Griffon of Canterlot

by Electuroo

Chapter 99.5: Now we Talk

Author's Note:

Now the reactions come and some answers to boot.

Second part of the Collaboration with Goldfur - https://www.fimfiction.net/user/84240/Goldfur

Always welcoming those comments!

Stay safe and healthy all!

-Electuroo

Griffon of Canterlot

Chapter 99.5: Now we Talk

As soon as the Celestial form changed to an alicorn stallion demanding what had just happened, Glacier relaxed her hold on the sub-sonic, putting it away. She could see many of the rangers also relaxing their stance, seeing the route taken. Grover, the lord of Fort Grimfeather, stepped forward, looking up at the green alicorn. Trail Blazer and Gillian walked up either side of Grover.

“Simply put, Prince Wells, those of us working together in Fort Grimfeather just saved the world from a runaway reality magical event,” Grover spoke sternly and without fear to the prince.

Gillian spoke next. “We prepared and planned for this to the moment.”

Trail Blazer the head of the Rangers took his turn. “It gave us the time to complete the mission set in motion two years ago by our lord.”

More ponies and griffons gathered around behind them, standing with Grover. “From rescuing those within the submarine that arrived moments ago, to destroying it and the runaway reality magic within. As Gillian said, we planned it, including diverting your daggerscale portals to give us the much-needed time without distraction to stop this world ending event.”

Mark slowly descended to them. “Distractions?! You called us racing here to stop a world-threatening event a distraction!?”

“Yes,” Grover said bluntly to him. “To put it simply, you wouldn't even have known what was happening here. We did. You appearing on top of us and seeing everything happening would have led to you most likely telling us to back away and assess the situation before taking action.”

Trail Blazer took his turn. “Whatever punishments you wish to take on Lord Grover, you will have to place on all of us. We followed him, but we acted together, so we share the blame together to save the lives that never noticed us.”

Twilight and the others landed beside and behind Mark. “What do you mean never noticed you?”

“We are all from different walks of life. Many of us just lived for the day to day moments. Some lost everything and became unnoticed on the streets of the cities. Others had done wrong and, because of their colourful history, no one would take them on, even if they tried to do better,” Gillian stated. “Lord Grover gave us that chance and we built this home together from the ground up. We believed in this griffon.”

Grover looked to his left and right. “A group of nobodies worked together and planned for this moment, became more to the sum of the parts they once were. They live productive eventful lives here and, even after the mission is completed, they have their futures to look forward to.”

Silvite walked up between them all. “Now you say this and that, you should have told us, you should have done this, what ifs and what nots, blah blah blah.” This got all their attention turning to the silver dragon crossed arm.

“The world-ending event has been stopped. We all lived. Wrongs and rights were made here, but at the end we’re safe and how about you get all your bloody sticks out of your bloody butts and get to helping the submarine crew! They currently need help!” She growled and point over to them being tended to by some griffons and ponies.

Mark raised a hoof and opened his muzzle to speak but did not get a word out.

“Sweetie – best to do what Silvite says. She’s far older than all of you put together, and she’s very testy at the moment and has a very valid point.”

Mark turned to the messy-feathered-head griffon that now stood beside the silver dragon. “Right, point taken...” He said in an unsure tone upon hearing this griffon speak. Something about the tone of voice, calling him sweetie and the appearance seem to remind him of someone from somewhere. “Get the team to do a check of the area for any more ruptures or rifts that could possibly form, the rest help tend to those griffons of the submarine crew. Send word back to Canterlot to get a trauma team out here a.s.a.p.”

“I'll get the orders out,” Penumbra responded, taking off.

The ponies and griffons of the township got a nod from Grover. They went off to clean up and to aid the griffon crew. “Now all this tension is out of the way, I’ve got some things to check out myself. Something about this doesn't add up, and I have all the data I acquired from our multiple jumps from reality to reality to go through.” Glacier turned to leave and find a place to do her magic.

