> More than just a Feathered Friend
>  by MittenPatty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Griffon the Brush-off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Chapter 1

Gilda glided through the air, above the clouds. The wind ruffled her feathers, a sensation she often felt. The griffon loved to fly. It was the best! She would practice tricks in the sky, knowing the other griffons down below were envious of her awesome skills. She usually flew around the Griffon kingdom, doing her job as a mail carrier. Of course, what she really wanted to do was be a performer, doing tricks in front a huge audience. But delivering mail was fine for now. When not on duty, Gilda could just relax, enjoying her Sunday off. Other times she just flew, going nowhere.
But this time, she had a place to be. Visiting, to be exact. As the griffon zoomed through a cloud, she remembered the good times her and Rainbow Dash had in flight camp. They would always compete over who could clear the most clouds, or fly the highest without fainting from the lack of oxygen. Gilda always won when it came to altitude. Griffons lungs are larger than a pony's, so she could hold her breath longer. Chuckling, she remembered the time Dash tried to beat her score and ended up having to stay in the nurses office for the rest of the day. 
Gilda didn't know why her friend moved to Ponyville. It was full of lame Unicorns and Earth ponies! 
"Flightless losers." She muttered. There were also Pegasi who lived  there, but to her they were weak. A real flyer lives is the sky! 
Soon the griffon could see the faint outline of cottages. They looked weird, rooted to the ground like that. Gilda swooped lower, scanning the village trying to find her friend. A Pegasus pony whizzed by, throwing the griffon off balance.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" she snapped. The pony paid no attention, and kept on going. Gilda already hated this place. Finally, she found the landing bay. Ponies and griffons from around Equestria coming to Ponyville came here and waited for their ride, not wanting to fly anymore. Gilda found an empty spot and descended down slowly. Her huge wing smacked a mare in the face in the process. The pink pony glared at her, but quickly looked away when she saw Gilda's huge talons. What a wimp. 
"Gilda!" a familiar voice called her name. looking behind her the griffon had just enough time to dodge a cyan Pegasus that was about to crash into her. 
"Oof!" the rainbow-maned pony ran into a pile of luggage. Gilda snorted in amusement and held out a claw to help her up.
"Well, that was embarrassing," Rainbow Dash said as she was pulled to her hooves. "I hope the Wonderbolts didn't see any of that." the Pegasus smiled at Gilda. 
"Dash, long time no see!" the griffon greeted the pony as if the flight here was a piece of cake ( Which it wasn't ).
"I know right?" Rainbow replied. "So, how have you been holding up? "
"Oh, things are fine, I guess," Gilda exclaimed, twirling her claw through her feathers. "How 'bout you?"
"Things are great!" the Pegasus chirped. "I made a lot of new friends I really want you to meet." Gilda's heart sank. NEW friends? What about her? wasn't she a good enough friend? Gilda coughed,
"Oh, really," she said, the excitement drained from her voice. "Great." Rainbow's ears drooped.
"Aw, don't be like that!" she whined. "I'm sure you'll really like them!" with that she grabbed Gilda and dragged her through the crowd, leading her to the exit. After they had pushed through the last elderly relatives, They both spread their wings, preparing for the race that they knew was about to occur.
"Ready?" Dash asked smiling.
"Wipe that smirk off your mug," Gilda retorted. "You're going down!" at that they both zipped from their starting position, speeding through the air. The racers were both neck and neck, each of them desiring the win so badly. Rainbow's house in the sky was nearing. They were flying so fast they arrived there within seconds off take-off! Gilda's wings pounded the air around her as she flew. The speed she was going was unbelievable! She could tell Dash had been training for this race a while. Sweat glistened on her cyan fur, and her eyes shone with confidence as her rainbow mane whipped behind her. The porch of the mansion neared as the racers targeted their mark.
"Poof!" tufts of cloud exploded as they both landed. Coughing, they both flapped their wings to clear the air. when they could see, the debate began.
"Okay, It's pretty obvious who won." Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"I agree," Gilda replied. "I'll take my trophy now." she extended her arm, waiting for her reward to be handed to her.
"Uh, NO WAY!" Dash snorted pushing the claw away. "We'll finish this later. Come on in!" the Pegasus unlocked the door to the house and trotted inside. 
"Ahh, home sweet home." she sighed and collapsed on a cloud sofa. The cyan mare patted a spot next to her, gesturing for Gilda to sit down. The griffon dumped her luggage on the ground and flew over. She sat down and folded her wings, which were now tired due to the constant flying. 
"Nice place," she said looking around. "Looks like you're remodeling." 
"It's a work in progress," Rainbow Dash explained. "Here, I'll show you the guest bedroom." she got up and began walking up the stairs. Gilda groaned and got up. She just sat down! When they finally made it to the door, Dash smiled and pushed it open. Gilda gaped as the room was revealed to her. It was gorgeous, much more than anything she could afford. Rainbow curtains were hung neatly on all windows, and pillars lined the balcony outside. Gilda stepped onto the outdoor platform, and saw she had a magnificent view of the town below. She could see Sweet Apple Acres on the horizon, and couples walking down paths in the park.Turning back inside, she admired the queen sized bed that had been made. she climbed under the covers and was shocked at how soft it was. the comfy clouds made it almost impossible for her not to fall asleep right then and there. 
"Heh, heh," Rainbow chuckled. "You like it?"
"Dash, this is awesome!" Gilda replied, stroking the covers. "These are way better than the ones at my cruddy apartment back home." Rainbow Dash laughed.
"I'll go get your stuff." the Pegasus said, leaving Gilda to bathe in the beauty of her room.
After a while, everything had been put away and Gilda began descending down the stairs. She called out to Dash, who was reading a Daring Do novel on the couch.
"Hey, I'm gonna call it a night." the Pegasus looked up.
"What? Already?" she asked looking up at the clock on the wall. It was 8:45 PM. 
"Oh." She blushed. "I'm think I'm going to hit the hay too." she got up from the couch and stretched, then let out a yawn. Carrying her book under her wing, the cyan mare trotted up the stairs. 
"Good night." the said as she walked past Gilda and into her room. The griffon then returned to hers and slipped into the comfy bed. Slowly, she began to drift into a deep sleep. 
That night Gilda dreamt. She was soaring through the sky, at a rather quick pace. What's going on? then she saw Rainbow Dash flying ahead of her. Wait a minute, This is the race! She realized she was reliving the moment in her sleep. But why now? She didn't want to see it again, it already happened. I won anyway. When her dream self pulled up next to Dash, things seemed to slow down. What's happening? She looked around in panic and tried to flap her wings to go faster, but it seemed that time itself had slowed. In her frustration, Gilda managed to get a glimpse of the cyan mare next to her. Stopping her struggle, the griffon stared. Dash looked stunning. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, around her beautiful rose-colored eyes that shone with confidence. Her gorgeous rainbow mane flowed behind her. Gilda's eyes moved down. RD's wings flapped with each beat her heart, which seemed to have begun to pump faster. The griffon's eyes lowered down to Rainbow's flank. She snapped her head back. What am I DOING? That's my friend! I can't just start checking her out, she's a GIRL!  Ashamed, the griffon hung her head, only to see she was plummeting towards the ground. She screeched and tried to flap her wings, which were no longer there. 
Gilda woke up panting. What happened? Why was I dreaming about Dash? The sound of an annoying, high pitch voice interrupted her thoughts. I guess I'll forget about it.
"Rainbow Dash," It squeaked. "RAINBOW DASH!" The griffon slinked down the stairs and out the front door, ready to give whoever decided to wake her a piece of her mind.  She peeked over the edge of the cloud to see a pink Earth pony with a really fuzzy mane. She looked like she hadn't brushed it in years! She was also wearing a stupid looking mask, blowing a party horn. Before Gilda could utter a word, another voice was heard above her.
"Oh, hey Pinkie!" Dash was smiling out her window. She flew out from her room to greet her. Gilda figured this was one of Rainbow's lame friends. The others better not be this annoying, or there'll be some issues.
"Gilda, this is Pinkie Pie." Trying to make a good impression to the Pegasus, the griffon glided down from the cloud.
"Hey, what's up." she said dully. She really didn't care about Pinkie at all.
"Pinkie, this Gilda. she's a griffon." RD introduced her. Pinkie cocked her head.
"What's a griffon?" she asked.
"She's half eagle, half lion" Dash replied. Gilda swooped up to them and landed next to the Pegasus,  bringing her friend under her arm.    
"And ALL awesome!" she boasted. She and Rainbow laughed and preformed their special handshake in front of Pinkie.
"Gilda and I were buddies since we were little," The cyan mare continued, "We met at the Junior Speedsters flight camp"  a light bulb seemed to pop above RD's head as her lips parted into a smile.
"Oh, do you remember the chant?" she asked hopefully.Gilda groaned.
"Yeah, they made us recite it every morning." The griffon hoped she didn't have to do what she thought she did. "I'll never get that lame thing out of my head." 
"Sooo..." Rainbow leaned closer and lifted her eyebrows. Gilda sighed.
"Only for you, Dash." they spread their wings and took to the sky, then proceeded  recite the chant in perfect unison,
Junior Speedsters, are our lives,
Sky high swoops and daring dives, 
Junior Speedsters, it's our quest,
To someday be the very best!
The two slowly landed to a very giggly Pinkie Pie. Gilda smoothed her feathers in embarrassment.
"That was awesome!" The party pony said between laughs. "It gave me a great idea for a prank. Gilda, you game?" The griffon smirked. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. But she was still pretty annoying, and Gilda didn't want to be around her longer than she had to.
"Huh, well I do enjoy a good prank as much as the next griffon, but Dash," she said, elbowing the Pegasus. "You promised me a flying session." With that she took off, leaving her friend to deal with Pinkie. 
A couple moments later, Rainbow came up to join her. Gilda an idea.
"Hey, wanna do a trick race?" the griffon suggested. RD looked at her, confused.
"What's that?" she asked. Gilda pointed to a nearby cloud over Ponyville.
"First one to complete the most tricks and get to that cloud first wins" she narrowed her eyes. "You in?" Dash grinned.
"Bring it!"
"GO!" they both completed loops and twirls at the start, focusing on doing as many tricks as possible. Gilda did a flip and launched herself towards the cloud, getting there first. Rainbow came in fast, landing head-first and getting a face full of condensation. Gilda giggled, and soon they were laughing their heads off.
"Whoa, that was sweet," the griffon said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Just like old times."
"Yeah, only faster!" RD giggled. Suddenly, a familiar pink head popped up in-between them.
"Hi, there!" Pinkie said before she fell back to Earth. The two flyers looked at each other.
"Huh?" the party pony's head penetrated the cloud again.
"Its later!" she said and disappeared once more. Her face came up again. "And I caught up!" Rainbow laughed.
"Pinkie Pie, You are so random!" Gilda growled. She followed us? I thought we left her behind!
"Hey Dash, you got enough gas left to beat me to that cloud?" She challenged. 
"Another race? You're on!" 
"1,2,3, GO!" They both sped away, leaving Pinkie behind.
"No, wait!" she cried. The flying friends burst through the cloud.
"I win!" Dash celebrated.
"As, IF! I won dude!" Gilda retorted.
"Oh, come on!" they argued until a pink party pony tied to balloons drifted up next to them.
"Wow, guys, that was really cool!" she interrupted. "But I think Rainbow Dash won by just a teeny-weeny bit."
"HA! See?" RD boasted. "Good thing Pinkie Pie was here to keep you honest, Gene" Gilda shook with anger. She hated being called by her middle name. Why won't that pink twit leave us alone?!
"Okay, Dash," Gilda had enough. "last one to that cloud is a gnarly dragon egg! GO!" The Pegasus took off, not knowing Gilda had stayed behind. The griffon glared at Pinkie.
"I think my altitude is making you dizzy." she snarled, and proceeded to pop the pink pony's balloons with her talon. 
"Wait, Guys!" she called as she slowly lowered to the ground. Gilda flew up to where her friend was sitting and waiting. The griffon sat down next to her, only to arch her back at he sound the pony she now despised.
"Wow, you guys almost got away from me that time!" the party pony was sitting on a candy-colored machine. It was a petal-powered helicopter, and she was obviously determined to keep up with them due to how fast she was going.  Gilda nearly lost it. Something had to be done about her, and the griffon knew just what to do. She turned to the cyan mare sitting next to her.
"So Dash, got any NEW moves in your trick-tionary," she teased, "Or are you 100% old-school?" 
"New moves?" She replied, "Ha! Sit back, Gene. This is gonna take a while." the Pegasus flew off, leaving the party pony and Gilda alone. The griffon turned to her. 
"Hey Pinkie." she cooed."C'mere" the Earth pony pedaled closer.
"Yeah?" Gilda grabbed the helicopter.
"Don't you know how to take, GET LOST for an answer?" she hissed. "Dash doesn't need to hang out with a dweeb like you now that I'M around. You're dorking up the sky, Stinky Pie. So make like a bee, and BUZZ OFF!" the griffon grabbed onto the propellers, causing the bewildered pink pony to spiral out of control. As she fell, Pinkie let out a terrified squeal. Gilda watched smugly from a cloud, proud of her work.  
"Try and top THAT!" Dash bragged as she sat down. "Hey, where's Pinkie pie and her crazy contraption?" the griffon smiled. 
"Eh, she left." Gilda shrugged. " Something about being as busy as a bee." 
"Oh, alright," RD looked kind of disappointed. 
"Hey," the griffon wrapped her wing around her friend. "How 'bout another trick race?" Dash looked up and smiled.
"GO!" she yelled and took off. 
"AY!" Gilda flew after her. Since Rainbow hadn't set a finish line, the two just had fun in the sky. Throwing balls of mist at each other, and chasing one another with stormy clouds. It was a blast!  Suddenly, Dash remembered she had a job to do. Sighing, the Pegasus flew over to her friend, who was making mist balls.
"Hey, I gotta go take care a few weather problems around here." She explained. "You can just hang out in town! I'll find you." They both landed on a path entering the village. 
"That's cool I guess, I'm gonna go chow down!" Gilda exclaimed. 
"Later!" Dash flew off. The griffon frowned and looked around. Now that RD was gone, everything seemed so boring. There was nothing to do! Her stomach growled. Oh, yeah, I'm hungry. Gilda searched the street for a food stand. She saw a Pegasus selling vegetables on a cart. An old Earth pony was examining some corn. The griffon had an idea. Sneaking past the cashier, she slipped her tail through the veggies and shook it.  
