Package Delay
Through the smoky atmosphere, hard rocky grounds, and the flaming hot sensation of magma of the Dragon Lands, steady soothing beats of the percussion were being played. It was the most pleasant and cozy tune the ears have ever consumed. Beside the slope of the large boulder sat Garble playing with his rock bongos, chanting his poem to a young baby dragon named Cinder, who is the youngest sister of Garble after Smolder. She has a moderate raspberry body with a gold-colored snout, moderate amaranth red spikes and fin ears, and light and dark gray horns. She giggled as she enjoyed the melody of the bongos, and Garble smiled when he saw the little one smiling.
As he was about to continue, he noticed a familiar silhouette flying toward him. Up close, it was revealed that it was Dragon Lord Ember, holding her Bloodstone Scepter, and was approaching. When she landed in front of him, he paused playing.
“Hello, Garble,” Ember greeted.
“Dragon Lord Ember,” he greeted back as he stood up. “What brings you here today?”
“Aside from hearing the peaceful tunes of your bongos which I truly appreciate,” she explained, “I am here to remind you that you have received a message from Griffonstone, and I have to declare it to you.”
Garble’s interest was piqued. “Oh? What does she need?”
Ember began to clarify. “Apparently, there have been some issues with mail delivery in Griffonstone. ”
“Mail delivery? ”
“Correct. She has told me about reports stating that many workers quit the industry due to various unknown reasons, and some have had pretty bad or worse records. She is hoping that a dragon - specifically, you - can step in as a temporary replacement until they can find more help. ”
“Okay… So why are you telling me this?”
“She says she’d like a dragon, that’s you, to be hired as a temporary replacement until they can get more of her subjects to help out. Besides, this could be a valuable opportunity to strengthen foreign relations and show support for one another in times of need. What’d ya say?”
Garble thought about this for a moment. Looking back, he turned to Cinder, who was puzzled while staring at him and Ember. Garble has been taking good care of his youngster just like how he was taking the same-level care of Smolder. He can’t leave her alone since she’s a toddler. “Are you sure about that?” Garble asked in concern.
“We’re the closest kingdom to Griffonstone. If we were to pick some other creatures, the mail would be delayed and The Queen’s advisor, Greta, said that’s not an option.”
Garble understood that Griffonstone and its citizens were getting back on their feet. For the Dragon Lands, it was the same thing, way before the renovation of Gilda’s home. Dragons today were reforming their way thanks to his sister’s enrollment in the School of Friendship, and so did other young representatives. To show they do change, he was determined to accept the request.
“Alright, count me in. When do I begin?”
“I’ve been told they’re going to need help tomorrow at dawn. They suggested that you must stay the night in Griffonstone so you can consume energy. Once you’re there, you’ll meet some griffon named Gabby, and she’ll explain what ought to be accomplished.”
“Okay, sounds simple enough.” Ember loved the sound of his spirit. “Before I go, I have one more thing to ask.” Ember raised an eyebrow. He then picked up his baby sister. “While I’m gone, can you keep an eye on my little Cindy here? It’s going to be a long stretch for me.” He handed her over to the Dragon Lord. Ember was quite expecting him to do this but did hold onto the baby dragon.
“Um… Will do. Once you’re done with that mail stuff, return here.”
“Got it.” He then got his face close to Cinder. “It’s okay, Cindy. Big bro will be back soon. Behave yourself.” Garble patted her head and she chuckled. And so, Garble flew off towards Griffonstone, leaving the Dragon Lord behind to deal with the baby, much to her joy.
The sun was almost at the horizon and Garble was still making his way to Griffonstone. As Ember said, it is close to home, so there’s no problem traveling by flying instead of a train. It has been a very long journey for the kingdom to recover from its ruins, he thought, and a lot of things have been renovated since the coronation. Time flies as quickly as the speed of light. Speaking of which, he eventually arrived at Griffonstone. He caught a glance of the city from a distance. The appearance looked even better than before, from the castle to the residences, more pristine and clean. So, he hurriedly glided toward the city.
He arrived at Griffonstone. When he entered, he noticed a couple of griffon residents staring at him, not in an awkward way. He understood that since they were getting used to foreigners entering. Soon, Garble saw the castle and landed in front. In front of him was Greta, who was waiting outside. She noticed him approaching.
“Hello, Garble,” the royal advisor greeted, approaching him as well. “Glad you arrived. It feels like fate has called you here for a reason.”
“Well, kinda,” he commented while giving her the claw shake. “Ember has notified me about it.”
“Right.”
“Anyways, let’s get into the details. I’ve been told by the Dragon Lord that somebody needs my help on the mail delivery because of issues, right?”
