//------------------------------// // Lightning Strike // Story: Old Paths, New Directions // by An-Twan Star //------------------------------// New Yoke was one of the first settlements founded by the Three Tribes as they descended out of the northeast into the new land of Equestria. After settling in the area, the representatives of each tribe voted to make the town the Equestrian capitol. But something quite peculiar was living on the island in the bay already; griffons, the descendants of exiles from across the sea. Even though it was rocky at the beginning, the two species eventually warmed up and formed an alliance that lasted for some time. Until the Griffon War. One day, out of the blue, a massive flotilla of Gryphus warships dropped their anchors in Manehatten Bay and invaded the island. Their intention was to use the island as a staging point for the upcoming war with Equestria. The native griffons, under the threat of execution, were forcibly conscripted into the invasion force. There was, however, a provision; a reprieve. Any conscript that went to war – and survived – would get a free ticket back to Gryphus and land to settle. It was a promise that Gryphus kept even in the face of their total defeat at the hooves of the Equestrians. The remaining native griffons departed the island en mass, bequeathing it to those they had so shamefully betrayed. New Yoke had remained the capital from its inception up until shortly after the war and the coming of the Celestials, when the capital was moved inland to Canterlot for safety in the future. After that, land developers began looking at the now-unpopulated island fortress and saw a great place for a repurposed dockyard and naval base. This was the first iteration of modern Manehatten. Its current form, however, was by far the most ambitious. Gilda suppressed a reflexive gag at the sight of the newest addition to Manehatten's collection of skyscrapers. Not only was the obsidian, modernist building the tallest in Equestria, but it had a gigantic horse's head being constructed on top. She looked away and banked toward a building that was only about half the height, the Gryphus Consulate. Gilda's sharp eyes picked the time off of a bank’s clock tower and saw that it was quarter to twelve. Looked like she had picked up some extra tailwinds on the way in and was a bit early. Once landed on the Embassy's top deck, the griffon settled down on all fours again and looked around for signs of life. It wasn’t a great surprise when she couldn’t find any. The post is always late, so don’t worry, after all. Settling down on her haunches, she leaned back against the railing that encircled the top deck and tried to relax. She was waiting on the pleasure of the Embassy workers now and knew from experience they wouldn’t be rushed. Given the time to kill, Gilda decided she might as well make the most of it and have lunch. Sliding her shades up to the top of her head, the griffon fished her meal out of the bottom of the satchel, setting the items in between her outstretched legs. When she first started this job she quickly discovered that her satchel, when exposed to cold air at altitude, made an excellent cooler. Picking up and unwrapping the sub, she settled back to eat and gaze. Most of the buildings either didn't capture her interest or were just too hard to look at. Taking off a corner of her sub, she reflected that the only really appealing one out of the whole lot was the distinguished Art Deco skyscraper that had been the city’s tallest building before that position was usurped by the newer horse-headed monstrosity. I shouldn’t be doing this, she thought. I should be going inside and finding one of the security officers. I should be telling them that I just had the Sandmare pawing through my head and they might have a security breach on their talons. Gilda closed her eyes and thumped her head against the wall behind her, the sandwich in her stomach feeling like a brick all of a sudden. She was an Embassy employee, she had a duty to report possible espionage attempts. But on the other talon, Gilda didn’t want to be the griffon who cried windigo. She was a courier, she shuttled messages from Gryphus to the palace most days. She’d never even read them, not that she could get past the seals anyway. What possible reason would Nightmare Moon have for poking around her head, they’d ask. Is there something they should know? No. This was not something worth bringing up with her superiors. Certainly not yet. She was not going to risk being seen as the griffon who plunged her people into