01: No Present Like The Time
Character Development
By Grey Capstan
Chapter 01: No Present Like The Time
Roseluck wished she hadn’t bought that stupid thing.
“Have a great day!” She dragged two bits placed on the counter into a basket on the shelf built into her flower stand. As she did so, she waved to the satisfied customer with a twenty-tooth smile set inside her muzzle. The smile was faker than usual.
She could hear the darned thing in her saddlebags. With the line of patrons cleared, she glared down at the tell-tale piles of canvas for what probably was the sixtieth time since her shift started. She gave her sneeriest look of disgust, but the intimidation wasn’t working. The constant sound marched forever onwards as another small bead of sweat formed on the side of her head.
Ugh. What was I thinking? Rose lifted up her head. From her position, she could look into Daisy’s herb shop and see the clock on the side wall. 4:47. Thirteen minutes. That's not long at all, Rose. I really hope the store will still be open. She looked back down at the bags. I’m getting rid of it either way. I’ll throw it into the river if I have to.
“Hey, Rose!”
Her heart did a double backflip in her stomach as she threw her head over to the left. Lily, of course. Probably here to humiliate me some more.
Lily trotted over to the stand, took a long, brash slurp from the hay shake she was holding and placed it on the counter. Roseluck stared at the shake. She was in no mood to look the pink pony in the eyes right now.
“Hi, Lily.”
Lily planted her forehooves on the counter and leaned in. “How’s the sales?”
“Good.” The drawing of the banded bunch of hay on the cup was slowly burning into the back of her skull.
The edges of Lily’s grin were pulled closer the middle of her mouth as she placed her hooves back on the ground. “You’re still not upset about yesterday, are you?”
Roseluck broke her fixation off of the yellow slurry. No point in holding back. “Of course I am! I told you girls something personal and you two laughed at me!”
“So you really were serious.” Lily reached for another sip of her shake. “Look, Rose, I’m sorry if I made you feel bad, but you gotta admit it’s kinda hard to believe anypony could have feelings for someone like that.”
“Well, I would’ve been more than happy to explain if you two hadn’t laughed me out of the room.”
“I’m listening now.”
Rose froze, immediately aware of the loss she was at. How was she going to compress her feelings into a few sentences for Lily, or anypony? Her heart and her mouth spoke two different languages; in the cadence of her purchase, she had forgotten to translate. As she stood unprepared, the noise was more powerful than ever. Seriously, can’t anyone else hear that?
“It’s not a simple thing to do, Lily. I’d… I’d need some more time to gather my thoughts.”
Lily’s face scrunched up into one of bemusement. “Sheesh, Rose. Are you falling in love or writing a book report? How can you say you love someone if you have to think a long time to come up with reasons?”
“You just don’t understand.”
“I guess not.” Lily stared at the ground, right forehoof scraping idly along the dirt.
Great. Now I’m making her upset. Celestia, is confusing and alienating a friend a banishable offense? If so, I’m ready to be taken away. The mocking clatter at her hooves returned to her ears. There was one place she could go.
The cream-colored mare broke the silence. “I have an errand I need to run before I go home. Look, I promise that I’ll explain everything to you and Daisy. I just have too much running in my head right now.”
As Roseluck entered the jewelry store, the whoosh of air from the door tinkled the hearts-and-horseshoes wind chimes hung behind the counter. It was how Karat knew that he had customers. Five seconds later, she saw him come out of the back room and greet her with a smile of familiarity.
“Miss Roseluck! So good to see you again.” He adjusted the visor on his head and pushed the jeweler’s loupes further down his muzzle and out of the way so that he could get a better view of her. “How is that new watch working out for you?”
“Well…” Her voice cracked. Get a hold of yourself, Rose! Exercise your right as a customer, return the watch and be done with the whole thing. “That’s what I wanted to ask you about.” She pulled on the strap of her right saddlebag with her teeth and fished out the golden timepiece with her left foreleg. The accursed ticking of it now rang straight across the air. It was almost relieving to hear it, now that she knew it meant not having to hear it anymore. She plopped it on the glass display case. “Is it possible for me to return it and get my money back?”
Karat was perplexed by her sudden change in purchase excitement. She was absolutely beaming over the thing two days ago. She even looked like she was going to pass out at one point. The grey-coat colt pushed the loupes back up his face and lifted up the watch. “Well, as long as there’s nothing wrong with it, then I don’t see why not.”
