Snow Day [Canterlot] [CrossStitch, knight]

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin stepped outside of Canterlot's gates into a vast field of white. The snow blanketed almost all he could see, covering the ground in a white blanket of cold. The snow crunched under his talons as he stepped forward, "I guess I chose a good day to come to Canterlot." He said, looking at the bright white, "Kind of reminds me of home. Except... Prettier." He was almost at a loss for words. He shivered slightly, the cold finally setting in. He pulled a scarf out of his bag and wrapped it around his neck. It was a little long, but that didn't bother Gladwin. Function mattered more to him then form. He also pulled out a matching knit hat and placed it on his head. "Much better."

Of course, Gladwin wasn't alone outside. He turned around to see Holly following close behind him. "How do I look?" he said with a small chuckle, adamant in the fact that his winter get-up would come of as 'Goofy.'

[knight]

[[ooc: if you want this to be private, you should add something in the title like our user names or the word private or...something! Sooo.....if anyone happens to see this before that's editted....this is private! Don't post plz! n.n]]

Holly Dash trotted after the griffon at a cheerful, but rather bouncy pace. She had her cart harness still around her ribcage, providing a little extra warmth there, and a santa hooves-esque hat on her head, underwhich her hair had been stylishly braided, along with her tail. It had only taken a quick run to the little fillies room to get her mane and tail styled as such, the rest of her get up was in her cart. On her feet were fluffy, brilliant-white leg warmers that fluttered like little feathers at her feet. She looked almost like she had clydesdale feet. She smiled affectionately at the griffon as he placed the stocking cap on his head, "You look reeaally....cute!"

She giggled at the word, and trotted on past him, her hooves crunching into the snow as she trotted. Before she knew it, she found herself bounding through the snow, until it came up to her chest and she suddenly found herself....stuck. She giggled and laid her head across the stretch of snow in front of her, all of it getting deeper and deeper and deeper as it stretched into the rolling hills in the distance she pushed through it a little farther, using her chest as a spearhead to break through the thick, cruncy snow that had formed a thin ice layer on top of the fluffy layers beneath.

She whipped her head around to look back at Gladwin, smiling ear to ear, "Ah love snoowww~"

She reared up on her hind hooves and turned around, and began shuffling back through the snow to get to back to Gladwin, "Used ta be the best thing about Beakbreak....the days when the snow was light and fluffy....the ridges became deadly, though..."

She looked out over the landscape as she sat next to the griffon, her already pale coat spotted with the pure white of snowflakes. She looked out across the landscape. It did look rather cloud like, except....clouds didn't look nearly so sparkly.

She sighed, and tilted her head, leaning it lightly on the griffon, "So...do clouds....feel like snow? Or....cotton candy?"

She found her face heating up a little bit. The griffon was so WARM. She didn't think she had ever touched someone so cozy...and his fur...she wanted to pet him! She wouldn't of course, she resisted, but even just the feel of his down-soft fur against her ear as she leaned on him was super soft.

[CrossStitch]

[[ It was like 3:00 AM when I made this, so sue me. :3 ]]

His cheeks began to get warm, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold, or from Holly's compliment. "Thanks," he said with a wide grin, "You're looking pretty rad yourself." He added a wink as he laughed.

Gladwin smiled as he watched Holly dash through the snow, and play in it. It made her almost seem child-like, which made Gladwin enjoy her company even more. She reminded him of someone who was carefree, who did what they wanted, and who would go anywhere they wanted. She reminded him of... Well, himself. The thought only made him smile more as he continued to admire the white landscape.

She began talking about Beakbreak, which made him think back to Talonpolis, "I would love to see Beakbreak when it snows. I'd also love to see Talonpolis covered in snow, I don't have many memories of it from when I was young." He said with a sigh. He cheered right back up though, knowing it would be waiting for him whenever he decided his adventures would take him there. Holly was slowly making her way toward him though. It was as if the closer she got, the warmer it got.

Then, she laid her haid against him, and it felt like summer. Without thinking, one of his wings stretched out and wrapped Holly up, "Clouds... Are a little like both." Gladwin said as his gaze drifted up to the clouds of snow above. "Clouds are like cotton candy because they are so soft. They're softer then the softest pillow," Gladwin said as he looked back down to Holly, "But they're also like snow because you can mold them easily, and they're also kind of wet." He had a smile on his beak, "Maybe I could show you someday."

[knight]

[[why would I sue you? that's just silliness! It's 3am your time?]]

Holly listened intently, and couldn't help but shift a little closer as the griffon's great wing swept out around her, shielding her from the wind. Not that it was very windy out, just...cold. She blushed darker as she felt her cutie-marked flank rub agains the soft lion's fur of his flank. She pawed the snow with a fluffy hoof, and when he ventured as far as to offer to someday show her the clouds above, she smiled brightly.

"Ah'd really...really, reeeeally love that, Gladwin," it felt odd, saying his name. The way it rolled off of her tongue filled with affection also seemed strange to her. Everything...was so strange. The weird feeling she got around him...she had never felt so much...not even the occasional time she would think to herself that a colt was cute...or...a filly was pretty...those were just facts....this was...different.

She felt her pelt puff up as a shiver climbed up her spine, and she cuddled up to Gladwin, rubbing her face against the soft down of his chest, "Oh my GAWSH! You're so SOFT!" She couldn't help the confession, it burst right out as she rubbed the soft down across her cheek. It was delightful!

She smiled up at him, and once again felt the same illogical feeling that she had had before, back in Canterlot rise up through her body like wildfire. She rose up on her hind legs, and with her knees bent leaned against the griffon and placed another peck on his cheek. The added height of leaning on his taller form gave her a good look at his profile. She had never realized how...stunning...griffons were up close. With their sharp eagle eyes and razor sharp beaks. Yet....he almost had a...handsome...chick-like gleam in his eye. Youthful-like.

