//------------------------------// // The morning after // Story: Rainbow Pie // by Dark Nightshade //------------------------------// When the sun rose the next morning, Rainbow Pie opened her eyes. The first (and only) thing she saw was Spitfire’s face. Yay! Pinkie exclaimed, causing to Rainbow wince. Snuggles! Pinkie, please don’t yell, Rainbow thought with a groan. Before she could say anymore, however, her stomach growled, and Spitfire stirred. She opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m guessing you’re hungry?” she asked. Rainbow Pie blushed lightly. “Yeah,” she chuckled. “Sorry.” Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “For what?” “For waking you,” Rainbow replied. “Aww,” Spitfire cooed. “It’s okay. You don’t need to be sorry.” “Okay,” Rainbow stretched a bit. “Well, I should probably make breakfast.” Spitfire nodded. The next half hour was filled with the smell of pancakes and syrup being made. “These are good!” Spitfire said after a bite. “Yeah, I think I somehow got some of Pinkie’s cooking skills,” Rainbow said as she flipped another pancake off the pan and onto a plate. Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Really? Interesting.” Before their conversation could continue, there was some knocking on the front door. Both Spitfire and Rainbow Pie looked at the door, then at each other. “Are you expecting anyone?” Spitfire asked. “No,” Rainbow shook her head. “Did anyone know you were going to stay here?” “I don’t think so,” Spitfire said, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. The nocking started up again. Shrugging, Rainbow walked out of the kitchen, towards the door, her thoughts on who it could be. Probably Twilight, she thought, shaking her head. Probably wants to know how things are going with all this. When she opened the door, however, she was met with a surprise. “Uh, hi,” Gilda said, looking confused. “Is Rainbow Dash here?” Rainbow Pie stared at her, unsure how to respond. After a few seconds Gilda repeated the question. “Is Rainbow Dash here?” She looked down at a sheet of paper held in her right claw. “This is the address she gave me last time I was here.” Rainbow shook her head. “Uh, sorry. Yeah, I’m here.” Gilda frowned. “You’re not Rainbow Dash. You may have a rainbow mane and tail and have a voice like hers, but you’re not her. Are you a cousin or something? Is she on vacation and you’re just watching over the place or whatever?” Rainbow finally caught up with herself, her eyes narrowing at the griffon. “Yeah, that’s because of something that happened yesterday. Basically, I got merged with one of my best friends. Pinkie Pie, to be exact.” Gilda just deadpanned. “You honestly expect me to believe that?” “When you first came to Flight Camp you were nervous about being around ponies,” Rainbow retorted. “It wasn’t until I stood up for you that you got any confidence, Gil, and we began good friends.” She snorted, looking away. “Or, at least I thought we had, before you came back and were horrible to all my new friends.” Gilda’s beak dropped open. “Dash?” The pink, rainbow maned mare nodded, her expression still cold. Gilda looked like her brain was struggling to comprehend what she’d been told. “Wait, so… that’s possible? And with Pinkie?” “You remember her name?” Rainbow Pie asked curtly, as Pinkie gasped and exclaimed She remembers my name? causing Rainbow Pie to flinch. “It was an accident, but we got merged together, with Pinkie inside my head.” “You can still hear her?” Gilda’s eyes widened. “Can she hear me?” Of course, silly! Pinkie chirped. “Yes, she can hear you,” Rainbow replied firmly. “What did you want, Gilda?” Gilda’s expression suddenly became one of frustration and… shame? The griffon sighed. “Yeah… look, Dash, I… I’m sorry for how I acted back then. I… dammit, this is hard!” She shook her head, before looking Rainbow in the eyes. “I was a jerk. You were the only real friend I ever had and when all your pony friends starting getting so close, I felt like they were trying to take you away from me.” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “You really expect me tobelieve that was your reason?” Gilda stood firm. “It’s true. What do you expect? I’m a griffon, we’re greedy by nature. I let my Griffon Greed and my experiences from before cloud my judgement and didn’t think of things beyond that.” What about when you took that apple without paying or that mean prank you pulled on Granny Smith?! What about screaming at Fluttershy?! Was that your greed, too?! Pinkie yelled, the suddenly anger causing Dash to wince and voice what Pinkie asked on an impulse. Gilda blinked, before looking down at the cloud floor. “Yeah. I… I let my greed go too far. And, I’m guessing that old mare is the one you’re talking about, so… yeah. Looking back on it now, that was a pretty cruel prank to pull on and old…” her expression sagged. “That old mare is alright, isn’t she?” “She’s fine,” Rainbow replied curtly. Gilda looked relieved and let out a breath, before looking down again. “Remember how, back in Flight Camp, I told you life wasn’t exactly easy, back home? Rainbow nodded. Gilda sighed. “Well, I wasn’t joking. Like I said, we griffons are greedy by nature and Griffonstone isn’t exactly the most friendly place to grow up.” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “You’re point?” Gilda groaned, facepalming. “Why does talking about emotions gotta be so freaking hard?” She let out a breath and continued. “Well, after Flight Camp, I never really got to leave Griffonstone again. I got stuck helping Grandpa Gruff because the old vulture’s getting pretty senile in his old age. I hated it and was stuck around griffons for so long , I… I guess I forgot what friendship really meant.” She looked firmly at Rainbow, shame still present. “So, when I came to Ponyville last time and saw how many other ponies were your friends… yeah. My experiences with my own kind didn’t help matters.” “So,” Rainbow said, her voice no longer cold, but not really friendly either, “after you left town in a huff?” Gilda sighed, looking away. “I returned home… and, after a long while, started realizing the way other griffons, including Grandpa Gruff, were treating me, it made me realize just how horrible I was being to you and the ponies in this town.” She looked up at Rainbow. “Especially Pinkie Pie.” Dashie, Pinkie said quietly, Gilda does seem genuine. Rainbow looked sternly at Gilda for a few moments, before she sighed and gave a nod. “Okay. But, you’re going to have to make it up to the town, ya hear me? Especially Fluttershy.” Gilda nodded, her expression firming a little. “I promise, Dash, I’ll do what I can to make up for what I did last time. I… don’t have any bits, but I’ll work to pay for that apple I took.” Rainbow eyed her for a few more moments, before nodding and gave a small smile. “Deal.” Gilda sighed, before giving a grin of her own. “So, are you better at pranking now, or is her personality not a part of yours?” “Um, I haven’t tried pranking since the fusion,” Rainbow said, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “And Pinkie’s personality is still her own.” “And you can really hear Pinkie?” Gilda asked. Rainbow shrugged. “Yeah. She talks to me, but nopony else can hear her. Anyway, uh, do you want to hang out later? I kinda got a date over right now, and it would be kinda weird for everypony if you came in now.” Gilda blinked. “Date? Wait, seriously?” Rainbow nodded. “Okay,” she scratched behind her neck. “Guess I can try making up for what I did last time during then. When I’m done, what time do you want me to come over at?"