A father reads his daughter a bedtime story pulled from history:
When a horrible monster brings its wrath to the griffon lands, a small band of refugees must travel across the sea to find safety. There, one of their members must rely on a stranger to survive the night in a mysterious forest.
Rated Teen for
Fantastical Politics
and
Philosophical Discussion
Part of The Heart's Promise Continuity
Lord Mayor Applejack
Fahr Drill
The Unmitigated Disaster
Scootaloo Will Fly!
Nature in the Wild
DayBreak
Lightning Struck Home
In the Absence of Sunset Shimmer
An Equestrian Griffon
If You Weren't Afraid
The Worst Kept Secret
Rhythm and Rhyme
In the Absence of Twilight Sparkle
The High Pariah of Breezy Bastion
The Heart's Promise
Chapters (1)
Claim what?
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Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention!
Well. DAMN.
We need more of this! XD
That was a hella nice story to come outta that prompt. Hope it does well, it certainly deserves praise for the approach you took there. This was tons of fun.
Best Bearbutt ever! Seriously, I love all the juicy worldbuilding we get in this story, both past and present. It feels like three parts, the soft storybook beginning, the gradual shade into darkness when Pantherbutt shows up, and the darker side confirmed when Andean walks into that warroom.
I thought in Felaccia he was known as "Sandy Claws."
I can say: Time Traveling Dark Mistress Peachie Pie.
This entire story Stella has been adorable, but at this point...
I hope Ambrosia can cure Diabeetus.
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Looks like we got a Griffon Dulcimer! I love to hate him already. I imagine he looks something like this:
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But much scrawnier.
I'm sure it was a completely fair and above-board fight with no foul play of any kind.
Oh yes, yes! Trying to get his paws under the table the old fashioned way, I see. The only question is, which daughter? I sure hope it's Corona.
Here here! The sad part is, almost everyone grows out of the first kind, but so many don't make it out of the second.
Ouch, that's a little harsh, since Corvus is practically part of the family now.
Buuuuurn! Looks like whatever else we can say about him, Littletalons here isn't an idiot.
Oh, that is sweet. I'm assuming these are airships too?
I wonder who she thinks she's training to fight. Ponies, other Griffons, just generally being prepared?
I really love way Andean promotes a healthy amount of innocence in his daughters as a ward against cheap cynicism, even as he succumbs to it himself (at least to a degree).
Excellent world building. Loved it.
Well that was nice. Love the conflicting messages
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Thanks! The griffons have always had the most complete world in my stories, I think. There's something awesome about them that downright calls to me. I regret that this story didn't quite give a full picture of them.
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Conflict is King Andean's byword.
Not gonna lie, I thought (and still think) that final section's going to get points deducted for being preachy. Nobody likes a preachy story, or one that appears so. I hope that through the conflict, people won't think "Andean is a mouthpiece," but will instead ask themselves what they think of Andean.
Sometimes I know something is potentially a bad idea, but I do it anyway just to see what explodes.
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All hail the unbearably bare Mountaintop Bearbutt!
It is kinda in three parts, thought I thought of them as being the story, the reading scenes, and the final scene between Andean and Corvus. I spent a while wondering if it was a good idea to add that final bit. It's a little jarring. And yet, that's where most of the griffon-specific world-building is. I just hit the gas and kept going!
He was in the first draft, followed by Sinterklaas, Father Christmas, and Saint Nick.
I think this was the best way to do it.
Only the mistress of shadowy shadowed darkness and roller skates knows for sure!
Dwaaaaah that is the cutest griffon picture ever. And almost exactly how I picture the little princess. It's too perfect!
Sadly, ambrosia is wholly ineffective against Diabeetus. You may consider growing a bushy mustache to combat its effects.
You may have just found the portrait Corvus commissioned in his own honor.
Behind the scenes, he was inspired in a big way by this guy from the movie The Dark Crystal. Mm!
Good sir! You besmirch the honor of a member of the king's own household!
First of all, Corona's only, like, fifteen. So EEEEEWWWW. Second of all, new information incoming! The Felaccian Meritocracy extends to the kingship as well. It doesn't matter if you marry the king's daughter, you still have to prove yourself via honor duel with anybody else who wants to be king. We'll see that little tidbit in action during Rhythm and Rhyme.
