//------------------------------//
// So Long and Thanks for All the Cider 
// Story: The Breaking of the Storm 
// by moguera 
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Chapter 8: So Long and Thanks for All the Cider

Mayor Mare smiled proudly as she looked over Ponyville and the surrounding countryside from her vantage point.  Less than a day ago, she would have seen a pure-white snowscape, marred only by the colors of the houses and the trunks of leafless trees beneath the cover of dour, gray clouds.  However, now she took in the verdant greens of the grass and the foliage of the trees that had burst into life.  Flowers were already blooming in a riot of color as the earth ponies' magic coursed through the ground, bringing forth the life of the new season from the deep, deathly slumber of winter.  The air was filled with the song of birds and the rustling scuttling of numerous animals.  No matter how many years she presided over Winter Wrap-Up, Mayor Mare knew that she would never grow tired of this sight.
Turning to the assembled ponies, the Mayor proudly proclaimed, "I hereby declare that spring has come on time!"
The mass of ponies, many of whom had worked throughout the previous day and even through the night, burst into ecstatic cheers, signifying the euphoria that could only accompany a job well-done.  Still, after working so long and so hard, not everypony could maintain their energy.  Amongst the crowd, Mayor Mare spied several of the older foals, who had joined their families in working through the night, stifling yawns and blinking blearily.  Luckily, Winter Wrap-Up was always scheduled to start on Friday and end on Saturday, giving the foals the rest of the weekend to wrap-up before school started once again on Monday.
Still, before anything else, some business remained to be taken care of.  "Before you all head off," said Mayor Mare, "I have some announcements to make."
Naturally, a few ponies groaned at being kept from going to their well-deserved rest.  However, they generally took Mayor Mare's declaration with good grace and waited for her to speak.
"First," said the Mayor, "Once again, I would like to thank Twilight Sparkle for her work in keeping Winter Wrap-Up organized so that we could welcome spring on time.  All of you know exactly where we would be without her."
The crowd broke out into heartfelt cheers as Twilight Sparkle, who stood at the front of the crowd, just below the ledge where the Mayor was standing, broke out into a blush and waved sheepishly to the ponies cheering her.
"Second, this year we had some additional help on the organizational front," explained Mayor Mare, "Flaxseed, who some of you have seen around town and who works for Rarity, was kind enough to help with our logistics.  Thanks to him getting through this task and cleaning up after it was even easier than last year.  It goes without saying that he made a great contribution to our overall efficiency.  So, even though he is not here with us now, I hope you'll be grateful for all the hard work he's done.  Rarity has made it clear to me that he still very uncomfortable around most other ponies, so please give him his space."
There was a polite, albeit somewhat subdued, clopping of hooves that echoed from the crowd.  Though Flaxseed had immediately retreated back into the Carousel Boutique after his work was done, Mayor Mare felt it necessary to recognize his contributions, especially since he had gone so far out of his comfort zone to do so.
The Mayor's smile widened as she made her next announcement.  "Now, I know what a lot of you are waiting for.  Pinkie Pie has informed me that her party celebrating the completion of Winter Wrap-Up will begin promptly at five at the plaza in front of Town Hall.  Naturally, everyone is invited.
"Also, Cheerilee has asked me to remind all of our foals that the new school year will be beginning on Monday and that all students will be expected to show up at eight-o-clock sharp."  This last announcement was accompanied by the groans of several foals, both young and old as they realized that their winter vacation had come to an end.
Now Mayor Mare's smile faltered as she recalled the final piece of news that she had to deliver.  "Finally, last but not least, it saddens me to announce that this year's Winter Wrap-Up was the last official act of Rainbow Dash in her position as Weather Manager of Ponyville."  A hush fell over the crowd.  "As of today, Rainbow Dash will be stepping down from her position as Ponyville's Weather Manager.  Tomorrow, she will be leaving Ponyville in order to take her place as a member of the Wonderbolts."
Mayor Mare had to pause to wipe away a tear at this pronouncement.  Though she'd known for months that this was coming, she was still deeply saddened to lose such an important member of the community and one who had provided such an important service.  She could see that her sentiment was shared by Ponyville.  She saw several ponies with moist eyes, especially amongst the foals, many of whom greatly admired Rainbow.
"As such, I would like to remind everypony that tonight's party is also Rainbow Dash's farewell party.  I hope that you will all join us to thank her for the years of hard work she has done for Ponyville and wish her well as she embarks on her Wonderbolt career.
"And with that, we are finished for the day.  Dismissed!"
Mayor Mare watched as the crowd began to break up, many ponies heading to their homes to catch up on lost sleep before heading to the party.  Well...that's that...I suppose...



Rainbow watched from her cloud as the ponies below dispersed.  She couldn't help but smirk as she watched.  From the look of things, the Mayor's announcement about her leaving had a fairly big impact.  It looked like a lot of ponies weren't happy to see her go.  A small, tiny, infinitesimally insignificant portion of her heart took a certain vindictive satisfaction in the fact that some of those ponies had been the ones calling vehemently for her resignation during last summer's drought.  But now...not a dry eye in the house.  Still, that satisfaction was fleeting and faded quickly as Rainbow was once again faced with the fact that she was leaving her home and everything that was familiar to her behind.