She giggled, forcing herself out of staring at the griffon's face. She pushed his wing aside and leaped into a snow pile, turning and kicking a snowball at Gladwin with her rear hoof, and smacking him right in the beak! She giggled, and dove into the snow, and began stacking up a good barrier of snow in front of her, "Snowball fight!"

[CrossStitch]

[[ Not anymore. It was when I started the thread. It is now... 3:21 PM ]]

Gladwin's eyes shot wide for a split second as he felt something rub up against his flank. He eventually realized it was just Holly sitting closer to him. His face againt lit up red as his wing pulled her closer to him. His heart had ceased its rapid nervous beat, and had now settled into a calm he had never felt. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath of joy. "Anytime you feel like it, Holly." He said her name just as she used his. It felt different using her name though. He smiled as he heard his name spoken though. He was certain now. He was certain the very second he said her name.

A breeze passed by, carrying flakes of snow with it. Gladwin wasn't very bothered by it with his thick coat of feathers and fur, but Holly seemed to shiver. She cuddled up close to him, which broke his heart out of its calm state and sent it back into rapid mode. As if by response, she began rubbing her face against his chest, calling him soft. "Thanks. If mapmaking doesn't work out for me, I'll put in an application to be a pillow." He said with a laugh. His right talon lifted up and lightly held Holly against him as he kept laughing. The rubbing was actually tickling the griffin, something not even he knew about himself.

She stopped though, to smile up at Gladwin. He couldn't help but to smile back at her. He had never stayed in one spot long enough to make good friends, which meant he had never felt a connection like this before. Again, as if she was reading his thoughts, she reacted by giving him another kiss on the cheek. Gladwin's brain once again shut down for half a second. He shook his head and regained control of himself though, only to find Holly eye to eye with him, staring. She had locked him into a stare with her, one that he couldn't break. He could only admire her multicolored hair, and her violet eyes.

Just as his brain was beginning to slow back to a halt, she broke away. Part of Gladwin hated it, but the other half knew that he would only embarrass himself if she didn't. As if to kick start his brain, a cold blast hit his face. Gladwin seemed confused, but soon realized what hit him was snow! "A snowball fight?" He said as he rose up and took a clump of snow in his talon, "You're about to find out why NO ONE challenges Gladwin to a snowball fight!" He said with a sly smile. He threw the snowball hitting Holly right on her flank. He took another two talons full of snow and then extended his wings. With a single flap, he sent the loose snow everywhere and also took to the skies, raining snowballs down.

[knight]

"AHH!!!" Holly jumped as a cold snowball smacked onto her rump, and for a moment she felt a little embarrassed. Gladwin had aimed for her butt! Well, two could play at that game!

As she turned to face him, huddled under her newly made fort, she was taken aback as a rush of snow fluttered off the ground and splashed onto her. She looked up at the sky, where the griffon now hovered.

"Oh, gonna use wings, are ya? Well, in that case..." Across a wide span of about ten feet around her, snow lifed into the air, glowing in her blue-green magic. She smirked a devilish smirk. If there was one thing she was good at controlling--it was water, "Ah can use magic!"

She sent the torrent of snow his direction, and as he naturally tried to overt a thrown snowball, she took the massive clump of snow and turned its huge form, smashing it into the griffon, carpeting him in white, "Haha! Ya think Ah never had a snowball fight with a griffon before?! Ya know where Ah come from, don't ya?!"

She cackled, and began forming bricks of snow, quickly and fluidly building up a large igloo around herself, as though she had done this plenty of times before. Before the griffon could send more snow from above, she had vanished inside the igloo completely, a roof and all.

Once in her new frigid hut--which was actually pretty warm as it blocked out the wind, Holly dug out an exit at the very bottom, and peeked out at ground level, making sure her head was still safe from aerial assaults.

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin laughed at Holly as she jumped. He then watched in a sense of dismay as Holly lifted the snow with her magic. It formed a huge ball and then began travelling toward the griffin. "Well, that's not fa-" Gladwin's sentence was cut off though by the impact of snow, taking him to the ground. He sat for a while, covered in the snow, "Well, this is familiar..." He said to himself. He remembered the incident that brought him to Canterlot in the first place. His wings freezing up in the air, falling to the ground, and being covered in snow. He knew he was safe, but his heart picked up its pace in fear. The snow shifted slightly as Gladwin pushed out with his wings. The snow eventually rolled off of him as he crawled out, shaking the snow from his coat. "Brr!" He actually felt cold now. A lot of snow was now under his coat, which was making his skin a bit chilly.

He then looked up to see an igloo. "Really...?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Gladwin took off to the sky once again and did a fly by of the igloo. "Hmm..." He then flew directly above it, "Geronimo!" he called as he folded his wings up and came crashing down on top of the igloo with all of his weight.

[knight]

"BAAGHH!!" Holly about gagged as she felt her igloo crush down upon her, and looked over the snow that now covered all but her front hooves and head, to see a certain griffon lounging in a pile of broken snow bricks, "Cheater."

She stuck her tongue out, and magicked the snow off of her back. She shivered a bit as the wind shifted through her damp fur, sending a shiver up her spine, "Now ya gone and got me all wet, ya dumb bird." She giggled, and although the name was generally insulting for a griffon, the way she said it held a great deal of affection, "Now Ah gotta rebuild my igloo!"

She was kind enough to magic the snow off of him, and out from under him, sending him falling to the frosted grass below. She began rebuilding the igloo around them, building it a little bit bigger now that the griffon was within it. When she finished at the very top, she sat down next to Gladwin, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. They were all alone....in a private....secluded area.....she was a girl...he was a boy...

