Chapter 20: Aftermath
A lot of things changed in the weeks that followed the end of the war between Equestria and Grifforia. The really bitter hatred between the two countries finally came to an end after over fifty years. The longtime rivalry and mistrust had been forgotten now that a treaty had been signed. More griffons started to live in Equestrian cities. A few griffons had even started to live in Ponyville. This had led to more trust between ponies and griffons.
Grifforia no longer held the belief that ponies were weak anymore. Instead of hating them they started to gain a new respect for Equestria's citizens. They realized that ponies weren't as bad as they had thought. They now started to be more accepting of ponies in general. They no longer cared if a griffon decided to become friends with a pony. They no longer made such griffons be outcasts. Grifforia was a much friendlier place after the war had ended.
Equestria meanwhile started to trust griffons more. While Gilda was trusted by Equestria she was a lone exception. Most griffons were seen as evil and therefore not be trusted or befriended. Now however ponies in Equestria started to form friendships with griffons of Grifforia. Some ponies had even tried to eat meat. While most didn't particularly care for it they no longer judged griffons for their diets. In fact they had allowed stores to sell meat to provide their new griffon customers with their food of choice.
The ponies who had been in charge of Equestria's army had earned their fair share of praise as well as awards for outstanding bravery. They had risked their lives to save their land and they were now being rewarded for their efforts. Shining Armor had bestowed upon them the highest award that Equestria's government had to offer. Every pony was extremely proud of how they had done during the war. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Lightning Dust, Pinkie Pie, Grayback, Psyke, Monochrome, Chunker, the pegasus lieutenant, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda were being treated like heroes of Equestria. All of them enjoyed the praise and respect that they received as a result of their heroism.
Grayback and his team of thieves spent their time in Ponyville wisely. They didn't cause any trouble whatsoever for any of Equestria's citizens. They partied with the others and then they ate their fill of food, got some much needed rest, and then they headed off just before their thirty hours were up. Shining Armor and his team of ponies spent their time searching for them but they were largely unsuccessful. Grayback and his crew were definitely extremely skilled at keeping themselves hidden from their enemies.
Gilda's parents had been forced into exile due to the crimes that they had committed. Neither Grifforia nor Equestria would allow them to live in their cities. While this might have seemed to be extreme the crimes committed by the two griffons had been far from forgivable. The duo had been very lucky to escape being sent to prison for the rest of their lives. They took refuge in The Everfree Forest and they were never heard from again. Gilda never went looking for her parents and they never went looking for her. Both sides had broken off all ties to each other ever since the day Gilda had become friends with Rainbow Dash.
Gilda and Rainbow Dash were another matter altogether. The duo had been best friends for a long time but now their friendship had grown into something even more beautiful. They had finally found love with each other. Both the griffon and the pegasus were extremely happy to be with each other. Being together like they were was such a joy to them that they couldn't describe. The two of them stayed together and they were both perfectly happy like that. Being best friends was fun for them but being lovers was even better.
The End!
Author's Note: I would like to thank you all for reading this story and being patient while I worked on it. I have someone that I'd like to thank and that is a user by the name of 1LoneShadow who beta read my story and gave me helpful advice. My friend you are a really great reviewer and a good friend so thank you very much. I'd also like to thank all of you guys because if it wasn't for your support I never would have finished this. Just by reviewing following or even reading my stories you're helping me a lot. This story was extremely tough to write but I kept thinking about the people that liked what I wrote and that kept me going. You guys are seriously helpful and I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. While I feel this story was worth the effort I most likely will not be writing another war story anytime soon. This was just really hard for me and I'd rather avoid the frustration I went through while writing it if I can. So what's next you might ask? Well next up will be a much shorter story. It will be a romance story but there will be two pairings instead of one. (To be honest one of the pairing is slightly scary for me.) Reviews are appreciated as always. Thanks for reading!