The sun had just set on another day in Ponyville, home of the Carousel Boutique and the ever so eager to please Rarity. On the one day she decided to work from home, she had been bombarded with a truckload of orders on a day where assistance was slim, leaving her very exhausted. However, this was a moment where the stars aligned in her favor, as she had plans to take a weekend off in Canterlot to loosen up and relax, all while bringing along her faithful friend, Spike. Rarity sighed before collapsing on her bed for a planned early rest.
“Oh, Spike, it was so nice for Twilight to let you come along with me on my spa day off tomorrow. I know the perfect place we just have to try when we get to Canterlot!”
“But Rarity,” Spike questioned, “can't we just go to the Ponyville Spa? I mean, it's not too far from here; why do we have to go to Canterlot?”
Rarity glared at the young dragon, partially in jest, but also partially taken aback. “Spike, why wouldn'tyou want to go to Canterlot? And besides, I practically know Aloe and Lotus' personal lives at this point. It's always nice to try something new every once in a while, to go to places you've yet to go to! That's why we're going to Griff 'N Groom tomorrow morning on the double!”
She handed Spike a pamphlet, to which Spike read aloud: “'Griff 'N Groom: Canterlot's first ever all-griffon grooming and masseuse parlor.'” He sighed with exasperation. “We're...not going to get swindled, are we?”
“Spike, at least give the griffons a chance!” Rarity interjected, “After Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie made amends with Gilda, she's probably trying to at least teach her neighbors some form of kindness. It just takes time. Besides, if these are Canterlot griffons, there's a chance that they might just be vagabonds who wanted to escape Griffonstone and start a new life.”
Spike shrugged and hopped into a small armchair in Rarity's room. He figured if Rarity was getting some rest, he might as well. Rarity got herself tucked into her bed, and yet, the thoughts of a Canterlot trip got her mind racing and mouth moving again.
“Maybe afterward, the two of us could enjoy a walk through the streets, or maybe a fancy lunch together! Oh, I just adoregoing to Canterlot, Spike; it's like the city was made for me! It'll be just like...a date!”
Spike's eyes widened and his body began to feel lighter than air, the thoughts of a date with his beloved Rarity lulling him into a sense of ecstasy and slight drowsiness. Before long, he'd actually fallen asleep before Rarity even finished speaking. She bid the sleeping dragon goodnight after her long, rambling tirade on how much she loves Canterlot, and how much she was looking forward to this little trip. While Canterlot wasn't usually far from Ponyville, it always felt like a vacation to Rarity, and she was ready to make the most of it.
After taking the train and renting a hotel room for the three days she'd spend there, Rarity and Spike positioned themselves at the end of the sizable line outside of Griff 'N Groom. Seems that a lot of ponies wanted to try this place out for themselves, today, and Rarity was certainly no exception.
“Must be a popular day for them,” Spike deduced, “I wonder what all this hub-bub is about.”
Rarity wondered herself, leading her to tap the shoulder of the person in front of her. To their surprise, the figure that stood before them turned around, revealing an unmistakably recognizable mustache, adorned atop a golden beak and silvery feathers. In front of them was none other than Gustave le Grand, the famous pastry chef, and probably the only griffon capable of baking anything edible. He flamboyantly began a speech, before recognizing the pony in his view.
“Who desires the assistance of...oh, Rarity! It has been too long, non?And who is your little purple friend?”
“My name's Spike! It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. le Grand, although I could've sworn we crossed paths before. Didn't I ask you to make some sweets once?”
Gustave quizzically looked at Spike, a little unsure of the validity of his claim. Rarity chuckled and shoved Spike aside, a little bit embarassed. “Please, excuse him. It's nice to see you again, Mr. le Grande. I'll admit, I did not recognize you without your hat and scarf! Then again, it could just be that it's been a while since that incident on the train.”
Gustave chuckled, “Ah, yes...my chef's garb is currently being dry cleaned right now. Even someone as tres bienas myself can make mistakes! Such...as overstuffing eclairs.”
