The Spirit of Loyalty

by Matthew Penn

Chapter 5

When the last rose was placed on the ground, the funeral came to a close. Some returned home while many others joined together for lunch at Sugarcube Corner. The Sisters returned to Canterlot that afternoon, but not before they gave their condolence to Twilight and her friends.

Pinkie never stopped noticing Gilda since the day began. She was the only one left when the park was empty. She sat on the front row with her head down. Sometimes Gilda will raise her head to glance at the sculpture before bringing it down. Pinkie called for Twilight to tell her she’ll join them for lunch later. When she pointed to Gilda, Twilight gave an approving nod and went away.

Gilda gazed at the sky while she was sitting. She imagined that somewhere, in the clear blue sky, Rainbow Dash was taking a nap on a cloud. But those days were over now. She had nopony left. Rainbow Dash was never coming back, and she was one who drove her away.

“Gilda,” somepony said to her. She turned to head to see Pinkie taking a seat next to her.

“Oh… it’s you. What do you want?”

“I was just wondering if you would like to have lunch with us?”

“Us?”

“My friends and I.”

Gilda gave a suspicious look on Pinkie. Why would she do this? After everything she has done, Pinkie invites her to lunch. She was as crazy as she last saw her. Gilda thought for a moment, then brought her head down. “No,” she sighed.

“Why?” Pinkie said disappointingly.

“Come on, don’t be stupid. You know why. Remember all the things I did? I stole stuff, I was trying to separate you and Dash, I yelled at you at that party…”

The bitterness was too much. Gilda turned herself away from Pinkie. “I made some bad decisions in my life. The biggest one I made is cutting Dash loose… and I’m still paying for it. And now she’s dead.”

“Don’t feel bad,” Pinkie said. “I’m sure everypony will forgive you if you give them the chance.”

“What if they don’t?”

Pinkie reached for her claw and held it. Gilda wanted to snatch her claw away, but the bitterness and self-loathing inside her melted away, but she still couldn’t look at her. Pinkie held on and never let go.

“Please come,” Pinkie said. “I promise there won’t be any pranks.”

With one look into Pinkie’s eyes, Gilda didn’t have the heart to say no. However, she believe she will regret the decision, like so many others she made in her life. Pinkie smiled and led her to Sugarcube Corner.

---

Everypony from friends, acquaintances, classmates; anypony who knew Rainbow Dash well had lunch together at Sugarcube Corner. They sat in tables and booths, with plates of sweets, and shared fond memories of their favorite pegasus. The smell of confectionary snacks took their minds off the sadness of the funeral, if only for a brief moment. Twilight, her friends, and the Royal Couple shared one table, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders shared a little table by the window. They spoke little, and had cups of hot chocolate in their hooves. Ponies would often go up to Twilight and her friends and gave their condolences to them, and tell them how much Rainbow Dash meant to them.

Princess Cadance looked over her shoulder and saw the three fillies sitting together in silence. None of them made eye contact. She noticed that the orange filly had her head down the entire time. Cadance figured that she was the one was really close to Rainbow Dash. She turned to her husband and whispered something in his ear, then Shining nodded to her.

She approached the fillies with a sympathetic smile. “Hello,” she said softly. The fillies hardly had time react when they saw the princess. She held her hoof out. “It’s okay. Do you mind if I sit with you?” They nodded. She added another chair to their table. Cadance smiled at them so they wouldn’t have to be nervous. “I remember you three,” she said. “All of you were flower girls at my wedding.” The fillies nodded in agreement, but the little unicorn tried to smile. “Can you tell me your names?”

“My name’s Apple Bloom… Your Highness,” the earth pony said. She bowed her head. Cadance giggled.

“There’s no need for formality,” she said. She turned to the unicorn, and learned her name was Sweetie Belle. “You have a lovely voice, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie smiled again just as her white cheeks turned red. Then she turned her attention to the pegasus.

“... Scootaloo.”

Cadence placed her hoof on Scootaloo’s arm. She had no place that everything will be okay, but she wanted to let the filly know that she was never alone.

“Shining Armor I must say that Princess Cadance has a way with children,” Rarity said. They looked on as Cadance interacted with the fillies.

“She does, doesn’t she?” he said. “As I recall, she used to foalsit a certain unicorn.” Twilight took her eyes off her glass of hot chocolate when she heard her name. Then she looked at the princess talk with the fillies. She noticed that the girls gradually began to smile, if only for a little while. “The girls, were they friends with Rainbow Dash?” Shining asked.

