//------------------------------// // 25. Epilogue; Unfinished // Story: Cheated Dreams // by Kodeake //------------------------------// Cheated Dreams Chapter 25 Epilogue; Unfinished Canterlot stadium was filled with the uproarious applause of thousands of satisfied ponies. The sound was comparable only to rolling thunder as it reverberated through the large stone structure, all of it aimed at the flight team taking their bows in the middle of the arena. Everypony in the stadium, be they a pegasus, unicorn, or earthpony, could safely say it was one of the best Wonderbolt shows they had ever seen. Though nopony stomped harder or whistled louder than the five mares given the best seats available on the balcony normally reserved for royalty. “That was amazing!” Applejack commented before giving an extra loud whistle, her hooves still stomping on the ground as the stunt team began filing out towards the locker rooms. “Simply breathtaking,” Rarity agreed, clapping her hooves together like a proper lady. For the first time in her life, Pinkie was truly speechless, offering only the sound of her hooves stamping against the hard stone floor, Fluttershy doing the same. Twilight couldn't contain the grin stretching across her face. “She told you she didn't cheat!” She proclaimed proudly, trying to keep the 'I told you so” tone out of her voice. She failed. “Well what else were we supposed ta' think?” Applejack argued. “Everything we'd heard pointed to the fact that she'd been kicked out for cheating.” “You could have listened to her,” Twilight suggested with a shrug. “If we believed her we'd be blaming you for getting her kicked out,” the farmer countered. “And if that happened, I think it would have been a bit harder to convince her of your innocence from the story you told us.” Twilight started to respond, but cut herself off when she realized Applejack was probably right. “Come on, we're supposed to meet her out back in a couple minutes,” she said, ending the conversation as she stood from her seats. The rest of the group followed her out through a back staircase. “Umm, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked quietly, increasing her speed to keep pace with the unicorn. “Hmm?” “It's just that, well, you and Rainbow have been awfully close since you came back, and I was wondering if... umm....” The timid mare trailed off with a muted squeak, but Twilight knew what she was trying to ask. Fighting back a blush, Twilight forced herself not to respond. Both she and Rainbow had agreed to keep their new relationship a secret from their friends, at least until the whole fiasco with the Wonderbolts was over. Spitfire had come back a week after they'd returned to Ponyville with the proper paperwork, sending a messenger to inform Rainbow that her presences was required in Canterlot to start practising. They'd just sorted out their friends when the letter arrived, and they decided that they wanted to tell their friends about them together. After her first show as an official Wonderbolt seemed like a pretty good opportunity. “Oh! Oh! Are you two super-duper secret best friends now?” Pinkie asked excitedly, bouncing through the door at the end of the stairs and out into the ally behind the stadium. When Twilight didn't answer, Rarity raised a curious eyebrow. “If I didn't know better I'd say that you had a crush on our dear Rainbow Dash.” The lavender mare's face went a brighter red. “She'll be here in a couple minutes,” she said quickly, changing the subject before anypony made any more assumptions. They just had to wait until Rainbow met them. “Come on, dear,” Rarity pressed, much to twilight's chargin. “You don't have to hide these things. In fact I think you should tell Rainbow how you fell as soon as she comes out!” Rarity's eyes lit up like a little filly's on Hearth’s Warming day upon seeing the presents. Images of a beautiful, heartfelt confession danced across her mind. Twilight cleared her throat loudly. “I don't have a crush on her, Rarity,” she stated firmly. “Aw, I think our egghead has a crush on the Wonderbolt,” Applejack teased. Suddenly, another door along the side of the stadium was flung open, and out stepped a cyan pegasus with a recently-washed rainbow mane and a Wonderbolt uniform slung across her back. Around her neck still hung her silver lightning bolt necklace. “Hey guys!” Rainbow called cheerfully, walking over and joining her friends. She gave Twilight a curious look when she saw the deep shade of red covering the unicorn's face. “You alright, Twilight? You look like a tomato or something.” Twilight just laughed, turning to Rarity. “You wanted me to act on it, right?” She asked, grinning when Rarity nodded fervently. “How's this for acting,” she muttered, before taking a step toward Rainbow Dash, hooking a foreleg around her neck, and engaging her in a deep kiss. Rarity's jaw fell open, mirroring Applejack's expression exactly, as Rainbow returned the kiss eagerly. Fluttershy did her best to hide her embarrassed blush behind her mane, but couldn't keep her eyes off the embracing couple. Pinkie just grinned like a mad mare. After a couple more seconds, the two separated, both breathing heavily. “Whoa, Twi, I know you wanted tot ell them, but seriously?” Rainbow asked with a laugh. Twilight shrugged. “They thought I had a crush on you, so I decided to prove them wrong.” Applejack, regaining only the minimum muscle control required for speaking, said, “And... and how is that not a crush?” “I don't have a crush on Dashie,” Twilight answered simply, giving her marefriend a peck on the cheek. “I love her.” Rainbow blushed heavily. “What did I tell you about using that name?” She hissed under her breath so that only Twilight could hear her. