//------------------------------// // Showcasng // Story: Fortune Favors The Bold // by TheEquestrianWing //------------------------------// The next morning, Bronze Star, SIG Sauer, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther had breakfast together. Princess Luna was not present because she was still asleep. Or to be more precise, she had just fallen asleep. Bronze Star explained to the others that his aunt told him she used to be nocturnal, and that she was thinking of getting back to that routine. After all, it was only a matter of time before she reassumed her role as the guardian of the nighttime. After they had their morning nourishment, the five ponies from Canterlot quickly got busy. Alpine grabbed her saddlebag and headed over to Golden Oaks Library. Mauser and SIG Sauer decided to hit the fitness center to get in a workout. Walther and Bronze Star planned to stop by the library, as well. First, the General took a moment to write a short letter. He kept the message brief and clear, and he addressed it to a private security firm in Canterlot. Once he was finished writing, he and Bronze Star headed over to the library. When they got there, Twilight and Alpine were preoccupied with their project. The two stallions assured the mares that they would not be there for long. All they needed to do was mail a scroll and borrow some history books. Spike was able to deliver Walther's letter to Canterlot. After that, the Pegasus and the Alicorn gazed through the shelves and picked out anything that pertained to Nightmare Moon, the Mare in the Moon, or anything about the moon in general. They ended up checking out over two dozen books from the library. Once they had all these books, they carried them back to the embassy and got busy reading. Walther and Bronze Star spent a great deal of time over the next three days doing research. They kept the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark in front of them so that they could remind themselves what exactly they were looking for. They found many interesting passages about theories surrounding the Moon. These were topics such as its creation, its impact, and its evolution. They even managed to find some sections about certain groups who revered the Moon as a type of deity or mystical object. However, none of these groups had been regarded as cults or any other radical organization. And only a few of them had an official symbol. The ones that did bore no resemblance to Hazy Wisp's insignia at all. Bronze Star and Walther were not willing to call it quits just yet. They continued searching for the symbol. They looked through all the history books twice, but they still could not find anything that looked even partially similar to it. In the early afternoon of their third day of research, their perseverance had substantially faded. After skimming through a chapter in a book about an outrageous myth that the Moon and the Sun were once a single entity, Bronze Star sighed in angry defeat. He tossed the book aside, ran his hooves through his mane, and muttered "I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause." Walther scoffed and pronounced "I could have told you that when we first started this endeavor." "At the present, I wish you had," Bronze Star admitted. "I would have, but it wasn't my place to disagree, sir," Walther debated. "Well, for future reference, feel free to give me your opinion, even if it directly contradicts mine," Bronze Star stated. "Alright, I will," Walther coincided, "I'll start by saying this: we should throw in the towel right about now." "That's fine by me," the gold stallion remarked. The two stallions sat in silence for over a minute. Then Bronze Star suggested "We should probably swing by the library and return these books." "You'll get no argument from me there," Walther agreed. The two stallions proceeded to collect the history books. Bronze Star brought along his knapsack, as he had gotten accustomed to wearing it outside the embassy. After all, it contained his badge of office and many of his important documents. He saw it ideal to have those on hoof at all times. Once all the books were gathered, the two stallions were about ready to go. Before they left, Walther proposed that they find a place to hide the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark. He did not want to leave it lying out in the open. Bronze Star offered to carry it in his knapsack, and the General quickly agreed. The gold stallion and the mahogany stallion then departed from the embassy and returned to Golden Oaks Library. To their surprise, Twilight Sparkle, Alpine, and Spike were not there. Rather than wait, they decided to go ahead and return the books to their shelves. It took them a while, but they managed to find the proper place for each one. Shortly after they left the library, Bronze Star