Equestria, a land of magic and harmony. A seemingly utopian setting where ponies and magical creatures commune together as neighbors and friends, under the rule of the kingdom's newly crowned supreme ruler, Twilight Sparkle – the Princess of Friendship – and her Council of Friendship – the friends she knew and loved on her first step of self-discovery.
One of her friends is a dragon, named Spike. Unlike her Ponyville friends, Twilight has known Spike the longest, back in Canterlot, from the moment she first hatched him, on her entrance exam to be accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
Since then, Spike had grown up to be a little brother to Twilight, and their friendship had grown stronger after their many adventures, right up to the point when the young dragon became Princess Twilight's official Royal Advisor.
By this time, the young dragon had also found love, in the form of a cheerful griffon named Gabriella "Gabby" Griffon.
Many years ago, the two first met and became friends by chance, after young Gabby's first visit to Ponyville. At that time, Gabby was an outcast to all other griffons in Griffonstone, feeling lonely and lost in the world, without knowing what her purpose in life is. Hoping to find what her purpose is, she came to Ponyville, seeking help and consultancy from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Upon leaving Ponyville, she got more than just a purpose. She got a new pen pal, in Spike the dragon.
From that day on, Spike and Gabby had became close friends, and stayed in touch with each other. With each passing days, their friendship grew bigger, closing the great distance between them, until finally, it blossomed into a beautiful romantic love between a dragon and a griffon.
But only one question remains: When will they tie the knot?
Only time will tell, for this is only the beginning.
Celestia's sun was shining down on a beautiful valley, where the fields are lush and green, beautiful flowers of every kinds shining in the sunlight, and the soft gentle flow of streams stretched across the land.
It is a perfect time and place for a picnic, which Spike had in mind for his girlfriend, Gabby.
Over the years, young Spike had grown into a big, tall, and muscular dragon.
Sitting by his side, Gabby had too grown into a beautiful griffon. She no longer wore her hair in a knot at the back of her head, but sported a pair of feather bangs that draped over her dazzling moderate turquoise eyes.
“Happy 10th anniversary, Gabby-Berry,” Spike smiled loving at his special griffon.
“Happy 10th anniversary, Spikelove,” Gabby reciprocated the feeling, before both she and Spike claimed each other’s lips and beaks.
“Wow, ten years?” The griffon asked, before she squealed excitedly, “It went by so fast!”
“I know, it’s crazy,” Spike smiled in agreement. “It seems like only yesterday when you were delivering mails on your rounds in Ponyville…”
“And I have you to accompany me!” Gabby smiled, nuzzling Spike affectionately into his neck. “And now, here we are. Two grownups…”
“…having a picnic,” Spike smiled, returning the nuzzle, on top of Gabby’s head.
“In our secret place…” Gabby finished.
“Where our love will always stay.”
Once again, both Spike and Gabby pulled each other close for another passionate kiss. Taking it up a notch, Spike grabbed Gabby by the shoulders and they end up rolling downhill, together, wrestling and tussling to get on top of each other.
Spike got on top of Gabby, “So you like o play rough, do you?” He flirted.
In response, Gabby grabbed him by the side of his head and rolled on top, pinning the dragon down.
“You’d like that, don’t you?” Gabby grinned.
Spreading her wings out, Gabby proceeded to repeatedly peck Spike along the neck, making him chuckle in response to the tickling sensation.
“Gabby,” Spike smirked. “We’re on a picnic. I’m not the main course. And our foods are getting cold.”
“Aw, but you’re even better than a picnic with a plate of griffon scones and energizing turnip soup, Spikey-Wikey,” Gabby cooed.
“Maybe I am. But can we just get back to eating our foods, before they go to waste, for nothing?”
“Mmmm-okay,” Gabby proceeded to walk back to their picnic, while enticing Spike with a stroke of her tail, beneath his chin.
“But we’re not done yet, Spike,” Gabby smiled.
Spike was bewitched into a love trance.
‘Oh Spike, how did you ever end up with this one?’ He asked to himself, mentally.
It amazed Spike how he alone could bring out a different side of Gabby. Normally, she’s the cheerful, optimistic, bubbly Gabby Griffon. But whenever Spike is around, she becomes more assertive, with the ferocity of an eagle and the dominance of a lion.
