Both on the edge of adulthood, they found each other, but look out over a vast and terrifying time. Hand in hand, scales against feathers, they draw strength as they take the next step together. Spike and Gabby had much to look forward to.
Both on the edge of adulthood, they found each other, but look out over a vast and terrifying time. Hand in hand, scales against feathers, they draw strength as they take the next step together. Spike and Gabby had much to look forward to. A Spike and Gabby slice of life that follows them through the good times and the bad, starting with Spike's moving away from Ponyville.
With a sharp slap of papers on the counter, Spike used the impact to propel himself up, balancing on his hands, the rest of his body hovering up off the ground. "Isn't this the best?"
Gabby tapped him on the nose, almost knocking him over backwards. "It's been a blast. And busy." Her eyes darted to the form of a dressed up comic convention goer scooting past. "I gotta admit..."
"Yeah?" He dropped himself onto a stool which put him far closer to her height without straining to hold himself up. "You realized how amazing comics are?!"
"Nah." She smirked playfully. "But I enjoy it, with you." She placed that finger right on his nose, not nudging him over, instead just resting it there. "Thanks for bring me along."
"Aw..." He rubbed at his cheek awkwardly. "Glad we... got another chance."
"Yeah... that sure was awkward." Gabby stuck out her tongue a bit between her beak. "Glad Rarity got way over that, but we have loads of chances. We'll go again next year, and it's not even like this year's done."
"About that..." Spike rubbed an arm with the opposing hand, looking away from the smiling face of Gabby. "Twilight has a big, uh... promotion coming up."
Gabby inclined her head, leaning in. "Promotion? Neat! Uh... But she's a princess. What's the promotion of princess? Oh! Queen Twilight Sparkle!" She burst into merry giggles. "That'd be something. Long may she reign!"
"No way!" Gabby slapped her hands down on the counter so hard their drinks jostled on the impact. "Congratulations to her! Wow, Ha, so I know full on royalty now? That's kinda crazy."
Spike laughed nervously, pulling his drink over for a sip from its long straw. "I... Gabby, I'm going with her."
Gabby inclined her head the other way. "Oh, well tell me where. I can deliver the mail there instead."
"I..." He drummed his fingers on his chin. "I don't think that'll work."
"Why not?" Gabby cocked a brow high, allowing a pony with a noisy boombox to move past them before rolling a hand for Spike to continue.
Perhaps the middle of a convention hadn't been the best place... "It's Canterlot. They have their mail, you know... sorted..." He worried his fingers together, tension rising quickly. "I don't mean to--"
"--How long are we talking?" cut in Gabby. "A month, a year?" She extended a finger with each guess. But Spike was not nodding. "A decade?"
"Sooner," admitted Spike with a nervous swallow. "That's why I really wanted to be sure we got this--"
She put a finger on his nose, not out of affection, but to silence his lips. "That wasn't very nice, Spike. How soon? Tomorrow?!"
"N-no!" He waved his hands wildly. "Next week." He smiled nervously, but that wilted as her expression began to change. Watching her initial joy become anger, then sadness that seemed to keep growing. "I'm sorry..."
"Sorry?!" Gabby clapped her hands over her beak, glancing around nervously. "Sorry? Spike! This... This is big. This is not a little thing... I... I thought we were friends."
"We are!" He grabbed for her, getting her arm. "You are the very best friend I have, except maybe competing with Big Mac."
She snorted into a giggle at that. "Your boy pal and your girl pal? I'll forgive that... but not you waiting so long to even tell me!" She shoved him suddenly, sending his stool sliding away several inches. "How did you think I'd... What did you think would happen?"
Spike swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling like dry leather in his mouth. "I... I don't know... Gabby, I hated it. I was so scared..." He began to worry his fingers together. "This whole move scares me, and Twilight doesn't have room for it."
"Room for it?" Gabby inclined her head, her anger giving way to concern. "What do you mean, Spike?"
"She's becoming ruler of all Equestria." Spike threw his hands wide. "Her head is all about that, for good reason. It's a big...big big big deal! I'm actually kinda proud she's not having a meltdown, but she's all... on that."
"And not on you." She drew her hand away, until her fingers touched Spike's, where she curled them, grasping him from the back of his hand. "Wanna tell me?"
"I..." He was quiet a moment, thinking. "Yes I do... But first... sorry, really... I promise I wasn't trying to be a jerk."
She folded her arms, foot tapping at the bar in front of them. "This is... Spike... We'll... figure it out." She swallowed audibly, not sounding that much more confident than Spike. "Go on."
"It's been a long time since we were in Canterlot." Spike spread his fingers. "And the friends I had, aren't super friends anymore. I'll be basically alone, with Twilight. Twilight will be there, of course... But besides her?" He shrugged a little helplessly. "I got used to the ponies in Ponyville..."
She touched him, not on the lips or across his nose. She brushed aside a tear that had been about to escape. Spike shrank back a bit, exposed. "Big Mac won't be there to play with anymore. Discord won't be there... being an annoying jerk." A little ghost of a smile escaped. "He's not a bad guy."
"I get it..." She suddenly grabbed his glass and shoved it down the counter to fall into a collection tray. "I need a #3!"
"#3!" came a call from the back of the booth.
"On me," assured Gabby with a little smile. "You're having a rough day."
"Rough week, moon..." He sagged his head against a hand holding it aloft. "Sorry for crashing this all on you."
"I'm sorry you didn't think you had someone to talk to." She set her hands in her lap. "We're friends, that means we talk when something's bothering us, Spike... You'd want me to tell you if something was up with me, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah!" he blurted quickly. "Of course. If I could help, I'd--"
"--I'd do the same thing," she assured gently, taking the big cup being offered towards her, filled with a bonanza of ice cream and soda, two straws dangling from it. "Right now, I think we need to face this challenge. Hey, got any ruby flakes?"
"Ruby flakes!" Down came a shaker. "Enjoy!"
"Thank you." Gabby grabbed the shaker and began generously sprinkling their treat. "Hey, always meant to ask. What do gems taste like, for a dragon? For me it's just, you know, hard."
"That depends on the kind of gem." He reached to swat at her arm. "And if you don't like it, don't sprinkle it over over so you can have some too."
"Right right." Gabby set down the sprinkler. "Here's to the future."
"I'm not sure I want to toast to that... I kinda like right now..." He fidgeted in place, glancing about.
"Then we'll just have to work extra hard to make sure the future is just as good." She scooped up a morsel with ruby's studded in it, not to bring to herself, but to offer to Spike. "And if you like today so much, then you'd better start eating before it melts."
Spike snapped up the offered cold treat, crunching on the bits of gems inside. "Mmm, ruby has that little kick of spicy sweetness. Works really well with ice cream, lemme tell ya."
Gabby burst into giggles. "Gonna have to take your word on that one, Spike." She took a spoonful for herself, from the side less thickly sprinkled with ruby bits and pieces. "I thought I had a rhythm down."
"Huh?" Spike munched on the frozen treat, watching her all the while. "What do you mean?"
"I'm gonna have to quit." She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm sure I can find something closer."
Spike's eyes grew large. "What? No! You like your job. Don't quit it just for me."
Gabby waved a hand towards herself. "You do a lot of things for a lot of creatures. Just once... one is going to do something for you. You deserve it, silly dragon."
Spike became quiet, poking the ice cream without actually eating it. "Trying to tell you not to isn't gonna work, is it?"
"Nope," she half sang out, slurping up a bit more. "Mmm, nah, ruby is not my thing."
"More of a dragon thing," Spike assured with an unsure look. "So..."
"So that panel about inking is coming up." She drew in the air with a finger. "We both wanted to see that, remember?"
"Oh yeah!" Spike hopped down to the ground. "Let's head that way, and, uh..." He rubbed behind his head for an awkward moment. "Thanks, for being an awesome friend."
"Takes one to know one," she sang in mock insult, mussing Spike across the top of his head. "Let's go."
And they went off to enjoy the remainder of the convention. The last, so far as Spike had planned. The first of more, so far as Gabby was concerned.
Big Mac set a heavy hoof on Spike's hand, pinning it atop an eight sided die. "Ain't easy."
"No..." Their last O&O game. "Gonna miss you guys, and this, so much."
Discord blew into a handkerchief in a loud trumpet of his sadness. "Now, you realize, your job isn't over."
"Uh?" Spike inclined his head at his chaos spirit of a player. "I won't be here."
"I am perfectly aware of that." Discord rolled his eyes dramatically. "So it will be up to you, stalwart adventurer, to assemble a new party for the quests ahead." He steepled his fingers together. "As if a little move across the country excused you."
Big Mac nodded towards Discord. "Ayup. Ya gotta."
Spike wriggled his hand free from under Big Mac's hoof. "You too? You want me to game without you guys?"
"Ayup." Big Mac nodded slowly, eyes fixed on Spike with unspoken meaning.
"Neither of us want to hear you moped around instead of starting a new story." He clapped his hands together smartly. "Speaking of that, I think it's time we completed this one. It's about time we bring peace back to Spiketopia."
And so the final game of their group got underway. The Squizzard was finally defeated. Schmarity was safe and free to rule her kingdom. The names of the heroes would be known through the land forever forward, saviors of the day.
Discord leaned forward, brows waggling. "As far as they know."
"Wha?" Spike inclined his head. "What do you mean?"
Discord shrugged softly. "No need to close the book entirely... Maybe our lucky heroes will gather again some day, maybe not... But... for now." He reached across and folded shut the game book with a finality. "It has been a pleasure. Thank you both, for inviting me, welcoming me, and... I don't mean to be sappy, but for being friends."
Suddenly they were both grabbed. Big Mac put an arm around either of them, dragging them in for a tight hug. "Ayup!" he cried, tears stinging at his eyes and a lump in his throat. "Ayup..."
Spike returned the gesture, squeezing both of them. "Hey, uh... Discord?"
"Yes?"
Spike slipped back to his chair with a little smile. He placed his hands on the game book and gave it a little nudge towards Discord. "I know the rules pretty well, and I can get another... I think the town needs a new Story Teller."
Discord was quiet a moment before reaching to set a hand on that book. "I'm not you, Spike. You tell far better stories if we're being honest with ourselves."
"I'm serious." Spike nudged his head towards Big Mac. "Tell him! We both had fun when you took it up, just, you know, past the start. I trust you, Discord, to do this right."
"Well there would be your first mistake." But he did draw the book closer to himself. "Oh, very well... Ponyville will not be without the game, even if it is lessened without you, Spike."
Lemon Hearts gestured in broad swoops of a hoof. "We need more lavender right here! Yeah, good, good..." She backed away from where ponies were working. "Hey Spike!" She turned towards him, a grin on her face. "Can you even believe it? Twilight's gonna get crowned again! I almost died the first time."
Spike inclined his head. How had he forgotten the cheerful unicorn? She certainly had not forgotten him, already treating him like they had been best friends forever. "So, uh, you're the event planner, right?"
"Sure am," she proudly agreed, chest puffing. "And I'm gonna make sure Twilight gets the ringing in she deserves." She suddenly burst into giggles. "Wow, gonna have to start calling her princess Twilight now, and bowing and stuff." She waved it away. "Super formal. It's exciting! Are you excited?"
Lemon watched him, and his face. "You don't look excited."
"You're looking like you're in your element." Spike fire a double thumbs up, his wings carrying him aloft a few inches. "Got anything..." He glanced left and right. "--that's gonna be a surprise?"
Lemon snort-giggled at the idea. "If I did, telling you would ruin it, now wouldn't it." She booped him on the nose. "You haven't changed! It's gonna be so fun having you two close at hoof." She saw a pony putting a vase where it wasn't supposed to be. "Not there! Excuse me, gotta handle this." And off she went to oversee her duties.
"Spike!" There was Twilight, approaching with purpose. "You remember the library Moon Dancer is usually at?"
Spike landed lightly. "Sure. I thought she hung out with the girls more now?"
Twilight nodded softly. "Sure sure, but the library is still her spot. Can you bring her a message?" A folded letter glowed with Twilight's magic, floating towards Spike. "I'd appreciate it."
Spike snatched the letter and tucked it under an arm. "Sure thing. She gonna be at the ceremony?"
"I would hope so." Twilight set a hoof on Spike's head, mussing his fins. "I'm learning."
Spike blinked owlishly at that. "What are you learning?"
Twilight spread the same hoof to indicate all the ponies rushing around. "I am trusting in ponies to do their own parts. Delegation, perhaps the most mysterious of magics." She and Spike shared a little laugh at the idea. "Seriously, no Twilinanas." She glanced off and back at Spike. "And if you see that happening, you have permission to shake it out of me."
"I'll do my best." He offered a salute before flipping the letter back into view. "Get this over to Moon Dancer?"
"Please and thank you." She leaned in to touch her nose to his cheek before trotting off on other business.
Spike set off, flying out a window that was cracked open and winning freedom from the castle. He took a deep breath of the cooler air outside, scanning with his eyes. Canterlot was a much denser place than Ponyville. Spotting any given building becoming more of a challenge with them all mashed in against one another. "Uh..." He flew down to the castle's gates. "Hey."
One of the guards turned his head, the rest of his body unmoving. "Afternoon."
"I'm looking for Index Card Library? East side?"
The guard was quiet a moment before he nodded. "Follow this road for three intersections. On the fourth, take a right and keep going. It'll be on the left side."
Spike thumbsed up at that. "Thanks." The guard nodded, but seemed focus on, well, guarding, so Spike started down the street, jogging through Canterlot. "Huh..." The city had once been home. He could even see a few familiar things, but just as much had changed. New store had cropped up, old stores had vanished. Same city, different contents.
"--iiiike!" He was tackled from behind, grabbed up in a firm hug. "Found you!"
Spike knew the contours of what was holding him, and recognized the voice. He gave a nervous laugh of surprise at the suddeness of it, but he knew who it was. "Gabby?"
"Got it in one," she sang, twirling him about in her arms to face him. "This city is big. I mean, I've seen Griffon cities as big, even bigger sometimes." She waved it away. "But none of them were so packed! Where ya going?"
Spike held up his letter, still dangling from Gabby's hands. "Gotta get this to the library, that way." He pointed the way.
"Oooo, you took my old job?" Her brows waggled. "Bold. Are you ready to handle that kind of responsibility?"
Spike snorted, breaking out into a full laugh. "Not the first time I got a letter somewhere, though most of the time I just set it on fire."
Gabby inclined her head with the skill of a bird. "Setting the mail on fire would have gotten me fired."
"It's magic fire, if that helps." Spike stuck his tongue at the idea of just incinerating the letter. "So, uh... You went and found a job?"
"Yep!" Gabby set Spike down. "You're looking at no parcel carrier. I have a way classier job now."
"Really?" Spike blinked in wonder. "What sort of job?"
Gabby turned to offer her profile. "Rarity, you remember her? She was still kinda guilty about what happened. So I told her I needed a job in Canterlot, and she hooked me right up! I'm the model for her store, for biped customers. Sassy Saddles doesn't know a thing about people who walk on two legs." She stretched one leg, then the other. "Or like you." She leveled a finger at Spike. "Now they use me as a living dummy. And I get paid!"
Spike scratched at his small snout. "Huh, you do realize, they're both gonna expect you to wear their stuff and walk with it in front of a lot of creatures."
Gabby blinked at that. "Huh? I thought I'd just be a griffonkin for them to work on."
"I'm sure that's involved." Spike pedaled his hands over one another. "But after that, they're gonna want to show off their designs, and they'll need someone who fits them, and you're gonna fit... So..."
"Oh... Wow." Gabby slapped a hand against her right cheek. "I shoulda thought about that. So I'm really a model. That sounds fun." She brought up her clenched hands, trembling with excitement. "Do you think I can make their stuff look pretty?"
Spike's cheeks warmed. "What? I mean..." His eyes wandered up and down over her. "Yeah! Sure... Uh... Go for ale-yellow, cream-white, blue, green, purple, or red." He could see Gabby was looking confused. "Uh, well... When I helped with Rarity, kinda got an eye for, you know... colors? Those'll match your fur."
Gabby burst into merry giggles. "Oh, you're too good." She reached to muss the top of his head. "Now where's this library we're looking for?"
"Uh, that way?" He started towards it, though clearly a bit confused. "But you didn't have to come with me."
"I didn't have to, no." And yet, there she was, walking alongside him. "But I'm gonna. Sassy said they won't be ready for me until the day after tomorrow, so that's when I start. Today? Day off!" She raised her hands, attempting to raise a roof that wasn't there with celebratory hoots of victory. "Which means hangin' with my bud while he works is an option."
"Alright." There was no rule against that, and they were moving in the right direction. "Hey, you don't know any of my Canterlot friends, do you?"
"Um, not really." She stroked at her beak as she followed along. "Which one are we visiting? Are we visiting a friend?"
"Actually, yeah." Spike held up the letter. "This is going to Moon Dancer. She's a smart unicorn, like Twilight really. She can look like her too, come to think, especially if she lets her mane down."
