Writing History

by Gaiascope

Chapter Three: Cutthroat Business

Writing History
Chapter Three
Cutthroat Business

‘Thank you for shopping at Waren’s Literature Imperium! Would you like these gift wrapped?’

I keep my professional smile on my face until my last customer for the day leaves. The door closes with only a soft click and my specially patented ‘How To Deal With Difficult Ponies For Money’ falls as I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Celestia’s Mane, that was a busy day! I magically turn the open-closed sign to closed and trot up to the door. I stick my head out and look around the positively empty streets. Apart from the pony that just left my store, of course. It’s not like he evaporated into thin air. Or floated away on a cloud. I roll my eyes as the stray thought makes me think of an incident with Stratos from the other day involving the mailmare, oversized muffin tops, and my now deceased blender.

It had taken half the night to clean all that tapioca pudding off the ceiling, too.

Speaking of which, Stratos will probably be heading home soon, so I keep the door unlocked as I return inside. I pause before casually pushing the door back open several times. Not even a squeak from the hinges; it really was in better condition now than when I first bought it. Passing by the shelves, I stop yet again. After backing up, I give them a closer look.

My word, is that my back wall I see? I haven’t seen that in years. Stratos has been doing such a good job sending in customers that my stock was being bought faster than I could restock. Not only do I have more customers than ever before, most of them seem in a particularly good mood. I suppose that with Stratos’s cheerful nature, you would have to be a made of stone to not have your spirits lifted by her.

And, of course, it’s obviously my excellent business sense and books that got the customers coming back a few days later for more.

If I kept going at this rate though, I’ll run out of books before the end of the month.

Perhaps my excellent business sense is a tad… too excellent.

I can’t put it off any longer. Well, not to say I’ve really been trying to, but looking at what I have left there isn’t very much else I can do. Besides, with all the hard work Stratos has putting in, she deserves a break. I still have to properly show her around town - even if she has been exploring it these past two weeks while advertising for me. And frankly, I too could use some time outside my store as well, no matter how attached I am to the old place.

I make a note on my mental calendar: tomorrow will be a day off. Some time to celebrate in our recent good fortune with a day void of customers and filled with relaxation will be good for the both of us.

Glancing at the shelves again, I grimace. In those half-empty shelves lay the only problem. Unless I plan on selling my customers the hairs off my mane (would I sell the grey hairs for more bits or less? I ponder), I’ll need more books. And unfortunately, the only place to get the amount of books I seek is owned by… him. But it’s one of the (many) grievances I have put up with for my customers in the past, and I shall continue to do so now.

I rid myself of such thoughts when I hear the telltale sounds of a particular pony on the other side of the front door. Hoofsteps approach the door, and then stop. Three steps to the left side of the door, then three steps to the right. A moment’s pause. Two small thuds from two jumps. After yet another small delay, it swings open and I mouth the next part of the routine alongside the mare.

‘Howdy!’

Stratos happily trots in, and magically closes the door behind her. I shake my head and concentrate on the lock. After a metallic click the mare looks around, and realizes she forgot to lock the door behind her. Again. She smiles in apology, and I don’t even bother to tell her anymore.

‘Ah never knew folks in Canterlot were so nice! Ponies are starting t’ greet me on the streets.’

‘Good to know you’re making friends already.’

‘By the way, remember Dorothea? Tha’ griffin Ah send yer way?’

If I remember Dorothea? That’s like asking if I enjoy reading, or dislike steam engines. Not a day has passed where I didn’t find myself thinking about her. To my surprise, she even found her way into a dream. A casual dream, in case you’re wondering.

Oddly enough, it also involved tapioca pudding.

‘I… think I remember her, yes.’

I adjust my glasses and look away. Stratos doesn’t have to know I’m strangely obsessed with a griffin.

‘Ah met her again t’day! She told me to thank ya fer helpin’ her with the book.’

‘Really? What else did she say!? I-I mean… Always good to know a customer is satisfied with a purchase! Ah ha ha!’

Stratos raises an eyebrow at my reaction, but doesn’t seem to look into it too much. Thank Celestia for that. If she finds out I have a crush on a griffin I’ll never hear the end of it. Well… technically I don’t even know if I have a crush on her myself.

It’s a strange situation altogether.

I clear my throat and continue.
‘Anyway… I had something special in mind for tomorrow. We have both been working our hooves off these past couple of weeks, and bits wise, we’re ahead of schedule…even with that thing with the mailmare and the muffin tops…’

Stratos at least has the decency to look sheepish as she no doubt remembers the particular scolding she received when I had discovered the state of my kitchen. I made her clean up the whole thing with nothing more than her own hooves and some supplies from the broom closet, pudding covered ceiling and all.

‘… So how about we take a day off tomorrow?’

Stratos’s face lightens up and she enthusiastically starts to nod.

‘Ah’d love that! What did ya have in mind?’

I pass my gaze back over to my poor shelves and shudder at their nakedness.

‘Well… I need to visit an… acquaintance first. After that I ought to properly show you around Canterlot. How does the royal castle sound?’

Her nodding speeds up to dangerous levels, and I fear her head will fall off.

‘Yes please! Ah can’t wait!’

I smile at her. Sometimes it really did feel like I was raising a filly. During the past two weeks I’ve come to enjoy the time I’ve spent with eccentric mare. And I have come to agree with Werk. She is cute, though not in the same way he meant it. She is chaotic, and clumsy. She acts way too fast without thinking things over and often gets in trouble. But she enjoys every minute of it. Part of why she is so clumsy is because she is too enthusiastic about… well, everything. It doesn’t matter what she does, whether it is making friends or cleaning the store, she does it with a smile, and genuinely enjoys it. Though, as the smile narrows somewhat as my thoughts take over, I had noticed a couple of stallions around Stratos’s age making repeated visits here. They didn’t strike me as the reading types…maybe Stratos has some of her own admirers? I smirk.

I can’t wait to see Werk’s reaction to that little piece of info.

I have also learned that she is a potent mage. For her young age, her control of magic is simply amazing. Not to mention the amount. I always took pride in my ability to float dozens of books at once, sorting them individually. But Stratos can easily float every single book in my store. And the cases they are stood in, for that matter. Re-shelving my books normally took me an entire day, but after Stratos saw me working she simply asked me where every book had to go, and sorted my entire store in under a minute. I never thought it would come to this, but I think of Stratos as my friend now and can barely believe there was a time that I didn’t.

My friend yawns loudly, as I once again find myself lifted out of my own thoughts. I give her another smile.

‘It’s been a long day. Why don’t you head to bed? I’ll finish things up down here by myself.’

She looks at me with hazy eyes.

‘Ya sure..? Ah can…. Help ya….’ She is able to say in between yawns. I shake my head. Poor mare can barely stay up on her hooves after another whole day of work.