The three paused for a bit, but all laughed at Gustave's little story. As haughty and upper crust as he was, Gustave was just as down-to-earth as any other pony or griffon could be. The laughter broke, however, from an angry pony behind Spike shouting at the three to quit laughing and get a move on. But the three laughed again, not letting some rude horse ruin their day. As they walked towards the doors of the parlor, Gustave mentioned he was seeing a good friend of his there, which intrigued Rarity and piqued her curiosity. Despite being in front of her in line, Gustave offered his spot to Rarity and Spike, showing an act of generosity towards the two.
“After you, mon amies.”
As Rarity set foot inside, the little bell at the top of the door rang to signal her arrival. The sound sent two griffons barreling forward toward her; one a short, hefty, teal male with slightly parted head feathers, trying his best to keep a professional personality, the other a tall, skinny, orange female with disheveled head feathers, practically stammering with excitement.
“Welcome to Griff 'N Groom,” the tall one screeched, “how can we help you today?!”
“Primrose, calm down!” whispered the short one, “You have to excuse my wife, miss. I'm Donnie, and this is Primrose.”
Primrose cleared her throat and collected herself before beginning to speak again. “Donnie here is a wonderful mane stylist and if you need those lovely curls cleaned then he's your man!” But even that was short-lived. “Have you seen how he did my feathers, aren't they great?!” she screamed again, one of her feathers bouncing out of place.
“My darling Prim here handles mud baths and facials. Don't worry; you're in good talons with her.”
“Seems like someone who'd drown you in a mud bath,” Spike said, under his breath before being interrupted by Primrose.
“So what would you like, miss,” she asked grabbing Rarity by the hoof, the ponies eyes locked on to a red-furred griffon who had yet to introduce himself, who was cleaning his hands and counting a tip jar.
“What does he do,” Rarity said, motioning her hoof to him, causing Donnie and Primrose's smiles to droop into a look of irritation and disappointment.
Donnie sighed and shouted. “Thomas, you got another one!”
The red griffon turned his head to Donnie and walked on over, a smile on his beak. He seemed the most composed of the three, as he properly introduced himself.
“Oh! You're Rarity, aren't you? I've heard about you quite a bit! It's an honor to see you in our humble parlor,” the griffon spoke, Donnie groaning at the word “humble”.
Rarity lightly gasped in amazement. “You know of me? Oh wow, it seems my influence even reaches the lion-hearted,” she said with a chuckle, nervously grinning at the rather ham-fisted pun.
The crimson griffon chuckled back. “My name's Thomas Charles, but I prefer to go by 'T.C.'. It' easier that way, you know?”
Rarity nodded in agreement, leading T.C. to offer his services. “I take it you're interested in a massage then? You look a bit stiff, actually.”
The white pony's eyes lit up and she shook with excitement. “Oh yes, that would be heavenly, Mr. Charles.” She trotted along to a massage bed towards where T.C. stood before, getting on top with her back facing upward. T.C. began to work his magic, running his talons alongside Rarity's shoulders and neck. Spike watched as his darling Rarity slipped away into a deep tranquility thanks to this griffon's efforts. He couldn't help but overhear the other two griffons whispering to each other, however.
“Is he going to do it for free again?!”
“He's going to run this place into the ground!”
To Rarity, this was absolutely divine. She sighed in relaxation as the griffon stroked her upper body, feeling the previous week's aches drifting and melting away. Within minutes, she felt like a whole new mare, ready to take on the world again. She even had trouble standing up for a little bit with how relaxed she was. After poking herself awake, she turned to the griffon masseuse.
“That was simply amazing, T.C.! How did you learn to work so well? Actually, wait; a magician never reveals his secrets...well, how much do I pay you for this? I brought plenty of bits!”
T.C. raised a talon to stop her. “Oh, I'm not taking any payment. Besides, why should people have to pay to be happy?” Donnie rolled his eyes while Primrose quietly groaned. “That's what I always thought.”
“My, it's a bold claim, Mr. Charles, but...you need the business, right?” Rarity asked with concern.
