[Canterlot]Like a Fish Out of Water[Open]

[TheCustodian]

Big, loud, crowded...

Those three words pretty much summed up Snowdrifts first thoughts as he wandered the streets of Canterlot. He had gone ahead and separated himself from Pinoak and Symphony to explore. Upon first seeing the city from afar the caribou had been astounded. The concept of buildings was not something completely foreign to him but to see so many buildings, tall ones built on the side of a mountain, was simply breathtaking. How did it all work? Was it magic that made this possible? Or did some intelligent mind design these structures. In the end Snowdrift knew that any answers he got in regards to Canterlot would only create more questions. Not that it would stop him...

Upin entering the city Snowdrift was stuck by just how... Organized everything was. The straight roads, planned buildings, and that everything was clean... All in all it was rather unnerving. Snowdrift was used to the wild chaos created by nature, Canterlot appeared to be completely tame.

"Since when did they allow beasts in here?"

Snowdrifts ears swiveled to the source of the sound but he made no move to look at the unicorns that had spoken. This was another thing that disturbed him about Canterlot, many of the ponies here seemed to hold themselves as superior to others, why though... Snowdrift could not tell. Perhaps it was money? Or some unknown social class structure he was not aware of. In his time with Pinoak and Symphony the caribou had come to believe all ponies were equal despite their physical difference and lived in harmony. But hearing the citizens of this city made Snowdrift wonder if that was true. It sounded as if these unicorns wished to rule over all. Perhaps they already did and the two unicorns Snowdrift had traveled with either lied or were simply misled. It wasnt just unicorns though, he had seen many earth and pegasi ponies who seemed to bear the same air of confidence and disdain for others.

As he thought upon this Snowdrift paused to look around realizing he was completely lost, and alone. Looking back he could not discern where he had arrived from, his natural ability to navigate confounded by the order that made up Canterlot. Sighing in annoyance the caribou decided to do his best to backtrack and, if possible, find someone to help him.

[Gerrard]

"And there, district two maintenance is now complete. Just gotta turn in my report and pick up my cash. These kind of jobs are always my favorite, no pressure and great pay," a deep and strong voice mused aloud as a winged creature slipped his tools into a bag that was fastened to his neck. Gerrard had just finished his job request in the city and was making his way back to the palace before a strange creature caught the attention of his keen eyes. A devilish smirk crept across his beaked face, the griffon spotting a stranger he had never seen before.

The griffon lurked behind the horned icelander, watching his movements as he roamed through the city. He heard a few uppity unicorns talk down to the strange outsider, but didn't smirk, probably used to dealing with the entitlement that seemed to ooze out of all the locals. He carefully moved up the cobbled streets of the famed city of old, the griffon strangely at home in the odd city. Although his species was foreign, he had spent many a year here, a benefactor of a student exchange program that he milked for all it's worth. The hybrid quickly made his way up to the cloven hooved creature and stared down a few nearby ponies, dispersing them enough to get the foreigner all to himself.

"Oh hello dear Caribou, I've only read about your kind in my textbooks. You seem a bit out of place here, any way I can help out? You should know that as the Capital of Equestria, there are many uppity ponies here who think they are better than you. I can teach you how to deal with them properly. I used to be a foreigner here too, look how well I've blended in," the griffon explained from behind Snowdrift, his strong firm voice almost a bit imposing. The hybrid leaned forward, waiting for the caribou to glance back at him. If he did decide to, he would be greeted by the silver plumed head of a rather nefarious looking griffon. His black beak and coat seemed strangely out of place, at least for a tundra, his coloration making any kind of winter hunting all but impossible in the white wastelands of the north. It seemed very likely that this griffon was definently not from the north, but he was still a griffon nonetheless, and a reasonably large one, able to roughly look the Caribou in the eyes from his vantage point.

[TheCustodian]

"Uh.. That would be great actua- " Snowdrift turned to address the newcomer only to take a couple paces back in fear.

"Gr-griffon!" the deer stuttered as he prepared to run away. It didn't matter what Gerrard looked like, to Snowdrift he was a predator. Back home griffons would prey upon members of the herd who strayed too far. All things considered though he had not expected the griffon to speak.