The young dragon was lucky to have her in his life. Speaking of life, Spike and Gabby have dated for ten years, and they have yet to tie the knot.
Spike loved Gabby. He really does. But he wondered if he’s really going to take it up to the next level? Can he really put himself out there to propose to the girl? Asking her claws… in marriage?
“Hey Spike!” Gabby called out, from their picnic. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Huh?” Spike asked, snapping out of his thoughts. “Uh…sure. No problem…”
Spike slowly returned to the picnic, where he sat down and took a bite out of a gem cake he had packed for the date.
Looking back up at Gabby, Spike was entranced to see the sun illuminating behind her. It was like looking at an angel.
Spike was both happy and scared, as he felt his heart beating rapidly at the sight.
Gabby was eating her turnip soup, when she looked up and noticed the troubled look on his face.
“Spike? Are you okay?” Gabby asked.
“Huh?” Spike stammered. “What? Oh. Uh, I’m fine. Why did you ask?”
“You looked…upset. Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s not like that. I’ve…been having a lot of thoughts on my mind. What with being Twilight’s royal advisor, to being the ambassador to all creatures, it’s…”
“You worry too much, Spike,” Gabby said as she cradled her claws around Spike’s cheek. “Just relax and think positive. Everything’s going to be okay. It always has.”
Taking a deep breath and exhaled it out, Spike relaxed himself to Gabby’s loving touch.
“I guess you’re right…” Spike sighed. “But…it’s not just about my duty as…Twilight‘s royal advisor. I…the thing is…Gabby, I was wondering if…”
But before Spike could ask the question, a loud cry of a child was heard, interrupting the moment between dragon and griffon.
“Huh?” Gabby exclaimed, letting some paternal instincts take over. “I-I-Is that a baby?”
“Definitely sounds like a baby,” Spike replied. “But…what’re they doing here? I thought this place was supposed to be a secret, just for us.”
“We’ll find out later. But let’s find the child.”
With a spread and a flap of her wings, Gabby became airborne as she took the lead, with Spike following.
The young couple searched all over the valley, listening and following the child’s cry. The closer they got, the louder the cry became.
At last, their search came to an end, when Gabby came onto a shrub, where she found the child.
“Spike! Spike! Over here!” Gabby called out.
Spike quickly flew over to the griffon, “What is it?” Spike asked. “Did you find the kid?”
“I sure did. Look!” Gabby answered, holding up the infant.
To Spike’s surprise, the baby is a minotaur. The young dragon has never seen any other minotaur, besides Iron Will.
In appearance, this young minotaur is colored coffee brown, with white spots, on the top half, with the bottom half being a muddy brown. Its horns were only a pair of buds, that were just starting to grow in. It’s eyes were a gentle color of baby blue.
The baby minotaur cried, as it struggled to wiggle itself free from Gabby’s grips. But Gabby was gentle and calmly soothed the baby.
“It’s okay,” Gabby shushed. “Shhh. It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you. There, there.”
Looking around, looking for any signs of the infant’s parents, Spike called out, “Is anyone here?”
But the only answer Spike got was silence. Still unsure, Spike proceeded to search the entire valley, with Gabby and the baby in tow.
They searched the trees, the surrounding mountains, and Gabby even searched from the sky, with her innate heightened eagle visions.
After a good long hour of searching, the sun was beginning to set, and neither dragon and griffon were successful in locating the baby’s parents.
“Poor kid,” Spike frowned in sympathy. “He must’ve been abandoned.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to take him in then!” Gabby chirped, while cradling the minotaur.
“What?” Spike exclaimed. “Whoa, whoa, Gabby. What do you mean ‘we’?”
“What’s wrong, Spike?” Gabby frowned. “Don’t you like kids?”
“No, I mean, yes. I mean…well, of course I do,” Spike replied. “But…he’s a minotaur. We don’t know anything about minotaurs, aside from how loud they can be.”
“So? That never stopped Twilight from raising you, when you were this little guy’s age,” Gabby countered.
“Still…if we’re going to discuss long term arrangements, we need to plan this out,” Spike replied.
“We’ll just wing it,” Gabby shrugged. “It’s what I always do. And besides…I’ve always wanted to have a kid, be it dragon, griffon, or even a pony.”
Gabby smiled lovingly as she wiggled her fingers playfully with the baby, who giggled in response.
