#A Sphinxes Prodigy (Gordon)

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

"A hypothetical question for you, since you are more studied in the topic that any I have met lately. What becomes of a sun god without a sun?" - Celestia

“I..gotta be honest, I didn’t expect that question.”Either way, the well-read griffon would pause for a moment, considering her query over, before responding.

“The way I saw it, I would initially imagine a sun god without the sun would be powerless, unable to do their duty fully. But, I came to realize something - and this is related to you; that isn’t the case.”“Ra, a long time ago, served his purpose for the land while it was growing still. His duty was simple - bring the sun across Anugypt for the people, whilst fighting off the evil Apophis from swallowing it whole. But as time went on, as the world developed; I noticed that less and less, little knew of the Anugyptian Gods. Which is understandable, considering developing nations.”

“Let’s look at your role - you have the job of carrying the sun, and in a way, Ra is never without the sun. As long as there is but one who carries the sun, be it follower, deity, monarch or simple citizen? I feel that there will never be a sun god without the sun, if the light never dies.”

He blinked.“Does that make sense, Miss Celestia?”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

"In truth, there are ways around the courses; it is mainly a chance for the scientific community to gauge your readiness for such a secret, along with a chance to slip a consent form under your quill to have a magical oath placed on you. Considering your position, the first may be overlooked but we will still need the second if you truly wish to be on board." - Celestia said, having pulled the griffon aside into a room magically protected against eavesdropping.

It was understandable, really. A matter like this was something that required paperwork. They couldn’t let just anyone come in all willy-nilly and expect to understand it all in one sitting.

“I’m willing to put my best efforts forward, if it means solving this mystery. Not a soul will hear about this, besides the two of us and anyone else you deem necessary.”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“I go to sleep for an hour or two and I miss what seems like strange shenanigans. Was it worth it? Yes, cause I need rest.”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

A playlist describing my muse…

Tagged by @dxrkoutcxst

Tagging: Any and all who wish to try this! 

Tame Impala - Patience 

Cut Copy - Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat 

Final Fantasy 7 - Anxious Heart

Mike Posner - Stuck In The Middle 

Supertramp - Take The Long Way Home 

Steely Dan - Any Major Dude Will Tell You 

James Taylor - You’ve Got A Friend

Fleetwood Mac - Don’t Stop

The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian

[twibthegryphon]

"Mmmm... I'd like to plant this run in his bathroom or bed." The colorful gryphon said rubbing below her beak. "Mmm also that opposite color thing sounds funy."

[Gordon] "..Twib, you been doing okay since I found you in your less-than-satisfactory state underneath that statue? Harsh as I was, I was concerned for you."

“You have a funny habit of showing up at funny times don’t you…” the gryphon didn’t seem amused and she smelled vaguely of catnip. Her fur was matted slight from water

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

♝-Oleander, From @dxrkoutcxst

“Amazing, isn’t it? How books can take us to so many different places; be it in history, or complete and utter fantasy. Now, you might think Twilight Sparkle has rubbed off on me, but you’d be completely and utterly wrong.”

The griffon leaned in before skimming the next few lines ahead down the way. “..Good read so far, yeah?”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“Apophis, is that you?”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

{Almas / Poptarts/Crowd Verse } Spotting Gordon at the Cristo residence one evening while the foals were playing and Almas usually took his nap, he happened to be awake when he saw the griffon looking worse for the wear. Usually he stayed away from Gordon but today he spoke up, "You look like you've seen a ghost?" his voice traveled over from the sofa where he lounged. Jocasta, Snow and Posie were playing nearby.

Indeed. He’d been worse for the wear ever since that incident involving the siren mare, Adagio. Nightmares had plagued him, and sleep was a commodity since then. And to no surprise, all of them had focused around the same familiar haunting figure: Anagyros, former lich that was the shadhavar’s slavemaster.

A tired set of eyes looked up to the furred pony in the distance, taking a few seconds to process his words before shaking his head.If the lack of sleep wasn’t a good enough sign, it was the lack of any of his religious items along his body; barring the holy symbol around the neck. He couldn’t take it off, wouldn’t. It eased the nightmares, to some extent.

“..You don’t know half of it..” He uttered, shuddering from the residual dread that lurked in his mind.

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“Huh. What’s this in the afternoon news..?” Gordon had currently set down the newspaper, reading the article titled; “Statue of Cleopatrot Disappears!”. On it, was a detailed description of a mysterious event recently in the city of Canterlot where one statue had flown the coop. What stuck out to the griffon was the lack of a break in, or perhaps even any signs of tampering. As far as the general public knew, it was simply just a statue. No more, no less.

