Spike stopped in his tracks, the letter in his hand almost falling free of his hand. There, to the left, stood a model behind glass. She was standing as no pony, for she was a griffon, showing off a dress with a smile. "G-gabby?!" She was... looking good, to put it bluntly, though Spike couldn't quite process the feelings involved. "Gabby!" He hurried inside Rarity's Canterlot shop.
Inside there were many ponies, but also not-ponies. The store had become more metropolitan, with creatures of all sorts trying on fancy dresses and suits for males and females, though the females outnumbered the males.
"Excuse me," muttered a larger dragon shoving past Spike.
"Woah." Spike was still getting used to seeing dragons besides himself, oh, and Ember. But that was a new dragon that Spike hadn't seen before. "Wow..." His eyes darted back towards the window, concealed by a curtain. Rushing towards it, he ducked around the other customers and under a few sets of legs, reaching the cloth.
He shoved his head past it. "Gabby?!"
Gabby looked over at him, the rest of her body remaining still. "Spike! Hi! How do I look?"
"Um, great! I, uh, told you those colors would work." Those colors were worked in against her fur creating a pleasing effect. "Aren't you a little uncomfortable, standing still like that?"
"Eh, it's a living." Gabby shrugged expansively before her smile returned. "Done worse, and the pay's good. Besides, I don't stand here everyday, just some days. It gets customers in here, like clockwork, it's amazing!"
"Huh, neat." He perked with remembrance. "Oh yeah, I'm on the clock too." He held up the sealed letter. "Gotta go mediate something on the west side."
"Mediate?!" She leaned a bit towards him, striking a new pose. "That sounds super important. Don't let me hold you up."
"Yeah, I better." He was not fleeing with that energy. "Say, Gabby. You remember that game I used to play?"
"Hm?"
"Ogres and--"
"Oulietes!" she excitedly mispronounced. "I remember that one." She began to laugh. "Didn't Rarity rope you into playing it with her? I was so mad." She didn't seem mad about it anymore. "What about it?"
Spike could remember that time. "Y-yeah, that one." He rubbed behind his head with his free hand. "Sorry about that."
"What are you apologizing for?" She smirked at her little dragon friend. "We're so past that I can barely see it anymore. You were worried about that? Aw, now I'm sorry! Come here so I can hug you!"
Spike chuckled at that, shying a step. "I should get going, we both have jobs, but I wanted to see if maybe, if you wanted, maybe you could play some with me and--"
"--Sure," she cut him off without hesitation. "Sounds fun! The way you play it, it has to be. You're like, in love with it, right?"
"Um, yeah," he bashfully admitted with an awkward smile, shuffling in place. "Great! I'll get the address to you when it's nailed down. Prepare for adventure."
He could hear Gabby hooting with cheer behind him, clearly ready for adventure, or at least a game with a friend. Her infectious cheer took root in him, a smiling coming on as he slipped out of the store. Three players! Just like... wait...
He counted on his fingers as he went. He had three players, but also a dedicated story master in the form of Moon Dancer. Four players. Without realizing it, he had swollen his group to new heights, and they hadn't even started a game yet! "Woah..." Had he gained a level as an organizer?
Twilight be so proud... but only after he finished his duties. Canterlot was counting on him! He rushed to get his job done, not letting anypony else get in his way.
"I can't go to tonight's game."
Twilight peered over her shoulder. "Why not? I thought that was one of your favorite things." She reached up to fuss with her mane. "I swear this is getting more unruly by the day. Maybe it's the conditioner..."
Spike hiked a brow. This was not a thing Twilight usually worried about. He hopped down and hurried over to her on longer legs. "Look at me."
"Hm? Look at--Oh!" She started, spotting what Spike was upset about. Growing into a fine young adult, he had problems that many young adults had, a big angry zit right on his face. "Poor thing."
"They'll laugh at me," he sighed out, reaching out to fuss with Twilight's mane, beating it into some kind of shape. "Wow, this really is trying to go crazy isn't it?"
"You're telling me?!" Twilight heaved a heavy sigh, but a little smile came. "Thanks for caring. Your friends won't mind."
"Really?" Spike raised a brow, an expression he had not lost with his advancing ages, folding his arms that weren't so short as once they were. "Pretty sure they're going to notice this." He thrust a clawed finger at his face.
"Of course." Twilight nodded softly. "But they'll be asking if you feel alright, not laughing. They're your friends. And my friends, come to think." She raised a hoof to her chin. "I still don't know how you got Moon Dancer and Lemon Hearts like that. How are they doing? Feels like you all have been playing forever now. What, a year?"
"Several," dryly corrected Spike with a little smirk. "You forget things."
"I... forget things I'm not focused on, it's true." She put a hoof behind her head. "Sorry about that, Spike. Being princess is a full time job! I don't mean to be a lousy sister."
"You? Never." He grabbed her and soon the two were in a warm embrace. "You're the best sister I ever had."
She smooched his cheek with a little giggle. "I'm the only sister you ever had, but I accept that compliment as it's meant. Now, go on." She directed to the door with limbs that were also longer than once they were. They were both growing, changing. "Your friends are waiting for you."