Gabby giggled at that. "That would drive some creatures insane. Did you know that? Some creatures think ponies all look the same." She shrugged softly. "They look different enough to me. Now, dragons... Dragons look way different from each other. And us griffons!" She hiked a thumb at herself. "We come in a lot of shapes and sizes."
"I've heard of that." Spike tucked the letter close, but there it was. "That's the place." He accelerated towards the library with a smile. "Hopefully she's in here, reading. I just have to get this to her."
"What if she isn't?" hissed Gabby, voice dropping as they entered the library. "Lots of books in here... Which makes sense, being a library and all."
"And probably no comics." Spike rolled his eyes at the inferior--
A unicorn was pointing to the left of herself. There was an entire row of comics. She said nothing.
Spike nodded slowly, schooled. "Huh... Nice." He offered a thumbs up, but hurried forward. It was time to find a pony, not enjoy a comic. Still, good to know he could find some there, without paying for each of them. Score! "Moon," he whispered, peeking around a corner.
"There are a lot of unicorns around," noted Gabby, trailing after him quietly. "Is this what it feels like? I don't know any of these ponies."
"Yeah..." They could have all been the same pony so far as it boiled down to.
But there was only one Moon Dancer. "There." He pointed before scurrying, weaving around desks and under a chair before popping up next to Moon with a big smile. "Hiya."
"Mmm."
"Interesting book?"
"Mmm."
Gabby inclined her head slowly. "Must be. She's really into it."
"Huh?" Moon looked up and jerked back in surprise. "Oh! You're new." Her magic closed the book quietly. "Spike." She offered a hoof and soon was hugging him with a little smile, her coolness warming away quickly. "I wasn't expecting you."
Gabby burst into little giggles. "Aw, you two long friends?"
Spike began to blush, caught. "Y-yeah! Moon's great." He gestured towards her, then back at Gabby. "This is Gabby. She's a friend of mine, used to be a mail carrier, now a model."
Moon blinked slowly. "That is an impressive professional pivot."
"You're telling me?" Gabby sank into the chair next to Moon. "Spike has a letter for you, by the way."
"Oh right!" Spike quickly dug out the letter and offered it towards Moon. "From Twilight."
Moon's attention become fixed on the letter. "Let me see." Her magic snatched it without delay, folding it open, her eyes sweeping left and right in rapid reading. "Hm. I can handle this." She grabbed a quill from across the room and wrote up a rapidly reply, folding it nearly right down the middle. "Bring this back to her with my well wishes."
Spike tucked the new letter away. "You got it. What was she asking?"
"That is a secret." Moon smirked faintly. "That was a joke. She just wants my help with a minor magic ritual. I am familiar with it and am available to lend a hoof. I will be there." Just as Spike turned to go, her hoof cut him off. "You two are living in Canterlot now, right?"
Spike nodded at Moon. "Sure are, at the castle." He pointed the way, though a wall was in the way.
"I'm living in Canterlot too," gladly joined Gabby with a friendly smile. "We're all friends now."
"That has not been confirmed." Moon examined the griffon a moment. "Though if you are a friend of Spike's, the associative nature of friendship does increase the odds that we will establish a rapport, but it is not assured."
Spike sliced across his neck with a sweep of his hands. "That's Moonspeak for 'Nice to meet you, hopefully we'll become great friends.'
Moon inclined her head. "Is that not what I said?"
Gabby burst into giggles, which lowered in volume when hisses for quiet came. "Got it. Nice to meet you."
Moon gestured with a toss of her head. "Spike, they have a section on Ogres and Oubliettes."
Spike had to blink. He had not expected a library to have that. Then again, the library also had comics. His measure of that library was increasing.
So it was that Twilight was crowned, again. Spike was one of many, applauding and cheering for her. At least until she waved at him. She motioned for him to come forward and hooked an arm around him, facing the crowds. "I would not be the pony I am today without my dear friends. Among them, my little brother, Spike, will serve at my side directly. Welcome him as you welcome me."
The crowd roared with approval, the same, and yet, to Spike, somehow louder. It wasn't a cheering he was a part of anymore. It was cheering for him, and louder than the Crystal Empire could manage on its own. It didn't help that the crystal ponies in the crowd had rejoined the effort with renewed energy on seeing Spike being made the center for just a moment.
He got to ride along with her down the road, both waving at the crowd as they were pulled gently past them. It was the start of a new age for Equestria, their age.
"I leave it in your hooves." Celestia did not wear her fineries. Her mane still moved with a mind of its own, wafting in breezes that were not there. "I am no longer Princess Celestia." She turned a hoof upwards. "Just Celestia. Celly, if you prefer."
Twilight's cheeks darkened. "I could never!" The thought of calling her that... "You will always be a princess... to me." She dipped her head at Celestia, then Luna. "Where are you two going now?"
Luna inclined her head. "I would see this marvelous new world. My sister insists some of it is boring, but only because she is used to it. To me, it is all new and exciting." A great smile split her face. "And I would learn of all of it." She nudged against Celestia. "I hope you will come with me?"
"Not all of it," allowed Celestia with a soft chuckle. "But I remain your sister, at your side. I trust you will come with me on my own adventures?"
"A deal is struck." The met, hoof to hoof. "Good fortune, Twilight." Luna dipped her head at Twilight. "Oh! I forgot to mention." She raised a hoof to her chin. "I will continue my duties."
Twilight blinked owlishly. "You're still a princess then?"
"Of a sorts." Luna did not have a crown atop her head. "I will watch over their dreams. There is not another that can take that place just yet. Perhaps my sister had the right of it." She glanced towards Celestia, who looked quite smug. "I will need to train a replacement. Until then, I will not leave my ponies to suffer."
"Not it." Spike held his hands up at Luna.
"Your talents lie in other directions, Sir Spike." Luna set a hoof on his head. "But I wish you well with it. Come, sister. We have places to be that are not this castle."
"Not this castle," echoed Celestia, perhaps a moment of longing. "Yes, of course. Let's go." And they departed, the transfer of power entirely complete.
And so it was that Spike helped Twilight out as best he could, but his talents were not always required, leaving him time to explore the city. "Spike!" There was Lemon, approaching with a smile. "Twilight did not warn me you'd be on there, ha! You were worried about my surprises?!" She didn't look upset about it.
"I didn't think Twilight was big on surprises," admitted Spike. "But it did work out?"
"It worked out great!" Lemon threw an arm around Spike. "Welcome to the castle! We're, what do you call it, coworkers now? Twilight is both of our bosses. Ha!" She squeezed him lightly. "That's great."
"Good to be here." He slipped away from her though and spun around. "Uh, alright, this is probably not something you know... anything about, but--"
"--Try me," sang Lemon, dancing in place in a little canter to nowhere. "Won't know if you don't ask."
Spike rubbed behind his head. "My friends, back in Ponyville?"
"Great place." She nodded softly. "Visit it all the time." She pointed a hoof. "Just a train ride away, though it is kind of a long ride... Got some friends I stay with when I'm there."
"Right..." Spike considered the idea of visiting as Lemon had done. "Not a bad idea, but uh, we used to play a game. They said I should keep playing it, here."
"Ooo!" Lemon clopped a hoof to either of her cheeks, trapping her face. "What kind of game? Is it hoofball? The girls love that game."
"No no..." Spike waved that idea away. "Not a sport. Um... Ugh, you probably never heard of it." He was quite busily talking himself out of it.
"You still haven't asked." Lemon leaned in closer. "And now you teased me, so I'm gonna keep askin' until you confess. What is it, Spike?! Tell me!"
"Alright, alright." He pushed her back a precious inch, reclaiming his personal space. "Just some, you know, Ogres and Oubliettes is all."
Lemon inclined her head. "Huh, oh! I heard of that." She raised a hoof to her chin. "Always wondered about it, but the girls aren't into that kind of thing." She waved it off. "But it sounds fun!"
Spike let out a little 'huh'. "Really? What have you even heard about it?"
"You get together with some friends." Lemon put a hoof on Spike's chest, closest friend available. "And you tell stories and roll funny dice around to see if your side of the story went right or not." She burst into giggles. "I hear sometimes what you thought was gonna happen really doesn't, but the story, uh, the bigger story." She spread her hooves. "It keeps going on, even if 'your' story ran into a snag."
Spike had not looked at it quite that way before. But... "Yeah, that's... about right. The, uh, stories are usually about big adventures though!" He clapped his hand, a smile returning to him as he thought fondly on one of his favorite games. "You heard of the stuff Twilight got up to, right?"
"Oh, wow, super jealous." Lemon giggled without malice. "She's been everywhere and done everything. It's amazing!"
"Now imagine if you could do that too." Spike raised a lone finger, leaning towards Lemon instead of the other way. "You make another, um, you, and send them out into trouble. You get to be nice and safe, but they--"
"--get into all kindsa trouble," cut in Lemon with giggles. "I get it! That sounds fun!" She was already clopping her hooves together. "So why are you asking about it?"
"Oh, uh..." Spike had not expected to even get that far, considering. "I used to run the game, back in Ponyville, and I was--"
"--I don't know how. You'll show me? Oooo, gotta get some of those funny dice." She was clapping with obvious excitement. "Where do they even sell those?"
Spike lifted his shoulders. "Huh, never thought about that, I mean, here, in canterlot. I'll check on that and get back to you."
"Please." She was suddenly back on her hooves. "Lemme know. Do I need anything else?"
"A pencil and imagination?" He suddenly fired a finger gun. "And a thirst for adventure."
That got Lemon bursting into a new fit of giggles. "Oh wow. This sounds so fun!" And off she went, trotting away with a happy smile on her face.
"Huh, one player down..." Spike rubbed behind his head. That was technically enough. He and Big Mac had run solo for quite a time, and yet... "Wonder if she'd like it."
"No." Moon arched a brow at the grinning dragon. "Why would I play that? It's an escapist trap for those who can't face the world around them."
"Um..." Spike waved broadly over the piles of books around them. "Like you and half the books you read? Not here to judge a pony, but you're throwing rocks from a glass house there, Moon."
Moon Dancer leaned in. "I am a scholar, Spike. I study and learn. That is what I like to do. You know that."
"So learn about something new." Spike raised the O&O book the library had on its shelf. It was an edition out of date, but good enough for that purpose. "Besides, I know you aren't a hermit anymore, and I am a friend. You don't want to hang out with me?"
Moon's confidence shook a bit at Spike's hurt expression, even if he might have been faking it. "How much time is required to... participate in this?" Her magic wrapped around the book, trying to snatch it away from him, but he came with it, dangling in the air.
"Not this one!" he squeaked. "This is an old one."
Moon's bushy brow raised. "There's more than one set of rules?"
Spike fell to the ground, tucking the book against himself. "They update it once in a while. Say yes and I'll get you a new one. Lemon Drop's gonna be in it!"
Moon rolled her eyes at the mention of Lemon. "Then it will not be quiet." Silence suddenly grew thick between them. "You did not answer my question."
"Huh? Oh!" He set the book aside. "A few hours, once a week? It'll feel like just a few minutes though. It's fun, trust me."
"It is only because I do that I will give this a chance." She threw something at Spike with a flick of her head. It bounced off of him and rolled on the table. A twenty sided die that landed on 12.
Spike peered at it. "Where'd that come from?"
Moon Dancer snatched it back up. "I've played similar games, but I grew out of it!"
Spike was grinning, ear to ear. "It's not a foalish thing, Moon. I promise."
Quiet returned to them as the die was tucked back where it came from. "The.. The last group."
"You had a group before?" His excitement fizzled. "What happened?"
"Since I was... attempting it, I learned the rules." She pointed at the book Spike had put down. "I learned them all."
"All of them?!" Spike had never actually memorized the rules of O&O. The general gist of it was enough to have a good time. "And what happened?"
"They kept making mistakes." Moon frowned with the memory. "And I tried to inform them. That angered them... and I was ejected." She took a slow measured breath. "Will you become irate if I want to play by the rules of the game we are playing?"
Spike rubbed behind his head with thought. "Huh... Actually..."
"Of course you would." She turned her eyes back to the book she had begun with. "At least we got that settled before I could make a foal of myself."
"No!" Moon looked up at the outburst. "I mean... no, um... Do you have a story you want to tell?"
Moon perked an ear at that. "Me? Nopony ever asked me that before."
"I tend to do that." He set his hands on his side with a smug look. "First at a lot of things. So, do you?"
"I'm uncertain... why?"
Spike wheeled one hand over the other. "So what if, instead of playing the game, you ran the game. It'd be your job to make up the story we're in, and to help everyone have a good time. You'd make sure we followed the rules, and had a great time. It's a big responsibility."
"But not one outside my skillset," allowed Moon Dancer with a nod. "I am just surprised at you."
"Huh, me?" Spike grabbed the dropped book to set it back where it started.
"You came here to ask me about it. Didn't you have somepony ready to run the game? What about them?"
Spike hiked a thumb at his chest. "That would be me. Uh, it can be fun to run a game, but it can be fun to play too. I'll take a back seat. Besides, if you need any tips, I'm right here. Consider me, uh, like a copilot?"
Spike stopped in his tracks, the letter in his hand almost falling free of his hand. There, to the left, stood a model behind glass. She was standing as no pony, for she was a griffon, showing off a dress with a smile. "G-gabby?!" She was... looking good, to put it bluntly, though Spike couldn't quite process the feelings involved. "Gabby!" He hurried inside Rarity's Canterlot shop.
Inside there were many ponies, but also not-ponies. The store had become more metropolitan, with creatures of all sorts trying on fancy dresses and suits for males and females, though the females outnumbered the males.
"Excuse me," muttered a larger dragon shoving past Spike.
"Woah." Spike was still getting used to seeing dragons besides himself, oh, and Ember. But that was a new dragon that Spike hadn't seen before. "Wow..." His eyes darted back towards the window, concealed by a curtain. Rushing towards it, he ducked around the other customers and under a few sets of legs, reaching the cloth.
He shoved his head past it. "Gabby?!"
Gabby looked over at him, the rest of her body remaining still. "Spike! Hi! How do I look?"
"Um, great! I, uh, told you those colors would work." Those colors were worked in against her fur creating a pleasing effect. "Aren't you a little uncomfortable, standing still like that?"
"Eh, it's a living." Gabby shrugged expansively before her smile returned. "Done worse, and the pay's good. Besides, I don't stand here everyday, just some days. It gets customers in here, like clockwork, it's amazing!"
"Huh, neat." He perked with remembrance. "Oh yeah, I'm on the clock too." He held up the sealed letter. "Gotta go mediate something on the west side."
"Mediate?!" She leaned a bit towards him, striking a new pose. "That sounds super important. Don't let me hold you up."
"Yeah, I better." He was not fleeing with that energy. "Say, Gabby. You remember that game I used to play?"
"Hm?"
"Ogres and--"
"Oulietes!" she excitedly mispronounced. "I remember that one." She began to laugh. "Didn't Rarity rope you into playing it with her? I was so mad." She didn't seem mad about it anymore. "What about it?"
Spike could remember that time. "Y-yeah, that one." He rubbed behind his head with his free hand. "Sorry about that."
"What are you apologizing for?" She smirked at her little dragon friend. "We're so past that I can barely see it anymore. You were worried about that? Aw, now I'm sorry! Come here so I can hug you!"
Spike chuckled at that, shying a step. "I should get going, we both have jobs, but I wanted to see if maybe, if you wanted, maybe you could play some with me and--"
"--Sure," she cut him off without hesitation. "Sounds fun! The way you play it, it has to be. You're like, in love with it, right?"
"Um, yeah," he bashfully admitted with an awkward smile, shuffling in place. "Great! I'll get the address to you when it's nailed down. Prepare for adventure."
He could hear Gabby hooting with cheer behind him, clearly ready for adventure, or at least a game with a friend. Her infectious cheer took root in him, a smiling coming on as he slipped out of the store. Three players! Just like... wait...
He counted on his fingers as he went. He had three players, but also a dedicated story master in the form of Moon Dancer. Four players. Without realizing it, he had swollen his group to new heights, and they hadn't even started a game yet! "Woah..." Had he gained a level as an organizer?
Twilight be so proud... but only after he finished his duties. Canterlot was counting on him! He rushed to get his job done, not letting anypony else get in his way.
"I can't go to tonight's game."
Twilight peered over her shoulder. "Why not? I thought that was one of your favorite things." She reached up to fuss with her mane. "I swear this is getting more unruly by the day. Maybe it's the conditioner..."
Spike hiked a brow. This was not a thing Twilight usually worried about. He hopped down and hurried over to her on longer legs. "Look at me."
"Hm? Look at--Oh!" She started, spotting what Spike was upset about. Growing into a fine young adult, he had problems that many young adults had, a big angry zit right on his face. "Poor thing."
"They'll laugh at me," he sighed out, reaching out to fuss with Twilight's mane, beating it into some kind of shape. "Wow, this really is trying to go crazy isn't it?"
"You're telling me?!" Twilight heaved a heavy sigh, but a little smile came. "Thanks for caring. Your friends won't mind."