“Yes. That was Gabriella, a.k.a. Gabby, she works in the mail industry, and she is really desperate for your help.”
“Right. Do you know where she lives?”
“A couple of blocks north of here. You’ll know her when you see her. Good luck!” Garble nodded and left to find her
As he headed north a few miles from the castle, he looked around at the surroundings. He was amazed by the improvement that has been progressed. The streets were tidy and houses were no longer dilapidated but still under construction, such a wonder. Later, he noticed from afar a blue-gray griffon waving at him. Garble immediately identified her as Gabby, so he quickly approached her. She looked very delighted and excited to see Garble coming toward her. “Hi!” she said. The griffoness quickly flew up to Garble and shook his claw. “I’m Gabby, and I’m glad you came. The mail is becoming a total nightmare.”
“Yeah, Dragon Lord Ember has already told me that you needed my help with that. I’m here now. So, where do I start?”
“I managed to make it through today and I had to pull that cart with me too.” Gabby pointed to the special cart, which was sitting beside her house door, behind her. This said cart which is taller than Gabby is made for packages big and small. It has fully-functional wings made of steel and titanium attached on both sides. Thanks to that, it was more convenient.
“You have to carry that thing with you? That looks heavy.”
“Only when I’ve got big or many packages to deliver. It’s been happening more since Griffonstone’s makeover. I didn’t mind the extra work at first, but it’s starting to get overwhelming. We’ll have an early start tomorrow, so we should get some sleep.”
Garble looked up in the sky, only to see the sun was just setting. “It’s not even night yet,” he commented.
“I know, but I have to get up pretty early in the morning to make my deliveries. We don’t want our customers to be kept waiting, I’ve had enough complaints from them already.” Her tone changed in the last sentence. Garble can tell she was feeling stressed with the work she has been through recently. “Sorry for that. Anyways, come inside. There’s a lot of room for you.”
Gabby then invited the dragon inside her home. It was fairly small compared to the rest of the city’s buildings, though it may have been that way because it was an older design. When both Gabby and Garble came in, she eventually searched for a spare blanket and pillow for her guest to be comfy, only then to be surprised by the sound of a loud thud. She turned and saw him laying down on the floor comfortably.
“Are you alright?” Gabby asked with concern.
“I’m just getting comfy,” Garble replied. “We prefer lying on hard surfaces.”
“Oooh… kay then. Do you still want a blanket?”
“Sure. Gotta stay warm somehow.” Gabby, from the nearby drawer, quickly took out a spare blanket and tossed it to him, to which he caught it. Afterward, she instantly tucked herself into bed.
“You want me to wake you up when it’s time?”
“Will do. Thanks.” Gabby quickly got to sleep while Garble had a bit of a harder time doing so. The sun was still setting outside, and other griffons were still outside walking and flying. He sighed as he was quickly getting bored, yet he wasn’t wanting to bother Gabby. After what felt like hours, Garble was finally able to get his eyes shut and have a nap.
Again, it felt like longer hours when he sleeps, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long. As his body was feeling relaxed, and so was his mind, Garble was suddenly woken up by the sound of the bells of an alarm clock. The dragon jumped away as Gabby slammed her claw on her clock to shut it off.
“Good morning, Garble,” the griffon said with a tired yawn. Garble groaned and stretched his arms and back as he glimpsed at the clock, seeing that the time was only a quarter to six in the morning.
“How are you already up?” he groaned.
“When you deliver mail, you’ve got to get up early, so that customers won’t have to wait long.” She quickly grabbed muffins from the plate in the refrigerator and handed one to Garble. “Get ready, we’ll be leaving soon,” Garble grunted but wanted to help, so he controllably fought his body’s urge to stay in bed and followed Gabby outside.
The sun wasn’t up in the sky, and everyone was still fast asleep. They both kept quiet as they quickly ate their breakfast and presided towards Griffonstone’s post office, which is a few blocks from here, while Gabby carried the delivery cart. Garble though was dragging his feet through his drowsiness, but he couldn’t give up since it was his job to assist her.
As soon as they arrived at the post office, Gabby placed the cart outside and went in through the door. Garble followed. Inside, there was a male griffon who was in charge of the office drinking a mug of black coffee and also working on the deliveries. He heard the door open and turned to see Gabby coming in.
“Ahh, Gabby, you made it,” the male griffon exclaimed.
“Good morning,” Gabby greeted with another yawn.
He was about to approach her when he saw Garble standing behind her, feeling surprised. “What is he doing here?”
“I’m here to help with the extra mail,” Garble responded, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Sorry, I… I… I didn’t mean it like that…”
“It’s okay,” Gabby interrupted, “He didn’t get enough sleep, that’s why. ”
“Wouldn’t blame him,” the griffon noted and then faced the red dragon. “You need a cup of coffee to boost. I have extra cups if you want.”
