Just a few weeks had passed since the trip to Cutie Markless Village, and Starlight remained at large. Shining had sent word to Princess Celestia, and also informed his sister, but other than that he'd spent what free time he had trying to study the mysterious table map in his castle. Surely, it couldn't be coincidence that it displayed every city and town in Equestria, and was surrounded by six thrones containing the cutie marks of him and his friends, right?
Well, the map refused to yield any of its secrets, which frustrated Shining and Twilight to no end. Then, one day, the map did something unexpected, it lit up again and this time it displayed just two cutie marks. It soon turned out that the map was calling on Soarin and Braeburn. Their destination: The city of Griffonstone.
"Griffonstone, eh?" Soarin commented, leaning back in his throne. "I've heard of that place a couple of times. Spitfire's been trying to get us to perform there, but all her requests have mysteriously never been returned, not even one."
"I've never even met griffons before, I was out of town when that last griffon showed up," Braeburn added, eyeing the map for a moment. Looking across to Soarin he asked. "Didn't Rainbow Dash ever talk about that griffon she used to be friends with? What was her name? Grizelda or somethin' like that?"
Soarin shook his head. "Rainbow Dash doesn't like to talk about it. Whenever anypony brings it up, she changes the subject."
"Well, hopefully the griffons in Griffonstone will be friendlier," Shining spoke up, instructing his two friends. "I'm not sure why the map has only called the two of you this time, but I suspect it's similar to the reason why it called all six of us to that little village near the mountains. This could also be a chance to learn more about Griffonstone, all the information we've currently got on it is several decades old!"
"Aren't you gonna come with us?" Braeburn asked Shining. "I mean, I'm only now gettin' over that sprain hoof that had me laid up while the Appleloosa Rodeo was takin' place. And you haven't left this here castle for weeks, even your sister at least planned the Grand Gallopin' Gala."
Shining only shook his head. "While I don't intend to trust the map's judgement on every case, at least until I can be certain of its intentions, the fact remains that not much is known about Griffonstone. And if Soarin's comment earlier is anything to go by, the nation may not exactly be welcoming of outsiders. Rather than send an entire envoy and risk an international incident, I'll be sending you two of your own free will. Think of yourselves as friendship diplomats. If you can, try to speak with King Grover or whoever it is that's succeeded him."
"King Grover?" Braeburn and Soarin both asked at the same time.
Twilight smiled, as she came trotting into the throne room and placed a huge book on the table. "I've been doing a little bit of research on griffons and Griffonstone," She happily beamed, opening up the book. "In ancient times, griffons were known to be as greedy as dragons, always hoarding their bits and other treasures. But all that changed when King Grover found the mysterious golden Idol of Boreas. Legend says the Idol of Boreas was made from the dust of golden sunsets, blown across the mountains by the north winds. Possessing the Idol of Boreas filled the griffons' hearts with pride. It's said that that one great treasure is responsible for turning Griffonstone into the most majestic kingdom of all the land," With noticeable hints of jealousy in her voice she then added. "I wish I could go with you, if my research is anything to go by, Griffonstone is a lovely place, especially at this time of year!"
"But the map didn't call you, Twily," Shining reminded. "Besides, you're going to be planning Cranky and Matilda's wedding in a few days. You'll need to be ready for that, especially since there's the royal summit in Canterlot not long afterward, and then we're going to be busy trying to negotiate a peace agreement between Ponyville and YakYakistan. It's imperative you stay here and be well rested, I'm going to need your help just to make through all the important events," Then to Braeburn and Soarin he encouraged. "I'm sure you two can handle whatever it is the map has summoned you for. Oh, I almost forgot," He presented a small paper book of some kind, giving it to Soarin. "This may be useful to you."
"It's a guide I made to help you two on your way," Twilight beamed with pride. "You don't have to follow it to the letter if you don't want to, but I think it will prove useful in helping you avoid any troubles."
