Ponyville. It was amazing how it seemed like nothing had changed since Gilda had seen it last (assuming you didn't count the now impossible to miss giant, crystal tree that was officially a castle). It seemed like the town still had that small town, rustic charm going for it. Familiar faces, familiar places, and apparently there was always something going on on any given day.
Maybe that was why ponies like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie loved it so much and called it home. Forget Canterlot, Ponyville might as well be the center of Equestria. Ponies and even some non-ponies trotted to and fro with smiles on their faces, greeting friends and strangers alike, all the while going about their rounds as if nothing was different.
Yet as Gilda's brilliant amber eyes scanned the crowds, she could not see the pony she'd been looking for or anypony who she remembered knew about the pony she was trying to find. Perhaps that shouldn't have surprised her, she remembered that she'd been told that this particular pony was, well, shy for lack of a better term. It was even part of her name.
The griffon sighed, forcing back a groan as she tried to keep a cool head. So she couldn't find the pony she was looking for. No big deal. She'd just ask around, and hopefully somepony would be able to help her.
So Gilda walked towards the crowd of ponies, nervously whistling a tune to herself in the hopes it would help her blend in. She wasn't sure how much ponies remembered from her last visit to town, and feared that her reputation might precede her. It wasn't long before she was brushing feathers with ponies, and she nervously asked. "Uh, hey, excuse me, do you know where I can find... uh..." She paused, momentarily forgetting the name of the pony she'd been searching for. Fortunately, it soon came back to her. "Fluttershy? Yeah, that's the name. Fluttershy."
But all the griffon got for her troubles was a shrug of the hooves. And no matter who she asked in the crowd of ponies, the answer was the same. It seemed like nopony knew where Fluttershy was or even where one might hope to find her.
Gilda started to growl a bit, losing what patience she had. She had to stop and take some deep breaths to calm herself, remembering that she'd been trying to work on her temper. That's what had gotten her into trouble the last time she'd been in Ponyville.
Suddenly, a very familiar looking pegasus mare with a rainbow colored mane came swooping down from above. And if the look in her violet eyes was any indication, she hadn't been anticipating seeing the griffon here. "Gilda?"
"Hey, Dash," Gilda somewhat nervously greeted with a wave of her claw and a sheepish grin. "Uh... surprise?"
The rainbow maned pegasus blinked slowly, before deciding to embrace the griffon in a hug. "Gilda! What a nice surprise! Never thought I'd see you in Ponyville again of all places," And she saw fit to ask. "What brings you here? How are things in Griffonstone?"
"Oh, you know, about as well as they can be, I guess," Gilda shrugged her claws. "Can't change minds and hearts overnight," She then quickly changed the subject back towards Dash's original line of questioning. "Anyway, I came here 'cause there's somepony I'm trying to find. Somepony I kind of owe an apology to."
"What do you me... oh!" Dash commented as the realization slowly settled in. "Looking for Fluttershy, huh?" And upon receiving a confirming nod, she was more than happy to point out. "Well, usually, if she's not here in town she's at her cottage. It's near the Everfree Forest, you can't miss it. It's the only cottage out there."
The griffon was satisfied with the answer. "Great! Thanks a ton, Dash!" And she unfolded her wings. "See you 'round, I guess." Then she took off into the sky.
Dash watched Gilda fly away, and shrugged her hooves. "Hope it all works out for you, G." Was all she said.
It didn't take long for Gilda's eyes to spot a lone cottage not far from what had to be the Everfree Forest. Good thing griffons had good eyesight, making them capable of spotting things from way up in the sky that would normally be a blur. She swooped down, landing at the cottage's doorstep. It seemed like a nice little cottage. About as nice as a cottage could be, anyway.
Now came the part the griffon had been dreading. But she couldn't turn back. This was the entire reason why she'd come to Ponyville. She couldn't leave until she took care of this. Slowly, hesitantly, and carefully, she brought a claw up to the cottage door. She knocked three times, and waited.
Seconds passed, then a minute or two. But there was no reply. Was she not home after all? Was she somewhere else? Maybe she wasn't even in Ponyville? Maybe she was out of town and hadn't told anyone?
Gilda was ready to give up and call it a loss, when she heard the door start to creek and be opened ever so slightly. Through the opening, a light blue eye poked out. And a soft and gentle voice called. "Yes?" Then it gasped when it saw who was standing outside! "Gilda?!"
The griffon gulped and swallowed hard. "Hey... Fluttershy..." She spoke slowly and nervously. "Um... hope this isn't a bad time... or anything."
Fluttershy emerged fully from the door frame as she pushed the door open all the way. "Oh, nonsense. I always have time for guests," And she offered. "Would you like to come inside? Maybe sit down and rest your wings for a bit? I'm sure you must be a little bit tired after flying all the way here."
Gilda decided it best not to decline the pegasus pony's offer. "Y-yeah, sure." Was all she could bring herself to say. There was so much more she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn't she just come out and say what needed to be said?
