Chapter 66: Spike's Journey Part 2
I sat up and stretched my arms. It took me a little while to notice I was still in Garble and Smolder’s cave. I slid out of my sleeping bag and gave a big yawn. The couch itself wasn’t too uncomfortable, although the cushiness of my bag might’ve helped.
I did my morning stretches and rolled up my sleeping bag. Right after I put it away, Garble came in looking groggy and scratching his tail.
“Good morning, Garble,” I greeted.
“AH!” Garble jumped back. “Son of Scaledin, I forgot you were staying over.”
“Heh. Sorry about that. Nothing like a good scare in the morning to get your blood pumping, right?”
“Don’t make a habit out of it.” Garble got out a couple of mugs. “I’m gonna make some coffee. You thirsty? Want something to drink before you leave or something? We got water...” Garble looked into the cabinet. “And uh...hot water.”
“Coffee’s fine.”
Garble gave a confused yet amused smirk.
“Yeah. I drink it. Not every morning, but enough to have it black.”
Garble shrugged and set fire to the fire pit to boil the cauldron’s water. He then got out a bag of coffee beans, poured a few into a mortar, and crushed them with a pestle. Once the water boiled, he dipped the cups into the water and later poured a little bit of the coffee grounds into them. He swished them around and handed one to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Just remember, don’t blame me if you end up feeling hyper,” said Garble.
I took a sip of the coffee. It tasted a bit watery and bitter, but it was still good. I guessed asking for sugar or milk was out of the question.
“I didn’t think dragons had coffee,” I said. “Did you grow and roast those beans by yourself?”
“I wish,” Garble replied. “I bought these a week ago from the market.”
“You guys have a market?”
“Well, yeah. Sometimes we get stuff for our hoard we don’t need and sell or trade it to other dragons. It’s how I got my bongos among other things.”
I heard the sound of a cute dragon yawn. I turned to see Smolder rubbing her eyes while wearing an oversized grey t-shirt.
I see dragons have clothes as well.
“Smolder!” Garble hissed. “Spike is still here!”
“Huh?” Smolder suddenly gasped when she saw me. She threw off her shirt and tossed it on the couch. “You didn’t see...oh, who am I kidding? You already know I like tea parties.”
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “If anyone asks, I’ll tell them you sleep naked.”
“Thank you.” Smolder walked over to the kitchen and made herself some coffee. “I thought I smelled Gar-Gar’s liquid caffeine.”
I continued sipping my coffee, thinking about how I should get to Griffonstone. Taking a train would take a long time and be costly, though. I could hop on a boat, but that would mean I’d have to find a boat that goes even close to Griffonstone.
That’s when I remembered something offtopic.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you both,” I said to Smolder and Garble. “I’ve always heard stories about greed-induced bigness, but has there ever been a time where somedragon uses their greed for good? I’m just curious.”
Garble and Smolder looked at each other.
“Not that I know of,” Garble replied. “I’ve never heard such stories.”
“While it takes a while, dragons can grow big naturally,” said Smolder. “It’s much better than to go on a greedy rampage. You’d have to have a mature mind or something if you can control your greed, which is next to impossible.”
“I see.” I looked out of the cave.
“Yeah, greed-induced bigness isn’t something worth dabbling in. I’d rather not think about it if I were you.”
All of a sudden, my stomach squeezed and my cheeks puffed out.
“Spike?!” Smolder put her cup down.
I jumped out of my chair with a grunt.
“If ya didn’t like my coffee, ya should’ve said so!” said Garble.
I held up a finger and...
BELCH!!
“Ew!” Garble slid back. “Did you just upchuck a piece of paper?”
I coughed. “Ugh, excuse me. Sorry about that, guys. I forgot to tell you that I can receive letters to and from other ponies.” I picked up the scroll.
“I didn’t know we could do that.” Smolder scratched her head.
