Possessed by a question, Twilight sets out to have it answered. Of course, she will have to violate a huge pony taboo to do so. But hay, it's for science!
Princess Twilight Sparkle has a problem: she's possessed by a question. It came from a silly little book. Now, after a week of poor sleep, Twilight relents. She has to answer this question, even if it kills her.
Okay, so it won't kill her, but Twilight is going to have to violate one of the biggest pony taboos in existence to do so. That's okay. It's for science!
Twilight groaned while her mane curled and frizzed. She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to quiet her busy mind. Turning to her left, she looked at the clock on her wall. "4:32," it read. Another whole minute had passed since she had last looked at her clock. Twilight groaned again. Her eyes were bloodshot due to her repeated lack of sleep. She looked back at the clock: 4:33. Grunting to herself, she hoisted her body out of bed. If trying to fall asleep naturally would not work, then maybe tea with a mild sedative charm would.
'Please let me sleep tonight,' she thought.
As she made her way into the kitchen, careful not to wake her assistant, she spotted a book sitting on her table. It was that book, the one that had given her the infernal idea that was now running circles through her head. One simple little idea had been keeping her awake, not just tonight, but for the past week. Each night had been worse than the last.
The book itself was completely mundane. In fact, NOT having that book would be rather strange for a library. It was simply titled Animals of Equestria. Twilight had been reading a section on animal behaviors in times of stress when she came across an interesting passage.
In times of famine, all animals follow a simple rule of hoof: the starving animal is an omnivore. Without their natural prey, even strict carnivores will resort to eating plant material for nutrients. The reverse also applies to a starving herbivore. There have been several accounts of plant eaters who have turned to eating meat when the local food supply was depleted.
It had been a couple hours after reading the book that Twilight Sparkle had her troublesome idea. She wondered, ‘What does meat taste like?’ A thought like that would normally have been quickly dismissed by any other pony. Said pony would likely be quite disgusted with themselves for thinking such a thought. Unfortunately, the pony who thought it was none other than Twilight Sparkle, protégé of the solar princess and bearer of the Element of Magic. If there was one thing Twilight had more of than magic, it was curiosity. This, however, was one question she could not answer herself, and interviewing griffins just would not be enough.
The purple alicorn sat at her table while trying to tranquilize her busy mind with an enchanted cup of tea. After downing the contents in a series of rapid sips, Twilight marched herself up to bed. She looked at her schedule for the next day, deciding that she had the time to sleep in. With the last of her strength, she heaved herself into the bed and used her magic to turn off her alarm.
The alicorn, startled by her assistant’s rude wake-up call, jumped out of bed. “Ughhh, Spike… I was trying to sleep,” she said, rolling back into bed to fruitlessly trying to sleep again.
“No time! Your alarm didn’t go off! If you don’t get up now, your whole day’s schedule is going to be thrown off,” Spike informed his caretaker.
“I thank you for your concern, Spike, but I turned my alarm off last night. I have not been sleeping well this past week and wanted to sleep in. I don’t care if I mess up my schedule. It’s future Twilight’s problem. Now let me sleep,” the agitated alicorn complained.
“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Twilight Sparkle? Show yourself, changeling!” Spike jested, poking his friend in the stomach.
“Ha. Ha. Ha,” she laughed sarcastically. “I’m not going back to sleep anyway. I may as well get up now. It’s—” she paused to look at her clock, “—seven forty-five. Three hours of sleep. Fun.”
“Twi, breakfast is ready! Guess who made waffles?” Spike called up to Twilight, who was brushing her mane in the bathroom.
Setting down the brush, she turned and trotted out of the bathroom. On her way into the kitchen, she made a slight detour into the culture section of the library. Spotting the book she was after, Twilight levitated it off the shelf with her magic. Twilight resumed her trot into the kitchen, the smell of syrupy waffles quickening her pace. When she finally entered the kitchen, Spike was already gorging himself on a stack of his fluffy masterpieces. Twilight flopped down into the seat across from him and dug in as well.
While she was eating, she levitated her book up to her face and began to read. Spike noticed the title. “1,001 Great Recipes for Griffins? Why are you reading that?”
“Oh, uhhh… I just… ummm… grabbed a random book off the shelf. Surprise reading, you know? Just for fun,” she lied. Twilight hated lying to Spike, but how could she possibly tell him that she was interested in eating meat? SHE could barely stomach her own idea, so there was no way Twilight would ever tell anyone the truth about this.
The fork’s pace slowed. Each load of waffle came in longer and longer intervals as she read. Almost every one of these dishes in the cookbook featured some animal part used in some unique way. Point for creativity, but seeing so many meats started to put Twilight off of her breakfast. The fork finally stopped when she realized exactly how many animals in this cookbook were hoofed. Pigs, cows, deer, giraffe, most of these animals had an uncomfortably close relation to ponies for her liking. She didn’t mind the chicken or fish dishes so much, but a hoofed animal? It was a little too close for comfort, the idea that a hungry griffin might just turn on a pony.
Yet, despite her growing disgust, Twilight’s curiosity continued to expand. These griffins had filled a cookbook with hundreds of meat dishes, which meant that meat had to be tasty to them. ‘What does meat taste like? I have to find out,’ Twilight thought to herself, aware of Spike’s presence in the room. ‘That means I’m going to have to try some. Ewwww…’
Twilight was forming a plan. She needed to get meat without raising suspicion, so she had to go about this carefully.
She decided that she was going to start with fish. From the book’s description and her own mind’s rationalizations, Twilight decided that it would be her safest bet. Fish would likely be the most palatable meat, and Twilight’s research had found no medical issues that could arise from eating them. That was, unfortunately a hard subject to find information on, as there was very little to work with. Most ponies wouldn’t let the flesh of another creature anywhere near their lips, so studies on the effects of fish meat on a pony were almost non-existent. There was one, however, written by a cruel griffin doctor who had experimented on pony prisoners during the Griffin-Pony war 50 years ago. Despite his methods, he had collected valuable information on the pony digestive system and confirmed that yes, ponies can eat meat.
Satisfied with her menu choice, Twilight contemplated on where to get fish from. Perhaps she could ask Fluttershy where she got the fish she used to feed her carnivores? Yes, that would do. Plan in place, Twilight marched out of her library home, ready to violate one of the strongest pony taboos in existence. All for science, of course.
Twilight strode out of her library home into the bright, sunlit day. As soon as she was clear of her door frame, her wings unfurled from her sides. Twilight gave a strong down flap and launched herself into the pristine morning air. Twilight's face bore a huge smile as she flew. Still new to the act of flying, it had not yet lost its novelty. Yet, at the same time, the feelings Rainbow Dash described when she flew were growing in Twilight. It was the feeling of absolute freedom, the thrill of every movement in the air. Twilight enjoyed every minute of her flight.
Her joy did not last, for as soon as she touched the ground outside Fluttershy's cottage, the grim nature of her task returned to the front of her mind. Twilight thought, 'I'm about to ask the most innocent pony I know where she gets her meat. I'm about to lie to her when she asks why I need to know. I'm so glad that I'm not AJ. She could never do this. Here goes nothing.' Twilight's hoof rapped four times against her friend's door.
A moment later, the door cracked open. Down on the ground stood a small white bunny. "Oh, hello, Angel. Is Fluttershy in? I need to ask her something," she explained to the bunny. Angel nodded and opened the door wider to accommodate the alicorn. She accepted his invitation to enter. Angel led Twilight into the kitchen, where Fluttershy sat drinking her morning tea.
The yellow pegasus noticed her friend and softly exclaimed, "Oh, hi, Twilight. I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were coming over. If I had, I would have made you some tea..."
"Oh, no problem, Fluttershy. I came here on an impulse," Twilight said.
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Impulse?"
Twilight continued, "Yeah, I thought of something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes?" Fluttershy asked after a minute without hearing Twilight's question. "Umm... Twilight, what did you want to ask?"
"I, ummm... wondered where you got the meat you feed your carnivorous animals. Owlowiscious usually hunts for himself, so I've never thought about it before. But where do you get the meat for them?" Twilight asked her friend.
"Oh, umm... There's a merchant who comes to town every three days. He sells fish to ponies with pets. I think Rarity's dad, Magnum, fishes too. Those are the ones I usually get the food for my critters. Does that help?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes, thank you, Fluttershy. That answered my question. I'll see you later, okay?"
Twilight acquired salmon without any difficulty. The merchant didn't even ask why she needed it. Twilight thought he gave her an odd look, but it was probably just her paranoia making her see things. However, since no questions were asked, Twilight made it home without incident.
Now her only problem was Spike. She couldn't have him in the library while she was eating. Granted, the little dragon COULD eat meat, but he never had.
'Actually, Spike might very well have tried it behind my back. If he has, I'll be upset that he didn't tell me. But he's a mature kid. I won't be upset with him for eating meat. I would be a hypocrite,' Twilight thought to herself.
Fortunately, Spike himself presented the solution to her problem. "Twi, I finished my chores. Can I go dig for gems with Rarity?" the dragon asked.