Starting tomorrow, she would be a Wonderbolt full-time.  The first year would be spent on rigorous training to bring her up to speed on all the skills that she needed to function as a member of the elite flight team, which also operated as support for Spitfire in her role as one of the seven Celestial Knights of Equestria.  Who knew how many months it would be until she got to see Ponyville again.  Hay!  For all I know, it might be even longer.  After all, Rainbow had been personally selected to train under another of the Celestial Knights, Firefly, whom she'd met at the Winter Gala.  Depending on how demanding a teacher Firefly was, there was every chance it might be more than a year before Rainbow saw her old friends again.
She remembered the advice her coltfriend had given her.  In the end, I just have to make the most of the time I have left.  Glancing down by her side, Rainbow saw Scootaloo standing beside her.  The two of them had been watching the ending announcements from up above.  “So now what?” asked Scootaloo, staring expectantly up at Rainbow.
Rainbow smiled.  She could see the drooping of the filly’s eyelids and the repeated workings of her jaw as she struggled to keep from yawning.  “I think it’s nap-time,” replied Rainbow.
Scootaloo’s eyes went wide.  “B-b-but…It’s your last day.  Shouldn’t we be doing something special?”
Rainbow reached out and rested a hoof across Scootaloo’s withers.  “Listen kiddo, we’ll be able to do all sorts of awesome stuff at Pinkie’s party.  But you’re not gonna be able to enjoy it if you don’t get some rest first.  Otherwise, you’ll just conk out tonight.”
“But…”  Scootaloo’s eyes teared up.
"Just relax, squirt," said Rainbow, draping a wing across Scootaloo's back.  She lowered herself, compelling Scootaloo to lay down next to her, "Just because we need a nap doesn't mean we still can't enjoy our time together."
Scootaloo's eyes widened.  "You mean...?"
"Sure thing."  Rainbow used her wing to pull Scootaloo up against her side.  The two of them snuggled up together on that very cloud.  As she drifted off to sleep, a smile spread across the filly's face.



The evening's party was a great success.  Pinkie Pie had set up her usual array of activities, along with various treats and drinks for the attendees to enjoy.  Vinyl Scratch had set up her DJ stand once again, broadcasting her tunes and beats across the area, prompting many a pony to twitch to the rhythm, even if they weren't actively dancing to it.
Flaxseed's eyes darted about nervously and he kept close to Rarity as they meandered through the crowd.  Part of him was regretting agreeing to come out of the Boutique to this party.  However, Rarity had promised that she would be with him the entire time, so he had acquiesced.  So far, nopony had directed so much as a glance his way.  The few that had given him any attention were Rarity's friends, the few ponies aside from Rarity and Sweetie Belle that Flaxseed felt genuinely safe around.
Out of the corner of his eye, Flaxseed caught sight of a grayish-brown earth pony approaching them.  The stallion's black mane was slicked back in a look that accented its gray highlights.  He was smartly dressed with a suit-jacket and tie.  From the way the stallion carried himself, it was clear that he was a rather important pony.
"Ah, Ms Rarity," said the stallion as he came closer, "It's delightful to see you again."
Rarity tittered politely as she turned to face the stallion.  "Filthy Rich, it's a pleasure to speak to you again."
Filthy Rich!  Flaxseed was grateful for the fact that Rarity was positioned between him and the other stallion, which kept either of them from noticing that his jaw had dropped.  The Filthy Rich!  He lives in Ponyville?  Flaxseed knew about the owner of Barnyard Bargains, in no small part because he had worked at Barnyard Bargains in the past.  Their stores, particularly in the larger cities, were always looking for new hires and the interviewers rarely asked questions that were too prying.  It helped that the wages were decent too.
"I've been meaning to ask," said Rarity, "How is Diamond Tiara faring?  Have you gotten any more complaints about her?”
Rich blinked for a second.  "Actually...I haven't.  Granted, school let out for the season shortly after she finished those sessions with you.  But I haven't gotten a single complaint from Cheerilee.  At the very least, my daughter is no longer a bully."
Rarity frowned, sensing something amiss with Rich's words.  "But..."
A sigh escaped Rich and he looked down.  "However, I am afraid that my daughter has, for the most part, burned her bridges already.  Even if she has turned over a new leaf, I fear that she won't have any friends aside from Silver Spoon.  Nopony else in her age group has a remotely positive opinion of her and I'm afraid that they won't accept her even if she tries."
A hoof rested on Rich's shoulder.  He looked up to see Rarity giving him an encouraging smile.  "Have faith," she said, "During our sessions, Diamond showed herself to be a remarkable pony when she set aside that haughty attitude she inherited from her mother.  If she can manage that, I'm sure that she will be able to make some friends.  I'll talk to Sweetie Belle and see if she might be open to the idea."
"That would be nice," admitted Rich, "Though I should ask you not to pressure her too much.  After all, she and her friends were Diamond's favorite victims before.  I can't blame her if she chooses not to."
"Even so," said Rarity, "I think Sweetie and her friends probably should make some gesture.  Diamond's bullying could be terrible at times and Sweetie sometimes came home in tears because of it.  But I can testify that there are much worse bullies in the world.  Besides, if Dawn Lightwing can forgive ponies for trying to kill him, I think Sweetie Belle can forgive a filly for calling her names."
