//------------------------------//
// 9 - The Other Side 
// Story: Taking Flight 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

"It's time to have some serious girl talk." Velvet willed the door shut behind them with barely a click of it latching. "Now, you are a griffon, and I am a pony. Mothering has some differences, I can only imagine."

Gabby blinked owlishly at the sharp pivot in the conversation. "I guess? Griffons do the egg thing. Ponies don't. But dragons do!" She clapped her talons together. "So me and Spike are on the same page there."

Velvet seemed to consider that. "That's good. So... you have a nest figured out?"

Gabby ribbed the older mare. "Griffons don't need a nest. What am I, a wild animal? Though, come to think of it, anyplace you put an egg is technically a nest, so not much escaping that, hm... Anyway, why are you asking about that?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "Did you lay an egg? Do you need help?!"

Velvet gently warded the concerned griffon back. "We're here for you, not me. I've had my children quite successfully." She raised an ear. "Two the old fashioned way, one by adoption. No complaints. But you are just at the start of that road, and I wanted to talk about that, with you."

Gabby inclined her head, rubbing along her beak. "Huh, but I don't have an egg."

"Yet." Velvet walked around Gabby further into the room. "But you will."

"I will?!" Gabby gasped out with amazement. "I thought you get a bit pudgy when that happens." She glanced down, yep, still a trim belly right there.

"In the future." Velvet considered the chipper female that had captured her son's attention. "Do you and Spike... do things that would make eggs?"

Gabby began to color vividly, a good sign in a way, implying she at least understood what sorts of things Velvet was implying. "N-no! I mean..." She began to worry her fingers together. "He's so busy, and so am I... Besides, there's a lot of ways to show you care besides... that." She began to shuffle in place, nervous energy rebounding on itself. "Oh wow..."

"Deep breaths." Velvet set a hoof against Gabby's side. "I'm not trying to rush you, just see where you are. This is a long jump that every lady has to decide for herself when she's ready to make that step. And I'd be a lousy mother if I just shoved you over the edge." A thought tickled. "Do griffons actually shove chicks that don't know how to fly out of their nest?"

Gabby burst into laughter. "Well, yes and no." Velvet only pricked with curiosity. "You see, when we're that small and fluffy." She fluffed up, fur and feathers going full floof. "Falling doesn't really hurt so bad. I mean, we don't like it, but, unless something goes really wrong, our parents can pick us up and we try again." She spread her wings on her back. "Until we get it right."

"Huh." Velvet sat and lifted her shoulders. "I can't even argue that. If they're not hurt." She looked Gabby up and down, who could apparently fly and didn't suffer any visible damage from the method. "But back to you, and your eggs."

Gabby's color returned quickly. "I don't have any of those. I won't until... you know..."

"I don't, but I can guess." She skulked around Gabby like a predatory cat. "Do you want to be a mother? Now, don't get me wrong. Mothering isn't an 'everycreature' thing. It's alright if the answer is no."

And yet, an answer was requested. "I don't know?" Gabby's knees came together. "Raising a chick of my own... I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'd try my best, promise!" Her bright expression began to return. "Of course I would. I'd owe them that much. And I bet they'd be super cute!" She balled her fists with a happy little giggle at the imagined chick. "Oh gosh, would it be a boy chick or a girl chick?"

"Could be either," deferred Velvet with a gentle smile. "Spike understands the importance of a family. I'm certain he would do right by any child of his, and you two are more than welcome to come to us, for advice or help." She leaned in a little. "Wouldn't be the first of our children. If Shining wasn't so far away, we'd foalsit our grand-child so much more often."

"Thanks." At first, a smile, but dimmed with thought. "But I'm not ready."

Velvet nodded. "And that's fine. We'll be here when you are. Just don't forget us, that's all." She waved Gabby closer, smooching the griffon on the cheek as soon as she was close enough. "No pressure."

Gabby burst into giggles. "You got it, Mom."

"Aw." Not that Velvet argued the title as she reared up to get a leg over Gabby. "Let's see what the boys are up to."

And so it was that the family night ended without any dramatic explosions.





"My turn next," whispered Gabby. They were in the throne room. Twilight was talking to some foreign dignitaries in a very dignified way, 10 points to her. "The train goes right to the griffon lands, that'll be the next easiest spot."

"Right to the edge," countered Spike quietly, eyes on the exchange with Twilight in it. "You want to go that badly?"

"Yes." She leaned in against him, one arm snaking around to hold him. "Please?"

This was a difficult thing to say no to. "We can talk after it's all done in here." But delaying it, that was possible.

But only for so long. The moment the meetings of the day were done, Gabby shook Spike from behind. "Well?!"

"Well what?!" He danced away from his shaking girlfriend. "Oh, visiting the griffon lands?"

"Yes." She closed the distance. "We visited your folks. That was fun, but we have more folks to visit."

"What are your parents like?" He looked beyond her, as if Gabby's parents were hiding just out of sight. "They nice?"

