//------------------------------//
// S5 E16: Rarity Investigates! (What If?) - Redo 
// Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 16 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

For Rarity, it had been only a few short weeks since she had opened (and nearly closed) her dream boutique in Canterlot in the form of Canterlot Carousel. Just as she'd promised her business partner, Sassy Saddles, however, she was indeed coming back to the boutique from time to time as needed.

This was one such occasion. And as it turned out, Rarity had a very good reason for wanting to come to her Canterlot boutique: A brand new, one of a kind collection of dresses, with a very unique inspiration source that she was eager to show off.

The fashionista unicorn was now using her magic to move a trio of dresses from said collection out front, placing them in the boutique's display window so that potential customers passing by would notice them and (hopefully) be drawn to the boutique. And the dresses were being propped on ponyquins fixed to poles.

From left to right, the collection consisted of the following dresses: First up was a black-ish purple jacket like robe with buttons on the arm sleeves, a black tie, and a black flower like decoration on the head. The next dress was a simple yet elegant long and flowing white robe, which had gold bands on the arm sleeves and just below the neck. And finally, there was a dull scarlet colored jacket and matching robe, which had a red ribbon around the neck area. It also had a black fedora hat with a red ribbon just like the other one.

"Oh, Sassy, don't you just love my new Femme Mystique Chic line of gowns?" Rarity asked her fellow unicorn.

Sassy looked up from what she had been doing, and could hardly believe her eyes. The dresses stood out to her in bold detail! She gasped and dreamily exclaimed! "Why sequins and sashes, Rarity, they're absolutely exquisite! I've seen a lot in my time, but nothing like this! Wherever did you find the inspiration for such amazing pieces of work?"

Rarity readily admitted. "Why, from none other than the adventures of Shadow Spade: My all time favorite book series. Daring Do has nothing on it!" She briefly lifted the fedora off the outfit on the right while declaring. "Shadow Spade was my  first true source of inspiration when it came to fashion. Her stories are always full of mystery and suspense and, best of all... fabulous costumes! I've read her books multiple times since I was a filly, she always believes no detail is too small or insignificant to be overlooked. And so do I."

Sassy Saddles happily clapped her hooves in approval. "Oh, they're absolutely perfect, Rarity! Just perfect! And you couldn't have picked a better place to show them off than here at Canterlot Carousel. We'll be up to our necks in orders in no time!" But then she noticed something her boss was doing that she found most odd, and so she questioned. "Uh, what are you doing?"

Rarity was currently using her magic to move the trio of dresses around, trying to find just the right place to display them so that their beauty would stand out. And as she did so she was humming to herself. "Just making a few little changes, Sassy," She promptly blew on the dresses to get rid of dust or cobwebs that might have built up. "After all, Shadow Spade always believes it comes down to details. It's only fitting that dresses based on her adventures should have just as much attention, if not more. If I'm going to market these dresses, they've got to be exact replicas of the ones Shadow Spade wears, and they need to be in the perfect spot to attract customers"

"So I see." Sassy commented, but said nothing more.

Using her magic, the fashionista unicorn moved the dresses left, then right. At last, she found just the spot she wanted to put them in. "Ah, there we go," She proudly proclaimed. Now it's perfect. Just the way it should be."

Yet just then, Rarity's work would be undone as the boutique door swung open suddenly! In strolled Rainbow Dash, completely unaware of what she'd just done inadvertently. "Hey girls," She greeted with a smile. "How's it..." But then she noticed the two unicorns buried in a pile of dresses, both of them frowning at her. "Oh." Was all the brash speedster could bring herself to say.

Little did either the speedster or the fashionista know that the dresses in that pile were going to be rather useful in the span of a day or so.



"Sorry I messed up your... er... dress thingy, girls." Rainbow profusely apologized as she helped the two unicorns to stand, and clean up the mess she'd just made.

Sassy sighed, but did her best to hide her frustrations with the pegasus as she forced something of a smile. "Oh, it's alright. Nothing we can't fix in a stitch. But might I ask what you're doing in Canterlot, let alone why you've come here?  I thought Rarity said you didn't like dresses."

Rainbow Dash immediately replied. "I don't, and that's not why I'm here. I'm here to see Rarity. There's something I was hoping to ask her," Sheepishly, she added. "Guess I should've knocked first."

Rarity waved a hoof. "It's perfectly fine, Rainbow Dash," She dusted herself off. "Nothing out of place. Now, what is it you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, you know the Wonderbolts are gonna perform at the ceremony for the opening of Princess Celestia's royal garden tomorrow, right?" Rainbow began to explain.

Instead of Rarity, Sassy Saddles answered. "Oh yes, it was in all the papers!" And she happily exclaimed! "I remember Rarity mentioned a while back that you were a part of them now. Congratulations, it must be a dream come true to fly with your idols!"

But the brash speedster nervously chuckled. "Oh, I'm not flying with them. I'm just a part of the reserves. They always call up a reserve or two in case somepony gets sick, or injured, or otherwise can't perform. But I don't see that happening," Then she explained. "I was gonna ask Rarity if she wanted to come with me for tonight, and tomorrow while the Wonderbolts are flying. After all, I do still get some perks even as a reserve member: I get a suite in the castle, and I get to attend an awesome dinner to eat awesome food."

"Oh, you needn't have asked, darling," Rarity sweetly said with a smile. "I'd be more than happy to be your honored guest. I'm sure Sassy can manage the boutique just fine on her own."

"Rarity, are you sure? Remember what happened the last time I was put in charge?" Sassy gulped. "How can you be sure I won't go overboard again and cause problems for the both of us?"

The fashionista unicorn waved a hoof. "You made a mistake, Sassy. But I know you're not that same pony anymore. I chose you as my business partner for a reason, that hasn't changed just because you accidentally stepped on my hooves once or twice."

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, remarked in an unusually uncheerful tone of voice. "Thanks a lot for saying yes, Rarity. Having you by my side will give me something to keep my mind off the fact that I'll just be watching the Wonderbolts from the sidelines, again. Spitfire says I've still got at least a few more months of being a reserve before I can even think of joining the team as a permanent member."

Rarity trotted over and put a hoof around Rainbow's neck, reassuring her. "Well, everypony has to begin somewhere, don't they? Just look at how far you've come. In just a few short years you've gone from merely idolizing the Wonderbolts, to being one of their most promising reserves. Why, I daresay you might just become captain of the team yourself someday. If there's anypony who could be a worthy successor to Spitfire, I'd put my money on you."