Rose stood there as he examined the movement of the hands, making sure that it was ticking at the proper speed. He looked over at the clock behind him. They were still synchronized.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he began, “why do you want to return it?”
If there was a skyscraper in her chest, her heart had just taken a reckless dive off the roof of it. Why did he have to ask? What am I going to say? She already had two ponies creeped out, but at least it was kind of fun to mess with Daisy and Lily.
“Does it not fit right? I can adjust the band for you.”
“No, it’s not that.” She sighed. Here goes nothing. “It was supposed to be a gift.”
“And they already had one,” Karat guessed. He now had the watch turned over to inspect the inside of the band for scratches.
“It was supposed to be a special gift.”
He glanced up at her. “Ohhhh.” There was several seconds’ silence as he checked the outer side of the band. “And I take it that the recipient was already taken?”
Without thinking she replied. “No. Well, at least I don’t think so.” She bit her tongue. Why didn’t I just say yes? Now he’s really gonna be curious.
Satisfied with his examination on the aborted gift, he pushed his loupes back down and gave her his full attention. “Cold feet?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” she blurted out defensively, cringing. “It’s not easy to talk to her.” Immediately, she covered her mouth with her hoof, pupils dilated. What the hay is wrong with you? Bothering him with her silly pursuit was bad enough, but telling the total stranger that she was a filly-fooler was the last thing she ever wanted to do. In her mind, she was already five paces out the door, galloping down the thoroughfare to her thatch-house behind the town square. In reality, she stood firm, deciding against social escape. She still had to return the watch.
Karat placed it down softly on the counter. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Miss Roseluck. We’re adults here.” He ran his previously watch-holding hoof through his hoary mane and across his forehead. Rose’s red face had probably raised the room temperature by a few degrees.
After about half a minute (which felt like four hours in Roseluck’s head), the adrenaline that had coursed through her was diluting enough to where she could comprehend what he said. She still trembled as she replied. “S-sorry. It’s j-just not something I wanted to share with a stranger.” Her still-brickshade visage was parallel with the checkerboard tiles.
“Well, now that you told me, why not tell me what the issue is you’re having? I’m not one to pry, but I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better if you tell somepony.” He planted his forehooves on the counter and leaned in slightly.
Oh Celestia, this is going to be like Lily all over again. She jerked around, attempting in vain to physically shake the thought from her body, but stopped. Oh, forget it. He’s right; I’ll feel better if I just come clean. He asked for it, anyhow. She lifted her head and looked at Karat directly, the scarlet finally draining from her expression.
“The problem is that she’s… misunderstood. Ponies here take her at face value and dismiss her. I feel like I’m the only pony in Ponyville who realizes her hardships and sees that she needs companionship as much as anyone else.”
Karat listened intently. He never thought that she would have a thing for Pinkie Pie. It had to be Pinkie Pie; he couldn’t imagine anypony else fitting that description. While she is as friendly as they come, Pinkie was a little too spastic and grating for his tastes.
“I bought the watch to show her that ponies can be caring and compassionate. An unsolicited gift.” She turned away from him. “I just... I don’t think I can go through with giving it to her. I don’t even know if she’d want to talk to another pony after what happened at the party.”
He wasn’t sure now. That didn’t exactly sound like Pinkie Pie behavior to him. Maybe there was some recent party he wasn’t aware of? He wasn’t exactly on the cusp of every going-on in town.
“Yesterday I told two of my friends how I felt about her, and they flat-out laughed at me! I felt awful, like it was wrong for me to feel this way!”
Karat finally spoke. “I see. I suppose that that’s what inspired today’s visit?”
Rose sighed and began to drop her head again. “Yes.”
“I don’t mean to be invasive, as ever, but I don’t think you should let your so-called friends sway your emotions like that. If you really have this affection for her, you should seek it out and face it, rather than cower away and let it fester forever. There’s nothing worse than spending a lifetime wondering what could have been.”
Rose tilted her head towards the floor again, this time out of ponderance instead of discomfort. “You know what?” When she looked back up at Karat her worried droop was morphed into a smile. A real smile this time. “You’re right. I want her to be happy, and I want to be happy. None of those will happen if I let Daisy and Lily get to me.” She placed her hoof on the counter. “I’d like the watch back, please.”
