A griffon raised by ponies goes on a journey to find where she belongs.
Gabby has spent her whole life in Equestria under the care of Octavia Melody, the Element of Magic. When a chance encounter with a grumpy scone baker leads her to realise that she knows nothing about griffons, she goes on a journey of self-discovery to Griffonstone.
Standalone prequel to Runic Notation; all you need to know to understand this is that Octavia and Gabby are roleswapped with Twilight and Spike, respectively. Takes place in the equivalent of season 2. Edited by SockPuppet, TCC56, and Sledge115. Cover by Cosmic Eclipse.
It was a sunny morning in Ponyville — Gabby’s FAVOURITE weather to deliver mail in! She effortlessly flitted from door to door, delivering everything from regular letters to love letters to the latest issue of Adagio’s Sun (which Tavi wouldn’t let her read). Now that she’d finished this street, she clutched her mailbag and flew up until she had a bird’s-eye view of the entire tow—
What was that? She hadn’t smelled anything THIS delicious since Trixie’s explosive chili and cinnamon pastries! (Even if nopony else liked them…)
Gabby swooped towards the outskirts of town. As soon as she was right above the scent, she braced herself and dived towards it — but a gust of wind made her lose her balance.
She screamed as she barreled towards Clover Café—
Ponies gasped and ducked for cover—
She smacked into a table—
She winced—
Glasses shattered—
Sassaflash and Sea Swirl were now soaked with carrot juice.
“Oh my gosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! I’msosorry!” Gabby gasped. She grabbed the nearest pile of napkins and frantically wiped the two mares, who looked startled in response.
“Watch where you’re goin’, pipsqueak,” complained a voice Gabby didn’t recognise. A huge griffon stepped towards her — her wingspan alone was wider than a stallion was tall — and Gabby slunk under the table. “You just crashed into my CUSTOMERS!” roared the stranger.
Sassaflash and Sea Swirl fled as fast as their wings and hooves could carry them.
“Now you’ve scared them away!”
“It was an accident!” Gabby cried. Merely looking at the other griffon made her nervous; she was huge! Would she tower over Tavi and Auntie Vinyl and all their friends one day? Nopony knew how griffon aging worked; for all she knew, she could keep growing, and put more and more strain on Tavi’s food budget, until she eventually became the size of a fully-grown dragon, and then she’d be kicked out of Ponyville and have to live on a mountain—
“Yeah, yeah,” the other griffon scoffed. “Apologising isn’t gonna do anything.”
Gabby emerged from under the table, resettling her wings. “Anyway, I smelled something delicious around here! Please could you tell me where it is?”
“You mean my Griffonscones?” The other griffon gestured to a stand behind her. “How many bits you got?”
Gabby rummaged around in her mailbag for loose change; she found a few coins and handed them over. Gilda then grabbed the smallest scone. Gabby sat down, tossed it into her beak, and… YUCK! It tasted like shortbread that had been left on the side of a dusty road for a week. If disappointment had a flavour, this would be it.
“Please can I have a refund?”
“No.” The other griffon glared at Gabby, who stepped back in fear. “What’s a griffon like you doing here, anyway?”
“I live here!” chirped Gabby. “I used to live in Canterlot, but I moved here last summer with the COOLEST big sister ever! You’ve heard of Oct—”
Without any warning, Gilda pinched Gabby’s beak shut. “Whoa-whoa-wait. You’ve lived in Equestria your whole life? That explains so much…” She sniffed. “Gosh, she even smells like a pony…”
Gabby nodded so furiously that Gilda was forced to let go of her beak.
“Is th-there something wrong with all of that…?” Gabby asked.
“I came from Griffonstone,” replied Gilda. “Y’know, because I’m a griffon? Duh!”
“...Where’s that?”
Gilda sighed, covering her face with a talon. “I can’t help you, kid.”
But Gabby knew who could.
“I’m sorry, my dear,” Tavi said, “but I’m afraid I know as much about griffons as you.”
Gabby’s heart sank out of her chest and onto the floor of the Golden Oaks Library.
“B-but you’ve got to know something!” she pleaded. “You must’ve read that ancient book about griffon runes at least a HUNDRED times! Are you sure it doesn’t mention anything about Griffonstone?”
“Spellbooks rarely contain detailed history, darling,” Tavi replied. “Although, it did have an exceptionally long foreword about the milk black market…”
Gabby almost sighed — but she couldn’t give up! “I know! Why don’t you ask the princesses?”
Tavi frowned. “We shouldn’t message the princesses for trivial matters such as this. They’re busy enough when there’s not a world-threatening crisis.”
The word “trivial” struck Gabby like a kick to the chest. “B-but it’s just a small favour! Surely they know where I came from!” Without even thinking, she flared her wings and widened her stance.
