//------------------------------// // On Cyan Wings // Story: How to Tell Your Friends You're Dating a Changeling // by Infinite Carnage //------------------------------// Rarity squealed so sharply, the windows in the treehouse strated to crack. The other five mares grit their teeth and did their best to power through the inevitable, knowing full well that Rarity would not stop till she had gotten it out of her system. They had all huddled together on the treehouse's upper floor, seated around a humble little table with a tea set constantly being replenished by Twilight's number one assistant. No one could be certain exactly how much time had passed. Every mare (and dragon) had been enraptured with every word that had passed Dash's lips. Fluttershy had stayed closest to Dash, her hooves covering her mouth nearly the entire time, making her reaction unreadable. Pinkie had remained strangely quiet, all smiles and wide eyes, but resisting any typical urge to interrupt the story with whatever popped in her head. Applejack had also been reserved in her reactions. She leant back in her seat, her stetson covering her eyes. Dash couldn't help but feel that she wasn't only listening, but also judging every word and statement of her story. Rainbow had expected Twilight to greet her narrative with the most hostility, but instead she had simply sat quietly, jotting notes in her pad and only interrupting to clarify little details. And then there had been Rarity... "Darling! I am so proud of you." Rarity reached forward and brought Rainbow Dash into a tight hug. "It sounded wonderful." "Yep, outside that poor fella's crotch being set on fire," AJ chuckled, speaking up for the first since Dash had begun her tale. Her attitude quickly shifted, shooting Rainbow a grave glare. "Did ya really consider doin' that to him, sugarcube?" Dash chuckled nervously, trying to fight against Rarity's vice like grip while retaining enough oxygen to explain. "Well, I mean, you see-" "It doesn't matter," Rarity announced, gripping her friend tighter. "Love has prevailed, Applejack! Be happy for her, damn it!" "Oh, Rainbow," Fluttershy squeaked, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you." Gently she fluttered next to the pair and squeezed the both of them in a bear hug so tight her actual bear would have turned away in jealousy. She burst into tears, destroying whatever composure Rarity still had. Rainbow found herself sandwiched between her best friends as they balled their eyes out for her, and she was currently wishing she was anywhere else in the world. "Let… me… go!" Rainbow slipped out between them, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy to cry into one another's manes. Her escape was only temporary as Pinkie launched herself into the air and caught Dash into another hug. "Dashie, I got so many parties to get ready now! First date party! First kiss party! DASHIE GOT LAID PARTY!" Suddenly the party pony stopped and stared blankly at her suffocating friend. "You guys have done it, right?" "Uggggh…?" Dash felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead when Applejack finally came to her rescue. "Alright, settle down y'all," She belted out while prying Pinkie off Dashie. At once, Rarity and Fluttershy composed themselves and sat back down. "So why don't we review," Twilight spoke up, pen still enraptured in her magic. "You met this changeling - who you still refuse to reveal his name - about a month ago at the bar. He approached you, asked you out, and you both had a date at the Grassy Knoll, correct?" "I mean that's the gist of it, yeah." "And during this whole period of time nothing about him seemed strange to you?" "He just seemed like some quiet, shy guy. Not really my type, but I mean I've never been asked out before by a stallion and well, maybe it's more my type than I thought." Dash gave a mousey smile between her now rosie red cheeks, causing everyone else to simultaneously 'awwww.' She swatted the grin away and replaced it with crossed hooves and a frown. Twilight had not joined in though, currently her mind was too focused on her jotted notes. It all seemed normal, too normal, like this was any other first love story between a conventional couple, and not the workings of a creature who existed on feeding off love. She had to be careful here, not too long ago she nearly put one of her closest friends in the hospital, any rash action would inevitably come back to haunt her. Calm, logical, safe, and eventually the truth would be revealed. "You said you came onto him? But in your story he asked you out, correct?" "Yeah, about that," Dash replied while nervously rubbing the back of her mane. "I may have said that to make a point, rather than it being true." She finished with an awkward laugh. "RD," AJ growled from under her stetson. "Look, I was angry, I didn't lie about what I said though. The story is all true." "Don't make it right." "That does change things slightly," Twilight spoke