//------------------------------// // Chapter 48 // Story: The Winning Failure // by marley //------------------------------// Chapter 48 The three ponies packed up their materials and took them to the desk near the entrance. They were preparing to go with Immelmane when Rainbow Dash noticed the gate guard talking to some pony at the gate. Though most of the pony outside the gate was blocked by the guard, some pink hair was visible. Rainbow Dash went to investigate. “Could you send a message to Rainbow Dash and let her know I'm here?” asked Fluttershy. “I will as soon as my partner gets back,” said the guard. “It will only be a few minutes.” “Hi Fluttershy, all done with your sales visits?” said Dash. “Oh Rainbow Dash!” said Fluttershy. “Yes, I'm all done for today. I was just trying to send a message to let you know I was here.” “You can sign her in Ms. Dash,” said the guard, “just don't fly off without signing her out.” “Sure, let her in,” replied Dash. “We'll be going out to the training area for a while but we'll be coming back here before we leave.” “That will be fine ma'am,” said the guard. He opened the gate and Fluttershy entered. She has a look of wonder on her face. She waited while Rainbow Dash signed her in. Frost and Firewing are watching from the doorway. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy join them. “Hi Fluttershy,” said Firewing. “Hello Firewing,” said Fluttershy, “I never thought I'd be inside this place.” “Fluttershy, you probably recognize Frost,” said Dash. “Frost, this is Fluttershy. You might not remember her from when we were little. She lives in Ponyville now.” “Pleased to meet you Fluttershy,” said Frost. “I sort of remember you, but I don't think we've ever spoken.” “No, I don't think we have,” said Fluttershy. “I'm happy to meet another of Rainbow Dash's friends. I enjoyed the routine you did last week.” “Thank you,” said Frost. “That's a lovely suit you're wearing. Firewing and Dash have been telling us all about Rarity and her designs.” “She is so talented,” said Fluttershy. “I just love this.” “Much better than the black one you had on last time I saw you,” said Frost slyly. “Oh! Umm...yes,” said Fluttershy. Frost laughed. “Dash told us all about your spy mission. It's cool.” “We should get going,” said Dash, “we don't want to keep Immelmane waiting.” They headed into the compound towards the courtyard. Rainbow Dash had a quick word with Fluttershy. “Be nice to Mr. Immelmane, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow. “And don't bring up what I told you about him. Don't worry, he doesn't bite.” “Alright, I think I'm okay,” said Fluttershy. “I never was in trouble like you were. If you can be friends with him, I guess I can too.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “That's right.” Immelmane was waiting in the courtyard. His platform was there but the pegasi to carry it were not. “Hey Mr. Immelmane,” called Rainbow Dash, “look what I found at the gate.” Immelmane turned and smiled as the girls approached. “You remember Fluttershy,” said Dash. “Of course!” said Immelmane. “What a lovely pegasus mare you've turned out to be. Welcome to the Wonderbolt compound.” Fluttershy blushed. “Thank you Mr. Immelmane. I never thought I'd be standing here.” “You said you wanted to see her flight suit so I signed her in,” said Dash. Immelmane backed away from Fluttershy a few paces. “Yes, let me get a good look at you. Yes, that is a beautiful suit. It's good enough for a show!” “Yep, Rarity sure can sew,” said Dash. “I'll bring at least one the next time I'm here.” “I think I'll stop by that shop when I come to Ponyville,” said Frost. “Her work is just great. I loved that dress you wore to the dinner, Dash.” “You might not have to wait,” said Fluttershy. “Some of her designs will soon be in the shops here in Cloudsdale.” “Oh no, Rarity said she wanted to do Frost's herself,” put in Dash. “Why?” asked Frost. “She doesn't even know me.” “For one thing she knows you're my friend,” said Dash. “For another, she finds your coloring 'intriguing' whatever she meant by that.” “Oh my! I'm intriguing?” laughed Frost. “Okay, I'll wait to meet her.” “I don't know what is keeping my helpers,” said Immelmane. “We need to get going.” “There's four of us,” said Dash. “We could haul you out there.” “Sure, we can do it,” said Frost. Immelmane looked at the mares. “Have..er..have any of you actually carried a litter before?” The girls look at each other. Firewing, Rainbow Dash and Frost all shook there heads no. “Not one big enough for a pony,” said Fluttershy. The others looked at her. “I use one sometimes when I have to move animals around,” explained Fluttershy. “Little animals.” “I think I'll wait for my regular crew,” said Immelmane. “Why don't you fly out to the training area, I'll be along shortly.” “Okay,” said Dash, “ but I don't know why you need this thing. You can glide. Why not just let us tow you up?” “I do that sometimes,” said Immelmane. “I use the litter most of the time because I'm usually carrying a lot of extra stuff.” He pointed a hoof toward the litter. In addition to Immelmane's papers there are containers of water, towels and some boxes of unknown