Tavi stepped back, her eyes wide with shock for a moment, before she quickly regained her composure. “They told me that they found you abandoned in the northeastern mountains, with no other griffons in sight, and you were close to freezing to death.”
Tears welled up in Gabby’s eyes. “S-so my own parents abandoned me…?” Her chest began to ache, and her legs trembled; she slumped into a heap onto the floor.
Tavi placed a hoof on Gabby’s shoulders. “Now, now, we can’t know for sure. Perhaps they died—”
“That’s not reassuring at all!” Gabby snapped, getting back into her defensive stance. She slashed a talon across the floor, leaving long scratches in the recently-polished wood.
“Allow me to finish my sentence. For all we know, you could’ve been lost, and they’re still looking for you." Tavi bent down to Gabby’s level, which wasn’t very far; they were almost the same height. She gently reached a hoof out and wiped away a tear that began to roll down Gabby’s cheek. “Gabriella, I understand how you feel. Back when I lived in Canterlot, I constantly dealt with ponies assuming I was a visitor, and my classmates at the School for Gifted Unicorns gossiped about how I ‘didn't deserve’ to be there when they thought I wasn't listening — and those weren't even the worst of it.” She shook her head.
“But that's different,” Gabby sighed, sitting down. “Everypony knows what an Earth pony is, but nopony knows much about griffons…”
An orange pegasus crashed through a window and slid across the floor, coming to a stop at the other side of the room. Ouch!
“Octavia… Glad you’re in… Vinyl wants a book about tailoring for donkeys…” Flash Sentry panted, picking himself up. “What’s Gabby doing here? Isn’t she supposed to be delivering mail?”
“I was, but…” Gabby sighed. “Hang on. I’ll get you the book first.” She flitted over to the shelves, landed, and looked through the D section… no, nothing there… nothing relevant in the E section either…
“Aha!” She pulled a copy of Farasian Fashions: A Pony’s Guide to Tailoring for Abada, Donkeys, and Zebras off a shelf that was just low enough for her to reach while standing on her back legs. She tried to fly back to Flashie, but the book was so heavy that she had to amble towards him on three legs instead and then dropped it at his hooves.
"Thanks, but…” — Flashie sighed before continuing — “is something the matter?"
Gabby looked down at the floor and nodded. Normally, she’d explain things that happened to her in exhaustive detail, but she wasn’t in the mood for it right now. “I want to go home, and learn how to be a real griffon, but nopony knows anything about Griffonstone…”
“I do,” Flashie said so suddenly that Gabby almost didn’t hear him.
There was a pregnant pause.
“REALLY?!” Gabby gasped. “Thank you! Thank you!” She bounced up-and-down on the spot, and almost took off — but Tavi stopped her with a gentle touch to her shoulders.
Flashie nodded. “Yeah. A while ago, I was researching the Wonderbolts, and it turns out they used to fly beyond Equestria. They haven’t visited Griffonstone for centuries, though… The last records say it was going through a dark age.”
Gabby’s legs felt like they were turning into jelly, and her heart felt like it was about to sink back into the floor — but she wouldn’t let herself lose to disappointment again! “Centuries” meant hundreds of years, right? Or was it thousands? Whatever the case, it was a long time ago. For all she knew, the dark age could be over by now! She took a deep breath, leaned towards Flashie, and asked, “Did those records say where Griffonstone is?”
“It’s somewhere in the northeast,” he replied. “But are you sure you want to go? It took even the strongest pegasi days to fly there.”
He had a point. A very good point. A point so good, she couldn’t believe it hadn't crossed her mind.
However… she'd already made her decision.
“Of course!” Gabby exclaimed, clenching a talon. “It's MY history. I've GOT to get to the bottom of this myself! Besides, they didn’t have trains back then. I'll be fine — I promise!”
“I don’t know, Gabby,” Flashie said. “It feels like you’re rushing into this...”
“Don’t worry! I’m not leaving right away! First, I’ll pack up — and please can you show me your old maps?” Just then, Gabby remembered that she was still wearing her half-full mailbag. “Once I’ve finished my deliveries, of course.”
“I’m just as concerned as you, Flash,” said Tavi in a hushed tone. “But at the same time… I suppose this is what’s best for Gabriella. We can’t keep her away from her own kind forever.”
“But what if we never see her again?” Flashie trailed off, glancing at the ceiling.
Tavi was about to reply, but Gabby interrupted her. “You won’t. Even if I decide to live in Griffonstone, I’ll still come back to visit! But for now, I’ve got some work to do!” She sprinted towards the door.
"One last thing, darling," Tavi said, and Gabby stopped to look back. “I was just as much a citizen of Canterlot as you are a citizen of Ponyville. You mustn't ever forget that.”