"Oh, sure!" Twilight smiled. "Go spend the day with her. Have fun, Casanova!"
Spike blushed at the mention of his long-time crush. Thanking his caretaker, Spike dashed out of the library at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash envious. Twilight chuckled at her assistant's antics.
Now that she had the library to herself, she set to work. First, before she did anything with the food, she grabbed a quill and some paper. On it, she wrote 'Library closed for scientific experiment. Do not disturb. That means you, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.' Twilight tacked the notice to her front door. She then went around her library, closing the windows and drawing the curtains closed.
As one final protection, she enveloped her home in a force field. She tuned the strength of the force field so that it would be a barrier to the average pony, but would break in case of emergency.
Finally satisfied that she wouldn't be interrupted, she reached for the cookbook that she had left on the table that morning. Flipping through the pages, she stopped at a recipe that looked interesting. "Citrus salmon... I have all of these ingredients. Yes, I'll do this one," the alicorn muttered to herself.
An hour and a half later, the steaming dish sat on her plate. Twilight felt guilty that it smelled good to her. Her stomach rumbled in agreement. She levitated her fork to her plate and scooped up a chunk of the flaky meat. The texture surprised her, although she really had no idea what she was expecting. The fork slowly levitated up to her mouth. She gulped, 'This is it. No turning back now.' The fork entered her mouth and she bit down. A strange flavor filled her mouth. She could identify all of the other ingredients, but the fish itself was something totally new to her. She'd done it. Twilight Sparkle had consumed the flesh of an animal. The worst part of the whole experience was when Twilight realized that she had already taken a second bite.
'Oh, Celestia... This is good. There's no way this should taste this good. I'm eating FISH!' she thought. For some reason, the guilt she expected to come never did. Her fork returned to her plate again. And again. And again. And again. Soon, the entire fish had been consumed. The alicorn happily patted her stomach, very satisfied with her meal.
She made a mental note to document the experience later. For now, she had to clean up the unused fish.
As she cleaned, Twilight contemplated the perverse nature of her experiment. It was just so delightfully devious. It would be her little secret, her one blemish on her otherwise flawless record. And everypony else will be none the wiser. Twilight thought, 'I will have to do that again. Maybe I should try something else next time. Perhaps chicken?'
Once the library was back in working order and there was no evidence to indicate anything out of the ordinary had happened her, Twilight opened the library back up. Dash was waiting patiently outside. When the pegasus noticed that the building was open, she charged Twilight. "Ugh… What took you so long in there! I’ve been waiting like, for 20 minutes! Come on! Hey, is the new Daring Do book in yet?"
Twilight groaned, her mane curling in frustration. She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to end the nightmare. She stood shoulder-deep in a rapidly moving river. Her feet were embedded in the mud, and her wings were soaked with water. No matter how she struggled, she could not free herself from where she stood. Around her, the fish swarmed in huge numbers. Twilight could hear their cries of ‘murderer’ and ‘monster.’ Every few seconds, a fish would bite her leg, eliciting a yelp of pain from the stranded alicorn. If she tried to use her magic to escape, a fish would jump out of the river and smack her in the face, breaking her concentration.
Above her, Princess Luna hovered. The night princess gave a chuckle at the scene before descending to help her sister’s prized pupil. Twilight looked up from the river to see the approaching figure of Luna. Before she was close enough to hear the cries of the fish, Twilight called out, “Princess, I would rather you not come near the river. You might anger the fish. In fact, would you mind leaving, please? I kind of want to have this dream alone.” Twilight really did not want to blow the secret of her recent adventure in being an omnivore. Unfortunately, the fish seemed determined to expose her.
Luna stopped at Twilight’s request. “Interesting, you are aware of the nature of this dream. If suffering alone is what you wish, Twilight Sparkle, then I shall depart. Though, before I go, might I inquire as to what brought about such an interesting nightmare?” the night princess asked.
“I’d rather not say, Princess. It’s very personal.”
“I understand. Fare thee well, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. The princess cast Twilight a wary glance before turning and vanishing in a flash of white light. Twilight resumed her attention to her aquatic tormentors.
Twilight Sparkle awoke with sore legs. Each limb felt like it had suffered the dream’s abuse. This contributed to an overall feeling of weariness that last night’s restless sleep had left her.
As Twilight sat down at her table for breakfast, a strange thought passed through her mind. ‘Hmmm… is the table shorter? No… Just my imagination.’
A week passed. In that time, the alicorn of magic managed to devour another four fish, finding each strangely more enjoyable than the last. The only problem with her plan had been Spike. Twilight always had to find an excuse to make him leave the library for a long time without her. That, but mostly the force fields that appeared whenever he left, began making the dragon curious of her activities.
Eventually, it came to a head when Spike confronted Twilight. He asked, “Twilight, what are you doing in here whenever you send me out? Don’t you think a force field is a little excessive?” Spike's tone conveyed innocent curiosity, but it still worried Twilight that he was prying into her… activities.
Twilight debated for a moment, ‘Should I tell him? If I do, he could react very badly… Then again, I could gain his help and accomplice in the process. Dragons eat meat. He might like to try some. Though, he still might freak. He was raised by ponies, after all…’
Finally deciding on whether to lie or not, Twilight asked, “Spike, can you make a Pinkie Promise about something? I need to tell you something. In order for me to do so, you MUST promise not to freak out AND never to tell another living soul without my permission. Can you do that for me, Spike?”
Spike replied, “Sure! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” As he chanted, his small arms performed the motions of Ponyville’s most unbreakable vow.
Pinkie Pie popped out of the oven to deliver her obligatory response to someone making a Pinkie Pie Promise. “FOREVER!” With her task done, the pink mare retreated back into the oven.
“Thank you, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, not even batting an eye at her friend’s antics. Seeing that the oven was now inexplicably devoid of pink mares, Twilight turned to her assistant. “Now, Spike, there are a few things I have to get first. I’ll explain everything over lunch today, okay?”
Twilight walked through the marketplace, but not as herself. Around her body, an illusionary griffin walked in perfect sync with her hoof steps. No pony merchant would willingly sell chicken meat to a pony. For a griffin, however, there was no problem.
Pinkie bounced down the market, looking for a friend to eat with during her lunch break. Suddenly, she spotted somepony she had never seen before, or rather, somegriffin. She ran up to the griffin and opened her mouth. “OH HI! MY NAME IS PINKIE PIE! WHAT’S YOURS? I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU BE—” Pinkie's mouth was suddenly filled with a claw.
“Pinkie, it’s me, Twilight. I’m practicing an illusion spell. Going by your reaction, I’d say I’m doing it right,” Twilight lied to her friend. She had mastered the spell months ago, but Pinkie did not need to know that. “Listen, Pinkie, I have got to get something important real quick and get back to Spike. I’m sorry I can’t stay to hang out with you. Maybe some other time?”
“Oh, okay. See you, Twi,” said the pink pony. Her voice had the slightest twinge of disappointment in it.
“Spike! I’m back!” Twilight called up to her assistant.
“What did you get?”
“I can’t tell you yet. I have to seal up the library first. Then I have to get everything ready. Would you go close all the window curtains upstairs? Then I need you to wait in the basement until I’m done preparing everything,” she said.
“Okay! Hurry up, though. I don’t want this to delay lunch. I’m really hungry.” He scampered off to do his assigned task.
‘That’s good. Oh, Celestia, please don’t let this be a mistake. I don’t want to scare the little guy…’ she thought to herself.
Spike tapped his foot, impatient with his situation. ‘I’m tired of waiting for Twilight to finish… whatever it is she’s doing,’ Spike thought to himself. Being stuck alone in a basement full of strange equipment was more boring than it sounded. Fiddling with one of the desk drawers, Spike found a small book. Thumbing through the pages, he realized that it was filled with his caretaker’s hornwriting. ‘It must be her journal,’ he thought.
Twilight’s voice rang out, calling him up from the basement. He set the journal down without having read a single passage. The page it was open to was the most incriminating thing in the entire volume: Twilight Sparkle’s notes on the flavors of fish.
“Lunch?” Spike asked, seeing the two covered plates on the table.
“In a way… Now remember what you promised?”
“Yeah, but why would–“ Whatever Spike was going to say never came. The plates had been uncovered by lavender magic. “Ummm… Twilight… What is that?” Spike pointed at the meat on the table.
“Chicken Parmesan.”
After a moment of pause, Spike burst out laughing. Twilight levitated her fork to her mouth, eating a bite as she waited for her assistant to calm down. When he had finally composed himself, Spike asked, “you really expect me to believe that we’re having CHICKEN for lunch? That’s crazy…” He saw Twilight’s serious expression. “W-w-w-wait… That’s actually chicken? As in, the flightless bird? The kind of thing Elizabeak is? TWILIGHT! YOU'RE CRAZY” he roared.
“Spike, you promised not to freak out. And yes, this is real chicken meat. I was curious as to what meat tasted like. This is nothing more than a science experiment. Although, I’ve already enjoyed five different fish recipes. This chicken is delicious, too. I’m starting to wonder why ponies are herbivores in the first place…” she said. Her tone transitioned from talking to Spike to thinking aloud midway through her explanation.
