//------------------------------// // Chapter Sixty One, Grubber, Gallus, Lack of Malice: Buddy. // Story: Airship Mauled // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -An hour before Pinkie’s party, Castle Friendship, Grubber- “And that’s what it was like to work for him.” I stated proudly. “He was a huge jerk and Tempest is a lot friendlier by comparison. I guess she became a hard ass because she misses her girlfriends.” “Yikes, and I thought I had it bad.” Gallus muttered under his breath. “Yeah his chronic backstabbing tendencies is why he never had a commander for very long and when he made me commander for a short time, I seriously thought he was going to be out to get me.” At the thought of what came next, I sighed. “That’s when I met Tempest and she was offered the position while I was demoted back down, she kind of saved my hide with that. So if you think your life was horrible, then try living mine and being as short as I am. At least some griffons vaguely cared that you were alive.” “Yeah, at least I had that much even if I was on the street most of the time.” Patting Gallus’s left shoulder, I gave him a friendly smile. “So are you guys ready for Pinkie’s party?” Spike asked as he got up from his seat. “Wouldn’t miss it, since she probably has a few things for me to taste test.” Rubbing my hands together gleefully, I set off towards the party with my new bros following behind me. “Just remember that someone might be having a worse day than you when things are going horribly Gallus.” “Yeah, yeah, I just didn’t think it was actually possible for someone to have had worst days than me.” It seemed like Gallus had it as nearly as bad as I did. Not having parents to look out for you sucks. “Learning how to forage from a book wasn’t exactly easy with the state our library was in, because I had to actually forage for the book to find it. Doesn’t it bother you in the slightest that Tempest, or Fizzle, is dating a chimera?” “No, I just think it’s cool she’s open minded to befriending other species, she certainly gets along well with all the Storm Creatures after beating up at least half of them physically without needing her horn.” Stretching out, I turned to the one who had parents growing up. “So what was it like for you Spike?” “It wasn’t nearly as bad as what you two went through, though I still think of Twilight as my mother… she thinks of me more as a little brother and I’m certainly okay with that. Doesn’t really bother me all too much, because Twilight is always assigning me chores, making sure I eat and everything like a mother real would do.” Spike seemed like a happy dragon, but then he started into a story that kind of said that all was not happy in paradise. “I actually once ran away from home, which wasn’t always the castle here, it was in the library that was in a tree and Twilight had recently got an owl for a pet.” “Pet and not familiar?” There was a pause when Gallus asked that. “You know, I’ve never actually been too sure, Owlowiscious acts a lot like a familiar and tends to stay away when he knows danger is about to happen.” Spike turned his face towards the ground and rubbed at it. “He at least got out of the line of fire quickly enough when Tirek was attacking Ponyville.” “Yeah, that sounds like a familiar, is he far smarter than a normal owl?” My boss often talked about finding a familiar that could survive the insanity that was her life, but she hadn’t gone looking after one for one reason. She might have lost it like she had lost a lot of other things, I saw the hurt there and I really hadn’t done much to help her with it. “Tempest was able to talk about them in length given she knew some people who have them.” “Yeah, that… okay, Owlowiscious is definitely a familiar. One that’s smarter than normal owls… and I was very jealous of how much he was helping Twilight.” Answered Spike. We were on our way to the party and Pinkie had told ponies ahead of time that the party was going to have us in attendance, I didn’t expect many ponies to want to join the party with us there. “So I ran away and Twilight actually came after me because she was highly worried about me, that and Owlowiscious was showing her the direction I went. I ended up making a full grown dragon mad, but we got away from him.” “I sometimes wish I had what you have, a roof over your head, someone that will come looking if you aren’t back in the evening and an ever growing family.” Seeing where Gallus was coming from, I decided to add my own two cents to it. “You’ve got that with all the friends your making, plus I’m sure you have more people that care about you than you think