~Then again we never really tried to speak to one another...~ he thought and put himself into a sort of defensive stance, ready to run or defend himself if needed. The fact the griffon was actually talking to him was enough of an indicator that this hybrid was nothing like those in his homeland...

"You... Want to help me?" this place just gets weirder and weirder... Cities built in mountains, colorful ponies, and now a creature that Snowdrift knew as a predator was offering help...

[Gerrard]

The griffon stared straight back at him with aloof eyes, his true motives impossible to ascertain. He carefully paced forward, not letting the caribou build any reasonable personal space. "Why yes I am a griffon! I am glad that is established now. I always wondered if I was a pony, but now you have set me free!" he sarcastically replied, a goofy grin plastered across his face. "I know that griffons in your native homeland love the taste of your species, but there is no worry about such an assault here. In Equestria, it is illegal to kill another self-aware creature, even if you are hungry and want some food. You are self-aware, right?" he commented in a serious manner, looking over the brown pelted grass eater.

The term simply meant the ability to reconcile one's self as an individual, but Gerrard wasn't sure if the herbivore had heard the terminology in his travels. He hoped not, the griffon wanting him to panic in search of something he already had. "In Equestria we speak all the time, in fact, our nations are allies even! You aren't exactly a citizen of Equestria yet though, so I'm not sure how much the rule applies to you," he added nefariously, wrapping a talon around the neck of Snowdrift as he leaned on him lightly at an uncomfortably close distance. "Do you think I'm allowed to eat you? Well regardless, I won't for now." he mused in an aloof manner, enjoying himself as he leaned on the strong winter creature.

"Of course I want to help you. We freaks need to stick together! If you knew of the magical spells that some unicorns held at their disposal, you would fall into despair. The reason why they hold others in contempt is a feeling of superiority that stems from their ability to use magic. In fact, our benevolent rulers are two winged unicorn sisters who are over one thousand years old and hold the power of the cosmos at their disposal. It is wise to align yourself with them or you may find yourself exiled to the stars, never to see the light of the sun again! I know of all the ways to appease our benevolent dictators, will you follow my guidance, I have no desire to bring harm upon you," he commented with what seemed like a sincere face.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift continued to back away but couldn't stop the griffon from getting too close. All in all this was really getting scary. The creature's response to his words were most troubling though.

"You thought you were a pony?" he muttered in slight confusion. Sarcasm was not something the deer caught onto easily. It wasn't that he'd never heard it before, it just took some time for him to process. Especially when it was coming a creature who spoke a completely different language. As for the rest of Gerrards words the caribou's innate ability to translate meant that he was not completely lost on the meaning of self awareness. His mind imagined something about knowing oneself, in what way Snowdrift was not too sure.

~Whoa! Way too close!~ he suddenly thought in panic as Gerrard's talon touched his neck. Instantly he began to back away quickly lowering his head ready to attack with his antlers if need be. Glaring in anger and fear Snowdrift listened to the griffons last words and shook his head "I'm not a freak..." he muttered, the word reminding him of what some others back home would call him from time to time, mostly because Snowdrift's tendencies to wander off alone or with his sister to explore. As for the rest of the hybrids message Snowdrift was not sure exactly what he meant. The word Dictator was not one he knew of and the image his mind provided was of one who ruled with absolute power. As for the rest of it...

"What are these rulers? Gods?" Snowdrift asked partly in jest. His tribe had no real religious beliefs but knew that there were other herds that did. That said he kept an open mind about these things; who was to say that these pony rulers could move the heavens. It would certainly explain the sudden night that had occurred a couple years ago... IN a land where the sun shined for months on end the sudden shift had been... Unnerving.

[Gerrard]

"Well of course not. I'm as much a pony as you are, well perhaps a bit less, the whole claws and beak thing I suppose," he explained with a smirk, wriggling all of the black digits on his claws as he playfully chomped his equally dark beak at nobody in particular. "The ponies though do love to say everypony in a manner that seems to assume that everyone is a pony or likes to be referred to as a pony. If I said everypony, would that include you or me, I wonder," he mused aloud, the griffon drifting a bit off topic as he ranted on ponies in a subtle manner. He had grown to accept it as the norm, but he wondered what the caribou thought of that practice.

