Birds Of A Feather

Chapters

Chapter 3
Chapter 6
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Chapter 3

Gilda made sure that she got up early to be ready for her visitor. The sun had barely risen before she emerged from her lean-to and shivered as she zipped up her jacket. She normally would let it warm up a little before starting her day, but she wanted to make her campsite look presentable, not to mention preparing breakfast for her and Edge. Caught up in the day-to-day struggle of merely coping with survival, the griffoness did not go to any effort improving the appearance of her unplanned residence. Glancing around, she felt an unfamiliar touch of shame at its shabby looks. She immediately began trying to remedy that, starting with materials that were carelessly discarded until she found the inclination to deal with them. At the very least, the effort would help warm her up.

With that accomplished, she gathered some wood and lit a fire. Next came preparing food. She figured that hot cakes would work well, especially as she had seen some wild honeyberries nearby that she could add to them. With the batter ready, she filled a pot with water from the lake and put it on the fire to boil for coffee. That was halfway heated when she heard a greeting from above. Looking up, she spotted her pegasus friend towing his sky cart. He came in for a landing in an area that Gilda ensured would be clear.

“I hope I’m not too early,” Edge said as he divested himself of his towing harness.

“Nope. Pretty much on time,” Gilda replied. “I didn’t expect you to bring along everything though.”

Edge chuckled. “Not quite everything. The tent and its contents are still back there. I figured that it was easier just to chuck everything else in the cart than guess what I might need.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. Grab a chair while I start cooking breakfast.” Her talon indicated a log that she had dragged onto the campsite especially for her guest.

“Want me to make the coffee first?” he asked, eyeing the pot that was just starting to boil.

“Good idea. The coffee can is over there next to my mug.”

Gilda was surprised when Edge rummaged in his cart and pulled out his coffee instead. “You’re going to have to be economical with what I gave you, so we’ll use mine instead.”

The griffon felt inclined to object as she was the host, but she had to admit that he was right. “Thanks.”

The hot cakes were well underway when the pegasus passed Gilda her mug of coffee. He sniffed appreciatively. “Those sure smell good. You’ve really got my appetite going.”

Gilda smiled. “Have to make sure my renovator is well fed.”

Edge grinned and sipped his coffee as he waited for the first batch to be ready. In the meantime, he looked around, assessing what needed to be done. He did not get much of a chance on his previous visit. His conclusion was pretty much everything needed to be improved if the griffoness intended to stay here long term. His ruminations were interrupted as Gilda passed a plate of hot cakes under his nose.

“Eat 'em while they’re fresh,” Gilda told him.

He willingly complied and was delighted by their fluffy texture and the sweet berries. “These are great!”

“Thanks. I may not be the greatest at making camps, but I do know how to cook.”

Not much else was said until after the second batch was eaten and sufficient quantities of coffee were consumed.

Edge rubbed his belly with a satisfied sigh. “That was a great start to the day. Now, let’s get some work done. First – your lean-to.” The pegasus walked up to the structure, eyeing it critically. “Hmm… not too bad.”

Gilda grimaced. “Yeah, now it is. When I built the thing, it leaked like a sieve the first time it rained. I had to add a lot more to it before it stayed dry. Mostly.”

“Yep. It’s not enough to put up a few branches. You have to build up layers so that if rain gets past one, it gets caught by the next, or the one after that. That said, you haven’t done badly for an amateur. Still, if this is going to be your home for the foreseeable future, you’ll need to do something about keeping warm, and this open structure won’t cut it.”

“So, what do we do about that?”

“Well, we could do this the hard way and just use natural resources, but I’m going to cheat.”

“Oh? How?”

“I’ll show you soon. First though, I want lots more insulation. Gather plenty of leafy branches. I only want the ends of the branches where the wood is thin and there’s plenty of leaves. Like this one.” He picked out a sample from the lean-to.

“Okay. How much?”

“The more, the better. Just keep 'em coming. Meanwhile, I’m going to do something about closing off the ends of this thing.”

Gilda set to work gathering the branches. Edge went hunting for some other materials. Upon returning for the third time with an armful of the leafy limbs, she found that the pegasus had acquired several reasonably straight branches which he used to not only extend the lean-to but also close off one end and partially the other. She tilted her head, eyeing it curiously.

“What are you doing?”

“Turning this into a little hut. A bit cramped but it should be a lot warmer when I’m done. Speaking of which, start weaving those longer branches into this framework.”

Gilda noted the new additions were secured with pieces of lightweight rope, something that she didn’t have when building her shelter. He must have cut a rope he pulled from his cart’s storage. They quickly ran out of the long thin pieces and Edge got her to start adding the shorter leafier ones to the existing material.

“We’re trying to make this as thick and evenly distributed as possible for insulation purposes. The more you have, the better the result. While you’re doing that, I’m going in search of some other suitable branches.”

The two spent some hours getting the shelter up to Edge’s standard, including a basic door. Then he brought out the final component. He hauled a large tarpaulin out of the cart. Unfolding it, he handed one end to Gilda.

“Hold this side while I pull the other over the top.”

Gilda noted that it was not lightweight material – it was top-quality stuff! “You’re giving this to me?”

“Well, there’s no point in taking it back with me when I leave,” Edge replied with a smirk.

“That’s not my point, you dweeb! This thing can’t be cheap.”

“I don’t need it for this trip, so you might as well have it.”

“Are you being deliberately obtuse? I have no way of paying you back for this.”

“I didn’t ask you to. Now, are you going to help me put this into place or not?”

Stunned by his indifference to just giving her stuff, the griffoness numbly complied.

Edge flew backward over the shelter, dragging his end of the tarpaulin with him. He then threw his arms wide, spreading it out as much as he could while Gilda imitated his actions. Still airborne, the pegasus pulled parts of the tarp into a better position on top of the structure before landing and doing the same at ground level.

“Hmm, looks like I could have made the extension a tad longer after all. Oh well, at least I won’t have to struggle to make it fit.” He pulled out a ball of twine from his pocket and began securing the tarp through the eyeholes onto the branches of the doorway. He noticed the griffoness looking at him with a stunned expression. “Why don’t you hunt up some rocks to secure the tarp to the ground?” he suggested.

Gilda shook herself and glared at him. “What? Don’t you have some proper stakes for that?”

“They’re back at my camp being used on my tent,” he replied cheerfully.

“Of course, he has them,” she muttered as she left to find some suitable rocks.

Soon, the pair stood back to admire their handiwork.

“There you are – one small but cozy insulated and weatherproof hut,” Edge declared.

Gilda turned to look at him. “You’re too much, you know that?”

“What? Don’t you like it?”

“It’s great, but don’t think I don’t know what a quality tarpaulin like that would cost. You’d be eaten alive in a griffon community with that kind of attitude.”

“Good thing we’re not in one then. Unless you feel like eating me?” He waggled his eyebrows.

Gilda’s cheeks pinked and she turned away from him. “Perv!”

Edge chuckled. “Why don’t you pay me back by making us lunch instead?”

Gilda surprised him by showing him a couple of fish that she had caught yesterday. “I decided to try some moonlight fishing. It seems my luck has been running hot lately.”

So, while the griffoness was frying those, the pegasus worked on a few other smaller tasks. He noted that there was some clothing hanging out to dry on tree branches. Instead, he used a rope to make a clothesline that was out in the open where the sun could assist in drying.

“What’s your food storage situation like?” Edge asked as the smell of fish titillated his nose.

“Besides flour and some other basics, I don’t really have anything to store. I’ve been pretty much been living day-to-day foodwise. If you’re worried about animals raiding me, well, this isn’t the Everfree Forest and the local wildlife isn’t much of a problem. The bigger predators know better than to mess with a griffon.”

“Something like a raccoon might be more of a problem for you, I suppose. Try to keep food out of easy reach.”

“Duh!” was Gilda’s sole response.

Edge discovered that her hygiene situation was decidedly inadequate and set about making her a proper bush toilet downwind from her camp. He barely made a start to that before he was called to the meal. He went straight back to work on it afterward. Gilda was as grateful for that as for the hut.

“I bet you would like a hot shower too occasionally,” Edge mentioned.

“Yeah. Bathing in the lake may do the trick, but the water is going to get unpleasantly cold in a few months.”

“You can use my set-up if you want. I’ll leave it with you when I go home.”

Gilda blinked. “How do you manage that?”

“It comprises of a magically fireproof bladder which you fill and put into a fire to heat up the water. When it’s the right temperature, the bladder turns red. You then hang it from a branch, screw in the shower head to activate the flow, and enjoy it while the water lasts. It doesn’t go for long, but it beats a cold bath.”

Gilda grabbed Edge’s shirt and pulled him nose to beak. “You’re going to let me shower tonight,” she growled.

The pegasus laughed. “Well, that wasn’t a hard sell.”

Gilda let him go, blushing again. “Sorry. I’m dying for a hot shower though.”

“I don’t blame you one bit. That’s why I have one after all. You can also use the bladder to make hot water for washing clothes. Just pour the water out of the fill cap.”

“I don’t suppose you have a wash tub among that lot?”

“Sorry, no. I have spare clothes to cover my needs for a two-week trip, but if I really need to clean something, I use my biggest pot.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing too. Oh well, can’t say you haven’t been generous enough already. I’m surprised by what you already pulled out of your cart. Do you always pack that much for every camping trip?”

Edge nodded, “Because I like to go to somewhere new each time, I never know exactly what I’m going to need. Just like when I came to your camp today, I find it easier to pack everything that might be useful in my cart. It’s a bit harder to lug around, but I don’t have any regrets because I forgot something. It also serves as storage, so I don’t have to unpack. I just have to add my food supplies and I’m ready to go.”

Gilda gave him a flat look. “Don’t you think you’re taking the colt scout motto a tad far?”

The pegasus grinned. “I might like camping but I’m not that keen on doing things the hard way. I’m out here to relax and enjoy myself, not do it tough.”

“Speaking of enjoying yourself, now that we’re done here, what would you like to do for the rest of the day?”

Edge pondered for a moment. “I’m thinking of hiking below the waterfall, following the river. When it gets late, we can fly back here to collect my cart and then to my campsite for dinner. We’ll leave enough time for you to have that shower afterward.”

“Sounds like a plan. Gotta warn you though – it’s pretty rough down there from what I’ve seen from the air.”

“Do you think that’ll deter me?”

“Not in the slightest. Don’t blame me if you slip and fall though. If you break a wing, I’m not carrying you back.”

“Will you at least feed me as I crawl back to camp eventually?”

“If you insist. I’m sure that food chest of yours has plenty to spare for payment for my efforts.”

“My hero,” Edge said with a smirk. “Shall we go?”

Gilda answered by taking off and heading in the direction of the waterfall. Edge was mere moments behind, appreciating the view as usual.

Downstream was just as ruggedly scenic as the pegasus expected. While the catbird proved to be more agile under the circumstances, the birdpony managed not to leave himself at Gilda’s mercy despite scrambling over some very slippery boulders. So, when the time came to head back to camp, both took wing, although Edge did so with some reluctance. He knew he needed to return and explore more of that beautiful landscape.

After retrieving Edge’s sky cart and Gilda’s dried clothes and toiletries, the duo made good time to Edge’s camp. There, they made an extra big fire so that they could simultaneously cook their dinner and heat the water bladder. Although there was no meat available, the pegasus was able to find plenty of acceptable pony foods in his chest. The bladder changed color about ten minutes after finishing the meal and they were cleaning up.

Gilda realized that there was a problem. “Okay, how do I go about this? Won’t that be too hot to carry?”

“Nah,” Edge replied, walking over to the fire. He picked up the bladder by the incorporated handle and threw it over his shoulder. “Enchanted so heat goes in but doesn’t come out. That’s one other reason why it changes color. You don’t want to keep heating it indefinitely. Otherwise, the water will turn to steam, pressure will build up, and boom!”

“There’s no pressure relief valve on it?”

“Technically, the filler cap has it, but you never rely on those things. So, where do you want to shower? I’m thinking that this handy branch might not suit you.” He pointed to a tree a couple of meters away.

“I know it would suit you, perv. Take it down the shore and out of sight of the camp.”

“Your wish is my command, milady,” Edge replied with a grin. “Grab a towel, a change of clothes too, if you’re into that kind of thing—”

“Perv!”

“—and follow me.”

They found a spot with a suitably high branch from which to hang the bladder. Edge handed the shower head to Gilda, saying, “When you’re ready, screw this into the outlet. The water will start flowing immediately. You can stop it temporarily by unscrewing it again. That way you can soap up, scrub anything needing extra attention, then rinse off.”

“Got it. Now, make yourself scarce.”

The pegasus did so with a chuckle.

Edge finished cleaning up and had a couple of beers ready when the griffoness returned. She was still damp but Gilda felt a lot better than in a long while. She put aside her dirty clothes and accepted the beer from Edge. They sat around the fire and quietly enjoyed the brew. The pegasus finally broke the silence.

“What has you so quiet for a change?”

Gilda chuckled. “Just thinking about the biggest mistake I almost made.”

“What’s that?”

“Trying to make you leave. I still can’t figure you out though. Why would you do so much for me? Give me so much without asking for repayment?”

Edge looked away, a wistful smile on his face. “Do you have any idea how nice it has been for me to be able to do something for a mare without them expecting it from me? Okay, so you’re not actually a mare but the circumstances are the same. If I did what I’ve done for you to a typical mare, they’d see it as a response to their overtures for attracting a mate when all I wanted was some pleasant company. Instead, I’d be hounded by them. With you, I could indulge my desire to help while getting some interesting company. And I mean that in the most non-pervy way despite my tastes.”

Gilda stared at him for a long moment before chuckling. “You really are an overgrown colt scout, aren’t you?”

“Guilty,” he replied, turning back to her with a smile.

“Huh! I’m not used to being regarded as interesting company rather than a potential mate. Kinda nice.” She swallowed the last of her beer and tapped the empty can with a talon as she stared over the lake. After half a minute, she said, “So, what do you want to do tomorrow? More hiking?”

“Got any suggestions?”

“How good are you at swimming?”

The next morning, Gilda turned up at breakfast time with a satchel slung over her shoulder. She extricated a bag containing a batch of scones that she provided as her contribution toward breakfast as they had agreed upon the previous day. He prepared baked beans on toast for both of them… and coffee, of course.

After cleaning up, they headed out on a hike with Gilda in the lead. She knew quite well what some of the scenery Edge was admiring but she didn’t mind. In fact, she was starting to feel quite flattered. She found it harder to navigate to her destination from the ground but there was a distinctive landmark in the surrounding mountains that kept her on track. Over three hours later, they encountered a small stream which the griffoness followed uphill. Eventually, they reached a point where it cascaded over a rock shelf which they climbed up.

“Here we are,” Gilda declared.

Edge looked around, noting several natural rock pools formed over the millennia by the waterfall over the cliff ahead of them. There was one big one that qualified as a small lake, two to the left and one to the right that were made by the terrain above splitting the stream into small side rivulets. At the moment, hardly any water flowed into the smaller pools and the main one had only a modest fall.

Gilda said, “I think these rock pools are seasonal. When it rains a lot, those smaller pools get a decent amount of water. Right now, though, so little enters that the sun has a chance to warm them up. I’ve been bathing here since I spotted them. Nowhere near as good as a hot shower but way better than the cold lake. The big pool is colder but great for swimming, and seeing as I’m hot from the hike, I’m ready to cool off.”

“So, this is the bathing spot you promised to take me to. I was wondering after we headed away from the lake.”

“Yep. Last one in is a plucked chicken!” With that, Gilda stripped off her shirt and dropped her pants, revealing the bikini she was wearing underneath. She posed for the pegasus briefly before she took off her sunglasses and dived into the rock pool.

Edge elected to wear his bathing shorts, so all he needed to take off was his T-shirt. When Gilda surfaced, she found him in the water beside her.

“You forgot so many things in your rush to leave Griffonstone but remembered to pack your bikini and shades?” he pointed out ironically.

“They were already in the bag that I threw my clothes into,” she replied, poking her tongue out at him defiantly.

“Makes sense,” he conceded. “I’m glad that I got to see them on you.”

“I bet you did, perv. Get a good eyeful?”

“Yes, ma’am!” he replied.

She laughed and then dunked him. The war was on!

A while later, the pair dragged themselves out of the pool and grabbed their towels. After getting the worst of the water out of her fur, Gilda spread the towel out on the ground and lay face down on it. Edge dug out some snacks and drinks from his backpack. When he turned back, he saw that the griffoness had untied the strings of her bikini top and fanned her wings out to catch the sun better. She noticed him staring and frowned in return.

“What?”

“Nothing. I just find it odd that someone who ran away from a griffon who was only interested in her sexually would be so willing to let me admire her ass… ets.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “There’s a big difference between escaping from a potential rapist who only wanted to use me as a breeder and showing off to somepony I actually like. Every hen likes to be considered beautiful and you’re gallant enough to not take liberties. If you were a griff, I’d seriously consider dating you. So, look as much as you like, birdpony – you’ve earned it.”

“Thanks. I’m honored. Would my sexy griff like a muffin?”

“After that workout, I’m starving,” she admitted.

“Me too,” Edge said as he put a muffin in front of her along with a drink. Then he settled down on his towel with his snacks. “This was a great idea,” he said after a few mouthfuls.

“I thought so. I would have come here more often except I was too busy trying to survive. Thanks to you, that hasn’t been a problem the last few days.”

“Glad to be of help. Hopefully, things will improve after I’ve left. The more you learn about the territory, the better your chances of foraging for food. And your new hut should be a lot more comfortable too.”

“Yeah.” Her mood turned more somber. “Cozy but lonely. Gotta admit that I’ve appreciated the company too. I’ll have to try to get my sister to visit more often. I didn’t take that into consideration when I decided to become a crazy hermit.”

“I’d reconsider checking out your pony friend. I’m sure it would be better for you in the long run.”

“Like I said, it’s too soon. When I burn bridges, I do a heck of a job of it. I made a thorough jackass of myself.”

“Don’t let pride stop you if you really need help, Gilda.”

“You’re my pervy friend, not my psychologist, Edge.”

“Noted. Shutting up now.”

The two decided to fly back to Edge’s camp and try their luck at fishing. At worst, it was a nice way to relax after the active morning. However, they did manage to catch three and, although the pegasus bagged two of them, the griffon gleefully ate the extra one.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Gilda is definitely thawing.

Art by Baron Engel. Not only used with permission but I also bought the originals. Help me afford more like this by donating to my Ko-Fi!

Chapter 6

Gilda reluctantly pulled away from Edge’s embrace, took his hand in hers, and guided him toward the hut.

“Let me show you the improvements I’ve made.”

The pegasus raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you want to talk about now? I thought we… oh… right.” He saw the griffon’s mischievous smile and caught on. Architectural critique wasn’t on the menu… he was!

The two made love that was all the more passionate for having been parted for so long. With due care for her pregnant belly, they revisited the heights of ecstasy that had been their first time together. When finally sated, they lay in each other’s embrace, content to be with their beloved. They might have stayed like that for a lot longer except that a loud rumble from Edge’s stomach broke the mood.

Gilda chuckled. “Hungry much?”

“Starving,” he admitted. “I haven’t eaten since the buffet car on the train, then I had the long flight here and some rather enjoyable exercise with a certain someone. I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”

Gilda rose onto her paws. “Then, I suggest that we wash and make dinner. We can catch up meanwhile.” She pushed aside the door flap and exited the hut, waving her tail at him.

Edge grinned and followed.

They bathed in the lake, the cold water quenching any desire for further shenanigans, although it did not prevent some admiring glances between the two. They quickly emerged and toweled off, but neither bothered to dress yet, electing to let their fur dry more first. At least, that was their excuse.

Gilda’s campfire had been banked, so it did not take long to stoke it back up. She pulled several fish out of the food locker which she gave to Edge to prepare and fry. Meanwhile, she whipped up some batter and chopped some local plants to make vegetable pancakes, adding a few spices that the pegasus provided upon request. Edge was impressed by the result and complimented her on the creation.

“Thanks. I’ve learned a lot about what’s good to eat around here. Adding the vegetables also stretched out my flour supply. That’s almost the last of it. Gabby isn’t due to bring me more for a couple of weeks.”

“Did you ever do the trading that you planned back then?”

“The pelts that I send back with my sister? Kind of. I admit that I was overconfident. I barely scrape together enough to pay for the supplies that Gabby brings me. Actually, I think she’s giving more than they’re worth.”

“You have a great sister, Gil.”

“Yeah, I know. She’s the one that made me face the fact that I was pregnant. I was in denial until then.”

“It must have come as a shock. We’re going to have to visit a doctor to give you a checkup and find out how it was possible.”

“Now that I have you back, I’m glad that it happened. It might not be the reason why I fell in love with you, but it shows we’re even more compatible than I first thought.”

“I look forward to being a dad.” Edge chuckled. “There are going to be a lot of disappointed mares back home.”

Gilda smirked as her eyes wandered over the handsome stallion. “I look forward to sending them on their way. You’re mine!”

Edge returned the frank appraisal. “I will only have eyes for you, Gil.”

The mutual admiration continued for a long moment before Edge spoke up again. “So, what have you been doing besides just surviving these past six months?”

Gilda had a lot to tell which she did while they cleared up after the meal. She showed the improvements she had made to the hut and campsite and told him of the exploring she had done in the times when she had been free from the need to hunt or fish. He, in turn, told her about his frustrations back home, and how he had not been able to get her off his mind. They were conversing when they retired for the night.

“When do you have to go back?” Gilda asked, wondering if that would be the final night spent in the hut.

“I have a couple of days to spare. Because I don’t want to rush things when we get home, I’m thinking of taking only tomorrow off to relax and head back first thing the next day. That’ll give me the chance to get you settled in before I have to go back to work.”

Gilda nodded. “That works for me. I get to have a stress-free day with you before my life changes for good. Besides, I have someplace I’d like to show you before we leave.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Not saying, but I think you’ll love it.”

“Considering how you felt about hiking when we first met, it’s great to see that you haven’t lost your enthusiasm for discovering things.”

“A lot of things have changed about me since we met, and much for the better. Thanks for coming into my life, pervy dweeb.”

“The feeling is mutual, sexy bird.”

They kissed before settling down to sleep, the griffon’s arm and wing wrapped around her mate possessively.

The pair got up at dawn and prepared breakfast from Edge’s supplies including, to Gilda’s delight, bacon.

“A bribe,” Edge said with a grin. “Just in case you needed more encouragement.”

“You should have led with that,” Gilda replied with a laugh. “Seriously, though, how did you get hold of that in your rush to travel here?”

“You won’t be the only carnivore species in town. There’s a butcher shop serving their needs and, by luck, it was on the route to the station. I ducked in there on a whim. The Abyssinian owner was surprised to have a pegasus customer but was happy to suggest the bacon.”

“Huh! I never thought about those cats making their homes in Equestria, but at least I won’t have to worry about a meat supply.”

“And I promise to get used to the smell of cooking meat,” Edge said as he watched Gilda putting several slices into a frypan.

“Just you wait, Cutting Edge. I’m going to cook you something when we get to your place that will convert you. Bacon is awesome.”

The pegasus gave her a half-smile. “I’m not so sure about that, but if anyone can convince me, I bet you will.”

Edge stuck to making an omelet for himself and both washed their meals down with coffee. After clearing up, they prepared themselves for their hike.

“Lead on,” Edge told the griffoness.

Gilda led them up a game path into the foothills. After an hour and a half, the forest abruptly opened up to reveal a massive hole in the ground. Edge estimated it to be fifty meters across with steep sides dropping down to a rocky floor about twenty meters below. The bottom was well-vegetated and he could hear water running. He took wing and flew into the depression.

“I think I know what this is,” Edge said. “This was once a cave and the roof collapsed into it. See there?” He pointed at a stream that was pouring out of a crevice in one wall, flowed to the other side, and disappeared once more into a large hole. “That underground stream carved it out but a weakness in the rock structure caused the roof to break and fall in. Judging by how it looks, it must have been a long time ago. It’s very beautiful and impressive.” He pulled out his camera to take some pictures.

“I knew you’d like it. Funny thing – from the air, it’s hardly noticeable. The vegetation blends in well. Only when the sun shines at an angle on the cliff sides does it catch the eye.”

“Have you tried exploring down that hole and seeing if there’s more cave further down?”

Gilda shuddered. “No way! I’m not going anywhere surrounded by tons of rock, especially if it could collapse like this did.”

“I’m in agreement with you this time,” Edge with a grimace. I’ll leave that to those who like that kind of thing. However, if the geology allows for the formation of a large cave, that implies the strong possibility of more. I’ll have to pass the word on to any interested parties. I bet that will bring in lots of explorers.” He continued taking photos.

“That’s a little sad,” Gilda said. “I liked the idea of this being our secret place.”

Edge turned to reply, only to find the griffoness posing nude upon a boulder. He grinned and obliged with several shots. Gilda emphasized her belly bulge in a couple of them.

They eventually flew out of the sinkhole and resumed their hike. Gilda led Edge to some interesting sights that she had found over the past several months such as a long crevasse, ferny waterfalls, and several exceptionally tall trees. While they did pause for a lunch break, both were very hungry by the time they returned to the campsite.

After dinner and everything was cleaned up, Gilda stoked the fire and put the hot water bladder into it to heat up. Edge had acquired a new one and it joined the first. Then the two made love while the water warmed. They had a shower together to clean up – fortunately, the lovers had double the water to double their time – and then went to sleep. They needed to make an early start tomorrow.

Edge set an alarm to ensure they woke as soon as it was light. While he had not needed to make use of much of the gear that he brought along, Gilda’s possessions were another matter. As soon as they had completed breakfast, they packed all her cooking equipment and other items she accumulated over the months. The food locker also was a welcome return.

“Didn’t think you’d get that back, did you?” Gilda commented.

“Nope,” Edge agreed. “However, I did not regret giving it to you for one second.”

The one item that the pegasus had given to the griffon that stayed was the tarpaulin that protected the hut.

