Chapter 75.5 – The Setting before the Crusades
Griffon of Canterlot
Chapter 75.5 – The Setting before the Crusades
Pinkie Pie hummed to herself as she bounced towards the edges of Sweet Apple Acres closest to the Everfree Forest. Walking behind her were five other ponies. Rarity, Applejack, Big McIntosh, Holiday, and Lofty; all family of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Pinkie had told them about her pen pal Sunflower going to meet the fillies, and believed it was best for them to meet her first.
“We're almost there.” Pinkie Pie said to them, stopping her bouncing to walk. “After years and years and years of being pen pals, I got to meet her face to face. It was amazing! And it was because the Crusaders found her close to the library!”
Holiday spoke up. “It sounds like this Sunflower was sneaking around. Why would your pen pal do such a thing?” She followed up by with a question.
“Well... I can't really say. Princess Luna told me not to speak about it until Princess Celestia's ready, all I can say is that she came for Twilight's help directly from Princess Celestia, and she...erm... well... unique.” Pinkie Pie answered.
“Unique? How? In a Good or bad way?” Lofty asked.
Pinkie Pie giggled. “A good way. She's not bad, it's just her uniquness is something you have to see for yourself. It will show you why the Cutie Mark Crusaders asked to meet her tomorrow. She promised and that's why she's here.” Pinkie Pie answered Lofty's question.
Rarity looked around using a lantern to light them and the surrounding area up. “Darling, I am sure we could have done this in town, not all the way out here at night.”
“Oh I tried Rarity, she refused and I understand why. You will too, I promise!”
“Ah get the feelin' yer not exaggeratin', sugarcube.” Applejack said, looking around.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed, as they past the last of the apple trees, nearing the large untamed forest of Everfree.
Before them was a large tent, next to a lit fire in a stone circle. Around the camp fire were were large logs arranged for setting. And sitting in plain sit before their eyes by the fire was a snowy white griffon with blackish grey spots, feathers and ear tips on the head, and beak. The eyes had purple irises set in yellow coloured sclera, and scanned left to right across the pages of a very large book held in one forepaw.
“Hey Sunflower! What'cha reading?” Pinkie Pie happily walked up to the camp fire.
Sunflower's eyes turn from the book to Pinkie Pie. “A science fiction novel created way before our time, it was put into print a few years back from the achieves directory. It's called Star Trek Voyager and it's about a crew on this star ship sailing between the stars trying to get back home.” Sunflower said showing the cover to Pinkie Pie, it showing a star ship in front of a planet.
“Ooooo, spacey!” Pinkie giggled. “Oh by the way! I brought them over!” She turned waving for the others to step closer. “This is my awesome long time besty pen pal Sunflower Clawhowler! I usually call her Sunny!” She explained happily to the five ponies as they stepped into the light of the campfire.
Sunflower raised her free forepaw. “What's up, dudes!” She closed the book up, twisting her body around to sit upright with forepaws on the ground in front of her, and looking down at them as they looked up. “As Pinkamena said, I'm Sunflower. A Finch Griffon.” She gestured for them to sit near the campfire.
They walked up to the camp fire, sitting down around it, all still staring up at her. If it wasn't for Pinkie Pie vouching for her, they would most likely be extremely wary of this very big griffon. It had only been a few weeks since the Ursa incident.
“Sit down by the fire, and before the questions are asked... No I am the only Finch Griffon of my size. The rest are about your size. The reason for my size is due to a faulty gene in my body controlling growth. It took some very clever zebras to solve my growing problems years ago. So I am a chilled, pretty rad, nine hooves tall, 23 year old Finch Griffon.” She raised a forepaw at them. “And you are?”
After a few blinks from them as they tried to process her size, and what she said, Holiday finally responded. “I am Holiday; and this is my wife, Lofty. We are Scootaloo's aunts, and now I can see why Scootaloo is thrilled to see you again.”
“Hehe, you are quite the looker. That soft fur and feathers, I bet you get heads turning.” Lofty chuckled.
Sunflower knew what she meant. “I... erm... well... I...” She fluffed her wings a little. “Nice to meet you annnnnd moving on.” She turned to Rarity.
Holiday rolled her eyes. “You had to Lofty, didn't you?”
“What? You have to admit, even if she is the biggest friendliest thing we seen, it doesn't mean I am wrong.” Lofty nudged Holiday.
Rarity stepped up taking a good look at Sunflower. “My word, you have quite the natural beauty about you.” She walked around the griffon. “You really take good care of that coat of yours, those claws are not too long.A nd those feathers! They really glisten in the light of the fire! I can see why Sweetie Belle is eager to meet you.” She came full circle, standing before Sunflower and raising a foreleg up to her. “Any friend of Pinkie Pie's is a friend of mine.”
