A Griffin In Distress

Chapters

Griffins Wings
A New Day
Old Demons
Final Goodbyes

Griffins Wings

A Griffin In Distress

Written By:Nathan Charles Cornett

Griffins Wings

"I am the one that planned all of those pranks Gilda, so I guess I am the one who is not cool here." The blue Pegasus said as she stared Gilda down.

"Come on Dash, you are Joshing me, right?" Gilda replied fearfully, hoping it was all just one big joke.

Time froze, ceased to move within Gildas mind at that moment, and she was thrust out of the scene altogether. She was an outsider of her own dreams, watching her best friend become her worst enemy right before her eyes. It had not always been this way, but as with all things time had changed Rainbow Dash. She was not a rebel anymore, focusing more on upholding the law and showing kindness to everypony she met. The mere thought sickened Gilda and she swallowed to hold down the bile building in her throat. This was all her fault, she was the reason Rainbow Dash was the way she was. She let Rainbow Dash run away to be a weather pony when she had the chance to keep her, and now she was paying for it. Had she just said no when Rainbow Dash asked if it would be okay, had she just been honest with herself, then she never would have lost her one and only friend. It was a truth that she was finding harder and harder to cope with everyday, but it was her truth and she shouldered it bravely.

Gilda awoke that night much the same as every other night, kicking and screaming. She had the same dream that night as the night before, and the night before it, and the one before that. In fact, Gilda had had the same dream for the past few months, and every night it grinded on her conscious more and more. To watch Rainbow Dash turn on her so easily, turn her into the darkness that she had been trying so hard to escape was horrifying, and every night the words of her former friend grew colder and deadlier. It was as if she was living the same day over and over again, trying to rewrite history in a way that would bring Dash back and make everything right again. Of course this task was next to impossible, and the dream would come like a bad cold for her every night.

Gilda made her way down the stairs of her home in a hypnotic state and placed a pot of coffee on to boil. When the coffee was ready she poured herself a cup and drank it black, savoring every last ounce of caffeine she could draw from it. Her sleepless nights were taking a toll on her energy, so to balance it Gilda resorted to lots and lots of coffee. A fair trade in her eyes, but really just another mistake that she would come to regret later.

The sun was just starting to rise over Equestria, bathing the land in a milky yellow-orange glow that burned away the last hints of grogginess in Gildas mind. She was fully awake, her wings stretching and retracting with her breath to prepare themselves for the work ahead. Just because her body was reluctant to perform the duties required of Gilda day to day did not mean that the work that needed done could wait. Gilda was the mail griffin of Manehatten; her speed and agility put her top of the list for such a job, and the length of time it took to deliver the mail was always welcomed by Gilda. She used the time she had alone to think and reflect on her life, always evaluating her decisions and trying to figure out where she had gone wrong.

"Come on Gilda, would you watch where you are going?" A passerby yelled as she jumped out of Gilda's way.

"Sorry." Gilda replied with deep frustration as she zoomed through the skies to make her next delivery.

"Whoa, could you maybe be more careful?" another Pegasi bellowed as he pulled his son out of Gilda's path.

"I will try." Gilda retorted as she banked a turn and reached her destination. "Jeeze, this job is going to be the death of me."
She landed gracefully on the street below her and tried to catch her breath.

"Well, I would hate to be here when you do die."

Gilda turned, shocked and amazed by the voice that had come from behind her, and instantly threw her arms around a cyan blue Pegasus pony.

"Hey now Gilda, careful, I just got done clearing some storm clouds out of Ponyville." Rainbow Dash said as she stepped back out of Gildas firm embrace.

"Oh yeah? Still working that dead end job in that dead end town?" Gilda asked playfully, giving Rainbow Dash a little shove with her talon.

"Oh, you mean my wonderful job as a weather pony in the absolutely beautiful town of Ponyville?" Rainbow Dash remarked, shoving Gilda back playfully.

"Yeah, that one." Gilda grumbled. "So anyway, what brings you to Manehatten?"

"Well, I am actually here to visit you." Rainbow Dash said with a smile.

Gilda froze up, her shoulders tensing and her wings retracting quickly. Rainbow Dash was here to see her? Really? That did not make any sense. Last time Gilda had seen Rainbow Dash she had told her to leave until she could be nice to her friends. Why had she come back now? Was it some kind of trick Rainbow Dash was playing to mess with Gilda's head again? Gilda was lost in her thoughts, things happening too quickly for her to understand. Logically there was no reason why Rainbow Dash should be here now, standing in front of her smiling her stupid smile and trying to be friendly to her, but there she stood. Gilda resolved to be cautious around her for now, not willing to leave herself open and vulnerable again.

"Really? What brought that on?" Gilda asked hesitantly, trying to be as friendly as possible.

"Well, I got some time off and really had no reason to be in Ponyville. I remembered that you had moved out here to Manehatten and decided that I should come out here for my vacation." Rainbow Dash said exaltedly.

"Ah, well that is great." Gilda lied, hoping Rainbow Dash had not caught the somber tone in her words.

"Yeah, so where is your pad at, I'm beat." Rainbow Dash said as she looked around her.

"It is up there on the hill." Gilda replied as she pointed off towards the north.

Rainbow Dash looked around for a few seconds, using her front right leg to shield her eyes from the glowing, orange giant setting behind the treeline. When she finally found Gilda's house her jaw dropped and she turned to Gilda.

"That is your house?" Rainbow Dash asked in amazement.

"Yes, it is. Now lets go before someone thinks we are up to something." Gilda replied as she lifted herself up into the air and started off towards her house. Rainbow Dash followed close behind, wonder and amazement still sparkling in her bright purple eyes.

Gildas house was not really a house per-say, but rather a mansion at the top of the highest hill in Manehatten. Of course, there were many rumors of how she had come into ownership of the mansion and each one was always more ludicrous than the last. Some said that Gilda had killed the previous owner of the mansion and taken it for herself. Others said that she had previously been married to a very wealthy stallion and when he died she took over ownership of the estate. Still others said that she was heir to royalty and had been given the house with the passing of the Griffin queen and king. The rumors were creative to say the least, but only one of them was close to being right. It was true, she had inherited the mansion, but she did not inherit it from a king or queen. When her parents died they left her everything they had built up, so that she would have a comfortable life. Gilda liked the fact that she always had a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in, but the rumors that came with it were not always worth it.

Gilda arrived at the mansion first, followed closely by Rainbow Dash. Gilda unlocked the front door and hovered in, allowing the warm air from outside to enter the cold, barren room inside. Rainbow Dash was not as calm about her entrance as Gilda had been and burst her way in, looking all over the place for a bite to eat.