and Walther encountered Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer. The three of them were just passing by and talking with each other. Mauser was the one who first noticed the gold stallion and the mahogany stallion. He smirked and proclaimed cheekily "Look who finally decided to give daylight a second chance." "Ha ha, very funny, Mauser," Bronze Star remarked sarcastically, "We were only inside the embassy for like, two days. And it's not as though we spent every single minute indoors." "Whatever you say," Mauser commented, rolling his eyes, "Still, these past few days, you two have been almost as reclusive as Princess Luna." "Well, you'll be pleased to know that that's going to stop," Walther declared, "We've decided that we've wasted enough time searching for a record of that stupid symbol." "That's a good idea," SIG Sauer avowed, "Truthfully, I doubt we've seen the last of that symbol. We should still keep our eyes open for it. After all, Hazy Wisp or one of her co-conspirators may show up again. So let's focus on the present instead of the past." "Sage advice, SIG," Bronze Star commented. There was a brief period l of silence, and then the gold stallion turned to Alpine and queried "Are you and Twilight finished with the project?" "Yeah, pretty much," the chartreuse mare replied, "She got to twenty-six types of magic." "Twenty-six?" Walther stated, impressed, "Damn, that's gotta be some kind of record. I don't know any other Unicorn who can perform that many varieties of magic. Not even SIG Sauer." "Well, Twilight's special talent IS magic, after all," Bronze Star pointed out. "That's true," Walther concurred. He turned to the female Unicorn and said "Anyway, Alpine, has she decided which field of magic she does best in?" "Not yet," Alpine replied, "She's going to spend the rest of the afternoon reviewing the results of our project. It may be several hours before she makes her decision. Personally, I think her forte may be in illumination magic." Ten seconds later, the sound of explosions filled the air. The five ponies turned in the direction of the noise. A hundred feet away, there was a cloud of smoke and a dim flash of light in the air. "I see what you mean," Walther drily commented. "I don't think that's Twilight, General," Mauser declared. "Yeah, that's not a magical outburst," Alpine noted, "It looks more like… fireworks." "Who in Tartarus sets off fireworks during the day?" SIG Sauer asked rhetorically. "Let's find out," Bronze Star proposed. The four stallions and the mare then trotted in the direction of the smoke and the flash. Before long, they arrived in the town square. They quickly discovered they were not the only ones who had been drawn in by the explosions. A significant percentage of the town's population was assembled there. They were gathered around a large stage, which was connected to a small wooden trailer. Somepony was standing in the center of the stage. Bronze Star, Walther, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer navigated their way through the crowd to get a closer look. They found Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity near the front. "Hey, guys," the baby dragon greeted when he noticed them. "Hey, Spike," Bronze Star rejoined. "What's going on?" "Some Unicorn claiming to be the most powerful of her kind is showcasing herself," Spike muttered drily, "Despite her claims, we're not that convinced." Bronze Star and his four associates gazed up at the stage. Sure enough, a young female Unicorn was standing above them. She had a brilliant azure coat, a pale cornflower blue mane, and dark grayish violet irises. Her cutie mark was a star-tipped wand over a crescent moon. She was dressed in a light purple cloak and magician's hat, both adorned with blue and yellow stars. The Unicorn haughtily declared "Well, well, well, it seems we have some neighsayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical Unicorn in all of Equestria?" Rarity spat angrily and remarked "Just who does she think she is?" "Yeah!" Spike coincided. "Since we all know that Twilight here is—" "Spike!" the lavender Unicorn interrupted, "Shhh!" "What?" the baby dragon asked, "What's wrong?" "You see the way they reacted to Trixie?" Twilight pointed out, "I don't want anyone thinking I'm a show-off." Then there was a round of fanfare produced from Trixie's chariot. Most of the audience was wowed, but Bronze Star and his friends were not. "So, 'Great and Powerful Trixie,'" Rainbow Dash sardonically remarked, "What makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?" Trixie just scoffed and retorted "Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!" There came another round of fanfare, which was accompanied by a bright burst of fireworks. Again, most of the audience was impressed. Especially two young colts near the