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// 16 - Trade Enabled 
// Story: Taking Flight 
// by David Silver 
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"We finish today," informed the cat. "No choices on that."

Neither Spike nor Gabby was sure why the sudden decision. It was their third depot, but suddenly it just had to be completed that day. There wasn't much to be done for it but to pitch in and help keep the speed up to match the other cats working hard beside them.

The day passed barely before they even know it. There wasn't time to be bored. There wasn't time to daydream. It was only the call of the same shift boss that got them to stop. That and there wasn't more to do. The depot was done, all the parts where they needed to be, another crew hurrying in to paint and touch up and make it all look nice.

Furnishing was hurried inside, converting the empty shell of a building into a space where business could be done. One of the cats went behind a counter as it was slid into place. And there he was, ready, just as the first wagon came in, a pony pulling it, two of them, with one riding at the top with a smile. "Nice place ya have here," called Miss Jubilee. "Oh, Spike." She waved a hoof at the dragon. "I didn't expect to see you here. A pleasant surprise."

Spike and Gabby advanced as one, meeting Cherry as she was helped down by the same stallions that had pulled the wagon in. Gabby laughed. "We went all that way to run into familiar faces. Not complaining. Had a safe trip?"

"It wasn't that far," she assured with a wave. "The boys know how to get me where I want to be, usually." Her thoughts went to the time it went awry, but she shoved that aside. "Now, I hear there are kitties that want a nice big bushel of cherries and they have nice things to trade for 'em."

Spike gestured at the building, paint almost glistening with how new it was. "Come on in. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

And so she did exactly that, met with an enthusiastic call of the cat on duty there. Trade could officially begin in earnest between Equestria and Abyssia without obstruction.

The boss of the job wiped his paws clean. "Nice job! You all did great. I'll put in a good word for bonuses." His eyes went to Spike and Gabby. "Except you. Can't give a bonus when I'm not paying you in the first place. Still, thanks. I'll send a good word to your princess. Up to her what she does with it." He offered a thumbs up. "Everyone else, go home. I'll call when the next project is ready to start."

A communal cheer of celebration rippled. They did not all go home. It was time for a party and they got right to that instead.

Gabby squeezed Spike's hand, a thing they did more often. Hand holding had become an allowed thing. "I think we're done here."

"Hm, yeah... Let's check right quick though." He drew her along to where the boss was enjoying some drinks amid loud cheers. "Hey."

"You're still here?" The boss raised a fuzzy brow at Spike. "Want to join the party?"

Gabby burst into laughter. "That answers our question nicely, but yeah, let's." She tugged at Spike in return and soon they were part of the festivities. They had completed their job and enjoyed a few hours of celebrating with new friends.

"Say." One just slightly tipsy she-cat was looking at them. "If you want, I'll put in a good word. You could join our guild properly, get paid, get things done."

Spike shook his head though. "We gotta get back." He hiked a thumb in a vaugely Equestrian direction. "Twilight would get pretty sad if her brother just abandoned her for a job like that."

"Suit yerself!" She wandered off to find others to pester.

Gabby stuck out her tongue. "Not sure I'd want to be on fast forward forever anyway. Let's get back home."

"No arguments there." He looked up at the airship platform. "We'll have to catch the next one headed in the right direction."

Gabby instead pointed at the wagon Cherry Jubilee had come in. "Or we get a ride, then catch a train."

"Huh..." He shrugged softly. "If her pullers don't mind our weight being added."

"Only one way to find out." She started towards the wagon, where her stallions sat patiently. "Hey, fellas! Room for two on the way back?"

One of them took off his hat in a polite tipping. "Afternoon, ma'am, Spike. That's up to the misses." The other nodded in quiet agreement. "We'll go where she tells us to, so we ain't yer problem."

Gabby patted the side of the pony. "Even if you would, we don't want to be a drag, literally in this case. So checking in with you two seemed nice."

"Right 'ppreciate it." He nodded lightly. "But you two don't look so heavy."

"We can handle it," joined his friend. "Unless Miss Jubilee gets a lot of things to bring back."

As if on cue, a new wave of cats descended on the wagon, grabbing baskets of cherries like a swarm of locusts, picking the wagon clean. A second wave, mixing with the first, began to load up the wagon with new baskets with what the cherries had been traded for. They were closed, unlike the cherry baskets, making seeing what Miss Jubilee had traded for difficult.

When the two groups left, the wagon seemed less full. Whatever was in the baskets didn't get an equal number of cherry baskets. More valuable? One of the stallions took an experimental step. "Got lighter," he reported. "Won't be no problem carrying you two."

"What's this ah hear?" Miss Jubilee was returning, descending the steps of the completed trade depot. "You comin' with us, Spike... Hmm..." She tapped her chin, looking at Gabby. "No offense or nothin', but ah don't recall yer name."

