Shock Diamond
A pang of regret filled my heart as the train pulled out of Canterlot Terminal. Yes, Ponyville was home and Carousel Boutique was the core of my burgeoning business, but it always hurt to see those beautiful spires pull away. To say nothing of what Sassy Saddles—
No, no, I was above putting such thoughts into words, even in my own mind. I was better than that. Instead, I opened the copy of A Mare Named Spade that had seen me through the trip here and returned to Shadow's exploits.
"Yeah, I can see that."
I jolted up and turned to my right. "Rainbow Dash?"
She stood in the aisle, smirking at me. "You were thinking out loud again."
I cleared my throat. "Yes. Well. I suppose I'm still a bit caught up in today's drama. But while I'm always happy to see you, I must ask, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
Her eyes widened. "Who said anything was wrong?"
"For one, you aren't hovering. You walk about as often as I work with plaid." Furthermore, she had the worst poker face I'd ever seen, but I certainly wasn't going to tell her that.
She shrugged her wings. "Hey, practice runs, doing the Aerial Flower Formation, flying to the Crystal Mountains and back, it takes a lot out of a pony."
I nodded. It was certainly understandable. I might have even believed it had she been able to make eye contact with me as she said it. "I can certainly see how you'd be rather weary after that. But why aren't you still with the Wonderbolts? I'd assumed there would be some manner of afterparty."
"Well, you know, reserve flier and all." Rainbow gave a weak chuckle. She still couldn't meet my eyes. "I'm not getting all the perks quite yet."
"Are you sure?" I put a hoof over my heart. "You know I'm happy to help in whatever way I can."
She scowled at me. Her wings began to open in her agitation, and she couldn't entirely hide the wince. It seemed that much was true, at least. “You’re not gonna go all Shadow Spade on me, are you?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. If I’m going to ‘go all’ anything on you, it will be going all Rarity." I gave a friendly smile. "You look like you need a sympathetic ear, not a private eye.”
“Thanks, but I don’t need either."
"Well, in that case, would you at least accept a little company for the ride back?" I patted the seat.
Rainbow smiled. "Sure." She settled in next to me. "So, what were you saying about Sassy Saddles?"
A chill ran down my spine. "Oh dear. I said that out loud?"
She gave me a flat look. "I told you you did."
I looked away. "It's a personal matter."
"You're not the only pony who's willing to listen, y'know." After a moment, Rainbow added, "As long as it isn't about fabric or something."
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but grin as I turned back to her. "I am awestruck by your sympathy, Rainbow Dash."
She tilted her head up proudly. "What can I say? I'm just that good."
I sighed. "Well, ashamed as I am to admit it, I am somewhat concerned about how Sassy will run Canterlot Carousel. I want to believe that she has taken the Rules of Rarity to heart, but her resume speaks of just how many boutiques she's run into the ground over the years. Old habits die hard, as they say."
Rainbow made a most uncouth sound with her lips. "C'mon, you gotta have a little more faith in your friends. She didn't look like she was trying to take the store out from under you the other day."
"Well, she wouldn't under my direct supervision, now would she?"
Rainbow looked as incredulous as I did. "And you really think she will while you're not there? The way you set her straight, she'd probably fight Spike and that one mare from Manehattan for the title of your number-one fan."
I couldn't help but picture Sassy in a tussle with Spike and Coco Pommel, one of the more baffling images that has ever come to my mind. "Do you really think so?"
"Definitely." Rainbow tapped her chest. "Trust me, I know fans. She'd be wearing your face on a T-shirt if she wasn't so classy."
"I see. In that case, I defer to your expertise." I dipped my head to her. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash."
She grinned. "No problem."
"I suppose with some ponies it really is as simple as just pointing them in the right direction."
Rainbow sighed. "Yeah. Some ponies."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're sure there's nothing bothering you?"
She took a deep breath and looked away. "Yeah."
Well, the direct approach clearly wasn't working. I put on a grin. "Glad to hear it."
"Yup, I'm just fine," she said, about as believable as a Maresace knockoff.
"Good to know." I gave her a nod, then turned back to my book.
"Okay."
"Indeed."
It couldn't have been more than a minute before Rainbow started fidgeting. I kept my eyes on the thriller, but my attention was on the sounds next to me: her teeth grinding, the springs on the seat squeaking as she shifted about, her hooves tapping on the floor of the train, a veritable symphony of fidgeting.
Scant moments later, she cried, "All right, all right!"
I looked up from my book, the very picture of innocent concern. "Is something the matter, Rainbow?"
She threw her forehooves into the air. "Oh, come on! I know you're doing this on purpose."
"Doing what on purpose?"
Rainbow scowled at me. "Acting dumb so I'll open up about what's bothering me."
I brought my mouth into a little "o" of surprise. "So something is bothering you?"