front. "What?" yelled Snips. "No way!" shouted Snails. Trixie grinned haughtily and pronounced "When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!" This statement left a great impression on pretty much everypony in the crowd, particularly Snips, Snails, and Bronze Star. "Saw, sweet!" the two colts remarked. "That settles it," the short colt declared. "Trixie truly is the most talented, the most magical, the most awesome Unicorn in Ponyville," Snails professed "No, in all of Equestria!" Snails appended. Bronze Star was impacted by a different reason. He turned to the mahogany Pegasus and remarked "Walther, has there been an Ursa Major attack in Hoofington recently?" "Actually, we received news of one a couple months ago," Walther revealed, "It was a particularly brutal attack. By the time we were informed of its presence, it had already been wreaking havoc on the town for hours. We were going to call upon the Special Forces to reinforce the town's defenses. But before we could send anypony, we were informed that the Ursa Major had been repelled from the town." "Who was to thank for that?" Bronze Star queried. "I'm not certain, sir," Walther stated, "I didn't think it was important to know who solved the problem, as long as it HAD been solved." "Understandable," Bronze Star perceived. "All the same, there's no firm evidence that Trixie was actually in Hoofington at the time of the attack," Alpine noted, "She could have just heard about it somewhere and given the story some embellishment." "That's what I'm inclined to believe," Mauser commented. Spike was still focused on Snips and Snails. He stated crossly "How do you know? You didn't see it! And besides, Twi—" Before he could continue, Twilight used her magic to zip Spike's lips. Literally. All he could do was mumble. Trixie just ignored Bronze Star and Spike. She laughed and told the two young colts "It's true, my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville." There was almost complete silence in the town hall. The only sounds that could be heard were that of a few crickets clicking. "Well, you seem to be popular amongst the crickets," SIG Sauer audaciously remarked, "They're the only ones who are applauding." Many of the ponies in the audience burst out laughing at that remark, including all of SIG Sauer's companions. Only a few such as Snips and Snails were unamused. Trixie appeared to be annoyed at first. But then she just chuckled and remarked "Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?" There came yet another round of fanfare and fireworks. This time, nopony was really amazed. This display was just starting to get old. Spike unzipped his lips and threw himself at Twilight's hooves. He cried desperately "Please! She's unbearable! Ya gotta show her! Ya just gotta!" Twilight Sparkle whispered to him firmly "There's no way I'm going to use my magic now, Spike. Especially since—" "Hmm, how about you!" Trixie called out, pointing to Twilight. The lavender Unicorn was caught off guard by this. She gulped nervously and took a step back. Fortunately, Twilight Sparkle did not have to answer this contest. Her friends stepped in for her and challenged Trixie one-by-one. Applejack went first. She challenged Trixie to a round of doing tricks with rope. The orange mare was very nimble and flexible; she attached a rope to her tail, form it into a lasso, and spun it above and around her entire body. In the end, she roped an apple from a nearby stand, pulled it into her mouth, and ate it whole. This produced a round of cheers from the audience. Trixie then countered Applejack with a rope trick of her own. She used her magic to animate the rope, as if she had bewitched it. She used it to hypnotize Applejack, and once the farm pony was entranced, Trixie used the rope to tie her hooves together. Applejack called out in alarm, but Trixie stuffed an apple in mouth to quiet her. This produced a round of laughs from the audience. Bronze Star quickly went to Applejack's aid. As he freed her from her bonds, he jokingly remarked "Wow, Applejack. I didn't know you were in to this kind of stuff." The Earth Pony blushed as she got back on her hooves and stated "Ummm… I'm not. I just like using rope. It's a very versatile thing." Rainbow Dash had her turn next. She performed a multitude of adroit maneuvers in the sky. The cyan mare was so fast that it was almost hard to keep track of her. When she was finished, she managed to produce a small rainbow above her head. There came more cheers. Trixie quickly put an end to this stunt. She used her magic to produce a small rapidly swirling tornado above Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare was quickly caught in the eye of the vortex. She shouted in distress as she was spun around over a dozen times per second. When Trixie finally released her, Rainbow felt as though