A Griffin In Distress
Written By:Nathan Charles Cornett
Griffins Wings
"I am the one that planned all of those pranks Gilda, so I guess I am the one who is not cool here." The blue Pegasus said as she stared Gilda down.
"Come on Dash, you are Joshing me, right?" Gilda replied fearfully, hoping it was all just one big joke.
Time froze, ceased to move within Gildas mind at that moment, and she was thrust out of the scene altogether. She was an outsider of her own dreams, watching her best friend become her worst enemy right before her eyes. It had not always been this way, but as with all things time had changed Rainbow Dash. She was not a rebel anymore, focusing more on upholding the law and showing kindness to everypony she met. The mere thought sickened Gilda and she swallowed to hold down the bile building in her throat. This was all her fault, she was the reason Rainbow Dash was the way she was. She let Rainbow Dash run away to be a weather pony when she had the chance to keep her, and now she was paying for it. Had she just said no when Rainbow Dash asked if it would be okay, had she just been honest with herself, then she never would have lost her one and only friend. It was a truth that she was finding harder and harder to cope with everyday, but it was her truth and she shouldered it bravely.
Gilda awoke that night much the same as every other night, kicking and screaming. She had the same dream that night as the night before, and the night before it, and the one before that. In fact, Gilda had had the same dream for the past few months, and every night it grinded on her conscious more and more. To watch Rainbow Dash turn on her so easily, turn her into the darkness that she had been trying so hard to escape was horrifying, and every night the words of her former friend grew colder and deadlier. It was as if she was living the same day over and over again, trying to rewrite history in a way that would bring Dash back and make everything right again. Of course this task was next to impossible, and the dream would come like a bad cold for her every night.
Gilda made her way down the stairs of her home in a hypnotic state and placed a pot of coffee on to boil. When the coffee was ready she poured herself a cup and drank it black, savoring every last ounce of caffeine she could draw from it. Her sleepless nights were taking a toll on her energy, so to balance it Gilda resorted to lots and lots of coffee. A fair trade in her eyes, but really just another mistake that she would come to regret later.
The sun was just starting to rise over Equestria, bathing the land in a milky yellow-orange glow that burned away the last hints of grogginess in Gildas mind. She was fully awake, her wings stretching and retracting with her breath to prepare themselves for the work ahead. Just because her body was reluctant to perform the duties required of Gilda day to day did not mean that the work that needed done could wait. Gilda was the mail griffin of Manehatten; her speed and agility put her top of the list for such a job, and the length of time it took to deliver the mail was always welcomed by Gilda. She used the time she had alone to think and reflect on her life, always evaluating her decisions and trying to figure out where she had gone wrong.
"Come on Gilda, would you watch where you are going?" A passerby yelled as she jumped out of Gilda's way.
"Sorry." Gilda replied with deep frustration as she zoomed through the skies to make her next delivery.
"Whoa, could you maybe be more careful?" another Pegasi bellowed as he pulled his son out of Gilda's path.
"I will try." Gilda retorted as she banked a turn and reached her destination. "Jeeze, this job is going to be the death of me."
She landed gracefully on the street below her and tried to catch her breath.
"Well, I would hate to be here when you do die."
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Gilda turned, shocked and amazed by the voice that had come from behind her, and instantly threw her arms around a cyan blue Pegasus pony.
"Hey now Gilda, careful, I just got done clearing some storm clouds out of Ponyville." Rainbow Dash said as she stepped back out of Gildas firm embrace.
"Oh yeah? Still working that dead end job in that dead end town?" Gilda asked playfully, giving Rainbow Dash a little shove with her talon.
"Oh, you mean my wonderful job as a weather pony in the absolutely beautiful town of Ponyville?" Rainbow Dash remarked, shoving Gilda back playfully.
"Yeah, that one." Gilda grumbled. "So anyway, what brings you to Manehatten?"
"Well, I am actually here to visit you." Rainbow Dash said with a smile.
Gilda froze up, her shoulders tensing and her wings retracting quickly. Rainbow Dash was here to see her? Really? That did not make any sense. Last time Gilda had seen Rainbow Dash she had told her to leave until she could be nice to her friends. Why had she come back now? Was it some kind of trick Rainbow Dash was playing to mess with Gilda's head again? Gilda was lost in her thoughts, things happening too quickly for her to understand. Logically there was no reason why Rainbow Dash should be here now, standing in front of her smiling her stupid smile and trying to be friendly to her, but there she stood. Gilda resolved to be cautious around her for now, not willing to leave herself open and vulnerable again.
"Really? What brought that on?" Gilda asked hesitantly, trying to be as friendly as possible.