I personally like my world with a little color to it.
The difference is that he is not a cute griffon child. Andean likes to play favorites.
He was smart enough to keep the comment to himself, at least.
No, he is not stupid. He is a very clever sort, clever enough to maneuver himself into a position of power that sits behind a position of strength. The gears are turning in that crafty mind of his. Muhuahahahaha.
Nope. Seagoing vessels. The griffons have not yet invented airplanes, but on on their way to crafting submarines.
This goes back to a chapter from DayBreak, where she and her father are discussing Griffon Meritocracy against Equestrian Aristocracy.
She's getting ready for the griffon-style smack-down!
Such is the ongoing tragedy of Andean. At the end of the day, you do what you can do and hope that the world is better for it.
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Just as long as his sidekick Krampus the Diamond Dog rides shotgun to punish naughty chicks.
That just hides the symptoms by catching your tears before they fall of your face! And if you're going to do that, just do what AJ does and use a friend's tail instead.
Good old Dark Crystal, Jim Henson definitely had a dark side. I think they used Dark Crystal as inspiration for the Tirek issue of Fiendship is Magic. I was going to guess that if Corvus had an Equestrian name, it would be "Star Screamer" or something.
With what, innocent questions? Look, I'm no namist, I was as outraged as anyone when the Equestrian Treasurer was fired after only 2 days, just because his name was M. Bezzler. But the guy's name is Corvus, like a crow! They don't call a group of crows a "fair duel" of crows, do they, they call them a murder!
Sorry about that, I've been watching Game of Thrones, my expectations on acceptable age to marry off a noble daughter for a political marriage are fairly low (in more ways than one).
Sure, and if Corvus got his grubby little claws on the crown, I am sure that with the increased resources of the monarchy at his command, he would defend his title in duels even more fair and non-poisoned than he already has.
Every time you mention that work I bust a quick anticipatory move.
Whatever you say, Tree Hugger! (That's an Equestrian-specific insult now!) Seriously though, I'm imagining a rival for Corona's heart, Baron Rony, and B. Rony prefers to see the world in bright pastel colors! (Visits Equestria a lot in his spare time). Or maybe Gaston can step in.
He was never a cute griffon child, baby crows are pretty ugly.
Someone's thinking up a fantastic villain song as we speak, isn't he?
Ouch, what about high-flying Equestrian airships? I'm guessing those ships have excellent SAMs then.
The only true Griffon King is King of the Ring!
Decent parents want their kids to have it better than they did. Great parents want their kids to be better than they were.
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I read about Krampus during my Santa-expy research and holy buttercups mythological figures used to be hardcore. Like, geeze. It's gonna give me nightmares and I'm the furthest thing from a naughty child.
At some point, I really want to use the line "Applejack cries on the inside, but sometimes it leaks out."
Haven't read a single issue yet, I say with salty tears. How badly did Tirek's jostle this story?
You're not wrong.
And you thought Skyhook's and Snipe Hunt's parents hated them?
The guy's name is Corvus, yes, but he's also part of the Corvus tribe. Corvus Mellori Corvus. You can't call him out via name scheme without accusing an entire people group of being dastardly backstabbers!
Even if you're probably right.
And that no, that's not gonna happen.
Well, of course. As only befitting a reigning sovereign with access to innumerable resources with a penchant for scheming.
Every time I mention it I burst a blood vessel because I wanna write it so bad but it won't work right unless I finish DayBreak and I already have three ongoing stories and blaaaaaaaaa--!
Corvus, I'm afraid I've been thinking
Of getting a life, mm?
Low blow!
But that unicorn mare is a wonder
And her voice sets my heart all aglow!
You can keep all your magic princesses
You can take all of Felaccia
But Equestria holds my only desire
Miss Belle outshines the angels above!
I think we've found the only proper Gaston ship already.
Corvus once swore, and he was asked "Did you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He tearfully replied, "No!"
It would be remiss to dismiss.
At some point in time, anyhow.
Flack plus dirigible envelope equals NNNNnnneeEEEEeerrRRRrrrrooOOOoooOOOom! Smash!
H'and in this cornah, weighing in at redacted pounds, redacted ounces, Corona! Thah Gizzard Griller!
