- So it occurred to me that Griffins are a mix of predatory birds and carnivorous felines. So I thought, why restrict it to modern animals? 99% of life that lived might have died off but there are plenty of fossils left to choose from. So I decided to try and use so ancient birds instead. The ones I found are delightfully called 'terror birds'. These huge creatures that are bigger than most people, though most seemed to be flightless. This bird is called a Kelenken, specifically the Kelenken Guillermoi from about 15 million years ago and lived in Argentina. The feline is a Thylacosmilus, an extinct genus of Saber tooth tiger. They were surprisingly small, about the size of a largeish dog. Really, google it and you'll see why they were considered weird.
Anyway, this griffin is an OC for my Fallout Equestria story. His name is Ambrose and he's a huge guy, scaring most ponies though he has a soft spot for the chipper Olive, whose up next.
- This is Olive, a green alicorn from my Fallout Equestria storyline. For those unaware, the F;OE universe has alicorns who basically act as the super mutants of the world. Beings that are super strong and tend to mess up your otherwise peaceful jog through the wasteland. They come in 3 colors: blue, purple and green. Each has a special ability. Greens can create forcefields, blues can turn invisible and purples can teleport.
Olive, unlike other alicorns, has independent thought. This is mostly because her mind is a jumbled mess and can't be controlled. As such, she generally does her own thing. She is very childish and impulsive, getting into danger quite often. Whenever that happens, Ambrose is there to save her, acting like a father figure to the mare. She affectionately refers to the gruff griffin as "Amby".
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From my Dark Star AU, we have one of the main characters, Thoughtful reflection, Formerly: Princess Frozen heart. to those unfamiliar with my Dark Star AU, I'll summarize: It takes place in the Crystal War timeline and features the next gens of that world. Twilight became King Sombra's apprentice/consort and most of the royal family have been heavily scarred by the war. Shining has had all the love in him sucked out by an uncaptured Chrysalis and Cadence has PTSD from being held hostage and fed off of for years. Frozen Heart is the child of the union of Shining and Chrysalis.
Frozen spent most of his life trying to please his parents, taking on the form of a mare so he can make them happy. Both of them despised changelings and his attempt was the only reason he hadn't been smothered in his sleep. Still, doing this is stressful and humiliating as he doesn't like pretending to be what he isn't.
From right to left:
- His name, Thoughtful Reflection, was actually given to him the day he ran away from Canterlot by his mother. While she never showed any affection, meeting him was the first time she felt something after all she had gone through. As such, she gave him a name that marked the occasion, though only she truly understood the meaning of his name. He liked it~
- His natural form is a bit different from other changelings due to the emotions he consumed growing up. As the only living changeling in Equestria, he can only guess this is the case.
- A changeling can't keep up a disguise for too long or else 'cracks' form. While transformation is natural to them, it consumes a lot of energy when maintained for a long time. These cracks come in the form of discoloration and mild hair loss. Due to his fear of being discovered, Thoughtful rarely shifts back to his natural form, choosing to cover up the cracks with makeup when possible.
- A family portrait. No one wants to be there and thoughtful is terrified of his father's ire, so forces himself to behave. Cadence is stamping down her anxiety over the lights and sounds while Shining feels nothing. To him, this is just a job.
- Thoughtful getting ready for the day by covering up his discolorations with makeup.