Zaps Apple

by Electuroo

Chapter 38: A Book of Adventure - Part Two

Zaps Apple

Chapter 38: A Book of Adventure – Part Two

“I am never questioning comic book logic ever again!” Gallus was very annoyed as we all reached his home and landed... well me, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle crashed and tumbled over each other in a pile of three different colours of wings, tail and paws. “It took me months of trying to even get to fly! You three did it without even trying!” He walked up to us.

Putting his talon out to me, I took it and he helped me up onto all fours. He helped the other two out as well. “Part from the landing, you three kinda suck at it. So it's not all that bad I guess....”

“Ah.” Applebloom spat out a yellow feather from her beak. “Ah never want to fly again! It felt all wrong in so many ways! Ah don't get how Pegasi like to fly most of the time!” Applebloom turned to Scootaloo. “No offence but ah'd rather have mah paws and talons on the ground.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “It's no biggy. But it was awesome to really fly! Even though being a griffon sort of cheated it from being my normal self. I got to feel what it like to be Rainbow Dash! Flying with my own power! Getting to have the wind blowing through my feathers! I loved every second of it!”

Sweetie Belle looked up at the very large building. “You live here?”

“Yeah I do. Third floor of the apartment building; good view of the park down below from my window, and my adopted family is really cool in their hyper own way.” Gallus answered.

“You mean like me? With Applebloom and the others? I was adopted too. Even with my brother back he want me to stay with them. He said I was really happy there at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Are you?” I nodded in reply. “Same with me. Gabby might not be my real sister, but to me she's the most hyper-friendly, cheerful and most helpful griffon I know of, and without her I am not sure what I would be doing right now. She's been like a big sister to me even though we're about the same age.” He chuckled a little.

Gallus pulled out a folded-up thing. “What is that you got?”

“Oh this? It's my wallet. I keep my cash, debit card, personal photo and this key card to get into my home in it.” Gallus pulled out a weird looking flat plastic thing with a black strip on one side and the other side saying 'Tiptower Apartments'.

We watched him push it into a slot by the door, and as he covered the pad of numbers on it with his wing we heard a set of beeps. That's when the door unlocked and he removed the key card and put it back in the wallet. “It's a two part security lock?” Night Spark examined the pad and slot.

Gallus shrugged. “I guess it is. We also have a security guard at reception too.” Gallus walked in and we followed. “Hey Riptide, they're all with me. These are my friends and their parents.”

Daring Do gave him a questionable look as we did, but she raised a wing tip out of view of the guard and waved it back and forwards slightly before closing the wing back up. Guess we had to play along... “Very well Gallus, have them write their names down in the book and sign here, they're good to go.”

The light green griffon wearing a dark blue uniformed top with a white button shirt under it held out a weird looking flat pad with a stick in the other talon. “Take the pen and write your name here and sign here.” He pointed the tip of the stick on one part and then the other. “Once you leave, let me know and I will do the rest.”

“Erm...” I took it first and looked at it. “I am not sure how to use this...”

“Press it gently on the screen and write your name, little one. And put your signature under it.” I wrote my name out on it but it was a bit messy, and scribbled under it best I could.

“Is that okay?” I asked nervously.

He took a look and chuckled. “I can see you're not use to writing on a tablet. It's fine, we have many youngsters and adults that do not like to use technology. They try to avoid it much as they can.”

Everyone else took turns to do the same, and each wasn't much better than mine. holding the stick was weird, and writing out my name on it was just as strange. I think they found the same thing going through their minds too as they finished. “Sorry that it's a bit messy, but safe to say we're still getting our heads around these devices.”

“Say no more ma'am. Hope your children have fun with Gallus. I'm sure you and their parents will have things to talk about.” He warmly smiled to us. “Hope you all have a pleasant day.”

I went up to the stairs to start climbing them. “Where you going?” I turned to Gallus, and so did the others. “We do have elevators for a reason.” He pushed a button, and with a ding a pair of metal doors opened up. “It also faster then climbing three flights of stairs.”

“We are pressed for time, so we'll go with this elevator.” Daring Do stepped in and so did all of us.

Gallus pressed the number three button. The doors closed and with a shudder I felt as if we were moving up fast. “Whoa, is this going up?”

“Sure is, Scootaloo. There's two of them that go up and down the side of the gorge too. But those ones are for disabled and elderly users only.” Gallus explained.

“So if I was still my true self and I couldn't fly, I could have used it?” Scootaloo asked.