"Really?" Spike raised a brow, an expression he had not lost with his advancing ages, folding his arms that weren't so short as once they were. "Pretty sure they're going to notice this." He thrust a clawed finger at his face.
"Of course." Twilight nodded softly. "But they'll be asking if you feel alright, not laughing. They're your friends. And my friends, come to think." She raised a hoof to her chin. "I still don't know how you got Moon Dancer and Lemon Hearts like that. How are they doing? Feels like you all have been playing forever now. What, a year?"
"Several," dryly corrected Spike with a little smirk. "You forget things."
"I... forget things I'm not focused on, it's true." She put a hoof behind her head. "Sorry about that, Spike. Being princess is a full time job! I don't mean to be a lousy sister."
"You? Never." He grabbed her and soon the two were in a warm embrace. "You're the best sister I ever had."
She smooched his cheek with a little giggle. "I'm the only sister you ever had, but I accept that compliment as it's meant. Now, go on." She directed to the door with limbs that were also longer than once they were. They were both growing, changing. "Your friends are waiting for you."
"Alright..." He regathered himself, abandoning the idea of calling off his part in the game. "Alright. It's time for me to resist going--"
"--Twilinanas?"
"That." He fired a sheepish finger gun at her. "You've been really good about that, by the way."
"I thank my teachers." She held out a hoof and they got one last hug in before Spike raced off. "They grow up so fast." Not that Spike was that much younger than herself. She was but a filly when she hatched him. Still, it's hard to forget when you were there at the moment someone else came into being. "Have fun." She rose to take care of her own affairs.
Lemon popped a fried wafer into her snout, crunching loudly. "So today we have to bust through that super locked door, make our way into the forbidden depths, and find the Frilled Whatchamacallit."
"Wurindo Artifact," corrected Moon Dancer, adjusting her glasses. "It will allow the ponies to re-establish their connection with their god."
Gabby inclined her head. "Woah. Can you imagine that? I mean, having someone super powerful that lives in another world, watching you, cheering you on? That's kind of crazy." She did not know she was already living that dream. "That must be so weird."
Lemon flashed a bright smile, but her words didn't get out in time for light to spill into the game area, Spike slipping in.
"Sorry!" He slapped down a few books and planted himself in an available seat. "What'd I miss?"
Moon inclined her head towards Gabby. "Gabby was just going over your current objective."
"Right!" He clapped his meaty hands together. "We're gonna find us an artifact! You girls ready?" He put out a hand, to be met with a hoof and a taloned hand, the party prepared for adventure. "I take point!" He had played a wizard before, in his first game. In the new group, he was a warrior, with a large shield and equally impressive sword to keep his friends safe.
Lemon pointed down at the map before them. "First, we have to open that door, or there isn't a point to take."
"This is a real brain bender!" sighed out Gabby. "Any ideas?"
"What was the riddle again?" Spike didn't see it written anywhere. Moon sometimes assumed they were paying attention, a dangerous assumption at times.
Lemon chomped a new wafer, crunching happily even as she began to recite, "What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?" She swallowed heavily, her horn glowing as she brought her big drink cup closer. "Any ideas?"
Spike frowned with thought, though quietly he smiled. None of them had noticed his problem! "Twilight mentioned this one before."
Moon frowned just slightly. "Did she?"
"Y-yeah... Should I... not say?" He gestured at the map. "I can sit this one out if you'd rather."
"You alright?" Suddenly Gabby's fingers were on his face, feeling over the sensitive bump. "Bummer!"
Spike went a bright red. "I'm alright!"
"Been right there, bucko." She bobbed her head. "And it sucks. Don't pop it." She traced along it, an equally uncomfortable and intensely intimate thing to do. "Give me a moment, I have a cream." Not that she waited for reply, already rising.
Spike thrust an arm in the way, cutting her off. "It's alright, really. Besides, we're in the middle of something." He inclined his head at the table.
Moon nodded. "Thank you. Go ahead, Spike." A little smirk was displayed. "They aren't getting it."
Spike grinned in triumph. "It's a river. A river runs, but never walks. A river has a bed, but never sleeps. All rivers have a mouth, but good luck finding a river eating something."
Moon reached down to the map, nudging the door out of their way. "As you speak the correct answer, the massive stone doors begin to creak ajar, not entirely, but enough for you to squeak through, you're fairly certain. The way forward is cleared."
Lemon thrust up a hoof. "Woo! Good job! I wanna see what's in here." She leaned in to look at the door. "Think you could use those big muscles of yours to get the door a bit more open?"
Gabby plopped back down. "I help!" She sent a die tumbling.
Spike let his own fly to land next to Gabby's. "15 total."
"16, with Gabby's assistance." Moon nodded, her magic nudging the door a little. "The door is forced a precious few inches, allowing you to progress more easily. But do you dare?"
"Of course." Spike nudged his figure forward. "If we don't, who will? We got a city to save!"
The girls cheered in agreement, and the party advanced. Adventure was in the air.
"And with a final crack and zap of her magic, Lemon drives the foul creature back, for now..." She closed her book, Moon's signal of the session ending. "See you next time."
Lemon clopped excitedly. "Woo! Nat 20 to close out the evening!" She thrust one of her hooves forward, meeting with her friends. "Thanks for the great time. This is so much fun! Think we can get the artifact next time?"
"I hope so." Gabby offered a hand to Spike.
Spike accepted it with some confusion, not that he needed help standing? But as soon as he was standing, she was pulling him away. "C'mon. Gonna get that cream I mentioned before."
He couldn't think of a good excuse, and was soon the victim of having his acne poulticed under the caring talons of Gabby. "Trust me, it'll heal up way faster with this. Don't pick at it."
"But..." He looked over at a mirror. "Everycreature can see it."
Gabby leaned in with a smile. "Tell them you got it in a big fight with a tough creature." She punched the air. "Shoulda seen it. They'll stop asking questions."
And so it was that Spike proudly wore his bandage of honor, instead of a zit cure it really was.
"Twilight." He was watching her, fussing with her mane again. "Twi, pretty sure I know what's up."
She peeked up at him. "Hm? You do? Well then, kindly share that knowledge with me." She threw down her hoof, giving up on her mane. "This is impossible!"
"I bet it always will be." Spike stepped up to his upset sister, running his talons gently through her mane. "But heavy is the crown."
"I'm handling my responsibilities quite well," she insisted with a little huff. "What does that have to do with my mane?"
"Think about that." Spike gently mussed the hair. "Think about what you've accomplished, and the ponies that rely on you. What does that make you feel?"
"Um, it..." This conversation had taken a turn she was not expecting. "We've... come a long way." A little smile appeared. "We're overseeing a thriving Equestria, and I am very proud. We are bringing creatures together, pony and not, all across the lands, unified... in friendship."
Her mane pulled away from Spike's hands, but only to waft on its own, with its own will. Twilight angled the mirror held in her magic. "W-what... Oh... oh no..."
"Oh yes," countered Spike with a finger gun. "Your mane isn't rebelling, it's growing. You're a real princess now."
Twilight slapped a hoof to a cheek. "What will the girls think?!"
"Um..." He affected Pinkie's voice as best he could. "Golly wow! Can I put things in it?" He shifted to Rarity's tone. "Darling, that is so working for you." He chuckled softly, grinning at his sister. "Seriously, you look fine, and they'll go crazy, but not in a bad way."
"Right, of course. They're not like that." She let out a soft breath, regaining her composure. "Thank you." She turned her head left and right. "So... how do I look?"
"Like a princess."
They went on to face the day, just a little bit more sure in themselves.
"Gonna have to miss the next game." He wasn't at the game. He was at Rarity's store. Gabby was there, being worked upon as a dress as adjusted right on her willing form. "Equestria needs me to head on over to Baltimare."
"Baltimare?!" squeaked Gabby, resisting the urge to move, lest one of the many pins involved caught her. "What for?"
"Big argument." He lifted his shoulders with a faint frown. "The griffons are in some kind of tizzy about docking and duties? I'll have to get the full details there, work it out."
"Bummer." Gabby focused instead on the unicorn, Sassy Sandles, before her. "So, hey... Gonna need a few days off."
"But we have not put a pin in this yet," objected Sassy, inclining her head. "Is something wrong."
"My buddy needs my help. He's Rarity's bud too, don't forget." She smiled without turning her head, the dress still being worked on.
"This is true..." Sassy continued her work quietly a moment. "The store will miss you. I will miss you, so get back as soon as you can, hm?"
"Of course!" She grabbed Sassy, getting a squeak from her as she squeezed her employer firmly.
Sassy gently nudged Gabby back. "Spike, let me put a pin in today's work, then you can have her."
Not that Spike had actually asked for her! "Uh, yeah... Gabby, you're sure? I can handle this."
"I'm sure you can." She turned a bit for Sassy. "But it'll be easier with a friend, and I know griffons." She snort-giggled at the idea. "You know, being one and all."
"That's true," allowed Spike with a musing expression. "If you're sure?"
"Totally sure."
And that was that. Soon they were seated side by side on the train, Gabby bouncing a bit on her seat. "Now, the thing is, griffons are not nearly as mean as they seem."
Spike hiked a brow at that. "Not you, obviously. But they do seem to... have a bit of a streak going."
"It's for show." Gabby waved it away. "Most griffons aren't actually angry. They're scared."
"What?"
"Have you seen our lands recently?" Gabby shrugged expansively. "It's a mess, and creatures wonder how they'll make ends meet. Anycreature would get a bit... prickly in a situation like that."
"But not you."
"Nope." She had a smile, bright and white. "I mean, I am living in Equestria. You guys don't have any of those problems, but I was nice before I got here, so I guess that makes me a bit strange." She shrugged at the idea. "But that's me."
"You're just fine how you are." He set a hand on her closer shoulder. "So, alright. They're a little desperate, a little scared. How does that help?"
"It tells you what they're thinking." She tapped the side of her head. "Put everything through those goggles and it'll make sense, trust me."
"Alright." Things grew quiet, just the sound of the train rumbling beneath them. "I'm not mad you're here... but you coulda told me that in Canterlot."
"Coulda," she half-sang. "But now I'm here."
He quirked a little smile. "That's true..." He watched the scenery go back, the quiet returning. Gabby was a friend, a good friend. Who cared a lot about him. She never hesitated to leap into action if she saw something she could do to improve things around herself, especially if Spike was involved.
"Be right back." He scooted off towards the bathroom, not because he needed it for its intended purpose, but to gaze into the mirror provided. "She never noticed you," he told the dragon he knew he'd find in that mirror. "Until it was too late..."
And there was somecreature... "I'm her." He could imagine it, Rarity's mane draped over his shoulder. "She's waiting on me to notice, to react... To say yes... or no..." He could just be quiet... stay in that nice spot.
Until that day came, when she found somecreature else, much as he had. He would finish being Rarity. He would be left behind, with not a creature to blame but himself.
Or... Or... he could give an answer. He could try. He could reach out and give it a try.
Maybe it'd work out?
A knocking from the door made him jump. "Excuse me," came a muffled male voice. "Someone in there?"
That was polite speak for 'please finish what you're doing' in public bathroom speak. Spike ran the water a hot second, not that he needed it. "Comin' out!" he shouted.
He scooted past the pony, and several others that had formed a line, oops. The line was moving again without him in the way and he hurried past it to plop himself in the seat he started from. Gabby was right where he had left her, reading one of the brochures that came with the train.
"Hey." The quiet returned, but he fought against it. "Gabby."
"Yeah?" She looked up at him, the pamphlet lowering to her lap. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah..." The quiet threatened to return. "I mean no." She was looking at him intently at that. "Gabby..." He reached, setting a hand on one of hers. "Thanks."
"Aw!" She curled her fingers around his, squeezing him right back. "What are friends for."
"Lemon and Moon are friends," he noted. "But they aren't here... Uh, I mean, you're a friend... but I... think maybe more?"
Gabby's cheeks began to go red. "I care about you!"
"Yeah... Yeah! I get... that. I really do." He squeezed her hand, an anchor. A dangerous anchor. "Gabby, I don't know how to do this, but wanna try... being a... thing?"
Gabby's response was not a yes or a not. She began to vibrate a little, then increasingly more as giggles erupted at the same tempo.
"Uh..."
"Yes!" She pulled him towards herself, and they were in an embrace suddenly. "Yes!"
Spike smiled in the smothering embrace, a touch overwhelmed, but... happy... "I'll, uh, do my best."
"Do your best what?" She let him sit back up to look him in the eyes. "Oh, about the griffons? I'll help!"
"Not that..." He rubbed behind his head awkwardly. "I don't actually know how to do the, uh... boyfriend thing."
"You're kidding." She was suddenly leaning in so far her beak pressed against his face. "You're a pro at it."
"What?"
Her eyes rolled. "Pretend I'm Rarity."
That got his cheeks burning with new vibrance. "What?!"
"I'm not kidding." She folded her arms cross her chest. "The way you acted around her was pretty spot on. Maybe a bit much, but about there. Don't worry, I'll return the favor." She burst into fresh giggles. "Being a 'thing' means we both get to gush at each other." She suddenly grabbed his cheeks. "Like how cute you are." She was pinching his cheeks and rubbing them as she laughed with obvious joy.
Was it that simple? Had that all worked out so... No catch? "You're really cute too."
"Aw."
"And, uh, pretty." He glanced off. "When I see you showing off for Rarity and Sassy, it takes my breathe away."
"You sly dog." She suddenly thumped him in the side with a fist, but her cheeks were on fire. "Stop that!" She hid her face behind her hands, giggling a bit oddly, caught off balance herself for a change. "I'm not pretty."
"Yes you are," he insisted, smiling at the embarrassed griffon. "And you're super nice, and awesome to be around. I always know I'm in for a fun day any time you're around."
"That goes both ways, you." She flopped back against the seat she was in. "A Spike day is always a good day. So... thanks, for inviting me... to the game, you know? Your friends are great too! I... mean... they're my friends too now? But they were yours first, so thanks for sharing."
"You're very--" He didn't get to finish, being smooched on the cheek by Gabby without warning, and without even noticing the movement until it was happening. Everything was quiet again, but it was not a tense quiet of unsaid words. "--welcome..."
She had a hand over his, but sat back. "I thought you weren't interested."
"Huh?"
"You never said anything... until you did."
Spike could imagine that. He had made it through much the same thing... "Why didn't... you say something?"
"I didn't want to scare you off. We were friends. I didn't want to ruin that... You're my best friend. My best best friend!" She squeezed his hand gently. "I didn't want to ruin that, you know?"
"Yeah... I do..." He squeezed her hand gently in return, smiling. They had a long ride before reaching Baltimare, but it was with his new girlfriend, and not so new best friend. The ride went by surprisingly quickly.
"Great job, Spike." Twilight sat upon her throne, her mane wafting in a breeze that wasn't there. "You calmed down the situation quite nicely. Oh, let me introduce you to someone."
"Hm?"
She gestured to a young unicorn filly with her nose buried in a book. "Welcome Luster Dawn. She will be my personal student."
Spike let out a little 'huh'. "Like Celestia used to do."
"Well, yes," admitted Twilight with a faint pinkening. "I learned on my own the joy of being a teacher, and I want to pass it right along. Luster?" The filly looked up. "This is Spike, a dear friend of mine and an agent of the crown."
"Hiya." Luster inclined her little head at Spike towering over her. "Nice to meet you." And back to reading she went, not distracted for long.
"Work in progress," awkwardly defended Twilight.
"No offense taken. I remember another little filly that was even worse when she started." He waggled his brows at Twilight.
"I was not!" She huffed, but thought back on it. "Maybe a little..." She coughed into a hoof lightly. "Be that as it may, thank you, Spike. You've done Equestria, and me, proud."
"Glad to be of service." He snapped a salute that looked better with his mature arms allowing the proper motion. "Gonna celebrate with my girlfriend." And off he went.
"Girlfriend?" But it was too late to ask Spike. Twilight was left, confused.
"Spike, my boy." Discord paced restlessly in his chaotic abode. "It's been too long."
"Yeah..." Years? "How are things? How's Big Mac? The girls?"
Discord hiked a brow. "That's a lot of questions. Gonna ignore that last one. The girls visit you often enough for you to have that answer." He curled around Spike, floating in the air. "My, haven't you grown! All tall and strapping. You must be in the stage your tormentors were in."
"Tormentors?" A moment of consideration passed. "Garble? Wow, haven't seem him in a second. Wonder how he's doing..."
"You keep asking about other creatures." His twisted form brought him up to thump his nose against Spike's. "Make a fella think he's not cared about."
"No no no! Of course not." Spike nudged Discord away, who unfurled like a greasy noodle, which he was if looked at in the right angle. "There's a lot I'm out of date on. How about you go first."
"Now there is a reasonable suggestion." Discord puffed with contentment. "Spike, have you kept up your end of the bargain?"
"Hm?"
"How many players are in your O&O game? No fibbing!" A bright light began to shine harshly down on Spike. "I can tell."
"Oh, right!" Spike clapped his hands together. "That went great! Got three players, besides me. One of them, Moon Dancer, is the one running it and it's... really different."