“Rarity, it's quite alright. Besides, I travel a lot and I've seen your boutique before. I know how famous you are, so being able to work on you is an honor. So it's on me,” T.C. said with a smile, “So is your friend next?”
T.C. looked to Spike, to which the dragon eagerly got on the massage bed, awaiting his “royal treatment”. He chuckled as he began work on Spike, loosening up his muscles and whatever aches or ailments he had. As Spike's session finished, he walked back over to Rarity and the two of them waved goodbye to the generous griffon. As Rarity and Spike walked out of the parlor, Gustave stopped them with a look of excitement in his eyes, as he heard the red griffon call him from inside.
“Hey, Gus! You came here again, huh?”
Gustave said nothing and trotted inside happily.
Later that day, after a peaceful walk around town and a very grandiose dinner, Rarity and Spike were on their way to settle down for the evening. This little short stay had gone very well for the two, and there were no unfortunate surprises in sight. Spike sat atop Rarity's backside as the two made their way back to their hotel, his body rather lethargic from their meal. As they stepped inside and walked through the hotel lobby, Rarity happened to bump into a familiar feathered face. It just so happened to be T.C., who was on his way to his own hotel room.
“Oh, hello, Miss Rarity! Didn't know you were staying here too. Oh, and you brought your little friend with you, too!”
She chuckled and dismissively shook her hoof. “Oh, please, Mr. Charles; you don't need to address me so formally.” She then motioned said hoof to the dragon beside her. “And yes, this is my little friend, Spike!”
Spike and T.C. shook claws and talons together, T.C. nodding happily.
“Oh, and by the way, I could say the same about dropping formalities,” T.C. said with a laugh, “I mean, you haven't even called me T.C. at all today.”
“My, I'm sorry then,” Rarity replied, “It's just that your services were so exquisite! You really have found quite a career!”
T.C. laughed. “Well, you could call it a career, I just like making ponies and others happy, really.”
“You're a real miracle worker, T.C.,” Spike intervened, “If anything, you should be running the place!”
T.C. lightly chuckled, “Yeah, if only. Fact is though, Donnie and Primrose run the show, and they own the building. I could always go back to my folks, but...it's a long story.”
Rarity seemed a bit concerned. “Do you have issues with your real parents?”
T.C. looked at her, surprised. “No, they're fine. Nicest griffons I know, actually. Well, along with Gustave of course. I was never a popular one in my homeland though. Guess they just weren't used to a generous griffon, but then again, who is?” His tone oozed a slight hint of cynicism.
Rarity's face put on a look of worry, and she was concerned she'd pinched a nerve she shouldn't have. “Surely you must have a home somewhere though, right?”
T.C. smiled at Rarity with a look of confidence in his eyes. “I don't have a definitive home, but I do love to travel! After I left Griffonstone, I began to pursue the life of a drifter, setting my paws down somewhere for a few years before spreading my wings and flying somewhere new.” His confident look started to wane into an embarrassed smile moments later. “Granted...I don't have that long of a travel history. Griffonstone, the Everfree Forest, and well...here. That's about it.”
“By the way, T.C.,” Spike intervened, “what's the deal with those other two?”
T.C. tilted his head. “Donnie and Primrose?”
Spike nodded in response. “Yeah, I saw them before when you were working on Rarity, and they were mumbling things to themselves about you running the place into the ground or something.”
T.C.'s face turned a little stern, before shrugging it off. “Eh, they're just jealous, Spike. Most griffons today see work like mine as a path to bits. I know, I know; finances are important and all. Maybe it's just because I spent most of my life growing up self-sufficient. You kind of have to when you're living in the Everfree for a few years with a guy miles taller than you who spends most of his life in the water.”
Rarity raised her brows at such an oddly familiar description, but didn't think much else of it besides that it just reminded her of someone long ago.
“Anyway though,” T.C. said, “I've gotta get some shut-eye pretty early. Donnie says the place might pack tomorrow since he tells me he got a call from Princess Celestia of all ponies!”