"Alright..." He regathered himself, abandoning the idea of calling off his part in the game. "Alright. It's time for me to resist going--"
"--Twilinanas?"
"That." He fired a sheepish finger gun at her. "You've been really good about that, by the way."
"I thank my teachers." She held out a hoof and they got one last hug in before Spike raced off. "They grow up so fast." Not that Spike was that much younger than herself. She was but a filly when she hatched him. Still, it's hard to forget when you were there at the moment someone else came into being. "Have fun." She rose to take care of her own affairs.
Lemon popped a fried wafer into her snout, crunching loudly. "So today we have to bust through that super locked door, make our way into the forbidden depths, and find the Frilled Whatchamacallit."
"Wurindo Artifact," corrected Moon Dancer, adjusting her glasses. "It will allow the ponies to re-establish their connection with their god."
Gabby inclined her head. "Woah. Can you imagine that? I mean, having someone super powerful that lives in another world, watching you, cheering you on? That's kind of crazy." She did not know she was already living that dream. "That must be so weird."
Lemon flashed a bright smile, but her words didn't get out in time for light to spill into the game area, Spike slipping in.
"Sorry!" He slapped down a few books and planted himself in an available seat. "What'd I miss?"
Moon inclined her head towards Gabby. "Gabby was just going over your current objective."
"Right!" He clapped his meaty hands together. "We're gonna find us an artifact! You girls ready?" He put out a hand, to be met with a hoof and a taloned hand, the party prepared for adventure. "I take point!" He had played a wizard before, in his first game. In the new group, he was a warrior, with a large shield and equally impressive sword to keep his friends safe.
Lemon pointed down at the map before them. "First, we have to open that door, or there isn't a point to take."
"This is a real brain bender!" sighed out Gabby. "Any ideas?"
"What was the riddle again?" Spike didn't see it written anywhere. Moon sometimes assumed they were paying attention, a dangerous assumption at times.
Lemon chomped a new wafer, crunching happily even as she began to recite, "What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?" She swallowed heavily, her horn glowing as she brought her big drink cup closer. "Any ideas?"
Spike frowned with thought, though quietly he smiled. None of them had noticed his problem! "Twilight mentioned this one before."
Moon frowned just slightly. "Did she?"
"Y-yeah... Should I... not say?" He gestured at the map. "I can sit this one out if you'd rather."
"You alright?" Suddenly Gabby's fingers were on his face, feeling over the sensitive bump. "Bummer!"
Spike went a bright red. "I'm alright!"
"Been right there, bucko." She bobbed her head. "And it sucks. Don't pop it." She traced along it, an equally uncomfortable and intensely intimate thing to do. "Give me a moment, I have a cream." Not that she waited for reply, already rising.
Spike thrust an arm in the way, cutting her off. "It's alright, really. Besides, we're in the middle of something." He inclined his head at the table.
Moon nodded. "Thank you. Go ahead, Spike." A little smirk was displayed. "They aren't getting it."
Spike grinned in triumph. "It's a river. A river runs, but never walks. A river has a bed, but never sleeps. All rivers have a mouth, but good luck finding a river eating something."
Moon reached down to the map, nudging the door out of their way. "As you speak the correct answer, the massive stone doors begin to creak ajar, not entirely, but enough for you to squeak through, you're fairly certain. The way forward is cleared."
Lemon thrust up a hoof. "Woo! Good job! I wanna see what's in here." She leaned in to look at the door. "Think you could use those big muscles of yours to get the door a bit more open?"
Gabby plopped back down. "I help!" She sent a die tumbling.
Spike let his own fly to land next to Gabby's. "15 total."
"16, with Gabby's assistance." Moon nodded, her magic nudging the door a little. "The door is forced a precious few inches, allowing you to progress more easily. But do you dare?"
"Of course." Spike nudged his figure forward. "If we don't, who will? We got a city to save!"
The girls cheered in agreement, and the party advanced. Adventure was in the air.
"And with a final crack and zap of her magic, Lemon drives the foul creature back, for now..." She closed her book, Moon's signal of the session ending. "See you next time."
Lemon clopped excitedly. "Woo! Nat 20 to close out the evening!" She thrust one of her hooves forward, meeting with her friends. "Thanks for the great time. This is so much fun! Think we can get the artifact next time?"
"I hope so." Gabby offered a hand to Spike.
Spike accepted it with some confusion, not that he needed help standing? But as soon as he was standing, she was pulling him away. "C'mon. Gonna get that cream I mentioned before."
He couldn't think of a good excuse, and was soon the victim of having his acne poulticed under the caring talons of Gabby. "Trust me, it'll heal up way faster with this. Don't pick at it."
"But..." He looked over at a mirror. "Everycreature can see it."
Gabby leaned in with a smile. "Tell them you got it in a big fight with a tough creature." She punched the air. "Shoulda seen it. They'll stop asking questions."
And so it was that Spike proudly wore his bandage of honor, instead of a zit cure it really was.