“It’s so much part of the structure now, it really isn’t worth the effort to salvage it,” Edge decided. “Besides, if we make sure to close the hut up well, it should remain a useful shelter for a long time. We could use it again in the future.”

“I thought you said that you never returned to places you visited before, barring this one exception,” Gilda added.

“True, but I’ve decided I like this area a lot, and I have some great memories made here. What about you?”

“Well, I can’t say that some of the past few months were fun, but the highlights – wow! Yeah, I can see us coming back here occasionally.”

Edge nodded. “Then, if that’s everything, let’s tie down the load and get going. The train’s not going to wait for us!”

“You do that. I’ve gotta leave a note for Gabby. She’s going to wonder what happened to me otherwise.”

“Good idea. You can add my address so she can find us again.”

With those tasks done, the pair took off and winged toward the distant station, carrying away some beautiful memories.

Edge booked a private compartment for them, and they spent the long journey cuddling, talking, making love, and napping. They only left to visit the dining car before returning to do more of the same. The train arrived at their destination late in the evening and the pair made their way to Edge’s apartment complex. Upon arrival at the garage, Gilda took only what she thought she immediately needed from the cart while the pegasus lifted out the food locker before storing the rest. He then led his mate to his apartment and opened the door with a flourish.

“Welcome to your new abode, my dear.”

Gilda strode inside and dropped her bags. Looking around, she realized that it was fairly basic, but compared to her old home in Griffonstone, it was luxurious. She hadn’t been interested in the finery she had seen in Canterlot, so this was more than she had ever dreamed of possessing.

“You never told me you live in a palace,” Gilda said with a grin.

“Yup. A pity it’s the servants’ month off. The chef too. I’m afraid you’re going to have to do some cooking.”

“Ha! Good thing I have a locker full of meat then.”

“The kitchen is through that door. You can drop off your cooking gear in there. I’ll take the rest of your stuff into the bedroom. Don’t worry about the food locker. We can deal with that tomorrow.”

“Want me to make us a snack?” Gilda asked as she headed to the kitchen.

“Sounds good,” Edge called back. “I’ll start coffee in a moment.”

Gilda checked out the contents of the fridge and took out several items to make sandwiches. “Where’s your bread?” she called out as she placed them on the bench.

“Top row of cupboards is the pantry,” the pegasus replied as he returned. “Bread is in the left one.”

The griffoness quickly found the loaf of bread which was as fresh as it was when put in the cupboard. The magic stasis spell on it was similar to the one on the food locker and was why the fridge did not need to be large. Food that had been chilled in there could be moved to the pantry for long-term storage and would stay cool and fresh indefinitely in the stasis. Gilda knew enchanted items like that were common in pony homes, but Griffonstone was completely devoid of them. She was enormously grateful that Edge had left her the locker as she would never have been able to lay her talons on one otherwise.

The coffee pot beeped soon after Gilda finished the sandwiches. The two sat down at the table to enjoy them at leisure.

Edge grinned at Gilda. “It doesn’t feel quite real yet, does it?”

Gilda chuckled. “Nope. So much has happened in so short a time, and all of it seems like a dream still.”

“Well, we both woke up this morning, so it’s no dream. We’ll have a few reality checks, I’m sure, but we’ll deal with them as they come up. Firstly, we’ll go to see a doctor, have you and the baby checked, and hopefully get an explanation why you’re pregnant.”

“Yeah, I’d like to get those things off my mind.” Then she yawned mightily. “Right now though, I’m more interested in sleep.”

“I agree. It’s been a long day. Go ahead and use the facilities while I clean up.”

“Thanks. I won’t be long.”

Gilda emptied her bladder while she admired the shower, promising herself a long soak under it in the morning. The bed looked amazing and she wasted no time in shedding her clothes and climbing in. She pulled a blanket only halfway up, posed herself, and waited to see Edge’s reaction.

The pegasus walked in only moments later to find that the griffoness had already passed out. He paused to admire his beautiful sexy hen before using the bathroom and joining her in bed. He put an arm around his mate and quickly joined her in slumber.

Gilda was the first to wake but she was content to lie in the embrace of her partner. Only now that she had left the lake behind did she dare believe that her fortunes had turned around. She was not so starry-eyed that she thought that all her troubles were behind her, but she had her beloved mate, a new home, and a child to look forward to bringing into the world. Right now, all was right with the world.

The griffoness basked in the warmth of both the bed and the relationship for another ten minutes or so before Edge began to stir.

“Morning, perv,” Gilda murmured as the pegasus’ eyes fluttered open.

“Morning, boobalicious,” he replied with a grin. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like the weight of the world was taken off my shoulders and I could finally rest.”

Edge chuckled. “You must have zonked out the moment you hit the sheets.”

“Pretty much, I guess. Did you at least like the view?”

“Loved it, pretty bird. Thanks.” He kissed her on the cheek, then pulled back the blanket and leaned over to kiss her on the belly. “And I hope our child appreciated their first night in their home.”

Gilda giggled. “They didn’t bother me all night, so that’s a yes.”

Edge smiled. “Good. Now that we’re all awake, what do you want to do?”

“Well, as much as I’d like to ravage you right now, I need to get a few things done. You have to go back to work tomorrow, right?” At his confirming nod, she continued. “Besides finishing unpacking and putting stuff away, we have to arrange a visit to a doctor and shop for a few basics for myself. Also, I’d like to get familiar with the territory while we’re at it.”

“Makes sense. Anything else?”

“Yeah. A long hot shower. I call first dibs!” She scrambled out of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

Edge smirked. “Did you notice that the shower stall is big enough for two?”

The joyful laugh that came back answered that question.

They shared the breakfast duties before they began their other tasks. Gilda obviously did not have many possessions yet but the wardrobe still required some rearranging and leaving space for future acquisitions. That done, they set out together for the center of town. They flew there, gaining stares from several pegasi in passing but nothing else. Edge took her to a clinic that he had used previously and, after confirming that the staff could deal with a griffon, made an appointment with a doctor. Because it was not for another couple of hours though, they left to do some shopping.

Gilda’s first priority was several items for the bathroom. Then they stocked up on food, especially some more palatable to the griffon. She did insist on lots of baking supplies though. Then there was a stop at a locksmith to get a duplicate made of the apartment key for the griffoness. The next stop almost brought tears to Gilda’s eyes. As he had promised, Edge took her into a jeweler’s shop to buy her a ring.

The stallion owner, Gleaming Gem, was too professional to be disconcerted by the odd couple and was more than helpful when Gilda was unsure what she would like. When she showed little interest in the fancy gems, he suggested something more representative of their mutual love. He brought out a small box which he opened to reveal a pair of golden rings with a single pink diamond embedded in each of them. Curiously, they were firmly separated by a raised wall of the material in which they were embedded, ensuring they would never touch.

“These are no ordinary rings,” Gleaming explained. “They have been enchanted to fit perfectly on any finger, but their main feature is only revealed when joined by true love.”

Gilda tilted her head and frowned, suspicious of such an outlandish claim. “How do they do that?”

“These are Crystal Empire Cadance Rings. Designed by the Princess of Love herself in conjunction with the Empire’s finest craftponies, when worn by a couple and brought into contact, their enchantment reveals the depth of the love each has for the other. But, be warned! If your feelings are not true, that will be revealed also.” Gleaming was reluctant to show these rings to just any couple who entered his store. The spell was a once off, rendering the bands little more than common bling if the love connection was not made. However, he was a good judge of character, and while he had never encountered a griffon-pony couple before, the way they behaved made him reasonably sure he was correct.

Gilda slowly nodded and turned to Edge. “I know that you promised to buy a ring for just me, but what do you think of those?”

“If you like them, I would be proud to show my bond with you.”

Gilda made up her mind. “We’d like to try them, please.”

“Ma’am, there is no ‘try’ with these rings. The nature of the enchantment means that you must commit to buy them, regardless of the result. Are you absolutely certain that you truly love each other?”

The griffoness faced the pegasus once more. “Yes,” she said simply.

“Yes,” Edge echoed.

Gleaming smiled gravely and quoted the price which Edge accepted without hesitation, although it cost nearly every bit he had brought with him. Then, the pegasus took one of the rings and passed the box to the griffoness who took the other.

Edge said, “Gilda, as I told you back at the lake, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”

Gilda replied, “I love you too, Cutting Edge. It will be with great joy that I will marry you.”

As Gilda held out her hand, Edge slipped the ring over her talon to settle snugly in place on the finger, the sizing spell working perfectly. The griffoness did the same for him. Then they held their hands up and clasped them together, and the rings touched at last.

For both, there was a blinding flash and, for a long moment, they seemed to be gazing into each other’s souls. There, they felt the depth of love and commitment that had bound them together, and it left them overflowing with joy. The spell ended, leaving them staring at each other in wonder. Then they embraced, he kissing her enthusiastically while she hugged and nuzzled him ecstatically.

Gleaming Gem smiled in satisfaction and turned away to give them a semblance of privacy. They were not the first to propose in his shop, but they were certainly among the most demonstrative of their commitment to each other.

The time for the doctor’s appointment was close, so the couple made their way in the clinic’s direction. They walked arm-in-arm, the subject of a wedding the topic most on their minds.

“So, do you want to do something fancy, or will we visit a Justice of the Court for a strictly legal ceremony?” Edge asked.

Gilda sighed. “Face it, Edge – who do I know that will come to a formal wedding? Besides Gabby, I mean. And if your entire family turns up and there’s no one but her, what will that look like to them?”

“Fair point. Of course, we can always do something later when your social situation has improved, if you want to.”

“Eh. Griffs aren’t big on that kind of thing anyway. They cost too much.”

“Right. The infamous bit-pinchers. We’ll leave that option open then. See what the future brings. Meanwhile, we can make a Court appointment to formalize our mating.”

“Sounds good. The sooner the better. I wanna be able to point to you and say, ‘That sexy stallion is my husband’.”

Edge chuckled. “I think they’ll be able to tell by the way I can’t keep my hands off that gorgeous hen.”

And if the expressions on the faces of passing ponies were any indication, he was quite correct.

As is typical for a doctor’s appointment, they were kept waiting many minutes beyond the designated time. Eventually, a unicorn mare in a white coat came out of one of the doors and called Gilda’s name. Both of them got up to go into the doctor’s office, but the mare held them up.

“This appointment was for Ms. Gilda Griffon. May I ask why you are accompanying her?” she asked Edge.

Gilda answered instead. “I know the appointment is for a major check-up for me, but there’s one question that involves both of us that we’d like answered first, if possible?”

The mare looked between them, considering, then nodded. “I’ll let you ask and, if I deem it appropriate, I will answer it for you both. If not, I will ask you to leave, sir.”

“That’s acceptable,” Edge replied.

The doctor ushered them into her office, closed the door, and then sat at her desk. “My name is Doctor Positive Diagnosis. What did you wish to ask?”

Gilda gestured toward her belly. “As you can see, I’m pregnant. My fiancé, Cutting Edge, is the sire. We believed that it is impossible for a pony to get a griffon pregnant, or vice versa. Can you explain why we’re wrong?”

The doctor looked at Edge and smiled slightly. “Fiancé? Good. The answer is – you’re not wrong… usually.”

“Usually?” both echoed.

“Have either of you heard of hippogriffs? No? They’re not well known around here. Even less so in Griffonstone which I’m guessing is where you’re from, Gilda, judging by your accent.”

“I am,” she confirmed.

“Very well, I will tell you what is known about them and their relevance to you two. Please bear in mind that the events occurred a very long time ago, well before Princess Celestia herself was born. Many details have been lost to time and the rest were reconstructed by researchers from old records and hearsay.”

“Understood,” Edge said.

“Far to the south of Equestria, beyond the Bone-Dry Desert and all the way to the coast, there once was established a small colony of ponies disaffected by the fighting between the tribes. These ponies had made peace, so it had a fairly even mix of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, which meant they possessed the mixture of skills and talents necessary for a budding colony. What they did not have were great numbers. That meant that it only took a few generations before every pony was related to every other pony to some degree, and that does not make for a viable long-term future for the colony. However, they did have one option.”

Gilda said, “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say griffons?”

Dr. Diagnosis nodded. “By good fortune, a group of griffons similarly disaffected by internecine conflict between the griffon clans had sought to make a new start far from all the fighting. Coincidentally, they ended up in the same area as the pony colony. While there was a lot of initial suspicion, eventually they worked out a peaceful and mutually beneficial arrangement, merging with the town’s population. It was to the griffons that the ponies started looking for mates.”

“But that doesn’t explain how we can interbreed.”

The doctor sighed impatiently. “I know, and it frustrates everypony that there is no clear answer. Oral history suggests that there was some major magical event that made every member of that colony fully able to breed with the other race. Some claim it was an act of Harmony. Others say that a unicorn wizard devised a powerful spell. Still others suggest that it was a joke on the part of Discord. The only thing we know for sure was that suddenly, mares and hens became pregnant and hippogriffs were born. Those are a hybrid species, if you haven’t guessed by now.”

The mare rummaged in her desk drawer and pulled out a file. From it, she withdrew a photograph which she showed to the couple. “This is a typical hippogriff mare. As you can see, the hindquarters are equine while the forequarters are generally griffish, despite having ears and a different build. The males are a bit bigger. Anyway, between births from both ponies and griffons, the colony had sufficient numbers to thrive. All subsequent births were hippogriffs and eventually, the griffons and ponies aged out, leaving just the new species. The hippogriffs bred true, and now you will find them in their home city on Mount Aris. And that’s how things would still stand if it wasn’t for the adventurous among them leaving to explore other lands. They ended up in both Equestria and Griffonstone, found mates, and had children. Yes, they were still compatible with both species, but due to the gene’s recessive nature, all the births resulted in the child being of the non-hippogriff’s race. Nevertheless, the trait could be passed on. Future pairings of ponies or griffons bearing the hippogriff gene can still breed with the other race. And since this has been going on for literally centuries, a small but significant portion of both populations have that gene.”

Gilda clapped her hands. “So, either I or Edge has that hippogriff gene!”

“Correct. Or both of you. It’s rarer still for that to happen, but not unknown.”

Edge frowned and gave the doctor a sharp look. “How would you know if it did? What would be different about it?”

The mare smiled. “Then, you would be expecting a hippogriff foal.”

Gilda looked at Edge, beak and eyes open wide. “Do you think…?”

Edge shrugged. “Is there any way we can tell, Doctor?”

“If the mother desires, we can test for that. And now that I have answered your questions to the best of my ability, I must ask you to leave so that I can conduct the examination of your mate.”

“Okay. Thanks, Doctor.” Edge began to leave.

“Oh! And I will be billing you for a separate consultation, Mr. Edge.”

“Fair enough, Doctor. I’ll be waiting for you, Gil.”

The unicorn turned to the griffon. “Let’s get started with the basics….”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

The sinkhole was based on a real one that I visited decades ago:
https://southaustralia.com/products/limestone-coast/attraction/umpherston-sinkhole-balumbul
That one did not have a stream passing through it though.

Chapter 1

Cutting Edge hovered over the lake, surveying the shoreline for a suitable camping spot. The national forest surrounding the large body of water tended to reach all the way to the edge in most places, but there were a couple of open areas. The cobalt-blue anthro pegasus decided upon one that looked roomy enough for a tent and a fire and was also relatively safe from possible hazards. He lowered himself and his sky cart down to the ground and admired the view. Nodding in satisfaction, he began setting up his equipment.

Because he intended to use this site as a base camp for exploring the parklands, he had brought everything he thought he might need for a two-week stay, necessitating the use of the cart rather than just a backpack. After clearing an area of stones and branches, he got out his tent and erected it. His bedroll and various other essentials were put inside before he got to work creating a safe campfire. With that completed, he finally allowed himself time to relax. With the majority of the day already taken up by traveling to the site, there would be no hiking done today. However, he did intend to try his luck at fishing.

An hour later, he had two reasonably large trout cooking over the fire. He was trying for a third when he heard an angry screech from the sky. Looking up, he spotted someone diving toward him. His sharp eyesight quickly identified the newcomer not as a fellow pegasus but a griffon – or griffoness to be more precise. And she did not look happy. He stood up to meet her as she came in for a landing, observing her medium-brown coat, slightly darker wings, and white head and chest feathers. Purple markings surrounded her eyes and highlighted the crest feathers that hung over her face. She wore only shorts and a T-shirt which barely contained an ample bust.

“Hi! What can I do for you?” he asked.

“You can get out of my territory for starters!” she snarled.

“Your territory? While we’re not far from the Griffonstone border, I think you’ll find we’re in an Equestrian national park.”

“I don’t care what you believe,” she retorted with a scowl. “This is my turf and I want you gone.”

“Not going to happen, lady. I’m all set up here and not inclined to move on.”

The griffoness closed the distance between them and poked him hard with a talon while bringing her beak close to his face. “If you don’t leave, I’ll make you regret it.”

“I don’t think so.” The stallion grabbed the arm with the offending talon, twisted around, and threw her over his shoulder. She landed with a splash and a squawk in the lake. His brow furrowed. “Damn – that will scare away the fish.”

The griffoness clambered out of the water, muttering curses under her breath. Once on the shore, she seemed disinclined to harass him more, concentrating on wringing out the water from her T-shirt. The wet cloth gave him quite a view of her boobs with their pert nipples. The water saturating her fur clung to her sleek and toned body, making him whistle in admiration. She looked up at him, frowning.

“What are you staring at?” she snarled.

“A gorgeous sexy griffon,” he answered without a trace of hesitation.

Her eyes widened and an eyebrow rose. “What are you – some kind of perv? I’m a griffon and you’re a pony.”

The pegasus shrugged. “Beauty is beauty irrespective of species. Still, that won’t stop me from chucking you in the lake again if you attempt to push me around.”

The griffoness growled and gave up her efforts to dry out her clothes. “I was only trying to scare you off. I wasn’t really going to do anything to you… probably”

“Well, that backfired, didn’t it? Why are you so determined to get rid of me anyway?”

“I chose this place to get away from all my hassles.” Her stare and tone of voice became more pointed. “I don’t need any new ones.”

“I’m not about to give you grief. However, I can offer you a cup of coffee while you dry yourself by the fire.”

The griffon’s eyes widened at the word ‘coffee’ and they shifted toward the fire where a pot sat amid the flames, steam just starting to waft out as the contents came to a boil. She hesitated and her tongue licked her beak before she growled and said, “Ah, rot it all! You win. I accept your offer.”

“Take a seat and I’ll make us some.”

The catbird sat down on the large log positioned near the fire, spreading her wings to catch the warmth to help them dry faster. Meanwhile, the winged pony made the coffee and passed a mug to her. While she drank it, he checked on the fish and deemed them cooked sufficiently. He put one on a plate and spread some butter, salt, and pepper on it. He looked at his guest speculatively, then held it out to her.

“Want some trout?”

She peered at him suspiciously. “Why are you treating me so nice?”

“Why not? I wouldn’t mind the company of a pretty bird while having dinner.”

She rolled her eyes. “You really are a dweeb.” She took the plate anyway and lifted the fish in her talons before he could offer her utensils. In two snaps of her beak, the trout was consumed. She licked off some spilled butter and said, “Very tasty. Thanks. Saves me having to catch my own.”

He chuckled as he prepared the second fish. “Glad you liked it. Seeing as you scared away the fish and ate half of what I did catch, I suppose I’ll have to supplement my meal with some apple pie that I brought with me. Want some? Do you even eat that kind of stuff?”

“I’m okay with most pony food. What’s the catch? You’re being too nice to somebirdy you just met.”

“I’m a friendly guy when I’m not being poked with a talon. The name’s Cutting Edge, by the way. Call me Edge. I’m curious about why you’re hiding out here despite obviously liking the finer things in life.”

The griffoness lifted one eyebrow. “What finer things?”

“The coffee, for one,” Edge answered with a grin. “You drank that entire mug like someone who badly missed it.”

She squawked out a laugh. “Yeah, you got me.”

“Mind passing the mug back, Ms….?”

“Gilda,” she supplied, giving the cup to him.

“Ta. I’ve only got the one as I wasn’t expecting company way out here. You were going to tell me why I was wrong?” he hinted while making coffee for himself.

Gilda glared at him before sighing. “I suppose it’s fair. I left Griffonstone to get away from certain cocks who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Edge paused between bites of his fish. Unlike his dining companion, he took care to not include the bones in his meal. “Was the harassment that bad? Although I can see why the males would be chasing you.”

Gilda blushed and turned her head away. “Stop being such a perv. But yeah, it was getting too much. Mating season isn’t far away and I’m still single. Can’t say I’m interested in any of those testosterone-fueled featherheads either.”

Edge nodded, put his plate and mug aside, and then got up. He rummaged inside a large magically enhanced food storage chest and pulled out a pie. As he began cutting it into slices, he said, “I thought that griffon hens liked strong, confident males.”

“Most do,” Gilda admitted. “I went to flight school in Equestria though, and that set my life ambitions higher than just being the cub-bearer of the loudest or strongest idiot of the flock. That might work for other hens, but not for me. So, after a particularly nasty altercation with Gerard, I packed my stuff and left. Made myself at home out here where no dweebs can bother me, and there’s plenty of food to hunt or fish.”

“Seems like a pretty extreme solution to me,” Edge said as he passed a slice of pie to her. “After all, you’ve already run out of coffee.”

Gilda chuckled. “Yeah, although I have this plan to take some pelts back to Griffonstone to trade for more supplies.”

“How’s that working out for you so far?”

“Let me put it this way – I’ve been without coffee for over a week,” she pointed out before eating the pie as hungrily as the fish.

“I figured as much.” In his head, he added, ‘It also might explain why she’s wolfing down the food so fast.’ Aloud, he said, “Tell you what – I’ll trade you some coffee in exchange for you showing me around your little domain tomorrow, okay?”

“Deal!” Gilda stood up and spread her wings. “I’ll see you after breakfast. Don’t sleep in.” She leaped into the air but paused, hovering. “And… thanks. The food was great.” She then accelerated off over the lake.

Edge smiled. A good meal always made a positive impression. He had packed plenty of both beverages and food in case fishing and foraging were poor. When you had a food storage container that was bigger on the inside than the outside, you could afford to bring more than you thought you might need. He poured another cup of coffee and took it over to where he had set up his fishing pole. Perhaps he might yet catch something before he called it a day.

The pegasus was cooking an omelet for breakfast when he heard the sound of large wings. Looking up, he saw Gilda coming in for a landing. Oddly, she was dripping wet once more. The reason why became obvious as she threw a large salmon in his direction.

“Spotted this lunker on the way and couldn’t pass up the chance. Got some of that coffee you promised me?” she asked with a cocky grin, holding out a mug she had brought with her.

Edge put the fish into his food chest where the stasis spell would keep it fresh and then took her mug. “I wasn’t sure when you’d turn up, so I started the coffee first to make sure it would be ready.” He poured a cup and passed it to her.

“I ate some scones along the way here to save time,” Gilda said as she made herself at home by the fire to dry out. “Luckily I finished them before I spotted the salmon.”

“Do you always fish that way?”

The griffon shrugged. “It works and I don’t have a fishing pole anyhow.”

“Fair enough. I guess those talons of yours let you grab a fish more effectively than my hands could.” Edge turned out the omelet onto a plate, retrieved a couple of slices of bread that had been toasting by the fire, added some butter and jam, and settled down on the log next to Gilda. “So – what’s the plan for today, Ms. Tour Guide?”

“That depends on what you prefer. I didn’t come out here for the scenery like you did.”

“I enjoy hiking and checking out the sights. If you know any particularly interesting spots, we can make our way there.”

Gilda’s eyebrows rose. “You wanna walk? Are you crazy? You’ve got two perfectly good wings! So do I! Let’s do the aerial tour. Seriously, I thought you meant flying around to various places.”

“Oh, I’ll do that too, but you miss a lot that you can only see at ground level. The point isn’t to get to the destination quickly – it’s to see what you can discover along the way.” He waved his fork around dramatically to emphasize the point.

Gilda groaned. “If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have been so quick to take your offer. My paws are aching already.”

Edge grinned. “It isn’t as bad as that. I’ll let you start off easy.”

“What I’ll do for coffee,” she lamented. “Speaking of…” She held out her empty mug.

The stallion chuckled and got up to get the coffee pot.

They settled on a walk around the lake. The griffoness promised a great view of the falls which were the outlet for it. Edge packed a rucksack with a camera, a water bottle, and some protein bars for both of them to snack on.

“You seem to have packed way more than you need,” remarked Gilda.

Edge shrugged. “When you have an enchanted food chest that holds as much as a large family can eat but weighs only a couple of kilos because of a featherweight spell, it’s easier just to put in everything you might need rather than try to plan out your exact requirements. That’s why I can spare you a lot of coffee – I brought the whole can.”

The two began their walk in a clockwise direction around the lake. Fortunately for Gilda, the trees weren’t too dense and the leaf litter made for reasonably comfortable hiking. Edge walked at a casual pace as he had no schedule to keep and it was easier on his companion. Once in a while, they would pause while Edge took photographs of wildflowers or other interesting wildlife.

After yet another stop for snaps, Gilda rolled her eyes and said, “Geez! Why didn’t you just stay home and visit a flower shop instead!”

Despite her griping, Gilda did have some sites worth visiting in mind. They soon came upon a low cliff and she urged him to take wing. There she showed him the nest holes that birds had riddled the face of the cliff with. The colorful residents were naturally perturbed by the visitors, so the two did not stay long.

“We weren’t very popular,” Edge observed with a smile.

“Probably because they’re safe from all but winged predators there,” Gilda replied.

“Oh? With justification, perhaps?”

The griffoness smirked. “Their eggs are tasty.”

They continued their walk in silence for a while. They paused to rest and have a snack on a bluff that overlooked the length of the lake. The sun shimmered on the surface of the water and, with the mountains in the background, it presented an idyllic view. Edge took several photographs there and even managed to persuade Gilda to pose in one of them.

