I don't particularly know why this gryphon is telling me about herself, but I don't mind. I'm just a tortoise, and the company is nice. I do hope that she and Rainbow do make up, but it will take a lot to get Gilda to get Fluttershy to
Gilda wants to be friends with RD again. Last time she was in town she sort of... made every one of Dash's friends her enemy, but especially Fluttershy. She will do anything that she can to get her best friend back. Even... apologize. It is told from the perspective of Tank, who is simply sitting in Rainbow Dash's home, and each day Gilda speaks with him about what happened, because who else is she going to tell?
"I had explained myself as fully as I could. 'I… I was just worried that I was going to lose you. And because I acted like an idiot, I totally did. I understand if you don’t forgive me. You don’t have to. I was a total jerkwad.'
She just shook her multicolored mane. 'We’ve been friends since we were what, six? This might have been a bump, but this won’t break that friendship. Just one catch before I can really forgive everything, though…'
'What?' I asked desperately. 'I’ll do anything. You were pretty much my only friend, Dash. I’ll do what it takes to prove I’m worth it again.'
Dash’s face was kind, but it grew a little more serious. 'You scared Fluttershy. She still doesn’t like you at all, and we hang out all the time. I can’t have two friends that are enemies. We can still hang whenever I visit, but there’s no way you’re going to be able to hang here unless you fix that.'
'I can’t just go back home. It’s like a day and a half away! How do I fix it this late? It’s after ten already.' I was pretty desperate.
She had to think for a moment. 'You can stay here tonight I guess, and I’m not planning on hanging out with her until next Saturday, so… I guess you can stay until then. Think you can fix things with her by then?'
I swallowed hard. 'I… I’ll try.' I had one week to see if I could keep my best friend. This stunk.
'Come on, Gil. You’re the biggest, toughest girl I know, and I know Applejack. You can do this.'
That was last night. It took everything that I had to open up to Dash like that. My best, and oldest friend. If I hadn’t done it that night I don’t think I could have even done it. How would I get that little dweeb- I mean- Fluttershy, who’s not even close to my regular kind of friend, to like me?
It was early when I woke up the next day. Most of Ponyville would still be asleep. They were normal enough for that at least. Though I did learn from Dash that one pony always woke up just before the sunrise to feed the last of the nocturnal animals before they go to sleep. No one would see me. I flew high in the air to avoid anypony walking on the ground, and landed a little ways from her house.
Sure enough, I saw her walking around. ‘Hey, Shy girl.’
She turned to look at me, and dropped the bucket she was holding. Her eyes shrank, and she was inside her house in half a second. It was about the greeting I was expecting.
I rolled my eyes, and walked up to the door, and knocked. ‘Can we talk?’
There was no response.
I knocked again after about a minute of silence. ‘I know you’re there. I saw you go in. I swear a just want to talk.’
She said something that time, but it was WAY too quiet for me to hear.
‘Uh, can you speak up?’ I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she was just such a cry baby sometimes.
The voice was a little louder. ‘Please go away.’ I barely made it out.
‘C’mon. I just want to talk with you.’ I knew that I could probably break down the door, but that wouldn’t help things.
I heard the sounds of steps going away from the door.
‘Darnit. Fine! I’ll apologize some OTHER time.’ And with that I flew away.” she said staring at the ceiling.
“I don’t really know why I’m telling you, Tank, but it just feels better sharing it. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
As a tortoise I did not respond, but I did blink slowly, and I am an excellent listener. No one knew the plans that I had implemented, and none would until it was too late, but that is an entirely different story. This story is about the gryphon. She spent much of the day at my owners abode thinking of plans of attack on the matter, and complaining about how difficult it was to talk to cowards. My former protector was not always good with confrontation, but she wasn’t a coward when it truly counted. I did not at that time hold the linguistic skills to tell her such. Let’s get on with her story. She spoke with me again the next day after returning a bit later, and in a better temperament.
"I almost had her this time, she was scared before I even walked up, and so she noticed me from farther, but it gave me a few ideas. Anyway it went like this. I was walking toward her house, getting a couple of angry looks in town, and a lot of scared ones, but who cares about that. When I was near her tree house I saw her happy and talking to some fuzzy snakes or something. They were long, and looked like someone stretched out a cat. Whatever. I was still a ways away when I called out.
'Hey, dweeb, just let me talk this time.'
When I said it, she froze. I seriously don't think she was even breathing for a few seconds.
'Uh, you there?'
The little cry baby turned real slow to face me, and I was still walking closer slowly.
'Hey. I just want to talk. To say I'm sorry for what happened last time I was in town.'
I'm pretty sure she didn't hear the last part because by the time I finished saying it she was inside again. I could hear the sounds of her barricading the door. She left the bag of food on the ground, and left me angrier than yesterday, but I didn't want these little animals to be hurt just because I scared off their new mom. I fed all the little tube cats, then put the bag back in a little storage thing that was still open and full of animal food. I fed the birds after that, and one of the little furry things who I guess liked me sat on my back the whole time.
I didn't really mind.
I fed the cats probably more than I should have, and spent the middle of the day leaning against butterfly-butt's blocked door.
I don't know how many times I said, 'I. Just. Want. To. Talk!' but she either couldn't hear me, or didn't care, or was too scared to come out. Whatever.
