With a sharp slap of papers on the counter, Spike used the impact to propel himself up, balancing on his hands, the rest of his body hovering up off the ground. "Isn't this the best?"
Gabby tapped him on the nose, almost knocking him over backwards. "It's been a blast. And busy." Her eyes darted to the form of a dressed up comic convention goer scooting past. "I gotta admit..."
"Yeah?" He dropped himself onto a stool which put him far closer to her height without straining to hold himself up. "You realized how amazing comics are?!"
"Nah." She smirked playfully. "But I enjoy it, with you." She placed that finger right on his nose, not nudging him over, instead just resting it there. "Thanks for bring me along."
"Aw..." He rubbed at his cheek awkwardly. "Glad we... got another chance."
"Yeah... that sure was awkward." Gabby stuck out her tongue a bit between her beak. "Glad Rarity got way over that, but we have loads of chances. We'll go again next year, and it's not even like this year's done."
"About that..." Spike rubbed an arm with the opposing hand, looking away from the smiling face of Gabby. "Twilight has a big, uh... promotion coming up."
Gabby inclined her head, leaning in. "Promotion? Neat! Uh... But she's a princess. What's the promotion of princess? Oh! Queen Twilight Sparkle!" She burst into merry giggles. "That'd be something. Long may she reign!"
"You're not... really wrong there," lamely allowed Spike. "She's gonna take Celestia's place."
"No way!" Gabby slapped her hands down on the counter so hard their drinks jostled on the impact. "Congratulations to her! Wow, Ha, so I know full on royalty now? That's kinda crazy."
Spike laughed nervously, pulling his drink over for a sip from its long straw. "I... Gabby, I'm going with her."
Gabby inclined her head the other way. "Oh, well tell me where. I can deliver the mail there instead."
"I..." He drummed his fingers on his chin. "I don't think that'll work."
"Why not?" Gabby cocked a brow high, allowing a pony with a noisy boombox to move past them before rolling a hand for Spike to continue.
Perhaps the middle of a convention hadn't been the best place... "It's Canterlot. They have their mail, you know... sorted..." He worried his fingers together, tension rising quickly. "I don't mean to--"
"--How long are we talking?" cut in Gabby. "A month, a year?" She extended a finger with each guess. But Spike was not nodding. "A decade?"
"Sooner," admitted Spike with a nervous swallow. "That's why I really wanted to be sure we got this--"
She put a finger on his nose, not out of affection, but to silence his lips. "That wasn't very nice, Spike. How soon? Tomorrow?!"
"N-no!" He waved his hands wildly. "Next week." He smiled nervously, but that wilted as her expression began to change. Watching her initial joy become anger, then sadness that seemed to keep growing. "I'm sorry..."
"Sorry?!" Gabby clapped her hands over her beak, glancing around nervously. "Sorry? Spike! This... This is big. This is not a little thing... I... I thought we were friends."
"We are!" He grabbed for her, getting her arm. "You are the very best friend I have, except maybe competing with Big Mac."
She snorted into a giggle at that. "Your boy pal and your girl pal? I'll forgive that... but not you waiting so long to even tell me!" She shoved him suddenly, sending his stool sliding away several inches. "How did you think I'd... What did you think would happen?"
Spike swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling like dry leather in his mouth. "I... I don't know... Gabby, I hated it. I was so scared..." He began to worry his fingers together. "This whole move scares me, and Twilight doesn't have room for it."
"Room for it?" Gabby inclined her head, her anger giving way to concern. "What do you mean, Spike?"
"She's becoming ruler of all Equestria." Spike threw his hands wide. "Her head is all about that, for good reason. It's a big...big big big deal! I'm actually kinda proud she's not having a meltdown, but she's all... on that."
"And not on you." She drew her hand away, until her fingers touched Spike's, where she curled them, grasping him from the back of his hand. "Wanna tell me?"
"I..." He was quiet a moment, thinking. "Yes I do... But first... sorry, really... I promise I wasn't trying to be a jerk."
She folded her arms, foot tapping at the bar in front of them. "This is... Spike... We'll... figure it out." She swallowed audibly, not sounding that much more confident than Spike. "Go on."
"It's been a long time since we were in Canterlot." Spike spread his fingers. "And the friends I had, aren't super friends anymore. I'll be basically alone, with Twilight. Twilight will be there, of course... But besides her?" He shrugged a little helplessly. "I got used to the ponies in Ponyville..."
She touched him, not on the lips or across his nose. She brushed aside a tear that had been about to escape. Spike shrank back a bit, exposed. "Big Mac won't be there to play with anymore. Discord won't be there... being an annoying jerk." A little ghost of a smile escaped. "He's not a bad guy."
"I get it..." She suddenly grabbed his glass and shoved it down the counter to fall into a collection tray. "I need a #3!"
"#3!" came a call from the back of the booth.
"On me," assured Gabby with a little smile. "You're having a rough day."
"Rough week, moon..." He sagged his head against a hand holding it aloft. "Sorry for crashing this all on you."