“It’s a spell that was cast on me when I was really young.” I unrolled it a bit and read the first line. “Oh, it’s from my guardian. I sent her a letter last night about my journey. I’ll read this later. I should probably head to Griffonstone as soon as I can.”
“Where is Griffonstone anyway?” Garble asked. “Do you even know how to get here?”
“One sec.” I went to grab the map. I spread it out on the table and pointed to the location. “This is where Griffonstone is located.”
Garble’s eyes widened. “Wow. It’s closer than I thought. I can practically fly you there.”
“Are you offering?” I joked.
“I…” Garble looked to Smolder and back to me. “Yes I am.” He put his cup down.
“Oh...thank you.” I didn't expect him to take me seriously.
I rolled the map back up and put it back in my backpack. I stored my letter as well. Garble headed outside. I was about to do the same when Smolder stopped me.
“I almost forgot,” she whispered. “Wait here.”
She ran to her bedroom and hurried back carrying a small sack.
“Something for the road,” she said. “Some gems and bits from my hoard. You’re gonna need a lot of the latter when you get to Griffonstone, if what I’ve heard about griffons is true.”
“Thank you,” I said as I took it. “I already have some bits, but it wouldn’t hurt to have more.”
I added the gems to my snack pouch and the bits to my money sack. I gave Smolder a fist bump goodbye, put on my backpack, and hurried outside.
“Okay, so Griffonstone is in the east,” said Garble. “Given where the sun just rose, it has to be over there, right?” He pointed to the horizon.
I pulled out my compass and checked. “Yep. That’s the right direction.”
Garble looked around. “Let’s get out of here quickly. I don’t want my buddies to see me helping you. They’ll think I’ve gone soft.”
I nodded and hopped on Garble’s back. We then took off into the sky.
Riding Garble felt faster than riding Smolder. The air rushing around my head made me regret not packing air goggles. It was like riding a dragonified Rainbow Dash.
“There’s the beach,” Garble said as he pointed below us. “From here on forwards it’s gonna be nothing but water.”
“Are you sure you can get to the other side?” I asked. “I’m sure the oceans are bigger than you think.”
“I checked your map, and this is the shortest distance. We’ll be fine. Just try not to fall off.”
Garble took off flying once more. This time he was much faster than before. I don’t know if a Sonic Dragonboom was a thing, but if it was, Garble was getting close to making one.
“Land!” Garble shouted.
Despite my squinting eyes, I could see the land fast approaching us. I also noticed something that looked like a dead tree. That had to have been Griffonstone.
Garble landed at a beach once we approached the coast. I got off immediately.
“That might be Griffonstone,” Garble said as he pointed to the town. From where we were, it was the size of my thumb.
“Yep, that’s the place,” I said. “Let’s go.”
“Actually...I’m gonna head home. I don’t know about baby dragons, but I doubt griffons are gonna like it when a big dragon like me comes to visit. I’ve heard enough stories about how nasty they can be.”
In a way, he was right. I’d pester him about coming along had I not known that Griffonstone wasn’t the nicest place on the map. He would have been useful to help retrieve the idol, but it wasn’t worth the risk.
“Alright then. Good luck getting back,” I said.
As Garble took off and disappeared into the ocean horizon, I left the beach and took the path north up to griffonstone.
The path became steeper and steeper. That was definitely a good sign. The air also became cooler as the sky became cloudier.
I sat down on a fallen log and caught my breath. I ate some gems and drank my water. I suddenly remember the letter Twilight sent me. I quickly pulled it out and read it.
“Dear Spike,
Thank you for sending that letter. Your findings about dragons are really intriguing. From what you’ve written, they’re more civilized than we thought. This would make wonderful research.
I informed the girls about your departure. It seemed weird I was the only pony you talked to about this. We all miss you and hope you’ll come back to Ponyville soon. I also told Princess Celestia and Luna just in case they send you a letter by mistake.
