> Lovely Little Letters
>  by Backlash91
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Secret Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rickety aged cash register clunked shut with a dull ding as Gilda handed her current customer their change. Today was another one of those days. The crotchety old griffon across from her grunted as a thanks and she gave him his scone with a medium cup of Happy Times Coffee. It was good stuff, shipped in from Ponyville's premiere party planning mare, Pinkie Pie. 

Of course she would make her own coffee brand, that mare never stops moving! Gilda thought with a smirk.

"Come back soon, pal!" She growled back. The griffon, now at the door to her bakery, gripped his scone tighter and hissed at her in reply. In doing so, she caught the gentle smile he donned as he left. He was a regular, and their interactions always made her warm with happiness. The years might have started slowly ticking by, but one thing was always the same. Griffons were gruff, tough, but mostly all fluff. Choosing to hide their enjoyment or pleasure behind a scowl, locked doors , or in the privacy of their own nests. 

Still, Pinkie Pie and those darn pony folk had been right, a little friendship went a long way. After Gilda's second meeting with the party planner/wonderbolt duo, She'd started to see things a little differently around her home town. What were previously pointless griffons plodding around town became her people. Empty buildings like the one she worked to now own, were opportunities, not setbacks. The random passerby that glanced in her bakery every now and then, were potentially friends and customer. Fellow griffons she could employ and via their hard work, improve the city of Griffonstone back to it's former glory.

Or at least one with running water, working rain gutters, actual glass in windows, power and electricity, doors that didn't fall off every other time they were opened, internal heating, ya know, necessary stuff for living comfortably and the like. As it stood now(barely), half the nests in Griffonstone didn't even have enough rooms to house the families that owned them. This hurt to see deep down, and Gilda felt they as a race should be doing a lot better.

It wasn't uncommon to see hatchlings get shoved outside in the early hours of the morning while the parents tried to get some time to themselves. Gilda knew it all had to change. The whole town needed rebuilding. The local library had been rebuilt thanks to Rainbow Dash's Princess of books directly intervening and funding it's reconstruction. That mare was dangerous when books were harmed, and Gilda had to smooth down her feathers as the memory surfaced. 

Never get between Celestia and her ponies. Never get between Luna and her night. Never get between Cadance and her family. Lastly, never get between Twilight and her books. 

Alicorns were weird. Powerful? Ungodly so. Kind and generally benevolent? Oh to a sick fault. Normal? Nope, not a chance in Tarturus were they normal. Too much magical energy flowing up in those skulls to ever be considered safe or normal. Gilda shook herself, ruffling her feathers out before opening and closing her wings so they sat more comfortably on her back. She looked about her store with a content sigh. Pride welled up inside her as her eyes beheld the work she and friends had put into it, but sometimes all on her own. 

Red bricked walls, painstakingly smoothed, scrubbed, and cleaned of extra debris, with lively green potted plants hanging from the higher hooks drilled into places above booths. Two large, rectangular glass-less windows let the customers peer out to the world beyond her door, as well as let the wind and weather in occasionally. She'd have to fix that eventually. Getting dust in one's coffee and food wasn't pleasant. With winter closing in on them, it was more a demand of her customers than a suggestion at this point.

Directly in front of the door, was a very griffon like welcome mat, Enchanted by a friend so that it said "Come on in!" to any who stopped to see it. On their way out, it very enthusiastically said 'Get outta here!'. Gallus had gifted that to her without her knowledge. It was just there one day with a note that said "Good luck." in Gallus's poor penmanship. She wasn't going to complain. It certainly stopped customers from ogling the only other well made building in town besides the library. 

Were one to enter her bakery, they'd immediately see two large glass protected, magically refrigerated cases, stocked full of twelve different confectionery goods Gilda had baked herself. The cases had been donated by another of Rainbow Dash's friends, a white unicorn she couldn't remember the name of. As for the food, well, Pinkie pie helped her learn and perfect the recipes. 

Scones, muffins, small cakes, shortbreads, cookies, biscotti, griffon claws, and a smattering of other delectable treats lined her cases. All of it was done by Gilda. Solid griffon work she could be proud of, and boy was she. Half her products were simple treats, little delights that chicks or adult griffons could enjoy quickly between work shifts or while they enjoyed the morning paper, regularly delivered by the town post bird, Gabby. It helped bring good cheer to the town, and Gilda felt her feathers fluff out in pride. 

To the right of the door were the only working bathrooms in town, and they got used  a LOT. Gilda had been smart about it though, her resources were limited, so a griffon couldn't used the bathroom in her establishment unless they bought something worth at least 3 bits. This kept her well stocked in supplies, and her store was kept flowing with currency; It also kept out the riff raff. 

There were a lot of troublemakers in her town sadly. It was a constant battle to keep her property clean. She'd had multiple issues with graffiti, fights breaking out in front between territorial toms, but the first two problems resolved themselves pretty quickly when the city council stepped in. Gilda's property was now considered her territory and if caught breaking her rules, the griffon responsible would have to pay a hefty fine of fifty bits. The graffiti only happened twice more, and the fights still happened ,but they stayed well away from her bakery.

The biggest issue was littering customers, who'd eat the food and then toss the wrappers to the ground. At first she did what any griffon would do, She screeched and raged at them, and they did the same back. Thus, nothing got done until she wrote a letter to Pinkie Pie, explaining her plight. 

Who of course, had an ingenious idea. 

Using the power of persuasion, young chicks that were bored out of their minds in the early mornings, and an eagerness to devour yesterday's treats, the store front and her main property were now the cleanest  and most valued area in Griffonstone. It was these two factors that gained her some credit with the older griffons of the village. Seeing her make such changes seemed to urge the other griffons to change their ways as well.

Albeit really really slowly. It was noted by her though, that things over the last few years had changed. Public trash cans that were going to be torn down for scrap were instead donated by a few work crew griffons. A local work board was set up near the library, run by a unicorn mare named Steady Flow. So far she'd been the only pony citizen of Griffonstone. With this set in place, Griffons down on bits or just looking for a boredom killer could take job requests and earn income. In Gilda's case, they could earn supply slips for her shop. Free coffees, half-off tickets for scones and other treats, or the biggest prize, a three day pass for use of the only working bathroom in nearly a thirty mile radius of the town.  

Only two griffons had earned enough slips for this privilege and that had been Gabby and Greta of course. Now with a good reason to do some work around town, nests had begun looking better, gardens had started up, and produce was starting to be traded. Gilda had access to some of the best vegetables first, as the town had sort of named her the top merchant griffon. Her shop was bringing in trade and commerce, and that meant more bits.

While it didn't make her a leader (thank King Grover for that!) It meant she had some sway in town, even with the older griffons like Grandpa Gruff, who'd been named Mayor recently. The old codger hated change of any kind, and liked to swing his stories of 'the good ol days' and how they should stick to tradition. Gilda would agree wholeheartedly that he was completely right in the moment...and then do the exact opposite of his advice later, and more often than not proved him wrong right to his beak. It infuriated him to no end, because his good old days were being improved upon and changed without his approval. 

The two had begun to butt heads enough that she just up and moved out one day, stating she could buy her own place now and wouldn't have to deal with him. That got his feathers in a bunch real quick. The old coot had thrown a tantrum about it, saying it wasn't right for younguns to leave their elderly alone these days. So when she retorted with how he'd shot down her proposal for a better living arrangement for the elderly griffons of Griffonstone, he very quickly shut his beak. 

Gabby hadn't been too pleased about it, but Gilda decided that If Gallus could live in Equestria, and she could live in her own apartment, then why couldn't Gabby tag along? She was a good griffon, worked harder than most! Plus it'd be nice to not live alone. Griffons might act like they didn't need anyone or anything, but in the core of their beings, griffons were highly social, they needed each other. Gilda couldn't think of a better griffon to have as a roommate, than the only other working bird in town. Plus, it meant that when her bakery wasn't doing too good, the bits still flowed.

The apartment had been built above her bakery, and set up with three rooms just in case she needed extra space for storage and other things. Gabby had dove at the chance to live with Gilda, and had taken the room closest to the sunrise, saying it helped her wake up with the sun on her heels every day as she left for work. Gilda felt a smile creep onto her beak. Gabby was a doofus. Energetic and spastic to a fault, but she was a good friend.  

Apparently she was also a year younger than Gilda, who found that very surprising. But after sitting down over a cup of coffee one morning and swapping birthdays, they'd verified that she was indeed younger. 

Only by three months, that's not much of a difference to boast about. Gilda mused. She grabbed a rag and began cleaning down the counters and tables found off to the left of the bakery. There were four circular tables for paying customers to rest their feet and enjoy their meals. The tables were currently empty, so it was a good time to remove any crumbs.

As she wiped the last table down, the door bell chimed, and she turned to see none other than Gabby waltzing in, her head on a swivel as she looked around. At her side, just under her wings was the well worn postal service satchel she'd made herself years ago. The cutie mark clips polished to a shine. When she spotted Gilda she chirped happily, her neck ruffling out. 

"GILDA!" Gilda grinned as the griffoness hopped over and hugged her. This was a regular thing with Gabby, hugs were non-negotiable. 

Gilda grunted as her friend squeezed her. "H-Hi Gabby, back from work early? You must have flown through the abysmal abyss to get here this fast." 

Gabby let go and waved a hand at her, "Oh please no! I'd lose my feathers in an instant in that pass. No I actual have YOU on the list of deliveries today!" 

Gilda blinked in surprise as Gabby plucked a letter from the side of her satchel. "Huh, that's weird, I don't remember writing anyone recently, whose it from?" 

Gabby handed it over. "That's the weird part! It has no return address, or name of the sender!" The griffoness leaned in, peering at the letter suspiciously. "I thought we should check it for traps, but the postmaster said it couldn't hold one...so I guess your safe." 

She still backed up as Gilda held the letter up. A plain white envelope with no former address, name, or info as to where it came from. Her name was scrawled across the front in curved loopy writing. She looked to Gabby. "Who brought it in? You guys had to see who delivered it to you right?" 

Gabby shook her head. "Nope! we get em in batches of two hundred or more, plus this one was in the international bin, meaning it came in with the train mail." She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "And that's like...five hundred letters or something." She put her claw to her chin and glanced at the floor "Or was it six hundred...?" 

Gilda Ignored her and sat at the nearby table. Slicing through the top of the envelope with a claw, she pulled the tri-folded paper out and was surprised to see something else fall to the table. It was a thin flattened flower petal. She tilted her head and picked it up, sniffing at it. It was a rose petal, fresh and still slightly damp. 

"Huh, well that's weird." 

Gabby nodded, claw still on her chin as she watched Gilda open the letter. 

To Gilda Griffoness.

It has been some time since I wrote to you, too long since I reached out. I seek to inform you that I have not forgotten you. Far from it in fact, my feelings for you have only increased over the years. You have grown into one of the finest griffoness in Griffonstone, with intelligence, boldness, and a skill in business that defies my understanding. 

I'll admit, it took a lot of encouraging from my friends to pluck up the confidence to write this, let alone send it. I believe I've written over thirty similar letters, but not once have I had the courage to send them to you. I didn't feel it was right, you had a lot on your plate these last few years, and I won't lie, several times I have secretly helped you achieve some of your goals, as well as eased some of your burdens. I couldn't stand seeing you do it all alone. A hen of your beauty and strength, you deserve so much more.

Please do not feel slighted, I know griffons take pride in their work, and I assure you, nothing I did detracts from that. What you did, you did by your claws alone. Something I envy for sure is your willingness to never give up. So keep fighting, keep flying towards your goals. I'll be right behind you, helping where I can, and showing my appreciation where it's possible. 

In one weeks time is the Festival of Life. I'll send another letter then. 

I'll receive all your replies if you leave them in the town mail post box. It'll make it so I can safely collect your replies.  I cannot drum up the bravery at this time to show myself to you or others, but I hope that via these correspondences, courage will follow, and we can one day meet in physical.

P.S: It might be too early to say this, but I feel it necessary to state my intentions, I love you. 



Gabby was poking her. Gilda didn't pay her any heed. Her cheeks were red, her wings were twitching, and she was acutely aware of a worried warbling from her friend. Or maybe that was her, she couldn't tell. 

"I...I...I...it's..." Why wasn't her brain working? Oh, Gabby had take the letter and was reading--

"SHIT NO GABBY!" Gilda snatched the letter away as fast as she could, hoping to the stars above that Gabby hadn't gotten to the--

"IT'S A LOVE LETTER!!!!" Gabby squealed, leaning over Gilda's shoulder and trilling excitedly.

-End....Gilda growled and spun around, putting Gabby in a headlock and clamping her talons over the griffoness's beak. 

"Will you shut it, birdbrain!!!" She hissed.

Gabby was squirming and giggling loudly through her talons, and that was bad, Griffons were starting to turn their heads in the direction of her shop trying to spot the commotion. Quickly looking around she ducked behind the glass cases and held Gabby's beak shut until the giggling had died down. 

"If I let go of your beak, will you be quiet!? I don't need the whole town knowing some dweeb sent me a freaking love note!" It took a few seconds, but Gabby nodded. 

Gilda sighed and let her go, slumping against the case wall, sighing. She ran her talons through her now very ruffled feathers. Whether they were fluffed due to frustration or embarrassment, Gilda wasn't sure.  

"Gods...a freaking love letter...what am I gonna do?" She mumbled. Gabby smirked and gripped Gilda's talons in her own giggling more. 

"Isn't it obvious? You write back! Whoever they were they care, and that's a good thing right?" The darker hen put her talons to her cheeks. "Ooh! Did it say what they were?"

"What they were? I...huh." Gilda lifted the partially torn note, and re-read it. "It...doesn't give any clues as to their species..." 

Gabby chirped and hopped up and down, only to have Gilda yank her tail back down, forcing her to sit. 

"Oh this is so cool! My best friend got a love letter and the writer is a mysterious, unknown figure, lurking around waiting to strike with love and adoration!" 

Gilda smacked her forehead with a paw. "No it's not!"  

Gabby stopped hopping and her brow raised in confusion. She tilted her head. "Huh? How so? Isn't it good that you have a lover?" 

Gilda groaned and bonked her head back against the case gently. "Urg, No! No it isn't Gabby, this is more Greta's thing, or yours for that matter! I don't know the first thing about love!" She smacked the letter and growled. "So whoever this writer is they're gonna see my writing and realize I don't know a thing about courtship! I've never even had a date!"

She paused, and found Gabby frowning at her. "What?" 

Gabby stood and held out her paw to the letter. Gilda sighed and handed it over, flinching back once, "No loud noises got it?"  When Gabby nodded, she handed it over. 

Gabby stayed calm while she read the note over and gained her typical inquisitive research pose. claw on her chin, wings twitching, tail flicking back and forth. Gilda tried to calm her breathes and pounding heart by watching the tail movements. It was a therapeutic thing for griffons. They could be seen doing so quite regularly if stressed, even with their own tails. 

Purring was another way to calm stress but Gilda couldn't remember the last time she'd done that. It required really good emotional stimulus. She was kind of lacking in that department to be fair. 

"Well, it looks to me like whoever this is, their considerate, cautious, and know that you don't want a big spectacle to happen regarding their feelings. If I had to guess, their probably aware you've never dated. But then again if they aren't aware...hmm." 

Gilda cocked her head to the side and huffed. "Gabby, if they aren't aware of my lack of lovers syndrome, then it'll be a disaster, a literal crap falling from the sky disaster. " She waved her paw around the room. "Besides, I don't have time for a relationship! I gotta run my shop! It's been putting me on the fast track to success and financial security, and that's important!" Gabby was silent. 

They both were. 

Gabby slowly handed back the letter, curiosity on her face. "So...why not try anyway?"  

Gilda looked up at her incredulously. "Are you daft, Gabby? Did you not hear what I just said?"

Gabby nodded sitting up and folding her wings matter o factually. "Yup, I heard fear and excuses." 

Gilda's eye twitched something fierce. "What?" 

Peering over the counter, Gabby clucked her tongue at something distasteful. "You heard me. You spoke of bits and how you have to run this store. Last you boasted to me, you had two thousand bits in your safe upstairs, and another five hundred as a back up purse in case some real serious stuff went down. The most expensive thing in this town is your shop goods. So you don't have bits for an excuse. You can buy just about anything you need, and most griffons here will just give it to you for a chance at your bathroom pass." 

Gilda grumbled, shuffling her wings nervously. "Yeah okay but--"

She snickered and then put a talon up, stopping Gilda once more. "Then there is the fact that you said you don't have time for a relationship." 

"I don't!" Gilda hissed. "Gods why is this so important to other griffons, it's my love life!" 

"You mean the lack there of." Gabby stated bluntly.

Gilda growled. "Don't push it, Gabby."

Sighing, Gabby stood and walked around the counter, nabbing a strawberry scone from the case and depositing a couple bits on the counter for it. "Look, you can deny it, but you close the shop on the weekends and most partners understand that their potential mates have work. Just reply back with what ever you feel is honest, I've learned that's the best way to do things when love is involved. Ask Applejack or Princess Cadance. Matters of the heart can get really nasty if left unchecked." 

Gilda grumbled "Yeah? how would you know? Your only one year younger than me!" 

Gabby stopped at the door, her wings drooped a little and Gilda paused, questioning if maybe she'd gone too far. But Gabby perked back up, and she smiled the brightest smile Gilda had seen all day. 

"I know cause love is something I wanna explore too! I did research! I talked with friends, and found out how best to attack it. What to avoid and what to do in hard times! So you reply to that letter, be the brave bird that the sender believes you are!"

She grinned boldly, scarfed down her scone, and and took a running leap into the sky. Once up in the air, Gilda exited her building and watched Gabby soar off, a cry in the sky of excitement exiting her fellow friends beak. 

The wind picked up for a second, ruffling her plumage. A warm surge of air tickled her underbelly, making her wings twitch with a want for the flowing air currents above. 

"Be brave huh...?" Gilda murmured, looking down to the letter clutched in her talons. For the first time in a long time, Gilda questioned if she herself had the courage to do so.

It was terrifying in the best way possible, and she couldn't help but grin. It was a challenge, and like her chromatic friend in ponyville, Gilda couldn't be beaten by something so simple. 

"Fine, little mystery...I'll reply."

Walking back into the bakery, she closed up shop, locked the door and finished cleaning the facilities. She scooped up the remaining treats and set them in the fridge for the chicks the next morning that helped her clean up. She then went to the nearest table, sat down with a quill, and began to write on a new sheet of parchment. She smiled.

"To mystery writer..."
> Secret Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To mystery writer:

I am not sure who you are, or even what you are, but if this is a real deal, and not some stupid prank then I...will consider your letters. To be fair...I don't send letters, at least not any more. It's been years since I've written of of these. Am I doing it right? I don't know! 

Um...may I ask your name? Your species? Anything! Something less vague would be nice! 

Scratch that, I don't think I need to know. If you are genuine...I guess it won't matter will it? It'll just be nice to know someone cares...Is that sappy? That's sappy. Forget I said that. Just...will you BE at the festival? Or will you be hiding from me the entire time? Not gonna lie, that'd be kind of annoying. I don't like hide n seek. Neither did my fellow flight school students when I played. Once. 

I...I guess I look forward to more letters? Gods this is hard...what do I say?! 

...A friend said I should give this a chance...so...I will. 

--Gilda.





Gilda paced back and forth in her bedroom. She growled and spun around, her tail whipped back and forth anxiously. She didn't like waiting, but darn it, Gabby was late to make it home. She had a long distance delivery today and hadn't returned yet. The problem with that was that Gilda couldn't go downstairs until Gabby arrived. In reality, she could go downstairs right now, but that would be a horrible idea considering what was going on outside. 

With trepidation, Gilda peeked beyond the current of her room and down to the courtyard of Griffonstone, where almost the entire town was meandering around between booths and music stands. Griffons of both genders were garbed in fancy clothes, imitation armor, or some kind of slapped together outfit made from home. Mostly the chicks had the last one, running around their parents while the adults mingled and cheered on the musicians. Each chick had an amalgamation of outfits. She was sure she spotted a chick dressed as both a carrot and a dragon in the swath of creatures. 

Which is exactly what it was. a crazy horde of her kind celebrating the Festival of Life. A festival centered around one thing in particular that she had been avoiding most of her life. Her eyes caught a pair of griffons, a tom and a hen, duck into a side alley and immediately the two began the traditional courtship ritual right there. She warbled in shock, blushed furiously and tore her eyes away from the window, covering it and gripping her shoulders. Her feathers fluffed out rapidly and she shivered.

Those griffons were mating down there. There were toms down there that wanted her for her assets and she was entirely sure that wasn't what she wanted to deal with right now. She'd gone to the Festival of Life before, but made it very clear she was not wanted, nor would it be accepted if advances were made on her. 

The way the griffon culture policed this, was with a multi set of colored rose shaped brooches. Green meant a hen was open for courtship, a yellow brooch meant they were in a relationship but open for discussion, a blue brooch meant they were too young, but the parents or guardians could be talked to about future arrangements, and a red brooch meant if a male tom valued his royal jewels, he'd steer clear of the hens wearing them and respect their wishes, regardless of their scent.

Gilda always wore a red brooch after her second festival of life nearly had a disastrous end with an over bearing tom. She'd been wearing a blue brooch and Grandpa Gruff, her legal guardian at the time, had tried to talk her into a courtship with a sleazy tom. She'd slashed Grandpa Gruff across his face and permanently injured his eye, telling her guardian that if he ever tried it again he'd wake up missing his valuable assets. 

This was now her ninth Festival of Life and she'd never been approached afterwards. Apparently the old geezer had warned the other toms about her "disrespectful behavior." She was okay with it at the time because it meant she could enjoy the festival and life carried on normally afterwards. 

In the end, the problem wasn't so much the festival, it was her body. The Festival of Life coincided with the normal breeding season of the griffons. Which meant almost every hen and tom down there...were horny. Hens would be talking nesting habits and toms would be talking about how to properly court their respective mates. There were also duels for hens, and for toms. 

Duels took place later on in the evening, when the chicks had been ushered away or sent to bed. A tom or hen could use the first part of the festival to sort out who they wanted for potential mates, keeping a tally or check board for later. When the second part of the festival started, with the arrival of a musical trumpet blast, griffons of both genders would flock to the outside part of the city, shedding their fancy outfits and jewelry. 

Located two miles outside of Griffonstone city was a place known in ancient times at the King's Round. A massive 25 foot ring of huge stone blocks. Rising into the air like an amphitheater, the steps had a diameter of 250 feet, each stone created seats for all the surrounding audience. One by one, a griffon hen would step into the ring and call out the name of a female they wished to gain rights to their current mate.  Likewise, after the first duel finished, a tom would step into the ring and do the same. This would go well on into the night, alternating between genders, with drinking, partying, and duels. 

Injuries were numerous but minimal at best, as most griffons fought until submission or first blood. It rarely had to be broken up by the nearby guards. Six were always present in the Round, and were toms and females that either wore red brooches or had completely abstained. Gilda had been a guard for a few duels, and they were always exhilarating to watch.

It was also a great place to rub elbows with other business owners. One thing about it that Gilda loved, was that while the King's Round was off limits to non-griffon folk, the festival itself was open to guests and tourists. Her fifth festival, Gilda had kept her bakery open and completely sold out, raking in bits from hundreds of patrons. 

It was how she'd gotten her first apartment and her equipment for her improved bakery. She'd done so well that she had thought of doing exactly that again this year, but a single problem reared it's beak at her this year. 

The love letter.  

Gilda had read it perhaps a hundred times in the last week and she couldn't shake the feeling she was being duped. It said that another letter would arrive during the festival, but she could tell that half of her hoped it wouldn't. There was comfort in normalcy. Her schedule could go back to normal, she could stop worrying about potential toms looking at her in lewd ways...and she could feel safe again.

Safe is for sissies.  The first time the memory had popped up, she'd nearly dropped a plate of  scones for a customer. That had been annoying and stressful. The statement came from her friend Rainbow Dash. They'd been in flight school and the two had been daring each other to go higher in the air with each flap. Gilda had been contemplating going way higher than Rainbow had suggested, and had argued with the mare for twenty minutes before just shooting straight up in the air.

Gilda felt a smile smirk tug at her cheeks, and her arms loosened a little around her chest fur. "Heh, that was the first time I'd found I had an high altitude breathing advantage against Dash, crazy mare hated that." Still, she'd been right. She'd thrown caution to the wind and learned from it. 

That didn't mean she could repeat it in this case, however. Being in season was like having a vice clamped in a very sensitive spot, and she was unable to remove it. Only a tom had the necessary key to unlock the vice...and she didn't want it anywhere near her lock. On top of this, males would smell...wonderful. The olfactory senses would be going crazy. Would she be bold, and go out now, or wait until the duels? 

A cry from outside caught her attention, and she dared a peek, spotting the pair in the alleyway, the male was just getting off his hen, nuzzling into her neck and crying out his claim. Other toms cheered, and other females warbled their approval, helping her to her feet. The two then proudly waltzed back into the celebration, their scents driving others to utilize the same alleys and back spaces. 

Gilda felt her left talon betray her need, tracing a  circle around a teat farther down on her belly, her tongue escaping her beak to lick gently along the  soft edges. She could go down there...maybe the tom who wrote that letter was out there...waiting for her. Her talons slid lower, gliding past her second set of teats. Just a little lower wouldn't hurt....

"Enjoying the show?"

Gilda nearly screamed, her wings shot out to their maximum length, and she spun around to find Gabby leaning against the door frame, panting lightly. She looked exhausted. 

"Gabby, sweet mother of the sky, what the hell?!" She snarled. "Not cool, girl, not cool." The flustered hen flapped her wings twice and refolded them, growling and pacing back to the window. "How...How long were you standing there?"

Gabby panted for a few more minutes before walking in and flopping across Gilda's bed. "A few seconds, you were so lost in thought or worry or...whatever that was, that I called your name twice and you didn't hear me heh heh heh, sorry for spooking you."

Gilda cursed under her breath, that was awkward. She almost walked in on Gilda...doing stuff... "W-well thanks for snapping me out of it...I need that." 

Gabby nodded, her eyes closed as she breathed in and out more. "Yeah...glad I could help...gods I hate heat season...." 

Gilda sat down in front of her bed and grinned at Gabby, who had flopped on her back and splayed her wings out. Gilda reached out and poked Gabby's beak making her grimace and look down her nose at the appendage. "Careful, with a pose like that you mind attract unwanted attention really quick!" 

Gabby blushed and slowly rolled over, curling in on her paws and tail. "Yeah...I don't need to worry about that...I took care of it a couple hours ago." 

Gilda blinked in surprise. "Wait..." She look to the base of Gabby's tail, and then her shoulders, then her nape feathers, expecting to see signs of mating, or courtship nippings, but none were present.  "How did you do that?" She leaned in before Gabby could back off and sniffed her nape, the fluff expanding out as she did so. Gabby froze for a split second as Gilda's beak shuffled through the fluff. She didn't smell a tom on Gabby....In fact, she couldn't smell Gabby barely at all.

"Ah...Gilda...p-please don't." Gabby gasped. Gilda warbled curiously. That was a weird reaction, were her feathers sensitive?

"What was that Gabby? All I did was touch your neck feathers." 

Gabby blushed furiously and looked away, standing and hopping off the bed. She kept her rump away from Gilda, who now was seriously curious. "It's nothing, Gilda! I have my ways, and i'm sure you have yours r-right? I um, I need to go freshen up for the duels!"

Gilda nodded slowly, watching as her fellow hen slunk backwards out of the room in a low submissive posture, her tail tucked tight against her rump. Hmm, I wonder what she did...How does one remove their scent entirely?.

Shrugging, she rechecked her scarf, the only thing besides her brooch. Gilda was never one for fancy clothes. Maybe Gabby was, but she'd never actually asked. 

Come to think of it...I've never seen Gabby at a Festival of Life...huh. I wonder why. Exiting her room she crossed the hall to Gabby's door, an object covered in stickers and labels the griffoness had collected from all over the place. 

"So uh Gabby?" She asked, rapping her knuckles on the door. There was a light grunt, then a gasp, then Gabby's voice came through, though soft and nervous, almost shaky. 

"Y-yes Gilda? hoo boy..." 

Gilda questioned if she had interrupted something, and for a second she almost backed down, but then she fluffed out her feathers and sighed, trying to relax. "I uh, I just realized I've never seen you at this festival. Have you...ever been to one?" 

Gabby laughed. "Oh! That's easy, most of the time I take on routes outside of town during it. I don't uh...really go to this one. Personal reasons." 

Gilda frowned. "Ah. yeah that makes sense...I guess...well darn that ruins that plan I guess..." 

Footsteps sounded just on the other side of the door. "Plan? Um, what plan?" 

Scratching her nape feathers with a paw nervously, Gilda gently bonked her head into the door, resting her forehead on the wood. "I uh...I can't really...I need to..."

To her surprise the door creaked open, Showing her one of Gabby's large eyes looking at her. The first thing that hit Gilda was a lovely scent that wafted from Gabby's doorway. It fogged her senses and made her dizzy for a moment. "Wh-whoa...that scent...Gabby...is that you? I though you said you took care of that!" Gilda shook her head furiously and backed up, allowing Gabby to carefully slip out. Closing the door behind her, she frowned at her door. 

"No, its not me. It's an herbal remedy Zecora gives me around this time of the year to...um...take away my heat." Gabby blushed and wilted under the shocked and suddenly furious expression that smacked itself onto Gilda's beak. 

"IT DOES WHAT!?" She growled. Advancing on Gabby, who shrank down to her belly under Gilda's glare. "You're telling me that you've had this stuff for who knows how long and you haven't shared it with me!?" 

Gabby squawked in panic as Gilda scruffed her with a pair of talons, and hoisted them both to the same height, beak to beak. "My back end is screaming at me and it hurts and I don't want it to hurt. Make with the sharing of the no heat stuff. now." 



Gabby blushed furiously, warbling a little tune that seemed to be an equal mixture between fear and happiness. "I-I-I would, B-but I can't!" 

Gilda hissed and let her go, kneading her talons into the carpeted floor. "Oh how convenient for you! Pray tell why not?!" 

Gabby dared look up at Gilda and Gilda had to admit it looked far too cute to be fair. The smaller hen was fluffed out defensively, her wings were at mid flight pose and she was curling inwardly. She looked like a puff ball!

"I um...I ran out, tonight..." 

Gilda growled, her talons dug into the carpet hard. "Then we get more, it can't be that hard to make right?" 

Gabby frowned. "Actually yes. It takes a month for one batch to settle, and you have to get it customized to your um...to your..." Gabby made a frantic jab with her talon at her back end. Gilda slowly blinked in recognition and snarled. Whirling around, and nearly smacking Gabby in the chest with her tail tuft, she started going downstairs. "You have got to be kidding me!!! Stupid potions! Freaking...stupid...no good zebra...gah!!!" Gabby watched from the upper landing as Gilda furiously rubbed her body along the side walls, then the stair railing, and then ended up flopping near the door and rolling around for a bit.

"Stupid heat nnnng!"

Several seconds went by, Gilda groused and griped downstairs while Gabby slipped back to her room for a moment. She came out and carefully descended the stairs, coming up to the grumpy griffoness. "There um, is good news..."

Gilda rolled her eyes, looking up as she spoke. "Oh please, my roommate has a secret concoction that magically unwinds the vice in her rear end while I have to just deal with mine and you say there's...good...news..." 

Gabby had an unmarked letter in her beak. 

"Is...that?"

Gabby nodded. She gently dropped it onto Gilda's beak, who scrambled to sit up with it in her talons. "I found it waiting for me when I got back to the post office. It was on my desk." 

Gilda gently slit the top, and pulled out the tri-folded letter. To her surprise, another rose petal slipped to the floor at her feet. She gently picked it up, and admired it. It too was fresh and slightly damp.

"Whoever they are, they keep giving me petals. maybe I'll get the full flower eventually." She whispered.

Gabby blinked slowly while watching the petal twirl in Gilda's talons before she shook herself and nodded with a smile. "Oh I hope so, that'd be very romantic."  Gabby then scooted over next to Gilda who raised a brow at her. 

Gabby shrugged.  "What? I wanna know what they say too!" 

Gilda sighed and nodded, flipping open the letter.

To Gilda Griffoness.

It is completely in your right to be cautious, I approve of it. It is a cruel thing to trick someone with these, I did contemplate other methods of contacting you originally, but this seemed...safest. 

I do believe a griffon in a game of hide n seek with pony children is like putting a shark in bloody water with a bunch of unknowing fish! I would recommend not playing for sure, although that gained a laugh from me. 

You are fine, Gilda, better than fine. Write from the heart. It is the most reliable answer to your questions. I will however abstain from giving any details of myself at this time save one. Consider it a Festival gift from me to you.

I am a griffon. 

It does pain me to see you lonely on this Festival of Life, my Rose. I know not of any way we can meet at this time sadly, please keep my petals close to your heart this night, and enjoy the festival for me, I will be unable to attend. I see you struggling and I wish to quell the fire in your heart...and elsewhere. 

Alas time works against me, and I must make sure you know who I am before you know me. Tonight drives me to find a remedy to my internal aches instead of you, but I shall persevere. I wish to save my first courtship for you, and to do that I will have to have loneliness as my companion this night. Every night I dream you are near me, the ghost by my side, so wonderfully clear...Yet when I awake we are miles apart, even though so close. 

I will remain your hidden supporter for now. So you do not lose your way, so you have a hidden map to the places and dreams you seek. I'll be the extra pair of limbs you need when you feel like you'll stumble. I will be the stone to your foundation so you can stand firm against the struggles of life. 

I believe in a month's time your birthday is coming up yes? I have good sources that say it is, I'll trust them. Worse case scenario you receive a gift early. Look forward to it, I had exhausted my connections to try and find out what would be something you'd genuinely want...but I have come up dry.

May I inquire directly as to something your mind or heart craves? I'll see if I can acquire it. 

Anything for my Rose. 

Gilda looked from the rose petal, to the letter, to the nearly squealing and screeching bouncy Gabby, then no where in particular. 

"They're a griffon. They know my birthday...and they want to get me something...I...Gabby...GABBY!" She shrieked. Gabby stopped mid leap, seemingly frozen in mid air for a moment that made Gilda's logic brain do a flip, before the griffoness landed and tilted her head.

"Yes?" 

Gilda pointed to the letter. "This...this griffon. Their genuine! They really do like me!!!" 

Gabby sat and proudly nodded. "Looks like it! So what are you gonna tell em? They want to get you a gift...but." She walked up next to Gilda and pointed at the section about her birthday. "They don't know what you like...soooo?" Gabby twisted her paw in the air at Gilda until the hen sighed and started walking up the stairs, Gabby behind her.

"I...I don't know! I don't think of birthday stuff! I mean...I do but..." Gilda frowned and looked at the note once more. "Hang on...."

They reached the top of the stairs and Gilda looked at Gabby. "Gabby, it says they 'exhausted their connections trying to find out about me...did any griffon during the past week ask you stuff like this?" 

Gabby hummed, and put her talon to her chin. "Hmm..."

Gilda walked into her room and placed the letter and petal with the other ones, in a jewelry box she'd scavenged a long time ago from the rubble of the castle. She then turned to see gabby still in thought. "Well?" 

Gabby sighed and shrugged, putting her paws in the air. "I got nothing Gilda. Sorry. I talk to a lot of customers and the faces blur together." 

Gilda sighed back and shrugged. "Ah it was worth a shot. Whoever they are, I think I like their methods."

Gilda hopped up on to the bed and groaned as her stomach flipped. "Oof I hate being in Heat...I need food." 

Gabby perked up, "I could go get you something from the market!" 

Gilda laughed and pointed out the door. "OUT THEN! Fetch me a morsel of foodstuffs! Your landlord is hungry and requires vittles!" The two Hens looked at each other and then burst out laughing until Gilda's groin protested and she doubled over. "Yeah okay food now, please and thank you." 

In her pain she barely missed the nuzzle that Gabby gave her cheek. "No problem Gilda. Be right back, think on that gift!" 

Gilda hummed as the door downstairs closed, and her eyes drifted to the note...and next to it...the ancient, damaged jewelry box. She smiled, and flipped over. "A gift huh?"
> Potions and problems
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda sat in the living room, the second letter in her talons. She murmured nothing in particular, and lifted one of the meat kebabs that Gabby had brought back from the market. She chuckled as the hen borrowed her red brooch before leaving. Stating:

"If any tom wants their paws intact come tomorrow morning, they better not touch me." 

Gilda smiled and nibbled at the juicy morsel of food. The second letter crinkled in her paw, and she set it down, so as not to damage it. Earlier, she'd decided that asking the mystery sender for a new jewelry box wouldn't hurt. Worse case scenario it was all a hoax and she never heard back from them, but given how they had taken rather large steps to verify that they were interested, left Gilda in doubt of that theory. Rainbow Dash had been one heck of a prankster, but her level of detail never came close to what was happening here. Pinkie Pie would never mess with things like this either.

Nearby, Gabby was cleaning the apartment before they left for the duels. Whenever the hen was excited or nervous, she would clean. Gilda surmised it was a little of both right now. Gabby was happy to see one of her friends in a positive situation, and at the same time, she actively avoided the festival currently going on in town. The hen was currently crouched down next to the kitchen table, growling lightly and kneading her talons into the floor at a stubborn scuff mark that fought her cleaning. 

Gilda bit off another chunk of food and looked back to the letter. Next to it was the first letter, as well as the two rose petals she'd been given. She felt conflicted and confused, but happy.

They called me their rose...sappy...but I guess I like it... She blushed and felt her tail tuck closer to her rump. Gabby was currently in a flurry of movement before her and Gilda was momentarily fascinated as her roommate attacked their house. The place was checked from top to bottom by the dark pelted female as she squashed any rebellious bits of dirt or grime.  Dust was removed from shelves, knickknacks, and off flat surfaces. The kitchen floor was swept up and the debris banished to the trashcan. 

Gilda was happy her roommate wasn't a slob. Gabby hated living in a disheveled apartment and told Gilda she'd take care of the cleaning when she moved in, and since then, she'd upheld that. Currently the hen was fighting her cleaning supplies in an attempt to shove them all at once into the closet next to her room. The broom fought extra hard and slipped, clattering down against Gabby's skull with a dull thunk. 

"Ow." Gabby rubbed her head feathers and glared at the offending object. Gilda snorted and took the last bite of her first kebab off its stick before looking at the letters and petals again. Something didn't add up, and Gilda wasn't sure what it was. 

She looked between the two objects as Gabby disappeared into the kitchen. The sound of her friend rummaging around startled her when a cake pan clattered noisily to the floor and rolled out on to the living room floor. Gabby came around the corner, her eyes beady and sharp as she scooped up the offending dish. 

"That is not where you live!" She chirped, before disappearing again. Gilda rolled her eyes and went to pick up the second kebab, when Gabby's words repeated in her mind. Her eyes fell to the letters.

Not where you live...wait a second. Gilda blinked and looked up as Gabby entered the living room with her own tray of kebabs in a paw. Gilda scooted over to give Gabby room, who thanked her and hopped up onto the soft cushions. Curling twice before settling down, Gabby bit victoriously into her kebab with a a playful growl. 

"Hey Gabby?" Gilda murmured, her eyes wouldn't leave the letters. That had to be what she was missing. "I need a second opinion on something." 

Gabby nodded, swallowing her catch and grinning at Gilda. "Sure, what is on your mind?" 

Gilda pointed to the letters. "Do you see anything off about this? The letters I mean? I feel like I'm missing a crucial part of this little puzzle." She looked to Gabby who had slowed in her chewing and was looking back and forth between the two items. For a few minutes they ate in silence, Gilda finished her second kebab and set the stick onto the tray. Gabby finished soon after. 

"I mean, maybe? What kind of puzzle piece do you think you're missing?" Gabby nibbled at a vegetable on her last stick, almost preening it playfully. 

Gilda shrugged. "I don't really know, I guess I'm stuck on the words you said a second ago. Maybe this griffon doesn't live here in griffonstone." 

Gabby tilted her head.  "How so?" 

Gilda picked up the first letter. "The first thing that comes to mind is their writing style. Whoever wrote this knows how to smoothly and eloquently tell how they feel in a short but concise letter. On top of that look at their writing!" She flipped over the letter so Gabby could see it. Gilda smacked it gently. "They write in cursive for Grover's sake! When was the last time you saw a griffon do that?" 

Gabby looked down at the other letter. She twiddled her talons. "I don't know? I mean...Most griffons writing abilities are pretty bad..." 

Gilda laughed, almost harshly. "Are you kidding me Gabby? The term 'chicken scratch" was coined by the other races when our records were shown at the great council of leaders last year. It took another griffon and a spell from Celestia to make our writing legible to the other races present."

She flipped the note back over, frowning at it. "That means whoever this griffon is, they learned how to write from a species other than a griffon, on top of this, their vocabulary is better than most griffons. With these two things in mind, it leads me to believe they might live outside Griffonstone." 

"That's...a neat theory...but its not possible, Gilda." Gabby said. Gilda blinked and looked up to see Gabby had grabbed the other letter. She was looking it up and down with a glare. "I'm not denying your claims, but there is something else we have to consider."

She took the first letter from Gilda and held them together. "The paper and the envelopes they were sent in." 

Gilda tilted her head this time, clicking her beak shut. "What about it? It's just paper." 

Gabby chuckled and shook her head. "Nope, you don't work around this stuff as much as I do, so it makes sense that you don't see what I see. The paper used, and the envelopes they were sent in, only come from two locations. The first, is Canterlot City, That's nearly six days travel by air ship, almost a week if you take a train, and don't get me started on the natural flight there. A griffon would either have to cross the ocean, or fly around it. Each route takes several weeks even if your a top notch flyer."

Gilda nodded slowly. "Okaaaay so whats that mean?" 

Gabby held up a claw. "If the griffon sent this to you via a place outside our city, he would have to have proper signage for the postal service to accept it. We have a rule that if any letters are not properly signed and come to us from outside, we have to send it back. Likewise, if you or I wanted to send it out of Griffonstone, we have to do the same or the letter would come back." 

Gabby gripped the envelopes and held them up side by side. "These letters have no starting address, no name to return to, not even a zip code. They only have your name scrawled across the front. This means they know you live here in Griffonstone, which means they are using our resources to send the letters. The only other place this kind of paper and envelope can be found, is right here in Griffonstone. It's the only place it gets shipped to, partly becuase it's one of our requested imports from Equestria. They made special preparation for it to be delivered to us specifically. This paper is enchanted to survive high altitude, heavy snow, high wind, hail, tearing, and sever water damage."

Gabby set the paper back down and let her words sink in. Gilda frowned, her brow furrowed and she growled and dragged her talons down her beak. "Okay, okay so, this paper is special, I get that. but then something immediately counteracts that knowledge."

Gabby blinked "Oh?" 

Gilda picked up the rose petals. The second one was still damp, and slightly cool to the touch. "These, Gabby. Roses and most flowers don't grow up this high, they can't! I'm no botanist but when I had to formally apologize to Fluttershy --Dash made me, don't ask-- I ended up spending the whole day with her and Dash, and she taught me the basics of how flowers live. Roses are apparently pretty fragile. High altitudes kill them very quickly. they'll freeze overnight, and there isn't enough sunlight up here to sustain them due to the cloud cover." 

She wiggled the petal, "But look at this, it's fresh! There is still dew on it for Grover's sake! Heck, the first one still looks fresh! If this griffon does live in Griffonstone, then how have they figured out a way to plant a rose up here? Any griffon that did that would proudly be screeching their beak off at their accomplishment. No one has done that...so...?" 

Gilda fell silent and Gabby didn't reply. They looked between the flower petals and the letters, and came up short. 

"I...I don't know Gilda. I mean...Ponies have magic...Maybe the rose is enchanted like the paper?" 

Gilda shrugged. That didn't sound right, but...what else was there to go off of. Gilda rubbed her shoulder fur and warbled softly. Gabby warbled back gently. Gilda gently touched the petals. "I mean...I'm not saying I don't like it, it's actually really sweet, sappy, but sweet. I just wish I knew more." 

Gabby smiled and shuffled over so their sides touched. Gabby nudged her with her wing. "Well, I might not understand it all, but I do know how to answer that question." Gabby hopped off the couch and collected the trays, before practically prancing into the kitchen, her cheeks flushed with a happy cherry red. 

"You gotta write a replyyyyyyy."  

Gilda groaned and hid her beak between her front legs. "Yeah...I guess I do." She felt her cheeks blush as Gabby came back into the living room. She'd donned her own emerald green scarf, gifted to her from Spike. pinned to it was a red brooch like Gilda's. 

Together they exited the house and went downstairs. The town was still quite heavy with activity still but it had lessened some. Gilda paused and looked at the town clock, which was set into the a-frame of the library. They still had two hours before the duels started. "Hey Gabby, I was thinking of making some more bits off the festival, you wanna help?" 

Gabby clenched her talon into a fist and Gilda did the same, she bumped her paw against Gilda's and a determined grin donned her beak. "You know it! Lets make some money!" 

Gilda laughed and set about making preparations behind the counter while Gabby became a whirlwind of activity once more. Wiping down the table, sweeping the floors, and unlocking the door for customers. She then helped Gilda in the kitchen by making extra treats. Before the first customer had noticed, Gabby surprised Gilda with a small item she placed in her talons. It was a small circular container made of wood. It had a weird zebrican symbol Gilda hadn't seen before. 

"Here, this stuff will help with your heat. put it around your beak nares and it'll help dull the scent of any males that come in. It won't help with your urges, but don't worry about that. If I see ya leaning too far over the counter, I'll pull your tail or something kay?" 

Gilda smirked and nodded. The stuff inside looked like a type of peppered balmy paste. It was clearly naturally ground, little bits of stuff poked out of it. Gilda didn't care what it was made of as long as it worked. After placing the stuff around her nostrils, she gasped as the scents in the room dulled almost immediately. The rolls she was making, seemed to suddenly smell stale, and the sweets tray she was working on suddenly lost nearly half the sugary scent she knew it was making. 

"Grover's wingtips, what is this stuff, Gabby?" She hissed, wobbling on her paws. Gabby helped stabilize her with her side. 

"It's a balm Zecora used to give me, back before she had the potion I buy now. It's not even nearly as effective, but it helps." She paused and rubbed her shoulder nervously, looking away. "I um, kinda felt bad for hiding the potion from you, so I looked to see if I had any of that left. Is it working?" She asked quietly. 

Gilda laughed excitedly, wrapping an arm around Gabby's neck and giving her a noogie. Gabby hissed playfully and tugged out of it. "AHAHAH! Heck yes it's working, maybe a little too much! I'll need you to tell me if you smell anything burning okay?" 

Gabby nodded meekly and blushed. "S-sure! My nose works!" 

Gilda rolled her eyes and worked to pull the buns out of the oven. "Ha ha, mine does too, normally." 

The bell chimed as a pair of hens came in, and Gilda turned to greet them, a smile ready to go.

"Welcome! Come on in and have...a...seat?" 

Her words slowly died on her beak. The young hen on the left was limping, nursing an ice pack on her cheek, and a large bruise marred her shoulder. She had small cuts and scrapes across her front and her attire was shredded slightly. Gilda and Gabby leaped the counter together and came over immediately. 

"Wh-what happened to you?!" Gilda hissed, Gabby passed her and crouched in front of the young hen, a first aid kit already in her paws. Gilda grit her beak, she was the owner of the place and she hadn't thought of that first. The other hen, an older one, probably the mother by their similarities in coat colors nuzzled her daughter and frowned up to Gilda. 

"She messed up her courtship...and it turned ugly." She looked at her daughter and crooned, nuzzling her daughter who was barely holding herself together. Gabby went to gently pull the ice pack away and both her and Gabby hissed as a large red gash appeared beyond it. The ice pack was caked in blood.

Gabby tore into the first aid kit, pulling gauze and cleaning stuff out in a flurry. Gilda slowly looked her up and down in shock, before locking the door and flipping the sign back to closed. Not a second later she heard a snarl from the crowd nearest her shop. 

"Where is she!? Where is that little cunt hiding?! I'm gonna rip her face open even more for what she tried to pull!" 

Gilda girt her teeth and hopped out the windowless front into the bakery yard. Another young hen parted the crowd with two other young hens marching behind her. They were barely into their teen years. All of them wore blue brooches, and each had a cloak with ornate clothing. The front one Gilda recognized, she was an upstart hen that was cocky and brash. A brat in all meanings of the word. A bully in school, and apparently ruthless. She'd seen the little shit sauntering around town spreading gossip and rumors about anyone that got on her list. She'd thankfully avoided it so far.

Gilda stood in front of her door and watched as the hen tromped by with her group, shouting and demanding blood for what had happened. She stood there for several more minutes before the crowd went back to mingling and talking. Gilda sighed and hopped back inside her shop. Exactly what had happened? Gabby had the bright idea to hide the hen and her mother further back in the shop. 

The hen was now cradled in her mother's arms, and mostly shielded from their view by her wings. She was warbling and rubbing her daughter's back gently. Gabby came over, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Here eyes were small pinpricks of fear and she shakily threw a pair of bloody gloves into the nearby trashcan. 

"She um...she needs stitches. I...i'm not a doctor, I'm going to go find one. " her voice was like a whisper. She went to leave but Gilda stopped her with a wing. Gabby stared at it for a moment. "Gilda... move...she needs help." 

Gilda nodded. "I know, but it looks like you do too, what happened--hey!--Gabby!" 

Gabby had brushed past her wing forcefully and jumped out the window, breaking into a run. Gilda watched her go, a crease of worry on her cheeks. She groaned, running her talons through her head crest and walking over to the pair. The mother looked up and hissed defensively, but it died on her throat as Gilda stopped with her talons palms up. 

"Easy, ma'am, I'm a friend." 

She glared at Gilda a few more seconds before the stress caught up and her expression fell. Hidden in her wings her daughter gasped shakily, her words muddled with regret. "I..I shouldn't have...I knew it was wrong..." 

Her mother hushed her, and rocked her back and forth, nuzzling her beak into her daughter's nape. "No, no sweetie, it's not wrong, you're not wrong...it's just...well, that hen...she's not okay with it..." 

The daughter hissed and Gilda spotted her talons digging into the floor boards. "I shouldn't have tried! I knew it would end badly, mom, she hates me now!" She sucked in a shaky breath and buried her beak into her mother's chest feathers. 

Gilda went to speak but was interrupted by a tapping on her door. She turned to see two female guards and another griffon, the local town doctor peering in. The doctor was male. She sighed and looked to the mother, jabbing a thumb back at the door. 

"I'm uh, I need to let them in okay? Your hatchling needs medical attention."

The mother looked passed her and her talons clenched protectively around her daughter harder when she saw the doctor. "I...give me a few more minutes please..." 

Gilda nodded slowly, "Sure...take as much as much time as you need." She left the two and exited her shop. Unlocking it for the three and informing them of what she knew. What worried her was that she didn't see Gabby anywhere. 

When she asked the doc, He pointed to the far side of Griffonstone. She nodded and took flight. Whatever Gabby had heard or seen had scared the shit out of her. That was very hard to do, Gabby was tough, and blood rarely ever bothered her. She'd seen the hen reset an open fractured leg once, and there had been a lot more blood then, so what had spooked her so much that she'd pushed Gilda away?

She flew over the town and tried to spot the hen but never located her. Their former home was empty, and after spotting Grandpa Gruff in the crowd, he'd stated he hadn't seen her. She tried the postal office next but it was closed, and the post master had stated she didn't pass by as he was near the area. From there she tried the park and that came up empty too. After nearly an hour of searching, Gilda resigned herself to the fact that if Gabby didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. 

She landed back home and found that the doctor, the daughter, her mother, and the nearby patrons had all but cleared the area. Her shop remained lit from the inside but was empty. She drooped her head low and entered it. The floor was cleaned of blood and anything left behind. A note from the mother thanked her for letting them use her store front, and that she would be in touch soon. Gilda merely tossed it in a drawer behind the counter and locked up shop. 

Festival or no, she didn't want to go if Gabby didn't come along too. Their night had effectively been ruined. She went upstairs and to her surprise found the upstairs window to their living room was open. She hissed and went inside, finding Gabby's scarf and brooch on the floor just inside wasn't a good sign. She could hear sobbing in her bedroom and followed the noise. At her own doorway Gilda found Gabby curled up tightly with her head hidden in her arms and blocked by her wings. She'd made a literal nest of the bedding and had taken all of Gilda's pillows and stuffed them tightly around her body for comfort. 

If not for the somber mood, Gilda might have laughed at the absurdity of Gabby's nesting habits. She didn't laugh now, she frowned, and her mood fell. 

"G-Gabby..." She whispered, entering her room and crawling up on the bed. Gabby hissed at first but Gilda pressed forward and crouched down to lay next to her. She wasn't good at these sorts of things, but she knew a hug certainly wasn't in the wrong direction when helping a friend.

Gilda was halfway through wrapping her arms around Gabby's neck when the hen lunged into her, wings, tail, arms, and body wrapped around Gilda as her friend sobbed openly into her chest feathers like a hatchling afraid of the dark. 

Gilda didn't pull away, but she certainly felt her internal awkward meter shoot through the roof. What the heck do I do?! Frantically she searched for something to say, anything at all, and her mind came up with the worst possible answer.

"Um...there there." She said flatly, patting Gabby's head twice.

For a moment, Gabby paused and blinked rapidly for several seconds, before a small, sliver of a smile began creeping onto the hens face. She peered up at Gilda.

"Heh...heh there there? D-did you r-r-really just say that?" Gilda groaned and slapped her forehead. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"I-I'm not good at this and you know it!" Gabby chuckled a little more, then a lot, and then she was crying and laughing at the same time and Gilda was even more lost. She prodded the Hen's beak.

"I think I broke you..." She mumbled.

"Heh heheheh....yeah...you uh...y-you need some p-practice that's f-for sure." Gabby gently wiped her eyes by rubbing her face into Gilda's chest feathers, drawing the biggest blush from Gilda ever. She quickly looked away and her feathers fluffed out the their fullest.

"Y-yeah...I suck at it. Glad we verified that. Are...are you good now? Or do I need to keep saying more sappy stuff?" 

Gabby chuckled a little more and shifted back slowly. "Y-yeah...I'm good." She paused as Gilda stood, and her arm lifted towards her, as if reaching for her, but then she lowered it and looked away. "I...thanks...I needed that."

Gilda shrugged and shook herself, sending a couple loose feathers to the floor. "S-fine, don't mention it. Friends look out for each other." 

She hopped off her bed and looked to Gabby who blinked slowly at the floor and then stood as well. Gilda smirked. They both looked at the bed with gentle smirks. Being in heat did weird things to griffons. Gabby hopped down next to her and Gilda made a square with her talons, the bed just in the empty space of her claws.

"While I love the design, you should probably make a nest in your bed, fluff butt."  Gilda said, starting to pull gabby into a hug. Gabby stayed there for a few seconds, unsure of how to react. Gilda felt her shakily lift her talons up and grip Gilda's sides gently. She was shaking pretty badly.

Gilda held her firmly. "Hey, whats wrong Gabby? What happened? Talk to me girl." 

Gabby was silent, and Gilda felt Gabby's talons slowly sifting through her back fur, her beak leaned up and nuzzled Gilda's shoulder, making Gilda blush for an entirely different reason, before Gabby flinched and pulled back slowly. Gilda watched Gabby's expression force a smile onto her beak as she wiped at her eyes. 

that was odd...

"It's...it's nothing, The potion um, it has side effects like increased s-sporadic emotions, ya know?. I...I was supposed to stay away from extreme stimulus, but uh, that mother and her daughter messed that up.... I guess I panicked." The pair fell silent. 

Gabby nodded her head towards the bed "Sorry...I ...I needed to feel safe I guess..." 

Gilda shrugged, "Eh, its fine really. I haven't built a nest in a few years, it was nice actually..." 

They fell silent again. Gilda rubbed at her neck, Gabby rubbed at her arm. 

"S-so..." They both said at the same time. Gilda smirked, Gabby blushed and looked away. Gilda spoke up. 

"You uh, still up to see the duels? It's okay if your not...I just think it'd be fun...take our minds off this...and...yeah..." 

Gabby closed her eyes, slowly shaking her head. "I um, I need to rest. I flew in a panic halfway around town only to realize that the doctor wasn't home and then when I saw him at the door to your bakery with two guards I sort of lost it and dove into the house and hid. I think i'mma go to bed..."

Gabby looked so defeated in that moment. Gilda quickly shot her talons into the air defensively. "Hey don't worry about it, Gabby, I get it. Adrenaline can be a bitch. Add being in heat to it and you've got a volatile concoction for trouble. Its no biggie. Besides I've seen the duels before, missing one year isn't an issue. Not to mention...I got a letter to write, I might as well get that ready before making sure we didn't leave anything in the oven downstairs...

Gilda's eyes widened for a second and she put her talons to her beak. "...Oooh...I should probably check that first." 

Gilda thumped Gabby in the shoulder and went back down stairs, shooting her a glance and a smile. "Get some rest Gabby, if ya need me...well, my door is open okay?"

Gabby nodded without looking at her, slowly rubbing the spot Gilda had tapped her. A forlorn expression danced across her face as she stared into Gilda's room at the nest she'd created, now messed up. Then it was gone in an instant, masked by something Gilda couldn't recognize. An emotion she wasn't used to seeing on her friends face...



It was the saddest smile Gabby had ever given her. 

"Y-yeah! I'll be better tomorrow morning, no problem! You just make sure the house doesn't burn down, alright?"

Gilda nodded, unsure of what to say. Gabby did though, "Good night, Gilda." 

Gilda watched her disappear into her room and the door quietly clicked shut. She stood there for several seconds, lost in confusion...She eventually sighed, running her talons down her beak gently, and went downstairs. Tomorrow was a new day, and hopefully it would be easier than today.
> Chasing options
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To the Mystery Writer

The festival ah...didn't go well. One of my friends had a pretty bad time. A  courtship went south and it left a bad taste in our beaks. I um... I don't know what else to say...

Thanks for telling me what you are, that helps me feel a little more comfortable knowing we are of the same species. I'm not saying that'd be bad! Just...it's easier to process? Ya know? 

Look, I'm not too big on the birthday thing, it comes and goes every year and half the time I gotta double check my own birth records just to verify my own age, I just don't hold much to it I guess. That being said, I appreciate your willingness to get me a gift. After some thought, it'd be nice to have a new jewelry box...the one I have is beyond old and I've never had the inclination to fix it up. It does its job and that works for me. 

But...well I'd like to have something new for a change...so...yeah. Get that. It doesn't need to be fancy! Or complex either, Keep it simple okay? I like simple...Less stressful that way. 

Um, on another topic, Gabby and I will be heading to Ponyville for the first time in a while, I wanna get one of those potions Gabby's been purchasing. She kept trying to persuade me out of it, saying it was very intrusive and intimate or some crock. I don't care! If it gets rid of my heat faster then I'm buying it! 

I don't wanna go another week with a vice up my---

Gabby says I shouldn't write that...

Yeah, so, Ponyville...zebras n...stuff. Um... see ya round...

P.S: Do you live in Griffonstone or somewhere else? Your first letter came in the international mail and the second was in the regular mail.

--Gilda Griffon.







"Gabby I really don't understand you...How do you have a job as a currier for the local post office, you've flown this way hundreds of times, seen all the sights, local hot spots, and yet..." 

Gilda flailed her arms out at the partially cloudy sky, jostling Gabby and her on the large white cloud that sat on. "We got lost!" 

Gilda poked her friend in the shoulder, noticing the frown that marred her beak as the darker griffoness looked the map over in her talons.  "How? How does that happen?"  

Gabby shrugged and pointed without looking up, at the nearby storm front that had rattled the local forest below hours prior. The scent of freshly wet forest and loam wafted up to meet them and Gilda couldn't help but inhale a little more to appreciate the scent. It helped lessen the edge of her frustration, if anything.

"We were flying above that monstrosity, Gilda. We couldn't see the ground, the one big thing I need to keep my bearings. Now that the storm has cleared up, and the clouds are separating I can figure out where we are." 

Gilda groaned and shuffled her wings. "Okay fine, get us back on track. I wasn't planning on staying the night in pony town."

"Pony ville, and I know that, silly. I have work tomorrow, and I know how ponies seem to make you uncomfortable." Gabby chuckled lightly, looking to the east.

Gilda huffed and looked down below them at the swaying forest. The massive trees were so far from any civilization that they'd naturally reached abnormal heights. The tips of the trees were only a few hundred meters beneath the pair. "They do not make me uncomfortable, their just...too touchy-feely." 

Gabby smiled and rolled the map up before clipping it to her pack and opening her wings. Leaping off the cloud she swirled around and flew in place with her arms spread. "Yeah, but that's one of their good traits! Ponies give hugs and they openly show they care!" She grinned smugly and flew close enough to bat at Gilda with her wing, eliciting a growl from the golden hen. 

"Besides, I know what makes you uncomfortable, and one of those is feelings!" She cackled playfully as Gilda mock snarled and dove after her. 

"Ponies are mushy! They cry too easily and need to toughen up!" Gilda hissed. She lunged at Gabby and grasped at open air as the hen flared her wings to break and deftly flipped over her back and swatted at Gilda's head with a wing tip. 

"Missed me!" 

Gilda grinned predatorily. "Oh is this what we are doing now? It is ON!" 

Gilda whipped around and began the chase after her friend. Gabby squawked and dove away. She would juke up then down and then sway her body slightly to the left or right as Gilda kept making grabby claws at her back end and hind paws.  The two of them laughed as they played an impromptu game of cat and mouse. Gilda was rather surprised by Gabby's agility. Just when she thought she had her, the smaller hen would pull some weird maneuver, and Gilda would be grabbing at nothing but air and clouds. 

"How are you so slippery?!" Gilda growled, genuinely determined to grab the darn hen ahead of her as they dodged and weaved between clouds. Gabby wiggled her rump at Gilda, daring her on, and fell into a dive. She fell as well, tucking her wings and barreling at Gabby like an arrow. When it came to diving, Gilda was the pro. She screamed out a predatory cry and Gabby looked back before screeching out in panic as her friend very quickly caught up to her. 

Gilda bided her time and watched as the ground below them raised to meet them, Gabby went to flare her wings and Gilda veered off at the last moment, swatting Gabby's rear with her tail as she passed, the resounding THWACK made the darker hen cry out in surprise as the two arced back up into the sky, spiraling around each other before breaking away. Gabby and Gilda both screeched in joy as the exhilaration passed, and soon they were flying back together, wingtips nearly touching. 

She trilled proudly as Gabby hissed at her playfully. "That hurt, Gilda!"

Gilda laughed and tilted her wings so she flew over top of Gabby by five feet or so, making the hen look up to her, in her shadow. "Then you shouldn't have taunted me, dweeb!" She flexed her talons and grinned mischievously, "You got my predator blood going there, I might have to catch my prey!" 

Gabby blushed suddenly and looked forward. "Heh, yeah, no...I'm not your prey... um, hey look we're back on track!" 

Gilda watched in confusion as Gabby flapped harder to get ahead of her, and raised a brow. "Yeah I, I guess not." Normally Gabby would argue back on that point. Whenever they had these mock fights it was a part of their ritual...to brush it off so bluntly...Gilda hummed in thought and looked ahead.  

Down below them a large yellow dirt road paved its way through the surrounding forest, and once the trees ended, came to a train yard at the base of the griffon mountains. The train was in the station, the black smoke puffing up in little clouds as the coals burned within the belly of the metal beast. Gilda wasn't too fond of trains. They were loud, rattled a lot, and were slower than she'd like. She much preferred to fly, but the distance to Ponyville wasn't a trip they could make on wing power alone. 

They spiraled down around the smoke clouds in a helix formation and then flared their wings together before landing on the station deck. Gilda was acutely aware that they were the only griffons present. 

The only people present for that matter... Gilda looked around, "Is it usually this empty?" 

Gabby nodded as she shrugged off her pack and fished around in it. "Oh yeah, not many ponies come out to Griffonstone still." She lifted a hand and counted on her claws. "I think we get like, fourteen equine visitors yearly at the moment, not counting all the random times Pinkie Pie appears in obscure places." Continuing her shuffling through her bag, Gabby grumbled.  "Most griffons don't really have a reason just yet to go out. " She pulled out two tickets in her talons and handed one to Gilda. "Sometimes I get here on my shift and find a couple of construction ponies or griffons heading out to do work, but they are usually from the train as it arrives. Stretching their legs, getting some air, not boarding it. Plus, it's Saturday, most griffons like their weekends off. "

Gilda shrugged and walked towards the train. "So we getting on or what? HEY!" 

Gabby had gently grabbed Gilda's tail and tugged it. "Not yet, they are cleaning the cars. It's courteous to wait until they are done."  

Gilda rolled her eyes and nodded, twitching her tail so Gabby would let go.  "Okay so we sit here and wait... for how long?" She sat down and opened a wing, checking her primaries over for any that had gotten out of place, and buried her head in the feathers to preen. Normally she'd wait until she was in her room or alone, as it was a bit of a private thing, but Gabby was the only one here and they'd seen each other preen.

"We...we just um, wait until their done..." Gabby mumbled quietly. Gilda didn't catch the gaze Gabby was giving her. Her face obscured by her feathers, she missed the light blush on Gabby's cheeks, or the gentle way her chest feathers fluffed out. Opening her wing out and giving it an inspection of her own, Gabby began to preen hers as well. 

The two hens sat in silence as the train creaked and groaned it's own commentary as the staff within did their work. Someone dropped a metal tool and a loud clang, followed by a shout of annoyance was heard, but then it fell back into quiet. Gilda found a bent downy feather deep in her right wing and groused as it evaded her beak. "Darn...fricken...gah!" growling she reached up and yanked it out with a hiss. Dropping the feather, she looked over and saw Gabby was doing her own preening, her tail flicking back and forth in silent pleasure as she shifted her primaries around and warbled softly. Gilda smirked and poked Gabby out of her self cleaning with a talon. 

The hen chirped in surprise and snapped her head up. Her wing closed with a clap of feather on fur. She blushed and looked away. "G-Gilda!" 

"I wrote the next letter." She said with a small smile. Gabby looked over in mild interest, her cheeks still flushed. Gilda took the slip of paper out of her bag and waggled it in front of Gabby playfully. 

"I figure with my birthday coming up, I should send it as soon as possible, but I have an couple questions, Gabby." She said putting it back in her bag. She then closed the flap and held up two talons. "First, I remembered how the first letter came from the international bin of mail, but we both know that the only places this paper comes from are Canterlot or Griffonstone. The second letter came through the regular mail though. I found that odd."

Gabby slowly nodded, tilting her head in curiosity. Gilda continued.

"Gabby, when do you pick up the mail on an average day? What time?" She leaned in close as a pony train worker exited the train nearby with a bag of trash held in his magic. He gave them a nod of recognition before continuing to the end of the train. 

Gabby shrugged and looked back, watching the pony work. "I mean, sometimes it comes in around eight am, other times it's nine or ten. If it's international mail then we have to wait till the train gets into the station and the bag birds bring it up to the city. If it's the regular mail, it's just a matter of collecting it from the local mail box in the center of town."

Gabby flexed her arms above her head and groaned as her joints popped. "Also, anyone can send a letter internationally to some location, specifically with a return to sender stamp, so the letters being in different arrival bags isn't that odd."

Gilda let her eyes dance back and forth in their sockets as she thought. She hummed and put her talon to her chin, thinking for a moment. "Hmm damn, I guess that means my second question is moot..." 

Gabby warbled and nudged her. "What did you have in mind?" 

Gilda went to speak but was stopped when the pony came back and approached them. the two hens leaned back away from each other and Gabby smiled. 

"Hiya Coal! How's the day been thus far?" 

Coal, the mid forties charcoal colored pegasus smiled and chuckled, his mustache twitching lightly. He tipped his hat to her and scuffed a hoof across the wooden deck. "Oh it's been a day alright, nothing too special. Had some goats on the track we had to relocate near foal mountain, but Hard Roll was good with his magic and had em out of the way in no time. Do you ladies have tickets? I don't imagine you came here on your day off Gabby, just to talk with me." 

Gabby smirked and presented her ticket. Gilda casually passed hers off to him with a curt smile. He nodded, checked them, punched a hole in each and then pivoted around and allowed them on the train. "You ladies enjoy the trip, we have a couple stops at a few outposts along the way but there shouldn't be too much hoof traffic this early."

Once they were all in the car Coal locked the door and pulled a rope with his wing, and a loud whistle could be heard at the front of the locomotive. He smiled to Gabby. 

"You can pick any car ya like, I trust ya Gabby, but if it's alright with you two, a car closer up front would be easier on me. I can serve you gals refreshments faster that way." 

That perked Gilda up at the notion of food and drinks and she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like something we'd enjoy, thanks Pops." She mock saluted him and he smirked and rolled his eyes. 

"Eh, sure thing miss. You have a safe trip."  

They ended up following him to the front car anyway, watching as he made sure each door was locked, and by the time they'd found a nice seat to occupy, the train had already started it's slow roll forward. He left them with a smile and tip of his hat before Gabby shuffled her self into a comfortable position. She then looked to Gilda. 

"So you mentions a second question, what was it?" Gabby propped her head up on her talons and smiled at Gilda. Who in turn shrugged and looked at the table.

"Eh, it's moot now, I was gonna ask if you knew where in the stack the letters had been found, because that would help me narrow down when and where they delivered the letters. With that info I could watch the drop off points, and start getting a couple faces in my memory, see if any of their claw writings match up and what not with the letters versus my customers when they signature a receipt or, ya know, something." 

Gabby opened her beak and mumbled an "Ah" before they fell silent for a time. 

Train rides were kind of boring for Gilda, she didn't think to bring anything with her to keep her entertained, but Gabby did. Halfway outside of the griffon territories she mumbled something under her breath and dug into her bag, pulled out a thick book, cupped her cheek with a paw and began reading. Gilda tilted her head to read the title and found it wasn't a series she knew. 

For a time, her eyes watched the rolling terrain slide by out the window. A couple homesteads came into view, and at one point a large wagon with ponies and other species in it rolled down the road that ran parallel with the tracks. The ponies in it waved enthusiastically. Gilda cautiously waved back. 

She was brought out of her musings by Gabby who started giggling and gasping at something in her book. Gilda watched her fluff up and blush, before giggling like a school filly and turning the page. Her eyes were large and practically glued to the book, zipping back and forth as she absorbed the story. Gilda wasn't much of a reader, but...whatever Gabby had been reading was more enthralling then the outside world. 

Gilda looked to her talons and kneaded them slowly into the cushion beneath her. "Hey um...Gabby." 

Gabby took a second to look up. "Yeah?" 

Gilda blushed lightly and rubbed her own arm fur slowly, glancing to the book and back to the cushion. "So uh...that book you got...seems pretty fun, what's it about?" 

Gabby blinked slowly and gently flipped the book over to look at the cover. 'The Ocean Rose' was the title, and the cover depicted a swashbuckling earth pony mare swinging on a rope from the side of a ship, she was reaching back with a grin to a stallion dressed in military captains clothing who seemed desperate to reach her. Below the mare, was another ship bedecked in pirate décor, cannons and cutthroat ponies with swords in their teeth. The mare had some jewelry around her neck that swung in the stormy winds, she seemed to have pilfered it from the other ship.

Gabby smirked and blushed. "It's ah...a romance adventure novel." She flipped the book open again and turned a few pages back, before showing Gilda a picture of an earth pony maiden from a downtrodden part of a town, and on the other side of the picture, was the pirate mare from the cover. Gilda realized with surprise that they were the same character. At the bottom of the image were the italicized words:

We are not what we seem, to those who think they truly see us for who we are inside

Gilda tilted her head at that and lifted her talon to gently poke the mare on the page. "So...It's about her?" 

Gabby hemmed and hummed. "Sort of? She is one of three main characters. This story deals with outer perceptions and the judgments of society. This mare for example, Madam Rose, she craves the love of her life, but she doesn't know what that is to her heart."

Here Gabby turned a few more pages back and showed Gilda another mare, standing with Rose. A lanky tan unicorn mare with a similar maids dress. The two were laughing merrily with each other about some unknown joke. Behind them, two stallions in basically military garb looked quite embarrassed or peeved by whatever had gone down. She couldn't quite tell. 

"This other mare, Rose feels a stirring in her heart for her, but she knows its not acceptable to have those feelings in their society. Meanwhile, she also craves the high seas and adventure. She doesn't know which she wants more, buuuuut,"

Gabby flipped back almost to the beginning of the story where the captain stallion was standing proudly in front of Rose, kissing her hoof with a genuine smile. Gabby tapped the picture with a talon. "This guy, Sir Gladiant Soul, wishes to make her his bride, even though she is just a maid at the castle."

Gabby closed the book and looked at the cover with a smile. "It's a journey of discovery about who we are at our very cores. I guess for me, that means a lot." She then smiled widely, and flipped the pages open again, finding the dog eared page and continued reading. "I'm at a good part too!"  

Gilda nodded, a light blush reaching her cheeks as she thought of Rose in the book, the mare didn't know where her heart needed to be...and Gilda frowned as she realized that because of the letters, she too was lost. Maybe not between partners, like Rose, but certainly lost on whether she wanted one or not. 

She looked back to the book, and sighed. Gabby noticed and looked up. "Something wrong, Gilda? You look kind of put out..."

Gilda shuffled her feathers and waved her claws towards Gabby's book. "Yeah um...I was wondering if maybe you could, ya know...read it out loud?" 

Gabby's face slowly but surely shifted into a grin, a big one, and one Gilda knew very well. She cursed under her breath and shot her claws across the table. 

"EEEE! You want me to--MMPHH!!!" 

Gilda managed to clamp her talons around her friend's beak fast enough to muffle the loud happy warbling that was threatening to escape Gabby's mouth. The hen was shaking, practically hopping in her seat and jostling Gilda's arm. Gilda hissed nervously and found herself glancing back to where Coal had disappeared to. 

"Yes, yes! Okay! I want you to read to me but not if you're gonna explode! I only asked because I'll go nuts if I don't have something to do!" She glared at Gabby and her ridiculously happy expression until the fluffed out hen calmed down and brushed Gilda's talons away. Gabby took a moment to smooth her feathers down and compose herself. The grin remained, albeit coy now.

Gabby cleared her throat and nodded curtly. "Very well, I'll read it to you, but under one condition..." 

Gilda looked out the window, blushing and fluffing out slightly. "What condition?" She eyes Gabby and watched her chuckle. 

"I get to voice the characters." 

Gilda groaned and smacked her face into the table before burying her face into her forearms. "Kill me now..."

Gabby giggled victoriously and sat up straight. Her voice came out gruff and as masculine as she could make it with her natural higher pitch.

"Sir Gladiant roared in frustration and gripped his leg where Rose had surreptitiously tied the rope round his ankle. She was a sneaky lass, and he liked that! A mare that could catch his heart so deftly, and trap him so easily was a worthy opponent for sure! he had to have her!"

Gilda groaned more into her arms. "kill me, kill me, kill me..."








Ponyville station came none to soon and with a clatter that startled the ponies on the station deck, Gilda and Gabby came crashing out onto the wooden platform in a tangle of limbs, growling, and laughter. 

