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.

I have lots of kids things... I have my Pokemon red, blue, and yellow, and even my old Gameboy pocket with my old savefiles on them. I dare not touch it though in fear of losing them... I still have my Yu-Gi-Oh cards from when I was a wiz in middle school. I still have a teddy bear that my aunt gave to me when I was a few months old as well. I still have Lion King, Space Jam, and The Fox and the Hound on VHS. While the tapes themselves do not play well, I still keep them. On the note of Space Jam, I still have my Michael Jordan Space Jam jersey and trunks from when I was around 4 or so. I keep all my childhood memories, because I'm still a kid at heart. I could never let go of my past, it was some of the BEST days of my life!

(( I'm getting flung for a loop going forwards and backwards in time like this, haha! )) Gladwin's eyes shot open as Holly gave him a quick glance. The griffin smiled and took it as a compliment. "The park sounds nice enough." He said with a shrug, he followed behind Holly, trying to keep his eyes away from her. It felt... Wrong... To stare at her from this angle. He instead resorted to cloud watching. He listened to her explanation of the park, and of Colts and Mares running around playing with their foals. It made Gladwin feel a bit warm inside, and also a little homesick. Whether it was for his parents, or his aunt and uncle, he wasn't sure. He shook off the past and instead looked forward to the Grand Canter Park. Laying out in the grass, watching the foals play, paddle boats for the couples. Holly looked to Gladwin as she named that part off. He was still looking up, but caught the glimpse of her glimpsing at him. He smiled, but a red tint hit his face. "Oh, come one Sketch. Foals are adorable! Haven't you ever wanted a foal of your own?" He laughed, teasing Sketch. He then looked at Holly, and then realized what he said, and then realized how that could be taken wrong. He coughed, and his laughter slowly died out. Gladwin wasn't trusting his spontaneous brain to say much more, but he was curious as to the paddle boats.

Gladwin looked closely at the necklace. It didn't look as marvelous as the advertisement played out, but then again what did? It still looked amazing though, and was obviously well made. He leaned back and nodded, "I think she will love it!" He said with a big grin. Gladwin began to walk out of the store, "Now come on! We need to go find a place that sells cameras!" Gladwin could see that Colton was a tad confused at where he was going with this line of thought. Gladwin only laughed, "Trust me, I got a good idea." He left the store and began walking the streets, "Now where could I find a camera...?" He asked, looking back and forth.

"Indeed! I've had much time to practice my art you see." He said as his hooves worked dexterously, "I've been doing this since I was young, and it's all I've done." Fond memories of his cross-stitching days came to his mind. "And I've also only been using this machine, so I know it very well." He said, patting it with one of his hooves in an affectionate manner. "So, yes, you may say I have a lot of practice." He let out a warm laugh. He turned and noticed Sherlock had many ties, "Oh, are these the ties you are interested in?" He asked, looking to the ties but also continuing his work just as efficiently.

Gladwin leaned in and read the advertisement, "Huh, that looks cool." He said, inspecting the necklace. His mind wasn't fully processing what he was looking at or saying. It was hard at work deciding on what would be a good gift for Holly. He continued observing the necklace, humming with thought. Then it hit him like a bolt of lightening. He reach his talon out and pressed it against Colton in a 'Stop the presses!' sort of manner, "Colton, I know what I'm getting Holly!" He turned from the advertisement to look at Colton, "Hold on to your hooves, I'm about to be brilliant!" He said, enthusiastically. He then realized he was gripping Colton by the shirt collar. He let go with a nervous laugh and then turned back to the advertisement, "But...Let's go get that necklace first!" A sheepish grin accompanied his face as he began to enter the shop.

Gladwin let out a noise similar to a 'Pffft', "As if I know what to get, Holly." He said with a laugh. The thought then actually began to grow in his mind. He had NO idea what to get Holly. What did Holly like...? She liked her new dog, she liked fruit, she liked Gladwin. A fruit basket...? He raised an eyebrow almost in disbelief that the brain he had was his own. "Ugh..." He finally said, fed up with his blockage of ideas. "Let's just start looking around, maybe we'll find something..." The griffin began walking the streets looking into shop windows. A dress? Jewelry? Maybe a new scarf? Gladwin scratched his chin pondering. "We're hopeless, Colton." he said with a defeated sigh.

Gladwin narrowed his sharp eagle eyes as the pony in front of him broke out into hysterics. "Holly said it would look nice..." He said, staring through Colton. "I don't know hay about fashion, so I just went with it." He rolled his eyes and began to walk off. "Can we hurry though? I'd really like to finish this before nightfall..." Gladwin was still a bit upset, but after a bit of walking he calmed down. He let out a small breath, "So, anyways, what are you going to get Flux for Hearth's Warming Eve?" He asked turning his head see Colton following behind him.

