What a Bunch of Lame Ponies. {Open to all}

[Gilda]

How long had it been since the party in Ponyville and yet it still burned Gilda. Those lame ponies, how it burned the griffin that they bested her. Whatever though, she didn’t need them or Rainbow Dash. They won the battle but the war was still on and Gilda knew she was the best. Next time they met, she’d prove it, prove it to Dash. That dumb pony needed her not the other way around, she just didn’t realize it yet. If Dash wanted to be cool, then you better hang with Gilda, it was a scientific fact – a line-graph of lame to Gilda, or something, she wasn’t a statistician. That was a job for nerds and Gilda was not a nerd, nor would she stoop to doing something so lame and uncool as that, was totally not awesome and Gilda was awesome, she knew it, and that made it true.

Though, despite how cool she perceived herself, she had to ask herself why she found herself in such a lame town as Hoofington? It was quiet and quaint, little like Ponyville but even smaller and lamer. Just a glance around you can defer that this was one dull place. Few shops here, an Inn, little outdoor market there and most of all, a bunch of lame ponies. Least Rainbow Dash and her new ‘friends’ weren’t here. Specially the annoying pink one – oh how she loathed that dirt pony. Whatever, she’ll just pass through town, grab some chow and shoot out as quick as she came and leave these ponies in her dust.

As she transverse through the town, Gilda decided the lame fruits and vegetables in the market weren’t to her liking. So dull and boring, not fit for an griffin such as her and opted then to just relax and save her energy. She kicked off into the air, her wings spreading wide and shot up towards a few clouds causally resting just above the market. A nice comfy spot for nap, a fitting cloud bed. She slapped several of the floating cotton balls together to form a fitting recliner. She plopped herself down upon the fluffiness, crossing her legs, letting a hind paw flutter with the breeze as she kept just a minor fixation upon the happenings below. It did cross her mind to throw a cloud ball at the dumb ponies below but she couldn’t, through a casual glance from the cloud, find one worthy of such an insult. Perhaps one would wander by, but for now, nap time.

[lollipop]

Sugar Rush sat in her little shop, nose in a book. Lately she just hadn't been able to make her caramels nearly as tasty as she wanted them to be, but no matter how many different recipes she tried, they all ended up tasting bland. Every pony knew that candy was supposed to have a sensational taste that exploded into your mouth in a burst of delicious flavors, but... her caramels just weren't doing that. Such a shame.

Sugar popped a lemon twist in her mouth before deciding that she needed some fresh air, a bit of inspiration. She stretched her wings, making sure that they weren't too stiff to fly, and flew out the door and into the sky. Her shop was tiny and cozy, but sometimes it was too stuffy. Sugar Rush always needed space to get her best ideas, so what better place than the sky?

Sugar stopped mid-air above her store, looking around Hoofington for any signs of life, any signs of inspiration. There was nothing.Nothing but an oddly shaped cloud in the sky. She sighed before steadily flying around, looking for anyone, anything to give her an idea. And surprisingly enough, it didn't take her very long to find someone. On a cloud that she had spotted earlier, she could see the tip of a wing. Oh goodie,someone to talk too! Sugar Rush smiled widely before flying up to the pony on the cloud. Only when she got a closer look did she notice that it wasn't a pony at all, but a griffon! Oh wow, who would have thought that Sugar would get to meet a griffon! She had never met one before, so this surely would be fascinating. Sugar Rush flapped closer to the griffon until she was within ear-shot, "Well, howdy there! Nice to see that someone is out and about!" she called out in her sweet southern accent, "Comfy lookin' cloud ya got there!" The idea that maybe this griffon had been sleeping didn't even cross her mind as she flew right up to Gilda, smiling widely at the possibility of making another new friend. "Names Sugar Rush, what might your be?"

[Gilda]

Sugar Rush, despite her pleasant approach and harmless, innocent questions was met with nothing but disdain and hostility. All Gilda noticed was that some pony decided to annoy her as she tried to catch a few ‘ZZ’s’ before once more attempt to scrounge around for food that wasn’t vegetation. Sugar Rush meet cloud-ball to the face, cavalierly thrown by a Griffin not in the mood to deal with one more chipper and unsettling friendly pony.

“Gilda.” The griffin muttered, noting even looking at the Pegasus, she just continued to lay back, with her wings resting against the softest cloud she could remember since Ponyville. “Yeah, it’s comfy, now scram. This cloud has got only room for one.” Gilda, now curious to what was accosting her now, tilted her head and flared her right eye as wide as it could, examining her new found annoyance. Just great, another candy colored pony. Lame. “Ohh what do you want, Sugrary? Can’t you see I’m trying to catch a snooze?” She closed her eyes once more and shifted her hind legs, switching which were crossed, while her tail fluttered lazily over the side of the cloud. ”Still there? Or was that just another dumb dream?”

[lollipop]

"Oh, yeah it does have room for only one, I'm sorry!" Sugar Rush flew off Gilda's cloud and began to look around, "I should go get my own!" she zipped over to a cloud and pushed it over next to Gilda, laying down on the soft fluff. "Oh, don't ya just love the feel of a good cloud? Feels like a bunch of cotton candy, just less sticky, ya know?"

