A Little Friendship Goes A Long Way
Amazing How Things Work Out Like This
Seven ponies and a dragon walked into the main room of the castle, a certain pink pony still wearing a party hat and blowing on a noise-maker.
"Geez, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash held her hooves over her ears "Give it a rest with that thing!"
"Sorry, Dash" Pinkie Pie said with a grin "But you know how excited I get during a cuteceañera!"
"Pinkie" Applejack said simply "Yah get that excited about any party!" she then shook her head in amusement "Ah still can't believe yah helped Apple Bloom and the others throw that party together like that."
"Hey, you know me" Pinkie Pie said "I'm always there to help out when it comes to parties! Besides, how often do I get to throw a cuteceañera for a griffin?!"
"This might actually be the only time you do, Pinkie" Rarity said with a sigh "I do feel sorry that poor Gabby couldn't get an actual cutie mark."
"You're not the only one" Spike shook his head with a grin before pointing to the purple alicorn beside him "Twilight here was devastated when she learned that Gabby didn't really get a cutie mark."
"No kidding" Starlight agreed as the group sat in their thrones "She had the entire lab set up for studying griffin cutie marks before the Crusaders told her the truth."
Twilight grumbled embarrassingly "Yeah, well, I was just letdown that a supposedly unrecorded discovery wasn't real."
"If I recall, your 'letdown' included you locking yourself in your bedroom and screaming 'No! No! It's not fair! I was about to discover a phenomenon like no other! Why, Celestia, why?!'" Spike said with a grin.
Twilight grumbled a bit, making a mental note to refortify her room's soundproofing spell, before speaking "Well, in any rate, guess it really is true that cutie marks are something that only ponies get."
"Hey, so she's not able to get a cutie mark, so what?" Rainbow Dash said "She's a griffin! Griffins can do a lot of amazing things that we ponies can't do!"
Applejack looked to Rainbow with an amused smirk "Ah thought that yer interest in griffins was ancient history?"
"That was before Gilda and I became friends again" Rainbow Dash said dismissively "Besides, seeing that there's a griffin like Gabby out there shows that not all griffins are creeps. I just wish that I met her when Pinkie and I were in Griffinstone so she could've help me find that stupid idol. The rest of them took me to the cleaners and left me hanging...literally!"
"She certainly was different than other griffins" Rarity agreed "And she was so eager to help. I never saw my boutique's floors look so shiny before!"
"Yeah, and she certainly was helpful with tha apple harvest" Applejack added "She was able tah gather together a whole acres' worth in one minute flat."
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "I could do better than that."
"Oh, and Gabby was very gentle with my animals" Fluttershy said "When the Crusaders brought her to my cottage, I was a little shocked that a griffin could be so friendly, considering my past experiences with Gilda. However, I was amazed that she was so kind to all my animal friends."
"Oh, and I thought the cake she made at Sugarcube Corner was amazing!" Pinkie Pie said in excitement "That's one of the reasons I was so on-board with helping the Crusaders with the party! I do wish that I managed to spend some time with Gabby by myself, since she's so much fun, but if the Crusaders are right, she'll be back soon! YAY!"
"Better make a mental note not tah leave Pinkie Pie and Gabby alone in one place" Applejack whispered to Twilight.
"Way ahead of you" Twilight replied.
"Personally, I'm not that shocked" Spike said with a shrug "Considering I found out that not all Changelings are bad, I'm willing to accept lots of creatures who are perceived as bad have some good in them. I mean, look at me, I'm a dragon and we're supposed to be considered monsters!"
"You're an exception, Spike" Twilight said "You were raised among ponies, unlike Gabby and Thorax. Still, you're right that this shows that not all the creatures that are seen as threats are evil or jerks."
"Does that include hydras, cockatrices, chimeras, and timberwolves?" Rainbow Dash joked, earning a look from Fluttershy, who didn't find any humor in mocking dangerous animals like that.
"You know, I just realized something else" Rarity commented "Sweetie Belle and the others discovered that helping others find their way in life is their destiny, but I think this proves that it's not just restricted to ponies."
"I do believe you're right, Rarity" Twilight nodded "The Crusaders might actually be able to help tons of creatures in the world find their place."
"Hey, maybe I should introduce Thorax to them" Spike commented "They might be able to help him find a purpose."
"Only if they're supervised" Applejack said bluntly "While Ah'm willin' tah trust yer judgement, Spike, Ah'm still not going tah leave mah sister and her friends alone with a changelin'."
"Hey, if you take the Crusaders to the Crystal Empire, maybe they can help Flurry Heart discover her own destiny!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.
"You mean besides nearly destroying a city?" Rainbow Dash joked again. This one earned her a seat cushion to the face, courtesy of Starlight, who was quite willing to defend Sunburst's crystalling charge.
"Ah think Flurry Heart is a little young to get her cutie mark anyway" Applejack commented with a grin as Rainbow shook off the blow she had received.
"The Crusaders learning the full scope of their destiny is not the only good to come out of this" Twilight said with a grin "Gabby's time here will no doubt be a good steep in the right direction of pony/griffin relations, not to mention the benefit it'll have on Griffinstone."
"You really think that Gabby can get through to those knuckleheads?" Rainbow Dash asked "She told me how the other griffins won't give her the time of day."
"With Gilda backing her, I'm sure of it" Twilight said with a nod.
"You know, I have to comment on something" Spike said pondering.
"What is it, Deary?" Rarity asked.
"Well, Gabby came all the way here because she saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie in Griffinstone" Spike said.
"Yeah" Twilight nodded.
"And Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went to Griffinstone because the Cutie Map sent them" Spike continued on.
"Uh-huh" Applejack nodded "And?"
"So, I can't help but wonder...did the map intend for this to happen when it sent Pinkie and Rainbow to Griffinstone?"
Spike's comment caused the group to look up with wide eyes before staring down at the map in the center of their thrones.
"That's...actually a fair question, Spike" Twilight said with a faraway voice. "For all we know, each mission that the map has sent us on has started a chain of events that change more than the lives of those we interacted with on those missions."
"Wow, that's a deep way of lookin' at things" Applejack said.
"Well, I can certainly verify that" Rarity imputed "Remember when the map sent me and Pinkie to Canterlot?"
"Yeah" Pinkie Pie nodded "We did more than save a failing restaurant and restored a bond between father and daughter, we affected the entire Restaurant Row!"
"Dang," Rainbow Dash said as she looked at the map "This thing is like a chessmaster or something!"
"So, do you suppose that the map knew what would happen when it sent you to my village?" Starlight asked Twilight "Do you think it intended for me to become your pupil and experience friendship?"
"I don't think you traveling into the past was part of its plan, though" Spike commented.
"It just goes to prove one thing" Twilight said before looking up "Even small insignificant actions like making a new friend can have big affects on the world. It's like a domino effect, spreading from one pony to another. That's just another sign of how powerful friendship is."
Starlight smiled. "Sounds like I just got another friendship lesson."
Rainbow Dash smirked before making one last joke. "Just watch out when she teaches you the one involving enchanting a doll!"
That one earned a laugh from the group and a loud "RAINBOW!" from a flustered Twilight.
Author's Note
After seeing today's episode, I just had to urge to write a one-shot following it. Also, to those who aren't reading my new story because it's incomplete (I know I have a nasty habit of not finishing what I start), please note that it's a drabble story. Each chapter is a self-contained (and humorous) story.