Sunset gave a smile as she tapped her quill against her chair on her balcony overlooking Ponyville as she idly watched Silverspeed, Shoeshine and Derpy playing with Dinky and some other foals as Roseluck and Trixie watched from nearby as well.
“Hey,” Rainbow said as she hovered next to her before setting down on the other chair. “Got a minute?”
“A few. What’s up?”
“It’s about Gilda,” Rainbow admitted and Sunset looked over at her.
“I’m listening.”
“Ya know, when I first met her it was a complete accident. I had just started walking through the hallway of my flight school when I accidentally ran into her. She wasn’t mean or anything, she was the nicest pony or well griffon I’ve ever met. She helped me up, walked me to my classroom and was damn near my best friend. She didn’t really hang out with anypony else other than me. I tried to get Fluttershy to meet her once but that mare is so damn shy,” Rainbow shook her head and chuckled dryly.
“So what changed then? Ponies don’t normally just become assholes unless you’ve been through some shit.”
“I have no idea. We stopped talking after she had to go back to Griffonstone and we only reconnected a few years ago on accident when we flew past each other. Who knows what happened. I know Griffonstone isn’t a decent place based on what she told me,” Rainbow admitted as Sunset listened. She had heard similar things from the princess. “I can confirm I don’t ever plan on talking to her again. She was such a bitch to a lot of good ponies. Fluttershy, Shoeshine, you, don’t even get me started on how she treated Pinkie. She could have easily killed Pinkie that day when she crashed her helicopter.”
“I’m still entirely new to this friendship thing,” Sunset started as she glanced down at her waving friends and smiled before waving back. “And I still have a lot to learn but I’m lucky to have a damn good group of ponies to learn from and I love them.”
“Eugh, sappy.”
“My point is, I think you shouldn’t just outright cut ties. I don’t know, maybe try to bring the old Gilda back?” Sunset suggested as Rainbow stared down at her lap.
“Who knows? I gotta get going. It was uh nice talking to you where we aren’t shouting at each other,” Rainbow admitted as she spread her wings to fly.
“Yeah I suppose it was. See ya around,” Sunset said and watched the pegasus take off for a few moments. “Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned to not judge a book by it’s cover and doing what’s right isn’t always easy. You never know when a pony or a griffon could be hiding it’s true colors of being a bully or a pony who doesn’t want to see their friend becoming a jerk. Though it’s impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who’s true will surely come to light. Your faithful student, Sunset Shimmer.”
Celestia sat on her bed as she read Sunset’s latest letter before levitating it onto her desk alongside a stack of folders containing backstories, strengths and weaknesses of all of Sunset’s friends and other ponies the unicorn has met as Celestia levitated a quill and piece of paper in front of her.
“Dear Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia started and started writing as the ink disappeared. “Oh, wrong ink.”
She gave a quiet laugh before levitating the correct ink in front of her and started writing as a pink earth pony and a blue pegasus snuck away from the window where they had been watching.
“Surprised we actually pranked Princess Celestia,” Pinkie giggled as she jumped out of Rainbow’s hooves.
“I’m not, we’re awesome!” Rainbow boasted with a grin. “Who next?”
“Princess Luna?” Pinkie suggested with a grin.
“Oh I’m so down. Let’s go!”
Pinkie watched Rainbow fly away before grinning again and galloping after her partner in crime. She should have pranked Princess Celestia ages ago now that she thinks about it.
Pinkie idly reminded herself to thank Sunset for the idea.