Sunflower, with a single finger paw, tapped the hoof. “Thank you... erm... for both the comment about me and for seeing me as a friend, even though we just met.”
“No trouble at all, darling. At least you're not a rampaging young Ursa Minor.” Rarity smiled, stepping back to allow Applejack and Big Mac to approach.
Sunflower gave Rarity a questionable look. “Ursa... Minor? What is that exactly?”
Pinkie Pie gave the answer to the question. “Oh, it's a blue bear that looks like it's got stars all over it's body, partly see through, also about half of you bigger.”
“Half of me... bigger?” Sunflower imagined a see through star coated bear towering over her. “Wow dude, I would love to see that!”
“NO!” All the ponies said together.
Sunflower flinched. “Okay dudes, don't need to shout, just a very simple not yelling 'no' or 'that's a bad idea' would of done-” She raise a finger paw up. “-or even suggest a book to read about them.”
Applejack stepped forward with Big Mac to introduce themselves to her. “Ah guess we did react a bit too harshly to the question, and ya brought up three valid points.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed.
Applejack took off her hat, putting it to her chest. “Ah'm Applejack and this here mah big brother Big McIntosh. The trees of apples ya most likely seen is part of our orchard, Sweet Apple Arcs. And just like Rarity, any friend of Pinkie Pie's is an friend of mine.” She put the hat back on white gesturing to her big brother.
“Eeyup!”
Sunflower looked at each of these ponies. “Pinkamena, you were correct. I just had to be chilled, do some introductions, and boom! We can chat on the level. Dude, you really know your stuff.” Sunflower smiled at the pink pony.
Pinkie giggled. “Oh course silly! We're best friend pen pals!”
Lofty walked up to Sunflower. “Pinkie Pie is known for befriending many. The fact that you're been her friend for a long time, the fact that she organised this as well, and the fact that she keeps your seret even though you're shown to be a rather large yet very friendly young adult griffon, shows she really cares about her pen pal. It is what a true friend does.” Sunflower smiled warmly to what Lofty said. “The question I have for you Sunflower is; how are you with the young?”
“Honestly, I don't know. They were the first youngsters I met, and I am a griffon of my word when I promised to meet them again. Unless that will be a problem for you?” Sunflower said putting a forepaw on the chest. She suddenly came up with a idea and her face showed it. “Sooo... if it eases any worries... If it helps, one of you could supervise it tomorrow.”
Holiday nodded. “That sounds like quite the idea, Sunflower. I gather after tomorrow there be more visits?”
Sunflower shrugged. “Dude, I haven't thought that far ahead. Also getting to come was quite the chore, Nanner Maple most likely won't like the idea of me coming out this far so often. Maybe once every two weeks to a month, if repeat visits are acceptable. Let's see how we do with this first one tomorrow, shall we?”
“Wish I could, darling. But I have a busy schedule and our parents also got a bit of a hoof full.” Rarity said.
Before either Lofty or Holiday could respond, Applejack did. “Big Mac and Ah'll watch over them.” Applejack stepped up. “Also, we would like to get to know a bit more about ya Sunflower.”
Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup!”
“Sure, ask away. Just a word of warning, I may not be able to answer all of them due to finch griffon laws.” Sunflower laid on her side, resting her forepaws over each other. “So...What are your questions?”
Applejack, since she asked to get to know her more, decided to ask the first question. “Ya said finch griffon a few times sugarcube, what exactly are the differences between a Finch Griffon and Griffon?”
Sunflower showed her forepaw. “One, we have forepaws with inner toes that work like the fourth talon, a good example is writing and grabbing things. The second is that the subclass finches are around your size generally. I am the exception to that rule. Three, we are very smart and use our imagination to expand and grow. What we lack in strength, we gain in the imaginative department.” Sunflower answered with the third paw finger tapping the side of her head.
Big Mac asked the next question. “Why haven't we seen any more finch griffons? Yer bein' the first for us.”
“That's to do with a 200 year old rule. The reason I and Nanner Maple are exempt to that is because we have been discovered due to a magical incident... or was discovered... Anyways, that's why I am able to visit the Cutie Mark Crusaders tomorrow. Why that law came into place? I can not tell you, the law forbids me from doing so without the council's approval.” Sunflower answered his question.
“Darling, how ever do you fit in places and how do you keep those beautiful coat and feathers looking so glamorous?” Rarity presented two questions, one about her size going to places, and another about her personal appearance.
