Shipfic Folder Series

by SS Nomad

In Which Gilda Falls in Love

Gilda felt disgraced. Flying home from Ponyville, she had nothing. Her only friend had just abandoned her, and she just had no idea how to process it. Nothing in her life had been like the friendship with Rainbow Dash, she just had no basis with which to cope. As she cruised over the tops of a massive grove of apple trees, she just had no idea what to do.

It was too much for her to handle. Tears welling in her eyes, she was forced to land. Perching in a tree, she tried hard to restrain herself. It was more than she could manage to just focus on staying in the tree. She curled up, digging her talons and claws into the bark for balance, and just nestled in the branches.

“What do I even do?” she sobbed, lost for how to deal with a failing friendship.

A chill breeze cut through the orchard, cutting to the bone. Gilda impulsively pressed into the crook of the branch she lay on, relying on the relative warmth of the wood to block out the cold. Something about it felt so calming, like a huge arm around her. She wasn’t really sure what she was feeling, but she nestled further.

The leaves of the tree rustled with the breeze, surrounding her with a relaxing white noise. She just felt so at peace here. It didn’t really make sense, but lying here in this tree was the only place she wanted to be right now. She didn’t want to go back home to the ruins of Griffonstone, to the desolation and reminder that she had nothing left for her life, and she certainly couldn’t return to Ponyville proper. All she had now was this wonderful spot in this tree.

With a calmer voice, asking nobody, she repeated herself, “So what do I do?”

The branches simply swayed.

“There’s no point, is there? She’s already gone. I fucked up,” she grumbled, laying lengthwise along the bough.

For some reason, a chill ran down her spine. She felt like she wasn’t quite alone. Looking around in a hurry, she didn’t see a thing, but the feeling remained. All the could see was the rustling of leaves.

“Hello?’ Gilda called out, “Who’s there?”

The air was silent save for the creak of the tree she sat in. It was only then that she noticed that the other trees were totally still. She paused. It was probably just her shaking the tree by being in it. It probably made sense. Yet…

“Wait, can you… hear me?” Gilda asked awkwardly.

The branch she lay on distinctly sagged underneath her, despite her remaining frozen.

Gilda had no idea how to respond. She was talking to a tree. No, that was dumb, trees don’t talk. It was surely a coincidence.

Some part of her was still hesitant to believe that, so she tested once more, “Um… do something if you want me to leave?”

The tree, as with all those in the orchard, was still. Gilda felt completely ridiculous, but relieved. It was just a tree. She relaxed again, resting her chin on the branch and letting her body droop. A part of her was happy for the absurd distraction of it all. Getting her mind off of Dash was immensely helpful.

“This is a nice tree, though,” she mumbled.

Something light landed on top of her head and sat there. Gilda froze, surprised, and slowly reached up to see what it was. It was soft, and clearly not threatening. Grabbing it gently in her talons, she lifted it and pulled it into view.

It was a single apple blossom.

“Oh my god, you’re real,” Gilda sputtered, whipping around to stare at the tree trunk.

She wanted to fly, but she lay there, stock still. The gentle rustle of the leaves and relaxing sway of the branch she was in slowly eased her back into calm. However this tree… existed, it clearly didn’t want her upset.

Taking a big gulp, Gilda looked up into the leaves above her, “Okay. You’re a tree that understands words. I can almost pretend that’s a thing.”

The sound of the leaves was lighter, higher pitched, cheery.

Gilda let slip an awkward laugh, “So I guess you heard me when I got here.”

The moment was quiet, but not silent, as the branches creaked sadly.

“Thank you,” she mumbled under her breath, “You had no reason to care about me.”

As the tree stayed silent, Gilda grumbled and covered her face with a talon, “I still can’t believe I’m talking to a tree.”

Another cold breeze shook through the orchard and gilda found herself pressing more tightly to the branch she lay on, the bough groaning with the sudden pressure. Her talons had dug into the bark on reflex, and she stared down at the cuts in the branch in shock. Something about the scene made Gilda incredibly embarrassed, and she hopped from the branch to stand by the trunk awkwardly.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, but the tree just rustled gently, calmly.

Looking up, Gilda was hit by a rush of instinct. She really wanted to mark the tree, to drag her talons across its trunk and claim it as her own. The urge was immense, and she found herself with a single talon resting on the bark, the tips of her claws catching on the surface. Tiny chips of bark flaked off at her touch, its papery layers yielding to her touch.

There was a creaking in the branches, but it didn’t sound like a complaint.

In a sudden and purposeful swipe, Gilda raked her talons through the bark, leaving four deep gashes to the sapwood. The tree’s crown above her shook with the force, shivers running through them as the tense branches sagged with relief. Gilda also felt an immense pressure drained from her as her instincts were satisfied. Looking at the cuts in the bark, she saw the sweet sap running down the trenches that she’d left in it.

With a slight waver in her voice and rapidly flushing cheeks, Gilda mumbled, “I should go… I’ll see you again some time.”

Rubbing her neck along an undamaged portion of the trunk, she walked off with an embarrassing flutter in her heart.

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