"Good job Gilds," Thunderlane said with a proud smile and a thumbs up.
"Thanks," Gilda said, plastering what she thought was a confident smile on her face.
"You da man, Gilda," Hoops said a few seconds later, also patting her on the shoulder.
"Gilda," Rainbow Dash said. Gilda was stunned. This was the first time since Blossomworth that Rainbow had voluntarily spoken to her.
"Yes," Gilda said with a frown.
"Thanks for somehow not dying," Rainbow Dash muttered reluctantly, before quickly walking away from her.
"Whatever," Gilda said, trying to sound indifferent. In reality, the small praise from her former friend was making her feel sick.
Since she came back to class, everyone was patting her on the back, treating like her like a goddess for her "bravery", or asking about her fight with the psycho. Luna and Celestia said the same thing, and Officer Garda asked her to consider a police career after her military service. At home, dad's friends were all showering her praise, and Rolling and Lightning were offering to take her out to celebrate. Gilda would normally savor at this praise, but deep down, each "good job" and thumbs up felt like a knife to her heart, and she didn't know why.
"Wah there she is," Gilda heard someone yell. She saw the school lunch lady come up to her as well, a warm smile and a box in her hand. She was followed by Apple Girl's brother and little sister.
"Who, me?" Gilda said.
"Yes, you," the Apple Family Matriarch said. "The little young'un who saved mah granddaughter." The tall guy's normally stoic face became unusually warm, while the little girl looked her with a mixture of admiration and gratitude.
"Well, it was nothing," Gilda said, trying to sound humble but confident.
"Not to me and the Apple family," the Apple Family matriarch said, handing her a box. She saw it was one of the their trademark pies. Apple by the smell. Normally, she savored the all-natural foods that Apple Family made. But instead, it made her feel sick to her stomach.
"Thanks," Gilda said, forcing another grin on her face. "I always do my-," she paused as she felt someone squeezing her leg.
"Thanks for saving mah sister," the country girl said tearfully hugging her leg like she was afraid to let go. With a hidden sigh, Gilda gave the little hillbilly a pat on the head.
"Just doing my job," Gilda said, sounding like an action hero. She looked around and saw everyone looking at her both pride and amusement. Inwardly she was screaming to high heaven.
After managing to escape the cuddly clutches of Apple Girl Jr., Gilda went to her locker to put the apple pie away for when she had an appetite. She opened it, a pink blur and confetti burst out of her locker.
"What the," Gilda said, and saw that the Pink Menace had been hiding in her locker, wearing a pink cheerleader's uniform and waving pink pompoms around. She looked at Gilda with the most cheerful smile she'd ever seen on the pink girl.
"Who's the bestest person ever~," Pinkie sang, "Gilda. Gilda. Who's the coolest person ever? Gilda. Gilda.~"
"Pinkie," Gilda muttered angrily. She tried to ignore the voice in her head telling her to smack Pinkie with a crowbar. But it was getting harder and harder.
"Who's the hero who in the end, saved Applejack, my bestest friend~," Pinkie Pie sang while dancing around her. "Gilda, Gilda."
Gilda's violent thoughts suddenly vanished and were replaced with guilt. As annoying as Pinkie Pie was, she was trying to express her gratitude. She was always trying to make others feel happy. The pink girl just had no concept of subtlety and restraint when doing so.
"G-I-L-D-A~," Pinkie Pie continued to sing, "when Gilda's here, we all say yay!" Gilda tiredly walked to her next class, with Pinkie following her and singing to her all the way to the door.
"So what was it like," Micro Chips asked Gilda with awe and fascination, "battling that psycho."
The two were sitting at a table, doing their study session in her living room at the base. Ever since she and Micro worked together to get revenge on Sunset, the two suddenly hit if off. Micro Chips found out about Gilda's poor grades and had offered to help. After swallowing her pride, Gilda accepted the help. To her surprise, Micro was actually a good tutor. It was thanks to her she finally got her grade up to a B minus in Science.
"Cool," Gilda muttered, a fake grin on her face.
"Cool?" Micro Chips said, not satisfied with her answer.
"Yeah, it was no big deal," Gilda said, trying to force the discomfort from her face. "Let's just focus on the fractions."
"Gilda, what's wrong?" Micro Chips said.
"Nothing," Gilda said.
