Gabby tries being a Pony

by Foal Star

Rating: everyone
Tags: Gabby, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 9588

Gabby tries to get her cutie mark by turning herself into a pegasus filly

This stort is an alternate version of events for the episode "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks."

Young Gabby wants to try getting herself a cutie mark and tries to seek out the Cutie Mark Crusaders. However, things take a strange turn for her as she crashes into the Everfree Forest and finds Zecora. She then convinces the zebra to craft her a magic potion to temporarily turn herself into a pegasus filly until she can find her cutie mark and learn her purpose in her life! But along her journey, she has to lie to the Cutie Mark Crusaders about who she really is. Also, there is a side effect to the potion she was unaware of, which makes it much harder to find her purpose. Gabby will, however, have to navigate through these obstacles and see how much she's willing to do to achieve her cutie mark.

Published 2023-12-01 17:40:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-05-08 03:04:21 UTC

Chapter One: Growing Pains

It was a bright, early morning in Griffionstone. Gabby was flying about delivering mail from one house to another, delivering various letters, mostly demanding bits for something. She was flying between her neighbors, all looking rather grouchy as they shooed her until but the young griffin's cheerful demeanor as she came to Gilda, the suave-looking griffin with her face and undercoat with a beautiful set of white feathers and a brown coat covering her bottom half and legs and tail. She turned her head, looking somewhat annoyed at The young griffin. Gabby was used to Gilda's angry attitude. Still, she knew deep down that the older griffin was kind and like a big sister to her. Since Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash came by, she's become almost an entirely different griffin. Gabby flew over towards her as fast as she could and chirped, "Hey ya," she squeaked as she slammed into her and then looked up, surprised to see her smirking and ruffled her head as she said. "Hey, squirt!"

"Hey, Gilda!" Gabby squealed as she hugged her friend and asked, "Has anything been new from the Cutie Mark Crusaders!?"

"Settle down!" Gilda laughed as she placed the younger griffin down and continued, "Actually, yes! They helped a little filly, Petunia Paleo, whose parents thought she was a pirate, but she was a paleontologist."

Gabby's eyes went wide, completely confused as to what Gilda said, then cried, "A paleowhat!?"

"A paleontologist, they uh study dinosaur bones. Her parents were worried that their daughter's cutie mark looked unnerving and wanted the CMC to see what her new mark meant.

"Oh, that's so cool. I would love Bones to be my cutie mark!? Maybe I could be a doctor! Or a pirate!"

Gilda shook her head, "Gabby, listen, I know you want a cutie mark, but that just ain't happening. Have you ever seen a griffin with a picture on their flank?"

The young griffin was tired of everyone telling her that, so she puffed out her chest and shouted, "Of course not, but it doesn't mean I won't be the first!"

"Uh huh…" She then let out an annoyed sigh, tapped a hoof to her, and said, "Gabby, maybe you should visit the cutie mark crusaders and see for yourself."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I need a letter delivered to Rainbow Dash; we need another player for Boffyball. Greta is out with the flu, and we need someone to replace her for now."

Gabby squealed in delight, snatching the letter, and cheered, "Oh, of course! I love Boffyball! You guys may have lost fifty-three to one last season to the yaks, but you really put in the effort!"

The older griffin winced, then sheepishly brushed the back of her head and said, "Yeah, uh, don't go saying that out loud."

"Yeah, no problem! I'm sure you'll do better this season!" Gabby chirped as she soared off, squealing as she concocted a plan in her mind that once she gave this letter to Rainbow Dash, she would find the cutie mark crusaders and get a cutie mark!

The little griffin took off, zooming through the air. Then, as she was diving towards Ponyville, she ended up in the Everfree forest; deep within the foliage, she squeaked, getting slammed by dozens of tree branches and getting a mouthful of leaves. Then, the last thing the young griffin knew, she was slamming into a massive tree.

Gabby groaned as she woke up; rubbing her head, she looked around the small hut, enamored by the curious items with which the zebra decorated her place. Then her attention turned to see a zebra humming a tune as she smashed something on a table, creating some sort of powder.

She then turned her head and said, "Uh, hello?"

The zebra then turned towards her and, with a smile, replied, "Hello, my friend, it seems you are on the mend."

"Yeah, sorry, I was super excited and flying as fast as I could to Ponyville; I wasn't paying attention, and then I think I hit a tree?"

The zebra then trotted over, looked her over, and said, "I see, but for now, take this as your body has been put through the test. Your wing will heal with some proper bed rest."

She then spoonfed the griffin some bitter medicine, making Gabby grimace at the taste. She swallowed it down, and then the herbalist covered the young griffin and silently finished making her powder. Still feeling achy, Gabby did as the zebra said, lying back and relaxing. Exhaustion slowly came over as she went back to sleep.

A day went by, and the following morning, Gabby groaned as she slowly woke up the following day, rubbing her eyes with her claws. She flexed her wings, which were already feeling much better than yesterday. The little griffin looked over to see the zebra continuing to make powder and pouring it into a glass bottle, and then she turned and said, "Good morning; how are you feeling?"

Gabby then flexed her wings and did her best. She tried to flex her wing and winced, "It hurts, but at least I can move my wings."

The zebra once again came over and looked her over, then, with a nod, replied, "Yes, I see no bones broken, thankfully, but you must take care not to take into the air."

"I know," she sighed, laying back down; this wasn't the first time she had broken her wing. But then she turned towards the old wize-looking zebra and eyed her, wondering who she was and why she would be helping her. The young griffin then asked, "You're Zecora, right? I think Gilda mentioned you before in her letters."

"Yes, that is my name, and if I may ask the same?"

"Name's Gabby came to deliver a letter to Rainbow Dash, but I…also want a cutie mark."

Zecora was somewhat surprised by Gabby's response, saying, "A cutie mark; griffins are not ponies you see. How do you believe you can earn one properly?"

