//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: The Winds of Change // by CalmNQuiet //------------------------------// A cold gust of wind swept through the streets of Las Pegasus. Rainbow shivered and picked up her pace. The Aerodrome behind her, she weaved through the pony-filled streets back to her friends at P-Three. Aside from the brief intermission with Highwind in the stagnant bowels of the transport facility, her day with Scootaloo went well. She would’ve proposed an after-work flying session, but the no-fly laws quashed that particular idea. The fine from the last time she got caught still stung, and that was on a Wonderbolt’s salary. Resigned to walking, she trudged on with only her thoughts for company. Her time with Scootaloo over the past few days reminded her of everything she used to have and just how far she was from her past. No matter what she did now, she would never recover those glory days back in Ponyville. Yet, faced with this inescapable truth, she found she lacked the usual melancholy. On the crowded streets of Las Pegasus, where she could barely spread her wings without hitting another pony, Rainbow felt something she hadn’t experienced since her time in Ponyville all those years ago. It was simple, comforting warmth. It reminded her she was walking home to a pony she cared about. A sense of belonging which she yearned for all those years in the Wonderbolts but could never find. Ironically, she found it so far from home in a foreign city filled with unfamiliar ponies. She lifted her head up and cast her gaze skyward toward the overcast sky. She was still the same pony. She had friends who cared for her—Twilight, Scootaloo, those in Appleloosa, and here in Las Pegasus. The past was a distant memory. What was relevant was what she could do now. Spending time with Scootaloo didn’t have to be about catching up. It could be about growing something new. Her walk picked up to a slight canter, and she smiled with newfound hope. Suddenly, the tall buildings which hemmed her in on both sides seemed a little brighter. She was going home to Twilight. Maybe when all this business with the Princesses was done, she and Twilight could carve out a niche in the world for themselves. For the first time in a long time, the future didn’t feel so bleak. Eager to get home, she failed to notice a suspicious set of eyes watching her from a dimly lit alley. As she passed it, a pair of hooves reached out and deftly tripped her. Before she hit the pavement, one hoof pulled her into the darkness away from the crowd while the other covered her mouth. She struggled and tried to cry out, but the firm grasp prevented any escape. Wings flapping furiously, she flailed against the unknown assailant obscured by a dark flightsuit. Grunting with exertion, the pony hissed out a few strained words. “Rainbow. Relax, it’s me.” The voice triggered a memory of a particularly annoying stallion in her past, and she stopped struggling. The hoof left her mouth, and she spit angrily on the ground. “What in Tartarus are you doing, Soarin’? Don’t you have something better to do than grabbing ponies off the street? What are you even doing here? What’s with that creepy get up?” Soarin’ released Rainbow and pulled the goggles from his eyes and rubbed his shoulder. “Damn Rainbow, that hurt. I thought you liked me!” “I liked you better when you didn’t pull ponies at random into dark alleys. What’s with the Shadowbolt flight suit? Are you spying on me?” Soarin’ chuckled and waved Rainbow closer with a hoof. “In fact, I am, so listen up. I know this is sort of out of the blue, but this is important. The captain and I think something suspicious is going on.” “Wait, what?” Rainbow sputtered and glanced nervously behind herself. Her ears flattened against the back of her head and she shuffled back and forth on her hooves. “Why...why are you spying on me?” “Relax.” Soarin’ extended a hoof and placed it around Rainbow’s neck. “Listen, we’re watching you because the Princesses asked us to keep an eye on you two and provide backup if something happened. But, this...this is bigger than the two of us.” Rainbow swallowed and nodded as she tried to calm her pounding heart. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed Soarin’s hoof away. “This?” “This, as in everything you and Twilight are falling into in Las Pegasus. I’m not sure if the Princesses know about this or not, but it’s starting to look really suspicious. You need to tread carefully, especially around Vice. He’s up to something, I know it.” “Vice?” Rainbow growled. “That sleazebag cornered me last night. He’s lucky I didn’t buck him in the face. What the heck does he want anyways?” “We aren’t sure, but we think it has something to do with the wing braces Twilight constructed for you. Just be careful.” His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “You know how Vice can get when he wants something. Especially with Shade pressuring him.” “Shade?” The blood chilled in Rainbow’s veins. “As in Shade Regent?” Soarin’ nodded. “That’s right, he’s some big shot with the United Equestrian Bank. Spitfire thinks he’s trying to get information out of Twilight.” Rainbow’s wings twitched as she looked upward toward the sky. “I need to go.” “Wait! You can’t fly—” Soarin’s words fell upon deaf ears as Rainbow bolted into the sky. Sighing, he pulled the goggles over his eyes and took to the air. Orders were orders, and he had to shadow Rainbow at all times. * * * Easy. Far too easy. Shade smiled to himself and settled back into the plush ornate chair in his office. He poured himself a small portion of brandy and reflected upon the valuable information he gleaned in a few short hours. As he suspected, Twilight’s work focused on melding unicorn magic with pegasus magic to convey the benefits of both in a compressed package. It was very similar to the work Eclipse did for him a few years back, but this was far more accessible. Most ponies couldn’t afford an airship, but a pair of wing braces? By his calculations, if he could mass produce them, the economy-of-scale would certainly bring the price point low enough for every single pegasus in Equestria. Smugly, he raised his brandy glass to Silverhoof rotting away in some dungeon and thanked the hapless unicorn. He understood what Silverhoof didn’t. Power didn’t come from the Princesses and whatever organization they envisioned to govern Equestria. Power came from controlling the ponies of Equestria. The airships and factories funded by his bank stole the skies from the pegasi. And now, he would return the skies to the pegasi with enchanted wing-braces. It was an offer no pegasus could refuse. He sipped his drink and considered his options. Twilight presented the perfect opportunity. She had no reason to distrust him yet, which meant he could cooperate with her under the guise of a friend until he understood enough of her research. It was just a matter of tying up the loose ends and turning a hefty profit on the fruits of her research. Ideally, persuading Twilight to join him was the best option. Twilight possessed a number of positive qualities he desired: an intelligent mind, a close connection to royalty, a nice-looking flank. But she didn’t seem at all swayed by his charms—which meant removing her from the equation entirely. Of course, this meant a whole different slew of problems. The conventional means of dealing with troublesome ponies just wasn’t available, and he wasn’t about to get himself implicated in some plot like that idiot Silverhoof. The biggest barrier was Twilight’s magical prowess. He would need some way to quickly neutralize her power in the case he needed to remove her from the picture. Maybe he could use her power against her. Magic wasn’t choosy of its master, after all. He made a mental note to arrange for something the following morning. Slowly and carefully was the order of the game. If he acted too soon, the chance of him forgetting something would be too high and he’d be caught. And being caught was the least desirable event out of all possibilities. He poured himself a final drink and allowed the warm liquid to relax his body. Plenty of time. He just had to take it slow. * * * Rainbow flew purely on instinct back toward P-Three. The dust and smoke particles stung her eyes, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was seeing Twilight safe and sound. As she landed on the rooftop of P-Three, another thought crossed her mind: what if the friend Twilight mentioned was Shade? Unease gripped her heart, and she galloped down the stairs to Rarity’s office. Barging in without knocking, she gasped breathlessly, “Where’s Twilight?” The bang of the door against the wall startled Rarity so much, she nearly dropped the cup of tea she held in her magical grasp. She looked up at the panting intruder and gasped. “Rainbow! Have you been flying in the city? You could have been killed!” Rainbow coughed and wiped some gunk from inside her mouth with a free hoof. “It’s fine, Rarity. I’m too fast and agile for an airship to get me.” “You are certainly a fantastic flier, but you shouldn’t take so many risks. Think of the consequences—just look at your wings, even if you didn’t collide with anything...” Setting her jaw, Rainbow went toward Rarity’s desk and placed a grime-covered hoof on the immaculate wood surface. “Rarity, I don’t have time for this. Where’s Twilight?” Rarity’s hoof pressed against Rainbow’s and gently pushed it off the desk, leaving a grimy trail of residue. “She’s probably still with Shade. He’s rather a delightful host if you aren’t subject to his idiosyncratic behavior.” Rainbow blanched and backed away from the table. She had to go, she had to find Twilight