Chapter 8
A Random Encounter
Twilight forced a smile as yet another group of Griffons bowed before her. She endured their admiration, and then awkwardly thanked them for their kind words before hurriedly making her way across The Den.
With a disgruntled sigh, Twilight gazed about the huge, spacious cave.
Everywhere she looked were countless Griffons and ponies entering and exiting the numerous openings carved into the rock walls as they went about their afternoon errands. Ahead, she saw a stallion carrying three crates on his back emerge from a curtain that had a pineapple painted on it, and on the far side of the cave was a Griffon couple disappearing behind a curtain that depicted flowers.
As she quickly sidestepped a very young Griffon that suddenly exploded out of a nearby entrance, she marveled at how difficult it was to avoid others in a cavern so vast.
A walk through The Den had sounded like the perfect way to calm herself; she hadn't really gotten to explore the Griffon city as much as she would have liked, but she hadn't counted on every Griffon in the whole Celestia forsaken mountain desiring to express their delight at having her visit their city. She was so sick and tired of everyone treating her like she was something special. There was nothing special about her at all. She was a failure as a princess, a pony, and especially as a friend.
Once she had arrived back at the hotel with her friends after the first event ended, Twilight had closed herself off in the bedroom. But when Applejack had hesitantly followed and tried to talk to her about Rainbow, she had snapped at her. Upon seeing the hurt expression on her friend's face, Twilight had shamefully fled the hotel. After spending an hour sitting alone on a cliff overlooking the train station and brooding, Twilight had finally decided to take a walk to clear her mind.
Now, as she saw another group of Griffons heading her way, Twilight desperately searched for a way to avoid them. Catching sight of a nearby doorway of what looked to be a restaurant, she quickly ducked inside.
Immediately, the several Griffons that had been near the curtain gasped at her entrance and hastily bowed. With another sigh, Twilight rolled her eyes as she gazed down at the backs of their heads.
Well, at least if I stay here I can get all the bowing over with and finally have some peace.
Hoping to draw as little attention to herself as possible, Twilight made her way toward a table that was partially concealed in shadows in the back corner of the room. As she passed by a table full of ponies, however, they quickly began climbing to their hooves.
"No, no, please don't interrupt your meal," Twilight pleaded. "I'm just passing by."
"Princess Twilight! So good to see you again!" exclaimed a well dressed stallion as he stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her escape.
"Oh, yes," Twilight said, eyeing the darkened table longingly. "And you as well."
The stallion frowned. "You don't remember me, do you?"
Twilight did in fact remember him; she had met him at one of Celestia's royal banquets. Although she couldn't recall his name, she knew that he was a noble of some sort, and remembered the top hat that he had worn.
"Of course I do," Twilight bluffed, trying to come up with something to say that would please him enough that she could pass. After a brief hesitation, she decided on using a Rarity tactic. "How could I possibly forget a stallion that looked as dashing as you in that marvelous hat."
The stallion beamed. "I'm so glad you liked it, Your Majesty! It was my father's and—"
"Yes, it really was nice," Twilight interrupted, forcing herself to smile when all she wanted to do was magic him into the broom closet and retreat to the shadowy corner. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd really like to get something to eat." Instantly, she realized her mistake as the stallion grinned and began to indicate an empty chair beside him. "Alone," she hastily added.
He blinked, but then bowed. "Of course, Your Highness."
It seemed to take the stallion an eternity to step out of her way and take his seat, during which Twilight could feel every pair of eyes in the restaurant peering at her. Without warning, a crazy urge to just teleport out of the building and run overcame her, but where would she go? She couldn't go back and face her friends, not right now, and she certainly didn't want to go back into The Den and endure all the residents fawning over her.
Feeling trapped and alone, Twilight reached the table and was pulling out the chair when she was startled by a voice directly behind her.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who's awkward around my own species."
Twilight whipped around to find Gilda standing before her. Surprised and a little embarrassed by the Griffon's words, she turned her gaze to the floor. "I wouldn't say that I'm awkward..."