“Twilight! How could you! I’m going to tell the princess. She’ll set you straight! Th-“ Twilight cut Spike off by shoving his chicken into his mouth.
“Spike, you Pinkie Promised you would never tell. Besides, you like it, don’t you,” Twilight said. She could see Spike suppressing a smile caused by the flavors in his mouth.
Spike swallowed. “How can you be so calm and cold-hearted about this? WE JUST ATE AN ANIMAL!”
“Spike, I’ve been having nightmares for the past week because of the meat. Yet, if I don’t do this, I won’t be able to sleep at all. I know there’s something wrong with me, but I can’t stop. You, on the other hand, should have no problem. Dragons are omnivores. Almost every dragon out there has eaten meat at some point in their lives. So don’t worry about what anyone will think of you, okay?” Twilight reassured her companion. “Now, let’s finish up lunch, okay?”
“This is still wrong, you know that.”
“MmmHHmmm,” Twilight mumbled in affirmation, her mouth already filled with another bite of chicken parmesan.
After a moment of staring at his food, Spike took another bite. 'Why does something so wrong taste so right?'
“Spike! What have I told you about talking with your mouth full? Swallow and say that again. I could not understand a word you said,” Twilight chided her assistant. He swallowed his fish before opening his mouth to speak again.
“I said, ‘Twilight, you’re becoming a really good cook.’ Every time you cook, it’s better than the last time. Although, I wouldn’t mind this tilapia being topped with sapphire dust.” Spike drooled at the thought. His fork made another pass at his meal, only to find that he had already taken the last bite.
“Aww, thanks Spike. I’m glad you enjoy my cooking. How are you feeling about this, anyway?” Twilight asked. Her own nightmares had stopped four nights ago, but a strange feeling had descended upon her. Twilight could never put the sensation into words, only that she felt it deep within her bones.
“Well, I still feel guilty about this,” the dragon stated, “but I haven’t had any nightmares. Maybe it’s because I’m still a baby or that I know meat is good for dragons.” Spike paused for a moment, before speaking again, “Twi, on an unrelated note, my back is killing me. Can you take a look?”
“Sure, Spike. I’ll see what I can do.” The alicorn hopped off her stool and trotted around the table to where her assistant sat. Spike bent over so she could get a better look. It only took a second for her to make a diagnosis. “Good news. I get to be your teacher.”
“Wait, what? Twilight, what are you talking about?” The dragon was now thoroughly confused. He looked back at his caretaker, who had a large smile plastered on her face.
“Your flight teacher.” Spike pondered Twilight’s statement until he was struck with the revelation.
“My wings! I’m getting my wings! This is even better than the moustache spell! I can’t wait to show Rarity!” A dreamy expression formed on the young drake’s face. His eyes grew distant as his mind dove into a world of its own creation. It took five tries for Twilight to snap him out of it.
“I hate to burst your bubble, little guy, but something as big and complicated as these wings will take a long time to grow.”
Spike pouted for a moment before whining, “But you got your wings in a few minutes. How come I can’t?”
“I’m sorry, Spike. My wings are the result of an extraordinarily powerful spell that rearranged my soul. In essence, the Twilight Sparkle without wings ceased to exist while the Twilight Sparkle with wings took its place and was familiar with the appendages as if they had always been there. Even my DNA has been rewritten to accommodate my wings
“You, on the other hoof, have not had your intrinsic nature changed. The Spike without wings is the same as the Spike with wings. You are growing the wings through a biological process, like a tadpole growing legs to become a frog. Then there is the fact that dragons are super magic resistant. I couldn't grow wings on you if I tried,” Twilight finished her explanation.
Spike looked dejected. “But what about when you hatched me? Or the moustache spell? Or Trixie turning me into a bouncy ball?”
“Hatching you was possible because an egg is less resistant than an older dragon. The moustache was just conjured and then attached to your face, not actually grown. The alicorn amulet was a fluke. Some of those spells should have killed Trixie to use.” Twilight explained. “Spike, there’s nothing we can do to speed your wings up. We’re just going to have to wait. In the mean time, however, we have to keep you well fed,” she said with a smile. Spike returned a toothy grin.
The next day, a griffin and a dragon walked towards the north side of town, the latter of which was pulling a suitcase. In the distance, a train whistle sounded. The duo picked up their pace, wanting to get to Ponyville station before the Canterlot express did. Upon arriving at the station, they paid for their tickets and boarded one of the cars. Sitting down on a pair of the benches, the dragon spoke to the griffin, “Twilight, why do you look like that?”
The griffin disguised alicorn said, “There’s a restaurant in Canterlot that caters to primarily carnivorous species. It’s within sight of the train station. I didn’t want to get any unwanted attention. Ponies would say, ‘Why is our princess going into such a vulgar establishment? The scandal!’” Her voice had taken on the most snobbish Canterlot accent she could muster, before bursting out laughing. Spike quickly followed; he laughed so hard that he fell off of his seat and rolled around on the floor in mirth.
“May I take your order, ma’am?” The griffin waiter asked. The disguised Twilight and her assistant both ordered the rib-eye steak. The waiter turned and made for the kitchen, leaving the pair alone at the table. Spike reached for one of the bread sticks offered and began to idly munch on it.
Twilight broke the silence, “Spike, remember your promise?” He nodded in affirmation. “This is somewhat dangerous territory here. If anyone found out that I had eaten another hoofed animal, the repercussions would be huge.”
“I know, Twi. I’m just worried that this might go too far. What if you start craving, well, your neighbor?” Spike asked in a hushed voice while choosing his wording carefully.
“Spike.” That one word settled the drake’s mind, assuring him that his friend was not going to be a cannibal.
“Oh, food’s here. You ready, Twilight?”
“As I will ever be.”
The fork impaled the rib-eye, letting the juices flow out. The knife made its way across the flesh, sawing into it. The savory aroma filled the nostrils of the ones who planned to consume it. Slowly the fork lifted the bite-sized morsel to the waiting mouth. The owner of said mouth closed a pair of lips around the bite and pulled it off the fork. Both Twilight and Spike smiled as the flavors exploded on their tongues. Each one slowly chewed, analyzing the flavor and texture of the meat. The salty juices and the pepper accents played like a harmonious chord with the savory flavors of the meat itself.
Both dragon and disguised pony agreed that this was one of the best things they had ever tasted, taking perverse delight in their forbidden fruits.
“Mmmmmm… That was too good,” the happy dragon said, rubbing his stomach contently. Twilight walked alongside him undisguised, having dispelled the illusion a while after leaving the restaurant. The duo made their way to Canterlot castle, where Princess Celestia was waiting for them. As they passed, ponies would stop what they were doing and bow down to their princess.
“Oh yes, you said it Spike,” Twilight chuckled, then grew serious. “Now, if only I could get these ponies to stop bowing to me. It feels weird having them bow down to me. Doubly so considering, well, you know.”
“I get it. Don’t worry about it, Twilight. If they want to bow, just let them have their fun,” said Spike.
“Fun. Not the word I would have chosen. Hrmmm…” Twilight thought for a moment before letting out a chuckle. “Hehe, I guess I see why both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both try to crack jokes all the time. Nothing relieves stress like a good joke.”
“And Pinkie Pie is the queen of jokes,” Spike added.
Celestia sighed, relieved that day court was finished. ‘I wonder when my faithful student will get-’ Her thought was interrupted by the arrival of said faithful student. Twilight trotted up to the throne, escorted by her assistant. Celestia hopped off her seat and moved to meet her half way. 'Has Twilight gotten taller? Must just be my imagination.'
“Ahh, my faithful student, how are you doing? I trust that everything is going well with your friends in Ponyville?” Celestia spoke. The two princesses spent a few minutes catching up with one another, exchanging thing from major events to idle gossip. Eventually, Celestia had to get down to business.
“My dear Twilight Sparkle. I called you here because I feel that you are ready to help Equestria on the political front. Lately, the relationship between us and the Griffin Kingdom has grown stressful. They have been having border disputes with the diamond dogs, and the stress is causing them to make higher and higher demands from us. Some of them are reasonable, but many are not, including loaning pony troops to help repel the dogs. As of now, the situation has not deteriorated beyond a few… unpleasant remarks. I fear that should it grow worse, they may close the border. There is no indication that war may break out between us, but I wish to keep the border open. The Griffin Kingdom is a powerful trade ally and it would severely hurt both of us if they close the border, but they are a proud race. If we ‘abandon’ them in their eyes, then they will see fit that they stop all communications.”
Twilight asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Celestia smiled at her pupil’s enthusiasm. “Tomorrow, you and Spike will take the royal airship to their capital and will serve as diplomats for Equestria for an extended period of time. I expect that your lessons in friendship will be useful here. Though King Grendel Ironbeak is quite nice, he can be quite stubborn. Unfortunately, the members of his counsel also tend to be vicious warmongers.” Celestia let out a sigh. “They also tend to be sticklers for tradition. That means, If you are going to get anywhere with them politically, they are going to want to take you out on a hunt.”
