//------------------------------// // Ch. 19 - Final Words // Story: What Would Daring Do? // by CommissarAJ //------------------------------// Chapter Nineteen: Final Words Rainbow Dash felt her heart tighten in her chest; never before had she experienced such a paralyzing mixture of excitement and trepidation. Her eyes remained fixated on the green field before her and the star-studded night sky that lay beyond. The air was crisp and cool with nary a breeze to be felt. It was perfect flying weather; it was the prime ingredient to a perfect flight. The stage was set and the audience was on its hooves in celebration. Rainbow could hear the chanting from where she stood in the tunnel leading out from the locker rooms. “Wonderbolts! Wonderbolts! Wonderbolts!” They might not have been echoing her name like the did in her dreams, but the effect was the same nonetheless. Besides, Rainbow Dash knew that somewhere up in the highest echelons of the arena, there were three ponies, three dear friends, cheering her name. It was hard for her not to think about her friends at a moment like this. They had done so much for her when she didn’t deserve special treatment, and she didn’t want to let them down. In fact, she wanted to put on the best show of her life for them, but for Applejack most of all. The simple fact that she had put up with so much of Rainbow’s numbskullery and was still willing to give her a chance was nothing short of a miracle. Actually, when she thought about it, what was really a miracle was how good Rarity was able to make the farmer pony look. The gala dresses looked amazing, but this time around Applejack just looked wing-fluttering good. Rainbow couldn’t help but continue imaging how the green silken dress hugged every curve upon that pony’s body from across her shoulders, along her back, and down her- “Rainbow!” The shout from behind her was followed a second later by a painful smack as somebody pulled on the elastics of her goggles and snapped them against the back of her head. While it stung, it had been necessary as Spitfire had been trying to get her attention for a while. “What is it, ma’am?” Rainbow almost had to shout to get her voice over the chanting that was reverberating through the arena. “Now would be a good time to lead us out,” she reminded. She directed Rainbow’s attention to a couple of ponies up ahead who were waving them in. “Oh, right!” Cursing her distracted mind, Rainbow began a steady trot towards the arena grounds that broke into a close-formation flying-V. The cheers erupted into a fevered pitch as the Wonderbolts flew out into the arena with a brilliant contrail of clouds and rainbow. ***************************** “So Rainbow is going to be leading the formation?” Twilight asked for clarification. When told that her rainbow-headed friend was going to be in the lead, Twilight didn’t clue in on the precise meaning and its implications. “Apparently Spitfire wanted her at the front or otherwise they’d lose points for looking all lopsided,” Applejack explained with a bit more clarity before she gave an indifferent shrug. “Or something like that. Ah don’t exactly get how these things are scored.” She remembered something about precision, coordination, and aesthetics, but that conversation happened when she had been feeling distraught over her situation with Rainbow Dash. As a result, her memory was spotty recalling the particulars. She trusted that Spitfire knew what she was doing, and she knew that Rainbow Dash would be up to the challenge. “I couldn’t help but notice the way that Rainbow Dash left the room,” Twilight said with a sly grin creeping upon her face. “I take it things are going well between you two?” The way that Twilight was smiling, a kind of knowing, playful smirk, made Applejack wonder just how much privacy had actually been given. She wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with Rainbow Dash, but she considered intimate moments to be something private. “Things are just fine n’ dandy with Rainbow,” Applejack answered. She kept her answer terse, but only because the show was about to start and her focus was elsewhere. “She just needed a little pep talk, that’s all.” “Must have been some pep talk,” the librarian giggled. The chanting from the rest of the ponies in attendance was beginning to escalate, which meant that the Wonderbolts were close to starting their show. “I’m happy for you, Applejack,” she added. “For both of you.” “Well thank you, Twilight. That’s mighty kind of you.” Though she didn’t expect any kind of negative reaction from any of her friends, Applejack still hoped that her new relationship wouldn’t upset her circle of friends. “You know Pinkie Pie is going to have a field day when she hears about this.” Twilight’s joking remark elicited a few chuckles from her friend who then nodded in agreement. No doubt Pinkie