She crossed her forelegs and looked away. For a moment, I worried that I might have pressed too hard, but she then sighed and said, "Yeah."
"You don't have to share if you don't want to," I said as I scooted a bit closer to her.
"You kidding?" She smirked. "There's no way I'd survive the ride with you trying to make me tell you like this."
"I haven't said a word."
Rainbow snorted. "Yeah, I know." She took a deep breath. "It's... You see..." She grimaced and spat out a sentence like it was a burnt cupcake. "I don't know if I want to be a Wonderbolt anymore."
I gasped in genuine shock, forehooves over my mouth. "What? But darling, this is your life's dream we're talking about!" I leaned closer. "Whatever could've led you to such a dreadful decision?"
"Three times, Rarity," Rainbow said, staring at nothing. "It's been three times now that the 'Bolts have let me down. First there was Lightning Dust at the academy. Sure, she was just a cadet with a chip on her withers, but Spitfire still made her the lead. She saw somepony who didn't care about anypony else, and she thought that was better Wonderbolt material than me." She turned to me. "What's that tell you?"
I paused for a beat. This had seemed like a monologue; I wasn't expecting to get involved. "Er, the Wonderbolts need a better screening process?"
Rainbow gave a humorless laugh. "Maybe. But then Spitfire did it herself at the Equestria Games qualifier, her and Fleetfoot. They dropped Soarin' the moment he got hurt and tried to make me betray my team."
"Well, they weren't officially serving as Wonderbolts at the time." The moment the words left my lips, I winced and wished I could take them back.
Judging by Rainbow's scowl, so did she. "What does that matter? It's just wrong, official or not. And then Wind Rider. Wind Rider!" She had worked herself up to a wail. "The living legend! He of all ponies tries to sabotage an air show just to bring down somepony who might have a shot at beating his record. And the way he was talking, he thought that was how Wonderbolts are expected to act!"
"Spitfire seemed to disagree," I noted. "She stripped him of his Wonderbolt status when his misdeeds came to light. Rather dramatically, I should say."
"Yeah, sure, but is that what she would've done if it had been before the qualifier?" Rainbow hung her head. "This isn't the team I thought it was, Rarity. I don't know what it is, but it's not the team I've wanted to fly with since I was a filly."
I nodded. "It rarely ends well when dreams meet reality."
Rainbow turned to me, one eyebrow raised. "Uh, this is me we're talking about, Rarity. You know I'm not that great at the whole subtext thing."
"I'm saying that your current situation isn't dissimilar to what I faced during that..." I shuddered. "That horrendous Grand Galloping Gala. The first one, I mean."
Rainbow said nothing for a few moments. She recoiled when she made the connection. "Are you seriously saying that the Wonderbolts are like Prince Blueblood?"
"Well, in a certain sense, yes. Your fondest wish walks up to you and effectively spits in your face." I sighed as unwanted, boorish memories came to mind. "It's a crushing experience."
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. It is."
Inspiration struck. I brought a hoof to my chin. "Still, perhaps this is for the best."
She looked at me like I had said that silk was suitable for a shower curtain. "Huh?"
"Perhaps they're all worried that you'll show them up."
"What?" Her brow was furrowing, her mouth turning down. Good.
"Well, think about it," I said airily. "The moment you were going to graduate from cadet, they established a reserve with a written test requirement, practically tailor-made to delay you, if not keep you out entirely."
Rainbow was fully scowling now. "The reserve was made to keep situations like what happened at the Equestria Games qualifier from happening again."
I nodded. "How strange that it hadn't been established before then, wouldn't you say? After all, the Wonderbolts have centuries of history behind them. Surely that couldn't have been the first time one was injured. And yet, up went another barrier. Back went the goalposts. It's almost as though they're deliberately dragging it out, making you wait until you're past your prime, until they stop feeling threatened by you."
She slipped off the seat, onto her hooves. Her wings flared out as she shouted, "That's not true!"
I shrugged. "I'm just saying how it looks to me."
"Well you're looking wrong! They may be jerks sometimes, but you know what? That just means I've gotta un-jerk them. I may want to be with them, but all these times have shown me that they need me." Rainbow brought a hoof to her chest. "Somepony's gotta make them live up to what they're supposed to be, and that pony's gonna be me."
I felt a corner of my mouth rise. “So you still want to be a Wonderbolt?”
She stomped a hoof. “Of course I do!”
“Well, problem solved, then." I smiled fully, then turned back to my book.
I felt the cushion shift as Rainbow sat back down. A few muted whines came from her end of the seat. Finally, she asked, “What just happened?”
I glanced over with a grin. “I told you before, darling. I went all Rarity on you.”
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I was going to leave a smartass comment about the train but then decided otherwise.
Excellent manipulation of Rainbow there Rarity
I didn't know I wanted this until right this second.
I'll prepare the octagon.
