//------------------------------// // Ch21: A Wing and Being Fair // Story: The Magick of Friendship: Spark of Something New // by Harmony Spirit //------------------------------// "DUDES" Firefly shouted nearly causing both Rainbow Dash and Gilda, to go deaf. "For Queen sake, what?!" Dash shouted back. Firefly slammed down a poster on the kitchen table causing the plates to rattle, that the other two were eating off for their afternoon breakfast. "Check it! The Iron Pony is coming up!" "So?" Gilda asked, annoyed by the sudden outburst. It was too early in the afternoon for all this, and none of them were very early starts when they could help it. "So?! It's a radical chance for us to totally show off! Think about it; the three bad sisters of Cloudsdale, totally blowing away the competition" "You and Dash are the flashy ones, I don't think Cloud Chaser is gonna want to compete" "Not her dude, she is like way too young to enter. You! Duh" Gilda snorted a laugh. "Me?" Firefly nodded her head. "No way, I'm not a flashy type either" Dash went on eating, taking the moment to try and finish. She knew the older mare was not yet done. "I thought you were Eagle and Lion, not chicken and house cat. Cock-a-puss!" Gilda growled and jumped at Firefly, who rocketed back laughing as she did so. "Damn it, I thought you forgot that!" Firefly stuck her tongue out. "Wicked funnier when Brom did it, but still works on you" "Gonna kill you!" She leaped over the table, Dash grabbing her bowl so it was not flung with the rest. She casually watched as her sister and best friend, raced through the house. She dropped her bowl to the floor, and stood up. No pony accused them of being the most clean, or concerned in the matter. "Yo G?!" Gilda was in the other room and peered around the corner to look at her. "What?" "Let's do it, been too damn slow around here" She started to stretch, waking up her body. "Sure" The gryphon easily agreed. Firefly jumped into the room. "What? Just like that? So lame..." Gilda pounced on her when she found the opening. "Ha! I'm going to pluck each of your feathers, and make you look like when you had the molting problem" "I knew that would get you" Dash grinned, a bit of revenge for herself too. "Save some for me" Firefly had been flying both of them crazy, but they did enjoy it. Felt like everything was getting back to normal. The Magick of Friendship chapter 21 A Wing and being fair Signups for the Iron Pony was still a few days away; Firefly and Rainbow Dash went right into training, Gilda watched them sometimes remembering a much younger pair of sisters just as they are now. Pulling tricks and trying to outdo each other, laughing and loving every minute of it. Gilda was not as skilled as they were, she knew it, but they would never allow her to think it. To them, she was just as good as they were. Not better, neither could admit any was better. Cloud Chaser came out of the house, seeing Gilda near the edge of the clouds. She trotted up to her, and looked out to see the streaks of colours that trailed the two older pegasi. "Back to their old tricks" She smiled. Seemed ages since she saw the sight of them like this, like Gilda after the accident that took a way her world, it was nothing but pain and hardship. Ponyville was her home now with her three sisters, Gilda being the third of her older sisters. "Yeah..." Was all the gryphon could get out, she was a bit lost in thought. "Not looking forward to the Iron pony thingy?" Gilda snickered. "Squirt, you and me, we're not thrill seekers. Iron Pony is a lot of challenges of physical, mental, and just gifted abilities. I can do some of them, but I'm not an athlete like they are" She motioned out toward them. The other nodded. "I heard Apple Bloom tried getting her sister to do it, but she didn't want to either" "Give it time. With one 'Yo Jackie, get yer butt in this thing' from Dash and she'll be there" "Really? She's just as bad as Ray Ray and Fire?" She looked down at the pegasus who looked so much like Dash when they last had a whole family. "You haven't really spent much time with Dash's new friends?" "Na. I've made some of my own already from school. AB, and Belle, and a couple others too like Twilight, Fluttershy, and their friend Spike" Gilda thought, and she really did not know much about the ponies beyond the ones closest to Dash, Pinkie, and Twilight. "Isn't there another one, some little Pegasus?" "Oh, Scootaloo? She's... weird" "Weird huh? Think she was up here a couple times. Can't