Title:           Gilda/Cid
Author:          qinop
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/72aRSPUn
First Edit:      Monday 17th of October 2011 10:14:12 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Monday 17th of October 2011 10:14:12 PM CDT

10/15
 
The winter wind blew against Gilda's feathers, sending another tremor through her being. She growled and grit her teeth while she continued to walk along the Equestrian Road. It was a long way back to Eagleland, and the cold didn't make it any easier, but she didn't notice any of it beyond the boiling rage inside of her. "Stupid ponies..."
 
It wasn't like she couldn't fly home, she could... Just she really didn't have it in her that day. Something about her visit to Ponyville threw her off; she couldn't fly straight, she kept spacing out and flying into hail clouds... It was safer to walk, so she did. The only sound around her was the soft crunch of snow under her and the- "Oof!"
 
Gilda was snapped back to reality as she walked into what felt like a brick wall. She rubbed her beak and looked up to the mountain she walked int- "What the..." Gilda stared at the creature before her. Bipedal, dark... Not coat; more like skin, and a dark green mane. It was standing at least twice as tall as she was. Just noticing the collision, it turned around to face her.
 
No matter what the thing was, Gilda didn't care. She jumped to her feet and snarled at the thing. "Watch where you're going, dweeb!"
 
Instead of being intimidated, or getting angry, or any of the other reactions Gilda expected, the thing got to one knee and lowered it's head. "Please forgive me, great Griffon." *He* said in a solemn, remorseful tone. He placed one of his
 
hands on his chest. "I meant nothing by it, please forgive me." Gilda raised a claw while confusion spread across her face.
 
"Uh... Sure." She wasn't really used to... Whatever it was he was doing. Being worshiped or whatever. Gilda walked around the thing and continued on her way. She looked over her shoulder and saw him still knelt there, in the snow. His large body had begun to shiver. "...You can get up, you know."
 
The creature stood and faced Gilda. He stared at her a moment then nodded. "You are... Different from the Griffons my family serves." He trott- /Jogged/ to catch up with her. "Is something wrong, mighty Griffon?" He talked really loud, like how the elder griffons talked. Loud and kinda urban compared to the rest of Equestrian royalty talked.
 
Gilda rolled her eyes. "Yeah right." They were both walking side by side now, with the big thing barely having to move to keep up with her. They continued to walk together, in silence except for the crunch of snow under their feet. Together.
 
And it pissed her off. Gilda whipped around and looked at the big thing.
 
"Listen, there's nothing wrong with me, now make like a tree and leave."
 
The creature placed a hand to his chest and bowed his head. He sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just..." He paused. "I can tell there's something wrong with you." His head raised slightly and looked straight to her. He looked determined. "As a member of the Meteor clan, it is my duty to make sure you are pleased." He pumped both fists in front of him.
 
"I will NOT give up until you, a great and proud Griffon, are... Uh..." He lowered his hands and rubbed his chin. "Damnit... There's a whole speech and shit for this, too..." He cussed under his breath, and Gilda smirked. This guy was being ridiculous. "Basically, it would be a great honor to make sure you ain't pissed  off any more."
 
Gilda rolled her eyes and began to walk away. Needing help... "Yeah, whatever, dweeb." She left him standing in the snow for a moment only for him to come bounding back to her. She groaned at him. "There's nothing wrong with me!" She snarled. She turned and ran away from him. "Now get lost!"
 
He ran right next to her, no matter how hard she ran. "What's wrong?" His voice ringed [Flaria's note: Rang?] with haughtiness, something that made Gilda's feathers bristle. But what was worse was what he said next. She would never forget how hot it made her. How much it made her blood boil even against the icy cold snow. "Are you *scared* to tell me?"
 
The words bounced around in her head a few times. 'Are you scared?' It upset her as it moved back and forth against the walls of her skull. 'You scared?' She grit her teeth and felt a vein pulse in her neck. /Scared?/ She stopped running. She reared back on her hind legs and roared. It was an earth shaking, mind blowing roar; the sound was heard for miles.
Oct 15 11:16:23 <Flaria>        (She mad.)
Oct 15 11:16:32 <Narrator>      (Hehe)
 
Using her wings to support her, she walked over to the dark skinned... Thing and pushed him. He stumbled. "You think I'm scared?" Her voice rang throughout the empty valley as she continued to smack her company around.. "What do I have to be scared of, huh?" She dropped down to all fours and charged with her shoulder.
 