“Princess Celestia?!” Rarity gasped in amazement, “T.C. that's such an honor!” Spike looked a bit quizzical of all this, however.
T.C. couldn't help but giggle a bit. “I'm surprised you're so starstruck, Rarity! After all, you're buddy-buddy with one of her students, I think. But yeah, I gotta rest up and get my talons ready for the Princess. You have a good night alright?”
“You too, T.C., I'll see you tomorrow!” Rarity waved as she and Spike trotted back to their room, only a couple doors down from T.C.'s.
Before heading off to sleep, Rarity freshened herself up, getting herself all nice and clean for the night. If she was going to sleep in a hotel, she'd want to do it in the most proper way possible, she thought. Spike, however, couldn't stop thinking about what T.C. had said before.
“Can you believe it, Spike?” Rarity chattered excitedly, “That humble little griffon massage parlor is getting a visit from Princess Celestia herself! I'm sure their feathers are all tickled pink with anticipation!”
“I don't know, Rarity,” Spike questioned, “it all seems a bit unnatural. Celestia's not the kind of person to make calls. Wouldn't she just show up?”
“Do you think she's still exhausted after Flurry Heart's Crystaling though? That was kind of rough on her and her sister,” Rarity pondered.
“Maybe,” Spike wondered aloud. Maybe he really was just worrying a little too much. Over the course of his time with Twilight Sparkle and the others, and with Twilight being crowned the Princess of Friendship, it wasn't unusual to him that Celestia and her sister, Luna, were seemingly pursuing a more casual lifestyle. Not only was this a pony who would raise the sun every morning, but also take time out of her day to attend tea socials at Sugarcube Corner and weddings in Ponyville's town square. Maybe Celestia wasn't as haughty and busy as she used to appear at first.
Maybe she really was just an average pony looking for a massage. As Rarity tucked herself into bed, Spike followed suit, relaxing on the small armchair beside Rarity's bed. It was no bed like the one he had back in the Tree of Harmony, but after a massage session from T.C., Spike figured he could sleep on the floor and still feel comfortable. In fact, it was because of this very reason that he found it hard to sleep at all.
Spike woke up prematurely, Rarity still fast asleep. That massage session left him feeling so relaxed that he felt like he didn't need to sleep all that much. As he tried to get himself back to sleep, he couldn't help but hear a slight humming coming from the walls. He got up carefully as to not disturb Rarity's sleep; Celestia only knows the things she would do to anyone if woken up too early. Spike put the side of his head up to the door to listen closely, only to find out that the distant humming was in fact talking.
“You'll pay me after this, right?”
“Of course! We'll just put that nifty little zebra charm to good use and then we'll pay you handsomely!”
“You better. Meet me outside when you're done.”
One voice was unfamiliar to Spike, but the other sounded a bit frazzled and shaky. He wanted to look through the peephole to see who was there, but his small height got the better of him, and stacking things would just run the risk of Rarity being woken up.
“If this thing does what it's supposed to...”
“He'll never be a masseuse again!”
Two people conspiring against T.C.? It was all too obvious to Spike. He had to expose them. He waited till he heard the voices trail off before slowly opening the door. He gently closed the door behind him and snuck towards T.C.'s room. The door was being held open by a peachy-orange hind paw, which Spike instantly recognized as belong to Primrose. Spike didn't want direct confrontation, but had an idea should things go haywire. He plucked one of his scales from his back, wincing and emitting a quiet “ow” in the process, and snuck it into the crack of the door to potentially jam it.
Unfortunately for Spike, his quiet “ow” caught notice of the tall and skinny griffon.
“Donnie,” Primrose whispered loudly, “it's the dragon!”
“Take the sack then, I'll distract him for you!”
Spike panicked and ran back to his room, grasping onto the knob for dear life. Unfortunately for him, he realized something long after it was too late; he'd forgotten the room key, and couldn't get back in. Not wanting to wake up Rarity, his only other option was to run away.
“Get back here, you runt!” Donnie gave chase. For a stocky griffon, he was at least decent at keeping his body airborne.