The griffon chuckled lightly as he succeeded at making Snowdrift consolidate his position. Gerrard watched the nervous caribou and hoped he didn't freak out the snowlander too much, the hybrid not wanting to peel a frightened beast off him, not that his expression reflected this at all, an unwavering smirk still plastered onto his face. "Well I suppose we are both freaks, and not freaks. In the land of ponies, anyone who isn't a pony is a freak to them. But you know what, that is okay. Being a freak is subjective I suppose. From their perspective we would be a bit odd, just as ponies and griffons are freaks, if not frightening where you come from," he explained, trying to get the point that perspective plays a big deal in the life of everyone.

"The rulers are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It is unclear if they are actual deities, but their longevity is known, their relations with the griffon nation chronicled for over one thousand years by both sides. Princess Celestia has the power to control the sun while Princess Luna has the power to control the moon and the night. The exact extent of their powers is unknown, but it does seem that they have a great deal of control over the cosmos. "Regardless of how you might feel about them or their perceived powers, every pony views them as supreme rulers at the level of a deity. It would be unwise to publicly denounce or belittle them or their powers, the many guards that roam this city seem very protective of their reputations," he warned in a seemingly sincere manner, the griffon trying to help Snowdrift avoid making any severe mistakes.

[TheCustodian]

~Why wont the blasted thing attack me already?~ Snowdrift thought silently as he listened to Gerrard allowing himself to relax a bit. Since he had not been attacked yet the caribou figured attack was not on the griffons mind, especially with all the unicorns and other ponies wandering about.

"I wouldn't have considered it anyway..." he replied as Gerrard finished speaking. If these ponies were considered to be the rulers of Equestria then it made sense that he give them respect. They must have earned their position in some way.

"So if they control the sun and moon... They were responsible for the long night a couple years ago?" he questioned curiously, his stance relaxing a bit...

[Gerrard]

Gerrard let out a disinterested yawn, clearly losing any interest in scaring the caribou further as they stood in Canterlot. He wondered what Snowdrift tasted like, but the griffon quickly put that thought away, knowing it was inappropriate to even consider such a thing. "Alright, as long as you are willing to adapt to the customs of this land, you should be okay," he remarked in response to the caribou being respectful to the princesses.

The griffon let out a light sigh as he spoke about the incident with Nightmare Moon. "Well it depends. If it was normal, it could have been a long night, the tilt of our planet allowing the polar regions of our planet to have really long days or nights. But since you seem familiar with that cycle, I will assume you are speaking about THAT incident. Allegedly, one thousand years ago, Princess Luna became bitter when her subjects disliked the night she reigned over. Her anger overtook her and she changed into Nightmare Moon, a villainous character who tried to plunge the world in eternal darkness. Her sister banished her to the moon for one thousand years by using a set of legendary artifacts. The day it suddenly went dark was her return from her one thousand years of banishment. Uh, the artifact was wielded again and she returned to her sense and now she is normal. This is what I've been told in hearsay though. It is safe to assume that they are beings of extreme power though," he mused aloud, resting his beak on a talon as he sat patiently.

"Anything else you want to ask, me? Griffons have a lot to say if you speak to them," he playfully taunted, his dark eyes glancing across to the skeptical caribou.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift stood his ground for a bit but then took a bit more of a relaxed stance, his fear being replaced with a large dose of curiosity about what he was learning. Luna.. Nightmare moon.The story of what had happened to her was intruiging, and world shaking. If ever he returned to his tribe the caribou would certainly get some attention with this knowledge. For a time some of his fellows had believed the sun and moon moved on thier own. A few had even created theories about the universe around them. The sudden change to night in the middle of a 6 month day had thrown those theories out the window. What puzzled Snowdrift though was Gerrard's mention of this happening before. His species did not forget things easily, if at all thanks to thier magic...

"Perhaps the first time is happened during the night." he muttered and then shrugged. It was an explanation...

"So why are you helping me? Ive never heard of a kind hearted griffon before" then again Equestria was a strange place. But while Gerrard had spoken earlier about freaks helping one another out and having been in the same situation SNowdrift just couldnt believe it to be truth.

