Kindred Spirits

by Cottonmouth

The Journey Home (Part 1)

Blood.

Gilda pumped her wings faster as the sanguine scent filled her nostrils. A full night’s worth of flying was swept aside by a burst of adrenaline, a familiar mountain rotating while she curved around it. Nearing her final destination, a shrill cry rang out and echoed across the treetops.

That wasn’t Spike!

At last the cave she had been scouring for curved into view, a gaping hole with a convenient ledge carved into the mountain’s face. She landed recklessly upon the outcrop, the impact kicking up dirt and leaving her momentarily stunned. While she recovered, the sound of a nearby struggle could be heard through the dust cloud.

Get up! He could be dying right now!

With a fierce roar, Gilda sprang from the cloud of dust to find a female griffon atop a purple dragon, the latter lying defenselessly as his attacker reared her beak back, ready to swing it down in an arc for the fatal blow.

She had already closed the distance, reaching the other griffon just before the kill could be made. Usually, in a controlled situation, Gilda might have taken the extra amount of time to maneuver about, attempting to find a nice weak point to grip to help wrestle the enemy down easier. Now, however, she settled with a primal tackle, sending both of them just where she wanted: Away from Spike and out in the open.

They broke away from each other as they hit the cave floor, immediately staggering back to their feet and meeting eye-to-eye.

Her prey’s expression was that of shock and confusion, two emotions Gilda knew were the bane of combat.

Taking advantage, she leapt forward, this time positioning herself so that she could grasp her enemy's chest and back while they fought. To her surprise, the younger soldier was much weaker than she had expected as Gilda slammed her against the wall, the claw which she had just used to shove the other griffon now squeezing at her throat.

“Gilda! Stop!” Spike called weakly as he lay on his side, gasping for breath. She looked quizzically back at the dragon, then returned to her foe.

“You’re right,” Gilda said, releasing her grip and pushing the soldier to the ground. Certain that her opponent would not attack her again, she turned back to Spike, eyeing his wounds. “She’s not worth the energy. How are you?”

“Just a few scratches,” he responded simply, emerald eyes gazing up at her as if she were a figment of his imagination. “You... you’re here. You came back? After a whole week...?”

She raised a claw in response, expecting a witty or convincing excuse for her prolonged absence to escape her beak. Instead, she stuttered and squawked, tripping over her own empty words.

I came back to save his sorry ass remember?

But not because of our friendship. How pathetic is it that I needed a life-or-death situation to get me to return?

“You can tell me later,” Spike dismissed, her awkwardness apparently evident enough for him to notice. “We need to deal with these two.”

“Right.” Gilda nodded, happy for the change of subject. Glancing back towards the two injured siblings, she grinned deviously. “So how should we do it? I say we beat them around a bit THEN throw them out.”

A soft growl came from behind her. “No. Her brother is heavily wounded and needs help.”

“Huh!?” She turned back towards the dragon, sweeping a claw across his red-stained purple scales. “They nearly killed you! We should return the favor!”

Spike didn’t respond, instead giving her a sad look.

So did you.

She looked away in shame. “Got any ideas?”

“Remember the stream we visited every day? The place is rich with Vivaxacis Frons,” he attempted to rise to his feet, only to grimace in pain. “Can you get some? I’m not really in any state to fly right now.”

“And leave you with these two!?”

“Gilda!”

“Alright! Calm down!” Gilda raised her claws defensively before turning to address the two soldiers. “Hey! If I get back and there is a single extra scratch on him, you’re both dead. Got it?”

The sister croaked and the brother groaned in pain.

“Good.” She began dashing towards the cave exit, skidding to a stop and looking back towards Spike as she reached the outer ledge. “Hold ‘em off until I get back!”

Not waiting for a response, she shot into the air, heading east as the sunset slowly decayed the remaining light before her. While the flight was actually a hefty five minutes considering her speed, the whole wilderness that stretched beneath her was strangely familiar, creating a warm remembrance that contrasted against her week in Dagger Fels.

The rushing water caught her eye as it reflected the last bits of lingering sunshine. Diving through the forest canopy, she began hastily searching for the plant Spike had shown her before, all the while reminiscing of the many times she had visited this same stream with the dragon.

Reminds me of when Dash and I would hit the river after practice.

