Author's Note

Fixed a few Grammar issues I missed in the chapter. 4/15/2019

Plans and Tests

Fractured Spirit

Chapter 2

The sun shined in the sky as Gold sat at the edge of a forest, overlooking a cliff. Birds chirped and flew overhead without a care in the world. The trees rustled gently in the wind, a stark contrast from last night’s ferocity. The forest gleamed from the dew left by the rain, that started to fade from the sun’s presence.

With his cloak hung on the tree behind him and his bags at the base, Gold nodded at the scenery ahead. "This is a problem," Gold mused as he slowly placed a lump-ridden, blood-colored berry in his beak. His eye twitched once as the sweet yet wax-like taste flushed through his beak. He sat inches away from the edge of a rocky cliff with his eyes cast down at the land below.

Directly below is a steep drop to the plains. Right at the edge of the plains is a small town, he could see only the shapes of the buildings, but it was enough to frown at. Ahead in the distance is a large stretch of land that lined across the horizon. A massive body of water stretched along from east to west with no end in sight. The distance made him cringe but not as much as his current dilemma.

"How am I going to get down there?" He stood up and started to pace, with a berry filled claw raised. "I'm still too close to Eroza to head back on the roads. I'll probably be good if I don't run into any guards though, but I don't want to take any chances." He carefully chewed a berry. "I should be able to climb down but I don't have any tools for this."

His eyes wandered back and forth from the cliff. Off to his left beyond a few trees is a waterfall. The river he traveled along flowed into it, and at the base had jagged rocks and a small pool of water. Beyond that, there was no immediate declines for as far as he could see in that direction and there were no towns either.

To his right, just beyond the forests edge is the road from Eroza that lead down a steep but manageable hill that lead straight to the town. However, the path was devoid of any trees, bushes, or cover of any kind to hide from the Eroza guards.

Gold groaned and stuffed the remaining berries in his beak and swallowed hard. "Think. How could I get down there without putting myself into too much danger?" He continued to pace with a claw under his beak.

As that question hung in the air, he went to the tree and rummaged through his saddlebags. "Glare was right, these waterproof saddlebags are useful." He pulled out a violet and aqua, checkered magazine with a silver-colored pony on the cover. "Huh, High Mountain Magazine eh? Honeydew did want me to read this. Might as well until I figure something out."

Gold sat against the tree and relaxed as he began to read through the magazine. The magazine had a variety of articles about various events in Eroza. There's an appreciation festival for King Erozin, an exotic market opening for the weekend, various shops offering discounts at various days and one event that he noticed that he'll miss for certain.

"Honeydew's birthday party..." he whispered. "It’s in a few months and I won't be there. That's probably why she didn't want me to go so soon." He slapped his forehead and groaned. "Now I feel bad. I said I was going to be there too. I can't go back now..."

Back at the index, he saw a small section for unicorns that had the title, 'Spells of the Day.' "I definitely should get her something after I get settled in Griffonstone." He flipped to that section in the magazine and raised a brow.

The page showed a single, stylized, aqua colored unicorn by the name of Inert Spinner. There were six paragraphs that had his picture above each one, in a different pose to show off the spells he did.

One spell was lighting candles or lanterns without the need to look at it. Another for detecting certain types in minerals in rocks along with a spell for extracting those minerals. The other two spells were for coloring furniture which he was sure he didn't need. The last spell, however, greatly caught his interest.

"Here we go. Nether's Tether. 'Preparing to go rock climbing in the mountains of Eroza? Have no fear. With Nether's Tether you can enjoy all the benefits of rock climbing with rope, without the rope. Just fire the spell at anything useful as an anchor and use your horn as a pulley. Going up and down is a snap and you'll never have to worry about your rope troubles again.'" Gold smiled and wagged his tail as he read that description.

"This is good, this could be...wait what?" Directly under the description is a warning in red letters. "'Warning, do not use this spell if your magic is unstable in any way, shape or form. The spell require absolute concentration as improper use can launch the user in the air completely unconscious during pull, or a severed connection and magical disruption during descent.'"

Gold glared at the warning, along with the 'novice' tag under 'spell difficulty.' His eyes drifted lower to the spell itself. "Just as soon as I understand what these words and symbols mean." He placed the magazine next to his saddlebags and walked over to the tree closest to the cliff. "Well, it can't be that bad can it?"

"Come on!" Gold shouted as he stood on his hind leg with his claws, palms out, facing the tree. "Come on. Do something, anything!" His eyes twitched as he continued to stand with his claws out and not a single spark of magic being used. "How is this not working? I'm doing what the book says. Point and shoot. What am I missing?"

He flopped on his back and stared up into the sky. The sun hung low on the horizon and gave the sky an orange hue. In that time, he struggled to make a single tether of any kind. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I'm not surprised though. I shouldn't have magic to start. The best I could do is make my hand, err, 'claw' glow and make myself move faster. Although that was an accident. Then again, it's not like I studied those spells either. Or at least, I think they are spells considering the rules of this world. Are they even considered spells since I didn't have a reference to go by?" he mused. "Still, it seems simple, yet I can't do it."

He chuckled and rolled on his side. "It would be funny if I had to pretend like I'm putting rope around the tree. I mean, the horn for a unicorn would act as a pulley so in a sense, it’s a rope dispenser? Maybe since I use magic differently, I could use the spell but must manage it in a different way. But the book said that you had to point and shoot." He scratched his beak with his wing and glanced at the tree. "Well, it's not working their way, might as try it my way."

Gold hopped up and approached the tree once again, this time he rested his claw against it and closed his eyes. "Ok, come on magic. Wrap some tethers around this tree." He sat quietly, and after a few minutes, he slowly opened his eyes. He looked upon his results and frowned. "Nothing?"

He rotated his claw a few times then waved it around. "Or maybe I should try this." He laid his claws side by side, in front of him with digits curled in. "What if I literally have to pretend like I'm holding rope." He raised his claws above his head and let out small breath as he closed his eyes once again. This time a line of pure white energy bubbled up in his claws. At first it was one, then two, then three, until his claws filled with them.

"Oh!" He lurched backwards as his claws twitched. The lines in his claws began to spiral around one another, intertwining until it resembled a thick, bright, golden-colored, transparent piece of rope. "Whoa! I didn't think this was going to work." Gold grinned as he stared in wonder at his accomplishment.

