//------------------------------// // Going back a bit // Story: Dead Birds // by Stray Dog Kane //------------------------------// Lunch had been over for a while and Gilda was still trying to think of something as she lay back in her bed. Sure, Fluttershy was pushing her into this, but even she was sick of the situation she figured she was in. As she laid there, he thought wandered. In that asylum, the excuse to go nowhere was made of walls and bars. Here, it was a huge pool of ponies she didn’t want to deal with and vise versa. Still, point of the matter was, she felt like she was going to crack under the weight of things she knew she couldn't do. Most anything she could think of wasn't available to do in this town. That flight she did was nice, if downright crazy. But beyond that, what was there? There were no parties for her to go to, and no invites to such either, and that only had her more upset when she thought about it. She'd grown to hate Hearth's Warming Eve for some time now. If only for her own reasons, Gilda wished the holiday would buzz off. The old empire never had something like that. They did have some gift giving, sure,and even expected ones. But when Dash was telling her about it, and the sheer amount of "warmness" she knew it was going to be new to her, and downright strange too. It was, but her and Dash did a lot of hanging out on that day too. Well, why not? They weren't that far from Jr. Speedsters yet either, and sure other ponies were there but they were lame. Just there to be there being all huggy-muggy like the losers they were. It was still one of her best memories--and that sucked, it sucked a lot. Each Hearth's Warming after her brush off made her more bitter, more angry at that event. All that well wishing and joy, but none of it for her anymore, and ponies only became lamer then. One light perk of her old job was Deal never wanted to celebrate it either, he was more interested in his business to worry about holidays. Silver Bell tried to do something about it, but she never got far. As for Edward, he was just too nervous to try, the wimp. The best he had was the pair having a less crazy drink at the pub, when applicable. Then singing, then her telling him how she hates it when he keep talking her into singing while drunk---usually the day after with her holding him up by his neck. Drinking was to get the edge off, not get goofy enough to do stupid things she won’t hear the end off. Still, the dork got her a job back when she was content to give herself to the tigers. They could still have her at times; she felt dead enough anyway. The silence as she reminisced was palpable, even as Gilda sighed and held her head. But it all ended when Fluttershy showed up. “Gilda?” While Shy wasn’t that loud, the griffon almost would have leapt at a voice other than her own at that point. Still, it had her annoyed though. Her brief surprise that had her tail and wings up, soon lowered into usual grumpiness. “What?” Gilda replied with a sigh. “I still can’t think of anything, alright?” “Well, I was thinking…” Fluttershy said looking a bit unsure, but hopeful as usual. “Do you remember when we went to town a couple days ago?” “Said I was sorry….” Gilda said with a groan. Break one door and you pay for it for life it seemed. Then again…”I did apologize when I was all weird, right?” she added. “No, not that,” Shy said with her own annoyance, despite the griffon’s relief. “There was a griffon you called Ed. Is that the Edward you told me about?” “Yeah, so?” Gilda replied. “How well did you know him?” While it was an innocent sounding question, it was going somewhere, and Gilda could tell where she was going with this. Seeing her silly hopeful look again. “We worked together, so what?” Gilda added as she got up. “He already flew off so…” “I think I saw him a few times in town,” Fluttershy added, giving the griffon pause. “He has that hat…” “The one he never takes off, yeah,” Gilda recalled, and then came to attention at last. “He’s still here?!” she said more loudly than she intended as she stared in surprise. “Y-yeah,” Fluttershy said, hoping back a bit. “I thought, well….” She looked unsure again, rubbing her hooves together. “Would you feel like talking to him?” Gilda blinked, then scratched her chin. It was going to be odd seeing the doofus after so much time. Then there was the other facts she recalled. “Well, maybe we...oh man!” Gilda faceclawed, how did she forget?. She only just then realized how many questions she could get answered as he’d been there. “I forgot! He’d know about what happened to my boss.” The pegasus looked confused at the outburst, not getting what Gilda was on about. “What?” she said quietly with wide eyes.. Gilda tried her best to not look suspicious, by which she looked so suspicious she may as well start whistling near a cart accident she caused. Fluttershy looked like she was going to ask, but Gilda asked first. “Can you get him here?” she said with a nervous