“Ow.”

“Well hold still!”

“Easy for you to say!”

Gabby let out a grumble as she spread some thick ointment on Aid’s back, the stallion then letting out a sigh of relief.

“Ok, that feels good.” Aid remarked happily, then standing up and tentatively taking a few steps.

“Well, I can move around without too much pain, so that’s better than yesterday!”

“Aid, you got burned yesterday.”

“Exactly!”

Aid chuckled at hearing Gabby’s partly amused chirp at his words, the chime of the shop door drawing his attention.

“Sorry folks, we’re closed for a bit.” Aid, called, standing up with a wince. His eyes widened as an alabaster stallion and light-pink mare looked back at him.

“My name is Cheesecake Tart. Y-you’re Aid Chaser, the unicorn who makes his own wings, right?” the mare asked softly, prompting Aid to nod. Aid jerked slightly in surprise as the mare trotted forward and swept him up into a hug, tears streaming from her eyes. “Thank you for saving my daughter, thank you…” she whispered, the stallion shaking Aid’s hoof as his own lips quivered.

“You are most welcome, is she doing ok?” Aid asked, Cheesecake nodding briefly.

“She’s with a sitter; and keeps asking about you actually.” the mare remarked with a sniffle, letting Aid go to wipe her eyes.

“I’d-we’d love to have you over for dinner or something. It’s the least we can do. I don’t know what we could to do pay you back for…”

Aid waved off her words with a hoof, shaking his head. “I don’t want any payment of the sort. But I will gladly stop by to see her though.”

The stallion set a small business card on the table, shaking Aid’s hoof again as the mare gave him another hug. “W-we have to get going, but we needed to find and thank you first…”

Aid could only smile, bowing his head as the pair took their leave.
“We’ll be in touch, take care you two.”

As they left, Gabby walked over to Aid and gave his shoulder a nudge.

“I had a feeling something like that would happen.” she mused, then spied the mail on the counter. “Huh. That paper looks odd.”

Moving the newspaper over, the stallion’s eyes widened in shock, promptly sitting down.
“Uh, Gabby?”

Looking over as well, Gabby’s own eyes widened, the gryphoness then letting out a pleasant giggle. “That’s awesome. You look pretty good!” she replied, eyes then focusing on another photo underneath- the pair of them shoulder to shoulder as they walked towards a doctor’s clinic. “Hmm…”

Aid could only stare; the photo carrying with it a simple title.
Hero.

Apparently, a photographer had been nearby when he landed yesterday- because the photo emblazoned across the front page was in perfect clarify for all to see. Crystal wings spread wide, the pony in the photo was holding a hoof across a filly strapped to his chest, sun rays beaming through the gaps in crystal feathers as his helmeted head looked down at the ‘viewer.’

I mean, I look pretty awesome, but this is going to open up a whooooole can of worms.

“Ok, I do look pretty great.” Aid admitted, then scanning the article briefly. It was, thankfully, sparse, just as he had hoped. They only suspected he was the pony; Cheesecake must have asked around to find him specifically. However, the small blurb about possibly courting a gryphoness raised his eyebrows slightly.
“Gabby, I didn’t mean for them to-”

“Aid, shush. We had a lovely date yesterday in the park for lunch, and then dinner in the evening again, and I didn’t care about the odd looks any more than before. Do you really think I’d start to care now? Ok, maybe that’s a bad way to say it, but it’s ok, really.” Gabby butted in, reaching over to give Aid’s hoof a pat.

Her touch brought another topic to the fore, and Aid’s cheeks flushed with a slight blush- sending the gryphon into giggles.
“You ok there, Aid?”

Aid put the paper down, turning to face the cheerful gryphoness with a happy but still slightly nervous smile on his features. “Just…a thought.” he mused. “I mean, we’ve been on a few dates, and have more planned. So…I guess I was kind of wondering, am I your special somepony? And you my special somegriff?”

Gabby paused, head tilting slightly, and a wide smile dawned on her beak.
“I sure hope so…because I thought that’s how it worked.” she admitted, Aid trotting over to sit in front of her.

“Some ponies make it a bigger deal, others, not so much. I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.” Aid replied, and his heart fluttered as Gabby nodded eagerly.

“S-sounds like it.”

Aid picked up on the slight stammer- and judging from the blush on Gabby’s grey cheeks, it was a positive sign. Oh, why not. Aid stood up, walking over and planted a simple kiss on Gabby’s beak; immediately making her feathers stand on end.

“I’m glad to have you as my special somegriff, Gabby.” Aid said quietly, golden eyes shining with genuine affection. “You’ve been a fantastic friend, and definitely something more. I’m glad to have you here.”

