Author's Notes:

A BIG thanks to Janushayed for prereading my story and helping me Iron out the details, and motivating me to finish the chapter.

No proof Reader or Editor this time, so the chapter is Raw and probably in serious need of edits, I apologize for this, but I have yet to find an editor who has an open time schedule to read through my pile of Laundry. Other than that, I hope you folks Enjoy.
Edit: No longer raw, The Forgotten Comrade has helped me update and fix my major errors, thank you again.

(Lumix, Fifty Sixth, Nine Hundred and Ninety fifth Celestial Reckoning, Windbreak Valley, Township of Windbreak.)

The sign read Welcome to Windbreak, upon its wooden weather worn paneling. Running a taloned claw along the outer edge, the young griffoness found a small recess on the left side, with a simple flick of her fore talon, she reaches inside, only to grasp nothing. ‘Damn, so I guess she didn’t get my last letter, or hasn’t been by here yet.’

With nothing left keeping her attention, the griffon turns away from the welcome sign and leaves, stepping back onto the road, she finds a wagon strapped to a lavender coated unicorn, rolling by at a decent pace. The griffon steps up next to the unicorn, and matches her pace along the road, to anyone that could see it, they would have noticed a slight limp from the griffon’s hind quarters. “Hay Glimmer di-” She tries to greet.

“Find anything interesting Gilda?” Twilight interrupts, a small knowing smile spread on her lips.

Gilda remains silent for a moment, before finally releasing a sigh. ‘Damn, nothing gets past her.’ Squaring her shoulders Gilda responds honestly. “Since you already know, I guess I’ll tell you. No I didn’t find anything, either my friend missed the last letter I sent her, or she hasn’t had a chance to drop anything in our drop points.”

“How long have you been doing this?” Twilight asks.

Releasing another sigh, GIlda continues as they pass the first few houses into the town. “A few years, ever since my friend quit working with the talons, she was an independant contractor we had taken on from Cloudsdale. She’s a good friend, and we’ve been keeping in touch through drop zones along the routes, between towns ever since she started her own caravan, with one of her old flight school friends flutter something.”

“So, who is this friend of yours, she must be quite important for you to go out of your way to find her notes.” Twilight asks, waving to one of the passing ponies, A mulberry earthpony mare with a golden white mane, bearing a shovel and plum cutiemark. “Hello, Ripe Wine, how’s the leg?”

“Oh, it’s just fine deary, thank you for asking, and Welcome back young Wisp.” The elderly mare says returning Twilight’s greeting before moving on.

As Twilight greets the town pony, A sudden flash appears in Gilda’s mind Two vivid violet eyes set in a fierce cyan face framed by rainbow locks strewn wildly about. As if broken from a trance Gilda answers. “Rainbow Dash.”

“Hmm?”

Gilda glances over to her unicorn companion, “It’s her name, Rainbow Dash, or the Blazing Comet as she’s known in some circles.” The griffon unconsciously lifts her right leg a little Higher to avoid tripping over a young colt as he rushes past, chasing after an orange that had sprouted legs and was running away from the tiny unicorn.

Twilight’s ears perk in interest, “Really, how did she earn that title?”

“I…” Gilda shrivels a little, and turns her beak away from the lavender mare, but still making sure to keep pace with the lavender unicorn. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Twilight nods in agreement, “A difficult subject. I presume?” She says, lifting an eyebrow in query.

The griffon feels her lungs fill deeply with air before letting it all out in a long breathy sigh. “Look I, can we just switch to something else. This i getting way too sappy for me.” The griffon groans, in annoyance before giving Twilight a pleading look.

“Okay if you don’t want to talk about it,-”

“I do not.”

Twilight allows a slight smile to come upon her face at the interruption. “Then let’s plan what we’re going to do today.” Twilight answers cheerfully.

Forgetting her previous line of thought, Gilda jerks her head to stare at the upbeat druid. “What, no! I didn’t agr-”

“First we’re going to rent Mrs. Wind’s market stall, so I can set up my Beakers, vials, alembics, and ingredients. Wait, I’m low on lemon grass, and dragons tongue. A few more spriggan roots and tufts of hemlock would also be useful...” Suddenly Twilight looks towards the griffoness.

Gild’s eyes widen in realization, “Oh, no. I am not running errands for you. No, no way, no how.”

“Come on, I just need a few ingredients, I even know where you need to go to get them.” Twilight pleads, giving Gilda wide innocent eyes.

“Uh, uh! No way, it’s not what I do, fighting? Yea I’ll do that, but I am not going to degrade myself by running errands for a pony.” The young griffon states, Folding her forearms across her chest, as she stands on her hind legs, wings flared out. She turns her beak away in a huff.

Twilight relaxes the focus on her eyes, smirking confidently at the young griffon, as she continues walking down the road.

---

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Gilda complains noisily ‘This is soo lame, I hope Dash doesn’t find out about this.’ the griffon adds quietly at the back of her thoughts.

Twilight just rolls her eyes. “It’s not my fault that you don’t even know the basics of potion making, otherwise I’d trust you running the stall while I gathered the necessary ingredients.” The lavender filly says from inside the trading stall she had rented from White Wind.

“At least your source is close.” The griffon responds dismally. “What was it you needed again?”

Twilight brings a hoof to her face rubbing the sore spot between her eyes. Her horn lighting up, a paper scroll floats past the lavender unicorn. “Ughh, just pass the list to the shop owner. Her name is Feral Rose, she has a light brown coat, and a very light sky blue mane, her cutie mark resembles two pink roses with their stems intertwined and bearing green thorns. You can’t miss her.” As if in afterthought Twilight adds, “Tell her Glimmer sent you, hopefully that will help you get the ingredients faster.”