It took a moment for Filthy Rich to register what Rarity just said.  "Wait...what?"  Of course, he'd read the article about Dawn.  Said article had even mentioned the assassin and other ponies that had tried to take the ebony colt's life in the past.  But what is all this about forgiveness?
Rarity faltered for a moment.  "Oh my!  I forgot that that last event wasn't widely publicized."  She proceeded to explain how a former Guardsmare, one Shade Steel, had come to Ponyville in an attempt to kill Dawn, nearly succeeding in making the colt bleed out before she was stopped.  After her capture, Shade was hauled straight to Canterlot, where her punishment was decided by Princess Celestia personally.  Dawn and the rest of the group had encountered Shade in the Royal Palace when they went up for Hearth's Warming.  To everypony's surprise, Shade and Dawn actually reconciled and Dawn went so far as to invite her to join the group for breakfast on Hearth's Warming Day.
Rich blinked in shock as he listened to the story, amazed at what he was hearing.  "That's an incredible attitude for a pony to have, especially a colt like him."
A light chortle escaped from Rarity at Rich's words.  "His mother's influence, I suppose," she said.
Rich nodded in agreement.  "Ms. Fluttershy is a most remarkable pony if she's able to raise her adopted son so well.  To think that Foal Protective Services ever doubted her qualifications."
Feeling that one story about Dawn was enough for the night, Rarity decided to keep to herself that the Department of Welfare's investigation had been a front for ponies with ulterior motives.  Instead, she simply nodded in agreement with Rich's statement.
As it was, the sound of a hoof scuffing against the grass behind her caught Rarity's attention as she realized that Rich's presence had managed to distract her from the pony she was actually supposed to be escorting tonight.  "Oh my goodness!  Where are my manners?  I'm terribly sorry!"  She stepped sideways and back a little to give Rich a clear view of Flaxseed, moving to stand beside the gold-coated stallion, rather than in front of him.  "I should have done this from the start.  Mr. Rich, this is Flaxseed, my new accountant and tenant.  Flaxseed, this is Filthy Rich, the owner of Barnyard Bargains."
"Um...uh..."  Flaxseed shrank back slightly, his ears lying flat against the sides of his head.  He wished that Rarity had completely forgotten about him.  "It's a pleasure to meet you...sir."
Rich let out a booming laugh.  "Please, no need to be so formal.  This isn't the Guard after all.  Please call me Rich."
Flaxseed nodded.  He could feel Rich's gaze sweeping over him, silently calculating, evaluating every aspect.  What Rich gleaned from his observations was a mystery, as his expression gave absolutely nothing away.
"So you are the stallion that's been staying at the Carousel Boutique," remarked Rich, "There's been quite a lot of speculation about you."
"There was...?" asked Flaxseed.
Rich nodded.  "Of course.  When a stallion moves in with what most ponies consider the most eligible bachelorette in Ponyville, ponies will talk."
Both Rarity's and Flaxseed's faces erupted into identical blushes as they realized what said ponies had probably been talking about.  Rarity coughed into her hoof.  "Well...I suppose that a certain amount of speculation is only natural," she conceded.  Celestia knew, had she been the pony watching their situation, she would probably have been the one behind some of those speculations.  She'd done it before in the past.  I suppose turnabout is fair play.
"Still," said Rich, "I didn't realize he was an accountant."
Eager to turn the conversation in a less personal and speculative direction, Rarity nodded.  "Indeed.  He's been quite a wonder with the books.  I daresay that I wouldn't have been able to take on Coco's apprenticeship if he hadn't been able to work out the financial details."  Flaxseed's blush intensified under Rarity's praise.
"I see," mused Rich, apparently seeing Flaxseed in a new light (although, what the old light was remained a mystery), "It's a pity then.  I always have a use for skilled accountants in my franchise."
"I'm afraid I'd be under-qualified, Mr. Rich," replied Flaxseed, "I have some skill and experience, but I never received a formal education beyond the elementary level."
"Is that so?" asked Rich, raising an eyebrow, "I suppose that the reason you didn't has something to do with your...condition."
Flaxseed's blush faded instantly as his face went from flushed to pale in just a few seconds.  "H-how do you know about that?"
Rich stared at him for a moment.  "Actually, it wasn't all that big of a secret," he said, "You had a rather public altercation with Ms. Rarity when you first arrived in town where your trait was prominently displayed in front of a number of ponies.  I heard about it from them."
"Oh dear!  I'd forgotten!" said Rarity, rather mortified.  She hadn't forgotten the altercation itself.  After all, it's not every day that your first impression of a pony is them swinging a tree branch at your head.  However, she had forgotten that there had been numerous witnesses on hoof to see Flaxseed display the Eyes of Nightmare as his panicked state got the better of him.
"I see..." said Flaxseed, his voice quivering nervously.
"Given that we already have one such pony in town, I don't believe it registered as something overly important," said Rich, drawing a surprised look from Flaxseed, "I suspect that other ponies with the same condition will be visiting before long.  Ms. Twilight Sparkle did basically issue an open invitation after all."
Flaxseed nodded dumbly.
"In any case, I wish you a pleasant evening," said Rich with a warm smile as he turned to make his way into the crowd.
"He seems like a nice guy," noted Flaxseed.