"B-But wait Gilda! I haven't told you about t-the closet scene with the two white-tailed bucks!" Gabby, who lay atop of Gilda's back, pinning her, even as the clearly tortured and desperate griffoness tried to untangle herself from the smaller hen and flee for her life, laughed harder. Gilda growled and scooted forward a few inches.

"Screw that! You told me it was an adventure novel not some romantic smutty sea tale!" Gilda snarled and blushed furiously as Gabby remained where she was. Nearby a mare covered her foals curious ears and huffed in annoyance. Gilda groaned and dropped her head to the wood below with a dull thunk. 

"Gabby. GET. OFF. ME" 

The station manager came over, and after making sure the two were safe and sound pointed to the town. "Ladies, the local playground is located that way, this is a train station, if you would mind removing yourselves so that passengers may board, I'd appreciate it." 

Without waiting for Gabby to untangle herself, Gilda shot to her feet and smiled tightly. "GLADLY."  

Gabby chuckled, sitting on her haunches and gathering her stuff, before hopping to her feet and practically leaping next to Gilda to match her quick pace. "Oh come on it wasn't thaaaat bad, you liked the part about the deck duel, I saw you grin!" 

Gilda felt her feathers ruffle in embarrassment. "Well yeah! Because it was a fight and Rose decked that chauvinistic bastard right in his snout like he deserved. The parts after that were entirely uness--"

"You mean the kissing?" Gabby  chirped happily. Gilda hissed, leaning close to Gabby. 

"That was the least of what went down in that scene, and you know it!" Gilda poked Gabby's beak, trying and failing to hold back a smirk as Gabby grinned at her with mock innocence. "They practically were making new crew members right there on the deck!" 

Gabby giggled and nodded vigorously, dislodging Gilda's claw from her beak, and clasping her talons to her cheeks, she warbled happily. "I know! it was soooo romantic!" 

Gilda rolled her eyes as they continued walking down the street. Ponies gave them a gentle berth but smiled politely. Gilda sighed and firmly nudged Gabby out of her self chatter. "Yeah, sure, romantic. Let's use that word for such an embarrassing scene. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd want the entire crew of my ship watching as I got railed silly by--

"GABBY!!!!" 

Gilda snapped her head to the left as an orange, white, and reddish orange blur flew past her beak and collided with Gabby, bowling her over twice before she came to a stop. Three ponies sat pell-mell atop Gabby, nuzzling her and laughing.  She laughed too, nuzzling them and warbling happily before crushing them in a hug.

"OOOHH Hi guys! How have you all been?" The three young mares got off her and Gilda very quickly remembered who they were. 

Apple bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were well known around town as the disaster causing CMC. Anything they tried to do as foals had ended up as one or more types of problem, and a local news report for the papers the next morning. Rainbow Dash thought they were a riot and had told Gilda so many stories. Some she believed, others she was very skeptical of. 

The trio crowded around Gabby and chattered for several seconds. Asking her what she'd been up to, where she'd visited, if she'd run into any other friends, and so on. Gilda watched with hidden mirth as the flustered hen flared her wings and laughed nervously, extracting herself from the little mob. "Okay, okay, guys, sorry to say I can't stay and hang out today, but I'll come by soon okay?"

A round of gut wrenching "aaaawwwws" followed.

Gilda failed to hide her smirk that time and watched as Gabby bit her lower beak and blushed. "I...I can't guys, I got work to do too, you know how it is, now that ya got your cutie marks." 

The trio looked to their sides and all seemed to contemplate the images on their rears before looking at one another. A wordless understanding passed between the three that made Gilda's neck fur stand on end. Ponies were weird. 

"Okay Gabby, good luck with work!" Scootaloo hugged her and then backed up so Apple Bloom could do the same. Bloom gently punched her in the shoulder with a hoof playfully "Don't go soft on us ya hear? you're the only griffon CMC still!" 

Gabby nodded, "Oh I won't be for long knowing you guys, you'll make lots of friends!" 

Sweetie Belle hugged her next and then to Gilda's surprise leaned up and whispered something to Gabby. The expressions in Gabby's face quickly shifted from shock, to worry, to fear, and then to nervousness. She quickly pulled back and dared a glance at Gilda. 

What the... in one blink of Gabby's eyes, Gilda witnessed the most fear she'd ever seen appear in Gabby's eyes, but just for a split second, before Gabby's eyes slid back to a curious Sweetie Belle and her expression relaxed into...was that defeat? 

"Um, No...not yet, but I'm trying. It's a lot harder than I thought it'd be." She murmured quietly. She chuckled and ruffled Sweetie Belle's mane. "But I'll get there eventually Sweetie Belle, I just have to have faith!"

Sweetie Belle seemed down trodden by the answer but nodded, wilting her ears. "Oh...Okay...well, good luck! You deserve it!" She smiled and trotted over to her friends who all waved. Gabby waved, slower, and gently. 

When they had left, Gabby dusted herself off and giggled. "They can be a claw-full, but I love those kids, they have so much potential eh, Gilda?" She looked to Gilda to find her staring at Gabby with a furrowed and confusion expression. Gilda pointed at her.

"I get that those three are disaster provoking ponies, but you were genuinely scared back there...Just for a moment, but I saw it." She stated. "Why?" 

Gabby's eyes darted back and forth rapidly as she looked at Gilda's eyes and that fear from before spiked into view. She lifted her claw and went to speak and then closed it and curled her talon inwardly, looking away for a second. She went to speak again and then after a moment, sighed, seeming to deflate. She brushed past Gilda with her wings tucked tightly at her sides. 

Gilda frowned and watched her. "Gabby...what is it?"

"Its...nothing, Gilda. don't worry about it." She mumbled, smiling lightly. Gilda had rarely seen Gabby like this, and she was very aware that others were watching. She began walking and nudged Gabby towards the woods where she said the zebra lived. As they walked, Gilda whispered gently, nudging Gabby with her beak softly. The hen jolted at the touch.

"I know its clearly not nothing, Gabs, but I'm not gonna push it. Feels like something I don't need to step in, so I'm gonna let it go. I hate seeing you upset like that though...let alone afraid." 

Gabby nodded slowly. "It's...It's not something you...it's something only I can make happen." She leaned over and in a rare moment of tenderness, nuzzled Gilda's neck feathers, warbling gently. "But...thank you, Gilda. It helps to know I have friends who care." 

Gilda blushed rapidly and her neck feathers fluffed out to their greatest...but when she went to push Gabby away, she saw that the fear had vanished. The comforting smile on her friends beak was all she needed to see to know that Gabby felt better. "Y-yeah, no problem, Gabby." She mumbled. 

After a few seconds, Gabby pulled back. She took a big breath of air and sighed slowly, "Okay, I'm better! Now we can--" and then giggled at Gilda's appearance. "You um...you need a minute?" She giggled into her talons as Gilda rapidly shook herself and flapped her feathers. 

"I'm fine! I just--you--ponies! Ponies always find a way to get under my feathers with the mushy stuff!" Gilda snapped a talon at Gabby with a mock glare. "Not a word of that to grandpa gruff you hear me?" 

Gabby's laughter subsided and she waved a talon at Gilda. "Oh please he rarely ever talks to me any more, besides, it was just a quick nuzzle. Ponies don't judge others for showing affection." She smiled and trotted down the road. "Come on, lets go see Zecora."

Gilda threw her head up and groaned. "Finally! I can get this over with and we can go home!" 

Gabby smirked. "Yes, But I should warn you, the potion making process is a bit...intrusive." 

Gilda waved a paw at her. "Yeah yeah and I told you I don't care! Now lead the way!" 

Gabby grinned. "I warned you..." 

The two disappeared into the trees together. 

A half hour later, at Fluttershy's cottage, while she was watering the flowers and enjoying the sunset, a piercing bird's cry escaped the dense forests edge and rattled her windows.

"YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT UNDER MY TAIL!?!?!"

Behind her, Discord lounged in a yellow and black crosshatched hammock and smirked, turning a page of his upside down comic. "She did try to warn her..." He mumbled. 

Fluttershy looked the forest and frowned meekly. "Oh my..."
> A Rose in the Rough
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda pulled a tray of scones out of the oven, the hot air roiling over her face and making her hum in relief. Spinning and lifting a back paw, she tapped the oven door and sent it on its track into a closed position. Setting the tray down across a cooling rack, she scrutinized her work with a critical eye. Any malformed or badly burnt scones would be rejected and either tossed in the trash, or set aside for the chicks the next morning. 

She was lucky this time, only having to remove two that sat closest to the tray's edge, their sides far too burnt to be palatable. The undersides were harder then acceptable too. Those she tossed in the trash before grabbing a spatula and carefully transporting the treats from the tray to a presentation plate she'd set aside. 

The tray was then placed nearby to be washed and readied for the next batch. Gilda looked into the back and found Gabby was no where to be seen.

Odd, she usually loves to help me on the weekends...Wonder where she's at. Shrugging, she turned and continued nudging the scones and placing them in a way that pleased her eye. The apple scones were the least bought, so they went on bottom. After that were the strawberry scones, Gabby loved those. The top most ones were a bit of her own idea and Pinkie Pie's. Gilda had wanted something more...griffon like, for a scone, and Pinkie Pie had a slurry of ideas Gilda didn't remember half of, but after a while and hashing out some specifics, they found a solution. Using bacon bits and slices of chicken, she'd made a sort of paste from it, and put it in a scone. 

It was the top selling item she made. She'd sold out multiple times, and eventually had to put a limit of three per customer so a single griffon couldn't monopolize the sales. The more pompous and elitist griffons had been put out by the rule, but it meant that more could enjoy her work, and that was what mattered. 

She set the newly crafted dish in her case, and then closed it. The sun was just peaking over the mountain top behind Griffonstone, so the whole town was still in shadows. Soon it would be alive and bustling again, though, and she looked forward to it. With the festival fully over, and their trip to Ponyville over, things had gone back to normal for a while.

As normal as they could be I suppose. Gilda huffed, leaning against the counter. Behind her, her tail thrashed irritably as the memories of her escapade in Ponyville resurfaced.





Zecora sighed and frowned, holding the small trio of marble sized stone beads on her hoof, as Gilda scowled and backed her rump up against the wall, her wings flared defensively and her tail tucked tightly against her rump. Outside, Gabby was snickering loudly. 

Zecora held the beads out again. "It is not a trial by fire you must play, but to stop the urges of your womb, inside you these must stay." Zecora mentioned for the third time.

"No. No, Gabby, you said nothing about this!" Gilda hissed as Gabby's giggling outside increased to actual laughter. She growled as Zecora stepped forward, keeping her face neutral. 

"She did not inform you of the process, this I see, but it is painless and not as problematic as you think it will be." 

"All she informed me of were moments of emotional instability! Not getting beads shoved up my vulva!" She snarled, and turned to the window. "Gabby get in here! Stop being a doofus and help me!" 

Gilda missed Zecora's look of confusion at her statement as she looked at the beads. And the gentle murmur "Emotional instability? That isn't a symptom caused by these..." 

Outside Gabby's wheezing voice could be heard. "Oh...hooo boy...oh that was...that was good. No, I'll stay out here thank you! I told you it was intrusive, but you didn't listen!" 

Gilda growled and went to walk forward, intent on giving Gabby some 'intrusive' physical actions, but was blocked by the zebra. She held them out again with that sly grin. "You want to remove the stomach vice, then these are the option you will find are mostly nice. No pain should come from within or without, but if you do not believe me, your friend you shouldn't doubt."

Gilda groaned. "Nnnngh....and these have to really go...in there?" She pointed back at her rump and Zecora raised a brow at her reluctance to use the accurate words. 

"Yes, I know my craft and I do it well, They go in your vulva and then will swell. As fluids within collect over time, it begins to saturate the magic inside." Zecora held them out closer, and Gilda grit her inner teeth back and forth. "I...fine! FINE! Gimme those!" 

Zecora backed off as the griffon swiped them off her hoof, and smiled. She pointed to a tall curtain off to the left of her cauldron that obscured the bedroom beyond. "You may seek solace beyond the drapes of red, but please do not lay upon my bed. Place the beads within yourself, and then clasp the top to your tail base, it helps." 

Gilda grumbled and swept the curtain aside before hissing at the zebra and closing the curtain. 

Outside Gabby kept laughing. 





Her tail whipped back and forth as she thought about the beads that lay hidden under her tail. Apparently they were absorbing her natural body fluids, and from that, the magic within it. In a week, the beads would be fully saturated and would then fall out, ready to be crushed into a powder that was then settled into a potion. Gabby had explained the whole process, albeit AFTER Gilda had awkwardly finished the first step. 

The beads were rather small, no bigger than marbles, and thus barely noticeable, as Zecora had said. No pain came from them either, but it was a bit annoying having to relieve herself. The first time she did so, the damn things slipped out and she had to re-set them. The second time she slowly figured out how to do so without this happening, but Gabby had bluntly asked her about it the moment she exited, and then went as far as to explain how SHE fixed that problem.

It was only very very awkward for Gilda. 

The door jingled and Gilda snapped her eyes away from her rump, and put on a smile. "Welcome!" She chirped. 

The hen that entered, looked familiar, but Gilda couldn't place it. Silvery grey feathers atop a hawk like head, and a light tawny coat, similar in color to Gilda's. Large light grey wings shuffled at the hen's sides. She smiled and approached the counter, a light smile on her beak. "Hello, Gilda, I came to chat with you about what happened at the festival a week or so ago, do you remember?" 

Gilda did not. When had she arranged a meeting with a random hen? Her confusion apparently made itself known on her face, because the hen nodded.

"Ah, I see you do not remember. I'm the hen that was comforting her daughter? The one that had been injured?"

OH. Oh it's her....Gilda remembered as the hen sat down in front of the counter, and smiled apologetically. I don't even know her name, what do I say? Gilda's eyes darted left and right and her left talon lifted up. 

"I uh...yeah, now I remember you um...miss...." She waved her paw in a circular motion and the hen perked up. 

"Oh! My apologies, I never gave a name! I'm Grail, my daughter is Glory. I left you a note saying I'd stop by, and well, I didn't have any time until today. I actually spotted you outside while flying this morning and figured I'd make a stop to chat. Could we um, sit for a bit?" 

She pointed over to one of the round tables and Gilda nodded. "Yeah, sure." 

Grabbing two cups in her talons, Gilda quickly filled them with tea and coffee, each brewed not twenty minutes prior and kept warm. She then collected two plates and set some of the fresh scones on them, before walking over and settling down with the other hen across from her. 

Gail looked surprised by the food and drinks, and reached for her purse but Gilda put her talon up. "Don't worry about payment, s'on the house, ma'am." She reached out and picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip, before setting it down and curling her other talons around the porcelain mug. Her eyes traced little pathways in the wood grain of the table's surface as the mother carefully sipped her tea. 

"Mmmm its a nice blend, how did you know I prefer tea? I haven't bought anything here that I know of yet." She asked lightly, setting the cup down and adding some sugar to it from the little condiment station. Gilda shrugged. 

"Lucky guess actually. If you hadn't liked it I figured you'd have reached for the coffee instead of me." She took another sip of her dark roast, savoring the taste, "Or I don't know, maybe you wouldn't go for either and then I'd know you weren't thirsty." 

Gail nodded, but her eyes were downcast, and she momentarily glanced at the doorway. Gilda thought she looked nervous. "I um, don't suppose it'd be okay to close your doors while we chat?" She gripped her cup of tea and sighed. "What I wanted to talk about is a sensitive subject..." She lifted the cup to her beak, "Wouldn't want anyone walking in on it and get the wrong idea, you see." 

Gilda merely shrugged and got up. Gail sipped her tea while Gilda flipped the sign to closed, and then locked the door. "I mean if they really wanna eavesdrop they can, the windows here have no glass..." She mumbled. Gail seemed slightly perturbed by that fact, but nodded. "I haven't had time to get the panes shipped in yet." Sitting back down, she recollected her coffee and swirled it around. 

"So, what's up? This have to do with what happened to your daughter?" She asked before taking a sip. "It'd be kind of nice to know what that all was about anyway, I was left in the dark." 

Gail seemed surprised by that, and lowered her tea slightly. "Gabby didn't tell you? I spoke with her at length about it..." 

Gilda shook her head. "Gabby's been all over the place recently, but as her roommate and friend we like to give each other space. I don't go in her room when she's not around, and she doesn't go in mine when i'm..."

Huh, come to think of it she was in my room during the festival... Gilda shook it off and kept talking. "We keep out of each other's personal space when the other isn't present. I figured if she didn't wanna talk about that night, it wasn't that big a deal, or if it was, then she'd bring it up when she was ready." 

Plus she was an emotional wreck due to that potion. Gilda hummed in thought and looked to Gail. "Still, I'm all ears if you're willing to chat about it with me, clarification would be nice. That other young hen with the fancy outfit looked pretty pissed. Your daughter take her mate or something?" 

Gilda drained her mug as the mother spoke.

"No, She wrote that hen's name on her breeding list. "

Gilda choked, hard. The hot coffee seared down her throat and she convulsed, trying not to spit it up and onto Gail. Her eyes bulged and she slapped the mug down onto the table, turning and coughing off to the side. 

"She*cough cough* she what?" Gilda smacked her chest with a fist while Gail stood and placed a claw on her back, worriedly. 

"Are you alright?"

Gilda waved her away weakly. Opening a wing and gently removing Gail's talons. "Y-yeah *cough* I just *cough* didn't expect that!" 

After regaining her breath and her voice, Gilda sat back down and sighed, rubbing her talons through her head feathers, a light blush on her cheek. "Wow...okay, I can honestly say I didn't expect that one." 

The mother seemed kind of perplexed. "You...you didn't? Hmm..." The mother sipped her tea quietly. Gilda gripped her cup and walked over to refill it.

"Of course I didn't, that's really rare here, griffons here don't normally do the whole...same sex thing...ya know?" Gilda refilled her cup and stirred the blend.

She returned to find Gail frowning more, she looked saddened. "Hey? What's up? I didn't say it was a bad thing, just...it's really uncommon here in Griffonstone, old traditions and all that crap..." She said with quotations. Gail looked away and shuffled her feathers nervously. 

"Y-yeah, of course...It makes sense I suppose..." She whispered. "I guess that explains a lot really...We aren't from Griffonstone. I didn't know that bit of information...and my daughter paid the price..." 

Gilda sat back down and felt her cheeks heat up. "So...wait...I'm not judging anyone here, I just want some understanding. You and your daughter...you like hens?" 

The mother nodded subtly. "We do..." she whispered.

Gilda felt her cheeks heat up even more. Hoo boy...I...this isn't my element...Gabby where are-- Gilda paused, and blinked slowly. Gabby...She'd looked like a ghost had passed through her that night...was it because of this? 

She refocused on Gail, who was sneaking glances at her while fiddling with a scone. She spoke quietly. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, Miss Gilda, I didn't mean to offend."

Gilda shook her talons in front of her defensively. "No, No you didn't, it's fine, just...jarring. I was not ready for that um...bombshell. Look I don't care who you prefer or what not, that's never even been a thing on my personal radar. I know mares who like mares, and I know a couple stallions who like other stallions...hell I even know a yak that likes a stallion..." 

She smirked at the mental pictures, and then shook herself. Gail was looking at her once again with a different expression, more...calm, but curious.

"Look, that night, Gabby helped you guys out and then when I tried to talk to her about it, she looked like she'd seen a ghost or something...Wouldn't say anything to me about it either. Her and I talk about everything practically...Did she not take that news well?" Gilda felt herself lean in as Gail shuddered haggardly. 

"I...I may have overstepped my boundaries, You two live together, you work together, you hang out all the time...so I asked her about her preferences..." When she saw Gilda bristle, she shrunk back. "I just assumed you and her were...ya know! Like my daughter and I are..."

"You assumed we were a pair?!" Gilda hissed, standing and flaring her wings defensively. "Kay look, lets get something straight here, Gail. Gabby and I are roommates and friends. Even if we were...ya know, something else, and we aren't, It is not okay to--"

"To ask?" Gail snipped back, her tone was filled with irritation, She stood up as well. "How else am I supposed to find out then? Hmm? I asked about it subtly during the festival of life to other hens and all I got were scolding remarks and hisses of displeasure! This town is all about tradition isn't it? That's all you griffons seem to care abo--" She shrunk back again suddenly when Gilda gripped the table with both talons and snarled back, cutting her off with a roar of fury.

"I DON'T GIVE A SMOLDERING DRAGON SHIT ABOUT TRADITION!" 

For several seconds, They stared at one another. Gail opened her beak and closed it several times, shocked. Gilda huffed, her chest heaving in anger as Gail looked down at her scone and whimpered quietly. After a moment Gilda let go of the table, grabbed the plate of remaining scones and cups and stormed back to the counter. She deposited the dishes in a bin with a clatter while trying to calm down. Her feathers were all fluffed out and she was irritable.

"Look... I was raised around a pompous male tom that thought tradition was the only goddess damned thing worthy of praise around this trash heap of a town. He'd hammer that crap into my ears every day, all day, and if I didn't look like I was listening I got booted out the door for being an ornery youth." Gilda turned back to Gail and huffed again, deflating and letting her anger go. She slowly came over and sat back down. Gail watched nervously.

"It is totally fine to ask a question." Gilda murmured. "You can ask all you want, to whoever you wish, but it is NOT okay to assume that kind of thing, that hurts people, you understand?"

When Gail nodded quickly, Gilda sighed and rubbed her shoulder with a a talon, looking to the floor with a bit of shame.. "S-sorry for roaring at you...You hit my tradition button..."

Gail chuckled nervously. "I uh I see that...s-sorry too...f-for assuming." 

Gilda lifted her talons in a shrug, "Eh, it's like I said, it's fine to ask questions, and yeah, WHAT your asking is a touchy subject here in town, so...ask carefully. but at least this way now you know not to push that button with me at least. My grandpa was a crotchety old jerk most of the time, so I leave tradition to him."

Gail nodded with a small smile. "So...um, just to clarify, you aren't into hens?" Gilda wasn't dumb, she could see the hopeful look in Gail's eyes, they told a story of loneliness and doubt. Gail hadn't had much luck finding a mate...well a female one anyway. She'd clearly had a tom at one point.

Gilda, paused, lowered her arms to the table and was silent for a time, thinking it over. "I...I don't know."

Gail seemed intrigued and scooted closer to the table, to listen earnestly. "Oh?" 

Gilda shrugged and rubbed at her arm. "See I...Hang on, this conversation doesn't leave the store got it?" She said pointing a sharp claw at Gail, who nodded. 

"Trust me, I understand that at least." Gail smiled as any mother would do. In the way that says 'I'm here for you' to their children. Gilda felt a pang of jealousy in her heart. Her Mother and Father had ditched her and Gallus at the local orphanage as soon as they could walk. Fleeting memories of her mothers claws around her small frame as they set her on the steps were all she had to remember. 

...Gabby...She'd never asked if the hen knew her parents. Gilda sighed and ruffled her feathers, making a mental note to ask. "I don't know how I feel, one way or another. I've never dated. Never tried to find a mate, and I know I don't want any children. No hatchlings or cubs for this hen, thank you very much." 

Gilda paused and flicked a crumb off the table. "I'm still a virgin, if you can believe that. Other griffons don't seem too interested in me."

Gail nodded, humming lightly. " Oh, That's rough...have, have you ever tried to gain one during the festival?" 

Gilda shook her head. "No. To be frank I don't know if I want a mate, it's too much emotions for me." Gilda balled her talon into a fist and then flexed the claws out watching the light glance off their sharp sides. "I'm not too good in the feeling department. The way I was raised, you're either okay or you're not, and if you're not ya fix it on you're own without others help." 

Gail's expression fell a bit but she nodded. "I assume, I mean...Can I ask if that upbringing of yours was by the grandfather you mentioned earlier?" When Gilda nodded, Gail scowled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. "He sounds like a positively wonderful individual..." 

Golda smirked. "You tell me, hes the town mayor." 

Gail gaped at her, her talon lifting to point at the outside world and then back to Gilda. "W-wait, the town mayor?! That gruff old windbag is related to you?" She looked Gilda up and down incredulously. 

Barking out a laugh, Gilda relaxed and then sighed. "Thankfully no. He was just the one who got saddled with me n Gallus by the local court. Gallus is a familial friend of mine. We lived together with Gabby for several years before we all moved out to do our own things." Gilda Looked around her at the brick walls and the delicious scent of baked goods. "Gallus is a royal Guard for Princess Sparkle in Equestria, and you can see where I ended up, Gabby too."

Gail smiled, and admired the place. "I like it, reminds me of home. I think you girls did a wonderful job of the place. I'll be sure to bring my daughter by from now on, if that's alright?" 

Gilda nodded. "Sure thing, but yeah. for future reference, I'm still trying to work out my own internal ah...love...stuff." She paused and scratched her neck fluff nervously, "I don't know about Gabby, you'd have to ask her yourself." 

Gail stood and shook talons with Gilda before they walked to the doorway. After unlocking it, Gail turned and smiled to Gilda. "Thank you for hearing me out. We got a bit off track, but I guess I wanted to know there was a place my daughter and I could come that wasn't so...well 'traditional' I guess. Your shop is wonderful Gilda, and I hope to try all of your treats."

Gilda smirked. "Maybe not all at once, take it slow. You and your daughter are welcome any time I'm open." 

When Gail left, and Gilda was reopen, she seated herself back behind the counter and sighed. Her thoughts all over the place. 

Who do I like more? Hens or toms...Do I like both? Do I like neither? Can I even have more than one mate? I don't know, is that a thing? So many options and so freaking complicated. I'll figure it out later. Gilda brushed her feathers down as a dust cloud of little feathered horrors and one bedraggled hen came into the shop. 

"HI MISS GILDA!!" The pile of chicks at the foot of her store counter screeched. Gilda rubbed her ear with a claw, and smirked as the hen looked up to her with an exhausted expression and flopped into the nearest open chair, her beak clattering to the table. 

"Uuuugh." she grumbled.

Gilda snapped her talons a few times to catch the hatchling groups attention.  "Hiya little minions, ya ready to earn some treats?" 

"YES!" The all shouted in unison. Gilda grinned and looked up to the hen, the orphanage caretaker. "Coffee or tea, miss? Ya look like ya need it."

Gilda loved when a genuine smile appeared on her fellow griffons beaks, and this hen looked like she'd been asked the golden question. 

"Both please." She warbled into the table.

Gilda chuckled as the horde of scrabbling claws, swishing tails and tiny chirps surged outside to scour her front area for trash and other unacceptable items. Brooms, dust pans, and even a mop went careening around outside as they attacked the menace known as litter.  

"You got it." 

As she grabbed a clean set of mugs, her mind drifted to the outside, past the children and the few citizens awake this early, and she wondered.

Where is gabby? 





Far, far away, in Canterlot city, a jewelry shop's door opened, and the bell jingled lightly. The unicorn stallion working the counter looked his newest potential customer up and down in slight disdain. Not one of his regulars, but maybe he'd make a sale of the obviously random tourist that now walked the isles, their eyes glistening in awe and genuine appreciation of his craft. He felt his smile become a little more genuine at that. 

"Good morning, may I help you with anything?" He asked. The patron slowed and looked up at the walls of jewelry and the hand crafted boxes next to them. All were beautiful and well made to be sure, but no matter how they looked, something was missing from each.

"Yes...I suppose you can, I need a jewelry box made for my lover, and the top needs to have a specific item carved into the wood, the drawers need to have the same symbol, and the bottom needs to have a music box inside it. Can you do that?" 

The unicorn smiled. custom jobs were expensive, but worth the pay, if this customer actually had that kind of money. "I see, well I most certainly can do them, but might I suggest something cheaper? T'would be easier on your eh...coffers." 

"No, I know what I seek and money isn't a problem. Can you do it?" They asked. 

The stallion smiled fully, loving the sound of that. When a customer had money to spare AND knew what they wanted, that meant money for him. Plus, custom jobs were fun, he got to create an entirely new, and one of a kind piece. 

"Well, by all means, lets get started. I'll get the information down and then it'll be done in a week or so, does that--"

"I'm sorry," She cut him off "But I need it in three days." 

The stallion balked, lowering the floating quill. "I beg your pardon? Three days for a custom job is doable, but it'll be quite hard to finish with my usual skills...Could we maybe compromise on five days?" 

The customer shifted from leg to leg, "Four...Is four doable? It's for my mate's birthday you see." 

He sighed and nodded. "I suppose...It won't have much to it then I'm afraid, the usual metal filigree and gemstones I inlay into the wood would need to be left out..." 

"It doesn't need to be extremely detailed, can you keep the enchantments, carvings, and the velvet interior?" They asked. When he nodded, they seemed to sigh. "That is perfect then, they will love it." 

He nodded slowly. "Very well, what shall I be carving into the top and drawers?" 

The customer smiled a smile so pure of love that the stallion felt his chest swell with pride. The customers eyes hit the sunlight and they flashing in quiet joy.

"A rose."
> The gift of Perspective
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda scowled at the pony across from her, her talons clenched and un-clenched in frustration. Her eyes darted from him to the object of her ire. Three weeks ago, she'd made an order to an equestrian glass company for two large panes of glass. They would be used for the front of her store, and she'd finally have a mostly finished shop. 

Pointing to the panes of glass in front of her now, while glaring at the pony, she bared her beak. "Those are not what I ordered."

The pony, a burly storm grey pegasus with an even darker beard, lifted his hooves in defense, rolling his eyes. "Hey, that's not my problem, lady. I just deliver the stuff, I don't check it over in the fabrication center. Your address was on my paper for these two sheets, take it or leave it." His gruff voice grated on her and she reared up on her hind paws and flared her wings.

"Not your problem? You delivered the wrong product!" She jabbed a claw at the glass panes, wrapped in see through plastic and held safely down to the pallet they came on. The glass was tinted darkly, smoke colored, to block out sunlight and prying eyes, but that was the exact opposite of what Gilda wanted. Her shop should be seen, not hidden. 

"Being able to see my customers enjoying my wares is a must for my business, and you brought me glass that hides that away! I can't use these!" She said angrily. "On top of that I didn't purchase tinted glass!" Folding her arms in front of her she growled. "Take em back and bring me the ones I ordered." 

He frowned at the glass and sighed. "Yeah, look you got a problem with what was delivered, Take it up with the fabrication crew, not me. I'll write up a report on it, and send it to their office. Thing is, that'll take a couple weeks to get through, they are very busy, and so am I, so if you'd just--"

Gilda snarled, swiping her talons in front of her chest, cutting him off and attracting a few curious stares. "Oh for the love of Discord, no! I don't think so! I'm not waiting for another three weeks to get my damn glass." She pointed a claw at the library's outside clock, "The next train leaves in four hours, you get your feathered ass back on it, with your failed order, go back to the company and get my order settled. Today. It had better be here  no later than tomorrow morning, or I'll contact your boss, rescind my payment and find another company to do it." 

The pony scowled back, his wings opening slightly in confrontation, and then he sighed and closed them up again. Gilda caught the subtle flick of irritation in his tail. "Fine, ma'am, I'll be back as soon as I can be. Have a wonderful day." He said the last part with a growl from his clenched teeth. 

Gilda snorted and watched as he loaded the glass back up into their sky cart with his two assistants, two other pegasi who shot her dirty looks and then the three took off. Once they'd been lost to sight, she grumbled and slumped into one of the new outside chairs. Lifting her talons to her face, she rubbed circles above her temples. Things had been going so well too!

In the last two weeks, Gilda had gotten new furnishings for the outside area, and the ground had been cobbled with rubber bricks, so it was softer on the paw pads and claws of her customers. The inside had also had the cement floor padded with foam and lush red carpets that Gabby had helped her pick out and install. On top of this, Gilda had also received an update on the glass for her windows.

"Lotta good that did me, they brought me the wrong ones." She groused, her tail lashing behind her. 

"Everything alright, Sis?" 

Gilda turned to look behind her, a small smile gracing her beak. "That'd be a gigantic no, Gallus." She lifted off the chair, spun back towards the shop and dropped to all fours. Gallus was another good thing that had happened recently. He'd been given vacation time from his guard job in Canterlot, and had stopped by to visit Gilda and Gabby for a week or so. He'd arrived the night before, and hadn't stopped talking about all his fun adventures and the escapades he got up to in the castle. 

Princess Twilight was apparently taking to the job like a fish to water, but she had panic attacks every now and then when the nobles tried to circumvent her authority. Gallus had fluffed out his chest feathers and proudly claimed he was her official 'shoulder to lean on' in those times, and Gilda caught a hint of a blush on his cheeks when he'd said it. 

She hadn't stopped ribbing him for his hidden crush on the Princess since then. While Gallus didn't think it actually would grow into anything more, Gabby had assaulted him with questions the moment she found out. She'd then drowned him in apparent advice he should use to approach the princess. It had been hilarious to watch him get all flustered and then even more uproarious when Gabby bluntly asked if he'd ever even mated before and if he 'knew how to do it' with a pony.

Watching Gallus wrestle Gabby to the floor in an attempt to silence her laughter and very personal inquiries on the apartment floor had been the highlight of her week. 

Reminds me of the younger days...

She reached the door and walked through, flicking his beak with her tail with a mock scowl. "And what did I say about calling me 'sis', I don't like it." 

He grinned and waved her tail away from his face with a hand. "Right, right, you dislike it about as much as Gabby dislikes your strawberry scones. I've seen the way you hide those smiles." He followed her behind the counter and helped her move some of the large empty cardboard boxes out the back door. They had been used to ship the new tables and chairs, but now the boxes were in the way. Gabby was already outside, warbling gently and using her talons to cut the boxes into smaller pieces.

Smaller pieces which all oddly resembled ponies or other animals. Gilda smirked. "Having fun here?" She asked as she sat down next to the hen and began cutting the material into strips. Gallus joined in a second later, the trio sitting in a triangle. Gabby smiled and nodded, her tongue sticking out of her beak as she carefully carved a unicorn out of the side of a sheet. 

"You know it! If you can make it fun, it's more of a project and less of a job!"  She removed her claw from the sheet and hummed, holding it up for the other two griffons to see. "Hmm, I think I made him too fat..."

Gilda smirked and covered her chuckle with a paw, while Gallus looked it over with a grin. He cut his box neatly in half and set it aside. "Nah, you nailed it. Why I can even see one of the many lords and ladies of the Canterlot elite in that shape, why Duke Frumpinshire, so good to see you, sadly all of you."

They all chuckled at that.

Gabby chirped happily and started on a another one. Gilda smiled and paused with her talon partially in the box she was holding. She looked  up and watched the two work, then her eyes went up to the clear blue skies, and the nearly white puffy clouds in the distance. Her claws lowered the box she was holding.

"This is....nice." She murmured. Gallus and Gabby both paused and looked to her, Gabby slowly carved out another head, the shape not giving it away as to what she was creating. The hen stuck her tongue out for a second before smiling.

"Oh I agree! We need to do this more!" 

Gallus sighed with a smile "Heh, if only I could. Working for Princess Twilight is a full time job. I don't get many days off, but if you want I could try and come visit more. Would you two like that?"

Gilda nodded and sliced her box in half, setting it down to work on another side. "Yeah that'd be cool, but if you don't have the hours, we could always come visit you." She grinned. "Maybe Gabby could give Twilight some advice on how to court a griffon, eh Gallus?"

She smirked and dodged a crumpled piece of cardboard he threw at her head. "Don't you dare." He said leveling a claw at her. "I worked very hard to get my position, and I won't lose it because my sisters wanna play nest maker again." 

Gilda raised a brow and Gabby squeaked in surprise, dropping her cardboard critter and clasping her cheeks with her talons. Gilda grimaced, lowering her sheet a little. 

"Again? We never played that as hatchlings, it was too embarrassing...At least I don't remember playing it." She looked to them both and found they were awkwardly chuckling and looking away from her. Gallus was rubbing the side of his neck fluff and Gabby was whistling very suspiciously. "Wait, you two played it?"

Gabby nodded and blushed. "We did, a couple times. But when we asked you if you wanted to play you just told us it was too embarrassing." She dared a glance at Gilda, "Like a second ago..." Gilda groaned and smacked her face with a paw. 

"I cannot believe you two played nest makers...that's just...why?!" She looked between them in confusion. "Wait...who was who?" She said pointing a claw between them.

Gallus rolled his eyes and continued cutting his board. "Well I was the Dad, obviously. I'm the male!" He puffed out his chest. "I brought home the meat and fixed stuff!" he said before chuckling. He then paused, putting a paw to his chin, and looked perturbed. "My darn hammer always went missing too."

Gabby blushed and rubbed her arm slowly. "I was the uh..the Mother...I cooked and cleaned and went shopping....and hid gallus' hammer from him." 

Gallus squinted his eyes and pointed a claw at her accusingly. "I knew it!"

Gilda groaned and rubbed her face with her paws. Her two best friends and adoptive siblings had played the child equivalent of 'adulting'. It was weird to her then and it was even weirder now that she was an adult. Then, she felt the heat on her cheeks rise as a particularly worrisome thought came to mind. Any hachtlings that did play that game ended up reaching a particular part...concerning making more hactchlings. This was usually when the parents stepped in and stopped it from going further. Gabby, Gilda, and Gallus however didn't have parents...so did that mean.... She darted her eyes around to make sure there weren't any listeners and then leaned in and whispered. "You two never went...farther than that right?" 

Gallus immediately grimaced, and Gabby's chest feathers diminished. The two blushed, shared a look, and then both of them shuddered. Gallus spoke. "Er...yeah...but only once..."

Gabby blushed and her fluff increased until she was fully puffed out. "We kissed..." 

For a few seconds none of them spoke. Gilda looked between the two with an open beak, while they tried to focus on their cardboard. Gilda blushed hard. "You kissed...?" She whispered. Well, at least that was the limit for them. She was silent for a moment longer, and then looked to Gabby. "Was...was he any good at it?"

"Hey!" Gallus hissed. Gabby smirked and shrugged. "Eh, he could have used more tongue, less beak...he basically headbutted me." 

"I did not! Y-you moaned!" he barked, Gabby flushed and hid behind a wing, Gallus pointed a finger at her. "Oh yeah, I remembered that part very well. I thought I hurt you, and then I opened an eye and found you fluttering your eye lashes at me!" 

Gabby hissed back, flaring her wings. She looked insulted. "I did not flutter my eyelashes! I didn't even have eye lashes back then!" 

"Yes you did! You fluttered them all slowly at me and that's when I caught you trying to touch my---WAAAUUGH!!!" 

Gilda laughed and fell on her back as Gabby threw herself at Gallus, and the two rolled around, play biting and scratching at each other. Muffled growls and hisses reached her as she lay down on her side and laughed harder.

"Oh my god you two...Gabby did you try to touch him?!" She wheezed. Gabby flailed her wings, batting at Gallus as he tried to pin her on her back. 

"One time! I tried one time and this feather brain squawked like a hen and leaped into a tree like a snake had nipped him!" she hissed and then screeched when Gallus suddenly gripped her right arm, flipped over her side and pinned her to the ground on her belly. 

"Haaa... haaa...I win!" He growled, laying across her wing. Gabby tried to pull away but hissed when he gently tweaked her arm. She huffed underneath his side and chirped twice. Any griffons that tussled with one another knew the double chirp was a sign of submission. Gallus immediately let go and grinned, puffing out his chest floof and strut back to his pile of cardboard with his tail held high and his wings partially open. "Ha! whose top griffon now? This guy!"

Gabby hissed at him. "No fair, you got guard training!" She sat up and dusted her self off and then rolled her shoulder. "Ow..."

Gilda laughed for a few more minutes before she calmed down. All three of them were fluffed out and slightly embarrassed. Sitting back up, Gilda closed her eyes and put her talons up in submission. "Alright, alright, I won't push that button again, but wow...I kinda wish I could have been there to see that." 

Gallus picked up his box and ripped it down the middle rather quickly. He smirked. "Yeah, laugh it up, I wasn't a good kisser, and Gabby wasn't subtle. but then again Gilda, you have a little secret too..."

Gilda stopped laughing and found Gallus smiling ever so calmly at his cardboard pile. He slowly organized it into a neat little stack, and glanced at her. "I've heard from the grapevine that you have a secret admirer..."

Gilda's blush increased and she instantly growled at Gabby,"Gabby I swear to the gods above if you--" but Gabby looked just as surprised by the news, when she saw Gilda's glare, she shook her head, waving her paws in front of her self frantically. "It wasn't me! I didn't tell him!" 

Gallus held out a wing, blocking Gilda's view of the other hen, making her turn to him. His smile was gentle. "This isn't something I heard from Gabby, Gilda, and I'm not trying to get under your feathers. If anything I wanted to congratulate you. I was surprised to find no toms having taken you two into their nests yet." he paused and lowered his wing, looking at them. "You both are very beautiful hens, if I'm honest. I figured by now you'd have found someone, but Gabby did tell me how hard it's been for you. So congrats."

He reached over and gave her a good firm hug, his new muscles flexing against her as she stood there surprised. 
"I...thanks...I guess..." Gilda gently shuffled in his embrace and then pulled out of it.

He pulled back and let go of her, tilting his head "You guess?" 

She shuffled her wings and blushed more, then shrugged. "I don't know, okay? I don't know what to think! They've been really kind and seem to understand how I tick so it's nice to know some griffon out there has feelings for me, but...you know me, Gallus. I'm rough n tough and I don't like getting all mushy...like this." She said the last part with a wave of her paw between them. 

He nodded and backed up. "I hear ya, love is confusing at the simplest and a master made puzzle at it's finest. Still, it was nice to meet them, thy definitely have your best interests in mind."

"YOU MET THEM!?" 

It was now Gilda who tackled Gallus and pinned him to the floor. The surprised tom fell backwards with an "OOF" and found Gilda's beak pressing against the ridge of his. Her eyes were like flames bursting from her sockets. she gripped his neck ruff and shook him spastically.

"Who are they!? Where do they live!? Are they male or female?! How tall are they!? Do they buy any of my wares!? GALLUS SPEAK DAMMIT!!!"

Gallus, shaken up a little,  took the onslaught of questions with a firm smile and simply waited until she stopped. She huffed hot air in his face and then he pushed her off him gently. Gilda lay down and covered her head in her paws. "Oooh this is so embarrassing! How did you meet them!?" 

He lay down on her right side and Gabby came over and lay down on his left side, their wings all shuffled together. Gabby lifted a wing and gently draped it over her back and then gallus did the same. As Gilda fret and warbled nervously, Gallus reached under his right wing and pulled out a package. Gilda hadn't seen that there when he'd opened his wings before. How had it been there when he wrestled with Gabby?

"Where was that a second ago?" she murmured. 

Gallus handed it to her, and smiled. "Magic, blame Princes twilight. She helped me hide it."  

Gilda took the package and slowly hefted it in her paw. It was reasonably heavy. On the front of the package was her name.

It's the same claw writing as the mystery letters! Gilda started opening the box but was stopped by Gallus. 

"Hold on, let me answer some questions for you kay? It's the least I can do." he let go of the box and sighed. "Okay, so there are three things I can't answer. I'll start with those." 

Gilda grumbled but nodded. Gallus held up three claws, bending them in as he named them off. " I can't give their name, I can't give their gender, and I cannot give their address. Your first question I can answer was...how tall are they?" 

Gilda blushed and hid her beak in her wing. "I...it was random okay! I wasn't thinking straight!"

He chuckled and nodded. "Fair, they are shorter than you by...eh maybe two inches or so."

She nodded. He spoke more. "The other question was if they bought your wares, and the answer is a resounding yes. They love your scones and the coffee. They said to tell you they particularly like your building, said it looked very sturdy.A strong nest to be proud of."

She blushed and warbled more, but it was bubbly and sounded very happy. Gilda cursed and tried to calm down. Her belly was warm and her friends wings on her back wasn't really helping that factor. 

But...it is nice to know they support me...

"The last question, is how I met them, and that one is a loaded question. At first they didn't want me to tell you, but I figured if worded properly, it wouldn't give too much away. I met them while on Gaurd duty in Canterlot. They spotted me and knew you and I were connected as family and friends, and asked me to deliver this to you for your birthday." 

Gilda nodded slowly, gently nudging the box left and right in front of her. "So...Canterlot...the only other place the mail gets it's papers designated for griffonstone...hmm." She missed Gallus's confused expression, but then she looked up at Gabby. Gabby had a gentle smile on her beak, she was watching Gilda and shuffled hr wing closer to Gilda. "Gabby...you said they couldn't possibly be from Canterlot right?"

Gabby tilted her head to the side. "Eeeeeh not exactly, no, I said the mail couldn't be delivered to us from there, in the way it was shipped. The letters would have been sent back to their destination. So...maybe? I don't think they do though. They buy your scones and stuff on a regular basis, so to take a train here and back every day or so...that's a lot of money..."

Gallus nodded. "I work for the princess and I still have to pay around fifty bits to go from there to here. That's with a military discount of forty percent. That means the average pony or griffon in this case, is paying a hundred and twenty-five bits to make the trip daily. That's not even there and back, that's just one way. Unless this griffon is rich, and I'll be honest, they didn't look rich, that's too much money to be spending every week." 

Gallus reached out a talon and pat her back. "It's highly probable that they live close by and visit daily." He smiled. "And take it from me, I can judge a griffon on their character very accurately. You'll like em." 

She smiled weakly and nodded. "If...if you say so, Gallus..." She got nudged by Gabby who had been sneakily snaking a claw towards her gift and hissed at it her. Gabby retracted her paw quickly and giggled. "Go on, open it! Gallus said it was for your birthday!"

She smiled lightly and turned the box gently around so she could see her name, the fancy writing looked nice to her now. "It arrived a few days early...shouldn't I wait?" 

Her answer was chuckling and giggling. Gabby and Gallus both retracted their wings and laughed. "What?" she asked in shock. "It's a legitimate question!" 

Gallus stopped first and poked her chest with a paw. "Not with a griffon it isn't. Since when do griffons wait to open a gift?"

Gabby shook her head. "Never! Even I open my gifts if I get em early." 

Gilda sighed and smiled when they both shuffled close to her to see it. "Fiiiine, I'll open it, but if they get upset I'm pinning the blame on you two!"

Gabby smiled and poked the box. "I don't think they will, they are a griffon too." Gilda had to agree.

Removing the packaging gently and handing it to Gallus, Gilda found herself slowly removing the most beautiful jewelry box she'd ever seen. The wood was a deep cherry finish, polished over and as smooth as silk across it's surface. The box had three drawers, each one studded with small silver handles, the very center of them was a diamond shape.

The top opened up to reveal a small five-by-five inch mirror, that reflected her embarrassment right back at her. She looked at gabby through it and found her smiling warmly, and shuffling her wings. She look to Gallus and found him tilting his head, his eyes traveling over the box in wonder. 

Inside the top compartment was a folded piece of paper with her name on it. underneath her name were the words 'To the most amazing rose I have laid mine eyes apon, happy birthday.' She tenderly lifted it out and felt her cheeks heat up as she saw what lay beneath it. The velvet lining of the box, in every drawer, was also marked with a blooming rose, held in both paws of a griffon. The fabric that created the symbol was some kind of gold thread, and it shimmered splendidly in the sunlit. She felt her chest feathers rise and to Gabby and Gallus surprise, Gilda started purring. 

She tried to stifle it at first, but then Gabby started up as well, and soon after Gallus did too. The gentle vibrations they shared felt like a soothing balm to her worries and fears, and she sighed. "I...I love it...It's not too fancy, not too big, no crazy ornamentation...simple, and useful. At the same time....it's beautiful..." She murmured.

"Like you..." 

Gilda blinked and looked to Gabby, who suddenly shook herself and chuckled nervously, her cheeks getting redder by the second. She quickly pointed to the box and then to Gilda. "Y-You know, the letters keep saying you're this griffon's er...rose, s-so it must mean they see the beauty in you, and wanted to try and, I don't know, show it?" 

Gilda watched Gabby for a few seconds, noting her darting eyes, her reddened cheeks, and her increased heart rate. "Jeez Gabby, calm down. I'll take it as a compliment even if that is what you meant." Gilda smirked and smoothed her head feathers. "You don't have to defend yourself so adamantly."

Gabby rubbed her arm nervously and nodded with closed eyes. "S-sorry, I just thought that might have come out wrong, ya know?" 

Gilda opened the other drawers, slowly admiring each one and it's well crafted interior. She didn't have nearly enough jewelry to put in this for it to be useful, but it was a very nice piece of work. "How so?" She asked quietly. Setting the box down on it's original packaging, she tilted her head and gazed at it as the sun glanced off it's sides. 

Gabby was slow to reply, so Gallus cut in, nudging her wing with his. "What I think she means is how griffons in Griffonstone are mostly traditionalists. They tend to shy away from same sex pairings, not ban it or anything, but frown at it. Gabby's comment might have sounded wrong to another griffon, yeah?" He looked over Gilda to Gabby and found her clasping her claws together, flexing the talons slowly and blushing madly. When Gilda also looked to her she quickly tried to look calm and collected, but it failed. 

"I...yeah...that..." 

What's up with her and that topic? She gets so flustered! Gilda hummed and slanted her eyes to the box, and then she remembered the hen from before and her daughter, Gail and Glory, Gabby had been white as a sheet when the topic had been broached apparently...but why? Gilda had never found out from Gabby herself...

Sitting up, and scooping the box into her arms, she stood on her back paws, smirking when Gallus politely looked away from her exposed underbelly, and turned to the house, sneakily moving so her belly came almost a few inches from Gabby's beak. She caught Gabby's reaction too. Gabby didn't turn away at first, she blushed harder, locked eyes with one of Gilda's teats for a second, and THEN turned away quickly. A very uncomfortable expression wormed its way onto her beak. It was here Gilda realized something...

Oh my gosh, is Gabby a traditionalist?! Does she not like the idea of same sex pairings? That's so unlike her, I don't think I've ever seen her be closed mined to stuff like that...wait...Gilda stopped and thought about it more. That can't be right, I've seen Gabby advocate for two male toms in the past, she was all for it...maybe I'm wrong...Maybe...Gilda Looked to the ground in realization. Maybe it's the other way around!

Gilda fully turned away like nothing had happened, and then dared to take a step further. She had to know now. "Eh it's all good to me, I suppose if the writer of the letters was a hen I'd giver her a chance. She's bold in her letters, speaks her mind, and while very very shy, she really seems to respect my interests, and she buys my wares. That is a definite plus in my book." 

She glanced back and saw the strangest thing. At first, Gabby's expression was frozen in a state of shock, staring wide eyed at the ground. Her beak barely twitched, and then she covered her mouth with her paws, trying to block a heavy warble that even made Gallus blink in surprise. Gilda barely caught the ghost of a smile grace its way onto Gabby's beak before the hen masked it with a smile and looked to Gilda. Her wings fluffed up and her chest feathers ruffled, the hen was proud.

Gabby's not a traditionalist at all...

Gilda only managed to hide her shock, by acting like she was fumbling with one of the drawers. Gabby spoke up. Her voice was calm, but Gilda noted the happy under tone that was present. "Well think whoever it is will be very pleased to know that! You should write them another letter, Gilda!"

Gilda nodded mutely, walking back towards the house with a guarded expression, as Gallus and Gabby followed behind her, unaware to the swirling thoughts in her mind. Questions ran through her head a million miles a minute...but one statement caught up and jarred it all to a halt. 

I think Gabby likes Hens...
> The sides of a heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda set the ornately crafted jewelry box on her desk in her room, sitting down and admiring it for several minutes. She felt conflicted. The brand new object, so clean and tidy, clashed with her disheveled nest. She resolved to fix that very quickly. She found herself running a paw down it's side slowly. Her claw tip gently traced the etched rose flower atop the frame and she smiled.

"Whoever you are...Thanks."  Patting the box, she looked to the old one, it's drawers open and the few contents it guarded now removed. Scooping it up, she tucked it under her wing and walked downstairs. Gabby had left to go dispose of the cardboard, and Gallus was in the kitchen. His elbows propped up his beak while he read the local newspaper with some coffee. Gilda passed him and set the old jewelry box on the table. Gallus watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled a hammer out of a nearby drawer and came back. She began prying the nailed loose and separating the wood panels. 

"That your old one I take it?" He asked, picking up his coffee and taking a sip. 

Gilda nodded, grunting as a nail fought back stubbornly. "Yeah, gonna dismantle it and keep the nails for another project." She yanked the nail she was fighting out and scowled at the bent mental. "Well, most of them." 

He nodded and went back to his paper. Gilda continued working on her project until the pieces were all organized and the nails she could salvage were together. She dropped the refuse into the garbage can and sat back down. Picking up a nail, she twiddled the small spike between her talons, thinking. 

"Hey, Gallus..." She mumbled. Her eyes tracked the nail as it flipped end over end through her claws. Gallus looked up and watched her as she played with the nails. 

"I've come across a bit of a conundrum...and i don't know how to approach it carefully." She picked up two more nails and tried to build a tepee out of them, "I don't want to cause trouble by assuming...but It's not something I thought to ever consider." 

She managed to get the three to stand on their own and then moved to add more. Gallus picked up his cup of coffee and peered into its contents. He was getting low. Standing, he walked over to the coffeemaker and poured himself another. "Okay, you want to take it slowly. Whats on your mind?" 

Gilda got the second tier to stand, but it wobbled dangerously. "I...I think Gabby might be into hens..." The pile fell apart and she frowned and restarted. "I don't have proof, but she acts strangely every time that topic gets brought up..." 

Gallus nodded, setting his cup down and retaking his seat. "Okay, that's...yeah that's a touchy subject here in Griffonstone...Folks aren't open minded enough yet for that change..." He sipped his coffee. "At the same time, I think I know what you mean. Gabby avoids that topic like the plague and I couldn't figure it out for a time, but you know me. If I see potential trouble I usually try to avoid it."

Gilda nodded, resetting the first tier of nails up. Gallus slid his paper aside and grabbed a small handful of the pile and started doing the same. Gilda paused and watched his construction. He went about it in a completely different way. "Still," he said while aligning the nails properly, "The way I see it, is that even if she were into hens, that shouldn't be a thing others decide for her. Equestria has gotten really good about that. Same sex partner ships, even mixed species partnerships are okay there, so long as both sides respect each others differences, things usually work out well." 

His little tower held up and he smiled. Gilda went back to hers, her mind slowly turning. "I guess...but what about that mother and her daughter? Did you hear how they were treated?" Gilda set her nails down and looked away for a moment. "I'd hate to see Gabby get treated that way..." 

Gallus nodded. "Yeah, the daughter got roughed up by that other hen when she outted herself." He rubbed his nape feathers with a paw and sighed. "That ain't cool with me, I think Griffons need a little more understanding in their lives for those of us who are more opened minded." He splayed his paws out in front of him, palms up. "But that's like asking grampa gruff to wear a different hat, he won't do it just because you say it should happen." 

Gilda nodded, and reached over to grab Gallus's cup. She stole a sip and grimaced, sticking her tongue out. "Blegh! You didn't put any creamer in this?" 

He chuckled. "Nope, keeps you and Gabby from stealing it." he paused. "That right there is a good example though." She handed his cup back and stood to make another batch. Gallus swirled his cup with a spoon and smirked. "You like coffee with creamer, I don't. Some might say i'm weird, and some might agree." He downed his cup and held it out to her. Gilda took it and hummed. 

"How do you mean?" She washed the cup out and set it next to the coffee maker. "Choice of coffee and choice of mate are very different matters." 

Gallus sat sideways in the chair, resting his arm over the back, "Yeah, in a way they are, but in several ways they are the same. You run a cafe, Gilda, How many ways are there to make coffee for a patron?" 

Gilda paused, and reared up. She leaned her lower back against the counter, folding her arms. "About twenty different ways if I remember them all, and that's not counting all the ingredients I could be asked to add." 

Gallus nodded. "Now ask yourself this, how many sapient species are there in this world, and how many ways you could pair them?" 

Gilda felt her mind go blank for a moment. "Gods above...There's like thirty? Forty maybe? How does this all come back to griffons?"

Gallus stood and started fiddling with the nails on the table, while Gilda set the coffee to cook. She came over and saw he'd placed the nails into multiple piles. each one was a different size; some had more, others less. 

"The nails on their own represent each species in society. The piles represent the possible interactions and culture exchanges between them, and this one," he said placing a single nail in the center, "Represents Gabby." Gilda watched in curiosity as he slid the nail to different piles slowly. "Each time Gabby comes across a difference group, society, or their way of life, the potential for her to connect with one of these species is possible. So say she finds her home doesn't agree with her heart. What would the logical decision to make in that scenario be?"

Gilda's worry increased."To move away..." Gallus nodded.

She watched as he slid Gabby to another pile. Then he slid it to another. "As long as Gabby feels disconnected with her heart, and her home, she'll go where she can feel more in tune with both. Now...say she had a partner who supported her in all this. Things suddenly change..." 

Here Gallus slid another nail to Gabby, and then two more slid near her. Before Gilda's eyes, a multitude of nails from other groups started appearing with Gabby. 

"The more Gabby is truthful about who she is, the more she'll attract like minded individuals." Gallus slid the other piles closer to one another, and then Gilda realized with growing anxiety that there were only two piles left. 

"These piles represent open minded individuals and close minded individuals." Gallus slid a pair of nails out of the pile and placed them above the rest. He pointed to them. "Regardless of who Gabby likes, be it hens, toms, or even other species...you'll have to ask yourself this, Gilda." He slid one nail to the open minded pile, smiling as he did so. "Are you open minded or closed? Because I know where I stand, and that's with Gabby." 

He patted her shoulder and walked from the room. Gilda slouched into the chair and stared at the two piles for several minutes. 

Open minded...supportive...close minded...against it. Gilda rubbed her arm gently and then jumped when Gabby's voice reached her.

"I'm home! Hey Gallus, where's Gilda?" 

Quickly sweeping the nails into a single pile, she stood up and left out the back door. Too conflicted to talk directly with her at the moment, Gilda knew who she needed to see. She needed to talk to Gail. 

A few second later Gabby entered the kitchen. "Gilda? Gallus said you wanted to talk...to me?" She instead found the room empty. The coffee maker had just finished it's cycle and oddly...there was a pile of nails on the table. "Huh, what was going on here?" Gabby perked her head up as she heard some one take off and peered out the window to see Gilda flying out of view. She hummed in thought. "I guess you don't need me right now?" She looked back at the pile and noticed a single nail was alone from all the rest, and with a gentle smile, she slid another next to it.

"No one should be alone." She murmured.





Gail's house wasn't in Griffonstone, but near it. Gilda had to fly down to the base of the mountain to find her address, and then due to the forested area, had to walk the rest of the way. The forests surrounding Griffonstone were dense and old, the timbers of ancient trees swayed and creaked in the air above her as she walked through them. Birds and other woodland animals made subtle noises that sent her head on a swivel as she wandered down the path. She hadn't spent much time down here, and now she kind of regretted it. The road she was on wasn't well maintained, but she could see someone had taken great efforts to fix it recently. Holes were filled with loose gravel, and large swaths of weeds and plant life had been removed to make the road more visible. A sign shortly off the road stated she was headed towards Equestria. Beneath that was a more local sign that read "Welcome to Treetop Village". The sunlight came through the trees in a collection of god rays that Gilda found quite nice to look at. A multitude of houses dotted the forest floor, some were nestled neatly up against the thick trunks of sequoia, while others were built onto the sides of the trees themselves. 

Spell craft by the looks of it...Gilda surmised. The trees themselves looked like they had grown extra limbs to reach out and cradle the house structure. These houses were expensive and rather new to the area. Like all cities, there was the poor district and the rich district. Scrunched somewhere in between that was the middle class, where Gilda and Gabby resided. From the looks of it though, Gail and her daughter lived quite nicely. 

She found the address was a little off the beaten path, but easy to spot. a large double tier deep red colored cabin wrapped spaciously around a massive sequoia that disappeared into the canopy above. The house had a large deck that spanned around the tree almost completely, and the top tier had a sort of platform for landing and reclining on. A set of outdoor lounge chairs and a small table sat together, unoccupied. Running down the side of the tree was a well made ladder set into the tree, for folks without wings. Beneath the house were a large pair of gardens. Following out of them was a hexagonal stone path way, well maintained and swept clean. 

As Gilda got closer, she noticed how one of the gardens was greener then the other. The first garden housed mostly flowers and rare plants. It's brother plot, however had pumpkins, tomatoes, and even a couple corn stalks. It seemed whoever has set up the garden had planned it well. It also had a familiar hen working in it. Gail was slightly dirty, but looked happy. She had a pair of bright yellow work gloves over her claws, and a trowel in one paw. She was humming to herself as she worked, pulling dirt from around a large green plant.

Gilda warbled loudly, Catching her attention. Gail looked up and her smile turned into a grin. "Gilda!" 

Gilda smiled and carefully meandered around the plant life before approaching Gail with a bit of awe. "I didn't know you were a gardener..." 

Gail blushed lightly. "Eeeeh when you've lived with an earth pony for several years of your life, it grows on ya, heh." She stood and gently dusted off an apron Gilda hadn't spotted. It had a large equine field plow on the center, and said "I like to-" on one side of the plow, and "The Gardner" on the other. Gilda felt her neck fluff go up slightly and her cheeks reddened. Gail noticed and looked from Gilda to her apron before giggling. She waved a paw at Gilda."Oh don't you mind that. One of my former mates got me this for a birthday years ago. we were younger then..." The older hen seemed to lose herself in the memory for a second before snapping out of it and clapping her paws together. 

"So! To what do I owe this pleasure? I wasn't exactly expecting any visitors today, least of all you." She winced at the wording and then retracted her words. 'Not that that's a bad thing, I like visitors!" She chuckled nervously and fiddled with her trowel. Gilda internally groaned. She didn't want to make things awkward but they'd already stepped right into it. 

"H-Hi Gail...I came to talk with you about..some er.. personal stuff that's been on my mind..." 

Gail perked up at that, "Oh? well by all means take a seat and let's chat!" She looked to her garden and smiled at a row of strawberry plants. The berries themselves were huge! Gilda had never seen any quite as large. She came over and took a seat next to Gail, watching as the older hen worked. 

"Wow, can't say I've ever seen strawberries that big before, I could make a lot of scones with those." 

Gail chuckled and winked at Gilda, earning a blush from her. "Heh, family secret. My mother taught me how to coax the little devils out of their seeds juuust right. From there its all about love, time, and care. If you want we could talk about a deal where you get some from me, but i get something in return, hehe heh." She gently ribbed the other hen and saw Gilda was pointedly staring at the ground, so she poked Gilda with her trowel, startling her. "You seem to have a lot on your mind if you get that distracted. Whats going on?" 

Gilda sighed and rubbed the spot where she'd been poked. "I uh...I ran into some troubling thoughts recently and I wanted some advice..." 

Gail nodded, shoveling dirt back into the hole she'd made. She then sprinkled some white powder into the soil. "Oh? What kind of thoughts?" 

Gilda blushed and felt herself inwardly shrink, her wings reflexively opening to defend herself. "Thoughts of Gabby...and her...possible liking of hens." 

Gail stopped her work and slowly looked at Gilda. "Her possible like of hens?" After a moment she set the trowel down and eyed Gilda. Slowly removing her gloves, she tossed them to the dirt and smiled. "Hoo boy, can't say I expected that one...why don't we talk inside, it'll be more private there." 

"T-thanks." Gilda murmured. Gail merely kept smiling as they both leaped into the air and landed on her porch. She led Gilda inside, letting the hen gawk at the artwork on the walls. Several large frames dotted the walls, each on a separate masterpiece in its own right. Gail waved her paw at the art, glancing at a couple pieces. "My first mate, an earth pony mare named Glistening Garden, was a master painter in Manehatten, she always had an eye for detail." Gail chuckled and walked into the kitchen.

"I'll say so!" Gilda had never seen such skill before. The paintings were all of landscapes, or animals. The level of detail though was so far above anything Gilda was ready for. Each painting looked like a photograph! The deer in one painting looked so real Gilda felt herself clenching her talons into the wood floor, as if ready to pounce. Her eyes turned predatory before her beak bumped the canvas and she realized it wasn't real. 

Gail chuckled. "Never fails, that one was one of her favorites." Gail set down two mugs of ice tea with lemon in the top of each glass on the kitchen table, and sat down. Resting her chin on her paw, she sighed and smiled amorously. "She came home with a fiery zeal that day. so much passion in her eyes as she worked on it. Heh, I truly miss that about her. That night was so much fun..."

Gilda blinked and looked at Gail, who stared at the painting with both longing and passion. "Where is she now?" She asked gently. 

Gail smiled but it didn't quite reach all the way. She clasped her talons around her drink and gently tapped the cup a few times. "She died a couple years back, heart failure while she slept." Gail murmured. "She left me that day with the most wonderful smile though, I'll never forget it..." 

Gilda felt her heart plummet into her stomach for a second, and she lifted a paw. "Oh Gail I'm sorry, I didn't--" 

Gail held up a paw, and smiled. "All is fine, Gilda. She left me with a life I can appreciate, and many good memories. Sit, and lets talk about your stuff for now." 

Gilda did so. Picking the cup up, she cautiously sipped the tea. It was really good, lemon, kiwi, and strawberry went well together. She made a mental note to ask about it later and set the cup down about the same time Gail did. Gail looked up and leaned back in her chair.

"So...You've got thoughts of Gabby, care to elaborate on that?" 

Gilda grimaced at the wording and shook herself. Ruffling her feathers out and then smoothing them down, she spoke. "Not so much thoughts about her, more like thoughts about what she...likes..." She paused and then looked up at Gail. "I think, but am not sure, if Gabby likes hens...like you and your daughter do..." 

Gail opened her beak, "Aaaah, and you are conflicted about this possibility?" 

Gilda nodded. Gail sipped her tea. "Well, I think you have to make a choice. Do you care about Gabby enough that her preferences no longer matter, or do you feel like they will become a problem for you?" 

Gilda shrugged after a moment of thought. "I mean, I'm cool with it, I think." 

"You think or you know?" Gail raised a brow. 

Gilda growled lightly and shook herself again. "Okay I don't know! It shouldn't be an issue, and I don't want it to be, but...she's a hen and I live with her...and I'm..."

"Also a hen..." Gail finished. She set the tea down and leaned over the table. "Gilda, you said to me last time that you don't really understand the whole love thing, correct?" When Gilda nodded, Gail pointed to her. "Well, then that seems to be a good place to start as any. Before asking yourself about Gabby and her preferences, maybe you need to ask yourself about your own." 

"Me?" Gilda chirped. She folded her arms defensively, "Look I told gabby I don't care if whoever is interested in me is male or female and I meant that." 

Gail smirked. "But you just said yourself a second ago, that you don't know. Those two contradict each other." 

Gilda grumbled and slouched deeper into her chair. "I...fine...I don't genuinely know if I'm okay with it!" She frowned and started rubbing her arm. "Not because I'm against it or anything, I mean...I don't know because I don't wanna see Gabby get hurt...or myself...Griffonestone isn't nice about this topic." 

Gail smiled and rapped her knuckles on the table gently. "And there is the true root of your problem. You fear outside judgement, and thus can't decide if it's okay or not. You care abut your friends and worry about what they'll think." 

Gilda grimaced and looked at Gail. "But it is okay, Gallus told me how there are two sides, those who are open minded, and those who aren't. I want to be open minded! I want to be there for Gabby no matter what or who she likes...but..."

Gail reached over and placed her paw on Gilda's, making her flinch. "But...you yourself don't know where you actually stand on it." Gail stood up and walked around the table, she sat in front of Gilda and spread her arms out. "Let me throw a hypothetical scenario at you. I want you to be honest with yourself when you answer. Say you found out I was interested in you. I approach you, I tell you my feelings. What do you do?" 

Gilda felt her mind go empty. She didn't know what she'd do. "I...I honestly don't know." She murmured, refusing to make eye contact. 

Gail chuckled and nodded. "For some one who hasn't had a love life yet, that makes sense. this is new grounds for you." Gail scooted closer, and reached out her paws, Gilda watched in fascination and worry as Gail set her paws gently on Gilda's knees. 

"I won't lie Gilda, it makes me happy to know that you sought me out for help, in truth, I do find you attractive--" She cut Gilda's words off before the hen could speak with a wing tip tapping her beak. "--BUT! I'm attracted to you in a different way. I like your devotion to your friends, and your hard work. You don't let others get in the way of your dreams and that is something I can admire." She let go of Gilda's knees and backed off, and smiled. "Just those things alone don't make a bond. A creature has to see more than that in a potential mate. So here is what I offer." 

Gail stood and walked Gilda to the door. "You go talk to Gabby about this. Don't beat around the bush about it either. Be honest, be open, but don't go in expecting anything solid. If my guess is right, I'd say Gabby is just as lost about this as you are, if she's thinking about it at all." 

She opened the door and they walked out, almost right smack dab into Glory. The younger hen froze with her claws inches from the door, staring between the two adults like she'd gotten caught with her paw in the cookie jar. 

"Mom! Gilda! Hi! Wow...um, didn't expect that..." Glory murmured. She looked to Gilda. "Are you here to buy some of our produce?" 

Gilda blinked in confusion and Gail laughed. "Oh, no Glory, Gilda needed some advice, and I helped her out with it." She then peered past Glory to her garden. "But now that you mention it, Gilda, doesn't Gabby like strawberries?" 

Gilda nodded slowly. "Yeah, she does...why?"

Gail grinned gently. "Because I think I found a way to make your upcoming conversation a little easier." 





Gabby hummed to herself as she tied a new hair tie into her head feathers, the last one had broke while she was out disposing the cardboard. She turned her head side to side, and then chirped happily when the results met her expectations.  "Good as new! Now to get out there and do my best!" She fluffed up her chest feathers and opened the bathroom door. Exiting out into the main cafe, she was startled to see Gallus was staring at the stairs leading up to the apartment with a perturbed expression on his face. 

She came over and poked him gently, startling the tom out of his staring contest. She went to speak but found what had confused him so much. On every step of the stairs, was a juicy plump strawberry. 

"What in the...Where did these come from?" She asked, picking one up. 

"Gilda came home with a whole basket of em. Said they were for you..." Gallus ribbed her gently and frowned. "I think something is bothering her. She was smiling that smile." 

Gabby frowned, and looked at the strawberry in her claws. "Hmm, the fake smile? This doesn't seem like her kind of thing to do when she's bothered though..." 

They both stared up the stairs until Gallus poked her. "You know Gilda usually has her way of doing things, it's not up to us to say what's in her head. Why don't ya head on up and see what's eating her...and speaking of eating...those strawberries look mighty juicy...I might try some of em if you don't." 

"Not on your life Gallus!" Gabby growled. He backed off playfully as she started up the stairs, collecting her prize while hissing back at him. 

He put his paws up defensively and backed off. "Okay okay, sheesh! Go find out what she's up to will ya?" 

Gabby warbled softly and made her way up to the main living room, Gilda couldn't be seen. "Hmm where is she?" Gabby felt her instincts kick in and she fell into a crouch, prowling around the kitchen corner, taking a moment to place her hoard of berries in the fridge, before crouching right by the hallway door and looking up the stairs. "Gilda? You up here?"

If this was some sort of elaborate prank, she didn't actually expect to get a--

"Yeah, I'm in my room." 

Gabby felt her instincts do a flip at Gilda's voice. She sounded...sad? Nervous? She slowly walked down the hall, Gilda's door was open, held ajar by another strawberry. Gabby  plucked the berry off the ground and pushed the door open. Gilda's room had been completely cleaned and organized. Her bed was orderly and neat, and the nearby desk was clear of debris. The new jewelry box sat atop the side shelf, glimmering off the lowering sun. She found Gilda sitting at the window, facing away from her. Her head was propped up on the sill by her paws and elbows. Gabby carefully looked around. this didn't feel right... 

"Gilda? You okay? Gallus said you wanted to talk to me?" She frowned when Gilda sighed and looked to the floor. 

"Yeah, I just saw the strawberries and thought you'd like them. Do you?"

Gabby nodded and held one up to the light. "Yeah I will! Their huge! I'll enjoy em for sure..." She set it gently aside and watched Gilda nod. 

The hen fluffed her feathers and looked back to the window. "I do need to talk to you though, about something that came up...it's kind of awkward." She looked back at Gabby and found a heavy blush on Gilda's cheeks. Gabby gulped a little and nodded. Entering the room, she partially closed the door behind her and sat. Gilda stared at the floor for several seconds, before turning back to the window.

"Can...can you come over here please?" Gilda asked quietly. Gabby nodded and slowly came over. Something was off about Gilda, what was she up to? Taking a seat directly next to Gilda, she looked her friend over and found nothing really out of place except her expression. Gilda looked like she'd gotten embarrassed about something. Gilda's neck fur was ruffled and her cheeks were flush. 

After several long quiet moments Gilda spoke. "Okay...this is gonna be weird...but I gotta bring it up...Gabby, um, are you attracted to hens?" 

Gabby froze. Her tail stopped twitching, her eyes shrank, her fluff wilted, and she didn't reply. Gilda pointed at her and kept talking. "See! That! That right there is why I had to ask! Every time it comes up you freeze like a block of ice and look like a ghost went through you!" 

Gabby clenched her beak shut and blushed furiously, looking away. Gilda caught her by surprise by reaching out and grasping her shoulders. Gabby had to force herself from pulling back. Gilda looked worried now. "Gabby, I need to say this now, its OKAY if you are. Really it is! I'm okay with it!"

For several seconds, Gabby simply stared at Gilda in shock. "W-what?" She whispered. 

Gilda groaned and let go of Gabby. "I said its okay. I'm not, well I don't know for sure myself, but I know I wanna support you no matter what, and if that means being okay with it, then I am." 

Gabby slowly closed her wings around herself and looked out the window. Out in the courtyard, two chicks chased each other as their mother looked on with a smile. Gabby warbled nervously. "B-but...you yourself don't know? What do you mean?" 

Gilda shrugged and looked at the floor. "The letters." Gabby looked back to her, and Gilda continued. "I didn't know what to do or think concerning them. After the gift came and we had that conversation about hens and toms, It got me thinking...what if the writer IS a hen?"

Gilda stood and started pacing, not noticing Gabby's blush. "I wanted to make sure that no matter what or who is sending them, that they know I don't care about any of that. I want them to know they have my support." 

Gabby smiled and she chirped out a happy sound. "That's...that's good to know, Gilda." She looked out the window. The kids were now wrestling and the mother was saying something to them. The trio went indoors and Gabby lost sight of them.  "So...what if they are a hen? What will you do?"

Gilda immediately smacked her fist into the bed sheets and flared her wings. "I'mma give em a chance that's what." 

Gabby tilted her head. "A chance? Like to court you?" When Gilda nodded resolutely, Gabby chuckled lightly. "W-well, I'm sure whoever it is will appreciate that a whole lot...love is hard for us to find..." 

Gilda stopped and looked to Gabby curiously, chirping back. "For you? What do you mean?" 

Gabby rubbed her shoulder and her eyes darted to Gilda and then to the floor several times nervously. For a few seconds, Gabby said nothing, seemingly warring with herself and her thoughts before snapping out of it and standing. She walked over to Gilda and then cowered a little. "I mean...those of us that like the same sex...it's hard to find love." She whispered. 

Gilda felt her drop open in shock. "O-oh...I see." Her wings closed tightly and she sort of froze up. "S-so...you do like hens...yeah?"