However, the moment he separated his claws, the rope faded into a bright mist. "No... No! I had it." He performed the same action again, with his claws pressed together. A low growl escaped his throat as he stared at his claws again. "I had it. I can do this again."

His wings spread out and his claws trembled as he focused. Small speaks of light rose from his palms. "Come on..." Gold strained. Thin trails of light began to glow throughout his body. They snaked along and followed his veins.

His eyes widened as he watched his body glow. "Wait...this isn't right."

The light flowed up in like droplets of white blood, then erupted in a shower of light. Gold screamed as the magic erupted from his body. Beams of light shot out, piercing through anything they touched. In those moments as the light came, it dissipated and only his veins gave a dull glow.

Gold fell to his side and began to cough. "Ugh...what in the world?" His arms shook as he tried to push himself up. As he sat up, hunched over, he gasped and clutched his chest. "Ok. Never going to force magic to work like that again."

As Gold looked up after collecting his breath, he stared wide-eyed at his display. Several trees had small bullet-like holes that pierced straight through and the smell of burnt wood permeated the air.

Gold placed his claws together and tried to focus on the spell. Light sparked out but nothing changed to his surprise. "Huh, maybe I should cut the magic use down for now." Gold shivered when he noticed the glow in his veins. "I hope this is normal and will go away after a while," he mumbled.

The caress of a gentle breeze tickled Gold's face as he finally relaxed. He headed back to slip his cloak back on and gather his saddlebags. Just behind the tree, he tucked his belongings at his side and curled up in with his hood on. "I'll figure this magic stuff out soon. I should have plenty of time," he whispered as his eyelids began to shut. Gold breathed quietly and furthered cocooned himself under his wings.

Gold studied his arm as he wrote a few notes in his journal. The glow in his body faded with no trace of injury. "It's been almost a full day since I... forced more magic out of myself. At least I can use it again." He turned up to the sky and watched as the stars twinkled to his delight. With a sigh he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. Images began to piece together in his mind, memories that threatened to reach out to him. The white-hot pain slowly simmered in his head and he knew what was coming next.

"No.." he grunted. Gold dropped his journal and placed a single talon upon his wrist. His eyes glued to his wrist as he clenched his beak shut. He pressed his talon lightly against his wrist and his breathing became labored. In one fluid motion, he dragged his talon across his wrist. He clenched his eyes shut as blood trickled down his wrist on the grass below.

Gold exhaled when he let his arms fall to his sides. He glanced over to his bags and a small frown worked its way up his beak. "This isn't me," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"I've made a little progress with the spell," he said as he munched on a berry. "I can now generate or materialize more of this magical rope with a single claw instead of using both." With his free claw he scribbled a few more thoughts in his journal. "Problem, the rope has no mass and if I apply just a bit of pressure it breaks. If the tether from the spell is sturdy than I need to work on making my magic rope more...solid?"

He scratched his head and sighed. "I'll figure it out. I got this far on my own."

"Yes!" In Gold's claw lie an arm's length of rope, it glowed bright but it's no longer transparent. "Yes!" He pumped his fist into the air with the item tight in his claws. "I did it!"

He scrambled to his saddlebags and yanked out his journal with one claw. As he opened his journal, he flipped to an empty page and began writing his notes. "After a bit of trial and error, I discovered that giving mass to magic spells revolve around experience with other solid objects. In my case, the rope I created with the thought of hard plastic made the rope... hard like plastic."

He waved the rope back and forth as it groaned. "Side note, it now sounds like plastic being crushed just by bending it and its annoyingly loud. Still, its progress and I can pull on it for once," he smirked and glanced down to his claw.

"Although," he opened his claw and like before the rope dissolved into the air, "I need to work on making it last without me holding it. Don't know how I'm going to do that but it's necessary to scale this cliff."

He closed his journal and sat it at his side. With a wide smile, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. The sun overhead making a slow descent over the horizon.

Gold sat motionless in a thick bush, head low, and eyes forward. Just ahead, near the cliff where he studied at are two ponies, one a unicorn and the other a pegasus. The unicorn searched over the area, lifting every rock, bush and branch she could see.

"I'm telling you, there's something weird out here in the forest," the unicorn said, her mature voice sharp as she spoke. "Whatever it was caused that light I saw a few days ago and I want to find out what."

The pegasus groaned and sat at the edge of the cliff with his hind-legs dangling off the side. "Are you serious? You brought me all the way out here to find something based on a flash of light...in the daytime?"

The mare sat up and glared at the pegasus. "Look, I know what I saw. It was like a big flash of light right up here somewhere!" she flailed her hooves. "It was not natural! I've watched these mountains for years and I've not once seen anything like that before"

"In the daytime?" he raised a brow.

"Yes!"

"Up here?"

"Yes!"

"And you are sure it wasn't just-"

She stamped the ground and frowned at him. "I know what I saw!"

"Alright! I get it." He waved his hoof at her.

She huffed and began to search around the tree Gold studied under. "Oh my... Hey, come here. Look at this."

The pegasus begrudgingly rose to his hooves and headed over to the mare. "What am I supposed to... oh." On the ground, partially faded in the grass are specks of Gold's dried blood. The pegasus tilted his head and leaned in closer. "Whose blood do you think it is?"

The mare didn't respond but instead had her head pointed upwards to the tree. "Look at that."

The pegasus looked up and saw the holes on the tree that Gold's magic caused. "Woah," he turned and looked at the surrounding tree's in the area. "Looks like something put holes in these trees." The pegasus crossed his forelegs and scrunched his nose. “Hmm, these holes look pretty clean, like magic or something went through them. It could be a unicorn that messed up a spell and this is the aftermath?” he questioned.

The unicorn hummed and looked around the tree, sifting through the grass. "You're probably right," the mare said then stopped. "There has to be something. Oh, what's this." Her horn glowed and engulfed a single white, charcoal tipped feather. "This might-" she grunted, "-be something-" she growled as she increased the size of magic around both her horn and the feather, "-I could-" she ground her hooves in the dirt and tilted her head back, "use!" The feather rose off the grass and hovered just up to her neck.

"Dear Celestia, why is this thing so heavy!?" The mare hooves trembled as she made her way back. Her hooves buckled as she stopped in front of the pegasus, with the feather drifting towards the ground.