Gilda give Twilight a sour look. “Hey, I’m not an idiot, I just have some problems with remembering stuff.” She grabs the scroll roughly from the lavender mares magical grip. “Look, I’m on it, I’ll be there and back as quick as I can.” She turns around preparing to take a step, however just as her fore paw is about to land, she jerks back around her fore claw held wide open, a deadpan look on her face.

“Forgetting something?” Twilight smiles innocently while passing a small bag, clinking with bits.

“Hardy, har, har. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some shopping to do.” The griffon returns her voice dripping with sarcasm. Gilda turns away from the stall, strapping the bag of bits to a belt buckled just behind her wings. With a firm tug to assure that her bits are properly secured, Gilda heads off, ‘Gray house, blue roof, fifth on Daisy street… Bucking candy colored pony names. I swear if I was raised by a pony they’d probably call me Dandylion!’ The griffon muses as she follows the direction to a door down the street. It’s vibrant yellow paint peeling slightly, small holes at the base hint at more occupants than expected.

Lifting a foreleg Gilda begins bashing it against the door. After a few seconds, A set of hooves could be heard Trotting towards the door at a relaxed pace. The hoof imprinted depression on the left side of the door rotates counter clockwise resulting in a series of clicks before the door itself begins pulling back, revealing behind it’s aged facade a youthful unicorn with the very description Twilight had given her, minus the sour look upon her face. Feral Rose looks over the griffon with a skeptical demeanor. “And you would be?” She asks with a tone suggesting she had better things to do.

‘Bucking pony technology!’ Gilda shouts inwardly, not for the first time, at the befuddling design behind equine engineering. “Gilda, on an errand for Glimmering Wisp. I came to purchase a few ingredients that she said she needed for her potions.”

“Mmm, hmm? Give me the list, surely she gave one to you, and I’ll see what I have stocked.” Rose gives Gilda another once over before nodding more to herself than to Gilda passing the list over. “You may come inside, just don’t touch anything, the majority of the artifacts on these shelves are magically volatile and will cause significant harm if improperly handled, even against magically resistant feathers and skin.” She states offhandedly.

The pony retreats inside the building making way for her guest. Gilda steps through the door and immediately stops one claw inside the portal the other standing on the ground outside. Her eyes catch an assortment of items, seemingly of senseless design. A couple masks hang from the back wall, an assortment of wooden boards nailed into different shapes hang from either wall, a single post sitting in the middle of the room, braces the ceiling above, even as it is riddled with nails both wooden and Iron, resulting in massive cracks along its length.

Shaking her head, Gilda steps into the room, a grimace forms upon her face. “You’re a witch doctor, aren’t you.” The young griffon accuses. receiving a snort in return.

“That term would better fit your babysitter.”

Her feathers puff out at the insult, “Glimmer is not my caretaker, and what makes you say that.”

The unicorn smiles dryly, as she stops in front of a long cabinet spanning across the back wall. her horn lights as she pulls down a jar filled with leaves, their branches splitting off into multiple points on either side and in some cases entirely new leaves. She floats the jar still in her magical grip over to Gilda. “Tell me what do you see inside this jar?”

"I don't really see anything special, just some dried hemlock.”

With a nod at the griffons correct answer, the unicorn goes on. “In due time. Now, tell me what is the effect on griffons and ponies?”

Gilda rolls her eyes as if the answer was obvious, “Just answer the question!” The unicorn demands, dropping several yellow colored lengths of vine into a bag.

“Fine,” Gilda responds exasperatedly. “Upon consumption ponies will generally suffer a slow death as they lose control of their muscles eventually ending as they lose control of their breathing, typically they will die a few minutes after consumption the exception being pegasi with their hyper metabolism, they will die within a minute of consumption, Griffons on the other claw, suffer from intense indigestion, if they haven't thrown up the poison by then.

“Good, good! It seems those survival specialists you griffons hire are more competent than I thought, you know your plants and poisons at least.” Suddenly the ponies eyes sharpen, and before Gilda can even process what is happening, a small blast of magic hits her on the right side pushing her left about a foot. “Sorry but I had to move you out of the way before that flower crown turned your feathers pink, I doubt you would have appreciated the... joke.”

Gilda gives the wreath of flowers a skeptical look before returning her attention back to the mare as she begins wrapping the bag closed. "What are you talking about, they're just some stupid blue flowers. Besides you're getting me off topic, What does some stupid leaves have to do with Glimmer being a witch doctor?"

"The fact that she can break down and mix a purely poisonous plant such as hemlock into a potion that can easily mend almost any physical wound, or remedy any ailment can only be thought of as witchcraft."With a calming sigh, the young unicorn sets the bag onto the counter, then walks near the floral crown, stopping a cautious few feet from the ornament "These flowers set into the crown are called poison joke, they have the power to play a joke on any unwary traveler that ventures close enough for their pollen to land upon." She jumps away as one of the flowers bulbs begins to compress upon itself, before spewing out a stream of yellow pollen at the location she previously occupied. "Anyway with a will of it's own, typically it's pranks are harmless, but are quite noticeable, since you seem to be very prideful, you would most likely wake up tomorrow with yellow fur and pink feathers. As for myself, I am vain about certain features not talked about in present company, suffice to say I would possibly find myself waking the next day and find them altered in some embarrassing way, all for the sake of giving the plant and anyone who finds out a laugh." The mare turns her nose upward self importantly with a sniff. "Not that I have suffered such before."

Gilda smacks her scaled palm against her beak. "Of all the ignorant, Really? Even us backwards griffins know what alchemy is. As for poison joke, I bet Glimmer knows a few tricks to cure it. Anyway are you done packing the ingredients?"

