Little Dusk Shine’s Big Adventure

by Typist Gray

Chapter 14: Brushing Up The Griffon

Previous Chapter

Later, Gilda arrived at Sugar Cube Corner with two winged escorts. Upon crossing the threshold, her shy demeanor instantly morphed into an aggressive bravado as she turned up her beak at anyone who made eye contact. As a result, only a few partygoers approached.
“Gilda, yes? A pleasure to meet you, Darling. You may call me Rarity.”
“I… hey,” Gilda awkwardly replied, shaking the white mare’s hoof.
“Oh, I see Fluttershy got her hooves on you. You lucky devil, you. I know better than most what a divine touch that mare possesses. You’re easily the most fetching creature here.”
“Uh… thanks,” Gilda replied, rubbing the back of her head and allowing herself a small smile.
“Howdy do! Nice ta meet ya,” Apple Jack exuberantly greeted. When Gilda timidly offered her claw to shake, the earth mare showed off her tribe’s trademark strength with a mighty show of force. In response, Gilda leaned into the action, matching the orange mare’s grip. “Hah! Them’s some mighty fine claws ya got there. Hoo-we! Right near shook mah arm out ‘f its socket, too. Not bad, Missy. Ah tip mah hat to ya.”
“Oh, so, you liked that, huh?”
“Sure did. Ya can tell a lot about a pony from her hoof shake. Same applies ta a griffon, ‘n Ah can safely say yer a gal Ah wouldn’t mind havin’ help me on the farm.”
“That’s a good thing,” Fluttershy translated.
“See, Gil? I told ya these guys were cool,” Rainbow boasted.
Gilda’s smile broadened. “Yeah. I guess so. I-I-I…” she trailed off, feathers seeming to suck in, making her look smaller as she couldn’t tear her eyes from the newcomers entering from the back. “D-d-d-d…”
“Yo, Dusk. I told you not to bother combing your mane today, and look what happened,” Barbara snarkily remarked to the stallion on her head as her long neck loomed high over all others. “This griffon is downright smitten with ya,” she laughed.
“Barb, lower your head. You’re intimidating her,” Dusk curtly ordered.
“Yeah-yeah, whatever. You’re no fun,” Barbara grumbled, lowering her head to an inch below Gilda’s. “Better?”
Gilda suddenly found her voice again. “I… Yes. Erhem. Y-you must be B-Barbara and Dusk. I-I’ve heard a lot about you two.”
“Well, I hope we lived up to the expectations,” Barbara replied with a toothy grin.
“Barb, be nice,” Rainbow chided, positioning herself between the larger creatures without a shred of fear. “Gilda’s my friend, and we just spent, like, half an hour working up the nerve to get her to come to this party, so don’t screw it up.”
“Half an hour?” Barbara scoffed. “All for little ol’ me?”
“Nah,” Pinkie said, cartwheeling into the conversation. “At first, I just thought she had some cultural misunderstandings. However, upon further examination, I think she might also have social anxiety on par with Dusk.”
Barb’s mocking smirk dropped like an anvil, and she slowly adjusted her great heft to turn sideways within the store’s limited space. “Hey, wanna climb on my back?”
“I… wh-what?”
“It always gives Dusk a boost to see the world from up here. I know you’ve got wings, but it couldn’t hurt, right?” Barbara offered.
Growling, Gilda’s feathers ruffled as she aggressively lowered her head and backed away. “Th-this is some kind of trick, isn’t it?”
“I can assure you, it isn’t,” Dusk said. “Barb merely wishes to show you—”
“I don’t care!” Gilda roared, bringing all chatter and music to a dead silence. Looking around, breathing growing heavy and rapid, she angrily shook her head. “I knew it. I knew this was a bad idea. I always screw it up with these damn ponies,” she muttered, marching toward the door as other partygoers kept their distance. “I should never—YOW!” she shrieked. Turning around, she found her tail in a familiar yellow mouth. “What the buck was that, fatso!”
Fluttershy’s expression was cold and stern, yet her knees trembled. “You are not allowed to leave the party like that.”
