The dark cavern hid the newest members of the Grasslands Clan from the outside world. One cub, dark in color and green of eye, was the first to see and admire his homeland. Loki's searching eyes sought out his mother and siblings. His mother slept soundly and he could see the king at the entrance. The cub crawled cautiously away from his mother. He stayed in the shadows and watched the leader.

Ti'ana, with sharp eyes saw her brother look about of the cavern. She followed, quietly on the rock that laid infront of her. Her ears twicted as she appoarched her brother. Poucing cubishly (as she was was) on him, "Gotcha!" she giggled and ran around him a couple of turns. Her lion tawny tail flying in the breeze. She stopped and opened her beak and made a caw, it echoed. Her blue eyes widened as she flodded her wings once more. Whats out there? puzzled, she jumped off the ledge and started to sniff around. She spied a cricket; and caught it quickly. She struggled up again and ran to her mother, nudging her.

Loki growled and chased his sister back into the cave. He saw her head for Medina, but he used his dark coloration to plan a surprise. the cub crept around to the other side of his mother, being careful to avoid both her and Draco's tails. Medina was a sound sleeper most of the time, so Loki had little to fear. Crouching, Loki prepared to pounce on his unsuspecting sister.

Medina kept her eyes closed, but she was definately awake. She had been so ever since she had felt Ti'ana leave her side. She listened as the two cubs scuffled. She decided that she would wait until Loki had had his fun before answering her daughter.

Loki thought to himself "Five...Four...Three...Two... One!" Then the cub leaped over his mother, landing almost on top of his sister. To his surprise, Medina looked over at them. She had been watching all along! "What's going one, you two?" She asked. Loki only said three words that are the most common ones in many sibling rivalries: "She started it!"

I'm sure it would be hard to talk with you beck full. "Mue caugha bugli" It sound just like that; muffled. She placed it down near her mother. Well, I Pounced on Loki, and he pounced on me. It's just a game" She said inocently, floding her lioness ears back. "I didn't bite 'im or anthin'" she sat down. "can we still play?"

Medina nodded. "Go ahead. Just stay in the cave for now, though." The mother gryphon watched as the pair bounded away. She sat up and glanced at Draco, who looked like he was still asleep.

With a little growl, Loki bounded away. Spotting a grasshopper, he crouched. His flanks quivered with anticipation. He leaped, missing the insect by several pawlengths. He landed flat on his stomach with his wings spread. "Where'd he go?" Loki looked over his shoulder at his sister. "Did you eat 'im?"

As Ti'ana turned, she was chewing the bug happily. "Yup, he a'int as good as milk, but 'im tastes alright" She swallowed and punced on her brother, silently; she didn't mean to be as silent as she was.. it just came to her. She landed on him, mouthing his back. Her beck is quite blunt, but still there would be some pain still. She let go and ran around her mother and giggled happily.

Loki nipped at his sister. Being a baby, his beak was not very sharp. He chased after Ti'ana, play-growling as he did so. He jumped over Draco, holding his wings out above him. To his utter surprise, he glided a bit before landing, again, on his belly. "Hey Ti! You've got to try dis!" He screeched as he leapt into the air again, feeling his feathers slow his fall. The landing this time, however, was even rougher. Loki landed on his feet, but so off balance that he rolled over, landing in a heap on his sister. "Wanna try, wanna try? I'm doin' it again!" He crowed, as he fell off of his sister.

Else were in the cave was Drako who had found a muddy spot and was emersing himself in it, giving off playful growls. He though got bored quickly, his attention moved to his brother and sister. Seeing his sister pounce on Loki he found a great oppertunity. He then went over and lunged his mud coated body ontop of the two ,"PILE!"

"Umphf" Loki grunted as his larger brother landed on him. "Aaargh! You got me mukky!" He screeched and playfully batted at Draco's face. Loki rolled over, toppling his siblings before trying to jump into the air again. Like the other times, it failed. Loki shook himself off. His dark fur was matted by mud. "Oooh, just you wait! I'm gonna getcha good" he tensed, ready to spring at his brother.