Gallus chuckled. “Yep you could have.” The whole thing shook slightly and a ding came with the doors opening. “Third floor, this way to our home.” He left the evaluator and we followed him down the corridor.

We soon came to a white door with the number 319 on it. “Before we enter, just to warn you: Gabby is a hugger, and she loves to hug newcomers into our home.” Gallus slipped the card in and as before hid the pad from us with a wing. The door unlocked and he pushed it with his talon. “Welcome to my home. It's not much but it's home.”

“Gallus is that you!?” A female voice called out in the instant we all walked in, as Daring Do closed the door being the last to enter.

“Yeah it's me Gabby! I've brought some friends around and-”

Suddenly peering around an open door near the end of the hallway was a griffon who was a few tones of grey, with a yellow beak and talons, and with some of her feathers tied up by a blue hairband. Gabby squealed seeing us. “I knew Gallus would make some new friends! Can I give you four a welcome hug? Please?”

Gallus put his right talon in front of his beak and whispered to us. “She won't stop till you say yes. And she'd give ya the puppy eye treatment too.”

We saw her talons closed together with a begging expression and wide eyes. “This is sappy but okay...” Scootaloo allowed it.

“Okay! I will have a hug!”

“Ah will too.”

“I would like to.” I answered last. She suddenly scooped Scootaloo up and hugged her, than Sweetie, Applebloom and finally me.

“Oh you're all so-” She looked at me with a tilt of her head. “Hey, you remind me of that pony in the Equis series.” Gabby, still hugging me, took a good look into my eyes. I gulped slightly. “Whoa, you have the same eyes as Zaps Apple in the comic! That expression!” She let go off me and I landed on my rump.

Gallus looked a bit nervous. “Hehe yeah he does, but-”

Gabby put her talon around his beak. “Gallus, you're hiding something, aren't you?” He shook his head, his eyes shifting away from her gaze. “You're my little brother; I can tell when you're not being truthful! That shift is a dead give away!”

Daring Do was taking note of Gabby as she kept Gallus from speaking. “She's good,” she whispered to Night Spark, but I heard her too.

“No point pretending with her.” Night Spark stated.

“Agreed...” Daring Do stepped up to Gabby. “Gallus is helping us, I am-”

She turned to Daring Do squealing. “You're Daring Do, aren't you!? Really are the one and only Daring Do adventurer pony! But as an griffon! That pin on your shirt is a dead giveaway for your cutie mark! I bet a magic mirror or some weird magical item was involved, wasn't it?” She was right in the face of Daring Do.

Gallus rubbed his beak. “I should of known better trying to hide it from her. She's way too good at almost anything she does. I have no idea how she does it and she's been my sister like four years.” He put his right talon out to Gabby.

She giggled. “Oh it's so simple, silly! They have the exact colours as the ponies they should be! No! They have the eyes, it's one thing you cannot change no matter what you look like! Even Night Spark! His eyes are slitted!”

Now we all looked to him as he shuffled his wings slightly, with an uneasy look at each of us as we now could see it. “Question is, what would you do?” He asked now, looking at her seriously.

“Oh that's simple! I'll help get you all home! You might be comic book characters to us, but with the crazy past where belief in magic was soooooo much more widespread than today, anything's possible!” Gabby giggled. “It all changed about 1000 years ago at the old Griffonstone, the ruins close to the centre of our city. That area has been a no-build zone for historical value when the greed of griffons almost put a end to the very city. That's when they choose to rebuild, and that's what happened when the old stuff was left to fall apart over the centuries.” Gabby spun around on the spot.

“Yeah like she said, if it wasn't for the few that choose to abandon the old life for a more different approach, this city, the villages, towns and the way of life we have now wouldn't really exist. Got to admit that we griffons are a prideful race that rose from the ashes.” Gallus rubbed his head slightly and walked over to the window. “Have a look for yourself: this is what 1000 years has done for our kind.”

We all walked up to the large window and looked out to the vast buildings scattered around, griffons flying around on other skyways. “We're not exactly perfect. We have our flaws and crimes happen, but overall the government of our nation works to try and give all that live in our borders an equal chance in life, to learn and improve upon themselves and others.” Gabby gazed at the city landscape with us. “It's our home.”

Daring Do slowly looked at the view we had. “For a city it has charm.” She noticed in the distance what looked like to us like a very old and tall structure. “That's the palace?”

“Yeah that is. It stands to the test of time.” Gallus stated. “What, you've seen it before? You couldn't have, could ya?”

