It was another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining because the weather was scheduled to be only partially cloudy for the next several days for both scenic value and also to help with the big rainstorm planned at the end of the week by not being too far to be a bother for the weather team to go fetch or generate.

‘Another boring day in this boring classroom until I can get out of this cage to hang out with my friends.’ Vivian mentally grumbled to herself as she leaned a cheek on her left talon and tapped her desk with her pencil as she forlornly gazed outside into the clear blue sky and the inviting-looking clouds. ‘I forgot how dang dull school was. I miss fighting crime, punching no-good mooks in the noses and delivering justice.’

“Vivian Brave!” The griffon cub jolted in her seat, snapped to attention at the irritated voice of Cheerilee. “Would you mind explaining to the class what’s more captivating than the history of Roam and the war with the Pitbulls?”

“The relatively pointless dispute over a ten acre stretch of barren land between their borders that sparked it?” Vivian threw out, making Cheerilee quickly change from irritated to her default cheerfulness.

“Ah! I see somep-someone, was actually paying attention to the history lesson yesterday. But don’t muse too much over it dear. Focus on what’s being taught now.” Cheerilee gently chided, causing some of the meaner foals in the class to snicker at the lone griffon’s inattention.

“Yes ma’am.” ‘Ugh! I already know all this! Alfalfa was relentless in my studies, and I’m kinda freaking out how similar, yet different this world is to mine.’ Vivian bemoaned as she tried to pay attention to the lesson, until a ball of paper hit her back, and she instinctively snatched it in her tail to discreetly move it under the desk so she could unwrap it with a talon while she pretended to look at the board. When she felt it was open, she quickly leaned to the side to look at it when Cheerilee was turned away.

‘We still on for the plan this weekend?’

Vivian stretched her left wing out in affirmative as she crumpled the paper back up, dropping it into her backpack with nopony the wiser.

[(x)]

When the bell rang, Viv, Bloom, Sweetie and Scoots burst out of the door of the paradoxically small schoolhouse with girlish cheers of joy as they ran to the nearby elm tree across the street. “Weekend! Oh my gosh! The next two days are gonna be awesome~!” Scootaloo gushed, mashing her cheeks with her hooves so much she made a kissy face.

“Eeyup! Especially since Applejack gave me permission to go!” Applebloom practically bounced in place.

“Pfft, you had it easy. Your sister’s his marefriend, of course she’d let you stay over at his house.” Sweetie rolled her eyes as she habitually bounced one of the natural curls of her pale purple, pink, and cream mane in a hoof. “Scoots and I had to practically beg our parents. I think the only reason they didn’t outright refuse us was because this is Royalty we’re talking about.”

“Bah, dad’s about as Royal as a doornail. He’d be the first to deny it too.” Viv joked, referencing Bronze Brave’s affinity for Doors. “So what’re we gonna do before we head over to sleep-over at my place? Catch frogs? Race around town? Read comics?” Viv asked eagerly as she got into a pouncing stance. “Or play manticore?!” Viv excitedly exclaimed, really wanting to play the more difficult game of tag.

However, the three fillies all looked at each other worriedly. “Actually...there might be a problem with this afternoon….” Bloom kicked a hoof with a pout as the other two fillies also grumbled.

“W-what? But I thought we had all weekend, including this afternoon, to hang out.” Vivian wilted a little. Just because she didn’t have external ears didn’t mean she couldn’t emote such a feeling.

“Oh, trust us. We’d love nothing more than to play with you all day Viv. It’s just that stupid jerk Diamond Tiara got her Cutie Mark and she’s having her cute-ceañera today, remember?” Scootaloo huffed, and Vivian blinked in confusion.

“What? That was today?” Viv asked bewilderedly, and the fillies looked at each other in a similar state.

“Uh, this morning? When Cheerilee was talking about Cutie Marks and Diamond Tiara revealed she’d gotten hers, and invited everypony in class to her cute-ceañera?” Sweetie reminded her griffon friend, who blinked, and then looked sheepish.

“Um...I might’ve already been daydreaming?” Viv admitted, getting her friends to groan. “But that’s not important! We can totally blow her off, there’s no way any of us have to go and suffer that prissy-.”