‘Yes I’m sure. You need rest, and I don’t plan to take it easy tomorrow either! Just get some sleep.’

‘If ya say so… G’night then.’

‘Good night Stratos.’

I wave a hoof as she slowly trots up the stairs. Then I turn around and start blowing out candles. After the final candle has gone out my store is completely dark. The clouds are covering the sky tonight, and the light of the moon barely puts a dent in the blackness of the night. I trot up the stairs and find Stratos asleep in the hallway, one hoof against the guest room door. Sighing, I trot up to her. The softly snoring mare had fallen asleep upright, with her face lying down on the floor. I softly nudge the blue Unicorn with a hoof.

‘Stratos? You should sleep in bed.’

She mumbles in her sleep and curls up on the floor.

‘Stratos?’

No reaction. With a strange sense of déjà vu, I give up on the idea of being able to wake her up. But I can’t just let her spend the night on the floor. I magically open the door to the guest room and estimate the distance to the bed. I don’t suppose I can drag her inside by a hoof? That would be rude, and it’s about time I train my levitation anyway. I plant my hooves firmly on the floor and focus my magic. A faint turquoise glow appears around the sleeping mare. I close my eyes and force more magic into the spell. When I open them again I see a glowing ball of snoring pony.

I did it! I’m actually levitating somepony! In my excitement the spell falters briefly and Stratos threatens to fall to the ground. Hastily I focus my magic again and am just able to prevent her from hitting the floor face first. I sigh in relief. That would have been rather difficult to explain. I bite my lip as I add momentum to the levitation spell. Slowly, the still snoring Stratos begins to float towards the bed.

Sweet Luna’s Grace, this is taxing. I struggle to find the magical recourses to keep the spell going, and close my eyes to focus. I squeeze out every ounce of magic I can find, but it’s not enough. I can feel the glow dispersing, and the spell fails. Expecting the crashing sound of pony on wood, I look away. Instead, I hear a soft creak. Opening one eye, I spot the Unicorn on the bed in an awkward position. She landed with her head against the back railing, and her body drooped over the side of the bed in a strange angle.

Not my best work, but it will have to do.

She has fallen asleep in stranger positions herself, and this still beats sleeping on the floor. I sigh and close the door behind me with a kick of my hoof. I start to make my way to my own bedroom. If I hadn’t been tired before, I am beyond tired now. The magical strain of floating a pony has left me with a slight headache. Perhaps I should have started with something smaller, and maybe something inanimate. As I walk up to my bedroom door I magically open it.

Before walking into it. Ouch! What? Rubbing my muzzle, I look up and find my bedroom door stubbornly shut. I could swear I just opened it. I point my horn towards the door and focus my magic. A couple of turquoise sparks jump from the tip, but the door stays closed. I find myself blushing.

Great, I burned up my magic. That hasn’t happened to me in years, I didn’t think floating Stratos into bed would actually use all of my magical reserves. Sighing, I get on my hooves and open the door with my muzzle. The doorknob leaves an unpleasant metallic aftertaste in my mouth. I haven’t opened my bedroom like this in… well, I never opened my door like this. Too tired to even bother with it, I just leave the door open and stumble to bed. I let myself fall onto the sheets and close my eyes. I find myself almost emphasizing with Stratos for falling asleep on the floor.

---

How long have I been asleep? I certainly don’t remember a jungle. Yet I find myself in one right now. At least, I think it is a jungle, taking into consideration the feeling beneath my hooves. As I move, I can hear plants rustle around me. Wait, am I moving? I’m running! Why am I running? Panic fills my chest. I gallop for the life of me, the wind rushing past my face. The wind sounds strange. Then I realize it’s not wind at all. It’s laughter. Not a good kind of laughter.

I speed up, which I didn’t realize was possible. I want to get away from the sound, but it appears to be getting louder. It gets closer and closer no matter how fast I run. When it feels right behind me, I suddenly open the eyes I didn’t realize I had closed. The laughter abruptly stops, and is replaced by a shriek. My own, to be precise. The opening of my eyes revealed a vast nothingness before me.

Nothing. Not above me nor below me. Just nothing. I simply float in the blackness, unable to regain any sense of focus or rational thought in my terror.

And then came the screams and laughter.

‘Oh! How spectacular! If only I had some snacks to eat while I watch this!’

With a seemingly excited undertone, a voice autonomously replaces existence. My mind is almost crushed by the sheer presence of the sound. It takes all the mental strength I can muster to not drown in the voice. After the voice echoes into a muffle, I regain control of my thoughts. What in the name of Celestia is going on?! In an attempt to find an orientation point, I cast a glowing spell. Before the concentrated mana can even find its way out of my horn, I can feel it burn up. Suddenly, the black veil of darkness shifts, and an overwhelming feeling of wrongness settles in my chest.

‘What’s this?’

I stare into the abyss, my terror stopping even my shaking as I hope with everything I have that whatever caused that voice would stay away.

And as I stared into the abyss, the abyss stared back.

Suddenly instead of impenetrable blackness all I could see was light. An all-encompassing, crushing light. A wrong light. It strikes and wraps around me as would a serpent ready to devour its meal, crushing me, melting and sizzling my skin, muscle, and bones. And though all I could see was a pure, overwhelming whiteness as it continued to swallow me up into its immeasurable self.

---

‘Howdy!’

I open my eyes and rise up with a start. Finding myself able to scream, I do so, until I realize I am no longer surrounded by darkness. Confused, I look around. My bedroom, Stratos, and my alarm clock ringing away. I breathe heavily as I calm down. It was just a nightmare, nothing more.

‘Ya Okay?’ Stratos asks with worry in her voice.

Still panting, I respond. ‘Yeah… It’s just… a bad dream…’

‘Ah don’t know what kind of nightmare that was. And frankly, Ah dun wanna know. Ya looked like yer was about to kick the bucket.’

I float the alarm clock up to me. And glad to note some of my magic has returned to me, I turn it off before putting it back onto the night stand. I let out a long deep breath.

‘Don’t worry about it. I’m fine now.’ Remembering the night before, I add ‘And we have a big day ahead of us.’

The worry on Stratos’s face is obliterated by a grin.

‘Ayup!’

She takes a step backwards to allow me to get out of bed. And after stretching my legs, I do so. Looking at the eager face of my friend, I shake my head.

‘You know we can’t leave this early, right? Nothing has opened yet.’

Her grin briefly falters, but doesn’t disappear.

‘Oh, well… Ah guess Ah kinda knew that. So what are we doin’ till then?’

I sigh and trot up to the double doors of my balcony.

‘Why don’t you try to take it easy for a while? Enjoy the fact that you don’t have any work to do.’

Behind me I hear a giggle.