"Oh, he's quite pleasant," said Rarity, "His family and the Apple Family were the founders of Ponyville.  I'm told he can be quite ruthless when it comes to his business, but he's nice enough in pony.  I'm afraid that the same couldn't be said about his daughter until recently."
"So I heard," said Flaxseed, "She was a bully?"
Rarity nodded with a sigh.  "Back when Sweetie and her friends had yet to earn their cutie marks, Diamond Tiara would torment them endlessly.  It was a sad state of affairs."
"What happened to change that?" asked Flaxseed.
Rarity couldn't help but chuckle.  "Dawn happened.  I'm afraid that Diamond began teasing him during an extremely difficult time he was having and he snapped at her...quite severely I think.  The issue came to Mr. Rich's awareness and he brought the question to me.  Afterwards he sent Diamond to take some lessons under me in order to...reform her...I suppose.  At least those seem to have worked."
Flaxseed nodded, looking around some more.  He realized that he probably should have anticipated his secret getting out, especially after showing it in front of so many ponies on his first day in town.  And yet, there was absolutely no sign that any of Ponyville's residents were plotting anything untoward.  Given that Dawn had been a resident of this town for several months before Flaxseed had arrived, Flaxseed figured that, if there were anymore cultists in town, then they would have given themselves away already.
He was distracted from his musings by Rarity's excited exclamation.  "Oh!  They're starting.  Come on, Flaxseed, we need to head for the stage."
Looking over to where Rarity was pointing, Flaxseed could see that a wooden stage had been erected.  Pinkie Pie was there, along with Rainbow Dash, with the members of the Weather Team arranged behind the cerulean mare.  Pinkie was signalling excitedly, clearly eager to get everypony's attention as the rest of the festivities paused for a moment.



Rainbow gulped nervously as she looked out over the growing crowd, gathering at the foot of the stage.  Normally, she wouldn't mind an audience in the slightest.  But that was during one of her performances.  Rainbow Dash was a mare of action, not a mare of talk.  Making speeches wasn't really her forte.  The closest she usually got was when she was making her pep talk to her team.  She would much rather put on a flight show than give a long-winded speech to a bunch of ponies.
Meanwhile, Pinkie had been surveying the crowd as well as the rest of the plaza, using everything from party noisemakers to air horns to get ponies' attention and get them to gather in front of the stage.  Once she was sure that she had their attention, Pinkie broke out into an eager grin.  "Alrighty then!  Now that I have everypony's attention, it's time to get started.  First off...Welcome to our yearly Winter Wrap-Up Wrap-Up party everyone!"
Pinkie's announcement was greeted by happy cheers as the ponies clopped their hooves against the ground.
"Don't worry," continued Pinkie, "The party's not over yet.  But we have some things to get done before we can really get this party started."  The smile faded from her face and she adopted a much more sober expression, catching her audience off-guard.  "I know everypony knows Rainbow Dash.  Tonight's gonna be her last night in Ponyville.  That's 'cause, tomorrow, she's gonna be heading off to Cloudsdale to join the Wonderbolts!"  As Pinkie spoke, her grin came back in full force, finishing the last sentence by throwing her hooves into the air and inflecting it like a cheer, which triggered another wave of cheers from the crowd in return.
Rainbow's heart soared, knowing all these ponies were cheering for her.  Even if she wasn't showing off her moves, it still did her heart good to know so many ponies supported her decision to follow her dreams.
Once the cheers died down, Pinkie continued.  "That means that tonight's party is actually two parties in one.  It may be our Winter Wrap-Up Wrap-Up party, but it's also our Goodbye and Have Lots of Fun in the Wonderbolts party for Rainbow Dash!  So that means that everypony needs to party twice as hard!  Is that CLEAR!?"
The crowd raised their wildest cheer yet in response to Pinkie's declaration.  Once the cheering died back down, she turned, this time speaking to Rainbow.  "Rainbow Dash...You've been the most amazing, spectacular, awesome, super-duperific Weather Manager this town has ever had."  Though Pinkie was still smiling, her eyes were beginning to leak tears as she continued to speak.  "You're one of my absolute bestest best friends and my favorite pranking partner."  Without warning, Pinkie abruptly lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's shoulders, pulling the other mare into a tight hug.  "I'm gonna miss you so much!  I hope you have a super-awesome-amazing-fabulistic time with the Wonderbolts!  And don't you dare forget to write this time."
Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle at Pinkie's enthusiasm as she hugged the pink mare back.  "I promise," she said, nuzzling Pinkie's cheek.  Pulling out of the embrace, Rainbow stepped back and silently went through the motions of a Pinkie Promise, her actions driving Pinkie to break down into sobs as she threw herself at Rainbow and wrapped her in another, even tighter hug.  Amongst the crowd, more than a few ponies were sniffling and tearing up as they listened and watched.
In the back of the crowd, where she was standing with Flaxseed, Rarity was openly sobbing herself, using a hoofkerchief to wipe away her tears and occasionally blow her nose as Flaxseed awkwardly patted her shoulder, offering what little reassurance he could.
Rarity wasn't the only one.  From another part of the crowd, Twilight was sniffling and trying to keep her emotions under control.  Next to her, Arkenstone did his best to help, gently nuzzling up against her cheek, whispering reassurances into her ear.
