Title:           Gabby and Gertrude
Author:          Anonymous
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/BvRw8Lft
First Edit:      Monday 21st of December 2015 08:20:21 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Monday 21st of December 2015 08:20:21 PM CDT

A young griffoness lays sprawled out across the wooden floor of her warm family home in New Kvestwic, black fur and silver feathers neatly trimmed and brushed accompanied by a simplistic, but pristine green dress.
 
Gabriele has a box of crayons assorted next to her along with a long white sheet of paper, along which she was happily drawing a series of griffons in guard outfits (lines neatly colored in of course), taking a few whips to a chain-gang of ponies, goats, minotaurs, and other lesser races that had the gall to oppose their land and wound up in her mommy's prison. She gives a particular sick grin as she draws her mother in the outfit of the head jailor, marking a poor pegasus with their infamous family crest in a deep red.
 
She waves a talon across her forehead, wiping a few beads of sweat off her brow while looking at the open windows in disdain. Her mother insisted they needed they should save on the power of their cooling unit in the summer months, but Gabriele found it very lacking in efficiency and blew a tuft of hair out of her face as she watched the windows.
 
She stepped away from her crayons for a moment to gaze out the window, taking in the grandeur of New Kvestwic in all its splendors. The griffons passing to and fro, the chariots coming from below, the mighty engines of the generators beneath the city, the majesty of the mountain situated under it, where her dearest mother works...
 
Gabriele sighs, "I wonder when she'll be home soon..."
 
As though answered by a prayer, she heard a hard beat flap at the doors, and the griffon cub turned around in delight and squealed. "Mummy! Mummy, you're home!"
 
She flew over to the door with all due haste before it opened to reveal an older griffon in a prip, proper grey uniform, marked with metals and lightly embezzled. Underneath a gray cap similar to one Gabriele would one day similarly wear, the gray feathers of an eagle look down at the scampering griffoness around her claws, and a short frown takes the place of her smile.
 
"Gabriele! What did I tell you about running around scuffing up the wood? Is that any way for a young lady to behave?"
 
Gabriele freezes, shocked she had forgotten such a rule. She pauses in place, standing at attention while looking down at the floor. "I-I'm sorry, Mummy, I was so excited I forgot..."
 
The smile returns to Gertrude's face, the older griffon leaning down to scratch her daughter's head with her beak. "It's alright, luv, you're just happy to see Mummy. Quite understandable." She closes the door behind her, taking off her hat to place on a stand while removing a whip placed around her waist. "I'm terribly sorry I couldn't pick you up from school today, my dear, my break completely got away from me when a pair of minotaurs decided they needed a little extra TENDERIZING in their cells, today. You had little problem flying home?"
 
Gabriele happily nods, "Oh, of course, mother. I understand how busy you get, truly. Though, I imagine father might have..."
 
"STOP. Stop right there, young lady." Gertrude barks, "I told you never to mention that pitiful excuse for a griffon's name in this household ever again."
 
Gabriele closes her beak, "Sorry, Mummy. I know I'm not supposed to."
 
"Then, act like it dear." She sighs, "Feather-cub, I know it must be confusing, to have that man around here so long and not have him anymore. But you understand WHY he's not here anymore, darling?"
 
Gabriele nods her head. "He was weak, Mummy! He didn't care enough about you or me to push himself forward."
 
Gertrude smiles, "Precisely! And, what do ALL griffons strive for?"
 
The young one raises her arms, "Excellence, and perfection!"
 
"Quite right. Your father did not believe in any of this. He was weak-willed, and would want YOU to be soft and pudgy like he was. Remember that whenever you think of him fondly ever again, promise me dear? Think 'he was going to hold me back'."
 
Gabriele smiles, "He was going to hold me back."
 
"Wonderful dear. Now, what did you do while waiting for me?"
 
Gabriele happily flies back over to her crayons and the drawing on the floor, "I made this drawing of you, Mummy, of you at the jail with all the inferiors, see see?!" She smiles, pointing at her mother with the whip snapping at a pair of goats with a whip. "That's you, keeping them all in line like they should be, Mummy."
 
Gertrude smiles, holding the picture close and looking at it with swelling pride and adoration. "It's beautiful, dear, you drew Mummy MUCH better than you used to. It's so wonderful, I do believe this will be coming with me to work. I would love to have it on my desk. Would you mind terribly, dear?"
 
Gabriele shakes her head, "No mummy, of course not, I'm so happy you like it. Though, I have a bit more work on the goats. They're not cute enough yet."
 
Gertude scoffs, "Oh, dear, they're just nibblers, you know that. You got mummy right, that's more than enough for me."
 
Gabriele frowns, "Oh, I know mother, but, the nibblers are awfully cute all the same... I like drawing the horns, those are pretty."
 
Gertrude sighs, "Well, if you insist, dear, though don't give them too much mind. One should never put too much effort into any mere goat, you know that don't you?"
 
Gabriele nods her head, "I know mother. They're just smelly dumb nibblers, but, I still think they're sort of lovely... will you watch me draw them, Mother?"
 
The older griffon lies on the nearby bed, lifting up the drawing, crayons, and tiny griffoness up with her. "Of course, darling. But only if you add a few more prison griffons to balance it out. It is a deal?"
 
The young griffon girl laughs and nods her head, exuberant at sharing her artistry with her beloved mother as the sun sets just outside.