Pie would want to throw some kind of celebratory party in honour of this new romance. Then again, what situation didn’t make Pinkie Pie want to throw a party? Regardless of what their reactions were, Applejack was looking forward to returning home to Ponyville and seeing the rest of her friends again. It felt like she had been away for ages when, in reality, it had only been a few days. “By the way, where’s Rarity? Wasn’t she helping you with your dress?” “We ran into that Fancypants feller on the way back here,” Applejack explained. ‘Ran into’ was not the most accurate way to describe what happened. It would be more fair to say that Rarity spotted the familiar unicorn and proceeded to steamroll her way through the crowds to reach him. No doubt those two high-society ponies were off in their own private box. “She told me to tell you not to wait up for her, and that she’d meet up with you back at the hotel later.” “I guess it’s just the two of us then,” Twilight said. “By the way, I had been meaning to ask you something.” “What is it, Twi?” “It’s about that shipment of books-” “Oh, hey! The show’s about to start!” Applejack was saved by the bell, or announcer in this case. Just at that moment, the five-pony aerobatic masters, better known as the Wonderbolts, launched out onto the field. “Oh my gosh, there she is! Look!” Applejack didn’t need her friend to point out. She would have needed to be struck blind at that instant to have not seen Rainbow Dash at the lead of the formation. That rainbow-coloured mane and matching contrail of hers made her stand out like a beacon. Applejack couldn’t help but smile at the thought of all the ponies in the audience who were wondering who this magnificent mare was. “Just you watch, Twilight, this is going to be spectacular!” ***************************** “It was just awful!” Highwinds lamented as her head slammed against the tabletop. “A disaster! A horrible, horrible disaster!” Misty chimed in a moment later. With the exception of the Captain, the entire Wonderbolt team was huddled with sunken heads around the small, circular bar table. They cradled mugs of cider close as listless eyes gazed into their bubbling brews. Off in their dark, sullen corner of an otherwise lively Manehattan pub, not a single smile adorned any of the Wonderbolts. They exchanged nervous glances with one another, and occasionally one would glance over to the bar in the distance where a surly-looking Spitfire was waiting on the bartender. “Are we quite done yet?” Rainbow Dash finally spoke up after another minute of silence. Her patience with her teammates superfluous show of solidarity felt more like a mockery of her earlier concerns. She knew being the new girl on the team meant a bit of playful ribbing, but it was getting silly now. “She’s right,” Soarin’ said with a lighter tone to his voice. “I think we’ve paid enough respects to our fellow fliers. So here’s a toast!” Spirits lifted along with their mugs as the senior Wonderbolt rose from his seat. “Here is to the Starlight Dancers whose most magnificent of mid-air meltdowns allowed the Wonderbolts to leap-frog up the scoreboards!” “It really was just awful,” Highwinds said while trying to avoid sounding too happy about that fact. “That routine of theirs was a disaster,” Misty added. “I don’t think I’ve a choke that bad since Highwind almost swallowed a meadowlark just before the Vanhoover airshow.” “Hey! That bird came at me from outta nowhere! He was out for my blood.” Highwind’s attempts to defend his honour were met with a pantomime of the aforementioned event. Misty proved to be a versatile actress as she feigned a coughing, gagging fit with high-pitched squeaks for help. By the time Soarin’ got the team to settle down again, Highwind was drowning his embarrassment in hard cider. “As I was saying,” Soarin’ spoke up again, “thanks to the Starlight Dancers gracefully plummeting down the scoreboard, the Wonderbolts were able to sail smoothly into a second-place finish. I know Spitfire will say this all again, but I want to thank you guys for all your hard work. Misty, Highwind, you both flew wonderfully together, and don’t be surprised if we start doing that more often.” The two congratulated Wonderbolts flashed each other self-aggrandizing smiles before exchanging high-five slaps with their wings. Then Soarin’ and the other Wonderbolts turned their attention over to Rainbow Dash. “And of course, a toast to Rainbow Dash for whom without we would not have been in this mess, nor would we have been able to get out of it!” Rainbow Dash felt a small tinge of embarrassment, but the smiles of approval given by all the other pegasi at the table was a clear indication that no ill will was held. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Rainbow saw nothing but pride and approval from the other Wonderbolts. Were her wings not so tired out from a long day of flight, she would have been liable to rocket through the roof alongside her ego. Soarin’ said something else to conclude his toast but by that point Rainbow was so wrapped up in her own egoism that she wouldn’t have heard a thundercloud atop of her head. Her mind and focus was dragged back down to reality by the clatter of mugs. “So what is Spifire doing over by the bar?” Rainbow asked. The Wonderbolt Captain had not spent much time with the time since their arrival at the tavern for their post-flight celebration. In fact, Spitfire looked to be the most dour pony in the room. “Just a little tradition,” Misty explained. “After any of the big competitions, the captain of the second-place team has to buy a drink for the captain of the winning team, and vice-versa.” Judging by all the smirks across the table, plus the Captain’s lack thereof, Rainbow suspected that there was a bit more to the tradition than just a few simple drinks. “So why does Spitfire look like she’s about to get root canal?” “That has more to do with the choice of drinks,” Soarin’ elaborated as he motioned for Rainbow to pay particular attention to the bar. “You see, the Captain of the winning team gets a glass of...um, what was it again this year?” “Glentrot single malt, eighteen years,” Misty stepped in with the answer. “Oh my goodness, that’s a good one.” Soarin’ sounded envious that he wouldn’t be the recipient of the drink. “And it also costs sixty bits a glass.” “Sounds nice,” Rainbow commented. She didn’t know much about liquors beyond simple ciders. Granted, when you lived near Sweet Apple Acres there was little need to experiment with other beverages. Rainbow could have lived on nothing but cider and still die a happy pony. “And what does Spitfire drink?” “A particular concoction that the bartender keeps for such special occasions and degreasing large engines.” Soarin’s description had left Rainbow with a sense of morbid curiosity. Thankfully said curiosity did not have to wait long as Spitfire was joined at the bar by a sleek and powerful-looking gryphon. A quick whisper from Soarin’ revealed that it was Harkoni, Captain of the Gryphon Kingdom’s Golden Eagles. His team had beat out the Wonderbolts by a narrow margin and he appeared to be quite pleased with himself. Rainbow suspected that he had been on the receiving end of this tradition on many occasions, and was looking forward to seeing Spitfire swallow her pride, along with a beverage that three out of five doctors would classify as a toxin. As for Spitfire, she looked upon the glass set before her with thinly-veiled trepidation as though she were a filly about to take their first jump off a cloud. After several tense seconds of starting at the murkey brown liquid, Spitfire shut her eyes tight and slammed the contents of the glass back. At first, the Wonderbolt Captain didn’t react, nor even put the glass down. Then the glass slipped from her hoof as the pony began to clutch at her throat as though flames were spewing forth. Next came the coughing fit, which progressively grew worse and worse until she was flailing about the bar like a pony having a seizure. Her face went several shades of red over the course of her convulsive fit before she let out a rather melodramatic gasp and collapsed to the floor. Once the Wonderbolts were finished laughing, Soarin’ got up and trotted over to his beleaguered Captain in order to render aid. “Quite finished, dear?” Soarin’ quipped as he nudged her with his hoof. “I can’t feew ma tong,” Spitfire whimpered. “That’s just your tastebuds committing suicide,” he reassured her before hoisting her back to her hooves. He kindly offered to act as support as he helped the weak-legged pegasus back to the table. No sooner had he helped her into a chair did Spitfire grab for the nearest mug of cider, which just so happened to be Soarin’s. She threw back almost half of its contents in a fervent rush, as though dousing a fire. “Thundering nimbus,” Spitfire gasped in relief. She almost planted her face onto the table, but stopped just short by cushioning the landing with her forehoof. “What feather-brained moron thought up of this stupid tradition?” “That would be you,” Soarin’ said. “You used to do competitions during weeks at training camps. Of course, you had to stop that when Celestia ordered you to stop poisoning your teammates.” Spitfire only groaned an incoherent response, which was her way of admitting defeat. She felt kind of silly forgetting that little detail, but she was willing to attribute her forgetfulness to the fact that her brain was still reeling from the first drink. It felt like somepony had knocked her brain out with a flaming, lead brick. She did recall setting up those competitions as Soarin’ had described. The point of the horrid drink was to give sufficient motivation to whoever