//------------------------------// // Don't Mess With the Dress // Story: A Gilda'd Opportunity // by Ludicrous Lycan //------------------------------// Don’t Mess With the Dress     Gilda’s head was still spinning when she started to wake up. A dull throbbing pulsed just above her forehead, and she could swear she could see little ponies hovering around her head. Two of them had a stupid smirk on their faces, and three others looked to be having a hard time holding back a torrent of giggles.   Gilda shook her head and squinted at the offending visions. Only two remained after that, and it turned out to be Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie respectively. A quick glance to the earthy ground on her left revealed a fallen tree branch and her memories returned along with a rush of annoyance.   “Right… that happened,” Gilda grumbled to herself as she got to her hooves, Dash assisting her without prompting.  Rainbow Dash's wide grin was still intact, right up until she spoke. “Yikes, Gilda, I haven’t seen anypony that scared of somepony since Applejack ran into Zecora for the first time.”   Gilda gave the pink mare in front of her a scrutinizing look. “I wasn’t scared, Dash!” she snapped. “I just… No, you know what? I’m out of here.”   Pinkie’s giggles failed her and were replaced with a confused frown. She watched Gilda’s retreating form for a moment before looking over to Rainbow Dash, but only received a frown and shrug for her troubles.  “Hey, wait!” The words left her as she bounded after the new pony.   Gilda didn’t stop or turn around to address Pinkie, but she didn’t increase her pace when the mare caught up to her either. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! But you can just call me Pinkie. All of my-“ she introduced herself, or began to, until Gilda cut in that is. “I know your name, and I’m not your friend,” Gilda stated, without taking her eyes off of the path ahead of her. “Wh-What? You know my name already!? That’s fantastic! Are you a part of Party Goers United!?” Pinkie asked excitedly. Rainbow Dash had glided over to Pinkie’s side at this point and kept pace with the other two mares trotting on hoof. “Pinkie,” she tried to say, “That pony there is—” Gilda interrupted. “Actually, yes, I am. But that’s not how I know you,” she answered back.   “Oh really?” Pinkie said thoughtfully. “Well, you do look like the type of pony that would like to party.  I know your name is Gilda, but the only Gilda I know is that meanie pants griffin. She had brown fur and feathers all over, except for on her head! Those were white with purple highlights. I really wanted to be her friend so I threw her a party way... back—” Pinkie’s eyes widened, and she gave Gilda a more thoughtful look. “Oh…”   Gilda had cringed at being called a pony, but that gave way to a wry smile when Pinkie finally started putting two and two together. “Can’t say it’s a pleasure to see you again either, fuzz-wad,” she remarked.   Pinkie was smiling sheepishly at the newly discovered griffin turned pony. “Hehe…” She chuckled and looked to Dash for assistance.   “I tried to tell you, Pinks.” Dash said, shaking her head, but otherwise smirking. "Wow-zers, how'd that even happen?" Pinkie asked, her head tilting at a ninety-degree angle. "A new shampoo? Oh, and, uhm, sorry for not recognizing you, Gilda." She added an apologetic grin for good measure.   "Wish I knew." Gilda shrugged and adjusted her wings, giving off an air of disinterest. “And don’t sweat it, fuzz-wad. I don’t like you either way." She could hear Dash mumble something about being nice, and she ignored it. “But I like you, Gilda!” Pinkie insisted as she hopped out in front of Gilda, bouncing backwards at a steady pace. "I meant it when I said I really wanted to be your friend."   Gilda wasn’t sure what was more off-putting, the slightly wild look in Pinkie’s eyes, or the fact that she was able to bounce like her legs were made of rubber. “How are you…?” she started, but shook her head. “Look, no offense… Actually, take offense if you want, but you really annoy me. Not a little. A lot. You drive me crazy, actually, and that’s why I will never be your—” She stopped in her trot and gave Dash a pleading look. “Seriously, what the heck!?” Dash came to a stop beside Gilda with little more to offer than a chiding smile and a shrug.   