"AAIIII!!!" Granny Smith shrieked. "A RATTLER! A RATTLER!" Gilda crawled out from underneath the stand snickering. Her stomach growled again, cutting the joke short. The griffon tested a tomato.
"This stuff isn't ripe." She grumbled and turned to leave.
Soon Gilda came across another food stand. she approached it, but realized she didn't bring any bits. Checking her surroundings, he griffon made sure no one was watching as she grabbed an apple with her tail. She popped it into her mouth quickly. Her hunger had been brought down a bit, but Gilda still searched among the pony's for another source of food. Suddenly, a pink tail was shoved in her face. 
"Hey!" she growled as the mare turned. "I'm walking here!" the griffon noticed the pony was a Pegasus. One of the weak ones that lived on the ground. This made her more angry.
"Oh, um , I'm sorry," the yellow mare apologized, "I was just-"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Gilda mocked, "Why don't you watch where you're going, idiot!"
"B-but, but, b-but" the Pegasus stammered. Gilda was outraged. she closed her eyes and took a large inhale.
"RROOOOOOAAAAAAARRR!" the noise shook walls and carts. by the time the griffon lifted her eyelids, the pink-maned pony was crying, and galloping towards the edge of town. Wow, she was wimpier than I thought. Everyone is this town are probably the same.
"Ugh, all of these lame ponies are making me buggy," Gilda groaned. "I gotta bail." she spread her wings and flew away from the town. 
She soon arrived and Rainbow's house and tugged on the front door. It was locked. Good thing her friend had give her a spare key, just in case. Stepping inside, the griffon bolted to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was a daisy salad, a half gallon of milk, and a sandwich from Hay Burger. Dash really needs to go grocery shopping. Gilda sighed and pulled out the burger. It was the closest thing to meat in there. As she chewed on her snack, the griffon padded into the living room. looking up at the mantle, she saw pictures of RD and her friends. One was of them all drinking smoothies together. Another was of Pinkie and Dash sledding. The last looked like a family photo, everyone smiling at the camera. Gilda's tail drooped as she realized there was no photo of her. She still had RD's picture in her apartment! Suddenly the door swung open and Rainbow Dash jumped inside. 
"Thank goodness!" the Pegasus let out a sigh of relief. "You're still here."  Gilda looked at her.
"Of course I am! Why would I leave my best bud?" she asked, hurt in a way. 
"I just thought, after what happened in town..." Dash murmured shuffling her hooves. the griffon turned her back to the cyan mare.
"Oh, you heard about that." she grumbled. 
"Yeah, Pinkie Pie told me" Gilda's fur stood on end after hearing her friend say that. I didn't know that twat was there! RD took the griffon's silence as a sign to continue. 
"Y'know, Pinkie's actually throwing a party for you." she said trying to brighten the mood. That got Gilda's attention.
"I think it's about to start," the Pegasus gestured towards the door. "Wanna come?"  A party all for me? Well, that's surprising. I thought the blubbering idiot would hate me right about now. As well as everyone else in town. 
"I think I'll stay here for a bit," the griffon replied as she eased herself onto the couch. "I gotta be fashionably late, y'know."
"Yeah." RD sounded really upset as she walked out the door. Gilda watched her go, and was about to say something, but looked away as her friend shut the door, leaving the griffon alone in the dark. 
Tired, Gilda curled up one couch. she closed her eyes and thought of how good things were back she was little. Her parents were together, they had a good house, she had Dash as the best friend ever. So, what happened? After her parents divorced and Rainbow moved to Cloudsdale, she wasn't happy. Her mom and dad fighting all the time and being in a bad mood must've rubbed off on her. But she could change that. With these thoughts floating through her head, the sleepy griffon drifted into sleep.
Gilda woke, rubbed her eyes and yawned. Getting up from the couch, she looked up at the clock. 15 minutes had passed. Recovering from the short nap, she staggered towards the door. She could still make it to her party in time. When the griffon opened the door, a wave of sunlight flooded the dark room.
"Gah!" she stumbled backwards, blind. Blinking, she managed to regain her vision and get outside. Gilda took off in the direction of town, looking for a cake-shaped building. Dash told her it looked kinda like a ginger-bread house. She scanned the roof-tops, looking for frosting. There! Gilda swooped down and landed in front of the door. She took a deep breath, and went inside.
"Gilda!" Pinkie Pie bounded up to her in a cheerful mood. "I'm so honored to throw you one my signature Pinkie Pie parties! And I really, truly, sincerely hope you feel welcome here among us ponyfolk!" The pink mare held out her hoof for her to grab. The griffon narrowed her eyes and slowly took the hoof-shake. Bad idea. Electricity surged through her body as Gilda crumpled to the floor. Above her Pinkie was laughing while she revealed her hoof, which had a buzzer on it. The griffon got to her feet growling and flexing her claws. It's not funny, that hurt! Just then, Rainbow Dash walked into the room laughing as well. 
"Oh, Pinkie Pie! The old hoof-shake buzzer!" she giggled. "You are a scream!" Gilda still managed to rustle up a compliment, trying not to lose it.
"Ha, ha, yeah, good one Pinkie Pie." RD began trotting towards some other ponies talking in a group.
"Come on Gene, I want you meet some of my other friends." she beckoned to Gilda.
"Right behind you Dash!" the griffon called back. When Rainbow was gone, Gilda turned to Pinkie.
"I know what you're up to," she snarled. The party pony smiled.
"Great!" she chirped. Gilda shook her head. 
"I know what you're planning!" she barked. Pinkie giggled at her.
"I sure hope so! This wasn't supposed to be a SUPRISE party!" the griffon stared at her. How stupid was this girl?
"I mean, I got my eye on you." she tried to explain as Pinkie leaned in closer.
"And I, got my eye on you!" the pink mare backed up and called out to the ponies in the room. 
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Gilda!" she pointed to the griffon, who was now glaring at Pinkie. "She is a long-time, dear friend of Rainbow Dash, so lets honor her, and welcome her Ponyville!" Gilda was about to protest, when the Ponies began cheering her name and stomping their hooves. Embarrassed, the griffon smiled sheepishly and waved as Dash trotted up smiling, and put her arm around her. 
"Please, help yourself." Pinkie interrupted the commotion, directing the attention to a sweets cart. Gilda walked over, and saw one of her favorite snacks.
"Vanilla lemon drops!" she exclaimed, picking one out of the bowl. "Don't mind if I do." she popped it into her mouth. As soon as the candy touched her tongue, it seemed her whole mouth was on fire.
"HOT!" she shrieked.
"Gene! The punch!" RD pointed to a table, but Gilda as already speeding towards it. She grabbed a cup tilted her head back, waiting for sweet relief. But it didn't come. Everyone was now cracking up, seeing  how the glass had holes in it.
"Well, what do ya know?" Pinkie giggled. "Pepper in the vanilla lemon drops, and punch served in a dribble glass!" Rainbow was in tears.
"Priceless!" she laughed. "PRICELESS!" The griffon raced across the room to a nearby punch bowl, and drank up. Panting, she calmed down as the burning sensation began to fade. 
"Yeah, hilarious." she grumbled. 
"Hey Gene, presents!" Dash called. Gilda spun around. Really? For me? The griffon hadn't had one of those in years. She sped over to the huge pile of gifts and grabbed the nearest one. It was a can. She tugged on the ribbon, struggling to get it open.
"BOOM!" The top exploded and little rubber snakes popped out a her. The sudden noise caused her fur and feathers to poof up like a kitten. Everyone burst out laughing as the embarrassed griffon tried to redeem herself.
"Ha, ha," she looked at Pinkie. "I bet I know who THAT was." the pink pony blinked her eyes innocently.
"You do?" she chirped.
After a while, the pranks had died down and Gilda was chilling by the sweet table. She made sure not to eat the vanilla lemon drops. 
"Cake time, everypony!" Pinkie Pie rolled out a huge cake that everyone was starting to crowd around. As Gilda pushed through the mob of ponies, she heard somebody say,
"Ooh, can I blow out the candles?" the griffon struggled even more to get to the desert. No one's going to blow out MY candles! Luckily, a purple unicorn standing next to the dragon told him no.
"Spike, how about we let Gilda blow out the candles," she suggested, ""She is the guest of honor after all." when the griffon finally made it to the middle, she rammed into the baby dragon, knocking him over.
"Exactly." she growled. The griffon took a deep breath, and blew. The tiny flames burned out and Gilda stood smiling at the crowd. But the ponies weren't cheering and smiling back, they were laughing again and pointing at the cake.
"Huh?" Gilda looked at her treat and gasped. The candles were relit! Quickly she tried again, only to see the flames burst back to life. As the griffon tried again and again, the laughter got louder. Soon she couldn't take it any more and fell to the floor, sucking in air. Above her spike was laughing his head off.
"Relighting birthday candles!" he giggled. "I love that joke!" Gilda got to feet and saw Pinkie Pie giggling too.
"Now I wonder who did THAT?" she squeaked. The griffon scowled.
"Yeah, I wonder." Suddenly she heard munching coming from the cake. A little dragon head burst from the top.
"This cake is amazing!" he said shoving hand-fulls into his mouth. The purple unicorn glared at him.
"Spike!" she scolded. The dragon shrugged. 
"What, it's good! Try some!" Gilda was not amused. This was her first party in 12 years and now it was getting ruined! The snacks, her presents, and even her cake were soiled by stupid pranks. She just wanted to have a good time for once! Dash walked up behind her.
"Hey Gene, you're not mad about some stupid candles, are you?" she asked. Gilda rustled up a smile.
"No way, Dash," she faked. "I'm down with a good prank" the Pegasus smiled.
"Great! Let's have some cake." RD trotted away, and the griffon slinked over to where Pinkie Pie was eating. She grabbed the pink pony's neck and pulled her behind the cake. 
"I'm watching you, like a hawk." She hissed. Pinkie smiled.
"Why? Can't you watch me like a griffon?" she giggled. Gilda felt like ripping the mare in half. A commotion in the front of the room stopped her from doing so. She dropped the pink horse and walked over.
"Ooh, my favorite game!" a white unicorn squealed. "Can I go first? I do have the purple tail!" As she was bending over to pick up the faux tail, Gilda dashed in and grabbed it before her.
"Well I'M the guest of honor, and I'LL have the purple tail." she snapped. 
"Yeah, Gilda should definitely go first!" Pinkie bounded over with Spike. "Lets get you blindfolded." The purple dragon approached her and tied a bandana around her head.
"Hey, what are you-" Gilda felt some one grab her and push.
"We're spinning you round and around and then you can pin the tail on the pony!" She heard Pinkie say. The griffon thought she was going to throw up until she came to a stop. 
"Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail!" the party pony lead her forward. Gilda figured this was another prank, like she would step on a whoopee cushion or something.
"Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail!" The griffon mocked as she turned around. "Yeah, right. This is just another prank isn't it. I'm going this way." she pushed past Pinkie and began walking, knowing the real game was somewhere else.
"No, wait!" the party pony said with urgency in her voice. "The poster is this way!" no sooner had she said that, when Gilda felt her self slip. She screeched as the stray frosting led her crashing into the kitchen blinded. The griffon ripped off the blindfold and stormed outside, only to be met by howls of laughter and Pinkie giggling,
"Um, Gilda? You pinned the tail on the wrong end." The griffon couldn't take it anymore. The amount of rage and hate for Pinkie couldn't be contained as she reared up and roared.
"GRROOOOOAAAAARRR!!!" her bellowing screech made everyone stare in fear as the griffon began to hover.
"THIS is your idea of a good time?!" she spat. "I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life!" she scanned the room, looking for a fuzzy pink mane.
"And Pinkie Pie, YOU!" she pointed an accusing claw in the pink pony's face. "Your queen LAME-O  with your weak little party pranks! Did you REALLY think you could make me lose my cool?" Getting back on the ground she waltzed over to RD, who was surprised of how her friend was acting. The griffon put her arm around the Pegasus.
"Well, Dash and I have TEN TIMES as much cool as the rest of you put together!" Gilda headed for the door.
"Come on, Dash, we're bailing from this pathetic scene." When she noticed her friend wasn't following, she turned around. "Come on, Rainbow Dash, I said we're leaving!" the griffon growled. RD closed her eyes and sighed.
"Y'know Gilda?" She said opening them with a frown. "I'M the one who set up all those weak pranks at this party." Gilda was shocked.
"W-what!?" She stammered. Rainbow stepped in front of Pinkie, who's mouth had formed an O. 
"So I guess I"M queen lame-o." The Pegasus narrowed her eyes. Gilda took a step back.
"C'mon, Dash," The griffon said nervously. "You're joshing me." the Pegasus walked towards her, more sincere.
"They weren't all meant for you, specifically," she explained. "It was just dumb luck that you set them all off." Pinkie smiled.
"I should've known!" She said, placing a hoof on her forehead. "That dribble cup had  Rainbow Dash written all over it." Gilda couldn't believe it.
"No way," the griffon stammered, "I-It was Pinkie Pie! she set up this party to trip me up, make a fool of me." The party pony looked hurt.
"Me? I threw this party to improve your attitude!" she cried. "I thought a good party would turn that frown upside-down!" Rainbow Dash spoke up.
"And you sure didn't need help making a fool of yourself," She snapped. "This isn't how I thought my old friends would treat my new friends." Gilda was hurt. I thought she was supposed to be Loyal! Supportive, even! Rainbow Dash continued her speech.
"If being cool is all you care about, maybe you should go find some cool friends somewhere else." Gilda's mind was reeling. Was her only friend about to dump her?
"Yeah?" She growled. What am I doing!? Reason with her! "Well, you're such a- a, flip-flop! Cool one minute and lame the next." Gilda could tell she was insulting her. Rainbow's ears drooped even more with each harmful word she said. Why am I bullying her? Apologize! But the griffon didn't. Her parent's stubbornness stuck to her, molding the child into the grump she was.
"When you decide to be cool again, gimme a call." she threw one last attack at the Pegasus, before storming out the entry and slamming the door with a flick of her tail. 
Once outside, Gilda sat on the hard dirt. She looked back at the sweet shop one last time, before spreading her wings and flying as far away from the town as she could. As the griffon soared past her former friends house, fresh tears began to form in her eyes, for she knew they would never speak to each other again.
     