"I…I don't know; I only want one, and if anypony can help me, it's the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Zecora paused and then, with a smile, replied, "I see that you were probably overly excited and hit a tree. But why do you wish to get a cutie mark so badly?"

"I…I just heard so much about how ponies here live, and I want to spread that same joy in Griffinstone. Gilda's trying, but it's much harder than you think."

"I see, and you think earning a cutie mark will show the others they can live like a pony?"

Gabby flashed the zebra a wink and chirped, "Exactly! Also, I want to find my purpose; hopefully, a cutie mark can help with that, too!"

Zecora chuckled to herself, then said, "I have to confess that you remind me of my friend Apple Bloom, who was in the same distress."

"Oh, I know her; she's a crusader!" Gabby then took a minute to rack her brain over the letters Gilda brought her over the past year and remembered that Zecora's name popped up often along with what she does. She asked, "Say, I heard you make cures and potions. Could you whip up something to make it appear?"

Zecora sighed annoyedly, "I'm afraid that a brew will not do."

The zebra paused momentarily, then her face lit up as she said, "But there is an elixir I have brewed that could help give you a way to see your life in a different view."

Gabby was somewhat confused about what the zebra offered, so she asked, "What do you mean?"

Zecora took out a flask filled with a bubbling green liquid and said, "You see, I have this potion that can turn you into another species temporarily…I don't mean to ask. But if you wish to be a pony, all you must do is drink from this flask."

"Seriously!? That sounds awesome!"

The zebra nodded, then added, "Yes, I may need a day or two to ensure it's properly brewed. But once complete, it will transform you into a pony temporarily."

The little griffin's eyes went wide. If what Zecora was saying was true, then even if, as a griffin, she couldn't see her cutie mark. She would know her life's purpose with the help of this potion and the Cutie Mark Crusaders! The little griffin flew into the air and squealed, "That sounds so awesome! Is there anything I can do to help!?"

"Yes, if you could help me brew, I'll gather the components, and then we can let it stew."

"Of course, I'm happy to help!" Gabby chirped, and Zecora poured in the green liquid and some more ingredients as the griffin took a massive stick and started to stir it all together with an excited look on her face. She couldn't wait to see the potion be completed and how she'd look as a pony. Better yet, she'll finally get a cutie mark and see what her purpose is in her life.

A week passed, and the potion brewing was long and tedious, but it also gave Gabby time for her wings to heal. But Gabby was now quite exhausted from stirring so much, her forelimbs being quite sore and aching. But she peered down into the cauldron to see the fruits of her labor with the nasty bubbling green liquid from before that looked like a pristine blue color that smelt lovely of fresh spring rain. Zecora then put a massive ladle in, using her teeth to scoop up some of the liquid gently and pour it into a flask. The zebra then shook it with a smile as she said, "This potion, I may say, will turn you into a pegasus pony for a day."

Gabby looked slightly disappointed as she wanted to be a pony for longer than that. She then let out an annoyed sigh." Right… I'll be a griffin by tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'm afraid this potion is not meant to be permanent as you see; this is just to help fulfill your destiny. But if you wish to stay as a different you, all you have to do is drink more of this brew."

Gabby nodded along and felt relieved that all she had to do was drink some more potion to keep her pegasus form. "Ok, that's a relief; I doubt I'll find a cutie mark in a single day," she paused, wondering when she had turned into a pegasus. She told ponies she was a griffin. Gabby looked up at Zecora and then asked, "Ok…so um…when I go and make friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, should I tell them the truth or make up a lie?"

Zecora paused, tapped a hoof to her chin as she pondered the question, then said, "Hmm, I personally always value truth, but that I think should be up to you."

Gabby wasn't sure if she would make up a lie or tell the truth, so for now, she'd wait to make a decision. Zecora then hoofed the potion, and Gabby took it, drank it down, and wiped her mouth. The griffin squeaked as she felt her body shift and morph. It felt tingly as her body shrank, her feathered torso turned into a soft grey coat, and her claws and back paws became small stubby limbs with tiny hooves on each leg. The young griffin then felt some hair growing from her head and her flank. Looking back, she saw a long black mane and tail flowing over her frame with white stripes running through it. She then turned to a mirror nearby, trotted over, looked at her reflection, and gasped in surprise. Gabby looked down and saw a small grey-coated pegasus filly with teal-colored eyes and a cute smile staring back at her. The griffin turned to see her flank was still blank, but otherwise, she was transformed into a young pegasus filly! Gabby couldn't contain her excitement as she squealed, flying in the air and hugging Zecora. "Thank you! So much!"

The zebra was taken aback and hugged her. "It is no problem, Gabby, but remember you are still a griffin despite being a pony."

Gabby looked annoyed having to be reminded of that and grumbled, "Yeah, I know."

The zebra eyed her as she asked, "And now, will you lie and keep ponies far? Or will you let ponies know who you really are."

"I…um, will tell the cutie mark crusaders the truth. I don't want to lie to them…but anyone else, I think I'll have to make up a story. I'm sure most ponies would accept I'm a griffin. But I don't know how they'll take it knowing I turned into a pegasus; they might think I'm a changeling..." The little pegasus paused, seeing if that's the case; she would also have to come up with a story of where she came from, then added, "can I say that I'm from Cloudesdale and that my parents are letting me stay with you?"

Zecora seemed to be a bit hesitant but eventually said, "I believe in telling the truth, but I'll play my part, and my word will be proof."

"Thank you!"

"Do what you think is right, but be back by tonight!"

"I will, and thanks again!" the filly chirped as she flew off towards Ponyville, excited to finally meet the Cutie Mark Crusaders and get a cutie mark!

