//------------------------------// // – Prelude: Chance Meeting on the Road to Ponyville Between a Sewing Pony and a Griffon – // Story: Sparity Shipping Mega Epic // by Mareity //------------------------------// It was approaching two years since Princess Twilight Sparkle’s coronation. Life in Ponyville had continued peacefully, and without many great upheavals since, barring the occasional amusing mishap. Business as usual, really. Rarity had been industriously inhabiting the gem mines near the Everfree Forest since the early hours after locating a geode seam in an unexplored branch a few days prior, and was hauling some of the payload back to her boutique when she spotted Gallus on the outskirts of Ponyville, walking away from the road junction towards Gabby’s birdhouse. She cooed and waved to get his attention before trotting up to him, still wearing her beribboned helmet and with her gem cart in tow. ‘Gallus!’ she called to the blue griffon, ‘How have you been? I haven’t seen you so much since Starlight became your new headmare. How’s school been? Have you been well?’ Gallus appeared slightly awkward about running into his ex-teacher away from school, but it was fine, he told himself – he wasn’t as much of a kid anymore. ‘Oh hey, Ms. Rarity. School’s over for me, remember? All us OG schoolcreatures graduated a few moons back.’ She looked at Gallus with wide eyes followed by a furrowed brow, so he elaborated. ‘You took Yona on as an apprentice at your boutique, didn’t you? We were in the same grade! You taught us classes! Classes about sequins and dresses!’ ‘My goodness, time flies,’ breathed Rarity, ‘I’m ever so sorry, Gallus, I suppose I forgot. I’ve been distracted by work, I completely admit it – the boutique’s been in demand more than ever lately, to say nothing of the branches in Canterlot and Manehattan. And you’re right, Yona’s been lending a helping hoof this past while, she’s been ever so good…’ ‘Heh, it’s alright, Ms. Rarity, I get it. You don’t see me around town much anymore anyway, I guess – I spend a lot of time in Canterlot nowadays. I decided I really didn’t want to go back to Griffonstone after school finished, and Rainbow Dash got a good word for me to Flash Magnus, and he’s taken an interest in training me. So, I’m gonna be a cop, I guess. I mean, a Royal Guard. I hope, anyway.’ He raised a claw and scratched behind his neck, feeling all the more awkward at laying it out like that. Rarity giggled. ‘Oh, that’s wonderful! You’ll have a bright future ahead of you there, I’m certain of it.’ She glanced behind Gallus, to the trail leading to Gabby’s birdhouse, and inquired, ‘By the way, dear, am I correct in believing you were just visiting Gabby? How has she been?’ Gallus’ sheepishness intensified even further. ‘Yeah, your sister told me she’d not been doing great, so I was just checking in on her. You know about her and Spike, right?’ Rarity hadn’t seen Spike around Ponyville for the better part of a week, now that she thought about it. ‘Ah, Sweetie hasn’t said anything to me about them… last I knew everything was fine?’ ‘They’ve hit the rocks these past couple of weeks. She won’t talk to anycreature about it, and you know Gabby, that’s gotta be serious.’ Rarity nodded. ‘I see. I admit I mainly know her through Spike, but I know she’s a lively one. A nice girl. Goodness, have they split up?’ ‘Near as I can tell, really. Like I said, she won’t talk to me about it, she just fiddles around with twigs at the back of her house and avoids the subject.’ Rarity inhaled, then inhaled again as her thoughts escalated. ‘Twigs, you say? Is she building a nest?! They didn’t…surely not!?’ Gallus raised both claws and laughed, Rarity’s discomfort on the topic defusing his own embarrassment, which he’d honestly felt had been in danger of getting a bit out of claw over the past couple of minutes. ‘Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing like that… I mean, if she is, it’s like no nest I’ve ever seen. I’m not really sure what I’d call it. Free sculpture, maybe? Or just a mess…’ She relaxed a little, although the implications of the thought that had entered her mind just then had alarmed her much more than she’d care to admit. ‘I suppose you’d know better than me, Gallus. Well, that really is too bad… maybe I should go find Spike. If she won’t talk to you, doubtless Gabby wouldn’t appreciate moi sticking my oar in, but I simply should check in on Spikey.’ ‘Huh. I’ve not seen him around much, here or in Canterlot. You know where to find him?’ Rarity nodded again, this time with determination. ‘I have a fair idea, and the moment it’s feasible, I’ll make the trip. I’d best be on my way… good luck with the Royal Guard, Gallus… and I hope Gabby feels better soon, no matter the problem.’ ‘Sure, and thanks. See you round, ma’am,’ Gallus smiled, giving Rarity an off-the-cuff salute as she passed along her way. First to offload her cart at the boutique, then to Twilight’s castle. The one she ruled Equestria from now, in Canterlot, not her old one, now turned library-museum, by the school.