//------------------------------// // Relaxation // Story: Retired to Equestria // by Yet Another Mask //------------------------------// Gilda grunted as she rebalanced her load for the fifth time. The bags of birdseed had been tied together and draped across her back, beside each bag was a basket filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables. Atop the ropes holding everything together was a large sack of grain. Now how to get the honey up there? “Gilda? I can take the-” “No,” Gilda said curtly, cutting off Fluttershy’s awkward offer of assistance for what felt like the dozenth time. Sure the whole carry stuff for Fluttershy had started out as a way to pay the pegasus back for all her help but it had grown beyond honor now. It was a challenge. A challenge she was going to prove herself superior to. She wiggled her wings slightly to move the sack of grain down her back a little and turned to the unicorn shopkeeper. “Just set it right in front of the grain.” The unicorn looked skeptical at this but obligingly levitated that large pot of honey onto Gilda’s back. There was a dull thump as the nimbus of magic supporting the jar dissipated. For a few tense moments Fluttershy and the unicorn watched Gilda with concern, unsure whether or not she would be able to carry the burden. Gilda stifled a grunt as the weight settled on her back and glared at the two ponies as if to say ‘I told you so.’ The glare softened into a self-satisfied grin. She’d like to see one of those loser ponies manage this. “Told ya I could carry this no problem.” “That’s amazing!” Fluttershy breathed. Gilda felt herself preening at the sincere praise from the small pegasus. Why couldn’t more ponies be like Fluttershy? Or like Rainbow Dash of course. “So where are we taking this stuff anyway?” “Well, we need to take it to my cottage at the edge of the Everfree.” Gilda’s jaw almost dropped. She had to carry this all the way to the Everfree?! She quickly regained control of herself as she steeled herself. She had said that she would be bringing all this stuff to Fluttershy’s house and she was going to do it. She was no cub incapable of taking a simple walk. Besides, Fluttershy was originally going to carry all this. In multiple trips, sure, but if she could do it than there was no way Gilda could fail! “No time like the present,” she muttered before turning to Fluttershy. “Lead the way.” Fluttershy gave a small nod, her eyes filled with concern. “Okay. But if you need to rest-” “I’ll manage. I am a griffon after all.” Still concerned Fluttershy turned and started leading the stubborn griffon to her cottage. She only hoped Gilda’s pride wouldn’t end up hurting her. <-[XXXXX]-> Dash continued to follow Gilda and Fluttershy from her cloud high above the ground as they left the marketplace. She couldn’t help but be impressed with just how much Gilda was carrying, Applejack and Big Mac were probably the only ponies that she knew that could carry that much. She would never admit as much to Applejack though. She had a reputation to keep up after all. She quickly brought her attention back to the pair beneath her. She shouldn’t let herself keep getting distracted like this. Gilda may not have tried to do anything in the marketplace where there were witnesses but maybe she would do something now that the two of them were alone. Dash stared down at them as they took the long, winding, incredibly boring path back to Fluttershy’s cottage. She yawned hugely as they walked around yet another bend in the path. This stakeout stuff was hard. She looked up at the sun. It was almost two in the afternoon! And she hadn’t taken any naps at all today! Sure she had slept in a bit, getting up at noon instead of ten but she never missed out on her 1:30 nap if she could help it. She turned an angry scowl down towards the ground. Gilda was making Dash miss her nap, an unforgivable offense in her mind. Not that it was really her fault but it felt good to be able to blame someone else. Although come to think of it Gilda really hadn’t done anything mean that Dash was aware of since she had come to Ponyville. Maybe she really had changed. Maybe she was really trying to be nicer. Most importantly, maybe Dash could take a nap. Dash watched as the pegasus and griffon rounded another corner, in silence, just like the rest of the trip. She smiled as a plan came together in her mind. She could just fly over to Fluttershy’s house, take a quick nap, then wake up and continue surveillance when Gilda got there! It was foolproof. With a happy grin she zipped away towards her destination. <-[XXXXX]-> Neither Fluttershy nor Gilda seemed capable of discerning a viable conversation topic. Gilda had tried several times when the silence had become unbearable but Fluttershy wasn’t the best when it came to talking about high speed flight stunts. Any conversation attempts on the pegasus’s side ended up coming out