Her face heated up and she averted her eyes, and suddenly....found his tail. Her eyes lit up, and she found herself impulsively wanting to play with the lion-like thing. She shifted a little closer to the griffon, closing the space between them one butt scoot at a time. Finally next to him, she suddenly pounced behind him and grabbed the tail with her hooves, pulling it to herself and quickly sitting back up, holding the tail tightly in her hooves. She looked at him, and then back at his tail. She rubbed her face against the thick tuft of fur at the very end, but then quickly put the tail down, feeling embarrassed of her actions. She only wanted...it looked fluffy....

She averted her gaze again, cheeks rosy red, "Uh....sorry...Ah....Ah like fluffy things..." she shook a fur-shod hoof to exemplify her love of fluff, "and soft things...and...and.....you.... and stuff..."

[CrossStitch]

"Cheater!?" He called from his snow pile throne, "You're the one using your magic!"

"And you're the one who buried me in a pile of snow." He said as he stuck his tongue out as well. "Seems pretty fair if ya ask me, my little pony." He said with a sly and superior smile. He didn't mind the insult at all though. If he was a chick, then maybe, but he found it cute and playful. He couldn't help but giggle as if he was being tickled again. He felt the snow beneath him shifting though, "Huh?" He said as he looked down. Suddenly the snow shot up and out from under him, causing him to fall onto the grass below. The snow formed into an igloo around them, "Now that's awesome..." He said in awe, as the igloo completed itself.

Then, he felt Holly next to him. She felt warm, warmer then anything he had felt. He was locked to her again, unable to quit looking at her. Her face lit up, causing her to blush. He could only wonder what she was thinking that made her do so, and the thoughts he came up with made him blush as well as he also averted his eyes. She started getting closer though, and closer. And then she was gone, pouncing away at something. Gladwin's back stiffened and he had a surprised look on his face as he felt what she was pouncing for; his tail. He could only watch as she played with his tail in an adorable manner. He was both overjoyed at how adorable this mare was, but was also embarrassed beyond all belief that she was playing with his tail, rubbing it against her face. His cheeks lit up again as he looked up to avoid eye-contact.

"It-It's alright... Fluffy things are... Cool..." Gladwin said, his voice slightly shaky. What did I just say? "Soft things are cool too..." He said as he continued listening to her list of things she liked, "And I am too, and so is stuff..." He added as she continued. Wait, what? ME? He stopped looking up and his eyes shot down to Holly, who was still looking away. She just said that. Without thought, his front talons reached out and pulled Holly's head against his chest into a hug. He rested his chin on the top of her head as he continued to hold her, There's no way in Equestria somepony could be this warm...

[knight]

[[sorry about the delay. Been really busy all night. :<]]

Holly strutted proudly at being called awesome, but as things came to a settling point, she didn't feel so awesome anymore.

Holly blushed softly as he accepted the things that she claimed to like, and giggled as he called himself cool. Her eyes fluttered wide as he suddenly pulled her to his chest, and she felt for the first time the rough feeling of his clawed forearms. It was...different....but not unwelcome, that was for certain. She couldn't help, however, the feeling of safety that came from them. She barely knew him, but it felt oddly...right. She nuzzled her face into his feathered chest, and brought herself closer to him by reciprocating the hug with her own forehooves. It was nice to have someone.

She reveled in the feeling of warmth, as her fur cozied up from the outside in. It was as if the damp layer on her coat had just...evaporated away, all in one hug. It was silly to say the least, but she really had lost any real feeling of cold. Warmth shrouded her like a cozy blanket. She, regretfully, pulled away, knowing that they could not possibly remain in their igloo for forever. She smiled and for her third time today, landed a kiss on Gladwin's face, though this one landed squarely on the griffon's mouth, tender, and lingering momentarily. Holly blushed and somehow managed to bring herself to pull away from the chemistry experiments exploding between the two of them.

She smiled, it wasn't so much as an awkward smile as a sort of...simple apology for discontinuing something...they both probably wanted to continue. She turned to the low exit and crouched to crawl out of the little door, her braided tail dragging along the snow behind her before she vanished out of the hole.

Leaving the griffon behind her, she rushed out into the snow, the wind rushing through her mane and blowing away any embarrassment she may have had and tripling--nay, quadrupling the overwhelming rush of joy she felt. She ran and ran and ran, faster and faster, her natural talent at 'dashing' pushing her forward, the icy wind bringing tears to her eyes. Until suddenly.....the ground wasn't there anymore.

Only water. Rushing up all over her body, cold knives diving into her flesh and chilling her to her core. All airways blocked, and her sense of direction completely voided. Where had this....she didn't even....a lake....a pond.....how far had she ran...? Her throat tightened with cold, and she felt her lungs begin to tighten.

"Help...." She whispered softly, unable to scream, as she gasped for breath, her breathing pace doubling, her eyelashes freezing, unable to move as she managed to hold a hoof onto the rim of the ice break, "Help....Help...."