"Now we're getting somewhere." Discord nodded along, looking happier for the turn of the conversation. "Pinkie and Rainbow Dash entered ours, putting us at the same number. Coincidence? I doubt it." He snorted softly with a little smirk. "I'm the one running things, as you had requested it. Funny thing."
"Hm?"
"Well, I've been around the block a few times." Emphasized with him taking a casual jog along the walls of his home. "So I get to take them on accurate historical journeys, but they don't know that. Don't tell them, shhh..."
Spike snickered at the idea. "But, knowing you, you probably add a few little touches."
"Just a few," he assured, springing back to an upright position. "But they're doing great! Alright, your turn."
Spike considered for a single question to ask. "Does... Ponyville feel different? You know, with us gone?"
"That's not a fair question." Discord shoved him with enough force to easily topple his older, younger, self, but the grown Spike swayed mildly at best. "Of course it has. It helps that the girls visit Twilight and get updates on things. But other things are just different. As a chaos spirit, I know these things. It's not a bad different all around, but is it different? Of course."
"Yeah, guess that was kinda obvious, thinking on it..." He shrugged softly. "But that was mine, your turn."
Discord giggled boyishly. "Good of you to be a fair sport about it. Spike, you certainly have matured." He ruffled the top of Spike's head, mussing his fins. "Now... You're in a new place. Make any new friends? Make any new friends?" His brows waggled with dangerous implications.
Spike returned the earlier shove, sending Discord floating away in laughter. "I've made some new friends. Got to know most of the ponies, and some other creatures that work in the castle. I get to meet new folks all the time these days." He gave a little huh. "I basically took Twilight's place, come to think of it. I'm the one solving all the friendship problems."
"Sly girl." Discord pushed up on Spike's chin from below. "She wears the crown and sends you off in her place so she can keep the royal plot on the throne."
"Well, yeah?" Spike shrugged softly. "Somecreature has to do both of those things, and doing both would be hard, uh, if not impossible. So we split it up. I like solving these things, keeping creatures on track."
"Look at you." Discord swatted Spike on the back with a loud slap. "All grown up and mature." He sniffed softly. "So proud... But those are all 'loose' friends. Tell me about your favorites. You know that's what I was asking about."
"O-oh... Well, the O&O group were all creatures I knew from before. Moon Dancer, Lemon Drops." He chuckled softly. "She's great. And Gabby."
"Hold up." Discord pulled out a remote from nowhere, rewinding the scene back to when Spike was saying 'Gabby'. "Right there. Your eyes are shining. Zoom and enhance!" The camera, which most did not know of outside of Discord and Pinkie, pulled in tight to Spike's frozen frame, revealing the glint, the sparkle. "Knew it!" With a final button press, reality was allowed to continue.
"Could you, like, never do that ever again?" Spike rubbed at the side of his head, throwing off the effects of the reality distorting he was part of.
"Forget that noise. Tell me more about this 'Gabby'." Discord leaned in with a mischievous look. "This the same one you used to hang out with? The griffon?" With a pop, a Gabby appeared, smiling and waving with her usual vigor, though she was a bit younger than the real model. "Nice girl, if I remember."
"She's great." Spike waved at the fake Gabby, expecting her to be an illusion, but he thumped against a material thing. The Gabby pouting at being struck. "Uh, sorry?" Gabby silently turned up her beak. "That's a little creepy... So... Gabby... We..."
"You didn't?!"
"I didn't say anything yet." flatly noted Spike.
Not that this put much a stop to Discord, giggling with joy. "You did!" Confetti exploded from all directions. "My boy's all grown up and he has a girl! A griffon? I did not see that coming, which is my favorite, if we're being honest." He swirled around Spike to push him towards the couch. "You simply must tell me every little thing. We're going into overtime!"
So, this one time, Gabby wanted to get matching outfits. I usually dress for the occasion. You know, show off who I am and what I'm there to do. Gabby insisted that part of that was getting in sync with your +1.
What I didn't realize what she meant was that she would be there, to be that plus one, a lot more often. At first, that was actually really neat, but there was a limit to, uh, that.
She was, and is, super cheerful, and I love that energy, but it's not always what we need.
Don't even get me started on the... Alright... fine, so...
I got a call to the dragon lands, you know, to meet up with Ember. Dragons are not super cheerful, myself maybe excluded. So there's Gabby, pointing at dragons, being her usual chipper self. Now, don't get me wrong... I love it. I love... her. Her attitude is great. But... the dragons were not ready for that.
I had to keep her fur from getting burnt off. And she got mad at me for 'coming down' on her. I was just trying to protect her!
So... I had to put my foot down. She did not like it, but she wasn't the one being sent on those jobs, I was...
"We're a team!" She shook me by the shoulders. "You can't leave me behind."
"You..." I was so frustrated. "Twilight did not send a team. There is no team."
And... that hurt her. I could tell I messed up right then and there, but she was gone while I was being surprised by it. I had messed up, bad. Just to make it super clear, she didn't show up for the next game.
Lemon Drops was eating her chips, her traditional gaming food. "So what'd you do, Spike?"
"What?!" I hadn't told them anything yet.
"You two are a thing now." Lemon snorted with a half smile. "If she isn't here and she isn't, you know, dying of some strange disease, it's because you two got in a fight."
Moon Dancer adjusted her glasses with her magic, looking at me. "Lemon Drops is likely correct." As if she knew much about those kinds of relationships. "We cannot continue without Gabby." She thrust a hoof at me. "It is your quest to retrieve your party mate, or the world will suffer."
So the session was a short one, with me given a quest to handle outside of it.
She wasn't hard to find. She still had a job. A job she had been blowing off to go with me on my job. It was a window day, there she was, posing, but not smiling as brightly as she usually did. Though maybe that had to do with the fact that she could see me walking past.
I slipped in, but didn't go straight for her, instead heading up to Sassy Saddles. "Sassy, how goes?"
"Spike." She smiled gently. "Perhaps you can help notch this seam." She pointed past me, towards the curtain that blocked sight of the front window. "She is not herself."
"Yeah... " I rubbed an arm, feeling bad about it. "About that. You want her as a model, right? She can't do that if she's off with me, can she?"
"Not very well," she confirmed. "But she is…" She glanced left and right and leaned in close, whispering, "in love." Sassy cleared her throat. "So I was trying to be patient. I won't put a pin in the search for love!"
"Right..." What a spot to be in. "Twilight sends me on all kinds of important missions, for Equestria. Not all of them are safe. I can handle it." I thumped my chest. "I'm a dragon, and I've got, you know, tons of experience." Not gonna lie, I was proud of that. "Gabby is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but she's... I don't want her to get hurt."
Discord shook his head slowly. "So... which was it? Did you take her along or stick to your guns?" He was suddenly holding two six shooters, a long straw poking free of his mouth. "I don't see a lot of other options there."
"There's always a third option." Spike waggled his brows with a chuckle. "We... made a deal. She got to come along for at least one in three missions. I got to pick which ones those would be, but at least one in three. She also got named as my official assistant."
Discord burst into a new round of chortles. "Oh, I can only imagine she was happy about that."
"You kidding? Yeah... she wears that medal around any time we go on a mission. I just make sure she's not going on the ones that could get her hurt, uh, at least obviously. No dragons, no yaks, and she can do without trying to mediate anything involving Kludgetown."
"Huh." He patted Spike's shoulder lightly. "Not a bad ending. I really should visit that place." He tapped at his chin. "I hear they have a real respect for the bipedal thing."
"Maybe you'll like it," offered Spike without full confidence. "So tell me about what kinda trouble your group's getting into."
"Since you asked!" Discord was all too happy to regale Spike in the tales of his brave, if sometimes foolish, adventuring party and the troubles he'd put in their path.
It was a lovely meeting, ended with promises to meet up more often from then on. "It's simply too much." Discord shook Spike lightly. "To be apart for so long. Time and space is just a suggestion for me. We have no good excuse." He leaned in a little. "In fact... if you warn your Moon Dancer ahead of time, I could stop by for a cameo or two, hm? Now that could be all sorts of fun."
Spike smirked, an expression Discord had not expected. "I should warn. Moon Dancer knows the rules, all of them. Try to wiggle around them and she will catch you and call you on it. She's a great storyteller, but breaking the rules is not allowed. If you can handle that..."
"A whole week!" Gabby grabbed for Spike's hand. "Can you even imagine?"
Spike gently held her, fingers working between hers. "Gabby, we get to hang out all the time."
"But not just... relaxing, you know." She hiked a thumb at herself. "I'm working with Sassy, Rarity, or you. Not that I mind doing that, you three are great, but it's still work." She suddenly swung around, thumping her head against Spike's. "And you! When's the last vacation you got, huh?"
"Been a while." He frowned as if thinking back for the time. "Longer since I didn't spend it with Twilight."
Gabby squeezed his hand, bringing their joined hands up into view. "Twilight is a sweetie, but you two are not attached."
Spike snorted with a sudden grin. "I seem to be attached to a new lady."
"Darn right," laughed out Gabby, dancing back and taking Spike with him. He was large enough to resist, but did not, coming along with her joyful motions. "And I know just what to do!"
"Go to a convention?"
She hiked a brow at his idea. "Close, but no." She brought him to a window and pointed out to a lonely tree in a park in the city. "See that?"
"The park?" Spike shrugged at it lightly. "What about it?"
"Not the park." She waggled her finger. "The park is everyone's, but I claim dibs on that tree, and you're coming with me."
This was somewhat confusing. He hadn't seen her show interest in the tree before. Yet, there they ended up, a basket in either of their hands. "I brought snacks," she gladly reported, jiggling her basket. "What'd you bring?"
"A drink, like we agreed." He smirked a bit. They had gone over plans. "And some reading."
"Ooo." She leaned over as if to get a peek inside the closed basket. "What kinda reading?"
"The kind I won't get to do until we're set up." He tickled at her with his free hand, prompting a brief moment of giggles and dancing as she tried to return the favor.
"Alright alright, race ya!" And she took off into the tree, soon parked on her chosen branch. It was not a fair race.
"You never told me where we're going." Spike landed a little further up on the branch, hanging his basket on a smaller branch so it could dangle within reach. "But we made it."
"This tree has a secret." Gabby was grinning the grin of a secret kept. "Wanna know?"
"Uh, sure?" He reached into his basket, drawing out his book, a large thing that unfolded across his lap. "What's the secret?"
"For one, I planted this tree." She reached up to a hanging apple. "Well, not from a seed. That'd take forever." With a soft twist, she drew it free, popping off its stem into her hand. "Worked it out with Applejack, brought a cutting and planted it right on the tree that was here, so now you have an oak tree with a few apples on it." A trick not quite possible on earth, but that was not a place either of them had to worry about.
"Huh, that's... kinda cool." He watched the bright red apple being waved in the air. "So that's what makes it 'your' tree?"
"Yup." She crunched her beak down, taking a big bite of the apple. "Mmm! Not bad. Wanna try?" She held out the apple by the tips of her fingers towards Spike. "Grown with love."
Spike leaned forward, taking a chomp just to the left of her own bite. "Hm, not bad."
She burst into giggles. "Not even any hesitation."
"Why should I?" He flipped the page in his book. "I've put my lips on that beak before."
That got her to color, taking a fresh bite of the apple instead of replying, at least at first. "Sly dog."
"We're not past the mirror." His eyes wandered over the book and its mysterious contents. "It was crazy good luck that we both got off at the same time."
"The best kind of luck." She waggled the apple, reduced to about half its former glory. "I mighta had something to do with it."
Spike looked up from his book. "Did you ask Twilight?"
"The princess? Nah." She waved that off. "She's got enough on her plate. But I heard you were getting a week, so I just made sure I would too." She suddenly flopped forward onto her belly, half-hanging free of the branch. "So we could just, you know, enjoy it?"
He reached for her available beak, brushing against it gently. While some think that a beak is like a nail, that isn't true. Gabby could feel it, and colored faintly. Her gentle smile revealed her thought of it, accepting her boyfriend's touches along her sensitive beak. "So when're you gonna tell me what you're reading there, nerd."
Spike broke into a short fit of laughter. "Fat insult that is, coming from you." He tapped her on that same beak, getting her to sit up. "It's a book of ancient dragon folk stories."
Gabby inclined her head at that. "Are you... still looking for what you are?"
"No..." He rolled his shoulders. "Well, maybe a little? I don't feel as lost about that these days." He waved to Gabby. "I have a great friend, a few actually... I have a purpose. I'm... respected." He reached up to fiddle with the medallion that signified his station.
"Left mine at home." She slid back upright, perching with a grin. "You never take yours off."
"Huh? Yeah..." He lifted it a few inches. "It means a lot to me."
Her hands closed on it, capturing it in a fit of feline possessiveness. "I bet. It means a lot to other creatures too. It means you're respected. It means Twilight trusts you." She tugged lightly at it. "It means Equestria trusts you."
"It means a lot," he lamely repeated. "So why did you leave yours, if it's so important to everycreature?"
She released the pendant, just to grab Spike by the cheeks. The book tipped over in the sudden attack, but she snagged it with a feline footpaw before it could get far, not that she was paying it mind in favor of gazing into Spike's eyes. "Because, to me, it's about my connection to you, and I don't need to prove that to you, or anyone else. It's there to remind me, to smile at..."
Spike reached down to reclaim the book, bringing it back to his lap. "Gabby?"
"Hm?"
"You have doubts too, huh?" She stiffened. "Not judging." He snorted softly. "Like I'm in any position..." He waved at his pendant. "I shout... to say it's all real, what I've earned."
"I keep it close and quiet," echoed Gabby a bit more quietly.
"It's alright." He set a hand on hers, closing his fingers on her gently. "We all have those. I don't think less of you."
"You're the best." She brought their bound hands together to smooch Spike's hand. "But the thought of losing it, or damaging it, that scares me, so I leave it home where it's safe. Besides, if we're not on a mission, what do I need it for?" She shrugged with a silly grin. "Got what it means right here."
Spike leaned in and smooched her beak. "I don't have something that shouts 'you' in it."
She twirled the apple at the end of a claw. "Well, you have one thing now, and you can see it even when you're working half the time."
"I can?" He looked around, but nothing was in sight that he took notice of.
"Dummy." She bounced the half-apple in her hand. "I planted it for us. You see a nice big apple, you can think of us. And if you wanna, take one... I won't complain."
He looked up towards the castle and his room in it. It seemed so small from there, in the tree. "Hey, I made something for ya." He set the book aside and grabbed for his dangling basket. "Hope you like it."
Gabby's fists were clenched, little giggles of excitement bubbling forth as she watched him work to unwrap a small container. "Uh..." She inclined her head at the treat being offered. "Is that an eclair?"
"--Oh!" She grabbed the edges of the glass bowl they were held in. "Wow! He's hard to get your hands on. And you got a handful here."
"He's tricky, but not so tricky I couldn't get a special treat for you." Spike gestured at them. "Go ahead, try one."
"You are too much." And she popped one right into her beak halfway, a loud slurp revealing that she siphoned out some of the cream inside. "Mmm! You gotta try this." Her beak snapped shut, cutting it in half. "Go on. Food's better with company anyway."
Gabby burst into giggles, grabbing a napkin to dab up the mess Spike had made on himself. "Enjoying that a little too much, Spike?"
Spike allowed the cleaning to complete, knowing it was another moment where it was better to let it happen. "I'll slow down. I wasn't trying to a mouth full of cream like you did."
"Your loss." She displayed her cleaned tongue. "Best part. By the way, there is something I wanna do, later..."
"Yeah?" He managed to finish off the rest of his treat without repeat errors. "What's that?"
"I want us to introduce each other to our parents." She waved a hand between herself and Spike with a big grin.
"Uh... Do you mean Night Light and Twilight Velvet? Sure, they'd be glad to meet you." He nodded, unsure episode fading away.
"Not those two, but sure, why not?" She shrugged gently. "I mean visiting the dragons, but not on business. And you have to come to the griffon lands, but also not on business. I want you to meet the griffons important to me, and I want to meet the dragons important to you, and they should all get to know we're important to each other."
As eager as she appeared, Spike did not quite match it. "Huh..."
"Don't be like that." She tickled lightly at his ribs. "It'll be different when we're not trying to get something specific done. Just a social trip, say hi, get to know some creatures."
"Let's start small." He held up two fingers close together. "Gabby, would you like to meet my parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet?" He nudged with his head. "They live just that way, right here in town. I bet if we can ask, we can see them this week, during our time off."
"Oh my gosh!" Gabby began to clap eagerly. "That sounds great! We'll start with that. What kind of ponies are they? They must be alright, they raised you and Twilight." She paused a brief moment. "Is one or both of them neurotic?"
Spike smirked at that. "One, but he's harmless. He just likes to have a schedule for things. No harm in that, right?"
"Where Twilight got it from." She rolled her eyes expansively. "I want to meet them, yes!" She grabbed Spike up in a firm embrace, smooching either of his cheeks in the death grip of love and affection. "Let's do it!"
