//------------------------------// // Viva Las Pegasus (61) // Story: Griffin the Griffin // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Viva Las Pegasus "That was epic!" Gilda screeched once we were back on the ship. "Best show I've ever done." Trixie added. "For a buncha stuck up, high class ponies, they sure had no trouble losin their high attitude and joinin a party." Steelhorn bellowed in his usual Scottish accent. "It was so much fun!" Nadene peeped gleefully. When I look at her, It's almost like seeing Pinkie Pie in cat form. She's just so happy all the time, but I don't mind it at all. She's just.... happy. She's a happy cat. I guess it's because she's finally doing what she always wanted. Having an adventure. She's been super snugly with Maria too, purring and all that. It's like they're a couple of kids. A warm smile made it's way onto my face. "Grif, you alright?" Gilda asked. "Yeah.... I am." I turned my smile to her. "You sure? I mean.... you're smiling..... instead of your usual scowl." "Yeah. I guess I'm just.... happy? Content? I've got my family, we're going on tour, this is the stuff dreams are made of. We really might pull it off you know. We've got so much momentum, and we just keep picking up steam. As long as we recognize potential problems before they become disastrous, we'll be able to do this. It just... it makes me feel good I think." She snuggled up to me and rubbed her head against my neck. "That's good." "And there's Las Pegasus. Now, we did good in Manehatten, but we need to keep the ball rolling. How are we gonna get their attention this time?" "I've performed here once or twice." Trix cringed. "Well, let's just say Ponyville wasn't the first place I was run out of, here they just have so many performers I went unnoticed. Maybe they forgot about me? Anyway, there are several hotels and such near the eastern train station, as well as a shopping center, a few clubs, casinos, and a stage like what was in Manehatten." "Hmm, train station..... central position...... surrounded by everything, open space........ I just got a brilliant idea. Listen up....." The 10:30 express pulled into the east station at Las Pegasus, letting it's passengers off. But the ponies in the train cars weren't the only passenger, oh no, there were also ten figures, five griffins, two diamond dogs, a dragon, a unicorn, and a cat... standing ON the lead train car as it pulled in. "ALL ABOARD!" Maniacal laughter filled the air as the sound filled the alleyways, echoing into the hotels, mall, clubs, and casinos. "Aye aye aye aye aye." A metal guitar opening played, the ponies poking their heads out of their windows, or over some clouds, and others filled the streets, all curious as to where the sound was coming from. The look of shock on their faces was priceless shock as they realized that Griffin the griffin, and his famous crew, had rode into town on the top of the train, and were now holding an impromptu rock concert. News of the show in Manehatten had gotten around, and the ponies were far more eager to get into the party animal role, especially since they were in the party capitol of Equestria. Hooting and whooping rose until the lyrics started. Crazy, but that's how it goes Millions of people living as foes Maybe it's not too late To learn how to love And forget how to hate Mental wounds not healing Life's a bitter shame I'm going off the rails on a crazy train I'm going off the rails on a crazy train Let's Go! I've listened to preachers I've listened to fools I've watched all the dropouts Who make their own rules One person conditioned to rule and control The media sells it and you live the role Mental wounds still screaming Driving me insane I'm going off the rails on a crazy train I'm going off the rails on a crazy train I know that things are going wrong for me You gotta listen to my words Yeah Heirs of a cold war That's what we've become Inheriting troubles I'm mentally numb Crazy, I just cannot bear I'm living with something' that just isn't fair Mental wounds not healing Who and what's to blame I'm going off the rails on a crazy train I'm going off the rails on a crazy train The ponies cheered, clapping their front hooves together, or stomping them on the roads. The clamor of their applause was deafening. And I mean it, I've used the sound amplify magic and yelled to the point I was sure my ears were bleeding, and this was loud. The city that never sleeps. "VIVA LAS PEGASUS!" "WHOOOOOOOOOO!" "DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?" "GRIFFIN PIRATES!" "AND WHY ARE WE HERE?" "TO ROCK!" "Whew. It may be fun, but the rock star life takes way too much out of you. I think we need to do something a little calmer next." "Well, what about we hit a club?" Trixie suggested. "What? Aren't clubs crazy?" "Clubs here are more like classical and jazz clubs. The entire city is crazy, so the clubs are what's calm, instead of it being the other way around." "Well, know any good places?" "There's always Necktie's place. It's one of the few I didn't get booed off the stage. All the ponies wear black, listen to bad poetry, and sing depressing music." "So then, it's an emo club? Perfect!" Gilda and the rest were still exhausted from the concert, so Trixie and I went alone. We walked up to the door, where we saw a bunch of black wearing, body piercing, non-cutiemark-tatooing ponies walk in through an obscure iron door. If you didn't know it was there, you'd never find it. "Just let me do the talking." Trixie instructed as we entered, and were met by a beige unicorn stallion with a tie loosly hanging around his neck, over a white shirt. So, Left 4 Dead Louis as a pony, and replace the pills with depression. "Hey Trixie, good to see you again. It's been a while since you came this way." "Meh." She replied, realistic looking apathy all over her, and in her voice as well. I quickly adopted her mood. "Who's this?" "Grif." She replied in the same tone. "Good, go on in." "Trixie, what they heck was that all about?" I asked her in a whisper. "The guy at the door was...... perky....." "It's a trick. He pretends to be all happy, and if the ones trying to get in greet him happily, he kicks them out. A test, really." "That's..... surprisingly clever. Well, it's fine. I got the vibe of this place. Let's go see what's going on." Two hours of extremely strong coffee and