"I'm sorry you didn't think you had someone to talk to." She set her hands in her lap. "We're friends, that means we talk when something's bothering us, Spike... You'd want me to tell you if something was up with me, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah!" he blurted quickly. "Of course. If I could help, I'd--"
"--I'd do the same thing," she assured gently, taking the big cup being offered towards her, filled with a bonanza of ice cream and soda, two straws dangling from it. "Right now, I think we need to face this challenge. Hey, got any ruby flakes?"
"Ruby flakes!" Down came a shaker. "Enjoy!"
"Thank you." Gabby grabbed the shaker and began generously sprinkling their treat. "Hey, always meant to ask. What do gems taste like, for a dragon? For me it's just, you know, hard."
"That depends on the kind of gem." He reached to swat at her arm. "And if you don't like it, don't sprinkle it over over so you can have some too."
"Right right." Gabby set down the sprinkler. "Here's to the future."
"I'm not sure I want to toast to that... I kinda like right now..." He fidgeted in place, glancing about.
"Then we'll just have to work extra hard to make sure the future is just as good." She scooped up a morsel with ruby's studded in it, not to bring to herself, but to offer to Spike. "And if you like today so much, then you'd better start eating before it melts."
Spike snapped up the offered cold treat, crunching on the bits of gems inside. "Mmm, ruby has that little kick of spicy sweetness. Works really well with ice cream, lemme tell ya."
Gabby burst into giggles. "Gonna have to take your word on that one, Spike." She took a spoonful for herself, from the side less thickly sprinkled with ruby bits and pieces. "I thought I had a rhythm down."
"Huh?" Spike munched on the frozen treat, watching her all the while. "What do you mean?"
"I'm gonna have to quit." She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm sure I can find something closer."
Spike's eyes grew large. "What? No! You like your job. Don't quit it just for me."
Gabby waved a hand towards herself. "You do a lot of things for a lot of creatures. Just once... one is going to do something for you. You deserve it, silly dragon."
Spike became quiet, poking the ice cream without actually eating it. "Trying to tell you not to isn't gonna work, is it?"
"Nope," she half sang out, slurping up a bit more. "Mmm, nah, ruby is not my thing."
"More of a dragon thing," Spike assured with an unsure look. "So..."
"So that panel about inking is coming up." She drew in the air with a finger. "We both wanted to see that, remember?"
"Oh yeah!" Spike hopped down to the ground. "Let's head that way, and, uh..." He rubbed behind his head for an awkward moment. "Thanks, for being an awesome friend."
"Takes one to know one," she sang in mock insult, mussing Spike across the top of his head. "Let's go."
And they went off to enjoy the remainder of the convention. The last, so far as Spike had planned. The first of more, so far as Gabby was concerned.
Big Mac set a heavy hoof on Spike's hand, pinning it atop an eight sided die. "Ain't easy."
"No..." Their last O&O game. "Gonna miss you guys, and this, so much."
Discord blew into a handkerchief in a loud trumpet of his sadness. "Now, you realize, your job isn't over."
"Uh?" Spike inclined his head at his chaos spirit of a player. "I won't be here."
"I am perfectly aware of that." Discord rolled his eyes dramatically. "So it will be up to you, stalwart adventurer, to assemble a new party for the quests ahead." He steepled his fingers together. "As if a little move across the country excused you."
Big Mac nodded towards Discord. "Ayup. Ya gotta."
Spike wriggled his hand free from under Big Mac's hoof. "You too? You want me to game without you guys?"
"Ayup." Big Mac nodded slowly, eyes fixed on Spike with unspoken meaning.
"Neither of us want to hear you moped around instead of starting a new story." He clapped his hands together smartly. "Speaking of that, I think it's time we completed this one. It's about time we bring peace back to Spiketopia."
And so the final game of their group got underway. The Squizzard was finally defeated. Schmarity was safe and free to rule her kingdom. The names of the heroes would be known through the land forever forward, saviors of the day.
Discord leaned forward, brows waggling. "As far as they know."
"Wha?" Spike inclined his head. "What do you mean?"
Discord shrugged softly. "No need to close the book entirely... Maybe our lucky heroes will gather again some day, maybe not... But... for now." He reached across and folded shut the game book with a finality. "It has been a pleasure. Thank you both, for inviting me, welcoming me, and... I don't mean to be sappy, but for being friends."
Suddenly they were both grabbed. Big Mac put an arm around either of them, dragging them in for a tight hug. "Ayup!" he cried, tears stinging at his eyes and a lump in his throat. "Ayup..."
Spike returned the gesture, squeezing both of them. "Hey, uh... Discord?"
"Yes?"
Spike slipped back to his chair with a little smile. He placed his hands on the game book and gave it a little nudge towards Discord. "I know the rules pretty well, and I can get another... I think the town needs a new Story Teller."
Discord was quiet a moment before reaching to set a hand on that book. "I'm not you, Spike. You tell far better stories if we're being honest with ourselves."
"I'm serious." Spike nudged his head towards Big Mac. "Tell him! We both had fun when you took it up, just, you know, past the start. I trust you, Discord, to do this right."
"Well there would be your first mistake." But he did draw the book closer to himself. "Oh, very well... Ponyville will not be without the game, even if it is lessened without you, Spike."
Spike grinned brightly. "You'll do just fine."
It was time for a new chapter.