Dead Birds

by Stray Dog Kane

Becoming something your not

Gilda was back on the field, facing the Snark. It felt good for her to see that she left a mark on him for once, even if he still has that super form...thing going for him still. Considering he was still screaming at her, her distraction was working better than she hoped.

And aside from needing to dodge large, sharp claws made of cold mist she was doing great. Then again, this was still looking like her last stand.

“Come on little birdy!” the Snark shrieked in an echoing voice. “Let’s have a look at that brain!” Gilda dodged again as he took another swing. “I’ll have you, then I can get to my feast.”

The griffon still needed a new plan, what with him playing for keeps now. While she understood why her use of Diamond Tiara to escape his will hurt him, being able to care about others, she had no idea how to use that as a weapon.

How did Dash and pals do this kind of thing? She thought.

“Sad you aren’t a magic pony right now?” stated the Snark with glee. “But hey, no griffons are!”

For better or worse judgment, Gilda flew away as fast she could. There was no way to fight him, and she could evade him at the fairgrounds easily at least. Even as he gloated after her, she knew that monster would keep his distance from that much niceness. The fair was too cheerful for it to stand, with a level of brightness that felt all consuming.

But the, the Snark knew she’d be back. Ponyville was still in danger, so Gilda needed a way to stop this. She just needed a plan, ponies, or both. All hopefully in one place.

She could see that happy place, and just seeing it felt and looked pretty to her. After landing quickly, Gilda looked for any familiar faces, doing her best not to fall into the festive mood.

She found Fluttershy first near what may well be a food court of the place. If it weren't for the crisis, she might have seen if they had corn dogs-- then again, cornbread sucks.

“Gilda, you back!” Shy said with surprise when the she saw her. “We were worried you were going to miss out on the celebration.”

“Just left for a while,” Gilda said, doing her best not to hint anything was wrong. “How are things here? Still good?”

“It’s really nice here!” Fluttershy started with a happy smile.

It was then the griffon noticed the pony had cotton candy, sweet lemon flavored.

“Want some?” Fluttershy asked. Gilda couldn't say no. After it was hoofed over, the griffon scarfed it in an instant. “Wow, I thought only Angel could eat that fast!” Shy giggled at the sight.

“You seen the others?” Gilda asked the pegasus, feeling better already. “I need to talk to them.”

“Bout’ what?” Rainbow Dash said, now next to the griffon. That caused Gilda to jump.

Much to Gilda’s surprise, the she was unharmed despite being cloud kicked.

“Oh geeze, you ok?” Gilda said, as she look at the pegasus, checking for injuries. “After that cloud thing?”

“What cloud thing?” Dash asked, she looked worried about the griffon’s concerned look. “You feeling alright, G?”

Gilda faceclawed, she forgot she was still dreaming again. She shook her head and grumbled.

“Chill out, G.” Dash said with a playful head rub to the shaken griffon. “Stay awhile, it can help!”

“Yeah...” Gilda had to agree somewhat. “Say, do you remember how you beat back that nightmare...thing?” Rainbow Dash seemed to chuckle a bit. “Yeah, I’m bad with names…”
she said as she rubbed her neck.

“It was Nightmare Moon, Gilda, and that was totally an awesome moment!” Dash said with pride. “Me and my friends used the element of harmony to stop her.” She smile at the griffon’s curiosity about the story. “Ya, wanna hear the whole story of it?”

“Uh, you got them on hoof?” Gilda asked with a cud eating grin, and the pegasus looked pretty muddled at that question. “You know? Just in case?”

“No, why?” Dash replied to the griffon’s question. Then Gilda’s nervous smile betrayed the fact she was about to panic. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy seemed to notice and looked pretty concerned.

“Gilda, are you sure you are ok?” Shy asked as she guided Gilda to a nearby bench. “You look really worn out.”

“It’s nothing,” Gilda lied. “Just under the weather, ya know?.”

Oh man, that could make a good joke about the situation. Well, if she could laugh at it anyway.

“On the cool day like this?” Dash said with disbelief. “I think stuffs getting to ya, G.” she said with another jab. “Wanna play darts? They got a stall just over there.”