‘Hehe, maybe you should take a shower first?’

I look down on me and grimace. I was drenched in sweat.

I push open the double doors and step out onto the balcony. Out of pure luck, more than anything else, I don’t get a steam cloud in my face. I take a deep breath and a soft breeze blows through my mane. Behind me, I can hear Stratos joining me on the balcony. In silence, we look out over the city. The sun was already raised, and only hints of orange could be found above the horizon. The triple chimneys that are Haughbury Steamworks had just started up, and only tiny ribbons of smoke leaked out of them. Then Stratos pokes me with an elbow.

‘Look! At the Castle!’

Slightly annoyed, I turn my gaze towards to royal palace.

‘What about it?’

‘No, look above it! Ain’t that…a carriage?’

‘Hmm…Where?’

I look to where Stratos was pointing and see a flying carriage moving away from the castle. It flew through the air in vibrant white and orange, as if it was a beacon from the sun itself, seemingly adding life to the light it is reflecting. Unmistakably, even from this distance, it was Princess Celestia’s personal carriage. With my mouth open in amazement at the display, I watch the carriage carry the Princess out of her city. Apparently equally amazed, Stratos follows the chariot with her head. I grab at her mane with a hoof when she starts to lean too far over the balcony. After it was a mere speck on the horizon, Stratos turns to me.

‘Where do ya think she is goin’?’

‘Princess Celestia? Probably off doing some Ruler thing or another. She is a busy pony, after all.’

But still…Even in the capital where the Princesses lived, the Sun Princess was rarely seen without her usual escorts of an assortment of governmental aides, assistants, and a dozen or so personal guards. So see her leave Canterlot with but two carriage ponies did seem rather puzzling.

‘Hey, Waren?’ Stratos asks with an uncharacteristically serious face.

‘Yes?’ I reply concerned.

‘Is Princess Celestia’s coat white or pink?’

I look at her, my mouth gaping open. What? She proceeds to tell me about a story of a group of colts telling her about the pink Celestia statue in Central Park and how it was bright pink but her mommy always told her she was white and that she couldn’t be sure if the colts were lying but she sent them over to my shop regardless and…

I hold my hoof up.

‘Please Stratos…not before my coffee.’

---

‘Anyway! Let’s not break our heads over matters that aren’t ours to worry about. Before we head out, I need to gather some paperwork.’ I happily announce, now that I had my coffee and breakfast.

‘Paperwork? Ah thought this was a supposed t’ be a day off.’

‘Well, yes. But I do need to take care of some business. You have been sending in so many customers that I’m running out of books.’

She smiles proudly at the remark before squinting her eyes at one of the dishes before her in the sink before viciously scrubbing the dastardly spot.

‘So in order to keep up with demand, I need to increase my supply. And that’s where we are going, my supplier.’

‘Okay, D’ya mind if Ah practice some weather magic here while ya find yer paper?’

‘As long as you don’t set anything else on fire or go jumping off buildings.’

She gives me a sheepish smile. ‘Will do.’

I return her smile before trotting from the kitchen into the backroom behind the store counter. She’s spent a lot of time practicing since she moved in. The few times I watched her had been quite impressive. Moving clouds, creating clouds, making them rain, making them stop. All with such ease, it’s like controlling the weather is as granted to her as breathing. I found myself getting increasingly angry at the weather factory for refusing to hire Stratos; surely those amazing feats of magic are better than manually moving the clouds?

Now in the farthest corner of the room, I rummage through the bane of every independent businesspony’s existence.

The dreaded filing cabinet.

Let’s see here. Financial documents… nope. The rental contract… good to know it’s still there, but no. Ah, there we go, my indexation. I float out the thick book packed with notes and place it on the counter with a thud. If I’m going to increase my order amount, I need to know how many books I’ve been getting in, and how many I am selling. I look up the page with last month’s sales, and compare it with this month’s. Making notes of the increase in sales, I also look what titles get sold the most and the comparative rarity of each title.

It took me a long while to complete. Even after a night’s rest, handling a quill with levitation was quite taxing. It’s not that the feather is too heavy, but writing with magic is a precise job, and the precision requires more magic then simply handling an object.

After I finish compiling the relevant data I put down the quill with a sigh. A sharp headache has found its place right underneath my horn. I take the paper in my mouth and trot up the stairs. Time to call Stratos. Once inside the bedroom, I spot clouds circling above my balcony. In the middle of them all, the Unicorn mare was grinning ear to ear, horn glowing bright orange. Floating the paper out of my mouth, I call out.

‘Stratos!’

She looks around and the clouds stop spinning. I watch in amazement as the clouds merge into a big question mark.

‘Yes?’ she asks with a smile.

‘That’s amazing!’

‘Aw shucks, it’s nothing, really.’ She blushes and the cloud disperses. ‘Ya found yer paper?’

I float up the document. ‘Got it right here, ready to go?’

She nods and trots up to the doors.

‘Ayup! Let’s go!’

I trot towards the closet and open it with a hoof. I locate my saddlebags and blow off the dust that has gathered on them. My, it’s been a while since I went out like this. I place the document inside and float the bags over my head. After I secured the bags around my waist I trot back into the room. I find Stratos is already waiting at the door, and she turns to descend the stairs as I approach her.

‘So where does this friend of yers live?’

‘He’s not really a friend, just somepony I know. He moved here from Stalliongrad years ago, and I’ve been a customer ever since.’

‘Uh huh. But where does he live?’

‘Oh, right. Sorry. He owns a building not far from Central Park. You know the street with all the clothing shops?’

‘Ayup.’

‘And have you ever noticed that one rundown building with a single door and no windows whatsoever?’

‘Somepony lives there? Ah thought that was some warehouse.’

‘Well, technically it is. But he also eats and sleeps there… And he only leaves if he really has to.’

Stratos stops at the front door to give me a questioning look.

‘You’ll see when we get there.’

We step outside and I lock the door behind us. I take a deep breath of fresh air. It’s been way too long since I really went outside. With all those customers Stratos has been sending in, the days have flown past. Normally I could find time to go on walks during the day, but I’ve barely had a moment to myself in the two weeks Stratos has been living with me. As we trot through the streets Stratos gets various greetings from passers-by. Apparently she’s become a familiar face in this district of Canterlot.

Stratos proceeds to chat my ear off about all the ponies she had met earlier that week as we leisurely trot to the clothing district. I already knew most of the stories, as they were often repeated inside my store by those same ponies she sent in, but I still nod at some, and laugh at others.

Genuinely, in case you were wondering. The way she enthusiastically talks about her endeavours in the city invites a smile to even the most stubborn of frowns.