Karat’s smile matched hers. “That’s the spirit.” While he sold watches and knew how to repair them, he wasn’t much of a watchmaker. He considered himself to be more of a matchmaker. In the jewelry business, genuinely wanting your customers’ relationships to succeed was essential; otherwise, it meant dejected ponies he’d never get to see and converse with ever again. And no repeat business. He slid the watch to Roseluck’s side of the case.
He spoke again. “Sorry to impose one last time, but do you need any help? With your friend, I mean. I can give you some pointers, if you’d like.”
She was surprised to receive such an offer from a formal businesscolt. “Really? You’d do that?”
“Of course. I’ve seen a lot of liaisons pass through here, and over the years I feel I’ve developed a sense of knowing what works and what doesn’t. I’ve seen and heard it all.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“I insist.”
Rose put her hoof to her chin. “If you really insist, than who am I to say no? I could really use another pony’s help.” She extended the foreleg to offer a hoofshake.
“It is settled, then.” His hoof met hers and they shook.
Never had Roseluck ever thought that the gyration of a limb could be so empowering. This is it. I’m really gonna do it!
After they separated, Karat cleared his throat. “Now that we have the ball rolling, an inquisitive pony wants to know: who is this special somepony?”
His question pulled the plug in her tub full of inner strength. Horsefeathers; I forgot I haven’t told him yet! She opened her mouth and allowed the name to ring out clearly for all to hear. Unfortunately, her jittery lungs refused to cooperate and made the word barely audible to her own self: “Gilda.”
“What was that?”
She closed her eyes and swallowed, focusing her energy on the utterance. “Gilda.”
She attempted to open her eyes but jammed them back closed after she heard him sputter in astonishment. “Gilda? You mean the griffon?”
Rose’s eyelids were clinched as tightly as she could make them. “Yes, the griffon! Gilda the griffon!” She swept her head away, awaiting the inevitable, but all she heard was silence. Finally, she opened her eyes, expecting to see him slumped over the counter in cardiac arrest. Instead, he held the same calm demeanor that he had since she came in. She was astonished herself. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“What do you mean?”
“Aren’t you gonna laugh? Aren’t you gonna run out the door screaming and call for the police? Whatever you wanna do, just do it!” She was quivering; tears were being primed in the corners of her olive-green eyes.
“Miss Roseluck, what I want to do is help you. Sure, I was a bit surprised, but it’s very obvious that you see something in her, something that you hold a high compassion for. That’s love, and love is not a joke.”
She sniffed and wiped the droplets attempting to form in her eyes away. When her leg left her face, the previous smile had been reinstalled. “I… you don’t know how much this means to me.”
“My offer still stands.”
“And I still accept.” She sniffed again, trying to collect herself. The swirl of fear and exuberance had made her dizzy. “When do we start?”
“The sooner, the better.”
“How about tomorrow at Ponyville Park? Is 2PM alright?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Thank you so much.” She turned around and headed for the door.
“Miss Roseluck!”
She whipped herself back around.
He had the watch in his left forehoof. “You forgot something.”
“Almost forgot!” She trotted over and quickly flung the watch back into her saddlebag. With that, she gave him a wave goodbye and ran out the door, bumping into the door frame as she did so.
Chapter 02: Griffon It Your Best
Roseluck’s head was tilted completely to the left, the watering can she held in her mouth coating the tender red buds with liquid life. Often she’d hum a tune for them to listen to while they drank, but two small birds were doing the job for her. Shrill tweets and twits spread over the small garden she kept behind her house; the language was foreign to her, but it did not hinder her ability to find it wonderfully pleasing to the ear.
As she lifted her head back up to move to the next rosebush, she heard that gruff voice that rang in her ears as much as it rang in her soul.
“Hey, Rose.”
Rose didn’t have to turn around to see who it was, but she would never pass up on an opportunity to admire her.
It was her. Gilda. She stood calmly in the sunlight, beak curved into a gentle smile. Her feathery forelock swayed inoffensively in the light wind that the pegasi brought down on an otherwise perfect afternoon.
Rose placed the can swiftly on the ground. “Hi, Gilda.” She drew the words out as they melted in her throat.
“Watering the flowers?”
“Yes, but I’m almost done,” she said, snapping the container up and quickly trotting over to the remaining bush. As much as she tried to be meticulous in watering it, her lovestruck nerves had her dumping the remainder of the water haphazardly on the flowering shrub. “Dnn!” she shouted back at Gilda before spitting out the tin implement.