The rainbow maned pegasus' cheeks began to flush a shade of pink. "Rarity, stop it! You're embarrassing me. I just wanted to have a friend on hoof until after the ceremonies. Once I'm back in Ponyville, it'll be much easier to keep my mind off my troubles."

The fashionista giggled as she apologized. "Forgive me, Rainbow Dash. I got carried away. But it'll be my pleasure to keep you company for as long as you need it," Then she perked up. "Plus, as a bonus, it gives me the perfect opportunity to show off the gowns from my new femme mystique couture. If I play my cards right, I'm certain my boutiques will be swimming in orders!"

"Great! See you tonight at the castle!" Rainbow exclaimed! "And bring an appetite!" Then she departed, swinging the door closed and making the dresses from the collection rattle and shake. Fortunately, this time they didn't fall down, which was a huge relief to both Rarity and Sassy.

Sassy Saddles couldn't help but comment to her boss. "You were splendid back there, laying on the charm like that! I daresay, you could sweet talk a filly out of candy if you wanted to."

Rarity shrugged off the compliment as she trotted over to a nearby curtain. "Oh, it was nothing, really. Nopony minds a compliment. Part of running a successful business means knowing how to be a good salespony," Then she instructed to her fellow unicorn. "Now come on, help me pick out an outfit from the collection. The best way to push them is to wear them! And I'll want to look my absolute best for tonight. It's not every day you get to have dinner at the castle."





Later that evening, Rarity had changed into the white gown with golden sleeves from the collection. She figured it was the most elegant of the three, and thus the perfect one to wear to the dinner (even if it wasn't necessarily a formal event).

Rainbow Dash was all too happy to see her unicorn friend! "Great, you made it! Follow me, and let's go grab some grub!" She declared, and set off for the castle's ballroom (which was serving as the venue of choice for the dinner).

As her pegasus friend was in line with a plate (and currently filling it up), Rarity caught a whiff of a rather beautiful and sweet smelling scent. She had to sniff the air in an effort to try to trace it. "Mm, is that Juniper Phoenix I smell?" She asked aloud.

Rainbow protested. "No, it's broccoli!" And she showed off a plate full of the leafy green vegetable.

But Rarity was certain her nose hadn't been mistaken. "I know I smelled Juniper Phoenix just now, I'm sure of it. Where it could be coming from?" She pondered.

"Well, Juniper Phoenix is one of my favorite stallion colognes," An aged, masculine sounding voice spoke up. "I've worn it for years. It's just the thing to make an impression."

The fashionista spun around, and her beautiful blue eyes beheld a most interesting sight. A pegasus stallion of medium build was standing before her. He seemed to be somewhat middle aged given the wrinkles under his eyes and the faded colors in his mane and tail. Said stallion had a light grayish cerulean coat that seemed a bit pale in shade, and a dark lime greenish-gray mane and tail, which had yellowish-greenish gray stripes sticking out of them. Yet both his mane and tail were in pristine condition, perfectly smooth down the sides. And his eyes were a lovely shade of amber. He wore a brown and black flight jacket with the Wonderbolts logo on it, and an ivory white scarf around his neck. Yet it was still possible to see his cutie mark: A flight hat and goggles in the same color as his flight jacket.

Rarity was impressed by this well dressed stranger. "Oh, I know. It really is all the rage with stallions, I hear," She proclaimed as she struck up a conversation. "It's so masculine, and yet also soft with the barest hint of floral notes and—"

But before the fashionista could say anything further, she was rudely interrupted by the sound of Rainbow Dash gasping (and dropping her plate, causing it to shatter on the ground)! Rainbow's eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates! "Rarity! Don't you know who that is?!" She inquired.

The fashion loving unicorn could only reply. "Not exactly, but I can tell he has good taste in fashion and colognes."

The brash speedster groaned. Why had she expected Rarity to recognize that stallion? "His name is Wind Rider, Rarity! Wind Rider! And he's a living legend! He used to be one of the greatest Wonderbolts of all time!"

"Oh, really?" Rarity asked. "I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Winder Rider, sir."

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss. Rarity," Wind Rider spoke as he kissed her hoof. "That is your name, isn't it?"

The fashionista nodded. "Indeed it is. And I really admire that outfit you wear."

Wind Rinder chuckled. "This? Ah, this used to be all the rage back in my day. You definitely wouldn't catch me in those flight suits the Wonderbolts wear now. Far too flashy if you ask me," Then he boasted. "And this little number is what I wore when I set the record in the Mustang Marathon! Honestly, I'm kind of surprised no one's ever been able to break that record. Anypony who's ever come close has always come up short."

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, had a starstruck look upon her face! "I can't believe you're here, Wind Rider! You're one of my all time favorite Wonderbolts! But I thought you retired years ago to spend more time with your granddaughter."

Just then, Spitfire came flying over as she declared. "Well, I figured Wind Rider would appreciate the opportunity to come out of retirement for one last show," Then she commented. "And I see you've already gotten to know him, Rainbow Dash. I was hoping you would. You're the most promising reserve we've had since Wind Rider's time. In fact, I rekcon you might just beat his record in the Mustang Marathon one of these days."

"Really now?" Wind Rider asked in a most unusual tone of voice, suddenly intrigued by the prospect.

The brash speedster tried to play it off. "Oh, I don't know if I'm that good. I mean sure, I've pulled off a sonic rainboom, but that's nothing compared to the kind of endurance you'd need to set a record in a marathon, let alone the Mustang Marathon."

Spitfire giggled and waved a hoof. "Ah, don't be so modest, Dash," She then lightly tapped a hoof against her fellow pegasus mare. "A little practice and you'll be beating records in no time, just like Wind Rider in his prime."

Wind Rider's response was to give off a most unusual laugh. For a brief second, a strange look seemed to come into his eyes, almost as if he were thinking about something. But it passed as quickly as it came, and it seemed nopony had noticed it. "Well, if you'll excuse me, ladies," He said at last. "I think I'm gonna call it an early night. Early to bed and early to rise, that's me. Trust me, when you get to be my age, you come appreciate the beauty of a good night's sleep." And he trotted away without another word.

Wind Rider had hardly been out of sight before Rainbow Dash let out a dreamy sigh. "Oh, I can't believe I got to meet Wind Rider! I thought I'd never get the chance!"

Misty Fly chuckled. "Well, you can thank Spitfire. It was her idea to get in touch with Wind Rider and ask him if he'd come out of retirement for the ceremony tomorrow. It'll be a real treat for the fans."