Finally, we arrive a little ways off the main road, bustling already with Canterlot’s legion of tourists. We stop in front of a large windowless building. The walls, which one can only assume were once painted in a vibrant and tasteful green had since faded over the years into a sickly vomit-like colour. Though even then, those same concrete walls had been plagued just as long ago by poster after poster promoting various shady businesses in Canterlot. Though none of them as shady as the business whose building they have been plastered on. I really didn’t like dealing with this place, but where else was I going to get my books? I spot Stratos distantly eyeing the building.

‘Are you sure you want to come inside? You could just wait here. I probably won’t be long.’

She takes a step away from the building and looks at me with a smile.

‘That’s okay. Ah want t’ meet this friend o’ yers.’

I sigh.

‘I told you, he’s not my friend. He’s an acquaintance from Stalliongrad. And he sells books.’

‘So ain’t he a competitor in that case? Ain’t ya dealing with the enemy here?’

‘He doesn’t sell books the way I do. He acquires them in large volumes, either buying them in bulk from printers, or by buying out small businesses and family home book cases. He sorts them, stacks them, and sends them out to ponies like me, who sell them. You can only order large quantities of books, so only other book stores buy from him. But in turn for having to order more books at a time, they cost less a piece, allowing ponies like me to make a profit when selling them individually.’

‘So what are we doin’ here t’day then?’

‘As I also said before, you have been sending in more customers than I can handle. I need to increase my order amount, and cancel orders for when after we leave.’

The way she smiles tells me she just asked that so I would tell her how good of a job she has been doing. Rolling my eyes, I turn towards the double doors that serve as the only clue we are in fact dealing with a building here, and not a huge concrete cube.

‘Here goes nothing…’ I mumble beneath my breath as I push open the large doors. The windows in them are so stained they looked like stone panels instead of glass. Inside, I am greeted by a huge open room, divided into two parts by an old wooden counter. This side of the room only housed a couple of stained benches, but it was the other side that interested me. Across the counter, the room was absolutely stuffed with bookcases. They towered up high towards the ceiling, almost disappearing out of sight before ending. The room was poorly lit, and the back side was completely dark. I notice the bookcases are lined with a strange metallic railing, which I don’t remember seeing the last time I visited. Behind me, Stratos softly whistles.

‘Nice place ya friend got here.’

‘I told you, he’s not my-‘

‘Ah was just kiddin’! Where is he anyways?’

‘Probably in the back, sorting something. Hold on.’

I trot up to the counter, and give the small metal bell on it a ring. The high pitched sound echoes ominously into the huge dark room. After an eerie silence, a crack of static can be heard. The static is followed by an unnatural booming voice.

‘Vello? Dis thing on? Da! Vill be right there.’

What in tarnation was that? I look at Stratos with a raised eyebrow, but she’s too busy turning her head every-which way trying to locate the origin of the voice. In the back of the room, a loud hiss can be heard. I squint my eyes as I stare into the darkness. A faint metallic rumbling fills the room, along with an occasional hissing noise. The rumbling slowly approached us and gets louder with each passing second. Then a shape appears from the darkness between the bookshelves. Rolling along the rails I had noted earlier, was something that could only be described as a large mechanical carriage. The machine rolls closer while a series of tubes and pipes on the back spew obscene amounts of steam into the air. As it huffs onwards, the silhouette of a pony can be made out on top of it. When the bookcases end, the machine rolls to a stop, and the steam cloud that was chasing it overtakes it. Loud coughing can be heard from inside the cloud, and after another loud hiss a small platform pokes forward from the steam. It is suspended by a series of pistons and tubes, and it carries the pony from Stalliongrad I came here to see.

‘Velcome to Stanimir’s Kingdom Of Written Word!’

The city of Stalliongrad was famous for various things. The ponies living there have made amazing breakthroughs on the fields of arcane science and runecraft. Not to mention the revolution in alcoholic beverages. However, the grey earth pony before me wasn’t a model citizen in any regard.

Though I was willing to put a modest amount of bits on the line betting he had no trouble enjoying said beverages.

Stanimir wore a pair of goggles that had been tightly strapped around his head with a leather band. The left eye of the goggles held up various lenses, which could be lowered in front of it for enhanced zoom. I knew all this from my previous visits here. The steam powered monster, however, was new.

Shifting a lens in front of his eye, Stanimir blinks at me.

‘Waren? It is you, yes? Waren! It is you! Wonderful! What brings you here? You miss me, no? Ha ha ha!’

His platform shakes dangerously as he laughs.

‘Hello Stanimir. Just here for business. What in Celestia’s name is that thing?’

The pony grins as he softly pets the machine suspending him not unlike one would stroke a favored pet.

‘Dis? Is real beauty. Crazy pony Haughbury made it. Gave it some silly name, automotive 6000 or something. Bah! I just call her Sasha. Ha ha! But I know you Waren. You did not come here for idle chit chat. How I can help you?’

‘I would like to increase my order amount please.’

Stanimir smiles.

‘Ah! Business finally booming, no? Good! Good!’

Before I can continue, Stanimir suddenly widens his eyes. He flips two more lenses in front of his eye and stares past me. I turn to see what he is looking at.

‘Waren! Why you don’t tell me you bring guest!’

He pulls a selection of levers on his platform and it shoots forward over the counter, stopping only moments before hitting my face. With a loud clank, the platform suddenly drops and I’m eye-to-eye with the pony from Stalliongrad. Up close it was clear just how much dirt his coat housed. Along his legs ran faint ink lettering, courtesy of Stanimir spending so much time leaning on printed text. His coat and mane gave telltale signs of once being as vibrantly coloured as the walls outside ought have been once upon a time, but a lack of sunshine had slowly drained the colour out of them over the years, leaving only a dull grey and blue. Grinning, he nudges me with an elbow.

‘Who is lovely mare, eh? Friend? Marefriend? Ah ha ha!’

Adjusting my glasses, I respond. ‘She’s just a friend. She is staying at my place for a while.’

‘Ah! So you saying, she is available, no?’

‘Look, I really don’t think-‘

Before I can tell him how bad of an idea I think it is, Stanimir shoots forward after the pull of a lever. This time stopping only centimetres short of Stratos’s face.

‘Vello my beauty! I am Stanimir!’

‘Howdy!’ Stratos responds, not entirely unexpected.

‘Beauty has name, no?’

I sigh and roll my eyes at the scene unfolding before me.

‘Ayup. Ah’m Stratos, and I’m beautiful! Nice to meet ya!’

Staminir’s eyes widen before bellowing out a laugh and declaring, ‘Stratos! Beautiful name for beautiful mare! Ha ha! What brings beauty to Canterlot?’

I clear my throat before anypony can tell their life story. I had planned to also see the Castle today, so Stanimir’s flirting will have to wait.

‘Excuse me. I’m here for business, remember?’

Stanimir looks up and glares at me.