“Alright! So we’re still on for our picnic at three?
“Of course, Gilda.” Rose’s smile was perhaps the largest she’d ever experienced in her life. Behind it, she was trying her hardest to maintain her composure and not giggle like a keyed-up schoolfilly. The pair of songbirds perched on her roof was nice, but there was another bird that she’d rather be with right now.
Roseluck was quickly beside Gilda, which the griffon responded to by wrapping her right foreclaw around the pony’s shoulder. Her claw was impossibly smooth, like polished marble. And, oh goodness, she was so warm. Rose couldn’t believe how good it felt. She returned the favor by placing her left foreleg around Gilda’s sturdy neck.
As they walked off towards the park, Gilda looked over at Roseluck and half-whispered, “I bet that those roses are going to be really beautiful.”
“I suppose… but they can’t possibly be as beautiful as you.” Rose tucked her head towards Gilda and nuzzled herself into the fuzzy eagle chest.
Roseluck stared off into the non-existent distance of the narrow streetway, a smitten grin spilt openly across her face. Her head was cradled in her two hooves while fantasies of the future were in constant playback.
She was finally going to do it. Finally going to meet Gilda. Finally going to let her pent-up feelings out. Finally going to be in love.
There were hardly any ponies around to disrupt her infatuous stupor. Lunch time was always the slowest part of the day. She had a nice salad packed, but she couldn’t even think of eating; Gilda had forcefully shoved hunger out of her brain.
Gilda, Gilda, Gilda… What a lovely name. So swift and elegant, like when she soars through the air. Mind-Gilda was now piercing through a column of clouds and performing a loop-de-loop back towards Mind-Roseluck, to her agape amazement. The landing sequence was interrupted by the white and purple blur in the corner of the mare’s eye, which finally reached the stand and greeted her.
“Well hello, Rose darling!”
“Oh, hey, Rarity!” Rose knew that Wednesday was Rarity’s shopping day; she could see the unicorn’s two pink saddlebags bulging at the sides with all the essentials. Shopping... The fantasy-griffon haggled with a watermelon merchant while the heart-eyed fantasy-pony observed giddily. Hey, focus! You’re talking to somepony! She cleared her throat nervously. “How’s the day treating you?”
“Why, I couldn’t ask for better! The sun is out and there’s not a cloud in sight.” She lowered her neck to take a closer look at the bushels of flowers displayed on the shelves to either side of the stand. “And I must say, dear, your bouquets de fluers are looking spectacular today, as ever.”
“Thanks.” After all this time, the earth pony was still not used to receiving compliments. She veered her face away slightly to try and hide the fact that her cheeks were turning, well, rosy. “Were you interested in buying some?”
“You know I would, darling, but I’m carrying too much as it is,” Rarity responded, arching her back up and down to draw attention to her bags.
Roseluck remembered hearing that last week. And the week before that. And the week before that.
“Oh, by the way, Rarity, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“I know you’re into all of the latest gossip and everything…” She had been rummaging through her mind for a way to ask her without arousing suspicion, but there didn’t seem to be any way to do it other than being direct. “Have you heard anything about Gilda recently?”
Rarity was somewhat taken aback. “Gilda? You mean that nasty griffon? Why in the world would you want to know about her?”
Rose tried her best to play it cool. “J-just curious is all.” Sweating is not what I meant by “playing it cool”, body.
“To answer your question: No, I haven’t. I haven’t heard a word about her since she stormed off in a huff at that party.” She was subconsciously primping the curled truss of mane that flowed down the right side of her head.
“So you wouldn’t know where to find her?”
“I’m afraid not, dear.”
“Okay. Well, thanks anyway.”
“I’ll be sure to let you know if I hear anything. At any rate,” she tried to straighten out her spine, “I must be on my way. These supplies are just torture on my back. Toodeloo!”
“You too!” Rose shouted at a vanishing Rarity as she waved her off.
“Did you say you were looking for Gilda?”
Roseluck’s head shot nervously over. Oh, great, now Thunderlane knows. The dark-grey pegasus eased his hooves to the ground, folded in his wings and cantered towards her position. At this rate, all of Ponyville will know that I’m looking for Gilda by dinnertime. That’ll be some nice conversation at the table:
“Hey, did you hear that Roseluck’s asking about Gilda?”
“Yeah, what a freak. You can’t trust those gardeners.”