smile. “It could work, maybe we can talk about old times or something.” “I could, yes,” Shy answered, looking a bit wary. “You...you weren't a bully to him, were you?” Shy had that kind of look that said she could see something was there. Thankfully, it was the simple stuff. “I might have pushed him around,” Gilda replied as she scratched her neck, but the pegasus still looked skeptical. “A bit. Hey, I wasn’t the only griffon that laughed at him.” Fluttershy still didn’t seem fazed. “Look, I knew him. Not sure why he ran off without a word either. Last I can remember was drinking with him.” While the pony looked satisfied, she didn’t seem to be moving. “So, maybe you could ask for me?” Gilda finished. There was a pause. “Please?” Fluttershy let out a light giggle. “Oh course,” she said as she nodded. “I can ask him in town. Maybe we could all have a nice dinner together. How does that sound?” “Yeah…” Gilda said and looked a bit to the side. “The sounds great.” A pleasant dinner was the last thing on her mind though. Edward had a few answers she needed, she was sure of it. Maybe an answer to those nightmares, or at least knowing what Package’s deal was. Maybe even, somehow, knowing what that Snark she had been seeing was. It was just a matter of getting those answers from him. “I’ll head into town soon,” Fluttershy said, pleased as can be. “So, please don’t break anything else while I’m gone, ok?” “No prob,” Gilda replied, and didn’t feel like dwelling on that fact. “Scout’s honor or whatever.” The pegasus excused herself and left the room as Gilda looked through her things. It had not been awhile, seeing as she just put them in a few drawers a few days ago. Back working with Deal she just kept a small travel pack. Some essentials and what not, and a bell with its clapper was still missing. For a moment, she thought more about some past events that didn’t get a unfriendly knee jerk like her best friend. It was just a long drag of time passage to her though. She had joined up with Package Deal’s little caravan gig as a scout. That’s how she bumped into Edward again, who was already working for the pony. Ed was surprised to see her too, a skilled griffon nursing a hangover in a tree. Job-less, bitter, and sad. Despite that, all he had to do was explain her flight abilities to Deal and the pony gave her a job on the spot. She had guessed Edward’s wings had never gotten stronger despite the years she hadn't seen him since she was little. The gig was great pay wise, and all Deal did was move goods and supplies to made a good profit. He had only delivered to the frontier places, and the worked well for her. Ponyville was always far away from her---physically anyway. Her, Ed, Deal, and Bell. Ed did himself proud on using his numbers skills, with Deal doing business stuffs she hardly listened to, and Silver Bell mostly just cooked and crafted her hobby of bells. The unicorn made some nice bells for the wagon, that had a soft ringing that didn’t worsen her headaches in life, sometimes they were even soothing a hangover. How she never knew, nor felt like asking. Package Deal had the hots of that pony, how far or whatever Gilda never cared for either. During that time she didn’t care for anything. Maybe she worked with them for a year or two, she lost count. It could have been several months. After all, she had lost most of her time from sulking. Thing was, that last job was a blur even by that comparison, even when drunk. With her last memory being getting drunk at the bar, despite Deal telling her not to, again. After that, a fight, maybe a big one too. All at some outpost in the cold, frozen north so far away. After that, who knows? The griffon certainly didn’t. Some guard ponies must have got dragged into the brawl and she got dragged off to Canterlot. Then the nightmares and Deal turning all crazy. She did tick off a minotaur before things got blank for what that meant. But, how long had it been after that? All this thinking had her more depressed, she had more than likely drank several flagons of wine on the last Hearth's Warming. At least enough to not notice until two days later. Gilda could hear the door downstairs close. Fluttershy was on her way to town and Edward had better not run off again. Gilda put the silent bell back in the drawer with a sigh. She had some time to kill and was in dire need to find something else to do. So she left her room and headed to the living room downstairs. Yo!” Gilda called out. “Angel? Where are ya?” After a moment, she spotted him with his arms crossed. “Up for checkers?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You got any better ideas to pass the time, fluffy bun?” She dodged a thrown book, as the bunny was not taking well to his new nickname. It’s not checkers, but it was something. After Angel exhausted his anger, by his expression, he was up for some poker at least. Now if only Gilda could fix her telltale tail. Good thing she didn’t bet anything.