“One of them was,” Applejack said. “Scootaloo - she’s the pegasus.” Shining saw an orange pegasus who tried her best to keep her forced half-smile. “She never had a family of her own, so Rainbow Dash acted as her big sister. They were together like peas and carrots until… that day.”

“Poor kid,” Shining said. “No child should ever have to go through that.”

“We were all very close to her,” Rarity said. “In fact, we were more than best friends. We were sisters with an unbroken bond.”

The conversation continued, then Pinkie entered Sugarcube Corner with a special guest. Applejack and Rarity gasped inwardly, but Twilight remained neutral.

“Sorry I’m late, guys,” Pinkie said. “I had to… pick up somepony.” Gilda awkwardly stood a few inches from Pinkie. She was unable to look at them in the eye. What was worse was there were many other ponies in the shop. Some glanced at her for a few seconds then returned to their business. They probably didn’t think much of her, she thought to herself. Gilda couldn’t blame them. Rarity wanted to speak, but a pleading look from Pinkie prevent her from saying anything. Pinkie sat next to Twilight and showed Gilda an empty seat next to her. She took it while not trying to make eye contact with Rarity and Applejack.

“... Hi,” she said.

“... Hey,” Applejack said.

“I’m pretty sure everypony remembers Gilda,” Pinkie said. Gilda wish she hadn’t said that. Nopony answered her, not even Twilight, but she showed no bitterness toward her.

“I don’t,” Shining said. He extended his hoof to Gilda and she took it into her claws, shaking it. “My name’s Shining Armor. Please to meet you.”

“Gilda,” she said, “and it’s nice to meet you too.” Rarity and Applejack glanced at each other before keeping their sight on her. Gilda felt the pressure emitting from their eyes, but she tried to ignore them.

“So, are all of you friends?” Shining asked.

“Well, I was friends with Rainbow Dash. We were best buds when we met at flight camp, but… we had a falling out,” she answered with remorse.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Shining said. “You two must’ve been good friends.”

“We were… but that’s all behind me.” Applejack and Rarity soften their gazes, but they were not sure if Gilda has genuinely changed. They found it strange that she reconsidered her attitude just as Rainbow Dash died. Twilight, despite the welcome party incident, sensed some shame and guilt in Gilda. “I don’t want to sound like a crybaby, but if Dash were alive, she’d wouldn’t want to see me.”

“Why not?”

“We had an argument a few years back, then I blew her off. We hadn’t seen each other since then. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m positive Dash has completely forgotten about me.”

“... I wouldn’t say that,” Twilight said. Gilda wasn’t sure if the unicorn was talking to her. She looked her direction, and she was right. Twilight was speaking directly at her. “Gilda, you wouldn’t have known, but Rainbow always talked about giving you a second chance the next time you two meet again. She felt terrible about how badly things turned out during your last visit.”

“She did?”

“Yes. The only thing she ever wanted was to see you again.”

“I didn’t know that,” Applejack said.

“Me neither,” Rarity said.

“That’s why I brought her here,” Pinkie said, “so we can put what happened behind us. Gilda, I just want to say that I’m sorry for what I did to you. It was your welcome party, and we never should have pulled those mean pranks on you. On behalf of our good friend Dashie, I want to properly welcome you to Ponyville.”

Pinkie reached her hoof out to Gilda. She was unsure, but she knew in the bottom of her soul that something good is happening. She took it.

“Thank you,” she said. Her eyes were tingling. “And I’m sorry for… all the awful things I did to you.”

“Do you think we can be friends, now?”

“... Sure.”

Pinkie attached her body to Gilda’s. Her body temperature was rising. She felt a tingling sensation on her chest. It was a strange feeling she had never felt before. She slowly wrapped her arms around Pinkie. She didn’t know it, but a little smile formed on her beak.

“Gilda,” Applejack said, “if three of my best friends found it in their hearts to accept you, then so can I.”

“Thanks.”

Rarity approached Gilda next. “Madame, I know our first meeting was a sour one at best, but they are absolutely right. Life's too short and precious to spend holding grudges. Rainbow Dash would not have wanted it that way. I would be honored if you accept my friendship as well.”

That strange feeling inside Gilda was growing stronger. She felt the hole in her heart being filled. A rush of emotions she never knew coursed through her. Small tears formed in her eyes, and Gilda quickly wiped them away.

“What’s going on here?” Cadance asked. Of course, the answer was already presented to her. She smiled when she saw Twilight and her friends hugging a misty-eyed griffon.