"Uh, you alright mom?" he asked, glaring at the feather.

"I'm fine," she wheezed. "That feather weighs a ton! That's not normal."

"You sure about that?" He nudged the feather then slipped his hoof under it and lifted it up. "Seems light as a 'feather' to me. Heh, get it?" he joked.

The unicorn ignored the comment stared wide-eyed at the feather. "I-Impossible! I couldn't lift it up with my magic. How are you doing that?"

"Uh, like this?" he dropped the feather into his other hoof. "You're exaggerating, this is pretty light."

"Let me see that!" She yanked the feather from his hooves. "This is unbelievable." She cast her spell for the last time, the feather rose with some effort before she wheezed again. "We need to...take this to the library and study it."

The pegasus sighed. "Please no..."

"Yes, and then we tell those guards about it when they come into town next week." She nodded as she dropped the feather into her saddlebags. "Come along, I want to find out what this feather belongs to," she said as she trotted away from the clearing.

The pegasus groaned and followed behind the unicorn. "Yes, mom."

When the sound of rustling bushes faded Gold emerged from his hiding spot. He glared ahead with his beak clenched. "I sincerely hope the rumors about Griffonstone are true. Cause it looks like I'm running low on time."

"I think it's time to move," Gold said as he slowly back pedaled towards the cliffs edge, the magical rope extending from his claws and around tree's base. He kept a sidelong glance as he began to pull on the rope. "Good gravy that's bright." He glanced up at the sun and winced. "I get the mass part down but now its extra bright in sunlight." He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Magic is weird."

Gold took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tugged on the rope. It went rigid when he pulled. He nodded after a few tugs and positioned himself parallel to the cliff. He raised his claws, one held the rope, the other grasped at the loose piece. "Now let’s see if my practice finally paid off."

With a slow pulling motion, magical rope began to materialize as his claws separated. When he stretched his arms to the limit, he repeated the motion and pulled more magical rope from his claw. "Ok, this is good. This is good." Little by little he pulled and before long, he had several yards of magical rope dangling off the cliff.

His grip on the rope tightened as he peered off the side. He gasped and lurched back while he clung to his safety net. "This is starting to look like a bad idea." He gulped and began to shimmy off the cliff, his vice-like grip tightened further.

Gold's body was halfway off the edge, his legs grasped at the stone and carefully inched his lower body down. "So far so good." His arms trembled as he rested against the edge. "Now the hard part."

He took his right claw and grasped the rope under his chest and held tight. "Ugh." He released his left claw and snapped it right under his left claw and slid down the wall just briefly.

He stretched his legs out and kept his claws tights as he looked over his shoulder to the descent below. "Holy crap..." His eyes glanced over the rope as he held on and gave a half-smile. "Well, I better make this quick."

He threw his head back as he inhaled, his eyes snapping shut. As he opened his eyes and looked down, he braced himself. "Better make this quick..." He tucked his legs in, lightened his grip, then kicked himself back and slid down.

The descent was quicker than he expected, and he snapped his claw tight around the rope. He whipped against the roped before he slammed face first straight into the stonewall. "Gah!" He positioned his legs between his body and the wall and shook his head with a growl. "Ouch."

"Are you a griffon!?" chirped a female's voice.

"Gyah!" Gold lurched forward and smashed his head against the wall with a light thud. "Son of a-"

"Oh! I'm sorry, did I startle you!?" Gold felt something warm grip his shoulder. He snapped his head, glaring at the offending being with a scowl.

There with a single golden-yellow claw on his shoulder, shining turquoise eyes, and a warm smile is a griffon. This griffon had a blue-grey coat with an arctic blue-grey head, white markings above and below her eyes, with a lighter shade from its beak on down, a golden-yellow beak, and ocean blue wings. To top it off, the griffon had thick feathers that curved around the top of her head and a short, feathered, ponytail on the back.

"Yes! Yes, you did!" Gold said through a clenched beak. "That's quite dangerous to sneak up on someone while they are hanging off the side of a cliff."

"Oh," the griffon frowned, "sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Can you take your claw off me, please?" his asked in a slow, measured tone.

"S-sorry." She smiled sheepishly as she snapped her claw to her chest. She turned away and tapped the digits of her talons together. "I was just so surprised to see another griffon out here. Though..." She glanced at Gold and raised a talon to her beak. "Are you looking for the feathered mystery too?"

Gold resumed his descent, one claw after the other, his head cast down, and a low grumble in his throat. "Feathered... mystery? What feathered mystery?" He glanced at her only to see that eager smile on her face.

"What feathered mystery!? What feathered mystery!?" She spread her arms out quickly. "It’s the talk of the town since yesterday."

"Yesterday?" He grunted as he did another hop. "What do you mean?"

"Well, a pony from Pineberry saw something bright coming from the forest up here. When she got up here, she found this feather that's super resistant to unicorn magic!"

Gold paused. His wings twitched as his grip weakened a bit. "A super magic resistant feather? That's interesting."

"I know right! Before I head back to Griffonstone, I wanted to see if I could spot anything out here." She hovered above Gold and let out a high-pitched squeal. "But then I see this shimmering light in the distance and I just had to see what it is. Turns out, it was this rope!" She flicked a talon across it, and Gold promptly glared at her. "Sorry!"

"Yeah, I'm using it to get down this cliff if you don't mind," he grumbled.

"Oh, that's cool! Where did you get it from? Why does it shine like that?" She hovered a bit closer to Gold. "It's also a bit short, you're probably not going to reach the ground as it is. Oh! Is it magical!?"

Gold held in place as he glared at the griffon, his arms trembled as he held on. "Look, I don't know you and you are kind of messing up my focus now. I'm trying not to fall to my death if you don't mind." He glanced down and noticed his rope ends just below his hind legs.

She frowned at his words and pulled her arms to her chest. "Fall to your death?" She tilted her head then immediately went wide-eyed. "Can you fly!? Are you hurt!?"

"Before you say anything else, I can fly. I am simply opting to use a method that does not require me to be airborne. I am not injured. My rope is magical so it will continue to get longer the further I go down. Finally, I would like to continue my descent in peace." He looked at the griffon one more time and squinted as beads of sweat start to form on his face. "If you want to continue talking, can you wait till after I get down? You are making me really nervous." The rope in his claws flickered.