Rainbow could hardly believe her ears as she gasped! "No way?! For real?! He'll actually be flying with you guys again?!" When she received a confirming nod she squealed in delight, before the reality of what tomorrow would bring hit her and caused her to start to droop. "Man, tomorrow is gonna really stink. Watching Wind Rider fly with the Wonderbolts, while I'm stuck on the sidelines like always."

Fortunately for the brash speedster, it was at that very moment that Rarity made a proposal. "I don't suppose I could keep you company? Could I?"

Rainbow spun around and gave Rarity a hug while happily exclaiming! "You could! They always let friends and family come and watch practices!" But then she noticed she had unintentionally spilled some punch on Rarity's dress, staining the white gown with a purple splotch. "Oops," She nervously chuckled. "Sorry about that. Here, let me help you clean that up." She promptly spat into her hooves.

Rarity backed away slowly, slightly repulsed by the scene. "Oh, er... no, no," She frantically and nervously insisted. "It's almost impossible to get such stains out of silk. Trust me, I speak from experience," Then she lit up her horn and summoned a trunk as she declared. "Fortunately, I came prepared for just such a fashion emergency! You never know when one may strike." Quick as a flash, she swapped out the stained gown for an exact replica, put the stained gown into the trunk, closed the lid and then sent the trunk away.

The dinner concluded a while later, and Rarity accompanied Rainbow Dash through the castle. "Thanks again for inviting me, Rainbow Dash. That dinner was simply devine."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Rainbow replied.

Then the fashionista took notice of where her pegasus friend would be staying the night. "Ooh, you're going to be staying in the east tower? You're so lucky, I've heard those rooms have the best view of Canterlot!"

Spitfire chuckled as she poked her head out of the room through the opened door. "Well, I guess we're quite lucky, then," She yawned. "Don't know about you, Rainbow Dash, but I'm ready to hit the hay. Better get some shuteye before practice." And she trotted back inside.

Rainbow made her way into the room, but not before turning to Rarity and calling to her. "See you tomorrow, Rarity?"

Rarity nodded back. "See you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash. Sweet dreams!" And then she departed.





When the next day came, Rainbow Dash found it slightly odd that she didn't see Spitfire at any point despite the two sharing a sleeping quarters. But she thought little of it, assuming that the young captain had simply woken up early and gone off to the track to oversee practice.

By the time Rainbow reached the track, Rarity was already there, waiting for her. It had been set up inside the stadium the Wonderbolts usually performed in whenever they came to Canterlot. But the stands were empty. And most unusually, there seemed to be no sign of Spitfire anywhere even though the rest of the Wonderbolts (Wind Rider included) were already in suit and flying around.

"Ah, Rainbow Dash, there you are," Rarity called out as she came trotting over to her friend while levitating a bottle of sunscreen. "I'd have thought for sure you'd be here already. I expected you not to want to miss a moment of Wind Rider strutting his stuff," She dreamily sighed. "I can see why you admire him. He really does cut a dashing figure if I do say so myself. Although, I really wish he'd take off that jacket of his. It's got nothing on the Wonderbolts' modern flight suits."

The brash speedster chuckled. "It's not Wind Rider's style. And I think it's great he's still wearing that old flight jacket. He'll stand out for sure that way!" Then she held still and let Rarity work the sunscreen all over her body. "Thanks again for being here. Without you... well... I don't know what I'd do or who I'd be talking to."

Just then, however, an unfamiliar looking (to Rainbow Dash and Rarity at least) pegasus mare approached the track from the stadium stands. The mare had the same coat color, and the same mane and tail color and style as Spitfire. But she was much bulkier than Spitfire. Her eyes were the same color as Spitfire's, and her cutie mark was an orange colored rocket shooting off flames. She had a purple jacket on, and was wearing a beaded pearl necklace. And she seemed to be out of breath for some reason.

"What are you doing here?" Rarity inquired. "I thought they only left friends and family come to practice."

"I'm family! I'm Spitfire's mom, Stormy Flare," The pegasus mare explained. "Who's in charge here?"

At that very moment, Soarin came by and swooped down, landing in front of Stormy Flare. "Stormy Flare? What brings you here on such short notice? Is something wrong, ma'am?"

Stormy Flare nodded, then paused for a moment to catch her breath. "It's my daughter, she's sick. Really sick!" A chorus of gasps filled the air!

Once Soarin had regained his composure, he questioned. "How could Spitfire be sick? She was fit as a fiddle yesterday."

Stormy Flare explained to the best of her ability. "I don't know for sure what's happened. All I know is, when I came by to visit her in her room this morning, she was green as a leaf and could barely stand. I knew she was in no condition to fly, so I quickly took her home with me. She's resting now, and she should be okay. But something is wrong, I just know it!"

"What do you mean?" Soarin asked with concern. "Are you saying Spitfire's ilness was caused by something?"

The bulky pegasus mare firmly nodded. "She mentioned something about a cake. She was just fine before she ate it, but afterwards she told me started feeling kind of funny. She thought maybe a good night's sleep would make it go away, but it didn't," She shuddered and proclaimed. "I think... somepony tried to poison my daughter! They wanted her to be so sick she couldn't possibly fly!"

Rainbow Dash's mouth dropped open in shock as her eyes began to widen! "What?! That's horrible! Who would do such a thing?!"

But at that very moment, Wind Rider came flying up with the other Wonderbolts. And he immediately glared at Rainbow Dash as he commented. "Probably somepony who wanted her out of the show. Somepony who wanted to take a Wonderbolts' place for a once in a lifetime opportunity," Turning to the other Wonderbolts he then added. "And I think we all know who that might be."

Suddenly, all eyes fell on Rainbow Dash, making the brash speedster feel small. It didn't take long for the realization to hit her! "Me?!"





It wasn't long before Rainbow was led away to a private room within the stadium, a place usually reserved for special guests and special occasions. Almost immediately, she found herself being interrogated left and right by Wonderbolt after Wonderbolt. "This is ridiculous!" She firmly protested! "I'd never do anything to Spitfire, or any of the Wonderbolts for that matter!"

Blaze immediately growled. "But you and Spitfire left the dinner together last night. I saw you! And that means you're the last one who saw Spitfire before she got sick! How do we know for sure you're innocent?!"

"We were roommates in the castle, we were sharing the same sleeping quarters!" Rainbow protested! "How could I have poisoned Spitifre without her catching me in the act? I'm telling you, you've got the wrong pony!"

Misty Fly wasn't so convinced. "Oh really? I know for a fact you've said you'd do anything to get the chance to fly with us. And knowing Wind Rider was one of your all time favorites, I'd say you had a pretty good motivate for wanting to get rid of Spitfire!"