[[i know, it was a lot to shove in to one post....sorry....I was also considering bringing in a dog for Holly....maybe he could help you save her.....or I could just bring him in at some later point....either way is fine. I was always intending for her to gain a dog, though. Didn't expect to catch a griffon! ]]

[CrossStitch]

(( Oh, it's fine! Post at your own rate. I'd prefer quality posts rather then a lot of posts, haha. This forum isn't the only thing I use to occupy my day after all :3 ))

Gladwin could feel Holly hug him back, which made every nerve in his body twitch. She had kissed his cheek, and she had sat close to him, but this moment here was just perfect. Cuddled together under an ice igloo, hidding from the cold with each other. He closed his eyes and held onto the mare, and also holding onto the moment, never wanting to let go. But of course, all good things must come to an end, and Holly pulled away from the hug. Gladwin wore a weak smile trying to hide the blush on his face, to no avail. Before he could say anything though, his mouth was shut. Holly was... Kissing him? His eyes were wide with surprise at first but slowly closed as a feeling of joy rushed over him. He leaned back against Holly, returning the kiss. The hug was nice, but THIS was the moment he wanted to hold onto. Everything about her was warm, her body, her breath, everything. A griffin could get lost in a kiss like that, a griffin like Gladwin.

Holly pulled away again though, leaving Gladwin to fall over onto the ground as he continued his attempt to lean on something that wasn't there. He looked up in slight confusion, and only caught a glimpse of Holly's flank as she exited the igloo. He followed her, clumsily, but eventually made it out of the hole. But Holly was no where to be found. Gladwin looked left and right in confusion, expecting a downfall of snow to once again hit him. But nothing hit him. He looked around and caught sight of some tracks left in the snow. With a raised eyebrow, he began to follow them. Realizing he wasn't catching up anytime soon, he decided to begin flying. Gladwin was more accustomed to flying, so he was much faster in the air. "Holly...?" he called softly, looking around the snowy fields.

The prints lead to a lake, which made Gladwin even more curious. He kept following the tracks were headed... Then he heard a splash, "Holly." His wings beat furiously as they carried him over the lake. He scanned back and forth as his heart sped up, "No no no no no no no no no." The word kept repeating itself in his head as he worried more and more. Finally, he saw a break in the ice, and a single hoof on the rim. His heart stopped, but he didn't. Every muscle in him tensed up, his blood sped up, and his body moved on its own. He closed his wings and went into a dive. He wasn't thinking, only acting. He was on an adrenaline rush. He stopped near the rim and gripped Holly's single hoof, He began tugging and trying to fly up. The ponies muscles had already refused to work though, and she was just dead weight.

He needed a better spot to hold. His wings extended again as he took to the air. He came behind Holly, and dipped his body into the water, making sure to keep his wings out of it. If they got wet, they were both doomed. The cold stung him, it tried to bring his muscles to a grinding halt. His brain wasn't in control though, his heart was. He gripped Holly around the waist and began to flap furiously, harder then he ever had. Eventually the two began to lift out of the water. As soon as they cleared the water, Gladwin flew to land, and off the ice. He didn't make it far before the adrenaline rush quit. His body started feeling the pain of the cold, and it began to lock up. He Pulled Holly close to him, and then spun in midair, making sure Holly was on top of his stomach. He then pulled his wings in to cover the two as he plummeted into a pile of snow. The mare's safety was all that could keep the griffin clinging to consciousness. His entire back half was cold, stinging, and locking up on him. His wings though pulled tightly around Holly. His heart was beating furiously, but was slowing down. Whether it was from the cold, or the fact that the problem had passed, he did not know.

His vision began blurring. Through gritted teeth he tried to stay conscious. A sudden warmth on his cheek woke him up though. Was that a...Tongue...?

(( It's fine! I love plot twists :3. And also, I think I worked the dog into my post. I hope that it will work for you! ))

[knight]

Buck the newfie had been abandoned. He was bought as a pup by somepony in Canterlot. A high class pony with too much money to spend, who decided she wanted a cute little puppy. But as he grew, and grew...and grew, she decided she DIDN'T want a DOG. With the purchase of a chihuahua, he was out the door. Left on his rump to fend for himself, when he had long lived a pampered life.

It had been two years since that time. He was fully grown now, standing taller than many a pony at the shoulder, a thick mass of a dog. His breed was a rare thing, and in the alleyways of Canterlot, he was a leader. The abandoned poms, chis and any given mutt all looked up to him as their alpha. And rightfully so. He was a smart dog. He had learned the streets from the bottom up, had started off starving and hungry, and made his way to strong, confident, and well fed. He was a tramp, to say the least, a bum sucking out the life blood of pony civilization.

But winter had never been so cold. And ponies had learned his tricks, learned to recognize the dark brown mass, to hide their stores when the site of muddy white paws was even glimpsed. It was this that led him out of town. He needed a new start, a new...everything.

Lying in the snow wasn't much of a life.

He huffed, his jowels puffing with his breath, and laid his head on his feet.

Water. Thrashing. Splashing.

He looked up from his spot on the hillside, and spotted what looked like a pony, thrashing in a hole in the ice. Immediately, instinct took over. It was his breed. It was in his nature. To die to save those in the water was the greatest and most honorable of deaths. He sprang up and was running faster than he had ever run before.

But there was a lot of ground to cover between him and the pony, and his mass size and bulky strength did not lend him anything for speed. Then suddenly....a bird ascended from the sky, and snatched the pony out of the water, and crashed nearby.

Still feeling the need to rescue the pony, he ran on, arriving to a bundle of griffon surrounding a pony. He had seen a griffon before. Looked like a bird, but had more feet, and was real big. The two were shivering. Freezing. Frost glimmered on the griffon's wings. He looked around, scoped out the area several yards around, and found the tracks of the pony. Hopefully they led to shelter.

With strength he didn't know he had, he bit into the lion-like scruff of the griffon's neck, and began dragging him. Following the hoof prints one gruelng step at a time. Why had these two fools come so far from Canterlot? Why were they playing by a lake? Normal questions that would run through anypony's mind, did not even grace his. Shelter....warm...now.