As Gilda continued her search, she shook her head slowly.

He’ll want to go back to Ponyville. I have a decision to make.

None by the riverside.

Hmmm. Dagger Fels or Ponyville. One has loneliness and the other has never-ending stupidity. Then again... I might not have been able to weather the storm with just Dash, but now that I know Spike is cool...

She searched the bases of nearby trees. Still nothing.

And what about Dash? You’ll look so pitiful, running back after storming away like that.

The plant lay before her, its long leaves sprouting much in the same way she had first seen it: nestled between a rock and the ground. Instead of retrieving it, she stared blankly, her mind already occupied wrestling with itself.

You can’t go back.

Gilda raised an eyebrow as if to question herself.

You just attacked an Empire soldier. If you go back, you have a pretty high chance of having a bounty on you. Sure, you could disguise yourself, but is that really worth the risk or effort?

While it wasn’t the answer she had hoped for, it was a strong enough argument to snap her back to reality. Pulling as much Vivaxacis as she could carry, she took off into the air.

--

She’s back. But after a whole week? Did she just randomly decide to return at the perfect time? Maybe I never woke up.

Spike leaned against the cave wall, his breathing finally slowing back to its normal pace. The griffon sister had recovered as well, choosing to tend to her brother instead of attacking again.

Now what?

His thoughts churned, sifting through the options that lay before him.

Gilda would want to stay here. But Twilight...

Images of the mare he dared call sister flashed through his mind, each one filled with sadness, tears, and depression.

What about my dreams?

Spike fought back the tide of nightmares that threatened to overwhelm him.

No. I have to try. Plus, there is always Celestia’s little miracle experiment. If I don’t like it or feel even slightly strange, I’ll just leave. At the very least I’ll get to see the girls again.

He was stunned at his sudden motivation, as if a simple shroud had been lifted and he could simply think normally once more.

Now just to convince Gilda...

A rush of wind heralded the irascible griffon’s arrival, large bandage-like leaves filling her claws.

“Jeeze you didn’t hold back huh?” Spike eyed the mass of greenery impressively.

Gilda approached him, holding out the Vivaxacis. “Can never have too much of a good thing.”

“Him first.” He pointed a claw towards the two siblings. “I’ve got just a few scratches.”

She scoffed but obeyed, following him to the male soldier’s side. Waterfalls of blood trickled from the three tears in his side and his breathes came in ragged heaves.

Spike motioned for Gilda to pass him the plant, dropping all but three strips and letting the others fall to the ground. After a few quick measurements and an occasional adjusting, he handed the two griffon females around him each a strip.

“What do I do with this!?” The sister’s eyes darted between her brother and the Vivaxacis in panic.

“Soak it up.” Gilda leaned forward to show her, running the plant in between her beak against her tongue.

The soldier shrugged in confusion and followed suit as Spike finished his own strip. After carefully laying the green band across the center cut, he pressed lightly to hold it in place, eliciting a pained gasp from the brother.

“You’re hurthing ‘im!” the sister squealed with the Frons still in her mouth.

Gilda moaned something intelligible as he extended a claw towards her and retrieved the second strip, repeating the same process as he did before.

“This isn’t poisonous, is it?” she wailed again.

Spike sighed, reaching back for her piece. “He’ll be fine, just give me the plant.”

She begrudgingly agreed and he finished his work, all three gashes sealed with the natural remedy.

“Alright, now scram!” Gilda growled as she pointed towards the cave’s exit.

“Gilda.” Spike interrupted with a roll of his eyes. “You can stay until he can fly again. As soon as he can take off, you leave.”

The sister nodded and returned to her brother as he turned towards a scowling Gilda. Again their eyes, this time locking each other in place as they tried to delve into each others thoughts and motives.

“Maybe we should just talk,” he said plainly.

“Right. Not here though,” she responded, nodding towards the two soldiers.

Spike walked past her and motioned for her to follow. Stopping at the cave’s ledge, he waited for Gilda to stand beside him before speaking.

“So why did you come back?” he spouted out the question which had been weighing his mind, quickly realizing its hostile tone. “I mean you were gone for more than a week and your timing... either I’m the luckiest dragon in the world or something happened. And believe me, coming from past experiences, it wasn’t luck.”

