Appledashery

by Just Essay

Late Birds

"And why do you gotta turn everything into a friggin' roost?!" Rainbow Dash grumbled, flying up, up, up the stalk towards her lofty destination. She shifted the weight of the expensive package of saltines under her forelimb and grumbled, "It's almost like you guys love putting as much distance between each of you as possible."

"Yeah, who'd'a'thunk it?" Gilda grunted, flapping after her. "Maybe you should move in."

"Hardy har har," Rainbow droned. "Enjoy the burns while it lasts, Gilda. As soon as we get the Wind Chalice from Butthead McMuscles, I am sooooo out of this dump."

"And yet you gave me beef for shitting all over ponytopolis the last time I visited."

"Dude!" Rainbow spun about, flying backwards as she frowned at Gilda. "What did Ponyville ever do to you? Pffft... at least there we don't butt heads, use the bones of dead animals for dishes, or treat our elders like garbage!"

"Who knows?!" Gilda shrugged. "Maybe that would have improved the wussy place!"

"Ugh!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I swear... I could never friggin' understand what got stuck in your dang craw!"

"Well, that's a shame!" Gilda folded her feline arms, frowning. "Cuz here you are in my town, doing the same kind of dumping."

Rainbow blinked.

"Funny how life frowns on you when you've got the horseshoe spun around, huh?"

"This is different," Rainbow grunted, facing forward once again. "This place deserves being spit on."

"Hah! And why's that?!" Gilda smirked. "Cuz there's no singing or prancing or stupid fruity buildings shaped like cupcakes?!"

"Where'd all the glory of the griffon empire go, Gilda, huh?" Rainbow stole a glance over her shoulder as they passed a flock of surly citizens. "I see it in the statues... and in the jaded eyes of the elders who roost here. This place used to be super awesome, but then it all went down hill."

"Pffft... how the heck should I know?!" Gilda glared. "Maybe you should ask your all-powerful glory-hogging Princess Poweder Pufflestia!"

"And there you go! Blaming ponies again for all your problems!"

"Huh?! Who said that I—"

"Even at Junior Speedster's Flight Camp, that's all you ever did!" Rainbow grumbled. "Just... bitched and bitched about ponies and how lame they all were."

"Maybe because a lot of them were. Didja ever think of that?" Gilda's eyes narrowed. "And they weren't just mean to me, you know. I recall a certain blue pegasus whose friend had it just as bad." She grinned mischievously. "And... y'know... she wasn't spared all that much herself."

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, her blue coat hairs rising on end. "...let's just get to Fibb's hole in the wall."

"Oooooh! Miss High and Mighty suddenly can't take what she dishes out—!"

"Just shut up, okay?!" Rainbow grumbled. "I'm past all of that. I wouldn't expect someone like you to know."

"Cuz you shut me out. Remember?"

Rainbow was silent.

Gilda huffed, flapping her wings harder so that she caught up with the pegasus. They flew side by side, though they didn't look at one another. "...you may not like to think it, Dash, but you and I were the same kind of souls caught up in the same kind of funk once."

"Meh..."

"No, for real," Gilda muttered, eyes thin as she surveyed the platform ahead. "I thought you were a special kind of pony... unique... cool and tough. Looking back now, I realize that you were just... sorta reflecting me. Makes sense why we stuck together for so long. But now? Pfft... looking at you, I realize that I never really left Ponyville."

"Hmmmf... oh yeah?" Rainbow smirked bitterly. "And what makes you think that?"

Gilda cocked her head to the side. "Because you've... become me since I've been gone, haven't you?"

Rainbow gnashed her teeth.

"...well?"

"You don't even friggin' know what I've become since you left," the mare grumbled.

"Pfft! Fine!" Gilda rolled her eyes. "Cuz I don't wanna know!"

"Well good!"

"Better than good!"

"Best than good!"

"Grmmfff..."

"Hmmmff..."

Dead silence.

"So... uh... where—?" Rainbow's voice cracked.

"Fibb's joint is up that way," Gilda pointed. "And for the love of all that's meaty and tender, let me do the squawking."

"Meh. Yeah, whatever." And the two ascended the looming bough.

Comments

[MidnightReflection]

"Hmmmf... oh yeah?" Rainbow smirked bitterly. "And what makes you think that?"

Gilda cocked her head to the side. "Because you've... become me since I've been gone, haven't you?"

Rainbow gnashed her teeth.

"...well?"

"You don't even friggin' know what I've become since you left," the mare grumbled.

"Pfft! Fine!" Gilda rolled her eyes. "Cuz I don't wanna know!"

You still care, Gilda. Deny it all you want, but it's obvious to all of us.

[Lightning Bearer]

These two really need to get a room.

[Aatxe360]

6210758

They had one. It was terribly unclean.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Kids are cruel in every race, Gilda.

[zaponator]

Fight fight fight! Kiss kiss kiss!

[Sarda]

6211679

[Phoenix Kitten]

6211679

[LucyHorseThing]

"And yet you gave me beef for shitting all over ponytopolis the last time I visited."

PHEW! That is a dirty mouth!

[DrEggnog]

We really seem be pushing against the walls of the Teen rating since arriving in Griffbutt.

[arancaytar]

"Where'd all the glory of the griffon empire go, Gilda, huh?" Rainbow stole a glance over her shoulder as they passed a flock of surly citizens. "I see it in the statues... and in the jaded eyes of the elders who roost here. This place used to be super awesome, but then it all went down hill."

Huh.

That is an interesting detail.