Sure as the pegasus said, there was a dart game. Points for prizes, all that stuff. If she let it, Gilda could enjoy that festive mood of all this. Then more than likely eat enough to make herself sick.

Still, she was dreaming, and elsewhere things were in danger and she still needed a plan. You know, for the storm was coming.

Even if she wanted to forget it, she needed to do something.

“Maybe later Dash,” Gilda answered, and Dash looked a bit hurt. “Just, how did that story work out? That one with Nightmare Moon, I mean?” The pegasus seemed to lighten up on that question. “How’d those elements work, like some kind of good magic...thing?” And Dash found that question kind of funny.

Still, she looked excited to tell the story as she sat next to the griffon.

“It’s just six elements.” Dash answered Gilda. “Laughter, and loyalty. Honesty, and Generosity. Kindness and Magic.” She smiled. “Simple enough, G? Got it?”

“Concentrated good huh?” Gilda summarized. “So how'd ya get them to work?”

“By working?” Dash answered with a bit of uncertainty and a sheepish smile. “Twilight would know more, but it was awesome when it did though. You should have seen it!”

“Maybe I’ll see it some time,” Gilda replied, when she suddenly had an idea. A wonderful, strange, and unlikely to work idea. But it was the best she had. “Thanks Dash, that will help me a lot!” she said with joy.

“Um, for what?” Dash looked caught off guard by the griffon’s words. “I mean, there was more to the story than that and…” She was stopped when Gilda gave her a hug.

But she was unaware why, but Gilda understood.

The plan worked well enough as she planed it too, seeing as that feeling of mirth came into her. Like the griffon had absorbed some kind of warmth like energy into her body.

Still, the rainbow pony seemed more than a bit in shock.

“Uh, Gilda?” Dash uttered, wide eyed with her wings up. “What was…?”

“Um, I got more cotton candy so-” Fluttershy began, quite wide eyed to the scene she now saw, but was interrupted when Gilda gave her a hug as well. “Uh….” was the most she could say as she passed out in the griffon’s arms.

Gilda hoped that when the flutter pony fainted it was from surprise, not just swooning.

Still, she needed her plan to work, as things were going to get weird quick. That warmth was already making her feel odd.

“I’m going to fly around the park to clear my head, Dash.” Gilda said as the pegasus was trying to get Shy back on her hooves. “I’ll be right back, kay? We’ll can play darts then.”

“I’ll hold you to it!” Dash said with a wave, and Gilda was off.

She flew around the park, looking for the others. Twilight was easy enough, so was Applejack. As for Pinkie….

“Combination powers hug, go!” said the Pinkie as she caught the griffon off guard for once, glomping her before she knew she was there.

If it weren’t for what was flowing into the griffon, she might have snapped at that pony for that.

“Do you…?” Gilda was about to ask, but it seemed Pinkie did.

“Follow me!” Pinkie Pie preemptively answered, and they went behind a tree to elsewhere. Gilda didn’t mind, she only needed to be lead to Rarity.

After Rarity was left looking confused that Gilda had popped out of a flower arrangement for a quick hug, the griffon stopped to take stock.

“Ok, that’s all of them,” she said to herself, a bit more giddy than expected. “And I’ll admit, I feel pretty good right now. But is it enough?”

“Maybe you’ll feel even more good if you hugged more ponies?” Pinkie added, now next to her again. “Like, more ounces, or gallons, or…”

“How’s Hearth's Warming doing in Ponyville?” Gilda asked, with no clear context. “They still breathing?”

“Discord’s still keeping the storm clouds back,” Pinkie answered with that same lack of context to this world. “Thanks for that idea you gave Fluttershy! I was afraid we’d see Twilight break down again!”

“Cool, thanks!” With that, Gilda was off again.

After that, she was the hug bunny. Hugging close ponies she never met before and enjoying it.

Some were weirded out, while others were in the spirit of the thing and didn’t mind. Some waving good bye with a happy, if nervous, laugh. After a few she was feeling warmer, and after several more warmer still.

She felt drunk with delight, inebriated with mirth, and they joy made her dizzy. For once, in a good way. If she wasn’t careful, she might stop to giggle with happiness like she never thought she could again.