fly, right?" Cloud nodded. "Not yet or something. She doesn't seem to like me. I tried to talk to her, but seems like after I said I was Ray Ray's sister, she wouldn't talk to me" The older of the two nodded, and made an "Mmmhmm" sound through her beak. She figured Scootaloo was jealous, she knew that much of the filly. Remembering her more now that she thought of it, the filly was a lot like her idol. A tad bit too obsessive though, again, much like her idol. "Oh well" Cloud Chaser said. "I've got AB, and Belle, and Fluttershy, and Playful Paws, and all them" She looked up at Gilda, who was back at looking at the other two. "You have a lot of friends too? Like all those ponies that were there when Rainbow and Firefly talked about what happened?" "Not sure. I've tried to be nicer, and they seem to be ok with me now" "Now?" The little pony was confused. She had spent most her time around the new faces, but has not yet heard much of the goings on of the past years. Gilda did not answer right off thinking it over for a moment. "After what happened and Firefly was gone on her hunt for you, we left Cloudsdale. Dash wasn't much herself, and I didn't know what to do. I tried Canterlot. Being the Royal city and all, figured, 'hey, maybe they can help two who just lost it all'" Gilda scoffed. "They looked at me, and acted like I was some freak. The Gryphon Wars left a big scar on our relations" She paused a moment. "Luckily, Dash remembered Fluttershy, and how she went to Ponyville. It wasn't much better here. It was alright for her, but me, I was still the freak" The last part seemed to hit Cloud a bit more than the rest did. She nodded very slowly, and understandingly. "It's not fun, being outcast" "Changes you" Gilda added, continuing her story. "I became a lot colder, and tougher. I basically shut out the world, all but Dash" "So this whole time you've only had my sister to talk to?" She looked off not at the other two, but in a new direction. Looking back at all the years she was outcast, when in the last few months she was feeling more like one of the ponies, it was hard to bare. Knowing it was somewhat self-brought on "Pretty much" She finished. Cloud seemed to be hurt by that fact too. She faced some terrible things when she was at the Carrot Top Orphanage, things she had yet to speak of. "I'm sorry Gilda" She hugged to her leg, sparking a bit of sadness in the Gryphon as tears started to form. She leaned down, and hugged the little pegasus tight. "It's ok Cloud Chaser, things are better now. I have you and Firefly back" She smiled, causing one from the other. "What about the others?" The filly asked, after they parted. "I'm not sure, I'm really not. Like I said; I'm trying, but after so long of being distrusting of any of the. It is hard to let any of them close. Sure it is the same with them" She fixed her forelock of feathers as she paused. "I feel safe with Twilight, she seems to be cool. She is a nerd, but a cool one. Then Applejack, she probably has the most to hate me for..." She recalled that moment in their history with deep regret. "I caused her and Dash to break up as friends. They are very close, and I know she didn't like me before" She paused a moment. "We had a moment, but I don't really know if she is cool with me or doing it for Dash" "Pinkie Pie?" Cloud asked, knowing the bond between them. Gilda could not stop from smiling. She had such a short time with her, but just the thought of her made her feel better. It is still something no pony could fully figure out, but they are happy together and in the end, that is all the matters. "Guess that's a good sign" The other giggled. "Heh, yeah" She looked a bit nervous. Cloud hoisted up a set of bags, a cross of saddle bags and fanny pack, and buckled them onto her waist. "I'm going to go to Fluttershy's" She paused. "She likes you too" This confused Gilda, Fluttershy always seemed afraid of her even after the times she has helped her out. "She does. Says that you are really good with the baby animals" She adjusted her bags. "Well, see you G" "Later squirt" She watched the other leap off the cloud, and fly away. Before she was very far Dash and Firefly started doing circles around her, probably bugging her to fly with them. She smiled, thinking about her parting words about Fluttershy. "G come on, gotta get some training in!" Dash called out. "Y'know, most of the mix species competition is on the ground?!" Gilda said back. The two sisters hovered there looking at her, then