TWILIGHT
I had never been to Griffonia before. Of course, I had always wanted to go (who wouldn't), but from my magic studies as a unicorn to my newly found duties as the Princess of Friendship, I had really never gotten time. I got to send Pinkie and Rainbow, of course, but I was extremely jealous the entire time they were gone, especially after I heard what they'd done to Griffonstone. From my reports, it was still like that, which pleased me greatly, but the place that Celestia had just teleported us all to was not, in fact, Griffonstone.
Now, being an Equestrian colony, I had expected Cydonia to look very Equestrian. I had a feeling it wouldn't be a true experience of Griffonia, and that the town I'd be placed in would just be a lot like a small town on the countryside. I was very, very wrong, because after taking one look at the place, it was clear to see that the Equestrian Colony of Cydonia was absolutely nothing like a place back home.
I suppose, if anything, I should start with the scenery. This part of Griffonia wasn't desert like, like Saddle Arabia was, but it was very dry and arid, as well as being a giant steppe, which was in sharp contrast with the very mountainous terrain of the rest of the country. There was a nice wind flowing through the air on the particular moment we arrived, which I found rather pleasant, but really, that was about it. There weren't any animals around, and there wasn't really any fancy geographical locations to look at; it was flat, with a few hills here and there, and that was it.
Naturally, because of this, Cydonia was nothing to look at either. It was very similar to Ponyville, in a way, but even less aesthetically pleasing; it looked like Ancient Equestria, a land trapped in time. The buildings were made rather crudely and small, and the town was very spread out, I could tell, and I hadn't even gotten to the front gate yet; there was a wall, but it wasn't so obstructive that I couldn't see the town within.
I could, however, see the gate very clearly, and what I was greeted with certainly didn't feel welcoming. Two Griffonian Guards, one of each side of the gate, clad in full plate armor, calmly clutched their spears in one claw. The fact that Griffonians could use weapons like spears, swords, daggers, and all the like without having to use magic or the mouth was terrifying enough, but these two took it to the complete next level; I could almost see the spear's edge glimmer off the evening sun, and their golden plate armor was blinding when looked upon the right angle. What was worse, I noticed, were the two flintlock pistols holstered on each one's side.
Ponies could use spears; there was a technique, but it was very clunky, and the only real reason Royal Guards carried them in public was for psychological reason; a guard that had to actually fight at any time usually ended up dropping the spear and pulling out a dagger with their mouths. Equestria had also been developing in the use of the firearm, but they were far from ideal and, at their point in development, extremely dangerous for the user as well. Nevertheless, the phrase "fast as a bullet" was becoming increasingly common.
The Griffons, however, having claws and talons as a part of their anatomy, had taken our designs and long ago created a very powerful and useful firearm. It wasn't nearly to the frightening point of advance that humans had come across, but they were still extremely powerful, as well as deadly. Despite this, they had a tendency to blow a Griffon's arm off occasionally, so they were typically only used as last resorts despite their effectiveness; in my eyes, that did nothing to ease my nerves.
It didn't appear to ease the nerves of my companions, either. Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer looked rather nervous; Starlight more openly, as I had caught her biting her hooves a few moments earlier, but in Sunset it was more reserved; she didn't look the part, but her consistent paranoia in looking in various directions every once in a while, as well as her constant sighing that I was certain she was not aware she was doing, it was easy to tell. The only member of the group that didn't seem at all worried was Trixie Lulamoon; in fact, she was bewildered by everything. She smiled widely, her mouth agape, as she took in the scenery, even though there wasn't really a lot to look at. I couldn't help but grin at the fact; her constant traveling clearly made her develop a fever for new discovery.
I had come to expect the greeting I'd get at the gate, and it still caused me to jump; when I got within five feet of the guards, they crossed their spears in front of the gate quicker than I'd expected. They had to have been practicing that, because it was done so flawlessly that I doubted it was just something they could nonchalantly do.