Standing near Twilight and Arkenstone were Spike and Apple Bloom.  Spike was trying his hardest not to cry, but couldn't stop the occasional tear from running down his face.  Next to him, Bloom smiled as she watched her drakefriend and sidled up against him, trying to provide as much encouragement as she could.
Off to one side of the stage stood Applejack and Red River.  Like Spike, Applejack was trying her hardest to put up a tough front...and failing miserably.  She pulled the brim of her stetson low over her eyes, but even that couldn't hide the tears that ran down her cheeks and sprinkled the ground below.  Red raised a hoof and ran it gently up and down Applejack's back.
Both Sweetie and Rumble were having trouble keeping their emotions in check.  Rumble was especially saddened by the thought of Rainbow's departure.  She'd been the one to make opportunities for him to help out his brother on the Weather Team.  She'd given him encouragement during times that he'd felt low.  Thus, it was Rumble who was depending on Sweetie as she lightly hugged him while he sniffed, letting out the occasional muted whimper.
Of all the ponies, Scootaloo was taking the announcement the hardest.  She was doing all she could to keep from bawling as Melon Cream wrapped the filly in her arms and held her tightly.  Melon shed a few tears as well, having gotten fairly close to Rainbow in the past few months.  She would miss the little talks and get-togethers they'd been having.
Dawn would have liked to offer his comfort to Scootaloo.  Unfortunately, he was preoccupied by his own mother.  Fluttershy had wrapped her arms and wings around him, pulling him up against her chest as she buried her muzzle into his mane.  Dawn could feel Fluttershy's tears soaking into his mane, but didn't bother trying to pull away.  As it was, he was feeling a little low himself.
Rainbow Dash had been the first pony, after Fluttershy, that he'd met after leaving the forest.  (Technically, the first pony that Dawn met after Fluttershy was an unrepentant scumbag by the name of Flash Spark, but he didn't really count by Dawn's measure.)  Meeting Rainbow had been the first true indication to Dawn that Ponyville was different than all the other places he'd been to, that these ponies could accept him, that he could have a home, even a family here.  They'd bonded further when Dawn had taken Scootaloo as his student, and further still when Dawn and Scootaloo had become special someponies.  Furthermore, Rainbow had shown an incredible amount of trust in him by asking him to accompany her to Cloudsdale to investigate the cause of the drought that had been threatening Ponyville.  Rainbow Dash was a lot of things to Dawn.  She was a friend, an older sister, and a comrade in arms.  It hurt to see her go.
Still...such goodbyes weren't forever.  As he patted his mother's arm and allowed her to tighten her hold on him, Dawn consoled himself by keeping in mind that Rainbow would almost certainly be coming back to visit, that this wouldn't be the last that they saw of each other...especially if the Wonderbolts' Captain continued to take such an interest in him.
Dawn felt a weight lean up against them and looked over to see that Caramel had joined them, wrapping a foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulders and pulling both her and Dawn up against his side.  Giving Dawn a knowing smile, Caramel started planting small kisses behind Fluttershy's ear.
Up on the stage, Rainbow finally managed to pry herself out of Pinkie's grip.  Pinkie Pie hugs were wonderful, but they generally came with a doctor's recommendation against overexposure, as mild bruising and certain skeletal problems could result.  It took a moment for Rainbow to gather her composure as she had to fiercely wipe her eyes to clear her own tears away.
"A-alright!" she said, stammering as her voice cracked slightly from the emotion.  Rainbow had to take another second to shake her head and cough lightly to clear her throat.  "Okay everypony," she said, addressing the crowd, "To be honest, I've loved this town since my first day here.  This town is the best town I could ever hope to work in."
She chuckled.  "I know we've had our rough spots, particularly last year..."  She heard a round of chuckles from the crowd, accompanied by a few guilty looks.  "...But we got past them.  I'd like to claim that it was all thanks to me, since I am such an awesome Weather Manager and all..."  This time, there were a few more chuckles from the crowd.  "But," she continued, "I couldn't have done it without a great team behind me...and beside me...and in front of me, sometimes."  Now there was outright laughter from the crowd.
Rainbow turned and addressed the Weather Team behind her.  "You all are the best Weather Team a pony like me could ask for.  When I made a judgment call, you girls were there to back me up.  When I made a mistake, you were there to chew me out for it.  I couldn't have gotten anything done if it wasn't for all of you."
Rainbow's Weather Team beamed under the praise.  Like the rest of the crowd, they were not immune to the gravity of the event and several of them were facing Rainbow with tears in their eyes.
"I'm gonna miss you all," said Rainbow, her voice hitching, "But I know that, even if I'm not here, you girls are gonna be the best darn weather team in all of Equestria."  She snorted and wiped her eyes before adopting a more formal, rigid posture, a stern expression on her face.  "Raindrops!  Get over here!"
From amongst the group of weatherponies, a single mare with a jasmine-colored coat and a turquoise mane stepped up to stand in front of Rainbow at the front of the stage.  The two mares' eyes met as they stared at one another.  Like Rainbow, Raindrops had wiped her eyes clear of tears, though more were still on the verge of bubbling up as she faced her soon-to-be-former boss.
Rainbow smiled at her subordinate.  "You're in charge of the Weather Team now.  I know you're up to the job and I know you'll do good.  Hay!  I know for a fact that you're better at the paperwork than I ever was."