This is going to sound weird, but I loved this story. I was going to gush and interpret and wonder about Rarity's true intentions here and have all sorts of fun.
Then I hit the author's note and my hype dropped like a hot rock.
A suggestion, if I may: let the story speak for itself and save the opining for the blog posts. It's like explaining a joke in its vicinity. You... you just don't.
Well-done otherwise, but.. ow.
6650511
What author's note? I see no author's note here. There must have been a brief anomaly in the hype field.
(In all seriousness, you have my apologies and my thanks. Also, ten bucks on Spike during Rarimania '15.)
Manipulation: OOOOO
Presence: OOOO
...Composure: O
That was an interesting little read. Nice analysis of the Wonderbolts, too. It's no fun seeing your heroes knocked off their pedestal.
6650543
img00.deviantart.net/9f17/i/2015/261/5/7/business_by_doublewbrothers-d99zumg.jpg
I can only place Spike's odds on silver in good conscience.
It would be pretty crushing for someone you hold in as high esteem as Rainbow clearly held Wind Rider to do that. It was pretty damn nasty. I do think that had Spitfire been made aware of it even before any of the other incidents Rainbow mentioned that she would kick his ass out so fast you would mistake it for a Sonic Rainboom however. There is being a jerk, and there is deliberately sabotaging the future of your team for your own vanity.
6650601
MFW puns.
2static1.fjcdn.com/comments/Here+_75558e647436a9c100db274678977683.png
Okay actually I freaking love them but that reaction shot is too good.
Well played, Rarity.
Neveralways go full Rarity.Oh, very nice!
I like how each of them helps the other deal with their worries in a way that's utterly them: Rainbow busts Rarity's worries by being her blunt, straightforward self and knowing loyalty.
And in return Rarity goes full Rarity, flipping Rainbow's worries around in a masterful display of social-fu.
This is a nice look at RD's character, and does a good job answering the question of why she would want to join the Wonderbolts after they kept failing to live up to the values she thought they had.
I like this, because it addresses an open issue from the show: why dont the Wonderbolts want Rainbow Dash, when she's clearly better than most of their team? Does Rainbow Dash ask herself this question? And what does she do with the answer?
Part of my explanation would be that the Wonderbolts, like a lot of Equestria's military, becomes rather decadent and non-functional in peacetime. In my chronology, which is not as peaceful as many, Equestria's last major war still ended half a century ago. This is plenty of time for the Equestrian military to degrade into an only semi-functional force.
In my opinion, Dashie has actually grown past her fillyhood dream, and I agree with you that the reason why the Wonderbolts don't want her is that they are afraid of being outshined by her.
Your story was very well done and everypony was completely in character.
6650511 My curiosity abounds. I don't suppose you happen to remember what that particular note said?
6749337
Nope! Way too long ago!
That's a FOME question anyway--I'm sure he'll tell you if he thinks it's appropriate.
6749362 Understandable.
6749363
I'm afraid I don't recall it either. I believe the general idea was an explanation for why I wrote the story and explicitly stating character motivations. As Bookish noted, kind of a bad thing to do.
Damn that was good.
6749949
I'd already opened your blog in another tab with the intention of looking through it for a post -- even though I'm certain I'd find it just as distracting and unnecessary as 6650511.
You can has review!
I honestly don't know how to feel about this.
Mainly because I'm reading it a few weeks after Newbie Dash aired, which revealed that, the Wonderbolts had pretty much wanted her to join them ever since she had joined the reserves, it's just that there are rules that even the former element bearers have to follow.
(And just for the record, I really love Newbie Dash. It's my second favorite RD episode, behind Tanks for the Memories).
Plus there's also the fact that I actually didn't mind Spitfire's behavior in Rainbow Falls (heck, if anything, I think that the episode HELPED her character, by showing that she has a darker side to her)
However, the interactions between the Rare and RD here are pretty touching...
I'll settle for giving it an upvote for now.
7264923
If it's any help, Rarity was working entirely off of speculation.
7264935 I figured that... but getting confirmation of it does help.
And now that I think about it, if anything, that makes the ending of Newbie Dash even better.
I laughed out loud a good bit.
This was a good read and a great rarity.
That's some serious emotional aikido that Rarity just laid down on ole Rainbow.
A nice exploration of Rainbow Dash's relationship with the Wonderbolts. Dash and Rarity are interesting characters to contrast for many reasons, and their relationships with their heroes is one of them. I previously thought of them in different lights in this respect, because to me, Rainbow Dash has consistently been disappointed by her heroes, while Rarity has gotten along with the majority of hers, but I never considered the Blueblood angle, so that's yet another similarity between them.
Also, after what The End in Friend did to these two, it's just nice seeing them paired up for a story and actually written in-character. Wish I'd read this a lot sooner, actually, because it works as a post-episode read for multiple different episodes.