"Princess Twilight," The guard on the left began. He had a deep voice, and through the form fitting helm that completely covered his face (minus his eyes, of course), I could see a small grey feather sticking out the back, leading me to believe that he had grey fur underneath his suit of iron. "You're supposed to be at the capital in Auster, in discussions with the High King Sanguis, though I must say I'm impressed; you've arrived much quicker than we'd thought," he said. I nodded respectfully.
"Princess Celestia teleported us here. I thought I would visit some of my subjects before we headed off? The Griffonian Empire did say Cydonia was still ours in his letter to the Princess," I told them. The guard on the left nodded respectfully as well, and, in an instant, their spears uncrossed themselves.
"I see no particular harm in it, though I assure you that you'll be closely monitored throughout your visit. OPEN THE GATE!" spoke the guard on the right, calling the last order over the wall behind him. His voice, though deep as well, wasn't particularly terrifying, until he yelled the command; it sounded as if the demons of Tartarus were unleashed through his howl.
It took a few seconds, but eventually, the large wooden gate that was the entrance to Cydonia slowly began to open. I heard Trixie whisper "wow" behind me, while Starlight and Sunset stayed silent; I thought I heard a gulp from somewhere behind me, although I very well could have been imagining it. Once the gate fully opened, I got my very first, full glimpse of the colony of Cydonia, and I was absolutely stunned.
I know I'd previously called it a city out of time, but I literally thought I was staring at a Renaissance Fair for a second. What must have been the market square was right there when the gate opened, and music was playing throughout the square; I thought it could have been bagpipes, but the mumbling of the merchants made me unsure. There were brilliantly colored tents set up everywhere, and because the ground was about eighty percent dust and ten percent grass, it did well to compliment the landscape. I stared at it for a few more moments before the left guard's baritone voice brought me back to reality.
"Well? Are you going stand here all day?" asked the guard. I gave a short chuckle and shook my head.
"No, not at all, I'm just a little surprised. I do have two questions though, if you don't mind," I told him. He waved his arm in front of him, motioning for me to continue; It may have been the fact that this was an Equestrian colony, but I was very glad that these guards were friendly, as I feared I wouldn't get the same reception in Auster.
"My first question is more of a curiosity thing than anything, but do all royal guards around Griffonia speak Equestrian?" I asked him. The left guard immediately shook his head, but it was the right guard who actually answered me.
"Most don't, unless they're in Griffonstone, where the citizens speak Equestrian, or here, as they're an Equestrian colony. You'll need a translator when you walk up to Auster, because the guards there won't have any idea what you're saying," said the guard. I smiled at him.
"Non puto quod suus 'iens esse problema. Lingua satis scio," I told the guard. Since he was in full plate armor, I couldn't gauge his reaction, so it took his next words to reveal what he felt about the fact that I also spoke Griffonian.
"Not bad. It'll work, though it's by no means perfect, although I'm still impressed. What was your other question?" asked the guard. I turned back to the rest of the group, who had been strangely silent the entire time we'd been in Griffonia, but they looked at me almost eagerly to continue; I gave them a warm smile before turning back to the right guard.
"I'm looking for some specific ponies here; who could I ask around here that knows everypony in town to ask where they are?" I asked him. The right guard turned his head to the left, who promptly spoke.
"I've been on this shift for ten years; there isn't a pony in this town I don't know. Who are you looking for?" he asked.
I mentally debated in my head for a second. It would probably be safer to ask someone inside the city, seeing as the guards were Griffonian officials, but then again, I was a princess; whatever I did in this city would be known to everypony (and griffon) in a matter of mere minutes. Plus, I could get the information now, and not wander around the town blind, which I didn't want. I turned back to Sunset in particular, my question coming in the form of stare in her eyes, my eyebrows raised. She shrugged in response, and so I turned back to the guard.
"I'm looking for Lotus and Blaze Skywalker. Do you know where they are?" I asked the guard. He pulled his head back in curiosity.