Gilda shrugged and sat down. "You mind if I sit here?"
Twilight remained standing as she studied Gilda closely. "I suppose that depends on your intentions."
With a snort, Gilda leaned back in the chair and crossed her talons. "You've got grit. No wonder Rainbow likes you so much."
Somewhat amused by her statement, Twilight let her guard down and took her seat. Although she was still a bit leery, she didn't believe that Gilda was planning to cause any trouble.
After several moments of silence during which the two of them simply stared at one another, Twilight finally asked, "So...you aren't comfortable around other Griffons?"
"Meh." Gilda shrugged once again. "They're too nice and polite for me. And what's up with their angst over doors?" She rolled her eyes. "I'll take my privacy, thank you very much."
Unable to help herself, Twilight chuckled at Gilda's rant. "Yeah, it is a little weird."
Just then, a Griffon approached with two menus and a bright smile. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am very honored that you've chosen to have your evening meal in our humble establishment." he said with a deep bow. "My name is Gus, and I will be personally serving you tonight."
Twilight glanced at Gilda sheepishly before turning her attention back to Gus. "T-that is very kind of you," Twilight stammered as her cheeks began to burn. "But, there's no need for formalities. My name is Twilight. That will serve just fine."
"As you wish," Gus replied as he placed the menus in front of them.
"Personally serving us, huh?" Gilda scratched her head. "So, are you like the owner or something?"
"Not quite," he answered. "My father's the owner, but he often leaves me in charge."
"Well, good for you," Gilda said, sounding bored with the conversation.
Gus bowed toward Twilight. "I'll be back in a few minutes for your orders, Your Highness."
Gilda threw her talons in the air at his words, but he didn't seem to notice as he turned and headed toward another table. "Is he deaf or something?" Gilda remarked. "You just asked him to call you Twilight."
"It's okay," Twilight said, a small smile slowly creeping onto her face. "I get that a lot more often than you'd think."
"Oh, so it's common for others to go dumb around you."
Taken aback by her brazen rudeness, Twilight cast an anxious glance at Gus who was smiling and conversing with the noble that had stopped her before. "Shh, Gilda. He might hear you." She turned a frown on the Griffon. "There's no reason to be so rude."
"Well, it's true, isn't it?"
"Actually, no it isn't," Twilight lectured. "Some ponies...and Griffons bow and use our titles as a show of respect, not because they think they have to. It's not that they're being 'dumb,' it's because they aren't comfortable interacting with me without showing that respect. They feel I deserve it." She left unsaid how she felt about that particular topic.
Gilda cocked an eyebrow. "So you're cool with others flat out ignoring what you tell them?"
"I'm not going to lie, it drives me crazy sometimes." Twilight glanced over at Gus as he laughed at the noble's words. "But I always appreciate their good intentions."
Gilda shook her head and then picked up her menu. "You're weird, dude."
As Twilight began to raise her own, she noticed that Gilda had a different menu than her. A moment later, Gilda slammed her menu down with a groan, then stood and waved to get Gus's attention.
"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked.
Gilda gave her a meaningful look. "Isn't there always?"
Rushing to their table in a manner that was nearly comical, Gus smiled widely. "Are you ready to order?"
"No, I'm not ready to order," Gilda said in a mocking voice. "I would like a Pony menu if you don't mind."
He blinked. "Oh, I-I'm terribly sorry. I just assumed—"
"Yeah, I get it," Gilda rolled her eyes. "I'm a Griffon, so I must eat meat, right? I mean, how weird is it for a Griffon to be a vegetarian?" She crossed her talons as she glared at him.
With a fearful glance at Twilight, Gus cantered to a nearby table, grabbed a different menu, and placed it in front of Gilda. "I apologize for my negligence, Your Highness." He hastily turned and headed back toward the kitchen before Twilight could speak a word.
