"Well this is gonna be a little hard to explain." Gilda said as they reached the edge of the town.
"I'm sure it will be fine, at least they'll listen to you." assured Fluttershy.
"Well unless they charge me again...whats going on up there." said Gilda gesturing her head towards the town hall. As the two began moving closer they could see Pinkie hanging over the balcony surrounding the top level of the town hall in her hoof was a megaphone. A crowd of Ponyvillians was gathered in front of the hall silently and intently listening to the pink pony speaking on the balcony. Fluttershy and Gilda could barely make out what she was saying but heard the last sentence clearly.
"...so please everypony, help us find our shy little yellow friend and stop the meanest griffon ever Gilda!..."Wait, there she is...and Gilda! stop her, save Fluttershy!" yelled Pinkie as she leaned too far over the balcony railing. She quickly lost her balance flipping over the top of the railing and let out a yelp. The megaphone flew from her hoof landing on the balcony from which her back hooves just left. Luckily the crowd below broke the plummeting pony's fall and she quickly stood herself up. The crowd began charging towards Fluttershy and Gilda, who were both having a hard time comprehending the situation.
"Are they really...Gilda began to mumble.
"No, they wouldn't...but they are...oh my look out!" said a startled Fluttershy watching the quickly approaching crowd. "Oh please don't she didn't do anything!" Fluttershy tried to yell over the roar of the crowd.
"Fluttershy, it's no use now just wait until this is over and then you can explain." said Gilda staring at the stampede, now completely out of control.
"No...I can't let you get hurt, I have to figure out some way to stop this now." said Fluttershy rising herself into the air her wings quickly flapping back and forth. The crowd quickly began to surround and engulf the griffon beneath her. The hooves of ponies in the crowd battered and bruised the defenseless figure, Gilda would not fight back. "Gilda please, follow me." Fluttershy pleaded. Gilda struggled to open her wings in the crowd, but finally the strong griffon pushed the ponies around her away and began rising upwards. But now Pegasi filled the air around them. Fluttershy struggled to figure out some way to get the griffon to safety and yelled for Gilda to follow her once again. Bursting through a gap in the crowd, Fluttershy saw a clear path to the empty town hall. Her heart began to beat louder and faster with fear, she looked back every few seconds to see that Gilda was still there.
"Fluttershy wait, what are you doing... why!" yelled a confused and angered Rainbow Dash pushing her way through the other Pegasi. She tried her hardest but could not push her way through in time.
After what seemed like an hour Fluttershy reached the entrance and opened a door as fast as she could and closed it once Gilda was in behind her. In the silence of the empty hall, Fluttershy began picking up lamps, plant holders, and small containers, and placing them gently in front of the door.The confused roar of the crowd outside was barely hear able.
"Here, let me help." said Gilda picking up tables, chairs and large cabinets and pushing them along with the smaller objects up against the door, securing it in place. As Gilda placed a final table against the door Fluttershy noticed the fear in her now not so piercing eyes. After what she'd been through in the past few minutes, Fluttershy completely understood, her heart still pounding. She also noticed the ruffled feathers and cuts were Gilda had been hit, she shook her head still not believing what her fellow Ponyvillians had done. The roar grew louder and louder and finally a pounding on the doors began.
"I just don't get it." said Dash joining up with the others a short distance behind the mob. "Why did she go with Gilda?"
"Maybe Gilda knows how to hypnotize ponies, that would be terrible." said Pinkie
"I'm not thinkin so Pinkie." Applejack said slowly shaking her head.
"It doesn't make any sense. Maybe Applejack was right all along, maybe for some reason Fluttershy's trying to help Gilda. I just don't know why." Twilight said to the others.
"But wouldn't Fluttershy at least give me an explanation before speeding off!" yelled Rainbow raising her hoof in a questioning motion. "Is she hiding something from us?"
"The approach to the situation was quite harsh, maybe she had no time to speak." commented Rarity.
"Yeah! like I said earlier, we shouldn't be so punchy." Pinkie said.
"Maybe all of us are acting a little harshly but if Gilda is doing what we think she is than we have the right to." said Twilight. "I'm just not sure, maybe once we get in there our questions will be answered." They headed into the crowd and began helping with the doors in any way they could.
"I don't know what to do now, we're stuck." said Gilda. "I...I have to sit down, I feel a little weak." she said easing her back end to the floor.
"Are you alright, I'm so sorry." said Fluttershy rushing to the griffons side.
"Yeah, know worries. I'm gonna be fine, just a little shaken up from all that. We need to figure out what to do." said Gilda. Fluttershy knew that Gilda wouldn't be of much help, she must find some way to stop this herself. Pacing nervously back and forth she began contemplating the situation. She noticed that Gilda had done a wonderful job of blocking the entrance. Even with the pounding and shaking of the ponies on the other side of it, the blockade stood strong. Fluttershy knew she at least had some time.
"What do I do, what do I do." she mumbled still quickly pacing back and forth. Then it came to her. She remembered the megaphone flying from Pinkie's hoof as she fell over the railing on the top balcony. Fluttershy quickly but gently ran up the stairs and to the door which led out onto the balcony. She began reaching for the door but froze in place her eyes growing wide. She thought of the crowd of ponies below, she had to speak to every single one of them. She stood still for a few seconds longer her hoof halfway to the door. Then she said to herself "No, I can't stop now. I need to make them stop, I need to help Gilda. I cannot just leave her downstairs and let everypony beat the doors down!" She quickly opened the door, her eyes squeezed shut, and was on the balcony before she knew it.
"Fluttershy!" yelled a voice that seemed unusually close. Startled Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw the megaphone lying in front of her. But as she looked up she saw Pegasi surrounding her, she hadn't thought of that. She quickly grabbed the megaphone and put it to her mouth pausing for a second to see the vast sea of Ponyvillians beneath her staring at her in silence. She began to speak just as the Pegasi reached her. They paused as she began.
"Gilda did not kidnap or hurt me in anyway. I...I tried to let all of you know this but nopony would listen, so please listen now. Gilda is not the griffon you all remember her to be. I'm sorry...I know this sounds crazy but could you please believe me. She came to my cottage this morning to apologize to me for everything that she did. She wants to apologize to all of you too but...you just haven't given her a chance." The ponies below looked at one another and then back up to Fluttershy as she spoke. The pegasi around her flapped their wings back and forth listening intently. "When she talked to me this morning I realized how much she's changed. Gilda would never hurt any one of you with words or with her claws. She feels terrible for what she's done and just wants to say she is..." The sound of the door opening and closing behind her made Fluttershy stop. She turned her head and saw Gilda slowly walking towards her. The Pegasi slowly maneuvered themselves towards the griffon still weary.
"Speaking in front of everypony in town, you're pretty brave Fluttershy. Now can a borrow that." Gilda said pointing at the megaphone in Fluttershy's hoof. She responded with a smile quickly handing over the megaphone. The Pegasi once again stopped as Gilda put the megaphone to her beak.
"Yes, I'm sorry for everything, I truly am. I can't believe how I acted to all of you. I've changed, I realize how terrible I used to be and know I won't forgive myself for that and you won't either. Everything that you did today, I deserved it." Gilda looked downwards and began to walk away but to her surprise the crowd began clopping their hooves together and cheering. The Pegasi landed upon the balcony, one approached her.
"You didn't deserve any of that Gilda. I forgive you, we all do." he said pointing to the Pegasi around him.