A round of chuckles went through the assembled weatherponies.  Raindrops sniffed and giggled a little.  "I'll do my best," she said, "And I promise I'll never leave Ponyville hanging...just like you."
Rainbow gestured for Raindrops to come stand next to her as she turned to address the crowd again.  "Everypony!  I'd like you all to meet your new Weather Manager...Raindrops!"
The crowd burst into a flurry of applause and clopping hooves as Raindrops blushed and averted her gaze slightly, unused to all of the extra attention.  It sure hadn't been this big of a production when the last Weather Manager had handed the reins of the department to Rainbow.  But after everything that Rainbow Dash had done for Ponyville, Raindrops thought Rainbow deserved it.
Letting out a laugh, Rainbow wiped her tears away one last time.  "Alright!  Now that the sappy stuff is out of the way, let's PARTY!"
The assembled ponies let out a cheer and the crowd began to disperse, the ponies returning to enjoying the festivities.  Behind Rainbow on the stage, the ponies of the Weather Team broke up as well, returning to their own activities.  Meanwhile, Rainbow was once again tackled by a weeping Pinkie Pie, sending the pair sprawling across the stage as Pinkie cried into a sympathetic Rainbow's shoulder.
Melon Cream let go of Scootaloo and gently wiped the filly's tears away.  "No more crying," said Melon with a mild tone of admonishment, "You have the rest of the evening to spend with Rainbow.  You need to make the most of it.  So don't waste your time on tears."
"Okay mom," said Scootaloo, wiping her eyes.  She sniffled to try and clear her nose and turned to run up to the stage.  Melon watched the filly go, a smile on her face, but tears still lining her eyes.



Morning Star let out a long sigh as he shuffled the pages aside.  It was rare for him to feel a true sense of frustration, but he was getting that feeling now.  The pressure of investigations by the Guard was only increasing and the Order was under even more scrutiny than before.  Now that Celestia and Luna had found out about his ordering Terra Heart to deal with Dawn Lightwing, the Guard had put the pressure on, looking for any sign of action from the members of the Order.
As Morning had hoped, issuing the announcement that Terra would take care of the colt had brought most of the Order's members back under control before they descended on Ponyville in outraged mobs.  However, now that several months had passed since Morning had put the order out and Terra had not taken action, the rank and file members were beginning to chafe, wondering when something was going to be done with the demon living amongst the Element Bearers.  If things really got out of hoof, then it would be all the excuse that Celestia needed to begin uprooting the Order everywhere she could find it.
And I know that she's already monitoring the Applelossa focus, he thought.  Blenheim had immediately notified Morning about Shining Armor's visit to Appleloosa.  Once Celestia lost her patience completely, the Royal Guard would likely return and they would leave no stone unturned...or standing atop another.  If the foci weren't finished before that happened, then the game would be up...And the last ten years would be all for naught, he added.  Certainly, he would be able to start over eventually.  But "eventually" was the key word in that statement.  Once Celestia realized what was really going on, Morning Star doubted that she would allow him to even begin again.
I suppose that Equestria would be out, he mused, I guess I'd have to take things elsewhere.  It'd be tedious to start all over...again.
There was only so much he could do to keep his followers under control.  The construction of the foci had been stalled a little by the release of the newspaper article detailing Dawn's history.  Morning's declaration that Terra Heart would deal with the colt had bought him some time and had gotten the construction back on track.  Still, it was impossible to keep track of every single rank and file member of the Order.  If one of them caused too much more of a ruckus or got a little bit lucky trying to kill Dawn Lighting then...
There's only so much I can do from this end of things, realized Morning, If that's the case, then the best thing to do would be to make some arrangements to divide the Guard and Celestia's attention.
He thought briefly about the assets he had at his disposal.  Some were already in motion.  Some were not useful in this sort of situation.  That Fleetfoot...I really wish she hadn't jumped the gun with those artilleryheads.  What in the hay am I supposed to do with a bunch of weapons of mass destruction?  It'd be better off if those had gotten dismantled too.  He supposed he could go ahead and order the dismantlement of the weaponized thunderclouds himself.  But that would probably raise a fuss from the ponies who had put so much work into hiding and looking after them.  Using the artilleryheads was out of the question.  With Fleetfoot's arrest, Celestia and her subordinates had probably already deduced that the weapons were in the Order's possession.  Their use now would only serve as a catalyst to kick off the very investigation he was trying to delay.
What to do then...? he thought.  If none of the options he had available now were sufficient for the job then...The best thing to do would be to come up with a new one.
That brought a smile to Morning's face.  The wonderful thing about being me is that, if none of the cards in my possession can do the job, then I can make a new one on the spot.



"You've got everything, right?" asked Fluttershy anxiously, "You didn't forget anything, did you?"
"No Fluttershy," said Rainbow with a tone of strained tolerance, "I've got everything I need."
"You're going to write, aren't you?" asked Pinkie, sounding just as worried as Fluttershy.
"Yes, I'm going to write," said Rainbow.
"Oh dear!  Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yes, my toothbrush is in my bags," said Rainbow.
"You're going to write every month right?"
"Yes Pinkie."
"What about your mementos?  Are they secured?"
"Yes Fluttershy."
"How about every week?"
"Sure thing Pinkie."
"What about your flight suit?"