Gilda leaned back in her chair. "You see what I gotta put up with around here?"
Abruptly, Twilight stood and scowled at the Griffon. "I'm not comfortable sitting here anymore."
"Whatever," Gilda said with another shrug before disappearing behind the menu.
Twilight hesitated. She had expected the attitude and the shrug, but what she hadn't expected was the expression on her face. For just a moment, Gilda had looked upset, but had quickly hidden it behind the menu. It had been so brief that Twilight would have missed it if she hadn't seen Rainbow do the same sort of thing countless times over the years to hide her emotions.
Recognizing that she could have very well misjudged Gilda, Twilight asked, "You do realize that you come across as a huge jerk, don't you?"
"If you're gonna go, then go," Gilda said from behind the menu.
"But that's not the real you at all, is it?" Twilight pressed.
When Gilda merely grunted in answer, Twilight frowned as she pondered what she could say next.
She had been too harsh in her judgment, and now Gilda was guarding herself closely. Whatever chance she had to get to know her would be gone if she didn't act fast. What she needed was an opening in Gilda's defenses, something to distract her and allow her to slip in. She knew that a good shock factor was perfect for causing somepony to drop their guard, and Twilight knew just the trick.
"How many friends do you have?" Twilight suddenly asked.
Gilda's beak and eyes appeared over the top of the menu. "One. Lightning Dust." She lowered back behind the menu. "Thanks for asking."
"What if I told you that you had two?"
With a bitter laugh, Gilda let the menu fall to the table. "Oh yeah? And who would the second be? You?"
"No," Twilight answered with a sly smile. "Rainbow."
Without warning, Gilda's eyes went wide and she leaned forward. "W-what?" she stammered, but then immediately recomposed herself and turned away from Twilight with a snort. "Rainbow doesn't like me."
Having seen what she had been looking for, Twilight sat back down. "Of course she does. You two grew up together, you shared memories, and you watched each other's backs. Those sort of memories and emotions don't just go away because of one bad afternoon."
Gilda blinked. "How do you know all that?"
With a giggle, Twilight replied, "Rainbow has told me a lot of stories about the two of you."
"Really?"
Twilight nodded. "She misses you, Gilda. The way you feel when you think of Rainbow, that's exactly how she feels when she thinks of you." Watching as Gilda turned her gaze to the table and began to pick at the menu with a talon, Twilight added, "You really need to talk to her."
With a sigh, Gilda shook her head. "I'd just mess it up...like I always do." With a shrug, she leaned back in her chair. "Like you said, I'm nothing more than a huge jerk."
At that moment, Twilight noticed Gus returning and held back her reply. Rather uncomfortably, she watched him give Gilda a wide berth and come to a halt by her side.
"Have you made your decision, Your Majesty?" he asked uncertainly, casting an apprehensive glance at Gilda.
"Um..." Twilight glanced down at her menu and ordered the first item her eyes landed on. "Yes, I'll take the Stuffed Artichoke Surprise." It really would be a surprise as she hadn't even taken the time to read the description of her choice.
When he turned his gaze to Gilda, she pushed her menu toward him. "I'll take what she's having."
"As you wish." He collected the menus, and with a bow of his head to Twilight, he retreated to the kitchen.
"You see?" Gilda stated. "Look at the way he was acting toward me. He hates me." She slumped against the table. "That's how it always ends."
"But Gilda, don't you see that you're doing it to yourself?"
Gilda's eyes narrowed. "So, what? It's my fault then? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"That's it, right there," Twilight said, pointing an accusing hoof at Gilda. "See how quickly you're prepared to attack? What good has that ever done you?" Twilight crossed her forelegs and gave her a stern look. "All I've seen it do for you is cause you to leave Ponyville in shame."
For a moment, Twilight felt certain that she had gone too far, but then Gilda just shrugged yet again and said, "Whatever."
"And you can cut the act, Gilda," Twilight continued, "it isn't fooling me. I know you think that all your shrugging is showing your indifference, but to me, it just tells me how insecure you really are."