With a roll of her eyes the merchant pony steps over to the counter. Sitting down she summons the list to herself once more, she lifts piece of charcoal in her magic and begins scratching off lines on the list. Within a few seconds she finishes the list and passes the bag across the counter. "Yes, here you go, that will be twenty three sovereign bits."

Gilda's Eyes widen at the amount, 'Damn, I could buy a plot of land with that many bits, possibly a small airye as well.' "lets see what we have here." The griffon silently whispers as she reaches one claw into the bag that Twilight had tossed her. pulling her claw out, she was greeted by the exact amount she needed for the purchase. 'The heck, I know the bag doesn't weigh enough to contain this kind of currency... Stupid unicorn magic.' She groans mentally as she passes the coins over to the pony across the counter, before grabbing the bag of herbs, latching them to her belt and leaving.

Stepping out onto the street, with a sour temperament and a small sack of exorbitantly expensive ingredients stashed safely within her satchel, Gilda felt like huffing in annoyance. Instead she forces a wry smile to form on the side of her beak. “Well, at least nothing went, bad.” ‘Besides, I’m on my way back to Glimmer, What’s the worst that can happen.’ she allows the errant thought to finish as she turns down the road. Following the signs, they lead her towards the main market.

“Gilda?” Stopping suddenly, the griffoness looks around, confused that somepony in the crowd would even recognize her, let alone know her name. Knowing she stuck out like a sore thumb, Gilda looks around trying to spot anyone that she’d recognize, without warning a Cyan face with a rainbow mane blocks her vision. “Gilda! Hey, long time no see.” Says the polychromatic pegasus, hovering above the ground. She holds a hoof out to the confused griffon.

“Rainbow Dash?” Gilda clenches her fist and bumps it with the floating pegasus. “Where the pluck did you come from?”

“I was just wandering through the crowd, when I noticed a griffin sticking a foot above the crowd like a sore wing.” Rainbow squints as she notices the splints covering Gilda’s wings. “Speaking of wings, what happened?” She says concernedly, worry masking over her features.
Gilda shrugs. "Got attacked by a group of bandits, got patched up." Rainbow gives Gilda a sharp glare, causing the griffon to sigh. "Now I owe a life debt to the unicorn that saved me."
A sly grin developes on Rainbow's face, forcing a groan from the griffon. "I don't believe it, Gilda the terror of shell cracker camp, gets taken down by a group of petty bandits?" Gilda increases her pace, Rainbow speeds up to stay alongside the irate griffon. "Ya gotta tell me who this unicorn is."

"Ughh, by the first shell, if it'll get you to stop pestering me about it I'll tell you. Capish?"

Rainbow holds a hoof to her chest, "On the sharpness of my claws. Now tell me!" She Exclaimed excitedly twirling in the air on her wings, and fluttering down to a hover on Gilda's other side.

"A purple unicorn going by the name of Glimmering Wisp, happened to see me fly over her as she was traveling along the road, two towns back, after hearing some fighting, she sprinted over an entire set of foothills on her own, and even reached me on the other side just as I passed out from the extended fighting, it should be obvious that I don't exactly know how she ended the battle." Gilda takes in a deep breath and releases it slowly. "What I do know was that she was able to get me out before the bucktards were able to finish me off." Letting her vision go unfocused for a moment, Gilda mentally goes over the fight a week before. "Though the what’s strange is that their magic was able to get past my magic proof pendant."

Rainbow’s eyes were wide as she turned to look at her childhood friend, “Whoa, really?” She exclaims.

“Yea.” Gilda winces at the memory, a small phantom pain running up the side of her right leg. “Before she rescued me, My wing bones were shattered, and the feathers had been mostly singed off, My front leg was also broken when one of the ground plodders caught me with a mourning spike. The rest of my body was nearly cut to ribbons.“ Gilda pauses a moments allowing Rainbow to digest the information. Gilda stops no longer hearing Rainbow’s wing beats next to her. Looking back she sees Rainbow Dash on the ground, mouth wide in awe. “Yea it wasn’-”

“How the buck did you survive!?” Rainbow nearly screeches as she shoots into the griffons face hooves cupping the avians beak tenderly. Tears flow out of Rainbow’s eyes as she imagines the pain Gilda must’ve gone through.

Gilda jerks her beak away from Rainbow’s hooves with a sigh. “The unicorn, she has some serious skill with potions. it’s been at least two weeks since the fight, and I should be able to fly in a few days once my plumage has regenerated.” Gilda shivers again as she remembers the various substances that Twilight had introduced her body and mouth to. ‘Though, sometimes I wonder if I would have preferred an extra month of healing over having to taste those potions again.’

“Really, wow, dude, you’ve got to show me, who she is.” Rainbow says, with desperation dripping in her voice. “I’ve need to thank her for saving you.”

“Fine, but keep up, we're almost there already.” Gilda smirks as she turns tail and swiftly passes through the crowd, Rainbow glides overhead, keeping an eye on the rushing griffon. Mere moments later the griffon, enters the market and continues weaving in between the ponies in the crowd with haste, a moment later, she leaps over the counter of one of the corner stalls, seconds later Rainbow flies between the awning and the countertop, avoiding both obstacles.

The sound of a glass beaker shattering behind the rainbow maned pegasus announces that her flight wasn’t as graceful as her landing would let the average onlooker believe. Gilda smirks, giving Rainbow a sly look. “Still can’t land without crashing into something eh Dash?”

“Shut it feather fluff.”

“Schnnnt.” Not holding back anymore Gilda releases a long hearty belly laugh. The air temperature drops several degrees and all goes silent as a third voice makes itself known.