a needless conflict over a stupid dream about stupid mistakes with stupid ponies. She went back to her lunch, tearing off a large chunk and angrily chewing. Once done eating, Gilda popped the top off her drink and took a swig of the sour nectar. The sound of the rooftop entrance opening caused her to hop up onto her back legs, being careful not to spill her drink in the process. It wasn’t quite the scheduled drop off time, but she wouldn’t object to being able to leave sooner than expected. One of the many Embassy workers, a small peregrine falcon griffon – whose name she didn’t care to know – made his way towards her. Any hopes of being able to leave the overdone city early were dashed when she saw his empty talons. There was no mistaking the contemptuous, open-taloned look she shot back at the bailiff. “My apologies, ma'am, the cargo is still being printed up. I should be back with it in about fifteen... ah, here we go.” Golden eyes followed the bailiff's gaze into the sky to see a turquoise pegasus with a flaming copper mane coming in to land. That must be her Equestrian counterpart, judging by the Celestial Crest on her saddlebags. Once the Royal Messenger touched down, Gilda was able to get a good look at her flank. Emblazoned on it was a talent mark comprised of a lightning bolt with three golden stars below it. Without an actual name to go by, Gilda simply dubbed the pony Lightning Strike. Given pony names, she didn’t figure it’d be far off. As the bailiff tended to the new arrival, the snarky griffon unknowingly slipped into her old “cool” persona. She paid little attention to the small talk between the peregrine-griffon and pegasus. Instead, Gilda began fussing over her long feather crest, making sure it was at its awesome best. Once the bailiff finished up with the pony and went back inside, Gilda began to focus on what she was saying. “Aw, yeah!” the pony cheered. “Five hours flat! I bet I'm the fastest pegasus in Equestria! Maybe the whole planet!” Gilda emitted an almost audible gasp at this. It was like the first day at Junior Speedsters all over again. Celestia! She's just like her! Her beak twitched up in its old, habitual smirk as she found herself taking a liking to this brash pegasus, but her mind stopped that notion dead. 'Why don't you go find some new, cool friends someplace else.' Dash’s last words hit Gilda hard enough to knock the smirk off her face. The sheer… disappointment in the pony’s eyes when she said it was enough to bring tears to the griffon’s now. How long had it been since she’d heard those words? Almost two years, at least. In all that time, whenever she’d thought about it, she had never felt this bad. She reached up with the back of her talon and began to scrub the tears away. Stupid alicorn Princess getting into her dreams and stirring up old memories and feelings she had no business digging through. ‘Lightning Strike’ had made her way over to the alcove with the vending machines on the opposite side of the landing deck. Seeing that the pony was well occupied with her purchase, Gilda turned back to the Manehatten skyline and hunkered down against the railing. Her facade hadn’t completely failed, but she was doing more damage control on it than projection right then. Hopefully, this pony would just buy her food and take off without bothering her. Hearing Lightning Strike trot away from the vending machine with her purchase in hoof caused Gilda to quickly throw her sunglasses over her eyes. Gilda was a griffon, and as a griffon, she could not let a pony see her cry. She just wanted this pony to go away, to go away and leave her in peace to pick up the scattered pieces of her shattered composure. The hooffalls were getting louder through, precluding all chance of that. With acting “cool” out the window, she adopted her second persona; callous indifference. Putting on a flat expression and a thousand-yard stare, she could fend off anything thrown her way. And if that failed, there was a leather jacket and aviators to back her up. Outwardly, Gilda looked like she just didn't care. Inside was a whole different matter. Go away, go away, go away, go away, Gilda chanted in her mind to the sound of each hooffall, hoping to will away the caricature of her ex-friend. At the same time, she silently hoped that she would be rescued by a binder full of diplomatic cables that needed their ride to Canterlot. Something, anything, please! The pony arrived at the rail and placed her front legs over the top, pretending to view the cityscape. She wasn't close enough that she’d be invading Gilda’s