Soarin examined the guide, or rather skimmed through it a little. His eyes widened in surprise! "Whoa, Twilight! This guide is super detailed! It's like you in book form!" He joked.
Shining tried not to laugh. He just maintained his composure as best he could, as he told Braeburn and Soarin. "Alright you two, you'd better get going. I'm not sure if Griffonstone is accessible by train. But even if it is, you'll have a long ride ahead of you."
As it turned out, Griffonstone was indeed accessible by train, though the ticket salespony seemed surprise that anyone would wish to order tickets there. "No one's wanted to travel to Griffonstone in years, all communication with the nation has been cut off." She'd told Braeburn and Soarin, yet still gave them their tickets anyway.
Soarin spent most of the journey reading through Twilight's guide for any helpful tips. One of the most important ones read as follows: "Always carry plenty of bits. The griffons are sure to help you as long as you share the wealth."
At last, after a long train ride, the two stallions arrived in Griffonstone. Soarin read aloud from the guide: "Upon arriving in Griffon Gorge, be sure to pause and cast your eyes northerly, up the Hyperborean Mountains, taking in the breathtaking beauty of Griffonstone. Once in Griffonstone proper, go immediately to the palace and introduce yourself to the king. The only book I could find on Griffonstone's history was 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' and it ends with the coronation of the fourteenth king of the griffons, King Guto. I have no idea who's in charge now. Please inform the king, queen, or whatever soverign ruler currently exists that you've been sent by the Prince of Friendship, and you're there to help with some sort of problem. If the ruler or any of his or her associates can't help for some reason, then I'd try the Griffonstone library next. It's a little known secret that if you befriend a librarian, you can usually find out anything. Plus, as a bonus, there's a statue of King Grover outside! Oh, and don't forget to sample some famous griffon scones if you get the chance. They're supposed to be the best."
"You know, it would've been nice to have Shining Armor and Twilight accompany us here," Braeburn said to Soarin, as they approached the entrance to Griffonstone. "Then they could see that Griffonstone is really..." But the rest of his sentence was cut off, as the two stallions observed Griffonstone proper. They saw that it was completely rundown and full of neglected and shady looking houses. The entire city limits looked as if they'd fallen into decay and no one had bothered to care for them.
"You sure we're in the right place?" Soarin asked Braeburn, as they looked all around. "This seems more like a ghost town than a thriving nation. And if our job is supposed to be restoration, that map must be on the fritz or something, that's a job for Fancy Pants and not us!"
"Well, I see griffons all around me," Braeburn commented. "But maybe this is just an outpost or colony?" He rushed up to an old, gray feathered griffon and asked him. "Excuse me, sir? This is Griffonstone, right?"
"None of your business!" The griffon snapped, and flew off.
"That wasn't very nice." Braeburn muttered.
"But I suppose this is Griffonstone," Soarin concluded. "Kind of looks like a run down version of what was described. Guess we'll just go to the palace and talk to the king."
But just then, a screechy female voice called out. "We have no king! In fact, we have no leader." The voice soon revealed itself as a griffon with a bluish-gray coat, white feathers on her chin, light gray markings on her face, dark gray wings, and brilliant gold talons.
"And how do you know that, Miss..." Soarin began.
"Gabby," The griffon replied, sounding noticeably unhappy. "And I'm afraid it's true, our last king vacated the throne years ago, and since then we've had no one ruling over us. Exactly why are you guys here? We don't really get visitors anymore."
"We're here to help Griffonstone!" Braeburn boasted. "I'm Braeburn, and this is Soarin. The two of us have been sent here by Prince Shining Armor, the Prince of Friendship! Or rather, a table map in his castle if you wanna be precise."
"Help?" Gabby asked, eyeing the two stallions. "Exactly what are you supposed to help with?"
"That... we don't know," Soarin confessed. "But, if you have no leader, then could you at least tell us where the Idol of Boreas is?"
