Chapter 5: Arrows and Announcements

The group of eleven stared at the unconscious form of Gilda the Griffon. They looked at the numerous amounts of arrows that were protruding from the half lion half eagle creature's body. They couldn't believe that Gilda had taken so much damage during the escape from Grifforia. Rainbow Dash went over to Gilda and began trying to pull her. When that didn't work she tried to lift Gilda. When that didn't work she glared at her friends.

"I could use some help here." she said impatiently.

Applejack quickly ran over to Rainbow Dash's side and then the duo lifted Gilda up. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decided to wait at Twilight Sparkle's castle with Trixie and Spike while the others got Gilda treated at Fluttershy's cottage. The rainbow maned pegasus and the orange earth pony carried Gilda to Fluttershy's house. They set her down on the yellow pegasus' couch while Fluttershy herself examined Gilda and did whatever she could to help her.

Gilda was in a state of semi-consciousness. Her body was hurting all over from the many arrows that pierced her limbs and torso. The griffon tried to open her eyes but she just couldn't. All she could do was lay still and listen to the conversation that was taking place around her.

"Oh my." she heard Rarity gasp. "She really doesn't look too well."

"Ah can't believe she took all of those arrows." Applejack said.

"Me either." Lightning Dust agreed. "I knew she was tough but I didn't think she was this tough."

"She looks like she's sleeping." Pinkie Pie said. "I'll get the water bucket."

"No Pinkie." Twilight Sparkle's firm voice responded.

"Awww." Pinkie Pie replied in a rather disappointed tone.

"How is she Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know Rainbow." Fluttershy replied.

"You gotta help her." the rainbow maned pegasus insisted.

"I'm trying my best Rainbow." Fluttershy whispered.

"That's not good enough Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said rather angrily.

"Rainbow you need to calm down." Twilight Sparkle told her.

"Calm down?" Rainbow Dash asked in a much louder voice than was necessary. "My best friend just got hit with like twenty arrows and you want me to calm down?"

"Look here Rainbow." Applejack said. "Ah know you're worried about her. Ah understand that y'all are concerned but yellin' at Fluttershy or any of us ain't gonna help her."

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath as she replied.

"You're right." she said. "Sorry guys."

"It's okay." Twilight Sparkle told her.

"I wish I could do something to help her." Rainbow Dash said.

"Well for starters you could stop taking your anger out on your friends." Gilda said.

The seven friends stared at Gilda in shock as her eyes fluttered open. Rainbow Dash stood still for a moment and then she tackled Gilda in a hug. She held her best friend in her forelegs with a broad grin on her face.

"You crazy griffon!" she shouted as she held Gilda in one of the tightest hugs that the griffon had ever received in her entire life. "You're so lucky I l-"

Rainbow Dash stopped herself in mid-sentence. A small blush appeared on her face as her mouth closed. She had almost said something very personal in front of all of her friends. Thankfully they were all too stunned by Gilda's sudden return to consciousness that they didn't notice.

"I'm so lucky you what?" Gilda asked playfully.

"You're so lucky I lifted you and carried ya here." Rainbow Dash said hastily. "With Applejack's help." she added.

Gilda grinned at her friends as they smiled at her.

"Ah can't believe ya fought ten griffons at once." Applejack said.

"Those arrows must hurt a lot." Rarity said with a shudder.

"Nah." Gilda replied. "Those guys are pretty bad shots. They didn't hit anything vital."

"I was gonna use a water bucket to wake you up." Pinkie Pie said. "But Twilight told me that that would be a bad idea."

"And she's right." Gilda said. "That would have been a bad idea."

"Are you sure you're all right Gilda?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Oh just spectacular." Gilda replied sarcastically. "Aside from the arrows sticking out of me I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't worry G." Lightning Dust said. "Fluttershy'll get those arrows out of ya."