As Gilda's beak dropped open, clearly shocked by her words, Twilight pressed on. "Gus did nothing wrong. He gave you a Griffon menu because you're a Griffon. It isn't his fault that you grew up in Cloudsdale and became accustomed to a vegetarian diet. How in the wide world of Equestria could he have possibly known that? But his mistake made you feel insecure, and you didn't know how to handle it, so you lashed out. That's what you do. That's why you don't have any friends, but I know that's not who you really are."
In a voice that betrayed her stoical demeanor, Gilda stated, "You don't know me."
It was Twilight's turn to shrug. "Maybe, maybe not. But what I do know is that you miss Rainbow, and she misses you." She reached out and laid her hoof on Gilda's talon, and though she felt the Griffon tense at her touch, she didn't pull away. "And I know that if you can hold your pride and anger at bay, you and Rainbow could be friends once again."
"Hiya, Twilight!" shouted a voice from clear across the restaurant.
Surprised, Twilight turned toward the entrance and caught sight of Pinkie Pie waving at her enthusiastically.
"Right," Gilda mumbled. "Time for me to bail."
Quickly, Twilight gripped Gilda with her magic just as she was standing and held her in place. "Please," she said gently, "do yourself a favor and don't run from this."
Releasing her from the spell, Twilight sat back and watched Gilda, unsure what she would do.
After a long moment, during which she followed Pinkie's progress through the restaurant, Gilda sighed and sat back down. Casting a dark look at Twilight, she said, "I just might end up hating you for this."
Trying not to smile, Twilight replied, "That's a risk I'm willing to take."
As Pinkie pranced up to their table, she indicated the hat on her head. "Lookie at this, Twilight! I just got back from Gustav's bakery, and he gave me that special treat he promised! It's a detective's hat made of frosting! And check this out!" She held up a small pipe. "It's a candy pipe! Isn't it awesome! And it can blow soda bubbles too!" With a deep breath, she blew a large swarm of bubbles out of the pipe, causing the patrons sitting at the surrounding tables to grumble and swat at them irritably.
"You'd better put that away," Twilight advised as she gazed at the agitated patrons. Once Pinkie had complied and taken a seat beside her, she smiled. "It is pretty cool. It's quite the call back to our first meeting."
"You seem just as lame as ever," Gilda suddenly grumbled.
With a loud gasp that caused everyone in the restaurant to turn and stare at them, Pinkie pointed a hoof at Gilda. "Gilda! What are you doing here?"
"Oh," Twilight began, "we were just talking—"
"Are you here to assassinate the Princess?!" Pinkie demanded.
"What?!" Twilight exclaimed. "No, Pinkie, she—"
Before she could finish, Pinkie was up and standing behind Gilda.
"What in the hay do you think you're doing?" Gilda demanded as Pinkie shoved her hooves into her wings.
"I'm searching for weapons," Pinkie answered matter-of-factly. "Where are you hiding them?"
Without warning, Pinkie lifted the entire chair with Gilda still on it, causing the Griffon to squawk in surprise and grip the edges of her seat for dear life. Then she let the chair drop haphazardly, and moved to stand beside Twilight.
"Satisfied?" Twilight asked, biting her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Almost." Pinkie began to pull on a plastic glove. "I've got one place left to look."
"That will be enough, Pinkie," Twilight said as she tilted her horn and teleported the glove to the trashcan on the other side of the room. "Gilda and I were just talking about Rainbow Dash."
"Oh!" Pinkie's eyes went wide. "Did you tell her how Dashie misses her so so much and wishes that she would come back so that they can make up and be friends again and fly together and all that cool jazz like they used to and eat lots of cake?"
Twilight turned an amiable smile on Gilda. "You see?"
Gilda stared at Pinkie, her defenses forgotten and the emotion plain on her face. "Did she really tell you all of that?" she asked quietly.