They continued on their walk, crossing the occasional ferny creek along the way. At last, they heard the sound of water splashing down rocks and the falls came into view. They were a series of small drops rather than one tall fall, and Edge could see how they would serve as a fish ladder for the salmon migrating upstream.

The pegasus spent some time taking more photos while the griffon soaked her sore paws in the cool water. When Edge was finally satisfied, they started back on the opposite side of the lake. They walked for about half an hour before the shore opened up onto a rocky shelf, revealing a campsite. A large lean-to was set up against a big tree at the edge of the shelf, and a fireplace occupied the middle of the clearing. A small oven formed of stacked stones indicated that this was far from a temporary camp.

Edge looked at Gilda, raising an eyebrow. “Is this…?”

She nodded. “Yep. Home sweet home. Baked my scones in there last night.”

“You really have everything you need to make scones but have to forage for other food?”

“I’m a baker, you dweeb – of course I have plenty of ingredients like flour and yeast.” Then she looked askance and mumbled, “Although I did forget to bring plenty of coffee.”

“What are you going to do when those run out? Trade for them like you told me yesterday?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You can’t even afford coffee yet, so when will you be able to buy a sack of flour, let alone everything else?”

Gilda scowled. “Who asked you to stick your nose into my business? I’ve been doing okay since long before we met, and I’ll be fine after you’re long gone. Now piss off! I’ve done as you asked. Go and take pictures of pansies or whatever and leave me alone!” She then stalked off and disappeared into her lean-to.

Edge kicked himself for upsetting the griffoness. He knew they were a touchy species and it really was none of his business anyway. “Sorry, Gilda,” he called out. “I’ll have that coffee ready for you when you want it.” He then took wing and headed back to his camp, no longer in the mood to hike.

An afternoon spent fishing had added a couple more fish to his supplies and he had all three cooking when the griffoness arrived. Silently, he handed her the can of coffee out of which he had already retained some for himself.

Gilda nodded. “Thanks. Sorry I yelled at you.”

Edge shook his head. “No, it was my fault. I had no right to pry. Want some fish? I cooked all of these in the hope of offering them as an apology.”

The griffoness smirked. “I suppose I can’t afford to knock that back. I want the salmon though.”

“Done. Would you like some lemon juice on it? I have some lemons with me.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Of course, you do. Yeah, why not?”

Edge served up the fish along with some grilled vegetables for both of them. Gilda sighed in satisfaction when she finished her meal.

“You sure know how to cook a mean salmon.”

“Mean, nice, shy – doesn’t make any difference to me. They all go in the pan!” The pegasus grinned. “I may not be a baker, but I do love a well-prepared fish.”

Gilda nodded and got up from her seat on the log. “I’ll keep my eyes open for more. Might as well take advantage of your culinary skills if I have to put up with you here.” She spread her wings to fly off but hesitated. “By the way, how did you manage to throw me so easily yesterday?”

“My sister is a Royal Guard and she insisted on teaching me self-defense. I had no interest in joining up like her, but it certainly came in handy to know.”

The griffoness chuckled. “I suppose so. Same time tomorrow?”

“I’d like that. I’ll have breakfast ready.”

“Cool. Sleep well, dweeb.” Gilda took off and headed down the lake.

Edge smiled. “Yeah, I think I will.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Art by Baron Engel. Used with permission.

Chapter 2

Edge was beginning to wonder if Gilda was going to be a no-show. However, the griffoness belatedly came into view and landed nearby, a disgruntled look on her face and water dripping from her legs.

“You look pissed off,” the stallion commented.

“I tried to catch another salmon, but the bastard got away from me.”

“That’s too bad. Would you settle for soy sausages and fried eggs?”

“Sure! Here – catch!” Gilda threw a bag to Edge who caught and opened it. Several fresh scones were inside. “If you have anything suitable to go on them from that food locker of yours, we can pack them for snacks on the walk.”

The pegasus nodded. “I think I can dig up some butter and jam.” He put the bag aside and began serving up the food. “So – how are your paws feeling?”

“Still a bit sore but better than I expected. I still say you’re nuts to want to hike everywhere, but I admit that we did see a lot more than I expected by pounding the ground.”

Edge grinned as he passed her a plate. “Keep it up and your paws will get toughened by the experience. You’ll hardly notice it after a few days.”

Gilda gave him a flat look. “Do you think I’ve got nothing better to do than follow you around every day while you’re here?”

The stallion shrugged. “You didn’t even have to turn up today. You kept your side of the bargain yesterday.”

The griffoness swallowed a sausage whole before staring at the pegasus. “You promised me breakfast. Did you think I’d forget?” She looked back to her plate and deftly scooped up a fried egg in her talons. “Also, I barely enjoyed myself enough yesterday to give it another go today.”

“Great! I plan to follow one of the streams that we crossed up into the hills – maybe find its source.”

Gilda gave him a sour look. “So – uphill all the way?”

“Cheer up! We can take it easy and fly back down. If we get back early enough, we can try fishing for that elusive salmon.”

“Sounds like a plan. Pass the coffee. I’ll need the caffeine!”

After completing breakfast, Edge prepared the scones and packed them into his backpack along with two water bottles. They then set off in the same direction as last time. It took about ten minutes to find the small creek that Edge wanted to follow and they turned upstream. The presence of regular water meant that the foliage was quite thick, so they occasionally had to wade in the water if they could not find a way around. Gilda found that it cooled not only her paws but also helped deal with what was becoming a very warm day.

After a few hours, the two encountered a little waterfall into a rockpool surrounded by ferns. Edge persuaded Gilda to pose for a couple of photos in front of it, although it took a few tries to get her to stop making snarky faces at him. Then they took a break to eat the scones.

As they continued on their trek, they crossed some minor creeks that fed into their stream. As a consequence, the further they went, the smaller theirs became. They soon found a ridge in the landscape which the water descended in a series of little cataracts spread out over a face about three meters wide. Gilda eyed it dubiously.

“Are we supposed to climb that?” she asked.

Edge shook his head. “I reckon those rocks are pretty slimy and my hooves will almost certainly slip on them.”

“So – we fly up?”

“Yep. After you,” he replied cheerfully.

Gilda didn’t hesitate to take off and Edge watched her ascend.

“Hmm… nice arse to go with those boobs,” he murmured before following her.

The landscape opened up at the top. Fewer trees and bushes made for easier hiking and the two could walk side by side occasionally.

Edge gave the griffoness a sly smile. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Gilda chuckled. “It’s been hard for me the past week and this has been quite relaxing. Besides, it was getting boring talking to myself.”

“And the scenery…?”

“Okay! I admit it – you do miss a lot by flying over it. But I don’t usually have the time to indulge in stuff like this. Gotta make a living, y’know?”

Edge nodded. “As much as I enjoy the outdoors, I have to go back to work eventually too. I just try to make the most of my opportunities.”

“You got that right! Thanks to you, I haven’t had to worry much about finding dinner these past couple of days. You keep catching and cooking those fish and I’ll keep turning up for these walks.”

“Deal!” he replied with a grin.

They passed into a broad valley where numerous rivulets joined onto their stream. It soon became hard to determine which was the main watercourse and which fed it. Edge pointed to what he thought was the head of the valley and decided that whichever looked as if it was going that way was theirs. It was another hour before the now miniscule stream ended in a spring.

“Looks like we’ve reached the end,” Edge decided. “This spring is probably the outlet of an underground stream fed by rain and melting snow higher up in the mountains.”

“You’re not planning to go up there?” Gilda asked.

“Nope. Too far for a day hike. And I bet your paws could do with a break right now.”

The griffoness was not about to admit it but she was glad that this was the end of their trek. “Time to head back then?” she asked, half-spreading her wings in anticipation.

“Yep. Unless you’d like to rest here for a bit?”

“My wings aren’t tired!” she scoffed and took off.

The pegasus smiled and followed her into the air, staying a little behind her so that he could watch her lithe form making its way down the valley.

“I know what you’re doing back there, perv!” Gilda called back with a laugh.

Edge chuckled and caught up to her. “Sorry, not sorry.”

They were about to clear the valley when Gilda abruptly dived toward the ground. Caught by surprise, Edge had to circle back before joining the griffoness on the ground where he saw that she had caught and killed a large rabbit.

“Looks like I won’t have to rely on you catching fish for dinner tonight,” Gilda said smugly.

“As long as you cook it downwind from me,” he replied.

“What? Squeamish?”

“Not really. I’ve seen plenty of nature in action. I just don’t like the smell of cooking meat.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” She held up the rabbit. “Wanna put this in your backpack?”

“You caught it – you carry it!”

Gilda laughed and pulled a cloth bag from the pocket of her shorts. She put the rabbit in it and tied the handles of the bag around her belt. “Let’s get back to camp so I can skin this sucker and cook it while you try to catch your meal, which is a problem I don’t have.” She took off without waiting for a reply.

Edge shrugged. Even if the fish weren’t biting, it wasn’t as if his food chest didn’t have plenty of alternatives. It was nice to see her happy with her catch though. He quickly followed, taking the opportunity to admire the view once more. Gilda grinned and picked up the pace. The two raced each other back to base and arrived panting but smiling at the pleasure of the competition.

“Got a sharp knife I can steal… I mean borrow?” Gilda asked, fluttering her eyes innocently for effect.

Edge rolled his eyes and dug one out from his supplies before grabbing his fishing gear and heading to the upwind side of the lake. That was one activity the griffon could have all to herself.

Perhaps the smell of roasting rabbit was driving the fish away, but whatever the reason, Edge caught only one modestly sized trout. Gilda snickered when she saw his catch.

“I don’t think that’s going to fill you up after today’s exercise.”

“True. However, I don’t have to rely on my luck with the fishing pole.” He put the trout in the food locker before rummaging around and bringing out a pie. “Potato and leek pie with a creamy sauce. I’ll warm this beauty up in my camp oven.”

Gilda stuck her tongue out. “Bleah. You can have it! What else have you got in that bottomless chest?”

As he prepared to heat his pie, Edge said, “I have a big assortment of pony food. Admittedly, I packed twice as much as I reckoned I would need so that I have some choice. When you don’t have weight or size limits, why not take advantage of them?” His nose wrinkled as he caught a whiff of the roasting rabbit as he pushed the camp oven into the coals.

Gilda frowned. “Must be nice to be able to afford such toys.”

“It’s my one big indulgence. I saved up for ages to afford it. I decided that I didn’t want half measures and I haven’t regretted spending all those bits on it in the least. I’m not so well paid that it didn’t leave a big dint in my savings though.” Edge went back to the food locker and drew out a couple of bottles. “Want a beer while we wait for our food?”

“You even have that in there?” Gilda asked as she held out her hand for a bottle. “Cold too.”

“Yep.” Edge twisted the top off his bottle. “When it’s hot out, beer’s more refreshing than coffee. I don’t drink much, but I think this is a good occasion. Cheers!” He clinked his bottle to Gilda’s.

They each downed about half the contents and Gilda nodded in approval.

“Not bad. You make a damn good host.”

“And you make good company. I’m glad you chose this location to exile yourself.”

Gilda grimaced. “I wish I hadn’t needed to.”

“Want to talk about it?”

The griffoness sighed and took another swig of her beer. “I suppose it can’t hurt. I already mentioned a certain cock named Gerard, but the problem goes back further than him. You see, I came back from Equestria with expectations that were too high for Griffonstone. I was smart, educated, and loudly opinionated. I was also a single female ripe for mating, but I couldn’t stand any of the single males who tried to get my interest. They wouldn’t take no for an answer though, and they kept harassing me. The worst among them was Gerard who began making my life hell. A few weeks ago, he cornered me and pointed out that mating season was coming up soon. When I came into season, he intended to make sure that I was his.”

Edge frowned. “You mean…?”

“Yeah, he was going to rape me and get me pregnant.”

“Surely that’s as illegal in Griffonstone as it is in Equestria?”

“Of course it is! That doesn’t stop it from happening. And once a hen gives birth to a cub, she’s considered officially mated to its sire.”

“So, what did you do?”

“Kneed him in the balls as hard as I could before heading home, hastily packed as much as I could carry, and got out of town.”

“And ended up here. Now I understand why your campsite looked so inadequately equipped.”

Gilda laughed humorlessly. “Yeah. Not much planning goes into fleeing before an angry griff turns up to get revenge.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. I feel a little guilty now about being glad to having some good company out here.”

“Don’t sweat it, Edge. Barring my sister, you’re the best company I’ve had since I left Equestria. And now that I’ve spilled my guts, how about you telling me why a handsome stallion like you is not only unmated but also chooses to come out to the middle of nowhere by himself.”

The pegasus chuckled. “I suppose that’s fair. Ironically, it’s kind of the reverse of your situation. It’s not as if I haven’t had many attractive mares trying to woo me. Some of them were fun but ultimately not what I was interested in for the long term.”

“And what are you looking for?”

“Hmm. I’m not really sure. I just know that the mares I’ve gone out with have all been too starry-eyed or too compliant to my desires. I reckon I need a realist – someone who’s willing to try something new while knowing it won’t be easy or guaranteed to work. Or maybe just someone who will tell me off when I’m being ridiculous. Anything but a ‘love will solve everything’ attitude.”

“Is that all?” Gilda asked with a smirk.

“Yep. That and great boobs and arse,” Edge added with a grin.

The griffoness tossed her empty beer bottle at the pegasus who dodged it with a laugh.

“Anyway, you asked why I came out here by myself. As I said previously, I enjoy camping and hiking. However, none of my friends do, and neither did any prospective marefriends. So, I not only get away from the hassles of everyday life, I also don’t have to deal with the incessant advances of mares who really don’t interest me.”

Gilda shook her head in befuddlement. “Both of us have to deal with members of the opposite sex who don’t understand the meaning of ‘No’. Still, I’d rather be in your horseshoes.”

Edge nodded. “Can’t say I blame you. Still, roughing it out here can’t be easy. Have you considered moving to Equestria someplace?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but griffons aren’t exactly popular with ponies. And I stupidly burned my bridges with the one pony friend who could have helped me despite that.”

“You’ve got wings and can fly over those burned bridges. If that pony is a true friend, they’ll come to your aid.”

Gilda shook her head sadly. “No, it’s too soon. I need to let the hurt fade for a lot longer yet.”

Edge reckoned the griffoness was too stubborn for her own good, but he also recognized that there was no point in pushing it for now. “Oh well, maybe I can help improve your camp with the equipment I’ve brought along.”

“Why would you do that for me? We’ve barely known each other for a couple of days.”

The pegasus grinned. “You’re looking at an overachieving colt scout. That’s where I gained my love of camping. I earned so many merit badges! Seems like a good opportunity to put some to good use.”

She gave him a flat look. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I see that you’re an overgrown colt scout alright.”

Edge’s smile didn’t falter. “So – want to start first thing tomorrow?”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “If it gets you to shut up, sure.” She stood up. “I think my rabbit’s ready.”

Edge waited for her to retrieve her meal before checking on his pie. Judging that it needed a few minutes more, he spent the time figuring out what to bring with him to Gilda’s campsite.

It did not take Gilda long to finish eating her meal. After washing the messy aftermath off her talons in the lake, she said, “I’d better head back before the light fades too much. Thanks for the beer.”

The griffoness took off but then paused in a hover. “My turn to make breakfast, okay?” She then headed off without waiting for an answer.

Edge watched her fly away for a while before a rumbling stomach reminded him that he had worked up an appetite and he had yet to eat. At least, the lingering odor of roasted rabbit had blown away and he could enjoy his pie fully. He just wished his guest had stayed a while longer so that he could nag her into trying a bite. And perhaps chat a bit more.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Art by RatedPonystar.

Chapter 4 Author's Note

Be advised that this chapter earns its Sex and Mature tags.

Chapter 4

The following days were filled with more hikes to various destinations. Gilda’s paws toughened up from all the extra walking that she did, but she still balked when one of their treks brought them to a steep cliff face that Edge did not hesitate to begin climbing.

“Oh, come on!” the griffoness exclaimed, hands on her hips and brow furrowed. “Surely you can see that it’s more practical to fly up this one?”

“It’s not that bad,” the pegasus replied. “Besides, it’s not whether it’s practical or not – it’s the challenge!”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Males!” she grumbled, but decided to follow suit his lead.

Edge was about three-quarters up the cliff by the time Gilda made it halfway. He looked down at his struggling friend and said, “You’re half cat – why aren’t you better at this?”

She looked up, glaring at him. “You must be all mountain goat! Shut up and let me concentra-ACK!” The rock Gilda was holding while reaching for the next handhold broke off and she began falling. However, she had the presence of mind to push away from the cliff to give herself plenty of room to spread her wings and maneuver. Within seconds, she regained control and flew up to the top of the cliff. She waited for Edge to complete his ascent, giving him dirty looks as he clambered over the edge.

“There! That wasn’t so hard,” he said with a grin.

“Sure!” she said in a deeply sarcastic tone. “Easy as falling off a cliff.” She then shoved him back over the edge.

The pegasus took longer to gain control of his descent than the griffoness due to needing to get clear of the cliff face first, but he quickly rejoined Gilda at the top. She seemed to be in a better mood now that she’d had her revenge.

“I suppose I deserved that,” Edge admitted. “Want to take a break before we continue?”

“Sounds good,” Gilda replied.

They broke out the snacks and drinks from their backpacks and settled on a fallen tree trunk to eat, drink, and admire the scenery. The cliff allowed them an unbroken view down to the lake. They could see along most of its length from this vantage point and their avian eyesight managed to pick out Edge’s campsite after looking carefully, but Gilda’s was much further away and hidden from view.

“This is what I come to see on my hikes,” Edge remarked. “It’s a completely different perspective from the view flying above it all. It’s also something you can share with flightless friends. I never tire of it.”

Gilda nodded. “I gotta admit that you’ve given me a new appreciation of the place. But I still think you’re nuts for wanting to climb cliffs.”

Edge chuckled. “I suppose that’s not for everyone. Thanks for giving it a try though.”

The griffoness looked away from the pegasus, mumbling, “You’re welcome, dweeb.”

“Shall we push on?”

“Of course. Lead on, billy goat.”

With a laugh, Edge got up and recommenced their hike.

Depending on where their hike of the day took them, the two either made their way back by a different route or returned to camp by wing. On one of the return walks, they encountered a deer grazing in a clearing. As they approached downwind of it, the doe did not notice them until too late. Gilda launched herself at it without hesitation. Deprived of the cover of trees, the deer was unable to escape and the griffoness quickly pounced on it, dispatching it with grim efficiency.

Edge rejoined Gilda and she looked at him with a slight frown.

“Don’t you dare say anything about me killing this thing. I need red meat in my diet. Fish won’t cut it indefinitely.”

The pegasus shook his head. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Just wondering how you’re going to cope with a full-grown deer.”

“I can manage to carry this back to my camp. I’ll have to skip dinner at your place though. Gonna stuff myself silly with venison tonight. It won’t be a pretty sight. I can’t keep it for too long before it spoils.”

Edge pondered that for a moment. “I’ve got a few large multi-purpose plastic bags. If you want to fill them with cuts of meat, I’ll store them in my food locker until I have to leave.”

Gilda smiled and gave a quick nod. “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

“I’ll fly back to my camp, grab them, and drop them off.” He then took to the sky.

The griffoness chuckled. Edge did a great job of remaining calm but she knew that he was less than thrilled about the visceral scene. She was impressed by his willingness to put up with her needs despite how ponies in general were skittish about such things. “If only he was a griff,” she lamented as she maneuvered the carcass into position for carrying.

“There you are!”

Edge looked up to see a female griffon coming in for a landing. This time, it was not Gilda who happened to be fishing with him that afternoon.

“Gabby!” Gilda got up to meet the newcomer, hugging her when she landed.

“Hey, Gil! Who’s your friend?”

“This is Cutting Edge. He came here to hike and fish. I’ve been hanging out with him for a while. Edge – this is my sister, Gabriella, but we all call her Gabby.”

The grey-colored griffoness smiled and said, “Hi! I’m so glad that my big sister has found a friend. I’ve been super worried about her being out here all by herself.”

Edge grinned. “She’s been interesting company, that’s for sure.”

Gilda said, “Not that I’m ungrateful for the visit, but what are you doing out here?”

“I got myself work as a courier. That means I’ll be traveling to other places such as Equestria. I’m actually en route to a delivery.” She patted a padlocked courier bag strapped securely to her lower back. “I only needed to make a small detour to drop in on you and see how you’re coping.”

“A courier job? That’s cool. I know you like meeting new people. Anyway, thanks to Edge, I’ve been doing a lot better since you were here last time. How are things back in Griffonstone?”

Gabby rolled her eyes. “That creep, Gerard, has stopped trying to find you for now. He’s convinced you’re going to come crawling back at Mating Season.”

Gilda blinked. “Why the fuck would I do that?” Then she chuckled. “He’s going to be so pissed off when I’m a no-show.”

Edge spoke up. “Let me guess – Gerard is such a narcissist that he can’t imagine Gilda not succumbing to his masculine charms?”

Gabby giggled. “You got it. His buddies just feed his delusion, so he only keeps getting worse.”

Gilda sighed. “I had some hope that this would all blow over eventually, but it looks like I’m going to be stuck out here for the indefinite future.”

“I guess so,” Gabby agreed. “That’s why I decided to bring you some more essential supplies.” She handed over a small backpack to her sister. “Because I was given an official assignment, Gerard didn’t have me followed as usual, so I was able to come here without having to try to elude his spies.”

“Awesome. Hopefully, you’ll get plenty more jobs and I’ll see you more often.”

“Me too!”

“Would you like to stay and have dinner with us?” Edge asked. “We’ve been doing well with our fishing.” He held up a trout that he had caught.

“Aw! I’d love to but I need to get going. Places to be, y’know! Love ya, Gil!” Gabby gave Gilda a quick hug, then she took off and headed on her way.

Edge grinned. “You have an excitable little sister.”

“Don’t I know it!” Gilda said with a resigned shake of her head. “I’ve never been able to figure out how she’s managed to keep such a positive outlook in life after being brought up in Griffonstone.”

The pegasus began packing up their fishing gear. “Let’s call it a day and make dinner. You can tell me all about her.”

Days passed with the two exploring the area and then having their evening meal at Edge’s campsite. However, they would alternate between their camps for breakfast. The sun was barely risen although hidden by a thick overcast when Edge came in for a landing at Gilda’s place. He was surprised to note that the griffoness was not at work preparing her signature scones. In fact, the fire was not even lit yet. Concerned, he called out to the hen.

“Gilda! Where are you?!”

Edge heard movement from inside the griffon’s hut. Moments later, Gilda stepped out covered in sweat… and nothing else. The pegasus’ breath was taken away by the sight and he immediately felt a growing tightness in his pants. Barely managing to tear his eyes away from her nude splendor, he saw the expression on the catbird’s face. The look of hunger warring with restraint made him concerned.

“Have you forgotten something, Gilda?” Edge asked gently.

Ignoring the question, she replied, “Remember that griffon mating season was due soon? I went into heat last night.”

“Uh… so… you want me to leave?”

“No! I want you to fuck me until my feathers fall out!”

Edge blinked. He shifted nervously, his erection now making him very uncomfortable. “You’re just overwhelmed by hormones, Gilda. I can’t take advantage of you like—”

The griffoness was up in his face before he could finish. “You think this is my first Season? That I have no idea how to control myself? I’ve spent many Seasons with zero desire to have any griffon cocks near me. But you? I haven’t been able to get you off my mind pretty much since we met. You get me. You help me. You think I’m sexy but keep your hands to yourself. And, fuck it, I think you’re hot too. Best of all, I’m a griffon but you’re a pony, so you can’t get me pregnant. So, are you interested?” she asked, pressing her ample bust against his chest while glaring in his eyes.

Edge swallowed. “Hell, yeah, Gil,” he replied, reaching for those tempting mounds.

Gilda stepped back as one of her talons ripped the front of his T-shirt, exposing his chest. She danced away from him, laughing. “Not so fast. First, let’s see if you’re up to the challenge of outflying a griffon hen. Try and catch me, you dweeb!” She took off, screeching excitement.

Edge’s jaw dropped, stunned momentarily before he realized that griffons did things differently. She might desire him but she wanted him to win her first! With a grin and a powerful flap of his wings, he launched himself in pursuit.

What followed was an hour-long game of tag where he would catch up to Gilda who would twist out of his grasp while slashing at his clothing. He quickly lost the remainder of his shirt and his shorts were soon in tatters before the waistband snapped. His overstrained underpants did not survive the first assault and, as they drifted down to the distant ground, he faced his quarry, drenched in sweat just like her. After a moment of taking in each other as they panted both from excitement and exertion, they came together, face-to-face, just as the clouds parted to illuminate the lovers.

The two embraced tightly, she nuzzling him while he kissed her. Then, as the pegasus maintained their altitude, Gilda used her wings to maneuver herself above his erection and impale herself on it. The griffoness threw back her head and screeched in pleasure before the two worked to make love midair. She was quick to orgasm after being pent up for hours, and a second came not much longer afterward. However, with her desperate need satiated, she was able to concentrate more on pleasuring him, and the third time had them climaxing together.

Flying while mating was not conducive to maintaining altitude so, although they were in no danger of crashing, they had drifted fairly close to the ground by then. By mutual unspoken agreement, they headed down for a landing in a meadow. Panting hard, they grinned at each other before Gilda spoke up.

“Not bad for a first time,” she said.

“Oh?” he replied. “How often have you done that?”

“Once!” Gilda declared with a laugh. “I wondered what it would be like. You’d make a fine griffon mate. But now that you’ve done things my way, I think it’s fair I indulge your whims. So, what’s your desire, my pervy lover?”

“Well, now that you mention it, there are a couple of things I’d like to lay my hands on.”

His gaze left no doubt in the griffoness’ mind as to what he was referring to. She rolled her eyes. “What’s with pony stallions and their obsession with teats?”

“You’re telling me that male griffons don’t have any interest in boobs?”

“Aside from a clear indication that a hen is mature enough to feed a cub, not really.”