themselves, then returning to her. "So?!" They both said. "Still the same" She muttered, taking flight. *** Sign up day was here, and many ponies gathered to do so for the biggest event in Equestria. Gilda was surprised and over whelmed by the turn out. Not so much that Olymponia was full of potential competitors since it was held for all of Equestria, but the sheer number of ponies. They were to be several preliminaries, to cut down these numbers. She was also surprised, as she was the only non-pony there. These facts made her feel a bit uneasy, starting to wonder if she should be here at all. "Dash, this isn't right. I'm a Gryphon, this is a Pony thing. Look at the name, and look at this crowd" Dash scoffed. "Just means nothing else has tried. It's for all Equestria, and we have many species. You'll just prove them that anything can compete" "Totally!" Firefly said, pushing them along. "I don’t like this" Gilda grumbled. "They'll totally let you in, chill and quit being a whiny finch" Fire said. They made their way to the sign up tables each going to sign in. "Sorry, she cannot compete" One of the ponies there said, as Gilda went to put her name in. Fire and Dash both slammed their front hooves on the table. "The Hell she can't!" Gilda sighed, and looked away. "It’s cool guys, I didn't want too" "Why can't she?" Dash demanded to know, hearing Gilda or not, she was mad about it. "'Iron Pony', it's in the name. We only allow Ponies into this, not even Pony-like creatures like Minataurs, Centaurs, Donkeys, Mules, Zebras, or whatever else. It's a Pony competition" "Centaur shit, hellacious, that's what it is. You're just afraid to allow a real competitor into this!" Firefly snapped. "Don't be such a preppy ditz!" Gilda tried to pull them away. "It's fine!" "No it ain't!" Dash looked at her, then at the pony at the table. "It's speciest!" By now a few eyes were looking, only making it worse for Gilda. "Typical Gryphon hater" Firefly did not seem to share that feeling at first, not having dealt with much as they had, but she could see the point. Gryphon wars had left a lingering grudge toward them, mostly only the older ponies felt it any more. "Look," He huffed, pulling out a book. "This is the list of rules for these games. Right here, clearly states 'Only ponies can enter the competition, be they fit and able'" "This thing is outdated" Dash grabbed it, and looked it over. "Ha, see" She threw it down, and pointed out. "Not only does it still say crap about four legs, but also mentions that Unicorns and Pegasus are not allowed in. Gonna turn me down?" "That is an old rule; it states that if they are sponsored, they are allowed in. Since then it has been an unwritten rule that they are sponsored, since they are clearly Equestrian citizens. Part of that rule was so only Equstrians could compete, and around that time--" Dash cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, the first Pegasus were not consider Equestrians, and the Unicorns had detached from the country. I freak'n take History class" “She is a citizen. She's lived in Cloudsdale, and then Ponyville for more than half her life. She goes to Ponyville Tech. I'll sponsor her, and so will my sister!" Firefly nodded. "Totally" "Not so easy if you are going to make this a big deal, then we'll need the old fashion way to do it. Get Cloudsdale or Ponyville to sign a sheet, and if you get a large percent of the populous of your town to sign it with the head of the town's seal, then yes" "We'll be back!" Rainbow announced. "Have three days, before signups are closed and preliminaries start" They took off and headed back to Ponyville, a long flight but nothing for them. "Don't need to do this, it's stupid" Gilda said, flying between them. "It is stupid, not letting you in cause of some dated rule" Dash argued. "It's totally bogus" Firefly said. Gilda grumbled. "I've said I didn't want to join any ways, can drop here and nothing bad will happen to me or anyone else" "Where is that G I use to know, who'd not let something like this stop her, the G who was ready for any challenge?" Dash tried to get her into it. "She moved to Ponyville, and became an ass. Now there is only me, just trying to stay out of every pony's way" Dash stopped, forcing Gilda too. Firefly circled back, not noticing till a little later. "Gilda, come on. We've gone through rough stuff, but things are different. Look at me, I'm back to normal. Fired up by the challenge and ready to show off" "Normal?" She questioned. "Hardly different