"Well, I got some time off and really had no reason to be in Ponyville. I remembered that you had moved out here to Manehatten and decided that I should come out here for my vacation." Rainbow Dash said exaltedly.
"Ah, well that is great." Gilda lied, hoping Rainbow Dash had not caught the somber tone in her words.
"Yeah, so where is your pad at, I'm beat." Rainbow Dash said as she looked around her.
"It is up there on the hill." Gilda replied as she pointed off towards the north.
Rainbow Dash looked around for a few seconds, using her front right leg to shield her eyes from the glowing, orange giant setting behind the treeline. When she finally found Gilda's house her jaw dropped and she turned to Gilda.
"That is your house?" Rainbow Dash asked in amazement.
"Yes, it is. Now lets go before someone thinks we are up to something." Gilda replied as she lifted herself up into the air and started off towards her house. Rainbow Dash followed close behind, wonder and amazement still sparkling in her bright purple eyes.
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Gildas house was not really a house per-say, but rather a mansion at the top of the highest hill in Manehatten. Of course, there were many rumors of how she had come into ownership of the mansion and each one was always more ludicrous than the last. Some said that Gilda had killed the previous owner of the mansion and taken it for herself. Others said that she had previously been married to a very wealthy stallion and when he died she took over ownership of the estate. Still others said that she was heir to royalty and had been given the house with the passing of the Griffin queen and king. The rumors were creative to say the least, but only one of them was close to being right. It was true, she had inherited the mansion, but she did not inherit it from a king or queen. When her parents died they left her everything they had built up, so that she would have a comfortable life. Gilda liked the fact that she always had a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in, but the rumors that came with it were not always worth it.
Gilda arrived at the mansion first, followed closely by Rainbow Dash. Gilda unlocked the front door and hovered in, allowing the warm air from outside to enter the cold, barren room inside. Rainbow Dash was not as calm about her entrance as Gilda had been and burst her way in, looking all over the place for a bite to eat.
"Hey Dash, what are you doing?" Gilda asked with a questioning look on her face.
"Um, looking for food." Rainbow Dash replied sheepishly.
"Ah, I should have figured. The kitchen is down the hallway and to the right. I'll be in there shortly to make us something to eat." Gilda said as she started to walk off.
"Wait a minute, you can cook?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda curiously.
"Of course, I do live by myself you know." Gilda replied carelessly as she disappeared into a side room and closed the door.
"Hmmm, wonder what is wrong with her." Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she entered the kitchen and began to look for a snack.
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"Damn it mom, why did you and dad have to leave?" Gilda whispered as she ran a talon over the picture of her mother and father on the table by her bed. "It just is not fair!"
Gilda placed her head in her talons, holding back the tears forming in her throat. Her parents had died many years ago in an accident and she had been on her own ever since. Her mother was a doctor and her father owned the local pet shop in town. Together they were known as the most influential pair of Griffins to live in Manehatten and they had earned that title. They cared about everypony, and did all they could to make them happy. They also cared about Gilda, their bundle of joy, and always took time to make her feel like the most important Griffin in the world. To achieve this goal Gilda's parents would pack up their bags and take a trip to Cloudsdale every year in the summer to watch the Wonderbolts perform. It was her favorite and fondest memory with her parents, but now it just seemed to make her heart throb even more.
"I just want to feel their embrace again, just want to hear them say 'I love you' one more time." Gilda mumbled out somberly as she curled up into a ball on her bed. The heat from outside did little to help her mood and she was beginning to feel a headache coming on. It was as if this day was devolving with every passing second and it made Gilda angrier and angrier.
"Ugh, I just want things to be normal again!" Gilda screamed as she tossed the frame housing her family portrait across the room and buried her head in a pillow on the bed. "I want my friend back, and I want to feel like someone loves me again."
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Gilda skipped along beside her parents happily, taking in the beauty of the city around her and waving to any stallion or mare that would notice her. Inside Canterlot that day there was quite the hustle and bustle; ponies were travelling from here to there picking up odds and ends that they needed for the day and catching up on fond memories with friends. At the center of town however, inside the great cloud dome, was possibly the largest gathering in Canterlot history.
"Hey mom, what is up with all of the ponies gathered together over there?" Gilda asked as she pointed to the mass of ponies.
"Oh, all of those ponies are gathered to see the induction of the newest captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire." Gildas mother said as she continued to trot towards the gathering.
"Oh cool! Can we go see it, can we, please?" Gilda was bouncing up and down now begging her mother to let her see the grand new captain of the Wonderbolts.
"Why of course dear, that is why we are here in Canterlot afterall."