"Oh, well, is there anything I can do to help?" her tone a bit lower this time.

Gold let out a short growl, "Can you just-"

The rope snapped in a flash of light, and Gold watched as a gap formed between them. He screeched and flailed, as he felt the wind rush past him.

The griffon dived, with her wings tucked in, quickly catching up to Gold.

Gold retched as the griffon snatched Gold up from under his shoulders and pulled him out of his free-fall. "I got yah!" shouted the griffon.

"Don't drop me! Don't drop me! Don't drop me!" he screamed. He squirmed as he wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing close and nearly squeezed the breath out of the griffon as she glided down. "Do NOT drop me!"

The griffon's beak hung open from Gold's crushing strength and teetered as she descended. "Can you...loosen your grip a bit...please," she gasped.

He responded by maintaining his iron grip on her neck but stopped his kicking. He shut his eyes and buried his head in her chest as he chanted to himself. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"Don't worry, I won't-" she huffed, "-let anything happen to you. I'm Gabriella by the way."

"Yes!" Gold shouted as he collapsed on the ground. "Finally!" He dug his claws into the earth as he grinned like a madman. "I thought it would never end!"

Gabriella panted as she walked up to Gold, holding a large smile of her own. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Gold groaned as he tried to raise his arms, instead he tucked them under his beak. As he turned his head, he glared at Gabriella with a slight twitch in his eyes. "I wouldn't need your assistance if you would have left me be."

She turned away and looked down, softly panting as she poked a blade of grass. "Sorry..."

Gold shuffled his wings through his cloak before laying on his side, facing away from her. "But I do owe you my life. So, thank you." He slid his claws up to his face and frowned. A pure white glow emanated from the veins in his claws. Unlike before, it centered at the base of his talon and faded around his wrists.

"Hey, I didn't mean to bother you like that." She scratched her head with a claw. "I'm really sorry."

He shrugged. "Honestly, it probably was for the best anyways. I'm down here and that's all the matters now." He looked past his shoulder and saw her slouched with a heavy frown. "Hey, it was just bad timing alright, don't look so sad."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah. Besides, I might actually need some help." He flexed his claws a bit. "You said you were going back to Griffonstone right?"

"Yup," she said with a faint smile.

"Do you live there?"

She glanced at the ground before looking at him again. "Yeah."

He sat up to face her, kneading his claws as he spoke. "Well, what can you tell me about Griffonstone?"

She leaned back and perked a brow. "W-why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm actually making my way to Griffonstone," he chuckled nervously. "It's why you saw me coming down that cliff. I recently left Eroza and wanted a new place to do my studies. I researched a bit into Griffonstone and thought it would be a good place to settle down temporarily."

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "Y-you want to live in Griffonstone?"

"Temporarily," he emphasized. "I'm aware of the not so favorable outlook on Griffonstone, but it seems perfect for me in a number of ways. Though many of the ponies I've talked to in Eroza say that the griffons is sort of," he stated, and rolled his claw in a circular motion, "hostile."

She raised her claw, and her beak opened, but nothing came out. Gold leaned forward a little and stared intently into her eyes. "Is it that bad?"

She brushed her claw through her feathers on her head down to her neck and sighed. "Yeah. Which is why I'm surprised and kind of happy to see another griffon out here."

"Why is that?"

"It's...a long story," she said with a weak smile.

"I see. In any case, what would be the fastest way for me to reach Griffonstone?"

"Well, flying-"

"Without me flying," he cut in."

She rubbed under her beak. "Well, you'd probably have to wait for a ferry the hippogriff's use when they dock here. But I don't know if they'll dock here again so you might never leave here unless you fly."

"What!?"

"Yup. Since those shapeshifters, not changelings by the way, started showing up, every creature in Equestria has been on edge," she explained. "They have to go through the dragon territory but ever since the incident in Ponyville, the dragons have been fiercely defending their territory from any outsiders. So, for the hippogriffs, sailing in their territory usually results in being driven out."

"Oh man. Well, can I get someone to fly me to Griffonstone? " he asked, a mild tightness formed in his stomach.

She chuckled softly. "Unless a griffon flies you to Griffonstone, you won't get there any other way I’m afraid."

He glared at Gabriella and crossed his arms. "How come?"

"The griffons will attack anything that isn't a griffon. This includes hippogriffs, sadly."

"Darn." He sighed and looked up, watching as the clouds drifted along a gentle breeze in the sky. "I really don't want to fly."

"How come? It's the fastest way to go," she chirped.

"Simple. It's one half fear of heights, the other half is that I don't trust myself flying," he stated. "I can fly," he said as he paused and closed his eyes, "I just don't trust myself enough to fly high in the air. I just feel like if I do, my wings will lock up at some point and I'll just fall to my death."

Gold's wings twitched as he continued. "To be brutally honest, I really want to try but the part of me that has been on the ground for most of my life doesn't want to take that risk. I mean, I've done flights up to trees and flying on... other flying things but never did anything full on airborne. And I do have a certain limit that I reach before promptly coming back down. I just don't see myself being up there."

She placed her claws against her cheeks and gasped. "But flying high is the best feeling in the world! To hear the wind rushing in your ears, caressing your body, and getting the view of the world below is amazing!" She scooted closer to Gold, her claws clenched and trembled excitedly. "You have to try it!"

Gold looked down at Gabriella and saw the sincerity in her eyes. "I'm not sure if I should, Gabriella."

She smiled warmly. "Call me Gabby, kay?" She reached down and grabbed Gold's claws and held them up. Her blue eyes shined in the daylight as she stared into his. "You should definitely try. I mean, don't you want to see what you can do?"

He swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. "Flying high, just isn't my thing. I like to stay as low to the ground as possible. But, if it’s to further my goals I guess I have no choice, do I?"

She hopped up and hovered in place, still holding Gold's claw in her grip. "You can either shoot for the stars or wait for the stars to come to you. I can tell you which one won't happen."

"Way to lay it on thick." He tilted his head and smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."

Gabby giggled and before she spoke, she looked down at Gold's claw and frowned. "What happened to your claws?"

"Oh," he said and quickly yanked her claws away from her. "It was from the rope. Since I lost my grip, I couldn't keep focus, and this is the side effect of it. It requires focus to work properly. They’re fine though."