Pinkie continued in her backwards bounce for a few strides too long, and was rewarded with an audible slam into a tree. The tree shook and ended up dropping an apple onto her head, the impact going from “Ouchie” to “Oh, hey, an apple!” Gilda stared aghast at Pinkie as she began to balance the apple on her nose like a trained seal, as if she hadn’t just made a foal of herself. “That! Right there!” Gilda exclaimed, pointing an accusing hoof at the ridiculous mare. Pinkie’s eyes widened and she followed Gilda’s hoof down to her own chest, forgetting the apple that had been the center of her focus only moments ago. “What is it? Do I have something on me? Is it a cupcake!? Oh! I knew I didn’t eat all seven of them on the way here!” She began searching all over herself while becoming lost in her own ramblings, her apple teetering off her nose. “Gah…” Gilda groaned and facehoofed. “Relax, Gilda,” Rainbow Dash soothed. “That’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.” Pinkie was now spinning in circles on the ground in a ludicrous attempt to search through her ridiculously poofy tail, all the while exclaiming promises to find an elusive pastry. “How do you put up with her?” Gilda blanched. Rainbow Dash sat back on her flank and touched a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “You know…” she began. “I didn’t always get along with her so well, either.” Gilda looked at Dash with a deadpan expression. “Really? That’s hard to believe.” Rainbow chuckled but continued on. “In fact, it wasn’t really until just the day before you came to town that we really hit it off and got to know each other as friends. We spent the whole day pulling crazy pranks on just about everypony we knew. We still do every now and then.” Gilda looked down at Pinkie who had finally caught her tail and was now pulling things out of it at random. She had to duck when Pinkie tossed a rubber chicken over her shoulder and nearly smacked Gilda with it. “I get that she’s crazy, but I have a limit to what I’m willing to put up with. Most ponies are bad enough, but she’s just-” Pinkie interrupted. “What’s wrong with ponies?” she piped up, a half eaten cupcake in one hoof. “When did you- Where did you get-?” Gilda started to ask, staring at the cupcake. “We have a saying for this kind of thing.” Rainbow Dash informed her. “It’s called ‘because Pinkie Pie’.” “What is that supposed to mean?” Gilda and Pinkie asked in tandem. Pinkie in mock anger and Gilda in genuine confusion. They both turned to look at one another, with Pinkie trading her fake scowl for a confused look, at the same time that Gilda traded her confused look for an angry one. Gilda growled, and looked away quickly. Rainbow laughed at their combined comedy, but went on. “Pinkie is just the most random pony I’ve ever met, but she has a point. What is your problem with ponies? I always hear ‘you’re the exception, Rainbow Dash,’ or something like that, but you’ve never told me anything about why you don’t like them.” Gilda’s face reddened slightly as the two ponies began staring at her expectantly, their ears perked forward in wait. “Geez, Dash, I don’t really hate ponies...” Gilda started before averting her gaze to the ground and sighing. “It’s just talk. Really... and actually I kinda, sorta like you guys a lot... A lot more than most griffins, anyway.” She looked over to Dash with a sideways glance, but didn’t face her directly. “Huh?” Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. Gilda rolled her eyes slightly. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, most ponies and their tea parties and what not are lamer than lame, but… I still like being around them. Especially you, Dash. Sure, I used to talk about you, but I usually told other griffins you were a griffin yourself.” She took a breath, pausing in her hurried explanation. “But, I always stuck around Cloudsdale because I… liked it.” Rainbow was still having problems catching on and only continued to stare, lost at her friends sudden openness. Pinkie, on the other hoof, was quicker on the draw. “You were mean to us because you like us? Is that a griffin thing?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head until it was perfectly parallel of the ground; all previous goofiness was missing, just as much as the cupcake she had only moments ago. “I could give it a try… Hey, uh, Dashie, you stink! Grrr.” Pinkie leaned in close and glared at Rainbow for a moment, one eye scrunched shut and the other held wide open, while Dash raised an eyebrow back. Pinkie turned and shrugged Gilda’s way after a few seconds of the angry looking glare. “Hmm, nope, not working for me.” Gilda blankly stared back at Pinkie, as if trying to get a read on her, but started talking again before long. “Anyway… no, that was…” She made eye contact with Rainbow, the pony she felt she could relate to the most. “That’s just me being a jerk. ” Gilda heaved a disheartened sigh and sat down before continuing. “I dunno, you guys are always so nice, it was just too easy to act better than you all. It was stupid, and is definitely not a griffin thing.” Rainbow’s face flickered up into an understanding