around here.” Not that I had much going for me aside my dreams of becoming a patisserie chef. At the moment we were trying to hire ourselves out as cargo haulers with good protection services built in. “I’ve got the Storm Creatures and Tempest, but I really don’t have much more than that aside from Pinkie as a contact and it’s not exactly a stable life with all the traveling we’re doing. I do want to settle down somewhere someday and having a lot of people that hate us is not going to make that easy.” “Speaking of contacts, would you mind coming to Airship Mauled for Hearth’s Warming Gallus?” We all jumped and were spooked when an Abyssinian snuck up into the middle of our group without a sound. “You can make a few more friends abroad and I’ll promise to have some presents set aside for you. I do have this strange tendency of adopting loveable strays.” “Someone should put a bell on you!” My statement was just met with the Abyssinian witch just giggling into her left paw as we moved. “You almost gave me a heart attack lady!” “Doubt it would help all too much. Abyssinian stealth and short range teleportation potions would still make that a completely moot point, sneaking up on people isn’t really that hard. Anyway my little Fizzle and Silver Stream are already at the party, you might want to talk to Silver Stream about a few things Gallus. She’s a nice girl, but she’s a bit stressed out after learning about my familiar. Oh and please keep her from making a scene with all the Storm Creatures around. They could use some good publicity now that they are trying to turn themselves about and Airship Mauled is open to them visiting.” The blindfolded Kuril chuckled; she seemed quite consistently perky. “Come along now, we have a party to attend to. Maries might even be allowed to attend if Dr. Bones isn’t too busy with her.” “Wait, I… don’t exactly know if I want to go anywhere for Hearth’s Warming. Why would you invite me?” Look at it this way Gallus, if I were you I would take her up on the option of free food and a nice place to stay for a few days of celebration. “You don’t really know me to well.” “Maybe so, but I think everyone should have a nice holiday and my last few have been pretty abysmal thanks to my downer attitude. Hearing that the holiday might go the same way for you, I’ve decided to extend an offer to someone in need of a good day.” She took a proud stance and smiled. “I’m the mayor of Airship Mauled and I intend to brighten things up a bit this year! After all, I’m making a town wide feast and it’s a meal you really shouldn’t miss. There’s going to be fish in it for you, no needing to rely on Pegasus for meat products. Got a nice warm room and some welcoming hooves, claws and what have you that’ll welcome you openly, our town has to be the warmest next to Ponyville… aside from the constant Puk attacks of course.” “The offer of fish… actually sounds like a good way to get me to come.” Gallus seemed a little reluctant. “It’s not often that you get to eat fish around here, it’s a staple food for most griffons from what I know and even hippogriffs have their steins of salmon juice. It’s like me and eating gems too!” Given that Spike lived with ponies for most of his life. Yeah, I can see where fish wasn’t a major constant around here. “You should take her up on it, I remember hearing about how down you felt about not wanting to go to Griffonstone for Hearth’s Warming and here you have someone offering you an alternative.” “All expenses paid no less, I’m Kurilian La Perm the Witch of good taste and you must be Twilight’s little helper Spike 'the Great' who also has some notable cooking talent under his belt. Please, call me Kuril.” She bowed to Spike while sweeping her hat from her head, the boss lady’s mother sounded quite loving and sweet. I had some questions for her, but now didn’t seem like the time for them. “Well met growing dragon of some renown. Now as to my offer, there are a few things I have to tell you. The first is that I can give you some money for the train and you’ll be given free room and board as a visitor. Just be aware that there are other beings living there and don’t make too much noise at night, aside from that you’re open to do whatever you want there as long as you don’t make a mess. Oh and don’t bother my assistant, she’s the local goddess. so it would be good if you don’t get on her nerves.” “Wait, how did you make the local goddess your assistant?” Gallus seemed about as dumbfounded as I did. “She asked for the position and then filled out the paperwork for it, she also had to prove that she could do it and she did so. She’s also our