She hesitated, withdrawing slightly. “I found out through a military map that you had stayed. Was thinking you’d be in danger with the Empire having you on their hit list and all.”

“So that’s it.” He sighed in resolution, slumping a little.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking,” Gilda growled, turning aggressively towards the purple dragon. “I’m shallow. I’m not a good friend. If you’re expecting some huge magical event that suddenly makes me perfect and has me pouring out apologies left and right, it ain’t happening. Everyone has their flaws. I just happen to have more than most others.” She finished, resigned to defeat.

“And everyone should strive to better themselves, even if the ‘flaws’ are a part of who they are.” Spike stated firmly, holding one last gaze at the horizon before meeting Gilda’s eyes. “Come back with me to Ponyville. We both have problems we can help each other fix.”

She huffed then smiled slightly. “Not like I have much of a choice. Can’t go waltzing back into the empire after assaulting two of its soldiers.”

He jumped in shock, the answer completely different than what he had been expecting. “So you’ll come?”

“Yeah,” she said, lowering her head. “I’ll go back with you. Just don’t expect me suddenly lose my aggressiveness and frolic around all day with those ponies.”

“Well the first step is admitting you have a problem right?” He asked hopefully.

Gilda sneered, clearly distraught with his deduction. “It’s not a problem! It’s just who I am.”

“We’ll just have to twist it to be positive then! Like... aggressively nice!” He beamed, the griffon’s sour mood fading away as a happy curiosity seeped into her face. “Or.... aggressively generous! ‘Take this present or else!’”

“Spike.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re lucky you’re a funny dude.”

“Heh, just one of my few positive traits.” Spike shuffled his wings, opening his mouth as if to continue before the two recovered soldiers crept onto the ledge beside them.

“This plant stuff is a miracle!” the sister crowed, displaying her brother ecstatically. All three of his grievous wounds had ceased their bleeding and the griffon himself appeared rejuvenated.

“Great!” Gilda mocked with fake enthusiasm. “Now leave.”

The soldier’s pleasant mood darkened, her brow furrowing as she looked between the two companions. “If you seriously think the empire will just ignore you, you’d be dead wrong!” she scowled. “If I were you, I’d be tucking tail the moment my brother and I leave!”

“Yeah yeah.” Spike yawned and stretched in exaggeration, wings flared out from his sides while his scaled arms and claws rose above his head. “I think I’ll take my time.”

“Suit yourself! Come on Drolund!” she growled, grabbing her brother’s front-right foreleg and dragging him to the edge of the outcropping. The siblings took off, quickly swerving behind the mountain and out of sight.

“About time. Thought those two were moving in for a second there,” Gilda joked as she looked off in the direction they had left.

“I’m kind of worried about that warning though.” He shifted uneasily. “Should we really leave now? It’s getting dark.”

“After that overnight non-stop flight?” she questioned, looking back towards her aching wings. “I wouldn’t last another hour. I have to sleep.”

“Fair enough. Barring any distractions, we should reach Ponyville in two to three days if we leave tomorrow morning.”

“Can’t wait,” Gilda said sarcastically as she turned to rest in the same place she had slept over a week ago, freezing when she spotted a dust-covered brown sack. “Oh. My bag...”

“I watched over it for you while you were gone.” Spike paused before continuing to the back of the cave. “I thought maybe you would come back for it and I could talk you out of leaving.”

She cringed slightly, looking between the bag and the dragon. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said awkwardly as he fixed the lopsided brooch so that it sat proudly atop his meager pile of gems. Turning back around, he settled to the floor while searching for the right words to close off the night. After a few failed stutterings, he nearly resigned himself only to be stopped by what he saw before him.

Gilda had sifted through the contents of the bag, retrieving both the framed photo of her and Dash along with the sapphire Spike had given to her over a week ago. As her pupils glowed and a rare warm smile formed on her beak, he drew in a deep breath, wanting to hold the image for hours.

This was the part of Gilda he had hoped would make her return for her belongings. This was the part of Gilda he wanted to see more of. Sure, he had come to admire her aggressive style, but even that trait could get out of hand some times. If he could work with her, get to know her better, he was sure he could have her enjoying Ponyville eventually.

Seemingly satisfied, she put her two prized possessions back into the satchel, preparing to settle down for the night.

“Hey Gilda?” Spike called, the words coming much more easily now.