FInally, he found an entrance...into a pile of snow. Instinct told him to go inside, but at the same time, his mind said not to go in there. Intinct won out, as he began dragging the griffon down into the igloo, having to dig with is paws a little to widen the hole in order for the griffon to fit with his wings folded around the pony.

At last, they were inside, and he shoved some snow near the door, blocking some of the wind, and laid over the griffons wings, attempting to warm him and the tender pony in his wings. Exhausted from dragging them, his eyes began to slowly slip shut.

After what seemed like days, the griffon below him began to move. He looked up at the griffon, and seeing his eyelids flicker, began to lick the griffon's face to wake him. As though that weren't enough, he released a loud, "WOOF!" right in the griffon's ear, sure to wake him.

Holly remained unconcious, her mind dark. Everything was cold....so cold. A loud noise broke through her concious, but she still could not drag herself out of the dark recesses of her mind. Her mind fluttered with images....her mother..breaking a lamp against the wall....her father...melting away her crayons in a drunk stupor....her parents...back together...a....bird...no, it wasn't a bird....it was so warm....and soft...she knew, without touching, that it was soft...and...it was flying away. Flying off into the clouds, and the sun was being taken with it. All warmth was leaving as it left, and no matter how fast Holly ran she couldn't....she couldn't catch up...all she wanted to do was fly....

'No.....' she moaned in her sleep as she ran in her dreams, and turned in the griffon's warm grip, 'No....please! Don't leave me....don't say...don't go....'

Tears slipped from her eyes as she shook and twitched in Gladwin's arms, and his name slipped past her lips, "Gladwin....Glad....win....Gla....win...."

'Please don't leave!' She ran as fast as her hooves could take her, the grass at her feet slowly turning into snow, cold and hard. Ice. The flying form continued to vanish into the distance, 'No! Stop! I can't--!'

The ground was gone, and she was falling, falling...drowning....her life draing...cold, wet...falling down, down, down....

"AAHHH!!!" Holly jerked awake, eyes wide with terror, and her body filled with tremors as tears streaked down her cheeks. She stared up at the griffon, feeling an onslaught of emotion overtake her, she hugged her limbs to her body, trembling in the fetal position, "Don't leave me....Please....please....don't leave me..."

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin's eyes slowly lifted, "Am...Am I...Alive?" He asked, looking around. Everything was white, but dark. There was a heavy weight on his chest, and it was kind of cold. That sure sounded like every description of death that he had heard. "WOOF!" Gladwin's eyes snapped open finally. His head lifted up, which was not a good idea at all. A sharp pain rung throughout his body, telling him that it wasn't ready for such a rapid and jerking movement. "Oh, Celestia." He said as his head slowly lowered back down. His talons wrapped around the mass on his stomach tighter, Holly was still there, good. That's all that mattered to him. His mind started to slowly wake up, and with it, so did his feelings. His wings weren't cold, neither was his body. At least, is wasn't as cold as it had been. His mind then reminded him of the dog. Why was there a dog here? Why was it on Gladwin as well. His eyes lifted again to get a good look at the dog. He was a dark brown dog, strong too, and smart. A weak smile slowly came across Gladwin's face. "S-So you're the one who saved us...?" He said, almost in a whisper. He lifted a talon off of Holly and slowly moved it to the dogs head in a shaky manner. He slowly ran his talon from the dogs head to his back over and over, "Good boy..."

There was a soft vibration on his chest though. "Huh...?" Gladwin's vision fell down to Holly as he watched the mare twitching, almost kicking. She began whispering his name, and began... Crying? Gladwin raised an eyebrow, but his heart made him hold the mare tighter. He wondered what nightmare, or dream, she could be having. Gladwin remembered his nightmare all too well: It was more of a flashback rather then a nightmare actually. He was flying over the Badlands, mapping out what had never been mapped. He would make a killing on these maps! Scholar's everywhere would want one. It was cold, and the snow was flying hard, but Gladwin's eagle eyes could pierce the snowy veil. His wings though, were not so lucky. They had slowly been building up with frost from the snow. Eventually, they froze. Gladwin went into a spiral downwards, and crashed into the snow. He could only look up as the snow raged on, burying him. He closed his eyes and could only hear the roar of a dragon. Then he heard something else, "Wake up yah lazy griffin!" Then he felt the tongue on his cheek.

Holly finally jerked awake. The look she had frightened even Gladwin. She was shaking, and crying, and staring right at him. Gladwin was almost in shock, and had no idea what to do. She told him... Not to leave her. Gladwin hugged her tightly against his body, "Holly... I'd never do that..." He spoke without thinking about it. He said what his heart wanted to. "I'd never, ever, leave you." He hugged her tighter to him. "I... Well, I always want to be with you." If he hadn't just woke up from almost dying, he would have been blushing. He looked down to Holly, and looked straight into her eyes, "Forever..." He said with a weak smile.

[knight]

Holly blinked several times, still lost in her dreams. The griffon's heartfelt words took a good long moment before they even registered. She was still in the dark place where light was always running away. She managed to sit up, and was

"You...." *SLLRRRRP!!* Holly's eyes went wide as she felt a massive tongue slide up her face. A dog? She looked at the massive creature. A HUGE dog. She giggled. It was bigger than she was! And really CUTE! And also...really DIRTY. She realized all of a sudden that...this whole time...she....she was...she looked down and saw that she was straddling the griffon. How inappropriate!

She scuttled to get off of him and found herself toppling into the curve of his wings. The dog immediately jumped at the opportunity, and began licking her all over her face.

"Heehehe...he....stop...that...that tickles!" without really meaning to, she gave a very equine whinny and lightly batted the dog away with her front hooves, "Stop! Please!...Sit!"

The dog sat.

She was amazed. This...dirty, ownerless dog...was trained?