The brash speedster threw up her hooves as she insisted. "Yeah, but I obviously didn't mean I'd actually do anything. You know what I meant by that! I'd draw the line at foul play! You've gotta believe me! I didn't poison Spitfire! For all we know, the cake wasn't poisoned and it's just a coincidence Spitfire got sick."

Soarin could only shake his head. "I'd like to believe that, Rainbow Dash. But it's far too much of a coincidence that Spitfire fell ill after eating a cake, and that you're the last pony to have been with her before that. And since Spitfire's not here, the chain of command dictates that I call the shots in her absence. I can't just dismiss this case because you say you're innocent," He then instructed. "Can you give us a moment? The rest of the Wonderbolts and I need to discuss something very important."

The rainbow maned pegasus reluctantly obeyed. "O-okay, just don't keep me waiting." Silently, she thought to herself. "Please don't kick me out! Please don't kick me out!"

All the Wonderbolts, meanwhile, all huddled together in a corner of the room and started whispering to each other. It was impossible to make out what they were saying, but from the way they were whispering it was clear that whatever they were disucssing was urgent.

At last, the huddle was broken and Soarin slowly approached Rainbow Dash with a rather stern glare in his eyes. "In accordance with Wonderbolt bylaws, Rainbow Dash, we've decided to give you a fair chance."

"Meaning what?" Rainbow blinked quite slowly.

Soarin explained. "The show starts in one hour. If you can prove by then that you didn't poison Spitfire, you'll be cleared to fly with us. You'll take Spitfire's place," But then he warned in an ominous tone of voice. "However, if you can't prove your innocence, the bylaws are pretty clear. I'd have no choice but to ban you from the Wonderbolts, forever! So if I were you, I'd start getting my facts in order. You'll need some pretty solid evidence if you expect to convince all the Wonderbolts that you're not guilty."

Rainbow Dash should've been excited and relieved at the prospect that she hadn't been expelled from the Wonderbolts' ranks already. But all she could focus on was the fact that she had very little time to try to clear her name. "How am I supposed to prove my innocence in less than an hour when I didn't even know Spitfire was sick until just now?" She wondered aloud.

Fortunately, at that very moment, the door at the other end of the room swung open. In trotted Rarity, wearing one of the other gowns from her collection: This one was the scarlet red dress with the black fedora hat. "Not to worry, Rainbow Dash. I shall gladly take your case! I for one believe in your innocence, and I intend to prove it!"

"Uh, Rarity, what's with the getup?" Rainbow questioned with the most perplexed look on her face.

Rarity simply tipped her hat and suppressed a smirk. "That's 'Detective Rarity' to you, Rainbow Dash. Obviously, I am channeling Shadow Spade through this costume, the very one worn by Shadow Spade herself. And with me on your case, I guarantee we'll get to the bottom of it faster than my costume change. Don't worry, this won't cost you a thing. Your gratitude is the only payment I need."

The brash speedster just asked. "So, what now, 'Detective Rarity'?"

The fashionista turned detective just replied. "What any good detective would do in this case. The fastest way to prove your innocence is to find some evidence, and thus find out who really poisoned Spitfire with that cake," Then she threw up a hoof and dramatically declared! "First stop: The scene of the crime! Come along, we've no time to waste!"





Rarity led Rainbow Dash away from the stadium and stands, back through the city of Canterlot until they were once again inside the castle. Their destination was the room Rainbow had been sharing with Spitfire just the night prior.

All the while, Rarity was imagining the whole thing not unlike one of Shadow Spade's adventures. And so, she was dramatically narrating to herself. "We had a long road ahead of us, Rainbow Dash and I. Well, not really since we didn't have much time. But, I was up for the challenge all the same. I wasn't about to let my friend be found guilty without a darned good reason! And I knew she was innocent! The only question was: Who tried to frame her, and why?"

"Well, here we are," Rainbow said at last as she turned the knob on the door leading to the room within the castle's east wing. "This is where Spitfire and I spent the night. I'm telling you, I didn't see her at any point after we got inside last night. She went straight to bed, and so did I. And when I woke up in the morning, she was already gone. I didn't hear or see anything suspicious."

"We'll just see about that, won't we?" The unicorn detective proclaimed. "Even the best of criminals and crooks always leave something behind. Now spread out, and let's look for clues." Then she started narrating to herself again as she carried out her inspection. "So there I was, surveying the crime scene, and looking très chic while doing it," Suddenly, a scent began to tickle at her nose, causing her to stop and sniff. "Hm, how curious."

"What?" Raibow Dash asked as she spun around.

Rarity explained. "Don't you smell that, Rainbow Dash? That funny smell? It's vaguely familiar to me, but I simply can't place it."

The brash speedster shrugged her hooves. "Must be in your head or something, Rarity. I can't smell a smell. Call me when you've found some actual evidence."

The unicorn slowly nodded, then gasped when she noticed something lying on the floor! Using her magic, she picked it up and inspected it, finding that they were in fact very familiar hairs! "What do we have here?! These are hairs from a rainbow mane!" She exclaimed!

"What?! That's impossible!" Rainbow Dash gasped and gulped! "Rarity, you said you'd clear my name, not further make me look like the bad guy! Do you even know what you're doing?! I swear, even Pinkie Pie wasn't as bad a detective as you've been so far, and she was just tossing accusations left and right."

Rarity simply motioned a hoof and instructed. "Relax, Rainbow Dash. These hairs alone are not proof of anything. Although I must admit they way they were lying on the floor is most odd. They couldn't have just fallen out, I'll bet you anything that the real criminal planted them there to cover their tracks. They wanted to throw suspicion onto you and not to them," She then used her magic to place the hairs in a plastic bag for safe keeping. "Best if I hold onto them. I have a feeling they'll be important later on."

The brash speedster, however, just groaned anew. "Rarity, come on! The Wonderbolts are never gonna believe I'm innocent if you tell them you found my hairs at the crime scene! I need something that proves I didn't do it, remember?!"

The unicorn detective began narrating to herself, apparently unconcerned with her friend's constant outbursts. "Rainbow Dash was getting antsy, but I had faith that I could clear her name and find the real culprit. Already, the gears in my head were starting to turn. It was starting to come together ever so slowly, but I needed more evidence."

Taken aback by her unicorn's friend's apparent silence, the rainbow maned pegasus could only shake her head from side to side. "Rarity, what are you doing? Stop wasting time! The Wonderbolts are gonna kick me out if we don't clear my name soon!"