Edge smirked. “Then, perhaps I should educate you in their other merits.” He took Gilda’s arm and drew her close, the griffoness not resisting at all. “Let’s get you warmed up for the second act.” He leaned over and began licking the nipple of her right breast.

Gilda’s eyes shot wide open. “Oh. That’s… nice.”

Edge paused. “So, a he-griff has never done that before?”

“Like I’d let a sharp beak anywhere near my sensitive nipples!”

“Well, that explains a lot. However, this is only the beginning of the fun stuff.” Edge lowered himself down to the grass next to a convenient boulder that he could lean up against. Gilda could see that his penis had recovered from their first session and was fully erect once more. He gestured toward it and said, “Have a seat, my lady.”

Intrigued and not a little excited, she positioned herself over the pegasus and guided his member into her vagina, humming in satisfaction and pleasure. When he was hilted within her, she asked with a smirk, “This may be the best seat in the house, but when’s the performance going to begin?”

“Lean forward and we can start.”

Doing so brought her boobs right up to his face. He licked the left nipple before planting his lips around it and started sucking.

Gilda gasped as a thrill rocketed through her. She clamped down on his penis before she began bouncing up and down. “Why the fuck does this feel so good?!” she cried.

Edge was surprised by the strength of the response, but that only encouraged him to be even more aggressive in his ministrations. When she orgasmed, he swapped breasts and repeated the performance.

Gilda was on an unbelievable high. She was putty in Edge’s hands, lost to this novel and exquisitely thrilling sexual experience. Perhaps it was due to her high hormone levels but she could not stop herself. She came again and again.

The pegasus was getting almost as much pleasure from making the griffon orgasm as from the ministrations of his cock, but he eventually concentrated on bringing the session to a close. For the second time, he filled his lover with his seed, nearly bucking her off in the process.

With the cessation of both the sucking and thrusting, Gilda collapsed on Edge before rolling off, slipping free of his member. They both lay there panting hard for a long while before she finally managed to speak.

“You’ve ruined me.”

Edge blinked and turned his head to face her, an eyebrow raised. “Say what?”

“You realize that no griff can hope to match that performance?”

“Oh, come on. I’m good but there’s got to be a potential griffon mate out there who will make me look ordinary.”

“There’s one thing you can do that they can’t,” she explained, raising her hand to tap her beak with a talon.

“Oh. Right. No lips. Was it really as amazing as you made it sound?”

“At the risk of giving you a swelled head, fuck yes! I don’t understand it but your sucking seemed to amplify the sexual pleasure I was feel… oh. Now I get it.”

“Get what?” Edge asked.

“Why hens nursing their cubs have those goofy grins on their faces.”

“Because it feels so pleasurable, I guess.” Then he frowned. “Wait. You have beaks, so how the hell do cubs nurse anyway?”

“That’s easy. When the cubs are born, their beaks are soft and rubbery like your lips. So, they can suckle until their beaks harden and they’re weaned onto solid food.”

“That makes sense. It doesn’t explain why you find it so much more pleasurable than any mare that I have known.”

Gilda sighed and put her hands behind her head, staring up into the clearing sky. “I can guess. Relationships between hens and cocks can be rocky at times, and bearing cubs puts a strain on them. However, nature may have found a way to compensate. If nursing a cub is an overwhelmingly positive experience, it can smooth over the rough spots.”

“You make griffon matings sound like a shitty outcome.”

Gilda chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah, way too often, although there are lots of exceptions. It’s why there’s that law binding the hen to the cock after they have a cub. There needs to be some stability for the child, not to mention the potential for having more cubs. Sometimes I think the griffon race would quickly die out if it wasn’t for such laws.”

Edge nodded. “I think I better understand why you got out of Griffonstone. I’m just glad that I was able to give you a positive sexual experience.”

The griffoness smirked at him. “And you got to indulge your pervy desires.”

“That too,” he admitted without a hint of regret or shame. “And you didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant.”

“That too,” she echoed. After a pause, she added, “Hungry?”

“Starving. You wouldn’t believe it, but I spent all morning outflying a sexy griffoness!”

“Oh, ha, ha, ha! Next time, I’ll make you work harder.”

Edge gasped theatrically. “You’re in luck! ‘Harder’ is my middle name.”

Gilda looked down. “So, it is. Maybe I’ll let you prove that to me later. I still owe you breakfast, lovercolt. Shall we go?”

“Do you often entertain naked ponies?” he asked with a grin as they got up and took to the air.

“Only on special occasions,” she retorted.

“You owe me for a shirt and a pair of pants.”

“I can offer you a deer skin.”

Thinking of the untanned hide, Edge shuddered. “Pass. I’ll survive until I get back to my camp.”

“I’ll stay nude too until then… in solidarity with your sacrifice, of course,” Gilda said with a wink before pulling ahead.

The pegasus chuckled and enjoyed the view.

After they both took a quick dip in the lake to rinse off, Edge got the fire going while Gilda prepared the batter for hot cakes. As previously, she added honeyberries to the mix. She made an extra-large batch and that proved barely enough for their raging appetites. After cleaning up, the griffoness grabbed a halter and shorts but only carried them to Edge’s camp to keep her promise.

When both were appropriately dressed once more, they headed off on a hike they decided upon while eating their breakfast.

“I’m still on heat,” Gilda explained. “By exercising a lot, it will burn off the energy and keep the cravings at bay.”

“I hear it’s the same for mares too. Okay, you can decide on where we go,” Edge agreed.

They rounded off the day bathing at the rock pools before flying back to Edge’s camp to have dinner. They shared a beer afterward, chatting about nothing in particular. Eventually, the pegasus pointed out the time.

“You’d better head out soon if you want to get back to your hut before sunset.”

Gilda nodded slowly. “I could, or I could stay the night. I’m feeling the need again and it’s so hard finding good lovers out here.”

“You sure, Gil?”

“We’re both mature adults who can enjoy some sex without making a big thing about it. I’d rather have some fun times with you rather than try some self-relief.”

“I can’t say that I wouldn’t enjoy that, but I’ll let you take the initiative.”

“Awesome! I suggest you strip unless you want to lose another set of clothes.”

Edge did as he was told, finding that the griffoness had already done so and crouched provocatively on the ground.

“Let’s do this a bit more traditionally, shall we? None of your pervy kinks,” Gilda said with a smirk.

“You love my pervy kinks,” the pegasus accused as he moved into position.

“Guilty, but let’s save that for tomorrow. I think I can only take so much pleasure in one day.”

“Let’s see if that’s true,” Edge said as he mounted her.

It wasn’t.

As Edge lay in his tent with one arm around the griffoness slumbering beside him, he pondered the events of the day and what they meant to him. Despite Gilda’s insistence that this was just two adults enjoying adult activities, his viewpoint had taken a hard shift due to this unplanned relationship. He was still wondering what the next day would bring when he drifted off to sleep.

# # # # # # #

Chapter 5

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 7

Cutting Edge looked up from the magazine he had been reading as the door to the doctor’s office opened. When Gilda emerged with a smile on her face, he sighed with relief. He got up to greet his fiancée and they met in a hug.

“I gather that the examination went well?”

She nodded and nuzzled him. “The doctor says we’re in fine health. She gave me a list of recommendations for diet and a referral to a gynecologist.”

“That’s great to hear, love. Anything we need to get you immediately?”

“Nothing that can’t wait until we go shopping again.”

“Okay. Then I suggest we head home to drop off the stuff we’ve already bought and then I’ll take you around town to show you the highlights.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Gilda picked up a couple of their bags while Edge took the remainder.

Upon reaching the apartment, the griffoness got to use her new key for the first time.

“Now I know I belong here!” she exclaimed. “I get to let my mate into our home.”

Edge grinned. It made him feel wonderful just to hear her say that.

They put away the groceries and Gilda’s personal acquisitions, then immediately headed out once more. They flew hand in hand as Edge guided her around the township. He pointed out the shops and services that they had not encountered earlier before he took them to the town hall to apply for a marriage license and make an appointment with a Justice. Then, they stopped at a cafeteria for lunch. After a relaxing meal, he led her to the western side of town where shops and houses gave way to a landscaped lake. Gilda noted the stream that fed the lake emerged from a rugged gorge spanned by a suspension bridge for the benefit of those without wings.

“This is Cataract Gorge Reserve,” Edge informed her. “It’s a very popular picnic and recreation spot, but what I like most about it are the hiking trails that extend from it. There are walks ranging from giving people of all ages some pleasant exercise to challenging hikes and rock climbing for the more adventurous.”

“I bet you come here frequently to keep fit,” Gilda stated confidently.

“You got it. It’s a great place to relax after the working week. We don’t have time for a long hike, but would you like to do one of the scenic walks with me?”

“And have all those ponies stare at me hanging out with you?” She gave him a flat look then broke into a smirk. “Of course, I would. Let those mares be envious!”

Edge chuckled. “That’s my girl!”

They put words into action and strolled arm-in-arm along one of the many paths winding among the trees and flowers. They did garner some curious looks but no one spoiled their walk.

The sun was getting low on the horizon before they wended their way home. As they stepped into their apartment, Edge said, “I don’t know about you but I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”

“Me too, and if I remember correctly, it’s my turn to make us dinner.”

Edge recalled that sad and uncomfortable final evening spent at his camp at the lake on his first visit. They had both worked together for meals upon his return, so he assumed Gilda just wanted an excuse to do something for him. “Okay, but if you need any help, just holler. I’ll attend to a couple of chores. Got any clothes you want laundered?”

Gilda gave him some things to wash before she headed to the kitchen. Edge busied himself with various household duties before looking in on his fiancée to see how she was doing. To his surprise, he found her dressed in a pink apron… and nothing else. She noticed him staring and smiled sultrily.

“Like what you see?”

Edge gulped and nodded. Gilda had obviously expected him to look in on her and had dressed accordingly. “You sure know how to cook, Gil.”

She laughed and turned to wave her bare backside at him before returning to her preparations. “That’s for dessert later,” she said with a sly smile.

“I’m hungrier than ever,” he replied.

Edge exited the kitchen before he could succumb to temptation.

Gilda eventually called him to the dining table and she served up their meal of cottage pie, green beans, and roast potatoes. She sat down still dressed in only the apron.

“Did one of your previous marefriends leave this behind?” she asked, hooking a talon under a strap, ‘accidentally’ showing more cleavage.

“Yeah. She tried to impress me with her cooking which, admittedly, was great. Unfortunately, that was her only real virtue. She threw the apron at me when she left in a huff.”

“I’ll just have to make sure my cooking is better than hers so that you forget her completely.”

“Works for me,” Edge replied as he tucked into his meal. He did not bother telling Gilda that he had already forgotten about the mare until reminded by the apron. “I don’t think I’ll even be able to recall what she looked like now that I’ve seen you in that anyway.”

That was exactly what the griffoness wanted to hear and she made sure she gave him plenty of dessert afterward.

The alarm that woke both the next morning irritated Gilda. After spending so much time by herself, sleeping until she came awake naturally, she was not used to the rigid structure of schedules. However, Edge had to go back to work and he had promised to take her along to introduce her to his work colleagues. The pegasus also felt he had to prove that she was not a figment of his imagination.

Edge turned to give her a kiss. “No time to dawdle, love. We’ve only got time for a quick preen and breakfast.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumped, although the kiss had already improved her mood a lot. “Go wash up – I’ll get the food started.”

Edge did so and then took over from Gilda while she took her turn in the bathroom. They ate their breakfast promptly and left the cleaning up until later. Gilda insisted that she would do it while he was away, and besides, they wanted to get to his workplace early so that he had a chance to show her around before needing to start his job. With lunchbox in hand, Edge led his fiancée from the apartment to the factory.

The pegasus was pleased to run into his manager the moment they stepped in the door. “Hey, boss! Guess who’s with me!”

The earth pony stallion looked around to see the eagle-lioness griffon that followed his best employee inside. He grinned. “So, this is the gorgeous bird who I heard snared Edge. I gotta ask – how’d you do what no mare has been able to?”

Gilda blushed. “Actually, he was the one who caught me. I just put up too much of a struggle, otherwise I’d have been here with him long ago. Thanks for letting him have the chance to come back to get me, Mister…?”

“Reliable Crafts. Call me Crafty. And if I recall from the hundreds of times that Edge has mentioned it, you would be Gilda Griffon, right?”

“Just Gilda will do.”

Well, Just Gilda, welcome to my humble little factory.”

“I’d like to show Gil around, if you don’t mind, boss?” Edge asked.

“As long as she puts on some PPE and is out of here before the shift starts, go for it. Have a great day, Ms. Gilda.”

“Thanks, Crafty,” the griffoness replied as the stallion headed for his office. She then looked to Edge. “What’s PPE?”

“Personal Protection Equipment,” he replied as he ushered her toward the workshop.

There were hi-vis vests, safety spectacles, earmuffs, and other gear located by the door for visitors. Because work had not begun yet, Edge settled for just the vest and specs, although finding a model suitable to be worn by a beaked face took him a moment.

“No griffons work here, I take it?” Gilda commented.

“Nope, but we do occasionally have visitors like you.”

“Any reason why not?”

Edge shrugged. “Just a coincidence. You saw how Crafty reacted to you – he’s not prejudiced. He’d employ a griffon if they were the best fit for the job.”

The pegasus led her onto the floor of the factory where she was shown the various equipment. Machines for cutting, folding, heating, and lifting occupied about two-thirds of the space, but a row of sophisticated lathes was where they ended up.

“These are the CNC machines that I operate, and I oversee this department.”

“What’s CNC stand for?” Gilda asked as she peered in bewilderment at the complex device.

“Cantrip Numerologic Control. We enter a carefully devised number pattern into the devices and the enchantments interpret it to control all the subsystems for drilling, turning, or routing the material to produce the desired good. The skill is in the creation of the patterns, not to mention maintaining the machine in optimum working condition. The beauty of the system is that, once you set it up correctly, it can repeat the actions as many times as you want it to, and do it perfectly each time.”

“And you were better at doing that than anypony else?”

“Yep. My most important innovation was to tie sensor inputs into the pattern creation algorithm, setting up feedback loops to perform position and velocity control on each axis and the stock feed.”

“… I’m sure that meant something to someone… else. You’ll have to explain that to me later… with smaller words.”

Edge laughed. “Will do. Anyway, that’s how I got to be the lead and receive the pay raises that bought my cool camping gear.”

Just then, a bell started ringing.

“What’s that?” Gilda asked.

“Five-minute warning. It lets the staff having coffee in the break room know that it’s time to get to their workstations to begin their shift. It’s also time for you to head out, I’m afraid.”

“Okay.” She gave him a nuzzle. “Thanks for showing me around. I’ll have dinner ready when you get home.”

Edge kissed her back. “I look forward to it, but give yourself time to go exploring or do whatever.”

Gilda gave him a punch in the shoulder. “Knock it off, dweeb. If I do anything, it’s so it makes more time for us!”

The pegasus grinned as he led her back to the entrance. “Sounds good. Love ya, pretty bird.”

“Right back atcha, dork.”

Edge chuckled as his fiancée waved a wing and exited the workshop.

Gilda’s first task was to deal with the laundry that had been put in the wash last night. Next, she rearranged the apartment to better suit a couple rather than a single stallion. She hoped he wouldn’t mind. With those out of the way, she sat down to read one of the pony cookbooks that she had picked up yesterday. While there was some overlap in the culinary arts, especially in the baked goods that she excelled in making, she made herself a goal to get more familiar with pony tastes in cuisine. She bookmarked some interesting recipes that she wanted to try and set to work on the first. By lunchtime, she had created several dishes, all of which she stored in the stasis cupboard. The last was a meat dish that she had prepared for her lunch. She figured that it would be best to confine her carnivorous needs to the times when her mate was absent.

With her meal completed and everything cleaned up, the griffoness decided to head out for a flight and fresh air. Besides, she wanted to pick up some specific ingredients for some other recipes that had caught her interest. She locked up the apartment and went on a leisurely flying tour of parts of the town that she and Edge had not covered the previous day. She capped it off with a walk around the Cataract Gorge Reserve, marveling at how much the activity had grown on her since Edge had come into her life. Then, she made a visit to the local grocer to pick up her ingredients before heading home.

She had just alighted in front of the apartment door and was fumbling with the key when a sharp voice came from behind her.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Gilda turned and frowned at the ancient earth pony mare scowling at her. “None of your business, pony.”

“Don’t tell me that it’s none of my business! I know what you’re up to, catbird! Breaking into pony homes and stealing their stuff. I’m onto you!”

“Listen, you old nag, I ain’t stealing nothing. This is my home!”

“Don’t think you can fool me! I know that a pegasus stallion lives there, not some thieving griffon.”

Gilda rolled her eyes before waving the key under the mare’s nose. “See this? It’s a key. To my home. Where I live. Now bugger off and leave me alone!”

“I bet that’s a lock pick. I’m calling the City Guard!” the mare declared as Gilda opened the door to let herself into the apartment.

“It’s obvious you’re an idiot and hopefully the Guard will see that too,” the griffoness retorted as she shut the door in the mare’s face.

Gilda’s good mood was thoroughly soured by then. She stowed away her shopping, having lost interest in cooking for the moment. She took a soothing shower and felt better. She looked at the clock and realized that it was time to make preparations for the evening meal that she had promised Edge. She was halfway done when there came a loud rapping on the front door, followed by a loud voice.

“Open in the name of the City Guard!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! You gotta be kidding me,” Gilda groaned.

Wiping her talons on her apron, she walked to the door and opened it to see a unicorn stallion in City Guard armor. Behind him, the busybody mare could be seen with a gloating expression on her face. She scowled at her before turning her attention to the Guard. “Yeah? What do you want?”

“I have a report of breaking and entering by a griffon hen at this address. Would that be you?”

“Of course it is, you dweeb. I’m standing here right in front of you in the doorway. But I sure didn’t break into my own home.”

“Can you show proof that you live here, ma’am?”

“I moved in only the night before last – I haven’t had time to get anything put in my name yet.”

“Don’t believe anything she says!” interjected the mare. “I’ve never seen her before today.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Thankfully, I haven’t seen you either, but that’s hardly surprising since I’ve been here less than two days, as I just said.”

The Guard said, “I confirmed with two neighbors that a pegasus stallion lives in this apartment before I came here. Neither mentioned a griffon hen.”

“Edge and I haven’t exactly had the time to invite them to a housewarming yet because, and I can’t believe I have to say it again, I just moved in the night before last! I came to join my fiancé and we’re going to get married soon.” She held up her hand to show him the ring. “And in three months, we’re going to have his foal.” She ran a hand over the swell of her belly.

“HA!” spat the mare. “Everypony knows that griffons and ponies can’t have foals. You just proved what a liar you are.”

“The mare has a point,” the Guard said with a nod. “Sounds suspicious to me.”

Gilda groaned in frustration. “I thought that it was impossible too until I fell pregnant. Just ask Doctor Diagnosis why it can happen.”

“I’ve never heard that and I’ll have to confirm it. You must come with me to the station so that we can sort this out.”

“Like Tartarus, I will! I’ve done nothing wrong and the onus is on you to prove otherwise. So, piss off and let me get back to cooking dinner for my mate.” Gilda stepped back and began closing the door, only to have it suddenly come to a halt due to an armor-shod hoof blocking it. Then the glow of magic enveloped her arm and began dragging her out. “What the fuck?!” Let go of me! You don’t have the right to drag me out of my home!” She grabbed hold of the door frame with her free hand and pulled back.

“I’m arresting you on suspicion of breaking and entering. Stop struggling or else I will add a charge of resisting arrest too.”

“You goddamn idiot! Let me go! You can’t do that on the word of a bigoted old biddy!”

“I believe a pony over a griffon any day,” the Guard replied, redoubling his efforts.

Gilda’s blood ran cold as she realized that the Guard was just as prejudiced. Her talons tore grooves in the door frame as her grip was overcome and she was pulled outside. She felt the tingle of magic encircle her to bind her arms and wings and lift her off the ground, rendering her helpless. The Guard turned around and began to trot off with her when a pony slammed into the ground in front of him.

“What in Tartarus are you doing to my mate?!” Edge growled in the Guard’s face.

The Guard was taken aback for a moment before recovering. He frowned and said, “I’m arresting this griffon on suspicion of breaking and entering. Are you the owner of this apartment?”

“I am. And on whose suspicion? This racist mare’s? That’s Idle Gossip, the neighborhood busybody who causes nothing but trouble for everypony in this apartment complex.” He turned to the mare, scowling heavily. “When are you going to learn to mind your own business? Nopony appreciates you sticking your muzzle in their private lives.”

The mare huffed and turned up her nose. “This is the thanks I get for looking out for your interests, Mr. Edge!”

“Don’t think this is over, Mrs. Gossip. You’ve gone a step too far this time.” Edge turned around to see that Gilda was still being held by the Guard. “What the fuck are you still holding my fiancée for? Let her go now! She’s done nothing illegal. In fact, I saw you drag her out of the apartment against her will as I was flying home. I couldn’t get here fast enough to stop you. I’ll be submitting a complaint to your superiors for that blatantly illegal act.”

The Guard released her. “I had reasonable suspic—”

“YOU DID NOT, YOU BIGOTED PRICK!” Gilda yelled. She turned to Edge. “He said outright that he believes a pony over a griffon anytime. He chose to believe that mare over me despite having no evidence.”

Edge glared at the Guard. “I think we should head to the Guard Station to file a charge of false arrest.”

Gilda nodded. “Yeah, but not now. Dinner’ll be ruined if I don’t get back to the kitchen.”

Edge drew a deep breath and released it before nodding. “Okay, but you’ll be hearing from us, Constable…” He peered at the Guard’s name badge. “…Snare. And if my foal has been harmed by your actions, may Princess Celestia have mercy on you!”

The Guard returned the pegasus’ glare for a moment before turning abruptly and hurrying off, scowling at the mare that had caused the altercation.

Gilda said, “Come on, love. I’ll pour us a drink and we can both calm down.”

Edge put his arm around her and they stepped inside, closing the door behind them. “No alcohol for the foal, remember? Here’s something instead.” He then kissed her thoroughly.

Gilda enjoyed the attention for a long moment before she gently pushed him back. “I’d better check on dinner. I don’t want my efforts to go to waste.”

“Was your day that bad?” Edge asked, concern etching his face.

“Actually, it was quite good until that idiot turned up,” Gilda said as she walked into the kitchen. “But I want to know if that’s going to be a thing from now on.”

Edge shook his head. “I know it’s hard to ignore what just happened, but Idle Gossip and that Guard are the exceptions. Most ponies either have no problem with griffons, or at least tolerate them without causing problems. You saw how everypony acted yesterday.”

Gilda stirred the nearly ready vegetable stew. “True.” The griffoness shook the wooden spoon at Edge, causing a few drops of liquid to fly about. “I’m not surprised it happened. I told you when we first met that griffons aren’t exactly popular with ponies. You can see now that I knew what I was talking about.” She sighed and returned the spoon to the pot. “Still, I suppose I could have handled that better. If I had let the Guard inside and shown him evidence that I live here, maybe it would not have blown up like that.”

“Maybe,” Edge conceded, “but it still paints you as guilty until proven innocent. The Guard had no right to assume criminality on the basis of Idle Gossip’s complaint. That was plain prejudice. You had every right to refuse him entry, and cooperation is not an obligation when you’re innocent, although it might have diffused the situation.”

“And ruined dinner,” Gilda added.

“And ruined dinner,” Edge echoed. “Thank the stars that didn’t happen. That stew smells heavenly.”

The griffoness smiled at last. “Still want that drink before the meal?”

The pegasus grinned. “I have a bottle of wine saved up for a special occasion, but I’m waiting until we can both share it, say in three months?”

“Sounds good to me,” she replied with a matching smile. “Go clean up. Dinner will be waiting for you.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Cataract Gorge Reserve is based on a place of the same name in Launceston, Tasmania, which I visited in 2021.

If you have been enjoying the story, please consider sending me a Ko-Fi tip - https://ko-fi.com/goldfur

Chapter 8

Gilda and Edge took their time to enjoy their evening meal and the pegasus complimented her enthusiastically. Once they were both well fed and calmed down from the earlier incident, they decided it was time to file their complaint with the City Guard. Hand in hand, they flew together to the nearest precinct which they assumed would be where the offending Guard was based. Edge demanded to speak to whoever was in charge and was soon led to the office of the station commander. Sadly, that was as smooth as events progressed.

After explaining the nature of their complaint to the impassive earth pony mare, she regarded them with disdain for a long moment before responding.

“I have read the report from Constable Snare. He responded to a call about a breaking and entering. After questioning the mare who made the call, she described an unfamiliar female griffon fumbling with the lock of the apartment belonging to a male pegasus. As the griffoness was having difficulty getting inside, the witness reasonably assumed that there was an attempt being made to force the lock.”

“What?!” Gilda exclaimed. “The key is brand new and a bit tight in the lock. It still only took me a couple of seconds to open it. How does that translate to become what you said?”

“It doesn’t matter – Snare could only go by the witness’ statement. He nevertheless checked with neighbors to confirm that the apartment in question did belong to a male pegasus. Only then did he approach the apartment and, upon noticing activity inside when it was supposedly still empty at that time of day, he knocked on the door and was met by the alleged intruder.”

Gilda sneered. “Yeah – thieves always politely answer the door even if they’re cooking a meal for themselves.”

The mare ignored her and continued. “Snare asked for proof that you lived there and you were unable to provide such.”

“For the millionth time, I had only just moved in!”

Edge added, “Lack of proof does not constitute a crime. What Snare did after that is one though. He dragged her out of the apartment against her will, as we told you already.”

The station commander did not even blink at their words. “Snare reported that after asking you politely to come with him to the station to sort the situation out, you lashed out at him with your talons. Assault on a City Guard is a serious offense and grounds for arrest and restraint.”

“FUCK THAT LYING BASTARD!” Gilda screeched. “I not only never did that, I was out of reach even if I wanted to. He grabbed me with his unicorn magic while I was still in the apartment!”