“No thanks,” he replied. “I don’t drink that.”
“Anyways, Gabby, you know what to do, there are deliveries in the back, all organized for you in a separate cart. The other cart you brought, leave it there, and I’ll take care of it. Best of luck.”
“Will do!” She and Garble then headed to the back of the office to begin their work. This cart is the same one that Gabby carried back to the office, but the difference is that there were handles on the back for extra support.
“Oh, nice,” she said, “They added the adjustments I requested.” Gabby then began hooking herself up the front of the cart as Garble observed the handles on the back.
“Do they usually have handles on the backs?” Garble asked.
“No, they mostly have them at the front. For this though is a special occasion.” With Gabby in place, she is now ready for take-off. “Let’s go!” She began pulling the cart outside to get an opening to fly. With some help from Garble, the two took off with the heavy cart to make their deliveries.
Gabby was not only delighted to have a partner to give her backing with a heavy load, but she also had somebody to chat with. This was rare during her mail runs. “So, Garble, what’s life like in the Dragon Lands?” Gabby asked.
“Eh, the usual,” Garble shrugged. “Lava pools, sharp cliffs, gems you can munch on for days. Not sure if it’s the place to be if you ain’t a dragon.”
“It still sounds pretty cool to see it.” Garble just rolled his eyes as he and Gabby flew across Equestria. It was starting to become a bit dull for the dragon.
“Do you seriously fly all the way to Ponyville?”
“Daily, yes. It can get tiring occasionally, but the mail has to be delivered. It’s not as bad as when I get to Ponyville and get to chat with a couple of ponies.”
“…Good to know.” Gabby looked back as she thought Garble sounded upset.
“What’s wrong, Garble?”
“You… do know that ponies and I haven’t had the best relationship. I kind of earned the title of a bully.”
“Oh.” Gabby then thought of another creature that used to be a bully to try and cheer him up. “You know, Gilda used to be like that before she endeavored to bring friendship to Griffonstone. And now, look where she is now.”
Garble thought about Gilda’s title as Griffonstone’s queen. Then he remembered the Gauntlet of Fire and how he acted toward other competitors, including Spike and Ember. He sighed as he and Gabby made their way to Ponyville. This is gonna take a while.
After several pauses and quick rests, they finally reached Ponyville and landed at the entrance of the train station. Both Garble and Garble were exhausted.“Whew! That took a while,” Gabby commented.
“Tell me about it,” he said. “Why didn’t you take the train in the first place?”
“If I take the train, it’ll be difficult for this cart to go through, and the passengers will have a hard time as well. Anyways, the post office is right ahead from here. Let’s go.” And so they walked their way to the post office.
Eventually, the two made it to the office. Gabby was tired from carrying a load for long, even with Garble’s help. She glanced at the nearby clock as she removed herself from the cart. “So… Do you want to head to Gimme’s and eat? It’s nearby.”
“Sure, I’m up for that,” Garble proclaimed. “I got hungry.”
“Me too. I can use the energy for the return journey. This was the easy part.” As Gabby started walking away, Garble was a little concerned.
“Easy part?” He quickly followed the griffon towards Gimme Some Grub for lunch as Gabby explained the rest of the job.
“Usually, on the way back to Griffonstone, I drop off letters and packages to places in between here and there, up and down, all around.”
“And… how many stops are we talking about here?”
“...A lot. Like… numerous stops…” Garble swore he heard a bit of sorrow in her voice as they entered the restaurant. They were surprised to see a few hippogriffs and griffons in the building. It’s been a while since Gimme Some Grub was open in business and saw the success of it. Gabby thought of it when she helped Gimme Moore with issues that needed to be fixed and was glad it was still running.
“Huh, I guess this place has gotten more popular than I thought,” she thought. They didn’t recognize any of these griffons or hippogriffs as they looked to be too old to be enrolled at the School of Friendship.
“Who are those guys?” Garble questioned.
“Beats me,” Gabby shrugged, “But at least this place is in business.” The two sat down at one of the tables and were shortly greeted by one of the waiters.
“Welcome,” the waiter greeted while holding two menus. “I’m glad you arrived here to fill your stomachs.” He handed each of them a menu before asking a follow-up question. “Now then, anything to drink?”
“Yes, please,” Gabby answered. “A cup of lemonade.”
“I’ll take that too,” Garble shrugged.
“Very well,” the waiter said. “I’ll give you two a minute to order while I fetch your drinks.” He left as Gabby took out a map of Equestria. Garble could see she had drawn a route connecting Canterlot and Cloudsdale, two places that weren’t in the direction of the Dragon Lands.