as little more than squeaks and barely audible whispers. As the oppressive silence dragged on Gilda finally gave in and mentioned the one topic that she was sure would allow at least some level of conversation with the timid pegasus. “Pinkie said she’d try and help me be friends with Dash again.” Fluttershy’s eyes seemed to light up. “That’s wonderful! Rainbow Dash was so sad when you left Ponyville last time. I’m sure if you just go to her she’ll be willing to give you another chance.” Gilda was shocked at the sudden change in Fluttershy’s demeanor but didn’t waste the steam that had built up towards an actual conversation. “Do you think you could, maybe, help me a bit too? Not that I need it, it’s just you’ve know Dash as long as I have so you’d be way more useful than that psycho Pinkie.” “Gilda! You shouldn’t talk about ponies like that!” Fluttershy scolded suddenly. Gilda was taken aback at this sudden display of emotion from the usually timid pegasus. As the shock wore off her eyes narrowed. “She did her very best to break apart my friendship with Dash. She even admitted it.” “And now she’s trying to help you get it back! You should be nicer to the ponies that are helping you.” Gilda glanced at the ground before muttering, “fine. I’ll give the twerp a chance.” She looked back at Fluttershy. “But only one. If she screws things up again I’m not going to forgive her.” Fluttershy smiled at this and returned to walking along the path in silence. A few more minutes passed before she spoke up again. “Are you sure you don’t want any-” “I’m sure,” said an exasperated and slightly amused Gilda. <-[XXXXX]-> Lyra slammed the door to the sweet shop as she entered. “Lyra? What’s wrong?” asked a concerned Bon Bon. “Damien. He knew I was watching him and he thinks of the whole thing like some sort of game.” “Yes, about tha-” “It’s like playing hide and seek with a foal! A foal that can fly, outrun you, and hide anywhere!” “Well I found out-” Lyra continued to ignore her friend as she reached the door to the stairs leading to the living quarters above the shop. “I need to calm down a bit. I’ll be practicing for a few hours.” Her face darkened. “Or days.” Bon Bon stared at the stairs for a few moments before shaking her head fondly and returning her attention to the letter in front of her. “Now where was I again?” she muttered as she reread her letter. “Ah, yes.” She grabbed the pencil she had been using, quills were far too flexible for her taste, and finished up her letter. She gave the last sentences a few careful lookings over and read them to herself. “…therefore I believe that although not a griffon in truth Damien can and is working to be a viable citizen of Equestria. Lyra will continue to monitor him for signs of danger but I believe that is merely a formality at this point. Your Faithful Servant, Bon Bon.” Satisfied with the wording of the letter she sealed it with a small dollop of wax and placed it inside a hidden drawer in the counter. A dull fwoosh could be heard as soon as she closed the door when the letter burst into flames. She briefly considered telling Lyra about Damien as she thought back to her meeting with Twilight. But no, Lyra could do with a little more exercise and she probably wouldn’t accept an answer straight from a book. With a small chuckle Bon Bon flipped the sign in the store’s window back to ‘open’. Maybe next time Lyra would actually listen to her instead of charging off on her own. <-[XXXXX]-> Damien’s eyes narrowed as he sized up his opponent. Compared to the mare before him all his opponents today had been a joke. Gilda’s angry assault had already been child’s play. Bartering in the marketplace had been entertaining but most ponies didn’t have the sheer drive to make him truly haggle. Escaping from Lyra had been simplicity in itself once he had figure out her tracking spell. This pony however, she was truly a force to be reckoned with. The sheer determination, charisma, and presence were staggering. She had elevated the arts appearance, drama, and honeyed words to their pinnacle. He had rarely faced opponents of this magnitude in this type of battle, and it showed. He was losing. “Oh but I insist! I simply cannot have you living in Ponyville without a stitch to your name aside from that tacky satchel!” Rarity insisted as she brandished the voluminous black cloak like a weapon. “And I cannot simply accept a gift without giving something in kind! I am a man of morals both few and far but I do not accept gifts from those that are not part of the game!” Rarity’s eyes narrowed at this. “Surely this game of yours is not so inclusive that you cannot allow me to partake in it?” “The game is a sacred bond between those who have lived and fought both beside and against each other for decades! It is a complex scorecard of who owes what to whom and why! It is how we decided who was winning! I cannot simply make you part of the