“And what proof do you have of that? If you have none, I must take the word of the constable over that of a stranger to this city.”

Gilda looked at Edge. “That mare – Idle Gossip, was it? She witnessed it.”

Edge shook his head. “Do you really think a racist like her is going to support you in any way?”

The griffoness sagged. “I suppose not.” She turned her glare on the commander. “But if I did assault him, why did he release me instead of bringing me here?”

“Upon confirmation that Mr. Edge was the legal occupant of the apartment and you were his guest, then Constable Snare elected to drop the charge.”

“And the bit where he outright said he believes a pony anytime over the words of a griffon?”

“I do not believe that he said that. Again, there is no evidence that he did.”

Edge scowled at the mare. “Funny how you’re so insistent on proof that you know we can’t provide. And on how well informed you are of the minutiae of an incident that was supposedly dropped. I wonder if Snare’s attitude is endemic at this station?”

The mare frowned. “This interview is over. Good evening, Mr. Edge.”

The fact that she did not bother addressing Gilda did not go unnoticed by either the griffon or the stallion. “This isn’t over, Commander. If my future wife ever has more trouble from the City Guard, you’ll be hearing from me.”

“Get out,” she coldly replied, “before I have you both locked up for harassing a City Guard.”

Knowing that they had pushed their luck as far as they could, Edge took Gilda’s arm and led her out of the office and the station before she could say anything more. Gilda nevertheless quietly fumed all the way home. When they were back inside, she threw herself on the couch and looked up at him.

“Told you that ponies don’t like griffons.”

Edge sat down beside her and put a comforting wing around Gilda. “That’s not fair, love. Besides Idle Gossip, how many ponies you encountered have been rude or hostile so far? At worst, some have kept their distance but most have been polite and even friendly. The City Guard has been the only exception so far.”

“That’s hella big exception, Edge!”

“I know, Gil, and unfortunately, you might have to tread lightly in some cases. I love your personality, but if you rub a Guard the wrong way, well, the balance of power is on their side. Or maybe not.”

Gilda narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, I know some friends who might be able to help. I’m not going to say more for now because I can’t make any promises except to say that I’ll do my very best to get justice for you.”

The griffoness sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know you will and trust you on this. If I didn’t, then I really would show Snare what my talons could do.”

Edge chuckled. “Good thing for him that I will.”

The two cuddled and kissed for a while before deciding to turn in for an early night.

The pair woke up early enough to make love for a short while before showering and preparing for the day. After Edge departed for work, Gilda did not feel like venturing out, so she decided to concentrate on working on her cooking skills. She read sections of the various cookbooks that she acquired and began experimenting.

When Edge arrived home, he paused just inside the doorway of their apartment and inhaled the delicious aroma permeating the place. He made his way directly to the kitchen where he found Gilda pulling a tray of scones from the oven.

“You’re just in time, love,” she said as he put his arms around her to give her a hug and kiss. “I’ve whipped some cream and there’s a pot of strawberry jam on the table. We’re going to have a traditional high tea,” she said proudly.

Edge grinned. “I bet you didn’t even know what a traditional high tea was before now.”

Gilda blushed and chuckled. “Nope, but I think you’ll like it. And yes, I even made us tea rather than coffee.”

“Always game to try new things, eh? I’ll wash up and join you soon.”

Although he had heard of high teas before, Edge had never partaken in one. Nevertheless, both he and Gilda greatly enjoyed the scones slathered with jam and cream washed down with tea. And while both remained staunch coffee drinkers, they decided that tea had a place in their home for future moments.

“The only thing left to work out now is to decide what to do with all these other cakes and pies you’ve cooked up,” Edge said.

“I was thinking we could give some to any neighbors that you think might be sympathetic to our relationship.”

“That’s a pretty good idea, Gil. Not everypony is like Idle Gossip, thank Celestia.”

“And it’ll give them a chance to get familiar with a griffon coming and going from the complex.”

“That too. Well, there’s no time like the present. Shall we go?”

“Umm… let me change into something more… umm… conservative first.

Edge swept admiring eyes over his fiancée’s clothes – a halter top and cut-off shorts like she preferred. She loved how he appreciated her fit form and how his glances lingered on her swelling belly. But if they were going to present her as a new neighbor, first impressions counted, as she knew far too well.

Gilda changed into a skirt and blouse while Edge carefully loaded the baked goods into a shopping cart. The two then went door-to-door, offering a cake, a pie, or cookies to their neighbors. They received responses ranging from polite thanks to one pegasus mare who gushed over Gilda’s pregnancy. The griffon was blushing by the time she and Edge proceeded to their next stop.

“I take it back, Edge. Some ponies are too damn nice!”

The stallion chuckled. “I think you just found your new best friend.”

Gilda groaned. “Just five minutes with her has worn me out. She’s worse than Pinkie Pie!”

Edge raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing because it was time to knock on another door.

The two returned to their apartment with a shopping cart that was empty of everything but the goodwill they had acquired. They sat down to dinner featuring the slightly misshapen razzleberry pie that they had not taken with them, plus some vegetable sides.

“Are you planning to bake as much as you did today?” Edge asked between mouthfuls.

Gilda shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m rapidly going through the ingredients. Besides, we can’t be giving away the result every day.”

“Funny you should mention that. As I flew home, I noticed the market packing up. Have you considered renting a stall and selling your baked goods?”

Gilda looked thoughtful. “I was already doing that kind of thing from a cart that I dragged around Griffonstone. It’d be a lot easier from a fixed stall if I can get one.”

“It seems to me that you’d be happier pursuing something you’re obviously great at doing. What did you expect to do once you settled in? I sure don’t see you as a stay-at-home housewife.”

The griffoness snorted at that. “No way. But you’re right – I do like baking, and if ponies are prepared to buy goods from me, then maybe I can contribute to our income and provide more for our cub. Or foal. Whichever.”

“Then, I suggest you check out the market tomorrow. Let me know how it goes.”

The next day when Edge arrived home from work, after an enthusiastic welcome home, the griffoness held out her hand.

“I need money.”

“Oh? Why would that be?” he asked with a smirk.

Gilda grinned. “I got that market stall. I start the day after tomorrow, so I need to stock up on ingredients and bake a ton of stuff.”

Edge reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Then it’s a good thing I stopped at the bank.” He passed her a wad of cash.

“You guessed I’d need funds? You were that confident?”

Edge put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Gilda, darling, I believe you can do whatever you set your mind to do. You’re strong-willed and determined, which I love about you. Between that and your fantastic cooking, you’re going to be a hit. I know it.”

“You soppy dweeb – of course I will,” she said fiercely but with a blush from his praise.

From the moment that Edge left for work the next day, Gilda threw herself into the task of baking a commercial quantity of baked goods. She was grateful that the apartment came equipped with a large oven that enabled her to have several items baking at the same time, although it was tricky to balance the different temperature needs of disparate products. However, even more than the previous day, she fell into a comfortable rhythm of mixing, placing into appropriate receptacles, and baking them. The contents of the pies had to be prepared separately on the stove, but that was achieved with as little fuss. Gilda chuckled to herself when a stray thought had her thinking about what her cutie mark would be if she were a pony. Perhaps a rolling pin crossed with a ladle?

Gilda only took a short break for lunch during the day, and Edge found her still at work when he entered the apartment. “I’m home, love!” he called out.

The griffoness looked up and smiled. “Just a moment, dear!”

She cut slits in the pie’s top crust and then set it aside in the queue to be baked. She then wiped her talons on her apron as she walked to greet her fiancé. She reached out to embrace him and he did the same, ignoring the flour and other ingredients that transferred to his clothes. He realized that she was wearing only the apron once again, and he gave her bare butt an appreciative squeeze as he kissed her.

“Are you always going to dress like that when you cook?” Edge asked as they drew apart.

“It helps me keep cool in the hot kitchen. Any objections?” Gilda asked slyly.

Edge smirked. “Nope. Standard kitchen uniform, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Good. If you’d like to help me finish this last lot, go wash up and join me there.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

Five minutes later, Edge entered the kitchen wearing an apron… and nothing else. Gilda burst out laughing when she noticed.

“You’re such a dweeb!”

“Just following the kitchen rules,” he replied smugly. “Now, how can I help?”

“First, take out the pies on the top rack of the oven and put these in their place. Then, figure out some way to get the finished ones ready for transport. I only thought about that belatedly.”

“Not to worry – I can empty my camping cart and use that,” Edge replied as he opened the oven door.

“Oh, good. Less risk of squashing anything with that big cart. Might have to figure out some sort of rack arrangement to put in it if I’m successful tomorrow.”

“I can knock together something like that. I’ll have to improvise tomorrow morning though. Good thing it’s a Saturday so I can help you on your first day.”

Gilda paused her work and gave him a troubled frown. “Edge – I want to achieve this on my own. I don’t want to need my mate to succeed at the only real skill I have to offer.”

“And you will, hon. But nopony, and no griff either, starts off a business without various forms of help. Once you get familiar with how the business is working out, then you will be able to continue by yourself. But, until then, let your mate help you get to that point.”

The griffoness nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Celestia knows how I could get all this to the market without you and your cart.” Then her eyes shifted to the unbaked pies on the counter. “Although it seems I might have to put those pies in the oven myself after all.”

“Oops. Sorry, boss!” Edge hastily completed that task before Gilda gave him another.

They soon wrapped up work and then sat down to dinner. When they finished eating, Edge took the plates into the kitchen and placed them next to the sink that was already piled high with dirty cooking gear.

“Leave the washing up to me,” the pegasus said as he began filling the sink with hot water. “You’ve been on your paws all day and you and the baby could do with a rest.”

Gilda wanted to argue but her aching paws told her to take the offer. She sat on the sofa, put her legs up on a hoofstool, and sighed with relief. “So, how was your day?” she called out.

“Not as fun as yours,” came the reply. “Let me tell you about this moron customer…”

Edge regretfully extricated himself from his mate’s embrace to get an early start to the Saturday morning. He did not bother with anything not essential, including breakfast, before heading out to the garage. The previous evening, he emptied and stacked away the camping gear before assessing the materials he had at hand. There were plenty of offcuts left over from several previous DIY projects and he reckoned he could knock up some shelves that could serve temporarily until something better could either be built or procured. He hoped Gilda’s efforts would be successful enough to justify investing in more equipment, and not just for the extra income. His mate’s happiness and satisfaction were paramount to him.

The arrangement that Edge managed to build inside his cart was far from pretty, but as long as it functioned as intended, that was the least of his concerns. Gilda had brought over all the baked goods by the time he secured the last board, and they stacked them carefully inside. The last items the griffoness had handed to the pegasus were a couple of warm muffins and a travel mug full of coffee for his breakfast. Meanwhile, she hitched herself to the cart, glaring at him wordlessly when he attempted to do so. Edge got the message – this was something she needed to be able to do by herself.

Nevertheless, Edge accompanied Gilda to the market. Even she knew that the first time would be the hardest, and a little moral support did not hurt. There certainly were lots of startled looks on the faces of the ponies already present and setting up their stalls. A few looked nervous but curiosity was the dominant emotion, perhaps tempered by Edge's presence with the griffoness. Only one pegasus mare showed open hostility which Gilda did not fail to notice.

“What’s with her?”

Edge looked in the direction Gilda’s beak was pointing. He groaned. “That’s Open Skies – a mare I briefly dated. She did not take rejection well.”

Gilda smirked and gave him a very affectionate nuzzle. “That ought to rub it in.”

Edge glanced back at Open Skies and reckoned she could be better named Thunder Cloud now. “Try not to piss off any other stallholders, love. Working alongside them is half the battle.”

“So, I should concentrate on just her then? No problem. I’ll wear my pinkest apron the next time I come here.” The stallion’s wide eyes and brief look of panic let her know she had guessed right.

He took a deep breath. “In the interest of World Peace, I strongly recommend you don’t start a race war in the market.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ve gotten the ‘Magic of Friendship’ lecture before. Now, let’s get my stall set up.”

The stalls that the market provided were very basic. Each one was accessorized by the renter to suit their needs. Edge had made the shelves for the cart in such a way that they could be transferred to the stall to display the baked goods. Because this was the first time she had seen them complete, she had no qualms about Edge helping her with the task on this occasion. In the future, she expected to do it all herself. There was one thing that she did do without her mate’s help, and that was put up a banner that she had made while Edge had been busy in the garage. When she had it fastened against the blank billboard above the counter, she noticed a few chuckles coming from nearby merchants.

GILDA’S BEAKERY

The griffoness hoped that the humorous poke at the owner’s race would attract curiosity and lower reservations from customers. It did not matter how wonderful her goods were if she could not get them to come to her stall.

Once everything was set up, Gilda used the few minutes left before the market opened up to take a plate of scones slathered with strawberry jam and cream around the other stalls. She offered the merchants a free sample and most accepted. Gilda excluded a certain pegasus mare from her rounds that warned her off with a scowl any drill sergeant would envy. The griffoness ran out of them mere moments before opening time and she had to hasten back to her stall which Edge had been minding.

“Do you want me to hang around?” Edge asked.

“Yes and no. While your moral support would be nice, I need to know if I can do this on my own.” She laughed. “Besides, the customers can’t be any worse than the griffs back at Griffonstone.”

Edge grinned at that. “I’ll head home to do some chores, but I’ll check in on you later.”

“Sounds good. Now piss off and let me get to work!”

The pegasus gave her a kiss before he left her to greet potential customers.

When Edge returned about three hours later, before he could say anything, Gilda thrust the cashbox at him and said, “Gotta go to the bathroom!” She was gone in a flash.

Edge chuckled. That was one aspect neither of them had thought about. Undoubtedly, the other merchants had some sort of arrangement for when they needed to leave their stalls but Gilda had yet to work that out. Meanwhile, he looked over the stock and was pleased to see that nearly half of it was gone already. That boded well and he could hardly wait to hear from his mate.

Gilda returned looking much relieved. Upon seeing him, she said, “Until I figure out a better way, you’ll have to come back every few hours. I know you won’t be able to do that for the weekday markets.”

“So, you reckon that your bakery is a viable concern then?”

“Sales have been good. I reckon sheer curiosity has brought over several customers. Hopefully, they like my stuff enough to come back. One already has. A unicorn stallion bought a couple of fruit buns and returned an hour later to buy half a dozen more.”

“Told you they were awesome.”

Gilda shrugged. “Different senses of taste between griffons and ponies. You’re going to be my official taste tester for the future. Anyway, while there are wrinkles to be ironed out, things have been going pretty well. I could do without having to see Open Skies giving me the stink-eye constantly, but if that’s the worst I have to put up with, I’m happy to call this a success so far. We’ll see how things stand at the end of the day.”

“That’s great to hear, love. Anything else I can do for you while I’m here?”

“Nope. Bring me coffee next time though. Oops! Customer. Gotta go.” She gave him a quick nuzzle before turning her attention to the pegasus mare. “What can I interest you in today?” Gilda asked in her best customer service voice.

Edge watched as his mate persuaded the mare to buy an apple pie and banana cake. He smiled proudly before heading back to the apartment.

When Edge returned to the market for the third time, all but one carrot cake and a bag of chocolate chip cookies were left unsold. Gilda said that they might as well pack up although it was still a couple of hours before closing time. The pegasus began disassembling the shelves and returning them to the cart. Before that was completed, an earth pony mare bought the cake.

“I’m going to take this bag of cookies to pass out at work,” Edge declared as Gilda fetched her banner. “Maybe the freebies will drum up some business.”

“Good idea,” the griffoness replied as she folded the banner and stowed it in the cart. “I’m glad you persuaded me to make twice as many as I had originally planned. They were a best-seller.”

Edge grinned. “You need to remember that ponies like their sweets. I had to resist the temptation to eat them myself.”

Gilda did not object when Edge hitched himself to the cart, and she slumped tiredly as they exited the marketplace.

“You look exhausted,” the pegasus commented.

“Yeah. It wasn’t the physical work though. Trying to remain upbeat and friendly to all those ponies, especially the suspicious ones, was wearing me down more than I thought it would.”

“What? Is that the cheerful and polite catbird I fell in love with?”

Gilda gave him a flat stare. “Keep laughing it up, perv, and you won’t be touching these boobs tonight.”

“Would it change your mind if I offered you a massage when we get home?” Edge asked with an impish smile.

“Now, that’s more like it,” Gilda conceded. Her stallion’s leering smile made her realize she missed something. “And, no, you may not start with my boobs!”

His laugh made her feel better all by itself. The griffoness shook her head. “Perv,” she said just loud enough to make sure he heard her.

After gaining clear air to take off with the cart, they flew toward their apartment. After a minute or so of silence, Edge spoke up.

“So – was it worth it? Do you plan to keep selling at the market?”

Gilda gave him a tired but proud smile. “I proved to myself that my cooking is good and ponies are prepared to pay for it. I made good money today, and I reckon I can make even more once I learn what sells best and how much they’re prepared to pay. So, yeah, I’m going back again.”

Edge smiled back. “I’m proud of you, love. And if this is truly the career for you, then I know you won’t be bored and frustrated. I think things are only going to get better from here on.”

The griffoness snorted. “You’re always too bucking optimistic, but I have to admit that things haven’t turned out as bad as I feared. But that doesn’t mean everything’s fine. It’s still too soon and I have other regrets to overcome yet.”

“You’re thinking of Ponyville, aren’t you?”

The griffoness nodded. “I’m not fixing that up with some baked goods.”

“No, but you’re not going to be able to fix everything at once.”

“Who says it can be fixed? I wasn’t exaggerating about how much I screwed up. I don’t think I could ever show my beak there again.”

“Never say never, darling.”

“Give it a rest, Edge.”

“Shutting up, Gil.”

Upon reaching the apartment, Gilda headed straight for the bathroom while Edge put the cart away. He found her standing under the shower, her eyes drooping as the hot water cascaded over her. He chuckled, stripped, and quickly joined her. He sponged her as she chirped in pleasure then whined when he turned off the water.

“Can’t have you falling asleep before I give you that massage,” Edge said as he handed her a towel.

It was still a very damp griffon that stretched out on the bed for that promised massage. She fell asleep halfway through.

Gilda woke again to the smell of fish cooking. She hauled herself off the comfortable mattress and, still naked, made her way to the kitchen. Under the amused gaze of her mate, she sat at the table and picked up the knife and fork already laid there. “Food! Now!” she demanded, emphasizing it with a clack of her beak.

Edge chuckled and brought the sizzling frypan to the table. Using the spatula, he transferred a fillet onto her plate and paused. Upon seeing her raised eyebrow, he added the remaining three from the pan. She nodded in satisfaction before attacking her meal.

The pegasus went back to the stove where a second frypan was cooking more fish. He suspected that Gilda would have quite a large appetite. Giving her only one fillet at first was just a tease. He served up the fish, added some lemon juice, and then joined Gilda at the table opposite her. That way, he could enjoy the meal and the view at the same time. The griffoness made a saucy show of eating the last fillet that made Edge’s pants uncomfortably tight. He relieved the strain by getting up to make coffee. Gilda giggled as he adjusted his clothing first.

After the meal, they sat on the sofa and cuddled while Gilda told him about all the customers she had dealt with. Then the conversation turned more intimate and it wasn’t long before they were making impassioned love.

Sunday morning, Edge bought some timber to improve the shelving arrangement for the cart and added capacity for, hopefully, increased sales. The rest of the day, he and Gilda spent enjoying themselves at the gorge.

The new week began with Edge going to work and Gilda shopping for ingredients before starting to bake once more. As a one-person business, she could only either cook or sell on a particular day, not both. She decided she would alternate days baking and going to the market, leaving Sundays free for the couple to enjoy for themselves.

For a few weeks, that was the routine. Then one Saturday evening, they were surprised by a visitor. Gilda was nearest the door when a knock came, so she answered it, promising mayhem if she found a City Guard out there. Instead, her eyes widened in delight.

“Gabby!”

“Hi, Gil! Oof!” She gasped as Gilda grabbed her in a hug. “Glad to see you too, sis. Wow! That baby bump is sure getting big.”

Gilda pulled her inside, calling out, “Edge! Guess who’s visiting!”

The pegasus emerged from the kitchen and smiled upon recognizing the griffoness. “Gabby, isn’t it? Welcome to our home.”

The grey-furred griffoness giggled. “I didn’t know I was going to be glommed so hard. Sorry I couldn't visit sooner. My courier job took me elsewhere until now. Nice place you have here.”

“Let me show you around.” Gilda dragged her amused sister around the apartment while Edge prepared drinks and snacks. They spent the rest of the evening catching up and Gabby was invited to stay the night in the spare room. They made a family day of it the next day before the griffoness had to regretfully head back to Griffonstone.

The only event that changed Gilda and Edge’s routine was when their appointment with the Justice of the Court came up. Edge took off the afternoon from work and, because it was Friday, Gilda opted for taking one market day off to leave the weekend free and spent the morning preparing a celebratory dinner instead.

Gilda flew to the town hall to meet Edge there. She was accompanied by Gabby who had been invited to the marriage ceremony and who would act as a witness. Edge turned up with his boss, Crafty, who had been pleased to be invited as a second witness.

It was a simple affair as weddings before a Justice of the Court typically were. Justice Legal Bond, a unicorn stallion, started with a short speech welcoming the couple and their witnesses and talking about the significance of marriage, especially between two different races. He then asked them to declare their intent by affirming their commitment to each other. Edge and Gilda exchanged expressions of love and promises to support and cherish one another. They then exchanged their rings, their enchantments adjusting to their new wearers and the inlaid gem glowing in confirmation of the renewed bond. The Justice then declared the couple legally married by the power vested in him by the Crown. The griffoness and the pegasus then kissed and nuzzled to the applause of Gabby and Crafty.

The marriage license was duly signed by the couple, the Justice, and the witnesses. Justice Bond congratulated the couple before magically duplicating the license, giving the copy to them to commemorate the occasion, and taking the original to be processed so that the official marriage certificate could be issued later.

Gilda, Edge, Gabby, and Crafty headed to the couple’s apartment where they celebrated with a big dinner and drinks all around – non-alcoholic for Gilda, of course. It was late that evening before Crafty headed home. Gabby stayed the night but had to leave very early the next morning. She would have said farewell to the new husband and wife, but she knew they had worn themselves out that night and needed their sleep. She left the apartment, deliriously happy for her sister.

If Edge had not set an alarm, the two might have slept for another hour or so. However, the lovers had plans for the weekend. A short honeymoon trip had been arranged to a resort where they could relax and be pampered. Gilda was proud to be able to say that she had paid her entire half of the cost out of her successful and growing business. And she owed it all to a pervy pegasus who turned her life around. She could hardly wait until she could present her love with the fruit of their union.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Nothing like a successful business venture to bring life satisfaction. While I'm sure Gilda would have been happy with Edge in any case, being able to stand on her own two paws is so much better.

Chapter 9

“I don’t want to be here.”

“So you’ve said, dear. Frequently. In the last hour.”

“There is nowhere else in Equestria I want to be less than here. I’m tempted to add Griffonstone to that list.”

Cutting Edge pulled his mate against him with a wing. Gilda continued to clasp her arms across her chest, while he gently rubbed between her shoulders with a free hand. At length, she relaxed enough to lean against him.

“Dear, this place and the ponies living here are the main reason you exiled yourself from Equestria, right? There’s no better time to reconcile with them. Especially since my boss was nice enough to give me a couple extra days off.”

The griffoness snorted and looked into his eyes. “No, he didn’t. He just let you take your already-earned vacation once he heard where you wanted to go.”

The pegasus smiled and continued to rub her back until she settled her head against his neck.

“I hate this.”

His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “Just think of how much better you’ll feel once this is all over.”

The pause was much longer this time. Edge almost thought his wife had fallen asleep when she said. “Yeah.” After another pause, she repeated, “I hate this.”

The train conductor placed a wooden step under the carriage car exit and held out a hand to steady Gilda as she stepped off the train. “First time in Ponyville, Miss?”

Gilda ignored the offered help and jumped over the step and onto the platform. “Nope. Can’t you tell? If it was, I’d be seeing pink right now.”

Perhaps trying to make up for his wife ignoring the offered hand, Edge used it to steady his descent onto the wooden planks of the platform.

When nothing happened and nothing continued to happen, Gilda narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been here before.”

“Sure have. It was a couple of months before my first trip out to the National Park campsite. And, yes, I had the mandatory ‘Welcome To Ponyville Party’ where I met everyone.” He turned to the light blue earth pony. “Thanks, All Aboard.”

The stallion with glasses, a snappy jacket, and a stopwatch and chain cutie mark nodded. “You have a pleasant day, Mr. Cutting Edge. You too, Ms. Gilda.”

The griffoness waved a clawed hand. “Yep, yep. ‘You too’ and all that.” She turned to the pegasus and frowned. “So why did you come to Ponyville?”

“For a seminar on state-of-the-art CNC Systems and algorithms. And with a name like ‘Cutting Edge’—”

“You just had to be there. Ha, ha. I get it.”

“I’m proud to say I was the first speaker for the Technology Symposium at Twilight Sparkle’s Castle of Friendship.”

She cocked her head at an angle. “The whatzit of what?” Gilda followed his pointed arm and turned to face the lavender and blue crystalline edifice rising at the far side of Ponyville. After staring for a few seconds, she said, “That’s new.”

After getting her fill of studying the structure, she sighed and looked back at her husband. “OK, let’s get this over with. Who do we start with?”

Gilda felt as much as saw the morning sun disappear as a large shadow stretched across the ground.

“If it isn’t the meany-pants meany bird here to say more mean things.”

The wide-eyed shock in her husband’s face only added to the chill creeping up Gilda’s spine. Slowly, the griffoness turned around to find a frowning earth pony mare with a huge pink mane one inch from her beak. She swallowed. “Ahhhh … Hello, Pinkie. Actually, I’m here to apologize to you and your friends for my being a – OOF!” Gilda squawked as all the air left her lungs.

The mare in question had closed the one-inch gap with a huge hug. “Awww! That’s OK, Gildy! Everypony forgives you!”