Starlight came up to her. “You’re not from your Equis, like the griffon crew. You and the dragon arrived on that submarine didn't you?”

Glacier glanced over to her with a sly smile. “Spoilers.” With that she took off and Silvite put an arm out blocking Starlight from following.

Mark blinked a few times. “No way... She can't be! Seriously she can't!”

Silvite chuckled seeing the reaction from the prince. “Looks like Glacier has got a fan. Colt – just keep out of her way till she’s done. Best not to anger her.” Silvite walked over to Octicovix.

Twilight had her own moment standing before Grover now it sunk in. “You’re King Grover, aren't you? The first king of Griffonstone.”

“That is partly correct.”

“Partly?”

“I am the former king of Griffina from their Equis.” He hinted to Silvite and Octicovix. “I am married to Princess Celestia, have a daughter that I haven't seen since she was less than a day old, taken from us by a zebra into an inverse reality, and spent most of my life running the kingdom and searching for my child. Even though it has been close to eighty years since I have seen my little Nightingale, to her she lived a false world, a fantasy for 799 years. Now I may have a chance to see her... Saving your Equis saved mine, saved my children, my wife, my family.” Grover placed his talon on her side, giving a smile with tears in his eyes.

Twilight didn't say a word as he let go and walked away with Gillian and Trail Blazer, the stallion stopped for a second. “Now you know his truth, his pain.” Trail Blazer continued to walk with Lord Grover.

Mark watched the former king help Grav up, walk him to the hospital with the other twenty griffons that were helped by both the township citizens and FRAG members. “Okay... That was more than I could ever thought I’d see and hear...”

Queen Chrysalis was partly distracted by the sight of the yellow eyed changeling. “He has a lot of pain. You don't even need to sense how he feels to see it. He’s carrying a world of pain on his shoulders.”

Starlight looked around. “We do still need answers for what caused this. That griffon seemed to know what did; the dragon and changeling too. From what I can see, they know each other.”

Chrysalis couldn't sense anything from the changeling; she was completely shut out from Octicovix. “That changeling’s a royal.”

“You’re sure, Sally?”

“Yes. Before she shut me out with a spell, I partly sensed directly at me familiarity, fear, anger and disgust,” Queen Chrysalis answered.

“Towards you?”

“Not directly. I’d say another me if I am to guess.”

Mark rubbed the underside of his snout. “You said she’s a royal changeling; what if she is the daughter of their Chrysalis and had a massive falling out?”

“Most likely is the case but it’s not my problem. She’s not one of my changelings,” Queen Chrysalis said turning away. “If she wishes to compare me to her mother, if that true, then it’s her choice.” The changeling queen walked up the scorched ground. “This is the reason why we are here, this event and the arcane magic that destroyed the very threat that caused the level one alarm in the first place.”

Twilight used her magic to scan over the area. “The spell that was cast had sudden explosive levels of arcane magic. As soon as it appeared, it faded away as if it wasn't even here.” She saw partial remains of a rune marking. “Rune magic... Now that explains a lot.”

“Rune magic?” Starlight took a good look at it too. “That would explain the burst of magic levels and the sudden drop.”

“Care to explain?” Mark asked.

Starlight turned to Twilight to Mark. “Depending on the runes you use, the size of it and so on, they can cast spells without the need of high-level magic users for high-level spells,” Twilight stated.

“Think of it as a short-cut for small to high-level spells without the need for a massive mana pool,” Starlight added. “These were strong, powerful and placed around this area to create an arcane field to destroy everything from magic to physical forms on the level of breaking it down to pieces to dust to this – faint particles left behind.” Starlight looked over the oval scorched area in the middle of the fort.

A tick-tock sound faintly grew till they all turn around to come face to face with the clockwork griffon, Grant. Twilight looked up and down of the griffon before them. “You’re an artificial life form!”

