Nightfall in Ponyville. A time when the sky is blanketed with a darkness so complete, so absolute, that the stars that dot its surface seem to struggle in its grip, moments away from being covered and consumed by the jet black void.
Normally one would be asleep at such a time as this. And in fact, most were. Sound asleep in their beds, dreaming away the time until morning wakes them from their slumber, blissfully unaware of what was about to take place.
Thick wisps of white smoke floated upwards into the sky, dissipating into, and merging with, the chilling night air.
And there was one, just one, who was not asleep. A woman, who instead stared up at the stars, a far away look in her golden eyes as she leaned against a park bench, a cigarette held in her left index and middle fingers
This woman wore a rather thick brown coat, unzipped, as she did not see the need to prevent the cold's onslaught. In fact, she believed it to be necessary. An appropriate response to what was about to happen. She dropped the cigarette, and crushed it under her brown knee-high boots.
Behind the coat she wore a simple graphic shirt, created with the design of an eagle's spread wings over the chest area. Her coat possessed the same design, on a patch on the right shoulder.
Beneath her shirt, covering her lower body was a pair of dark blue jeans, held in place by a simple black belt. She wore white finger-less gloves with silver studs on the knuckles, the white a good match for her short, snow white hair, and a purple scarf tied around her neck to keep it protected from the elements, a good match for her long purple bangs.
The handle of a satchel ran diagonally across her body, it's main bag resting against her left hip.
She was just about to sit down, and give her body a rest, when she heard a voice. The voice of the person she had come so far to see.
"Hey, there, Gil."
Gilda looked over at her childhood friend. There she was, Rainbow Dash.
Clad in her usual white graphic shirt with The blue collar and the rainbow lightning bolt design, her black belt that held up a pair of dark blue jeans that led all the way down to her blue and yellow, winged, wonderbolt edition sneakers, and a pair of red goggles she always seemed to carry around with her, she looked just the same as she always had. Rainbow hair and all.
The only thing different about her was the blue and yellow wonderbolt jacket she now wore like a prize, zipped up around her small frame, accentuating her lithe, athletic figure.
Gilda smiled. "Hey, Dash. I see you've got yourself some new duds."
"You know it." Rainbow Dash spun in place. "One hundred percent authentic Captain's issue Wonderbolt jacket, complete with wings and all."
"Ohhh, That's nice. Bring it in. Come here." Gilda gestures with her hand, forming it into a fist as her old friend walks up to her.
Rainbow Dash accepts the fist bump before letting her arm fall to her side and sitting down next to GIlda. "So, what did you want to talk to me about? And why so late?"
For a moment, Gilda didn't answer. Then, without making eye contact, or even looking up at all, she said, "I just...wanted to see you, is all. We haven't really had time to spend with each other ever since you left Griffonstone with Pinkie, and...well, I just wanted to see how my old friend was doing. Catch up, you know?"
Rainbow Dash simply smiled. Gilda had come to see her. She really was a good friend. But that still didn't answer her other question. "And...the time?"
Gilda smiled slightly, before letting out a heavy sigh, still not even daring to look up at her friend. "Right, well... I called you out so late because...because I didn't want anyone to hear me."
Rainbow Dash looked confused. "wh-what do you mean, Gil? What's wrong?"
"I..."
Rainbow could see Gilda struggling just to say what was on her mind. She placed a hand on her friend's back and rubbed gently. "Come on, Gil. I'm here with you. Say what you have to say. I'll hear you out."
This seemed to give Gilda strength. She lifted her head up to look at Rainbow, tears running slowly down her cheeks.
"I'm lost, Dash! I'm lost, confused, and scared! I've tried over and over and over again to get the Griffons to see sense. To change their ways and be more kind, but none of it is working, and I just don't know what to do!"
Rainbow Dash understood now. She closed her eyes and sighed. When she reopened them, a serious expression could be seen on her face. "Tell me what's going on, Gil."
Gilda's gaze returned to the ground. "I...I've tried to help them change, Dash, i really have. I've been trying to spread happiness and joy through my food, like Pinkie taught me, but they just pay for it, and go about their way. Not even a thank you in return. They never smiled. Not even once. Not even the taste of my sweets could get them to do it!"
Then she remembered what she'd just done. "By the way if you tell anyone i'm crying, you're going to ponyville general with a black eye and a broken arm."
Rainbow Dash only chuckled. "Fine, Gil. I won't tell anyone."
"Good." With that, the two lapsed back into silence.
Rainbow Dash was busy thinking about what her friend had said to her when she heard her speak again. "Do you know, what it's like...to feel alone? Out of place? Like you don't belong?"
Rainbow Dash turned to hear her out, and Gilda's gaze turned to her for the third time that night.
"I've always been a griffon. It was the only thing I knew. It was...my life."
Rainbow Dash's hand, still in position on her friend's back, once again began rubbing gently, as she tried to comfort her.
"I was greedy, tough, blunt, and mean. I had to be. That's how you survive in Griffonstone. Never let anyone trick you, or play you for a fool. Never let anyone bully you, or take what's yours. And most important of all. Never, ever, ever, show any weakness. Whatsoever. Those are the rules I lived my life by."
Rainbow Dash said nothing, simply letting Gilda speak.
"But then you guys showed up, and showed me a better way. Ever since then I've felt...different. detached. Like an outsider."
This shocked Rainbow Dash. "But, Gilda. It doesn't matter what changes about you. You're still a griffon. How can you be an outsider?"