game and I cannot accept being indebted to one who is not part of it!” “That is why this is a gift! A present to commemorate your coming to Ponyville! You have already admitted to having one of the most lackluster wardrobes I have ever seen and I simply cannot let you remain unprepared should an occasion for formality arise!” “Gift or not it is still a debt to be paid! Perhaps there is something I can do for you? Acquire rare cloths for you next ensemble? Find flawless gems the likes of which no pony has laid eyes on before? Something to repay you for your wondrous work!” “I have said it before and shall say it again. This is a gift of generosity I will not allow you to attempt any form of repayment for this. Now hold still so I can finish fitting this to you!” Damien’s head sagged in defeat as he allowed the cloth to settle over him again. He had come in here to aquire a simple cloak, something appropriately dramatic for storytelling. Now? Now he was being fitted for a cloak the Atinian Emperors would have donned at the height of their power and wealth! “There we go. Now we really must work with your feather colors, but we can’t have it clash with your fur…” Damien sighed as he continued to listen to Rarity ramble about cloth and fashion. Give him something sturdy, comfortable, dramatic, and easy to ditch if it got caught on something any day. “I will find a way to repay you for this,” he muttered in the same tone he would have used to utter death threats to the more annoying heroes. “Yes, yes. Now hold still while I hem this will you?” Damien sighed as he willed himself to become motionless. She would get what was coming to her and she would be thankful, Gatekeeper help anyone who tried to stop him. <-[XXXXX]-> Fluttershy’s cottage was a small thing, blending in beautifully with the surrounding nature and unobtrusive in appearance. Gilda had to admit it fit the timid pegasus perfectly. She tried her best to keep her mind on the surrounding area, the cottage, even the various animals that were around the cottage, tried to keep her mind on anything but the strong steady burn of her muscles. The trip had been longer than she had expected and the load heavier but she would not fail! She suppressed a sigh of relief as Fluttershy opened the door and directed her into the kitchen. With stiff wings and forelimbs Gilda maneuvered first the pot of honey from her back. Then the bag of wheat was added to the table. And finally she simply let the birdseed and vegetables slide down her back to the floor. “Thank you,” came the predictably soft voice from the other room. “I’ll go get us some tea, you can sit down anywhere you want.” Gilda didn’t bother thanking Fluttershy as she padded into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa and finally let herself relax. Things were going good right? She’d been able to go all over the market today without losing her temper, hadn’t nicked anything, and had even apologized to Fluttershy. Twilight, Psycho Pie, and Fluttershy were all willing to help her patch things up with Dash. Even Damien seemed like he was willing to help when it was convenient or entertaining for him. But then why did she feel so restless? Was she not making enough progress? She closed her eyes with a groan. That must be it. She was getting all this help that they claimed was going to get Dash back but she hadn’t even seen Dash to confirm whether or not it would work out. Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted by an insistent poking in her side. With a grumble and a flick of a wing she brushed away whatever was causing it and tried to get back on track. Only to have it return, even more insistently, mere seconds later. This time the sweep of her wing was decidedly annoyed and much less gentle. Almost immediately she felt something poking her beak this time. She half opened her eyes, ready to give whoever was bothering her a piece of her mind inly to see a small white rabbit. The tiny thing gave a self-satisfied nod when it saw that she was paying attention and started flailing its limbs around in an effort to pantomime… something. Gilda groaned at the impromptu game of charades but was too tired to do anything but play along. The rabbit pointed to the kitchen then waved his arms as though flying. “Fluttershy.” The rabbit nodded and pointed at her with a confused look on its face. “And me?” Gilda asked. The rabbit nodded emphatically and crossed its arms as though waiting for an explanation. Gilda sighed. “I ran into her at the marketplace and decided to help her carry her stuff back her because I owed her for all the times she patched me up. Now she’s making tea.” She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise as the rabbit continued its pantomiming. It pointed at the kitchen and mimed crying, then pointed at her and gave her a death glare comparable only to what she’d seen reflected in the eyes of others