Gilda sat not far from the medical cabin. Rainbow Dash had not come out since Firefly had been taken in hours earlier and Gilda couldn't bring herself to enter. Night turned to day and Dash still hadn't left so Gilda still refused to move.
That afternoon Gilda's gang came by to check on her, or maybe they just didn't know what to do without a leader. She tried to ignore them, but then they started talking.
"So I hear you knocked the high and mighty Firefly down a peg or two."
"More than that, I heard you roughed up pretty good."
"So, how about it? Tell us what really happened!"
They practically bouncing with excitement as they interrogated her. Gilda found herself filling up with disgust just looking at them. "I don't really care what you heard, it was an accident," She said dismissively.
"But Gilda..."
Gilda stood up and approached the group, "Listen up dweebs because I'm not repeating myself." She found her voice getting louder as she went on. "It was worth a few laughs having you dorks around, but now you're cramping my style. So why don't you do me and yourselves a favor and GET LOST!" She practically roared the last two words.
The ponies slowly walked away, one of the smaller ones were sniveling and being comforted by another. Gilda couldn't care less, she had her own problems. When her former gang was out of sight, she resumed her vigil.
It wasn't until late that night when Dash came out. She furiously kicked the door shut behind her as she left the cabin. She looked surprised to see Gilda waiting and she quickly snorted back her tears as she approached.
"I'm sorry you were waiting out here so long," She began. She looked exhausted and Gilda realized she probably didn't look any better. "I need some sleep and so do you, but promise you'll see me in the morning. It'll still be a day or two before they can bring in a replace- a substitute instructor."
Dash flapped her wings once tiredly, but then settled for walking. After a few steps she stopped and went back to Gilda, "It wasn't your fault, you know that right?" Dash then shot a furious look back at the medical cabin. "No matter what anyone says, it was a stupid accident."
Gilda just nodded and watched Dash leave. She went back to her own cabin right after. Even though she was so tired, she found it difficult to sleep.
After going through the motions of the morning recitation of the camp motto, she and Dash went to their usual spot to talk. But it was some time before either one actually spoke.
"So how's Firefly," Gilda finally asked.
Dash's face darkened, "She doesn't matter, I don't have time to waste on quitters." This wasn't Gilda expected to hear at all, so she just sat quietly until Dash continued. "She says that she won't be able to fly again like she used to. She says that this is what she got for to trying to force her dreams on somepony else. She says it was a mistake for her to train me beyond just the regular class instruction. She says," She stopped suddenly and kicked a small rock off into the distance. "Who cares about what she says."
Rainbow looked to Gilda guiltily. "I'm sorry I haven't been spending much time with you. I thought that Firefly was... I thought she could help me to be better. I should have just stuck with you and not wasted my time."
Gilda felt her heart pounding, but didn't let her feelings show on her face. Instead she leaned back waving Dash off, "Don't go getting all mushy on me. You've nothing to be sorry about." She stopped briefly and sat back up to look Dash in the eyes. "But I'm sorry Firefly let you down. You know you can always count on me."
Dash smiled, "Now who's getting mushy, G?"
It was still another day before the substitute teacher for the high tier class arrived, so Dash and Gilda spent the day together as they used to. They only time they broke from their old routine was when they come across some of Gilda's former crew. They weren't back with Stormy or even all together anymore, but they gave Gilda a very dirty look.
"What's their deal, G?" Rainbow asked after sticking her tongue out at them as she and Gilda passed. "I thought those were friends of yours."
"It doesn't matter," Gilda said with a shrug. She then gave Dash a quick one armed hug. "Who needs those dweebs when I have you around?" Rainbow laughed and pushed Gilda off of her playfully.
The next the day the high tier class was told to assemble for the first time since the accident. The students all gathered into their line and began to wonder aloud what their new teacher would be like.
Gilda turned to Rainbow and asked her opinion.
"I don't really care what they're like, so long as they actually help me to get even better and don't quit on me."
Another pegasus whispered into Gilda's ear, "Personally, I'm looking forward to the SURPRISE!" The last word was shouted so loudly that Gilda everypony in the line leapt into the air. As Gilda was trying to shake the ringing from ears she watched as the shouter, an adult pegasus with white fur, a light green mane, and a cutie mark with a series of purple balloons, came skipping from the line and turn around to face them.
"Hellooooo everypony and a griffon, I'll be you're teacher for the rest of camp. You can call me Surprise because that's my name and I'm really unlikely to respond to anything else except maybe teacher, teach, instructor, and the ever popular 'hey you blathering pony'. Now let me see if I have all your names memorized." She paused in heavy contemplation for a several seconds. "Nope, can't remember a one. Oh well, you're all different colours anyway!"
Surprise began to walk further away from them as she spoke, "I've been told that you're all the fastest and most daring flyers in our camp right now, but I'm gonna need to see it for myself." She then flew up to a nearby tree and pulled down a bag almost twice her own size. Rainbow and Gilda exchanged a look of confusion. "With that in mind," she paused as opened the bag revealing dozens of large red rubber balls, "DODGEBALL!"
The assembled campers started muttering their own confusion. Seconds later the balls startled hurtling towards them. "I said DODGEBALL! Dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dodgeball, dooooooodgeball!" She rapidly kicked the balls, scattering the class, and with blinding speed chased down the balls and kicking them upwards as they all took to the sky.
Dash and Gilda separated as everyone scattered to catch the balls and return fire. Gilda threw two which Surprise effortlessly dodged as she disappeared behind a cloud bank.
"This is stupid," Gilda complained loudly. "How is this lame little kid game supposed to help us be better flyers?"
"Oh silly filly, this is just step one." Gilda turned around to see the Surprise was directly behind her holding a shiny red ball in hooves. Before Gilda could even twitch a feather, she had reached out and gently bopped the griffon on the head. Surprise then called out as loud as she could, "HEY EVERYPONY, GILDA'S IT!"
"What!" Gilda roared as suddenly a dozen balls were hurtling right for her.
Hours later the entire class lay on the grass, too tired and sore to move. The only one still standing, or flying in this case, was Surprise. "Well that was a good start. I'll see you all tomorrow where the lesson will be a SURPRISE!" And with that she was a blur disappearing over the horizon.
Gilda looked over to the nearby Rainbow Dash and tried to speak, gasping between words. "I don't like that pony."
"Me neither. She's just so," Dash made a sour face, "Ugh, random."
They both chuckled briefly. Dash started to struggle to move. "Oh G, one thing. You got me pretty good up there."
"And?" Gilda asked. A second later she was smacked in the face by a ball still in her friend's hooves. Gilda stuck out her tongue and played dead as Dash sat next to her and proceeded to ruffle her feathers.