"Hey Dash, what are you doing?" Gilda asked with a questioning look on her face.

"Um, looking for food." Rainbow Dash replied sheepishly.

"Ah, I should have figured. The kitchen is down the hallway and to the right. I'll be in there shortly to make us something to eat." Gilda said as she started to walk off.

"Wait a minute, you can cook?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda curiously.

"Of course, I do live by myself you know." Gilda replied carelessly as she disappeared into a side room and closed the door.

"Hmmm, wonder what is wrong with her." Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she entered the kitchen and began to look for a snack.

"Damn it mom, why did you and dad have to leave?" Gilda whispered as she ran a talon over the picture of her mother and father on the table by her bed. "It just is not fair!"

Gilda placed her head in her talons, holding back the tears forming in her throat. Her parents had died many years ago in an accident and she had been on her own ever since. Her mother was a doctor and her father owned the local pet shop in town. Together they were known as the most influential pair of Griffins to live in Manehatten and they had earned that title. They cared about everypony, and did all they could to make them happy. They also cared about Gilda, their bundle of joy, and always took time to make her feel like the most important Griffin in the world. To achieve this goal Gilda's parents would pack up their bags and take a trip to Cloudsdale every year in the summer to watch the Wonderbolts perform. It was her favorite and fondest memory with her parents, but now it just seemed to make her heart throb even more.

"I just want to feel their embrace again, just want to hear them say 'I love you' one more time." Gilda mumbled out somberly as she curled up into a ball on her bed. The heat from outside did little to help her mood and she was beginning to feel a headache coming on. It was as if this day was devolving with every passing second and it made Gilda angrier and angrier.

"Ugh, I just want things to be normal again!" Gilda screamed as she tossed the frame housing her family portrait across the room and buried her head in a pillow on the bed. "I want my friend back, and I want to feel like someone loves me again."

Gilda skipped along beside her parents happily, taking in the beauty of the city around her and waving to any stallion or mare that would notice her. Inside Canterlot that day there was quite the hustle and bustle; ponies were travelling from here to there picking up odds and ends that they needed for the day and catching up on fond memories with friends. At the center of town however, inside the great cloud dome, was possibly the largest gathering in Canterlot history.

"Hey mom, what is up with all of the ponies gathered together over there?" Gilda asked as she pointed to the mass of ponies.

"Oh, all of those ponies are gathered to see the induction of the newest captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire." Gildas mother said as she continued to trot towards the gathering.

"Oh cool! Can we go see it, can we, please?" Gilda was bouncing up and down now begging her mother to let her see the grand new captain of the Wonderbolts.

"Why of course dear, that is why we are here in Canterlot afterall."

"Really? Awesome!" Gilda smiled brightly as she stepped into the crowd waiting for her turn to meet Spitfire. That day Gilda not only met the captain of the Wonderbolts, but got to watch them perform in a private showing just outside of Canterlot castle.

Of all of the memories Gilda still remembered from her time with her parents that one always seemed to shine the brightest. Whenever Gilda felt down and out, like the world was against her and nothing could help her, she would always turn to this memory and let it save her. Every time she ran to it, and every time it had saved her, but this time she felt things may not be the same as always.

After a half hour more of Gilda's pity party she finally regained her composure and got ready to go make dinner. In the kitchen Rainbow Dash was sitting at the table with a look of starvation in her eyes. Gilda chuckled for a brief moment at her and then went to the pantry to get some ingredients out.

"So, what is on the menu tonight?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda calmly.

"Oh, just a nice little Daisy stir-fry. I have not had it in awhile and it sounds really good right now." Gilda replied just as calmly as Rainbow Dash had and then set the Daisies and other items on the counter.

"Ah, that sounds awesome. I can't wait." Rainbow Dash replied in ecstasy as her mouth began to water more and more.

"Careful Rainbow, if you slobber all over my table waiting for dinner I will make you clean it up." Gilda said as a playful smile danced across her face.

After Rainbow Dash and Gilda had finished eating the lovely Daisy stir-fry Gilda decided that it was starting to get late and elected to call it quits for the night.

"Hey Gilda?" Rainbow Dash said with curiosity laced in every syllable like a drug.

"Yeah Dash?" Gilda replied as she began to make her way down the hallway towards her bedroom.

"Are you okay? You seem like somethings really got you down today."

The words hit Gilda harder than anything had in her whole life. Every shield, every little barrier that Gilda had built to keep herself together while Rainbow Dash was away had just been decimated by one simple sentence. Gilda held, as tight as she could, to her composure as it began to slip into the void. She knew that she could not loose it now, let herself look weak and feeble in the eyes of her long time competitor and friend. There were many things that Gilda could say she was; hot headed, strong, fierce, sometimes even mean, but the one thing Gilda was not and never would be was weak, and she sure would not show it now.

"Oh you know, the mail delivery business has been a little stressful lately and your random appearance here in Manehatten was just a little much to deal with is all." Gilda replied hoping that it would be enough to keep Rainbow Dash off of her back.

"Oh, so what you are saying is that you don't want to see me?" Rainbow Dash asked with sadness in her voice.

"Just great," Gilda thought to herself, "instead of getting her off your back now she thinks you do not even want her around. You are one of the biggest fuck ups in this whole town." The trotting of hooves behind her grinded on her nerves, every other step like a rock falling on her spine and breaking her back.

"That is not it Dash, it is just that I was not expecting you is all." Gilda retorted hoping that it would quell the Blue Pegasis mind and get her off Gilda's back.

"Oh, well I can understand that. Hopefully tomorrow will be better though."

Gilda had not even thought about what tomorrow might bring, and for the time being she resolved to keep it out of her mind. There was enough building on her plate already, the last thing she needed now was to even consider how she was going to survive a full day with her best friend/greatest enemy behind her the whole time.

As Gilda and Rainbow Dash reached the end of the hallway Gilda showed Rainbow Dash to the room she would be staying in and said goodnight.

"Hey Gilda." Rainbow Dash said.

"What is it now Dash?" Gilda asked, frustration beginning to grow in her features and tone.

"I'm excited for tomorrow. I can't wait to catch up on things and reminisce about old times."

"Yeah, me too Dash. Now get to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Okay, goodnight Gilda."

Goodnight Rainbow Dash."