"Yuppity yuppers!" Pinkie beamed. "Well...all of it except for the part about cake. I just threw that in there cause I really like cake!"
For the first time since Twilight had met her, Gilda actually laughed. "You're an idiot, Pinkie." She lifted a talon into the air. "But I guess you're pretty cool."
Giggling, Pinkie bumped her talon. "And you're still a grumpity mean meanie pants, but I like you anyway!"
Suddenly avoiding eye contact, Gilda spoke just above a whisper. "So, um...do you think..." She scratched her head in apparent frustration. "Would Rainbow be up for a talk?"
"Definitely," Twilight confirmed.
"But...what could I possibly say? I mean, it's been years since our fight." Gilda looked at the two of them, obviously seeking direction. "How can anything I say ever fix this?"
"You could start with an apology," Twilight suggested.
"Apologize?" Gilda repeated, her brow raised. "You really think that's all it'll take?"
Twilight nodded. "Apologies can be very powerful, especially when they come from someone like you." When Gilda just stared at her in confusion, she explained, "You're a very prideful Griffon, Gilda, and so it is difficult for you to admit that you're wrong. Rainbow knows this. Heck, she's the same way herself." With a smile, she concluded, "Rainbow will understand that difficulty, and the apology will mean even more to her as a result."
Seemingly unable to meet her gaze, Gilda fidgeted in her seat. "I don't think I can..."
"Because..." Twilight coaxed.
Gilda stared intently at her talons. "I'll just sound lame."
With a sigh, Twilight fell back in her chair. She knew that Rainbow had difficulty apologizing for the same reason. She recalled a time when she had urged her friend to tell Applejack that she was sorry after a bit of a skirmish the two of them had had, but Rainbow had fretted that Applejack would think she went soft if she apologized. In the end, Rainbow had avoided the apology, but of course, Applejack had forgiven her anyway.
Although Twilight understood the reluctance to apologize in both scenarios, she certainly didn't agree with them. She had always believed that it was important to own up to your mistakes, and that belief had become even more powerful once she had moved to Ponyville. Still, she knew that she couldn't force Gilda into an apology.
"Well," Twilight mumbled dejectedly, "it was just an idea."
Pinkie frowned as she looked back and forth between the two of them. Finally, she removed her candy hat and set it aside before leaning forward in her chair. "I don't think it matters what you say, Gilda. Rainbow really really really misses you. Back when she was training for the Equestrian Games tryouts, she mentioned you. She told me that you would be the perfect training buddy because you were such a skilled flier." Pinkie's ears suddenly drooped. "Then she said that she wished you were there, and she just looked so sad, Gilda. She tried to hide it, but it was there. I've never wanted to make somepony smile as badly as I wanted to make Rainbow smile right then, but I couldn't."
Recognizing the opportunity that Pinkie had just given her to drive her point home, Twilight sat up. "It's like I said earlier, the two of you share many precious memories. Those memories create powerful bonds that can never be broken as long as the two of you wish them to remain intact. Those bonds are still there, even now, buried deep inside of you under layers of pride and anger." Twilight smiled encouragingly. "You can find them easily enough. You've just got to do some digging."
While the two of them sat and watched Gilda struggle with an internal debate, Gus returned with their food.
"I do hope that you enjoy your meal, Your Majesty," he said as he placed their plates on the table. "I prepared it myself." He smiled at Pinkie. "And is there anything I can get for you, Ma'am?"
"No, thanks." Pinkie grinned. "I've already had enough to eat."
"At Gustav's bakery?" Twilight inquired with a frown. "Pinkie, did you at least eat one thing that could be considered even remotely healthy?"
Pinkie rolled her eyes and turned to Gus. "Sometimes, Twilight here is a big ole royal pain in the rump."
Gilda unexpectedly burst into a fit of laughter as Gus tried rather unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. Twilight, who was giggling herself, said, "Thank you very much, Gus. I'm sure the food will be great."