Spike turned around and spit a small fireball towards one of Donnie's wings, causing him to crash land. Spike turned around to see Primrose running away with a woven sack strung around one of her wings. Donnie got up and groaned, the tip of his right wing slightly singed. Spike ran toward the hotel elevators, to which Donnie chased him. Donnie heard the dinging of the elevator bell, leading him to believe Spike escaped, leading him to take the stairs upward to find the dragon. Spike, however, hid beneath a bench set in the hallway, having successfully evaded Donnie's pursuit.
Spike made his way back toward T.C.'s room to check and see if his plan to keep the door open worked. Sure enough, the scale was thick enough at least to hold the door open without locking it. He figured that if he couldn't get back in his own room, he could trust T.C. enough to stay with him for the night. He walked into the griffon's hotel room, nearly identical to his and Rarity's, minus the various bags that the white pony had packed. Spike climbed up onto T.C.'s bed to get a look at him, to see just what Donnie and Primrose had done.
He gasped in fear. If this wasn't fixed soon, T.C. truly would never be a masseuse again.
The sun rose on Canterlot as Rarity woke up. She heard a bit of a ruckus coming from outside, and noticed a crowd of ponies huddled up outside of a building.
“What is going on...?” she asked herself, “Spike, have you-”
She looked around, but Spike was nowhere to be found. Rarity began to panic.
“Spike? Spikey-wikey?”
She searched the room; under the beds, in the closet, and the bathroom, but the dragon was nowhere to be found, at least until she heard a knock at the door.
“If it's housekeeping, now is not a good time-”
She opened the door to find the very dragon she was looking for. With a happy gasp, she hugged Spike tight to her body.
“Spike, where were you? I thought you were sleeping here tonight! Did you go to get continental breakfast without me?”
“Rarity, we have a problem. I'll explain all the details later but you have to come quick!”
Without hesitation, she followed Spike a few doors down, directly into T.C.'s room. She'd noticed the scale Spike had left in the door still there, but more importantly, she could see someone huddled under a blanket with a familiar red tail peeking out.
“T.C.?” Rarity called out to him.
“Please, don't come any closer!” the griffon shouted.
“T.C.,” Spike said, “we're here to help. Now tell us what's wrong.”
“You're not going to like it though!” the griffon was shaking.
“Oh, please, I've probably seen worse, darling,” Rarity assured, “If it's a bad hair day then I'll fix you right up.”
T.C. undid the blanket to at least reveal his face, his yellow-tipped tuft of feathers groomed in their usual manner. “It's not,” he said, as he undid the blanket covering his body, causing Rarity to gasp in horror.
T.C.'s talons were missing. Cleanly removed; the ends of his wrists tipped with the same yellow on his forearms, as if his arms were like logs of decorated cookie dough.
“I don't know how,” Spike said, “but Donnie and Primrose stole his talons! I think I overheard something about zebra magic, too!”
“Zebra magic?” Rarity questioned with concern, “Surely Zecora isn't behind this, right?”
“Can't be,” T.C. said, “I know Zecora; she's one of our top incense providers. How did you find out it was those two though, Spike?”
Spike explained to T.C. and Rarity how the former's massage job left Spike so relaxed that he woke up earlier than usual, and how he'd left a scale in the door to keep it open should he need to investigate himself, leaving the pony and the griffon rather impressed at the young dragon's smarts.
“So they removed my talons using some sort of charm, huh,” T.C. said, dejectedly before hanging his head down.
Rarity put a hoof on T.C.'s shoulder.
“All my life, people took advantage of my generosity. When Griffonstone fell back into its greedy ways, people either turned to me expecting me to be greedy like everyone else or turned against me when I wasn't. I had almost the entire village looking to guilt me out of my bits. I at least left the Everfree Forest on my own terms, but I'd never expected those two to be just like everyone else. They treated me like the son they never had, and this is what I get for it?” T.C. shakingly walked on his wrist stumps as if they were hooves, putting one of them against a mirror, staring deep into his reflections eyes.
