//------------------------------// // Hindered Trust // Story: Broken Wings and Promises // by Twilight-the-Pony //------------------------------// Rainbow tried to jump back towards the crumbling edge of the peak but she missed her destination by only a few inches, making her curse loudly in mid-air. She knew that this was a life-threatening situation, but being the seasoned flyer she was, she kept a cool head and didn’t panic. Unfortunately, the safety procedures that were taught to her in flight school never covered situations like this: one wing completely missing and one heavily weakened due to lack of exercise. But that didn’t stop her from trying, because she knew full well that giving up would be fatal. She winced as a sharp pain surged through her remaining wing on the first flap, her face grimacing as she flapped harder and harder, refusing to give up. She was Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in all of Equestria! There was no way that some stupid little fall was going to be the end of her. She flapped her wing as hard as she could, and she shrieked in pain as her wing cramped up, leaving her with no other options but to close her eyes and brace herself for the inevitable impact. ‘Any second now,’ she thought, her life flashing before her eyes. But she never hit the ground. Instead, the rushing winds of her fall stopped abruptly, being replaced with a gentle breeze as it ruffled her mane, her hooves making soft contact with a patch of grass below her only a moment later. The pegasus was still in shock, her teeth clenched and her eyes shut, unaware of the soft pop of a teleportation spell behind her. “You are a very lucky pony, Rainbow Dash,” a familiar soft voice echoed from behind her. Rainbow Dash shook her head and opened her eyes as she turned in the direction of the incoming voice, revealing a majestic white alicorn standing behind her. “P-Princess Celestia?” Rainbow managed to breathe out with a stutter, clumsily bowing to the pony in front of her. “H-how, w-where did you...?” “I was watching you from a distance for quite some time, my little pony... A lone pegasus with one wing sitting on the edge of a cliff might be something that would catch my attention. Even you have to admit, it's a curious sight, as Perilous Peak isn't exactly a tourist destination,” she answered in a soothing voice. “You know, you sat almost perfectly still for four hours...you must have a lot on your mind...” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah... A lot has happened these past few days and... I guess I’m trying to make sense of it all...” she added with a sigh as she rubbed her aching wing with her leg. “Wait; did you just say four hours?” Her head jerked a little in surprise. "Really? I've been here that long?" “Longer than that, actually...” Celestia said, sitting down beside the pegasus. “So... what is the matter, Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow pointed to the bandaged remainder of her wing. “Well, this almost cost me my life three times so far. And...” She trailed off, a bird passing by catching her interest for a brief moment. “Princess?” Rainbow finally managed to ask, turning her head towards Celestia. “Yes, miss Dash?” “Is there really nothing that can be done about this?” Rainbow asked as she looked back, flexing the bandaged stump on her back. Celestia took a few moments to reply, collecting her thoughts. “Twilight asked me this already,” she replied softly, “but I’m afraid not. There aren’t many unicorns, or alicorns for that matter, that are interested in the process of wing regrowth, especially since such damage isn’t a common occurrence in Equestria. There was only one pony that focused on that subject, Starswirl the Bearded, but he passed away a long time ago.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I wish I could help you, miss Dash, but even I don’t know how...” She hung her head, a corner of her eye catching the sun that was slowly falling behind the horizon, and she turned her attention back to the pegasus sitting beside her. “I should be going now. It’s time to sink the sun beyond the horizon and let my sister raise the moon.” She smiled at Rainbow. “But before I go, I will answer one more question.” “Alright...” Rainbow paused as she looked towards Celestia. “What happened to Twilight?” “What do you mean, Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked quizzically. “...Crimson Skies,” Rainbow breathed after a moment of pause. Celestia flinched as her face became pale, taking a step away from the pegasus. “H-How...?” “She told me,” Rainbow said in a low voice. “I see,” Celestia nodded. “I have a feeling this will take longer than just a couple of minutes.” She smiled faintly. “But you will need to excuse me for a moment to lower the sun. This shouldn’t take long,” she said as she looked down at the pegasus with a smile. The alicorn flapped her wings as she rose up in the sky and with her horn lit, making the sun to fall below the horizon just in time to make way for her sister’s moon. Rainbow turned towards Ponyville, mesmerized by the game of shadows that played in the distance for the second time that day, her mouth involuntarily forming a faint smile. “Now; what is it that you want of me, Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked as she floated back towards the ground, snapping the pegasus out of her reverie. “Huh? Oh, right.” Rainbow shook her head, quickly regaining her focus. “I just...I’m not sure what to do, Princess.” Celestia looked at the pegasus quizzically. “About what, Rainbow Dash?” “About everything. Ever since I lost my wing...” Rainbow paused as she took a deep breath, turning her head towards the rising moon. “Everything changed. Rarity and Applejack got together, Pinkie Pie’s parties aren’t as exciting anymore, Twilight confessed something she regretted doing, and now I’m permanently grounded.