up before a fight could break out. "This story hinged on one key point; that you were the one who approached this stallion. Now we know it was the other way round, the context of all of this has changed completely." "I know this might be a bit like a pot calling the kettle black, but don't you think you're overreacting slightly," Rarity gracefully cut in. "Not at all," Twilight said while shaking her head. "For all we know, this changeling may have been manipulating the situation from the very beginning." "But you said yourself he hasn't used any mind control magic on me," Dash fired back, feeling her blood begin to boil. "There is more than one way to manipulate a pony, Rainbow. How many events has he potentially orchestrated to get you to this point? What about the rest of your dates? Even you can not deny that this is a very real possibility." "Honestly, Sugarcube, Twi has got a point." The collective of ponies turned in shock towards Applejack's admission. "Look, I believe ya when ya say this fella likes ya, but I only believe you believe that. I haven't met 'im. Can't say a thing 'bout his character or 'nuthin. All I know is what I saw back in Canterlot, and yer story about this changeling. Either he's as ya say, or he's been playing ya, Hun." "Applejack!" Rarity cried out. "How could you! I thought you were on our side!" "I called Twi on her bull, and I won't be afraid to do the same to RD. I wanna believe her, really I do, but Twi is right on this one. There could be more here than what we all know." "Look, this is getting out of hoof," Twilight said as she tried to drag things back onto topic. "We still have only one account, and not even the whole of that story yet. Rainbow Dash, I think it would be best if you continue with your story." For a moment, Dash eyed her friend with suspicion. She could not deny the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her to flee, to run away and warn Question about what was happening. However, she knew it would be a futile battle. At best she'd reach him and then what, go into hiding herself? It would only serve to make him a bigger target, and possibly ruin the rest of her life. Her only hope was to commit to the path she was on and try to weather this storm the best she could. "Alright, well I woke up early for practice, but I needed to make a stop first." Daedalus felt the world shape around him again, revealing he had returned to Question's bedroom. He quickly took in his surroundings, the white stallion's coat was gone, replaced by his natural black chitin. He was fast asleep in his bed, hugging a soft bear toy with his head buried under his pillow. Daedalus stifled a chortle, admiring how cute his dear friend appeared. An orange glow trickled from the curtains, the sun had barely risen, and at best guess, Daedalus would put the current time at somewhere around six in the morning. The room still appeared rather messy, a casualty of Question Mark's panic about his date. Despite his often lax attitude, Daedalus had a surprisingly compulsive 'spring cleaning' habit he always had trouble kicking. Perhaps in his uneasy desire to control the world around him, it emerged in ways just a bit more tangible for him. Just as his mind began to wander away from him, a cyan splodge smacked against the window, nearly shattering it entirely. Both changelings jumped, but just as Question rolled off his mattress, his natural defences kicked in and he assumed his pony form. The splodge pulled itself away, revealing her rainbow coloured mane as she stared blankly through the window. At first Rainbow could not see her date-to-be and wondered if she had the right house. Only when she tilted her head downward did she notice Question was laid out on his belly, tangled in his own bedsheets and looking up at the window in such a daze it made Ditzy appear as a valedictorian. Quickly putting two and two together, Dash nervously giggled and tried to open the window, but found it was locked tight. Daedalus watched over the scene like a bemused father, watching his children try to walk for the very first time. He couldn't help but give Question Mark a mocking clap as he struggled out his binds and crawled up towards the window latch. With no small amount of effort, the groggy ling unlocked the window and opened the path between them. "Mornin'" he simply said, clearing his throat. "Sorry," Dash said quietly, unable to stop her giggling. "Still need to work on my landings." "This doesn't bode well for the lesson today then," Question grumbled. "Hey, I can be a great teacher," She countered, puffing out her chest, before quickly deflating. "I think." "You think?" "Well, I mean, I've only ever really taught one pony, and she can't exactly fly yet, so…" "Wait, you're here now!? For the lesson?" "Duh, of course. You asked for a second date, remember?" Question blinked rapidly as he processed Dash's statement. Both his and Daealus' eyes drifted towards the alarm clock on his desk; five