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Right, because that's totally what they're focusing on right now.” For her credit, Pinkie was completely unfazed. “So when would you two like the party?” The pink party mare asked excitedly. “I'm really glad I didn't take that bet,” Rainbow muttered. Rarity, having finally regained use of her jaw, sputtered out the most coherent sentence she could under the circumstances. “Huh?” “Long short or medium?” Twilight asked, her tone sounding bored with the prospect of sharing the story. “Long,” Rarity snapped quickly. “Right, long, well it all started when there was nothing in the universe – not even the universe - then, suddenly, there-” Twilight started, only to pause when an orange hoof was shoved in her mouth. “Short,” Applejack said, catching the glare Rarity was giving her out of the corner of her eye. Twilight glanced back at Rainbow. “And that is how you get them to pick short,” she whispered, before clearing her throat and addressing the rest of her gathered friends. “We went through a lot over the past month, and decided we liked each other as more than friends. We went on our first official date the day after we escaped the basement,” Twilight summarized quickly. “Details, darling, details, and why didn't you tell us sooner?” Rarity pressed, leaning forward excitedly. “Details are for us and us alone, and we didn't tell you sooner because we wanted to tell you together, and when Rainbow left to train for the show we couldn't do it, and the week we were back we had to convince the town we were innocent and it was all too hectic. We decided to let things cool down a bit before we told you girls,” Twilight explained, much to Rarity's displeasure. Just as Rarity was about to press further, Rainbow yawned. “Well, that's all good, but me an' Twi have plans tonight. We need to get on the train to Ponyville.” Rarity huffed her disappointment, but nodded anyway. “Very well. Either way, I'm happy for you two. It certainly sounds like you're happy together.” “I am too,” Fluttershy added, now that the conversation was on less embarrassing topics and she'd finally recovered from the surprise kiss she'd witnessed. Pinkie nodded happily, streamers and confetti flying from her poofy mane. “I reckon you'll make a good couple,” Applejack agreed. “But if you two wanna catch the train we'd best get moving. Rainbow, you sure you can just up 'n leave your team? And how is the whole Wonderbolt thing gonna work anyway?” The pegasus shrugged nonchalantly as the group started walking towards the station. “I made sure they'd make do without me. As for how this is going to work... my off time will be in Ponyville, and I'll get a letter for when I have to go and train for a show. All in all I'll probably be gone 3 weeks, then back for two. Of course, if we're in a city close by I can always come back to Ponyville a couple days out of my training.” “At least ya won't be napping in my trees anymore,” Applejack teased, tossing a smirk at the pegasus leading them. “Heh, you know me, AJ; I'll always make time for your trees,” Rainbow laughed, turning a corner, navigating the streets of Canterlot as though she lived there. “A long distance relationship can be hard, are you two sure you'll be alright?” Rarity asked, butting her nose once again where Twilight didn't want it. “It's only three weeks at a time, I'm sure we'll manage. Besides, dragon fire doesn't just send letters to and from the Princess.” “We'll have to have a party every time Dashie comes home!” Pinkie chirped excitedly, bouncing in front of the group backwards, keeping them in her vision. “And each one will be just as awesome as her show!” -_-_-_- Shadow Charm paced nervously in his cell, shaking his head back and forth. “I can't go to jail... I can't! I didn't want to do it...” Neon Lighting, sitting in the cell across the hall from him, rolled her eyes, lying lazily on the bench connected to the wall. “Oh will you grow up? You're just as guilty as I am.” The unicorn stopped his pacing, walking up to the bars separating him from the hall and pressing his face against them. “Just as guilty as you!?” He shrieked. “I am not! I wasn't even getting paid! You made me do it!” “And I'm sure the judge will believe you,” she spat sarcastically. Suddenly, the groaning of metal grinding on metal filled the room as the cell door opened, essentially freeing Neon from her cell. Standing in the hall was an unidentifiable pony in a long black robe, their face shrouded in a shadow cast by a large hood.. Neon raised a curious eyebrow. “And what would you like? I'm not telling you anything else, and the trial isn't for another week.” “You'll find I do not work for the Princess,” the figure said, his voice deep and quiet. “In fact, you might say we work for the same pony.” Interest peaked, Neon stood from the bench and approached the cloaked pony slowly. “I don't work for anypony, I did my job and was paid for it.” The hooded pony shook his head. “Rainbow Dash is still in the Wonderbolts.” “I did all I could and got caught; my contract is up,” Neon argued suspiciously. “I'm afraid our employer doesn't see it like that, Miss Lightning. You were paid to do a job regardless of what you had to do, and you have not completed that job. It's time to go,” the figure insisted, stepping to the side. “You have a job to finish.” Neon eyed him suspiciously for a moment longer before nodding slowly and exiting the cell. “W-wait!” She heard her brother cry faintly as the unknown pony lead her away. “You can't leave me here! You can't just leave me! Neon! Neon please!” “I couldn't leave you fast enough,” Neon muttered. “So what does my employer want now, hmm? Rainbow Dash is already in the Wonderbolts, and she's repaired things with her friends by now, I'd imagine.” The cloaked pony chuckled quietly as they slipped past an guard lying unconscious on the ground. “She has something more valuable to her now than her stunt team. A certain unicorn with an affinity for magic.” Neon grinned devilishly as they slipped out a back door, two more guards lying unconscious nearby. “I like the way you think.”