//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 – A Different Griffon Brush Off: Part Five // Story: Griffon of Canterlot // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Griffon of Canterlot Chapter 19 – A Different Griffon Brush Off: Part Five Fluttershy moving her hoof hovering before the birds as they whistled their tunes, Gale sat watching intently and enjoying the musical whistling from them. Gale was curious if he could carry a whistling tune like these birds were, he did have a beak like them even he had teeth and they did not. Gale thoughts wonder at that as ponies around chat among each other, Gilda drinking a bit of punch watched with Celestia. “It been a pleasant party so far.” “Hehe, yeah it has. Part from when Gale latch hugged me again. Seriously what up with that?” Gilda said half happy and half annoyed. Celestia drunk a bit of her punch. “Your the first griffon he met other then himself. Maybe he sees you as a big sister.” Gilda spat out her punch. “You got to be joshing me!” “It only a theory. Gilda, there is no reason to overreact.” Celestia drunk a bit more of her punch without a flinch or reaction to Gilda's outburst. Gilda couldn't even get a read off the Princess, she was cool as ice. “R-right...” Gilda finial said looking back at Gale who continued to watch the singing birds. “This is the weirdest griffon by far! That saying a lot with that hyper friendly griffon Gabby!” Pinkie Pie enters from the kitchen wheeling in a large three layer cake with candles lit on top of it. “Cake time everypony!” Celestia leans in whispering to Gilda. “Here is Rainbow Dash's last prank the relighting candles.” “Yep! I know exactly what to do!” Gilda whispered back pumping Celestia's hoof with her fist. Rainbow Dash noticed their interaction frowning from the distance. “When did Gilda get so chummy with Princess Celestia?” She whispered and glanced over to the relighting candles. “They know about all my pranks and working together turning my pranks back on me!” Rainbow Dash clicked. “If this prank goes awe, I will have to fall back on my back up plan.” She muttered to herself glancing over to the pony tail for Pin the tail on the Pony game. Spike standing by Twilight looked up at the candles. “Hey can I blow out the candles?” Twilight look down to Spike with a soft smile. “Why don't we let Gilda blow out the candles, she is the guest of honour after all.” Gilda and Celestia glanced at each other as Gale caught attention of the large cake, his eyes widen at the size of it and tilted his head at the sight of the candles burning on top of it. “That kiddo are birthday cake candles, they lit up on top to be blown out.” Shining explained. Gale rubbed the top of his feathered head still confused. “You know blow.” Shining blow some air at gale from his muzzle. Gale laughed feeling the ticklish feeling of the air blown over his head. “But you do that at the flames and they go out.” Gale point to it and to himself. “Nah this is Gilda's honour, you can't have all the fun.” Shining Armor chuckled rubbing his feathered head. Gilda walk up to the cake. “True. Let's give this one big puff and we can chow down on this awesome cake!” “I couldn't agree with you more G!” Rainbow Dash stood by her. “Go on give them a blow!” Gilda chuckled. “Sure thing Dash!” Gilda took a deep breath and blew hard to extinguish the flames. “There we go all-” The flames relit. “Huh?” Gilda blew at them again but they relit once more getting laughter from around her. Spike laughed. “Relighting candles! I like that prank!” “Hehe yeah, I wonder who did it?” Gilda looking around. “Your not upset over some candles are ya G?” Rainbow Dash chuckled. Gilda shrugged. “Not at all. But I doubt they be lit for any longer.” “Huh? What do-” Rainbow Dash said Gale flying over the cake with a cup of water picking up one candle at a time and putting in the water with a sizzle. “Oh you got to be kidding me!” “Well that one way of putting out relighting candles.” Rarity giggled. “I doubt any of us thought of that.” “Not at all Rarity. I guess Gale didn't like them relighting like that and decided to put them out for good.” Twilight chuckled lightly. Pinkie Pie had a slice of cake on a plate handing it to Spike. “Enjoy Spike! And one for you Galey!” Pinkie Pie raise a plate to him. He gave her the glass filled with soggy candles exchange for the plate of cake, he ate a bit and dived right into the rest afterwards. “Breathe kiddo and look at the mess you made of yourself.” Shining Armor points to the beak. Gale crossed eyed at the mess on his beak and licked it most of it getting a mix of laughter from all the ponies. “I am pleased to see Gale enjoying himself, his weary but a lot better among ponies.” Celestia said watching him sit down eating more of his slice of cake. Celestia took her piece. “I know! It what I wanted! To turn frowns upside down!” Pinkie Pie replied. “We do have a really fun game for him to try after cake! Pin the tail on the Pony!” “I am sure he'll like to give it a go. Just tell him what you going to do and Gale should be fine.” Celestia stated. “Of course Princess!” Rainbow Dash step back while no one was watching as they all happily ate their cake. “So his going first huh? Time to spring my final prank. This one sure to get everypony laughing.” Rainbow Dash turn to the tail with a mischievous smile on her muzzle. Looking around to make sure no one looking over or see her in the corner of their eyes, Rainbow Dash quickly slipped away taking the tail with her. Applejack spoke up. “Hey y'all! It's pin the tail on the pony! Let's play!” Gale looked at the tail before Applejack. “Cub, you get a blindfold put over ya and you hold the pin side part of the tail and stick it on that poster there.” Gilda points to the poster, Gale looked over to it and back at the tail. “It might look simple but it not when you get spun around while blindfolded.” “Oh my favourite game! Can I go first? Can I have the purple tail?” Rarity reach down to it. Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Why not let Gale go first? I'm sure the kid up for another challenge.” “Hmm... Of course darling.” Rarity turn to Gale. “Would you like to try?” Gale looked at it thoughtfully tapping the end of his beak for a moment and followed that with a happy nod. “Kiddo this blindfold Spike will put on you and even it dark everyone still here okay?” Gale nods as Shining Armor. “Go ahead Spike.” Spike walks up to Gale and put the blindfold on, the young griffon gulped and almost panicking as he turn the head from left to right. “Calm down son. We here, now Spike will give you the tail.” Gale slows his breathing and nods as he used his ears to pin point where Celestia spoke from. “Here you Gale.” He placed it in Gale's talon. Pinkie Pie came up to him. “I am going to spin you around and around. Once you've stopped just walk straight ahead and pin the tail on the pony okay?” Gale nods and he get spun around by Pinkie Pie. “Go Gale you can do it!” Rainbow Dash shouted and look around “Come on ponies cheer for him!” They all started to cheer loudly for Gale and Rainbow Dash grin grew. Spike look to his claws noticing some pink powder was on it. “Huh what this?” He rose his claw up to take a sniff of it. “Weird I-I-Achoo!” He sneezed with flames shorting out. “Achoo!” Celestia noticed his sneezing. “Spike are you okay?” “I-ACHOO! Th-ACHOO! Po-ACHOO!” Celestia noticed the pink powder on his claw. “Is that sneezing pow-” Celestia froze in mid-sentence, she turn to the nearest to her son she knew of. “Gilda!” The griffon turn to her direction from all the cheering. “There sneezing powder on the tail! Get it away from Gale immediately!” Celestia had no idea what sneezing powder would do to Gale. But Gilda did as her eyes shrunk in a instant upon hearing those words. Gilda pushing the ponies out the way to get to Gale, he had pined the tail already and looking curiously at his talon after lifting the blindfold off his head. Leaning to it and see what he got on his talon. “Gale!” The ponies cheering the name too stomping their hooves. “Don't sniff it!” He didn't hear her and already had. Gale rose his head blinked a few times with confusion at what he just smelt but the effects was showing, the teenage griffon turn to Shining Armor and suddenly Shining Armor looked like a huge soft toy before him! Gale flew right at him and landed on his back and hugged him around the back of the neck to the front rubbing his head into the mane. “Gale why are you hugging me so tightly and rubbing your head into me like that? Come on kiddo stop it.” Ponies was laughing at this scene. “Haha very funny Gale, now please can you get off me?” Gale had a very content smile with his eyes closed continue to rub his head against Shining's neck. Gale seem completely oblivious to his request as if he was in a world of his own. Shining Armor now in a position to try and figure out how to get a teenage griffon off his back. Gilda growls loudly looking around till she locked eyes right on Rainbow Dash. With a mighty anger roar all the ponies stopped laughing turning to her directly. “RAINBOW DASH!” She flew right by the ponies with talons out reaching for the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash quickly flew up dodging her. “Whoa! Wha-GAH!” Gilda suddenly lands and with a sharp turn followed by a thrust jump she grabs Rainbow Dash by both forelegs. She pulls Rainbow Dash down and smash into the table breaking all it legs. The round table fell flat to the ground, all the ponies staring with shock at what just happened. Rainbow Dash struggling to break out of the iron grip that Gilda had her in, pinning the rainbow mane pony to the surface of the round table. “Gilda! Get o-” Twilight tries to say and help Rainbow Dash. “SHUT UP PURPLE!” Twilight instantly recoil from the outburst. “Please don't hurt her!” Twilight pleaded to the Gilda. Shining Armor was going to react but what Gilda said next cause him to stop casting a spell to part Gilda from Rainbow Dash. “I will not Purple. I am keeping her from running off to face what she did!” She growled. “She did?” Twilight asked but still concerned for Rainbow's safety. Shining Armor's new concern now was on Celestia as he saw anger from the sun princess. “Rainbow Dash put sneezing powder on that tail!” Rainbow Dash stared up at her. “Is that all about? My prank? Aren't you overreacting G?” Gilda turn looking down at the pinned pony under her talons and her strength. “Overreacting!? You got to be joshing me! How can you say that when you PROMISED to never use that powder on a griffon! After what Hoops and his friends did to me when we were young!” “Promised? What the heck are you talking