"Gilda you haven't touched the pie you got," Micro Chips said with concern, "nor all of the...cakes Pinkie Pie baked for you," gesturing to the dozens of cakes the pink girl somehow baked in one day that were stacked untouched in the corner of the room.
"I'm not hungry," Gilda said.
"Gilda," Micro Chips.
"WHY CAN'T YOU SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Gilda yelled. Micro Chips sighed in disappointment.
"I see," Micro Chips said sadly. "You know Gilda. I forgave you for attacking me and calling me a perv, I helped you get even with Sunset, I helped you pass math, and every week I help you study. I thought we were friends. I thought you trusted me enough to confide your darkest feelings. I guess I was a fool to think that." Gilda tried to protest, but she realized she couldn't win against Micro's sincere hurt and puppy dog eyes.
"It's my fault," Gilda said miserably.
"What?"
"The freak getting away," Gilda said, biting her lip. "I had him on the ground. I had him on a platter. I should've just tackled him. But instead, I acted like a cocky bitch." She pursed her lips. "I left myself open to be taken down. But I just assumed he was some wimpy little coward."
"Gilda, you couldn't have known what the guy was like," Micro said in a reassuring tone. "He's managed to outsmart everyone."
"He wouldn't have much trouble doing that to me," Gilda bitterly quipped. "I'm such an idiot."
"Gilda, your not an idiot," Micro said.
"Yes I am," Gilda protested. "I suck at school, I ruined Blossomworth's life-,"
"That was an accident," Micro said.
"I hurt you when you didn't do anything to me, I let Sunset trick me. For once, I tried to do something good by bringing this creep down. But I failed at that too," Gilda finished miserably.
"So you're upset because you lost," Micro said.
"No," Gilda said. "I'm upset that I let him trick me. And I'm scared that if he'd been more crazy, Applejack would've died or suffered more. I would've died," Gilda continued, tears flowing down her eyes. "And now he's gonna hurt someone else. And its gonna be my fault. Because I'm such a failure." Gilda's face fell into her hands, and she bawled like crazy.
Micro Chips looked utterly mortified. It was hard to remember that underneath that muscle, height, and military bravado was a deeply vulnerable 15 year old girl who still felt alone. Micro Chips had first seen it when Gilda uncomfortably apologized to him, and it tore him up to see it again.
"Gilda, you're not an idiot," Micro said, putting a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Yes I am," Gilda said, the last of her tears flowing down. "It is because of me-,"
"Gilda, its because of you that Applejack was saved from something worse," Micro said empathetically. "Not to mention we know more about this guy."
"But I still let him get away," Gilda bitterly complained about. "And now he'll hurt-,"
"Gilda, if he hurts someone, i'ts his fault, not yours," Micro said sternly. "Yeah, he did manage to trick you. But the reason why he tricked you is because he couldn't win a fair fight. You know why?
"Why?"
"You're like the toughest person I ever met, and he's a pathetic coward."
"I don't know," Gilda said, feeling less sad. "As horrible as he is, I have to admit that takedown was...pretty good."
"Well if he's good, your incredible," Micro said with a voice of admiration. "And not just because you could take down an entire Changeling army with your bare hands."
"Really," Gilda said, a smile forming on her face as her mood improved. "What else is incredible about me?"
"Here's what I like about you. After you learned the truth about Sunset, you went up and apologized to me." Micro gave Gilda a warm smile. "Even after most girls learned the truth, they would still keeping treating me like a perv for no reason. You can admit you made a mistake without any BS, and that makes you better than most people."
"I guess," Gilda said, an uneasy but genuine smile.
"And like that Officer said, that creep can't run forever," Micro Chips. "Everyone's looking for him. And even though he beat you, you'll have the last laugh when they cart him off to prison." The thought helped clear away much of Gilda's self-loathing. A bright smile formed on her face for the first time in two days.
"Thanks Micro," Gilda said, putting a warm hand on his shoulder in return.
"What are you two doing?" Spitfire said with a wry grin as she strode into the living room. Micro was startled by her appearance.
"Nothing," Micro Chips releasing his hand from the white-skinned girl's shoulder.
"We were having violent revenge sex," Gilda said with a grin.
"Gilda!" Micro Chips said.
"Good," Spitfire said with a proud smile on her face. "Just like I taught you." The two laughed as Micro Chips whined about how lewd they were being.
"Oh loosen up you little nerd," Gilda said playfully to the blushing bookworm.