught wind of it and she knew Grumpa Gruff would eventually knew, he will just give her a hard time for lying. The Griffoness gulped, a trickle of sweat ran down her forehead. Gilda's face turned to that of a worry and seemed hesitant on answering. "You promise not to tell anyone Grumps?" He nodded. Gilda sighed. "When Little Squick came home, she wanted to tell me something, say's she 'found' something in the Abysmal Abyss. But I heard non of it as I was disappointed about her nightly shenanigans. I followed her after she flew out of the house during my unnecessary out-burst. I caught up on the Abysmal Abyss, the wind current there wasn't as strong as usual, rather nonexistent. I saw Little Squick went into this huge, weird, metal contraption. I went after he of course, then after a while there was a series of explosion. The thing began to jerk and rumble, it was probably sitting there, unstable, in-between the cliffs. I worried for Little Squick, knowing her, she probably went in a straight direction, so I quickly dove there. I found her in a place which resembles a bridge in an Equestrian Airship, she pointed at a weird looking minotaur, asking me to save it. So I did. A large boulder pierced the deck straight through and made the fall of the ship to 99 percent. We were about to fly out when we heard a clanking sound... it... it was the Idol of Boreas." "The Idol!" Grumpa Gruff exclaimed. "Where is it now?" Gilda shrugged. "Gone. Nowhere, the Idol fell into the Abysmal Abyss, forever lost." The old Griffon sighed in disappointment. "And the minotaur?" "As sleep in one of your old guest rooms." Grumpa Gruff stood up. "Show me." "That is the weirdest minotaur I have ever seen." Said Grumpa Gruff as he stared at the weird looking, shaved, pale minotaur with short blonde mane; wearing what seems to be are combat breastplate. A pauldron hanging by one of its shoulders. The minotaur was fast asleep, her face was filled with calmness and serenity, which it also emits on its surroundings. Turning his head towards her granddaughter, Grumpa Gruff asked, "Are you sure she's a minotaur? Doesn't look like one." Gilda tapped her chin and has an eyebrow raised. "I don't know what it is." She turned to her Grumpa. "You called it a she?" "Aye," he pointed at the creatures chest. "see those bumps on its chest?" Gilda nodded. "Females of minotaurs and other mammals have those." "What are they for?" "Feeding their young." "So what can you tell me about this alien of yours?" Gilda blinked. "Nothing." "Nothing?" Gilda nodded. "Ya brought an alien creature to my house without knowing what it can do?" "It seems harmless enough." Gilda replied. Grumpa Gruff was looking at Gilda, Almost beak to beak, with narrowed eyes. "I've seen cute things turn a town into ruin and they're call parasprites. They thought me not to judge innocent looking creatures to be harmless. Now go to the Abysmal Abyss and look for clues!"