personal space, but she was certainly close enough that the griffon couldn’t mistake her intentions. “Wassup.” Gilda squeezed her beak shut and bit back an acerbic retort. This couldn’t be happening and she wanted it over as soon as possible. With an audible clack, Gilda slammed the cap onto her bottle and screwed it shut with hard twisting motions. If anything, this only enticed the pony to press the issue. “Geez, what's got you all rattled?” The pony shifted positions, mirroring Gilda's posture. “I hope it’s not me,” she muttered. Naw, it couldn't possibly be you, Gilda thought with a heavy snark. “No, it’s just...” She scratched at her eye under the glasses. “The bright... buildings? Yeah, the buildings are bright.” Gilda nodded. That sounded absolutely idiotic. The pegasus took a tone of feigned offense. “What's wrong with the buildings?” “Hm, what's wrong with the buildings?” Gilda replied, her tongue having decided she could dig herself a little deeper than this. “Maybe it’s that griffons originally settled on this island? Then after the war, those griffons decided to give up their home to Equestria so that peace could last forever. And then the ponies honor them by putting up… that,” she concluded, throwing out a talon at the monstrosity that dominated the skyline. The pegasus followed Gilda's outflung forelimb to the eyesore. “Well, that's new.” Gilda squawked a laugh at the mock surprise and naivety as her tail flicked about behind her. It’s been around here longer than you have, girl, she thought. Why the heck was she even conversing with this pony, she wondered. She needed to stop smiling. Lightning Strike, as it were, was still busy examining the horse head. “Dang, that head is huge. I hope that's not what the owner looks like!” Another hearty guffaw broke from Gilda’s beak. “I would hope not, because that's one ugly dude!” After sharing a laugh, the pony extended her wing. Gilda met this with an arched eyebrow. “Ah shoot! I was schooled about this. Here.” She extended a foreleg in the proper griffon greeting. Gilda tentatively hovered out a talon, then very slowly wrapped her digits around the hoof. She desperately tried to cool her feelings from earlier. “Pegged you as a newbie. Nopony else is quite that… enthusiastic.” “Fine, you got me. This is my first week on the job, they finally gave me the long run this morning.” The pony shook the talon. “Name's Lightning Dust, by the way.” “Gilda.” A pregnant silence befell the duo, only to be broken a second later. “So... Gilda?” “What?” “Well, you're probably the first Manehattenite that's ever told me the island's deep, dark secret.” “Who said I was from Manehatten?” “I kinda took a guess by your accent.” This time it was Gilda that took the offended tone. “What's wrong with my accent?” Lightning Dust fidgeted nervously. “Um, nothing, nothing at all. It’s actually kinda nice.” “Hold on.” Gilda held up a halting talon. “Let me get this straight. First you’re on me about the buildings? And now you’re on me about my accent?” Lightning Dust ducked her ears and backed up a few steps. “Relax, relax! Meant no offense! Hey, uh, if I’m right, your next stop is Canterlot, isn’t it?” She clapped her hooves together, desperate to change the subject. “I happen to live there and will be heading back that way anyway, so how about we make the trip as a wing? You draft me for a bit, I draft you, makes it easier for both of us. What do you say?” Gilda sighed and awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “Uh... sure. Whatever. Like you said, we're headed the same way so it makes sense, right?” She wanted to hate this pony, so why couldn’t she stop saying no to her? Lightning Dust stared blankly at Gilda's forced smile, then brightened up with a smile of her own. “Exactly.” The sound of the rooftop doors sliding open caught the attention of the duo, bringing Gilda some much-needed relief. The same griffon from earlier made his way toward them. “Sorry about the wait, ma'am. Here, let me load you up.” “Yeah, about time too!” Gilda snipped, not bothering to mask her irritation. Lightning Dust hid her snickering behind a hoof as the embassy worker filled Gilda's satchel with the missives from Gryphus. Once he had deposited the documents, the nameless griffon wished them well before disappearing back into the embassy. Gilda finished off the rest of her drink and made to throw the bottle away, but was stopped by the mare that was still giggling like a lunatic beside her. “What the heck is so funny!” Gilda snarled. Lightning Dust did her best to speak through her chortling. “Load