//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Long Distance Friendship // by Drag Orion //------------------------------// “You’ve had that gloomy look on your face for a while now,” Flash Magnus said to Rainbow Dash as she found a secluded place away from the crowds of Los Pegasus. “What happened back there?” “Remember how I wanted to ask you something before?” Rainbow Dash told him. “About being in the Royal Legion. I think now would be as good a time as any to ask. Have you ever had to make a difficult decision because you were a part of it?” “Pretty much every time I’d go out on a mission,” he admitted. “Like the time a couple of dragons had captures some of my fellow legionnaires and I had to decide to abandon them or risk my own life to save them.” “Yeah, every pegasus in Cloudsdale knows that story, but that’s not what I mean,” she explained. “I mean a decision where you’d have to decide between following your dream or staying close to your friends.” “Oh, a decision like that,” Flash replied. “Yeah, to be a part of the Royal Legion, I had to make choices like that all the time. I wanted to be recognized for my hard work so I poured as much of my time and energy into it as I could. My superiors took notice and it helped me rise in the ranks.” “And in the end, that was the right thing to do?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know,” he admitted with a sad sigh. “I achieved a lot in the Royal Legion, but at the same time I missed out on tons of things my friends had been doing. I missed out on birthdays and parties quite a lot, but despite that they always supported me and came out to watch me fly off every time I had to go out on a mission. Because of that I truly believed I had made the correct decision. However…” “However?” repeated Rainbow Dash seeing a bit of gloom in Flash Magnus’s eyes now. “Now that I’m a thousand years in the future I can’t help but think about why I didn’t spend more time with my friends when I had the chance. I won’t regret the decisions I made because I followed my gut. Deep down I knew that this was the path that I had to follow. It is something I had to do and I’m guessing the same is true now for you as well.” “Spitfire is telling me I should move back to Cloudsdale,” explained Rainbow Dash. “She believes that it’ll help me improve my standings there if I am around to expose myself more to the top brass. She thinks I could even become a captain like her. It all sounds really great, but not if it means leaving Ponyville and my friends there. I just don’t know what to do, but maybe I should just leave to go back to Cloudsdale. It seems to have worked just fine for you and Gale.” “Maybe, but ultimately it up to you and what you want to do that matters,” he stated. “After that, you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your choice.” “Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier,” she sighed. “Then perhaps we should change the subject for now,” he suggested. “Have you thought about what we’re gonna do for a place to spend the night?” “A place to stay?” she asked looking up at him a bit less depressed. “You still haven’t found your friendship problem and it is getting late. Have you thought what you were going to do for a place to sleep?” “Oh, crud is it that late already?” she groaned. “I had hoped I’d be home by now. I didn’t exactly bring a ton of bits with me.” “Maybe those two guys could help us out,” he told her. “What were their names again? Flim and Flam?” “No way,” Rainbow Dash countered. “Not even if they are going legit. The last thing I want is to end up indebted to them. What about you? You’ve been going around Equestria for a while now haven’t you? What have you been doing?” “I’ve just been finding a quiet place and sleeping under the stars,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, this place doesn’t look like it’ll be possible to do that. It’s too noisy to find any place that’s quiet and it’s much too bright to see any stars. There’s hardly any space to lay down without getting stepped on by somepony.” “This place is pretty much always awake from what I’ve heard,” stated Rainbow Dash. “There has to be something we can do.” “Come one! Come all!” announced a voice not too far away that caught Rainbow Dash’s attention. Quickly she followed the voice to the source with Flash Magnus hurrying behind her. “Step right up to see the most amazing feats of mesmerizing magic that ever! Witness wonders beyond compare that can only be brought to you by a magician of unparalleled might and showmanship. The show of a lifetime is about to begin so hurry up to come see me-” “What’s going on?” he asked. “Somepony you know?” “There’s only one pony I know who can be so boastful like that and not be me,” answered Rainbow Dash as they approached a wagon with a built-in stage. On it stood a blue unicorn dressed in a purple cape and wizard’s hard. “The Great and Powerful Trixie!” she announced with miniature fireworks going off on the stage to add to her announcement. However, the only ponies that had actually gathered around to see her were Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus. “Trixie, I was right, you are here,” Rainbow Dash called out. “Oh, hello, Rainbow Dash,” she replied. “Come to see the show with all my other adoring fans?” “Uh, there isn’t anypony else here, you know,” she pointed out. “Don’t remind me,” she scoffed. “Seems a great and powerful stage magician like myself is hardly able to compete with the acts they have around here.” “Not arguing with you there,” replied Rainbow Dash. “But do you think that you could let us spend the night with you?” “I take it that means you’re desperate,” she assumed with a bit of delight in her voice. “I suppose I could offer you a simple exchange of services. After all, if I help you then you should have no trouble giving me a helping hoof with my show, both of you.” “What would you have us do?” asked Flash Magnus. “Well, having a great and powerful assistant on stage would be a big help and having a willing volunteer to perform a few tricks on would be a big help as well. So, do you two think you could do that for me?” “So you want me to give you a hoof with your show while you, what, saw Flash over here in half or something like that?” “Uh, you will be able to put me back together afterwards, right?” asked a worried Flash. “Something like that,” she grinned.