“Why hello my little Blank Flanks.” Came the high-toned and grating voice of the bane of their existence. “Oh, and Vivian. I still don’t get why you hang out with these losers.” The group turned to scowl at the approaching Diamond Tiara and her hanger-on, Silver Spoon.

“Wanna rephrase that miss hissy? I thought you just called my gal-pals losers. Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” Viv bit at the approaching tiara-wearing filly and her glasses-wearing peon. “After all, just yesterday, you were a kettle too.”

“Not just yet. They won’t be pots until they get branded by their smiths.” Silver Spoon grinned cruelly, making Diamond coo in approval of the turn-around, especially since it in part involved Silver’s Talent with precision metalworking. “Besides. Kettles are made of cheap iron, while pots can be made of much more valuable ores.”

“Ah get it, yer real metal-smart. Can ya go now?” Bloom snapped out. She hated it when Silver Spoon started gabbing about her metals.

“Not just yet dear Blank Flanks. Please remember that I invited Everypony in class to my cute-ceañera. You too Vivian. While you might not be a pony, it’s a good idea to get familiar with our customs, but I won’t ask you to come if you don’t want to, it’d be understood if you didn’t come for whatever reason. But you three. You don’t have any real excuses. So be there, or I’ll ensure you’re square.” Diamond sweetly threatened. “Come on Spoon. Bump, sugar lump, rump!” The two did their stupid little shake, and tittered as they left the four fuming friends.

“That ponyfeathered jerk!” Scootaloo practically shrieked, causing her voice to crack.

“Language! But yeah, that’s just mean! Now we have to go and have her hold her mark over our heads, or everypony will call us cowards.” Sweetie pouted as she leveled her simmering glare at the duo’s retreating flanks.

“I just wish I could smack their heads together and call it a day.” Viv darkly growled, her lion portion giving it a terrifying rumble that her friends actually thought was cute, considering that rumble to her own perception was pretty much a purr considering her size. “But no~. This isn’t Trotham, I can’t just smack some skulls around and call it a day.”

“Not everything can be solved with violence Viv.” Applebloom reminded her hot-headed friend, who sighed and nodded in agreement.

“We’ll just go to the snob’s party and know we’re better than her. You go and be free from the tyranny of the Tiara for a bit.” Scootaloo insisted as the three little ponies split up to rush home and dump their book bags off, while Vivian slouched and sighed as she laid down next to her backpack.

“Yeah...sure….” ‘I have tons of friends besides you to hang out with...yeah, right. Like any of these obnoxious little brats are nearly as good friends as you girls are.’ Vivian moped as she decided to take a cat-nap under the tree. ‘Well...except maybe that dork Button Mash.’ Vivian grinned to herself at the thought of the video-game obsessed colt. ‘Meh, don’t feel like playing my Joyboy though.’

[(x)]

“Hey. Wake up squirt. This isn’t a good place to take a cat-nap. You’re lucky no ponies decided to prank ya.” Viv groaned at being gently shaken by a large talon.

“Five more minutes….” Viv mumbled, causing the talon to retreat, and quickly be followed by the smallest one practically jabbing into her left feather-hidden ear-hole, wet with what was obviously spit and making the cub yelp at the wet-willie. “EW! Gross!”

“You’re the one who didn’t wake up from the nudging.” Came the snark reply of the perpetrator who dared interrupt her nap. “I swear, ya sleep more like a fledgeling than a cub.” Gilda, the only other griffon in town besides Bronze’s parents grinned down at Viv mockingly, making the cub growl, which made the hen laugh. “Oh my gosh! You still purr when you try to growl? That’s just precious.” Gilda teased, making Viv blush.

“You wouldn’t be laughing if we sparred!” Vivian challenged, and Gilda suddenly backed away with a nervous grin.

“Yeah, no. Sorry. I’m a trainer, not a fighter. I’ve got my Sight and you’ve got yours.” Gilda insisted, confusing Vivian.

“My Sight? I haven’t found it yet. My eyes have always been red.” Vivian informed the older griffon, who blinked her yellow eyes in surprise.

“Really? But they’re so vibrant! I’ve never seen a griffon who hasn’t found their Sight with eyes like those.” Gilda exclaimed as she looked Vivian in the eyes, and shrugged. “Meh, you’re about the age where you discover your Sight like ponies find their marks, so I guess you not having found it yet isn’t out of the ordinary. Just figured since the only griffs I’ve seen with eyes like those were all soldiers or guards.”