"Lotus and Blaze? I'm not sure what you'd want to do with any of them, but they own a shop called the South Wind at the very end of town. They run it in shifts, and you'd best hope Blaze is the one running it when you get there, because Lotus is so unapproachable that there's a rumor going around town that she's an automation of some sort. I think that "Yes", "No", "Hello", and "Goodbye" are the only words she knows! Blaze, however, is probably the coolest pony I've ever met; he's a particularly big hit with the mares, too. I'm curious, though; why do you want to see them specifically?" asked the guard. It took all my might to keep my smile; I was horrible liar, perhaps even worse than Applejack. Thankfully, none other than Trixie came in to save me.
"We have heard much of the exotic goods to be found in Cydonia, the South Wind in particular. Trixie has heard that they're the best at their craft," she said. I was nervous now; that was a big stretch, as it depended on how good the store actually was, but, thankfully, the guards bought it. The right guard nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, I can't blame you for that; no one produces better items on magic and its study than the South Wind. It's almost a straight shot down the middle of town. When you see the banners of Equestria and Griffonia on either side of the street, you're gonna want to turn left and it'll be right there," he said. I gave him a thankful smile.
"Thank you so much! Come on, girls, let's go!" I shouted, before proceeding to walk into town.
It was as foreign from the outside as it was the inside. I still felt like I was at some medieval reenactment; There was a booth in the market square that was selling swords to some of the Griffons, for Celestia's sake. At one point, a pony jumped out at me and asked me if I wanted to buy one of her homemade hats; I politely declined, but I couldn't deny their craftsmanship. Once we had passed the market square, and began down the road the Griffon guard had directed us to, Sunset quickly came up from behind me to walk at my side. I was the first to initiate a conversation.
"You nervous? Because I definitely am," I told her, causing her to chuckle a bit. She sighed before nodding.
"Yeah, I am too. This place is nice, though; I never thought I'd ever see Griffonia in my life, though I'd assume it was on better terms," she told me. That garnered a chuckle from me this time.
"I sent Pinkie and Dash to Griffonstone one time. Well, the map did, at any rate, and I was extremely jealous that I didn't get to go. I'll have plenty of time to go back, I guess, now that I'm a Princess, but I'd love to see this place when it isn't called enemy territory. Those are the two banners, by the way," I said. Sunset looked up and saw the banners in question, and once we hit the cross section of the street, we quickly turned left at the corner.
"Hmm...it's strange. People don't seem to recognize me," I told Sunset. It was true; ponies saw me, but didn't seem to know who I was, and even if they didn't, they still didn't seem surprised by the fact that I was an Alicorn. Sunset shook her head.
"We're still in Griffonia, Twi. They don't bow to their leader when he or she arrives; in fact, they don't do anything. Part of being a griffon is the source of pride, and they have a strong belief that they are all equally important in the very function of their society. As such, they don't value one particular individual over another, although there is heavy respect for their rulers amongst the citizens. I wrote part of my thesis for Celestia School for Gifted Unicorns on Griffonian Magic, by the way," Sunset explained. I didn't know any of that, and I nodded thoughtfully. I was about to respond, but Starlight called out from behind us.
"I'm guessing that's our place?" she asked. Sure enough, a dangling sign from outside read, in a cursive font, the South Wind. The building itself was absolutely nothing spectacular; an extremely simple building, rather small, with only a singular window in the front, though I couldn't see through it. A handwritten sign was hung upon the door, with a single word in block letters; OPEN.
"Onward and upward!" said Trixie with glee as she walked right ahead of us and towards the door. I turned to Sunset, who, despite not liking Trixie in the slightest, seemed impressed by her initiative and, turning to Starlight, found the same thing. Thus, I, too, pressed onward, and followed Trixie towards the door; the rest of the group followed.
Once I walked in behind Trixie and took my first look at the shop, I was immediately impressed. It was merely a four wall store with a singular room, but there was plenty to look at; two bookshelves on opposite sides of the room, filled to the brim with magical tomes, and a shelf behind the counter with implements such as staffs and potions, of every variety I could think of. Inside the counter was a selection of small daggers, likely for the last resort of the aspiring wizard. The counter was impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the mare behind it.