“ She paused for a moment as she turned her head back to Celestia. “The only pony that hasn’t changed is Fluttershy.” “Change affects us all, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia spoke calmly. “Nopony can be sure if it’s good or bad until we give it time.” “Even Twilight?” “She is no exception to this rule...” Celestia answered after a pause, the bandaged remainder of the pegasus’ wing catching her attention for a brief moment. “She is still just a pony. Change affects her just like it does everypony else... When I accepted her as my student, she spent every waking moment behind a book; she managed to get ahead of her class every single year. But...” “...But?” Rainbow asked quizzically. “But as time passed by, she changed. She was no longer the cheerful and studious filly that she was in the beginning. Her grades started to decline and she started to shy away from everypony, even from me...“ Rainbow smirked upon hearing Celestia’s description of Twilight’s fillyhood, realizing that it nearly mirrored hers. “She was just growing up... You know, I was like that as well...” “No,” Celestia calmly countered. “I have mentored many ponies, but I haven’t seen anything like that before... She often vanished in the middle of the class just to be found later in her room or in one of the castle towers, staring blankly out a window. That’s why at the end of the school year, my advisors pushed me to end my mentorship with her... She learned enough self-control in this time not to let her magic get the best of her or the ponies around her...” “And then she met Crimson Skies?” “...And then she met Crimson Skies,” Celestia repeated. “She brought the old Twilight back. She was always able to trick Twilight into competing with her in some subject, and soon they grew very close. It filled my heart with joy to see the two spending so much time together, and with time Twilight's grades climbed back up.” “But that isn’t the end, is it?” “No,” Celestia breathed..”Because a few years later, Crimson Skies died in—” “...the crystal cave underneath Canterlot, I know,” Rainbow finished the Princess’ sentence for her. “Twilight showed me where it happened.” “W-what?,” Celestia gasped in a shock. “She brought you there?” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah... It’s a long story... But...why are you so surprised?” “Twilight watched her closest friend die in there, Rainbow Dash. She lost control over herself and her magic just like in her test to get into the school, and she nearly destroyed Canterlot in the process and I was lucky to find her just in time and stop her from destroying it.” Rainbow nodded. “I know... Twilight told me that as well... But why would you be concerned because of that so many years later? Are you afraid that it might happen again?” “Yes,” Celestia confirmed. “It is common that traumatic memories make you lose control over yourself,” she added after a slight pause. “I’ve seen it happen many times.” “But don’t you trust Twilight?” “Of course I do, Rainbow Dash. However, trust has nothing to do with this, my little pony. The ponies affected by bad experiences are hardly aware of what they just did.” “But I’m not sure if that completely answers my question...” the pegasus lowered her head and tapped her chin. “Because you’ve said that you’ve stopped Twilight before she managed to cause a disaster... But—” “...But?” “How did you know where she was?” Celestia fell silent. “I see,” Rainbow said disappointingly. “The Princess of the sun...” she paused for a few moments. “...has to follow her student around because she doesn’t trust her...” She paused yet again. “That’s kinda sad...” “How dare you speak to your Princess like that, Miss Rainbow Dash!” Celestia exclaimed. “Do you think that this is a game? You don’t know what Twilight is capable of!” “Princess, with all due respect,” Rainbow continued. “I am well aware of what Twilight is capable of. I was there when your sister returned from the moon and when Discord was sealed back into the statue as well as his release. I might not be as smart as she is, but I wonder from time to time how much magic Twilight invested into Elements of Harmony and how much work the other five elements do...” she paused. “Twilight scares you, doesn’t she? You said it yourself; she is just like everypony else with a special talent. She should be able to do whatever she wants without having somepony watching her