"Russenzopf"
Part 3
By Neoraichu
"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" is the property of others such as Lauren Faust, including Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Spike and others. This story takes place about 6 months after the events of Fanfic:"A Little Dash of Pinkie", and about a month after Season 3 Ending:"Magical Mystery Tour".
…
So Rainbow Dash, Gilda and Cleocatra all shared a table in the middle of the room, as it was best able to handle creatures as large as Griffons and Hieracosphinx. The Princess remained at her corner table not as much to be alone, but to not place herself into the delicate moment between Dash, Gilda, and the new face, Cleocatra. Pinkie Pie was quite content to serve Zap Apple delicacies as they were ordered. She set a double order down in front of Dash.
"She's eating for two," she explained although it was plainly obvious without any further elucidation.
"Actually, my cherry pie," said Dash, "Doctor Rip Studpony says that I'm eating for three."
"Three?!" she cried happily.
"Yes, it's going to be two colts."
"Well, that does explain the unusually swollen belly," mused Pinkie Pie.
"Congratulations," said Gilda.
Dash smiled awkwardly and dug into her double slice of Zap Apple Pie.
"Is that unusual?" asked Cleocatra.
"While one colt is the norm," offered Twilight, "It's not unheard of. I'd say one pregnancy in four will produce twins like this. But at the time of conception, there was a number of unusual factors in play. They were both under a Pregnancy Potion, and Pinkie Pie was quickly converting into the Red Alicorn she is now. If it weren't for a Spell Lock, she would be fulling converted into... uh..."
"A blood sucking stallion eating monster," completed Pinkie Pie.
"I see," replied Cleocatra, "Well that does sound exotic, darling. But two is no big deal for one of the Sphinx races..."
"Yeah, a litter of four is the norm," she replied, "That's why there's five pairs of teats underneath your furry coat. They'd be plainly visible if you were pregnant at this moment. It's kind of fortunate that the kitten's beaks remain relatively soft until they're done nursing."
"Uh, yeah," came the awkward reply, "That's right."
"She does that a lot now," said Dash quietly. She went back to filling her face as Pinkie Pie set down another double serving before her.
"Now darling," Cleocatra said to Gilda, "There's this simply fabulous dress maker in town I've heard so much about, and she must simply make me a divine gown to wear at the Grand Gliding Gala. So perhaps you can spend a little more time here with your old friend, and meet up with me later?"
Gilda nodded.
"Oh," said Pinkie Pie, "You just have to be talking about Rarity! She's like the best dress maker in Ponyville, and someday ALL OF EQUESTRIA!"
"Well, if you could tell me how to get there..."
"That's all right," interrupted Princess Twilight, "I don't really have any pressing duties right now. It would be my honor and pleasure to take you to Rarity's Carousel Boutique myself."
"Are you sure about that," asked Dash, "Princess Twilight?"
"Well, a Royal escort just for me?" asked Cleocatra, "How kind of you. I'll tip the server here, and then I'll be ready to go." She flapped her left wing lightly over the table, and a pair of one pound gold bars fell onto the tabletop with a rather weighty thud.
Everyone, including the Princess, but not Pinkie Pie, just stared open mouthed at the 'tip' the Hieracosphinx had left.
"What?" she asked, "Am I being too cheap?"
"Oh no," replied Pinkie Pie, "Your generosity is unsurpassed."
'"Unsurpassed" is the understatement of the year,' thought Twilight, 'That's as much gold as this shop makes in a whole year. The Cakes will be so happy with Pinkie Pie's performance.'
The Hieracosphinx turned and moved towards the door as she announced, "Thank you for the wonderful food, darlings. I am so ready to move on to see this 'Rarity' you mentioned before."
"I'll be along presently," answered Twilight.
She paused by Dash, and noticed most of her muzzle was smeared with Zap Apple filling and covered with little bits of pie crust crumbs.
"Take care of your colts," she advised, "It's not just for you anymore. I know how much..."
"I know, I know," Dash moaned back, "No fancy or hard flying. Everyone keeps telling me that like I'm a one year old filly."
"We care about both you and the colts."
"I know, I know. Besides, I still have a lot of things to catch up with Gilda here. It'll probably take a couple of hours, at least."
The Princess followed Cleocatra out of the store, leaving Dash, Gilda and Pinkie Pie behind.
Even though the Princess was supposed to be guiding, the Hieracosphinx had managed to get ahead of her.
And ahead of them was Fluttershy leading a duck mother and her chicks across the road. She was backing up, and couldn't see where she was going. The duck and her chicks were taking up too much of her attention. When Cleocatra looked back and asked, "Now darling, which way..."
The two bumped into each other.
Fluttershy looked back as she said, "I'm sorry, this is... EEEEK!" She shrank away from the Hieracosphinx with a terrified look in her eyes.
"No, please darling, this is quite..." she said before pausing, "Why are you so scared, little one?"
"Because," said Twilight as she caught up, "Gilda terrified her the last time the two... accidentally met like this."
She held up her front paw showing her large sickle like claws for just a fraction of a second, causing Fluttershy to shrink away more, as she said, "Look here, darling, I'm a hieracosphinx, not a griffon. We're no more alike than Unicorns and Earth Ponies." She paused before she continued, "If my darling Gilda treated you badly in the past, she's sorry about that now."
She walked by Fluttershy before adding, "I'm sorry if I bothered you, but it looks like your bird friends need you."
Drawing Fluttershy's attention back to the birds snapped her out of her fearful crouch.