Gabby headed straight to the Cutie Mark Crusader's Treehouse and slammed right into it. She bounced back onto the ground, landing on her flank, groaning in pain. Gabby wasn't usually this clumsy, but her new body was just so much lighter than her griffin form, making her go way faster than she was used to. She kept a mental note as she sat for a minute, rubbing her head, and looked up to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders all peering down with surprised faces.

Scootaloo came down and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine; I just got a bump, is all," The little filly chirped as she got up and shook her tail and mane, then saw the three fillies around her; it excited her as she started to prance up and down, squealing, "Oh my gosh of my gosh, oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm meeting the cutie mark crusaders!"

The three beamed with pride as Apple Bloom chirped, "Yup, that's us!"

"We're about to head off to school, but I assume you're here because you need help looking for a cutie mark!?" Sweetie Belle chimed in as well

"Oh yes! Yeah! I'm a blank flank, see!" she then showed off her butt, and the three fillies giggled and then Sweetie Belle replied, "Okay, so… as Scootaloo said, we still have to go to school, but after that, we can help find you a cutie mark."

The three then began to trot off as Gabby, without thinking, shouted, "Wait!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked behind them as Gabby, with her cheeks flushing pink, asked, "Would it be ok if I go to school too?"

The fillies all looked at each other with surprised looks on their faces. Apple Bloom then said, "Uh, what's your name?"

“Oh right, im Ga…Gabby!”

Looking suspicious, Sweetie Belle asked, "Okay, so Gabby, where do you come from?"

"A…where? Oh yeah! Cloudesdale! Yeah, I, uh, am a transfer student from Cloudesdale!"

"Oh, okay, that makes sense. Gabby, you can come to school! But, um, do you have parents or an older sibling?"

"Um… I'm living with Zecora…"

Apple Bloom looked surprised by this news and said, "Oh, do you know her?"

Gabby gulped, not really knowing what to say next, and just started to say whatever came to mind. "Well, let's just say we met, but yes, she's been a mentor to me and a friend. She agreed to watch over me while I stay in Ponyville for a while…uh...um...oh yeah! My parents arranged everything, so yeah! Let's uh get going to school!"

The other three fillies just shrugged, and then Apple Bloom turned and said, "Well, any friend of Zecroa is a friend of ours. Come on! We're gonna be late if we stay here any longer!"

"Ok!" Gabby chirped as she flew off after the three as they all rushed to school.

At the schoolhouse, Gabby was looking around the classroom full of foals and getting quite nervous as they saw her. They all started to stare and whisper amongst themselves. Cheerilee was surprised by her presence and said, "Oh, hello, is this a new classmate?"

Scootaloo raised her hooves and exclaimed, "Yeah, her name is Gabby; she's from Cloudesdale!"

"Oh, that's a wonderful name! And you're from Cloudesdale? I wasn't informed of having any transfer students."

Gabby could feel beads of sweat running down her face as she lied, "Um, well, uh, I'm from Cloudesdale, and my parents sent me here to learn about friendship. Zecora can vouch for me; she's been my caretaker for a few days."

"Zeocra, she's the zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest, correct?" Cheerilee asked, looking somewhat suspicious. Gabby gave a few nods, and then the teacher added, "Well, if that is the case, I'll talk to her after class, but for now, go ahead and take a seat; we were just about to go over some math problems."

This got a loud groan from the other students as Gabby quickly flew across the room and sat in an empty chair beside the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She then got caught up in the lesson as Cheerilee turned back and asked for participation from the class. Gabby raised her hoof every time and answered correctly repeatedly, surprising many of the students in the class. Cheerilee then went to another question, turned towards the new student, and asked, "So Gabby, would you like to answer this one?"

"Sure!" The little grey-coated pegasus chirped excitedly. She then flew to the front of the class. She took the chalk, started to go over the question, rambling on about how minusing this, adding that, and then ended with X=10 and said, "See, easy peasy! That's how you do algebra!"

"Wow!?" everypony started to clap as she bowed, feeling rather proud. Cheerilee was taken aback and then said, "Wow!? Th…that was impressive!? How are you so good at math?"

"Well, griffinstone had a ton of books on math, and I was so bored and just went through a bunch and taught myself; I even know calculus."

Cheerilee's eyes lit up, then asked, "Griffinstone? I thought you said you were from Cloudsdale?"

Gabby's heart started to race, and she realized what she had just said, then replied, "I uh…did um some traveling with my folks, and we uh stayed at Griffinstone for a while."

"Oh, that explains it; well, thank you, Gabby; now it's time for recess!"

"Yay!" The foals all squealed in delight as they charged out the playground's back door. Gabby was abit surprised but flew through the backdoors and headed out with the other foals. Scootaloo bounced towards her as she did and cheered, "You're so cool, Gabby!"

Gabby was feeling abit embarrassed, showing off how good she was at math, and whispered, "You think so!?"

"Yeah, I mean, did you see Cheerilee's face? I don't think she's even that good at math."

The remaining foals gathered around her, all nodding in agreement. Snails then asked, "Hey, Gabby, how good are you at baseball?"

"How good am I at baseball!? I'm amazing at it!"

She then flew over to the baseball diamond set up for the foals and took up a bat. Soon, dozens of foals gathered around the baseball field and excitedly looked on. Snips took the pitcher's spot and tossed the ball right at her. With the bat in her mouth, Gabby smacked it against the baseball and, with a crack, sent it flying. "Homerun, yeah!"

She then flew around the field, squealing in delight, and spent the rest of the afternoon playing baseball until the bell rang, and she followed the rest of the foals back into the schoolhouse.

After school was over and the sun was setting, Gabby followed the Cutie Mark Crusaders to their treehouse as they talked about her. Scootaloo was flapping her wings and squealing, "Did you see her play baseball!? She didn't get a single strike!"

Sweetie Belle chimed in. "I'm more impressed with her math skills; the look on Cheerilee's face when she solved that last problem was priceless!"

"I'm more impressed that she went to Griffinstone!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed. She approached Gabby and asked, "You must tell us about your time there!"