Gabby sat down and Gilda felt bad when Gabby wilted and hid her head in her wing. "Y-yes and no...it's complicated..." 

Gilda smirked for the first time and shuffled her wings nervously. "Tell me about it! I can't tell what my brain wants or how to go about it. Conversations like this are hard, that's why I try to avoid them!" She then paused. "Wait so you don't really know either?" 

Gabby quirked her brow "Hmm? Know what?" 

Gilda poked her friend in the chest and smiled. "You just said yes and no to my question...so you don't know which sex you like either?"

Gabby stared at her for several seconds and then she giggled into her paw. "I...um, no. that's not what I meant." She took a deep breath and stood tall for a moment, locking eyes with Gilda. "Both, I guess my answer is both." 

Gilda's gears ground to a halt and she blinked. Her beak barely worked. "W-wait...you like both? Is...Is that even an option?" 

Gabby smirked, she tried to hide her mirth with a paw before she burst into laughter. "Hehe...hehehahah!! Of course it is! you've never heard of that before?" 

Gilda flailed her arms out. "NO! I'm a total newb when it comes to this mushy love stuff!! I didn't even think that option existed! Gabby!" 

Gabby was suddenly very aware of Gilda gripping her shoulders again and shaking her lightly. "Gabby! What do you mean by that? What is it called when you like both?!" 

Gabby chuckled and gently pulled Gilda's paws from her arms and then took a couple steps back. "It's called being bisexual. At least in Equestria. It means you have either an equal or varied degree of sexual interest in both genders. For me...I believe I like both toms and hens...each have traits that I find attractive..." 

Gilda blinked several times. She took in several breaths, and then nodded. After sitting down and taking a moment to smooth her feathers down, she looked to Gabby with a smile. "O-okay...okay that's..I can work with this. This works..."

Gabby blushed lightly and then took a step forward. "So...what are you, Gilda?" 

Gilda was quiet for a few seconds, she stood and paced to the window, and then sat and looked out across the city. The night lights were coming on and illuminated the houses around her bakery. Two griffons walked down the road together, a tom and a hen. They were holding claws and nuzzling one another.

Gilda smiled, "I uh, I haven't quite figured that part out yet...but now?" 

She looked back to Gabby and smiled warmly. "Now I don't think I need to worry about it so much." She looked back to the outside world, missing Gabby's nervous expression. "I think what happens will happen. I'll accept it, and work with what I got for now." 

Bring it on mysterious letter writer...I wanna find out who you are.
> Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To My Lover, my Rose. 

The cold temperatures of winter are not something I can say I've ever been fond of. Flying in it is even worse. But with a job like mine, you have to be quick on your wing tips, and fast with your movements. A slight misstep can lead to fatal situations. Even though I tend to lean on the side of caution, there is a certain thrill in my chest when the wind buffets me and fights back. Like prey that won't go down, or an obstacle that is hard to over come. 

No matter how harsh this winter gets, my Rose, know that I will be there to help you through the storms, the wind, and the obstacles you face, whatever those may be.  No one save Death itself shall tear me from you. Roses hate winter, so I'll try to keep you warm through it.

P.S: Gallus told me how you liked my gift, he also says you haven't figured out its secret just yet. Here is a hint. 


Listen to the drawers when loneliness is all you feel
--My Rose



Gilda paced back and forth between two of the round tables of her bakery lounge, the room empty of customers. The door was closed, the sign said they were closed. A roaring fire crackled from the open hearth behind her, keeping the room toasty and cozy. Gilda barely felt the warmth of the flames over her own frustrations. Her brow furrowed in thought, her mind racing. 

"This doesn't make sense! I must be wrong, I must have missed something crucial. That has to be it!" She paused as the boarded up window slots of her bakery shook anxiously as the wind and snow outside battered her building. Winter had arrived and it had arrived a week earlier than normal. The few Griffons who'd been stocking up on supplies had been lucky. Gilda being one of them. She groaned and kept pacing. "They should be back by now, right?"

Some families however weren't so fortunate. A week into the first storms, a pair of houses had collapsed on the edge of town, straining the neighbors and their relationships with each other. A town meeting had been brought up and annoyingly, the council members chose to use Gilda's bakery for the impromptu get together. 

"It's safe in here, warm and comfortable."

"A good place to rest and restart our brains."

"FEH, back in my day a little snow and cold never bothered me! why when I was a hatchling..."

"You understand Gilda, we need to use this building for an emergency, we appreciate your kindness." 

Bah! Those griffons on the council didn't care about her kindness, or her establishment. They'd scarfed her entire selection of food, three pots of coffee, two teapots, and then claimed they'd pay her back when spring came around. She didn't believe a word of it to be honest. Granted, it did seem to help them focus a lot faster during the meeting. 

The proposal was bleak though. Other nests were falling down slowly as the snow piled up. Supplies were not set up to deal with this yet. They had three options and none of them were pleasant ones to the old coots or to Gilda. 

Option one was to contact Canterlot city and request aid from the Princess. It immediately got shot down as weak, disrespectful to even think of, and was voted down immediately. 

Even though it's the best and easiest option. Gilda had groused.

Option two was to use finances procured over the year to buy emergency supplies from Ponyville. While more credible, this one was also shot down when a missive was returned from Ponyville with the price tag needed for their request. Needless to say, it was almost triple what the griffons had procured in a year. Because debt to ponies , as the old codgers said, was just as bad an option as number one, it too was voted down. 

Even though Mayor Glimmer had offered to aid them free of charge She growled.

Option three....To Gilda it was stupid, brash, and very griffon in design. It was of course, the most ridiculous, dangerous, and most likely to fail. It was also the highest voted one from the council. They would chop down a single sequoia from the base of the mountain, and use the materials to board up the towns remaining nests, and then rebuild new ones with the remainder of the materials in spring. 

Right now, Gabby, and a slew of forty other griffons were down there chopping away at a beast of a tree. Nearly three hundred feet tall, over fifty feet thick, and in the middle of a storm. They all were wielding axes, against a frozen tree that was more like iron. They were doomed to fail.

Some one is going to get hurt, I just know it. She warbled quietly. her feathers drooped and she sighed.

Gilda walked to the window and peered out it through a slit in the wood. The wind was sharp and cold on her unprotected eye, but she endured. The glass shipment had never arrived, and she'd found out upon returning to their boss, the owner had simply canceled her shipment himself, and refunded her payment. She growled and peered deeper into the haze. Outside looked like a wall of white, vague shapes outlined buildings closest to her bakery, but nothing else was visible.

No sign of Gabby...dammit! Gilda cursed and spun around. She went for another sweep of her bakery but a timer in the back rang loud enough to pull her focus from the storm. She muttered a string of grumbled curses as she swept into the kitchen and donned oven mittens. 

The scones looked good. proportionately glazed over, golden brown all around, and fluffy. In all form of the word, they were perfect. Gilda grimaced and set them on a nearby cooling rack without a second glance. Figures, the moment  I do it right, no one is around for me to share them with. She sighed and drooped again, heading for the door. She got to the doorway before another timer went off and she growled, bonking her head into the nearby wall. 

"Right. Timed these little turds to go off nearly together..." She pivoted on her heels and continued her work. Her mind still stuck on her friends. "At least If shit hits the fan, I planned for this ahead of the council's stupidity." 

Against the wishes of the council, Gilda had sent word to Canterlot, via a dragon fire jar she'd bought for emergencies. The letter had been sent directly to Princess Twilight Sparkle. She told her their problem and requested aid.  Aid had come, on swift quiet wings of magic and stealth. She knew the council would find out, but in the end they would be unable to deny she was right.

Looking back through the crack in the boards, she murmured a thanks to the ponies.  She wanted to be helping them, she wanted to be down there hacking away at that tree. The council said she was "an asset they could not lose." and forbid her from leaving. She hated the lot of them. Her friends were down there and she was stuck indoors. At first she felt like she couldn't do anything to help, but then her mind had come up with a plan. They would be cold, and hungry. They would need comfort. 

So she started a fire, stocked the wood, got the ovens ready, cleaned the front room and lounge, unlocked the bathroom door and she did the one thing she knew would help them when they returned.

She baked. As she did so, her eyes drifted to the boards blocking the wind from entering, and she put a hand on her chest. A gentle trill of worry escaped her beak as the wind picked up and more snow fell.

Where ever you guys are, stay safe. 





A thunderous crack echoed out of the storm of snow, followed by cheers from around the group of forty or so griffons. Another chunk of the tree came away. It slid out of place and crashed to the ground in a low rumble. Gabby whooped in excitement even as she shivered in her winter gear on a branch across from the tree they'd picked. Mittens for her hands, booties for her hind paws, a jacket, scarf, tail sock, and a beanie all adorned her fluffy body. In her right talon she carried an axe, but it hadn't been used for an hour or so.

Not since Gallus and his crew had arrived, literally out of no where. The platoon of fifty or so guard, mostly consisting of unicorns, along with a few pegasus had mass teleported from the train station nearby, and had startled the group of griffons into a wary frenzy until Gallus had stepped forward and explained. The group were now in the process of cleaving huge gouges out of the sturdy tree using arcane slices of magic. 

Beneath her, Gallus was directing some other guards in a process that turned the hulking chunks of timber into usable planks. Being a griffon meant he hand no magic, but he was explaining it like he himself was going to do it. Gabby smiled warmly as the unicorns in his platoon shouted affirmations and got to work. 

Ever hour they would switch off with another group to allow for rest. It was pretty crazy watching so many unicorns work in tandem. Their magic coalesced into a large white blue crescent moon shape that ran horizontal with the tree. The unicorns would then start simultaneously rolling their head around as one, and the crescent would start spinning in the same direction. Faster and faster it would move until an audible hum in the air could be heard. When this happened the unicorns all shouted together and thrust their necks forward. The crescent slice was sent forward like a bolt from a ballista. Fast, accurate, and dangerously sharp, the unicorns would switch its angle and hack at the tree with explosive force, carving whole sections bigger than the young griffoness in mere minutes. Efficient and frighteningly powerful, but Gabby liked the thrill. 

"Hey Gabby! Get down here!" Gallus called up to her. She had been caught up watching another crescent blade begin it's spin cycle, and hadn't heard Gallus call her the first time. 

Leaping from the tree she deftly somersaulted through the air and flared her wings at the last second before landing confidently before her friend. He whistled. "Nice moves." She chuckled and took a moment to eye him. His guard armor made him a sight to behold. He was tall, handsome, and Gabby blushed into her scarf. 

Gallus didn't seem to notice.

"Gabby, you and the other griffons can clear out and head back up to the city, It's been decided by my higher ups that we are going to teleport the materials up to the top of the mountain. We don't want to cause an issue by marching into town in full gear. On top of that, the pallets are very heavy and would require hours of slow movement up the icy mountain path to Griffonstone. It's not worth the effort if we can just get from point A to point B as fast as possible. The areas we will be teleporting the materials will be marked with magic infused red X's. I've already got two pegasi up there keeping em clear, but extra eyes always help. Please make sure those areas remain open?" 

Gabby nodded and saluted. Correctly too, Gallus noticed with a smile. "You got it sir! ALRIGHT GRIFFONS LETS HEAD BACK!"

Gallus chuckled and watched as she wrangled them all together and then she looked back and smiled at him. He grinned and saluted her as well. "Fly safe, Gabby." He murmured.

She didn't hear him, but she saw it and seemed to nod with determination in her eyes. Gallus admired that. He turned back to his group as the city griffons took flight. "Alright lets bring this bastard down! Squads A and C, change the angle and pitch, Squad B you're to double the rotation speed of that blade got it? I wanna be home fore some hot cocoa in the next hour, lets move!"

He spared one more glance back up the mountain and a tingle ran down his spine as a snow flake landed on his beak. He glanced to his second in command.

"Artimus! A question if you will." 

The unicorn in question didn't look up from his task but spoke ."Sir?"

Gallus looked back up the mountain. "Where did your pegasus scouts place the X's?" 

Artimus grit his teeth as  the crescent blade was sent careening into the tree trunk, now a groaning teetering mess. A few more strikes and it would all come crashing down. He panted and then smiled.

"We set them up in spots where the snow was easy to clear away and open. They are easy to see too, we doubled their size  and thickness so any of the citizens who see them will know what they are or should. On top of that my pegasus scouts are flying close by, making sure they stay clear."

Gallus nodded. "Alright, carry on." 





"I cannot believe we were thinking of chopping that tree down with these! HA! It would have taken months!" A younger tom crowed and hefted his axe as the group flew. "I hit that thing with all my strength and I think i chipped the blade!" Next to him, a couple toms laughed. Gabby frowned and kept her eyes forward. The winds up here could change any second and they needed to be ready.

"Keep your eyes forward and your wings loose, we might have rogue winds out here in this weather!" She shouted. The tom and a few others nodded lazily, and the tom flew up beside her. His grin calm and lax as he reclipped his axe to his belt and touched her wing tips with his. She jerked away and growled at him. He frowned.

"Yes ma'am, we heard you the first time, jeez, lighten up!" he growled. "The boys and I were just having some fun, what's wrong with that?"

Gabby growled back and pointed at him while keeping her eyes front. "Because I bet you don't fly in this weather all the time almost every day do you?"

He frowned, "No, what crazy bird would?" 

She growled loudly. "The same bird your talking to, the same bird who delivers your mail to you ever morning, Gertius!"

He seemed to frown more as she called him by name. She didn't care. Their safety was what was important. "Listen, I'm not trying to boss you around, but I AM looking out for this group's safety, these winds can change in a heartbeat, you have to keep your eyes peeled and your body relaxed, if a rogue wind hits you, tensing up is the worst thing you can do!" 

Gertius grumbled under his breath and nodded, but she could tell he didn't like it. They flew in silence for a while longer before the city came into view. No rogue winds, no sudden downpours of snow, and the air seemed to warm the closer they got to town. Gabby smiled, imagining she could see Gilda's bakery chimney from here. She couldn't but it was a nice thought. 

When they got closer, Something else became apparent. Gertius looked around in confusion. Gabby and her group gazed around at the picture perfect city, quite and calm...the snow was mostly undisturbed. 

"Hey, where are all the X's Gallus said would be here? All I see is snow."  He and the others stayed air born for a few seconds before Gabby felt her blood run cold. A new layer had fallen after the X's had been placed.

"Oh no....The snow covered it back up!" As she was saying this two pegasus scouts flew in on her right. they looked tired and worried. Saluting, one of them flapped close enough to speak over the wind.

"Ma'am, The snow picked up in intensity, we weren't able to control it on our own! It over took us too quickly. We need to warn the town of the potential danger. But there is only two of us! We need your assistance." 

Gabby felt all their eyes turn on her, and for a moment, she froze. Unsure of what to to. Then, like a wave of fire, confidence swelled in her chest. People needed her, and dammit she wouldn't let this winter freeze her with fear.

The X's needed to be uncovered. The citizens needed to be warned, and Gallus need to be notified. She growled. 

"Alright listen up! Gertius," She pointed to him and he nodded. "Take five griffons from our group and take one pegasus with you, locate the X's and start uncovering them, tell anyone you see to go inside and stay there until the all clear is given. If they don't listen, MAKE EM."

He dove away with four others and one of the pegasus followed. She pointed to the remaining pegasus. "You, I need you and three griffons to fly back down the mountain and tell Gallus to halt the teleportation right now! Send a unicorn or three up here too, they can magically locate the X's. Griffons could get crushed under the pallets they are sending up. Go now!"

He saluted and took off with a few more. The remainder looked to her with determination. She stole a breath from the air and sucked it in, calming her nerves a moment. "The rest of you, find any griffons outside and get them in doors. I don't care if you have to drag them inside kicking and screaming, do it!" 

Her group disbanded and spread out over the town. Almost subconsciously, Gabby started to fly to the bakery, her worry for Gilda very high, but she forced herself to veer off and did a sweep over the outer parts of the city first. She found three griffons and had to spend a few minutes explaining the situation to each one. Once the griffons understood the threat they faced, they quickly agreed to her request and went back inside. 

She then leaned her wings toward home.





Gallus saluted to the unicorn group that had the pallets ready. "Alright, prepare for teleport!" He called out, the group took their stances and braced, the magical energy wrapping around the masses of wood. "On my mark! Three! Two!--"

"WAAAIT!!!" Gallus whipped around and saw one of Artimus's scouts flying down toward them with two griffons hot on his heels. The scout looked frantic. "STOP THE TELEPORT!" He shouted. Gallus paled. His feathers wilted and he looked to the pallets. The scout landed heavily and panted, but with a smile as he looked over the pallets. "Oh thank Celestia, I thought we missed you."

"But...we already sent the first batch...." Gallus murmured. The scout's face fell into horror. 

"S-sir, the X's got covered in snow! No one knows where they are!"

Next to him Artimus started shouting commands. All he heard was the roar of the wind, his mind frozen in worry for what might have just happened above them. 





It was a few more minutes before Gabby was able to relax, the bakery was coming into to view. She found the area clear, and landed. Immediately she started to scuff the snow away to check for X's. A few had been found, but there were still several more to find. 

Gilda spotted her through the gap in the wood and tore the door open with excitement. Gabby was back, she was safe! She bolted out into the snow even as Gabby uncovered a large red patch of snow beneath her paws, and her eyes met Gilda's. She was gonna drag that hen over to the fire and help her warm up, hot strawberry scones were waiting to be devoured by the both of them.

Gilda slowly watched as Gabby's face contorted into one of horror, as something appeared loudly above her in a thunderous crackle of magic, and blocked the meager light of day from her vision. Time seemed to slow down for Gilda and Gabby, as if the clock was paying them no more attention than the snow falling around them. Snowflakes stopped in mid fall, water from a nearby fountain slowed to a crawl.

Gabby was crouching. Gilda felt the world go silent, her heartbeat the only thing her ears could hear. It pounded like thunder in her ear drums. Rhythmic beats that compressed her chest...her chest....it felt tight as she breathed, a slow intake of air that felt like it lasted hours. Her eyes tilted up in slow motion, to see the massive pallet of wood planks slowly dropping out of the teleportation spell.

Gabby was lunging. Her muscles uncoiling and launching the griffoness forward in a beautiful arc of power and movement.  tears like crystals danced on the edges of Gabby's eyes, flying off into the wind. Clawed talons reaching out for the hen she knew so well, Gilda saw it, but she saw something else. She saw her death, she saw pain, and she was opening her mouth in a scream of fear. 

"GILDA NO!!!" 

Something slammed into her chest like a train and sent her tumbling. A loud crash and a scream of pain that tore through the snow and the skies and the nearby houses. 

The world went dark...

and the snow...

the snow kept falling....






White...Gilda saw so much white...

Splotches of red, splotches of blue and green, then grey and purple, the colors changed rapidly as voices dully met her ears.  She tried to sit up. She failed. Her body was sluggish, moving through molasses.  She tried to speak...she couldn't string together sentences...

Slumping into what she thought might be someone's arms, she blurrily looked past them, to a large pile of wood that was everywhere...why was there so much red underneath it?

so much red....so much white...Roses? Roses were red and white...right?

She drifted off, even as someone called her name.





"She's coming to, clear out! I need to take a look at her." 

"She's almost stable doctor, but she just woke up mid surgery! The other one is still in critical condition, however...we may lose her."

"We won't, not on my watch! hold her down, that fragment needs to be readjusted. Get me some anesthesia! I don't need her thrashing about as I do this."

"Hold still Gilda...you're gonna be okay...you're gonna...be..."

The voices drifted off again. Gilda dreamed of Roses. Roses floating on a sea of white that stretched for miles in every direction. She was standing up to her belly in the water, it was warm and comfortable. A rose drifted past her, it's red petals breaking apart and sifting through the current. 

She looked around, and found someone in the distance. The Roses were flowing toward that person...who were they? 

Gilda walked toward the figure, and a voice became apparent. "Gilda..." It spoke. "Gilda go back...go back to them, you're not done yet..." 

Odd...that voice sounded so familiar...

"M-Mom?" Gilda asked.





She got no reply.

Gilda slowly opened her eyes. The lights were thankfully off. She blinked more and found her thoughts muddled. The room around her looked like a hospital room. Had she been injured? What was she doing here? She clutched her head with a clawed hand and groaned. Her head felt like she'd headbutted a minotaur. Her talons met bandages, and she blinked. So she had been injured.

"But...from what?  What was I doing before?" She mumbled. The room told her nothing. She lay there for several hours, drifting in and out of consciousness before something new happened. The light outside her room came on and a Nurse stepped in. When Gilda turned to look her direction, the nurse gasped and ran out of the room before Gilda could so much as smile. 

"Well...darn...I was gonna ask for some water..." she rasped quietly as the door shut with a gentle click. A few moments later the door reopened and two mares, a nurse and a doctor holding a clipboard in her magic stepped through. Both unicorns, they approached and greeted her. The doctor was a grey coated mare, with a shockingly white mane. her blue eyes sparkled nicely. The nurse was a deep brown color, like chocolate and her mane was light yellow. 

"Hello miss Gilda, I'm Doctor Greymane, and this is Nurse Lilypulse, are you feeling okay?" She asked quietly. For some reason it kind of sounded like she was shouting though. 

"You don't have to shout...I feel like shit...What hit my head?" She grumbled. "Can I have some water?"

LilyPulse ducked out of the room as Greymane frowned and quickly wrote something down on her clip board. She then whispered "We can get you that water, yes. To simplify things, you were hit in the skull by a brick wall. it cracked your skull and we had to do some surgery to put the bone back in it's proper place."

Gilda blinked slowly. "O-ow...that must've hurt..." She murmured. Greymane kept her frown. 

"Yeees, it did. Listen, I need to do some checks on you okay? I'm going to touch and feel certain areas of your body, alright? You tell me a number between one and ten. Ten is the worst pain, and one is the least, alright?" 

Gilda merely grunted and watched as Greymane poked her legs, then her paw pads, and slowly worked from there up. Occasionally asking things like "Do you feel this?" and "Can you feel any pain here?" Most of the areas were ones and occasionally a two. When Greymane started going up Gilda's chest, the pain began to increase to fours and sixes. Bruising on her chest and side were evident but how she got them she had no clue. 

Greymane paused to write this stuff down and the nurse returned with cool refreshing water that Gilda drank greedily. When five of the stupidly tiny cups had been downed, Gilda spoke. "Thanks nurse, hey Doc...what the hell happened?"

Greymane shook her head. "I'll tell you that after I finish my examination, ma'am." She reached up and started prodding Gilda's neck, cheeks and beak, all were five or lower. When greymane started on her crown however, the pain spiked to an eight almost immediately. Gilda gently put her head back into the pillow and hissed. 

"Okay...Doc you want a ten, the back of my head feels like a ten."  she scrunched her eyes shut and growled for a few minutes, fighting the pain. After a moment, she cracked an eye open and leveled a curious stare at the Doctor. "now, talk.  What happened to me and why am I in here?"

Greymane sat down in a chair next to the bed and held up her clip board. "First, Please tell me what you remember. Gilda. before all this. Can you do that for me?"

Gilda groaned and thought back. She was in the bakery...cooking, yes cooking scones for...for something...no, someone. She was baking, and...and what? what else was there? 

"I was...making scones...." 

Greymane nodded and waited but when Gilda didn't say anymore she frowned deeper. "Thats it? that's all you remember?" 

"Will you shut it i'm still thinking." Gilda growled. Greymane merely nodded. Minutes ticked by on the clock, Gilda shifted and repositioned one of her wings. 

"Roses..." She mumbled. Greymane tilted her head. "I remember...Roses...no...that was a dream...Mother was there...Mother is....dead...yeah, dreamed that. I was baking...we needed supplies."

Gilda slowly felt her brain work through the fog. "The council wanted supplies for housing...they...didn't make a good decision. I...fixed it...I think. Called for help...got help. Help came." She slowly widened her eyes as pieces began to fall into place. 

"I was waiting...for someone to come home...a friend was home. yeah! I was waiting for Gabby!" her world slowed down. the Picture memory of Gabby's face contorting into horror as she looked at Gilda as a pallet of--

Gilda gasped. Gabby had lunged at her, paws had slammed into Gilda's chest sending her flying backwards and then...darkness. She tried to sit up, she tried so hard, but magic snapped out and held her firm to the mattress. "G-GABBY! GABBY WHERE IS SHE!!!" 

Greymane grit her teeth and spoke through them. "Calm down Gilda! I need you to calm down!"

Gilda shrieked, opening her beak and crying out in terror. She had to find Gabby! Gabby was hurt, that pallet would have ...it would have...

Gilda felt the strength go out of her slowly. "Gabby...I...Doc...Is Gabby okay?" She asked, a whisper of her voice was all that came out.

Greymane frowned. "She is alive, we were able to--"

"I asked if she was okay...Doc." 

Greymane slowly sighed and sat back down. her magic didn't remove itself from the griffoness however. "Listen to me Gilda. Gabby saved your life. You were going to be crushed by a two hundred pound pallet that was dropping eight feet out of the air...she shoved you out of the way. You rolled and received a broken skull from a brick wall, a concussion, and large bruising on your chest from her talons."

Gilda felt tears on her eyes. she blinked several times. The room was quiet. 

"I don't fucking care about me, Doc...Gabby...she...is she okay?" Gilda whispered. "Doc, I need to know if my best friend is....is okay!" She cried, gentle sobs as the nurse and Doc looked to one another. She couldn't look at the Doc, she kept her eyes on the ceiling. If she looked at the person who was going to tell her the worst news, she might just very well kill them in sorrow and anger.

Greymane stood and sighed, walking to the window. She was silent for a time, before speaking.

"Gabby took the brunt of the damage to the right side of her back and wing, it crushed her right wing's Ulna, radius, coracoid, and humorous. They were all shattered into near disrepair. her neck suffered two fractures, her right front arm broke in three places, and she broke two ribs during retrieval from the site. " 

Gilda choked out a sob. "..why...why the fuck would she...why did you do that Gabby....?" 

Greymane came back over and picked up the clip board. "She is stable right now...but it's been rickety. You've been out for the past three days. We've managed to get physical responses and some verbal from you while you were out...but..." greymane looked to the nurse and frowned. "Gabby has been completely unresponsive." She gently tried to reach out a hoof but Gilda hissed and wrapped her wings around her self. 

"Gilda..." Greymane whispered. "This wasn't your doing, you need to know that you are not at fault here." 

"Like hell I'm not." Gilda whispered. The nurse and doctor shared a glance. "What do you mean Gilda?" Greymane asked.

Gilda sniffled and buried her head in her arms.  "I ran out that door, I was impatient...Always have been...I closed the distance between Gabby and I...I made that call...So you're wrong Doc. If I hadn't done that the damn crate would have landed just fine AND SHE WOULD BE FINE TOO!!" 

Greymane and Lilypulse, unsure of what to do, stood and nodded. Greymane backed off. "We'll give you some space, but you should remain in bed, don't try to walk, don't try to overexer--"

"Get...out..." Gilda growled. She leveled a glowing golden eye at the ponies and they both shivered. A predator was glaring at them. They left her be and closed the door.

Gilda silently sobbed into her arms. 

"Gabby...I-I...I'm so sorry!!" She whispered.
> Proof in the Print
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four days later....



Click click click tock. 

The middle drawer opened ever so slowly.

Click click tock click.

The drawer was closed, and the first reopened, she set her head next to the side panel and listened closely. 

Click click click tock.

The third drawer handle was grasped and cautiously opened.

Click click tickticktick tsssssssssss.

The drawers all slid shut of their own accord and Gilda sighed. She held the ornate jewelry box in her lap, its beautiful finish shimmering in the low light. Using two talons, she rubbed her beak nares and groaned, leaning back into the comfy cushion. Her wings felt constricted in the small chair but she didn't budge. She set the box onto the bedside table and her eyes caught the light on the window; her gaze lingered.

The sun outside the window was at its zenith, casting shadows on the edge of the sill. Four days after a massive storm had battered Griffonstone, a beautiful clear sky day had appeared. Outside, griffons were flying around screeching, warbling, and throwing snowballs at one another. Coffee, hot cocoa, and spiced cider were being shared. The gruffer adults seemed to enjoy complaining whenever the younger ones got underfoot in excitement or a snowball came too close for personal comfort. They could try and hide their smiles but it was noticed.

The town was happy. The people were happy. Their nests were being reinforced and some were being rebuilt altogether. 

Gilda scowled and stood, walking over to the window and  gripped the currents with both claws; she raked them closed forcefully. The room was darkened considerably in doing so, but Gilda didn't care. The nurses could complain all they wanted to.  "Stupid idiots". She growled. "Stupid, dumb, uncaring assholes, all of you." Her voice was a whisper. She didn't wake the other occupant in the room. 

She wished she could. Oh how she wished they would wake up.

She felt her claws and arms shake, her eyes clenched shut, and she fought the tears. "They go on like nothing happened...Like you aren't even in danger...No one even seems to care about you, except me...Gabby..." 

Behind her, in a similar hospital bed to the one she'd woken up in days prior, suspended above it belly down, floated Gabby. Large arcane rune circles were hovering around her. Every so often they'd all pulse in different lights and different parts of Gabby's anatomy would glow in response. Her front right side was covered in large hard casts Her right wing was almost completely bound in white, the primary feathers barely visible at the end. She hung limp, eyes closed, almost as if sleeping.

Ten hours of surgery, four doctor swap outs during the procedure, and a Princess had been called in. 

It had been an extremely close call, Gabby had teetered on deaths door twice during the procedure, needing to be revived. It had all felt so surreal, like a dream, but Gilda remembered seeing Princess Luna briefly. She hadn't cast any magic on Gilda, no. All her focus had been on the hen floating next to her now. She'd been emergency called in with Starlight Glimmer, by Gallus request, after Gabby went flat line the first time. Luna had apparently used her dream magic to calm Gabby's frantic and fractured mind, and with it, her body seemed to calm as well. Starlight had activated more then fourteen rune circles around the griffoness originally, each one designed to probe for problems and either fix them, or notify a doctor immediately should it be too much. 

After Gabby's surgery was over, the first three nights spent at the pony hospital were...problematic. Gilda, after gaining her full mobility back, fought the doctors at every turn to see Gabby. She even got restrained by one of Princess Luna's night guard for trying to escape through the window early in the morning. When it was clear nothing was going to stop Gilda from reaching her friend, and the doctors had determined Gabby was no longer in fatal condition, Luna made the executive decision to move Gabby and Gilda back to Griffonstone. The train ride back had been just as tumultuous. Gilda didn't sit still, pacing back and forth as Glimmer and Luna rested.

The two night guard had assured her that Gabby would be well protected by them, but Gilda had paid them no heed and had sat next to the hen the whole way. From there, the two ponies had been staying at Gilda's bakery for the next week, in case they were needed. Luna, when not at the hospital, was ingratiating herself to the occupants of the griffon city, and assisting with the construction of new nests around town. The guest bedroom of Gilda's apartment had been taken by Luna, and her threstral guard detail, while Gilda gave Starlight her personal bedroom. Starlight had objected, but found it pointless to argue after the first two days. 

Gilda still hadn't gone home since returning anyway. She'd stayed in the room with Gabby and slept on the floor much to the annoyance of the nurses. She watched with growing hope and apprehension as the wards around her friend pulsed softer as the days ticked by. Eventually most of them were gone, Starlight said that it was a good sign. It meant there were less complications and trouble to be found. The regular pulses Gilda saw now, were the injuries the remaining wards couldn't simply fix, and ones the doctors had done all they could physically. 

They were like a tiny lightshow, dancing hearths-warming lights, Gilda imagined. The green one lit up along Gabby's back, on her Coracoid bone. It was the hardest one to fix, having taken the full brunt of the pallet. The bone had been practically destroyed, but Luna had access to magic that none of the Doctors could hope to handle. The bone had been almost nearly put back together, with the side effect that Luna could not cast the spell again for a week at least. The light from the first ward faded and was immediately overshadowed by the purple ward, as it shimmered into life, wrapping gently around Gabby's Humorous bone. Little flecks of magical residue danced in the air like dust particles in the sunlight. The Humorous had been the least damaged, and thankfully the doctors were able to fix it without much help form the Alicorn Princess.

From there the red one activated, flowing along Gabby's radius like water, the second most damaged bone in her wing. Being hit by a corner of the wood sections had crushed it in the middle, causing multiple horizontal splits. It always seemed to be the angriest ward to Gilda. Like the world had slighted it and it sought revenge or something. She'd chuckled at first, murmuring her idea to the unconscious hen. No reply came of course, But Gilda found the more she talked to Gabby, the more it seemed to help. 

She didn't chuckle now. 

Finally the blue ward activated, and with its cool tones sifting over Gabby's Ulna bone, came the somber fact that her chances of ever flying again rode on that bone entirely. In griffons, The Ulna bone was like the unicorn horn for a griffon's flight magic. Break the Ulna bone too much and a griffon was grounded for life. For most flying species of the planet Equus, this was like being told you had three days to live. 

Everything rode on that bone healing properly. Gabby's job, her career, her capabilities, and most importantly, her mental health, confidence and self esteem. A griffon that lost their flight, usually tended to lose a lot more after. Happiness and self worth plummet to all time lows, and some fall so far into depression, that they go to very dark places. Places one can't come back from.

Gilda shuddered as the light show faded away. She wouldn't leave Gabby until she was back up in the air again. The room fell back into darkness as the lights bled away completely. It would be back of course, Gilda had it timed now almost perfectly. 

Every ten minutes. Every ten minutes I'm reminded of what I've done... Gilda walked around the bed to the end, and gently reached up, holding Gabby's cheek in her claws. She tenderly stroked the hen's cheek feathers. She'd been told multiple times it wasn't her fault. By Gallus first, the young tom was desperate to take the blame on himself and his guards. Several of them had joined him in this statement, but she'd tuned them out. Then by Princess Luna, the alicorn wasn't harsh in her words, but she didn't cut corners either. Gilda supposed she liked that about Luna, she was more forward than Celestia. Her words hurt more than they helped though. 

The reason was that they were the most accurate. Survivors guilt, she'd said, was like an acid that burned constantly in the heart, and no amount of caring words from others would help lessen its pain. Gilda would have to decided if she was going to fight through it alone, or with friends by her side. Starlight Glimmer came next, a few of the doctors after that, and even by Grampa Gruff. The old buzzard had come in and quietly sat down at her side. The two hadn't spoken in a while, so she was surprised he'd turned up at all. 

When he'd tried to put a talon on her shoulder, she'd growled and shuffled a few feet away, wrapping her wings around herself defensively. She refused to look him in the eye. He'd frowned and removed his fez. 

"...You think I'm heartless don't cha? One of my charges is put in Death's claws and you think I'll just up and forget em? Well you'd be wrong. I may be rude, an ass, a prideful cock, and rather fond of the good ol days...but whatever yeh and the others think of me, it ain't worth a crock of horse-apples. I care about you three as if you were me own." His eyes downcast, and he murmured. "Sometimes...well sometimes I do wish you were my own." He'd dared to scoot closer and spoke far gentler than she ever remembered him doing. 

"Gilda, Gallus, and Gabby. The 'Pillars of Griffonstone' they're calling ya, ya know that?"

Gilda had heard it a few times in passing, but she'd ignored it mostly. Gruff continued, sounding hopeful for a change.

"You three are the pride of this town, any griffon parent would be proud as Grover himself to claim ya as their blood." He'd paused and eyed the hen, who stared up at gabby forlornly. "I would be, at least. You guys are changing this world for the better and I know it, even if I don't agree with some of it." He whispered. 

A moment of silence...the remaining wards did a another light show.

"Listen, Gilda...I know yeh probably heard it before, from the docs and the pony princess and all, but this wasn't your doing. The council made the vote. I didn't... I mean we didn't listen to you. I'll at least admit I'm a tough old bird and letting go of my pride is hard...but this time...This time Gabby paid for it. So we are gonna do what we can to make it up to you two...okay?"

He waited a moment, watching as Gilda, his eldest charge, turned her head away from him. "Go away." She'd whispered.

He frowned, and tried to reach to her, but when she hissed back at him, her sharp piercing gaze told him it'd be unwise. He lowered his gaze to the floor and left. The door had clicked shut behind him like a final note in a orchestra of sorrow, and Gilda wept openly. She didn't care that the nurses could hear her warbling and sobbing, she didn't care that Gruff and the council were going to help Gabby and her. She cared about one thing only. 

Seeing Gabby alive and well. Seeing her flying. Seeing her smile. That ridiculous smile that always brought joy to those around the hen. That smile that had shown up so many times when Gilda had needed assurance or comfort. Gilda clasped her claws together and leaned her forehead into them on the bed, propped on her elbows. Her wings arced open and seemed to hover just inches away from Gabby's chest. 

I need her to smile...just one more time...just once in my lifetime let her smile and I won't act bothered! Let her hug me as much as she fucking wants to and I'll hug her back, I swear it! 

Her shoulders shivered, her wings slowly closed, and she slumped against the bed. Tears streaked her cheeks as she pleaded to no one in particular. "Please..." She whispered. Her body moved of it's own accord, crawling underneath Gabby's form and laying there a foot or so beneath her. Gilda reached up and tenderly cupped Gabby's cheeks once more. Her voice weak and frail, like a hatchling mewling for its mother...

"P-Please...smile...just once....let me know you're still...still there."

Gabby didn't smile. 





Seven Days Later...

click click click tock.

Gilda frowned and closed the first drawer. She scribbled a quick note down, and then she held the box to her ear again and slowly opened the second drawer.

Click click tock click.

She nodded, and closed the middle drawer and then opened the first. 

Click click tock tock. 

Gilda scribbled the new sound pattern onto a parchment she'd grabbed from a nurse.

Instead of going farther, she closed all the drawers and set it on the side table once more. Looking over her notes, she nodded to herself, nibbling the eraser gently in her beak. "Uh huh...definitely a pattern here...What the hell is this thing, a bomb?" 

She glanced at the clock. It read seven thirty P.M. She groaned and tossed the parchment and quill onto the bed. "Ugh I hate puzzles Gabby. They suck." Several days of studying the jewelry box and all Gilda had figured out was that the separate sounds made a pattern. The 'tock" noises meant something inside the bottom was unlocking. If she did the combination of the drawers wrong though, it all reset. It was aggravating, but it also helped keep Gilda's mind from wandering. She needed to keep herself occupied or her thoughts would turn sour.

Above her, Gabby continued floating. The ward on her Humorous bone had finally disappeared, so there was good news there. It felt better knowing one less problem would rear its ugly head. Gilda watched her friend's chest rise and fall as she slept, and then shrugged, and stood up. This elicited several sudden pops and cracks from her body as the hen stretched. She looked surprised, caught mid stretch with wide startled eyes as her body readjusted to the movement. "Ooooh I need to stop sitting in that chair for so long, it's destroying my back..." 

It took a second, but she blinked halfway through an arm stretch and rethought about her wording and facepalmed hard. "WOW...That was in terrible taste! I'm uh, sorry Gabby, my bedside manner is atrocious." She smirked half-heartedly. "I know if you could here me, you'd have laughed at it, that's what counts I guess."  

Gabby remained unmoving.

After a moment of silence, Gilda yawned and then almost gagged as her breath caught her nostrils and she reeled for a second. She pointed at Gabby with a claw. "Uh...okay either you ghosted a fart like a pro, or my breath just tried to kill me..." 

Taking a moment to sniff her chest and wings, she coughed and gagged with a grimace. "Nope, not you, that is definitely me." She checked herself over, and realized she hadn't properly bathed in days. Her feathers were all out of placement, her head crest was droopy with too much body oils, and her tail actually felt heavier than normal. With a resigned sigh she turned and looked up to Gabby. 

"I...I should probably fix that. I know I said I wouldn't leave you, but it might explain why the nurses were particularly brusk with me..." She walked forward and reared up onto the bed. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned out to nuzzle Gabby's good shoulder with her beak and cheek feathers, and gave a short but soft warble. "You'll be okay while I'm gone, right?" 

Gabby floated silently on, and Gilda sadly pulled back. Using her palms, she rubbed her cheek feathers vigorously and then smacked both her hands to her cheeks. Her eyes snapped open with determination.

"Right, personal intervention! I need to go home and shower, and maybe take a nap. and--" Her stomach grumbled something fierce. Gilda wobbled on three legs as she clutched her belly with a talon. The floor swayed slightly. "Ooh...and maybe eat something that isn't just hospital pudding cups..."

she eyed the corner trash bin where a pile of empty chocolate pudding cups teetered dangerously on the edge of collapse. they were good pudding cups...

She left promptly, notifying one of the doctors where she'd be. He seemed very happy to hear this news and even helped usher her out the door with a mention of a good soap brand to try using on her wings. Sheesh...She didn't smell that bad, right?

She exited out of the hospital and...

Okay, either those flowers were actually wilting on the sidewalk as she passed or she  was hallucinating. She glowered at em and grumbled. "Okay jeez I'm going I'm going. Who plants flowers in winter, in Griffonstone anyway?" 

She didn't look back or she would have seen them all shrug, high five each other, and change colors.





two hours, one shower, a preening and a meal later....

Gilda sighed blissfully as she stepped from the shower feeling refreshed and invigorated. Never in her life had bathing felt so... good. The water temperature had been perfect, never cooling or heating too much in the wrong direction. It seemed to find all her sore spots and just...take em away. The soap and cleaning supplies were well stocked in her bathroom and her feathers felt soft and smooth once more after a good preening. Her paw pads on her back feet squeaked lightly as she made her way out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She'd been surprised to find It was sort of in disarray. She'd have to tell Starlight she was a horrible nest builder. 

Luna on the other hand, had kept her room pristine and neat. Nice and clean too, each surface was polished and even sparkled in the right light. Gilda cautiously closed the guest bedroom door and just vowed she'd poke everything with a stick first in case it had magic in it. Neither Luna nor Glimmer were present however, and Gilda wondered if they were away on business or if the council had them tied up at the moment. 

Figuring it wasn't her problem any more she headed back to the hospital. As she landed(and verified the flowers were NOT wilting) and entered the building proper, she saw a younger griffon by the name of Gunter hailing her with a waved claw. He was a spunky red tail hawk variant griffon tom who worked with Gabby at the news post. Like gabby, he was energetic and perky and loved to laugh and smile. "Miss Gilda is that you?" He asked, his wings fluffing out in excitement. 

Gilda reached him and frowned, looking around the main lobby of the hospital. two other patrons were present and openly ignored the duo. She looked back to him and rolled her eyes. "Last I checked I'm the only Gilda in this town, so unless some stupid bug pony is impersonating me, then yeah, it's me. What do you need, Gunter?" 

Gunter reached into his post bag and produced a small scroll. "You got a letter!" At first, Gilda felt a little elation jump into her chest at the sight of the scroll. She thought it might be another letter from her mystery lover. She'd kind of wanted one to show up, but ever since Gabby had been hospitalized, she'd not received a new one. 

I guess if they know what's going on, they're being considerate and giving me some space to spend time with Gabby, that's nice of them. She accepted the scroll from Gunter, who happily warbled and trilled in front of her, much to her confusion. Why is he so excited I got mail?

"Um, thanks I guess. what is this?" She said holding it out and opening it. It was a letter from the post master himself. "Huh, okaaaay what's he want?" She mumbled.

--To Gilda Griffon.

My deepest apologies for bothering you, Miss Gilda, First Pillar.

"The fuck..." Gilda peered over the letter and then to Gunter. "The First Pillar? What is this, nickname griffons day? Why'd he do that?"

Gunter smiled and put a claw up. "Oh! because we consider you and your --sort of-- siblings to be the best griffons in town! It was something the council decided! Gallus is a knight captain in Canterlot, his prestigious position allows griffons around town something to be proud of and we hold our heads high because of him. Then there is Gabby, she is one of the best working griffons around and she's helped out almost everyone I know, including me! Then there is you, Gilda, you are like, the BEST baker ever, you've gotten the ponies to helps us loads of times, and, and you've helped this town grow into a better place for everyone! You guys are like...famous!" He grinned and leaned forward, whispering. "By the way, big fan, I love your meat scones!" 

She felt goosebumps travel up her spine and she shuddered. " Fan? Famous? Yeaah nope! Nope nope nope. I'm noping out of whatever this is. Nope, nuh uh, good bye, friend needs me in the hospital, bye Gunter." 

Gunter scrambled to pick up the letter she'd dropped and looked crestfallen as she walked into the building. "Ack! B-But miss Gilda, w-wait, you need to read the rest of it!" 

She didn't hear him and entered into one of the side hallways. One of the nurses saw her, grimaced, clacked her claws on the tiles, and then smiled evenly. "Ah miss Gilda, thank you for taking a ah...reprieve from the hospital. I hope it was pleasant?" 

"If you mean I bathed and ate some food, then yeah, I guess. Just tell me I stink next time and I'll fix it, jeez." 

Before she could reply, another griffon nurse leaned out of the hallway and shouted "HA! I told you she'd say that! You owe me four bits, Garta!" 

Garta cursed and wheeled about to scowl at the other nurse. She then stopped and gave Gilda a gentle and kind smile. "I'll remember to do just that, Gabby is in the same room, same condition, you're free to enter." 

Gilda rolled her eyes, nodding. "Thanks, Garta." 

She went to move but Gunter dove into the hallway, startling her and blocking her. "What the hell Gunter?" She growled at him and he cowered, holding the note up. 

"Y-you gotta read the rest, ma'am, I can't go back to work with out you doing so!" The tom wilted under her glare, and scooted back as she snatched the letter from him. 

"Ugh fine! But then leave me alone, I'm in no mood to deal with you today." 

Re-opening the letter, she continued to read.

"Myself and the other postal workers are devastated to hear what happened to Gabby, and we wish her a full recovery as soon as possible. She is truth be told, a bit of a beacon of hope for us, here at the post office. Her pep and joy is more like a fresh cup of  your bakery's coffee in the mornings when the job is slow. Both do an excellent job of keeping us awake and ready for what lies ahead. 

We keep Gabby and you in our thoughts as the days roll on. 

As I'm sure you don't want to be caught up in reading when you could be spending time with your friend and roommate as she heals up, I thought I'd keep things short. This letter is to inform you that as of two days ago, Gabby has been put on medical leave. She will be utilizing some of her PTO. Something I know she'll groan about when she is back to full strength, but it's for the best. I inquired with the doctors on her condition, and even in the best case scenario, she'll need to spend a month or two at home, healing and retraining her wing and leg.  Please use that time to help her when she needs it, I know we can trust you'll keep her out of most trouble. 

I also write this to ask if at your soonest behest, you could drop by to pick up some of Gabby's personal items. As much as I'd like to keep her desk and area the way it is for when she returns, we need the space to hire a temp worker or two and they will require Gabby's desk for this. 

She is NOT BEING FIRED. I must state that firmly. I know she and maybe you might worry that that is what is happening, but we will not let an accident like this mar her great history with us. Gabby is like family and always will be. Please tell Gunter when you can stop by, he's been assigned to help you if you should need it. Please forgive his energetic enthusiasm, we like to say he gets it from Gabby.

Best wishes and fair winds, 

Post Master Gyre"

Gilda had let her frustration go by the time she'd  finished reading, and she sighed, letting the note drop in front of her. Gunter gently picked it up and watched her. For a few moments Gilda simply closed her eyes and breathed. The scents of the hospital pulled into her beak nares. She was pretty familiar now with what each scent meant due to her extended stay. She could tell that the food cart had been by recently, and that  it was turkey and pork night. One of the nearby rooms had an older tom inside, the scent of old griffon wafted out into the hallway and the nurses seemed to gag every time they had to enter his quarters. 

Farther down the hallway were the break rooms for the workers, and the scents of coffee and tea snuck out to mingle in the air with the antiseptic chemicals that cloaked the building. Laughter and general banter could be heard through the door as it opened, and Gilda heard Garta grumble in protest as her co-worker gouged her for bits she owed. 

But even farther down the hall, three doors down and into the left wing, she could smell it, Gabby's scent. Gabby's scent had been the first thing Gilda found herself subconsciously seeking out whenever she'd left the room. It was reassuring to know her friend was still there. Still present, still safe. Gabby's scent was loam like in smell, with a hint of forest smells. Pine needles, sugar pinecones, and damp moss came to mind. Gilda still remembered when they'd been asking her general questions about her and Gabby's health and they'd bluntly inquired as to why both hens had beads inside them.

That had been awkward to explain, and it had caused her a couple flustered and jealous glares from the other hen nurses when she'd explained the use and utilities the beads provided. The doctors had had to remove them to allow Gabby to use their bathroom equipment while unconscious. Gilda hadn't been present during the process, but the after scent left behind had sent her reeling for a bit. 

Like falling into a forest and a patch of wet moss. She'd thought.

She blinked and slowly craned her head back down, looking at Gunter. He'd cocked his head slightly to the side and was watching her with a curious expression. "What uh...what was it you were sniffing for?" He trilled quietly as she realized she'd done that in the middle of the hallway. 

Gilda blushed and looked away as she walked. "Uh...I was just...taking a moment to gather my bearings...I wasn't sniffing for anything, dweeb." She said with a grumble. "Now lets go back to your work place, you and I need to clear out Gabby's stuff."

Gunter immediately perked up and hopped after her, his tail swishing excitedly. "Oh yeah! I can show you where Gabby works and where I work and then where we eat lunch on boring days, and then we could take a tour if you'd like?"

"No." 

"Awww... but I have a stamp collection..." 

"stamps are stupid." 

"Noooo their stampy!"

"Uuuugh."





The post office of Griffonstone was located closer to the exit to town, and it was currently the quietest place that Gilda had seen yet. Apparently word had in fact gotten around town about what had happened to Gilda and Gabby. She'd gotten severl wishes of good health and a couple asking if Gabby was doing okay. It made her feel better to know that her fellow griffons did care. However, she'd also been accosted by no more than six reporters from their local news station (she didn't even know they had one of those!) and a couple of em weren't even from around town, they were ponies from Ponyville! 

She'd been surprised when Gunter had stood his ground and told them all to back off and that "The First Pillar had important work to do, and they were impeding her progress." 

Oddly, the title had caused them all to look at her in more of a sense of awe. She hated it immediately. "Er...yeah, I got work to do, um...git." She'd shoed them away halfheartedly with a wave of her talons and they'd grumbled but obliged, mostly following from a fair distance away until their end location had come into view. Once the post office came into view, the group fell away. 

Gunter had leapt up the steps three at a time and then opened the door for her with a flourish of his wings and arms, and bowed. "Ma'am, welcome to the Post Office." 

She'd rolled her eyes, walked by and smacked him in the shoulder with her tail tuft. "I've been here before, stop acting dumb, weirdo." 

He rubbed his shoulder and chuckled. "Er, I knew that! And wow! Thanks for the compliment!" He puffed out his chest and trilled happily.

Gilda looked back at him with a raised brow, "What compliment?" 

He passed her and unlatched the counter top door, allowing them beyond the front area. He spoke as he waved to the hen at the front desk, she smiled and waved a wing in reply as she sorted through several stacks of mail by claw. They passed by several desks, currently empty of workers but piled with mail from all over the place. 

"Oh, well Gabby talks about you a lot ya know? She says you're like, the best roommate in the world, and that you are always there for her in a pinch. So when I asked if you and I could possibly be friends, she said that being called weird by you is a good compliment. She says you always call her weird and that she considers it a term of endearment instead of an insult and that I should too!" 

Gilda faltered and slowly came to a stop between desks. "She...said that?" A slight blush reached her cheeks and she cursed inwardly. Gunter didn't notice and made his way to a desk that was littered with paperwork and other bit-bobs of stuff. a name plaque with his name on it in gold lettering sat at the forefront of the pile, haphazardly standing on two piles at once.

"Yup! She wanted to warn me before I tried talking with ya. Said you have a hard time expressing yourself and opening up to others, so ya hide it behind a thin veneer of snide remarks and sarcasm." He ducked behind his desk, disappearing long enough to miss the cross expression that smacked itself across Gilda's face. 

"Wow... thanks Gunter." 

He popped back up with an empty card board box and chirped happily. "No problem! I consider it my job to try and be as friendly as I can be!" He came over and handed the box to Gilda, who snatched it from him with a scowl. It was then he saw her peeved expression and wilted, clasping and rubbing his claws. "I-I mean...I'm still working on it. I could do with some more practice." 

Gilda felt her chest feathers wilt a little. For a moment her mind fell away to younger years, and she saw a teenaged Gabby standing in front of her at school, doing the same thing. Gabby's eyes had been nervous but hopeful.

I...I know you don't really like to do much, and I'm kinda 'not cool' to you, but I thought maybe we could be, ya know, friends? 

Gilda had rebuffed her then, more to protect her self image, but they'd slowly grown closer over the years after. Gabby had never given up. Slowly cracking away at Gilda's defenses with friendly gestures, small gifts here and there, kind words when they were alone, and at first, Gilda had no idea how to react. It all sort of just happened. Next thing she knew, she was allowing hugs and nuzzles, and the two were roommates. Moments of physical comfort between them had become a normal occurrence.

Gunter was talking. "--And I know maybe I over did it with the commentary but I wasn't trying to say anything untoward or not, it was just--" 

"Gunter." 

"-- You're like, one of the three pillars! I couldn't blow it on my first try could I? Gabby said I needed to be confidant and bold so I--"

"Gunter!" Gilda hissed. Gunter chirped and stood at attention. Taking a moment to breath and pull herself together, She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He eyed it cautiously and then peered at her. "Look, I'm not...good with the whole friendship thing just yet. It's still hard for me to think of others that way."

He looked down and away, his head crest drooping. "A-ah...I see." 

She shook her head. "No I don't think you do. A lot of griffons don't. I'm not saying we can't be friends. I'm saying the exact opposite. We need to be friends. We need to have more of them, and we need to be more willing to reach out like you did. You reaching out to me through Gabby was a good thing, I just...I get overwhelmed easily, okay?" 

He perked up slowly. "O-oh, um, okay then. So...can we be friends?" When Gilda nodded, his eyes sparkled something fierce and his wings shot open. "YEEESS!" He cheered and went to hug her. Gilda hissed harshly and he flinched back instantly. "O-Oh right, whoops heh...Gabby did say that I gotta earn those." 

Gilda held her claws to her chest and breathed a few times before nodded. "S-fine, just...ask first, as for friends, why don't you come over and hang out a few times with Gabby and I? Friends get to know one another. It also helps if we have stuff in common."

Gunter nodded happily and then pointed to the desk on his right, Gilda's left, and smiled. "That sounds fair, and I do love your scones. Speaking of Gabby, that is her desk. I already unlocked the drawers with her key earlier, so you can take whatever is inside. I'm sure she'll appreciate her stuff being in good claws as she recovers." 

Gilda grunted in reply and began the process of cleaning out the drawers. Most of it was paperwork detailing random deliveries she'd made over the past month. One of the drawers had a few items of random order to them. a rubber duck wearing a bow tie, a box of jacks, a rather large paperclip with the words "Vinny" written on the side, and a greeting card from the crystal empire. It mostly seemed to be stuff she'd been gifted by customers over the years. Gunter seemed to watch for a moment or two before he went to his desk and began filing mail and writing out information. The room gained a feeling of quiet, and Gilda took a mental moment to bask in it. She finished rather quickly, and was on her way out, when Gunter spoke up. 

"Hey Gilda...Um, can I ask a favor?" 

She looked back and eyed him. "Maybe, it depends on what ya want." 

He seemed to slouch in his chair, and looked nervous. He took a moment to speak, twiddling his thumbs as he hemmed and hawed on what to say. "Gabby and I...we sort of have a ritual we do when we see each other at work and I...I miss it...I was wondering if you could give her a neck nuzzle for me? I would myself but the doctors said only family members were allowed in, and I'm not on that list."

Gilda blushed and scratched at her beak a moment. "You uh, you do know her and I aren't actually related right? Neither is Gallus." 

Gunter nodded. "Yeah, I do, most everyone in town is aware, but you were all raised under the same roof, so legally you're like a family. Sort of, it's complicated." He shrugged and waved it off. "It's no worries, I just miss her." 

Gilda watched him as he went back to work and then she smiled. "Yeah, I think I can do that for ya, Gunter. Why don't ya stop by the bakery tomorrow, I'll make some fresh meat scones and we can chat." 

Gunter looked up and his neck fluff began expanding outward at a rapid rate. He looked about ready to explode with joy, but then a split second later he stopped and took a long, slow breath and calmed down. His smile was warm and caring when he spoke. "Thanks, Gilda. I really appreciate it. I'll stop by around mid afternoon. I get done with deliveries around then, sound good?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. See ya...weirdo." She smiled as she said it and caught Gunter warbling happily. At least I managed to make his day a lot better...Gabby would be proud I think.

As she walked home, Gilda looked around and saw her town was still lively as ever. She smirked as some hatchlings ran by, screeching and throwing snow at each other. Her sour mood from before had lifted a little, Gunter had helped a lot with that. She even threw a snowball at Grandpa Gruff as she spotted him. He seemed both shocked to see her and upset that she'd nailed his fez right off his bald head. Bonus, it landing upside down with the snow in it.

He'd seemed conflicted on how to react, and settled with a chuckle and a wave of his fist at her. She nodded to him and continued on. The bakery was cold and quiet when she returned, the ovens empty of warmth and the customer lounge devoid of life. She frowned and walked past it all. She'd be back up and running once Gabby was too. This place isn't the same without her energy...

Gilda entered the apartment and found it as she'd left it since showering. Apparently Luna and Glimmer had not returned. Maybe they didn't need her house any more? She didn't care much and walked to Gabby's room. At the door she paused, looking from the box to the door. Under normal circumstances, Gilda would have simply placed the box at Gabby's door and knocked, letting the hen know something was outside. With Gabby in the hospital, it was Gilda's decision.

After a moment Gilda shrugged.  "Its her stuff. It goes in her room, so she should understand."  

Entering Gabby's room was kind of a surreal moment for the hen. She hadn't actually been in Gabby's room in months. Gabby's nest was neatly made and clean. The pillows were numerous and fluffy, covering most of the wall.  Her deep emerald green window curtains were drawn closed for privacy, and her nearby armoire door was slightly open. Gabby's desk was devoid of writing materials or anything really. A bunch of stickers marred its surface though, randomly smacked into open spaces and making it all blur together. Gilda set the box on the bed and took a moment to take in Gabby's scent. it was all around her, mingling with the other scents of her bedroom. 

Pillows, paper, cardboard, that weird shampoo she buys from the ponies, roses, that scarf she always wears when....wait...

Gilda blinked rapidly and sniffed again, carefully sifting through the scents of the room. Yes! there it was! Gilda was smelling roses. She looked around in confusion, but none were visible. "Why would the room have that smell?" She murmured. She peered beyond the curtains thinking maybe a vase would be on the sill, but she found none. She checked around the bed, sniffing and hoping to see maybe a perfume bottle or some incense burner, but none appeared. 

She looked to the armoire, the door was partially open and her curiosity got the best of her. "I bet its just a sticker or some other gift her customers gave her. Scented to smell funny or some other gimmick." 

She opened the armoire door. 

This was no gimmick. No tricks, deceptions or traps. Gilda's rump hit the floor and she felt her mind turn sideways. Her eyes shrank in shock, her beak fell open. "Wh...what the hell...." Her voice fell in volume. "What...what is this...?" She whispered. Her claws began to shake, and she found herself reaching fearfully into the cabinet and grasping the object inside. Tenderly, she held it close and her voice cracked as tears slowly beaded at the edge of her vision. 

An enchanted rose. The petals glistened with an ethereal light, their frozen dew drops never shifting or moving from their spots the spell had seized them in. They cast rainbows around the room in a kaleidoscope of colors. The rose looked as fresh as the day it was picked, save a few missing petals. She looked up and spotted something else.

Surrounding its stand, thumbtacked to the back of the armoire were photos Gabby had taken over the years. Specifically photos of her and Gabby together in some adventure or another. Pictures of them at school, at the dinner table, in a pile of leaves, or flying around. Each one was carefully placed in a way to give each one optimal space around the flower. Some weren't tacked up yet and Gilda, grasping for straws in her current state reached out and picked one up. 

"Gabby...what....what is this...what is any of this...?" She whispered. She choked as a sob escaped her and she quickly set the rose back before she dropped it. Doing so dislodged the picture from her talons and it drifted to the floor, flipping over as it did so. 

There was writing on the back! 

She carefully picked it up and read the little paragraph on the back. Gilda and I at the park, Some jerk of a tom shoved her, and Gilda's ice cream fell off her cone and into the pond, so I shared mine. Not exactly how I wanted to share food with her, but it works!

Gilda peered at the words and felt something was off about them. "Why did she darken the "share food" part?" She flipped it back over and another thing caught her eye. Gabby and Gilda were in the photo, sitting at the local Griffonstone park fountain. They were sitting together and Gilda looked disgruntled as she licked at a strawberry ice cream cone. Next to her Gabby was holding the empty cone, but she wasn't smiling at the camera...She was smiling at Gilda. Gilda wiped her eyes frantically and peered closer. Gabby was blushing. 

A thought began to worm its way into Gilda's brain and she felt her wings close tightly around her. "No..." She murmured. 

She looked back up at the photos on the wall and began examining them closely and her worry grew ever greater. "No...no! It can't be!" She warbled nervously. 

In almost every photo, no matter what seemed to be taking place, Gabby was either blushing, looking at Gilda, or both. Gilda felt her heart wrench sideways as she grasped one of the other photos yet to be tacked up. She flipped it over and looked at the writing. 

Gilda and I tried her first batch of candy, it burned, but I managed to cheer her back up with a hug. The writing was loopy and in cursive...

No...No there's no way...

Gilda panicked. She dropped the photos, she dashed from the room and tore into hers, almost breaking the door off one of its hinges and bruising her wing shoulder on the frame. The pain spiked in her shoulder but she disregarded it and yanked open her desk drawer. 

The letters, they would prove her theory wrong, it had to!

She stood over the scrolls, each one carefully rolled back up and wrapped in ribbon. More tears threatened to break from her eyes at any second, and so she quickly scooped one up at random and ran back to Gabby's room. Reaching the Armoire, she held out the scroll with both talons and gently, slowly opened it.

"No...NO NO NO!!!!" 

Gilda reared up onto her hind paws in a panic, lost her balance, fell backwards and smashed into the wall next to Gabby's nest. She clenched her talons into their palms hard enough to draw little drops of blood and pushed them against her clenched eyes, trying to stop the tears. Her body curled into itself and she sobbed hard. Her wings closed around her protectively and she rocked back an forth as the scroll was crushed in her grip. 

"No....no...please no...."

The writing on the photos...and the letters....were exactly the same. 

Gabby was the writer...Gabby was Gilda's lover...

And Gilda had nearly killed her.
> A Balm for Blame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was several hours before Gilda dared move from the floor in Gabby's room. Only for her feet to move to Gabby's nest and curl up inside the deep mass of soft pillows and fuzzy blankets. She cried harder. She screamed into the pile an amount of sadness and fury like she'd never felt before. 

My first chance of having a mate and I almost killed her. 

She sobbed, whimpered, and thrashed around, ripping feathers out in frantic preenings that failed to calm her down. After nearly an hour of this she lost all energy and slumped into the pile. Slowly her mind shut down, and she drifted off into slumber. A fitful slumber filled with bad dreams and negative thoughts. 

Repeated images of Gabby in a coffin, or worse already buried. Around her, her friends and those she considered family mocked her.

You didn't deserve such a wonderful mate. Gallus hissed at her, flaring his wings in rage. 

I should never have raised you, worthless cur. Grampa gruff growled at her with sharp glaring eyes. 

You took away our friend, forgiveness isn't an option for you. The cutie mark crusaders scowled together at her and with a whip crack of their tails turned away as one. 

"No...It was an accident! I didn't mean for it to happen! Stop it!" Gilda shrieked, cowering and covering herself with her wings and wrapping her arms around her protectively as the mists around her swirled closer, her friends faces blurring together in a chorus of curses and cruelty.

We can't trust you

We don't want you

Gabby doesn't love you

One voice spoke out amongst the other louder than the rest. Gilda's heart felt like it had been covered in ice, and she dared peek up. Instantly she recoiled in horror as the broken form of Gabby appeared before her, nearly beak to beak with the frightened hen. Her eyes were milky white orbs, dead sighted, and they stared through Gilda like she wasn't there. Gilda screamed and curled up again, crying harder. 

Gabby leaned down and whispered into Gilda's ear two of the worst words a griffon could ever hear.

"Nest Killer." 

"ENOUGH!!" A voice boomed out across the shadows.

Gilda gasped as a powerful wind whipped through the area, the forms of her angered friends vanishing in a blast of warm comforting air that washed over Gilda and sifted through her feathers gently. The dark fog around her was washed away to give her a perfect overlook of a pristine and calm ocean blocked with cliffs. The moon hung high in the sky, a sharped bladed crescent shimmering down a single ray to alight on Gilda. Below her the waves gently lapped at the shore, the sound soothing her fears.

"Whuh...What the..." Gilda coughed, sniffed, and rubbed her wet cheeks on her forearm. She turned in circles, looking around, and found she was alone on the cliffside, but it didn't scare her, just confused her. as she stood there, her heartbeat seemed to take a slow dive in intensity. For some reason the hen felt like she was calmer. "Wh-where is this?" She asked, her voice carried gently on the wind, and a voice called back.

"It's your mind's eye, Gilda Griffon. the place you feel safest." 

Gilda almost swore. It was the wind speaking to her. For a moment she felt something glide over the nape of her neck, and she looked back to see the wind and moonlight coalescing into a form she knew pretty well. 

"Luna? Is...this a dream?" 

Princess Luna didn't fully form, but stayed incorporeal, fading in and out as the winds shifted. "It is between dreams and nightmares that you now stand, young griffoness, known as the mind's eye. I bring those hurt by night terrors here, a place of serenity and calm. I felt you needed to be here given your current mental state."  She shifted closer and Gilda felt a hoof touch her shoulder fur. When she looked to the spot, nothing was there but ruffled fur from the wind. "You are not to blame for the situation Gabby is in, Gilda. Please, let that go." 

Gilda held her breath for a moment, and then sighed heavily, drooping her head. "I feel as if I am. Gabby had to have known those X's in the snow meant something, in fact I know she did because of the look on her face. If I hadn't moved towards her she wouldn't be in the hospital right now." 

Luna shifted once more, flowing around Gilda in a gentle circle. In her wake multiple memories popped up in squares, the scenes within playing out. "If you truly feel that way after all the reassurances friends have tried to give you, then you need to be reminded of something..." 

In the first scene, hatchling Gilda and Gabby were working on cleaning the dinner table, Gabby wasn't paying attention and her hind paw caught on the carpet beneath her. She slipped and dropped a plate, the dish exploding as it made contact with the floor. They both gasped and looked to one another as Grampas gruff frowned at them from his chair in the living room. Gabby smiled weakly and blushed ."Uhm...oops." 

The next scene came into focus. This one was a few years later, a teenage Gilda was alone at flight camp, and waiting for Grampa gruff to pick her up when two mares exited the building. Gilda didn't hear them approach and was startled when one of them touched her shoulder. She had shrieked and scared the two of them. One of the mares fell down the steps and sprained her fetlock. Gilda had tried to help them, intent on apologizing, but they both had shied away from her in fear.

Another scene played out. Adult Gabby, Gilda, and Gallus were all moving the newest furniture into their apartment, Gallus was in the process of moving a chair up the stairs and had made it to the top, only for Gabby to walk out the way he was coming, and the two collided. Gabby had clipped Gallus shoulder with her beak, drawing blood and it had needed stitches.  

Gilda smiled lightly, touching the memory and freezing it on Gabby's blushing face. " Heh...Gabby had been distraught for days, said it was her fault she'd not paid close enough attention. She even paid the hospital bill out of her own bits..." 

Luna alighted next her still made of wind and moonlight. "I  imagine you and Gallus told her not to worry and that it wasn't her fault, yes?"

Gilda nodded. She saw what Luna was doing and scowled, letting her claws drop away from Gabby, letting the memory fade. "These memories are not the same as what I did Luna. I nearly killed her..." 

Luna frowned and brought all three memories back into focus. "The severity of the situation was not the point I was showing you. Look closer." 

Gilda sighed and watched with a sad expression as the memories replayed, then again, and again--Gilda's hand shot out and paused the middle one, catching Gabby right after she'd dropped the plate. Gabby's expression was one of shock, then confusion as her claws slipped in its grip and the plate fell. Finally a dash of fear shot across her beak as she realized what had happened. Gilda then unpaused it and paused the next one right before the trouble struck. The expressions were almost the same. "They...their all..." 

Luna smiled gently. "They are all accidents. Situations out of your or their control." 

Luna then waved her horn, and Gilda felt something tug at her heart, the deepest part of her being, and from there came up one more memory, one Gilda was hiding from out of pain.  She immediately spun around and covered herself with her arms and wings. "No! Not that one...not yet. It's too soon...too painful...please..." She whispered. 

"You must face it, or fear and pain will be cruel friends of yours for a long time, Gilda." Luna's hoof gripped the hen's shoulder and gently turned the hen around, but Gilda shut her eyes. 

"No! Please, I can't...I can't see it again....I don't want to." 

A momentary silence spread between them. Luna spoke, and it was firm, assertive. "Gilda, only the guilty have to hide from their actions, the innocent do not. I am trying to show you that as much as you wish to believe you're guilty....you are not." She touched Gilda's shoulder once more. "You are Innocent." 

Slowly, Gilda blinked open her eyes and looked up. Here eyes first met Luna's, finding kindness and hope behind the mare's eyes. From there, they shifted to the right, to lock with the memory. In it, Gilda was staring through her own eyes at Gabby. The hen looked happy as she was coming closer. The memory played out a little more, and then froze again. Gabby's expression had changed to one of confusion, her eyes looking down at the ground. Again the memory played forward, and this time Gabby's expression devolved into shock, fear, and realization, before locking onto Gilda's eyes as she prepared to leap to the hen's aid. 

As thoughts raced through her head, warring for first place on her tongue, Luna pulled up another memory, only this one was weird, it was like Gilda was looking at the scene reversed. It took a moment to realize this wasn't her memory, but Gabby's. She was looking through Gabby's eyes at the same scene. 

In it, Gilda looked genuinely overjoyed to see her, and Gilda felt her heart ...no...Gabby's heart flutter as a smile appeared on Gilda's beak. Then her claws scraped a weird texture, and she looked down. Why was the snow red? Red meant X's. X's meant danger...Gabby slowly looked up. 

All at once the memory cracked across it's surface. Gilda felt her friend's mind begin to panic.

DANGER! DANGER! GILDA IS IN DANGER! PROTECT GILDA! SAVE GILDA! SAVE HER!

Luna let the memory play out as Gabby leaped forward and shoved Gilda backward, even as pain registered all over her body. Her mind fractured in shock.


ACCIDENT...INJURED...PAIN OW OW ACCIDENT OW BAD BAD STOP OW PAIN.....WAIT.

The memory seemed to stop for a second, as Gabby's barely conscious mind managed to look up and spot the slumped form of Gilda in the snow a few feet away.

GILDA...GILDA...SAFE?...Rose safe...good...Rose...sa......fe.

As the memory faded away, Gilda noted Luna had moved behind it, and was now facing her. Luna was whole and solid, her mane and tail flowing in cascades of stars and galaxies that melded into the backdrop of the sky above them. She stood over Gilda by a full foot, but when she looked down at the hen, Gilda could see only a gentle caring and tenderness in the alicorn's eyes. Luna's large wings wrapped around the hen as the alicorn hugged her. She was acutely aware that she was crying, and sobbing rather hard against the alicorns shoulder fur. She clutched at the alicorn of dreams for comfort and luna was there. She felt Luna nuzzle the crest feathers atop her head as the mare spoke.

"You are not guilty, Gilda. Gabby knew it,  we know it, and so do you...in your heart. It was an accident, let it go, young one...Gabby needs you now more than ever." 

Gilda sucked in ragged breathes and nodded shakily. She didn't let go of the alicorn, for once in her life feeling like she had a mother figure holding her. If this was a dream then she was gonna get her comfort dammit.  "I...I...o-okay, I'll try..."She whispered. She fell silent as darkness seemed to slowly seep into the edges of her vision, and she watched Luna fade as she slowly fell back into sleep. 

"Yes...Gabby needs me..." She murmured. 





Gilda woke quietly, blinking open stressed and bleary eyes. She merely stared out of the pile at the darkness of Gabby's room for several seconds. The apartment was eerily quiet. Outside however, it had begun to snow again, only a lot harder. A pounding gale that battered the window and shook the frames. She took a long moment to let the sound fill her ears, the roaring pitter patter of thousands of globs of partially frozen water molecules washed away her feelings for a moment and she was still.

Inside she felt scared. For the future, for Gabby, and for herself. 

Gabby may never be able to fly again, she might lose her job. Right as that thought sprung up, Gilda crushed it in anger. It didn't matter if Gabby lost her job, Gilda would hire her at the bakery in an instant. It didn't matter if Gabby couldn't fly anymore, Gilda would be her wings for as long as she possibly could be. Both options meant she would also be close to the hen, something that sent warmth through her chest.

She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks, grimacing at the state of herself before ruffling her feathers and growling. She needed a shower, and a good meal, and some good company. Better than those realizations, she also knew exactly who she could go to. Standing, she carefully placed Gabby's nest as close to the state she'd found it in, and replaced the pictures back in the armoire, before exiting gabby's room and closing the door behind her. She spared the enchanted rose one more glance, and a smile blush reached her cheeks. 

You love me Gabby...I...I don't know what to do about that information just yet...but maybe I can get some answers...

Entering her own room, Gilda padded over to her desk and pulled out some items. A quill, some ink, a new piece of parchment, and a jar from deeper with a lower drawer. The glass jar had a small amount of greenish purple flame coiling around in it. She hefted the jar and set it on the desk. 

Dragon fire messaging. Considered to be the fastest way to send mail, and also the most expensive method. She'd financially binged a few months back and bought two jars for her personal collection. They were meant for emergencies, but she felt that the recipient would understand given her circumstances. 

She set the quill into the ink jar and then the tip hovered over the paper for several seconds as she tried to think of how to write the letter as simple and yet assertively. After a few moments, it came to her and she began to write.

Dear Captain Gallus Griffon...

YOU. MY BAKERY. ASAP. WE NEED TO TALK.

--Gilda

Gilda clenched her talons into fists for a moment...Gallus had known it was Gabby. He'd known maybe for a long time, and had kept it from her. She scowled and looked it over, before sighing and unclenching her claws. She would have her answers soon enough. With a quick flurry of movement, she rolled it up. Popping the lid off the jar, she held the parchment over the fire and watched as it ravenously devoured the material. There was no scent of smoke, even as the scroll sifted into a gaseous form. It always fascinated Gilda how the pony folk had found ingenious ways to work with what was around them. Lifting a claw, she opened the window a little bit, and watched as the purple smoke swirled and squeezed through the crack to dissipate into the storm. 

Dragonfire had another neat ability that made it invaluable to those who needed a quick response. It seemed unaffected by weather conditions. A sea captain could be in a hurricane and still his letter would reach it's intended target without fail. Or in her case, a griffoness in a blizzard would receive a reply regardless of nature's agenda.  