Nothing much has happened in Ponyville since you left. Pinkie’s been working on new cupcake recipes and Rainbow Dash is helping her. Fluttershy and Discord had tea with each other. Rarity had just made a few dresses for one of her clients. And Applejack’s been working harder than usual at the farm. It must have been applebuck season again.
As for me, I found this unusual book at Celestia and Luna’s old castle. It looked rather dangerous, so I told them about it. They immediately said to give it to them so they can lock it away in a safe place in Canterlot. I don’t know what was in that book, but given how its cover was made of stone and the front had a circle of spikes, I wouldn’t dare to open it.
Anyway, that’s all I have to write for today. I hope this scroll-sending spell still works. I’ve been trying to perfect it just in case you’re not available. (Don’t worry, I’ll still use you if you're nearby.)
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle”
I sighed. Partially in happiness and partially in relief, especially about the part where Twilight found that book. I didn’t want somepony else to find it and have Ponyville turn into a luxury nightmare like in the show.
Although, I would have to kick myself for not telling Fluttershy. I wanted to keep my journey a secret to avoid being stalked, but I doubted Fluttershy or her animals would follow me.
When I put the letter away, the wind felt chilly. It felt more like late October than August. I took this opportunity to put my hoodie on. I also put my bits in my pockets, since I knew I’d be spending a lot of it soon.
I climbed up the mountainous path. I couldn’t tell if the air was getting thinner or if I was running out of breath. I already passed the train station, and I could see Griffonstone just up ahead.
I can’t wait until I get my wings.
I took another sip of water and finally went through the gateway. I sighed as I looked around Griffonstone.
Boy, this place is in shambles.
I wasn’t kidding, Griffonstone was in such a terrible state, it made a developing country in my old world look like a utopia. How the griffons lived, let alone thrived, was beyond me.
Alright, I just need to get to Abysmal Abyss and retrieve that Id—
Bump!
Something rammed right into me, almost knocking me down.
“Hey! Watch where you’re—!” I patted my pockets only to realize they were suddenly empty. “Thief! Thief! They stole my bits!”
Given how I knew the other griffons wouldn’t give a hoot, I took matters into my own hands. I chased after the thief while avoiding collisions with anyone. I couldn’t tell who the creature was, as they were wearing a black hood. However, that didn’t slow me down!
“Come back here, you thief! Stop! I said stop!”
The creature quickly turned the corner. By the time I did the same, I heard squawking and wings flapping. I looked to see a gray griffon with mailbags wrestling with the hooded figure. The gray one I recognized immediately: Gabby. She was holding my coin pouch with her tail as she tried to pin the creature down.
“Let me go!” the hooded figure shouted. “I stole that money fair and square!”
Wait, that voice. Could it be…?
Gabby stripped the hood and cape right off the creature, and my suspicions were confirmed. A blue and yellow griffon was exposed.
“Not again, Gallus!” Gabby said as she let Gallus go. “You need to stop stealing other griffons’ money.”
“You’re not my mother!” Gallus retorted. “Now gimme that pouch back or—”
“Hey!” I shouted. “That’s mine!”
“Oh, no!” Gallus quickly grabbed his cape and ran off.
I quickly approached Gabby. She took the pouch from her tail and handed it to me.
“Here you go,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said as I put my coin pouch back in my pockets.
Gabby’s eyes widened. “Wait, what did you say?”
“Thank...you…?”
Gabby gasped and lifted me up. “That’s the first time I ever heard someone say that to me!” She squealed. “I didn’t think anygriffon could show gratitude, but you’ve proven that there’s hope!” She then squeezed me.
“That’s great...” I grunted. “Can you let me breathe now?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” She released her grip on me. “I can get so excited easily. My name’s Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby.”
“I’m Spike. If my form doesn’t give it away, I’m a dragon.”
“A dragon? Ooh! You must be a baby dragon! I’ve never seen a baby dragon before! You’re so cute!”
“Heh, thanks.” I blushed a bit before realizing I had a case of deja vu.