“Well? Are you looking for her or not?”
With a quick shudder of her head, reality took hold once again. Thunderlane’s puzzled, mohawked sphere sat cocked to the left, yellow eyes squinted. I can’t keep losing myself like that. “Uh, sorry, Thunderlane. Yeah, I am.” In her embarrassment, she had forgotten to try to be subtle about it.
His perplexity eased. “A couple of us on the Weather Team always see her hanging out by the far side of the lake. That’s probably a good place to try.”
“Really? Thanks!”
“What do you need to talk to her so bad for, anyhow?”
I don’t think the “curiosity” excuse is going to work on him. “I, uh… have to… give something to her. That she lost.”
“Oh yeah? And what would that be? Her kindness? Her soul?” He spat a silent chuckle into his hoof.
While his eyes were closed, Rose shook her head sternly. If anything, she’s lost her heart, because it’s been torn out by jerks like you. She switched to a disguise of amusement when his sight of her returned.
Thunderlane unwrapped his wings from his torso. “I gotta go now, Rose. I’m starving.” A soft leap and several brisk flaps were all he needed to float second-natured above the earth. “Good luck with finding her. Oh, and you might wanna tell your doctor to lower the dosage on your medication, so you won’t feel so out of it all the time. It worked for me.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” she said behind that phony twenty-tooth smile.
As he scudded out of range, she relaxed her lying face muscles and reformed them into a muted grin. By the lake, he said? Maybe she’s a big fan of the water. I’ll have to keep that in mind. Then, another word of his came back to her. “Starving”? What does that mean? Long rumbling beneath the surface of her admiration, a massive cramp of hunger finally gathered the necessary drive and erupted into her senses. Oh, yeah. Starving. She slid the watch aside and dug through her bags for the salad. If I don’t confess my love soon, I’m gonna have to find a new career.
Ponyville Park was lush with all of the merriment it was designed for. Celestia’s sun echoed its light off of the dewy grass. Movement and chatter wafted in every direction. An avian chorus recited its standards to the passive audience not only of ponies, but also of donkeys.
Roseluck idly watched from a bench as Cranky and Matilda were lying on a patchwork quilt, deep in conversation. She couldn’t hear them from where she was, but judging from their fanatical beaming they probably weren’t arguing. Suddenly, the talking stopped, and the two rubbed noses.
She couldn’t physically contain her response to the cuteness. “Awwwww...” Cranky’s a lucky guy; they make such a cute couple. I heard he went to Tartarus and back just to find her. Now that’s dedication.
As they continued to chat, she spotted a small hill to the right and farther back, a subtle rising of land preventing her from seeing beyond that point in the horizon. That’s it, right there. That’s where we’re going to have our first picnic. Her experienced inner artist was already painting the tableau: the clinking of cold lemonade glasses, the cerebral couple leaning back into each other as they watch the montage of life bubbling over across the fields. Once again, her lips curled up without her permission.
Farther right, beneath a small patch of trees, she saw Applejack and a blue unicorn colt she didn’t recognize with their heads turned towards each other in conversation. The clearing of green before them was plenty of room for Applejack’s shepherd-dog Winona and a white terrier (with hair every bit as curly as its owner) to engage in a heated game of Tag. I wonder if AJ and him are sharing sweet little nothings… Nah, probably just exchanging dog tips. They could make a cute couple, I guess. The small terrier finally managed to catch up to Winona and gave her a playful tackle. She was “it” now. I wonder if Gilda likes dogs. Rose didn’t have an accompanying fantasy. She wasn’t a big fan of dogs.
Eventually her eyes continued to wander, looking around for some other point of interest. Two foals were passing around a hoofball. Lemon Hearts was enjoying a grilled goldenrod on wheat as she sat on a towel on the grass. Derpy tucked into a nap in a hammock. Nothing that was particularly holding her mind affixed. She sighed, her hope to see more couples hanging out dashed.
Rose closed her eyes and wrung the cricks out of her neck. I think Derpy has the right idea. A nap would really hit the spot. Acting like an idiot all day sure takes it out of you. She had plenty of time to spare, anyway; she closed the stand at half-past one. The fewer ponies she had to stumble over her words with today, the better. With an extended yawn, she situated her head between her forelegs and was no longer lying on the bench.