The Golden Oaks Library's door creaked as it swung open, and Gabby nearly jumped out of her skin. Nopony was awake before the sun rose; the only sounds were the chilly breeze, the chirping of crickets, and some of the neighbours snoring. It was relaxing… but she didn't have time to stop and smell the roses, both metaphorical and literal. As she walked towards the train station, one of the first buildings she passed was the flower shop. She saw Auntie Vinyl's boutique, the bakery where Trixie worked… She almost had second thoughts, but she had to keep going!
She was the only passenger in her carriage; she got a few odd looks from the crew, because very few ponies went on the night train. She laid down on a seat and pulled a map out of her knapsack. Her destination was Baltimare, where she would catch a boat that was heading east. Since the “trade routes” — whatever those were — between Equestria and Griffonstone had closed centuries ago, no boats sailed directly between them, so she’d have to fly the rest of the way.
The train took her across a winding river, through Canterlot Mountain, and past forests, until it finally stopped at a sprawling, coastal city. She stood on her hind legs and peered out of the window; the ocean sparkling beneath the late-morning sun was the most breathtaking thing she’d ever seen!
Unfortunately… the city itself was the opposite of breathtaking. It was just bricks, bricks, and more bricks, duller than one of Tavi’s lectures about runic magic — not that she’d ever say that out loud! The stone pavements made her paws feel itchy, so she decided to fly as fast as she could towards the docks instead. Unfortunately, she was flying too low, so she smacked into a pony…
...Who, she noticed, was wearing one of Auntie Vinyl’s dresses
“Watch where you’re go— What’s a griffon doing here?” the other pony spat, rolling her eyes.
Gabby took that as her cue to leave. By the time she reached the docks, it was the afternoon, and she was starting to feel hungry… and suddenly remembered that she’d eaten all her rations on the train. Oops.
Oh well. She could wait!
She listened as ponies announced where various passenger ships were headed — Manehattan, Trottingham, Casaboronco... A-ha! Trottingham was her best bet. She rushed towards the medium-sized ferry.
“Hello!” she exclaimed to the burly stallion standing in front of the wharf, pulling all the bits she had out of her knapsack. “Please can I buy a ticket?”
“Did you book?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then I’m sorry, kid, but you can’t board.”
Gabby walked away, disheartened… but she had an idea! She waited until the ferry was about to sail away, looked around to make sure nopony would notice her, and leaped onto the back of the deck, behind the cabin. She found a shaded corner, and only then did she realise how much her legs ached.
Without even trying, she curled up and fell asleep against the cold, hard floor. She dreamt about a shining city with golden streets, where griffons welcomed her home and were all so upset that she went missing. Then Tavi and all her friends arrived too, and they had a party...
“NOW ARRIVING AT TROTTINGHAM!” a voice boomed, startling Gabby awake. While the ponies disembarked from the ferry, she glided towards the shore.
“Hey, where did you come from?” a pony asked.
“Thanks for the ride — gotta go!” exclaimed Gabby in a single breath, before rushing away.
Trottingham reminded her of Ponyville, with its open fields and ponies who waved at her, but she couldn’t stay. Across the sea, she could see a mountain range with peaks as sharp as fangs — that must be where Griffonstone is! However, the nearest shore on the mainland was in the opposite direction, about a mile away. That wasn’t too far… right?
As she faced the nearby shore, Gabby realised that the wind was ruffling her feathers from behind. She remembered Flashie telling her about tailwinds once — didn’t they help you fly faster? Only one way to find out…
Gabby did a running start and launched herself off a nearby cliff. As she fell, the wind caught her outspread wings, allowing her to effortlessly soar above the ocean’s surface. No longer did she have to worry about plummeting; it felt like magic! It probably wasn’t, but still!
Her flight lasted a few minutes, after which she landed near a railroad. All she had to do now was follow it across the bridge to the east, then head south through the mountain range… then she’d be home at last!
Gabby was exhausted. By the time she’d arrived at the foot of the barren, craggy mountain where Griffonstone stood, her wings ached too much to fly. After spending hours walking up the steep slopes, the sun was setting, the wind was howling, and her legs were about to give out… But she was almost there!
At the top, Gabby dragged herself towards a pair of arch-shaped gates flanked by two golden griffon statues, and looked up to see two stern-looking guards wearing silver armour. They were even bigger than Gilda!
“Hey!” a burly guard shouted in a gruff voice, pointing a spear towards her. “Who’re you?”
Startled, Gabby jolted her head back. “Uh, h-hi! I-I’m Gabriella!”
“That’s not how you talk to visitors!” a slender guard snapped at the burly guard, who withdrew his spear. The slender guard looked at Gabby. “What business do you have here, Miss Gabriella?”