before something happened. Unaware of the tension growing in her room, Rarity continued, “I warned Twilight of his self-serving interests before she departed, yet she assured me she would be most diligent. I still don’t trust him, though. In fact, it’s getting rather late. I imagine she’d return by dinner time.” Rarity glanced up at Rainbow and frowned. “Rainbow, dear, you look positively unwell. Perhaps your little flight through the muck—” Rearing up, Rainbow turned winged out of Rarity’s office, sweeping the numerous piles of papers off the desk. She beelined up to the roof of P-Three and launched herself over the edge of the building down toward the street level. As she crossed the threshold, she spotted a carriage pull up to the front and a splash of purple color within. Moments later, Twilight stepped out of the carriage and thanked the driver. Shifting her trajectory sharply, Rainbow dove down and landed in front of Twilight. Without a word, she wrapped her forehooves and hugged Twilight until she was convinced the unicorn in her hooves was real. Twilight coughed into the ash-covered fur and pulled back sharply from the hug for a lungful of clean air. “Dashie! What happened to you?” Rainbow shifted on her hooves and looked at the waiting carriage, unwilling to speak. After a brief but tense silence, the carriage departed and left Rainbow and Twilight alone on the empty sidewalk leading to the entrance of P-Three. Well, almost empty—there were a few potential patrons still staring in shock at the pony who apparently leapt off a rooftop. Catching their gaze, Rainbow coughed and glanced back at the door behind her. “I can explain. Can we go inside first?” Nodding, Twilight followed Rainbow into P-Three. They waited awkwardly with one another in front of the elevator. Prancy’s surprised gasp at the messy state of Rainbow’s coat didn’t help the growing discomfort in the slightest. By the time they made it into Rainbow’s room, Twilight’s eye twitched and Rainbow kept ruffling her feathers. The door thudded behind them and locked with a click. They stared at one another for before Rainbow looked up and swallowed. “I thought you were hurt.” “What? Why would you think that?” “Because you were with Shade, that pony is evil!” Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Shade seemed perfectly nice to me today. A little forceful when he wanted to know something, but he kept a respectable distance. How do you know about Shade, anyway?” “It was Highwind. He had a partner and Shade did something. His partner disappeared. Then Soarin’ told me Shade might be after you, and then Rarity told me you were with Shade. I guess I sorta panicked.” “So, all the dust and grime on your feathers...” “Yeah, I sort of bolted into the sky. I needed to be there for you.” Twilight’s concern faded into a gentle smile and she extended a hoof to Rainbow. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” “That’s it?” “No, but you’ve been ruffling your feathers every few seconds and it’s driving me crazy. I’m not sure about evil, but something seemed a little off about Shade. He keeps claiming to be a friend, but it doesn’t feel right.” Rainbow smiled and met her hoof with Twilight’s. “So, you believe me?” “I’d believe you over any pony, Dashie.” Rainbow blushed and took Twilight’s hoof in her own. It was a silent moment of understanding with one another. Twilight leaned in and nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up. We’re both covered in pollutants.” She walked over to the bathroom and stood at the door. When Rainbow didn’t follow immediately, she waved her closer. “Are you coming, Dashie?” Rainbow jerked to attention. “Oh, yeah! Sure.” She trotted over to Twilight into the bathroom. The door clicked behind her and the small room quickly filled with the steam of a hot shower. She slipped underneath the inviting stream of water, and Twilight joined her. Closing her eyes, she leaned in and nuzzled up against her companion. She couldn’t tell where the heat of the water ended and the warmth of Twilight’s body began. Under the hot water, her tense muscles relaxed and she realized just how exhausted she was. Crumpling down onto her stomach, she allowed the water to wash over her. Somewhere in the distance behind her, she could hear Twilight whispering to her, but the words weren’t audible over the roar of the shower. However, she could feel the gentle caress of Twilight’s hoof upon the small of her back between the base of each of her wings. The hooves gently guided her wings open and directed the warm water over her feathers and down her body. She groaned appreciatively as layers of dust and soot rinsed from her body and circled down the drain to oblivion. As the hooves pressed into her back and massaged her aching muscles, her eyes drifted shut and she exhaled a long, luxurious, sigh of