Daring Do sighed. “I sure have... At Griffonstone in our world, it's falling apart, and the griffons there are rude and greedy beyond reason.” Daring Do turned to Gallus. “Somehow your version of the world parted from the way things happened in our world. That must of happened over 1000 years ago where Snowtip hinted.”

Gabby squealed again. “She so amazing! I always go to her once a week to get a comic on anything to do with you, Daring Do! Your adventures are always fun to read and look at! Like the first issue to fifth all about the statue you had to get.” Gabby quickly flew through the hallway and turned sharply, before disappearing and reappearing with a comic book in her talons.

“Equis Special Series, Daring Do adventures. Quest for the Sapphire Stone: Issue one.” Daring Do read out loud, taking hold of the comic herself and looking at the cover. “Wow, they really got the artwork down pat.” She opened up the first page and flipped through some. “My story started after I crashed in the jungle and injured my wing. This goes a step further and shows it, impressive.” She closed it up and gave it back to Gabby.

Gabby giggled, holding it close to her chest. “That it does! Sometimes an artist can go that extra mile that a book can't!” Gabby grinned. “What brought you all here, by the way?”

“This... My latest issue of Zaps here.” He hinted to me and pulled out the comic to show her. “I just got it today for free from Snowtip.”

“Ooooooh, Snowtip doesn't give things for free without a reason! She must have known that the book had some magical reason behind it, since she has all sorts of magical artefacts!” Gabby stated.

Gallus frowned. “Come again?”

“We're losing track of why we're here.” Daring Do cut in. “Snowtip is willing to help us in her own weird way; I haven't seen anything to concern me on what she could be. We have already seen one of her magical artefacts. For now we need to find out why the pass is so important to fulfil our reason of being here.” Daring Do wanted to cut to the chase, putting her talons on each of their shoulders. “Can you two help us?”

Scootaloo smirked slightly. “I bet you're interested in that hourglass that flows up and freezes time for a few minutes.”

Daring Do glanced over at her. “I am. I've never seen an artefact with that kind of magic before. Must be native to this plane of reality.” Daring Do summed up.

“Gallus, why not take them to your room and get your laptop out. It'll be faster searching for anything about the past through the internet. Luckily our aunt is looking out for us at the moment. Mum and dad are on their honeymoon.” Gabby turned to Night Spark. “How are you at the kitchen?”

Night Spark frowned. “We at the royal guard are taught to cook the basics at least. But I took some advance classes. Why?”

“That's good enough for me! Come on with me to the kitchen!” She waved him to follow. “We're going to cook up some grub for eight griffons!”

Night Spark turned to Daring Do. “Having something to eat would help. I'll go and help her. You find out what you can and make sure these four keep out of trouble.”

“Hey! We've been good so far!” Scootaloo glared at him.

“Exactly.” With that he took his leave with Gabby.

Applebloom stared out to the city. “Have ya noticed that we got help not only from Gallus, but also his sister, because of Snowtip?”

“Yeah, wonder if what she says is so trustworthy?” Sweetie Belle wondered. “I mean we were pulled through a book and turned into griffons, and throughout everything Gallus has just been helping us.” Sweetie Belle flexed her wings, opening them out and closing them again. “Why do we have such control over them too?”

“Didn't Snowtip state that the human Rainbow Dash in the Equestria Girls comic learned to fly instantly even though she didn't have wings in the first place?” I recalled what Snowtip talked about at her stand.

Scootaloo rubbed her beak with a thoughtful look. “Yeah she did. Also she gave the comic for free. Are we really in another universe? Or are we in a book, and all the help and why we all can fly are just parts of it?”

“Did we all become friends--and Applebloom became my sister like Applejack and Big Mac our big brother--in just around a day or two?” I recalled those first few days very clearly. “I hardly had any memories of anything scary about Granny with those pans.” I rubbed my feathered head, thinking about it and laughing nervously.

Sweetie Belle tapped the side of her beak. “Come to think of it, didn't we become friends at Diamond Tiara's Cute-Ceañera because we all had something in common?”

“Yeah, that was the day ah tried really really hard after Twist got her cutie mark to get mine, even goin' so far to get Twilight to magically make one appear on my flank.” Applebloom stated with a giggle.

Scootaloo laughed too. “That was when we came up with the name the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Yeah it sure was Scootaloo!” Applebloom clapped talons with Scootaloo. “Wow so that was a clap or slap?”

“I guess so, guess the plus side is we're all griffons at the moment.” Scootaloo stared at her talon hand.