“..Strange.” The griffon hummed, turning to the side of whomever was sitting beside him. “What do you make of this?”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

💗

💗- A memory about a good deed they did.

It had been a long grueling day - one of many - at the Canterlot Post Office, working that nine to five slog of bringing many ponies their mail, with but little thanks or appreciation, all because he was not a pony. But deep in his heart, he knew he had to keep this job, lest the griffon be turned away into the streets, to uncertainty.

Recently, however, it was one of the few days off he’d chose to spend; heading on down towards the local Canterlot Dungeons; for someone in there he had met prior - a small grey furred griffon by the name of Silver. Now, admittedly, a little rough on the edges from the get-go, but there was something about him he liked.Could it have been that it made him feel less like the only griffon in the world? Or perhaps the blunt honesty shrouded behind those jagged words? He wasn’t sure.

Either way, upon arrival, the grey hawk would be found lazily stretched up onto a nearby bench; recently released back into the world, shackle free, and outside of the cages.

Briskly speeding up, Gordon would stop just before him. An eye opened up to look at the golden griffon, and the head would follow upwards, rising from the restful slumber.“Hey. Came to see me out, huh?” The ex-felon asked

“Sure am..” The mailbird nodded, before taking the seat beside him; wings folding in, holding a smile on his beak. “..So, what’s the call? You free to go or what?”

“Yeah. Someone paid my bail, and sprung me outta that cage.” Silver grunted, turning his head to the side in thought. “Sad I didn’t get a name. I coulda used that buck when I’d got caught the first time-hm?”

His line of thought was broken by the new presence of a rather warm bowl of soup; broth, noodles and chicken all floating in the mix. A similar one lay in Gordon’s own paws.“..Soup?”Silver paused for a moment, lifting the bowl up and looking it over; this wasn’t a trick, was it? No, it was real. Smelled real..

The plastic spoon was lifted up, and a mouthful was taken; tasted real. And by the gods, it outclassed prison grub by a long shot. More and more of the soup would be swallowed, quick as a whistle..

“..Thanks.” Silver admitted to the mailbird, and he wouldn’t even say that with his usual dour tone.

“You’re welcome, Silver.” Gordon said, cooing in joy. “Sorry about being late. I wanted to stop by this nice place before I came by to get you. The folks there are nice, they’re accepting. Don’t care who or what you are - they just like making food.”

Silver nodded. And for a while, the two birds ate in silence. 

For the first time - the two of them felt a little less alone in the world.For Gordon, it was the lack of connections now finally being broken.

For Silver, it was the isolation that had killed him inside and now was no more.

In a way, they both had found what they needed: A friend.

Suddenly, Gordon spoke up. “..I actually wanted to come by and ask you something.”

“Yeah?” The hawk said, his ears folding back. “..What’s that?”“I was wondering.. Do you have anywhere to go?”

A frown appeared on Silver’s beak, who stared into his now empty bowl. “Nah. I’m all by myself up here, kiddo. Flying solo, as it’s said. No ma, no pa - definitely no pa.”

The good mailbird scratched under his chin. “This may sound like a bit much to bare on you, but.. I’ve got a spare room in my apartment, if you wanna take it up.”

Silver’s eyes went wide. He nearly dropped the bowl - would have, were it not for the already ravenous grip from how delicious the food had been. 

“..You serious?”

Gordon turned to look at the ex-felon, nodding again.

Silver held doubts at first; but it would quickly wash aside. In all the time he knew Gordon - each visit had proved himself to be honest, truthful, and all around altruistic.

He wasn’t lying.

“..I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled.” Gordon began to sip down the rest of the broth, before swallowing it down and setting his bowl to the side. “I’ll get to work on the paperwork, and work it out with the landlord - tough as it’ll be..”

“Why don’t I come with you, kiddo?” Silver asked, before quickly replying with. “Er.. For intimidation purposes, you know? Aren’t all ponies scared of griffons?”

Gordon giggled. “Not all of ‘em.”

Silence fell on them for a few seconds more, before the younger griffon would extend his grey wing to snag Gordon into a gentle grip.

“..Thank you, again, man. You won’t regret this. At least I..” He sighed, nervous himself for the first time in a long time. “..I hope you won’t.”

“I know I won’t.” The golden feathered avian said.

