Everything was silent as the night sky shone upon the land of Equestria. Everything was peaceful. Most of the animals were sleeping quietly while the rest were up and about, moving silently. The ponies of Equestria were also sleeping peacefully, having wonderful dreams. Most of them that is.
Several ponies were having nightmares. One of these ponies was turning back and forth uneasily on her bed, sweating heavily.
- - -
“Get Princess Twilight out of here now!” a stallion’s voice commanded.
The mare looked behind her and saw another mare, Princess Twilight, badly hurt. She looked back at the stallion.
“What about…?” the mare tried to ask.
“I will be fine!” the stallion yelled. “Get her out of here NOW!”
The mare nodded and was about to pick up Twilight when Twilight herself stopped her.
“No!” Twilight said. “You have to save him!”
“What are you waiting for!?” the stallion yelled.
“I will not forgive you, if you won’t save him.” Twilight said, her eyes full of anger.
The mare looked back and forth many times before everything went white and she screamed.
- - -
Rainbow Dash woke up screaming and breathing heavily. She clung at her chest while looking at the cloud wall in front of her with terrified eyes. She quickly got up and went to bathroom where soon sounds of throwing up could be heard and then sobbing.
She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes tired. “Why?”
- - -
In Canterlot, the night went on peacefully as every pony was asleep. All except the Princess of the Night. Luna’s eyes were fixated towards Ponyville and she sighed.
“This was the fourth time already.” Luna said and she looked towards the night sky. “I could help with the nightmares, but the problem goes deeper than that. Hmm…” Without another word she went inside her room.
- - -
Morning came far too quickly for Rainbow Dash. The weather was cloudy yet even the dim light hurt her eyes. Not only that but they felt heavy. No matter how much she rubbed them, it didn’t help to make them lighter. She had been unable to fall back asleep.
Rainbow sighed. “I can’t go to work like this. What I wouldn’t give for a long, dreamless sleep right now.”
Just then she heard a knock on the door and she groaned.
“Not now…” Rainbow managed to say as she went and opened the door.
At the door was Thunderlane, looking very crossed. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. Are you coming to work today or do I have to do your work again?”
Rainbow groaned. “You have eyes, don’t you? Do I look like I can work today??”
Thunderlane looked at her. “No. In fact you look like somepony who hasn’t slept at all. You can’t go on like this, Dash.”
“You think I don’t know that, Thunderlane?” Rainbow said, looking frustrated. “Look… I just can’t work. I would most likely cause a disaster.”
Thunderlane sighed. “Okay, Dash. You made your point. Just do me a favor and get some sleep and get back into shape. I don’t care what your problem is, just do it.” He looked away. “I gotta go. Some of us have work to do.” He began to fly away.
“Jerk.” Rainbow said as she slammed the door shut. “Who does he think he is? It’s not like HE’S the one who has problems sleeping.”
Rainbow went to the kitchen and took out a pack of cereals and went to where Tank, her tortoise, was.
“Here you go, Tank.” She said as she poured some cereal into Tank’s bowl.
Tank’s head was out and he slowly turned his head to look at Rainbow. He was clearly worried, having witnessed how Rainbow had behaved after returning home several days ago. He then looked at his bowl and ever so slowly shook his head.
Rainbow took out another pack of cereals and poured some to another bowl, while yawning. Without adding anything to it, she began to eat it only to suddenly go wide eyed.
“Blearh!!” She spit the food out. “What the…” She looked at the pack she had taken out and saw a picture of a tortoise. She went even more wide eyed.
“I just ate Tank’s food.” She said. “Yuck!!” She then looked at Tank and his bowl and saw that it was filled with the cereal meant for her. Rainbow rubbed her forehead. “This day can’t get any better.”
Just then she heard a knock on the front door and she groaned. “Oh for the love of Celestia! What now?”
She angrily flew to the front door. “I already told Thunderlane I’m not coming to work!” But when she opened the door she went even more wide eyed than before and speechless.