I looked around. “Where did Gallus and Daring Do go?”

Gallus called out from an open door to our left, a bit away from the large window. “In my room!”

We got up and walked up to the door, noticing it was a similar colour to him, with white clouds painted on it. When we entered, the walls of the room were light blue with clouds all over, the ceiling was like a sky too, and the floor was white carpet that felt very soft to the touch. “Whoa, this room is awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she looked around too.

Inside was a bed against the wall, close to the window overlooking the gorge and the park below. There was a wardrobe, table, and desk with a chair that Gallus sat at, with Daring Do looking over his shoulders at the lit-up flat device. His palms were against the desk while his talon tips pressed away on letters and numbers.

“Thanks.” He stopped for a second, turning to us with a foreleg on the top of his chair. We noticed the comic books on shelf racks in a glass display case, showing different pictures of Applejack and the others, each with issue numbers and titles. There was even a collection showing me. It was weird seeing me on so many different book covers as I stared at the case. “I like to display my comics. It's my pride and joy.”

“It's so strange seeing so many with us and others of Ponyville on these covers...”

“Tell me about it.” Gallus said. “When I look at them now I feel like I am spying on you guys.”

Daring Do smirked slightly. “In a way every living being is spying on each other in some way or the other, but only on the key points in life and not the small parts.” Daring Do took one and opened it up. “It says nothing in here about everyday life, like me as a writer. It doesn't show me sitting at a desk typing way my stories for the Daring Do fans.”

“Yer right.” Applebloom quickly looked through a few comics, just the pictures. “This doesn't have anythin' about Zaps' test in the hospital and findin' out he has a similar high level of internal magic like Rainbow Dash has.”

Gallus frowned slightly. “What?”

“Look, all it shows Zaps bein' treated and that's about it. Nothin' about the talkin' that took place.” Applebloom raised it up and I could see what she meant too.

I thought about about it and felt the sadness. “I was sad about what Diamond did...”

“Wow, that really is something.” Scootaloo took a good look through some of them. “Hey, there's nothing in here about Twilight getting zapped by the massive Zap Apple tree and Pinkie taking a photo of it.”

“Seriously!?” Gallus looked through the issue Scootaloo held after she gave it to him. “Oh come on! That would have been seriously funny to see!” He slumped in his chair, grumbling to himself before sitting back up and giving the comic back to Scootaloo. “Well I'll just have to get the juicy details between the pages from you guys.”

“Ah guess, but we would like to get home. Wouldn't ya if yer stuck in Equestria like we're stuck here in Griffonstone?” Applebloom brought up a valid point.

Gallus sighed. “Your right Applebloom, but some small details on the way wouldn't hurt.” He turned back to the device, typing away. “Do you really have to breathe behind my head feathers Daring Do!? It's annoying!” He turned slightly, glancing at her.

Daring took a few steps back and found a bean bag cushion to sit on. “Okay, I'll sit here kid.”

“Thanks. And if you're all wondering, if you get it or not, this is a laptop and I am surfing what's called the Internet, a massive library that always has new things put in it on a daily basis by every living being on the planet.” We looked at each other with confusion as Gallus told us what that weird thing was and what he was doing on it.

Scootaloo stepped up beside him, looking at it. “Laptop? What does that even mean?”

“Do you have computers?” Scootaloo nodded. “Twilight's lab right?” Another nod. “That massive thing can only do simple things. This is a way smaller, more advanced computer that does a lot more and has more power.” Gallus smirked. “Let's just say us griffons are about hundred years ahead of ya on some stuff like our technology.” He tapped the top of the laptop.

“I am not sure if that's just too much egghead stuff or just plain awesome that it's small and looks cool.” Scootaloo took a good look at the screen. “All this from inside the laptop: this screen and that pad of letters and numbers?”

“More inside that I don't get personally, but to us this is just basic stuff now compared it giving you all a massive headache. If I tried to explain, it would be just going over all your heads.” Gallus was right about that for sure. We didn't understand it. “It might take some time to get any real facts about the ruins and the pass, because on the internet you have the cookoos that come up with all sort of rubbish.” Gallus turned back to the laptop.

Scootaloo sat down with me. “So we sit here and read comics of ourselves?”

“Nah, you can watch TV if you like.” He raised a long black thing, and with a push the large flat screen on the wall came to life and started to show moving pictures.

“Seriously!? You can watch movies without being in a cinema!?” Scootaloo looked at the moving pictures and sound coming from it.