you up!” Gilda shot her a look of pure confusion at this, mouthing a silent “what?” Lightning held up a hoof while struggling to get air into her lungs. “I’m sorry – I’m sorry! I just couldn’t resist.” The laughter began to subside as the pony looked up, incredulous. “You really don’t know what that means?” “No, Lightning,” Gilda grumbled. “Nor do I care.” The irritated griffon stalked away from Lightning Dust's resumed, annoying horse laugh and threw her empty bottle in a nearby recycle bin. Ignoring the aggravating pegasus, she turned and stepped out to the ledge of the landing deck. Checking one last time that her cargo was secure, Gilda spread her wings and simply fell forward off the deck. Once she caught some air, the brown flier craned her head around to see Lightning Dust gallop off the platform in some sort of flying leap before looping around and falling into position behind her. About an hour later Gilda found herself over the forest community of Hollow Shades. She was too aggravated to appreciate the scenery, though. She didn't know if it was the extra weight slowing her down, the way the lapels and zippers of her jacket rustled in the slipstream, or the turquoise horsefly following just off her wing that refused to stop buzzing. “So at that point I was like, what's the quickest way to clear clouds – then it hit me! I would use a tornado! So I says to my wingpony...” Gilda hadn’t paid much attention to Lightning Dust's rambling epic about her time at flight academy. Her only concern now was getting this lame trip over with. Off to her side, Lightning Dust continued her story unabated. “I was in the funnel and my wingpony must have been carrying too much speed because I began losing it. I remember calling to her to try and slow it down, but then the tornado spat me out – and my wingpony shortly after. It was the worst spin-out ever, I barely recovered in time.” Lightning paused and took a shaking breath. “As I spun uncontrollably down, I saw her get ejected from the funnel – and with nopony to control it... Then for some insane reason, a hot-air balloon just happened to stray into our restricted airspace and was caught up by the tornado.” Gilda was now paying actual attention to the mare next to her, mostly so she’d avoid getting hit by Lightning’s wildly gesticulating forelimbs as the pony reached what must be the climax of her story. “At this point my wingpony, who I had lost sight of, shot after the occupants of the balloon. The tornado had thrown them clear but they were in freefall. I tried to join the other pegasi in the rescue attempt, but I just couldn't fly anymore. Every time I tried to lift off, my wings faltered. It reminded me of a parent biting a foal's tail to prevent them from doing something stupid.” She gave a long, drawn-out sigh before continuing. “It was like my body no longer wanted to put up with my recklessness. “So I just stood there as the ponies fell, trying to get my wings to work. My wingpony by this time had made it below the ponies and was compacting a cloud layer to stop their fall. It must have worked because they hit the cloud and bounced up into the waiting arms of the rescuers.” Gilda saw the expression on Lightning Dust's face morph into a sad smile. “I felt so much relief to see them saved that my wings began to work and I looped in joy. I flew over to the group of ponies while coming up with some kind of explanation, but I didn't know what I was getting into. It turned out that the balloonists were friends of my wingpony and had come to visit her. If I had known this, I don't think I would have acted so horribly.” Lightning's voice dropped to a whisper. “That's how I got kicked out the academy. Not exactly my finest hour.” Gilda mulled over everything about Lightning Dust's story. It seemed Lighting, much like Gilda, had used a rotten personality in her life, a trait that ultimately got them nowhere. Almost makes me feel sorry for her. I'm still irritated by her though, but I can put up with it. Then Lightning spoke again and ruined that thought. “Hey, you want to hear about how yours truly became a Royal – Ack!” Lightning Dust yelped in displeasure as Gilda aggressively flared her wings, dragging herself down to a full stop. The pegasus deftly evaded and came to a rest next to the griffon. “What's the deal with the brake-checking, dude!” the pony shouted. Gilda slowly took off her sunglasses and put them back in their hard case. She pocketed that and took a long, deep breath. “Look, Lightning Strike –” “It's Dust! Lightning Dust!” Gilda grabbed her forehead with