She left her bedroom, padding slowly down the stairs and into her store front. The clock on the wall read around four in the morning, but she wasn't tired. Rather, her mind was so occupied with thoughts that she couldn't go back to sleep. Her paws dragged across the tiles of the kitchen as she activated the lights and set one of the ovens to preheat. Crossing back across the store front, she unlocked the doorway and grimaced. Water was seeping in through the open slots of the wood beams that they had used to protect the bakery from the storm. 

Some griff at least had the decency of switching them out for ones that had been...that hadn't hurt Gabby. She didn't care where those beams went as long as they were no where near her. She sighed and rubbed her arms together as a chill swept through the cracks in the beams and tickled her chest feathers. Her eyes tracked the goosebumps as they crawled up her arm and then faded away. 

She re-entered the kitchen and grabbed some ingredients. Cooking always helped take her mind off whatever funk she was in. Claws and talons were washed, an apron was donned and dough was slowly formed. Gilda worked her claws into the dough, kneading and squishing the goop as her mind raced with thoughts she couldn't escape. 

Her kneading slowed. "...She...She likes me..." Gilda whispered, her eyes staring at the dough as it shifted and moved through her digits. "How...how long has she had these feelings? Before we moved into the apartment, clearly..." Her mind went back to the photos Gabby had collected. Some were older than five years, maybe more. 

Has she liked me since before we came back to griffonstone from school? One of the photos was of them when they were teenagers, but Gilda couldn't recall if Gabby had been blushing or merely smiling in it. She stopped kneading and started tearing the dough into into little pieces, her paws held one and she casually started poking and prodding it as she thought. Her touches slowly molded the dough as she tugged and pulled at it. 

"Mmm, I guess the amount of time wouldn't matter would it? She likes me, should I just focus on that aspect and let the timing go? I don't know what to do..." She murmured. Her claws removed a few errant piece of dough from her blob and she looked it over, not really paying much attention to what her claws were doing. 

Baking was therapeutic for her. She got to make something and share it with her friends. It made her feel good, like she'd accomplished something. Griffons were proud of their achievements. This thought drew her back to the letters Gabby had sent. Each one had been written in a way that hid who the writer was, but confidently told Gilda what they were after.

"I don't get it...Gabby has always been super confidant when it comes to speaking her mind, or showing off her skills...But she hid her writing skills..She hid her love...why would Gabby be afraid to tell me she likes me other than the whole same sex thing?" 

She set the weirdly shaped blob back on the tray and rubbed her beak nares, flinching when some dough got stuck to her beak. Removing it she looked to the oven and saw it was a few minutes from being ready. another sigh and a melancholy warble escaped her beak as she plopped the bits of dough in even spacing across the tray. When she reached for the one she'd been fiddling with her heart skipped a beat for a moment.

Gilda was not a sculptor by any means, she'd never excelled at the fine arts when in school, being far more athletic than refined. She gently scooped up the blob and looked it over..."How the hell..." She whispered. The blob looked kind of like a flower...

A rose...

Gilda frowned and held it a few seconds longer. "Why a rose? Why does she think of me that way?" She stroked the clump of dough, nudging it even as it sagged in areas. "Roses are gentle, soft, and hard to work with. They don't flourish where we live...and  boy are they thorny, I'm not anything like--"

But aren't you?

She paused and let her description sink in. Gilda was genuinely a tough bird, toms knew to stay away from her and keep their distance and their thoughts to themselves. That could be considered 'thorny'...in a way, it certainly made her hard to work with after all. She was good with the kids too. Hatchlings seemed to flock to her, wanting to prove themselves to her. She wasn't usually harsh with them, but would nudge them in the right direction with a bit of affirmation...could that be her gentle side? Maybe...

Her left hand gently touched her chest, right over her heart. Whenever she and Gabby had been scared or anxious, they would look out for each other, even sharing a nest occasionally when they were young, during the bigger storms of the season. Each hen would snuggle close and burrow into each other's wings or shoulder fur for comfort...

Gilda held the dough rose close and examines it's curves and edges. A smile reached her beak and she chuckled gently, a warm tear slipped down her cheek and she swiped it away.  Grover's beak...I am a rose...Gabby saw it long before I did.

Setting the dough rose in the center of the tray, she slid the pan into the oven and quietly closed the door. The heat that washed from the oven bay and over her body made her trill happily as it sifted through her coat and she smiled more. crouching down, she watched the little light inside the oven flicker on and the dough was illuminated within. She stared at the separate blobs and how simple they looked compared to her rose in the center.

"My rose..." She murmured. That was right, Gabby had called her that. In each letter she'd titled Gilda as 'her rose'. Gilda mulled that over before sitting up.  She smiled and felt her chest swell with happiness. Her feathers fluffed up and she warbled gently to herself. Then an idea came to mind.

If I'm her rose, what does that mean Gabby is to me? She put her claws to her chin, her tail tuft twitching at her feet. "She isn't a rose...no...what is Gabby to--"

Her musings were halted when a thunderous crack resounded outside her bakery, making Gilda squawk in fright. Her wings shot open reflexively, smacking the side walls and offsetting her balance. She had to grip the oven handle with both hands to not fall over, and her eyes whipped to the doorway. 

"What the hell was that?!" She hissed. Standing and walking assertively out to her front counter, she peered over it and saw a form coming into view out of the snow. Gold armor, canterlot style, and blue fur...She knew who that was. All her meticulous time spent calming down was washed away in a tide of fury as Gallus quickly entered the bakery looking very worried. He took a second to rapidly wipe his paws and brush the snow from his cloak. 

"Sorry Gilda, I came as soon as I could! Twilight teleported me here as a personal request. Is Gabby alright? What happened? Is there anything I can--"

He looked up in time to see a rolling pin cross the gap between them, smacking him right in the face.

He cried out in shock and reared up, shielding his face with his claws and flared his wings. The rolling pin had bounced off a projectile enchantment that was ingrained in his armor, but it had still startled the heck out of him. "Whoa! Gilda what the hell!?" 

"How long?" She seethed from behind the counter, her claws gripped the countertop and dug tiny grooves into the granite. "How long did you know?!" 

Gallus blinked an eye at her from behind his arms and she recognition dawn in his eyes. "Uhh did she tell you?" he asked nervously. 

"No she didn't tell me, you jerk! She's unconscious!" Gilda let go of the counter with a painful screeching of claws on stone and stalked around the counter, prowling right up to him. She shoved her beak right against his, snarling. "I found out on my own!"

He shrank back, his wings slowly wilting as she backed off and hissed at him. "You...oh...Gilda I'm so--" 

She snarled again, cutting him off. "Oh no, you're not apologizing Gallus. I won't take it. I won't forgive you, she's in the hospital and you didn't think maybe I should know something like this?!"  Gallus watched as she leaped forward and grabbed him, slamming his back into the brick wall. His armor dug into his back but he dealt with it. Gilda slammed her fist into his chest plate, producing a muffled whump. "Dammit Gallus...how long? How long have you known she loves me?" 

His brows raised as a cracked note escaped his friend's voice. She hiccuped, and dully thumped his chest armor again but it wasn't in earnest. "Gilda...I..." He sighed and slowly closed his wings around the hen as she sobbed into his chest plate. Gilda hissed as his feathers encompassed her, but she didn't pull away. "Gabby told me a week before she sent the first letter...She made me promise to keep it a secret."

Gilda lifted her head and glared at him. She sniffed as tears escaped her eyes. "Even in death? Gallus would you have told me if she--"

He quickly leaned in and nuzzled her cheek with a soft trill. She hissed half-heartedly. "Shhh, shhh, IF that had happened, I would have told you. But when this all happened the first thing I did after helping her get to hospital, was see if she was going to survive. The doctors said her chances were low at first, but then Luna and Starlight arrived. after that they took care of the serious stuff. I've been getting every update sent to me from the hospital as it happens. She is going to make it, Gilda. The moment I knew that, I also knew It wasn't my place to tell you." He nuzzled her shoulder and hugged her close. "I'm still sorry, you shouldn't have had to learn about it like this...it's ruined a lot of things." 

She growled quietly but reciprocated the nuzzling after a moment. "...I hate you right now...I hate you because you lied to me. You lied to me and you snuck behind my back to keep a secret Gabby easily should have told me from the get go." She poked him in the chest plate with a sickly sweet smile on her beak, and her voice sounded a little higher pitch, like Gabby's. "'Hi gilda, I like you, can we date?' See? Easy, why couldn't she do that? She's always so confident about everything else!"

"Not with love..."He whispered. When she looked up at him in confusion he spoke more, stroking her back fur and warbling. "Gabby told me about some things you don't know yet, things I can't tell you. These things that happened...they scared her away from love for a long time. I didn't even know until she broke the dam open and poured her heart out to me and the CMC at their clubhouse one day." 

Gilda frowned. "Wait, you mean the clubhouse they had as foals? that far back?" When he nodded she smacked a hand to her forehead. "Celestia's tits, Gallus, that was almost ten years ago! The CMC are all grown up." She fell quiet and Gallus gently let go of her but she pushed closer and held him back. "Has...has she loved me for that long?" Gilda whispered. 

Gallus held up a claw and then lowered it. "Ah...that I don't actually know." When she glared up at him he puffed up his chest fluff defensively. "Honest! I genuinely don't know when she started having feelings for you. Like I said I learned about it a week or so before she sent the first letter to you."

Gilda seemed placated by that and slowly let go of Gallus. The tom seemed a bit relieved by this and backed up. They were quiet for a few seconds. Gilda rubbed her arm and warbled weakly in embarrassment. "S-sorry I threw a rolling pin at you..." She mumbled covering her beak with her claws. 

Gallus chuckled half-heartedly and sat down, closing his wings. He had the consideration to at least look embarrassed as well. "It's ah...okay, Gilda, I understand why you did it." He reached up and rubbed the back of his nape feathers, ruffling them as he looked around the shop. "Look, I'm really sorry we held it from you, I told her you wouldn't like it...but she said it was the only way to get over her fear."

"Her fear of what? Love?" Gilda tilted her head and went to speak further but the oven timer in the kitchen went off and she cursed. "Hold that thought." Gallus followed her into the kitchen and watched as she donned some paw mittens and carefully extracted the buns from the oven. Setting them onto the cooling rack happened in silence, Gallus took the time to remove his cloak. He hung it by the door and deposited his helm underneath it. 

Gilda had finished up in the kitchen by the time he sat down. She brought four hot buttered buns with a chicken cream cheese spread from the fridge, and slid them across to him. "I bet you haven't had breakfast yeah?" He shook his head and grabbed for one. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly six am. "I suppose this is as good a time as any." She mumbled and snapped one of the buns up in her claws. 

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Gallus finished his first one and swallowed. He drummed his claws on the table and seemed to glare a hole into the table before sighing and leaning back into his chair with a slouch. Gilda noticed, "something up?" She asked while nibbling her bun. 

He lifted his arm and waved it around the room. "Yeah, she had all these neat things she was going to do, ya know? Bake a pie and put rose petals on top of the crust, then sneak out and make you think your lover had snuck into your bakery to make you something sweet. Or wait until you were asleep and clean this entire downstairs area top to bottom, and then leave a trail of cleaning supplies down to the bakery, with a letter at the bottom step from her." He laughed and rubbed his beak, "This one idea, oof.  She was going to fly over the bakery, and ...hehehe, shower you with rose petals made from paper mache, and she had this crazy idea you'd notice the single letter she'd written on all of them! It was supposed to spell out an entire claw written letter, but In the end I talked her down from it."  

Gallus sighed and slumped further, nibbling his bun as his smile waned. "Just seems sad she won't be able to do those things now..." 

Gilda lowered her gaze to her bun and thought it over. Gabby had really planned ahead. She'd thought of multiple ways to show her affections...hell, half the toms in griffonstone didn't think that far ahead when it came to courtships..."She really did all that planning?" 

Gallus nodded, "Oh yeah, when she told me about the jewelry box plan I was sure she'd lost it. That thing cost a pretty bit." 

Gilda smirked at the mention of the jewelry box and a thought came to mind. "That reminds me...what the heck is with it? there is a puzzle to it I know, but what the heck is it supposed to do? I keep thinking it's a glitter bomb prank..." 

He stopped and his expression grew...somber wasn't the right word...more like he was looking back on a personal memory. He finished his second bun and reached across the table with his hand, setting his claws on hers.  "Trust me when I say, it's worth the effort to find out. If you think you love her now, wait till you see how much she does. And no, it's not a glitter bomb." 

He leaned back and smirked as she sighed. "Although, that would be hilarious to see." 

She growled and flicked a crumb at him which he snapped up in his beak. "Speaking of which, I left it at the hospital. I should probably pick it up." She paused and looked him over. He'd been teleported all the way from Canterlot to griffonstone...and it showed. His armor and fur had a slight burnt look to it, now that she got a closer look. "Heh, so it's true...Princess Twilight has so much magic, she burns her test subjects." 

Gallus blinked in confusion before looking down and smiling wryly. "It's called magical burn off and it doesn't hurt, just tingles a bit." He dusted himself a little bit and then frowned. "I'll probably need to get a shower before I leave." 

Gilda shrugged. "Sure, you know where it's at." She finished her bun and then slid the plate away with a nudge if her claws. "So, how's that going anyway? You and Twilight?" 

Gallus's expression seemed to fall immediately which Gilda noted, but he quickly masked it with a grin and a wave of his paw. "Oh it ah, it's moving along, she's really busy all the time, the life of royalty is a tumultuous one so I get to be with her when I can, and that's good enough for me." 

Gilda frowned. "Please tell me that 'getting to be with her' doesn't mean you stand outside her doorway while she works?" 

When Gallus's eyes fell to the side she frowned deeper and reached across the table to grab his claws in hers. "Gallus...that's...that isn't okay. If Twilight is too busy for a relationship you should try to just be friends!" 

He stared at her claws, and then slowly clasped them around hers. His smile was fragile. "I...I don't want to let go of this opportunity, Gilda. She's one of the only females that has ever really shown any interest in me." He paused and his eyes lingered on her for a moment, his expression seemed to soften for a moment, and Gilda felt her cheeks flush to her surprise.

Why's he looking at me like that?  She wondered. 

He was quiet a moment before smiling and looking at the table. "I'll admit there were others that caught my interest, but they didn't so much show their interest as much as I felt they just tolerated my presence." He chuckled and the expression changed to a firmer one. "That being said, I wanna give this chance with Twilight a good one. I wanna know I tried my best to court her, before I throw in the towel." 

Gilda nodded and then gently pulled her claws from his. He let them go and tapped the table. "We should probably get to the hospital to pick up your jewelry box. Don't want the janitors to confuse it for debris right?" His smile waned. "And we can check up on Gabby...I miss her smile..." 

Gilda stood and collected the dish. "Yeah, I do too..." An awkward moment passed between them before Gallus coughed into his talons and stood up. "Alright, yes. Let's um...go." He shuffled past her and donned his Helm and cloak. "If you stay close to my side when we get out there, I have an enchantment that keeps me dry, it has a proximity aura. Those closest to me also won't get soaked, but it doesn't stop everything." 

Gilda set the dish on the checkout counter and then sidled up next to Gallus. He nodded and threw his cloak on. The trek to the Hospital was annoying. Gilda had to peer through mostly closed eyes ahead of her to hopefully see where she was going. Gallus didn't seem to have any issues with it, and told her his armor was enchanted to block the wind and snow. She grumbled and made a vow to steal his helmet when he wasn't looking. 

He laughed into the storm and told her it was merely 'perks of the job title.' "Normal guards don't have these enchantments, Gilda. It's too expensive to do this for all of the Canterlot garrison. Also, stealing my helmet won't work. The enchantment is in the breast plate." 

She'd shoved him playfully only to hiss as she was battered with snow and cold wet wind the moment they separated.  Quickly moving beside him again fixed this, though she noted how even with the enchantment active, he'd opened his wing and draped it over her protectively. He proudly fluffed out his chest and walked with that strut male griffons had when they were trying to show off. 

Gilda blushed. "You're such a weirdo."  

Gallus smiled. "Why, thank you for the compliment." 

She groaned and tried to bury her face in her neck fluff. "Ugh not you too! Did Gabby tell you to say that?" 

He blinked and nodded. "Yeah, she did. How'd you know?" 

Gilda looked at the hospital doors as they came closer. "Gunther told me the same thing early yesterday." 

They entered the lobby and were in the process of signing in, when a nurse came out and saw them. She smiled and waved them over. "Oh so glad I caught you two, we were just about to send for a messenger. Gabby has woken up." 

Gilda and Gallus looked at one another in shock and Gilda stepped forward eagerly. "Wait really? Can we see her right now? Is she doing okay?" Her tail began frantically whipping back and forth as the nurse nodded and led them through the hallways to Gabby's room. 

"She's currently being seen by the doctors, and I believe Princess Luna is on her way over as well, or she's already arrived. They wanna make sure the wards did what they were supposed to first. Once they are done you may visit."

They reached the doorway and the nurse left them there. Gilda walked to the window, where she could see into the room but the blinds were closed. She cursed under her breath and immediately began pacing back and forth. Gallus sat on the nearby bench and for a moment considered telling her to stop, then he chuckled and shook his head. 

"What's so funny?" Gilda asked. When he pointed to her, she looked confused. "What? I'm nervous. I wanna see her, I gotta make sure she's okay! There is nothing wrong with being worried over a friend!" Her tail lashed against the door and made her jump, looking at the door with a glare like it had challenged her.

He put his claws up placatingly. "I know, I know, I just find it humorous that you're so...determined." He smiled as she stopped, watching her sigh. She came over and sat down next to him, even leaned against his shoulder. He fluffed out his feathers, and draped a wing around her.

"She has the best doctors looking her over and princess Luna is coming. She made it, Gilda."

Gilda groaned and rubbed her cheek into his shoulder fluff, not noticing his blush of embarrassment or the fact that it sent his neck ruff fluffing out. "I know..I just...she loves me...is it weird i'm acting this way? I don't know!" She warbled nervously and got back up, leaving the tom flustered. 

"Well, yeah I mean I guess? She considers you mate material, so you're being protective."  He shrugged. 

Gilda thrashed her tail and began pacing at the door again. "Right?! She's like...the first bird to ever having feelings for me! I can't lose that chance!" 

She then paused and blinked, before grumbling a second time. "Oof now I know what you meant when you said you don't wanna miss your chance with twilight..." She buried her head in her claws. Gallus stood and slowly padded over to her. When she lay down on the cool floor, he followed suit, draping his wing back over her side. 

"Dating can be such a pain, ya know?" She mumbled through her claws. He blushed and looked away.

"Y-yeah, totally..." 

They both watched the door, Gilda jumping every time a noise made it through the doorway or someone maneuvered around them. Galluss fell silent and merely waited. 

After a time, the door swung open and two hens, the doctor, and Princess Luna stepped out of the room. when the saw Gilda and Gallus they all stopped. the Doctor hen went to speak but Luna lifted a wing. "Please, let her through, she's also been through much. Barring her path now will only make it worse." 

The Doctor grumbled but nodded to the pair. Gallus fell into a routine where he instantly saluted Princess Luna, who chuckled and smiled. "At ease, Captain, we merely arrived at the behest of Princess Twilight, to make sure Gabby was mentally okay." 

He nodded, lowering his claws. "Of course Princess, I am sure with you and the doctors, she's in good health once more." 

Gilda growled, catching their attention. The hen was puffed up and fluffy, hissing with her wings flared. "She better be. If one feather on her head is missing I'll--" She was cut off by Gallus who nudged her and shook his head gently. She huffed, blowing her head feathers out of the way a for a second. "Well, I'd do something now lemme through!" 

Stepping into the room, Gilda laid eyes on Gabby. The hen was laying down in the bed on her belly, head resting on the pillow so it propped her beak up. Her right wing and arm were both still in casts, but they were cloth now and nothing appeared to be amiss with her anatomy as far as Gilda could tell. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing gently. Cautiously, like walking around glass shards, or creaky floorboards, GIlda crept up to the bed and stared at the hen. 

Gabby had written the letters, Gabby had bought her the jewelry box which still sat on the nightstand next to her. Gabby was safe...

The door closed behind her and she turned to see a glimpse of Princess Luna's eyes before the door closed. The mare winked, and shut them in together for some privacy. Gilda sent a silent thank you to her and turned back. Gabby appeared to be asleep now, so Gilda simply sat down and sighed heavily. 

Lowering her head onto the bedding on her hands, she merely watched Gabby rest for a time, before Gabby stirred and her eyes blearily opened. She looked first to her right, and then seeing no one, she turned to the left. Her eyes fell on the jewelry box and Gilda caught the look of warmth as it cascaded across the hen's face. Gabby sighed gently, and then her eyes looked further right and fell on Gilda. 

"...H-hey Gilda..."  The hen smiled weakly, and then blinked in surprise as tears began to streak down Gilda's cheeks. "Wh-whats wrong?" 

Gilda didn't say anything. Amidst the tears that refused to abate, she gently and tenderly crawled up next to Gabby. She hugged her close and purred loudly. Her wing extended out and over her friend and snuggled the smaller female to her body. Gabby was rather started by the sudden affection and warbled nervously. 

"G-Gilda?" She whispered. 

Gilda responded by nuzzling Gabby's cheek with hers, and the purring intensified. "Y-you are okay...gods i'm so happy you are okay!" She sobbed, happy nervous chirps escaped Gilda's beak as she held her friend close. Gabby was quiet for a time, basking in her friend's touch, her smile grew, and she leaned into the nuzzles. 

"Yeah...I am...are you?" 

Gilda nodded "Yes, thanks to you...you saved me Gabby..." Gabby giggled lightly when Gilda tried and failed to snuggle even closer to her, the smaller hen fluffing out in embarrassment when she felt Gilda's hind paws shift, one of the paw pads grazed against a teat and she chirped suddenly, pulling back from the embrace. 

"W-well that's great to hear--Ack! G-Gilda, y-you're really um, snuggly all of the sudden." 

Gilda blinked for a second and then it hit home what she was doing. Her beak was gently ruffling through the hen's neck fluff, she'd almost started preening Gabby! "Oh! Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" Gabby watched in nervous confusion as Gilda leaped off the bed in a flurry of movement. 

Gilda quickly wiped at her eyes and coughed into a hand. Her cheek feathers and neck ruff fluffed out in embarrassment. "I j-just...I had to make sure you were okay, ya know?" She fell silent a moment and then lowered her head onto the bedding again. "I was...scared, like really scared for you..." She sniffed, and warbled into the sheets. "You almost died..."

Gabby seem to take the information in slowly, and when she finally replied it wasn't with much fanfare or shock. A simple "huh" was all that came out. Gilda looked at her incredulously. 

"Huh? That's all you have to say?" She watched as Gabby slowly and carefully stretched her left wing out, the feathers arcing over Gilda with a subtle shudder through the primaries, and then her left front leg reached up and her talons kneaded into the pillow. Gabby yawned, and Gilda tilted her head subconsciously, watching the hen's razor sharp beak extend to its fullest, and then clack shut with a click. the wing and arm were pulled back in, and Gabby flopped gently on her side, revealing her teats that Gilda really shouldn't be staring at right then. She forced herself to avert her eyes quickly. 

"Well, yeah, not much else I can say to that...except...thank you, I guess." Gabby murmured, resting her head on the pillow once more. 

"Thank you?" Gilda scoffed and waved a hand at Gabby. "Why would you need to say thank you? You saved me, not the other way around." Gilda then frowned and mumbled. "If anyone should be saying thank you, it should be me...so...thank you, Gabby."

Gabby smirked and rubbed her neck fluff. "Well, I wanted to say thank you for what you just did." 

Gilda blinked in confusion and Gabby chuckled into her claws. "You showed me-very emphatically-how much you cared that I was okay." She let her eyes drop down to the sheets, a loving smile graced her beak and Gilda felt her heart flutter. Gabby's smile was perfect in that moment, and Gilda would give anything to see it more. Gabby reached out and grasped Gilda's claws in her own. "I can't tell you how much that means to me Gilda." 

"Yes you can..." She barely whispered. 

Gabby's eyes widened and she looked confused. "W-what?" 

Quickly realizing what she'd done, Gilda sat up and shook herself. "I uh said you can't, cause um...Gallus is outside and Twilight teleported him all the way from Canterlot and he wants to see you too and I don't wanna monopolize your time before the doctors kick us out so you can sleep ya know?" 

Gilda was a terrible liar in most situations, but now was even worse. Her nervous laughter was met with a skeptical squint and head tilt from Gabby. "Um, Okay..." She looked away and around the room. "Did anyone else come and visit while I was here?'

Gilda nodded and walked to the door, gripping the handle. "Yeah, Grampa Gruff. He said the council is going to pay for the hospital bills and do what they can to help us through this."

Gabby's eye fell. "Ah, that's nice..." 

Gilda paused a moment and her eyes fell on the jewelry box. Should she tell Gabby she knew? Should she keep it a secret? Gilda wasn't sure what to do in the moment. "I um...I'mma go get Gallus." 

Exiting out into the hallway, she found Gallus sitting alone on the bench swinging his hind legs to and fro. His  helm was on the bench next to him. He smiled up to her and stood. "It all go okay?" He asked. Gilda crossed the distance slowly, and bonked her head into his chest fluff and groaned. He blushed and looked around awkwardly.

"Oof, that bad?" He quipped.

Gilda shook her head. "Mm-mmm, she's okay, healthy, and safe. A couple casts are still present but that's it. Gallus I...I don't know if I should tell her I know."  She felt his wing wrap her in a hug and his talons gently rubbed her back fur. 

"Well, do you think she will be bothered by it? I think that would be great news to hear, especially after what she went through." 

Gilda shook her head again, rubbing into his feathers for comfort. The tom warbled nervously in response. "She went through all that work, all the trouble to keep it a secret just to surprise me. Plus, you said she was hurt in the past by love. I'm not sure what you meant by that but I don't want to hurt her further. I feel like if she wants to do this slowly for her sake, I should let her." 

He stared at her for a moment and then his cheeks flushed with red. He leaned down and nuzzled her head feathers gently, drawing a little chirp of surprise from Gilda. "I think she will genuinely appreciate that. You're a good friend Gilda, and she is lucky to have you in her heart." He drew back, letting her go, and then shook himself.  "We should ah, go check on her yeah?" 

They entered together and Gallus approached Gabby's bedside, already smiling. Gilda hung back with a smile of her own, watching as Gabby's face lit up in another grin. Gilda's left claws lifted to her heart and she gripped the fur there for a moment. 

For you Gabby, I'll do anything to see you happy, even if it means waiting. Write as many letters as you need to, I'll keep them all.

She smiled more and then joined the two griffons who made up her family.

And I'll be ready to love you as soon as you need it.
> Confident Confidant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And you'll need to take these medications for the migraines, trust me, they will happen and they won't be pleasant." 

The pills were wiggled in front of her for the fifth time, and Gabby nodded. "I know."

"And then after each meal you'll wanna ingest at least three glasses of water for your body to absorb so the healing can work it's magic, heh pun." 

Gabby ground her beak. "Yes, Starlight, I understand." 

The unicorn stood just outside the bakery doorway yammering on about how the final spell they'd cast on her casts and body were working in tandem with some crazy spell matrix that the mare had taken a week to set up at the hospital. It was meant to monitor the healing process of a patient, and notify the doctors if any serious trouble came up. 

While it was an amazing feat of magic, the description and rules to follow were most certainly not enjoyable to the hen who had to use it. Starlight Glimmer had blah blah blah'd about it's intricacies for almost twenty minutes now and Gabby, while known for her patience, was wearing thin. 

"And on top of this you'll also prooooobably wanna take a few more weeks off of work, no heavy lifting or major flights until we can convert the--"

"STARLIGHT!" Gilda yelled from behind the counter. Gabby sighed in relief as Gilda literally hopped the counter and came stomping over. Her claws reached out and gripped Starlight's shoulders in her claws firmly. "Listen, I really really really appreciate all that you and Princess Luna and those doctors have done for us, but you are about to find out what happens when I get a headache brought on by blabbering eggheads who don't know when to ZIP IT!" She emphasized the last part by swiping her claws tightly across her beak line. 

Starlight blushed, pinned her ears back and nodded meekly even as Gilda turned around once more. "Oh! I'm so sorry Gilda, Gabby, all you had to do was say so--"

"I just did." Gilda grumbled as she passed by Gabby. Gabby giggled into her claws and patted Starlight's shoulder. 

"look, I read the doctor's orders and will be following them to a T. No worries Starlight, we can catch up some time later when this all blows over okay?" Gabby peered past the pony and found four or more griffons waiting impatiently outside. She sighed. "And it might be a good time to go anyway, you're kind of holding up the line." 

Starlight whipped around and gasped. "Oh sweet Celestia, I always do this. Okay, take care, stay safe and you have your medication?"

Gabby rolled her eyes and shook the little pill bottle sarcastically. Starlight nodded, mostly to herself it seemed. "O-okay. I'll uhm, yeah I'm just gonna go now, bye Gabby!" 

Gabby waved as the mare trotted down the road and out of sight. As soon as she was gone, Gabby groaned and slouched gently into the nearest chair, letting the griffons outside in. A few patted her good shoulder and gave her wishes for a speedy recovery. Some ended their well wishes with 'Second Pillar', something Gabby found both confusing and odd to hear. Gilda had explained it the moment it had reared its ugly head. She was apparently the first pillar, Gabby was the second, and Gallus was the third. All of them had been elevated to some sort of lesser nobility by Grandpa Gruff and the council. It had been fully announced the morning after Gabby was released from the hospital. Since then, the hens couldn't escape it. Customers came in and seemed nervous, or overly polite. Sometimes Gilda would tell one of them to bugger off for trying to give her or Gabby gifts. 

"It's like I'm in Canterlot again." Gabby had murmured after the fifth time she'd been titled. "All the snooty nobles in the upper district trying to gain favor." Gilda had huffed and said the council was doing it merely to save face after they openly claimed gabby's injury was in part to their negligence. A lot of birds had been angry to hear this. Luckily it had all been taken care of away from the bakery, and Gabby was able to get some much needed quiet time with Gilda in their apartment. 

"You should head upstairs and get some more rest." Gilda murmured as she past around the counter and worked on serving the current customers.  "No bakery help until you are fully healed."  She passed a plate with two bagels slathered in bacon cream spread to the tom across the counter. He thanked her and moved on. 

Gabby groaned more and slouched into the chair, wincing as her shoulder protested lightly. "Now you sound like Starlight. I'm so bored up there!" 

Gilda smirked and took the bits from the hen across the counter from her. "So do a hobby, you got like, a jillion of those." She passed back the change and then grimaced as the hen titled her 'first pillar'. She closed the register and grabbed a cloth to wipe down the counters. As she did so, Gabby seemed to grow more lethargic as time went on. She slouched further and further into her chair until the hen was nothing more than a lump of feathers.

"Wow, not even two days into recovery and you're moping?" Gilda asked, coming over and watching as Gabby buried her head into her arms on the table. "huh, you want some company?" 

Gabby mumbled something into her chest feathers. Gilda shrugged and began wiping down the nearby empty tables and chairs. She went to speak further but her eyes glanced out the door, and she saw a Canterlot soldier in purple and silver armor. He approaching the bakery confidently. Behind him, a small group of cadets in similar but simpler designed armor followed behind. Between them, was a set of covered objects on a cart. 

The griffons in the shop all turned as he called for his company to halt. The sound carried through the wooden beams that blocked out the cold air and snow. He entered the shop alone and removed his helmet. His firm eyes tracked across the group of patrons and then fell on Gilda. He smiled and approached, and Gilda subconsciously felt her neck ruff expand and her wings slowly tried to open as he came closer. He was a healthy grey pegasus stallion in his mid thirties with a two tone red and cream mane and tail. His cutie mark was obscured by his armor plating. 

He stopped a foot or so from her and extended a hoof out. "Hello, are you Gilda Griffon? Captain Gallus sent me in his stead." 

Gilda took the hoof and shook it, her eyes wary. "I am Gilda, whose asking and why?" She let go of his hoof and he chuckled. 

"No need to be alarmed, miss, I am merely Gallus' stand in at the moment. My name is Pivot Point, currently acting Captain of Princess Twilight's royal guard. I was sent here by Princess Twilight to give you a gift, and install them if you'll accept."

Gilda blinked in surprise and stood there a moment in confusion. Gabby came over and stood next to her, the limp in her right side prominent in her walk. Pivot noted this and he frowned sympathetically at her injuries. "I take it you are Gallus' other sibling, Gabby, yes?" 

When she nodded he sighed. "He sends his well wishes, and hopes you recover soon." 

She frowned in return. "Why are you in his place? Did something happen?"  she watched as he looked back out the door to his group, the bunch were still in place. 

"Perhaps we could get my men inside and working on your gift first before we talk? It's rather cold out there." 

Gilda and Gabby looked worriedly to one another before Gilda nodded. "What's the gift?" 

Instead of answering her, he walked to the door and opened it, shouting some orders to the cadets, who flew into a flurry of action. cloaks were pulled away to reveal tool bags and equipment. The group of ten or so pegasi and unicorns immediately got to work. Pivot turned and smiled to Gilda and Gabby. "See for yourself."

Gilda and Gabby watched in fascination as the tarps were pulled off the cart to reveal two large ornate, enchanted panes of glass. The glass itself shimmered lightly in the daylight, a subtle red hue that shifted as shadows fell over it or more light went through it. Gilda's beak dropped open in shock. Those were waaaay outside her original budget for windows. The glass panes were built to withstand erosion, cracking, blunt force damage, and even could block some forms of magic.

Next to her Gabby chirped excitedly and watched as the pegasi and unicorns carefully unwrapped the panes. A single cadet approached, saluted to Pivot and then addressed Gilda directly with another salute. "Ma'am, may we have permission to remove the boards on the windows and get these set up?" 

Gilda nodded slowly. "S-sure...just lemme warn the customers..."

"Already on it!" Gabby murmured behind her excitedly. Before Gilda could reply, Gabby opened the door and bellowed inside. "EVERYBODY GET OUT! THE STORE IS CLOSED TEMPORARILY FOR MAINTENANCE! Thank you." 

Pivot seemed mildly surprised by her antics and smirked, Gilda blushed furiously and whipped around to ask Gabby what the heck had gotten into her, when a flurry of griffons came blasting out the door and past the trio. Within a few seconds the customers were gone, the closed sign spun around to it's proper spot, and Gabby closed the door with a clap of her claws and a smile. "There, all taken care of." 

Gilda stared at her. "Are you insane? You could have been trampled, or knocked to the ground, or--" Her beak was gently clamped shut by Gabby's claws wrapping around it. Gabby chuckled and let go. 

"Gilda, you are wonderful and a great friend, but my patience is thin today and I wanted them gone. I need to have time to breath." She smiled so sweetly that Gilda merely nodded. 

"Ah, um okay." 

Pivot nodded with his own smile. "For now I suppose my men will access the bakery then and install these, while we all sit down and have a chat. Maybe I could try your strawberry scones? Gallus said they were fantastic."

Gilda nodded, rubbing at her beak where Gabby had gripped it. She blushed lightly and walked into her business with the other two behind. "Yeah, lemme grab some from the back, they're uh, fresher that way." She mumbled. Gabby sat back down at the table and Pivot took the seat across from her. Outside the wrenching of nails could be heard as boards came loose. Two unicorn cadets on the inside of the building were lifting a large tarp over the openings, so snow and wind wouldn't get in while they installed the glass.

Gilda watched as the unicorns measured the sills, and then shaved off small portions of the brick to make it as level as possible, before moving on. Behind them, Pegasi workers measured the glass itself and checked the panes over for flaws or blemishes. She huffed and grabbed three coffee mugs. At the table, Pivot unclipped his cloak and folded it up into his lap. 

As Gilda came over and set the coffee down, he began to talk.

"To answer your question, Gallus is fine, but the nobles who fund the military were in an uproar over the outcome. Hearing a citizen of our allies was hurt by our actions wasn't something they were very pleased to be informed of. Especially when that citizen is a well known friend of the Princess. They demanded an investigation be made under claims of negligence on Gallus' orders."

Gabby and Gilda visibly bristled. Gabby clenched her claws into fists, her breath hissing out from her clenched lips. "And I assume Twilight told them this wasn't necessary and they didn't listen?"

Pivot's ears wilted a little as the two hens growled lightly. "Pretty much, they hired private investigators to look into it." He looked out at his men as they worked. "I imagine you guys have seen a couple ponies wandering around town recently?" 

Gilda and Gabby shook their heads. 

"I've been stuck inside healing." Gabby replied.

"And I've been working in my bakery and keeping her inside so she heals." Gilda responded with a wry grin. Gabby stuck her tongue out at her in response.

Pivot nodded and picked up a scone, taking a small bite, he chewed. "Mmm this is good stuff. You're a very good chef, Ma'am."

"Cut it with the ma'am and I might consider your statement a compliment."  Gilda huffed. Gabby giggled. 

"She's just bothered cause her plumage is beginning to gray earlier than normal." 

Gilda reached over the counter and swiped at Gabby who leaned back in her chair to evade it. "It is not you over grown pile of--" 

Pivot cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He'd finished the first scone and was wiping his muzzle with a napkin. "There is a bit more to this situation, I'm afraid. Regardless of if you saw the investigators or not, ponies and griffons tend to talk. The things they've said have Gallus in a little hotter water than the incident caused."

Gilda and Gabby looked at one another before looking back to the pegasus. He furrowed his brow and sighed, seeming to love following the detailed textures of the table grains for a moment before looking up.

"I'm also acting captain right now because of these 'extra' claims. Let it be said that while stepping into the role of captain permanently sounds fantastic to some, I do foresee it changing rather quickly considering what has happened. I would like your assistance clearing things up if it were alright?" 

Gilda nodded slowly. "A-alright, what's up? The griffons around town spouting gossip?" She swore internally. If griffons were bad mouthing her nest brother she was going to have a field day with the council about it. Then again...why would they want to do that right after the three gained their status?

Wait a second. Gilda's gears began turning. The three of us gained lesser nobility for our actions in restoring the town, would the other griffons envy that? 

Pivot placed his hooves together and leaned on them. "I've heard some problematic reports from the locals here, as well as from nobles in Canterlot that Gallus has been...fraternizing with her Highness, Princess Twilight."

And Gilda's gears ground to a halt. "Wait what?" She murmured. 

Pivot's eyes gained a flinty edge to them as he watched their expressions closely. "Yeees, it's been made apparent that he is potentially seeking her hoof in marriage. As his friend, I don't care myself who he seeks as a mate, but things in Canterlot aren't always that easy. You see the nobles who work directly with Her Royal Highness are--"

"Who cares what they are?" Gabby cut in with a growl. Gilda and Pivot looked over to her, she was still clenching her claws but now it was with defensive anger in her eyes. "Barring a few exceptions, the nobles of Canterlot don't care about love or how it works. They care about their petty financial problems and only seek to make their wallets grow and every creature else's shrink. If they have a problem with Gallus and who he loves, they can shove it!" 

Pivot's eyebrows rose  a bit there, and Gilda watched as Gabby's chest fluff rose and fell in huffs of air as the hen breathed deeply. Pivot nodded ever so slowly. "Am I to assume that means my inquiry is correct? He is seeking her hoof?" 

Something didn't seem right here...

Gilda squinted at Pivot and held up a hand when Gabby went to speak. "No, we never said that, but that begs the question. What happens with this information, Captain?" she asked. Pivot's lips twitched in an effort to smile, and then it was gone. If Gilda hadn't been watching his reaction so closely she would have missed it. When Gabby looked to him he'd schooled his expression and hid it behind a mask of indifference. 

"What happens is I follow my orders, Ms. Gilda. Princess Twilight, while aware of the situation at large, is not privy to the under hoofed dealings of the nobles around her, or if she is, she hasn't shown that knowledge to me as far as I've been acting captain."

She pointed a claw at him. "That was a non-answer, buddy. She hasn't shared that info because you're not actually a captain yet." Gilda snipped. She wanted to dig deeper. "You said there were investigators around town right? Except we haven't actually seen any. I run one of the most popular shops in town, and Gabby and I have been here the whole time. If they wanted answers so badly, we'd have seen them by now. That made me realize something." Gilda leaned closer, and her eyes hardened. "What's to say you aren't one of those private investigators yourself huh?" 

"Gilda? What do you mean?" Gabby asked, leaning closer too. Pivot's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she spoke, and Gilda felt like maybe she'd hit at something. She kept her claw pointed at him.

"I'm pointing out that he comes in here with a wonderful expensive gift, apparently from Princess Twilight herself --yet I've seen no paperwork to sign off on officially-- then warns us to watch what we say, while at the same time asks us to divulge information that, if verified, could be used against Gallus. Simply put, you're either here under Twilight's orders to find out if Gallus likes her, You're here because you personally want the information to keep Gallus safe, or you're being paid under the table to find out if he likes her, by one of the nobles of Canterlot."

She stood up, and leaned across the table, her claws digging into the wood as her weight pressed into it. "So which is it, Captain?" Her eyes glared at him fiercely. They stared at one another, Gilda was hoping to intimidate him, but his only reaction was to chuckle. She frowned. For a couple seconds, Pivot shook his head and laughed lightly. When he lifted his head, there was a gentle smile, and he seemed pleased. He grinned back at her. 

"My my my, aren't you an astute little bird, all of those reasons are sound of mind, smart, and a safe way to protect Gallus from potentially getting in trouble. You're analytical, perceptive, and shrewd." He reached into his bags and withdrew a set of papers and set them on the table before her. The royal seal was marked on each one. "Rare traits for a griffon to have all at once, and ones I respect."

Gilda kept glaring. "Another non-answer, pal." She hissed. Gabby watched the growing tension between the two with a little warble of worry escaping her throat. 

"G-gilda maybe you should calm down?" she reached over and clutched Gilda's arm, making the hen look down at the touch, almost in surprise. 

Pivot smirked and slanted his gaze to Gabby. "Oh, no that was indeed a test I set up, and you Gabby, failed spectacularly.  Gilda, however, passed."

Gilda looked back up and grimaced. "A test? A test of what?" 

Pivot stood up and slowly began removing his armor piece by piece. "A test to see where your loyalties lie. You see I am not the actual acting captain of this group."

As Gilda and Gabby stood quickly, their wings opening in defensive postures, Pivot casually kept unbuckling the straps around his midsection. "The acting captain is right here." He said, as another pegasus soldier came up. Gilda and Gabby looked to him in surprise. He was more akin to a slab of muscle and strength than a pony should be. His square jawline, strong powerful wings, and piercing gaze felt far more accurate to the position of captaincy than Pivot did. He saluted them and then looked to Pivot.

"I assume  your little charade is over? I want my armor back."  His voice was like granite grinding against metal. Gilda shuddered when Pivot nodded. 

"Oh yes, Captain it's all yours, I got what I needed." 

Gilda scowled and stepped forward. "Which was what?! Making us look like fools in our own home? Was that your game?" 

Pivot clucked his tongue and shook his head. He reached under his right wing and pulled out a set of thin square glasses and set them upon the bridge of his nose. "Quite the contrary Ms. Gilda, I seek to protect your home, your nest? Forgive me if I titled it wrong, I'm not fully aware of the local terms and descriptions of things as much as I'd like to be. As it were I was sent here by Princess Twilight to investigate if others knew about her connection to Gallus after the accident with Ms. Gabby here. Again, my apologies for your circumstances, as well as my deception." 

Gabby sat down and scratched her head. "Wait...so...what? You came to make sure we knew?" 

Gilda shook her head. "I'm a bit confused as well, what was your goal?"

Pivot smirked and watched as the actual Captain walked back over to his men and they continued work. "My acting goal was to see how far information had spread of Gallus's intent to date Her Royal Majesty. My secondary goal was to ascertain who among his friends knew about it, and verify if they could-- or in Gabby's case-- could not keep it secret."

"I can keep a secret!" Gabby hissed, her feathers fluffed up and Gilda felt her own feathers rise in enjoyment of how the hen looked. She mentally tamped the thoughts that sprung to mind back down and stepped over to Gabby, draping a wing over her back. Gabby instinctually leaned closer. 

Pivot readjusted the spectacles on his nose with a feather, looking to the windows, which were now properly placed in their positions. the final prep work was being completed. 

"I'm sure you could Gabby, but it needs some work. If one of those real investigators came here asking questions like the ones I did, your little outburst of emotion and your defensive stance would have been enough info for them to make an educated guess. If you both are unaware, those are problematic enough." 

Gabby huffed, throwing her good wing and claw in the air. "W-well those stuffy nobles don't get to chose who loves who, dammit!" 

Pivot nodded and readjusted his wings, frowning when a primary was out of place. "I can assure you they don't have that power. Even if they thought they did, Gallus could openly request Princess Twilight's hoof right in front of them and those stuffy nobles as you call them, only have enough power to huff, puff, and blow themselves out of court."

Gilda looked to the windows. "So the gift was real then? Princess Twilight paid for these? There is no hidden tricks?" 

The soldiers had finished their work and pulled out of the shop by now. She and Gabby watched as the Captain got the cadets back into formation and they started marching away. 

"The gift is an apology from Twilight, she caught wind about your ordeal with the glass company in Canterlot and worked things out with them. Consider it an attempt on her part to show her feelings towards you two.' Pivot stood and shuffled his wings  before heading to the door. "I will be hanging around town in case those investigators show up. Should they not be dissuaded by me and come asking questions. It would be best if Gilda handled them, and as few words as possible would be best to deter them. Less is more, they always say." 

He scooped up his coat and opened the door, the wind outside billowing his mane slightly as he smiled to them. "Good day to you both, I'll  probably be back for more of those scones too." He licked his lips and exited. the door jingling as he departed. 

Gilda stood there with her wing around Gabby for a few minutes longer before huffing and grumbling. "Stupid ponies and their secrets." She huffed and withdrew her wing from Gabby's side. Walking to the door, she flipped the sign back to 'open'. From there she slipped back behind the counter and into the kitchen. The next batch of scones was ready, and she put her mittens on and pulled them out. Each one was now shaped like a rose, or as close as Gilda could get to it. She hadn't told Gabby about it yet, and wanted to see what she thought. She'd also written a new letter, intending to help Gabby work through her fear, whatever it may have been. She wanted to see Gabby confidently tell her she loved her. To do that she would have to subtly nudge Gabby in the right direction. 

Carefully setting the rose buns on a cooling rack, she grabbed cinnamon, sugar glaze, and  some white sprinkles and started working on each one. She spent enough time on each one to make them unique and then carefully organized them on a display dish, just as the first customer re-entered the shop. 

She heard them talk with Gabby a for a moment and then the bell on her front counter dinged. Picking up the tray, she exited out into the main area to see a younger tom in a cloak standing at the counter, reading the sign. She hadn't seen him around, and assumed he must be a new customer. 

His eyes drifted to her, and then they lit up when they saw the buns.

"Whoa! those look delicious! What are they?" He asked excitedly. Gilda slid the dish into the display cabinet and then scribbled out a price for them. Each new dish she tried started at three bits, and then if they were popular, she'd raise the price to four or sometimes five if she could get away with it. 

Gabby looked up and glanced at the cabinet in surprise at the newest addition. Gilda watched as she leaned close to the glass and then her eyes sparkled. "Those look like flowers!" She looked up at Gilda in time for the hen to playfully shrug. 

"I eh, might have had some inspiration from my mysterious writer. They keep giving me rose petals with each letter, and I'm too damn impatient to wait for the whole thing to arrive, so I made my own."  She looked to the tom who was already fishing out some bits from his coin purse. "You want one?" 

He smiled and nodded. "I'll take two actually! Those are perfect for me and my mate!" He slid six bits across the counter and then Gilda wrapped up the buns in some wax paper and dropped them into a paper bag. Handing them over she smiled. 

"Well tell me how they taste when ya come by next time, pal. Hope your mate enjoys them too!" 

When he left, Gabby scooted closer to the counter and slid three bits across the counter as well, with a sheepish blush on her cheeks. "I um, I would like one too, please." 

Gilda rolled her eyes and slid the bits back. "You work here part time, perks of the job. I'll get ya one," She leaned over the counter and poked Gabby in the beak with a claw. "But only under one condition." 

Gabby looked down her beak at the claw and then back up to Gilda. "Yeah? What condition?"

Gilda pointed to the stairs. "In my room on my desk is another letter to the mystery lover I have, I hadn't sent it yet cause you were more important to look after, but I need it taken to the post office to be sent." She paused and played up the nervousness a bit, by clasping her paws together and looking at the rose buns in the display case. "I uh, I might have over done it, but I feel like I need to show this mystery griffon I do care about them." 

She looked to Gabby to find the hen was smiling excitedly, practically hopping as best she could from claw to claw. "Oooh another letter! I'll make sure it gets there and to the proper location!" She went to leave but Gilda grabbed her tail tuft and startled her. She looked back expectantly. 

"No flying, no running, no jumping in puddles or crap like that. You're still hurt and--"

Gabby cut her off with a yapping claw hand. "Yes yes I know! No heavy lifting, no work, no fun, I gotta take it easy, jeez you sound like Starlight!" She whipped her tail out of Gilda's claws but she did so with a smirk. "Thanks mom." She disappeared upstairs and Gilda grinned. 

I wonder if she'll read it at the office or in a few minutes. 

She waited a couple seconds before shouting upstairs. "Ah shoot! Hey Gabby?" 

She heard a muffled thump upstairs and then shuffled movement before Gabby came tromping down stairs. The grey furred hen frowned and waggled the letter in her claws almost angrily. "This isn't even in an envelope!" She growled. Gilda faked her embarrassment. 

"S-sorry, I just realized I hadn't done that part yet. You can make sure it gets the proper postage and all that junk right?"

Gabby grumbled but Gilda noted the hint of a smile on Gabby's beak as the hen tromped to the door, the letter tucked away under her wing. "Uncivilized crow...can't even do proper postage." 

Gilda hissed. "I heard that, and if you want that rose bun you'll do it."

Gabby leered back at her and stuck her tongue out. "Fine I'll do it but I also get to pick out a frilly froo frooy envelope at work to slip it into so Mleeeh!!!" 

Gilda blushed and leaned over the counter with her wings flared. "Hey! Don't you dare--" The door shut as Gabby left with a victorious warble. Gilda huffed her head feathers out of her face and sat back down, refolding her wings at her sides.

"Well fine, be that way, ya weirdo." She still grinned. 

While Gabby was away five more customers came in and ordered food and drinks. The coffee and cider this time of year sold out pretty quick, and Gilda had to restock it at least twice while her friend was at the post office. The rose buns were almost immediately sold out, so she reprinted the label to four bits, and then started work on another batch. Her mind drifted to the letter she'd wrote while she kneaded the dough.

To my Mystery Writer.

I spent a lot of time worrying over my good friend Gabby. She was in the hospital with some seriously nasty injuries, and for a time I thought I was the cause of those. She just means so much to me, ya know? She's been there through thick and thin, she's helped me out of trouble more times than I can remember, and I can tell she really cares about me and my business. 

She's a wonderful hen, and at the rate she's going, she'll have a partner in no time!

Still... something came up that worries me about her. She seems to have some kind of fear crop up when the idea of two toms or two hens pairing up comes out in conversation. I've seen it a couple times, and I don't know what to make of it.  I told her I didn't mind it and would welcome whoever you are regardless of gender, and that seemed to help alleviate her worries, so I also hope it does for you. It doesn't matter if you are a hen, a tom, or that technicolor rainbow in-between, so long as your love is true, that's what matters to me. 

Any who the shop is flourishing, I got some glass from Princess Twilight that really makes the place a lot warmer now. Something to do with heat enchantments in the glass? A lot of magic jargon in the paperwork that basically says the windows pull in heat from outside. I didn't read half of it, but they are really cool. Way outside my budget too, if I'm honest. 

The customers seem to love taking the window seats now and already I've had to wake two hens up from a cat nap. I swear if that becomes a trend imma swap out the tables for booths and charge for sun bathing! Ha!

I hope uh, you are doing okay. The jewelry box keeps me confused and I don't really get how to open it yet, but I'll figure it out. Gallus said it's worth the patience so I'll trust his judgment. He's a good bird, if a little weird around me. He always gets so flustered. I think it's funny. It makes sense though, he's finally trying to seek out a mate so I imagine his body is acting all funny whenever he's around females. 

I wish the best for him, and for Gabby. When they find their respective mates, I'll be nothing but proud and happy for em. 

Looking forward to hearing from you again...and...and maybe we can start leaning towards a meet up? You should come by the bakery. I would be lying if I said I haven't been staring at all the customers a little suspiciously recently. I know its one of you!

Seriously though I won't bite. 

much.

--Gilda Griffon.


Her claws mixed the dough and slowly she tore chunks to make more flowers. She hoped that her words would spur Gabby to have more confidence in her self. Whatever it was that had scared her away, The golden hen wanted to help Gabby get over it, or around it or through it, whatever it took. 

The roses were all done after a while and she stuffed them into the oven and set them to bake. By then, more customers had entered the shop, and she had to pay attention to them. Just as the roses grew in the oven, her heart swelled with joy. As she served another customer a tray of lemon bread and coffee, she spotted Gabby tromping back through the snow. She entered the cafe and Gilda saw her face. 

It wasn't just flush with the cold. She grinned and waved Gabby over. The hen paused, looking conflicted for a moment before she slunk around the corner of the display case and Gilda leaned in. 

"So? what did you think?" 

Gabby blushed and tried to look surprised, "Wh-what do you mean?" 

Gilda gently bopped her with a wing while taking bits from the next customer and plinking them into the cash register. Gabby watched each coin as it fell. 

"What do I mean? Girl you really must be under the clouds today, I know you read my letter. You get so excited when I have a new one. Wasn't it you who said you could help me figure out who it was that was writing them?"

Gabby shuffled on the carpet and nodded, her smile came back and a little bit of her feathers fluffed up.

"Oh! Y-yeah I did, um, I did read it." 

Gilda scooped up a muffin and then poured some cider into a cup before handing them over to a hen that thanked her with the first pillar title again. She ignored it and closed the bakery slider before looking over her shoulder at Gabby. 

"Don't just sit there! What do you think? I want this mystery griffon, whoever they are, to have some more confidence. Seems like they have a bit of fear that I might rebuke the bird out right, and at this point I really really want to meet em."

Gabby kept smiling. When the last customer sat down she followed Gilda into the kitchen, and watched her as she poked the newest set of rose buns to test their density. 

"Well, I think that your words, they will help. I like how you cleared up some things, so they aren't um, in the dark at least." 

Gilda nodded and warbled happily, her tail swishing back and forth as she worked. She did catch a glimpse of Gabby watching, so she sashayed her hips a bit. Gabby's cheeks flared up and she leaned in a wing to bite it gently. When Gilda turned around, Gabby quickly let it go and schooled her expression. 

Oh you sneaky hen, how long have you been doing that without me spotting it? Gilda thought. She acted like she hadn't noticed and then sat in front of the oven. Opening her wings a bit she let the warm heat of the bakery soak into her body. 

"Mm that's good to hear then. The less confused they are and the more confident they can be, the better!" She looked over at Gabby and chuckled. "Now if only I could get that darn jewelry box figured out. I'm no good at puzzles."

She expected a snarky reply, but after looking up, Gabby was staring at the oven with a thoughtful expression. For several seconds, they simply fell silent, and then Gabby let out a yawn. She stretched as best she could with her casts, the wing on her right side trying to flex pulled a small wince out of her. Gabby clacked her beak a few times and looked back out the door to the stairs. Her gaze was firmly set. Assertive. 

"I'm sure you'll figure it out Gilda, you're even better at those sort of things than I am." She stood and started walking back out as the oven dinged and Gilda slowly put her mitten back on. Gabby went to the nearby cabinet and pulled out a plate, before walking back to Gilda. She held it out to the golden hen. "I think I'll take that rose bun and then imma go relax up stairs for a bit, okay?" 

Gilda merely nodded and started work on collecting the first one. It took a moment, but when she was done, she plopped it on Gabby's plate and smiled. Gabby smiled. "Thanks, Gilda." 

Gilda smiled warmly and then reached out and hugged Gabby. The hen flinched at first and then leaned into the touch ever so slightly. Gilda rubbed her good shoulder. "Nah, thank you, Gabby, you're a good griffon to have around." She pulled back and they stared at each other for a moment before Gabby nodded and walked to the doorway. Gilda spoke up only when she was about to disappear from sight. 

"Gabby?"

Gabby backed up and Gilda let a little embarrassment show, her feathers ruffled. "I uh, what I said about you in that letter...I meant all of it." She shrugged and poked at a rose bun. "Just thought you should know."

Gabby blushed slightly and then smiled warmly and nodded, before she disappeared out of sight. 

Gilda smiled too, and put all her effort into making the next rose buns look better than the last ones.
> Patience, Persistence, and Power Plays.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days went by, and not a single reply to Gilda's letter. She had to hand it to Gabby, she was good at hiding who the real writer was by being methodical and patient. The few times Gilda had spotted Gabby in her room, the armoire cabinet was closed and most likely locked for good measure, the desk was clear of writing implements, and she'd simply been napping in her nest, relaxing, or reading. 

Maybe Gilda was just assuming too quickly. Gabby might just need rest from her injuries, or she might be actually relaxing. Gilda couldn't remember the last time Gabby had taken a day off or a vacation. The thought of having to wait for her reply though kept gnawing at Gilda. Even more worrying, how long could Gilda keep up her side of the charade? Gabby almost always caught on when when something was up. Gilda was a terrible liar, and horrible at keeping simple secrets. 

Any time Hearths Warming or a birthday came around, Gilda would have Gallus hold all her gifts at his house for everyone else. Trying to hide them herself ended up more often than not with them all being found weeks before they were supposed to be opened. Gabby thought her terrible stealth skills were adorable, but it actually aggravated Gilda a lot. She was a griffon for crying out loud, stealth was a must for them.

The weird butt wiggle thing they did when trying to pounce? Eh...She could do with less of that honestly. 


Currently downstairs in the kitchen, Gilda was cleaning the counters before the store opened up. She had maybe twenty more minutes before customers began arriving and pacing outside. The display cases were all chalked full of still piping hot confectionaries she'd baked not an hour prior. Her most recent addition to the case, her Rose Buns, were selling so fast she had to put one batch in the case at morning light, with two more batches already baking in the oven just to keep up with the requests. They'd already made it to five bits per bun in two days without a single complaint, the fastest any item in her case had reached her sell limit. 

My meat scones came close, but that was expected, its a city of carnivores. She thought with a smirk.

Beyond the doors, in the outside seating area, three griffon chicks of varying colors and breed scampered and hopped around looking for any scraps of garbage or debris they could add to their collection. The chick with the most garbage gathered before she opened shop got first dibs on yesterday's treats. Every chick, cub, calf, kid, nymph, or foal, knew that first dibs was everything. One did not leave first dibs up to fate or luck. It was that fine line, that special difference between gaining access to something sweet and delicious like a raspberry scone, or something boring and healthy like a bagel.

She chuckled as they all lined up at the door, tails wagging, feathers fluffed proudly as they waited to show off their catches. She grabbed the trash bin and waltzed over to the door. Halfway there she stopped as Gabby came tromping down the stairs, blearily yawning and stretching. Her head feathers were all over the place, her wings weren't preened in the slightest, and her eyes had bags under them. She walked like she was only half awake as it was! Gilda grimaced as the hen grumbled a rough sound that miiiiight have been the word 'morning', and then half dragged half prowled over to the coffee makers. Gabby's beak nearly scraped the floor as she did so.   

Gilda held her frown as she turned to watch the hen as she barely managed to connect the carafe lip with her mug as she poured a cup of steaming coffee. The creamer also barely made it in, and twice Gabby looked from her cup, to the carafe as if she hadn't poured anything in it. A sugar cube was lost to the underside of the counter as she dumped a smattering of the little shapes into the now muddy colored drink. Gilda hadn't seen her like this since Gabby had taken on a triple shift at the post office.

"Yeesh, Gabby, what the hell happened to you, girl? You look like something your back end dragged in." She watched as Gabby crawled up into one of the chairs near the window, took a deep slow slurp of her coffee, and then face desked hard. 

"I couldn't sleep." She grumbled into the wooden surface, nursing her drink between her claws. Gilda glanced at the door to see the three chicks giving her curious and confused expressions. She held up a claw and pointed at Gabby as if to imply 'one second' and then walked over to her. 

The look of absolute betrayal across those three chicks faces as they smooshed up against the glass door was priceless. Normally the way she 'abandoned them' would have her snickering. Right now though, Gabby looked horrible. Reaching her friend, Gilda stretched her wing out and over Gabby's back. Gabby leaned into it and 'mmmed' softly.

"I couldn't tell, sleep eluded ya huh?" She glanced at Gabby's healing arm and wing, and whispered quietly. "The pain keeping ya up?" 

Gabby shook her head, then nodded, then shrugged. "Not exactly, maybe, but it was a factor. I kept rolling over onto my bad wing. Every time it'd happen I'd wake up sore." She looked up at Gilda sourly, "Just my luck too, I like sleeping on the side with all the angry bones." 

Another slurp of her coffee made her perk up a little bit as she hummed in thought. "Other than that I was filling out paperwork for my job. They had a bunch of it in my stuff from my desk, injured pay stuff and all that. Kept me up well past my normal roosting time." She glanced out side and smirked. "I see you've got some tiny guests outside that seem very interested in getting inside." 

Gilda huffed and watched with Gabby as the chicks smeared their faces on the door glass, one on top of each other, trying to see what had stolen their precious treat giver away. She sighed and pulled her wing off Gabby's back but not before leaning and nuzzling Gabby's unbandaged shoulder. "Alright, I'll take care of the ruckus, you just focus on staying comfortable kay?" 

When she pulled away, Gabby's cheeks were flushed and she quickly hid it behind a 'mm hmm' and a gulp of her coffee. Gilda purposefully gave her a confused look before shrugging and heading to the door. When she opened it up, the three chicks jumped back and quickly resumed a horizontal row before her. Their tails wagged anxiously as she eyed them. 

"Good morning my little garbage guard, I got three hot treats inside waiting for ya, what's the numbers today?" She asked in an almost gruff military style growl. The first chick, a scruffy looking snow leopard robin mix, held out her claws proudly. 

"I got seven scraps, Miss Gilda!" The adult hen whistled proudly and held out the garbage bin for her. "Well damn, some pesky griffon must've been a real slob, huh?" 

They all cheered in agreement. The next chick, a dark furred panther kestrel mix tom, held out his claws grumpily while scowling at the previous hen. "I only got four scraps, cause she got in before me!"

Gilda hissed gently, and clucked her tongue, hushing him. "Don't pin the blame on someone else, ya gotta be quick on your paws and claws if ya want first dibs, you know the rules." 

The scraps were deposited with a hmmph. 

The last chick, a cheetah hawk mix, surprised Gilda when from behind her back she pulled a whole small grocery bag of trash out and dumped it in front of herself. She grinned like she'd won the lottery. "I got forty-seven scraps!"

They all stared at her in shock. The average numbers Gilda got were rarely ever above ten, let alone forty-seven! Gilda blinked slowly and then frowned, and pointed at the bag. "Uh...huh, if I remember correctly, I said only trash within my territory was acceptable." 

To her continued surprise the hen whipped out a pad of paper from under her right wing and grinned coyly. "I thought you might say that, so I took notes!" She flipped through the pad several pages back until it stopped and she spoke up once more, confidently puffing her little chest fluff out. 

"On the first day of creating our garbage squad your definition of the trash rule was, and I quote; 'Any trash found near or around my building." 

She flipped the note pad closed with a flourish of her tail tip and smiled. "So that got me thinking, why do we only clean up the front part? If Gilda says any trash is acceptable within the per...the perim...the area, then couldn't I clean up on the sides and back too?" 

The little hen flared her wings proudly and kept her chest fluff out as far as it would go. "Judging by your shocked reaction, and by your original words, then yes, yes I can." The hen lifted her bag and dropped it with a uncharacteristically heavy thunk into Gilda's trash bin with the most powerful shit eating grin a hatchling could have. 

Gilda knew her mouth had fully opened, her claw, previously pointed at the bag, now drooped in submission. "I...that...you took notes!?" 

The hen nodded, cocking her head to the side cutely. "Princess Twilight takes notes on everything, so I can too." She held out her tiny little talons and made cute grabby paws with them. "I'd like first dibs now, please." 

Gilda blinked, went to speak, thought better of it, and then reversed that action and growled, leveling a shrewd glare at the hen. "Alright, listen here you little sh--" 

A wing firmly whacked her in the back of her head, making Gilda yelp as Gabby came slinking up next to her almost silently. "Gilda, don't cuss in front of our clever little bird!" Gabby said excitedly.

Gilda watched as the hatchling hen practically preened at the compliment. Gabby leaned down and held out a tray with three steaming treats from yesterday's sales. The little cheetah hen looked them over with a critical eye and then pointed to the middle. Gabby scooped up the griffon's claw pastry and handed it out to her in a wax paper wrap. 

The tom next to her groaned and flexed his claws, "Awww, I wanted that one!"  

To their surprise the hen paused, and looked him over for a moment. "You...wanna share? Half of mine for half of yours and we can call it even." 

The little tom shuffled his wings nervously. Gilda had to admit it was kind of sickeningly cute how his feathers fluffed up in embarrassment. "You mean, you'd be willing to do that? What if I don't pick something you like?" 

The hen shrugged, her eyes rolled in their sockets as she spoke. "Um, I can always save it for later, I guess. Do you want the offer or not?" She finished with a huff.

When he happily nodded, she smiled and took the treat. 

Gabby trilled happily at the little interaction, putting one of her curled talons to her cheek. "Ooooh that was so nice of you! You are just adorab--mhpph!" 

Gilda clamped her claws over Gabby's beak before she could finish and sighed with a wry smile. "I swear to Grover if you call her what I think you were about to, I will bite you." She glared back down at the little hen who chuckled nervously and hopped excitedly over to one of the outside tables and scrambled up into a seat. Gilda let go of Gabby's beak and kept glaring, but it was half hearted at best. "Evil little fluffball got one on me, Gabby. I won't have you inflating her ego." 

Gabby giggled and shook her head, before letting the other two pick out their treats. As they scampered over to the table to share in the delights with their friends, Gabby sighed and smiled warmly, almost leaning on Gilda's shoulder. The taller hen noticed and leaned into it, letting Gabby have this moment. "Mmm, it's good to see some of the morals from Equestria leaking into town, ya know?" she said quietly. 

Gilda slowly nodded, watching the trio chatter away about unknown kid stuff before they all seemed to agree on something and split their treats together. They spread the morsels around the table, all three seemed to love sharing the dishes more than hoarding them.

"I...yeah, yeah it is." She was quiet for a moment before looking pointedly at Gabby and poking her in the beak." Didn't I tell you to go get comfortable? What are you doing out here, and standing no less? You were barely conscious a second ago!" 

Before Gabby could retort, Gilda had turned on her and pushed the hen back indoors with her claws on her chest feathers. She lightly shoved Gabby backward and waved a claw at the café with a false growl escaping her beak, "Go find a nice window to curl up in or something, before customers arrive. You know they'll get grabbed before we can blink and then its bye bye to pleasant sunbathing for you!" 

Gilda caught the slightest hint of a smile on Gabby's face as the hen shuffled forward to her table and slowly sat back down.  Gilda hid a smile under her wing as she mimicked a quick preen of her feathers. This was kind of fun actually. In a way Gilda was making memories out of it. The little things were what usually held a bond together any how, so in a way she guessed she was okay with waiting a little longer. 

The first customers started landing outside her business and Gilda grinned as she wrapped her apron around her neck.  She sat resolutely behind her counter, ready to wade through the hours of the day, all in the name of profit! She could feel it in her bones, today was going to be a good day.





"And I told you four times, pal, I don't give a flying dung heap about your stupid questions, either buy something or FUCKING LEAVE!" Gilda practically roared across the counter, her beak inches from the newest entry to her store's nose. The pale green unicorn stallion had earned all of her ire in a matter of minutes. The scent of Canterlot snobbery was all over him. His white washed mane and tail were expertly cared for, his coat trimmed, combed, and polished to a shine. She swore she could see it sparkling in the sunlight. His teeth pearly white to the point she could see their reflection in the counter top she'd been leaning over. 

His voice was clean and crisp but had that clip to it whenever he spoke, as if everything around him was lesser and debasing his reasons for even being there. His ears pinned back against his skull and his eyes bored daggers into her. Ohoho she glared right back!

"I cannot believe this! I was informed you are one these, these pillars I keep hearing about! The pinnacle of Griffon society, they said. A noble griffon of outstanding lineage and an elite, pah! You  let your emotions get the best of you too easily, hen. You can't even answer one simple question or two without blowing your fuse!"

He went to speak further but a sharp set of claws on the back of his nape silenced him with a very unstallion like 'eep!' from his muzzle. Gabby, ever the patient one, had also lost it with that jerk wad. She slowly but effortlessly  lifted the stallion off his front hooves and dragged the poor sap back away from the counter and to the door. "Why you ungrateful creature! I dared to grace your shop with my presence and this is how you show your hospitality?! I should have you--"

Gabby yanked the door open and unceremoniously threw him out of it, sending him sprawling into the snow with a shout of indignation.

Gabby then blocked the doorway, clasped her claws in front of her waistline and with the sweetest, air ship attendant like voice possible, spoke to him as he clambered to his feet. "Sir, we have a rule in all Griffonstone businesses. You should be firmly aware of it because you work in Canterlot, and they have a similar rule to ours. Your pony version is nice and gentle for those that don't like harsh words. 'if you don't have anything nice to say, please refrain from speaking.' The griffon version is a little more clipped than that but it gets the point across just fine!"

She snarled. A guttural, visceral, from-the-bottom-of-the-stomach sound, that sent chills of excitement rocketing up and down Gilda's spinal cord and into her chest. "Be nice to the folks around here, or beat it ass hole!" Gabby then slammed the door so hard the frame shook, and then locked it for good measure. Around her, the few griffons present chirped, warbled, and cheered their approval. Gabby made a mock bow as best she could and then blew a frustrated huff out.  "Finally, I thought he'd never leave." She mirthfully commented.

"Good riddance to that ungrateful cur!" Grandpa Gruff hissed from a nearby window seat. Him and the council were all seated around one another to plan the next big social event of the year. Some kind of history holiday dedicated to the founding of their country. Everything had stopped when that pompous pony had tromped in demanding answers about Gallus. Gruff and the other old birds started chattering away once more, but Gilda paid the nearly senile buzzards no mind as she watched Gabby hobble back up the stairs. The poor girl had disappeared up to the apartment around noon, and Gilda was sure she'd been trying to sleep when that pony had rudely interrupted such a good time. When the hen disappeared from view, she sighed. 

That's been the second pony to come in today asking questions about Gallus and Twilight...I guess Pivot wasn't kidding about these private investigators. The lioness hen mused while opening an oven and reaching in to poke at some blackberry muffins with a claw. Her tail whipped back and forth as her irritation slowly abated. 

Hmm, still too soft in the middle. Another couple minute should do it, then I can glaze em. 

She closed the oven back up and turned to walk out the kitchen when she caught Gabby coming right back down the stairs once more. She could see Gabby had a couple mail envelopes hidden under her healthy wing. It was blatantly obvious as well that Gabby was trying to be sneaky. Gilda quickly busied herself with counting the trays along the far wall as if she were taking inventory, making sure to keep Gabby just within her peripheral vision. When the hen saw Gilda wasn't looking, she slipped quickly out the back door to the bakery. Gilda smirked and felt elation fill her chest until she trilled firmly. Gruff looked up at her in confusion when the sound reached him. 

The old buzzard's beady eyes tracked her as she expertly slid the muffins out of their personal furnace and set them on a cooling rack. Knowing how long Gabby might be gone, she put up her little plastic 'back in five' sign on the counter and headed for the stairs to the apartment. She passed by the council members who all nodded to her and she did back. Gruff squinted at her. "What's gotten you all excited?" He groused.

Gilda smirked and smacked his shoulder with her tail tuft. "None of your beeswax, ya old coot." 

He hissed at her and waved a ragged wing threateningly before she made it up the stairs. Looking back down she caught the glimpse of a proud grin on his beak before he turned away. She chuckled. He might be rough around the edges, and entirely too old, but he was as good as the three of them were gonna get for a fatherly figure. Once atop the landing, Gilda opened the door, slipped inside, and quickly zipped up stairs. She first checked to see if Gabby might have left her door open. It wasn't, but that was okay, she was pretty sure if she did open the door, she'd see the writing implements out again. 

Coming back downstairs, she entered the living room and sat to wait. Gabby would be back and notice the break sign on her counter. 

But how will she react to seeing me up here, I wonder?  She chuckled and spent some time playfully batting at her tail tuft.  It had come to her the night before, how would Gabby react to Gilda in-between the letters being written and delivered. Gilda had hemmed and hawed about it for an hour so before deciding action was better than thought and set forth her plans.

Another two or three minutes went by and then the sound of the back door opening caught her ear. She listened as Gabby made small talk with Grampa Gruff, the words 'healing up' and 'well soon' could be heard, before the paw and claw sound started coming closer. Gilda took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. Standing up on all fours just before the apartment door opened, she feigned confusion as Gabby came around the corner. 

"Gabby? That you?" 

Gabby froze up halfway in the door. Her eyes widened to their largest. " G-gilda?! What...what are you doing up here?"  She smiled, but was a nervous smile. A twitchy tail, nervous shuffling of wings, and eyes that looked anywhere but at her. Gilda fought not to grin. Caught with your claw in the cookie jar...though In Gabby's claws was a package, the word fragile stamped all over it. That certainly got Gilda's attention. 

"I was looking for a certain dark furred hen, how bout I turn that around on ya and ask what you were doing outside of the bakery hmm?" She looked to the package and raised a brow. "Were you getting our mail?" She sighed and gave off a fake groan as she put her beak in her claws. "I said I'd do that, you need to be resting!" 

Gabby chuckled nervously and clutched the package slightly harder. Gilda watched her friend's eyes dart left and right quickly. 

"Heh, uh, yeah! I was cooped up in my room all day after those investigators came by, didn't want to say the wrong thing you know?" She took a few steps inside the door and looked up the stairs. "So I uh, checked the mail. I had a package come in and figured I should go get it!" 


Gilda cocked her head slightly to the left, squinting at Gabby. The dark hen shuffled on her feet, moving a little closer to the stairs. The silence extended a little too long. Gilda meant to do that though. "Gabby? You're acting kinda weird..."

Gabby laughed quickly. Too quickly to mask it as a real laugh, and then whispered "No I'm not." 

Gilda took another step toward her. "Gabby..." 

"You just surprised me is all, I thought you would be downstairs when I got back! You were baking stuff!" The darker hen lurched forward and started going upstairs as fast as she could hobble. Gilda walked forwards just enough to where she could see Gabby's closed door from her spot. "A-anyways you got customers downstairs, They look a little miffed, and I need to make sure my package arrived safely and in one piece, okay?" 

Gilda feigned confusion. "Uh alright...see ya later then?"  

Gabby flung her door open and slipped inside almost seamlessly, the door shutting just as her tail whipped inside. "Yep! Definitely later!" 

Almost seamlessly. Gilda had seen the enchanted rose on Gabby's writing desk for just a second. The red glow of the magic surrounding it had been unmistakable. She smiled, her heart beating just a breath faster than before. 