Sunflower could easily see from the look of Rarity, and the way she talked, that this pony was one of fashion, appearances and a hunger for new ideas to grow her passion. A look she seen in her father Clawpaw's and Nanner Maple's eyes. “I've seen that hunger for innovation, that hunger for new ideas dude. Both from my dad and Nanner Maple.” She chuckled lightly. “To answer your questions though; I fit in fine at home, the corridors, my room, and many others are big enough to feel as if they are normal size... for me at least.”
Sunflower lifted a forepaw up to her line of sight, flexing the paw. Staring at the fur, pads, and extending the claws. “As for my glamorous look part; well I mostly have daily showers, use shower gel specially made for me... which Nanner Maple only knows where to get it. And I just brush out my fur every so often, most of it just plain normal me.” Sunflower answered the question.
Lofty recalled something Scootaloo had told her about Sunflower. “I recall my niece saying that you are very silent when moving, also having a grace about you that left the area around you unaffected, even the ground you tread on. Can you show us?”
Sunflower got up on all fours. “Sure, and it's a mastery of my inner flight magic that allow me to do this.” Sunflower started to move in a dance fashion of steps, from all fours to hind legs, wings open around them and the fire. They didn't feel anything as the wing was mere inches from their backs or their faces, even the fire wasn't affected by her.
Pinkie Pie played some music as she continue to dance. Moving with grave, care, and leaving no noticeable impact from the paws touching the ground. Even flying a little as she does a few spins until landing so swiftly it left them breathless expecting a sound from the impact, or to at least to feel the weight of it make the earth tremble. Only to be left in near stillness and silence, broken only by the breeze through the trees that had not once been disturbed during her performance. “Sweet Celestia, no wonder our Scootaloo is trilled to meeting her again!. Look at the way she moves, it's incredible...”
Rarity pictured her wearing a dress, purple with gold trimmings. “Oh my stars, the ideas I can create! How even could I not make such a dress for this amazing graceful griffon!”
“Ah'll say, that one fancy hoofing dance. She wasn't kiddin' with the mastery of flight magic, Rainbow would be jealous.” Applejack said while Big Mac's muzzle just hung open in awe from watching her move. The embers from the fire swirling about in front and behind her only now that she stood still, it was a sight both stunning and beautiful.
Sunflower finished with her laying on her side, with a wing up and out, forepaws over each other. “Is that a good enough answer?” They clapped their hooves, or stomped them. “Guess that's a yes.” She chuckled. “Dudes, can you stop? Seriously, stop.”
Pinkie Pie giggled. “Awwww! We're just so amazed! Even I understand now how you can now zip away without anypony noticing! You can be-” They blinked and she was gone. “-behind us?” She looked up to see Sunflower looking back down at her, grinning. “Oh, wow! You are really fast!”
“It all in the magic, my friend.” Sunflower walked around them to sit back down. “Soooo... Am I good?”
“Ah say so.”
“You have my vote, darling. But I do hope to get some measurements from you though.”
Sunflower frowned. “Measurements?” Then she realised. “Dude, you can't seriously be thinking of THAT? You'd be put in the red before even getting half way through! There no fabric in the world that can work with a griffon of my size! You could easily make twenty dresses for my one!” Sunflower shook her head. “I also don't carry around that kind of cash either, my earnings go int-”
“Darling, I will find a way. Even if it takes a few months to gather it through sales, I always find a way, I won't take no for a answer either, this will be my gift to you.”
“Bu-b-but we just met! I am not even exactly a friend! Dude, you ponies are insane with this friendliness!”
“That we are.” Pinkie giggled.
“I am curious myself.” Lofty chuckled a little. “How about I make you a few cookies for Scootaloo to give to you tomorrow?”
“Please stop...” Sunflower groans, she put her forepaws over her head. “I don't have anything to give back!”
“Ya already did. sugarcube.”
“What?”
Holiday smiled. “Your dance, it is a gift enough. Witnessing such grace, even I agree that it's a good enough gift.”
Sunflower lowered her paws from her head. “I am not going to stop any of you from doing this for me am I?”
Big Mac gave a that very simple answer. “Eenope.”
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Aww! That was so sweet! Great chapter!
...Hmmm. Reading this has left me with a question.
Did ya intentionally leave out all the 's?
Because this would read alot better with them in their proper places.
10691810
Where did I leave out these ‘s?
10691882
I'm working on corrections for the chapter because listing them all just begs to work on the whole chapter. I'll send you my work in a PM. Started soon after I finished reading anyways.
10691942
Fair enough, thank you ^^