"Uh yeah, sure…" Gabby laughed nervously. She looked down, seeing she was lying, but she didn't want to tell them the truth, mostly because she feared they wouldn't help her, knowing she was a griffin. So, for now, she'll keep up the lie she was a pegasus from Cloudesdale until she got her cutie mark. The filly then saw they were at the treehouse, and her eyes went wide upon seeing it again. She paused as the rest of the foals went inside, and then Apple Bloom turned and asked. "Are you coming?"

"Uh…um…are you sure?"

"Yeah! Come on!" Scootaloo shouted.

Gabby couldn't contain herself flying inside. Upon entering the treehouse, she was in complete awe, looking over the place full of drawings of various "plans" for the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to earn their cutie marks. Now, they even had a list of foals and ponies they helped either get their cutie marks or figure out what they meant to do. Despite the quaint rustic feel of the place, it was home, and she loved it. Tears came to her eyes, overwhelmed as she dreamed of seeing this for so long. With a blush on her cheeks, she brushed a hoof over her mane and said," Thanks, guys, it's great and all, but what should we do first to get my cutie mark?"

Apple Bloom pulled down a fresh chart and dew some math symbols and a baseball bat, then crossed two big red "Xs" over them then said, "Well, first of all, we can cross out math and baseball if those were your cutie marks they didn't show."

Gabby sighed, "Guess so, but there are a few other things I can do?"

"Of course! We aren't giving up, not by a long shot! So what other activities do you like to do?"

Gabby then started to list a few things, from gardening, playing the clarinet and helping others. Sweetie Belle wrote them down one by one as Apple Bloom drew pictures. "Okay, that's a start; why don't we go through these and see if it appears."

"Alright, let's get started!"

"But first! We need to make you an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader!" Sweetie Belle cheered.

Scootaloo then hoofed her a red cloak with the patchwork emblem on it; she then tied it around her neck, bounced up and down, and then threw all three fillies into a hug and cried, "Oh my gosh, thank you, this is awesome!"

"Yeah, no problem, but can you let us go?" Scootlaoo wheezed. Gabby squeaked, then apologized, "Yeah uh, sorry…now uh, guess we can start trying to find my cutie mark?"

"Of course, let's get to it!" Apple Bloom chirped.

Later that evening, after a long, tired day of trying to find her cutie mark, Gabby's flank was still blank, and it was getting dark.

So Gabby returned to the Everfree Forest; she looked somewhat disappointed as Zecora opened the door. She then flashed her a smile and asked, "Hello, Gabby I hope its not rude to say, how was your day?"

"It was okay, I guess…. I didn't find my cutie mark." She then came over and helped stir the cauldron filled with a delicious soup filled with tofu and veggies. Gabby then filled the bowls for each, and they sat together and ate silently for a while. Midway through the meal the zebra replied, "Well, I didn't think it would happen in one day; give it time. I'm sure it will appear if you stay."

Gabby looked down and with a disappointed look, knowing she had to tell her the truth, and admitted, "Yeah...but…I…I lied to the Cutie Mark Crusaders; they think I'm a filly from Cloudesdale."

The zebra slowly nodded and took a sip of her tea before she responded, "I see; it's understandable, seeing you're still in your youth. Do you think the Cutie Mark Crusaders would judge you if they knew the truth?"

"No, I think they would be fine with me being a griffin, but I don't think they would help me find a cutie mark knowing I was a griffin…this means a lot to me. I want to know my purpose and this is the only way I know how."

"Gabby, a cutie mark is merely telling a pony what they were always meant to be; in all honesty, you will find your destiny even if you weren't a pony."

"I don't believe that; most griffins at Griffinstone think being mean and greedy is all there is to life."

"But Gilda's influence is making things better, right? I don't believe that you need to be a pony for them to see the light."

"They are….but things still suck there. On the first day here, I solved math problems, played baseball, helped a mom with her baby, played clarinet, did gardening, and even hugged a pony to help him feel better. Back at Griffinstone, I would've been laughed at and bullied for doing any of those things!" Gabby plopped back down onto her seat, stared at her equestrian face, and smiled at herself as she added, "Here, I can just be myself."

"Well, I think a few years ago, most ponies would have treated you quite differently; as for me, they thought I was a witch and shunned me from their society."

"That's horrible! Why would they do that!?"

Zecora sipped her tea and explained, "Since living among ponykind, I've learned they don't pay much mind and can seem welcoming, but they have one flaw that they must beware, fearing others that act and look differently."

"Right, guess even Ponyville had growing pains…but still…Griffinstone is a different beast altogether."

"Yet again, the griffins are kinder; I heard they even started playing Boffyball and are have grown quite happier."

"Yeah, I…alright, I get what you're saying, I really do. But I want to stay a pegasus filly for a few more days. I need to see if I can get a cutie mark, then I'll turn back into a griffin."

The zebra nodded once again and added, "I will be fine with you being a pegasus until you find what you seek, but I will not allow it to go longer than a week. But before we finish our meal, you must make a deal."

"What's that?"

She looked into Gabby's eyes and said, "To your friends, you will be true, or I will not give you more of the brew."

"Okay, it's a deal," Gabby mumbled begrudgingly. She took the bowl and drank up the rest of the food, and then Zecora took her by the hoof, led her into bed, and tucked her in. Gabby then looked around the hut, realizing she was taking the only bed there, and asked, "Wait, where do you sleep?"

"Don't worry about me, just get some sleep and be at ease," Zecora said, then placed the blankets around her and trotted off to continue her work as Gabby drifted asleep.