was likely to be runner-up to try harder. Suffice to say, Spitfire felt motivated to do better next time as she was certain her liver couldn’t survive another hit like that. “I am starting to understand the Princess’ wisdom in that decision,” Spitfire groaned. She wanted to make a proper address to her team in order to congratulate them for all their hard work. Alas, it was hard to focus when it felt as though something had crawled into her throat and died. Mustering all of her willpower, Spitfire shot back up to her hooves, and would’ve fallen right back over had it not been for Soarin’ lending her support. “I just want to thank you all for putting up with my personal drama. You guys really are the best team a pegasus could ask for.” “Oh come on, Captain, no need to get all mushy on us,” Highwinds joked. It appeared that Spitfire was the only pony at the table who held her to a higher standard. “I’m serious, you guys!” Despite her insistence, the rest of the Wonderbolts weren’t interested in listening to any further apologies. They laughed off her repeated attempts at a heartfelt apology. As far as they were concerned, there was a much better way to settle matters on the team. “By the way Captain,” Misty said as she leaned down to grab something that had been stowed under the table, “in honour of this momentous occasion of your first spectacular, flaming face-plant, we have gotten you a little something.” Spitfire felt a sense of dreading rising up through her given that her whole team looked as though they were on the brink of another fit of laughter. It appeared that ‘forgive and forget’ was off the menu, and her fears were confirmed when Misty set a small pineapple-shaped cake on the table. The words ‘five year dry spell’ were written upon it in bright red icing. Spitfire gazed at the fruit-shaped confection with a mixture of amusement and horrid realization. Everyone else at the table was snickering while their Captain began to turn several shades of red. “Wh-what is the meaning of this?” she eventually managed to stammer out. “Well we couldn’t let last night’s occasion go without notice,” Highwind explained. “Especially considering how...vocal the two of you were.” “V-vocal?” Spitfire murmured. Misty once again put her skills as an actress to the test as she performed an intricate oral re-enactment of the events that transpired in Spitfire’s hotel room. Her exuberance garnered quite a bit of attention from the other patrons at the bar, which only made the fluster on the Captain’s face intensify. The impromptu one-pony show came to an abrupt halt when the cake was hurled right into Misty’s face, splattering her in a fine layer of icing and pineapple filling. “Totally worth it,” Misty proclaimed with a vibrant grin. ***************************** “You are the last pegasus I thought I’d see a sad face on.” The sudden voice snapped Rainbow Dash’s focus back to reality. She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts, gazing listlessly into her mug, that she failed to even notice the Wonderbolt Captain approaching until she had dropped onto the neighboring barstool. The party had been going on for a while with well over half of the patrons now in varying stages of inebriation. Even the Wonderbolt Captain was sporting a lasting whiskey blush. “So what’s eating you, hot shot?” Spitfire inquired. Despite nursing what was her fifth or sixth drink of the night, it was evident that she still had all her wits about her. “Most ponies in your position would be celebrating their achievement until the sun came up.” “I guess I’m just not feeling it,” Rainbow admitted reluctantly. While most of the other Wonderbolts were scattered throughout the tavern mingling with the other competitors, Rainbow had spent the bulk of her time at the bar. A number of fliers from other teams stopped by briefly for an introduction, but most of the conversations were cut short by other patrons. “It’s because she’s not here, isn’t it?” Spitfire didn’t even need to see the affirmative nod to know that was right. If she had been in Rainbow’s place, she would probably feel the same way. In fact, she wouldn’t have even bothered staying for long, which begged the question as to why Rainbow was. “Pretty much,” Rainbow muttered in response. In truth, she wasn’t paying much attention to the pony beside her as she had plunged into deep thought once more. She remembered how she felt hanging out with the Wonderbolts back during the Grand Galloping Gala. Back then, being invited into the VIP section by Spitfire made her feel as giddy as a schoolfilly. At the gala, she had snubbed spending time with her friends in favor of her idols, and while the night ended in a disaster, Rainbow only regretted not doing enough to garner the Wonderbolts’ attention. Now Rainbow found herself at a small, private party with the Wonderbolts and