“Give me a little bit, you two. I'll be back, posthaste,” Rarity said, taking her room key and leaving the hotel room. She stepped down to the lobby, looking for answers. What was that commotion of ponies outside, and where were Donnie and Primrose right now? She stepped out and headed toward Griff 'N Groom, towards the crowd of chattering ponies. Rarity couldn't see past the crowd, so she climbed up a nearby lamp post to get a better look. She could clearly see that the parlor was closed, with Primrose standing in front of the doors.
“We're so sorry, everypony, but Griff 'N Groom is a little bit...well...it's actually very closed! Closed until further notice! Our masseuse decided that he wanted to skip town and fly on over to Yakyakistan! Sorry!”
“She could not be any more dishonest,” Rarity thought, squinting her eyes in disgust and lowering herself from her vantage point. She rushed her way back to the hotel room faster than her little sister at an ice cream social, opening the door to let T.C. and Spike know what was going on.
“They've closed the parlor, you two! I only saw Primrose though; Donnie left her to deal with the crowd, but...I don't understand, why wouldn't he be there?”
T.C.'s head perked up, and he stumbled on over to the balcony window to take a look. Just as he thought, he looked off into the distance to see Donnie sneaking his way out of Canterlot, before taking flight. His eyelids raised in both shock and anger, prompting him to take flight himself.
“Come on, you two; follow me!” T.C. grabbed Spike and sat him on his back before he blitzed out the door and flew towards the stairwell. With Rarity following after him, they got outside, before T.C. stopped to let Rarity upon his back too. Considering that griffons were slightly larger than ponies, carrying the two of them wasn't too difficult for him, and he had just enough speed to pursue Donnie. The two griffons flew past the crowd, leading to the mob mumbling to themselves about what was happening.
“Was that Donnie?”
“That was T.C., right?”
“Wasn't he in Yakyakistan?”
“What happened to his talons?”
Those were just some of the questions that bubbled within the mob at the time. Primrose looked up, following the eyes of the distracted crowd. Her eyes widened in fear as T.C. had finally figured out their plans. She hastily followed after the two flying griffons, attempting to catch up with Donnie to stay ahead.
“No, Primrose,” Donnie yelled, “incapacitate him!” Following Donnie's orders, Primrose turned around and attempted to dive into T.C., which prompted Rarity to grab a hold of Spike, who belched a small fireball toward the griffon assailant. Primrose dodged the oncoming flame, having seen how Spike's fire had singed one of Donnie's wing feathers. She didn't want the same thing to happen to her, so she flew above the ongoing pursuit, rather than behind it. Donnie groaned and looked down, noticing that the hooded zebra from before was also following them as well. He then looked ahead and laughed, as he was en route to the Everfree Forest. Donnie flew low close to the running zebra, and Primrose followed suit.
“Good luck finding us now!” Donnie cackled, as he, Primrose, and the zebra traversed beneath the canopies of the trees, with Rarity and her friends still above. This didn't stop T.C. though, as he dove down towards the leaves.
“Watch yourself guys, this is going to hurt!” T.C. shouted, prompting Rarity to take Spike for herself and leap off of the red griffon. T.C. closed his eyes and shot through the canopy, making a direct collision with Donnie below and forcing him to drop his bagged talons. Primrose skidded to a stop, while the zebra stopped ahead of the three griffons, turning back towards Donnie's attacker. Rarity climbed down the tree while carrying Spike on her back in tow, and stood next to Primrose, shooting her a glare at what she had tried to do before.
Donnie groaned in pain, his beak slightly muffled in the dirt below. “Bold move, kid,” he said, as Rarity used her magic to grab Donnie's bag.
Just then, the zebra dramatically shook his hood loose, bellowing his voice like a supervillain from a comic book might if they wanted to put on a show.
“You utter buffoons!” he said, as he walked toward the face-buried Donnie. “You request the services of my meditation charm and thisis the result? Utterly shameful!” The zebra, male, wore the back of his mohawk hair in a braided ponytail, bearing a single gold earring on his left ear. Adorned on his flank was a marking akin to blowing winds, and his eyes were as green as the finest emeralds. Adorned on one of his front legs was a golden bracelet, with a strange emblem of long ago engraved on a small golden plate attached to it. His eyes scowled at the griffon below in sheer disappointment.