As he bowed and started to turn away, Gilda suddenly reached out and caught his shoulder. "Hold up a sec."
Bemused, Twilight gently set the cup she had just levitated back down and gazed uncertainly at Gilda's furrowed brow. She had no idea what Gilda was about to say, and fervently hoped it wouldn't be something that she'd have to apologize for.
"I...uh..." Gilda began to squirm in her seat. "I just wanted..." She covered her face with her talons. "Dang, this is so hard!"
"Should I come back?" Gus asked with a quizzical glance at Twilight.
"I'm sorry, all right?" Gilda blurted out. Her eyes darting between the three shocked faces before her, she hurried on. "I know you didn't know that I grew up in Cloudsdale, and you didn't mean anything when you gave me a Griffon menu. I shouldn't have acted like I did." She swallowed hard. "Okay?"
Gus smiled. "Of course! I knew that you couldn't be all that bad if the princess counted you as a friend."
"They're not friends yet," Pinkie chimed in. "They just met."
"Oh?"
"It's true," Twilight admitted, throwing an angry look at Pinkie. "We only just met this evening." Favoring Gilda with a smile, she added, "But I definitely wouldn't mind meeting with her again."
"Well," he said as he turned his gaze on a flustered Gilda, "you must be something quite special to receive such high praise from the princess in so short of time." He suddenly winked. "And so very pretty too."
As Gilda's cheeks began to glow, Twilight was forced to raise her cup to her mouth to hide her smile.
Gus turned to Twilight and bowed his head. "Your Majesty, would it be inappropriate if I were to ask to show your new friend around our marvelous city?"
"Not at all," Twilight quickly agreed. "In fact, I think that's a great idea."
"And what do you think?" he asked Gilda.
"Uh..." Gilda glanced at Twilight and Pinkie, and seeing them both smiling and nodding, said, "S-sure. Sounds good...I guess."
"Excellent." He grinned. "And afterward, there's this perfect ledge that overlooks the sea and—"
"Don't press your luck, Bub," Gilda growled.
Twilight snorted into her cup of water as Gus stared at Gilda dubiously, but then he smiled. "Of course. My apologies." Stepping back, he bowed deeply. "If that is all, then I will leave you to your meal."
"Wow, Gilda, you've really changed," Pinkie commented as Gus walked away. Cocking her head, she asked, "What did Twilight do to you?"
Twilight scowled. "What do you mean, 'what did I do to her?' I didn't do anything."
Gilda pointed at Gus. "I was rude to him cause he gave me a Griffon menu, and Twilight went all tough love on me."
Pinkie made a face. "Eww...I hate it when she does that."
"Hey!" Twilight exclaimed indignantly.
Gilda rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. She sounded just like my mom."
Although she felt a bit slighted by their words, Twilight found that she was unable to suppress a chuckle as she watched the two of them laugh at her expense. It was really nice to see Gilda and Pinkie hitting it off so well, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment at having taken part in such a wonderful turn of events.
Feeling better than she had all day, Twilight took a bite out of her artichoke as Gilda queried about Pinkie's hat and pipe. For the rest of the meal, they recounted their hilarious misadventure on the train, and laughed together at the irony that three of their closest friends had turned out to be the culprits.
As they were finishing their meal, Pinkie suddenly frowned. "Would it be too awkward if I asked where Lightning Dust is?"
A dark shadow seemed to fall over Gilda's face. "She...had different plans."
Twilight leaned forward. "You two fought, didn't you?"
With a loud sigh, Gilda nodded. "She's a good friend, I guess, but sometimes, she just so..."
"Selfish?" Pinkie offered.
"Yeah. That sums her up pretty well."
"Well, I guess that explains why you were here." Twilight smiled. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to think when you approached me."
Pinkie cocked an eyebrow. "Why did you approach Twilight, anyway?"