“Quiet. The solution I’m working with, is too volatile for this kind of shenanigans at the moment.” With the room now as she asked, the mare speaks again. “Gilda I see that you’ve returned, do you have the supplies I requested?” In answer the griffoness pulls the small bag from the satchel strapped behind her wings, Twilight nods lighting her horn. “Thank you for coming back so swiftly.” Twilight says cheerfully as she levitates the bag and its herbal contents over to herself.

Looking past the griffon, Twilight’s vision sharpens to a spear point as she glairs at the polychromatic pegasus, as if expecting something. Raising an eyebrow, “What’s got your tail in a knot?” Rainbow asks snarkily.

Twilight rolls her eyes. “You should already know, but since you don’t I’ll tell you. It’s common courtesy to clean up after yourself, especially when you’ve made a mess of someone else's wares.” Twilight answers comely.

“What?!” Rainbow exclaims in irritation. “Heck no, why don’t you clean it up with your unicorn magic” The rainbow pegasus goads, snarkily adding, “Should be easy enough for a horn head like yoOou.”

“Rainbow.” Gilda whispers warningly, a slight trace of fear could be heard.

Before Rainbow can answer, Twilight responds in the same calm voice. “I could, but then I would be sorely tempted to shatter the reformed beaker over your head which would be counter productive to fixing it in the first place.”

“Oooh, so you can use some big words, big whup, you don’t scare me.” Rainbow says, a cool smile set upon her face.

“Rainbow... ”

“I’m being totally serial right now, Get. Over. Yourself. It’s just a piece of glass, just have another one made.” The pegasus says her nonchalant smile turning into a cruel smirk.

“RAINBOW!”

“What Gilda, can’t you see I’m in the middle of insulting a... Unicorn?” Rainbow.exe has crashed please reboot to restore program operation. The griffon smacks her friend upside the head, while unnoticed by either of them, Twilight’s cloak had begun to undulate with irritation. Rainbow having regained her senses, turns and gave Gilda a hard look. “Wait, so you mean to say that, the pony who saved you, is this Unicorn right here.” Rainbow points her wing in Twilight’s general direction.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, not all unicorns are worth only the horns on their heads and the magic they wield.” Gilda sighs in annoyance. “Glimmer here pulled my feathers out of the fire twice. Now she’s helping me recover from my injuries, and all she’s asking is that I keep up with her as she travels.” The irate griffon smacks Rainbow’s hoof down. “And now your antagonizing the one unicorn that I’ve met who is actually worth more than any wing of talons I’ve met.”

“Glimmer? Glimmering… Wisp!?” Rainbow’s eyes bug out as a terrible realization falls upon her, her eyes focus on the unicorn in her immediate vicinity, and begins comparing her looks to some of the stories she’s heard in her travels, and finds both disturbingly matching. And the unicorn looks absolutely livid at the moment. Rainbow Dash suddenly jumps forward, and sits down holding her forehooves together and pointing them to the unicorn pleadingly. “Oh, my gosh I’m so sorry, I didn’t,-”

“Think?” Twilight cuts her off bitterly. “No, you didn’t otherwise you would have realized that Gilda was trying to keep you from beginning your moronic rant.” Giving gilda a pointed stare Twilight returns her gaze to the pleading pegasus before her pitilessly. “However,” The cloak finally settles as Twilight allows a small smile to warm her otherwise cold features. “I will forgive you just this once, BUT! I still require that you clean the mess you made, shattered glass is not safe to walk on even with hooves.” Twilight summons two hard light objects, and floats them over to Rainbow, one consisting of bristles and a slender length, with a hoof grip at the end and towards the middle of the glowing object. The other consisting of a square box with a rectangular opening, and a slender length with a mouth grip at the end, protruding at a right angle from the slot.

Twilight smiles kicking a Wooden bucket towards the rainbow pegasus, The potion suddenly turns from a calm blue to a violent purple expelling a purplish green puff of smoke pulling her attention away. Gilda chuckles slightly as Rainbow scowls at the glowing objects. “Buck you Gilda.” Rainbow growels not turning her attention away from the tools for even a moment. With a sigh she grips the improvised broom and begins sweeping up the beaker fragments, Gilda laughing all the while. “Shut up Gilda, at least I wasn’t an improvised carrier pigeon.”

The griffons laughing stops for a moment, silence permeates the room save for the bubbling of the cauldron and the whooshing sweeps of a broom. then just as suddenly as she stops Gilda bowls over laughing even harder, her good wing slapping the ground in mirth. “HAhhaha. OH, DASH! I just lost a bet. But you, you got strong armed into actually cleaning up one of your messes for once!” Gilda folds her wing and rolls onto her back her back legs and good foreleg kicking wildly into the air as she loses control, laughing at the pegasus’s embarrassment.

After a few moments Gilda finally calms down. Looking up she finds Rainbow grumbling under her breath while Twilight stares at her silently, Hooves pushing the oar that is agitating the potion into it’s previous blue aura. “Alright I’m done interrupting.” Gilda Waves her good claw as if to brush away something unpalatable. “No need to stare me to death, sheesh.” She mutters under her breath. Twilight nods once then returns to her potion.

Some Time passes as Gilda lays down near the cauldron, Her head resting on her forelegs. Rainbow having finished sweeping the glass fragments, lays next to the griffon and whispers softly in the avians ear. “I will get my revenge.”

Gilda chuckles softly in response before answering wittily. “In your dreams maybe.” The griffon mumbles softly into the pegasus’s ear.

