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Post by Glide Heart on Oct 10, 2014 19:31:58 GMT -5
Glides day started like any other day of her new life. Breakfast with the other ship mates and then straight to training. This morning started out with dives from the cliffs edge and pulling up just like in the beginning. Only this time Glide had gotten much better and could much more easily keep up with the others. Her training had made her stronger and much more fit. Her wings could carry her further and faster then they ever could. Life on the Griffon destroyer had gotten much better. The Griffons accepted her now that she had joined with them fully; however, life had also gotten dull and predictable. The same drills and training daily followed by a mid afternoon meal and then chores. After chores was more training then dinner, and after that was an hour of free time before lights out. The next morning was a repeat. Glide missed working as a doctor at the hospital because there was something new every day. Maybe should could ask Avitus if she could practice medicine again on the griffons. She still never gave them their initial check up.
Just before Glide began her morning sparring she was approached by another griffon. A newer deck hand who often ran messages between the group and Avitus. The young griffon approached Glide and told her that she was summoned to Avitus' quarters. Glide took the note from the griffon and nodded before taking off and flying to the deck of the destroyer. When she landed on the deck she made her way to Avitus' quarters full of curiosity. What did Avitus need to talk to her about? Maybe he read her mind about wanting to practice medicine again? Either way she wasn't going to waste more time pondering and would simply ask him.
Glide tapped on the door and spoke out "It's Glide sir permission to enter?" After hearing no reply she knocked again before the door opened and another pony stood there instead of Avitus. It had been awhile since she had seen another pony. Let alone in Avitus' cabin. The pony was dressed in a formal uniform and looked bleak. His sad look seemed as if it was stuck on his face. His wings were raised to look more official but Glide could tell they were tired. This pegasus had been on a long flight. He stepped aside to allow glide to enter. She stared in confusion as she walked past and spoke cautiously. "you wanted to see me sir?"
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Post by Red Charge on Oct 10, 2014 20:05:13 GMT -5
Avitus nodded towards the pony, who promptly left. Avitus gestured for Glide to sit down. After she did he leaned forwards towards her on his desk.
"Glide Heart," He started, "Since you've joined us I've watched you blossom from a weak pony into a beautiful warrior. You have the drive, the determination and the heart and I want you to know that I am very proud of you."
He examined her closely with his severe gaze, "The pony you just saw came to deliver a message. The Diamond Dog Invasion Army was able to breach Manehattan's defenses and enter the city. Unfortunately, among the losses were your husband and child." Avitus was never one to mince words, or cover up the truth with pretty words, however she felt that his tone was more delicate than usual.
"I would like you to know that I understand the situation you are in. I have been through it myself. I am here for you. What you do next is up to you, but know that while we may never replace what was lost, we are also your family now. You are a part of as as you were a part of them. You and I now share this pain in common, you may not see it now, but you will as I have, that knowing this pain makes us stronger. It solidifies our resolve to not let anyone else share this pain. It is both selfish and generous, a burden and an honor." He leaned back on his chair so he was sitting straight again.
"I won't stop you if you want to leave, but you should not be alone at a time like this. We are all here for you. Let us be your support." When he finished talking he rapped his talons against each other in front of his beak. His gaze penetrating her eyes from above them as he waited for her to digest the news.
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Post by Glide Heart on Oct 10, 2014 20:23:50 GMT -5
Initially Glide was embarrassed by Avitus' compliments of her achievements with the griffons. When Avitus told her of Manehatten she was generally shocked about the news of the diamond dog attack. That must've been a big army or taken the city completely by surprise. After a moment it click in her mind that her husband and colt could be in serious danger. She realized this just before Avitus told her they had both been killed. She was used to giving this kind of news to awaking patients but not receiving it. Her first emotion was disbelief he was obviously lying to her! Only Avitus wouldn't lie to her. Her grief came falling almost as hard as the griffons when they threw a punch. A wave of emotions swept over her like a swarm of changelings. She felt regret for ever leaving them and worried they had never received her last letter. Tears swelled at her eyes no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. She didn't have time however at the moment to think of all her regrets. She had to continue her conversation not sit there like a dumb struck child.
As Avitus continued to tell her that he knew her pain she paid him little attention. Millions of thoughts ran through her brain as he spoke. The first one was that she had to go and see them for herself. She would later think on his statement of this pain making her stronger. Right now it made her want to collapse and weep, but she refused to do that in front of her commanding officer. "Avitus sir" she said in a shaky voice obviously on the verge of tears. "I....I would like to request a t..temporary leave of absence to b...bury my family." She stuttered trying to remain calm. "I do not intend on permanently leaving the group.. I do need some time to grieve though." She knew how the grieving process worked for she had seen it happen real time countless times. "I would gladly accept the support of my family as well." She added after she tried to think of who she had to run to. The realization hit her almost as hard as the news of her husband and child's death. The Griffon crew was all she had left now.
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Post by Red Charge on Oct 14, 2014 20:15:56 GMT -5
"Permission denied." Avitus said, "The situation in Manehattan is still unknown. I can't send you into a warzone." Avitus said, "I'm really sorry. It's impossible to do so at this point in time." He looked at her with somewhat concerned, but still steely eyes. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked genuinely.
His spartan office was still as immaculate as ever, he had no need to worry about Glide losing it or trying to break something in frustration or anger. He hoped it wouldn't reached that point, that he had instilled enough discipline and sense of brotherhood into her that she would accept the situation and console in her new family. Of course, in a sense, this was convinient for Avitus, since without a past, there would be nothing left for Glide outside of his command. He was worried that bringing in a pony, with their less than griffon resolve and emotional tendency might shake the morale and discipline of the unit. So far it did not, but this unfortunate tragedy made sure that Glide would not be tempted to leave or cause any problems. Avitus did not feel shame at such thoughts, he had the best interests of his kingdom at heart. There is no shame in that.
