//------------------------------// // Part 7: I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight // Story: Poison Whiskey // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// Life on the street is a jungle A struggle to keep up the pace I just can't beat that old dog eat dog The rats keep winnin' the rat race But I'm not gonna let it bother me tonight I'm not gonna let it bother me tonight The world is in an uproar and I see no end in sight But I won't let it bother me tonight I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight: Atlanta Rhythm Section: Champagne Jam: 1978 Ponyville: Gilda sighed as she and her marefriend walked out of Princess Twilight’s castle, dropping her cheerful front she’d created specially for her old friend. The sun was beginning to set behind them, and the sky was beginning to go from light blue to a dark indigo color. The griffin had to admit, Rainbow had done pretty well for herself. She’d made friends with a mare who would become the next Princess of Equestria, married her fillyhood sweetheart and even now was fighting for custody of a little filly. And what had she done for herself in comparison to that? “Well, not much really, I can’t even help bring Griffinstone back to the way it once was, the pride of the Stone Mountains. I could have probably restored every griffin’s faith in the town and the Griffin Kingdom’s pride in itself if I had just grabbed that idol, but… I didn’t,” Gilda muttered to herself as she trudged away from the Castle of Friendship. “I’m useless… So freaking useless. Griffinstone is the same way it has been for the last couple of centuries, a rotting, festering Hellhole who nobody could even give a rat’s ass about.” Gilda was so focused on her own mutterings and musings that she hadn’t even noticed the nuzzle that her marefriend had given her. The older mare gave her a reassuring smile. “Stop right there!” Windy exclaimed. “Now, that’s not true dear and you know it,” she stated. “Griffinstone’s making progress towards a better future, when we first met up again after all these years you said so yourself. It’s just…” “Slow! And that’s the damn problem with it all!” Gilda snapped, brushing her best friend’s mom (Could she even call Windy by that title now that they were dating, Gilda often wondered to herself.) away from her. “Far too damn slow! Nothing’s getting done! Nothing! I don’t understand how exchanging things like scones is supposed to help anybody at all!” Windy was about to open her mouth, but Gilda cut her off. “And don’t you start spouting off that “Magic of Friendship” crap. It’s been tried, and it sure as Hell ain’t doing jack squat!” “Then what about the Princesses?” Windy suggested. “Surely they can help if you just send a plea asking for assistance to them?” She only received a scoff from her lover in response. “Puh-Leeze, if the Princesses really cared about Griffinstone’s problems they would have stepped in long ago,” Gilda muttered. “But do they even know?” Windy asked. “History on Griffinstone is a bit… dated for lack of a better term after all.” she pointed out. “Doubt it’s dated now, since Rainbow and Pinkie showed up,” Gilda remarked sourly. “Pretty sure with two Element Bearers showing up, everypony for miles around knows the kind of crap we’re dealing with, especially since one of those Bearers is that blabber-mouthed mare. Now ask me, if the Princesses cared, wouldn’t they have shown up by now?” she grunted out. Windy didn’t actually have a rebuttal for that question for once. Honestly, Gilda sometimes wondered how she and Windy Whistles had gotten together. They rarely, if ever agreed on anything that didn’t relate to Rainbow Dash. Gilda had always known she’d had an eye for the older mares, that much was true. But, sometimes she wondered if her and Windy’s relationship was too toxic for its own good. “I… I was just trying to help you, just like I’m trying to help with-” Windy said, with Gilda finishing the sentence for her. The younger griffin hung her head and looked incredibly ashamed of herself. “...Your daughter, I know. It’s just…” Gilda murmured and Windy pulled her into a comforting wing-hug. Gilda smiled a bit at the feel of the soft light brown feathers against her own brown ones. “You’re stressed, I know,” The mare stated. “Can’t say I blame you really. This whole situation, it’s wrong in so many ways.” Gilda looked quite worried at what Windy was implying. “Are… Are you saying this… Is our relationship wrong? I love you, Windy, don’t you know that?” Gilda asked, her bravado suddenly disappearing and her beak beginning to quiver. Windy spotted her special some-griffin’s distress and gave her a comforting nuzzle to the neck in response and reassurance. “No, not that!” She quickly stated. “I’m talking about this whole thing with the trial. I’m supposed to be the defendant to those pieces of…” “Shit?” Gilda offered helpfully. “Yes, that,” Windy said. “But my loyalty lies with my own daughter, the opposition here! Gilda, you’re not a lawyer, but you know enough about the job from me to tell the problem here for yourself.” “Yeah…” Gilda trailed off. “Conflict of interest right?” Windy nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, you know exactly what I had to do to get my place as the defendant right? I had to pay the judge off! I’m as dirty as they come, and don’t even bother trying to defend that. You know it’s true…” “But you did it for the right reasons. The end justifies the means, right?” Gilda asked and Windy nodded. “You’re doing it for your daughter’s sake. Like you said, better you than some sleazebag lawyer who would be undoubtedly biased in those assholes’ favor.” “But that’s the exact problem!” Windy argued. “I’m biased, in favor of my daughter! By all rights, I should be off this case and assigned to defend somepony else!” Gilda couldn’t even think of an argument for that, knowing perfectly well her marefriend was right. So, she did the only thing she could and pulled her muzzle up to face her beak and instigated a long, lingering