"Okay then, Gabby." She whispered. "Later." 

The hen slipped back downstairs and immediately she found five griffons at the counter with scowls on their faces. They looked to her and then two of them growled. She put her claws up defensively. "Okay! Okay! jeez, Can't a girl take a break?" 

Gruff cackled and pointed his wing at her. "The sign says 'back in 5', Gilda, not 22. I was counting."

She let out an exasperated "Argh!" and snatched up the sign and with a nearby pen, scribbled additional things on it. She then smacked it back down on the counter with a huff, half playful, half flustered as she started helping the first customer.

"Well there! Now it says back in 5 ISH!" 






The door to the bakery closed shut with a resounding click. The deadbolt clacked loudly as Gilda turned it to the locked position. Her mouth betrayed her as a yawn made its daring escape, her beak shuddered and clicked rapidly as she finished. The little feeling sent a sensation through her body that made her fully wriggle for a moment. She flipped the open sign to closed with a well practiced flick of her tail and slowly turned to look around her shop. All the nightly cleaning was done The treats for tomorrow were ready to be reheated for the little hellions that called themselves her garbage crew. She huffed with a grin on her lips at the uppity cheetah hawk chick she'd dealt with earlier that day. 

She'd checked out back to find that the whole back area and the sides were clear of debris. She'd been meaning to switch them over to this side in a few days anyway, but the chicks had beat her to it. She supposed she owed Twilight a smack with her wing when next she saw her.  

I could always hit Gallus next time he's around and then tell him to pass it on, he'll be so confused.

Arching her back down into a bowing like pose, she mrowled and flexed her claws out to their longest, hissing as two vertebrae in her spine popped pleasantly. Her tail flagged high as her rump reached it's highest point. A good stretch after work always seemed to be the ticket to end a day. Standing and ambling casually to the stairs, she scaled them one by one, until she reached the door to her and Gabby's apartment. Opening it, she found the lower area dark. The lights were all off, covering the room in shadows. 

Odd, Gabby usually has them on by the time I come up. hmm.  She hummed and began flicking them on, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She scanned the area. Gabby had certainly been down here at least one more time, if the new dirty dishes in the sink were anything to go by. Normally she did those too...

She was pretty tired this morning, I wonder. Climbing the stairs slowly, she caught sight of Gabby's door cracked open  enough to let a subtle glow from a lamp escape. She fell into a crouch, slowly placing each of her claws down as if walking on glass. Her paws and wings ceased their shuffling, and she even made it to the door with out a single butt wiggle.

Small victories were the best. 

Sitting up ever so slowly, Gilda caught the sound of strong purring and she peered through the crack. The room had papers strewn about everywhere. Some were wadded up, others were crumpled with only a couple paragraphs too illegible to read from the distance, and a few were tacked up on the wall with little pins. From the angle she couldn't tell what they said either. The enchanted rose was back in the cabinet, locked up and hidden from view. The package Gabby had been carrying was no where to be seen either.

None of that mattered though. Her eyes fell on the single griffoness in her life that Gilda knew she cared about with all of her heart. Gabby lay curled up cat like, beak under her good wing and tail curled around her feet. She was burrowed deep into her nest of pillows, stuffed animals, and blankets, sound asleep. Dead to the world around her, the dark furred hen twitched in her sleep and purred so deep Gilda swore she could feel it in her claws outside the door. Gabby's beak shifted outward, nuzzled into the side of a pillow and she nipped at it sporadically. 

Gilda couldn't tear her eyes away. The smile on the hen's beak was the most wonderful thing she'd ever seen. A gentle curve that swung up the side of her face and pushed her cheek fur into the crease of her eye. Gabby, in this moment, was truly happy. Whatever she was dreaming about seemed to be the culmination of all her hopes and aspirations. 

Stepping backwards, Gilda gripped the handle of Gabby's door and twisted, pulled it forward slowly enough that the door made nary a sound as it fully closed. She then reversed the handle action just as slowly, so the latch barely clicked at all. 

She held a claw to her feathers for a moment, gently sifting through them until her leathery digits touched her bare chest. Deep inside her body, her heart beat ever onwards, and she only hoped that one day soon she could feel Gabby's as well. Turning around, she went back downstairs. 

The kitchen got cleaned up first. She did the dishes, took the trash outside to the bin, making sure nothing fell out, and swept up the kitchen floor. She then wiped the counters down with a firm claw and a scrutinous eye, old habits died hard. After putting her supplies away, Gilda opened the enchanted ice box and peered inside. 

They had a lot of left overs. Chicken alfredo, barbequed short ribs, Teriyaki stir fry, The list went on.  Lacking an absolute craving for any particular dishes, she grabbed a bit of everything and started throwing it all into one pot. 

"Looks like mystery stew tonight." She mumbled with a smile. Stew was fine, but every now and then her predatory side longed for a hearty chunk of thick roasted meat with some big bone between her beak edges to gnaw on. 

The short ribs were soft, and the meat was thin, so they didn't count. She leaned back and kicked the ice box shut, cursing when one of her primaries got caught in the lid. Gilda grumbled and rescued her wing tip. It had been one of those days after all. The pot now set on the stove to heat up, Gilda felt a nagging itch in her right wing. Fanning the feathers, she started to preen. She was so upset that she'd practically jinxed it earlier. 

The first problem had been the investigators. By the end of the day more than five different ponies had come trotting into her shop, only one of which who was considerate enough to buy something, and had proceeded to hound her for details about her blue nest mate and his attraction to Twilight. Gilda had told them all the same thing. She didn't have any answers, she didn't care about their inquiries, and if they didn't buy something then they could buzz off. 

Sometimes she even said these things nicely.

Sometimes was once. 

Like true Canterlot ponies, they hadn't taken well to griffon hospitality and threw all sorts of slander her way. One even threatened to bring her to court so she'd lose her business license. Grampa Gruff had laughed uproariously at this and said 

"What license?" 

That pony had been the only one to buy anything and Gilda loved how they looked aghast from the scone they were eating to Grampa Gruff before running outside, gagging. 

"They probably imagine we don't know what soap is up on that mountain." She groused. Her claws found their way to the side of the stove, a dial was turned a little higher. 

The second problem had actually been the council, though on a far less order of magnitude. They'd pulled Gilda aside during the last hour of her day, and asked her a bunch of questions concerning Gabby and her condition. Telling them the info was accessible at the hospital didn't help. Telling them what she knew, made it worse. When it all came to a frustrating boil, she'd finally slapped her claws down on the table, and asked why it was so important. Like every griffon she seemed to know, it wasn't even that big of an issue. 

The mail had simply slowed down, albeit considerably. Griffons had noticed, and wanted their mail delivered in the same fashion Gabby did it. While they applauded Gabby for being the most efficient bird at her job, the other griffons working at the post office were now taking fire from all sides of town for 'not doing it like Gabby does.' 

She'd told them she had no idea when Gabby would be able to work again, and also made it very clear that they shouldn't push it. Gabby needed as much time as she could get to truly heal. Then the muscle work and retraining would begin and that would make it longer. They'd be lucky if she was fully healed and ready for work in a month or so.

In the end the council came to the decision that They'd meet with Gabby here in a few days to figure out if she could help teach the other griffons at the post office to do things her way. Gruff had said something about map gathering, two of the older hens present had started arguing about coordinating a meeting at the post office, and Gilda?

Gilda had quickly walked away before she got roped into more of it. Politics and bureaucracy were so far from her skill sets that she knew when a fight was out of her claws. Her beak nares picked up the delicious scent coming from the pot, and her stomach rumbled. Patting it with a set of claws she smiled and stirred the contents. The bones from the ribs were slowly extracted, to be disposed of later. One might have gotten chewed on, but that was for Gilda to know and no one else. The noodles from the stir fry were nice and soft, and the chicken alfredo made the warm meal congeal together better. 

It looked as ugly as ever, shape and palate wise, but boy did it smell good. Lowering the heat on it, she let it simmer for a little while longer, and in the silence she heard a noise. Paw pads and claws, coming down the stairs, quietly enough that Gilda almost missed it. At first she wondered if Gabby was trying to sneak out again, but then the hen came plodding into the kitchen. Her eyes droopy, her feathers mussed. She looked pretty bad, but the smile on her face said otherwise. 

Gilda waved a lazy claw at her, and Gabby did back. She eyed the pot, a light warble escaped her throat and then transitioned into a yawn. Gabby came over and sat next to Gilda at the stove. "Something wonderful smelling woke me from my nap. I believe I found the culprit. What's cooking?" 

Gilda hummed and lifted the lid so Gabby could see the horror within. The hen's expression as she laid eyes on the monstrosity in the container changed a few times. Curiosity, then revulsion, followed up by a lick of her lips and a smile. 

Gabby pointed at it "It looks positively atrocious, can I have some?" 

Gilda hissed while grinning. "Oh hardy har har, its just left overs." She fished out two bowls from the cabinet and handed one off to Gabby. "I came upstairs and the lights were all off, you just crash or something?" 

Gabby ran her claw around the rim of her bowl, the two hens heads slowly tilting this way and that as it made a light but pleasant ringing noise. "I sort of fell asleep while doing paperwork. I think I drifted off around four in the afternoon? Woke up at my desk and then managed to find my way to bed. I've been out since." 

Her stomach rumbled and as a reply, Gilda's did the same. They both looked down at each others bellies, and then up at each other. Gilda laughed. "Well I guess that works as a reason to get up. Looks like we both need something tasty to eat." 

They fell into silence once more, but Gilda felt the urge to keep talking. She remembered how Gabby had been twitching in her sleep, and nuzzling her pillow. That smile she'd had was still fresh in the lioness hen's memory. She stirred the food a little. "So, how well did you sleep? Get any dreams going in that noggin of yours?" 

Gabby chuckled and looked away, her wings shuffled. "I...Y-Yeah, I dreamed. I was..." She went quiet for a moment, and Gilda watched as her eyes darted around quickly. Gabby was about to lie to her...

"I was...shopping, with some friends. We were trying to find a special gift, but it was eluding us for a long time." She rubbed her wrapped arm gently. "We ended up getting lost in the city, and I got separated from my friends. In the end though I found my gift. It was in this back alleyway, a little curio shop. I liked it, lots of odds and ends, strewn about. When I purchased it, the shop keeper gave me a second one so I could share." 

Gilda nodded. "Huh, interesting, I guess." She turned off the stove and started pouring food into her bowl. 

Gabby was not telling her the actual dream, that much she was aware of, but if that was the case then the dream Gabby did say to her could have multiple implications. Was it a hidden message? Were the gifts in the dream important? 

Or am I just over thinking it again?  Gilda held out her claws and Gabby gave her the bowl. She filled it with a good portion and then the two walked together to the table. 

For a few minutes they simply devoted time to eating. The sound of slurping noodles, warbles of joy when a meaty morsel was found, and the crunch of occasional gristle filled the kitchen. Gilda thought back to earlier in the day, when Gabby had snuck off to her room with the package. 

"So you checked the mail today," she said between bites. "Anything for me?" 

Gabby shook her head, swallowing before going for more. "Not that I saw no. We got the power bill though." 

Gilda rolled her eyes. "Oh goody, How many bits do they wanna gouge us for now?"  She took a another slurp.

"20,000" 

Gilda's eyes bulged in their sockets, and she sucked in her breath, immediately regretting it. Her lungs burned as she started coughing and hacking harshly. A noodle ejected itself from her mouth and landing horizontally across Gabby's beak, and the hen exploded with laughter.

"Like--cough--like hell they do!" Gilda gasped and smacked her chest several times, watching through teary eyes as Gabby chirped and laughed across from her. "You...you little brat!" 

Gabby sat proudly and fluffed out her chest. "Guilty as charged!" 

She would have looked so noble like that too if it weren't for the noodle mustache on her face. In a sudden fit of eager playfulness, Gilda leaned over the table until her beak was centimeters from Gabby's. Gabby froze up, her laughter died in her throat, and her pupils became small little pin pricks in a sea of deep greenish blue. Gilda leaned in, her beak brushed up against Gabby's smoothly as she carefully nipped the noodle right off her nares. Gabby's breathing had stopped in that split second. Gilda leaned back and slurped up the noddle before growling. 

"My noodle." 

Gabby stared. Redder than a tomato and fluffing up by the second on all sides. Her good wing looked like it wanted to lift up but she forced it back down. Her claws shakily lifted, and tenderly touched the area Gilda had glanced across. 

"G-gilda...I...you just..." 

Gilda lifted her fork, a meat chunk stuck on the end of the prongs. "That was for nearly killing me on a noodle, you--

"You just...kissed me..." 

Gilda blinked. Her fork slowly drooped in her claw, and then dropped to the table in a clatter. With terrifying clarity, she realized what she'd just done.

Oh...oh shit! Oh shit shit shit!

There were two ways griffons kissed. The first way was via firmly locking beaks together in an attempt to force the other tongue to submit. It was a feral, primal form of kissing, usually reserved for inside the nest, and initiated by the dominant partner. The second way was far more tender and intimate. By brushing, nuzzling, or rubbing the beak against the sides, top, or underside of a lover's beak. It was meant to instill comfort in a mate and say I'm here for you." 

Gilda hadn't even realized it until it was too late. For several seconds, neither one of them spoke, unable to look each other in the eye, or even speak. Any words Gilda had died in her throat. Her feathers fluffed out to the maximum and her wings nearly exploded off her back, but she managed to tamp them down at the last second with sheer willpower.

Crap! I didn't mean to do that! I mean I did but not like this! What do I do!? 

Gilda frantically searched her mind for any and all options. If she told Gabby it was an accident, the hen might take it badly, she might assume it meant Gilda wasn't into her romantically. But if she didn't say it was an accident, then she might blow her cover! 

Sometimes the right actions are the hardest ones... Gilda heard the words of Grampa Gruff, words he'd said a long time ago, but they rang true in the moment. 

So after taking a deep breath, and letting her feathers settle a little more, Gilda did what she felt was right. 

"Is...Is that a bad thing?" She asked quietly

Gabby's eyes shrank, her wing twitched. She looked like she might bolt at the slightest movement or words. 

"I...what...what do you mean?" She whispered. 

Gilda looked away, "I uh...I mean is it bad that it happened? I didn't mean it to be like that...I've never played the love game, so the letters, the jewelry box, the rose petals, It's made me understand that even if the writer is a hen or a tom, that doesn't matter to me... I guess that's what I'm trying to say. I don't know..."

She trailed off.

The words felt so lame in her head, and twice so as they were spoken. The more she did speak, the worse she felt it was getting. Before Gabby could give a reply, Gilda scowled and scooped up her bowl. She walked to the kitchen sink and leaned over it. 

"Ah forget it, I made things awkward, and I wasn't trying to kiss you. Look, I'm just happy you're down here, awake and feeling bett--"

"What...did you mean it to be?" Gabby asked. 

Her voice barely carried across the room, but Gilda caught it. She held the bowl over the sink and for once questioned the sound a dish made when it shattered. Was the sound made from multiple pieces? Or was it made from one single connection colliding with another? Her claws shook slightly. Her thoughts felt like a shattered bowl.

Do I tell her? Do I just let it out? Should I keep it secret? 

For several seconds Gilda didn't answer. Her own eyes darted back and forth frantically as she thought...and in a split second of fear, she hoped Gabby couldn't see them doing that. 

Because it meant Gilda was going to lie, too. 

"I um, I meant it playfully." She dared glance back. Gabby was watching her closely. "I wanted my noodle back, sure, but I didn't realize what I was doing until you mentioned it. Come on, Gabby, you know me!" Gilda turned back to the sink with a forced chuckle and turned the water on. 

"You know this love stuff is...ah, hard for me to grasp. I never played around or fooled with males, or females for that matter...I'm trying to wrap my tail around the fact that I even have a bird out there that likes me that way... so, yeah... it's...hard." 

Everything is hard right now. Everything is complicated and for once I want it to be simple again! Her mind screamed to her. She almost dropped her bowl when it over flowed with water. Setting it in the sink to lose the weight helped. 

Now if only this weight in my stomach would disappear. Gilda didn't like lying, and avoided it as much as she could.

Especially not to a friend...

Behind her, Gabby shuffled off her seat and came over. The two hens stood side by side in the light of the over head bulb. Gabby reached over and put her bowl under the water. She set it down as it filled and then she smiled. It was weak, but it was there. "Its okay Gilda, I understand a little bit of that." She said quietly. 

Gilda nodded. "I know." 

Gabby blinked in surprise. "You...you do?" The fear danced in the back of her expression and Gilda inwardly cursed. 

"Y-yes? I asked Gallus if her knew why you were acting so funny recently...I brought up the letters and what not, and he said...something."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed instantly and she ruffled up her feathers. Her claws click-clacked in a rapid staccato across the floor. "Oh? What was it he said?" 

Gilda mentally backpedaled. Crap crap crap I don't think I should have said that!

"I uh...he said you've... seen some shit." 

BRAIN WHY!? 

Gabby went from defensive to totally confused. Half her brow raised like it was trying to leap off her forehead. "I saw some shit..." It more a statement than a question really. Gilda nodded and started scrubbing her bowl. 

"Um, yup." I need to keep my big mouth shut!

Gabby stared at her for several seconds, Gilda did everything she could to act normal. She did so by leveling the same expression back at Gabby. "What? do I have something in my beak?" 

The suspicion grew deeper. Gabby furrowed her brow again. "You're lying to me..." 

Gilda smirked both in fear and humor and rolled her eyes. "Yes I am, just like you were earlier." 

Gabby balked, lifting a claw in front of herself. "W-what? I wasn't lying!" 

Gilda slipped a towel around her bowl and began drying it. She chuckled. "Oh really? Well then I guess we're both liars lying!" 

Gabby puffed up her feathers and flared her good wing open, it was a dominancy display, in retaliation so did Gilda, only both her wings flared open. The bowl clattered to the floor in the towel. 

"I didn't lie to you, Gilda." Gabby growled. 

Gilda growled back. "Neither did I." 

Nearly beak to beak, the two hens glared at one another for several seconds, before Gilda's hackles raised and she leaned forward, hissing lowly. Gabby immediately backed up and shrank down. For several tense seconds, the tension in the room held, the territorial display going strong, and then Gilda sighed and folded her wings firmly to her sides. Gabby cautiously closed her good wing and sat down, curling her tail around her paws. 

"S-sorry." Gilda said weakly. "I didn't need to be like that." 

Gabby shook her head. "S-fine...seems we both have secrets, we should respect them." 

Gilda shook her head. "No...no you're right. I did lie to you. If we are going to uphold those damning pony moralities, well, I know honesty is one of em."  

She slumped down next to Gabby and draped a wing over the smaller hen's back. "Look, I spoke to Gallus when you were in the hospital, and he accidentally-very heavy emphasis there-- accidentally gave away some information about you that I didn't know." 

And he'd be trying to shut my beak if he were here right now.

Gabby tensed up under her wing. Her eyes were scared. "W-what did he say?" 

Gilda held up a claw. "Ah, ah, first we both promise this doesn't get out of hand. I know Gallus felt bad for doing it but he was trying to help me. I was...I was very distraught when you were hurt, Gabby. He felt the information would benefit my mental state." 

Slowly, Gabby nodded. "Okay, I'll not beat him up over it." When Gilda glared at her she sighed heavily. "Fiiine, I promise it stays between us." 

Gilda nodded. "Good. So...I guess as a preface to this, I should say that I was panicking about...the love stuff. It was eating me up inside. I didn't know what to do. I barely know how to act now, and just by this noodle incident alone you know that's true."

Gabby nodded, listening. 

"That on top of your injured state had me so out of sorts I couldn't keep it together. So I asked him a simple question. I asked if you had any experience with love...with partners and whatnot. I was trying to gain stability by asking, I've never seen you with any one so I figured it was a harmless question..."  

"It wasn't." Gabby immediately murmured. Her head was down and she was glaring at the floor. 

Gilda winced. "Ah, yeah...He basically said you've had experience, but it was mostly bad. He also said it wasn't his place to tell me about the nitty gritty details. So...yeah. In summary, you've seen some shit." 

She gently shook Gabby with her wing and the hen sighed and gently shrugged off Gilda's wing. She walked forward until they were a good couple feet apart and then Gabby began pacing. She didn't speak for several seconds, and Gilda felt it prudent to let her have the moment. After several turns and cycles, Gabby stopped and to Gilda's surprise she chuckled. not a fake laugh, but a real one. 

"Heh, so you weren't lying." 

Gilda blinked. "Huh?" 

Gabby smiled and faced Gilda. "Basically you were telling the truth about what he said, albeit in your own Gilda way." She giggled and then frowned, gently scraping her claws across the floor. "Seen some shit, yeah that sums it up pretty well actually."  

Gilda frowned, unsure of what to do or say. "Er, yeah." After a moment, "You um, so you've  got experience but its not good..."

Gabby paused in her scraping and wrapped her arms around herself. She warbled weakly and looked away. Gilda could swear Gabby was shaking slightly. The barest of shivers moved through her feathers. Even with out the bandages...Gabby looked hurt. "Listen, its...not something I'm ready to talk about yet...sorry, Gilda." 

Gilda held out her claws. "No, no take as much time you feel necessary, okay?" 

More silence between them. Gilda hated it and so she sought to fix it. Flexing her wings out she stretched and forced a yawn. Gabby watched her stretch from the corner of her eye and Gilda inwardly smirked as Gabby's eyes trailed farther back towards her rump. She then stood and walked over to her friend. Slowly, Gilda reached out and wrapped her arms around Gabby. Gabby flinched away at first, but then accepted the hug with a smirk of her own. 

They held each other for a few seconds, before Gilda pulled back and gently gripped her arms. "No matter what, I'm here for you okay? I know I'm rough around the edges, and I don't have much tact in my words, but I am here for you, for anything." She watched as Gabby blushed lightly and warbled softly. 

"T-thanks, Gilda." 

Gilda backed up and watched the hen make her way up the stairs. Gabby paused halfway up and looked at the floor. "You um, you asked me earlier what I thought of your letter..." 

Gilda tilted her head. Gabby looked down at her and that genuine smile reappeared for a second or two. 

"I liked it. I think you're helping whoever this griffon is find their courage a little bit more." 

Gilda nodded, she wished Gabby good night, and Gabby did the same. When Gilda dropped into her nest that night, she dreamed of Gabby and her flying together, exploring the world. Gilda slept soundly. 

Gabby did the same with Gilda in her dreams, but for the second time that night her dreams were far more...intimate.

And far away, a lunar Alicorn smiled.
> Through Pain We Remember, Through Laughter We Love.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To my one and only Rose,

I am so sorry to hear what happened to Gabby. She's a good hen, and I know from your interactions with her that you care about her a lot. I hope that bond never fades. Never lose sight of your close friends. Never fail to try and gain new ones. The strength of nations sometimes depends on those very bonds as we've seen in Equestria. 

I hope she finds the perfect partner as well. You and her deserve only the best. While I can't say I know this fear she has personally, I can say it's relatable. Fear of the unknown can snowball through a griffons life, causing all sorts of pain. Take things slow with her, and let her come to you. In time, I'm sure she will open up to you. 

I can say it's good to know that my gender is not a negative factor in this situation. I feared it might be for a long time. I suppose in saying that though, it gives it away huh? I might as well say it then.

Yes, I am a hen. You are one of the Pillars of Griffonstone now, and I feel I need to live up to your standards. You have been nothing short of an inspiration to me, and I feel it necessary to return that in kind. Additionally, let me compliment you on your rose buns, they are delicious. I wonder where that inspiration came from...

The windows look fantastic and make your shop feel warm and inviting. I even heard some of the griffons around town saying positive things about it. They like feeling safe in your shop, and a few are talking about donating to you. I'm not sure what, but that can't be a bad thing.  Booths sound like a wonderful idea. I know I would fall asleep if they were present. 

I am doing okay I guess. I have my own troubles on my end I have to deal with. Some pesky ponies were hanging around town asking about your brother. I told one of them to stop inquiring, as it was rude to butt in on someone's private affairs. He told me that anyone's business was his business. In response, I promptly dropped him into a nearby trash can. 

He didn't seem to like that particular griffon's recent business suddenly. 

The jewelry box is something worth waiting for. I set it up specifically for you. It's not hard, just take your time, and closely listen. I know you are good at both of those things when you feel determined. I have faith you will love what I hid away. 

As for meeting up...I don't know. Fear plays a heavy part in my decision to hide. Past memories, and we live in a city of griffons, many of which are not too keen on the idea of same sex pairings...I don't want to damage your business or your reputation. 

I have visited your shop many times, and I have purchased at least one of every item in your confectionary cases. You and I have been face to face on multiple occasions, and every time I see you smile, or laugh, it's a like a rainbow swept away my cloudy thoughts and let the golden fur of your pelt warm me like the sun. 

Give me some time, I need to work things out internally before I can safely externalize them. 

--Your lover.

P.S: I enjoy a good bite every now and then, particularly my nape.

Gilda read the note over for a fifth time, while rocking back and forth in her chair in her bedroom. Gabby had popped in the very next day and excitedly exclaimed it's arrival. Several of the guests had given them odd looks but she shrugged them off. The letter had both been what she'd expected, and not. The nice little touches Gabby put into the letter to show she cared. Mentions of events, even from difference perspectives, had given Gilda more insight, into the way Gabby felt. 

The surprise came when Gabby openly stated her gender. Gilda hadn't expected that yet. She should have, but she honestly didn't. Having to feign surprise as she read it had been hard. Gabby seemed less enthusiastic about it herself. In fact as Gilda read it aloud to her in their living room, her friend got really quiet.

After talking with her about it, Gabby had professed the same thing, only in person. That she too felt it would be kind of dangerous for the business. She didn't want to see Gilda fail, and that meant a lot to her. 

Gilda then boldly proclaimed that if Griffonstone didn't want their patronage, then they could move somewhere else. She hadn't actually thought of where or how, and Gabby delighted in picking holes into her idea. Over dinner they came up with more than fourteen ways she could elope from Griffonstone with her lover without getting caught. 

Gilda now sat at her desk, with the letter in her claws, and a newly fresh rose petal on the desk. At one point after opening the new letter, she'd tried to eat it, wondering if it tasted good. She instead found out that the enchantment preserving the petal made it taste absolutely horrid. So she spat it back out instantly, and right on to Gabby's face. 

The two hens had started laughing and Gilda decided to playfully try to 'kiss' her again to remove it. She'd never heard Gabby squeal before. She'd never seen the hen move so fast either, even while injured. 

Until then. 

They'd ran around the apartment for a solid twenty minutes with Gilda proclaiming she just wanted a nibble, and Gabby screeching emphatic 'no's' before Gabby had cried out and collapsed. Her leg had given out underneath her weight. It had scared the crap out of Gilda. She'd followed Gabby around like a worrying mother for an hour before the smaller hen batted at her with her good wing, telling her she needed space. 

She sighed and leaned back into her chair. That had brought up another little issue. Gabby had to go to the doctors office to get her body checked up on. The appointment had been set for today. Gabby had asked Gilda to come with and of course she was gonna say yes to that! 

That had meant the shop would be closed while they were away, and many griffons had not been happy about that. They'd cried foul, and said she should hire another griffon to work the shop while she was away, and at first it seemed like a sound option. Then she found that barely any griffons in town, tom or hen, knew even the basics of baking. She'd held a two hour long interviewing process at the town center and while half the town showed up, not one griffon stood and showed they knew any usual cooking skills she could apply to her business. She knew Greta, the Griffonstone Ambassador, was kind of aware of the process, but not to any extent where she'd do it correctly. She also was super busy and almost always out of town at social functions. 

No, as much as they hated her closing up for the day, it had made her realize she needed solid hours placed. Up until now she'd worked until tired and then closed up. The need for solid hours made it so no one could give her crap about it. 

She folded the letter up and set it in the drawer with the others. Above it, the jewelry box sat dormant on a side shelf, untouched since she last held it in the hospital. She hadn't tried to figure it out at all since Gabby's injury and she felt kind of bad for neglecting it. She didn't like puzzles, but her desire to know what Gabby had hidden inside was very strong. 

Food for thought. She mused. I gotta get downstairs. Gabby is probably wondering where I'm at right now. With a pen and small notepad stuffed in a coin purse and hidden in her chest feathers, Gilda exited her room, closed up the apartment, and went downstairs. Gabby wasn't inside the main café lounge area, and was instead outside. 

She was talking with a local hen and her hatchling. Gilda recognized the cheetah pattern almost immediately and rolled her eyes while smiling. That little hen had been a useful thorn in her side ever since she found ways she could improve her chances at getting the most trash cleaned up. 

I'll have to write up some rules and guidelines for them too, at this rate. Not a bad idea though, with how smart that little bird is. She closed up the shop, locking both the front and back door, and then ambled up next to Gabby as she was replying to the mother. 

"Oh don't you worry, she's getting a good mixture of healthy and sweet, Gilda and I don't want any angry parents coming to our door about sick chicks. Each day there are different items they get to choose from."

The mother hen, also a cheetah hawk mix, smiled and nodded approvingly. She looked to Gilda and held her smile. "Well thank you so much for what you two have done. This town feels so much nicer to live in now that we aren't always at each other's throats." She ushered her child over and they departed. 

Gabby watched them go and sighed. "Aah, it'd be nice to have the whole town think like that." 

Gilda reshuffled her wings as they began walking. "Wishful thinking at its best right now. I think if this keeps up though, we'll be old crones like Gruff by the time this town becomes a proper city." 

She weaved around a few hens who were walking the opposite direction and chatting about rabbit stew recipes. The three younger hens stopped and they took a moment to bow to her and Gabby.

"Good day to you, first and second Pillar."  They said together, before moving on. The two hens felt a mutual amount of awkwardness eek its way out of their collective minds. 

Gabby watched the hens disappear down the road and then shrugged, wincing slightly as she did so. "Oh I don't think it'll take that much time!  They were nice! We might be...mid thirties before it really kicks off." 

Gilda hummed, looking at Gabby with a raised beak. "Well aren't you ever the optimist, we aren't to far from that point." 

Gabby nodded and fluffed out her neck feathers, practically strutting. "Always! If there are sour frowns hanging in my town, I'll yank them away, and flip em upside down!" 

Gilda poked her side as they rounded a corner and the hospital came into view. "You've been spending too much time around that zebra Zecora and Pinkie Pie." 

Gabby slowed to a stop, and blushed. Her bad arm lifted so she wasn't dropping weight on it, and she looked back behind her for a second. "Oh, that reminds me..." 

Gilda, who had walked forward a few steps stopped and watched Gabby as she seemed to murmur to herself about something, before catching up. "I need to go visit Zecora again in a few days. Do you want to come with me?" 

Gilda frowned. "Ehhh, is it for the beads?"  She reached up and scratched her neck while looking away. Secretly she'd been hoping Gabby would bring it up. Her beads had stopped working too, and the urge to do things again were literally heating up. 

Gabby nodded and looked away. "Heh heh, um, yeah. Mine are dead...I take it yours are too?" 

Gilda shrugged and hid her increasing blush as she walked by looking to her left, away from Gabby. 'Yeah er, I guess you could say that. I didn't expect em to work as long or as good as they do, but damn, now that their out and inert? I'm feeling it." 

Gabby blushed warmly and giggled nervously. Her tail flickered to and fro as she walked. She gently nudged Gilda's shoulder wit her own. "I uh...I could tell. The scent in the apartment changed the other day kind of quickly." 

Gilda smirked, holding a talon to her chest in mock insult. "Oh please, It's not that bad is it? I mean your scent is fine to me, then again I haven't exactly gotten a firm whiff of..."

Gabby was staring at her with a very awkward gaping expression. Her wing was trying to leap skyward once more.

Gilda groaned and smacked her face with a talon. "What? Did I say something awkward again? I just said you smell fi-mpph!" 

Gabby shot her good hand forward and muffled Gilda's words. For several seconds, Gilda glared at Gabby and Gabby simply breathed. Harder than usual, if her labored chest movements were anything to go by. After breathing deeply, and letting go of Gilda's beak, she backed off, looking around them worriedly. 

"S-sorry, but yes. Just think for a second what you just said will you?" She seemed abnormally embarrassed. "We are in public, and you just casually stated you think I smell nice when both of us are just inside the beginning of our heat cycles?!"

Gilda blinked, thought about it and then grimaced. That was kinda on the nose..."Ah." 

Gabby widened her eyes at the hen, her expression read as a 'are you kidding me?' look and then she brushed past Gilda. "Right, slow on the uptake but you learn, at least." She grumbled. 

Gilda frowned. "Hey! I didn't mean anything rude by it." She blushed and looked away again. This time she whispered. "You just... ya know... have a nice scent is all."

"Gilda for the love of....will you shut it?!" Gabby hissed, she trilled in fear, whipping her head around even though they were alone on the path. "I don't want other griffons to get the wrong idea!"

Gilda relented with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. "You're too much of a prude, look around, we are alooooone. No one near us." Gabby still glared at her. 

Gilda harrumphed, waving a hand at her. "Fine, whatever, we are here anyway." 

They entered the main lobby side by side to find it empty at the moment of other patients. Gilda leaned in and whispered next to Gabby's ear fluff. "Look, Gabby.You may be bothered by what others may think, but I don't care, let em think what they will." She waved to the receptionist when they reached the window, and Gilda had to hide her smirk as Gabby fought to keep her blush hidden. 

Gabby growled lightly as she filled out paperwork at the counter. Gilda waited patiently while the receptionist asked a couple of questions, and then they were admitted past the double doors. Led past several rooms to an unoccupied one, Gilda and Gabby were locked in and left for a moment while the doctor was sought out. Gabby gently hopped up onto the bed and curled up before huffing. She pointed a claw at Gilda.

"Well even if that is the case, maybe we should respect what your mystery writer wanted. Even they said to exercise caution. We shouldn't just go around shouting to Grover above that one of us might have a female partner." She furrowed her brow and warbled quietly withdrawing her claw to rub her bad shoulder. "It wouldn't end well...Not with how most of the griffons act here." 

Gilda sighed and lay on the floor, folding her forelegs over one another. "Okay, okay, I'll back off about it." 

They fell into silence as both hens did a cursory glance at their accommodations. The room had a single window, currently closed off by curtains, and a bed with two nightstands on either side. The bed was a standard hospital bed with the options to change it's posture to fit the creature resting in it. Next to the night stand was a deactivated heart monitoring machine and basic medical equipment suited for check ups. 

Gilda surmised that the room was prepped for Gabby before she arrived. She looked back to Gabby to see her with her head under her good wing, preening the lighter edges of fluff that clung to her side. Gilda watched as she scowled at a particular part of the fluff she couldn't reach and then huffed and tried to bend more toward it. 

A wince jumped across her face as Gabby tried to stretch farther then her injuries would allow, and she gave a defeated sigh. "I hate being injured like this. Can't even preen properly..." She grumbled, flopping her head onto her claws. Gilda was quiet for a moment,staring at the spot Gabby couldn't access. Her heart beat a little faster as she stood and came over to Gabby's side. 

"I could  ah...help you if you'd like..."  She said quietly. 

Gabby looked conflicted, a heavy blush dancing under her eyes as she gazed at Gilda and then the floor. "I...uh, it's just a little itchy fluff, Gilda, no biggie..." 

Gilda nodded and nudged Gabby's wing with her beak gently. Gabby still flinched, but she didn't pull away. "Come on, Gabby, just lift your wing. If its just a little fluff then it won't take me longer than a second or two to fix it." 

Gabby hissed lightly in worry, and looked at Gilda. "Gilda...I...it's just..." She fell silent and looked away. Her cheeks were beat red and her neck fluff started expanding. "I mean...Do you really want to help?" When Gilda nodded, Gabby sighed and scrunched up tighter. "B-but preening is personal..." she whined. 

Gilda scoffed, "And we are practically sisters! So it doesn't matter. A mute point." 

She nudged Gabby's wing again and then began nuzzling it affectionately. Maybe it was Gilda's heat turning on, but she loved the feeling of Gabby's feathers on her cheek fur. Eventually Gabby's wing slowly lifted as the hen relented her personal space to the bigger female. Gabby immediately attempted to stifle a light gasp with her claws, as Gilda's beak slipped under her wing ridge and into the unkempt fur at the base of her wing. Her beak clicked and nibbled gently but quickly, making short work of the fur tufts that sat in skewed directions to the rest of Gabby's fur.

Gabby had been sweating more, and the damp fur was coated in her scent. This close to the base of her wing too, the smell was strong and Gilda got a healthy dose of it as she worked. Her tail began flicking back and forth in enjoyment.

Mmm her fur is really soft and smells rather nice...Gilda thought with a blush as she preened the dark fur and smoothed it over with a few licks of her tongue. The licks slowly became longer, softer flicks of her tongue. She heard  Gabby gasp in surprise. She was then shocked when Gabby smacked her side suddenly with the back of her claws, and hissed loudly. 

"O-okay! Okay! The itch is gone! Gilda the doctor is coming!" She growled. She barely got her head out from under Gabby's wing before the hen snapped the appendage down to her side so hard it clapped. She and Gabby locked gazes for a moment, Gabby glaring at her with the reddest blush she'd ever had, and Gilda with a calm, curious expression. 

She made it worse when she slowly inhaled, licked the sides of her beak, and purred loudly "Mm, I was right. You do smell nice, Gabby." 

Gabby's neck fluff nearly exploded out and she had to fight her good wing from slapping Gilda to the floor as it tried to open excitedly. Gabby held it down with her good arm and leveled a shocked expression at her friend. Gilda noted how Gabby's tail subconsciously curled off to the side of her rump, before Gabby caught the movement and swept it back against her rump tightly. She warbled nervously, huffing a few times to control her breathing. 

"Gilda...stop complimenting my scent!" She whispered harshly. 

Before Gilda could reply, the door clicked and swung open to reveal the Griffon doctor. He wore the usual white coat with pen in the pocket and he held a clip board in one talon as he walked. The papers shuffled as he looked through them quickly. 

"Alright, Miss Gabby Griffon? I'll be your..." He paused in mid step as he caught the situation he'd walked in on and suddenly the room felt very awkward. Gabby was beet red and digging her claws into the bedding with a growl. Gilda was halfway up on the bed, almost flaring her wings, her stance wide, and now she was blushing as well. Her own wings fought to open and she had to breath heavily out her beak to calm them down. Sadly it looked like she was getting defensive of Gabby and to top it all off, the scent in the room had changed rather drastically...

The doctor, the only male present, warbled nervously, sniffed the air, and immediately his face scrunched up as his nose was filled with potent pheromones. He hissed lightly as the scent of the two hens in heat smacked him in the face. His wings tried to open, and his neck ruff popped a little bit out of his coat collar. Cautiously, he took a step back. 

"Hooo okay...Um...should I...give you two a moment?" He asked quietly, while glancing back at the door. "M-maybe... three or four moments?" He took another wary step back, his tail lashing back and forth as the scent tried to fight his instincts. Gilda was thankful she couldn't see what it was doing to his crotch from the angle they were standing at. 

Gabby groaned and smashed her face into the bedding until her face wasn't even visible. "N-no, it's fine, doctor, my friend just was trying to get a rise out of me. Gilda. OUT. NOW." She pointed at the door and Gilda frowned, looking back and forth between the doctor and her friend. 

"Wait what? Why do I have to leave?" She scooted closer to defend Gabby from the tom, "I'm not gonna leave you here alone, in heat, with a tom!" 

Gabby responded by openly snapping her beak down onto Gilda's rump and the hen squawked and leapt straight for the door out of sheer muscle reflex.  

"GET OUT!" Gabby snarled.

Gilda shot the now confused and disoriented Doctor an apologetic smile as she bolted past. "N-Never mind she's all yours Doc!" She grabbed the handle and swung it shut behind her so quickly it nearly slammed shut. She then promptly turned around and slumped against it with a hiss. 

A few seconds went by before pain gently made itself known in her left ass cheek.

"Ow...she... she actually bit me!" She growled and rubbed her rump, thankfully finding no blood. It would totally suck to get admitted for an injury she got in a hospital room from the friend she brought to the hospital. 

"Little shit head..." She groused. The bite had been firm, and none too well aimed. If Gilda had moved any closer her tail base would have been the sore spot. Still... a smile slowly formed on her beak. 

I...I actually kinda liked that... She realized with a blush. Gabby is never that dominant with me...I must have really gotten to her with my preening. Her claws went to her beak, where the ghostly feeling of Gabby's fur against her beak now replayed in her mind. 

I...I wanna keep preening her...damn... Gilda blushed and shook her head. Reaching up she clapped both her hands to her face several times in rapid succession. 

"No! this is just my heat coming back! Y-yeah, I'm just flustered from the renewed cycle is all. I Got to stay focused!" She smacked her cheeks a couple times more for good measure, before standing and walked across the hallway to sit on the wall length bench. After no one passed down the hall for at least ten minutes, and Gabby had made no sounds from the room, Gilda slouched and groaned. 

"Uuuugh, I just remembered, I forgot how boring these places are!" She hissed. Flopping onto her side, she curled up and waited. A nurse passed her by and thankfully left her alone for the time being. Gilda started making a mental check list of the things they would need before their trip to Zecora's. The last time they'd gone, Gabby had brought a romance novel. Gilda had enjoyed hearing Gabby read it, even if she'd loathed how cheesy the lines were. 

It's practically a porno in written form, heh. Gilda smirked.

She contemplated bringing the jewelry box, but then realized she'd be carrying it around everywhere and that would get annoying fast. She was going through all the board games she could think of that Gabby and her had collected over the years when the door opened and the Doctor stepped out. 

He was a lot calmer now, and seemed unflustered by the scent. Gilda lifted her head and raised a brow at him. He smiled cordially. "Sorry about disturbing your attempt at pranking your friend, I wasn't ready for that." 

Gilda blinked and then shrugged. "Uh, sure." 

He pointed down the hallway. "I have to go get new bandages and re wrap her up and then you two will be free to go." 

Gilda frowned, "She still needs bandages? I thought all the wounds healed up." 

The doctor nodded, "I assure you they did all heal up quite nicely. No major scars from what I was able to examine. The bandages are there to help support her limb and shoulder joint for her wing, not soak up fluids. If you'll excuse me."  He padded down the hall and around a corner, before Gilda slumped against the wall again. 

"Right...alone again...where was I? Ah! Board games. Now do we have scrabble and would Gabby kick my ass at it?" 

They did have it...and Gabby would soundly beat her every time. 






"And put the 'v' there, and there ya go! Vizcacha!" Gabby chirped happily. "That's eighteen more points for me!"

Gilda scowled and picked up the dictionary for the umpteenth time. "Ya know if you're gonna make up a word, you should at least try a little harder." 

Gabby huffed and folded her arms across her chest, blowing a raspberry across the table at the golden hen "It is a real word. Look it up and do yourself a learn!" 

Gilda harrumphed and turned a couple pages as she searched for the word that now covered up almost a whole row in the game board. Thoroughly being beaten by Gabby at scrabble had been a great way to destroy her vocabulary ego. It had not however, been a good way to kill time on a train ride. In the first two hours of their trip to Ponyville, They'd played eight different games, and Gabby had won most of them. 

At one point Gabby had pulled out one of her books and excitedly asked if she could read to Gilda, who very quickly persuaded her into playing just one more game of scrabble before they did that. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear the story herself. Parts of her really did wanna hear what the characters were doing...specifically to each other. Mostly though, she liked listening to Gabby as the hen spoke in different voices and played the full theatre of characters for her enjoyment. 

She loved seeing Gabby happy.

What she didn't love was being in public while Gabby did her theatrics. She might have stated earlier in the day that she didn't care what others thought, and it was true...mostly. She did care how others treated Gabby. The glares from nearby griffons and mutterings from a couple ponies on the train whenever Gabby cheered her victory or when Gilda cursed a loss, caused Gilda's blood to boil. She wanted to tell em all to screw off, but she also didn't want any conflict to happen. 

Gabby hated conflict, so Gilda simply guided Gabby towards something less energetic. Her eyes found the word she sought in the middle of the four hundredth and sixteenth page of the word bible and she read it aloud to Gabby's glee.

"Viscacha....a burrowing rodent. Vizcachas are rodents of two genera in the family Chinchillidae...you're joshing me..." Gilda grumbled and slapped the book closed. "Ya beat me with a dirt loving rat..." She grumbled. 

"Yup! And they are sooooo cute!" Gabby put her claws to her cheeks and smooshed the fur against her eye socket with a light chirp. 

Gilda nodded with a roll of her eyes. "You think everything is cute, you traumatized that diamond dog pup at the train station this morning. Kid's gonna have nightmares from how much you warbled around him." 

Gabby puffed up her cheeks and neck fluff defensively. She pointed a claw at Gilda. "Hey! He was adorable in that little business suit! He won't be traumatized, he took the compliments proudly, I even got him to bark! That's like a warble...f-for diamond dogs..." She mumbled under her breath and looked out the window. 

Gilda smiled and sighed. She cleaned up the game board and stowed it back in one of their bags they'd brought before shoving it under their seat.

"Alright, alright, he was cute. Now get up and follow me." Gilda stood up, startling Gabby. 

"Wha-Where are we going? The train ride isn't over for another hour or so." 

Gilda swiveled around the booth and started walking to the door. "Follow and you'll find out." She exited into the section between cars and Gabby joined her. She said nothing as they made their way through several cars, passing several griffons and even more ponies, before coming to the end of the train.

Gilda slid the door shut with a firm click and sighed. Now we won't be bothering those stuck up jerks, and Gabby can be herself. 

Gabby looked around the caboose they now stood in and frowned in clear confusion at the crates and luggage. "Gilda, why are we in the caboose?" 

Gilda twirled around around and lay down at the door. "Well, I remember how last time you read to me, you kept flaring your wings, waving your arms around, and generally just not staying still. I figured with your injuries, you'd need a safe area to move around as you continued your porn book." 

Gabby blushed "Aaww, Gilda that's so swee--" She stumbled over her words, sputtering as the last words of Gilda went through her head. She reared up onto her back paws with her good wing open for balance. She stamped a paw into the floor adamantly. "It is not a porn book it's adventure romance!" She huffed and growled lightly.

Gilda smirked. "Right, right, adventure romance, action porn, same thing." 

She waved a wing at Gabby and chuckled when the hen grew more flustered. Then to Gilda's surprise, Gabby trilled happily and quieted down. She quirked a raised brow at the hen and watched as she pulled her book out and ran a claw down the side with a light blush on her cheeks. The book was pulled into her arms and hugged tightly against Gabby's chest fluff. Behind her Gilda watched Gabby's tail flick back and forth in joy. 

"Still... that was very considerate of you, Gilda. Thanks." 

Gilda shrugged and acted aloof. "Sure thing, Gabby. Now I barely remember anything from last time mostly cause I was trying to die from boredom and embarrassment. So refresh me, where were we?" 

Gabby hummed and searched her previous spot. "last spot we were at....oh...heheheh...." Gabby started chuckling and blushing, making Gilda clench the floor. 

"What is so funny...?" Gilda asked cautiously. 

In response, Gabby struck a rather...well a sexual pose, there was no other way to put it! She slowly gyrated her hips at the floor. Her voice grew soft and lustful. Gilda felt her cheeks flare red and her fluff exploded as Gabby began reading. Her voice soft and filled with desperation.

"Captain Gladiant slowly pounded his cannon balls into the stern of Rose's port, making her groan as the waves of pleasure rolled over her and made her sink into an ocean of pleasure..."

Gilda's beak dropped open as she remembered her previous attempt at fleeing the train the last time Gabby had been reading to her. She groaned and smacked her head into her claws. "Oh for fuck's sake, this is totally porn, Gabby!" 

Gabby laughed. "Well, the whole story isn't, but that is the premise of this particular chapter!" 

She swayed her hips left and right making Gilda blush furiously through her claws as her friend basically showed off her body without really knowing what it was doing to Gilda. Gabby's dark gray perky teats and her slightly swollen vulva flashed into Gilda's view several times, and Gilda felt her blush increasing every time she caught glimpses of Gabby's forbidden areas. She firmly smashed her face into her claws to hide the furious blush and sexual thoughts that were now running through her head. Very lewd thoughts of her friend laying in her personal nest...doing things...

This was a terrible idea! Gilda thought. We are both in heat, alone, in the back of a fucking train and she's reading this to me!?

"My lord! Rose gasped," Gabby giggled and sat down sweeping her arm over her brow in mock exhaustion. "Y-your ship's cannon is so large and weighted! Will you be able to keep steering it through my sudden storms? Rose panted as his sails billowed against her back." Gabby snickered and continued, unaware that Gilda wasn't staring at her face or the book.

Her teats...gods I...I want to....nnngh no! Bad Gilda! Gilda dug her claws into her cheeks to try and pull her mind back into the safe zone. It sort of worked.

It mostly hurt. Gabby didn't seem to see Gilda's reaction, too lost in the book.

"Gladiant stood proudly over her, his sword buried in the heart of her treasure, and nodded, nipping her ear. "Aye lass, ne'er there been a port I couldn't land in perfectly! As sure as my hull has gold, I'll be filling your port's chest with it until the coins flow over the edge!"

Gilda groaned and grumbled into her claws. "Kill me kill me kill me..."

Gabby flipped a page and Gilda couldn't take it. Before Gabby could continue the next line of dialog, she leapt forward and smacked the book from Gabby's claws suddenly. Gabby gasped and backed up. 

"What...what the heck Gilda, why would you..." 

Gilda was panting heavily. Her eyes were slits of feral need...glaring at the floor with her claws clenching into the wooden beams...and her tail. her fricking tail was bent so far to the left side of her ass that if a male had been behind her he probably would have gotten an erection just from the clear view she was giving. Gabby blushed, her cheeks fluffed up and she backed away a step.

Gilda immediately took a step forward subconsciously and Gabby hissed. Flaring her good wing out. "G-Gilda...uh...calm down....It's me...Gabby."

Gilda hissed, and shook her head. For several seconds their stand off held. Their chest fluff puffed out and wings flexing...Gabby warbled nervously, and Gilda scrunched her face up as their scents mixed and blended together in a wonderful and terrible smell. Gilda groaned and took a half step forward before she snarled. She shook herself harshly and backed up. She shoved herself past Gabby who chirped in surprise and leaped away from the other hen defensively, curling her tail under herself. Gilda went to the back door and flung it wide open, letting air blast her in the face and air out the room. The two hens panted for a few moments as they separately attempted to reign in their bodies. 

"Th-this was a bad idea..." Gilda growled. "I just hot-boxed us in a steel room while both of us were in heat...fuck..." 

Gabby was quiet, Gilda looked back to find That Gabby had backed up further, to the other end of the room and was breathing hard. 

"S-sorry Gabby." 

Gabby quickly held up a claw for her to wait, and then after several breaths she turned and smirked lightly. The blush had not left her and the fluff around her neck was still very active, twitching and spasming as she breathed. 

"S-okay, I didn't notice the scent had gotten so strong all of a sudden." She looked at Gilda with a little confusion. "That really got you riled up, didn't it? Jeez we almost had a territorial fight there..." 

Gilda hissed. "I...I wasn't going to fight you, Gabby..." Her gut clenched as she realized she wanted to do something else to Gabby.

Gilda said nothing and looked out at the expanse of wilderness that passed them by. Gabby chuckled behind her. "No, it's okay even if you were...that uh, you were smart. It was a good idea to stop me...still..." Gabby's voice gained a note of curiosity to it. "Your reaction was powerful...have you never read a romance novel before?"

"No!" Gilda snarled. "I don't read those kinda stories because that's what happens to me!" She started rubbing her arm subconsciously, guilt eating at her. "I get to the sex and the breeding and...I just get all...bitchy." 

Gabby slowly came closer, Gilda tilted her head so she could see her friend approach and sure enough it was in a crouched, slinking pose. Gabby was making sure Gilda's instincts didn't react by being submissive. "Oh...I didn't know, Gilda..." She carefully sat close to Gilda so their wings were inches apart, and for a moment they watched the hills and trees blast past them. 

"I mean, I figured maybe you'd explored romance at least a little..." Gabby mumbled. When Gilda shook her head, Gabby frowned. "I see...um...a-are you still...you know..." Gilda raised a brow at her and when Gabby pointed a claw to her lower area Gilda scoffed. 

"Yeah, I'm still a virgin." She rubbed her arm more, blushing. "I mean, I've used toys and done...personal stuff...but that's it." She shuffled her wings. "You too I assume?" She asked, expecting a similar response.

"No." Gabby said in a shuddering whisper. Gilda blinked in shock.

Wait...what? Gilda felt her beak open in shock. "You...wait Gabby...you've had a partner?"

Gabby's brow furrowed rapidly and she gripped her arms tightly and then folded her wings around herself as best she could. 

"Partner?" Gilda watched as Gabby's face contorted in what looked like genuine fury. "I...I will never give them the pleasure of being called that... He doesn't deserve such a lofty title..."  

Gilda felt a roiling wave of anger and anguish wash over her as Gabby suddenly bared her beak to the sky and snarled into the wind. "He doesn't deserve anything from me!" 

Tears started trickling down her cheeks as Gabby snarled and dug her claws into the wood. Gilda backed up, staring in awe as the hen vented rage Gilda didn't know was inside her. 

She'd hit a nerve. something hidden, that Gabby had never shown her before...

"It wasn't love!" She screeched. Slash marks gouged into the floor boards beneath her. "It wasn't kindness! You TRICKED ME!!!!"  Her bad wing tried to force itself out of the bandages and Gilda gasped. Leaping forward to stop Gabby from hurting herself, she flinched when the hen whirled on her and brought her claws down. 

Gilda was no slouch though, and her reflexes were far more in tune then Gabby's were. She caught the talons with her own and locked claws with the smaller hen. Gabby, lost in rage, snapped her beak at Gilda in a flurry of territorial snarls and clicks. 

"Gabby! Gabby calm down it's me!" It was no use. Gilda had accidentally dredged up something deep and Gabby was drowning in her feelings. The hen started kicking, sliding her legs forward so she could snap closer to Gilda and Gilda responded by sweep tackling her to the floor. The hens crashed down with Gilda on top and Gabby gasped. She looked panicked and scared suddenly. Her eyes instantly shrank to tiny dots in her eye sockets. 

"No..." Gabby whispered. "No not again!" She screeched in terror and tried to pull away. 

Gilda was so lost now.

What...what the hell, Gabby? Gilda thought. What has you this afraid?! It was the same fear she'd seen in Gabby's eyes when Gale and her daughter had been in the shop during the festival. Abject fear, primal and terrified, Gabby thrashed beneath her friend as if Tartarus itself was on her heels. 

"GET OFF ME! GET OFF! I DON'T WANT IT!" Gabby screamed. 

"Gabby please! It's just me! it's GILDA!" She yelled. Her claws dug deeper into Gabby's hands and Gilda feared she might make things worse if she held on any longer.

"Gabby please breath! You need to calm down!" She leaned in and hissed desperately.

Nothing. Gabby thrashed harder if anything else.

Bear the weight... Gilda blinked as she heard Grandpa Gruff say those words from long ago. He'd said it to her the one other time she'd seen Gabby scared and crying. She hadn't come out of her room for three days straight and even when she did all the color and joy had vanished from her. Grandpa Gruff had sat down Gilda at the table and told her. 

Bear the weight of her pain and be there for her. She's been through hell and back, and needs a friend. You're the older sibling. Be there when she needs you the most.

Gilda did just that. Gabby was smaller than her by a head or so, and Gilda used her physical weight to keep pinning Gabby down. Gabby fought back, trying to wrench her claws free in a bestial snarl, but Gilda dug her claws into the back of Gabby's hand more, keeping her there. Blood gently trickled down Gabby's arm into her fur, and Gilda winced. 

Sorry, but you need me right now. you're not going anywhere. She pushed, screeching back dominantly, and Gabby slowly but surely lost the will to fight. She slumped into Gilda's arms, tired, shivering, and crying. Gilda panted hard, heavy gasps of air as she lay atop Gabby. 

For several minutes they simply breathed. Chests heaving, loose feathers fluttering around the two hens as they calmed down. Gilda slowly let go of Gabby's hands, grimacing as blood dripped from her claws. Gabby whimpered and shrank against Gilda. She blinked rapidly, looking around. When she caught Gilda's gaze she looked confused. "Wha...G-Gilda? How did you...Where'd...where'd he go..." She started to try and move but Gilda held her down with her weight.

Gilda frowned. "Whoa whoa, stay still Gabby...Who? It's only us in here, Gabby..." She tried to nuzzle Gabby to comfort her but the hen flinched and whimpered away. "N-No I saw him! He was...he was here...had...had me cornered...he wanted me to...to..." She froze up, her eyes jolted into tiny slits, and then buried her head into Gilda's chest feathers suddenly with a cracked stutter of screeching cries.

Gilda slowly blinked as the pieces fell into place. Gabby wasn't a virgin...she'd had someone previously...She disliked males as much as Gilda did...and Gallus said she'd gone through something traumatic a long time ago...It had taken everything Gabby had just to feel safe enough to tell Gallus...

Gabby was....O-oh no...Gabby... Her eyes fell to her friend and pain blossomed in her chest as Gabby's claws dug into her chest feather. Her arms slowly gently wrapped around Gabby and held her. 

"Shhh...shh it's okay, Gabby...you are safe. It's alright..." Gilda whispered. Tears gently touched at the edges of Gilda's eyes and she blinked rapidly to try and block them. 

Gabby cried harder. "I...I hate him...I hate him so much..." She hissed, clenching Gilda's feathers. 

She nodded, gently and slowly sitting up with Gabby in her arms. The hen slumped into her in exhaustion. She rocked back and forth with the hen resting in her chest feathers. "It's okay to feel that way, Gabby." She whispered. "It's okay, they did a horrible thing...you hate them as much as you want to, as much as you need to..." 

She carefully wrapped her wings around the smaller hen and nuzzled her cheeks, she purred as hard as she could muster, and the action seemed to help Gabby somewhat. They stayed there with the wind roaring out the caboose door, and Gilda felt like she should close it. She reached for--

"L-leave it...it helps..." Gabby whispered. "I...did I e-ever tell you I dislike c-closed in spaces?" 

Gilda shook her head, nuzzling Gabby. "You have claustrophobia?" she asked gently. Gabby nodded. She started nuzzling back. 

"It...it helps that the door is open...don't feel trapped." She sniffled. 

Gilda crooned lightly, drawing Gabby's eyes up to gaze at hers. A tear fell from Gilda's eye and dropped onto Gabby's cheek. The hen flinched and looked surprised. Gilda gently cupped Gabby's cheek with her claws, and wiped it away.
"I...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean for this to happen, Gabby... I didn't know you--"

Gabby gently stopped her with her own claws on Gilda's beak. They looked at one another for a few moments before Gabby looked down and sighed. 

"It's o-okay, Gilda. You didn't know. N-now you do..." She pulled her hand away, her eyes darting to the claw marks and blood before she took a deep breathe and nestled back into Gilda's chest feathers again, even going as far as to nuzzle her a couple times. The two hens shifted a bit to get comfortable and it ended up with Gabby curled up under Gilda's bigger wing, up against her side. 

Silence took hold for a bit, Gabby took the time to wipe her eyes and Gilda surreptitiously did the same, before preening Gabby's neck and nape. Gabby didn't move, she simply sat there watching the floor. The touch wasn't unwelcome and after a while she was looking a lot better. Once their breathing was normal and only then did they speak. 

"Feeling better?" Gilda asked, nuzzling Gabby's cheek with her beak. Gabby laughed softly and nodded. "Y-yes. Gilda...thanks." She hugged Gilda and purred heavily. 

"You are the greatest friend I could ever ask for." 

Gilda blushed, patting Gabby's back. "Thanks, Gabby..." 

They separated and Gilda decided to try and broach the touchy subject again.

"S-so...I never like assuming anything...but from what I gathered...you have claustrophobia."

"Yes." Gabby nodded. "I try to stay out in the open, makes me feel more comfortable." 

"And...you have lost your virginity..."

"....Yes, sadly..." Gabby whispered. 

Gilda gulped..."F-from a tom who...forced it?"

Gabby sighed and slumped into Gilda. she sniffed, nuzzled her beak into Gilda's feathers, and growled, dragging her claws along the floor again.

"Y-yeah...

Gilda growled too... gripping her friend in  protective hold. "So...I need a shovel and an address, cause i'mma find em and bury em nine feet under." 

Gabby watched Gilda's expression dance between anger and determination, but she slowly shook her head. She leaned up and nuzzled Gilda right against her beak. 

a kiss in every meaning of the action for griffons. Gilda gasped but didn't pull away. Cautiously, and ever so gently, she nuzzled back. Gabby chuckled and then blushed and pulled away. "S-sorry. my heat is...well you know." 

Gilda nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, I do." She groaned and stretched out her legs. Gabby blushed and looked away. Gilda growled as a wing popped. "Still, don't dodge the question. where's this fucker live? I protect my family and he's about to get a rude wake up call."

Gilda felt Gabby shake her head under her chin. Her voice was softer now, sounding...sad.

"There isn't any need to do that, Gilda. He's long dead. For several years now in fact. I went to the funeral and everything too..." She pulled back and sighed, looking out at the sky as the trees blew past the rails. The wind rustled her feathers and ponytail, It was such a wonderful day, and Gilda felt Like Gabby made it all the more better. 

"I hated him, but as much as I hated him, He brought me into this world to meet wonderful creatures like you Gilda...and I love that I got that chance...Plus, I feel that a child should be there in the end for their parents, no matter how terrible they were."

Gilda felt her heart drop into her stomach. "W-wait! Wait a second...you're saying your...your dad was the one..."

She nodded. 

Gilda blinked several times mouth open in horror. For a few seconds, they stared at one another, and then Gilda slowly stared out the doorway. Her claws dug deep gouges into the floor. "Well...at least we have another thing in common."

Gabby blinked and tilted her head. "hmm?"

"I fucking hate your father as much as you do." She snarled. "I can't believe a dad would--" Her words were halted by Gabby's claws gently landing on her beak. 

Gabby stared at her for several minutes before shaking her head with a sad smile. "Mmm, actually I'd really rather you didn't." 

Gilda gasped, jumping to her feet and pulling her beak out Gabby's grasp. "What?! why?!" 

Gilda was startled into silence when the sun met the edge of the caboose edge and Gabby was suddenly bathed in golden light in a dark room. In that moment Gabby was the most beautiful creature on the planet to Gilda. Gabby smiled and her face glowed. she reached up and touched her chest feathers with a blush. 

"Because I want there to be less hate in the world, Gilda. Love will always be a greater force. So instead of hating him...love the life you have, you only get one, so make the most of it, okay?" 

Gilda flushed red and looked away, but she warbled happily. "T-that was so cheesy it was terrible!" 

Gabby blinked in confusion and then she laughed, a happy trill of joy that flowed over Gilda like a gentle song. "Maybe it was, b-but I still meant it!" Gabby laughed more. Gilda felt much better hearing that sound over the screams she'd heard earlier. 

Gilda fought back a grin of her own, and faked a growl of frustration, she grabbed Gabby and started hauling the hen towards the door to the rest of the train. "Come on, lets get this stupid butt bead problem solved and then we are going right back home, and you are gonna get pampered like there is no tomorrow!"

Gabby blushed harder and laughed. "They don't go in our butts!" 

Gilda growled and grinned, pulling harder. "So what! they go inside, the heat goes away, we become happy griffons!"

"W-wait! AHAHAH!  M-my book!" Gabby laughed, pointing at it. "We can't leave that!" She was still laughing as Gilda pulled the door open and tried to drag Gabby through it.

"Nope! That stupid porn book is staying in here to rot!" 

"IT'S NOT A PORN BOOK!"

As Gabby tried to playfully fight Gilda, Laughing and giggling all the while, Gilda felt a genuine font of mirth and joy fill her heart. 

I'm gonna do whatever it takes to remember this moment...that sound she's making, it's a song... If I'm a rose...Gabby is a song...

Gilda swore she'd never forget how wonderful it was to hear Gabby happy.
> Slip of the Tongue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train came roaring into the Ponyville station with a peel of screeching brakes, blasts of smoke, and the thunderous chugging of coal fueled wheels. The massive gears ground their way to a slow halt, the brakes screaming their progress across the platform as the several hundred ton beast finally came to a rest. Gilda watched the steam blast out over the wood planks of the Ponyville train depot, obscuring ponies and creatures alike. 

She frowned, but the expression wasn't because she was unhappy. She and Gabby had picked the most empty car they could find as evening struck, tuckered out from their ordeal in the caboose, and curled up together like old times. It had been wonderful, and Gabby had expressed her comfort in the action by snuggling up as close as Gilda was comfortable with.

Gilda had shrugged the nasty event off and told her that if she ever needed to vent, Gilda would be there for her any time. She needed to make sure Gabby knew she wasn't alone anymore. For several moments after she'd woken up to the train's whistles in the early morning before dawn, Gilda had peered under her wing and watched Gabby sleep. Nestled with her head under a wing, scooted as deeply into Gilda's side fur as she could be. 

Gilda had purred heavily at the sight. Seeing Gabby so safe and comfortable, especially after learning of her past trauma, it made her chest warm with joy. She wanted to see this more, needed to. She wanted to wake up each morning to this and preen the smaller hen until she was a giggling mess of feathers and laughter. Gabby had to learn how much she was appreciated, how much she was loved. 

Sadly, the train had not arrived on time. Something had happened over night while the passengers slept, and the train had been forced to stop for a repair or three in a nearby depot. This ended up taking almost an entire day, wherein Gabby and Gilda slept soundly through it all, unawares to the going ons of the train and it's occupants. Instead of waking up to streaming daylight and a loudly filled station, or arriving at a reasonable hour, Gilda and Gabby were arriving at four am to a completely deserted platform. 

This was where Gilda found herself with a slight problem. She had to wake up her friend at this ungodly hour. Anyone who had ever had the bad luck of being told to wake up a griffon would say that it's not fun, no recommended, and not worth the trouble. They liked their sleep and they hated being disturbed. 

Some(in Gilda's case) woke almost violently so. 

The train finally came to a stop and Gilda clicked her beak. "Tch, gotta get this over with...Gabby...Hey, we're here sleepy hen." She gently lifted her wing off Gabby's back, watching as the hen murmured, shivered, and immediately moaned and started reaching her claws out to look for her 'blanket'.

It was adorable.

"N-no...five more minutes...I swear I won't...be late..." Gabby murmured, curling closer to Gilda's side. Gilda smirked and pet Gabby's neck fluff gently. Her beak clicked gently next to Gabby's ear with a gentle voice.

"You already are late, Gabs." 

It took a second...Gabby's eyes fluttered open, looked blearily up at her friend, and then Gilda's words clicked in her head and the hen's eyes and body exploded into wakefulness. 

"Oh gods I'm LATE!?" She screeched. The hen stood, lost her balance, flailed, smacked Gilda in the side with her good wing, and then promptly fell off the small foldable bed the train provided, and kissed the floor with her face. 

"Mmmpgohopdersher!" Gabby muffled through the carpet while trying to stand. 

Gilda started laughing, even as Gabby stood back up and rubbed her beak. " I'mma go hop in the shower! I gotta... hey...Wh-what's so funny, Gilda? I'm late for...work?" She then found her bearings and looked around. "This isn't...Griffonstone...where...oh."

Sheepishly she rubbed the back of her neck fluff and chuckled. "Oh...ha ha...very funny Gilda." She hissed at her friend as Gilda laughed harder. 

"Y-you really do get some wild expressions on your face when you think you've slept in, ya know that Gabby?" Gilda snickered into her claws. Gabby answered by batting at her with her wing. 

"Oh hardy har har. S'not my fault my boss is a stickler f-for timeliness." Gabby yawned and looked out the window with a confused expression. "Why are we up anyway, the sun isn't even up. Is the train that late?"

"Yup." Gilda stretched and yawned nice and wide, prompting Gabby to yawn again and then do a similar stretch. Neither one noticed how their tail tips gently touched as the two hens arched their rumps high into the air. 

"Apparently something on the train busted on the way here and they had to stop for almost a whole day. We slept through most of it." 

Gilda hopped off the bed and reset the bed. "Fricken griffons and our sixteen hour sleep cycle or some shit..." 

Gabby chuckled and started collecting their bag of board games. "I think it's our cat side honestly, have you seen how lazy those things are?" 

Gilda nodded. "Only a lot, we have a ton of strays in town, always hanging out in the backyard near the dumpster. Either eating, fighting, or fucking." 

Both hens stopped at the realization that it wasn't that far off from what griffons did either. They shared a collective "huh." Gabby looked out the window and pointed. "Not even any ponies out and about right now either, and it doesn't look like anyone has gotten off the train yet. You think we have time for a shower?"

Gilda blinked owlishly and looked back at her friend with surprise in her tone. "The trains have showers?" 

Gabby nodded while rolling her shoulders. "Some do," Her injured one popped and she cooed in relief. "I don't know if this line of them does, but we can check. Worse case scenario we go to the spa and pay to use theirs. They know me there, so I might be able to get us in for free."

Gilda held out her claws. "Lets see, in one talon we've got a train shower. Dubiously clean soap, shitty water pressure, and has probably been used by multiple ponies already so there goes any hot water. Then we have the spa showers. Great water pressure, massagers built into the walls, soaps and shampoos so luxurious they charge an arm and a wing for a single dollop, constant hot water and you could potentially get us in for free?" 

She looked at Gabby  with a raised brow, and Gabby smirked and shrugged. "Okay so it's not that hard of a decision to make, I was just stating our options."

Gilda passed by Gabby and poked her in the beak gently, enjoying how the hen went screwy eyed as she stared down her face at the offending digit, before opening the door to the outside. "One was a terrible choice, the other was the right choice, it wasn't an option to begin with." 

Gabby rubbed at her beak and giggled. "Yes, ma'am." 

They exited out onto the platform, gently being buffeted by the steam and chilly morning wind of Ponyville in it's winter conditions. It was still a lot warmer than Griffonstone though. Looking around, they found the area basically empty. 

A single unicorn night guard was posted by the ticket booth. HIs spear in one hoof and a collapsible shield on his back. Despite him probably spending the entire night out there, he wasn't shivering and his eyes were keen and crisp. He nodded stoically to the two hens. "Morning to you two." He stated. They merely nodded and walked into town, angling towards the city center. 

The town was dead quiet at this hour. All the ponies were asleep save for a few thestral guards who either flew over head silently, or who sat atop roofs eyeing the two late comers. A pair of them even patrolled the streets below. Gilda always found them to be interesting, as they were the only ponies with any predatory traits.

Apparently they were some how part bat? She didn't know. The rumor mill said many things about them. They were part dragon, part bat, some were vampires or demons from Tartarus, others were made via dark magic eons ago when Luna had her hissy fit, bla bla bla, rumor, rumor, rumor. The list grew longer than she had years to live. 

Still, they were pretty cool. One of them broke off from her partner on the ground and approached the pair as they reached the town hall. A mare with silver hair and golden glowing eyes. a set of fangs peeked out of her mouth ever so slightly. She smiled politely at them, the fangs flashing in the remaining moonlight. "Morning, ladies, anything your looking for at this hour?" 

Gabby chirped out a greeting and pointed behind them. "We arrived on the train a few moments ago, it had some trouble along the way so it was several hours late while they repaired it. We are headed to the spa to see if we can borrow their showers, and then we are going to see Zecora the zebra for some personal work." 

The mare rubbed her chin with a hoof, thinking it over. "I see, that explains why it is way off schedule. I'll have a couple guards make sure they have all they need for the return trip. Alright, don't get up to any trouble, try to keep your voices down, and we'll be watching if you need any help, take care ladies." She trotted past them to rejoin with her partner who had silently made it all the way around the hens with neither one seemingly aware, and the two disappeared down the street. 

Gilda and Gabby continued on. When they arrived at the spa front, the lights were all off and the door was locked. Gabby didn't seem perturbed by this though and had Gilda follow her around the side of the building. She made it to the back door and firmly wrapped her claws on the door in a particular pattern. She then stood back and waited. 

When nothing happened for a few minutes, Gilda spoke. "They are probably not in there Gabby. Why don't we--" 

Gabby held up a claw. "Wait. they are here, I know their schedule." She reached a claw out and again knocked the same pattern into the door. Another five minutes of waiting and Gilda frowned. 

"Gabby..."

"Trust me, they are slow to rise, but they are in there." 

Sure enough, a few moments later, Aloe, one of the spa mares opened the back door and peered out. Her hair was done up in a towel, and she was wearing a clean bathrobe. Water dripped from her chin as she stood there. It looked like she had just gotten out of the shower herself. She looked at Gabby and Gilda in surprise.

"Ah! Gabby, what a surprise! We did not expect you to show up so early! Come in come in!" She stepped aside and opened the door fully to allow the two hens past. Once inside Gilda's eyes adjusted to the gentle darkness of the hallway. It was the back end of a storage room. Boxes of salon supplies and special equipment were everywhere. A clear cut pathway was made from end to end, lit by warm orange lights. Oddly, the first thing she noticed they had the most stock of, was toilet paper...and a lot of it. 

Aloe nuzzled Gabby's cheeks and then patted Gilda's shoulder politely. "What brings you and your friend here so early? Last I checked we don't have a shipment for another week or two." 

Gabby patted Gilda's shoulder. "Aloe, this is Gilda, my closest friend, and we were on a late train here. We were going to use the showers on the train to freshen up, but then I remembered you said I could come here if I really needed to instead...and well, here I am!" 

Aloe giggled into a hoof. "I see, well no worries then. The train has a shower but it is a bucket of cold water compared to our establishment. You know where everything is, I'm going to go finish my shower, and you two can use the large set built for the yaks, on the far right side, okay?"

Once Gabby had thanked her and they'd collected a few amenities to borrow, Gilda nudged her as they exited the hall. "This spa has showers for yaks? That's pretty cool, I have to admit." 

Gabby gushed with happiness. "oh my gosh you haven't lived until you've soaked under one of these showers. I used one a  couple months back when a rather nasty storm came through Ponyville. I was cold and drenched to the bone, muddy and an absolute wreck. Aloe and Vera took one look at me and shoved me into the yak shower." 

Gabby put her claw to her chin as they walked, thinking. "I'm pretty sure I almost fell asleep under the hot water and full body massager. Aloe had to keep me awake so I wouldn't drown!" 

Gilda rolled her eyes as they entered the bathing area for the females. "Uh huh, I'm sure it wasn't as grand as you say. It's just a hot shower and a couple of rollers for our muscles, can't be that great of an experience." 





"Is she okay?" 

"I don't know, even you didn't act this relaxed when you tried it, Gabby."

"W-well I tried to warn her! She didn't believe me!" 

"She's so heavy as dead weight, it took all three of us to drag her out of there!" 

Another pony spoke up. Their voice was laced with a bitter tone. "Ew...she ah...Gabby, she kinda of orgasmed ...a lot... in the shower."

Gabby spoke next. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I'll take care of that! I didn't know she's never--"

"Wait, she's saying something! Gilda can you hear us?"

Gilda blearily opened her eyes and rolled them lazily around in their sockets. The gelatinous orbs seemed to not be working properly. A colorful mare was fading in and out of her perception range, floating in from the left and then floating out to her right. Why the fuck were these stupid ponies in her face, she was in heaven! HEAVEN! And these pastel little shits tore her out of it. She tried lifting a claw but her muscles refused to respond. Strange, they felt soooo good. 