items. “Yeah, I see,” said Dash. “Okay, we'll see you later then.” Firewing, Frost and Rainbow Dash took off and started towards the training area. Fluttershy did not. “Fly along my dear, it's alright,” said Immelmane. “Oh thank you,” said Fluttershy. “I didn't know if non-Wonderbolts were allowed.” “Not without permission,” said Immelmane, “if any pony asks, just say that I gave you permission.” “Thank you again,” said Fluttershy. “Um Mr. Immelmane? I'm glad Rainbow Dash made up with you. She really looks up to you now. That's kind of rare with her.” “I'm glad too,” said Immelmane. “Fly along now. Your friends are fast.” “Oh my!” Fluttershy took off and tried to gain on the others. Immelmane chuckled. “She's flying much better now. Much better.” They spent the rest of the afternoon watching Windyday and the rest of the Wonderbolts practice. The stallions watched the mares perform and then critiqued them. The males then took off and the mares rested and watched them, offering their opinions when they landed. Immelmane did arrive after a short delay and critiqued the team after they performed together. Rainbow Dash, Frost and Firewing talked among themselves but didn't comment to any of the Wonderbolts about the quality of their work. They were all fascinated by the professionalism of the team. Praise and criticism both were accepted with grace and humility, sometimes with even a shared laugh between comrades. It was all very businesslike with every pony working to make the routine the best possible. Assistants helped the performers with anything they needed, from fresh quills for their notebooks to lineament for strained muscles. During a break Rainbow Dash took a moment to talk to Spitfire. “Hey Spitfire,” said Dash. “Every pony is looking pretty good up there.” “Not bad at all,” said Spitfire, “but just wait until the show, it will be great by then. Is this what you expected?” “Yes and no,” said Dash. “The flying is what I expected it to be but the discussions after the flying isn't. I thought it would be a bunch of coaches yelling and telling you to work harder and how bad you look. You're all so cool about it, even if some pony says you did something wrong.” Spitfire laughed. “Not every practice is this smooth. We can get on each other sometimes but we're team mates. We can't let anything get between us. And we're adults; this isn't a junior flight camp. Every pony here is a great flier but we also know that we're not perfect. You have to be able to take criticism without getting angry.” Rainbow Dash laughed. “Like when Firewing said my moves were barely adequate.” Spitfire was surprised. “She said that?” “Yeah, it was the day before we started the try outs,” said Dash. “We went out to practice and I showed her some basic moves. I had no idea I looked that bad.” “And you didn't get mad?” asked Spitfire. “I was too stunned to be mad,” said Dash. “Then she showed me what I was doing wrong and I felt like an idiot. I told you I'd have never made it through without her help.” “What did you do for her?” asked the team captain. “I helped her get her speed up,” said Dash. “If I hadn't, Starshine and Razor would both have beaten her in that race the first day. I also showed her that spinning roll she used in her routine.” “Oh my stars,” said Spitfire, “you two teamed up before the tryouts even started?” “Hey Firewing!” hollered Dash, “Two pony race, right?” “You got it partner!” replied Firewing. Spitfire shook her head. “I didn't see it. I knew you two became friends but I didn't expect that.” “I'm really glad you put me in her room,” said Dash, “it worked out great.” “You almost went in with Windyday,” said Spitfire. “I wonder how that would have worked out?” “I don't know,” admitted Dash. “I didn't really like her at first. After the race I sort of changed my mind. Latter, I kind of felt sorry for her. Once she loosened up she was a lot more fun to be around. We're friends now anyway.” “Why did you feel sorry for her?” asked Spitfire. “It was like Firewing said,” said Rainbow Dash, “she's a great flier, smart, honest but she didn't do anything for fun and had no friends. What really got me was when she said that flying hadn't been fun in a long time.” “And look at her now,” said Spitfire as she stared at Windyday. Windy was talking and laughing with Firewing and Fluttershy. “Alright team!” called Immelmane, “everypony, back in the air! We'll run through the whole act and call it a day.” “Back to work,” said Spitfire with a smile. “See you latter Dash.” Spitfire took off and joined the other Wonderbolts. Windyday fell in to her right while Soarin flew parallel to her and the others took their places to form a double headed vee formation. They quickly gained altitude and waited for the music to start. Rainbow Dash rejoined her friends to watch the show. “What were you and Spitfire talking about?” asked Firewing. “Oh this and that,” said Dash. “She wanted to know if a Wonderbolt practice was what I expected. How about it? Was it what you expected.” “Better really,” said Firewing. “Very professional. They are all so calm about everything. Lots of note taking. I really didn't expect that. Windy fits right in, they were right in picking her first.” “They really are fun to watch behind the scenes,” said Fluttershy. “They seem like regular ponies and not superstars.” “I know what you mean,” said Firewing. “I'm not as nervous about starting now.” “Yeah.