had not just their attention but their gratitude as well. She had everything she wanted back during the gala, and yet all she really wanted was to be with Applejack. Victory didn’t feel quite like it when you couldn’t celebrate with those that you held dear. “Then why are you still here?” Spitfire asked. Were she in Rainbow’s position, she would have left the party the moment things got dreary. The fact the pony she’d be leaving the party for was Applejack raised even more questions. “Oh! Well, there was something I had been meaning to talk to you about,” Rainbow Dash began as she fidgeted with her stein. Nervousness was not something that she was comfortable with so she just went ahead before nerves could overwhelm her. “I hung around because I was hoping you’d eventually ask me to stay on the team permanently.” Spitfire raised a quizzical eyebrow but didn’t appear to be visibly surprised by Rainbow’s confession. Instead, she rested her chin upon a curled hoof and said, “And what makes you think I would?” “Because you’ve seen what I can do,” Rainbow insisted, “and I know you said that you were only making me a reservist temporarily. But this isn’t like after the Best Young Fliers Competition where we just hung out and flew loops for fun. You said so yourself back in Ponyville that all I needed was more discipline.” While this sudden proclamation didn’t strike the Wonderbolt Captain as surprising, the strength of the young flier’s arguments were. Spitfire could not deny that much had changed since their conversation in the Ponyville library. “You’ve already brought me half-way there! I can do this, Spitfire! You know it, I know it, and even those dolts on the Starlight Dancers know it!” Spitfire took a moment to contemplate the arguments made. She came to her decision quickly but decided to make it seem like it was a more thoughtful answer than it was. The appearance that she didn’t make the decision in haste would help soften the blow. “I can’t,” she answered. The answer came as a considerable shock to Rainbow Dash. The stunning blow to her ego alone left her sitting on the barstool slack-jawed for a brief moment. Despite simplicity, it took Rainbow a second to finally squeak out a response. “What?” “I can’t make you a part of the team right now.” “I heard you the first time!” The reaction could have convinced Spitfire of otherwise. “I don’t get it. Everyone else on the team was saying that I should start the initiation training with you guys. I know I can sound a bit full of myself at times but you’d be crazy not to take me!” “Of course I’d be crazy not to take you!” Spitfire exclaimed as she threw her hooves into the air for added emphasis. it almost knocked her beverage over in the process. “You’re as sloppy as a drunk in a windstorm and you’re still almost as good as me. Just imagine the kind of stuff you could do when you’re skills are honed to a razor’s edge. You’d be absolutely, undeniably unstoppable!” It might have been drunk praise but it was praise nonetheless so Rainbow took it for all that it was worth. It still left the foreboding sense that a giant elephant-sized ‘but’ was about to be dropped on her head. “Every captain and news outlet from here to the Gryphon kingdom is going to call me a fool, but I can’t take you. I can’t do that to her.” “To her? You mean Applejack?” Spitfire was relieved to see that Rainbow Dash hadn’t drank so much that she couldn’t follow the conversation to its conclusions. However, Rainbow’s confusion still persisted so Spitfire was forced to make her reasoning more clear. “Rainbow, do you have any idea how difficult the training period is for a Wonderbolt Initiate?” Rainbow Dash froze for a brief moment, and Spitfire could pinpoint the exact instant that the coin dropped inside the young pegasus’ mind. The realization had come slowly, but it hit Rainbow with the force of a lightning bolt. “If you think this morning was tough training, multiply that by a hundred times and you’ll get the general idea,” Spitfire continued in order to make the point as clear as possible. “We’re talking bi-weekly training camps at the academy, participating in every team practice, and travelling with the team to almost every major event of the aerobatic circuit. I am not exaggerating when I say you’ll have at best two or three months worth of free time during the next year and a half.” That was a lot of time to spend away from not just home, but from Ponyville and all her friends. A few days or maybe a week or two wasn’t as big a deal, but training as a Wonderbolt meant spending almost all of her free time with the team. She had always looked at Spitfire and saw the kind of pegasus that she had wanted to be. But now that she knew the details up close, was that what she wanted? To be a pony who spent almost every waking minute training and studying? A pegasus that