Gabby sighed, and hung her head. "That old thing? It's gone, it was lost to us long ago and now most griffons have forgotten it even exists. I should know, I've been working here as a mail carrier for some time now. And every griffon I've been lucky enough to talk to, doesn't remember anything about the idol," But then she put a claw to her chin before she added. "Well, except for one griffon. But he's pretty old."
"I ain't that old, you whippersnapper!" A wheezy voice cried out in a cough. Suddenly, a door swung open, and out trotted a brown feathered griffon with a black eye-patch over his left eye, a small scar across his right eye, and a red merchant's hat resting atop his head. "I tell ya, that there idol was the best thing to ever happen to us griffons!"
"Grandpa Gruff, now's really not the time for this," Gabby said to the old griffon. "I've heard your stories countless times, I can tell them just fine myself."
But Grandpa Gruff only shook his head in protest. "That's what all you hatchlings say, but I know what you all really think of me. You all think I'm old and crazy, but I tell ya my stories are as true as can be."
"You know about the Idol of Boreas?" Soarin asked the old griffon.
Grandpa Gruff nodded, and held out his paw as he explained. "I'll gladly tell ya the whole tragic tale, for a couple of bits."
Soarin sighed, but forked over the bits anyway. "Okay, now talk!" He demanded.
"As you wish, but like I said it's a tragic tale," Grandpa Gruff replied, then began his story. "The first griffon king, King Grover, united our kind like we've never been united before or since! And he did it all with that incredible Idol of Boreas he found. I tell ya, that idol brought pride to the heart of every griffon that saw it! From one king to the next, Griffonstone had our golden idol, and we were the envy of all other species. It held us together – it gave us an identity – right up until the reign of King Guto that is."
"Why? What happened?" Braeburn asked with worry.
"I was just getting to that, no need to rush me!" Grandpa Gruff complained, then resumed his narration. "One fateful day, the dreaded Arimaspi came to steal our griffon treasure! King Guto tried to fight him off, but Arimaspi managed to get away with the idol! Or so he thought, just as he reached the outskirts of the city, lightning struck the path he was on and sent him and the idol plummeting into the Abysmal Abyss, Arimaspi was never seen again! They say that when our treasure fell into the Abysmal Abyss, our pride went with it. King Guto was the last king of Griffonstone, he was too ashamed to ever show his face in our presence ever again, and we all lived miserably ever after. The end!"
Braeburn couldn't help but tear up at the very end. "I think that was one of the saddest stories I ever heard." He commented.
"Aw, well... Tough tailfeathers! No refunds!" Grandpa Gruff stubbornly replied. "But now you know the sad history of our once proud nation. Make of it what you will, and don't bother me again."
"No wonder Twilight's book ended with the coronation of King Guto. Who would want to record a history that sad?" Braeburn realized.
"I can't believe King Gruto would just up and leave like that and not name a successor!" Soarin complained. "That's poor leadership right there! Even if the griffons would never trust him, he could've at least appointed someone to lead the country. At least then maybe we wouldn't have our work cut out for us."
"It is what it is, I'm afraid," Gabby commented. "We griffons used to be the pride of Equestria, and now we've been lost and forgotten to time. Not that it matters, the outside world never seemed to be bothered when we cut off all contact with them. My mail deliveries remained confined to just this nation."
"You know what, Braeburn?" Soarin realized. "I think I know why the map sent us here. We need to find the Idol of Boreas and bring glory and pride back to Griffonstone!"
"But it can't be that simple, can it?" Braeburn asked. "I mean, didn't Twilight's guide suggest we try to search for answers at the library?"
"Look, these griffons seem exceptionally proud, but they also don't seem all too welcoming towards outsiders," Soarin explained. "If finding that idol is the fastest way to restore this place to its former glory, then I say we do it and leave. If these griffons want to wallow in self pity and get by on their own, then I'm afraid we'll have to let 'em. Sometimes, you can't help someone who refuses to help themselves. I don't like the idea, but I feel like it may be the best we can do in this situation," Then, flapping his wings he added. "Feel free to search the library to your heart's content, Braeburn. Maybe you'll find something of value there. But it seems like that idol means everything to those griffons, so I'm gonna go down to the Abysmal Abyss, and find the Idol of Boreas no matter what it takes," To Gabby he asked. "Why don't you help me? With two heads we could probably make more progress.