Even so, she made a point to find Diamond Tiara again, and she was with Silver Spoon as always. She hugged them both, even if they didn’t know why in this dream world.

“Ok…” Gilda told herself in a funny voice. “...that will do. Time to save the world!”

She flew back, moving as fast as she could back to the eye of the storm. The Snark was still there, gloating, like he always does.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” he asked the same question she had herself. “Going around, getting that positive energy? Now how do you use it?” He smiled under that writhing ice mass of horror. “Lasers? Breathing rainbows like dragon fire?”

“I got something,” Gilda answered back, still feeling goofy. “Last thing you’d expect, so even you wouldn't see it coming.” Her smile was as silly as the idea she had. It was messy, but it would let every bit of it out.

“Oh, use yourself as a goodie bomb?” the Snark comically guessed.

“Nope.” Gilda replied as she controlled her breathing.

“Oh, tell me, tell me,” the Snark replied like an impatient child. “I need a good laugh from more of your mistakes.”

“Something my mom showed me, when you weren't around…” she answered him with a hint.
“Something you’d probably laugh at anyway, but it’s still a surprise.” She took a breath as she tensed her toes and claws. “Dragon stance,” she muttered.

“You mom breathed fire?” the Snark mocked and missed the point.

Her mom told her how to do this, and the good news was she remembered it. Even if it only helped with her drinking once. She let out a “urk” sound as her face quickly bloated.

Here it comes. She thought

“Eh?” the Snark’s eyes, or what counted as them, looked on in surprise. His smile more nervous as the griffon let out a sound and unleashed what was inside her guts.

It flowed forth from her beak as she threw up a rainbow. Bright, and made of many colors, the mess of fluid was regurgitated onto the icy shell. It burned hot enough to cause steam to rise as the cold ice melted. The cloud claws were overwhelmed, evaporating away to nothing. The loud crack that followed was proof enough it was working.

Even the violent mass on the surface of the ice was in shock, stopping it’s wrath in brief awe before melting off, their fluid forms evaporating into the air. As the shell became liquid, Gilda could see “The Snark” covered in the black stuff as it melted away.

“Stop!” he cried out in agony. “Stop, it burns! Ow ow ow ow ow!” But she kept regurgitating until she felt emptied. The oily black fluid evaporated like the suffering forms in it did, and when the last of it vanished the Snark just stood there. For once at a loss for words.

Gilda was about the breath a sigh of relief, maybe even about make a joke on what had happened, if it weren't for that tiger flying into her.

The two of them tumbled down to the ground with the Snark on top of her.

“You stupid, stupid, stupid bird!” the Snark yelled with more anger than he’d shown for the entire time she knew him, glaring with black eyes from his saber tiger form. “You miserable spawn of a big chicken and a fat cat, do you realize what you’ve done?!” he screamed into her face.

“Cheesed you off?” Gilda said breathlessly. He jabbed a claw into her for that, and she retorted by spitting a bit of rainbow she had still in her mouth. “How’s the army?” She said as winced from the pain.

“They’re….fine!” the Snark said tensely. “Let’s take a look!” He was back to his whimsy as the looked above, then his smile melted off with what he saw.

Gilda had done more than enough and he now knew it. The cloud tiger form he had shook and danced like a wind blew past him.

He’d lost much of his power due to that rainbow burst and his control of the others was now lost. Without his leadership, and with the situation on the ground changing, the windigos in the beyond were now uninterested in the plan he had made. Either then turning on one another, or seeking easier folly in other towns. The lack of believing in his purpose left them divided as they had always had been.

The Snark would never be able to destroy Ponyville now.

He looked back at Gilda, his sharp teeth grinding with anger on his tiger features. “This isn’t over!” he yelled in defiance. “My kin have no beginning, and we have no end. I can just bide my time again.” He dug his transparent claw into Gilda’s chest, wrapping it around her heart. “I just need a better host, one that works out better. Ya know?” he added with a attempted sadistic grin.

Gilda could feel her heart stop, and hurt, a lot. Then again, she didn’t expect to survive this.