sacrificed almost everything outside of her career to be the best? With the exception of Applejack, did Spitfire even have friends beyond the Wonderbolts? “I won’t lie to you,” Spitfire continued. “The initiation phase of a Wonderbolt is a lot of hard work and a lot of time dedicated to the team. It’ll put a strain on any relationship; even mine, and I was with Soarin’ at the time.” Rainbow Dash could see why Spitfire would be so hesitant to force Applejack into such a situation. After all the deceit and turmoil that had transpired, asking her to put up with Rainbow galavanting across Equestria for the better part of an eighteen-month stretch was beyond unreasonable. It was almost a complete betrayal. That thought alone was enough to plant seeds of doubt within her mind. “W-well, it’s only a few months, I’m sure we could manage,” Rainbow Dash tried to argue back. The Wonderbolt Captain looked unconvinced as she shrugged her shoulders and took another sip from her drink. “And what happens afterwards? You’ll be put on the circuit and become a big-time star by the end of the first quarter. You’ll be sought after by every sports journalist in Canterlot and Manehattan, not to mention you’d be buried in invitations. Is that really the kind of environment you want to try and build a relationship in?” “But you were dating Applejack!” “I’m also Team Captain,” Spitfire quipped. “I have the luxury of being able to make my own schedule. Plus I don’t seek out the spotlight like a certain young pegasus.” The accusatory glare was enough to break any desire Rainbow might have had to defend against such a label. Deep down, she knew that Spitfire was right about that. If she did become a Wonderbolt, she would be spending a lot of time showboating and glory-seeking. That would strain an already fragile relationship that had to endure long periods of separation thanks to the initiation training. Could Applejack endure that kind of effort? Could Rainbow Dash even ask that of her? Seeing that she had succeeded in robbing the young pegasus of any and all joy she might have been feeling that night, Spitfire softened her attitude and gave a supportive pat on the back. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t like having to tell you no either.” That had the opposite effect, unfortunately, and only made Rainbow’s head sink slower until she was almost face-first into her drink. Maybe reassurances weren’t the right answer. “Five years ago, I made a choice between pursuing my dreams and staying with the pony I loved. I chose my career and spent the next five years being alone and miserable. It was the biggest mistake of my life.” “Yeah, but in the last five years, you reshaped the Wonderbolts into what they are now,” Rainbow said. She wasn’t trying to make it sound like such a sacrifice had been worth it, but she hoped to help put things in perspective. “You can’t just tell me to give up on my dreams.” A small, bitter smile curled upon the Captain’s lip for a brief moment. She gazed across the bar to some ponies who were sitting at the far side of the tavern. Amongst the rambunctious pegasus was Soarin’ who was regaling the others with another story of self-deprecating humour. “Dreams are important, Rainbow, but eventually you wake up. It’s just as important to make sure that you wake up to something equally worthwhile.” Another harsh truth, especially with regards to the Wonderbolt. Aerobatics was a hard sport that was even harder on the wings. Most fliers stayed in the game for maybe a decade before wear and tear began to slow a pegasus down. A great flier like Spitfire could last until a second decade but the later years would be a slow decline from the glory of her prime. Rainbow Dash was still young and if she started now she had the prospect of a long and bright future ahead of her in the game. But Rainbow Dash would eventually wake from that dream too, and then what? “So you’re saying that I have to choose between Applejack or the Wonderbolts?” a mournful Rainbow Dash spoke up. Suddenly, Spitfire just let out a terse little giggle. “I just said I can’t do it right now. The training time would be tough on a relationship, but I never said that it meant a relationship was impossible.” Spitfire almost had to laugh at the idea that a Wonderbolt had to choose between the sport and their love life. She wound up making such a choice but only because her own pride had forced herself into such a position. The idea of lots of single, lonely Wonderbolts was slightly amusing, especially considering the ever-growing list of Highwind’s sexual conquests. “Take a year or two and spend it with Applejack. The girl deserves to be given a loving, meaningful relationship and I know you can do that. Later on maybe you’ll find something more worthwhile than the Wonderbolts. If you don’t, however, and you think that your relationship