"Not my parents, exactly." She fidgeted a moment. "But I have friends, good friends. They'll want to meet you, and us, as a 'thing', ya know?"

"Everything alright?" Twilight joined them suddenly, walking right up to their private meeting. 

Gabby squeaked in surprise. "Oh, hey Twilight," she half laughed out. "I mean Princess. Princess Twilight."

"Twilight is fine," she assured. "We are friends, are we not?" Twilight looked to Spike. "Everything alright?"

Spike snapped a salute, though it faded fairly quickly. "Gabby wants to take me to the griffon lands to meet some friends of hers."

Twilight smiled at the idea. "That sounds nice. While you're there, check in on Gilda. I wonder how she's been over the years."

Spike thought back to that angry griffon, so long ago. "Huh. I'll see if I can't find her while I'm there."

"So you're coming?!" Gabby grabbed Spike's left hand. "Great! I'll go get us some tickets."

Twilight's hoof came down lightly on their union of hands. "I won't have that. Spike is now on official Equestrian business, so we'll handle those tickets."

Spike drew his hand back. "You don't have to do that, Twi."

"And yet, it is done." She turned away, mane flowing in wind that wasn't there. "I look forward to your report." She returned to her throne with a satisfied smile.

Gabby burst into light giggles. "Your 'boss' is pretty nice." She danced away a step. "Pays to have sisters in high places, huh? Alright, I'll get my stuff ready!" And off she went in all the hurry she could muster.

Spike's attempts to wiggle free, foiled. So he got himself ready for a trip instead. He met Gabby, waving excitedly, at the train station. "Hey." He put an arm around her, the two walking along the platform towards the ticket counter. "You already grab the tickets?"

"Should I have?"

That was answer enough. "Spike and Gabby," he announced to the pony behind the window.

The stallion inclined his head. "Huh... oh!" He reached out a hoof and pulled a ticket closer. "Right. Here you go." And he slipped it through the window towards them. "There's a note with it." There was no note physically attached to the tickets. That was on the hoof of the pony. "Her royal majesty wishes you a safe and productive trip."

Gabby giggled with joy. "Aw, she's a sweetheart."

Spike fired a thumbs up. "We're on the case." He turned in place to get the castle in view. "Thanks, Twi." And off to the edge of the platform they went to wait for the proper train. "When does..." He found the time on the ticket. "Woah, we have a few hours."

"A few hours, with you? How will I ever survive?" lamented Gabby with a thick layer of false melodrama. "Hey look!" She pointed to a small stand. "They got comics. Any of your favorites?"

Gabby was not huge into comics, but she liked what made Spike happy. Spike wandered over to have a peek at the small selection. A comic book shop it was not. The big names were there, the most popular ones that might move at a train station. "Huh." He plucked one up. "You ever try this one?"

"Me?" Gabby accepted it in kind. "What's it about? You know I don't usually..."

"This one's special." A grin spread on his face. "It's about a plucky little she-yak."

Gabby inclined her head, but began to flip through curiously.

"Are you buying that?" asked the stallion that operated that stand.

Spike set down a bit that seemed to satisfy him. "Some ponies, thinking this is a library." But the coin was accepted, and the complaints died away.

Gabby was starting to read. "Huh..." She turned the comic on its side. "Wow." A little giggle escaped her as she flipped on to the next. "She's kinda cute."

"Yeah. Reminds me a little of Yona." He directed a pointing finger at the book Gabby held. "With more magic."

Gabby snorted at that. "What is it with giving their characters magic powers?" Onwards she flipped. "Good thing she had friends though."

"It's a classic five person band." Spike got a chance to explain some of the core tropes that people who enjoyed that media just sort of... knew...

"Huh." Gabby tucked the book under an arm. "I like her though. You were right." She shook her head. "Oh no, I'm a comic reader now!"

Spike smirked at that. "The library has that series, uh, the older generation. It was still good. Some ponies insist it was even better." He shrugged at that. "I say it's just as good, just different, you know? Still, the library's free, so..."

"So, I get to pull a Twilight." She thrust up a pointing finger. "And go to the library! But not right now." She settled that hand on Spike's far shoulder. "We have a griffon empire to visit, hm?"

"Yep." Spike leaned out over the tracks. "Train coming." It was not theirs. Other trains would come and go. Besides the comic stand, there was a snack stand. They idled their time away as best they could, but their train did eventually arrive.

Settling on their seats, Spike leaned back. "So... did... mom bring up anything... odd?"

Gabby began to color. "A little."

"Sorry about that." Spike held up a hand. "I didn't put them up to it, I promise. They were on me too. Parents..."

"Yeah..." She glanced away a moment. "Look, uh, Spike? Most griffons don't have much a connection to their folks, like that... It was... awkward... but I'm not sad it happened. It was... It's nice they care about us. It's nice... I kinda wish I had more of that, before." Her beak turned in a smile. "So I'm not mad at your mom. Your dad though, total dork."

They were on their way, with no bad feelings between them.