“Yeah?” she asked, llifting her head curiously.

“Thanks for coming back and saving me,” he said, bracing for protest.

The griffon paused for a moment, dwelling upon his words.

“It was nothing.” She grinned knowingly. “Friends help each other out, right?”

“Good night Gilda.” Spike smirked as he rested his head.

“Night.”

With a sigh, he curved his neck back towards his body leaving his head neatly tucked between his wings and belly.

--

Spike blinked rapidly, easing smoothly back into consciousness. It was the first time in quite awhile that he had awoken peacefully as opposed to thrashing and whimpering, fevered images of his friends staining his mind.

Along with his newfound refreshment, a pit of excitement bubbled inside him.

We’re going home! Finally!

Shooting up from his resting place, Spike nearly called out for Gilda before he noticed the griffon curled up in a pleasant sleep, the toll of her non-stop flight having finally caught up with her.

Overnight flight. She had flown night and day because she suspected I was in danger.

He swore to himself, promising to show his full appreciation towards her act after all the recent drama had blown over. As his head drooped, his eyes fell across his dull and dirtied light-green belly scales, the sight surprising him. Rotating his arms into view, their once proud violet had turned a mottled purple that stretched across his legs, wings, tail and he assumed head as well.

I haven’t bathed in over a week! Dear Celestia I look terrible.

Sneaking past his sleeping companion, Spike gently lifted off from the cave’s perch, veering back towards the same direction Gilda had to retrieve the Vivaxacis. The sound of rushing water already began to help clear his mind as he landed next to the river. Easing himself in, he was greeted by the relaxing flow of the current, Spring having changed its temperature to a pleasurable warmth.

He lay there with his snout and eyes breaching the surface, minutes disguising themselves as hours as his mind wandered and collected every small sound, scent, and sight that radiated from the nature around him.

“Mind if I join in?”

Spike’s eyes snapped open and he splashed around in shock before turning to see Gilda chuckling at him from the riverside.

“Man!” she crowed, still laughing. “Next time I’ll make sure to knock, huh?”

“Didn’t know they trained ninjas in the griffon army!” He grinned, shifting to the opposite side of the river.

“Didn’t need the army to teach me how to sneak up on somebody,” she said as she eased in next to him. “ Half of Rainbow Dash’s pranks needed us to be dead quiet.”

“You must be pretty excited huh? To see her again?” he questioned hopefully as he eased back down, keeping his head above the surface.

She hesitated, focusing intensely on the water flowing around her. “Not as much as I should be.”

Gilda seemed to tense up, awaiting a response. Spike simply nodded.

“I need to get all of this grime out of my scales!” he said suddenly, rising slightly so that she could see his dulled hide. “Haven’t bathed in a week, so sorry if I’ve smelled this whole time.”

She smiled at his ruse before waving a claw at him. “Pfft. Don’t worry about it man. I’m right there beside you. Pretty sure all the wildlife in a ten mile radius have evacuated the area due to us.”

Spike laughed a little before turning solemn. “Just can’t find the motivation when you’re all alone you know?”

“Believe me. I know,” she responded gravely.

The next half hour was spent picking dirt out of scales, feathers, and fur while the two exchanged their lives over the past week. Spike skirted around the topic of his nightmares and lingered upon the more boring details. Gilda described life in Dagger Fels.

“...boring, creepy, annoying, and most of all exhausting,” she finished her insults of the cliff-side town, regaining her breath.

“And it's Ponyville you don’t want to go back to?” Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Like I told you. I’m a complicated griffon,” she said grimly, giving one last look over her feathers and fur. “How do I look?”

Spike brought a claw up to his snout, inspecting the griffon as if she were a gem or treasure. “Good enough to meet a princess!”

Gilda frowned at him. “Do you think she’ll let me stay in Ponyville at all? You know, with all of this griffon-pony tension thing.”

“Of course! Believe me, I’ve known Celestia my entire life. She won’t let her judgement be clouded by small things like that!” he said assuredly.

She looked him in the eye as if expecting him to burst into laughter at any moment.

She judged me off of one event.

“Guess the only way is to find out ourselves!” Gilda said quickly as she turned away and leaped out of the river.

Spike shook himself from his dazed state while slowly dragging himself out of the water.