Fluttershy meanwhile had gotten her supplies and began working on healing Gilda's wounds. Thankfully the arrows were incredibly dull so they barely penetrated beyond the first layer of Gilda's skin. This combined with the horrible accuracy of the griffons would mean that Gilda's injuries were in no way life threatening.

"So did ya make it back all right?" Gilda asked Rainbow Dash.

"Oh yeah." Rainbow Dash said. "No one came after us."

"Good." Gilda replied. "And Princess Luna made it back too right?"

"Yep." Rainbow Dash replied. "She's with Celestia and Spike. Celestia wants to talk to us after we're done here."

"Well that's good." Gilda said as she looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. "I gotta talk to her too. How much longer Fluttershy?" she asked.

"Um I already finished Gilda." Fluttershy replied as she held out a mirror. Gilda stared at her reflection and noticed how all of the arrows were gone and her wounds had been cleaned and there wasn't even a spot of blood. The arrows were just too weak to even cause Gilda to bleed.

"How'd you do that?" she asked. "I didn't feel a thing."

"You were so busy talking you didn't notice." Fluttershy said with a small smile.

Gilda got off of the couch and headed towards the door.

"Come on Dash." she said. "We gotta tell Celestia about what we heard."

The duo walked out of the cottage and their friends followed them. Surprisingly Gilda didn't object. She felt like her friends might need to know this too. The group of eight walked down the streets until they reached Twilight Sparkle's castle. They entered and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting for them inside of the main room. Both of them had very grim expressions on their faces. Everyone sat down around the table as Princess Celestia cleared her throat and spoke.

"It seems that your rescue mission didn't go undetected." she said. "Grifforia is going to declare war on us."

This caused the jaws of everypony in the room to drop. Grifforia was going to start a second war with Equestria.

"I can't believe it." Twilight Sparkle said in a low whisper.

The others shook their heads. They couldn't believe it either.

"I know." Princess Celestia said. "But unfortunately it is going to happen. There will be a war between Equestria and Grifforia. All we can do is prepare ourselves and hope for the best. Their army will come soon."

After discussing what Gilda, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna had heard when they had been in Grifforia, The Sun Goddess and The Moon Goddess got up and left the castle. Then Gilda got up and walked over to a wall. She then did something that stunned the others.

"I am such an idiot." she shouted as she banged her head against the wall with every syllable that she uttered.

Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust pulled Gilda away from the wall before she could give herself brain damage.

"Gilda what the hay was that about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I just landed you guys in so much trouble." Gilda said.

"What do you mean G?" Lightning Dust asked.

"I told you that griffons hate ponies." Gilda said. "And griffons that are friends with ponies are worse. Since I'm friends with you guys I'm a traitor. They're gonna go after me and you during this war. You guys are doomed and its all my fault! I am an idiot!"

Gilda looked down towards the ground and cursed herself.

"I'm sorry guys." she said. "I shouldn't have come back. Now it's too late. Even if ya ditch me they'll still go after ya."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash flew towards Gilda and held her in a hug.

"Gilda I'm not gonna ditch ya." Rainbow Dash said. "If those griffons wanna fight ya then I'm gonna fight with ya."

Then the rest of the group gathered around Gilda. All of them assured the griffon that they would stand by her during the war. They weren't going to abandon her just because griffons would hate them. Gilda was completely shocked by how loyal her friends were. She expected them to be angry with her but they were understanding. The brown and white griffon smiled as she allowed herself to be held in the center of a group hug.

"Thanks guys." she said gratefully. "You guys are really awesome friends."

"We're never gonna ditch ya G." Rainbow Dash said while the others nodded in agreement. "We're gonna stick together no matter what."

"I just can't believe there's gonna be a war." Gilda muttered.

The group of ten didn't know what to say to each other. There was going to be a war soon. All of them agreed to fight as hard as they could to defend Equestria. They were not going to let their country fall. Everypony said their good nights and headed off to their houses. Gilda however took to the skies to clear her head. She had a lot on her mind and she needed some time to think.