"Why, mutant...? Why would you do this...?"

Gertrude looked down at Sir Grabthar as she lay down over him, careful to keep her weight from re-opening his wounds. Her wings wrapped around the rest of his body, forming a soft, warm cocoon around his shivering form. As one of the knights of the Snowheart clan, he had seemed so terrible and imposing, always looming over her, even when not using his higher status to abuse the wretched little albino she had been with his talons or his war hammer.

Now, though... now he seemed so much smaller, and badly injured. Not simply by the fall, either, which had claimed the life of what had once been a peryton, but died a mindless beast as it dragged him with it down the mountainside. It was plain to see that he was hurt and confused by her decision to dig him out of the snow. To stop his wounds from bleeding by sealing them with her enchanted ice. To keep him from freezing to death by sharing the warmth from her body.

She looked down into his eyes and saw the fear in his heart. He was afraid of being at her mercy. Of being made to suffer retribution for his actions, now that she had the power to visit every ounce of pain and degradation that he had brought upon her.

"Well...? What are you waiting for...?" He swallowed nervously, turning his head to break away from her gaze. In doing so, he practically offered her his throat to her. "I hurt you... now you're strong enough to hurt me back. That's the way of our clan. Come on... get it over with, monster... You should've died the day you were born..."

When she finally replied, Gertrude told him, "You're right. By the code of the Snowheart clan, my parents could have killed me the instant I was hatched, looking like I do. Instead, my mother made a choice to spare my life. To claim that it was not my father who had sired an impure griffon, knowing that we would both spend the rest of our days living as pariahs within the clan. She made that choice... because for whatever reason, she thought that the life of a mutant wretch was worth more than her own status. That's why I need to value the life she gave me, and make it mean something that's worth more than petty revenge. That's why I forgive you."

A small smirk formed on Gertrude's beak when she saw the look of confusion on Grabthar's face when he asked, "... Are you insane?"

"Perhaps," she replied. "But now, we're the same. Both of us, griffons who should have died, but didn't. Your life is a gift, Sir Grabthar. Treasure it, and make it meaningful."

"Some things never change," Gertrude whispered to herself as she pulled herself out of her memories and watched Rainbow Dash and Gilda collide, wincing slightly at the sound of their skulls meeting.

You mean in terms of your species being full of prideful imbeciles? Gungnir snarked.

Gertrude hesitated a moment before mentally replying, No... You know what I mean. In any case, did you enjoy your meal?

This time, it was Gungnir who hesitated before speaking. Strangely enough... yes, even though there is no genuine hatred in their conflict. I know in my mind that I should be fostering animosity between them to chill their hearts, yet by devouring the barriers between them instead... The only way that I can describe it so that you would understand is 'spicy', but somehow I am able to bear it. Something else I got from this thing you put in me, I suppose.

Gertrude had to stifle a giggle so as not to alert the other creatures nearby to her silent conversation. Don't look at me, she thought to the Windigo. I can't stand spicy food.

"Nnghuuhh... Was that... the best you had...?"

"Mmmph... knocked you... on your rump... didn't it?"

"Shut up... I just... don't want to hit you... when you're down..."

"I'm ready... for round two... whenever..."

Rainbow Dash and Gilda each lay on their backs. With the adrenaline of the fight no longer rushing through their systems, they panted heavily while the pain from the injuries they had inflicted on each other gradually seeped into their consciousness. Especially the last one.

Reaching up to rub the bump rising up on her head, Gilda winced and groaned before letting her talons flop back down to her side. "Owww..."

"Yeah... no one wins in a headbutt."

There was a moment where both of them simply caught there breath, which ended when Gilda snorted and replied, "Tell that to a goat."

Dash couldn't help but laugh. "Okay. Most creatures don't win in a headbutt," she corrected, and the two of them shared a tired laugh.

When the laughter faded, Gilda moaned in disgust with herself when she failed to stop it from transitioning into crying. "F-flaming h-hailstorms, Dash..." she stammered, bringing a talon up to her eyes to try to wipe the tears away. "Why'd you h-have to make this so hard?"