“Wait, I thought you and I were just going to drop them off on our way back,” he said.
“I know, but these two places are the closest locations on the way back. I said I could handle them.”
“Are you sure? I helped you with the cart on the way here.”
“I know, but since there were so many mail carriers unavailable, I thought I’d help any way I could.” Gabby checked her map as the waiter soon returned with their lemonade.
“Are you two ready to order?” he asked, taking his notepad and ballpen.
“Yes… um…, I’ll take an order of chicken salad,” Gabby replied before focusing back on her map.
“What’s the chef’s special you have?” Garble asked.
“Ah, glad you asked. We have what we called the Spicy Fried Tuna Blast Special. Deep-fried freshly-caught tuna belly topped with spicy mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, with the side of curly potato fries and ranch dipping.”
“I’ll take it then,” he placed his order, and the waiter wrote the order down.
“Very well. Your food will be ready in a moment.” He was then given the menus back and headed to the counter to place their orders for the chefs to cook.
Garble drew his attention to the mail griffon, still planning out of her map. “Did you plan any other stops aside from those two?” Garble asked.
“Nope, It’s only Canterlot and Cloudsdale,” Gabby responded. “And a few places around here. It’s to help cover the deficiency.”
“Gabby, you can’t do all of this, even with my help.”
“Listen, it’s only for a short stretch. After they get the employees back, it’ll be back to normal. They should be back.” Garble looked concerned.
“Gar-Gar!” called a voice. The two turned and saw Smolder flying up to their table.
“Smolder!” Garble exclaimed, with his mood lightening up immediately, hugging her. “How are you?”
“Doing good,” she replied. “I’m just having lunch with my friends.” Smolder pointed over to the cheer squad, who were at a nearby table enjoying their meals. “What brings you here?”
“I’m being tasked to help Gabby here with the mail. There’s some sort of strike or something according to her.”
“Oh, I thought I heard about that before. Silverstream saw this advertisement in a magazine she brought, mailed her order, and we’re still waiting for it.”
“I… didn’t know about that,” Gabby commented. “What was she ordering?”
“If I’m correct, I think it was waterproof makeup. It was something Shimmy Shake showed to her last week.”
“We’ll work on that.”
“Or maybe it’s some other guy’s problem,” Garble guessed, “No offense, sis, I ain’t talking about you, it’s about whoever is in charge of the mail.”
“So, you’re going to take care of this?” Smolder questioned.
“I can at least try.”
“Don’t worry, Garble, it’s not too much trouble,” Gabby noted. “Let’s have our lunch, do our runs, and go home.”
Smolder had to think about something. “Say, why are these mail shortages even happening in the first place?” she asked.
“...I ain’t sure. Most of them that left the job seemed kind of annoyed about something.”
“Maybe that annoying thing… or someone… could probably be the reason they quit,” Garble guessed.
“Maybe. Can we eat first?” Garble nodded as they saw their food arrive.
“Lunch is served,” the waiter said. “Please enjoy your meal.” Garble was about to dig in with his bare claws until his sister stopped him, and pointed at the silverware beside his dish, insisting that he had to use them.
Afterward, Smolder headed back to her table leaving her brother and the mail griffon to some awkward silence. Garble could see that Gabby was holding her head with her talon, she was obviously looking tired. He was wanting to say something, but he had a feeling it could’ve made things worse. So, he continued eating. That sandwich was delicious, he thought.
Gabby ended up finishing her meal first and quickly checked on her map again. “Do you seriously have to keep checking on that map?” Garble asked.
“I have a lot of deliveries to do,” Gabby informed. “I can’t let any customers down.” Gabby wrote down notes as Garble finished his lunch.
After paying for their meal, Garble went back to the depot to collect their deliveries. Just as they entered, they could already hear a mare yelling. “When it says fragile, don’t toss it like a buckball!” the voice angrily yelled. “How many times do I have to tell you!?”
The griffon and the dragon soon found a female earth pony yelling down to Derpy. The pony itself has a white coat with a blue and gray mane along with a mailbox for a cutie mark.
“But a dog came out of nowhere,” Derpy informed, “I don’t know what it had against me.”
“I don’t care! Better get this next load delivered in one piece or you can forget about half of the bits .” Derpy didn’t say anything and just flew off toward the door, bumping her head at the ledge in the process due to her fright.
“I don’t know who she is, but I already hate her,” Garble commented flatly.
“That’s the manager of Ponyville’s post office,” Gabby quietly noted. “Let me talk to her.” The griffon approached the infuriated earth pony, who didn't seem pleased to see her.
“About time you got back,” the mare said. “The deliveries are piling up. Where is that assistance you promised?”