Grant confirmed that as she responded. “I am, but wasn't before Shal-Quz did this to me with reality magic.”

“Shal-Quz? You were flesh and blood?” Mark asked.

Grant walked by them grabbing some of the scorched dirt, letting it fall between his claws. “Yes, I was forcefully changed against my will. I was even forcefully reprogrammed by that rabbit. If it wasn't for Glacier and the feather she shoved into my cogs, I would still be working for Shal-Quz,” he answered, turning around to Mark. “She’s evil and she would have gladly left my father, the crew, my brothers and sisters to slowly die in the submarine just to escape. She has no morals in life. Glacier, with her friends, saved our lives.”

“What can you tell me of them?” Mark hoped for answers about Glacier and the others.

Grant's cogs twist and turn with a click, tick and tock. “They were chasing Shal-Quz across multiple realities. They arrived on our submarine a day after she did. We believed we captured her but it was all a ploy. We had no food for days by the time she arrived, unable to think clearly...”

Starlight was curious about that. “The silver dragon Silvite said your crew haven't eaten for three days; if you were in a ship, why not dock somewhere?”

Grant closed his eyes. “Because there was nowhere to go. Over seven weeks ago, our Equis, our home was destroyed by a... solar event. We were lucky because we were under the water in a nuclear-powered submarine, the flagship of the navy of Griffonia. Most of the world burned and our part suffocated to death. We were the last. We had nothing to look forward to, and now we live with the sun against my skin, this metal shell. I can feel its warmth and yet I feel guilty.” Grant sighed heavily.

“I am not sure what we can say or do for you...” Starlight said.

Grant smiled a bit. “Thank you anyway.” He started to walk away. “I am going to check on my father, General Grav.”

They listened to the pain of his words and were shocked to hear this. “Wh-why tell us?” Twilight spoke in a shaky voice.

He paused in mid step, glancing back at them. “Because this is your world, your home. You deserve to know our pain, our loss, and how Glacier and her friends gave us a life. When they go home, we are going with them for a fresh start and serve the griffon princess Celestia.” He continued to walk away.

Queen Chrysalis frowned. “Did he just say Celestia is a griffon?”

“I think he did and even though it was painful to hear what that griffon said, I am glad he did tell us,” Mark answered. “We know what the stakes were and the threat that caused this level one event. We need to know more about this Shal-Quz and see if she not going to be a continued threat to the Equestrian Empire.”

---

The tourist ship sailed away from the Statue of Friendship in Manehatten Bay. Gale sat on a seat looking out to the shrinking statue as they headed back to the city shores. Celestia sat down beside him, presenting the photo of them standing at the torch with the city behind them.

“I believe that was a good photo, don't you think son?”

“Yes it is. Standing up by torch was fun! Saw much without flying!” He took the photo seeing himself, Celestia, Nightingale, Gilda, Greystorm, Spike, Gabby and Gallus on it. “Alpha took photo, he no want to be in it.”

“That’s because it’s his choice. Not everyone likes their photos being taken.” She looked over to Alpha standing not too far from them, staring out to sea. “One thing he can join us in is having a Manehatten style pizza, and no buts.” Celestia smirked at the wolf.

Alpha rolled his one eye as his stomach grumbled a bit. “You’re making me hunger, Lady Celestia.”

“Good, but no apple juice for you; not after last night,” Celestia sternly said to him.

Alpha groaned as Gale burst into laughter, recalling what happened. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Not at the slightest, my dear Alpha.”

He sniffed the air, his eye shifted around. “I smell rabbit.”

Gale looked around. “I see no rabbit.”

Celestia also did a check. She got up from the seat, taking a cautionary scan of the deck. “Nor do I.”

“Could be the sea-salt playing around with my sense of smell.” He followed up by a sneeze, Gale hopped off the seat and gave him a tissue. “Thank you, Lord Gale.” He blew his nose and threw the tissue into the bin beside him.