“So what brings you to Griffonstone, Spike?” Gabby joyfully asked. “We never had dragons come visit us in a long, long, long time!”
“Well, actually, I’m here on a...special mission,” I replied. “You’ve heard of the Idol of Boreas, right?”
Gabby gasped. “You know about it?”
“All I know was that it got stolen by Arimaspi and caused Griffonstone to look like...well, all of this. My leader sent me here in hopes that we can help restore the place by finding the idol.”
“You did your research!” Gabby clapped her hands together. “But...there’s just a tiny problem. Nogriffon knows where the idol is.”
“What about the Abysmal Abyss?”
“It’s too dangerous to go down there, so nogriff...wait, don’t tell me you’re going down there!”
“I need to do whatever it takes to restore this kingdom. If I have to climb down a canyon to get to it, then so be it.”
“You don’t understand Spike! There’s a reason why Arimaspi never came back after falling down there! It’s extremely deep, the winds blow like crazy, and don’t get me started on how much Gimmy charges for equipment!”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” I unzipped my backpack to reveal some rope. “I brought some climbing equipment with me just in case.”
“But still, a whelp like you could be blown all over the place! How are you going to do this alone?!”
“Actually, I don’t have to. I just need a couple of willing griffons to help me...”
“I’ll help! I’ll help!” Gabby raised her hand. “Please let me help!”
“Alright then. You can join me.”
“Thank you!” Gabby squeezed me again. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
After she released me, I said, “I still need another one, though. Someone like...that blue guy.”
“Gallus?” Gabby tilted her head. “But he tried to rob you. Why do you want him?”
“I’ve noticed how agile he is even when he’s not flying. I’m thinking I could try to find a way to put his skills to the test.”
“We better find him then.”
I followed Gabby around Griffonstone. In no time, we saw the same hooded figure peeking from an alley.
“Hey Gallus!” Gabby called out.
“Ugh! Not again!” Gallus dashed off, but Gabby quickly stopped him.
“Wait! Wait! Wait! We’re not here to put you under griffon arrest!” Gabby pleaded. “We need your help with restoring Griffonstone!”
“Forget it, I’m not—”
“You’ll get paid if you help,” I interrupted. “I know where the idol is. If you help us, I’ll forgive you for trying to rob me, and I’ll pay you more than half the bits in my pouch. Is it a deal?”
Gallus sighed. “Alright. Fine. I’ll help.”
“Great. Just to make sure there’s no funny business, I’ll pay you after the job is done. I know how you griffons prefer payment upfront, but I don’t want to get betrayed or anything.”
“What’s this job of yours anyway?” Gallus asked. “You said something about an idol?”
“I need to retrieve the Idol of Boreas from Abysmal Abyss. I know, I know, it’s crazy. But I was given high hopes for this, and I need to fulfill that promise.”
“How do you even know that idol is down there? Just because some monster fell down there after stealing the idol, it does not mean it’s down there as well.”
“It’s the only place that none of you went to, so it’s worth a try. If we don’t find it, then I’ll still pay you.”
“And just what are you going to do with the idol exactly?”
“Before you ask: No, I’m not gonna steal it and put it in my hoard. I’m gonna give it to whoever’s in charge of Griffonstone. Trust me, I wouldn’t steal anything that would benefit another kingdom.”
While still skeptical, Gallus agreed. I hopped on Gabby and we flew to the outskirts of Griffonstone until we arrived at a gorge.
“This is it: Abysmal Abyss,” Gabby said. “Don’t ask how deep it is, because nogriffon knows.”
“Don’t worry,” I said as I hopped off. “I’m not gonna go in that deep.”
I took out the rope and tied it around my waist. Then I secured some of it around the rock.
“Okay, you two,” I said as I put on my helmet. “You have to hold on to the rope and lower me down. I don’t know how far I’m going to go, so I’ll give you some signals. One yank means to stop. Two means higher. Three means lower. Got it?”