Gladwin waited in the town square, tapping one of his claws against the cold concrete below him. He was waiting on a certain someone. A certain someone who was late. His eagle eyes scanned the crowd around him for the all to familiar colt that he knew as 'Colton.' Without so much as a sign of him, he let out a sigh. "You would think shopping for presents would pry him from that pony..." He said, looking around some more. Gladwin was in a bit more festive attire; He wore a red and green scarf around his neck, and also a red Santa hat atop his head. He wasn't really wanting to wear it, but Holly said it would look cute on him, so he took her word. He wasn't much one for fashion, so he had no idea what looked good and what looked bad. At least he looked into the spirit of things. Gladwin had privately sent Colton a message, making sure neither Flux nor Holly caught sight or sound of it. The message read: "Colton, I had a great idea. We should do some gift shopping later today while I'm free. I just realized I never got Holly anything for Hearth's Warming Eve, and I can only guess you didn't get Flux anything either. Meet me at the center of town at around 2:00 PM, and we'll find something for the mares. PS: Don't let Flux know where you're going or you'll ruin the surprise." His claw continued tapping, "At this rate it'll be time to open presents before we actually get them..." He said with a sigh.

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.

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.

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.

(( 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.

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.

Gladwin looked up in a confused manner, "I'm not really sure, actually?" Gladwin said as he looked back to Holly. "I got a letter from Colton. It said we should all four spend the day together, You, Me, Colton, and Flux.I figured since it's Hearth's Warming Eve, that wouldn't be such a bad idea." Gladwin shrugged. Gladwin stood a bit taller then their new friend, but then again he stood taller then most ponies since he was a griffin. He raised one of his talons and began to easily scratch behind one of the dogs ears, causing him to go into a fit of joy. This was the same dog that saved him and Holly, so he couldn't help but love the cute fella. He eventually stopped and turned back to Holly, "Well, if you're ready, Colton was wanting to meet us in the center of town," Gladwin walked beside Holly and leaned on her slightly, "Shall we, mah dear?" He said mimicking the accent of the ponies who lived in Canterlot. He couldn't help but let a few giggles escape.

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.

(( 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! ))

Gladwin walked along the icy and snow covered streets of Canterlot. He was almost oblivious to the hustle and bustle around him though, as he continued to look up and around at all the buildings covered in a blanket of white glistening snow. "It almost hurts my eyes when I stare at it too long." Gladwin said through squinted eyes, "But it's just so amazing!" He said with a smile. Of course he wasn't talking to himself. The sound of wooden wheels on the street could be heard as Holly joined Gladwin on his stroll, "I definitely should have visited Canterlot sooner." Gladwin was still in awe over the amazing city. In his opinion, Canterlot was leaps and bounds more amazing then Talonpolis. "Well, actually, I don't. If I would have come here sooner, I may have missed my chance to meet you!" He said as he flashed a warm and energetic smile to Holly. "And all of the other wonderful friends I've made." He said as he returned his vision forwards to see where he was going. Memories of Flux, Colton, and Sketch came to his mind, reminding him of how much fun he has had in his short amount of time in Canterlot. "And I also get to be here for Hearth's Warming Eve. And I get to spend it with you!" Again, he gave Holly an energetic smile. "Ah, sorry. I'm probably getting too excited." He laughed nervously after realizing just how fast, and how much, he had been talking.

"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...

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.

[[ 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.

[[ 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."

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.'

I remember Faust also commenting on Celestia in another of her posts. I believe in the other one, she stated Celestia can somewhat 'sense' events to come. When she imprisoned her sister, she knew that over time that the Nightmare in Luan would weaken, and that the Elements of Harmony could save her. When Twilight applied for the school, she must of sensed, somewhat, that this was the Element of Magic. But Celestia only has hunches, and not clear vision of the future. Because of this, she had to give Twilight a special test. She didn't know WHY she should, but she did because of a hunch. That's how I see it.

Yeah, that is not at ALL how they should have responded. They WERE doing something illegal, no matter how much we enjoyed it. At least Hasbro gave them a chance. Hasbro basically said "Could you please, uhm... Not do that?" PonyArchive basically did what a little kid would do and instantly turned on the hate mode. We should paint ourselves a different color, so to speak. We really don't need any bad publicity. 'Biting the hand that feeds' comes to mind here... The only NO BRO... Is PonyArchive. srslycalmdown.