"Oh, forgive me, just thinking some things," Rarity insisted as she adjusted the fedora on her head. Then her eyes noticed something on a small stand near a window. "What do we have here?" She asked as she trotted over and inspected it. "It appears to be a slice of cake. A half eaten slice at that, just look at the bite marks."

"So Spitfire really is sick," Rainbow realized, and gulped. "Oh, how could I let this happen? I should've been watching! Should've been paying attention!"

Rarity waved a hoof and reassured her friend. "You couldn't have known, darling. And something tells me you've never seen a cake like this before," She eyed it more carefully. "I think I know where this cake comes from. But I'll need to make sure, so it's coming with us." Using her magic, she picked up the slice of cake and tucked it into a separate plastic bag.

"Can we go now?!" Rainbow Dash impatiently demanded! "There's gotta be something somewhere in this castle that proves I didn't poison Spitfire! And I'd like to find it before the show starts and I get kicked out."

Rarity nodded, following her rainbow maned friend as they left the room in the castle and headed out into the hallway. All the while, she continued to narrate to herself. "Rainbow Dash was right. In order to solve the mystery, we had to be focused. Driven. One hundred percent in the—" But suddenly she stopped as her wandering blue eyes noticed something, something that she was surprised nopony else had noticed! "Oh my stars!"

"What is it now?" Rainbow frowned. "It better be important."

The unicorn detective firmly nodded. "Oh it is. Just look!" She gestured a hoof to some nearby curtains. "This velvet rope-holder for those damask pattern curtains, it was untouched up until last night. Somepony moved it! Oh, what a travesty! What a crime against fashion! Who would do such a thing?!"

The brash speedster could only growl and grit her teeth. "Rarity, we're not here to solve a fashion crime! We're here to solve an actual crime! Who cares if the rope holder was moved?!"

"But don't you see," Rarity frantically insisted. "These curtains would make an excellent hiding place for anypony who wanted to avoid being seen! Whoever it is must've been in a real hurry, they didn't have time to put the rope holder back the way it was. The clues keep adding up. My hunch seems to be correct, somepony tried to frame you. Somepony who obviously wasn't expecting a fabulous detective like myself to come along and solve this case."

Rainbow put a hoof to her face as she protested. "Come on, get serious, Rarity! You really think somepony would hide behind the curtains like it was a game? I need something far more convincing than that to prove I'm not guilty! So either help me, or stop wasting my time!"

"Relax, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied. "I'm on this case like a charm on a bracelet. First the hairs, then the cake and now the curtains. And we can't forget that smell I smelled. The more I think about them, the more certain I become of your innocence. All of these suggest that somepony was in this hallway last night besides you and Spitfire, which means somepony should've seen them. And I think you know who I'm talking about."

Rainbow's eyes lit up as she happily exclaimed with relief! "Of course, the royal guards! Why didn't I think of them before?! They'll be the perfect ponies to prove my alibi! You're a genius, Rarity!"





The two mares soon approached the royal guards who had been on duty the night before. Quickly, they decided that due to the limited amount of time they had, it would be much more efficent to interrogate the guards instead of simply asking questions. As it turned out, there were three guards who had been on duty the previous evening. Two of they had the same white coat that so many of the royal guards were known for, but one of them had a light brown coat and just so happened to be a unicorn. All three of them were stallions.

Rarity opted to lead off the interrogation, hoping that a gentle and coaxing approach would yield the information she wanted and needed. "Now gentlemen, I just have a few questions for you all, and I'm sure that once we get some things cleared up, we'll—"

But Rainbow Dash was far too impatient to wait for Rarity to finish. She immediately flew forward, slammed her hooves down on the table and pressed her snout up against one of the guards as she demanded! "Where were you on the night of last night at midnight, buster?! Tell me!"

Nervously, the guard shrank from Rainbow's gaze even as he managed to answer. "I was here with the other two, guarding the hall, just like we were instructed to do. Just like we always do."

Rainbow was anything but convinced. "A likely story. Next I suppose you'll tell me that the butler did it."

"Uh, did what? We don't even know any butlers," Another guard answered. "I'm telling you, we were there all night, and no one went in or out of that hallway while we were on duty."

The first guard then answered. "Except for you, of course."

"You trying to say that I'm the culprit?" Rainbow growled! "Because I'm not! If you guys were doing your jobs like you should've, you would know that I didn't do anything and that somepony else did!"

The unicorn guard in the middle just replied. "Look, there were only two rooms in your wing of the castle, the ones by the east tower. One for you and one for Captain Spitfire. And aside from when Spitfire passed us by this morning, telling us she wasn't feeling well, we never saw anypony but you. And you were the only pony who had access to Spitfire's room. We checked."

"And you didn't think it was at all suspicious that she just happened to get sick this morning?" Rainbow Dash frantically demanded! "She didn't mention anything about a cake, did she?! Or what about a scent?! Come on, she must've said something!" She began shaking one of the guards! "You've gotta be lying somehow! You had to have seen something suspicious!"

Rarity watched the whole scene unfold, and could easily tell her friend was losing control of the situation. As she narrated to herself, she began to get an idea of how to turn things around. "The waters were getting very choppy. Rainbow Dash's tactics were, well, horrid to say the least. I figured it was time for another approach. It was time to turn on the charm!" She then sweetly approached the guards while simultaneously using her magic to pull her pegasus friend back. Locking eyes with the guards, she said to them. "You most forgive my friend, she doesn't appreciate the job that you do."

"You really think we do a good job?" The unicorn guard asked. "We royal guards never really do anything. The princesses always solve things without our help."

"Yeah," One of the pegasus guards agreed. "And whenever some big crisis happens, the princesses always get taken out of action before we can do anything. It's not our fault, how were we supposed to deal with a creature who could turn the whole world upside down on a whim? Or an invasion we had no way of knowing about until after it was already unfolding? Or even a rampaging centaur who could steal magic without breaking a sweat? Heck, ponies get on our case just because an embarrassing photo of Princess Celestia found its way into the papers. Do you know how embarrassing that was for us?"

Rarity firmly nodded. "Oh, you mustn't let the tabloids get you down. Just standing there and keeping watch is an important job. If what you did wasn't important, would your captain have married a princess and become prince of his own empire?" Then she proposed. "Surely, at some point during the night you would've conducted a security sweep just to be sure everything was as it should be. Perhaps during that time, somepony might have slipped by unnoticed?"

