The morning's newspaper headline: Protests Grow Violent in Griffin Kingdom
Among the cafeteria tables, Billy got close to Chielo. “So, bird, who are you eating?”
The griffin parsed the question. “Fish.” He opened the half-eaten sandwich, showing the scales, bones, and head of the trout that Tondro, his father, caught for him yesterday. “Who are --”
All conversation stopped. Billy's blue eyes grew wide. The chocolate pegasus looked as if he were going to vomit the hay fries he had eaten. He backed away from Chielo, terrified. Only when he was too far to be attacked did Billy turn around, spread his wings, and fly as fast as he could. Every other pegasus followed Billy, running or flying away from Chielo. The griffin was alone among the spilled lunches and overturned tables.
Day zero.
The morning's newspaper headline: Political Shakeup in Griffin Kingdom.
Stelara, Tondro, and Chielo arrived in Cloudsdale from the Griffin Kingdom. All three carried both full and heavy packs and full and heavy hearts. At the town gate, Honeysuckle, a peach-colored pegasus with lightning bolts on her rump, met them and led them through the town.
“Oh, you'll so love the neighborhood,” she started talking to Stelara. “There's a good school just two blocks away, and a vegetable market just half a block away.”
Chielo looked down on the city, his new home. It seemed to have as little structure as the clouds that it was made of. He watched pegasi land and take off from building roofs. Chielo's mind snapped back to Stelara's voice when he almost heard his name. “There's plenty of foals for Jello ---”
The young griffin interrupted, “My name is Chielo.”
“-- to get to know, and you're just a short hop from the weather-making factory.” Honeysuckle missed or ignored Chielo's outburst. “The roof has a great landing---err, ignore that, and here you are!” She landed next to a musty, very large door on the ground level, pulled a set of keys from her pack and with her mouth unlocked the door. She stood aside to let the three in.
<< Pro kio eniras nin tra fundon? >> asked Tondro.
“I'm sorry,” explained Stelara as she accepted the slobber-covered keys in her talons. “My husband doesn't speak Common. He's wondering why we're coming in this way, rather than through the roof like the rest of the residents?”
“Oh,” Honeysuckle blushed a bit. “I think it's for your convenience. So that you don't... you know... scare the other renters every time you leave and come back. You can ask the super whether you may use the launching and landing pads!”
The inside of the apartment was as musty and unused as the outside door. In the entrance room, a secondhand couch curved around a wooden table whose fourth leg was supported by a book. Soot covered the ground and ceiling around the fireplace. Several kitchen cabinets had no doors, and the open, empty icebox had suspicious, green stains. The inside door to the common areas (and access to the roof) was as unused as the outside door. When they climbed to the second story, they saw two bedrooms, each with lumpy, stripped beds and mismatched curtains.
“I'm sure that you're grateful that we could find you a place. Not many apartments accept... ahhhh....” Honeysuckle backed up a bit. “I had a hard time finding a place for you.”
“I'm sure that it will be lovely with a little work,” said Stelara diplomatically.
When Honeysuckle left, Stelara sent Chielo to purchase brooms, buckets, towels, sheets, and cleaning supplies. Stelara sent Tondro down to the forest to gather dinner, firewood, and other necessities. Chielo returned with a hoof-broom and a long stick about the width of a pony's leg to attach the broom to. Stelara and Chielo spent the afternoon sweeping, wiping, disinfecting, and otherwise cleaning the place.
When Tondro returned, his wife and son were tearing up sheets to make nesting material. He had brought pine branches with soft, young needles, as well as hard wood for the fireplace, chestnuts, and a dozen plump mice for dinner. They started the fire, speared the mice on small stakes, and roasted them over the flames, then baked the chestnuts among the burning wood.
<<Papa,>> said Chielo as the family ate. <<I miss our farm.>>
<<Me, too, son. Me, too.>>
They carried the fragrant pine needles and strips of cloth upstairs, sculpted nests on the lumpy beds, and fell asleep.
Day one.
The morning's newspaper headline: Prime Minister Estro of Griffin Kingdom Promises Political Stability
A loud knock came on the inside door. Stelara pulled hard on the rarely-used door to reveal a lavender mare unicorn. Her cutie mark was covered by a finely woven blanket with Celestia's sun. “Uhmmm... LEONKORO Stelara?” she read from the dossier. Chielo overheard the conversation from his bedroom.
“Yes?” replied Stelara mildly.
“I'm Twilight Sparkle, secretary to Princess Celestia. Celestia sends her regards to you, LEONKORO Stelara, and she hopes you're...” She sniffed the air. “Leonkoro, what IS that awful smell? May I come in?”
“If you're smelling cooked meat, I fear that was last night's supper--”
“No, no, no---” Twilight's lips pulled back in distaste as she smelled the air, walking around the common room. Stelara blushed as she saw more soot had reached the ground around the fireplace. Twilight poked her nose into the fireplace and looked up the flue. “There's no guard from other fireplaces. All the ash dumps land here.” With her wing she pointed to a corner of the ceiling. “That trap door was recently nailed shut... May I go upstairs?”