Gabby wrapped up her coltfriend in a hug, the gryphoness letting out a slight sniffle, then busied herself with nuzzling the top of Aid’s head.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
As they pulled apart, Gabby hesitated- then reached down and gave Aid a brief kiss, her own eyes flickering to the floor and then back to him, the stallion blinking in surprise.

“Hmm. This is new.” he mused, then looking to her with the most cheeky and roguish grin Gabby had ever seen. “You know, I’m not too used to my special somecreature having a beak. So, I really might need to practice kisses sometime…”

Gabby’s face lit up, the gryphoness letting out a soft squeak as Aid cackled.
“Aid! Really?!”

The stallion chuckled, letting out a content sigh as he looked at the remainder of the mail, and promptly froze.

“Aid? You alright?” Gabby asked the now stunned stallion; a single piece of parchment having been opened and levitated. “What is it?”

Aid plopped down onto his seat, but the look in his eyes indicated that it wasn’t bad news at all, especially as a quivering smile spread across his face.

“We, at the Royal Canterlot Finance sector, wish to inform you, Mr. Aid Chaser, that your request for alternate payment for patent number 49263 has been accepted, and would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience.” Aid said, his breath then catching in his chest as a hoof-written note caught his eye on the bottom of the declaration.
“W-well done, my little pony. I knew I could trust you. -Princess Celestia.”

Gabby was nearly tackled to the ground by Aid’s hug, the stallion’s carefree laughter echoing off the small shop walls. She returned the gesture- even though the gryphoness had no idea what the parchment was saying. But if Aid was happy…it had to be good.

The stallion let go of the flustered gryphoness, then gestured to the parchment.

“Gabby, I’ve submitted those smaller wings for sale to the royal office for years. What I did also, was include an alternate form of payment. Instead of selling it for money, I’d sell it for something of different value.”

Gabby’s head tilted, Aid rushing upstairs with a few winces to retrieve a stack of papers.

“Gabby, remember what I told you? My dream?” he whispered, gesturing to the pile. “The alternate payment is to let me run a new organization, subsidized by the crown and other sources, as an emergency-response organization. To compliment the ERDF…basically my dream.” Seeing Gabby blink, Aid hoofed over a single sheet of paper, prompting his special somegriff’s eyes to widen.

“Wings of Aid…” she whispered, promptly giggling softly. “Really Aid?”

He blushed, tracing the floor with a hoof.
“I like it….”

Gabby reached over to give the stallion’s shoulder a squeeze, her wings ruffling in thought.
“Hey, if you like the name, I like it. I think it’s cheesy and adorable, and so it fits the founder.”

The pout Aid shot her was enough to send Gabby into giggles, the gryphoness then looking around. “So, you’re the president of a company? Or rather, will be? In addition to this shop?”

Aid nodded, taking a deep breath and sighing.
“Yep. My life just got a lot busier; but in a really good way.”
A thought seemed to cross his mind, and the stallion’s ears flattened.

“Aid?”

He mumbled something, but then finally nodded, looking at the floor.
“I really don’t want to, but I feel like I should at least talk to my parents briefly. I’m dating you, starting a company…I may disagree with them on a lot of things, but they’re still family.”

A soft feathery side pressed against his, and Gabby nodded slowly as he leaned on her shoulder.

“As someone who never knew her family, I’d say that’s a really wise decision.”

Aid winced, getting up and stretching with a grumble.
“Well. Want to come with me before I change my mind about this?”

Gabby was at his side in an instant, the pair making their way down the street towards the high-end residential section of Canterlot.

“I’m already regretting this.” Aid mumbled as he stared at a familiar house with ornate decorations. “I told you how we left things last time? Not exactly on good terms….”

Gabby nodded, sitting next to Aid on the doorstep and looking around.
“Yup. But as you said; they’re family. Maybe they’ll listen, maybe they won’t, but that’s on them. Not on you.”

Aid now managed a smile, head shaking as he glanced over to the thoughtful gryphoness.
“Another reason I like you. You’re just as smart as you are pretty. Well, and happy too.”

The blush on Gabby’s cheeks and a happy chirp that left her beak buoyed Aid’s spirits, and he knocked on the door a few times.

“Well. Here goes nothing.”

The door opened; and instead of a butler, Bit Chaser stood stock still, looking at his son in surprise. As Chenille made her way to Bit’s side, the older stallion nodded slowly.

“Son.”

“Father.”

There was a moment of silence, but Aid finally shook his head.

“There have been some changes in my life, Father, Mother. I thought it proper to inform you myself, rather than let some tabloid or rumor do that for me.” Aid began, then sighing. “I do not regret my last words however; as harsh they may have been.”

Bit stared, the stallion’s lip forming a thin line- and then starting to quiver.
“T-there are many words I regret though.” the proud stallion whispered, gaze sinking to the floor. “You are right not to take back your words, and I…” Bit Chaser raised his head; and for a moment, the pony Aid had grown up with shone through.
“I’m sorry, Son. Your words made me realize quite a few things…”

“We are sorry. I pushed you in all the wrong ways…” Chenille piped up, her own head shaking sadly.