every move.” “What? She has to be—” Celestia exclaimed, shooting a piercing look towards the pegasus in front of her. “NO!” Rainbow shot back. “Nopony deserves to be treated like that. Not her, not me, not you, not even Princess Luna. Nopony!” she exclaimed. “You’re dead wrong, miss Dash!,” Celestia exclaimed again. “Twilight is horrifyingly similar to my sister. She can become just as terrifying and dangerous as Nightmare Moon if pushed in the wrong direction! I cannot allow that to happen again!” “Wait... Princess, do you even trust your own sister?” “What are you implying, miss Dash?” Celesta asked, her tone darkening. “Nothing, Princess... I would just like to know the answer to the question; now that Princess Luna is no longer Nightmare Moon; so you trust her as much as you did before?” “I-I... Yes, yes I do.” “Why?” Rainbow continued. “She almost defeated you twice. Why do you still trust her?” “Because... Because she’s my sister.” “But Twilight can’t raise or lower the moon...” Rainbow replied calmly. “Even if she becomes a pony like Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony will defeat her just like they defeated Nightmare Moon... She is no more of a pony than Princess Luna.” “Miss Dash?” Celestia asked with a weaver in her voice. “Do you trust Twilight? Especially after today? After hearing of what harm she can cause? What do you think would happen if I wouldn’t be able to stop her? How many families would she destroy with what she almost did?” Rainbow blinked upon hearing the Princess’ words and hung her head, a fresh tear sliding down her cheek. “I didn’t think so, either,” Celestia responded with a smug voice. “Now you understand why I had to—” “I do,” Rainbow responded in a whisper. “Huh?” “I do,” Rainbow repeated herself, this time loud enough for Celestia to hear her clearly. “I trust her. She almost sacrificed her own sanity for me... It’s just... I don’t know why it has taken me that long to realize that... Why can’t you trust her, Princess?” She asked with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, miss Dash, but for more than a thousand years...” Celestia spoke calmly, her head now hung. “For more than a thousand years, I couldn’t trust anypony. Not really. Ever since...my sister...” “I’m the wrong pony to apologize to, Princess,” Rainbow replied after a pause. “This is between you and Twilight.” Celestia nodded. “I hope that I can make things right again. Thank you for reminding me of that, miss Dash.” Rainbow nodded, turning her head towards the silver skies of the waxing moon behind Ponyville, sighing. “Rainbow Dash?” “I’m sorry, Princess, but I’m tired, the stump of my wing hurts, and most importantly; I am still no closer to knowing what to do than I was hours ago...” “There are still empty rooms in Canterlot castle, Rainbow Dash. You are free to use them anytime you want,” Celestia offered to the pegasus. Rainbow shook her head. “Thank you very much for the offer, Princess... But unfortunately, I have to refuse, at least for now. I should return to Ponyville and talk to my friends...” “I understand,” Celestia said soothingly as she lit her horn, the golden glow of her magic enveloping Rainbow’s stump, relieving the pain inside. “But there is something that I would like to ask of you...” she added. “What?” “Please don’t mention this conversation to Twilight. She—” “...is much smarter than me, Princess,” Rainbow cut into the Princess’ sentence. “I’m pretty sure that she figured out all of this years ago and she also knew the reason why you acted the way you did. She still put her trust in all of us... At least until her brother’s wedding... and that’s when we all let her down...” Celestia closed her mouth, silently staring at the pegasus as Dash turned around just to catch the first few rays of moonlight that were struggling to escape the small forest in the distance. “I should go now,” Rainbow said, her head slowly turning away from watching the moonrise behind the Ponyville towards the white alicorn. “Thank you...for...everything, Princess.” She clenched her teeth, sluggishly putting one hoof in front of the other, slowly but surely increasing the distance between herself and Celestia. “I can help you with that, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow stopped, turning her head back towards the Princess, her face still slightly grimacing, replying as calmly as she could. “I’m fine...” she grimaced as she she felt a sharp sting in one of the still-weak leg muscles. “It’s a long way back to Ponyville, and I need some exercise and time to think... Goodnight again, Princess.” She turned away from the the white alicorn, slowly making her way back towards Ponyville, ignoring the occasional stings in her leg muscles as she slipped back into her own thoughts, trying to find a way to apologize to Twilight for everything she did. Celestia watched the pegasus slowly disappeared into the shadows and out of sight. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met such a stubborn pony,” she said to herself with a smirk, unfurling her wings as she turned her head towards the sparse clouds above her. “She reminds me of my sister...” ~*~*~