look. “But you stuck around and visited all the time because you liked us deep down.” Gilda looked downward solemnly, then nodded to the grassy Earth under hoof. “Yeah… Yeah, that’s pretty much the truth of it. Heck, maybe that’s how I got turned into a pony, because I deserved it… But, even then, this thing still scares the bacon out of me… I like you guys, but I don’t want to stay a pony.” Rainbow Dash started chuckling. “I guess it makes sense, now that I think about it. I never thought you were such a softy, Gilda.” She leaned forward and tapped a hoof to the other mare’s shoulder. Gilda snorted, and tossed her head back. “I am not a softy… I just feel bad now, now that I’m getting help from you guys. It's like, I have to talk about it, is all." Without any sign of warning, Pinkie trotted closer towards Gilda, wide eyed. Gilda took a step backward, and warily asked, “What?” A grin materialized on Pinkie’s muzzle, stretching from ear to ear. “Can I hug you?” Her hooves began pitter-pattering against the ground, as if she could hardly resist keeping them there. Gilda’s own muzzle bent downwards into a deep frown. “No,” she muttered, but held her ground. “No you can’t.” Pinkie laid her ears back, looking sad, then perked up again. “Hehe, okay. So that’s all then? Nothing happened after that?” Her expression rather neutral for a Pinkie Pie expression, but otherwise still supportive. “You just came back to Ponyville for help because you liked us?” she asked nonchalantly. Gilda's brow furrowed. “Huh? Well, that and Ponyville was the last place I was before I transformed. Like I just said, Dash is helping me figure it out. I thought there might be a clue here that was worth coming to find after I… embarrassed myself last year, before I flew off.” Her dour expression took on a grim smile. “Aaaand, I kinda lost my cool and told off my dad when he called me a pony. It’s funny cause I wasn’t so mad at him for calling me one as I was angry that he used it like an insult.” This time, both of the other ponies had similar expressions of shock and disbelief. Pinkie was the first to speak up. “You got in a fight with your dad?” she nearly gasped in surprise. Gilda raised an eyebrow, then nodded and stood back up to pace back and forth in front of them. “It’s not that big of a deal, but… I think he was upset for me, too. Still, he was saying stuff that I had been saying about ponies, and it got a little out of claw.” Gilda paused in her pacing after a minute or so, having apparently calmed down enough to continue. “So, I ended up telling him off and left him speechless, then made my flight back here. But I’m glad I did, you know? I should have figured you would forgive me even after… all that.” A quiet pause crept in; a few wings ruffled themselves on each of the two pegasi’s backs, and Pinkie’s tail slowly swished back and forth over the ground. Rainbow Dash spoke up again first, cracking a smile. “So that stuff you told Twilight, which is the same thing you’ve been tellin’ me for years, isn’t true? You’ve always liked ponies?” Gilda let out a short breath, and her eyes began searching around. “Y-Yeah, that’s what I said, alright? Look, don’t make a big deal out of this. I don’t like… this is just embarrassing, okay?” Rainbow trotted up to Gilda, then held her hoof out to her side wordlessly. At the same time, a cocky grin cracked along her muzzle. Gilda made a relaxed smile in return, then accepted it. “Only for you, Dash.” “Oh, come on!” Pinkie squealed in mock frustration, desperately trying to subdue her own giggles. “She gets a hug but I don’t?” Gilda rolled her eyes again over Dash’s back. After a moment of hesitation, and surprising even herself, she smiled and looked over to Pinkie, who was smiling back.   “Alright, fine, you can have a hug too if it will shut you-” Rainbow Dash reared back suddenly, trying to get out of Gilda’s grip. “No!” she shouted in warning. It was too late. With an excited cheer and a running start, Pinkie tackled them both in a crushing hug. The wind completely knocked out of her, Gilda began vainly clawing at the air under Pinkie's embrace. When that failed to present any results, she started patting Pinkie’s back in the hopes she would take the hint. This only made the hug tighter. Rainbow, who had managed to keep some air in her lungs, sputtered for mercy. “P-Pinkie…! Can’t…” She gasped harshly to utter her final word. “Breath!” “Oh! Why didn’t you say so?” Pinkie spoke the question as though it were the obvious. “You girls are silly!” As if oblivious, she devolved into a fit of giggles. Both Gilda and Dash fell onto the ground with a thump, laying there and gasping for breath. Eventually, a sharp scowl from Gilda turned Pinkie’s wide grin into an apologetic