"I...uh..." Gilda hesitated for a moment. "I guess I just wanted to know what you were like." She looked down and started tapping her talons on the table. "I mean, Rainbow chose you guys over me, I figured I must've missed something. But now, it makes perfect sense. You two are way better friends to Rainbow than I ever was, and she totally deserves you." She cast a quick glance at Twilight before returning her gaze to the table and began to pick at a scratch that she had made on its surface. "It really meant a lot, what you said about me to Gus...and if you were serious...I'd like to hang out again too. With both of you."
Without warning, Pinkie leaped from her chair and enveloped Gilda in a huge hug. "We'd love to! Right, Twilight?"
"Absolutely," Twilight agreed.
"We should probably get out of here," Pinkie stated as she released Gilda. "It's about time for Gilda's date."
"It isn't a date," Gilda hissed.
Twilight laughed. "We really should get back to the others." Twilight stood up and turned to Gilda. "Try to keep your anger in check. Gus seems very nice, so anything he may say that makes you feel insecure will be unintentional."
Gilda leaned back in her chair and crossed her talons. "Okay, Mom. Stop yelling at me." As Pinkie began to laugh, a grin slowly spread across Gilda's face.
"All right, Gilda," Twilight said with a smile and wave. "We'll see you at Event Two tomorrow."
Returning her wave, Gilda promised, "I'll try to make Light go a bit easier on Dash."
"That would be great," Twilight replied. "You two have really been getting under her skin."
Gilda frowned and nodded, but said nothing.
"I never would have thought that Gilda could be so likeable," Pinkie commented as they crossed the restaurant, smiled at the door Griffon as he bowed and pulled the curtain aside for them, and stepped back out into The Den.
"Yeah, she really surprised me too," Twilight said. "I didn't know what to think when she first sat at my table."
"So..." Pinkie hesitated for a moment. "You feeling better about everything?"
"I don't know," Twilight answered. "It was nice to just get away and have a good time, and it felt really great seeing you and Gilda bond, but I'm still upset about Rainbow."
"What happened today, anyway?" Pinkie asked. "We were watching the competition and Fluttershy suddenly noticed Rainbow flying away." Her ears suddenly drooped. "It seemed like you two were getting along so well."
Twilight shook her head. "She's gotten it into her head that I don't trust her, and then I tried a trust fall and failed."
"Oh...the trust fall again..."
Twilight skidded to a halt. "You know about the trust fall?"
Pinkie nodded. "Rainbow mentioned it like a week ago, but I Pinkie Promised not to tell you anything she said."
It felt as though her heart stopped. "Really? I didn't think the first one bothered her that much." Twilight sat back on her haunches and hung her head. "She hid it so well."
Without warning, Pinkie pulled her into a tight hug. Fighting back tears, Twilight returned the embrace. "I'm failing her, Pinkie," Twilight said shakily. "How can I call myself her friend if I can't prove that I trust her?"
"You'll find a way," Pinkie whispered in her ear. "You always do."
As Pinkie released her, Twilight blinked rapidly and cleared her throat. "Have you seen Rainbow?"
"Yeah, she got back a little after you left. She and Fluttershy went for a flight together, so she's in good hooves."
Thankful that she had kept herself from crying and further worrying Pinkie, Twilight took a deep breath. "That's good to hear. Let's get back to the hotel."
They trotted on in silence for several minutes until Pinkie finally spoke up. "Hey, Twilight?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you throw a party in outer space?"
Twilight blinked at the bizarre question. "Uh..." She quickly tried to recall everything that she had read about space, but then shook her head. "I don't know."
"You planet," Pinkie answered with a small smile.
Twilight simply stared at her friend for a moment, and then began to giggle. "Planet...nice." Still smiling, she asked, "Where did that come from?"
"I just really wanted to see you smile," Pinkie replied.
Suddenly, Twilight's sight went watery, and she nuzzled her friend affectionately. "No matter how upset I am, I'll always smile if you're around, Pinkie."