Chapter Two: We all have a little Griffin in all of us

The following day, Gabby woke up and was super excited as she flew out of the hut and ran across the "Everfree Forest. But during her walk, she thought things over, getting ready to tell the Cutie Mark Crusaders the truth that she was a griffin. The thoughts were still making her anxious about how they would react, hoping they would understand her situation. The little pegasus came to the treehouse; she continued climbing up the ladder and heard shouting and cawing. Gabby was surprised and a bit worried as she continued to open the doors. As she opened them, she turned to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and her mouth dropped. Right before her, she saw three young fledgling griffins all flapping around and arguing with each other. Scootaloo had a coat of bright orange feathers, violet eyes, a flock of violet mane flowing off from her head, and a tuff of the coat on the end of her tail. Sweetie Belle had a white feathery body with bright white wings, lime green eyes, and a swirl of light pink and purple striped mane around her. Apple Bloom was a buttery yellow feathery body with a red coat around her head and a tuff of red on the end of her tail. They all had bright orange beaks, and their hooves were now talons as they were going over a massive board filled with all different ideas of how they were turned into griffins from changelings, Discord, a magic spell gone wrong. They all then turned their attention to Gabby as Scootaloo squealed, "Oh hey, Gabby!"

Sweetie Belle flew over and hugged as she cried, "Gabby, I'm so glad you didn't get turned into a griffin!"

Gabby gulped, feeling that she was starting to sweat bullets. She said, "Yeah, what a relief."

Apple Bloom flew up and cried, "Well, I think being turned into a griffin was weird this morning. But after a while, I must admit flying about was really cool!"

Scootaloo flapped her wings and started to fly about, chirping, "Oh heck ya! Not gonna lie, being a griffin is pretty awesome!"

"I'm glad you two are enjoying yourselves," Gabby whispered as she blushed and looked down, thinking that maybe somehow she was why her friends were turned into griffins. The little griffin was still scared, but she needed to tell them the truth, so she sighed and said, "Um, girls, can you all come down here for a second?"

They all flew towards her as Gabby raised her head and said, "Girls, I have to say something I…I have been lying to all of you… I'm not really a pegasus; I was. I mean, I am a griffin."

The young griffins were now somewhat speechless and looked confused. Still, Gabby continued, "I…came to Ponyville to look for you as I wanted to find a cutie mark. But instead, I ended up with Zecora, and she helped turn me into a pegasus filly."

The news surprised Apple Bloom, who cried, "Wait! Zecora turned you into a pegasus filly!"

The little griffin nodded, then said, "Yeah, she did; she used a magic potion that has me turned into a pony so I can earn my cutie mark! As well, you all know...griffins usually can't get cutie marks."

The filly started to become emotional and and cried, "I'm sorry. I think I'm the reason you all were turned into griffins."

Scootaloo flew over, saying, "Hey, it's okay, listen, we get it. We had also been looking for our cutie marks for so long."

Apple Bloom flew over and added, "Yes, I understand why you lied to us, but you didn't have to. We would have helped find your cutie mark even if you were a griffin."

She wiped the tears and said, "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Sweetie Belle said, "Look, we can't promise we would have found you a cutie mark, but we would have certainly tried!"

Gabby was struck by how forthcoming the fillies were, and she then said, "Thank you for forgiving me; you guys are the best."

Apple Bloom replied, "Yeah, now that you told us about this potion, we should go to Zecora's to see if she can fix us."

With a smile, Gabby nodded in agreement and replied, "Okay, thank you. Let's go; hopefully, Zecroa can get you all back to normal!"

As she was about to fly off, Gabby turned to see the three struggling to fly into the air and being batted around by wind gusts. She flew to them and said, "Don't worry; I'll help!"

She then took some time to teach them how to fly, going up in the air and showing them how to lift off and then how to soar with the air currents. It took only a short time until the four flew towards the Everfree Forest.

The group then went straight into the Everfree Forest. As they approached the hut, they heard screeching and cursing. They found a black-and-white striped griffin with teal eyes, and she looked furious. The angry-looking griffin turned to face the group, then groaned and cried, "Oh, I hope it wasn't true. It seems this griffin curse has got you, too!"

Gabby gawked and was in complete awe as she cried, "Zecora! What happened!? Why is everypony turning into griffins!?"

She wiped a talon over her head and said, "This is my fault, I must confess. The potion I gave you clearly had unknown side effects."

"Is there any way you can reserve this!?" Sweetie Belle cried.

Zecora flew about and started looking through some books, then said, "I am afraid that I am quite unsure as we might have to wait until the potion's effects dissipate."

They all looked at each other with worried looks as Apple Bloom asked, "Could this mean other ponies could have turned into griffins?"

"It might be true, but I am still unsure how the potion has been dispersed without anypony else digesting it for it to work."

Apple Bloom turned to the vial of the potion, then looked over it and said, "Are you sure it couldn't have evaporated and gone airborne?"

Zecora's eyes widened as she cried, "if Apple Bloom's hypothesis is true, we might be too late. If your classmates were turned into griffins, all we can do is wait."

Gabby looked more worried and started to feel a weight of guilt drift over her as she cried, "Oh, know! This is all my fault!"

Zecora shook her head, put a talon on her chest, and said, "Gabby, the blame lies with me, and we must go out and see who else has been turned into griffins quickly."

Apple Bloom nudged her mentor in an attempt to cheer her up. "Hey, we all make mistakes, and it's not all bad! Being a griffin might be fun!"

Gabby blushed, seeing that Apple Bloom may be inferring too much in her new form, knowing full well that being a griffin, even for a day, might not be all cracked up as it seemed. She cleared her throat and said, "Yes, but you should know some things about being a griffin; you're probably going to be a lot more greedy."

Scotaloo laughed, "That's no problem! I'm sure we can handle that!" As she was snatching bits underneath a bed.

"You have to be abit more careful with your talons as they are quite sharp."

Sweetie Belle, scraping her claws on the side of the hut like a cat, quickly stopped and squealed, "Yeah, uh, good point."

"And you might have a craving for fish."