Stelara blushed but said yes. Twilight went into Chielo's room, and pointed again to the ceiling. “There's another trap door.” With one hoof, she tapped on the wall between the two bedrooms. “This wall was just put in, and the scent is stronger here...” She shook her head. “Leonkoro, I think that they put you up in the former garbage room. Can we go outside? The stench bothers me.”
Day two.
The morning's newspaper headline: Griffin Kingdom National Guard Called To Assist Police
As promised, Chielo's school was a short flight of two blocks away. He landed on the school's roof, then glided down the stairs to the main office. He handed a folder to the first secretary that he saw.
“Ah, LEONKORO Chielo? Welcome to Wind Whistler Middle School, Leonkoro,” the while stallion pegasus said. “You'll be with the green class, Leonkoro--”
“--- That's not my name,” Chielo interrupted.
“I beg your pardon?” The stallion looked confused.
“I mean, it is my name, but it's not my personal name. Leonkoro is my family name and Chielo is my personal name. We capitalize our family names.”
“Oh. We've already set up all of your records the other way. You don't mind, do you Leo-- I mean Cello?”
“I'm not a musical instrument. My name is Chielo. Two vowels in the middle.”
He tried the unfamiliar name. “Chee-elo, go downstairs two flights, then enter the green door for your class.”
Chielo glided down the stairs, occasionally grabbing a pole in his left talon to make quick turns. The hallways were almost empty of students or teachers. He walked past a group of much younger students past an orange door, and entered a green door with pegasi about his age.
A blue stallion pegasus with black stripes on his legs looked up from teaching as Chielo entered. “Welcome, Leonkoro.” Chielo sighed.
Day five.
The morning's newspaper headline: Prime Minister Estro gives more concessions to Regnist Bloc.
A dark brown stallion with a cream-colored mane blocked Chielo's exit. “Hey, bird. I'm Billy, and I'm learning a little of your language. Is <<fiku vin>> good Griffin?” Three pesasi around Billy laughed.
Chielo stared at Billy. “Screw you, too.”
Billy stared back. So did his three friends. “Listen, blank flank. You will never be accepted here no matter what you do. Wanna know why? Because you'll never get one of these,” he said, pointing to the dumbbell on his flank. “So why don't you just fly back to where you came from?”
The bell for the start of class rang. With mocking laughter, Billy and his friends walked past Chielo, shoving him. When they had left, in a small voice that no one else could hear, Chielo whispered, “We can't.”
Evening seven.
“The Princess must prepare for an influx of refugees. There's plenty of open space in the north of Equestria. We would mostly need fresh water and the right to forage for food --”
When Chielo entered the aired-out apartment, Stelara was deep in conversation with Twilight. He was almost in tears as he hugged his mother.
“Mom... the ponies saw what I had for lunch... and they all ran away!”
Stelara wrapped her arms around her son. “Oh, hon. I'm sorry.”
“I--- I don't want to eat fish any more. Or mice. I want to eat like the Equestrians, mom.”
Stelara blushed deeply, but Twilight's eyes lit up. “I know a vegetable stand nearby! They have apples from Sweet Apple Acres, and spinach and broccoli and cauliflower and oats. Let me buy your first meal, Chielo.”
Chielo's eyes lit to match Raindrop's eyes. “Pleeeeeeease, mom?”
Stelara closed her eyes and counted to ten. Finally, she said, “I won't stop you.”
Early morning eight, morning eight, late morning eight, and early afternoon eight.
Chielo's repeated and violent diarrhea quickly ended his experiment with veganism.
His mother had left a book in the bathroom: a dictionary, turned to the phrase 'obligate carnivore'. One or two pieces of fruit or vegetables were okay for griffins. A meal of them was not okay.
Day ten.
The morning's newspaper headline: Protesters block roads between Griffin Kingdom and Equestria
Cyan Skies leaned against a tree as she listened to Chielo.
“...and my dad had this huge ranch! Even at my top speed, it took 15 minutes to fly the whole boundary. On the hill in the middle, you'd see the prettiest sunsets---”
Cyan jumped. Chielo stopped talking. The two saw it at the same time: a gray mouse with constantly-twitching whiskers had brushed against Cyan's leg.
More quickly than she could see, Chielo had grabbed the mouse off the ground and held it in his handpaw.
“Don't do it! Just don't.” Cyan hissed.
“Don't do what?” he said as he petted the mouse using a cast-off feather. The mouse relaxed in his hand.
“Don't eat it.”
The mouse sat on its haunches, licked its paws, then rubbed its paws against its ears, eyes, and nose.
“I'm not hungry. And I like mice.”
The mouse sneezed twice, then curled itself into a ball. It fell asleep.
“But you... you eat mice!”
He nodded. He felt very slow, and he tried hard to understand her point.
She asked, “How could you eat someone that you like?”
He looked even more confused. “How could you eat something that you hate?”
Day Twelve.
The morning's newspaper headline: Revolution in Griffin Kingdom
Chielo went downstairs and saw Stelara, Twilight, a purple and green baby dragon, and two white pegasi in military uniforms. She handed her son a white blanket with Celestia's cutie mark on it. “Here,” she said in Common. “Wear this.” As he tied the blanket just below his wings, Stelara said, “I'm pulling you out of school for the day. I have something that I really think you should see.”
