//------------------------------//
// Chapter nineteen 
// Story: Twilight the hybrid 
// by WolfGoddess1990 
//------------------------------//

	Pinkie went to Twi's library and told Twi that Dash's friend was being mean. "So Pinkie Pie, are you sure that this friend of Rainbow Dash is really so mean?" Twi asked looking at a book. 
"Um, yeah. She keeps stealing Rainbow Dash away, she pops my balloons, and she told me to buzz off. I've never met a griffon this mean. Well, actually, I've never met a griffon at all, but I bet if I had, she wouldn't have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda." Another hybrid in town sounded interesting to Twi.

"You know what I think, Pinkie Pie." 
"Hmm?" 
"Well, I think... you're jealous." 
"Jealous?" Pinkie shouted making Twi's ear ring a bit. 
"Green with envy. Well, in your case, pink with envy." Spike said looking up from his book. 
"Well, yes. Jealous. Listen Pinkie, I don't want to upset you, but just because Rainbow Dash has another friend doesn't make Gilda a grump. I mean, perhaps it's you, Pinkie, who needs to improve her attitude." She said trying to reason with Pinkie.

"Improve my attitude? But I... D... B.. It's Gilda that... D... Are you seri..." 
Pinkie tried to say, but in the end, she simply let out a scream of frustration, and walked out, slamming the door behind her, Spike came over as Twi sighed, "Well I tried." 
Meanwhile, Pinkie was walking through the park thinking out loud, "Maybe Twilight is right. Maybe Gilda isn't a big meanie grumpy mean-meanie-pants, maybe I'm just a big jealous judgmental jealous-jealousy-pants." Pinkie sighed, she needed a milkshake.

Pinkie sat at a table sipping on a strawberry milkshake when she heard laughter from the sky, "That was sweet. Ugh, I gotta take care of a few weather jobs around here. Shouldn't take long. Just, uh, hang out in town and I'll come find ya." 
"That's cool, I guess. I'm gonna go chow down." 
"Later." 
Dash flew off and Gilda looked over at a stand smiling, Granny smith sniffed the stand when she saw something poke out, "Aaah! A rattler, a rattler! Run for the hills! Everybody forsake yourselves!"

Glida smiled and then used her tail to pat a tomato, "This stuff ain't fresh, dude." 
"Aw, poor Granny Smith, she didn't know it was a joke. How mean. No, no, I can't misjudge her. It was kind of a funny prank, I guess." Pinkie said as she watched Gilda walk over to another stand and she used her tail to take an apple and chew on it, Pinkie gasped, "I did misjudge her. She's not only a meanie mean-pants, she's also a thief. Nonononono, she might give it back. It's just a joke."

Pinkie said trying to convince herself than she spotted Shy leading a bunch of ducks, "All right little ones, this way, this way. Mama duck, you're free and clear." 
Gilda walked right into Shy but didn't react the right way, "Hey." 
"Please excuse me." 
"I'm walkin' here." 
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I-I-I was just trying to..." Shy said backing up. 
Gilda mocked her, " I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus?" 
The ducks flew away all scared, "B-b-b-but I... I..."

Gilda breathed in than roared in Shy's face, Shy simply ran off crying. "Ugh, please, all these lame ponies are driving me buggy. I gotta bail." Gilda said flying off. 
"She's a grump, and a thief, and a bully. The meanest kind of mean meanie-pants there is. I can take it, but no one treats Fluttershy like that. No. One. This calls for extreme measures, Pinkie Pie style." She said smiling than at sugar cube corner she started welcoming ponies in, "Welcome, welcome. Welcome!"