The other two crusaders turned to face Apple Bloom, who had a goldfish in her mouth. She spat it in a bowl nearby and sheepishly said, "Uh, yeah, good to know."

Zecora flew over to Gabby's side, placed a wing over her, and said, "Yes, everything Gabby said is true; these changes can affect ponies and their mood; we better get going with haste! And alert others who have met the same fate."

Gabby flew up, threw a hoof, and said, "Then we gotta go and help spread the word! Come on!"

The three griffins followed her out of the hut, and they all unfurled their wings, with Zecora being the most cautious as she whispered to Gabby, "Can you teach me to fly? It's something I'm not ready to try."

"Yeah, no problem!" she then taught her how she was with the Crusaders and gently helped her gain some confidence, and once again, the group was flying over the treetops back to Ponyville.

As the foals landed at Ponyville, they saw that most of the ponies were, to their relief, still normal, just going about their day as if nothing happened. Things seemed fine until they came to the Schoolhouse and saw a bunch of young griffins flying around and playing with an older pink feathered griffin, trying to maintain order flying about and keep the younger griffins from flying off.

Gabby was in utter shock and confusion, realizing she was the one who had turned all of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' classmates into griffins! Zecora took no time to take charge as she rose, cleared her throat, and shouted, "Everypony, listen to me! I have a message that you must heed!"

They all stopped, and then she glared at them and said, "I am Zecora, and we came to say that you are all griffins from a potion I made. Do not panic, as it is my mistake. By tomorrow, you will be ponies and no longer be this way."

The young griffins started to fly down, all looking confused as they did so. Cheerilee flew towards her and snapped, "So what you're saying is this is your fault?"

Zecora, looking abit guilty, was going to say something, but Gabby came forward and said, "No, the fault is mine!"

Everypony looked to the young pegasus filly as she built up the courage to tell them the truth," I have to confess something to all of you; I am and was a griffin."

There was a murmur among the ponies as Cheerilee eyed her and said, "Go on."

Gabby nods and continues, "The truth is I wanted Zecora to help turn me into a pegasus filly so I could find a cutie mark for myself with the help of the cutie mark crusaders. I lied to all of you because I wanted to keep up the illusion I was a pegasus filly. So if anypony is to blame for this, it's my fault, not Zecora's."

The former zebra beamed a smile, ruffled the filly's mane, and said, "You are brave, little Gabby. It's true, but I also hurried to test my brew."

Cheerilee then threw her talons over her chest, puffed out and looking quite agitated, and said, "I see, so this is both of your faults."

The two shrugged and nodded as Cheerilee turned towards Zecora. "But regardless, I'm not pointing hooves here. I just want to know: Can you cure us?"

Zecora shook her head "no" and continued, "As I said before, I'm afraid the potion's effects will only last a day."

The foals all grumbled, some eyeing Gabby, who came forward then said, "But until then, why don't I show all of you how fun being a griffin is? We can have so much fun and learn so much together!"

The foals all started to get excited as Cheerilee sighed, "Fine. I guess today's lesson can be learning about griffins with Gabby, but I'll be keeping an eye on all of you."

Zecora nodded as she nudged Gabby. "So, little one, what shall we do first?"

"I think we should learn to fly!" she threw out her wings. Come on!" She then led the griffins into the sky. They flapped about aimlessly at first, struggling to fly with their new bodies, but Gabby went back and supported them, cheering them on. They then continued to fly into the air, and they all started to soar into the sky.

Throughout the day, Gabby taught them how to fly, and they soared about, enjoying the air currents underneath their wings. They flew off towards a nearby lake, and as they landed nearby, Gabby turned to see the rest of her classmates looking rather tired. One of the griffins raised a talon and asked, "What are we doing here?"

Gabby turned and replied, "Well, now that we've got flying practice out of the way, we can really get into some griffin stuff!"

They all looked around, confused, but Gabby flew up over the lake; despite losing her agility as a griffin, her instincts on how to fish were still innate. She saw a glimmer of light and dove right into the water, grasping one of the fish, then tore it from the water with her mouth and threw it on the ground as it flopped about. The other griffins looked in awe as she tossed it back into the lake and said, "I don't think you guys would want to eat them, but fishing is a lot of fun!" The little filly threw a hoof and said, "Come on!" I'll show you how I did that!"

One by One, she led the rest of the griffins as they all flew up the air; she then showed each griffin how to dive and identify where the fish were. Some griffins watched on the sidelines, amazed at their classmates' agility. Zecora and Cheerilee kept an eye on the rambunctious fledglings. Gabby then went to her friends to see that Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were all looking abit hesitant as Gabby came over with a smile, tugged on them, and cried, "Come on! It's so much fun!"

She led them into the sky, saying, "Just remember what I did. Eye the fish. Don't aim for where it is. Aim for where it's going. Then, when you're ready, go in and snatch it up!"

"Okay," the foals chimed at once.

One flew into the water, snatched the fish, and threw it onto the grass as Scootaloo squealed, "Oh, wow, that was so much fun!"

"You don't have to eat them, but a griffins' diet consists of fish and other sea life."

Many fledglings made bleh sounds as Cheerilee nodded, "Yes, that's correct. Griffins are mostly Carnivores, unlike us, who are strict herbivores."

The talk of food started to make some tummies rumble as Sweetie Belle raised a claw and asked, "Is there anything else we can eat that's not meat?"

Gabby tapped a claw to her chin, and then an idea came to mind as she cried, "If we want to avoid other ponies so as not to spread this griffin curse, I can make some Griffin scones!"

"Griffin scones? What are those?" everypony asked.

Gabby laughed as she flew up, threw her hooves in the air, and said, "There are yummy treats that have become a staple in Griffinstone, and Gilda taught me how to make them, so follow me!"

They then all followed Gabby to Zecora's hut; there, they watched as Gabby went to work making some griffin scones. She baked them and then hoofed them out to the hungry griffins. Then Diamond Tiara took some of the bits and said, "Look what I found in the lake! Aren't I lucky?"

