GIlda did her best to pass the time, trying not to think about the thing lurking around. She even tried to look into some of those books on the shelf that was still against the window.
At some point, someone should move it back. Just, not right now. Even so, the griffon figured it’s contents might get her mind off what was pulling away at her.
It was still slim pickings though, nothing she’d like any way.
“Natural medicine”, “How to be a mommy”, “Iron Will’s new assertive course: Revised edition”, “Pattycakes to Cupcakes”, “How To Train Your Manticore”, and “The Adventure’s of Grand Papillion: The Legend Continues in the Ring”.
The griffon paused, who’d a thought Fluttershy was into wrestling? Not this bird she thought, chuckling as she looked for more of these books. Sure enough, the soft pegasus had a collection.
“The Adventures of Grand Papillion: Papillion vs. The Minotaur lord.” “The Adventures of Grand Papillion: Float like a butterfly, sting like a folding table.” “Grand Papillion vs. The King of Dragons.” Gilda started to laugh then at the titles. “Papillion vs. Mask de Smith.” “Grand Papillion meets Jaguar Javier: The return of Calaca”, “Grand Papillion vs. The Aztec Mummy…”
She did remember Rainbow Dash had a Daring Do thing going, and Fluttershy apparently has something going for some stud wrestler. Wonders never cease. But it was something, and would get her mind off this thing in her head.
She read the description.
“Blah blah, flying the world.” Gilda muttered as she read. “Blah, they know who’s strongest, blah blah. Studs love him too?” Her eyebrow raised. “Seriously? Champion of the stud festival...oh that just sounds so wrong.” Gilda paused, that idea of such a thing made her cringe for some reason. But she continued. “Blah blah, a stallions path, blah.”
Gilda was so into her skimming, she only noted the door opening after she had someone behind her.
“Um, Gilda are you…?” Fluttershy interrupted, and the griffon turned and saw the pony look like she was about to drop her jaw. “Are you a fan of Grand Papillion too?” Gilda blinked for a bit, and quickly put the book back on the shelf.
“Nope,” she answered simply. “Why are you?”
“Well…” Shy said with rare excited enthusiasm, and Gilda just then noticed she opened the fan girl gates and flinched.
Oh why did she ask?
“First off, he’s a bat pony pegasus.” Fluttershy said quickly. “And he’s on this quest to be a hero, despite the fact he can’t fly so well,” she explained with enjoyment. “Then he uses these amazing moves to fight his foes. I even try to practice a few of them too! Can you believe it?”
“Nuh uh,” Gilda got a word in edgewise.
“And he’s really great with kids too!” Fluttershy continued with delight. “With his battle with Mask De Smith, he realized that the pony he was fighting was a changeling in disguise. And he wanted to battle Grand Papillion to bring kids to it’s side to feed off of. But when Papillion saved the real Mask De Smith, they team up to fight the evil changeling, Garcian. But it’s then they find it was all a plot by by king Kun…”
“Ok, enough with the fan...stuff!” Gilda said, waving her claws in horror to the flood of fandom. “Enough! Stop!”
“Heh, sorry,” Fluttershy said with a blush. “I just really enjoy that series so much!” She let out a cough, getting herself back to a less fan girl mode. “Apple Bloom said you wanted to talk to me? About an early session?” she asked.
“Yeah, I did,” Gilda replied, also trying to get some composure back. “I need an early session. Ya see something's come up and I need to talk about it.”
“I don’t see why not,” Shy replied with a smile. “My friends will be by later, though. Would you mind?”
“Mind what?” Asked Gilda
“A pause in the session?” Shy answered back. “It will be a short one, if that’s ok with you?”
“Sure, yeah, whatever,” Gilda replied, trying to move this along. “Can we start now?”
“Sure!” Fluttershy said, gesturing her hoof to the guest room door. “Just come downstairs.” Gilda calmly nodded, best as she could, and left the room.
She went down stairs, walking past the CMC lot. They were doing something--she wasn’t quite paying attention. She did take note of Diamond Tiara was at least closer to them though.