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Post by Glide Heart on Oct 14, 2014 20:36:12 GMT -5
Glides heart sank lower then it had in a long time when her request was denied. She would have to wait to bury her family, and now the anger was starting to set in. She had to wait until the Diamond dogs and the rest of the world could calm their flanks and get along! IT was their fault her family was dead in the first place! With anger lining her voice she replied to Avitus. "Keep me posted on the whereabouts of their corpses. I don't want them getting lost among the other ponies bodies." she paced from empty wall to empty wall her mind buzzing like an agitated bee hive. After a minute she stopped and looked back at Avitus.
"You say you know what I'm going through. What do I do now? I cant bury them yet and i can't avenge them. All there is to do is more and more training with the other griffons." she barked with more anger showing now. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her ears pinned against her head. Her legs trembled until she sat on the ground with a gentle thud.
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Post by Red Charge on Oct 14, 2014 20:41:12 GMT -5
"IF you want, there's an old training dummy we were about to toss out, you can go crazy on that. Or if you want, I can always have one of the others up for absorption training." He said simply, he did not react emotionally to her anger. Absorption training was pretty much standing and getting beaten repeatedly. Meant to remove the fear of pain, meant to desensitize to it. Glide's first few sessions were not fun. But it became much more tolerable after a while. The other griffons she saw dared not flinch lest they displeased Avitus.
"Best not to suppress your anger, but to let it out. You can shout in my office, if you want, it's soundproof and I won't mind. Sometimes you just need to shout at something."
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Post by Glide Heart on Oct 14, 2014 21:28:58 GMT -5
Trying to put some humor in the moment she added "What other reasons are there for sound proofing you're office?" she grinned for a second before looking down and sighing. Then she stood back up and moved back in front of the desk before sitting back down. "Thank you sir but may i request now to have the evening off after lunch? I'd like to go for a walk and think. I wouldn't mind some company if that's not to much to ask." She had an idle curiosity in the back of her about what happened to him. Maybe he would share if they went for a walk later. "Or we could fly and turn it into a training endurance flight?" Doing that might help increase her chances of being able to actually do it. As for her anger now which was still buzzing around her head the training dummy didn't seem like a bad idea. "I'll take care of that training dummy for you sir to." That dummy would pay for the stupidity of the whole war.
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Post by Red Charge on Oct 15, 2014 22:41:46 GMT -5
"Certainly. Come find me after lunch, I will have the rest sparring until we get back." Avitus nodded at her. I will be sure to keep you posted as I get further updates on the situation in Manehattan. Dismissed." He waited for her to leave before going back to what he was doing prior to the arrival of the pony messenger. He was looking over a communication from the Admiral. Coded communication.
Apparently the Admiral believed he had been able to acquire a new weapon, supposedly a very powerful one. He wanted his Captains to attend a demonstration of the weapon. Avitus wondered what such a weapon could be. It can't have been a new cannon, the implementation of such would have been visible even on a large ship like the Leviathan. Besides, this was a private demonstration, meaning, he did not want the ponies to know about this weapon, whatever it was.
Avitus was intrigued. He knew Tesla too well to suspect it was one of Loci's weapons, no Tesla would not use such an honorless tool in battle. Speculation, however, was not something Avitus practiced when not necessary. He ripped the document in his talons and used the candle in his lantern to burn the remains. Now to tend his ship's business.
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Post by Glide Heart on Oct 15, 2014 23:02:36 GMT -5
Glide nodded and saluted to Avitus, and when she was dismissed she turned and walked out the door. Closing the door behind her with a gentle click she sighed and hung her head. She wanted some new action on this ship and that's just what she got. Sitting in a nice cushy hospital seemed like heaven on Equestria right about now. She picked her head back up unaware of Avitus' actions in his office behind her, and made her way toward the stern of the ship.
It was still morning and drills would still be going on with the rest of the griffons but Glide was in no mood to join them. Instead of finding the unit she made her way to the stern of the ship and crawled up the support ropes toward her favorite spot on the ship. When she did have off time and she was able to slip away, Glide liked to come here and stare out to the beautiful views of the mountains and the sky in front of the vessel. Once she finally made it to a little place where three ropes joined to a wooden plank she took a seat and leaned back against a rope. Staring out to the sky she payed no mind to the fact she was skipping drills for the first time and took a minute to sort through the beehive in her head.
Her husband and colt were now dead, she couldn't bury them, she was stuck here and couldn't go see them, and worst of all she had left them. They may not have realized that but she did and it made her feel a level of guilt she never had before. That is what ate at her the most. They would probably never know what she did, but thinking that only seemed to make it feel worse. She was a horrible mother and wife. Maybe it was best for her to join a unit of griffons and not have family ties like that anymore? As time went on she sorted through her thoughts and came to the conclusion that she was now in the best place for her. She would try to bury her past much like Avitus seemed to do and continue her training. She couldn't do that just yet though burying her emotions with that would only make things bad so first she must bury her husband and colt.
Without the distraction of the unit she lost all track of time. Before she knew it the griffons were returning to the ship for their lunch break and it was time for Glide to come back to reality. She stood up and jumped off her seat and fell to the deck of the ship with a loud thud and trotted over to the group. Her stomach growled as she rejoined the group to have lunch seemingly cheerful but confused and empty inside.
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