She was on the hill, enjoying the glass of lemonade, with Gilda’s heated downy back to hers. Ponies ran to and fro, laughing and cheering as they performed their activities; if it wasn’t for them she would just as soon have assumed that time was standing still.
After an age of blissful silence, words twenty times as blissful came out of the griffon’s beak. “We couldn’t have chosen a better day to have a picnic, Rose.”
“Absolutely.” Words have hardly come any easier.
Gilda shifted her weight upwards and turned around. With her glassy claw, she began to delicately rub up and down the middle of the pony’s back. Rose exhaled, letting the masterful avian appendage ease the stress of the world out of her. After a few seconds, the rubbing gave way to sharp poking.
Rose giggled. It was kind of ticklish. “Hey, cut it out, Gilda!”
“Miss Roseluck?”
The mare jolted to consciousness at the familiarity of the voice. She swiveled her head to see Karat looking over her with a mild concern.
With an archetypal “Eep!” she sprung up and off the bench, and without the assistance of her legs fell face-first onto the slick meadow. Hastelessly, she reassembled herself as crimson flooded through her façade. “Oh, Karat, I’m… I’m so sorry!”
“No problem at all. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Rose sat back down. “You’re not the first pony to ask that today.”
Karat took the space on the bench beside her. “Love getting you jittery?”
She put a hoof to her temple. “I’ve been a wreck since I woke up. You wouldn’t believe it. I had to close my flower stand half an hour early, and I was closing it three hours early to begin with! I’m so glad that you’re helping me with this... I just hope I’m not eating too much into your business.”
He showed a benign smile. “Miss Roseluck, you are my business. There’s nothing more important than service after the sale. Besides, when you run a jewelry store, you can close whenever you want and most ponies won’t notice. When you run one in Ponyville, most ponies won’t even notice you’re open.” His smirk did not diminish.
“Well, I suppose jewelry isn’t exactly a luxury here.” The oddity of a high-end jewelry store in a place as small as Ponyville had never occurred to her before. Then again, there seemed to be a store for everything here.
“I’m certainly not complaining. I’ve come to enjoy the peacefulness over the years. My wife and I used to own a store in Manehatten, and some of our regulars bought gems so frequently we began to suspect that they were dragons in disguise. Sometimes, we would head over to open the store and they would be standing outside in a line, waiting to get their fix, so to speak.”
Roseluck chuckled. “I didn’t know you had a wife. How is she doing?”
Karat lowered his head, closing his eyes. “She’s... no longer with me.”
Her hoof went straight to her mouth to hide her gasp. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“No, it’s quite alright. I’m sure she’s in a better place now.” The last he heard, she was sipping saltinis with a tennis player in Las Pegasus. “In any case, we should really get down to the root of the matter.”
“Oh, yes.” Her stature eased again. “Well, I heard today that Gilda likes to hang out at the lake a lot, so I think that’s the first place we should look.”
“Ah.” Karat raised his left hoof to scratch his forehead. It was then that Rose realized he wasn’t wearing his visor or loupes; his uncolored mane was ruffled from the headband and matted from summer sun sweat. His dress shirt, vest and black tie remained unchanged, however. “I was banking on you being able to find a lead.”
She looked at him and offered a meek shrug. “And, honestly, I’m sort of banking on you having a plan. I mean, I know you haven’t had to deal with something like this before, but...”
“As true as that may be, I don’t think this should be too much different than any other experience. Love is a universal feeling; the tactics never change. It’s all about how they are employed.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that.” Rose was still surprised by his genuine sincerity towards her cause. She didn’t think there could be a pony in Ponyville (or anywhere) that would understand. “I’m so sick and tired of ponies talking about Gilda like she’s some kind of vermin. I mean, I know she was acting like a jerk, and I’m not trying to defend that, but you should have been there at that party. Pinkie Pie tried to throw this party for Gilda to welcome her to Ponyville, but everypony else used the opportunity to pull pranks on her and laugh at her! Are they really any better? I was horrified to see no one was willing to take her side. I was right about to stand up and call them out as hypocrites, but she finally got mad and stormed out. I don’t blame her; I would have done the same thing.” She turned away, her breathing more labored as she attempted to force her tear ducts closed.
Karat saw from her re-reddening frown that she was nearing the verge of tears. He reached out his right foreleg and patted her on the back lightly. His hoof spoke his comforts, as he knew there wasn’t any way to properly respond with words.