     
  
> A new Lesson every Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash stormed into her home, slamming the door behind her. She flew up the stairs and into the guest bedroom, hoping to find her ex-friend. Gilda wasn't there. Outraged and with tears forming in her eyes, the Pegasus proceeded to rip the room apart. She tore down the curtains and threw them on the bed, all while screaming for her former friend. She didn't miss her. No, not at all. The cyan mare wanted everything about Gilda out of her life. But, if she hated the griffon so much, why was she searching under the bed, hoping to find her? Soon Dash gave up, and collapsed on the floor sobbing. She curled up in a ball rolling in her sorrow thinking of her friend. 
When Rainbow finally stopped her crying, she wiped the tears from her face and began opening the dresser drawers. To her surprise, Gilda had left everything in them. She never bothered to come back. That struck the Pegasus as odd, considering how angry she'd been at the party. Wouldn't the griffon want her things back? Out of curiosity, Dash began rummaging through Gilda's stuff. She brought a jacket, some deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until she had reached the bottom when she found something Gilda couldn't have forgotten. She must've left it there on purpose, for her to find. Holding back tears and clutching the photo close to her heart, Rainbow raced to the balcony. She took off, heading to the place she always went to when she needed advice.
___________________________________________________________________________________

Gilda struggled to stay air-born as rain hammered down on her back. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer, and that she had to find shelter fast. Soaring above the clouds, the griffon got a break from the storm. She still needed rest, as the water in her feathers would weigh her down. Squinting, Gilda could make out the light of a window. Her prayers had been answered. Swooping down, The griffon landed on the doorstep. She rung the doorbell that was next to a sign reading, "Motel." 
Eventually a light brown Earth pony answered the door. She looked about 10, and had a pretty copper-colored mane. Gilda guessed she had never seen a griffon before, as her eyes grew wide and her short legs started to tremble.
"C-can I help you?" she stammered. Gilda smiled, trying to look as friendly and presentable as possible.
"Hello," She greeted the small pony in a soft voice. "Um, do you, rent rooms?" The Earth pony stopped shaking and gave her a blank stare. Gild began to feel uncomfortable. After what seemed like hours, the tiny mare spoke.
"Well, DUH!" she said pointing at the sign. "Can you read?" The griffon was taken back by the Earth pony's sudden bravery. She looked like she was about to wet herself a couple moments ago!
"I- uh, well-" The older filly groaned and grabbed Gilda's chest feathers. With a sharp squawk she was yanked inside. The door slammed behind her, and a towel was thrown in her face. 
"Dry yourself off." the small mare instructed her. Gilda began rubbing the cloth along her fur, when she realized she didn't even know the filly's name.
"Hey, kid," she called out. The Earth pony turned around.
"What." She replied, obviously bored. 
"What's your name?" Gilda asked. The pony looked at her. She seemed really surprised, and looked down at her hooves.
"No one's ever asked me that before." She mumbled. 
"Huh?" Gilda couldn't hear. She leaned in closer, trying to tune in to the light brown filly's words. The pony jumped up quickly, startling the griffon.
"Well, if you really must know, it's Rusty." she said proudly. Gilda blinked. Rusty. She thought about it, trying to get the name familiar on her tongue. It really suited her, with that copper hair. Gilda's thoughts were interrupted when she saw Rusty looking around her feet. 
"Missing something?" the griffon joked. The small pony glanced up.
"No, you are." she shot back. Gilda was confused. 
"Your luggage." Rusty explained with a roll of her eyes. Gilda suddenly remembered she left all of her stuff at Dash's place. There was no point of going back for it now, RD probably threw it all away. Or burned it.
"Don't got any." The griffon said with a shrug. Rusty smiled.
"Less work for me!" she said cheerfully. A voice from another room called out, taking Gilda by surprise.
"Rusty dear, who is it?" The brown filly turned to Gilda and looked her up and down. 
"Its-" she called back. "I don't know, actually." a groan sounded from the other room. The sound of pots and pans clanging together was heard as a yellow Earth pony stomped in with a bowl in her mouth. Once she caught sight of Gilda, she  screamed dropping the bowl, spilling the contents. 
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the mare apologized as she pulled out a cloth and began cleaning up the mess. "I just never saw anything like you before, and-" she was cut short by a claw holding a towel wiping the floor with her. She looked up and smiled graciously, and Gilda smiled back.

As Gilda examined her temporary room, she thought about how different it was from Dash's guest bedroom. The curtains were brown and beaten, while Rainbow's were colored and new. The bed was scratched up and used, but RD's was neat and tidy. Gilda loved her room all the same, especially since it was free for the night. 
The sound of tiny hooves coming up the stairs were heard. Gilda opened the door to see Rusty.
"Dinner is ready." she informed the griffon. Gilda drooled. She hadn't had a proper meal in hours. She followed Rusty down the stairs and into the kitchen, where everyone was already sitting. Gilda had introduced herself a while ago, so she just waved shyly and sat down. There was Coppertone, Rusty's mother and Glazing Clay, her Pegasus father. Rusty and Clay were clearly related, as they had the same color fur, mane, green eyes. Coppertone on the other hoof, was a bit different. Her fur was light yellow, and she had a wavy blond and mango mane. She was a kind mare, with her gentle blue eyes.  
Gilda took a seat in an chair next to Rusty. The little rascal had begun to grow on her, and she called her, "Gene" once and a while.
Coppertone placed a plate in front of the griffon, and her eyes widened. There was fruit salad, a piece of bread, and her favorite, fish. Gilda noticed no one else had the delicious seafood, so they must've caught it just for her. The griffon waited for everyone to sit down, then dug in. the salad tasted sweet and fresh, and each berry seemed to have a better flavor. The bread was crisp and warm. The griffon could tell it had just come out of the oven. And the fish, was amazing. The meat was packed with juice that filled her mouth with each bite. It was better than anything she ever tasted. Her mom was never a really good cook, and her father always ordered take-out.
Gilda seemed to inhale her meal, as everyone else was still eating. She blushed, and asked to be excused.

Losing a friend is like losing a finger. You don't know what you have until it's gone.

Gilda lay on her side, thinking about Dash. She remembered the time they got in trouble during camp for putting a tack on their counselor's chair. She grinned, recalling the harsh words her mother had said to her. But her smile faded as she remembered she and Rainbow weren't friends any longer. The cruel words she had said to her still lingered in the back of her head. 
"Cool one minute and lame the next," How could she say that? Gilda truly missed Dash more than ever now. She wanted to run up to her and tell her she was sorry, that she didn't mean any of the things she said. Salty tears began to roll down the griffon's cheeks as she thought. Maybe she would forgive me, forget everything I'd done. But that wouldn't happen. Gilda knew she would never hold the Pegasus in her arms, lost in her warm embrace. She would never feel her luscious tongue against hers, as they-. She stopped for a moment to slap herself. Why do I keep thinking like that!? I'm not lesbian, am I? Confused, Gilda just tried to fall asleep, the moon shining on her face.
___________________________________________________________________

"Twilight, you have to do SOMETHING!" Rainbow Dash paced in the purple unicorn's library. Twilight sighed.
"Look, Rainbow." she cooed softly, trying to calm her friend. "There's nothing I can do." the Pegasus looked at the unicorn, her eyes a mix of worry and anger. 
"Nothing!?" she raised her voice. "Gilda and I have been best friends since I was a filly." Twilight stared back at her, like a bullfighter and a raging mule. Or in this case pony.
"I understand that but-" 
"Do you?" Dash lashed out at her, beginning to cry. "You didn't have any friends before you came to Ponyville, so you shouldn't know!" That made Twilight tear up a bit. Having her own friend say that hit her hard. RD realized her mistake and sighed, wiping her face of tears.   
"Twi, I'm sorry. I just-" The unicorn put a hoof up to silence her. 
"I forgive you," she assured the cyan mare. "And I'm sorry too. I didn't understand the pain you were going through, and I do now." RD brightened up a bit.
"So, you'll help me?" she asked hopefully. Twilight smiled.
"Yes, but I'll need something of importance to Gilda in order for this location spell to work." She explained. Dash looked down at her hooves, which were still clutching the picture frame. Slowly, she handed the photo of herself over to Twilight. 
"Perfect." The unicorn said as her horn began to glow.
___________________________________________________________________

Gilda was soaring through clouds, flying in the sky. She was happy for some reason, but she didn't care. She just glided along with the wind. A cyan pelt was caught out of the corner of her eye. As Rainbow Dash pulled up next to the griffon, she smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. Gilda was astonished.
"D-Dash?!" She stammered. "Did you just kiss me?!" Rainbow looked ahead.
"Maybe." she said in a flirty tone. Gilda was extremely confused. After a long time of awkward silence, she had no other option than to ask the question. She swallowed, and turned to the Pegasus.
"Dash?" She choked. "Do you, love me?" Rainbow sighed and stared at the griffon, not blinking. Gilda felt as if her rose colored eyes would burn straight through her. Finally, RD spoke.
"Depends, do you love me?" she repeated the question. The griffon looked down.
"I-I don't know." she answered weakly. The Pegasus looked forward again.
"Well when you do, tell me." With that Rainbow disappeared into a cloud of mist, leaving Gilda alone.
"Wait!" she cried out for the cyan mare, clawing at the cloud. The sky around her began to run, like water on wet paint as she searched frantically for her friend. Soon everything was black. The griffon stopped calling out and looked around. She couldn't see anything. Suddenly a voice sounded from above her.
"Make a choice, Gilda." It said. Around her, little voices began chanting,
"She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not." the voices started getting louder and louder, until the griffon thought her head would explode.
"STOP!" she screeched.
Gilda woke up in a sweat. She looked around, glad to be back in the motel. She rubbed her eyes and slowly got out of bed. That was the second Rainbow Dash dream she had that week! She flew downstairs and saw Rusty helping her mother cook breakfast. The filly turned around.
"Good morning, Gene!" she greeted her. Gilda smiled and walked over.
"Hey, kiddo." she said while giving the pony a noogie. Rusty squealed and pushed her off. The griffon turned to Coppertone, who seemed busy on the stove. 
"What's cooking?" she asked, peeking over her shoulder. The yellow mare looked up.
"Pancakes and eggs." she replied. Gilda licked her lips, or beak. She felt bad about eating this family's food, but she couldn't help herself. I'll leave after breakfast. 
"When everything was finished, Coppertone called everyone over. Glazing Clay looked up from his newspaper and grunted. He sat up and came over to join the family. Gilda began eating, savoring the rich eggs and fluffy pancakes. When she finished, the griffon placed her dishes in the sink and rinsed them. She then walked upstairs to make her bed.
As Gilda was changing her sheets, Rusty bounded in. 
"Hi!" she chirped. The griffon smiled. 
"Hey," she answered the filly's greeting. "Need something?" Rusty grinned at her, eyes full of mischief. She reached out her hoof and tapped Gilda's beak.
"You've got a crush." she whispered. Gilda frowned. 
"No I don't." she replied, continuing her chore. Rusty giggled.
"Yes you do," she argued. "I heard you talk in your sleep. His name was Rainbow Dash or something." Gilda blushed. I talk in my sleep? Well, maybe I DO have a crush on her. Is that why I keep having those dreams? Why I so desperately want to see her again? 
"You DO like him!" the filly squealed, pointing at her pink cheeks. Gilda watched as Rusty danced around her, chanting,
"Gilda and Rainbow Dash, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" The griffon smiled. Yeah, I love her don't I. Gilda stood up. She took a deep breath,
"I love Rainbow Dash." She said out loud, taking Rusty by surprise. Turning around, the griffon grabbed the filly, giving her a huge hug.
"Thank you." She whispered. Then she ran down the stairs and out the door, calling to the back the astonished adults.
"Good bye! Thanks for everything!"  Gilda spread her wings and took off, heading for Ponyville with a certain mare in mind. Dash, I'm coming for you. And I've got something to say.
_________________________________________________________________________

Coppertone stood doing dishes as her husband read the newspaper. Gilda had a kind personality. We didn't get any bits, but things sure were interesting with her around. Suddenly, a purple flash of light came from outside their door. Another one? Without warning a purple unicorn barged in, looking around frantically. 
"Gilda?" She called. "GILDA?!" Rusty came downstairs in a hurry.
"What's wrong?" she asked the distraught mare. The unicorn looked at her.
"Have you seen a griffon around here lately?" she asked. "They're half lion, half eagle." Rusty narrowed her eyes.
"You mean Gene? She left over two hours ago." she replied to the suspicious mare, then giggled. "She probably went to see her crush." The purple unicorn looked really confused. 
"What CRUSH?" she began to look more and more frantic. 
"It's Rainbow Dash, If I can remember correctly." Rusty rubbed her chin as she thought. "Weird name for a stallion, don't you think?" But the purple mare had stopped listening altogether and stared straight ahead, not blinking. 
"Are you alright?" Coppertone reached out to her.
"Oh, no," the unicorn muttered. Her horn began to glow, and in flash she was gone once more.