"Got it."
"How about every half-week?"
"I think that's a little much."
"What about the dresses Rarity made for you?  Did you remember them?"
"Yes."
"How about every other day?"
"I don't think so."
"What about your Wonderbolts figures?"
"Every day...?"
"Wait!  Your trophies!"
"Twice a day...?"
"Oh!  And your ribbons!  We can't forget those!"
"Thee times-"
"GIRLS!!!"  Rainbow pushed against Fluttershy and Pinkie with her hooves, pushing the other two mares away from her.  "Look!  I've got everything I need, Fluttershy.  No, I won't write you more than once a week at most, Pinkie...unless I have a reason to."
Seeing that both Fluttershy and Pinkie were now pouting at her, Rainbow sighed and used her forelegs to draw the two of them back in for a hug.  "Look you two.  I understand this is hard.  I'm not exactly happy to leave Ponyville behind either, but I'm going to Cloudsdale to fulfill my dream.  I'm gonna miss you both so much."  She nuzzled against Fluttershy's cheek, then Pinkie's.  "Please don't make this any harder for us."
"I...I kn-know," whimpered Fluttershy, "B-but...I..."  She was unable to finish her sentence and instead collapsed, sobbing, against Rainbow's side.
"I'm gonna miss you too Dashie!" wailed Pinkie as she wrapped Rainbow in a crushing hug, crying openly and sending twin rivers of tears streaming through the air as Rainbow struggled to breathe.
Twilight's magic wrapped around Pinkie and pried her arms away from Rainbow's neck, allowing Rainbow to breathe once more.  "Pinkie...we're all gonna miss Rainbow," said Twilight, "But this is something that's truly important to her.  You know that, right?"
"Yeah," said Pinkie, her ears sagging along with the rest of her body.  A bright-yellow mare with a tri-colored mane came up to lean against her.  Mayweather did her best to give Pinkie some additional comfort, though there was little that even she could do to raise Pinkie's spirits.
Rainbow was still hugging Fluttershy and doing her best to comfort the yellow mare.  All around her, the rest of her friends had crowded in close, almost seeming to huddle in the shade cast by Rainbow's cloud house, which drifted overhead.  Pinkie Pie's party had carried on late into the previous night.  Rainbow had spent the evening with Scootaloo, the two of them playing games, trying different foods, and just generally hanging out.  After that, Rainbow had brought Scootaloo back to the cloud house for one last sleepover.  Now, on the day of her departure, all of Rainbow's closest friends had assembled to see her off.
Rainbow Dash was a pegasus of few material possessions, at least few that she wanted to bring to Cloudsdale with her.  Everything she felt she needed or wanted to bring along to the Wonderbolts compound was contained within a single trunk that rested on a small wagon behind her.  As soon as her escort arrived, she'd say her final goodbyes and then be off to Cloudsdale.
The sight of her friends, gathered around her, waiting to see her off, really hammered home the truth for Rainbow.  This is it, she thought.  After today, Ponyville would be behind her and who knew how long it would be until she could come back again.  But I will come back, she promised herself.
A rush of wings preceded the sound of hooves settling onto the ground behind her.  Looking over her shoulder, Rainbow saw that a pale-blue stallion had arrived.  He smiled gently at her.  "Hey."
"Hey yourself, said Rainbow, smiling back, "I guess this is it."
"Yep," said Soarin', "It's time to go."
Rainbow turned back to her friends and took a deep breath.  "Alright.  I'm going miss you girls.  I love you all."
Twilight stepped forward first and hugged Rainbow tightly.  "You'll be an amazing Wonderbolt," she whispered into Rainbow's ear before nuzzling her cheek.
Twilight froze when Spike coughed behind her.  "Oh!  I almost forgot."  Her horn flared for a brief second and a half-dozen emerald-green candles flashed into existence between her and Rainbow.  "I wanted to give these to you."
"What are these?" asked Rainbow, eyeing the bundle of candles curiously.
"Spike and I have been experimenting with the properties of dragonfire," explained Twilight, grinning widely, "Recently, we figured out that, if we can infuse his dragonfire into candle wax, it gives the candle flame the same properties as his fire.  All you have to do is hold any letter you write over the flame and it will get sent straight to us through Spike."
"Whoa!" exclaimed Rainbow, taking the candles, "That's awesome."
"Let us know when you're running low and we'll make new ones for you," said Twilight as Rainbow quickly transferred the candles to her trunk.
Rarity was next.  "Remember to let me know whenever your measurements change," she said, as she gave Rainbow her own hug, "I'll come to Cloudsdale myself and make any adjustments you need to your dresses."
After that, it was Applejack's turn.  She trotted up and threw her arms around Rainbow without a word.  The two of them embraced in silence before pulling away.  Wordlessly, Applejack held up a hoof.  Rainbow matched the movement and the two of them bumped hooves.
As Applejack pulled back, Pinkie Pie bounded in, practically throwing herself on top of Rainbow, sobbing hysterically.  "I'll miss you Dashie!" she wailed, "Please write me as much as you can!"
Twilight's magic lifted Pinkie away for the second time as Rainbow turned to her oldest friend.  Fluttershy was sobbing softly.  Dawn had pressed himself up against her side and was doing his best to comfort her.  However, it seemed that even his efforts were insufficient as Fluttershy couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge his presence at the moment.  Rainbow stepped in lifted a forehoof to Fluttershy's chin, tilting her head up until Fluttershy's eyes were meeting Rainbow's.