“Excuse me?” Gilda demanded, feathers and fur bristling. “You’re seriously going to tell me what to do? You!?”
“Gil,” Rainbow began. “You need to—”
“No, shut up! Everyone just shut up! I can’t take this anymore!” Gilda cried, her eyes starting to water. “I-I just—”
“We should go upstairs,” Dusk offered from Gilda’s side. The little stallion was no taller than the griffon’s knee, and her claws were roughly as long as his skinny forelegs. Regardless, there was not an ounce of fear in the little guy’s aggressively neutral expression as he endeavored to push the predator along his intended path. “We could go much faster if you moved your legs.”
Gilda blinked at the sheer audacity of this guy. Were it any mare or griffon, she might toss him across the room and run. However, because the other mares and drake were positioned nearby and staring intently at her, the griffon was not confident she could flee fast enough. More pressingly, the stallion showed no signs of fear in his body language, nor did he so much as glance at his protectors to show he was counting on them to protect him from his own stupidity. The stallion merely stared at her, blinking yet determined.
“I… o-okay,” Gilda finally conceded, letting the stallion take her talon and lead the way as his entourage followed.
***
The six ponies and drake gathered on one side of Pinkie’s room while Gilda took up the other side. Dusk even took the extra measure to open the window. “Winged creatures often become anxious if there isn’t a clear exit. Additionally, this will let you leave without going past the other party attendees,” Dusk stated with clinical coldness.
“Y-you’re really not scared, are you?” Gilda marveled.
“Of course I am,” Dusk declared. “You were in an agitated state, and someone could have gotten hurt. The mares only added to that irrational agitation, and I don’t need to say what would have happened if Barb had interfered. So, I gave you an opponent you’ve been socially conditioned to not harm—myself—in hopes of defusing the situation. However, there was a 30% chance my plan would fail. For that possibility, I was certainly afraid.”
“You see why I like him, right?” Rainbow asked. “I don’t see how he can move with balls that heavy weighing him down.”
“So, what’s the deal here, anyway?” Gilda asked, some belligerence returning to her voice. “Trying to use me to show off to your ladies?”
“No. When Pinkie mentioned our commonalities, I also saw our similarities in your reaction to an uncomfortable social situation. I’ve lost track of how many times Barb has rescued me from such predicaments, and I wondered what it was like to be on the other end for a change.”
Gilda snorted. “I don’t need saving.”
“Then what do you need? Would some sexual release ease your nerves?” Dusk plainly asked. “You appear to be well-groomed, and I know two of the best groomers in town.” He gestured at the yellow and white mares. “Alternatively, given that you are Rainbow’s friend, by the transitive property, that makes you my friend as well. And as my friend, I am obligated to let you use my body to satisfy your carnal desires.”
Gilda blinked in shock. “Okay, that was either the worst pickup line ever… or you’re crazy.”
“How was that a pickup line?” Dusk innocently asked. “I’m merely stating the facts that circumstances obligate me to make myself available to appease your…” He trailed off and faced behind him. “What’s so funny?”
Pinkie shook the giggles from her system and approached Dusk. “What Dusky’s trying to say is that we’re not mad. You had a bad moment, but you’ve got friends to help. So, what can we do?”
“Friends?” Gilda asked in disbelief. “I’ve only just met most of you. What? Are you gonna invite me to your place to make a pie or some shit?”
“Oh, I could go for pie,” Pinkie chirped. “Got any spare apples, Apple Jack?”
“If it was anypony but you, Ah’d take that as an insult,” Apple Jack replied, smirking. “But, since it’s you, Ah guess Ah might—”
“AnyONE,” Dusk cut in.
“Oh, don’t you start,” Rarity chided. “We’re trying to defuse a delicate situation. There’s no need to be a stickler over silly words.”
“Sorry, but anyone?” Gilda repeated.
“Dusk has a thing about saying ‘one’ or ‘body’ when most ponies say ‘pony,’” Barbara explained. “It matters to him that non-ponies feel included.”