I heard a song coming from it. “What's 'Transformers robots in disguise'?”

“Just watch it, I don't want to ruin it.” Gallus chuckled.

Applebloom shrugged. “Guess it wouldn't hurt. It's just like the cinema or the movie projector Twilight has.”

Daring Do raised a brow at the sight of it. “By the names that flashed up, my guess that this is a cartoon.”

“Yeah it is.”

“Your land just gets weirder and weirder...” Daring Do muttered.

Gallus chuckled again. “Oh trust me, if I was in Equestria without my phone or any of this, I'd be pulling my feathers out of pure boredom. Even though I got my comics, I still have my phone to text friends and access the internet.”

I was watching what called a cartoon on this TV with wonder. “I don't understand why not having something like this makes you bored. Isn't there lots of other things to do without this stuff?”

“Think of this in another way...” Gallus stopped typing and turned around to us again, the chair turning with a push of his paw. “Unicorns use their horns to pick things up and use magic on a daily bases. Pegasi fly all the time; even Scootaloo uses her wings a lot to speed around with her scooter to get around. And Earth Ponies use their amazing strength to pull stuff around and do amazing things to the land. Take that all way from them, and what do you think might happen?”

“Oh...” the Crusaders said together.

Daring Do ruffled her wings. “I know that all too well.”

I took a look around, noticing the devices including another one under what he called a TV, with what look like a joyboy without the screen on it. “What if you were able to visit Equestria? Wouldn't you like a trip there for a short time without all this stuff? Get to know our home like we're getting to know yours?”

He raised a talon tip up and no words came out of his mouth as he opened it. He closed his beak, looking at me in deep thought. “Weird enough, I would, come to think of it. A trip or holiday is one thing, but being trapped there for a long time is ano-” He looked to each of us. “Oh griffon feathers... I've been showing off, haven't I?” We all nodded to him. “Right, time to show off the right way and help all of you get home! Snowtip believes I can do it. Do you all think so too?”

We nod again. “Right! Time to get to work!”

Not sure how much time passed, as I was curious about this Equestria Girls series of the Equis comics. I found out through it that Twilight went through a portal mirror and found herself as another race like we did, but unlike her we kept our internal magic and for some reason knew how to fly. I saw Rainbow Dash--the human one of her--gain wings and know how to use them from the get go.

I glanced over at my large black wings, opening them and closing them a few times, feeling the feathers shift over each other and the movement of the wings. It felt as if I always had them. I got up to use the toilet. Finding it and using it was different to the ones in Equestria, but afterwards as I washed my talon hands I looked at myself in a full sized mirror.

This was the first true time I got to see myself fully. This body had black fur-like feathers around my eyes, chest, and ear tips, and feathers on the back of my head and wings. I had yellow talons and slightly lighter yellow fur on the rest of my body, with these lion paws and the tail I had. I squeezed the paw toes inwards and released, feeling the three toes on these paws move by my will.

Leaving the toilet I could smell something through my beak that made my mouth water slightly. I had never smelt anything like it before, but it really got my stomach growling. Following the smell, I peeked my head around the corner to see the kitchen with Gabby and Night Wing making dinner. Night Wing was at the stove I think, but this one looked really black and weird. “Hey Zaps! Did you smell dinner?”

“I did. What is it?” I took another sniff.

“Not sure if I should tell you first.” Gabby rubbed the back her head. “We griffons have a different type of taste to what you have in Equestria. But why not try this and I'll tell you.” She cut something covered in golden brown, but white in the middle. She took it with her talon tips and hand it to me.

I took it like she held it, taking a sniff of it. “Wow, this smells amazing!” I put it in my beak and chewed on it and swallowed with wide eyes. “That even tasted amazing! What was it?”

Night Spark was concerned. “It was fish, something once living.”

“I ate fish like Fluttershy's bear eats? But why does it smell so good and taste so yummy? I remember what it smelt like and didn't like it or the taste.”

“You tried?”

“I was curious, never thought it would hurt to try. But I hated it. It was vile, but why is it good now?” I licked my beak a little.

“It's because your a griffon at the moment. Hay would taste okay but almost bland to a griffon. haven't you noticed at the Trade Fair that some griffons you saw didn't really get anything made of hay?” I recalled that as Night Spark spoke to me and nodded to him. “Same applies to these griffons and us for that matter.”

Gabby giggled at my expression of confusion to get a understanding of it. “When we go home, will this upset my stomach?”