As Gilda retired to her room to sleep her mind was in a wreck of a state and Gilda decided it would be too much work to sift through it all. She still had a few things nagging on her conscious, and she had to get them figured out if she ever hoped to get Rainbow Dash back. First off she had to figure out how she was going to handle herself when around Rainbow Dash. She had nearly lost it at the first show of compassion from the simple weather mare, anything more than that and Gilda might literally fall to pieces. Next she had to come to terms with the fact that Rainbow Dash was there in Manehatten visiting her. It had been nearly twenty four hours since Rainbow Dash had shown up out of nowhere and Gilda still believed it was all just a mirage, a dream too good to be true. Finally Gilda had to figure out what it would take to get Rainbow Dash back. It had been awfully easy to lose her the first time, and this time she hoped it would be just as easy to get her back. All of these thoughts careened around in Gilda's head like little metal balls, pounding against the very fabric of her being and leaving her with virtually no energy.

"Ugh, all of this is just too much right now. Maybe after a little shut eye I will be able to get my thoughts together and figure this whole mess out." And with that Gilda closed her eyes and made one more attempt to get a decent nights sleep.

A New Day

For the first night in over three months Gilda was able to get a good nights sleep. There was no reoccurring nightmare, no startling jolt to consciousness, and no lack of sleep. Yes Gilda slept for a full seven hours and never once did she wake up. In the past several months the only time Gilda had been able to sleep for that many hours at once was the night she spent with Rainbow Dash while in Ponyville.
It was a feeling she was not used to, and she hoped that it would remain long enough for her to enjoy it.

"Ah, that actually was not a bad night for once." Gilda said quietly to herself as she hopped out of bed. "Well, I suppose I will go wake Rainbow Dash up and get ready to deliver the days mail."

Gilda exited her room slowly, hoping not to disturb Rainbow Dash if she did still happen to be asleep. Gilda secretly hoped Rainbow Dash was still asleep; it had been years since she had had the chance to wake Rainbow Dash up herself and she found a certain type of joy in the thought. As Gilda approached Rainbow Dash's room however she was met only with an empty bed and a messed up bed spread.

"Darn, she must have woke up already. Oh well, I will just head towards the kitchen and see if she is there. I know that is where I would be this early in the morning."

As Gilda entered the kitchen she was met with the hearty smile and outspread wings of a blue Pegasus pony who looked like she had already been around the world and back. Her mane looked like it had been styled by the wind itself and her breath was a tad bit heavier than usual. Gilda found it odd that Rainbow Dash would get out and fly this early in the morning, but decided everypony does odd things while on vacation and put it out of her mind for the time being.

"Well hey there Dashie, you look awfully chipper for this early in the morning." Gilda said as she moved towards the chair beside Rainbow Dash and took a seat.

"Do I? I did not notice anything different about myself this morning." A slight chuckle slipped through Dashies lips, "I am not normally up this early back at home, but I had a very good reason for getting up early today." Rainbow Dash replied as her smile grew even more.

"Oh yeah? and what might that be? To help me deliver the mail this morning?" Gilda asked playfully as she gave Rainbow Dash a little nudge.

"Well something like that. You see, while you were asleep I decided to go ahead and deliver all of your mail for the day. That way when you woke up you would not have anything to do and we could spend the whole day together."

Gilda froze where she was sitting, every muscle contracting itself into her very core. Rainbow Dash had delivered the mail for her today? But that was supposed to be her job. As far as jobs went in Manehatten every one of the other ponies were willing to help each other do their jobs but none of them were willing to help deliver the mail. The only ponies who ever delivered the mail in town were Gilda and one or two other Pegasi that Gilda rarely ever remembered the names of. The fact that a visitor to Manehatten was willing to volunteer their time and deliver the mail, and the fact that it was Rainbow Dash at that, absolutely floored Gilda and she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Are you alright Gilda? you are not mad at me because I did your job are you?" Rainbow Dash questioned her, concern deeply rooted in her words.

"No, I am not mad, I am just stunned is all. No pony ever wants to do the mail deliveries here in Manehatten. The only reason I took the job was because there were no other openings around town."

"Well, if it means I get to spend more time with you then I have no problem doing it. We do have an awful lot of stuff that we need to catch up on." Rainbow Dash said as she gave Gilda a big hug.

"You are either going to be the greatest thing that ever happened to me or the thing that kills me dead Rainbow Dash," Gilda thought to herself, "and I have yet to figure out which one it is going to be."

The plan for the day, as of now, was simple. Gilda planned to get to know Rainbow Dash again; figure out what made her tick and get inside of her head. It would not be easy, of this fact Gilda was well aware, but she knew that if she never tried to get Rainbow Dash back she would spend her entire life wondering about what could have been. Concrete in her decision she decided the best thing to do at the time was to take Rainbow Dash to the local hangout spot and let her get used to life here in Manehatten.

"So, Rainbow Dash, There is this really cool spot in downtown Manehatten that every pony who is anypony is at right now. You wanna go check it out with me?" Gilda said with hope in her voice.

"I do not know Gilda, I was actually hoping that me and you could hang out alone and talk some. I had a few things I wanted to talk to you about and I ca not do that if we are surrounded by other ponies." Rainbow Dash said as she hovered in front of Gilda.

Gilda thought about what Dash had just said for a minute. did Rainbow Dash really want to be alone with Gilda this early? After everything that had happened would it really be such a good idea? Gilda tossed the thought around in her head, trying to find some way to make it sound like a good idea.

"Well, do you want to or not?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. i just do not know where to go to hold a private conversation in Manehatten." Gilda replied.

"Hmmmmm, how about up there."

Gilda didn't even have to look, she knew exactly where Dash was pointing at.

As Gildas head broke through the thin layer of clouds that lay between the earth and the sky the only thing she could think about was what Rainbow Dash could be thinking about right now. It was not everyday that Rainbow Dash asked Gilda to sit on a cloud and talk, and when she did it was normally to discuss how things were between them.

"Oh no." Gilda thought in her head as she landed on a cloud beside Dash, "Right now is not the time to be talking about how things are between us." As Gilda thought about it more though she realized one very important thing, would there ever be a "right" time to talk about how things were between them? Gilda wanted to, she really did, but she knew that if she got wrapped up in that conversation right now there would be no way that she could control her words or emotions. She reasoned inside herself that this conversation would not be the one that she was fearing and prepared herself for whatever lay ahead.

"So Gilda, how has life been here in Manehatten lately?" Rainbow Dash asked hoping to break the awkward silence that had set between them.

"Oh it has been alright; delivering papers and mail in the morning and keeping myself relaxed and rested at night." Gildas answer felt more forced than she wanted it too and she hoped that Dash would not notice.

"Well that sounds simple enough."

"Yeah, and what have you been up to?" Ah, more natural, exactly how Gilda wanted it to be.