‘Bah! Waren, why always so serious?’ and then, turning to Stratos ‘If beauty vants some fun, beauty gives Stanimir a call, no? Ha ha ha!’

Stratos, clearly not minding the attention, nods with a smile.

‘Will do, sugarcube.’

With a dramatic pull of a lever, the platform slowly returns to the other side of the counter. All the while spewing steam into my face. Suspecting Stanimir knew very well where his (completely movable) tubes leak steam, I give him an angry look.

‘Ah, boring pony needs more books. Da? Don’t fret, Stanimir has plenty. Heh heh. Look around! Name pony who has more books than Stanimir, and I vill buy them all!’

From past experience, I knew that was no joke. Stanimir hoards printed text like a dragon hoards gold and gems. There have been many a time that other ponies had tried to start up book warehouses or even begin their own collection. Unless they had a royal seal protecting them, Stanimir more often than not bought them out or turned them into dummy organizations for his own business. That is also the reason I don’t like dealing with him. He treats books without any dignity, just collecting them just for the 'prestige' of having 'The Most Books'. Out of this huge selection of paper, I doubt he read more than the manual to ‘Sasha’. Actually, judging by how shakily he operates his machine, I have serious doubts he even read that.

‘So, what does boring pony need? Ten times the books? Perhaps twenty times more? Eh?’

‘Doubling my regular order is enough, Stanimir.’

‘Consider it done! As bonus for bringing beauty, Stanimir will make sure you get extra special book, Da? Ha!’

A chill runs down my spine at Stanimir’s idea of a special book. As I see the dull coloured pony prepare to roll away again, I raise my voice to stop him. ‘Wait! There’s more.’

The platform grinds to a hold halfway through its retraction. A cloud of steam escapes from the mechanism as Stanimir lowers it again.

‘More? Da, tell Stanimir what boring pony needs.’

I swallow. He isn’t going to like this…

‘I-I… I need to cancel all orders after two months from now.’

‘VHAT?!’

The platform shoots up in response to Stanimir’s outburst, and then hisses as it begins to lower again.

‘Nyet nyet nyet! Cancel? You are best customer for years!’

‘Come now, Stanimir. We both know that isn’t true.’

He pauses as he struggles to search for words. After a while, he decides on ‘Why?’

‘I need to close my store for a while. I’m going on sabbatical’

Stanimir raises an eyebrow and tests out the new word.

‘Sa-Bat-eek-ale? With beauty?’

Sighing, I respond ‘With Stratos, yes. And Werk. You remember him, don’t you?’

Waving his hooves around with played emotion, he continues. ‘Waren! Why you do this? You bring beauty into my life, only to take her away! Truly, you are most cruel pony!’

After the dramatic performance that dangerously rocked his platform, the pony calms down. He sighs deeply before addressing me again.

‘Very vell. I shall do what you ask. Cruel pony may be cruel, but also has been loyal customer for years. While you gone, what vill happen to shop?’

‘I don’t know yet. I’m going to close it until I get back, but I need someone to keep an eye on it. I also live there, after all.’

The platform closes in again, the pony riding it getting up on his hind legs. With a hoof on his chest, he says ‘Cruel pony need not ask. Stanimir shall do this for you! Is least I can do for bringing beauty.’

He winks at Stratos, who blushes and looks away. Stanimir looking after my store? And more importantly, my books? I really don’t like the idea…
‘I don’t think that that would…err, what I mean to say is-‘

Stanimir looks at me with a such stern expression that I could do nothing more than stop where I was. ‘Cruel pony may be cruel, but has never been stupid. Cruel pony always wants best selection and Stanimir always supplies, no? Cruel pony is loyal, and he let Stanimir do this for him, yes.’

I tactfully decide to pick my battles and not point out I pay him extra for that treatment. I break out with my patented ‘How To Deal With Difficult Ponies For Money’ smile.

‘Thank you for the offer Stanimir. I’ll have to get back to you on that.’

The pony grins and drops to all fours again.

‘I know you vill accept offer, cruel pony. So! It is decided! Your order has been doubled! And with pain in heart, I vill cancel cruel ponies’ orders after two months.’

‘That was all, thank you.’

Stanimir pulls another lever and the machine slowly starts to retreat into the darkness between the shelves.

‘I shall see you again, cruel pony! Look forward to extra special books eh? Ha ha ha!’

Shaking my head, I turn away from the steam-powered machine slowly rumbling away. Stratos stood there grinning from ear to ear.

‘Ah like him. He’s nice.’

‘Oh yes, he’s a saint.’ I grimly respond, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

‘Now can we please get out of here? I think I can hear some of the books screaming in pain.’

Stratos trots ahead of me and opens the doors. I shield my eyes from the sunlight as we step into the streets. The lack of proper lighting inside Stanimir’s business has dulled my vision. After blinking away the discomfort of the bright outside, I look towards the Castle. Remembering the Royal carriage leaving, I wonder if the castle is even open to visitors. The look of poorly hidden disappointment I get from Stratos suggests she was thinking the same thing. We begin to trot towards the Castle, and leave the depressing green cube on the street behind us. We pass colourful boutiques and make our way through crowded streets. Stratos hasn’t been to this part of Canterlot before, and we occasionally stop as I tell her a story about a shop I know, or an historical event that happened in the streets.

After I tell her about the failed assassination on Ambassador Twinkle Toes on the corner of the final plaza by the orders of the Prance Embassy, we arrive at the bottom of the large marble staircase that leads up to the royal castle. We stand still for a moment while we take in the absolutely huge building. Even though it was constructed over a thousand years ago, it still stands as the largest pony made structure in Equestria. And even if the size itself wasn’t an amazing feat of engineering, the Castle, and the entire city for that matter, was built on the near vertical slope of a mountain. Sometimes it was a frightening thought; thousands of ponies live their lives on something suspended in the air by an ancient construction. Well, the stone was magically enhanced, so as long as the princesses sit on their thrones it won’t decay and damage will repair itself. As we trot up the stairs, I notice raised voices coming from the top of the staircase. Worried, I look at Stratos, who returns the look. We hasten our pace and soon reach the top of the stairs.

‘What do you mean the audience has been cancelled?!’

That voice sounds familiar.

‘I’m sorry Madam, but nopony can see Princess Celestia today.’

‘Well, good thing I ain’t a pony then, huh? You have no idea how long we have travelled for this meeting! We are here on orders of Gawd herself!’

Dorothea! My heart skips a beat as I spot her and three other griffins in an argument with what seems to be, judging by his increasingly flustered appearance and increasingly periodic glances to the guards next to him, as some Royal Office.