The six went outside together. The soldiers hitched themselves to a floating cart, and Twilight and the dragon climbed in. Stelara took off, and Chielo and the soldiers followed. They flew almost directly due north, following a road.
“Mom,” Chielo said as he kept up. “Where are we headed?”
“We're flying to the border between Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom. Tondro and I will be spending a lot of time up there.”
The young dragon said, “I must have missed the big picture. What are the griffins fighting over, anyway?”
Stelara answered, “I'm not unbiased, but I'll try to answer as best I can, Spike.”
“The Regnistoj – or Royalists – believe that griffins are the chosen royalty over all the world, and that all other species are inferior. They want to kick out griffins like me who have been 'tainted' by working with dragons or equines. Their leader is Her Highness Forta, third in line to the throne.
“The Egalighoj – or Equal-ists – say that there is no superior race among the dragons, griffins, or equines. Some egalighoj are isolationist, thinking that the other races have nothing to offer. Others like me believe in trade and understanding other cultures.”
“Wow.”, said Spike. “What does your Princess think?”
Stelara sighed. “Princess Aglleona is old and addle-brained. She's not aware of what's happening. The Prime Minister, Estro, had been trying to balance the two factions. But what Estro saw as balance, Forta saw as weakness.”
At this point, they had flown to the northern border of Equestria. A wide, dirt road lead between Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom. The traffic was almost all one-way: griffins and equines with carts leaving the Griffin Kingdom and entering Equestria. The griffin guards gave the emigrants few hassles: they seemed to let everyone through. The equine border had to be more careful about the immigrants: a large collection of knives, muskets, swords, and other weapons was watched by a soldier.
Two pegasi, a very light-blue stallion with a dark-blue mane and a slightly darker mare with a rainbow mane, glided far above the road, border stations, and immigrants.
A griffin, wearing the purple of the Regnists, flew toward the border from the north. The light-blue stallion in the air set off a black cloud of smoke behind him. Four soldier pesasi took off and flew toward the griffin, carrying a large net. The griffin turned well before the border, and started flying away.
Just south of the border, a sign read: Kolonion de Rifughintoj and pointed further down the road.
They landed about a mile south of the border at the refuge. Dozens of tents had already been pitched. A large cart had long strips of canvas. Ponies and griffins drove stakes into the ground, tied ropes to the stakes, pulled canvas from the cart, and set up shelters in the softer dirt.
A circle, about four hundred yards across, had been cleared of all vegetation. It looked much drier than the soft soil around it. Five earth ponies moved around the shale circle. Four of them – a pale, gray mare with three rocks on her flank wearing a black shawl and glasses; a brown stallion with a pickaxe on his flank wearing a hat, collar and tie; a blue filly; and a gray filly – moved with silent, steady grace. The fifth, a pink mare with three balloons on her flank, bounced around the other four and sang,
If you take clay and quartz, Raise them up the Mohs scale. Pressure and compaction Turn it into good shale.
If that isn't hard enough, Then use more heat and weight. Forces metamorphic Turn it into hard slate!
Chielo tilted his head. “What are they doing?”
“They're magicking a foundation of hard rock.”
Chielo stared at Twilight. “But... don't only unicorns have magic?”
“All equines have magic. Unicorns just have the flashiest magic. Pegasi have magic over the sky. And earth ponies have magic over the earth. The Pies – the five ponies out there – have a rock farm, and they know more about geomagic than anyone in Ponyville.”
All six walked to the largest tent. A sign above the tent read Malsanejon. Inside the large tent were the war-wounded.
One griffin, not much older than Chielo, had bandages wrapped completely around his midsection. His wings had been ripped from his body. Others were missing legs. Many had tears in their hides where other griffins had attacked them. The tent smelled of stale bandages, blood, and worse.
Around an older griffin's splinted wing, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane tied off the last of a bandage. In a soft voice, she said, “Now please don't, um, use that wing for at least three weeks.” A younger griffin – probably her daughter – translated it. When the yellow pegasus saw Twilight, she smiled. “Twilight!”
“Fluttershy! It's good to see you!”
“I heard about all the hurt griffins and I had to nurse them back to health.” She saw Chielo next to Twilight. “Uhm...” Her voice grew quiet.
“Fluttershy, this is Chielo. His mom was exiled from the Griffin Kingdom. Chielo, this is my friend, Fluttershy.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Chielo.
Fluttershy squeaked softly.
“Uhmmm... I'll wander outside. I'll let you get back to nursing the sick, Fluttershy. I'll see you later.”
Fluttershy squeaked softly.
Not five seconds after he left the hospital tent, Chielo recognized a lady griffin half a head taller than him with white hindquarters. <<Pluma!>>
<<Chielo!>> The two old friends hugged. <<What are you doing here? I thought that you moved weeks ago!>>
<<I'm living in Cloudsdale. Mom wanted me to see the refuge. What are you doing here?>>
Pluma's wings drooped. <<Forta convinced Princess Aglleona to exile all the top Egalighoj. Your mom was just the first.>>
<<Where are you staying?>> Chielo's voice was anxious. <<What will you be doing?>>
<<I don't know what we'll be doing, but at least I know where we're staying. It's not much, but let me show you.>>
They crossed the hard circle that would make the town center to a canvas tent with four flags: green, red, yellow, green. <<Mom? Dad?>> Pluma called. There was no answer.