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

Reoccurring Nightmares

It wasn’t fun having one’s mind cracked; let alone tampered with. For the past few weeks, sleep had been nothing more than a commodity; the nights that were lucky to have had nothing bad happen in the realm of dreams. At best, dreaming for the Ra-Priest would just be nothing more than blank emptiness. At worst, nightmares would strike. All with a familiar, consistent face: Anagyros.

The dream used a familiar backdrop; Ponyville.

The once peaceful civilization of the Equestrian life had turned to war, it’s blue skies full of darkened grey clouds, chugged full of smoke from fresh fires, blotting out the sun entirely.

Broken buildings surrounded the Ra-Priest, whose paws trembled, backing away slowly from his mirror counterpart; adorned tightly within garbing of the god he feared the most, Apophis.

“No matter how hard you try, griffin, I’m still here.”

Gordon gulped, holding onto the one divine spear he held out at reach to the greyer false image. “How’s that possible?! Your body was destroyed! Your phylactery as well..!” The lich griffon stepped forward once, but did no more, using his words.

"Only the old one.” A devious smile spread across Anagyros, growing wide. The nightmare knew his number.

Isolation. Being alone and without anyone to call onto for help, separated from what little divine faith was left. Not even Ammon was there to intervene and spare him from this terror currently going on.

“Gordon, you seem to think you can kill me alone just from smashing the little place I call home.” As if to call onto an example, Anagyros held up his in plain sight. That eerily familiar red gem, attached to a chain necklace.. “Are you telling me you can’t?!”

“I am formless. I am the very terror that haunted the little rag of a shadhavar; and now, you. How can you ever hope to defeat me? As long as the seeds of fear exist in you, I will keep on coming back time and time again to make sure you don’t forget..”

Gordon bared his feet into the dirt, snapping his beak and attempting to put on a brave face, raising the spear up before..

..Was that singing? Oh no, it was that familiar horrid singing; the orange siren’s song followed the Priest well into the dreamscape.

“I would lick your exit wounds,

I would hurt you just to nurse you.

And if you leave me, an envy will come to swallow;

‘Til, murderous, I would rape you of your lover.”

Anagyros began to step closer, slowly, having began to back Gordon into a corner; until the holy one was but a flicker of holy flame attempting to stay lit.

And then he came in for the killing blow, leaving nothing but a screaming mess of bird in the awake world; heavily breathing and panting as his shaky paws scrambled to turn on the light of the room.

..Was this his home? It was, the familiar surroundings, the bed sheets beneath his furred and feathered body. It was warm..

Once more, he was safe for the time being.

But for now, he had to stay awake. He didn’t want to risk going back in and suffering again.

“..Gods damn you, Adagio..”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“Something tells me if your plan of conquest didn’t work the first, or the second time? Don’t do it again the third time. What’s that famous quote? ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results’?”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“April 1st may be soon, but I’d like to think I’m above the generic pranks that people throw around this time of year. Screamers? Lame. Whoopie cushions?  Come on, that’s child’s play.”

“See, if you really want to prank someone, you gotta really think big with it. Not too big to cause damage, but just enough to really give someone a surprise. The priest smiled. “I may have a few ideas.”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

Today was a musical kind of day indeed. And the only song Gordon’s singing on his mind?

“You know, it ain’t hard to say, Would you please just go away? Yeah, yeah..”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

🍎 + ❤️ (both for Gordon!)

🍎- For something they secretly wish did exist❤️- For a secret crush

“Something that I wish secretly existed? Honestly, you wouldn’t suspect it out of me, but something I saw in a comic once. It was in a comic called ‘Void Pyramid’, and it was called the ‘Dream Tomb’. Essentially a metallic looking sarcophagus, when you jumped inside it; it would give you the sensation of sleeping, without necessarily sleeping in the first place. Similar to perhaps magical stasis. It also healed and mended the user of their wounds.”He looks to and from for a moment, before continuing to the second question.

“The secret crush on the other hand? Well.. I know they probably aren’t around anymore, but Cleopatrot. That mare who single handedly led an empire of Anugypt, against all odds? She is a mare who has my respect and admiration.”

[cloudhoppinggriffon]

“Life - immortal or otherwise - isn’t just about carrying on your genes, I feel. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature and movies. What we see, hear, feel; anger, joy, and sorrow. These are the things that I’ll pass on. That’s what I live and love for.”

“We need to pass the torch, and some day, let Equestrians of the future read our sad and messy history by it’s light. We have all the magic of the modern era to do that with. My days of living may come to an end sometime, and future generations of mine may carry on my legacy. Nations like ours may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what traces of life and history we can.”

“Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.”