“I’m right here,” Garble called. The mare was surprised to see a dragon like Garble in Ponyville. The dragons at the school of friendship were at eye level while the mare had to look up to see Garble’s face.
“Um…. Hello. I didn’t expect them to send a dragon to assist. But since you’re here, you’ll be a big help with a delivery for the Wonderbolts.” She showed Garble a large crate sitting next to a couple of mailbags.
“What’s in that?”
“Some machinery parts for a... I don't know… a pizza torn? Whatever that is. Put your muscles to work and get going.” She stomped out of the room leaving an annoyed dragon behind.
“Geez, what the heck is her deal?”
“She’s presumably annoyed that she has to focus on scheduling because of the shortage,” Gabby guessed.
“Yeah, you have to wonder why they quit,” Garble muttered.
He was about to pick the big crate up when Gabby saw some straps lying nearby, giving her an idea. “Hold on,” she told him. She grabbed the straps, helped Garble slip them under the crate, then had Garble slip his arms under the straps. Now it looked like he was carrying an oversized backpack.
“That should help make it easier. Can you still use your wings?”
Garble looked back and managed to give his wings a flap. “Yeah, I’ve lifted boulders heavier than this.”
“Nice. I’ll be off to Canterlot. You take my map, and head to the Wonderbolts base. I already marked it there. I’ll see you later.” Gabby gave Garble her map before she left with her mail, leaving the dragon to find his way to the base.
“Well, time to get this job done,” he said to himself, carrying the crate out.
At the Wonderbolts base, Rainbow Dash was doing her practice runs. She was doing so well. At the end of the last lap, she noticed the giant crate heading towards the base and the dragon carrying it. She recognized the dragon but didn’t understand why he was at their base. Dash decided to go check with him while Garble landed to put down his large crate.
“Garble? What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh, hey,” Garble responded, removing the straps from himself, “I’ve been asked to help with delivering packages.”
“...You? Helping deliver packages?”
“Yep, me. I don’t see how you guys would get this thing here without help.”
“Right. But is there a reason?”
“Workers quitting, that’s what.”
“Seriously? Why are there so many quitting?”
“I’m betting it’s somepony that’s in charge there. Literally, the first thing I saw when Gabby and I entered the office was her yelling at a mailmare.”
“Oh yeah. Rarity had told me about her when she was trying to send a letter to Coco Pommel. I swear she should have a bullhorn for a cutie mark.”
“She didn’t seem bossy around me.”
“Well, you’re twice her size and hard as a rock. I’d be scared too if I didn’t know you’re unlucky track record.”
“Like one time you thought you turned Ponyville into cookie-craving zombies?” Garble smirked with his arms crossed as Dash’s pupils turned tiny in shock.
“How do you know that?”
“Gabby told me some stuff about you that she learned from her friend Scootaloo. The zombies weren’t the only thing I learned. From your first day here, you also go by the nickname Crash, right?”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Dash cried.
“Hey, you’re the new delivery guy, I suppose?” Both dragon and pony looked over to Spitfire, who headed towards Garble.
“Temporary, actually. They say I need you to sign for a package?”
“Yes, You got a clipboard?”
Garble nodded. “Right here.” He grabbed the clipboard with the form attached from the crate and gave it to Spitfire.
“Place that crate over there, will you?” she requested, pointing over to the broken Dizzitron, indicating that the crate should be placed beside it.
While she signed the form, Garble put back on the straps and carried the big craft over to the said damaged machine. When he placed the crate beside the machine, he took a peek at the Dizzitron. A bright green circle with a purple spiral on the surface with a metal gear with a belt. He had no idea about the use as Spitfire came back with the signed form.
“Here you go,” she said, giving the form to Garble. “I saw you being curious about the use of the Dizzitron.”
“Yeah? What was that for?”
“For newbies, this is a test of recovery from a “spin-out.” A trainee holds tight to that device, it spins at the speed of light, making them dizzy, hence the name. Upon release, they have to fly in a straight line and come in for a smooth landing. Crash made it easy when she first arrived.” Spitfire smirked afterward.
“I gotta say, that sounds badass!”
“Indeed.”
“Anyways, I’ll be going. There’s still more that needs to be done.”
“Take care, soldier,” she asserted and waved. With that, Garble flew away back to Ponyville to help deliver more mail.
When he got back to the office, the mare wasn’t happy. “Hey, you,” she demanded, “We’ve got something to go to the Canterlot train station.”
Garble grumbled. “What is it?”
“It’s a new giant clock or something. I don’t check the mail, it’s the rules.”
“Wait, isn’t Gabby supposed to take this?”
“It came in before she left. She is supposed to be back by now. Find where she is while you take this.” Garble groaned again as he took the package using the straps for the crate delivered a while ago and flew off to Canterlot.