Edge fought down the laughter caused by his wife’s look of pure panic and attempts to call for help with no air to do so. “Would you please let my wife breathe, Pinkie?”

“Wife!?” The pink mare dropped the griffoness who fell to her knees and gasped in large gulps. Pinkie brought her hands to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled. “Oh, my goodness! And you… you are!” The earth pony mare fell to all fours, thrust an ear against the griffon’s midriff, and listened with her lips pulled to the side. “Hmmm… they’ll be nine pounds and 10 ounces… and will love chocolate.” Pinkie stood again and bounced in place. “Edgy! I can’t believe you put a muffin in the oven, you studmuffin!”

Suddenly, the mare froze in place with her mouth half open. “Muffins… I forgot about…” The couple heard the final words drawn out as Pinkie took off running at an incredible pace. “… the ovvvvennnnnnn!”

Edge stepped closer to help his wife up to her still shaky feet. “There you go, dear. That wasn’t so bad… for Pinkie. The others have to be easier, right?”

Gilda took one more deep breath before shaking her head. “You don’t know these mares like I do.”

Edge decided against suggesting they fly to their next destination. For some reason, his beloved hen was a big fan of walking everywhere today and that was fine by him.

The couple topped the final hill leading to Sweet Apple Acres. The yapping of a small brown and white dog greeted them as they neared the gate. Edge reached down and petted the dog dancing inside the fence line.
“Heya, Winona. How ya been? You still a good dog? Huh? You still a good pup?” Winona’s yips and licks answered his question.

In her cavorting, Winona caught sight of Gilda. The dog immediately dropped into a crouch and growled.

The griffoness sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”

“That’s ‘cause Winona’s a fine judge o’ character.” Applejack strolled out of the nearest orchard wearing boots, cut-offs, a tied-off red and white checkered shirt that struggled to hold her breasts in place, and, of course, her ever-present Stetson hat. “Mornin’, Edge. Been a spell since you stopped by these parts.”

“Good morning, Applejack. Thought I’d bring my wife by.”

“Is that a fact? So, it took a catbird with an attitude to lasso you, did it?”

The stallion shrugged. “Who would have thought I’d turn into one of those responsible, household, settle-down types?”

The farm mare smiled back. “Not me, that’s fer sure.”

All eyes settled on the griffoness in question, who sighed again. “I’m sorry for the crap I put you and your friends through the last time I was in town, Applejack.”

“Hmmm…” The earth pony mare tapped one boot on the ground a few times. “Yep. Ya mean it. We’re fair and square now.”

Gilda blinked. “Wait? Just like that? No yelling at me all morning long? No breaking my ankles bucking trees for eight hours?”

“Nah, no need. Ya can buck trees if ya want, but ya’d be doin’ more harm than good. And I mean to the orchard.”

“Huh. OK. Umm…. Thanks, AJ.”

“Didn’t say ya could call me that quite yet.”

“Got it, and… holy microbursts… who is that!?”

Edge and Applejack turned to see a shirtless earth pony stallion with a deep red coat cooling off under an outside shower.

The farm pony mare gave Gilda a knowing smile. “Oh, that’s my brother Big Mac. He just finished bucking trees in the east orchard an’ is coolin’ down a mite. Did he… interrupt yer train o’ thought?”

Big Mac turned his head when his name was spoken, smiled, and ambled towards the group.

Gilda took a few seconds to get her bearings. “AJ, understand that I don’t find pony stallions all that attractive.”

“Gee, thanks!” grumped Cutting Edge. His cranky tone was belied by smirking lips.

The griffoness shot him a stink-eye. “Take it as a compliment to your sparkling personality!” That drew a laugh from the pegasus while Gilda looked back at Applejack. “Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I’m here with my soulmate, the love of my life, and the soon-to-be father of our cub. Despite all that, your brother has a… presence that’s like…. I don’t know… like a celebrity that takes over a room and you can’t ignore them.”

Applejack laughed. “Yep! Heard that before. Ya know how we’ve got a bunch of mares for every stallion in Ponyville. The single ladies used to stand right where you’re at and gawk something fierce every mornin’. Got to be somethin’ of a pain in the plot.”

Gilda tilted her head. “So what changed?”

A voice from the couple’s right said, “I did. I changed everything.” They turned to see Queen Chrysalis staring down at them. She stood at least a foot taller than the three and that was before counting her horn. The flowing white dress, red apron, and pink flower in her hair took away some of the intimidation factor.

Regardless, Gilda and Edge jumped into the air and back-winged once before hovering. They exchanged a worried glance before looking back at the scene before them.

Applejack was entirely nonplussed. “Howdy, Chrysalis. I see the Royal We is in a unicorn mood this mornin’.”

Big Mac closed the last of the distance to the changeling queen and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Are ya’ busy tryin’ to scare the gawkers again, Honey Bug?”

Chrysalis did not pull away, settling for narrowing her eyes and looking down – if only slightly – at the tall stallion. “How many times must I tell both of you? Around common folk, I am to be addressed as ‘Your Majesty’.”

Applejack scoffed. “Not on this farm, you ain’t. We’re common folk through and through an’ proud of it. Ya want to join our family, you gotta follow the Apple way o’ doing’ things. By the way, this here’s Cuttin’ Edge and his mare… griffonfriend Gilda.”

Chrysalis intensified her glare to no effect on either sibling. When Big Mac leaned in to nibble at the tall mare’s neck, she burst out in giggles while playfully swatting at the stallion. Meanwhile, Winona took the opportunity to urinate on one of the changeling’s hooves unnoticed.

Big Mac smiled wider. “Ah know just how ta git ya in a good mood again, dear.” His left hand released the changeling queen’s waist and drifted downward.

Chrysalis squealed. “No, you can’t– Oh! Ha, ha, ha! Stop at once, you awful brute! This is undiginfi-eeeeEEEE!” She burst out in more laughter and pounded her fists against the stallion’s chest.

The griffoness and pegasus took that distraction as their cue to settle down to the ground again. Gilda walked back up to the fence, followed by Edge.

The griffoness lifted an eyebrow at the Element of Honesty. When the farmer mare only smiled, Gilda slammed a fist into the top of a fence post. “Story time!” Before Applejack could say a word, the griffon added, “The whole story! Not the namby-pamby watered-down version you tell foals.”

Applejack confirmed with a look that the couple were too involved whispering to each other to answer the question. “Well, not long after the High-N-Mighty Queen Chrysalis got her plot handed to her on an apple cart in Canterlot…” A furious ear twitch from the subject of the conversation showed the changeling monarch was not focusing her full attention on the stallion and what he was doing to make her squirm. “… the supposed Queen of Sneak decided to spy on Twilight an’ her friends here in Ponyville. She done followed the Flower Sisters and their mare friends out here and got an eyeful of my brother.”

Chrysalis shivered as Big Mac nibbled a sensitive spot on her neck. “Buh …. Back, you beast! There will be time for that… much of that later… but not much later.”

With a long kiss punctuated with identical “Mmmmmm!” sounds, the couple settled down into a warm embrace. This was mixed in with occasional hand swats by Chrysalis when Big Mac attempted to release his grip on her waist and move his hand lower.

Gilda turned to Edge. “Do we act like that? In public?”

Edge shrugged his shoulders. “Not even in private.”

Applejack cleared her throat. “As I was sayin’! Her Royal Hole-E-Ness up and knocked out my brother with some spell or another then dragged him off to a cave in the Everfree. Here she got a little smart by strippin’ him naked as the day he was born and chainin’ him spread-eagle-style off the ground so he couldn’t pull in his earth pony strength.”

A glance at the couple in question showed Big Mac trailing a finger down the changeling’s neck, stopping dangerously close to the valley between her breasts. Her balled fists and narrow-eyed stare daring him to go any further just got him to grin wider.

Applejack shook her head. “This bug-queen don’t like wearing pony clothes when in her true form, or at least that’s why she says she was floozyin’ around in front of Big Mac, yellin’ at him for not respectin’ her as his better or somethin’. Not bein’ used to stallions with a derisive attitude, this got Queenie all worked up in every way possible. Meanwhile, my brother is faced with this confident, exotic, naked mare struttin' in front of him. After years of puttin’ up with pony mares that faint when he smiles at them, well, that got him hot n’ bothered, and it showed. After an hour of yellin’ how much they couldn’t right stand each other, Miss ‘I keep makin’ mistakes ‘cause I ain’t as smart as I think I am’ decided to grab Big Mac’s… body to shut him up. An’ since she was standin’ on the ground, that made her a – what in tarnation did Twilight call it? – common-dolt?”

Edge corrected her. “Conduit.”

“Both work equal well for Chrysalis, I reckon. Anyhow, Big Mac broke out of the chains, much to her surprise, an’ the two… uh… made up for lost time. In Big Mac’s case, maybe five years.”

Chrysalis raised her chin proudly, her cheeks turning pink. “My chosen stallion is the finest in all of Equestria. And I deserve the best.” Her eyes went wide when Big Mac’s finger quickly completed its journey between her breasts then reached to scratch the back of his neck.

He said, “T’was near sundown when we limped our bruised and battered selfs back to the farm. When we stumbled inside, Granny jus’ glared an’ ordered us to wash up and get some decent clothes on ‘efore supper.”

Applejack smiled. “Since that day, Chryssy has been tryin’ to get the blessin’ of the rest of the family. She got mine after ‘pologizin’ to my friends, the princesses, and gettin’ her drones to help repair all the damage she caused ‘round Canterlot.”

Edge asked, “What about Shining Armor and Cadance?”

Chrysalis scoffed. “Nothing easier. My stallion and I promised the Love Princess that she would preside over our marriage ceremony. Shining Armor had the good sense not to interfere with his wife’s passion and alicorn aspect.”

Big Mac said, “Ya got Apple Bloom’s when you done made her a princess of your hive.”

The changeling queen gave him a warm smile that reached the corners of her eyes. “How could I not? This apron is the most perfect and heartfelt gift I have ever received.” She pulled the apron down to straighten it, allowing Edge to read the hand-written words aloud.

“Kiss the cook and then you die.”

Chrysalis bumped her coltfriend with an elbow. “You see? Your little sister is brilliant! She gets me! Oh, and I made Applejack a princess as well.”

Gilda blinked. “Ahh… that was… generous of you.”

“The least I can do for my new family. Besides, I will need a titled retinue when Equestria becomes a proper triarchy.”

Big Mac increased his grip on the changeling’s waist. “I thought I drilled all that power-hungry hooey out of ya.”

Chrysalis rested her forehead against his. “Not yet, you haven’t. You’ll have to try… harder.” They broke into foalish giggles.

Cutting Edge saw Gilda and Applejack roll their eyes in stereo. He said, “So is that it? Good to go for marriage now?”

Applejack shook her head. “Nope. Not even close. Granny Smith won’t give her blessin’ ‘til the Royal Bugginess can cook every last Apple family dish up to her standards. And … there … are … a … bunch.”

The changeling growled. “Repairing Canterlot and integrating changelings into pony society was nymph’s play compared to this heroic task. Your grandmother is a dozen times as stern a taskmaster as my own. Something I say with the greatest respect.”

Right on cue, the ancient earth pony’s voice called out from the farmhouse. “Chrysalis! Is that Apple Pandowdy I smell burning?”

The changeling’s left hand reached up to cover her mouth as insectile wings appeared on her back, knocking her out of Big Mac’s grasp. “No, Granny!” With a rapid buzzing, she zoomed back to the house.

Big Mac sighed and stretched his arms over his head, causing muscles to ripple across his chest and stomach. After relaxing, he bowed slightly. “Nice ta meetcha Mr. Edge, Miss Gilda.” The stallion nodded to Applejack. “See ya out at the south orchard, Sis.” With a quick trot, he bounded away, demonstrating the rest of his muscle groups in action.

Well after he disappeared into the trees, Gilda broke the silence. “Huh. So much for farm life being boring.”

Applejack smiled. “Yer both welcome ta stay for lunch, though I’ll have ya help out fer an hour or so ta earn yer keep.”

Gilda shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve got more stops on my apology tour.”

“Hey, Edge, has anyone had the guts to tell Miss Sparkle that her castle designer doesn’t have the best taste?”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, dear, especially when you’re talking about the home of the Princess of Books.”

“Fair. And we can walk right in?”

“Sure can. Since I’m such a kind gentlecolt and you are in such a delicate pregnant state, I’ll get the castle doors for you. Oh, wait, they’re already open. You’ll just have to take my word for it, then.”

“Ah, heh. Yeah, right. Sounds like someone is overcompensating for being compared to a certain red-coated farm stallion. Still, feel free to make yourself usef – WHOA!”

Edge followed his wife into the castle atrium. “You see? Much bigger on the inside, just like a library tree.”

“OK, I’ll admit it. In here, the architecture makes sense and looks good. Plus, the banners, furniture, and carpets tie everything together. I’m betting Rarity had a hand in that. This place is amazing!”

“I’m glad you think so.” Twilight Sparkle emerged from a side room and approached the pair, stopping in front of Gilda while smiling at the pegasus stallion. “Good to see you again, Edge.”

Cutting Edge stood straight, clacked his hooves together, and bowed deeply. “Likewise, Your Highness.”

“Oh, stop! We’re way past that silliness! As always, just call me Twilight. Before I forget, I finished reading your draft article on race conditions for continuous feedback loop systems. Don’t leave town before I can go over my comments with you.”

The purple mare moved her gaze to the griffoness who stared slack-jawed. Slowly, Gilda extended her wings, which Twilight copied with her own.

Gilda whispered, “You have wings.” She turned to her husband and pointed, “She grew wings! Since when can ponies do that!?”

The griffoness didn’t wait for an answer, instead leaning closer to inspect the mare’s feathery appendages. Twilight continued smiling and looked at the pegasus with a perked eyebrow.

Edge cleared his throat. “Dear, is there something you wanted to say to Twilight?”

Gilda stood back up straight. “Yeah. Welcome to the cool club.”

Twilight burst out laughing and covered her mouth when the pegasus rolled his eyes and raised his arms in exasperation.

Edge said, “You wanted to apologize to her.”

Gilda smirked. “To Tartarus with that. It can wait.” She spread her wings to their full extent and crouched. “C’mon, Princess! I spent hours cooped up on a train and I bet you’ve been sorting books all day and doing princess-y paperwork crap.” The griffon’s eyes glittered as she beamed. “Let’s tear up the sky!”

With a whoop of joy, the griffoness launched into a half-loop followed by a half-roll, picking up speed with powerful beats of her wings as she accelerated out the castle's double doors. The pegasus and alicorn followed and soon the three cavorted in the air. They shared in the joy familiar only to creatures of the sky.

“Feeling better now, honey?” The pair landed at the front doorstep of a rural cottage at the edge of town.

“Sure am, Edge. I didn’t realize how much I needed that. I’ve been worried about coming here to Ponyville for so long. That sky dancing was just the ticket to get me to relax. Plus, coming to see Fluttershy now that I am relaxed is perfect.” Gilda knocked on the top half of the split front door and then looked at her mate. “The hardest part will be to convince her not to run away and hide when she sees my face.”

Gilda saw Edge’s expression blanch and he reached for her, only to feel her body yanked away and pressed up against the wall of the cottage. She found herself looking into a mouth of fangs, a muzzle scrunched in a snarl, and eyes filled with pure hate. She froze, not daring to make any movement to further upset this already very irate bear.

“HARRY! What do you think you are doing?!” A familiar yellow pegasus mare appeared in Gilda’s peripheral vision, with an unfamiliar expression of barely contained rage on her face. Fluttershy reached up with a hand and dragged the bear away by one ear. “We do NOT, I repeat, NOT treat guests this way. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME?!”

The stumbling bear’s paw left Gilda’s shoulder as it shuffled sideways to keep from falling over. It made mewling sounds that seemed contrite to the griffoness’ untrained ear.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to!”

The bear moved its eyes to Gilda and repeated the pitiful sounds.

Gilda took a few deep breaths and then said, “Apology… apology accepted. Even though, the way I treated you, Fluttershy, especially last time I was here, he had good reason.”

The bear’s expression hardened, and the hint of a snarl started, only to be cut off by Fluttershy yanking his ear downward and staring directly into his eyes. After a second, the bear repeated the mewling, aiming them at both mare and hen.

Fluttershy released her hold on his ear. “That’s enough, Harry. You wait out back until I’m finished with our guests. We’re not done.” Dutifully, the towering bear loped away, its small tail tucked beneath its legs as much as possible.

The yellow mare glared after him until the bear disappeared around the edge of the cottage. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then turned back to the pegasus stallion with a shy smile. Fluttershy’s cheeks turned pink and she swayed on her hips slowly. “Hi, Cutting Edge. It’s so nice to see you again.” Her gaze shifted to the griffoness. “And I’m glad to see you too, Gilda. You’ve found a wonderful stallion.”

Gilda blinked a couple of times, frowned, then turned to address her husband. “OK, enough. This is getting ridiculous. You wrote ahead, didn’t you? You can only prank me so many times before I get wise.”

Edge furrowed his eyebrows. “Umm ... What do you mean, dear?”

Gilda lifted her arms and wings above her head. “All of this! I left Ponyville a year and a half ago, and what do I find when I come back? Pinkie being Pinkie… OK, that part isn’t suspicious. But Applejack is a changeling hive princess, Twilight Sparkle is also a princess and has wings, and Fluttershy is a badass! Next, you’ll try to convince me that Rarity is engaged to Celestia!”

Edge gasped followed quickly by Fluttershy doing the same. They shared a long look and then put on unconvincing smiles. The silence stretched out until Fluttershy whispered to Edge, “You weren’t supposed to –”

“Shhhhh!”

Gilda lowered her wings and folded her arms across her chest. She cocked one eyebrow and looked between the two. “OK, fine. Two can play at this game.” She raised her voice. “Hey, Pinkie! It’s all true! Rarity will be marrying Celestia and they will definitely need a party!”

“On it!” a voice called out from behind a nearby birdhouse. A streak of pink zoomed away toward town.

Gilda smirked as the two pegasi attempted to say something to the fleeing earth pony only to realize they were far too late.

Edge frowned. “You’re going to have to fix that, dear.”

Gilda laughed. “No, you two will. Because it was your brilliant idea to prank me right then, now you get to deal with the confetti-strewn aftermath. So, all the rest really happened? Dang. This is the exact opposite of a sleepy little town, isn’t it?” Her smile fell. “Oh. And why I’m here.” She held a hand to her chest. “Fluttershy, I sincerely apologize for being a complete jerk the last time I was here. I preyed on you more than anypony. I’m very, very sorry.”

The yellow mare regarded the griffoness with a steadier gaze than Gilda expected. Ultimately, she nodded. “OK, Gilda. I’ll consider us back to square one. You can get on my good side by telling me about the hippogriff that’s obviously in your family tree.” She turned to Edge. “Unless it’s in yours? Or maybe both?”

Edge shrugged. “We’ve compared notes and neither of us have any idea. Too far back, I guess.”

Gilda tilted her head. “You know about how hippogriff ancestors can make griffons and ponies interfertile?”

Fluttershy frowned. “Doesn’t everypony?”

“Well, Edge, I’m not hungry anymore. Who knew tea and cucumber sandwiches could be so filling?”

“Fluttershy treated me to a tea party a year ago when I came out for that seminar at Twilight’s castle. I can confidently say she makes the best in Equestria that I’ve ever tasted.”

“I believe it.”

The pair walked in silence for a time. Edge said, “So, Carousel Boutique next, right?”

“Is that what Rarity calls it? Make sense. No… I don’t think she’s next.” Gilda grabbed onto his arm and squeezed herself against him. “If I know this rainbow-hued mare, she’ll be finding us long before we get there.”

The pegasus stallion looked down at his trapped arm. Rather than asking for her to allow blood to flow there again, he said, “And you’re nervous?”

“You’re damn right I am. She’s the reason –” With a sigh, Gilda released his arm and stopped in her tracks, facing away from him.

After shaking his arm quickly to restore circulation, Edge used it to pull his mate against his chest. Nearly a minute passed before Gilda spoke again.

“We were as close as sisters – scratch that – as close as pony sisters. Griffons don’t care about each other quite the same way. Rainbow and I would constantly push each other to get better in Cloudsdale. But no matter how competitive we got, there was one rule above all others: have your friend’s back. The two of us got into more trouble than we had any right to get out of, but we were unbeatable as a team.” Edge felt her shiver. “I ran out on that team when I followed her to Ponyville.”

Edge wrapped his mate in his wings, comforting her as best he could. Straining his ears, he heard Gilda counting. “… seven… eight… nine… ten.”

Right on cue, a rainbow-colored streak screamed overhead, turned sharply downward, and slammed into the ground not ten feet behind Edge. He released his grip and turned to see Rainbow Dash in the classic superhero pose, complete with Wonderbolt Reserves uniform. The mare stood straight, lifted her goggles onto her forehead, then put on an unconcerned air. “Well, well. Look who’s finally had the guts to come back to the scene of the crime.”

Gilda exhaled then took a step away from Edge. She looked at the ground in front of the pegasus mare. “Rainbow, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. For running away, for not supporting you, but mostly for the lousy way I treated your friends.” Gilda swallowed and stared into the mare’s eyes. “I was so afraid of losing you… of not being your number one priority and number one friend that I betrayed the years of trust we had built up.” She swallowed again and looked away. She went to wipe away a tear only to stop herself and then follow through and do so. “So… so I’m sorry.” Gilda sniffed and bowed her head again.

Rainbow Dash’s sneer had faded into a blank look as Gilda continued. “Wow. You really are sorry.” After a few seconds, she nodded. “OK. We’re cool.”

The blue mare shifted her gaze to the stallion and flew forward with a fist outstretched. He quickly raised a fist to meet hers before it impacted his chest. She then struck a pose. “Heya, Edge! You see here? I’m a Wonderbolt now! OK, so I’m a Reservist, but I’m a shoo-in to become the youngest Wonderbolt ever, just like I said I would!”

The stallion smiled. “I see that. Congratulations, Dash. I know you’ll get there.”

“Of course, I will! And some congrats go back your way, too. You just gotta remember to do a ‘hunt and release’ rather than ‘hunt and capture and start knitting teeny foal’s socks’ like you’ve been doing. Seriously, though, this is the coolest and definitely the fastest griffon I know. You must have been faster than your average, slow, ponderous self to catch her!”

“Oh, ha, ha. Not every sentence has to be a slow joke, Rainbow.”

“You’re right. It’s only when I’m talking about you.”

Gilda waved her hands. “Wait! Wait! That’s it? Just, ‘I forgive you and we’re cool’?”

Rainbow Dash turned to face the griffoness. “We’ve been friends a lot longer than you’ve chosen not to be. Yeah, you were a royal jerk, but friendship means you accept that your friends can have really, really bad days. That’s something I learned right here when I had my bad days… maybe even days worse than yours.”

The griffoness continued to gape until the blue pegasus mare spread her wings. “Anyway, I gotta go. Something’s up for tonight and I promised I’d help out. Don’t be strangers, you two.” She snapped her goggles down over her eyes and rocketed up and out of sight.

Edge smiled at the retreating rainbow streak until he saw his wife hadn’t moved or changed her open-mouth stare. He rushed to her side and caught her as she collapsed. Gilda sobbed into his shirt while he hugged her with arms and wings. Eventually, she got a few words in through the tears. “A waste. It was all a waste. All that time I ran away… all that time I stayed away from here. All that time in the wilderness because I couldn’t bring myself to come here instead. It was all a waste.”

Edge pulled back and lifted Gilda’s chin until she looked him in the eyes. “No, it wasn’t.” When her sniffling stopped, he said, “You found me. We found each other. We’re bringing another life into this world, together. I know that was worth it. And you do too.”

The griffoness hugged him, burying her face in his neck. After another minute, they stood and faced each other, holding hands. Gilda let go for a moment to wipe her tears away. “Thanks, Love. Thanks for reminding me… reminding me of what I already know.” Edge embraced her and stroked her neck and back tenderly.

Rainbow Dash dove in with another trademark superhero landing. She stood and waved her arms. “Gilda! Gilda! I totally forgot to ask. Has Edge done the thing where he pounds you in the ass, reaches around to tickle your insides while flicking his thumb on your clit, all while yelling out, ‘Baby, I’m your steaming freight train of love! Toot! Tooooot!’”

The griffoness tilted her head and blinked. “Ahhhhhh…. Nooooooooooo?”

Edge said, “Rainbow, that never happened.”

The blue mare smiled wider. “Not all of it. See ya!” She sprang into the air and hurtled away at breakneck speed.

Gilda narrowed her eyes and focused on her husband’s.

The pegasus stallion stepped out of her grasp. “Well, come on! Carousel Boutique is this way.” He took Gilda’s hand in his and tried to pull her forward.

“Fluttershy sure blushed a lot when she saw you, didn’t she?”

Another tug from Edge failed to convince Gilda to start moving. “Gotta finish your apology tour, don’t you think, dear?”

“And even the book nerd princess said something about you two being well beyond informal. I wonder what that meant?”

“The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can go home!”

Gilda smirked. “I can almost imagine it. This smart, attractive, unattached, and overall awesome pegasus stallion showed up in town. A town filled with so many accomplished similarly unattached mares. There he catches the eye of – what – two … three mares? More? Why, it’d almost be like a buffet!”

Edge chuckled while looking everywhere except at his wife. “You did say you wanted to leave Ponyville as soon as possible. Right?”

Gilda pivoted and grabbed her stallion around the waist again. “Yeah, I don’t know. The place is starting to grow on me. Think of all the friends I’ve made here. Friends who…” Her eyes went wide and her beak fell open.

Sensing his wife wouldn’t do so, Edge finished her sentence. “Friends who see when you’re hurting. Friends who come in and know what to say to help you feel like you’re back on top.”

Gilda pulled Edge close again. “Yeah. Exactly that.” At length, she sniffled. “I don’t know if I deserve friends like that.”

“You do, dear. And no one knows that better than me.” He stepped to one side, one arm around her waist. “Come on. One more friend to make today.”