“You welcome!” Gale smiled warmly.

Behind a wall, breathing heavily, Shal-Quz knew she was almost caught out. “Damn that wolf! Getting close to the cub is going to be far more trickier than I hoped.” Shal-Quz used her magic to open a staff only door, closing it behind her. “So, almost a day of trying to get the cub has failed. I will have to go with the convention to try. With so many inside, I will have a better or worse chance.” Shal-Quz pulled out the folded flyer looking at it.

The rabbit folded it back up, putting it in her robe. “Glacier and the others will be back. They most likely have discovered by now what I was trying to do. They will bring a storm with them and this will be my last stand. I am all out of options.”

---

After the former crew was attended to, given food and drink to help them start the recovery, and most of the FRAG units returned through daggerscale portals, the moment for answers had come with Glacier coming to Silvite and speaking with fury.

“Silvite! That vermin rabbit is far more dangerous than we were led to believe! I need you to get Grover and those ponies and that changeling to come to that building over there right NOW!”

Silvite didn't get to say anything before Glacier flew over to the circular building. “Octicovix – you go get Grover, Gillian and Trail Blazer. I'll get the green alicorn and his cohorts.”

“Alright.” She nodded and, with a buzz of the wings, took off to find Grover.

Silvite saw that Twilight and Starlight were still studying the ground where the sub once was standing for only minutes. She also saw Chrysalis and Penumbra talking to Mark nearby. “At least they made my job easy.” Silvite walked over to them. “Hey! Colt! Get your friends and go to that building over there.” She thumb pointed over her shoulder to it. “Glacier found out something that needs us all over there yesterday.”

“I’m Prince Mark Wells, one of the three rulers of the Equestrian Empire you’re standing on,” Mark snapped at her.

“That sounds like a human name.” Silvite didn't care much for the title at the moment, now towering over him. “You’re formerly a human?” she directly asked.

“Yes, I gather you were?” He suspected looking up at her as she looked down to him.

“I was, around four thousand years ago. Been quite a long time since I was human.”

“You’re over four thousand years old!?”

Penumbra looked amazed. “You don't look over hundred.”

Silvite smirked. “Good to hear, batty.” Penumbra snarled. “Please – that just makes you more adorable than you already are,” Silvite slyly said with arms crossed.

“Ado-adorable!?” the batpony said incredulously.

“Yep.” Silvite chuckled. “Also Mark – that storm display.”

“Yeah?”

“It was lame.”

“Lame!?”

“Yeeeaaah, when you fight a lightning-charged fifty foot dragon for over a thousand years, you tend to not see such displays as yours very threatening. I give it a D for effort.” Silvite uncrossed her arms and wave her claw hand side to side.

“It’s not as if I was trying to harm anypony; it was just a threat,” Mark grumbled.

Chrysalis was curious what this dragon thought of her. “And what of me?”

“Well, I can't really say. The only changeling I know of personally is Octicovix and from what I know of her relationship with changelings is poor, especially with her mother. From what I know of them, they had a big falling-out over her true love and refused to give up the griffon she fell in love with. That led to her having her memories removed of her home and she hasn't seen her mother for the last twenty-odd years,” Silvite explained to Chrysalis.

“She found true love, huh?”

“Yep, a griffon called Greystorm, mayor of Trottingham, and a history nut over griffon history.”

Mark didn't like the sound of family falling out over those that find love. “Sounds all too familiar...”

“It does, not much you can do about it, colt. It’s ancient history. What truly matters for me is I have a kitsune sister and Gale, Celestia's adopted son, to look out for. That’s what is truly important to me. Saving realities and you from that damn monster of a rabbit Shal-Quz was a bonus.” She patted his head a few times with her claw hand. “Well whether you choose to come or not, we’ll be in that circular building.” Silvite turned around, opening her wings and taking off to it.

Penumbra smirked. “I like her.”

“So do I,” Chrysalis agreed.

