Even if Gilda did agree to this, it was uncomfortable. The pediatrics ward was bad enough with the odd sound of shrill shrieking of other foals playing there. Plus, Gilda wasn’t much for kids to begin with.
Still, here she is, being introduced by a kid to another kid. With said kid sounding like a mess with some bandages and bruises still present. Diamond Tiara had filled her in a bit, while carrying that box on her back with care.
“Just saying...but tea parties aren’t really my thing kid,” Gilda stated as the walked down the hall.
“Like, don’t worry so much G.” Tiara replied confidently. “It’s super easy! It’s just like hanging out.”
The foal did just miss one detail though, seeing as Silver Spoon just hid under her blanket when she saw the guest. Apparently, she wasn’t told who was coming. Gilda gave Tiara a look as she raised as claw with a shrug.
“Hey, Silver?” Diamond said as she trotted over to the shaking lump in the bed. “It’s ok, she’s with me.”
Gilda raised an eyebrow. She’s a sidekick now? Then again, why’s that matter?
“I’m cool, alright?” she added in a calm voice, and trying her best smile. “I ain’t dangerous, see?”
“Eh?” Silver briefly pulled her head up from under. “She’s….is she cool Tia?” she asked with a nervous voice.
“She’s cool.” Tiara replied, uncovering her friend fully. “We’re all cool here.” The other foal calmed down at that as Taira put the box she had down on the floor. The pair shared a hug. “How do you feel?” Tiara asked.
“Sore, really sore,” Spoon replied, sadly. “And where’s my stuff? When is my daddy getting it here?” she whined.
“I asked,” Diamond answered as she let go. “He just said it’d be soon”
Silver sighed. “They said I’m going to be here for more than a week, and I’m going to be sooo bored!” She might have groaned a bit more on that fact, but Tiara chimed in.
“That’s why we're here,” Diamond said with a smile. She got to opening that box as Silver reached for the glasses on her bed stand. A shiny new pair of glasses though, they were in better shape than the last pair.
Thankfully, for someone at least, was that the box did not have a cake. Just a tea set, which gave another Gilda another reason to faceclaw.
“Something wrong, G?” Tiara asked, still unpacking.
“Just wondering if I miss coffee…” Gilda replied with a sigh. “Guess I’ve been drinking a lot of tea.”
“You could have something else if you’d like, miss,” said a aid coming in with some kind of thermos, likely with the tea in it.
While she could ask for a soda, maybe several, Gilda shrugged. “Got tomato juice?” she asked.
“We can get that for you,” The aid said as he poured the tea into the kettle. “Do either of you two need anything right now? The snacks are still being prepared.”
“We’re fine,” Diamond Tiara answered with a smile.
“How much did you plan on this?” Gilda asked the kid as the aid left. “Didn’t know you could just ask a hospital to brew tea on demand.”
“Plenty,” was Tiara short answer with a smug smile. She then turned to her friend. “Can you sit Spoony?”
“Sorry…” Silver Spoon replied. “I can’t really get up.”
“Eh, not a prob,” Gilda replied as handed her a cup. Silver put it on the nightstand next to her. “So, there much else to this then a tea party kid?”
“Conversation helps,” Diamond snarked to the griffon.
“Duh,” Silver followed up, and even Gilda laughed at how obvious that was.. “What do you expect from a tea party?”
“I don’t know, a board game?” Gilda answered. “Some kind of stuff, unless you want stories or something.”
“Stick around,” Diamond said as she handed Gilda her cup. “Maybe you’ll learn something about socializing.” The griffon rolled her eyes, but let out a chuckle.
“Why not?” Gilda said.
They prattled on for awhile, kids stuff and what not. Normally, Gilda would have just sat to the side, enjoy a drink and all. Yet, here she was being part of it. She felt a good sense of nostalgia, kind of funny to recall a time she was that small.
Funny enough Silver Spoon seemed excited about metal music...who knew? Just as long the CMC didn’t make it, but from what Gilda heard it was worst than most. Spoony even knew some of the bands the griffon was a fan of, like the Howling Iron Griffons.
As usual, unexpected or not, Gilda felt like they were bonding.
Then came that part where Diamond Tiara mentioned the song “I love U” and the pair tried remembering the words. It ended with Gilda, guiltily, telling them she knew the lyrics by heart...more or less.
Next thing they knew, the trio of them were singing it.
The aid, who had arrived with the snacks, just put the tray down and backed away. The sight was an odd one. An adult griffon and two foals singing a song from some kids show.
In the end they were laughing. Ironically, this tea party had become awesome.
Things calmed down again, and it was back to chatting, and while talking about some book Silvers spoon’s things arrived. Some books, three stuffed toys, and a heart shaped pillow with a pair of initials on it…DT&SS.
Maybe it’s the air around here? It still had Gilda laugh.
”Seriously?” Gilda asked upon seeing it. The pair gave her a dirty look. “What? I didn’t ask for something like that, even when I was little.” The pair seemed unfazed by the explanation. “Yes, even when I was into girly stuff once. But it wasn’t that girly.”
“Did you have a best friend back then?” Silver asked, thankfully not too angry. Gilda stood for a moment, her beak open and about to say something. Before lowering her head in failure.
“Guess not,” she said with a sad laugh. “All I had was a silly brother.”
“Did you put any effort in other griffons?” Diamond asked with a light chuckle.
“No need to remind me,” Gilda added. Looking back up, however, she could see Silver whispering something to Taira. Which made the griffon nervous.