"Look I am-"

"It's water under the bridge now, Gabby," he said and smiled. "Besides, don't you have to go back to Griffonstone? I don't want to hold you up any longer than needed."

"I do need to head back to Griffonstone," she said quietly. With a single glance at Gold, she nodded and single aerial loop in place. "But not before I help you get there! I can't call myself a Cutie Mark Crusader if I leave you here."

He gave Gabby a curious stare. "A cutie... what?"

She snapped her claws to her cheeks. "You never heard of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!?"

"No, I haven't heard of them."

"I need to tell you all about them on our way to Griffonstone!"

Gold shuffled his wings slightly. "This is a mistake. But," he said as he clenched his eyes shut. "I need to get over there. Are you sure flying is the only option?"

"Don't worry, it's not so bad. If you want, I can hold your claw the entire way there. That way, you'll never have to worry about falling," she said with a confident smile.

"Optimistic, aren't you?" Gold sighed and ran a single claw along his head. "Fine. As much as I don't want to, I'll take your word for it. It's all I have for now."

Gabby squealed in delight, flew straight up in the air and shouted, "I'm helping out a griffon!"

His eyes widened at her declaration. He quickly sat up and darted his eyes in every direction. "Hey! Can we get started?"

She dived back to him with a smile that caused his heart to jump. "Sure thing! I'm just so happy to help out a griffon, and that griffon actually wants my help."

"That is a concerning statement. Let's just get started."

"Ooh, this is going to be awesome!"

Gold glanced up to the cliff and noticed his magical rope still hung off the side and shined. "It's probably going to disappear soon enough," he whispered.

"I'm going to die!"

"No, you aren't."

"It's going to happen!"

"Just relax, it’s not that seri-

"All I can feel is air around me Gabby!"

"That's because we're flying and stop flapping your wings so hard or you're going to tired yourself out."

"This is so... I'm not... I don't think I can do this, I want to go back down!"

"You are doing great! Just relax, I got you." Gabby said as she tightened her grip on Gold's claws.

Gold kept silent as he slowed his frantic flapping. The sharp pressure of bile stayed strong in his throat as he kept his eyes closed as they ascended. Gabby kept a stern look on her face, and once she looked down, she stopped ascending and hovered in place. "Ok, we can hover here."

Gold nearly screeched from her sudden stop, as the hood of his cloak nearly slipped off his head. "Alright! So, what now?"

"Well, we won't fly far facing each other like this. You're going to have to open your eyes," she stated.

Gold sucked in a deep breath. His claws trembled as he whimpered. "You can do it," Gabby whispered. "I'm right here."

Gold eased his eyes open and stared directly into Gabby's. "Yeah! That's it. Now, I know this might sound crazy, but I want you to look down."

"If I look down, I’m probably going to wet myself," he stated.

Gabby smiled and shook her head. "Trust me, you'll enjoy the view." She leaned forward and grabbed his hood with her beak. "In fact," she said and flicked his hood back, "you'll love the view."

"Gabby, I don't-" For that moment when she pulled down his hood and his eyes drifted down, he could only gasp.

A sea of green graced his eyes as the plains stretched out along the coast with the town sitting at the edge. The forest on the cliff that surrounded Eroza was nothing more than a sea of trees. As he stared in wonder, his heart rate increased even though a smile formed on his face. "I can't believe I’m up here," he said. His claws began to tremble as he looked back to Gabby.

"Well believe it." She let out a small hum and glanced over her shoulder. "You ready for the trip?"

"No." He shook his head and groaned. "Not at all so, lead the way."

"Now, I’m going to fly above you, so I'll have to let go of your claws. Hope you don't mind it for a sec," she said, as she dislodged her claws from his and darted above him. He reached out and grabbed her claws the moment she lined up above him.

"Please don't do that," he whispered. "Are you done?"

"Yup!" She hovered directly above Gold as their wings flapped in tandem. "The next part is easy. We just go!" With one hard flap, Gabby burst forward, with Gold pulled along for the ride.

"Holy crap! Gabby slow down!" he panicked.

"I can't, I’m too excited now!"

"Why!?"

"Because I've never had someone travel with me on one of my rounds. Especially a griffon!" Gold kept his eyes glued to the land below. The cliff he camped at became distant, the town he had intended on stopping at came into view. "I'm just happy that to know there are other griffons out here that aren't as mean as the ones in Griffonstone."

"I see!" He chuckled. "Oh, how long is the trip?"

"About two days!"

He tilted his head and frowned. "Are we going to be flying for two days straight or is there a break in between?"

"There's a few islands we can sleep on for the nights, but for the rest of the trip, its non-stop-flying!"

"This is not-" he paused as he looked down. "We're over water! We are over water!" He began to sway as he flew, his breathing hitched.

"Come on, relax. I got you so don't worry about it, alright?" She looked down at him with a warm smile.

He stared into her eyes and began to slow down his breathing. He closed his eyes and let out a drawn-out breath before he looked ahead. "Alright, alright. I trust you. I just don't like this."

Gabby giggled as stared at the horizon. "This is going to be so fun! Oh! Now let me tell you all about the Cutie Mark Crusaders and why they are the best thing in all of Equestria!"

Gold glanced back and with a heavy sigh, whispered a few words. "This will be a long trip."

Gold yawned as he and Gabby soared, as dark clouds engulfed the sky. The once blue ocean now darker and the light from the moon breaking through the cracks in the sky. Gold shuddered as he kept his eyes glued at the water below. "That was an interesting tale of your Cutie Mark Crusader friends."

Gabby giggled. "Yeah, they are just that amazing!" She closed her eyes, with a nostalgic smile plastered on her face. "I just wish I could see them more often."

Gold looked up to Gabby. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she began, "the truth is that since those shapeshifters are running around, Ponyville hasn't been the same." Her smile dipped into a frown. "Since, 'The Strike on Ponyville.'"

"The Strike on Ponyville?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "One of the worst events that happened in Ponyville about a two years ago."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" he inquired.

Gabby gripped Gold's claws tighter before she spoke. "From what I was told, a group of ponies came to Ponyville, and tried to... murder Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Gold went wide-eyed. "Oh," he whispered. "That's terrible."