This time he was pushed straight back, leaving two deep trails in the snow.
 
Gilda pushed him again, and again, and each time, the young thing gave no sign of pain, discomfort, or even fear. And it just added to her rage. "I'm not scared of anything!" He shook his head. He was disappointed. She roared at him again before pouncing him. He fell to the ground without much of a fight. Gilda raised a claw into the air and poised to strike. "Is this what you wanted? To get your flank kicked?" He didn't respond. He just stared at her with those dark green eyes of his. No fear. No pain. Just there. She growled and brought her claw down onto his face with a sharp slice of the air.
 
He pulled his legs up to his chest and kicked her off. He used the forward momentum to propel his own body back to a
 
standing position. He grunted and cracked his neck. "Pretty much..." He shook out his big hands and fell into a more aggressive pose. "I've always been a firm believer that a good spar can cure what ails ya." He waved Gilda over with a grin
 
Gilda growled and spread her wings. "Fine..." She got into a low position while the other guy just watched her, grinning.
 
With a roar, she kicked out with her hind legs and charged him. She had one claw outstretched, ready to run him through.
 
His was an effortless dodge, but not a perfect one. Gilda managed to tear the front of his shirt and graze the skin beneath. He smacked her upside the head as she flew past. He faced her backside and heard her huff. He saw the steam appear just beyond her face. She spun around and stomped her claws into the snow. She snarled and ran to ram him again.
 
He ran forward, arched low, right to her. They met with a body shaking crash. He grit his teeth and grabbed her shoulders and continued to push her back. He wasn't too surprised when she dug her own claws into his own arms. He was surprised however to find how weak she was. He was effortlessly pushing the little Griffon back, pushing her through the heavy snow with as much effort as he would use on a regular human being.
 
Something inside clicked. Seeing no desirable end to this curbstomp of a spar, he lifted her by the shoulders into the air. A panicked look danced across her face and she kicked around with her back legs.He let go of her, and she fell to her feet.
 
He stepped back. "You've been..." He shook his head. "You were beaten before I even came here, weren't you?"
 
"Uh!" Gilda furiously shook her head. "What are you /talking/ about?" She looked away from him with a huff. "No way I can be beat. I'm awesome." She looked up at the thing. He was wearing an uncomfortable expression.
 
10/16
 
The thing gulped. "I know how that feels." Was that... Sympathy? Was this thing giving her sympathy? Gilda shook her head. That wasn't right; no one gives her sympathy. No one. Gilda stood up on her hind legs and stared the thing straight in the eye.
 
"Listen you, stupid thing!" She jabbed his still bleeding chest with a pointed talon. "I'm Gilda! I don't lose, alright?" The creature just shook his head and kept looking all uncomfortable. Gilda glared at him. She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Did you hear me?" She shook him. "I didn't lose! I don't lo-" He placed one of his hands on her beak.
 
Gilda strained against his hand, trying everything she could to get free. She tried stabbing his hand, shaking free, just yanking it out, but nothing worked. It wasn't until he shouted at her did she realize he had been talking the entire time. She was going to continue to struggle, but... She just felt like listening.
 
He was wearing a stern expression. She almost saw one of the Griffon elders in his dark face before it turned back into the smooth skin of a creature she didn't know much about. It might have been why she stopped, or not.
 
"I wasn't talking about losing." He kept that strict look as he spoke. She felt like she was being disciplined. She should have been angry, hell, if it was anypony else, anything else, she would have kicked his flank right then and there. So she just extended her wings, crossed her forearms and listened while she glared at him.
 
10/17
 
He stopped talking. He even knew how to use that look. The cock of the head and raise of the brow. The one that said it was her turn to speak. Again, she felt anger bubble up inside her for being accidentally used by him. She looked away from him and brushed some snow off of her shoulder. "I don't feel anything, alright?" she glared at him again.
 