  
 
> A Griffon and a Pony walk into a Bar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Chapter 3

Gilda took a long sip from her glass. The bartender trotted over with a refill of cider ready for her. The griffon looked up at him.
"I- I can't afford it." The unicorn smiled and levitated the drink in front of her. 
"Don't worry about it," he said as Gilda lifted the glass to her beak. "It's on the house."  She drank the cold cider, feeling the liquid slide her throat. She put her drink down and looked out the bar window. It was dark. She glanced back at the glass. Am I really about to do this? Admitting her affection towards Rainbow Dash seemed so simple when she left the motel. Now it looked almost impossible. Gilda scooted out her chair and got up to leave. She dropped some extra bits on the counter as a tip before the griffon stepped outside into the cool night air. She checked the map the bartender had given her. Ponyville was only a few miles away. She could probably make it after being hydrated. Gilda took off heading South, hoping the flight wouldn't be difficult.
Soaring through the sky, the griffon looked for any sign of life down below. It was mostly grassland, and aside from a few trees there really wasn't anything. She checked the map again, squinting at it in the dark. She was getting closer. With her spirits raised a bit, Gilda kept on going. 
As time went by the griffon tried to bide her time. She thought of jokes, enjoyed the scenery, and even attempted practice shots with her crush. 
"Dash, I think I love you." Gilda shook her head. That won't do, it's too straight-forward. She tried again.
"Hey, Dash?" the griffon thought for a moment. "I've gone lesbo for you." She sighed. That one was stupid. Rainbow would just laugh at her if she said that. Gilda flew on, trying to forget about it. 
____________________________________________________________________

Twilight frantically flipped through all of her books, searching for an explanation. How could this happen? I thought the griffon hated Rainbow Dash! She can't possibly be in LOVE with her! Groaning, the unicorn tossed her books aside and started pacing. What should I do? Should I tell her? No, I can't do that, Gilda has to say it herself. 
Spike came in with a cup of tea. The baby dragon had been worried about the purple mare ever since she teleported back all worked up. 
"Um, Twilight?" he interrupted her with a quiet voice. The unicorn glanced down at him. Spike waddled towards her and held out the cup. 
"Here, I brought you some tea," Twilight levitated the drink out of his claws, studying it. The dragon twiddled his thumbs.
"Noticed you've been stressed out lately, so I got you something." The unicorn smiled and patted the dragon on the head. 
"Thank you, Spike." she praised her assistant and took a sip. The dragon was right, after she drank the tea she felt refreshed and could think clearly again. Almost instantly, Twilight had an idea. She looked around library for the photo Dash had given her. She found it on top of a pile unsent scrolls. Using her magic, she carefully took the picture out of the frame. Spike watched her examine it closely
"What are you looking for?" he asked. The unicorn found what she wanted, and showed it to the baby dragon. On the back of the photo there was a message, presumably from Rainbow to Gilda. 
Dear Gilda, 
You're my best friend in the whole world! 
I hope you keep this picture to remember me by. 
I'll miss you when I'm in Cloudsdale!
Love, Rainbow Dash 
Twilight figured they must've done some sort of photo exchange before Dash moved away. That must mean the Pegasus had one from the griffon. 
"Spike, take a letter." she instructed her assistant. "But this time, send it to Rainbow Dash."
___________________________________________________________

Gilda walked into the all too familiar street of Ponyville. She had made it to her destination, and was now looking for somewhere to sleep until the morning. She strolled down the empty road, trying to find a place that would hide her from criminals. 
The griffon eventually found a large cardboard box surrounded by newspaper. She didn't like being reduced to staying on the streets,
but she had no other option. The griffon slinked over to the trash, not wanting to be seen. Curling up into the box, Gilda pulled up a dry newspaper and covered herself with it. When was relatively comfortable, the griffon closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep. 

Gilda's eyes slowly opened. It was still very dark out, so she didn't know why her body woke up. Suddenly, she heard a voice coming her way. Shrinking into her box, the griffon sat in silence and waited for the pony to pass. But something wasn't right. The voice she heard was too familiar. Gilda swore she heard it before, and her eyes widened as she recognized the mare. Stepping out of her mini-home, the griffon peered around the corner to get a better view.

"Cuz all I really need's a smile, smile, smile," Pinkie Pie sang to herself. She didn't normally go out this late, but Fluttershy called her talking about a nightmare or something. As a good friend, the party pony promised she would come over and try to cheer her up. She was nearly at the edge of town, when she heard shuffling in a nearby ally way. Stopping her song, Pinkie stared at the empty place.
"Hello?" She called.

Gilda scowled as her suspicions were confirmed. It WAS the brat who had caused her so much pain. The griffon's anger only grew as memories of the cruel pranks that were played on her flooded back into her head. Gilda's mind was filled with so much hate for the pony, she couldn't think straight. Maybe she was in with love Dash, too. What if she's already dating her! Gilda could imagine the pink party pony sharing eskimo kisses with Rainbow at sunset. The twerp had to pay for even THINKING about touching her soon-to-be marefriend. Her lover. Her Dashie. And just like that, Gilda snapped. 
With a huge roar the griffon launched herself at Pinkie Pie, who had made the mistake of wandering closer into the ally. Pinkie screamed as Gilda's huge claws dug into her back. With a grunt, the griffon picked up the terrified mare and flung her deeper down the musky hallway. A sickening crack was heard as the party pony crashed into the far wall. 
Sobbing, Pinkie looked up at the outraged griffon, who had walked over in large strides. Gilda had all the time she needed. As the griffon came closer, moonlight shone on her face, revealing her identity. The pink mare's eyes widened with shock as she realized who her attacker was.
"G-Gilda?" she whimpered. The griffon lunged forward snarling, and picked Pinkie up by her neck. She squeezed hard, feeling the satisfying crunch of the pony's airways. Pinkie screeched with pain before going limp in Gilda's arm. The griffon's eyes glowed with pride as she dropped the lifeless body. 
"Hey!" Gilda spun around to see a stallion galloping towards her. The party pony's scream must've alerted him of the attack. The griffon quickly spread her wings and took off, leaving the unicorn to deal with the bloody mess she left.  
______________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash flew as quickly as she could to the downtown hospital. The Pegasus had just heard about the attack last night from Twilight, who was heading there herself. The unicorn was in such a panic she forgot to tell her who it was that got mauled, but she was in tears when she told her so the cyan mare figured he or she was important to her. Rounding a corner, Dash flapped her wings faster trying to gather more speed.
Arriving at the hospital, Rainbow noticed a huge crowd gathering at the front doors. This was no normal attack. The Pegasus located Twilight at the back of the crowd, along with her other friends. The cyan mare didn't see Pinkie Pie anywhere, which was odd. She should be here, trying to brighten to mood. She landed in front of them, and saw they were all crying. Rarity levitated a box of tissues that everyone was taking from. She trotted up to Fluttershy, who seemed to be doing the worst. The Pegasus was curled in a ball, whimpering in her long, pink mane.
"Hey, Flutters," Dash said trotting up to her. "You okay?" The yellow mare slowly looked up at her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her hair was sticking to her face. Rainbow winced. She wasn't looking so hot. The cyan mare tried something else.
"Do you know where Pinkie Pie is?" She asked. "I don't see her anywhere." Fluttershy's lip quivered. Without warning, the Pegasus began sobbing loudly. Leaving the pony to mourn, Dash went over to Twilight and asked her where her pink friend was. The unicorn stared at her, tears streaming down her face.
"Pinkie, is," she began. Rarity blew her nose and excused herself, not wanting to hear the answer. Applejack was off to the side, squeezing her eyes shut as she prepared for Rainbow's reaction. Fluttershy sat in silence. Twilight took a deep breath, and continued.
"Pinkie is up in that building,laying in a hospital bed connected to tubes and wires." Fluttershy let out a sob. 
"She almost died last night, Dash." The cyan mare's heart skipped a beat. 
"No," she murmured taking a step back. "Not Pinkie." Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. 
"Darling, you couldn't do anything to stop-." Rainbow shoved her off.
"I'LL KILL EM'!" She screeched taking flight. Twilight sighed and used her magic to restrain her. "NO, LEMME GO!" the Pegasus kicked and thrashed, powerless against the mystic force. 
"Rainbow, ya need to calm down." Applejack soothed. "Pinkie's alive, and that's what we care about." Dash fought back even harder, now with fresh tears flowing down her cheeks. 
"I WANT TO SEE HER!" She cried, "PINKIE!" As Twilight struggled to hold the screaming Pegasus, she felt a hoof on her shoulder. 
"Let her go, Twilight," Fluttershy said softly. "If she wants to see her, don't keep her from her friend." The unicorn looked at Rainbow, considering Fluttershy's request. The cyan mare was fighting for her freedom, eager to get by Pinkie's side. She had began to cry, calling out for the party pony. Twilight sighed, and released her friend. 
Realizing she was free, Dash stopped fighting and slowly descended to the ground. She turned and hugged Twilight, pulling her close.
"Thank you." she whispered, and took off towards the front. Pushing past reporters and civilians, the Pegasus pulled open the doors and ran up to the receptionist. 
"Which room is Pinkie Pie in?" She asked urgently. Nurse Snowheart looked at her blankly. 
"Friend or family?" She asked glumly. Rainbow swallowed.
"Family." She replied. The nurse grumbled about something before pointing towards a staircase. 
"Up there, third door to the left." 
"Thanks," Dash said to her before flying up the stairs, where Pinkie was waiting for a friend. 
_________________________________________________________________________

Gilda stretched and yawned. She felt like she hadn't had any sleep. The griffon felt around for the piece of newspaper she was under, but couldn't find it. She opened her eyes in confusion and found that she wasn't even in her box. Or the alleyway. Gilda looked around, astonished that she was now on the roof of a building.
"H-how did I get here?" she murmured. 
Her heart rate began to quicken as the griffon began to the recall the events that occurred last night. She shuddered, remembering the feeling of the pony's neck breaking, of the sticky blood on her claws. Wait a minute. 
Slowly, she raised her trembling talon to her face. It was covered in the dried, red liquid. As she stared in horror, Gilda began to hyperventilate, taking in sharp gasps of air. I killed her. I'm a murderer. She covered her face with her claws and sobbed. Pinkie was dead, all thanks to her. The griffon didn't know why she did it. I was just mad at her, I didn't want to hurt her!
Eventually Gilda calmed down. She wiped the tears from her face, spread her wings and took off. She flew above the clouds, going higher and higher. Soon she was at an altitude no pony could handle. She stayed there for a bit, enjoying the view and feeling the wind rustling her feathers. She sighed and looked down. Rainbow would never love a killer like her. 
Then the griffon let go. She began to fall, speeding increasingly faster towards the ground. She closed her eyes.
"Good bye, Dash," she whispered. "I love you." As the griffon prepared for impact, she felt a sudden tug. She began to descend slower, feeling the brush of feathers against her back. Glancing up, she saw a flash of a pink mane before a yellow wing swat her in the face. The Pegasus whimpered.
"A little help?" She groaned, lifting the griffon's weight. "If you don't mind..." Gilda began to flap her huge wings, helping the mare hold her up. When they reached the ground, Gilda walked over to a nearby field and sat on the dirt. She stared at the green grass below her, recovering from what she was about to do. Suddenly, the griffon felt a hoof lifting her head, bringing her eye to eye with the pony who saved her life. 
"Lets get you some water," Fluttershy soothed, stroking Gilda's feathers. 
___________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash sat by Pinkie's bed, staring at her. She couldn't believe someone would DO this to her! Everyone on town adored the party pony. But here she was, laying in a hospital bed connected to a water bag and heart monitor. As Dash watched her friends chest slowly move up and down, sleeping peacefully, she remembered what the doctor had told her earlier.

"When she was taken in her condition was critical." Docter Stable informed Rainbow. "We're doing the best we can, but we don't know every detail." Dash sat in silence, stroking Pinkie's mane. She looked so soft and delicate wearing the brace around her neck. The doctor swallowed.
"She was beaten up pretty bad," He continued. "The attacker broke her spine and fractured her airways. She's connected to a machine that breaths for her right now." The cyan mare looked up. 
"Will she be the same as before?" Dash asked solemly. Stable gulped. He was afraid she would ask that. 
"W-well, no," He tried to lay this on her gently. "She'll probably be put in a wheelchair until her back fully recovers." Rainbow stiffened.
"How long will that be?" she started to panic. She couldn't imagine Pinkie Pie, the most energetic pony she knew, rolling around in a mobile chair. She was supposed to be active, bouncing around throwing parties!
"I imagine in maybe a few years," the Doctor said softly. Dash just sat there, unmoving. "I'll just leave you two alone." Stable walked of the room and shut the door slowly, leaving the mares in peace.