Once Garble dropped off the delivery at the Canterlot Station with the form being signed by the claimer, he began searching around the city for Gabby. He tried asking a couple of residents where they last saw her, but some answered that they haven’t seen her, while most of them weren’t quite used to living with dragons yet, so they mostly stayed away from him. So Garble kept looking.
Eventually, when he landed, he found Gabby slowly dragging her claws and paws down the sidewalk. “Gabby, there you are!” Garble called.
The mail griffon heard his call and turned back to see the dragon assistant running up to catch her. “Garble,” she said. She appeared to be wobbly as she looked back at him.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m okay, I’m…. I’m just tired.” It’s not only the wobbling limbs he noticed, her eyes became slightly baggy, her cheeks become reddish like tomatoes, and the feathers of her head became a mess from sweat.
“Maybe you could’ve slept in a little later. Or maybe take less mail. I had to bring the other one that showed up after you left…”
“I left a parcel behind?”
“You couldn't get it before you left, it showed up after you were gone.”
“Oh…. Maybe they didn’t let me know it would show up.”
“That’s something you shouldn’t worry about, I think. Leave it to be someone else’s problem.”
“I mean…. if that’s what you think.” Gabby carried on her way and knocked on one of the doors of the residence buildings.
A stallion answered the door. “I swear if you leave me any more of that mare’s mail…”
“No, sir, we fixed that issue ages ago,” Gabby said.
“About time.” Gabby handed him his mail before he slammed the door in her face.
“….Jerk,” Garble grumbled.
“You get used to people like him,” Gabby sighed. She tried to carry on but her shaky legs couldn’t support her any longer. Gabby collapsed to the ground much to the shock of Garble.
“Oh no…” He quickly knelt and held her head. “You alright?” She gently spank her forehead. “Speak to me. Say a few syllables.”
“I’m…. I’m fine. I just have to…” The mail griffon tried to get back on her feet, but it looked like she could barely move.
“Okay, you definitely need help.” Garble picked up the exhausted griffon.
“Maybe…. A talk with Spike…?”
“Sounds like a good idea.” He brought up her numb body and flew to the castle as young griffon fainted in his arms.
“So you’re saying she lost consciousness?”
“I swear, I saw her collapse.”
“By what you said about today, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Gabby could faintly hear voices talking with each other. Her whole body felt numb like she’s been paralyzed, she could barely move. Gabby was able to open her eyes and could see she was lying on a sofa.
Her mailbags had been set beside her. Moving her head, Gabby then saw Garble having a conversation with Spike and Twilight before either of them realized that she was awake.
“Gabby, you’re up!” Spike exclaimed, feeling relieved as he approached.
“Ugh,” she groaned, “What happened?”
“Garble said you fainted while on a mail run.”
“Oh, I… My mail! Oh nonononono!” Gabby stumbled off the sofa in shock as she tried to grab her mailbags. Spike quickly got in the way to stop her.
“Wait, Gabby, you can’t work in this condition. You need a full rest.”
“But…”
“I can confirm,” Twilight commented. “I once drove myself insane from the amount of work I kept up with. After a moment, I have to relax and ease my mind from being overwhelmed with work.”
“I seriously thought you were underestimating how much you mean by that.”
“But what about my deliveries?” Gabby doubted. “I cannot miss one for all customers…”
“I’m here for a reason, remember,” Gable spoke. “You requested me to assist. How hard could it be?”
“You only delivered one package. I’ve still got plenty of them to deliver in Canterlot.” With no energy within, her body urges her to give up.
“I’ll help him deliver them,” Spike proclaimed. “Since I know my way around Canterlot, I’ll be able to know the locations. What’d you think?”
Gabby sighed. “Sure… much appreciated…”
Garble then once again carried her back to the sofa for her to rest, grabbed her mailbags, and he and Spike quickly exited the room.
“Does she usually work herself to exhaustion?” Garble asked.
“No, this has never happened before,” Spike replied. “Did you see what could’ve caused it?”
“We were carrying a whole cart filled with boxes,” Garble noted. “I don’t know if she was pulling it before I got involved.”
“Most carts I’ve seen are usually grounded or are smaller to allow easier flight. How many wheels were on the cart?”
“Four?”
“Four! That sounds like the cart’s size would be too heavy.”
“It was. I had to hold onto the back so Gabby could fly.”
“…Who’s running the business?”
“A mare who wants everyone to know she has a voice.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“She likes to yell from what I can tell.”
“Oh, I see. How long has she been working at the post office?”
“How should I know? I only started working recently.”
“Right. Let’s take care of them before they complain.” The two dragons flew out of the castle.
They hurried around Canterlot to deliver the letters and package. Most ponies that heard about the reason for their delivery of the mail understood the situation, and some even felt a sense of honor having Spike give them their mail.