than before" Gilda pointed out. "When was the last time I took on a competition?" She looked so serious, was almost too much to see. The gryphon thought about it and other than small things with friends, or ponies who challenged her she had not done much but flying solo. "Come on G, I want to try to let all the shit behind us. Fire is back, Cloud is back, and we have friends. Let's ring it all in, by beating the saddles off those Ponies" Gilda looked down then back up, with determination. "Right. Let's show them all!" "Everfree yeah!" Dash shouted then rocketed off, leaving her trademark rainbow trail. Firefly smiled at Gilda, and followed after. Gilda stayed a bit, and thought more on what all she said. "You have friends, I'm not so sure how many ponies are going to sign for me..." She did not want to cause them to wonder or worry, so she rocketed off after them. *** Gilda was not too surprised that Twilight was ready to help out. She made her way to the Mayor’s office, and spoke to her personally. She had started to become friends with her, so getting her to start the sponsorship was no problem. The first day, was poor. The names they had earned were all the friends, relations, and such. Couple extended friends too, like Playful Paws' friend Dodgy Dice, or Rarity's fellow employees like Mend and Pearl Two. Pinkie had a fit being fifth on the list, but with the Pegasus Sisters and Twilight first to know, she did not get the top spot. She had Ditzy Doo, and her little filly Dinky to sign. None were too sure with such an old rule, if fillies and colts could sign but was not going to stop the team on this mission. With a hoof full of names, it was a far cry from the hundreds of citizens. Gilda was feeling doubtful that it would even happen. Maybe a hundred and she was feeling generous with that hope. *** Gilda was training alone in a gym, as Dash and all the others were trying to gather names. She felt it a bit pointless to train, but working out at least took her mind off it. She knew the events, and since the competitions began, many were added and many discontinued. It once had about a hundred events, but it has been slimmed down a bit. Still stretching over the course of a week, it was no easy thing to take part in. She did find it odd how as she passed ponies or they passed her, some would wish her luck. Confused that they would even talk to her, let alone wish her luck. She began to think about, how if this many ponies were well wishing she might have a shot at getting in. Originally she was only doing it for Dash and Fire then she wanted out, but now she actually was feeling excited at the chance of competing. Her awkward replies of "thanks" turned into a smile, and full "Thank you" even striking small conversations. For the first time, she was feeling like she was not such an outcast, feeling like she was doing something her brother would have done. He was the first Gryphon to go through school, and graduate. He wanted to prove Gryphons were not the monsters they had been in war times, and could be one of the ponies. Being the first non-pony in the Iron Pony Games made her feel that same joy he showed, every time he talked about bringing a new honor to the Gryphons. Reminded her why she was in college, so she could complete his dream. She would not screw around anymore, that is when she was allowed back. Now, she was attempting to do what he might not even have. She would make her own name for her kind, to be in the Iron Pony Games. Hoping to win anything past getting in was foalish, since ponies had trained all their lives for this. Being first in was enough. If she could not make it this time, she would try again next time. She had a dream of her own now, and she nearly cried thinking of how much pride Brom would have in her now. It has been far too long, since she had good reasons to remember him. After all that she did today, she felt it was time to go home. She was getting too lost in thought over it all, and could not focus enough to train. Gilda made her way toward Apple Cider's no longer feeling that awkwardness of being around ponies and happily, no longer getting odd looks. Thinking of the honor she would bring, she was feeling a pride for her people she never truly had before. Not since she and her brother fled shortly after the end of the war. She was very young, and had nothing but him. Till he made friends with a wild Pegasus, and she give them friends and a new family. When she made her way into Apple Cider's, she found