Gilda and Dash's Glorious Conquest

Gilda sat with a bored expression on her face. She'd maintained that expression for a solid ten minutes while she watched her friend Rainbow Dash pace back and forth across the cloud floor while the young mare tried to comprehend what she'd been told. She'd elected to lay on the couch during this process, and due to her size took up the whole thing.

"Okay, so how do-" Dash started but stopped when Gilda moaned loudly.

"If you ask me to explain it again I'm going to jump off the porch." Gilda threatened halfheartedly.

"G, that is so not cool especially after what you pulled last night." Dash reminded, stopping mid pace to give her friend a worried look.

Gilda ducked her head in apology. "I didn't mean it for real. Seriously though, I wish you'd stop asking me to repeat myself."

"Okay, deal." Dash went silent for a moment, "After you go over it one more time." Dash added quickly, raising her voice over the half growl half screech only a griffon could produce.

Gilda glared at Dash, to which she received a sheepish but expectant smile.

"Fine. One more time." Gilda finally relented. "Something up to a century ago, my family was the ruling clan of the griffon empire." Gilda paused and looked over at a very interested Dash.

"With me so far?" Gilda asked.

Dash nodded in response.

"Great. So the second largest clan who my father, the griffon king at the time, trusted greatly staged a coup. For reasons unknown to history, my mother knew it was coming and carried an unhatched cub to the border of Equestria and the Griffon Kingdoms."

"Wait, if she knew why didn't your mom warn your dad?"

"Unknown to history. Means, I don't know either. Just let me finish the story so we can move on, please."

"Right sorry." Her friend replied quietly.

"So the border guards probably would've discarded the egg were it not for how intimidated of my mother they were. Instead a single pegasus flew the egg and a letter accompanying it all the way to Canterlot while my mother drew the attention of a who flight of griffon usurpers back towards the heart of griffon territory. If they knew about the egg that'd made it into Equestria they didn't show it. I guess I got really lucky."

"So how did you manage to get into a Cloudsdale orphanage if you were brought to Canterlot?"

"Accident?" Gilda guessed with a shrug. "All I know is that I wasn't allowed to hatch for about a century thanks to some kind of magical stasis on my egg. I was apparently under the care of Celestia for a while."

"So is she the one that sent you the letter recently then?" Dash asked.

"Maybe, probably? I can't assume many others knew about this arrangement. Much as I want to know why the ruler of Equestria wants me to wage war on the griffon king I think I'll just stay in the dark on that one."

"Wait, why?" Dash asked, wings flapping in agitation. "Celestia has been all about peace for 1000 years and she wants you to go war by yourself, and you don't want to know why?"

"No. I want to know, but I can't exactly go to her throne room and straight up ask her.The letter wasn't signed. I'd bet she'd have to deny it because of all the guards that would be in on our conversation." Gilda explained.

Dash shook her head. "You're friends with one of the element bearers. I bet I could get you a private uh-" Dash paused in thought, "What's the word?"

"Audience?" Gilda tried.

"Audience!" Dash nodded eagerly at the plan forming in her head." I can just ask Twil-" She stopped dead. Her excitement vanishing.

“Twil? Twilight? The purple one right? I need to talk to her anyways.”

“Yeah, that isn’t going to happen though. She ‘s gone.” Dash said slowly.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry I didn't know." Gilda replied quietly. Unknown to Rainbow Dash, there was a growing look of disappointment on the griffon's face as she pondered the news. "How'd she die?"

"She's not dead!" Dash shouted, quickly covering her mouth and taking a deep breath. "Not dead, she left Equestria with a "new teacher," though. She promised to come back though, I know she will." Dash's voice wavered as she spoke. She couldn't bring her gaze up from the floor.

"Jeeze, filly." Gilda shifted from her spot on the couch, sitting up and opening her arms. When Dash didn't move right away Gilda took the initiative and scooped her troubled friend into a hug.

"Since when do you-" Dash started to say, before Gilda squeezed her just a little too tightly.

"I know I'm not usually the hugging type, can we not talk about it?" Gilda said, trying to maintain her air of standoffishness. "Just enjoy it while it's happening."

Dash said nothing and returned the hug. Their embrace lasted for longer than Gilda was comfortable with, and part way through it she felt Dash relax into her chest.

"Alright, you don't have to enjoy it that much." Gilda said at length, bringing her friend to arms length with little effort. Dash dangled in the air and spotted Gilda's slight blush of embarrassment.

Being held by aloft by the claws of a predator prompted the young mare to ask, "How do you do that thing with your claws?"

"Do what?"

"Not cut everything, they look seriously sharp and stuff."

"Oh." Gilda said, bring Dash nearly beak to snout, "Very carefully." Gilda whispered, with a pseudo-sinister tone.

When Gilda gave her nothing else Dash simply said, "Right."

They shared an awkward pause before Dash spoke up again, "So all this said you want me to come along on your ' quest' thing? Why me?"

"Honestly, you're the only friend I've ever really had. When I stormed off months ago, I didn't actually go find new friends, I was just alone."

"Oh wow G, that's-"

"Sad, I know. Remember when we used to get into fights back in Cloudsdale? Remember how you wouldn't back down even when I threw the first punch? How even after all that we'd make up and keep being friends? You've always been a good friend, and the only pony mare or otherwise brave or dumb enough to take on a predator almost twice your size."

"Of course we made up, we lived in the same house."

"Eugh don't remind me."

"Just saying, it would've been really hard living together and not getting along." Dash pressed.

"Yeah it would've, I guess. Oh snap, you think mom and dad know about this?" Gilda sat upright reaching for and brandishing the letter that'd put her in her current situation.

"Uh wow, you haven't called them mom and dad in a long time."

"Yeah okay whatever. But if they know then I might not even need to talk to Celestia!"

"What do you have against talking to Princess Celestia?"

"Since your friend isn't here, how are we supposed to set up a private meeting?"

"We can still ask Spike to get her a letter." Dash shrugged.

"Spike?"

"The dragon that lives in the library."

"Ponyvile has a dragon?"

Dash grinned.