"Well, before this much needed vacation I was head of the weather team over in Ponyville. Yeah, I know it sounds like fun, but after awhile it starts to get stressful and I need some time off." Rainbow Dash replied as a tired smile pranced across her mouth.

"And that is why you decided to come here right? To get away from all of the chores and responsibilities in Ponyville?" Gilda liked where this was going, nothing close or personal yet, just nice, easy small talk.

"Well, I also came to see you as well Gilda. It has been awhile since me and you talked and I wanted to see how you were doing."

Gilda felt her stomach turn at the conclusion of Rainbow Dashes last sentence. Yes it was true that Gilda had prepared herself for this sort of thing, but that did not mean that she knew what to say once there. It was like an earth pony skydiving for the first time; it did not matter how ready for it they were when they got in the hot air balloon, when they reached the peak of the flight and had to jump they would still have no idea what to do. Gilda swallowed hard pushing more back than just fear and began to speak.

Well Dash, I have just been so busy here trying to keep the mail moving and..." Rainbow Dashes hoof met Gildas lips before she could finish her sentence and she instantly fell silent.

"Do not do this Gilda, not now. You have no need to make excuses right now. It was me who told you to leave when I did and me who stayed away as long as I have. It has not been easy for me but I just had to get to the point to where I could believe in myself enough to do this."

A solitary tear rolled down Gildas cheek as she listened to Rainbow Dash speak and she instantly knew the real reason why Rainbow Dash had come to Manehatten after all. She had not come to "relax" and "get away", no she had come to make amends with Gilda. It was touching to Gilda to know that Dash still cared but she had to be sure not to let Rainbow Dash know it.

"Ha! Rainbow Dash not believing in herself to do something? That is a new one." Gilda quickly felt a hoof nudge her side and she knew that Rainbow Dash would soon let the topic go.

"So, you really are the mail Griffin here in Manehatten after all?" Rainbow Dash asked Gilda as she lifted herself into the air.

"Yeah, and I am the best you will find in these parts." Gilda was always one to brag whenever the chance arose.

"Then prove it, slowpoke." and with that Rainbow Dash sped off into the clouds.

"Oh that is totally not fair, I will show her." Gilda reeled herself back, spreading her wings behind her, and with a burst of energy shot forward in hot pursuit of Rainbow Dash.

That night Gilda decided to make Mushroom stew with Daisy and Daffodil sandwiches. It was a meal Gilda had not ate much since moving to Manehatten and it held an odd sense of nostalgia in every bite. It was like eating a little piece of history and it left Gilda not sure how to feel. On one hand she was absolutely thrilled to be eating this sort of meal with Rainbow Dash again, but on the other she still believed that any meal with Dashie could be the last one with her. The feeling left Gilda unsure on how to approach any situation involving Rainbow Dash and she constantly became uneasy when their personal lives were brought up. She hoped it would be a simple phase; something to get through and be done with, but she knew that no such luck would befall her.

"Wow Gilda, this stew is so good. What all did you put in it?" Dash said through large mouthfuls of stew and sandwich.

"Oh, nothing too special; just some mushrooms and carrots with a hint of potato and a small bit of garlic." Gilda was happy Dash was enjoying the meal, she had tried her hardest after all to make it as perfectly as she could.

"So, what do you have planned for us to do tomorrow Dash?" Gilda asked Rainbow Dash as she slowly sipped the warm soup.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go to Cloudsdale and watch the Wonderbolts take on the Filly Fantasies in the top flier competition tomorrow."

"The Wonderbolts were performing tomorrow?" Gilda thought to herself. Gilda sat for a moment in silence as she thought about last week. Had there been an announcement that she had missed? She sure did not think so, she never missed any bit of news that came through the city. If the wonderbolts really were performing in Cloudsdale tomorrow then surely she would have known about it. She reasoned to ask Rainbow Dash how she found out about the performance, hoping to look somewhat knowledgeable about the goings on of her former home town.

"Oh yeah, they are performing tomorrow. Say Rainbow Dash, how did you find out about the performance tomorrow anyway?"

"Oh, through Rarity of course!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she finished off the last bit of food in front of her.

"Rarity? how would she know about the Wonderbolts performance tomorrow anyway?"

"Well, Rarity was actually assigned to design the new outfit that the Wonderbolts are going to be wearing tomorrow." Rainbow Dash was now hovering around the kitchen, searching for something more to eat.

"Huh, no kidding." the brown and white Griffin slowly rose from her chair and began to head for her bedroom.

"Hey Gilda, where ya going?" Rainbow Dash called to her from the kitchen as she took a muffin out of its box and began to eat it.

"I am going to turn in for the night Dash. It has been a long day and we need to be up bright and early tomorrow if we plan to make it to the show."

Gilda quickly entered her bedroom at the end of the hallway and shut the door. Once inside she proceeded to pull every drawer out of the dresser and toss every last piece of clothing inside the closet onto the floor. She was searching for something, something that she kept very close to heart. Back when Rainbow Dash and Gilda were in flight school Rainbow Dash had injured her wing and wound up in the infirmary. The blue Pegasus spent three days in the infirmary waiting for her wing to heal, and Gilda spent nearly every waking hour she could keeping Dash company. When Rainbow Dash was finally released from the infirmary she went into town and bought Gilda a small necklace with a picture of herself inside of it.

"It is so that you never forget me, just in case we do not see each other after flight school."

"Dash..."

Gilda was brought back to reality in a snap, tears flowing over her cheeks. It had been years since Rainbow Dash and Gilda had been in flight school but all of the memories still seemed so vivid and real.

"Ugh, where the hell is this damned necklace!" Gilda yelled as she fell to the floor. "I know I had it in here somewhere, it has to be here, it just has to."

Gilda spent the next hour searching for the small golden necklace that Dash had given her while remembering the golden days of flight school.

"Hey Rainbow Crash, bet you can not keep up with us." Hoops and Dumb-Bell said.

"I am not in the mood guys, can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Heh, she must be tired Hoops, guess we will just have to come back tomorrow," Dumb-Bell said.

"Yeah, looks that way Dumb-Bell." Hoops said and then suddenly pushed her off of the cloud she was standing on.

Rainbow Dash had little time to react before she felt the floor drop out from underneath her. She was falling; and it was not a normal everyday fall, but more over a fatal plummet to solid earth. She knew that if she did not do something soon she would hit the ground at near terminal velocity and be killed on impact. The thought of death scared her, being the young filly that she was, and she fought with all of her might to make her wings move. She tried and tried to change the direction she was moving but was met with failure every time. After several unsuccessful attempts at saving herself she finally gave up and prepared her body for the impact.