she was going to hurl. The finally blow to her ego was when Trixie produced a raincloud above Rainbow's head and struck her with a bolt of lightning. There came more laughs. "Be aware of your surroundings, Rainbow," Walther advised the young mare after she came out of shock, "And try to maintain your bearings, even if you get dizzy. Just a little friendly advice, Wonderbolt veteran to Wonderbolt aspirant." "Okay, General," Rainbow Dash remarked. She was embarrassed that Walther had seen her get tossed around and ridiculed, but at least he seemed to sympathize with her. Some of the people in the audience wanted a Unicorn to challenge Trixie. Rarity was reluctant to accept, but she changed her mind after Trixie insulted her mane. In response, Rarity used a variety of materials in the area to form an elegant dress. The audience was deeply impressed, but Trixie shattered her image when she used a spell to turn Rarity's mane green. When she learned this, the white Unicorn burst into tears and galloped away from the scene. Spike was fed up with this. He implored Twilight to take on Trixie. The lavender Unicorn was just as resistant to this idea as ever. Despite Spike's pleading and insistence, she refused to partake in this contest. When Trixie challenged Twilight herself, she was all the more reluctant. She quickly made up an excuse and bolted away from the area, much to the surprise of Spike. As the dragon chased after his mistress, Trixie smiled in satisfaction and announced "Ha! Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria. Huh, was there ever any doubt?" "The more appropriate question is 'was there ever any certainty?'" Bronze Star snappily retorted. Once again, the audience had a laugh at Trixie's expense. The brilliant azure mare scowled down at the gold stallion and uttered "Just who might you be?" "The name's Gold Streak," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville." At that, Trixie raised an eyebrow in interest and remarked "Oh, you're from Canterlot, are you?" "Yes, he is," Walther affirmed, "So am I, as well as these three Unicorns here." "Well, isn't that something," Trixie stated wryly, "So, tell Trixie something. Do you have anything better to offer than these Ponyvillians? Or are ponies from the capital city just as talentless?" "Want to find out the hard way?" Alpine audaciously ventured. "Gladly," was Trixie's response. "Alright then," Alpine asserted. She turned to Bronze Star and asked to see his right front hoof. He was confused by this request at first, but he complied. Alpine slowly removed his bandage to reveal the cut on his hoof. It had been more than two days, and it had not healed very much. Alpine had the gold stallion hold up his hoof so that everypony could see his injury. Then her horn lit up and she cast a spell on her friend's hoof. When the light faded, everypony gasped in surprise. Bronze Star's cut had vanished. "What was that?" he enquired in interest. "Cell regeneration charm," the chartreuse mare illuminated, "I mastered it just this morning." Most of the ponies there were captivated by this. Unsurprisingly, Trixie was unmoved. She scoffed and cheekily remarked "So you can patch a leak. Big deal." "Oh, that's not all," Alpine apprised her. She then titled her heads upwards and launched a powerful stream of magic. It sailed into the air until it was a hundred feet in the air. Then it started expanding into a gigantic square. When the shape was almost as large as the town square itself, it stopped growing. Most of the audience was astounded by the size and structure of the square, as well as its very presence. "What is that?" Mauser asked his sister in amazement. "An energy shield," Alpine expounded, "Twilight may know twenty-six types of magic, but there are two I excel in. Healing magic and defensive magic. A raging dragon couldn't get through that square." "Oh, really?" Trixie cockily rejoined. She then used her magic to produce an enormous anvil above Alpine's square. Trixie slammed her energy anvil against the energy shield. Almost immediately, the anvil shattered into thousands of pieces and faded away. Alpine was alarmed by this sudden action. So were quite a few others. Once the energy square completely vanished, Trixie said irreverently to Alpine "Very sturdy shield. Just make sure nothing ever touches it. Otherwise it'll become extremely ineffective." A lot of ponies laughed at this remark. Alpine just stared at the ground and sighed dismally. SIG Sauer placed his hoof on her back to comfort her. Then he glared up at Trixie and shot angrily "You are reprehensible." "Oh?" Trixie wittily spoke in turn, "And you, sir, are condemnatory. It's likely you couldn't do any better than that." "Believe me, ma'am; you wouldn't want to go up against me," SIG Sauer asserted. "Why is that?" Trixie enquired in interest. "Because