relaxation. Her ears flicked to attention at the sound of tittering from above. She slowly turned her head back and nearly bumped her muzzle into Twilight. She must have zoned out in the shower because the whole of her body lacked the streaks of black and gray from the industrial residue she flew through earlier. In its place, a smiling unicorn rested upon her back. The wet mane plastered down the side of Twilight’s face and hid one of her eyes. “Hey...” Twilight whispered and settled down at Rainbow’s side, her muzzle so close to Rainbow’s ears the word seemed to echo in her mind. Something about Twilight’s tone of voice threw Rainbow off. She found she couldn’t speak—the view of Twilight’s soaked mane might’ve been why, but Rainbow wasn’t exactly thinking straight. She swallowed hard as Twilight leaned in closer. Twilight was so close now, Rainbow could feel the warmth of her breath upon her ear. Suddenly, she became distinctly aware of just how hot it was in the shower. “I just wanted to say...” Twilight continued, her words murmured softly directly into Rainbow’s ear. “Thank you. For coming after me all the time.” Rainbow’s heart swelled at the tenderness of Twilight’s whispered words. “Always, Twi.” Twilight’s smile widened, and she embraced Rainbow within her forehooves. Side-by-side, the water rained down upon them and shielded them in a misty cloud of privacy. For the moment, they were safe together away from the watchful eyes of the city, the pressures of royal duty, and the demands of life itself. The world melted away in a peaceful haze. * * * Spitfire crossed her hooves and rested them upon the polished wooden bar in front of her. Staring down at her second drink, she sighed. Soarin’ was late again. Following the little incident in their hotel room stakeout above P-Three, they agreed to meet at a public location to avoid further unwanted confrontations in unlit rooms. It seemed no matter the location, Soarin’ always wound up being a little behind schedule. The melting ice cubes clinked against the glass under Spitfire’s fiery gaze. As the minutes ticked by, the lingering sense of annoyance gradually shifted to worry. Worry soon grew into doubt, and Spitfire started to question her decision to allow solo operations. She trusted Soarin’ and his abilities, but they had always worked as a team. What if, just once, Soarin’ needed her help? She pushed her drink away and buried her head in her hooves. This wasn’t just another mission. The usual support from Canterlot was beyond her reach. The only ponies aware of their presence in Las Pegasus were the Princesses. If something catastrophic happened, she wouldn’t even have the authority to commandeer the stationed guard in the city. “You all right there, missy? Can I get you another drink?” Spitfire held up her hoof and dismissed the question. The seconds ticked by until two very apparent problems bubbled up in her mind. Firstly, no one called her missy, ever. Secondly, that voice wasn’t the bartender’s at all. She jolted upright and spun around to find herself face to face with the grime-covered stallion she’d been waiting on. “Soarin’!” Her voice cracked halfway between anger and annoyance. “Yo.” Soarin’ grinned and wiped a dusty hoof through his mane. “Sorry I’m late, but I got caught up in a mess.” Without missing a beat, he leaned in and snatched the partially finished drink from the bar. “I’m parched, though.” He downed the remaining amber liquid and sighed contentedly. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade off? I’m having a helluva time keeping up with her.” The blood rushed to her cheeks and Spitfire glared at her partner. “What exactly is going on here?” Her eyes darted around the bar, worried the sudden outburst and appearance of Soarin’ would draw unwanted attention. The patrons kept to their drinks. Perhaps they assumed Soarin’ was simply an annoying stallion (he was) and she was the target of his unwanted attention. Relaxing, she smirked and pushed Soarin’ back with a free hoof. “Sorry, but you aren’t my type.” “Hmph,” Soarin’ sniffed, “I guess that’s what I get for going after the pretty ones.” He turned away and sulked back to the exit of the bar before disappearing out onto the street. Spitfire rolled her eyes and pulled herself off her stool. Sighing at the lost prospects of drinking and discussing, she made her way to the exit. She found Soarin’ waiting for her across the street in a dimly lit alley. Shivering in the wind, she tucked herself into the darkened recesses between two buildings and prodded Soarin’ firmly in the chest. “What was all that about?” “What? I wanted to get us out of there casually.” “That was anything but casual. Why couldn’t we stay inside where it was warm and have a nice drink?” “That’s because I’m pretty sure what I’m about to say should stay between you and me. I tipped off