Mark looked back and forwards at them. “We don't even know that dragon; we just met her!”

“Yet she made a good impression.” Penumbra walked over to Twilight and Starlight. “I'll let them know that Glacier has got something for us about this event.”

Chrysalis added to what Penumbra said. “She did give us some insight. She didn't really need to ask and now I understand why that changeling Octicovix is on edge around me. Also, I liked the way she patted you like a puppy. It was adorable” She laughed as she walked over to the building.

Mark couldn't think of any words right that moment to even say as he was left there flustered.

A little while later, Mark, Twilight, Starlight, and Penumbra were let into the building by two rangers standing guard with a few of their own, a pair of changelings standing to attention. Upon walking inside, they found themselves in a circular chamber with seats around a large open middle area with three stair paths down to it. All along the walls were different pattern runes. Sitting down already were Grover, Gillian and Trail Blazer, Silvite, Octicovix, Grant, and the weak-looking Grav.

Chrysalis sat by herself at one row of seats. They walked over to sit with her and saw Glacier standing on the floor in the middle. “Good to see you've all made it. We’re just waiting for two others to show up,” Glacier said. “I’d like to thank Grover for telling me about the importance of this chamber, and you’re about to see how. Gyro, please activate the runes.” The griffon they saw standing by a rune raised his talon, placing it on the glyph.

The rune lit up. Soon all, the rest of them did too. Before them, appearing out of nowhere, was a small black avian sitting down with a book floating in a magical field in front of her, she had no wings from what they saw, wearing clothing, big expressive eyes with small glasses resting on the bridge of the beak.

The next to appear was an anthropomorphic fox standing about a pony height, wearing a black vest and trousers. He walked up the steps, coming over to Grover. “Grover, I gather it was a success stopping the reality magic overload.”

“It was.”

“Then tell me why I've been contacted and have these strangers here?” He glared at the griffon with hand paws in his pockets.

Mark spoke up. “We were asked to come here, whatever you are!”

The fox ran over to Mark, jumping onto the seat in front of Mark, making the prince power up his magic ready to defend himself. “Please! You cannot hit me with that! I am not even here! The runes are transmitting to two other locations at the exact same time as this one. I am alone in my chamber. All of them are the same geologically speaking in dimensions size and runes.” He waved the hand-paw through Mark showing the fact, unimpressed by Mark's defensive display. “As for who I am, Keeper Sentinel the monitor, guardian, creator and master of Grimormia Tower. Also the one that predicted the arrival of the submarine with the runaway reality magic over two years ago.” He jumped down from the seat and walked back down to the central area.

The avian waved her talon hand. “Unlike Keeper…” He gave a humph sound in response. “…I like to be a bit more friendly, I am Leela and it’s a pleasure to meet so many new faces. Even though we’re not exactly in the same room, it’s good to see into one that I can talk to people other than using a mirror,” Leela said warmly to them all. “And I am the creator of the runes you see around you including the Arcane Dome rune spell you most likely have already seen in action. It took me a few months to get that created especially for a nuclear submarine infused with runaway build-up of reality magic.”

“I’ve got say from what I am seeing and saw so far, even though at first we didn't know what we were facing, it’s a very impressive form of magic,” Twilight responded. “By any chance were your runes used to divert the daggerscale portal?”

Leela stood up, grabbing the book putting under her arm. “They were. It was agreed upon a three to zero vote between all of us, to keep you all away long enough to have Grover and his team complete the mission at hand. There was no ill-intent in it; just timing was everything,” Leela answered, adjusting her glasses a little. “But I assume Glacier Melodyclaw has a reason to bring you all together and contacting us about the recent events.” She turned to the griffon.

Keeper replied with annoyance in his voice, his blue eyes shifting to a slight yellow colour for moments. “I would like to know. I do have maintenance to proceed with after-all! The tower doesn't keep itself in one piece without someone to maintain it since I sent Grover off to their Equis to save their world to save our own!”