"While Princess Twilight managed to avoid getting seriously injured, she was still hurt really bad. There was a big battle that broke out between her, her friends and even the princesses of Equestria against those ponies. A few innocent ponies were pretty badly injured during the fight," her voice trembled.

"Hey, Gabby if this is hard for you to talk about then you don't-"

"It's fine," she cut in. "I've wanted to talk about this with someone for once."

"Even still, it sounds like that event traumatized you. You weren't in Ponyville when it happened right?"

"Not when it initially happened, no. But I came in shortly after to deliver a letter and saw the aftermath." She stared straight ahead. "Those poor ponies..."

"Hey Gabby," he nearly screeched. "Where is the first island that we can land on?" He quickly scanned the sea and noticed multiple patches of land scattered about.

"Oh!" She shook her head and glanced below. "Actually, one is coming up now."

The pair began their descent to a rather tiny island. It resembled a crescent in shape and had a few palm trees, with small patches of bushes near the edges and covered in sand.

Gold squinted when he noticed a small structure on the island. "Hey, what's that?"

"It's a little place I built during my travels out here."

"I see." They continued their descent in silence. With only slivers of moonlight that pierced through the clouds and reflected off the ocean, the two flew in near darkness.

"Hey, are you ok? You're shivering a bit. Are you cold?" Gabby asked with a hint of concern.

Gold stared wide-eyed at the dark ocean below. "I'm not cold, just staring into the abyss." His claws trembled as he held on tight. "We almost, there right? I can start to hear the water."

"Yup! You ready to land?"

He looked up at her. "Ready as I’ll ever be."

Gabby hovered in front of the structure with Gold just a few inches off the ground. Once Gold got his foot on the cool sand, he released his hold and collapsed on his arms. "Land, I cannot miss this enough."

Gabby landed in front of him and held out her claw. "Need some help?"

He began to push himself up. "No thanks," he said as he looked up at her. "Just give me a-"

"Gah!" Gabby flinched and fell on her rump.

Gold stepped back. "W-what is it?" He looked around. "Did you see something?"

She pointed her twitchy claw at him, "Y-your eyes," she choked.

"My eyes? What about them?"

She inched closer, her eyes glued to his. "They're so bright."

"I know," he whispered and closed his eyes. "The darker it is the brighter they glow. Scary isn't it?"

Gabby shook her head. A large smile grew on her face. "No way, that's just so cool. I've never seen a griffon's eyes glow so bright since, ever. They are almost otherworldly."

"Too bad it doesn't help me see better," he joked, and glanced at her.

"Oh! Speaking of that." She took out a key from her saddlebags and unlocked the door to the small to the structure and entered. After a few minor clicks, the inside illuminates with a warm glow. She dashed back out, jumped backwards and landed on top of the old wooden-looking structure. With her claws pointed down, she smiled. "Welcome to 'Gabby's Shack!'"

From the outside, it was a rather rustic looking cabin. It had small logs of wood tied together and painted violet in color with a slanted roof. There were two round windows at the front, and right above the wooden door is a small crude shield carving with a trophy etched at the center.

"Did you build this?" he said with a raised brow.

"Yup, and you'll be the first... ever... griffon... to step foot inside!" She giggled and hopped down in front of Gold, her claws twitched in anticipation. "I can't wait to show you what's in store. Come on!" She gestured for Gold to enter.

Once he stepped inside, and Gabby locked the door, he took a good look around. To start, there was very little space. A crude wooden table to his left with a few small boxes on top and underneath. A small nest with a few decorative blankets covering the inside in the back with two chests at its sides and a single picture frame hanging on the wall above it. To his right, a wall full of small chests, boxes and cans of various sizes. There was small oil lantern above the doorway, a metal hatch on the roof, and a small, stone, fire pit built into the center of the floor.

"Pardon me," Gabby chirped as she squeezed past him. She placed her saddlebags on the table to his left and hopped into her little nest. "What do yah think?" She gestured to the room. "I know it's not much, but it helps to rest during long trips." She flopped on her back with her arms over her head and sighed.

"I think it does the job." He plopped down in front of the fire pit, pulled the hood over his head and closed his eyes. "I mean, you come here to rest so that's all that matters right?"

"Yup, plus if I need to get some time away from Griffonstone I could come out here." She waved a claw. "I actually have two more on the way to Griffonstone. We're probably going to skip one since we're making pretty good time."

"I see, that's good to know."

Gabby sat up using her elbows and looked at Gold. "Are you hungry? Do you want some blankets?"

Gold shrugged. "I am hungry, but I can wait. I have some of those berries I picked in the forest. And I'm good, this cloak does the job. I just want to rest."

"Oh ok," She went back to her resting place. "Well, when you get hungry, I can whip you up a meal."

"It's fine Gabby, though, thank you for your offer." He glanced at her with one eye. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Nah, I had a big meal before I left. I'll eat in the morning," she hummed and stared at the ceiling. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Gold closed his eyes and yawned. "Sure, what is it?"

"What's your name?"

"My name?"

She turned over to face Gold with one claw hanging off the nest. "You haven't told me your name this entire time. I was wondering what it was if you don't mind me asking."

"Well, I'd figure it wasn't important enough to tell you," he stated. "Once I get into Griffonstone and get settled in, we probably won't ever speak again."

She tilted her head. "Well, even if we don't. I'd still like to know the name of a griffon I helped out."

Gold went silent. The sound of waves slashing against the island echoed in the cabin. He hummed and let the ambience settle in before he spoke. "My name is," he paused, " Golden Eyes. But you can call me Gold."

She gave him a warm smile. "That's an awesome name, almost legendary!"

"Thanks, though I don't know about legendary," he chuckled. "I like your name as well. I never knew anyone with Gabriella as a name. Sounds like a name a princess would have," he concluded.

Gabby giggled and turned away, with her claws on her cheeks. "It's not that great."

"You're right it's not." Gabby frowned. "It's legendary," he smirked.

They shared a brief chuckle before the ambient sounds of the ocean waves filled the cabin once more. Gabby rested her claws on her chest and crossed her legs. She glanced at Gold a few times before she spoke up.

"Are you still awake?" she inquired.

Gold let out a light grumble before he spoke. "Yes."

"I just want to ask you something before I go to sleep."

"Fire away," he yawned.