But Gabby shook her head. "I'm not going to risk losing my job, I'm late for work as it is. If you want my advice, find a tour guide and buy some exploration equipment from a reliable merchant," She somberly suggested. "And if you go down into that abyss, you'd best know what you're doing. They say no one's ever gone into that abyss, and lived to tell the tale." And with that, the young griffon flapped her wings and flew away.
Braeburn looked at the fluttering off griffon, and then to Soarin, as he said. "You go ahead and look for the idol, Soarin. I can't shake the feelin' that Gabby's the key to all of this. I know she's different from the other griffons, I can feel it."
"Well, good luck with your hunch. And wish me luck on my quest." Soarin replied, and the two stallions split off.
Soarin spent a bit of time asking around, before he at last found a store that seemed to sell gear of at least decent quality, and had someone willing to take him to the abyss. "I'm here to find your missing idol and save Griffonstone!" He told the merchant, expecting some kind of reply. But there was none, so he then added. "I'll need some rope, a grappling hook, and I was told you could take me down to the Abysmal Abyss."
"Of course I can," The merchant nodded in reply, she was a brown feathered griffon with dark brown wings, two shades of light brown on her face (including some spots), and sported a blueish-green cap. "But I'll need some bits. I an't running a charity, you know."
"Name your price, just try not to be too stingy. After all, I am your only customer at the moment." Soarin cautioned.
"Then today's your lucky day," The merchant replied with what seemed like a smile. "Consider all this stuff on sale, though I will charge extra for the trip to the abyss."
Meanwhile, Braeburn had managed to find his way to the library. But he found that, just like everywhere else in Griffonstone, the building was run down and abandoned. Clearly, he would find no useful information there. Moping in front of the stone statue of King Grover, he lamented. "This can't all be just because of a missing hunk of gold and a lack of leadership. That idol wasn't magical. I just wish I knew how to make the griffons see that."
Leaving the library, Braeburn soon bumped into Gabby. "Oh, we meet again," Gabby commented. "You find anything useful in that old library?"
"No," Braeburn replied with a shake of his head. "But you know what, I don't need some book to tell me what's goin' on 'round these parts. The problem ain't that ya lost that idol and your king flew off, at least not entirely. Lucky for you though, I know just what Griffonstone needs! A song, one that'll make even the grumpiest of griffons grin!"
"Well it'll do you no good around here I'm afraid," Gabby protested, pointing a claw to a sign that indicated singing was not allowed. "Trust me, I learned the hard way that the 'no singing' rule is heavily enforced around here. Now if you wouldn't mind, please just leave me alone and let me deliver the mail in peace. It's the only thing that brings me any joy around here."
"Gabby, you're not like the other griffons," Braeburn commented, trotting alongside the griffon. "Deep down, I can tell that you want nothin' more than to smile and be all cheerful. So what's stoppin' ya? Ya don't need permission to be happy, and in fact happiness can be contagious. I'll bet if ya let out your inner joy, it'd spread from griffon to griffon soon enough."
But Gabby just shook her head. "Don't you think I tried? No griffon has any reason to be happy anymore, it's all about survival. We don't have time for things like singing, dancing, or parties. Heck, we don't even have a bakery."
"Well, that just takes the cake!" Braeburn exclaimed. "Or muffins! Or griffon scones! Or whatever it is you serve around here as treats!"
"Gilda serves scones, why don't you go ask her?" Gabby asked, pointing a claw to a brown feathered griffon with a white chin with pale grayish edges, and eyes a faint brilliant amber in color. "We griffons have taken on any jobs we can get that will earn us money. Gilda wants to make enough money to leave this town and strike out on her own, bet your bits would make her very happy."