with Applejack is strong enough to weather anything the world can throw at you two then you can come find me. Promise me you won’t join up with anybody else and I’ll keep a slot open for you.” “You’d be willing to wait that long?” Rainbow said with a bit of surprise. It was a rather eloquent, yet simple,  solution to both of their problems. It wasn’t as though the team or the offer was going to disappear the moment Rainbow Dash trotted out the door. “Like I said, I’d be crazy not to take you,” Spitfire answered, “but a pony like Applejack only comes along once in a lifetime and you’d be crazy not to take her.” ***************************** The platform at the train station was particularly crowded that morning. Granted, there had been a lot more traffic coming into town in the days following the shoot-out with Billy and his gang. Supplies, workers, marshalls, and more were all coming into town, and all of it was connected in one way or another to what had transpired just days earlier. Daring Do had spent those few days in town recovering from the injuries she had sustained, as well as helping some of the townsfolk sift through the debris of the old saloon. There was still a big pile of charred and splintered wood when she eventually gave up in her search. There were a few scraps of leather and a burnt-up hat, but no other sign of the nameless mare in the wreckage. “Are you sure you don’t want any sort of payment?” Doc Tenderhoof asked for the hundredth time since the marshals took Billy away. “It was you and Blondie that did most of the work.” “I didn’t come here to make money,” Daring Do replied as she checked her watch. Her train back east would be arriving soon, and she was anxious to return home and put this chapter of her life behind her. It felt like a defeat to have worked so hard only to return home with empty hooves, but she carried with her the small hint of satisfaction in knowing that she had done some good. “Besides, we wrecked almost a quarter of the town. The town needs that money a lot more than I do.” The sound of a steam whistle in the distance took Daring’s attention to the approaching train in the distance. It was a most curious feeling to be torn between wanting to leave and wanting to stay. Maybe it was because returning home meant that she was really gone forever, and Daring didn’t want to accept that. “Are you guys going to be okay? Nobody’s going to come seeking revenge?” “I doubt it,” Tenderhoof said as he glanced back towards the town. It had only been a few days but ponies were already out in force working to rebuild. “With the bounty money from Billy and his friends, we’ve got supplies and new workers coming in, and with that new blood comes new money. Plus with all those thugs gone, ponies might be willing to start travelling out this far again. I think this town is finally going to be all right.” “That’s good to hear,” Daring said. It was good news, but it still felt bitter to her taste. As the train pulled into the station, the town doctor turned his attention to the archaeologist who would soon be leaving. “I know you’ve probably heard it a hundred times already, but I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. We won’t ever forget what you’ve done; you and Blondie have given everyone in this town a second chance.” “Yeah,” a morose Daring murmured. “I suppose Blondie got what she wanted in the end: a final farewell in a blaze of glory that everypony will remember.” “I can assure you that nopony here will ever forget Blondie’s sacrifice.” He paused for a moment as the train began came to a halt before them, temporarily drowning out all other noise with its metallic screech. “Some of the townsfolk are thinking of getting a statue built in the center of town to honour her.” “I bet she’d really like that.” The thought of a stone statue dedicated to the foul-tempered, trigger-happy gunslinger brought a small curl to the pegasus’ lips. No doubt the coming months and years would see Blondie’s story told time and time again by the townsfolk with each retelling becoming more grandiose. She wouldn’t have been surprised if that had been Blondie’s hope from the start. With the train stewards beginning to make their boarding calls, Tenderhoof and Daring Do made their final farewells and parted ways. Daring was sad to say goodbye to this chaotic little frontier town, but she had a life to return to and a lot of papers to grade. Despite all good reason pointing to leaving, Daring hesitated to take that first step. In all of her travels and adventures, she had always prided herself on never giving up, but returning home felt like exactly that. The amulet was gone, not that she was too concerned about that anymore, and so was Blondie. The crowds of ponies coming and going reminded Daring that the world was still moving forward regardless of how she felt. It