The Pegasus began getting teary-eyed, knowing her friend would have to sit on the sidelines and watch while the others carried on with their everyday activities. She collapsed on the bed sobbing, burying her face in Pinkie's candy scented mane. 
"I'm sorry, It's all my fault!" She howled, "I couldn't get there fast enough, please forgive me!" as the cyan mare wept by her friend, she felt movement under the covers. The Pegasus bolted upright, and looked at the bed.
"D-Dash?" a small voice squeaked from under the sheets. Rainbow's heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
"Pinkie!" She cried hugging the party pony gently. "Y-you're awake!" In the commotion and reunion of her friend that had been asleep for the day, RD nearly forgot Doctor Stable's message. 
"If she shows any sign of life, immediately ring the buzzer calling for the nurse,"  He instructed. "Too much excitement could damage her again."  
The Pegasus fumbled for the button with tears of joy streaming down her face. She found it under the bed and pressed it repeatedly, overjoyed at Pinkie's revival.
"She's awake!" She hollered, "She's awake and she's alive!"
 
     
     








> Ignition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Chapter 4

Fluttershy rang the doorbell to Golden Oaks library. If anypony knew how to handle this, it was Twilight. Grasping Gilda's claw in her hoof, the Pegasus waited for her friend to answer the door. She then realized the griffon had been silent the whole way here and was now looking at the ground.
"Hey, It's okay," Fluttershy tried to get Gilda's attention. The griffon glanced up. "I know you feel bad about what you did, but Twilight is the wisest pony I know. She'll be able to help you for sure. Gilda smiled gratefully. Finally, the purple unicorn opened the door. 
"Oh, hello Fluttersh- AH!" Twilight leaped back once she saw who the Pegasus had arrived with. "G-Gilda!? she was astonished. The unicorn had searched for days looking for the griffon, and here was the gentlest mare in Ponyville holding her claw like a lost filly. Fluttershy cleared her throat. 
"Twilight, I'm here because Gilda needs some advice." The Pegasus informed her friend sternly. "When I found her she was, confused, shall we say." the unicorn narrowed her eyes. She looked the griffon up and down, trying to see any form of resistance of her being here, but she couldn't tell. Gilda had lost the confident glow in her, and her feathers drooped instead of being perked up and alert. She seemed like a hollow shell of her former self. Twilight smiled, trying to seem as friendly as possible. 
"Alright, come on in!" She invited the two inside, moving out of the way to let them pass. Fluttershy trotted in, then turned around and waited for Gilda. 
"It's okay," She reassured the griffon. "Twilight isn't mad at you." Gilda sulked into the library and sighed. Twilight cringed. She looks miserable! The unicorn gestured to the staircase. 
"Shall we begin?" she asked. Fluttershy nodded and put her hoof around Gilda, reassuring the griffon. They went upstairs into Twilight's room, where Spike was reading a comic book by the window. The unicorn tapped him on the shoulder.
"Spike, would you mind going downstairs for a bit?" she whispered. The dragon frowned.
"Awww, but it's the best part!" he whined and looked up, gasping when he saw Gilda behind Fluttershy. The dragon changed his mind quickly. 
"You know what, the Mane-iac can wait." he said as he bolted past the griffon and down the stairs. "Have fun you three!" Twilight smiled sheepishly, embarrassed Spike would do whatever she said with Gilda around. Shrugging it off, she walked over to her bed and pulled up a chair. She sat and pet the bed, signaling for the griffon to lay down. She slowly dragged her feet to the place the unicorn told her to go. Twilight leaned back in her chair and let Gilda through. She knew she was forgetting something. Oh, that's right! 
"Fluttershy, could you please pass me that pad and pencil?" She asked pointing to her desk. The Pegasus strolled over to the writing supplies and picked them up. She trotted over to the unicorn, who had put her mane in a bun and was now wearing her reading glasses.
"Thank you." She said to her friend as she handed her the things. Twilight turned back to Gilda and cleared her throat.
"Ahem!" the griffon directed her attention towards the unicorn. The purple mare smiled, gracious for the griffon's cooperation.
"Good, now we can begin."
___________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash laughed as Pinkie Pie made a stupid face. 
"Darn it, Pinkie!" she giggled. "You always get me with that one!" The party pony smiled. 
"Thanks!" she squeaked. 
It had been at least a day after the pink mare woke up. Doctor Stable examined her, and gave them both the okay. 
"Her vitals are normal and her breathing is fine," He informed Dash. "Just try and keep the conversations short. Too much talking could damage her airways again." Now Pinkie was up and energetic. RD and the others visited her as often as they could, but still had to do their jobs during the week. The party pony told them not to worry, as she had made a lot of new friends around the hospital. 
"Hey Pinkie, I was thinking," Rainbow began. "You know when it's time for you to be released at the end of the week?" The pink mare nodded.
"Yes?" Dash grinned. 
"What if we threw YOU a party, like ya know, the get well kind." Pinkie's eyes were filled with joy. She leaned forward and squeezed the Pegasus in a long hug.
"Really?" she exclaimed. "That would be super-duper-fun-o-riffic!" RD wiggled free and chuckled.
"Hey, take it easy," she warned. "You know what the doctor said." The party pony snorted.
"Yeah, yeah, don't talk as much blah, blah, blah," she retorted, imitating Stable. "I'm fine, see?" no sooner had the pink mare said that when she broke into a fit of coughs. Dash was instantly at her side, checking to see if she was okay. 
Pinkie eventually stopped hacking and lay down to recover.
"Are you okay?" Rainbow asked, worried. The party pony just nodded, and closed her eyes to sleep. She was obviously done talking for today. The cyan mare sighed and got up. She head for the entrance and turned off the lights. 
"Sweet dreams, Pie." she blessed as the door slowly closed.
___________________________________________________________________

Twilight Sparkle sat by her bed, waiting for the Griffon laying in it to speak. Gilda said nothing, and just stayed not moving a muscle. Pretty soon the unicorn got impatient and turned to Fluttershy, who was sitting next to her.
"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked urgently. "Please, this is really important." the Pegasus shuffled her hooves.
"W-well, she was," she stammered. "She was, um..." Twilight groaned. This was going to take forever, wasn't it.
"Gilda was trying to, um, well..."
"I tried to kill myself." the griffon spoke out, taking the ponies by surprise. 
"Y-yeah. That." Fluttershy said softly. Twilight looked at the griffon in concern. 
"Gilda," she asked. This was serious! "Why would you ever think of doing something so horrible?" There was a brief pause before the griffon gave her answer. 
"I tried to kill myself because," she stopped and gulped. " I'm in love with Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth with her hoof. Twilight smiled. Bingo. This was the moment she'd been preparing for! Time to put, "Dealing with your Lesbian Friend," into action. 
"Gilda, just because you love somepony of the same gender doesn't mean-" the unicorn was interrupted as the griffon spoke once more.
"It's not about that!" she cried. "I could care less about what other ponies think of me!" the unicorn shrunk into her chair, startled by Gilda's outburst. Well, that was a waste of a good book.
"Then why would you-" Twilight was cut off again.
"I only did it because I know Dash doesn't like me back ," the griffon paused again to wipe the tears from her eyes. Fluttershy, who had kept her mouth shut for most of the time, finally said something.
"W-well, we don't know for sure if Rainbow loves you or not." she added softly. That set Gilda off. She burst into tears and curled up into a ball on the bed.
"I KNOW SHE DOESN'T!" the griffon howled. Twilight was baffled. She had never dealt with anything like this before. 
"But-" the unicorn couldn't even finish her sentence as the griffon cried out again.
"SHE HATES ME!" Gilda sobbed. "I KILLED HER BEST FRIEND AND SHE HATES ME!" as the griffon wept, the two ponies just stared in horror. Did I just hear her correctly? Is she REALLY Pinkie's attacker? Not knowing what to do,Twilight approached Gilda, and hesitantly gave her a hug. Calming down a bit, the griffon pulled the unicorn close and whimpered.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." As the purple mare dealt with Gilda, she used her magic to levitate her pad of paper and quill. She carefully wrote a message to Fluttershy, who stood terrified that was in the same room as a killer. When she finished, Twilight turned the message over and showed it to the Pegasus.
Get me a blanket, some coffee, and a box of tissues. it read. Fluttershy nodded and went downstairs, almost running into Spike who was speeding up towards the bed. 
"Is everything alright?" He asked in a panic. "I heard crying and screaming so I-" he stopped when he saw Twilight comforting Gilda, who was curled into a ball next to the unicorn. The purple mare looked up and saw the baby dragon standing there. 
"Go help Fluttershy." she mouthed to him. Spike backed up wide-eyed before bolting out of the room. Twilight turned back to the griffon and began stroking her feathers. 
"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay..."
_____________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy looked frantically around the library, trying to find the requested items. She near turned the place upside-down searching for them until Spike came down.
"What do you need?" he asked. The Pegasus sighed with relief. Surely HE would know where this stuff is! 
"Um, we need a blanket, some coffee," She tried to remember the last thing. "Oh! and a box of tissues." the baby dragon nodded.
"Okay. I'll start the coffee." He waddled towards the kitchen. "There should be a blanket along with the tissues in that linen closet over there." He pointed at a nearby door. Fluttershy quickly ran over to it and looked inside. Sure enough, the things she needed were in there. The Pegasus grabbed them and flew upstairs. She handed them to Twilight.
"Thank you." the unicorn draped the blanket over Gilda and gave her the box. The griffon sniffed and blew her nose. Fluttershy got up and sat on the bed next to her and started rubbing her back.
"Gilda, we're not mad at you," she comforted. "We just want to know what happened." Gilda wiped her tears and took a deep breath.
"Okay." she agreed, and began her story. The griffon described how she had left Ponyville after the party Pinkie Pie had thrown for her.  She had flown to a motel down South where she met Rusty, the filly who helped her realize her affection towards Dash. 
Gilda stopped her tale for a short chuckle, remembering how she thought RD was a guy. Twilight raised her eyebrows.
"What's so funny?" she asked. The griffon smiled. 
"Oh, it's nothing," she replied. "I'll continue." 
Gilda explained how she got to Ponyille after a long flight. She found a box to stay in for the night, before Pinkie walked down the street.
The griffon's beak quivered as she started telling them what happened next. The mares became more and more horrified while hearing how it happened. 
"I-I just couldn't control myself!" Gilda's voice cracked. "It was like I'd lost any trace of sanity I had, and just became what I truly am," The griffon choked out the last two words, wanting to get them off her tongue.
"A monster." Fluttershy wrapped her arms around Gilda, trying to calm the griffon down.
"Aw, don't be sad," she cooed. "It wasn't your fault if you weren't in control." Gilda shrugged her off, becoming panicked.
"But what about the rest of you?" she gestured to the two friends. "You must hate me too. I killed one of your friends!" Fluttershy and Twilight turned and looked at each other. Finally, the purple unicorn sighed and spoke. 
"Gilda, Pinkie's not dead." She stared at the astonished griffon in the eyes. It seemed she was looking deep into her soul, as if things couldn't be any more serious. 
"W-what?" Gilda stammered. "No! S-she was dead, I'm sure of it" Fluttershy had a sad expression on her face.
"She almost died, but luckily Neon Lights was on the streets and found her." she explained. "Pinkie's doing just fine in the hospital." The griffon collapsed on the bed, crying tears of relief.
"Oh, thank god!" Twilight wrapped the blanket around her, and she and the yellow Pegasus left the room to let her celebrate in peace.
____________________________________________________________