Braeburn trotted over to Gilda's cart, and said to her. "Hey, Miss. Gilda. You sellin' scones, right? I'll buy one!"
"Bits first if you don't mind!" Gilda grumbled. "Just don't try any tricks!" Braeburn tossed over a few bits and bit into the scone. "Well, you like it? It's my Grandpa Gruff's secret recipe."
Braeburn winced, the scone tasted incredibly hard and bitter. "Ow! I think I broke a tooth!" He complained.
"Well, whatever. No refunds. I don't even care anyway." Gilda retorted with a snort.
"Hey, if you wanna sell these scones, you're gonna need my help," Braeburn replied, spitting out the scone. "I've got somethin' that'll make your scones taste a whole lot better."
While Braeburn was busy helping Gilda with her scones, Soarin found himself staring down into the Abysmal Abyss. Gulping, he turned to the merchant turned guide beside him as he tightened the strap on his helmet and asked her. "So how deep is this abyss?"
"Depends. How deep are your pockets?" The merchant asked Soarin.
"Excuse me?!" Soarin remarked, hoping he had misheard.
The merchant only laughed. "Only joking. But seriously, why do you think we call it the Abysmal Abyss? No one in their right mind has ever wanted to go down into that place. If you do so, you're doing it at your own risk."
Meanwhile, Braeburn was adding his own personal ingredient to Gilda's scones. "You've got a pretty good recipe, Gilda," He told the griffon. "But it's missin' somethin' important, somethin' no baker worth their salt should be without."
"Don't tell me, it's 'friendship' isn't it?" Gilda remarked with a roll of her eyes.
"Uh, no, actually," Braeburn replied and explained. "It's bakin' powder. Lucky for you, I borrowed some of this from Pinkie Pie the other day and I decided to bring it with me," He proceeded to sprinkle the powder on the next batch of scones as he instructed. "Now just pop those in the oven, and you'll have griffon scones worth their weight in gold!"
Sure enough, when the scones were ready, Gilda found lots of griffons wanted to buy them. And upon sampling them they had nothing but nice things to say about the taste. Even Gabby found them irresistible.
"Wow, these scones are delicious! It's been forever since I've had a chance to sample something so good!" Gabby exclaimed, her eyes all a glow. To Braeburn she then commented. "But I don't get it, why did you help Gilda out even after she was so rude?"
Braeburn laughed and smiled. "It's called 'friendship', Gabby. And I can see that it's brought out the real you, the cheerful and bright side lookin' kind of griffon."
"Well, maybe it has a little. But better tasting scones aren't going to suddenly turn this place around you know." Gabby protested.
Braeburn was about to reply, when he heard a familiar voice cry out faintly "Help!". Braeburn gasped, he knew who that was! "Oh my gosh, Soarin's in trouble!" He shouted, and rushed towards the Abysmal Abyss, as Gabby watched.
Soarin had quickly found out that just flying straight down into the abyss was impossible. Strong but sudden gust winds of prevented any such possibility. Thus, Soarin had to scale down the side of the abyss, using a rope. "Okay, just gotta find that idol and get out of this place," He said to himself. "No problem."
But Soarin had spoken too soon, for at that very moment there came a loud snap and the rope broke in two! Soarin screamed as he went into a free fall, before a gust of wind caught him and tossed him up and onto a ledge, causing him to smack into a wall! "Ow!" He winced, as he landed hard on the ledge. He knew for sure his right wing had been damaged, and climbing back up was out of the question. "Help! Throw me another rope!" He shouted, but his voice couldn't be heard above the roaring winds of the abyss.
Fortunately, Soarin was able to bandage himself with a gause stored in his saddle bags. But even if his wing recovered, the young co-captain of the Wonderbolts knew he couldn't hope to fly out of the abyss, not with the winds blowing so strong and fierce.
