Of Scales and Feathers

On the way to Zecora's hut, Spike noticed a few key points in the forest that jogged his memory of recent adventures with his closest friends. They made their way around a large patch of poison joke, which had turned an otherwise mundane day into one of the most hilarious running gags within Spike's arsenal of humor.

Whether it be calling Applejack by the newly-acquired nickname "Appletini" or asking Pinkie to raspberry the alphabet, it tended to end on a good note and get a smile out of someone. It surely could have turned out much worse without the mysterious zebra Zecora, however. She began as a local tale of fear and ended up being a local folk hero to numerous ponies. With her apothecary and home-remedies that she made readily available to the public, Zecora's name quickly escalated from respected to renowned.

Past the patch of flowers, Spike noticed a small, tranquil pond with various lily pads floating along the surface. Twilight had spoken of one such pond as being the place where Zecora taught her how to conquer her own thoughts of doubt and worry. To this day, she carried such lessons with her proudly and fondly. The notion brought a smile to his face, as he knew that new mindset is one of the reasons she has done so well in the recent months away from home.

Looking ahead from the pond, Spike took in the form of two dimly lit silhouettes; Gilda, the gryphoness and Zecora, the zebra. The two wielded vastly different personalities and yet here they were, talking like they were long-made friends. He felt a slight pang of guilt at this; if Zecora, who understood very well what Gilda had done, could get past it so easily and embrace her new appearance, why couldn't he?

Something just felt wrong with it all. Gilda was one step away from breaking apart friendships bonded over years. He didn't feel right just accepting a person that so easily came in and stomped on those that he cared about and cherished so closely. It felt like he was betraying his friends, in some way. Like he was simply throwing away the negativity and forgetting about her actions.

But then there was the inverse of that thought process. Could she truly be different? Was what happened due to something perhaps out of perspective and, though this is quite the stretch, maybe out of even Gilda's control? While Spike did not understand what happened, he did understand what could be done.

With a sigh, he made a resolve to ask her about it when he could. With any luck, they'd have at least a little time to converse with one another before they set out tomorrow. Even as he thought this, he saw opportunity presenting itself. The hut that Zecora resided in was fast approaching, and Spike had overheard Zecora rhyming something along the lines of he and Gilda having to bunk together due to the size of her home.

As far as he was concerned, that was alright. He was no stranger to sleeping around ladies, as odd as that may seem to others. It became pretty much commonplace after he and Twilight had gone on so many adventures with the others in their group. They usually ended up sleeping around each other either for protection or for comfort. Whatever the case, he didn't feel odd whatsoever with having to sleep beside the gryphoness.

"Ya hear that, Scales?" Gilda called back with a grin, slowing a bit to be beside Spike. "Sounds like you and I get to keep each other warm tonight. I certainly hope the rumors of you being a gentledrake are true."

Though her method of saying it was a bit suggestive, she did confirm his half-understood suspicions. "I promise not to try anything funny," he says, holding his hands up in innocence. She knew it and he knew it too, but there was no harm in playing along. "Maybe a little funny."

"Don't tempt me, now," she said with a laugh. That feeling of betrayal within Spike's heart was slowly but surely melting away, and he could see now that this was a bit more complex than he may have believed. She had a look of happiness in her eyes, along with that cold mellowness that he had noticed before. It was a strange mixture of hot and cold that made him wish he could understand better.

There was something else in those golden eyes, swirling in with all of the other emotions she was putting out. He had never been good with reading expressions, though. That was more Fluttershy's territory. He had tried to get her to teach him how once, but to no avail. He chalked it up as a loss and moved on, but now he wished he possessed even half the ability that she had. What was before a guess was now a hunch, and he got a crawling feeling that the gryphoness was hiding a bit more under her feathers than she led on.

Whether or not he could read into the gryphoness and her vague hints at hidden emotions, they were going inside. Zecora showed the two around, making sure they knew what was and was not safe to touch. One particular piece caught Spike's eye, and the zebra gave a gleeful laugh at his curiosity.