Aid only blinked for a moment- apparently rendered speechless by his parent’s admission.

“I-” he managed to start, then a slight smile managed to edge onto Aid’s features. “Thank you, that’s-I didn’t expect....”

“And yet it shouldn’t be.” Bit’s voice was now bitter, the stallion shaking his head. “It should be normal to converse with one’s child, to recognize a mistake you’ve made, yet all I’ve-”

“We’ve.” Chenille darted in.

“We’ve done is discourage you to do so on all fronts. You were right to pull away.”

Bit managed a slight smile now, looking to Gabby who had remained silent.
“If I may ask, who is this?”

Aid gestured to Gabby, his smile growing noticeably softer.
“Mother, Father, this is Gabriella; She’s…my special somegriff.”

Gabby shook the outstretched hoof of Bit, nodding in greeting.
“Nice to meet you, Mister Chaser, Miss Chaser.”

Bit was now smiling, head shaking slowly back and forth.

“Well, I am pleased to meet you Gabriella. I…am ashamed to say you may know my son more than either of us.”

Gabby saw Aid’s mouth drop open, and the gryphoness nudged him briefly.

“I…would like to remedy that however, even if only marginally.” Bit continued. “I…we don’t understand some of the things you pursue, Son, things that make you happy. But we’ve realized; we should try to understand, even if it’s enough to support you in them.”

Aid recovered enough to nod, still stunned by the change of events.
“W-well, part of the other news is that I now am going to be starting a company. I would greatly appreciate any advice on the matter; and perhaps to catch up as well.”

Bit nodded, weathered features wrinkling slightly in a grateful smile.
“I would like that, Son. Perhaps day after tomorrow for lunch? And of course, Miss Gabriella is invited.”

Aid shook his father’s outstretched hoof, Gabby doing the same.
“I’d…like that.” Aid admitted, his father then looking at a pocket watch and coughing, prompting a smile from the younger stallion.

“I-we won’t keep you; I imagine you have a busy day ahead?” Bit remarked as Aid resisted a wide grin.

“A few things, yes, but I wanted to make time for this. So, day after tomorrow at noon?” Aid asked, pausing as they turned to leave.

Trotting over, he gave each of his parents a hug, leaving them blinking in surprise as Bit nodded.
“S-see you then, Son.” Bit managed to say, Aid and Gabby making their way back to the main street.

“So, not too bad?” Gabby asked as they munched on a pastry, the pair having sat down in a nearby park after grabbing some lunch.

“I’m still in shock, honestly. Of the things I expected, that wasn’t even top fifty of possibilities.” Aid murmured, then looking over to Gabby with a cheeky grin.

“Then again, I wouldn’t have thought a gorgeous gryphoness would be interested in me either.”

Gabby nearly choked on her pasty, her feathers fluffing in a blush.
“Aid. I-I….” she only managed to grumble as the unicorn reached over to rest his head on a feathery shoulder.

“So, maybe we go play some antique shops games before you go run your routes? I then have to stand in line at the Palace for a meeting while you’re doing that.” Aid mused, feeling Gabby nod in agreement.

“And then dinner?” she ventured, prompting an immediate reply.

“Of course.”

Aid was quiet for a moment, then reached over to rest a hoof on Gabby’s claws – which she immediately held.
“And for dessert, some hot chocolate. It’s not in an icy cave, but still….”

Feeling Gabby nuzzle his cheek briefly, Aid couldn’t help but let out a content sigh as the gryphoness’s soft voice reached his ears.
“Icy cave or not, as long as it’s with you, I’d say it’s time well spent.”

Aid was quiet for a moment, then pausing to reach over and give Gabby a kiss on her blushing cheek.
“And I look forward to spending a lot more time with you, however that may be. Be it antiques, hot chocolate, or…” Aid gave her claws a squeeze as best he could.

“Or just like this.”

A happy chirp was Gabby’s reply, the pair relaxing underneath the noonday sun.
And to think, I met you in an icy cave those months ago. I have to say; your company was much more lifting than any cup of hot chocolate…and it still is.

-The End-

Author's Note

And so this story comes to a conclusion! I hope it doesn't come off as too sudden, but if so, I apologize for that. I feel like I COULD drag it on out for the overall idea I had, but I feel it'd be better to end in a concise manner, especially since my focus on this particular story has waned. But I didn't want to just cut off Aid and Gabby's adorable times together!

And so I left it with a nice little inkling of what can come next in their lives, while still having the elements of what I had planned in the future (starting his own organization while dating Gabby.)

Hope everyone has enjoyed this adorable jaunt!
-RB