---

Gilda forgot about all her troubles since making peace with Pinkie Pie. She shared her fondest memories of Rainbow Dash, as did Pinkie and the others. She had no idea how much she had in common with them. Finally, life had given a fresh start she always prayed for. All the baggage she carried with her was less heavy. Applejack raised her cup of hot chocolate and proposed a toast to the departed Rainbow Dash. In the midst of it all, Gilda finally realized something she had overlooked.

“Where’s that yellow pony?” she asked.

“You mean Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, her. Where is she?”

Like a ton of bricks, everypony remembered Fluttershy’s absence at the funeral. They thought of answers, but Applejack settled for honesty.

“Well, she didn’t come,” she said.

“Oh,” Gilda said disappointingly. “That’s too bad. You know, I thought about her everyday since I left town. I wish I hadn’t done what I did. The face she made when I yelled at her… I can’t get it out of my head. And she was just helping a bunch of ducks cross the street.” She was feeling bitter once more.

“I’m sure Fluttershy will forgive you if she was here,” Pinkie said. “It’s just that… what happened to Rainbow Dash hit her pretty hard.”

“I couldn’t imagine. Still, I wish I can apologize to her.”

“I’m sure you’ll get the chance,” Twilight said.

Later that day a grand chariot waited outside Sugarcube Corner. A crystal guard called for Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. It was time for them to go their separate ways. Pinkie gave Gilda a friendship bracelet made out of rock candy. Pinkie told it belonged to somepony very close to her, and she hoped Gilda will meet her one day.

“That’ll be swell, kid… uh, Pinkie.”

“Are you going to come back?”

“... You know what, sure. I might just do that.”

“Pinkie promise?”

Gilda was puzzled at the concept of a Pinkie promise, but Pinkie Pie spent the next minute going through the basics with her. After various arm and body movements, the deal was set. They shared a quiet laugh.

Shining Armor approached her. They shook hoof and claw once more. “Good luck with whatever you decide to do in life. I know Rainbow Dash is very proud of you.”

“Thanks. I know she is, too.” Gilda stretched her wings and took herself off the ground. Everypony watched her until she disappeared into the sunset.

Shining and Twilight shared one last moment together before they parted. The siblings embraced each other, then he kissed her on her forehead. “Twilight, if you need anything - anything at all - even somepony to talk to, we’re not far.”

“Thank you.” They let go of each other. No matter how bad things are in her life, Twilight was always lucky to have a loving brother like Shining Armor. He smiled at her other friends. “Take care of each other.”

“We will,” Applejack said.

“It’s what friends are for,” Pinkie added.

Princess Cadence spent the last few moments with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She knelt to their level and gazed into their eyes. With a glowing smile she gave them a commandment:

“I want the three of you to enjoy your lives and celebrate those around you. Don’t worry about what will happen in the future, and stop dwelling on the past, and appreciate what the present has to offer.”

She set her attention solely on Scootaloo. “You may think you are alone, but you’re not. You have many friends who care about you and will always love you. I know Rainbow Dash will tell you the same thing.”

Cadance drew the fillies into a hug, and a pink aura surrounded them. The magnificent glow dissipated once she released them. She turned to Twilight and her friends. “All of you are welcome to visit us anytime you like, even these wonderful fillies.”

The farewells were completed. Shining and Cadance departed from them. It was going to get dark soon.

“Well, I guess we should be heading home,” Applejack said somberly. “We had a long day.”

“I’m worried about Fluttershy,” Pinkie said. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“She just needs time, sugarcube. Rainbow Dash was her entire world.”

“I’ll try to stop by her home tomorrow,” Rarity said, “in case she needs anything. Heaven knows she’ll need her friends by her side.”

They said goodnight to each other, then to their own homes they went. Scootaloo spent that night dwelling on Princess Cadance’s words. Despite her two best friends at her side, their sisters and many others who deeply care for her, Scootaloo felt utterly alone in the world. Without Rainbow Dash to guide her, who can she turn to?

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Without Rainbow Dash to guide her, who can she turn to?

Who, indeed?

Just a guess on my part, but I think that it's going to be a certain yellow Pegasus.

[Crimson Dawn]

Just a note Pinkie pranked Gilda once. All the other pranks were done by Dash.

Even so I really like how you have Pinkie trying to actively forgive Gilda (just like in the Griffonstone episode actually). You should have more moments with Pinkie and Gilda remembering Dash considering how important Dash was to the two of them.

[MidnightMocha]

Hmm... With the element of Loyalty gone... Who will replace her role? Maybe it's... Scootaloo...

Eh, who knows. I might as well be full of cheese. Why cheese in particular is something to ask Pinkie.