"...Lay down." he laid down, "Play dead." the dog rolled onto his back, paws in the air.

"Um...roll over." the dog rolled all the way back over to a laying position. She smiled, "This is so cool...."

She shivered as a draft rolled in from the entry way, and cuddled into the griffon's side, between his wing and his rib cage. The dog moved and laid down in front of the entry way, blocking the wind.

With that...distraction...gone, she was left with what the griffon had just said, "F-fff....furever....?" Holly felt her face heat up, "Ah....Ah....just....met ya....Ah..."She buried her face in the griffon's fluffy chest, "...thank you fur....thanks fur savin' me..."

She looked up at the griffon with wide, scared eyes. She wasn't afraid of him, of course, but just...forever. Forever was big.

"Are...you...are you....Ah mean....Ah don't even have a house....Ah'm just....Ah just sell fruit and stuff....Ah'm nothin' special...." she made small circles with her hoof on the griffon's chest, slightly at a loss for what to say, "Ah mean...Ah travel a lot....Ah wanna settle down someday but...Ah...Ah'm not...Ah'm barely a mare...and asides...we're...you're a griffon...and...Ah'm just a borin' ol pony..."

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin could only watch with a wide smile as Holly and the dog played about the igloo. It was the same feeling one would have as they watched their child play. While Holly definitely wasn't Gladwin's child, he did care for her and did want to watch over her, so it was sort of the same. The dog followed commands, which confirmed Gladwin's previous belief that the dog was smart. It was obviously owned by somepony at some point. But the dog was dirty, and out in these snowy fields, it was obvious that he had been abandoned. Just like... Them. Gladwin's smile grew bigger as he realized how fit for each other these three were. It was like a...

Gladwin's face got red as well as Holly turned to him, and repeated what he said. So she DID listen to that part... "Y-you're welcome. But that dog saved us both. He's the one you should thank." He said, pointing a claw at the dog.

Holly was looking up at him now, with eyes full of fear. How could she not though? She was right, forever WAS quite a while. "I know we just met, but..." He looked away, to gather his thoughts. He returned his vision to Holly, "You asked me not to leave. How could I after that?" He said with a warm smile. "In case you forgot, I don't have a house either. I just make maps." He said, unable to keep from laughing at his own life, "I travel all the time. I never stay in one place long." His gaze fell back down to Holly, "I never said we have to settle down..." he said with a wink, "You travel...I travel... We could travel together." His face was starting to get red again, "I mean... If you want. I just... Really... Like you..." He said. He had never outright admitted that he liked anypony, let alone one that he really really liked. His heart was beating out of his chest as he looked away from Holly, unable to mantain eye-contact. His face was blood red. He was sure there was something there between them, something he hadn't felt in all his time travelling. He didn't want to let go.

...Like a family.

[knight]

[[i laughed (i know, sorry, serious business here) when I read '...in all his time travelling.' For some reason I read it as y'know...time-travelling. Travelling through time. XD it made me giggle.]]

Holly bit her lower lip nervously, and smiled as the griffon's face turned beet red. It was funny watching the griffon's wide expanse of reactions. It was cute how flustered he was. How...flusterable.

She never thought in...she just never thought at all...that she would have someone that...wanted to be with her for....forever.

It made her so happy she could...she could just....she leapt up and kissed him again, this time wrapping her hooves around his neck, and pressing her body softly against his. As she leaned into the kiss, she felt as though she could melt there and just remain for ever.

"You may like me...." She said as she slowly, remorsefully pulled away, "But Ah think Ah might love you."

[CrossStitch]

(( Spoiler alert: Gladwin is the twelfth Doctor :3 ))

Gladwin continued to look away, red beyond all belief. Suddenly, he felt that familiar coat against his own, and those familiar loving hooves around his neck as he was pulled in for a kiss. Gladwin passionately returned it, but couldn't help but to smile through the kiss. His talons raised up and wrapped Holly into a tight hug, keeping her with him. It felt like all of Gladwin's travelling was SUPPOSED to lead up to this one moment. He felt like this is why he left Cloudsdale, he felt like this is why he wanted to see the world, to find this one mare.

She pulled away, only to tell Gladwin that she might love him. His heart did a leap in his chest as his eyes went wide. He continued to hug Holly, but also felt another warmth beside of him. It was the dog from earlier, cuddled up beside Gladwin. He looked to the dog, then to Holly. The calmest and warmest smile the griffin had ever had was on his face at that moment. "Holly... I..." He didn't know how to say it, He looked down to the ground, took a deep breath and then looked back up, "I... Think I love you too..." He had a sheepish smile now, and he spoke with a shaky voice. To think one mare could utterly destroy his cool-pony persona.

He let go of Holly and gave the dog a few more pets, "Well, if this fellow is going to be coming with us..." The dog perked up, seemingly knowing Gladwin's intent, "What will we name him?" He asked, turning to Holly. "We ARE going to keep him, right?" His eyes were those of a young foal, asking for the newest toy.

[knight]

[[guess who's the only non-Doctor Who fan on this board? *raises hand*]]

Holly was taken aback by the confession, but nonetheless found it...absolutely wonderful. She giggled as he asked about the dog, "We? Whattaya mean 'we'?" She leaped up and jumped on the mellow dog, who rolled over as the pony--who was smaller than him, and obviously hadn't actually knocked him over--jumped on him, throwing her hooves around him, "He's MINE."

She giggled, and suddenly, with the panting animal so close to hers, his SMELL was overpowering. She sat back up, and scooted away from the dog, "Well....after YOU give him a bath."

