Gilda said male griffins were bigger, but I didn't think she meant as tall as Princess Celestia and built like a bear. Maybe these two are royal guards because they're even bigger than normal, but they still seem huge. The black armor they were wearing didn't help make them any less threatening. I mean I could whip their tail-feathers, but they sure looked scary. The armor wasn't fancy at all, the only real decorations on it spikes. There were a few along the spine, and on the knees and shoulders and such. It seemed like there should be more than one on the helmet, but the single silver spike did look sort of cool sticking out of the dome of a helmet. The helmet didn't cover the face because Griffins use their beaks to fight, and of course the armor didn't cover the wings for the same reason. It didn't cover the tail cause it was a small target and hard to armor.
"All of you, wait here, and don't move."
"The Equestrian ambassador has been recalled, so you will be meeting her first."
Then they turned and left the room. I watched them leave. I noticed AJ did the same. They didn't seem like they wanted to try anything, but I guess we both weren't too sure they wouldn't. The palace was fancy, but used darker colors than Canterlot. Well actually I guess Luna's castle was black inside and out, but that doesn't count. Most of the palace was actually grey, though it was all fancy, and full of black marble columns and other stuff so it was hard to tell most of the time. This room was pretty big. With stairs sweeping up to a balcony that jutted out a bit, and right behind that a set of big golden doors.
"Let me guess, this is the make a big entrance room?" I asked
"While they most certainly don't call it that, I believe the idea is correct Rainbow." I didn't even have to look to know Rarity just rolled her eyes at me. "I don't know who this recalled ambassador is, but she is likely royalty."
"It could be a he, not a she." I said "Griffany has a king, and while there are way more females just like Equestria, a bunch of the leaders are male."
"Really?" Rarity cringed slightly. "That just seems so…"
"Rarity, do you have a problem with males in power?" said Twilight
"I'm sorry Twilight, I know there are some good male mayors out there, but I'm an old fashioned girl. I just prefer mares to be the ones running things."
Then the doors creaked open, and trumpet fare sounded. Two guards wearing similar armor stepped out, but they looked much smaller. They stood to either side of the now open doors. Then a third griffin, trumpet hanging from a chain around her neck stepped forward. The mouth piece looked bigger than normal but I couldn't see it that well. Probably something so you can play it without lips. She also had on a weird little blue beret with a long feather.
"Welcome diplomats from the noble nation of Equestria, long may Celestia burn."
"Now see here…" began Rarity
"Rares, leave it." I said "Saying it that way is part of the treaty. It's one of the few concessions the griffin king got. She might even get arrested if she said it otherwise."
The griffin cleared her throat. "As I was saying. Welcome, and now I present the currently recalled ambassador to your great…" The sarcasm she coated that word in was not part of the treaty. "…nation. Her royal highness princess Gilded Rose."
The other griffin stepped aside, giving a bow. The guards just slightly bowed their heads. Gilda then stepped out in ridiculously poofy pink dress. The only thing making it even remotely cool was the frilly lace being black. Now we tried our best to be prepared, mostly Twilight running though some big boring list. Rarity kept going over and over the rules of decorum. One thing she told me all the time is how I should stop and think before I act. If I can't figure out the right thing to say or do, do nothing at all. Pointing a hoof and falling over laughing at the sight was without a doubt the wrong thing to do, but I just couldn't help it.
"How dare you laugh at the Princess." Said One guard.
"You should hold your tongue before I cut it out, or worse."
"Don't." said Gilda. "Just, don't do anything I…" Then she stomped a claw. "Oh buck this, just don't do anything to them, dad would be mad if you did."
Then she flew off. I did think through what I was doing, but only as I was speeding past the guards and into the long hall beyond the doors. I still wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, even though Rarity was probably glad I had stopped laughing. They followed me, but clearly as uncomfortable as the dress looked it didn't slow her down too much, but the guard's armor did. I knew they were behind me yelling something in Griffin, but I didn't really care. I was behind Gilda at first, but I quickly caught up.
Gilda clearly knew this place by heart. She didn't even slow down when taking most corners. I was without a doubt much faster than she was now, but I needed to be to catch back up every time I lost a little time because I had to dodge out of the way of some statue or suit of armor I didn't know was there. All the other griffins were walking so she probably wasn't supposed to be flying, which she already knew and why she took the corners so fast. It only went badly for her once when some griffin girl that looked a lot like her, but with grey fur and no feather highlights. I finally caught up.
She mumbled something in griffin like "How dare you? You thrice born something or other. I will devour your entrails."
Gilda responded in Griffin with "Out of my way you over pampered refuse."
She then flew off. I was pretty sure about that insult, and the entrails comment. Griffin didn't just sound harsh, but was full of extra words for blood and guts and stuff. Also there was a ton of different words about how much you hate some Griffin, but I could never keep all those strait. Gilda was off again, and I followed, but she still knew this place and I didn't, so I rounded a corner just as she was going in some door. She would totally lock it if I didn't get in there first I knew, so I tried to do my new trick.
I still don't really get it that well, but then again pegasi aren't really supposed to cast magic, or we are but it isn't taught because it's rare. Twilight and Luna talk a lot and sometimes get way off track so it can be hard to focus the whole time. So I still don't get how it works, but it totally did, the world stopped around me, or at least seemed to. It was odd that I didn’t even have to go that fast to activate it, but it was cool too. I then flew into the room Gilda was going in. I blinked.