Ti'ana popped out, and hearing her brother saying to try to fly she flapped her wings. She managed to glide down, but ontop of her siblings. "Whoa!!" she screamed and sat right on top of them. She giggled and started tugging on one of her brothers ears. Or was it an ear. She was having too much fun to realised and she started a giggling fit as she tugged harder.

As all three cubs piled on one another, growling and nipping one another, Draco's mud soon covered all of them. Loki was the first to emerge from the kit-pile, shaking and trying earnestly to remove the mud from his wings. He resorted to picking out the larger clods piece by piece until he was light enough to get off the ground again. "Lookie!" He screeched again as he forced himself into the air. This time he landed not on his siblings, but on his mother.

Medina turned with a start. She stared at her son, who sat innocently on her back. Looking from one small cub to the other she asked "So, how high have you gone? How far have you glided?" There was a hint of pride in her voice as she remembered her first attempts as a cub.

Ti'ana flapped into the air, not very gracefully and flew a semi circle to her mother's head. "Thats how far I flew mamma!" she said proudly, smiling with delight as her mother watched her siblings. "Loki did it first though!" she squeled with delight, her deep blue eyes shining brightly.

Draco raised an eyebrow as everone was showing mama how they could fly. He got up and jumped up flapping his wings rapidly but only stayed up momentarily. He tried this over and over again, but unsuccesful. He then leaped torwards mama flapping his wings causing him to glide slightly to her.

Loki slid off his mother's back. Then he jumped upward, first trying to get into the air, then trying to land on all four paws and on the ground. It would have worked better if he had watched where he was going. With a thump, Loki's hind pawsmade contact with Draco's wings and both cubs fell to the ground. "Sorry sorry mybad" he said while backing away from his brother.

Medina sighed. A mother's work is never done. "Beautiful all of you. Keep practicing and soon you'll all be big enough to go outside." She turned to Draco. "Are you alright? That was quite a hit." Her sons looked like they were about to start fighting and Ti'ana seemed to be too excited to notice.

Drako yepled in surprised when Loki landed on him, his legs went all four directions. Even after his brother got off he remained there, he groaned a bit but he then heard his mom ask if he was ok. He raised his head and gave a fake smile ,"I'm A ok!" his voice was very optimistic and perky, unlike his body posture.

"Oopsie" Loki said, grinning. He slid further away from his brother and crouched. Maybe if he put more power into his leap, he would have a longer glide. One... two... three... GO! He sprang into the air and spread his wings so that his feathers could capture the wind. Higher... higher. Loki looked up towards the cave cieling. Unfortunately, that was the only thing he was looking at. With a grunt, Loki hit the wall and landed in a heap. He lay there for a moment, too stunned to move.

Medina watched her sons' antics and flinched when Loki hit. So far, he had gone the highest, but none of them were quite ready for the outside world yet. The mother gryphon stood up and went to her fallen son. "Are you alright?" She pulled him towards herself with her wing.

Loki opened his eyes and shook his head to clear the spinning. It didn't work. It felt like he was riding a tornado.

As her brothers menacly played, flying about in a most confusing action that meet the large pupils of Ti'ana. She flapped her wings in a delight, running in a galloping motion to leap over her fretting mother. She let out an excited WEEE! As she landed near her brothers. She had glided over her mother almost silently, and she was proud she did not hit herself against the walls of the cave! When can we go huntin' Mama? she asked curisosly as she padded softly, rubbing her beak against her mother's feathers. When can we Mama?

Hearing his sister ask, Loki stood up and bounced over to the female gryphons. Yeah, yeah When? He quivered, unable to keep still with excitement.

Medina smiled "In another day or two, we can go out." She said, nuzzling her daughter and pulling her sons closer. "When you have all become sucessful at flight, you will be ready to start hunting. We will both take you." She nodded toward a silhouetted Skittle guarding the cave enterance.

Skittle proudly walked into the cave, positive that nothing was outside. He liked to pretend to be the cubs' father, even though he wasn't, because cubs need the fatherliness of a second parent.

"Beautiful flights, cubs! Here's a tip; look exactly in front of you and make sure you know where you're going to land and that it's safe. Try to tuck your paws to your body so they don't get into the way for gaining speed, and for now use those for steering. Later in your life, you'll be able to use the tips of your flightfeathers, but it's more tricky, graceful as it is."