“Yeah, right. I’m no soldier, and I can’t stand the idea of standing around all day just waiting for something to happen, or sticking to predictable patrols.” Viv shook her head, her instincts given to her by Brave Wings about the ineffectiveness of traditional guard-work making such a job completely out of the question for her. “So I’ve just gotta find my Sight...like my friends need to find their Marks!” Viv exclaimed, her feathers all ruffling up in excitement as her bright red eyes shimmered with joy while Gilda backed away nervously. “I’ve got it! Thanks Gilda!”

“No prob squirt….” Gilda weakly chuckled as the cub quickly put on her backpack and flew off. “Oh dang, what have I done? I’ve gone and sparked a Sight Seeker.” Gilda smiled wistfully. “Just like old times…better warn the mayor about future potential property damage….”

[(x)]

Vivian quickly flew to the library to use the door on the side that led to Battopia so she could drop her bag off at home, then burst back into town with her heart pounding from exertion and excitement as she thought over her pitch. ‘Girls! We can totally start our own Sight Seekers Squadron! Or, since you need to find marks, Mark Masters? Cutie Catchers? Ugh, I’ll ask them for ideas for a team name.’

Vivian flew around, looking for any signs of a party, before sighing at her silliness and headed for the only gingerbread house in town, seeing the signs of a party as clear as day. ‘Duh Viv, only public place kid-friendly in town for a party besides the park, and that would’ve been even easier to see.’ Vivian flew down to the tasty-looking building, and blew a couple rogue plumes of her crest out of her eyes, the red-tipped white feathers insistently getting in her face until she slicked it back. ‘Gotta get a crest cut.’

“Why welcome Vivian Brave!” Vivian cringed at hearing Diamond Tiara’s sickly-sweet voice addressing her, and blandly looked at the party girl as she approached, surprisingly without her hanger-on Silver Spoon. “I’m so glad you decided to come. I don’t know if you griffons have something similar, but to us ponies, getting our mark is a time to celebrate.”

“Yeah, yeah, rite-of-passage stuff. We griffons actually do have something like it. See my eyes?” Vivian pointed to her big, bright red eyes, which Diamond did gaze into gladly. “They won’t be this vibrant red someday. When I discover my passion, my driving desire in life, my Sight, they’ll change color to represent it. For instance, that griffon Gilda? She’s a baker, and her eyes are yellow. Yellow eyes usually represent the griff who has them enjoys energetic pursuits such as training, exercise, and cooking. They’re associated with Energy, and you’ll often find your chef, personal trainer, or athlete has yellow eyes.”

“Wow...so what do red eyes normally mean?” Diamond asked with genuine interest, surprising Vivian. She just mentioned it so Diamond would stop getting on her nerves about different culture crap.

“Um...well, red eyes means a griff is driven with the desire to protect, guide, or they have an innate skill for combat. Mostly red-eyed griffs end up as soldiers, guards, investigators, judges, even politicians in some rare cases, but usually those ones have gray eyes, but griffon kings and queens almost always have red eyes.” Vivian explained, making Diamond hum as she seemed to muse over it.

“Huh...shame those aren’t your true eyes then. Because I think you’d be a great leader of others.” Diamond complimented, making Vivian balk at her in surprise. “Oh, more guests. You go ahead and mingle, I have to see to my guests, it is my party after all. It’s only polite.” Diamond Tiara moved to the door, and Vivian was left a little confused.

‘That’s...the most respect I’d ever seen out of her...still a royal flankhole though.’ Vivian moved into the party, easily spotting her friends all slouching at a table in the far corner of the establishment, away from everypony else. Well, except Button Mash and Rumble, the only two colts in class who still didn’t have their marks yet. “Sup pals?” Vivian called out as she moved past Button on the outer edge, getting a laugh out of him as she mussed his mane before moving across from him to sit next to Scootaloo, who along with the rest were pleased as punch to see her.

“Viv! You didn’t have to come and suffer with us.” Scoots said with a proud grin at her griffon friend who pulled her into a giggling one-armed hug.

“And leave my pals to suffer alone? What kind of friend would I be?” Vivian asked, getting the colts to look to each other in confusion.