Spike looked at his griffon lover, then back at the minotaur. He can tell how much Gabby had already bonded with the minotaur. Furthermore, he couldn’t help but see himself in the baby. The minotaur was like a reflection of when the grown dragon was just as lost and helpless when he was.
“Well,” Spike began, as he walked over to stroke the baby’s head. “I can say this much. He does have your eyes.”
The baby held his hands up for Spike, “Aw, I think he likes you, Spike!” Gabby smiled. “He wants you to hold him!”
“O-Okay,” Spike said as he took the baby in his hands and held him close. “Hey there little guy.”
The baby giggled before he unexpectedly thrusted his cloven legs out and kicked Spike in the nose.
“Ow!” Spike groaned, holding the baby away. “Wow, that’s a strong kick you got there.”
Gabby giggled, before she realized, “Hey! We didn’t even gave him a name yet!”
“Mother of Faust, you’re right!” Spike exclaimed. “What should we call him?”
“Hmmm,” Gabby pondered, as she scratched her beak’s chin. “He looks like a Spot.”
In response, the baby seemed cringe, “I don’t think he likes that,” Spike chuckled. “How about Patch?”
Again, the baby rejected the name.
“Kick?”
“Thunder Foot?”
“Guard?”
“Charcoal?”
“Toro?”
“Burnferno!” Gabby and the baby shot a confused glance at Spike’s suggested name. “Childhood hero. He was my favorite dragon.”See A Flurry of Emotions.
“Gutsy?”
At last, the baby let out a giggle, as if approving the last name.
“Gutsy it is then,” Spike smiled towards Gabby, who cradled her little minotaur.
“My little Gutsy,” Gabby smiled.
After finding the little minotaur infant, whom they named “Gutsy,” the first creature both dragon and griffon agreed to seek help from is Fluttershy.
Fluttershy is famous for her unnatural kindness and quiet demeanor, as well as her knowledge of animals and creatures known to pony kinds. If anyone knows a thing or two about raising a minotaur, then it’s her.
That, and because Fluttershy, herself, had a run-in with a minotaur, by the name Iron Will. So that's another reason to seek advice from her.
Speaking of whom, it was almost sundown. Fluttershy was at her cottage, feeding her chickens, when Spike and Gabby arrived for a visit.
"Fluttershy!" Spike called out, with Gabby and little Gutsy in tow.
"Oh, hi Spike!" Fluttershy waved to the dragon and griffin. "Hello Gabby. What brings you two here?"
"We were on a date," Spike explained.
"But then we found this poor kid, and we came to ask you for some advice," Gabby explained, holding up the baby minotaur, little Gutsy to Fluttershy.
"Aw, he's so adorable!" Fluttershy cooed, squealing at the sight of the minotaur. "Can I hold him?"
"Sure!" Gabby smiled, holding the young minotaur for Fluttershy to cradle.
As expected, the little minotaur took an instant liking to Fluttershy and willing snuggled up close to Fluttershy, enjoying the warmth and softness of her hold.
"Aw, what a sweetie," Fluttershy cooed, rubbing her nose against the minotaur's.
"I knew he'd like you," Spike smiled.
"How do you do that, Fluttershy?" Gabby asked. "How do you get animals and every baby creatures to like you, right away?"
"I...I don't know," Fluttershy replied. "It just sorta...happens."
"Well, whatever it is, we could definitely use your help, Fluttershy," Spike began.
"Help?" Fluttershy replied, with a look of curiosity. "With what? If you don't mind my asking."
"You see, Gabby and I," Spike began. "We've been discussing about what we should do with little Gutsy here. That's his name, by the way," The dragon winked at the last part to Fluttershy.
"We've tried to find his family," Gabby added. "But we had no luck. So we agreed..."
"...to take him into custody," Spike finished.
Fluttershy could hardly believe her ears, "Are you saying..."
Spike and Gabby turned to exchange knowing glances, before they nodded and said together, "We're adopting him!"
Fluttershy had a look of surprise, before it widened into an elated smile, "That's wonderful!" She said. "Oh, I...I...I can hardly believe it. You two are doing such a kind act, taking in an orphan child, like this. Does Twilight know about it?"
"No," Spike shook his head. "At least, not yet," Getting back on topic, Spike continued, "Anyway, the reason we came to you Fluttershy is, you're the kindest pony to every other creatures and ponies we know."