“I-I came here! All the way… from Equestria…” she panted. She stopped to catch her breath; the next part was really important. “I’m here to look for my family!”
Both guards gave her a blank stare.
“You know?” Gabby continued. “I went missing years ago! Surely somepony is still looking for me…?”
The slender guard raised an eyebrow. “Pony?”
Gabby facepalmed. “Oops! Y-you know what I mean.”
“You’ll have to ask the archivist about family matters, kid,” said the burly guard. “Whatever. Well, you are a griffon, so come on in.”
The two guards pushed the gates open — and what Gabby saw took her breath away. She stared in awe as hundreds of griffons flew between the branches of a giant, gnarled tree, as grey and ancient as the mountain it sood on. Upon closer inspection, each branch was its own street — at least, she thought so. It was too dark to make out any buildings, but the twinkling lights of houses shone like stars. At the very top of the tree was a tall, white palace, with gilded spires that glittered in the orange sunset.
This wasn’t what she’d dreamed of — it was even better!
Heart pounding, she bounded through the gates… and was immediately interrupted by her stomach growling. Of course! In all her excitement, she’d forgotten that she hadn’t eaten since that morning. There had to be somewhere that sold food here!
The cobblestone-paved street at the base of the tree was noisier than a Rar-eye-T concert. It was lined on both sides with wooden market stalls whose owners competed to see who could advertise their wares the loudest — “My pots and pans are state of the art!” “Ignore her! What you really need are my wrought-iron kitchen utensils!” Not even the Ponyville Market got this intense!
Towards the end of the street, the stalls became fewer and further between, and the shouting matches gave way to gentle violins and accordions. Gabby so wished she could tip the performers, but she couldn’t afford to. A sheet-metal food stand titled “CUISINE DE GUSTAVE” caught her attention, accompanied by the scent of… something salty? Maybe it was just her hunger — she’d be willing to eat griffonscones again at this point! — but it captured her curiosity on an instinctive level, as if she were encountering real food for the first time. She walked towards it; she had to stand on her hind legs to reach the counter.
A tall, white-feathered griffon turned around in an instant, staring at Gabby with tiny, piercing eyes. “Finally — une CUSTOMER!” he exclaimed, gesturing widely. “Oh, I simply cannot BELIEVE it! What do you wish to order, mademoiselle?”
Startled, Gabby dropped to all fours. And everypony says I’M too loud! Wait… is this a normal thing for griffons? She noticed a menu on the back wall of the stand, and reeled back in shock. Those prices were way too high! The cheapest option was something called “lapin”, and it cost as much as a dozen baskets of carrots at the Ponyville Market!
“Uh… I’ll have the lappin’, please,” she said, dropping all of her bits onto the counter.
“La-pin,” the griffon corrected. “Un lapin, coming right up!”
Gabby sat in front of a wooden table while she waited. There were no seats, and not even her fur could hide how cold the cobblestones were! Still, she wouldn’t have to wait long until she wasn’t hungry anymore.
A few minutes later, the chef placed a medium-sized bowl of stew on Gabby’s table, along with a spoon. Floating in the brown liquid were cut-up carrots, and beige lumps of… something. She couldn’t wait to eat it—
How did she hold the spoon?
Back when she lived in Canterlot, she’d seen fancy unicorns levitate their spoons. Being Earth ponies, her family — no, her adoptive family — had never used them. Should she hold it in her beak? No… Then she wouldn’t be able to eat the food!
Her thoughts were interrupted by another loud growl from her stomach. She picked up the bowl in both of her talons, and drank the stew like it was soup.
It was the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted! Despite its unappetising colour, it was just the right combination of salty and savoury, and its warmth felt like curling up next to a cozy fireplace while a blizzard raged outside. It felt like she’d tasted real food for the first time!
“Thank you thank you thank you! That was great!” Gabby exclaimed once she’d finished. “What was it?”
“I believe you call it… un rabbit?” the chef replied.
Gabby almost threw up. Trixie had all those pet rabbits, and they were so cute... She wouldn’t dream of EATING one in a million years, let alone ENJOY it!
“Is… is this what griffons always eat?” Gabby asked.
“Oh, no no no!” exclaimed the chef. “This is mere peasant’s food!” He gestured widely again. “Gustave le Grand has dreams of opening a restaurant one day, but alas! He is tragically grounded at the foot of Griffonstone.” He said this so overdramatically that Gabby half-expected him to faint.
“Really? That’s a shame,” said Gabby. “Next time you see him, say that I wished him luck!”
