//------------------------------// // 217. A Question of Bridges // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash cackled to herself as a nobleman pony took a drink from one of the glasses Rainbow had placed at the bar, causing his drink to spill all over his chest instead of going into his mouth. When he realized what had happened, he laughed too and was a real sport about it, and the woman he was speaking too joined in too. The man went to get himself cleaned up as Rainbow chuckled nearby, until the woman put her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “That was cute,” Fleur de Lis said with a thin smile, “but I swear if you ruin my dress, I will kill you.” “Relax, relax,” Rainbow took a step back and waved her hands. “I’m not gonna pull anything on you, you’re among friends.” “Oh yeah?” Fleur cocked her hip and arched an eyebrow. “And how do you know me?” “Well, we have mutual friends,” Rainbow explained. “Rarity. And… Luna, too.” “Mm?” Fleur’s ears perked and her eyes lit up. “You know Princess Luna?” “Uh, yeah,” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. “I dunno how much she’s told you about uh, the knights that she tried to train—” “Oh,” Fleur’s enthusiasm disappeared faster than a cupcake in front of Pinkie Pie’s mouth. Rainbow couldn’t exactly blame her. “Things with Luna are uh, complicated,” Rainbow sighed. “But I still wouldn’t dream of pulling any pranks on her gf.” “That’s very sweet of you,” Fleur said. “Luna still speaks highly of you. Of most of the students she tried to train, but especially you. She puts all the blame on herself for that situation.” “Good,” Rainbow scoffed. “It was her fault.” “Wow!” Fleur replied with a cackle, and Rainbow was caught for only a second by the thought that maybe she shouldn’t have said it like that, but eh whatever. “Harsh. I always tell her she’s being too hard on herself, and I believe that wholeheartedly, but just between you and me, I think you’re mostly right.” “Wh—really?” Rainbow blinked. Literally no one had ever taken her side on this before. It was always ‘both sides’ this and ‘it’s complicated’ that, and y’know fair cuz no one wanted to take sides between friends, but godDAMN it felt good to hear someone say it wasn’t Rainbow’s fault for once. “Mhm,” Fleur nodded and sighed, taking a sip of wine as she leaned against a marble column. “She was… I’m not going to say ‘young’, because she was nine-hundred and something I think, but gawd she was stupid. “She thought she could be Celestia. She couldn’t.” “I should talk to her again,” Rainbow mused, idling against the same column as Fleur. “Should I?” “Dunno,” Fleur shrugged. “Do you want to?” “Yeah,” Rainbow nodded. She didn’t even need to think about it. “But I dunno if it’s a good idea.” “And you won’t know unless you do it,” Fleur said. “It’s up to you. I love Luna, but you don’t owe her anything. Not an apology, and not forgiveness. But if you really want to mend that bridge, then you should just stop pussyfooting around and do it already. I’m sure she would like it.” “Hmmm, I think I—” Rainbow’s words and thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of something that shook the ballroom and echoed from outside. Rainbow’s blood ran cold as she recognized it. “That’s not good,” Fleur recognized the sound too; and how could she not? It was the roar of a dragon. “No,” Rainbow said, “that’s not good at all.”