"You got it! You got it!" he assured, trying to peel her free with laughter of his own. "I promise. Soon as we're done here, I'll swing by, say hi, and see if we can't set up a time to go on by."
"Come in!" bid a unicorn mare with a bright smile. "Who would have thought it would be our little Spike that'd bring home somepony first."
"Somecreature, isn't it?" came the call of a male from deeper inside. "Right on time. Attaboy, Spike!"
Spike chuckled softly at that. "Made sure we were on time." Just the way dad liked it. "Hey!" He advanced to give Twilight Velvet a warm hug, returned with a wrapped arm. "Mom, meet Gabby." He gestured back at her in a wave. "She's the best."
"Stop it!" squeaked Gabby with a blushing smile.
"Well she must be." Velvet waved for Gabby to come in. "No creature less than that would get Spike to bring them home, hm? Now, you two have come so far--"
Spike glanced over his shoulder, the castle within sight. "Not that far?"
"Hush." Velvet pointed to a tray of snacks on the front table, Night Light seated just beside them. "Refresh yourself. I was just getting the drinks."
"Ooo, cookies, smell fresh." And so Gabby went to try some. "You bake?"
"For special occasions," sang Velvet from the kitchen where the sounds of light preparation could be heard. "Like when one of my sons brings home a special somecreature. Oh. Oh dear. It's hard to even think about, that we're 2 for 2 on that. Spike!" Her head poked free of the kitchen. "Is Twilight any closer?"
Spike snorted at that. "As if... She's not even looking."
Gabby rubbed at her beak, sending a few crumbs flaking away from the cookie she had demolished. "Your cookies are really good!"
"Thanks." Night Light was grinning. "Ten minutes for refreshments, then we have some games to play." He clopped eagerly. "I have quite the evening planned out."
"To the minute," finished Spike with a little smirk. "Dad, you know you can relax a little, right?"
"But I am relaxed?" He inclined his head softly. "And happy to spend it with you two."
"A happy family." Velvet set down a previously floating tray with a big caraffe and many cups arranged around it, already filled with sloshing offering. "Cookies without something to drink? Hardly fun."
They had a quiet moment, sipping and nibbling. Gabby broke the quiet. "So, hey, you two have lived here, like, forever?" She waved a hand at the building in general.
Night Light shook his head. "While it can feel like that sometimes, we both came from outside this house, and moved to it, together."
Velvet bobbed her head. "One of our first big decisions, as a married couple. Haven't regretted it! A stable place for us, and for our children. It's nice to have a place where even they can return to, when they have things to share."
Night looked between Spike and Gabby with a considering hum. "At what stage of courtship are you, exactly?"
"Darling." Velvet thumped him lightly, hoof applied to the side of his head. "There are nicer ways of asking that."
Spike took a sip to cover the urge to cough. "Uh, we're special somecreatures to each other?"
Gabby laughed a little manically. "We haven't decided that yet. I mean..." She fanned herself. "Spike is great, don't get me wrong. But he's busy, and has a whole world to deal with. I can't just--"
Velvet's hoof found Gabby's beak, silencing her with a silent press. "I hear somecreature working very hard to talk herself out of things. Like a certain stallion I knew once."
Night began to color. "It's about time to start the games!" he blurted perhaps a bit louder than required. "I hope you're ready." His magic swept away most of the clutter on the table, moving it off to a counter out of the way. "We have quite the array of tests ready."
Velvet snickered softly. "He hasn't gotten better at that." She drew her hoof back from Gabby. "Say what you mean. You only live once, may as well make the most of it. Nothing like the thrill of the moment to really make you feel alive," counseled the adrenaline junkie that was also a caring mother. "You'll regret it later if you don't."
Gabby turned to find Spike already reaching for and taking her hand. "There's no rush," he assured. "We're cool. Let's just enjoy being each other's +1."
She thumped head head against his. "Plus one against being bored or lonely. I'll take that bonus." The two laughed together at their roleplaying humor.
Velvet did not get it. Instead she drew over a floating small box. "Let's begin with this, a classic!"
Game night began properly. Some of the games had to be explained to Gabby. Griffons didn't spend much time playing board games with their friends, but she was a quick learner and eager atop that, and she even won some of the time. Not that she was too pouty when it didn't go her way. "Wow, you have so many different games." She threw her hands wide. "How do you even pick which one you want to play?"
"That's what a schedule is for." Night Light looked quite confident in his logic. "Speaking of that. I believe it's time to enjoy some dinner."
Velvet's nose danced. "I think you're right." She bounced to her hooves and with a lively trot was lost to sight. She re-emerged in almost no time at all, a large tray floating in her magic. "I hope you brought your appetites!" And down it went right where the board games had been.
Night had cleared the space while Velvet was going, the two working in harmony without a word between them. "Now, we knew who our guests were this evening, so we made double sure to have exactly what'll tickle your tastebuds."
Velvet was humming a drumbeat, her magic focusing on the top knob of the cover. "Ta da!" She wrenched it free to reveal a dish that smelled of fagrant spices, glittered with gems, and hints of...
"Fish?" Gabby perked up. "Wow, you went all out."
Velvet set the cover aside and sank down. She grabbed a serving knife and spoon and got to work dispending the treats to everycreature that offered a plate. "Now, in case you thought so, fish isn't an unknown thing with us ponies. We prefer vegetarian food, a lot, but a little fish isn't bad for you."
"This recipe came from my grandma," added Night Light. "Minus the amethyst flakes."
Spike could see the flakes were distributed just so, making it easy to serve him a glittering plate and others without. "You shouldn't have." Really, they could have offered him a shaker! Though, warmed gems that were cooked alongside of the food did gain a different flavor.
He took a nice crunchy bite with a soft mmm of satisfaction.
"I think we made the right decision." Velvet raised a hoof, met with Night Light as the two clapped in solidarity in their joy at their decision. "Now less talking, more eating!"
Things became quieter, at least in conversation. The sound was replaced with eating for a small time. "Spike." Night Light was slurping up a last bit. "What's it like? You and Twilight. She's calmed down a bit, but you're still going all over the world. You must see some things."
"The stories I could tell..."
"I got some!" Gabby was bouncing in place a little. "I got to go with him sometimes. There's so much out there, and I was a bit of a traveler before I met Spike." She snortgiggled. "Maybe that's why we get along so well?"
Spike wobbled a laden fork at her. "Not just that." And away it went with loud crunches. "But yeah, seeing the world is great. There are a lot of things outside of Equestria. Not that Equestria is bad."
"You kidding?" Gabby leaned forward over the table. "Equestria's great, and we get to go to places, and come back to Equestria. That's a win win right there." She nodded firmly, pausing her eating to slurp up some drink. "What about you two?"
Night Light inclined his head towards Velvet. "Well, I'm not the adventurous sort, but honey here, that's another story."
"Stop that," she weakly defended, a smile on her face. "I like new and exciting things. That's why I got together with Night Light."
Both Spike and Gabby looked between the two unicorns, trying to figure out how Night Light qualified in that way.
"What?" Velvet extended her tongue. "He's the only stallion that is new and exciting every day." She threw a leg over his withers, drawing him close. "And he puts up with my hijinks. I get him, and he gets me."
"And I have no complaints." He touched his nose to her cheek. "Even if I sit on the side, I'll gladly cheer you on, my thrilling wife."
"And knowing you're there, cheering me on, means a lot." She returned the gesture, smooching his cheek. "And you keep me on track." A little giggle burst free of her. "And on time!"
"I do what I can." Night Light sat up proudly. "Now, all done with dinner?"
Spike set his plate down. "It was great!"
Even as Gabby echoed that, Velvet was eyeing Spike. "You realize, you're getting some to take home." She pointed at the serving platter. "If it shines, it's yours, dear son of mine."
"I got it!" Night Light's horn was already glowing, getting some plastic trays to secure the extra food in, popping the tops on and setting it just in front of Spike. "There you are, all set. Now! Next step of the agenda."
Gabby leaned over, whispering gently, "Wow, he really did plan it all out, didn't he?"
"Every step," assured Spike with a wry grin, helping get dinner put away. "So what's next?"
"Now I take her away." Velvet returned, the dishes all put away for later cleaning. She hooked Gabby with a leg and led the confused griffon away.
Night Light nodded at Spike. "And that leaves us. So... son, there are things we should discuss." He glanced over at a clock. "And we have fifteen minutes to do so."
That surprise was planned? Of course it had been. "What's up?"
"You're an adult now, Spike. You get to choose what you do and where you do it." Night worried his hooves together. "I'm not challenging that. I'm your friend as much as a father, at this point. You could walk away, never talk to me again, not much I could do about it."
Spike paled at the idea. "I'd never!"
"Which is why you're a good son and dragon." He set a hoof on Spike's shoulder. "My haven't you grown."
Spike snorted at that. "Everycreature points that out."
"Because it's true, but setting that aside." Night cleared his throat. "It's well past time we discussed the birds and the bees."
Spike darkened instantly. "Woah! Um."
"Don't be embarrassed. You are past that age, and you have a girlfriend." He inclined his head towards where Velvet and Gabby had vanished. "It's time to learn what that means, and how to do it safely, for both of you."
Spike sputtered. It was just not the conversation he had expected to have with Night Light. "Dad, I know how that works!"
Night inclined his head faintly. "You do? Who taught you?"
Spike blinked owlishly at first before a little frown replaced the expression. "Dad... I've read how many comics? I've been in how many kingdoms? Let's be real. I'd have to be blind and mute to not have a least half a clue."
"I thought those comics were rated safe for foals..." Night Light tapped at his chin, having perhaps second thoughts on the safety of those comics. "Uh, we still have time... I just want you to know that we're here, and, uh, if you two decide to have foals, er, chicks, um..." There was no one word... oh! "Children! If children are in your future, do not hesitate to come to us. We're here."
Spike took Night's right hoof in hand. "I know, and it means a lot... We're not... at that stage... but..."
"If you do," completed Night with a gentle smile. "Don't forget us. Besides, if Velvet doesn't get to see her grandchild, she may well hunt you down."
"It's time to have some serious girl talk." Velvet willed the door shut behind them with barely a click of it latching. "Now, you are a griffon, and I am a pony. Mothering has some differences, I can only imagine."
Gabby blinked owlishly at the sharp pivot in the conversation. "I guess? Griffons do the egg thing. Ponies don't. But dragons do!" She clapped her talons together. "So me and Spike are on the same page there."
Velvet seemed to consider that. "That's good. So... you have a nest figured out?"
Gabby ribbed the older mare. "Griffons don't need a nest. What am I, a wild animal? Though, come to think of it, anyplace you put an egg is technically a nest, so not much escaping that, hm... Anyway, why are you asking about that?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "Did you lay an egg? Do you need help?!"
Velvet gently warded the concerned griffon back. "We're here for you, not me. I've had my children quite successfully." She raised an ear. "Two the old fashioned way, one by adoption. No complaints. But you are just at the start of that road, and I wanted to talk about that, with you."
Gabby inclined her head, rubbing along her beak. "Huh, but I don't have an egg."
"Yet." Velvet walked around Gabby further into the room. "But you will."
"I will?!" Gabby gasped out with amazement. "I thought you get a bit pudgy when that happens." She glanced down, yep, still a trim belly right there.
"In the future." Velvet considered the chipper female that had captured her son's attention. "Do you and Spike... do things that would make eggs?"
Gabby began to color vividly, a good sign in a way, implying she at least understood what sorts of things Velvet was implying. "N-no! I mean..." She began to worry her fingers together. "He's so busy, and so am I... Besides, there's a lot of ways to show you care besides... that." She began to shuffle in place, nervous energy rebounding on itself. "Oh wow..."
"Deep breaths." Velvet set a hoof against Gabby's side. "I'm not trying to rush you, just see where you are. This is a long jump that every lady has to decide for herself when she's ready to make that step. And I'd be a lousy mother if I just shoved you over the edge." A thought tickled. "Do griffons actually shove chicks that don't know how to fly out of their nest?"
Gabby burst into laughter. "Well, yes and no." Velvet only pricked with curiosity. "You see, when we're that small and fluffy." She fluffed up, fur and feathers going full floof. "Falling doesn't really hurt so bad. I mean, we don't like it, but, unless something goes really wrong, our parents can pick us up and we try again." She spread her wings on her back. "Until we get it right."
"Huh." Velvet sat and lifted her shoulders. "I can't even argue that. If they're not hurt." She looked Gabby up and down, who could apparently fly and didn't suffer any visible damage from the method. "But back to you, and your eggs."
Gabby's color returned quickly. "I don't have any of those. I won't until... you know..."
"I don't, but I can guess." She skulked around Gabby like a predatory cat. "Do you want to be a mother? Now, don't get me wrong. Mothering isn't an 'everycreature' thing. It's alright if the answer is no."
And yet, an answer was requested. "I don't know?" Gabby's knees came together. "Raising a chick of my own... I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'd try my best, promise!" Her bright expression began to return. "Of course I would. I'd owe them that much. And I bet they'd be super cute!" She balled her fists with a happy little giggle at the imagined chick. "Oh gosh, would it be a boy chick or a girl chick?"
"Could be either," deferred Velvet with a gentle smile. "Spike understands the importance of a family. I'm certain he would do right by any child of his, and you two are more than welcome to come to us, for advice or help." She leaned in a little. "Wouldn't be the first of our children. If Shining wasn't so far away, we'd foalsit our grand-child so much more often."
"Thanks." At first, a smile, but dimmed with thought. "But I'm not ready."
Velvet nodded. "And that's fine. We'll be here when you are. Just don't forget us, that's all." She waved Gabby closer, smooching the griffon on the cheek as soon as she was close enough. "No pressure."
Gabby burst into giggles. "You got it, Mom."
"Aw." Not that Velvet argued the title as she reared up to get a leg over Gabby. "Let's see what the boys are up to."
And so it was that the family night ended without any dramatic explosions.
"My turn next," whispered Gabby. They were in the throne room. Twilight was talking to some foreign dignitaries in a very dignified way, 10 points to her. "The train goes right to the griffon lands, that'll be the next easiest spot."
"Right to the edge," countered Spike quietly, eyes on the exchange with Twilight in it. "You want to go that badly?"
"Yes." She leaned in against him, one arm snaking around to hold him. "Please?"
This was a difficult thing to say no to. "We can talk after it's all done in here." But delaying it, that was possible.
But only for so long. The moment the meetings of the day were done, Gabby shook Spike from behind. "Well?!"
"Well what?!" He danced away from his shaking girlfriend. "Oh, visiting the griffon lands?"
"Yes." She closed the distance. "We visited your folks. That was fun, but we have more folks to visit."
"What are your parents like?" He looked beyond her, as if Gabby's parents were hiding just out of sight. "They nice?"
"Not my parents, exactly." She fidgeted a moment. "But I have friends, good friends. They'll want to meet you, and us, as a 'thing', ya know?"
"Everything alright?" Twilight joined them suddenly, walking right up to their private meeting.
Gabby squeaked in surprise. "Oh, hey Twilight," she half laughed out. "I mean Princess. Princess Twilight."
"Twilight is fine," she assured. "We are friends, are we not?" Twilight looked to Spike. "Everything alright?"
Spike snapped a salute, though it faded fairly quickly. "Gabby wants to take me to the griffon lands to meet some friends of hers."
Twilight smiled at the idea. "That sounds nice. While you're there, check in on Gilda. I wonder how she's been over the years."
Spike thought back to that angry griffon, so long ago. "Huh. I'll see if I can't find her while I'm there."
"So you're coming?!" Gabby grabbed Spike's left hand. "Great! I'll go get us some tickets."
Twilight's hoof came down lightly on their union of hands. "I won't have that. Spike is now on official Equestrian business, so we'll handle those tickets."
Spike drew his hand back. "You don't have to do that, Twi."
"And yet, it is done." She turned away, mane flowing in wind that wasn't there. "I look forward to your report." She returned to her throne with a satisfied smile.
Gabby burst into light giggles. "Your 'boss' is pretty nice." She danced away a step. "Pays to have sisters in high places, huh? Alright, I'll get my stuff ready!" And off she went in all the hurry she could muster.
Spike's attempts to wiggle free, foiled. So he got himself ready for a trip instead. He met Gabby, waving excitedly, at the train station. "Hey." He put an arm around her, the two walking along the platform towards the ticket counter. "You already grab the tickets?"
"Should I have?"
That was answer enough. "Spike and Gabby," he announced to the pony behind the window.
The stallion inclined his head. "Huh... oh!" He reached out a hoof and pulled a ticket closer. "Right. Here you go." And he slipped it through the window towards them. "There's a note with it." There was no note physically attached to the tickets. That was on the hoof of the pony. "Her royal majesty wishes you a safe and productive trip."
Gabby giggled with joy. "Aw, she's a sweetheart."
Spike fired a thumbs up. "We're on the case." He turned in place to get the castle in view. "Thanks, Twi." And off to the edge of the platform they went to wait for the proper train. "When does..." He found the time on the ticket. "Woah, we have a few hours."
