"Why hello, darling. How can I he- Gilda." Rarity eyed her wearily as she allowed entrance.

"Good morning, Rarity." Twilight greeted cheerily.

"Good morning, Twilight." Rarity replied, apprehensively glancing at Gilda. "So... What brings you two here?" Twilight glanced at Gilda quickly then back to Rarity with a polite smile.

"I uh- *ahem* I wanted to apologize." Gilda started.

"Oh? Whatever for? I don't recall as you ever wronging me." Rarity asked.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything I did last time I was in town. I was just being a complete jerk and.... I shouldn't have done what I did." Gilda answered. Rarity quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well I-... I suppose I forgive you. After all, I'm not the one you wronged, that was Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. You should talk to them."

"I'm going to." Gilda replied confidently.

"Right. Well, would either of like some tea? I have a pot on already."

"Why tha-" Twilight began.

"No!" Gilda interrupted. She found herself faced with Twilight and Rarity staring at her. "Erm- I just want to go talk to Fluttershy and Dash sooner, rather than later.

"Oh, pish posh. Twilight, did you not tell her that they are in Cloudsdale?"

"They're in Cloudsdale?" Twilight asked.

"Why, yes, of course. They were going to see a Wonderbolts show. Just the two of them." Rarity answered with a meaningful look.

"Oh, I see. No I didn't know."

"They're not in town? Then what can I do?" Gilda asked.

"Well for now..." Rarity smiled. "You can have some tea with Twilight and I."

"*groan* Sure, why not?"

"Oh, come one, Gilda, it wasn't that bad." Twilight commented as they walked away from the boutique.

"Are you kidding? I think she tried to poison me! *gag* Uhg... it tasted horrible." Gilda laughed.

"I think Rarity's tea is pretty good." Twilight muttered.

"And I think it's nasty." Gilda added with a wry smirk. Twilight fought hard, to not smile, but failed.

"Fine. That's your opinion." She said, giggling lightly. "So... What should we do until Rainbow and Fluttershy get back?"

"I don't know... Hey, what did Rarity mean when she said 'just the two of them' the way she did?" Gilda asked.

"I thought you knew them in flight school..." Twilight noted.

"Yeah? So?"

"They've been together since their freshmen year. Did they keep that a secret from you?"

"Wait... That actually lasted?" Gilda asked in surprise.

"What, did you think it wouldn't?" Twilight asked, slightly amused at Gilda's shock.

"Well- I-I uhh...." Gilda sputtered. Twilight smiled lightheartedly.

"Yes. They're still together. Very happy, too. They try to keep it private, though. You know; among friends."

"Then why are you telling me?" Gilda asked.

"I-er- well I don't know... I guess I trust you...." Twilight answered, not quite sure of the answer.

"Oh...thanks..." Gilda said. She turned away at the heat she felt on her cheeks, thanking Celestia that a griffins blush doesn't show through their feathers. Then the thought occurred to her. 'Why am I blushing at that?'

"So... I'm going back to the library. You can come or...." She trailed off, not entirely sure what she was getting at.

"Eh... I was gonna practice some to pass the time."

"Oh, okay." Suddenly an idea struck her. "Can I come watch?"

"Uhh... I don't see why not..." Gilda replied awkwardly. "... You don't really have to ask."

"Oh... yeah, right... *ahem* Of course..." Gilda stared at the flustered unicorn a moment, but simply shrugged, flapped her wings, and took off in search of a clear patch of sky.

She ended up doing spirals, loops, rolls, and flips in the air above the park. Twilight was sitting on a small hill nearby, watching the spectacle. She couldn't quite name it, but there was some form of definitive difference between Gilda's flying and Rainbow's. Perhaps it was that Dash was faster and used more complicated tricks in her routines, while Gilda was more graceful and carried some form of power in her flying. They were both similar, yet completely different in the way they flew, and Twilight couldn't help but find herself captivated by the way Gilda did it.

After almost thirty minutes of this, Gilda flew up to start some form of somersault series, but on the way down a blue blur whizzed past her, knocking her off course. Twilight gasped as Gilda spun out, barely regaining control a short distance from the ground. She shifted her eyes to the grinning Rainbow Dash overhead.

"What's up, G?" She shouted in a high-spirited voice.

"You just love showing me up, don't you Dash."

"You say that like I need to try."

While Twilight was struggling to make out what they were saying, Fluttershy hovered down and landed beside her. They waited quietly while Rainbow Dash and Gilda flew down and landed near them.

"Seriously though. Why are you in town, G?" Rainbow asked as her smile faded. She trotted over to Fluttershy and stood next to her, wrapping a wing around her.

"I-uh... I wanted to apologize... You know, for last time I was in town..." Gilda replied slowly.

"You did?" Rainbow asked. "And why's that?"

"Er- Because I was a bad guest, I guess." When Rainbow didn't appear satisfied, she forged on. "I said things I didn't mean, and did things I shouldn't have done."

"Like...?" Rainbow prompted. Celestia knows why she was doing this to Gilda. Fluttershy and Twilight glanced at her, both slightly confused as to her motive.

"Like yelling at Pinkie, or insulting you and your friends, and roaring at Fluttershy. I did stupid th-" Her voice caught for a moment, but she kept going. "Stupid things. Lot's of them. I was a complete idiot. I get mad or frustrated, and then I just don't even pay attention." Her eyes began to water. "I should notice these things. I shouldn't say these things. I should notice. I should have noticed..." She dropped to her knees, now letting the tears out. "Oh Celestia why didn't I notice." She murmured.