It was big royal looking room with a bunch of purple decorations, but the walls were white and the trim at least gold colored. There was this really bloody battle scene painted on the ceiling. It was between griffins and ponies, and the ponies were losing of course. The furniture was dark wood in most cases, but parts were painted purple, and the bed-sheets were a deep purple. I then casually laid down on what had to be her bed, smiled, and put my wings down on my side. Twi said pegasi used their wings for magic and she was so right. Gilda started moving again, quickly bolting the door closed with a little slide-bar thing with her talons could easily use but would have taken me forever to get right. If it was bigger maybe I could manage, but not that small. She then turned around and went wide eyed.
"Yo." I then waved a hoof.
"What the? You were behind me?"
"I totally was, but now I'm not, isn't that awesome?"
"What? That doesn't even make sense you dweeb."
"Sure it does. I'm just that awesome now."
Then I laughed. Gilda was standing there looking so much like she always did when ticked off, but in that stupid pink dress she just looked so ridiculous. If the bed wasn't so big and fancy I'm pretty sure I would have fallen off laughing so hard.
"Okay, that's it, you are so looking for a beating."
I laughed harder. "I'm sorry G, but I just can't take you seriously in that dumb dress."
"Oh, yea. I forgot about that. I can't take me seriously in it either. Still I shouldn't take it off. The equestrian delegation, I mean besides you, will…"
I sat up. "G, we are the delegation, the whole thing. It's just me and my friends, and the only one that might care is Rarity, but I doubt even she would like something that dumb looking. Though I really don't get fashion so maybe I'm wrong."
She raised an eyebrow. "What? You're kidding right?"
"G, we've saved Equestria twice, and Fluttershy saved it a third time nearly by herself by staring down a dragon. Sure we had to drag her up the mountain, for a while literally, and she did react only when we were in danger so…"
"Oh come on, you must be kidding? Scardeyshy staring down a dragon?" Gilda wasn't really looking at me, busy messing with her dress.
"I'm totally not lying, though from what you said you forgot all about her."
"Nah, but I didn't recognize her. I figured it out when I saw her on the cover of that fashion magazine."
I laughed again. "You read fashion magazines, and Equestrian fashion magazines?"
"In case you weren't paying attention I am supposed to be your ambassador. That's why dad gave me that stupid name."
"It's not that bad. Still, it seems odd that…"
"Dad has a bunch of Equestrian magazine subscriptions for me that come here. Research materials or whatever. I ignore most of them but that one caught my eye okay. How the hay did anyone convince her to get up in front of a bunch of ponies and strut around?"
I laughed. "You haven't met Rarity. Plus I know you only met Fluttershy like once but I did tell you enough about her."
"It was more than once, but…"
Then she suddenly roared, and tore her dress nearly in two removing it. Clearly she didn't like the dress either. I smiled and hopped down off the bed. It was almost as comfortable as a cloud, but not quite. Still, silk sheets do feel nice. I get why Rarity likes them so much. Gilda glared at me.
"Okay, be serious Dash. Who is…"
"It's us. We defeated Nightmare Moon, and Discord, and the princess knighted us. She made Rarity a Countess which I was so sure she would never shut up about, but she at least doesn't bother us about it."
"So she's in charge?"
"Nah, Twilight is. She's the Ducthess of Platinum Mountain, which is the old name for the Duchy of Canterlot and is this really important position. Of course she was all Twilight about it and didn't tell us until Luna brought it up."
"So you're serious?" Then she sagged. "This is a nightmare. I'm doomed."
"Huh?"
"You're all going to get back at me by making this as hard as possible, aren't you. I'm already in enough trouble with dad cause of the whole hiding thing."
I then suddenly put a few things together. Gilda was always tough to track down, and she complained like crazy about having to work. She also always would come back whenever we had a fight, even if she never actually apologized. But suddenly she didn't. I thought I missed something, maybe it was something else.
"You got caught? You were hiding in Equestria from, your dad, who is also the king. He got ya and you're in so much trouble, right?"
She nodded. "Yea. I forget how quick you can be figuring stuff out sometimes. That's why I was in Equestria to begin with. I mean I've told you enough about our history you know there aren't a whole lot of other reasons for a griffin to be there."
"Oh, but your dad didn't want you to get any special treatment, so you had to hide who you are right?"
"Yea, but mostly cause he was hoping the ponies would treat me badly. They were scared of me, but I like that."
I smiled. "Yea, I know."
Gilda suddenly blinked. "You're not mad anymore at all, are you? Please don't tell me you're going to apologize to me for me being a jerk to you."
I sighed, and shook my head. "Gilda, I don't care. I mean thinking about it you never took being pranked that well. The problem isn't making it up to me, but making up to my friends."
She cringed. "You mean I have apologize to Pinkie?"
"Nah, that would be pointless. For one no matter how fake it was she would accept it, just like Fluttershy would."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying, I talked this over with Fluttershy and she got me to admit I did miss you. Recently I was reminded you should fight for your friendships. Loyalty is not just being friends when it's easy, but when it's hard. Especially when it's hard. The problem is I'm loyal to my new friends and Fluttershy too."
"And to that stupid little town in general. So what do you want me to do?" Gilda looked away from me. "I still don't care about those dorks in your town, but I am sorry that I upset you. It may be sappy as you can get, but I don't want to lose you as a friend."
I blinked. It was sorta a roundabout apology, but she actually apologized. I just stared for a long time. I was ready to go pretty far to try to fix things with Gilda the next time I saw her, but she actually met me halfway. For a long time I just stared. Eventually she turned back, glaring at me.
"Okay, enough of the stupid mushy stuff. I read the official reports from Equestria what happened, neither of which mentioned you by name, but I want to hear it from you. Start with Nightmare Moon."
"Oh, uh, okay. Lets see. It was the Summer Sun Celebration and…"