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// Friday Part 6 - Gelded by Gilda 
// Story: Equestria Girl. Wait, What's Equestria? 
// by Bysen 
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Sunset had successfully managed to get back beside Rarity. However as she did, the bell rang and the entire crowd dispersed at a cartoonish and unrealistic speed. Thus making her whole two minute ordeal pointless. Twilight however had left nearly as fast as all those other people and began towards the cafeteria to meet up with her friends again this lunch. And having remembered it this time, thought she'd bring up Trixie to the two of them and ask if they wanted her to join them.

While her first thought was that she could easily predict the results, second thoughts seemed to counter the idea that the two younger girls would instantly poopoo the idea. Knowing this school and it’s cliched love of karmic irony she had a suspicion that as she rounded this corner she would run into her stuck up friend… which didn’t really definitively specify which of her three friends that was now that she thought about it. But she suspected that she would run into Trixie around this next corner.

She was half right.

Cliched karmic irony was in full swing but taking irony on what she’d predicted it would be and instead, not unsurprisingly, decided to screw Twilight over worse than a horrible writer talking about cliches, karma and irony. Which is a completely valid and non four wall breaking metaphor when you think about it. Walking towards her was a the girl who’d attacked her in the bathroom yesterday: Gilda. And the two had made direct eye contact with one another. Without even giving a second, Twilight immediately turned on her heel and started back the way she came.

Gilda rounded the corner too and followed after Twilight. Of course it was completely possible Gilda was just heading in that direction already and not following her. After all, she’d been walking that way when Twilight had seen her. Twilight maintained her speed and simply decided to turn at the next corner in a few more steps. She did so and kept walking. Without looking behind her directly, she turned her head towards some of the windows of the classroom she was walking alongside of, looking into the reflection to see behind her without making it obvious she was doing so.

Gilda too had rounded the corner. It was then that Twilight began to pick up her pace to a slightly below jogging speed. This only lasted a couple of seconds though as she heard a few fast foot steps behind her before a hand was placed on her shoulder. “Hey.” Gilda said, now standing right behind her. Twilight bolted. She turned from a leisurely pace to full-on sprinting in less than a second. “Oh for... get back here!” Gilda called out.

Twilight dashed through the school, not looking behind her. She didn’t need to look back however to know Gilda was giving chase. All though she couldn't see it, anyone else watching could see Gilda was clearly surprised an egghead like this was so fast. Sure Gilda was faster, but it was still pretty impressive. Without looking, Twilight knew Gilda was still hot on her trail. She could hear the larger girl’s foot falls not too far behind her. 

The two sprinted past about three or four blocks before they reached the edge of the school and had to turn. Around the corner Twilight kept running for a few second before she realised the sound of Gilda’s foot steps were no longer there. However, with the building’s solid wall right beside her now, she could hear the much quicker slight echo of her own stepped. In retrospect maybe she had needed to look back to know Gilda was giving chase and not the possibility she had just been hearing an echo of herself.

Welp… now she felt like an idiot. Topped with the sudden exertion, she was puffing and beginning to sweat. Sure, she was in shape and could run from walking Spike everyday but usually she was mentally prepared to run. When you’re not expecting too, it takes a lot more of  a toll on your body, not to mention the fright had gotten her adrenaline pumping overtime. She could help but think of the Fight or Flight reaction and how it was kinda odd for her to run. Usually her gut response was to throw a punch.

“Sup dweeb?” Gilda said as she jumped out right in front of Twilight from around the block’s next corner that she’d cut before reaching edge of the building. She instantly took a solid punch to the left cheek as Twilight squealed, stepped back in surprise and swung hard.

Twilight, realising what she had just done, pulled her hand down from Gilda’s face and muttered “Oh dear…” as Gilda took the hit like a champ. Her amused cocky expression quickly fading into a frown as the pain sunk in. Just because she can take the hit, doesn’t mean it still didn’t hurt. Twilight was surprisingly strong. For an dweeb at least.

“Alright.” Gilda said strongly. “We’ll cal-” she was cut off as Twilight through another punch. There wasn’t any other way out of this after all. She couldn’t outrun the brute she she might as well go down swinging. Unfortunately for her, Gilda was able to catch the blow at the last second. Twilight’s left fist was now caught in Gilda's right hand barely stopped before her face as her frown only deepened. “We’ll call us even for that ONE punch.” Gilda barked, clearly resisting the urge to absolutely destroy the girl in her grasp.

“What do you want?!” Twilight practically cried. The yelling type of cry, not the tears one. She pulled back but Gilda kept hold her her balled hand. As Twilight asked, Gilda's frown softened. She was still scowling but not as intensely now at the very least.

She let out a sigh that sounded more like a grunt and then muttered “To give your phone back.” she said and released Twilight’s hand. The larger girl then reached into her pocket with that same hand and pulled out Twilight’s old phone and handed it to her. “Take it.” Gilda demanded.

With that, Twilight gingerly looked at the phone, seeing a new crack along the screen, then looked at Gilda’s face. She thought about saying something but instead just looked back at the phone, took it and said hesitantly “... Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it. Really.” Gilda grumbled as she simply stepped past Twilight and began to leave. She huffed loudly, startling Twilight just a bit, and without facing her added “Later.” she finished and continued to walk off, leaving Twilight there by herself. Well, herself and the other fifty-odd student who saw it all happen.