Taking Flight

by David Silver

13 - You Talk So Well

Spike stood at attention. He was one of several of Twilight's attendants, there to assist her. She was speaking with a bipedal feline. "I feel confident both of our people will enjoy this trade." Twilight was nodding at the cat. "I'm glad we could come to a reasonable agreement."

"I admit," The queen of Abyssinia gestured at where a board was set up, dense with numbers and figures. "When this first came out, I was a bit... concerned, but you broke down the numbers with an admirable skill, hm." She trailed off into a soft purr. "I hear you were the one that liberated us to start, from the Storm King, curse his name."

Twilight folded one ear back, but it came back up quickly. She had not yet gained Celestia's skill at a stoic face, though perhaps it did not suit her. "I will not take entire credit for the aid it gave your people. He had attacked Equestria." She gestured around. "At the time, I was acting selfishly, and I won't lie."

"Noble, to decline that credit..." The queen tapped the ends of her fingers together, hands close. "But you did defeat him, even if only for yourself. His passing freed our nation, and many others beside. Have you been speaking with them?"

A whisper came up besides Spike, "Wow, she looks important!"

Spike put out a hand, gently barring Gabby's forward progress. "Shh, they're negotiating."

"It is my hope." Twilight paced lightly through the throne room. "--to build a more global connection of allies, of friends. Equestria is a proud country, but it is only a single country. Together we can accomplish so much more." A jeweled hoof rose. "Not in conquest, but side by side, towards things that benefit us all."

The queen extended one finger at the board of dense figures. "Like a little trade agreement, hm?"

"Exactly so!" Twilight's face was a mask of joy. For that instant, she was not a queen. She was the old Twilight, simply delighted at having done something. But it passed. "How are your trading depots and roads looking, on that note?"

A suffering sigh was the reply. "A work in progress."

But Twilight was far from dissuaded. "We can lend a hoof. Spike?"

He stepped forward, emerging from the others. "There you are." Twilight waved him closer. "This is Spike, an assistant, my brother, and skilled dragon that assisted in the defeat of the Storm King."

The queen turned to behold the strapping young adult of a dragon. "Well, hello." Her eyes wandered up and down. "You cut a different figure than I expect of a dragon, in not a displeasing way. Why are you showing off your brother, Princess?"

Twilight waved the implications away. "I can send him with you to help clean things in Abyssia. Equestria won't get the trade it wants if their goods can't reach you, and your goods can't reach us. It's in both our interests that the trade roads and the end points are in good order."

Twilight took a step forward, not letting up on that momentum. "With that settled, your kindom will have a good step towards recovery. A stable and prosperous world is, again, in all our interests. Happy neighbors--"

"Don't wage war," completed the queen. "I see the logic. I won't turn down the help, but he is but one dragon. His arms look fit--" Her eyes trailed along his lines. "--But he is still but one. How much difference can he--"

"--I'll help!" Gabby waved wildly.

Twilight chuckled softly. "May I introduce Gabby. She is Spike's assistant."

"Oh yeah!" She hurriedly got her pin out and put it on, displaying her position as she jogged forward. "Nice to meet you!" She thrust out a hand with a bright smile and a near total lack of grace.

The queen studied that hand a moment. Rather than clasp it, she offered her own hand. "Charmed."

Rather than getting a peck on it, she got grabbed. Gabby toke hold of that offered hand with both of hers, shaking vigorously. "We're gonna clean up super great, trust us!"

Spike gently peeled her back and away from the startled ruler. "She's very eager," he explained. "And she'll put that enthusiasm into the job."

"Then it'll be done in no time." The queen smiled, dusting herself off. "Princess Twilight, I accept their aid. One question... What product of ours are your people specifically waiting for?"

Twilight threw a wing out wide, knocking into the board of numbers. It flipped over, revealing a map of Equestria. "As you can see." She ran feathers over towns that had smaller charts under them. "The towns closest to you would be delighted to have a closer source of food than they currently rely on." The wing fanned over to some larger cities. "Abyssia has already been recovering remarkably, I'm told. Manufactured goods are always in demand. That's the nature of advanced countries. It is a benefit to have another at our flank. Even when they are similar, Equestrian brands and Abyssian brands will move just on their origin and the subtle differences that come from that. This aside, I feel certain Abyssian minds will think of things Equestrian minds may miss, and the opposite will be true."

The queen raised a finger to her chin. "This is sensible..." Her eyes darted to Gabby. "But, I'm told, you reached out to the griffons. They aren't industrial. What brought you to them?"

Gabby blinked owlishly as her people were brought up.

Twilight inclined her head. "They have... a longer road to navigate. But, as neighbors, we are glad to lend a hoof. Our rail network was already connected to them. Having that end in a mess is hardly a benefit to us." She gestured at Gabby. "Besides, we are allies."

The queen returned her attention to Gabby. "Gabby, was it?"

"Yes, ma--Your Highness." Gabby performed a proper curtsey. "Griffons have a lot to offer."

The queen smiled at that claim. "I do not feel this is a topic between us. Do the griffons have a leader to converse with?"

Gabby's cheer diminished a little. "Not exactly," she admitted. "We're more... of a federation, yeah!"