The Quail, The Ambassador, and The Griffins (revised)
The royal airship, Solar Wind, was quite an impressive structure. The golden cabin hanging underneath could easily accommodate over a hundred guests and the two dozen crew members. The envelope was filled with high-density clouds that, in conjunction with an integrated cloud-walking spell, provided tremendous lift. The whole behemoth easily was the size of Canterlot castle. Twilight was impressed at the size of the craft, truly a marvel of pony engineering. And she was going to have the penthouse suite for the three day journey to the capitol of the Griffin Kingdom, Mosclaw.
Twilight watched out her window as ponies, griffins, and an occasional minotaur boarded the vessel. Although it served primarily as a mode of long range transport for the Equestrian nobility, the Solar Wind also ferried anyone with deep enough pockets to wherever they needed to be.
The final passengers on board, the crew cast off. The Solar Wind drifted upwards before spinning about and setting off for Mosclaw.
The two oldest alicorns were walking down one of the halls in their castle. “Luna, did you happen to speak with Twilight Sparkle before she left?” There was an odd tone to Celestia's voice.
“No, sister, we – errr… I – did not. Why do you ask?” Luna tilted her head.
“I wondered if anypony else had spoken with her. During my conversation with Twilight, I noticed something… off about her.”
“Off?” the younger inquired. Her hooves stopped walking.
“When we talked, I noticed two things. Firstly was her height. It could be my imagination, but I swear that she looked taller, if only by a tiny amount.”
“Sister, she is an alicorn, like us. Of course she will get taller.” Luna stated with matter-of-fact tone.
“No, she should not. We were born, while she was made. Look at Cadance," Celestia said while tossing her head in the general direction of a stain glass window. The one indicated depicted her niece. "She has not grown past the height of a normal pony. Although—" Celestia paused "—it may have just been the light in the room that made Twilight look taller.”
“It is possible. Perhaps we should keep an eye on her, just for her sake. What was the other thing you noticed?”
“I trust you understand how well I can read ponies' body language?”
Luna nodded. “Far better than I can. What did you pick up from Twilight?”
“That is the question. Honestly, I don’t know, and that bothers me. The look in her eyes is not something I have seen in ponies before.”
“This is troublesome indeed.”
The voyage to Mosclaw passed almost without incident. Spike overdid it on the dessert buffet and ended up with a stomachache for the first day of the trip.
Later, after he was feeling better, Twilight and Spike ordered room service. The griffin waiter that delivered the quail dish gave a curious look at Twilight, not seeing Spike at first. That had led to a rather awkward few moments wherein Twilight tried to convince him that the dish was not for her, but for her roommate.
As soon as the waiter had left, the pair split the mushroom stuffed quail between themselves. “This is good, but not the best thing I have tasted,” Spike said. “You’d think that a boat as fancy as this could hire better chefs.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have anything to base this on, so I don’t know if this is good considering how it is supposed to be prepared,” Twilight said. The scientific part of her mind was busy analyzing the dish, storing it away for later reference.
They continued to chew their way through the dish in comfortable silence.
Within a few minutes of their arrival in Mosclaw, Twilight and Spike were escorted off of the Solar Winds and to a waiting carriage. Out in the frigid air, King Grendel Ironbeak stood by his transport. Ironbeak's large, scarred frame gave him an intimidating appearance, but his eyes held a gentleness uncommon among griffins.
“My my my, when Princess Celestia said she would be sending an ambassador, I had assumed it would be Mrs. Peace Treaty. Instead, I get Princess Twilight Sparkle. It is an honor to meet you,” The griffin king spoke in his deep voice. He offered out a claw.
“The honor is all mine, King Ironbeak.” Twilight shook his claw and then gestured to Spike. “This is my number one assistant, Spike.”
“Hi, nice to meet you! I’ve never met a griffin before. Well, there was one, but she was rather mean. She even yelled at Fluttershy! I mean, who does that?” Spike said.
“Especially considering how much she valued her image. Although it’s sad to lose a friend - even a shallow one - over a fight. I wonder if Gilda ever apologized to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight said.
“You know my daughter, Gilda Ironbeak?” the king asked. “I knew she made a fool of herself, but to think she did it in front of an Equestrian Princess.”
Twilight blinked, then said, “Wait, Gilda, as in the griffin that Rainbow Dash made friends with in Cloudsdale flight camp, is the princess of the Griffin Kingdom?”
“Yes, that is my daughter.” Grendel faceclawed. “I hope her behavior did not offend you too badly, your highness.”
“It is all in the past, your majesty. I was not even royalty at the time, and it was not me that she offended.” Twilight shivered as a blast of snowy air assaulted the group. “Brrrr… Let’s get out of this cold.” She turned to Spike, who was busy warming his claws with a small jet of green flame. “Come on, Spike.”
Within twenty minutes, the carriage arrived at Grendel Ironbeak’s castle. The servants escorted Twilight and Spike up to their rooms. They were amazed by all of the artwork that adorned the walls. Paintings of various battle scenes, warriors, and hunts adorned almost every wall. Mounted underneath the torches that lit the walls, various weapons were on display. As they passed through the main throne room, they couldn’t help but stare at the distant ceiling. The mural painted upon it was far more graphic than any of the other artworks. Nevertheless, it possessed a level of quality far beyond that of any of the other paintings. Twilight did not know what to do: look up at the enchanting beauty or look down and hurl. So she took the third option: crashing headfirst into the oncoming griffin that she had failed to notice.
“HEY! WATCH IT! I’M WALKING HERE!” a familiar voice yelled.
“Oh, my apologies. I was not looking where I was going,” Twilight sheepishly apologized.
“You better be,” the griffin growled.
“I said I was…” the Equestrian princess trailed off as she recognized who she was looking at. “Princess Gilda.”
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out. Who are you?” Gilda asked, the annoyance evident in her voice.
Twilight’s eye twitched in annoyance. ‘She’s as bad as before.’ The alicorn took a calming breath. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, ambassador for Equestria. More importantly, I’m Rainbow Dash's and Fluttershy’s friend.”
“You’re friends with flip-flop and the door mat? Lame” Gilda finishes. A sour look on her face as she turns. Twilight’s horn lit up and grabbing the griffin in her magic, halting her departure.
“Gilda, nopony talks that way about my friend. Nopony,” Twilight growled. Her horn dimmed, releasing Gilda, while her eyes tried to bore holes through the griffin. At that moment, the only pony in existence who could have stared harder would have been the element of kindness.
It was not enough: Gilda remained unfazed by the purple alicorn’s assault. “Hrmph, what a dweeb. You aren’t very cool for sticking up for dweebs like those two.”
King Grendel chose that moment to walk into the room. “Gilda Ironbeak,” he spoke sternly, “what have I told you about insulting our guests?”
Gilda rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, don’t insult the lame-o ponies,” she said sarcastically. Grendel’s wing sprang open and whacked his daughter upside the head. Gilda only grunted in annoyance. Feathers don’t hit very hard, so the act was one of humiliation rather than inflicting pain.
“I do apologize. My daughter’s arrogance has grown to ridiculous heights lately.” The king sighed. “Now hurry and drop your belongings in your room. I assume that Princess Celestia has informed you about our traditional hunt?”
“Yes, your highness. I am aware of it,” Twilight affirmed.
“Good. Unfortunately, my counsel will not consider working with you until we get this out of the way. Personally, if it was up to me, I would abolish the tradition. Unfortunately, culture and tradition fall under the jurisdiction of the council.” Grendel gave a light chuckle. “Vultures, the lot of them,” he said under his breath. “The hunting party will leave in two hours. Dress warmly. Even though the trees will block most of the wind, the forecast calls for subzero temperatures tonight. We can’t postpone this.”
“I understand. Spike and I will be ready,” Twilight said, giving a glance to her assistant. She noticed that Gilda had wandered off at some point during the conversation.
“Oh? Your assistant will be joining us?” Grendel asked, surprise evident in his voice. “Only you are required to go, Princess. He may stay here, if he wishes.”
“No, I want to go. Dragons can eat meat, after all. Someday, I’ll grow too big for pony society, and I will have to care for myself,” Spike said. “The earlier I learn how, the better.”
Grendel blinked at the pony-raised dragon’s bluntness. Sure he knew dragons ate meat, but he had assumed that living with ponies would have repressed that aspect. Grendel looked towards Twilight to judge her reaction. He was startled by the fact that the alicorn was not disgusted by her assistant’s words. In fact, she seemed almost completely accepting of the little dragon. This was not something the griffin king had ever expected to see in a pony. As he continued to read her face, he noticed something else. ‘Is that… envy?’
The snow around them muffled all sound. Spike again warmed his claws with a small jet of green flame, his cold blooded body shivering in the cold. Gilda leaned against a tree, annoyed that she had been dragged along with the group. Five of the council members stood around Twilight and Grendel. The former levitated a bow and arrow, having been pressured into it by Grendel’s advisors. Not wanting to cause a political incident, Twilight had relented.
