//------------------------------// // 19 - Denial // Story: Storm Of Secrets // by Beware The Carpenter //------------------------------// Outside Zecora's hut, Applejack sat down next to a disgruntled Rainbow Dash. “Well, I've been yapping on about what's been going on in Ponyville without given you so much as a chance to talk; what about you? How's life with the famous Wonderbolts? “Please,” begged Rainbow “Don't talk to me about the Wonderbolts. Ask me about anything except the Wonderbolts.” “...All right... so Rainbow Dash, what have you been doing this last year?” “...Nothing.” “Nothin?” “Nothing.” A few awkward moments passed as both ponies inspected their hooves before Applejack tried again. “If you don't mind me sayin',” she said a little cautiously, “Seems to me that you have a bit of a thing for this Storm fella Shining Armor swapped bodies with. Are you sure you're not walking ahead of yourself life last time?” Was it really that obvious? Fine, it’s not like there was much point in denying it. Rainbow had spent the last year lying about how she felt about almost everything to everypony, it might feel good to tell an old friend the truth for once. She didn't know if what she felt for Storm 'love', (they had only been together for a couple hours after all,) but she had a crush on him the size of Cloudsdale. “I guess a little” she admitted. “And for a while there, I was almost starten to believe all those stories of you filly foolen around in Canterlot.” smiled Applejack giving her a playful nudge, “Hope it works out for you, I mean, I hope getting involved with one Ranger doesn’t get you involved in the whole Ranger business.” “Well what would be wrong with getting involved with the Rangers and what they do?” asked Rainbow indignantly. “I mean, someone’s got to do it, right?” “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” everypony turned to see a yellow filly jumping up and down in excitement. “The red pony wasn't lying, the Wonderbolts really are here!” “What are you doing all the way out here Apple Bloom?” asked Applejack sounding concerned and almost hostile. “I was visiten Zecora. What are you doen with the Wonderbolts?” “I don't want you coming into this forest ever again, do you hear? Not without me or another big pony.” “But I am a big pony!” Apple Bloom insisted, “And yu know that I've been coming to visit Zecora for a long time now and you haven't complained before. Why are the Wonderbolts here?” “Well not anymore.” declared Applejack, “If you really wanna see Zecora come and ask me or Big Macintoch and we'll take you if we can. Otherwise this forest is off limits from here on out!” Rainbow slid between the sisters before the looming argument blossomed into Apple Bloom being grounded. “I didn't know you were a Wonderbolt fan Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom nodded furiously, “Are you kidding? I might not have been that much of a fan back when you lived in Ponyville; but after you joined up with the Wonderbolts, Scootaloo kept on showen me and Sweetie Bell all her Wonderbolt stuff. At first we both thought it was silly, but then we saw just how really cool you guys are. Now I've got all your tradin' cards and all your comic books from seasons one and two and when season three comes out the Cutie Mark Crusaders are all gonna get em and read em together.” “She's a real fan alright.” confirmed Applejack, “Had me set up her room with your posters and Wonderbolt bedsheets and everythin' for her last birthday.” “Oh, oh and since we got tired of waiten for the third season to come out; we've started writing our own comic book about yas!” Ah yes the fan fictions. If it was anything like the other fan fiction comics Rainbow had read about herself, it was probably about ten times cooler then the official comic books in print. Ever since the first installments of the Wonderbolt comics had come out, fans from all over Equestria had been writing their own; bizarrely often containing; better stories, better songs, and sometimes even better animation than the original series. All the stories were completely made up of course; unlike Trixie, not even the Wonderbolts had ever even tried to pretend that they went on wild adventures between shows (it’s like they’d have time), but the visage of fearless adventurers the books portrayed still rubbed off on their public image. “A fan fic eh? What's the story?” “Well, it start at the next Grand Galloping Gala where there's a big contest to see which set of performers can put on the best show. You and the Wonderbolts do great, but you only come in second.” “We lose?” “Ya... sorry about that.” “Who to?” “An OC we invented named Ekips. He's a dragon who was going to be a traveling magician, but Sweetie Bell wanted to make him a musical as well, so he's got this magic harp that he plays to cast spells. Oh, and he's the only creature alive to have survived preformen the world's most dangerous card trick! That's what he uses to beat you with at the Gala.” “...Alright.” “At first you and the Wonderbolts don't like Ekips cause he beat yas, but then you all become really good friends. But then he gets kidnapped by this really evil Alicorn Princess and so the Wonderbolts need to go fight her to get him back.” How much would Rainbow pay one of her writers for