Rainbow today—” “You did what?” Spitfire’s wings flared open. Holding up his hooves in defense, Soarin’ backed up against the wall on his hind legs and repeated himself. “I tipped off Rainbow just to see her reaction. That’s why I’m covered in muck.” “So, she took off,” Spitfire responded, her face absolutely unamused. “Something to that effect,” Soarin’ confirmed with a nod. Spitfire sighed and covered her eyes with a hoof. “Please tell me she’s safe at least and not languishing in some jail cell for violating no-fly laws.” Soarin’ threw up a smart salute and winked. “She’s safe and accounted for.” Dropping a heavy hoof upon Soarin’s shoulder, Spitfire leaned in and growled ever so slightly. “In that case, why did you do something so colossally stupid as tipping Rainbow Dash off? You know she’s brash, excitable, and bound to get herself into trouble.” “That’s exactly why. It’s only a matter of time before the trouble starts, and the last thing I want is for Rainbow and her friends to be caught completely off guard. If I’m not mistaken, I saw Twilight personally escorted by Shade’s carriage today. Events are happening in the background which we aren’t even aware of.” “Soarin, you know our job is to keep them out of trouble.” “And you know that trouble finds them at every turn.” Sighing, Spitfire stamped her hooves angrily on the pavement. “Yes. I guess I was hoping for a relaxing mission for once. Like that’ll ever happen with you around, so I guess I’ll just have to make the best of a bad situation.” “So...can I buy you a drink?” Soarin’ grinned and gestured back at the bar. “In fact, you owe me two drinks. One for making me wait, and another for not reminding me of the trouble I was getting myself into.” “You wish, Spitty. You know you love trouble, otherwise you’d never have accepted the mission.” * * * Rainbow paced across the room. At irregular intervals she stopped, ruffled her wings, and looked to Twilight. After four or five iterations, she slumped down to the floor with a groan. “What are we gonna do?” Twilight pursed her lips and looked up to the heavens. After a long pause she shook her head. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do. Celestia explicitly asked us not to get involved in anything illicit down here.” “Then why did you tell him about the wings? I thought you had a plan or something!” “Well...” Twilight rubbed her forehooves together. “I kind of do, but we need more evidence. Highwind’s testimony isn’t going to be enough to stop a business magnate, especially after Celestia told us not to get involved in her letter back in Appleloosa. We have to resist, but doing nothing and flat-out being hostile would have likely gotten us into even more trouble.” “You didn’t have to tell him anything! Why couldn’t you have just denied everything?” Rainbow glanced out at the city and back to Twilight. “What if he comes after you next because he thinks there’s something you’re not telling him?” “I think that was always a risk, Dashie. Remember when Vice cornered you the other night? They already know about the wings. Denying it would only make things worse. If they think we’re cooperating, at least it may keep us out of harms way until we can come up with something.” “But you just said we can’t do anything!” Twilight placed a reassuring hoof onto Rainbow’s shoulder and rubbed into tense muscles hidden beneath the brilliantly mesmerizing coat. “We just can’t do anything too apparent. From what I gathered, there’s no way Shade is going to give up until he knows exactly how to recreate the wings. To be honest, I’m not even sure if they can be made en masse. They were built specifically for you, and even if he did manage to figure something out, the practical challenges to attune each individual—” Relaxing a little under Twilight’s gentle touch, Rainbow sighed and spread out her wings. “So, you’re saying we still have some time.” Smiling, Twilight traced her hooves along the spread appendages to the middle of Rainbow’s back. Kneading the muscles there tenderly, she reassured herself that everything was going to be okay. “I think so, yes. If only Shade was an upstanding pony, it would be nice to share my discoveries with all of Equestria.” Suddenly remembering her thoughts from earlier in the, Rainbow rolled over onto her back and grinned up at a very surprised looking Twilight. “You know, I was thinking about that earlier today. Maybe after all of this is done, we can work on spreading your invention to the rest of Equestria. I could give demonstration flights, and you could explain whatever magic you figured out to make it work.” Twilight regained her composure and worked the idea over in her head. Spending even more time with Rainbow seemed wonderful. Idyllic, really. She leaned down and nuzzled the grinning pony beneath her. “I’d love to, Dashie. It sounds wonderful.”