Just then, Braeburn came rushing up to the scene. "Soarin!" He shouted, in order to make himself heard. "Where are ya, buddy?!"
"Down here!" Soarin shouted back. "My wing's broken, can you throw down a rope or something?!"
"I don't see any ropes!" Braeburn shouted, as he looked all around. "We're gonna need help, and I know just the griffon to ask! Don't go anywhere!" And he took off as fast as his hooves would let him.
"Not like I could if I wanted to." Soarin mentally grumbled.
Braeburn rushed back to Griffonstone, and he didn't stop running until he bumped straight into Gabby! "Gabby, am I glad to see you!" He frantically cried out. "Soarin's stuck on a ledge and I need your help to save him!"
"Why do you need my help? He knew what he was getting himself into," Gabby insisted. "Besides, I'm just a mail carrier. I can't leave my job now, not even to help a stranger in need."
"Gabby, Soarin's life could be in danger! How would you feel if something happened to him because you weren't there to help?!" Braeburn demanded.
"But my job! I'll lose my job for sure if I follow you, and it's all I have to make ends meet," Gabby protested. "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend, but surely any other griffon would do."
Braeburn shook his head. "I told you before, Gabby. You're not like the other griffons," Then he added. "You remember earlier when you asked about friendship?"
"Yeah. What does that have to do with any of this?" Gabby asked.
"You'll never understand what it's like to experience true friendship if you don't help me out!" Braeburn pleaded. "You have a chance to make friends with ponies, somethin' that no other griffon can lay claim to! And a friend in need is a friend in deed! So, are you gonna help me or not?!"
"I... I want to help, I really do," Gabby commented, a few tears forming in her eyes. "But every time I try to be helpful, others just tell me to buzz off and mind my own business. They say I just get in the way and make things worse."
"Well, think of this as a chance to prove them all wrong! Prove that you CAN be helpful!" Braeburn said firmly. "Now come on! The longer we sit around here talkin', the less likely we are to save Soarin's life! So, you gonna help me or what?!"
Gabby looked at Braeburn, then at the letters she had yet to deliver, then back to Braeburn. At last, she said to him. "A-alright, I guess I'll try. I just hope my boss won't be too hard on me for this."
After finding a sturdy rope, Braeburn and Gabby rushed back to the Abysmal Abyss to rescue Soarin.
"Hang on, Soarin!" Braeburn shouted, once he was certain the rope between him and Gabby was fastened securely. "Ready, Gabby?!" He asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be! I just hope you know what you're doing!" Gabby nervously replied, as she tied one end of the rope around a small peg in the ground. Braeburn then quickly descended towards Soarin's location, using the sound of Soarin's screams as a guide.
But just as Braeburn reached Soarin, the peg holding Braeburn and Gabby's rope broke, and sent Gabby falling down into the abyss! Gabby panicked for a moment, before she was able to use her wings to slow the descent, and eventually grabbed hold of the edge of a ledge further down in the abyss. "Hold on, you two!" She shouted at the stallions, before she saw something shine amidst a collection of bones and a skull. Her eyes narrowed in on the object, and when she realized what it was she gasped! "The Idol of Boreas! I've found it!" She cried, and tried to reach out for it as it dangled precariously on its ledge.
However, at that moment Soarin cried out. "I'm slipping!" And indeed he was, for he and Braeburn were only supported by Gabby's rope, and they had little to hold onto.
Gabby found herself very conflicted. The idol meant everything to the griffons, bringing it back would surely restore Griffonstone to its former glory. But in the process, she'd likely let Soarin and Braeburn fall to their demise, an act that would haunt her conscience for years to come. "What am I supposed to do?!" She thought to herself, weighing her options. Maybe there was still a way to retrieve the idol AND rescue the two stallions supported by her rope.
Alas, Braeburn and Soarin couldn't wait! They began to slide further down the side of the abyss, unable to cling onto anything to slow their descent.