“I am Gustave le Grand, you imbecile!” he yelled as he slammed his talons on the desk. Gosh, his eagle eyes were scary! “Nethertheless, mark my words!” He pointed upwards, to the top of the tree. “One day, I will be able to open a restaurant on the highest branches, and even expand my brand to Equestria! Maybe I’ll even become the prince’s personal chef! And you, madamoiselle, were the first wingbeat on my long flight ahead!”
“Thanks!” Gabby exclaimed. “I’m from Equestria! I’m not sure if everypony would, uh, appreciate eating rabbits, though…”
“Oh! Please tell me, is it true that ponies all live in castles?”
“Nope!” exclaimed Gabby, reaching up to the counter. “I live in a tree, too! Only the two princesses live in a castle. Years ago, they found me abandoned in the mountains, and I came here to find out where I came from. One of the guards told me to find the archivist — do you know who that is?”
Gustave furrowed his brow in thought. “Hmm… I believe the archivist works in the library a few branches above us, but alas, I have never had a reason to go there.”
Gabby nodded. “Thanks! I'd better get going… Is there any place I could stay for the night?”
“Got any bits?” asked the griffon who owned the local inn.
Gabby rummaged through her bag — and was horrified to discover that her search came up empty! Why had she spent all her money on dinner? She could already picture Tavi giving her a lecture about responsibility… But that stew was just so good!
“N-no, but PLEASE can you let me in anyway?” Gabby begged, sitting up on her haunches and staring at the griffon with puppy-dog eyes. “I’ve been travelling all day!”
“Sorry, kid, but if you don’t have the bits, you can’t stay here.” With that, she slammed the door in Gabby’s face.
The next morning, Gabby woke up from her dreamless sleep on the cold cobblestones and looked up. The sky was so clear that she could make out the materials of every building that lined the tree’s branches; the lower ones were made of wood and straw, much like Ponyville’s, while the highest ones were made of polished stone that reflected the pale sunlight.
Between these two extremes was a really tall building — almost as tall as the palace! — that was made of rougher stone, worn from years of erosion. She flew up to it; above its tall, thin, mahogany doors that looked more fitting for an ancient (and possibly haunted) castle, was a sign that said “LIBRARY”. She landed in front of it and quickly knocked; she probably didn’t need to, but it was still polite!
“...Come on in,” a female voice said from behind the door, barely louder than a whisper.
The doors creaked as Gabby pushed them open. Inside, the library was musty, dusty, and filled with cobwebs. The bookshelves were over twice as tall as the ones in the Golden Oaks Library, reaching up to a ceiling so high that every breath she took echoed. The walls were lined with candles, but none of them were lit; the only source of light was the sun shining through stained-glass windows depicting various griffons wearing regalia.
But what stood out the most was that unlike the bustling street below, this library was completely empty! As Gabby stood still in the entrance, looking around in awe, she felt… scared? No... That wasn’t the right word. It was more like a feeling of being so small, so… humble? If only Tavi were here; she’d know the right word for sure!
Gabby looked to her right to see a griffon standing behind a mahogany desk. She was dainty — much smaller than any of the other grown-up griffons she’d seen — and had a white head with black markings around her yellow eyes.
“Oh!” exclaimed Gabby. She walked towards the desk. “Are you the archivist?”
“I suppose so…” replied the other griffon. “Um, I’m Glenda, and nogriff else wanted to be a librarian or an archivist, so I’m both, I guess.”
Gabby sighed in relief. “Good. I came here to look for my family!” She placed her talons on the desk. “Do you have any records of a griffon who looks like me and was abandoned in the mountains years ago?” she asked in one breath.
Glenda nodded politely, but she wore an uncertain frown. “I’ll have a look…”
Gabby watched as Glenda flitted towards a bookshelf at the back of the library. She paused and looked around for a few moments, before pulling out a book, scanning its pages, then putting it back and reading another one. The cycle repeated over and over; Gabby impatiently tapped her front toes against the floor, creating a pitter-patter that echoed like a rainstorm.
After what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, Glenda landed behind her desk. Gabby’s heart drummed as fast and loud as the Running of the Leaves. This was it! The moment of truth! She’d FINALLY have the answers she was looki—
“I’m sorry, but I can’t find any records of a griffon that matches your description.”
Gabby’s heart didn’t sink this time; it shattered into a million pieces. Glenda’s words felt like a blow to the chest that knocked all the air out of her lungs.
“B-but surely you’ve missed something!” Gabby spluttered. “Let me have a look!” She took a stride towards the bookshelves, but Glenda interrupted her.
“I have a gift for reading quickly. It would take most griffons days to read through the census reports. The newest one alone is over six hundred pages long.”
Six HUNDRED? That was longer than Tavi’s rune books! Gabby slumped to the cold, hard floor, completely and utterly defeated. She’d come all this way for nothing! What could she do now? Spend the rest of the day going all the way back home just to tell everypony that she wasted her time?