‘All matters regarding the state are to be referred to Her Majesty Princess Luna today. Now, you are welcome to bring up whatever business you have with-’

The crowd that has gathered around the argument collectively gasps as Dorothea grabs the equally surprised official by his throat and lifts him up in the air. The guards that rush in to help are stopped by the griffins accompanying Dorothea. His wings frantically beat behind his back as the pegasus attempts to free himself from the griffin’s grasp. His eyes widen as Dorothea tightens her grip on his throat and presses his face again her beak.

‘You-you-YOU DARE have the gale to suggest we, that I, the daughter of Gawd herself, meet with that SHE-DEVIL?! Why I oughtta-‘

‘Enough, Dorothea.’ From behind the griffins came another one, though this one was brown. His face had a large scar running down it, and with slight horror I note that it runs over his positively empty left eye socket. Looking around her at both the royal guards and her own griffins ready to attack, Dorothea promptly drops the Official like a colt discarding a broken toy and growls at the nameless griffin. The Pegasus gasps for air as Dorothea clicks her tongue in disproval, and turns away from him. To add insult to injury, she slaps her tail across his face as she walks away.

The brown griffin merely ignores her and took her place in the front of the group. He turns to the address not just the Official and guards, but the crowd around them as well. ‘Hear me now, Representatives of Equestria! For ten days and ten nights we have traveled from our home to seek out a better understanding between our races! But now your Princess, who has welcomed us into her city, has made a mockery of us by forcing us, we the ambassadors of Gyphos handpicked by our liege the Gawd in her infinite wisdom, to return to her empty handed!’

At this he turned back to the Official who the guards had just gotten back to his feet. ‘This audience was brought together through months of negotiation on both our ends. I hope your Princess knows just what she has brought on herself by so deliberately insulting us so and for assuming we could be sedated through a meeting with the Turned One.’

The brown griffin nods to Dorothea who takes an entitled step forward and declares,

‘Tell your pretty little princesses they lost their say in this. We griffins will act for Equestria. Let’s go boys. We have wasted enough time here already.’

The griffins holding back the Royal Guards step away and the Royal Guards in turn relax. In unison, the four griffins spread their wings and with a mighty fling they take off into the air, blowing several bystanders off their hooves. As the griffins disappear into the sky, two unicorns detach themselves from the crowd and gallop away. This normally wouldn’t have caught my eye, but they wore strangely familiar blue vestments, which seemed odd. Though not nearly as odd as the scene that just played out in front of us. Was that the same Dorothea I saw in my store? I mean, she had an outburst there, but she seemed kind at heart. This feels just… wrong. Stratos seems just as shocked by the ordeal as me. After an exchange of worried looks, we trot up to the recovering Official.

‘What was that all about?’ I carefully ask him.

Still coughing, the Official looks at me with squinted eyes. ‘None of your business citizen. The Castle is closed today for all non-governmental meetings, so just move along.’

I decide not to press the matter, and walk away. Stratos gives the Pegasus a concerned look before following me. After we left the scene behind us, I turn to face her with an apologetic smile.

‘Sorry Stratos, but it doesn’t look like we can visit the castle today…’

‘That’s okay, Ah don’t mind. The castle ain’t going nowhere.’

More to myself then to Stratos, I add ‘More importantly, what was wrong with Dorothea?’

‘Ah dunno, she seemed really angry. Ya think it would be okay to visit n’ ask her?’

‘What? You know where she is staying?’

‘Eh? Ayup. Ah told ya Ah ran into her again right? She showed me where she is staying, and said Ah was welcome any time.’

Thinking over the situation, I decide in favor of my curiosity and worry.

‘If she said that, I think it would be appropriate if we went and asked her what’s wrong.’

‘Okay. Follow me then.’

I follow the mare through the streets of the city. It was a strange sensation, some of the streets she knew better than I did. I blush when I realized Stratos had only lived here for two weeks, and can probably find her way around better than me, who has lived in Canterlot of his life.

‘Uhm… nah wait, it was the other way. Whoops.’

Or maybe I judged too fast. With a smile I turn around and we trace our steps back a couple of streets, before taking a right turn where we took a left one earlier. Eventually we get lost a couple of times, and it takes us much longer to get there than it should have, had we taken a shorter route. Stratos probably gets lost on a daily basis, it’s a miracle she finds her way home every day. A sense of guilt finds its way into my chest. I never did give her proper directions or a map, and just left her to find her own path. That was horrible of me. Before I can apologize to her for that, she stops and points a hoof.

‘Look! We’re here!’

I follow the direction her hoof is pointing in and spot the large building halfway down the street. Outside a smooth, white building, several griffins were having a serious discussion, judging by their faces. Though unlike the scene at the castle, no raised voices could be heard. As we approach the building, a small female griffin glances in our direction, and nudges the griffin next to her. The black coated griffin that had been nudged turned around to face us. Dorothea smiles and waves at us with a claw. We quickly trot up to the group.

‘Stratos! And Waren, was it? What brings you here?’

Strangely happy she remembered my name, I struggle to formulate an answer.

‘Uhm… actually we wanted to ask if everything is okay. We saw…. What happened at the Castle and-‘

‘And you thought it would be appropriate to meddle in our affairs?’ The brown griffin from before interrupts me. Annoyed, Dorothea roughly pushes his head away with a claw.

‘Zip it Arthal. Stop conveniently forgetting that I’m the one in charge here.’ And then, turning to Stratos and I she continues. ‘You saw that, did you? I’m afraid I’m not really showing you my best side, huh Waren?’

She smiles apologetically and rubs her head with a claw.

‘So what was that all about? Is there a problem?’

‘A problem? To say everything was sailing smooth would be a lie. The Royal Guard has been giving us trouble, we just-‘

‘You know kitten, we wouldn’t have had so much trouble with the guard if you hadn’t-’ the same griffin interrupts again. Dorothea flicks him across the back of the head with the tip of her wing.

‘Don’t call me kitten. And if you think Gawd would have a problem with me catching up with friends, you can tell her when we get back. Now get your flank inside before I pluck out your feathers and shove them underneath your tail.’ Remembering how intimidating the one-eyed griffin had looked just a little while ago, I find that my action of hiding behind Stratos was completely justifiable.

A loud belly laugh bursting from the brown griffin was the last thing I was expecting. With a good natured sigh, he remarks, ‘You still have much to learn in the fine art of banter, kitten.’

Dorothea merely stares at him with a look of complete disdain. ‘Woof.’

Have you ever seen a griffin with one eye wink? It’s… an interesting experience, to say the least. With a casual wave over his shoulder, he enters the building. A couple more griffins follow him, until only two are left, besides Dorothea.

‘Urgh…impossible griffin.’

She turns back to us, a slight blush peeking out of her feathers.