“Yeah. Yeah. At least this one will be easy.”

“What do you mean, ‘No!’?”

“Precisely that, darling. I do not accept your apology.”

Gilda waved her wings, knocking over a ponyquin holding the latest in Rarity’s Spring fashion line. “But you’re the Elemental of Generosity. It’s, like, illegal for you to hold a grudge!”

Rarity briefly lit her horn to right the ponyquin and smooth out its dress. “Yes, I am the Element of Generosity, but you have some debts to settle first. Oh, and so marvelous to see you again, Edge.”

The griffoness folded her wings. “Fine, fine. As long as those debts don’t include last year’s favorite stallion-toy.”

The fashionista smiled. “Oh, was he now? First of all, there’s the matter of a certain rumor regarding Celestia and I. Would you have something to do with that?”

“Oh, heh, heh. OK, I’m sorry for my part in that, which may have been a pretty big part, actually. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to talk down the Pink Terror?”

“We’ve come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. You see, the two of you will be attending a wedding tomorrow morning.” After the silence stretched out several seconds, she clarified. “Your wedding.”

Edge said, “But we’re already married.”

“Before a judge, I presume? No, the two of you positively must have a proper ceremony. Pinkie is busy arranging the party. I shall provide your attire, of course.”

The couple looked at each other and came to a wordless agreement.

Gilda nodded to Rarity. “OK. That sounds great. So that’s it? With that, we’re good?”

Rarity levitated three cloth tape measures, a notepad, and a pencil in her magic as she approached. “Just one more teensy, weensy little thing. The girls will be taking you out for your bachelorette party this evening. There you can tell us all about how you two met.”

The griffoness laughed. “Everything except the juicy parts, right?”

“Darling, you have my permission to skip everything except the juicy bits.”

“Tartarus, yeah! A bachelorette party with you mares sounds awesome!”

The unicorn hugged her. “Outstanding!” She pulled away. “Now I need to take your measurements. Arms out, please.”

Edge started for the door. “Have fun, dear! See you in the morning.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “And where do you think you’re going, young stallion? I’ll need your measurements to alter your suit, and we can’t deprive you of a bachelor party, now, can we?”

The pegasus stopped and turned around. “Ah, OK. I suppose that’s fair. Who do I talk to?”

“I hope you don’t mind if it’s a tad… unconventional. Spikey-Wikey told me Discord is running an Ogres and Oubliettes game tonight.”

“Wait. The Lord of Chaos is running a live-action role-play session? How in Equus did that happen?”

“Ponyville.”

The pegasus blinked. “OK. I suppose that’s all the explanation it needs. But a foals’ make-believe game…”

Gilda snorted. “What’s wrong, lover? Afraid you’ll turn into an even bigger nerd than you already are? If that’s even possible?”

“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll keep an open mind and try to have fun.”

Spike adjusted his cardboard chestplate and shield. “You know what, Edge? You're gonna love this. There’s nothing better than bashing and smashing your way through rank after rank of enemies.”

The pegasus stallion planted the butt of his halberd on the ground and punched the blade a few times. The thin cardboard weapon shivered but refused to bend in half. That gave him some confidence in the equally flimsy-looking sword at his hip. “Seems sturdy enough. What’s my name again?”

Spike spun his mace in one hand. “Sir Brian Neville-Smythe, Knight of the Realm. I’m Gorbash the mighty dragon. Big Mac is Carolinus the Wise, and Discord is Dafydd ap Hywel the archer.”

The red earth pony strode up, his cloak billowing around him resembling a dangerously green tablecloth. Unlike the other weapons, his wizard staff showed a little color – the jewel at the top had been crudely marked with red crayon. “Spike’s got the right of it. Ya two break through them ground troops in front, Disc … uh … Dafydd and Ah will hold off the flyin’ squids, and then we all take on the boss.”

The pegasus looked down the hill and past the several rows of cardboard cutouts of marching angry squids and a few airborne squads complete with butterfly wings. A huge Kraken towered over everybeing, a small black book in one tentacle. Perched on its back was the cardboard figure of Gilda in an old-fashioned dress, swooning in fright. A glint in the distance made him realize Discord had somehow ‘borrowed’ his mate’s ring for the evening. Edge drank in the sight; fairly certain this would be the only time he would ever see his lifemate swoon. “Soooo… what’s the plan?”

Spike shrugged. “Plan? What plan? I’m the mighty dragon Gorbash. I smash. I bash.” He pointed his mace at the pegasus. “That’s my plan.”

“I got that. I mean what’s the plan when we get to the boss?”

Discord stepped up to the group holding a longbow nearly as tall as himself. His nocked arrow sported a head with serrated blades that dripped fire. “We never plan. We just go in swinging and make it up as we go. The Macho War Party has never tasted failure!”

Cutting Edge scrunched his eyes at the pool of fire growing beneath the arrowhead. “Don't you think that’s just a bit overkill? For cardboard?”

Spike slammed his mace on the ground with a very light thump. “I don’t want to be fighting through a conflagration on my way through their lines ... Wait … I’m fireproof. Never mind.”

Edge said, “But I’m not.”

Big Mac said. “Eeyup. Standard arrows if ya wanna support from a distance, Dafydd.”

The Lord of Chaos sighed and then spun his bow in the air. When it stopped moving it was replaced with a much smaller bow constructed of smooth bright blue material. The black arrow was made of the same substance and sported a suction cup on the business end. He looked critically at the pegasus. “You don’t seem enthusiastic, Sir Brian. What could possibly be more important than saving your beloved Lady Geronde the Griffoness?”

“Well, I guess I expected the normal bachelor party full of dancing, drinking, and cheating at games of chance until we get thrown out of the casino.”

“Hmmmm… yes. Let’s make this more interesting. You need a little motivation is all.” Discord snapped his fingers and the rings on Edge and faux-Gilda pulsed with light. “You won’t be allowed to marry your griffon unless you save yon dulcet damsel.”

Edge smiled. “Too late. We got married by a judge a while ago.”

The draconequus pulled at his chin hairs. “Oh. Well, in that case, you won’t be allowed to have the far superior Ponyville ceremony tomorrow… morning.”

Spike gave Discord the stink-eye. “All the mares are gonna rip you a new one.”

Discord spread his arms wide. “So, all we have to do is win, right? I mean it’s either that or we listen to this stallion’s previous trip to town over beers at Berry Punch’s bar. Some sort of boring lecture, I’ve been told. This is going to be much more fun!”

Big Mac pushed Edge forward with his staff. “Come on, lovercolt. Go win yer mare’s favor the honest way… with shredded cardboard. Plus, you’ll be savin’ Dis … uh … Dafydd getting all yelled at by Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy? Why?”

“Because they’re engaged.”

Edge’s eyes went wide in panic for a moment before recovering. He adjusted his cardboard helmet and lifted the halberd. “You know what? Beer can wait. Storytime can wait forever. Let’s go recycle these creeps! A Neville-Smith! A Neville-Smith!”

With a rousing cheer, the war party charged down the hill to face their foe.

No one at Berry Punch’s Bar gave the cardboard-armored group a second glance.

“Dang rotten timing there, Edge. Cain’t say ya didn’t try hard as you could.”

“Yeah, I was sure you had time to fly to her after you skewered the Kraken boss in the eye.”

“Let me remind you, Mr. Edge, that you called for me to switch to fire arrows when our other weapons just made it mad.”

“No sweat, guys.” Edge held up the arm of Lady Geronde. The arm ended at the elbow in a blackened mass that still released a little smoke. The pegasus placed his ring next to the one still embedded in the cardboard where they gleamed together. “I got the ring, so I say the Macho War Party still has a perfect record!”

Three beer mugs and one root beer mug clinked together at the center of the table with loud cheers.

“… There I was in my cave in the Everfree, my elbows bound to my knees on either side, suspended off the ground by my own chains, his seed dripping from my every hole, completely helpless—”

“Ya mean, ‘Choosin’ not ta use yer magic’.”

“Big Mac thought a length of chain wrapped around my horn would neutralize it. He assumed I was Queen of the Fey. It was an honest mistake!”

“Annnnywaaay ...”

“Anyway, he bent down on one knee, forced me to kiss him, repeated that I was the most beautiful mare in all of Equus, and demanded my hand in marriage.” She sighed. “It was all so romantic! How could I possibly say ‘no’?”

The silence stretched out in the private dining room. Gilda looked around the calligraphy scroll decorations as she scratched her head with a talon. She peered across the large circular table filled with empty serving plates and bamboo steamer baskets. “Chrysalis, you and I have got vastly differing opinions on what makes something romantic, but I’m ecstatic you found someone who loves you as much as you love him.”

“Indeed! I would brave the fires of Tartarus for my stallion and he would do the same for me. I have upended my world and haven’t regretted a moment. I hope all of you can feel the same intensity of love someday.”

Gilda smiled. “Yep. Know that feeling, especially the upending part. So how did the rest of you find out?” The six identical looks of shock made the griffoness burst out laughing. “Oh, yeah. The Queen and I spilled about our triple-X-rated sexcapades. Now it’s your turn to fess up. I definitely need to hear this.”

The rest of the Mare Six all looked at Twilight who cleared her throat. “Well, the next evening, we all returned from Canterlot, and Applejack offered to host a sleepover at the farm. Just after we got inside the house, there was a crash—”

Chrysalis said, “That was the bed collapsing.”

“– and Granny Smith yelled, ‘Quick! Queen Chrysalis is upstairs!’ The six of us gallop up there and burst into Big Mac’s room.”

The changeling queen howled with laughter while pounding the table with a fist.

Rarity said, “Big Mac had Chrysalis suspended upside down in a position that left nothing to the imagination. It was a more… sedate group of mares that made our way back downstairs to find Granny Smith clutching her stomach, rolling on the floor with tears leaking from her eyes.”

Chrysalis got her chuckles under control. “Ah heh, heh! You would never guess Granny had such a mischievous sense of humor.”

Gilda smiled. “Huh. No yelling at the two of you to keep it down so she could sleep?”

“Not once. She just said we would have to fix the house if we ever knock it off its foundations. This gives us something to aspire to.”

Applejack added, “While telling me somethin’ about Granny Smith and Grandpa Crimson Crisp that Ah coulda gone a long, long time bein’ happy not knowin’.”

That drew another round of laughter.

Chrysalis said, “Now I just need to become a master baker. Unfortunately, Granny’s teaching style is: you always remember your failures – go experience all of them.”

Gilda said, “Have you thought of asking your friends for help?”

“Applejack knows better than to contradict her elder’s wishes, and I find Pinkie’s methods… unreproducible.”

Fluttershy tapped her fingers lightly on the table, instantly getting everyone’s attention. “Umm… over tea and sandwiches, Edge told me that Gilda runs a baking stand in their hometown market… and that she’s very successful.”

The griffoness returned the queen’s hopeful smile. “Sure, I’d love to show you the ropes. Choose a kitchen and time. I’ll pass on what I know.”

“Thank you! I would be in your debt.”

Gilda stood up from the table and stretched her wings and arms above her head. “OK, Twilight. I know you love your checklists. What’s next?”

The purple mare likewise stood followed by the remaining six mares. A scroll appeared in midair in front of her held in her magic. “Dinner at Ponyville’s newest Japony-ese restaurant, check! Did you like it?”

“I loved it! I’ll have to convince Edge to go to one I’ve seen near our apartment. The fish here was the best I’ve ever had, by far!”

“Great! So, you get to choose now. We can cheer on the oiled-up stallions at a Tomenjerry show, crash a salsa and merengue dance party, or try out a new thing called an escape room.”

Pinkie Pie waved a hand. “Oh! Oh! I know the mare who runs it and she swears it will be a real challenge. No Applejack bucking doors open, Fluttershy talking mice into letting us out, or other cheater stuff that we’re all so good at!” The pink earth pony pointed at Chrysalis. “And she got Pharynx to add some rules to keep sneaky changeling royalty from spoiling it for everypony!” The queen’s ears perked up in interest.

Twilight said, “And we’ll end the night at Friendship Castle where I’ve gotten chocolates and other desserts catered in from C’est Magnifique’s in Canterlot.”

Rarity gasped. “You didn’t!”

Rainbow Dash said, “That’s the super-good fru-fru stuff you had at your store opening in Canterlot, right? Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. Hey, what happened to your ring?”

Gilda lifted her hand. “Huh. It was there when we came in.”

Twilight’s horn glowed followed by the griffoness’ ring finger. “Chaos magic, which has a time limit. I bet you’ll get it back tomorrow morning at the ceremony.”

Gilda shrugged. “Oh, well. I’ll just chalk it up to Ponyville weirdness. Looks like I’m a single bachelorette for one more night, ladies.”

Rarity asked, “So, darling, which of those sounds the most appealing?”

All eyes fell on the griffoness. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. “What’s always the right answer for multiple choice questions? ALL OF THE ABOVE!”

Ignoring Twilight’s hand raised in protest, seven Tartarus-raisers let out a whooping roar and stampeded out of the restaurant and into the night.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Airy Words wrote this chapter while I edited it. He also made the pics of Applejack and Chryssy courtesy of https://perchance.org/furry-ai

Chapter 10

“What you need more than anything is a good breakfast, Edge, and nothing’s better than Spike’s Super Special Four Fried Fish Filet Frittata!” The young dragon dipped his hand into a large pot and the oil bubbling within. He scooped up the last of the fish pieces and placed them with the others on paper towels next to the stove.

The pegasus drank down the rest of the green liquid in his glass and shuddered. “You’re sure this will make my head feel better? I never should have tried to drink Big Mac under the table.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t your smartest move of the night. I don’t think you even got him tipsy.” Spike used a whisk to stir the contents of a mixing bowl furiously. With surprising coordination, he carefully added three measuring cups of different cheeses while blowing a gentle flame into the mixture. After a full minute, he nodded. Turning back to the fish, he used a chef’s knife to dice the filets.

“Won’t the frittata mixture make the fried fish soggy?”

“Nope! Watch and observe true genius!” The dragon hopped onto the counter to retrieve a large pie pan already filled with a layer of dough. The fish went inside first, then a thin translucent disk that fit snugly against the dough rising on the sides. “Rice paper! Trust me, this will turn out great!” Next, he half-poured, half-spread the egg and cheese mixture followed by a layer of finely grated cheese. Spike hopped down with the pan in his claws, used a foot to open the oven, and walked onto the oven door to place the pie pan in the exact center of the middle rack. After closing the door with a kick, he wiped his hands on his apron with a beaming smile. “In twenty minutes, you will be in gastronomic heaven!”

Edge stood and decided he did feel a bit better. “Looking forward to it! Let me clean up while you relax. You’ve earned it.”

“Ah, well. If you insist.” The young dragon took off his apron and scrambled back onto the counter. He slowly climbed into the pot, causing the bubbling noise to increase in volume. He closed his eyes with a contented smile and leaned back – only his head and knees out of the liquid.

The pegasus paused just before filling the sink with water. “You want me to turn up the heat for you?”

“Would you? I’d get out and do it, but this is sooooo nice!”

“Ha, ha! I’ll take your word for it.” After bumping up the heat control a couple of notches, Edge gathered the various kitchen implements and brought them to the sink. “Do you know when I’m supposed to head over to Carousel Boutique?”

“Oh, yeah. That reminds me. I need to find my bow tie. Now where did I put it?” After a few seconds lost in contemplation, he looked up. “Sorry, what did you ask again?”

“Final fitting of my tuxedo?”

“Right. That’ll be when Twilight gets a note to me. If you go before then, you might see the wedding dress early which would get us both in serious trouble! My big sis can simulate dragonfire well enough to send messages over short distances… if the note isn’t too long… or written in small script… or you actually want to read the sheet that is now pure carbon.”

Edge smiled. “So if she’s being predictable, it works well enough?”

“Yep! Good thing I’m more familiar with her mood swings than anyone else.”

The pegasus chuckled as he turned off the water, added some liquid soap, and dunked the cutting board. “Rarity said the wedding will take place at noon. I bet the girls were up later than late last night. When do you think we’ll see them?”

“Twenty-nine minutes and fifteen seconds from now.”

Edge stopped scrubbing the cutting board and looked up. “You sound pretty confident.”

“Nineteen minutes until I pull breakfast out of the oven, ten minutes until the smell reaches their room, and fifteen seconds for them to stampede downstairs and demolish all my hard work. Oh, and I suggest you eat your slice before then or you’ll never get a taste.” Spike took a deep breath and slid his head under the cooking oil.

After cleaning off the residual oil on his scales with a quick burst of flame, Spike toweled off the ash, pulled breakfast out of the oven, and cut it into eight slices. When the dish had cooled sufficiently, Edge tempted fate by taking the biggest piece and sitting at the large kitchen table.

Soon, he looked up at the sound of thunder rolling toward him. In moments, six mares and one griffoness stormed into the kitchen, gave their chef a quick ‘Thank you, Spike!’ and grabbed a slice. The Elements of Harmony sat at the table, each talking continuously as they ate.

Gilda flew over and sat in her husband’s lap. The griffoness paused with her slice halfway to her mouth when she noticed the piece in Edge’s hand. She gave him a hopeful smile.

Edge shook his head. “Don’t even ask. Spike’s cooking is very, very good. I simply don’t love you that much.”

She cawed with laughter before raising her piece and taking a bite. After a few seconds, she swallowed. “Hey, this is really good! Don’t go asking for the rest of mine, either.”

“Just the Element Bearers? What happened to Chrysalis?”

“Don’t know. She got all antsy and bailed out before we finally settled down for a few hours of sleep. I bet she can’t go a full day without having her stud inside her.”

“Or she’s afraid some other mare will use her absence as a chance to get their claws into him.”

“Nah, she’s not that immature.” The griffoness stopped chewing for a moment and narrowed her eyes. “OK, maybe so.”

Twilight moved her attention away from Pinkie Pie. “Spike, this is fantastic. New recipe?”

Rarity said, “Quite wonderful, Spikey Wikey! This is all vegetarian, right?”

Rainbow Dash wiped crumbs off her hands. “Awesome stuff, Spike! Tastes familiar. Hey, Edge, what’s this called?”

Edge opened his mouth to answer but the small dragon cut him off. “You’re right, it is a new recipe. Spike’s Super Special Four Fried Cheese Frittata!”

Applejack said, “It is, huh? That fried cheese stayed nice ‘n’ chewy! Well, call this here dish a success!”

Pinkie Pie opened her slice and licked the revealed middle. “Rice paper to keep the fried crispness crispy, huh? I’ll have to put that in my picnic basket of baking tricks!”

Gilda stopped chewing and stared at her mate. There was no fooling a catbird when it came to fish. On two occasions, she gave their hometown fishmonger the riot act when the stallion tried to substitute a cheaper variety. Edge winked. The skin under Gilda’s eyes crinkled and she winked back. It would be their secret.

Edge adjusted his lavender bowtie and checked the position of the sun. Despite being a rush job, the tuxedo fit better than his two suits back home. The shade provided by City Hall had just retreated away from the raised stage. It was perhaps an hour before noon and fortunately not too hot. Ponyville residents slowly filed into the open space, randomly taking spots in the guest seating area.

“Nervous yet?” asked a voice below him and to one side.

The pegasus looked down and saw the small purple dragon wearing a black coat with tails and a sharp black bowtie. “Exactly the same number of jitters as the first time in front of a judge. Zip. There’s only one thing bothering me. You know how nopony is supposed to outshine the bride on her wedding day? Your outfit is doing exactly that to me right now.”

“Good thing you’re not the bride then.”

Edge laughed. “Point for you. OK, smart guy. I already know why the bridal party isn’t here yet – last-minute preparations. But do you know why we had to arrive an hour before the ceremony?”

Spike held up two fingers. “Two reasons. The second will be wedding party photos. The first is greeting family. Twilight had me contact yours with my dragonfire. Unfortunately, your parents were too far away…” He looked up. “… but someone else could make it.”

The flap of decelerating wings followed by boots hitting the ground made Edge turn. He swooped down from the stage and hugged the new arrival. “Parhelia! How ya doing, Sis? I can’t believe you’re here!” He pulled away to get a better look. “Is that the new dress uniform for the Weather Scouts? I love it!”

The blue pegasus mare spread her wings and beamed. “Isn’t it great? It’s not official yet. This is one of the candidates for the uniform change that will happen next year. Last night, I got a two-day pass, orders to go to the regiment tailors, and directed in no uncertain terms to show up in Ponyville before noon. I have to return the uniform on Monday with all the feedback I receive.” The pegasus mare tilted her head. “Pretty unusual assignment. I take it you still have some pull with Her Royal Highness, Princess of Friendship, and Element of Magic Twilight Sparkle?”

“It would seem that I do, or Twilight’s friends have enough pull on her to make sure I have a proper wedding this time complete with family. Oh, I’m being rude.” Edge guided her up onto the stage. “Parhelia, this is Twilight’s Number One Assistant and little brother, Spike – also known in O&O sessions as Gorbash the Mighty. Spike, this is my sister Parhelia.”

The little dragon took the offered hand and kissed the back of it. “A pleasure to meet you, M’lady. I take it you got your cutie mark when you saw a sun dog?”

“Why, that’s right!” The pegasus mare blinked rapidly. Edge didn’t know if it was from the over-the-top greeting or finally encountering someone who knew the meaning of her name. “We grew up in a mountain town and I loved flying through any and all sorts of weather. On a very cold, still morning, I saw a circumzenithal arc, upper and lower tangent arcs, the 22-degree halo, and Parhelia. That’s when I knew I’d always be happiest in the air.”

Edge smiled. “The Weather Scouts were the perfect fit for her. Able to fly anywhere, anywhen, and work in a team to change the weather as needed: increase rain and lightning on our enemies or reduce the wind on our troops and allies. Wait… is that Grandpa’s cane?”

“Sure is! The one Grandma gave to him when he made Captain. With Mom and Dad away in Zebrica, at least this way, our family can be here in spirit.”

The pegasus stallion took the offered walking stick and held it reverently. “That’s… Wow! That’s such a great idea, Sis! I just… I wish…”

She hugged him with a wing. “Me too, Edge. They would have loved Gilda! Grandma would be telling her every embarrassing story she could dredge up about us. Grandpa would be flirting with Gilda shamelessly while Grandma threatened him with a soup ladle.”

Edge chuckled. “Yeah, and unlike my high school marefriends, Gilda would know he was all talk and flirt right back when she wasn’t laughing her ass off.” He rotated the cane, allowing the sun to glint off the silver knob and bands. Edge gently rapped the stage twice with the bottom of the walking stick before passing it back. “Thanks, Sis. This means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome.” Parhelia looked around. “I don’t see your bride. I hope it’s just for last-minute alterations. The foal isn’t due for another month, right? Oh, wait, there she is.”

Edge’s pegasus vision picked out Gilda and the Mane Six in the distance. As they grew closer, he saw that each Element wore a summer dress with the same design but in a different solid pastel shade. They climbed up the left side of the stage and formed a line while Twilight led Gilda to the center. After a brief hug and promise to catch up with Parhelia later, Gilda stood in front of Edge while his sister hopped down to the front row of seating.

Gilda’s strapless white dress complemented her tuft and head feathers. She clutched a bouquet of white roses over her belly. Her natural eye shadow and feather highlights matched the color of Edge’s bowtie exactly. After whistling in appreciation, Edge stared into the gold irises that always captivated him. “You look amazing!”

She smiled. “You clean up pretty good yourself!”

A voice above them and behind the stage called out, “Oh my goodness! Look at you two! Absolutely fabulous! The most resplendent newlyweds I have ever seen!”

Everybody looked up, way up to see a purple sea serpent squishing his cheeks with his hands – his eyes wide open and sparkling. His mullet hairstyle and long mustache quivered in his excitement.

Edge’s jaw and Gilda’s beak dropped open wide, stunned by the appearance of the newcomer and unsure how to react. The calmness of the ponies around them to the bizarre monster conflicted with their fight-or-flight response.

Twilight giggled and took over introductions. “Gilda Griffon and Cutting Edge, I’d like you to meet Steven Magnet.”

“I am over Luna’s Moon with joy right now! You both just have to tell me about how you met. I mean, there’s plenty of time before the ceremony; isn’t there? If you two don’t mind?”

Rarity shook her head. “Most terribly sorry, Steven. There’s just no time. By the way, I positively love what you’re doing with your mustache now! Très magnifique!”

The sea serpent lightly tugged on one side of his 'stach. “Do you like it? Oh, but I can’t take credit. It was Aloe who recommended I try a subtle perm.” He paused. “Or was it Lotus? Anyway… wait… let me guess. You have a special guest to introduce to this attractive couple?”

A symphony of flashbulbs went off throughout the guest seating, causing the wedding party to turn around and raise their hands protectively. When the spots cleared from everyone’s eyes, a pale blue earth pony with a stark white mane and tail stood in the center aisle. She wore a black dress with white vertical stripes. The dress accent colors and her oversized goggles were the same shade of violet. The mare held up a hand and called out, “I, Photo Finish, have arrived! It is time to make the magic!”

Rarity bounced in the air, cackling. In answer to everyone’s stare, she said, “Why, yes! I did arrange for the most famous and best fashion photographer in all of Equus. Thank you for asking.” She trotted off of the stage. “Yoo-hoo! Miss Photo Finish! Can we—”

“Enough!” yelled the mare. “I am not here for you. We start with the most important. Bride! Purple pony! Stay! All others! Go!”

Everyone but Twilight and Gilda left the stage, with Fluttershy riding on the sea serpent’s back. Before departing, Edge kissed the griffoness. “Kissing is for later!” the photographer yelled at his retreating form. The alicorn stepped up next to the bride.

An assistant with a terminally bored expression quickly unfolded an accordion-style camera and placed it on a tripod. Two more stone-faced helpers set up light boxes on either side of the camera.

Photo Finish walked up to a smiling Twilight and Gilda, looked them up and down, then past them. “No. No. This will not do.”