“Oh…” Gilda stared blankly at the stallion, unable to make sense of what stood before her.
“It’s okay to be afraid, Gilda,” Fluttershy offered. “I need to be told that more than most, so you shouldn’t be ashamed of having your own fears.”
“Shouldn’t I, though?” Gilda questioned. “I’m a griffon. I can’t afford to be afraid of anything, especially not some lame pony party.”
“Loud noises and strangers wanting to make awkward conversation,” Dusk listed. “I’m not the biggest fan of parties either, but Pinkie loves them, so I attend for her sake. Also, I have Barb with me, while you had Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Why didn’t you lean on them when things got overwhelming?”
“That ain’t exactly Gil’s strong suit, either. Gil’s too proud for that,” Rainbow admitted, moseying over to press sides with her pal. That lasted only a minute before the hybrid pulled away. “Gil?”
“I-I don’t… This is t-too… I-I just… Gah!” Gilda hissed, snapping around to face the window. Her wings flared, and she readied to pounce, fleeing this social nightmare forever.
“Pride…” Pinkie thought, eyes widening with realization. “That’s it. Barb, grab her!”
“What?”
“Just do it!”
Unsure what else to do, Barbara trusted Pinkie’s judgment and lunged for the avian. She struggled, squawked, and tried using every sharp implement to repel the larger female. However, the only thing stronger than the drake’s scales was her grip, and Barbara had the griffon pinned in mere seconds. “Guess who I used to spar with back at the castle,” she triumphantly hissed in the griffon’s ear.
“I assume you have some sort of plan, Pinkie?” Rarity warily asked, finding her pink friend whispering into her yellow friend’s ear.
Nodding, Fluttershy approached Gilda’s front, locking eyes as the drake held the avian head in place without touching her beak. Breathing to calm herself, the yellow mare dropped down to the griffon’s level and said, “You’re powerless. We’ve captured you because we’re stronger. We…” Trailing off, she looked to her pink friend for guidance.
“We’re stronger, tougher, there are more of us, and we’re just plain better,” Pinkie chirped in her usual upbeat tone. “We caught you cuz we’re your superiors. You deserve to be caught. Don’t ya think?”
Finally, Gilda stopped struggling and surrendered into Barbara’s grip.
Receiving a nod from Pinkie, Fluttershy resumed her speech. “I’m sorry, but since we’re s-stronger, I-I can…” She strained, finding the words too mean. However, with an encouraging pink hoof on her shoulder, she found the courage to say what needed saying. “Y-you don’t choose what happens next. I do. S-so, um, h-here it is.” Fluttershy pressed her lips to Gilda’s beak. Her nimble tongue expertly navigated the sharp bits to avoid any accidental cuts. She even pressed near the tip to indicate her desire for entry. Surprisingly, Gilda obliged, allowing Fluttershy’s tongue to mingle with hers.
“What the buck am Ah lookin’ at?” gawked AJ.
“Hierarchal power consolidation,” Dusk answered. “Griffons have a strong pack instinct. However, while modern culture generally represses it, it’s still there and can be triggered with various social cues.” Looking at Pinkie with an impressed smile, he said, “You tricked her instincts to view Barb as her pack alpha, making her complacent with whatever requests were made by her new pack. To what end?”
“If Gilda was too proud to rely on her friends on her own, I figured we’d try treating her like a stallion instead,” Pinkie explained.
“You acted for her benefit against her will,” Dusk interpreted, facing the griffon with new understanding as she continued making out with Fluttershy. “Interesting.”
“So, I should have just shoved her head up my pussy when she was starting to panic?” Rainbow wondered.
“No, silly,” Pinkie dismissed. “She’d throw you off like a bad hat. Gilda’s problem is that she craves a pack, but she’s been taught that getting one is a weakness, so it’s got her all discombobulated. The only way for her to get what she needs is to be given it by force.”
“Just like a stallion,” Dusk thoughtfully noted, imagining Barbara holding him down while strange mares had their way with him. The idea made his stomach queasy, but it also made his little cock twitch. Like Gilda, he’d also been betrayed by his instincts. “Gilda, would you like to get up now?”