"Who's this Gilda I've heard nothing about?" AJ asked Rarity. 
"I hear she's an old friend of Rainbow Dash. A griffon, so rare... well not as rare as a one of a kind hybrid." 
Twi smiled, "You've met Gilda, right? What's she like?" 
Shy looked uncomfortable, "Oh, um, well, I'll tell you later, Twilight." Shy said walking over to Pinkie who was still welcoming ponies in. "Um, Pinkie Pie, about this party for Gilda. Umm... Do you really think it's a good idea? I mean–"

"Don't worry your pretty little head about mean old Gilda. Your auntie Pinkie Pie's got it all taken care of." Pinkie said patting her head. 
"I'm a year older than you." 
"Gilda! I'm so honored to throw you one of my signature Pinkie Pie parties, and I really, truly, sincerely, hope you feel welcome here amongst all us pony folk." 
Pinkie said holding out her hoof, Gilda took it and got shocked, and Pinkie laughed, so did Dash, "Oh Pinkie Pie, the old hoof-shake buzzer. You are a scream."

"Yeah uh, good one, Pinkie Pie." Gilda said chuckling nervously. 
"Come on G, I'll introduce you to some of my other friends." Dash said walking off. 
"Right behind you Dash." Then she whispered, "I know what you're up to." 
"Great." Pinkie answered. 
"Rrrh. I know what you're planning." 
Pinkie giggled, "Well, I hope so. This wasn't supposed to be a surprise party." 
"I mean, I've got my eye on you." 
"And I got my eye on you." Pinkie said getting in her face.

"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet Gilda, a long-time, dear friend of Rainbow Dash. Let's honor her and welcome her to Ponyville." Ponies cheered, "Please help yourself." 
"Vanilla lemon drops. Don't mind if I do." She takes one and spat out flames as Pinkie held up a marshmallow on a stick, "HOT!" 
"G, the punch." 
Dash said as Gilda ran over there and tried to drink one glass, but found it pouring on her feathers, "Huh?" Dash started laughing.

"Well, whaddya know, pepper in the vanilla lemon drops, and the punch served in a dribble glass." Pinkie said. 
"Ha. Priceless. Priceless." 
Dash said still laughing, Gilda quickly poured a normal cup in her mouth and gulped it down, "Yeah, hilarious." 
"Hey G, look, presents." Gilda came over grabbed one and pulled the ribbon off only for snakes to pop out, more ponies laughed at this. 
"Spittin' snakes. Hah, somepony pulled that prank on me last month." AJ said.

"Ha ha. I bet I know who that was." 
Gilda said looking over at Pinkie who replied with, "You do?" Gilda went to go smooth back down her feathers as everyone started to talk, "Cake time everypony." Pinkie said pushing it out. 
"Hey, can I blow out the candles?" Spike asked. 
"Why don't we let Gilda blow out the candles, Spike? She is the guest of honor after all." 
Glida came in, "Exactly... wait, what are you?" 
Twi pointed to herself, "Me? Oh right, I'm a draconequus."

Glida gave her a strange look. "I'm half dragon and half unicorn hybrid, much like you're a hybrid of an eagle and a lion." 
"Oh that's cool I guess, so where're your wings?" 
Twi looked at her bare back, "I wasn't born with them... weren't you going to blow out the candles?" 
"Oh right." She blew them out but they light themselves again, she blew them out again and they did it again, laughter was heard as she continued to try to blow them out again and again.

"Re-lighting birthday candles, I love that prank. What a classic." Spike said laughing. 
"Now, I wonder who could've done that." Pinkie asked. 
"Yeah, I wonder." 
Spike dug into the cake, literally, "Mmm, who cares. This cake is amazing." 
"Spike." 
"What? It's great, try some." Twi rolled her eyes, now he needed a bath. 
"Hey G, you're not upset about some silly candles, are you?" 
"No way, Dash. Like I said, I'm down with a good prank." 
"Come on then, let's have some cake."

Pinkie munched on a piece then was pulled in by Gilda hiding behind the cake, "Hey, I'm watching you. Like a hawk." 
"Why? Can't you watch me like a griffon?" 
A voice made them come out smiling forcibly, "Hey y'all, it's pin the tail on the pony. Let's play." 
"Oh, my favorite game. Can I go first? Can I have the purple tail?" 
Rarity asked reaching for it, "Well, I am the guest of honor, and I'll have the purple tail." 
"Yeah, Gilda should definitely go first. Let's get you blindfolded." Pinkie said.

