My Rainbow Dash; Part 2.
Reconciliation
“I know I've gotta say something to all of you, but I want to explain myself first. If you'll just bear with me.” It took a great deal of effort to hold her composure. It went against most of Gilda's natural instinct to be standing in Twilight Sparkle's living room, facing five ponies that were all waiting for her to make amends with each of them. Part of her mind nagged the griffin to do the bolt. To get away from these losers as fast as she possibly could. But the other, more sensible part of her mind, the part that reminded her how much Gilda stood to lose if she didn't swallow her stupid pride and stow her attitude.
As she worked out what it was she felt she needed to say, Gilda looked over the expressions of each of the six ponies that scrutinised her. Out of each, it was the orange one, Applejack, that seemed to be the least thrilled about her return. She was barely concealing a glare.
Surprisingly enough, the only one in the room with a clearly positive expression, in that she was literally bouncing on her hooves, was the irritating pink one. Pinkie Pie was positively beaming, obviously happy to see things have worked out for the best.
The rest seemed rather neutral. Twilight and Rarity were both showing mixed feelings about the griffin's return, but considering RD was happier than she had been in a long time, they were tolerating Gilda. Wonder why the cowgirl isn't acting the same way. The yellow one looked a tad frightened, though. Made sense, Gilda had given Fluttershy quite a scare when she was last here, it was pretty funny.
After taking a deep breath, Gilda started off her lead up to the apology she promised Dash she would make. “I don't have many... Any friends. As a young griffin growing up around a bunch of ponies, I was the outsider. Dash here was the only friend to this day that I have ever made. I know that probably sound sad, poor me and all that, but I don't care.” Gilda's shoulders half raised in a sort of nonchalant shrug. “She's the only friend I've ever needed and I guess I got it into my head that she felt the same. So when I got here and she had a whole bunch of other friends, I couldn't handle that. Didn't help nothing when I couldn't get any alone time with Dash, when the Pink menace- er, Pinkie Pie, kept showing up everywhere we went. But now I... I get it. Not that I all of a sudden feel that I need any more friends, but that RD is happy with you lot and I can live with that now. Because all that time I've spent wallowing in self pity, denial and regret has taught me that I need her. I need my only friend, and if I gotta play nice to all of you to keep her around then so be it.” Gilda's eyes trailed along the floor, their attention being easily stolen by pointless items about the room such as books, cushions or even dark spots in the wood. The griffin struggled to raise her eyes high enough to allow the six ponies in the room to look into them and judge her sincerity for themselves. “So... I'm sorry, okay. I ain't saying I've changed or that I'll be happy and nice, but you won't be getting any more grief from me.”
Rainbow Dash was, of course, the first to speak after Gilda finished off her long winded apology. She practically pounced on Gilda, pulling her into a nearly bone crushing hug. “Now that wasn't too hard, right? Whaddya say, girls?” RD looked around the room, smiling ecstatically, waiting for her friends to all show their support for the redemptive actions of an old friend.
Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy all smiled and nodded politely. “Everyone deserves another chance, especially if she's sincere in her apology.” Twilight added. “Oh of course, dear. But um... Do try and be civil amongst the rest of the ponies in ponyville as well.” Rarity nervously mumbled. Fluttershy said nothing, but she kept her chin up, and her smile present.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack were the ponies with the two most notable reactions. Pinkie had somehow managed to make her way onto Gilda's back, where she then joined in with Dash's hug. “Oh I just love how this has turned out, I said it to Rainbow Dash when you first left, I said 'She'll come back, Dash. She's your friend!' And you did, you're back and now we have a chance to start over and oh, oh, oh we should-” The excitable pink pony's hyperactive jabberings were cut short by an amused Rainbow Dash.
“Pinkie, she's just gotten back. You can at least wait a few days before you go full party mode on her.” Dash barely stifled a giggle as she saw Gilda practically bite her tongue and lock her talons into the floor, fighting back the urge to toss Pinkie Pie across the room. She's not cursing Pinkie out, either. That's a great sign! She idly thought as Pinkie apologetically zipped back to her place nearby the other five, with a sheepish grin stretched across her face. Pinkie's little outburst had lightened the mood somewhat for everypony in the room. At least... all of them other than Applejack.
