Chapter 5: Last Place
Rainbow Dash was stunned, confused, and out of breath. It was hard for her to consider the notion, much less experience the truth first hoof. But there was no way around it. Rainbow Dash had come in second place.
“Aww yeah! Still the fast thing with two wings!” Gilda gloated, breathing heavily. The feathers on her head were coated with sweat, proof she pushed herself just as hard as her pegasus friend.
One of the counselors trotted over to the two and commented, “Well, it seems we have some early finishers on our time trial. You gals know it was just a simple test to figure out your average, correct?”
Gilda quickly responded, “Yeah, but where’s the fun in not pushing yourself to go faster? Right, Dash?”
The blue pegasus didn’t respond. She sat on near the finish line with her head staring down at the ground, still unable to fathom what had happened.
“Yo, Rainbow Dash, you alright?” the griffin asked, waving a talon in front of her face.
“Huh?” she snapped back to reality, “Oh, yeah….fun….” Her words were detached and seemed to be forced out of her.
Gilda shrugged, “Whatever.”
As more of the flyers crossed the finish line, they noticed the times that were posted, showing how close of a race it was for first between Rainbow Dash and Gilda. Many of them went up to the griffin to congratulate her on the time in which she finished as well as her coming in first place. Dash, however, was ignored by the crowd as she sat on the empty bleachers. It was probably best that she was, as she was mad at herself.
’I can’t believe you, Rainbow Dash, how could you mess up so badly!’ she thought to herself, hitting her head with both of her front hooves. She turned see the crowd around Gilda. The griffin was showing off her wings to others. ’How could you lose to her! You are the fastest pegasus around!’ her thoughts kept beating herself at her failure.
One of the camp counselors trotted over to the small filly. With blue and white hat and shirt contrasting against his green coat and mane, he spoke, “Hey, Rainbow Dash, you really pushed yourself out there. You certainly got some speed under your wings. Lee Merry would certainly be impressed your performance, and so would the WonderBolts.”
Rainbow was silent, not even so much as looking at him. She didn’t even bother to wipe the sweat that was slowly moving down to her muzzle.
“You alright there, Rainbow Dash? You need to see the nurse?” the counselor asked as he moved around as to see if he could get into Rainbow’s line of sight.
“I lost….”she mumbled.
“Come again?”
“The race….I lost to Gilda.”
“It wasn’t a race, Rainbow Dash, just a time trial to test everypony’s speed, that’s all,” he tried his best to reassure the filly.
“But I didn’t win….” her head still had not moved except for her muzzle as she spoke.
“Well, no, I guess not, but you did come in a close second.”
Rainbow’s head finally moved, quickly snapping towards the counselor, “Second place is the same as last place!” Her words were filled with anger and sorrow, “I might as well be the first loser!”
“Rainbow Dash, it’s just a race. It’s not the end of Equestria,” the counselor insisted.
“But it might as well be to me! When I race, I race to win, and to only win! If I come in second, I might as well just not race at all and save myself the humiliation!” Rainbow Dash stared fiercely at the counselor.
“Is winning all that important to you?” he asked, keeping his tone calm and collected.
“Of course! I have to make my family proud with what I do! My dad is a racer, his dad was too! My mom….” Dash paused herself slightly at the word before continuing, “….was a racer….it’s in my blood!”
“If it means that much to you,” the counselor shrugged.
“It does! And it just bothers me so much that I lost to her,” Rainbow Dash turned her head to glare at the crowd that encompassed Gilda. “She’s good, I give her that, but I know I’m better.”
“Do you really?”
“I know I am!” Dash became defensive, even sulking at him, “I’m the fastest filly there is! Just look at her. Her large wings must have given her an advantage, that must be it! How else could have it happened? If it wasn’t for my tiny wings, I would have had her!”
The counselor sighed, “I think you’re over reacting, Rainbow Dash.”
“I think you’re not reacting enough!” the blue filly quickly replied, not completely thinking of what she just said.
“Well, so you know, I can help you get better if you want,” the counselor stated.
“What are ya talking about?” Rainbow Dash was finally wiping the sweat off her face.
“I’m saying I can help you with your flying with some one-on-one if you want. I’m not going to force you or anything, just offering it if you want it,” the counselor explained.
“Thanks, but I don’t need any help from a stallion whose, like thirty or whatever.”
The counselor seemed to take offense to the filly’s statement, “Hey, I’m nineteen, alright? And I don’t have to do this, you know.”
“Then don’t, cause I don’t want it,” Rainbow Dash stood up, “And I don’t need it either. I’m perfectly capable of getting better on my own.”
“With the way you beat yourself up? I highly doubt that, squirt,” the stallion expressed his concern.
“Don’t call me that!” Dash blurted, “And I’m perfectly fine on my own, thank you!” Rainbow Dash hopped down from the bleachers and trotted towards the mess hall.
“The offer stands, Rainbow Dash. If you change your mind, meet me here at midnight any day this week,” the counselor called out as Rainbow Dash trotted away.
“Whatever….” Dash didn’t care what he had to say. She just wanted to get as far away from anypony or anything and not be bothered.