"What's your name griffon?"

[Gerrard]

Gerrard listened as Snowdrift mused about what had happened a thousand years prior. "Well I wasn't there so long ago, but I suppose it could have been night. Or someone could have remembered wrong, stories that get passed down over the years tend to... evolve and become things they are not. You could go to the library and research it, but I don't see much importance in mulling over such a small detail of an event that happened so long ago," he explained, the griffon lightly tapping his beak with his talons as he tried to figure out why the caribou was so interested in such a minor detail.

Gerrard raised his brow when the caribou asked why he wanted to help him, finding the question a bit odd. "Well, being a stranger in a crowded place full of critical ponies can be really stressful. As you might be able to tell, I wasn't raised here either, and I came here as a young adult to learn the pony art of irrigation. Everyone freaked out and thought I was a monster out to eat them, somewhat like how you acted. I figured that maybe I could be a nice griffon and help you out, maybe make your transition a bit easier. Unless you would rather it not be convenient?" he explained in a seemingly sincere voice. It was impossible to tell if the griffon actually spoke the truth, his mischievous face always seeming to be aloof and vaguely untrustworthy.

When asked his name, Gerrard blinked with surprise, realizing he hadn't even properly introduced himself to the foreigner. "Oh, how rude of me! I am Gerrard Grayfeather, graduate of the Royal University of Canterlot, at your service!" he announced in what sounded like an excited manner. "And may I ask for your name Mr. Caribou?' he replied with his usual smirk, cocking his head to the side as he spoke.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift just gave the griffon a bit of a smirk at his response concerning something that happened so long ago. It wasnt like his species to forget... Anything really. So long as knowledge was passed down from one generation to the other thier magic would ensure no details were changed. It was thier way of keeping thier lore and history intact, and that the truth would always be there no matter what. Either way it was not something he should think about for now... Although...

"Library... A place that contains books right?" hed heard the term used a couple times and during his trip here Snowdrift had been shown a book. He didnt understand any of it though, the symbols and pictures seemed strange and confusing.

"I guess i can accept your aid. However it is still strange considering that if we were anywhere else i would have run away by now and we would not even be talking."

"You may call me Snowdrift" he frowned for a moment again. It was not his real name but the magic that let him speak to these ponies, and griffon, translated his name for some odd reason.

[Gerrard]

Gerrard wasn't fully versed in all the intricacies involved the magic of his species, but he knew enough to understand why they might be awkward. He laughed lightly at the comment about the library, thinking it over before deciding to speak. "You snow eaters really really don't get out much, yes the place with the books. If there is something you don't know, you can always read a book and use the experience of another to learn something new. Unless you can't read I suppose," he remarked, thinking his own statement over and finding it agreeable.

"Isn't life just strange that way. So where you want me to take you? A store, my store, the park, the library. Oh and do you want to fly over there?" Gerrard replied, standing up and leaning against his new friend as he playfully suggested that he could fly with the clearly heavy caribou. "And yeah, nice to meet Snowdrift. I think we will be great friends," he explained, a scary grin creeping back across his jet black maw.

[TheCustodian]

Store, park, library... All words that made little sense to Snodrift as he stood there in thought.

"No, I cannot read. A pony showed me your books and they seemed like nonsense. I didn’t understand a thing" he replied with a sigh "All our knowledge is passed down from generation to generation orally. We don’t use these things. On the tundra we have nowhere to store them or ability to transport them. An archive of books would just slow the tribe down." he explained. That said perhaps it was easier for ponies to store things in books since they didn’t seem to move about much. Everything here seemed static and permanently in place.

"However the library would be interesting to see. I have only seen a couple books. I’m curious as to how many there are." he was definitely not going to accept Gerrard's offer for a flight. "Uh.... I’d like to keep my hooves on the ground..." It was partially true. The other fact was he really did not trust the griffon despite feeling a little more comfortable around him. As a calf growing up Snowdrift had been taught to fear Gerrad's kind... It was not something that would disappear in a matter minutes...