The guilt about her future actions weighed heavily on the young princess’s heart. Eating meat was one thing, but actually killing a living animal? Fluttershy would tear her to pieces. She shook her head and pushed the thoughts aside. Twilight had to do this. There were too many consequences if she did not. ‘I wish the snow could numb my heart as much as it numbs my hooves.’ She dragged up the scientific part of her mind to bury her emotions. ‘What is it like to be a predator?’
The bow, held in her magical grip, was aimed at an unsuspecting doe in the distance. Twilight worked the magic, enchanting the arrow so that it would fly straight, pierce easily, and instantly numb the deer. That way, it would die quickly and painlessly. The magic on the string ended, releasing the enchanted arrow. With a sickening thump, the doe dropped to the ground.
Twilight's tears followed an instant later, flowing freely from her eyes. She was furious at the griffins for making her do this; at herself for relenting; and worse of all, at her own heart. She was absolutely appalled that she had a fragment of herself that enjoyed the whole situation, that enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. That fragment was happy with her accomplishment – with her kill – and wanted nothing more than to eat every last morsel of that deer.
It did not help that all of the griffins were crowding around her, Gilda included, and congratulating her on a job well done. She had earned their respect, but at what cost to Twilight’s soul? Though the griffins failed to notice her distress, Spike most certainly did not. His eyes said it all: he understood and would be there for her. Twilight smiled her thanks.
The dining hall was bustling with activity. Noble griffins and royalty chatted amongst themselves. Waitstaff brought out a large selection of dishes, each prominently featuring some sort of meat. Spike recognized some of the ones that he had tried from Twilight’s cookbook. Princess Gilda sat next to Princess Twilight. The griffin king sat on the other side of his daughter.
“Princess, that was way cool,” Gilda said. She was so excited by the alicorn’s performance in the forest. Normally, a pony would conveniently ‘miss’ their one shot. Since Twilight had actually managed to hit the deer and kill it, she had earned far more respect amongst the griffins. So much, that in Gilda’s case, the griffin princess had dropped much of her arrogance. “That was quite the shot. I can’t wait to see how the chefs prepare it.”
“Yeah…” Twilight agreed absentmindedly. In truth, she was not listening to anyone. Her mind was in a fog at the moment, still comprehending how un-ponylike she had become. The weight of her actions in the forest, compounded with her weeks of experimentation, had left Twilight a mere empty shell.
One of the waiters served Gilda and Twilight. The alicorn’s plate contained a cut of the deer’s meat, as well as a salad for her normal consumption. She was expected to try a small bite of the meat, out of politeness for the chef, but the salad was intended to be her main course. There was a bucket nearby, as nopony had ever been able to swallow without throwing up before, not even the other Equestrian princesses.
Of course, Twilight wasn’t thinking about etiquette, history, or anything for that matter. Her frazzled mind wasn’t thinking about anything. She was staring off into space, mindlessly eating whatever her levitating fork could find on her plate.
It took Twilight a moment to realize that a hush had descended upon the dining hall. She took another bite as she looked around. Every pair of eyes in the room were staring at her. Every pair, that is, except for Spike’s. He was face-clawing.
Twilight thought, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ She looked down at her plate. Her salad was untouched, but her cut of the deer was gone. The fork in her mouth still tasted of the salty meat, which she now reluctantly admitted to being far above anything she had ever tasted so far. Twilight couldn’t help it and let a tiny smile crack upon her previously stoic face.
Not missing the change in her expression, King Grendel cleared his throat. “Well… that… is not something you see every day.”
“That’s not normal. Not at all,” King Grendel said, the curiosity evident in his voice. Around the table, the various griffins stared at the Equestrian princess. Said princess was currently trying unsuccessfully to make herself as small as possible. “I’ve never seen a pony eat more than a single bite of meat,” the King continued, “let alone a whole portion. How?”
Twilight looked away, unable to meet the eyes of any of the room’s occupants. Now was the time to run damage control. It would not be good if rumor made it back to Equestria before she did. “I’ve… had much on my mind lately. Haven’t been sleeping well because of it. Throw in the hunt-” Twilight gave a small shudder “-and I lost focus on reality. I was running on automatic, eating without tasting.” She looked down at her plate, meat missing and salad untouched.
Gilda chose that moment to pipe up. “So, did you like it? I mean, you know now, but you’re not blowing chunks…” Twilight’s blood ran cold. This was the one part of the conversation she had dearly wanted to avoid. Now, every griffin in the room was aware of how abnormal her reaction was. She wasn’t retching her guts out right now. In fact, she did not even feel the slightest bit queasy and Twilight knew that they knew. How can you hide something like that from those whose eyes were designed to spot even the slightest weakness?
The griffin King’s eyes narrowed. One of his advisers called her out. “Don’t lie to us. You ponies are terrible at the art of deception. We do not care if you chose to withhold information, but be honest about it. Lying will only lower our respect for you.”
Twilight sighed, admitting defeat. She turned and addressed the King, “King Ironbeak, I promise you an explanation, but now isn’t the time. Spike and I will talk with you later. Alone.”
The King relented, eagerly awaiting an explanation from, as he called her, ‘the most interesting ambassador to ever walk my halls.’
Princess Twilight Sparkle and Spike sat on one of the plush couches in their host’s study. King Grendel Ironbeak sat in the luxurious chair opposite from the two Equestrians. A fire burned nearby in the large fireplace, casting a warm glow upon the occupants of the room and the surrounding bookshelves. The three sat in silence for a short time.
It was Grendel who spoke first. “Tell me, dear Princess, what you wish to say. Complete my understanding. I find myself… intrigued.” He leaned forwards a small amount, tweaking his posture and facial expression in the process. To most of the ponies he had encountered before, this would have their unconscious minds screaming ‘PREADATOR! RUN!’ Even the sky princesses would instinctively flinch, and he loved it. But – much to his disappointment – Twilight Sparkle did not so much as bat an eyelash.
“Well,” she started, then sighed. “A few weeks ago, I read a book, a biology book. That’s not the strange part – I live in a library, after all. No, it was the idea it gave me. I simply wondered, ‘what does meat taste like?’ The problem is how deeply entrenched in my mind the idea became. I just COULD. NOT. SLEEP. It kept me awake for over a week. Finally, exhaustion overcame my need to adhere to my morals. I consulted a griffin cookbook and made citrus salmon. The thing is, I liked it.” Grendel’s eyes widened, but he did not interrupt her tale. “In the end, I ended up cooking several griffin dishes, most of which Spike and I shared.” Spike nodded as his caretaker finished speaking.
Grendel was silent for a time. His sharp hearing picked up the sound of departing claw-steps from out in the hall: an eavesdropper. Ignoring it, he spoke, “And.. you’re fine with that? You’ve eaten several types of meat without any ill effect?”
Twilight snorted in response. “Of course not, what do you take me for, some kind of pony monster? My subconscious has been rebelling against me since day one. Guilt-fueled nightmares are quite horrible. A side note, it has taken me a considerable effort to protect myself from Princess Luna’s dream-walking. Nightmares are a beacon to her, and if I wish this to remain secret, I had to keep her out.” Twilight stopped talking.
Seeing that his mentor was not going to continue, Spike spoke up. “Princess Luna will always give privacy to those who ask her for it. When they are suffering from repeated nightmares and yet guard their minds…”
“It makes her worried,” Grendel finished for Spike, who nodded in agreement.
“And now,” Twilight spoke, “I’ve gone and killed something. Then I ate it. It feels like I’ve swallowed a brick.” Tears started welling up in Twilight’s eyes. Within seconds, she was sobbing uncontrollably. Spike moved closer to comfort his companion by gently stroking her back. After a few minutes, Twilight managed to recompose herself. “Sorry. You shouldn't have to see me cry.” Twilight sighed and looked down towards the floor while Grendel dismissed her worries with a wave of his claw.
“No worries, Princess. You've more than earned enough respect amongst the griffins. A few tears are nothing to worry about.” He extended a claw and raised her chin with it. The King looked her in the eye and said, “You’re in good favor with my kind. Off to bed with you. You want to be well rested for the negotiations tomorrow, no?”
The three stood, Grendel thanking them for their explanation. Twilight and Spike said their farewells and made their way to their room. Grendel stood behind in his study for a moment, thinking to himself about what the Equestrian had said. A minute later, he exited the room and turned the opposite way that the Princess had gone. Grendel proceeded towards the kitchens. After all, the chef needed to know about his guest’s ‘special’ diet.
As Gilda walked away from her father’s study, she couldn't believe what she had overheard. A pony that liked meat? Gilda decided that that had to be the coolest thing about a pony that she had ever heard. ‘If only she could fly as well as Dash…,’ Gilda thought, but her mood was killed by the memory of her ex-friend. ----------------
"UGGHHH!" Twilight groaned, rolling over as Princess Luna's moon hung low in the sky. Her guest bedroom really did have a beautiful view of the gryphon kingdom. But her troubled mind made it impossible to appreciate that beauty. Regardless of how comfortable she got, sleep seemed to elude her. The guilt of her actions and the realisation that She had killed—to fill her belly no less. This only worsened her inner turmoil. On one hoof, deer were not intelligent beings, so what did it matter if she had killed it? Rolling over, the mare looked over to where Spike was sleeping, her mind plagued with guilt.