"Maybe they did," The other pegasus guard confessed. "A cake was left out, and there was a note saying to deliver it to Spitfire. Two of us went to deliver it to her room, and we left the third one to keep watch at his post. We looked all around on our way to and from Spitfire's room, but we didn't notice anything or anypony suspicious."

The unicorn detective then used her magic to pull out the plastic bag containing the half eaten slice of cake. "By any chance, was the cake you delivered similar to this cake I found this morning?"

The guards all nodded as the unicorn guard confirmed. "Yup, that's the one! There's no mistaking it! You could tell by the smell what kind of cake it was: Cherry with a custard filling, and chocolate frosting. Just looking at it was enough to make your mouth water!"

Rarity pressed further. "And by any chance, was the base of the cake decorated with buttercream rosettes?"

The unicorn guard confirmed again. "Yeah! It was so tempting, I almost wanted to take a bite of it myself. But if Captain Armor found out we were snacking on cake, we'd catch an earful for sure," Then he explained. "It was funny, though. The cake had some kind of scent to it. Probably got on there by accident when whoever ordered it was arranging for us to deliver it. And I thought I smelled a similar scent by the curtains, but when I looked there was nopony there and the scent had faded."

Rainbow Dash just groaned anew! "Ugh! Who cares about stuff like that?! Does it really matter how the cake was decorated?! There's cake shops all over Canterlot, it could take ages to pin down which one it came from!"

Rather than reply to her pegasus friend's rude remarks, Rarity just narrated to herself. "Rainbow Dash was questioning my methods, and rightfully so. But not to worry, for I knew what I was doing."

"Do you really?" Rainbow questioned. "I've been hearing your narrations, Rarity. This isn't like your Shadow Spade stories, this is serious!"

"Oh, have been I saying them aloud this whole time?" The fashionista remarked with a blush. "I'm sorry."

The brash speedster just sighed and hung her head, crawling over to Rarity. "Oh, what's the use? You didn't have to give me false hope by taking up my case, Rarity! At this point, even I think I'm guilty! Maybe I did it, and I'm just trying to block it from my memory or something. Or maybe I did it while I was asleep. Do you know what I do when I'm asleep? Because I sure don't!"

The unicorn detective simply patted Rainbow on the head while reassuring her. "Have faith, Rainbow Dash. I know you're innocent, I haven't doubted that for a second since this case began. Rest assured, everything I've been doing is for a good reason," Then she declared. "I asked the guards those questions specifically because I needed to narrow down what shops that poisoned cake could've come from. And as luck would have it, there's only one bakery in all of Canterlot that makes a chocolate cherry cake with custard filling and buttercream frosting rosettes!"





Rarity soon brought Rainbow Dash to the very shop that had made the cake. Rainbow was more than a little surprised at how quickly Rarity had figured it out. But she was even more surprised by the name of the shop that the trail had led to. "'Cinnamon Chai's Tea and Cake Shop'?"

"As I figured, you don't remember it at all, do you?" Rarity inquired and received a confirming nod. "Well, that's even more proof in my book that you can't have been the culprit. And once I have a chat with the owner of this shop, I'm confident I can sort this whole mystery out," Then she exclaimed! "Oh, and what luck, there's Cinnamon Chai herself! This shan't take long!"

Cinnamon Chai was a unicorn mare of medium build with a light brown coat, a darker brown mane and tail styled into a series of lovely curls, dark purple eyes, a cutie mark depicting a cinnamon stick in a drink, and a white apron. She was currently using her magic to levitate a rag over a coffee cup in order to dry it off. When Rarity approached her, she greeted her fellow unicorn with a smile and asked in a polished Trottingham accent. "Hello, how can I help you, miss?"

Rarity cleared her throat. "I've heard you have the best chocolate cherry custard cake with buttercream frosting rosettes in town, Miss. Chai."

Cinnamon nodded and confirmed. "Ah, you travel in the right circles! We have the only chocolate cherry custard cake with buttercream frosting rosettes in town! Were you perhaps looking to buy one?"

The fashionista shook her head as she gestured a hoof to the shop's display window. "Not today. Especially since it seems somepony already went and bought it. Do you know who it was?"

Cinnamon just replied. "I'm afraid I can't say."

"Why?" Rarity questioned. "It wasn't an anonymous order, was it? Perhaps it was somepony famous, or something along those lines?"

Cinnamon shook her head from side to side. "No, I have no idea who the pony was because it was really late and very dark when they came in to order it last night," She put a hoof to her chin. "They had a light blue coat, though of what shade I couldn't tell since it was so dark. Whoever it was wore a trench coat, sunglasses, and a scarf around their head which covered most of their face. Ooh, but I do remember that when the customer spoke, he or she had a really deep, raspy voice."

"Whaddya mean by raspy?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

Cinnamon pointed a hoof. "Well, kind of like yours, actually. Maybe not exactly like that, but pretty similar."

"What?! But...how?!" The brash speedster stuttered in disbelief! "I never even knew this shop exisited until now!"

Rarity nodded as she chimed in. "My sentiments exactly, Rainbow Dash. Which means that whoever ordered that cake was trying to disguise themselves, they didn't want anypony to know who they were. And that doesn't seem like your style," Then she turned back to Cinnamon and requested. "I think I've just about pieced this together. But if there's anything else you can recall about the client, dish. Any details at all would be appreciated."

At that Cinnamon smirked and began to laugh. "Well, have I got a story for you. Whoever that mysterious customer was, they threw a big fit when they accidentally got chocolate ganache on their scarf!"

"That's horrible!" Rarity exclaimed with a gasp!" Do you know what color the scarf was, by any chance?"

Cinnamon put a hoof to her chin, clearly trying to think. "Hm... white, I believe. No, maybe more of a shade of ivory to be precise."

"Aha, that settles it!" The fashionista exclaimed! "That's the last detail I needed!" And she turned to Rainbow Dash! "I've solved this case! I think I know who did it now!"

Rainbow blinked her eyes in disbelief. "How? All you've done is put on a costume, wander around and ask questions about things like smells, curtains and scarves. None of the evidence you've found proves anything!"

"Not definitively, but enough in my book to cast doubt on any claim of your guilt," Rarity explained. "However, there's only one way I can be sure. It's a pretty big leap," And she asked her pegasus friend. "Do you trust me?"

"How should I know?!" The brash pegasus retorted! "Unless you know something I don't know, I don't see how anything you could say or do could possibly help me! Face it, Rarity! I'm guilty! I don't know how or why, but I'm guilty! The only thing left for me to do is turn myself in and face the consequences."