making a story like this? A thousand bits maybe? Why not just fire her entire staff of producers and start paying some of the kids who were already doing a better job for free. “So do we all slay the princess and save the dragon?” she asked with a smile. “Yea; but Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo are arguen about how it should end; Sweetie Bell wants there to have been a singen unicorn who was at the Gala and took third place right behind the Wonderbolts that comes with you to rescue Ekips and those two end up falling in love and becomen' a preformen' duo. Scootaloo thinks that that's too predictable and wants a surprise enden where Ekips turns out to be a giant magic chicken." Rainbow laughed, more out of concern than amusement, but Apple Bloom didn't seem to notice; "I think you'd better go with Sweetie Bell's idea," Apple Bloom nodded, and Rainbow Dash changed the topic before she could comment anymore about Scootaloo and 'chickens', "So... if you're such a big fan, how many times have you been to one of our shows?” “Welll... I've never really been to one of your shows. But Big Mac says that if I'm good, he'll take me to the Hearths Warming Eve performance when it's half price.” “Hearths Warming Eve?” asked Rainbow “That's months away. Why not right now?” Looking around, Rainbow took quick stock of the glade; white barked trees that grew straight and tall without any low hanging branches, wide open spaces the perform the more complicated stunts, plenty of light, a small lush hill for the Apple sisters to watch from. This would be almost perfect for a small show! “Wonderbolts assemble!” she cried, and felt pride and hope wheal up inside her as it took only a few seconds for her team to line up in a perfect row. “We're going to do the Star Trot for this little filly here. Firestreak, you take High Winds and Wave Chill and form the base. Lightning Streak, Blaze, you've got the stunts. I'll take the lead with Silver Lining and Surprise as my wingponies. Everypony else, you know what to do.” The Star Trot was perfect for the space they had; it was a personal favorite of Dash since it had been the first real routine she ever choreographed, lasted only lasted a few minutes so it wouldn't wear them out, but had never once failed to revive a standing ovation. Dash jumped ten feet in the air and hovered there for a moment, expecting her Wonderbolts to follow her, but to her dismay they just stood there looking dumbly at her. “Come on, what are you waiting for!?” she asked, even though she regrettably already knew the answer. She'd seen that look on their faces before. “Um, why are we doing the Star Trot?” asked Fire Streak after a few moments of awkward silence. Dash dropped back to the ground to face her crew, doing her best to imitate Fluttershy's menacing stare, as she draped one hoof around Apple Bloom and pulled her to her side. “This little filly is the sister of one of my best friends from before I became a Wonderbolt; she's a HUGE Wonderbolt fan but has never seen us in a live performance. We aren’t doing anything at the moment and so were going to give her a performance that she is never going to forget. “We're doing a show for one filly?” asked Misty in surprise. “We did the show for Diamond Tiara's party a couple days ago,” Dash growled, redoubling her efforts to do the stare, “There was only about twenty or thirty ponies there and you didn't complain.” “Does this filly's dad have three hundred thousand bits?” Fire Streak asked dryly. Dash felt Apple Bloom stiffen when she heard how much a private show with the Wonderbolts usually cost. Dash knew there was no way the Apples could afford that, but it didn't matter; Applejack was her friend, Apple Bloom was Scootaloo's friend, and even if they weren’t, for a appreciative fan who couldn't afford a ticked, Dash would have happily preformed for free. She would have... the Wonderbolts wouldn't. Dash knew that they were always like that behind closed doors but they NEVER acted like that in front of the fans. Maybe some fans just weren’t worth pretending for. FINE; if her team wouldn't help her, she'd just do the freggin show for Apple Bloom herself! Dash shrugged off her saddlebags and launched into a frantic series of loops, dives and barrel rolls, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her mind off of the pathetic creatures beneath her that called themselves the Wonderbolts. In the end, Wave Chill and Blaze were the only ones that bothered to help her, High Winds came in for a few plays, but dropped out when she saw that the rest of the herd weren’t coming. Of all the performances that Dash had done recently, this one meant the most to her, and it was by far the worst. Her timing was off, her maneuvers were sloppy, and without any decided upon script, she, and Wave Chill lacked any trace of harmony, and each mistake only broke her concentration further making her performance deteriorate even more. Dash could imagine what she must have looked like from the ground, and knew she had seen better performances from Soarin' when he was drunk then what she was doing right now. Dash didn't know how long she scribbled through the air, but after what seemed like an eternity of lameness, she realized she was the only Wonderbolt still in flight. Heaving with disgust Dash finally let herself drop onto the dirt, breathing heavily. Her... 