"Puu me bath in..." She mumbled. Her beak and tongue weren't working, odd. Didn't matter, she'd felt the bliss of those heavenly showers and the touch of a god. Her body was ready to succumb. 

The ponies stared at her. "I think we broke her..." 

Gabby appeared, gently nuzzling her cheek. "Gilda? You should've told me you've never experienced a spa! We would've used a different shower!" 

Gabby tried to speak further but Gilda (with sheer will power) managed to lift her arm and flopped her claws onto Gabby's beak, silencing her. She giggled, and noted how Gabby's expression went from confused to worried.

"Shhhh no more talky talky...puth me bath in the heaven soup...." Gilda flopped her head back to the floor. "I'm ready to die again." 






Gilda glared lasers of embarrassment at the ground as Gabby snickered into her claws next to her. She said nothing as they left the spa, said nothing as Gabby eventually retold her what happened at the spa. 

"You stepped in and just sort of went silent for a second or two. At first I thought you were adjusting to the temperature but nope! AAHAHAH! You started moaning and purring so loudly that I had to stop my shower just to try and shut you up! Then you started thrusting your hips into the wall spigot and it wasn't doing you any favors--"

Gilda groaned and walked faster. She hoped Gabby would take the hint and let her die alone in shame, but no, Gabby sped up. The hen practically hopped next to her, tip toeing from claw to claw.

"S-So I tried to get your attention by grabbing your tail, bad idea really, eheheh, and then, you suddenly screeched, blasted the wall with your ah...well you know...and collapsed to the floor! I though you'd had some sort of seizure, but then I leaned in and you were mumbling something about heaven, and dying happy and you were gone after that! AHAHAH!  W-we had to drag you out of there and even then it took five or six minutes for you to come to your senses!"

Gilda stopped and kept staring at the ground as Gabby came up next to her. She was still giggling. "You um...Ehehehe, you need a minute, Gilda?" Gabby snickered. " What'd that doctor tom say at the hospital? M-maybe a couple-MMPH!?"

Gilda's claws had whipped out and gripped Gabby's beak and clamped it shut. She breathed in slowly... and then out even slower, and then glared at Gabby. Her wings were flared, her neck fluff was out to it's fullest, and her cheeks could rival most tomatoes with how red they were. 

"Next time we go do something like that...warn me harder!" She snarled. She let go of Gabby's beak and tromped away growling. "We never will speak of this to anyone back home, got it!?" She shouted back.

Gabby kept chuckling. "Well...Gallus kind of lives in Canterlot now so does he count?" 

"I SWEAR TO GROVER I WILL PLUCK YOU IF HE FINDS OUT!" Gilda shouted from down the road. 

Gabby found it even more hilarious that two thestrals immediately told her to be quiet or she'd get a ticket. 





The walk to Zecora's was postponed slightly when the two hens were  blocked from entering the trail that led to their mutual zebra friend. The two threstral guards posted at the entrance informed them that no one was allowed to enter the woods until a certain time of the morning. The wildlife was far more active and dangerous during the dusk and dawn hours, so they were instead directed away towards a nearby park to wait. 

Gilda had since cooled down, and the two hens were amiable again. Gilda would never live down the embarrassment, and Gabby would always have something to black mail Gilda with from then on. Even so, Gilda found herself chuckling along as Gabby regaled her with their attempts to pull her from 'Deaths sweet embrace.' 

She'd apparently named Death 'Sirgei, The Sauvé Swan of Death.' She'd haphazardly flailed as they attempted to remove her from the shower and take her away from 'her Sirgei'.

Spa's, Gilda found out, were deadly to a griffon who had a reputation of coolness to uphold. She was so thankful that Rainbow Dash was on tour with the Wonderbolts when it took place. She vowed that next time they used their services, she would be calmer and cooler.

Because there would be a next time. 

An upside to the whole situation was that her heat had thoroughly been sated. Gilda never said it out loud, but she'd honestly never felt so good in her life...and subsequently...she'd never climaxed so many times in her life.

She would take that secret to her grave. Only Sirgei will know....She thought with a blush. 

They decided to nap in the park near a fountain that was sculpted to look like a pony explorer rearing up. Water shot in an arc from one of their outstretched hooves to the glittering pond below. Gold bits glinted underneath the crystal clear water. wishes from foals and parents alike.

Under the trees, the two sat together quietly, doing some personal preening on feathers and fur that the showers had mussed up. Gabby was rather excited to go see Zecora, and Gilda noticed how...touchy Gabby had seemed after the showers. She kept rubbing against Gilda's side and purring. She'd then flop onto her side and groan. Rubbing her beak into the grass. on top of this, Gabby's scent was becoming increasingly potent.

Any hen knew those signs. 

Gilda scrunched her beak nares shut as another wave of pheromones' wafted to her. "You uh...you sure you're gonna be okay until we meet with Zecora, Gabby?" Gilda asked, gently smacking Gabby's side as the hen nuzzled her wing feathers. Gabby chirped and groaned. 

"I hope so! This heat is driving me nuts!! It doesn't help that you blasted me with your scent in the showers, it was everywhere!" Gabby flailed her arms before rolling over and rubbing her back into the grass again. "S-sorry...I'm just...itchy! Very very itchy!"

Gilda nodded, her eyes tracking down Gabby's sides to her teats. the little nips were perky and hard. She licked her lips, kneading her claws into the grass underneath. 

Oooh if I could just get one of those in my beak---no! Gilda blinked rapidly and looked away. She'd been blatantly staring right at Gabby's body! To her dismay, Gabby had noticed and she rolled over, staring at Gilda with a little worry. Her wings shuffled lightly at her sides.

"You um... were you just staring at my teats?" 

Gilda groaned and shook out her feathers. "Y-yeah maybe I was! You're not the only hen in heat here!" She blushed and scratched her neck feathers, trying and failing to smooth em out. "Doesn't help that my mystery writer is a hen either..." Her eyes angled back to Gabby to see she was blushing too. 

Gilda nodded her beak to Gabby's teats. "Besides, your teats are...they're nice..." She mumbled. 

Gabby's beak went slack jawed. Her good wing flared open and she stared at Gilda. Gilda furrowed her brow and waved an arm at Gabby. 

"Oh come on! you know I was looking I wasn't just gonna leave it at that!" 

Gabby stared harder. Her neck feathers and chest fluff were expanding rapidly. Gilda kept talking, trying to dig herself out of the hole. 

It wasn't helping.

"I mean, think about it! I have a hen who is writing to me romantically! S-so teats should be...ya know...attractive or...something! W-which they are! Don't get me wrong! I just...at least I wasn't under you trying to get a close up viewing or anything!" Gilda stood up and started pacing. 

"I mean, you are an attractive hen, Gabby, very attractive, but like, you and me! We know each other, there isn't anything weird about this!" She growled as Gabby simply sat there wide eyed and red. Bushy, floofed, and shocked. 

"Argh! Say something will you!?" Gilda whined. Gilda failed to notice Gabby's tail thrashed behind her as her body twitched in earnest need. "I know you've looked at mine!" She sat and lifted her arms, opening her belly fur wide for all to see. "See!? their right there! Whoop dee fucking doo! I have teats, I like hens, and so do--" 

Gabby tackled her.

"OOF!" Gilda had the breath knocked out of her as Gabby landed atop of her, the hen was growling. She growled back, intent of showing that upstart of a hen who was in charge--

Gabby clamped her claws over Gilda's beak and snarled. "WILL YOU SHUT IT!"

Gilda ignored the look of terror on her friends face, she hissed and slammed her hind paws into Gabby's stomach, flinging her off. Gabby thankfully landed on her paws and not her side. She swiped an arm through the air in front of her. "Gilda are you daft?! You seriously have no tact at all!" Gabby paced back and forth as Gilda huffed and patted herself off. "You just openly told the whole damn park you're into females and what if somepony--"

"WHO CARES!?" Gilda roared clenching her claws at her sides. 

Her wings flung themselves open in a territorial display that made Gabby back up. She stamped her paws into the dirt behind her as she came beak to beak with Gabby. The smaller hen growled weakly but stood her ground. Her eyes darted back and forth between Gilda's. Gilda ground her beak assertively against Gabby's, and they both blushed.

"Who fucking cares what they see, or what they think!? They don't have my heart beating in their chests do they?! Ya know what that means? I decide who I like, who I love, or how I do so!" Her eyes darted down to Gabby's beak and a spark of inspiration came over her. "but I think I need to show you there's nothing wrong with that..." She growled. In a flurry of movement Gilda grabbed Gabby by the beak and locked mouths with her.

Gabby chirped into Gilda's mouth surprise as Gilda kissed her. She went rigid for a moment, and then slowly went limp. Gilda compensated by wrapping her arms around the smaller hen and lowering them to the ground. Gilda lay most of her weight onto Gabby's chest and deepened the kiss. Their tongues lashed at one another and Gabby moaned underneath her. Her claws wrapped around Gilda's neck and dug into her scruff. 

The kiss lasted a couple seconds more before they broke apart. Panting, they gazed at one another in silence. Gabby fluttered her eyes and Gilda felt her friends hind legs slowly spread open beneath her. Gabby chirped up at her, and Gilda growled. 

She leaned in for another kiss, her hips lowering.

"EXCUSE ME, LADIES!?" 

Both hens screeched in surprise as a pony came flying down from the branches of a nearby tree. It was one of the thestral guards. He looked...well miffed was an accurate term.

Gilda and Gabby separated immediately. Gilda leaped off her friend and Gabby lunged up into a sitting position. Both hens covered themselves with their wings and looked embarrassingly in opposite directions. He didn't care in the slightest. Landing atop the highest point of the sculpture with a flourish of his wings, he glared down at them. 

"Not only are you two being very loud, again." He leveled his ire on Gilda who looked sourly at the ground. "But now I find you two engaging in some rather intimate and illicit actions that are not under the expected activities of park recreation, nor are they meant for public eyes."

He pointed to the woods. "If you two are going to be a further noise issue I will have to politely ask you leave on the next train, or-now that it is open- you see to your private couples affairs in the woods-not a park- or go see your zebra friend and then leave." 

He hissed at both of them. "Do I make myself clear, ladies." 

"Yes sir." They grumbled.

He kept his glare on them a moment longer and then nodded. "Good. I'll be watching you two from now on to make sure you don't cause any more trouble. Ponies are sleeping after all." He then leapt off the statue and disappeared into the tree of the forest. 

Silence made itself quite comfortable between the two hens for a while. Neither Gilda nor Gabby wanted to talk first, so they played the game of trying to speak, then refusing. Glancing at one another, and then immediately looking away when they realized the other was also looking. A lot of 'um..' 'we should ah...' 'that was uh...' and other mutterings could be heard if one got close enough. 

Eventually It was Gilda who broke the silence. She stood and started walking down the trail. "So...Z-Zecora's...we should ah...yeah we should go...do that..."

Gabby merely nodded, not making eye contact. The two left, with a rather large space between them. The trail to her house was also quiet. Gabby looked left, and Gilda looked right. At one point they both sort of meandered into bumping shoulders and the pair flinched away. Gilda winced. 

"S-sorry..." 

Gabby looked away blushing hotly. "N-no no, it's fine." 

More silence. 

The tree that marked Zecora's home couldn't appear fast enough, and when it did, Gilda picked up the pace and was thusly the first to arrive. She clenched her fist and wrapped on it several times. After a couple seconds of silence, she wrapped again. 

Nothing.  "Come on come on where are you?" Gilda hissed. Behind her, Gabby sat and curled her tail around her paws n claws, her wings covered herself. 

Gilda went to wrap again and the door swung open almost violently, to reveal a very tired and frustrated looking zebra mare. Her mane was frazzled, her fur was matted and she looked like she'd been in a deep sleep. Drool was still on her chin.

"What and who is making such a racket!?" She glared at Gilda and then Gabby. For a second, she merely stared, and then she sighed, rolled her eyes, and swung the door open. "Come in, come in, no more sleep shall I get, until I fix your issues within." 

Gilda wilted under the glares she kept getting. "Er, sorry but it's an emergency...Like, a big one." 

Gilda entered, and then Gabby did so too, but she stayed far away from Gilda. Gilda did likewise. Zecora went to her cauldron, peered inside and grimaced. She pointed to Gilda. "Toss this out into the wilds, do not get it on your claws, lest they need be immediately filed." 

Gilda very carefully hefted the cumbersome cauldron and took it out the door. After walking a few yards from the house she poured it into the bushes...which immediately died, withered up, and turned bright neon red, in that order. She backed away from it and returned the cauldron to it's resting place. 

Zecora was waiting with several potions and herbs. She yawned, peered into the pot, shrugged, and started pouring water into it from a large gourd. 

"Charge you extra I will for such an untimely call." She said the first part while glaring at Gilda. Then she leveled the stare at Gabby who warbled nervously. "This issue of yours, you must learn to fix or it will be your fall." 

Gilda frowned. "Well, I mean it's our heat, we can't just get rid of it like that." 

Zecora waved a hoof at her and scowled. "Bah! Your eyes are not blind, so use them and see, the answer to both your problems lies right in front of thee!" she slowly pointed from Gilda to Gabby. "Secrets and mysteries are all well and good, but hide too long from the simple truth, and it will end up doing what it should." 

She poured the last potion in and began stirring. "Whether you like it or not." She grumbled. 

Gabby lifted a claw in confusion. "Um, that didn't rym--

Zecora flung an empty gourd at the hen who ducked and chirped in surprise as it flew out the window. "I am an old tired mare, who right now, reeeeeally doesn't care."

Gabby and Gilda dared glance at one another before Gilda shrugged and they watched.

The first time they came to her hut, Zecora had gotten rather invasive under their tails for the purpose of the beads. This time she surprised them. After about ten minutes of silence and brewing, the concoction she'd crafted turned into a clear, almost water like substance. Zecora poured a small dose of it into little cups and hoofed one to each of them. 

"Now. drink."  Zecora said with frustration. 

Gabby and Gilda looked from the cup to each other. Gilda pointed. "Uh...will this activate the beads or something?"

Zecora merely blinked at her. Gilda wilted. "Okay, okay, I'm drinking...jeez." 

Together they sipped the potion, gagging in kind as it hit their taste buds. Gabby set her cup down first and stuck her tongue out.

"Oh that was absolutely horrid, Zecora. Why do all your potions taste like shit?" 

Gilda's eyes widened as Gabby clapped a mouth over her beak in shock. Gilda laughed. "W-wow Gabby! I never expected you to sound so rude, that was kinda hot!"

Her own claws clapped over her beak in shock. Why did I say that!?

Zecora smiled, placed her hooves under her chin and sighed. "Now, what is going to be said and heard in front of me, is not going to ever leave this tree." She pointed to the two hens. "What are the secrets that you've both sown, that you don't want the other to know?" 

Suddenly both Gilda and Gabby spoke at the same time.

"I know you're the mystery writer and my secret lover!"

"I love you and I always have!" 

Zecora smiled and stood, already thinking of her still warm bedding upstairs. "Now, was that so hard to--"

Both hens started screaming.
> Written in our hearts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda desperately shoved her way past a thick branch, panting for air. The coniferous needles poked through her fur and feathers as she moved through the dense cover. An irritating sensation to be sure, but outright ignored as she scanned the area. 

"Gabby!" She screeched into the dark. "Gabby please, come back!" She warbled. A moment later, nothing.

The woods around her were dense, ominous, and had an ever present scent of doom and gloom to them. Gilda heard noises the hen was positive she didn't want to know the origin of, emanating all around her. The trees were warped into strange intimidating shapes, the wind had scents she was unfamiliar with, and the flora varied in colors and designs ranging from  ooh that is pretty to I should never touch that.

some times it was both.

She ducked her head low, walking forward and sniffing at the dirt, grass, and loam, but came up empty. It was entirely possible the forest was purposely hiding Gabby's scent from her. That fucking zebra had shouted as such to Gilda has she'd bolted out the door after her friend. 

Gabby and Gilda had screamed for several seconds inside Zecora's hut after consuming the potion, before Gabby had made a break for the exit. Gilda had been so shocked by the outcome of the potion, so scared of talking or moving that she'd simply sat there for a few seconds staring at where Gabby had been. 

Zecora had chosen that time to touch her shoulder, no doubt attempting to part some stupid pony wisdom or whatever.

She'd socked Zecora right in her snout, ending any attempts. She did it so hard in fact, the zebra had crashed backwards into her cauldron, spilling the potion everywhere. While the damn mare lay there holding her bloodied muzzle in her hooves, Gilda had ran outside and started looking around for Gabby. It was then she learned a nasty fact about the Everfree forest. 

If something or someone in these woods wishing to hide away did so, finding it was nearly impossible. Gabby was in a blind panic, scared, and trying to do exactly that. Gilda saw it all dance across her friends face before she'd vanished. 

A growl leaped from her beak and the hen lifted her talons to slash a nearby tree, but then frowned and lowered it. Better not piss off the magic forest more...She'd learned that the hard way the first time she punched a tree. It had immediately twisted, groaned, and slapped her hard in the chest with a gnarled branch, bowling the griffon over several times until she'd smacked into another tree. 

She stopped for a moment and rubbed at the bruise on her sternum, knowing it would be sore for a while. Gilda slumped to the ground in a sitting slouch, her wings drooped. The primaries got dirt on them but she paid it no mind. She needed to find Gabby. 

"Damn forest, just LET ME GO TO HER!!!" She screeched in anger and pain, slamming her paw into the dirt. The trees gently creaked and swayed in the wind. Gilda wrapped her wings around herself and gripped each forearm, shivering in emotional stress.

"She's...She means so much to me..." Gilda felt the beginning of tears on her eyes and clenched them shut. "I have to help her, damn you." She whispered. "Gabby is...I love her, okay?!" she snarled up at the canopy. Getting back on her paws, she kept walking. 

"I fucking love that hen and she needs me right now!" She pushed through some unruly bushes and flinched back immediately. A patch of blue flowers about forty feet across had come into view. Poison Joke, a flower you really didn't want to tangle with, dotted the area in large patches. Tiny glowing motes of light floated up away from the plant, giving the whole area a magical, but creepy vibe. 

Gilda slowly went around it and her eyes caught sight of the stars above. She grimaced. there were two things she'd learned about the Everfree forest. One, you probably shouldn't fly in it or around it. Weird stuff happened to flying creatures when in the proximity of the forest. The other was don't touch the flowers. Several other flowers, not just Poison Joke, inhabited the forest and not all of them were just existing for a good laugh. Gympie Gympie for example was one she'd already seen a few times, and she very adamantly avoided it. 

The opening in the trees made Gilda pause for a moment, she watched the galaxy above shimmer and sparkle. She even caught a shooting star as it streaked out of sight. Gilda had never put much faith in  their wishing lore...but right now?

Please...please just let me find her and see she's safe... Gilda thought as the ghostly remains of the star faded. a couple seconds later she continued, sniffing occasionally, but coming up forest. Her search caught sight of movement nearby and she narrowed her eyes as a timber wolf came out of the shade of the trees. Judging by the size, scent, and color, it was a male, juvenile, and he seemed alone. He tilted his head at her and yipped lightly, curious. 

After no reply, he took a couple steps closer.

Gilda let out a primal snarl and flared her wings. The beast immediately wilted and shied back into the cover of the trees, but stayed. It's glowing eyes watched her as she glared back. She wasn't in the mood for a fight, anything she fought right now would need several doctors to patch em up. Snorting and closing her wings after a moment, she moved onward, passing the blue flowers and heading deeper into the woods. 

She kept growling though. That damn zebra had ruined everything! Why did she have to do that anyway?! It wasn't in her jurisdiction to do it, and that drove Gilda over the edge in fury. Rearing up, the griffoness roared, flapping her wings in rage and slashing her talons through the air. 

Birds flew from their nests, the timber pup, having gotten closer, took off like a shot, yelping with his fern tail tucked between his legs. Small critters evacuated the area, such a roar leaving Gilda panting, growling and tired. 

The forest fell quiet around her. She blinked several times, her cheeks were wet. Lifting a claws to her beak, the hen wiped at them even as more tears came down her cheeks. Gilda let out a choking sob and hunched over herself.

"G-Gabby, dammit...why...why can't you l-let me love you..." She whimpered. She lifted her beak and screamed again, this time in sorrow. 

"I know you, Gabby!" She cried. "I love you! A-and I...I know you're hurting and I-I want to help! Let me help you!" She stood once more and panic set in. "J-Just come back to me! Let me explain!" 

The hen ran through the brush and around trees, hopping over logs, and searching around large rock formations, hoping desperately that her eyes would spot movement, that Gabby would merely be around the nearest bend. That she'd be waiting and Gilda could pull her close.

She wasn't though and Gilda screeched in desperation, a cry similar to when a mother hen has lost her child. Gilda had never made the sound before, but it felt right. It felt so damn right in her heart and she did it again. 

"Please...Gabby I can't, I can't take this!" She warbled weakly as her steps took her over dirt, then stone, then...shaped stone? 

Gilda blinked in surprise, and slowed to a stop. Down around her feet, cut stones, old and worn down, but definitely pony made, stretched half visibly out in front of her. This was some kind of ancient road.

Sucking in a haggard choked breath, she started following it. The road led down a sort of clear winding path, the occasional tree base breaking up the stone work with large root structures. At one point the canopy opened enough for her to see the stars again, and she sighed, wiping at her cheeks to clear up the wetness. 

She knew vaguely about Gabby's past with her horrible father and the terrible things he'd done to her, so it made sense that Gabby was afraid of deeper love...but couldn't she give Gilda some credit? She wasn't like that, she wanted nothing more than to love and protect Gabby. 

Maybe that's how her father said it too. His atrocious actions had conditioned her to believe love was painful. Gilda thought as she meandered down the path. 

I guess that means anything I do, I need to do it slowly. Gabby isn't remotely ready to handle ...well,heavier stuff. Gilda felt her rear end spike in sensations at the thought of mating. Those feelings fell away pretty quickly though. Gabby was no where near ready for such things.

Gilda let her eyes wander over each stone as she walked, her vision catching the subtle differences between each slab. The road told her an interesting story. 

The road had been through a lot. Built by masters of their craft, the stones had once been precisely placed next to one another. With time and neglect, they now were upturned, damaged, or cracked. Worn down by weather, eroded by mother nature's ever growing strength.

Gabby was similar. While her road might look better, the path she'd taken, no, the path she'd been forced down, was filled with bumps, damage, and misaligned feelings. She put on a smile to hide the cracks, she assisted others as much as she could to hide that she needed help, and she kept it close to her heart to hide from the pain of acknowledgement. 

Gilda warbled quietly as she moved, realizing that the best thing for Gabby, might not actually be just her. 

"With all this fear, she needs to see a professional about it. Someone that can guide her and ease her pain so she can accept it and move on..." Gilda murmured. "Or work with it, I guess the pain never really will go away, but I hope I can make it easier for her."

She stumbled suddenly when the road dropped a bit. looking up she found herself at a cliff side, the old bridge had fallen into the depths below a long time ago. Gilda saw beyond the crossing point was a massive structure, ancient and also worn down by time. 

"Some sort of fortress, looks like." She mumbled. Rainbow Dash had said once that there were some ruins in the Everfree forest, but Gilda hadn't really been listening at the time. They held little importance to a griffon after all, but what was important to Gilda at the moment was that the fortress was a potential place Gabby might have disappeared to. She easily flew over the gap in the cliff side, and then made her way up the steps. At the doorway she felt hope surge in her chest.

There was a small dark feather just in the doorway, and it looked like the door had been firmly moved not to long ago. Leaning closer the feather, Gabby's scent filled her beak nares. She nearly screeched in joy, but then caught herself. Gabby would be scared, flighty, and wanting space most likely. Bursting in there all bombastically would scare her off again. Taking a moment to compose her self, Gilda calmly entered the area and looked around. 

The main hall was in shambles from years of misuse. Tapestries that once held colorful hues were faded and ragged. One side of the hall was blown outward from some kind of explosion. The burn marks around the lower stones still attached the wall gave that way. A couple nearby bookshelves still stood amazingly, but their contents were well beyond dust. An old set of doors on both sides of the room led deeper into the structure. There were two stair cases that curved around the room to connect to one another, on a raised platform. Two thrones, one marble white, and the other, onyx black, sat empty. Above them, a pair of large banners swung, the faded symbols of the sun and moon being their only noteworthy designs. 

Gilda opened her mouth in a slow exaggerated "oh" shape but made no sound. She knew where she was now. The ancient pony capital. 

Extra time spent scanning the area proved fruitless. No other signs of freshly moved objects , paw tracks, or stray feathers gave Gilda any information on where Gabby had gone. 

Had Gilda missed her?  

She grit her beak, clenched her talons together, and flexed her wings a little. "No, don't give up, this place is massive, she might be somewhere else inside." 

Deeper she went.





An hour of searching gave Gilda hope that Gabby had indeed passed through the castle. Her scent was present in several rooms, her paw prints had come into view after a couple hallways had passed by, giving Gilda the impression that Gabby had flown down them before landing. A knocked over suit of armor in one of the more untouched hallways gave her more confidence that Gabby was still present.

Then she saw light from a nearby doorway. Crouching and slinking up to the ancient wood, Gilda peered through the crack. The room beyond was old like everything else but there was a pile of hay as well. Dusty old hay it might have been, but it made for a bare bones nest at a moment's notice too. Gilda knew of mother hens that still gathered twigs and hay when they were nearing their nesting cycles. A deep instinct to build a nest out of natural implements from their avian sides, a trait that Gilda hoped she personally didn't have. 

Gabby lay in the nest, curled up tightly and breathing slowly. Gilda gently eased the door open and crept inside. Taking care to close the door all the way without much noise. No point in finding Gabby only to let her escape again. Gilda then dropped to her belly, and lay down in front of the door. Resting her head on her claws, she simply watched Gabby as the hen slept. She saw puffy cheeks, dark stained feathers, and erratic twitching, it all told Gilda that they had both been in pretty deep turmoil. 

She must have fallen asleep from the stress. Gilda thought. She curled up too, trying to look as calm and comfortable as she could. She could tell sleep was coming to her as well. 

Not sure how long we were out here, but it's late now... She didn't want to go to sleep, she wanted to make sure she was awake when Gabby woke up, so they could talk...but not much later she ended up drifting off against those wishes.

"Love you, Gabby" She murmured as she fell away to dreams.





Gilda woke maybe a couple hours later, to the feeling of fur and feathers gliding over hers. She blinked blearily and lifted her head to find Gabby had gotten up, crossed the room, and was shuffling up against her side as carefully as she could. The hen was already crying, sniffling, and warbling lightly as she gripped Gilda's wing gently around the edge and drew it over her side. Gabby then cutely nosed her beak under Gilda's left forearm so it draped over her shoulder, and pushed her nape against Gilda's neck feathers. The smaller hen's head came to rest gently under Gilda's beak. Gilda lowered her head in the same motion so it felt natural, and Gabby didn't seem to notice.

Gabby sucked in a shaky breath, and started talking quietly, unaware that Gilda had woken up.

"Y-you damn hen...you damn wonderful, perfect, terrifying, glorious hen...why can't I just have you? I need it...I need your strength, your confidence, y-your love." Gilda watched as Gabby not once looked up at her and noticed she was listening.

There is so much pain in your eyes Gabby.I want to take it all away and give you those things.

"After he...a-after what he...I-I couldn't...I just couldn't let anyone close, I couldn't trust anyone. I lost faith that other griffons were safe. Everyone could be the same, ya know? The other toms might just see me as a toy...a plaything, l-like he did. A-a means to an end...he always said." She murmured. She nuzzled Gilda's neck and chirped lightly. 

"Even now, I fear your touch...but..." Gabby nuzzled a little harder.

"I...I want you Gilda...I want you to take me in your nest and love me...so much, e-every night I crave for your claws to h-hold me close...b-but then my fear takes hold and I lose control...what if...what if you are like him...and try to--"

Gilda gripped Gabby's chest with both her talons and pulled her close, startling the hen. Gabby froze up and jerked her eyes to meet Gilda's. 

Gilda stared at the wall a moment longer, then her eyes slowly slanted down to look at Gabby. They both were crying it seemed. "I'm not y-your father, Gabby." She whispered. "I promise you I'd never--"

Gabby gave a full body twitch, it was all the warning Gilda got before Gabby started thrashing in her arms. 

"Get off! L-let go of me!" 

Gilda did so without even fighting it. Her arm and talons flopped to the floor and her wing drooped as Gabby's weight disappeared. The golden hen watched as her friend and lover, in fear, fell over backwards and scooted into the corner. Growling weakly, hyperventilating, gripping her arms and wrapping her wings around herself, Gabby started crying harder.

"Y-you were awake!?" She gasped and sucked in air. "I...I t-thought you w-were..."

Gilda simply lay her head back down. "I know, Gabby...I know..." She huffed, blowing dust up in front of her in swirls. As it settled she slanted her gaze to Gabby. 

"Gabby...I'm so sorry." Gilda crooned gently, slowly sat up right but still stayed laying down. She didn't make eye contact and gently rubbed at her cheeks. "I uhm, I found out about the letters when y-you were in the hospital..." 

"W-what?"

Gilda fell silent for a time, Gabby shuffled her feathers and looked anywhere but Gilda as she thought it over. "S-so then the next letters...it was all an act?" She grimaced and glared at Gilda. "You were f-faking it, you were lying to me t-that night with the n-noodle!"

Gilda shook her head adamantly. "No, no it was never an act, Gabby. It was still real, because those letters were...are real. They are written from your heart, and the letters I wrote back were from mine. I still love reading them, because it brought me closer to understanding you. It helped me grow too." 

Gabby looked away, seeming conflicted. "I...I can't believe that Gilda, not entirely...you...why didn't you just tell me then?!" she hissed in anger. "Why keep me in the dark about it?" Gabby sniffled and wiped her eyes with a talon. "I...I even told you about h-him, you know what I've been through..."

Gilda slowly lifted a claw and pointed at her, a sad frown on her beak. "It's because of that actually...I saw you for once...for real. The real Gabby griffon. Behind those forced smiles, the over cheerfulness, I saw the real hen hidden underneath all that..." she paused just keeping her gaze locked on Gabby's. "All that fear..." She clasped her claws together, "Also, you made it pretty clear in your letters that a direct confrontation of the truth would cause this." 

Gilda lowered her gaze first. "It...it really hurt to see how scared you were, so I sought to understand why, and I needed to know more about the hen who loved me...The letters helped in that regard. Plus, you worked very hard, Gabby. You planned the letters, the drop off locations, hell, the paper was special even! Then that enchanted flower, the petals, all of it! I was...I am proud of you..."

Gilda scooted closer and then paused when Gabby flinched back. Gilda faltered and sat back down, rubbing an arm. "Look, Gabby, I'm not going to push you away. I'm not...I'm not gonna say no to your love!" Gilda stood taller but her voice remained gentle. 

"What I heard you say moments ago...You want me to love you like you said? Hold you every night in my nest?" Gilda watched Gabby's eyes track back up to hers. "I will. Gabby I will hold you and do so as long as you need or want me too! I..." She lifted a paw and then thought better of it. 

"I'm not gonna force you to come over to me, not with how you've been treated, and I won't encroach on your space right now, but...if you're willing," Gilda lay down on her belly and lifted her wing in an arch, the same way a mother would for a hatchling and then lowered her head. 

"I'd really like to hold you now...I do love you, Gabby." 

Several moments went by where Gabby went from flinching away, to trying to move closer. Her mind was so conflicted that Gilda could see the war in her friend's eyes. Eventually Gabby gabbed her head with her glaws and screeched in sorrow and fear. She backed right up into the corner, the hen vehemently shaking her head. She started sobbing into her claws, curling into a ball. Her wings shook and the feathers rattled as she cried.

"I-I can't! I can't d-do it!" Gilda started crying harder too, just watching her friend. Gabby screeched again. "I...I can't...I can't...not yet...please...no..."

Gilda rest her head on her paws and sighed. 

"O-okay, Gabby. lets...let's just take t-this slowly alright?" She lowered her wing and warbled sadly. "I'm here for you, you're not alone...not anymore..."

Gabby sobbed harder. "I...I wanna hold you...I really do, l-laying next to you on the train...it felt so wonderful..."

"But..." Gilda said quietly. "You need time...right?" 

Gabby vigorously nodded. "T-too much pain...too much fear....can't...can't escape it..."

Gilda sighed and slowly sat up. "Okay, then I'll give you as much time as you need. We are running on high emotions due the heat cycle anyway...so...maybe some space is a good thing...I don't like it, but we'll work it out."

Gabby gave Gilda a very weak smile, it felt forced, but in her current position, Gilda would take what she could get.





"Thank you very much, come again." Gilda said quietly. She barely made eye contact with her customer. Her heart just wasn't in it today.

No shit my heart is upstairs in Gabby's room.

The griffon across the counter, an older tom with dark purple plumage that visited often, tilted his head at her in confusion.

"Erm, of course, First Pillar..." He stood there a moment longer, enough for it to be annoying, before he turned and left the café. Gilda grumbled something unacceptable for customers to hear and then slipped back into the kitchen. 'Going through the motions', a term that she'd heard when a creature was mentally lost, came to mind as Gilda worked. 

It fit too, and she hated it. The train ride back with Gabby had been very uncomfortable. Hell the walk back to Zecora's was even worse. Gabby would only let Gilda get so close before she got jumpy or tried to run away. Gilda ended up taking the lead and letting Gabby follow her back by twenty or so feet. Finding their way back hadn't actually been hard because Gabby knew how to find The Zebra's hut when lost. 

What was hard was that Zecora had been outside her hut waiting for them, intent on apologizing for her actions, but neither griffon would accept it or in the moment, even acknowledge it. 

Well maybe Gabby did, a little, but Gilda was furious with the damn mare. She was lucky one punch was all she got.

And I'm lucky she didn't have me arrested for assault. Then again she did technically drug us...so that might hold up in pony court. Who knew, who cared.

The walk into town had been better, but mostly because of how early it was. No one was even awake, and the local guard took one look at the morose pair of hens and left them alone. Gilda had murmured to Gabby that they should look into some private counseling for her, but the hen had soured at the idea almost immediately. 

"I'm not crazy, Gilda, I'm fine..." Gilda had quietly disagreed with her, but let it go after that. Arguing with a person who needed help, was a battle she didn't think she knew how to win.

They'd made it to the train station and simply sat twenty feet apart after getting their tickets. With both of them being in the full swing of their heat cycles, and not having the dampening effects of the beads, it was gonna be rough on both of them. Gilda genuinely worried that Gabby might try to take the next train, or that she'd get a ticket in a different car, but a surreptitious glance at the pay stub from the previous sale while she purchased her ticket, told her Gabby would be close by.

The train ride itself had been awkward because they'd been forced to sit a booth across from each other. For some reason, the early train that morning, had been full to the brim with reporter ponies and journalists headed to Canterlot. Something Big was going on up at the capital and they were like predators diving at easy prey. 

Which meant they wanted to talk to anyone they could, including the two sad looking griffons. 

Well one of those sad griffons became a very angry griffon very quickly after the third attempt at inquiry. Gilda was not in the mood.

A fourth attempt never happened. 

Gilda glanced at the stairs to the apartment. Gabby hadn't come down at all the next day, or the day after that. When Gilda brought her some food, the hen had said she'd already eaten. Gilda hadn't believed her until she'd been taking the trash out and caught a delivery griffon outside their house handing Gabby a meal through the window of her bedroom. 

She's doing everything she can to avoid me and it's not just because we are in heat...Grover's crown, this sucks.

Thankfully Gilda still had the special balm Gabby had loaned her, and was able to block the scent of the males that came into the café. Most of them also were well aware she owned a red brooch, and didn't try anything untoward. A couple embarrassed teen toms complimented her scent and feathers, but she ignored them. 

Gilda half heartedly started kneading at some dough on a cutting board. All she could do now was make sure Gabby knew she was safe to come to Gilda whenever she was ready. Gabby was safe in her home, in Gilda's nest, In her arms, it didn't matter where. Gilda would do what she needed to to make sure Gabby knew that. She paused in her movements and simply sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, caring little that she'd smeared flour on her beak. 

"I need to find a way to tell her." She grumbled. "Things can't go on like this." Scooping up the dough, she dumped it back in its bag and put it in the freezer box, before washing up. The bell jingled as she came back out into the main café area as a younger griffon tom entered. She blinked, she knew him, he was the griffon that worked a couple desks over from Gabby...what was his name again? 

He glanced around hopefully and then his wings drooped when he failed to find what he was looking for. He came over to the counter. Reaching into his bag, he withdrew some mail for her and handed it over. 

"Hey, um, Gilda, got some mail for ya." 

She nodded, accepting it and watching him. He sniffed the air a couple times and then blushed and looked at the stairs.

She sighed. "You looking for Gabby?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, trilling quietly. "I...I was hoping to see her, yeah..." 

Gilda grimaced as she looked over the mail. Bills, that's all it ever was. "Well she's not coming down from her room...Girl is shook up at the moment, what was your name again?"

He wilted further. "Y-you forgot my name?"

She growled. "Yes, I forgot your name, alright? Half the customers that come in here I subconsciously hear their chatter and names get thrown around as much as the dough I sling, so I tune it out, okay?" 

He backed off, putting his claws up defensively, and shuffled his wings, "O-okay, okay...sorry..." 

She raised an eyebrow. "So? What's your name?"  

He blinked and then snapped out of it. "It's Gunther, ma'am." He scratched at his neck fluff and glanced at the stairs. "Is ah...she okay? Is her injury acting up?" 

Gilda shook her head, wiping down the counter top half-heartedly. "No, she's not, and that isn't the cause of it." She too glanced at the stairs and grimaced. "A long term plan of hers was ...well utterly destroyed and it had some personal issues pop up that has her mental state very muddled." 

Gilda looked at Gunther and saw his feather droop farther. The damn kid looked like he was melting. His eyes were downcast as he clasped his talons together. "O-oh...well I hope she gets well soon, we miss her at work." He gave a small smile up to Gilda. "She means a lot to us." 


She nodded. "I know, bud, I know. She...She means a lot to me too."

Gunther twiddled his claws a second or two later before he turned and left, wishing her well. She let him go, and her eyes fell to the bills on the counter. 

An idea struck suddenly and she perked up. That was it! She knew how to get through to Gabby!

Energy quite suddenly revitalized, Gilda hopped over the counter and put the 'back in five-ISH' sign on the counter. Hopping the stairs three at a time, she burst into the living room and was thankful for once that Gabby wasn't down stairs. She slunk upstairs to her room, giving Gabby's door a glance, and finding it still closed, she slipped into her room unhindered.

She opened the drawer to her desk and pulled out parchment and several quills, two ink bottles and a dabbing cloth, before she sat down and set the paper in front of her.

Gabby wrote Gilda letters to show her feelings, and it really seemed to boost her confidence.

Gilda would do the same. Better yet, now she knew what Gabby was to her, she'd said it once before to herself too. If Gilda was a rose...

She set the quill to paper....


"To my one and only lover, and my Song..."
> Help the Hopeless
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To my one and only lover, and my Song.

You called me your rose, that enchanted flower that never wilts, never gives up. It's always a shining icon of your love for me. You shared the petals with me, and I feel that was a symbolic gesture in some way but, look, we both know I'm not really all that smart when it comes to symbolism and puzzles and whatnot. I'll just assume you had a deeper meaning behind the action, and I'll appreciate it.

Well if I'm a rose, then you are a song, one I never wanna stop listening to.

Hearing your laughter, your genuine joy? That sound makes me want to sing. I crave to stand atop the bakery roof and scream to every damn creature in this town that you are precious to me, and my mate. I want there to be no illusions as to who I am with, that you are mine, and I am yours. I'll screech it to the fucking skies and the gods that lay beyond it if that is what it takes. I ah, guess we both know now why we scream so loudly when mating with another um...ya know I don't need to say that!

Ignore that! Never mind! I've written this darn thing six times now and I ain't restarting!

Look I'm not eloquent with words, We both know that about me. I suck at this sappy emotional stuff! I love you, Gabby. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you! 

...I'm here for you, okay? 

These last few days have been really hard for both of us. I know I said back at the castle that space was probably a good thing, but dammit I hate this. I miss you. I miss your company, and I miss how wonderful it is being around you. You are my Song, you make the world a much brighter place just by being around. Your laughter and smiles are infectious and if it truly is, then I miss being sick off it! 

Look, let's lay the cards out on the table okay? You went through hell, what your father did to you? It was totally off the charts levels of unacceptable. I know you don't want me to hate that bastard but I do. His actions have seriously hurt you, and anyone that hurts you is on my shit list. Seeing you cry? It's so so painful to witness. It's like watching a cloud cover the sun on a perfect day, or seeing a batch of rose buns burn in the oven, I'm not good at this metaphor stuff. The point is, you are hurting and you want it to stop, right? You might have a lot of pain, and you might wanna hide from it, or lock it away somewhere dark, but that won't help, my Song. You aren't alone anymore! I know I'm not the best suited for this sort of stuff, but I wanna help you through that however I can. 

Which brings up a problem...

Sadly, I don't think I can be the only one to help you. You've got to talk to a professional, someone who can give you the proper help to get through this. I know you aren't crazy, that's not what I'm implying. Now, hear me out first, I don't know any professional griffon shrinks in town(don't even think we have any, come to think of it), but I do know someone who can probably help... they 've got some experience with this sort of thing, kind of, so I invited em over tonight for dinner.

If you feel up for it, I'd like to have you join us. I wanna help and this is the only way I know of doing so. If not, don't worry about it, take all the time you need. I'll be down here for ya when that time comes.

I love you, my Song. 

--Gilda Griffon.

Gabby trembled, and watched as her tears dropped from her eyes to the scroll in her claws. At the bottom of the letter was a cut out piece of paper, shaped like a musical note, stained black with ink, and roughly taped to the parchment. 

It was beautiful.

"G-gilda...m-my Rose..." She whimpered, holding the letter to her chest feathers and curling up in her nest. 





Gilda paced back and forth in a near panic, looking from the stairs, to Gabby's room, and back to the door. Their guests would be here any minute, but would Gabby appear?

A deep breath of air in, a breath out.

Smoothing her feathers down and breathing deeply, Gilda put her claws out in front of her. "Okay, okay, just be cool Gilda, be cool. You're gonna have guests, they are just like you and Gabby, nothing bad about that, it's aaalll normal. Yup, totally." 

She lowered her claws and looked at the door. The pacing resumed twice as fast. "Oooh but what if this was a horrible idea? I don't wanna stress Gabby out more! She needs to feel safe not insecure!"

Her tail flicked back and forth anxiously as the seconds ticked by. "What if I acted too soon? What if she doesn't actually need others to talk to?! I'm not a therapist, I don't know how the brain works!" She warbled nervously and then nearly jumped out of her own pelt when there was a firm knock on the apartment door.

She quickly flung it open to the surprise of Gail and her daughter Glory. Gail flinched back from the door,  lifting her arm protectively in front of her daughter, and smiled uncomfortably. "U-um hi Gilda! We got your...your invitation and...You uh, are you okay?" 

Gilda was twitching and smiling way too largely, and unrealistically. "Y-you came! That's good! Very good! yes! Good good, the best good!" She chuckled, gripping the door a little too tightly. Glory chirped and nudged her mom forward a bit. Gail shot her daughter a look but also relented. 

"Yes, we did." When Gilda laughed nervously and looked away, Gail stepped forward. "So, that's a definite 'no' on the okay part..."

Gilda lost it. 

Her wings smacked the floor as they drooped, her cheeks puffed up and she grit her beak shut before flailing backwards. Rising onto her two hind legs she began pacing again, her wings flapping sporadically.

"No! No I am not okay and neither is Gabby and we have a problem and I don't know how to fix it and  I really don't like feeling so helpless or out of control, ya know!? You're the only hens I know that are like us and I didn't want a to cause a scene but --AHAHAHA!-- I think I am and dammit Gabby won't--"

Gail leaned over to Glory and with a slightly disturbed expression, whispered "You were right, we shouldn't have brought board games..." 

Glory nodded, watching Gilda with morbid fascination. "Geez was I this bad when Grenle attacked me?"

Gail sighed and rubbed her beak nares, as Gilda kept ranting. "No, thankfully."

Gilda continued, pacing around in a circle which allowed the two other hens to at least enter the home. Glory closed the door and then nudged her mom over to the dining room table. Gilda naturally ended up pacing around it as soon as the two hens sat down.

"--And there was the whole letter thing and the rose petals and she bought me this super fancy jewelry box I can't fricken figure out and the mystery writer was sending letters through different forms of mail and I was confused and I'm still confused and I wasn't sure I should or shouldn't do this and then--"

Gail shot a paw out and clamped Gilda's beak shut making the hen warble in shock. Gail let go after Gilda had taken in at least three long breaths, and pointed to the third chair. "Girl, sit." 

Gilda didn't even argue it. She sighed haggardly and slumped into the chair, putting her claws on her head and gripping the feathers. "I...I just don't know what to do, Gail." She looked between the two of them. Gail sighed and pointed to the cabinets. 

"Do you have any tea?"

Gilda blinked. "Huh?" 

Gail ignored her confused expression as Glory got up and started rummaging around in them. While she did so, Gail grasped Gilda's talons in her own and leaned in. "Here is what you need to do first, breath."

Gilda went to protest and Gail clucked her tongue. "Ah, ah, ah, breath first. Slow intakes, slow outtakes, slow intakes..." 

She waved her paw in a circular motion and kept saying it until Gilda was finally able to calm a little. Her feathers shifted back to their relaxed states, and her eyes were no longer slits of anxiety. Glory had found the pot but was still looking around the kitchen for the bags. Gilda glanced in her direction and sighed. "T-third drawer on your left, Glory." 

Glory smiled and made an 'ah' sound, before the teen hen started pulling out packets. Gilda looked to Gail and then to their clasped claws. She blushed and pulled back slowly. Gail merely smiled and put her claws over one another on the table. 

"Now, the second thing you do, is wait for the tea, and while doing so, simply think. Reorganize your thoughts, we'll still be here waiting to listen, but only when you are ready."

The room fell into quiet from then on, the bubbling of the tea pot the only sound any of them heard. At one point Gail twitched and glanced towards the upper landing, but when she seemed not to find whatever it was she'd heard, she looked back at the table. 

Glory brought over three steaming cups and set them all out for the hens to enjoy. Gilda took hers in her claws and took a sip. Then she took another, and another, before sighing and setting the mug back down. A gentle trill of pleasure escaped her beak after running her claws through her head feathers a couple times. Next to her, Glory had pulled out a sketch book, pencil, and eraser.

"Better?" Gail asked.

Gilda nodded. "Better...okay, I don't know if you got any of that--"

"I certainly didn't." Glory murmured. Gail smiled as Gilda continued.

"--but here is the gist of it. Gabby and I are...we both are in love with each other. She's been writing love letters to me to help show her feelings."

She explained to them how the letters had started appearing, and how Gilda was left to try and discover the origins on her own. She told them of the jewelry box, and the rose petals, and then the period where she was exploring her own sexuality. She briefly spoke of Gabby's trauma, giving only enough detail to get the idea across as to what the hen had been through. Gilda didn't feel right telling it too deeply, that wasn't her secret to tell. It had to be said for Gail to get the full picture though, and Gilda explained how much fear was in the hen. She ended it with the recent situation at Zecora's and the Everfree castle. Through it all, Gail and glory listened, and she only interrupted once to ask Glory for a refill of her tea.

Gilda clasped her claws together on the table, rubbing her thumbs over one another slowly. "I wanna help her through the fear but I'm not a therapist, I have no idea how else to do this stuff." She weakly waved her paw at the other two hens and murmured, "And you two are the only ones I know who are ah...like us."

Gail was quiet for a moment, leaned back in her chair with a thoughtful expression. Gilda sipped her tea, the scratching of Glory's pencil on her pad the only sound Gilda could hear. Finally Gail sat back up and set her mug down.

"Well, this is a rough scenario, and you aren't exactly wrong about how you tackled it. I appreciate that you reached out to us, but Gabby has trauma that none of us here can relate to, so rule number one, never tell her you understand her pain. One of the best things to do is simply listen and allow them to come out of their shell at their on pace."

Gilda grit her beak teeth. "Okay I do understand that, I do, but she's been up in her room and won't come out at all! I need to--"

Gail put up her claws, stopping the hen.

"No, stop, Gilda. I know you wanna see her and help her physically, but that is probably the worst thing you can do right now.  I can say with certainty that time is one of your best allies in this situation. So while it hurts, don't approach unless she makes the effort first, okay?"

Gilda sighed and nodded. "Kay." 

Gail reached over and gripped Gilda's talons, squeezing gently to reassure her. Gilda smiled back and nodded. Then Glory set her pencil down and the pad, and spoke.

"Well for the letters, I think it's a great idea. It puts the ball in her court, and lets her react in an environment she feels safe in."

Gail nodded with a beaming smile. "Yes! Rule number two, help Gabby feel safe and secure, without coddling her. Bringing her food is good, and personally I think it's a sweet gesture from a potential mate, but see that you don't do that all the time. Doing it too much, can hinder her confidence and keep her locked away. If she doesn't have to change the status quo, why do so?"

Gilda nodded slowly here eyes darting back and forth across the table as she thought. "Okay, okay so I keep writing her letters, reaffirming my love and that I'm here for her, but I give her space to come out on her own and I let her  approach me, I got that part." She looked to Gail. "Then what? She needs to go see a professional of this stuff, but I asked around town as carefully as I could, and we don't have anything like that here."

"We should." Glory murmured with a scowl. "Lotta birds here need it."

Gail frowned and looked to her cup. "Indeed, whoever moves in here with that job will have their claws full for quite a while. Still..." She glanced at Gilda with a worried expression. "Gilda, please don't get me wrong here, I think everyone who goes through this kind of thing, should seek out help, but it's not really that simple."

Gilda frowned as she stood, walking to the tea kettle to refill her drink. the hot murky liquid in her cup barely reflected the worry in her eyes. "How so?"

"You can lead a pony to water..." Glory murmured into her cup as she sipped.

Gail nodded to her daughter. "But you can't force them to drink."

Gilda looked between the two in confusion. Glory sat up and tapped the table with a talon. "It's like this, ya have a person who needs help, and sure, you could drag them, kicking and flailing to that help, but if they don't accept it, or outright refuse it? Did you really help them or hurt them more?"

Gilda groaned. "But the easiest thing to do would be to accept the help! That's what it's for!" 

Glory looked off to the side and furrowed her brow. "Oh yeah, a lot of things would be easier, but not necessarily the best thing for you." She gripped her cup firmly and growled lightly. "If only some things weren't so hard to accept..."

Gilda watched the hen for a moment, and then looked to Gail. Gail had drooped her feathers a bit, and was watching her daughter with a pretty good helping of sorrow in her expression. It was here Gilda realized she might have stepped from one fire, in to another. She never questioned if the two hens had their own issues to sort out.

"...Glory...is right, Gilda. Easier doesn't always mean better. You have to let these things happen slowly otherwise they can damage relationships irreparably. No griffon wants to truly be alone though, and I know Gabby cares about you, she looks so much happier around you, but getting her to see that is the real challenge." She sipped her tea and then set it back down, and to Gilda's confusion, Gail leaned slightly over and looked past her with a gentle smile.  

"Isn't that right, Gabby?"

Gilda whipped her head around so fast her neck muscles protested. 





Gabby stood at the foot of the stairs, in the shadow of the kitchen light. Subconsciously rubbing her forearm with the other, staring at the three hens with her wings fluffed out. A failed attempt to make herself look bigger. Two of the other hens present were naturally taller then her, where as Glory was about the same size. It wouldn't work and yet her body still tried, making her look like a fluffy pile of hen.

They had been talking about her. She was able to hear the conversation the moment she'd cracked her door open to peek out, and had heard Gilda's panicky squawks of worry. She thought she was stealthy, but hadn't made it two feet before Gail had looked up her way. Gabby had smooshed herself to the floor, trying to use the natural shadows of the upper landing in her favor. 

It had failed too, Gail stared right at her for several seconds before she simply smiled and turned back to the table and kept trying to calm down Gilda. Gabby waited several more seconds before she dared move again. She had to see Gilda, she needed to hear what the hen was saying. Something drove her to seek it out and whatever it was had overridden her fear--ran it completely over more like it-- and allowed Gabby to pluck up her courage.

The letter was still tightly clutched in one of her talons. She'd read it over and over again, each time her fear dwindled and her heart lifted a little more. The word's she'd written were genuine, from the heart. Gilda was a terrible liar, even when she wrote stuff down. Gabby could tell when Gilda was lying a mile off and the hen hated it. She couldn't keep any secrets from Gabby.

But you kept secrets from her... Gabby froze on the upper landing as her inner thoughts tried again to rear their ugly head.

No! What I withheld wasn't some simple secret I should divulge to everyone! 

Her thoughts fell quiet. She took several slow breaths, lifting her foreleg and running her claws through her chest feathers as her pony friends had taught her. The cutie mark crusaders had been studying meditation once while she'd been around and they ended up teaching her a couple calming techniques that really helped when she was stressed or frustrated.

Or scared. They definitely helped when she was scared. 

Her claws sifted higher through her neck feathers gently, triggering a tingle that washed up her spin to her nape and then ran back down it. She loved that feeling. She wasn't sure what caused it, but whenever she'd hear certain sounds or touch particular textures, it would trigger the pleasant sensation. Apparently it had a name but she couldn't remember. All she knew is it helped her calm down, and that was what mattered.

She resumed her stalking after a moment. The letter crinkling in her grasp. It was such a wonderful letter too, Gabby loved how Gilda couldn't articulate her words well, but still managed to get her point across. It was so cute! 

Gabby carefully began taking the stairs one at a time, both to reduce noise, and to put less strain on her right leg. She could see Gilda's hind feet, hooked around the chair legs tightly, the claws flexing in and out. The lion eagle's large tail fluff flashed into view as it twitched back and forth.

Gilda was anxious. Gabby had slowly learned all of the hen's tells when she was upset or bothered by something. It helped Gabby react accordingly. Her cheeks flushed as she thought of the first letter she'd written to Gilda. The expression on Gilda's face was forever etched in Gabby's mind. 

She was so flustered, I loved it... 

Gabby paused half way down the stairs as her heart fluttered. She wanted Gilda so badly to love her, to hold her close and snuggle her into submission. She knew it was a deep desire  to be loved like that...but then just the thought, the very feeling of another griffon's weight on her back, pressing into her fur, trapping her wings and pinning her down?

It was terrifying. She shuddered, the warm flutter in her heart dying like a candle in the wind. He loved doing that...pinning me down and then...so heavy...

Grover's wing tips, she could still feel him! Still feel the weight of his hips on her rump, the sharp claws on her nape, the dirty carpet in her beak nares, or the scent of his drunken breath...and that laugh, that horrible laugh as he hurt her repeatedly. Gabby slumped against the wall and grit her beak as tears threatened to escape. Her wings wrapped around herself without her command and she shook. Her claws lifted and clenched into her arm so firmly it hurt.

He's gone! He's gone he's gone he's gone!

Every night, sleep was fleeting and rare for her if she was in his house. She never dared to call it a home, it never was anything close. She never knew when he would come for her, or what demands he'd make. She never had time to prepare, his whims were as random as his drinking habits. As long as they were indoors, location didn't matter either. The bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen, the basement, the stairs, no where was safe. Nothing mattered to him but his booze and access to her.

I'm not your father, Gabby.

Gabby blinked as the crystal clear voice of Gilda smashed through the horrible memories like a sledgehammer through old glass. Her shuddering halted for a moment as the memory of the castle in Everfree came back to the forefront of her mind.

Gilda hadn't forced her to do anything then, and she hadn't pinned gabby down under her wing when Gabby had panicked. Gilda had spoken honestly, and invited her back to her side. Even when Gabby couldn't do it, Gilda hadn't pushed the matter. 

I love you Gabby, you are my Song.

The heart flutters returned. She was a song! A beautiful song that Gilda wanted to hear over and over again. Gabby clutched the letter tighter, the little paper music note from before now tucked safely away in Gabby's chest fluff. Gilda was an anchor, a monolith of comfort that Gabby could lean on when she felt like she was falling backwards.

I'm tired of falling.

Her leg lowered down to the next step. 

I know I'm not crazy, Gilda. I know I need help, and that scares me...it scares me so much.

Another step was passed.

I want to heal. I need to have your love to get through this!

The last step to the stairs was met, and Gabby gulped, before stepping onto the carpet and turning to face the dining room table. Gilda hadn't noticed her yet.

But she has noticed you. She wrote you the letter. She searched for you in the forest. She found you, the REAL you. She didn't run away like you feared. Gilda stayed, and doesn't that show her love is genuine?

Gabby took in a quivering breath as Gail said something to Gilda, and then immediately turned back to look at her. 

"Isn't that right, Gabby?"

Yes. Yes it was. It wouldn't be easy, it would be the second hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.

But with Gilda by my side...it will be easier.

Gabby slowly approached the table, and made eye contact with Gilda, those beautiful glimmering circles of molten gold stared into hers with so much love, hope, and worry. Gilda carefully got up and then was surprised when Gabby surged forward with a choking sob, and lunged into her chest. Gilda immediately hugged back, chirping and warbling softly into her nape.

"It's okay Gabby, it's gonna be okay, my Song. I'm here for you." Gilda whispered. Her talons pet Gabby's nape and head, just under her pony tail. 

Gabby cried into her chest feathers, her claws gripping Gilda's sides desperately as she furiously nuzzled into the fluff. She whispered one muffled word. 

"H-help."





When Doctor Ivy Mind was made aware she had new patients, she had been expecting ponies to say the least. Her room was furnished with many equine based books, and pony comforts. Over eighty percent of her patients were ponies after all, so it made sense. She was one of the best in Ponyville, also one of the only ones in Ponyville, so it was a little skewed in her favor. Still, she had worked hard to show her skills, and encouragement from her fellow colleagues in Canterlot had eventually trickled down to her. 

More of them were needed down here though. She was only one unicorn mare after all! 

So to say she was surprised to see a pair of griffon hens sitting outside her establishment that Monday morning, was a bit of an understatement. She was shocked. Griffons were among the highest rate of creatures that refused therapy or help, there were even books on how to help them without making them think you were! 

The birds were stubborn, but she made sure to school her expression when she reached her door that morning. It wasn't uncommon to find a patient or two outside her door before opening, most of the time the stallion or mare needing a quick little session to get their bearings or get some assurance that their continued appointments were helping.

Patient self doubt in her field was a job killer in the literal sense. She smiled gently to them as she unlocked the door, allowing them into the lobby. A medium sized room with several windows, and three exits for patients who were feeling trapped. The walls were painted a light cream color, and several children's drawings were pinned to a cork board on the right. Six or so chairs sat along the walls on both sides of the room, twelve total. Ivy had never had that many patients in the lobby at once, but it never hurt to be prepared.

It was Ponyville after all. She was thankful she hadn't had a disaster befall her shop yet...

The hens didn't come in at first and that was alright, she surmised that they needed some time. 

"It's alright, take your time, Gabby. We talked about this on the train, remember? We are gonna do this at your speed, not mine, okay?" She caught the bigger hen whisper to her friend.

So the big girl is the support, and the smaller one is the possible patient, good to know. Discerning that early always made it easier to handle both sides of the equation. Ivy flipped through her schedule and found she had several openings today, which was a relief. She'd have to take some time reading up on griffon mental research before working with the hen. 

I will need to request some books from the library. She jotted down a quick note and then lit her horn, opening all the doors and windows as a precautionary measure. 

If she feels she needs to escape I don't want any shattered windows or doors. Ivy looked herself over as the lioness eagle hen came into the doorway and looked around critically. Her golden eyes tracked over the room slowly, her sight landed on Ivy who nodded and smiled. The hen nodded sharply and leaned back out the door.

Protective posture blocking the door, strong stance, but slightly anxious, wings half open in defensive posture. The other one is smaller, are they possibly related? Sisters maybe?

Ivy readjusted her navy blue scarf, pulling it tighter around her shoulders. Her mane and tail, light mint green with a silver stripe starting next to it, were combed and clean. Her coat, an almost pale blue white color, was well maintained and groomed. Her horn was sharp and smooth, and her hooves pristine. Good, it wouldn't do to look unkept to a potential patient.

"It's okay, Gabby, the room is empty, cept for the Doctor. The doors and windows are all open too." 

Her voice is soft, and she's doing what she can to be as non confrontational as possible, hmm.

Gabby came into view slowly and paused on the threshold to the lobby. She was looking around cautiously, hiding literally under the bigger hen's wing. Her body was tightly pushed up against her female friend and she seemed jumpy. 

She is scared.

"Uh, hi there, Doc." The big one said with a wave of her claws. 

"Hello there, feel free to enter at your own pace, this place is safe for all." Ivy said quietly. The hens nodded and Ivy stood and picked up some papers from the counter. "I need to go prepare some things, but will be back out in a few minutes, alright miss...?"

"Oh um, I'm Gilda, and this is Gabby." Gilda pointed between the two of them quickly. 

Ivy nodded. "Are you here to sign up for my services?"  

Gilda nodded and after a moment, "Yeah we ah, we both are."

Gabby chirped in confusion and looked up at Gilda. "Y-you don't have to--"

"I do." Gilda said gently, nuzzling the top of Gabby's head. The hen's pupils rapidly shrank and she flinched away from the touch like she'd been nipped, then seemed to frown in frustration at her own action. Gilda frowned too, but Ivy saw it was more of a sad one. Gabby finally entered the room and walked up to the counter. Gilda followed before reaching Ivy as well. 

"Gail said it would be a good idea to join you in these sessions, and lets face it, I'm also in need of a session or two." Her voice was soft, and gentle, like she was talking to a foal. 

Interesting... Ivy looked between the two for a few seconds before she slid over two clipboards with the proper paperwork. "I'll be happy to help any way I can. The sign up is free, as is the first three sessions, then the bill is paid at the end of each session beyond that." She looked to Gilda with a smile. "And if you would like to sit in on her sessions I'll need authorization from Gabby before allowing it, okay?"

Gilda nodded and accepted the clipboards. "Thanks."

Ivy watched as Gabby shook herself out from under Gilda's wing, noting that the hen's body was quivering. The two quickly became separated as Gabby sat on one side of the lobby, cradling her clipboard in her arms, seeming to hide in her wings. Gilda sat down on the floor on the other side, with her back to Gabby, her clipboard rest on the seat cushion in front of her.

Every couple of seconds one of them would glance over at the other. Gabby kept touching the spot she'd been nuzzled, her expression warring between happy and fearful.

Gabby has issues with touch, noted. Ivy quickly made her way to her office. Cleaning off a portion of her desk, she added to her note asking for any books on griffon psychology and known mental symptoms, and then magically sent it away to the library with a spell. 

They would get back to her rather quickly, the library assistants were very proactive in their jobs. While this took place, she tidied her desk, and then double checked her schedule, noting that her first planned patient wasn't until one in the afternoon, giving her plenty of time to work with the two new arrivals. Ivy scribbled in some side notes about that particular case, before she lit up her horn and entered into the side room.

With her magic, she attacked her main session room with gusto! Foals toys and children's books were removed and replaced with magazines on travel, home décor, golf, and even a couple on flight and mountaineering. With illusion magic, the walls changed from frilly children's colors to deep greens, muted reds, and a pale cream in between them. The carpet color changed to a sturdy brown, and the cushions went from fluffy to faux leather with soft square pillows. A snow white throw blanket was pulled from a nearby travel trunk, unfolded, and draped over the couch the patients usually sat on, just in case. The last touch she did was adding a large stuffed rabbit plush that after a moment's hesitation, she placed in the center of the couch. They were griffons after all, maybe a prey animal in their area made them feel more in control?

She smiled and then focused harder, closing her eyes. The air hummed around her with energy as she cast a room wide enchantment. The scent of the room changed to a loam forest, pine needles, sugar pinecones, moss, light rain, and fresh dirt. These were all scents that now permeated the room. She smirked at her work, Illusion magic went a long way in the therapy and psychology field. It was great for setting an atmosphere. 

She was lucky she'd visited Griffonstone once or twice, otherwise she'd have to have guessed on a more appropriate setting for--

The bell out in her lobby dinged loudly a couple times, making her ear flick in the direction of the noise. She nickered lightly, spinning around and exiting her office.

That was quicker then I expected.

Closing the door to her session room, Ivy trotted back into the lobby and put a gentle smile on her face as Gilda slid both clip boards over to her. Gabby was a couple steps behind her, looking around nervously. Ivy took the clip boards in her magic and started reading them over.

No previous therapy from either of them, so first timers. That's not really surprising, with them being griffons and--Oh! This Gilda is the one who owned that bakery in their city, she had lovely scones...Ivy made a note to compliment her on the work she did. It certainly had made their city feel more civil. 

Her eyes scanned further down the page.

Hmm, neither one of them have insurance...I'll have to see about verified payments from Gilda after the third session then. 

Her eyes widened a bit as she read their reason for coming in. 

Gilda's paper said: Here to help my friend and mate through her trauma, and maybe get some advice on how to help her on my own? Also um...some other personal stuff...

Well that last part wasn't very helpful, but she'd had patients put down absolutely nothing in this section before and she still managed to get the info out of them in a session or two. It would just take some gentle poking.

Gabby's said: ... ... ...I was...hurt...by my father...a lot...rape.

Ivy lowered the clipboards a little and peered over them at Gabby. Now the little things she'd noticed made much more sense. The poor girl was traumatized. Gabby had also given Gilda permission to join in her sessions. It also explained how protective Gilda was being.

Ivy set the clipboards aside and summoned a calm smile on her face. "Alright ladies, everything looks to be in order. There is just one more thing I need from you, Gilda."

Gilda had been watching Gabby, the hen had gripped Gilda's tail tuft and was gently nosing it with her beak. She blushed, and looked back at the unicorn. "Y-yeah? What's up?"

Gabby noticed Ivy watching her and quickly let go of Gilda's tail, blushing as well before rubbing her arm with her claws. 

"Nothing much, I just noticed neither of you have insurance, and I will need you to fill out one more form for me, okay? It's a financial slip that lets me mark your business down as verified payments, but that will only happen if we go beyond the third session. If you do go beyond the third session, then you'll receive a bill slip in the mail." 

She handed the slip over and wasn't surprised when Gilda snatched it out of her magic with a grumble. "Right, this costs money, I almost forgot about that part."

Well I guess it's true what they say about griffons, they are greedy with their bits. Ivy smiled apologetically as Gilda groused over the paper. She watched Gabby during this time, noting how the hen would get close to Gilda, and then flinch away. She'd reach out her claws and just subtly touch Gilda's wing, side, or tail, and then almost immediately wrench her claws back as if bitten. Other times she'd make solid contact and seem to be able to handle it, but only for short bursts before her shivers became visible and she pulled back once more.

This might be a harder case to work through then Ivy thought.

Gilda slid the paper back and after Ivy checked it all over, she smiled to them both. "Okay, right this way ladies."

The two hens entered into her office and looked around. Gabby was super cautious, sniffing, hissing, and waiting until Gilda had fully entered before she dared cross the threshold. Ivy went behind her desk, and waited patiently as the two examined her room. Gilda sat down in front of Ivy's desk and folded her arms. "S-so how's this work exactly?" 

Ivy folded her hooves over her desk. "Well first, I ask you both a few questions, and so you're both aware everything we say in here and in the session room is confidential. I tell no one about what you tell me, alright?"

When Gabby had sat reasonably close to Gilda and they both seemed to nod, she started.

"Alright, first question. Gilda, you put on your paper work that you are Gabby's friend and her mate, how long have you guys been partners?" 

Gabby looked rather bothered by that question and hissed at Gilda. Gilda shot her hands up placatingly, before looking at Ivy. "W-well we aren't really...not yet? A lot has happened in the past few days, It's complicated. Just say we are close friends?"

She wasn't apparently asking Ivy, but Gabby. The smaller hen huffed and mumbled something under her breath that only Gilda caught, and Gilda nodded. "Y-yeah, okay, close friends, maybe more." 

Ivy nodded slowly. "Uh huh, okay. Second question, Gabby, you said here your father figure hurt--"

Gabby growled loudly and Ivy put her hooves up quickly. "I won't say any further on that, I promise. I just need to know if they are unable to get in further contact with you. I take my patient's safety very seriously." 

Gabby looked away and whimpered. 

Gilda answered for her with a growl of her own. "He's six feet under, and that isn't deep enough in my opinion."

Ivy blinked for a second and then nodded and scribbled something down. "Oookay, last question." She steepled her hooves together. "Considering the severity of your circumstances, do you want to do the first session together or separate?" 

The mare quickly held up a hoof to stop them both from interrupting, and continued. "Please be aware that my job is to help you, not diagnose your problems, or force you to talk about them, I will never do that. I do not guarantee success either, sometimes this helps, other times it doesn't. What I will do is assist you in coping with the pain, listen to you, and offer aid in working with your scenarios." 

Ivy lowered her hooves. "But to do that, I will have to poke in some very personal places, and that can be painful. I ask if you want things separate in case there are some topics you don't want your friend to know in great detail."

Gilda and Gabby looked at one another. Gilda slowly opened her left wing and let the primary feather come close to Gabby's side. "I'm willing to weather this, if it helps you. I can do either or, so it's really your call." Gilda looked to Ivy, "We can always change it if things go badly right?"

"Of course, that is quite common in fact. We can also end the session early or let it go longer if I don't have another session stacked after it." 

Gabby reached out and stroked Gilda's feather before gently gripping it. She warbled weakly and smiled. "I don't wanna keep anymore secrets...so...T-together..."

Ivy went to answer when a large swath of blue magic smoke sifted in through the underside of her door way and floated up the the desk. Gilda and Gabby stared at it with hissing and growling. The smoke dematerialized with a POP and four books landed on her desk with a dull thump. The threat no longer present, the two hens bristling lessened. Ivy shook her head.

"Sorry, I forgot to warn you of that. These are so I can study griffon psychology a bit more, to help you both." She stood and walked around the desk, closest to Gilda, "Why don't we have our first session then, please follow me." 

The session door opened with magic, and Gabby's claws wrapped around Gilda's primary feather a little tighter. She got a reassuring smile from her Rose, and Gilda's Song nodded. Stepping forward into the room, they began the first steps to healing.
> Time heals what it can. Love does the rest.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"True healing of a damaged heart can be as simple as offering your hand for that heart to rest in for a while." 




Ivy closed the door to her session room and watched as Gabby and Gilda slowly walked down the hall together. Gabby was firmly huddled under Gilda's left wing, shaking and crying quietly into her friends' neck fur as they walked. They had just finished their latest session together and things had gotten pretty rough. Gilda paid close attention to her friend, warbling quietly and comfortingly, occasionally murmuring words of encouragement. This had been their sixth session, and it had been rapidly getting more and more apparent to Ivy that Gabby needed this desperately. 

The poor hen had been traumatized by her father for several years as a hatchling, and then as a teenage hen. It showed in many ways as they did each session. Gabby refused to leave Gilda's side when they were in the session room. She would panic quickly if Ivy got too close, and second guessed her own words repeatedly whenever she spoke. Constant aversion of eye contact, repeatedly apologizing, frantic fidgeting, and many other signs that told Ivy a painful story. Any attempts at touch had to be initiated by Gabby and her alone, on top of this she would get flashbacks of her trauma very easily if Ivy asked the wrong question or prodded too deeply.

A whole list of trigger words had been rapidly collected that she now had to carefully dodge around when she needed Gabby to stay calm and push forward. She'd given a copy of the list to Gilda as well. The lion hen had seemed relieved just to have the paper to physically hold, let alone something to refer back on to help her friend. Some of the topics being talked about had very easily boiled Gilda's anger, but she'd done a good job of not taking over during the sessions. 

It had taken three sessions alone just to get Gabby to not panic and attempt to flee the room. The extra doors and windows of Ivy's establishment had definitely been a good idea. Two of those sessions had taken place far from town, in a wooded park area. Ivy had also discovered she personally needed to do more cardio. Finding the hens had not been all that hard, but oof, they could get places a lot farther away and quicker than she could. 

'As the crow flew' indeed.

As she read more up on griffons and their mental states, she had only grimaced deeper. Gabby was going to be among the hardest patients Ivy had ever worked with. Sure, she'd helped rape victims before, and knew how to work with them for the most part, but not griffon victims. The books she'd collected from the library had a scant few useful suggestions on how to handle the hens, and the worse part was that as she worked with them, she realized that not many of the options the books gave would help Gabby, thus Ivy was outpacing the previously collected information. It was a problem because now she was charting new territory. 

With any new patient, this wasn't a very good thing to have happen. She'd been open and honest about it, informing the girls about their predicament, but the girls seemed to shrug it off a little too easily, unknowingly showing Ivy their ignorance on how troublesome that was going to be for Ivy. Gabby was tentatively coming out of her shell. Each session they broke new ground, however long it took, but with Ivy flying blind, things got tense. Ivy would never tell Gabby this, but the mare was personally horrified by the things Gabby had talked about. Her father was a truly dark individual that had cared for himself and his booze above all else. As a therapist she knew there were things in the tom's life that had led to him being that way, and part of her was morbidly curious about it. How had he gotten to where he was, and all those kinds of questions. 

In the end however the curiosity had slowly burned away with her internal anger. Gabby had been hurt so badly and so many times. Griffon society was taught literally to turn a blind eye from other's problems. Gabby's own neighbors had apparently seen her getting abused on multiple occasions, and from her recounting of the incidents, they had simply scowled at her and closed the curtains to their homes. Even when she was outside and her father would drag her by her nape in his talons, the young hen kicking and screeching in terror as he yanked her back inside the house for "another round", as her father seemed to say, other griffons passed the crying hen by, acting as if she didn't even exist!

Gilda had clarified later that things in Griffonstone had improved since then, but Celestia help that tom in the afterlife, cause he was gonna need it. 

Then there was Gilda. To Ivy's immense relief, the larger hen was far easier to work with in each talk. Most of their personal sessions had been about her personal reactions to Gabby's memories she would recount, and Ivy would sit for hours, letting Gilda talk her way back to a state of calm. Gilda also brought up internal paranoias, doubts and fears, and questions about how she thought. Her sexuality came up a few times, mostly showing her insecurities over her standing on who and what she was. Her fears of outer judgment  though, seemed high on her status of worries and Ivy was more than capable in helping Gilda see new perspectives, to help the hen reach more positive ones. Gilda was already pretty confidant in her sense of self, but needed some guidance on how to keep those feelings going when others outside her came into her space. 

Ivy's head and ears drooped as the hens vanished from sight and she heard the door jingle, signaling their exit. She needed a cup of strong coffee, a long break with a nice book, and a comfy place to snuggle down. That session, Gabby had brought up one of her worst traumas with her father, where he'd invited othersto the house to take part. Gabby had grown so riled up in fury she'd completely destroyed the couch, slashing into it and snarling the names of all the toms she'd dealt with throughout that horrible day, and night, and the following morning. 

Gilda had intervened when Gabby had looked at the nearby bookshelf with a surge of murder in her eyes, snarling something about "horrible toms, book shelves, contortion," Her talons had done this rapid twitchy movement that sent a primal shiver rocketing up Ivy's spine. Something about that little movement was the sign of a predator seeing prey and Ivy's pony mind had not liked it one bit.

