As the group trekked towards the small mountain near the edge of Gabbagon, they were suddenly stopped by 3 sinister-looking Creatures that made Griffy hide behind Rainbow Dash in fear. The three Creatures were a female Hippogriff named Hilda, a male Coyote named Coyvo and a male Pygmy Griffin named Grooli.
"Well, well, well," said Grooli in Gabbagonian, "If it isn't our old punching bag, Stiffalonius Von Loserton III!"
The three bullies then laughed so hard at Grooli's insult. Griffy poked his head out from behind Rainbow and gulped. The only ones who could understand the bullies' insults were Rarity, Cheerilee, Spike and Twilight (since they practiced Gabbagonian).
Rainbow was evidently a little bit uncomfortable with Griffy clinging to her. "Uh, I know you're scared, Griffy," she said, trying to be nice, "but I'd appreciate it if you didn't need my protection at this range next time. Okay?"
Griffy chuckled a bit sheepishly. Rainbow had a point. She had a public image to uphold.
"Oops. Sorry, Rainbow." Getting back to business, he continued in his nervous way, "Those guys are one of the three reasons why I left the EverFree Forest in the first place. Old bullies from school."
"Sounds familiar," sighed Rainbow, remembering the time she had to defend Fluttershy from some Pegasi bullies at Cloudsdale Summer Flight Camp when they were fillies.
Twilight, at that moment, took a mental note about a strong difference between Griffy and this other male Pygmy Griffin, named Grooli. Not only was Grooli slightly taller than Griffy because of age, but the real clear difference was that Grooli's eyes were as yellow as Gilda, the giant Griffin's eyes while Griffy's eyes had been light blue for all his life.
"We thought we told you to get lost," said Hilda.
"Oh, uh," stammered Coyvo, "Yeah!"
"So what brings you home, Sky-Eye?" inquired Grooli, giving another grizzly grin.
"Me and my new friends here have come for a quick errand," said Griffy, looking very serious, "Now leave our sights, please."
"'Sky-Eye?'" asked Twilight, "What does that mean?"
"It's because of my blue eyes," sighed Griffy. "It's very rare for Griffins to get them, it's just genetic."
"If you wanna mess with Griffy," Rainbow said in her usual bold manner, "you're gonna have to mess with me."
"Hm..." pondered Hilda, smiling. "A Pony with guts. This could be fun."
"Oh yeah?" challenged Rainbow. "Bring it."
"Forget it, Hilda," said Grooli to the Hippogriff. "We've got better things to do. See you round, Sky-Eye." And with that, all three of the riffraff left, chuckling.
"Give me a break," sighed Griffy.
Fluttershy went over Griffy and hugged him, realizing he was currently miserable, and he hugged her back with very sad expression.
"Who would know you had bullies?" said Fluttershy calmly.
"Tell me about it!" said Pinkie Pie, "Has that Grooli guy got a problem with blue eyes? Then have him insult my blue eyes and I'll show him a thing or 20!"
"Then again," complimented Rainbow, "'Sky-Guy' sounds like a cool nickname, if you ask me. It's kinda like... eyes in the sky."
Griffy blushed. He didn't expect that a disparaging nickname could be turned into something of affection.
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Meanwhile, many miles away in the Natooli Jungle, Dr. Carbo was still using mind-controlled Creatures to dig out the precious unnamed mineral and put in wooden boxes made out of local Tree bark. The creatures "mining" were Jungle Giant Scorpions, Mega-Wasps, Saber-Toothed Apes and Lizard Wolves (some of the Natooli Jungle's most powerful Animals)
"Yeeeeeeessss," said Carbo with his left eye twitching and lips twitching while he grinned sinisterly. "Soon I will be unstoppable and of any try and stop me, I will just use the natural power of the rainbow mineral on them and turn them into one of my servants, just like these big and strong critters. I still can't believe that daughter of mine, Cheerilee, won't join me. But no matter...She'll change her mind soon enough."
Carbo then reared up on his hind legs, kicking his front legs in the air and laughed with insanity while imaginary lightning was all around him.
To Be Continued