The three ponies around her were shocked at her sudden mood change. The first to recover was Twilight, who was at her side, wrapping an insufficiently small arm around the bigger creature's shoulders within a few seconds.

"Wh-what's wrong, Gilda?" Twilight asked. In response, Gilda simply buried her face in Twilight's shoulder, crying softly. She wasn't sobbing, nor was her body being racked by the tears, but she was crying, which was more than anypony present could say they've ever seen. Gilda wasn't the type of griffin to cry very hard. She was too tough for that. Instead, she would hide her face, lay on her knees, and refuse to speak. When someone like her did all those in combination, it was a sure sign that something was wrong.

That's why her oldest friend was the next to react.

"G? Are you okay, dude? What's the matter?" By the time she'd even finished Fluttershy was at Gilda's unoccupied side, gently cooing and shushing her, like she would a lost squirrel.

At this point Gilda couldn't help but find this whole thing to be pathetic. Nor could she compel herself to care. She glanced up and found herself eye-to-eye with Twilight. The two had a moment similar to earlier that day. Staring at each other, wide eyed, neither fully able to understand what they were doing.

For a moment Gilda wanted to lean in, but she just didn't have it in her to be happy right now. Not after what she'd done a few, long months ago. The moment she thought about it she extended her wings, pushing both Fluttershy and, regrettably, Twilight away.

Wait... why did she regret that?

She flapped once and flew off towards a nearby cloud.

It is said that a real friend is willing to intrude. This is true, but real friends are also willing to allow better friends to intrude first.

Rainbow started towards the cloud, but stopped when she felt a tug on her tail. She turned and found her tail was being held by Twilight's magic.

"I-I'll go talk to her." Twilight requested. Something in her eyes forced Rainbow to concede. She landed next to Fluttershy and gestured for her to go ahead.

Up on her cloud, Gilda found that the privacy she'd wanted was not what she needed. She heard somepony call her name from below, but didn't stir. She heard a twinkling sound, but thought nothing of it. Not until it ceased, followed immediately by a pop next to her. She glanced over, too emotional to be surprised at the site of a unicorn standing on a cloud next to her. She went back to crying into a tuft of cloud without a word.

Twilight laid down on the cloud next to her, leaning against her in an attempt to get her attention. When that didn't work, she attempted verbal contact.

"Gilda?"

"Go away, Twilight." Gilda responded in thick voice.

"No. Come on, tell me what's wrong."

"I-it's nothing..." And in that moment the whole memory flashed across her mind....

Three months ago....

"Gilda! Get down here! I need your help again!" Granny shouted up the stairs.

"Coming Granny." Gilda groaned. She made her way down the stairs and followed her grandmother out of the house to her shed. Granny opened the shed up, revealing a large amount of crates and boxes, some of which looked old and over-stuffed while some appeared new and almost unused.

"I need your help moving some of these. I'll go get the cart. You start getting out any with a toy label."

"Why are we getting out the toy ones?" Gilda asked, eying her grandma carefully.

"To donate. What else?" Granny asked as she walked off. Gilda shook her head. In her honest opinion, Granny was too nice. She could sell these and make enough money to last through her grocery needs for the next few months, but nooo, 'we should give them away'....

Gilda sighed and started moving the crates. Granny got back and started lifting the lighter ones for her. At this point Gilda decided it may actually help if she made her suggestion.

"Granny?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You know, you could sell these toys instead of donating them. You'd make a lot of money..."

"It ain't about the reward, Gilda, it's about what you actually DO and why you did it."

"Then why are you donating these?"

"For the little kids that can't buy any toys like these."

"Well maybe those kids should get some mon-"

"Gilda! You shouldn't talk like that!" Gilda turned away, stacking some boxes in a fashion that didn't require looking Granny in the eye. As long as she didn't see the her angry face, she wouldn't feel bad...

"Whatever." She heard an odd flopping sound, but didn't turn to look for fear of being caught in those angry eyes. "If you dropped that box to give me more work, I'll get to it later." She muttered, lifting another box onto her stack. There was no response from Granny. "Granny?" She finally turned around, and found Granny on the ground.

Not breathing.

"What happened to her?" Twilight asked.

"Heart attack. She was really old. I shouldn't have riled her up like that. I must've visited her ten times this year. I knew she couldn't handle being very angry. Plus, she was working herself. I shouldn't have said those things..."

"Don't blame yourself like this, Gilda. You didn't kno-"

"But I did know! I knew that her heart was weak! I knew she was getting close to death! I shouldn't ha-" She was cut off by swift hoof to the face. It took her a moment to register that she'd just been slapped, and she stared incredulously at Twilight.

Again, the two found themselves lost in each others eyes. After a moment of staring Gilda, being in her emotional state, grabbed Twilight and wrapped her in a hug, nuzzling her in a manner that Twilight was sure was a little more than friendly.

For her part, Twilight nuzzled back, and after a moment even kissed Gilda's cheek. It took several minutes before she even realized what she was doing and who she was doing it to. She suddenly pushed Gilda back.

"I-I'm sorry... This is too sudden." She hesitated, staring at Gilda for a moment, but eventually teleported away with another pop.