[Gerrard]

Gerrard raised his brow, not knowing many sentient creatures that couldn't read. He thought for a moment and smiled widely again, the coy griffon coming up with a simple thought. "You should learn to read and pass down that oral tradition. You could write the letters in the snow, it would be really easy," he explained with a smirk, his yellow eyes glancing across to Snowdrift as if he were eagerly seeking approval. "Nobody, well nobody normal, carries around a bunch of books. They simply retrieve one, extract it's information, then return it," Gerrard explained, spreading his large black wings again as he contorted them roughly, the hybrid lazily stretching out.

"I can take you to the library of my former university. It is for students only, but since I'm an alumni, I have the right to access it. It is arguably one of the largest vaults of knowledge on the continent," he explained with a smirk, somewhat proud to be an alumni to a pony centric university. "Just follow me snowpony," he explained with a smirk, his long black tail wagging lightly as he gestured for Snowdrift to follow after him through the crowded cities. There were countless uppity unicorns roaming the streets, gasping and gawking at the odd pair as they tried to determine where they wanted to go.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift nodded at his explanation. It made sense for a culture that stayed in one place but for him "My tribe does not stay in put for long. Usually moving on to better grazing lands and we don't often return to an area for years. And snow is not permanent, a simple gust of wind can easily erase all traces of your work... Or a hot day... The Speech, our magic, ensures that what our history and knowledge does not get changed over time or forgotten so long as there is someone to accept it." he explained hoping that it made sense to Gerrard. That said Snowdrift was rather interested in learning how to read. If it helped him learn more about this land.

Alumni, university, student... The last one Snowdrift understood clearly. It was common for others in the tribe to become apprentices to an elder in order to learn what they know. As for what a university was Snowdrift got an image of a large place of learning where many elders and wise ponies gathered to pass their knowledge to the masses... No matter, Snowdrift knew he'd find out once they arrived. Silently he began to follow Gerrard as they made their way through the city. Snowdrift still to enthralled by the architecture and layout of the city to really pay them any heed.

"I take it griffons are not common here as well?"

[Gerrard]

"I understand Snowdrift, using the snow as parchment is an age old strategy. One that predators often use to track your species across the icy wastes. You should avoid absolutes whenever possible, while an oral tradition may be flawless, it is static and unwilling to adapt to a changing environment. What you also might want to consider is that an oral tradition might be biased in some way, everyone having some bias in their judgement, regardless of their intention. You were lead to believe that all griffons wanted to eat you, when clearly that was an exaggeration of the threat my species brings to you," Gerrard explained, smiling lightly for the caribou.

Gerrard lead Snowdrift through the crowded city, the university being a long walk from their current location. The gasps and gawks began to die down to a dull roar as they proceeded onward, their presence slowly being accepted as an odd but otherwise safe occurrence. "Oh man, I'm starting to sound like my friend Asteria, getting into the realm of strict reason and logic. Sometimes it is best to act illogical I suppose, it makes life more interesting. If I worked the hardest for the most money, I would meet less people and have a much more boring life. If only there were some way to maximize my efficiency in all regards, perhaps that is the secret of life, choosing what is truly most important to you in life and excelling at it," he explained calmly, griffon mention a strange friend that he seemed to idealize and hold in contempt.

Gerrard thought about the last comment from the caribou and decided to impart some oral knowledge to his new friend. "In Equestria, most of the citizens are ponies, especially in their cities. In my native country on Aquila, most of the citizens are griffons. While there no barred movement between countries, people prefer a situation that they are more familiar with. This discourages many to explore the world, fear of the unknown. Much like the fear that nearly thwarted our first encounter," he explained, trying his best to remain upbeat for Snow.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift raised an eyebrow in amusement at Gerrards first comment "Well until now all your kind did was eat use. We've never seen anything to believe otherwise" he replied with a bit of a laugh. "And to be honest it will take more than one tame griffon to convince the rest of my tribe that griffons might be worth speaking to. I just happen to be odd in that sense." really odd. Snowdrift knew he was the only member of the tribe willing to follow a griffon to who knows where. Well... Except maybe Eir.. And that's only if she was following Snowdrift to begin with. He wondered what his sister would say if she were here...

~Probably try to convince me to turn around and run home...~ Snowdrift thought in amusement but felt a pang of sadness remembering that he still had family back home that thought him dead or lost...

