Author's Note
So in light of the many likes for my other story, and in response to the comments for another chapter, I've taken the liberty to put together this sequel.
And to avoid any confusions, the episode when Gabby made her debut took place before Spike got his wings and before Twilight sets up shop for her Friendship School. So Spike and Gabby's first meeting would be when Spike doesn't have his wings yet.
A Dragon and a Griffon
"Wow, she sounds like a lot of fun!" Spike smiled, reading over the last letters he's been getting from Gabby over the last weeks they've been communicating with each other.
"Hey Spike," Twilight greeted, startling the little purple dragon into falling out of his chair. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," the lavender alicorn apologized, before taking notice of the pile of letters on his desk. "Hey, what's all this?"
"Uh, nothin'," Spike said bashfully, trying in vain to cover up his letters. "Nothin' important." However, Twilight wasn't buying it. Unable to resist any longer, Spike caved in and admitted, "Okay, the truth is I got a new pen pal. A real one this time. And I think you know her as Gabby Griffin."
"Whoa, really?" Twilight exclaimed. "Since when did you two started writing letters back and forth?"
"Since she wrote back explaining everything to us about her fake cutie mark," Spike said, holding up the letter. "She sounds interesting to me, so I thought about getting to know her more and it turns out, we've got a lot in common!"
"Wow, that's great Spike!" Twilight smiled. "I'm so happy for you!"
"And she's coming back to Ponyville tomorrow!" Spike's cheerful demeanor quickly turned nervous, as he began to doubt, "But what do I do? How do I make her time in Ponyville fun? What would she like to do? What do–"
"Spike, calm down," Twilight coaxed the little dragon. "You're overthinking it. Whoa, did I just say that?" the lavender alicorn asked, doing a double take before she resumes, "Gabby's a great griffin. She's not like all the other griffins in Griffonstone, like Gilda or Grampa Gruff. Without a doubt, she'll enjoy whatever you have planned for her. You just need to be yourself."
Scratching his chin, Spike took Twilight's words into accounts. She's never steered him wrong before, and why would she? She is the Princess of Friendship after all.
"Okay I will!" with that, Spike tackled Twilight in a hug. "Thank you, Twilight!"
"Anytime, Spike."
The Next Day
Celestia's sun was shining down on Ponyville, with every ponies, donkeys, and creatures going about their day.
It was on this beautiful day that a lonely griffin was perching atop the rooftop of the town's post office. From the looks of the bag she was carrying on her back, it's clear that this griffin's main occupation was in the service of mail deliver. However, today isn't another one of her usual busy day of mail deliveries.
After she had delivered a letter from Gilda to Rainbow Dash, this griffin has a date with a certain dragon in Ponyville. Her dragon pen pal, to be precise.
She was waiting patiently, if not anxiously, scratching the back of her head with her hind leg, when a voice called out to her, "Hi! You must be Gabby!" he greeted.
Startled, Gabby quickly composed herself and smiled, "Yup, that's me! And you must be Spi–" she turned her head around, and was perplexed to see nobody was there, "Huh? What the– Who said that?" Gabby asked, turning her head from left to right, trying to find the source.
"Down here," the voice answered, directing the griffin to look down to see a little, wingless purple dragon with green spikes.
"Oh, hello there," Gabby smiled with a wave of her claw. "You wouldn't by chance know where I could find a dragon named Spike, would you?"
Spike could only chuckle, as he introduced himself, "I am Spike."
"You're Spike?!" the little dragon nodded in response. "Omigosh! You're so much cuter in griffon!" Gabby squealed, leaping down from the roof, and stood, towering just a bit over the little dragon. "Though, no offense, I sort of pictured you to be a bit bigger."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Spike rolled his eyes, before he held his claws out to shake Gabby's. "Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you Gabby!"
"So great to finally meet you too!" the griffin screeched excitedly. "I can't believe I'm actually friends with a dragon, who is also my penpal, and I’m actually shaking claws with him now!" out of excited impulse, and with her natural griffin strength, Gabby shook Spike harder than she needs to be, causing him to bounce up and down on the ground and in the air, repeatedly. "Ooh, sorry," she apologized.
Dazed and shock from the adrenaline, Spike held his claws up to his head, composing himself together until he finally regains his balance and senses, "Wow, you're a lively one," Spike commented.
Gabby could only blush as she chuckled nervously, "It's a habit of mine."
"Hey, don't get me wrong," the little dragon waved his claws. "I actually think it's cute. It's not everyday I meet a griffin who has a more....cheery character."
Gabby could only giggle in response at the compliment, "Well, that's me! Gabby Griffin! Griffonstone's mail delivery griffin who's looking to spread a bit of griffiny sunshine cheers from griffin to ponies, and official Cutie Mark Crusader of Griffonstone!” she proudly presented her bag, with the cutie mark emblems pinned on her mail bag.