Rainbow chuckles softly, “Actually I think I’ve heard stories about your new friend. If I remember correctly, You said her name was Glimmering Wisp right?” The griffon rolls her eyes dramatically, Neither of them notice one of the unicorns ears flicking backwards in their direction. “Well, one story has her called the ‘Saint of Saddle Rest’ She came trotting into town next to a burly earth pony stallion, The locals thought nothing of it, just another group of travelers that would be gone the next day weather they stayed the night in town or not.”

Rainbow coughs slightly, clearing her throat, then licking her lips she continues the tale. “Aaanyway, despite the coldness the locals showed towards her and her companion. She chose to stay the night at the local inn. However as usual during the night, the demon shape shifters came to take her and her companion away. However unlike other nights, instead of being subdued in their sleep, Glimmer somehow knew they were there and even managed to fight them off. After defeating the ones sent to subdue her, she managed to chase down the demons that had captured her companion and killed them, but not only that. After getting her companion to safety she left in the middle of the night and destroyed the demons portal. However when the townsfolk had come to seek them out and thank them for what they had done, the duo already left the town leaving little trace that they had ever been there.“

Rainbow smirks,“Now I don’t know if the story was a bunch of hooey, but I do know that the town used to have a problem keeping visitors until up to a few years ago a few months after the ‘Wandering Alchemist’ had arrived in the Equestrian outskirts. Also for some odd reason, barring your meeting, bandits have been at an alltime low. At least on the equestrian side of the griffon border.” The slightly hyperactive pegasus shiftily looks left and right, still not spotting the slightly twitched ear listening in on their conversation. “Now just between you and me. I think your friend there is more than she says she is. Not that it isn’t a good thing, it’s just I don’t know what her angle in all of this is.”

Gilda looks incredulously at Rainbow Dash, unable to decide whether to slap her idiot friend upside the head for insensitive speculation, or to facepalm in disappointment for the same reason. however before she has a chance to decide a lavender glow disrupts both of them from their thoughts as Several bottles of various sizes and designs float from Twilights saddlebags over to her modestly sized kettle. “I hope you two have had a good rest.” Twilight says as she dips the bottles directly into the cooling brew, the fire having somehow extinguished itself without either of their notice. “I haven't received many orders today, so I’ll just preserve the ingredients you retrieved for me, until they are needed. Now if you’ll give me a few moments I’ll be distributing these colloquially dubbed, ‘Health Potions’ to my customers, when I return I shall acquire sleeping arrangements for Gilda and myself.”

Having filled the last flask, Twilight promptly steps around the counter and into the market, several potions of various sizes and shapes floating behind her. “Oh and GIlda, would you mind making sure your friend doesn’t break anymore beakers, I do not like reforging glass bottles.” With the last bit spoken she disappears into the crowded evening market.

Before Dash could say anything in retort after the young mage, Gilda grabs her mouth and shoves the brash pegasus into the ground. “You’re letting your mouth get ahead of you brain again Dash!” The Pegasus stops struggling after a second, as the information gets past her Thoughts and rams through the door imprisoning her reason. “Can I let you go without you causing another incident?” Rainbow nods slowly. With a smirk Gilda lets the pegasus go and stands tall and watches her pegasus friend do the same, a few small scratches visible on her muzzle due to the griffons rough handling.

“Damn it Gilda, you don’t have to grab me so hard, I think you broke skin.” Reaching up she dabs one of the cuts on her left cheek where Gilda’s thumb held her the tightest and her hoof comes away with a small speck of blood. Scowling viciously, Rainbow shoves her scarlet speckled hoof in Gildas face, “Dang it Gilda, look at what you did. LOOK! I mean seriously, you didn’t have to make me bleed, you know how much I hate getting blood in my fur, it makes it all sticky.” The pegasus shivers.

Gilda rolls her eyes before grabbing a nearby bucket and washcloth and dropping them in front of the distraught pegasus, then filling the bucket with water before slapping the soaked rag into Rainbow’s face.

Ripping the cloth off her face, Rainbow screeches, “Hay! What gives?”

“If you don’t want the blood to get stuck in your fur, I’d recommend washing it out while it’s still easy to clean.” Gilda then lays back down onto the floor, resting as Rainbow Dash simmers and wipes at the mini cuts and gashes, cleaning them with the towel. Suddenly she perks up, dropping the towel back in the water filled bucket, as she stares unerringly at a slightly glowing potion somewhat sticking out the back of the saddlebags Twilight had left behind when she went to deliver her healing potions.

“Where did-”

“Dash, No!”

“But how can-”

“I said no, don’t touch her stuff.” Gilda says as she swats the questing hoof away from the pack.

“But liquid rainbow, it too volatile to keep this close to the ground!” Rainbow explains as she reaches towards the glowing mixture of varying colors, again.

Gilda swats the hoof away once more. “That’s why you shouldn’t touch, you don’t know what kind of protection she has around the bottle to keep that stuff from blowing our flanks into next season.” Gilda growls, angrily. “Besides, what if touching it causes it to go-” Gilda’s eye twitches, Rainbow’s hoof is touching the bottle. Lifting it off the stand, Rainbow inspects the bottle and sees a cork top keeping the liquid rainbow sealed inside, the cork itself inscribed with a strange rune.

However before she can get a better look, she sees Gilda coming at her from the left. “Rainbow, put that back.“

Rainbow jumps away at the last second, smirking a bit she responds, “Nah, I think I want to see what the egghead is up to, I mean it’s gotta be serious if synthesized rainbow is involved.”

Gilda begins to rumble angrily before springing into action, and the chase was on.