physical educations teacher for the school.” Before we knew it, the three of us were led into Pinkie’s Party and Kuril smiled at us. “Well, enjoy the party and think about my offer Gallus.” “Hey, wait up, I need to ask you a few questions!” I quickly caught up to the Abyssinian as she looked down at me with her eyes behind that ever present blindfold, I swear she could actually see me. “Yes?” Kuril asked. “How did the boss lady end up traveling alone?” Motioning to some nearby seats while Spike and Gallus were off getting snacks and drink for themselves, I followed the cat and sat down next to her. “It’s a sordid tale really, you see Maries wasn’t the only other being Fizzle was in love with. Fizzle set out to work on her magic and to grow stronger by herself, not once did she return home because it was a reminder of what she lost… my flesh and blood daughter that was the other being who loved her.” I felt her reach around my back and drag me into a hug. “We’ve lost so many beings that joined Airship Mauled early in its creation, all of them were Fizzle’s friends that fell off the map to who knows where after my flesh and blood daughter did. Her name was Jaded La Perm and I hope that she’ll come back some day, somehow, some way. I know for a fact that Fizzle can’t be happy with just Maries. Thanks for looking out for my daughter Grubber, she has a nephew now you know… how do you feel about being an uncle?” “I… don’t honestly know what to say?” I started a bit slowly trying to wrap my head around her sudden offer. “I mean what you’re offering is…” “To be in Airship Mauled for Hearths Warming as a part of our family, I think you’ve more than earned it after watching out for my Fizzle. Oh and bring whatever Storm Creatures you want with you.” She held me close and smiled as she looked in Fizzle’s direction as she was talking with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Those three were getting along so well, Fizzle did say that she knew them before she joined the Storm King. I guess their friendships didn’t die just because she went and invaded Canterlot while defeating the four princesses. “I promise that not a single visitor will go hungry that night, nobody ever does on my watch even when I’m being a sad sack. No one, no matter what or who they are, should go hungry on Hearths Warming night as long as I can help it.” Pinkie was suddenly right next to us with a frowning sack and held it up to Kuril. “I don’t think I need it Pinkie, but thanks for the offer anyway.” Smiling brightly at Kuril, Pinkie then angled the sack more towards me and it seemed to be smiling as I took it for the goodies inside. “So just think about dropping by. I’m sure if you wear a red and white trimmed suit while passing out gifts, it’ll make my grandson’s day all the more special.” “Where is your grandson right now?” I took a cupcake from the sack and bit into it, a nice slightly sour flavor with hints of sweetness as an aftertaste. “Please take this little rascal off my paws Kuril, I beg of you, I honestly have work to do and can’t get Maries cleared if I have him crawling everywhere all the time!” We turned to a diamond dog with a playful little griffon hugging the top of her head. “He’s being quite the little nuisance.” “Doggy!” The white griffon with black rings around his eyes reminded me of a stormy night where I saw white ringed eyes and long black feathers of a female parrot pirate facing down the Storm King without fear. I shook the visage of that parrot out of my head and watched as Kuril smiled brightly at the little griffon wagging his tail, happy to see her. “That’s right, she is a doggy Gavin. Now come here Gavin, come to grandma!” The white griffon whined, but he still jumped off and into Kuril’s arms to get snuggle and cuddled. The little griffon laughed happily as Kuril nuzzled her nose into his belly and blew on it. “Do me a favor and send Fizzle over here to meet her nephew… she’s going to get him a present.” She whispered that last part to me and I got up to head into the party in progress to talk to the boss, I was glancing around to make sure the Storm Creatures were being extra careful and friendly. No weapons and barely any armor to speak of. The white wooly Storm Creatures were far less threatening without their armor on. “Hey boss, your mother wants you to meet someone!” Tempest gave me the oddest of looks and then looked over to where Kuril was sitting, patiently toying with the little griffon. “Thanks Grubber, we’ll talk about this later Fluttershy.” My boss nervously made her way over to her mother and then got a face full of a very affectionate griffon.