It was a cyan gem, like a light sapphire, but something was special about it. It faintly hummed in Spike's hands, and he knew this to be a sign of enchantment. A minor enchantment, mind you - Twilight had shown him the difference some time ago when he accidentally picked up what looked like an ordinary bowl. It turned out to be an artifact that could repaint itself upon touch.

"An eye for treasure, I see you hold. But look a bit closer, if you are so bold," she suggested with a wink. Spike gave her a confused glance, but then steeled his nerves and closed one eye, pressing the other a bit closer to the gem in order to get a better look into the gem.

Peering back at him was a rather tall drake, with green scales painting his underside and back fins. Pulling his eye away from the gem, he turned to the zebra with an even more confused look. "Is that me?" he asked out of surprise before giving a laugh and looking back into the gem.

"Lemme see?" Gilda asked, holding out a clawed hand. Spike grinned and placed it into her palm, watching as the gryphoness' expression changed from one of curiosity to that of amazement. "That's awesome," she said, handing the gem back to Spike.

"A look at yourself, you have found. Quite a treasure what with doubts abound," Zecora said, nodding at the two. "Come now, the night has come. Sleep well you two, for there is much to be done."

With that, Spike and his travelling companion were ushered into a quaint little room on the second floor of Zecora's hut. It wasn't cramped, but it certainly wasn't roomy like Twilight's. There would most likely be more than a few nudged arms and ruffled feathers during the night.

"Cozy," Gilda said sarcastically, under her breath. It had a joking tone to it, reassuringly, but Spike could tell not all of her old traits were entirely gone.

"Thanks Zecora," Spike said first, then adding, "It's nice of you to do this for us. We'll have make it up to you somehow." He had to admit that the zebra was unusually hospitable towards others, considering how she was treated. From what he understood, zebras haven't always had it easy when it comes to history. But it seems she harbored no grudges.

"A favor, I do not require. Just do not fall prey to the mire," Zecora said graciously and yet ominously, bowing her head and shutting the door. Spike heard her hoofsteps echoing down the hall and then down the stairs.

"Well that was a bit.." Spike began, searching for the correct words.

"Creepy?" Gilda chimed in behind him. He turned around to see her shrug and smile. "Hey, I don't plan on letting either of us fall prey to anything. Nothing takes down a gryphon without a fight," she said, rapping a closed fist upon her chest.

"Don't worry. Us dragons aren't exactly known for our timid and submissive demeanor," Spike threw onto the table. He could hold his own out in the wild, or at least he believed he could. While his breath wasn't exactly the strongest of the dragonflames, it was a force to be reckoned with.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see who turns out to be the damsel in distress, now won't we?" Gilda challenged with a smirk, as per her usual demeanor. He wasn't a mind reader, but he could tell that Gilda obviously loved to see who the dominant force was in anything she did.

Maybe that's why she and Rainbow Dash got along so very well back in the old days.

"So how are we gonna do this, then? Back-to-back? Feet-to-head? Or maybe you wanna cuddle the night away?" she finished her questions with an alluring glance that made Spike feel both intimidated and amused. He was about to answer her question with a joke, but then remembered just what it was he originally wanted to ask.

"Before we do any of that, I wanted to know something. It might be a bit personal, though, so you can back out if you'd like," Spike requested, scratching the back of his neck in anxiety. He was always bad at asking personal questions - he had no idea why.

"No, I'm not in a relationship, and yes I do like males. That about sum it up?" she asked with a slightly annoyed glare. Apparently she got asked that quite a lot in her travels. Fortunately, she completely missed her mark.

"Uh.. No, that's not quite what I had in mind. But thanks for sharing," he said jokingly. "I actually wanted to know just why it is you've changed so much. Last time I saw you, you looked like you were ready to tear down Ponyville. Now you look like you're ready to befriend everypony in it."

"It's not a bad change, mind you! I like the way you're acting now. It's just that.. I'm not really used to that side of you, y'know? Wanted to know what happened in those years since then," Spike added quickly, trying to cover any and all possible bases there could be.