“Got it!” Gabby replied.
“Good.” I walked to the edge of the cliff. “And if anygriffon comes, tell them we paid in advance.”
Both Gabby and Gallus grabbed the rope and lowered me down.
Don’t be scared, Spike. The idol can’t be too far down.
I was only a few feet below the surface, and already it was starting to get dark. Suddenly, I heard a howling sound.
“Uh, oh!”
I quickly tugged the rope once, and I stopped lowering. I quickly hung onto the cliff wall as the wind gusted around me.
I can see why this place is abysmal!
Once the wind died down a bit, I tugged the rope three times. The lowering happened again.
“I better find this idol soon.”
A glint instantly hit my eye. I searched around for the source until I found what I was looking for. The Idol of Boreas was just resting on top of a ledge right across me. I quickly tugged the rope once.
Figures. I should’ve gone down from the other side.
Seeing that there was no other choice, I tried my best to jump from the wall and reach the idol. On my first attempt, I barely touched it. On the second one, I touched it, but I didn’t get a good grasp. The idol teetered on the edge. The howling sound was heard once more.
“Oh, no! I need to get that idol before it’s too late!”
With all my might, I sprung from the wall and snatched the idol with both hands. I quickly swung back and gripped the wall with one hand and the idol with the other. The wind was blustering even harder.
At least I got the idol.
Once the wind ceased, I tugged the rope twice. I was soon raised, but I noticed I was going slower than usual.
Must be the idol giving me some extra weight.
That’s when I heard a different noise. It sounded like the rope was creaking. That’s when the realization struck me. I tugged quickly to get Gabby and Gallus to stop, and I grabbed onto the wall.
Snap!
The rope broke right above me. I was clinging on for dear life. It was just like the dilemma with Rainbow Dash in the show.
“Spike! Spike!” Gabby called out. “The rope broke! Can you hear me?!”
“Yes!” I shouted back. “Help!”
“I’ll get another rope! I’ll be back soon!”
Gallus gasped. “There’s no time!” I then heard him rushing down. “Jump into my arms! Hurry! I can hear the wind coming!”
Just as he said that, the howling picked up once again.
“There’s no other way! Jump! I’ll catch you! NOW!!”
With no time to think, I pushed myself off the walls. Gallus quickly caught me and zipped straight out of the canyon right before the wind came rushing through.
“Are you two alright?!” Gabby cried as Gallus landed.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” I said as I was put down. “Thanks for saving me, Gallus.”
“I-It wasn’t for anything sedimental. I-I needed to get paid,” Gallus denied, but I knew it wasn’t just for money.
“So that’s the Idol of Boreas?” Gabby asked. “It looks so cool up close! Tell me, can you feel it?! Its magic powers?!”
I took a look at the idol. It was clear it’s been through a lot of weathering. The gold coat looked like unpolished brass, and the orb in the center looked like a giant, sun-bleached marble. Other than that, I didn’t feel anything from it.
“Not really. I can feel how heavy it is,” I said. “It must be pure gold.”
“Let me see!” Gallus grabbed the statue from my hands. “Come on! Come on! I...feel nothing.”
“No sense of pride or glory?” Gabby asked.
“Nope. Here, you try.” Gallus handed the idol to Gabby.
Gabby rubbed the idol across her forehead. “Come on...pride and glory! Pride and glory!” Again, nothing happened. “I don’t understand!”
“Maybe it’s fake,” Gallus said.
“It can’t be! It’s extremely heavy, the orb looks almost like the one in the story, and I don’t see any stamps or price tags or anything on it that would indicate that it’s fake!”
Gallus groaned. “Then it must be broken.” He snatched the idol from Gabby and gave it to me. “Here, you can have it. Put it in your hoard or something. I’ll be taking my bits now.”
“No,” I said. “I think I understand why the idol doesn’t work. Maybe it was a placebo effect.”
“A...what?” Gabby asked.