my foremost skill has to do with knives," SIG Sauer sharply barked. Trixie was stunned by this answer. She conjectured "You mean like… cooking knives?" "Oh, no, my dear," the pine green Unicorn slyly informed her. He was wearing his belt at this time. He reached behind him and drew his special knife. He held it in the air and told her "I mean these types. The ones that cut through something quite different than food." Trixie lightly scoffed, saying "Yeah, right. Trixie thinks you just carry that around for show. You've probably never even used one in your life." "You could not be more wrong," SIG Sauer countered as he returned his knife to his belt, "For the sake of your image, I'm going to keep my weapon sheathed. But if you ever humiliate my daughter again like you did just now, I'll show you just how good I really am with knives." Trixie appeared to be unaffected by this threat, but underneath her emotionless façade, she was quavering with fright. Several other people there were stunned by SIG's words as well. After a moment, Trixie turned to Alpine and told her "I meant no offense." "No hard feelings," the chartreuse mare assured her, smiling lightly. "Good," Trixie commented in relief. After this, her face returned to its normally conceited countenance. She announced "In the meantime, Trixie still needs somepony worthy of her talent to challenge her." She noticed Mauser's cutie mark was a javelin and queried "What do you do? Are you some type of professional athlete?" "Not even close," the jasper stallion informed her, "I like sports as much as the next stallion, but I've never wanted a career in them. No, I'm a member of the Constabulary Contingent from the Military Enforcement Corps." "So, what exactly is your specialty?" Trixie enquired. "Upholding the law," Mauser replied, "Something you seem to have very little regard for." Despite the candidness of this slur, Trixie did not take offense to it. She bluntly declared "Well, stability and order bore Trixie." "That's too bad for you," Bronze Star remarked, "Because they're plenty useful in everyday life. And before you ask, my 'special talent' is in policymaking." "Trixie already gathered that," the brilliant azure mare declared, "She is not going to bother challenging you, either. Politics bore her even more." "Then she doesn't know what she's missing," Bronze Star humorously perceived. Trixie just rolled her eyes at that statement. She then looked down at Walther and told him "Guess that leaves you. What do you have to offer?" "Well, I've been in the Wonderbolts for nearly thirty years," Walther said in a surprisingly modest tone. Several people in the audience found this quite interesting. Although she did not show it, Trixie was a little impressed as well. "That so?" "Yes," the mahogany Pegasus established, "However, contrary to most Wonderbolts, my main flair is not flying at ludicrous speed. Instead, I specialize in accumulating intelligence." "Accumulating intelligence?" Trixie repeated. "That's right," Walther confirmed, "I am a master of research, history, and deductive reasoning. Whenever I look for something, it rarely evades my notice." "Hmmm," Trixie muttered in interest, "That is something Trixie can identify with. She appreciates the concept of increasing knowledge as well. She has learned so much in her lifetime that her intelligence must surpass that of anypony else in Equestria." "Really?" said Walther, clearly unconvinced, "Would she care to prove that?" "Just give her a chance," Trixie haughtily returned. "Alright," Walther coincided. He leaned over to Bronze Star and whispered into his ear "Sir, may I see your knapsack for a second?" The gold stallion found this to be an odd request, but he removed his bag and gave it to the mahogany Pegasus. Walther opened it up, shuffled through the contents, and pulled something small out. Then he closed up the bag and returned it to its owner. As Bronze Star slung his knapsack over his shoulder, Walther began approaching the stage. Bronze Star quickly realized that Walther had taken out the photograph of Dense Miasma's cutie mark. He stepped up to the mahogany Pegasus and uttered quietly "General, what are you doing?" "Taking a chance," Walther told him serenely, "Trust me, sir. I know what I'm doing." Bronze Star was still a little skeptical, but he chose to believe the Wonderbolt and beckoned him "Go on, then." Walther nodded and turned back to Trixie. He neared the base of the stage and asked the mare "How good are you at interpreting symbols?" "Extremely good," Trixie replied frankly, "Trixie can look at any symbol and determine its background and meaning." Walther smirked at this. Then he held up the photograph so that Trixie could see it, and he proposed "In that case, could you tell me what this is?" Trixie got a good look at the photograph. Initially, she