A bird zipped through the air, catching a mosquito in it's beak. Another bird flew over, snatching up a fly. The feathered animals played around in the sky, chasing each other through trees and diving trying to get the other off it's tail. It was like a competition for food. A race. 
Pinkie Pie sat up in her bed, watching in silence as the two birds played. They both did flips and turns, catching and eating as many insects as they could. One reminded the pink mare of her friend, Rainbow Dash zooming through the air. The other resembled Gilda, the griffon she was no longer acquainted with. She stayed there staring out the window until knocking was heard. 
"Come in." the party pony called softly. 
"Surprise!" The door swung open, revealing her friends Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and RD wearing party hats. They all made room for Fluttershy, who was wheeling in a large cake. Pinkie was overjoyed. She could barely remember the last time a party was thrown for her! 
"Awww, c'mere you guys!" The pink mare outstretched her arms, and all her friends piled in for the hug. In all the commotion, Pinkie noticed Dash was wearing a mischievous grin. The pink mare frowned.
"Hey, I thought you said the party would be tomorrow on Friday!" She exclaimed, confused. The cyan mare's smile grew wider.
"Well, then it wouldn't be a SURPRISE, now would it?" she laughed and everyone followed along with her. 
Twilight used her magic to levitate the cake platter over to Pinkie, and gently laid it on the party pony's lap. There was a message written neatly in frosting, probably done by Rarity.
Hope you get better soon! We love you! as Pinkie read, a tear came to her eye. She quickly brushed it away and smiled. 
"Thank you all so much!" She squeaked. Everyone laughed and repeated the hug.
All of the ponies had partied through the night. The cake was long gone, and there were party hats scattered across the floor. Rarity had insisted she would help clean up, Pinkie told her no.
"It's alright," she assured the unicorn. "It can wait. I want the room to look like the fun isn't leaving." The pink mare grinned.
"Besides, This place needed a little decoration!" Rarity rolled her eyes.
"Oh, alright," she sighed. "But if you need anything, just spare me a call." With that Rarity left the room and closed the door. Pinkie rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. She smiled feeling the streamers and confetti around her as she drifted off to sleep.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Gilda woke with a start. She clutched the fuzzy blanket in her claws as she sprung upright in the bed. She groaned and shook her head groggily. What a nightmare. The griffon crawled onto the floor and walked towards the kitchen. Fluttershy was already there, cooking breakfast. The Pegasus stopped humming her tune when she noticed who had just walked in.
"Oh! Good morning sleepy head!" She chirped. Gilda responded with a weak wave as she sat down at the table.
"I had that dream again." She muttered. Fluttershy stopped stirring the pancake batter and turned around. She put the bowl down and trotted over to the griffon. She sat next to her and gave her a hug.
"The same one?" She asked softly. "Thats horrible!" Gilda nodded. She just couldn't get the events of that night out of her head. It occured about three days ago, but the griffon felt like it happened yesterday. Fluttershy broke the hug a put a hoof to her chin. After thinking for a while, the Pegasus got an idea.
"Oh! What if we went and visited Pinkie in the hospital!" Gilda's heart skipped a beat. She really did want to see her, but couldn't bring herself fo say it. 
"I-I don't know." She mumbled. Fluttershy pouted.
"I'm doing you a favor by letting you stay in my cottage, so you should do yourself one by stopping by." The Pegasus smiled reassuringly 
"I'm sure it won't be that bad!" Gilda groaned. That girl always gets me. 
"Okay," she agreed. "But only for a little bit." Fluttershy's face brightened.
"Great!" she chirped. "We can leave after breakfast." Gilda sucked in air.
"W-what?" she stammered. "That soon?" The Pegasus flew back to the stove. She started pouring the pancake batter into a skillet.
"Uh, huh," she answered. "If that's okay with you." Gilda gulped. Am I ready to face her? To see how much damage I've done? The griffon shook her head. Yes, I can handle it. 
A plate of daisy pancakes was placed before her. Fluttershy put her plate down and sat across from Gilda. They both ate in silence as time ticked by. The griffon tried to eat as slowly as possible, trying to delay the visit as much as she could. She finished quickly anyway, leaving Fluttershy to eat the rest of her meal. 
The Pegasus excused herself and took her plate to the sink. Gilda did the same. 
"Ready to go?" Fluttershy asked, motioning towards the door. The griffon walked up to the mare and nodded. They exited the cottage and into the warm spring air. A slight breeze ruffled Gilda's feathers as stepped off the porch. She closed her eyes for a moment to appreciate the gorgeous weather. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and turned to see Fluttershy with a reassuring smile plastered on her face. 
"Lets fly." she said softly, then took off. Gilda spread her wings and did the same, following the yellow mare into the sky. She felt the wind slide through her talons as she dove through a cloud. The moisture flowed along her body as she flew, falling off in tiny dropletts. 
"Woo, hoo!" The griffon howled as she soared. Fluttershy laughed and pulled up next to her. She smiled and pointed below them.
"Look." she cooed. Gilda did as she was instructed. She gasped as the world below her zipped past. Tiny houses were spread out along Ponyville, and ponies trotted about, carrying out their daily routine. The griffon's mouth gaped at the pretty sight.
"It's beautiful." she sighed. The mare next to gave a slight nod. Gilda thought of her as a true friend now, as she was always at her side when she needed someone. Is that what friends do? Stick up for eachother? Her thoughts were interrupted as Fluttershy began to descent. The griffon followed her to the front of a huge building, where they landed in a parking patch of grass. 
"Here we are," the Pegasus exclaimed. "Want to go inside now?" Gilda stared up at the hospital. I'm ready for this. She turned back to the yellow mare.
"Yes." she answered curtly. They headed up to the front doors, side by side. Fluttershy went in with Gilda not far behind. The Pegasus trotted over to the receptionist counter. Nurse Snowheart was reading a magazine.
"Um, visitors for Pinkie Pie." she said softly. The clerk looked up and pointed towards the stairs. 
"You know where to go." she grumbled. The two flew up and into a hallway. Fluttershy pointed to a door. 
"That's her room." she said and turned to leave. Gilda called out to her.
"Wait, you're not coming?" The yellow mare looked at her with a passionate smile. 
"I think you should greet her yourself." she insisted and walke downstairs before the griffon could protest. Glancing back at the door, Gilda's whole body seemed to freeze. She would be alone, with the pony she almost killed. The griffon started to head back the way she came. She was almost at the exit, when she stopped. She didn't know why, she just didn't move. Fluttershy's words came to her, as she looked behind her.
"Do yourself a favor," The griffon turned around. "You should greet her yourself" Gilda shook her head race towards the room. For Fluttershy, for Dash. The griffon knocked on the door. She held her breath,waiting urgently for something to happen.
"Come in," a small voice squeaked. Gilda bit her bottom lip, or beak. She reached out a talon and grabbed the doorknob. She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut and turned, feeling the room being presented to her as the door swung open. She opened her eyes hesitantly to see the party pony sitting on a hospital bed, staring out the window. The griffon swallowed.
"P-Pinkie?" she said quietly. The pink mare's ears perked up at the sound of her attacker's voice. She slowly turned around.
"Gilda?" she replied. Once the party pony saw the griffon standing in her doorway she jumped and nearly called for the nurse, but didn't. Instead she let Gilda slink over to her bedside. The griffon looked her up and down. The pink mare had a brace around her neck, and was connected to heart moniter and water bag. I did this. I did this to her for no reason. 
"I-I," Gilda couldn't even finish her sentance before bursting into tears. She collapsed beside her, sobbing.
"Why would I ever think of hurting you?" she howled. "I'm sorry, so sorry!" Pinkie was astonished. She didn't expect an apology from the griffon, much less for her to cry! Gilda covered her head with her claws while she wept, repeating her line over and over again.
"I didn't mean it, please!" The griffon kept bawling until a hoof was felt along her back. She looked up to see Pinkie Pie teary eyed, but smiling. Without warning, the griffon was pulled up and wrapped in a warm embrace.
"I forgive you." The pink mare whispered. Gilda choked and sniffed as she returned the hug. They stayed in eachother's arms for what seemed like hours, until Nurse Redheart knocked on the door outside.
"Visiting hours are over!" she called. Reluctantly, they separated and Gilda stood up. She wiped her misty eyes and looked down at the pink mare. Pinkie smiled with tears running down her cheeks. 
"It's okay," she said softly. "Go."  Gilda wrapped her in a hug one last time before turning to leave. The griffon glanced over her shoulder to see the party pony give a slight wave. She returned the gesture and looked back at the door. In a flash she was gone, flying as fast a bullet down the stairs. Pinkie watched her leave through her window and smiled.
"Thank you." she whispered.
      
    
     

> A Hidden Side to Everything
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5

Fluttershy flew around her living room, feeding the birds and squirrels that resided in her home. She kept thinking about her descision to leave the hospital. I hope Gilda's okay, I mean now that I think about it, she commited a crime and I left her with the pony she attacked! The Pegasus threw one more hoof-full of seed to the critters, before placing the bag on the ground. She wiped the sweat from her brow and collapsed on the couch. That thing was heavy! 
Suddenly, the sound of the front door being flung open was heard. Fluttershy quickly turned to see what happened only to get barreled over by a griffon. 
"What the-" the Pegasus was cut off when she got a mouthful of feathers. Gilda hugged her tightly and spun around.
"She forgave me!" she cried. "She's alright!" Fluttershy separated herself from the overexcited griffon and smiled.
"I knew you could do it." she put her hoof on Gilda's shoulder and they both stared at eachother in relief. 
Gilda broke the silence with a chuckle.
"This is awkward," she giggled. The yellow mare laughed. 
"Your blushing." she pointed her hoof at the griffon's cheeks, which were now glowing pink. Gilda retaliated with a claw pointing back at her.
"So are you!" Fluttershy shoved her talon away and tried to hide her face. Gilda burst out laughing. 
"They don't call you Fluttershy for nothing!" rubbing the pink out her cheeks, the Pegasus brought things to a more serious tone. 
"So Pinkie REALLY forgave you?" Gilda glanced at her feet.
"W-well I think so," she looked back up at the quiet mare. "Do you think Dash will too?" Fluttershy cringed and rubbed the back of her neck. RD doesn't even know she's HERE. She'll never just let this slide so easily.
"Um, I-I'm not sure," she tried to say it as sincere as possible. "She went berserk when she found out Pinkie was attacked. I can't imagine what she'll do to you if she ever found out" The griffon sighed and looked away.
"Forget it." she mumbled and sulked towards the guest bedroom. Fluttershy could only watch as her friend disappeared and shut the door behind her. What am I going to do?
________________________________________________________

"1,2 3!"  Rainbow Dash and Doctor Stable hoisted Pinkie Pie into the wheelchair. Panting, they watched as the pink mare got adjusted to her new form of transportation.
"Do you like it?" Dash asked hopefully as the party pony rolled around the room in her seat. She looked up at the Pegasus beaming.
"I love it!" she exclaimed. The cyan mare watched as her friend attempted to do wheelie's, only to have one of the nurses in the room stop her. No, let her have fun! She desperatley wanted to help the pink mare complete the trick, but knew she shouldn't interfere. 
"Well, I'll leave you two to unpack Pinkie's things," Stable informed them as he exited with the other mares. "I bet you're excited to be getting out of this place, young lady." The party pony smiled.
"You betcha!" she squealed. "I can't wait to see Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Oh! I can't forget the twins!" The doctor let out a hearty laugh. 
"I love your optimism, Pinkie!" he called from down the hall. Dash waited for the footsteps of the ponies to be gone before turning back to the pink mare. She watched as Pinkie emptied the drawers of her belongings, placing them on the arm of her wheelchair. I can't take this anymore. The cyan mare trotted over her friend and put a hoof on her shoulder. The party pony looked up at the Pegasus. 
"Do you need something, Dash?" she chirped. Rainbow sighed and stared at the pink mare in the eyes. 
"Pinkie," she became serious. "I swear, I will find whoever did this to you, and-" she was cut short by her friend giggling.
"Oh, silly willy," she snorted. "You don't have to do that! Besides, Gilda already apologized!" realizing her mistake, the party pony clamped her hooves over her mouth. She tried not to make eye contact with the cyan mare, who had become wide-eyed and was breathing heavily.
"W-what did you just say?" she growled. Pinkie didn't answer and started emptying her things again. Dash grabbed her and pulled her away from the dresser, bringing the terrified mare inches from her face. 
"Who was it that put you in this wheelchair!?" she raised her voice, causing the party pony to shrink into a ball. 
"I-I was going to tell you," she whimpered. "I didn't right away because I knew you would act this way..." Rainbow let go of her with a roar. She spread her wings and took off out the door, pretending not to hear the cries of protest sounding behind her.
"Wait! She said she was sorry, don't be mad!" Pinkie called after the enraged Pegasus. "Please don't hurt her, she couldn't control herself!" But the cyan mare was already outside, and heading towards the Ponyville police station.
_____________________________________________________________

Gilda hummed as she swept the dust from the floor of Fluttershy's cottage. Ugh, these animals are cute but leave such a mess!
The actual owner of the house was nowhere to be seen, as she was taking care of a sick raccoon in a nearby forest. She told Gilda he had a dreadful cold, and needed support at once. So the griffon decided to tidy up the house as a thank you gift for allowing her to stay for a while. 
Once Gilda finally finished sweeping, she then proceeded to do the dishes. She chuckled, remembering how Twilight came over earlier going on about a burnt pillow. She probably knew it was Spike who commited the crime, and was just shoving it in his face by telling everyone about it. Guess he needed to learn his lesson. 
Suddenly, a knock on the front door echoed through the cottage. Gilda put down the plate she was scrubbing and went to answer it. Maybe it's Fluttershy, back from her raccoon issue. To her dismay, it wasn't her Pegasus friend who had banged on the door demanding entry. 
The griffon's heart began to race as the two stallions in police uniforms showed her their badges. 
"Gilda "Gene" Griffon?" one of them asked gruffly. She stared back at them in horror.
"Y-yes?" she replied weakly. They stepped towards her.
"Your coming with us."

     

> Trial and Error
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Chapter 6

Gilda sulked in the corner of her cell, shivering as the cold stone floor touched her skin. She had been there for about an hour, but it felt like days. After the police shoved her into their car, a bunch of SWAT ponies sprung out of the foliage and surrounded the cottage. Some stayed outside, while others stormed into the house. The griffon couldn't tell what happened next, for the vehicle she was in had already sped away.
Sighing, Gilda got up as one officer banged on the iron bars. She cringed as the horrid sound peirced her eardrums. 
"Get up." the stallion spat.  The griffon slowly got to her feet as the metal door opened. She turned around to be grabbed by the shoulders and shoved out of the room.  The officer held tightly onto her arm as they trudged down the corridor. 
"Keep walking." he hissed into the griffon's ear. Gilda didn't protest until she saw familiar looking mare being brought into the building. Her eyes widened as she struggled to escape from her captor's strong grip.
"Fluttershy!" she cried. The mare looked up, appalled. One of the officers with her did also, and saw the griffon thrashing about.
"Hey, Stopwatch," He called out in her direction. The stallion holding her turned around.
"Yeah, boss?" The other officer gestured next to him. 
"Bring her here." Gilda's captor changed direction and started towards the group of police. He threw her on the ground in front of them with a smirk. Fluttershy rushed to her side to check if she was okay.
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed helping the griffon up. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" Gilda smiled.
"Nah, I'm fine." 
Suddenly, a hoof was thrust between them. The stallion separated the two friends with a grunt. One of the police ponies pulled Fluttershy away, shoving her into a nearby cell. 
"Stay there." he growled. Gilda gasped and tried to help her, only to be pushed backwards.
"N-no! Don't arrest her!" the griffon protested. "It was all me, she had nothing to do with it!" The officer scowled.
"Yeah, right," he mocked. "She came up to cottage a couple minutes ago. She told us she lived there." He leaned in so close to the griffon, she could almost taste his salty breath. 
"Housing a criminal is a crime, you know," He hissed."She was keeping YOU hidden." Gilda shook her head in shock.
"No, she was just trying to be helpful!" She insisted pointing at the mare. "I mean look at her! Does she really seem like the kind of pony to commit a crime?" The stallion took a glance at Fluttershy, who was cowering in the corner of her new cell. He narrowed his eyes, staring her up and down. He let out a chuckle and turned back to the griffon. 
"Looks can be deceving." he growled and stood up, towering over Gilda. 
"Lock them up!" he ordered. Several police ponies nodded and lunged for Gilda, who had already begun to speed down the long hallways.
Most of the ponies chasing her were Pegasi, specialy trained for this kind of situation. They captured the griffon almost imediatly and brought her to back to the front. Gilda was clawing and pecking at the strong stallions who held her, but it didn't seem to phase them at all as they tossed her into her tiny prison. The griffon lunged for the exit, only to get the taste of metal and blood knocked into her. She reeled backwards, sliding against the stone floor. She crawled into her bunk and sobbed into her pillow, not for herself, but for the mare that was being punished for HER misdoings. Fluttershy hadn't done anything wrong, but here she was, trapped behind bars just like all of the criminals that resided here. And Gilda, was one of them.
_________________________________________________________________