The rest of the foals looked over almost instantly, their eyes growing wide with envy, some with angry looks as one shouted, "Hey, I found those first!"

"No, I did!"

"Nah, uh!"

"Give me that!"

A brawl broke out almost without warning, and griffins hissed and swatted each other over the bits. Gabby cried out as she ran over and took the bits, then flew up and shouted, "Stop!"

They all did as she asked, and the little filly continued, "Now that you griffins, you're going to have abit of an issue of dealing with a desire for things like bits, but you need to control it." she then hoofed out a bit to each griffin as a pink feathered one with teal eyes bowed her head looking ashamed as she said, "I apologize for my behavior I shouldn't have acted so rudely…It"

Gabby put a hoof on her shoulder and chirped, "It's okay! You didn't mean to do anything wrong; it's something to be aware of and control. I find the best way to control those urges is by sharing!"

She continued to flutter about helping the other fledglings share their bits. Cheerilee came over, hugged her, ruffled the feathers on her head, and said, "It's getting late. Let's get back to the Schoolhouse!"

"awww," many of the fledglings started to grumble and whine, but Gabby came forward and said, "Hey, let's listen to the teacher, ok! We can have more griffin scones when we get back!"

"Yay!" the griffins cried as they flew into the sky. Cheerilee whispered, "Thank you." They all followed Gabby, and she was happy to see they were all flying together without help as she led the flock back from the lake towards Ponyville.

Back at school, the griffins were all seated, tuckered out from all the flying, and the desks were pushed back as sleeping bags were set up, along with piles of griffin scones to snack on. Gabby then came to the head of the class; she cleared her throat and said, "So uh, while we whine down, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened to you, but I hope you all learned something about griffins. As you saw, we can be mean when we get greedy or try only to look out for ourselves. Still, Gilda is trying to fix that in Griffinstone, and I hope you see that not all griffins are mean and that we can be friends."

The griffins all started to clap, and then Diamond Tiara trotted over and said, "Come on, let's give you three cheers from Gabby!"

They all squealed as they flew over and started to throw the pegasus filly into the air as they chanted her name.

"Gabby!"

"Gabby!"

"Gabby!"

The pegasus beamed a smile of pride as Cheerilee came in front of the class. "Thank you, Gabby, for that speech and for taking the foals on such a fun field trip. But maybe explaining what is happening to their parents is best so they know they'll return to normal tomorrow."

"Yeah, of course!" Gabby cried.

The pink-feathered griffin then slipped her a list of ponies and addresses to visit, saying, "Also, maybe keep your distance when you go to them."

"Okay!"

"Also, maybe wear a mask!"

"Oh yeah!? But uh, okay!"

The little filly was about to fly off when Cheerilee raised a hoof and said, "Uh, also Gabby."

She looked down and asked, "yeah?"

"You're welcome to come back whenever. Just no more lying, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Gabby chirped; she then flew off feeling much better than she had been before, at how everypony was so accepting of her.

One by one, she told the foals' parents about what was happening to them. Luckily, it seemed that the "griffin curse" didn't spread. Still, they all were aware and agreed to the mass sleepover at Cheerilee's Schoolhouse. By evening, Gabby was utterly exhausted, having flown all over for the past few hours. She climbed up at the Crusaders' treehouse, looking rather disappointed as Apple Bloom looked over and asked, "So how did explaining what was happening feel?"

"Really awkward, but Zecora helped explain things, at least." She sighed as she looked at her flank and gave an annoyed sigh, "After all of that, no cutie mark."

"Yeah, we know that feeling," Scootaloo chimed.

Sweetie Belle flew over and chimed in. "Yeah, but we can look for your cutie mark even if you turn back into a griffin!"

"Yeah! Just because you're a griffin doesn't mean we will give up!" Apple Bloom chirped.

Gabby laughed, seeing how determined and optimistic the three were despite her massive uphill battle to get her cutie mark.

Sweetie Belle said, "I think you might have a talent for teaching things; you would have been way worse if you hadn't helped with leading today's lessons or taught us to control our greedy natures."

Gabby sighed, stomped a hoof, and cried, "Yeah, but that wouldn't have been needed if I hadn't come here in the first place! I still feel so guilty for turning all your classmates into griffins."

Apple Bloom laughed as she flew and exclaimed, "Why!? Things have been pretty fun as griffins!"

Sweetie Belle nodded as she nudged Gabby, "Yeah, we have been having a blast and learned so much! Don't be so hard on yourself."

Gabby laughed as she threw her wings out. She pulled her friends close to her and said, "You guys are the best. Do you know that?"

"You know it!" the three fledglings squealed.

They all just stayed like that for a minute; they then sat around, talked, and played board games until the sun set and the moon rose. As the other three were about to leave, Scootaloo turned and asked, "Hey, are you still going to Zecora's?"

The young earth pony filly replied, "I might as well; I'll help her dispose of the original potion and clean up."

Apple Bloom nudged her and said, "That's fine. Just be careful, and maybe make sure she's doing okay."

"Yeah, of course!" Gabby chirped. The foals all left as the pegasus filly flew back towards Zecora's hut with a disappointed look. Even though she had made many friends, she was still a blank flank. She knew deep down whatever the Cutie Mark Crusaders said, she might not be able to get a cutie mark, but at least she made some really good friends.

Chapter Three: The Griffin Crusader is Born

Gabby woke up the next day bright and early, going straight to see her reflection and realizing that she was back to being a griffin, with her round head and small orange beak; the young fledgling was still looking rather glum, but she not only hadn't received her cutie mark but had turned a ton of her friends' classmates into griffins. The griffin looked at her reflection with regret, wondering if she should have come here. Was this really worth all the trouble she's caused? The young griffin looked at her reflection for a while; she then heard Zecora trot over to her and whisper, "What are you looking at, my dear? Is there something wrong here?"