---

An hour and a half later…

Twilight steps back behind the small market stall one look at her pack gives her all the information she needs to know where the other two occupants had disappeared to. Lighting her horn, Twilight waits a few seconds, then with a sharp report, the vial of glowing rainbow shoots into the air before her, then floats gently in the air a loud shuffling sound and several whines notifies her to the other arrivals, as Gilda drags in an uncooperative Rainbow Dash wings tied to her forelegs, and back legs glued together with her tail, her face covered in a makeshift muzzle.

Twilight raises an eyebrow questioningly towards the Griffon. Noting Twilights gaze Gilda drops Rainbow next to the water bucket. “Sorry Wisp, I tried to stop her, but she just up and took it before I could stop her.”

With a nod Twilight turns her attention to the vial, noting the lack of damage, and the seal had remained untampered. “Thank you for your quick response, I’m glad she was so magically inept that she didn’t even know how to break the runic seal. A good thing too, considering that this is a vial of pure unsynthesized emotional energy. Unlike the volatile liquid rainbow pegasi make with synthesized emotions and water, this if opened could easily drive the town insane from its mere release. Imagine every emotion you could think of striking everyone within a three mile radius at the same time.” Rainbow Dash flinches as the meaning of the words trickles in through her leaded cranium.

Gilda visibly pales through her feathers, as she realizes the sheer magnitude of what her failure would have incurred. Hesitantly she comments, “So basically, it would have caused everyone to go crazy, regardless?”

“No, it would have resulted in complete pandemonium as every last creature within a three mile radius of the potion, suddenly loses control of their emotions and faculties.” Twilight answers frigidly. “It is fortunate she didn’t manage to shatter the container during your rush to catch her.” After a few seconds her demeanor brightens greatly. “Thank you for attempting to protect my property, Gilda. But I know how to keep my property from remaining in irresponsible hooves for longer than knowledge of the theft.” She finishes scowling at the guilty pegasus.

Gilda smiles somewhat reservedly, “Ahhh, You’re welcome Glimmer, I’m just thankful that you’re trick paused her long enough for me to catch her.” Gilda answers patting Rainbows head with a foreleg.

Pressing her lips tightly Twilight closes her eyes and releases a sigh. “Honestly it’s not her fault, liquid rainbow is a highly volatile substance, just several ounces can destroy a house on ground level. Also pegasi are taught, ‘More indoctrinated.’ at a young age to treat Liquid rainbow carefully and ensure that any found on or near ground level is brought back to the clouds, otherwise the results could be disastrous.” Looking back into Gilda’s eyes Twilight continues. “Honestly this is my fault, when I pulled the bottle of liquid emotion from my saddlebags, I should have remembered that, they have a shimmering effect similar to that of condensed liquid rainbow. It would be just as alluring to pegasi as fresh meat is to a hungry griffon.”

Gilda’s stomach grumbles at the mention of fresh meat, Gilda’s face flushes red as both Twilight and Rainbow chuckle in response to her digestions complaints to the pony fare she had been consuming as of late. Face still red, she lashes out, striking the still laughing rainbow in the stomach with the paw of her hind leg. “It’s not my fault I haven’t had any real food in the past week.” She says extending her injured wing within it’s sling as far as it allows and pointing it in Twilight’s direction. “Glimmers soups are awesome, but I can only have so much before craving something with more flavor than carrots and beets.”

Twilight's eyebrow arches upward as she is told this new information. "If you wanted meat you could have asked, I would have put some rabbit into the stew. It's not as if I haven't hunted, or eaten meat before" Twilight Then pulls a small leaf folded package from her Saddlebags and floats it over to the griffon.

Taking the strangely packaged Item into her Claws, Gilda Swiftly cuts a slit into the leaf facing her eyes, slowly blood begins oozing out of the freshly cut opening. Gilda looks at the substance with slight interest, leaning a bit closer she sniffs the viscous substance as it drools onto her foretallons. ‘Hmm, smells like venison. Wait, how’d she get deer meat?’ Her thoughts write themselves plainly on her face as Gilda stares blankly at the lavender mage. “How...”

Twilight releases a small chuckle before calming herself once more. “As you said before unicorns have better use than being magical tools, in my case, I’ve learned a few spells that allow me to preserve my ingredients indefinitely. Though one of the downsides would be that I’m the only one that can retrieve the items from the container I placed them in. Honestly it is more an inconvenience than anything else.” Twilight sighs as she pulls out another satchel of meat and tosses it in Gilda’s direction. “Here, eat something before we head to the Drunken Rat, I don’t want you scaring the other patrons with your hunger when we get there.” Twilight warns stiffly before turning and walking over to the bound and gagged pegasus.

Gilda knew the contents of the second package just as she caught it, the way it slipped inside the firm leaf bindings practically screamed fish. Deciding not to open the second package yet, she sets it on the table and holds the first pack before her and without any fanfare, she digs into the package with gusto, tearing out the meat in large chunks, using only her beak she manages to swiftly scarf down the raw, and surprisingly still steaming venison. After finishing the first satchel, she eyes the second one, and lets out a small ‘urp’ of content. With a nod to herself, she tears through the leaf on the corner of the package, then lifts it over her head, making sure the opening is facing towards her open beak, then she squeezes the leaf satchel and forces the slimy pink contents to slip right down her gullet.

Gilda collapses to her back legs, her eyes fluttering half open as she moans in ecstasy. Twilight rolls her eyes at the lewd demonstration, while Rainbow gags in disgust even with her mouth bound by a cloth muffler. ‘She’s going to be distracted for a minute or two from the sounds of it… Might as well take this chance to talk with Rainbow Dash without Gilda’s distraction.’ Lighting her horn Twilight pulls the gag from Rainbow’s mouth, “So, Rainbow Dash, now that our mutual friend is distracted, why don’t you tell me how you came about my exploits in Saddle Rest?”