Gabby made up her mind! Using all the strength she had, she pulled the two stallions up onto the same ledge as her, even though the Idol of Boreas fell farther down into the abyss, likely never to be seen again. It disappeared with a clink!
"Oh no, the idol!" Soarin gasped, as he saw the idol fall into the darkness below.
"You're both more important to me than some dumb chunk of gold." Gabby protested, pulling both Braeburn and Soarin into a tight hug. But just then the ledge started to crumble.
"Huggin' later, climbin' now! We're not out of the woods yet!" Braeburn shouted in reply.
Several tense minutes went by, before Gabby finally managed to carry herself, Braeburn, and Soarin all to safety. The trio rested for a moment to catch their breath, then made their way back into town.
"I'm sorry we didn't get your idol back," Soarin apologized to Gabby. "We were supposed to solve Griffonstone's problem."
"And I think we have," Braeburn replied with a smile. "Don't ya see, Soarin? The map didn't send us here just to find the lost Idol of Boreas. It sent us here to replace it with somethin' much better!"
"But nothing's better than gold to us griffons, especially nowadays." Gabby protested.
Braeburn shook his head. "That's not true. If it was, you'd have left us for dead to retrieve the idol back in the Abysmal Abyss. But you saw it for yourself, didn't you? Friends are more valueable than the finest gold."
"I... don't know what you're talking about." Gabby commented, scratching her head.
"I think I get what Braeburn's trying to say," Soarin told Gabby. "If you can all just learn how to care about each other again, then Griffonstone could be a mightier kingdom than it ever was before! And you don't need some golden idol to do that. You just need each other."
"So, you want me to start making friends?" Gabby asked the two. "I don't know if that's possible."
"You'll never know 'til ya try," Braeburn encouraged. "Go on. Why not try it with Gilda? Maybe you could offer to buy some of her new and improved scones?"
Gabby went off towards Gilda, and reluctantly she did so. But then she noticed a griffon that looked almost similar to Gilda, except for the fact that she had light green edges around her eyes. The griffon seemed alone and distant, so Gabby approached the griffon carefully, and offered her one of the scones. The griffon accepted it after a few odd looks in Gabby's direction, and a wide smile broke out across her face. She seemed to say something to Gabby, before she flew off.
"Who was that, Gabby?" Braeburn asked, when Gabby came back a moment later. "Ya know her?"
"Her name's Greta, she and Gilda kind of know each other," Gabby explained. "But, you saw that, right? You saw how she was really weirded out until I gave her the scone? She told me that it's the nicest thing anygriffon's ever done for her, and that she thought the scone tasted good. I don't think anygriffon's ever been that kind to me when I try to do something nice for them. But I think you were right after all, I am different from all the other griffons."
Just then, Soarin and Braeburn's cutie marks began to glow simultaneously. Soarin's eyes lit up. "Whoa, Braeburn. I think you were onto something all along. I guess that really was the problem we needed to solve," He realized, and then apologized. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to your advice earlier, I so eager to be done with this job that I didn't think about what these griffons really needed, I was only thinking about myself."
"Your heart was in the right place, Soarin," Braeburn replied with a chuckle. "I think anyone would've assumed the idol was the key to all of this. And it was, just not in the way we thought. Besides, never underestimate the power of baking powder!"
"Well then, we'd better get going," Soarin commented. "This injured wing is definitely gonna leave me out of comission for a while."
But Gabby suddenly called out as the two stallions turned to leave. "What? Y-Y-You want me to spread friendship here all by myself?! How am I supposed to do that?! I mean, I haven't even made one single friend yet!"
"Of course you haven't," Soarin smiled. "You've made at least two, possibly three or four depending on how you see things with Gilda and Greta."
"But you'll come back and visit, right? There's so much about pony culture I'd love to get to know." Gabby pleaded.
"You can always write to Twilight," Braeburn suggested. "She's Shining Armor's little sister, and I'm pretty sure she'd be thrilled with the knowledge you could give her on Griffonstone. I'd be happy to give you her mailin' address."