seemed perplexed by its appearance. She asked in bewilderment "What is that?" "I was hoping you could tell me that," was all Walther said in response, "Celestia knows I can't make sense of it. Perhaps you can. Unless you lied about your ability." "The Great And Powerful Trixie does not invent facts!" the brilliant azure mare insisted. "Very well," Walther commented, "Then tell me, 'Great And Powerful,' what is this symbol's background and meaning?" Trixie did not answer straightaway. There was a long interval of silence. All eyes were focused on Trixie. She just stared at the photograph, as if she was astounded by it. Walther could tell she appeared to be reluctant to answer him, but her unwillingness might have been a result of anxiety instead of a lack of familiarity with the symbol. "We're listening," Walther declared. Ultimately, Trixie just turned away from Walther and mumbled bluntly "I don't have time for these silly guessing games. I am far too busy. Come back later and maybe I'll tell you then." This was not the answer anypony expected to hear. But nopony protested. The General just said coolly "If you say so, ma'am." A few seconds later, Trixie retreated to the inside of her trailer. Once she was gone, the crowd quickly dispersed. Soon the only people left in the town square were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Snips, Snails, Bronze Star, Walther, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer. The two colts planned to wait outside the trailer until their new idol reappeared. The three mares and the four stallions decided they had better things to do with their time. So they quickly left the area. They trotted in quietness for a while. Then Rainbow Dash flew above the mahogany Pegasus and told him "That was brilliant, General!" Walther was confused by this remark. "What was brilliant, Rainbow Dash?" "Your scheme to prove that Trixie isn't as perfect as she claimed to be," Rainbow Dash clarified, "I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Walther realized what the cyan mare was implying. He disclosed "You misunderstand, Rainbow. I can see how you would be driven to assume that I was trying to make Trixie look like a fool. However, that was not my intent. I actually was consulting her for help." "What?" the cyan mare remarked in surprise, "Why?" "Well, as you may have noticed, Prince Bronze Star and I haven't been outside much lately," Walther enlightened her, "This photograph is the primary reason why. We spent most of the last couple days in the embassy, trying to find out more about it." "Why is that?" Applejack enquired curiously, "What's so important about the symbol?" "The cultists who attacked SIG Sauer and attempted to imprison my mother had this symbol for their cutie marks," Bronze Star elucidated, "Hazy Wisp was also seen wearing a necklace with the same symbol imprinted on the trinket. We're certain that the symbol has something to do with the Nightmare Moon conspiracy." "That makes sense," Applejack concurred, "So did you find anything helpful?" "Nope, not a thing," Walther replied, "Our research led us absolutely nowhere. In fact, just an hour ago, we were ready to give up on it altogether. Now, I'm beginning to think we're finally on to something." "What makes you say that, Walt?" Bronze Star queried. "I'd prefer not to explain it out in the open, sir," the veteran Wonderbolt stated, gazing around the area suspiciously, "We should go somewhere more secluded to discuss this." "Well, later on, we can talk when we return to the embassy," Bronze Star proposed, "But right now I have no desire to set hoof in that building for a while." "I hear you, sir," Walther coincided, "After sitting in that study and doing nothing but research for two days, I could use some fresh air and exercise." Rainbow Dash smiled deviously at that remark. She flew in front of the mahogany Pegasus and told him "In that case, perhaps I could be of assistance, General." Walther inquired in interest "How so, Rainbow?" "Well, the skies are clear, the Sun is shining, and there's hardly any breeze," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "In other words, it's the perfect weather for flying. How's about a little race between you and me?" Walther raised an eyebrow and stated "Is that a serious proposal?" "Of course it is!" the cyan mare insisted, "My biggest dream has always been to fly with the Wonderbolts. Now that you're here, I have that opportunity. There's no way I'd just pass it up." Walther took a minute to consider this offer. Finally, he smirked and pronounced "Alright, then. If you'd like to go up against me, it's your decision." "Yes!" Rainbow Dash cheered, punching the air in satisfaction, "Alright! This is so freakin' awesome! Thank you, General!" "Don't thank me until you've actually flown with me," he suggested, "Where would