Rainbow Dash takes one look to Gilda who’s just about to moan again in delight and decides that answering Twilight’s question would be the lesser of the two evils. “Fine, So I was passing through Applecrest, and had stopped in the local tavern to top off my water pouches, when I overheard these two ponies dressed in business suits talking about it to one of the other patrons who looked like a bruiser of an earth pony, anyway they looked like the manhattan type, so I was wondering who they were and decided to listen in on their conversation. You know in case they were conspiring to endanger the town, not because I’m a spy or anything, cause I’m not. But when I overheard them say demon I was hooked, and listened to the entire exchange. Anyway I already told Gilda and you the same thing that they said, it was SOO AWESOME!”

Within the split second after Rainbow Dash's last word A certain young drake decides to speak his mind with Twilight’s swift thoughts. ‘Hey mom, are you thinking what I’m thinking?’

‘Ferrus?’

‘The one and only.’

‘Yes, though I really wish to know her motive for spreading these tall tales and falsities?’

‘... are you going to-’

‘Yes, I think I’m going to try and get a chance to speak directly to her, even if it’s through a drone.’

‘Your pausing too long, you might want to respond to that idiotic pegasus.’

‘Who happens to be Gilda’s friend, also I need to work on keeping my feelings for others to myself before those connected to me, like you, meet them in person. Despite my thoughts on the matter, you might actually like this one.’

‘Yea yea, anyway I’m going back to my nap, call me when you get to the room. Also you might actually want to at least think about responding before your conversation with Rainbow Splash tries something else breath worthy.’ Twilight mentally rolls her eyes at the statement before returning to the ponderous real world, from the hyper communicative plane of thoughts.

Taking in a breath, Rainbow cuts Twilight off before she could interject. “Aany way, whatever happened to your fr- Oh.” Rainbow notices the mood on Twilight's face drop like lead. “Sorry.” She adds softly, knowing the look of loss, having seen it a few times in the mirror after her tour in the griffon states.

“It’s alright, you didn’t know. Besides, I’ve accepted his fate.” Twilight replies calmly, her eyes still shadowed with grief. Rainbow decides not to push the subject.

“Thanks, so I was wondering… Would it be ok for my caravan to tag along with you? We’ve been able to avoid fights on the roads so far, but bandits lately have been getting more violent than they used to. I can hold my own in a fight, but my traveling partner can’t.”

Twilight looks over the pegasus, similar to how Gilda eyed the venison as she gleefully ripped into it. “Hmm, you don’t look trained for fighting either, most of your muscles look like they were trained for speed and aerial maneuvers rather than hard collisions.”

Rainbows tail flicks back, a scowl firms onto her face as glairs at the unicorn standing before her. “Oh,reeally? Wanna come over and test that little thought?” She growls irritably.

“Dash, I usually don’t say this, but just shut up listen to her” Gilda says, having exited her food induced coma. “Glimmer what were you getting at.”

“Yes!” The lavender unicorn says simply

“What?” Gilda and Rainbow Dash utter in at the same time.

“I say yes, I’ll allow your group to join with mine, Mrs. Dash, However I must set some ground rules for you if you are to travel with me. In the wilderness, I decide where we camp, you follow my chosen trails through the mountains, and anything that we do off the roads remains amongst our group. Understood?” Twilight finishes firmly.

Rainbow gives Twilight an incredulous look, “What do you mean, I understand you wanting to lead us along safer trails, but what could we possibly be doing offroad?”

Gilda and Twilight share a look, Gilda nods and Twilight lowers her head releasing a breathy sigh. “I like to study ancient structures when I have spare time, usually after sprinting ahead, I also visit some… Less appreciated individuals when I get the chance. They usually know some hidden nuggets of knowledge that I hadn’t thought of before and help me further my research on differing fields.”

Gilda speaks up right as the last word leaves Twilight’s lips. “Basically she means, she has friends who are nice, but tend to attract the Torch and pitchfork kind of crowd when they are introduced to the townsfolk. Also she has a knack for stirring up trouble in the ruins she visits. Now I know I haven’t been with her for very long-”

“Twenty Nine days, almost two and a half turns.” Twilight pipes up.

“Quiet, you!” Gilda retorts sharply. “Now where was i- Oh, yea. Anyway, Glimmering Wisp is very specific about the company she keeps. Sometimes it’s the townsfolk who for some odd reason love her to no end, and other times she hangs with the wierdest crowd, such as a deer sage, or even that strange unicorn in the cave, I swear the walls were mounted with skeletons and all sorts of wierd stuff.” Clearing her throat Gilda continues. “and don’t even get me started on that crumbling watchtower you found. I swear if I hadn’t been too injured to move, I’d have jumped out of the cart and ran for it, I still have nightmares of those sounds.”

Twilight smiles slightly, “Yes the remnants of a griffon attack spell sometimes involved reanimation curses. I was actually surprised to find one that hadn’t decayed beyond its ability to hold a proper form.” Twilight holds a hoof to her chin to ponder how it was done, ‘Oh, yea there was a remnant spell rune, carved into the keystone above the main doors.’ “Must’ve been carved after the griffons had taken the tower, since I found the griffon rune crafted into the stone of the structure itself.”

Twilight smiles slyly as she watches the flabbergasted Rainbow Dash try and articulate her response through the sheer amount of disbelief and awesome impeding her thought processes. After a few moments Rainbow is finally able to wrap herself back together and respond. “Wait so you mean we get to go on adventures? Like in those books I used to read as a foal?” Twilight waves her hoof side to side, as if to say maybe. “YEEea, I’m totally up for it. I’ll even swear on my wings if I need to. I’ll be quiet about our adventures. And thanks for lettin me and Flutters join… Oh wait I need to tell her Right away. Hay where should I meet you in the morning?” Rainbow asks, having taken back to the air and preparing to bolt out into the night, the sun having gone down half an hour ago.