“We should get started while we still have daylight.” Gilda looked at the newly-risen sun while covering her eyes with a claw.

“Right.” He nodded, fully recovered. “Two to three days flight time. We can stop and find someplace to sleep during the night. Dragons are pretty good endurance-wise so if you need a break...”

“What!?” Gilda squawked, glaring at him. “I just did an overnight flight and you’re questioning my endurance? Ten coins... bits... whatever, says that I won’t even break a sweat before you’re begging to land!”

He simply shrugged with a mischievous smile. “We’ll see.”

Spike took off before she could retaliate, the verdant green of the surrounding forest falling before him and giving way to clear blue skies. Below, a loud snarl sounded as Gilda rocketed up after him.

I think I’m beginning to figure her out. Kind of.

--

“You’ve broken quite a few sweats there.”

Don’t respond to him.

“Need a break?”

He’s just messing with you. Dash did this a thousand times before. Just ignore him.

“You know you don’t have to pay me any bits or-”

“SPIKE!!” Gilda screeched as she glided slightly behind the dragon, heavy breathes in perfect synch with her strained wing beats. An extra piece of Vivaxacis had been used as a makeshift rope to form a harness, allowing her brown bag to hang from her neck.

“What?! Just saying, I’m pretty tired too!” Spike panted, his long purple tail drooping behind him. While the sun lingering overhead barely troubled him, it did little to help his prolonged flight.

She flew up beside him and pointed a claw at the forest below. “Then land.”

“What is this a contest now?” He looked over at her with a smirk.

“Depends. Do you want it to be one?” she shot back.

For a brief moment, emerald clashed with amber as the two stared each other down. Before either of them could utter a word of combat, Spike’s eyes widened as he gazed past Gilda.

“Land!” he shouted, dropping from the sky like a rock.

She watched with surprise as he touched down in a small clearing. “Well that was easy.”

“Gilda! Griffons!” he called out from below, thrusting a purple arm out in the direction they had been flying.

Gilda turned with curiosity, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. In the distance, a pair of blood-red blotches stood out against the clear-blue sky.

“Spike, they’re just patrols!” she scoffed while landing beside the apprehensive dragon. “The troops sent into the Central Wilds are only there to root out any creatures that might be in the way or report on Equestrian activity. Believe me, they hammered that into our heads.”

Spike hesitated, glancing down at the brooch that adorned his neck. “So they won’t attack us?”

“Positive.” She clapped a claw across his back. “To them, we’re just a couple of weirdos flying around minding our own-”

“You two!” a deep voice boomed from above. “You’re coming with us!”

“No freaking way...” Gilda whispered scathingly without turning around.

“Were you gonna bet on that one too?” Spike jeered.

She punched him on the arm with a small laugh before turning grim. “Probably just a mistake. Don’t talk. I’ll sort this out.”

Together they wheeled around to the sight of two heavily armored Empire soldiers landing inside the clearing. Unlike the siblings she had met before, their armaments were far bulkier, supported by a trained strong body. The soldier on the right wore a pair of silver gauntlets whose tips ended in a point finer than any griffon claw could hope to possess.

“Spike.”

“Yeah?”

“If there’s a fight, don’t hold anything back. These guys will rip you apart in half a second.”

Despite a loud gulp, he nodded in understanding.

“Alright,” she shouted across the clearing to the approaching soldiers “How about you two go back to your patrols before I make you regret ever landing?”

“Gilda!” Spike turned to her with a hint of fear in his eyes “Are you trying to get us into a fight?”

“What!?” she asked in confusion “That’s a pretty common griffon greeting.”

Spike said nothing as he rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Gilda, is it?” the soldier from before asked more in statement than question as he and his partner stopped a few paces away.

“You know my name?” She asked, her interest piqued.

“Oh, everyone in Lionsberg knows your name ever since the sergeant put out a reward for you and this purple beast’s capture!” his partner butted in with a raspy voice “I see you’ve gone from skulking around the barracks by yourself to hanging out with feral creatures. Can’t tell if that’s a step up or down!”

A flash of rage lit up Gilda’s face as she took an aggressive step forward. “I sure hope that reward is worth your life! Spike here has ripped hundreds of griffon troops from Dagger Fels into shreds and incinerated thousands more!”