Sugar neglected to notice the fact that Gilda obviously didn't want to talk to her, so instead of saying good bye, Sugar pulled out a lemon drop, offering one to Gilda. "Want one? They're real yummy!" she popped one into her own mouth. Yum!

”Still there? Or was that just another dumb dream?” Sugar Rush giggled when she heard those words, "You betcha I'm still here! So you're a griffon, right? So cool! Why are you here at Hoofington? Special business? Or are you just hangin' out?" Sugar Rush was fascinated by the new-comer, as she hadn't seen many tourists that hadn't been ponies before. She was quite thrilled at the prospect at being her friend.

[Gilda]

This pony was incorrigible; Gilda pondered if the color of their coats and mane also indicated their level of annoying. The more vibrant and neon, (especially pink), the more you could just strangle the life out of them. She tried to pay her little attention, instead focusing on the awesome warmth of the warm sun and the comfort of the cloud. Nothing could really compare, well except totally radical aerial stunts. Compared, this was a close second.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say." Muttered Gilda, as she tried to pay Sugar Rush barely a passing recognition. Though, when the offer for a lemon drop came up, this got her attention. She flashed her eyes open, spotted the offered lemon drop and snapped for it with her talon. "Don't mind if I do." She tossed the drop into her beak and snapped down on the tiny candy, making a bone shattering crunch as that drop met it's sugar-soury maker. So, perhaps, this pony wasn't so bad, long as she kept up with the lemon-drops.

"Thanks, anymore?" The griffoness curiously inquired while munching away on the piece of candy and scooted her back up higher on the cloud till she was more reclining than laying down. "Yeah, last time I checked." She cracked her talons together. "What, never seen a griffin before? We're not that rare." She mentioned dismissively, "Just cruising through, thought I'd stop by this part of Equestria, see what was up. Been awhile... So, who are you, Sugar? The welcoming committee? Maybe you can start by hoofing over another drop, if you have it."

[lollipop]

Sugar Rush beamed when Gilda thanked her for the lemon drop, "You're ever so welcome! It's my own secret recipe, you know, you can't get any other lemon drops like these in all of Equestria, no matter how hard you look!" she smiled. When Gilda asked her if she had ever seen a griffon before, she thought for a moment, "Huh. No, I don't think I have seen one before. Well, except for you of course!" she giggled. "I'm actually a candy maker. I run he little shop down there," she motioned towards her brightly colored store, "But lots of ponies have called me the welcoming committee, too!" she dug through her bag, and pulled out a bag with a yellow bow on it. It was filled to the top with lemon drops. "Here you go, take this free of charge as a little welcome gift!"

[Gilda]

Gilda practically beamed as Sugar offered the little bag of drops and eagerly took the gift into her grasp, she actually didn’t expect Sugar to be so willfully sharing. She could barely contain herself, wanting to chomp right into it – then it occurred to her that she was probably being a little too cheerful in front of the pony. She had a perceived reputation to keep. She flicked her head feathers and kept her cool.

”Thanks, you know, you’re alright – for a pony.” She reiterated. She twirled the bag of drops in her talon, watching it as it twirls with gentle little hops into the air. ”So a candy maker, guess that’s pretty cool. You have a shop down there somewhere, right? What else do you make, anything else as awesome as these drops?” She asked, interesting little thoughts fluttered through her head. How generous was this pony for a griffin on hard times?

[lollipop]

Sugar Rush grinned, proud to have pleased Gilda. When she heard that she was alright-for a pony. she felt as if she was bursting with joy. "Gee, thanks! You're really cool!" Sugar smiled. She listened to Gilda talk, and when she was asked what else she made, she didn't hesitate, "Well, hopefully all my candy tastes that good! I make candy canes, cotton candy, chocolates, gumdrops, cakes, cookies, everything! Anything that's sweet. If you can dream it, I can make it!" Sugar Rush chirped. It was excellent that she was getting compliments from Gilda. She was quite happy that her candy tasted good to the griffin.
(OOC: Sorry this is short, I was being ushered off the computer by my mom, and I didn't want to not post and make you wait longer.)

[Gilda]

Gilda flipped over onto her talons and paws and sat up, her eyes suggested something calculating, maybe even mischievous. She leaned forward, giving a quick glance to the ground and town, then to Sugar Rush. ”Really? Anything, you say? I’d like to check that out. Sounds cool, I guess.” She stretched out, with a light yawn, then flicked her head feathers back from off her eyes. ”So if you’re not doing nothing, maybe you can show me some more of this candy of yours. You know, since I’m obviously not going to get a nap in now.” She said with a hint of disdain.

[lollipop]

Sugar Rush grinned, "Yup, anything you can imagine, whether it has been made before or not!" She swooped off her cloud in a wide, gleeful arch. What fun this would be! Maybe Gilda had some ideas for a new candy! Or maybe she would want her to make a special candy for her! Oh, how exciting! "I'd be glad to show you my shop, Gilda! C'mon, let's go!" Sugar sped to the ground and into her shop, hoping the Gilda was following.