Spike went over and blindfolded Gilda. "Hey what-- ugh-- what are you doing? Rrrah." 
Pinkie spins her around, "We're spinning you around and around and then you can pin the tail on the pony. Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail." She said leading Gilda to the poster. 
"Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail." Gilda said mocking her. "Hmph, yeah, right. This is another prank, isn't it? I'm going this way." She said walking in the other direction. 
"Wait. The poster is this--"

Glida stepped on cake, "Whoa whaa waah waah waaaaah." She shouted as slid all the way into the kitchen, she stepped out with the tail on her beak. 
"Uh, Gilda? You pinned the tail on the wrong end." Pinkie said and everyone laughed, Gilda couldn't take it anymore, she roared and flew up. 
"This is your idea of a good time? I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life. And Pinkie Pie, you! You are queen lame-o with your weak little party pranks, did you really think you could make me lose my cool?"

She asked in Pinkie's face. "Well, Dash and I have ten times as much cool as the rest of you put together. Come on Dash, we're bailing on this pathetic scene." Gilda said walking out realizing Dash wasn't following her she looked back at her, "Come on Rainbow Dash. I said we're leaving." 
Dash looked down then back up, "You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those weak pranks at this party." 
Gilda gasped, "What?" 
She looked at Pinkie who said, "Ooh."

Dash stood in front of her, "So I guess I'm queen lame-o." 
"Come on, Dash, you're joshing me." 
"They weren't all meant for you specifically, it was just dumb luck that you set them all off." 
"I shoulda known, that dribble cup had Rainbow Dash written all over it." Pinkie said to Spike. 
"No way. It was Pinkie Pie. She set up this party to trip me up, to make a fool of me." 
"Me? I threw this party to improve your attitude. I thought a good party might turn that frown upside down." Pinkie said turning her head upside down.

Twi watched this, no don't question it... just don't question this... Twi thought her eye twitching. "And you sure didn't need any help making a fool of yourself. You know this is not how I thought my old friends would treat my new friends." Dash said standing in front of everyone, "If being cool is all you care about, maybe you should go find some new cool friends someplace else." 
Gilda looked upset, "Rrgh. Yeah? Well, you, you, you are such a, a flip-flop: cool one minute and lame the next."

"When you decide not to be lame anymore, gimme a call." Gilda said leaving and slamming the door and they all heard a bird of prey screech. 
"Not cool." Dash said. 
"Wow, talk about a party pooper." Spike said and everyone started to talk indistinctly. 
"I'm sorry everypony, for bringing Gilda here. I didn't know how rude she was. And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her." 
"Hey, if you want to hang out with party poopers, that's your business."

"I'd rather hang out with you. No hard feelings?" Dash held out a hoof. 
"No hard feelings." Pinkie answered holding out her own they both shocked each other and everyone laughed. 
"Hey Pinkie. Sorry, I accused you of misjudging Gilda. Looks like I'm the one who misjudged you." Twi said coming over to her. 
"It's okay Twilight, even you can't be a super smart smarty smart-pants all the time. Come on everypony, there's still a whole lotta party to finish." Ponies cheered, as Twilight had Spike send a letter.

'Dearest Princess Celestia, Today I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who's true will surely come to light. Your faithful student, Twilight Amethyst Sparkle.' Celestia read and smiled.

She dipped her quill in the ink pot that came with the letter and started to write, "Dear Twilight Amethyst Sparkle, My most faithful student..." Celestia wrote but then saw the ink fade, she looked at the ink pot and the sticker fell off revealing it to be fading ink, "Oh! Heh, wrong ink." She said getting different ink, she sighed and chuckled, her student learned something else today, "I'm so glad to see that you learned how to pull a prank, and learned the difference between a harmless prank and a hurtful prank."