Both of the soldiers hesitated, looking towards a startled Spike who was busy raising his claws in the air.

“Whoa now!” he said defensively “I don’t want to kill anyone...”

“SPIKE!” she twisted and growled at him.

“Get them!” the deep-voiced soldier yelled, charging forward.

Gilda immediately leapt back to gain an extra few seconds to tear her bag away and study her opponent. In front of her, the first soldier was already claw-locked with Spike in a match of pure strength. The second soldier lumbered forward, his metal gauntlets flashing in the sunlight.

Jeeze this guy is slow. Still, if I get hit even once by those points...

She feigned a dodge to the right, baiting her attacker as she swung back to the left just as he prematurely tore at thin air. Time slowed down as Gilda inspected his armored side for any signs of weakness. The blood red plates wrapped around even his underbelly, leaving no room for her claws to work their magic.

She settled for a brute force tackle. That got him. The bastard was stronger and heavier, sure, but the sudden attack left him sprawled across the grass in confusion. She capitalized on the chaos, grasping both sides of his helmet. Then she pulled.

It was more an act of mercy, really. Breaking the necks of ponies was a technique they had been taught the first week of training. A griffon’s neck was actually not too different. Still, while she was a strong believer of ‘if you attack me, you’re asking for death’, something had kept her from performing the simple twist and ending the struggle right there.

Spike would be horrified.
Her mind began to drift and her grasp on the helm weakened.
He would question me for the rest of my life. Still friends maybe, but all trusts severed...

The helmet was halfway off when her claws finally slipped, allowing the soldier to knock her away and return to his feet.

I’m getting distracted in a fight! What the hell? Get it together Gilda!

Snapping back to reality, she quickly sidestepped a barrage of frenzied swipes only for his middle talon to slash through her right cheek feathers, staining them crimson red.

She cursed, getting ready to sidestep again before realizing the idiot was completely blinded by the lower half of his helmet.

“You bitch! Get over here and fight like a griffon!” he croaked as he twisted and clawed in place, trying desperately find a target.

It was hilarious. For a moment she considered just watching him for a few more minutes until he passed out from his own stupidity. But no. Spike was still fighting the other soldier out of the corner of her eye, a single black scorch mark on his enemy’s armor the only damage. The dragon himself looked to fare far worse, his posture sagging and fresh cuts visible across his belly and arms.

Alright. Time to end this.

She waited, jumping in the moment his back was turned to her. Once more, she gripped the helmet and ripped it off, leaving the soldier’s head completely unarmored.

“Thank the gods!” he rasped, spinning around to Gilda “Now you-”

She brought the helmet down upon his skull like a bludgeon, the first hit silencing him as he collapsed into the dirt, unmoving.

“You’re welcome,” she spat, turning her attention to the other soldier. He backed away, shifting his gaze between the two of them and his unconscious partner.

Then he took off, flying west towards the Griffon Kingdom.

“Hey you wimp!” Gilda cried out as she shook her fist at the fleeing soldier.

Off to her side, a slow sigh sounded as Spike struggled to remain on his feet. “You know, I’m getting real tired of all these cuts.”

“Can you fly?” she asked, inspecting the wounds that laced his body. “I mean if you can’t, just tell me, but I don’t know if that soldier is going to bring reinforcements or...”

“I can,” he said simply, flexing his wings with a grimace “Let’s just keep it slow and steady, ok?”

“Slow and steady. Got it.” Gilda nodded.

She retrieved her bag and they took off, resuming their eastbound journey.

Despite the energy she had spent during the fight, Gilda felt reinvigorated. It may have been strange to some, but to her it was a simple afterthought. Fighting was fast and interesting, a spice of life, pumping her full of adrenaline.

Glancing back, Spike trailed behind her, his flight strained and laborious. Red cuts covered a large portion of his scales and underbelly and even a few tears could be made out in his wings, making flying even more difficult.

Look at him. He’s gotten sliced up repeatedly over the past two weeks because of me. But then again... he got himself into this in the first place by staying with those morons. Only a matter of time before the queen of morons made a stupid move towards him.

Half of her wanted to berate herself for getting him into this whole mess in the first place. The other half wanted to pity him being a victim of circumstance.

“How are you holding up?” she asked as she slowed down for him to catch up. It was a horribly stupid question and both of them knew it.