Garble split up from Spike a few times to help speed up their delivery. He had a bit of frustration when he tried to remember addresses. By the time they had all of the mail delivered, Garble was feeling exhausted. Spike was feeling just fine as they were returning to the castle. It was confusing to Garble why he himself was worn out while Spike looked fine. “How are you not tired?” Garble panted.
“I’ve been Twilight’s assistant for as long as I can remember,” Spike replied. “This was an average day for me.”
They made it back to the room where Gabby was. She was still sitting on her couch drinking a cup of warm tea Princess Twilight gave to her. And because of it, she had regained enough strength to stand up. “Hey, boys,” Gabby said, “How were the deliveries?”
“Exhausting,” Garble groaned. “How do you guys do it?”
“It can be challenging, more than just carrying heavy packages. You’ve got to memorize the location so you can maximize your time. It’s usually easier when you only have one location to deliver them to.”
“Then maybe you should tell that freak at the office to shut her trap and get off the creatures’ back.”
“Is she seriously that bad?” Twilight asked.
“From what Garble has said, pretty much,” Spike commented.
“She has been giving us some harsh orders,” Gabby noted.
“So bad that you pass out?” Garble asked.
Spike stepped forward to give his own input. “Garble’s got a point,” he said, “If you’re working yourself to the point you can’t stand, it's going to make yourself worse mentally and physically.”
“But there are still customers expecting to have their mail arrived,” Gabby proclaimed.
“And that pony can explain to everypony why they quit because she’s as painful as a dragon sneeze tree. It’s not worth wearing yourself out.”
Gabby thought about this before she knew they were right. “Let’s tell her that.”
“Remember,” Spike reminded. “Take a good rest.”
“Right. Wish me luck.” Gabby slowly left the castle with Garble following her.
They took the train to Ponyville so they wouldn’t have to fly all the way, they didn’t want her to do any unneeded motion. Once they arrive back, she and Garble went to the post office to explain the situation. Unfortunately, the mad mare was there at the front when they enter the office.
Standing still like a statue, her furious face is visible, and her hoof tapping in disappointment. She of course wasn’t happy. “Where have you two been?” she heatedly asked.
“I had to take a break,” Gabby explained, “I was too…”
“A break? I told you an unscheduled break isn’t allowed!!!”
“But I couldn’t…”
“If you can’t keep up, you shouldn’t be a mail carrier in the first place!” Gabby was feeling frightened by the mare’s screaming, and that’s when Garble stepped in.
“What’s your name, missy?” Garble contested.
“Hazelnut Box,” the mare responded. “What’s your problem!?” A snicker was heard from the dragon before he continued.
“You thought that yelling and jeering your employees is a way to get tasks done quickly?”
“If they do their jobs right, I wouldn’t have to raise my voice!”
“And does doing it right caused them to pass out?”
“Excuse me!?”
“You heard me, you son of a b****. You’ve pushed her to her limit, and even when I helped her, she still lost consciousness! Collapsed! Tired! Didn’t make a single motion from her arms! I saw it with my own eyes!” Garble stepped closer to Hazelnut Box, who wasn’t acting so tough once she saw the height difference between them. He then grabbed her by the neck, pressing her muzzle close to his.
“What are you doing!? Put me down in this instant!”
“I’m putting you in your place.”
“I’m sorry!? You…”
“You give commands that are working her and others down to the bone with salty sweat!”
“If they listened to their orders…”
“They have been listening to you… and look where that’s getting them!” Hazlenut suddenly felt something splat across the back of her head. Turning around, she saw that Derpy had thrown a muffin at her. The cross-eyed pegasus wasn’t alone as there were a couple of other mail ponies who had enough of her.
“Um… You… You can’t…”
“How about I let you all knock her down a peg?” Garble asked the mail ponies dropping her down. They totally agreed to this as they had more beef to deal with their boss.
“Come on, boys!” Derpy exclaimed. They cheered and went on to kick her butt.
Let’s go,” Garble said to Gabby. They then left the post office to help Gabby get back to Griffonstone.
Once again, they two took the train again heading back to Gabby’s home. Garble sat beside the window while she sat in front of him on another seat, looking out of the window. It would take more time for them to arrive back. While they hanged, Gabby decided to chat with the dragon.
“Garble?” she gently called, and he turned to face her. “Thanks for standing up for me back there. I’ve never seen someone can stand up bravely for somebody weak.”
“No worries,” Garble replied gently, “It takes a bully to stop a bully. I’m still glad you’re alright.” He sighed as he rested his head on his claw while he looked out the window.