The queen's brows rose together. "Federation, there's a term I do not hear spoken often. How well spoken you are." Even as Gabby looked pleasantly surprised at the compliment, she was turning back to Twilight. "I will leave those affairs to you. It is not my place to do so. Between us, I look forward to a long and fruitful alliance." She brought her hands together silently and bowed.

Twilight dipped her head in kind, the two leaders respecting one another. "A new and wonderful day of friendship. If you would, give Spike directions to where they can begin work."

"Certainly." A snap of her fingers, and her own attendants hurried forward to meet with Spike and Gabby and provide that information. "About those rails of yours. A rail line would expedite things quite nicely. Think of how much more we could move consistently."

The political talk was not ended. But Spike and Gabby's part in it did.

Spike closed a door with his back, leaning against it a moment. "That could have gone better."

Gabby hiked a brow. "What do you mean? We have a job. She seemed happy about it."

"Uh..." Spike rolled a hand slowly. "You didn't see anything?"

"Any what?"

Spike patted her shoulder. "Never change." That got a smile from her. "But she was not talking nicely about griffons, or you."

This got a fresh blink from Gabby. "She said I talk really good."

"It was a, how do you call it, backhanded compliment? She was saying she did not expect a griffon to talk well. That you did was a surprise." He let out a slow breath. "Don't stress. We'll show her in action just how much we can get done."

"We got this." She offered a hand that was met in a firm clap with one of Spike's. "So if they're talking all fancy, why aren't their... things more together?"

"On some levels, they are pretty together." Spike shrugged softly. "They got trashed by the Storm King, but they bounced back pretty good. I'm hoping we can get it all sorted out. We're helping, not doing it all ourselves. It's more a show of sincerity, rather than dragging them out of a pit."

"That does sound easier than..." She trailed a finger through the air. "Getting all of the griffon kingdom together." She deflated. "That would be quite a challenge."

"Hey, not your fault." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "You've been with me, supporting me as I talked with them about exactly that kind of thing. We're making progress. It just isn't overnight."

"But it is with these cats." She threw her hands wide. "Not fair."

"Nocreature promised it would be." He went in, touching his snout to her beak, the two sharing a moment of quiet togetherness. "But we'll make it work, for all of them."

"Yeah!" Her mood rebounded with her smile. "We can do it, together." Their hands met in more of a clasp than a slap. "With the two of us, we can't fail. We'll get those cats to land on their feet."

Spike snorted in an aborted laugh. "You'd think they could do that on their own. Either way, we'll lend a hand."

Gabby began to giggle. "That's a thing we have." She wriggled her fingers. "No hooves to lend here."

"I love my pony pals, and family, but I'll stick with hands, thanks." He patted his belly with a content smile. "Go on and tell your boss. We don't want to surprise her with your vanishing."

"Good call!" And Gabby threw open a window. "I'm on the ca--" the rest of her statement was drawn and cut out as one as she took flight away. "See you later!" She waved from an already good distance, headed to the fashion store she was employed at.

---

"This won't work." Sassy shook her head. "I think this is something I can not put a pin in."

Gabby followed her as she paced. "Is this a bad time? I didn't--"

Sassy wheeled about, placing a hoof on Gabby's beak. "Shoosh. As much as we adore your presence; the fans love you, it is clear that your ambitions lie elsewhere." She angled her head towards the castle that couldn't be seen from that angle. "I am afraid--"

"--I'll call it off," blurted Gabby, ringing her fingers. "Spike can handle one trip on his own."

"You... Don't..." She cringed back as Gabby looked more and more ready to weep. "Let us make this a selvage, nice and neat. I am not angry at you, nor is Rarity. We wish the best for you."

"But you're... firing me... I messed up again!"

"No no no, not a single stitch out of place," assured Sassy. "But your thread belongs in a different pattern." She walked firmly for the entrance of the shop. "There is a joy in your face I don't get to see often."

"I can smile better." A forced smile sprang to being on her face as she followed Sassy along. "See?"

"That is not what I mean." She glanced over her shoulder at the false smile. "When you are taking flight, to make the world a better place? That is when you smile, truly... That is where your thread is needed." She sat on her haunches beside the door. "You are always welcome back here... I hope we have become friends, over the time we spent. This isn't me chasing you away..." She paused with a frown. "I suppose it is a little... This isn't your job, but I'm not angry at you. Rarity will undoubtedly weep when she hears... Neither of us wish you anything but the best, the absolute." Her magic drew the door open. "But I want to see the brilliance of your design. Will you show it to me?"

Author's Note:

Part of being a manager is knowing when to let people go. Sassy tried to do it positively. It's hard being an agent of the crown and a model.

But they have a new job! Time to visit the cats.

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Comments

[badninja]

Well Gabby is definitely moving up in the world. I can see why she lost her modeling job, but I hope she can adjust to her new government job.

[Booster Spice]

Putting among the cat, the pidgeon, or can this even more dragon?

[The Sandwich Guardian]

Good chapter

[RadicalDishonesty]

Uh oh. Gabby's hit with the backhanded racism huh.

And look at all this nepotism. Twilight's Brother is an official person, whose girlfriend goes out with him.

All this nepotism, the bureaucrats would be angry.

Too bad they work for Twilight.

[howard035]

I love Sassy's sewing vernacular.

10979931
In Equestria they prefer to call it "the magic of friendship. "