Nightlight was in Griffonstone, she heard that the griffons needed some help for rebuilding their capital and were willing to recruit some ponies for extra help. She didn't know how much she will be paid, knowing how the griffons can be with money. She already had signed up for a job and a griffon was supposed to meet her at the train station. When exiting the train, she saw another griffon watching back at her. She get closed and he present himself as the griffon who will be her "boss" for the next few days and if she wants to stay under his roof, she needs to follow some rules first.

"Sure, what are the rules?" Asked Nightlight.

"First: what's your name? I don't want to call you "Pony" for the rest of the week."

"Nightlight Aura." Said the black pegasus mare.

"Aura huh? I think Gaura will sound more nice to it."

"What? Why?"

"Cause it's like a tradition for us griffons, to call ourselves with names starting with the letter G, I hope you like it, cause I will call you like that as long as you are here."

"Whatever, so, what are the other rules?"


After saying all the rules, Nightlight only nodded her head of affirmation and follow the griffon to his hut. Like the rest of the town, the thing was almost completely destroyed, and the inside was not better.

"Wow, it was no joke when I heard the state of this town."

"Indeed, and we really hope ponies like you can provide more help, we don't have magic like unicorn and pegasus can fly much faster than us.

"While you still have the strength and stamina for you."

"Well, true, you're more smarter than you look Gaura."

Nightlight didn't react to being called "Gaura" again and instead go to places her stuff in her designated room. However, she quickly notice that her bed hadn't any blankets and has a hole in the roof. She turns to the griffon.

"Excuse me, but can I have a room with at least some protection from the outside?" She ask pointing the hole in the roof.

"You got bits Gaura?"

"Bits?"

"Yes, bits, nothing is free with the griffons, you can have this room since you will work for us but that's it, better get used to it, no bits no better room."

"Fine, at least give me a blanket, the night will be cold."

The griffon only raise an eyebrow, letting Nightlight immediately understand.

"Oh come on! You want bits for this too?!"

The griffon only smirks as an answer, defeated, Nightlight throws him two bits, he quickly catched them and give the pegasus a short blanket, it was not much, but at least she will not get cold this night.

"Dinner is soon Gaura, don't be late or you will have to go stomach empty to bed."

"Or just give you some bits for a few portion of food?"

"If you want."

"I was joking!"

"Calm down, I know, but I will not joke if you're late, so be ready to come when I tell you."

He then leaves, leaving Nightlight time to get comfy in the best she could until dinner. When dinner time has come, Nightlight rushed to the dining room, where the griffon was waiting for her.

"There you are, let's eat."

Nightlight take her place at the other side of the table made of rock, she ate her plate quickly and clean the dishes before going to bed, the trip had being long and tomorrow was a long day.

Despite the hole in her bedroom, the blanket keep her warm enough to sleep peacefully.

She was awake by the griffon yelling at her.

"Wake up Gaura! Time for work, and we got plenty today."

"No breakfast?" Asked Nightlight, still half asleep.

"You don't need one until you have done what we need to do. Now go buy some stuff I need and come back here."

"Okay, give me the bits then."

"The bits? You're joking? You also have to pay for it."

"This isn't fair!" Protested Nightlight.

"It's the griffon way. Now go, or no breakfast for you!"

Nightlight can only complied, she grabs some of her bits and proceed to go at the shop, she bought all the thing on the list and paid it, since she knew bits will be necessary to ask others to bring this stuff for her, she was forced to bring it back alone. Once back at the house, she was exhausted.

"Good, now go make the breakfast, next you can fix the hole in your room since you seem to care."

That was enough for Nightlight, she stands up and watch the griffon.

"Fine, so I suppose you have bits?"

The griffon watch back at her.

"What?"

"Since you griffons only wants to talk with bits then I'll play along, no bits, no breakfast for you."

Both just stare at each other before the griffon started to laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha, not bad Gaura, looks like you finally get along with the griffon way, ponies are not so soft after all."

He then give 1 piece of gold to the pegasus who only smiled and goes to the kitchen prepared a breakfast for her and her host. Once both have ate, they were about to start fixing the holes in the hut, but Nightlight saw a thing back in a corner of the house, a very large bag with many bits inside. She was not a thief, but something crossed her mind, an idea that could teach this griffon a lesson.