The light blue mare made a shooing motion at Twilight. “Eh! Eh! Eh!” With a frown, the alicorn stepped away from Gilda. “You! You are Princess, yes? And you have pledged to help make this wedding a success? Memorable? Fantastic and without compare? Yes? Yes?”

Twilight blinked. “Well… yes.”

“Good.” Photo Finish retreated to her camera and looked through the reticle mounted on top. “You must feel grateful. Rarely has Photo Finish allowed others to help in making the magic. Now move sun to peak above background mountains.”

“What!? I can’t do that!”

“Of course you can! This is something all alicorns can do, yes? You will write a letter to the Sun Princess that this was necessary. Feel free to sprinkle in such things as ‘gave my word’ and ‘the peerless Photo Finish’ and ‘friendship’ and whatnot.” The photographer pulled back. At some unspoken signal, the assistants moved the tripod and lighting fractionally. She leaned back in. “Photo Finish is aware this may be inconveniencing the Day Pony in some fashion. As a concession, I, Photo Finish, will send a copy of the enlargements to her.”

Twilight bit her lip, looked at Gilda, and then at the distant mountains.

“Chop! Chop! The wedding must not be delayed!”

“Ooooohhhh…” The purple mare danced in place, looking uncannily like a foal who needed to use the water closet. “… I hope Celestia doesn’t get too mad at me.” She lit her horn and moved the sun just above the mountains.”

“Lower! … Lower! … More red! … Perfect! … Bride! Hold your flowers under your chest. Good! Good! Smile!” Gilda shot a glance at the still-dancing Twilight who stared at Canterlot in the distance. The griffoness tried to grin but wide eyes betrayed her true mood.

“No! Not like that! Imagine you are showing your newborn cub to your husband for the first time!” Instantly, the nervousness vanished from Gilda’s face and her features softened. “Yes! Yes! Just like that!”

FLASH!### ###FLASH!

Twenty minutes later, the full wedding party posed across the stage. Now that the sun rested in its proper place straight overhead, Twilight looked much more relaxed.

Photo Finish raised her head from behind the camera, now stationed in the center aisle. “No! No! Small dragon. Colorful mares. Happy couple. All of you must make the magic now! All! This … is … not … it!”

Gilda said, “Say ‘cheese’!”

“Cheeeeeeeeeeeese!”

The photographer stomped a hoof. “No! I want spontaneous! I want reality! I want true emotions!”

Cutting Edge caught his mate’s eye and they shared the same predatory smile. They turned back to face the camera and the pegasus said, “Say ‘Spike’s Super Special Four Fried Fish Filet Frittata’!”

Every mare on stage gasped.

FLASH!### ###FLASH!

”YES! YES! There is the magic!”

FLASH!### ###FLASH!

The Elements of Harmony paused in open-mouthed shock. Repeated camera flashes washed away whatever they were going to say to Spike.

Photo Finish raised a hand. “Enough!” Her assistants broke down the light boxes, folded the camera, and scurried toward the train station.

The light blue earth pony held her pose for a few more seconds.

“I go!”

The photographer sprinted away.

Gilda chuckled. “I’m looking forward to seeing those photos… especially the last one. Maybe get a framed enlargement to stretch across our living room wall.” She patted the young dragon’s head as he cowered behind her, grabbing her legs for protection. “I forgot to tell you how much I enjoyed breakfast, Spike! I’ll need that recipe.”

Edge held up a hand to stop the frowning mares who circled closer and closer. “May I remind you ladies that every single one of you thought Spike’s cooking was delicious and heaped him with praise.”

The Elements froze in place. Gilda said, “Any one of you could have asked what was in the dish but tore into it instead. Don’t blame your chef for what your taste buds obviously love.” The six mares looked at each other.

After half a minute, Twilight cleared her throat. “You’re right, Edge… Gilda. Sorry, Spike.”

“Apology-accepted-am-I-not-in-trouble?”

“Not this time. Anyway, it’s noon and the crowd is waiting. Shall we begin the ceremony? Places everyone!”

Still clad in her wedding dress, Gilda leaned back against her newly confirmed husband. Cutting Edge shifted his back against the wall of their sleeper car. The pegasus had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He plucked another piece of cake from the plate lying on the bed beside them and offered it to his wife. She opened her mouth and allowed him to put it there.

After swallowing, she said, “I have to store up energy for our little one. Pinkie’s wonderful cake has nothing to do with it.”

“Whatever you say, dear.”

The griffoness turned her head enough to glare but her heart wasn’t in it. She settled back down with a sigh. “Good stallion. You continue to take care of me, will you?”

“Always. Nice of Twilight to arrange for a bump up in accommodations for our return journey.”

“A big bump,” agreed the griffoness.

The countryside streamed past the window. They heard the lulling sounds of whistling wind and the clacking as the train carriage passed over different sections of track.

Gilda said, “You sure took charge when the yaks showed up.”

“Twilight was struggling. For whatever reason, everything she said kept upsetting one yak sensibility or another.”

“Hmm. I can understand inviting them to join the ‘cute pony wedding reception,’ but what made you ask them to show you how to do a traditional yak dance?”

Edge shrugged, unconcerned that his wife couldn’t see it. “Once I figured out they were upset they didn’t have a gift to give, I asked for the gift of sharing their culture. Most of the food had been eaten by then, so the buffet tables falling over wasn’t a huge loss. The Princess herself told me that today was a great day for Pony-Yak relations.”

After another comfortable silence, Gilda gripped his leg with her talons. “You will not be starting a new career as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s chief diplomatic aid.”

Wincing slightly, the pegasus said, “Why is that, dear? Maybe I’ve gotten tired of making a difference in my current job and would prefer the daily insanity of Ponyville.”

The griffoness released his leg and used that hand to pat his cheek. “Three reasons. First, I know your job is your bliss and you are building a whole new field of science in ‘Control Theory’. Second, Gilda’s Beakery would have no chance of competing against Pinkie Pie’s cakes, Applejack’s fritters, and Chrysalis’s apple everything when I’m done with her lessons.”

“And third?”

Gilda nodded toward the plate of cake, which her husband dutifully supplied. After finishing the chunk, she laid her hand on his arm which rested on her enlarged belly. “Every one of those mares kissed you full on the lips when it was time to go. I have no intention of letting you start a herd.”

Edge squeezed her against him and she felt the vibrations as he laughed. “Are you sure you’re not reading more into that than there is?”

The griffoness tapped her beak with a talon thoughtfully. “Let’s see… A princess bends over backwards to give you a memorable wedding. A professional fashionista and seamstress dresses us both in wedding gear for free. The reception was catered enthusiastically and at a moment’s notice also for free … after we both used up our ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ credit. Applejack doesn’t strike me as somepony who lets people get on her good side right away, which you accomplished. As for Rainbow Dash… well, there’s nothing subtle about Dash. Lastly, when I asked Fluttershy about previous sleepovers the Elements had at Friendship Castle, she blushed furiously. Need I say more?”

Edge chuckled. “I can only say that I find beaked faces more appealing now.”

Gilda poked him. “Keep your eyes off my sister,” she ordered.

“Not the rest of my body? Deal ... Oof!” The last was in response to a playful elbow jab into his side. “You’re just going to have to distract me from that vision now that you’ve brought it up,” he replied with a leer.

“Don’t you dare mess up my dress!” she squawked.

Their wedding outfits survived… barely.

Commander Firm Hooves sipped her coffee as she perused her paperwork. The usual civilian complaints were either filed away or passed on to somepony who would make them ‘go away’. Keeping the peace in her precinct was hard enough without those sniveling troublemakers adding to it. The City Guard had better things to do. Unfortunately, what the mare considered the Guard’s real mission also involved paperwork, and there was never any shortage of that. It was almost a relief when there was a staccato knock on her office door. That changed to annoyance when the Desk Sergeant entered before she gave permission, then confusion when she saw his expression.

“Spit it out, Truncheon!” she commanded.

“Ma’am, you have a visitor demanding to speak to you.”

“So? I’m not obligated to chat with ponies off the street at whim unless they have an appointment, of which I have none.”

“You do when the pony is Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Firm Hooves froze up for a moment. Why would a princess be visiting a Guard precinct far from Canterlot and wanting to talk to her? She shook herself and frowned at Truncheon. “Show her in immediately.”

The commander got up and stood beside her desk in preparation for meeting the royal mare. There was no mistaking the purple alicorn when she entered the office. Between the wings and horn, not to mention her greater than normal height, the tiara she wore was superfluous. What made the commander’s eyebrows rise were the two who accompanied the princess. She recognized the pegasus stallion and griffon hen from an incident a few weeks back. He had a neutral expression but the griffoness was scowling at her. She began to sweat a little. Nevertheless, she gave Twilight Sparkle a brief bow and smile.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” the Guard mare said with an ingratiating smile. “Welcome. I am Commander Firm Hooves. To what can I ascribe the honor of this visit?”

Twilight gave her a smile in return. “Thank you, Commander. I am here to look into allegations of racism, and as Princess of Friendship, it’s my purview to deal with such matters.”

Commander Hooves nodded. “I see. Please take a seat so we can discuss this matter.”

“Thank you.” She turned to look at her companions. And you?”

“We’ll just stand back here, Twi,” Edge replied while holding Gilda’s hand.

Firm Hooves’ heart sank. The pegasus was on nickname terms with the princess? That couldn’t be good. Even so, she forged on. “So, what are these accusations of racism that you want to discuss?”

“My friends here spoke of their experience with one of your constables and their subsequent complaint to this office. In preparation for following this up, I made some further inquiries and have acquired several more statements from various non-pony citizens on this issue. They all center on this precinct. Can you enlighten me on this matter?”

The Princess continued to smile and talk in a friendly tone, but the firmness with which it was asked made it clear that she was demanding an explanation. The Commander’s mind raced, but denial was the only avenue open to her. “As I said to your friends, there was no evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing. Moreover, I can proudly say that the constables of my precinct are never anything less than professional when dealing with other races. Yes, you will hear of accusations of mistreatment, but they are all made by troublemakers and criminals who wish to paint the Guard in a bad light and have no basis in fact.”

Twilight nodded her head thoughtfully. “Then, you are certain that racism is not a problem within the Guard?”

Firm Hooves began to feel more confident that she was swaying this gullible princess. “Absolutely, Your Highness. You will find no evidence of such, at least in my precinct.”

The alicorn regarded the earth pony for a long moment before breaking out into a beaming smile. “That is wonderful to hear, Commander Hooves. In my experience, tension between ponies and other races is rarely absent, but to find that you have managed to keep your command free of it is highly commendable. I’m so happy that my fears have not been realized.”

Edge’s eyebrows rose and Gilda gaped in astonishment. The griffoness made to step forward but the pegasus restrained her and shook his head.

Firm Hooves heaved an internal sigh of relief. Perhaps she and some of her constables would need to keep things on the down low for a while, but for now, it seemed she had pulled the wool over the princess’ eyes. “Always happy to help in any way, Your Highness.”

Twilight’s expression brightened. “Oh! That’s a great idea, Commander. I’m going to send several observers here to study the policing methods that have made your precinct such a shining example of dedication to the principles of tolerance and friendship. I’ll have some watching constables in the performance of their duties in those problem areas, and also one here at the office to observe how complaints and offenders are processed. I’m sure it will provide me with some fascinating insights!”

The Commander froze once more. The princess had not been fooled at all. The earth pony searched desperately for a way out. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but that could interfere in the performance of our duties. Only the Police Commissioner can authorize such a thing, and even then, only with the permission of City Hall.” Hopefully, that idea would die in bureaucracy. If nothing else, it would buy her time to cover things up.

Twilight giggled. “Don’t be silly, Commander. Don’t you know that all authority to act as City Guards and police the population devolves from the Crown? When a city is legally proclaimed, it has to apply to the Crown to establish its own semi-independent Guard to enforce Equestrian law subordinate to Royal overview. In other words, I’m your boss and I don’t need to seek authorization from anypony. I’ll certainly inform your commissioner and mayor of my intentions, but I’ll have those observers here this afternoon.” The alicorn got up and held out her hand. “A pleasure meeting with you, Commander Hooves.”

The earth pony mare shook her hand numbly and watched as the alicorn left, followed by a satisfied pegasus and an openly smirking griffoness. When the door closed behind them, she sank down into her chair, put her hands on her head, and shook it. “I am so fucked.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

The Ponyville scenes were mostly by Airy Words while I handled the precinct scene.

Chapter 11

Gilda and Edge spent the rest of the day giving Twilight the aerial tour around town before heading home where the griffoness prepared dinner for the three of them, earning praise from the alicorn for its deliciousness. The alicorn stayed the night but needed to leave early the next day to return to Ponyville. Gilda nevertheless was up before Twilight, making preparations for the day’s baking. She paused long enough to give her friend a proper farewell.

“This has been a real eye-opener for me these last few days. You and your friends—”

“Our friends,” Twilight corrected.

Gilda chuckled. “Right. You and our friends have taught me so much. I wish I’d learned that long ago.”

“But then you would not have met Edge, so I think that you came out ahead.”

“Yeah, he said as much. I just have a hard time accepting when so many things go right for me.”

“Well, I truly believe you have your life on course now. And with the coming of your foal, I'm betting you and Edge will find true fulfillment as a family. Speaking of which, aren’t you getting near to term? I think you’re entitled to relax a bit until then, don’t you?”

“I’m fine. Edge wants me to take a break too but I’d just be bored. I promised him I’ll stop and rest more often though.”

“Where is that stallion anyway? I need to head off.”

“I heard him in the shower earlier, so he should be out any moment.”

“That moment is now,” Edge announced as he walked into the kitchen already dressed for work. “Good morning, ladies.” He gave his wife a kiss before looking at Twilight. “Are you having breakfast with us?”

“Sorry, no. I really need to get back as soon as possible. I’ll grab something from a Hayburger Barn on the way.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “I knew you’d do something like that, you dweeb. Here!” She handed the alicorn a large paper satchel. “Breakfast muffins, a couple of rolls, a juice box, and a few other snacks for the journey.”

Twilight’s eyebrows rose. “Am I that predictable? Don’t answer that. Thanks, Gilda.”

“Anything for a friend.” She looked to Edge. “Coffee’s ready, love.”

The pegasus got the hint. He took out a travel mug, filled it with the hot brew, and gave it to the alicorn. “That ought to help get your day started. Anyway, it’s been great having you here, Twi. Feel free to fly in anytime.”

“I’d like that, but you better bring your foal to visit me as soon as you’re able.” She opened her arms for a hug which Edge gave her. Gilda was not used to hugging but didn’t hesitate to do the same.

Edge escorted Twilight to the door, noting the carriage waiting for the Princess. “Have a pleasant trip. And thank the others again for all they’ve done for us.”

“You know how best to thank them, Edge. Farewell until then.”

There was a little over a week before the anticipated birth was due when Gilda decided that she would take a break. On her last market day, she made sure to advise her regular customers about taking some time off. Many were surprised she did not do so sooner but all wished her well.

Gilda did not just put her paws up and relax though. She took the opportunity to experiment with new recipes for part of the day and did some recreational flying to keep fit. Then there were the preparations her gynecologist had her doing. Consequently, she was quite tired by the time her husband came home. Edge was happy to pamper her though.

They figured out that the baby was due on Sunday which would be very convenient for both of them. Of course, the foal had its own ideas and Gilda went into labor on Friday instead. Nevertheless, contingency plans had been made. The griffoness knocked on the door of the apartment of Morning Breeze, the enthusiastic pegasus mare she had first met when passing out free baked goods. Breeze had taken a strong interest in the griffoness’ incipient foal and had become a close friend of Gilda’s, often coming over to chat while the griffon baked.

The moment the mare opened the door, she knew what was happening. “Sit down while I call you a cab,” she instructed, making sure Gilda was comfortable before leaving to get that arranged. The griffoness was under strict instructions not to fly if she went into labor and had to rely on ground transport to get to the maternity hospital. As soon as Gilda was on her way, Breeze then flew to Edge’s workplace to inform the stallion of his wife’s condition.

After a hasty word to Crafty who waved him off with a gruff “Get outta here!”, Edge headed to the maternity hospital. He soon found out which ward Gilda had been admitted to and he hurried there.

The griffoness rolled her eyes at the frantic look on his face. “Calm down, love. It’s early labor still. The midwife says I’m not likely to give birth for hours yet. You should know this.”

Edge had to admit that was true, but that had all flown out of his mind the moment that he heard from Breeze.

Gilda hoped that it would not be too many hours though. She had been told that first-time mothers tended to take longer than ones who had given birth before. On average, six to twelve hours, although so many factors could influence that considerably. A mixed-race birth introduced even more variables. Still, the gynecologist had been unworried, citing plenty of other births at various hospitals.

Several hours passed as the contractions got more frequent and stronger. Gilda was given special gloves to wear so that her talons would not tear up the hospital bed or her husband’s reassuring hands. After what seemed an eternity to the expectant parents but the midwife assured them was a perfectly normal and satisfactory progression, it came time for the griffoness to push. Amidst some colorful imprecations to the pegasus that had gotten her in that condition, the foal almost abruptly came fully into the world.

“Congratulations,” the midwife said. “It’s a colt. A hippogriff colt.”

Panting hard still, Gilda struggled to get a good look at the child she brought into the world. Edge helped prop her up and they watched as the midwife cleaned up the foal.

Gilda laughed and squeezed her husband’s hand. “Not just interfertile but a hippogriff foal. Looks like there’s a clinical reason we’re both so odd.”

“Maybe that also explains why I found you so hot right from the get-go.”

“Nah. That was all me.”

The nurse laid the squirming infant into his mother’s arms. The baby settled down immediately. Gilda smiled as she admired their child’s blue plumage and golden mane and tail.

“Quite appropriate, don’t you think, love?” Edge replied with pride.

“Buck, yeah.”

As much as possible, Gilda and Edge shared the foal-minding duties. He got to see for himself how the little hippogriff’s malleable beak softly conformed to his mother’s nipples so that he could suckle. As Edge watched and Gilda smirked at him, he again broached the subject of a name for their son. Neither had been able to agree yet. She wanted to go with a traditional Griffonstone style name starting with G. He pointed out that she wanted almost nothing to do with her old home city, so why not go with a pony type?

“I’ve thought of a few compromise names,” the pegasus started. “How about Gale Wind?”

“Bleah! Sounds like a mare’s name.”

“Okay. What about Gusty Breeze?”

“I don’t want to confuse him with Morning Breeze. I like the Gusty part though.”

“Good point. Would you prefer Gusty Tempest?”

“Now that’s a good strong griffon name, although I wonder why you’re so focused on wind-related names.”

Edge shrugged. “It’s how pony names come to us. We consider names until suddenly one latches onto the foal. I just have that feeling, although perhaps not as strongly as it would be with a full pony foal rather than a hybrid like our son.”

Gilda looked down at the little hippogriff. “What do you think, Gus?” she asked him.

The foal detached himself from her breast and burped. Their parents laughed.

“That’s a vote of approval if ever I heard one.”

Edge took a week’s paternity leave and, when not attending to Gusty, he worked on building new and better transport shelves for the baked goods. These could be lifted from the trailer without unloading them and placed on Gilda’s stall countertop to display their contents. Gilda made suggestions and helped when not preoccupied with their son.

When Edge had to go back to work, Morning Breeze volunteered herself to assist the griffoness.

“I’m an Empty Nester,” the older mare said. “I have the time on my hands and a desire to be around a foal again. You don’t need to try to cope by yourself with me around!”

Gilda was exceedingly grateful for the help. As a first-time mother, she had no experience of her own to draw upon, but Breeze had a wealth of knowledge, having brought four foals into the world. It also gave her the opportunity for some self-care.

The griffoness worked hard to get her body back in prime shape after the birth. One day, Edge came home and found her kneeling on a mat in the middle of the living room floor. She was wearing thigh-high boots, arm-length gloves, a bustier filled out by her larger breasts, and a very minimalist bikini bottom, all in the same shiny leather. A choker with a bell on it completed the ensemble. Gilda peered over her shoulder and gave him a sultry look. Edge’s pants suddenly got very tight. He gave a low whistle of appreciation as he walked around her, admiring the outfit as she preened under his gaze.

“Rarity?” he asked.

“Of course,” she replied as she spread her wings and arched her back to better show off her boobs.

Edge paused to admire them before saying, “And the occasion?”

Gilda got up onto her paws and draped her arms over his shoulders. “I’m fit and I’m horny, and I’m going to bang your brains out,” she said in a seductive voice.

Edge grinned as he squeezed his wife’s bottom. “Darling, you’re going to wish you hadn’t put it off for so long!”

When the two were finally satisfied, Edge was amused to now know what griffon milk tasted like. Gilda had to admonish him to leave some for Gusty.

Morning Breeze proved to be a godsend. She foalsat for Gilda on Tuesdays and Thursdays, only bringing Gusty to the market to get a feed from his mother. Breeze got a lot of unsold goods as a thank-you. Edge, of course, handled Saturdays. Because she was able to concentrate on her business, sales quickly resumed their pre-birth levels and started climbing. Between their two jobs and caring for their new son, life was very hectic for the family. Therefore, they made the most of their free Sundays.

They only took their first real break when Hearth’s Warming came around. Edge’s parents had recently arrived back from their overseas travels and, along with Parhelia, Turning Point and his wife Lightning Swift joined the couple the day before the celebration. Gilda’s sister also made it and Gabby was a great hit with Edge’s dad and mom. The six of them spent all day bonding as a family, and Gilda was brought to the point of tears by the depth of the emotions that were aroused within her. This was something she had never known while living in Griffonstone and the elder pegasi keenly felt their daughter-in-law’s desire to belong. They stayed up late just talking until the need to get some sleep became necessary. Point and Swift stayed in the spare room while the two girls made do with the couch and Edge’s camp bed in the living room.

Edge and Gilda had invited their Ponyville friends to spend the special day with them. They did not expect many, if any, to accept the invitation due to the necessity of traveling so far to attend but, to their surprise, all of the Element Bearers confirmed that they would be coming. As they explained, they were already used to rotating the celebration between their residences, so traveling to Gilda and Edge’s hometown was not really a great stretch. Not one of the mares was going to miss the opportunity to be at the young hippogriff’s first Hearth’s Warming, and they showered him with presents.

Gilda cooked up a storm although with Edge’s help preparing the non-baked items. When everyone was gathered around the dining table, the griffoness reflected on how different this was from the dour and uncomfortable equivalent in Griffonstone. It had to be why she could not stop smiling and not called someone a dweeb even once!

Two years since Cutting Edge had first visited the lake where he had met Gilda, the two swept in for a landing at the site of her former camp. The pegasus was towing the camping trailer while the griffoness had the more important job of carrying their foal in a special backpack.

“Home, sweet home for the next couple of weeks,” Edge announced with a grin as he unharnessed himself.

Gilda looked around. “I think someone else has discovered it. I see signs that it’s been used since we left.”

“You could be right. The hut looks in good shape despite weathering for a couple of years.”

“Good thing you don’t buy cheap crap,” Gilda said, noting the condition of the tarpaulin they had left in place.

Edge unfastened the door flap and went inside. He emerged moments later with a piece of paper in his hand. “Someone has definitely used the hut. Let’s see…” He started reading the words on the paper. “To whoever made this hut – thanks! I enjoyed using it and I hope I left it in better shape than I found it. Rambling Rose.” He looked at Gilda. “Seems that this Rose person must have done a little maintenance. If this national park becomes more popular, I can see the hut being found and used more often.”

“As long as it’s available for our use, I don’t mind. I’d like to see it enjoyed by many other ponies and griffons.”

“I’ll unpack our stuff. I think Gusty is ready to get out and explore.”

The little hippogriff was squirming inside the backpack which Gilda shucked and unfastened the straps that secured their son inside. He immediately crawled out, pushed himself up onto his little hooves, and started toddling off in the direction of the lake, attracted by the glistening water. Gilda grabbed her son and attached a harness with a leash to him.

“No charging off into the water without us, you little terror.”

Since the foal had learned to walk, he was forever getting into places he didn’t belong, and keeping up with him was a full-time job. His parents had zero intentions of letting their foal learn the hard way that nature was dangerous. This was going to be a joyful family vacation and not a potential tragedy.

With the leash, Gusty was able to explore safely, and Gilda let him burn off some energy. Edge took over minding the foal when he finished setup which left Gilda free to start cooking their dinner. All three had quite an appetite by the time the food was ready. The hippogriff’s beak had started hardening recently, so now he got to eat solid food too. Gilda was grateful for that because breastfeeding had rapidly become very uncomfortable.

With a full belly, Gusty had quickly succumbed to sleep and the couple put him to bed. Then they had the rest of the evening to themselves. Gilda spread out a blanket on the grass before taking off her shirt and posing seductively.

“Okay, lovercolt, time to give our son a sister.”

Edge grinned and admired his mate for a lengthy moment before stripping. With her shorts tossed aside, the couple made love long and enthusiastically.

They had timed their visit to the park to coincide with Gilda’s heat. This time, they knew the score and conceiving another foal would be an act of love rather than an accident. And if they didn’t get a filly on this occasion, Gilda had every intention of trying again in the future.

After they were done making love, they snuggled for a while, enjoying the warm evening air and the sounds of nature. Eventually, Edge broke the comfortable silence.

“Happy, Love?”

“I don’t think it would be possible for me to be any happier, Darling.”

“Oh? What if I was to say that I have found a vacant shopfront with an apartment above? You could finally have your own proper bakery.”

Gilda’s eyes widened and her beak dropped as she gaped at him in astonishment. “Really?”

“Yep. I already looked into the cost and we can afford it. It’s also not far from the market, so your regular customers should be able to still patronize your business.”

The griffoness threw her arms around him and began nuzzling and nibbling him with gusto.

Edge laughed and kissed her thoroughly. “So, that’s a yes?”

Gilda grinned and looked him in the eyes. “Start planning Gilda’s Beakery Mk.2,” she commanded.

Anything for you, my Love. Absolutely anything.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

And so we leave our lovers to a long and happy life. And many hippogriff foals!

Art by Baron Engel and used with permission.