Silly enough, the griffon was worried the kid was just going to be alone if weren't for the fact she tried to help. Even if the filly looked like she would rather be somewhere else with other company. Still, Gilda had other things to worry about as she went down to the basement.
The place was not much worse for the wear, despite the desk having more than a few scuff marks due to so much abuse it had got in the last week. That, and the seemingly random stacks of things around the basement floor. Thankfully, none on the couch. The terrible trio had left that alone.
Gilda sat down and waited for Dr. Fluttershy, and in time she was down there as well. At least after first telling Apple Bloom to call down when her sister arrives. Then it to business with doctor Shy at her desk.
A bit, she wasn’t putting on her glasses today.
“OK,” she said, leaning her hooves on her desk. “What’s wrong, Gilda? Did something else happen, or do you feel worse?”
“All the above?” Gilda answered with a nervous smile. Explaining this was going to be hard.
“Er…” Now Shy looked nervous. “Can...you...um, expand on that?”
“Well…” Gilda had to figure how to break the important part, and failed. “What if I said everypony in town was going to die tonight?” Fluttershy looked back at her with wide eyes, not giving an answer. “Yeah, that’s pretty bad, I know,” Gilda answered for her.
“Why...?” Fluttershy asked after a pause. “Why would you ask that?” She sounded more upset than anything.
“Remember that Snark thing I told you about?” Gilda asked, and hoped she wasn’t struck dead yet.
“A bit,” Shy replied, rubbing her chin. “What about it?”
“He’s got a army of windigos coming to crush the town.” Gilda explained poorly. “Not sure the exacts, but he told me as much.” Despite the fact she was expecting Fluttershy to do something, maybe warn the town, the pony just sat there with a muddled look.
“I don’t think that….no.” Shy said as she shook her head. “Mr. Discord told me windigos don’t work like that.”
“What?” Gilda said wide eyed. “What do you mean?”
“They don’t organize like that,” Shy explained softly. “He told me that they are more likely to prey on each other than work together on a single goal.”
“And you believe him?” Gilda added.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said with a nod. “Don’t worry.
Gilda let out a sigh, feeling like all air had been let out. The pegasus didn’t believe her, and apparently that was noticed.
“I’m not calling you a liar, Gilda,” Shy replied in a subtle tone. “I’m just saying maybe you imagined it. There was a worry that the dream pills could have...unintended effects.”
“Speaking of which…” Gilda remembered another thing she was going to ask at some point, and she was able to ask it well. “Can I ask who’s heart made those wishes?”
“Whose heart?” Dr. Shy asked back.
“That walrus, he told me a dream is a wish the heart makes.” Gilda explained. “First, I could guess they were mine, sure, then things got weird. Pretty sure I don’t….” Gilda stopped for a moment. That next part was embarrassing and creepy.
“Don’t…?” Shy asked. She noticed Gilda looked more than a bit awkward on this. “It’s ok, it’s just us.” she said. “And also, legally I can’t divulge what you tell me without a signed paper. Signed by you, telling me that you are ok with me sharing such information.” Gilda looked surprised by the explanation. “I needed to know this.”
“Right,” Gilda said, mentally backing away from this. “Let’s say, I had a couple dreams I wouldn't have wished for. Like someone else wished for them instead.”
“I see,” Shy said as made a note of it. “That makes sense.”
“You...had that happen before?” Gilda said with surprise.
“Kind of,” Shy replied with a bit of a blush. “I remember asking about it too. Mr. Discord told me he’d look into it, and then he told me what he found out a few nights later.”
“And?” Gilda said, as she wanted this explained. “How does he explain finding yourself in some relationship with somepony?” This question caused Shy to not just blush, but become a bright red pony from the neck up. “Why is that always the first thought you have?” she sighed at the pony’s non verbal response.
Fluttershy simply nodded, and did her best to get herself less embarrassed.
“W-well, sometimes it’s a matter of being affected by others wishes, like other ponies wishes,” she said. “Then, there is the factor that maybe a small…” She looked at Gilda, likely hoping she was following. “Er, small part of you wished for it too, despite the rest of you not wanting it. Do you understand?”