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “What's wrong?” asked Firewing. “I hope I do as good as Windy,” said Dash. “I know I'll probably only get to fly with them during practice, but I want them to know they can count on me in an emergency.” “I was thinking the same thing,” said Frost. Rainbow Dash shoulder bumped her. “You better do well because you're the one they'll call first.” “Jealous?” teased Frost. “A little,” said Dash. They fell silent and watched the show. It is a typical Wonderbolt performance; fast, daring and precise. The only difference was the lack of smoke trails. Firewing, Frost and Rainbow Dash watched with a critical eye. “The number two male is lagging a little,” said Dash. “Yeah, the pony behind Windy swung a bit wide on that left arc they took too,” said Firewing. “That's why they practice fillies,” said Frost. “Whoa! Did you see that number three stallion? Looked like he caught some nasty turbulence.” “Yeah, he really had a jolt didn't he?” said Firewing. “I think they're looping back to the same place, we might be able to see if it's still there.” “There it is again but Soarin caught it that time,” said Frost. “Yep, I saw it that time,” said Dash. “I definitely have to ask Twilight about a spell to sense turbulence.” “I wonder if Weathervane could do it,” said Fluttershy. “Who? That waiter?” asked Frost. “Um.. well, yes,” said Fluttershy. “He can sense changes in weather so maybe he could sense turbulence.” “Let's try to find him before we leave,” said Dash. “Can't hurt to ask him.” “I know where to look if he isn't at work,” said Frost. “He's probably with Sweet Clover.” She giggled. “Ooooh tell us more,” said Firewing. “Latter, watch the show,” said Frost. “Yeah, it can wait,” said Dash. “Windy is a little behind in that arc. Have to make a note of that. The pony on the outside has a harder time than the ones inside the arc.” “More space to cover but that number two position is tough,” said Firewing. “Too fast and you get into the leader, too slow and you make it really hard for the number three.” “Windy got it back quick!” said Frost. “Sun and Moon she's good.” The show ended and the Wonderbolts landed. They were all sweating and breathing hard. Immelmane ignored them and appeared to be getting some notes in order. After a while, the Wonderbolts recovered sufficiently to critique their performance. Immelmane gave his analysis and the team added their own comments at various points. When they were done Immelmane spoke of the newest members. “It seems we made a good selection of our newest members,” said Immelmane. “They were giving a running commentary while you were performing. They were very accurate too, if a little more forgiving than I.” Firewing, Frost and Rainbow Dash all looked embarrassed. Immelmane continued, “Something else they noticed was the turbulence some of you hit. We're working on that, one of Rainbow Dash's friends may be able to help us sense it in advance.” There is some murmuring among the ponies at this news. “I only said 'may', we don't know yet,” said Immelmane. “Excuse me Mr. Immelmane,” said Dash, “but Fluttershy met a pony last week that might have the talent to sense it himself. We're going to ask him when we get back to Cloudsdale.” “I don't know of any unicorns in Cloudsdale that can do that,” said Immelmane. “Oh, he's not a unicorn, he's a pegasus,” said Fluttershy. “His name is Weathervane. He told me he can sense changes in the weather. I thought that wind is part of weather so he might be able to sense that too, um maybe.” “That follows logically, but a pegasus with foresight?” said Soarin. “Never heard of that before.” “I know an earth pony that can sense stuff before it happens,” said Dash. “If an earth pony can, why not one of us?” “Can't hurt to ask,” said Spitfire, “but I'd want some proof before we start trusting this guy.” “Of course,” said Immelmane. “This might be interesting. We'll see what we can find out. Rainbow Dash will ask her unicorn friend in Ponyville and we'll try to track down this Weathervane fellow and see what he knows.” “I can find him for you,” volunteered Frost. “Weathervane is a friend of Sweet Clover's. If he's not working at the cafe, she'll know where to find him.” Windy, Rainbow and Firewing all snickered at Frost's comment. Immelmane looked at the three friends with a puzzled look on his face but broke into a grin as he understood. “Very well then, that's all for today,” said Immelmane, “practice tomorrow at nine-thirty sharp. Fluttershy, if you'd like to join us for dinner, you would be most welcome.” “Really?” said Fluttershy, in delight, “that would be wonderful, if Rainbow is staying that is.” “Of course I'm staying,” replied Rainbow Dash, “I got used to the food here. Talk about another motivation to make the team!” This got a laugh from the other ponies. The team flew back to the compound. The Wonderbolts and the support ponies went to get cleaned up while