“I’ve been better. Just... really tired.” He blinked rapidly as a spot of blood dripped into his eye “Thanks for the help back there.”

Gilda looked at him with a mix of horror and confusion, Spike completely missing her reaction as he stared forward, focused on staying afloat. “Thanks for what?”

“For helping me out back there. I’m no good at fighting and that soldier was just toying with me...”

No way. He’s thanking me? If I were him I’d be kicking my ass!

“Uh y-yeah. No problem. Just a couple of brutes,” she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

A small spasm shook Spike and for a split second he dropped in altitude. Fearing the worst Gilda dived after him only to return to his side as he regained control.

“You sure you’re alright?” she gazed at him in concern “I mean I know the soldiers are still back there but I don’t want you falling out of the sky.”

“Is the contest still on?” his grimace morphed into a smile.

“Huh...?” she hesitated, only to quickly realize his intentions “Spike, are you insane? You almost fell just a few moments ago!”

“So you give up?” he questioned, already knowing the answer.

Gilda sighed and shook her head. “First one to land loses. Screw bits or coins.”

Spike simply nodded in response, the pain creeping back into his face.

--

The sun was disappearing below the horizon when Spike wordlessly sunk beneath the forest canopy. Gilda followed, neither of them mentioning the contest as she landed with a tired thud beside him. Forget fighting. Forget adrenaline or energy. After hours of scouting for patrols and flying, she was exhausted, and Spike was completely haggard, wheezing breathes and uneven steps giving him the appearance of an undead dragon.

For a moment she expected him to collapse right there and then, an easy target for any soldiers passing by overhead. Instead, he began walking, continuing his journey east as if some supernatural force tugged him along.

Dang. He may not be a good fighter, sure, but hell he’s a trooper.

They walked for hours. They tread through small streams, struggled to fly across large crevices, and made their way through miles of forests. Any traces of sunlight had completely dissipated now, casting the entire Central Wilds into a silvery glow. Both of them remained silent, all energy focused on walking.

Finally they came across a large wall of rock that jutted up before them, black holes burrowing deep into its side.

“This should be a good place to stop,” Gilda said, checking back on Spike.

He looked up at the massive cliffside before looking back to her with a confused expression. “Stop? But the soldiers-”

“Spike!” she hissed. “Look at yourself! Forget the soldiers, we need to rest or we’ll be sitting ducks! There are plenty of caves here to hide us from view.”

Spike bowed his head, clearly too tired to argue. “Alright. Pick a cave, then let me go in and check with my flame. Don’t want to stumble upon a sleeping creature.”

Gilda nodded and spread her wings, trying to ignore the burning pain as she took off. There were dozens of holes throughout the wall, some nothing more than a small compartment and others that she was certain could house a family of manticores. She settled upon a medium sized one that lingered a bit ways from the others, certain any passerby would give it a simple glance without inspecting it.

She waved Spike over, the dragon breathing heavily as he landed beside her. After recovering, he spat an emerald flame into his claw, casting an eerie green glow onto the surrounding rock walls.

“This brings back memories,” Gilda huffed as they began to slowly work their way in.

“Let’s just hope we don’t have another cave in,” Spike joked.

The cave itself stretched further back, eventually coming to a dead end after a small curve.

How anticlimactic. Still, the last thing I want to do right now is get into another fight while we’re so injured.

Spike placed the flame on the floor at the back of the cave as they settled down, preparing to sleep for the rest of the night. After pulling her pillow from the sack around her neck, she fluffed it up and plopped down, a sense of euphoria overcoming her as she finally began to get some rest.

Across the cave, Spike laid down on all fours but did not lower his head, instead looking down at the brooch around his neck.

“What are you thinking?” Gilda asked curiously.

He hesitated, looking to her then grimacing as he returned to his brooch. “Nothing really.”

Ouch. Maybe he was upset with her?

“We’ll look for some of that plant tomorrow,” she said, eyeing his wounds “Get you all patched up.”

“No,” Spike said aggressively, shaking his head. “Not with those patrols around. We have to keep moving. I’ll be fine.”

“But you have cuts all over your body! Even on your wings! If we don’t-”

“No!” he roared, causing her to flinch. His shout echoed off the rocks, making it twice as frightening. “We’re already wasting time resting here! Tomorrow we don’t stop until Ponyville!”

