Case 4
Epilogue
I watched as the officers took Gilda into a police carriage. She looked at me with scorn but I could tell it was a half hearted attempt. She wasn’t looking for me…but for the griffon that would soon stand by me. Grimwing looked on his daughter who recognized him. Grimwing bowed his head and looked at me.
“I never wanted this life for her…” Grimwing confessed, his voice laced with guilt. “I only wanted her to live a normal life so I stayed out of it”
“She did it all for you” I said looking at the mob boss “It was all to try and connect with the father she never had”
Grimwing shook his head “I don’t know whether to be proud of her for coming up with this scheme or worried that she is this much like me…”
“What do you plan to do now Grimwing?”
Grimwing closed his eyes “What do ya think I should do?”
I looked at Gilda then at Grimwing. “Show her that she has a dad who loves her”
Grimwing looked at me with his yellow eyes “You think it’s that easy? Just walk up to her and say I’m yuh dad?”
I nodded “This whole thing could’ve been avoided had you laid claim to her…may as well fix the mistake while she’s still able to be saved”
Grimwing looked at me for a long time then turned to walk to Shinebadge. Griffon and pony spoke for a while. I turned to see Rainbow flying toward me. She looked past me at Gilda.
She hung her head “Had I been a better friend to her…”
I put a hoof on her shoulder “Don’t blame yourself Dash…this is something not even you could fix”
Dash looked at me with those magenta eyes of hers. “Still, I wanna apologize about not listening to you before. I just couldn’t bear the thought of my friend going somewhere so dangerous alone…”
I smiled at her “Had you not come I would’ve been some pancake on the ground”
Dash smiled and chuckled a little at that “Yeah, can we say best rescue ever?”
“Thanks for saving my life Dash…I couldn’t ask for a better friend” I smiled at her.
I could’ve sworn a tear came to her eye but she quickly shook her head “Darn it! Now you’ve gotten me all sappy!”
I laughed a little and then turned back to Gilda and Grimwing. The two griffons we’re talking with each other…slowly Gilda reached up and touched her father. Grimwing wrapped his wings around his daughter. Both parties had tears in their eyes. Dash looked over at me. “What’s going to happen to her?”
I looked over at Dash “She’ll still go to prison for a while…but I’m sure the courts can work something out so that she doesn’t stay there forever…”
Dash looked over at her former friend “She didn’t know about Spitfire?”
“This was a stunt to connect with her father…not revenge on you” I said simply.
Dash sighed “Still, I feel guilty about all that’s happened…Gilda isn’t really that bad just…well mean”
I smiled at the pair of griffons “I’m pretty sure she’ll change her tune now that her father is here to help on the way…”
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Dash didn’t say anything for a long time as we walked towards the balloon station. I looked over at her “What’s wrong Dash?”
She turned her cyan head to me “I still owe you”
I raised an eyebrow “Dash, you saved my life. If anything I owe you”
She shook her head and turned to stand in front of me “No here’s how I see it. You gave me the tickets, I helped you on this case, you got me to actually talk to my idol, you helped get her out of jail” She looked at me with those shining magenta eyes of hers “If anything, I owe you a lot more then you owe me”
I sighed “You’re not going to relent until I ask you to do something are you?”
She puffed out her chest in pride “I don’t bear the Element of Loyalty for nothing”
If there was an element for stubbornness she would have it to. Suddenly an idea kicked in my head “Actually…there is something you can do for me”
She flapped her wings in excitement “So what is it? You want me to clear all the clouds in the sky? Fly to the ends of the earth? Perform a double sonic Rainboom!?”
I shook my head “I just need you to come to Manehatten with me…”
She looked at me with confused eyes “Why Manehatten?”
I smiled and walked on “You have a huge fan that would love to meet you…”
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“Moren Stallion’s Filly Hospital?” Dash said reading the sign above the hospital. “Why’d you bring me here?”
It was a calm evening in Manehatten. At night was when the city really came alive with all the lights and the people going everywhere. It made the city feel like one giant Heart’s Warming tree. I looked over at Dash and smiled “Like I said, you have a fan who’s here”
Dash smiled with glee “Awesome! I have a fan!”
I frowned “You already have a fan club back in Ponyville Dash…”
Dash let out a huff “Well it’s still nice to discover I have an awesome fan so far out here”
I walked past the cyan Pegasus “Let’s go, he’ll be anxious to meet you”
We entered the lobby and were greeted by a plump white coated nurse. She smiled upon seeing me “Hello Private”
“Helloo Nurse!” That earned me a giggle from the old mare.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow then shook her head “I’m Rainbow Dash; Private said I have a fan staying here?”
Nurse Jubilee nodded “Yes, he should still be up I’ll show you two the way”
She dropped us off at the top floor. The hospital room was small and private with a single inhabitant. That inhabitant was my brother Tailspin, he was quite happy to see me.
