Looking back on it all, I wonder how I ever got to be where I was today. I came to Equestria as an Alien, literally, and am now reaching my sixtieth birthday as well as celebrating my thirty-sixth year as Lord of the Griffin kingdoms. Yes that makes me a griffin as well, after all would griffins accept anything other than another griffin to lead them; I should think not, too much pride.

I reclined in my throne looking over many documents that my aide had delivered to me. A letter appeared before me in a flash of light, I opened it and began to read.

Aero,

It has come to my attention that you are reaching your sixtieth year of life, for this I wish you a heartfelt happy birthday. And if it is not too much trouble I wish to offer an invitation to visit my sister and me at our castle in Canterlot, I know Luna would really appreciate a visit from an Old friend. The offer extends to your wife and children as well. Feel free to reply at your earliest convenience.

Your Friend,

Celestia

I smiled happily as I picked up my quill. Celestia and Luna certainly had been two of my closest friends as well as trusted advisors, as I thought that my wife, my queen, walked up from behind me. "Thinking deeply again, my love?" I smiled and turned to face her looking into her golden eyes.

I smiled softly at her. "Oh you know me Gilda, Always thinking," I replied in a quiet voice.

"Is that a letter from Celestia I see on your desk," She replied curiously.

"Yes, it is," I replied. "I was just about to reply to an invitation to visit her and her sister at Canterlot."

She smiled.

"I was just about to accept, you know I have been dying for a break for the last thirty years." I replied.

"Of course you have, my love," She replied nuzzling into the feathers of my neck adoringly.

I quickly wrote my reply.

Dear Celestia,

I have decided to accept your invitation and will arrive within the next few days. I have been meaning to take a break from ruling my nation for a while now anyways. It's about time I had a vacation.

Your Friend,

King Aero a.k.a. Max

"Daddy!" a young voice called, I looked over to see my youngest daughter running at me leaping into an aerial tackle. I caught her in my arms and pulled her into a gentle hug,

"Gale!" another young voice called. I looked up to see my oldest daughter, Tempest striding into the room.

"Tempest, Gale what are you two fighting about now," Gilda asked.

"Gale went into my room and got into my closet and jewelry and destroyed everything," Tempest replied angrily.

'Here we go again,' I thought.

"Gale apologize to your sister," Gilda said gently

"Sorry." The tiny griffin in my arms said as she shrank into my chest.

Tempest sighed loudly "It's alright Gale, next time just ask before you tear through my things," she said.

I smiled at my children. "Girls how much do you know about my rise to the throne?" I asked setting Gale on the floor, as I turned towards a pile of pillows and collapsed into them.

Gale and Tempest looked at me in confusion; While Gilda smiled and joined me on my pile of pillows lying next to me.

"Only what we were taught in class, that you were once a farmer from an unknown land, and you raised an army to fight against the tyranny of the last king, eventually defeating him in single combat for control of the throne," Tempest replied. "There's really not much known about the war other than those facts. Why?"

"What if I told you that the war wasn't it was cracked up to be, what if I told you the truth about how I came to be King? hm?" I asked raising an eyebrow,

I pulled a book from a nearby shelf and opened it, motioning for my children over to my side. "This is a photo album from before I became King. Everything within these pages must be kept a family secret that each of us must take to their graves," I said seriously. Tempests' eyes widened, and then I burst out laughing. "I'm only joking, but seriously the contents within can be shared with no one except those I trust," I looked to both of my children.

I open the book revealing many different photos and artistic drawings. The first photo was a creature that neither Gale nor Tempest had ever seen before. It stood next to their mother with a smile plastered on its face; their mother wore a look that they had seldom seen on her in their life, a scowl.

"What kind of creature is that?" Tempest asked.

"A human," Gilda said softly.

"What's a human?" Gale asked.

"A predator far more dangerous than any griffin alive today," Aero replied.

His daughters' eyes widened at the thought of something more dangerous than a griffin. As she looked at the photo the creature reminded her of a certain someone. "Who is he?" She asked.

Gilda smiled. "That would be your father," she replied.

"No way," Tempest said loudly, "Father is a Griffin not a human," she said in protest,

"I wasn't born a griffin," I replied.

His daughters reeled with this information; looks of shock were clearly visible on their faces. This caused me to chuckle slightly.

"Well this is quite the story, sometimes I find it hard to believe it's all real, It all started roughly twenty years ago…" I began to tell my story.