"Do not worry Dash, I will save you!" a golden brown Griffin called out as she shot towards Rainbow Dash like a rocket. Her speed was marvelous and Rainbow Dash had to do a double take to make sure what she was seeing was real. This Griffin was defying the laws of nature and moving at speeds that should not be possible by any living creature. It amazed Dash to see such aerial acrobatics as this and if she survived she would be sure to talk with this Griffin about her moves.

Gilda made it mere seconds before Rainbow Dash hit, wrapping herself around Dash and tumbling through the grass for a few hundred feet. When the dust cleared and the two were able to stand Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.

"Wow! That was so cool! You were so fast, and, and, you saved my life!" Rainbow Dashes eyes glowed in awe and then a realization hit her, "Wait, how did you know my name?"

"Oh, I saw you beat Fluttershy in a race across the camp grounds yesterday and thought it was really cool. I asked around until somebody told me who you were." Gilda chuckled as she finished her sentence, realizing how silly it must sound.

"Oh, so does that mean I am famous now?" Rainbow Dash flexed her wings and struck a valiant pose.

"Yeah, sure. My names Gilda by the way, in case you were wondering." Gilda beamed hoping she had impressed the pony known as the fastest filly flier in the camp.

"Gilda huh. Well Gilda, you are really awesome and I can not wait to get to know you better."

"Heheh, yeah Dash, I could not wait to get to know you better either. Seems we got to know each other a little too well though." Gilda tried to chuckle but was met with weak whimpering and more tears. It had been years since Gilda had had the chance to cry like this, and it felt good to let it go. The last time she had cried like this was the day she buried her parents and she promised that she would never cry again. "Well mom and dad, looks like I could not even keep that promise for ya."

The tears continued for a good fifteen minutes until Gilda could not cry anymore. She felt exhausted, her energy drained with her emotions but she still could not find sleep. Her mind just kept flashing back to Rainbow Dash and how badly she wanted things to work out. The problem was she did not know how Dash felt about the situation and at this rate she never would.

"Ugh, Dash, I love you. You will never know how much you really mean to me, but I am hoping to help you get there." Gilda quietly walked out of her room and down the hall, Rainbow Dash now peacefully asleep in dreamland. "Do not try to follow me Dash, I do not want you to get hurt."

Gilda slipped into the kitchen and pulled out a piece of paper from the counter drawer. She also took a pen from the drawer and began to scribble down a short letter to Rainbow Dash for the next morning.

"Goodbye Dashie, I wish you well." and with that Gilda was gone.

Old Demons

Rainbow Dash awoke a little uneasy the next morning as Celestias sun exploded through the window and across her face. She had had the weirdest dream the night before, a little night terror about Gilda running away. It was quite an interesting dream to say the least, but Rainbow Dash knew that Gilda cared too much about Manehatten and all those around her to just go and run away.

"Heh, probably should not have had that late night Daffodil smoothie last night." Rainbow Dash finally mustered up the energy to climb out of her bed and unsteadily tumbled out of her bedroom door. The walk down stairs was a hassle, Dash somehow forgetting how to put one hoof in front of the other, but after some trouble she made it safely to ground level and trotted into the kitchen.

As she entered the small area that Gilda claimed was a kitchen Rainbow Dash noticed a small note laying on the counter. She wearily stepped up to the counter, afraid of what she might find and began to read the small paragraph on the note.

Dash, sorry I am not there to tell you this in person but it is better that I am not. I do not know if you have noticed it but ever since you showed up I have been dealing with quite a lot of demons. That day, nearly four months ago now, when you told me to leave it left me broken and confused. See, I always thought that you were the coolest Pegasus that any Griffin could ever meet, and it hurt to see you turn on me that easily. I never truly got over what happened that day, I just tried to push it out of my mind and keep myself from thinking about you. when you showed up though it brought back everything I had worked so hard to push out of my mind and suddenly I was back in that tightly packed room with you and your friends again. You see, to be completely honest with myself, I love you. You are the only person who ever really got me and that is why I can not stay around. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, I am sure where I am going it will not be a problem with me anyway. I love you Rainbow Dash, take care and keep out of trouble for me.

~Gilda

By time Rainbow Dash had finished reading Gildas letter it was like her whole world had fallen apart. Tears had gone from stinging her eyes to flowing warmly over her sky blue cheeks and her teeth were slowly grinding against each other. It seemed as if that little nightmare Rainbow Dash believed to be only in her dreams was now a part of her life.

"Gilda, left? Why would she do such a thing? She has so much going on for her, so much here that matters. This just does not make any sense." Rainbow Dash felt her head start to pulsate lightly and she knew she would need some caffeine before she could actually think about this.

It took just under five minutes for the coffee pot to ding letting Rainbow Dash know that her little cup of caffeine heaven was ready and she took it black. The coffee felt good rolling down the back of her throat, its healing touch slowly revitalizing the worn out and already stressed Pegasus. suddenly a realization came to mind and Rainbow Dash thought back to Gildas letter.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you like, I am sure where I am going it will not be a problem with me anyway." the cup dropped out from underneath Rainbow Dashes now fading grip and shattered into several pieces against the wood lined floor below her. Of course Gilda would not have a problem with Rainbow Dash staying as long as she liked because Gilda never planned to come back.

"She is going to kill herself!" Rainbows words echoed through the many halls of the empty mansion and then buried themselves in her head. She knew exactly where Gilda would go and exactly what Gilda would do.

"I am not going to let you do this Gilda, and that is a promise I intend to keep." Rainbow Dash was off of the ground and out of the door before the mail mare of the day had even finished her runs.

"Hey Gilda?" Rainbow Dash was hesitant to approach Gilda, a little nervous about the conversation she was planning to have.

"Hey there Dash, what is happening?" Gilda replied in a playful tone as she lightly punched her Pegasus friend.

"Oh nothing, just bored is all." Rainbow Dash was staring at the ground as she spoke, hoping to avoid Gilda's caring eye.

"Yeah? you do not say. So, ready for the big final flying exam?" Gilda asked excitedly.

"Yeah, so excited. When is the exam anyway?" Rainbow Dash sounded uncaring now, as if the current topic was boring her even more.

"Oh, it is about four months away now, but you have nothing to worry about."

"What makes you say that?" there was a hint of curiosity in Dashes voice and she wanted to know why Gilda believed she had no reason to worry.

"Because you are the best flier here at junior speedster camp. Nobody is as good at this as you, you will pass no problem."
a grin had exploded across the brown Griffins face and she seemed to be nearly ecstatic at the thought of seeing Rainbow Dash fly again.

"Well Gilda, I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"Huh, what is up Dash?"