"Ive always thought of life to be one large adventure, to see the world and experience things no one has ever experienced before. And hopefully at the end of it you will have left some kind of impression on those who follow you after you are gone." it was a noble thought and Snowdrift was thinking his exploration of Equestria might do just that for his tribe if ever he found them again.

As he ducked low to avoid catching his antlers on some low lying plants Snowdrift frowned "I see... Many tend to fear the unknown. In my land we do the same, living is large tribes that roam the tundra. Rarely does any single caribou leave and when they do they are likely to be killed by a predator. I just happen to be lucky..." he replied. Very lucky... Snowdrift knew he should be dead after that fall into glacial waters.

[Gerrard]

"It would take more than one caribou to convince me that you were all worth eating," he retorted with a laugh, the griffon getting uncomfortably close to the caribou. "Most griffons actually have very short tempers and anger very easily with dire consequences. Lucky for you, I haven endless patience," he reassured to herbivore, his words not exactly serving him well.

He smiled as Snowdrift spoke of adventure, the griffon finding his words true, if not a bit touching. "Well, hopefully you can leave your impression on Canterlot, perhaps even Equestria. I have left my mark all over this country with my work, ponies able to farm their land thanks to my work," he explained with a smile.

"Some say that luck is a great skill to have. If you get lucky and survive a battle, will you renounce it as a skill? Of course not!" he commented, the griffon managing to part the streets as the pair could see a large gated establishment slowly coming into view. The pair could see many regal flags adorning an entrance of a mossy wall. A set of four intimidating guards stood watch over the entrance, looking the two outsiders over with critical eyes.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift listened attentively as the griffon spoke wondering what he meant by leaving his mark all over the land. Farming was another concept new to him and he wondered what the griffon meant "How exactly did you leave your mark? These farms... Did you make them?" he asked curiously as they began approach the university.

It was not like anything Snowdrift had expected. The large buildings were no surprise but in some strange way they seemed to stand apart from the rest of the city. "Wow... How many ponies go here?" here muttered quietly not expecting an answer from Gerrard. There was another thing that struck Snowdrift as odd. All the vegetation in this city, an no ponies seemed to have any desire to eat it. It was as if they put it there as scenery. This university had tons of it...

[Gerrard]

Gerrrard liked explaining things to his new friends, finding his ignorance a bit intriguing at times. "Well, I never built any of the farms, but I supply them the second most important resource to farming. The sun gives them light for photosynthesis, but I make sure that their crops get water. Farms require more water than is normally retrievable by pegasus, so I create and maintain the pipes that transfer water from one part of the country to another. Heck, some of them even have my maker's mark on them!" he explained with a smile, the griffon picking at the bag wrapped around his neck.

"Yeah, a few thousand ponies go here I would suppose. I never counted them, the whole not allowed to eat them thing and all," he explained with a laugh, winking at the caribou. "What do you think of all this pony scenery, a bit excessive right? Griffons tend to be a bit more utilitarian than ponies with our designs," he remarked with a laugh, playfully picking at the ivy with a black claw.

The guards on duty glanced at the pair, carefully pointing their lances at the odd pair. "Halt, who goes there!" one announced with a deep voice. Gerrard raised his brow, finding the display amusing, granted the griffon seemed to find everything amusing. "Now now, I thought you would recognize me by now, I sorta stand out a bit," he explained with a sigh, the griffon pulling out a framed diploma and presenting it to the guards. "You should be more respectful to your alumni, we donate loads of cash to the universities we graduate from. Oh, and the antler guy is my guest, thank you fellas," he practically taunted, the griffon lightly patting the cheek of a stunned guard as they opened the gates to the university. "You wanted to see the library first, right?" the griffon asked, gesturing for Snowdrift to follow after him.

[TheCustodian]

A few thousand? Snowdrifts tribe would only number a couple thousand at most when it was time for migration. To have so many ponies staying in one place... Where did the resources to sustain such a population come from? It boggled the caribous mind. Thinking about this he almost bumped into a unicorn pair as they rushed by. Muttering an apology he was surprised to see the two had not even slowed, too much in a rush to notice the near miss...

"Weird..."