thirty in the morning. His right eye began to twitch, he could feel a vessel about to burst on his forehead as he turned back to his date. "Is this a bad time to mention I'm not a morning pony?" "Yep, get your flank into gear mister!" Dash placed her hooves behind her back and puffed her chest out again. "Shower, eat breakfast, make yourself pretty for all I care, but be ready to meet me outside this window at exactly '06:00' hours." Question found himself forced into a salute, one Dash quickly returned. She gave him a wink before zooming off into the sky, vanishing from sight. The detective flopped to the floor, knocking the air out of him instantly. He let out a pained groan that lasted just a little bit longer than it should have, before finally standing back up and marching himself towards his shower. "It's going to be an interesting day," he muttered dryly. The scene vanished and returned just as fast, and now Daedalus found himself in a vast valley of luscious greenery. To his right was the village of Ponyville, now but a spec in the distance. To his left a beautiful lake, shimmering against the sun like a gorgeous blue gem. In front of him was the borders of Everfree, his hive hidden somewhere deep within. For some reason, he was now stuck dead centre in an empty field, with a suspicious lack of the two beings he had been following down his trip through memory lane. Suddenly he heard wings flapping in the distance. He turned to face the source of the noise, the cyan mare and the white stallion came into view, flying side by side, or at least they would be if Rainbow Dash wasn't hurtling to the ground at a frightening pace with Question Mark desperately trying to keep up with her. Just before she became a puddle in the mud, Dash corrected her course and turned her wings upright, swiftly cutting off her momentum and harmlessly landing on her hooves. Question did the same - mostly - as his landing was far less graceful, causing him to spiral forward and land on his muzzle. While he did not appear to be seriously injured, it was clear to both Dash and Daedalus that Question was hurt, causing them to wince in unison. Dash hurried over and gave Question a helping hoof upwards, the ling clutched at his aching snout and shot her a pained look. "Sorry, that might have been a bit much, huh?" "No, it's alright," he assured her through his bunged up muzzle. "It's good practice." "Yeah, even if you did get a bit roughed up, it could have been a lot worse. The point is to learn how to save your flank if you found yourself tumbling to the ground, this technique is good even if you have a crippled wing." "This lesson could have saved my flank a while back," he grumbled. "How come?" "W-well I…" Question caught himself before going too far. "I had an accident a little while back, guess you could say I got knocked loopy by a stray blast of magic, sent me flying across Canterlot. Tore up my wing, nearly lost it entirely." Rainbow visibly cringed, the mere thought of it causing a shiver to travel up her spine. "Damn, dude, that's like my own personal nightmare!" "As you can see I recovered, but it's made flying a bit harder for me. Not because it hurts, but I don't know, I think that day had more of an effect on me than I realised." Dash did her best to understand, but it was hard for her to relate. The last time she had injured her wing - Daring Do aside - she could not wait to get back into the sky and fly like the wind. She recalled Question talking about being raised in Trottingham, a Pegasi city completely ground based. It always seemed so alien for Dash having grown up in Cloudsdale, why have wings if you didn't use them? You might as well have been an earth pony. But when she saw the look of pain that crossed Question's eyes as he recalled that day, she felt a sensation tug at her heartstrings that she had never felt before. He folded his right wing a little too tightly, causing Dash to suspect that it was the one that was once so badly torn up. Rainbow took his wing into hers, causing both to blush instantly. The act had been more intimate than either expected, drawing them closer to one another. Before she could doubt herself, Dash pushed forward and examined the scarring under Questions feathers to find… nothing. There was no scar tissue, no notable signs of damage of any kind. If there ever had been an injury of this severity it had healed miraculously. "Wow," she finally said. "Who helped heal this for you?" "What do you mean?" He replied breathlessly, suddenly unable to look at anything but her eyes. "You would have had to have some surgery if it was torn up this badly, but I can't even see a single scar." Both changelings had the exact same thought cross their mind, 'shit.' Daedalus stepped forward and saw the wing was too clean, it was a simple mistake, but a costly one. Changelings relied on keeping their story straight with every aspect. Toxitis had revealed too much about his real past and now he