//------------------------------// // 56 – "The Only Dragon I Can't Forgive Is Spike." // Story: Spike Quits His Job and Goes on Numerous Quests // by B_25 //------------------------------// ~56~ "The Only Dragon I Can't Forgive Is Spike." “You sure know how to keep everybody waiting, Rainbow.” The said mare looked past the gaps created by her surrounding friends to the source of the voice, finding no other than the smiling form of Twilight Sparkle. That same smile is what inspired the smirk on Rainbow. “I thought surviving a dragon attack would entitle me to take one lousy nap.” Twilight leaned her body weight forward, too weak to support herself as she rolled forward. Applejack and Pinkie rushed immediately to throw their head underneath each of her forehooves, slowly raising her back onto her hooves. “You should’ve known better.” “Tousche.” Twilight’s hind legs still suffered bruising from the dragon’s tight grip, causing her to hop every step she wanted to take. Eventually, with the help of her friends, she reached Rainbow Dash and was set down next to her. “Twilight.” The said mare looked up to the face of Rarity, who came to stand before the two heroes of the day. “Allow me to begin with how much joy it brings me to see that the both are you are okay. Both mentioned mare nodded their heads. “But do ya have any clue what numbskulls you two are!” Applejack joined Rarity with the same look in her eyes as well, as they directed their scolding to the two fallen mares. “Rushin’ off to go save a friend is great an’ all, Twilight, but do ya have any idea how worried we were about you! What if ya died when we could've been there to stop it...do you know how much we would’ve blamed ourselves?” “And you, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity made her voice as loud as it could go before breaking. “What in the world possessed you to go on without the rest of us, nonetheless, taking on a dragon by yourself. Also, while it brings me great joy that you love a friend that you’d be willing to risk your life, are you absolutely mental to get snatched up by a dragon like that.” The scolding went on for ten minutes, which even the ruler of all of Equestria didn’t interfere. “So.” The cowpony and fashionista voice had joined into one. “What do the two of you have to say for yourselves?” It is common for friends who have had long exposure to one another pick up on each other's kinks and hidden quirks. However, it is possible for friends living together to speak telepathically using only their eyes, as was the case with Twilight and Rainbow Dash. The duo looked back to their impromptu school teacher, before weakly raising their hooves and slamming them together. Rainbow had shown her guest the wonders of the ‘brohoof’ during her stay at her home. Both Rarity and Applejack gave up as they walked away, muttering things best said underneath their breaths. Rainbow Dash looked up from her cushion to the face of Fluttershy, who had long since stopped crying, but the tears still matted the fur of her cheek. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, ‘Shy. Mind helping me up?” The kind pegasus did as she was told by slipping a hoof around her friend's barrel and sliding her neck underneath her friend’s hoof. She helped her friend press upward and used her hoof to help Rainbow keep balance. “Girls!” Rainbow called out to the girls who had walked away, as well as to Pinkie, who sat in the distance watching the scene with a smile, very much like the Princess next to her. “Our happy reunion is gonna have to wait until the city is safe. Now, I didn’t catch everything that the Princess said.” The aforementioned went to go open her mouth. “But I got the gist of it.” The previously aforementioned mare kept her mouth shut. “Now, I’m not one to forgive someone who hurt me until they’ve gotten their fair share.” Dash disregarded the trembles almost causing her to collapse once more as she untangled herself from the yellow mare’s care, standing on her own shaky hooves to illustrate her point. “But if forgiving that same thing is the only way for it gets its own share, as well as to protect others from getting harm, then I’m going to wish that dragon the best of luck.” She took a shaky step toward her friends, quivering under the weight, but still displaying her teeth to all that tried to help her. “So if you’re not going to forgive this dragon when I already have, then you better have a reason other than for my sake.” The friends understood the point that Rainbow Dash was trying to make even if they didn’t agree with it. The Princess didn’t even insert her opinion or praise the pegasus for her forgiveness, opting to keep silent to watch the situation unfold. “Are you sure that’s something you can do, Dashie?” To everyone’s surprise, it was the pink mare that asked the question as she stepped forth. “The Elements can tell when we’re lying to ourselves. So are you sure you can really forgive that dragon?” “I can.” Dash nodded back at Fluttershy, who came immediately to physically support her. “The only dragon I can’t forgive is Spike; this one is easily in comparison.” No one, not even the mother present, decided to not object to that comment. “Y’know, it’s kinda of funny.” Pinkie earned everyone’s attention as she came to the center where Rainbow once stood, spinning around to eye everypony as she spoke. “Back on the train, there was this silly tension between us because of what happened to Spike. We weren’t the same, and I thought it would take even longer for things to return to normal.” Everyone listened closely and decided to keep silent until the party mare was done speaking. “But then this great conflict appears, and suddenly, we’re all back shoulder to shoulder.” Pinkie began to chuckle as she threw her hooves up in the air. “It’s like no matter how much we grow apart, our instincts are always to still protect one another. While it made me a little sad, I was still glad to see Rainbow risk her life for her friend.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but laugh as well. “I get what you mean, Pink-mister. It’s always made me a little happy whenever the world becomes endangered because of it always a provides an opportunity to kick it in close with you girls. I honestly don’t think I have a better time in my life than when all of our’s are at risk.” “I hate to concede.” Applejack stepped forward as well, taking off her hat and granting fresh air to her mane. “But I always feel most alive when I’m either out workin’ on the farm, or kickin’ changeling butt with you girls behind me.” Rarity bit her hoof at seeing where the nature of the conversation leading to but decided it was time for her be a little unladylike. “I must admit, I do find it fun when I get to smack somepony across the face a couple of times. Especially when that somepony has tried to hurt one of my friends.” “I like telling ponies where they’ve gone wrong,” Twilight spoke up as she attempted to speak honestly as well. “It kinda serves as a reminder whenever I go into the deep end how to swim back up.” The other Elements looked to the one of kindness, trying to extract her opinion with their eyes alone. “I just like spending time with you girls.” The Elements joined together in a harmonious laughter. The Princess, joining in for a few chuckles, cease the laughter with the clearing of her throat. “Am I too assume that you girls are ready to clear your hearts for this dragon, so that we may use your Elements of Harmony to seal him away in stone?” “Yes, Princess,” Twilight spoke up for everyone else, who nodded their heads. “It’s always easier to forgive someone that has hurt you than it is to forgive someone who has hurt your friend. You never know the extent of your friend’s pain, so you try to feel the same as they do. “But when a friend displays that they can truly handle the said pain, then it makes it easier to forgive that someone.” The Princess kept silent so she could properly process her protegee words, coming to smile as her student had learned yet another lesson. “You don’t know how proud that makes me hear, Twilight Sparkle. The rest of you have inspired me with your empathy, and I hope the six of you can avoid the upcoming conflict as much as possible.” “It pains me having to sit this fight out.” Rainbow Dash was seated on the ground with Fluttershy’s support, giving her a nod of thanks as she looked to the Princess. “But I’m going to need all the energy I still have in the tank to power up the Elements of Harmony.” Celestia gave the loyal mare one last smile before retreating behind the battle face, coming to face the clouds in the sky that had grown darker by the moment. “It is not a worry at all, Miss Rainbow Dash.” A distant roar resounded from the bottom of the mountains. Trembles began to course through the ground as they began to stretch further every time the mountains shook. The Princess unlapsed her malice from her back and hovered it before her. “After all, I wanted this dragon all for myself.”