The crisp white sheets that covered her felt hot and uncomfortable kicking them away, the mare felt only slightly better. Her horn glowed a gentle violet, a candle floated over to her bedside table. Lighting the candle, the mare looked at the flickering flame, unsure of what to do. A life time of taboo was currently battling her new found love for meat. Ponies being strictly herbivores had no need for meat and as a result had come to care for the animals even looking after them,during and after winter wrap up.
It was not like Twilight was killing a pony and it improved King Grendel views on the young princess and the others. But on the other hoof, it came at the price of a creature's life, a creature that had done nothing to wrong to the mare. Was it worth ending the life of another just so she could eat?
Originally she would have said no, but then what of Gryphons, Diamond Dogs and other predators that required meat to live, what about Spike? the drake could not go back to a vegetarian diet. If he required meat anyway, what was wrong with her having some? Hunting was not something Twilight was familiar with, but with the price of importing meat and the danger of getting caught, Twilight knew that eventually both herself and spike would have to if they wished to continue their current diet. But could she kill again? Could she see the fear in an animal’s eyes as she ended it... so she could enjoy the taste of meat?
With a small snort and shake of the head Twilight vanquished these thoughts. She was being silly, she had killed the deer quickly and painlessly it was not like she had toyed with it or made it suffer. What was wrong with her eating meat? Minotaur's did not require meat to survive. Being largely bovine they could comfortably live on plants and even grass, but they still choose to eat meat. Why was it so wrong for a pony to do the same?Maybe ponies were not designed to eat meat, but their bodies were able to digest it with no ill effects.
Groaning, the mare decided that she needed a snack, something to take her mind off of her predicament. trudging down the hallway, the mare followed earlier instructions from king Grendel, leading herself to the kitchen. Pushing the door open with her snout, the mare took in the large kitchen, a graying Gryphon chopped fervently away at variety of vegetables and meats. Turning, the gryphon smiled warmly.
"Good evening your highness, what can Chef Bernard “Sharp Knife” do for you?" The bubbly chef questioned, clambering forward as Twilight gave a small apologetic smile.
"I was looking to get a snack," Twilight replied... meekly. The gryphon's eyes lit up as he gently clasped her hands."
"Please... sit, let Barnard cook for you." he smiled, pushing the alicorn down onto a tiny stool. Twilight watched with some amusement as the gryphon darted about the kitchen, pulling herbs, pans and fillets of meat. Twilight could not deny that her mouth watered at the mere sight the gryphon throwing the meat into a pan as he went to work.
"I'm sorry if this is a bother," Twilight apologized, watching as the gryphon paused. Turning, Barnard gasped dramatically, throwing a clawed hand over his chest.
"A bother... Never! Princess Twilight Sparkle, Cooking is my passion no it is, my life. Please never feel that you are a bother in my kitchen, I am always happy to cook for a guest.Now this is something I have been experimenting with and would love for you to be my how you say guinea pig. It is called Veal Forestiere, my brother recommended it to me. Thin slices of veal breaded and browned, served in a sauce of mushrooms flavored with garlic and Marsala wine, it is beautiful. I hope it is to your tastes, your highness." Barnard smiled, bowing politely as Twilight gave a thankful nod.
Digging in, the mare moaned as the snack or more appropriately full course meal, helped to ease her troubled thoughts.
“Tell me princess what is it that ails you?” Barnard questioned, pulling up a seat next to her. Pausing mid bite, Twilight swallowed what little had entered her mouth, resting her fork and knife on the plate.
“Am I really that easy to read?” "Twilight sighed in defeat. The elderly gryphon gave a small smirk as the mare groaned." “it’s silly... really. Just a conflict of morals on my part,” Twilight mumbled. “I don’t know what to do. I love eating meat and so does Spike, but my friends and my fellow princesses would be disgusted if they found out. I don't want to lose my friends but at the same time I don’t want to have to give up eating meat,” she admitted. The stress of her secret and the fear of her friends and mentor’s abandoning her plagued her thoughts, as she stabbed her fork into another tender piece of veal. Twilight had needed someone other than spike to talk to, someone that could maybe give her an answer to her plight.
“Ahhh, I see! You are pony, raised in pony society and as such have their customs, taboos and ideology. The mere thought of killing or eating meat fills you with self loathing and disgust but your love for it prevents you from simply stopping,” the kindly chief guessed. Twilight gave a feeble nod with her head resting on the counter as she sullenly ate her meal.
"What should I do?" the mare questioned, uncaring that her source of advice was coming from a gryphon she had just met. -----------
"Frustration coursed through Twilight as she stomped down the hall the chief had despite his attempt at helping been unable to help her. She felt angry that at the Gryphon for being unhelpful, herself for being a freak and Equestria as a whole. If eating meat was not such a taboo the mare would not feel the stress that came with her secret.
"Hey flip flop! What's got you stomping around the halls like an angry hydra?" the snide voice of Gilda called from behind.
Turning Twilight spotted Gilda leaning against the door frame, observing the stressed mare. Her eyes briefly softened, and the gryphon gave a small groan. Opening her door the gryphon waved the mare inside. Twilight approached, suspiciously eyeing the rude Gryphon as she trotted inside. Leaping onto the bed, the Gryphon seated herself... Her eyes never leaving Twilight, the mare standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"So whats eating you? Or I guess in your case it's the other way around." The gryphon snorted, chuckling at her own joke as Twilight growled.
"What do you care? I was not under the impression that you cared about the plight of a lame princess?" Twilight replied, suspicious of the gryphon's intentions. Gilda rolled her eyes exasperatedly, her tail flicking back and forth much like a cat. Twilight could not help but feel like the Gryphon was stalking her. Unlike her father, Gilda actually made Twilight nervous. Whilst the king was kind and very easy going, Gilda was cold and calculated if hot headed at times. Huffing at the gryphon’s lack of response, Twilight gritted her teeth as she went to leave.
"You know that Dashie tried meat once." Gilda spoke up suddenly, Twilight freezing as she turned with an incredulous look. Twilight's ears perked up, her curiosity piqued as she turned from the door, approaching the seated Gryphon. Gilda gave a small grin, examining her claws as Twilight moved closer. "Ah got your attention did I?" Gilda smirked, her voice carrying a tinge of smugness causing Twilight to grit her teeth in annoyance. "Look dork, I don't particularly like you and I know for a fact that the feeling is mutual, but what you did was pretty cool. You are a pony that not only eats meat but enjoys eating meat. But looking at you I can tell straight away that you are going through the same thing I went through when I was a chick." Twilight was shocked, for but a mere moment Gilda's voice softened a brief look of pain on her face.
"Rainbow Dash never spoke about you two before the party insident. But all Dash told us was that you both went to flight school together," Twilight spoke up. Gilda paused her head swiveling her face one of confusion.
"Never?” The gryphon whispered, a tinge of hurt in her voice. Grunting Gilda shook her head, glowering at Twilight as the mare tenses.“Yeah... well what do I care? The flipflop stabbed me in the back. I hadn't seen her in years and all it took was me losing my temper at that annoying little pink dweeb and she kicks my ass to the curb, some friend," the gryphon grumbled, having gone off topic as Twilight gave her a sour look. Biting her tongue, Twilight let the fact that Gilda had been a flank hole for most of her visit go. The gryphon had bullied and pushed ponies around her whole stay and had been nothing but unpleasant to all but Dash.
"Anyway, my first day at flight school was lame, being a gryphon I am sure you can tell that I was not exactly popular. So I found myself alone eating lunch when this pegasus comes over and sits down next to me. She starts chatting to me, asking me about what it's like to be a gryphon. So I tried to get her to leave me alone you know growled at her flashed my talons and all that but she refused to leave. Heh should have know their was something different about her the moment I saw her. Having a rainbow for a mane should have given it away” Gilda chuckled Twilight awkwardly joining in, as the Gryphon cleared her throat
“ So anyway the fill introduced herself, one Rainbow Dash and despite my attitude and attempts, refused to go away. I remember pointing my sandwich at her hoping the meat would make her leave, but to my disbelief she smirks and takes a bite out of it. Couple seconds later she is hunched over a trash can throwing up but she earned my respect that day. After that the two of us were inseparable or we were. At the time it was just us against the rest of the school. No one wanted to hang out with the rainbow freak or the monster. Turned out given her coltish attitude she was as much a social outcast as me." Gilda paused, her eyes hardening as she fixed Twilight with a menacing glare.
"The reason I am telling you this, is not because I trust you. Not even so we can be friends, I am telling you this because I know what you are going through. A predator stuck in a sheep's pen, scared that when they find out what she is... they will abandon her. Though with dash I never had that problem, she accepted me for who I was. Deep down she is still my friend, as much as I don't like it... I should atleast try and make amends by helping her dweeb friend out," Gilda smirked nastily. “So here is my advice, don't be afraid of what you are and if your friends don't accept you for who you are, were they ever your friends in the first place?" Gilda finished, leaving Twilight stunned. The brash, tom colt of a gryphon was surprisingly wise given her brash and crude nature.