There was a lot the orange pony wanted to say about this whole situation, but a part of her knew it was best she held her tongue. Unfortunately there was nothing she could to to conceal the unimpressed expression she wore as Gilda rattled off her reasons why she was such a... Well, a not-very-nice girl when she came to visit RD the first time. It wasn't that Applejack didn't believe Gilda. It wasn't hard to fathom the idea that the griffin didn't have many friends, and that she had latched onto Dash as a result. Nope, not hard to believe at all. Furthermore it was far from the truth to say that AJ was not happy for her friend. To see RD smile like that warmed Applejack's heart. The problem here was admittedly entirely for selfish reasons, and she knew that if she opened her mouth, a lot of very honest things would be said that Applejack knew she would very quickly regret saying.
It wasn't until after Rainbow Dash kept up her side of the deal that the drama machine seemed to kick into gear.
'Once you've made these apologies, I'll say it in front of ALL my friends!'
What Dash and Gilda had discovered when the griffin made her return, was that the friendship they had, had become something more. 'I love ya, Dash.' When Gilda had managed to squeeze out these four words, which held within them more affection then RD felt she could ever expect from the bird with the outward emotional equivalent of a six inch thick and heated titanium wall, her heart skipped more than a few beats, and although Dash herself was not one for open displays of mushy emotion, her expression gave away enough to show that the feeling was mutual. A deal was made, that if Gilda were to apologise to all of her friends, and promise not to cause any more trouble, Rainbow Dash would say those same four words, in front of all of her friends. The competitive nature between the two making this something of a challenge.
Dash called the ponies in the room to attention with a quick whistle. “I'm sure you guys have probably got a lot to do, it's a weekday after all and I'm probably keeping you from your duties. But while we're all here, there's something else I want to say.” There was a slight pause as everypony in the room could have sworn they saw the makings of a blush flush through Dash's face for a very brief second before the pegasus retrieved her confident smile and intertwined her leg with Gilda's. “Me and Gilda... We're much more than just friends now. And I'd like to say, in front of all of those I care a lot about, for the first time, that I love you, Gilda. You're the one for me.”
The atmosphere throughout the living room changed almost instantly. It was both surprised and confused. Even Pinkie Pie had simmered down, it took her a while to blink through all of the new information she had been fed before she could react accordingly.
“Woohoo!~ Love has been blooming all over the place recently! Are you gonna get married!? Oh the wedding Twilight's brother and Princess Cadance had was great! I can't wait for the next! Can I be a bridesmare? Arg! Silly me, Gilda just got here and I'm doing it again aren't I? I'm sorry I'll be quiet but it's just so exciting and I can't-” Once again, Pinkie's little outburst had proven to be just what was needed to ease the tension in the room. Unfortunately, not everyone there was as thrilled with the news.
A loud, dull thud cut Pinkie Pie off suddenly, as each of them found themselves wondering in unison where Applejack had gone to. For the ponies in the room, it was as though she had stormed out with no warning. Gilda's keen ears had been able to pick up on part of AJ's mutterings as she left. '...Ain't good enough for RD...' What's that dweeb's problem? Gilda shrugged it off. If Applejack had a problem, she can sort it out with Dash.
Rainbow Dash had apparently the same thought process, as mere seconds after Applejack stormed out, Dash, who was understandably confused and somewhat upset by this, apologized to Gilda and hurried after AJ. Much to the dismay of the griffin, who called out after her “Hey wait, don't-” it was too late, Dash was gone. Leave me with these guys by myself... Ugh, this is going to suck, I just know it.
–
And there this is. I imagine I'll only need one, maaaybe two more chapters to complete this little story arc I've got going. Just something to do in my spare time, so it may not take long at all for me to finish this one off.