The two hens had gotten in an honest to Luna brawl, right there in the session room. Gabby had flailed at the shelf, her claws out trying to shred the books and shelving units. She kept screaming obscenities about "trophy hens', lecherous old toms, whatever a "cum dumpster' was, while Gilda (as gently as possible) had gripped Gabby around her midsection with both arms, pinned her wings to her back, gripped the smaller female's nape in her beak, and tried restraining Gabby down to the floor. 

After a two minute tussle of wings flapping, screeching, snarling, claw swiping, legs kicking, and one solid punch to Gilda's beak on Gabby's part, Gilda had successfully gotten Gabby pinned by her good arm behind her back. Both hens were crying, panting hard, and in Gilda's case, she was warbling and crooning loudly above Gabby, physically resisting the urge to nuzzle her friend, and repeatedly apologizing. Gabby had devolved into chest heaving sobs. Her claws scratched deep into the floor as the hen's eyes had scrunched tightly shut. Hard tears had streaked down her cheek fluff and peals of screeching rattled Ivy's windows, the hen roared her pain into the carpet several times, shouting about her fury at her father, his so called buddies, and the way she was treated. 

Several long, painful minutes had drifted by while they cooled off, but eventually Gabby's crying had dissipated into hiccups and soft warbles, as her friend shifted her into a comforting hug. It was here that Ivy witnessed for the first time how affectionate Gilda could be, how much she cared for her friend. She'd stroked Gabby's nape just under her feathery pony tail, whispering gentle words to her friend and rocking back and forth rhythmically, holding the smaller hen in her big wings, even as Gabby buried her beak in the hen's neck and chest feathers, mumbling her words deep. She balled her fists up and slammed them down onto Gilda's chest a few times in muffled fwumps of fury, through it all Gilda endured. She then let Gabby go when the panic and fear rose up from being touched, and she was there when Gabby came sobbing right back into her embrace when she needed it.

Ivy had never seen griffons fight before, whether it be for dominance or something else, but it had been terrible to witness, and the scene had left the mare shaken up and her session room in pieces. The session had of course, immediately ended after that. Ivy had said her apologies for dredging up too much, and Gilda had done everything she could to comfort Gabby as the hen tried her best to shrink and hide under her friend's wing. 

Ivy later learned after gabby had calmed down, what the home book shelf at her father's nest had been improvised into and she wrote several new trigger words and items on her and Gilda's lists. She also gained a new hatred for the deceased tom. She also later removed the bookshelf and replaced it with an improvised nest of blankets and pillows. 

The couch had to be taken to Sofa's and Quills for extensive repairs. Ivy never charged for the damages, and Gilda was grateful for it even if she never said it aloud. 

Still, given their circumstances, both in the home and outside of it, Ivy had supported their idea of moving somewhere...nicer. Somewhere the girls wouldn't be so harshly judged for their interest in each other. Somewhere they could be themselves and not have to question if their neighbors and fellow griffons weren't going to constantly harass them. Ivy had also given them directions and a business card to a couples/sexuality specialist in Canterlot who could help Gilda and Gabby with their budding relationship if they needed or wanted support there. 

The two hens had blushed and looked away from each other, but Gilda hadn't turned the info down, so it was a step in the right direction, Ivy hoped.

As she sat at her desk in the room over from her destroyed session room, She looked out the window and watched the hens as they walked towards the train station. Gilda was still holding Gabby close, and saying stuff to her. Gabby had her head leaned in against her friend's neck feathers, eyes closed with a sad expression on her face. 

But Gabby's tail of all things, said all Ivy needed to know, to reassure the mare that the sessions were genuinely helping. 

For both griffons, their tails were gently entwined together, the fluffy tufts brushed against one another as they walked away.

Gabby knew she had help now and she was reaching with both talons for the offered help.





Gilda gently closed the door to their apartment and slid the lock into place, as Gabby quietly prowled her way upstairs without a word. Lifting her claws up to her head crest, Gilda ran her claws over the feathers gently, trying to calm her frayed nerves as she smoothed them back into place. She was a little frazzled by the day's events, but for some reason, she was also smiling. Her heart was fluttering lightly in her chest as she watched Gabby reach her own bedroom door, and the smaller hen looked back down at her. 

A small and fragile smile, but a true one, graced her beak, before Gabby disappeared inside. Gilda sighed in relief and went into the kitchen, and slumped in a chair at the dining room table. Her wings drooped to the floor and she dropped her head onto her crossed forearms. Gabby had, for the first time during their train ride back home, cuddled up against Gilda, under her wing, and didn't pull away. She had burrowed close, occasionally nuzzling her beak into her friend's side fur and warbling quietly as she rest her head on her claws. Gilda had even gotten a couple short moments of preening to Gabby's nape without the smaller hen jumping or flinching away.

It had felt wonderful. Amazing how a few moments of vulnerability and trust in one another could open worlds of joy and comfort for those who needed it. Gilda felt like a dehydrated flower that had been given water it didn't know it needed. Just being able to lay next to Gabby on the train, close and intimate, had sent her heart leaping from it's cage in absolute elation.

The trips to Ponyville were long, taking up most of the day to get to, do the session, and return home, but getting Gabby to go to each session was easier than Gilda had thought they'd be. She seemed to genuinely want the help, as long as Gilda went with her, and as an added benefit the therapy had also been helping Gilda figure stuff out about herself. 

The first thing she'd learned, was that she hated being judged by others. She already knew this about herself, but it took actually hearing the words come from some one else, to fully realize what it was doing to her mental state. It really bothered her that other creatures opinions of her meant so much to her, especially after she'd told Gabby that she didn't care about such stuff. She really did, and she wanted to fix that. Gilda craved approval and recognition as an individual, and to lose that from her peers, was something she feared. To change this, she had to get a different perspective on her reactions to external influences. 

Ivy had been that new perspective. She'd not so much pushed the topics, but with a deftly placed inquiry, the topics shifted to what needed to be said, and Gilda liked how deceptively helpful the sessions were. Ivy was capable of coaxing out the really important stuff, the real reason they were there at all, out of her patients without doing much. A lot of it seemed to simply be repeating the statements Gilda or Gabby would say, but phrasing them as questions, to reaffirm the subject matter, and from that simple touch, the flood doors of truth would burst open of their own accord.

More than once Gilda found herself simply talking about a troublesome topic without even realizing Ivy had gotten her to do so. It actually amazed Gilda how powerful Ivy's influence was on the hen and she started taking a liking to the mare for her skills. 

"Ivy literally grew on me, heh." Gilda murmured with a grin. "Why are ponies always able to make puns of their own names so easily?" She chuckled and burrowed her beak deeper into the crook of her foreleg. The warmth was lulling her into a calmer state, and she subtly started purring.

She rest there for almost an hour, sort of lapsing in and out of consciousness as sleep fought to drop her into dreams right then and there. She let the sounds of the house dance around her as she relaxed. The drip of the sink that she always said she'd fix but never did, now maybe she wouldn't. It wasn't an actual problem as she thought about it, it was an assumption that such a tiny thing was a problem. The groaning of the support beams in the walls, was now more like a soft murmur in her ears, and the wind outside pushing against the kitchen window acted like a casual creaking conversation heard from far off. 

Moments of simply listening are rather nice, Gilda hummed in thought. I should do this more often...

Gilda would have probably drifted off to sleep right there, had she not been nudged into wakefulness by Gabby. The hen had snuck downstairs and gotten right next to Gilda. So calm was the larger hen that she'd subconsciously mingled the paw padding sounds, the creak of the stairs, and shuffling of Gabby's feathers right into the house's natural noises. Gabby was holding a small stuffed green and purple dragon plush, held in the crook of her good wing. That plushie prodded some part of Gilda's memory, but she couldn't place where she knew the dragon from. Gabby was rubbing at a sleepy closed right eye with one hand and looking at Gilda with the open left eye. 

"Hey, I didn't wake you did I?" Gabby mumbled. 

Gilda waved her talons in a back and forth motion. "Nah, I was just resting up for a moment. I was only here for--" Her eyes found the nearby clock and she stopped talking. She'd being resting at the table for two hours!? Her head crest drooped a tad.

"Uh...okay I didn't think I'd been here for that long." She slouched a bit and stared at nothing in particular. "Maybe I was more tired than I thought." 

Gabby lowered her gaze, shuffling her wings. "Was it cause we fought?" The plushie shifted in her wings grip, the head flopping to the side as if personifying Gabby's question. 

Gilda frowned, and stepped a little closer, noting that Gabby twitched but didn't back away. She dared to get close enough that Gabby and her were a foot or so apart. "Gabby, don't worry about that, that wasn't your fault." She chirped a little loudly, making Gabby actually look up at her instead of the floor. Gilda smiled but in a sympathetic way. "You're going through some really hard memories, reacting how you did today was natural, or so Ivy told me. We have to let you come to terms with...all that stuff, in your own way." 

Not exactly the best way to phrase it but Gilda was drowsy and not in a mood to really try for accuracy. She knew Gabby liked it a little blunt at times. Nothing to hide from, that way. Gabby seemed to understand and nodded. "Okay, still, I'm sorry for punching you..." 

Gilda blinked and then subconsciously lifted her claws to rub at her cheek. "Its fine, I certainly didn't expect it, but you have one hell of a left hook." She blushed and went to say more, but Gabby's stomach suddenly growled in protest and the hen seemed to come back to her senses. She laughed gently and walked past Gilda, setting her dragon plushie on the table before hopping up into the seat. 

"Oh, um, thank you. Could we maybe have dinner? I fell asleep in my nest, woke up a few minutes ago and ah, realized how hungry I was..." Gabby blushed and covered her beak with her left hand and looked at the floor again. Her chest fluffed up a little as she fought to continue. "You um, your cooking is really good by the way, and I like it." She eeeped out with a tiny squeak. 

Gilda subtly tilted her head a little at the compliment and blushed in return, she opened her wings a bit, warbling gently. "Th-thanks, Gabs, that means a lot to me. You um, want anything specifically?"

Gabby lowered her claws and shook her head. Her smile slowly increased as normalcy returned to the conversation and her neck feathers relaxed more. "N-not really, would it be okay if you surprised me?"

Gilda grinned, gaining her usual mojo back. "Oh? That's giving me a lot of power, I might make something spicy!" She turned around and walked to the fridge, opening the door and peering in to see what they had for options. Hmm, the fridge did need restocking, but she could work with what she saw, maybe a meaty stew. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Gabby's gaze roaming over her body and she purred confidently. 

Gabby caught her looking back and immediately looked away with a blush and light little whimper. She drummed her claws on the table and tried to act normal but it completely failed. Gilda paused and thought back to something Ivy had suggested she try in one of their previous one on one sessions that might help Gabby gain some more confidence. 

"Gabby?" She said quietly, now looking back into the fridge. She reached for some meat on the lower shelf. purposefully lowering her front and elevating her rump. She swished her tail to and fro, and purred more when she saw Gabby started staring again. "You ah, do know it's okay with me if you look at me like that, right?"

Gabby sucked in her breath and barely whispered. "...W-what?" she looked away and covered her face with her claws trying to hide her increasing blush. "I w-wasn't trying to--"

"Gabby." Gilda said again, watching as Gabby peeked from behind her claws. Gilda then stood back up and set the meat on the cutting board and pulled a knife out of the block, slowly and carefully slicing into the red chunk. "I said...it's okay if you look at me like that." She paused in her slicing and felt her own blush increase. Gilda let her feathers fluff up and her wings opened slightly. She tilted her head to the side so she could see Gabby, watching her with wide eyes. "I um, I actually like it when you admire my body." 

"EEP!" 

Gilda watched as Gabby's wings both rapidly extended to their full length and her neck ruff popped out completely. Gabby's face was red as could be, and the hen opened her beak and closed it, desperately trying to get words out but failing hopelessly. "I-I-I wasn't...you can't just come out and--GILDA!" Gabby shrieked and clenched her claws into fists at her sides, She hissed as Gilda giggled and went back to her cooking. 

Gilda said nothing, and merely focused on her work. She pulled more foodstuffs from the fridge, and set a pot on the stove, the whole time, she dipped her front end, fluttered her wings, and sashayed her hips. Occasionally she'd stretch a leg a little farther then was necessary, allowing Gabby a peak at her teats lower down her belly. As she was doing so, she heard subtle little gasps, 'oohs', 'o-oh my's' and even purring come from behind her. 

Gabby was certainly enjoying the little display. When Gabby couldn't hold back and chirped loudly in approval, it made Gilda look back. Gabby had covered her beak with her claws in shock and had looked shocked at her reaction, she then then quickly hid behind a wing. Something in Gilda twitched in the primal part of her being and for some deep reason, Gilda just knew she was actively starting a courtship dance for Gabby. Judging bythe smaller hen's reactions, she was hitting all the right buttons. She purred loudly without even meaning to and spread her hind legs instinctively. Gabby suddenly chirped again in reply. 

Maybe I should lift my tail so she can get a full view of my--A loud choked gasp cut her thoughts off and Gilda looked back, that gasp hadn't sounded like a good one.

Gabby was no longer in the now spinning chair anymore, she was bolting for the stairs. 

"OOOhhhmygodsiamsosorry! Igottagotothebathroomi'llberightback!" Gabby practically wheezed the words out in one breath as she disappeared in the weirdest crouch/waddle/prowl Gilda had ever seen, up the stairs faster then she probably should have safely with her previous injuries. 

Gilda blinked in confusion for several seconds, the stirring ladle held aloft and dripping a few times in her talons as she stared in confusion after Gabby. She looked to the chair as it toppled over, a small puddle of clear liquid staining the sitting spot. "What, what just happened--" Then her beak nares flared as a new smell assaulted her senses. 

The scent that now permeated her beak was NOT from the cooking food. She felt her own wings explode out right along with her own neck ruff. Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd done to Gabby.

"Oooooooh...uh, o-oops?" She said aloud. 

The food was momentarily forgotten as Gilda peered around the kitchen wall to the upper landing. "Um, s-sorry Gabby!" She yelled.

Gabby made no intelligible noises from the bathroom, but Gilda could hear a few of the noises she was making and it made her wing muscles tighten harder, knowing what Gabby was...taking care of. 

Gilda walked rigidly back to the food with firm steps, and held her forehead with three claws and grit her beak as she stirred the stew. 

"Dammit...I totally ruined that moment..." She grumbled and smacked the counter with a fist. "I was trying to relieve her stress not increase it!" She hissed.

Gilda stared at the stew for a second, watching the bits of meat and veggies float in and out of view, before she blinked in a moment of realization, "Huh, I guess I relieved something...heh." 

Then she immediately slapped her forehead. "Gah! That was terrible!"

A heavy screech of pleasure broke through the bathroom door and reached Gilda downstairs. The hen blushed as hard as she could. "ah shit...I am never living this down am I?"

The answer was another screech of muffled pleasure from upstairs. 

Maybe I can die by drowning in stew...Gilda thought as she hid her red cheeked face in her wings and claws.





Dinner had been awkward, but also not unpleasant. Gilda had finished all the prep work while Gabby took a quick shower and freshened up. When the two re-met back in the kitchen, eyes were averted and wings fought to stay at their owners sides for several long minutes. Gabby cleaned the chair, wiped down the table, and then sat back down. Gilda poured two bowls of the stew and reaching the table, slid one bowl over to Gabby, murmuring another 'sorry' before sitting across from her and blowing on her food. 

A slurp here, a slurp there, the occasional glance at each other, immediately following by looking away quickly. 

Gabby swallowed her fifth or sixth bite, and then smiled. "It's um, it's really good."

Gilda nodded  and replied a little too quickly "Oh! y-yeah, I uh...added pepper?" She stared at her bowl in a moment of serious confusion.

Brain, what the hell was that? 

Gabby feigned surprise, picking up her spoon and slurping the liquid. "O-oh? Nice touch, I um...I like pepper, it's...not salt?"

Gilda blinked a few times and quickly slurped up another bite, "Mm hmm!" 

....Yeah shit was awkward.

The two hens continued to eat in silence for a time, before Gabby tried again. "S-so...uh, its Sunday tomorrow, are you gonna open the bakery?" 

Gilda set her spoon down on the table and nodded slowly. "Uuuh yup, I kinda need to, gotta make more bits and all, right?" She quickly felt her worry spike as Gabby quirked a brow. Gilda held up her claws defensively "N-Not to say we are low on bits or anything, we most certainly aren't! I just...it's...the correct answer to...your..." Gilda lowered her gaze and flexed her claws a few times. She sucked in a breath and let it out, she hated this stupid tension. Griffons walking on eggshells around each other felt like a horrible metaphor for their species but damn was it currently accurate!

"Okay fuck it, I'm sorry I did that you, okay?" She said bluntly. 

Gabby blushed very brightly, but nodded. "Um...kay." 

Gilda stood and grabbed her bowl, walking to the sink and placing the bowl under running water. She gripped the sink with both hands and flexed them. "I just, I felt confidant about doing that sort of thing, ya know?" Her tail thrashed back and forth frantically. "I just figured...It felt right! We had a bad day, mostly, not all, and we needed something to take our minds off the stress, right?"

Gabby was quiet, and that didn't help Gilda's stress levels at all. Gilda stared out the window and ran her claws through her neck fur. "I mean, I've never done that sort of thing for anybody! So it was all on the spot, now that I think about it, my moves probably weren't that good, which means it wasn't a good courtship dance to begin with--"

"I liked it."

Gilda kept talking, her voice picking up and cracking slightly. "I mean doing that sort of thing? It scares me, okay?! I probably broke so many mating ritual rules, are there even rules for a proper courtship dance? I don't know! what  if I--"

Gabby stood and walked closer. "Um, I liked it, Gilda. It wasn't--"

"What if I did some taboo movement that males are supposed to only do!?" Gilda flailed her arms in the air frantically. "Is that even a thing? Female to male dance moves for mating?! Does it send a bad message? Grover's balls! If I did do that, I don't even now what movement meant what! She whipped around intending on Begging Gabby to say something, anything!

And promptly lost her voice as Gabby snapped her claws out and clamped Gilda's beak shut. 

"I...liked it." Gabby murmured after a moment. Gilda finally heard her and blinked in surprise. 

"Mu iid?" Gilda muffled. Gabby giggled and let go of Gilda's beak. 

"I did." Both hens blushed and shared a moment of peace as they looked in different directions and shuffled about. Gilda went to speak but Gabby beat her to it. "It was genuine, I could tell you were doing each move with purpose, you  might not have known what you were doing, but um...you wanted me to watch..."

Gilda's eyes widened more as her beak slowly opened. "Y-yeah, Yeah! Yes I did!" She laughed shortly "Ha! My courtship dance worked?" 

Gabby titled her head to the side and nodded. "Yes?"

Gilda laughed more and did a little hopping pitter patter dance in place. "Ha ha! I did a proper mating dance!" She lifted her head up and warbled excitedly to the ceiling. Gabby felt her enjoyment of the scene before her rise, as she watched her friend slowly come to a stop, and blink in confusion as her mind caught up with her body. 

Gilda suddenly furrowed her brow and looked at her feet, like they'd personally insulted her. "Wh-why the fuck am I so excited about this!?"

Gabby clapped a paw over her mouth as she fought not to laugh. Gilda looked so perplexed by her own actions. The bigger hen flapped her wings several times in energetic confusion, fighting back her smile. "I don't get it, what is this? I...I wanna keep dancing!" She hissed and then flared her wings open to their fullest. Here eyes found Gabby and a weird sensation traveled over the smaller hen. That gaze...there was something primal about it. Gilda was staring at her with the eyes of a griffon who had found something...shiny. Gabby watched in rapt attention as Gilda puffed out her chest feathers, strutted in place, and then...chirped several times in a strange musical pattern. 

Gabby's muffled giggles died in her throat as it happened. Those odd sensations returned full force. She sat up straight and cocked her head at Gilda almost comically. Both hens felt something they'd only rarely experienced bubble up in their chests. Primal Urge. Gilda chirped the same notes again more confidently, and stood, slowly drawing her wings up and circling Gabby. 

Gabby in turn felt a deep need to return a reply to the strange noises and movement. She lifted her head up, trilled, warbled, and chirped back several of her own musical notes in rapid succession and Gilda's reaction was immediate. The bigger hen repeated her chirps with more energy, adding a few of Gabby's notes to her little song, and then Gabby responded, mixing Gilda's in as well.

The understanding of the situation was known to the hens, but lost in the moment. They both knew what was happening, and neither fought it.

Closer and closer the two hens circled. Their eyes never leaving one another's as the songs mixed, and became one. Their wings brushed against each other and sent electric sensations slipping down their spines, and a little voice in their heads screamed to keep going. That what ever this urge was, it was RIGHT.

Another shared song note, louder, extra energetic, and more in sync. Closer they drew to one another. 

Wing primary feathers entwined and grasped together like long talons, another song, even closer, so close to being right. 

One more song, now sung at the same time, their heads tilted to the ceiling, chins inches apart, as their talons reached up and closed together with a mirrored set of claws, the two hens breast feathers blended in a mixture of color as their chests pushed into one another. 

The song slowly, and gently fell away to be claimed by silence, as their beaks lowered, passing by their counterpart in almost perfect sync, to brush softly, tender as snow falling to the forest floor, against each other. Deep vibrations were sent over to one another as their throats emitted heavy purring. Eyes opened, they gazed into each other other silently for several seconds before Gabby leaned forward and Gilda opened her mouth in confusion as their synchronicity suddenly broke.

"Gabby what--"

...

...

...

There are no words that Gilda knew she could use to accurately describe how beautiful a first kiss is. If ever there were a pure and perfect thing in their world, that was deserving of being protected and never tarnished, Gilda would forever claim after that night, that it was Gabby's kiss.
> Music from a Flower
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thanks for your patronage! I hope you enjoy the scones!" Gabby said cheerfully, waving from behind the counter. The hen and her two chicks smiled back quickly and then exited to the outside area. The snow was starting to melt as spring came in, and both hens had woken up early before dawn to clear off the outside sitting tables and chairs. Almost all of them were taken up at the moment, proving their intuition was correct. Business was booming right now. 

All the inside tables were near to full, and a couple times they actually had to tell patrons that they were out of seating space. It was a pleasant change of pace. Both hens had been busy all day, making it go by quicker than usual. Behind Gabby in the kitchen, kneading more dough for a sixth batch of baked goods, was Gilda. A happy hum in her throat—most definitely not a purr—could be heard as she worked the material. Purring was too intimate of a sound, and Gilda would still tell others she did not purr.

She started tearing the dough into chunks, shaping the little globs into more appealing forms. She knew it was a horribly hidden lie, those that did know her closely knew she purred when truly happy, as most griffons did, but it still was a touchy subject for her. A small section of her pride still existed deep down inside her that said purring was for dweebs.

Gosh, I haven't called any one a dweeb in a long time. She smirked and set three little rose buns on the baking sheet, brushing each one with butter, before grabbing more dough. Her tail tuft flicked back and forth in contentment behind her as she thought of why. 

My life has only improved ever since I moved out of Grandpa Gruff's nest. I love the old buzzard, but man he was holding me back. Three scones were slathered in meat spread, some bacon bits sprinkled in, and then folded closed and set on the tray. She grabbed the remaining dough, flexing her talons into it and loving the sensations it gave her claws.

And then Gabby and I... Gilda fought back a blush as the kiss from a few days ago warmed her heart. We... We kissed. Grover's wings, I never knew what that was like.

She paused, and looked at Gabby as she stood at the counter, her claws tip-tapping on the counter top as she waited for another customer to come in. Gilda felt her neck feathers ruffle up slightly in joy as Gabby looked back and their eyes met. Gabby smiled brightly and gave a little wave.

That kiss had been like lightning in a storm, lighting up everything Gilda had not known she was missing out on. She wanted to be struck by that bolt of love over and over again. She waved back, and then hissed when the dough stuck fast to her claws and she nearly dropped the blob. She flailed, making it worse as she tried to save it from hitting the floor. She managed to, but in doing so succeeded to some how get a small dollop of the gooey stuff on her head. 

Gabby laughed and pointed to her. "You um, you're supposed to bake the dough, Gilda, not wear it." She hid her giggles behind her claws. Gilda harrumphed, but smiled. 

"Yeah I know! Go back to gawking at customers would ya?" 

Gabby stuck her tongue out in reply but it was also with a poorly hidden smile. With deft claws, the glob was removed and Gilda preened her head feathers for a moment. Things were slowly returning to normalcy. while it had only been a few days, Gabby was smiling more. Gail and her daughter Glory had visited the café today, and quietly congratulated the two on their success with the therapy. Glory had chatted it up with Gabby while Gail snuck Gilda some strawberries from her garden. Neither of them were told about the kiss though, Gilda and Gabby fearing it might get out to the wrong birds was a big worry now for both of them. 

Gabby had even stayed out of her room for most of the day previously, only slipping in for a couple hours of rest. Griffons needed cat naps after all. She had spent most of the day simply hanging around Gilda, occasionally slipping close for a hug or a nuzzle, but never more. It was pretty obvious that while amazing, the kiss had been a rare moment, a break in Gabby's mountain of fear, and not something Gilda should expect more of, or something she should try for. She wanted to—oh boy did she ever— but things were still rocky. 

A rainbow might be pretty to look at, but it's only there because it's raining elsewhere. Gilda thought with a wry smile. She could tell Gabby was trying to keep it all together. Setting the biscuits on the tray and glazing them with butter, Gilda then slid the tray into the oven and closed the lid. 

"Take care, thanks for stopping by!" She heard Gabby call out as some customers left. Maybe she should take a page out of Ivy's book, and gently nudge Gabby. Standing from the oven, Gilda walked over and poked Gabby's shoulder, getting her attention. 


"Hey Gabs, can I pull ya into the kitchen for a sec?" She asked quietly, watching as Gabby's smile wilted a bit but never left her face. 

"Sure Gilda, what's up?" 

The two walked back into the area the customers couldn't see, closer to the back door and Gilda made sure she was smiling genuinely, a little worry in her facial features as she did so. Ivy said Gabby was very good at detecting fake emotion, and that Gilda should be as honest as she could be. 

"I ah wanted to ask how you're holding up. You doing okay?" 

Gabby immediately rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, I'm fine Gilda. You don't have to check up on me constantly, okay?" 

Gilda spotted the little twitch from Gabby's cheeks as she tried to hide her discomfort. "I'm sorry Gabby, I don't wanna act like Ivy, but she said it would be a good idea to check in on you from time to time, and you've been smiling... a lot. I just wanted to make you weren't masking your emotions is all."

Gabby frowned, her chest fluff puffing up a bit in defense, "Now wait a darn minute, they were real smiles! Don't tell me you're scrutinizing my facial expressions now! I don't need two therapists to—

"A rainbow appears because it's raining some where else..." Gilda cut in, watching as Gabby's eyes widened and she fell quiet. For a few seconds neither of them spoke, and then Gilda leaned in and warbled lightly, a gentle crooning sound that pulled Gabby's gaze back to hers. Gilda made sure she spoke softly. "I'm not trying to be another therapist, Gabby, my Song, I just want to make sure you know I'm here for you when you do need it, ya know?" 

Gabby's eyes lowered, her voice fragile as she rubbed her healing arm and looked away. "I... I know." 

Gilda nodded after another moment. She tried to perk up with a small smile. "Well, okay then, if you say you're alright, then I'll take your word for it. lets get back to work, I've never had this many customers before." She passed by Gabby, close enough to let Gabby stealthily lean into her side as she did so. "I don't want em breaking anything out there, or they are gonna pay for it." 

Claws gripped around her tail tuft, stopping Gilda in her tracks. She glanced back and found Gabby gently holding her tail, the smaller hen was petting the tuft slowly and warbling softly. "Gilda..." She whispered. "M-My Rose?" She whispered the last part like a question, worry in her eyes. She wanted to verify the claim it seemed. Gilda smiled back to her and whispered.

"Yes, my Song?" 

Those were definitely the right words to use, because Gabby fluffed up and had several moments of trouble breathing, quick little gasps as she tried to normalize her intakes. Gilda watched, doing what she could to keep smiling. She hated seeing Gabby so scared just trying to have a heartfelt moment with another griffon. 

Gabby gently squeezed Gilda's tail tuft, and a real smile graced her lips again. She looked her Rose in the eyes, more confidence present than worry. 

"T-thank you. N-not everything is fine, so um, can we talk tonight?" She paused, "M-maybe... in your nest?" Watching Gabby's head and beak nearly disappear into her increasing fluff was adorable.

Gilda blushed as well, nodded. "Yeah, let's do that." 

The little trills of happiness that escaped Gabby's beak were the best music to Gilda's ears. 

When they exited back into the front area it was perfect timing because two familiar griffons walked into the café at the same time. One was Gunter, the young male tom from the post office. He was super excited to see Gabby and they both chirped happily to one another and scooted aside to have their own conversation. The other was Grandpa Gruff, sour and grumpy looking as ever. He growled at the younger tom to get him to move aside, but when Gunter didn't notice, he then slipped around the two griffons and met Gilda at the counter.

She and him glared at one another as was tradition. "Gilda." He said with a curt nod. 

"Grandpa Gruff." She snipped. They glared for a few more minutes before Gruff smirked, "Still got the family glare in tip top shape I see." 

Gilda rolled her eyes, but it was with a small smile. " It was the only thing ya bequeathed to me upon my leaving, so of course I do, you did it to me all the time when I was little. Now, are ya here for some coffee and a scone or are you here for a chat?" She emphasized both parts and Gruff looked behind him at Gabby. She was reading over a letter with Gunter and humming in thought, Gilda loved how she always put her claws to her chin when she was deep in a think mode.

Gruff leaned in conspiratorially and whispered behind a palm "How about we go with both." 

Gilda nodded with a frown. "I see, I'll try to get Gabby somewhere else then." She went to speak with Gabby but found Gunter and her heading to the door all on their own. Gabby looked back with a grumble. "I gotta go do paperwork at the post office, Gilda, I'll be back... some time in the next hour... probably." She then smiled brightly "Wish me luck!" 

Gilda smirked and shouted after them. "Don't stay out too late, check both ways before crossing the street, be back in time for dinner, and don't talk to strangers!" 

Gabby hissed back. "Ugh, Thanks mooom!" She laughed though at the end and Gilda smiled as the sound faded away. Gruff watched them leave and gained his own smile.

"Eh it's nice to see her chipper and spry again, little gal needs all the joy in this world, she does." His smile dropped away into a scowl, "Now, get me that scone, the coffee, and lets chat out back." 

Gilda quickly snagged a cup from the kitchen, made Gruff his preferred brew style, and grabbed two meat scones just in case. One never usually was enough and the old bird would later act like he paid for two anyway. Grabbing two immediately was a great way to cut that end chit chat out. 

She placed her little placard on the counter that read "back in five... ish" and then followed him  out the back door. An extra table that Gabby couldn't get to fit in the front area was now sitting out back with the extra chairs they'd also bought. A little sign was also sitting on the table that read "Break table, no naps allowed." 

A little chibi version of Gabby's head was off to the side on the placard, the hen smiling with her tongue out, next to the tiny words "unless you're Gabby!" was scribbled onto the card. Gilda remembered chasing Gabby upstairs for ruining her totally professional card with a cute little doodle. 

Gruff clambered into one chair while Gilda slipped into the one across from him. He grunted and groused about the chairs being too tall for his old bones, before he had what Gilda dubbed, "his quiet moment." He would sip his coffee, glare at nothing in particular, take a bite of his scones, and then sit there for several seconds in silence. 

This process would repeated a few times before he'd grunt and sit straighter, signaling to Gilda that the serious talk was going to happen. They'd had three of these little conversations in the past few days since Gabby and her had returned from Ivy. 

Gruff set his cup down and pulled a slip of paper from under his wing, along with a manila yellow envelope. "Now that I've had a bite to eat and a nice cup, I feel we should get to the heart of the matter. I found some info on those names you gave me. The ones Gabby said in her therapy session." 

Gilda nodded. The names had been burned into her memory since the incident had happened. She couldn't get to the dad, him being deceased and all that, but the others who had hurt Gabby? Oh they were in for hell.

"What have you got, Gruff?" She said, subconsciously scooting forward. Gruff slid three sheets of paper from the folder, each one with a picture clipped to it. He passed them over to her, keeping the fourth to himself, and spoke as she looked them over. 

"Of the six other griffon toms who took part that horrible day, I found these three remaining alive. The others are either outside of Equestrian territory, or are already dead. One of them mostly likely is as he was well beyond being into his senior years when he arrived at Gabby's. Ya never can be sure without finding a death certificate though, so I've got a couple birds discreetly looking into it."

Gilda hummed. "I don't wanna leave anything left to chance, age can be deceiving, you're still here after all."

Gruff growled and scarfed down his first scone. "I swear your words are sometimes sharper than your claws were when ya was a little pile of feathers in my home." 

Gilda read over the files. 

Godmer Griffon, middle aged tom, kestrel and snow leopard colors. Worked at a refinery mill down in the valley. On probation for stealing bits from the main vault, and harassments charges. Multiple assaults' charges in his record, several counts of battery and abuse on his ex wives. Two restraining orders from separate families. Not allowed near children. registered sex offender.

Gindle Griffon, senior tom, eagle and bengal tiger mix. Retired and in an old folks home out near Horse Shoe Bay. On twenty-four-seven supervision for multiple molestation and rape charges and not allowed near females of any species. registered sex offender.

Grawsengire Griffon, mid thirties tom, peregrine falcon and river cat mix, life long monk in a monastery in upper Griffonstone, registered sex offender. always supervised, not allowed sharp implements of any kind, claws and beak need regular filing. never leaves grounds, never flies. 

Gruff reached over and tapped the last one, Graws' file. "That last tom I personally visited yesterday. If any one of these bastards ya don't have to worry about, it's him. Bird's a basket case, the damn griffon cut his own wings off two weeks after he hurt Gabby, had a mental break down over what he'd done, tried to off himself. The local folk found him nearly dead on some random rocky cleft high in the mountains and took him to the hospital. When he woke, he told em everything he'd done, and then tried multiple times to finish his job."

Gilda recoiled slightly. Losing one's wings was a horrible thing to have happen...but to do it to themselves? She shuddered. "Well then he's off my shit list I guess..."

"They all are, Gilda." Gruff said, furrowing his brow.

Gilda looked shocked. "Excuse me?" She stabbed a claw nearly through the papers, "These griffons hurt Gabby and I'm not gonna let em just fly off scott free!" 

Gruff nodded. "Aye, but you aren't able to do much to em now. Trust me I checked." 

Gilda snarled, "Like hell I can't! I can still beat the living sh—" 

Gilda was cut off as Gruff pounced onto the table, looming over her. "You'll end up in jail if ya do that ya daft whelp!" He swiped the three papers out from under her claws, and waved em about. "All three were charged and found guilty of the crimes they committed against Gabby. All three were sent to jail, and did their time for it. All three have been punished by the law for what they did." 

"Well they haven't been punished by me!" Gilda hissed, standing and going beak to beak with Gruff. "Fuck the law, they all deserve to d—"

Gruff slapped Gilda hard across the beak suddenly, making her squawk in surprise. Her nape was grabbed and Gruff pinned her to the table with a snarl of his own. "YOU AREN'T THE LAW!" he roared into her face. 

Gilda had genuinely forgotten how fast and terrifying Grandpa Gruff could be. Even in his old age, he was formidable. Age really did breed experience and all that. He'd only ever smacked her when she was doing something truly stupid, and never as hard as he just did. He only roared at her when the same was true, and never had it been that loud or vicious. She lay pinned against the table by his firm claws on her nape, eyes shut, wings down, tail tucked. Her memories of his tirades of anger being long ones made her keep quiet. 

She expected more harsh words, more snarling, but got silence in return. Cautiously, she opened an eye and found the old bird looking down at her with the most hurt and fearful expression she'd ever seen on his face. A tear, crystal pure, fell to her cheek, and she blinked in shock as he let her go, and simply slumped back into his chair. His wings shook as he curled them around himself. 

"N-never try to be the law, lass, or you'll soon find yourself underneath it's power, and you'll lose so much because of it." He swiped at his eyes and hissed at her when he saw her watching. "I get where you're coming from, Gilda, I do. I was there several years ago when a poor, broken, and beaten hatchling was found huddled in my pantry after she'd escaped her dad's clutches, trying so hard to blend in with the potatoes... so much fear in 'er eyes."

He sucked in a ragged breath. "N-never again I vowed, would a child look that scared under my gaze. Ever since Gabby's been in my care I've done what i could to keep her, you, and Gallus safe. I tried to teach ya what was important, and dammit, you need to listen when I say not to go above the law. Especially on this, Gilda."

She merely nodded, too shocked to speak. Gruff never showed weakness like this... then again, Ivy said crying was actually healthier, so maybe Gruff was stronger than she gave him credit for. 

Gruff took a couple moments of silence to calm himself and then he reached for his cup, but found it empty. Gilda quickly rose and went inside to get him another. When she returned, he accepted the new cup. "Thanks, lass, m'sorry for smackin ya." He murmured. 

Gilda just looked away, "The only time you ever hit me was when it was seriously important and I wasn't paying attention, so I guess I needed it?" She angled it more like a question and Gruff nodded. 

"Aye, ya needed it less than I thought ya would over the years. I'm proud of ya fer that." 

Gruff sipped his coffee, watching Gilda as she preened her nape and got it back in order. "So," Gilda said after she felt better. "You say you understand where I'm coming from, but then you say not to go...deal with them myself, because the law already has, but why not?"

He looked at her over his cup. "Yer not gonna drop it are ya?"

Gilda glowered at him. "No. especially not after the way you reacted just now."

Gruff sighed and slid the last piece of paper over to her, and she noted how he seemed to be bothered by the action, like he didn't want to give her the slip of paper at all. "I was hoping I'd never have to show you this, but read that first." He said with a very dour look on his beak. 

Gilda looked perplexed by his tone, it sounded...remorseful. She let it slide for now and started reading. The paper was stamped two weeks after she'd moved to Equestria to go to flight school, and then she'd met Rainbow Dash. Gruff had sent Gallus to Zebrica for a three year trade school, and Gabby had been handed over to one of Gruff's ex's for the time, said ex hen worked in the post office so go figure that that was where Gabby would take to like a fish to water.

"By the Griffonstone's court appointed judge, in agreement with the Equestrian tandem laws, we find Gruff Griffon, court appointment guardian of Gilda, Gallus, and Gabby Griffon, guilty of all charges, and hereby declare him imprisoned for five years at the Equestrian reformation penitentiary." 

Gilda blinked in shock and kept reading.

"It is stated that while Gruff shows genuine remorse for his actions, he also states that it was 'his right' to commit the act, stating "No court ever helped fix the problem, so I fixed it myself." 

"He will be monitored and his progress charted as his time is served. Princess Celestia also personally noted in court that Gruff has also done Griffonstone, and by connection, Equestria a service for eliminating [REDACTED REDACTED], but it should not be in the jurisdiction of a civilian to decide the fate of another, no matter the depths of their crimes."

"Going above the law to rescue someone from a terrible fate is commendable, but we can lose ourselves in that sense of self justice. Law is only present when there are those to uphold it. —Princess Celestia." 

Gilda sat back and stared at nothing in particular. "I... what? You told me the flight school trip was to foster better relations with Equestria!"

Gruff nodded. "Aye, and it was." 

Gilda growled and smacked the paper with the back of her talons. "You told Gallus he was worthless and needed a skill to survive in this world!"

Gruff nodded again. "Also true, he was lost and had no confidence in himself. Needed to get out and grow up."

Gilda snarled and flung the paper at him. It drifted past and landed on the ground. Gruff immediately scooped it up. "Well what about Gabby?! Gabby was distraught when she had to move houses! You were her anchor, dammit! You told me she needed a better living situation then an old buzzard!"

Gilda felt the anger in her sails dwindle as she looked at Gruff, he wasn't smiling. He was looking worse and worse by the second. "You sent us all away because you committed a crime! What the heck did you do, Gruff?"

Gruff sipped his coffee and stayed quiet. Gilda eventually sighed and ran her claws over her crest. "Fine, don't answer, whatever, it got the point across. I shouldn't go above the law."

Gruff snorted. "That's good to hear, but it wasn't the point I was trying to make." 

Gilda groaned and ran her claws down her face gently, sitting back down in her chair. "Then speak normally and not in riddles, what was your point?" 

"My main point," He said after a big gulp of his coffee. He set it down and pointed to the café. "Is that five years is a long time, Gilda. I lost all three of you, and I can't go back and change that, no matter how badly I wish I could. Don't lose what ya have now, for twenty minutes of bloody vengeance." 

He let his head droop, his little fez hat slid a bit on his head and it only seemed to make him seem older. He clenched his claws, watching them dig into his palms, "I lost five years of my life, when I could have spent them helping you three become better griffons."

He looked at the sky forlornly. "I lost moments and memories I'll never be able to get back, and that's more important than any amount of vengeance ever will be."

They fell silent as Gilda mulled over his words. It was true, she had a café, the best shop in town in fact. She had friends and family, and the community looked up to them! Then she had Gabby to take care of... While she really wanted to burn those three blasted assholes into ash, she hated... how right he was being! 

"Dammit, Gruff." She mumbled. "You and your stupid wisdom." She huffed and folded her arms petulantly. 

Gruff chuckled dryly and repositioned his hat. "Hate it when I'm right don't yeh?" He scooted off the chair and scooped up the papers, slipping em under his wing before grabbing his dishes and walking to the door. "But I meant it, don't be stupid, don't lose what ya have over something that's already been dealt with. Don't hate when you can love and all that tripe." 

Gilda watched him go, something nagging deep in her chest. He cared about them, like, a lot. She called out to him just as he entered the doorway. 

"I have to know, Gruff, I won't judge you for whatever it is, but what did you do?"

He paused, and looked back at her with a frown. Gilda sighed, rubbing her neck. "Look I... I don't think poorly of you, okay? Even given your bad parenting habits, you were still our parent. To me and Gallus and Gabby, you're family... and you're right, we missed out on making memories. You had your reasons, and I am not one to poke those, but, as... as your daughter. The honest answer would be nice, what caused you to disappear on us for five years?"

Gruff was silent for a moment, his eyes glimmered as she watched him. "As my..." He smiled lightly and chuckled for a moment.

and then it was gone, He snorted, a sour look replanting itself on his face as he walked inside. "Don't you ever tell Gabby or Gallus this, but some one had to get rid of Gabby's father, I made sure that some one was me."





Click, click, click, claws tapped in a staccato of rhythm on the table.

Gilda sat in a daze at one of the tables near the door, nursing a cup of tea, as Gabby reentered the Café. She seemed to be in her own funk as well and simply sat across from Gilda in silence. Gilda had closed up the store while Gabby had gotten her paperwork done at the post office. She'd also completely forgotten about the tray of baked goods that had been in the oven and a whole batch had been horribly burned to a crisp. 

The doors were open and a fan was blowing in the corner of the kitchen to air out the burnt smell. Neither hen really noticed, or if they did, they never commented on it. 

Gabby clasped her claws together on the table and chirped gently to get Gilda's attention. Gilda stared at her for several moments, and Gabby seemed perplexed by the expressions that danced across her friends face. 

"Uh, I have some good news, Gilda, are... are you okay?" Gabby asked, tilting her head to the side.

Gilda stared a moment longer. No I'm not okay, I just learned that our grandpa killed your father... jeez. Well she couldn't say that! Gilda shook her self and patted down her chest feathers with both claws. 

"Y-yeah, I just...Grandpa gruff aired out some of his dirty laundry on me and...wow, I wasn't ready..." She blinked several times before giving Gabby her full attention. "Sorry about that, um, what did you say about good news?"

Gabby blinked slowly. "Oookay. I um, I got promoted at the post office. I'm head mail bird now." 

Gilda felt her chest fluff fight to rise again. "R-really? Gabby that's awesome news!" 

Gabby blushed as Gilda stood and reached her claws out to the hen. Gabby took them and warbled happily as Gilda pulled her gently into a hug. They did it slowly just in case Gabby panicked, but this time the smaller hen was too excited to let it get to her.

"I went to fill out some regular forms to be able to work again and such, and noticed they'd slipped one extra form into the pile. It was the application paperwork for the job. They'd already filled out most of it, and just needed me to sign the forms. The head bird is retiring in a few weeks, and I was voted by every bird in the post for the position." Gabby murmured, nuzzling Gilda's chest fluff with her beak. 

Gilda closed the front door with her tail, locked it, flipped the sign to closed, and then gently wrapped her wings around Gabby. "Gabby that is wonderful news, you are definitely gonna be the best head-mail-post-bird-delivery-griffon-thingy there is."

Gabby giggled lightly and nuzzled up under Gilda's chin. "You don't know what that position even is, do you?"

Gilda laughed. "Nope. Not a clue." She slipped gently out of Gabby's grasp, feeling a twinge of regret as Gabby warbled her discomfort, and walked to the back door. "Why don't you explain it to me upstairs in detail, over food. I wanna make dinner to celebrate!" 

Gabby rolled her eyes and nodded. "You always are the one to make dinner."

"So!? You eat it don't you?" Gilda snarked from the back door. Gabby heard the lock click shut and then Gilda reappeared around the corner. "If you cooked we'd be having cereal, and it'd be on fire."

Gabby huffed and puffed her neck fluff up. "Hey! I made dinner once and I distinctly remember you saying it wasn't that bad!" She mumbled. "It only burned a little."

"it was bread, cheese, and bread, and it still burned because you didn't put butter on them." 

"It's called grilled cheese sandwiches and I didn't know!" Gabby groused. "S'not cereal at least." 

Gilda laughed and began her ascent up the stairs, Gabby following behind, doing nothing to hide where her gaze was traveling or the blush that crawled up her face. Gilda made sure she got a good view, but not too much of one. They did not need a repeat of the kitchen chair. Gilda had actually caught Gabby scrubbing it down the next morning furiously, in an attempt to remove her scent. 

Considering how neither of them could smell anything but cleaning products after that, for an hour or so, it must have worked. 


The apartment was clean and orderly, thanks to Gabby's insistence on cleaning it regularly. Gilda might cook, and run the business, but Gabby was a god to her for doing the cleaning. 

It'd be a total pig sty in here without her, I just know it. Gilda thought, then she chose to voice it. "Hey, you're right I do cook the food, but you do all the cleaning, and I appreciate that so much, Gabs. I hate cleaning, and without you this place would look terrible." Gilda leaned over and nuzzled Gabby's cheek fluff, making Gabby squeak, "So thank you." 

Gabby murmured something noncoherent into her feathers and nodded quickly before shooting upstairs. "L-lemme know when dinner is ready!"

Gilda chuckled and lifted her claws to her beak to rub it. She really had to be careful how bold she got with the girl, there were times Gilda really wanted to just clamber atop Gabby and claim her right there. Her thoughts drifted to the specialist she'd been referred to by Ivy and for a moment she thought it might be a good idea.

And then mental images flew through her head of what a sexual specialist was going to do and her blush tripled in strength before she shut the train of thought down. "Nope! Not doing it, nu-uh, don't need no ponies telling me how my body works!" 

Gilda lost herself in the art of food war for the next hour. She fought veggies with a sharp knife, stabbing, dicing, and slashing them to ribbons. She rent skin from body as she peeled potatoes and removed their brown bits, and sent chunks of flesh plopping into the depths of hell as they sizzled and popped in a oiled frying pan. 

War never changes after all, and there are always casualties.

With seasoning and butter she tortured the poor foodstuff until it was soft, edible, and most importantly, delicious! 

All in all dinner was done in an hour or so, and Gabby came down to Join her at the table. She explained through out the meal what her new position at the post office would entail, and Gilda was pleased to hear that Gabby would no longer be on the far away trips to Ponyville or Canterlot. Gabby also would be in Griffonstone and be able to make it home a lot sooner then before. The best part about it all though, was that the pay was better. 

Gabby's pay was nearly doubling.

"Maybe we could put the extra bits we make towards a house somewhere outside of town, like Gail and Glory have." Gabby had suggested. Gilda had perked up at this idea and the hens had argued back and forth about house styles for over an hour. Gabby wanted a tree home, while Gilda wanted a ground home. Gabby wanted a stone fireplace, while Gilda wanted magical heating.

They both agreed that wherever they built their home, that it needed to be close to town, but far enough away that they could have some privacy. This meant that they'd have to live down in the deep wood valley where Gail and Glory lived, as it was the only nearby area that fit those parameters. While the commute to and from work would be longer, it also meant they could spend time together without prying eyes, something they both knew was going to be a must.

Then Gabby had pestered Gilda for the stuff Gruff had brought up and thankfully Gilda had already created a half truth surrounding the chats they'd been having. She told Gabby that Gruff had been visiting to tell her stories of his time while they were away. Which in and of itself was a truth, but she said Gabby would have to ask Gruff for more details. 

She had made sure to pass along that Gabby should hug Grandpa Gruff the next time she saw him, and thank him for being such a great parent. Gabby had given her the most incredulous expression ever but didn't ask further on it, and they'd continued with the meal.

For desert, Gilda had pulled out two bowls of pre prepped strawberry ice cream she'd made complete with Gail's strawberries from earlier today, and glazed over with caramel. The chirps of glee had been loud, and the lights in Gabby's eyes had exploded. The hen had hugged Gilda without even questioning the action. It warmed her heart a lot to feel such a surge of love from her friend.

They then shared in the mutual bonding that is the pain of a brain freeze shortly thereafter, and the pleasures of fresh juicy strawberries.

When dinner was done however, was when things got interesting. Gabby had helped with the dishes and then to Gilda's surprise she'd quickly slipped away upstairs and into Gilda's room while she was putting away the left overs. 

Gilda had followed shortly after of course, and found Gabby in her nest of blankets and pillows, holding the jewelry box in her claws. The lamp was on, casting a warm orange glow on the room and on Gabby. Gabby looked very nervous, so Gilda cautiously entered. Gabby watched her, and when Gilda started climbing into the bed, Gabby had chirped her approval, but did so while scooting over. There was plenty of room in the nest, heck, Gallus could have also fit in her nest and all three of them would be comfortable. 

Gilda paused as she realized that, and she looked over her nest. Hmm, why did I build my nest so large? She shrugged and curled up next to the small hen, waiting and watching as Gabby worked up the courage to scoot close enough so Gilda could drape her wing over the hen. Upon doing so, Gabby had sighed in pleasure and simply took a moment to lean over against Gilda's side. She took in Gilda's scent, and Gilda did so too, nibbling lightly at Gabby's neck nape.

Both hens were definitely purring. The vibrations from Gabby mixed with Gilda's and it caused the most pleasant sensation they'd ever felt. 

Gabby had blushed. "Huh, our purring synchronized...neat." Gilda hadn't said anything, simply enjoying the feeling. The purring intensified as Gilda leaned down and kissed the top of Gabby's head.

"Being this close to you, Gabby... I want to feel that more." Gilda whispered. She laughed gently as Gabby had chirped loudly in shock, and then tried to hide deeper under her friend's wing. The feeling of Gabby's beak nibbling on her feathers was another pleasant sensation that Gilda hadn't expected to feel. Gabby was preening her.

Bold little bird.

She did the same in return. The warmth of the nest, the soft glow of the lamp light, and the mixture of gentle nips and nibbles that they shared, slowly decreased the tension, until Gabby sighed, pulling her head out from under Gilda's wing to rest it on her back, right over her shoulders. Eyes closed, She purred for several moments in bliss. Gilda looked back at her friend, smiling. 

"This... I want this, Gilda. Every night... Every time I wrote those letters, this was what the words were after, what they were trying to say. I know... " she paused, and sniffled a little, Making Gilda warble sadly as her friend tried to hold back her tears. "It's... it's so hard, y-ya know? To know y-you need some one, desperately need them in your l-life, b-but you're too afraid to reach for them." 

Gilda held Gabby, rhythmically petting her nape and nuzzling her cheeks as the hen let out a hard keening wail of pain. Her own eyes glimmered as she held back her tears. "I suppose you'd know what that's like, my Song. I'm so sorry that you do, that... I can't related to that."

She kissed Gabby's head again, eliciting another energetic chirp of joy from the hen, and her own purring increased when Gabby brushed her cheek against Gilda's, nuzzling back firmly, craving the touches of her partner. "I wish I could understand so this might be easier for you, and I want to, so I'm here for you. No matter what, my Song." 

Gabby shook, her claws clutching the box like a life line.

"Gilda don't l-let me go. Please don't let go. I'm safe with you, and I-I know now how much I need that s-safety." She nipped Gilda's shoulder sharply, making Gilda gasp. "I want you to love me, and I made this to help show that." 

Gabby shakily held up the jewelry box. Gilda helped her set it down, her claws steadying Gabby's as they held the box together. "D-did you ever figure it out?" Gabby whispered. 

Gilda shook her head. Gabby let out a little laugh. "Heh, M-maybe I made it a little harder than was n-necessary, but this works out rather well." She said while looking from the box to Gilda. "I can show you the secret, myself." 

Gilda watched as Gabby carefully pulled each drawer out in sequences that made the device click and tick in a pattern, before the final drawer closed, and then...

Music emanated from the bottom. It was gentle, and kind, but also sounded scared. Fragile, like it might break at any moment. Then for the second time that night, Gilda was stunned.

Gabby started singing. shakily and with little hiccups at first, but pure. 

"Maybe... we aren't so simple, perhaps we ... aren't the same,
But in the moment I met you, I grew wings from learning your name...

You carried a rose in one claw, a heart as pure as the soul,
From the second I beheld your splendor, I had to find out... just to know...

What is a rose but a flower, lost in a sea of thorns, 
hoping for light from the branches above, to come down and keep it warm.
So maybe we aren't so different, and maybe we are the same,
I hope to be like the flower you hold, so that you'll call out my name...

and be mine, I'll be yours, and we will open every door, 
to the life, that we're sure, will cover the forest floor...

in our roses..."

Gabby shuddered, tears streaking down her face that no matter how many times she swiped at them, they continued. The smile that she kept fighting to have stay was the purest form of joy Gilda had ever seen, and when Gabby looked to her friend, Gilda was no different. She was hiccupping and near bawling as she held her claws over her beak to keep from screaming in joy. It was the courage Gabby needed.

Gabby continued as best she could, this time more confidence in her words. 

"If I were a petal in your palms, I'd know a glimmer of what love's like,
If I were held close to you now, that petal would be full of life...

I'd hear a song as true as the wind, and a heartbeat as strong as steel,
pounding down all the doubt in my mind, and blowing away all my fear...

And that rose would become a garden, blooming red and green every spring,
Our lives would be ever entangled, in the song that we both would sing,
We'd be one and the same, a garden no one could tame, a rose with a crystal core!

We'd be loved, it'd be pure, and the whole world would want us more...

Gilda watched with quiet sobs as Gabby cupped her cheeks and leaned close, they nuzzled beaks, warbling gently to another, to the beat of the song. Gabby whispered the last lines of her song gently, her beak tip slowly inching closer to Gilda's. 

"If ever I could be that flower, or be held by you in your arms, 
I know I'd be safe and sound from harm, and I'd know what is truly true...

"It'd be you, Gilda... my Rose." Gabby ended the song with the deepest kiss she could muster. 

And the music kept playing.
> Love is a Garden filled with Passion Flowers...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the music ended, Gabby had pulled back from the kiss and warbled happily. She'd curled up her talons cutely and wiped at her tears, and Gilda had helped her, gently kissing them away and purring in return. Gabby's soft smile as she was preened, was pure gold to Gilda. Joining in with her own trills and chirps, for a moment they shared in the little song. The rhythm was all off, but it wasn't really meant to have any, as each griffon's noises were their own. A special sound meant only for them and whoever was chosen to be shared with. They'd then spent the next hour or so basking in each other's company. Wings shuffled across backs, each hen leaning into each other, beaks nibbled at fluff, and kisses were shared as much as Gabby was comfortable with. Gilda had gotten a little bold a couple times, stealing a kiss, or licking Gabby's cheek fluff more firmly, loving how Gabby would hiss, purr, or growl in response. 

She wasn't the only one being bold either. Gabby had leaned in to nip and bite at Gilda's shoulders a few times, and she got a few in return for her efforts. This also helped prove that Gabby did in fact like being bitten. The blush and gentle "ahs" that escaped her lover was a wonderful reward to hear. Kneading of claws on bedding and fur, nibbling of necks and napes, kissing in various degrees of intimacy and in multiple places, nipping of shoulders, lots of purring, and a healthy smattering of excited warbling took place. 

This all had a rather humorous side effect on the hens, who occasionally caught the other subconsciously getting into a "presenting pose." The typical position a griffon hen took to allow a male to breed. It was also noticed that Gabby did it a lot more, and Gilda chose to voice this. 

Gabby had blushed pretty hard and adorably hid her face under Gilda's wing. "It's a submissive trait of mine, okay? You're bigger than me." She peeked an eye out from under the feathery appendage and stared at Gilda. "Is it so weird that I want to... want to be mounted by the bigger hen?"

Gilda's arousal had spiked at the statement, and she'd almost stood up immediately to physically show how much she agreed with the idea. She hissed slowly, closed her eyes, and deliberately reined in her desire. "You... want me to be the dominant one?"  

Gabby watched her for a moment and then nodded softly. "Mhmm, is that okay?" 

Gilda frowned and kept her claws busy as she played with her head feathers, letting Gabby slip back out into view. "I mean, sure! I do prefer that so it's all cool, and I want to do that... a lot, actually." Gabby blushed even harder, if that was possible. Her cheeks could win a ripe tomato contest with how red they were getting. Gilda lowered her claws once her feathers were straight again, and she trilled softly, showing her anxiety. "But don't you think it would be a good idea to, I don't know... let you mount me first?" 

Gabby tilted her head a little. "Um, I don't see why, I'm not dominant..."

Gilda nodded and chuckled, resting her claws on Gabby's. "I ah, I know that, but..." 

Gabby then purred as Gilda got back into the presentation pose for her, and her purring only increased in volume as Gilda's tail slipped to the side of her rump. The bigger hen blushed, lowering her head onto her forelegs. Her voice stayed soft. "I figured... ya know, with the history you have, and the fear of being mounted... you might want to have some semblance of control for once... take things into your claws." 

Gabby blinked and her cheek feathers and neck ruff fluffed out slowly. It was a really considerate gesture on Gilda's part, to keep that in mind. She licked her beak slowly. "O-oh..." Her eyes tracked up from Gilda's scrunched tail base, to her mid back, between her wings, and then her neck ruff. Her claws kneaded into the nest bedding and her tail flicked erratically as ideas formed in her mind. 

She trembled, and pointed to Gilda's back. "I um...could, could I try?" She whispered. Her voice almost failed as she asked, struggling to actually get the question out with confidence.

Gilda felt her heart pace quicken, and she nodded with a gentle smile. "S-sure... I think I'd like that."

Tenderly, and ever so cautiously, Gabby let her instincts take over. Her trills and chirps became nervous but excited. She stood and began rubbing against Gilda's neck fur, nipping and preening at the larger hen's scruff. Her nibbling wasn't exactly well timed or placed but to be fair, neither females had ever been... here, before. 

This was new territory for both of them. 

Gabby slowly began licking along Gilda's right wing, the leading edge structure of her wing armature being tickled with little nibbles and nuzzles as Gabby gently slipped her forelegs over top of Gilda's shoulders. The larger hen closed her eyes, sucking in her breath and humming in pleasure as her lover touched her. She let herself drift more into her instincts as well, the continuous touches of Gabby's advances made it all the more simple to react accordingly. 

Her hind legs bent and her rump raised several inches up off the bedding, as if expecting a guest in the vicinity. Gilda's wings relaxed and slowly fanned out on either side of her nest, laying low to the ground in a nonthreatening manner, spurring Gabby to become bolder. Gilda trilled and then moaned low in surprise as Gabby haphazardly bit down on her nape scruff, tugging on the extra fluff, and suddenly clambered onto her back. The smaller hen struggled at first, hissing into Gilda's feathery neck as she positioned her hips and feet. Her forelegs slipped into the crook between Gilda's knee and her side, and she fully flexed her talons open before squeezing onto Gilda's pert nipples. 

Gilda gasped as Gabby thrust forward. 

Hissing softly through her beak, she lowered her head in pleasure as Gabby's vulva ground against the base of her rump and tail. A short cry of pleasure was let loose, shoving her hips back against that soft underbelly. Gabby responded by biting down harder and tightening her grip. The sensations of being mounted were wonderful, her body shivering as Gabby moved atop her.

Gabby thrust again, snarling into Gilda's scruff, her eyes closed as her vulva was parted by Gilda's rump, her inner folds contacting fur. Arousal grew for the both of them as the friction increased. 

"A-ah!" Gilda's eyes flew open and she clapped claws over her beak as the sound of pleasure escaped her. It felt... good! Gabby wasn't touching her sensitive areas by humping, but the feeling of being humped was... new, and Gilda liked it.

"D-did you enjoy that?" Gabby gasped out. Gilda couldn't speak, merely nodding frantically. She chirped excitedly a few times and her eyes fluttered shut as the thrusts got harder, Gabby refocusing on her task at claw.

The two hens weren't even in heat and the sensations were amazing! Feeling Gabby's weight pushing down onto her rump, the warmth of her belly and teats on Gilda's mid back, the firmness of Gabby's bite on her scruff wasn't so painful as it was blissful dominance. Claws stroked over Gilda's teats, squeezing the little nubs in different patterns and Gilda wanted more, she NEEDED more! 

The grinding and thrusting increased in tempo and firmness as Gabby got into her rhythm, her near soaked vulva lips occasionally slapping into Gilda's back, ruffling and matting the fur as the hen reached her climax quickly. The friction of pushing her vulva into Gilda's warm back fur drove the smaller hen to orgasm. She screeched out a staccato of chirps and screeches into the nape feathers of the larger hen as her hips shuddered and spasmed. So lost in her own pleasure, Gilda failed to recognize that her thoughts had shifted. This tom must be really new if he'd gotten off on her damn back! She hissed and immediately felt her anger flair. Her partner had missed their mark  completely! They'd cum before they were even inside her body!?

She snarled deeply and shoved her rump back her partner's groin, seeking out that sensation of pleasure her body knew it needed, and a firm SMACK of rump on crotch came out from between them. It startled Gabby out of her pleasure, apparently. screeching in surprise, she let go of Gilda's nape immediately, and leaped off her like she'd been the one bitten. Gilda reacted instantly of her own accord and whirled around, a blur of motion as talons raised to fight off the damn tom who had one job and that was to plunge his dick into her vul--

Gilda froze mid swipe, her eyes widening as her mind caught up with her arousal. That's not a tom... that's Gabby... Gabby? ... Yeah, Gabby... 

Said smaller hen was crouching, her front end low and her hackles were raised for a potential fight. She hissed up at Gilda with her own claws bared. Several seconds of heated dominancy swirled between the two hens as they glared at one another. Tails twitched energetically, scents lost their density, and feathers slowly lowered as they came back down from their primal states.

Eventually, the red haze and pleasure died down and both hens lowered their claws. Gilda immediately warbled nervously, backing away from her friend. "I... what... what was that?!" She flexed her claws, looking at them like they'd betrayed her. 

For a moment there I was about to slash the crap out of Gabby! 

"I... I think it was our natural instincts, or something akin to it?" Gabby whispered, "I've seen brief glimpses of it... at the festival of... life..." She was open beaked panting and her tail was flaring up and twitching as she came off her orgasm high. She shuddered and hissed in pleasure, her rump jutting forward a few times as her body calmed down. Clutching her chest feathers with her claws, she flopped to the bed. "Um...I-I think we shouldn't do that... again. At least not for a bit..." 

Gilda felt inclined to agree and simply slumped her body at the edge of the nest. Her own pleasure was ebbing away. "Wooooow." She hissed, clutching her head. "That was... far more intense than I thought it'd be. It was something else in my head too, for a couple seconds I thought you were a tom." 

Gabby warbled a light chuckle out and rubbed her chest. "Yeah... I enjoyed parts of it, but I don't think I fully like being on top as much as you'd hoped I would. I'm definitely the submissive one." She blushed, and trilled out a little song and Gilda tilted her head in curiosity. The notes were pleasant, and gentle. "I ah, I like it that way... I think."

Gilda nodded as their emotions leveled out, and the room fell into quiet.  For a few minutes She worked on realigning her thoughts back into a normal flow. In the moment, her mind had conjured several toms she knew from around town, several of them never even considered attractive to her! She made a gagging noise and began preening her chest feathers. If any of those toms had even suggested she let them mount her, she most certainly would have clawed them. 

Well, maybe not all of them... a couple of the ones that she'd thought of were okay... The moonlight coming through the window alerted Gilda that it was rather late, her beak deciding to help with a sudden yawn. She stretched slowly, purring openly as a couple pops and cracks were heard. As she arched her rump up into the air, a trickle of Gabby's orgasm slipped down her back and she shivered in pleasure.

"Mmm I almost forgot." She murmured, catching Gabby's attention. Twisting in that way only felines could, Gilda leaned down and began licking her fur clean, in slow drawn out drags of her tongue. 

Watching her lover's neck ruff fluff out once more, and seeing Gabby's rosy cheeks as she warbled in enjoyment were icing to the cake that was Gabby's taste. She was musky, but sweet, a hint of something else mixed in, a mystery wrapped up in this strange flavor, but a good one all the same. Gilda let slip a little trill of pleasure as she smoothed her damp rump fur back down. 

"Gabby, you remember when I said at the hospital that you smell good? You got all flustered and bothered about it." 

Gabby, who had lay down on her side, blushed harder and her tail  curled around her paws. She mumbled a "yes" as she tried to hide her beak in her wing joint. Her eyes never went out of view though, raptly watching her Rose lick clean her mark she'd made. Gilda lapped up the last of the fluids and grinned, slowly stroking the sides of her beak in a lustful growl. 

"Well you taste even better, my Song." 

"EEP!" And just like that, Gabby's head shot under her wing and the hen let out several chirps and trills of embarrassed enjoyment. "G-gilda! Don't say stuff l-like that!"

Said hen didn't let up though, "I think I will, ya know what else?" She whispered playfully. Gabby shook her head under her wing. 

"Nu-uh, I don't wanna heard your lewd compliments!" The mirth in her voice betrayed that lie, though, making Gilda's heart swell with joy.

She scooted closer and nipped Gabby's wing gently, making Gabby shiver and jolt her head back up. "H-hey don't bite th-mmph!"

Using the opening, Gilda shot forward, locking beaks with the startled hen, purring into the kiss as Gabby's eyes fluttered shut with a moan that petered out after a second. Tongues slid over each other as they reached out and locked claws together once more. The kiss lasted a little longer, Gabby actually pushed forward for more as Gilda went to pull back, but eventually the pair separated, Gabby panting slightly with a goofy but genuine smile. 

Gilda slipped free a set of claws and gently scratched under Gabby's beak, loving how Gabby's eyes slowly closed and she purred back. "I think I want somemore..." 

Gabby mumbled out a shaky "O-ookaaay" as she was gently pushed by Gilda, onto her back. Reflexively she spread out her hind legs, Allowing Gilda access to her hindquarters so she could...

Gabby blinked as her senses came back around, "U-um Gilda,  this isn't the right position, what are you about to--AAAHH!!" 

She screeched as Gilda dragged her tongue from the bottom of Gabby's vulva, to the top, in one firm lick. 

Shivers jumped up and down Gabby's body as pleasure danced across her nervous system. Tingles, jolts of amazing sensation, and shudders of bliss had the smaller hen in heaven as Gilda gripped her thighs and went to work. licking, nibbling, kissing, and sucking at Gabby's entrance. 

"I--Ahh!-Gild--Ahah! W-wait that- Oh! Aah! FFFFFUCK, Gilda!" 

Gilda reached over with her claws and gently scraped them over Gabby's nipples, the four nubs hard and pert from the attack. Gabby's back arched suddenly and she cried out, "You--ahh!... You crazy--AahH!!" Gabby panted, her claws shooting down to clutch the sides of Gilda's head as the eagle hen suckled deeply into the dark folds of her lover. Gilda felt a thrill of arousal go down her own spine as Gabby pulled her as close as she could into her loins. In an attempt to quiet herself, Gabby shoved her own wing shoulder into her beak and clamped down, muffling her cries of ecstasy. 

"Mm! MmM!! MAAH!!!" 

Several moments of squirming, wing flapping, leg flailing, growling, yelping, whimpering and panting moans from her smaller lover, and Gilda felt her own damp loins begging for attention. 

It's now or never, and I'm not waiting any longer! Pulling away from Gabby's vulva with a sloppy smacking sound that made Gabby gasp, arching her back again, Gilda quickly clambered up on top of the smaller hen, startling her as she was mounted. 

"Gilda w-what are you--" Gabby's mouth fell open, completely slack with lost words, as she felt Gilda's own soaked vulva smash down against her own in a wet slap of carnal movement. Gilda growled and gripped Gabby by her shoulders, leaning down to lock her in another kiss of passion, The hen beneath her scrunching her eyes shut, moaning deeply, and reaching out to clutch the bedding with both talons, tearing the fabric in her claws as Gilda ground their sex's together firmly. The carnal pleasure racked their bodies with shivers and twitches of excitement, Gilda lashed her tongue across Gabby's in a dominant display of control, before she broke the kiss and nuzzled her mate. 

"I'm yours Gabby. Don't you ever forget that, I'm your Rose, ...and you're mine. You are my Song. I'mma prove that right now, screw waiting!" Gilda clamped her beak down onto Gabby's shoulder and snarled into her fur and feathers. Gabby lay beneath Gilda, staring half lidded in wonder, at nothing in particular, in complete shock as pleasure and arousal crashed through her body. Gilda had mounted her and was pushing her into the bedding, thrusting and grinding their vulvas together like tomorrow was no longer just around the corner. The friction alone after the first few thrusts had Gabby over the edge. 

Talons left the bed in a flurry of speed as Gabby latched her claws around Gilda's back and dug them into the fur between Gilda's shoulders. Her hind legs clamped against the larger hen's sides and she screamed.

"A-AAAHH!!! G-GILDA YES!!!" 

Gilda, lost in the pleasure, kept thrusting, the hot wave of Gabby's orgasm fluids slathered her own vulva and Gilda wasn't far behind after that. Her thrusting picked up, her snarls increased, and her clamp on Gabby's shoulder tightened. She scrunched her eyes shut as thoughts of the amazing hen beneath her swam through her head. Wonderful little moments from their past that she'd let forth with their bond deepening. 

Ice cream in the park after a hard day of work, followed by sharing the same cone after she'd dropped hers.

A playful dough fight in the bakery when she'd first opened, and then mutual grooming.

A gentle evening of cuddling close when Gabby had first shown vulnerability and needed comforting during a thunderstorm. It had been the first time Gilda had seen Gabby hide under her wing.

Their first kiss...

All these memories and more surged to the forefront of Gilda's mind and her heart pulsed with joy as tears leaked from her eyes. The pleasure peaked, and she let go of Gabby's shoulder, screaming with her mate, her own orgasm over taking Gabby's as she pushed as firmly into her lover as she could, as close as she could get. Gabby screamed again, the feral sounds powerful but true as they mated.  

The sound only died out when the need for air became stronger, little trills and chirps of joy took over, as the two panted. Gilda lowered her head out of exhaustion and love, touching her beak to Gabby's and softly rubbing into her lover. 

"G-Gabby... I... I claim you. You are my mate... from now, and forever... more." 

Gabby let her own tears of joy flow, she cupped Gilda's cheeks and pulled the bigger hen in for another kiss, short but sweet. She then wrapped her arms around Gilda's neck and pulled the hen close, tucking her head under Gilda's chin, sniffling into her neck feathers, but confidently whispering. 

"I'm yours... my Rose. I am finally yours and I always want to be."

Gilda purred as loud as she could, and nestled down completely against the hen, making sure to watch Gabby's reactions, but to her surprise, Gabby only clutched harder, and got closer. Spreading her wings out, she carefully curled them down around Gabby, a primal reaction griffons did to protect their mates. 

"I love you, Gilda. I always have... you've been there for me when I needed some one most." Gabby whispered, her claws shakily kneaded into the nape feathers of Gilda's neck as she spoke. "I w-wanted to say that for so long, I don't know why it was so hard." Her shimmering cerulean eyes looked up into Gilda's golden ones. She smiled, hiccupping as she smiled. "But now I can. I can tell you how much I love you and I don't ever want to lose that opportunity." 

Gilda kissed her once more, her own claws resting on either side of Gabby's head, kneading into the fabric of her...no... their nest.

"You won't ever have to hide it again." She whispered. "I'm here for you no matter what. You need a wing, or a shoulder, or a kiss, or just need me nearby, seek me out."

Gabby choked out a sobbing but happy warble, and nestled tightly against her lover, and Gilda rest her chin atop Gabby's head, purring deeply. 

"I love you Gabby, My Rose." Gilda whispered.

Gilda let her eyes close slowly, the feeling of their heartbeats mingling together, yet another memory Gilda never would forget. 

"I love you, my Song."





The following day started off very, very late, to say the least. 

Gilda woke blearily to the gentle nibbling's of a beak in her chest feathers, instead of the sun peeking through her window. She cracked a sleep crusted eye open and glanced down to find Gabby was warbling quietly, smiling softly as she preened her lover. Gabby's talons were kneading back and forth into her chest, the little pricks of her claws tickling Gilda. Somewhere during the night, Gilda had shifted off of Gabby and spooned the smaller hen to her belly, as the two slept. 

Grover's wings, why haven't I done this sooner?

She purred loudly, making the hen look up. Only a hint of worry appeared in her eyes, before Gabby smiled more, leaning up to rub her beak against Gilda's with a purr of her own. "G-good morning." She whispered. 

Gilda responded by grunting and burying her head into one of the many pillows. "Mmphh". She still purred though, and Gabby giggled. 

"I thought maybe you'd want to sleep in a bit." Gabby snuggled closer, chirping in joy as Gilda reflexively draped her wing over the smaller hen and wrapped her arms around her mid section. Gilda shifted her head until her face and beak were once again visible, and hummed. "What I want to do is repeat last night's antics, breed you all day, all night, and make sure everyone in the town knows you're mine."

Gabby 'eeped' and quickly hid her face in Gilda's chest feathers. She chuckled and preened the top of Gabby's head. "But lets take things one step at a time yeah?" 

"Y-yes please." Came the sheepish reply.

A yawn escaped Gilda's beak and she felt the urge to stretch arise. Hmm, should she stretch and dislodge Gabby? Or should she fight it and stay still? Her beak nibbled at a lose feather, dislodging the pesky thing and with a huff of air, she sent it floating out of sight. 

Gabby beat her to the answer, by pulling back and stretching herself. Using Gilda's chest and belly as a foundation of course. Gilda smirked as Gabby's paws and claws flexed against her body, her cheeks flushing as Gabby's hind paw pads massaged her teats. She purred in pleasure and caught one of Gabby's legs as the hen went to pull away. 

Gabby blinked in surprise, looking down as Gilda began rubbing her teat into the soft fur of her lover's paw. "Oh my... Gilda... do you like paw massages that much?" 

Gilda growled lightly. "Mmm, never had one before, but I'm starting to like it." She hummed in bliss as Gabby pushed her other paw against another teat and started kneading back and forth. 