For a moment, they said nothing.  Rainbow merely stared into Fluttershy's eyes and Fluttershy stared back.  Rainbow had to fight for the words she wanted to say.  This was Fluttershy, her oldest friend, whom she'd known since they were foals.  They had shared many times together, wonderful times and dark times both.  Finally, Rainbow spoke, her words soft and whispery.  "I'm gonna miss ya 'Shy."
"I'm going to miss you too, Rainbow," Fluttershy said back, hiccuping, "I...I don't want you to go...b-but...I don't want to hold you back either."
"'Shy," said Rainbow, "You don't need to worry.  You're not alone anymore.  You have so many ponies here who love and care for you, Dawn and Caramel especially."
"B-but...I'm not as strong as you," whispered Fluttershy.
Rainbow couldn't help but laugh at that.  "Of course you're not as strong as me, Fluttershy.  You're way stronger."  Lifting her other hoof, Rainbow cupped Fluttershy's face from both sides and looked her straight in the eyes.  "Fluttershy, you're a mom.  You've given a colt a home and a family.  You're trying your hardest to raise him right.  Compared to that, being a Wonderbolt is easy.  You'll be fine."
Fluttershy sniffled weakly.  "Thank you Rainbow."
After giving Fluttershy one last hug, Rainbow pulled away and looked down at Dawn.  "Be good, kiddo."
Dawn nodded gravely as Rainbow turned to the rest of the ponies she had to say goodbye to.  Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were accompanying their sisters.  Though the two of them had never been especially close to Rainbow (at least, not as close as Scootaloo was), they were both in tears at the thought of her departure.  Rainbow gave each of them a silent smile before she turned to Spike.
"Take good care of Twilight for me," said Rainbow, giving Spike a mischievous grin, "Make sure you drag her out of the library once in a while."
"No problem," said Spike with a wry grin.
"Hey!" exclaimed Twilight.  Her indignant outburst was ignored by Rainbow and Spike.
"Oh...and thanks for lending me your comics," added Rainbow as she turned away from the young dragon.
"I'm going to get them back...right?"
Rainbow coughed and continued to walk away from him.
"Rainbow...?  I'm going to get them back, aren't I?"
"Yeah," said Rainbow over her shoulder, after an uncomfortably long hesitation, "Sure."
"I wonder about that," muttered Spike.  But he decided to let the issue of his issues go...for now.
At last, there were only two ponies left in the gathering.  Melon Cream had been sitting behind the rest of the girls, holding a sobbing Scootaloo in her arms as they waited for Rainbow to finish saying her goodbyes to everypony else.  Melon smiled warmly at Rainbow.  "Thank you...for everything."
Rainbow nodded at her.  Melon looked down at Scootaloo.  "Scootaloo...It's time..."
She slowly released Scootaloo from her arms.  The orange filly reluctantly turned away from her mother's embrace to look at Rainbow, unable to stop the tears flowing freely from her eyes.  With a wailing cry, Scootaloo threw herself at Rainbow, knocking the mare back onto her haunches as she caught the filly in her arms, wrapping Scootaloo in a tight hug.
"Oh Scoots," murmured Rainbow, "I'm gonna miss ya."
"I...I don't want you to go Rainbow," whimpered Scootaloo.
Tears came to Rainbow's own eyes as she held the filly tighter.  "I know...I know you don't squirt.  But I'm still going.  But...you know what?"
Scootaloo pulled her face away from Rainbow's chest far enough to tilt her head up to meet Rainbow's gaze.  "What?"
"Even if I'm not physically here in Ponyville, I'll still be here for ya kiddo."  Rainbow lifted a hoof and lightly tapped Scootaloo in the chest.  "Right there.  As long as you remember that, I'll never leave ya hanging."
Scootaloo's tears didn't stop, but her lips curled up in a smile and she let out a watery laugh.  "That was so cheesy."
That got a laugh out of Rainbow too.  "Yeah...It was pretty cheesy.  Just remember..."  She leaned down and planted a lingering kiss against Scootaloo's forehead.  "I love ya squirt.  No matter what happens; where you go, what you do, you'll always be my one and only little sister."
"I love you too, Rainbow," said Scootaloo, pulling herself into Rainbow's embrace one last time before they finally let go of each other.
Rainbow walked over to where Soarin' was waiting.  The stallion had already harnessed himself up to the wagon containing the few possessions Rainbow needed to take with her.  "Ready?" he asked.
"As I'll ever be," she answered.
Turning around, Rainbow looked out over her friends one last time.  Spreading her wings, she took to the air, Soarin' not far behind her.  In the air, Rainbow paused and turned around.  "See you everypony," she shouted down, waving at them before turning to gain some more altitude.
As she pulled away from the ground and oriented herself on Cloudsdale, Rainbow spotted a cloud hovering nearby.  Waiting there was Storm Front, along with Rumble.  Rumble was waving frantically as Rainbow and Soarin' flew past them.  Rainbow waved back.  As her eyes met Storm's, she and the stallion traded nods..  The last of her goodbyes said, Rainbow left Ponyville behind, Cloudsdale and her future looming ahead.