a talon, trying to rub away a building headache. “Fine, Lightning Dust. When you first came by me on the deck, I did what I was supposed to do and put on a friendly face for the new girl.” Lightning Dust scoffed at this. “I only agreed to be your wing because it would be awkward not to.” “Just what are you saying?” “I just – I don't think I'm ready for another pony friend yet.” “Oh, a pony friend?” Lighting couldn't see it through the feathers, but a vein was pulsing above Gilda's eye. “Gods give me strength,” Gilda muttered. “Alright, how about this? I challenge you to a race.” She pointed a talon at herself. “If I win, you have to leave me be forever. No talking, no friendship, no nothing. If we run into each other on our routes, you pretend I don't exist, got it!” “Hm,” Lightning stroked her muzzle with a hoof. “A race you say? And if you win, you get left alone.” Gilda nodded an affirmative. “You're on, but only if the loser has to become friends with the winner.” “Fine, whatever,” Gilda agreed, just glad for the chance to finally be rid of the chatty, annoying pegasus. She pointed a yellow talon at a cloud high in the sky to the west, specifically chosen because it suited a griffon's natural climbing ability. “That cloud will be the finish line.” Lighting Dust nodded as Gilda held three claw-tipped digits aloft. “On three. One, two – three!” As she expected, Lightning Dust was quicker off the launch. Gilda watched with mild amusement as she shot upward into a climb towards the cloud. The griffon instead opted to get as much speed as possible before beginning her climb. Utilizing a strong tailwind coming off of the rugged peaks of the Foal Mountains, she accelerated as quickly as her laden form would allow. Having gained enough speed, she pointed her beak skyward and quickly ascended into the heavens. Strong wings acted like giant air scoops as powerful strokes pulled the brown flier ever higher. Up above and slightly off-side was Lightning Dust, who at this point had lost all her starting momentum and was now struggling to reach the cloud. Gilda, however, had no trouble making up the altitude difference. With the assurance of victory, Gilda punched through the cloud and touched her back legs down onto its surface. Seeing the griffon win didn't deter Lightning Dust from at least finishing the race. Gilda watched with an impish grin from her perch as the panting pegasus pulled herself onto the cloud. Despite her loss, Lightning still had a cheeky smile on her face as she looked up at the larger victor. “I must have gotten out of shape in my downtime,” she admitted between ragged pants. Gilda had her talons firmly placed on her hips as she regarded Dust. “Nah. I’ve just had enough experience racing pegasi to know how to beat ‘em. Which in this case I most thoroughly did.” Lightning Dust's grin didn't falter. “Well, good for you. I may be the loser, but don’t think that’d stop me from finishing the race.” “That’s nice.” Gilda nodded towards the wide-open sky. “You can go now.” “I would, except I lost.” That gave Gilda pause. What was this dense, irritating pegasus on about now? She rolled her eyes back. “Yes, you lost,” she said, her voice dripping sarcasm. “That means you leave me alone. This is the part where you make like a bee and buzz off.” Lightning had a mischievous grin on her snout. Gilda didn’t much care for it and was only beginning to realize why. “It seems you forgot about the second part of our little wager.” “Dude, I don't know what planet you’re on, but I won! And the winner gets to be left alone!” That’s when the pegasus went in for the kill, her grin turning to an open mouth smile. “But the loser –” Lighting let the word hang “– has to become friends with the winner.” The pegasus pointed a hoof at herself for emphasis. “And I lost.” Gilda lost the ability to work her beak, and the stonewall expression she maintained began to sag uncontrollably. Lightning continued on. “So as your new –” Lightning gave a dramatic bow “– honorary pony friend, your wish is my command. If you want to be left alone, so be it.” At this point, Gilda had fallen completely silent, with only one thought running through her head. How did I fall for that? “So, what is your command?” Lightning asked the brain dead griffon. She waved a hoof in front of Gilda's face. ”He-llo, anypony home?” “Ugh!” Gilda swatted the hoof out of her face. “Knock it off!” Lighting Dust continued to stare questioningly. Gilda rolled her eyes once more and turned around. “Let's just get to Canterlot.” “Sounds like a plan, Gil.” “Then I'm going home!”