The two of them walked on more. Then suddenly and without warning, Cleocatra pushed Twilight with her shoulder off the road and into the bushes. "Damn him," she hissed, "He followed me all the way here?"
"He who?" asked Twilight.
"Uh," she said back, "Uh, it's nothing. I... I thought I saw... a dragon. I guess I was being silly, thinking a dragon like Tiamat was around here."
"I don't see any dragons," she answered.
"Well, I can see a rabbit clearly at a distance of 3 miles. It's so far away, it's just silly to even think it had any intentions to come this way." She then laughed nervously.
"Oh, I see."
"Well, let's keep going, shall we?"
"Let's."
Soon, the Carousel Boutique came into view. As they approached, Twilight's horn glowed as she opened the door. "After you," she said.
"Thank you, darling," replied Cleocatra, "I'd say that you're rather personable for a Princess, I must say."
"Well thank you."
There was a shriek as Cleocatra crossed the door frame. "Excuse me, darling..." she said, then pausing.
Twilight followed her in, looking around as she asked, "Rarity?"
"I believe she dove behind the counter."
"Rarity!" she called, "This is Cleocatra! She's a customer!"
Rarity poked her head above the counter as she said, "Well... you reminded me of... someone else. Someone rather scary." Her white body along with her violet hair and mane were quite visible along with her blue eyes.
"Gilda is my girlfriend, and she's truly sorry for how she treated you ponies. But I'm a Hieracosphinx and she's a Griffon."
"I'm sorry about how I overreacted, darling."
"Well, darling, I guess it's a reaction I've gotten used to by now."
"So how can I help you?"
"I've heard so much about your tailoring and design skills, darling, and I very badly need a full ensemble for the Grand Gliding Gala."
"The Grand Gliding Gala? I've heard that's the great ball of the year for the Sphinx and Griffon races, right?"
Cleocatra nodded. "I'm hoping that you can create something for me that's truly unique. The last three years, I've had dresses that were worn by at least three other Sphinx or Griffons."
"Oh, that can be sooo embarrassing."
"But you're so far off the beaten track for my species, I'm positive that no one else is going to come to you and have a special outfit made for them."
"I have to admit you're right."
"So when can you start? When can you take my measurements?"
"If you can be here first thing in the afternoon, then that would be fine."
"Very well, darling," she purred, "I'll be here right at the crack of noon."
"Where will you stay?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, I'm sure I'll find some inn or hotel that will let us stay in Ponyville somewhere."
...
Gilda and Dash regaled each other about past tales from the Junior Speedster flight camp, and then Dash wowed Gilda with her tales of her experiences and trials from the Wonderbolts Flight School.
"Then there was Lightning Dust," said Dash, "A completely reckless show off who didn't care who she put in danger with her stunts and tricks."
"That's terrible," said Gilda, "You were never like that. Well, you did kind of put yourself at risk too much... but you didn't endanger others."
"Yes," she replied, "and when she was put in charge as the wing leader, I thought that she was being rewarded for her recklessness over me. When she put my friends at risk, I stormed into the Commander's office and quit to her face."
"Then what happened?"
"The Commander came out and told me that I didn't let her speak her mind. She said she was taking Lightning Dust down and putting me as wing leader."
"That's great," sighed Gilda.
"And now I'm that much closer to my dream of Wonderbolt glory."
"They'll never let me in no matter how good I am."
"And that's not right," said Dash with conviction.
"I know," she replied, "but then there's nothing we can do about it."
The two feel quiet as they looked into each others eyes. But then Gilda giggled as Pinkie bounced up by Dash and began licking the leftover Zap Apple Pie of her beloved's face.
"Pinkie," spluttered Dash, "What are you doing?"
"Taking care of business," she replied.
"I have to admit she's a hoot to be around," said Gilda.
Pinkie looked to Gilda and said, "I wish that more people could look on me like you do. There are some who wish me ill will just because of the way I look now. Because of the reputation that comes with this body."
"I was not that much different," said Gilda, "With my arrogance, I looked down on those who couldn't fly like me. I even looked down on fliers who were too timid to stand up for themselves."
"At least you're trying to change, Gilda."
"I'd love to see your colts when they're born."
"I'd love to have you there," answered Dash.
The awkward silence returned.
"Sooo..." said Dash, "How did you meet this Cleocatra?"
"After I realized how wrong I had been about driving you away, I was too ashamed to stay in Equestria. I flew south for weeks, crossing land and sea, until I came across the Endless Sea of Sand. After a few more days, I just crashed into the sand and prayed for death to take me."
Dash look slack jawed.
"But then some Hieracosphinx found me there, took me back to their camp, and Cleocatra nursed me back to health. While I was recovering, I found myself falling in love with her. She loved me back. But that didn't sit well with her fiancee and his family. They broke off the arranged marriage on the grounds that no son of theirs was going to be married to a stinking lesquean. Her own family was angry enough to remove her from the line of inheritance, and banish her from her own city. We moved to Alexstallia and tried to make our own lives, but the fiancee just wouldn't let things go. He hounded us, and forced us to flee back here to Equestria where he has no authority. Cleocatra thinks we can go back for the Grand Gliding Gala, but I'm not so sure anymore..."
"So who's this fiancee?" asked Pinkie.
"Oh, he's called Ramses," replied Gilda, "And I think he's a Criosphinx."
"Ah, a creature with the head of a ram sheep, the body of a lion, and the winds of an eagle."
"I'm not even surprised you know that... anymore."
"They're hard headed in more ways than one," warned Pinkie, "If he followed you, there can be problems."
"I hope not."