Spike couldn't help but smile and shake his head incredulous at this strange griffin. She's strange, but in a good way. He's glad to have met her.
“Anyway, while the day is still young,” Spike began. “What would you like to do while you’re here?” whipping out a list and a pencil, he started, “We’ve got bowling, Sugarcube Corner, or we could go visit Sweet Apple Acres. Or maybe skydiving!” Spike did a double take as he crossed the last one off the list. “Actually, scratch that. It’s going to look weird to you since you have wings and all.”
“Oh no, that sounds like fun!” Gabby chirped excitedly, as she took a look at the little dragon’s list. “All these sound like fun! Arcades. Swimming. LARPing and....”
Suddenly, Gabby was interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach. As if to say the feeling is mutual, Spike’s stomach followed.
“Lunchtime it is then,” Spike chuckled in embarrassment with Gabby.
The two were later at Sugarcube Corner, where Gabby enjoyed herself to some of the Cakes latest delicacies.
“Mmmm-mmm-mmmmm!” Gabby moaned happily, enjoying the slice of the pecan pie she was eating. “This is so good!” she said happily. “This is even better than Gilda’s griffin scones from back home in Griffonstone!” feeling as if she said something wrong, Gabby whispered to Spike, “But don’t tell her I said that.”
“Hey, whatever she doesn’t know, won’t hurt her, right?” Spike shrugged, as he continues to watch the griffin down a whole set of donut in one gulp. "Wow! You make Princess Celestia look like she has decent table manners!”
"What makes you say that?" Gabby asked, as she gulps down her donut without taking a breather, before she spots a tray of eclair and makes a grab for it, but paused when she looked up to see, "Uncle Gustave?!" the mail griffin exclaimed, upon seeing Ponyville's local griffin baker. "You're in Ponyville?!"
"A Gabby!" Gustave exclaimed happily, hugging the little griffin. "What a sight for sore eyes! It iz magnificent to zee you my niece!"
"You two know each other?" Spike asked.
"Uh-huh!" Gabby smiled, "Gustave happens to be my uncle! He and I keep in touch from time to time. Uncle! This is Spike!"
"But of course, I know him," Gustave replied. "He is the little dragon of Princess Twilight. He was the one who had me bake three of his gem cupcakes, under the 'order' of Princess Twilight Sparkle," the elder griffin glared.
"Uh he he he," Spike chuckled nervously, before he said in his defense, "I paid you well, didn't I?"
"Hold on. Did you say, gem cupcakes?" Gabby asked.
"Uh huh," as if on cue, Mrs. Cake arrived and gave Spike his order of a sapphire encrusted cupcake, "Thanks, Mrs.C!" Spike said in gratitude, before he proceeded to down the gem encrusted bakery good, "Mmmm-hmmmm," Spike nodded, while chowing down in his cupcake, and crunching on the blue gems. "Delicious~"
Gabby looked fascinated, as her uncle took his leave, "Huh, I didn't know gemstones were edible." Gabby said in fascination.
"Well, they're more edible to us dragons than they are to some other creatures," Spike explained, as he took another bite of his cupcake.
"So what do they taste like?"
"They're kinda like rock candies," Spike swallowed his chunk, before he could properly explain, "And each color means a different flavor. For example, the sapphires on this cupcake tastes like blueberries with a twang of raspberries."
"That is amazing!" Gabby gasped, with starry eyes. "Can I try?"
Spike looked up in surprise, "Uh, I think it's more reserved to us dragons," however, Spike quickly found himself at the mercy of wide puppy eyes from Gabby, as if she was on the verge to cry. "Uh.... but I guess I could give you a little sample," Spike replied, picking up a tiny fragment of a sapphire gem and offered it to Gabby, "Just be careful not to–"
But it was too late. Gabby plopped a bit of the sapphire into her beak, before she suddenly coughed the gem out of her mouth, "I think I prefer Gilda's griffon scones, thank you," Gabby cringed, much to Spike's amusement.
After lunch, Spike and Gabby later went to Ponyville's bowling alley, where the two played bowling. Spike was barely holding onto a heavy bowling ball, but thankfully, Gabby was there to help him, and together, the two were able to knock down several strikes, ten times in a row. Later, they were shooting some hoops with some basketballs in the alley's arcade area and several other games, earning them lots of tickets, which Spike later exchanged for a pink fluffy pony plush as a gift to Gabby.
"Ooh! This is so adorable!" Gabby squealed happily, hugging tightly to the plush before she growled viciously, "It's so fluffy!" looking down, Gabby quickly picked up Spike in her claws and hugged him tightly, threatening to crush him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Choking! Not breathing!" Spike wheezed desperately for oxygen.
"I'm sorry," Gabby apologized with an embarrassed giggle and a blush. "I still can't believe I'm actually friends with a real live dragon!"
Spike could only chuckle, feeling flattered, "Feeling's mutual. You're the first friend I've ever made who is a griffon!"