There was a long hesitation and Spike thought he had struck a nerve. Or maybe several. Any moment, she could snap from repressed memories or maybe sheer anger. But when none of that came, and a sigh replaced it instead, his worries quickly melted away.

"Alright, sit down. You're in for a long story and I don't intend to stand here awkwardly while I tell it," Gilda finally said, gesturing with one hand towards a soft rug in the corner.

He followed suit and before he knew it, Gilda had begun to dive into what he considered to be her life's story. And he was going to pay attention to every small detail if it helped him figure this whole mess out.

"Gryphons, as you may know already, value pretty much one thing and one thing only: strength. You don't have that, you don't have jack. My story begins when I was just a cub," Gilda explained, using her hands to emphasize random parts in her speech. Maybe it was just part of her culture, but she sure did move a lot when telling stories.

"My father, whose name is pretty hard to pronounce, was named Ja'hrebkia. Most people just called him Jar. He was the local blacksmith in my home town, and you can guess just how lenient a blacksmith gryphon was when it came to his kids," she continued, smiling at her own joke at the end. In turn, it made Spike involuntarily smile along with her. So far, this was turning out to be rather nice.

"As I grew up, he instilled more and more lessons in my head. Lessons that made me a very, very cruel and bitter gryphoness. It's not like I couldn't change; I just didn't want to. Being nice is a bit of a weakness where I grew up, and being strong got you places," Gilda said, but then paused for a few seconds. She frowned at what she said or perhaps her next thoughts, but continued nonetheless.

"So fast forward a good while until good old father sends me to Flight Camp. 'You're going to go to this school, and you're going to be the best flyer to ever come out of it. Or you are not welcome home.' Just like that. Either I succeed, or I fail miserably," she said, checking Spike's expression before taking on a rather large smile.

"I like that. Most people have their jaws open or they look like they're gonna cry. You look angry," she pointed out, and Spike found that she was right on the money. He actually was angry. At a gryphon he had never met, and might never meet. But even so, he couldn't imagine someone being so cruel to their daughter.

"Sorry about that," he said, running a hand over his face to calm down. He was beginning to see just why it was that she turned out so angry, and had a hunch where this story was going. If she went to Flight Camp, and she had to succeed, there'd only be one major challenge for her.

Rainbow Dash.

"Don't worry about it. I like that you're into my story this much. It's a nice change," she said, her expression softening into a happier one. If he were to be so bold, Spike might have called it affectionate. It quickly changed back to one of concentration as she went on, however.

"So. Flight Camp. I won't lie, and I'm not being egotistical when I say this; I was acing it. I was one of the fastest there, and was getting faster by the day. There was just one problem; there was another one that could keep up with me - and beat me. You know the pony I'm talking about," she said, inviting Spike to speak up.

"Rainbow Dash." he stated, entirely sure of whom she was speaking of. He had seen Gilda fly before - she was incredibly fast. Especially when one considered how big gryphons could get. Though he would never tell that to Gilda - he knew better.

"You got it, pal. Rainbow Dash. I was outclassed and I knew it. But I wasn't such a sore loser that I couldn't admit it. Not at the time, anyway. I went up to her and introduced myself, told her who I was. We were friends within the hour," she boasted proudly, apparently investing a lot of confidence within that accomplishment.

"But in the end, I knew what would happen," she said, her voice lowering to something just above a whisper. "Come graduation day, Rainbow Dash was awarded with the Fastest Flyer award. She had accomplished the Sonic Rainboom, had shown up every creature that came to fly, and had won the hearts and minds of most everyone there."

"I was awarded with the Bravest Heart award, and told I was a close second to Rainbow Dash. That I should be proud. I don't know why, but that sent me over the edge. I snapped," she admitted. Her expression, needless to say, dropped to something of a depressed, angry mixture.