we were getting pretty sick of it. The poetry was as bad as the coffee was strong. It was like eating coffee beans, so it was painful to listen to. It was dark. If it wasn't for my griffin eyesight, I wouldn't have been able to see anything. I'm not sure how anyone else here could see the cups in front of them. Only reason they could see the stage was because it was the only thing illuminated, with a plain hardwood stage, and red curtains barely lit up so they stood out from the shadows, but only just. All you could smell was the bitterness of the world's strongest coffee, and a hint of dust. It was all very plain. "Trixie, this sucks, why did you bring me here?" "Honestly, I don't even know anymore." "Really, it was pointless." "Everything's pointless....." One of the black clad zombies said, overhearing our conversation. "I'm going on stage." "Wait, are you sure you're ready? You don't want to get us kicked out....." "Trust me on this one, they won't know what hit them. I'm going to sing what is quite possibly the saddest song ever written." And then I killed my emotions. My face became blank. I walked up to the stage, and slowly climbed on. They had began to close for the night, but seeing one more standing up there, the ponies who had been just about to leave sat back down to wait and see. I let it come flowing back. All the times I had been picked on, the sting of the insults, the pain, the frustration. I had been holding it back, keeping it in, for a very long time. I had refused to acknowledge it, but now I was letting it back in, letting myself feel the pain. It brought a single tear to my eye, which I wiped away, then steeled myself for what I was about to do. I didn't bother with the spell. I had sang this song so many times I could do it perfectly. I lazily pointed to a pony at a piano to begin playing a tune. I don't know how he could do it with hooves, seeing as how keyboards need fingers, but it's just one of those things I don't question. Just how I'm not questioning how he managed to play the song I wanted either. The somber tune played for a little bit, before I closed my eyes and began to sing. All around me are familiar faces Worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for their daily races Going nowhere, going nowhere Their tears are filling up their glasses No expression, no expression Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow No tomorrow, no tomorrow And I find it kinda funny I find it kinda sad The dreams in which I'm dying Are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you I find it hard to take When people run in circles It's a very, very mad world mad world Children waiting for the day they feel good Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday And I feel the way that every child should Sit and listen, sit and listen Went to school and I was very nervous No one knew me, no one knew me Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson Look right through me, look right through me And I find it kinda funny I find it kinda sad The dreams in which I'm dying Are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you I find it hard to take When people run in circles It's a very, very mad world ... mad world Enlarge your world Mad world I opened my eyes, to find that tears were streaming out of them, and by the glistening in the crowd, reflecting the tiny amount of light coming from the stage, making the darkness look as though it was filled with a multitude of stars, I could tell there wasn't a single dry eye in the house. I gave a sigh, then held the mike out in front of me and dropped it with a thud before I walked out of the place, Trixie close behind. "Grif, that was....... beautiful." "Yeah, don't tell anyone else k?" "But, why?" "I don't want anyone thinking I'm a whiny little bitch. It's been years since I cried properly. I'm always bottling it up, putting it away, and it hurts Trixie, it hurts so damn much. I get to wondering, if I could cut out my own heart, would the pain stop?" I started quaking. "Whoa, hey, whoa, hold on!" She called out as I collapsed in her arms. I stared at her deliriously, and she pet my crest of feathers, trying to comfort me. I started having light spasms, and she had to clock me on the side of the head (lightly) a couple times to get me to snap out of it. "Uh... huh? What happened?" "You collapsed. I think we should get back to the ship." "Uh, yeah......" I wearily flew back on board, barely able to set myself down on deck before I collapsed again, prompting Trixie to lift me with her magic to put me in bed, where Gilda was waiting, first angry about us taking so long, but on seeing me, concerned. I spent the rest of the night crying into her feathers while she stroked my back, whispering soothing things to try and calm me down. The Next Morning "Hey.... you okay Grif? You were really fucked up last night." She asked, voice full of worry. "Yeah. I think I know what happened. I've been holding onto my pain for so long, I let a bit of it out and couldn't handle it. This is Equestria, where things like the 'magic of friendship' and the 'power of love' exist. Here, emotion is synonymous with magic, so when I let myself cry for the first time in years, such powerful sadness which I refused to let myself feel..... I couldn't handle the backlash. Ever get that feeling, where you just want to curl up in a ball and die, and then you get sick?" She nodded. "I think that's what happened. I don't think I can come to terms with my past. I wouldn't be able to survive it." "Grif..... you're a dumbass. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me." She wrapped me in a tight hug, then folded her wings around me, the top of my head against her chin. "I love you, and I will always be there for you, just like you'll always be there for me. You're so strong, and when I see you like this, it scares me. You don't have to carry the weight yourself. Let me carry it with you." How long we stayed like that, I don't know. Minutes felt like seconds, seconds felt like hours, and hours felt like minutes. Pretty soon, Maria called everyone up for breakfast, so I dried my eyes, got my head screwed on straight, put on my game face, and was ready to lead my family again. Gilda was tired from having taken care of me all night, so she opted to go back to bed. "Gilda....... thanks......"