“I… s-sure,” the wren dizzily answered. Not surprising, given the intensity of Fluttershy’s kiss. Barbara carefully disentangled herself from the smaller creature, allowing her to stand. However, when it looked like Gilda might fall, Fluttershy jumped in for support, and the wren did not pull away. “Okay, that was… something.” Staring curiously at the nefarious pink mastermind behind the ordeal that still left her chest full of tight knots, Gilda asked, “So, i-is that it? Am I… cured or whatever?”
Pinkie merely shrugged. “I’un’ow.”
“There is no cure for social anxiety, especially not when cultural conditioning goes against engrained instinct,” Dusk authoritatively informed. “Most likely, you’re experiencing a phenomenon akin to a post-orgasmic high. It will pass.”
“So, I’ll be an asshole again? Then… what was the point?” Gilda demanded, sounding disappointed.
“There is no cure, but treatments vary, depending on the individual,” Dusk continued. “Broadly speaking, socializing with trusted friends is crucial. In your specific case, I suspect shows of playful aggression will yield desirable results. Rainbow, if Gilda needs a hug, pull her into a choke hold and noogie her into submission. She is not willfully accepting an act of kindness, but merely playing along in submission to those she recognizes as superior.”
“Wait, I thought you said this is gonna wear off,” inquired Barbara. “Not sure if you noticed, but this chick ain’t no pushover. She could kick Rainbow’s ass if she really wanted to.”
“Debatable,” Rainbow countered.
“So, am I just gonna have to keep dominating her?” Barbara asked, giving the griffon a curious look. “If so, I can’t say I hate the idea. That’s a pretty nice body I get to hold.”
Gilda blushed and fought the urge to roll over, exposing her belly.
“Don’t need to,” Pinkie confidently asserted, moseying up to the larger creature with a smirk. “Gilda, you’re in Ponyville now, and us ladies like to show each other a little courtesy now and then, if ya get my drift.” She turned her body to the side and invitingly shook her rump. “It’s just common manners.”
“R-right,” Gilda acquiesced, lowering her face between the pink cheeks to lick the earth mare’s slit.
“Fascinating. She didn’t even look at Barb,” Dusk observed, causing several mares to chuckle. “What? What did I miss?”
“Hehe, sorry, li’l guy,” Apple Jack began, pulling the small stallion to her side. “Yer a guy, so it probably ain’t obvious, but we mares learn mighty quick as fillies what bad manners gets ya. First time Ah ever disrespected mah Pa, Ma kicked me outta the house like she were shootin’ fer the shot ta win the big game. That was also the last time Ah disrespected mah Pa.”
“My moms didn’t need to do anything,” Pinkie informed. “They just stared into my soul like they were trying to pull it out with sheer willpower. Anyway, long story short, when our cousins came to visit, my sisters and I played nice with the little ones.”
“Unlike you ruffians, my mother raised me to be a lady of refinement,” Rarity convincingly lied. “I was a good filly who knew better than to start a fight I couldn’t finish, and especially not with boys.”
“The strongest call the shots,” Gilda plainly added, pulling away and licking her face clean of the clear juices as Pinkie’s legs buckled. Swallowing, the griffon faced the dragon and said with a respectful bow, “Thank you.”
“No prob. I was happy to do it.” Barbara playfully flicked her forked tongue.
“So, is that it then?” Gilda asked.
Pinkie rose from the floor like a zombie, scooped Dusk up under his belly, and casually chucked him in the air. The stallion wildly flailed as he came down at an arch, landing squarely on Gilda’s back. “You, guard that at the party,” Pinkie instructed, gesturing from the griffon to the stallion. “Ponies can approach and talk, but no touchy. Got it?”
“I… think so?”
“Yipee!”