After a moment of thought, Dash panted out, "Because... we're both idiots. I should've just said... what I really wanted. And you... seriously? Make my friends... hate you... to make me push you away? That is... that is just the worst plan. Ever. Of all time."

Gilda grumbled. "Don't blame me... Got the idea from... this stupid book he made me read..."

"Perhaps if you had finished it, you wouldn't be laying there right now," Grigori groused in reply, reminding the duo that they had an audience. This momentarily broke the tension that had been holding everypony else back, and a herd of concerned mares came rushing over to surround Rainbow Dash and help her back up. The Emperor approached Gilda and offered his talons to do the same for her, but Gilda stubbornly elected to stay on the ground. At least, she did until a purple glow surrounded her, and she felt Lt. Sparkle's magic pulling her back upright.

"Are you alright? You aren't feeling any symptoms of a concussion, are you?"

Gilda blinked in confusion at the unicorn's question. "Wha...? Wh-why do you care?" She turned her head away, only for Lt. Sparkle to grab her head between her hooves and firmly twist it back so Twilight could check Gilda's pupils.

"Just settle down and let me make sure. I still feel bad about nearly blowing out your eardrums," Twilight explained with a stern tone, but she softened a bit and added, "And despite everything... well, now I can see why Rainbow Dash cares so much about you. You wanted to do what you thought was just for the sake of your friend. Even if you were totally wrong-headed about it, I can sort of understand where you were coming from."

Fluttershy flitted over and wrapped her forelegs around Gilda's shoulder, taking her by surprise as Gilda found herself getting nuzzled by the affectionate yellow pegasus. "Yeah! You really just wanted to make Dash happy, but you were all twisted up inside for so long, it all came out wrong." Fluttershy then blinked and realized, "Brrrr! Gilda, you're all frosted over! Eep! Don't tell me you have a Windigo in you!"

Gertrude almost interjected, but Rarity was the first one to reply, "She doesn't." The purple-maned unicorn met Gertrude's eyes, and both of them nodded slightly to one another before she continued. "It isn't Windigo influence. It all came from her." For emphasis, Rarity concentrated on her own mimicked form of Gertrude's Winter magic. It was clear that she hadn't practiced much since their last encounter, and that the changing of the seasons greatly weakened her efforts, but she was still able to form an icy shell around her horn without bringing her any discomfort from the cold.

"And that's why you didn't complain about the cold when you fell into the creek," Twilight realized. "Then that means--"

"--That the Emperor and I have a good deal to talk about," Gertrude interrupted before turning her head to look down at Grigori. "Doesn't it, Your Eminence?"

"I wholeheartedly agree," Grigori replied with a nod, but he heard the crackle of lightning, and looked up toward the sky. "But I think we'll have to put that off for the time being. It would seem our ride back to Canterlot is here."

His observation was punctuated by a series of loud booms as several thundersteel-clad griffons dropped out of the sky, followed by General Airstrike. The armored griffons immediately formed a protective perimeter around Grigori. Facing the emperor, Airstrike sighed in a long-suffering manner that suggested annoyance more than actual concern when he asked, "Are you alright, your Eminence? When we heard that loud racket coming from this area, you might imagine our worry when we you were nowhere to be found, unaccompanied by an escort. Again."

Grigori adjusted his spectacles, then smiled broadly at the uniformed griffon. In an instant, he was once more taking on the persona of the jovial uncle as he let out a deep belly laugh and replied, "Unaccompanied? I don't know what you mean, General, I was being escorted by one of your finest cadets the entire time." Gesturing with a wing to indicate Gilda, the battered griffoness grunted and did her best to stand straight and salute.

Gustav took one look at Gilda and grimaced. "And what happened here? You look like you were attacked," he said, casting a baleful gaze around the clearing. Focusing on Gertrude, he asked, "Was it you?"

In a flash, Twilight immediately teleported in front of Gertrude. "No, that was me!" The armored griffons immediately pointed sabers and spears crackling with electricity at her, to which she hastily added, "b-but it wasn't an attack! I asked for personal redress to settle something!"