“You’ve certainly learned from your past and have matured well. I’m sure they’ll be happy that Hazel won’t be able to push around anymore.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Oh my goodness, plus the look on her face was amusing.”
“It sure was,” she laughed. Garble followed.
“…You know, I’m not attempting to sound like an a-hole about this, but why didn’t you stand up to that boss? You grew up in that environment, right?”
“Well, I was wanting to, but she had a lot of power that could’ve cost me my job.”
“Oh yeah, that’s smart of her. We’re overworked… so I’ll just get rid of one of the few who care about staying around. No offense.”
“None taken.”
“Seriously though, you’ve got to tell some how it is.”
“I know. I usually keep up a smile to make others feel positive. If one’s anger can affect others’ attitudes, surely someone with a pure smile can do the same, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right. You would fit right in with the ponies.”
“I am a part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders after all. I feel that a positive attitude works well since I helped Gilda out with the reformation.”
Garble sighed. “Kinda wished I could’ve knocked some sense into that griffon.”
“Oh no, don’t ever talk about him. He’s best left forgotten.”
“Right. There seemed to be a lot of bad griffons there. I don’t think they were all bad, just misunderstood. Being too scared to show their colors.”
“Yeah, I get how that feels.”
“You… I used to think everyone would laugh at my poetry.”
“But it’s fun. I heard Smolder reveal her love for dressing up.”
“Yeah, she already told me about that. Glad she’s no longer hiding it.”
“You should feel the same about your poetry. You’re both better creatures for your honesty.”
“I… guess so.”
“Additionally, I’m sure everyone will be happy you’ve helped start solving the issue we’ve come along with.”
“Yeah, that too. Smolder’s buddies will be happy about that too.”
“Indeed,” Gabby nodded.
Then they heard the PA system switch on. “Final destination: Griffonstone,” it announced, “All passengers prepare to disembark. I repeat: final destination: Griffonstone. All passengers prepare to disembark.” Gabby and Garble prepared themselves as the express soon came to a stop. The door opened and they stepped out of the coach and headed into Griffonstone.
At last, they made it back to Gabby’s home. The griffon almost immediately pounced onto her bed as soon as she saw it from the window. “So… are you going to be alright?” Garble asked.
“I’ll be okay,” Gabby replied. “You can go home now. You’ll be notified if there are updates about the mail. Have a safe flight back.”
“Will do. See you again.” Garble flew off, and Gabby waved goodbye before she enters her dorm, closed the door, and flopped onto her bed. Finally, some goodnight’s sleep.
A few days passed, and Garble was relaxing in one of the lava pools. It is a good way to ease your mind after all of the hard work paid off. He’s glad that he’s finally at peace.
“Garble!” called a voice. Looking up, he saw Gabby flying toward him while waving at him. Dragon Lord Ember was also with her too. Garble climbed out so they could speak with the griffon hovering above the ground.
“Gabby, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I came over to tell you the good news,” Gabby explained, “Hazelnut Box’s no longer in charge.”
“Woah! She got the boot?”
“Not exactly. She only got demoted, but she’s on thin ice. Other workers are finally coming back, so I won’t be overworked anymore.”
“Yeah, I heard Princess Twilight got involved too,” Ember noted and followed by a snicker. “Oh boy, you should’ve seen the look on her face. I swear I didn’t think ponies could get that angry than I.”
“Tell me about that later,” Garble proclaimed. “But, Gabby, is there anything else to tell me about the mail?”
“Yes, you’ll be happy to know, especially you Dragon Lord, that I’ll be helping with the new extension to deliver mail right here in the Dragon Lands,” Gabby explained.
“Oh, that’s fantastic!” Ember gleefully exclaimed, “They finally got that taken care of. I’ve been getting complaints from parents about their kids not responding.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll start sending letters. Though I think you should have someone help them read their letters.”
“I just know they’re going have me help out.” Ember rolled her eyes.
“That’s all I have to say. I should get back to Griffonstone. You take care.”
“You too,” Garble waved.
Gabby started flying away but stopped real quick. “Oops, I almost forgot.” She flew back down to Garble, got both claws in her bag, and grabbed the object she wants to give. Garble couldn’t believe it.
“WHOA!” Garble gasped. It’s a giant emerald, and its size is the same as his head. “Where did you get that?”
“I picked it up in Ponyville. It’s a way to say thank you for helping me. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve been struggling a lot.” She then gave the emerald to Garble.
“I never expected this to be a thank-you gift. That was so nice of you. I appreciated it,” he smiled.
“No problem,” she smiled back. “Now, I should go home. Take care!”
“You too. Have a safe flight.” Soon, Gabby left the Dragon Lands while Garble enjoyed his gift/reward, which Ember was fairly jealous about.
“Lucky,” she jealously muttered.