The inside was decorated with tapestries containing the history of Pluma's family. Hanging from the walls were two hammocks, one much larger than the other. Both had grass woven into the hammock threads. Beside the larger hammock were two locked chests, and on top of the chest was a book of hymns. A small, steel harp was beside the smaller hammock.
Chielo saw the harp and said, <<Next time I come, I'll bring my reed-whistle. We can play together!>>
Pluma smiled. <<I'd like that. You're the first reminder of home that I've seen.>>
From outside the tent, Chielo heard Stelara calling his name. <<I gotta go.>> They hugged once more, and Chielo departed.
One weekend, when Stelara was negotiating with a lumber yard for building materials for the refuge, Tondro suggested that Chielo and he visit the weather factory.
This factory, on the outskirts of Cloudsdale, continually emitted black thunderclouds with lightning, white clouds, rainbows, and funnel clouds. From the factory, pegasi pushed the weather formations through Equestria to where they were needed.
Tondro smiled to his son as the door rose and they entered the main room.
Rainbow fountains splashed into silver basins. Stately marble columns and clear pipes guided the rainbows to their destinations: washed-out, pastel rainbows for light showers; dark and full rainbows for after thunderstorms. Pegasi in white coats checked rainbows against color charts and re-mixed a few basins.
The rainbow room overlooked Cloudsdale's shining spires and constantly-shifting architecture. It was a central fixture in the factory, with other rooms leading from it.
They walked through one door to an enclosed room. An angry-looking black cloud filled the center of the room. White electricity flashed across its face in never-repeating patterns.
Tondro said, <<Rigardu.>> He dipped his claw into the electric cloud, and pulled out a small ball that seemed to have the texture of black cotton candy. Lightning and thunder crashed from the tiny ball, one nearly striking Chielo. As lightning flashed, it used up the wisp; within twenty seconds, both lightning and wisp had disappeared.
With an exaggerated talon to his lips, Tondro hid a larger ball from the cloud in his hand.
In the next room, a machine carefully spun air in a circle. Above it, a quiet and meek-looking whirlwind stirred lazily, sometimes coming close to breaking up.
Tondro dropped the lightning puff into the tornado.
Lightning flashed through the tornado, and it doubled in height. Chielo spread and flapped his wings, as if to ward off the tornado. His wings pushed the tornado away from him, but it gathered strength as it meandered into the rainbow room. The tornado quickly found a new source of power: the rainbow falling from the roof.
The tornado splashed random colors over every pony, every griffin, and every pillar. A red-green-orange pegasus mare and a blue-black-white pegasus stallion... no, make that a yellow-pink-brown pegasus mare and a red-white-green pegasus stallion sped quickly in the opposite direction of the tornado's winds. Despite looking like constantly-shifting Jackson Pollock paintings, their wind-working slowly calmed the storm, soon only splashing the lightest pastel colors everywhere. The winds stopped. Everything dripped in multi-hued splendor.
The foremare stared at the two griffins who caused the ruckus. “Out. OUT.” she commanded. Tondro needed no translation.
The blue-orange-purple father and his red-yellow-green son, dripping color mixtures that could inspire abstract artists, caught a glance of themselves in a reflection... and started laughing.
School was mixed for Chielo. Mathematics and science continued from what he already knew. But history after the breakup of the Kingdom into the Three Principalities centered on different eras, different sides in wars, and different people that he knew little about. And though Chielo spoke Common, he hadn't read much in it, so didn't catch many literary references.
But the most odd class was P. E.
If P. E. were only about flying races, then he would be fine. He usually finished among the fastest third of his class, sometimes among the top ten. But when Coach had them move clouds, he just flew through them. Without wings, he was faster than any pony in a 100-meter sprint, but even the slowest pony could lap him in a mile-long race.
The first time he played hoofball was a disaster. Though he could sprint short distances faster than ponies, he had less stamina than them; he couldn't kick the ball with his claws as hard as they could with their hooves. Once, he spread his wings – an automatic foul.
He thought about his strengths and weaknesses the second time he played. “Coach, can I try playing goalie?”
“Sure,” she said. “Second half.”
When he trotted onto the field, his team, the Reds, were behind, two to one, against the Greens. Chielo concentrated wholly on the ball. Every time that the Greens brought the ball near to the goal, he caught it. Soon, he stood at the center of the goal, and moved exactly enough to block any shots. No matter whether the hits were high or low, to either side, or came spinning, he either blocked them or caught them easily.
Hoofballs didn't dodge when you tried to catch them, unlike birds.
The Reds got a second goal, tying the game. At the end was the shoot-out. Against the opposing goalie, his team got three goals. Against Chielo, the Greens did not get a single goal.
His defense had won the game.
The next day, Chielo noticed a difference. At lunch, his teammates invited him to sit with them. No one asked about his sandwich. They laughed about the game; he listened as they talked about favorite fillies and colts in other classes.
Tondro and Stelara invited Chielo to the refuge, to celebrate the completion of the refuge's keep. They told him to arrive before sundown.