The fashionista just replied. "Rainbow Dash, you mustn't give up on yourself so easily. At first glance, the evidence does appear to point to you. But think about it: Aren't the rainbow hairs and the raspy voice a little too obvious? And isn't it peculiar that you don't recall the name of the shop that you alledgedly bought the cake from? It's clear to me that somepony wanted to frame you."

Rainbow Dash hesitantly asked. "And do you know who it is?"

A picture of the likely suspect began to form in the back of Rarity's mind as she replied. "I think I do. But there's nothing that definitively proves he did it."

"He?" Rainbow blinked in confusion.

Rarity simply replied by looking at a nearby clock! She gasped when she saw the time displayed on it! "My goodness! We're cutting it awfully close! We'll need to get back to the stadium if we're going to clear your name in time!" And she set off, all the while narrating to herself. "Rainbow Dash was obviously still fraught with worry, but I had all my ducks in a row. She was not going to like it, but there was only one way to find out if my suspicions were indeed correct. I was confident they were, but I couldn't be one hundred percent sure. If only I'd had more time, I wouldn't have to resort to the dramatic."





Things weren't going well for the Wonderbolts back at the track. The stress had gotten so bad that Soarin had resorted to eating a pie just to try and calm down.

Strangely enough, Wind Rider seemed rather unconcerned about all that was going on. "Seems to me like Rainbow Dash has given up on trying to prove her innocence," He remarked with a shake of his head. "Sad to see yet another promising recruit self destruct. Oh well, rules are rules."

Soarin turned to Wind Rider and protested. "Now just hold on there, Wind Rider. There's still time. Rainbow Dash and her friend could come back at any minute with proof that Rainbow is innocent. And if it's credible, Rainbow's gonna be flying with us."

Wind Rinder seemed to smirk as he replied. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. I've seen this before. As soon as foul play is suspected, the guilty party flees the scene rather than admit their guilt. Knowing Rainbow Dash, that's probably what she's doing right about now. But it won't save her."

However, at that moment, the door to the private room within the stadium swung open quite suddenly! With narrowed eyes, Rarity pointed a hoof and proclaimed! "I've found the culprit! Rainbow Dash is innocent! But somepony in this very room is quite guilty!"

All the Wonderbolts turned their attention to the unicorn detective. She had just accused one of their own of trying to frame Rainbow Dash. And none knew who she was going to say was responsible.

"I know what you're all thinking," The fashionista unicorn commented as she slowly began trotting about the room, her eyes locked on a particular pony. "'Who is the guilty party?' 'Who's the one who really poisoned Spitfire?' Well, I'll tell you," She cleared her throat. "It's somepony in this very room. And that somepony is:" She swung around suddenly, locking eyes with her suspect! "Wind Rider!"

A series of gasps filled the room, Rainbow Dash chiming in with a gasp of her own! "Rarity, have you lost your mind?! Wind Rider is a living legend! There's no way he could be the culprit!"

Rarity wasn't convinced for a second. "On the contrary, Rainbow Dash. All the evidence I've found and all the testimony I've heard since I started my little investigation proves that he's the true mastermind. He thought he was being clever, trying to implicate you. But he never expected a fashionable, master detective like me to expose him for the criminal he is!"

Wind Rider scoffed. "Ha, you've got no proof, lady! Your little desperation ploy won't save you or your friend! Rainbow's guilty, and that's all there is to it!"

Stormy Flare, however, objected. "Wait, let's at least hear her out. I want to know for sure who tried to poison my daughter, and why they did it."

"Thank you, Miss. Flare," Rarity nodded, and then began to explain. "I never once believed Rainbow Dash could commit so ghastly a crime, so foul a deed. She's not the type of pony who'd commit foul play, not even to have a chance to fly with her idols. So when we found the rainbow hairs in Spitfire's room, I could tell that they didn't just fall out. They were cut!" She held up the bag of rainbow hairs to emphasize her point. "Nopony loses hair in a chunk. And look at the ends. It's a straight line! They were clearly cut with shears, which means somepony planted it at the scene of the crime!"

Wind Rider just coldly replied. "You call that proof?"

"I'm not finished yet, Mr. Rider," Rarity coldly hissed. "By the time I'm done, you won't have any way to hide your guilt," Then she continued explaining. "This next clue should make you sweat, Wind Rider. While I was in Spitfire's room, I caught a whiff of a very familiar scent, and now I know what it was. Because I'm smelling that same scent right here: It's Juniper Phoenix, your cologne of choice and one of your personal favorites! Now tell me if that's just a coincidence."

Wind Rider only narrowed his eyes as he stated. "Anypony could've cut off those hairs and planted them there. And I'll have you know that Juniper Phoenix is a very popular fragrance. None of your evidence proves it was really me."

"Exactly," Rarity agreed. "But that's not the only evidence I found. In the castle hallway, I noticed some of the damask curtains fell out of their velvet rope-holder after being touched. Thus indicating that somepony had been hiding behind them! Perhaps to avoid detection by the royal guards while they were performing their security sweep? Or even, while they were delivering the poisoned cake to Spitfire?"

Again, Wind Rider retorted. "Anypony could've moved those curtains. And anypony could've arranged for the cake to be delivered. You don't know that I'm the one who poisoned it. And you call yourself a detective. Please, you're a rank amateur at best."

"That's why I questioned the royal guards," Rarity explained anew. "The very guards who were on duty last night in the east wing. They confirmed that they didn't see or hear anything suspicious during their patrols, but when they thought to check the curtains one of them noticed a scent just like the one I smelled in Spitfire's room. They also confirmed where the cake came from. It was a one of a kind cake sold only at one bakery in all of Canterlot. And the bakery owner confirmed that somepony did indeed buy that cake last night. A pony with a raspy voice and wearing a trench coat. She couldn't tell who it was, but she mentioned that they got a chocolate stain on their ivory scarf."

Wind Rider's earlier confidence seemed to leave him as he suddenly became very nervous. "You don't mean..."

The fashionista unicorn nodded. "I do. Since this morning, there was something about you that bugged me. You've been wearing your ivory scarf a bit differently: It's tied in a tight Windsor knot instead of its usual loose slipknot! And why is that?" She began to untie the knot as she pointed out. "Is it perhaps to hide the chocolate stain?!" Sure enough, when the knot was untied and the scarf unfurled for all to see, a huge chocolate frosting stain could be seen on it! Everypony (except Rarity and Wind Rider) gasped anew!





For a moment after the revelation, an uncomfortable silence fell over the room! Wind Rinder now seemed awfully suspicious, Rarity had done a good job of suggesting how he might be the one behind Spitfire's poisoning.