'performance' did not merit a bow, there was no applause. With considerable effort Dash forced herself to make eye contact with Apple Bloom, seeing everything she expected and feared; confusion, disbelief, maybe even a hint of worry, but most of all... disappointment. “Was that... it?” asked Apple Bloom after a agonizingly painful wait. “Cause that was... well-” “Now Apple Bloom” cut in before her sister said what they both were thinking, “Rainbow Dash is a great flier, the best, she's just not acten' herself today.” Applejack turned to Dash with genuine concern, “Are you OK sugarcube?” Dash didn't know what to say. She wanted to pretend that that had all been a joke and then give the performance of her life, but her wings refused. She wanted to go bury her head in the dirt and scream in defeat, but that didn't seem like a good idea either. Instead she just stood there, looking like a fool and a leader of fools. “I'm just... that was-” she stammered, but her tongue was even less cooperative then her wings had been. “Perhaps the mare, just needs to rest; before she can fly at her best. But the time has passed for you to roam, come Apple Bloom, I will take you home.” From out of nowhere Zecora had appeared in their midst. Apple Bloom looked at Zecora, then at the Wonderbolts, then to AJ and finally towards Zecora's hut. “What's going on here?” she asked suddenly, “Why are the Wonderbolts really here? Why has Rainbow Dash forgotten how to fly? Who was that red pony?” “You don't need to know” answered Applejack quickly, “Now be a good girl and go home with Zecora.” “And what are you gonna do?” the filly retorted looking around at the strange gathering, “Every pony has their saddlebags on like they're goen someplace; and look they've got our apples.” Apple Bloom pointed to an apple core Rapidfire had left on the ground. “You’re goen on an adventure with the Wonderbolts, arn't you? Where are you goen?” Rainbow knew Applejack wouldn't want to lie to Apple Bloom, but neither could she tell her the truth, so Rainbow decided to help her out. “Well you know how the Wonderbolts acted so mean before?” Apple Bloom nodded, “Well that’s because they've all been put under a curse by an evil enchantress that's made them lose their brains their hearts and their courage. But there's a good wizard who lives in the forest who’s able to make them all cool again, and so we're off to see the wizard!” Apple Bloom's eyes widened in amazement, “Is that what happened to them?” “Eeyup; and I just found out now that the spell took away my flying skills as well, so that's why I sucked so bad before.” This was a good save. It vindicated her and the Wonderbolts, gave the illusion they were doing something cool, and explained their presence in the forest. Rainbow mentally gave herself a high-hoof. “If you’re under a curse y’all should talk to Zecora. She's got cures for everythin.” “This is a special kind of curse, and it can only be broken by the wizard in the forest.” “I ain't never heard of this wizard. What's his name?” “His name? ...Awesome. His name is Awesome, but he prefers Awes for short; so ponies call him the Radical Wizard of Awes! He's the only one who can make the Wonderbolts awesome again, because... he's so awesome.” Apple Bloom scrutinized Rainbow's story for several moments and then looked to her sister in confusion, “Is she tellin' the truth?” Applejack smiled but shook her head. “I don't think so, though she might have been sayen somethen right about them Wonderbolts.” “Then why are you going?” insisted Apple Bloom, “And don't lie, I'll know.” “Your sister's judgment you should trust, and come with me without a fuss” chided Zecora as she began prodding Apple Bloom along with one hoof. “No” she stamped. “I wanna know what's really goin' on.” “You beat my patience as though like a drum. Our time wears thin and so now you must come.” Zecora reached forwards to pick Apple Bloom off the ground but Applejack placed a hoof on Zecora's. “I'll talk to her” Zecora gave Applejack a concerned glance but released Apple Bloom and stood back. Applejack placed both front hooves on her sisters shoulders and looked her in the eye. “Apple Bloom listen to me. I might be close to finden out what really happened to our parents.” “Is Awes gonna tell you?” “I dunno, but one way or another I'm gonna find out the truth.” “Then ahm coming too!” “No you ain't! You're goin' back to the farm with Zecora right now!” “But-” “No buts! Your leaving now and that's final! You can walk with Zecora or she can carry you. It's your choice.” “I... I'll walk” Apple Bloom finally conceded in defeat. “Then come along and let’s make haste, lest more time we come to waste” said Zecora as she started down the path to Ponyville. Apple Bloom gave Applejack a quick hug and then trotted off after Zecora. Applejack watched them leave with cold certainty on her face, “She'll try to follow us.” “Zecora seems like a responsible mare,” comforted Rainbow, “Don't worry.” “She's a slippery one that filly. I hope your right Rainbow Dash, cause if she gets away and comes after us, after what Shining Armor said about the forest...” Applejack couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, and neither could Rainbow.