Chielo lazily circled, catching an updraft, as he studied the growing refuge. The warm, late afternoon sunlight illuminated the stone dome of the large stone keep at the center of the refuge. Around the keep were wooden buildings with dozen of griffin carpenters and builders working on them. These buildings, though incomplete, already served as markets, as schools, as the common kitchen, and other purposes. To the southwest of the keep was a small metal shed of pony design. Surrounding the wooden buildings, where the griffins lived, remained dozens of tents.
From the sky, he saw a half-dozen griffins turning spits over fires and stirring cauldrons of stew in preparation for the feast. He saw younger grifflets chasing and mock-hunting each other. On the road, coming from the south, he saw a caravan of six ponies pulling carts. They would be in town within fifteen minutes. To the north, he saw two specks flying and patrolling the border. He could not see whether anyone was trying to enter or leave Equestria.
He found the green-red-yellow-green flags of Pluma's family, and landed near. <<Pluma? Doktorino Rugha? Signoro Krifo?>> He heard Rugha's higher-pitched voice welcoming in a visitor, so he entered. All three were in the tent, getting ready for the celebration.
The former minister of education smiled widely as she saw Chielo, and she embraced him with a warm hug. <<Oh, koro mia, it's so good to see you! Stelara told me you should be at the party today. Would you like some jerky?>> She was wearing aluminum chain mail over her chest, shoulders, and wings that gently rustled with every movement she made. Wrapped around her legs and tail were aluminum ornaments, and her talons were capped with aluminum, but she left her tail tip uncovered.
<<It's great to see you too, Dr. Rugha, and no thanks. I already saw how much food they're cooking for the festival.>>
Krifo was a little quieter, but equally happy to see Chielo. <<You've been growing.>> he said as he hugged Chielo. As a male, his formal clothing had more color. His woven clothing was white over his chest, red over his forelegs and talons, dark brown over his wings, and black over his hindquarters.
The final hug came from Pluma. <<Thanks for coming, friend.>> Her chest had an aluminum chain bearing a miniature book. Her wings were both unadorned and uncovered. Around her body, she wore a leather girdle that had been dyed white. Around her tail were a dozen simple, leather rings. With each fidget of her tail, the rings would slide smoothly.
From his pack, Chielo pulled a woven silver and black cloak that looked like a second pair of wings, a silver necklace, and new mousefur bands around each of his legs. <<We didn't have room to bring much formal clothing.>> He put on his small set of clothes, feeling underdressed. Dr. Rugha helped him tie the bands to his arms. Then Pluma unlocked the wooden chest next to her hammock, pulled out two large, matching rubies, attached one ruby to Chielo's left armband, and attached the matching stone to own her right armband.
They were ready.
The sun set as the town gathered at the keep's entrance.
Twilight walked to the podium, carrying a large stack of carefully-notated paper.
“Today we are here to honor a refuge, and the pon – I mean griffins – great and small who are building it. On behalf of Celestia, Equestria welcomes everypon-- I mean everyone – as guests as long as you need to stay...”
The assembled griffins tilted their heads as they looked at her. One said to the other, <<Kion diras shi?>>
“Oh, right,” she said with a sigh. “Most of you don't speak Common.” Twilight scanned the crowd for Stelara. She was talking with three other griffins. Then she saw Chielo with Dr. Rugha, Krifo, and Pluma. “Chielo... help?”
Chielo flapped his wings, flew over the crowd, and landed to one side of Twilight.
<<This is Twilight. >> he said to the crowd. <<She's an assistant to Princess Celestia. She says we're welcome as long as we need to stay.>>
A light-pink pony with a darker pink mane wearing a pink dress emerged from the common kitchen. In a loud voice, she called out, “Foooooooood's on!” In a quieter but higher-pitched voice she continued, “It's supposed to be party food but there's hardly any cupcakes except for the ones I brought for the ponies and that doesn't make sense because how can you have a party where most of the food is made from dead animals and from secretions of animals and stuff? Oh, well.” She jumped back into the common kitchen.
Twilight nudged Chielo. “You'd better make sure Pinkie doesn't hurt herself.” He memorized the name and entered the open building.
Pinkie Pie was at the head of the quickly-growing line, carrying a wooden plate in one hoof. She looked at the trays of meat and stews laid out for the griffins. “Ooooooh! What's this?”
Chielo said, “It's a goulash.”
“That sounds good.” She took a little of the stew and some of the potatoes. “Ooooooh! What's this?”
Chielo said, “They're sausages.”
“That sounds good.” She took a little of the sausage. “Ooooooh! What's this?”
Chielo said, “Rocky Mountain Oysters.”
“That sounds good.” She took a little of the organ meat. “Ooooooh! What's this?”
“Pinkie, you know that none of these are good for ponies.”
“I know that, silly.” answered Pinkie. “But a little won't hurt, and I might really like one of them! It would be terrible to miss out on something tasty!” She continued to take small pieces from every tray.
No other pony joined Pinkie in line. Soon, she took a spot at a wooden table. Since few other griffins spoke Common, Chielo sat with her.