“A placebo effect. It’s when someone assumes the benefit of something despite no clear evidence. I’m starting to think that there was no magic in the idol to begin with. The griffons believed it would give them pride, when in reality, they had it in them all along. They didn’t realize it after Arimaspi stole it. That’s probably why Griffonstone fell apart.”
“Now, hold on!” Gallus shouted. “You come to our town, force us to work with you, and nearly put our lives on the line just so you can say that this idol was nothing but an expensive paperweight that our ancestors foolishly worshipped?!”
“Easy! Easy!” I said. “I never said the idol was worthless. My leader said that the idol would help you guys restore Griffonstone. They never told me that it didn’t have any magic. I believed it would restore your kingdom like that.” I snapped my fingers. “It’s not my fault that it doesn’t work! I was just guessing!”
Gallus tossed the idol to the ground. “Do you realize how much Griffonstone folklore and legends are gonna be thrown out the window because of all this?! Now I know what your real goal was! It was to prove our stories were nothing but a hoax! To prove that griffons were just some greedy creatures worse than dragons! Well, I hope your dragon leader knows what’s coming to them, because when I tell Grampa Gruff about all this...”
“Gallus! Stop!” Gabby screeched. “Spike didn’t mean to have all of this happen! He was trying to do what was best for our kingdom! Not only that, most of the griffons who saw the idol firsthand are no longer with us. You can’t assume a foreign creature comes to our place just to spit on our culture. You saw the real idol and what it did, or not did in this case, so you can’t pin the blame on him.”
“But he...”
“He what? Did something to the idol when we weren’t looking? I’m not a historian, but I’m positive the idol looks just like the one in the stories. There’s no way he could’ve altered it while he was down there. You should be grateful that he was able to retrieve the idol in the first place instead of throwing it down further down there.”
Gallus stayed silent. Gabby took a deep breath.
“So what do we do now?” Gabby asked.
I picked the idol up and brushed off the dirt. “We’re going to bring this to whoever’s in charge of Griffonstone.”
“There’s Grampa Gruff. He’s not an official leader though. He’s only a historian who has more authority than the other griffons. At least, that’s what I think.”
“Then we’ll bring the idol to him.”
“What if he yells, too?”
“We’ll just say the idol lost its magic and nothing more. He’ll understand.”
I wrapped the idol up with an old newspaper Gabby had with her. We then went to where Grampa Gruff lived.
“This the place?” I asked.
“Mm-hm,” Gabby replied. “I must warn you, he’s a bit of a grouch.”
“Given what every other griffon is like sans you, Gabby, that’s concerning.”
“Ha ha ha,” Gallus sarcastically laughed.
I knocked on the door. The sound of things falling over and an old man coughing rang behind the rotting wood. The door creaked open as a dagger spitting eye glared directly into my soul.
“What do you want?” A raspy voice asked. “We ain’t open for tourists!”
“I’m not a tourist, sir,” I said. “We came to give you this.”
I unwrapped the newspaper a bit to reveal the idol. The eye widened. The door slammed shut initially, but after the sound of a removed chain lock, the door swung wide open, revealing an old griffon in the fez.
Grampa Gruff.
Gruff snatched the idol from my hands, leaving the deflating newspaper in my palms.
“Where the Tartarus did you get this?!” Gruff squawked.
“Abysmal Abyss,” I said. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s where Arimaspi fell to his doom.”
“How’d ya know that?”
“I looked it up.”
Grampa Gruff scrutinized the idol. He even pecked it a few times like a parrot.
“This is the real deal!” He clamoured. “But why is it not working?!”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We all tried it, and it did nothing to us.”
“Maybe the idol lost its magic,” Gabby said. “It has been down in the abyss for a long time. The elements must’ve weathered it down.”
“Bah!” Grampa Gruff coughed. “They don’t make relics like they used to anymore!” He wrapped the idol back up. “Listen, kids. I ain’t the grateful type, but thanks for trying to help us.”