The dog had obviously heard that word before, as he gave a whine and put his head on his paws She laughed at that, but gave a shiver at her sudden distance from the dog and the griffon. How were they so...warm?! Well...she supposed she DID just get soaked to the bone with freezing cold water. Her own fur was messy and frosted at the ends.

"Maybe....maybe we should rent a room at an inn for the night? With a tub. We could give him a bath, then." She chuckled as the dog perked his ears at the sound of that word, "Oh, yeah... Ah think Ah'll call him...Buck....like the hero dog in that one book...."

The dog looked at her, surprised to hear his given name.

She smiled, "Buck." His tail wagged, "Buck!" he jumped to his feet and started dancing, "BUCKY BUCK!"

He howled loudly, tail going nuts. She laughed, "Ah think he likes it!"

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin smiled, and continued to watch the two play, a bit envious of the dog. "Alright, alright, he's yours." He said holding his talons up in defeat.

Gladwin really hadn't noticed the smell, he had been close to Holly most of the time, who strangely smelt like strawberries. The attention to the smell though made Gladwin's face contort, "Eh, if he's YOUR dog, YOU give him a bath!" He said, waving the smell away from him.

"A room? At an Inn?" Gladwin thought about the idea, "Well, we really don't have any other options, huh? Sure! I got the bits for it." He said with a nod. Lucky for him he ahd left his bags back in Holly's cart, along with his maps and money. It didn't seem like a good idea at the time, but it sure seemed brilliant now. The idea of a bath seemed like a great idea to Gladwin, a nice... Warm... Bath... He sighed in relief as he imagined the warm water.

The dog danced about while hearing his new name. Which caused Gladwin to break out into a fit of laughter. "You're one cool dog, Buck. Let's get you, and you," Gladwin looked to Holly, "back to Canterlot before we freeze again." He said, giggling at the near death experience. He was truly living up to the expectations of his parents, being happy even in the face of death. He began to tunnel out of the igloo, only to be greeted by the bright white snow decorated land before him. "Looks like Luna will be bringing the moon up any minute now... We'd better get back..." But Gladwin's sentence trailed off. The sun was casting a ed across the snow that reflected it in a majestic symphony of colors. Gladwin was in awe at the brilliance.

[knight]

Holly watched as Gladwin left, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. There wasn't anything really to be embarrassed of, really...except well...they were staying in an inn together....alone...in a room....in a hotel...

Holly looked at the dog, smiling, and suddenly had an idea. Her own legs were tired from thrashing about, her legwarmers long lost in the lake, so she turned to the dog, "Hey, Buck...can you give me a ride?"

She laughed at her own comments, and was astounded as the dog walked over her and laid down, as though waiting for her to climb on his back.

"No way you were trained for that...but then again...you are pretty big..." She put a hoof on his back, and then another. The dog waited patiently, panting. She clambered on top of him, feeling a little weird to be riding on him. He rose up though once she was on him, and headed out the opening the griffon had made.

Holly wasn't really sure how to control the direction of the dog, and so just let him go. He was followig Gladwin to the cart. She knew for certain she was not going to just...LET the griffon pay...she had money she had made, too! As the dog caught up with the griffon, she stuck her tongue out at him as the dog trotted past him, and put her nose in the air, feigning the snobbish look that Canterlot citizens often had as her noble steed trotted past the griffon.

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin looked on in bewilderment, was she really riding Buck? "Fine, if it's a race she wants-!" Gladwin said as he leaped into the air, "It's a race-... Huh?" His wings weren't flapping. His brain was telling them to flap, but they weren't. Before he could get ready for landing, he plunged face first into the snow. "H-huh!? What!?" He looked back at his wings, which were lazily hanging down. "M-My wings..." They had a layer of frost on the outside of them, but the undersides were dry, where Holly was. He tried to lift them, mentally struggling, but they weren't responding. Gladwin's heart started speeding up as worry took him over, "No, no, no, no..." He looked ahead to see Holly very far ahead of him. He decided to keep walking, not daring to fall behind in this snow.

He eventually caught up after a bit of running, he was breathing hard, and the cold air stung his lungs as he breathed in. His wings still lazily dangling, leaving trails in the snow. He couldn't feel the cold snow though, in fact... He couldn't feel his wings. The sudden realization made his heart beat faster as he began to panic again. Maybe they were just cold and a little heat would help! Or what if they were done for? He swallowed what felt like a lump in his throat, and went back to his breathing. He wasn't used to running, he always flew when he had to get somewhere fast, but now that seemed impossible. The bottom half of his beak was almost trembling with fear, but he wore a face of no emotion, as not to worry Holly. He continued to mentally pull his wings up so Holly couldn't catch on either. The last thing he wanted was Holly worrying about him. He made sure to stay behind the dog and let it lead the way, as not to draw attention.

[knight]

Holly saw from the corner of her eye as the griffon leapt as though to take off, but then...didn't...maybe his wings were tired from his earlier flight. After a hot bath, she was sure he'd be fluttering around in no time. She managed to slide off the dog, and fumbled to the ground, her legs shaky. She turned to the dog, "Um...Ah think ya might need to pull my cart, pup..."

She chuckled wearily, and walked shakily over to the lead beams of the cart. The dog followed curiously. She pointed to the spot between the beams, "Come."

He obediently walked for her, and wagged his tail, "Sit!" he sat down between the beams. She raised her hooves and magicked the harness off over her head and readjusting it in the air so the belts were larger. She magicked it around the dog, and it fit him perfectly. She placed the hooks on his sides, and he looked at them in confusion, and as she turned to clamber back into the cart, he tried to follow her, "No. STAY."

He stopped, and watched her walk away and felt her weight as she was suddenly in the cart.

"Do...do ya think ya can lead him?" She asked Gladwin as he walked up, "Ah don't think Ah can walk too good yet, is all..."