"That, and I remember how much the CMCs would go on and on about how you were their favorite foalsitter, once," Gabby added.
"So, we were hoping you might know all there is to taking care of a minotaur, or even a child one at that."
"Oh my," Fluttershy gasped, as she gently sets Gutsy down on the grasses. "To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about minotaurs, besides Iron Will. Besides being one of the strongest, if not, the loudest of magical creatures, I...I don't know their exact diets, or their needs. I think you're better off asking Iron Will for advice."
Spike, however, remembering the negative comments he's heard about Iron Will, from Fluttershy and Twilight, not to mention the bad influence he had on the students of Twilight's School of Friendship, knew better. See Season 8 Episode A Matter of Principals.
"I think we're better off asking you for advice, Fluttershy," Spike restated his option. "Can you at least help us with how we can take care of him?"
"Yeah, not like a minotaur," Gabby added. "But like how you would raise any child."
"Oh, that's an easy one," Fluttershy smiled. "First, he needs a lot of love and attention. Second, make sure he is well fed. Maybe give him lots of milk, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And as I recall, Iron Will does like to eat some oats, now and then, so perhaps a bowl of warm mashed oats is good for little Gutsy. And lastly, just love him, like how you would for any child."
"I can give him lots of love and attention!" Gabby chirped. "Before I was even a Cutie Mark Crusader, I've always been giving some love and cheers to other griffins in Griffonstone, whether they liked it or not. Though, looking back on them, I guess there were some boundaries I should consider," Looking down at Gutsy, Gabby nuzzled the little minotaur with her beak, "But, if I'm going to be a mom, then I'll give him the best love and support any mother would give for their child."
Spike smiled as he wrapped an arm around Gabby, reassuring her, "I'm sure you'd make a wonderful mother, Gabby. And Gutsy will be lucky to have you."
"Aw, thanks Spike," Gabby smiled, kissing her special dragon, on the cheek. "And I think you'll make a great father."
Spike cringed at the comment, "I hope so," He chuckled nervously. 'Hopefully, a better dragon dad than a certain fat guy, who tricked me, when I was a kid...'
"Well," Fluttershy giggled. "Then I guess you two will be the best parents Gutsy could ever have."
Just then, a small, audible yawn was heard, drawing the friends' attention to the little minotaur, whose tired eyes drooped shut, as he curled himself up into a ball and fell asleep. The adults finally noticed that night has fallen, with Princess Luna's moon and stars decorating the sky.
"Oh my, I didn't realize it was so late!" Fluttershy gasped. "I need to check on every one of my animal friends, in my sanctuary, and cottage. It's pass their bedtime. And you should all get some sleep as well!"
Gabby yawned and stretched her wings, "Welp, I'd better get back to Griffonstone," With a flap of her wings, Gabby took to the air.
"Hey, Gabby!" Spike called. "What about me and Gutsy? What am I supposed to do with him?"
"I think he should stay with you and Princess Twilight, for the night, Spike," Gabby called. "Tell Princess Twilight I said hi! See you tomorrow!"
Spike looked back at Fluttershy, just in time for the kind pegasus to retreat into her house, leaving him alone with the baby.
"I guess you're staying with me, tonight then," Spike said to Little Gutsy, as he spread his wings, and they flew off towards Canterlot.
Even after all these years, it amazed Spike how, once upon a time, he and Twilight once lived in Canterlot, with their family, Twilight's parents, and brother, Shining Armor, along Princess Cadence, and Twilight's former classmates, Moon Dancer, Twinkleshine, Lemon Heart, Minuette, and Lyra Heartstrings.
Then one day, they moved to Ponyville, where both he and Twilight befriended the very ponies who would change their lives forever.
And now, here they are, living in Canterlot Castle, the former home of their ruler and mentor, Princess Celestia, and her sister, Princess Luna.
"You're going to love it here, Gutsy," Spike smiled to his adopted minotaur son. "I know I did."
"Spike, there you are!" Twilight called, as she walked around a corner, up to her dragon advisor. "Where've you been? I was...Oh!" She exclaimed, upon taking notice of the bundle in Spike's caring arms. "Who is this?"
"Twilight, meet Gutsy," Spike held out the young minotaur. "I'm going to adopt him."