“No silly, it won't. Twilight didn't have any bad affects from all the stuff she ate in Canterlot City. So you'll be fine too.” Gabby put her talon on my shoulder. “Think of it as learning to be one of us.”

I nodded with a smile. “I will, Gabby. Thank you!” I gave her a hug and she returned it.

“Go back to your friends. Dinner will be up soon!” She winked and went back to the table top, cutting up carrots, lettuce and other vegetables.

I turned and head back to Gallus's room, I was left in wonder of what the others would think, eating a piece of cooked fish like I did. It was strange to eat something that a bear ate some of the time, but it didn't feel wrong. It just felt okay and normal. “Guess being a griffon made me feel like a griffon.” I whispered to myself.

As I entered, Gallus cheered in delight with his forelegs raised over his head. “Finally found something! After searching through and finding nothing, then searching the same thing in a different context, I finally got something!”

“What did you find, Gallus?” Daring Do asked right away as we all gathered around his chair and looked at his laptop screen.

Gallus moved a small device around on the table. A click came from it as he pressed his talon tip down on the right side of it. “The only useful thing I really found was in the myths and legends, but it was vague on the details part form translations on markings found in the palace ruins.” He showed a picture to us with writing on the side of it.

What we saw was about ten griffons in what looked like robes, with their talons raised. Markings were showing energy coming from them and being poured into a blue statue. A beam came from it and down into the pass, a tight-looking cliff on either side. “The two-headed beast of the storms and wind sealed deep below with all the power we had left, the idol of Boreas lost forever into the depths where the prison of Oapious the beast of storms and wind now lays.”

Daring Do read the description out loud to us, and with her talon tip close to the screen she continued to read it out. “Griffonstone may survive, but what it is now lost. The seal we used shall not last forever. The third alignment of the moon is when the depths deep below shall set him free... Only the blue statue of two heads shall let the wandering traveller from worlds beyond... Pass...” Daring Do stared at it with an few blinks.

“Is that talking about us?” I asked.

Gallus took a good look himself. “That was over 1000 years ago! How can writing on a wall from all the way back then say you would be coming!? That-”

“Princess Celestia somehow knew mah sister and her friends would free Luna from Nightmare Moon,” Applebloom said to Gallus. “It might be different since it was a small number of years, but it's all still there. The Sonic Rainboom was the key to it all.”

Daring Do put her talon on the bag she'd be carrying since we arrived. “That statue, where is it now?”

Gallus groaned with both talon hands over his head. “In the museum but in pieces. A would-be robber tried to steal a few years back and got caught. Not wanting to give it back whole, she smashed it into the ground, shattering the statue into seven big pieces.” Gallus explained to Daring Do. “If it still had magic in it, it doesn't now...”

“What are the chances that we arrived in the world moments from him being freed?”

“Daring, that's too many coincidences...” Gallus turned to her as she opened the bag, pulling out the sapphire statue. “Is that really-”

“That statue from your first story!?” Scootaloo cut in and screeched like a bird upon seeing it. She put her talons over her beak. “Hehe, sorry, didn't realise I could do that...”

Gallus chuckled. “You can roar like a lion too. We are half lion, half bird after all, and all awesome!”

Daring Do coughed and the attention was on her again. “When is the alignment? And how exactly does this statue work with a pass that has intense wind sheers?”

Gallus quickly turned to the laptop, typing away. “There's one-” He paused, staring at the screen. “This can't be. It says tonight at 11:32 pm.” Gallus sat back in his seat.

“What's the matter?” Sweetie saw the worry on his face.

“I completely forgot there is a festival tonight! And it's right outside in Greenspark Park! It's a huge field that holds all sort of special events, carnivals and so on throughout the year in Griffonstone.” Gallus opened a drawer and pulled out the leaflet to show us.” It's the Lunar Eclipse, and it has to be directly aligned with the pass. The Lunar Eclipse Festival is a really big deal around here: it only happens every three years.”

I took the leaflet and read it out. “Come to Greenspark Park, and join in the festival of the full Lunar Eclipse for the blood moon with friends and family. Rides, games and entertainment throughout the evening. All are welcomed to celebrate in the 500th blood moon of Griffonstone.”

“What's a blood moon?” Sweetie Belle asked and took the leaflet. “Why is the moon so red in the picture?”

“It's when the moon moves behind the shadow of the planet from the sun, and the world's atmosphere reflects light that turns it red when fully eclipsed.” Gallus explained. “But if I know anything, that never happens in Equestria because your princesses control the sun and moon. While here, nothing does. It all works on a principle of gravitation laws.”