Lotus Skywalker, as I assumed it to be at this point, was nothing short of absolute perfection. Her fur was as pure a white I had seen, and mane and tale were the precise color of the sun, and her eyes matched it. Her mane was perfectly done up, long flowing on both sides of her face. He tail, too, was equally well groomed, so finely that it seemed like it was a singular piece instead of individual hairs. When she saw us enter, she looked up at us with what had to be the most monotone and emotionless look I had ever seen a pony give.
"Hello, welcome to the South Wind. Tell me what you're looking for," she stated, her voice high but smoothly melodic. I was drawn aback by the bluntness of her statement, but I cleared by throat and quickly recovered.
"Oh, we're not here to shop, though this is really nice place. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle! This is my student, Starlight Glimmer, and my two really good friends, Sunset Shimmer and Trixie Lulamoon. Princess Celestia told us to see you," I told her, giving her a warm smile. Her face did not change in the slightest, and she nodded.
"I expected. I assume you'll want my brother, Blaze? He's upstairs. I'll go get him," she said, before casually walking away from us and going up a very small stairwell I didn't see when we first walked in. Once she had faded out of sight, we stayed silent for a second before Starlight spoke.
"When did Maud Pie die her mane and fur?" she asked, causing all of us burst out laughing. Trixie, I had remembered, worked on Pinkie's rock farm, and had thus spent a lot of time with Maud; more than all of us combined, more likely.
While the joke was funny, I could already tell that Lotus was no Maud Pie. Maud often had her eyes half closed, as if she was always bored and never really wanted to be wherever she was at the time, but Lotus didn't have that look. Her eyes were wide open, and in them I could see the same thing I see in Starlight and Sunset; that sparkle in her eyes. Maud was never really aware of everything until she had to be; Lotus, I could tell, was taking in everything in front of her at lightning fast speed. I could easily believe Celestia's claim regarding her intelligence, and she'd barely even said anything to me. I stared at where she had just been standing for a few moments longer before a voice from upstairs brought me back to reality.
"Well damn, Lotus, I'd think you were telling a joke, but you're Lotus, so Princess Twilight is actually here," said the voice. The voice of who I assumed was Blaze was also a little higher up, but not at all melodically feminine like Lotus's was. When they both emerged from the staircase in question, my mouth immediately dropped in shock, and, although I wasn't looking away from the pair (nor did I want to), I was sure the rest of my group was doing so as well.
He was, bar none, the most attractive stallion I had ever laid my eyes upon. Much like Lotus, his mane and eyes were the same color; rich, dark blue, shining like ice. His mane was pitch black, and, while Lotus was a unicorn, he was a Pegasus, and so, he was not large or muscular; rather, he had a graceful and sleek physique. I had only now seen their cutie marks; Lotus had a simple open book as hers, while Blaze had two crossed spears as his. It completely stunned me; they were obviously adopted, as their varying color schemes showed, but they were absolutely flawless in terms of physical attractiveness, to a point where I didn't quite think was possible. Hopefully, they were perfect on the inside as well. When Blaze saw me, his eyes lit up, and he ran over to me, completely ignoring everypony else.
"Princess Twilight! It's an absolute honor! I apologize for any lack of enthusiasm you got on the way in here, but let it be known that Lotus is extremely excited that you're here! Ain't that right, Lotus?" he asked, turning to her. Lotus did not move an inch.
"Yes," she said, with zero hint of anything that could remotely be called excitement. Blaze turned back to me, a nervous grin on his face.
"Yeah...she's great, I promise. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to Cydonia, and specifically, here? I'd assume you'd be back home with the threat of invasion," said Blaze. I shook my head.
"Celestia told me that she thinks Sanguis is bluffing in this whole deal, and that he seeks something far more powerful and menacing. She told me that if anypony were to know what it was, it'd be Lotus. I know it's vague, and I don't entirely buy it myself, to be honest, but do you know what she may be talking about?" I asked, leaning past blaze to look at Lotus. For the very first time since I'd met her, Lotus gave a show of emotion by raising her eyebrows at me.
"Do you know of the Axe of King Guto?" she asked me.