smile, but failed to stop her giggles. Gilda wheezed, getting back to her hooves. “Wow… I know a few minotaurs she could put to shame.” “Yep,” Rainbow confirmed as she twisted her hip with a satisfying pop. “There's nothing quite like a hug from Pinkie Pie… except maybe being tackled by a manticore.” Gilda made a sharp forward kick with a front hoof, hoping to pop out some of her own aches. When nothing happened she frowned and started into a slow canter back to town. Pinkie and Dash fell into line beside her, sharing goofy smiles. Gilda gave them an appraising look. “You do know,” she began and waited for both of them to turn to her before continuing. “If either of you breath a word of what I said back there… I’ll buck you both.” Without missing a beat, Pinkie began to give Gilda the strangest promise she’d ever seen. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Gilda snorted at the show. “I’m not even gonna ask how she did that with those rubber legs.” A smirk crept across her face and she looked at Dash expectantly. “What?” Dash asked in response and looking over to Pinkie who was giving her the same look. “Oh fine… Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Happy?” Gilda chuckled, her pace picking up along with her mood. “For now.” A dull throb made itself known and Gilda began to gently massage her shoulder with one hoof, walking at a limping pace alongside Dash, who seemed only a little better off. “Don’t worry, Gilda,” Dash spoke up, grinning over sheepishly. “After a few Pinkie Pie hugs, you get used to it.” Gilda looked over with a smoldering glare, then back up at Pinkie Pie, happily leading them into town by hopping the whole way. “Yeah, I bet,” she mumbled back. “So, what’s next, Dash? We could go back and see the egg he- er, Twilight, again… Or we could do something else I guess-” Pinkie Pie whirled about without warning, her hooves kicking up a small cloud of dust as she landed. “I have an idea!” she piped happily. The show of alacrity successfully cut off whatever else Gilda had been planning to suggest. “You two wanna try pranking some ponies!? My treeeat.” She stretched her neck until she was up into Gilda’s face, grinning and almost singing the last word. Gilda frowned, groaning quietly, and looked over for help. Rainbow saw the distress and chuckled. It was probably a bit much to hope that Gilda had warmed up to Pinkie right away. “Not right now, Pinkie. We should really get back to Twilight’s and back to figuring out a way to fix Gilda.” Pinkie continued her smiling undeterred. “Okie dokie lokie! But you two should totally swing by Sugar Cube Corner later! I’ll make a super-duper-aly-ooper batch of scrumdidlyumptious cupcakes just for you!” Gilda breathed a relenting sigh. “Sure, Fuz-... Pinkie. That would be great.” The rest of the walk went quietly for the most part. Sweet Apple Acres’ orchard eventually gave way to an open field where the path they were on continued all the way back to Ponyville. The first buildings of the little township were already approaching fast. A little ways into the trip, just after they began crossing a cobblestone bridge on the very outskirts of town, Gilda winced a little and stopped a moment to rub at her shoulder again. Frowning, she quickly trotted back up to keep pace. Dash noticed, and gave Gilda’s shoulder a concerned look before addressing Gilda herself. “Hey, maybe we could go see Nurse Redheart first if it’s giving you that much trouble.” Pinkie jumped in with a frown straight away. “Oh, Gilda, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” “Oh this?” Gilda pointed to her shoulder before sputtering a fake laugh. “I just had… Uh, some dirt on my shoulder. Thats all.” She gave Pinkie a confident smile, giving her shoulder a final nonchalant brush. Glancing back at Dash, Gilda noticed her askance look with her mouth slightly open to say something. So she cut her off. “Now if you really want to hear about a silly injury, then I can tell you about this one time back at Flight Camp…” A devious smile crept across Gilda’s face when an old memory trickled into light. She paused and gave Rainbow a daring look. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed at this and then widened in realization. “Gilda…?” She swallowed a lump in her throat and her eyes darted between Gilda and Pinkie, a panicked smile formed on her muzzle.  “Hehe… you wouldn’t...” Gilda glanced back at Pinkie who seemed confused but curious. She leaned in close to Dash before whispering to her. “Try me.” Pulling her best smile out for display Gilda picked up her pace once again, doing a much better job of playing off her leg. “Like I was saying, I’m fine. Let’s just get back to the library, okay?” Pinkie gave both of them a sideways look. “But wait, weren’t we talking about flight camp-” “Raainbow Daaash,” A sing-songy, chiming voice rang out over the eaves and nearby buildings of Ponyville. Following just behind the voice, was Rarity. “Pinkiiie, and- Oh, it’s you.” A huge sigh left Dash as Rarity trotted over to the three of them. Rarity’s expression went from jubilant to disinterested for the briefest of moments, glancing at Gilda, before returning to a happy smile. “Actually, you're just the mare I was looking for.” She gave her fabulous mane a flick with one hoof, seemingly sizing up her target. Gilda’s expression contorted in confusion, one eyebrow higher than the other. “Uh, me? Why?” Rarity’s smile spread a little bit further. “Well! Past transgressions between us all pushed aside, I was hoping to convince you to model some of my Fall Line dresses. Your colors are simply perfect, after-” Gilda had to stop the pony right there, and raised up a hoof to do just that. “Alright, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, but I’m not modeling any of your dumb dresses. I mean, come on, it’s a stupid waste of time… Even if I didn’t have more important things to be doing.” One of Rarity’s eyes twitched and she locked in place, a forced smile directed at Gilda. “D-Dumb?! I’ll have you know I worked very hard on them!” Her smile finally cracked. “Really now, all you had to say was ‘no’...” Rainbow crept over to Gilda’s side. “Gilda... well, to be fair I’m with you on the dresses.” Rarity gave Rainbow an indignant look. Rainbow went on. “But still, that was a little harsh, G. This isn’t how we talk to our friends, or, friends of other friends… Or anypony, really.” Groaning, Gilda took a deep breath. “Right, okay.” She straightened out her expression into a friendly smile. “Look, uhh, not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but…” Rarity cut in with a stomp and a snort, an indignant fire in her eyes. “Now, now Rainbow Dash. I think she’s made her feelings on the matter quite clear. And I am not one to fault a pony for their opinions.” Gilda growled under her breath, “Not a pony…” then let out a relieved sigh, oblivious to the fact that both Pinkie and Dash were taking a few cautious steps back. “At least that’s over with then… Come on, Dash, let’s get going to—” Gilda attempted to walk past Rarity only to be blocked off, the fashionista now dangerously up close. Rarity’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in until her’s and Gilda’s muzzles were nearly touching. “But I will not stand by while somepony disrespects my craft, especially one who obviously has no idea what they’re talking about!” Gilda blinked and recoiled back as if slapped in the face with sheer surprise. She looked back to Dash, taking notice of the new distance between them, and the fact that Pinkie had vanished completely. “Is she for real?” A somewhat amused smile cracked over Gilda’s muzzle, while Rainbow waved a hoof at her pleadingly. “I most certainly am!” Rarity snapped loudly, cutting in. “And I believe I need to teach you a lesson.” The air between the three mares hung in pure silence. Gilda stared at the Rarity, wide eyed, her brain drawing a blank on what to say or how to even react. Eventually, one side of her mouth twitched upward. A moment later and the other side joined in. It wasn’t long before Gilda was suppressing a snort. Rarity’s expression hardened further, and Gilda couldn’t fight it any longer. She began laughing uproariously straight away, unable to control herself. Rarity was taken aback for a moment. “And just what is so funny, Miss Gilda?” Gilda looked up at Rarity again and her laughter escalated. “Y-You! Threatening me? You couldn’t hurt a daisy!” She guffawed between gasping for breath. “I- I just can’t…” She abandoned any hope of speaking and let her laughter take hold, flopping to the ground in her hysterics. “I see...” Rarity growled, but put on a wicked sneer. “Perhaps you should listen before laughing.” Her tone was dignified tone as she went on, and began to pace before Dash and Gilda. “For starters, it was a threat, but not of that sort.” She paused, tilting her chin up slightly. “With that said, I challenge you to a bet.” Gilda’s Laughter subsided to a sporadic giggle. “W-What? A bet, huh? Hah, what would the challenge be, sewing?” Trying to get back onto her hooves, and still snickering, she gave her final reply on the matter. “I’ll pass, but thanks for the offer.