“All greek to me,” Gilda replied with a shrug. “I can get some of this mental stuff, and it still gives me a headache.” She shook her head. “Can we get back to that whole, end of the world thing, please?”
“Are you sure it’s real?” Dr. Shy asked as she rubbed her mane. “I could be another nightmare you had.”
“Pretty sure it wasn’t, doc,” Gilda replied, feeling strained. “You were the person who pointed out how I ran through the house the other night. Remember?”
“I do,” Shy replied with a nod. “I also remember how a windigo, er, brain freezed you.”
“That was the Snark,” Gilda said, getting up and walking to the desk. “You know, the someone who’s going to wreck the town?”
“Um, I see,” Shy noted that as well. “Are you sure it isn’t bluffing?” she added with some concern.
“Why?” Gilda was feeling annoyed by this answer. She was now practically on the other side of the desk with an angry grimace, but still Fluttershy kept her calm.
“It’s a windigo,” Dr. Fluttershy pointed out clearly. “It may be trying to get under your skin, to make you more frustrated and angry. So it can feed on you.” She paused, likely to see if the griffon understood that. “It could be taunting you, until you are so mad that you make a mistake.”
“Like what?” Gilda grumbled back. “Worry the world will end?”
“Part of it,” Shy replied, trying to be impartial despite the upset griffon. “If he’s the only one telling you this he could be lying.”
“And if I saw it?” Gilda added.
“That unlikely,” Fluttershy replied as she shook her head. “If you saw several windigos we wouldn't be having this conversation.” Before Gilda asked, Shy continued. “You’d be in a hospital, hopefully still able to breathe.” The griffon faceclawed, getting more frustrated. “I’d visit,” she said softly as she tried to support Gilda’s mood.
“Why won’t…” Gilda about roared.
“I can look into it lat….” Dr. Shy about said, but a knock on the basement door cut her off. “Excuse me, I….”
“Miss Fluttershy!” called a voice from above. “Ma sister is here!”
“Yeah, yeah, just go…” Gilda huffed, as she walked back to the couch. Fluttershy nodded and went upstairs.
Gilda could hear a lot of talking and several hoofsteps. As she waited, she knew what was in the shadows nearby, and it wasn’t Pinkie Pie.
“What?” she said with anger.
“You can’t win this way, chicken little,” the Snark said from behind the couch. “You do see that, right?”
“Then what?” Gilda growled back to him. “You’re gonna taunt me more then?”
“Oh yes!” said “The Snark” with glee. “The shy pony has a point or two, even when she misses the big one. It’s all kinds of funny, let me tell you.”
“She said you could be bluffing….” Gilda weakly defended, and that only made him laugh more.
“Oh, I could,” the Snark nodded as he continued. “But you know I’m not.” He shook his head with a sneer. “You know so much, and can do so little. Just accept it! Why would a bunch of stupid ponies listen to a freak like you? They trust themselves more, you know.”
The griffon though as hard as she could for a option, any option. Something she could use to prove “The Snark” was a real threat and something that would destroy everything. A terror from beyond that had been underestimated.
Then she had an idea A awful, terrible idea.
“Oh, you wouldn't,” he replied was calm mockery. “You can’t! I know the guts for that don’t exist in you body. Let alone others, you know.” She didn’t answer as she looked down. “And what about that bit the good doctor said? They WILL come to hate you for it, and I WILL get stronger.”
Gilda held her arm as she looked more than a bit frightened. Even so, she still wasn’t going to encourage the cloud pony next to her.
“Think about that!” the Snark growled at her. “Or don’t, I don’t care,” he then laughed. “I could be funny. For me, not you.” He darkly chuckled as he left the basement.
Gilda could then hear Fluttershy coming back.
How did that noir movie say it? This could only end in pain and suffering? It was something like that she could recall from a movie, or something like it. It really bites, no matter how cool they say it. And last Gilda had checked, she wasn’t in a movie.