you like to have the race?" "I know a good place to start," Rainbow answered, "Come on; I'll take you there." The cyan mare then turned to her side and flew to the south. Walther quickly rose into the air and steadily flapped after her. Bronze Star, Applejack, Alpine, Mauser, and SIG Sauer were interested to see where this would lead, so they decided to follow the two Pegasi. Rainbow Dash led the group to the meadows along the town's southern border. Once they were all there, Rainbow flew up to the General and stated "Okay, you see that cottage over there a ways?" Walther and the others turned to look in the direction she was pointing. In the distance, he could see a cottage surrounded by a brook on one end and part of the Everfree Forest on the other end. There appeared to be various types of animals gathered there, and a certain yellow Pegasus with a pink mane was tending to them. "I see it," Walther affirmed, "Is that Fluttershy out front?" "Yeah, she lives there," Rainbow Dash explained, "Anyway, her cottage is about a mile away from this spot. What I have in mind is a good old-fashioned roundabout race. We'll fly from here to there and back to here over and over. First to twenty laps wins." "I like the sound of that," Walther disclosed, grinning, "But let we warn you right now, Rainbow; I take competitions quite seriously. I never go easy on people." "I know you don't," Rainbow Dash remarked simply, "I don't want you to go easy on me. There's no fun in easy. Give me everything you've got." "Very well," Walther acknowledged. "Watch yourself, Rainbow," SIG Sauer advised the cyan mare, "It may have been six years since Walther last flew in a squad, but back then, no Pegasus could outfly him. Not even Bellerophon. I don't think I've ever seen one who could." "Well, things can change," Rainbow Dash debated. "True, but never underestimate your opponent," SIG Sauer recommended, "Doing so could be a costly mistake." "I'll remember that," Rainbow said candidly. She paused for a moment, and then she told Walther "Let me know when you're ready." "I've been ready for the past three minutes," he retorted. "Alright then," Rainbow Dash proclaimed, "Let's do this thing!" The two Pegasi concentrated on Fluttershy's cottage. After another interval of silence, Rainbow announced "Three… two… one… GO!" Immediately the two of them sped off towards Fluttershy's cottage. They were flying side-by-side for a few seconds, but Walther quickly gained the lead. Rainbow Dash was not about to let him off that easily. She compensated by nimbly soaring through the air. Although Walther reached the animal lover's house first, Rainbow Dash was the first to return to the meadows. The two of them alternated between first and second place many times over the next several minutes. Their five companions loudly cheered for them as they completed their laps. Walther appeared to be gradually gaining the lead on Rainbow Dash. By the end of the nineteenth lap, he was ahead of her by more than a quarter of a mile. He waited until the last one to have a little fun with her. At one point, he turned around and started flying backwards to get a look at her. He smirked and called out "Come on, Rainbow. If you're the best flyer in Ponyville, surely you can beat an aging stallion like me!" "Whatever you… SAY!" Rainbow Dash shouted. She suddenly picked up an additional jolt of velocity and zipped right by the mahogany Pegasus. Walther was momentarily stunned, but he quickly turned to his front and flew after her. Rainbow Dash arrived at Fluttershy's cottage and immediately turned around. Walther did the same just two seconds later. The two of them were practically side-by-side as they flew back to the meadows. Both were equally determined to win. Whatever the result of this race, it would be extremely close. Finally, they passed over the heads of their companions and jerked to a halt. As they landed on the ground and caught their breath, the others trotted over to them, still cheering wildly. "Looks like you've still got the stuff, General," Mauser remarked exultantly, "A clear victory on your part." "Are you kidding?" Alpine contradicted her brother, "Rainbow Dash easily got here first." "I'm not too sure about that," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Walther appeared to be slightly closer to us when the race ended. It must have been him." "As much as I'd hate to disagree with you, sir, I'm afraid I must this time," SIG Sauer countered, "Unless I blinked, Rainbow was definitely in the lead during that last lap." Truth be told, Rainbow Dash and Walther themselves were not very certain which of them had won. The mahogany Pegasus perceived "Well, since we have no idea who won, let's put it to a show of hooves." "I'm fine with that," the cyan Pegasus stated, "Apparently, we've already got two votes for me, and two