Twilight galloped along the streets, searching for the thing she needed. Come on, where is it? She raced past other ponies, sometimes running into them as she looked. Finally, she found what she was trying find. She slowed to catch her breath before entering the building. The unicorn opened the front doors and stepped inside, only to see that there was barely anyone there. 
"Hello, can I help you?" a voice called from the side. Twilight located the source of the sound and trotted over to the receptionist counter.
"Um, yes, actually," the unicorn greeted the clerk. "How do I hire an attorney?" the mare behind the counter smiled.
"Well if you need a lawyer, you've come to the right place," She pointed to a clipboard with documents attached. "If you make an appointment we can arrange a meeting with an attorney of your liking." Twilight shook her head. 
"No, you don't understand." she explained. "I need a lawyer NOW." The clerk looked confused.
"Why, is it something important?" she asked. The purple mare nodded.
"My friend is in prison for no reason." she pleaded. "I need to prove her innocence!" And maybe get Gilda out of jail in the process. I can't imagine her getting off home free, but maybe just softening the punishment. Suddenly a blue stallion wearing a business suit trotted in.
"Barb, do you have the files for that old murder case?" he asked the clerk. He must've not noticed Twilight standing there, as he looked at her with a strange expression of his face.
"Oh, hey there," he greeted her. "Are you a customer?" The purple mare groaned. Was this guy stupid? What, does he think I'm like a plumber or something?! Twilight plastered a smile on her face.
"Yes, I am," she replied. "And you are?" The blue Earth pony smiled proudly.
"I, am Ace Politics. The BEST lawyer around." he bragged. Twilight smirked. Oh, really?
"Well, best lawyer around, are you available?" Ace cocked his head.
"For a date?" The unicorn face-hoofed, shaking her head.
"NO!" she exclaimed, annoyed. "I need to hire an attorney!" 
"OOOHHHH," The stallion laughed. "Of course. Shall we go to the meeting room?" Barb looked astonished  
"B-but, she has to have an appointment!" Ace waved her away as they walked off.
"You can make an exception this time, right?" 
_______________________________________________________________________

A loud clanging sound interrupted Gilda's slumber. She blinked and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 
"Get up, griffon." Stopwatch banged even harder on the iron bars. Gilda tumbled off of her bunk and quickly got into a salute.
"Yes, sir." she hoped this would please the officer. Instead, he just smirked.
"You try so hard. Pathetic." The stallion scowled and got out his keys. "Fortunately for you, someone got you and twinkle-toes over there a lawyer." He opened the cell door. Gilda nearly screamed with joy as she calmly stepped past. Quick as a bullet, the officer grabbed her by the chest feathers and pulled her close.
"DON'T try anything funny," he hissed. "They don't call me Stopwatch, for nothin'." He shoved her away and turned to leave. 
"The boss is waiting for you down the hall." he instructed. "I suggest you not keep him waiting." With that he trotted off, leaving the griffon alone. Gilda flew past the other cells, not wanting to waste time. She sped towards the front, hoping to see Rainbow Dash there to bail her out. The griffon slowed her pace to land on the smooth tile of the waiting room. It was filled with police, ready to escort her out. She stepped onto the floor and looked around for Fluttershy. She has to be part of this too! 
Finally, Gilda caught a glimpse of the yellow Pegasus among the officers.
"Fluttershy!" she called, waving her arms. Her friend's head perked up, along with another. The griffon gasped.
"Twilight! You're here too?" The two mares trotted over, only to receive a huge hug from her. 
"Oh! Hello to you too," the unicorn laughed separating herself from the griffon. Fluttershy stayed next to Gilda, wearing a big smile. 
"Twilight got us an attorney!" she squealed excitedly, pointing at the purple mare. The unicorn rolled her eyes.
"Well, why wouldn't I?" she asked with a chuckle. "His name is Ace Politics, and from the looks of his resume, he's a pretty good lawyer!" The griffon was beyond grateful.
"Twilight, I could KISS you right now!" she exclaimed. Everything went silent as Gilda let the last few words escape her lips. She quickly realized her mistake and almost instantly felt guilt wash over her.
"Oh my god, I-I'm so sorry!" she apologized to the unicorn, who was now blushing intensely. Fluttershy also had some pink on her cheeks, and was covering her mouth with her hoof. Even some of the police ponies were staring at her. Twilight cleared her throat.
"It's okay," she tried to act professional by straightening her posture. "We all have, little slips once and a while." She smiled. 
"I'm sure Rainbow won't mind." That made Gilda feel a bit better. The unicorn motioned towards the door.
"Let's go," she said walking towards it. "The judge said it was okay for you both to stay with me until the trial tomorrow." The three exited the building and headed for Golden Oaks. 
________________________________________________________________________ 

Ace Politics rammed his hoof onto the snooze button of his alarm. 
"Five more minutes..." he mumbled turning over in his bed. Why did I set it so early? It's Sunday, I shouldn't have to wake up so soon. Unless... The stallion jumped out of the covers with a gasp.
"Crap, the trial!" he jostled through his closet trying to find a suit. He rushed to the bathroom and threw the clothes on the floor before stepping into the shower. 
Once done, the Earth pony turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying himself off. Twilight's gonna be real ticked if I'm late! He tossed the towel aside and began wrestling with his suit, trying to get it on. He straightened his tie and sprayed on some cologne before racing down the stairs. He grabbed his briefcase and flung himself out the door, locking it and turning towards his car. Ace threw himself inside and started the engine, backing up into the road. Twilight's gonna give it to me now....

Politics flung open the doors to the courthouse. He frantically searched for a purple unicorn among the crowd of people. 
He located her off to the side, standing beside a yellow Pegasus. Wait, is that a GRIFFON?! Ace trotted over, catching Twilight's attention. She stormed over to him with a look of annoyance. 
"Where were you?" she asked angrily. "The trial's about to start!" The blue stallion rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I kinda overslept and-" the unicorn groaned cutting him off as she pulled him over to her friends. She rustled up a smile.
"Girls, this is Ace Politics, our lawyer." the attorney waved sheepishly as Twilight gestured to him.
"Ace, this is Fluttershy," the unicorn pointed to the Pegasus. "And this is Gilda." she motioned towards the massive griffon. The Earth pony's eyes widened.
"WOAH!" he exclaimed taking a step back. "You're huge!" Gilda looked up at him, hurt. Twilight glared at the stallion menacingly. Politics gulped.
"Ah, I mean," he tried to think of an excuse. "You're feathers are cute?" The griffon giggled with a blush. I've still got it.  Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from across the room.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" it screamed. everypony moved out of the way of a furious Pegasus. Rainbow Dash stormed over to the unicorn, shoving Ace out of the way.
"How could you?!" she bellowed. "Hiring a LAWYER? For HER?!" she pointed an accusing hoof at Gilda, who was now cowering behind Fluttershy. Twilight took a deep breath.
"Look, I know you're upset, but-" Rainbow cut her off with a slap to the face. Okay, this has gone too far. Politics stood up and grabbed the raging mare, who had began to advance towards the bewildered unicorn.
"Hey, lemme go!" RD screeched. Twilight rubbed her cheek in shock as Fluttershy ran to her aid.
"How could you betray Pinkie like that?!" The cyan mare spat, still struggling to escape. The purple mare looked up at her with a sorrowful look on her face.
"Rainbow, she's the one who asked me to." she explained. The Pegasus stopped thrashing for a second.
"N-no, you're lying." she stammered. Just then, a small voice sounded from the entrance, confirming the debate.
"It's true." Pinkie Pie said softly as she rolled up to them. "I asked her to hire an attorney for Gilda." RD was astounded.
"But, but she almost KILLED you!" Ace decided she had calmed down a bit, or at least enough to be let free. The attorney stepped away from the cyan mare to protect Twilight from any future " incidents". 
"Dash, she said she was sorry," the party pony looked at her, disappointed. "And I forgave her." Dash glanced back at the griffon, who was watching with eyes full of hope. Longing for something, or someone. 
A voice sounded over the intercom, interrupting the conversation.
"Please enter the courtroom. The trial will now begin." a sea of ponies swarmed through the doors, leaving six other's behind. 
"Shall we?" Ace trotted in after the others. Fluttershy and Pinkie followed with Gilda close behind. Twilight gave one last look at the pony who had hit her before walking in with flick of her tail.

Taking their seats, Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash slink into the court. The purple unicorn shuffled anxiously next to her attorney. 
"What's wrong?" he asked the unicorn. The purple mare sighed.
"Nothing, just a little nervous is all." Ace nodded and turned back to his briefcase. He opened it and took out the files necessary for the case. I CAN prove Fluttershy's innocence. Maybe even Gilda too. The judge appeared and took hold of the gavel using his magic.
"Court is now in session." he gruffed and sat down. On the opposite side of the room, a female Pegasus stood up and cleared her throat. 
"Your honor, it is clear that there is no reason for this trial to go on, but I will give my opening statement anyway." She glared across the room at Ace, her eyes burning into his. The stallion whistled nervously and looked up at the ceiling.
"In this folder, I have evidence that Gilda "Gene" Griffon was indeed the criminal who attacked Miss. Pie." she grinned and pulled out a glossy white feather. The crowd gasped and began murmuring to on another. The ruckus stopped as loud banging echoed through the room.    
"Order! Order!" the judge bellowed an placed his gavel down. "Persecution, you may continue." The brown mare smiled. 
"Thank you, your honor. Ahem!" she lifted the evidence up again. "My team and I have taken several DNA analyses, and we discovered the feather does indeed belong to Gilda." The judge rubbed his chin in thought.
"Hmmmm... Interesting." he looked towards Ace. "Defense, your statement." The stallion nodded and stood up. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word Twilight sprang from her seat.
"WAIT!" she cried. Everyone went silent as the unicorn stood. "I already know that Gilda did this to Pinkie." Excited chatting popped up throughout the stands. Even the persecution was confused. The judge used the gavel again, signaling for silence.   
"Mrs. Sparkle, please explain to the jury what you mean." Before the purple mare could respond, Ace pulled her under the desk.
"We'll be just a minute!" he called before he went under as well.
"What are you doing?!" he hissed. "Why are you agreeing with the persecution?" Twilight gave him a reassuring pat on the head.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I know what I'm doing." she stood up again, leaving Ace to sit back in his chair, grumbling.
"I know Gilda did it, because she told me." The purple mare continued. "My friend Fluttershy, who is also part of this trial, saved her life. My theory is, that Gilda couldn't live with herself after committing the crime, so attempted suicide." concerned murmers drifted about as Twilight spoke.
"Fluttershy brought her to my house, where she told me everything. She said, in fact, that she couldn't control herself. That she had lost any sanity she once had." The brown Pegasus interrupted with a snicker.
"You're basically just helping me." she said smugly. Twilight frowned.
"I'm not trying to prove Gilda's innocence, I think she should be punished." The unicorn stared proudly at the brown mare. "I'm still going to try and help her." The persecution snorted and leaned back in her chair. Twilight took that as a sign to continue.
"I've done some research, and I believe I found the answer." She nodded to Ace. The Earth pony cocked his head in confusion. The purple mare tapped her hoof on the table impatiently. Finally, he understood.
"OH!" Politics jumped from his chair. "Yes, me and Twi have been studying this case very closely." The attorney grabbed his papers, reading from them accordingly.
"Apparently, there is a mental condition that occurs when somepony is under a lot of stress." he looked over to the griffon.
"Gilda, were you under any pressure on the night of the attack?" she shook her head.
"No, I was fine!" she insisted. Twilight cringed, and turned to the stallion.
"She's lying." the mare whispered. "She had a huge reason to be stressed out then, I just think she's too embarrassed to say." Ace frowned. We'll find out soon enough.
"Anyway, this condition causes MASSIVE mood swings. You could be perfectly fine one minute, then boiling mad the next. It's a little like Autism." He looked up at the judge. "You could even be set off by just coming in contact with another pony." Gilda whimpered at that. Gotcha now, griffon. The olden unicorn considered this.
"Hmmm... So you're telling me Gilda couldn't control this at all?" The lawyer shook his head.
"No, she probably could've tried, but it would be unlikely she would calm down right away." He looked back to the griffon, who was trying to curl up into a ball.
"Gilda, were you by chance, mad at Pinkie?" the griffon glanced around nervously.
"I-I, um, ah," she gave up with a sigh. "Well yes, a bit. She pulled a bunch of pranks on me and I kinda lost my cool. I guess I just couldn't control myself, ya know?" Politics expected this. Twilight scribbled some notes down as Ace prepared to close his statement.
"So, my theory is, Gilda was under some stress and had a mental breakdown. The end." Everything went silent as the attorney finished his sentence. The persecution broke the silence with a laughing fit.
"THAT'S your statement?!" she giggled. "You basically said she was a psycho!" the judge tried to hide a chuckle as he picked up his gavel. 
"Now, now, Clara, we don't need to be disrespectful." he looked down at the attorney.
"Well, if Gilda couldn't control what was happening, I suppose I could lower the charges." before the defense could celebrate, he quickly asked another question. "Just one more thing. did Miss. Pie, forgive this griffon?" Twilight gulped. She knew Dash was in here somewhere, and she hoped she wouldn't ruin this trial. The sound of wheels squeaking along with a tiny voice spoke out.
"Yes, I did." Pinkie rolled in front of the huge crowd and faced them. "Woah, what a big group of ponies!" she exclaimed quietly before taking a seat next to Ace.
"Gilda visited me in the hospital on Thursday. I was pretty surprised to see her, but she gave a very sincere apology." the party pony looked over to the griffon. "I would like to consider her, forgiven, in my book."  Gilda smiled graciously. The persecution interrupted with an angry shout.
"That's IT?!" she protested. "You can't just let her off home free. What about the other one that was involved? She was hiding a criminal!" The judge tapped his chin. 
"Well, I don't consider it hiding, due to the fact it was a long flight home." he smiled at the yellow Pegasus, who was waiting near Gilda. "I think she was just trying to be a good friend." The defense cheered as Fluttershy flew from her seat and rejoiced. The joyous occasion was short-lived, for the final verdict still had to be given.
"Unfortunately, Gilda will still have to face the consequences." the unicorn brought his gavel down for the last time. "she will be sent back home, but is not allowed to return to Ponyville until twelve moons has passed." the crowd gasped as Gilda hung her head, waiting for police to escort her out. Twilight got up, but was quickly seated again with a hoof to the shoulder.
"Wait." Ace murmured. When the two officers arrived, the griffon stood up. 
"I would like to say something." she announced aloud. Bingo. The jury mumbled in confusion as the judge stared at her. 
"Well, I suppose that would be alright." he said nervously. The stallions let her pass as she strode over to the defense and grabbed a microphone.
"May I?" she asked softly. Politics nodded, letting her take the mic. She flew up to the judge's stand, taking him by surprise.
"I hope you don't mind, but I would like for everyone to hear this. The stallion nodded and backed away. Gilda cleared her throat.
"The past week has probably been the most exciting time of my life. I met a bunch of new friends, attacked one of them, and even got sent to prison." she chuckled softly, wiping the fresh tears from her face. "I lost a pony very dear to my heart, one that I had known since I was little." the griffon looked over at RD, who had perked  her ears and was focused intensely on the stand. Gilda kept talking.
"I never thought of myself as a bully, until the day of the party. I treated her and her friends like dirt, I now I fully regret it. Because the truth is," the griffon let a single tear roll down her cheek, and stared into the cyan mare's rose colored eyes. " I love you Dash. I have for a while now, and couldn't bear the stress of knowing if you liked me back or not. I took it out on Pinkie, which was wrong of me. I just want you to be happy, and if you hate me, I understand." Gilda paused before dropping the microphone. Her misty eyes were leaking droplets down the side of her face. The courtroom was completely silent, as if it were holding it's breath waiting for the Pegasus to do something. Twilight and Fluttershy hugged each other, while Ace and Pinkie sat with their mouth agape. Rainbow didn't move at all. The griffon flew down to the officers, and held out her arms.
"I'm ready to go now." the stallions shrugged and lead her to the exit. Gilda wiped her eyes, not even glancing back at the mare she so deeply admired as she stepped into the hall.
"Good-bye, Dashie." she whispered. "I'll miss you."