wasn’t until one inconsiderate mare bumped into her hindquarter that she was finally knocked back to her senses. “Careful!” Daring snapped back almost instinctively. She was about to give that mare a piece of her mind when she heard something clatter at her feet. The impact must have caused the other pony to drop some of her belongings. “Hey! You dropped somethi-” Daring was half-way to scooping up the dropped item when her train of thought completely derailed. What she picked up wasn’t just some loose bobble, but a familiar gold, jeweled amulet. What surprised Daring most was not that it was the Amulet of the Equilla, but the presence of a single lead bullet, twisted and tangled within the otherwise unblemished metalwork. Perhaps there had been some truth in that legend of invulnerability. It took her a few moments of staring at the deformed lead slug before its significance became clear. “The bullet that Billy shot,” Darin murmured under her breath once the realization sank in. If the amulet had stopped that crippling shot then that was not just any inconsiderate mare who bumped into it. Daring swung about face so fast it almost gave her whiplash. “Blondie?” she called out. Alas, there was no sign of the nameless mare; the crowd was too thick to see. Without the telltale hat or coat, she was looking for an orange pony with a blonde mane, which was a wide net to cast on short notice. She was about to give chase, but a final boarding call from the train’s conductor stopped her from such foolishness. “I guess this is what she wanted,” Daring muttered to herself as she glanced back to the amulet hanging from her hoof. Daring was glad that she hadn’t given up hope. She had her prize at long last, and she would soon have it safely stored in a museum for the world to see. Daring was still sad to leave, but she reminded herself that some ponies were just born to roam free. And somewhere out there in the desert of the untamed west was a mare; a mare with no name. In her own way she is, perhaps, the most dangerous pony who ever lived. ***************************** “And somewhere out there in the desert of the untamed west was a mare; a mare with no name. In her own way she is, perhaps, the most dangerous pony who ever lived.” “Now that was a mighty fine ending,” Applejack commented. “And you are one hay of a storyteller.” A faint blush crept up upon the pegasus’ cheeks as she closed the tome and set it aside. She wasn’t sure why the compliment spurred such a visceral response from her. Perhaps it was because the two mares were curled up alongside one another upon Applejack’s bed back home in Ponyville, or perhaps it was due to the late hour and the setting sun bringing a more tranquil and intimate atmosphere to their time together. Either way, Rainbow Dash liked the way it made her feel. Applejack let out a quiet yawn before she rested her head against the pegasus’ shoulder. “For what it’s worth, Ah really appreciate that you’re willing to put the Wonderbolts on hold just for me.” That, by no means, meant that Applejack was going to live with the notion that she, for some reason, kept Rainbow Dash from achieving her dreams. If anything, Applejack was going to remember and make sure that she went back to the Wonderbolts once their relationship was strong enough to weather it. It wouldn’t be easy, but the best things in life never were. “After everything you’ve done for me, it’s the least I could do,” Rainbow Dash said as she draped a wing across her girlfriend’s back. “Besides, how else are you going to know what an awesome girlfriend I can be if you don’t spend time with me?” Whether it was serious or not, Applejack just laughed in response. “Right you are, sugarcube,” she said between chuckles. “And you can bet your apples that Ah’m looking forward to each and every day of that.” Suffice to say, there would be no shortage of confidence in this relationship. Reaching up, she gently nuzzled her cheek against the other mare. The warmth was gentle and inviting and provided a stark contrast to the cooling evening air. “So what’cha want to do now?” The half-innocent, half-teasing question elicited a playful little laugh from the pegasus, who curled her wing to tickle at the other mare’s side. “Up for a little game perhaps?” she coyly replied. The playful tease, however, sparked an unexpected response from Applejack. “Oh, that reminds me actually!” she said as she reached for her bedside table. “Twilight suggested that we ought to take a gander at this book together.” Rainbow Dash was a bit confused as to what spurred this shift in focus, but she was curious enough to indulge. She wondered as to what sort of book her egghead friend would have recommended for the two of them. What Applejack set down in front of her only spurred more confusion. “Now why would I want to read a book about types of hay?” END