Two Dialogs

“Hello, everyone nwah-wuaaah!”

“Hahahaha!” “Heh heh heh.” “Tee hee hee.”

“Yeah, the bark gets pretty slippery right after a rainstorm.”

“Claws help.”

“I’m actually hoping to talk to Gilda. Gabby, she came over from Griffonstone with you, right? Do you know where she would be?”

“Sorry, princess, but she zipped away as soon as the train arrived. But she pretty much only talks about Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, so I’d see if she was with them.”

“Finally found you! Word on the grapevine is you’re moping around.”

“What grapevine are you talking about?”

“Y’know, general gossip.”

“I wasn’t aware my moods were a topic of gossip in Griffonstone.”

“If you must know, it was Scootaloo telling Gabby who told me.”

“Well, all of you don’t have to worry about me. It’ll pass in time. I’ve dealt with these before.”

“It’ll probably pass sooner if you came to your friends for help.”

“Have you talked with Twilight Sparkle?”

“What? No, why?”

“Because that’s the kind of thing that she would say, and she said something about wanting to talk with you last time I saw her.”

“What does she want to talk about?”

“No idea, but I bet if you head back towards Ponyville you’ll run into her.”

“Dash, I’m not going until you tell me what’s going on.”

“Fluttershy has everyone’s attention right now. And rightfully so. I’d be a horrible friend if I was demanding attention now of all times.”

“Sure you’ve always been a showboat, but are you really telling me not getting attention is what’s bringing you down?”

“No! It’s just why I’m not showing off to bring myself back up, the way I normally do.”

“Then what is bringing you down?”

“I feel like I let her down. It’s kinda stupid, I know. All my life, way back to when we were little fillies in Cloudsdale, I’ve had this sense that I should look out for her. So, when I couldn’t get her off that mountain in time—”

“You’ve said your ‘element’ was loyalty. But if it was truly yours, I think it’d be protectiveness.”

“Protectiveness? Really?”

“What if someone was going to hurt Scootaloo?”

“...... Yeah, you’re right.”

“You were even protective to me when I was a chick in flight camp.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Of course, now I should be protecting you.”

“You, protect me? How do you figure?”

“Well, let’s see, I’ve got a beak, talons, claws, I’m bigger and stronger than you—”

“Bigger and stronger? Since when?”

“Seriously, Dash? Since like a decade now.”

“...... Yeah, knowing you since I was a foal, I guess I never noticed how big and strong you became.”

“Dash, are you ... afraid of me?”

“Pfft! Of course not.”

“...... No, you aren’t afraid of me.”

“Gilda, what are you—ummph?”

“Did you find Gilda?”

“Yeah, she was with Rainbow Dash.”

“Well...?”

“Well what?”

“Come on, what did she say when you told her?”

“... I didn’t talk with her.”

“What? Why not?”

“... She and Dash were ... occupied.”

“Occupied?”

“... Yes. ... And I didn’t want to disturb them.”