found himself in a corner. Daedalus knew, however, that his friend had one trick up his sleeve, causing a distraction. If you were a unicorn, flap your wings unseen and knock something over, same applied for an earth pony, and if you were a pegasus… "Ouch!" Dash felt an acorn drop squarely on her head. She looked about in surprise, the trees were still far off into the distance, there were no birds in the sky, so how the hay did that happen? "Are you alright?" Question asked innocently. "Yeah, I just-" Dash returned her gaze to his wing, and suddenly she could see scars. Up and down Question's ligament were stitching and faded scarred tissue. Dash stared at them dumbly, her mouth agape. She shook her head clear and looked over them again, unthinkingly trailing her hoof over them. They were as real as could be, how could she have missed them? "Are you okay?" Questions voice cut through her marveling. "Uh-huh," Dash simply said, releasing his wing. "Just wondering if I'm really a morning pony after all." "Weird aren't they?" Question said with a hearty chuckle. "Feels like they're there one minute, gone the next. I miss them all the time." "Yeah, weird," she nervously chuckled, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Do you usually train this long?" Question quickly asked, getting the topic away from his curious condition. "Wha-?" "We've been flying for what feels like an hour, honestly I barely do this over a day, is this normal for you?" "Nope, usually I train twice as long," she announced proudly. "Gotta keep the merchandise in peak condition, know what I'm saying?" She struck one of her signature poses, flexing out her wings and arching her back. "Y-yeah," Question replied, suddenly feeling a way he knew would ordinarily get him in trouble. Dash was no fool though, as she posed, she recognised where his gaze was drifting too, and she liked it. It was not the first time she had experienced lustful eyes on her; mostly from mares that were into that sort of thing. She had a few stallions too, but she always felt disturbed by them as they either came across as perverts with their own twisted fantasies, or ponies who were lamenting the fact she was clearly gay. "See anything you like?" The query surprised Rainbow as much as it did Question Mark. As he blathered like he had lost double digits worth of IQ points, she found her cheeks start to burn scarlet red. What was it about teasing this stallion that she enjoyed so much? It felt exciting to be looked at this way by him, and maybe the reason was the simple fact she liked him too. He was typically not her type - or at least what she thought that type would be - but he was cute in his own ways, a little rough around the edges, but he always showed an interest in her. He wanted to know her, understand her in a way no pony seemed too. It felt genuine, not fake like so many others who had tried to use her before. For his part, Question Mark felt like his brain was starting to fry. The events before him had taken a very sudden turn. Here he was - standing in a field, drenched in his own sweat after flying around for over an hour - and either Dash was messing with him for her own amusement, or she was very strongly coming onto him. Both scenarios terrified him in their own ways. Mercifully, his savior appeared from across the lake. "Rainbow Dash!" Cried a little orange filly, her tiny wings propelling her like a motor as she zoomed around the body of water on her humble scooter. Both of them turned in shock at the sudden intrusion of their intense moment. She travelled at a thunderous speed, one that left Question fearful for her safety, but at the least her helmet appeared to be securely tightened over her messy purple mane. As the filly skidded to a halt, she ignored the white stallion entirely, keeping her focus directly on Rainbow Dash as she hugged her foreleg. "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!" "Whoa, settle down squirt." Dash wrestled her leg free from the filly, only to use it to scoop her little sister upwards and place her on her back. "What's up with you?" "I nearly flew!" "Really!?" "Well it was for like, two seconds, but I was totally hovering off the ground after I ramped this huge slope and-" Whatever else this strange filly was saying faded into white noise for King Daedalus, and looking over to his subject, he suspected his friend was suffering from the same affliction. She talked so fast that it was nearly impossible to keep up, but from what little the king could decipher, she had performed a trick and stayed in the air longer than usual, likely mistaking it for actual flying. Question Mark was focused on something very different though, her undeveloped wings. A pegasi her age should have been able - at the very least - to hover off the ground. But she was suffering from 'foal wings' as it was often crudely put, a condition where the bone structure of the wings were malnourished and unable to develop properly. Either