Rainbow Unicorn: Griffon Grief

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Griffon Away A Secret

Reaching Sugarcube Corner, Twilight landed with an audible thump, getting a grunt from the dragon that had been on her back.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Spike groaned out as he rolled off Twilight's back and fell to the ground.

"Sorry," Twilight said as she helped the young dragon back up to his feet. She then headed for the gingerbread looking shop and pushed the door open.

While some of the gingerbread house theme continued into the shop, the interior looked more like a typical bakery. There was a counter with a glass display of various treats, as well as a register. Tables were set up all around the room, varying in size and shape. Since it was not yet lunch time, the room was pretty empty.

At one of the larger tables in the back sat Gilda, Rainbow Burst, and Pinkie Pie. At the moment, Pinkie Pie was talking. It was a bit hard to understand what exactly she was saying as she was going pretty fast (under normal circumstances, Twilight often wondered if Pinkie actually needed to breathe). Rainbow was either keeping up, or at least putting on a good impression of following what Pinkie was saying. For her part, Gilda seemed uncomfortable. Her expression was somewhere between angry and confused, and her talons dug into the wooden table.

Turning to see Twilight Comet, Gilda grabbed a cupcake that was on the table in front of her and shot toward the pair.

"Finally," she huffed out. "You're here. That pink... thing -- no way that's an actually pony -- would not stop talking about being--"

"You're royalty?!" Twilight cut in, causing Gilda to freeze and all the ponies to turn, looking at the two of them and Spike.

"...Wh...wh... what?" Gilda finally asked, stepping back and looking around. "That's ridiculous. You're being ridiculous. Where would you even get such a crazy idea."

"Spike?" Twilight said, motioning to the small dragon standing behind her.

Spike unrolled the scroll he held and cleared his throat.

"'My dear student,'" he read aloud. "A member of the newly arrived delegation from The Griffon Kingdom has decided to leave her security retinue and explore Equestria on her own. Please be on the look out for a female griffon with purple markings around her eyes who answers to the name of Gilda. It is quite important that she returns prior to the meeting, as she is a future Duchess and leader of The Mountain Shadow clan."

"'Future Duchess!'" Twilight repeated, turning back to Gilda. She pointed a hoof. "You are royalty! And the future leader of a clan of griffons. The whole reason you're in Equestria is some sort of inter-kingdom meeting."

Twilight's eyes suddenly went wide as her jaw dropped open.

"I... I threatened visiting royalty. I threatened visiting royalty!"

Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as she started breathing in short, ragged gasps.

"What's the punishment for creating an international incident?" she asked. "I might get locked up... or banished.... or banished then locked up in the place I've been banished to."

"Twi," Gilda said.

"I'm going to have a criminal record," Twilight cried out.

"Twi."

"How am I going to get in The Wonderbolts now? They'll never take me if I have a criminal record."

"Twi-light!"

"I'll be locked up in some other place I've been banished to, and never able to join The Wonderbolts. I'll be stuck trying to eke out a living from inside my cage."

"HEY EGGHEAD!" Gilda shouted, causing Twilight to jump and squeak out.

"You see? This --" she motioned with a talon at Twilight "-- is why I don't want to be thought of that way. As soon as any griffon or pony finds out that you're 'royalty' they start acting weird and treating you different."

There was a moment of quiet as Twilight's face shifted. Her mind reeled as she tried to catch up with what she had just heard.

"You mean... you wanted me to yell at you for being a jerk?"

"YES!" Gilda shouted, wings flaring out. "You have no idea how much today has meant to me. Applejack finally paid me back for how I treated her, you actually called me out on being a..." she looked around "... jerk to your little friend there, and your other friend over there has been about ready to blast me at the slightest provocation for how I treated 'her brother.'"

Stopping, Gilda looked down at the cupcake that was in one of her talons.

"Here," she said as she held it out to Spike. "The pink thing says it has sapphires on it because you eat gemstones or something. Sorry for embarrassing you in front of Twilight like that."

Spike took the cupcake, looking at it with wide eyes. Licking his lips, he pulled it closer. His mouth opened wide as he bit down, eating more than half of it, paper and all. His eyes closed as he let out a small moan of happiness.

Gilda watched a moment, then turned her attention back to Twilight.

"All the stuff I put you through in flight school, all the stuff I've done today, most of it is how I am back home. You know what happens? Nothing." Her wings flickered and tail lashed back and forth. "Grandpa talks about how we are a proud and fierce race of warriors, and pretty much every griffon I treat horribly just put up with it. I don't even know if I have any actual griffon friends because..."

The rest of the statement was forgotten as Gilda suddenly had Pinkie Pie pressed against her, front legs around the griffon and tears in her big blue eyes.

"...what is she doing?"

"You poor thing," Pinkie Pie sobbed out. "Everyone needs friends, even grumpy griffons like you."

"Uh... yeah... thanks." Gilda grabbed one of Pinkie's forelegs and tried to pull it off. "Can you let go of me now?"

"Don't worry," Pinkie declared, no longer crying. "I'll be your friend, and I -- cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye -- Pinkie Promise not to treat you any different than any other friend."

"Okay, great. Now let me go."

With that, Pinkie finally let go of Gilda and pronked back to the counter.

"Well that was weird," Gilda said as watched the pink thing bounce away like a ball. "Anyway," she turned her attention back to Twilight again, "it's been nice to actually be treated like a regular griffon for a change. To actually be called out and stood up to." She grinned and snickered. "Even if it was by a bunch of dorky little ponies."

Getting up she started for the door.

"Guess I better get going to Canterlot then. If Celestia is sending messages looking for me, then grandpa is probably worried." At the door, she turned to look back. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anygriffon what happened with you or Applejack." She smirked. "And who knows, maybe I'll be able to bag off and visit again before we head home."

Pushing the door open, Gilda stepped outside and took off.

Twilight stood there, wings open and drooping to the floor as she stared at the exit. Her mind was reeling as she tried to process everything that had just happened. Gilda, the griffon that had bullied her and Applejack in flight camp, was royalty. Royalty. Not only that, but she was actually happy that Twilight had yelled at her and Applejack had beat her up.

It was all too much for the pegasus. Straightening up, she headed for the door.

"Uh... Twi?" Rainbow called out. "Are you okay."

"I'm going to bed," Twilight said, not looking back. "It's been a long day."

"It's... It's not even noon."

"I know."

Comments

[Comickook]

Well, I have to admit, THAT was certainly unexpected - in a good way. :-D Thanks very much for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Once again, splendid job on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places.

I'm guessing the next story set in this universe (after this one is over) will be the Boast Busters adaption with the unicorn version of Lightning Zap, but I will freely admit that I could be wrong.

At any rate, I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.