Her shop was tiny and cozy, so it gave anypony who entered a homey feeling. Outside, there was a large sign that read "SUGAR SHACK!" in big, colorful letters. Inside, however, was a real treat. Bright, swirly colors were everywhere. Every candy imaginable was on shelves, in jars on shelves, or on tables. Cakes and cookies were behind glass in the counter, and there were neon pink, purple, and green tables where ponies would be able to eat treats. In the back of the shop, there was a little round door, where there was a staircase which led to her room and a kitchen area where she made her treats.

"This is my store, go ahead and take a look around!" Sugar Rush said warmly.

[Gilda]

Alright, Gilda thought, time to get her sweet beak on. With a stretch of her neck, two let cracks of her spine left and right, she then rolled off her cloud and plummeted to the ground like missile. Just as she would hit the ground, her wings spread wide and caught the air. She came to a graceful landing upon her hindpaws and followed after Sugar Rush to her shop it a steady run to catch up.

Gilda couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the audacious shop, so typically pony. Tacky with its flashy neon and striking colors, much like Sugar Rush herself. She glanced around, and could swear this assault of colors were making her eyes hurt. Like a punch to the head, but with color. ”Yeah, will do.” She stated, pawing around the storefront, cataloging the treats she desired. So many choices, but where to start?

The griffon kept giving Sugar Rush quick glances, those bird eyes keeping tabs wherever she went. She just needed to look away, go into the back for just a moment, she felt the pony’s stare upon her like a heavy, damming weight. With a chirp, she glanced back to Sugar. ”So yeah nice shop.” She stated as she rummaged through some tiny confections on a shelf. Picking up one piece between the tips of her talon and inspecting it. ”Not bad looking candy either. Did this all yourself huh? Pretty cool. Live here too? That reminds me of someone I ran into once… though she was totally lame and uncool.” There was bitter poisoned pain in those words, but outwardly, Gilda didn’t show it.

[lollipop]

Sugar Rush watched Gilda walk around, giddy with joy. This was how she always got, every single time someone entered her shop. "Gee, thanks!" she grinned at the compliment. She watched the griffin inspect her candies, anxiously anticipating her opinion. Hopefully her new friend wouldn't think her candies were ugly or bad.

Gilda's compliments made Sugar quite happy. "I do my best to make them look pretty! I make them all by myself, to the best of my ability. It's really enjoyable, and living here also makes it ten times more fun!" The mention of a friend caught Sugar off guard, however. "Really? Well that's a shame if she was. I'm sure she was still nice."

[Gilda]

”Yea… nice.” She smashes the little candy between her claws as her fur stood on end, tail twitching with a buried, seething hate. A flash of that mocking, pink smile. Her beak grind and furled with each antagonizing little thought of that pony, framed in fire and drenched in abhorrer. Her head feathers fell over her eyes and through those, she looked darkly back to Sugar Rush with one large eye. ”She was a lot like you, ya know. Bright an pretty with curls in her mane.”

The talon still planted firmly on the floor scraped across the wood, making a screeching scratch, leaving behind four straight, thin lines. She then stepped closer to Sugar Rush; the lavender shadows in her eyes becoming deeper and dark. She flexed her wings, stretching them one at a time, as she came close to the counter where Sugar stood. All she could see however, was that pink, blue-eyed devil standing there, laughing.

”So… you’re not into pranks are you?” Coldly she asked, then flicked her head feather back. In that moment, breaking through murderous intent, she no longer saw Pinkie-Pie staring back, but just innocent little Sugar Rush. She hiccupped in surprise, shook her head and stepped back. ”Uh sorry!” Ashamedly she turned her head, feeling a little like a foal, her feathers were all frazzled and disheveled.

”Think I should go.” She chirped, ”Need to spread my wings a little. Gonna lose my cool being trapped up in a place like this.” Grabbing for excuses to save face. ”Catch ya later, Rush.” She threw back a lazy wave of her talon as she walked away, then before the door, she looked back once more. ”An’ thanks for the drops. I’ll be sure to stop in later, cool? See-ya on the flip-side.” Opened the door, the little bell atop jingling as she stepped outside.

[lollipop]

Whoops. It seems like Sugar had said something wrong. She looked at Gilda, confused, as Gilda stood for a moment. Sugar flinched at the sound of the scraping talons. "Umm, are you okay, Gilda?"

As Gilda advanced at her, Sugar Rush took a step back, looking at Gilda with confusion. Not fear, but confusion. Had it been something she had said? Oh, probably about that pony Gilda had been talking about. "No, I don't do pranks much." she said, her voice filed with wonder. Suddenly, Gilda's eyes lost the murderous glint and Sugar felt a wave of relief. Good, Gilda wasn't mad at her. "No worries!" she chirped, refraining from asking what all that was about.

Sugar nodded when Gilda spoke again. "I understand, Gilda. See you later!" After Gilda left, she trotted over to where Gilda had been, cleaned up the shattered remains of the candy, and looked down at the scratch marks, wondering how on earth she would be able to get those off.