'Maybe Gilda wasn't so bad after all,' Twilight sighed mentally. The gryphon preened her left wing as she gave the mare an ice cold stare.
The talk with Gilda last night, whilst brief, had at the very least helped her to form a plan. She knew that at some point, she would be forced to tell her friends about her strange eating preference. Twilight would have to be tactful and approach the subject cautiously. Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna, given their interaction and friendships with Gryphons, were the best place to start if she was going to tell somepony. Neither of them would like it, but they would hopefully be the least likely to judge her.
The prospect of telling Princess Celestia honestly terrified Twilight. Which is why, unless it was necessary, she had no plan of telling any of them. At the same time, however, her secret was very likely to get out at some point, and Twilight had to have a contingency plan in place to minimize the panic and potential damage to her friendship with her mentor.
The mare could not remove the nagging fear she had of disappointing or upsetting her past mentor and fellow princesses, but it was something that would eventually have to happen. Lying was an easy way to lose friends. She, of course, had plans should the result be ill in her favour. The gryphon king had kindly offered her shelter, should she ever require it, but, deep down, Twilight had faith in her friends. They may be repulsed by her eating habits, but she knew that they would begrudgingly accept it, yet not without an earful about how horrible it is.
For the moment though, Twilight planned to help herself to a large helping of eggs and bacon. Twilight’s mouth salivated in delight at the prospect of bacon. Grabbing a plate the mare ravenously tore into her meal. Wishing to appease her stomach, the mare quickened her pace, swallowing each bite faster than the last. Over time Twilight had noticed that more and more of her diet had become meat based. Now it was at a stage where she was actually consuming more meat than vegetables and fruits. Her diet was not the only one that had changed. Spike barely touched vegetables now.
The drake in question was idly cleaned his claws which had grown sharper due to his recent diet change. The pudgy baby dragon had shot up in height over the past few weeks, and his head was now level with her snout. With meat available at all times, the drake had been growing constantly for the past few nights. In fact, he was nearly too big for her to carry, and she feared that soon it would be him carrying her around.
Smiling mischievously, the mare flicked one of her wing tips in front of the sleepy dragons nose, resulting in a sharp sneeze. Twilight giggled as Spike muttered darkly under his breath, one of his claws poking her in the ribs, causing her to squeal in surprise.
"Oh dear Celestia this tastes amazing!" Spike laughed mid-chew, his mouth full of sausage as Twilight grimaced. With a sharp flick Twilights wing clipped the drake’s ear causing him to wince.
The quality of food was never any excuse for ill table manners, especially when they were representing Equestria and in the presence of Gryphon nobels. Neither of them could afford to leave a bad impression with them for fear that she embarrassed not only king iron Beak but the princesses as well.
The Gryphon culture was quite different from her homeland, but she had to admit that part of her loved being able to gorge herself here. Eating meat without hiding like a criminal in her own home was a huge improvement. It was nice not having to put on a disguise or cast an illusion charm and, most of all, she didn’t have to worry about receiving looks of disgust. She would have to thank the King for this wonderful meal later.
Twilight looked up from her meal once King Iron Beak strutted into the large room, his eyes locking onto Twilight's. “Excellent, I was hoping I would find you here. I have heard reports from my scouts of an incredibly rare and dangerous breed of boar, not native to my kingdom. I was wondering if you were interested in joining me for a mid-afternoon hunt? Given your performance with the deer, I feel that you would be an excellent hunting partner for my daughter." he said, smiling at the end of his sentence. Twilight paused as she felt the familiar feeling of nausea.
“Cheer up dweeb, I'll hold your hoof if I have to." Gilda snidely chipped in from her seat, Her tail swishing animatedly from side to side.
"Thanks, I... uh appreciate that. ” Twilight grinned sheepishly, her stomach sinking at the thought of hunting again. The boar they were hunting was apparently quite dangerous which was why the king was so eager to hunt it. Killing a dangerous creature was used to show a Gryphons strength and skill. It was not unheard of disgraced or old Gryphons to die whilst hunting to redeem or prove themselves one last time.
Ignoring Twilight's uneasiness, King Iron Beak continued his long tirade about most ponies’ reluctance to hunt. Sitting himself down next to the mare he tucked into his own plate.
"I honestly just do not get it, what better thrill is there besides hunting down your meal? I will never understand the thrill an equine gets from eating hay. Where is the sport of plucking grass from a meadow and frying it?" he laughed, in between mouthfuls snapping up a chicken leg, cracking the fragile bone with his beak.
Twilight was grimly reminded of how dangerous Gryphons were. It amazed her just how easily their beaks could shred flesh and crunch bone. Given that the front half of their bodies were avian, they did not possess the ability to chew properly, which could make meals unpleasant. Like piranhas with wings, gryphons could shred a bovine’s carcass down to bone in minutes.
Smiling pitifully, Twilight followed the king and Gilda to the others, already having second thoughts about the hunt.
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“Uh Dweeb are you trying to give away our position to every feathering creature in the forest?” Gilda growled. The two of them had been searching for two hours and despite the brash gryphon’s boast of being one of the best trackers, the two had still seen neither hide nor hair of the boar.
Gasping, Twilight collapsed beside a rotting log, sweat trickling down her forehead. Two hours of climbing uphill in search of the boar had left the mare exhausted and in dire need of a drink.
“Pathetic.” Gilda growled, turning her back as the alicorn glared at her rude partner. “Wait here and I’ll go fill up your canteen.” She huffed. One of the main rules of the hunt was that it had to be done on hoof, or claw in the gryphon’s case. This made the hunt more “thrilling”, as the king had put it. The tradition also tested Gryphons tracking and stalking skills.
Twilight was starting to regret hunting as her aching hooves began to throb uncomfortably. Around her, the cacophony of animals and insects kept the mare on high alert. Gryphonia’s many forests were renowned for their exotic and dangerous predators.
Slung across her back was the bow that she had used during her first hunt. She had been given the bow as a sign of respect for killing the deer. It was no secret that many Gryphons viewed ponies as inferior, or at the very least weak, but by hunting with them and successfully killing something, she had proven her worth as a hunter and fellow team player.
snap
Twilight’s ears perked up as she looked around for the source of the noise. Her ears flickering from side to side, looking for any indication of where the noise had originated from. Smiling, Twilight relaxed, it had most likely just been a deer.
SNAP!
Twilight flinched as yet again another branch snapped, this time from behind her.
“Hello... Gilda, is that you? Twilight called out. The mares ears swiveled from left to right, trying to pick up any trace of noise as she got to her feet. The Alicorn’s tail twitched in annoyance. Assuming it was Gilda, Twilight wandered over to the edge of the small clearing. The colossal trees blocked most of the light making it hard to locate the source of the noise. Small strands of light that escaped the trees clutches allowed the mare to see the outline of nearby trees.
“Gilda this is not funny! Come one we ha—.” A speeded blur slammed into the mare’s side pushing the two of them into a bush as Twilight went to scream. A claw wrapped around her mouth made the mare freeze as Gilda’s face filled her vision. Placing a claw to her beak the avian pointed to a spot near the back as the two sat in unabated silence.
A sharp snort made the alicorn freeze as a giant form appeared from the darkness. Twilight felt terror well up inside her being as she took in the sight of the beast. Its eyes gleamed menacingly in the low light, its fur a ghostly white as a pair of mangled tusks protruded from its mouth.
Towering above both herself and Gilda, the two watched as the beast lumbered into the clearing and headed straight for her bag. Twilight twitched as the boar tore into it; scattering books and quills as it scavenged for food. Its body was coated in scars, and to Twilights disgust, a few spears. Its left eye was a milky white to go with a gruesome scar.
This was the rare species of boar that the Gryphons had been desperate to hunt. The thing was bigger than even a manticore. She had been expecting a medium sized boar, like the ones that lived in the Everfree back home. Not bigger than Big Macintosh, but this thing easily dwarfed them.
“Whats the plan?” Twilight stuttered with a shaky voice as Gilda grimaced, a look of uncertainty appearing on her face for the first time. Great, she thought, neither of them had any idea how to even tackle the beast, never mind kill it. Pulling her bow from her back the mare moved painfully slow as Gilda watched her.
“I am going to aim for its head. When it strikes I want you to grab your spear and aim for its eyes. If we can blind it, we have a chance.” Twilight instructed, Gilda went to argue, but was cut off by Twilight. “Just do it.” the mare hissed, not in the mood for any back chat. Glowering, Gilda gave a small nod of understanding.
Slowly pulling the string to full draw, Twilight breathed out. It was now or never.
With a sharp twang, the mare released the string. The boar roared in pain as the arrow lodged itself into the beast's chest. Gilda growled, ducking under its snapping jaws.. Dropping her spear, the gryphon narrowly avoided being gored on one of its tusks. Twilight did what she could with her bow, the arrows not having the strength to inflict serious harm. At most her arrows were an annoyance rather than harmful. Though, the alicorn's attacks gave Gilda the time needed to retrieve her spear.