“I can wait, I mean, what’s a century of two?” the Snark said, his features calm again as he watched the griffon cry out in pain. “Someone will seek me again, understand my power. And my black heart can burn so cold forever.”

Gilda’s answer, however, was grabbing hold of his arm.

“How bout, no?” she answered between breaths.

“You are a dead bird and I’m still quite alive” the Snark replied with a fanged smile. “You’ve got nothing left to harm me with.”

The griffon tried to ignore the pain, push it away as she tried to focus. It didn’t take much to pull her mind back to the carnival, the hard part was getting there. Or maybe it wasn’t?

She closed her eyes and kept a firm grip on “The Snarks” arm as she kept her mind to that task, if she could get back there, this monster was going to be toast.

“What?!” the Snark said in shock. “HOW?!”

Gilda was there, she could hear it around her She opened her eyes to see the ponies were still in merriment. Though, a few were now surprise to see a saber tiger and a griffon in mortal combat. Even while they were in shock, the rest were still celebrating, and the windigo could feel it.

The griffon could swear she could smell him cooking now.

“Let go!” the Snark said in agony, with panic coming over him. “LET GO!!!” He looked more and more harried as he frantically pulled, too weak to free himself.

Despite how much he used perception as a weapon on her, gloating as he did it, he now had it used in the reverse. Gilda had pulled him to this place, and it horrified him.

“You...aren’t…” Gilda said as she tried to stay conscious. “...escaping...this…”

She felt her body convulse more, it wouldn't be long now.

It took all her strength to keep the Snark where he was. Maybe it was her vision fading, but she could see him lighting up. His new tiger form was burning off, revealing his cloud pony body. Worse for him, ashes were burning off that as well, flying away to nothing.

He felt it too, looking at his burning away paw with a look of despair. The Snark let out a horrific roar that became an agonized scream. He was finally able to pull himself free when his arm burned off. As he ran about, burning away to nothing, Gilda’s body lurched again. Maybe for the last time as the hateful monster fell to the ground, soon only a pile of ash was remained.

The festive ponies seemed in shock from the show. At least one pair seemed to tap the ashes in curiosity, unsure if they could believe their eyes.

The griffon let out a light breath, it was finished. Gilda lay back, awaiting her own end. She closed her eyes and felt herself drift.

She could see it, or thought she could see, what was happening outside the dream. In Ponyville, the celebration of Hearth’s Warming was as it always been, harmonious. Ponies were happy as they looked to the next season with good cheer, as a god of her own anger died.

Maybe Diamond was at the Apples, or maybe she was turning over in her sleep with that tummy ache she got? Gilda couldn't tell from where she was, breathing her last.

Awesome way to go she thought, spitting in the face of hate. It was quiet now, everything was at peace.

“Yo, G, you ok?” Rainbow Dash said above her, breaking the griffon’s inner monologue. Gilda opened her eyes without effort, looking in surprise. “That was quite a show, sure, but…” Dash offered a hoof to help the griffon up. “Tragic deaths aren’t exactly cool, ya know?”

“Uh…” was Gilda’s word on it. She looked at the crowed that had gathered. Some ponies look concerned, others shrugged, and some were clapping. She was confused. “I’m not dead?” she asked.

“No, duh,” Said a voice. Gilda sighed as she got to her feet, feeling more than a bit embarrassed for herself. She knew that voice.

“Hey kid,” Gilda replied. “How long you been there?” she said as turned to Diamond Tiara.

“How’d you do that?” Tiara asked back. “Suddenly you and a tiger got here, then it catches fire and…you never said griffons were magic.”

“Maybe enough to fool the casual observer?” Gilda joked to the foal. Diamond, and Silver Spoon, looked at each other in mutual confusion. “You guys any good at darts?” Gilda asked to break the tension.

“And why would we play darts?” Silver Spoon asked with a humored voice.

“Heh, promised I’d play with Dash,” Gilda answered, pointing to her old friend. “You guys can come too, if you want.”

“Sound cool, sure.” Diamond answered with a shrug, and the pair came with.

Gilda figured she’d enjoy this dream she was seeing. She was probably dead to the world right now, and seeing a light soon too. She may as well enjoy what moments she had for now.