two things would happen, this filly would be very lucky and have a late stage growth spurt, or more likely, she would never be able to actually fly. "Who's this guy?" The orange filly pointed a hoof directly at Question, bringing him back to reality. "Oh, yeah, this is Question Mark-" Dash found herself pause, a light blush crept onto her cheeks. "H-he's a f-friend of mine. Yeah, friend. Quest, this is Scootaloo. My honorary little sister." Scootaloo beamed back at the changeling, eyes wide in wonder. "Are you a super amazing flyer too?" The Detective would have liked to have answered the foal's question, but found his mind otherwise occupied. "Quest? Sister?" "It's a nickname, I think it's cool," Dash explained, cheeks blushing further. "And she's technically not my blood sister, but me and the squirt are close. She's the sister I never had." The two nuzzled one another, one of the rare moments of affection Dash would openly show towards anyone. Scootaloo took another look at the stallion, glaring him up and down, her eyes of wonder now replaced with suspicion. "What were you guys doing out here?" "Flying lessons," Question answered flatly. "I tend to not be the best flier, so Rainbow was helping me." "She's teaching you to fly as well?" Scootaloo's mood switched back to excitable, jumping off Dash's back and walking up to Question. "Do your wings suck too?" "I'm more of a land pony. Never had to use them much." He flexed out his wings, and felt the strain instantly, his muscles aching after the intense session. "Looks like I'm gonna be landlocked for the foreseeable future. "Yeah, probably best if I bench you for the day," Dash admitted. "You look like you might drop dead." "I feel like it." "Oh, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo jumped up excitedly again, bringing something out of her satchel. "I got these for you!" Between her teeth were three tickets. Rainbow took them and began to read aloud in her best snobbish voice, as Question peeked over her shoulder. "You are hereby cordially invited to the grand reopening of the Trottingham Art Museum on the thirty fifth risen moon of the one thousand and second year of our majesty, Princess Celestia's, reign." "You ponies have got to get a simpler calendar model," Daedalus muttered to himself. "The heck are these? Passes?" "Yeah!" Scootaloo jumped excitedly, her wings flapping like a hummingbird. "I know about this," Question interrupted. "The museum has been shut down for maintenance for quite a few years now. Had a lot of attempted robberies after petty crooks took advantage of the building's weak foundation. Looks like it's finally open to the public again." "Did you wanna go with me Rainbow Dash?" "Squirt, how the heck did you get these? Like this looks super fancy, why do you have three tickets." Scootaloo became very quiet. Suddenly she could not meet her idol in her eyes, choosing the ground as it was far less judgemental of her. Everyone stared at her in confusion, a sudden tension growing between the four of them. "Squirt, what's wrong?" "They couldn't make it." "Oh." Rainbow felt her heart sink in her chest and her blood begin to boil. Her teeth began to grit as she wore a mean mug that Question had never seen her wear before. He'd briefly seen her suspicious, even a little angry, but nothing like this. Whatever was happening here was something that brought out a side of Rainbow Dash he wasn't sure he had been prepared for, far beyond the perfect image of loyalty he saw in his mind. "What's wrong?" Question whispered quietly, jolting Radinbow away from her haze of anger. "It's Scootaloo's parents," she whispered back. "Did they die?" "Oh no, they're still alive, just not here," she emphasised with no small amount of venom on her tongue. "It's okay," Scootaloo spoke up. "My mom and dad go on adventures and stuff. They can't take me because it's dangerous, but they said they'd come down for my birthday. They only sent these and said sorry." "Oh," was all Question could muster, suddenly feeling more awkward than before. "You like art then?" "... nah." "Oh," Question said again, wishing he'd just shut up. "Not the most doting parents, then?" He whispered back to Dash. She rolled her eyes and fixed Scootaloo with a look of concern. The filly still had her head hanging low, so Dash trotted over and brought her into a hug. Scootaloo quickly returned it, burying her head into Dash's side. Question Mark looked on, unsure of what he should do. He felt like a third wheel in a play he wasn't a part of and considered walking away entirely, but Dash's next question gave him pause. "Why did they give you three tickets?" "Oh, they were for my friends," Scootallo chirped, her mood picking up a bit, "They can't go. Applebloom will be away with her family to see Braeburn, and Sweetie has a dental appointment." "Your parents expected only you three to go across the country to a place none of you have ever been before for what is essentially