Firewing, Frost, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went to the dining hall. Starshine, Goldmane and the three Cloudsdale ponies were there talking and discussing the their adventures of the previous week. Immelmane joined them shortly after they had taken their seats. The food was soon served and the five ponies began eating. Immelmane tried to refrain from giving more instructions to Rainbow Dash, Frost and Firewing but did emphasize that they work hard to prepare for their real training. He was happy to hear that Fluttershy was interested in starting sky dancing. “That is good,” said Immelmane, “Rainbow Dash will have a pony to practice with until Firewing arrives.” “I'll try,” said Fluttershy, “but I'm just starting myself. I don't know how much help I can be.” “She is just starting too,” said Immelmane, “you'll be starting out even.” “Actually, she has more hours of practice than Dash does,” said Firewing. “Fluttershy was my sky dancing partner during the little show we did in Ponyville. She flew well.” “Dash has to catch up?” laughed Frost. “That's a switch.” “I'll work at it,” said Dash. “It will be good to practice with Fluttershy anyway. We can practice out at her place. It's out of the way and no pony will see us.” “You're not embarrassed to be seen sky dancing are you?” asked Frost. “Of course not,” replied Dash, “I just don't want to give away any of my act. I have a feeling there will be a lot of ponies trying to watch me work, at least until they get used to me being a professional.” “That's not a bad idea,” replied Immelmane, “I wouldn't want a run down of your routine appearing in the papers.” “Maybe my taking a few days off will cause them to lose interest quicker,” said Dash. “I'm not doing anything but read the materials tomorrow and maybe the next day too.” Frost laughed. “I'll believe that when I see it. You won't be able to resist trying out a routine as soon as you learn it.” “Okay, so maybe I'll do some work the day after tomorrow,” admitted Dash. “You know me too well, Frosty.” “Excuse me,Rainbow Dash?” said Fluttershy. “Don't you think we should be going soon? It will nearly be dark when we get back and I'd like to stop by Rarity's before I go home.” “You're right, Fluttershy,” said Dash, “I kinda lost track of time. Starshine, Goldmane; I guess this is the last time we'll be seeing each other for a while. I'll miss you two.” Rainbow Dash got up and the three said goodbye and hugged one another. Firewing, Frost and Windyday joined in saying farewell to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Before they left, Rainbow Dash thanked Starshine once more for her help in developing her individual routine. Invitations to visit were offered between all the ponies. Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash pulled away from Firewing one last time and left the building with Fluttershy behind her. Once outside Rainbow Dash seemed to be in a hurry to be off. They went to the gate where Rainbow Dash picked up her bags and signed Fluttershy out of the compound. They left the compound and Rainbow Dash immediately took wing, flying a swift, straight course towards Ponyville. She stayed ahead of Fluttershy and said nothing. Fluttershy could tell that something wasn't quite right and spoke up. “Are you alright, Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy. “You're not mad at me for saying we should leave, are you?” Rainbow Dash slowed down and flew beside her friend. “No, of course not,” replied Dash. “you were right. It's just that … it's really over now. It just sort of hit me. I've been so busy with everything for the past ten days that I haven't had a chance to think about it.” Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash's face and could see streaks of tears on her face. Dash realized she had been silently weeping and quickly put her goggles down to hide her eyes. “Don't be sad Dashie,” said Fluttershy, “you'll get to see your friends again. All of them except Goldmane and Starshine live in Cloudsdale and you'll be performing in Canterlot and Philadelphia every year.” “Yeah, I guess so,” said Dash, “but I think this was the last time the nine of us will be together for a long time, if ever again. Maybe I'll have to thank Twister for that in five years.” Fluttershy was confused. “Five years?” “That's the length of her punishment,” said Dash. “Didn't anypony tell you? No competing or making contact with any of us for five years. She can't come to Cloudsdale for three years either.” “Wow,” said Fluttershy softly, “that is pretty harsh.” “I don't care,” said Dash coldly. She seemed about to say more but stopped. 'No,' she thought, 'no, Twister, you are not going to ruin the memories of competition or the friends I made. I'm going to forget you and I hope all the others do too.' “Come on, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash with a grin, “let's race. My back must be twice as heavy as yours is. You might have a chance.” To Dash's surprise, Fluttershy accelerated and went ahead by several lengths before Rainbow Dash reacted. Rainbow Dash quickly caught her and both laughed. Side by side, they continued towards their home.