So, the party pony and company returned to the event downstairs, reinvigorating the celebration just as the other attendees had started leaving. Gilda didn’t say much to anyone new, but as she guarded Dusk, the duty gave her more genuine confidence than her usual false bravado. At least she didn’t growl at anyone. All things considered, the party was a decent success. Also, for helping Gilda finally break out of her shell, Rainbow and Fluttershy promised to do unspeakable things to Pinkie’s body after everything died down.
After this, Dusk returned home and asked Barbara to take a letter.
Dear Queen Celestia
Today, I met Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s mutual friend, a griffon named Gilda. Pinkie’s observations of her having idiosyncrasies similar to mine have provided insight into what I might be like without my support system. Rainbow and Fluttershy excellently embodied their respective elements of loyalty and kindness, giving Gilda everything they could. However, she was reluctant to accept their help due to bizarre and unhealthy contradictions in griffon socialization. Despite this, they pressed on as good friends, as we all did. Ultimately, we did not solve Gilda’s problems, but we may have set her on the right path.
Ironically, the key that ultimately got the ball rolling was to remove Gilda’s agency and treat her more like how ponies treat stallions, if only temporarily. Reflecting on this, I am surprised to admit a bias favoring such a policy. Though I am loathe to admit it, it appears there may be a deeper merit to how stallions are treated. Regardless, Gilda has decided to return to Griffon Stone and bring this new practice of tough love with her. Hopefully, the younger generations will positively respond to pony-style forceful cuddles.
Your Faithful Student
Dusk Shine
***
Later, on a balcony in Canterlot Castle, three mares enjoyed their afternoon tea.
“So, what do you think?” Celestia asked, handing the letter to her sister.
“Hmm, curious. How couldst thou allow griffons to so languish under thy tutelage?” Luna haughtily asked.
“Beg pardon?” inquired Cadence.
Celestia also appeared momentarily confused, only to realize the truth and laugh. “Oh, we never conquered the griffons.”
“You what!?” Luna and Cadence shouted in unison.
“Don’t get your panties in a tizzy,” Celestia dismissed while mixing several sugars into her cup. “But, before my little sister’s little tantrum, we might have been toying with the idea to… perhaps… annex Griffon Stone.”
“Why?” Cadence demanded, aghast.
“Didst thou not read the letter? The nation to the west is dreadful,” Luna informed. “Adolescent dragons ‘played’ there for sport, terrorizing the population into utter misanthropy.”
“We stopped the dragons, but the cultural damage had been done,” Celestia continued. “Unfortunately, a westward expansion into the mountains would have been a logistical nightmare in its own right. Then somepony had to go and get possessed by a demon… again.”
“Again?” Cadence asked, horrified. “H-how ma—”
“That would be mine twelfth endeavor,” Luna humbly admitted, sipping her beverage. “And before thou sayeth anything, we retained far more control than past attempts. Soon, We will be the ones possessing them!” She triumphantly threw a hoof in the air.
“At least give yourself a century to rest before you try that shit again,” Celestia groaned. “My visions show the next few years to be turbulent enough without having to kick your ass again.”
“So, now that We hath safely and gloriously returned from our sabbatical, where do we stand on conquering the griffons?” Luna asked.
Cadence sank into her seat with an atrocious posture. “Faust, almighty! Equestria is run by mad mares.”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Celestia jokingly dismissed. “Developing eccentricities is inevitable with immortals. I’m sure you’ll be singing a different tune once you reach your first century.”


Author's Note

I was struggling toward the end, not to get content out, but to keep Gilda from sticking around. There wouldn’t be much for her to do, so I needed to wrap up her arc as quickly as possible. And yes, the moral is freaking bizarre, but I think it fits the setting quite nicely. If a friend won’t accept help, force ‘em, preferably with sexual coercion, because that’s just how things roll in this world. It was also tricky to make Pinkie the hero instead of Dusk. He might be the main character, but the cast should be an ensemble of equals as much as possible.Lastly, reading this and the first part in one sitting, I realized how much I put into describing body language. And ya know what? It’s fun. It makes sense that different species might rely more on nonverbal communication, so fleshing out everyone’s reactions through posturing was a neat experiment. I think I’ll do more.

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