when she was mad. “And you’ll destroy me if I hurt her? Good luck twerp.” The rabbit was undeterred in its voiceless promises of violence and destruction beyond mortal imaginings. Eventually Gilda sighed. “I’m not going to hurt her.” She paused. “I think. She’s so fragile I’m not sure what wouldn’t hurt her.” The rabbit continued to glare at her for a few moments before hopping off in a huff, apparently still not sold on the griffon’s intentions. Gilda rolled her eyes as the rabbit hopped off. Like something that small could actually do anything to a cub, let alone a fully grown griffon. She closed her eyes and tried to regain her previous train of thought. Dash. When she had first entered Ponyville she had been sure that she would have to wait quite a while to see Dash. Maybe find some way to get Dash to come to her instead of seeking her out but now she wasn’t so sure. All of Dash’s friends seemed to think that reconnecting would be easy. She’d still try to make sure that she’d be meeting Dash on her own terms but it looked like that meeting was far closer to the present than she had originally thought it would be. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft clink of china on wood. She cracked her eyes open to see Fluttershy trying to softly set down the cups and teapot on the table. When she saw that Gilda was looking at her she squeaked and blushed. “Oh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you it’s just the tea was ready and-” Gilda held up a claw to silence her and rolled her eyes. “It’s alright. I was just thinking, not napping.” Gilda stood up and stretched, arching her back like a massive cat and flaring her wings. “That for me?” she asked as she pointed to a small cup on the table next to the couch. At Fluttershy’s nod Gilda took up the cup and sipped at the liquid. Her eyes widened in surprise as she found herself actually liking the strange concoction. If her first sip had been an attempt at politeness, her second eager sip was one of genuine enjoyment. Fluttershy sat on a chair off to the side of the table and was drinking her own tea in tiny sips, casting furtive looks over at Gilda to see if she was enjoying the tea. Her eyes brightened considerably when she saw Gilda finish off her tea with a satisfied smile. Against her will she found herself agreeing with Damien, Ponyville was very relaxing. Gilda hadn’t felt so at peace in months, maybe even years. Maybe it was the tea talking but she was actually enjoying sitting around doing nothing! Usually she wasn’t enjoying herself unless she was racing around the sky, but apparently taking a break can be just as enjoyable. <-[XXXXX]-> Up in the sky Dash yawned enormously as she rolled over onto her other side. Her eyes opened slightly and surveyed the quaint cottage beneath her. “Huh, why am I at Fluttershy’s house?” she wondered aloud before closing her eyes again. Her eyes snapped back open a few moments later as she nearly shouted, “Gilda!” She shot off down the path to town like a comet, her eyes scanning the gorund beneath her for any sign of the hopefully still traveling pair. She reached the place she had left them in seconds without seeing another pony or griffon the entire time. They must have already made it to her house! Her thoughts raced as she streaked across the sky. What if something had already happened? What if Gilda had done something? Dash approached the house and peeked into a window. A new thought pierced through all the others. What if she was wrong? Fluttershy and Gilda were simply sitting in her living room, sipping tea and talking. Or rather every so often Gilda would say something or Fluttershy would whisper. Dash took in the scene with slight confusion. For the first time since she had seen that Gilda was back she really thought about what that meant. Gilda was back; last time she had come back she had caused trouble for other ponies and yelled at all of Dash’s friends. Then there had been the fight. The fight and… Dash shook her head. That wasn’t important right now. Gilda was back sure, but that didn’t mean that things were going to go badly this time right. Or was she just being optimistic? But Gilda had gone through the marketplace without causing any trouble. She had helped Fluttershy. She was in Fluttershy’s house drinking tea! Dash groaned as she buried her head beneath her hooves. What should she do?! Part of her, a massive part, wanted to go right up to Gilda and try, just try, to be friends again. To fix the rift that had grown between them. Another part of her whispered doubts and reminded her about all the things that Dash had ignored while they had been friends. The bullying, the way she had insulted everypony else. She felt like her head was splitting in two as she wrestled with herself. What should she do?! After several minutes of wrestling with herself she froze. For better or worse she knew what she had to do.