"Really? Awesome!" Gilda smiled brightly as she stepped into the crowd waiting for her turn to meet Spitfire. That day Gilda not only met the captain of the Wonderbolts, but got to watch them perform in a private showing just outside of Canterlot castle.
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Of all of the memories Gilda still remembered from her time with her parents that one always seemed to shine the brightest. Whenever Gilda felt down and out, like the world was against her and nothing could help her, she would always turn to this memory and let it save her. Every time she ran to it, and every time it had saved her, but this time she felt things may not be the same as always.
After a half hour more of Gilda's pity party she finally regained her composure and got ready to go make dinner. In the kitchen Rainbow Dash was sitting at the table with a look of starvation in her eyes. Gilda chuckled for a brief moment at her and then went to the pantry to get some ingredients out.
"So, what is on the menu tonight?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda calmly.
"Oh, just a nice little Daisy stir-fry. I have not had it in awhile and it sounds really good right now." Gilda replied just as calmly as Rainbow Dash had and then set the Daisies and other items on the counter.
"Ah, that sounds awesome. I can't wait." Rainbow Dash replied in ecstasy as her mouth began to water more and more.
"Careful Rainbow, if you slobber all over my table waiting for dinner I will make you clean it up." Gilda said as a playful smile danced across her face.
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After Rainbow Dash and Gilda had finished eating the lovely Daisy stir-fry Gilda decided that it was starting to get late and elected to call it quits for the night.
"Hey Gilda?" Rainbow Dash said with curiosity laced in every syllable like a drug.
"Yeah Dash?" Gilda replied as she began to make her way down the hallway towards her bedroom.
"Are you okay? You seem like somethings really got you down today."
The words hit Gilda harder than anything had in her whole life. Every shield, every little barrier that Gilda had built to keep herself together while Rainbow Dash was away had just been decimated by one simple sentence. Gilda held, as tight as she could, to her composure as it began to slip into the void. She knew that she could not loose it now, let herself look weak and feeble in the eyes of her long time competitor and friend. There were many things that Gilda could say she was; hot headed, strong, fierce, sometimes even mean, but the one thing Gilda was not and never would be was weak, and she sure would not show it now.
"Oh you know, the mail delivery business has been a little stressful lately and your random appearance here in Manehatten was just a little much to deal with is all." Gilda replied hoping that it would be enough to keep Rainbow Dash off of her back.
"Oh, so what you are saying is that you don't want to see me?" Rainbow Dash asked with sadness in her voice.
"Just great," Gilda thought to herself, "instead of getting her off your back now she thinks you do not even want her around. You are one of the biggest fuck ups in this whole town." The trotting of hooves behind her grinded on her nerves, every other step like a rock falling on her spine and breaking her back.
"That is not it Dash, it is just that I was not expecting you is all." Gilda retorted hoping that it would quell the Blue Pegasis mind and get her off Gilda's back.
"Oh, well I can understand that. Hopefully tomorrow will be better though."
Gilda had not even thought about what tomorrow might bring, and for the time being she resolved to keep it out of her mind. There was enough building on her plate already, the last thing she needed now was to even consider how she was going to survive a full day with her best friend/greatest enemy behind her the whole time.
As Gilda and Rainbow Dash reached the end of the hallway Gilda showed Rainbow Dash to the room she would be staying in and said goodnight.
"Hey Gilda." Rainbow Dash said.
"What is it now Dash?" Gilda asked, frustration beginning to grow in her features and tone.
"I'm excited for tomorrow. I can't wait to catch up on things and reminisce about old times."
"Yeah, me too Dash. Now get to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Okay, goodnight Gilda."
Goodnight Rainbow Dash."
As Gilda retired to her room to sleep her mind was in a wreck of a state and Gilda decided it would be too much work to sift through it all. She still had a few things nagging on her conscious, and she had to get them figured out if she ever hoped to get Rainbow Dash back. First off she had to figure out how she was going to handle herself when around Rainbow Dash. She had nearly lost it at the first show of compassion from the simple weather mare, anything more than that and Gilda might literally fall to pieces. Next she had to come to terms with the fact that Rainbow Dash was there in Manehatten visiting her. It had been nearly twenty four hours since Rainbow Dash had shown up out of nowhere and Gilda still believed it was all just a mirage, a dream too good to be true. Finally Gilda had to figure out what it would take to get Rainbow Dash back. It had been awfully easy to lose her the first time, and this time she hoped it would be just as easy to get her back. All of these thoughts careened around in Gilda's head like little metal balls, pounding against the very fabric of her being and leaving her with virtually no energy.
"Ugh, all of this is just too much right now. Maybe after a little shut eye I will be able to get my thoughts together and figure this whole mess out." And with that Gilda closed her eyes and made one more attempt to get a decent nights sleep.