Gustav glared at the purple unicorn, but then turned his attention toward the similarly battered Rainbow Dash. "I don't think so. I'd say that she was the one who got in the fight. And since you're covering for her, she didn't get the right of personal redress, did she?" The way that Twilight went pale and gulped nervously told the general that he was right on. "Men, seize that pega--"

"That won't be necessary," Grigori interrupted, his spectacles flashed dangerously in the moonlight as he reclaimed his fellow griffons' attention. But all it took was a slight tilt of his head to restore his jolly, disarming smile. "It was hardly a fight. Just a tussle between old friends. Isn't that right, Gilda?"

Gilda, fatigued from the emotional exhaustion and physical injuries catching up to her, replied? "Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah!" Reclaiming her focus, Gilda moved to stand firmly in front of Rainbow Dash. "First one of you who lays a talon on my friend here, I slice their throats open! I don't care what your rank is!"

The armored griffons didn't seem impressed by Gilda's boast, especially seeing how beaten she already looked. Nevertheless, between their general's orders and the Emperor's comment, they turned to Airstrike for confirmation. With a dissatisfied grunt, Gustav shook his head and told them, "Stand down, then. Wouldn't do to sully the Empire's pride by flipping out over a... tussle between friends, as the Emperor puts it. Long may he lead us," he added.

As the soldiers reflexively replied, "Long may he lead us," in chorus, Gustav shot the Emperor a wary look and whistled sharply up to the sky. Moments later, a few more armored griffons came down to earth, drawing the Imperial Envoy's transport. "Well. Now that that's settled, let's get you back to Canterlot. We still have negotiations to conclude tomorrow... I assume."

"And you assume correctly," Grigori cheerfully replied, leading Gilda toward the sky carriage. When General Airstrike raised an eyebrow and shot a meaningful glance in Gertrude's direction, Grigori looked confused for a moment, then scoffed. "What, her? Oh, she just happened to arrive shortly before you did, and we've barely spoken ten words to each other. The negotiations tomorrow will proceed as planned."

As the Emperor firmly ushered his momentarily-flightless relative into the carriage, he made a point to tell her, "And as for you, young lady, next time I loan you a book, I expect you to actually read the whole thing before acting on anything you find there. Honestly, it should be required reading." With an exaggerated shake of his head which allowed the Emperor to shoot a meaningful glance toward Gertrude, he got inside after Gilda, who looked out the window toward Rainbow Dash with regret in her eyes.

The Imperial soldiers kept their perimeter around the Emperor's carriage until it took off into the sky, then followed suit to leave everyone else down below.

Eventually, Rarity turned to Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Gertrude and asked them, "Alright... can any of you please explain what is actually going on here? I haven't felt this lost since that time Rainbow pranked me with those 'magic' brownies!"

When Rainbow Dash snickered at the memory, Rarity rolled her eyes and added, "Sure, laugh it up. You aren't the one who spent half the day burying her silverware in the hopes of growing a spoon tree."

Twilight, on the other hoof, simply looked to Gertrude, who shook her head. "I honestly wish that I could explain, but... I am almost as confused as you are. It seems like every time I meet that griffon, it's like speaking to a completely different person." Thinking back on their first meeting, followed by the negotiations with the Empire's representatives, she mused, "I can't say that I know what, if anything, is the truth."

While she ruminated on it, a sound reached her sense of hearing before any of the others could notice it. She looked up in time to see a white body flying toward them, and in moments it was her grandson who landed in front of her. "Grandmother! There you are!" In stark contrast to the general before him, Gunther's voice was filled with genuine relief. "Grandmother, please. You need to come back to the encampment. The clan needs you."

A chastised look crossed Gertrude's face as she replied, "You're right... I'm sorry, Gunther, I never meant to make you worry. If this is about how we will proceed with our negotiations with the Empire..."

Gunther quickly interjected, "No, I mean we need you now. That senator... if we don't hurry, there could be a riot."

Author's Notes:

Well, one side's issue has been, if not completely resolved, then at least addressed. But Gertrude and her clan still have to sort things out with the Empire. Thank goodness for the Thanksgiving weekend coming up. I'll try to use it to get a follow-up to this chapter out without taking multiple weeks.