"Well, I do not think I am going to stay here long enough to take the final exam." Rainbow Dashes heart sank just hearing herself say those words and she could only imagine what Gilda could be feeling right now.

"What do you mean by that Dash?" Gilda was starting to sound concerned and Rainbow Dash felt tears welling up in the back of her throat.

"I mean I think I am going to drop out." the words fell cold and flat as they exited Rainbow Dashes lips and she felt her heart stop. She looked to Gilda in expectance of an answer but no such answer came.

"Are you alright Gilda?"

"Rainbow Dash, how could you. How could you just go and leave me here alone like that!?" Gilda was furious as she answered Rainbow Dash, words flying like daggers straight into the cyan colored Pegasi's soul.

"Wh-What do you mean Gilda?"

"After all we have been through together here at camp, all the fun things we've done and challenges we have overcome you are just going to throw it away like that?" Gilda had calmed herself to a dull roar, but the words were still impossible for Rainbow Dash to bear.

"i am not abandoning you Gilda, I am just leaving camp is all."

"No, I know exactly what you are doing. You can not handle being number one here, being the best, so you are going to run away from it and leave everyone who cares for you behind." Gilda was in tears now; hot, stinging beads of salty water flowing from her eyes and over her cheeks.

"No Gilda, th..." Rainbow Dash was cut off before she could finish her sentence by a sharp talon pressing softly against her lips.

"I do not want an explanation, it is not going to change anything. If you want to go then go, but do not expect sympathy from me when you realize things are not what they seem on the outside." fire burned in Gildas eyes as she spoke and Rainbow Dash feared that if she did not leave she might end up getting hurt.

"But Gilda..."

"No buts. Just leave." and with that the angered Griffin threw open her wings and rocketed off of the cloud she was on.

As Rainbow Dash approached the old campground where she had started her journey in flying she was hit with a certain sense of nostalgia. To think that this is where it all had started, this is where everything had begun was nauseating and Dash found herself kneeling to the floor of the cloud to regain her composure.

"Well Gilda, I figure if you are going to end it all you will probably end up doing it here." it was sort of ironic in a way now that Dash thought about it, and she almost wanted to laugh at it all. Gilda would come back here to the campground and spend a good few hours crying and reliving past memories; then when she had had enough of the trip through her past she would find some creative and insane way to kill herself like only Gilda knew how to do.

"Oh Gilda, why did we ever let it come to this?" Rainbow Dash was holding back tears as her eyes scanned the old playground and fond memories played through her head.

Gilda tore through the many clouds surrounding Ponyville as she tried vainly to clear her head. Her mind was racing and the depression that she had been suffering from had begun to weigh not only her mind but her entire body down. She was exhausted from the lack of sleep she had had the night before and the lack of her morning coffee was not helping. At this rate she would sooner fall out of the clouds below her than reach her destination in time.

"Damn it! I wish I could just wake up from this fucking nightmare already!" Gilda jumped at her own voice. It was early enough so that there were no other ponies around to hear her, but it still felt awkward to use such vivid language. "I guess it really does not matter what I say now though, I am not gonna be here much longer anyway."

The thought of suicide still bothered Gilda, but it was not as bad as it had been in the past. She was sure that suicide was the only real way out of this mess, but the question still remained of how to go about it.

Gilda wanted to spend time thinking about it but before she could begin she found that she had reached her destination. She was standing just outside the front door of a large, cloud-like mansion and she felt shivers run down her spine at the thought of who owned the mansion. It was none other than Rainbow Dashes mansion; a large, blue cloud home formed many decades ago by the Pegasi that had come before her. It was a true testament to what the Pegasi of Cloudsdale were
capable of and every time Gilda saw it it made her jaw drop.

"My last day here and how do I decide to spend it? By staying in Rainbow Dashes house all day long." Gilda chuckled at how pitiful she must seem right now, sneaking into her lovers house to pretend to spend the day with her before she killed herself but she did not care. Frankly by this point the only thing Gilda actually did care about was Rainbow Dash, and the realization that things could never work between them had just driven her closer to this fate.

"Ugh, where is that damn Griffin when you need her?" Rainbow Dash had started to grow impatient as the once bright sky began to grow dark and dim. She had been waiting for hours by the old swing set that Gilda and her used to play on and she was to the point to where she could not wait any longer.

"Alright, I am tired of waiting on her to show up. Maybe I will have better luck looking somewhere else." as Rainbow Dash got up from her seat beside the small, metal contraption she noticed a brown dot growing larger and larger in the sky in front of her.

Rainbow Dash decided to hide behind the old tire that her group used to sit around when they were younger and wait to see what this foreign object in the sky could be. After roughly five minutes of waiting the object landed forcefully in front of Rainbow Dash and she found that it was none other than Gilda, but she was looking a bit different than normal.

The first thing Rainbow Dash noticed that was different about Gilda was her face. It was blatantly clear that Gilda had not slept at all the night before and large, purplish bags hung underneath her eyes. The next thing Dash had noticed was off about Gilda was the oddly tied rope around her midsection. The rope binding Gilda at her midsection was a dark brown color and seemed powerful enough to withstand even the hardest tug on it. As Rainbow Dash continued to watch Gilda it seemed as if everything had finally come together. Gilda had tied her wings to her body so that she would not be able to stop herself from hitting the ground when she jumped off of the cloud. Rainbow Dash watched, mouth agape, as Gilda walked solemnly to the edge of the small playground and peered over the edge of the cloud down at the waiting earth below her.

Rainbow Dash could watch no longer and she quickly jumped from behind the bushes to stop Gilda from jumping.

"Gilda, wait! Do not do what you are about to do!" Rainbow Dashes voice cracked as she yelled. She was surprised that she had been able to move given the massive fear rolling through her, but she did it and it was like a small miracle in itself.

:"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" Gilda was as much shocked as she was upset but the shock shined through brighter.

"Well, I thought about your letter and what you had said. I got stuck on the part where you said I could stay as long as I wanted because it would not matter to you. I put two and two together and that is when I realized that you were going to kill yourself." Rainbow Dash was confident that if she stuck with her endeavor Gilda would realize how stupid she was being and come back with her to the mansion. Once back at the mansion Rainbow Dash hoped to comfort Gilda and talk about things between them and where their relationship would go in the future.

Inside Gildas heart was torn; she wanted so badly to go back, to run back into the open and waiting arms of Rainbow Dash, but she knew that if she did now nothing could ever be the same again. It was a personal hell like none other the poor Griffin had ever experienced and it beat against her very soul. For the first time in Gildas life she was faced with the perfect reality and the harsh perception instead of the other way around and it seemed as if the latter was growing ever more factual in her mind.