Fluttershy, for her part, didn't seem the least bit frightened, startled, or intimidated as she led her guest inside the cottage proper. It was full of gentle, natural hues of green. And had a nice wooden floor covered with carpeting. It was as if this griffon was a complete stranger to her, even though she knew the griffon was anything but. She soon gestured a yellow hoof to a sofa near a window. "Have a seat, Gilda," And then she offered to her guest. "Maybe you'd like some tea?"
"Er... no thanks," Gilda insisted even as she sat down on the sofa and locked eyes with Fluttershy. "Listen," She tried to maintain her composure, which was very hard for her to do. It felt like she was a bug under a microscope. "There's... something I wanna say. Something I probably should've said a lot sooner."
But the pegasus mare simply replied in a gentle and reassuring tone of voice. "It's okay, Gilda. I know. And I've already forgiven you."
The white and brown feathered griffon could hardly believe her ears! "... You really mean it? Dash didn't put you up to this? Or... or what about that other friend of yours? Um, Pinkie Pie, was it?"
Fluttershy shook her head from side to side. "No, neither of them told me you'd be coming here. I had no idea you wanted to see me. But I can tell just by looking at you why you're here. You wanted to apologize, didn't you?"
Gilda nodded quite slowly. "Yeah, I did. We didn't really get off on the right hoof, or claw, or... whatever it was. I know that's not an excuse. It wasn't right of me to yell at you back then," She looked at the ground in shame. "The thing is, I knew about you from Rainbow Dash. She told me about you, how you met at flight school the same way Dash and I did. Hard to believe somepony as outgoing and assertive as Dash would ever hang out with a dweeb... I mean somepony as soft spoken as you."
The animal loving pegasus mare smiled and nodded back. "I know it must be hard to believe. But Rainbow Dash stood up for me against a bunch of bullies. And it was because of her that I discovered my love of animals, and got my cutie mark. I owed a lot to her, and still do," Then she added. "Besides, I'm much more assertive now, even if I don't always show it," With something of a knowing smirk she declared. "As a matter of fact, I happen to be friends with Discord."
Gilda's mouth dropped open in shock! "No way! Discord's just one of those old pony tales! And even if he does exist, there's no way somepony like you could ever befriend him," She shuddered. "A guy like that gives me the creeps."
A snicker escaped Fluttershy's lips. "Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. Discord's actually really sweet once you get to know him. He's kind of like you, actually. He likes to act all tough and assertive, but on the inside he's a lot more gentle," She proceeded to produce a picture showing herself with the draconequus. "See? This is us during our last Tuesday Tea, which was just yesterday, actually."
Gilda examined the picture carefully. The creature standing beside Fluttershy with a smile on its face matched the description of Discord to a t: A pony head, paws of an eagle and a lion, a snake's tail, manticore and bat wings, and even a goat leg. She had to blink and rub her eyes to be sure she wasn't seeing things. That had to be Discord, there was no way it could be anything else. And apparently, Fluttershy had befriended the old spirit.
"Maybe someday I could introduce you two," Fluttershy suggested as she put the picture away. "Discord could always use more friends, especially ones that are friends with me as well."
"Wait, wait, hold on! Back up the cart a minute!" Gilda protested! "Friends?! Us?!"
Fluttershy firmly nodded. "Why not? I know now that you were going through a lot. Griffonstone wasn't exactly a nice place to live. And when Rainbow Dash was the only friend you'd ever known, it was natural you'd start to get possessive of her," Then she added. "But that's not who you are anymore. You've changed. I can tell just by looking at you."
"You really think so?" Gilda inquired in a hesitant tone of voice.
Fluttershy nodded again. "I don't think, I know. Rainbow Dash told me all about how nervous you were on your first day at Junior Speedsters," She giggled. "It's funny, if only we'd met when we were younger. I think we would've become friends. Rainbow Dash helped us both to come out of our shells, to be who we were meant to be. And any friend of Rainbow Dash's is a friend of mine."
Gilda nervously and hesitantly reached out a claw. "You really want to be friends with me, even after what happened between us the last time I was here?"
The animal loving pegasus was sincere in her insistence. "Of course, Gilda. One bad experience doesn't have to define us. We don't have to live our lives in fear of each other. It's all water under the bridge. I know you're sorry and want to make amends. That's always good." She extended her hoof to the griffon's claw and shook it quite firmly.
"So, that's it? We're friends now? Just like that?" Gilda questioned. "I'm still kind of new to this whole friendship business."
Fluttershy's smile grew brighter. "That's okay, Gilda. It's never too late to start again or try something new. And if you're new to friendship, it's all the more important that you show a willingness to listen and to learn. I'm sure that we can become good friends if we both try our hardest."
Author's Note
I don't think anyone's ever written or even really explored an idea like this. Post-reformation Gilda has a lot of untapped potential.