Twilight smiles in response to the acceptance of her demands. “No need to endanger your wings with a binding oath. your promise does well enough, and as for meeting in the morning, why not the southern road out of town, at the welcome sign.”

“Sure, Thanks, Now off to find Flutters and tell her the good news.” ‘I hope she isn’t mad.’ With that thought, she takes off like a rocket out of the tent and into the star bejeweled night sky.

---

Twilight and Gilda watch as the colorful pegasus fades into the night sky, holding their positions for but a moment before Twilight quietly breaks the silence. “Let’s go Gilda, I still need to plan our route to Whiterun.”

“Yea, yea, no need to tell me twice. I’m commin.” Gilda follows Twilight out of the stall as they head their own way into the night. Twilight enveloping them in shadows too thick to see through yet thin enough as to be unnoticeable. Twilight already wearing her pack with all the supplies she had taken out earlier somehow already safely packed away without gilda noticing even a hint of her doing so.

Gilda shakes her head, trying to rid herself of yet the latest in a series of unexplained mysteries about her new companion. ‘Maybe she did it while I and Rainbow Dash were distracted, she is really good at multitasking.’ Releasing a sigh, she allows a thought to come through quelling the mystery before she became too tied up.

In the front Twilight leads the way, soft hoofing her way around the buildings and through alleys as if they were main roads, in some cases forcing Gilda out of her contemplations to catch up. After a few minutes, they’ve crossed the town from the market place in the north western quarter to the drunken rat tavern standing along the southern road. The Sign above painted in hues of brown and pink, depicting a rat with bubbles above its head and a pint stein held next to it by its tail.one of the doors was slightly askew with warm firelight spilling onto the moonlit streets. Her horn lighting up Twilight pushes the door further inward, allowing entry for both herself and Gilda.

As they step in, Twilight makes a quick note of the patrons currently in the establishment, A lone pegasus stallion with a ruddy complexion and untamed hair wearing a cloak with a slight bulge poking into the traveling cloak and over his right shoulder resting at the bar, Three red eyed blushing mares Gossipping at on of the tables near the door, a pair of stallions seeming to have a quiet discussion in Trottski, however she easily identifies the Chittry accent lacing their conversation near he main fireplace. Deciding not to act now while Gilda was with her, she heads towards the inn keep at the bar, A glass mug held in one hoof while the other polishes it with a brown cloth. Stopping at the counter she calls to the inn keep. “It’s Glimmer, I’m ready for the key and room.”

Without taking his eyes from his work, his horn lights and a key floats from the counter, held in the same glow as his horn, he places the key before the young unicorn allowing his horn to dimm once more. Twilight lights her own horn grasping the key, in her magic. She lifts it before her eyes and reads the roughly etched seven emblazoned on the back. With a smile Twilight walks over to the hallway Gilda following behind silently. Entering the hallway, Twilight easily spots the door with the same number carved simply on its frame, Twilight places the key against the upper door lock and smiles as the enchanted key responds to the locks runes forcing the latch to release, and allowing her and Gilda’s entry.

Gilda grumbles slightly having noticed the ease of the spell lock, and decides to voice her gripe. “Why don’t we have any of those in the griffon states?”

Twilight answers softly while laying down her saddlebags to the side. “You do, it’s just that you don’t have enough properly trained unicorns to make them common in the states. instead each unicorn that arrives to help is instead sent to the front lines to help fight against the dragons.”

“Oh yea....” Gilda replies awkwardly, a blush forming on her cheeks, after Twiight pointed out the obvious answer. “Hay-”

“You should get some rest” Twilight interrupts “You’re obviously tired, and could use the sleep. I’ll be back in a bit, I have something I need to do first. Take care.” Twilight says before exiting and locking the door behind her, but not before hearing a faint “I’M NOT A CHICK Y-” With a click the sound barrier goes back up on top of the Tumblr binding. It would take a master key from the sheriff station to open the door from the outside without the properly encoded key on hoof. Stepping back down the Hallway, Twilight rounds the corner, and spots the pair of stallions from before, catching them staring in her direction. With a Grin she Trots over to them, “Mind if I sit with you, I have some Ferrus Oxide I’d like to trade.”

Both Stallions Blink in unison, as they suddenly drop any attempt at acting. The one on the left speaks in Chittish “Nicht hier, unsere Königin möchte mit Ihnen in Zimmer vier sprechen.‘Not here, our queen would wish to speak with you in room four.’”

Twilight nods in agreement and waves a hoof in the direction of the hallway she had just came from. “Aah, dann lasst uns jetzt dort hingehen. ‘Ahh, then let us head there now.’” ‘Fang meet me at the window to room four in a few moments, I’ll let you in there.’ The image of a lifted wing appears in her thoughts as the answer.

The stallions stand in unison and step around the table to follow behind Twilight predatory grins spread across their faces as they walk into the hallway behind the young mare, to the observer, there meeting as shown would be misinterpreted as a simple exchange of sexual services for information or trade concessions. But both parties involved understand the seriousness of Twilight's inquiry.

Upon reaching the door, Twilight steps aside allowing the Trottingham dressed stallions place their key to the door and open it. their expressions drop, their false grins fading into worried lines, the slight shine of sweat could be seen on the one closest to the lavender unicorn.

Twilight smiles gently as she gestures towards the open door. “Shall we?”