loving kiss which Windy eagerly returned. As the two kissed in the moonlight, the glow from the perfectly full moon shining down on them, something escaped their notice. What the two had failed to see was a black unicorn-like form with glowing yellow eyes vanish into the shadows… Later that night, Windy lay beside her partner in bed, finding herself unable to sleep for some reason. Gilda snoozed contently beside her, her claws clutching a pillow. Windy, with a smile, watched the small rise and fall of the younger griffin’s chest as she snoozed contentedly. She had to wonder what her special some-griffin was dreaming about. It, in admittance was rather cute though Windy would never dare to say it in front of Gilda herself, knowing how much the griffin hated mushy stuff. Well, she liked to say she hated the mushy stuff, but as much as she tried to hide it she knew there were some cute things Gilda liked. In fact, she had caught Gilda staring at socks in the shop windows of Ponyville earlier today as they made their way to Princess Twilight’s castle. “Princess Twilight, that’s going to take some getting used to,” Windy thought to herself. “Still can’t believe my little Dashie made friends with a Princess. I always knew she was going to grow up to be a great mare and make some exciting friends. And that’s not counting her landing a spot in the Wonderbolts Reserves!” Windy smirked, she and her daughter had gotten the last laugh over that bastard after all. He always said they’d never amount to anything, that Dashie broke everything she touched. But look at where they were now. She was a successful lawyer, and had a wonderful lover, even if said lover turned out to not be what she was expecting. And Dashie, well she had married somepony and was now a Wonderbolt of all things! “Who’s laughing now Blaze, huh?” Windy asked herself, hoping the stallion was raging at them and cursing his own stupidity in whatever Hell he’d made for himself. Windy smiled as she turned her attentions back to Gilda. She flashed back to when the two had met up again with Gilda, now a fully grown griffin… Three Months Ago… It was at a small bar in Manehatten that it happened, Windy had just won a very tiring case over a hoof-ball champion who had murdered his wife. The trial had gone on for several days, and it was only with the slightest uncovering of evidence by a PI from Canterlot that the trial had been won in Windy’s favor and the stallion put behind bars for the rest of his natural life. So, Windy figured she deserved to treat herself for such a victory. “‘Nother round, please.” Windy asked the bartender as soft piano music played in the background. “Anything for you Windy, heard about what you did to that stallion on the news,” the bartender complimented as he poured Windy another round. “Putting him behind bars, good on you I say. Had me... Well, all of us really, on the edge of our seats this entire thing did. Say you do deserve a reward after this.” As Windy continued to drink, what she failed to notice was a sleazy stallion, brown furred in color and wearing a black fedora on his head walking up to her. He was very obviously drunk and had one too many shots, anypony could tell that. He rested his head on Windy’s shoulder, much to her disgust. “Say, missy, why don’t you and I take a walk home to our apartment tonight, hmm?” The stallion slurred out. “Could show you a real good time, I could.” “I doubt that very much.” Windy deadpanned as she shoved the stallion off of her. But this one obviously didn’t know the meaning of “No.” as he still persisted. “Come on, won’t be that bad.” the stallion said as his drunken breath reached Windy’s nostrils and she recoiled in disgust. “Promise you, you’ll love me.” Suddenly, a claw reached out and whirled the stallion around only for him to get a punch to the face by a very angry Gilda knocking him unconscious. “No means no, douche-bag.” she snarled out and her eyes widened as she saw Windy. “Mrs. Blaze?” She breathed out, hardly able to believe her own eyes. “...Gilda, is that you?” Windy asked, not even bothering to correct her. “Yeah, it’s me. Now come on, let’s get you home before any more of those idiots try their luck with you.” she said and Windy smiled. So, that was how it happened. They got to talking about life, and a friendship developed. And as it sometimes happened, that friendship would develop into something more. Sure, they got odd looks every now and then, but Windy didn’t care. She was finally happy and that was all that mattered to her. Canterlot Castle: Luna’s Private Quarters: “Are you sure?” Luna asked her Captain of the Guard, her dark blue eyes boring into his own golden orbs. The darkly coated unicorn stallion nodded. He’d been personally assigned to keep an eye on anything pertaining to the Rainbow and Fluttershy VS Last Drop and Icy Winds case and upcoming trial on Luna’s orders, and he figured this counted. Luna sighed to herself as she groaned and threw her head back into her pillows in exhaustion. “...Well, isn’t this just wonderful?” “I fail to see anything wonderful about it ma’am.” the Captain answered. Luna muttered something to herself, sarcasm always flew right over this one’s head. “We cannot have a conflict of interest in this case, as much as I hate to admit it with the circumstances,” Luna stated. “As much as I would like to have Rainbow and her wife win this trial and keep Scootaloo, the law is the law and so it must be upheld, for better or for worse.” “You do realize ma’am, that Rainbow will not be pleased with you if you do this?” the Captain questioned. “Yes, I quite realize that. But Windy Whistles must be removed and replaced with somepony else,” Luna replied. “It would look like bias was involved in this case, and bias would be involved if Rainbow won thanks to any interference by Windy.” “Even if said interference is for the greater good?” the Captain asked. “Sadly… Yes.” Luna trailed off and looked skywards. As much as she hated doing this, the law was the law and so it must be upheld...