What Gallus told us was shocking to hear. We all turned to the window, seeing the sun in the distance. “You're telling me that your sun is controlled by nothing!?”

“In way yes. It's own control is the fiery fusion that gives it immense gravity, which keeps our world in orbit around it, and the gravity made by our planet does the same with the moon.” Gallus said with a shrug to us. “Different universe, different rules. Not all have tones of magic floating around.”

Scootaloo rubbed her head. “I guess so, but it kinda makes my head hurt thinking that it's moving on it own.”

“Not really. We're moving, not it, there's just the illusion of such.”

“Wait what!?” Scootaloo blinked. “You're saying we're moving, but how?”

“I am curious too, since we got time at this moment. Care to explain?” Daring Do was now curious, and so were we.

Gallus got out of his chair and flew over to the wardrobe. He opened the top door, pulling out something with balls stuck to it. “This I had since I was way younger. Things like this in school got my attention, so I wanted to know more.” Gallus pointed to me. “Come up here and hold this, will ya?”

I flapped my wings and came up to him, hovering next to Gallus and taking the end of the string for him. “This still feels weird to know how to fly...”

“I bet, but just go with the flow okay?” I nodded to Gallus. “Right here's the sun, and here are all of the planets, about eight of them in our solar system. I'll tell ya later about those others; this one is our world.” He pointed to one, the third one out. “Now watch.” He pushed it and spun it at the same time. “As you can see, the world spins and moves around the sun, giving us the days and nights we have.”

“Wow, we're really spinning?” Sweetie Belle looked down at the carpet. “But I can't feel it.”

Gallus laughed a little. “Of course you won't. It's moving very very fast but because the world soooo big--” He pulled his forelegs apart from each other. “--We don't feel a thing! Everything looks almost flat, but if you look at how the clouds and sky dip behind you can just notice it a little.”

“I can!” Sweetie Belle stated, looking out the window. “Wow, so we're on a very big round world that spins fast, and it goes around your sun? What about ours?”

“That's easy, Celestia moves the sun and Luna moves the moon. Our world doesn't play by the rules of relativity.” Daring Do responded. “That's what you're going on about, right Gallus?”

He took the model off me and put it away. “Pretty much. I am glad you all got open minds on this.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “We're griffons at the moment, seeing things that we've never seen before, and all these comics of us and some of those in Equestria; it's all crazy but we're here.” Scootaloo held the leaflet now. “But if this Oapious is going to be freed tonight, what can we do to stop him?”

“We? Oh no, this is where you four stay out of this. I am not putting you in harm's way. Night Spark will aid me, but we will figure a way on the fly. There's the question of how to get into the pass though.” Daring Do was not going to let us get involved, and rubbed her underside of her beak.

Gallus pointed to the screen. “My guess is you use the statue over the pass to open a corridor of calm air to the bottom. The blood moon most likely will reflect off it and give some weird magical power that will do just that.”

“How can you be so sure?” Scootaloo frowned at him.

“Simple. Daring Do has done it many times in her adventures. And didn't Twilight use dark magic to open up those doors in the Crystal Empire to get to the Crystal Heart with Spike and save the day with Princess Cadence?” Gallus said to us as he took a comic book and showed us the pictures, flipping through them.

I shivered at the sight of Sombra as seen in the comic book. “He's creepy...”

“Yeah he was.” Gallus closed the book up and put it back.

Gabby called out loudly with excitement. “Dinner's ready! Come on, griffons!”

Gallus closed the lid of his laptop down. “Let's go and have dinner. We'll figure this out after we've eaten. I don't know about you lot but I am starved.”

My stomach growled. “I second that.”

“Me too!” Scootaloo lifted her right foreleg up.

“Ah'm hungry too.”

“Let's go!” We followed Gallus out of the bedroom.

Gallus led us all into a large room with a big long table in the middle with chairs around it. Gabby was placing the last few dishes down, with Night Spark filling up glasses with apple juice. The room was filled with cupboards, and in them were rows and rows of picture plates on display. “Mum loves her plate collection! These she collected over the last 20 years or so I think. But they're still cool right?” Gabby noticed us looking around at the plates.

“They're pretty.” Sweetie Belle replied. “Rarity would love to have something like this.”

I sat at the table looking at the food prepared: it was the breaded fish I tasted with potatoes that looked cut and cooked. With it was a mix of vegetables on the side, and with the plate was a knife and folk on either side. I picked them up with my talon hands. “This looks so yummy!”

