The next three days went by with a similar monotony, Gilda and I rarely speaking unless necessary. I'd nibbled at a rabbit somewhere along the line, managing to choke down enough to satisfy her. It couldn't have been more than a mouthful, but my stomach felt uncomfortably tight and swollen regardless. Nonetheless, I was no longer hungry.
I still felt sick when we finally put the forest behind us, causing a lingering dread to melt from my body. Despite my abysmal condition, I still managed to feel immeasurable relief to be out of that place.
And apparently I wasn't the only one. Gilda groaned and ruffled her feathers, wings splayed horizontally as she began stretching, arching her spine and splaying her fore-talons down across the grassy plain.
I most certainly did not watch in rapt attention, memorizing every contour of the lean, defined feline hindquarters in front of me.
...There may have been one glance out of pure curiosity, but it was brief. Just long enough for me to see that there was absolutely nothing human or familiar about her...anatomy. I lost interest soon after, assuring myself that I was not desperate enough to find a non-human attractive.
"-ey! HEY!" I blinked and stared owlishly at my companion, now sporting something between a disgusted grimace and a furious snarl. "Eyes up here, buddy."
My expression dropped into an annoyed glare. "Trust me, the view isn't all it's cracked up to be." I walked past her, looking up at the mountain. It looked a lot smaller from the other side of the Everfree...Nonetheless I was sure I could make it on my own. "I can make it on my own. If you want to leave now, I won't stop you."
I heard the impact before I felt it, what felt like a sledgehammer hitting between my shoulder blades and knocking me to the ground.
Grass tasted horrible.
"You do not walk away from me." Gilda hissed, a talon pressed down on my head to keep me stationary.
"I feel like we've been here before, have we been here before?" I'm sure my detached attitude was some sort of warning, but I didn't recognize it at the time.
"Shut UP!" Gilda yelled, breathing heavily. "What the Hel is wrong with you?"
"You've gotta be more specific, there's a lot wrong with me." A steadily growing part of me grinned at the unintelligible mess of syllables that poured from the furious griffon's beak.
What's the matter bitch, can't take your own punishment?
"I-wha-bu-..." Gilda dug her claws into my back unconsciously, her beak clenched almost to the point of cracking. "Why aren't you taking any of this seriously? I could kill you any time I want! I could leave you stranded here at the base of the mountain! You pick now to try and be funny?"
I slipped my arms under my chest and shoved hard as I could, dislodging the enraged griffon from my back. I stood, ignoring the stinging pain and hot wetness tricking down by back, and turned to Gilda with as calm an expression I could muster. "I...just don't give a shit." At the confused expression, I continued. "I've been here for three years. I'm never getting back. The ponies here hate me. You hate me." I shrugged with a nonchalance I didn't feel, forcing myself to speak through the lump in my throat. "You said it yourself. I have no skills or abilities that can't be done twice as well by a pegasus or unicorn. Being unique is only good if it makes you useful, and I'm...not." I took a deep breath, trying to keep the shakiness from my voice. "Once I'm dead, I won't be a burden to you. I won't get in the ponies' way. It's noble, in a way. I'll bet I get some sort of medal posthumous for making Equestria a better place."
A silence fell over us. After a moment, Gilda strode over to me, head held low, and—OOF!
Yep...that was a fist to the gut...
"Where the HEL do you get off accusing me like that!" Gilda roared, her voice still somehow prevalent in my mind despite the pain in my everywhere. "What the HEL makes you think I hate you?! Who the HEL do you think you are?" I tuned out most of the rest of her tirade, trying to get my breath back.
No real damage, just a lot of pain. Finally, some good news.
"Would you give it a rest, already?" I grumbled in a wheezing voice, still holding my aching belly. "It doesn't matter anyway."
Another growl of frustration met me. "It matters to me."
I took a deep, calming breath. "You made it clear how you felt about me. You never talk unless it's to order me around or insult me. You stay as far away as you can. And you told me outright you were leaving as soon as we got to Canterlot. Tell me, exactly what part of that doesn't mean you hate me?"
Gilda's fur raised on end, glaring at me. "I was perfectly civil! You're the one who was always beating around the bush and being all standoffish. I said I was leaving because I thought you wanted me to leave."
"Bullshit, don't try to pin this all on me," I yelled, "I don't care what kind of culture you griffons have, I'm pretty sure bitch is universal!"
"Don't you call me a bitch!" She shrieked, digging her talons into the ground.
In any other situation, I would've been intimidated. But fuck that. "Don't you fucking tell me what to do!"
"Whiny dweeb!"
"Obnoxious dyke!"
Gilda recoiled, but lost none of her rage. "Fuck you!"
"Fuck YOU!"
"FUCK YOU!"
"FUCK! YOU!"
Gilda and I were nose-to-beak, glaring daggers at one-another. I was hunched over and she was craning her neck, but despite our awkward poses neither of us were willing to back off. Gilda because of some dominance issue, and me because fuck Gilda. The staring-contest lasted for an incredibly awkward moment, until she took a step back and turned away. "...Then go."
"With pleasure," I growled, standing upright and walking towards the mountain.
-----
Fuck mountains, I thought. Fuck walking, and fuck Celestia for building a castle so fucking high up! I continued trudging along, the winding path up the mountain almost sending me over the edge multiple times. I panted and wheezed constantly, the cool air and sweat dripping from exertion causing my near-bare form to shiver violently.
I hardly noticed when I reached a small building by the side of the road, nearly bumping into it before a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Halt!" I looked towards the building, seeing a white unicorn guard stepping out to confront me. "State your name!"
I rolled my eyes, but complied. I didn't have the patience or energy to cause another scene. "Jason Wright. And before you ask, human. I'm here to see the Princess."
The guard skimmed through a scroll, before narrowing his eyes at me. "There's no record of you. What is your business with Princess Celestia?"
"She and I go way back." Not technically a lie. "I was informed by the princess herself I would always be welcome in her castle, should the need arise." This was a lie. "If you'd like to turn away a close friend of Celestia's, be my guest. The guard could always use some extra hooves on latrine-duty." I had absolutely no idea if the bluff would work, but from the guard's expression, it did.
"...Enjoy your stay in Canterlot, Mr. Wright."
I nodded and continued into the city. I had some choice words for a certain alicorn...