He only knew about Gilda from what patrons had told him. Usually it was something along the lines of, “Hey, did you hear about that griffon jerk who caused a ruckus in town?” or, “If you see a griffon around, avoid her; she’s a bully.” It didn’t surprise him to hear that they were giving her a hard time. This is the same town that refused to let a zebra shop in it until Celestia’s aide Twilight Sparkle set everypony straight.
His gesture made her feel a little better, even if her still-glowering face hadn’t caught on as it turned to face him again. “It’s just not fair, Karat. It’s not fair for her and it’s not fair for me and it’s not fair for us.” She punctuated her sentences with irrepressible sniffles.
“The first thing you need to do, above all else, is to not let the words of neigh-sayers get to you. You can’t let a group of panic-mongering Ponyvillians set the rules for the ruleless game that love is. This is your chance to teach this place a thing or two about discourse in love, whether if it’s with a colt, a mare, a griffon or even a manticore. You can do it.” He felt like he should have ended that by blowing a whistle and leading a team of hoofball players out to the stadium at the second half of the championship game. When was the last time he was able to feel passionate about something other than how many earrings he sold this week?
Roseluck’s scowl began to fade at the absurdity of her whole situation. I think he’s getting a little too worked up over this. It’s just love. It was a pleasant absurdity.
Roseluck’s legs were in slow locomotion towards the steel smoothness that was Saddle Lake. She was passing through the thicket of trees necessary to approach the lake, as it was flanked by grassy hills the rest of the way around. Along the far end, the light peppering of trees lined up across a mountain-like knoll threatened to block out the waning sun. It was a lot later than she wanted, and she tried to get ready as fast as she could, but every cosmetic decision agonized her bathroom reflection.
Her hooves met the coarse sand of the shoreline, and with a frightened twinge of her heart she peered down to test her appearance. Will Gilda like it? I hope I don’t look like I’ve overdone it. I’m not trying to look impressive, just friendly. Her two-tone raspberry mane stuck out its pointed tresses in the front and flowed its way down to the right side of her neck. Not much difference there. Makeup was certainly out, as she didn’t have any. She almost walked out of the house wearing a rose in her hair, but at the doorway she snatched it out. It was supposed to be a casual meeting, she reminded herself, not a candlelit dinner. Her pale yellow complexion was extra pale from the anxiety, a fact corroborated by the crimped squiggle that was the line where her lips met.
She didn’t want to bring her head up. She knew she had to and that she wanted to, but- No! Now is not the time to chicken out, Rose! This is it! Your big chance! You’ll be fine. Karat gave you those pointers; just stick to them and things should turn out alright. She slowly exhaled the pessimism from herself and cranked up her head. Her heart went into overdrive from what she saw at the far end of the lake.
It was her. Gilda. She stood indifferently in the setting sun, beak curved into a callous frown. Her feathery forelock laid stagnant in the windless pre-evening. Her wing feathers were ungroomed and in disarray. Her lion fur was tangled and dirt-stained. Her eagle claws bore scuff marks all the way up to the point where the yellow met with brown.
Roseluck had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Her chest rumbled with palpitations as she observed the griffon of her dreams. Gilda clutched a small, flat stone in her right claw. Without an air of hesitation, she swung the leg back and flicked it forward, launching the rock at the water’s surface. Skip, skip, skip, plop. The aquatic serenity was broken; the ripples from each bounce reverberated, fed off of and struck against each other before escaping to the coast. Her expression offered no feedback to the result as she reached her claw over to the right to snap up another stone.
After taking a deep breath, the red-maned pony began her canter, a delicate march towards the future, cautious and considerate of every sand-hooved step. She wasn’t sure if Gilda noticed her or not, and the last thing she wanted to do was stumble or fall on her face before she even got to introduce herself. If she had to act like a fool, she’d rather do it with words. It would be a little less painful, anyway.
Once she was around ten yards away she opened up her mental playbook and recounted Karat’s first entry:
“Be casual with your first introduction. Love is a casual thing; it comes easily when it exists between two creatures.”
She looped the word through her cerebrum as she closed in. Casual, casual, casual, casu- oh, Celestia. Rose was now within leg’s reach of Gilda, closer than she had ever been to her before. Every bit as beautiful up close… She gave her eyes a heavy blink to veil the gawk and refocus herself. Casual.
“Uh, h-h-h-h-hey.”
Gilda picked up another rock to her left. Skip, skip, plop. Water continued to flee from the strike zones.