Pinkie leaned over and carefully chose one bit of meat with her tongue. She tasted, chewed, and swallowed. “Nope, didn't like that one,” she said to no one in particular. She tried a second piece. “Nope, didn't like that one.” She tried a third piece.
Chielo interrupted Pinkie's taste-test. “Who were the ponies in the caravan?”
Pinkie lit up. “Oh! That would be Octavia and her band, who are Lyra, Noteworthy, and Frederick. They're all earth ponies And there's also Rarity. She's a unicorn. But she's not in the band. But she makes really nice dresses. She even made this one!” Chielo smiled at the candy-colored, candy-covered dress she was wearing. “And I think Fluttershy flew in earlier today to the hospital. And Twilight is here. But that's silly for me to say; you were talking to her.”
Chielo saw Pluma and her family emerge from the buffet; he waved them over.
“Say,” said Dr. Rugha in Common when she saw Pinkie. “Weren't you one of the geomancers?”
“Yup! That was me and my family. But don't judge me by them; they're weeeeiiiiiiird.” Pinkie bugged out her eyes at this phrase.
“Then thank you for a solid foundation for the center of our town,” replied Dr. Rugha.
“Okie-dokie-lokie! But I'm mostly here to throw tonight's party. I've never welcomed a whole town before! Though this isn't really a town, I guess. People call it a refuge instead of a town. So I'd better say that I've never welcomed a whole refuge before!”
Pinkie tried the other nibbles on her plate. “Nope... nope... nope... all gone! I gotta run to finish setting up the party! See ya!”
Chielo took the opportunity to talk with Pluma, her mom, and her dad about what was happening in the refuge.
A keep is a central, defensive location. This keep was made of the strongest materials that the refugees could afford: very large stones, mortared with cement. The top was a dome in a graceful arch, best to keep attackers from landing. The only holes in the walls were small vents that could be blocked. Undecorated and severe, the outside was functional not beautiful.
Pinkie had decorated the inside with green ribbons, green banners, lamps, and the tapestries of all the families. Over many small wooden tables, she put green tablecloths. Each corner had a large punchbowl filled with red liquid and cups. A section of the floor had been roped off, and a small upright piano, a cello, a sousaphone, and a harp rested there.
Griffins had already started to file into the keep. They commented on the strong construction. One or two flew up to examine the rafters in the ceiling, and to shoo young grifflets from their hiding places. They seemed pleased with the work.
Chielo noticed a solitary, white unicorn wearing pink and gold examining the tapestries carefully. He tried to remember her name.
“Frederick, I presume?”
“Oh, no. Frederick is with Octavia, getting ready for the concert. My name is Rarity. What is this weaving?” Rarity studied a deeply intricate, never-repeating tapestry on the wall. “I've never seen anything of this sort before.”
“It represents a family. You're looking at Dr. Rugha's and Krifo's weaving. At the bottom are the most important things of their lives: the birth of their daughter, Dr. Rugha's elevation to Minister of Education, and so forth. Just above it are the most important parts of their parents' lives. Just above that are the most important parts of their grandparents' lives, and so forth. At the top are the names of ancestors. When two griffins marry, they create a new weaving from the elements of both families' weavings, and add their own stories to the bottom.”
The white pony's eyes grew wide. “I wouldn't use these actual tapestries, but... would it be offensive to make clothes from this style of weaving?”
Chielo laughed. “They're just tapestries. It would be like making a dress from pages of a book. If you're not making clothes from an actual tapestry, it wouldn't be offensive, just weird.”
Rarity looked around. “Could you introduce me to any weavers that speak Common?”
A brown, male griffin wearing teal and bright green that Chielo didn't recognize said, “I do-overhears. I do-speaks a little Common. Would you do-likes to will-sees my weaving?” Rarity wandered off with the griffin.
Soon, Pinkie bounced to the center of the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, from the great town of Ponyville, I'm proud to introduce Octavia's Miniature Orchestra!” Four ponies – a brown stallion, a greyish-purple mare, a light-blue mare, and a dark-blue stallion – walked behind the ropes and started playing music that they considered upbeat and happy.
Pinkie bounced to every beat. But the griffins who listened to the music started smirking, and didn't join the dancing. Pinkie looked confused at the response. “Is this like the Grand Galloping Gala or something?” Only a few ponies understood the reference.
Pluma and three other griffins brought their heads together, whispered among themselves, and walked out. They came back five minutes later, carrying two string instruments, a reed instrument, and a set of claw-drums. They listened to the melodies from Octavia's orchestra, and when they repeated, the four griffins counterpointed four notes for every note that the ponies played.
Fast melodies and drums got the griffins dancing!
Octavia's orchestra and the griffins started improvising off each other; Octavia's lower instruments played harmonic patterns that supported the griffins' fast riffs and melodies. Talons plucking strings were nimbler than hooves.
And the crowd danced. Pinkie bounced around, dancing with anyone who would join her. Feathers, fur, hair, and clothing moved with the beat of the drums. Fledglings raced around their parents' legs. Two griffins locked their arms, spread their wings, and pirouetted, hovering above the crowd.
A light-blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and rainbow tail landed at the keep's open door. <<Kvieti! Resti ie sendanghera! Grifoj de la nordo atakos nin. Ili alvenos je unun minuton.>> She flew to deliver her message to other groups of griffins.