Pretending she needs to go to the toilet first, she grabs the bag and hides it in her room.

"I will ask him some bits to tell him where it is, and some of the ones inside this bag to give it back."

Satisfied with her job, she goes outside and start to work all day.


The journey was about to end, Nightlight had manage to extract more bits from her host but also from some other griffons she needed to see for supplies or food.

"I must admit, you acted like a true griffon today, you obtained more than you give."

"Nothing I can't handle."

"By the way, have you seen my bag of bits?"

"Maybe..." Only answered Nightlight.

"Gaura, what have you done?" Nightlight raises an eyebrow while smirking. "Okay fine..." Said the griffon before tossing two bits.

"I will tell you where it is, only if I can have some of the bits inside."

"You're lucky I start to like you Gaura... deal."

"In my room, allow me to bring it back." She said before going inside and came back a little later with the bag being less heavier than it was at the beginning of the day. "Here, I already took my part, so you can take it."

The griffon only groans and took back the bag, leaving Nightlight alone who was very satisfied of her work... a very quiet voice was trying to tell her to stop, that she wasn't a griffon , but she didn't listen it

"Look all the money I have gathered, who could I thought I was good to act the griffon way?"

The dinner was spend in silence and Nightlight slept very well, the hole in the roof having being fixed, however, a small beam of light coming from the moon managed to pass through, and the beam became more brighter when it was on Nightlight, it make her levitate from her bed, not wakening the pegasus, the beam then ingulf the room with a flash before putting Nightlight down on her bed and disappear in the night just like it came.

The next morning, Nightlight heard the voice of her host yelled.

"Gaura, it's time to wake up!"

Nightlight opened her eyes and shook her head, she felt very strange for some reason, all her body felt strange, she stretched her legs and got up, she quickly noticed her posture wasn't right, she was still on all fours, but her hooves felt weird... she look at them and she gasped, instead of her hooves were two talons at the base of her front legs and and hind hooves were now paws with retractable claws, like a lion.

"What in the...?" Said Nightlight before taking a better look at herself in the mirror.

The reflection watching back at her was nothing like the pegasus mare she expected to see, her face was more bird like on top of a large neck, with a beak in the middle and two large eyes surrounded by gray patches of... feathers? That's right, her fur had been replaced by feathers,, she was now covered of black feathers, only the ones on the top of her head had a smooth transition to a blue matching her former mane. Her tail was more lion like with a black and blue base, the last remaining of her pony tail. Unlike her head, her body was still cover with fur, but this one was more thick. As for her wings, they were now massive with big black feathers.

"I... I can't believe it! I just turn into a griffon myself?! But how?!"

She then heard the door open.

"Hey Gaura, get up now or..." Start to say the griffon but he was cut short by what he saw. He then suddenly laugh, making Nightlight turn her head with a disapproval stare on her face. "This is what you get when you act like a griffon: You're becoming one my dear Gaura."

"If instead of laughing you can explain to me, it will be better." Answered angrily the new griffon.

"I'm not a specialist, but here's what I've overheard, if a pony act just like a griffon will do but in a bad way, this pony will be punish by becoming the very thing they act like. To be honest, I thought it was only a legend, otherwise I would have warn you... anyway, this new look fits you great Gaura."

Nightlight only chuckled.

"Ha, I found annoying that you called me like that every time, dweeb, but now I guess it will become my official name since griffons like to have name in G, beside, you were right, it does sound much better."

"Anyway, griffon or pony, we still have work to do here, so you better stop watching at yourself and come outside." 

"Don't push me, you better have some bits ready if you want something decent from me, this griffon doesn't work for free."

She spoke like a true griffon, like any trace of her pony self was gone. Her host only nods in annoyance and go. Leaving the black griffon alone.

With a smirk she took another look at herself and deployed her new wings.

"I can't believe how soft I was as a pony, being a griffon is so much better, goodbye Nightlight Aura the pegasus, welcome Gaura the griffon."

Gaura then go outside, ready to start her new griffon life.