Still, the conversation went until the sun went down. They said their goodbyes then. Gilda helped Diamond pack her tea set up, and the pair left as Silver Spoon waved good bye happily.
“See?” Diamond Tiara said to the griffon as they walked back down the hall. “Pretty easy, huh?”
“I’ll admit, yeah,” Gilda replied off hand. “Kinda was. Maybe do this again sometime, ya think?”
“Duh,” Diamond answered with a chuckle. “Dads already got you on the guest list for that party he’s inviting the Apples to.” They stopped at the intersection to the exit hall. “You aren’t getting out of that, I’m going to make sure you show up if I have to drag you.”
Gilda enjoyed a bit of a laugh at that. “Oh no, not that,” she joked, but still gave a serious answer. “Don’t worry, I’ll still be in town.” she added with a smile.
“See ya latter, miss G,” Tiara said with a mock, sinister grin. “If I have to suffer through this so do you.”
They had another laugh as the foal left. Gilda took a deep breath and let it out. She still felt a bit of that good cheer. It was kind of annoying, but kind of nice. After heading back to her room, the griffon let out a sigh of relief. Sure, she was friends with a pair of ponies that can’t fly, but that wasn’t bad.
“Enjoyed the company of small children?” asked Lightning Dust. She lay in her bed on her belly, flexing her wings.
“Better than nothing,” Gilda shrugged as she spoke. While she got ready to likely endure a few rounds of insults, she noticed a muffin on pony’s nightstand. “Uh, where’d you get that from?” She pointed her talon to it.
“Hm?” Dust looked to it, and blinked with a look of confusion. “Thought I ate that...it was there at lunch and…” Her eyes bugged out, like a horrible realization had come over her. “Is that mare….?” She shook her head and just lay face down into her pillow. “Why is it the freaks that won’t leave me alone?” she muttered into her pillow.
“Welcome to the club!” Gilda snarked with a grin. The pegasus responded by roaring into the pillow. “...You get used to.” She added as she scratched her neck. She then decided to go to bed as the pegasus grumbled angrily.
A few days past with some observation stuff. A near death experiences makes doctors nervous, Gilda gathered.
During a brief meeting, Gilda gave her suggestion to Fluttershy as she waited for the rest of the mystery punishment the princess had for her.
Still, the griffon had a light chuckle to find Lightning had yet another muffin on her nightstand each day. Pinkie must have given another pony lessons, much to Dust annoyance.
It’s was on that third day Gilda got a package. She looked at it with curiosity as Lightning Dust looked scornfully at her muffin. The griffon looked up from her gift, as she had to ask.
“Are those any good?” Gilda asked Lighting.
Dust looked aside and sighed. “They’re….fine,” she said with a groan. “I just don’t want that...pity she’s insisting on,” Dust said the word like it was something disgusting to her. “I’ll get well when my wings work like they should. Or they are going too.”
“When’s that?” asked an odd voice in the room.
“When do….agh!!!!” Lightning Dust lept off her bed in terror from the grey, odd eyed pony in the room. “Where did you come from?!?!” she yelled.
“Did Pinkie tell you how?” Gilda asked like it was no surprise to see this.
“Yup,” The grey mare replied. “It’s kind of like quantum-liner stuff!”
“Heck does that mean?” Dust shouted, as she looked at the pair like they were both insane.
Gilda decided to let the pair of particular pegasusi ponder their problems as the opened her present. The contents of it caused her eyes to shrink with some shock.
The box had a heart pillow in it. Same pair of initials on it, and a G. Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Gilda. DT, SS, G. On a simple hand, this was one of those gifts that come with a friendship. On the other…
”You are sooo going in hiding with Runzaka...” Gilda said a cynical look. She still lifted it up and gave a bit of a nudge though. She smiled at how soft it was. “Heh, still pretty soft though. What’s this made of?”
By now, the other ponies in the room were now in a one sided disagreement. With one side telling the other one her annoyance of being doted on, then the other blissfully unaware of why that would be a problem.
“But it will help get your strength up!” the bubbly mare, Ditzy Doo, said to defend her actions with her hooves up as the green, blond mare glared daggers back.
As Gilda now sat down to enjoy the show, it stopped suddenly with the grey one giving a quick wave in her direction.
“Hey ya, Dash!” Ditzy said, as if the argument she was in had not happened.
“Hey,” said a voice behind the griffon.
Gilda froze for a moment. But after mustering some strength, turned around to the pony at the doorway that could see the surprise on her beak.
“Um, this a bad time, G?” asked Rainbow dash.
Only then did the griffon realize the cyan pegasus could see that pillow she neglected to put back in the box. She even remembered that time Dash first raised that eyebrow of hers ages ago. Well as the odd story that caused it.
“It’s just a bit embarrassing,” Gilda replied, not exactly nervous. “Just like that teddy bear I had, remember?” Dash went from awkward to a big laugh in an instant. No mocking, she was laughing with the griffon.
“Oh, come on!” was Lightning Dust’s two bits on it. “You had a teddy bear too?” Everyone in the room just kind of stopped to look at her. It was then she realized what she said with a look of doom and horror. “Not...like I have one, or needed….uh….” she added as she shook her head and back glared at them. “A pony of my wing power wouldn't have one!”
“Mine was called Ruzka: The wonder bear.” Gilda said with humor. “What was yours named?” Oh, that sound that pony made as she covered her head with her hooves.
Maybe, things didn’t change too much for the her? At least Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to mind.