about!?” Gilda roars once again, Gale the only one not filching or even noticing this as he continue to hug and rub his head into Shining's neck. Shining Armor spoke up. “Can somepony or anyone explain to us why Gale is acting as if I am a oversized plush toy!?” Pinkie Pie came in with the sneezing powder pot. “It might be because the sneezing powder has a red writing warning on the back on it about not using it on felines and hybrid felines cause it could course random strange effects to them and their personalities.” She said without coming up for any breath of air. Celestia had her eyes closed breathing in and out hard. “Keep calm Celestia... Don't lose your temper... Keep calm... Approach this calm and collected...” She whispered to herself feeling a anger building within towards Rainbow Dash's careless actions. “What!? Ho-” “Don't How me Dash! You idiotic lame pony!” “Idiotic lame pony!? You knew about my pranks and been ruining all of them!” “Of course for Gale! But you went one step too far!” “I!? You didn't bother telling me! You just decided to do this for the sack of a griffon you just met!” “This isn't about Gale anyone Dash! This is about your damn promise! That was personal to me! I was humiliated when those ponies did that to me back in flight camp! You promised to never to do it to me or any griffon like they did to me!” Gilda closed her eyes and reopen the looking directly into Rainbow Dash's “You broke it and my trust...” Gilda let go of Rainbow Dash's forelegs. Gilda sighed heavily. “That why I am ending our friendship Dash. How can I be friends with you after this stunt? You not even sorry...” Gilda turn to Spike. “Quill!” Spike put his claw behind him and reviles a quill, he hands it to her. “A-are you going to be okay?” “I will be...” Gilda step over Rainbow Dash opening her wing up to take the scroll out from under it, opening the scroll up she wrote on it her signature. “Princess I'm in.” She close the scroll up throwing it to Celestia. Celestia caught it with her magic. “Very well Gilda.” Celestia showed a very static calm expression. “I'll be outside waiting... I'm getting out of here before I regret doing something more than I done to Dash already...” Gilda went to the exit but stop turning to Rainbow Dash as she got up on her four hooves. “Dash if you even really are sorry for what you did today, come find me. If not don't bother.” Gilda leaves. Celestia turn to Shining Armor. “Go outside with my son.” “Gale pretty much stuck on me Princess...” Shining Armor responded. Celestia nods and speak on. “Flash Sentry go with him. I'll be in a moment.” They salute and leave with Gale still nuzzling into Shining Armor's back of the neck. “Princess I-” Celestia rose a hoof instantly stopping Twilight from speaking. “Twilight actions today have been foolish and reckless, a friendship has been ended due to such action.” Celestia turn to Rainbow Dash. “You will have to learn to not always think of yourself but think of others aswell. There must be a balance between them. You may have forgotten your promise with Gilda but she did not, this was a personal blow to her. Hopefully in time you will be willing to come to her and apologise for your actions taken today.” “Than maybe... Just maybe you will be able to become friends once again.” Celestia took a deep breath. “For one I almost acted myself when I saw the effects that powder had on my son. Luckily it seem to only effect how he saw Captain Armor and heighten his senses of love for soft toys...” “Since this also had effected Gilda in the past, this effect is temporary and not harmful to my Gale...” “You are very lucky... So I say this once and once only Rainbow Dash...” “You ever prank my son again... I will not be as lenient next time.” Celestia leans down to Rainbow Dash looking at her in the eyes. “That is not of a princess that tells you this but of a... Mother protecting her young one.” Rainbow Dash gulped and a nod of the head without a word said as ponies stared in silence. “Pinkie Pie.” Celestia rose her head up looking more cheerful to the pink pony. “Yes princess?” “I do hope you can throw a party for Gale in Canterlot some day, can I expect your services when I send the letter?” “Of course Princess! I love to throw a party in Canterlot for Gale!” She saluted with a giggle. “Thank you and be a good friend to Rainbow Dash as well. Okay?” “Okie Dokie Loki!” Pinkie Pie nods. Celestia smiled warmly. “Thank you.” She looked around the room. “Come on Dash let's get you cheered up.” Pinkie Pie offer her hoof to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash takes it. Pinkie Pie smiled. “Girls I need your help for this!” They all nod ready to help Rainbow Dash. Celestia finally spoke. “Sorry for what transpired. I hope you all enjoy the remaining part of this party and bid you all a good day my little ponies.” They bowed in reply. Celestia turn to the remaining guard. “Blue Star if you could bring Gale's gifts?” “Of course Princess!” He saluted collecting the gifts and bags before departing Sugarcube Corner. “Princess can I and Spike talk to you outside?” Twilight requested Celestia took a look to Twilight with a nod before leaving the party, Celestia only hope that Rainbow Dash learns from these mistakes she made. Should Spike give back the heirloom gem to Gilda? Results Yes = 26 No = 3 Total votes = 29