“A bad one?” And there was the evidence of a male stating the obvious in the form of Button Mash who seemed earnestly confused at how obvious the answer was, getting the girls to snicker. “What?”

“I think it was implied Button.” Rumble figured out with a faint blush staining his blueish-gray coat, getting Button to blink.

“Oh. My bad.” Then the brown colt went back to his Joyboy, once more dead to the world as his two-tone orange mane hid part of his face as he played his hoof-held with an intensity in his red-brown eyes. “You bring your game Viv?” Button asked idly without looking up.

“Yeah, I’ll play with ya in a sec, but I’ve got important stuff to talk about.” Vivian stated with an unusually serious tone that even got Button the pause his game and look up. “We all are here today for one reason, well, sorta in my case. That filly Diamond is holding her mark over your heads like it’s the greatest thing in the world.”

“But it is!” Applebloom whined, getting nodding affirmations from all the other blank flanks at the table.

“Yeah, we won’t know what our Special Talent is until we get it.” Rumble grumbled as he looked at his plain flank.

“I’m just wondering why I don’t already have a ‘gaming’ Cutie Mark.” Button lamented as his propeller hat slowed down.

“Yeah, Button’s the best gamer in town, but he still doesn’t have his mark, so what does that mean? For all of us?” Sweetie asked, as only her friends at that very table knew she had a semi-secret indulgence in gaming herself, but didn’t let her sister know.

“It means, it’s time.” Vivian ominously stated, looking around at the others who all looked bewildered.

“Time for what?” Scootaloo asked to break the ice, and Vivian flared out her wings, not caring that she spread her left wing over Scoot’s back.

“It is time, for the Sight Seeker Squadron to form here in Ponyville!” Vivian declared, getting the colts to look lost and her best friends to all blink, remembering what she’d already told them about griffons and their Sight.

“But we don’t have Sight like you griffons Viv.” Applebloom commented, and Sweetie gasped in understanding.

“You mean? We should form a group devoted to finding our marks?” Sweetie asked in excitement, getting everypony at the table to gasp in elation as well.

“And my Sight. But since it’s mostly for you all, being called the Sight Seekers Squadron doesn’t really make much sense, so we need a name.” Vivian put forth, and the five friends all got to thinking.

“The Cutie Catchers?” Scoots suggested, getting unanimous nos and Scootaloo agreed that it was a lame name.

“Mark Masters?” Bloom put forth, also getting negatives.

“Cutie Mark Acquisition Program?” Sweetie asked, getting amused snorts, but ultimately it was turned down.

“Talent Scouts?” Rumble proposed, but aside from groans at parallels with the Filly Scouts there was nothing else.

“How about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Button Mash asked, getting everyone to look at him. “I mean, this isn’t something usually done right? So, we’d be crusading against the injustice of ponies everywhere who don’t know their talents.” Button said, and after a few seconds, everyone cheered.

“Is it unanimous?” Vivian asked, getting everypony to nod, so she lifted Scootaloo’s half-empty shake off the table. “Then it is hereby declared upon this day forth, that until we find our callings, we five are to be called Crusaders, for your Marks, my Sight, and the talents of any who might need our help! This adjourns the official first meeting, of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Vivian gently but firmly clanked the bottom of the shake’s glass on the table as a gavel, and the friends all cheered, while outside, Gilda and Dash looked on in worry.

“G...what have you done?” Dash asked in horror as Gilda gulped.

“Doomed Ponyville, that’s what….” The griffon said grimly, before the two flew off to recover from the terrifying revelation of the formation of a group of well-meaning youngsters who would inevitably cause thousands of bits of property damage and hospital bills for the foreseeable future.

Author's Notes:

Eeyup, a chapter away from Bronze, mostly because I didn't want to neglect everyone's favorite troublemakers, and also wanted to specifically point out what Vivian will be generally up to in the background, as well as involve Rumble and Button Mash for reasons that all of us are extremely aware of.

So yeah, Griffons have their Sight, like how Ponies have Marks and Minotaurs have their Names and Rings.

As for why my update took so long? Been sick, and also depression at the job I was so longing for slipping from my fingers. No motor pool for this poor schmuck after all oh well, time to drown in ponies.