a gala event?" Question asked flatly, feeling utterly dumbfounded. "I'm starting to get it now." "Did they at least cover your train, Squirt?" "Yeah, left those at home. My aunts can't take me cause they're busy too. They were really mad." Rainbow Dash was torn. On one hoof, her interest in art and 'fancy' culture was possibly lower than even her number one fan. On the other hoof, it was a trip to a place neither she nor Scootaloo had been before, so they could at least make it a fun trip. Most importantly, she couldn't bear the idea of Scootaloo being all alone on her birthday. Pinkie would certainly set up a party without being asked, but the trip would be something different, maybe even special for the two surrogate sisters. "Alright Scoot, I got an idea." The orange looked up expectantly at her idol. "You and me. We walk into that city and own the town. We go everywhere there is to be, and I'll show you the best little sister birthday ever." Question Mark did not think it was possible for such a tiny face to produce such a wide smile. Scootaloo leapt up and hugged Rainbow's neck tightly, burying herself beside her with reckless abandon. Dash returned the show of affection with slightly more reserved enthusiasm, but the two radiated a sort of love that Question could feel strongly. It awoke a primal need to feed off their energy that he tried his hardest to block out. While Daedalus could not feel that same energy, he knew it was there. If Question had not been so close to the hive at this moment, he would have found it impossible to restrain himself. Question Mark stayed in his meditative state for what could be no more than a minute, before he felt a hoof prod his side. "Earth to Quest?" His eyes shot open, magenta orbs opposite his. "Huh?" "I said you came from Trottingham, yeah?" "Of course, it was my home for nearly my entire life." "Well hopefully you were actually listening before, cause the Squirt here has got three tickets and no one left to take the last one." Dash pointed a stray hoof at said tickets that were now poking out of Scootaloo's satchel. "Oh no," he whispered so quietly that Dash was unable to hear. "Sooooooo," Dash whistled out, uncharacteristically fluttering her eyelashes. "How would you feel like playing tour guide for a few days?" Daedalus found his grip on his cane tighten as Question developed what could only be described as 'a thousand yard stare.' Every terrible memory, every haunting mention of his legacy, and all his comullated anxiety struck him at once. It took his remaining willpower not to collapse to the floor right there. He wanted to say no. Celestia, help him, he wanted to say no. Yet this was something important to Dash, and by exent, her little sister. And if there was one thing most ponies valued above all else, it was family. If he could forge a bond with Scootaloo, then his bond with Dash could only grow closer. "Only a few days?" "Yeah, I mean I've already used up my vacation days so I can only get a bit of time off. So I say we head down in the morning, spend the day looking around, go to the show thing and chill out the next day till we go home. What do you think?" "... Doesn't sound too bad." "Awesome!" Dash leant forward and pecked him on the cheek, knocking Question Mark out of his dreaded state, and forcing Dash to lock into place. Both of them stared wide-eyed at the other, unsure what to do. It hadn't been the first time Dash had kissed the detective, but it felt different. When she had first pecked his cheek it took her the entire walk back from the restaurant to pump herself up and push back against her fear of rejection. This time it was as natural as breathing. She didn't even have to think about what she was doing, she just did it with reckless abandon. Her head swiveled on the spot, focusing on Scootaloo. The filly had caught a ticket that nearly fluttred out of her bag, narrowly missing the show of affection. Dash breathed a sigh of relief, resisting her urge to nuzzle Question Mark. "Sorry, I didn't say this before, but I want to keep this on the down low for now." "I understand," Question assured her. "Just one thing." "Yeah?" "Hey what's that!?" Suddenly, the stallion cried out and pointed his hoof towards the air. Both mares looked upwards, but while she was distracted, Rainbow felt a pair of soft lips grace her cheek. Switching her focus back to her coltfirend, she was greeted to a smug grin. "There, now we're even." "Jerk," she muttered, rubbing her cheek with her hoof and giving him a tiny smile. Daedalus pumped at the air and smiled brighter than he had in a long time. "I don't see anything," Scootaloo called out, still looking up at the sky. "Sorry, my mistake," Question answered her as both he and Rainbow walked back up to the filly. Scootaloo huffed for a moment before jumping back up and down as if nothing had happened. "I almost forgot!" She announced with an extra fast flutter of her tiny wings. "There is going to be something