The young griffin shrugged and replied, "No, if you and I are back to normal, that means everypony else is… it's just that I… I'm just wondering if coming here was a mistake."

The zebra looked concerned as she asked, "What do you mean, little one? All that's happened has been undone."

"What I mean is that I didn't earn my cutie mark; I made a mess of things by turning a bunch of foals into griffins! And I even turned you into one! Plus lying to my friends an-"

Zecora sighed and replied, "You made some mistakes, that's true, but Gabby, your visit wasn't all doom and gloom. You came here seeking a purpose in your life? But as you saw a pony or griffin, a cutie mark did not end your strife; it was your heart and passion to show that griffins are dear. If you had not made those mistakes, many foals in your class would still see griffins as something to fear."

Gabby thought about it momentarily, taking in what Zecora said, seeing she had a point where she may have started to bridge the gap between griffins and ponies. "Y… you're right, and I learned that being a pony didn't change who I am. I'm still Gabby!"

"That is right! You are still the curious young griffin tot, which will not change whether you like it or not."

The griffin felt much more relaxed as she flexed her wings and then chirped, "I guess…now I should go see how everyone else is doing?"

She turned to Zecora, who trotted over and ruffled the feathers on her head. "Go find your classmates and make sure they're back to being foals."

The young griffin then flew off to the treehouse and burst through the doors, her heart racing, fearing she would see three griffins squawking about. But instead, three tired fillies were chatting about yesterday's events. Gabby was immensely relieved that all her friends looked fine and were back to their usual selves. "Thank Glover, you're okay!"

The three foals squealed in delight as they ran over and exclaimed, "Hey, it's fine, Gabby," Apple Bloom replied with a giggle.

Scootaloo flapped and chirped, "Yeah, being a griffin was awesome! So if you think we're mad at you about that, we're not!"

Sweetie Belle threw a hoof and said, "Yeah, Gabby, We're perfectly fine!"

The griffin was overwhelmed by their forgiveness as she took the three and held them close. She nuzzled them and said, "I'm so happy to hear that! I hope you all can forgive me!"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Of course we forgive you!"

Scootaloo chimed in once more. "Yeah, you're too hard on yourself! It wasn't entirely your fault!"

The griffin pondered for a second and then said, "I know, but I fear my obsession with finding a cutie mark blinded me to the consequences of my actions."

The three fillies looked at each other and blinked, then burst out laughing as Gabby stood by, confused by their reaction. Sweetie Belle got up, wiped a tear from her eye, and said, "Gabby, you know how long it took us to learn that lesson?"

Scootaloo scratched the back of her neck and then asked, "Um, have we ever actually learned that lesson?"

Apple Bloom gave her friend a scowl as Gabby laughed, "I get it. You three got yourselves in all sorts of trouble!"

The orange-coated pegasus then asked, "But what about your cutie mark? We still want to help you find it?"

Gabby looked back at her flank and smiled, "You know what? Why don't you three make my cutie mark?"

"Huh!?"

"Yeah! Maybe I won't ever get one because I'm a griffin, which doesn't mean we can make one ourselves!"

The earth pony smiled and exclaimed, "If that's what you want, we'll make that happen!"

"But uh, we should get going to school," Sweetie Belle chirped; she threw a hoof and then led her friends through the streets of Ponyville. As Gabby flew by, ponies waved back at her; some even wished her a "good morning." The griffin was feeling much better, seeing how kind the ponies were despite being different. She then flew to the schoolhouse and ensured all the students were foals again. They all started to clap and cheer as she came into the classroom, blushing, waving a talon. She then turned to see Cheerilee greeting her, "Good morning, Gabby."

"Well, good morning, Mrs. Cheerilee. I wanted to make sure you were all back to normal."

"Thank you. As you see, we are all fine. Now, would you like to attend class?"

Gabby was taken aback by the request and stammered, "Of course…bu…but I'm a griffin."

Cheerillee laughed, "So what!? You can stay and learn if you wish; there's no discrimination in my classroom!"

The griffin flew over and hugged Cheerilee tightly, squealing, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She then flew and sat right along with the rest of her friends, looking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eager for whatever lessons Cheerilee gave.

The rest of the day went well, with many of the foals enjoying their time with her, eating lunch (and asking for Griffin Scones), playing together at recess, and enjoying their time at school. Later that evening, Gabby was back at the schoolhouse. It was surprising to see the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders all standing around a small box with red wrapping paper and a bright yellow bow. The griffin put her talons to her cheeks and cried, "Is that a present for me!?"

"Yeah! Come on, open it!" the fillies chirped together. Gabby then took out a red cloak, and on it was a modified version of the cutie mark emblem with wings coming out of a horseshoe. She threw it around her neck, tied it as she admired herself, and said, "This looks amazing. Thank you so much!"

Apple Bloom trotted over and said, "The horseshoe to show deep down you're a pony like us!"

"But the wings to show you're also a griffin and that you can be both!" Scooaloo cried.

Gabby flew up and cried, "This is the best gift ever! Thank you so much!"

Scootaloo replied, "I still feel bad we couldn't find your cutie mark."

The fledgling flew down, put a talon to her chest, and said, "Scootaloo, it's okay. You three did so much for me, and I'm so happy to be here! I wish I could stay, but…" She lowered her head and said, "I have to go, though. My parents are probably worried about me."

Apple Bloom then slowly trotted over and said, "Well, you're always welcome!"

"Yeah, please visit more often!"

"I will!" Gabby waved a talon as she soared off into the evening sky, looking down at Ponyville and wanting more than ever to stay. Maybe she could somehow convince her parents to move here or let her stay to go to school. She tightened the cloak around her neck, then flew off towards Griffinstone, ready to tell all her friends and family about her time here!