"Hey Rainbow Dash, do you remember the old speedsters chant we did every morning here at camp?" there were tears in Gildas eyes as she spoke, but she pushed on through it.

"Heh, yeah, I sure do." Rainbow Dash was in a full blown sob now, tears flowing like a river to the darkening clouds below them.

"Would you, well, like to recite it with me?" Gilda was shaking now, barely able to hold herself upright.

"Of course I would Gilda, of course I would." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the hardest chant of her life.

Junior speedsters are our life
Sky-bound soars and daring dives
Junior speedsters it's our quest
To some day be the very best

Gilda smiled calmly as the duo finished the chant and met Rainbow Dashes eyes once again.

"Thank you Rainbow Dash... For everything." and with that Gilda stepped backwards off of the cloud and vanished.

Final Goodbyes

"Gilda!" Rainbow Dashes voice was loud and rough as she screamed after the Griffin who had just jumped off of the cloud and begun her descent towards doom.

Rainbows mind jumped into panic mode as she thought of how to save Gilda from the death now just ten thousand yards away. Would she be able to catch Gilda if she flew after her? Rainbow Dash did not think she was fast enough to catch any being, no matter how small or light, once it had reached terminal velocity. Rainbow Dash knew though that if she did not do something soon that there would be no Griffin to save anyway.

"Come on Rainbow Dash, damn it, think!"

"You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those weak pranks at this party." Rainbow Dash said sternly as she stared Gilda down.

"What?" there was an audible gasp from the Brown and White Griffin as Rainbow Dash spoke and her jaw almost hit the floor at this sudden revelation.

"So I guess that I am queen lame-o." Rainbow Dash was shocked at the way she was speaking to Gilda. Once upon a time they had been the best of friends, inseparable through any situation and hardship. Now however it seemed as if they hardly knew each other and were on two different pages about what was considered a joke.

"Come on Dash, you are joshing me." Gilda struggled to hold her composure, hoping all of this silly talk from Rainbow Dash was just that.

"You know, not every prank at this party was meant for you. It was just dumb luck that you set them all off." the blue Pegasus pony lurched forward in order to make herself seem larger than she was and it worked. Gilda shrank back inside of herself, afraid and confused about this new side of Rainbow Dash she was seeing.

"No way! It was Pinkie Pie, it had to be! All she wanted to do was make me look bad, turn me into a fool!" Gilda was heated now, words burning like fire from her lips.

"Well Gilda, you sure had no problem making a fool of yourself today. Look, if the only thing you care about is being cool, having every mare and stallion at your beck and call, then just leave, we do not need you here anyway."

Reality smacked Rainbow Dash in the face like a hand of broken nails and left her stunned. This was all her fault; and she was not quite sure how to fix it. She knew what had set Gilda off, her coming to Manehatten had been the cause of that. The question still burning in Rainbow Dashes mind now was what would bring Gilda back from the brink?

"Ugh! What am I supposed to do!?" Rainbow Dash was screaming at herself now, hoping her mind would be able to force an answer out of itself. There was no such luck however, an answer never came.

"I can not stand this, I can not do this." tears flowed from the bright burning eyes of a lonely Pegasus pony that day. Had one not known better they might have believed this poor soul to be lost or confused, but it was nothing along that road. "the loss hurts. I am tired of losing things; people that matter, loved ones, and old flames."

Suddenly something broke inside Rainbow Dash, some wall gave way to the feelings rushing in and left Rainbow Dash lost in her emotions. She wanted to sort them out and see what they were saying, what they were trying to tell her, but there was no time for any of that. It was as if Rainbow Dash herself had caught some crazy notion to end her life as she tore over the cloud edge and down toward earth.

"If I can not save you Gilda I am going to at least die trying!"

"So Rainbow Dash, what are your parents like?" Gildas voice was soft and sweet as the question left them, but it hurt Rainbow Dash to hear it.

"I do not know Gilda. To be completely honest I have never actually met my parents."

"Really? That is not cool. Did you not live with them before you came here?" curiosity continued to grow in Gildas voice and Rainbow Dash found it harder and harder to speak about the subject.

"Well yeah, I think, I am not really sure."

"What do you mean you are not really sure?" Gilda was confused now, unsure of what Rainbow Dash meant.

"Well you see Gilda, the only thing I remember from my filly days was when my parents dropped me off here at camp. Everything before that is just a blur." Rainbow Dashes face burned a bright, fiery red as she spoke and she knew Gilda would have even more questions now.

"So wait, your parents just dropped you off here and left? They did not even say goodbye or anything?" Gilda was questioning Rainbow Dash, and she hoped that Dash could handle it. Gilda truly wanted to know what Dash knew about her parents, what she knew about her youth.

"Yep, that is exactly how it happened." Rainbow Dash prayed that Gilda would be done with questions now.

"Why?"

Rainbow Dash froze; in all of her years coping with never knowing her parents even she had not asked why they had done what they had. It just seemed natural to her, like it happened and now it was over so there was no point in asking. it was weird just thinking about it, and Rainbow Dash fought to hold control of her emotions.

"You know Gilda, I honestly don't know why. It is one of those things I just sort of let pass as fact and don't bother with it." Rainbow Dash hoped that Gildas endless barrage of questions would finally be over. It was nice that Gilda cared and all but Rainbow Dash was starting to grow bothered by them.

"Hmmmm, okay. Well Dash, you know that if you ever need a hand to pull you up when you are down or help you when you are in need I will be right here." a big smile exploded across the dorky looking Griffins face as she calmly swayed from side to side.

"Thanks Gilda, it means a lot." Rainbow Dash said, pulling Gilda into a big hug. She hoped that this moment would last forever, but she knew that sadly it would not. She made the most of it though, taking her time to enjoy the greatest feeling in Equestria, love.

Gilda was now only a couple hundred almost one thousand yards away from the ground and closing in fast. Inside Gilda felt at peace, finally escaping all of the pain that had tortured her for years. There was something missing though, something that seemed like it should be there. Gilda thought hard about it and suddenly realized what was missing.

"Rainbow Dash!?" Gilda exclaimed as the cyan blue Pegasus pony came into view beside her, "What the hell are you doing? Your life is perfect, you have everything you could possibly need, why are you trying to kill yourself too?"

"Oh shut up Gilda, I am not killing myself, I am saving you!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she broke past Gilda and positioned herself in such a way to catch the immobilized Griffin.

"Are you out of your mind? I am twice your size, you will be crushed by my weight!" Gilda screamed back in hopes of making Rainbow Dash see how wrong she was and just let Gilda fall.