“Bro!” He said upon seeing me enter the room. I left Dash outside to add to the surprise of seeing me. I got close to my brother and he nuzzled me under my chin. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
I smiled “I wasn’t going to originally…then I met somepony”
Tailspin looked at me with those bright blue eyes of his. “Who is it? Tell me!”
I chuckled at the colt’s enthusiasm then turned my head towards the door. “Dash you can come in now!”
Dash entered the room in a showy fashion. Tailspin’s jaw dropped like a ton of bricks. “B-bro! That’s Rainbow Dash!” he exclaimed at the top of his lungs.
Rainbow walked up and smiled at my brother. “Heya kid, Private tells me you’re a fan of mine”
Tailspin spoke excitedly “Yeah! I’ve watched every single one of your shows! It’s so awesome that you can perform a sonic Rainboom going straight up!”
Rainbow smiled at him in turn. “Well, I don’t mean to brag but I am kinda awesome like that”
Tailspin reached under his blankets and pulled out a small rolled up poster. “Could you…I mean if you’d really like too…” he spoke nervously holding the poster in front of him.
Rainbow smiled and took the poster and pulled out a marker out of her pocket. “Who am I addressing this to?”
Tailspin looked at Rainbow still stammering at all this “I-I’m Tailspin!”
“Cool name kid” Dash said and she began to write on the poster. “To my awesome fan…Tailspin” She smiled and examined her work then handed the poster to an excited Tailspin.
He held the object in front of him as if he were holding the crown of Celestia herself. “Thank you so much Rainbow Dash! You have no idea what this means to me!”
Rainbow smiled at the young colt “It was nothing really kid…”
He shook his head “No, it’s really awesome that you’re willing to do this for somepony like me” He looked at the poster then at Dash again. “I’ve always wanted to be able to fly like you…”
“Well what’s stopping you?” Rainbow said looking at Tailspin “You’re a pegasus right?”
I looked at Tailspin who suddenly got quiet. My brother looked at me…he knew she had to know. He slowly started to sit up. Dash let out a small gasp at what she saw. She saw Tailspin’s small and mangled wings…She was about to cry I could tell.
Tailspin spoke simply “I can’t fly…I probably never will…”
Dash looked at Tailspin for a long time then shook her head “No! You will fly if I have anything to say about it!”
I looked at Dash “What do you mean? Tailspin has been like this since he was born…he can’t fly”
Dash looked at me and smiled smugly “You underestimate me my dear Private”
“Okay that was totally my line!” I said as Dash stepped out of the hospital.
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I couldn’t believe she would do this. I knew she was loyal but to do this for him…it brought a whole new meaning to the word “friend”
I looked up as Dash was standing on the roof of the Hospital. Attached to her back with rope and some bed sheets was Tailspin. Tailspin looked at Rainbow Dash excitedly. “I can’t believe you’re really doing this for me!”
Dash smiled at the young colt “I promised you I’d have you fly. I never leave anypony hanging”
Just then Dash leaped off of the building. I ran to the edge just in time to see Dash soar up into the sky with Tailspin attached to her back. My brother let out an excited yell and laughter as he flew for the first time. The sight of Tailspin so happy…I felt a wetness come to my eyes. I was sure crying a lot lately.
Dash flew around with Tailspin all through the Manehatten skyline. Tailspin was hanging on all the while letting his small wings flap alongside his idol. They did tricks in the air, flew in circles and did all kinds of things in the air that Tailspin could only dream of. Dash was laughing as well; she was really enjoying this flight despite the extra passenger.
To Dash…this made flying all the more worth it.
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We left the hospital just as Luna set the moon at its highest point. Dash walked beside me and was quiet for a long time. Dash was rarely quiet unless she was sleeping so I grew slightly concerned.
“You okay?”
She looked at me and smiled “Yeah, just…thinking about things”
“About Tailspin?”
She nodded “Yeah, that little guy can’t fly at all…he can’t do something that I’ve taken for granted for so long…”
I looked at the young cyan Pegasus and smiled “It puts things in perspective doesn’t it?”
She then had this determined look in her eye “From now on…I’m going to fly for ponies like Tailspin…for my true fans. If I ever become famous and there’s a chance I can do something for Tailspin to let him fly on his own…I’m taking it”
I looked her unable to find the right words for this. “Dash I…I don’t know what to say…”
Dash smiled at me “Just say it with me, I have the BEST. FAN. EVER!!!”
We both turned our nuzzles to the sky and shouted
BEST FAN EVER!!!!!!
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Author’s note
This story is dedicated to my best fan ever. DarkSkyz has been there since the beginning of this series and I owe him everything. I’m so happy for the rest of my fans as well. I hope to keep writing not just for myself but for all of you. What this show and fandom has taught me is that there doesn’t have to be a wall between those who create the product and those that enjoy it. We build on each other to create something great together. I will keep writing Equestria Noir because of all of you. Thank you all…so much.
Forever your writer
Jacoboby1