   
     

     
     
    
     
   
> Through Thick and Thin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Chapter 7

Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof impatiantly outside her home. The police had told her not to enter until Gilda had cleared out her things. This is stupid, they can't kick me out of my own house! She wasn't exactly mad at the griffon anymore, she was just, confused. Gilda has a crush on me. ME! But why? The cyan mare stared up to the sky, her emotions a mix. 
"Miss. Dash, you can come in now." an officer tapped the Pegasus on the shoulder, causing her to jump with a squeak. 
"Huh? Oh, right." she shook her head trying to rid it of the strange feelings. She trotted past the stallion with a flick of her tail.
"About time, too." RD tried to get her spunk back by acting incompetent, but just didn't feel it anymore. Entering the mansion, she looked around for a griffon. A gasp erupted from the staircase as the cyan mare walked in. Looking up, Rainbow saw Gilda standing there with two officers accompanying her. They just stared at eachother for what seemed like hours, until a stallion coughed breaking the silence. 
"W-we should go." Gilda said softly. No, don't go! Dash desprately wanted to scream for her to stay, but couldn't bring herself to to it. As the griffon passed, the cyan mare swore she saw tears glistening in her eyes. An officer tipped his hat to the Pegasus, before closing the door leaving her alone. Dash just sat there, watching the entrance as if Gilda was going to burst through and say the words she had earlier.
"I love you." the Pegasus mouthed. It felt weird, talking about a girl like that, even more so due to the fact it was Gilda. As she flew to her room, Dash started to miss the griffon more and more. What's happening to me?
________________________________________________________

Gilda sat on the bus in silence. She sighed, listening to clanking of the wheels. A stallion to her side quietly read a newspaper, whil the mare next to her held a sleeping baby. The griffon peered over the unicorn's shoulder, trying to get a better view of the foal. It was a gray filly, snuggling close to her mother. The pony noticed Gilda peeking at her baby and turned to let her see. The griffon smiled as the tiny unicorn yawned and stretched her tiny legs.
"She's beautiful." Gilda said softly. The mare looked down at her child.
"Thank you." she whispered. The griffon sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. I wonder if I'll ever be a mom. The bus squealed to a stop, throwing Gilda out of her seat.
"Oof!" She stumbled to her feet and rubbed her head. Ugh, I landed on my face... She exited the vehicle and looked around. The landing bay looked as busy as it did when she first arrived. Glida walked up the crowded stairs up to her reserved spot. The griffon handed fer form to the ticket taker. He read it silently, glancing up frequently. The stallion nodded and gave back the paper.
"Wait here." he instructed and trotted away. 
Gilda stood in her area, watching as Pegasi took off around her. They departed the platform gracefully, soaring higher and higher until they were hidden fom view.
"Ahem," a gruff cough sounded behind her. The griffon turned to see the ticket taker standing with some new objects. He handed them to her. A water bottle, a passport, and small bag. Gilda opened the pouch, to see it was full of bits. Her mouth gaped at the amount and looked up at the stallion. 
"I-I can't take this," she stammered. "It's too much." the stallion smiled. 
"It's okay," he reassured her. "You need it more than I do." with that he turned and trotted off, but not before he gave a small wave.
"Good luck!" he called back to the griffon. Gilda sighed as she watched him go, then looked down at her claw. It was still clutching the bag. She gulped and turned to take-off pad. She spread her wings and closed her eyes. Goodbye Ponyville, Fluttershy, Twilight. Gilda took off. Goodbye Dash.
___________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth, her pet tortoise watching in silence. The Pegasus groaned.
"What am I going to do, Tank?" she asked the reptile. "I'm so confused! Ever since Gilda admitted her feelings towards me, I just, I can't think striaght!" She plopped onto her bed with a sigh. Maybe I should go tell Twilight how I feel. No, that's stupid, she would just call me lesbian. The cyan mare scrunched up her pillow. I don't like Gilda back, right? She shook her head. No way! I'm into dudes! Rainbow then started to recall all the times she'd been confused about her sex interests. She would sometime catch herself staring at her friends flanks, or even wondering which one would be the perfect special somepony. Of course, she always blew it off like it was nothing, but now the Pegasus was unsure. She never really got into those pointless conversations with the other five about the cutest stallion in town, and how she hated going to the salon. All of the factors pointed to her being into girls, but Dash just wouldn't accept it. Maybe I SHOULD tell Twi. RD got out of bed and flew downstairs. she walked over to the front door and held out a hoof to open it. Suddenly, she froze, staring at the knob like it was a poisonous snake. Hesitently, she grabbed it and slowly turned. The door squeaked open revealing the quiet outdoors. Rainbow took a deep breath and stepped outside. She took off, heading towards Golden Oaks. She'll understand, right? That's what friends do, they accept you for who you are! Her mind was like a bumble bee, buzzing with emotion and fear. I don't know why, but I wish Gilda was here more than ever now. 
_________________________________________________________

Twilight levitated a book into it's place. She usually organized the library on Sunday's, but had to put it aside for the trial. She picked up another novel and floated it up to shelf. Moving onto informational books, she saw something that caught her eye. Grabbing the hard-cover, she read the title aloud. 
"Dealing with your Lesbian Friend." The unicorn sighed and shelved the book. She remembered how Dash had stormed out of the courthouse, saying she was going after Gilda. The purple mare had been using an emotional sensing spell, and Rainbow's auora had been anything but angry. She was confused, anxious, and scared, probably fearful for the griffon. She was out the door before anyone could ask her how she felt, so to most it was a mystery. The Pegasus hadn't been seen anywhere after that, considering she locked the door to her house and wouldn't let anypony in.
Twilight shook her head and sat down on a nearby couch. I wish she would just talk to me. Suddenly, a loud rapping noise erupted from the front door. The unicorn jumped with a squeal and fell to the floor. She got to her feet grumbling and headed to the knocking. This better be important. She opened the door to see Rainbow Dash, shuffling her hooves. Twilight gasped and threw her arms around the pegasus.
"You're okay!' she cried happily. Dash shoved her off. 
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she snapped. The purple was taken back by her friend's sudden aggression.
"I was just worried about you, that's all," the unicorn said, hurt. "You don't have to yell at me." the Pegasus said nothing as Twilight spoke.
"Did you need something?" she asked. The cyan mare nodded weakly. Twilight could tell she was uncomfortable, and tried to be as nice as possible.
"Well, would you like to come in?" the Pegasus nodded again and stepped inside. The purple mare shut the door and trotted over to Dash, who was now sitting on the couch in silence. The unicorn sat next to her.
"So, what is it that you want?" she asked. The Pegasus sighed and looked up.
"Advice." she said solemly. Twilight beamed.
"Really? Well, I can totally help with that!" she smiled and levitated some textbooks."What do you need info on? Math, History, English..." 
"Love." Dash interrupted without emotion. The purple mare dropped the books on the floor.
"What?" she asked, confused. "I don't think I heard you correctly." The cyan mare stared at her, her eyes filled with urgency and hope.
"I said I need advice about love." she repeated her request, this time more desperately. The unicorn rubbed her head, becoming panicked. 
"Rainbow, I-I," she stammered nervously. "Why do you need to know about that?" Without warning, the Pegasus jumped from her seat and pulled the purple mare close.
"I think I like Gilda!" she cried, her voice cracking. "I always thought I was straight, but then she," the cyan mare paused. 
"She said she loved me, and now I don't know what to think anymore!" Twilight was appalled. Could she really be attracted to girls? To Gilda? 
"Look Dash, I," she tried to think of the correct thing to say."I have no idea how you feel right now, but," she stopped, seeing her friend was desparate for answers. "You should follow your heart, if you love her, no one will judge you." The Pegasus became frantic.
"That's the thing!" she cried. "Everyone thinks I'm into guys, but if I show up with another chick, what will everyone think?" The information from the book started to flow back into Twilight's mind, and she suddenly knew exactly how to handle the situation.
"They won't care." she said sternly. The cyan mare stopped panicking and glanced back at the unicorn.
"W-what?" she whimpered. 
"Many ponies in Equestia are homosexual." she explained softly. "Remember Braeburn, Applejack's cousin? He came out of the closet last month. No one minds." Rainbow stood there, staring at her hopefully.
"A-are there any lesbians in Ponyville?" she asked quietly. Twilight rubbed her chin.
"I think Lyra and Bon Bon are together now," she implied. "Why?" The cyan mare smiled and dove into the surprised unicorn.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed over and over again hugging her friend tightly before bolting out the door. The purple mare groaned and struggled to her feet.
"Your welcome?" 
_______________________________________________________

Gilda pushed the door to her apartment open. She threw her luggage aside and plopped on the bed with a moan. The flight had been horrible, full of regret and despair. The griffon wanted nothing but to hold Dash in her arms, having someone to love and call her own. She stretched her wings, feeling a satisfying crack. Gilda sat up and looked around. The room was dirty and unkempt, probably because she hadn't been there all week. The griffon sighed and got up to unpack. She dug around her bag, searching for her photo of Dash. It wasn't there. Frowning, Gilda opened the other briefcase and looked through that one. Nothing. The griffon became frantic and started to throw the contents out, hoping to see the picture frame.
"No, no, no, no, no!" she cried as the last item was tossed out. Gilda nearly turned the place upside-down trying to find it, all while screaming the Pegasi's name. 
Eventually she gave up, and collapsed on the ground sobbing loudly.

Hours later...

Gilda sat silently on the shower floor, letting the water drizzle down her beak. She always felt better after bathing, and now she was in need of some relief. The only memory she had of Dash was missing, and she couldn't see the cyan mare in another year. Her tears mixed with the shower dropletts as they fell down the drain. The griffon wiped her eyes, only to have them fill with liquid again.
"Dashie, I miss you so much..." she whispered to herself. "I'm so sorry for what I did, I just want to see you again." The griffon gasped as knocks sounded from the other room. Grumbling, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel. 
"Probably just the neighbors." she murmered as she dried off.
"Coming!" Gilda called and dropped the cloth. She walked over to the door and opened it with a gasp.
"Da-" The Pegasus cut her off with a kiss. Gilda's eyes closed as they're lips interlocked, returning the favor. They wrapped their arms around eachother, silently appreciating the warm embrace. Finally, Rainbow Dash let go. They both stared at eachother lovingly until the cyan mare whispered with a smile.
"Hey, Gene."