//------------------------------// // Later Birds // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// The two landed on the platform. As soon as Rainbow's hooves made contact, she flinched. Her blood ran cold as she looked left and right, searching for signs of the juiced-up monstrosity that had tossed her off the platform to begin with. There was no sign of Fibb, though the place was just as decrepit and ramshackled as when Rainbow left it. From afar, she could hear the tell-tale signs of griffon fights breaking out and glass windows shattering. A gray malaise covered the place, doubled by the darkening afternoon haze overhead. With a shudder, Rainbow shifted the weight of the crackers and trotted ahead. "Rainbow... just a sec..." Gilda flew ahead, landing a few feet in front of the mare. She turned around, and all of the anger in her feathered face was gone, replaced by a cool, neutral expression that struggled to hold back the floodwaters of empathy. "Level with me for a moment." "Make it quick," the mare grunted. "You... said something about dragons," the griffon stammered. She stiffened her muscles so as not to look like she was trembling. "The only dragons close to these parts is... beyond the wind barricade to the west." "Congratulations," Rainbow droned. "You haven't completely forgotten your culture's history." "Shut it, dweeb." Gilda nevertheless took a pensive step forward. "If you're seriously after this Fart Chalice thingy, then that means you're... you're gonna try and fly out into the Western Wastelands, aren't you?" "I'm certainly not taking a vacation to Orlandoats," Rainbow said. "Heh... besides, I've done that already." She smirked. "How's your bucket list fairing." "Rainbow, what in Goddess' name are you expecting to get out of a bunch of dragons?!" Gilda grimaced. "And these aren't your standard fair sissy Equestrian dragons either! I'm talking big bad motherbuckers who won't hesitate to set pony or griffon flesh on fire! Hell..." She gestured wildly towards the looming plateaus west of them. "...legend says they do battle with all sorts of huge, lumbering beasts out there! The place is like friggin' Tartarus on earth!" "Gilda... please stop pretending to care," Rainbow groaned, shuffling past her. "Cuz I sure as heck won't pretend to waste time—" "Will you get off your damn high horse?!" Gilda suddenly squawked. "I didn't ask you to drop your lousy flank in on my life, okay?! So why do you gotta... gotta..." "Gotta what...?" Gilda clenched her beak tight, then shook her head. "You know what? Screw you, Dash." "Huh?" "I know a friggin' stunt when I see it." The griffon frowned, sniffling slightly. She marched angrily past the mare, heading towards the delapidated shack of Fibb's. "I swear to Goddess, you were always so selfish and melodramatic—" "I told you before, Gilda," Rainbow sighed. "I need to find a cure for... f-for my friend's little sister." "In dragon country?!" "It's a very rare cure for a very rare disease!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "You have no idea how... how kaizo things have gotten as of late." "Because you've no reason to tell me—" "Because I didn't have to, okay?! And I still don't! Just... help me get the Wind Chalice and I'll be—" "What?" Gilda glared. "Going off to kill yourself?" "What does it friggin' matter?! I can hold my own, y'know!" Rainbow pointed. "You of all griffons should know that!" "What I know, Dash, is that when push comes to shove... your loyalty always gets you nearly killed." Gilda took a deep breath. "Or, in a best case scenario, covered in bruises." "... ... ..." Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "Tell me one thing..." Gilda cocked her head aside. "This pony... this sister to the dying kid..." She blinked. "...you love her, don't you?" Rainbow's eyes twitched. Gilda merely stared. Eventually, with a cold shudder, Rainbow nodded her head. "Hmmff..." Gilda exhaled. "...then you haven't a changed a single damn bit." Rainbow's eyes darted up. Her ears folded back. "I... I could have saved your life y'know," Gilda said, her voice suddenly soft. "On so many occasions. You never let me then. But... but now...?" Rainbow suddenly glared. With wings coiled, she marched ahead, brushing past Gilda. "It's not me who needs saving." "Dang it, Dash, it never is—" "Can we just finish this?!" Gilda hung her head. Sighing, she flapped her wings, making sure to reach the hideout before Rainbow did.