“Duh! She’s right here with me, silly!” said an excited Pinkie Pie as she hauled in a tired and reluctant griffon into the building’s bar area as that same griffon hid her face with her wings.
“Girls,” said Uncle Punch. “As injured as your friend Dash is, I think we should leave Miss Griffon here with her friend.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie tailed Uncle Punch out of the room.
“Dash…” Gilda was somewhat out of breath as she stood up on all fours.
“G…” Rainbow was in pain, and Gilda could see it.
Silence filled the almost empty bar area as both griffon and pony looked each other over. Rainbow Dash’s mane looked more ruffled than usual and her coat was a lot less shiny than when Gilda last saw her. The small bandages covering Rainbow’s scratched hoof looked too small to be of any help.
Gilda didn’t look any better. Her down looked windblown, messy, torn, and abused in many ways. Her eyes were a little pink and a little more swollen as if she had cried a lot.
Rainbow spoke,“Pinkie puts up a good chase, doesn’t she? Reminds me of last year with how quickly she ca—“
“Dash, why are you so... FORGIVING!?” Gilda asked -almost shouted- as many thoughts and emotions swimming around in her eagle head. “Why do you forgive me so quickly? I was mean to you and your friends, I scratch you on purpose, yet-“
“GILDA!!! Will you please let pride and awesomeness out of this for JUST ONE SECOND!?!?!?” Rainbow Dash shouted.
Silence again occupied the room.
Gilda felt like she deserved more anger, more shouting, and even hatred, too. Gilda was proud. She was awesome, and before, she wanted Rainbow all to herself. She regretted everything that happened that day almost more than a year ago. Gilda had had thought about the things that happened in Ponyville almost every day since it happened.
Dash, on the other hoof, also had regrets of her own. That same year and a few months ago, she had abandoned one of her friends; and even though that friend was a little arrogant and proud, they were still good friends up until then. The harmless pranks she set up were the breaking point. But this was different. They were back together in the same room, and they had to make amends, or it would be too late “next time”; if there was a next time.
Gilda was the one who decided to speak first again.
“You are starting to sound like-what was her name…-Fluttershy. You forgave me so quickly even though I broke your heart and everyone else’s. Why?”
“I have my own regrets too, okay? You’re not the only one who did something wrong,” said Rainbow. "I left you when you really needed me. I was the one to abandon you. I left you to fend for yourself, and that’s what’s kept me up every night since.”
More silence.
Gilda knew this more than anyone; her own best friend abandoned her when she needed to be set straight.
They both knew they had to say sorry to each other.
“Dash, back then I wanted you all to myself, and you know it.” Gilda started pouring her heart out to the cyan pony. “I was selfish. Greedy. Proud, even. And my time away made me discover something more. I saw the world in so many ways! I saw myself, as a really bad friend. I saw the hearts that I had broken. Yet through all of this, something else was there…”
Gilda stopped at this.
Hopefully she didn't catch on to that last part... Gilda thought.
Wow; Gilda's not usually this deep. She must really be a changed griffon. Rainbow Dash thought at the same time
“Here I am learning about friendship, and I lost an old friend,” Rainbow had started. “Over the last year, I had met many others, like DJ Pon-3, Carrot Top, and so many others. I had time to think to myself, and I saw a griffon who really needed a friend. A griffon who was alone. I should be sorry to you. I ignored you when you needed me.”
Uncertainty, doubt, and thoughts left unsaid filled the room. So did more silence.
The deafening quiet was almost killing Dash when she started moving across the room, even on her injured hoof.
The repeated and seemingly loud sound of her hooves seemed to reverberate against the walls as she slowly trotted to her friend.
Everything blurred for Rainbow Dash as aftershocks of the injury came about. She felt weaker and even started looking at the floor as a result. She saw her own hoof, and the scratches hurt more than they looked. The bandages were of no help, and she knew she had to get to a hospital soon. But just one more thing, Dash thought. She found herself moving surprisingly close to a confused, tired, and emotional griffon. The drawn out and painful journey had almost come to an end. Still, there was one more thing to do.
Suddenly, both old friends’ tears surged in unrestricted waves as Gilda suddenly wrapped her arms around Rainbow’s waist. The cyan Pegasus held her close, despite the also surging pain in her leg.
Dash just couldn't help herself as she hovered in close and suddenly-
"Mmmf! DASH?!?!" Gilda exclaimed.
"What?" the confused mare asked.
"What the HAY was that?"
"I-I..."
"Did... you just kiss me?!"
Oops.
As confused and hurt as Dash was, she knew there was no erasing what just happened.
"Don't take this the wrong way... I'm sorry if I startled you...."
"The feeling's mutual, Dash"
"I- ...Really?" The cyan mare was more baffled than ever.
"Dash, if you had told me sooner, I wouldn't have minded!"
"Wow, G. Really?" Dash felt relieved that her old friend actually liked the fact that she was...lesbian... (Sweet Celestia I hate that word, Dash thought)
"Dashie..."
"Gilda..."
They kissed once more ,and this time for longer, right before Rainbow Dash fell into a deep, warm bath of nothing.
"Ugh..." Dash said as she stirred... In my bed?
When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was back in her cloud home and in her plush bed.
Was it all... a dream? Did I really lose Gilda forever that year and a half ago?
She looked at her hoof and saw that it was either completely healed or untouched; she couldn't determine which.
As she stretched out her wings feeling slightly depressed, she walked down to her kitchen.
And as she was raiding her fridge for something to eat, a voice behind her asked,
"Feeling better already, are we?"
Rainbow bumped her head into one of the racks as she stood up quickly.
Gilda was right behind her as if nothing ever happened. Her down was still ruffled, but still not as much as in Dash's dream or memory... she still couldn't decide which.
"Gilda! How...wha...Huh?" Dash almost just stared in wonder as her old friend stood in front of her, grinning widely.
"What happened?" was the question that Rainbow finally managed to ask.
"I flew you to the best hospital as fast as I could. That pink friend of yours met me there somehow and persuaded the doctors there to help you. You had lost so much blood and almost died. after the wounds were stitched and blood was given to you, you were still in a coma. I was worried you would... never wake up..." At this point, Gilda started to cry, which was the side of her that Dash never saw.
So it wasn't a dream... it was all real.
As her head cleared up Rainbow Dash trotted over to the weeping griffon to comfort her.
"Well, I'm wide awake and alive now." Dash said, as she closed in to Gilda. "Please, Gilda. Stop crying. I don't like seeing you like this."
*sniff* "I was so worried..." was all the griffon could manage between her sobs.
"Gilda..." said Rainbow as she put her hoof on Gilda's shoulder. "It's ok. You had every right to be worried.
Rainbow Dash pulled Gilda close and held her crying friend tight as the crying slowly went away.
As the crying ebbed and ceased, the cyan mare pulled the griffon in tight as a passionate kiss was shared between the two.
When they finally broke the kiss what seemed like hours later, Gilda started to speak.
"I didn't want to be cool after all that. I just wanted you back."
"Don't worry, G." Rainbow said. "You're still cool to me."
THE END.
Author's Note
Here's the link to the original.