She took in a deep breath and spoke carefully, "Have you ever forced yourself on a female griffon before?"

Gold promptly sat up, wide-eyed. "Pardon?"

She fidgeted with her talons a bit. "H-have you ever considered forcing yourself on a female griffon?"

He stared at her incredulously. "Never. Never have, never will. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted know," she trembled.

He pulled his hood back. "Do you think I would try to force myself on you?"

"You don't seem like you would, but I just... wanted to know." She turned towards the wall and curled up.

Gold stared at Gabby with a single talon under his beak in thought. He turned away and began to unlock the shack door. "I think I know why you asked that question. I'll stay out here if it makes you feel safer."

"Wait!" Gabby shot up and waved her claws in a panic.

Gold stopped, and looked back, his claw on the handle. "It's fine Gabby, really. If you told me this sooner, I would have just stayed outside."

"That wouldn't be fair to you. You didn't know, plus I invited you in." She stepped out her nest and approached him. "You don't have to go outside."

He cracked the door open. "Not if it makes you feel uncomfortable. I can handle the elements."

Gabby brushed against Gold's side and with a raised claw, she firmly shut the door. "It won't make me uncomfortable I promise you." Her eyes, stern and glued to his.

"But it will make me uncomfortable knowing that it happened to you." He shook his head, and pulled the door open again. "I'm just respecting your space."

The door closed with a slam this time. "Please stay," she pleaded. "I just wanted to know for sure you're a real griffon. And I know how to defend myself, so it never got that far but," she paused.

"Ok, that statement is truly alarming." He released the handle and sat with his arms crossed. "What in the hell is going in Griffonstone? Are the griffons there crazy or something?"

"Not crazy," she whispered. “Just acting out is all.”

He gestured with his claw. "Elaborate."

Gabby grabbed the lantern above Gold and sat on the opposite side of the fire pit. She placed the lantern on the pit and sighed. "Well, like I said earlier, it’s a long story."

He sat in front of the pit, keeping his claws tucked inside his cloak. "From what you told me so far, I assume that ‘Strike on Ponyville’ incident in had something to do with it."

She nodded. "That wasn't the only attack on Ponyville. There were three big ones in total that relate to the shapeshifters and they were all tied directly to Princess Twilight. The first was the original attack. It was done by ponies but later discovered that they were some other creatures."

She scratched her beak with a talon. "Except that's not entirely true either. I don't know what they are exactly but one of their true forms was something unusual. There rest were creatures of Equestria. A minotaur, griffon, changeling, hippogriff, and even a dragon. At least from what I was told. Months later another attack happened but on a small-scale. It was just two ponies which was later found to be ponies."

Gold raised a brow. "Ponies that were ponies?"

"They were shapeshifters as well, except they never transformed, or if they couldn't. I'm not sure." Gabby leaned back with her arms at her sides. "Then came the third attack."

She scratched a talon on the wooden floor as she recalled the memory. "Grampa Gruff had visited Ponyville that day. It was to discuss the issues with the shapeshifters. Gruff and a few other important figures wanted to know whether Friendship University would be safe from any new attacks."

"The attack came but it was specifically for Princess Twilight like before. Grampa Gruff jumped in the battle and got hurt really bad." She looked across at Gold, a heavy look filled her eyes. "He is in a coma now and it doesn't look good for him."

Gold's wings twitched but he remained silent.

"When news got back to Griffonstone, the griffons were outraged. They blamed the princess for letting it happen and wants to cut their ties with the ponies. They never actually followed through with it. But without Gruff helping us out, Griffonstone just started to collapse. In less than a year, griffons were simply doing anything for bits or just doing what they want." She glanced down at her feet. "Most griffons could easily go out to find jobs, but they chose to stay in Griffonstone. No griffon wants to help out unless there's payment involved."

"So, in other words, Griffonstone is a mess," he stated.

"I've tried my best to motivate griffons into helping out and keep them on track," she whimpered. "I've tried so hard to spread friendship among griffons. All I get back is threats, harassment, and... it never ends." She covers her face with her claw. "I just want things to get better for Griffonstone, you know? Most griffons know how bad it is and just act out."

"Such as trying to force you in unwanted positions."

"Yeah... but it's all those shapeshifter's fault!" she shouted. Gold recoiled from the sheer volume of her voice. "They went and attacked the princess and innocent ponies for what!? I don't know! Princess Twilight was hurt, Grampa Gruff is in a coma, the other leaders were affected in some way and all of Equestria is on edge!"

She slammed her fist into the floor and caused a light tremor in the shack. "Why did this have to happen!? Who are they, what do they want?"

Gold turned away for a moment. "Has there been any more attacks since then?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Since the last attack, it's been quiet for almost a year now. If there was, I don't know about it. But I do know that many places like Ponyville check to see if any visitors are shapeshifters."

"I see," he mused. "This is all horrible Gabby and I just don't know what to say." He kneaded his claws and took a hard look at the floor. "I never knew it was this bad."

"You're not a bad griffon, right?"

"Define bad," he quipped.

"You won't try to hurt me or do anything that I won't like." She rubbed her claws together, and her wings trembled. "You won't do anything bad to me."

"I won't do anything like that to you Gabby," he smiled. "If anything, I can promise you that nothing will happen to you by me, because I'll keep my dist-"

Gold found himself pushed back with Gabby's arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. She buried her head in his chest, pulled him in tight with her wings and sobbed. "Gabby..."

"I just want griffons to go back to being unfriendly, at least I had a better chance to make a difference," she said, muffled in his chest. "Now, I don't know if I can."

"As long as you keep trying, you will." He pulled his claws up from her grip and gently scratched her head. "If you let this situation get to you, it will only get worse."

"I know, I'm trying," she whispered. "Do you really want to go to Griffonstone?"

He began to scratch up and down along her neck, getting small coos in response. "From everything you just said, and despite how bad it is, I have to go," he groaned.

"I don't want you to go there." Her grip tightened. "I don't want to see another griffon change for the worse."

"I understand your concern and it sounds like I should avoid going there, but I think I'll take my chances still."

"But I don't thi-

"Shh, just rest ok. I know you're tired from telling me that story," He gave her a few scratches along her back before settling a claw protectively on her head. "Just rest Gabby. Don't worry about me alright, and don't worry about me hurting you. Cause I won't."