“What are you going to do with the idol?” I asked.
“That’s none of your concern. But if you’re really curious, I’m gonna put it back where it was and hope for the best. If nothing happens, I’ll just wrap it up and store it somewhere in here.”
He then shut the door forcefully.
“Well...that was something,” said Gallus.
“I’m so sorry about all this, Spike!” cried Gabby.
“What are you sorry about?” I asked. “You two helped me, and we got the idol back where it belongs.”
“I know, but it didn’t work. I’m worried you’ve failed your mission.”
“No. I didn’t. My plan was to retrieve the idol and help restore Griffonstone. As far as I can tell, I’ve accomplished both.”
Gallus scratched his head. “Wait, I understand the first part, but since when did you restore Griffonstone? I haven't seen any improvements since you got here.”
“Well, I got you two to work with me. Maintaining a positive relationship with one another is the first step to restoring a lost kingdom.”
“Who are you, the prince of friendship?”
“You’re thinking of my guardian.”
Gallus rolled his eyes.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” I took out my coin pouch. “I still need to pay you two for helping me.”
“No need, Spike,” said Gabby. “Just hearing Grampa Gruff giving a small thank you is enough of a reward for me.”
“Alright then.”
“No, wait!” Gallus butted in. “C-can I still get half? I...need to pay the bills.”
“You don’t have bills,” said Gabby. “I’d know. I’m the mailgriffon.”
I split my money and gave Gallus half of it anyway. After saying goodbye to the two griffons and getting another bear hug from Gabby, I left the two and went on my way. I bought some bread from a nearby shopkeeper right before heading to the train station.
I was glad I could find that idol, even though it didn’t do anything. Hopefully, Griffonstone will be a better place by the time Pinkie and Rainbow Dash show up.
My next goal was to find Starlight Glimmer and her village.
“Dear Twilight,
I got your letter without any problems. Things have been going well over here. Garble was able to take me to Griffonstone, or at least nearby.
When I got there, however, I found out the place was pretty run down. As it turns out, they had their Idol of Boreas stolen by someone named Arimaspi. Thankfully, I had two friendly griffons help me find it.
The good news is we were able to retrieve the idol from a gorge. The bad news is that it doesn’t seem to work, at least that's what the griffons told me. They don’t seem to have any sort of leader, so we gave the idol to the historian named Grampa Gruff.
That’s all I can say about my trip to Griffonstone. Maybe when you girls visit, it'll look somewhat better. Hope everything’s peachy back in Ponyville. Tell everypony I said hi.
Signed,
Spike.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.033 seconds
Total duration
832 users online
991,754 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Change is happening!!
Great chapter and hope your doing well!
Wow, first, how cute was Smolder with that sleeping shirt, then, i know the idol wasnt the true answer, and THANK YOU AGAIN, 3 EPISODES IN A WEEK, THANK YOU
This was a great chapter, it was nice seeing some familiar faces.
Well, there's one part of the mission done.
Wow, nice job, and he already made friends with Gallus and Gabby. Plus I can picture Smolder with a t-shirt, she'd look cute in it. Next up is Starlight Glimmer, can't wait to see how that turns out.
Odd that he didn't see Gilda.
Nice chapter and Griffonstone is done.
10951255
Could be that she saw him and decided to not get involved.
Good chapter
10951255
Well, probably she was working in her bakery and didn't come out to see the commotion.
Part 2 of Spike's journey brought us quite more dragon lore, plus seeing Smolder waking up in a t-shirt was cute!
The stop at Griffinstone was very productive, with meeting both Gabby & Gallus. Even though the idol didn't do anything (like most of us readers suspected) I was glad Spike was able to get it back for them, hopefully it will steer the place toward a better outcome!
Bit worried that Spike didn't tell Fluttershy about this trip though, hope that doesn't come back to bite him on the tail later!
Guess that only leaves Starlight, looking forward to that!