"I cursed the school, cursed flying itself, and almost cursed Rainbow Dash. But I didn't have the heart to do that to the only pony not afraid of me. Instead, I did the next best thing. I flew off, and went in a random direction. I wasn't heading home - I couldn't head home. My father would have reprimanded me and probably disowned me for being second best."

After that, Spike could see through the darkness that a faint wetness had overtaken Gilda's golden eyes. "Hey," he asked, leaning down to look at her face-to-face, "You alright?" He wanted to reach over and hug her, she looked so sad.

"Yeah, I'm good," she said, wiping her eyes with balled up hands. "I just hate this part of the story, is all. But anyway. On to what you were waiting for."

"After that whole mess," she began again, "I just kept travelling. Took up work wherever I could - mostly mercenary stuff like clearing out some caves or a basement. I was an adventurer for real. I even have a few souvenirs back at my home from when I worked. I'll show you one day, if you'd like."

"Then I heard from a merchant that a certain somepony had completed the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and that they were amazing. I asked him where they were, and was pointed in the direction of Ponyville. I dropped everything. My job, my house, my belongings. All of it. Went to Ponyville to meet the one friend I never let go of," she said with a tinge of mysticism in her voice. This all sounded surreal to Spike.

She had a rough childhood, grew up tough, became a mercenary, and then got reunited with her long-lost best friend. It sounded like a fairy tale. And had he not seen and met so many adventurers such as herself, he might not have believed her. But one thing was for certain; she was a rather unique gryphoness.

"So when I got into town, I felt.. Strange. Then I saw how happy she was. How happy you all were. And I don't want to sound selfish, but I just felt like.. Why don't I deserve this. You know? What makes her so special that she got it so nice instead of me?"

"When I saw all of that, and felt all of that, I just broke down. Freaked out. And so I ran again. I thought I was ready. Thought I was prepared to face my past and beat it this time. But I guess not," she said with a sad sigh, holding back a few more tears through sheer willpower.

"I didn't go straight back into work, but eventually I heard about a contract put out by the newly-crowned Princess Twilight and laughed. Fate wasn't gonna leave me alone, it seemed," she said, a smile creeping onto her face.

Spike felt horrible, however. Not just for how she was treated, but for how little he actually knew about Gilda before now. Had he only known, maybe this all could have turned out differently. Maybe she could have been happier, or at the very least a bit more fortunate.

"And now, here we are. I'm back on the job, protecting one of the people that 'stole' my friend from me. Not because I need to, but because I want to. I just hope you and yours forgive me, in time," she said, turning to Spike with that same mellow expression as before. But he could see it now.

The expression in her eyes. It was not anger, or betrayal, or even sadness; it was regret. "I do forgive you, Gilda. In fact, I apologize. Had I known then what I know now, I could have prevented a lot of trouble for you. Maybe-" he began, but jumped when he realized Gilda had made a sudden move towards him.

"Don't worry about it," she said, laying against him lazily. "Now I'm tired and kinda cold, and I hear dragons are pretty warm. So let's try and get some sleep before tomorrow, yeah?"

"Uh," he stammered, his eyes wide open as he tried to process the sudden change in atmosphere within the room. When did she become so affectionate? He hadn't heard of that part in the story. Maybe he missed it? "S-sure, Gilda. Just lemme.." he said, trying to readjust to that he was lying beside her on the soft rug below, his back pressed to hers.

When he heard a long, contented sigh come from the gryphoness, he knew he had made the right move. "Good night, Scales," she said softly, her voice a pleasant hum in the silence that filled the room. She had used the same nickname she had given him earlier, and it gave him an idea.

"Night, Feathers," he said jokingly, delighted when he heard the gryphoness let out a small, tired laugh. She could be cute when she wanted, apparently. After a few moments, he heard and felt the soft breathing of Gilda's sleeping form behind him, and felt compelled to join her.

He had learned a bit more than he had anticipated, but with that knowledge he knew he would have to mend things with the others. He couldn't leave her to be alone and sad for the rest of her life, going from place-to-place waiting for work to come. No, that's not what would go down.

This time would be different.