‘Arthal seems to think he needs to protect this mission and me sometimes, as if I’m not good enough or something crud like that. Just because his clan founded a city doesn’t mean he has to look after me. Honestly, I’m not the one who lost an eye to a bloody owl. That Cyclops seems to forget Gawd put me in command here.’

After Stratos and I stare at her in bewilderment for a few seconds after she had finished up her short rant, Dorothea smiles again.

‘Oh! I’m sorry, what am I saying? I’m acting like I’m talking to a citizen of Gryphos.’ She puts a claw on her face at her latest sentence. ‘And there I go again. I’m sorry. You went through all the trouble of finding me to ask if I was okay, and now I’m talking in riddles.’

She raises an eyebrow and gives us a judging look.

‘Are you familiar at all with Griffin culture?’

I look at Stratos, and find she has the same answer in mind as me. In unison, we respond.

‘Not really, no.’

‘Oh wow. I didn’t expect you to know nothing. That’s okay though. I’ve never let an opportunity to educate the foreign masses about my kind go to waste!’ She opens her beak to speak again, but seems to change her mind. She gives us another smile.

‘That is, if you’ll listen.’

Seeing Stratos eagerly nodding next to me, I agree.

‘Of course we’ll listen.’

Grinning, Dorothea continues.

‘Well then, I’ll start at the beginning…’

With eagerness to spread knowledge of her kind, Dorothea explains Gryphos is the name of the capital city of the griffins, and it is located on top of the highest mountain in the known world. At the same time, Gryphos is also used to describe the collective territory of the griffins in general. She tells us the stories of the founding of several important cities in Gryphos.

Ragnar’s Peak was founded by the Truegut clan, ancestors of Arthal, the one-eyed male griffin. Apparently, the city is built on a mountain that was once an active volcano, but for many generations the Truegut griffins piled rocks into the crater, until the mountain chocked on them and a city was abruptly build on top of it. The founding stories of the other cities tell of equally heroic actions. Shattered Ridge, a city carved out of the very mountain itself. Talos, a city build underneath a huge overhang. As the stories pile up, I begin to understand why the griffins are such a proud race, and their appreciation for history almost borders ancestral worship.

As it turns out, Dorothea saved the most amazing story for last. The founding of Gryphos, by the Grimfeather clan, her clan. On the outside, the city is an amazing sight, being located on the very top of the world. But the real ingenuity shines inside the city. In the exact centre, on the highest point of the mountain, lay the Halls of Gawd, their leader. They offer the only point of entry into the mountain. I had to ask if I heard correctly, but yes, Dorothea really said into the mountain. The mountain Gryphos is built on has been hollowed out, and lined with obsidian to form the biggest arcane vault imaginable. Inside is the largest collection of treasures and artifacts in the known world. The griffins consider it their transcended duty to protect powerful artifacts from the world, and vice versa. Apart from ruling the clans and settling internal disputes, it’s also Gawd’s task to guard the treasures of this world, and to judge when something is too dangerous to be allowed to exist outside their vault.

Stratos nods as Dorothea explains the concept of the vault. ‘Ah think Ah get it. So ya keep those powerful items safe so they ain’t used to do evil.’

The griffin smiles, and seems happy Stratos understands.

‘Exactly.’

Glad to have received more insight into the previously so mysterious griffin race, I still find myself wondering about today’s events.

‘Okay. I understand that. So… what was that at the Castle about?’

Dorothea’s smile disappears, and I already regret asking my question.

‘Oh, yes. Well… As you might have guessed, we are here on order of Gawd. We were supposed to have an audience with the Princess today, but she decided she has something better to do.’

I can tell she was getting angry again, and I am eager to change the subject. Stratos however has other ideas.

‘Wha’ about Princess Luna? She was there.’

Dorothea glares at her for a moment before realizing she was doing so and sighs.

‘Like I said. We protect artifacts that can cause harm to the world. It is our right, our immortal duty to do so. The Alicorns themselves would fall under this category. But you can understand how it would be a problem to lock them in a vault along with every powerful magical item in the known world.’

‘I still don’t see how…’

‘Look… We realize the Alicorns are sentient beings, not artifacts. And it was agreed with the third Gawd that they would be allowed to live outside the vault, despite posing a clear threat to the world. In return, the Alicorns would aid us in our goals. For countless generations this went well. Until Luna decided to not only betray our holy contract, but the entirety of the race she was ruling. Not only did she go to war and caused strife, she had the audacity to forge armour out of blackened sky iron, that she stole from the vault she swore to protect!’

She clenches her claws and a vein starts to throb in her neck. Fearing for another outburst, I involuntary take a step back. She notices this, and calms down slightly.

‘She betrayed and insulted the entire griffin race and everything we stood for by cursing the world with another dark artifact, the armour of Nightmare Moon. So just believe me when I say I don’t want to see her.’

The mood considerably dark, I awkwardly attempt to change the subject with a weak smile on my face.

‘Uhm… so… How long are you staying in Canterlot?’

‘Hmm? Actually, we are leaving tomorrow.’

My heart sinks, and any trace of a smile disappears from my face.

‘Oh…’

‘Sorry, but if the Princess won’t see us, we are just wasting our time here.’

For some reason this hurt me more than I thought. I didn’t expect her to leave so soon…. I mean, what the hay was I expecting? That she would stay here just for me? That we could spend time together? Cursing my own foalishness, I force myself to look Dorothea in the eyes and produce a normal response.

‘I’m sorry things didn’t work out as planned for you.’

‘Thanks Waren. But don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Now I’m afraid we ran out of time. As you can imagine, we have a lot of packing to do.’

‘We’ll leave you to it then, sorry for bothering you.’

As we trot away, Stratos and I wave hooves in goodbye. My mood was absolutely ruined. The visit to Stanimir’s depressing green cube almost seemed like a casual stroll through the central park compared to this. Stratos seems to understand I’m not in the mood to talk, and we trot through the streets in silence. The sun was already starting to set; we had spent hours talking with Dorothea. I sigh deeply.

‘Everythan’ okay?’ Stratos asks eventually. Am I okay? I didn’t feel okay, but why not? Why did I care so much that Dorothea was leaving? While trying a wrap my head around things, I notice a faint noise. It was a soft, rhythmic beat, and it was coming from above me. Looking up, I jump away as a huge shadow suddenly drops from the sky.

‘Guys! Wait up!’

Dorothea! She followed us! But… why? She took some time to catch her breath, apparently she had been flying pretty fast.

‘D-Dorothea? What’s wrong?’

She gives us a smile. A different smile from before, this smile was more genuine and reassuring.

‘Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. It’s just… That wasn’t really the goodbye you deserved.’

What is she talking about? She seems a little uncomfortable, and I look at Stratos to see her take on the matter. She was just grinning.

‘Look, I have a reputation to uphold. As Gawd’s daughter I can’t just get all cosy with some ponies I just met. Lecturing you about our kind was already kind of pushing it.’