Applejack and Twilight sitting at the latter's usual booth. The former spotted her, and waved her over. "Well afternoon" Applejack greeted. "Hi, Applejack" She turned her head to look at the other. "Twilight" "Hello" "So, y'all look might bit worked. Train'n?" Applejack continued to lead the conversation. Gilda nodded. "Been at the gym, if I do manage to get into this Iron Pony thing I want to be ready. Be pretty stupid to make a fuss and not even get far" She did not want to show how excited she had become over it, trying to sound as calm and cool as she usually would. "It's a good idea to be prepared" Twilight added. Applejack got up, and let Gilda sit down. "Yeah, but I'm not holding my breath. I know a lot of you guys are trying to help and I am grateful, but how many ponies are going to sign to help a Gryphon, especially me?" "I'd figure a few" Applejack said with a smirk, as Twilight pulled out a stack of papers. "What's that?" Gilda looked at it, a bit confused. It was a good amount of papers, could not possibly be the signatures. "Just a ton-o-names" Gilda looked at them seeing what, if anything did, fit to Applejack's description. "No way! Look at all these names... didn't just copy them did ya?" She looked at Twilight, and Applejack. "Nope, been at it all day and we have all gathered enough names to getting you sponsored" Twilight said, smiling at the fact. Applejack put her arm around Gilda. "Y'all fret'n over nothin'. Y'all have a nasty past with the folks here in Ponyville, but if you learn anything of us it's that we are good folk, and willing to help out one of our own. Even if'n they acted like a bad seed at first" Gilda looked at her feeling overwhelmed, she felt confident that she had a shot but too see it all on paper and with the pony's words, she could not believe it all. "One of... your own?" She looked up at them. "Of course, been here longer than Twi has and she's as much of a Ponyvillian as any of us" Twilight smiled both to her lover, and at the gryphon. "Well she's been a pretty model citizen. I've been nothing but an ass, how can you all just forget all that?" She felt herself getting a bit mad, not at them but herself. "How can I deserve this kindness?" Applejack shook her head. "Now a few months ago, I'd sooner spit in yer eye than look at ya. Cause you were an ‘Ass’. I even told Rainbow, you were a low down snake and no matter how often a snake sheds its skin it's still a snake" Gilda looked down at the table, her words were pretty true. Harsh, but at the time they were said she deserved them. "But, y'all proved me wrong. You care for Rainbow, you cared enough to get out of yerself long enough to fix what you helped ruin. Maybe all of Ponyville hasn't seen the new you, but enough of us have and know why you were like you were" She nodded slowly, listening to the pony's words. She still did not feel she had any rights to a second chance. "Some of us have are reasons for accepting you now, and giving you a chance, maybe the play fer some. Seeing you playing Megan, we all saw you could be a decent Gryphon. Me, and maybe Twilight too" Her ears perked up, hearing her name. "Seeing you after Rainbow Dash's accident, what I saw told me more than all the junk y'all have done over the years" "It is true. That night, you really showed us that you were more than just a tough girl. One who wanting nothing more than to be angry and selfish" Twilight started. "It hurt a lot when Rainbow Dash chose you over me, and losing a friend for so long. It hurt as well, thinking of how much I wanted to help you and you just attacked me and kept Rainbow Dash to yourself. Before I ever knew what had happened before you two came here, I saw something of who you were with you at the hospital when you were willing to give up the chance to see your friend, your only one at that time, to the two ponies who you seem to think were stealing her from you. I knew then and there that you were not this monster you were acting to be, was something more" Gilda was silent, this all was truly too much for her to take. Everything was changing so fast. She nudged Applejack, who let go of her and moved out of the seat. Gilda stood up, and moved back from the ponies. "I can't deal with this... all this kindness every pony is showing me now..." "Simmer down sugar cube; it's not a bad thing er nothin'. We do care about y'all" Applejack tried to get near her, trying to reassure her. Hearing the pony say "Sugar cube" Was the final straw. She knew she reserved that