The sun was about an hour and a half from going down so some of the night animals were coming out, and looked like they were expecting food. The storage thing was still unlocked, so I fed them too. Raccoons, and fruit bats, and whatever else. I guess I took a bit longer than I should have with the owls, but... It's kind of like I'm related to 'em. I've been called an owl cat at least a few dozen times, so whatever. I like 'em, and they look like me. Sue me. I stopped by the door one last time before I left.
'I fed all your stupid animals, and the cool ones too. Will you please come out for like ten seconds, so I can talk?' But of course I didn't even hear anything inside moving. "Ugh. Fine. I'll come back TOMORROW!'
I think I forgot to eat most of that day, so I grabbed something in town on my way here. I think they were scared of me, so they tried to discount it or something, but I payed full anyway. The whole goal is to get the town to like me so I can have my friend back. Then I ate and came here."
Gilda was not wrong about a few things. All of the animal food was stored in one place, and was easy to access. I believe the animal she couldn't identify were ferrets or stoats. She needed to plan something better than walking up, calling out to her, and letting her run. I knew a few things she could do, though I don't know if she could bear to manage them. She could definitely sneak up on my former keeper, and then getting close enough to grab her into a hug, which might confuse her, and calm her down enough to allow them to speak normally. I would have it written down for her by the time I saw her the next day. It was the simplest thing I could think of that didn't involve angering Fluttershy. She was not good to anger.
Gilda planned for a while, and ate dinner with my new keeper, and by now good friend. They talked of flying, tricks, moves, clouds, and a little bit about how it was slow work getting anything done with the shy one. It could, and would be done, though. This I knew for sure. This week would not be in vain. After eating, and Rainbow going to sleep the gryphon returned to me for more of my ever silent council.
"So, I think I know what to do. She's gonna hide as soon as she sees me, right? All I have to do is get between her and the door before she sees me. I think I can do that. There is no way that she's faster than a gryphon. I heard she can't even reach Cloudsdale without stopping on a low cloud along the way. This'll be fine. I'll get her tomorrow for sure."
Gilda did not speak with me that morning. I grazed upon the lettuce and other foods that were given me, and watched as the gryphon and Rainbow Dash both left to go about their daily duties. I used my propellers to get to what I needed. A piece of parchment, a container of ink, and settled myself in my favorite little spot near the window. It took some doing, but after only a half an hour I managed to remove the stop from the ink. Dipping the innermost nail of my right forefoot into the ink, I began to write. It was most of the day through before two things happened.
First I realized that it was rather unlikely that either my caretaker, or her visiting friend could read tortoise script, and secondly Rainbow returned, and took the ink and paper from me regardless, saying that I almost spilled it all over the floor. After a bit she had put the ink back, and took a second look at the paper. It was clear that she couldn't read it, but she did seem to note that it was some form of writing. After giving me a confused glance, and checking the page again she placed it in her saddle bag. I decided that drawing a diagram would be more straightforward and understood.
Not more than an hour after that Gilda returned, and Rainbow Dash went out on an errand of some sort. The recap of her day began.
"Hey, turtleface." She said as she walked tiredly through the door. I overlooked the comment for the time. She knew I was a tortoise. It was just her disappointment getting the best of her.
"So... yeah. Didn't work today either. I thought I had it. She was kind of on edge from the start because she was expecting me to come by at this point. I've been coming for a few days, so that's obvious that she'd think I was still coming. Still, I didn't think the dweeb would do that... er... don't tell Dash I called her friend that.
"Whatever. I thought It was a good plan. I snuck up quietly and got between her and the door, closer to the door than to her. I made sure not to make a peep until I was in position. I had it planned so well! So, I was sitting there, and she was feeding... I think it was squirrels at the time. 'Shy. I'm not leaving until you hear me out!' She looked toward the door, and started to bolt, then saw me in the way and..."
She dragged her claw across her face before continuing. "And she ran up a tree. She actually hid in an oak tree rather than talk to me. I... I didn't think I scared her THAT bad. Dang I messed up. Anyway, I walked under the tree I thought she was in. 'Come on! Come down. I just want to talk to you! I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!' In hindsight yelling probably didn't help her be less scared of me. Either way, I spent a few hours trying to get her to come down and listen, and all I got was some shaking tree branches in response. I might actually try catching her tomorrow.
"For tonight I'm going to eat something, spend some time thinking, and go to sleep."
With that she left me for the evening. I did not know where any other ink was in the house, but I did know where I could find a writing utensil. I would have to keep my diagram secret until I could get it to Gilda, but that wouldn't be too hard. Using my propeller I quickly found a pencil, a sheet of paper, and returned to my sleeping quarters. I buried the sheet shallowly to hide it, leaving only the corned I was working on exposed. The first thing I drew was a picture of Gilda. It took me a good amount of time, but it was clearly her, and that was the intent.
It would take much time to finish the diagram, and thus I stopped for the night and reburied it. My owner returned not long after. She fed and bathed me every night. She was a good owner. She took all of the advice she was given by Fluttershy for taking care of me. I am ever grateful that I was given to this pegasus instead of some family with children that know not the meaning of solitude which is required for a tortoise to thrive. We don't all mind company every now and again, but we do not so much play... I slept well that night. I was going to have to work hard to get my message across, for I was no true artist, and pictures were my only form of communication with this gryphon it seemed.