As Gerrard spoke to the guards Snowdrift couldn't help but notice how they looked almost identical to one another. Was it an illusion? Did they only recruit white stallions as guards? The later seemed silly but who knows what really goes on in the land of magical ponies.

"Do you carry that thing everywhere?" Snowdrift asked once they passed the guards. The framedpiece of paper must have been important for the guards to just let them go by. "What makes it so important?"

[Gerrard]

As the pair walked through the gates into the courtyard of the university, Gerrard glanced at the caribou, a bit confused. "What is weird to you? The ponies, the food surrounding them that none ever seem to it. Or is it that most of them seem completely uninterested in both of us?" he commented with a laugh, gently jabbing Snowdrift in the side.

The pair slowly made their way to the library when Gerrard was asked his question. "I carry it, along with the tools of my trade. I carry many tools in this big bag," he explained, getting a nefarious smirk across his face as he thought over all the the different tricks he could pull on the caribou. "The article is proof that I graduated from this establishment. The biggest and fanciest libraries here only allow graduates and students into their libraries. The public isn't allowed here. You would have to go to a public library for information if I wasn't here. In a strange way, I have a few more rights than commoner ponies," he explained with a smile as they walked up to the entrance of an excessively extravagant and towering building. The guards nodded slightly at Gerrard as he lead Snowdrift to the door of the building.

[TheCustodian]

"Both" he muttered in response to the first question as he gazed around. The amount of food here was truly astounding and really the fact none of the ponies were eating it was the only thing stopping the caribou from grabbing a snack "They dont seem to act like the rest of the ponies in the city... And really i am starting to get hungry now" If the tribe could see this... Usually in the winter food was scarce and sometimes the tribe would starve if it was a harsh year... This however...

"But how does a piece of paper... Actually never mind. I guess its like your books." he sighed rolling his eyes. Readin... That would be something he knew he should learn. It seemed like it was a mandotory skill needed if a pony wanted to get ahead in life.

"Anyway lead the way to the library..."

[Gerrard]

Gerrard chuckled and sneakily plucked a vine off the wall and slipped it over to his hungry caribou friend. "The vines are decorations, they don't eat decorations. I think some are fake or artificial just for show. Tell me if this is real," he commented with a light laugh, the griffon always seeming to be amused. "They aren't interested in us because they are probably too swept up in their studies and work to care about our presence. This arguably the hardest university in the country after all," he explained, the hybrid leading Snowdrift into the library.

The library was seemingly massive, walls of books towering high into the sky, easily three or more stories with a large pillar of a shelf spiraling up into the upper floors. Numerous railed ladders seemed to be attached to the shelves, almost begging clumsy ponies to climb up their dangerous forms. "Okay, where do we want to start? And just a friendly piece of advice Snow, please don't eat the books. We have farms here to grow all of our food cheaply. Nobody starves here, no matter how unfortunate they are," Gerrard explained, lightly patting his new friend. "If anyone is mean to you, just be mean back, they only respect fear," the griffon whispered into the ear of the caribou, none of the students in the large library aware of the presence yet.

[TheCustodian]

Snowdrift couldn't help but grimace as he spat out the vine. He'd never eaten the like before but he knew plants didnt have such a dry plastic taste. "Its fake... Unless vines are supposed to be dry and tasteless" he muttered somewhat confused. Fake plants... Well the caribou supposed it was better than having real ones lying about just asking to be eaten. But even then it was confusing to him. Why would they feel the need to pretend that these things were the real thing?

"Ponies are weird..." he muttered knowing the griffon could probably hear him. His thoughts were interrupted though as they entered the library. It was massive! Easily the largest structure he had ever been in (not that he had been in many.) He didnt even hear Gerrad's words and began to wander away, his eyes glued to the building itself. How could such a space exist inside what had looked much smaller from outside? Perhaps it was a trick of the eye?

And then there were the books. So many books! Looking around Snowdrift grabbed one at random in his cloven hooves. He hadn't even noticed the pony he had accidently bumped and was now staring at him. The pony wasn't the only one. The entrance of not only a griffon but an alien creature was bound to garner attention. Snowdrift though was too busy trying to make sense of the book he was holding to notice.

"How do they even understand this giberish?"