cool at that gallery." "Oh yeah? I'll be the judge of that, Squirt," Dash teased with a flip of her mane. "Lay it on me." "The Wonderbolts!" Rainbow's jaw nearly hit the floor. Almost instantly she started to prance about on the tips of her hooves, an excitable grin plastered all over her face. She made a noise that Question couldn't quite discern, and for some reason, the entire act reminded him of someone very close to him. Unseen behind him, the King was dancing around in excitement as well. Scootaloo also joined the merry band of dancers, but her excitement came from seeing Rainbow Dash so excited. Not that she didn't enjoy the wonderbolts, but in her mind, all of them paled in comparison to the awesomeness of her idol. "I take it you're excited?" Question cut in with a raised eyebrow. "Of course I'm excited! Spitfire and Soarin will be there, and if I can get even closer to them, maybe they'll invite me to join the Wonderbolts!" "I mean, don't you know?" Scootallo cut in, prodding Question Mark with her hoof. "Rainbow Dash is only the greatest flyer in all of Equestria." The usual boastul Dash suddenly seemed unusually bashful. Her cyan cheeks gave a now familiar scarlet glow as Scootaloo continued her praise. "If Rainbow Dash wanted to, she could form her own super awesome team of flyers and be better than everypony else." "She is pretty incredible," Question replied without any hesitation, causing Dash's cheeks to burn brighter. "I've only seen her fly from afar, but the way she moves… it's indescribable." "Come on guys," Dash cut in with a wave of her hoof. "I mean, it's true, but I gotta keep some of my humility." "Not too much though." "Don't be jealous," Dash fired back, sticking out her tongue. "Rainbow Dash, can we see you fly?" Scootaloo asked, nearly tugging at Dash's wing. "It's been ages since I last saw you." "Didn't I fly with you like two days ago, Squirt?" "I flew on your back, totally different. I wanna see you fly from here!" Dash rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny Scootaloo when she got this excited. Normally she would've flexed out her wings and shot up into the sky, but a nagging thought gave her pause. Was she nervous? She looked over towards Question Mark, he stared at her in anticipation. Her ego was always fragile around him, there was a growing fear within her that played with the idea she might fail before him. Would he think less of her? Before she could think too critically about any of those dark thoughts, Question spoke up. "Got nowhere else to be. Show us what you got, Miss Future Wonderbolt." It was a poor challenge, but Dash still felt a fire burn within her that set her passion alite. She grinned back at his taunt and stretched her wings out. "Alright fillies, let me show you how a mare takes to the sky." Like a rocket she shot into the atmosphere. If Question had blinked he would have missed her entirely, she moved faster than the detective thought possible. A rainbow streak followed her in her wake, the air around her offered little resistance as she spun into the beginning of her routine, cutting through a collection of clouds that had floated into view. She sliced through them with brutal efficiency, all the while subtly using her wings to beckon any stray clouds towards her. Leaving the stragglers behind, she soared back down into the second part of her performance. She flew in the sky like a dancer, every movement was deliberate and filled with such grace it made the ling's heart start to ache. She weaved from cloud to cloud as if she'd practiced the routine a thousand times over, and judging by her acumen she most certainly did. It was humbling to Question to be allowed to watch her practice so closely - in a manner he had hoped did not seem too creepy - he had only ever seen her tricks from far away, watching a cyan speck play in the sky. As he continued to watch her, something dawned on him that made him suddenly feel very small. She had slowed down for him. At best he had seen a fraction of her power during their training, and while he knew she must have accommodated him somewhat, he could never have guessed it was to this degree. Question let out a breath he had not realised he was holding in, when he heard something rustle beside him. To his surprise, Scootaloo waddled over and sat right n him. "Isn't she amazing?" The filly chirped loudly, not sparing the changeling a glance. "Yeah," he replied, unable to look away as well. Daedalus watched with them. Being well over a thousand years old, there was little that could leave any being his age in a state of awe. Rainbow Dash was truly something special, perhaps even more so than she realised. The old king did not know for sure exactly how their story would end, but he now knew for certain that Question Mark was a very lucky ling indeed. As it had done before, the world around him started to fade again, the last image Daedalus saw was a beaming Rainbow Dash soaring through the sky.