Mark was also curious. “If it means getting the answers we want, I’d also like to know.”

Glacier stood up on her paws, wings open for balance. She tapped her claws over the wrist-held device and it created a holographic projection before them all. “I ran through this many times over to make sure I was wrong, hoped I was wrong...” They saw a mark on a massive galactic map shaped like a storm cloud. “This is your Equis in your corner of the multiverse. Here is ours.” It showed another multiverse shaped like a tree with a mark at the middle.

“Why does ours look like Mark's cutie mark, and yours as a tree?” Starlight asked.

“It’s more or less an example, each is huge and growing all the time. Between both is the breach created by the submarine with the reality magic,” Glacier answered and showed the link between the two of them.

Keeper pointed to the middle of the link. “Right there is Grimormia Tower.”

Glacier updated it to show a little stone tower. “You’re from their Equis right?” Twilight curiously asked.

“Yes.”

“Why do you live in another one between both multiverses?” Twilight pressed.

Keeper put his paw hands into the trouser pockets, leaning against a seat. “I don't need to explain to you, purple pony. That’s where I live and no one gets there unless I bring them there. Only one to ever get that treatment is Grover. He did something that really drew my attention; you have not,” Keeper bluntly responded with a flash of red in his eyes before turning blue again.

Twilight gave him a stern look. “That leve-”

“Nope, something that happened in our Equis time about 740 odd years ago, give or take. If I get the time right – it’s hard to keep track when the concept of time isn't really a thing where I live,” Keeper interrupt her. “He did something that really caught my attention. Not what happened today to your perspective. I simply gave him the information about when and where it will happen. Leela gave the rune magic and that's that.”

“Why y-”

Leela raise a talon speaking up. “This isn't getting us anywhere, Keeper. Please refrain from insulting Twilight Sparkle.”

He shrugged. “Not my fault I have hyper-level intelligence.”

Twilight's right eye twitched, Mark put a hoof on her shoulder before she could respond. “He’s trying to get under your fur, Sparkles. Don't rise to his bait.”

Twilight slowly calmed herself. “Right... Got it.” Keeper just shrugged against and turned his attention to the holographic image. “Glacier can you continue please?”

“Of course.” She showed the fourteen markers before Mark's one. “As you can see, all our reality-jumping from one Equis to another was on our side of the pond, but do you see those magical energy levels on each of them?”

Starlight’s eyes widened in an instant seeing it. “No that can't be right!”

“What is it, Starlight?” Mark asked.

Grant now saw it too. “Father... Shal-Quz wasn't just going to leave us to die slowly.”

Grav turned his head. “I don't understand son – what do you see that I don't?”

Chrysalis saw the pattern. “What a clever malevolent thing Shal-Quz is. That is truly evil.”

Twilight felt sick to her stomach, but Mark looked around seeing some were as puzzled as he was, while others seemed to react differently to it.

“Can somebody tell me what you are seeing?!”

Glacier pressed on the display. They watched as Mark's Equis was blown to pieces, then the one linked to it, then another and another. As each exploded, more around it were caught up in a chain-reaction, till it hit the one Gale one, Glacier and the others one. They watched as the explosive reaction wiped out every Equis in their multiverse and travelled back through the corridor into Mark's one causing a complete destruction of two multiverses.

“That what would have happened if Grover and those here in Grimfeather didn't stop the reality magical feedback, and I never saw it till I studied the data. Shal-Quz played us all.”

Leela spoke as she stared at what they were seeing before Glacier shut it down. “All to get back at her maker, our maker...”

Keeper Sentinel closed his eyes sighing heavily. “I never thought a prime creation would be driven that far to do something so evil... And so causal...”

Mark turned to her. “Who is your maker, Leela?”

“Grogar.”

Comments

[Melody Song]

Ooh, this is getting interesting! Keep up the good work!