“What did you just say?” Celestia asked coldly as she stared at Rainbow Dash, the pair sitting in the grassy flatlands near the entrance to the Big Thunder Mine, the mine still looming over them like the shadow of dusk that was quickly swallowing the sky.
“I said I think you’re wrong,” Rainbow Dash said firmly, hands digging into her knees as she sat with her legs folded under her, staring daggers at Celestia even as every nerve in her body was screaming at her to not go down this path. “About dragons.”
“No, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia let out a slow, groaning sigh under her breath and through gritted teeth as she held a hand up to her temples. “I don’t think you understand.”
Celestia pushed herself off the stone she was seated on and stood above Rainbow Dash, the mountainous alicorn covering whatever was left of the setting sun from Rainbow’s eyes as Celestia looked down on Rainbow with an expression that burned with quiet fury.
But Celestia just closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled kindly at Rainbow.
“I must have misheard you,” Celestia said, slowly and deliberately. “What did you just say.”
“I said,” Rainbow stood up, though even at her full height she barely reached Celestia’s stomach, “that you’re wrong about dragons. And I meant it too.”
“Why.”
That was all Celestia said. Her words were harsher than if she had dropped a handful of jagged gravel in Rainbow’s ears, and Rainbow didn’t know how to respond. The truth would just have to do.
“I was at the battle in Bitsburgh,” Rainbow explained, trying to keep her cool and doing a remarkably good job, if she did say so herself. “There were two dragons there, and they were fighting each other. One of them was protecting the ponies of Bitsburgh from the other, and sh— it, it saved my life too.”
“That’s it?” Celestia spat. “That’s all you have to say for yourself? One dragon doing the right thing out of convenience doesn’t even begin to make up for the sins of all of the other ones, Rainbow Dash!” Celestia shouted, throwing her arms to her sides like she thought she was making an obvious point.
“Open your eyes, Celestia!” Rainbow shot back, and Celestia recoiled like she’d been hit, her eyes widening and blinking twice. “How could an entire race be evil?! They’re not the monsters you always told us they are! They’re just like us!”
“They are nothing like—”
“They’re the same! Actually!” Rainbow hissed, cutting Celestia off with a stomp on the grass for good measure. She didn’t think Celestia would really listen to her, but she was damn sure gonna make Celestia at least hear her. “And they’re just as scared of us as we always are of them! And no wonder! We keep killing them!”
“You haven’t seen what I’ve seen, Rainbow Dash!” Celestia stomped forward and Rainbow stepped back, ears clamping against her skull. “You haven’t seen the atrocities that these monsters are capable of!”
“I’ve seen enough,” Rainbow growled, taking a step forward. “Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re wrong about dragons.”
Celestia was fuming. If she could shoot fire from her eyes and incinerate Rainbow with just her gaze, she would’ve. Well actually she probably could do that, and she wasn’t, but you get it.
She turned away from Rainbow Dash, and she took a deep breath. Rainbow’s legs were shaking like they were ready to collapse or fall off.
But for whatever it was worth, Rainbow was proud of herself. All that time she spent being a coward even when lives were at stake, and now she was standing up to freakin’ Queen Celestia! It would’ve been way easier to just grit her teeth and say nothing, but Rainbow was proud of herself for speaking up to defend her friends.
Granted, it probably would’ve been smarter to say nothing, but oh well. What’s done is done and all that.
“So what now?” Rainbow asked, her voice echoing in the silent night air like a stone being pitched into a bottomless well. “Am I gonna be arrested for treason, or executed or something?”
“What?” Celestia balked, turning to look at Rainbow incredulously.
“Everyone knows how much you hate dragons,” Rainbow bit her lip, unable to look Celestia in the eye. “Are you gonna punish me for—”
“Rainbow Dash, please,” Celestia sighed and walked over to Rainbow, kneeling down and tipping Rainbow’s chin up to meet Celestia’s gaze, and she had a fond smile on her face. Way less scary than Rainbow was expecting. “Obviously we don’t see eye to eye on this issue, but I’m not going to ‘punish’ you for having a bad opinion on something.”
“Y-you’re not?” Rainbow blinked.
“No!” Celestia scoffed and stood up. “Is that what people think? That I’m a tyrant who will put ponies in jail for speaking their mind? I’m sorry if that’s how I come across, because that’s absolutely not who I am.”
“Oh,” Rainbow sighed a breath of relief. “That’s— I dunno, maybe it was just the anxiety talking, but I was really scared there for a sec!”
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said soothingly. “I didn’t mean to scare you. And while of course this issue is a hot button one for me, it wasn’t right of me to lash out at you the way that I did, and I apologize for that as well.”
“Thank you, Celestia,” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her neck, and she almost felt bad for not feeling bad. “I’m not gonna apologize though. I meant everything that I said.”
“I understand,” Celestia nodded sagely. “And I hope that you understand why that means I must excommunicate you from the Celestial Slayers.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened and she stepped back.
“Wh-wha—”
“Opinions are one thing,” Celestia said sternly, “but if you’re truly willing to underestimate the threat that dragons possess, then you’re putting ponies’ lives in danger by being a Slayer. I can’t trust someone with such lax judgment to protect the citizens of Equestria. I hope you understand.”
“Y-yeah,” Rainbow said thoughtlessly, her mind racing. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but still… everything she’d ever done was so that she could become a Slayer, so that she could become a hero admired by the people of Equestria, and now sticking her neck out for her friends was going to ruin that for her?
But… what did it matter? What was the point in even being a Slayer if it meant working for someone who was willing to start a war just to sate her own bigoted bloodlust? Someone who would have put Rainbow’s best friends— and who knows how many other innocent dragons— to death, just for the ‘crime’ of being dragons.
There was nothing left for her with the Celestial Slayers, but to be forced to say goodbye to something that she’d worked her entire life for, it was like having a gaping hole ripped straight out of her chest.
“You can keep your gear,” Celestia said, “and of course I won’t forbid Rarity from being your friend or any other such thing. Speaking of, have you told Rarity about this affinity you have for dragons?”
“N-no,” Rainbow lied, “she doesn’t know anything about it.”
“Then I don’t want to see you helping her with any official Slayer business until she does,” Celestia said. “Like I said, opinions are one thing, but protecting the citizens is a Slayer’s first and only priority, and if you’re going to be a danger to them—”
“Yeah, I get it,” Rainbow said shortly. “Thanks, Celestia. For everything.”
“Do you need a lift back to—”
“I don’t,” Rainbow said. “Thanks. I gotta wait for my friend anyway.”
“Okay,” Celestia sighed. “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash.”
“Goodbye, Celestia.”
Celestia flared out her wings and looked to the sky, but she stopped short of taking flight, her eyes slowly lowering until they met Rainbow’s again. There was a steely glint to them, as if she were sizing Rainbow up. It was eerie; Rainbow didn’t like it.
“One last thing,” Celestia said coldly. “If I find that you have been harboring dragons in Equestria, then you will be punished.”
Rainbow said nothing. What could she say?
Celestia took off into the sky, leaving Rainbow alone.
More alone than she’d ever been.