She was so distraught, she almost didn’t notice that somepo— griff else had entered the library.
“You know the drill,” a male voice on the verge of yawning said. “I’m here for the weekly tax reports.”
Gabby looked up to see a bright blue griffon strutting towards the desk. He wore a long, purple scarf that wouldn’t look out of place at Auntie Vinyl’s boutique. What stood out to Gabby the most was his size; she’d finally found a griffon who looked around her age! Maybe he’d vaguely remember her from his childhood, or at the very least, he was on her level and she’d finally make a frien—
“Yes, um, your highness,” Glenda replied, bowing her head.
WHAT?! Gabby clamped a talon over her beak to stop herself from gasping out loud; Tavi always told her to be quiet when the library had visitors. But more importantly, how was she supposed to get to know him? She’d die from embarrassment if she admitted she had no idea who the ruler of her people was, and it wasn’t like she could just say “hi”! The Equestrian princesses didn’t like small talk; for all she knew, griffon royals could throw anygriff they wanted in the dungeons for looking at them funny!
“By the way, looks like you finally got another visitor,” he continued, after Glenda gave him a scroll from under her desk. “It only took you my entire life.”
In a split second, Gabby lunged herself towards the desk. “Who is he?” she whispered to Glenda as quietly as possible.
“Do you really not know?” Glenda asked, somehow louder than Gabby.
“Oh! I’m not from here,” Gabby replied, closer to her normal volume. “How did I forget to tell you that?”
“He’s Prince—”
“Gallus,” the blue griffon interrupted. “I’m not deaf, you know.”
Gabby’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m so sorry did I anger you if so I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Gallus replied, sighing. “Although… what brings you here?”
Gabby breathed a sigh of relief. “My name’s Gabby, and I came from Equestria! I came here looking for my family, but…”
Gallus' ears pricked up. "Can you tell me more about Equestria?"
“...And that's how Tavi and her friends freed the Pillars of Old Equestria from Limbo!” exclaimed Gabby. She and Gallus had decided to continue their conversation outside, and were now perched on the library's roof.
“Sounds more exciting than anything that's happened to me,” said Gallus.
Gabby tilted her head. “Huh? But you're a prince! Don’t you get to do important prince duties or have incredible magical powers or anything?” If princes are anything like prinCESSes…
“Oh, I wish,” Gallus sighed. “The only duty I have is being the Council of Lords’ errand boy.”
“Don’t you have any parents?”
“I’d rather not talk about it…”
Gabby draped a wing over his shoulder. “I understand. I’ve never met my parents. In fact, I came here looking for them, but it seems that nogriff even noticed I was gone…” She squeezed her eyes shut to stop tears from forming.
“Is that what you were doing in the library?”
Gabby nodded. “That reminds me! When you said that Glenda finally got another visitor, what did you mean?”
“Collecting the weekly tax reports is one of my errands,” replied Gallus. “I must have done it hundreds of times, but I’ve never seen anygriff else visit the library.”
Gabby was surprised, and she could only imagine how HORRIFIED Tavi would be! “But you have access to all the information in the world! Why wouldn’t you use it all the time? I mean, I wouldn’t — but still!”
“Because nogriff cares,” Gallus replied. “A few centuries ago, the Griffon Kingdom went through a dark age. We were betrayed by one of our closest allies, we lost all of our land except for this city, and we closed our borders and all of our trade routes…” He said this flatly, as if he was reciting a boring history lesson. “Even though those have been reopened now, the older generations still cling onto the before times that their ancestors told them were oh-so-amazing,” — he rolled his eyes — “and they don’t want to learn anything new. And the worst part is that in some ways… they’re right. Griffonstone still hasn’t recovered.”
“Oh — I just remembered!” exclaimed Gabby. “Last night, a chef told me that he was ‘tragically grounded’ at the foot of Griffonstone. What did he mean?”
“There’s a huge divide between the rich and poor in Griffonstone. Generally, the richer you are, the higher up you live.” Gallus looked up to the palace — his palace. “It’s my dream to change Griffonstone for the better, but what can I do? I don’t think the Lords would let me…”
Gabby wanted to reassure Gallus, but a question pressed on her mind. “Who are the Lords, anyway?”
“Just a bunch of stuck-up geezers who cling onto the past even more than most griffons. They basically raised me for most of my life, and they’re always going on and on about how ‘Oh, you can’t do this, young prince! It’s bad for your image!’, or, ‘Oh, you SIMPLY must tell the public you approve of this new law, regardless of your actual opinion on it!’” Gabby couldn’t help but chuckle at his exaggerated posh accent. “Don’t tell anygriff else this, but—” he leaned close and whispered, “—I think they’re the ones who’re really in charge.”