"A few hours, with you? How will I ever survive?" lamented Gabby with a thick layer of false melodrama. "Hey look!" She pointed to a small stand. "They got comics. Any of your favorites?"
Gabby was not huge into comics, but she liked what made Spike happy. Spike wandered over to have a peek at the small selection. A comic book shop it was not. The big names were there, the most popular ones that might move at a train station. "Huh." He plucked one up. "You ever try this one?"
"Me?" Gabby accepted it in kind. "What's it about? You know I don't usually..."
"This one's special." A grin spread on his face. "It's about a plucky little she-yak."
Gabby inclined her head, but began to flip through curiously.
"Are you buying that?" asked the stallion that operated that stand.
Spike set down a bit that seemed to satisfy him. "Some ponies, thinking this is a library." But the coin was accepted, and the complaints died away.
Gabby was starting to read. "Huh..." She turned the comic on its side. "Wow." A little giggle escaped her as she flipped on to the next. "She's kinda cute."
"Yeah. Reminds me a little of Yona." He directed a pointing finger at the book Gabby held. "With more magic."
Gabby snorted at that. "What is it with giving their characters magic powers?" Onwards she flipped. "Good thing she had friends though."
"It's a classic five person band." Spike got a chance to explain some of the core tropes that people who enjoyed that media just sort of... knew...
"Huh." Gabby tucked the book under an arm. "I like her though. You were right." She shook her head. "Oh no, I'm a comic reader now!"
Spike smirked at that. "The library has that series, uh, the older generation. It was still good. Some ponies insist it was even better." He shrugged at that. "I say it's just as good, just different, you know? Still, the library's free, so..."
"So, I get to pull a Twilight." She thrust up a pointing finger. "And go to the library! But not right now." She settled that hand on Spike's far shoulder. "We have a griffon empire to visit, hm?"
"Yep." Spike leaned out over the tracks. "Train coming." It was not theirs. Other trains would come and go. Besides the comic stand, there was a snack stand. They idled their time away as best they could, but their train did eventually arrive.
Settling on their seats, Spike leaned back. "So... did... mom bring up anything... odd?"
Gabby began to color. "A little."
"Sorry about that." Spike held up a hand. "I didn't put them up to it, I promise. They were on me too. Parents..."
"Yeah..." She glanced away a moment. "Look, uh, Spike? Most griffons don't have much a connection to their folks, like that... It was... awkward... but I'm not sad it happened. It was... It's nice they care about us. It's nice... I kinda wish I had more of that, before." Her beak turned in a smile. "So I'm not mad at your mom. Your dad though, total dork."
They were on their way, with no bad feelings between them.
The train chugged away, little puffs of smoke escaping from its engine as it fled away from Spike and Gabby. "Here we are!" Gabby waved gladly over... not much. "This way." She waved with boundless excitement, starting away from the platform. "Wanna fly? Way faster."
"Sure." There was no particular advantage to hiking it that he could see. They launched together and soared over the land that his friends, long ago, had to trek. "Rainbow must have been so mad."
"Rainbow?" Gabby flew about Spike, facing him and going backwards. "Dash?"
"Yeah. She and Pinkie came up here once before, to Griffonstone. Is that where we're going?"
"Nah." She twirled back around. "Griffonstone's alright, but that's not where I'm from." She pointed off, still ahead, but at an angle. "Griffopolis!"
Spike blinked owlishly at that. "Are all griffon towns like that? I mean starting with 'griff' and all. Ponyville's the exception, on the pony side."
Gabby laughed at Spike's confusion. "Ponies scream pony with every town's name they have. We're just more honest about it."
Spike pondered the names of Pony places. Baltimare, Manehattan, Canterlot... He chuckled softly with realization. "You are not entirely wrong on that one. Well, dragons don't do that."
Gabby stopped so quickly Spike thumped against her. "Do dragons even have towns?" she asked, hovering there with a quizzical expression.
"Uh... Not like griffons and ponies do." He shrugged at that and pointed past Griffonstone, which was passing on their right. "Is that it?" He could see another town, a little further, though clearly separated by some miles.
"Griffopolis," sighed Gabby with a smile. "Missed you." She swooped in, diving towards her home, though it was still some distance away.
Spike gave a powerful flap, catching up to her side, the wind rushing by them in their hurry. "Hey, so why did you leave in the first place?"
Gabby let out a tepid 'eh'. "Well... Spike... I'm not exactly the 'typical' griffon." She rubbed one arm with the opposing hand with a nervous chuckle. "Most of them were... kinda weirded out by... this." She waved over herself.
"It can't be that bad." He reached for her hand, squeezing lightly. The reassuring gesture was enough to get a smile to return, faintly.
They came in for a landing at the edge of the town. It was about Ponyvillian in scope, a small town, spread out. Unlike Griffonstone, the houses were more often one story affairs. Often with thatch rooves. Spike gave an appreciative 'huh'. "Not bad. Griffonstone was bigger on stacked houses."
"Yeah..." Her eyes lit up. "Gerald!" She waved wildly at a griffon going overhead.
They paused, inclining their parrot head down at them. "Gabby? You're still alive?" He landed in front of them. "And you have a dragon." Gerald looked over Spike with wariness. "No fire, eh?"
Gabby swatted Gerald on the back. "You joker! Spike, this is Gerald. He's a fisher. He can catch dinner like it's nothing."
"It's a living." Gerald shrugged, his white and brown spotted tail flicking behind him. "So what does your dragon buddy do?"
Spike quickly produced his medal. He had taken it off, but out it came when asked. "I work for Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"Yeah?" Gerald squinted a little. "Ponies got it easy."
Gabby suddenly slid between the two. "Ponies have their own problems," she hurriedly threw out. "You know what they say, grass is always greener, right?"
"That's a pony considering their lunch." Gerald smirked with clear satisfaction at his humor. "Anyway, gotta fish." And he took off without any further delay.
Gabby rubbed behind her head. "Well, one friend down. Gerald." She waved at the departing form. "Nice guy, once you get past the prickly exterior." She leaned in closer to Spike. "That's what griffons are. They have a tough shell, but once you get past that, they open up."
"Not that different from most dragons then." Spike slipped his medal away. "Especially around not-dragons. Uh... which you aren't..."
Rather than bother Gabby, she seemed to smile at that, beaming. "If you put up with mine, I'll put up with yours. We'll be even!" With balance found, she continued leading the way into the town proper. "I wonder if my house is still..."
"You had a house?"
Gabby looked over at the surprised Spike. "Of course I did. Where else would I sleep? I mean, I have slept in some funny places..." She shrugged at that, but a building came into view. "There you are! Wonder if it's still open." She broke into a jog towards it.
"Still open?" He snapped two fingers as they approached. "Somegriffon else could have moved in?"
"I wasn't here to call dibs." Gabby gestured at the building. "So if any other griffon wanted it, who'd stop them?" She marched up to the door and knocked firmly with the back of her hand. "Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!"
The door opened outwards so quickly it thumped Gabby back and away. "Whattaya want?!" demanded an older female griffon, scowling at Gabby.
Spike waved at the recovering Gabby with one hand. "She used to live here, sorry."
"Yeah." And with that short statement, the door was closed. "And stay gone," came muffedly from inside.
Gabby sighed with a little laugh. "So, that's out..." She turned in place, taking in the lay of the land. "But no point crying over spilled milk. Spike, prepare to be treated!"
"Treated?" He followed after her to a building with a long opening along its side at about chest height. There were stools in front of it and a few tables beyond that.
Gabby parked right in one of those stools with a big grin. "Gary! You're still here."
The griffon inside, a classic eagle/lion blend, turned to face Gabby as he came closer, poking his head out. "Tailfeathers! Gabby? Is that you?"
"Sure is!" She thrust out a hand and it was met in a loud clap. "And I brought a friend." She eagerly waved at Spike. "This is Spike, and his tastebuds are waiting to be taunted."
Gary chuckled softly. "If he's with you, I'll give him the local price, but that won't protect his tongue. Is he ready to handle this?"
Spike inclined his head faintly. "How hot are we talking here?"
"Oh, oh no. Not hot." Gary chuckled with dark ambitions. "More... sour. Trust me, you'll know it when you have it. Two specials, coming up! Gabby, where ya been? Figured you flew the coop forever this time." The sounds of sizzling could be heard, licks of flames teasing upwards from inside.
Gabby gestured at the kitchen opening. "Gary is a perfect example of what I said. We're total chums. Weren't at first, but now? Gary, been in the pony lands. I'm a fashion model? Can you believe it?!"
"Get out!" he called, though not turning, his eyes on what he was preparing. "Ponies like griffons like that? Woulda never figured."
Spike could smell the food and it was... something... Hints of that sour that had been promised teased in it. He did his best to reserve judgement. Some food was an... acquired taste... "So..."
"What?!" Gary poked his head free. "It'll be ready in a minute, cool your butt." And back in he went to cook.
Gabby waved it off. "Don't take it personally. Gary gets in the zone when he's making his specialties. Gary, be nice to Spike. He came all this way to say hello."
"Yeah, thanks. They treating you right, Gabs?"
Gabby leaned over towards Spike. "See? He cares. Tough outside, soft inside." Her voice raised, "Yeah. I have a nice job and the city's real nice. They don't have your cooking though."
"Then it ain't got nothin'," assured Gary as two plates slid out into view on that lip. "Two specials up! Eat 'em before they lose the special flavor."
Gabby snatched both, setting one in front of Spike. "He's not kidding. This is best right off the fire."
No more delays available, Spike reached for the fork... that wasn't there. A glance aside revealed Gabby was just chomping down, her face practically buried in the local delicacy.
"When in Roan..." He lifted the place and took a bite. No tepid little nibble. Food had to be eaten properly! A real bite!
It was just as sour as advertised! His face scrunched at the powerful tastes and smells, but he would not be defeated, not so easily. Gabby's loud smacks and slurps were encouragement enough. It became his job, his duty! He finished that plate, setting it down, empty.
"I'll be..." Gary was watching him. "Ain't never see any creature, griffon or otherwise, finish their first plate of that."
Gabby pushed back her plate. "You kept up with me. That is impressive." She licked over her beak with a soft 'mmm'. "I half expected you to take a taste and ask for something else."
Suddenly, a hand, thrust out through that window slit at Spike. "Anycreature that can demolish their first plate of the special? They gotta be alright."
Spike accepted the hand with a queer smile. He hadn't realized he was doing something extraordinary. "Thanks. Gary, right?"
"And you're Spike," he returned. "I'll remember that. Did you actually taste it? Or did you just inhale it."
Spike ran his tongue across the inside of his mouth. "It's an interesting flavor... At first, it was..." He spread his hands out. "Way too much... But there were hints of other things. They came out when you got past the first, uh... bit?"
"Ha." Gary withdrew back into his place, some scrubbing sounds heard. "Alright, you tasted it then. Good on ya. You come back with Gabs, I'll show you other things, broaden your horizons. Gabs, you ain't the champ no more."
"Aw!" She huffed with a bit of a pout on her beak. "Spike! I was the champ at first timing, then you came along and--" She pantomimed shoveling food into her beak. "Down the hatch like it was nothing. Gotta say, I'm impressed."
"Only because you were there." He rubbed behind his head. "Honestly, I didn't want to wimp out..."
"Aw." She smooched his cheek suddenly. "You were brave, for me?! That is so sweet!"
"Gag me." Gary peeked out from his hiding place. "Gabs, where you staying? Are you staying?"
"For a few days." She held up two fingers close together. "Speaking of that, my old place got snatched."
"That'll happen," agreed Gary without much emotion on that. "You need a roost?"
"Do you have space?" Gabby gestured between Spike and herself. "We need a place to stay while we visit."
"Both of you?" His eyes moved to Spike. "One condition."
Spike hiked a brow. "That condition is?"
Gary thrust a finger out at Spike. "You're so good at stuffing things in your mouth, put it to work. Every day you haunt my place, I try out a new dish on you. I want an honest review, no holds barred. Hurt my feelings, I can take it."
"He isn't lying." Gabby nodded easily. "You don't make food this specialty by having a thin coat."
"Damn right. So, deal?"
Spike considered the scowling griffon. "Alright... I won't be scared away by a new food. You're trying to find new good flavors, right?"
"They are good flavors," huffs out Gary. "The trick is finding the ones griffons besides me can appreciate. Anyway, my place has a second level. Attic space really. You can crash there." A little smirk spread. "You two are a thing, I can tell. You'll have to get real cozy, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Gabby colored. "Gary! Um, but... yes... Spike is my special somedragon." She reached to scoop him on in a one armed embrace. "Thank you. You're the best."
"You just can't get enough of the special." The smile implied he was alright with that arrangement. "Let me finish cleaning up in here and I'll show you where you'll be."
"I know where it is!" Gabby pointed off.
"Sure, but only one of us has the key, genius. Seriously, one second."
They'd have to wait a moment for cleaning to be complete. But they had a place to stay. The trip to Griffopolis could proceed!
The food he was eating actually tasted just fine. It was the mouthfeel. Like he was slurping worms, living worms that somehow twisted and turned as he slurped. "That's gonna turn off some griffons," warned Spike, not that it was stopping him from enjoying breakfast. "Not a bad taste though."
"What?" Gary leaned in with a fresh scowl, one of the favorite expressions of griffons so far. "Living worms is frickin' traditional!"
Gabby giggled at the outcry. "Well, sure, yeah, sorta. But most griffons don't actually go for worms these days." Her eyes were on Spike's meal. "Does that actually taste like worms?"
"Nah." Spike slurped up what was dangling from his mouth. "But it feels like it! The taste's alright, try it." He snatched a wriggly strand and offered it to Gabby.
"Yeah, try it," encouraged Gary without delay.
Gabby let out a little nervous laugh as she accepted the suspiciously wriggly thing from Spike. "I prefer fish. Poultry's not so bad..."
"Alright alright!" And into her beak it went. She did her best to crunch it as quickly as possible, but it was still wiggling on the way down, unbothered by her rapid chews. "Oh, wow... Spike is not wrong."
Gary huffed, storming off.
A sharp knocking came from the door to the house. Spike looked to Gabby with a shrug.
She raised a hand to her beak. "Who is it?"
"Who is that?" came a reply female voice. "Gary, you have some explaining to do," she continued shrilly. "Get out here!"
"Blast it all." Gary had returned. "Is that Galadriel?"
"Yes it is," stormed the muffled female voice. "Open this door!"
Gary placed a hand over his face, claw tips working through facial feathers with a weary grunt. "Right, right... Comin'." He trundled towards the door with a grumble. "Whattaya want?!" he demanded as he threw open the door.
"Wrong question." The griffon hen already had a severe expression for Gary. "Your house is rated for two griffons at most." Her eyes went past him, to Spike and Gabby. "But you have three creatures here."
Gary shrugged softly. "I only count two griffons."
"Don't get cheeky with me." She pointed at Spike. "He counts. And even if he didn't." The finger of accusations turned on Gabby. "You didn't inform us of new relationships, so we'd still have a problem with a sudden new couple even if it was just her."
"For crying out loud," Gary grunted out. "She's staying over a few days. We ain't married. We ain't doin' nothing." He hiked a thumb at Spike. "He's testing my food. That a crime too?"
"Is it food you plan to sell?" She leaned forward, beak clacking. "Professional food selling, out of your home? That's against the policies and you know it."
"Buzz off!"
"You first." She waggled a quill at Gary. "You live here, that makes you a member of my Home Owner Association. You're welcome to relinquish ownership of this home at any time. Please do." She half turned away. "You repaired the upstairs window. Good." She made a mark in a pad. "I don't have to repeat that. You also toned down on the offensive odors. Only one complaint this last week. A good job... for you. See if you can get that down to zero, hm?"
Gabby leaned in towards Spike. "This is part of why Griffopolis looks neater than Griffonstone." She gestured at Galadriel, still chewing out Gary as she was. "Some griffons are in charge of little parts of the city. They keep it clean and nice looking."
"By bossing everyone else around," finished Spike. "Does she ever do any of the fixes she asks for?"
"I do," replied Galadriel, not even looking at Spike and still a room away. "If a building is unoccupied, then it's my job to keep it in good shape until a new griffon moves in."
Gary threw up his hands. "Look, I'm trying. Spike, tell her. The food I made today smelled just fine."
Spike shrugged lightly at that. "Tasted good, smelled fine." He decided to leave out it's appearance and mouthfeel... not relevant to the bossy she-griffon.
"You're getting better? Good." Galadriel shrugged as she entered without asking. "Let's have a quick look around."
"There's nothing interesting in here." Gary trailed after her with a disgusted grunt. "Aren't you supposed to give me a warning before you go walking through my house?"
"Once a year I get a surprise visit." She prodded at him with her quill. "Now seems like a fine time for it, with these sudden, unregistered, guests." She fixed Spike in her fell gaze. "You're not wanted in any griffon territories, are you?"
"Who, me?" He hiked a thumb at himself. "Nah. I'm an official ambassador of--"
"Uh huh." Galadriel had already stopped listening, instead eying the interior walls. "You'll want to repaint in here within the next six months." A scratch was made, noting that observation. "Let's look at the kitchen." And off she wandered towards the next room.