“Is that how you address your superiors, Rainbow Dash?”
It was Spitfire in her Wonderbolts uniform, carrying saddlebags. Rainbow quickly, but clumsily, saluted.
“Captain Spitfire, ma’am, I… I…” Rainbow tried to say.
“At ease, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire said. “I’m not here on official business.”
Rainbow gave a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness. Would you like to come in, ma’am?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” Spitfire said as she came in. “And none of that ‘ma’am’ stuff while I’m not on official business, Rainbow. Just Spitfire.”
“Oh… okay.” Rainbow said and yawned. “So what can I do for you… Spitfire?”
Spitfire was looking around for a bit before looking at Rainbow. “Nice house you got here.”
“Thanks, I’m proud of it.” Rainbow said.
There was a moment of silence in which Spitfire kept her gaze on Rainbow.
“What is it?” Rainbow asked, her eyes half-closed. “Is something on my face?”
“No, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire said. “But I do see something that’s all too familiar to me.”
“And what’s that?”
“A broken mare.” Spitfire said, her voice sounding serious.
Rainbow looked at Spitfire, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s way too obvious, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire said. “I see a mare in front of me, who’s witnessed something terrible. So terrible that she can’t sleep at all.” She opened her right saddlebag and took out a file. “And I have a pretty good idea why.”
Spitfire slammed the file on the nearby table. Rainbow gulped as she felt like she was been judged.
“You know what’s in this file, Rainbow Dash?” Spitfire asked.
Rainbow just quietly shook her head.
“Oh I think you do.” Spitfire said. “It’s the file of an incident that happened just a week ago. An incident that, according to this, you witnessed.”
“Stop it…” Rainbow muttered weakly.
“Not only that, but you saved Princess Twilight from an assassination attempt.” Spitfire continued.
“Stop it.” Rainbow said a bit louder, her legs visibly shaking.
“Quite frankly I can’t imagine what reason you have for looking like you had failed.”
“STOP IT!” Rainbow yelled.
Spitfire didn’t even flinch. She just kept looking at Rainbow.
“I don’t want to think about it.” Rainbow said. “It’s over. Twilight’s safe.”
Spitfire sighed. “You’re a terrible liar, Rainbow Dash. If it was truly over then what’s making you lose sleep?”
Rainbow stayed quiet.
“I’ll tell you what: Failure.” Spitfire said.
In a blink of an eye, Spitfire found herself tackled and on the floor, looking at a very angry Rainbow Dash, holding her in place.
“WHAT DO YOU KNOW!?” Rainbow screamed. “I COULD HAVE SAVED HIM!!”
Silence filled the room for what felt like forever as Spitfire looked at Rainbow.
“Is that what you believe?” Spitfire finally asked. “Do you really believe you had enough time to save both of them?”
Rainbow gritted her teeth, still looking angry. “He said he would be fine.”
“He said that, huh?” Spitfire said and sighed. “Rainbow, do you know what it means to be a Wonderbolt? Who we are?”
“Of course I do!” Rainbow yelled as she got off Spitfire. “We’re the best stunt fliers of Equestria and an aerial unit that defends Equestria from any threats.”
“In which case you should know what can happen when you’re a member of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire said as she got up.
Rainbow stayed quiet.
“Like royal guards we have a duty to defend Equestria and like royal guards we put our lives on the line.” Spitfire continued. “You did know that when you signed up, right?”
Rainbow kept staying quiet.
“We are just like them, only with different strengths and weaknesses.” Spitfire said. “When Equestria faces danger, we answer to it and defend it no matter what.” Spitfire looked outside. “And you’re no stranger to danger, Rainbow Dash. Time and time again you and your friends have done just that. Defended Equestria. You’ve fought and risked your life for those you care about. And don’t tell me none of those didn’t feel so threatening that they could have ended you… or somepony you cared about.”