"Gabby." She thrust out a hand at Jubilee. "Spike's assistant and +1."

Jubilee laughed with a burst of joy. "Spike! You have a +1 and you didn't tell me?" She looped around Gabby, examining her from all angles without taking her offer of a hand. "She's a cute one. There ah was thinkin' you'd end up with a pony, bein' raised by us and all. But no, a griffon? Not that that's a bad thing. You feel like a good creature from where ah'm standin'."

"Thanks?" Gabby looked unsure of how to take what was said exactly. "Are you alright with us catching a ride with you?"

"'Course you can." She reared up by the wagon, which was hint enough. She was plucked up by the stallions and placed on the cushioned seat on top. "But there's only room for two ponies at best up here. Someone's ridin' in the back."

Spike moved to mount the wagon from behind. "No big deal." But he had a Gabby plop down right next to him. "Don't you want the comfier seat?"

"I want the seat that has a Spike. Comfiest seat in the house." She hooked an arm around him and leaned against, clearly ready to accept that spot.

Jubilee could be heard laughing above. "You two are adorable. Alright, boys, take us home!" And the wagon began to move, carried forth by the loyal stallions. "We did good. Those cats have all kinds of interestin' things to trade fer."

One thing Spike noticed as they went was that the cats were not just working on the end points. The road they traveled along was smooth and firm. The wagon barely trembled as it passed over the freshly paved paths that led to the border of Equestria, where it faded back into dirt. The dirt was relatively even, but not paved. "Huh." He nudged at Gabby. "Now I feel bad. The Equestrian side's not up to the Abyssian side."

Gabby shrugged softly. "Tell Twilight to hide an Abyssian guild. They work fast and they work hard."

Spike considered that as the wagon rolled along. "Some ponies might get upset if their princess goes hiring from out of the country."

Gabby hiked a thumb out the back of the wagon. "She's just hiring them to expand from their country. It's not that odd. Not like they're coming to the center of Equestria or anything. Just connect the road they made to one of the pony cities."

"Hm, maybe." He shrugged softly. "Outside my pay grade. I'll bring it up to Twilight and let her decide. She is the princess and all."

"She gets to make those calls," agreed Gabby. "But you know there's a chance she'll ask for your opinion, right? She's still your sister."

"That isn't changing," he laughed out. "Thank goodness."

"Aw." Gabby pressed her cheek to his. "You two are so close," she gushed in a warm way. "Must be nice, having a sibling."

"When you don't want to yell at them, they're the best." He leaned back against her. "Can't wait to see her again."

Their journey to Abyssia came to a successful close. "So, Spike." Not that Gabby let it end quietly on that note. "One thing."

"Hm?"

"Well... we proved we can exist... you know, together... and not yell at each other or get mad about silly things." Gabby fidgeted with poorly disguised nervousness. "So, I was thinking...."

"About?" He reached for her hand, squeezing her for comfort.

It seemed to work, a smile spreading on her face. "I was thinking we could move in, together." She waggled her free finger between herself and Spike. "Share a room, like we did here... It was nice, being with you."

"You two do know we can all hear you, right?" came Miss Jubilee's voice from above. "Not that we mind, but jus' thought y'aught to be aware of it." A noise between a chuckle and a giggle. "Please, do go on."

Spike colored swiftly. "Um... I mean... Sure? We got along just fine." He squeezed her hand more firmly. "You want to move to my room?" He had the larger one to start. Advantage of being the princess' brother there. "My bed is not large enough for the two of us." A loud equine snort came from the front. One of the pullers, likely. "We're not doing anything!"

Gabby laughed at that. "Holding hands isn't too naughty." Which they were still doing. "But I feel safe... with you." She leaned in, nuzzling her beak to his snout. "Spike, this is off topic just a little, but you really did grow into a fine dragon. I remember when you were a little thing." She burst into giggles. "Thought you were amazingly awesome even back then, but now your outsides reflect your insides and I love it."

"You haven't changed." The difference of a few years of development. Gabby was still a young adult, but Spike had just joined her at that stage. "You're exactly the same amazing griffon I first met." His fingers squeezed at hers'. "Maybe even better."

"You tease!" She paused at a loud whistling cheer from above. Miss Jubilee was clearly enjoying their romantic talk, which drove her to a blushing stop. "Maybe we should finish this back at the castle?"

"I don't care if they are listening." A fresh whistle. "Gabby... I... I want to say it where other people can hear it. Gabby, I like you, a lot. A lot lot... Um... Gabby..."

"I love you, Spike," she cut in.

"I love you, Gabby." he countered, finding it easier to get out after she had said her part.

"Aw," echoed three ponies, their romantic conversation clearly the entertainment of the trip for all involved.

They embraced fully, thumping over onto their side on the bottom of the wagon. Jubilee knocked on the ceiling from above. "Ah don't mind the nice talk, but ah do have to draw a line here. No rockin' the wagon!"