Gabby tugged at Spike's arm. "Quick," she whispered in a hiss. He took the hint, and they left Gary to deal with her alone. Not that there was much they could do for him.
"Huh, and he puts up with that?" Spike shrugged at he did a slow circle. "Better question, are all the griffons in charge of that like... her?"
"Mine wasn't as bad." Gabby laughed nervously. "He'd just shove a list of things under your door and you had to get 'em fixed! He didn't go inside. 'If I can't see it, it's not my problem,' he'd say."
"Huh..." Spike gestured back at the house they had escaped from. "He gonna be alright? She did not seem like the happy or forgiving type."
"Gary's a warrior." Gabby punched at the air as she began forward. "And most griffons like that are loud, but they want griffons in their houses, or they gotta do it. Unless he does something really bad, she won't kick him out."
"So... they can only yell?" Spike hiked a brow. "I'd expect that to work with ponies, but griffons?"
Gabby counted on fingers. "They can yell. They can throw you out. Or they can tattle on you." She hiked a thumb at a building just a little taller than the others, a full two and change stories tall. "The sheriff lives there. They can tell him if someone's breaking the rules."
"That they set?"
"That they set." Gabby nodded at that. "You're given the rules if you move in. Don't like it, move somewhere else. Those are the rules. Oh! Before you think it's all on their side. They gotta ask the griffons that already live there if they want to change the rules." She burst into a titter of a giggle. "I remember mine doing that once. That was a big argument, but we settled it."
"Huh..." The griffons of Griffopolis had their act together in a way Griffonstone did not, but it came with prices. "I bet the houses with nicer bosses are more valuable."
"You'd think that." Gabby shrugged softly. "But you can't see how nice they are when you're flying past trying to find a place. The meaner ones usually make things neater. Neater means more griffons want to be there."
"Oh..." It came together how that'd work out. "That's interesting." Different than pony ways by some measure.
"One time I thought about being one of those." She hiked a thumb back at Gary's house. "But it's harder than it looks, and I'm, uh, too nice." She laughed with a big smile. "The first griffon that wouldn't do their part and I kinda broke down and did it myself, and then they got mad I did that, and... It didn't end well." She waved it off. "I tried a lot of things before I ended up visiting Ponyville, and I tried a lot of things there, come to think of it... Shoot, I would never have guessed I'd be a fashion model."
She struck one of a collection of poses she had ready for the window. "Attracting creatures into the store. I'm not even that pretty."
Spike fired both finger guns at her. "And now I know you're lying."
Her cheeks warmed as she burst into merry laughter. "Spike!" She punished him with a warm hug that was eagerly returned, the two laughing as they wandered away from Gary's home. "Let's visit the pond." She pointed off. "Griffons gather there all the time, to wash, themselves or other things, or just to talk. You can meet some more of my friends there, probably."
"Sounds fun." With a nod, they set off on the search for new adventure.
The pond was not far away. The sounds of splashing water came first, the happy cry of children, the gossip of adults. As it come into view, they could see the young ones splashing one another in a fierce competition of whom could be made the most wet. A curious contest to wage, with them all being in the water to start with.
Gabby was smiling a bit. "Aw, I remember playing that..."
Spike ribbed her from the side. "Who said only they get to?"
"Huh, what--" She trailed off as he jumped into the water. "Spike?" And then she was splashed, squealing in surprise. "You!" And she bent down to scoop up water to send back at him.
They joined in the frivolity of splashing one another wildly, soon both in the water where it was easier to scoop up great big handfuls to send in the direction of the other.
"Gabby?" Both paused to look at an elderly griffon hen that was squinting at her. "Who else could it be, a grown griffon playing like that. You haven't learned what shame is."
Gabby laughed, a noise as tense as it was genuine. "Caught me. Um, hey Granny."
"Hey yourself." The older wagged her cane meaningfully. "Come out of there and talk like a grownup."
The two emerged, dripping. "And what's that with you?" The hen examined Spike intently. "You always did make strange friends."
"Guilty, but not ashamed." Gabby twirled to get an arm around Spike, pulling him closer. "This is Spike, my special somedragon. Say hi to Granny!"
"Hey." He raised a hand, wiggling a few fingers at her. "Nice to meet you, miss...?"
The old griffon rolled her eyes. "Just stick with Granny. It's what they all call me." They suddenly jabbed at Gabby with the end of her cane. "Not that they're mine."
"We love you too."
Granny bahed and turned away, though Spike did see the hint of a smile, hidden from Gabby. "What are you doing back here? I thought you ran off to live with the ponies, and here you are, with a dragon? A dragon?! I always knew you were... a special griffon... but this just takes it a whole new level."
Gabby squeezed Spike, her hand at his middle. "Spike is a total sweet puff, like me! It's part of why we get along so well."
"It's true," hurriedly added Spike with a quirk of a smile. "We'd both do anything to get things right."
"Well, hm." Granny nodded slowly. "You came here. That's a hint that maybe you're not just making that part up." The cane waggled at Gabby. "What is it you're doing these days? Nevermind, I don't care. Just tell me it's going alright."
Gabby burst into giggles. "You haven't changed. I'm doing alright, Granny, promise." She crossed her chest solemnly, though the part with placing something in her eye seemed to confuse the elder. "We came here because I wanted him to meet some of my old friends, introduce him to them. If we're gonna be a thing, no secrets."
Granny raised a wrinkled brow at that. "Oh, to be young again. You'll learn in time. Some things are a secret for a reason."
Gabby twirled, pulling Spike along. "So, this is my town!" She threw an arm out wide. "What do you think of it?" Her tail was lashing with excitement, her bright eyes locked on him, eager for that reply.
Spike tapped a foot with thought. "You want my honest take?"
"Yes!" She bobbed her head, squeezing his hand between both of hers. "What do you think?"
"Well... To start, they're griffons."
She cocked a brow. "Is that bad?"
"No! No... But it comes with a few expectations, that they meet." He reached up his free hand towards her cheek, gently brushing the feathers of her face. "But I met some nice griffons, and some less than nice ones. I can feel you, here. Maybe not as concentratedly awesome, but I can't penalize them for that."
"Aw." She suddenly clapped her hands on his cheeks, cradling his face. "You keep saying such nice things about me!"
"I only speak the truth." He held up a hand in solemn oath.
"Yeah yeah." She did not sound convinced. "Today, a treat!"
"Yeah?"
She pointed down the road. "Gonna take you to a show! You never saw any griffon plays. They're not like pony ones, at all. I've seen those, and these, and yeah, different creatures." She grabbed for one of his hands anew. "Let's go!"
Spike followed along after Gabby, laughing at her eagerness, but he had a smile of his own, catching some of that spirit along the way. "I'm sure it'll be great."
It... was something. Spike emerged with Gabby at his side. She was hooting and cheering, slapping him on the back. "Did you see that part? And the sword!" She made a swinging motion. "Agh, if only..." She fell against him, playing dead.
"Yeah... saw it." He shook his head a bit. "Are all griffon stories so... violent? It was like... Like the adventures of Captain Astounder, turned up to eleven!"
"Who?" She righted herself. "You alright?" Her joy turned to concern. "Oh man, was that not your thing? I'm sorry!"
"Hey, hey!" He took her hand between his. "Hey. You put up with a lot of stuff for me. You don't really like comics, right? That's, uh... alright, we're not twins, and even twins aren't that..."
"I got that book," she defended. "With the yak?"
"Where is it?" He flashed a cocky grin. "I noticed it quietly fading away."
Her cheeks began to burn. "I thought the yak was very nice, but I couldn't quite get the... everything else?"
"And that's alright." Spike patted her hand. "We like our own stuff, and we like each other, but we don't have to like each other's stuff."
"Yeah..." She did not appear entirely satisfied. "Gonna read the next chapter of that."
Spike raised a dubious brow. "Don't do it just for me."
"What if I want to see what's next?" She flashed a big grin. "I may not be super into collecting them like you are, but I liked the story."
"Hey, that's cool." Spike bounced away with a quick thumbs up. "I'll show you where--"
"--Nuh uh. You said that was the old series. That's a different story. I already started. I want to finish it where it is now." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "If I like how it goes, maybe that can be another story I read?"
"Huh, alright." Spike allowed that, his smile warming. "Cool that you like it. Now I'm gonna have to read it."
This got a blink out of Gabby. "You're the one that pointed it out. I thought you'd have read it already?"
"I'm a comic fan." He put both hands to his chest. "I knew about it, sure. But I know a little about a lot of comics. Doesn't mean I actually read it."
"But now you will." She tapped her chin. "You get paid more than me. If you're going to read it, just pass it to me when you're done and we both win?"
"Score." They met knuckles to knuckles in a fistbump. "I'll put in your address for where to deliver it to. This is for you. I read comics pretty fast, then we can talk about it."
Gabby burst into little giggles, hands trembling in balls. "That sounds like a lot of fun!"
Spike turned on the side of the road, taking in the views. "So where to next?"
"Uh."
"What?" Spike lifted into the air a few inches, wings flapping steadily. "I'm having fun."
"Glad to hear it... But, uh, I... Oh!" She pointed with a sharp thrust of a finger. "The peak!"
"The peak?" Following her pointing, he saw it, a tall outcropping of stone near the edge of town. "Huh. What's that? Besides a peak, that is."
"It's a very special place." She lifted into the air much as he had and soon began to lead the way across the city towards the rock tower. "And we won't leave without seeing that, so this way!"
The two soared low over the city, approaching the landmark rapidly. "So." He drew up aside her. "What's so special about this spot?"
"It's special," she assured without specifics. "And I'm not going until we see it. Together."
He could hear the seriousness in her tone, so he didn't argue it further. Besides, what was the harm of looking at, or from, a tall rock? They landed gently on its side, on a tiny trail that led the rest of the way up. "Mind your step," she warned, shimmying along, flat against the rock.
"Why aren't we flying the rest of the way?" They were so close. Surely it would have been easier to just finish their flight than to make that last bit on the too-narrow walkway.
"The wind gets nuts right at the top." She stepped over a crack carefully, sliding forward. "Trying to come in for a landing up there will send you flying, or crashing. Maybe both? Let's not find out."
Spike followed the motions she performed, making the slow climb up to the top. As the wall gave way to the floor, the wind battered against them with the soft whistle of powerful gusts. She had not been lying. "Nice." He could see out across the entire town from there. It was like a... toy or an art piece, all the houses seemingly perfect from so far away. The people, simply gone, lost.
"They call this..." Gabby danced a little, uncertainty fluttering in her. "They... It's Couple's Point. They say if two griffons come up here and see the same thing, out there--" She waved at the miniature city before them ."The same thing, it's a good sign they'll be together forever. The more exact the match, the better."
He was not a griffon, but he had the sense to keep that to himself. "See the same thing? We're already at a disadvantage then."
"Huh? Why's that?" Her eyes darted from thing to thing so far below. "It's the same city. Don't worry about not being a griffon."
"It's not that." He tapped her hand but once. "I didn't grow up here. The town's great, but my view of it's not gonna be the same as yours."
"So..." She rocked a little in place. "So if you do pick the same thing, it'll be even more amazing."
"But if I pick something different?"
Gabby shrugged a little. "Then we know what to blame, huh?" She crouched down, getting a bit of chalk and two slates that were hidden nearby. "Here's how it works. We write what we see, top three. The order matters, but even getting the same things in a different order's still pretty nice." She offered a chalk bit and a slate towards Spike. "Once we have our three things down, then we can compare."
"Huh." He accepted his tool and looked at the city anew. "Huh... Well..."
"Write it, don't say it," reminded Gabby as she began to scratch at her pad.
He nodded slowly, and the marks came. "And..." A last thing added to the tally. He tucked the sheet against him. "All set?"
"Mmmm. Mmmm..." Her chalk danced in the air as her eyes darted wildly from thing to thing. "There are so many things..."
"The idea is the first three." Spike smiled gently at his ruffled girlfriend. "So don't stress so much on the best, just the first three."
"Right... right! First three." She hurriedly scribbled something and slapped down her chalk on the lip of the board. "There, three. No more delays! Ready?"
"Ready." He held up his board, the writing facing himself.
"One."
"Two." Spike held the board, ready to flip it.
"Three!" They both twirled their boards to face one another.
Her eyes swept rapidly over Spike's writing. "Lots of griffons? Gary's house, aw that's nice." Her face colored suddenly. "And where my favorite griffon came from." She punched his shoulder right in the middle of a laugh. "Stop that!"
"You don't look that upset." He took his turn to read hers. "The house I grew up in. Hey, I remember that. Shame we couldn't go in it." He snapped his fingers. "Where we played chick games."
Gabby squirmed a little. "I was hoping you would think of that."
"It was fun." He looked to the third one. "Really, it was. We were just two creatures having a great simple time. You don't get to... be that every day. I'll remember it. Hm. The lake?" Brought up, he could see the lake, shining clearly, the setting sun casting a brilliant shade across it. "It does look nice. Good choice."
"Not a single one," grumped Gabby, but that sulk faded quickly. "I said I wouldn't pout!"
He snagged her, one arm slipping around her midsection. "I came here for you, Gabby. The rest is bonus. When we leave here, I get to keep you, and the memories we made. The way I see it, that's way more important than any specific thing here. Uh, not to talk down to your friends."
"I get it, silly." She leaned in against him and pressed down, urging them both to sit there, facing the sunset. "Right now, I think I want to just watch that sun dissapear with you. Is that alright?"
"I couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening." They leaned against one another and things grew quiet. Not an akward silence. There simply wasn't anything that needed to be said at that moment. They were comfortable in the presence of the other, and they stayed still until the sun had entirely sank away. "Good job," Spike broke the silence with. "I wonder at times how much effort Celestia actually puts into Sunsets."
Gabby burst into laughter at the idea. "Oh wow. Just imagining her trying to get artistic with that, for how many years she's been doing it? That'd be crazy!" She leaned in and bonked her head against his. "Wanna ask her when we get back?"
"She's retired," he reminded, looking thoughtful. "But we can try to track her down, ask her about it... I bet she'd laugh."
"Well good." Gabby squeezed him firmly. "Means she isn't mad."
"Yeah... Gabby?"
"Hm?
"Thanks, for the idea, and for taking me." He squeezed her in closer, nestling against her warmth even as he shared his own. Dragons were full of heat. "This trip was way more fun than I was worried about. You should write to Gary more often though. I think he misses you."
"I should!" she stated with a firm conviction. "Write all the griffons here! One big letter for them all to share. Gosh, why did I let those connections go so cold? Seeing them reminded me how much I loved them so much!" She stood up smoothly. "Let's get down before it gets too dark."
"Good idea." And he joined her on getting down past the dangerous winds. They'd fly the rest back to Gary's, to rest. Their trip was coming to an end. But it was hardly a bad one.
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?"
Spike stepped off the air ship, reaching a hand back that soon had Gabby's hand placed in it as she hopped free to join him. "Welcome to Abyssia!"
"Huh." She turned slowly to take it all in. They had arrived on a small pad. It wasn't a full airship dock, those were, reportedly, further inside their territory. The periphery was lucky to have a tower here and there that a ship could pull up alongside and not much else. Gabby jogged to the edge of the platform to get a better look at the immediate area.
"I think we're in a suburb?"
"That checks out." Spike joined her, looking over the small community. "And it's these suburbs that are slow in recovering." He hiked a thumb towards the city in the distance. "The cities are already humming. The rural places are farming and ranching. The suburbs are stuck in the middle."
Gabby clapped her hands firmly. "Alright! Let's get to getting things in order then."
Spike waved her towards stairs that lead down to the ground level. Flying was an option they could have taken, but flying around an airship dock was asking for new sorts of trouble. "They have crews doing that. Our job is to join them. For better or worse, we're dealing with an intact government. We follow their lead."
"Huh." Gabby hopped step to step. "That's less dramatic, but we'll help. Not like I don't have time." Her sunny mien faded a moment, but it rebounded almost as quickly, perhaps forced.
"Huh?" Spike let her get ahead of him just so he could snatch at her. "Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine! What makes you ask?"
"I know you?" He cocked a bit of a smile. "And you're not super subtle."
"I can be super subtle," huffed Gabby as she stepped out onto the ground floor, looking around. "As if you're that much better."
"Not gonna argue that." He stayed at her side. "We're both open books, and I'm reading you."
Gabby burst into laughter at the mental image. "Am I any good? I bet the plot's kinda tired."
"What? No way." He made a casual left right wave. "Best comic I've ever seen. But the protagonist is keeping a secret and I wanna know what it is."
She thumped his shoulder. "You're not gonna give up." But he just shook his head. "Fine... Fine. I'm not a model anymore. I went and got fired, again. Now let's--"
"--Fired? Sassy fired you? Did you do something wrong?"
"We should focus on our job here, or do you wanna be fired too?" She crossed her arms, eyes narrowing.
"Well, yeah, first, this is Twilight. Pretty sure I'm safe from that. Second, checking in on a friend? Doubt she'll be mad about that. So what happened?"
