My recollection of "Griffon the Brush Off" had RD being very angry at the revelation Gilda was a great big meanie-pants. RD's big thing is loyalty. That Gilda would mistreat her friends behind her back was seriously uncool. There's also something else to consider--this happens a day after "Canterlot Wedding". Dash may be keyed up because she's on patrol in case any stray changelings might be around.
"What are you doing around Ponyville?" the pegasus said. "It's a free sky, 'Crash'," Gilda replied. "Not like I'm waiting for you to come back from Lame-o-Town. I'm up here with my new best friend, who's fifty times cooler than you ever were. Make that a hundred!" "Ah, if there's an argument you two need to settle," Agatha said, "it might be best--" "So you found another pony to fool," the blue pegasus spat out. "You gonna treat her like you did me? Be nice while you steal and yell at my friends?" "Used to like you because you were better than all the earthworms," Gilda replied. "All you ended up doing was wasting my time. So make like a fly and buzz off!" "--to discuss your differences calmly, on the safe--" "Like you said, free sky." The pegasus crossed her forelegs over her chest. "I've got my eye on you. I'll be watching you all day, to see you don't shove your weight around." "--solid--" Talons swiped at cyan fur. "HEY! Watch it, you nearly cut me!" "Meant to, 'Dork!" '--ground--" A hoof lashed out, punching Gilda in the beak. "Try that on for size, birdbrain!" "It's on!" *TWANG* Gilda and the pegasus froze in mid-fight at the sound of rope parting under stress. ++++ Air whistled past Agatha's ears. "I've got you," the pegasus said, forelegs twined around Agatha's midsection. Agatha still had an excellent view of the ground. Which was looming ever closer. "No, I've got her," Gilda said, talons clutching her forelegs. "Anyone's going to be doing the saving here it's me, Rainbow Dash. Best flyer in all of Equestria." Agatha did some calculations in her head involving gravity, air resistance, and impact velocity. "She's my friend, you lame featherduster!" "Jerk!" Mmmm. They should be all be able to survive impact with the-- "Loser!" "Bully!" *SPLASH* --river. ++++ Well, she had been hoping for a bath. Agatha dragged Gilda onto the river bank with teeth clamped around the griffin's tail. A smack with her hoof to where fur met furthers on her companion's back send a torrent of water out of her beak. Rainbow Dash had managed to crawl out by herself. The pegasus wobbled in circles, eyes rolling crazily in their sockets. Shaking her head, she struck her head several times with a back-hoof. A small fish popped out of her left ear. Agatha noted that the concussed flying pony nosed it back into the river. It waved a fin back in gratitude before diving beneath the surface. Agatha looked around the surrounding landscape. When not trying to kill her, it was idyllic in a way she had never seen in Transylvania. Split-rail fences and stone walls delineated the bounds of farms with produce that seemed to burst from the ground. The agriculture here was a mix of ploughed fields and orchards. The barns and farmhouses gleamed with paint, rather than the often dilapidated appearance of peasant holdings back home. The air of this land was peaceful. That was a fortunate thing, as it kept Agatha's thoughts away from such notions as ovens and carving knives and stuffing. "Awwwwk." Gilda staggered upright. Her once-majestic plumage was now more bedraggled chicken. "Good to see you awake," Agatha said. She clopped her forehooves together. "Are you alright?" "--dumb--Crash--all--her--" Gilda slumped down. "Ugh." "I knew you might have less than redeeming qualities," Agatha continued. "Still, I appreciate all the trouble you've gone to shelter me and show me your native land. Which is why I'm going for a little walk instead dropping a house on you." Gilda froze. "And I've done it once before, too." Agatha shook her pelt free of water. "I don't like bullies, and I really don't like thieves. Don't ask what we did to them in my old home town. I think your actions were mischief rather than malice. And they're in the past--aren't they?" "Yeah, sure." Gilda grinned nervously. "That was just chick stuff. All behind me. Uh--really drop a house on someone?" "Admittedly it was a small one." Agatha sighed. "Let's meet here again at sunset, alright." "Sure." Gilda's wings drooped. "Uh--sorry?" "The word gets easier to say with practice." Agatha nodded at the rainbow-maned pegasus. "You might want to try it with her." Agatha turned and headed for the dirt road a few meters away. It was a well-maintained thoroughfare rather than the rough tracks she had navigated with Master Payne's Circus. That was of a piece with her impression of this Equestria. It was at peace. The government had the means and--more importantly--the will to maintain infrastructure. Having the sheer power to fling around celestial bodies no doubt helped in warning off foreign armies. Agatha couldn't take Gilda's statement at face-value. The supposed powers of these princesses could be religious superstition. But--well, this was a world where creatures could stand on clouds. She shouldn't have such a flexible mind that she could tie it under her chin. She also couldn't afford to dismiss anything as impossible. And as a Europan Spark, what was possible was much broader in scope than the usual definition. Agatha broke into a jaunty trot as the noises of angry argument and shoving broke out. Gilda and this Rainbow Dash would no doubt sort things out one way or another. The strawberry-blonde maned pony nodded to farm-ponies working in the fields. How strange. They smiled at first, then stared in shock at her hindquarters. What on earth had brought on that reaction? She paid more attention to the others. Every single one had those flank marks by each hindquarter, except for the children. Correction: fillies and colts. Keeping to the proper terminology was important. She couldn't afford to stand out too much. It must be some sort of caste or tribal mark, although there wasn't any consistency among them. Gilda had referred to her derisively as a blank flank. This might cause unwanted comment. Agatha pressed a hoof to the golden ring of fur around her neck, with a patch that reproduced the trilobite sigil. She had assumed at the time the mark had been a dire joke on the part of Lucrezia. It might be enough to convince Equestrians it was her land's equivalent of a flank mark. Suddenly, she froze. None of the ponies were wearing clothes. Many of them were quite obviously stallions. More to the point, she wasn't wearing clothes. Oh, sweet lightning--she WAS NAKED!