She looks away. Wait… is that? Is she… blushing?

‘But… you have been really kind to me. And I didn’t want to leave on such a depressing note.’

She turns her attention towards me. My face reddening, I almost take a step backward.

‘It was really sweet of you to check up on me. Thank you Waren.’

She takes a step forward and… she kisses me on the cheek. Woah! W-what? My vision blurs and I feel dangerous amounts of blood making their way to my face. Dazed by the event, I am barely able to see Dorothea wink at the mare next to me.

‘You too Stratos. I hope we will meet again. Under different circumstances, maybe.’

She turns to me again, grinning this time.

‘I hope you like this goodbye better than my last.’

‘Y-you… outdid yourself… ‘

She winks before she starts beating her wings again.

‘Goodbye Stratos. Goodbye, cutie.’

In bewilderment I watch the beautiful creature take off into the evening sky. Woah, well… That most certainly did wonders for my crushed mood. After staring into nothingness for a while, I remember that I am not alone. I snap out of my dreamy state and look at Stratos. I have seen a lot of grins in the past two weeks, but this one has to be the biggest one to date. I cough and look away, correcting my glasses.

‘Well, that was… nice of her. L-Let’s head home.’

‘Sure thing, cutie pie.’ Cursing the cities enchanted stones won’t allow me to sink into the ground, I start blushing. But you know what? It’s worth it. That was amazing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I start humming and quicken my pace to the store.

‘H-hey! Hold on!’

I keep up my cheerful mood and accompanying pace until my store comes in sight. The balcony that I had spent countless hours on, taking in every square meter of the city, reminds me off my unorthodox nocturnal experience. After everything I went through today, the dream still haunts me and sends shivers down my spine. I can’t help myself but wonder; What is in store for me the next time I close my eyes?

Comments

[Gaiascope]

Aha, yes! I am still very much alive. I'm sorry chapter three took as long as it did to get out there. But both myself and my editor found ourselves swamped in school work. But I am happy to announce chapter 4 and 5 are in the editing pipeline already, and chapter 6 is being written as we speak.

I will do my best to avoid long pauses between chapters like in the future, and hope you will stay with me to the end. :) Now, enjoy your new chapter!

[Hybridnecros]

Great chapter. I was kind of caught off guard by the introduction, but everything afterwards was fantastic. I especially loved the shoutout to the Fallout Equestria fanfic. That, combined with your take on the griffin species, made me wonder what role the griffin empire would have in your story. I look forward to reading more in the future.

[Almost Romantic]

0 dislikes?
11 views?
I don't understand this. This should have, like, twenty times the views it has.

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

I really could have done without the Fallout: Equestria references. It's extremely jarring in a fic that is otherwise extremely unique to have one of the major global players a shout-out. The chapter could be reworked to remove the references, and I think that the whole story would stand on its own much better as a result.

That said, I really do have to enjoy everything else about said global player. I went into this thinking that the griffins were going to be the villains, and that Dorothea would be the femme fatale to Waren's noire detective. That could still be the case, but at the moment it looks like the griffins will be the good guys, and I really like that. It's a nice change of pace from the "griffins, and humans, and dragons, and dogs, and [insert non-pony species here]" motif I see in a lot of other fics. Granted, I don't expect them to be angels (as I said in my review of The Humanification Bureau having the Pacifist Sue shoe on the other foot hardly brings any satisfaction), but is nice to see them being portrayed as on the right side for once -- at least, that's what I'm deducing from the their stated goal of containing dangerous magical artifacts and their insistence on acting on some important task.

I like this chapter, and I hope to see more chapters in this story.

[Gaiascope]

453387
Thank you for the comment, and sorry for the late response. I've been a little busy >_< I'm glad you like the griffins. Or at least, how I envisioned them as a race.

455710
Hmm.. It's a troubling point, really. Fallout:Equestria hammered into my mind that the griffins have an authoritative figure to which they refer as 'Gawd'. And in my mind it makes sense for them to consider their leader 'transcended' in a way. I didn't force it in there to give a shoutout to an (amazing) story, but also because it feels right (in my mind). If it bothers you, I'm sorry.

And as to the role of the griffins... that will become clear in the future. Mhuahaha!

EDIT: What I mean, I didn't force it in at all xD It just feels natural to me, and I hope that over the course of the story, I will convince you as well :P

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

474669
Something like "sovrano" (Italian: adj. sovereign; self-governing; paramount, supreme / nm. sovereign, monarch, ruler, king) or "Papst" (German: the Pope) would be a better title honestly, as it maintains the European naming style seen in the canon griffins and avoids an irritating shout-out that's subject to far too many bad puns.

[Hybridnecros]

Also, congrats on being featured on EQD.

[Das Pirate]

I'm not one for reading fanfics but this one has definitely intrigued me. I appreciate the backstory of Griffons for once, not many people actually get into it.

[Avi]

Oh I like this! Please do continue!

[Cat Eye]

I think the ending was a little weird

[Sorren]

Oh lookie. I forgot about this. I remember this story when it as new. Either way. Great job on a good story.

[UnintentionalMishap]

Wow, I realized I praised this fic awhile ago, and it completely slipped my mind to track it.

Thank god it was posted on Equestria Daily.

Still lovin' it, by the way. Keep up the good work!

[Gaiascope]

534045

>Griffin plot

That made me chuckle. D: I have a dirty mind.

Thank you all for the words of encouragement! I know I said the next chapter would be out sooner, but things got out of hoof, as it were. An entire chapter got scrapped, the upcoming chapters are nearly double in length of my earlier ones, and my editor is currently very busy. But there is also good news! I have a very good idea of where I want the story to go and once things sort themselves out the time between chapters should go down.

I'm hoping that eventually I can release them bi-weekly, but to make up for the long wait I'll get my currently lined up chapters out as soon as I made the finishing touches. Also, if anypony is interested, I can look into releasing the story in an e-book format as well.

[Borg]

Ah’m Stratos, and I’m beautiful!

Every time she does that I feel like she's an AI parroting what it's heard in an attempt to have something relevant to say.
Also, I object to her being able to sort Waren's store in under a minute. Levitate all the books? Sure, I can accept that, with how strong her telekinesis has been shown to be, though it's not a guaranteed implication since there's inherent difficulty to levitating multiple object beyond the effort required for their combined weight. But rapidly sorting a store full of books all at the same time requires an incredible amount of focus, and I'd question whether Stratos can even manage an average amount. Even Twilight, you may recall, sorts books one at a time.
Basically, Stratos seems to be unreasonably popular with practically everypony as soon as she meets them, and is unreasonably good at magic. She's hardly the worst OC ever written, but I'm seeing a bit of a Mary Sue in her.