Rainbow didn’t need to be reminded of those times. The changelings, Discord and Tirek, to name a few have been nearly successful in destroying her and her friends.
“You’re young, Rainbow Dash. I would also say inexperienced, but you have already seen things very few see in your age. You have your ideals, goals and such.”
Spitfire hung her head a bit. “But only now have you seen where such things can lead you to. What could happen.” Spitfire headed to the front door while Rainbow stayed in place. “You have seen the dedication and sacrifice of a pony whose job was to protect the Princess. Now you have to ask yourself: ‘Can I do the same?’”
Spitfire put the file back into her saddlebag and was about to leave when she heard Rainbow Dash.
“What kind of question is that?”
Spitfire turned her head to look at Rainbow.
“Of course I can do it.” Rainbow continued. “I’d be a lousy Element of Loyalty if I couldn’t. But that’s not the main reason I saved Twilight. I saved her because she’s my friend.”
“So you’re saying Sergeant Lance Shield’s order had nothing to do with it?” Spitfire asked.
Rainbow didn’t say anything.
“It was a critical moment with only seconds left, Rainbow.” Spitfire continued. “Perhaps what you said was the main reason and you made your choice based on that. It just went along with both the order and duty.” Spitfire sighed and saddened. “But there will come a time when you’re actually forced to choose between duty and friendship. What will you choose then?”
Spitfire opened the door.
“I truly hope you’ll never have to make that choice. The guilt you’d feel from that choice would be unbearable.” She looked at Rainbow. “But then you don’t need to bear it alone, do you?” She then left.
Rainbow just stood there for what felt like a long time. Her eyes went wide and she suddenly flew to a shelf that contained a small number of books.
“Where is it, where is it?” she asked herself before pulling out a blue book with the Wonderbolt insignia on its spine. “Here!”
She quickly skimmed through the book, until stopping at a certain page. She read it closely. She stopped.
“Of course… that’s how you became a captain.”
The page was about the previous captain of the Wonderbolts. Her many accomplishments. Her career. Her sacrifice. But what Rainbow was focusing on was a picture. In that picture she saw Spitfire next to her captain.
Rainbow’s grip on the book tightened.
“What will you choose then?”
Rainbow let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had held. She slowly closed the book.
“I do what I must do.” Rainbow said. “If I’ll face such a choice, I will do my duty. Save lives.”
Rainbow looked outside through an open window. She saw the horizon.
“Twilight…”
Rainbow put the book back to the shelf and flew to the front door.
“I may be too tired to work, but I can still do one thing at least.”
She opened the door and began to fly towards Ponyville. What she didn’t notice was a pegasus standing on a cloud above her home. Spitfire watched as Rainbow flew towards Ponyville, sighing.
“What do you think, Your Highness?” Spitfire said.
From above her, the princess of the night landed next to her.
“I think she will be okay for now.” Luna said. “Time will tell, though.”
“When you asked me to confront her I really thought it was a bad idea.” Spitfire said.
Luna stayed silent for a while. “Because of your past?”
Spitfire looked at her, anger flashing in her eyes. “So you know about that. I thought it was that reason. The situation was... quite similar.”
Luna nodded and they both looked towards Ponyville before Luna broke the silence. “What is your opinion on Ms. Dash as a Wonderbolt, Spitfire?”
Spitfire was silent.
---
Rainbow Dash knocked on the castle door and waited. Soon the doors opened, revealing Spike.
“Is Twilight here?” Rainbow asked.
Spike nodded and let her in.
“She has great potential to be one of the best Wonderbolts ever. She’s young and inexperienced, though. She doesn’t fully know what life as a Wonderbolt is like… or can be like.”
Rainbow entered the map room where Twilight seemed to be reading, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere. Without saying a word Rainbow went and hugged Twilight.
“Over time… if she manages to get over obstacles like this… she might even become a captain.”
THE END