She didn’t respond. This was not the same Spike she had befriended weeks ago. Despite his almost frightening determination and stone-hard face, his eyes were rife with fear and worry. She hated it. After all, it was her fault he was in danger.

Spike sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. When they opened again, they possessed a soft, sad glow.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking at her with regret. “It’s just... it was almost too good to be true ya know? Being able to go back to Ponyville after what happened? But then you... I mean, the nightmares, I’ve been attacked twice, these patrols... not to mention I still have no idea what Celestia has in store for me. I just feel like something bad is going to happen. That we won’t make it back.”

He had tried to stop himself, but it was too late. She was part of the problem, part of the reason his life was in total chaos right now. She could have just let him be, never returning after their first encounter. He’d be in Ponyville by now, happy with his friends. Instead, she had wormed her way into his life like some sick parasite, leeching all of his carefree and whimsical attitude and replacing it with her own sour pessimism.

“Spike... I...”

Tell him you’re sorry. For everything. For attacking him, for leaving, for waiting to return, for even bringing up the suggestion of hanging out in the first place.

But I was just doing my job. He expected me to come with him without even asking what I thought about going back to Ponyville. I wasn’t going to return to him a few days later like some beaten needy dog. It was his decision!

“It’s fine Gilda,” he said simply.

“Huh?”

“I know what you’re thinking. I don’t want you to worry about it. None of this is your fault. It was my decision, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he finished, smiling at her.

His words defused the argument in her head, leaving her dumbfounded. “But...”

“Please.”

She reached out, struggling to find the words to argue with him.

He’s right. He already knows you too well. You wouldn’t apologize or talk about it. You’d let it sit, the guilt simmering and growing in your mind. You won’t apologize, but you can...

“Fine,” Gilda surrendered. “I won’t worry. But I’m making a promise right here.”

“A promise?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No matter what happens, I’m getting you back to Ponyville. I’ll be there for whatever diabolical plan Celestia has for you. I’m not abandoning you again. I promise,” she said with finality.

“Alright,” Spike nodded with a big grin across his face. “Then I’ll make a promise too. No matter what happens, I’m getting you back to Ponyville. Remember, I’m not the only one in danger here. They want you too. And,” he continued “I’ll be there when you meet Dash again.”

Gilda’s eyes widened before she smirked, slowly shaking her head.

He knows alright.

“Then it’s settled,” she said, extending a balled claw towards him. “Tomorrow, Ponyville. Even if we have to fight off an army of Empire troops.”

Spike balled his own claw and together they fist pounded, sealing the pact.

“To Ponyville,” Spike finished with a nod.

Comments

[Jovial_Shake]

Yay! One of my favorite stories currently going on. 5/5 all the way.

[Gagster]

This is epic. We need a Gilda emoticon

[Xandalite]

This is coming along quite nicely. My new favorite Gilda fic.

[Fox-Sama]

Damn this is nuts! the plot, the dialog, the emotion its all nuts!

I love this story its not even done and I have already started printing it out~

thank you for writing this!!!!!

[Bubbleshy]

Lol, I was just about to go to bed when I saw this had been updated. I couldn't let myself go to bed without reading this!

[datdamnface]

hotdiggity damn finally! Luves your chapters by the way

[IraqLobstah]

Took your sweet ass time?

This story is beyond that of normal fanfiction. It is A wonderful and godlike masterpiece.
( And you better fucking update again soon )

Everypony Stomp their hoofsies In appreciation!

Cheers
~iraqlobstah

[Meta Knight]

Excellent

[ImChangingmynameforreaso]

K first off, really enjoying the story. I just have one question: front-right foreleg? Please tell me what a foreleg is?

[quentintin]

this is my favrite fic! please write some more soon!!!

[Toilet Sprinkle]

Brilliant

[Ancient]

Impressive work. And I'm not easily impressed.

[Venatus75]

DAMN! I was thinking today, Spike and Gilda... amazing idea. So I checked. AND YOU BEAT ME TO IT YOU BASTARD haha.
Nice story though, here. have a watch.

[bestofawesome]

112351 Yes we do what would it be though?

[DarkDMan]

Such a awesome story.
But Gilda should really teach Spike how to fight because him keep getting beat up this cool.