“That sounds awful!” gasped Gabby. “In Equestria, the princesses don’t do everything, but at least they’re honest! Not that I’m calling you a liar — it’s not exactly your fault!”
“Heh… are all Equestrians as enthusiastic as you?”
“No, actually! When I was at school in Canterlot, I tried to answer so many questions that the teacher eventually had to ignore me to give my classmates a chance… even though I wasn’t always right.” She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Even now, Tavi tells me not to talk too much when we have visitors over.” Her eyes widened as she realised why he might’ve asked that question. “Do you find me annoying?”
“Nah. I’m just glad that I finally have somegriff my age to talk to.” A grin spread across his beak. “Say… do you wanna go flying?”
Gabby nodded rapidly. Gallus spread his wings and elegantly soared off the balcony, and Gabby followed. As they descended to the base of the tree, he smirked at her before doing a loop-de-loop. She leaned forwards to increase her speed and tried to copy him… but almost tumbled back-first onto the ground instead. Good thing she righted herself at the last second!
Eventually, he gently landed on a cliff, beyond the city’s gates. Gabby tried to land too — but she’d never flown at this steep of an angle before! Unable to slow herself down in time, she tumbled over and landed face-first in the dust. Again.
“Oww,” she groaned as she picked herself up, her forelegs sore from the impact.
“Hey, are you alright?” Gallus asked.
“I’m okay!” Gabby cheerfully exclaimed. “I’ve never been good at landing.”
Gallus frowned. “Let me guess — you learned to fly from ponies?”
“That’s right! Why do you ask?”
Gallus paced back and forth. “Now, I’ve only seen pictures of pegasi, but they have smaller wings than us, right?”
Gabby nodded; she remembered being sent to Junior Flight Camp in Cloudsdale.
“Then that’s your problem,” Gallus continued. “I’m guessing that since their wings have a smaller surface area, they don’t need to spread them out as much in order to break, and they need to flap them more often. Have you ever tried soaring?”
“Yes! Yesterday, I rode a tailwind across the ocean, but the air is still today.”
Gallus placed a talon under his chin. “Hmm… I know!” His eyes lit up. “Follow me!”
The two of them ran towards the edge of the cliff, and stopped in front of a huge chasm. Gabby couldn’t see the bottom; it must’ve been as deep as Canterlot Mountain was tall!
“This is the Abysmal Abyss,” Gallus explained. “According to legend, a giant that once threatened griffonkind plummeted to its doom here. The winds are so strong that not even the strongest griffon could fly out.” He turned to Gabby and smirked. “Wanna try flying across it?”
Gabby’s legs were shaking, but she HAD to swallow her fear! She’d never fallen off Cloudsdale! “Y-yes.”
“Then watch and learn!” With a couple of flaps of his wings, Gabby watched closely as Gallus effortlessly glided to the other side. “NOW YOU TRY!” he shouted from the other side.
Gabby took a deep breath. She carefully positioned her wings to be as horizontal as possible. She flapped them rapidly — then remembered she shouldn’t do that! Instead, she leaped into the air with the grace of a cat, and didn’t flap her wings until she started to lose altitude.
Yes! It was working!
However, when the other side was in her foreleg’s reach, she began to panic. With her current trajectory, she was headed straight for the side of the cliff! She desperately flapped her wings as rapidly as a hummingbird, and reached out both of her talons to grab the top of the cliff — but it was too late.
The last thing Gabby heard before she plummeted into the abyss was Gallus screaming her name.
“Ow…” Gabby groaned as she landed on a ledge with a THUD. She looked up to see a towering wall of grey stone between her and the distant sky; she must’ve fallen dozens of metres! She flapped her wings desperately, but the strong winds in the abyss battered her into the cliff face and back down to the ledge
So she looked around for something to climb onto instead. She saw a small, pale, bent tree growing out of the side of the cliff, and best of all, it was within leaping distance! She jumped onto it, and looked around for a higher perch…
And then the tree creaked. Startled, she reflexively leaped back to the ledge. The weak part of its trunk splintered before falling into the abyss; no matter how long she waited, she couldn’t hear it land.
One of her paws hurt. She winced as she pulled a huge splinter out of her pad, but the dull ache didn't go away. She rubbed her sore ankle; she must’ve twisted it!
There was only one thing she could do: yell for “HELLLLLLLP!”
Gallus froze. For several moments, all he could do was stare into the barren, desolate hole that had swallowed the first friend he’d ever made. He should’ve just left the library as soon as Glenda gave him the tax report, like he always did. It was his idea to lead an innocent citizen to the most dangerous place in Griffonstone like a lamb to the slaughter because it was his stupid idea of fun, and now she was gone.