I can't wait to see what happens with Starlight.
10951451
I'm sure that someday, he'll drop the hammer and mention Sunburst after Starlight introduces herself to Spike/David. Drop the bomb instantly, I hope.
"Do you really believe that men will fight and die for a rag and a pole, sir?!"
"You do, Richard. You do."
Richard Sharpe & Major Hogan, Sharpe's Rifles
An idol may not be a flag but the principle remains the same...
Spike didn't stick around to find Gilda?
10951451
Spike is like the only one immune to cutie mark theft.
10951436
Fluttershy will understand especially when he says it was so no animals would follow him into danger. As for the Idol, maybe it needs some kind of activation. I can see it being turned off by the loss of pride by having it be stolen. Even the elements were in a dormant state until being called out by the main 6.
I'm gonna say, the climbing down of the cliff was pretty intense and i was on the edge of my seat.
A stateless society with natural authority of some kind. With Griffonstone being in a deteriorating condition, I wonder if this is the show's commentary against anarchic societies. Would not surprise me.
I don't have the same optimism. More like uncertainty. With Spike's interference in Griffonstone, I fear unintended consequences down the road. Hopefully I'm wrong.
10951579
I don't think that was needed in this plotline, besides I was hoping for Gabby and Gallus they're the only other nicer griffons I can think of to anyone familar with the show.
10951405
What bakery? When Pinkie Pie asked Gilda if there was one she implied that Griffonstone don't have bakeries.
10951802
Well, she bake scone for a living, so she is technically a baker, and thus her workplace is a bakery.
10951830
not necessary. Would you call Applejack's stand at the gala a 'bakery' as AJ baked them?
10951876
If Applejack bake it right there at the stand, why not? Bakery does not need to be a building for all I know. If they bake it where they sell, be it a stand or trailer, I don't see the wrong to call it a bakery shop. If I remember correctly, Gilda stand has an oven where she bakes her scone. So I don't see any wrong to call it a bakery.
NOW LEAVING GRIFFONSTONE! NEXT STOP OUR TOWN!
A wonderful chapter, mellonin. Keep it up! 
10951255
I think that Gilda either didn’t get there yet, or she is there and she’s doing her own thing. 🤔
What? No Gilda? No Greta? No Gabriel a.k.a BlackGryph0n? Oh well.
Onward and yonward to Our Town?
Never thought I would see that saying be used. ^^'
David, I like you (as a fan) and all, but you can't just steal the spotlights of the other Mane 7 members.
I know you did it to better set up Rainbow Dash & Pinkie Pie's quest and Gilda mending her friendship with RD, but without the life-threatening situation at the abyss, how will Gilda prove her care and loyalty to Rainbow Dash.
And also, this is an interesting take on the dragons. They're secretly quite civil and not as brutish as we thought.
10954513
you're right! where's Gabe?!
static.wikia.nocookie.net/xenoblade/images/5/5a/XC2_Boreas_Artwork.png/revision/latest?cb=20190203040018
They made an idol of this guy? Sweet; he's great!
*Sentimental.
11024036
Wrong Boreas, but that would be a dope idol!
Oh, good God, I wish that had been in the actual show!!
11024038
Oh, I think that was supposed to go into the Maud chapter....
He is a Dragon
Good Spike told her.
Very well made chapter.
Hope it's just that it needs to be restored or combined. Like in Resident Evil games combing something makes it hole or more effective!
Rumor has it that if you rub it for a solid minute a Griffon Jinny will apper and grant you two wishes, as long one is restoring Griffonstone to a vital and vibrant World Tree.
From what I can tell Griffin's have mercenary mentalities pay them enough coin they're your best friends if not, not there problem
I made Cadance in one of my stories a Griffon immortal, funny to read about the Idol being a Placebo. I think i will use the inspiration of this chapter to bond the Idol like the Crystal Heart is linked in the original to the Alicorn Cadance.
Wonder if i can somehow combine it...