Loved it, the whole thing was gloriously in character and fun ... although for some reason I don't think Equestrian fish are sentient, don't know why, maybe something eating them was mentioned at some point? cant remember.
I'm not quite sure why Gilda is so quick to be intimidated. The new girl might know big words and tell neat stories, but she's still just a weird pony, you know.
They're sentient in the odd manner of, say, bears or Angel Bunny. Even non-speaking Equestrian wildlife has a touch more intelligence than is usual. Parley, this is "killing your own castle's AI deliberately because it was dysfunctional"-level Agatha. Gilda's used to bumping beaks with MLP ponies. Even if her fury is repressed, Agatha is--outside of Fluttershy in Stare Mode--is more intense than she's used to. It's akin to Gil realizing he's been a complete ass and running into Agatha's thermic-lance death glare.
Hmm, I took the picture that she was wearing a torc, not that it was her fur/hair colored like that. Also, adult blank flank, how soon till the CMC are inbound?
One thing I think you should know that alot of authors seem to forget when the write "OH NO AHM NEKED" scenes is that male horses have sheaths.
Also, there's "I don't conduct vitalism experiments on my friends.". Gilda already has reason to think Agatha is scary. Me too. A bit too weird, IMHO. Being a adult blankflank should be odd enough. Well, seeing as how Agatha is currently having a “OMG IM NAKED!” breakdown in the middle of a crowd, which is a situation that cannot possibly get worse… I'd expect them to pop up any moment and prove that wrong. OTOH, Agatha gets minions! Never leave home without them!
Well, Pinkie's Cutie Mark is a depiction of balloons. So flying technology would be right up her alley. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, can get an entirely sparkly Mark.
Apple Bloom becomes a Wrench Filly? And yes, the "fur-locket" is Discord's spell interpreting Agatha's nature in a unique form of cutie mark. The deviantart pic I showed--the inspiration for this fic--is more general guide than literal interpretation. A final note on Agatha's sense of presence: to Gilda, Agatha isn't coming across with standard pony aggression/submission signals. Agatha's body language when angry comes across much more as a weird mish-mash of predator and equine, due to the human Spark instincts leaking through. Plus, recovering from mild drowning and realizing you made a complete idiot of yourself will take the starch out of even a griffon's arrogance.
I actually kinda agree with this sentiment. Aside from Agatha, I'd stay away from Sparky ponies. Remember, the Spark isn't transmissible (a fact which everyone is very happy about).
The spark itself is not transmissible, while sparky tendencies... They are transmissible and are known for it. But only in certain circumstances and over a long time.
Agatha instantly assumes everything Dash said is correct because...? Rather dislike the idea of Agatha having a trilobite as a quasi-cutie mark. Her family name aside it has no connection whatsoever. Also I admit I had assumed the locket was an item, considering she has her glasses. The CMC will probably avoid her like the plague. She is literally their worst fear brought to life.
New rule: anyone who you have to actually argue "counts as adult supervision"... doesn't count as adult supervision. --Reaction of the first responsible pony to hear this argument after the inevitable happens.
Agatha would count as adult supervision. Its if she counts as reasonable supervision. Personally I am half/half. I want to see some interaction, but I also don't want Equestria destroyed by Spark-Powered CMC madness.
And yet, Fluttershy happily feeds some fish to a ferret/weasel. I interpreted Gilda's reaction as "oh god! no no no! I don't want to be alone again!" Basically, afraid she was going to lose a friend and have no-one, "Griffon the brush-off"2.0 Will Rarity sense a clothing emergency? Does Agatha think of herself as naked becuase she has no cloths or "naked" becuase she has no cutie-mark?
Ah, thought that it might be Agatha thinking that no-mark=naked in this culture. (besides, she has fur)