“HELLLLLLLP!”
Were his ears deceiving him, or did he just hear the faintest trace of Gabby’s voice? It was as quiet as a whisper, drowned out by the echoing, howling wind, but it was there.
His suspicions were proven correct when he looked down the abyss. Her greyish feathers blended into the rocks, but he definitely saw Gabby’s white chest down there. He waved, hoping she’d notice him.
How was he going to reach her? There was a shop that sold ropes for mountaineers nearby. Griffons bigger and stronger and more athletic than him could abseil down its cliffs, but that would be a one-way trip for his scrawny, sheltered self. But if he were to throw the rope down…
“I’LL BE BACK!” he shouted, hoping Gabby would hear him.
He hurried towards the shop as fast as his legs could carry him, bursting through the door without even pausing to knock.
The tawny shopkeeper, who was slouched on the desk, perked up as soon as they made eye contact. “Can I have your autograph?” she asked.
“There’s no time!” Gallus exclaimed, panting. “Give me the longest rope you have!”
“Got any bits?” the shopkeeper asked emotionlessly. “You may be the prince, but you still gotta pay.”
“It’s an emergency! I’ll pay you back later, promise!”
“Fine,” she groaned. She tossed a coil of rope at Gallus, who jumped to catch it.
His heart pounded like a drum as he hurried to the far side of the Abysmal Abyss; each beat was one more moment that Gabby had to wait for him. His strides were as wide and fast as a cheetah’s, and he was overheating like one, too. Once he reached the edge, he threw it down and anticipated Gabby’s tug…
But it didn’t come. Fearing the worst, he peered down. It dangled metres above her head, taunting her like a cat toy. Gabby jumped up, talons stretched out and ready to grasp. Her claws grazed the frayed end of the rope, just barely out of reach, and she weakly landed on the ledge. It was too short!
Gallus looked around. The abyss was surrounded by nothing but rocks and pine trees, but there must be something he could attach to the rope! Then, he noticed the dark purple fabric in the corner of his eye.
He pulled the rope up and tied it to a nearby rock, then took his scarf off and held it in both of his talons. It was a family heirloom, passed down since the times of Grover the Great, and the last link he had with his parents… Could he really give it up?
His eyes darted back to the abyss. Gabby was clutching her back leg in pain.
Yes. Yes he could.
Gallus unfolded the scarf completely and quickly tied it to the end of the rope, then tossed it down towards Gabby again. As soon as he felt her tug on the rope, he pulled her up with every last ounce of his strength.
Maybe he wasn’t great enough to save all of Griffonstone, but he could save one griffon.
“So… do you wanna stay in Griffonstone?” Gallus asked. The horizon was fringed with pinkish-orange, and he and Gabby were once again perched on top of the library. “I can fill in some papers for you.”
“No thanks,” replied Gabby, the gentle breeze rustling her feathers. “You’re nice and all, but I already have a home.”
Gallus tilted his head. “You mean Ponyville?”
Gabby nodded. “Nogriff missed me or even knew who I was, but I know dozens of ponies who must be missing me right now.”
“Then good luck on the way back,” he said flatly, but Gabby heard the tiniest disappointed sigh.
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back to visit sometime!” she exclaimed. “OR, since I know the princesses, I could ask them if YOU could visit Equestria!”
“I’ll think about it,” mumbled Gallus. “By the way… how are you gonna get back?”
The next morning, Gabby was practicing flying again, this time on top of the Golden Oaks Library. She challenged herself to glide between branches for as long as possible before she needed to flap her wings. The branches were slippery — she’d arrived just as the pegasi were clearing away rain clouds last night — but that was part of the fun!
Gabby heard a long, loud yawn, followed by the comfortingly familiar sound of Tavi trotting out of the library. She lay down on her branch, grasping it with both of her talons — she didn’t want to put too much pressure on her bad leg — and looked towards the door.
“I didn’t think you would be back so soon,” said Tavi, looking up with a half-confused, half-surprised expression.
“Gallus covered my travel expenses!”
“Who’s Gallus?”
Gabby lifted a foreleg up to facepalm… and then slipped off the branch. Fortunately, she caught herself and landed on all fours, but her bad paw slammed into the ground in the process. “Oh — He’s the prince of Griffonstone! I met him at the library. Did you know — and you’ll hate to hear this, but — nogriff uses—”
“That… doesn’t answer my question,” said Octavia, trotting towards Gabby. She winced when she noticed her ankle. “Did you find your family?”
Gabby looked down. “Unfortunately, no.” She shrugged. “But I realised it doesn’t matter where I came from. You're my real family, and this is my real home.”
Before Tavi had a chance to respond, Gabby hugged her tightly.