H'and in this cornah, weighing way too few pounds with way too little muscle mass, Corvus! Thah Ravenator!
And the best do something about it?
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Before the 20th Century, children's fiction was probably darker than adults, because scaring kids was the educational value. FiM written by the original Brothers Grimm would have Twilight relating a friendship lesson every week, and a list of bodyparts that had been chopped off as a punishment to her friends for not upholding good character.
I think it's only Apple Bloom that makes it leak out, otherwise AJ can always hide her liquid pride.
Unless it turns out Tirek works for Peachie Pie, not much, it was entirely set over 1,000 years ago.
One thing that Transformers does really well, and FiM has yet to really try, is some proper villain-on-villain conflict and intrigue. I suppose Chrysalis stabbing Sombra in the back is hard to shape into a lesson, but dang would I like to see that!
HaHA! I generally figure ponies can change their names at their cutecenera, and ponies with terrible names picked them as angsty teens. That said, at least Snipe Hunt's name wasn't Accident (I hear that's actually a pretty common name in some parts of Equestria
).
I suppose that's fair, crows and ravens are pretty intelligent for birds, ravens can even talk like parrots, and they fight excellently in groups. I can definitely see crow-griffons prospering in Felaccia.
Wooow woow woow, you got like 3 chainsaws and a flaming torch you're juggling right now, you don't need to add anything else to your stress levels my friend. You are already working on three great interconnected stories, there'll be time for rhyme.
You know this is going to culminate in a Dance Dance Revolution contest between Gaston the athlete and Button the Gamer, set to an all Sweetie-Belle sound track.
I don't know if Griffons can kiss with beaks, but either way I don't blame Mamma Corvus.
I'd give Corona 3:1 odds, and that's accounting for the fact that she'll be woozy for some reason, and her blade might mysteriously break in half.
That works for me!
The Secret People? Oh noes. That sounds like...
The GOOD People!!!! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!!!!!
I'm reading the stories in your series out of order and so far it hasn't impaired my comprehension of events. I loved the worldbuilding as usual, and Andeas shows a lot more depth. Aw, he's a big softy when it comes to his kids. And the story of Smart Cookie and Gregor (and Breezies) was fascinating.
Man, Tirek was a pretty huge problem back in the day. He did a lot of damage to the pre-Equestrian civilizations.
Heh. I'm not sure if I'd prefer this unnamed alicorn to be Celestia or Luna, both possibilities are fairly amusing.
Interesting how there are very much two different endings to this. A mostly happy ending for Gregar and Smart Cookie, and a much less happy adventure for their kid (and then subsequently for the griffons that assaulted him).
Yeah, that goes well right up until the point where they're highjacked, then they're a problem for everyone.
Well, now I have to favorite this, if only so that I can eventually come back and read all of those stories.
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I hope you enjoy them! My personal favorites are Scootaloo Will Fly! and In the Absence of Sunset Shimmer, though they all have their fans and detractors.
I'm guessing it is simple forgetfulness, but the list of Heart's Promise stories in the authors note at the bottom of the chapter is not up to date.
Okay, but where do I go to read the story about the breezies and the alicorn? :O
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Sadly, that one only exists in the realm of imagination. I've mentioned details here and there, but never went writing out the entire thing... I thought I wrote something about it in Lord Mayor Applejack, but glancing through I can't find the quote. I might have just talked about it in the comments section.
So they're, like, my own personal Tolkien Appendices.
Long story short, the breezies went into hiding after their meeting with Gregor and Smart Cookie. As far as the world was concerned, the entire species vanished overnight, with no idea as to why. Years later, when Luna and Celestia were traveling the world searching for the Elements of Harmony, they happened upon a tiny portal into a shrunken world.
They made it no more than three steps inside when they were swarmed with tiny, angry bug-like ponies. The breezies tied them up, staked them to the ground, and set about discussing what to do with them. Celestia and Luna, having been taught several languages by Smart Cookie and Clover, were able to parse what they were saying and negotiate a release. Once the breezies realized the "giants" were not there to steal their food, they allowed the soon-to-be-princesses to be set free.
(Both Royal Sisters insist that only the other one was caught, but we know the truth!)
Soooo... It doesn't exactly meet the thousand-word requirement for a whole story, does it?
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Oh, but it could :V