votes for you. We're tied." "Indeed," Walther concurred. He turned to the orange Earth Pony and told her "Looks like your vote is the deciding one, Applejack. Who do you think won?" The mare in the hat did not expect to be put on the spot like that. She needed a moment to contemplate her response. She thought back to the very end of the last lap. From what she could remember, Walther and Rainbow Dash had arrived back at the meadows at approximately the same instant. Ultimately, she sighed and uttered "Rainbow…" The cyan mare was about to shout in triumph, but before she could, Applejack told her "Rainbow, I'm sorry, but I can recall Walther flew directly over my head a split-second before you did. So I'm inclined to say he won." Rainbow Dash dropped her jovial façade and instead took on one of disappointment. She glared at her friend and mumbled irately "Wow, thanks, AJ." "Hey, you asked me who I thought won, and I told you the truth," Applejack contended defensively, "Would you rather I lied?" "If our positions were reversed, I would have voted for you," Rainbow Dash proclaimed. "I don't doubt that, since you're the Element of Loyalty," Bronze Star interjected, "But keep in mind that Applejack is the Element of Honesty. She could have said you won, but she didn't. In my opinion, she did the right thing by being straightforward with you, Rainbow. Wouldn't you rather be informed that you did poorly at something than be misled into thinking you did superbly at it?" Rainbow Dash thought about this for a minute, and then she sighed and stated "I guess I would. Still, I can't help feeling annoyed. I really don't like losing." "Then don't think of it as losing, Rainbow Dash," Walther advised her, placing a hoof on her shoulder, "Winners and losers only exist in actual competitions. But in a casual race with one's friends, all that matters is that you enjoy yourself. You shouldn't feel as though finishing later in a friendly bout would put you behind. Everypony is victorious to some degree." Despite Rainbow Dash's extremely competitive nature, she found that the General spoke some very practical and useful words of wisdom. She turned to her idol, smiled at him, and stated "That's a nice way of putting it, Walther. Sorry if I seemed to be making a big deal about it." "No worries," he assured her, "I was once as competitive as you. But I starting breaking myself of that tendency when my mentor told me what I just told you." "I'll try to keep that in mind," Rainbow Dash declared, "It may take me a while, though. I'm used to taking every race I'm in as a serious contest." "That's alright for now," Walther avowed, "In fact, sometimes it's good to be competitive. In a way, having the desire to win is similar to having the determination to accomplish one's goals or attain one's ambitions." "Now that's an idea I can definitely agree with," Rainbow Dash stated. She paused for a few seconds, and then she thought aloud "Well, General, that was a pretty fun race. Even though you beat me." "Just by an inch or two," Walther debated, "Tell you what. Next time I come to Ponyville, we'll have a rematch." "I'd like that," Rainbow avowed, "Out of curiosity, why can't we have it today?" "Because I'm going to Hoofington tomorrow," Walther revealed, "Depending on what time I leave, I may have to fly there. In case I do, I want to conserve my energy so that I won't be worn out by the time I get there." Rainbow Dash heard his explanation, but she was still focused on the first sentence. She gloomily muttered "You're leaving?" "Sadly, yes," the mahogany Pegasus confirmed, "I have an assignment in Hoofington that I must accomplish in two days. If not for that, I would be happy to have a rematch today or tomorrow." "I get what you're saying," Rainbow mumbled, still a little despondent, "When do you suppose you'll be able to come back to Ponyville?" "It may not be for a while," Walther informed her, "After I've completed my job in Hoofington, I'll be going back to Canterlot. Odds are I'll be busy there for at least the next month." "Well, that sucks," Rainbow bluntly commented, "But I understand it. Business before pleasure." "Exactly," he concurred, "If you wish, we can still keep in contact. Later on, we could exchange mailing addresses." Rainbow Dash quickly brightened up and nodded her head, saying "I'm all for that." Now that the group had concluded that Walther had just barely won the race, the seven ponies decided to move on and enjoy the day in a less dynamic fashion. They spent much of the afternoon in the meadows. They laid in the grass, gazed up at the sky, and appreciated the peace and tranquility of their surroundings. Walther and Bronze Star were very glad that they chose to come out today. Otherwise they would have wasted this beautiful day in a dark, stuffy room while studying an obscure emblem.