Uh, hello? Am I a ghost or something? Maybe she didn’t hear me. Rose lifted her left foreleg and shoulders. “H-hey there.”
Skip, skip, skip, plop.
Roseluck faced the sand again. I guess I just move on to step two:
“Establish a common interest. Nothing makes a conversation easier than knowing what the other pony (or griffon) likes to talk about.”
Well, she’s never skipped stones before, but it’s always been something that she wanted to try. She looked on as Gilda took another rock and flung it across the lake. Skip, skip, skip, skip, plop.
Rose looked over at the tiny waves and then back over to Gilda. A compliment sure couldn’t hurt . “Hey, you’re pretty good.” Her nerves were finally starting to warm up in the griffon’s presence. “Mind if I give it a try?”
Gilda twisted her head over to the mare, strode backwards and raised an outstretched claw in offering. Her face maintained its mask-like stillness.
Rose felt her legs trembling in giddiness as she staggered her pace to Gilda’s stone-skipping spot. She couldn’t believe it. She was standing right where Gilda was just a second ago. Heat rose from the claw and paw-prints that her hooves were now situated in. So warm… She would have been content with just standing there until Luna began her night-shift, but her objective intervened. C’mon, Rose! Casual!
She saw a round rock directly down in front of her, which she scooped up with her teeth. She closed her eyes and concentrated. It can’t be that hard. I see ponies do it all the time. Gilda’s an athlete, so a good throw would really impress her. Five skips should do it. Her neck coiled clockwise, and like a spring she shot it back into position, letting the rock loose.
Sploosh.
Her opened eyes confirmed what her ears told her. One large shockwave spread across the glassy blue. It didn’t skip once. A nervous chortle exited her, as did her confidence. Her shoulders rose up again. “I… guess I’m a little rusty.” She turned to see Gilda’s reaction. There was no reaction.
That was because Gilda wasn’t there. Roseluck circled her head around to see where she went, eventually locking on to her across the lake. She was now standing on a bank over to the east, where the water narrowed and formed an S-bend before expanding again. Skip, skip, plop.
The trek to her was longer and more torturous than before. Maybe she’s a lot shyer than I made her out to be. Karat wasn’t expecting that, either, but he offered a suggestion just in case:
“Shy creatures don’t like to start conversations, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like them at all. Leading in with a question can open their shell.”
Back within earshot, Rose tried again. “Listen, I was-”
Gilda flipped rapidly around. The fair-coated mare was finally treated to a new facial expression: an annoyed sneer. “Look, kid, whaddaya want?”
The heavenliness of the voice overrode its meaning to Rose. Words directed to her, no less. “I just… wanted to talk, is all.”
The brown lion-bird swished her tail around slowly. “What makes you think I’d wanna talk to a dweeb like you?”
Rose frantically searched for a reason. “Well, I… I, uh… uh…”
“That’s what I thought. Now get lost.” Gilda turned back around, eyes pointed at a hill in the distance. She didn’t reach for a stone.
I didn’t come this far just to give up. “Look, I know a pony is the last thing you want to talk to right now-”
Gilda spun 180 a second time. “Didn’t you hear me? I said,” she stretched her neck forward to meet the pony’s face. “Get. Lost!” Her teeth became more visible as her pupils became less so.
“But you don’t understand-”
“‘You don’t understand, you don’t understaaand,’” the griffon mocked. “I don’t need anyone tellin’ me what I do and don’t understand, especially a lame-flanked pony like you! Now get outta here before you regret it!”
Why can’t she just be open with her feelings? Well, if she won’t, then I will. Rose only had one card left in her hand, and she had to play it. It was now or never. She laid her hoof on Gilda’s sturdy shoulder and stared longingly into her eyes. “Gilda, I l-”
Gilda swirled her head to the unwanted hoof and growled. She swiftly grasped the pony’s leg with both claws and leapt into flight. “Grrraaaahhh!” In one fluid motion, she spun two complete circles and let go, launching Roseluck seven feet into the lake, landing with a giant kersploosh. The flighty beast zoomed off, the air pierced with a violent screech emanating from her beak.
Rose’s world lurched as she waited for time to usher out the vertigo. The projectiled pony was up to her neck in the cold water and her flank and hooves were swathed in cold, gritty mud. She swore she could hear the fish and turtles laughing at her embarrassment.
She didn’t skip once.