"I know, right, right?!" Gabby chirped excitedly. "Huh, a dragon and a griffin. Go figure?" she shrugged.
Spike couldn't help but chuckle in agreement, as he started, "Well, when you think about it. It's not that strange. We both come from eggs."
"We both have sharp claws," Gabby added.
"And we both have histories of having the unfriendliest of reputations with pony cultures," the little dragon sighed, knowing that there were still some ponies who would treat good dragons like him as foreigners, sans the Crystal Ponies.
"Oy vey," Gabby moaned in equal dismay. "Though, can you blame ponies? I mean, I'll admit, we griffins are known for having a history for having an eye for jewelry."
"Hey, that's another thing we have in common! An eye for jewelry! And goods!" the two bonding friends laughed in agreement. "And we can be scary whenever we want too!" Spike added.
"Oh yeah, that's right! Us griffins are part eagle and part lion, and dragons like you breathe fire," Gabby smiled, before she began to roar playfully. "Roar!"
"Rawr!" Spike roared back.
"RAWR!"
"ARGH!"
Without warning, Spike and several surrounding ponies in Ponyville were scared out of their wits, when Gabby let out a roar that combines the bloodcurdling screech of a hawk and the thunderous ferocity of a lion.
"Wow," Spike gasped. "That was awesome!"
"Thanks," the griffin blushed, scratching the side of her head in embarrassment, before she perked, "Ooh! And we both have wings so we can fly!" Gabby flapped her wings happily, doing a few excited loops for emphasis.
With that, Spike sighed as he slumped to the ground, "Except for me," Spike sighed. "I can't fly."
"Can't fly?!" Gabby gasped.
"Yeah, no wings," Spike pointed to his wingless back.
"What? But I thought all dragons have wings."
"We do. I mean, I will when I get older."
"Oh, great! So when will that happen?"
"I don't know," Spike scratched his chin as he pondered. "Ember told me once that it takes baby dragons about ten years or so to start sprouting wings through a gruesome process called 'the Molt.' Though I kinda lost track of when that will start happening for me. But she did told me to watch out for rocks. Though why, I don't know."
"Well until you get your wings," Gabby swooped down and picked up Spike and puts him on her back. "All aboard the griffin express! Hold on tight!" with a flap of her wings, Gabby took off in a burst of speed that rivals to that of Rainbow Dash and her griffin friend, Gilda.
"Whoa, Gabby!" Spike screamed, as he held his claws tightly around the griffin's neck.
Gabby kept on flapping her wings, until she finally reached the peak of her climb and both she and Spike were flying above a sea of clouds. Though scared at first, Spike slowly opened his eyes as he looked down and his frights immediately evaporated into astonishment, as he finds himself captivated in the spell of Equestria's sky.
Though he may have had his share of riding on the back of his winged pony friends, namely Twilight and Rainbow Dash, in contradiction to when it was all like an out of control rollercoaster ride that ended in a crash, this was the first time the young dragon had ever experienced a more slow and steady flight where he could just see the beauty of Equestria from a whole new perspective. Spike smiled as he hugged Gabby even tighter, and nuzzled his cheek into her feathers.
For their last stop of the day, Spike and Gabby were later sitting at the top of a hill in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres, each enjoying themselves a scoop of ice cream, while watching Celestia's beautiful sun setting over the horizon in a dazzling display of blazing aura.
"I sure enjoyed our day together, Spike!" Gabby said happily, while eating her vanilla pecan nut ice cream.
"Me too!" Spike sighed as he licks a large scoop of his mint chocolate chip ice cream. "It's too bad that the day is just about over."
"I know, it feels like it's been only a few minutes," Gabby frowned. "And we just got to know each other," looking sadly off into the distance, Gabby sighed, "Oh well. Time for me to go back. Lots of mails to deliver."
Spike shares the griffin's sorrow, before he attempts to lighten the mood, "Maybe you can come back again, whenever you're free from work."
"I would love that!" Gabby smiled. "And we'll still keep in touch with each other, right?"
"I wouldn't miss another letter from you for the world," Spike smiled, furthering the griffin's hope and joy.
"Ditto!" with that, the two clicked their ice creams together, before they downed them both in a quick gulp. "Well, I'll see you next time, Spike!"
"Hold on!" Spike quickly took out a camera. "Selfie!" with that, both dragon and griffin got in close, just as the camera went off, capturing itself a keeper.
"Hey Spike!" Twilight greeted the young dragon when he came back home. "So how was your day out with Gabby?"
"It was amazing," the dragon replied. "She is amazing! She is so unlike everything we ever knew about griffins! She's nice, she's energetic, and she's....."
"Perky?"
"FUN!"
"What did I tell you Spike?"
"I just hope I'll get to see her again soon," Spike sighed happily, looking at the picture he took with him and Gabby.
"You're as big as you feel," – Margalo, Stuart Little 2
I'm Alive – Celine Dion