“I also got to admit, it does look really tasty and it smells amazing!” Scootaloo took a sniff of her food.

Applebloom sat down and looked at her plate, staring at the fish. Poking it with her fork, she took hold. “What exactly is this? Ah never saw anythin' like it before.”

Sweetie Belle sniffed it herself. “Not sure, but it smells really good though!”

Daring Do joined them at the table as Night Spark, Gabby and Gallus took their seats. “It's cooked fish.” Daring Do revealed it to them.

Applebloom gasped. “Fi-fish!? Ah'm not-” She turned to see me cutting it up and eating it with some of the cut cooked potatoes. “Zaps!”

I swallowed and licked my beak. “What?”

“Yer eatin' somethin' that was alive! That's what!”

“I know, Gabby told me. But like Twilight when she was in the human world reflecting ours in the comic book I saw, Twilight had stuff that shouldn't agree with a pony, and it didn't affect her when she returned home.” I replied.

Applebloom went to take my folk away, but Daring Do put her talon over Applebloom's. “Applebloom, think of this way: you're experiencing what it's like to be a griffon in these lands. Gabby made this for us to experience and keep our strength up. I, being an adventurer, have seen really strange and wondrous things. This adventure put me through many many loops but I am rolling with it.”

“What will Applejack say!?”

“Maybe she'll get a bit upset over it, most likely.” Night Spark admitted. “But what do your senses say when you look at it? The truth.”

Applebloom gulped, looking down at her plate as Daring Do let go. “Ah feel mah stomach growlin' and in pain. The fish looks so tempin' to eat.”

Sweetie Belle decided to cut a piece and throw it right in her mouth without a second thought. Chewing slowly, she closed her eyes tight until she opened them with surprise. She swallowed, still surprised at what she experienced. “Wow, that was really good! But I feel bad that I am eating something that was alive...”

“It's part of being a griffon.” Gabby explained to them. “It's part of our diets. I know you feel bad, but it's just what it is. I look at it and wonder what the fish looked like, but I know I eat it and enjoy it.” Gabby looked at her piece of food. “Pegasi eat fish, don't they?”

Scootaloo gulped with a nervous laugh. “Hehe... Yeah, but only about once every few weeks or so...”

“Yer do?” She nodded. “So do Rainbow and Fluttershy?” Another nod. “Wow, ah never knew...”

“I do as well, and cooked like this. Pegasi need it. We keep it to ourselves as a race, including the thestrals. It was part of our diets far back before the Celestia Era begun.” Daring Do told Applebloom and the rest of us. “We can eat hay, fruit, veg and all that stuff all the ponies can eat, but one thing that's required as a feathered or any winged race is fish. The protein helps our wings and regulates our bodies. We managed to slim it down to a few weeks for a bit of fish.”

Applebloom rubbed her claw under the beak before taking a look at Scootaloo. “That explains why the pegasi aren't often around every two weeks at lunch hour, includin' ya Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo drunk a little of the apple juice and put the glass down. “It is, Applebloom. I might not be able to fly, but it's still part of me. Hope that's okay...”

“Ah guess it is, but why keep somethin' like this from all of the other ponies?”

“It's basic knowledge in books and such Applebloom, we just don't say. Ponies can easily look it up.” Night Spark raised his claw and closed it slightly.

Applebloom cut a piece of fish. Sniffing it again, she raised it to her beak, pulled out her tongue and licked it, and put it in her mouth later, chewing a little before swallowing. “It is tasty, but it feels wrong. But if this is what Scootaloo has to eat every two weeks than ah will experience it for her.” She smiled to Scootaloo, who returned it with a smile of her own.

“Me too!” Sweetie Belle smiled warmly.

“Hmm mmm.” I nod. I still had some food in my beak as I had happily eaten some of my food in the exchange, so I swallowed. “We're Cutie Mark Crusaders, right?”

“Right!” they cheered.

Gabby squawked happily seeing us cheer. “Oh I love everyone getting along together! It makes me happy that we're all friends here now that we all just met!” She took her glass and held it up. “To awesome friends!”

“And to an adventure that no pony or griffon saw coming.” Daring Do rose her glass.

Gallus raised his. “I can toast to that!”

“To friends and adventure!” we all said together, raising our glasses before we went on to eat the dinner Gabby and Night Spark prepared.

Comments

[Literary]

To friends and adventure!

It is true.