"So does this feel good?" Gabby murmured, spreading her toes and gently digging her claws into the belly fur, hiding a giggle behind her wing. Gilda hissed gently and nodded, taking her own time to stretch each limb out, then her wings. 

"Absolutely divine." She rest her claws on Gabby's shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, content to stay where they lay, loving her partner for as long as she could. The warmth of their bodies so close to one another was heaven.

Gabby moaned into the kiss, kneading firmly into Gilda's chest, before breaking the kiss and leaning past her head. She lifted her claws up and around Gilda's neck and pulled her close. 

"Mount me again... please." She whispered. "I need to feel you once more." 

Gilda growled, but obliged, shifting her weight so that she lay atop Gabby like before. Her vulva lips pressed firmly down, and ground against Gabby's own folds. Gabby gasped, moaning out a couple unintelligible words before she rest her head onto the pillow. Half lidded eyes of deep cerulean gazed up at Gilda with love and passion, and a good helping of desire.

Reaching her talons out, she conjoined them with Gabby's. A tender nuzzle and  few chirps of comfort were shared before movement made pleasure explode over their bodies, as Gilda began slowly but confidently thrusting and grinding into her mate. Gabby closed her eyes and moaned louder, little growls and hisses escaped Gilda as her primal side tried to take over, but she fought it back down. 

Being as pent up at they were, the interaction didn't last long, Gilda started panting just as quickly as Gabby did, each of their bodies heating up as the excitement built to a head. Gabby whimpered suddenly, pulling Gilda out of the moment for a second, worried she'd hurt her partner, but she was surprised when Gabby chirped out in excitement. The hen was shaking, her wings flapping upside down, the primaries gently stroking Gilda's sides with each swing of motion. Gabby's eyes were scrunched shut in focus, her arousal very close. 

"F-Faster! Faster Gilda!!!" 

She panted with a lustful grin, to make Gabby feel like this? That was the true reward! She thrust harder and faster. Her hips making as much friction between their bodies as possible, the wet slapping noises driving Gilda close as well. 

But it was Gabby who came first. As Gilda let more of her primal nature show, and she leaned down to nip her mate's shoulder, Gabby launched her talons out and gripped Gilda's cheeks, firmly locking their beaks in a feral lust driven kiss. Gilda felt a surge of warmth gush against her vulva, and her throat vibrated as Gabby screeched into her mouth, the level of arousal that simple act gave Gilda slipped her over the edge, and she returned the favor, practically snarling into Gabby's mouth as she followed through with her own orgasm.

Shaking, shuddering, and panting, they separated for only a moment to lock gazes, before the kiss was renewed. Moaning into one another, growling through beaks, and sounds of pleasure filled the bedroom for the next hour or so as the two hens spent time exploring one another once more. 

They did find out very quickly that if the normal breeding position was taken, their instincts tried very hard to take over. Neither hen wanted to hurt the other, so they tried other poses, the most enjoyable being the face to face one. Gilda got to see the passion and pleasure on her mate's face, and Gabby got to enjoy Gilda looking powerful and in control atop her.

It was nearly two hours later when the two stopped. Flopping against each other in a sweaty, panting, feather-addled mess of bliss. Gabby lay atop Gilda now, her eyes closed as she purred in content. Gilda stared at the ceiling with one arm above her head, and the other resting on one of Gabby's forearms, gently kneading the fur. No words were said for a time, each hen basking in the afterglow of their mating.

"Crap." Gilda finally murmured. Gabby hummed in question, peeking an eye open, Gilda simply kept staring at the ceiling. "If this is what love is like...I'm totally a dweeb for it." 

The joke was subtle in it's delivery, but Gabby caught it and started giggling, the vibrations transferring to Gilda's chest. She smiled and glanced down to find Gabby smiling at her in a restful state. 

"Mmm well I like my dweeby lover then." She whispered. A sudden twitch from her cheek made her sit up and she started preening her own chest fluff.  Gilda looked Gabby up and down and grimaced slightly...They'd gotten sex... stuff, everywhere, and Gilda knew immediately that the whole nest needed washing. 

"liking what you see, my Rose?" Gabby murmured as she licked down her belly. Gilda chuckled and rubbed the back of her head feathers with a blush. "Ehh, sort of? I was also noticing that you and I are  in need of a shower...or two." 

Gabby blinked in that way that say she had the same realization and the two hens looked around at the destroyed nest, the damp blankets, and the torn bedding. Gabby blushed as well. "Ah, yes that would be easier then trying to preen it away, I suppose." 

"Preening this away would take a looong time. You want first dibs on the shower?" She pointed to the doorway. "I can get something to eat while you--" 

Gabby's claws around her beak quieted her, as the hen purred, and leaned close. She licked along the edge of Gilda's beak edge, teasing the griffoness as she tried to kiss her. "How about we take one at the same time, and then get food together?" Her whisper cooed into Gilda's ear.

Gilda blushed an her neck ruff fluffed out. "O-oh! Yeah, I like that idea way more!" 

Hopping off Gilda, Gabby swayed on weak legs, and then froze as the feathers closest to her side unstuck themselves like warm sticky glue and she shuddered. "Ooh that is gross! How did it even get there?!"

Gilda laughed and stood up, ready to comment, when she felt the same thing, only on the mid riff of her chest and fur, the weird squelch of fur separating from sticky feathers made her cringe. 

"Ew! That is so weird! Ew! Ew! Ew! She immediately sat down, attempting to preen the gunked up glob, only to recoil as the scent from her body smacked her in the face. 

Gabby was grimacing too, gently sniffing her wing pits and gagging. Gilda stood and put her claws on Gabby's rump, startling the hen as she started pushing. "Shower. Shower right now, we reek!"

Gabby laughed as her love tried to force her into the bathroom. "Oh come on it just means you marked me well! I smell like you now!" 

Gilda grumbled as Gabby playfully fought her, "Yeah and that means both of us smell like three week old gym clothes! Now get in there and get wet!" 

Gilda blushed. That... could have been better worded...

It wasn't lost on the smaller hen either. Gabby paused and slowly angled her head back to look at Gilda with a coy expression, the slyest of smiles on her beak. 

Gilda growled. "No. NO! Don't take that out of context or so help me you'll feel the sharp edge of my beak on your rump!" 

That spurred Gabby forward. "I mean you said it, Gilda not me." 

Gilda grinned. "Yeah and I proved I can make you wetter then the shower can, in only a few seconds." 

Gabby's blush was totally worth it. Without another word the blushing hen clambered into the bathroom with her mate and the door closed. While Gabby definitely tried to make shower time fun, Gilda was barely awake, and very hungry, so for now  they simply showered, the occasional nuzzle as they chatted. The shower wasn't big enough to hold both of them, so while Gabby bathed, Gilda sat outside and cleaned herself up a little with the help of the sink and mirror. The topic of designing a new bathroom held their conversation for most of the time.  

Gabby liked the idea of having a large square shower, with three shower heads, and a glass door, while Gilda liked the idea of two shower heads, and a wall length sitting area. They swapped ideas around until they needed to switch places, and then the topic jumped from subject to subject until Gilda was done. 

As they stepped out of the bathroom, slightly damp, kind of dry, Gilda made Gabby blush as she swung her tail under the darker hen's, entwining them together as the pair walked down the stairs. The little touches seemed to be very much appreciated by Gabby, who leaned on her shoulder for comfort as they entered the kitchen. 

"So what are you feeling like for food?" Gilda asked as Gabby split away to sit at the table. Opening the fridge, Gilda immediately frowned. They were a bit low on...everything. Propping her chin up on curled talons, Gabby let her eyes dart around as she thought. 

"Hmm, do we have any steaks? You are really good at making those!"

"Ah no, we ran out last Tuesday." 

Gabby hummed, "Any mystery stir fry left over?" 

"Nope, ate that yesterday for lunch." 

"Chicken and rice?"

"Went bad a few days ago, need to throw it out actually." 

"Um..."

The two hens fell silent for a moment before they looked at one another. 

"Take out then?" Gilda asked sheepishly. "I know it isn't exactly a romantic meal but uh, we kinda need to go shopping, like, really soonish."

Gabby giggled. "Not everything has to be romantic Gilda, but the gesture is appreciated. Let's go get burgers or something, we can catch the next train to Ponyville." 

Gilda closed the fridge and blew her head crest out of the way. Her expression turned down for a moment, but then she shrugged. "Meh, sure. Not like we have any major food places here except mine." 

Gabby smirked. "I don't think a café counts as a restaurant." 

Exiting downstairs, they made it to the door before Gilda paused, looking out into the mid day light. The main road to town wasn't overly crowded, it had the normal amount of griffons milling around, but suddenly she was wary. Gabby noticed and warbled gently. Worry was evident in her tone. "Gilda? What's wrong?" 

"I..." Gilda knew exactly what was wrong, and she didn't like it. "You ah...you know how I said I don't care what others think of us being...us?"

Gabby nodded. "Yeah."

Gilda gulped and let her claws drop from the doorway. "I um... I think I do actually care." 

A look of hurt crossed over Gabby's face before she looked down. Gilda immediately backpedaled. "No no no! Please don't take that the wrong way, I didn't mean it like that! I want to be with you Gabby!" 

Gabby chuckled shortly with forced mirth, rubbing her shoulder. "I know that silly. I'm just not used to seeing you... bothered about that sort of thing. I don't really know what to say is all. Part of me, kind of hoped you really meant that though, it gave me a lot of confidence." 

Gilda wanted to say that she did mean it... but part of her genuinely worried what would happen if they were seen holding claws, or entwining tails out in public. In one sense she was fine if the folk in town bashed her for it, that she didn't care about. 

But Gabby? She might find a quick way to spend time in jail if anyone tried to hurt her Song.

"I just... I don't want you to get harassed or hurt cause those jerks out there aren't open minded is all." She shuffled closer and opened her arms for a hug, and Gabby slipped close. After a moment of hugging Gilda grumbled. "Fuck I hate this feeling, it's like I'm being judged just for existing or something!" 

Gabby nodded, gently picking up one of Gilda's talons and closed hers around the digits. She looked to Gilda and her frown said it all. "Yeah, It doesn't feel very good to have to hide it... I've had a few males try to talk to me, see if they can take me on a date or two, and when I told them I wasn't interested, they get... weird about it. Some made snide remarks about you and I and I might have nearly spent a day in the local jail for it once." She smirked with genuine joy that time. "But I was helped by Grandpa Gruff intervening." 

Gilda perked up at the mention of the old buzzard. "That's an idea, why don't we check into the actual laws and such, Grandpa Gruff seems really smart in that department, so he can help."

"Hmm?" Gabby tilted her head to the side. "As far as I know there aren't any laws on this stuff, just natural disdain for it." 

She puffed up even more. "Well that'll be good to verify then, cause if that's the case, we have legal leverage!" She then pointed to her confectionary case. "Plus, any of those dweebs out there try to pull something, we can  threaten to ban em from the café. No shoes no shit, no service!" 

Gabby frowned but didn't argue the point. Having brought herself up to positive standards once more, Gilda opened the door and nodded. "Alright, we go get burgers, we come back, and I'll get the café ready for tomorrow!"

Coughing into her claws and shuffling her wings to help offset the anxious energy, she held the door for her mate. "We just act casual until we have confirmation, you think you can do that for a little while longer, my Song?"

Gabby smiled and shook her head at Gilda's antics. "I think I'll manage. It's you I'm worried about." 

Gilda gasped in fake shock, feigning outrage. "Why the nerve, you think I of all griffons can't play it cool?!" 

She spun around and puffed out her chest, eliciting more giggles from her lover. She strut by and calmly stared Gabby down. "I am the epitome of cool, calm, and cucumber... or whatever the phrase is, now come on, lets go get food!"

She missed the eye roll from Gabby. "Riiight, we'll see how long that lasts."  

The flight to the train station went uneventfully, Both girls played a little air tag, With Gilda winning once again. Then the time waiting at the station nearly had Gilda spazzing out over boredom, until Gabby whipped out that trashy romance book she somehow got back, and Gilda proceeded to devolve into a manic embarrassed fury as she chased Gabby around the building in an attempt to get the book and rip it to shreds. 

Gabby was really good at cutting tight corners, Gilda not so much. This had ended with her sprawled on her back  and dust covered as Gabby turned a new page and began the horrible smutty tale anew. A couple of the griffons nearby had soured at the scenario but Gilda decided to ignore em. Gabby was having fun, and so was she. That was an odd thing to feel out in public, usually Gilda tried to act calm, but now it seemed like that didn't really matter as much as getting a smile on Gabby's face.

The chase had soon resumed, only to be stopped by the shrill whistle of the train as it rolled into the platform. Gabby and Gilda had purchased their tickets and gotten some seats in a car that was mostly empty, a couple other griffons and a pair of ponies were closer to the front of the car but they left the two alone. Gabby had then in secret whispers, continued telling Gilda the story while the hen played up the act of hating it.

Truth be told she kind of liked the tale. While the stallion was a bit of a fool, his dogged determination to win the mare over was commendable. The mare was quick witted and had a certain flare to her personality that Gilda could relate to. So as the train rumbled out of the station, and the two hours it took to make it to Ponyville shed away, Gilda felt herself scooting closer to her hen.

Not out of urgency to keep her safe, no, to simply be closer to her. To feel her warmth, and see her happiness as she turned page after page of that trashy novel. Being able to say that Gabby was hers, was elation to a level Gilda had never felt before, something unrealized by her.

And Gabby was saying something to her. "S-sorry what?" Gilda asked stupidly.

Gabby smirked and poked her beak, making Gilda go cross-eyed to stare at the claw. "We're here silly, the train car is emptying." 

Gilda snapped out of her stupor and looked out the window. When had the trip to Ponyville been so fast?! She blinked a couple times before Gabby started pushing her out of her seat. 

"Come on, Casanova, get a move on." 

Gilda was sort of pushed out of the car by Gabby, still lost. "What... what did you call me?" She asked, finally finding her legs and getting her bearings. The deck of the Ponyville station was filled to the brim with ponies just getting off from the five o' clock shifts, or just starting their day. A lot of hustle and bustle but not much movement in any particular direction. 

Add two dozen griffons to it and the station was packed. Gabby slunk through the crowd like a snake, smoothly slipping around stallions, foals, and mares alike, with a couple 'excuse mes' and a rare apology, but little trouble. For Gilda, she had no problem mostly because her size made the ponies want to move out of her way. 

They made it to the main road before chaos struck.

literally. 

A huge plume of smoke exploded out in front of them, in reds, blues, pinks, and eggshell white. through the smoke haphazardly made music blared through for a moment, as a towering figure made of multiple limbs from several creatures made his presence known with a loud crackle of chaotic energy. 

From the dissipating smoke, three colorful cannonballs blasted out and collided with Gabby, bowling her over. Gabby and Gilda squawked for entirely different reasons. Gabby because she'd been startled, and Gilda because her mate had just been taken down with out so much as a warning. 

Said trio was the CMC and they were cheering and hopping around a laughing Gabby as she tried to get up. Gilda felt her heart rate go down, only for the beeping to increase.

Wait beeping? 

"hmm this heart monitor does seem to be working after all, nurse Red Heart must be going senile." 

That voice could only be--

"Discord! Yes that's me! I was reading your thoughts, and realized you might need a speed up on things! Walk with me birdy!" Gilda whipped her head up and found The God of Chaos himself towering over her with a manic gleeful smile that said too many things and not enough at the same time. He was currently holding a heart monitor that had a tube running down on wires that had some how been attached to her chest feathers with out her feeling it. 

Wrenching them off, she growled, and then said growl was instantly stopped by his giant lions paw muffling her and covering her whole face. "Ah ah ah, that's no way to spend this cheerful moment now is it? You finally tied the knot, took an arrow to the knee, found the fish in your pond, felt what it's like to go claws over paws for somepony, or hen in this case, so!"

Before she could react, her world flipped around and she was holding a trophy atop a awards stand with two others, one was Twilight Sparkle, in third place, grumbling, and in second place was Gallus, staring past her with hearts for eyes, at Twilight. Gilda was holding a large golden trophy that just said "FINALLY." 

Discord came into view, a snazzy red and gold sparkling suit on, a microphone in one paw and a bouquet of randomly assorted carnivorous plants, which he promptly shoved into her other claw. "Lets hear it folks, she finally got it! The whole kit and caboodle, the charades are over and this dove has flown the coup to land with another lovely bird! That's right she's done the bases and came in for a home run, and what a grand slam it was! Now we need to hear it from the bird herself, who was it that braved the elements, fought through the turmoil and asked the big one, the question to answer all questions!"

He held the microphone to her beak and Gilda blinked in totally befuddlement. "W-what?"

Discord chuckled, "No, what's on second base, lovely, waiting for the pitch you're about to throw me. Now, who proposed to who? It's kind of important." 

Gilda blinked and suddenly she was back in ponyville, the stage and lights and other stuff was gone, the bouquet was not. One of the venus fly traps had closed around one of her neck feathers, making weird 'nom nom nom' sounds. 

Discord let the suit and microphone disappear and chuckled. "Ah if I could subsist on confusion alone, I'd be larger than the Sun herself. Any who, I made a bet you see, kind of a big amount too betting on who would ask who, ya know. The big question! SO was it you, or Gabs?" 

Gilda blinked again, slower this time. She gently pried the fly trap from her neck, set the bouquet down, and then before Discord could react, snapped her claws out and grabbed him by his goat beard, yanking him snout to beak.  She snarled loudly.

"YOU BET ON US!?"

Discord grinned sheepishly. "I uh... if it helps you answer the question, know that I definitely bet on you?" 

Gilda pummeled him.
> The Growing Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gilda and Gabby were in Ponyville once more. A place some might consider disorderly given its habit of attracting chaos and trouble every other day. Regardless of its tendencies, Ponyville was the closest town to Griffonstone, and with their city still clawing its way up to the status of "a good place to visit", Ponyville was the nearest place they could get fast food like hay burgers or other foodstuffs.  

The two hens currently sat in a local restaurant near the crystal castle, at a booth off to the side. The establishment thankfully catered to their kind as well, and Gilda was able to enjoy a wickedly good alfredo chicken dish with garlic bread. Across from her, Gabby was enjoying some kind of stir-fry dish with beef and veggies mixed in. 

This would have been a lovely little date for the two, especially after their midnight bonding and deeper intimacy...except...

There was a Lord of Chaos and three fillies also in the booth with them. Gilda felt her talons tighten around her fork as she forced a growl down her throat. Discord was above them all, draped in a C-shape around the top of the booth, so one end of his body was behind Gilda's head, with his tail draped down to the floor, while his mid section defied gravity and stayed straight as a board above and across the portion of the table closest to the window. His chest, neck and head were on Gabby's side of the booth, and he was chattering with the hen and foals. 

"I mean seriously, who puts explosive oranges in a crate and ships them to apes in a jungle, that's just asking for trouble!" Discord rolled his eyes and slapped his face with his lion paw. "That Crocodile King would have been the better option in hindsight. My stocks are gonna tank after this I swear, and I'll be very cranky." 

Applebloom snickered and took a sip of her drink before replying. "Shouldn't put all your apples–or oranges– in one basket then, what was they gave you in return any who?" 

Discord summoned a bunch of bananas that by their outer appearance seemed to be made of gold. "A crap ton of these things!" He unpeeled one and Gilda was actually displeased to see it was a normal banana inside. Discord spoke while chewing the golden peel. "They said these were valuable, but I checked the market, no one is buying golden bananas!" 

Sweetie bell cocked her head. "Well, that makes sense actually. No one is buying them cause we don't have any of those in our demens–" Discord stuffed the remainder of his banana into her mouth suddenly and shook his head. "Tut tut tut, my very existence hinges on these things being in every dimension, and thus here they are." He said holding another bunch right before it vanished to...somewhere. "So, sorry to burst your logic bubble there Tiny Twilight, but because I am here, they must be too." 

Scootaloo reached for one of the banana's and another of discord's paws came out of her water glass and gently slapped her hoof away. "IF you want one, scoots, that'll be 400 bits, these things ain't cheap." 

Scoots pointed at Sweetie bell and the banana she was eating. "But she got one! And you just said they weren't selling, so how do you already have a price for em?" 

Discord rolled his eyes. "If there is no sale then I have the monopoly on these products and thus can mark them at any value I deem necessary for their fair purchase, and yes, Sweetie bell got one, but only because she doesn't know what paycheck I docked her twenty years from now." Then his eyes fell on Gilda with an odd sense of intensity to them. "How about we get the topic back to where Gilda wanted it in the first place hmm?" 

Every one suddenly looked to Gilda. A fuming Gilda in fact.  Gabby giggled nervously and stirred her fry. "Y-you were um, saying Gilda?" 

Gilda finally let the growl out, and directed it at Discord, who gave her a coy smile in return. "I was saying I'd like this to be a date. Us. Gabby. Me. No one else..."

Gilda stood and flung her fork at Discord, not surprised at all when he reflexively caught it in his teeth and it turned into a rose. "But this cursed pile of flesh and magic had to go and invite himself to it!" 

"Wait this was a date?!" Scootaloo blushed, and before anyone could answer, she'd literally leapt outta the booth and was making a beeline for the door. "You said no mushy stuff Discord!" she shouted as the doors clacked open. Applebloom was next, racing after her friend. 

"Consarnit, Discord, you said it was a friendly get together! Wait up Scoots!" She was gone with a second clack of the doors and a sour look from one of the waiters. Discord chuckled and began floating off the booths. 

"Both are incorrect, of course, I said it was a meeting of like minded individuals destined for chaos."

Sweetie Belle finally finished the rather large banana and coughed. "B-but that's not what you said either, you said to me that–" 

Discord's tail wrapped around her lightning fast and wrenched her from the booth as he laughed. "I said what I said and that's all that need be heard Tiny Twilight! Now come along, We are being booted from this scene so the plot can continue." 

He said this while snake-like slithering out the door with her in tow. She flailed in his grasp. "Stop calling me Tiny Twilight you–

The doors clacked shut once more, just as the waiter arrived at their table with four extra orders of food floating in his magic. He grimaced at the group vanished down the street. "Oh blast me, he dined and dashed again...I'll have to ask which one of you is going to pay for this." 

Gilda slowly slid her alfredo chicken to the side....and then slammed her face into the table. "Date. RUINED." 

The waiter winced and then looked over to Gabby. "I ah...Don't suppose he left bits with you, did he?"

Gabby tried to hide her mirth behind her claws, and then pointed shakily at the bunch of Golden Bananas. "Um, maybe Discord could pay with those?" 

The waiter sighed and examined them closely before walking off with the fruit aloft in magic and far away from his body. "As long as they don't explode..." 

Once he was gone Gilda peeled her face off the table and growled. "I swear if it's not one thing then it's–"

The window to their booth slammed open and a party cannon shoved it's way inside, Confetti exploded out every where showering  down onto Gilda, Gabby, the waiters, and their food. PInkie pie landed on the floor, rolled once, flipped up onto her hooves and spun around with a banner dropping into view above her. It read "Happy Griffonversary!"  

Pinkie pie then put on a top hat, pulled out a cane and opened her mouth to sing!

"Weeeell ya know when the birds and the bees are a buzzin, they wanna hug and kiss and get on with humpin–EEP!" 

Gilda roared,  tearing her way from the booth and grabbed pinkie pie by her tail and mane. She pivoted, stuffed her back into the cannon, somehow spun it around through the open window, and pulled the firing cord. There was an explosion that rocked the windows and tables, and Pinkie went sailing over the nearby house, screaming "I'm blasting off agaiiiin!!" 

The room fell quiet save for the huffing and puffing of a furious Gilda. Gabby was in her seat dying of laughter, literally on her back, wings flapping, and legs kicking. The waiter was the first  to come under Gilda's ire, and she snapped a wing and a talon to him, making him flinch. 

"YOU. Two to-go boxes. NOW." 

He'd never ran so fast. 





The laughter did not stop once they left the restaurant, nor did it stop on the way back to the train. Or on the train. Heck Gilda even tried to get her to read that sappy romance book, but failed! As the train clacked it's way up to Canterlot, Gilda felt her head slump to the table with a defeated sigh. "This was such a–"

"A total success!" Gabby exclaimed. Gilda snapped her head up to give her new mate a bewildered look. 

"Eh?! How was it a success!? We were ambushed by the CMC, then harassed by discord, then literally put on blast by pinkie pie, and then the waiter still made us pay for their food! How is this a success!?" 

Gabby took a moment to look Gilda over. Her Rose was wilted, and puffy, in fact frazzled would be a good term. She hummed and checked the car for other griffons, and finding none, she leaned over the table and snuck a quick kiss on the surprised hen's cheek. 

"Because I had fun." She purred into Gilda's ear. She then leaned back and admired how flustered Gilda got. "The only thing that mattered to me, Gilda, is that we enjoyed ourselves. While I don't think you did, persay, I most certainly did...so, thanks. The date was lovely."

She sheepishly lowered her head and fluffed out her feathers, purposely trying to look cute. It worked, Gilda was gently touching her cheek where Gabby had kissed her, and was now blushing warmly as she looked Gabby over. 

"Oh. W-well, okay. Cool. Yeah that's cool." She murmured. Her eyes roamed lower, and Gabby eeped and covered her self with her wings. 

"G-Gilda! don't stare at my nipples in public!" She said quietly. Gilda smirked finally and lowered her hand to the table. 

"Yeah well don't kiss me in public, it's all mushy and gross!" 

Gabby pouted. "My kisses aren't mushy." 

Gilda paused and then smiled. "Okay, okay, so the date was good, I am glad you thought so, definitely not what I had in mind, but it worked out. Now for part two." 

Gabby perked up at that. "Oh? there is more? Is that why we are going to Canterlot?" 

Gilda nodded, and then lifted her head to the ceiling, looking around. "And Discord, STAY THE FUCK OUT OF IT YA HEAR?!" 

"Oh please it was just a little chaos..." His voice emanated from the sugar container on their table. Gilda immediately grabbed it and opened the window, chucking it out and down the mountain.

Gabby grimaced. "Um, I hope that doesn’t hurt anyone." 

Gilda growled. "Too late, It hurt me." She grumbled and flopped back onto the table. The pair were silent for a moment, before Gabby also lay her head and chest on the table. She shuffled a bit closer and shared a tender beak nuzzle with Gilda, who immediately returned it. 

"So, what's part two?" Gabby whispered, purring as Gilda nibbled her cheek fluff. 

"Mm, well I figured if anyone should know about us, it'd be a certain blue feathered Captain of the Canterlot Guard."

Gabby instantly sat back up, her claws on her cheeks, as a huge grin formed. "Oooh that's right! We gotta tell–

"Get your fluffy little head back down here so I can nuzzle it more." 

Gabby blushed and giggled. "Oh, making demands now are we?"  

Gilda slowly reached up to Gabby's beak, gently wrapped her claws around it, and slowly pulled Gabby back down to the table, she then let go, and firmly purred, nuzzling into her mate's face and neck feathers.

"Yes I am, you beautiful hen. Not only am I one of your bosses, but I'm also your landlord, and now I'm your mate. I need stress relief and you are an amazing source of it." 

Gabby immediately joined in the purring, and they stayed like that until the station to Canterlot came into view. Upon exiting the train, they were immediately approached by a unicorn stallion in royal purple armor. He smiled curtly, and bowed. 

"Good morning, are you Gilda and Gabby Griffon by any chance?" 

They both looked at one another. Gilda spoke first. "Uh why are you asking?"

He tilted his head to the castle. "I was tasked with getting in contact with you should you come to Canterlot. Princess Twilight would like to speak with the both of you." 

Gilda frowned. "How long have you been at this train station waiting for us to just...show up?" 

His professional mask slipped with a light smirk. "Twenty minutes, ma'am, we were made aware of your arrival at Ponyville a couple hours ago. Following that we were informed you'd gotten on the train coming here." 

Gabby hummed, looking around and up into the sky. "So...are we  being watched or something? That's kind of creepy." 

He frowned and shook his head. "Ah, no. Nothing like that, miss. Captain Gallus and Twilight are merely more careful with family members, truth be told Her Highness has wanted to speak with you, miss Gabby for a while now." 

He bowed to her quite suddenly, and Gabby blinked in surprise. "From one guard who was in the mission to help Griffonstone, I apologize for our negligence, we should have been more careful." 

Gabby nodded slowly, rubbing her previously injured arm. "Oh, it's okay, I mean, you guys didn't know. I accept your apology." 

He stood back up, but kept his frown as he looked to Gilda. "We should have known." She merely held her own frown and nodded. "Please, follow me. IF you have any questions, I can answer most about the city, and some about the guard, as well as the politics and such." 

"How's Gallus doing?" Gabby asked. 

The unicorn tilted his ears a few directions for a moment as they began walking up the main road to the palace. A couple ponies stopped to gaze at the griffons but nothing more. With Twilight reforming the cities and towns to be more open minded, it wasn't odd to see different species more varied throughout the formerly mostly pony capital. Gilda saw at least two changelings, another griffon, and a hippogriff wandering around. 

"Captain Gallus is...hmm, before I say anything else can you two keep this conversation between yourselves and myself?" He asked glancing back at them with a critical eye. Both girls nodded firmly. Gilda put her claw palm up. "We've already met your government spook Pivot Point. Spill it, how's our brother?" 

That seemed to placate his doubt and he slowed his walk to end up between them. "Gallus is normally very confidant, calm, and collected, we of the guard respect his authority and enjoy his command, most of us anyway. There are always those who wish to remove him, both for his heritage, as well as his rank. But that's something else entirely." 

They turned down a side street, one less used, but had more guards, and Gilda and Gabby bunched closer to him as they walked. He kept talking but his voice dropped. "With Gallus's intent of courting her highness made quite apparent by the recent investigations from the nobles and Pivot Point, Gallus has been frazzled. He's not as confidant, and to be fair, a lot of the guard thinks he should give up this endeavor."

Gabby growled. "It's his love life, not the nobles, or yours." 

The guard nodded. "I meant no disrespect by my statement and I wish him only the best, personally. But I cannot deny that there are some pretty big problems with his courtship. Firstly, as much as you say that, miss Gabby, that is an opinion, not a law. Sometimes the opinions of others get...volatile. Some folk have decided their opinions should be law. Opinions like banning interspecies courting. With Princess Twilight effectively turning Canterlot on it's head with her friendship and open mind policies, a lot of ponies are angry that the status qou is being disrupted. Several high end nobles have outright moved away from Canterlot, to other cities. Some even went farther and moved out of the country."

Gilda grumbled. "Good, less of a problem for us and Gallus." 

The guard shook his head. "I thought so too, but the ones who have stayed to fight back are worse. Far worse. Even though Twilight's ratings as a royal are actually a lot higher than Celestia's were, there are still those that want her removed. Change comes slowly to big cities, and she's trying to change a capital that hasn't had these kinds of alterations in centuries. So while I'm all for Captain Gallus seeking Her Highness's hoof, they are not. Not only that but there is another big problem."

Gabby frowned. "What's the other problem?" 

"Princess Twilight is in fact the other problem."  

Both griffons stopped and frowned at him. He put up his hoofs defensively. "Wait, please let me explain." 

"Sounding like a turn coat a little here bud..." Gilda mumured.  He shook his head vehemently. 

"Definitely not, I'm very supportive of her changes and her viewpoints, that's why I joined in fact. She's not only made everywhere more peaceful, but she cares, actually cares for everyone around her. I'm not saying Celestia and Luna didn't or don't, wherever they are currently. They did the best they could."

He took his helmet off and Gilda and Gabby got to see his actually face as the white fur enchantment faded away. He was tired, and looked sad. He looked between them.

"I'm saying that the issue is how much she has to put into caring. Twilight spends almost every hour of her days going from meeting to library, to meeting, to social gatherings, all for the sake of making everything work out. All for the sake of friendship. The mare is running herself ragged and we guard see it every day. Gallus does too, so he tried to help, but that mare is a one pony army when it comes to paperwork, politics, and knowledge. Gallus is not that kind of griffon. No one can even remotely keep up with her and trust me, we've tried, but he hasn't given up. Then you add in a relationship to that whole mix? She has no time for Gallus and it's destroying him."

Both griffons blinked and groaned. Gilda smacked her forehead. "I told Gallus this was gonna be an issue." 

The Guard nodded sadly, putting his helmet back on. "We did too, Ma'am. We did too. Then from all that, there's one more problem." 

Gilda and Gabby groaned louder, and Gilda ran her claws down her face gently. "There's more!?" 

He began walking, having them reach the draw bridge to Canterlot Castle. The two gate guards waved them in, and then Gilda and Gabby walked smack into a wall of magic. Like walking through molasses, the two clawed their way free and whipped around to snarl at the gate. 

"The fuck was that!?" Gilda yelled. "Warn someone first, jeez!"

The guard dipped his head, "Apologies, but it's a defensive measure. After so many attacks, certain changes were made to the Castle grounds to protect from invaders. it has been useful. We've caught several would be thieves and spies, couple rogue changelings too." 

Gabby shivered violently and immediately began preening her sides, and a short second later Gilda followed suit. "It felt like walking through a wall of syrup!" Gabby hissed. 

He politely waited quietly for the hens to compose themselves, and then after apologizing a second time, led them into the castle. "As for the third reason, I can't really talk about it myself, as it's not a known fact, just conjecture at this time. You can ask Twilight though, maybe she'll give you a better answer than I could." 

"It's not like you weren't giving your opinion earlier, dude, might as well give us a hint instead of throwing us to the wolves." 

He paused as they reached the throne room doors, knocking four times and then casting magic on the door. He then turned to them and whispered quickly as he passed by. "There is a rumor that Twilight doesn't actually have any interest in dating whatsoever. Romance, love, courtship, all of it. This comes from accounts from the solar guard back when they took care of her, all the way up to today. Apparently during her teenage years, and even her later life, while other fillies and mares of the court were trying to find some one, Twilight turned down every single attempt at dating. None of it got even close to success. After seeing Gallus's attempts, and her "approval" of it there is a fear she's leading him on, simply hoping he'll give up like the rest."

He began walking away, but looked back at the two hens. "She's too kind, or maybe afraid, to turn him down. So if you are his family...talk to him, please. For us, for him, and for Princess Twilight."

He left them just as the doors lit up in purple magic and started swinging open. Gilda and Gabby shared a look of worry before slowly entering the grand hall. It was a large as it'd had ever been, but instead of the blues and golds of the sun and moon, deep purples and reds met their eyes. Princess Twilight's cutie mark, the Nova Star was on each banner. The stained glass windows were the same, but a few additional ones were added, and it looked like one was currently under construction on the far wall. 

Princess Twilight was off her throne, pacing back and forth with nearly twenty different scrolls surrounding her, as her student, Luster Dawn, sat nearby chewing on a hoof nervously.  The princess was mumbling to herself as she flipped from scroll to scroll. By the time The two hens reached her, the Princess was down to six, having teleported the others one by one to their destinations. 

As if a flip had been switched, Twilight rolled the last remaining scrolls up simultaneously, before pivoting and facing the two griffons. She frowned immediately. 

"Gilda and Gabby of Griffonstone. Right that was next wasn't it?" She actually looked to her student who held up a hoof and shrugged. Twilight hummed and then turned back to them. 

"Right...this um...is going to be very awkward for all of us but...I need your help, no no, first I need to apologize, then I need to clarify, THEN I need your help."  

Both Gabby and Gilda were momentarily floored when she took her crown off, bowed, and lowered her horn to the floor. "I princess Twilight Sparkle, apologize to you Gabby for the physical trauma and pain you went through, due to my guards inability to uphold proper safety during their mission. To Gilda, I apologize for the emotional pain you went through during your friend's healing process, Luna gave  me no end of grief for that, and I take full responsibility for the scenario you two were put in. will you accept my–"

Gilda started waving her paws frantically at the Princess. "Yes! yes! Apology or whatever accepted, just stop...doing whatever this is!"  Gabby slowly nodded as well, mumbling a quick "thank you" but then going quiet. Gilda continued. 

"Look, whatever happened, happened, it's over, drop it, move on. I hate it when ponies pull this crap." She shivered. "Uugh, never bow to me again! Feels wrong!" 

Twilight slowly stood and replaced her crown atop her head. "It does?" She asked. 

Gilda nodded, shuffling her wings. "Yes it does. I met you when you were just a regular old unicorn, not some powered up god like alicorn or whatever you are now. All my brain can see is that unicorn and that bowing to me is...it's weird okay?!"

Gabby leaned forward with a gentle smile. "It's a Gilda thing, alicorns kinda freak her out." 

"They do not! Their just...too much pony. Too much magic! Causes my primal side to get all...weird." 

Twilight nodded after a moment. "I suppose that makes some sense, I'm still sorry."

"Yeah great you're sorry, emotional stuff blah blah blah, what did you want to see us about?" 

Gabby leaned in again. "You said you need our help?"

Twilight immediately perked up, partially opening her wings, ignoring how Gilda flinched and hissed. "Yes! I have...a griffon problem."

"Yeah. You're being a dick to our brother. We heard." Gabby growled. For once, both Gilda and Twilight were surprised. Gabby literally stalked forward, making Twilight defensively lift a hoof. "And let me guess. You need our help to give you confidence so you can fix your little problem, don't you?"

Twilight stared at Gabby with a very...firm expression, before closing her eyes and breathing deeply for a few moments. when she'd finally calmed down, she still glared at Gabby. "I don't know what you heard concerning our...relationship, but that is not what I need your help with. I'm fully confidant enough to–"

"Then stop leading him on!" Gabby snarled. Gilda heard the guards at the door stand from their sitting positions, but Twilight gave them a mere glance and they calmly sat back down. Gabby's tail thrashed as she began pacing, glaring up at the princess as she did so. "You sit there and you tell him he can court you and then all we hear from everyone around is that you don't have any time for him, but you won't tell him that yourself. Is that true?" 

"No, it's not true." Gabby narrowed her eyes. Twilight sighed and lifted a wing to the guards. They teleported away and then Her student did the same. "It is only fair as his siblings that I share some info on Gallus and my relationship."

"Try all of it, Princess." Gilda grumbled, "I had a very heated talk with him about making sure he was being treated right and let me tell you, in the moment we were together, he didn't exactly exude confidence over his situation."

Twilight leveled her gaze on Gilda who felt a primal shiver go down her spine, and she reflexively took a step back, but the Princess didn't move. "No, Gilda that isn't fair to me or to Gallus. Just as he and I have secrets, so too do you, I would not expect you to tell me everything you do with your lover, Miss Gabriella here, would I?" 

Gilda and Gabby both blushed and looked at one another. "W-we aren't, it's not–" 

Twilight leaned down slowly, making Gilda take yet another step back. Her eyes glinted with the hints of magic, "Trust me, Gilda, Alicorns can tell this sort of thing without words being spoken. The soul changes when bonded to another, and I see how much you've changed, as well as Gabby." Gilda hissed and backed up a couple steps.

"Fucking alicorns..." She growled. "Okay fine, it has nothing to do with you and Gallus! What do you want?" 

Twilight waited until Gabby had prowled back to Gilda's side, and then she teleported in two scrolls. "Griffonia, as of one three hundred and fifty-two years ago made a bargain deal with us, to settle for war crimes. They gave us Griffonestone and the surrounding mountains with their resources to pay this debt. It is, and has been a part of Equestria since then, after the last remaining noble passed away and gave the leadership role to Celestia to decide. Celestia at the time, was dealing with far too many greater dangers to the country to put someone in place and thus Griffonestone is left where you see it. Leaderless."

"Which is fine. We don't want any stuffy nobles stealing our bits to make their nests shinier." Gilda said. "All they are going to do is come in and try to act high n mighty and no one is gonna give em the time of day. Also, if they are a pony? You can pretty much forget it, Griffonstone isn't there yet, we have maybe thirteen griffons town wide that are what you'd call "nice" now. You throw a noble in there now, and they'll be thrown out on their rump in ten seconds flat." 

Twilight smiled. "Correct, which is why I'm not sending you a noble, or a politician. I'm sending you both back with a scroll, signed and authenticated by myself and Princess Cadance, to bring your council members here, to the Canterlot monthly city planning meetings."

Gabby stopped glaring for a moment. "Wait, you mean you want Grandpa Gruff and the other older council members  to come here?" 

Gilda smirked. "Why not just mail that to the council instead of making us your delivery birds?"

Twilight smiled and waggled the scrolls. "Because a little blue bird told me you three are now of noble status in Griffonstone... You are the three pillars of their society are you not?"

Both griffons scowled and Gilda clenched her claws. "Seriously? This was not part of the date, the plan, or anything! I came here to give my partner a good time, go on a flight around the city, maybe watch the sun set, and it's all getting thrown out the fucking window because you wanna throw Gabby, me, and Gallus into your political game?!" 

Gilda spun on her claws and stormed away. "Fuck that, fuck this city, and fuck your politics! You need the council to come here, do yourself, all your guards keep saying you wanna do it all on your own, so do so!" 

Gabby watched Gilda exit the throne room, hissing at a guard as she left, and then lowered her beak and growled in frustration.

"Well, that went poorly..." Twilight murmured. 

Gabby angled her eyes at the Alicorn, she looked haggard and slightly unkempt. Bags under her eyes, drooping feathers, a slightly askew crown, the signs of exhaustion were evident. Gabby stood and walked right up to Twilight and looked at her for several seconds, even as Twilight noticed and locked gazes with her. Gabby never looked away.

"Princess, can I be completely candid with you?" 

Twilight pivoted her ears ever so slightly back, but nodded. "Of course."

Gabby shuffled her wings and then reached out slowly, and poked Twilight's neck petral. "This thing is a bit too heavy for you, isn't it?" 

Twilight blinked and eyed the large piece of her royal regalia, the words of the hen were deeper than she'd expected. "You mean the weight of my station, yes?"

Gabby nodded. "I vaguely remember you, back in Ponyville. even with the few times I saw you, you didn't have so much stress, so much turmoil in your eyes, Twilight. I have seen a lot of bad things in my life, but it's because of all that pain that I am very perceptive on how creatures are feeling. You were happy then. You don't look happy now." 

Twilight's attempt at hiding her reaction failed behind a thinly veiled smile. "I'm not completely happy, that is true...but the country is in a lot of unrest–"

Gabby poked her chest again, harder this time.

"So is your heart." She glared up at the alicorn with a determined gaze in her eyes. "And a ruler with a broken or hurting heart is not at their best. We griffons know that better than most creatures, because our kings and queens did what you're doing now, and their reigns were short, bloody, and troubled." 

Gabby gently took the scroll from Twilight's magic and tucked it under her wing. Then her eyes hardened into the well known piercing gaze griffons had, her sharp slit predatory irises held Twilight in her place. "I most of all understand what a troubled heart can do...How much damage it can cause. I'm not unaware that love is a dangerous and painful road we walk on, sometimes against our wills too. So I need something from you, Princess Twilight, in return for delivering this message to Griffonstone." 

Twilight merely nodded slowly, captivated momentarily by how confident Gabby had become recently. Before becoming Gilda's mate, Gabby had been energetic and perky, sure, but there was a nasty undertone of misery that Twilight couldn't help but see, her alicorn nature forcing her to see the miasma of pain and fear that floated around Gabby whenever she made physical contact with otters or when her doubts grabbed a hold of her.

Gabby turned and looked back through the throne room doors, before closing her eyes and growling lightly. "Don't let this city or the nobles around you decide what your heart does. Don't let fear take hold and destroy something that could be wonderful for you...and for Gallus." 

Then she growled louder and unclenched her claws, digging them into the carpet under her talons. "Because Gallus deserves love, just as much as you do, and he is breaking himself to try and reach your level. So what I need from you is a promise. I need your word and promise that regardless of what Canterlot does, or your little ponies do or say, you'll be honest and open with Gallus about the situation you and him are in. Don't let fear make secrets. Don't hide from him behind your crown. We are griffons, we can take a lot, but something we can't take is being manipulated."

Twilight was silent for a moment, her wings shuffling lightly. "Does Gilda feel that way right now?" 

Gabby looked back at the doors, and spotted Gilda sitting on a bench down the hall, her tail was lashing and she looked miffed, but she also was occasionally looking into the throne room at Gabby and Twilight. Her eyes held the feeling of a mate too far from her lover, but also fighting to respect her.

"Maybe," Gabby murmured. "But mostly because she hates it when her plans go astray, and that seems to be what today is full of." 

Twilight rose to her full height and reset her crown properly atop her head, before nodded to Gabby. "You know, I want to make that promise, Gabby, I always seem to need friends to help me see things I was missing. So yes, I promise I will talk with Gallus later today, about our situation...he may not like what I have to say, but I feel it is in our best interests." 

Gabby nodded, before departed to the exterior of the hall. Gilda perked up immediately when she returned to the larger hen's side. Gabby chirped and nuzzled Gilda, trying to comfort her.

"Gilda, I'm sorry things have gone awry, but there is still time to do stuff in town if you want to. Wanna go for a flight?" 

Gilda let her feathers ruffle out a little, even as her eyes darted around the area for prying folk, but no one was looking their way. She sighed and nuzzled Gabby back a bit. "Honestly that sounds great, Gabs, Lets get out of this castle, this city and just...go somewhere." 

They did just that, and an hour of flying away from the capital found them lounging on a cloud several miles from any large populated areas. the forest below them was vast and green in it's colors. Tall hills rose up to try and meet them but the two hens were far away. Both in their own minds, and each other. 

Gilda lay on her back, with Gabby nestled closely by her side, letting the gentle nips and nibbles of Gabby's beak in her chest fur soothe her frustration. Her eyes fell to the hen, watching as she fussed over a tuft of fur that wouldn't move where she wanted it. 

Gabby noticed Gilda was looking at her and blushed meekly, looking away. "S-sorry, it's just a habit, I like organized fur and yours was frazzled." 

Gilda whispered. "Please don't stop, it was nice..." She reached out and cupped Gabby's cheek gently scratching her neck and under her chin, "I wanted things to go smoothly but...life shit on our day it seems." 

Gabby gripped her talons in her own and leaned forward, nuzzling her beak against Gilda's before they gently locked beaks in a kiss. Gilda's spine tingled every time she got to do this, kissing was an electric current she'd never get over feeling. She firmly pushed against the kiss, gliding her tongue along the inner edging of Gabby's beak, watching in joy as Gabby shivered. 

"Mmmm, you're getting better at kissing, love." Gabby murmured as they separated. "I like what you did there...still, today wasn't totally a loss for me. I got to travel with you, I got to share some food, and we even saw friends."

"You saw friends, I saw ponies and a menace."  Gilda warbled. "The Cmc are still too energetic for my tastes...Can't really call em friends." 

"Yet." Gabby hummed. "But maybe one day?" She chirped hopefully. 

Gilda smiled. "Yeah, maybe." 

They lay there as the clouds around them shifted and formed new shapes. Both griffons could tell a storm front was rolling in, as the cloud they rest on expanded over time, rising in height and size. their feathers tingled with energy as it grew. 

for an hour or so, they held each other's company with kisses, touches to intimate places, and nuzzles surrounded with murmurs of love. When the wind started picking up, Gilda nudged Gabby and woke her from their light hearted nap. 

"Storm is getting stronger, we should leave if we don't wanna be soaked and thrown around."

Gabby went to speak when as if on cue a drop of water whapped her in the beak. She blinked and the two hens looked up at the anvil cloud they'd rested on. "Should we get on the next train?"

Gilda shook her head. "I rented us rooms in Canterlot. We can take the train back to Griffonstone in the morning." 

Gabby nodded and the two hens went to take off, when Gabby grabbed Gilda's tail, holding her in place.

"W-wait...Gilda, c-can we do something first?" 

Gilda eyed the storm behind her mate. "Er sure but we gotta be quick..." 

Gabby purred and suddenly shot forward, wrapping her arms around Gilda and pulling her forward.

"W-Whoa!!" Gilda fell atop Gabby, their bellies and teats rubbing together as Gabby passionately kissed Gilda with the ferocity of a starving animal. Gilda was so surprised by it that she barely reacted as the hen peppered her with kisses and nips. 

"G-Gabby what are you doing?" She murmured through the touches. Gabby responded by gently raking her talons down Gilda's sides and gripping her hips, clenching Gilda's rump fur and pulling Gilda down quickly so their vulva's smacked together.

Gilda gasped as stars danced across her vision. Pleasure wormed it's way up her spine and her wings shot open, blocking the down draft of wind from the growing anvil's sides. She felt her cheeks ruffle in sexual awe as Gabby lay beneath her, legs and wings spread. her mate's eyes lidded halfway in a flutter and her hips bucked upwards to grind Gilda' and Gabby's sexes together.

"Getting you to mate with me in a storm..." 

Gilda felt her feathers fully explode in arousal as the hen under her squirmed and writhed in presentation. "G-Gabby that's  a lot wilder than you normally– MMM!!" 

She was grabbed by both talons of Gabby's and wrenched down into a kiss as Gabby whispered into her ear huskily. 

"We don't have much time, show me how wild my mate can get. Show me you can make me scream louder than the thunder, because to me..."

She leaned back and ran her feathers through Gilda's chest feathers and bucked her hips again, driving Gilda to instinctively grind back with a gasp of pleasure. She looked down into Gabby's bedroom eyes and her moan turned into a straight up growl of lust. 

"Because to me, you are brighter than any lightning Gilda." 






The Canterlot Crossties was a semi respectful establishment of the upper district, that had housed many a noble and maybe the princess once or twice, and the owner prided himself on the success of his hotel. The gold inlayed walls, the plush red carpets, the imported overseas prench couches, and the glass chandeliers hanging above the lobby spoke well of the cozy and safe feeling this place gave off to his guests. Yes, this was a wonderfully clean and orderly place...

But as the storm outside barreled into the mountain, and rattled windows, he realized that not ALL his guests would be like this...

Namely the two Griffoness that blew the double doors nearly off their hinges as they practically flew into the entry way and across the previously dry and debris-less carpet.  The pair tumbled head over claws right up to the counter with a loud THUMP! 

He grimaced and went to respectfully get them back outside, but when he came around the corner, he found two hens laughing uproariously their respective asses off as the pair rolled around the carpet. 

Gilda clutched her sides and gasped for air. "Y-you should haves-seen the look on your face, AHAHAHA!!!" 

Gabby, sat up with a deliriously confused, but also happy expression. "I didn't think we'd get struck by lightning!" 

Gilda laughed harder, "M-Must have been all that friction we were causing!" 

Gabby blushed harder and folded her wings around her. "W-we weren't that fast!!" 

The owner cleared his throat catching their attention. "Ahem! Do you two Ladies mind? You've blown my doors open and streamed a veritable flood of water and dirt into this lobby!" 

Gilda was still chuckling. She wiped away some tears of joy as Gabby stood and just straight up shook herself off. "O-Oh yeah, sorry about that, pal, we got stuck in the storm after we ah...got stuck doing something else...You sure that's all water Gabby? We were up there a bit longer than you think."

Gabby eeped and covered her wings "G-Gilda!" 

The repulsed look on the owner's muzzle was priceless as well as he quickly hopped away from the two hens and any source of the liquid. "If you do not have a reservation, ma'am, I am going to ask you to leave immediately." 

Gilda chuckled again and to his utter dismay produced a key from her friend's satchel. it was indeed to key to one of his best suites. 

Oh by the divines that cannot be the one I think it is... The owner balked as she set the key on the counter. 

"Princess Twilight gave us this key a couple hours ago as part of my reservation. Name should be under "Sparkle Griffonstone." 

After a moment of scanning the page Gilda watched in smug satisfaction as his eyes bulged in shock, he whimpered and slid the key back to her. His strangled gasp of dismay was caught by both of them. 

"H-have a nice stay..." He wheezed. 

Gilda nd Gabby laughed more and went to the elevators, leaving the owner to quickly slam the main doors shut before more water poured in. He groaned as the carpet ten feet into his hotel was soaked in water and dirty claw tracks.

"Oh we plan to!" Gilda shouted back. 

And while outside the windows of their suite, the world grew gloomy and wet, Gilda's heart soared well over the clouds and into the calming embrace of the stars that night. As did Gabby's, as they bathed together, preened one another, and slept in the same nest for the night. 

Both hens dreamt wonderful things that eve, and when morning rose they would find themselves back on their way home to a completely different storm.

but for a singular point, all was peaceful in their hearts.
> Standing Firm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gentle sound of purring next to Gilda's head was what woke her the next morning. Her body was relaxed and relieved of stress from the previous day's events. Her mind was calm, and her comfort at it's maximum limits. She felt warm, safe, and cozy in the bedding of the suite the pair had slept in that night. 

Of course, they'd made sure to use all the special amenities the room had to offer as well. The bathroom had been their favorite thus far. The large space had a bathtub big enough for Celestia, with multiple angled shower heads that landed water on them from all sides. The hens were able to relax in the hot water for almost two hours before having to extricate their limp but happy forms from the pool. They'd spent some time preening and cuddling on the bed, the massive king sized sleeping area was perfect for two rowdy excited hens. Their nesting habits might have clashed a little, but eventually they managed to make one together out of the bedding and excess pillows, and Gilda hadn't realized how intimate doing so could be. 

The simple act of moving a pillow or shifting a blanket together with their beaks brushing against each other's sides or necks as they worked was a wonderful bonding exercise. It triggered something genuinely primal in the two griffons, that they couldn't–and most definitely didn't want to– hold back. 

Chirping, hissing, and the clicking of beaks sounded as the two hens worked to perfect their nest. Then came the even more intimate actions. Preening, nuzzling, kissing, and quite a bit of mounting took place. Gilda and Gabby lost themselves in each other's scents and touches, taking time only to bathe once more before they got all the lovely-dovey stuff out of their systems. 

In Gabby's case, there was a lot to get out!

From there they'd simply flopped back into the nest, and fallen asleep once more. For several hours the room fell silent save for their purring, snoring, and gentle warbling as the two dreamed. THe storm outside had pelted the windows with rain, lashed the balcony with wind and debris, and the sky roared in contrasting flashes of light.

The two had slept through it all.

Gilda slowly dragged an eyelid open to lay her sight on Gabby, or more specifically Gabby's beak and eyebrow ridge which were the closest things to Gilda's face. Gabby was purring so firmly in her sleep that Gilda had no worries about her mate's level of content. She was nestled snugly against Gilda, their belly fur and teats subtly blending together, tickling the awake Hen. Reaching her claws out, Gilda sifted her talons softly through Gabby's chest feathers and fur. Curling her talons in tenderly, She kneaded the muscles, loving how strong they felt under Gabby's pelt. 

All that flying and deliveries has made you a strong hen, Gabby, mmm very strong. Gilda thought as she let her claws explore Gabby's arms and shoulders. Slipping and shuffling closer, Gilda began preening Gabby atop her head, taking a full minute or so to slip her arm carefully under Gabby's head so she could cradle her mate in her arms. 

Gabby barely seemed to notice, shuffling a little closer and murmuring in her sleep but nothing more, as Gilda slipped the darker hen's nape feathers into her beak and began shifting them around, plucking the occasional damaged feather and then licking the area to remove the itchiness.  

As the sun split through the haze of morning fog, the petrichor smell of the outside drifted to Gida's beak nares. She sighed, genuinely content. As the sun rose higher into the sky, reaching eleven am or so, Gabby eventually opened her eyes, and yawned wide. she went to sit up, only to have Gilda hiss into her ear, she blinked several times, feeling Gilda peck and nip at her neck, before a gentle but assertive lick was dragged across the top of her head. 

"Mmm G-Gilda? That's...ooh I like waking up like this." She mumbled, burrowing her beak into Gilda's chest fluff and trilling out some avian notes, before she began her own nibbling. 

Gilda purred, feeling her eyes flutter shut for a moment at the grooming, sighing as Gabby found a feather out of alignment. "I couldn't agree more, Gabs." She whispered. 

Gabby was silent a moment before she started giggling lightly. Gilda quirked her brow as she looked down at the hen. Gabby playfully burrowed her face into Gilda's floof and giggled more. 

"Care to explain why my chest fluff is so humorous?" Gilda asked, nipping Gabby's nape. Gabby "eeped" and giggled more. 

Her talons reached up and calmly sifted through Gilda's chest feathers as Gabby pulled her head back, her voice fragile and soft. Removing her head a scant few inches from Gilda's ruffled chest fluff, she let her head flop to the pillow and she simply held her gaze with the golden hen across from her. Their eyes shifted back and forth as each lover looked from one eye to the next and then back. 

"I just...I just never expected to really be here...like this..." She lowered her vision to admire their situation, their tails entwined underneath the bedding, and Gabby felt her cheeks warm. She then lifted her eyes back up to Gilda and smiled purely. "With you. I'm happier than i thought i could be. My dreams of this situation always fell short of how...physical it would be." Her talons lifted and slowly clasped tenderly with Gilda's. "Sorry if that's sappy, but...its true." She whispered.

Gilda warbled lightly and shared a beak kiss with Gabby, loving how their claws flexed into each other's hands at the sensation of the kiss. Gilda purred loudly into Gabby's mouth and Gabby reciprocated, sending shudders and shivers down their spines as a single movement. 

Breaking the kiss, Gilda bumped her beak against Gabby's with a grin and growled. "Well good, cause now that I've gotten a taste I don't wanna give you up." 

Gabby giggled louder and Gilda chuckled softly before gently rolling over on top of Gabby, taking care to do so slowly. Gabby sighed longingly in content as her hen dominantly mounted her, straddling her hips. She gasped as Gilda ground their  teats together in a gentle dry humping session. No words were said as they did so, their breathing, moans, and trills of pleasure danced with one other around the two. 

"Mmm and I wanna do this with you every day." Gilda whispered, leaning in to bite Gabby's shoulder as she thrust against her lover firmly. A thrill of arousal went down the darker hen's spine as Gabby felt their vulva's clap together. She gasped and sucked in her breath. 

"G-gah...Gilda we are g-going to need new sh-sheets at this rate!" Gabby huskily rasped. Her claws gripped Gilda around her back as the bigger hen  held her close. Gilda growled lustfully and went to keep thrusting, when, of the sounds she could hear in the room, one stood out painfully.

A knocking at their door.

In the moment Gilda ignored it, forcing herself not to give a fuck to whoever was at the door bothering them, but as she tried to stay in the moment, the knocking grew more persistent. Gabby, finally pulling out of her pleasure heard the knocking as well and they both groaned, bonking beaks together. Their brows knitted almost together as the hens shared a loud hiss of displeasure.

"If it's not one thing..." Gabby muttered, with a low grumble, watching as Gilda snarled and slipped off her mate. Growling in fury at being interrupted, Gilda let her paws and claws slap the floor as she hopped off the bed and stormed towards the door. 

"Then it's another." Gilda replied sourly.

The door squeaked loudly in protest as Gilda wrenched it open violently. Closing her eyes and rearing up so she was towering over whoever had interrupted their session, she leaning out roared into the pony's face. "WHAT The FUCK DO YOU WANT!?" 

The pony, a tall armored  unicorn guard pony, pinned his ears back and leaned away from her, albeit holding a grim determined expression. "W-whoa jeez, s-sorry to disturb you ma'am, but I was sent to inform you that Captain Gallus has a letter for–"

The letter was snatched from  the top of his outstretched hoof, and the door promptly slammed in his face. "FUCKING GALLUS!!" Gilda roared through the door. "IMMA KILL HIM!"

The guard blinked for a few seconds, and shook his head as he walked off. "Yikes...If that was how his siblings were when he was young, no wonder royal guard training was easy for the Captain." 





The castle grounds were a place of constant movement, and for Gallus, that worked just fine. It gave his bored eyes something to latch on to, anything to keep his mind off the pressing stress of his predicament. Being on legal leave of his station left him listless. He was constantly doing something while acting as Captain, but with the temporary break from the investigations, well, it left him with more time than he knew what to do with! Still, it could have been worse really. 

Twilight could have me combing the library for legal documents from the pre-unification era...no thanks. He currently stood atop one of the castle walls that overlooked the training fields behind Canterlot castle. His blue pelt devoid of armor, and instead of it's steady weight to ease his stress, he'd donned a simple vest with his rank and file on the chest patch.

Reared up on his hind paws, he  dropped his wings a bit, and rest his chin in one set of talons, watching the new recruits as they did drills, and learned marching formations. Some of the ponies were out of sync, and a couple were too in sync, making the whole march discombobulated. On either side of the formation were drill sergeants, yelling and flailing to get the marching ponies back in order.

He felt a smile grace his beak as he thought of his time down there. Not one drill sergeant I had could top Grandpa Gruff's yelling, or Gilda for that matter. 

He sighed as the memories of his time in basic training came up like old friends. He'd worked hard, ignored the judgments of the elite guard, and their opinions of interspecies armies. He'd played his cards well, with some help, and rose to the rank of Captain off determination, hard work ethic, and willpower. 

Shining armor had told him many things about Captaincy, some that made him worry, others that made him feel good, but even then... Being a Captain is not all that grand as Shining Armor said it would be...especially given my particular circumstances. 

His elbow bent ever so slightly to the right, as his eyes landed on the castle. Somewhere within it's walls was Princess Twilight Sparkle...a mare he had aspired to be with for a long while. She'd grown on him over the years, first as a mentor, then as a leader, along the way somewhere she became potential partner material in his minds eye.

His beak ground together as he thought of the words being slandered across both hers and his backs by the nobles of the Canterlot Court. 

A princess and a griffon? Canterlot really has fallen low.

Oh it's dreadful, really. I cannot believe she'd lay with such a...a creature, like that. He's not even of lesser griffon nobility! 

Do you think he blackmailed her into it? She was always rather naïve when it came to real political maneuvers.

I think she just is too...unprincess like to be ruling our fair kingdom, perhaps a change is in order?

His talons balled into a fist, a growl letting loose from his beak. A nearby Guards-mare glanced back at him as she did her rounds, but then kept going on her way. He watched her leave, and then relaxed his grip.

"They know nothing," He whispered, closing his eyes and sitting. "And their words are powerless. I need to remember that their opinions don't mean a damn thing." He said it once more, and then thrice, trying to clear the anger from his mind, but in the end all it did was ruffle his neck feathers and wings in agitation. 

"Dammit, I'll walk it off then." He growled again and went to stalk the same way as the patrols, but wing beats behind him made him stop. He could tell just by their length of stroke, and the heaviness of each flap that these two were not pegasi. Even without turning around fully, he could tell fellow griffons were landing nearby. 

He pivoted and found two faces he didn't realize he needed to see so badly. "Gabby, Gilda." He simply said, more out of surprise than anything else. The two hens landed, folded their wings, and then to Gallus's humor, Gabby immediately bolted towards him. 

He grinned and braced as her panther-like form sprung at him from ten feet away, and easily closed the gap. He slid a foot or so as she tackle hugged her brother, and then the two cooed and purred as each gave nuzzles to one another. He smiled down at her as she nuzzled his neck. 

"Hiya Gabby, I take it you got my letter?"

Liquid soaked into his chest feathers and he blinked down at his pseudo-sibling. Confusion etched itself onto his features as he found not a frown as he expected, but a smile gracing Gabby's beak. She looked so happy–even while sniffling– and when he looked to Gilda for answers, he was flabbergasted to find her smiling a weird...very happy smile at him as well. 

Before he could ask anything, Gabby crushed him in a firmer grip, hugging him as close as she could and whispered. "I did it. I finally did it, Gallus." 

He blinked. He looked at the back of Gabby's head while she hugged him, and then to Gilda, who gave no further reply and simply sat, still smiling. He gently stroked her back, raising a brow. "Uh, did what Gabs?" He whispered back. 

Gabby laughed, choked back a sob, and kept holding him. "I am finally hers. I'm Gilda's mate." 

Gallus felt his beak open, then close, and then he simply said with a wide eyed stare. "...Oh."

Gilda snorted, "Oh? that's its? Gee thanks for the raving compliments, bro." She snarked, walking up and nuzzling Gabby's nape. "Also So I don't forget," Before Gallus could fully react, Gilda slugged him in the shoulder, hard. 

Gallus yelped and hissed at her, backing away as he rubbed his sore shoulder. "OW! Wh–what gives!?" He watched as she grumbled and put her wing around Gabby, pulling the flustered hen into her side. 

"That was for ruining our mating session this morning. Your stupid letter arrived at the worst moment possible so thanks for that." Gilda said with a growl.

Gallus blinked at the two, dared glance down for the briefest of moments, to see that yes in fact the two hens were very much in season, and blushed violently red before turning his beak back up and warbling nervously. "A-ah! You are...that is, um, great? Sorry! I mean sorry! That letter was supposed to be delivered quietly, I didn't mean to–" 

Then he blinked. "Wait you mated? But thats– How the hell do two hens even–" 

Gabby quickly reached out and clamped his beak shut. "Yeah no. Not having that talk with my little brother, on a castle wall in the middle of a city." 

Gallus gave her a dead pan stare, brushed off her talons and rolled his eyes. "One, we aren't related by blood, so not actually your little brother, also I'm the Captain of the guard, not some hatchling Gabby." Then he rapidly shook his talons in front of himself. 

"Never mind that horribly gross inquiry, congratulations!" He said walking forward and nuzzling the two of them. The three held each other for several moments, simply basking in each other's company, before he pulled back, dodging a nip from Gilda's beak. "Well this is great news! Why don't we get some breakfast? Talk stuff over, catch up and whatnot?"

He looked around the castle grounds and rubbed the back of his nape. "To be honest, being on leave is boring as hell and I wanna do something other then dawdle around the grounds all day like some aimless idiot." 

Gilda snorted. "Afraid we can't help much with the idiot part but we could certainly go for some food." She chuckled as Gabby nipped her shoulder.

"Be nice to Gallus!" She hissed.

Gallus Ignored the playful comment and started walking with them back towards the main gate. "Great! What ya feeling like? Because Canterlot has some nice interspecies restaurants down on the main thoroughfare now. You ever had caramelized bacon pancakes before?" He said with a wide grin and a raised eyebrow. 

Gabby opened her mouth and gasped, and Gilda licked her lips. "Yeah, lets do that. Lead the way, bro." 





The Gravity Grill-house was unique in it's design. Half cloud structure, half genuine brick and mortar. It catered to species of every type it seemed. Simply standing in the lobby to get a table was a fascinating experience to the two hens. In the first ten minutes alone they'd seen nearly every known species occupy the area. Minotaurs, Hippogriffs, Griffons, Changelings, a couple Diamond Dogs too! 

Gallus seemed unfazed by it, having been her before. He was however certainly happy. "The diversity has really picked up a lot since Twilight made some legal changes to the ruling of other species occupying the capital. It's a lot nicer here because of it. Did you know that nearly four hundred years ago, Diamond Dogs weren't even considered sapient enough by ponies, to have rights?" 

Gilda nipped him in the shoulder, making him hiss at her. "You're learning too much, stop being an egghead."

Gabby looked around and smiled. "Honestly though, it feels more like a real city now, not just snooty unicorns ignoring each other as they shop." She chirped in greeting to a fellow griffon, only to frown when he hissed at her and kept walking. "Well, at least somethings are still the same." 

Gilda glared after the male tom before looking back to Gallus. "I imagine it didn't go perfectly to Purple Princess's plans though yeah?" A young pegasus mare approached them, wearing clothing that Gilda realized made the mare look like she was ready for a backyard grill party. At the same time she was clearly their waitress. "Any road bumps on the way of note?"

Gallus chuckled lightly and nodded, before requesting a cloud table, and then the three followed the mare up into the building. The smells of cooking food, both fresh veggies, and meats danced across their beak nares, and if not accustomed to the reaction, the pegasus waitress might have chuckled as the two hens stopped for a second and simply took in the scents around them. 

Apparently it was a very common reaction from their predatory customers. 

Gallus waited to continue the conversation after the waitress got them to their booth, set up their drink orders and left them alone. "Oh yeah, the biggest one was pretty hilarious. On the day of Twilight's signing the new reforms, some of the nobles were desperate enough to keep things as they were. So desperate in fact, that they tried to magically bar her from the court room and do the proceedings without her."

Gabby snorted as she stirred her drink. "Did they forget she knows practically every spell to pony kind? Or that she's the literal element of Magic itself?" Gabby took a sip, humming in delight as the flavors danced across her tongue. "Mmmm that's good, but yeah, she's like the Princess of Magic at this point." 

Gilda nodded, taking a couple generous gulps of her drink. "That I agree with, the 'too much magic' part, so what did she do?"

Gallus smirked. "She calmly walked up, teleported past their barrier, sat down on the throne, reinforced their own barrier with out them noticing and then proceeded to charge each of them with legal crimes against the crown. You should have seen it, girls." He said chuckling. "First they tried to tell her she had no power to do so, and that got a couple nobles stripped entirely of their rank and status, then when the lot of em realized they weren't going to win, they simply tried to leave."

He stabbed his claw into the table lightly. "But because Twilight refused to drop the barrier, and they weren't strong enough to remove it, the louts were stuck in there. I heard she gave them a full on power point presentation about how to properly use their status as nobles."

Gilda and Gabby looked at one another. Gabby spoke with humor in her voice. "Ouch,  knowing Twilight, she kept it short right?" 

"It lasted all day." Gallus Deadpanned. 

"Twilight kept getting sidetracked with more legal stuff to throw at them. I looked in on em one time and watched a noble mare with mascera running down her cheeks flailing at me through the barrier, begging me to take her to jail instead. The mare practically threw her life savings at me as an offer." 

Gilda hissed and set her drink down. "Yikes. That was only one of the problems that happened right?" 

Gallus nodded and went to speak further but their waiter arrived to take their orders. The pegasus mare dipped her head, whipped out a note pad and smiled. "Hi folks, what can I get ya for this fine afternoon?"

After looking the menu over, Gallus spoke up. "Is it too late to maybe order breakfast menu items? These two are visiting from out of town and i wanted to let em try the bacon pancakes." 

The waitress frowned, "Oh sorry, sir. It's afternoon,so i'm afraid I can't do that." 

"Welp, there goes my day, completely ruined." Gilda grumbled, before bonking her head onto the table. Gabby playfully nosed her back into a sitting position.

A general muttering of grumbles was made as they reanalyzed  their option, The mare sadly fidgeted nervously while they did so. "S-sorry, should I give you some more time?"

Gilda shook her head, "Nah we'll come by another time for those then, I'll have the three pork combo, extra bacon on the side, please." 

Gabby tapped her menu. "I guess I'll have...two chili cheese samplers, ooh and a basket of liver and onion rings please!"

Gallus smiled at Gabby's choice. "I've had that its good, I'll have a catch of the day, but can I have a side of steak too?" 

The mare jotted that all down and nodded. After accepting Gallus's payment she walked away, hollering to the cooks. "OI! I need three oinkers wearing pants, a plate of hot air, one basket of grandma's breakfast, and the bull needs to swim with a trout!" 

Gallus smirked, and watched Gilda and Gabbys expressions screw up in confusion. 

"They are certainly interesting here." Gilda murmured. 

Gallus nodded, "SO..." He looked between the two of them, before angling his gaze to Gabby. "Ya did it. You succeeded." His smile was warm and gentle as he spoke. Gabby simply purred, leaning on Gilda, who blushed and fluffed up as Gallus grinned at her. 

"Yeah, I did." Gabby whispered. Her head lifted off Gilda and she clasped her claws onto the table in an attempt to stem her anxiety. "It was really hard, Gallus, I was so afraid. I had to share stuff, with Gilda that I've only ever told you and Grandpa Gruff." 

"Stuff that made me wanna punch some one's light out something fierce." Gilda growled. "Thank fully that wasn't necessary." Gilda draped a wing over Gabby and returned her own subtle little purr of affection.

Gallus's smile didn't quite reach his eyes though as he sat back and looked at them. "Good, Im happy for ya, both of you." He amended, pointing at Gilda. "Gilda you've worked really hard to make you shop successful, and Gabby is the hardest working hen I've ever known, you two deserve this, no need to be lonely in a world with so many wonderful opportunities." 

Before Gilda could stop herself, she spoke. "So do you."

Gallus's smile immediately fell away, not into a frown, but his face went neutral rather quick. He waved at her. "Oh, of course, of course." He tried to play it off with a smirk. "Ah don't worry about me, eventually it'll all work out, you'll see." 

"Will we, Gallus?" Gabby murmured. Her eyes looked at him sadly. "We spoke with her you know, with Twi–"

"Y-yeah, I know." He nearly growled. His eyes cast down. "You didn't need to, I appreciate it but, it was not necessary. I can take care of myself." 

Gilda put her palms up, "Whoa, okay, touchy subject it may be, but just how you supported us, we're trying to do the same." 

Gabby reached across the table and clasped her claws with Gallus's, warbling gently. "We aren't saying you can't take care of yourself....we're worried she can't take care of you." 

Reaching across the table as well, Gilda tried to clasp his other hand, "I mean come on Gallus, the mare can't even take care of–" Gilda was silenced as Gallus wrenched his claws from Gabby's and slapped the table loudly. Both hens flinched back. 

"Just stop it, okay!?" His snarl was more tinged with pain than anger, and his weak anxiety filled hiss at the end made Gabby and Gilda look away from him for a few seconds. 

The restaurant fell quiet as several folks looked over, and Gallus quickly waved them away with a smile. before his claws lowered under the table. "I...I can't...look, girls." He looked to them and frowned. "I want this to be a happy moment, for you! We don't need to worry about me right now, okay? Whatever happens between me and twilight, well I'll weather it, just as you Gabby, weathered your fears, and came out on top."

Gabby slowly angled her eyes back to him, and he smiled gently. "You fought so hard to achieve this moment, don't let it be ruined with sourness and negative crap, okay?" 

He turned to Gilda, finding her glaring at him. "And, sorry for shouting, but.. this is my battle, Gilda. Just as you fought to get your business going, I need to fight this fight myself." He reached out his talons again, palms up, and when they both slowly took one each he smiled. "It'll mean nothing if I let others do the fighting for me, okay?" 

Gilda and Gabby frowned, but nodded at once. Gilda let go first, grumbling. "I am practically your big sister, Gallus, I will not stop fighting for you, it's my damn right to do so. But fine, Ill back off for now." 

Gabby spared a warm smile to Gilda who had folded her arms and looked away with a huff. She squeezed Gallus's talons, and trilled quietly. "And I'm your little sister, basically. I will always try to make you smile, and I will hope for you to find happiness too."

"Technically n-none of us are even related." He said with a wry smile. When both hens glared daggers at him simultaneously he balked, putting his claws up. "Okay! Okay, I mean, that being said, we are...we are family, aren't we?" He said it more as a statement to himself, but the hens nodded all the same. 

"Family looks out for each other, and we are no different. Like it or not, you're part of our nest, and that means we got your back, Gallus." Gilda said.

Gallus blushed and looked at Gilda with a sort of awe for a few seconds, until he felt his feathers ruffle, making Gilda blink in confusion. "Part of your..."

Before the conversation could go further, a pile of food was wheeled over to their table on a trolley. The mountain of treats was so heavy in scent it derailed Gilda's thoughts, and the other two griffon's as well as they all greedily eyed the trolley's content. The pegasus mare peeked out from behind the food and warily glanced between them. "Um, who ordered what again?" 

While Gallus and Gabby made grabby claws at the food, one thought did enter Gilda's mind as she fought Gabby for an onion ring. 

Gallus definitely had their support...but would Griffonstone give Gilda and Gabby the same?