[CrossStitch]

Gladwin nodded, "Yeah, of course I can." He said with a weak smile. He continued walking until he was in front of the dog, where Holly could no longer see his face. The smile faded instantly as he went back to thinking about his wings. What if they were frost bitten? He looked at one closer, to make sure that they weren't. They seemed OK. He had a little feeling in them now, but it wasn't exactly pleasant. It was that feeling you get when a limb falls asleep, and you feel like a thousand needles are poking you. He shrugged the pain off and kept walking. He didn't talk much on the way, his mind was too busy.

They eventually approached the city gates, and Gladwin was practically worn out from the walk. His legs never had to walk that far, and his body wasn't exactly in the perfect shape either. The sight of the inner workings of the city thought gave him renewed strength. He felt safe at least, and he felt that Holly was safe too, and that's what mattered. He stopped to sit down for a bit, giving a few huffs and puffs. Come on Gladwin, pull yourself together. You look like a beat up chick in front of YOUR chick! Gladwin shook away the exhaustion and resumed walking. They eventually came to an inn that Gladwin heard Colton talk about, it looked very nice, but then again what place didn't look nice in Canterlot. "This place looks pretty good, right Holly?" He said turning with a smile. "Oh, my bags are in there I think," He pointed to the cart, "Could you hand me them, hun?" His face turned into a shocked look. He didn't expect himself to refer to Holly like that. Even though it wasn't entirely not true, he wasn't used to such mannerisms. His face began to warm up, but instead of acting nervous, he only laughed. he placed a talon over his beak to keep himself from cracking up. What was so funny anyways? They had just about froze, Gladwin's wings may not work, and either of them could catch a cold for all he knew. But all he wanted to do was laugh. He wanted to laugh away all the bad stuff, just like he used too when he was a chick.

[knight]

[[i'm just going to go ahead and try to ignore the fact that you said 'Flux'...I'll pretend you said Holly....

*harumph*]]

Holly almost burst out laughing as Gladwin called her 'hun.' It was kind of sort of hilarious. Tears welled in her eyes and she had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. She stood up and managed to jump off the cart, magicking all of their bags out of the cart, and trotting up to the inn door, the dog following her as it was unclipped from the cart, "Now, no need for you ta pay. Ah have plenty of bits."

The grace in her step had already somehow returned, despite her ruffled fur and messy mane. Her legs were slowly regaining feeling as she walked into the cozy inn. The few ponies that were there glanced briefly at them, a few seemed shocked by the massive bulk of dog that trotted in. It was a quaint little inn, but being on the very edges of the city, it would probably fetch a decent rate.

An old, periwinkle colored pony, covered in wrinkles and a scowl splashed on her face, attended the check inn desk, "Extra fur the dog..."

"That's fine," Holly replied politely, trying to appear nice for the woman. She recieved nothing but a grunt.

Suddenly, a pony of similar color burst through from a room apparently behind the front desk, she looked near identical to the other old mare, but she had a smile plastered on her face. Twins?

"Oh, deary, forgive my sister," the old mare had a warm, grandmother-like tone, "She's just so rude sometimes!"

She pushed her sister out of the way, and the old, grumpy mare grunted as she vanished into the room her sister had exited from.

"Now, deary, one night or two?" the old mare began writing something, a pencil delicately clutched between her teeth.

"Uh...one."

"Would ya like to use the hotspring, too?"

"Hotspring?"

"Oh, yes deary. All natural. Warms ya right to the bones, doncha know."

"Um..." She looked at the weary griffon, and at the massive dog. There's no way they could wash him in a little tub, " Yeah, yeah, let's do that."

"Okey dokey, and I will have to charge ya extra fur yer puppy, unfortunately, deary."

"Oh, that's no trouble..."

"Okey dokey then...yur total comes to 22 bits, then, deary."

Holly magicked open her purse, and was quick to pay the mare before the griffon, who had been looking worriedly at his wings, could stop her.

Holly got the keys and directions to the hotspring from the woman--it was in a cave that was built in to the side of the great mountain that Canterlot rose out of, which was behind the hotel.

"Why don't we go to the hot spring right away, Gladwin? You look like your wings could use some warming...."

[CrossStitch]

(( oh god what have I done... ))

The sound of hot springs perked Gladwin right up, "I've never even been to a hot spring." He said, admittedly. Gladwin began walking off in the direction that the mare had indicated, eager to see, and feel, the hot springs. He started walking slowly, but his pace eventually began to speed up. He was filled with the excitement of a foal when they see something new. This was a trait he never left behind in his chick-hood. It was the same feeling that propelled him every day on his adventures. The party eventually emerged into a cave that was light by what seemed like torches about the cave. The air was a little thick from the heat, but Gladwin could already feel it seeping through his skin and into his bones. The flames made a spectacular array of shadows dance along the walls of the cave.

"Woooow!" Gladwin said, both in relief and amazement. He began walking forward to the edge of the water and looked in. He could feel the heat radiating from it against his face, and he could also feel his feathers begin to get moist from the air. He didn't mind though, after their last 'incident,' it felt amazing. "This is awesome!" He said turning to Holly with an excited face. It was then that a thought rose to mind that he had forgotten in his excitement, They were alone. Gladwin's beak almost dropped but he managed to keep it from doing so, as not to make a fool of himself. They were alone in a hot spring, in a cave, in the dark... Gladwin realized Buck was also there though! He was both relieved, but also upset. Gladwin was almost confused that he could feel both at once. He turned back to the water and dipped his front talon in. The sudden heat against his chilled limbs stung at first. Actually, it stung a lot. Gladwin retracted his talon as the feeling of a thousand needles came back.