Seeking Truth

by Razorcat

Cloudsdale

Seeking Truth – Ch.3 - Cloudsdale

---

Cloudsdale, Seeker discovered, was a lot bigger than he had expected. The Pegasi's flying city was probably 3 times the size of Ponyville, and a lot more crowded.

He saw, blocks of stores, a park with monuments to different Pegasi, and even a weather factory. The city was so complex and ornate, It put the Gryphon cloud settlements to shame.

As Seeker walked past a group a fillies tossing coins into a rainbow fountain, he regretted that he wouldn't have time to record what he saw in the city, still, that didn't mean he couldn't come back later.

Another ting that Seeker noticed as he explored the aetherial city, was that none of the Pegasi seemed to mind his presence to much, many of them, like the inn keeper he had rented a room from, simply ignored him, while others gave him a quick curious glance. In fact, only two Pegasi so far had given him hostile looks, which was a major improvement over the attention he had gotten back in Ponyville.

However, unbeknownst to Seeker, he was being watched by the same two Pegasi from earlier who had given him the hostile looks.

“Scootaloo,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “that is not Gilda.”

The Pegasus filly suddenly felt mortified. After she saw the Gryphon back in Ponyville, she went straight to Rainbow Dash who she had found lying asleep on a cloud. Scootaloo's information had been enough to get RBD up and after the Gryphon, despite his description not matching Gilda's.

Rainbow Dash found Fluttershy, who pointed her in the right direction, then went off with Scootaloo to confront the Gryphon.

But now, after having found him, she was both annoyed and disappointed to discover that it wasn't her old friend.

“Are you sure?” Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Well, considering that that's a male Gryphon,” She paused to look at Scootaloo's expression of shock & embarrassment. “yeah, I'm sure It's not Gilda.” Rainbow Dash looked back toward the Gryphon and saw him showing the shield on his arm off to a group of kids.

“Still, I'd like to have a word with this, not Gilda.”

And with that, RBD flew off to talk to the Gryphon.

“Go get him Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said.

---

“Wow, that's so cool!”

“Yeah, totally!”

“Thank you.” Seeker said as he pressed the button on his shield to retract it back to it's original size.

Seeker had been surprised when two Pegasi colts came up to him from out of nowhere and started asking questions. It was a pleasant surprise though and he had been more than happy to talk to them, he even showed off his expanding shield to the two kids.

“So, where did you get that shield? Are you a soldier, or an adventurer?”

“No I'm actually just a scholar, I made the shield myself.”

Both of the young colts eyes grew a little wider.

“Whoa no way, how?”

“Well, you see...”

“Hey Gryphon!”

Rainbow Dash suddenly landed behind Seeker with a loud 'foomph'. “Alright.” She said. “Who are you?”

Seeker calmly turned around, ready to defend himself if necessary. He was surprised to see the Pegasus from earlier who had looked like she wanted to kill him, maybe she decided to carry through on the threat.

“My name is Seeker, and if you have a problem with me, just say it and let's get this over with.”

RBD's scowl intensified. “I only have a problem with you if you're here to cause trouble.”

“And just why is that, are you the Sheriff or something? And who are you by the way.”

“That none of your business.”

One of the Pegasus colts who Seeker had been talking to suddenly started tapping him to get his attention.

“That's Rainbow Dash.” He said in a loud whisper. “She's one of the best fliers in all of Equestria.”

RBD’s face went from intimidating to mortified once she realized what the young Pegasus said.

“Wait,” Seeker said in sudden realization. “you're Rainbow Dash? I met some of your friends, Flutttershy and Twilight.”

“What!” Rainbow Dash propelled herself toward Seeker and stated hovering in front of him. “Alright buddy, tell me why you were talking to my friends, and just what it is your doing here!”

“That's kind of a long story.”

---

Seeker started telling Rainbow Dash his story at the park near the center of town, It took him 30 minutes and 3 city blocks to get through everything, another 20 minutes to answers RBD's questions, and then a half a city block of pursuit because he had accidentally made a comment that her mind should work as fast as her temper.

“Okay, okay!” Seeker said as he held back Rainbow Dash. “I'm sorry I called you quick tempered.”

The Pegasus stopped struggling and give him an annoyed yet defiant look. “Your darn right you are, now let me go!”

Seeker released Rainbow Dash, who quickly pulled back and tried to regain her cool. “Look,” She started. “I'm sorry I went crazy on you, twice, It's just that I was prepared to face off with Gilda, but instead of her I find this strange Gryphon who's been stalking around both Ponyville & Cloudsdale, and he's been talking to my best friends. I thought you were some punk Gilda hired to get revenge on me, and having those weapons on you really didn’t help your case.”

Seeker looked down at his sword and crossbow, then said to Rainbow Dash in a monotone voice. “If I hadn't been carrying these weapons, that Manticore would've made me it's dinner.”

RBD wanted desperately to deny that statement, but the Gryphons tone and her own experience with the Everfree forest prevented it. “Yeah well, I suppose you're right about that.” The mood of their conversation suddenly went from confrontational to uncertain. “So what do we do now?”

“That's a good question.” Seeker thought. “What do they do now?”

“Tell me about Gilda.” He said.

Rainbow Dash's expression went from shock, to contemplation, to resignation in the span of about six seconds. “Gilda,” She started off slowly. “was never very sociable.”

They took off down the street again, both gliding just a few feet above the cloudscape.

“During Junior Speedster Flight Camp, she always insisted we stay together, I was young and surrounded by big scary kids so I didn't think anything off it.” Rainbow Dash started to stare off into space as she continued. “As time went on, fewer and fewer kids wanted to hang out with us, campers that were threatening us got injured in freak accidents, and Gilda did everything in her power to make sure we were both happy.” Rainbow Dash sighed and shook her head, then looked directly at Seeker. “All the clues were there Seeks, I just couldn't read the writing on the wall.”

“Seeks?” The Gryphon said laughing.

Rainbow Dash delivered a swift punch to his arm. “Jerk! Were you even listening to me?”

“Of course, look, I'm guessing Gilda did what she did because she cared about you, and from what Fluttershy told me, she still cares about you, and there's no way you would've gone this ballistic over my arrival if you didn't care about Gilda too, so why don't you just go kiss and make up with her?”

Rainbow Dash suddenly turned her back to Seeker as her face went bright red. “Because I can't, Gilda lives all the way out in Griffinus, and I can't just drop everything to go after her.”

“But I can.”

“And why would you want to help me?”

“I don't know, I'm board.”

“Seeker.”

“'Ah' fine, look, Twilight is helping me find out the truth about something I've been wondering about my entire life, and she's doing it without asking anything in return. You're one of her best friends, and so I just feel that by helping you I pay back Twilight. And plus, I can't stand the Idea of an entire town hating Gryphons because of one bad apple.

Rainbow Dash sighed and said. “I don't know Seeks.”

Seeker glanced over a bit, and noticed an arena in the distance.

“Okay, how about we settle this with a race, If you win, you tell me where Gilda lives and write me a message to give to her, If I win, you come with me back to Griffinus and talk to Gilda in person.”

“That's totally an unfair bet!”

“Yes, yes it is.”

Rainbow Dash stared at the Gryphon for a long time before letting out a long annoyed groan. “Fine,” She said. “You're on, but when I beat you, you better keep your promise to deliver a message to Gilda.”

“If, you beat me.”

“You're injured, and I'm the best flier in Cloudsdale, how would you even begin to beat me?”

“Because, Dashie, I think you'll find there's a lot more to me than meets the eye.”