Pinkie beamed as they reached the lavender curtain that draped the entrance to the hotel, and then greeted the door Griffon that pulled it aside for them by name before leading the way inside. Doing her best to ignore the hotel staff that bowed as she passed, Twilight followed Pinkie through the large, extravagantly decorated lobby and down the corridor to their room.
"Oh, Twilight!" Rarity exclaimed as they pushed through the curtain. "Are you feeling any better?"
Twilight shrugged. "I suppose."
Applejack quickly stepped forward. "Twilight, I just wanted to apologize to ya for how I acted earlier." She lowered her head and fidgeted with her hat. "I knew that you were upset bout Rainbow, and it was a mite inconsiderate of me to try and ask ya bout it."
"Applejack, you have nothing to be sorry about," Twilight assured her. "You were just trying to be a good friend. I had no right to snap at you like I did." Turning her gaze to the floor, she mumbled, "I haven't been a very great friend these last few days..."
"Twilight, darling," Rarity began, "you're a wonderful friend. We all—"
"I'd like to go to bed now," Twilight interrupted, and then hurriedly retreated to the bedroom.
Thoroughly miserable, Twilight climbed into her bed. Lying on her back atop the covers, she stared up at the stalactites far above as dark thoughts began to swirl inside her head.
She couldn't take it anymore. The city and everyone she came near bowing to her, the competition and all the stress that competing was causing her, the arguments with her friends and all the hurt expressions she had seen on their faces; she just wanted to leave and never look back.
But she knew that she couldn't do that. This competition was important to Rainbow, and not just because she wanted to relive an old emotional experience she had once shared with her father, but also because this was taking her a big step forward in preparing herself to face her parents. Rainbow needed this, and she needed her. If Twilight couldn't prove her friendship with the trust fall, then she would prove it by seeing this competition through to the end; no matter how miserable it made her. She owed Rainbow that much.
After what seemed like hours, she heard the others approaching the bedroom and closed her eyes. Twilight remained perfectly still as she listened to Rarity ask if she was asleep and Pinkie confirming that she was, and then they blew out the candles and wished each other pleasant dreams.
Opening her eyes to the near perfect darkness of the cave, Twilight listened to her friends' breathing slow as they drifted off to sleep. She rolled onto her side and adjusted her wings in an attempt to get comfortable, but her thoughts continued to nag her mind.
She had just rolled onto her stomach and sighed into her pillow when she heard the wisp of the curtain moving.
"Yeah, they're all asleep," Fluttershy whispered.
"Cool," Rainbow whispered back. "I gotta get to sleep myself, or I won't ever be able to beat those two featherbrains."
The two of them climbed into bed and silence was restored to the room. But after a little while, Twilight heard somepony get out of bed and tread lightly toward her.
Once again, she closed her eyes and concentrated on regulating her breathing. She didn't know which of her friends was checking on her, but she wasn't in the mood to talk about her feelings anymore.
Without warning, a hoof gently caressed her mane, causing Twilight to start. A moment later, she heard Fluttershy's soft voice.
"I think you may be awake," she said sweetly, "but I understand if you don't want to talk. I just wanted to say that you shouldn't feel guilty about the trust fall. I know how scary it is when you're falling, how your whole body tenses up and fear seizes your mind. It's an awful experience, and I can imagine that it would've been even worse for you." She tenderly stroked Twilight's mane for a moment before concluding. "We all love you, Twilight. Even Rainbow. She told me so earlier, so you just remember that and get some rest." She suddenly felt a light kiss on her temple. "Sweet dreams."
As Fluttershy climbed back into bed, Twilight realized that she was smiling. Hot tears ran down her face as her heart swelled with emotion.
This was why she loved her friends so fiercely. They were so dedicated to her, and would do anything to make her feel better. And now it was her turn.
She would gladly throw herself from the top of this mountain if it would somehow make Rainbow happy, and tomorrow, she was going to do whatever it took to prove it to her.
With Fluttershy's kind words echoing in her mind, Twilight finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.