Of course, Wind Rider wasn't about to take the accusation lying down. He was determined to defend himself. "Come on, Wonderbolts! This is ridiculous!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs! "You don't really think I did it, do you?! This unicorn doesn't know a thing about solving crimes! She's not even an official detective! For all you know, this chocolate stain could've come from something other than a cake!"

Rarity wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Oh just admit it, Wind Rider. You're as guilty of framing Rainbow Dash as you are of runing that scarf! You can't hope to refute the charges! The evidence speaks for itself!"

"You call that evidence?!" The pegasus stallion growled! "You can't prove a thing! And you're never gonna wring a confession out of me!"

Just then, however, a raspier than usual voice cried out. "I don't need to! I know now who you really are, Wind Rider! I've heard quite enough, and Rarity's proven beyond a doubt that not only is Rainbow Dash innocent, but you're guilty." All eyes turned to see none other than Spitfire herself emerge from behind a curtain. She looked a bit uneasy, a faint tint of green could be seen around her cheeks. But it seemed she had regained her strength more or less.

"Spitfire, what are you doing here?" Stormy Flare questioned. "You're supposed to be in bed, resting."

"Sorry, Mom," Spitfire replied as she slowly came trotting forward. "But I'm not about to let a bit of food poisoning keep me down!" Then she locked eyes with Wind Rider. "I always suspected something was up with you. Every time anypony could ever come close to breaking your records, something always happened to make them drop out of the Wonderbolts. And now I know why. You've been framing them for crimes they didn't commit so you could have us kick them out! And so you thought, if you could frame Rainbow Dash for poisoning me, you could make her go away just like the others!"

"Now that I think about it," Soarin put a hoof to her chin. "Why were you the first one to suggest Rainbow Dash might be the culprit? And why were you the only one who didn't seem concerned about what happened to Spitfire? Sounds to me like you knew something the rest of us didn't."

At that, something inside of Wind Rider snapped. He threw his jacket and scarf down on the floor and roared! "Ugh, fine! You just had to start asking questions!"

"So you admit it?!" Spitfire inquired with narrowed eyes.

Wind Rider nodded as an evil smirk spread across his face. "Yes. You caught me, I did it! It's me, me I tell you!" Then he added. "And I would've gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you meddling ponies, and that meddling detective!"

Rainbow Dash's mouth dropped wide open in shock! "But why, Wind Rider?! How could you do such a thing to me?! You were one of my biggest idols growing up! You were even my favorite Wonderbolt of all time until Spitfire and Soarin came along. I looked up to you, I respected you!" Then she questioned. "Is this seriously just because I had a chance to break your records?"

The now jacketless stallion roared! "Don't be ridiculous! This has nothing to do with my records! I could've gotten you sent away for far less than food poisoning if I'd wanted to! The real reason why I did what I was did because of you! You got into the Wonderbolts just because you're friends with royalty!" He snorted. "In my day, being a Wonderbolt was something you had to earn. It wasn't something that could be just given on a silver platter."

"For your information, Wind Rider," Rainbow snapped back. "I had to try out for the academy just like all the other recruits, and pass the same test as all other reserve members. I earned my place at the top of the reserves, that wasn't something that was hoofed to me!"

Wind Rider rolled his eyes. "Far as I'm concerned, you don't have what it takes to be a Wonderbolt!" Then to Spitfire he added. "And you, you're far too soft to be a captain! I should've come out of retirment long ago to challenge you!"

"Oh yeah?" Spitfire replied with a growl. "Well guess what, Wind Rider? I'm the captain now, not you. And far as I'm concerned, it's you who doesn't deserve to be a Wonderbolt anymore. Not after you've shown everypony your true colors," She then turned to Rainbow Dash. "Sorry you got mixed up in all of this, Rainbow Dash. I had a feeling Wind Rider might try to get to you. I was hoping he'd slip up and expose himself. But I never expected him to be that good at casting blame on another."

Rainbow Dash simply replied. "Rarity's the big hero, not me. She believed in me even when I didn't. If she hadn't been so determined to prove my innocence, none of this would be possible," And she added. "Besides, flying with you and the other Wonderbolts is something I want to earn, someday."

It was then that Spitfire declared. "Well guess what, someday's today," She gestured a hoof to Wind Rider as she offered. "How'd you like to take Wind Rider's place in the ceremony?"

Wind Rider was shocked and rendered speechless! "W-w-what? Y-You can't do this to me! I'm one of the greatest Wonderbolts there ever was!"

The young captain only snarled and narrowed her eyes. "Not anymore. You can consider yourself dishonorably dismissed," She snatched up his batch from his flight jacket. "Don't bother arguing, I'm the captain: So what I say goes!" Then she added. "Oh, and one more thing: All those records you worked so hard to protect? They're all gonna be stripped from the books. That's how it goes for any Wonderbolt who disgraces the team in such a fashion," She then clapped her hooves. "Blaze! Misty Fly! Take him away!"

Even as he was led away, however, Wind Rider groaned and grumbled. "Mark my words, you'll all pay for this! If it's the last thing I do, you'll all regret getting rid of me! Someday you'll see it my way, you do what you have to stay alive!"

Soarin then trotted forward and asked Rainbow Dash. "So, you still wanna fly with us? If so, you'd better suit up now!"

"Yes sir!" Rainbow Dash gave a salute! "I won't let you down, Wonderbolts!"

Spitfire smiled. "I know you won't, Rainbow Dash. We're already looking forward to the day when you can join our ranks for good. Just don't let it get to your head," Then she turned to Soarin. "Thanks for holding down the fort while I was gone, Soarin. Sorry I had to spring this all on you so suddenly. Still, you managed pretty well in my absence."

Soarin waved a hoof. "Hey, what are friends for?"

Rarity, meanwhile, watched her pegasus friend get fitted into an official Wonderbolts flight suit. And with a smile she began to narrate to herself. "So my friend got her moment in the sun after all. Or the center of an aerial flower, as the case may be. And as for me? Why, I got a chance to show off my Femme Mystique Chic collection for all to see!"

"That's nice, dear." Stormy Flare said with a smile.

Rarity blushed as she spun around, realizing the bulky pegasus mare had heard every word. "Oh, did I say that outloud, again?"

Stormy Flare just chuckled. "Oh, it's quite alright. My little Spitfire used to envision her grand aerial feats even when she was still in diapers," She wiped a tear from her eyes. "Oh, if only her father were here to see what's become of the little flly he once knew. He'd be so proud of her."