Traditional hunting would have a hunter prop a spear into the ground and let the boar impale itself on it. But for this boar, the spear's size difference was too great. To give the prey a sporting chance, large spears and other weapons were banned. "How much greater the challenge and thrill," the king had asked, "Going into the hunt with barely more than your wits and your skills?"
With a quick turn, Gilda stabbed at the boar's head. The beast reared backwards with a sharp squeal of annoyance. One wrong move would mean the death of one of them. The boar snapped at the gryphon, releasing the masticated remains of former wildlife.
Turning, the boar set its sights on the alicorn,its eye narrowing as it pawed the ground menacingly. Squealing, the beast slammed its hoof into the ground cracking a large stone in half as it charged. Twilight gave a horrified gasp, her wings flapping as she tried to get airborne, the boars serrated tusks aimed at the alicorn’s head.
Twilight cried out in alarm as the boar crashed into her, the mare having been too slow. She was flung like a rag doll across the clearing a sickening crunch coming from her wing. Snorting in pleasure the boar slammed one of its meaty hoofs down on her bow, snapping it like a flimsy toothpick. The mare whimpered as her wing was forced into a crooked position, throbbing with pain. She was most likely suffering a small concussion. Twilight knew she was in trouble. Dazed and sore, With a small gasp,she looked up to see the beast leering down at her. It snapped its jaws together in a frightful display. shivering, Twilight waited for the beast to finish her.
“Stay away from her, you bastard!” Gilda roared, darting in front of the mare her spear primed and ready to draw blood. Snorting the boar threw its head back and forth attempting to impale the gryphon on its tusks as Gilda elegantly danced out the way. The gryphon drew the boar away leaving the mare to curl up in agony, her head still spinning, her ears ringing.
A wet crunch, followed by an ear piercing roar, signaled that the gryphon had struck the boar. Twilight dared to open her eyes, watching bleary-eyed as the boar stumbled around the small clearing. Its back legs collapsed, forcing all of its weight onto its front. Its front legs wobbled before collapsing beneath its own weight. With a gurgled, ragged breath, the boar spasmed before dying.
Twilight hissed as nauseating waves of pain shot through her broken wing. Tears stung her eyes as the mare tried to stand. Her front left ankle was swollen and so painful she was unable to use it.
Gilda rushed over to Twilight, a look of genuine panic on her face as she inspected Twilight's wounds.
“Can you walk?” the gryphon questioned. Shaking her head, she bit on her lip to suppress a hiss every time Gilda poked and prodded at her wing or hoof. “hmm, your wing is completely busted,” Gilda chuckled half-heartedly. Neither of them was in a particularly good mood, but Twilight bit down a retort anyways. It would not do her well to berate or insult her only means of escaping this accursed forest. “Hold on, dweeb,” Gilda ordered. She lightly crouched down and maneuvered one of her wings under Twilight’s body. With a small grunt, she pushed herself up and slid down onto Gilda’s back, the gryphon tilting her wings in the process to make sure that her partner did not fall off.
“What about the boar?” Twilight questioned. Gilda snorted in response.
“Forget the damn boar! My main concern is making sure that my dad doesn't get into trouble with Equestria because I got an Equestrian princess killed,” Gilda grunted. The gryphon cursed as she struggled with the added weight.
“You are surprisingly heavy, for a princess.” Gilda hissed clenching her beak as she cursed under her breath,
“I’m not fat, I am pleasent plump,” she huffed. Gilda gave a small snort helping to lighten the mood.
“Dwee—Twilight, are you okay?” Gilda asked, tilting her head so that she was looking at the alicorn.
“I am sore, but I will survive.” Twilight replied.
“Good last thing I need is telling my dad a stupid princess perished on my watch because of an over-sized pig,” Gilda snorted, shaking her head as Twilight gave a small smile.
“Sister, I think you are overreacting. I am certain that Twilight is fine!” Luna snorted, idly stroking her possum, Tiberius. Celestia gave her sister a sharp look, stomped her hoof on the ground, causing Luna to lazily look up from her cushion. “Twilight is a full-grown mare, an alicorn no less. She is hardly incompetent! We would know if she came to any harm,” Luna finished, her ear flicking in annoyance at Celestia’s grumbling.
“Luna, I practically raised Twilight from a filly. Her first week in Ponyville, she sent multiple letters a day telling me about her friends, her adventures, and how much she missed me. I have heard nothing from her in two weeks!” Celestia snapped, pacing agitatedly back and forth.
“If you are worried so much, go visit her!” Luna suggested, nibbling on a chocolate pastry. She stopped to give a small piece to Tiberius, who eagerly dove into the treat. Celestia huffed and left her bedroom, allowing Luna to resume reading the light novel she had selected.
Storming down the corridor, Celestia reflected on her sisters off-hoof comment about visiting Twilight. The mare did not want to seem desperate, but she was still genuinely worried. Yes she had told Twilight that she did not need to send a message every week from Ponyville. But that was only because it was within her domain and she could easily protect her student.
But in the frozen lands of Griffonia Twilight only protection was her wit and knowledge. Yes she was knowledgeable but she had not experienced the barbaric customs the Gryphons practised. Some far worse than merely chasing down and murdering an innocent animal. Celestia resolved to investigate if Twilight did not send a letter in the next few days. She could only hope her student no her fellow princess had just forgotten and was not hurt... or worse!
Celestia knew that the gryphon king Iron Beak was a honorable soul and a friend of hers. But all the same that did not mean she trusted the other gryphons with Twilight. She knew all too well how quick a gryphon could be swayed by the promise of gold.
Twilight could honestly say that there were many places she would rather be than here, sitting miserably in a hospital bed. Despite the lush carpets, expensive curtains, top quality beds, and some of the best medical staff in Griffonia, Twilight found herself bored. Her wing had several hairline fractures and one main break at the base. Her hoof, while not as swollen as before, was still painful too support weight. The gryphons had quickly placed her wing in a cast and tended to her hoof, but the rest of the recovery was slow, boring waiting. After being stuck in bed for the last two days, the mare was looking forward to her discharge later tonight.
King Iron Beak had expressed his deepest apologies to Twilight, delaying the celebratory feast until Twilight was released. Twilight had quickly waved the concerned king away assuring him that she held no ill will towards the gryphons. She had known the risks when she agreed to the hunt, and it was completely her fault that she had been hurt. Had she not been so reckless and had more time to think of a strategy this whole thing could have been avoided.
A gentle thud from the window broke Twilight from her musings as Gilda landed softly on the floor. Gingerly approaching the hospital bed, Gilda gave Twilight a small nod. With a small grunt, she sat down in a chair beside Twilight as they awkwardly stared at each other.
“So, uh, I thought I would let you know that the boar we took down is being served tonight, and I heard from my dad that it is a meal to die for! Uh... almost literally in your case,” Gilda chuckled awkwardly. “Anyway, uh, I just thought I’d tell you that you were pretty cool out there. You know, for a bookworm,” she finished, looking down at the ground. Twisting her neck behind her the Gryphon pulled a small tray off her back.
The mare gave a moan of content at the crispy texture and salty flavor. ‘Was there any problem that bacon could not solve,’ Twilight mused? Shaking her head the alicorn decided that the answer was obviously no.
Rolling her eyes at the piggish Alicorn, Gilda snatched a bit from the mare. A muffled cry of protest sounded from Twilight as she glowered at the Gryphon.
“Don’t give me that look, you can afford to miss out on a few pieces of bacon your royal roundness.” Gilda joked, Twilight giving an indignant huff as she protectively held the bacon closer to her chest.
“I am not round.” Twilight muttered, scowling as she nibbled on a piece of bacon. Snorting at the sulking Alicorn's childish antics.
Gilda paused realising that other than give the princess bacon, she had not thought of anything else, not even a conversation starter. Awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, Gilda looked around the room for something to comment on. Hoping to alleviate some of the awkwardness.
Gryphons were not exactly the most talkative of creatures, and rarely made idle chit chat, unless the topic of gold or hunting was involved. Her father was actually one of the less up tight gryphons in the kingdom though that was mostly down to Princess Celestia’s influence having even baby sat for her father when he had been a fledgling. Unsure of what to say Gilda instead idly inspected her claws, she prayed the stupid pony would say something.
“Thank you.” Twilight spoke up, giving a genuine smile as Gilda recoiled slightly.
“Uhm you're welcome,” the Gryphon replied. She had forgotten that ponies were sickly polite and courteous. It had not been so bad with Dash given the brash pegasus was renowned for being headstrong and rude.
“I... have to go. need to make sure those clowns preparing the feast don’t screw it up and all that.” Gilda lied, retreating as Twilight gave a small nod. With a frown Twilight watched the retreating gryphon sad that she had not wanted to stay for a bit longer.
Twilight hoped Spike would pop in later to visit. Getting comfortable Twilight felt her eyes grow heavy. Maybe a small nap before dinner would not be such a bad idea.