for ponies she liked, and even if she slipped it she did not show she regretted it. "I can't... I... I feel like this is some dream... and I'm gonna wake up, and I'm going to lose all this!" She was tearing up, as Twilight started to shift from her seat. "Please... just..." She did not know what she wanted to say. "Just, leave me alone" She ran out the door and once in the open, shot into the sky. Applejack and Twilight came after her, but she was long gone. "What happened? I thought she would have been so happy to see how much we all care?" Twilight said, looking very upset. Applejack put her arm around her. "She needs time Twi. We should talk to Dash and Firefly, and see what they think. They know her better than us" The other nodded. "Think we should tell Pinkie?" "Knowing that mare, she knows" She gave a soft smile, one Twilight tried to match but she was feeling too upset by what just happened. *** "Why did I run?!" Gilda shouted at herself in the same abandoned cave she and Pinkie had fallen for each other in. Was a safe place to get a way, where she could yell and beat on things without any worries. "I was so happy and was looking forward to it all..." She pressed her back to the wall. "Why do I always fight any happiness in my life? First when I moved here, then with Twilight, now this..." Gilda slumped, dropping to the floor and covered herself in her wings. She wanted to hide from the world. Finally she had friends. Finally she was feeling welcome in a Pony town. Finally she was feeling more happiness, than pain. "Maybe, you are afraid you will lose it all?" A voice said, causing her to spread her wings and look around. She knew who it was, and sighed. "Did they tell you?" "They?" Pinkie came into view, looking puzzled. "Who? Tell me what?" "Why are you here then?" She was feeling too angry with herself she could not fight being rude, even to the one soul in this world she felt closer too than even Dash. "Twitchy, twitchy-twitch" Pinkie trotted up to her, and leaned down. She took the Gryphon's claw, and pressed it to her chest. "My heart, it was hurting. I knew the one who lives there must be in pain" Gilda's eye watered again, she felt guilty for even having a single soul care for her, this one more so than any. In these moments Pinkie was so different than her usual silly self, a deep caring mind hid under her untamed mane. Gilda was one of very few who knew or saw this. "I've gone through some rough stuff too, and thought I would never be truly happy again. I was so depressed in my younger years" "You're not that old..." "Hush, I'm in a moment" She did not seem or sound so, but Gilda knew she was being playful when saying that. "One day, I saw something that re-awoke something in me I thought I lost. I found the happiness I needed. I found myself that day. I know Gryphons don't have cutie marks, but if you did. I think you'd find yours soon" "Why?" She looked confused, not really understanding the whole concept. Pinkie just smiled at her, to say that she wanted Gilda to figure it out. "Because..." Gilda tried thinking, pulling her claw back to her lap. "I made friends?" "Maybe..." "What?" She snapped, and Pinkie just plucked a feather from her wing. "OW!" "You know; if you had only one feather, you couldn't fly?" "Duh" "We need many feathers, if we are to fly. You've struggled so long with only a hoof..." She paused, looking at her fore hoof then at Gilda's clawed hand. "Or clawful. I think you might be afraid of having full wings to fly higher than you ever have flown" "I have all of my feathers! But that one now..." She paused. "Oh...Wait..." Pinkie put it into her mane, and smiled at her more. "Macaroni" Ignoring the random comment, Gilda grasped the concept. "I've been alone for so long with only Dash beside me, and now... I don't have to be... It's not just Dash any more... I have friends... I have a lot of friends?" She looked down. "And more... willing to... to be my friends..." "I like my feather thing better, but yeah. Friends are there for you, and help you, and keep you in the air. The more you have, the higher you can go. The Magick of Friendship" She giggled, "Lame Pinkie, but..." She smiled, wiping the tears a way. "You always know how to cheer me up. Not to get as lame as you, but Love is Magick" "Oh puke. I deal with sugar and sweets all day, I don't need an overload" She laughed, causing Gilda to join in. Pinkie was rubbing off onto the Gryphon, as was Gilda to the mare. “Confound these ponies, drive me to