Rarity prepared to return the bag to T.C., but the zebra snatched it from her magical grip and reached inside for the contents; T.C.'s missing talons. T.C. looked at the disembodied digits and was able to move and feel them in the zebra's hold, but the zebra prompted him to hold them still. The golden bracelet glowed with a cyan light, as the zebra pressed one of T.C.'s talons, specifically his left one, to his blank left wrist, the two fusing back together like they had never left. Afterward, he did so with the remaining right talon, and T.C. was fully restored.
“Thank you so much,” Rarity spoke, “I hope that we can repay you for this trouble...” She used her magic to reach for a small bag of bits, something she'd planned on tipping the hotel staff when her stay was over. However, the zebra put a hoof to the bag, shaking his head.
“I am Chezaji, a wandering traveler who seeks to assist others with ancient trinkets of my people. What you saw me use was an ancient meditation bracelet linked to a seldom-practiced meditative art. It is meant for the philosophical separation of the mind and body, but I see that these two have used it wrongly.” Chezaji's eyes turned once again to Donnie and Primrose.
Donnie got up in a panic. “Mr. Chezaji, I am so sorry! I uh...left the money back in the parlor! But hey, why don't you come by to Griff 'N Groom for a massage and we can make it up to you? It's on the house, no need to pay us!”
Primrose joined in on Donnie's bargaining, “Yeah, yeah! We can fix you up real real good, and by that I mean our finest masseuse over here, Thomas, can fix you up good! It's that right, Thomas?” She leaned over to T.C., expecting a response, but the red griffon could only scowl at her.
“If you want to give this guy the spa treatment, you can find another masseuse. I quit, Primrose.”
“Quit?!” Primrose screamed, “Whaddya mean quit!? I mean, y-you live at Griff 'N Groom, so even if you did quit our venue would always be open to you!”
“And after today's antics do you really think I want to stay? My generosity’s been taken advantage of again,and by the only people willing to take me in, nonetheless! No, Primrose; I'll find somewhere else, thank you. I’m going back to my hotel.” T.C. took flight, but not before giving Rarity and Spike a nod, assuring them they’ll speak later. Rarity watched as the red griffon flew over the canopies of the Everfree Forest. Once he’d gone, she turned her eyes to the dubious duo, and the zebra they had done so well to agitate.
“Mr. Chezaji,” she began, “I think it might be best to let these two go. I believe they’ve learned their lesson; at this point it’s just a matter of making things up to T.C., and the rest of Canterlot as well.”
“If they can, at least,” Spike added, prompting a look of shame on Donnie’s face.
Rarity and Spike returned to Canterlot, preparing themselves for checkout and the train ride home. Unfortunately, they hadn’t seen T.C. at all since they’d returned, and he hadn’t answered when they tried knocking on the door. Rarity had assumed T.C. was just getting an early rest, figuring he deserved one after all the trouble he’d gone through before. The next morning, she’d packed her bags with Spike’s help, and the two of them proceeded to the train station after having checked out. Rarity wondered what became of T.C. after all of this, and where he’d be off to having left behind Donnie and Primrose. She and Spike took their seats on the train back to Ponyville, the young dragon sitting comfortably in her lap as the two of them gazed out the window at the departing Canterlot landscape.
Just then, Rarity got a bit distracted by a tickling sensation on her hoof, almost as if someone was hiding beneath her seat with a feather duster.
“Spike, is that you doing that?”
Spike shook his head. She would’ve thought with how much Spike seems to love her that such a close moment together would cause his tail to wag a little bit, but Spike, while still having enjoyed her company very much, wasn’t involuntarily wagging his tail. He did, however, notice something about the tickling sensation, or rather, its source.