"It is a risk I am willing to take!" Rainbow Dash had positioned herself directly below Gilda and was starting to slow down in order to plant herself firmly against Gilda and break her fall.

"Say, Gilda, who are the two Griffins in the picture on your nightstand?" Rainbow Dash asked as she stepped into the den where Gilda was quietly reading a book.

"Oh, they are my mom and dad." Gilda was nonchalant about her parents, and she planned to keep it that way. Ever since her parents had died Gilda preferred not to speak about them as if they were special, hoping it would ease the pain of loss, and for the most part it worked. There were times when the pain became too much to bear, but for the most part she was able to keep it under control.

"Ah, I should have figured that. What were they like?" Rainbow Dash was curious, not having parents of her own had made her that way and she liked to hear about others parents.

Gilda thought for a moment of how to explain her parents. No one had ever asked her what her parents were like, though that was probably due to the fact that everyone in Manehatten knew her parents, and she had not had an answer readily available to give anyone who did.

"Well, they were rich, though I am sure you noticed that. They liked to play sports, the usual stuff like Soccer and Wingball, and they always knew a good joke when you asked them for one. Aside from that they were your normal, everyday Griffins."
Gilda smiled at her explanation, believing it to be perfect, and went back to her book.

"That is cool, but I actually wanted to know what they were LIKE, you know, to you."

"Oh, I see. Well, they were probably the greatest and most inspirational Griffins I have ever known. They helped me through my early years in school, always telling me I could do it and that nothing could stand in my way. They were always there when I was feeling sad, offering a comforting embrace and warm smiles. They were caring, always putting me before themselves, and never let me go without things I needed. They were truly amazing, and they showed me love that only a parent could show."

"Wow, they sound like really incredible Griffins, wish I could have met them. Say, what happened to them anyway?"

"Oh, they died in an accident a couple years after I got back from junior speedsters camp." there was a slight pain in Gildas heart as she thought about that day, but she brushed it aside just as quickly and moved on.

"I am sorry to hear that, must have been hard on you." Rainbow Dash said sympathetically.

"Yeah, it was, but it has become easier over time." Gilda replied.

"Man, I wish I had had parents when I was a filly, maybe then I would not be such a hellion." Rainbow Dash laughed as she finished her sentence.

"Dash, not even having parents would have kept you from becoming a hellion."

There was not even time to breathe as the two, pony and Griffin, collided with the ground at breakneck speeds. There was a puff of brown, dry dust that blew up around the point of impact and a couple of small critters had been displaced by the blast. As the smoke cleared the figure of a Griffin could be made out in a crater but the body of the blue Pegasus was nowhere in sight. There was an eerie silence around the crater, as if the very presence of life had vanished, only the faint breathing of Gilda to break the silence.

It took nearly twenty minutes for Gilda to gather herself enough to attempt to stand up. It felt as if her whole world had been flipped like a pancake and then smacked back down onto the skillet. Upon first feeling Gilda noticed that she had a couple of broken ribs and a fractured wing. As she began to sit up she noticed that her back left leg was broken and that there were a myriad of small gashes across her face. It would take a month at least for the wounds to heal, but none of that mattered right now. The only thing that mattered at that moment was Rainbow Dash and where she had landed.

"R-Rainbow... D-Dash... Where, where are you?" Gildas voice was strained and soft as she attempted to climb to her feet. She was unsuccessful at first, but was finally able to get to her feet after some effort. she scanned the area, the barren rock and dried up leaves, but was unable to find Rainbow Dash among them, "Rainbow Dash, where are you?"

After nearly an hour of searching Gilda found Rainbow Dash, roughly a mile and a half from the initial crash site, strewn out like a fillies play thing on a large rock. Gilda began to tear up as she approached rainbow Dash, knowing that what she was about to do might be the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her life.

"Hey Rainbow Dash, you alright?" Gilda was bent over slightly beside the broken body of Rainbow Dash, hoping that her friend was still alive.

"G-Gilda, is that you?" Rainbows voice was weak, almost inaudible, but Gilda heard it and found renewed hope in the drastic situation.

"Yeah, it is me. Rainbow Dash what the hell were you thinking?"

"Well, I thought back to the p-party, the one that you stormed out of, and r-realized that this was all my fault. I,
I just could not let you die without knowing that I knew, that I had caused you so much pain, so I saved you." There was a smile on Rainbow Dashes face as tears rolled from her eyes, her breath was light and broken and Gilda knew it would only be a few minutes more before her entire body gave out.

"Oh Rainbow Dash..." Gilda was in tears now, her legs barely enough to hold her up under the weight of it all.

"You know gilda, th-there was something that I never got to tell you, and I, I want to make sure you hear it. I love you, I always have loved you, and I, I will never stop loving you. You a-are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my life and I am glad I get to spend my final moments with you." Rainbow Dashes hair was starting to fade in color, the once vibrant hues of the Rainbow now being replaced by darkened, lackluster versions of themselves. Her face was starting to grow pale, and her once warm skin was starting to grow cold. Her eyes had lost the spark that they once held and her smile was quickly fading.

"Rainbow Dash, I love you too. I always have, and like you I always will. You have been so instrumental in keeping me going and helping guide me to the point in life I now stand at and I think you for all of it. You were always so proud, always so confident in yourself, and you never let anyone get you down." Gilda stopped for a moment, choking on the pain in her throat. Her eyes poured as she spoke, every emotion bleeding out into the words that she laid to rest with her love. "You held your head high when the time called for it and knew when to be silent when someone else wanted to make a name for themselves. You truly are the most beautiful and most amazing Pegasus I have ever known."

"G-Gilda, I want you to promise me one thing." Rainbow Dash said in a whisper.

"Y-Yes? What is it?"

"I want you t-to promise me that no matter what life throws at you you will be strong. F-From here on out I want you to be strong and stand in the f-face of adversity. Be yourself and never let anyone t-tell you you are worth less than you know you are. Can you promise me t-that you will do that for me?"

With the last bit of composure Gilda was able to choke up she said "I promise" and waited for Rainbow Dashes remark.

"Th-Thank you." as Rainbow Dash finished she tensed up, as if she was in an enormous amount of pain, and bit her lower lip. Her body convulsed once or twice as she fought against the pain, but it finally became too much and she succumbed to it. As she let out her final breath Rainbow Dashes eyes rolled slowly to the back of her head and her body fell limp. Her once rainbow hair was now completely black and her body had grown ice cold. Her face was now pale as a ghost and her smile had now completely faded.

"Good-Good-Goodbye my love, may we meet again in the afterlife." and with that Gilda laid her head down on Rainbow Dashes chest and sobbed uncontrollably.

The End