friendship” Gilda said, getting up. *** Twilight was talking to Queen Celestia over their Bay-B's, filling her in on the goings on in Ponyville. They had all the names they needed, and more. Nearly the whole of the city was willing to lend their support for the once bitter citizen. "Does sound very interesting, you know, I believe Harmony has a friend going into it too" The Queen said, sounding if something else was coming to her. "You know? This reminds me of another Gryphon who was first to go to school in Equestria, and made it to collage" There was a pause, after Twilight asked her "Oh? Do you remember their name?" Twilight could hear odd sounds on the other end, Celestia liked to spend her free time in the study she had. Only she and very select few others knew of it or could get to it. A Queen had to get a way. She was probably going through her collection of history. Twilight had seen it a couple times, but could only read a few books. It was a little tease for her so she would be motivated to learn more, Celestia did not realize at the time with whom she was dealing with. "Ah, here we are" Finally came. "Equestrian firsts... It had to have been around the Gryphon Wars so narrows it down a bit, not much has gone on since then" She was more talking so Twilight knew what she was doing. "Here it is," She did not bother reading the various events she skimmed over to get there. "Around eleven years ago, the first Gryphon to go through Equestrian school, a resident of Cloudsdale named Bromwin. Finished his years in School, and was admitted into Hayvard after..." She trailed off. "After? After what?" "He apparently came down with a rare illness over that summer, and died before he could actually go to college. His admittance into Hayvard was an honorary one in light of his death, and great achievements he had made. Was a pretty big moment, it was one of the first times since the wars that the Gryphons had come to Equestria in peace" She sounded a lot sadder now, recalling more not in the book. "I remember it now. I met with the Emperor, and we held a special ceremony over the death of a great asset to both our lands. Though all the countries had already formed the United Races for Lasting Peace and Prosperity, his actions to that point now fully known to the Gryphons, brought us to a new peace between us. Still took time for the bitterness many older ponies felt to start to fade" "That is pretty amazing. I was around then and under your tutelage. Why do I not remember any of this?" "For the same reason I forgot about it..." Was a long pause, long enough Twilight nearly asked for her to continue. "Nightmare Moon returned... not too long after that" Twilight nodded to herself. "Yes... that was a strong reason" Recalling that day, one of the worst she had seen. Only a few rivaled it; when the Shadows of Eternal Twilight attacked, and when Harmony changed for the first time, compared to it. "Says here; he had a sister who was given a tuition to any collage she choose to go to, if she followed in his paw steps" They both paused. "It must be her" Came from Twilight. She was seeing some of why Gilda was acting odd now; it must be causing her to recall her brother. She mentioned having one before, but never elaborated on what happened. If he was first into college, it made sense why she was now trying to finish it. Also, if she was making this history as a first, it had to make her think of him. Twilight was happy that she did not mess something up and push her friend away, but sad for her if this is the cause of what happened at Apple Cider's. "I have to find her. She ran off earlier, and I think I know why" Twilight said. *** Twilight did find Gilda, long after Pinkie did her magick. With some talking, she confessed her fears. Both Twilight and Applejack assured her, that she had nothing to worry about. The gryphon, not so long ago was the bane for much of Ponyville, was now a celebrated citizen. She would make a new name for the town by entering, and if she made it into the Iron Pony she would boost Ponyville that much more. If she won any metals, well, that was more than Gilda even hoped for. Either way, Ponyville would be set to win the highest praise from the Queens yet again. This was not the sole reason; it was just in Ponyvillian nature to help others. The sign up final day was tomorrow, and with her friends backing her, her new home backing her, and the spirit of her brother pushing her on, she was ready to show all of Equestria what she could do.