“Rainbow Dash speaks Griffin?” Twilight, at Chielo's shoulder, looked very confused. “Wait... back up. What did she say?”
Chielo had forgotten that Twilight didn't speak Griffin. “Get to somewhere safe. Griffins from the north are attacking us. They'll be here in a minute.”
Just then, the large, wooden building visible through the keep's open door ignited.
<<There's wounded in the hospital tent!>> shouted Chielo. He raced out of the keep, toward the burning building.
From above came the slight sound of wings and a keening cry. Lamp oil fell from above, splashing slightly on Chielo. He ducked and moved away from the spilled liquid. The lamp oil was ignited by a spark, and Chielo felt tongues of fire on his back. He rolled on the stone ground to put out the flames.
Half-running half-flying, Chielo dodged around the burning former kitchen to the hospital tent. A few seconds later, Pluma arrived, panting.
Only two griffins were too unwell to move themselves; both were on stretchers. Fluttershy and a tan griffin missing both wings were at the head and feet of one stretcher. “We promise we'll be back for... oh!” said Fluttershy with a squeak as she saw the two enter.
“Are these two griffins the last patients?” asked Chielo. Fluttershy nodded. Chielo and Pluma stationed themselves at the head and feet of the other stretcher.
Fluttershy laid down at the head of her stretcher, put her wings under its supports, and stood up, lifting the patient at the same time as the tan griffin. Chielo and Pluma lifted their stretcher and emerged into the fire-filled night.
The fires and smoke on the ground prevented Chielo and Pluma from seeing much more than the nearly-full moon above them, but they heard gunfire and curses above them. As Fluttershy raced toward the keep, the ground ahead of her exploded with a bouncing musket ball. More lamp oil fell from the sky, missing Chielo and Pluma entirely. The keep's door opened, and Fluttershy and the other griffin entered. Then Chielo saw a griffin's shadow against the full moon, growing larger.
As the assailant dove toward them, Chielo and Pluma carried the last stretcher into the keep. The assailant landed not ten feet from the door. The griffin in purple fully cocked his musket, aimed it at the still-open door, and fired.
A magenta, opaque surface flared just beyond the door and the bullet ricocheted. Chielo closed the stone door and barred it. He looked behind himself to see Twilight's horn stop glowing. “The door should be stronger than my shield spell,” she said as heavy thumps came from the door. The stout, wooden bars held against the attack.
Chielo was immediately grabbed and hugged by both parents. <<You scared me, koro mia. I'm so glad you're alive.>> Stelara noticed the singed feathers and fur on his back, and started to preen and clean her son.
During the time that Chielo had left, the keep had filled with young grifflets and fledglings. The air was filled with a game of tag, shouts of joy, and a few loose feathers. One youngster hung upside-down from the rafters.
Chielo barely heard Twilight talking with the other seven ponies and Spike, but he couldn't hear what they said. Then Dr. Rugha walked to them. In Common, Dr. Rugha said, “Twilight, it's time to open the shed.”
Together they walked to the southwest corner of the keep. Twilight's horn glowed magenta, and blocks of stone moved from the corner. On the other side of the blocks was darkness, not an exit. A large hole opened. Rugha picked up a hand light, and rested it against the bottom of the hole. The light showed what was beyond the hole: the metal shed, containing the weapons that had been confiscated from the immigrants. Rugha lifted swords, longbows and crossbows and arrows, muskets and cartridges, and metal claws from the shed.
<<We came here because we were not wanted in the Griffin Kingdom. We left, not willingly, but to preserve the peace. The Griffin Kingdom doesn't want even that peace. We must now fight!>>
Twilight didn't understand the words, but she understood the sentiment. “Dr. Rugha, you don't need to do this. I've already sent a message to Celestia. She will be here with soldiers within a few hours!”
Dr. Rugha turned to Twilight and responded in Common, “We can't let others do our fighting for us. We already gave up our power. We already gave up our land. Now they want us to give up our lives. Even if we're rescued now, they will continue to harass us. The time for passiveness is over.”
<<The Regnistoj wear purple,>> Dr. Rugha stated. She picked up a green tablecloth, and tore it along the weave to make a strip. <<Then we shall wear green – the color of new life. New life in our new home!.>> She tied the strip around her left foreleg, and passed the cloth to the griffin at her left.
<<We will fight here, our last stand.>> The griffins cheered.
<<For Celestia! For Luna! For freedom!>> The griffins shouted along, <<For Celestia! For Luna! For freedom!>>
Chielo grabbed two sets of metal claws, and put them over his front claws. Sharp and shiny, each foot-long claw reflected the lights behind him.
Tondro picked up a longbow and a quiver of arrows, and Stelara grabbed two swords. Stelara looked at Chielo with his weapons. <<Where do you think you're going?>>
<<I'm going with you,>> said Chielo. <<I want to be a soldier in this war, just like you and dad.>>
Stelara looked angry. <<Do you really want to be a soldier?>> half-shouted Stelara.
<<Hell, yes!>> replied Chielo.
<<Then obey orders, soldier! Protect this keep!>>
He had no answer for that.