“Rarity, isn’t that…”
There was indeed something soft at Rarity’s hooves. A red tail, long and thin, and tipped with a yellow tuft of fur, brushed idly along the floor. Spike and Rarity followed the tail to the source; it was none other than a certain friend of theirs from earlier in the trip.
“T.C., Spike said in surprise, “Where’ve you been? We hadn’t seen you since the Everfree Forest!”
“We were honestly kind of worried we’d never see each other again,” Rarity followed up, “but I’m honestly glad we did! That being said, what’s got you on the train to Ponyville anyway?”
T.C. smiled as he turned to his friends, “Well, I’ve always wanted to travel the world; it’s been in my blood for all my life. That being said, a guy like me’s gotta find a place to settle down at least, and an old friend of mine told me about a small house on the outskirts of Ponyville that wasn’t seeing any use. So I figured I’d check it out, touch up the place, and nest there for the time being.”
Rarity was elated to hear the griffon decided to set up residence close to her home. “You were always so humble and kind while we were in Canterlot, T.C.; I think Ponyville might be the perfect place for you. I could always help show you around if you ever need it!”
“You’re going to love Sugarcube Corner for sure,” Spike began, “Oh, and just wait till you meet Fluttershy’s animals! And if you ever need to find me, I’ll be in the Castle of Friendship. It’s the big, crystal tree thing; You can’tmiss it,” he said, rolling his eyes with a chuckle.
“And of course, T.C., if you ever need any help with clothing and the like, or you just want to find me, I’ll be in Carousel Boutique!” Rarity grinned, her eyes alight with joy.
T.C. nodded lightly. “Sounds like you guys have it made in Ponyville! I’ll join you guys for a tour sometime, but after this adventure, I think I just need to settle down for a little bit.”
Not long after, the train’s wheels screeched to a halt, as the trio of mixed critters arrived at their destination. Rarity already started to recognize many familiar faces of home bustling in and out of the train station. She walked out of the station with Spike and T.C., prompting a few “oohs” and “ahs” from passing ponies who hadn’t seen griffons in Ponyville often. T.C. definitely felt an entirely different vibe from this town; everyone seemed more humble and down-to-earth compared to the upper crust nature of Canterlot. It wasn’t long before he decided he was going to like living in Ponyville quite a lot, even if he was taking shelter in a shack on the outskirts. Rarity was still a bit concerned at the thought of T.C. temporarily living in an abandoned shack for a while; what if it was dirty, or the woodwork had suffered a bit of weather damage?
These concerns, however, gave rise to a splendid idea.
“You said you were going to live in a shack outside Ponyville? How about you stay at the boutique for a while and I’ll have my friend Applejack and I help fix the place up for you?”
T.C.’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. “That sounds like a great idea, actually! I’ll pay you back when it’s done, I still have some of my tips from the parlor.”
Rarity smiled and laughed, “You don’t have to, making my friends happy is payment enough.”
And from those days onward, T.C. had planted his roots nearby Rarity’s home town. Just as Spike had promised, T.C. found himself loving Ponyville, and all of its amenities and the friendly faces that came with it. While he would miss seeing the ponies he knew in Canterlot, and especially Gustave, he figured he could always come visit them via taking the train, or flying there. Griff ‘N Groom would still see business, though Donnie and Primrose experienced a dry period for a while due to their previous misdeeds.
And while T.C. was currently taking residence outside Ponyville, would he ever go back to his homeland of Griffonstone? What was it that kept him away from it for so long in the first place? Rarity wondered these questions when thinking about the things T.C. had said throughout their little experience with the Griff ‘N Groom duo. Perhaps one day she might propose these questions to her newfound friend for some insight. But for now, Rarity was home, and she was going to take the time to savor it.
END
To be continued in Return to Castle Griffonstone, the second story of the Red Feather Saga
Author's Note
Hoo boy, this was quite a few months in the making! I don't have much to say on this besides the fact that I hope you all like it! I've had this T.C. character for years now and had many plans of what to do with him, but I'd since settled on this idea around 2016. It just took a few years of planning and motive to finally put the thoughts on paper, and I'm glad I did.