"That's not it. I know i'm a griffon. I'll never stop being a griffon. But, there are times, when I wish I could."
This shocked Rainbow Dash even more. "Wh-what?!"
"Us griffons are...unpleasant." Gilda chuckled darkly. "You heard me say that I had to act terribly just to survive there, right? Well, to be honest, now, every time I see a griffon, I can't help but be reminded of how I used to act. And...knowing that I haven't been able to make much of an impact recently...I can't help but feel that i'll never be able to help. I can't stand being surrounded by such negativity, and to know that I used to be like them...it makes me sad to have been born a griffon. Not that I hate my own race or anything. I just wish we could see the world like you ponies do, you know?"
Rainbow Dash finally removed her hand and looked at her friend. "I...think I get it. You think that no matter what you do, you won't be able to save them. That they'll drive themselves into the ground one day unless they change?"
"Exactly." Gilda's gaze once again returned to her feet. "You know I've wanted to be a wonderbolt too?"
This was news to Rainbow Dash. In all their years, she never knew Gilda wanted to be a wonderbolt.
"When I was small, I went to a wonderbolts show with my parents. When we got back, I told them I wanted to join up with them, and be a part of their team. My parents told me that only Pegasi could be wonderbolts. I was crushed. So, I eventually gave up on my dream to become a wonderbolt. And then I met you."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. You wanted to be a wonderbolt, too. And then everything my parents told me came back to me, and I told myself that I could never tell you about it. And then I went back to Griffonstone, and told everyone of my friends. But my dreams were crushed again. This time by bullies. So I gave it up again, and never picked it back up. But I never felt like I could be one of them, and be proud of it. And now look at you. Captain of the Wonderbolts. Living my dream."
Rainbow Dash was nearly in tears. She never knew her friend felt that way. "But..what does your dream have to do with trying to help the Griffons?"
"I want to help them remember their dreams, Dash. I want to help them see that they can be whatever they like. Having a dream makes a person happy. I want to do that for them. I want them to feel the boundless happiness that I myself had given up on so long ago, so they can spread it to others and help them feel the same."
Rainbow Dash had heard enough. She knew what she had to do. She stood up, and stepped in front of her friend. "Hey, Gil."
Gilda simply looked up at her. Rainbow Dash grabbed her hands and pulled her off the park bench, standing her up to her full height so she could look her dead in the eyes.
"Gil." She said. "Stop it."
"What?" Gilda had no idea what Rainbow meant. "Stop what?"
"Stop sulking. Stop sighing, stop crying, stop looking down, and for Celestia's sake, stop giving up!"
Gilda was taken aback by how loud her friend was yelling.
"You told us you would try, and while I agree you have been doing that. It's not enough to just try. You have to do everything in your power to make something happen. If you want something to change, be that change! You talked about me being a captain, but do you know how I got there?"
"No?"
"I worked. And I worked. And I worked some more. I worked so hard that my body ached and my magic failed. I continued to work myself to the bone until there was no choice but for them to acknowledge me. And now you have to do the same thing. If no one listens to you when you talk? Shout it from the mountaintops. No one offers their gratitude? Show 'em some manners! They laugh at you and shun you for wanting to be more than a greedy, self-centered pile of feathers, then so be it! Keep at it! And you can laugh at them when you have all the friends, and their all on their own, sitting on a useless pile of bits."
Gilda couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could do it! She was sure now! She would show her people how things are really supposed to work. And she wouldn't give up this time, either!
"Gil, my captain, Spitfire? She screwed up a complicated flight performance we were set to do. It was her last one before she retired. We were all skeptical, and believed that there was a chance we wouldn't be able to do it, but she told us she believed in us. She told us that we didn't just have a chance, but that we would get it right, one hundred percent. She had undying faith in us, even when she knew we might mess up. When she knew she might mess up. And she did. What we thought would happen came true, and she suddenly started falling. She crashed into a tree and broke her spine, cutting off any future attempts at flight magic. All I can remember thinking as I watched my idol fall to the ground because of a mistake she made was, 'I guess even she can mess up, huh?'. But even then, she didn't complain. She was still just the same as she always was. She was still our same old captain. Except, she wasn't. She knew that now that if she couldn't fly, she couldn't lead us, and so the Wonderbolts needed someone who could take her place. And do you know who she chose?"
"You?"
"Yes. Me. Because I was the one who gave it my all. I was the one who trained like crazy. I was the one who put in the effort to be the best I could be, and to do the best I could do. She chose me. Because I worked at it. Do you understand what i'm saying?"
"Yeah, thanks, Dash. You're still my best bud!" Gilda smiled, wiping her eyes and holding a thumbs up gesture.
"Hey. That's what friends are for." Rainbow let o of her hands and they both sat down again. Gilda spoke up.
"So, how's Pinkie these days. I'm...really sorry for what I said to her back then, I hope she's not still mad."
"Oh no! Never! Nothing can keep Pinkie down. She was a little upset that you didn't like her party, but she got over it."
"Oh...I see. That's good."
"Yep!" Dash said, but then suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Hey, wait! You said, you had given it up. Past tense. Do you still want to become a Wonderbolt?"
"Yep! They have new laws that allow Griffons to join now! I'll become a wonderbolt and catch up with you in no time, Captain!" Gilda challenged.
"I'd like to see you try cadet!" Dash said, grinning broadly.
"Then try I will!" Gilda said, standing up again. Rainbow Dash joined her, and they chased each other around, flying about in the night sky with the reckless abandon of children. Of old friends.