Other griffin soldiers quieted their young children, hugging them goodbye, and whispering in their ears.
Dr. Rugha called together her fighting force – thirty able-bodied griffin adults who had served in the military. All had green around their forearms.
In Common, Dr. Rugha said, “Twilight, open the door.”
Twilight's horn glowed, the wooden bars lifted, and the door opened. Two by two, they marched through the door, spread their wings, and flew into the air.
Chielo sighed. <<What now?>>
He looked around the room. The four musicians were asleep in a rough circle, using each other as pillows. Rarity and Spike were gathering scraps of tablecloth. Fluttershy was with her two patients and the tan griffin. Pinkie was bouncing with some of the grifflets, trying to play tag even without her wings. Twilight was reading a book, “The Griffin language made easy” and murmuring to herself <<Mia kusenveturilo estas plena da angiloj.>>
The remaining griffins were either asleep or watching the open door carefully, looking for any other attacks on the keep.
Pluma said, <<Do you want to make yourself and those claws useful?>>
Chielo nodded. Pluma handed him a large bag of earth, a cutting board, and a jar. <<Mince some earthworms. The babies will wake up hungry.>>
For half an hour, he pulled earthworms from the bag, carefully chopped them into tiny pieces, and put the baby food into the jar.
Rarity looked at her green scrap cloth, opened her pack, pulled out more cloth and a needle and thread. Considering at the energy-filled grifflets, she used one as a model. Within fifteen minutes, she had a small, green puppet griffin. Within half an hour, she had a second, green puppet pony.
Fluttershy giggled as she looked at the puppet pony. She picked it up in her hoof, and made a whinneying sound. All the grifflets looked at Fluttershy and chirped <<Pli! Pli!>>
“A play?” responded Fluttershy. “Uhmm, I guess...”
Pinkie jumped in. “Rarity, make a dragon. We can do this!”
Pinkie and Fluttershy used the three puppets to entertain the few still-awake children. They used lots of animal noises for the different characters, telling a tale of a griffin and a pony who were the best of friends and overpowered a dragon together.
“Raaaaar!” said Pinkie, shaking the dragon.
Horns responded.
“Silly, that's not how the griffin sounds.” said Pinkie.
More horns responded from outside the keep.
Twilight woke up. “Those are Celestia's horns!”
Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Chielo, Pluma, and three adult griffins raced out of the keep. Twilight's horn glowed as she made a shield over all eight. Coming from the south were at least fifty pegasi in full battle armor riding giant storm clouds. Lightning struck the air around them, and thunder echoed among the trees around the refuge.
Above them, griffins with purple tabards turned tail and flew north, rather than be attacked by the reinforcements. The eight on the ground cheered.
Twilight looked around, and saw a pile of feathers and fur not far from the keep. Then she saw the green stripe around its right arm. The face looked familiar. She nudged Chielo and pointed. He gasped, ran, and bounced off the shield. Twilight shut off the shield, and he ran to the broken body.
<<PATRINON!>>
He hugged the dead body closely and cried. He murmured half-remembered hymns to ease. He blubbered in both languages keening cries of loss.
The other seven – and the children who awoke with the horns – gave him space to mourn.
Within five minutes, Celestia landed where a common building once stood. Ashes crunched under her hooves.
All of the ponies and the griffins who recognized Celestia bowed to her.
Murmurs repeated through the audience. Celestia spoke Griffin?
Celestia repeated herself and continued. <<Well done, Our newest subjects – if you so consent.>>
More murmurings. No longer guests, but subjects?
<<Prime Minister Forta-->>
Hisses echoed through the audience.
Celestia stared. <<Prime Minister Forta has personally apologized to Us. The Griffin Kingdom will pay to rebuild all damage, and the sergeant who led this raid has been executed.>>
<<Is Leonkoro Stelara here?>>
Chielo held back a tear. <<Your Highness, my mother is dead,>> he replied. Tondro rested a wing around his son's shoulder.
This answer struck Celestia. <<Are you Chielo?>>
Chielo nodded, not trusting his voice.
<<If it weren't for your mother, this town would never exist. Her letters before you arrived, and her briefings with Twilight, gave Us warning, both of Our new subjects, and of this attack. We had enough time to prepare Our Royal Guard for this battle. It won't bring her back, but this town will have her memorial statue. Everyone here will, at least, remember her.>>
Chielo nodded, still not sure for his voice.
<<Finally,>> she said, stopping talking for the kingdom as a whole, <<I have a daily task that I must accomplish.>>
Celestia stood, facing the east. Everyone around was silent. Her horn slowly glowed a deep red color, and her waves of magic gently lit the keep, the few standing tents, and the trees around. She spread her wings, and the red of her horn glowed more brightly. She took two steps forward, flapped her wings, and hovered in place as gold tendrils emerged from her horn. In the east, the sky began lightening. Celestia flapped her wings more; her horn glowed brightly but without paining the eyes of the observers. The top of the sun, following her sympathetic magic, peeked over the horizon. She rose higher and the sun rose with her. Soon, it had risen, and Celestia's body was eclipsed by the sun.
From the sky, Celestia said, <<Let this be a new day, and a new beginning, for Equestria's newest town... Hippogriff.>>