"Ok," her voice barely a whisper.

He closed his eyes and began to sway back and forth, with Gabby in his arms and a light tune in his head. Several thoughts echoed in his mind. Gabby recalled some disturbing information to him, and he knew this will pose a problem, at least a minor one.

The last of the oil burned out and the cabin engulfed in near darkness. "Gabby?" he said with a nudge. "Gabby?" The only response he received was light snoring. Gabby's wings had lost their grip and her arms wrapped loosely around his waist.

As he cradled her head with one arm and slipped his right under her legs, he took measured steps forward to her nest. He gently tucked her wings in and gave her one more scratch on the head. "You're so busy helping others when there's no one helping you."

Gold let out one more yawn before he took his place on the opposite side of the fire pit. With his hood pulled down as he laid on his side, he began to drift off.

“Hey.” Gold felt something prod his side. “Wake up.”

Gold let out a wide yawn. “What time is it?” He tucked his arms under his chest and rolled halfway on his back with his eyes still closed.

“It’s time for breakfast,” Gabby chirped.

Gold let out one more yawn as he rested squarely on his back. With his hood pulled, down and his cracked open, he saw the smiling face of Gabby as she waved at him. “Come on.” She pointed at the rather large pot on top of the smoldering fire pit, with two small wooden bowls on each side of it. “Have some soup.”

Low beams of light pierced through the windows and the open hatch above that gave the cabin a dim blue tint. Gold rubbed his eyes as he sat up. “Soup, what’s in it?” He grabbed the bowl and peered into the pot.

“Oh, just some small bits of fish with beans and corn.” She took her bowl, scooped up a copious amount and began to gulp it down.

“Huh.” He glanced at Gabby before looking at the soup again. His stomach grumbled at the sight, and the smell of cooked fish and a hint of spices made his lips moisten. “This does look good.”

He scooped up a bowl-full, sniffed, and dipped his tongue in. “Hmm.” He swished the flavor around his beak. “I like the taste.” He quietly sipped on the soup with his eyes closed.

Gabby on the other hand dipped her bowl in for the third time and downed it ravenously. “Ahh,” she sighed after licking the bowl clean and sat her it on the side. “That was good.” She leaned back and rubbed her belly.

Gold chuckled. “I bet.” He nodded to the pot that had a small puddle of soup left.

“Oh!” She covered her beak and scrambled to her wall of boxes. “I didn’t mean to eat it all. I’ll make some more now.”

“Gabby…” He lowered his bowl.

She pulled out red can of beans from one of the boxes. “I think you might like this brand.”

“Gabby.”

“Yes?” She stared.

“I’m fine,” he said and sipped on the rest of his soup.

“But you only had one bowl.” She placed the can back and sat down.

“I know.” He wiped his beak with his sleeve and stood up and held the bowl in one claw. “I’m a pretty light eater.”

Gabby ushered Gold outside as she cleaned up her shack. The cool morning air washed over Gold’s as he took long, measured breaths. “I would be ‘placed,’” he muttered, “I think, in a world where there’s a conflict of this magnitude.” He rubbed his talons against his temple. “I might have to look into these shapeshifters.”

Gold turned around when he heard a door shut. “Alright, I cleaned up and ready to go,” Gabby chirped as she walked up next to him. “Are you ready?”

“Hang on.” He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a handful of bits. “Here.” He held out the bits to her.

Gabby tilted her head, then glanced between at him and his claw. “What’s this?”

“Bits?” he questioned with a raised brow.

“Oh.” She placed a talon under her beak. “Why are you holding them out to me?”

“Because I’m giving them to you?”

She leaned forward, head turned sideways and glared at him with one eye. “Why?”

He grabbed her claw, held it up, and dropped the bits. “Because I appreciate what you have done for me so far and this is just my way of thanking you.”

She gasped and stared down at her claw. “Are you really giving me these bits for just helping you?” she whimpered as the bits began to jangle in her hold.

“Yeah?” he drawled. “Are you ok?”

She hung her head low and smiled. “I’m ok, just happy and surprised at the same time.” She tucked the bits in her bags and wiped away the building moisture in her eyes. “You’re not a shapeshifter, are you?”

“Considering how evil they sound, I would say no,” he chuckled. He reached out and rubbed her head in a slow, careful way. “You must really be the oddball among the griffons, eh?”

Gabby hummed and she leaned into his touch with her eyes closed. “Same goes to you. I’ve never met such a nice griffon like you before.”

“That’s probably because I wasn’t born in Griffonstone,” he joked as he began to lightly scratch the side of her head.

“That would explain a lot,” she hummed.

Gold pulled his claws away with Gabby trying to lean further in his touch. “You feel better now?”

Gabby opened her eyes and turned away with a sheepish smile. “Y-yeah.”

“Sorry for suddenly touching you like that.” He scratched behind his head.

“It’s fine! I really needed that, so thanks."

Gold nodded. “Alright, lets be gone with the wind.” He spread his wings out and watched Gabby expectantly. “You’re leading of course.”

She glanced at the ocean. “Do you really want to live in Griffonstone? I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” she explained. “You should try Ponyville, or Baltimare, Las Pegasus or any other place other than Griffonstone.”

He held up a claw and spoke, “I’ve made up my mind Gabby. Besides, I need to see if Griffonstone is as bad as you say it is. But I can promise you that if anything changes, I’ll leave for Ponyville since that is one of the locations I need to visit anyways.”

“Can you promise that you won’t change while you’re in Griffonstone?” Gabby insisted.

“Gabby, if I feel like something is going to go wrong with me, I’ll come to you. How does that sound?”

“You promise?” she pouted with her arms crossed.

He rolled his eyes and smirked. “I promise.”

“Pinkie promise?” She balled up her fists as a smile grew on her face.

“I don’t know what that is, but sure, pinkie promise,” he shrugged.

“Woo-hoo!” She flew around the island, shouting in joy, before she returned to Gold and hovered above him.

“You done?” he deadpanned.

Gabby giggled and lowered her claws. “Yeah.”

He hooked on her claws. “Lead the way.”

“Next stop… Griffonstone.” The pair began to hover in the air, and with enough height, began to soar into the sky. With the sun beginning to peak along the horizon, the dark night sky slowly melted away as they continued on to Griffonstone.