"Spike Sparkle?" A new voice had entered the conversation, a nervous looking cat ringing his paws. "Equestrian delegate?"
Spike turned to face the new cat. "Hey, that's me." He hiked a thumb at himself. "But it's just Spike." Hardly the first time his name got honorifics thrown onto it. "Are you with the--"
"--Builders guild." The cat bobbed his head quickly. "Is she the assistant?" He was looking at Gabby. "Hello, um." He pulled out a pen, unusual for not being a quill. "I didn't get your name, just that you were there. Can I have that?"
"Gabby." She leaned forward a bit, watching the stick make its writing. "Huh, what is that, a pencil?"
The cat seemed confused a moment, but he angled the pen at Gabby. "This is a pen, ball point. It's like a pencil, but the tip doesn't go dull or break."
"Neat!" Gabby had learned a new thing and this pleased her. "So what do you need us to do?"
"Technically... nothing." He half turned away, tapping his pen on the pad. "Any work you do is work not being done by a guild member."
Spike hiked a brow at that. "We're here to get the trade ports ready for action. Them being open will give you plenty to do."
"Right right." He tucked the pad away. "You both have wings." He gestured with his pen at both of those mobility-enhancing limbs. "We have jobs you could save time with. Not that we couldn't get it done ourselves."
"But we can get it done a bit faster, for you." Spike shrugged softly. "If it helps, we're already paid. You can take credit. I don't care."
Gabby shrugged expansively. "Yeah, we just wanna help."
"That actually does improve things." The cat seemed less nervous as he led the way away from the skyship tower towards abuilding still in scaffolding. "You'll join this crew first. Guys!" He shouted that last part, getting a dozen feline heads peeking out from around the canvas covering at him. "Flying helpers from Equestria." He hiked a thumb at Spike and Gabby. "Volunteers."
"Volunteers?" One of the cats, a female, half-laughed. "Just out of civic duty? This isn't their civic."
A male pointed at Spike. "Hey, I know that one. The hotshot dragon. Spire?"
"Spike," he corrected, even if he did puff a bit. Being recognized was always a nice boost to the ole' ego. "Just tell us where you need a hand and we're on the case."
"We're ready!" Gabby struck a dynamic pose with a sure grin. "Got wings, and hands." She wiggled both named bits of anatomy.
A feline hand waved from closer to the top. "Up here," called a male voice. Gabby launched herself upwards to join them. The work began. As promised, the work crew was a fair bit ahead of what one might expect a war ravaged country, at least compared to many other kingdoms Spike had visited before.
Materials were being brought in and work was proceeding smoothly. They were helping, but they were not enabling the action on any level. It was perfectly clear the cats would have gotten it done even if they had never shown up. Still, they were accelerating it, and that was the goal.
A sharp whistle caused the cats to set their tools aside almost in unison. Spike emerged from the hidden structure in progress. "That a warning whistle?"
A rotund female laughed at the idea, waving a greasy ladle at Spike. "That's the meal break whistle. Now, you aren't a guild member." She grabbed a male cat trying to rush past her. "You. These two put in good work?"
"Huh? Oh yeah." He leaned in. "And they aren't being paid."
The large she-cat released him. "Huh, well, sounds like you get fed." She gestured at the table of steaming vittles. "Recharge, break's half an hour. Then we get right back to it."
Gabby snapped a sharp salute. "Aye aye, ma'am!" And she hurried up to join the line, a plate soon in her hand.
Spike was a few people behind her. "Nothing like good work to build a good appetite."
"You can say that again," laughed out a tom cat ahead of him. "Thanks for the hand. Saving us a lot of time we'd normally have to wait for support equipment. Flying is basically cheating."
"Total cheats," agreed a female abyssian between them. "But I'm not against a cheat when it's an option."
The work resumed with a new whistle, subtly different, that summoned the cats away from their food back to work. Gabby nudged against Spike on the way. "They're on task. That's a nice change of pace."
"Huh, yeah." He nodded, thinking of it. "Not often we just lend a hand when things are already moving in the right direction. Let's keep it up."
Gabby thrust forward a hand, met with a balled fist in a fistbump as they took off back to their posts. At the end of the day, the building was still covered in concealing canvas, but it was a building closer to when it could stand free and ready to use. A subtle thing.
"We're staying here." Spike gestured at a building they were coming towards. A two story affair that was wider than it was long. He saw a small sign. "Yep, this is the one." It had a small number above the name of the place. "Twilight arranged it for us. We get a spot while we're here."
"We've worked without it before," half-laughed Gabby, heading inside with Spike. "Won't complain about a proper bed."
Spike went for the front desk. "Spike and Gabby, from Equestria?"
The male cat at the front desk looked confused at the two of them before his eyes went to his papers, flipping through them. "Oh, yeah! Sorry." He snatched one paper out. "Here we go. One suite." He grabbed a key with the same hand to hold both in the same hand as he slapped them down in front of himself. "Payment has been arranged." He tapped at a seal of Queen Abyssia. "You're good for your stay!" He glanced away and back. "Don't tell her I forgot you at first. I see a lot of creatures every day."
Gabby collected the key with a smile. "Hey, we've been working all day too. We're all tired."
Spike bobbed his head once in a firm nod. "Yeah, been there. You found us, no big deal." With a last thumbs up, they headed for their room. "So, uh, looks like we're sharing."
Gabby peeked at the single key. "He did say 'suite', right? Doesn't that mean, like, a really big room?"
This was not correct. The suite was not one large room. Rather it was a series of connected rooms. It had a living room, a bedroom, and a bathing room, each seperated with a proper door. "Huh, nice." Spike wandered about, checking it out. "Hey, they even have a kitchen." It was a mini kitchen, but more than enough for a visiting person to enjoy. "I think Queen Abyssia is showing off."
"Showing off?" Gabby was leaning in from the next room over. "How so?"
"There's no way Twilight asked for this specifically." Spike turned in place, taking it all in. "She probably just asked for 'a place' and this is what she picked. Queen Abyssia that is. She's showing they're not a backwater."
"Works for us," came her dwindling voice. "Wow."
"Wow?" Spike jogged to catch up with her. They were in the bedroom. "Oh." There was one bed. It was a large bed, fit for a queen, but it was one bed. "Oh."
"Yeah..." Gabby rolled her shoulders slowly. "I mean... we are a thing now, right?" She gestured at the bed. "So... maybe that isn't so odd anymore?"
Spike pointed back towards the living room. "Look, if you want, I'll crash on the couch. We've had way less comfortable. No pressure." He held up two hands, only to have one of them be taken between two of her hands. "Gabby?"
She pulled him gently. "Spike, I trust you." She squeezed gently at Spike's captured hand. "Let's just try it out. I think... we'll be alright. If either of us are uncomfortable, we'll just talk it out, like adults."
"Which we are," he agreed with a laugh. "Alright... Then... Dibs!" He jumped past her suddenly, landing on his desired side of the bed and stretching out languidly to make it perfectly clear what part of the bed he was claiming.
Gabby giggled at the display, but cocked her head as a knocking reached them. "Who is it?"
"Room service," came the muffled response. "Dinner."
Gabby clapped her hands. "It comes with dinner? One moment!" She hurried to the door. The moment she opened it, a tray was wheeled in by a smiling she-cat.
"You arrived just in time," she half-sang, setting out trays on the table there. "Eat up! The royal suite gets the best." She flashed a rather dramatic wink. "We make sure of it. Oh, would you like a drink? There's water right here." She pointed to a carafe half-tucked way. "But we can bring juice, or harder beverages as you prefer. Just let us know!"
They had arrived in Abyssia. It didn't seem like it'd be a bad trip at all.
Bellies filled, the lights blown out, and night rapidly approaching, the two were cozily tucked in for some quality slumber, knowing there would be plenty of work to do the next day.
But neither could sleep easily. They sat there in the quiet darkness, knowing the other was less than a foot away, sharing the same bed. Were they thinking of them? Did they know they were thinking of the other? What was appropriate, or not? It could be argued that even being in that position to start was a breach of propriety, but neither dared moved in the darkness.
"Spike?"
"Yeah?
"Asleep?"
Spike snorted at the question. "If I say yes?"
"I'd call you a liar." She flopped over, facing him. "I can't sleep."
Spike rolled onto his back, looking over at her without turning entirely. "Me neither."
"Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm... really excited... This is a big deal. A really big deal..."
"Sharing a bed?"
"Sharing a bed, alone." She waggled a hand in the gloom. "Just us, together. We're both adults, Spike. We can do whatever we want, and we decided on this... together."
"We sure did." Spike swallowed heavily. "Gabby, I'm not going to... take advantage."
"Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"First, can you stop responding to that the same exact way." She reached out, tapping the end of his snout. "Second, I'm a grown griffon. Respect that. If I didn't want to be here... I wouldn't be. Accept that I made a decision."
"Yeah..." He swallowed thickly. "You did." He propped himself up. "Gabby?"
"I will not say 'yeah'." She sat up, looking over at him. "What's up?"
"Gabby, do you mind?" He reached out. She did not resist as he took her hand, squeezing her fluffy digits between his scaled ones. "Gabby... Thanks, for being here. For accepting me. For... being you."
"Aw." She squeezed in kind, things growing quiet a moment, only to be broken with the sound of an almost silent peck on his cheek. "Spike, let's get some sleep, but I'm not letting go."
So they did finally get some sleep in, hand in hand.
The next day, the work came for them. More accurately, they went to the work. Joining the local guild, they lent their hands and wings to the task. A startled cry was followed by a sharp command that seemed to echo as others joined in. Spike leaned over the side, head poking free of the covering cloth that concealed the building. "Everything alright?"
"I'm alright!" assured Gabby, but the fact that she was on a stretcher disagreed with her statement. She was hiding her hand under an arm and her teeth were set, still smiling despite whatever had happened.
Spike landed lightly, descent slowed just enough to make for a proper entry. "What happened?!"
"Just a hand in the wrong place at the wrong time." Gabby rolled her eyes as she was hauled away. "I'll be back on duty in a few minutes. It was more surprising than anything."
"This looks a little more serious than you're giving it credit for. Let me see." He couldn't see the affected hand, hidden as it was. "Should we get a doctor?"
"You should get back to work," she ordered with a little frown. "We're already down one flier, don't make it two."
Spike set a hand on her forehead. "I'm right here. Don't feel bad calling me, alright? Promise me."
"I promise." She stuck out her tongue in defiance of his protectiveness. "I'll be just--oof." She had just been set down, the workers already marching back to work. "See? They got the right idea. Go on, shoo!"
Spike snapped open his wings. "I'll get back to it then, but if you need me, call. Don't hesitate." And soon he was gone, flapping back to where he had been working.
It wasn't even half a shift later that Spike was set down next to her, looking more amused than in pain. "They could use a few safety rules."
"Right?!" Gabby rolled over to face him. "I think they're in a hurry. Everything was fine, then it... wasn't, in a flash."
"That sounds about right. We had a good tempo going." He gestured with one hand, the other not joining the fun. "Board down, nail, inspect, next board down. I didn't finish putting the board down and the nail came."
"Wow, that is exactly what happened to me." Gabby huffed in annoyance. "Those cats need to slow down if they want to get this done." She rose up and peeked at her hand, flexing it softly. "I'm alright now. I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind. If they want this done quickly, they gotta slow down!" She stormed off to do just that.
Spike watched her go from where he was still flopped on his stretcher. He wasn't sure how successful she'd be, but wished her luck regardless. The Abyssians did need to hear the advice.
And so it was that she found one of the forecats in charge of things. "Hey." But he wasn't paying attention to her, instead watching a heavy beam being lowered into position. "Important bit of feedback."
"Wait your turn." He gestured in broad sweeps to the left, then a stop motion. "Because if this comes down wrong, it'll my by hide."
Gabby looked up where the cat was focused to see the beam herself. "Yeah that is kinda big," she allowed, quieting herself until the beam settled down and was swarmed over by scaling cats that began to secure it in place with calls and shouts. "Alright, now are you free?"
The forecat turned towards her. "You're one of the fliers, aren't you?" He directed a finger at the wing that peeked up above her shoulder. "Why are you down here?"
"I was helping, but the workers--" She hiked a thumb at the partially covered building. "--They're in such a rush it isn't safe. I wasn't hurt too bad, but it did knock me out for a few hours, and that's more wasted time than if they just did it right, and safe, the first time."
"You look alright." His shoulders lifted in a limp display of a lack of empathy.
Gabby threw an arm around the cat, directing him towards where Spike was laid out on a stretcher. "You got two fliers and you managed to knock them both out in the same day. We want to help, we totally do. Don't make it more dangerous than building already is."
"Look." The forecat folded his clipboard under an arm. "You are not in our usual operational book. Not to say we mind the help. We're ahead of schedule, and that's great." He fired a thumbs up for emphasis. "But this is the pace we work at. It works for us. You're the new ones, not us."
Gabby could but stare at him a moment, struck to silence by the refusal to slow down. "And you don't ever get in accidents?"
"Me? Hope not. The workers? Sometimes, but not often." He shrugged softly. "They don't get paid much not workin'. My crew knows what they're doing. We have a solid record."
"I see." Gabby wandered away with a frown, tapping at her beak as she returned to Spike's side.
"How'd it go?" He was sitting up, but did not move to rise. "You don't look like they said 'sure'."
"He didn't... But he did say something that got me thinking." She sank down next to him. "And I feel kinda dumb, since I've said this about griffons before. You can't 'fix' people like that. They do things their way. You have to... get on their level. They're not being fast. We're slow."
"Slow? I didn't--"
She put a finger to his lips, earning his quiet. "We're the new ones here. They got a tempo going. It's working for them. If we want to be good guests, we match them, not ask them to match us."
"Huh..." Spike smiled. "Wow, that's some deep thought right there. Good on you."
"I have those once in a while." She stuck out her tongue as she hopped back to her feet. "I'm gonna get back to it. And I'm gonna keep up with the cats!"
Spike watched her stride away with renewed confidence. "Knock 'em dead." He'd seen her look like that before. She was hard to dissuade in that mode. It made him want to get involved. He flexed his hand experimentally, but didn't rise. "If I can't keep up, I'll just get in the way." He kept himself seated rather than trying to force himself to go get hurt again. "Do as the cats do."
So Gabby got to it, hastening herself to match the flow of those around her, even if it felt like she was hustling. The cats were going at that speed without prompting. Nobody was shouting at them to hurry up, except her when she fell behind. It was just the pace that the abyssians liked to do the work at.
Accelerating to match, no more accidents came to harass her that day. The shrill whistle of the end of the day sounded and she landed triumphantly. "Good job!" She shared a few shoulder pats and high fives with cats going past her, getting promises of another day of work the next day. She found Spike, standing. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, but I didn't get much more work done," he admitted, rubbing behind his head. "Unlike you. They were talking about you."
Gabby lit up. "Good things, I hope!"
"Very good things. You surprised them." He took her hand and they started back towards their hotel. "They thought we were both slow and not very good at this and you just came back like a hurricane. Really impressed them."
"Wow, gosh." Gabby burst into merry giggles. "I was just going with the flow. I wasn't any faster than they were."
"Must have been a big difference." He stole a kiss from her cheek, getting a fresh giggle from her. "I'll match it tomorrow, promise. Let's knock this project out."
"Together!" She thrust up her free hand. "Gonna be great. If we keep going at this pace, shouldn't take long. How many are we helping with, actually?"
"That is a great question." In their room, he grabbed a scroll and got to writing. "And I know how to find out."
Dear Princess Celestia Twilight,
Just kidding! We're on the job and making progress. How many arrival docks do you want us to oversee? Just checking in, not complaining, promise. We're doing good so far, after some adjusting. These cats are fast!
Your Faithful Brother, Spike
Gabby held out a hand until the quill was surrendered. She added 'And Gabby!' and a big heart next to it. "There."
Spike nodded with all proper gravity. "And to send this off." He puffed flames in a delicate green swirl that engulfed and sent the letter away in a cloud of sparkles. "One advantage to being larger is the return postage is a lot less awkward."
Gabby raised a brow. "Hey, yeah... weren't you attached to the old princess?"
"Was." He wagged a lone finger. "But new head princess, new attachment. My letters come and go from Twilight now. Which I'm alright with. As I wrote, she is my sister. I want to get her letters."
Gabby slid around behind him, easily done with him sitting. She hugged him from behind, hands on his chest as she stood. "Does it bother you, doing that?"
"Why should it?" Spike shrugged softly. "It's a magic I'm good at. If you could do it, I bet you would too."
Gabby was lost in her imagination. "If I had mail breath... Wow, that'd be neat!" It was in that moment that it clicked. "Oh. Yeah, guess I wouldn't be upset either. That's a neat super power. I don't have any of those." She shrugged helplessly. "Just a griffon."
"Just the best griffon." He rose to kiss her. He had meant to get her cheek, but ended up getting her beak instead as she turned at the wrong, or right, moment. It was the first, not the last, kiss of the evening.
"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!"