She fell back to all fours into the freezing snow. "Now get lost." She turned and walked away from him, into the cold winter flurry. After just a few seconds of walking, she heard the sound of his steps against the snow as well as her own. She grunted. "I just want to be alone." But after just a few seconds, he was walking next to her again.
 
Gilda stopped. He stopped. She continued. He continued. Her temper was starting to get the better of her. But she couldn't attack him like she would usually do to some chump who was trying to mess with her. It was like she couldn't if she wanted to. She shook her head and stopped once more. "...Listen. I don't know what you've heard about me, but I'm fine
 
really. I don't need anybody hanging around me, trying to cheer me up- Nothing like that. So just get lost."
 
She even waved her hand in front of him, to shoo him away. He didn't really respond, aside from slowly shaking his head. "I can't do that. I can't. It's like how I was raised an shit." He crossed his arms and snapped his neck. "It's like one of the greatest things I can do." He bent forward so he was eye level with her. He gave her a big sporting smile.
 
"Just making you happy, Lady Griffon."
 
Gilda stepped back a little bit at the Lady thing. She averted her eyes too. Really classy and old fashioned; too much for her tastes. "Uh huh... Well, I mean that's cool and all, but I-" He cut her off.
 
He stepped forward and said it. "I know." She stepped away. He was using that voice again. That dominating, assertive voice. "I know there's something up. You need something. Someone..." Gilda took another step, he took one too. "I didn't get to be where I am today without knowing how to read people." They kept walking like that.
 
She didn't try to stop him either. It was instinct. He was an elder, and she was a fledgling again.
 
He did stop walking, but he didn't shut up. "I'm not smart, but I know you and I..." He pointed at himself and her. "Are very alike." He leaned back. "We're tough." He huffed and then chuckled. He watched the snow, or something that wasn't Gilda. She almost looked too, before he started talking again. "We're tough. We know we can't be stopped by anyone."
 
He huffed again. His hot breath made a big cloud. "We're tough..." He dropped his smile. He closed his eyes. "But for all of the strength I've tried to earn over these years... It'll never make me invincible. Same with you." He put a hand on his frozen chest. She watched him stand there. "No matter how strong we get, others can still hurt us, milady..."
 
She snarled. "Yeah? ...Yeah?" She stood there, with her mouth hanging open. She couldn't come up with anything to counter that. She closed her trap. She hung her head. He was right. She heard him laughing. It was a soft, almost bitter laugh. She looked up at her. The laughter faded away.
 
"I was exactly the same when someone tried to explain it to me for the first time." He laughed again. "May the gods keep his soul, the old geezer didn't know how to talk to younger kids." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Especially when we're pissed off, right?" He received a weak nod from her. "But he did teach me a lot. Like this..."
 
He was quiet again for a moment, and Gilda was suddenly very aware that she was sitting before him like she used to do back home. She stood up, but he didn't do anything. He did mumble something. She turned an ear toward him and listened. "What?"
 
"Everyone."
 
"Everyone..."
 
"Everyone." It came out as a whisper that time. She might not have heard him if the winds were any louder. He threw his head back to face the falling snow. "What it all boils down to is this..." He rocked his head back and forth against the storm. "Everyone. The nerds, the punks, the royalty, people like us..." His hand dropped from his chest.
 
11/18
 
"We all need friends."  He slowly turned from the white of the snow and looked down at her. He squatted. For the first time since they met, they were actually eye level.The gold of the sun met the dark green of the valley. He sounded so serious compared to what she expected. Nothing like the elders. Younger.
 
He was someone her age, trying to tell her something she needed to hear.
 
"I know you don't believe me. I know you don't. I've been here before, and Master almost couldn't help." She flinched when he placed a hand on her shoulder. She was there again. She wasn't spaced out like when she was usually being lectured. A smile graced his lips. "So? What do you say, Lady Griffon? Can we be friends?"
 
Gilda didn't say anything. She didn't /do/ anything for some time. She just let the words roll around in her head. Friends. Friends. "Uh." He wanted to be her friend. Having friends is pretty cool. Nothing wrong with having friends. She smirked and half shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"