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Please… I wouldn’t sink so low as to challenge a ruffian like yourself to something they would have no hope of defending themselves graciously at. I believe, unless I’m mistaken, that you are quite the proud pony, Miss Gilda. Correct?” Gilda’s brow furrowed as hints of a glare entered her expression. Quirking an eyebrow, Rarity gave a confident smile and went on. “So, I challenge you to an Iron pony competition.” The challenge was received by the same silence that had met the initial threat. Rarity harrumphed, her tail lashing every few seconds as she sized up things. Meanwhile, Gilda stared back, no longer laughing. After a moment, she leaned over to Dash. “Is she really for real?” she whispered. Rainbow Dash gave her less fabulous friend amongst the two a sheepish look. “Maybe?” she hinted back. Both of them kept wary eyes on the pony facing them. A fourth voice interrupted the entire debacle. “There you are, Gilda!” Everypony present glanced over to see Twilight, her face smiling as she approached. Applejack was following close behind. Rarity’s demeanor brightened immediately, the scowl fading. “Twilight, Applejack! What perfect timing you both have.” She turned to them both and gave a polite nod. Both of the two approaching mares gave equally cheerful greetings. “Ready to go back to work, Gilda? I have a few more ideas!” Twilight’s eyes seemingly sparkled with excitement over the declaration. Gilda raised a hoof, about to accept the offer, but was interrupted. Rarity stepped between the two. “If you’ll just give me a moment, Twilight. We were in the middle of a matter of honor.” Twilight blinked. “Uhm, okaaay.” “Applejack.” Rarity went on before anypony else was able. “Could I ask a favor of you?” She tilted her head slightly, smiling. Applejack pushed her hat back with a hoof. “I don’t see why not. What can I do for ya, sugarcube?” Rarity’s expression darkened a little again as she gestured her head back with a single nod. “I was hoping to borrow your open field for an iron pony competition between Miss Gilda and I.” Applejack’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. She looked over to the mare in question before addressing Rarity again. “Aw shucks, Rarity. I’m sorry, but those fields are gonna be in use for the next week, what with the preparations for the next Apple reunion and what not.” Rarity stared a moment, then frowned demurely at the ground in understanding. “I see… Thank you anyway, Applejack. I suppose I can think of something else.” Gilda interrupted, walking up a few paces to include herself in the circle of ponies roughly being formed. “That’s probably for the best. There’s no way you'd beat me in an athletic competition like that, Princess.” She gave Rarity a rueful grin, and looked back at Rainbow for support. Rainbow had one corner of her mouth drawn down into a disappointed look in return. Applejack caught wind of what was up straight away. She cleared her throat and shot Gilda a scrutinous look, one eyebrow raised high. “But… there certainly ain’t no reason ya’ll can’t use the Whitetail Woods trail for a race. It's close by.” She gave a confident smile and a wink. “How does that sound, Rarity?” Rarity’s expression lit up again as she turned back to face Gilda, confidence restored. “Then it’s settled! I challenge you to a race through Whitetail Woods!” Twilight stepped up between them, worry painted across her muzzle. “Uuuh, girls? Did I miss something?” Gilda let out yet another amused snort, and craned her head around Twilight. “Let’s say I decide humiliating you is worth my time. What would I get out of this?” Rarity straightened her expression seriously, also looking around Twilight. “That’s for you to decide." Twilight made a groan of disapproval and backed out of their way, while Rarity went on. "But if I win, you have to model that new line of dresses for me. In fact, you even have to act as though you like it.” A big smile bloomed across her face by the time she finished. Gilda groaned loudly, recoiling slightly. “Are you still on that?” She looked Rarity over, staring at her mane and tail that she obviously spent a huge amount of time on, and then over to Dash. Her mouth curved up into a sly grin. “Fine, but if I win, you have to get a manecut like Dash’s.” Again, an unsettling twitch appeared in Rarity’s eye. A few seconds of silence passed while she considered the wager. “I’d like to change my side of the bet; I want a full day of you doing whatever I tell you.” Chuckling at the sheer absurdity of Rarity’s challenge, Gilda couldn’t help antagonizing the mare further. “Psch, fine, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m gonna kick your tail.” Rarity got in close to Gilda again, pressing their snouts together and glaring daggers into her eyes. “Oh…! It. Is. On! Whitetail Woods! One, hour.” With that, she turned away and trotted off, only pausing long enough to gesture for Twilight to accompany her. Twilight was about to hesitantly follow, but turned to address Gilda instead. “What’s going on?” Gilda shrugged, still unsure what to make of the situation herself. “She kinda flipped out on me. Gotta admit, she’s got guts though.” A flustered sigh slipped out of Rainbow Dash and she spoke up. “Gilda made fun of Rarity’s dresses.” Twilight’s eyes widened before letting out an all too understanding sigh. “I’ll go talk to her, and possibly start looking up that spell for hair growth… Uh, Gilda, I’ll talk to you when we can about the thing.” Gilda nodded to Twilight absently, and was about to make a remark about the doomed competition Rarity had instigated, but was beaten to the punch by Applejack. Up until this point, she had been eerily silent with a smug expression on her face. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, Twi’.” Applejack remarked. “In fact, let’s you and me go talk to Rarity right now. I’ll explain along the way.” Giving Gilda one final disapproving frown, Applejack began nudging Twilight in the same direction that Rarity had just left in, despite the unicorn’s protests she didn’t need the encouragement. Gilda and Dash were the only two ponies left when Dash finally regained her bearings. “Well, that was a thing…” she muttered, then let out a sigh. “Did you have to make fun of her like that, Gilda? Rarity loves those dresses.” Gilda shrugged, frowning. “I was going to say I was sorry… I really didn’t expect her to wig out like that.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, ignoring the obvious hair joke. “That’s besides the point. You were acting like this was flight camp again bullying her like that.” Gilda groaned. “Alright, look, after I beat her, I’ll apologize for real and be totally cool about it. I didn’t want to make her mad, but she keeps talking about me being a pony and distractions like her clothes so… you know. It's not easy being nice, okay?” Rainbow studied her friend for a long, few quiet moments, then nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I get that. Fair enough, and Rarity can be annoying sometimes. Even she will admit to that. In the future though, you should go easy, at least until you guys are better friends.” Gilda  started walking back into town, and rolled her tongue out of her mouth with a disgusted look. “Who says I want to be friends with her?” “Well, she’s a great mare, and one of my best friends. I bet even you would like her if you got to know her. But anyway, for now it looks like you’ve got a challenge on your hooves.” Gilda looked over grinning. “If you could call it that. What was she thinking challenging me?” Both of the mares shared an amused laugh, smiling. Rainbow eventually shook her head. “Don’t get too confident. Ever since a certain… event around Ponyville, pegasi that want to run a challenge against other ponies have their wings tied to compete. I’m willing to bet she’ll ask you to do that.” Gilda shrugged, still trotting confidently. “Is that all? Easy peasy, I've got this.” A wry chuckle escaped Rainbow before she went on. “And don’t count Rarity out, either. I’m not sure why she wanted to beat you… but if she thinks she has a chance, then maybe she does. She really isn’t slow, that’s for sure. You should see her when a store has a sale...” Gilda tilted her head back, giving a show of how little consideration she was giving the possibility of losing. “Yeah yeah, I’m not worried.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, smiling. “I mean, I also know Rarity does run a lot. She’s obsessed with her figure or something like that… It’s kind of weird, considering how much she hates sweat.” Gilda finally gave signs of growing tired of the information, and exhaled a breath. “Come on, Dash, there’s no way I could lose.” Rainbow chuckled back. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. Poor Rarity… I have to admit, with all the time she’s spent harping about my mane, I really want to see her stuck with it.” Gilda smirked, and gave Rainbow approving nod. “Yeah, it’ll be great. It looked like she spends a lot of time on her looks. So what do you want to do for an hour? Twilight’s busy now, thanks to Rarity, so...” Her joking attitude faltered and Dash gave Gilda’s shoulder a meaningful look. “We could go see Nurse Redheart…” “Or we could go find Pinkie and share a few laughs,” Gilda shot back, then sighed and shook her head. “I’m fine, Dash, I know what a sprain feels like. I just pulled it is all.” Gilda’s stomach let out a growl and the mood lit up. “I vote we go try some of those cupcakes Pinkie was offering. Where did she go, anyway?” “It’s Pinkie Pie. Who knows?” Dash stretched her wings out and shot Gilda a challenging look. “So, how about a warm up race to Sugar Cube Corner?” Gilda returned the same look and spread her wings. “You’re on.”